"We have to get her to a hospital!" he could hear his brother screaming from the back seat. Lincoln gasped back, panic. No they can't. He thought to himself quickly,

"We can't Mike! You know that!" He yelled, "LJ find us a hotel!" he told his son.

Sara had taught him the basics of getting a bullet out, they had spent so much time on the run together that it had come up. Much to her credit she had given both him and LJ a crash course on the matter.

"We don't need a hotel we need a hospital! She's bleeding and I can't stop it!" Michael yelled. Linc glanced quickly in the review mirror. His brother was in pieces. Lincoln doubted that Michael could be of any help with the state he was in now. He was grasping at her body trying to stop the blood but his mind wasn't on the task, it was on the idea that she could die.

"She could die Lincoln," his brother said sadly meeting Lincoln's eyes. "She could die because of me."

"She won't, Michael. She won't die, we're going to take care of her." He told his brother, willing what little courage he had left to be in his voice.

"Dad! Turn right, there a motel five miles that way." LJ's voice broke his thoughts.

"Ok," Lincoln turned to his son, "Listen up LJ. When we get there your going to get us a room and as much ice as you can. Then get your ass back to the room and help me. Your uncle Mike isn't going to be much of a help so we're going to have to get that thing out of her." He glanced back at his brother then his son, "Sara taught us what we need to help her. We can do this."

"I've…I've never done anything like this, dad." LJ said, fear crippling his voice.

Lincoln spared his son a brief smile, "Neither have I but we can't let her die."

LJ dropped his head between his knees to hide his tears from his father, "This is all my fault."

"Don't-" Linc laid a rough hand on his back, "This is not your fault. It's that bastered Mahone. And he's going to pay, but right now we have to save Sara."

LJ lifted his head and turned to his father, "But what if-"

"No what if's. No nothing. I'm not going to let her die, and neither are you." Lincoln gestured behind him, "Right now your Uncle's a mess, and I can't count on him. But I need you. So get it together." He snapped roughly.

LJ bit his lip and nodded, "We're here!"

LJ didn't wait for the car to come to a complete halt before he jumped out and headed for the office. Seconds later he was running back with a key yelling the room number at the top of his lungs. "12! Dad, 12!"

Lincoln was already out of the driver's seat and pulling open the back door. He didn't wait for his brother to help him get Sara out. Instead he pushed his brother back and reached for the woman himself. He could see the wound from the bullet and the blood seeping out of it, he ran toward the room.

Ten minutes later he was digging in the wound with a knife, LJ was applying pressure with cubes of ice. Lincoln spared his son a glance, "Hang in there, we're almost done."

Seconds later the bullet was pried out. LJ quickly wrapped the wound as tightly as possible. Lincoln washed as much blood off her as he could then washed his hands.

He walked out of the bathroom and stared at the woman on the bed. His son was at her face while applying pressure to her wound as tears streamed down his face. He knew that his son had become attached to Sara. She was almost like a second mom to him. Lincoln lifted his arm to see his watch. "Shit," he whispered to himself.

He knew what had to be done. It was always there, always in the back of his mind. He knew he had to save his brother and son. Michael had gotten him this far but it was up to him to get them to the end of the road, Even if it meant hurting someone.

"Fuck." Lincoln whispered angrily.

"Dad?" LJ looked over at him.

"Clean up her wound a little better, reapply the bandage then get your ass back in the car." He snarled. With that Lincoln hurried out of the motel room and to the car determined to save their lives.

Lincoln found himself on Sara Tencredi front porch. He sighed heavily before banging his fist on the door. This was the last place he wanted to be. His guilt over what he had done to her was still keeping him up at night, but if he ever wanted forgiveness this was only place he would get it.

Sara swung open the door and stopped in surprise. "Lincoln!"

"Hey Sara." He said slowly.

"Hi." She blinked awkwardly. "I was expecting Michael."

"Yeah well he's not really in any condition to do anything but vomit and sleep." He looked her up and down, she looked healthy, and he felt a wave of relief wash over him.

"What do you mean?" she asked quickly, "Maybe you'd better come in,"

"Yeah, thanks." He followed her into the house. "Nice place."

"Thanks." She turned back to him, "Can I get you anything?"

"Something hot, that damn plane trip was exhausting." He followed her to the kitchen. "How'd you afford all this?" Lincoln looked around the little cabin, its outsides looked run down and almost abandoned but the inside was nearly brand new.

"It seemed that my father gave me quite the inheritance once I was able to use my credit card again." Sara explained as she prepared them tea.

"Umm…that's cool." Lincoln replied.

Sara laughed, "yeah."

They stood in her kitchen in silence until Sara turned to him. "So what are you doing here?"

"I need you to forgive us and come home." He answered quickly.

Sara stared at him then burst out laughing. "What?" Lincoln demanded. "What's funny about that?"

"Lincoln," she regained herself, "first off. Panama is NOT my home. This is. Second do you really think I'd just forgive him for leaving me half dead on a crappy motel bed, just like that?" she snapped her fingers.

Lincoln rubbed the back of his neck, "Sara, there's something you should know."

"Whatever it is I don't care, Lincoln. It's all over and I'd like to just move on."

"You have to know this Sara. You can't be mad at Michael for something he didn't do." He felt his nerves jumble again, he was a hard-core ex-con he could handle this.

"Lincoln, you're his brother and I know you love him-" she turned to him.

"I left you." He blurted. "It was my decision."

"What?" Sara whispered staring at him.

"I'm really sorry Sara. But we were being followed and we only had a few hours to make it across the border. There was no way you would have survived the trip." He looked at her trying to read her thoughts. "I'm so sorry. I know we screwed you pretty bad…but I had-"

"How could you?" she whispered, stunned and hurt.

"I had to save my son and brother. We were four hours away from complete and utter freedom. If we had stayed any longer we were all going to go back to prison. I couldn't do that to my son, Sara. You know that. And Michael. He couldn't have survived another stint in prison."

"The one for the many," Sara whispered.

Lincoln dropped his eyes, "I've regretted it ever since."

Sara laid her hands over her face then released a heavy sigh. "I would have told you to leave me. I know that LJ and Michael couldn't go back. I understand that." She met his eyes softly, "I would have forced you to leave me. But what I can't handle is that I lost my baby."

Lincoln swallowed the lump in his throat. "Yeah, Michael told me about that."

"That's what I can't get over. If it had just been me, it would have never been even an issue…but I was pregnant." She could feel her lower lip quivering. She looked at him, "I was pregnant!"

Lincoln dropped his head, "If I had know-"

"That hurt-so much. But what hurt even more was that he left me so easily." She felt her tears fall down her cheeks. "As selfish as that sounds it's true. He was the only thing that ever kept me going, then he was gone and I was alone. I didn't even have my baby. He just walked away like I was nothing."

"First off…"Lincoln started his own tears causing his voice to thicken. "Michael didn't want to leave you. I had to drag him away from you, right before we were crossing the border he tired to turn back and I had to knock him out. I thought my days of beating the hell out of him for his own good were over." Lincoln rubbed his head quickly, "Sara, I don't know what I can say that'll make you understand that he never wanted to leave you. He spent every day for the last two years doing nothing but planning on how to get back to you. You should have seen his face when he realized it was your birthday the other week. He was going to see you even if it lead him right back to Fox River."

"Stop, Linc-" Sara lifted a hand, "Just please stop."

"You need to understand that he still loves you. That he never stopped." Lincoln instated.

Sara studied him, "I don't know what you want to hear?"

"I want you to say that you'll come home with me. I know you think Panama isn't your home. But it is. We are you family."

"I can't just drop everything I've held in for the past two years and live happily ever after," she snapped.

"Fine. But blame me. You can make me walk on coals-throw daggers at me. I don't care. Michael and LJ don't deserve your anger. I was the one who forced them to leave you!" Lincoln responded quickly, waving his hands.

"Lincoln-" She glared, "I'm-"

"What? Your what? So I fucked up? Fine! I do that all the time! Just stop blaming Michael, he's crazy about you and not being with you is driving him into a pit that's meant for me."

Sara flinched, Lincoln continued softly. "He's been drinking since he got home the other day. In fact he started drinking the moment he left you. When I found him he was covered in vomit. All our lives I've never so much as seen him get tipsy."

"You're joking," Sara, whispered shocked.

"No." Lincoln crossed his arms over his chest. "Now tell me he doesn't love you. Tell me it was easy for him to leave you."

Sara walked to her table and dropped into a chair, "He shouldn't drink."

"No shit Sherlock." Lincoln sat next to her at the table.

"You shouldn't let him." She looked at him. "Make him stop."

Lincoln stared at her, "Sara, it's the only he can do to get you out of his mind. Do you even care about the nightmares he's had for the past two years?"

Her eyes filled with concern, "Of course I care, but there's nothing I can do about it."

"Yeah right. The only thing that helps me with my guilt is LJ. When I see him hitting on girls and surfing I know it was all worth it. But what does he have?"

"He did all this to save your life." She threw back quickly.

"And he lost the woman he loves." Lincoln glared.

"Why are you making this my fault?" Sara shouted as she stood. "I wanted to be with him-I wanted to be with you all in Panama. But I was left-"

"I left you Sara." Lincoln stood. "You're taking your anger out on him when you should be taking it out on me."

Sara stared at him for a full minute. "You need to go."

"Sara-" he sighed.

"No! You need to go, Lincoln." She started toward the door.

"Why are you being like this?" He fell into step behind her.

"Because I have my own life now and I can't kept throwing it away from people who don't really care about me." She answered not facing him.

"Sara-did you hear a word I just said?" He gasped.

She pulled open the door, "Please leave Lincoln."

"You're being a bitch for no reason at all!" He swore glaring down at her.

"No reason at all! I LOST my child!" She yelled, "I lost my child because I was in the wrong situation at the wrong time! I won't go back."

Lincoln glared furiously at her, "You aren't the only one who lost a child. Michael did too." he walked out of her home and towards the car. He reached for the door handle when he heard her voice call his name. He looked up to see her running toward him; he stared in confusion as she threw her arms around his huge frame. Her arms circled his waist, pressing her body tightly into his. It took him seconds to respond, he lowered his head to her shoulder.

"Tell LJ I miss him, and I love him so much. Tell him to think of school and not just fooling around." She pulled away from him a little and pressed both hands to his cheeks, tears were running down her cheeks, "Tell Michael I understand, and I'm sorry. But I can't go back. Tell him he needs to move on. Tell him anything just don't let him keep drinking." She patted his cheek fondly, "And take care of yourself, it's up to you to take care of them." She whispered.

Lincoln found himself on the verge of tears as he listened to her, "Sara."

"Tell Michael—that I loved him so deeply…that part of me always will." Her body was shaking with sobs now. "But I can't go back to that world. I just can't."

"Sara…"Lincoln held her waist tightly, "Come with me."

She shook her head, "No." She stepped away completely breaking contact. She wiped at her face. "Now go."

Lincoln stared at her. "Sara."

"Go Lincoln and don't come back." She wrapped her arms around herself and started back to her home.

Lincoln watched her disappear back into her house as he stood there in shock.

Thanks for reading-as always reviews are wonderful!