Chapter 6

When Sara was released from the hospital, she went straight to Michael's apartment and lied down on his bed. She had no idea she would miss him this much. Hell, it had only been three hours since she had last seen him. But still, she missed him terribly. Lying on his bed, she could smell him. His masculine and intoxicating scent. Burying her face in his pillow, she inhaled deeply, his scent making her regret the time she spent "hating" him. She laughed bitterly to herself. Of course, the one time she actually lets him get close to her, he has to leave. How ironic. She had kept his shirt on as well. That way she smelled like him.

"My God, I'm obsessed." She said to herself. Getting up off the bed, she went to the bathroom to examine the damage that Theo had done to her. Her face was slightly bruised, and that was basically it. Thanking Michael silently to herself, she started exploring his apartment. She looked at the many pictures that he had placed neatly around the place; pictures of him with LJ, him and Veronica, him and Lincoln; there was even a picture of their little group at Michael's business party. She smiled as she looked at it. She turned to the next picture, and her smile widened. It was of her and Michael, candid, and at his business party as well, but they were both laughing and smiling at each other. She picked it up and stared at it for a while. She couldn't help but think of how stupid she was for never letting them be together for as long as she did. Lost in her thoughts, she jumped when she heard the phone ring. Hesitantly she answered it.

"Hello?"

"…My God, you do not know how good it is to hear your voice." She heard Michael say. "I miss you." Sara smiled to herself.

"I miss you too. You have no idea how much I miss you." She told him. Michael sighed happily, but then turned sad. "Sara, I have to tell you something. And I don't think your going to like it." Fear gripped Sara's insides. He was going to break up with her, even though they weren't technically going out. But she knew that is what he was going to say.

"What?" she asked breathlessly.

"I…I have to stay longer, than the um, than the week. Mr. Collins is making me stay the entire month." He waited a few seconds, and not hearing a reply from Sara, he continued. "I'm so sorry, baby." Sara felt a warming sensation in the pit of her stomach at the new name he had chosen for her, but it left when she was left with the though of not being able to see Michael for an entire month. Realizing that she had been quiet for way too long, she finally answered.

"It's because I chose you over him, isn't it?" she asked quietly. Without waiting for an answer, she continued. "It's alright." An idea started forming in her mind. Instead of waiting an entire month to wait for him, she could go down and see him, and spend the month with him. She decided to surprise him. "As long as you call me, and I know how your doing, and that you miss me as much as I miss you." She smiled. She was going to be seeing him a whole lot sooner than he thought. "just give me your hotel and the number and everything, so I can call you." And come up and see you. She added to herself. Michael was relieved. She wasn't mad at him. He quickly told her the name of the hotel, and the room number he was in.

"Oh you have no idea how hard this is going to be." Michael told her. "I'm going to miss you so much."

"I'm going to miss you too. I cant wait till I can see you." She said quietly.

"Well, listen. We're having some stupid dinner party thing that I have to go to, so, I'll call you later?" he asked hopefully.

"Of course." There was a short silence.

"I'll talk to you later, Sara…I love you." Without waiting for a response, he hung up the phone.

"Damnit, Michael, if you would just wait a second, I could tell you I love you too." She told the quiet receiver. Sighing, she hung up the phone, and then picked it right back up and dialed the airport. "I guess it's better to tell someone you love them to their face, first, anyways." She told herself. Smiling slightly, she gave the lady on the phone all the information for a flight for that night. She wanted to get on the soonest plane to Michael. She pushed him away for too long. It was time to come crawling, or in her place, leaping back.

Sara walked into the airport with no luggage whatsoever. She figured that she could just buy all new stuff when she got to Michael. And because she had no luggage, the security measures put forth were a breeze to go through. When she got to her seat on the plane, she sat back and relaxed, anticipating the time when she would get to see Michael. She could almost feel his arms around her, and she definitely could not wait to have that feeling around her again. She smiled at the thought of his reaction when she told him that she loved him. He would probably be ecstatic, she thought. I know I am. Sighing happily, she closed her eyes and let sleep overcome her on the plane ride over to Washington…to Michael.

Michael sighed in frustration. He couldn't get a hold of Sara. She wasn't answering any phones; he wanted to tell her that he had changed his hotel room, because Mr. Collins wanted his. He sighed again in defeat and picked up the phone, determined to get a hold of her, even if it took all night.

Sara awoke with a start when the plane gently touched down. Something about planes made her sleep like a baby. She got off and looked in her purse for her phone, only to remember that she had left it charging on Michael's kitchen counter. Laughing at her stupidity, she made her way to the hotel that he was staying at. Luckily it was within walking distance from the hotel. Opening the doors, she stepped into the warm and welcoming hotel, and went straight to the elevators. She had memorized his room number by heart, on the way to the airport. Stepping inside of one, she pushed the number five, and waited for the elevator to take her to the designated floor. Once the doors opened, she started searching for Michael's room number. Finally she found it. She took a minute to steady her breathing, and then knocked on the door. She heard footsteps, and then the lock on the door unlocking. Then the door swung open.

And her face fell. Mr. Collins was standing there, and looked shocked to see Sara, but quickly changed his face to look pleasantly surprised.

"Ah, Sara. You're here for Michael aren't you?" he asked her. She didn't even answer him. She just mutely nodded. Staring at her, he said, "why don't you come in? I think we need to have a talk." She rolled her eyes, knowing it was rude but not caring. "I think that we can talk right out here." She said evenly. Mr. Collins sighed. "Very well."

"You know," he started, "Michael really loves his job." He stopped for a second, looking at Sara. She was just staring at him. She didn't see how this was relevant. "I was thinking about firing him. I can't very well have a man who's better than me working for me." He smiled slightly at Sara's shocked look.

"You cant just fire a man because he's better than you?" she said exasperatedly. Mr. Collins chuckled sinisterly. "Well, that's where you're wrong, unless…" he trailed off.

"Is there something that I can do?" she asked. She wouldn't let Michael lose a job that he loved just because his boss was a jackass.

"As a matter of fact, there is." He paused. "You see, there's another company dinner tomorrow night, and, well, I need a date. The men who have been in charge of this firm have always had a date, and I cannot break that tradition." He paused again. Sara's face grew wary. She knew where this was heading. "That's where you come in. You will be my date tomorrow night. You will hold my hand when grab it. You will let me put my arm around you waist." He smirked. "You will let me kiss you when I want to." He smiled in his evil smiley way. "And you don't tell Michael. Anything." Sara's face turned white.

"I can't do that." She said.

"Well than I guess I'll just have to fire him now, wont I?" he asked her. "If you really loved him, you would do this for him." He added as an afterthought. It was the icing on the cake. There was no way she would say no now. Sara dropped her head in defeat and nodded.

"Good." He said. "You will go and get a room. You will not go and see Michael. Tomorrow night, you will come down here at 7:30pm sharp. You will wear a fancy dress. Screw this up, and Michael is going bye-bye." He smirked. "Goodnight, Sara." He shut the door in her face. Sara closed her eyes in disbelief. Something was always keeping them apart. Slowly opening them, she walked back towards the elevator and went back to the first floor. Once she got her room, she went up to it, and sat on the bed. She slowly leaned back on it and fell asleep. Her dreams were full of nightmares where Michael hated her, and he left her. Or she dreamed of how hurt he was going to be when he saw her and Mr. Collins together. She cried numerous times in her sleep, and when she woke up, she had dried tear streaks down her face. She dreaded today.

"Please forgive me tonight, Michael. Don't walk away from me. Please." She pleaded to the empty room.

"Please…don't take him away from me."

Sara finally got out of bed after hours of contemplating what Michael would do once he saw her that night. She half-heartedly got ready and made her way down to the lobby. She had to buy a dress for the evening. Getting to the lobby, she froze. Michael and a group of his associates were talking animatedly and laughing together. Though in Michael's eyes, she could detect a hint of worry. They all left and got into a limo that was parked outside. Michael stayed behind a little and took out his cell phone. Placing it to his ear, he listened, and then frowned. Closing his eyes and rubbing his head, he finally followed his colleagues, and Sara was left alone again. She missed Michael so much. She lifted her arm and brought it to her face, surprised to feel the wetness that only tears could bring. Pulling herself together, she left the hotel. The sooner she got this over with, the sooner, hopefully, she could be with Michael.

The day flew by. Pretty soon, Sara was making her way out of her hotel room, and back down to the fifth floor to meet Mr. Collins. Taking a deep breath, she exited the elevator, and was surprised to see Michael waiting in front of his boss's room. She stopped dead in her tracks. Michael hadn't seen her, for as soon as she had stepped out of the elevator, Mr. Collins stepped out of his apartment. Shaking Michael's hand, he looked towards where Sara stood.

"Ah, Sara. Glad to see you could make it." He said silkily. Michael's head shot up immediately. He instantly smiled and walked over to her, reaching for her hands.

"I've been calling you for ages. Why haven't you answered?" he asked her, kissing her cheek. Before she could answer, Mr. Collins spoke up.

"Uh, Michael? I'm afraid I'm going to have to ask you to step away from my date." He walked up to them. Michael immediately dropped her hands and took a step back.

"…date?" he asked, hurt already smudging his beautiful features.

"That's right." He offered his arm to Sara, and she took it, unwillingly. "Let's get going, shall we?" Mr. Collins started force guiding her down the hall, and after a second, Michael followed, only with slower sadder steps. Sara fought to keep back tears. She had hurt him, deeply.

Earlier in the day, Michaels POV

Michael met his colleagues in the hallway, and they all went down to the lobby, waiting for the limo to arrive. He couldn't help but think of Sara. She hadn't answered his house phone, her house phone, or her cell phone. Lincoln had gone over to his apartment and noticed that she had left her phone on his kitchen counter, but that she had taken her purse. He was still worried though. And he missed her, terribly. She was all he thought about. And now that they were finally given a chance to have a relationship, he wanted to see her more than ever. Finally the limo arrived, but Michael hung back a little. He tried his apartment again, and frowned when there was no answer, yet again. Sighing, he followed his colleagues out the door. His day was filled with many calculations, designs, and heated arguments about structure, but finally, the time for another stupid dinner party arrived. He found these things to be annoying. He would much rather spend his time alone, trying to call Sara, and hopefully being able to talk to her. He got ready quickly, and then opened his door and waited for Mr. Collins, his thoughts still on Sara. They had been on her all day long. She was all he though about. Suddenly, Mr. Collins opened his door.

"Michael." He said, grabbing his hand and shaking it.

"Mr. Collins." He said, nodding his head. Mr. Collins turned his head to the side. "Ah Sara. Glad to see you could make it." Michael jerked his head up. And stared for a split second. His mouth broke into a huge smile, and then he immediately walked over to her and grabbed her hands. She looked scared, but he overlooked it.

"I've been calling you for ages. Why haven't you answered?" he asked her, leaning down to kiss her cheek. He missed being able to do that. Sara opened her mouth to answer, but Mr. Collins beat her to it.

"Uh, Michael? I'm afraid I'm going to have to ask you to step away from my date." Mr. Collins said, walking up to Sara's side. It took a moment for his words to sink in, but when they did, he dropped her hands and took a step back. He tried not to look hurt, but it wasn't working.

"…date?" he asked her. She was breaking his heart, all over again. Sara was staring at him, but before anything else could happen, Mr. Collins had offered Sara his arm, and she had taken it. "Let's get going, shall we?" he asked, taking her away and leading her to the elevator. Michael stood in his place for a few seconds, then slowly followed, keeping his head down. Stepping into the elevator, he went to the far corner of the elevator, getting as far away from them as he possibly could. He still kept his head down, trying to ignore Mr. Collins whispering to Sara. This was worse then Sara hating him after he had broken out of Fox River. Much worse.

Sara POV

The look on Michael's face was embedded in her mind. She could only hope that he would let her explain. In the elevator, Michael had distanced himself from them, keeping his head down and clutching the railings of the elevator so hard that his knuckles were turning white. Mr. Collins leaned down and whispered in her ear.

"Remember, one word, and he is fired. Plus, I'll add on something to the police about him hitting me, and then he can go back to Fox River."

Sara nodded mutely, her eyes cast on Michael. Feeling Mr. Collins fingers on the small of her back, she allowed him to lead her out of the elevator. She prayed with all her might that this night would end quickly, so that way she could go home. She would rather be miles away from Michael then hurt him like she knew he was hurting. Turning around, she saw that Michael was gazing at her; his eyes were bright and watery, and she could feel tears in her eyes just looking at him.

"I'm sorry." She mouthed to him, and then turned back around, quickly wiping her eyes with her hand. She didn't know if she could last the night with Michael like this. In fact, she knew she couldn't. She was going to tell him. Tonight. Sure, Michael may hate her for making him lose his job, but it was better than him thinking that she was just playing with his heart. Feeling a little better, but not a whole lot, she let Mr. Collins lead her to the awaiting limo with all his colleagues, hoping that there would be a time where she could slip away and talk to Michael.

She loved him. And she would do anything to make him see that.

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