Sarah hates the fact that all anyone expects out of her is someone who will just stand around and do chores and look pretty.
She wants to go out and do things, to experience life before it's too late. That's why marrying and having children as early as possible (like all her friends planned on doing) never appealed to her. By then, she'd be tied down by a family even more than she is now.
In a way, she's envious of Jack Kelly at first. He had no family, no one to look after or to do laundry for or to please. Sarah only wished she could have some of that freedom, but everyone's expectations of her tie her down.
She wants to challenge those expectations. She wants to do something, be involved in something that won't be forgotten, something to add excitement to her dull life. She doesn't want to just be a name on someone's family tree, years into the future. Sarah wants to feel like, for once, the reason she exists is more than just to be a good daughter, and eventually a good wife and mother.
When Jack tells her about his dream, about Santa Fe, Sarah is not exactly sure how she feels. There's a pang in her heart, something in her brain telling her to beg him not to go. And when he asks if his leaving matters to her, she wants to tell him yes, but she can't. She can't stop him from reaching his own dreams because she wants him to be happy. It's in that instant she discovers how much he does matter to her. It's then she realizes she's falling for him.
When she finds out how broken and torn at the seams Jack's family is, she regrets ever having wished hers was gone. She feels horrible; her family is all she really has, materialistic things aside. She loves them, and she was taking them for granted. She can't do that anymore.
Soon the strike comes. When Sarah finds herself taking part in it, she's extremely excited, because for once she's a part of something bigger than herself. She's fighting for the rights of children, and she realizes how much it matters to her. The fact that it does makes it all the more special.
Sarah is heartbroken when Jack leaves. Of course, she was brokenhearted before at his lies and betraying everything the strike stood for, but she forgave him for all that when he realized how wrong he was. Somehow, his leaving makes her more crushed than she's ever been before. She can't stop him, though. That just wouldn't be fair. She would rather Jack be happy, and if being in Santa Fe makes him happy, then so be it. She can't cry, though, no matter how hard she tries. She can only watch sadly as he goes and wish things were different
Jack comes back, though, and she can't really say she's ever been happier. Suddenly she forgets all her dreams of adventure and excitement, she doesn't need that. She doesn't feel the need to defy expectations any more, because now she knows she's above them. They kiss, and she knows she has him. She knows that he's all she'll ever need to be happy.
Besides, Sarah smiles, being with Jack is an adventure all its own.
A/N: Oh my goodness, this is my first fic. I'm kind of paranoid, because this means at least someone's gonna read my stuff, but I still feel kind of proud of myself ) Hopefully this wasn't too bad. It'd be appreciated if you review!
SJ