She opened her eyes to the darkest of rooms, not a crack of light. Initially she was confused, thinking that she was having a dream, recalling her old ways of waking up somewhere unfamiliar. Then, water was running from somehwere that seemed very far away and the sound of an opening door woke her completely. She was naked under these covers and a scantily clad Michael Scofield was emerging from the dark doorway of the en suite bathroom. He hesitated as he entered the room, moving slowly toward the bed as to not wake her. The ring on her left hand reminded her of the events that occurred last night and she blushed as he got back into bed.
"Hey" he whispered. ""Sorry, didn't want to wake you. You looked so peaceful sleeping there."
"I'm fine. It's probably a good idea to get up anyway. What time is it?"
"About 6am. I heard the crew moving about out there. Linc's probably sleeping through all of that though."
"We could meet him somewhere for coffee maybe? " She paused. "Michael. Are we safe?"
Brushing her right cheekbone with his thumb he replied "I think so. No one knew this plan . Not even me. "
She was looking at her ring, distracted by memories of the night before. He had looked at her earnestly when he had kissed her finger and slipped it on last night, the entire time just keeping silent as her own expression changed fluidly from confusion to recognition to elation. She had found herself sobbing when he had finally whispered, pleadingly; "Please say yes".
She had nodded with a tearful smile and drew him to her, speechless. That had launched them into their second round of lovemaking that night. Michael had been especially tender with her then, so gentle that she had to beg. "Michael, please...?" He had been driving her crazy with his teasing touch and gentle thrusts and Sara felt like she would have to take matters into her own hands if he didn't comply. Luckily he realized what she needed and brought them to a noisy climax that left them both exhausted. Michael kissed her damp forehead and whispered words of comfort and love until they had both drifted off ...
"Hey , we're gonna be okay here " his words interrupted her thoughts.
'Okay." She smiled.
"It's too late to change your mind now." he joked, kissing her hand where the diamond shone.
Later that morning, after a very long, hot shower together, they ventured out of the cabin to explore the small ship. As a precaution, they decided to stay in disguise as much as possible . Their behavior had to be inconspicuous. That meant no hand holding, or kissing. That was very difficult for Michael, who was naturally drawn to touch Sara whenever they were close now. They wore caps to cover their faces and loose slacks they had purchased on the way to the ship. It was still obvious that Sara was one of only a few women on the freighter and she received a few stares. Lincoln informed them that the ship held about 200 of a crew of dock workers headed to Panama. They were expected to stop in Miami before heading out to the small country. He shared this with them over a very basic meal at one of the secluded tables in the galley.
Suddenly he stopped talking. He was staring at her ring.
"Didn't waste any time huh, Mike" he said looking at it.
Standing up he walked around to them and gave Michael a giant bear hug, slapping his back a few times. Then he kissed Sara on the cheek and whispered to her "I've never seen him like this. " She blushed again and smiled.
Over the next few days they made their plans for Panama, enjoying more freedom than they could have fathomed before. Nevertheless, they were always wary of drawing attention. In Miami they hid in the belly of the ship and never got off the freighter even though all personnel were supposed to report to the upper deck. Lincoln had befriended one of the workers and asked him to pick up supplies for him, feigning an injury that prevented him from going too far when they arrived in Miami.
"I'll just hang out on the port for an hour or two, then I'll meet you back in the galley at dinnertime for them." he had told him. He had to fake that limp for the entire journey after that.
Michael and Sara spent a lot of time in their cabin to Lincoln's disgust. "Enough already!" He would say in annoyance if they signaled to each other it was time to head down there.
They never tired of that special private time with each other though. If they weren't making love, they were definitely kissing or hugging while talking about their past, their dreams for the future, and their regrets, always keeping physical contact while doing so. They were getting to know each other in a way they never thought would have been possible. Sara was always thankful for Michael's adoration. It was new to her, the way he made her feel. Just, loved. Michael on the other hand was totally taken by Sara's silent strength. In their conversations, he discovered she had weathered many storms. Another woman would have been broken by it all. But not her. It was beyond him. He felt very protective of her and he loved the way she depended on him sometimes although he knew she could manage it all without him. Some days he would catch her wiping away tears hurriedly when she saw him approach. She would quickly change the subject or pretend to be busy. He knew something was weighing on her but he didn't push. She needed him and he would be there as long as she did. Period.
In Panama, Michael planned to find manual work. He had a plan for the money he had stashed away in an account there as part of the original plan after the prison escape so he knew they would be okay for a while. He didn't want to blow it on opening a business that was unpredictable. His plan was to get a small place for them (Linc could be nearby but not in their home) and work in a lower level construction job , then work his way up. He had no credentials to show but in time ,his expertise and work ethic would earn him his promotions. He knew that. Linc was good with his hands too. He could probably work with Michael or in a similar job.
"I want to work too" Sara insisted much to his chagrin. "No way am I staying at home to do nothing. I could probably find lower level work in a pharmacy or hospital too. I know medical Spanish. I could get by."
"Are you going to enjoy any of that?" he asked obstinately. He really wanted Sara to be safe, and that meant at home , in his opinion.
"Interacting with people is what keeps me going Michael."
"Okay, but no pharmacies" he said with finality. "Maybe a small medical office would be better."
She understood the implications of his comment and appreciated his protectiveness.
One night after she had given herself completely to him again, she chuckled to herself, his arm wrapped so tightly around her she could barely breathe.
"What's funny?" as his hands did the usual caressing of her lips and cheekbones.
"I suppose it's true what they say about ex cons." She whispered to the ceiling
"Well, I am one." He laughed. Then wrinkled his eyebrows in confusion. "What do they say about ex cons ?"
"We've been on the run for a few weeks now. You've definitely seen me at my worst... God, my body hasn't seen a razor in weeks. Mmm, I guess it's safe to say your taste isn't too discerning right now." She smiled.
He sat up to look at her , dumbfounded. Was she serious? This woman was crazy to think that she was anything less than perfect. " My taste is fine."
She was looking back at him, her eyes brimming with tears.
"Okay?" he said
"Okay" she smiled and sniffed.
Panama was very different from Chicago but Sara thought it reminded her of Mexico where she had been on many mission trips. She quickly felt comfortable amid the bustling market places and shops. Her knowledge of Spanish helped a lot when they had to find a place to stay until they could figure out where they should live, the temporary hotel room seeming enormous compared to the cabin. Linc was becoming impatient with how long it was taking to get settled.
"I want a place where I can cook dammit. I'm tired of eating take out" He complained.
They lived off the savings Michael had transferred there until after about a month he came to the hotel with news of a construction gig he got. It paid very little but at least it was a huge company with room to grow. Lincoln took a little longer to find something.
Sara's theory was that his face didn't reflect cooperation.
Sara had to now get used to spending her days alone in the hotel. She busied herself with a job and apartment search of her own. It was difficult to be apart from Michael after spending so much time together.
One evening after they had eaten dinner at a nearby restaurant , she pulled out a newspaper clipping.
"I think I found us a place, Michael."
With a raise of an eyebrow he perused the clipping. It was a small cottage near the beach.
"The rent seems kind of low for that area." was his comment as he looked over the description.
The next day , he realized why. As they approached the cottage, he saw that it was in poor condition. The owner admitted his health was failing and he had been unable to maintain the property. Turned out that he owned several properties in the area that needed work. Michael volunteered to help him and he and Lincoln quickly became the property managers, now able to live in the cottage rent-free with Sara. She began decorating by finding second hand furniture at her favorite markets and repainting them. Linc and Michael worked on the cottage on weekends. It was just large enough for the three of them, with two bedrooms and a small kitchen. Sara loved the feel of the tile floors under her feet and swore them to restore them. Michael would hear of nothing else. Whatever she wanted, she got . If he couldn't provide a private space for them to live in, he would give her anything else she asked for.
"I need to see a doctor." she whispered to him one night as they lay in bed after a very sweaty romp.
"Is something wrong?" He asked.
"I'm fine Michael but I think I need to get on something for birth control. We've been a bit careless, don't you think?"
"Are you worried about something?"
"No. no " shaking her head as she insisted he stop worrying. "I just want to avoid any...complications, you know?"
He hesitated. "I wouldn't mind a complication or two." he smiled at her.
She held her breath for a minute.
"Wow you just want to jump head first, all in huh?" she said wistfully.
She turned her face away from him.
"You're so sure of all of this."
He reached for her and held her against him, wrapping her up completely in his arms . He knew personally how quickly it could all disappear. He imagined it was even more terrifying if it took 29 years to experience any semblance of real happiness. She probably thought if she lost it all, it would be another 29 years before she experienced it again. Michael would die before he let that happen.
"I'll go with you to the doctor, okay?"
She pulled away for a minute to look at him.
"Why?"
"Well, I should be there if you will be discussing us planning a family , right?"
"Michael, we aren't planning a family ...not yet." His face fell. "Look, we've been together for less than 3 months. Let's not rush into anything. See if you can stand me in another 3 months. " she laughed. "Besides, let me meet the doctor first and decide if I would even continue there as a patient. No need for you to be there for the first visit, right?."
He nodded sadly into her neck.