Thanks to Jen for all the help
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"So you're going to see her then?"
Michael stopped shoving clothing into a bag and turned. His brother stood in the doorway with his arms crossed over his chest and a sober expression on his face.
"Do you have a problem with that?" Michael turned back to the job at hand. He knew what happened wasn't his brother's fault but there were times when he blamed him anyways. It was easier then accepting what really happened.
"As long as you don't get caught, no." Lincoln said firmly but calmly.
Michael relaxed, "If I see her it'll be worth it."
"Don't be stupid about this Michael. She might not even want to see you." The older brother dropped onto the bed.
"I have to try at lest." Michael looked at his brother.
Lincoln paused, "What if she's moved on?"
"Moved on?" Michael blinked.
"Michael, it's been two years." Lincoln looked at his brother, "That's a long time."
Michael stared hard at his brother. This wasn't something he liked to think about, but he had. She was a beautiful woman; any man would be lucky to have her, and it had been two years.
"Are you suggesting she married?"
"Moved on doesn't just mean marriage, Michael. But that's always a possibility."
"She wouldn't." he said confidently.
"Why because she wants to be loyal to you?" Lincoln asked harshly.
"No because she knows I still love her." Michael threw back.
Linc leaned back on the bed, "We left in her a cheap motel room with a hole in her stomach, and somehow I don't think she believes you still love her."
Michael felt something in him snap. He threw the half packed bag at his brother.
"YOU left her!! YOU! I wanted to stay! I wanted to be with her! YOU forced me to leave her in that motel!"
"WE had to Michael!" Lincoln stood and threw the bag off him and into a corner. "And you know it. Were you really going to give everything up just to be with her? Were you really going to let everything you had done go to waste just to hold her hand?"
Michael glared furiously at his brother as they stood inches from each other, "Yes! I should have! I love her and I left her!" Lincoln froze, Michael continued. "You didn't want me to have her because you don't have Vee."
Lincoln took step away from his brother, "Go," he whispered.
"Lincoln-I'm sorry." Michael said gently.
"So am I." Lincoln said in the same tone. "Go be with her."
Michael walked to the corner of the room and repacked his bag. He got up and walked to the door.
"Tell her I'm sorry." Lincoln said looking at Michael. "Make sure she knows what really happened. That it really was my idea. That I pressured you into it."
"The final decision was mine." Michael turned to his brother.
Lincoln gave a little smile, "Then how about we both screwed up and we're both sorry?"
"Sounds good." Michael smiled and slowly walked from their beach house.
14 hours later Michael found himself in the middle of nowhere Montana.
He had kept track of her from the moment he reached Panama. He may not have been able to be with her but he'd be damned if he didn't know where she was. He stepped out of the rented car and walked up to a log cabin. It was modest, almost run down. He walked slowly up the gravel path. Breathing seemed to become quite the difficult task. What if she was married? Boyfriend? What if she didn't answer the door? What if she slammed it in his face? What if- Michael stopped. He was on the porch. He took a deep breath; he had broken out of a maximum-security prison, survived being hunted by nearly every government agency in the country. He could survive knocking on this door. Michael lifted a hand but stopped when it started to shake uncontrollable. He curled it into a fist and banged on the door.
Michael studied her door trying desperately to regulate his heartbeat.
"Who is it?" Her voice called out.
Michael flinched, she sounded just as wry as they day he left her.
"An old friend." Amazing-his voice worked.
He heard her feet stop as they approached the door. She wasn't going to open it, he thought immediately. Suddenly the door swung open and Michael forgot all about breathing.
She was wearing a knitted sweater and a pair of fitted jeans. Her hair had grown back to the length he had remember it to be when they first met and the color is back to it's natural red. He studied every inch of her with in the first second. She was healthy. She had put on a little weight to prove that. Her cheeks were flushed and her entire complexion seemed more alive then when he had last seen her. He tried to think if he had ever seen anyone more beautiful.
"Sara," he said on a breath, a breath he had been holding for the past two years.
"Michael." She responded in much the same tone.
They stared at each other in silence for what felt like eternity. Michael fought with the desire to crush her to his chest; he was on the losing end about to take a step toward her when she finally spoke.
"What are you doing here?" Her voice was harsh and emotional.
"I needed to see you." He answered quickly, relieved that she hadn't slammed the door yet. There's still time, he reminded himself quickly.
"I have nothing Michael." She whispered her eyes suddenly filling with tears.
"Pardon?" he asked confused.
"I have nothing left to give you, Michael." She dropped her hand from the door handle.
Michael took a step toward her, "Sara…"he started softly.
"I have no job. I have no friends. I have no connections. I'm still a fugitive in most people's eyes so I'm not free to go around and do just anything." Tears fell from her eyes not even bothering to touch her cheek. "I have nothing left to give you Michael."
"Sara-" he lifted a hand to stroke at her cheek but she quickly moved away. "I don't want anything from you. I just want to see you."
Sara lifted her hands to her face and wiped furiously at it, "That's a first." She managed.
Michael dropped his eyes and flinched. "I deserved that."
Sara finished clearing her face of tears and looked up. "No you didn't."
He met her eyes, for a split second hope bloomed, until he felt her hand crash right into his cheek.
"But you did deserve that." She snapped.
For a moment Michael didn't feel the sting of her slap only that her bare skin had made contact with his. He fought back a smile.
"Fair enough," He muttered looking at her, "Could I come in?"
"No," Sara crossed her arms over her chest.
"Sara-" He started.
"It's been two years, Michael. Two years! Do you know how many times I needed you? Yet you choose to come back when everything is finally starting to work out for me. I have a good life here. Not as good as it was before but it's as good as I'm ever going to get. I don't want you to ruin it again." She said coldly eyeing him.
Michael was sure that no one had ever said anything that had hurt him more. He felt his stomach twist and his heartbreak in the same second.
"I'm not here to ruin anything. I'm just here to see you." He whispered bracing a hand on the doorframe. He lifted his eyes to hers; her's softened ever so softly.
"Can I come in?" He asked.
"Two hours." She whispered retreating back into her house.
Michael released a heavy sigh. It was a start, given all that had happened it was the best he could ever hope for. He followed her into the cabin; it seemed to fit her personality completely. "This is nice."
"Not really but it's the best I could do." She lead him into a tiny living room and sat on an over stuffed chair. Michael sat on a love seat opposite of her.
"How are you?"
Sara
stared through him. "Fine. How's Panama."
"Empty." He answered truthful, hoping she understood just how empty.
"How's Lincoln and LJ?" She asked dropping her glaze.
Michael cracked a smile, she always did that when she was sincere about her question. She had a hard time with people seeing her emotions. "Well. They miss you."
"I miss them too, especially LJ. How is he?" she looked up again.
"Quite the surfer, to be honest." A little smile appeared on his face. "That boy would do just about anything to impress the girls. We know half the hospital's staff by name."
"Was he seriously hurt?" She asked leaning forward, concern and panic written over her face.
"No…no nothing like that. Just minor injures." He assured her quickly.
Sara dropped against the chair, "Thank god. He's been through enough. So does he have a girlfriend yet?"
Michael dropped his glaze, "I wouldn't really know."
"Why?" Sara studied him curiosity.
"We don't speak all that much. He-" Michael stumbled and looked away, "he hasn't forgiven us for what we did to you."
"He isn't the only one." Her guard was back up. Michael fought back tears; he had barely noticed that when they spoke of LJ her guard dropped a little now they already back up.
"Nothing I ever say or do is going to make up for what we did is it?" He asked, his eyes still closed.
Silence filled the room for a full minute, he was sure that she had left. He lifted his head and found her sitting in the same place. Tears ran quickly down her cheek.
"It could have-if it had just been me."
Michael stared at her in confusion. "I don't understand."
Sara bit her lip furiously; not bothering to hide the tears or even try to stop them.
"I was pregnant."
Please review so I know what you all think-thx for reading.
