"Oh, I almost forgot." Paul paused. "I brought you a little Birthday present, Sis."

Michael held his breath as Paul reached inside his jacket pocket and brought out a small zip lock bag.

Michael's eyes moved over the contents; a syringe, a small vial of brown liquid, and a shoe string. Paul shook it, making the bag rattle, and then walking closer he tossed it on the table next to Michael's legs.

"Pick it up Sara, or I shoot him."

She hesitated for only a moment and then leaned and grabbed the bag.

"Sara, don't do it." Michael begged, but she was crying again, and Michael could hear her behind him, as she removed the items from the bag.

"Why are you doing this, Paul?"

"I thought we already went through all of this? Oh, you mean the morphine? It's just part of the set up, Michael. You see, you've been supplying her with drugs. Yep, all this time her daddy thought you were looking after her you've been fucking her and helping her fix. Evidence to support this is all over her, Mike. The only evidence I didn't have to plant. That's right, courtesy of yours truly you're bedroom closet is full of pretty much every article written on the good Governor and his family…they date back…well ten years." He smirked proudly.

And then his face lost all trace of a smile. "Load it and shoot it. Or I shoot your lover boy here, Sara."

Michael knew what he had to do, and it was now or never. But in order to do it he had to distract Paul. He stepped sideways, and as he had hoped, Paul's eyes locked on Sara.

"Good girl." Michael heard and then he was moving. He dove at Paul, his body connecting with a jarring of muscle against muscle, sinew against sinew as they crashed to the floor. There was the sound of the gun going off in the quiet room. And then Sara screamed.

Michael felt the bullet numbingly hot in his side, but he knew he had to stop him. He wrapped his fingers around Paul's wrist and squeezed as he slammed it down on the floor, sending the gun flying out of his hand sliding along the hardwood in a surreal dance.

Michael punched Paul his head knocking back hard against the wood. But then his hands came up around Michael's neck. He felt his oxygen being cut off and clawed at Paul's fingers. And then his training kicked in and he shoved his arms up breaking the hold.

He gulped in air and grabbed Paul hauling him up with him. And then he slammed him down onto the coffee table. It broke beneath them, sending the coffee mugs from earlier clattering to the floor.

Sara scampered away as the two men fought.

"Run, Sara…Now!" Michael managed and then Paul's fist slammed into the side of his head with a grunting rage.

He could only hope she would listen to him.

Michael slammed his fist into hard flesh sending a shooting pain up his side. And then he saw Paul's hand scrabbling inside his jacket for the gun he had holstered there.

Michael grabbed at his hands and then threw his weight on top of him, an even sharper pain slicing through him as he landed on his bullet wound. But he knew he had to keep Paul from getting hold of the gun.

And then he saw it… The empty syringe was only inches from them, but he would have to let go of Paul's hands to get it and when he did that Paul would be free to pull his gun.

Michael let him go and grabbed the syringe, his body still covering Kellerman.

He felt Paul's hands moving between them, and then, syringe in hand he lifted his body up and popped off the cap.

He saw the flash of black steel as his hand arched through the air bringing the syringe down into Paul's neck. Michael heard the gun go off, and then he was pushing the plunger sending a stream of air into Paul Kellerman's jugular

Michael rolled away with a gasp, his hands moving to cover the oozing hole in his abdomen. He was starting to lose consciousness when he heard the door opening.

He let his head fall to the side to see Sara standing in the doorway, her eyes wide and frightened. He blinked and he wasn't sure if he blacked out or not, but the next he knew she was beside him, pressing his balled up shirt to the mess that was his stomach and side. And from the looks of the once white shirt, he had lost a lot of blood.

"Sara, I'm so…I'm sorry." He grimaced against the pain.

"Don't try to talk, Michael. I called the police and their sending some help for you."

He nodded and gulped, his eyes drifting shut again. But he forced them back open just needing to see her one last time.

She was crying softly, the tears leaving streaks along her ashen cheeks.

He reached out to her and she looked up, her wet eyes filled with pain. She pushed the hair back from her face and then moved closer and grasped his outstretched hand, not about to deny him this comfort.

He heard sirens drawing closer, and then the blackness came... erasing everything.

XXXXX

"Sara?"

Sara lifted her face from her hands and looked up to see her father standing in the stark hospital hallway. She had been waiting for word about Michael. He had been rushed off to surgery upon arrival over twenty minutes ago and so far she hadn't heard anything.

"Dad…Daddy?" She got up and started walking and then running, her face crumpling up as her tears moved breathlessly from her. She threw herself into her father and his arms came up tight around her.

"My, God, Sara, you could have been killed…"

Sara nodded against him, her tears coming louder and faster now.

"Michael's bad, Da…Daddy…He…He might not…He might not…they don't know if he'll ma..make it." Her voice was hitching painfully from her throat leaving her words broken.

Frank held her closer and stroked her hair. He had been briefed on what had happened, but he still had plenty of questions, like why his daughter had even been at the home of the agent assigned to protect her in the first place. But right now he just wanted to hold his daughter and relish in the fact that she was indeed safe.

He detached himself from her, and then putting an arm around Sara he led her along the hallway and sat her down in one of the chairs in the waiting area.

"He did this to save me…Michael's hurt because he stopped him… Dad that man said…he said you were…"

Frank nodded. "I know, Sara… I know what he said."

"Is it true? Was he really who he said he was? Was Paul Kellerman my brother?"

Frank didn't have to say anything; she could see his answer written all over his face.

She pulled her hands free from his and ran them through her hair.

Her head felt like it might explode with all of the information being forced into her system. The biggest shock being that Michael was an agent…She hugged herself and felt her eyes fill with tears as everything fell into place.

Michael had been assigned to protect her, only befriending her because he was told to do so. And then there were the lies…so many lies to keep her from finding out…Being gay only one of the many untruths she had been led to believe.

The whole thing was just one big lie...did he even care about her? Or was dying for her just part of the job?

She suddenly felt like she couldn't breathe…. She had to get out of there. She stood up and started walking. She didn't know where she was intending to go, but it had to be far away from this place so she could think.

Her father caught up with her and grabbed her arm.

"Sara, wait, please!"

She looked at him, his anxious eyes meeting hers imploringly.

She realized he thought this was about him. But of course he did. It was always about Frank Tancredi. She let him believe what he wanted, telling herself good, if he thought she was angry with him, it would be easier to hide her real feelings.

"I just want to go, home. Please."

Frank nodded and took her arm.

And father and daughter walked the stark whiteness of the hallway, both lost in their own, very different thoughts.

(Later that same night)

"Please, if you could just…"

But she was cut off once again by the nurse on duty. "I'm sorry Miss, but I can't give out that information."

It was the same thing each time she had called.

Sighing softly, Sara put down the phone and rubbed a hand through her hair. She was so tired, but she knew she couldn't sleep until she found out if he was okay.

After leaving the hospital she had begged her father to just leave her alone. She had been amazed but grateful when he agreed and they had spent the rest of the ride home in awkward silence.

Once safely behind closed doors she had gone straight to her room and was still there, the tray one of the maids had brought to her shortly after their return sitting untouched on the small table next to her bed. The same table Michael had rested his glasses on.

She felt her heart ache as the memories continued to assault her. She couldn't seem to push them away despite how she fought against them. It seemed everything would remind her of Michael.

She flipped off the light and lay back on her bed hugging her pillow, her tears threatening once again as her thoughts raced on.

She knew now that she never should have left the hospital. But she also knew that her father would never let her go back there tonight.

Her mind refusing to slow even for a beat, she was considering sneaking out for what had to be the tenth time that night, when the knock sounded on her door.

"Come in."

She quickly brushed her tears away and sat up. Her father stood silhouetted in the doorway.

"Sara, I know I said I wouldn't bother, you, but I thought you might like to know. Agent Scofield was taken off the critical list. His condition was listed as serious but stable shortly after surgery. I've been assured he will make a full recovery."

Sara felt her heart leap with happiness at this as her eyes overflowed with tears. And she let them fall. The room was dark and she knew her father couldn't see her; couldn't see the tears of relief at his words.

"If you like we can go to the hospital tomorrow morning?"

Sara nodded. "Um, yeah, okay, I'd like that," she managed.

Her father was turning away.

"Um, Dad… Thank you."

Despite what he might have heard in her voice, Frank was a man of his word. He turned and shut the door behind him leaving her to make it through the night alone, just as he had promised.

Chapter End Notes:

I will try to update soon...this story is very near the end now.