CHAPTER 7
9AM: SARA'S APARTMENT
As her alarm blares through her sleep clogged mind Sara rolls over glaring at the alarm clock frowning when she notices a piece of paper on her nightstand. Sara sits up picking up the piece of paper she unfolds it.
'I am sorry I am not able to be here when you wake. There is a lot we still need to discuss. When I am able I will come to you, I too have something I must confess.
Sara I do understand why you did what you did. You thought it was for the best and you have no reason to be sorry.
I love you Sara. ~Ian Christian Nottingham.'
Sara sighs, "What does he have to tell me? If he's married I am so going to kill him." She shakes her head. "No he's not married... he wouldn't be having sex with me if he was."
'And you're the only one he's ever been with.'
Sara smiles at the knowledge and the memory of what Ian told her.
// "You're kidding me." Sara looks at Ian surprised. "Fifteen years?"
Ian shrugs "I haven't had time." He says slightly embarrassed. "Father's kept me busy so I never really think about how long it has been."
"And?" Sara lifts her brow knowing that there is more.
Ian brushes his fingertips over Sara's lips. "You are the only woman I've been attracted to."
"You're kidding."
"No I'm not kidding." //
'I still can't believe I'm the only one he's been with.' She thinks awed. 'I'm glad though. I don't think I could handle knowing my Ian's been with a bunch of women.' She sighs. 'He must not like that I've been with other men.' "If he doesn't say anything why should I?" She mutters aloud.
SAME TIME: BOSTON
Martha sighs entering the kitchen with a tray still filled with food.
"How is she?" Mobius inquires
Martha sets the tray on the counter. "She refuses to eat. She has been up all night. Until Emma hears from her Dad, she will be unresponsive. She used to do the same thing when she was a child, after seeing him she'd go between crying and silence for days." She sits down at the table. "I had hoped she'd grow out of it."
"They haven't been apart for more than two days since he left the army." Mobius muses.
"I've tried everything I could think of to at least get her to come downstairs." Martha says sadly.
Upstairs Emma sits on her Dad's bed looking at a picture of the two of them, Emma standing behind her Dad her arms around his upper chest her chin resting on his shoulder as she laughs.
EARLY AFTERNOON: NEW YORK
Immo enters the med lab to find Ian sitting up. "You are not ready to be up and about Ian. You have a couple bruised ribs."
"I can feel them." Ian grinds out clutching his side.
"Lie down."
"I have to call Emma."
"You can call her after I check you out. You hit your head hard." He remarks as Ian lies back down.
"You didn't tell Emma did you?" Ian demands.
"No but I spoke with Mobius a while ago. He informed me that Emma refuses to speak."
"She knows." Ian says pained.
"I wouldn't be surprised. Emma has always been... intuitive when it comes to you." Immo says dryly. "Now how is your head? Double vision?"
"I'm fine. Slight headache no double vision." Ian says impatiently.
"Good. Now I want you to stay here so I can keep an eye on you. I'll have James bring your phone down."
"Where is he?"
"Not here." Immo replies.
Ian nods staring at the ceiling.
WHILE LATER: BOSTON
"How is she?" Ian asks
"Unresponsive. She doesn't even want to watch TV. I haven't seen her this bad." Martha states sadly. "I'm really worried."
"There is something I need to do but I will try to be there either tonight or tomorrow morning."
"I thought Dr. Immo wants you to stay until your better."
"I can heal at home. Emma needs me." Ian says stubbornly.
"Fine but if you end up injured even more..."
"I'll be fine. Don't tell Emma I'm coming back because I don't know when I'll be there."
"All right."
Ian hangs up carefully he stands going over to where Immo left his clothes. He dresses wincing in pain at the strain on his ribs.
"Ian what are you doing?!" Immo exclaims
"I have to go." Ian says
"You have bruised ribs, you need to heal."
"I'll heal. There is something I have to take care of... something very important. I'll be careful." He promises
"Ian"
"Immo I have something I need to do... something very important."
"All right but be careful you could do more damage if you aren't careful."
"I'll be careful."
Immo goes over to the medicine cabinet removing some pills. "Here. These should help with the pain."
Ian takes them shoving them into his pocket.
"Call me if the pain gets worse." Immo says as Ian hurries out of the room.
20 MINS LATER: SARA'S APARTMENT
Ian leans against the doorframe as the door opens.
"Ian" Sara says surprised then frowns. "What's wrong?" She demands seeing his pale expression.
Ian lifts the side of his shirt causing Sara to gasp.
"What the..." She pulls him into the apartment.
Ian enters leaning against the wall taking a deep breath.
"If your so injured what the hell are you doing out?"
"I needed to see you."
"How bad?"
"Couple bruised ribs."
"Ian you should be in a hospital."
"I was in the med lab with Immo but I needed to talk to you."
"Come on." She helps him over to the couch.
Once sitting down Ian reaches into his overcoat pocket. "Sara there's something I need to show you... you aren't going to be happy with me."
"What?" She asks confused.
Ian removes a picture of him and Emma from his inner pocket. "I wanted to tell you last night but I didn't get the chance." He holds the picture out to Sara.
Sara looks at him then takes the picture looking at it her eyes widen seeing the teenager with Ian. Her eyes go to his "Is this...?"
Ian nods, "Its Emma."
Sara stares at the picture, 'My baby.' "You've had her this whole time?!" She says angrily.
Ian nods, "Father brought her to me a few days after she was born."
"Why didn't you tell me?" She explodes jumping up. "I have been wondering where she was for fourteen years and you've had her this whole time?!"
"I wanted to tell you Sara."
"Then why didn't you?" Sara demands. "She's my baby."
"I couldn't" Ian looks down.
"Why not? I would have told you I was pregnant had I known where you were!" She looks at Ian tears filling her eyes. "Why Ian?"
"I couldn't!" Ian explodes in an uncharacteristic outburst of temper. "I wanted to tell you the moment I saw her." He says angrily. "I wanted to know why you gave our daughter up!" He winces painfully at the strain on his ribs and the flash of pain in Sara's eyes. "God Sara you think I really wanted to keep the fact I had her from you?!" He exclaims. "I had no choice. When I told Father I wanted to call you and tell you I had her, he said no. He said if I even tried to contact you for any reason he would take Emma from me. I couldn't let that happen. Emma is all I had of you, I couldn't risk losing the one person who reminded me of the one year in my life where I started feeling normal."
Sara sits beside him. "I didn't want to give her up Ian."
"I know." He shifts so he can look at Sara wincing slightly. "I wanted to tell you so bad. I hated keeping it from you."
Hearing the pain in his voice Sara looks at Ian whispering his name.
"I loved you Sara..." He reaches out rubbing his thumb across her lower lip. "I still love you. You and Emma are my world... you mean everything to me."
"Where is Emma? Is she happy?"
"She's in Boston. She's not doing too well right now."
"Why? What's wrong?" Sara asks worried.
Ian looks away "Emma and I are close... and at times if things are really bad we know when the other is unhappy... or hurt."
"I don't understand."
"Emma knows what happened to me last night. I didn't tell her and everyone knows better than to tell her about my punishments." He pauses swallowing "I called the house and spoke with her Nanny Martha and she told me that Emma is unresponsive. She's been like that before but she usually snaps out of it." He looks at Sara his eyes pained. "I'm going to Boston and I want to come with me."
"Ian..." Sara looks down. "Does she know who I am?"
"No." Ian reaches out brushing his fingers down Sara's cheek. "I wanted to wait until a time when I was able to talk with you."
"Does she ask about me?"
"When she was little she'd offhandedly asked questions but before I left Boston she asked me about you. She's asked Martha and Mobius about you as well."
Sara looks at the picture and smiles slightly. "She's beautiful." She glances at Ian then back at the picture. "She looks like you." She remarks.
"I always thought she looked like both of us." Ian muses. "She's definitely a Pezzini in attitude." He says with a slight laugh wincing in pain. "She's stubborn, willful, active... just like her Mom." He shifts inhaling sharply.
Hearing that Sara looks at him, "Ian, are you OK?" She demands.
Ian nods wincing slightly. "Ribs hurt a little but I'll be fine."
"When are you leaving?" Sara asks after a moment.
"I just need to call the airport and find out when the next flight to Boston leaves."
"Does she hate me?" Sara asks softly.
Ian looks at Sara startled. "Why would you think she would?"
Sara looks at him then back at the picture. "I gave her up... she has the right to hate me."
"She doesn't hate you Sara."
"I've missed her... I hated giving her up."
"You did what you thought was best."
Sara gives him a sad smile. "Perhaps but that doesn't make what I did any easier. At least she had you."
"And now you." He strokes her cheek. "I'll call the airport and get us on the next flight out."
Sara nods her eyes on the picture of her smiling daughter as Ian gets on the phone. 'God she's beautiful. She has Ian's eyes and definitely his smile... my nose.'
10 MINS LATER
Sara hears Ian inhale sharply and looks up to see him clutching his side. "Ian, are you OK?" She asks concerned.
Ian nods. "Just hurts a little. The next flight to Boston leaves at four."
"You should probably lie down you don't look so good." She pats the spot beside her on the bed. Once Ian is sitting beside her she moves off the bed kneeling she unties his boots pulling them off she sets them aside. She moves up kissing Ian lightly.
"Thanks." Ian murmurs
"Anytime." Sara starts to move to return to her spot on the bed when Ian stops her.
"I do love you Sara... I never wanted to hurt you like that."
"I love you too... and you didn't hurt me. I didn't exactly make it easy for you to tell me when you first showed up." She kisses his forehead "Thank you for taking care of her."
Ian looks at her his fingers brushing over her lower lip. "She's my child, our child, the only family I have."
Sara lies down leaving room for Ian to join her. She turns her attention back to the picture. "What was she like as a baby?" She asks curiously.
Ian smiles looking at the picture in Sara's hands, "She was a good baby. She only cried when something was wrong." He laces their fingers. "She loved to be carried and hated to be left alone for any amount of time so someone in the household was always with her. Usually it was either me or Martha."
"Martha?"
"Her Nanny."
"Ian... what about Irons?"
"He has little contact with her. As for doing what he does to me..." He shakes his head. "He tried to spank her once but I stopped him and since then he hasn't even tried to lay a hand on her. He knows I wouldn't allow it."
"Yet you let him hurt you." Sara says bitterly.
"Sara, can we please not argue about him right now?" Ian pleads
"Fine." Sara looks at the picture "Tell me more."
"We were inseparable until he decided to form the Dragons when I was 21. Father agreed to allow her to live near wherever I was and every weekend she would spend a day with us. After the army we moved to Boston."
"So where was she raised?"
"Well until she was 2 we lived in Japan. Then we lived in London, Switzerland, Brazil... anywhere else he sent us until the Dragons were disbanded a few years ago and we moved to Boston."
"So you moved her a lot."
"She loved it." Ian assured. "She even had this mixture way of talking until we moved to Boston. She used Japanese, German, French, and some Portuguese mixed in with her English."
"What was her first word?"
"Daddy."
Sara smiles "How old was she?"
"9 months. When she was 10 months she was walking, by a year and a half she was on her way to counting." He strokes Sara's knuckles with his thumb. "Emma's smart. When she was four she had her IQ tested and she's way above average."
"Definitely has your brains." Sara smiles "What else?" She asks excitedly.
"She started reading when she was three and writing at four. When Father found out how far ahead she was, he wanted me to send her to school in Switzerland but I couldn't do it. I hated the idea of her being so far away at that age. Emma does things in her own time and that's how I wanted it."
"What else?"
"She has a dog named Felix. She's good at sports, Basketball, Volleyball, and pool. She skateboards and rollerblades. The men in my unit took up the task of teaching her those things... considering my own upbringing and how he discouraged sports other than my training. She hates swimming... she's a little afraid of water." He explains with a slight laugh. "I taught her how to swim when she was little but she said being in water made her feel like she was falling. Since then I haven't been able to get her to go into the water. Last year in school, they decided that the kids had to take swim classes and Emma freaked out. It took me three days to get her to go back to school and she only went after I talked her teacher and the Principal out of making her take the class."
"Ian what does Emma know about us?" Sara asks curiously
"When she was little she'd occasionally ask where you were but that's as far as the questions went until the night he called me back to New York."
"What did she ask?"
"Where you were, who you were, why I never talked about what happened between us."
"Why didn't you tell her who I am?"
"I didn't know what to tell her." Ian shrugs "I didn't want Emma to try tracking you down before I had the chance to tell you myself. I planned to tell her when she was ready."
"Do you think she's ready?" Sara asks her eyes on the picture.
"I believe so."
WHILE LATER
"Mobius." Ian greets
"Hello my friend." Mobius greets
"I need you to pick us up from the airport."
"Us?"
Ian looks at Sara as she drives "Sara's coming with me."
"Wow. So you told her?"
"Yes."
"How'd she take it?"
"I'm still in one piece."
"Yes from her." Mobius says dryly.
Ian laughs. "Flight will be in at five thirty."
"Fine." Mobius hangs up.
4PM: PLANE
"Sara?" Ian brushes his gloved knuckle down Sara's cheek as she stares out the window. "What is wrong my love?"
"Just thinking."
"About?"
"How will she take the fact of me being there?"
"She'll be fine."
Sara sighs looking at their laced fingers. "When I found out I was pregnant all I wanted was you." She says softly as she strokes his knuckles with her fingers. "I spent hours crying not because I was pregnant but because I wanted you."
"If I could have I would have done anything to be with you."
"What do you think would have happened between us had Aras stayed out of our business or he'd never sent you away?" Sara asks thoughtfully.
Ian brings Sara's hand to his lips. "I would have been there through everything. I would have married you."
Sara looks at him smiling slightly. "You would have?"
"Yes. I would have married you that afternoon if I could have."
"And if my Dad said no?"
"Then I would have waited until you were 18."
"Always with the alternative plans huh?"
Ian gives Sara a small smile.
5:30 PM: BOSTON AIRPORT
"Hello my friend." Mobius greets as Ian walks up to the car with a dark-haired woman at his side. "Good flight?"
"Decent." Ian answers wincing slightly.
"Ribs?"
"I'll deal." Ian replies "Sara Pezzini, Hector Mobius."
"Finally I get to meet the love of my brother's life." Mobius grins "Call me Mobius or Mobi... I haven't been Hector in a very long time."
Sara smiles at the large seemingly intimidating black man yet seeing the kindness in his eyes. "Nice to meet you too."
"How is Emma?" Ian asks as they get into the car.
Mobius sighs, "She refuses to talk. At least she's done with the whole staring into space part. That was freaky."
20 MINS LATER: HOUSE
"Oh good you're here." Martha says relieved as she enters the foyer.
"Sara this is Martha Fordham. Martha Sara Pezzini." Ian introduces the two women.
Sara smiles at the older woman.
"It's nice to finally meet you." Martha states
"Where's Emma?" Ian asks
"In her room with Felix." Martha answers
Ian nods holding his hand out to Sara once she slips her hand into his Ian leads her up the stairs and down the hall. He opens the bedroom door, where they find Emma sitting on the floor with Felix's head in her lap. "Emma."
Hearing her Dad's voice Emma looks up grinning. "Dad"
Ian enters the bedroom stopping before his daughter he tenderly brushes her hair back. "Are you OK?" He asks concerned.
"Better." She smiles then frowns. "He hurt you."
"I'll be OK." Ian assures kissing her forehead. "I was worried about you."
Sensing that the two need to talk before informing Emma of her presence Sara moves away from the door. She heads towards the alcove at the end of the hall just past the stairs, once in the alcove she notices a couple framed pictures on the built in wall bookcase. She picks up one of the pictures of Ian and Emma playing in the snow when Emma was a baby. 'My baby.' She smiles slightly. 'She looks so happy.'
Ian glances in the doorway to see Sara gone then looks back at Emma. "Emma there is someone here who wants to see you."
"Who?" Emma asks curiously, as she sits down on her bed.
"Your Mom." Ian answers watching Emma closely for a reaction.
Emma stares at her Dad surprised. "My Mom?"
Ian nods, "She wants to see you." As Emma looks down thoughtfully, Ian reaches out brushing her hair back. "What's wrong Em?"
Emma shrugs
"Do you want to see your Mom?"
Emma tilts her head thoughtfully then nods.
"Emma I know this is a surprise for you but it is for your Mom as well." After Emma nods, he kisses her forehead then walks out of the bedroom. When he notices Sara in the alcove looking at a picture, he joins her.
Sara looks up as Ian joins her in the alcove. "This is such a cute picture of you two."
Ian glances at the picture and smiles slightly. "That was her first time out in the snow. She was so funny that day whenever she took a step she would sink into the snow and start crying until I picked her up. Once I picked her up she'd want down again." He reaches out cupping Sara's cheek "You ready to see her?"
Sara nods setting the picture down.
Emma sits on the bed stroking Felix's head. 'My Mom is here.'
"I'll be downstairs." Ian says kisses Sara's head. "It'll OK Sara."
"I know." Sara nods walking into the bedroom.
Once Sara is in the bedroom Ian walks down the hall heading downstairs.
"Emma"
Emma looks up to see the dark-haired woman. "Hi." She looks at Felix.
"So this is Felix. Your Dad told me about him."
"Felix is my dog. Dad has Hugo."
Sara sits beside her daughter on the bed. "I can't believe how much you look like your Dad."
Emma grins, "Dad says I look like him but I'm more like you."
Sara laughs, "That's what he told me."
Ian reaches into his overcoat pocket removing the pills he heads into the kitchen. He enters the kitchen to find Mobius and Martha at the kitchen table. He grabs a glass popping a couple pills in his mouth he downs them.
"It has to be bad if you're taking pills." Mobius says as he watches his friend.
Ian sits at the table. "I'll be fine."
"How did Emma take the news?" Martha inquires
"Fine for now." Ian replies wincing in pain.
Sara looks at Emma "I guess you have questions."
Emma shrugs looking at her Mom. "He still loves you."
Sara smiles slightly "I still love him." She reaches out smoothing Emma's hair back. "I missed you Emma." Suddenly Emma's hugging her, at first startled Sara smiles blinking back tears she wraps her arms around the girl.
"I missed you too Mom."
'She called me Mom.' Sara realizes startled. "Giving you up was the hardest thing I've ever had to do Emma." Sara says her voice breaking. "I am so glad you ended up with your Dad."
WHILE LATER
Ian sits on the recliner trying to control his breathing to keep the pain at bay.
"So what are you going to do now?" Mobius asks from the couch.
Ian looks over at his friend "I don't know."
"I hope you aren't planning to leave Emma here after telling her this news."
"Emma has a life here." Ian remarks.
"I doubt she really cares... all she wants is to be with you."
"I want her with me. I hate not seeing her everyday. Emma keeps me sane." He closes his eyes. "When we were going through detox the only thing that kept me going was the fact I'd see Emma once it was over."
"Ian why is it you never allow Emma near him?"
"Do you remember when you asked me what Emma's nightmares are about?"
Mobius nods "You told me she doesn't really remember them."
"I don't really know if she does or doesn't. They started when she was three. There was an incident with Father one night not long before the whole military decision. Emma used to like him but one night that changed. Father was out one night and Emma was with me in the study and he came home." Ian pauses for a moment. "He was angry over something and I knew I was about to get a major beating. As I was about to send Emma out of the study when he lashed out unable to wait another minute and he threw me against the wall. He had never done that in front of Emma and it scared her and she started screaming and crying for him to stop." Ian winces remembering the sounds of Emma crying and the look on her face. "He got a few kicks in before realizing that Emma was in the room and he stopped long enough to call Martha to come and get her. Emma was in tears and Martha had to carry her out of the room crying. Since then she's despised him and I don't even know if she remembers seeing it but she's always known it happens."
"And he comes close to killing you Ian. One day he could."
"I know." 'Now she has her Mom in case that happens.'
HOUR LATER
Sara smiles at the napping teen and quietly leaves the bedroom. She heads down the stairs in search of Ian. She finds Ian in the kitchen "You know if you keep moving around your going to end up hurting yourself more."
Ian looks at Sara "I'll be fine. Where's Emma?"
"She's taking a nap." Sara answers.
"Hungry? Martha left some dinner before she took off."
"Where is everyone?"
"Martha went to visit her cousin for a few days and Mobius is somewhere."
Sara leans against the counter "I'm glad she ended up with you."
Ian looks at Sara "So am I." He smiles slightly. "I couldn't let her go... all I could think was that she's part of us. He wanted me to sign the papers but I refused, I couldn't let someone else raise the only family I have."
Sara smiles sadly. "I wish things could have been different."
"Sara... how did your Dad and Aras take the news when you told them you were pregnant?"
Sara lifts her shoulders "It took me a few days to tell them. Dad was upset for a while but he got over it."
"Aras?"
"Aras was another story." Sara says bitterly.
"What happened?"
Sara walks out of the kitchen to the living room Ian following she sits down. "Aras didn't take it too well." Sara admits. "She told me to get an abortion. I said no and when Dad sided with me, she became furious. The house became a war zone once she knew I was going to keep the baby."
"What happened when your Dad found out?"
"He supported my decision but he thought it best for me to leave the city after I started showing. So I moved in with Marie Siri's Aunt Genevieve upstate. I ended up spending the remainder of my pregnancy there."
"What changed your mind about keeping her?" Ian asks curiously.
Sara looks at her hands. "After Dad was killed, I had no one on my side but Maria, Marie and Genevieve. Joe, Aras and all of the social workers said I shouldn't keep her." Sara rubs the back of her neck. "I couldn't take the constant nagging from Aras and Joe every time I talked to one of them they'd tell me to sign the papers. I couldn't handle the stress and pressure coming from them that just before I was due I just gave up fighting and arguing with them and signed the papers." She runs her fingers through her hair. "Then the day she was born they just took her and since I had signed the paperwork I couldn't even see her."
"I'm sorry Sara." Ian cups her cheek brushing away a tear. "For everything."
"Don't be." Sara gives him a sad smile. "If I hadn't had Emma I'd be like Aras."
"Sara" Ian begins "where is Aras?"
"I lost track of her." Sara admits looking away.
"What is she doing?"
"Last I heard fight clubs. She only calls when she needs money or to be bailed out. I stopped doing both about a year ago when I found her in my bed with the guy I was seeing at the time. She had asked me to bail her out and I did. I even agreed to let her stay with me and she betrayed me once again. After that, I told her I was done. I haven't heard from her since." She sighs, "I miss her sometimes, but I couldn't handle her anymore. She used my identity twice to keep from being arrested and almost got me fired. Luckily Joe was able to fix that issue."
"I'm sorry Sara. I know how close you two were."
"Things change." Sara shrugs "People grow up."
EVENING
"Emma, turn that down." Ian calls over the blaring TV.
Emma sighs turning the TV down.
"Come and set the table Emma."
"But Dad" Emma whines.
"Now Emma."
"Fine." Emma stands walking into the kitchen she opens the silverware drawer taking out the utensils.
Ian inhales sharply
"Ian if you aren't careful it'll take you forever to heal." Sara says annoyed.
"I'll be fine." Ian assures.
"Go sit down dinner is almost ready and Emma is setting the table." Sara shoos.
"Sara"
Sara glares at him.
"All right." Ian gives in sitting down at the kitchen table.
HOUR LATER
"That is such a cute picture." Sara smiles
Hearing her mother's words Emma groans "Damn pictures."
"You were so cute." Sara grins at her daughter "Dressed up as a dog." She looks back at the picture of a toddler Emma dressed in a dog suit.
"I hate those pictures." Emma sighs sitting beside her Mom on the couch.
"You always had fun dressing up in the costumes." Ian chuckles lightly. "Though you never went trick or treating."
"Why not?" Sara asks curiously
"Emma had an incident one year with someone in a costume and after that she refused to go out on Halloween."
"I was two." Emma grumbles
"Emma you started crying when you saw someone dressed as a Gremlin."
"I couldn't help it... it was one of the ugly Gremlins not the cute furry one." Emma says sheepishly.
"So what did you do instead of trick or treating?" Sara questions
"Dad would take me to the toy store and I'd pick out some toys."
"Hey it kept you from ever having a cavity." Ian points out.
"Ian the candy is the fun part of Halloween." Sara laughs.
COUPLE OF HOURS LATER
Sara smiles seeing Emma curled up on the recliner asleep. "She's asleep." She says softly.
"When she was little I would sit in her room by her bed and watch her sleep. It was the only time she was still." He smiles slightly. "Sometimes I still do." He admits.
Sara's hand absently drops to her middle. "When I was pregnant I quickly learned that she would calm down and stop kicking when I told her about some of our adventures."
"I wish I had been there." Ian murmurs covering Sara's hand as it rests against her middle
"We can't go back." Sara says sadly.
"We can't go back but we have a lot of time ahead of us." He says softly. "This time we're older and strong enough to deal with whatever happens."
Sara smiles slightly "We should probably wake her so she can go up to bed."
"Probably should. She has school in the morning."
Ian stands going over to the recliner he gently shakes Emma.
"Sleeping." Emma mumbles.
"I know but you'll sleep better upstairs."
Emma sits up rubbing her eyes slowly she stands "Night" she mumbles trudging out of the living room.
"Goodnight Emma." Sara says watching the teen walk out of the living room. She stands going over to the window she looks out at the night sky.
Once he hears Emma's bedroom door close Ian joins Sara at the window. "What's wrong Sara?"
"When I was pregnant I spent hours outside just watching the stars thinking about everything." She looks at Ian. "Mostly you." She reaches up scratching at his beard.
"Sara..." he searches her eyes "do you regret that afternoon?"
"No." Sara says quickly. "Never. I do regret a few things."
"Like what?"
"Not listening to you when we should have told Aras. Maybe if I had told her, her jealousy wouldn't have gotten that far."
"What else?"
"Sending you away without listening to you." She looks out the window "Listening to everyone else but myself in giving her up."
"I always regretted not finding a way to get around him so I could call and tell you I had her."
Sara looks at Ian. "What I would really like to know is... how the hell did he find out you were her Father?"
"Did your Dad tell him?"
"I doubt it. Maybe he did but why would Dad have done that without telling me?" She rests her head against the wall. "When I was pregnant I kept have these dreams."
"About what?"
Sara looks at him "You'll laugh."
"Never." He says solemnly.
"Well one of the dreams started that afternoon we made love. After saying you wanted to marry me, we ran off and got married. Had a couple kids and lived happily ever after." She smiles sadly. "And Irons was nowhere near us."
"Too bad that wasn't possible."
"I know."
"What else?"
"I dreamt that you came back just before she was born." She reaches up stroking his cheek. "And we ended up being happy together."
"We'll find a way to make this work Sara."
"What about him?"
"He'll be angry but he'll get over it." He leans down kissing her forehead "I love you Sara."
"I love you too."