I'm happy and content in denial land and never coming out. Michael's "death" is like the one of Kellerman and he didn't stay dead, so Michael doesn't in my mind either. In my world he made a deal with the government, to leave Sara and his family alone and for that he's helping them with something. So that noone tries to get him out, like we're used to and so that the evil side, doesn't know what hit them, they use the way it looked like and pretent Michael is dead. Michael can't get in contact with his family or the deal will be off, but he keeps track of them, to see how they do. After 5 1/2 years he will be back with his family though. And I'm not straying away from that story.