Disclaimer: I obviously do not own Somewhere Over The Rainbow nor The Wizard of Oz for that matter. It belongs to Harold Arlen and EY "Yip" Harburg. Please don't sue, there's nothing in my pocket except a piece of lint.
Sara took a deep breath as she sat down on the stool and cradled her guitar on her knee. So many times she'd performed, and yet this time seemed different. She shook her head, why should it be different? Just because she'd seen Luke recently? No, this performance would be like all the rest. Sure she was nervous now, but like always she'd lose herself in her music when she began to play.
She looked out at the small crowd of people at Taylor's Soda Shoppe. It was about noon but she'd been there since seven in the morning as Taylor wanted to make sure she had all the songs he wanted her to perform perfected. Sara closed her eyes, but it didn't work. Everyone who was waiting to hear her sing knew Luke, and that made this performance different. She opened her eyes again, cleared her throat and began to sing the same song that began every one of her performances:
Somewhere over the rainbow
Way up high
There's a land that I heard of
Once in a lullaby
Somewhere over the rainbow
Skies are blue
And the dreams that you dare to dream
Really do come true
Some day I'll wish upon a star
And wake up where the clouds are far behind me
Where troubles melt like lemondrops
Away above the chimney tops
That's where you'll find me
Somewhere over the rainbow
Bluebirds fly
Birds fly over the rainbow
Why then, oh why can't I?
Some day I'll wish upon a star
And wake up where the clouds are far behind me
Where troubles melt like lemondrops
Away above the chimney tops
That's where you'll find me
Somewhere over the rainbow
Bluebirds fly
Birds fly over the rainbow
Why then, oh why can't I?
If happy little bluebirds fly
Beyond the rainbow
Why, oh why can't I?
Luke shook his head when he'd finished singing... when had he started? He looked around the small room, not very comforting to a child. He knew that the police had to question her, but he still felt it was wrong to keep Sara at the police station. He looked down at Sara who was asleep with her head on his shoulder. She really was a beautiful young girl. How could her father, or anyone for that matter, take advantage of such a precious thing?
Thinking back to the day that little girl scraped her knee right in front of him Luke smiled. Growing up his mother used to always sing 'Somewhere Over The Rainbow' to him, and when Sara had began to sing it memories of that flooded back. He'd forgotten it was a child singing then, it didn't matter. She was good.
Luke gently slipped his arm out from around Sara and stood up. He stretched slightly and quietly opened the door and went into the hall.
"How is she?" and older woman asked coming towards Luke.
"She's asleep," he told her. She nodded.
"Good, the poor thing is probably exhausted," she said. "Mr. Danes, just what is your relationship with Sara?"
Luke shrugged and slowly let his breath out. "I met her when she was six, she scrapped her knee running from her dad," he told her. The woman looked at him questionally. "Look, I know I should have called you guys but her grandmother told me she'd keep her away from her father, I had no idea this was going to happen."
"It's not you fault," the woman told him. "But since the grandmother hasn't done anything to stop this from happening, I guess the child will have to go into foster care."
"I can take her," Luke said without hesitation.
"Are you a licensed foster parent Mr. Danes?" the woman asked. Luke slumped against the wall.
"No," he said in a barely audible whisper.
"I'm sorry," the woman said. "But unless you're licensed or a family member, we can not give you custody." Luke slowly nodded then looked up.
"I want to go get her a gift," he said. "Will she still be here in about an hour?" The woman nodded.
"Unfortunately, I think she will be," she told him. Luke smiled.
"Do me a favour?" he asked. "Go sit with her, and don't let her know where I've gone, but make sure she knows I'm coming back."
"Luke, are you ok?" Luke blinked and looked at the man standing in front of him.
"What do you want Taylor?" he asked.
"Nothing," Taylor said shrugging. "But what is wrong with you?"
Luke sighed. "Leave me alone."
Taylor looked at Luke. "There's tears in your eyes," he said. "What is wrong with you."
"Nothing," Luke told him, glancing towards Sara. He was standing in the shadows in the corner where she couldn't see him. "She's just really good." Taylor looked skeptical.
"Yeah, she is," he said before walking away to monitor some children playing near the chocolate.
When Sara finished and the crowd around her began to disperse she stood and pulled her guitar case towards her. Kneeling she began to put her things away.
"So, can I have you autograph?" Sara looked up.
"Just leave me alone Luke," she said. Luke shook his head.
"I think we need to talk," he told her.
"About what?" she asked, standing up. "You helped me out once, you promised to write and then you broke that promise. No big deal, everyone in my life breaks their promises."
"What are you talking about?" Luke asked. Sara looked at him.
"You told me you'd write," she said. "You said to just write you a letter with my new address and you'd write back. But you never did."
Luke sighed. "I did Sara," he told her. Sara laughed.
"Don't lie to me Luke," she said. "I'm a big girl now, all grown up." Luke nodded.
"I can see that,' he said. "But I really did write. Come to the diner and I'll prove it to you." Sara shook her head."
"I should get back to school," she said.
"Please," Luke said, touching her hand to get her to look at him. "Sara, it'll just take a second." She sighed and finally nodded.
"Alright, but I don't have much time."
Sara took a deep breath as she sat down on the stool and cradled her guitar on her knee. So many times she'd performed, and yet this time seemed different. She shook her head, why should it be different? Just because she'd seen Luke recently? No, this performance would be like all the rest. Sure she was nervous now, but like always she'd lose herself in her music when she began to play.
She looked out at the small crowd of people at Taylor's Soda Shoppe. It was about noon but she'd been there since seven in the morning as Taylor wanted to make sure she had all the songs he wanted her to perform perfected. Sara closed her eyes, but it didn't work. Everyone who was waiting to hear her sing knew Luke, and that made this performance different. She opened her eyes again, cleared her throat and began to sing the same song that began every one of her performances:
Way up high
There's a land that I heard of
Once in a lullaby
Somewhere over the rainbow
Skies are blue
And the dreams that you dare to dream
Really do come true
Some day I'll wish upon a star
And wake up where the clouds are far behind me
Where troubles melt like lemondrops
Away above the chimney tops
That's where you'll find me
Somewhere over the rainbow
Bluebirds fly
Birds fly over the rainbow
Why then, oh why can't I?
Some day I'll wish upon a star
And wake up where the clouds are far behind me
Where troubles melt like lemondrops
Away above the chimney tops
That's where you'll find me
Somewhere over the rainbow
Bluebirds fly
Birds fly over the rainbow
Why then, oh why can't I?
If happy little bluebirds fly
Beyond the rainbow
Why, oh why can't I?
Luke shook his head when he'd finished singing... when had he started? He looked around the small room, not very comforting to a child. He knew that the police had to question her, but he still felt it was wrong to keep Sara at the police station. He looked down at Sara who was asleep with her head on his shoulder. She really was a beautiful young girl. How could her father, or anyone for that matter, take advantage of such a precious thing?
Thinking back to the day that little girl scraped her knee right in front of him Luke smiled. Growing up his mother used to always sing 'Somewhere Over The Rainbow' to him, and when Sara had began to sing it memories of that flooded back. He'd forgotten it was a child singing then, it didn't matter. She was good.
Luke gently slipped his arm out from around Sara and stood up. He stretched slightly and quietly opened the door and went into the hall.
"How is she?" and older woman asked coming towards Luke.
"She's asleep," he told her. She nodded.
"Good, the poor thing is probably exhausted," she said. "Mr. Danes, just what is your relationship with Sara?"
Luke shrugged and slowly let his breath out. "I met her when she was six, she scrapped her knee running from her dad," he told her. The woman looked at him questionally. "Look, I know I should have called you guys but her grandmother told me she'd keep her away from her father, I had no idea this was going to happen."
"It's not you fault," the woman told him. "But since the grandmother hasn't done anything to stop this from happening, I guess the child will have to go into foster care."
"I can take her," Luke said without hesitation.
"Are you a licensed foster parent Mr. Danes?" the woman asked. Luke slumped against the wall.
"No," he said in a barely audible whisper.
"I'm sorry," the woman said. "But unless you're licensed or a family member, we can not give you custody." Luke slowly nodded then looked up.
"I want to go get her a gift," he said. "Will she still be here in about an hour?" The woman nodded.
"Unfortunately, I think she will be," she told him. Luke smiled.
"Do me a favour?" he asked. "Go sit with her, and don't let her know where I've gone, but make sure she knows I'm coming back."
"Luke, are you ok?" Luke blinked and looked at the man standing in front of him.
"What do you want Taylor?" he asked.
"Nothing," Taylor said shrugging. "But what is wrong with you?"
Luke sighed. "Leave me alone."
Taylor looked at Luke. "There's tears in your eyes," he said. "What is wrong with you."
"Nothing," Luke told him, glancing towards Sara. He was standing in the shadows in the corner where she couldn't see him. "She's just really good." Taylor looked skeptical.
"Yeah, she is," he said before walking away to monitor some children playing near the chocolate.
When Sara finished and the crowd around her began to disperse she stood and pulled her guitar case towards her. Kneeling she began to put her things away.
"So, can I have you autograph?" Sara looked up.
"Just leave me alone Luke," she said. Luke shook his head.
"I think we need to talk," he told her.
"About what?" she asked, standing up. "You helped me out once, you promised to write and then you broke that promise. No big deal, everyone in my life breaks their promises."
"What are you talking about?" Luke asked. Sara looked at him.
"You told me you'd write," she said. "You said to just write you a letter with my new address and you'd write back. But you never did."
Luke sighed. "I did Sara," he told her. Sara laughed.
"Don't lie to me Luke," she said. "I'm a big girl now, all grown up." Luke nodded.
"I can see that,' he said. "But I really did write. Come to the diner and I'll prove it to you." Sara shook her head."
"I should get back to school," she said.
"Please," Luke said, touching her hand to get her to look at him. "Sara, it'll just take a second." She sighed and finally nodded.
"Alright, but I don't have much time."
