As she faded away and took one last look at Tally's face her heart broke. But she did what she did best. She compartmentalized. She practically invented it. She took her love for Tally Craven and wrapped it up in a knot and pushed it deep down into the depths of her bleeding heart and hid it away. They had won the war against the Camarilla but she was still fighting a war of the heart.

She could sit with her grief for the rest of her life but she didn't want to lay that on Tally's heart. She would protect her from any further sorrows that weren't necessary. She would be free to live and love as she wanted. As long as Tally was happy and safe that was all that mattered to her.

Yet here she was with an emptiness inside of her that she would be feeling till the day she died and beyond. She would mourn her daughter and she would mourn her love. There were nights where she lay in bed and she would feel a phantom sadness, not her own, and it burned and it stretched and it felt like it was calling to her.

And she would take this phantom sorrow and bring it into herself and carry it as her own and she would cry, she would hold herself and she would mourn for the both of them.

Then one day a pain she'd never felt before would shoot through her and she'd arch towards the sky and scream until she passed out. She'd wake hours later, drenched in sweat, and feeling more herself then she had in a long time. Her connection to the Mother was gone, her new shroom powers gone. She was fully human again like the day she was born.

She didn't understand, she didn't understand at all what was happening to her. She was alone once again.

But you're not alone, Sarah.

A voice, she thinks she's heard a voice. But it never comes again. And she has to sit with herself and what she's to do next.

Then on a crisp autumn day while making lunch she'd feel a warmth in her chest so overwhelming with purpose she would cry, drawing her to the porch to await a guest.

And there she'd see her, that orange hair, those chocolate eyes, and that thrumming connection.

Tally came to stand at the bottom of the steps and smiled up at her, "Here you are, Sarah Alder. I've been looking all over for you."

Sarah choked out a sob, "You weren't supposed to find me."

"Did you really think you could hide from me?"

Sarah scanned the horizon as if she could find her answers there, "You weren't supposed….I wanted you to believe….I wanted you to live the life you deserved. I didn't want to bring you any more pain."

"Don't I get a say in what I deserve? You don't get to decide that for me. Besides, what about your pain? Were you just going to silently suffer for the rest of your life? Because I can feel that too, I feel you now, and your pain is my pain."

"What about the army, you love-"

"You. I love you. Petra let me go. Abigail and Rae, they understood. They have their soulmates. I was missing mine."

Sarah raised an eyebrow, "Not Mr. Shellbark?"

"I realized I was trying to fill a void, a loneliness. He wasn't you. Why'd you make me think you were dead again?"

Sarah sighed, "I was trying to protect you."

"You don't need to protect me anymore, Sarah. I just need you. If you'll have me?"

Fighting back tears Sarah offered out her hand, "Would you stay?"

Tally reached out and grabbed her hand, "Forever."