A/N : You guys, I know everybody has been wondering about how Michael was on terms with the law, so in this chapter you'll find out. Aaah, the drama - or not drama - has arrived. About time, after all the fluff I've been throwing your way.

This is an important chappy, so please let me know what you think - I need you!

XO

Sara

Sara woke up and sweetly kissed the sleeping Michael's chest. She would always, always treasure this when he was...away. The hearing was this afternoon, and her gut told her it wouldn't be long until he was taken away from her. Did you ever just – know things? She did. And she knew it. She could feel that Michael wouldn't be like this, holding her in his arms while he slept, for much longer. Pretty soon he'd be lying in a cramped cell, in a bunk with filthy sheets and a snoring cellmate above him.

She whimpered, praying he'd be okay in there. Which left the eternal question : what about them? Would he be sheduled to go back into the high, stone, yet for her somehow comforting walls of Fox River? Would she still be his doctor, and see him mere minutes a day – or would they be ripped apart, and she would know he was mere hallways away from her, her heart and body aching to be with him?

A sigh escaped her lips. She'd wait. For as long as she had to, but time would pass by slowly. Would he etch marks into the walls, waiting to return to her? She smiled. It was such an 'expected' behavior of a prisoner, and she knew he wouldn't do it. No. He'd be counting minutes in that genius mind of his, he'd know exactly how many seconds had passed since the beginning, how many more would come 'till the end.

She was startled by his lips on her cheek. "We'll be okay, you know."

Turning her head towards him, she pressed a kiss to his nose. "I know. It's just..." her eyes started to tear up. "sometimes I hate this, Michael. I really...hate this, you know? I hate the fact that we're just starting this fairytale life again, and it will be taken away from us any second now. I hate it that I won't be able to hold you again, and to wake up next to you..I hate the fact that your mugshot is the only picture I have, and that I... I..." She shook her tearstaind head at a loss of words.

He pulled her softly into him and threaded her hair through his fingers. "Don't cry. We'll make it through. And we live now, to last us for as long as it has to." His big eyes looked into hers. "What's time when you have a lifetime to spend afterwards, with each other? We need to..." he swallowed hard. "We need to see the bigger picture here. I'll do my time and then I'll come home. In the meantime, I'll love you always."

She nodded softly. "Okay."

He placed a quick peck on her lips, but was unprepared she pulled him deeper into her, needing to be devoured by him, needing to be together. Who knows when it would stop?

And we live now...

Later in the morning, she took the phone to the bedroom while Michael went to take a shower. She felt relieved when the now familiar voice picked up.

"Hello?"

"Hey Ronnie, it's me." Sara had taken to calling Veronica 'Ronnie', because she felt that she should set herself apart from the male 'Vee'crowd. Veronica liked it. It was like a babysister who couldn't pronounce the name in the toddleryears, and a name that stuck until late in their lives.

"I need the truth." She continued. "The whole truth. I need to know."

Veronica didn't need to ask what her baby sis was talking about, she knew exactly what she wanted, needed to know. She could only imagine how she would feel if the roles were reversed. But they weren't. Her man was safe now...

" Honestly, it's looking pretty good so far. If I can get them to understand why Michael did the things he did, which I'm pretty sure I can pull off, they might drop that sentence. But they can't let him get away with escaping..."

"I know." Sara rolled her hand over her face. This was good news, right?

"Heeey –" Veronica drawled out. "This is good news. Remember, the government owes Lincoln. Hell, owes us all for unraveling the plan. They're not going to be to hard on him today."

"Not today...But in prison?" She sighed. "I hate this, Ronnie."

Michael

Michael stood by the door. Yes, he was eavesdropping, but he knew she needed her alone-time, and he needed his Sara-time, so what was a guy to do? At this moment, he wanted nothing more than to walk into the room and pull her close, make her feel the reality of this. Of them.

He was scared about this afternoon. He was scared that they wouldn't understand. Hell, who could? Michael was a complex human being, sometimes he didn't even understand himself. Retreating into his own mind for hours at a time, getting lost in all the mazes inside of him, there was no map traced on his body to escape from his thoughts.

At least he knew Sara wouldn't be alone anymore. She had a family now. Their family. They'd take care of her. And just maybe, they'd see each other often. He still had a Taj to finish and the Warden loved Sara. The Warden had loved him too. Maybe...

"I need to go, Michael's getting out of the shower any minute now."

"I have faith in you, Veronica."

"Same here. See ya, okay?"

He hurried back into the bathroom and didn't reappear for ten minutes. When he did, Sara rushed over to him, a neatly pressed suit draped over her arm and a small smile on her face.

"Here's your suit." Quickly placing a kiss on his lips, she walked over to the kitchencounter and fetched him the cup of coffee she'd made for him. "Here.Have some coffee."

He swung his arm around her and pressed her close to him, capturing her lips in a way that left them both breathless. The cup of coffee was squeezed in between them, but neither minded. They only felt eachother. Their touches, their breaths - their kiss.

He released her lips and softly stroked her necklace. "Always remember." He whispered next to her ear.

She nodded and smiled a little. "How could I forget?"

"Now get yourself ready, Mister! You have to look decent today."

He gasped. "I always look decent. Hell, I could go like this," he spun around in his outfit, that consisted of a towel draped around his waist, "and still charm the crap out of those people."

She nodded her agreement. "Oh, yes, Michael, why don't you walk into that courtroom exposing the tattoos that form the blueprints of the prison you escaped from."

He rolled his lips into his mouth. Oh yeah.

She laughed and mumbled 'idiot' under her breath, before flopping down onto the couch and waiting for him to get ready.

So what?

So long

So sad

I wanna be strong

Don't try to take him from me

I've already spent living half my life undone

Sara

She prayed. Sara wasn't a religious person, but right now, as she sat in her office at Fox River (it was Monday after all, and if she didn't come in, for the third day in just a few weeks time, things would look suspicious) while Michael was standing in that courtroom, Sara prayed.

In her mind, she could see Veronica striding confidently into the courtroom, and Michael toughen up and sit next to her calmly. She saw the crowd rise when the judge walked in, and felt Veronica breathe a sigh of relief at the sight of the judge. It was the same one that had sentenced Michael last time.

-- the courtroom --

"Your honor," Veronica started her defense. "If I may..." The judge nodded softly and Veronica stepped up to the front of the courtroom. "Your honor, Michael Scofield has always been a good civilian. Honest, hard-working and always extending a helping hand to the one needing it the most. He was loyal, most of all. These last two qualities, that are always present in good men, made him act the way he did."

She took a breath.

"Your honor, the defendent's mother passed away when the brothers were merely children, and their father had abandoned the family a long time before that. After their mother's death, Lincoln Burrows became Michael Scofield's father, mother and friend. They were all the other had. Lincoln Burrows had not commited the crime he was charged with, your Honor, as the court has previously stated. His younger brother knew this, and as he suffers from LLI, a mental state that results into caring more about others than about yourself, it is not to be expected that he felt like he needed to save the only person who cared about him as a child, from a death he did not deserve? Mr. Scofield put everything he could to the cause of saving his brother, mother and father."

" Your honor, Michael Scofield cared so much that even though he knew he would be punished, he put his own life at risk to save his brother's. The crime he commited was not a violent one, your Honor. The cassier that was on duty when he went into the bank, will testify for his cause here today. She will tell us all that Michael was friendly towards her and did not at any point threaten her. He even started to make light conversation. Is the crime he committed enough to punish a man only trying to save a life?"

"Your honor, Michael does not make excuses for the escape, and has agreed to pay his dues, the way you feel it should be payed. But I request that you keep in mind that a good civilian, with a mental state of caring engraved in his mind, only tried to save a life."

She nodded politely.

"I thank you."

She sat back down and squeezed Michael's leg. His thoughts dwelled on Sara. He knew she was scared out of her mind right now and hoped that the jury would not punish him to hard, for her sake.

All they could do now was wait.

An hour later

"All rise!" the guard bellowed out and the crowd held its breath as the judge positioned herself back into her chair.

"Mr. Scofield – rise!"

Michael stood up with a blank look on his face. He didn't want to act sad and have the judge think he was putting on a facade, neither did he want to look confident and have the judge think he felt certain that he was going to avoid serious punishment.

"Mr. Scofield," the judge began. "Less than a year ago, you were standing exactly where you are now, and I was sitting right here before you. At that point, I felt you were a criminal, a good man that had strayed, destructing himself and endangering the world in the process. It seems however, that I did not know all the facts at that time. The cassier has pleaded in your favor, and I can see that you did not endanger anyone and I can also see why you did put yourself at risk. You served a noble cause, fighting for the freedom of an innocent man, and I do not know if I would have had the same courage had me and my sister been in the same position. I would, no doubt, have tried other techniques to free her. But I understand that with your mental condition, you were desperate. I still do not approve of the technique, but there are worse things to be considered in this case."

"Mr. Scofield – you broke 7 people out with you, and only one of them was innocent. Two passed away after the escape, but there are still 5 people remaining at large. 2 of them being dangerous criminals. I request that you do everything you can to help us track down these men. With that planners-brain of yours, I do not think it will be a hard task." She smiled a little.

"Furthermore, as of tomorrow, you will spend 18 months at the Fox River Prison, where I hope you will stay this time, as you have no motive of leaving anymore. You will be watched closely. Parolehearing after 6 months. This court has decided."

The judge smiled as Michael was pulled into a great hug by his brother, and she knew she would have been looking at a dead man had his brother not sacrifised his whole life for him. She admired him, she really dead. Quietly, she retreated back into her room, smiling all the way.

Michael

Parole after six months. SIX MONTHS! It was more than he had hoped for. Or should he say : less than he had dared hope?

Sara.

He grinned.

-- the infirmary --

Sara held her breath as she turned on the radio to listen to the news. This was the broadcasting that could make or break her happiness.

"This is just in from ChicagoNews FM – Michael Scofield, the man who broke his brother out of prison along with 6 other fugitives, has been sentenced for 18 months at Fox River, with a chance of parole after six months. Scofield's lawyer was not available for an interview, but sources say she is very pleased. She should be, because the whole country was cheering for her and holding its breath, praying for the man to be able to start over.

The Highway surrounding Chicago has..."

Sara yelped and tears started streaming down her cheeks. Six months. SIX MONTHS!

"Katie!"

Katie rushed into the room and pulled Sara into a warm embrace. "Honey, I heard.I'm so happy! He deserved this."

Sara nodded and turned her eyes into a quiet plea. Katie smiled warmly. "Well, off you go, girl! I'll tell the Warden you had an appointement with your father..every one knows how demanding he can be." She winked and laughed wholeheartedly as Sara ran out of the door. Her eyes followed the woman all the way to her vehicle, untill she sped away through the gates.

Sara's car came to an abrupt stop as she passed a car on the road that was too familiar. Just a few metres further, the car came to a stop too, and the backdoors swung open. She saw Michael jumping out and quickly unbuckled and ran over to him, flinging herself into his arms.

Their tears mingled on their cheeks and the pressed themselves together, melting into the other.

They were happy – together.

So? (bites her lip anxiously) Please let me know what you think - and, oh, wasn't this a long chapter? hehe

Song Blue October - 18th floor balcony/It's just me.

XO