26. ♞ BYGONES

       PHOEBE WALKED IN THE SINGLE-FILE LINE, the inmates leaving the cafeteria in a line. She walked behind Michael. The two hadn't spoken about what had happened the night before. They acted as if nothing had ever happened. Michael still felt upset, but he was slowly trying to come to terms with everything.

As the inmates walked past a storage room in a hall, suddenly another inmate pushed Michael and Phoebe in through the doors of said room, shutting the door behind them. Phoebe gulped, grabbing onto Michael's arm instinctively as he gently pushed her behind him.

"Easy now, fishes." A voice called out to them from the center of the room. It was Abruzzi, his back facing them as he leaned over a few stacked boxes, slowly turning to face them. "Don't make this any harder than it needs to be." He added as he smirked at them. "It's time we came to an arrangement, don't you think?" He said as T-Bag strutted out from behind the boxes, smirking at them, waving his fingers teasingly at Phoebe who cowered behind Michael.

She felt useless, she felt weak. She knew taekwondo and Kung fu, yet here she was, refusing to use her knowledge, cowering behind Michael like always. She hated it. She hated how much she was depending on him now. It was making her weak.

"You know, I was thinkin' I was gonna gut you, bow to stern, as soon as I laid eyes on you." T-Bag said to Michael as he got up close and in Michael's face, his eyes examining the taller man's features. "Well, you at least." He said to Michael before looking at Phoebe, who tensed under his gaze. "I thought I was gonna have that foxy little lady all to myself!" He teased, licking his lips and teeth and laughing mockingly as Michael pushed Phoebe even further behind him, Phoebe still holding onto his arm. She moved her hand into his, grabbing onto his hand. Michael gave her a reassuring squeeze. "But alackaday, you look so pretty when you're scared, don't you?" He whispered.

Phoebe looked up at Michael, staring at the side of his face, before looking back at the men in fear. Phoebe squeezed Michael's hand uncomfortably and then stayed that way, gripping his hand for dear life as T-Bag turned to face Abruzzi.

"Maybe we ought to get the love out of the way 'fore we move onto the hate." T-Bag suggested as he faced Abruzzi, before quickly turning to face the duo. "What do you say to that, pretty?" He said to Michael, licking his lips as he pulled a blade out from his pocket, staring at them. Phoebe started to breathe heavily in fear, her eyes brimming with tears as she brought her other hand to Michael's arm, grabbing onto him tightly.

"Please don't hurt us..." Phoebe murmured quietly, to which T-Bag laughed as he looked at them. He took a step closer and brought his blade up and put the tip under Phoebe's chin, her and Michael gasping at the action as T-Bag forced Phoebe to look up at him as he laughed.

"Hurt you? Oh, sweetheart, I don't wanna hurt you." He teased, pulling the blade away from her face and back to his side. Michael clenched his jaw, his heart racing, unsure of what to do to keep Phoebe safe. He needed to get her out of there. T-Bag chuckled, taking steps backwards as he stared at them. "Maybe it's time I lit up that leather once and for all, huh?" He said as he slapped his blade onto the stacked boxes, walking a few steps beside Abruzzi.

Suddenly, Abruzzi lifted his arm and elbowed T-Bag right in the face, causing him to stumble back as Phoebe flinched at the sudden attack. Abruzzi's men came out from behind him, approaching T-Bag, whom was lying on the ground in pain, and kicking the living daylights out of him. Abruzzi smiled and turned to the duo, walking towards them.

"God, he talks too much." Abruzzi said with a huff. He slapped on hand on the back of Michael's neck, pulling him close. Michael tightened his grip on Phoebe's hand. "You and I, need to have a conversation." He said as he pushed Michael towards the room's exit. He pulled Phoebe along, the duo and Abruzzi then joining the line of inmates that were still walking along. Phoebe's heart was racing like crazy, her eyes wide, she was confused and angry and upset, she felt disoriented as Michael pulled her along.

"Hey," Michael said quietly to Phoebe, who flinched when he suddenly called out to her. Michael frowned at her reaction as she looked up at him. "Are you hurt?" Phoebe shook her head.

"I'm okay..." She whispered in response, gulping as Michael nodded and rubbed his thumb comfortably over the back of her hand. He knew it helped calm her down.

"Hey, look... uh..." Abruzzi said to them to catch their attention. "What happened in there was my way of saying, that uh... I know I've been going about this whole thing the wrong way." He said with a sniffle. "I'm trying to make amends, here. Bygones be bygones." He added. Phoebe rolled her eyes. Bullshit, she thought. She knew Michael had the same thought when she felt him tap her hand with his thumb, almost as if asking if she was paying attention to what Abruzzi had said.

"You're a mercurial man, John." Michael commented as he stared at Abruzzi. Abruzzi tilted his head and shrugged.

"I prefer bold." Abruzzi corrected as he smiled and got ahead of them in line. Phoebe cocked a brow.

"Come on! Just keep it moving, guys. Come on." A guard shouted out to the slow-moving line. Phoebe and Michael started walking again, and Phoebe looked up at Michael.

"Are we trusting him now?" She asked quietly. Michael sighed and shrugged.

"We'll see." He said quietly. "I have news." He added. Phoebe frowned and furrowed her brows, looking up at him as he continued to walk.

"What news?" She asked with a gulp. Michael sighed as he slowly released his grip on Phoebe's hand and pushed her in front of him in line.

"Sucre changed cells. He's not our cell mate anymore." He said quietly. Phoebe's eyes widened.

"What? Since when?" She snapped worriedly. Michael squinted slightly as his mind raced.

"Today. Earlier. He switched cells. He doesn't wanna risk getting caught in the cell when we start digging." He explained quietly. Phoebe sighed and shook her head.

"As much as I hate to say it, I get it." She said. "But it sucks he doesn't wanna help us... but... we don't need him, Mike." She said quietly.

"I guess not." He said. "But maybe we do." He added. Phoebe shook her head as they stepped outside into the courtyard and suddenly Abruzzi was standing in between Michael and Phoebe.

"Okay. Tell me what you need from me." Abruzzi said as he looked at Michael, completely ignoring Phoebe's existence. Phoebe rolled her eyes and crossed her arms, startled when she felt a hand pull at her shirt from the small of her back. She turned to see who it was, only to see Michael had stretched his hand over behind Abruzzi, grabbing her and pulling her towards him discretely. Phoebe smiled and slowed down as she maneuvered her way beside Michael instead, Michael now standing between Abruzzi and Phoebe. Abruzzi didn't seem to notice, and if he did, he didn't care.

"A plane." Phoebe commented to herself, loudly. Abruzzi looked at her before looking over at Michael.

"Plane?" He asked incredulously. Michael nodded.

"A trade." Michael added. "You get us a plane, and we'll get you Fibonacci." He said. Abruzzi nodded to himself, now looking at Phoebe more as he realized Michael included her.

"What do you need the plane for?" He questioned. Michael grinned.

"I think you know." He said. Abruzzi tilted his head.

"I help you, I'm in. You know that, don't you?" Abruzzi asked. As the two spoke, suddenly something caught Phoebe's attention. In the courtyard, she spotted Cameron. He spotted her. The two stared at each other and it was as if the world had paused. She didn't hear anyone or anything anymore. It was as if her feet moved her on their own toward him. He smiled at her, and she couldn't help but smile back. She was so lost in the moment, she forgot she was holding onto Michael's hand.

[ DEDICATED TO sofiemelround  & idkfanfictionworld  ]