**As I'm just a student who still have to plead my mother for $10,
obviously I do not own Sailormoon**Because Of You
Chapter 1
America, 1814
" No, father you can do this. Fight it. You've done this before. Even the doctor said it's a miracle. Come on father, work another miracle." Ethan Mathison lifted his heavy eyelids. His gaze was on his only daughter's tear-streaked face. He squeezed his daughter's hand weakly.
" I'm sorry my dear. To live this long is miracle enough. I'm afraid I've used all my magic powders." He tried to smile but failed.
" How am I going to live without you? You can't leave me alone, father." Serena Mathison asked her father, unable to stop the tears pouring down her cheeks. She is the only child of Ethan and Irene Mathison. Her mother passed away when she's 3 years old. She grew up knowing only her father as her closest relative. She knows that one day her father had to leave her. Even though she thought she's been prepared mentally and emotionally, it's all useless when faced with the real situation.
" You're not alone sweetheart. I will be watching you, always. I will be in your heart and soul." He hesitated for a while and continued. "I've prepared an arrangement for you. It may seems confusing or you may oppose it but please understand I've done what I think is best --." He coughed, unable to finish his words.
" Hush, father. Get some rest. I'll call Dr. Elliot in." Serena went outside, calling the middle-aged doctor.
" Please doctor, can you give him anything to help him breathe? Maybe you can use some of your herbs, potions? Please, anything." the tears that she thought had stopped began again. She wiped it furiously. Determined not to make this harder by her ceaseless tears.
" Giving him anything at all will not help, dear. It is better if you spend the rest of his limited time with him." Dr. Smith patted Serena's shoulder in an attempt to give her support. "He will not like it when he knows you're crying over him." Serena tried to stop crying. Her shoulder shook in her effort. She watched as Dr. Elliot went into her father's room. After a few minutes, Serena collected herself. Slowly she pushed the door to his father's room. Dr. Elliot was listening quietly to her father. When Mr. Mathison saw her enter, he beckoned her to him.
" My darling Serena, I want you to listen carefully to what I'm going to say. After I'm gone --" Serena shook her head vigorously. Gently, her father touched her pale face. "You have to accept it sweetheart. My due is very near and I don't want you to stop living when it comes. You're still young, my precious daughter and your life must goes on. There's so much you haven't experienced. There are so many things that you deserve but I'm afraid I will not be able to give it to you. Things that I hope you'll find out soon." He took a deep breath. " I have an old friend in England. He is a very good friend of mine. He's a nobleman, with some interesting estates, mansions, and large stables." He coughed. "I think that's something that you would like to visit." Serena smiled, instead of her confusion on what her father is saying, she can't help feeling touched by his effort to lighten up her mood by mentioning her love for horses. " Once, we were very close and I think we'll still be if we're not separated. I've promised to visit him a long time ago. Now, it looks like I'll never fulfilled my promise." Suddenly he took Serena's hand and looked at her intently. Serena knew at once that what her father is going to say next is very important." Serena, I want you to fulfill it for me. I want you to go to England on my behalf."
"Me?" Serena startled, can't quite believe her ears. She always knew that her father grew up in England. Her late grandparents loved to travel and on one of their visits to England, her grandfather caught the scarlet fever. He died after a few weeks and her grandmother decided to stay in England with his little son. However, when Ethan was a young man twenty years later, she told him her wish to return to America so he brought her back and stayed in America. After a few years, he married a physician's daughter.
" I can never do it, father." Serena told his father. "England? I've never even board a ship before. How am I going to endure the long journey to England? I'm sure I'm going to be horribly sick on the ship." Ethan Mathison smiled at his daughter's worry. He even managed a small chuckle. She looked quite adorable with that little frown across her forehead.
"I'm sure you're just making that up. You're the strongest person in this village. Remember the time when everyone in the village including our own Dr. Elliot here caught the dreadful cold? You're the only who is well and working. I'm quite sure you're immune to sickness." Serena's father threw a glance to Dr. Elliot and the doctor grinned his agreement.
" That was different." Serena mumbled. Suddenly Serena's father clutched his chest. He looked like he was in so much pain that Serena's fragile hope that everything is going to be normal again shattered. " Father! Are you all right?"
" It's okay, sweetheart. This is to be expected." Mr. Mathison assured her, his face looked pale while he struggled to ignore his pain. He tried to be on a sitting position. " Dr. Elliot can you please let me be alone with my daughter?" he asked the doctor out of a sudden. Dr. Elliot nodded and walked out slowly from the room. He knew his patient's need to be alone with her daughter at a time like this.
" It is not okay, father. You're going to leave me alone and you seem to be happy about it."
" You're not alone at all. You're sweet and enchanting and everybody loves you. I'm sure Lord St. Clair is going to like you very much." He smiled gently to his daughter and stroked her wet cheek. " It is my greatest wish for you to go to England and meet him. Will you do it for me, Serena?"
After a few while, Serena nodded. She knew that this was his last request and she can hardly refuse to do it. " Yes father, I'll do it for you. I think I would like to see those stables too."
Ethan Mathison smiled. " Serena, I'm sorry if you think I'm very eager to leave you, but the thought of seeing your mother again can't help but leave me feeling very happy." Serena's tears poured like rain and slowly she bent to hug his father.
Two weeks later..
" Is that all?" Dr. Elliot asked. He pointed at Serena's little travel trunk. He looked incredulous. " That's all you're going to bring to England?"
Serena chuckled. The doctor's look was funny. " Yes, I think that's all. Why? Do you think I should bring larger trunk?"
" But, do you think that much clothes is enough? I thought young ladies nowadays indulge themselves with the pleasure of buying a lot of dresses and showing it off?"
" Maybe I'm not one of those 'young ladies'. I think all those money wasted on dresses is tragic. Beside, this is only a brief visit. I'll be back in no time."
Dr. Elliot smiled and hugged her affectionately. " Enjoy your visit, Serena. God knows you need some rest after what you've been through. If your father is still here, I'm sure he will agree with me."
Serena's smiled faltered a little at the mention of her father. She missed him so much. Slowly, she broke the hug. " Dr. Elliot, I want to thank you for all your help to me and my father. I shall forever be in your debt."
" You're welcome, dear. And don't worry about your affairs. I'll take great care of it. Stay as long as you like in England."
" Thank you, doctor. But I don't think I want to stay there for more than a few months."
" Who knows, child. God willing, you'll ends up staying there forever, contently. Maybe married to one of those Englishmen."
Chapter 1
America, 1814
" No, father you can do this. Fight it. You've done this before. Even the doctor said it's a miracle. Come on father, work another miracle." Ethan Mathison lifted his heavy eyelids. His gaze was on his only daughter's tear-streaked face. He squeezed his daughter's hand weakly.
" I'm sorry my dear. To live this long is miracle enough. I'm afraid I've used all my magic powders." He tried to smile but failed.
" How am I going to live without you? You can't leave me alone, father." Serena Mathison asked her father, unable to stop the tears pouring down her cheeks. She is the only child of Ethan and Irene Mathison. Her mother passed away when she's 3 years old. She grew up knowing only her father as her closest relative. She knows that one day her father had to leave her. Even though she thought she's been prepared mentally and emotionally, it's all useless when faced with the real situation.
" You're not alone sweetheart. I will be watching you, always. I will be in your heart and soul." He hesitated for a while and continued. "I've prepared an arrangement for you. It may seems confusing or you may oppose it but please understand I've done what I think is best --." He coughed, unable to finish his words.
" Hush, father. Get some rest. I'll call Dr. Elliot in." Serena went outside, calling the middle-aged doctor.
" Please doctor, can you give him anything to help him breathe? Maybe you can use some of your herbs, potions? Please, anything." the tears that she thought had stopped began again. She wiped it furiously. Determined not to make this harder by her ceaseless tears.
" Giving him anything at all will not help, dear. It is better if you spend the rest of his limited time with him." Dr. Smith patted Serena's shoulder in an attempt to give her support. "He will not like it when he knows you're crying over him." Serena tried to stop crying. Her shoulder shook in her effort. She watched as Dr. Elliot went into her father's room. After a few minutes, Serena collected herself. Slowly she pushed the door to his father's room. Dr. Elliot was listening quietly to her father. When Mr. Mathison saw her enter, he beckoned her to him.
" My darling Serena, I want you to listen carefully to what I'm going to say. After I'm gone --" Serena shook her head vigorously. Gently, her father touched her pale face. "You have to accept it sweetheart. My due is very near and I don't want you to stop living when it comes. You're still young, my precious daughter and your life must goes on. There's so much you haven't experienced. There are so many things that you deserve but I'm afraid I will not be able to give it to you. Things that I hope you'll find out soon." He took a deep breath. " I have an old friend in England. He is a very good friend of mine. He's a nobleman, with some interesting estates, mansions, and large stables." He coughed. "I think that's something that you would like to visit." Serena smiled, instead of her confusion on what her father is saying, she can't help feeling touched by his effort to lighten up her mood by mentioning her love for horses. " Once, we were very close and I think we'll still be if we're not separated. I've promised to visit him a long time ago. Now, it looks like I'll never fulfilled my promise." Suddenly he took Serena's hand and looked at her intently. Serena knew at once that what her father is going to say next is very important." Serena, I want you to fulfill it for me. I want you to go to England on my behalf."
"Me?" Serena startled, can't quite believe her ears. She always knew that her father grew up in England. Her late grandparents loved to travel and on one of their visits to England, her grandfather caught the scarlet fever. He died after a few weeks and her grandmother decided to stay in England with his little son. However, when Ethan was a young man twenty years later, she told him her wish to return to America so he brought her back and stayed in America. After a few years, he married a physician's daughter.
" I can never do it, father." Serena told his father. "England? I've never even board a ship before. How am I going to endure the long journey to England? I'm sure I'm going to be horribly sick on the ship." Ethan Mathison smiled at his daughter's worry. He even managed a small chuckle. She looked quite adorable with that little frown across her forehead.
"I'm sure you're just making that up. You're the strongest person in this village. Remember the time when everyone in the village including our own Dr. Elliot here caught the dreadful cold? You're the only who is well and working. I'm quite sure you're immune to sickness." Serena's father threw a glance to Dr. Elliot and the doctor grinned his agreement.
" That was different." Serena mumbled. Suddenly Serena's father clutched his chest. He looked like he was in so much pain that Serena's fragile hope that everything is going to be normal again shattered. " Father! Are you all right?"
" It's okay, sweetheart. This is to be expected." Mr. Mathison assured her, his face looked pale while he struggled to ignore his pain. He tried to be on a sitting position. " Dr. Elliot can you please let me be alone with my daughter?" he asked the doctor out of a sudden. Dr. Elliot nodded and walked out slowly from the room. He knew his patient's need to be alone with her daughter at a time like this.
" It is not okay, father. You're going to leave me alone and you seem to be happy about it."
" You're not alone at all. You're sweet and enchanting and everybody loves you. I'm sure Lord St. Clair is going to like you very much." He smiled gently to his daughter and stroked her wet cheek. " It is my greatest wish for you to go to England and meet him. Will you do it for me, Serena?"
After a few while, Serena nodded. She knew that this was his last request and she can hardly refuse to do it. " Yes father, I'll do it for you. I think I would like to see those stables too."
Ethan Mathison smiled. " Serena, I'm sorry if you think I'm very eager to leave you, but the thought of seeing your mother again can't help but leave me feeling very happy." Serena's tears poured like rain and slowly she bent to hug his father.
Two weeks later..
" Is that all?" Dr. Elliot asked. He pointed at Serena's little travel trunk. He looked incredulous. " That's all you're going to bring to England?"
Serena chuckled. The doctor's look was funny. " Yes, I think that's all. Why? Do you think I should bring larger trunk?"
" But, do you think that much clothes is enough? I thought young ladies nowadays indulge themselves with the pleasure of buying a lot of dresses and showing it off?"
" Maybe I'm not one of those 'young ladies'. I think all those money wasted on dresses is tragic. Beside, this is only a brief visit. I'll be back in no time."
Dr. Elliot smiled and hugged her affectionately. " Enjoy your visit, Serena. God knows you need some rest after what you've been through. If your father is still here, I'm sure he will agree with me."
Serena's smiled faltered a little at the mention of her father. She missed him so much. Slowly, she broke the hug. " Dr. Elliot, I want to thank you for all your help to me and my father. I shall forever be in your debt."
" You're welcome, dear. And don't worry about your affairs. I'll take great care of it. Stay as long as you like in England."
" Thank you, doctor. But I don't think I want to stay there for more than a few months."
" Who knows, child. God willing, you'll ends up staying there forever, contently. Maybe married to one of those Englishmen."