FALLING INTO LOVE

By: T-Drift


Chapter 9

"I want to show you something. Come here."

"Lars, you're making me nervous."

"Don't worry Sarah, I'm right beside you."

"Wait-!" Startled from her dream, Sarah awoke immediately to a sitting position, her eyes shot wide open. Spacing out for a few seconds, she followed up by running a hand through her dark hair to remove some bangs from her face.

Still haunting my dreams… still you refuse to let go.

Is it a message?

She put her right hand to where her heart was and felt it thumping fast, and it instantly reminded her of how her heart had thumped the same way when she'd ultimately fallen in love with Lars.

It's like it was yesterday, that you took my breath away

… Lars Alexandersson.

Giving off a shaky sigh, she grabbed hold of her engagement ring and kissed it gently as she often would, a sad frown on her beautiful face. She read the indentation on the ring over and over again, reminiscing.

There are still so many things I wish I would've told you, Lars. So many things I wanted to say out loud, to show you how much I love you. To tell you how much you've changed my life for the better.

Letting go of the ring, she quietly exhaled and broke her train of bittersweet thoughts. Looking around, she saw that she was still at the infirmary, and—

"Whoa!" Startled yet again, she noticed someone sitting on a chair next to her, and it wasn't Jin or anyone she knew. The stranger was leaning forward on the side of the bed, head resting on crossed arms. Sarah could tell it was a woman, judging from her long blonde hair and delicate hands, but her face was turned away from Sarah so she couldn't identify who the woman was.

The only woman with long, blonde hair that I know of is Lili, and this doesn't look like Lili. Besides, that's not the same shade of blonde...

Sarah remained stiff as a rock, staring at the stranger infront of her in the still of the room, not knowing what to do. Looking to her left she located the clock and saw that it was late at night.

A stranger this time of night?

Because she was still feeling weird from her dream, Sarah decided to take a short walk in the hall outside the room. Getting to her feet, she turned her back to the sleeping woman and stood up. Stretching lightly before walking up to the door, she decided to walk around the bed to take a closer look at the stranger by the bed before leaving the room.

Standing a foot away from the blonde, Sarah stared at her.

She's pretty, I'll give her that much. Haven't seen her around before, though there's something oddly familiar about her face…

The woman's delicate face looked familiar and unfamiliar at the same time, but that meant nothing to Sarah since she was near to certain she had never seen the woman before, so she decided to let it go for the time being and take that walk her numb legs very much longed for. Reaching for the doorknob, she turned it and stepped outside on the carpeted floor. And as she was looking up from the ground, she bumped into—

"Steve!" She burst out loud, before covering her mouth with both hands for being so loud in the quiet hallway. Steve was wearing a nice, dark blue sweater with a huge emblem of the flag of Great Britain in the middle, the colours somewhat mixing into one another, and a pair of black trousers with two pockets on each leg; the sweater had a v-shaped neckline, and the sleeves were pulled up halfway up his elbows.

Jesus! Did he turn into a model while I was in a coma or something? Or have I really forgotten how good he looks?

I mean shit! What-do-I-do-now?! Sarah think! God, he's staring at me.

"Hey… didn't mean to startle you. It's really good to see you again." He said in a cautious tone of voice, and went quiet as he stared at her with a vague smile. He looked somewhat relieved and looked straight into Sarah's eyes as he spoke.

"Steve…" Sarah managed to utter, her breath caught in her throat from hearing his voice again.

And oh my God, that charming accent...

She lowered her gaze and felt her face heating up. She hadn't thought about what to say or do were she to bump into Steve, and she currently felt speechless as she inwardly cursed at her not planning ahead on the issue.

Plus, I probably look a mess. And why am I feeling so embarrassed!? It's just Steve… it's—we used to talk about everything! Seriously, who am I kidding. It's 'cause he's staring at me like that.

"I heard from Kazama that you're improving, which is a relief. You had us all worried when they brought you in almost half dead." He said gently, not smiling anymore.

Is it just me or has Steve grown taller—wait, 'half dead'?

"Half dead?" She replied in surprise and met his gaze with a frown.

"Yeah... you weren't breathing and you'd been hit pretty badly. Kazama performed a cardiopulmonary resuscitation on you for quite some time until the doctors arrived from the hiding bunkers. Everyone thought you were done for, but Kazama never gave up." Steve explained and hid his hands in his pockets.

"I didn't know... no one told me." She said and looked to the ground as she played with her fingers behind her back.

"Are you sure you should be up walking so soon? Maybe you ought to go back to bed, Sarah." Steve dared touch her shoulder, which made her look up at his hand immediately, ever so startled.

"I'm okay Steve, don't worry. I had trouble going back to sleep and my legs really ache for a walk. I won't stay up for long." She put her hand on his and faintly smiled as if to reassure him of her being well. But her response turned the situation into a complete, awkward silence.

Once again she couldn't help but stare into his blue eyes, enchanted by the foreign feeling she'd felt in the bar many months ago.

A mere fifteen-second interval had gone by before Steve broke the silence, "Alright, just don't push yourself too hard. You need time to recover." He said and let go of her shoulder. The warmth of his hand was instantly replaced by the cold air in the silent hallway, and she slightly shivered.

"You sound like my physician, Dr Ryuzaki." She chuckled halfheartedly and backed away against the wall, the palm of her hands touching it behind her. Steve merely smiled but remained silent as he lowered his gaze.

"Hey, Steve…?" Sarah broke the silence, but wouldn't meet his eyes as she spoke.

"Yeah?" He looked up, his warm tone of voice questioning.

"We need to talk. You know, sort things out. I mean I do. I... really want to clear up the mess between us…" She didn't know where the courage to say those words came from, as she had always postponed her planned confrontation with Steve about what had been going on between them. Her boldness surprised her, to say the least.

"I know. I'd been trying to talk with you before, but you always avoided me. And then there was that war..." He replied truthfully, his voice calm and collected. But what he really felt deep down was nervousness.

Here goes nothing…

"Tell me straight off, Steve; were you and Asuka involved at the time when I saw you dancing in the bar? I need to know." She held a determined voice and surprised Steve with her boldness. He kept silent for a few seconds before speaking.

"Sarah, no, listen... when you saw us at the bar, it was just Asuka being very drunk and coming on to me. We were never romantically involved like everyone thought. She was sloshed." Sarah seemed slightly surprised at his reply, seemingly expecting him to say the opposite.

"She ultimately did tell me she was serious, though. We didn't exactly become really close friends, but in a way we both explored going beyond that." He took two steps back and supported his back against the wall opposite from hers, hands in his pockets.

"What does that mean? That there was nothing else between us more than being friends for all that time?" She frowned with a hurtful expression, and looked away when he locked gazes with her. He paused for a while before replying, reluctant about which words to voice out.

"To be honest, I thought we had something, Sarah... but you kept shutting me out all of a sudden, and only late on did I realise it was because of your thinking Asuka and I were serious… in spite of the fact you and I had become really close. Asuka and I weren't serious at all, Sarah, it only escalated later on, after you and I had that sudden distance and you started spending a lot of time with Alexandersson." Steve felt like he was venting to an old friend what with saying so much all at once, but he felt like he needed to as he finally felt like someone, and not anyone at that, was actually listening to his side of the story instead of creating assumptions. And he needed Sarah to understand he wasn't playing with her feelings.

"I see… " She looked up to meet his eyes and saw a genuine look in them. Feeling nervous about the whole situation, she bit her lower lip.

"Sarah, if I had known—I just want you to know it wasn't my intention to make you—" He didn't know how to phrase it, but she interrupted him all the same.

"Steve… don't apologise. I've thought about this and… to be honest I haven't been that fair to you." She interrupted.

"Even though, I admit, I was a bit jealous of Asuka for stealing your attention that fast when you and I had just become close friends." She wore an apologetic look on her face, and he seemed surprised at her words but remained silent.

Not the answer I expected from her. Not in the least.

"There has obviously been a misunderstanding between us, Sarah. I thought we had something, and when I tried to get close you shut me out and kept distancing yourself from me. I took it you weren't interested after all… so I let it go and tried to give you some space." He seemed hurt but kept calm.

I'm so sorry for hurting you, Steve.

"I know I shut you out, and I alone am to blame for that. I regret so many things, and I'm sorry. But... everyone could see you were into her the way you guys spent time together. And the way she kept clinging to you like you were hers whenever I was around doesn't exactly justify your argument from my point of view, you know." Sarah raised her voice ever so slightly and felt that the argument was going to be hurtful if it continued any further. But it was too late to halt the turbulence.

"Why wouldn't I spend time with her? Have you forgotten you were the one who kept pushing me away? And as if that wasn't enough, you started going out with Alexandersson for dinners and meetings and God knows what else you two were doing twenty-four, seven. For about all I heard from other people were 'what a wonderful couple' you and Alexandersson made. How you deserved him and he deserved you. But if you ask me, I never really understood what you saw in that Swede." Steve was hurt by her words and past actions, and he didn't feel like she had the right to victimise herself in all of this. He was surprised though how fast their small-talk had turned into a serious argument after just a few sentences. He did want to clear the air, but not the way this was going. They were both hurt and angry for many reasons.

"'What I saw in that Swede'? When Lars came into my life, everything around me was beautiful! I appreciated the little things in life we usually take for granted. Lars made me want to embrace love in such a beautiful way I never wanted to let go anymore. He was really something, and had you bothered to get to know him, you'd have thought the same!" He'd hit a nerve, no question about it.

"I was afraid to love again, Steve... After Jin, I..." She trailed off into silence and seemed to be in deep thought of her past.

Jin? What is she talking about?

"But Lars took that fear and locked it away. He made me want to smile with all my heart again! You never knew him, how can you be so cold?" Yet again did her honesty surprise her. Never would she even have pictured herself standing infront of Steve and letting him in on some of her deepest thoughts. Especially when it came to telling him about how she felt about another man. But Steve had now upset her, the way he seemed to, in a way, look down on the man she had fallen in love with.

"My world was upside-down, Steve." Her voice mellowed, turning gentle and sad.

"But Lars had a way of freezing time when we were together, putting everything in order. Everything about him was so secure, steady and determined. He was always one step ahead of everyone else, even though he'd take risks in life. I felt so safe in his arms - beautiful and unique." She ran her hands through her hair and put it up in a ponytail, deeply emotional as she turned away from Steve.

The British boxer faintly sighed and looked the other way, both of them in awkward silence in the poorly lit, silent hallway.

"I didn't mean to upset you..." He saw her wiping tears off her face as he spoke.

"I'm sorry he had to go away so suddenly. Truly, I am. My condolences." Steve looked down at the carpeted floor, not knowing what else to say.

"He meant the world to me." A choked voice, still a hint of a sad tone. Sarah was now supporting her left shoulder against the wall, seeing the far end of the ultimately intersected hallway. Feeling how her eyes were filling up with tears again, she sighed and rubbed at her eyes.

Turning around, she slid down the wall and sat on the carpeted floor, hugging her knees and feeling empty and alone.

The innocent and fragile sight infront of him was unbearable, "Hey now…," he said and stepped over to sit beside her. He held an arm around her shoulders and gently rubbed her other arm.

"It's just so surreal, Steve. My mind is semi-registering the reality I've been told, but my heart refuses to understand. I feel so shattered inside..." She rested her head on his shoulder and let her tears fall, but didn't pay much attention to them anymore.

"And no matter where I look there are pieces scattered everywhere. It's like he was part of a long dream. That I've now awaken and that he wasn't even real to begin with." She sobbed and Steve held her closer, gently supporting his head against hers.

"I think sometimes… we refuse to let go because we don't want to accept what we can't control. And slowly, but surely, we destroy ourselves. Because when we lose someone we love, suddenly nothing else matters and we lose sight of things. We forget what we still have and what tomorrow holds." The way he said those words had Sarah, for a mere second, feel like she was sitting next to Lars, absorbing his wise picture of life.

All but a wishful thought it was. What she really felt was longing, and the need to find the strength to mourn. In peace.

Please, come back.

Knock on my door.

Pass me by.

Steve gently rubbed her arm in silence, his free hand on the carpet.

Kom tillbaka, Lars.[1]

She put her hand on her belly and gazed at it, wanting to cry rivers. But she held it in and gently rubbed her belly, thankful that Steve was there; all she had felt since the horrible news was loneliness.

Emptiness and sadness.

Why did you have to leave? Why you Lars?

Come back and tell me this is all just a dream. Tell me you're still out there somewhere, breathing, your heart still beating.

Minutes passed and they simply sat there, silent as a giant clock kept ticking echoing sounds in the hallway. Somehow the ticking sound of the clock reminded her of Lars' beating heart, and how she used to spend minutes, and sometimes even hours, putting her ear against his chest and simply listen. On many occasions, she would lull herself to sleep that way and Lars would never object.

She remembered how she used to sneak into his bedroom in the middle of the night to do just that. And Lars would just smile at her surprising visits and embrace her till early dawn without a single word.

Knock on my door. Smile at me.

Whisper my name.

How she missed the days when she'd sneak past the guards to climb in through his window and find him at his place. Either she'd find him asleep where she'd crawl into his bed and lie next to him, watching his handsome face in the silent bedroom and cuddle next to him. Or she would find him in the shower where she'd steal his towel hanging by the door, by means of avenging all the times he'd enjoyed teasing her in public.

And you'd just kiss me and have me promise not to do it again. But I still did, and yet you'd always find ways to charm me so I'd give it back to you. Every single time.

She nearly smiled at the memories, but quickly sighed yet again, grateful for the silence in the hall; she was lost on what to say or feel anymore.

"Sarah?" Steve thought Sarah had fallen asleep because she hadn't said anything in a while. His calling her name snapped her mind back to reality.

"… yeah?" She sounded like she had a cold, which, he guessed, was because of her crying. It reminded Steve, though, that she'd been out in the cold hallway for far too long, her desired walk forgotten.

"Let's get you back inside, it's cold out here. You should get some rest." He got to his feet and extended his hand out to hold hers and help her stand up.

She stared at it before putting her hand in his, getting to her feet while sighing.

"Guess I'll have to take that walk later." She said and met his gaze. He held her in a tight embrace for a while and kissed her cheek. She loved him for his support.

"Thanks Steve, for staying, and... for having been so patient with me in spite of what I did." She took a step closer and kissed him back, wiping her tears as she stepped back again.

"Anytime. I… it wasn't all you, you know, so I'm sorry about everything too. Please, don't be so hard on yourself for happened to Lars; there's still that which is worth living for. Still what is beautiful in this world." He smiled as if to comfort her, but Sarah couldn't bring herself to smile back no matter how hard she tried.

"I don't know what's going to happen next between Asuka and I, but I want you to know that I truly always was happy for you, no matter what. When you're in love, or even just wanting to be together with someone, then you should, and never take one day for granted. Life is so fragile and our time is limited; we don't know which moments will be our last. Take good care of the time you have left, Steve." She felt like she was ripping the words right off Lars' heart, but knew Lars had influenced her to the point where she felt she somehow understood the roller-coaster that was Life.

And how to make the best of what you still have.

"You're amazing, and don't you ever forget it. Take good care, Sarah." Steve leaned in and kissed her on her cheek even as he put his hand on her shoulder and gently rubbed it. He smiled at her as he turned around to leave, and she watched his retreating figure until she was all alone in the hallway.

So are you...

Steve Fox.

Stepping inside and closing the door after her, she looked up and met beautiful, steel blue orbs staring back at her from a distance; the woman was awake, resting her back and arms on the chair.

Oh no, I had forgotten all about her.

Sarah remained standing still, her back against the door and her hand still on the doorknob behind her.

She's so beautiful. Who is she?

For a split second Sarah thought she was looking at Lars, but the moment was gone just as fast, and she gasped inwardly, a vague shiver running up her spine.

The woman looked elegant and slender, her blonde hair reaching her waist. She was wearing a knee-length, black skirt and elegant black boots that embraced her legs up to her knees. Her short-sleeved, high collar blouse looked very feminine and showed her small waist in the form of a wide belt snug around it. Her legs were crossed, the heels of her boots low but visible. Her posture was straightened and mannered.

"Don't be frightened, sweet'. Come here, have a seat." The unfamiliar woman had a sweet voice and a soft, gentle tone, smiling as she held out her hand for Sarah to hold.

Sarah felt like there was some sort of force pulling her forward and she was surprised at how fast she had already walked up to the woman, her hand connecting with hers. She sat on the bed, facing the blonde, her hand still in the woman's.

"So this is what she looks like, Erik." The woman whispered, mostly to herself it seemed, and smiled as she reached with her free hand to place some of Sarah's bangs behind her ear, before stroking her soft cheek.

Did she say Erik?

"I'm… sorry?" Sarah was surprised at the woman's sudden move. It was like she was invading Sarah's personal space in spite of Sarah not knowing who she was. But she didn't feel like she had been invaded; there was something very inviting about the stranger, her features warm and her voice genuinely kind.

There's something about her…

"I don't know how much, or even if he told you about me, but I know a whole lot about you, Sarah Amber. Save for how you look that is, because there was never a photo of you in his possession to show me. You're just as pretty, if not prettier than how he described you." She let go of Sarah's bangs and put her hand on Sarah's, still smiling as she looked into Sarah's brown eyes.

Something about her that's so familiar…

"Have you figured out who I am yet?" Her tone of voice sounded curious, but encouraging.

Wait-oh-my-God! She couldn't be, could she? Oh my God, I know she is, I know she must be…

"You're hesitating. Trust your heart, Sarah." The brunette stared in awe at how gracefully the woman spoke and gestured. At how bright she seemed. But mostly at her own sudden realisation of who the woman was. Sarah knew why the blonde seemed so familiar. She could feel it.

Sarah immediately stood up and surprised the woman by embracing her tightly, tears filling up the brunette's eyes.

It is her… Lars, I'm talking to your mother, it's your beautiful mother.

"Sweetheart!" The woman exclaimed in surprise and returned the embrace as she rubbed Sarah's back, a smile on her face.

"Ms Alexandersson, I'm…" She sobbed sharply and struggled not to cry; she couldn't believe Lars' mother was the stranger infront of her, couldn't believe how strongly connected she had felt to the woman before realising it was actually his mother.

"I am so, so sorry. My deepest… deepest and most sincere condolences. Jag beklagar sorgen ." [2] She finally burst out crying and clung to the woman with all her might, feeling sad and shattered in a million pieces. But she found a familiar sense of security in the arms of the woman. A sense that made her feel close to Lars. A sense like home.

Home.

"Oh, you sweet soul, it's okay. Please… have a seat." Frida Sara held her tightly but quickly, yet gently grabbed Sarah by her shoulders as if to motion for the latter to back away so she could face her. Sarah sobbed again and again as she sat back down on the bed, wiping at her tears. The blonde took Sarah's hand in both of hers and gently stroked the back of it with her thumbs.

"Thank you, for your kind words," the blonde said as she looked at Sarah, but Sarah looked away and couldn't seem to control her sobbing.

"It's alright to cry, dear, don't hold it in." The Swedish woman dried Sarah's tears and smiled yet again, as if to comfort the younger woman who now turned to look at her. The blonde cupped Sarah's cheek with one hand.

"When Kazama-san came to me about what had happened, I immediately thought of you, and rushed to get here. You have my full support, darling." She uncrossed her legs and scooted further out on the chair, by means of sitting closer to Sarah.

"We're all sad and shattered inside, Sarah. It's surreal, and hard to accept. But you're not alone in this world, honey." Sarah lowered her gaze and shook her head in sadness.

"Kazama-san told me… how he couldn't bear the fact that he was lost on how to encourage and comfort you, because he found it difficult to even comfort himself." She paused and blinked at the biting feeling of tears in her eyes.

"Poor soul had such a hard time telling me Erik's life was taken in a war. He ended up crying in my arms from sorrow, blaming himself for Erik's death and refusing to forgive himself." Frida Sara paused and sighed, remembering how difficult that moment was.

Jin…

"I was then reminded of Jin's adorable childhood days; when he was sad or in trouble he'd sometimes run to me and cling like no tomorrow, venting out his sadness in-between his adorable and uncontrollable sobbing." Frida Sara's eyes filled with more tears but she refused to lower her gaze as she stared into Sarah's eyes. She smiled at the memory and she saw Sarah relax a little.

"It's a gift, life is. Moments pass you by in the blink of an eye, and today quickly makes haste for tomorrow. Some move on and plan for tomorrow, and some… some refuse to seize the day because yesterday keeps them at bay. Don't forget who you are, Sarah. And never forget to be thankful for today. Count your blessings." Sarah was so moved by the woman's words she spaced out, staring directly through Frida Sara's eyes.

Live not for yesterday or hopes of tomorrow…

"Jin is like a son to me. I knew his mother, God rest her soul. I often think about the irony of him and Erik meeting and even becoming close friends, much like Jin's mother and I did." Sarah's eyes moved as she snapped back to reality, her confusion getting the best of her as she interrupted the woman.

Why does she keep saying Erik? I'm confused.

"I'm sorry… Erik?" Sarah said and gently sighed, her tone of voice puzzled. The woman went silent for a brief second as she seemed to not understand what Sarah meant. Then it hit her.

"Oh, I'm sorry! I mean Lars. Erik is Lars' middle name, which I reflexively use when I really miss him." She said and smiled, which had Sarah frown.

"I didn't know he had a middle name… it's pretty nice. Suits him, as does his first name." Lowering her gaze, she placed her other hand ontop of Frida Sara's hands. Taking deep yet gentle breaths, she aimed to calm down as the woman spoke.

"Thank you. It's not his official name, but I did name him Lars Erik when he was born. He was named after my father, Erik Alexandersson, rest his soul. His first name, Lars, was my choice, and my mother's, but I dearly wanted Lars to carry his grandfather's name Erik as his middle name." She gave Sarah the gentlest squeeze of her hands, nodding.

"No one other than me calls him Erik, though. So I'm not surprised you didn't know." Her smile disappeared and she frowned, her eyes looking elsewhere.

"Is that it, the ring he proposed to you with?" She reached and grabbed hold of the ring, examining it.

"Y-yeah…" Sarah eyed the blonde as she read the indentation on the ring, feeling nervous at how much Lars might've told his mother about the two of them.

"It's so beautiful… You know, when Lars told me he wanted to marry you, and said he needed my blessings first, he was the happiest I had ever seen him since giving birth to him. He desperately wanted me to meet you. We rarely got a chance to see each other, my son and I, but when we did he'd tell me simply everything about you, and how you'd turned his world around for the better." Frida Sara gently stroked the indentation with her thumb, a surprising tear rolling down her rosy cheek.

"Ms Alexandersson—!" Sarah said in a low tone of voice, reaching to hold the woman's tear-struck cheek.

"I'm okay, sweetheart. I just miss him so very much. He was all I had, my sweet boy... my memories of him are still so vivid, where he's so alive and cheerful and happy. I hope you're resting in Heaven somewhere, Erik, watching over us from above." She gave a shaky sigh and looked up to the ceiling as she ended her sentence, her eyes shining from unshed tears.

Don't worry, Lars. I'm going to take really good care of your mother.

I promise.

"I'm sure he's safe and resting Ms Alexandersson. And I want you to know that we're here for you too. I'm here for you. And Jin is. Always." Sarah felt a lump in her throat as she tried to comfort the kind woman as best as she could.

"Even though I'd never met you when Lars asked for my blessings to marry you, I didn't hesitate to give you both my best; you are precisely as Lars described you and I'm so proud of him. And I now understand why he fell in love with you. You've such a wonderful, caring heart, such radiant energy." The Swede smiled at Sarah and the latter blushed at her words. It only made the woman smile even more as she got to her feet and walked up to the tap behind the chair.

Filling up a glass with water, Frida Sara returned and offered the glass to Sarah along with a few napkins.

"Tack…" [3] Sarah thanked her and nodded as she took the glass and drank the much needed water.

"You know what amused Lars even more about you? When he first told me about you, he said, 'mamma, du anar inte, hon talar svenska!' [4] and went on about how he believed that fate had brought you two together. He was so impressed and excited! Except for me, you're the only one knows the Swedish language around here, so he was beaming with joy. It literally made my day." She said and chuckled faintly as she took a seat on the chair once again.

Sarah's smile widened greatly and she said, "It surprised me as well, when I found out he knew the language, and ultimately was of Swedish descent as well! Well, partly anyway." Frida Sara suddenly grinned.

"He told me about how you two first met... amusing to say the least." The woman was struggling to choke her laughter, which surprisingly made Sarah giggle.

"Ms Alexandersson! You know about that?!" Sarah exclaimed, a blush dusting her cheeks. Frida Sara finally laughed and nodded in agreement.

"Sorry, but yes, I do." Sarah laughed out loud, triggering Frida Sara's laughter even more, and soon all you could hear from outside was loud, happy laughter.

However, soon Sarah and Frida's laughter slowly quieted down, smiles still plastered on their joyful faces. Sarah dried her happy tears with the napkins she was still holding in her hand, while Frida Sara let gravity have its way with her only tear of joy, rolling down her porcelain-white cheek.

"Thank you, for making me smile and laugh when everything around me is in chaos. It means the world to me." Sarah said and sighed with a smile.

"I'm always here for you. Please, never forget that." She replied and smiled back. Then, "Oh and, I know you two got married, and that Jin is still unaware." Frida Sara said bluntly which immediately erased Sarah's smile. The room went quiet once again.

"… I'm sorry?" Sarah couldn't believe her ears, staring in shock at the woman infront of her.

"I had a letter sent to me, marriage license and everything. Apparently Lars wanted me to have those in case something happened to him. Well, according to the sender, who actually happens to be Jin's personal physician." The woman continued.

"Don't be so alarmed, darling. And there's more." Frida Sara smiled and tried to ease the girl's sudden, rigid posture by gently rubbing her arm.

"I heard you're pregnant. Or, should I say overheard; Kazama and Ryuzaki were discussing your health as I was passing by to come see you, sorry. You probably wanted to tell me yourself, but I can't wait any longer, I'm excited about it!" The Swedish woman seemed to wait for Sarah's permission to touch Sarah's belly, but Sarah was speechless at the new piece of information.

"Sarah, take a deep breath." She held the girl by her shoulders and looked straight into her brown eyes, encouraging her to relax. Sarah did was she was told.

"There you go, calm down. Everything's okay, nobody except me knows about your marriage. I suspect that Jin's had his suspicions though. Besides, what's to keep a secret? It's wonderful! Even though Lars isn't with you anymore, your marriage was his promise to always love you through thick and thin, and it's a testament to how much he adored you. That you were the one. And you shouldn't be afraid to share that with the world." The woman gazed at the ring around Sarah's neck.

"I know you're right…" The memory made Sarah blush, and she looked away as she fingered her bracelet.

Frida Sara giggled and stood up, only to embrace Sarah tightly before letting go. She sat back down on her chair, smiling at the brunette.

"You sweet soul. So the baby is legitimate, so to speak." She held a playful tone in her voice, semi-grinning.

"As can be!" Sarah laughed wholehearedly, and yet again triggered the blonde to laugh as well.

Their joyful laughter was short-lived when, from afar, a piano melody echoed through the halls, which startled the women ever so slightly. Sarah listened in silence for an entire minute before she decided to speak.

"That melody—" Sarah started.

"Is what Lars used to play. I bet it's Kazama-san playing, couldn't be anyone else." Frida Sara interrupted the brunette, still smiling at her.

"What do you mean?" Sarah asked, startled at the interruption, but moreso at the fact she was hearing that specific melody.

"It's Lars' favourite piece! Did you know the piano sheets for that melody are Lars' own?" Frida sounded proud at the fact, but not arrogant in the least.

"Really? No, I didn't know. Wow." It surprised Sarah to know that. She knew Lars had mastered it as she had stood next to him countless times when he'd played the piece on late afternoons and starry nights. But she had no idea he had written it himself.

"Yeah, it took him years to get it the way he wanted it. Well, back when we were still living in Sweden that is. I often wondered why it sounded so sad though, because he was always so cheerful in life." The woman said, reminiscing.

"As did I. I mean, it's so beautiful I thought it was from a famous pianist or the like." Listening to the piece always eased her heart's disputes.

"Yes, it's very touching. Back home, I used to lie awake and listen to him practice, so touched by the emotions that would swirl inside me from that specific piece. It truly is a work of art." Frida Sara crossed her leg over the other, leaning back.

"Did he ever tell you why the music came to be the way it is? Why it's so sad?" Sarah asked earnestly.

"Well, this one time he told me the only way he could sort out his feelings in life was through music. And, oh he was so great with the piano! Talented and swift; he was born to create art." The blonde seemed so proud of her late son, remembering the past.

"I somehow always knew what true story that specific piece told. I mean yeah, it was his feelings, his life overall and of everything in the past and present that made him happy and sad, and everything in between. All translated into music. But sometimes… sometimes I wondered if this sad but beautiful piece wasn't directed to voice out the void in his heart." Frida Sara's eyes glimmered ever so little.

Erik…

"Void? But what about him being so positive and cheerful?" Sarah frowned.

"He was cheerful, and he lived a happy life. But nothing can replace the absence of a father to a child. Erik often gave me excuses to stay up in his room instead of spending time with friends, or even me, but I knew he spent hours there thinking. Wishing. Hoping. You may have known his strong will and determined view on life, but that was because he spent so many years as a child building a wall around his heart, pushing out the want to seek out his father to protect me." The woman seemed hurt after her last words, lowering her gaze. Sarah gently sighed and looked away, her feelings floating on grey clouds.

It was a long piece echoing in the halls, but with every minute that passed, Sarah relaxed a tenfold more. She felt safe in realms of Lars' music. Safe in the presence of the mother of the man she loved.

Safe to know I'm not as alone as I thought.

She looked down at her belly and caressed it, before seeing another hand touch hers. Sarah looked up and met Frida's glimmering eyes, a sad smile on her face. The brunette gave an earnest smile and let go of her belly to place Frida's hand there instead.

"Don't ask me why, but I think it's a boy." Sarah said and chuckled, comforting her mother-in-law with her gentle, cheerful tone of voice as she tried to soothe the tune-filled atmosphere.

But then both women started to laugh, yet again, as the music played in the background of the cheerful mist.

Isn't it beautiful,

To wake up one day and feel safe?

To walk on the seashore without a worry in the world?

See a simple flower and appreciate the beauty of Life?


A/n: I can't stop listening to Angela Aki's songs! She's such a talented singer and pianist. But if you're familiar with her music I don't have to tell you how beautiful it is!

Anyway, thank you for the oh-so-wonderful reviews! And most are so elaborate too, you're very kind! I'm so fortunate to have reviewers who actually let me in on what was good about the chapter and what they liked less. It makes me grow as a writer and it certainly motivates me! :)

I hope you liked this chapter!

Translations

1 – Kom tillbaka, Lars – Come back, Lars.

2 – Jag beklagar sorgen (så) – My condolences - (I've put the word "så" within brackets because it's only a word you sometimes add in speech to emphasise the sentence/phrase. For instance, "I love you" can also be said, "I love you so". Saying 'I love you' means what it says, but adding the word "so" at the end emphasises that you love the person very much. "So" has the same function as "" in "Jag beklagar sorgen så" in Swedish.

So keep in mind that "Jag beklagar sorgen" alone is the equivalent to "My condolences" in English.

3 – Tack - Thank you

4 – Mamma, du anar inte, hon talar svenska! – Mom, you won't believe this, she speaks Swedish!