OKAY!! BONUS CHAPTER!!!!!! we get to take a trip into the past and find out exactly why Sarah is afraid of the bath tub (being alone that is) and how she ended up at the Orphanage! ENJOY!! ~VED
Sarah Cooper's Past
Black pigtails trailed out behind little five year old Sarah Cooper, as she raced from the bus stop to her front door. A huge grin on her face as she clutched the paper in her hands tighter. She hit the door, turned the knob and threw it open.
Once in the house she noticed it was silent. Sarah stopped in the living room by a photograph. "I'm home Daddy! Look!" She held the paper up to the picture of the Marine. "Mommy will be so happy!" She giggled before turning to run into the kitchen.
"Mommy!" She shouted, looking around she frowned not seeing her mother. "Mommy." She headed back into her mother's room. Opening the door she could see the photo albums on the bed and her Daddy's uniform laying on the floor.
Sarah slowly wandered into the side bathroom. Pushing open the door, she gasped. Pictures of her Daddy were scattered across the floor and her mother's hand was hanging limp over the edge of the tub. "Mommy?" Moving forward she hesitated. Tapping her mother's hand she frowned. Walking closer, she peered into the water. Black curls floated around a still body. Shaking her shoulder, Sarah started to shout. When her mother wouldn't come up, she tried to help pull her up.
With frightened blue eyes, Sarah ran from the hoouse to their neighbors.
"Mister Mason! Mister MASON!!" She screamed, beating on the door. When it open she grabbed the mans hand.
"Sarah? Sarah what's wrong?"
"Mommy." She pulled on the hand.
"What about Naiomi?"
"She, mommy won't wake up. She fell asleep in the bath! She won't get up!" Sarah cried, tugging on his hand. Mason's eyes widened and he pulled his hand from Sarah before running back to Sarah's house. Sarah followed. She handed Mason the phone when he asked for it and watched in fear as he pounded on her mothers chest and kissed her.
She stepped back and back until she hit the bed. She slid to the floor as strange people came rushing in the house. Sarah's hands went to her Daddy's uniform and clutched it tightly.
Mason came from the bathroom, face in his hands, crying. Sarah knew that Mister Mason and her Daddy had been best friends. Mister Mason had the saem unifrom as her Daddy, so he couldn't be a bad person. Right?
When he fell to his knees in front of her and held out his hands, still crying, she stood and hugged him. Anything to stop him from crying, she hated it when people cried. Mommy did it often. She watched over his shoulder as the people took her mother from the bathroom and out into the hall.
Panic surged through her and she pushed away from Mister Mason. "MOMMY!!!" She cried, screamed, struggled, kicked, hit and shouted but Mister Mason wouldn't let her go. "No Sarah. No baby girl."
She cried and screamed, hitting him, as he continued to try and soothe her. "Shhh, baby girl. It's okay, it's okay." Sarah pushed at him weakly. Tears blurred her vision, but she could still see the tub, her mother's hand and the floating locks of black . "Mommy." She choked out.
------- A Week Later------
Sarah stood in a smaller version of her Daddy's uniform, holding Mister Mason's hand, on top of the hill. She watched as people dressed like her daddy and Mister Mason carried the casket and her mother up the hill.
She leaned against the Marine as the preacher began. She watched as the people saluted her as she was lowered. She accepted the flag, like her mother had at Daddy's funeral, from the man in charge of her Daddy's group with shaking hands.
"To a brave Marine and an honorable woman." The man saluted her. She watched and waited as each and every man and woman, her Daddy's friends, saluted and whispered words of honor and bravery to her. Tears rolled down her cheeks with each passing person.
"Salut!" Sarah watched as each person raised theirs hands. "Semper 'Fi!!!" The all called saluting the two lone graves on the hill. Sarah shut her eyes tightly, clutching the flag to her.
"Come on baby girl." Sarah looked up at the hand that belonged to Mister Mason. She took it and pushed herself into him. He gently lifted her and carried her down the hill.
"Semper 'Fi Mommy." She whispered over his shoulder.
"You make your Daddy proud Sarah." Mister Mason muttered into her hair. "Your Mommy too. Such a brave girl."
"I'm daughter to a Marine. Of course I'm brave, someone had to look after Mommy while Daddy was away."
Mister Mason let out a gusty laugh. "You did a very good job." Sarah closed her and pressed closer. But not good enough. She thought.
-the after reception-
Sarah saluted each Marine that wandered over to her. They gave small smiles and returned them.
When her Daddy's captain came and stopped in front of her, she saluted him. He returned it and knelt.
He pulled out a medal from his pocket. "This was your father's. It was handed to your mother when he returned. She took good care of it." He took a shuddering breath. "Now, my little lady. It it yours to honor and take care of." He pinned the purple heart to her uniform, over her own beating heart. "Now you can always carry your mother and father's hearts with you where ever you may go in this world."
Sarah fingered the medal before launching herself at the man. "Thank you, sir."
-------Two weeks Later------
Sarah stood by Mister Mason, strong and proud as the priest and nun walked closer. Her hand clutched the medal, while the other gripped the strap to her small army duffel.
"Be brave little Marine." Mister Mason whispered, kneeling in front of her. Over his shoulder she could see a boy with white hair follow the priest and nun.
"I will." Sarah turned her eyes back to the Marine in front of her. He nodded before rising and speaking with the two strange people. When the older man offered his hand, she took it and stepped with him as he turned.
Halfway down the path she stopped and turned sharply.
"Sarah?" The woman asked.
"Marine!" Sarah shouted. Mister Mason turned back to her. Sarah raised her hand in a salute. She could see him smirk and mimic her. Releasing the salute they both called. "Semper 'Fi!!!"
She barely heard the nun gasp behind her.
"Stay strong, stand tall, fly straight and show no fear!" She shouted as she watched her father's best fried walk away. "Be brave Marine." She whispered.
Closing her eyes she could see her father kiss her mother and laugh before replying the same as he boarded his ship. Opening them she saw Mister Mason drive away. "Semper 'Fi."
Turning back she was greeted by the boy with white hair. "My name's Micheal, Micheal Jones." A small, gentle smile and a swift wave of the hand and Sarah was following the boy as he led her through the Orphanage.
Okay so now we know exactly why Sarah does NOT like the bath tub alone!!!!!!! She is brave yes....but theirs only som much a child can see and such you know!!! ~VED