Michael was fixed in his chair. Did she know about his meeting with the lawyers today? But how? Had Lincoln said something? He didn't think so. His mind went into overdrive as he tried to work over all the possible reasons for her showing up at his firm.

When Michael didn't move, Sara began walking towards him. She was getting more nervous with each step. Neither one of them had been to each others work before. Maybe he didn't want her here. Sara noticed a woman working at a desk a few feet away. The woman was trying not to be obvious but it was evident that she was curious about Michael's visitor.

As Sara reached his desk Michael snapped himself out of it and stood to greet her. "Hi."

"Hi." Giving him the best smile she could manage and did her best to hold his gaze.

Michael's mind was still swimming trying to figure out why she was here so when she said, "I was thinking since I have the day off we could have lunch together," it took a moment to register.

As his brain processed this new information he began to relax and let himself enjoy her presence a little. "That sounds like a great idea. Just let me…" Michael reached down to shut down his computer, grabbed the jacket from the back of his chair and slipped it on.

Sara turned back toward the door and Michael followed her out.

~

They sat in a café just a block from his office. Sara remembered coming here before, but it had been a while. Not since…well not since before her life changed, before Michael. They sat at a table by the window eating the sandwiches and chips they'd ordered a few minutes before. Michael was strangely silent. He hadn't murmured more than a few sentences since they'd sat down and he appeared to be deep in thought. "Michael?" He didn't answer. Instead he just kept eating his sandwich and staring at something outside the window that had caught his attention. She tried again, this time reaching out to touch his arm. "Michael." Looking down at her hand on his arm he turned towards her. His eyes were troubled although she could tell he was trying to mask it. "Something is bothering you." It wasn't a question. "Are you upset that I came to the firm without telling you?"

The look in his eyes softened a little. "No Sara." Her hand was still resting gently on his arm and he placed his over hers. "No." Picking her hand up, he brought it to his lips for a gentle kiss and then placed it back on the table.

When he didn't say anything more she prompted, "Then what is it? What's bothering you?" When she saw the rebut that was coming she quickly added, "And don't tell me nothing Michael. I know you well enough to know better."

Michael knew he needed to tell her about the appointment with the lawyers today but for some reason he just couldn't come right out and say it. So instead he decided to diverge a little. "I talked to LJ this morning. He asked me to tell you thank you for talking to Jessica."

Sara knew this was not what was bothering him but she decided to play along and see where he was going with this. "I take it she's still talking to him then?"

Michael didn't even crack a smile. "It sounded like that, yea."

"Well I guess I'm glad about that. He does deserve to be happy just like the rest of us." Sara took a bite of her sandwich before she continued. "I just hope he learned his lesson and doesn't put her though something like that again." As soon as the words left her lips, she saw Michael's face drop. Her next words came out in a whisper, "Michael?"

Michael set his sandwich down. The little appetite he'd had when he first entered the restaurant was gone now. She was waiting on him, he knew. He couldn't look at her so he instead focused on a dent he'd found earlier in the tabletop and began to speak. "Saturday I received a call from my lawyers."

Sara laid her sandwich down now and was concentrating on his every word. When he didn't continue right away she reached out to him but he pulled back. He needed to distance himself. He wasn't sure how she would react to him not telling her sooner but he didn't think it would be good. He'd promised her no more secrets. No more lies, not even by omission and that is exactly what he'd done…again. He took a deep breath and tried to meet her eyes. "Nika is contesting the divorce."

Ok. Not the greatest news, Sara thought, but why… "Saturday?"

"I'm sorry I didn't tell you sooner." When Sara didn't say anything more he continued. "I'm supposed to meet with her and her lawyers…"

"When?" Sara asked, although it was so quite he almost didn't hear.

This was the part Michael had been dreading. The part his guilt had been eating away at him for. "Today. At three o'clock."

He could see the moister in her eyes. "Were you going to tell me?"

Michael met her eyes and held them. He needed her to believe him. "Yes."

Sara held his gaze for a long moment. She looked down at her sandwich, picked it up and took another bite. The rest of their lunch was eaten in silence.

~

Michael was a mess by the time he left his lawyers' office a little after four. After an hour spent in a conference room with his lawyers and hers, he still wasn't sure what she wanted from him. All her lawyers would say was that he wasn't offering her enough after everything she had done for him. After Nika and her lawyers had left, he'd stayed for another ten minutes and had spoken to Frank alone. His lawyer kept asking him if he knew what she wanted. He didn't. Although if he was honest, he'd only been half concentrating on the meeting. His mind was on Sara. What was she thinking? Did she want to see him? If she needed space, he would give it to her. He would give her whatever she needed. Whatever she wanted.

Michael made his way through the parking garage and found his car. Getting inside, he removed the tie from around his neck and threw it in the seat beside him. He slipped the key into the ignition and turned the car over. But before putting the car in drive he paused. Where was he going to go? Every night this week he'd driven straight to Sara's after work. Michael leaned forward and rested his head on the steering wheel. Should he go to his apartment? The few times he'd been back this week it had felt empty. It wasn't home anymore.

Michael noticed the clock on the dash. He'd already been sitting there for ten minutes. He needed to go somewhere. After a few more minutes he made a decision. He would go to Lincoln's. Maybe at his brother's he would be able to come up with something.

~

Lincoln opened the door to find his brother looking like something that cat drug in. "Michael? You are right man?" he said with deep concern.

Michael stood with his hands in his pockets and his shoulders hunched over. "Can I come in?"

Lincoln stepped aside to let his brother enter. "Yea sure."

Michael walked inside and over to the couch. Removing his hands from his pockets, he sat down.

Lincoln closed the door and with hands on his hips looked at his little brother. Michael wasn't saying anything, just staring at the floor. "You want something to drink?"

Still Michael didn't say anything. He just shook his head no.

Ok then. Lincoln thought. It was obvious something was troubling Michael but in typical fashion this was something his brother was going to take his time to share. Lincoln decided to take a seat while he waited.

Michael kept replying his lunch with Sara over in his mind. Could he have done something different? Would it have made a difference? He rested his elbows on his knees and brought his hands up to skim over his head. Michael knew patience was not something his brother had a lot of. He wasn't even sure why he had come here except he didn't know where else to go.

Lincoln lost the battle, "Michael, snap out of it and tell me what's going on." Another minute went by and still Michael hadn't answered. With a little more sympathy Lincoln said, "Sara?" Slowly Michael lifted his face to meet his brother gaze.

Michael's face told Lincoln everything he needed to know. "Did you tell her?"

Michael leaned back into the couch and closed his eyes bringing his palms up to rub his eyes. "Yea. I told her."

"I'm assuming she didn't take it very well."

Bringing his hands to rest in his lap, Michael continued but kept his eyes closed. "She was so hurt Linc. I hurt her. Again." Finally he looked at his older brother. "What am I going to do?"

"Your asking me? You're the man with the plan remember."

"Yea well…you have a little more experience with women that I do. So yea, I'm asking."

Lincoln couldn't help but let a laugh escape him.

"It's not funny Linc." The expression on Michael face changed and the next words were almost a whisper that cut to Lincoln's core. "I can't lose her."

"You won't lose her. She loves you Mikey. Don't forget that." Michael leaned forward again resting his elbows on his knees and clasped his hands together. The look of utter despair surrounding him. Lincoln couldn't believe he was about to do this but, "want me to talk to her?"