Here is the newest chapter! I went back and condensed a lot of the other chapters, re-wrote a lot of it and even managed to delete a whole chapter. This whole chapter is all brand new material. Hope the few people I still have reading this story likes it!
I woke up the next morning with a smile on my face. No matter what, I was with the two people I loved more than anything and on my wait to meet up with my other two favorite people. I had a man who loved me and a healthy, beautiful son. It's funny how you can be so happy when everything in your life was falling apart. There was no way I could ever go back to my life before. We were all fugitives.
"You look happy." Michael whispered from across the bed. We had slept with Grayson between us so he wouldn't fall off.
I looked over at him and saw a smile gracing his face, too. We were both smiling for the same reason. Here we were, away from the world, snug in our bed with our perfect son between us.
My smile fell as I realized the error of my thought.
"Hey," He brushed his hand across my forehead. "Why the frown? This is the second day in a row we've been lucky enough to wake up next to each other. And you finally agreed to marry me. Nothing sad about that."
Grayson stirred at our voices and rolled over to his belly. Michael removed his hand from my face to rub his hands through Grayson's curls.
"I will do anything to protect you both, you know that right?"
Nodding, I wondered why he brought that up now.
"Abbie, look at me." His voice was a command. "I want you to know that now, before we get very far into this. You two come first to me. Above Lincoln, above the law, above myself."
I shook my head, but he interrupted me, "No. You know how much I love you. I just wanted you to know I will protect you through this."
The fact that he was telling me he would lay down his life for us worried me. No matter how scary this was, I didn't even want to think about all of us not making it through to the end.
Michael sighed and rubbed his eyes, "It's 5:30 already. We better be heading out soon. There's a long day of driving ahead of us."
"I hate that Grayson's going to be in the car for so long. He's going to be a very crabby kid all day." I pointed out.
"This should be our last full day in the car, so we just have to get through this day." He replied, standing up and stretching. The sight of his chest covered in ink would never cease to surprise me. Michael was the definition of upright citizen back in Chicago, never in trouble, never stirring the pot. And overnight he became a tattooed convict.
"What are you thinking about?" He asked, catching my stare.
I shook my head, "Just realizing that you're a lot more like your brother than you ever noticed."
He smiled, "Is that why you couldn't choose between us? We're both too alike?"
I clucked my tongue at him, "You know that's not true." Standing up, I wrapped my arms around his neck and pulled him to me. "From the moment you first kissed me, Michael. That was when I chose you."
"That's my girl." He said, brushing his lips across mine. "Why don't you get Grayson up while I get all our stuff ready to go?"
"Mama?" I heard a little voice call from the bed. I turned to see him rubbing his eyes and looking around. "Home?" He asked, confused.
"No baby, we're not home. We're going on a trip, remember? Just you, me and Michael." I gathered him up in my arms and gave him a reassuring squeeze. "Are you hungry?"
While I fed Grayson, Michael got our bags closed and put by the door. After he emerged from the bathroom in clean clothes he nodded at me.
"Go ahead and get ready, I'll finish with Grayson." I smiled at him in thanks before heading towards the bathroom. Thankfully, Michael had thought to leave out an outfit for me and Grayson to change in to.
After cleaning Grayson off and changing his diaper and his clothes, we were ready to hit the road. We knew we had to appear normal when we left, but it was so hard not to run towards the car and speed off.
I took the key back while Michael got the baby into his seat and the bags in the trunk. By the time I left the office he was waiting by the door ready to go.
He took my hand and gave me a small smile before putting it in gear.
"You okay?" He asked, concerned.
I squeezed his hand, "Better than okay. Let's go."
"Why are we stopping here?" I asked later that evening, confused why Michael had pulled into a library parking lot.
"Before we broke out, our group devised a way to stay in contact in case something happened. " Michael explained. "There's a website we all agreed to check every few days for messages. I'm going to try and send Lincoln a code that we are coming and where and when to meet us."
"And you're positive no one else knows about this website?" I asked him, uncertainly.
He nodded before slipping out of the car. "Don't worry." He said, leaning into the window. "It's completely safe."
But I wasn't as sure as I watched him go into the library. Nothing about this plan was completely safe, no matter how good of a planner Michael was.
I turned back to Grayson who was happily snacking on a cracker. His messy little grin made my doubt ease a little.
"Mama!" He shouted excitedly, covering one eye with his clean hand.
I took the hint and we played peek-a-boo until Michael came back.
"We all good?" I questioned as he got his seat belt back on.
"All set." He answered, getting us back on the road. "I let him know we should be in Mexico in the next day or so."
"Is he going to meet us there?" I asked, wondering about all the hidden aspects of Michael's plan.
"No, not yet. We're going to catch a plane that will take us to Panama and that's where Lincoln and LJ are."
"How are we going to get in to Mexico anyways?" I asked. "Won't the border guards be alerted to us by now?"
"Definitely. That's why I've hired someone to smuggle us in." He said this very nonchalantly.
"What?" I exclaimed. "We are going to smuggle my 18 month old son through the border?" I could feel my blood pressure quickly rising.
"Our18 month old son." He turned his dark glare towards me. "I'm either his father or his step-father. That makes him my responsibility, too."
I put my hand over the one clenching the steering wheel. "I'm sorry. Our son. But isn't there any other way than by smuggling him in?"
He took his hand off the wheel and laced his fingers through mine. "If there was an easier way, you know I would do it, Abbie. I don't like this any more than you do, but when I planned all this out I wasn't accounting for a child along with us."
Even though I understood, it still didn't make it any more comfortable.
"Just keep our little boy safe." I whispered.
"I swear it." He replied back.
"Are you getting hungry?" He asked a few minutes later.
"I'm starving." It was already close to ten PM and we had been living off snack food since lunch time.
"There's supposed to be a small town about eight miles up. We should probably stop and rest up for tomorrow."
Tomorrow when we were supposed to hit the Mexican border.
Where we were going to do god knows what to get through.
"What do you say, little guy?" Michael asked, turning to smile at Grayson in the back seat. "How does some pizza sound?"
"Eat!" Grayson yelled back, encouragingly.
We pulled in to the Super 8 just off the Interstate. Michael got Grayson and our bags out while I went inside and bought a room.
"The desk clerk said there is a Pizza Hut just up the street that will deliver to the motel." I informed him as I met them back at the car.
"Even better. We won't even have to leave the motel." He answered as we headed towards our room.
"I got us double beds this time." I said, putting the card through the slot. "Maybe we'll sleep better without the baby kicking and elbowing us all night."
The room wasn't anything special. Just the two beds, a dresser and a TV with a stand. But it was so nice to be out of the car that I would have gladly taken any room available.
"Do you care to order while I go ahead and give him a bath?" I asked, dumping my bag on the bed.
"No, go ahead. He looks so exhausted that I don't think he'll even be up for the food anyway." He replied, rubbing his hand over Grayson's back.
By the time I had finished with his bath his eyes were droopy and he could barely lift his head off my shoulder. I quickly put his pajama's on and bundled him into bed with pillows on all sides of him.
"He out already?" Michael whispered, coming over to stand beside me.
"Not yet, but he's almost there. I'll turn the TV on to give him some background noise." I replied. "He'll never go to sleep listening to us talking."
It was to late for cartoons, but I was able to find a music channel. As soon as the first notes hit Grayson's ears he was out like a light.
"Did you order yet?" I asked Michael, my stomach growling in agreement.
He smiled, "It should be here in about ten minutes. Do you want to take a shower before it gets here?"
"Yes." I replied, relieved. "I feel all scummy from being in the car all day."
I grabbed my bag to take into the bathroom with me. The water felt amazing and it was so nice to put on clean clothes. I smiled when I pulled out my pajama shirt. It was an old faded t-shirt of Michael's that I had stolen long before we started our relationship.
When I came out Michael was standing at the window, peering through the curtain.
"Is someone out there?" I asked.
"No," He answered, dropping his hand and turning around. "Just loo- wow."
His eyes dropped down to where the bottom of my shirt touched my thighs. He let his eyes travel up a little before cocking his head to the side. "Is that my shirt?"
"Maybe." I stepped closer to him. "Do you want it back?"
His gaze darkened. "When did you take it?"
"Hmmm." I said, tapping my chin. "About three years ago, I'd say." I took another step towards him. "It was raining one night when I came over. You let me wear it and I just forgot to give it back when I left."
Michael closed his eyes and was silent for a moment. "You've been wearing my clothes for the last three years and I am just now learning about it?"
"Life is full of little surprises, Michael." I grabbed the pizza box off the dresser and sprawled out on the bed. "Let's eat. I'm hungry."
Sighing, he sat down beside me. "You're a tease, Abigail."
"You love it."
I dropped the pizza box in front of us and we ate half of it like starving men before we spoke again.
"I'm about to burst." I groaned, throwing myself back on the bed, not aware that throwing my arm over my eyes apparently made my shirt ride up even more.
Michael's eyes lowered to where my shirt had landed on my hips. He brought his fingers up to his mouth and licked the sauce off his fingers. My gaze locked on to his lips as he slowly sucked on them one-by-one.
"Mike…" I breathed.
He jumped up and headed towards the bathroom. "I'm going to go take my shower now."
"Who's the tease now, Scofield?" I growled at him.
He popped his head back out the door and winked at me. "Life is full of surprises, Abbie."
While Michael was in the shower, I picked up the room a little. I packed our dirty clothes up and put the leftover pizza in the mini fridge under the TV. It would have to serve for breakfast in the morning, too. I turned the lamp off and was pulling the covers on the bed back when Michael emerged.
My breath caught as I caught sight of the jeans serving as the lone pair of clothing he was wearing.
His tattoos were illuminated by the glow from the TV. When he turned around, I noticed one I hadn't yet seen.
"Wait." I said, standing up. "Turn back around!"
"Why?" He asked, trying to peer over his shoulder. "Do I have something on me?"
"A heart, Michael. You have a heart on you. An orange heart." I said, stunned.
Orange was my favorite color. He knew that.
"Why do you have an orange heart tattooed on you? How did that aid in your escape plan?"
"Abbie," He murmured, stepping closer. "That was the most important aspect of the escape plan." He wrapped his around my wais and jerked me towards him. "It kept me on track and gave me motivation."
Pressing the length of his body against mine, he started to slowly back me towards the bed.
"You got it for me?" I whispered, just before I felt the bed hit the back of my knees.
Michael smiled. But it wasn't the same quiet, shy smile he normally gave me. It was darker.
Full of promises.
"No." He said, pushing me back onto the bed. "I got it for us." He stated, crawling up my body. His head hovered mere centimeters above mine. "The only thing that kept me sane in prison was knowing that when I got out, I was going to find you and never let you out of my sight again."
"You sound so sure of the outcome, you smug bastard."
"I got used to getting what I want." He stated, the left side of his mouth curling up into a smirk.
Lifting his hand from my waist, he reached down and let his knuckles casually drift across my thigh.
I bit the inside of my cheek, not wanting to give him the satisfaction of winning.
He laughed, "Abbie, Abbie, Abbie. Haven't we already played this game?" His hand inched up farther, sliding under the hem of my shirt.
I gripped the sheets under me when I felt his hand drift along the seam of my panties.
"Oh no you don't." He said, unfurling my fists and wrapping them around his back. His skin was still slightly warm and damp from the shower.
I narrowed my eyes at him. Two can play this game, I thought to myself. I clumsily flipped us over so I was on top.
"Playing dirty now, huh?" He glared, but his eyes were shining so I knew this was what he had wanted the whole time.
"Just putting an end to your stupid game, Scofield." I shot back. "If you want me writhing under you and moaning your name all you really had to do was ask."
Before he could reply, I quickly closed the distance between us and captured his lips in mine. I could feel the heat of his skin through my shirt and it was driving me crazy.
He must have had the same thought, because I felt him tugging on the bottom of my shirt trying to pull it over my head. My hands were shaking, but I tried fumbling with his jeans button anyway. He sat up, pulling me with him and we finally managed to toss my shirt away.
"Abbie," He groaned, clutching me to him. "God, you are so perfect." He twisted us back over so that he was on top again and buried his face in my neck. "I can't wait until you're my wife." His lips were everywhere, his hands touching everything. "Until you have my name."
"I love you." I managed to get out. "I love you like crazy. You're never getting rid of me." I said, pulling his face back to mine and kissing him as deep as I could.
"Now take off your pants."