Michael

The next morning, they walked out of their bedroom with identical smiles on their faces and their fingers threaded together. The conference room looked as it looked every morning – small plastic plates with less crumbs on them than were scattered on the whole surface of the table, with the others sitting at their usual seats, two empty places beside each other for Michael and Sara. It was silent – each man was wrapped up inside his own mind, fighting his own battles. Sucre was the first to notice them come in, and he smiled at their joined hands.

Michael had missed Sucre when they'd been apart. It was a little sad to think about, but apart from his brother, Michael had never really had any friends. He'd had acquaintances, but not real… then again, Michael only ever became himself inside of Fox River. When he was on the outside, he'd always had a nagging feeling that something..wasn't quite right. But then he went inside of those walls – and he found his brother again…and a friend that he would do anything for…and Sara.

She beamed up at him as he pulled her chair back for her, then reached for his hand again – not wanting them to be apart for even a second. "Morning." She nodded to the others, who grumbled their reply. Michael laughed and she looked at him, puzzled.

He leaned in, close to her ear. "We're just a bunch of grumpy men. Sometimes I wonder why you put up with us."

She smiled. "Well, there are some perks to this little arrangement."

"Really now?"

"Hmm.." she hummed, then kissed the tip of his nose. He loved how she could be so affectionate towards him, even with all the men sitting around, watching them like an episode of their favorite TV-show. "Could you pass me the bread?"

He half pouted. "I might need my hand back for that."

"Why, Mister Scofield, seems like you have another one of those. I think I'll hold on to the other."

"As you wish.."

--

"So, you and Sara seem sickeningly sweet this morning." Lincoln had come to stand beside Michael as they both watched Roland work his magic on Alexander's resume. This elicited only a grin from his brother, so Lincoln nudged him again to get more out of him. "Aw, come on, man – are you going to leave me hanging like this?"

Michael turned to him and mysteriously said: "It's been a good night."

"You're no fun, you know that?"

"Au contraire, Lincoln…" Sara popped up, wrapping her arms around Michael. "Your brother can be lots of fun."

Michael pressed a kiss to her hair. "Well, right back atcha." He inhaled deeply, taking in her scent. "You smell nice."

"Why thank you - I've showered."

"And you didn't tell me?" He looked appalled.

She laughed. "Next time, I'll send you an invite."

Lincoln cleared his throat, trying to show his discomfort to the whole situation. Sure, talking to his brother about it was okay, but did they really have to flirt like this when he was around? "So, Sara," he said, "I thought you were a nice girl."

"Lincoln, I'll tell you the exact same thing I told your brother when he first made that assumption : we all know nice girls finish last.."

"So where do you finish?"

"Wait wait," Michael told her, "I got this one : that depends on where she starts."

Sara lightly swatted him. "I'm going to start lunch…"

--

Sara

On her way to the make-shift kitchen, she tapped Sucre lightly on his shoulder. "Fernando, will you help me make lunch, please?"

He groaned. "Do I have to?"

"Let's just say I'd appreciate it. And I'll stick Michael on you if you don't."

A sad look appeared on his face. "That's so not fair."

-

He looked at her from the corner of his eye, and she could tell. "What?"

"Nothing." He shrugged. "It's just – he really loves you, you know."

Sara nodded at the vegetables. "I know."

"I suppose it's the same for you?" He lightly added, but she knew it was more than that. They were having the talk. The best friend/girlfriend talk. The 'if you hurt him, I'll…' talk. It struck her somewhat that it was Fernando Sucre she was having this talk with, though… She half expected it to be Lincoln – then again, she supposed that somewhere she knew the bond between the cellmates had developed into a deep friendship, and it made complete sense to her.

"Yes it is." She answered him, then looked him directly in the eye. "He's my world, Fernando. It's always been like that," she continued, slicing the carrots. "Sure, I admit that it scared me at first, but I'm sure it was the same for him."

He looked at her confused, so she explained it to him. "I mean, I'm sure that 'Doctor Tancredi' was a factor in that plan of his, but…you know, I don't know when he started to have..you know, feelings, for me, but I'm sure that Michael, his plan being what it was, perfect, didn't expect a complication like this to come along."

Sucre looked at her. "It happened pretty fast, you know? The falling for you, I mean." He took the cucumber and started to cut it. "Even before the riot, I think. But you know, after that, there was no more doubt about it. He hurt when you gave him that whole 'being professional' talk." He pulled in his shoulders, then let them fall back down. "And when he slept, sometimes he'd mumble your name. He doesn't know that, though."

Sara blushed. "I won't tell him."

"He loved you pretty soon, doctor."

"Me too." She told him.

--

She was doing the dishes (yes, she was a real Snow White, taking care of the household while the 7 dwarves were working to take down the source of all evil) when he came to her to take her up on her offer. She knew he would, eventually, she just didn't know it'd be this soon.

"Could we talk?"

She turned to him and he looked fragile to her. She'd help him. She would.

"Sure, Alex."