A/N: So here's a little chapter to keep my readers happy. Hope you enjoy it.

Ch. 17: Brotherly Advice

Sara pulled into the airport parking lot. She was glad to have Sophia and Linc back home. She missed having the company of her family around. She couldn't wait to hear about the adventures that Sophia and Lincoln had shared during their tropical weekend getaway. She walked into the airport lobby and sat in an empty seat. Hopefully after she picked up Linc and Sophia, she would be able to pick up Mikey and they could all have dinner together. She looked at her watch and saw it was nearing 6:30, signaling that Linc and Sophia's plane would be landing soon.

After about 15 minutes, she noticed the crowd outside the gate where their flight was landing was picking up. She stood up as she saw Linc's closely shaved head above the crowd. When he saw her, he broke into a huge grin and picked up his pace to greet her, dragging Sophia with him by the hand. When he reached her, he wrapped his arms around her tightly. Sara hugged him back, and it felt like she let out a breath she had been holding since he left. She didn't realize until this moment how much she truly depended on Lincoln since Michael passed.

"Hey sis," Lincoln cheekily greeted once they broke apart from the hug.

"Hi. How was your trip?" Sara responded.

"Beautiful. I'm thinking of moving to Tahiti permanently," Sophia chimed in.

"Yeah we considered it, but decided we would miss Mikey too much. Plus, if we moved away, who would keep you out of trouble?" Lincoln humorously added as he ruffled Sara's head playfully.

As Sara was about to retort something snarky at Lincoln, she noticed something. And that's when she saw it. Out of the corner of her eye, Sara noticed something sparkling on Sophia's finger. She gasped and grabbed her hand, wide-eyed. She inspected her finger for a few seconds before dropping her hand and pulling her into a huge hug.

"What?!" Sara screeched drawing much of the attention of the few people remaining in the airport lobby. "When? How? Why didn't you tell me Linc?!" Sara questioned.

"Whoa whoa easy sis. Let's take it one step at a time. I proposed last night. It was our last night in Tahiti, so I convinced Sophia to join me on the beach for a nice romantic dinner since it was our last night. She didn't think anything of it; she expected nothing. So right before sunset, I got down on one knee and delivered possibly one of the longest and most heartfelt speeches of my life. Luckily she said yes because otherwise I would have looked like a love-struck teenage idiot. Anyway I knew you would flip when you found out you missed the big moment, so I hired a videographer and a photographer so I wouldn't get in trouble. And I think that answer's all of your questions," Lincoln ended with a smirk.

"Uh you left out one little detail," Sara retorted.

"And what is that?" Lincoln sarcastically responded.

"Why didn't you freaking tell me? I'm great with these kinds of things!" Sara responded as she punched Lincoln's arm.

"Well let's see Sara, why wouldn't I tell you about one of the most romantic gestures of my life? Hmmmm…oh yeah! I remember! It's because you can't keep a secret to save your life!"

"Hey I resent that! That is absolutely," Sara paused and thought about all of the secrets she had blown in the past, like the time LJ was coming home to surprise Lincoln for his birthday and Sara accidently ruined that surprise, and knew he was right. "true," she finished with a sigh.

"It's okay blabber mouth. We still love you," Sophia chimed in.

Sara smiled. She was truly content with her life right now. Sure she was miles away from being 100% happy, but nothing short of her husband's revival from the dead would make her that happy. But as of now, she was perfectly content with her current situation. She had a beautiful son, a future sister in law and a wedding to be a part of, a new friendship in John, and a great job. She had no complaints; well except for the fact that there was still a gaping hole in her heart that could only be filled by her husband.

"Well then it's official. We are going out to a celebratory dinner right now. I'll just call Fernando and see if he wants to keep Mikey for a little bit longer," Sara said reaching for her phone.

"Actually," Sophia interrupted stopping her, "I'm super tired and jetlagged, so I think I'm just gonna head home. But seriously don't let that stop you from going out to dinner. I'll go pick up Mikey from Sucre's house and take him back to your house, so I can get him ready for bed. That way after you guys finish dinner, Linc can just drive you guys back to your place, and then from there we can go home."

"Are you sure babe? We can all go out another time," Lincoln reasoned.

"Positive. Go out and celebrate with your sister. Sara, can I take your car, since it has the car seat?"

"Of course," Sara said handing over her keys. "I really wish you could come out with us Soph. You and I need to go get drinks and have a girl's night soon."

"For sure," Sophia responded with a smile. "Well I'd better get going, but I'll see you guys in a few hours," she said before kissing Lincoln and giving Sara one last hug. "Bye guys." And with that, she was gone.

"So," Lincoln began, "where to sis?"

"Hmm….Antonio's?" Sara said. Antonio's was their favorite Italian restaurant in Miami.

"Sounds great," Lincoln said slinging an arm over Sara's shoulder and heading toward the exit of the airport.

Twenty minutes later they were seated at Antonio's and enjoying a glass of wine.

"Okay Sara. What's on your mind?" Lincoln asked.

"What?"

"I know you, and I know that something has been bothering probably all day now. I noticed it from the moment you picked us up at the airport," Lincoln finished.

Sara looked down at her lap. She hated that Lincoln had learned to read her so easily. She was so good at hiding her emotions. The only person that could read her better than her brother in law was her late husband. She knew that Lincoln wasn't going to drop it until she'd given him the answer. And it's not like she could just make up some fake reason because he would see right through that lie.

"Well," Lincoln began impatiently, "I'm waiting."

"Okay so do you remember my coworker John?" Sara conceded knowing that there was no way Lincoln was letting her off the hook.

"The jackass that you hate? Yeah what about him?"

"Well, it turns out he may not be as much of a pompous ass as I pegged him for."

"How do you mean?" Lincoln questioned with a furrowed brow.

"Well today I had a really crappy day, and John noticed that something was wrong and asked me about it. And for some odd reason, I confided in him about everything. I told him about Michael and how unfair it is that he was taken from me so soon. I told him how hard it is raising a child alone; a child that will never know his father. I told him how I don't think I'll ever be able to move on because Michael was my once in a lifetime love. And he listened. And he understood. And he told about his mom who also died too soon, and how he didn't think a day would go by that he wouldn't be sad. But it did. And he moved on. And for some reason, he gave me hope that I too can move on. He gave me the slightest glimmer of hope that one day this gaping hole in my chest, this never ending ache, will get smaller. Michael will always be the most important person in my life and I am never going to forget him, but today John made me understand that being happy, doesn't mean that I love Michael any less. He made me understand that one day, I will want to move on and it'll be okay. Because even though he didn't know Michael, John said he knew that based on what I told him, Michael would want me to be happy. And today, for the first time I felt something positive toward someone who wasn't Michael. For the first time I felt hopeful."

After a few moments, Lincoln finally chimed in. "Well Sara, that all sounds great and all, so why do you look like someone just killed your puppy? What are you not telling me?"

"I'm scared," Sara admitted heartbreakingly. "I don't want to forget him. I want to be able to move on, but at the same time I don't want to. Michael and I had something so special, something so pure, something so once in a lifetime that I don't want to tarnish it with someone else. It hasn't even been two years yet. Am I rushing into this? And what about Mikey? He's so young and his mind is so shapeable. What if he thinks a new person is his dad? I don't want him to not know you his father is because his father was God's greatest gift to the world; God's greatest gift to me. Maybe it is too soon."

"Sara," Lincoln interjected. "Listen to me. Michael will always be Mikey's dad, and Mikey knows that. You said the only thing that calms him down is that video Mike made you before he died. Mikey knows who his dad is, and whether or not you choose to start dating will not change that. Maybe it'll be good for you to get back out there. As much as it pains me to say, and as much as I wish it weren't true, Michael isn't coming back. He would want you to be happy, whether you choose to move on or not."

"Thanks Linc," Sara said. "I really needed to hear that."

"You know I'm always here for you sis. But if this John character turns out to be an ass who's taking advantage of your grief, I will kill him," Lincoln added seriously.

Sara laughed at the thought of Lincoln and John in a fight. John was such a pretty boy, and Lincoln was so…not. Sara and Linc finished their meal in peace and then drove back to Sara's house. Sara and Lincoln said their goodbyes, and Linc carried a soundly sleeping Sophia out to the car.

Sara snuck into Mikey's room and kissed his chubby cheek when she saw that he too was sleeping soundly. She curled up in bed and thought about her and Lincoln's conversation. She realized that she wasn't ready to move on yet, but one day she would be. Sara knew in her heart that she wasn't quite ready to let go of Michael yet, but one day she hoped she would be. John had proven to be a great confidant, and Sara hoped with all her heart that he would continue to show her his softer side. She shut off the lamp on her bedside table and got down under the covers. For the first time in a while, Sara found sleep easily.

A/N: Ah so Lincoln and Sophia are finally engaged! (I figured it would have happened sooner or later on the show). Sara seems to be getting ready to let go of Michael, but will Michael's return be soon enough? It looks like Sara might even be headed toward a date with John, so let's hope Michael's return is sooner rather than later. I will try to get a chapter out very soon (I know you guys hate waiting). I have some big plans for this story. Yes, Michael will return home, and he and Sara will eventually be happy. But what happens next will rock your world. I have a few story lines in my head that I may turn into a sequel or two. Definitely stay tuned for that. Reviews make my heart sing with joy (plus they make me write faster because I really want to please you guys). Let me know if you're still reading this insanity. XOXO