A/N: Here's Chapter 14! :D This chapter is very dialogue driven. I like how it turned out :) and the next one is gonna be, I think, epic ;D…PLEASE REVIEW :)

Disclaimer: I don't own Big Time Rush, but I do own Sage and Elliot.

Suggestion: Take a look at Surfergal23 's Kendall/OC story called "Hooked". It's absolutely amazing. We both update on Saturday nights… Which means CHRISTMAS :D… Trust me when I say, both her story and my story are going to have interesting updates on the holiday ;D

THANK YOU, from the bottom of my heart, for all of the reviews, alerts, favorites and to those of you who come on every week to read. You all make the hard work worth it, and keep me inspired :D

-waterwicca

CHAPTER 14: BIG TIME CHANGES

It's been four weeks.

That's two weeks of high anxiety, one week of acceptance, and one week of finally moving on and nearly forgetting the conversation with Karen.

Sage had waited with heightened anticipation, which she had to hide from Kendall, for so long before nearly giving up on the idea of the Knights moving to Minnesota. Karen hadn't said a single word to her about it since the evening of Kendall's horrific seventeenth birthday, and she was sure that it meant Mrs. Knight had made her decision. They weren't moving, and Sage couldn't decide if she should have been content within the last week, or if she should be more afraid than ever…

It was a Thursday morning when all of Sage's new found expectations were shattered; making her realize that, with either choice Karen made, she would be a tragic mix of frightened and relieved…

"Why won't you let me sign your cast?" Katie whined to her brother for the hundredth time in the last few weeks and only received a dismissive chuckle in response.

"I'm not letting you anywhere near me with a permanent marker, Katie. When Sage had her cast, you wrote that I was a loser," Kendall glared halfheartedly at his little sister as Sage giggled beside him.

"I remember the good old days when you were more gullible," Katie mumbled dejectedly as she ate a spoonful of her sugary cereal.

"Kendall, you should let her deface it now. It's coming off in three days anyway," Sage suggested, sipping her orange juice with a smirk at her boyfriend, knowing a playful scowl was coming her way for siding with Katie.

"Where's Mom? I need someone sane to back me up," Kendall joked, spinning around in his stool at the kitchen counter with a piece of bacon in his hand as he scanned the room for Karen.

"She's on the phone. Just give in, Sweetie… Katie always wins," Sage insisted, winking at the little brunette on the other side of Kendall's body.

"Not today she doesn't," he declared sticking his tongue out at his sibling before abruptly putting it back into his mouth when he saw her hold up a black pen. "Put it down, Katie!"

"Hold still, Big Bro…" she laughed wickedly, lunging for his cast-covered forearm.

Kendall cried out dramatically in protest as Sage draped one arm over his shoulder and the other around his waist from behind to keep him in place. This is the position Karen found the three of them in when she entered the room with a serious expression. Kendall was squirming halfheartedly in Sage's grasp with a smile on his face while Katie was practically in his lap, trying to write on his moving arm. She hated to ruin the family moment…

"Is everyone done eating?" she asked, forcing her usual cheery demeanor onto her face and trying to ignore her oncoming tears and headache. The phone call she had just finished would change all of their lives…

"No, I'm still starving because the girls are ganging up on me…" Kendall laughed and ruffled Katie's hair, knowing it would annoy her, and laced his good hand with one of Sage's on top of the counter as the trio broke apart. Karen smiled softly when her son kissed her daughter's cheek with a slight shove, and Katie bumped fists with Sage behind the boy's back. They were all so happy together…

"Listen, guys, there's something I have to tell you…" Karen started nervously, making herself busy by taking Katie's bowl and placing it in the sink with her glass.

"What is it, Mom?" Kendall was immediately concerned by her expression. He and Katie shared wary glances, and he squeezed Sage's hand a bit harder.

"About a month ago, I got a letter in the mail…" Karen started, and Sage sucked in a harsh breath, biting her lip and locking eyes with the woman for just a moment as she continued, "… My Great Aunt Margaret died, and she, uh… she left us the house in Minnesota…"

"And…?" Katie coaxed nervously, her brother staring wide-eyed and holding his breath beside her.

"We're moving at the end of next month. I've talked to your school, and they've agreed to let you take your exams early," Karen explained gently, watching Kendall's face cautiously. She had a job all set up in Minnesota as long as she could start by the end of May. Kendall wouldn't even get to finish his school year here. They wouldn't be around for Sage's birthday…

"Are you kidding?" Kendall yelled, standing up from his seat abruptly and holding Sage's hand so tightly that his knuckles were turning white. She squeezed back with just as much energy, while Kendall looked like he was going to kill someone.

"I think she's serious…" Katie whispered sadly beside him, her eyes not leaving her mother's conflicted expression.

"We can't leave! What about -" Kendall stopped suddenly when he turned to face his girlfriend. She was staring at the counter with glazed eyes and wouldn't move an inch, letting him drag her arm through the air as he gestured wildly with their connected hands.

Kendall's voice grew soft and stern, and he blinked rapidly as he held his breath.

"Why don't you look surprised?" he spoke every word clearly, easily reading her emotions. She wasn't in shock. She was nervous and scared in the same way she was when they walked down the crowded halls in school.

"Kendall…" her word only came out as a strangled whisper when she looked up at him.

"No, do not say my name like that…" he begged angrily. The last time he heard it pass her lips in that tone was the night he found out the vicious truth about Elliot, and their lives changed forever… "What's going on?"

"It was my idea… I told Karen to take the house…" Sage admitted, sounding sure of herself but also as if she were going to break at any moment.

"I don't understand," he took his hand from Sage's in frustration, despite the physical and emotional pain the action brought on.

"Come on, Katie. Let's talk upstairs," Karen guided her young daughter out of the room with one last look at the mounting tension between the two teenagers in the kitchen.

Kendall paced to the other side of the silent room as Sage slowly slid off of her stool. He crossed his arms in front of his chest, trying to keep himself calm, but his entire body felt like it was on fire with rage and confusion. He had moved around a lot in the last seven years and had never found anything worth staying for; but, now, he's happy and whole for the first time since his childhood in Minnesota with James, Carlos, and Logan.

They've built a life in Ramsey with Sage, and it's not perfect, but it's theirs. Now, it's all falling apart…

"What the hell is happening here?" he asked as calmly as he could, failing to hide an angered growl in the process. "Remember what I told you that night?" he continued as she remained silent, referring to the evening several months ago when he first took Sage away from the abusive Elliot. "I said that you wouldn't be able to change my feelings or push me away no matter what you did…"

"That's not what I'm trying to do," Sage answered weakly, shaking her head as she approached him. Kendall couldn't understand the logical thinking behind her decision. He thought she was trying to push him away after his birthday beating, but, in actuality, she was trying to do the exact opposite. She was trying to hold onto him…

"Then enlighten me, Sage! What the fuck are you thinking? Why would you send me away? We can't live without each other!" Kendall screamed it like the fact that it was. He could understand his mother wanting them to leave, but Sage was supposed to be the one he could always count on to agree with him. It was as if they were the same person, but now they were conflicting for the first time.

"That's exactly why I want you to move… I wouldn't be able to go on living if something happened -" Sage started, fighting back her own tears and raising her voice to a normal level.

"I told you I was fine!" Kendall exclaimed, throwing his arms in the air before settling them back at his sides. Sage glared, surprising him, and took two long strides to close the distance between them.

"This…" she paused to grab his cast tightly in her hand, "… is not fine. Elliot and Scott beating the shit out of you and fracturing your ribs- " Sage stopped again to jab a finger into his freshly healed side to make her point clear, "- is not fine! We have to do this Kendall… I have to let you go. We've been playing with our lives recklessly from the start. We have to listen to our brains for once -"

"My brain is telling me that this is a terrible, ridiculous idea!" Kendall insisted, pushing past her as he raised his voice at his girlfriend for the first time in their entire relationship. Sage was relieved to find that it didn't scare her, but only made her want to gather him into her arms and never let go. Kendall was acting out of frustration and shock. "I can't protect you if I'm six hours away…" he added weakly with a vigorous shake of his head, still not giving in. He braced his hand on the countertop and bent down at his waist, trying to catch his breath while it felt like all of the air was being sucked out of the room and the walls were going to fall in on them both.

"You've been protecting me ever since you came to town. Let me take care of you…" Sage approached his shaking form slowly, reaching out to place a hand on his trembling shoulders.

"All you're doing is hurting me!" Kendall yelled wildly and shrugged away from her touch… He knew that he would give in to logic and reasoning if she calmed him down. After all these months of stress, he needed this… He needed to scream and cry like the child he wished he could be, and Sage knew it. She sighed and crossed her arms as he moved to the opposite counter, keeping a distance between them. She realized that she couldn't coddle him. She and Kendall always told each other the truth and left nothing out. So, the truth is what she was going to give him, whether he was prepared to hear it or not.

"Did you know that, after the night he put you into the hospital, all Elliot did was brag about it? He fuckin' loved it, Kendall. He wants to do it again, probably more than he wants to hit me…" Sage told him bitterly, not liking that he didn't think his life was as important as hers.

"I can handle Elliot -"

"No one can handle Elliot. All you can do is survive through what he dishes out. I've done it for years, and he cares about me in his own way. What he doesn't care about is you or your family. Elliot has no boundaries!" Sage screamed angrily while Kendall stood there with a scowl, refusing to meet her gaze. "He sent you to the Emergency Room. He broke into this house, murdered Blackjack in cold blood and set him on fire for us to find right before Christmas! What's keeping him from moving on to Karen and Katie?" Sage drove straight to her main point, watching as Kendall's eyes finally snapped to hers from where he leaned against the counter.

"Stop -"

"I'm not gonna stop because the truth scares you, Kendall… It scares me too, but one of us has to acknowledge it. This is what's best in the long run," she explained with a softer voice and sad eyes, inching closer to his body cautiously.

"I have no future without you!" Kendall ran a hand through his hair, tugging it a little as he stared at the ground.

"This is for our future. I'm legally free of Elliot the day I turn eighteen. He won't be able to force me back there anymore, but what then? We'll live in the same town as him?" Sage questioned him, knowing he never thought that far ahead, and, truthfully, she hadn't either until the letter arrived in the mail.

They had always tried to focus on making it through each new day as it came because they never knew what stress Elliot would bring to their lives next. Now, they could have control. Kendall rolled his eyes as she fought him with logic. He didn't want to give in...

"You have to move while you can, and I'll be there in a year. Go, be happy, and wait for me… This is our opportunity for safety now. A house in the place you love with Logan, James, and Carlos is just sitting there waiting for you," Sage continued softly, finally standing right in front of him.

"I don't want you making these sacrifices for me…" Kendall pleaded in a whisper, still shaking his head and refusing to look up at her, but his hand was practically screaming for him to reach out and touch her just once.

"This isn't just for you, Kendall. Katie is the sister I've never had, and Karen is the mother I've always needed… I can't risk them… We can't risk our family," Sage let her tears fall and raised her hand to cautiously caress his cheek, noticing he looked like he was ready to run or cry any second.

"I'm not leaving you," he insisted angrily, sharpening his features and bringing his body into an upright position as if trying to dare her to fight him on it. Kendall didn't intimidate her…

"You have no choice… Karen and I are choosing for you. You're too caught up in our relationship and not thinking -"

"How is leaving you here, unprotected, okay at all?" Kendall asked loudly, desperate for an answer that would solve this. He just wanted to start the whole morning over again and stay in bed with Sage. She shook her head vigorously and stood straight up to look him right in the eyes.

"None of this is okay, Kendall! It never has been, and it never will be. It's just deciding what's best between two shitty options. If you stay, four of us could get hurt. If you go, it leaves only one," Kendall started to protest her statement, but she kept going, "I'm not asking you to give me up for them. I need you… I'm just asking you to wait for me," she whispered hoarsely, wiping a tear from her eye.

At any other time it would have killed him to see her cry because of him, but Kendall couldn't take her into his arms and tell her everything was going to be alright, because they both knew for a fact that it wouldn't be. Kendall had heard the small phrase several times in his short life: "We're moving." It had never carried as much weight as it did now since they left Minnesota when he was ten years old. Leaving James, Logan, and Carlos behind was almost as hard as losing his dad. They were his family; the ones he could go to with anything, and then he was alone again for so long. It may not have been obvious to anyone else but her, but, when he found Sage, he was just as broken and lost as she had been. Whether it was fate or coincidence that brought the two teenagers together, they were finally happy; Kendall for the first time in a long while and Sage for one of the first times ever. Now, after he found something that gave his life meaning and purpose again, it was being taken away.

"Fuck!" he screamed as everything boiled over in his mind and in his heart. Kendall grabbed a plate from the sink and threw it across the room with all of the strength he had left, sending ceramic shards crashing to the ground after the initial impact with the wall.

Sage jumped at his sudden outburst, but she had been expecting him to snap. Kendall always kept everything under control and used optimism to keep life bearable, but, sometimes, he had to lose it. He had to give in… He sobbed once, choking on the air as it invaded his lungs, and tears fell from his squinting eyes. He squeezed the edge of the sink tightly and slammed his cast onto the counter, now mad he had ever gotten it. Everything, including his emotions, was out of control. She tried to touch his back, but he shrugged her away. He didn't want to go down without a fight. Kendall Knight does not give up…

"I have to think of a way out of this. We can't leave…" he insisted, almost trying to reassure himself. Sage took a shaky breath and closed her eyes for a calming moment before touching him despite his body language.

"All we're doing is going around in circles, and you're not getting any more calm about this," she pressed her body against his stiff side and kissed his cheek gently, letting her lips linger as she felt him relax just a little bit, but not fully. She brushed his hair between her fingers and whispered as she watched his blank stare into the sink, "I love you… I'm leaving so you can calm down."

She left no time for him to argue. Sage sounded absolutely sure of herself as she turned around without another word. Kendall heard the front door shut and tightened his grip on the edge of the sink. He almost laughed in disbelief at how confident and secure she'd become. He felt a strong sense of pride for her, but new tears formed at the thought of her losing her spirit if he wouldn't be around anymore. As he breathed deeply, Kendall wanted to run after her and take her into his arms, but he also wanted to yell and scream.

Kendall's tears fall slowly; at the same pace his world seems to be crumbling around him. He needs to do what he does best: find a solution and formulate a plan.

"Katie…" his sister's name falls from his lips in a whisper. That little girl loves Sage, and she's always had his back. She could help.

Kendall rushed out of the kitchen, wiping the tears from his eyes and stepping over the shattered plate on the ground. He climbed the stairs two at a time and rushed in a straight path for his sister's room. Just as he stopped in front of the door, Karen came through it and out into the hallway.

"I can't even talk to you right now…" Kendall glared and tried to move past her. He had always had a close relationship with his mom, but it felt like she had betrayed him.

"I'm sorry, Kend -"

"If you were that sorry, you'd change your mind… Please change your mind," his anger was replaced with a rapid depression as he begged her.

"I won't, Sweetheart. We're moving in a month, and that's my final decision," Karen admitted sadly, but firmly.

"I can't believe you're really doing this!" his anger was back; his emotions fluctuating faster than before, trying to keep up with his own mind, "I thought you loved Sage and -"

"Don't you dare imply that I don't care about that girl! I know you're upset right now, but don't tell me how I feel. I love Sage like she's one of my own. She's part of this family, Kendall. She practically lives here full time, and it's not because I just tolerate it. I want her here… I was going to sell that house in Minnesota until Sage asked me not to. I thought she was crazy, and that's why it took me four weeks to come to a decision…" Karen tried to get him to understand.

"You never even talked to me about it…" Kendall defended weakly, unable to meet her eyes. It felt like everyone was against him and the world had spun upside down.

"I know you're a young man now, but I'm still your mother, and that means I have to do what's best for you even if you don't agree…" Karen explained gently, rubbing his shoulder while she cried silently.

"Whatever…" Kendall whispered angrily, shrugging away from her desperately. He turned to Katie's door and opened it without knocking, slamming it shut behind him.

The young brunette was sitting at the top of her bed with her legs folded beneath her and a pillow in her lap. It seemed as if she had been crying; her eyes rimmed with red and tear tracks on her cheeks, but she gave him a gentle smile as he rushed to jump onto her bed with a newly found enthusiasm. Katie would always help him…

"Do you have any plans yet? We're gonna need something good because Sage is confused, and Mom seems sure - " he stopped short when Katie shook her head slowly.

"Sage isn't confused… and we're moving back to Minnesota," she spoke clearly, knowing she was delivering bad news. The last bit of hope died in her brother's green eyes.

"Not you too!" Kendall groaned and slammed his fist into the bed beneath him. "You're really giving in?"

"If Mom and Sage think it's a good idea, then maybe it's what's best for all of us…" Katie offered solemnly. She had heard Kendall and Sage yelling downstairs, and knew he wasn't convinced yet.

"You're all crazy," Kendall whispered, playing with the hem of his shirt as a new batch of tears threatened to spill over. He was losing the battle… His fight was fading…

"And you're acting like an asshole," Katie's voice was confident and slightly annoyed as she folder her arms over her chest.

"Language," Kendall quietly scolded without even looking at her.

"Attitude," she shot right back, reprimanding him for his wild behavior.

Sometimes Kendall forgets how wise his little sister is. He likes to pretend she's just an eleven-year-old girl, but he knows better.

"Sage is trying to do something selfless and brave -" Katie started, but a gloomy Kendall interjected.

"It's stupid and dangerous."

"And so was you getting involved with her in the first place, but you did… and have you ever regretted it?" she asked, already knowing the answer.

"Not once…"

"So, let her do this for us. This was her idea, Kendall. Sage isn't stupid… Although, sometimes I think twice because she loves an idiot like you," she smirked slightly, hoping to see it returned. Katie then gave him a full smile when he finally looked at her normally with gentle eyes.

"Thanks, Katie…" he grinned at her and pulled the little girl into a hug. He could argue with Sage and his mother about it all until he was blue in the face, but he needed the small but wise Katie to bring him to his senses. He could have handled himself better, but he meant everything he had said. Now, he just knew that the decision had been made, and Sage needed his support.

With one final kiss to her cheek, Kendall left Katie's room in a hurry. He had to go to Sage and hold her… It always made everything better; never cured but relieved all of the heart wrenching symptoms of pain. Kendall knew exactly where to find her, knowing she would have never gone home.

It was only a five minute drive to the local cemetery. The gentle winds of the spring season rustled the trees, and the sun cast a soft, gold light across the large field of grass and tombstones. They had come here together many times before, and Kendall knew where Sage would be beyond the black iron gates.

He parked at the edge of the road and entered the deserted property of the cemetery. No one else was there other than Sage. She was sitting in the grass with her knees held to her chest around fifty yards away. It seemed as if she was studying the ground beneath her, but Kendall knew better. That exact spot was where her mother was buried. As he stepped up behind the blonde girl, a small bronze plaque came into view, jutting up about an inch from the long grass. It read: Julia Henderson.

Sage didn't move at all as Kendall took a seat right beside her with their upper arms touching. She had no idea what to say, or if he was still angry. The wind blew and gentle chimes rang from somewhere in the distance, but there were no sounds of birds or wildlife. It seemed none occupied the land of the cemetery… The whole place had an eerie presence, but Sage and Kendall always found it peaceful; the perfect place to reflect on what you have and what you've lost.

"I messed up with your daughter today, Julia…" Kendall spoke solemnly, sighing heavily as Sage smiled wordlessly and took his hand into her own. She brought it up to rest on her raised knees and kissed it softly.

Sage had told him to refer to her mother by her first name. "Mrs. Henderson" just reminded her of the horrible link to Elliot. Sage hated her own last name, but Kendall always told her it would be okay because she'd be "Sage Knight" soon enough… They had done that often; talked about their future. It's what keeps them going on all of the hard days. You have to hold on to hope… Kendall had just forgotten that for a little while, but he remembered now; remembered that, in the end, enduring the hard things would be worth it if they could be happy.

Sage studied the small plaque with her mother's name on it, sighing gently at the thought of her remains resting beneath her feet. She tried to remember how different her life would be if her mom hadn't killed herself: she would have never met Kendall like she did… Every experience, good or bad, leads to new opportunities. Hopefully, this opportunity for the Knights to leave will lead to all of them having full and wonderful lives with Sage included. Their happiness is her happiness…

"I shouldn't have yelled at you," Kendall admitted sternly, feeling like an idiot. He never raised his voice at her, especially knowing what she goes through, but both of them were secretly happy that she had handled it so well. The two teens had both been sure that she would have broken down under the pressure and stress, but she stayed strong. Kendall had never loved her more…

"I should have told you about all of this a month ago. We both messed up," Sage insisted sadly, turning to climb into his lap until she was straddling his waist with her arms wrapped securely around his neck. She pressed her cheek against his, enjoying and breathing in the comfort he always provided.

"This was our first fight," Kendall stated simply, squeezing her against him and kissing her temple.

"I'd say we did pretty good… Neither one of us are dead," she joked softly with a smirk, leaning into his lips before hugging him tightly again. Sage finally let herself fully cry. "You understand that this is not what I want, right? I don't want you to leave me, but -" Kendall silenced her with a soothing kiss.

"I don't... I won't ever like it, but I get it…" he insisted quietly, pressing his lips to hers once more before groaning in frustration. "This is too much shit for teenagers to be dealing with… We shouldn't have to be making these decisions," he complained playfully, but they both knew the seriousness of the situation.

"What did you expect? We're not, nor will we ever be, normal," Sage laughed lightly, glad that they were both smiling again. They could make it through anything if they still had each other…

"Why can't we be getting sloppy drunk, starting a food fight in the cafeteria, falling asleep in class… anything normal kids do?" he questioned with a raised brow as he rubbed her lower back with his uninjured hand.

"We could have sex in the supply closet…" Sage offered giddily.

"That sounds good," Kendall admitted breathlessly, taking the time to hug her again.

A silence fell over the pair again, both of them getting lost in thought. Kendall broke through the quiet atmosphere first.

"One month isn't long enough to say goodbye…"

"We've never said goodbye," Sage spoke with a gentle smile. It was meant to be optimistic, as if this weren't really 'goodbye' either. It was only ever a gentle kiss goodnight and promises of seeing each other soon, but Kendall knew this was all different.

"Not yet…"

A/N: How was it? The next chapter is called "Big Time Goodbye"… and it's gonna be full of angst, tears, and smut (I think that's a pretty winning combo ;D) It will be up Saturday night as usual (Merry Christmas and Happy Holidays :)

ALSO! (This is exciting… the BOYS are showing up in Chapter 16 and will remain a VITAL part of the story from there on out! :D I have so many plans for them, and I've been dying to get to this part :D Get ready for more angst, more drama, and a lot of laughs (because these guys are amazing) I'm so excited to write them and I hope you're looking forward to it (I know quite a few of you are :)

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