Disclaimer: I do not own Prison Break.

Summary: Michael, Sara and Lincoln consider their newfound freedom and chance for a new life – a oneshot set at the end of the series.

Author's notes: This was written for Challenge 11: The End of All Things at PB Hiatus Fic Challenges.

Resolution

Resolution Noun. 'Reduction to a simpler form; conversion.'

The time they had feared would never come to end had finally passed, like a tornado sweeping through before losing its strength and dying. They had feared that this would be their own fate, but somehow they had withstood it all. The shock of this, the unusual feelings of closure, had not yet fully dawned on them. They failed to fully let themselves believe it was over, anticipating the revelation that their victory was a lie. But no such revelation would come. They had won.

Michael Scofield stood on the wooden deck of their house in Panama. The beach lay before him, and he remembered when he and Lincoln first walked on those sands, a time that seemed so long ago now, despite it only having been a few long months. Time had moved so slowly. It was almost strange that they were still here in Panama, a place they had run to but now had nothing to run from. After Michael's release from Sona, Lincoln had suggested they return to the States, thinking Michael's vision of Panamanian paradise had now been tainted. Michael had said he wanted to remain in Panama, at least for a while, refusing to sacrifice his old dreams of this place.

The wind breeze blew gently on his body, as the sun warmed his uncovered arms which supported him against the deck's railing. Suddenly, he felt a delicate hand grasp his arm, and looking down he saw Sara resting her head gracefully against his shoulder. He smiled at her presence, and noted that her eyes were closed. Her hair was a little longer, the dark brown colour losing a battle against the coppery red, as everything natural was gradually restored.

"You okay…?" he spoke lightly after a brief moment, gently removing his arm from her grasp so as to wrap it around her waist.

"Yeah. I was just going to ask you the same thing." She looked up at him.

"I'm fine. I just can't quite believe that it's over," he spoke.

"Believe it, Michael. You did it, and now you deserve to enjoy it." Her eyes held a joy that Michael had before only glimpsed in them a few fleeting times, but which now seemed permanent.

"I remember when you were cynical…" he teased, playfully poking her in the side.

"Well, it's your fault I lost that," she joked, and gave a light laugh. Her comment rang a little too true, as Michael thought of all the things Sara had lost due to him. His face fell slightly, almost unnoticeably, but Sara saw it. "Oh Michael, I'm sorry, I didn't mean-" she spoke in a fluster, attempting to explain.

"I know, it's okay, Sara," he assured her with a smile, yet unsuccessfully hiding the sadness behind it. He continued as she looked up at him with concern, "I'm just sorry, for what I did to your life." He glanced down momentarily, but did not turn away.

"Don't ever be sorry for that. You saved my life, Michael." She spoke figuratively, but the statement was probably also true in a literal sense. "This right here, is so much more than any imitation of a life I had before."

He looked down at her truthful eyes and spoke, "Me too." She smiled and leaned into his shoulder once again, running her fingers over his tattooed arm which was wrapped snugly around her waist. They stood together silently, contented.

"It's incredible…" she said so quietly that her words were almost swallowed by the wind and waves. Looking down at Sara who continued to study the detailed designs on his left arm, Michael registered she was talking about his tattoo. He had explained to her the tattoo's significance just the day before and Sara seemed to want to piece the puzzle together, examining each design as closely as she would a wound on a patient. Michael smiled, but before anything more could be said, someone else spoke.

"Michael had always wanted an excuse to get a tattoo." Michael and Sara turned around to see Lincoln standing in the doorway from the house to the deck.

"Not true," Michael said with a laugh.

"Oh come on, you just wanted to have an extreme tattoo hidden under the sophisticated suit," Lincoln continued, mocking Michael's suit he had worn every day to work, and for quite some time on the run much to Lincoln's amusement.

"This is a first," Sara spoke.

"Lincoln making a joke?" Michael teased, receiving a faux offended look from Lincoln.

"No," Sara laughed. "I mean us being able to joke, not having to worry about what our next move is."

"Hate to cut it short, but I've gotta go and pick up LJ soon, if you guys want to come," Lincoln said.

"Yeah, definitely. What time does his flight get in?" Michael asked, glancing at his watch which remained firmly clasped on his wrist.

Lincoln noticed Michael's continued attention to planning and knowing details. "Two thirty."

Michael nodded in response and Sara spoke, "I'm coming, I'll be ready in a second, just let me find some shoes." She patted Michael's hand which still held her waist before sliding from his embrace and walking on sandy bare feet back into the house. As she passed by Lincoln he wandered over towards Michael and looked out at the view.

"It's a little strange, isn't it?" Lincoln said. "Being free." He looked down at the few people who wandered the beach, thinking it was good to be secluded, hidden even, but then remembering they didn't have to be, not anymore.

"Yeah, it takes some getting used to," Michael confirmed.

"It's amazing though," Lincoln said. He placed a hand on Michael's arm, "Thank you Michael. For everything," he said sincerely.

Before any more could be said, Sara came outside again, whilst slipping on brown flip flops. Looking up and sensing she had interrupted something, she spoke "Oh sorry, did I interrupt…?" she started to turn to go back inside and let them continue to talk, but Lincoln stopped her.

"Nah, come on," he gestured her over towards them with a casual wave of his hand.

She smiled and walked over towards them, Michael taking her hand in his as she got close to them.

"Shall we go?" Sara asked them.

"Yeah," Michael spoke and Lincoln nodded.

Michael and Sara followed Lincoln down the steps which they had walked up the first time just a week ago. Just as they arrived at the car they had purchased even less time ago than that, something occurred to Michael. "Oh, we forgot to lock the back door." Michael turned to go back, but Lincoln's voice stopped him before he had even moved a distance that required releasing Sara's hand.

"Let's risk it," Lincoln said with a careless shrug. "Life would be boring without a little danger, right?"