Author's notes:

Precisions about the timeline… The only indication the writers gave us was the start of Ramadan (May 26). Based on that date, I tried to estimate how many days it took Michael and Lincoln to get back to the States, then to defeat Poseidon. In my timeline, Michael's meeting with the CIA director happened on a Monday (June 5). Chapter 2 was Tuesday, June 6. Chapter 3 was Wednesday, June 7. Chapter 4 is Thursday, June 8. FYI, the scene at the park will be included in Chapter 5.

"It's a neat trick, huh?"

Mike woke up at his usual time and Michael joined him in his brother's bedroom. When Lincoln saw Michael, he immediately asked: "Tough night?"

"Yeah, I didn't sleep well" Michael replied, not bothering to pretend that everything was fine.

"Why don't you go back to sleep? Mikey, LJ and I can have breakfast downstairs, then we can go to the pool."
Mike's enthusiasm and his own fatigue led him to give in to his brother's suggestion and to go back to bed where Sara was still sleeping.

Sara woke up an hour later, feeling surprisingly rested after the night that they had experienced. She then checked the time on her phone and realized that it was later than she expected. The movement woke Michael up and she felt his arm tighten around her waist.

"Where is Mike?" she inquired, turning around to face her husband.

"He's with Lincoln and LJ. They were going to have breakfast first, then go to the pool."

"When was that?"

"Shortly after 8:00."

"About an hour ago then", she pondered.

Sara got up, went to the bathroom quickly, then, on her way back to the bed, she grabbed the orange juice that was in their little fridge. She sat on the bed and drank directly from the bottle under Michael's disapproving gaze.

"It's a good thing Mike is not here to see you do that!"

"Indeed", she giggled.

Michael joined her at the bottom of the bed and accepted the bottle when she handed it to him. He took several big gulps and appreciated the juice's fresh and sweet taste. He gave her the juice back and stood up to stretch his arms, back and legs. Sara was still sitting on the bed and, with Michael up and slightly in front of her to her left, she had an impeccable view. The tee-shirt that he was wearing exposed the tattoos on his forearms and the thin fabric barely concealed the muscles of his back underneath. She lowered her gaze then and glanced at the perfect shape of his behind in his pyjama pants, feeling her breathing accelerate suddenly. Michael was totally unaware of Sara's burning gaze on him and that made her smile a little.

"Do you want to take a shower first? Or do you want me to go first?" Michael asked as he saw her standing up next to him.

"No", she replied simply, taking several steps towards the door that communicated with Lincoln's bedroom.

"No? To both questions?" Michael frowned, confused.

She locked the door and turned around. "No", Sara repeated with more conviction, her eyes meeting his. "What do you say we take advantage of the fact that we have the room to ourselves?"

Michael's eyes widened in surprise and he swallowed with difficulty at the potential implications of Sara's suggestion. She stopped inches away from him and put both of her hands on his chest, tilting her head to the side, as if she was waiting for him to react to her proposal. His reaction wasn't long: in one swift motion, he grabbed Sara by the hips and pulled her towards him. The sudden proximity made her gasp but she recovered quickly and crashed her lips on his, her hands travelling to his neck to hold him in place and play with his short hair. Michael's arms moved to the small of her back and pressed her body even more against his. Their tongues began a dance of their own and the heat in the room rose significantly. The kiss wasn't enough for Sara and her fingers soon left Michael's neck to find the hem of his tee-shirt and help him out of it. Not wanting to break their kiss for longer than necessary, Michael took Sara's top off before capturing her lips in another passionate kiss. His eyes caught a brief glance at her naked upper body and his arousal increased even more. He walked them towards the bed and they continued kissing and caressing every inch of skin their hands could find. Michael felt one of Sara's hands enter his pants and his heart skipped a beat. Sara started to touch him slowly through his boxers and he moaned at the sensation which was made more intense by the skin-to-skin contact between his chest and her breasts. Gently but firmly Michael covered Sara's hand with his to put a halt to her strokes. He needed to regain a little bit of control and that was becoming difficult with Sara's fingers on his manhood.

"It's been a while, Sara… If you continue like this, it won't last very long", he apologized. It had been more than seven years for Michael to be exact.

Sara looked at him in the eye and gave him a small smile. She wished that she could say the same but she wasn't willing to let guilt or remorse invade her. Jacob had used Michael and manipulated her but he hadn't won in the end. He was in jail while Michael was with her and she decided to focus on that, and on that alone. She finished to undress and helped him discard the rest of his clothes. Once they were both completely naked, she gently pushed him on the bed and joined him under the sheets. Seven years had passed between now and last time they had made love (that was two days before their wedding) but their bodies reconnected instantly. When Michael eventually entered Sara and they started to move as one, they had another confirmation that they belonged together. Their love for each other had resisted time and death and felt stronger than ever. Their love had sustained them in their darkest moments. It was time that it fueled them in what they knew would be their happiest moments.

Five minutes after their synchronized climaxes, Michael and Sara were still cuddling in bed.

"Hum, I could really fall asleep right now", Michael commented, his eyes closed and a satisfied smile on his lips.

"But you won't. You don't want them to find us in bed when they come back! Let's go, Scofield, shower!"

"Is it an invitation?!"

Sara laughed out loud. "Maybe some other time", she replied before giving him a quick peck on the lips. "I love you."

Michael groaned. He didn't want to leave the bed (nor Sara). "I love you too. But, for the record, I'm going to miss you in the shower."

Sara smiled and pushed him. If she didn't put some distance between them, Mike, Lincoln and LJ were going to find them in a very compromising situation.

XXXXXXXXXXXX

LJ had just left for Boston with the promise that they would soon see each other again and they were back at the hotel after a quick lunch.

"Hey Mikey! What do you want to do this afternoon?" Lincoln asked.

"I want to go to the zoo", Mike responded resolutely.

Seeing his nephew determination and his parents' puzzled looks, Lincoln shrugged. "The zoo it is then!"

They all gathered in one car and made their way to the zoo that Sara and Mike had last visited years ago (with Michael following them secretly). They walked for hours on the park's grounds, stopping regularly to observe the animals that captured their attention (well, mostly Mike's attention).

"Uncle Lincoln, look at this one! It's my favorite!" Lincoln was next to Mike, while Michael and Sara were walking a few steps behind, but not far enough that they couldn't hear the exchanges between Mike and Lincoln. Mike stared at the bird in its large cage admiringly. "Do you think it's its face you're seeing?"

"Yes", Lincoln replied without hesitation.

Michael's eyes were going from his son to the magnificent owl that he had admired too, back in the days.

"Wrong", Mike retorted authoritatively. "Look from this side!"

"Oh!"

"Yeah, you think it's its face but then you look closer and you realize that it's not. It's a neat trick, huh?"

"It is. Come on, let's go see the flamingos!"

Michael's hands were still firmly holding the rail. He lowered his head and Sara saw his shoulders shake. She approached him with worry, fearing that he might be sobbing, but when she got nearer she realized that he was in fact chuckling.

"Are you laughing?!" she asked.

"This bird is what inspired me for the tattoos on my hands", he explained.

"Wow, good thing he looks like me because the rest, it's all you!"

Michael smiled and led them to the flamingos' territory where Mike and Lincoln had once again halted. He noticed Sara's captivated look and slowly wrapped his arms around her waist from behind. He glanced at the flamingos over her shoulder and asked in her ear: "Fascinated by them?"

She nodded, immediately welcoming Michael's loving embrace. If father and son appreciated the mysterious owl, Sara found the flamingos particularly beautiful. There was something majestic about their tall and thin shape. As if on cue, two flamingos started what looked like a sensual dance, at least to the untrained eye. Sara was mesmerized by the spectacle for a minute or two then said: "You know, we couldn't have coordinated our clothes better this morning. With your light pink shirt and my crimson top, we bear a striking resemblance to these flamingos."

Michael chuckled and tightened his hold on Sara, pressing his lips on her cheek at the same time. "We make a very attractive couple of flamingos!"

Sara giggled and put her hands on top of Michael's. Surrounded by Michael's arms, Sara was safe and content and she could feel her body completely relax. "I can totally see myself getting two flamingos in love for my next tattoo", she pondered out loud. Michael frowned, trying to determine if Sara was serious or not. Surprised by his silence, she declared: "You're awfully quiet…"

"I'm not sure what I'm supposed to say. I mean, who am I to comment on you wanting another tattoo?"

"True", she replied with a smirk.

When Michael and Sara finally caught up with Lincoln and him, Mike immediately remarked their matching smiles and intertwined hands. His own lips curled up at the sight. His parents really looked happy to be reunited. He was happy too.