In the end it doesn't even matter
Dedicated to Frank Jervis
'Life is precious as are memories, but memories of death can also be joyful'
We all deserve another chance to rebuild are lives whether it's your second or third chance. Though a new life will still have the darkness of the past, it may never go away if you don't face it. Three long, joyful years have gone by since Sammy regained her knowledge to smile, yes it's not easy to smile if you're sad and hurt inside but that's another story. Sammy is now nine years old and in the 4th grade or year four as you may say, she has also taken the name Winner instead of Takao because Quatre is her first godfather. Our story begins at the same estate that Quatre owns.
Sammy woke up bright and early; Duo didn't need to wake her up anymore. It was a Monday and that meant school, so Sammy got dressed into some jeans, a long black T-shirt and she tied a red bandanna round her scruffy golden brown hair, yes it is still messy as ever. Then she quietly crept down stairs as she pulled on a pair of socks. Looking round the doorframe of the kitchen she only saw Duo there with his head on the table 'looks like Duo fell asleep again' she thought with a grin.
Sammy walked up to Duo and stared at him for a moment, his long, beautiful chestnut hair falling out of his braid and the soft sounds of his breathing. "OH DUO!" Sammy screamed into his ear causing him to bolt up from the table.
Sammy was having a fit of laughter as she fell backwards onto the floor pointing at him "Sammy you are so mean to me!" Duo whined pretending to be sad, he put his head in his arms on the table "Duo I'm sorry" she apologized trying to lift his head up. Then Heero, Trowa and Quatre came in and sat at the table "what's wrong with Duo?" Quatre asked
"I made him sad" Sammy replied miserably, suddenly Duo moved quickly and grabbed Sammy, tickling her. Sammy burst out into laughter begging him to stop when Wufei came in "Duo how many times must you do that?" He asked annoyed and Duo eventually stopped as Wufei lectured him.
Sammy was standing behind Wufei mimicking him; Quatre, Trowa and Duo did there best not to laugh at Sammy while Heero couldn't help but grin. Wufei noticed them and turned round only to see Sammy stand there trying to look innocent. Then just as he was about to say something Hikaru came in barking like mad and started to jump up at Sammy "Down boy! Stop it, no" she laughed and fell down as Hikaru led on her lap "Hikaru you big pile of fur!" she cried and pushed the sandy coloured retriever off her.
After eating some cereal Sammy packed her bag with books and her homework, then ran back down stairs to retrieve her lunch from Quatre. "Be good" Duo mused as he knew Sammy and her friends always got into mischief at school but in the end she did behave; sometimes. Sammy then kissed them all goodbye and was about to head out of the door when "Sammy don't forget your phone!" called Trowa "I already have it Trowa!" she called back.
Sammy walked to school instead of going by car, just for the fun of it. She thought that if you stay in a car you miss a lot of really cool stuff. She walked out of the estate grounds on to the track that lead to the nearest town. The small town didn't have a kindergarten that's why Sammy went into the big city to go there. Sammy didn't know it but she was being watched constantly by her past nightmares. Yes the place she was taken too that caused the misery in her life, they are known as SAVATAGE, Sammy only called them the bad people as she didn't know the name. Heero and the others feared they would come back one day, they didn't expect it today.
Sammy entered her school grounds to meet her little gang of friends; Natalie a girl with blonde hair that had a strange personality, Felix a boy with brown hair and lots of courage and Kasai a girl with red hair and a fiery spirit. They all got on really well with Sammy and she couldn't be luckier to have friends like them. As the school bell went off signaling the start of registration Sammy noticed a dark figure in the bushes "Come on Sammy" Natalie pulled Sammy away "What was you looking at?" Kasai asked curiously "I thought I saw something, guess it was a cat" Sammy explained and head into registration with the rest of the kids.
Today was a boring assembly for Sammy and her friends about careers, Kasai had already fallen asleep on Felix's shoulder and he was blushing like mad. Natalie was giggling at the two and bugging Felix where as Sammy was getting a little paranoid with the talks about bio technology. Heero had once tried to explain to her what the bad place was doing to her but she didn't like it. Flash back: Sammy was just 7 and half when Heero sat her down on his lap one night "Sammy I want to tell you what those people did to you ok?" Heero asked and she nodded "They wanted to change your DNA…..and make you a killing biological weapon…." Heero explained "And you would have destroyed peace and…" Heero stopped as he saw Sammy sitting there with tears pouring out of her eyes but she was silent, he pulled her in to a hug as she finally made sobbing noises "shhhhhhh it's ok" he soothed.
Just then she noticed a dark figure moving fast on the bridge above the stage, it was a good thing Wufei taught her some skills. Her eyes followed its movements cautiously wondering what they were doing. The figure looked familiar and then it jumped down on the stage, THUMP, and then pointed a gun at Sammy! "I will finish you Takao" it, well he I might say yelled at her then fired his gun, but Sammy dodged the fire easily diving across the row of seats, the teachers were alarmed and ordered the man to stop. Sammy was now running down the corridor as fast as she could to reach her phone.
Meanwhile back in the hall all the students and teachers were being sent to the sports hall to be held hostages there until Sammy was caught; it looked like SAVATAGE had come back for her after all. The very same man who shot her parents and tried to shot her was chasing after Sammy; taking great strides to catch up with her down the corridors and as she ran Sammy frantically tried to call Quatre and the others, she tried three times, no answers and she was on her fourth try.
At the Winner estate the ex-pilots were getting a little annoyed with the phone now, they suspected it to be fan girls or sales calls. When it rang for the fourth time Quatre answered it in the living room "Hello?" he snapped
"Quatre! ...You have to…come…….to my school!" Sammy said in a rushed gasps "Why Sammy? What's going on?" Quatre asked looking awkwardly at the others "No time to explain, please just…..BANG!" Sammy's voice was cut off by the loud bang, it sounded like she had dropped the phone and another man spoke "You little brat, you wont live for long now!" the male voice spoke with such spite and hatred followed by more shots and a cry from Sammy, then more yells could be heard. Quatre slammed the phone down and explained to the others, they became extremely paranoid.
Back at the school Sammy had just lost her pursuers by hiding in the medic cupboard in the nurse's office. Her arm was leaking blood quickly from her gun wound and she was frightened. But after about ten minutes the men were in the room searching, Sammy was now panicking and trying to stay calm but she was so afraid they would kill her, right now all she wanted was to be in one of her godfather's arms. That's when the cupboard door flew open on its hinges, moaning from being used with such force and Sammy tried to scream but failed as she was pulled out of her hiding place and dragged out into the corridor by her hair.
"Today you die Sammy Winner or should I say Takao" the man smiled wickedly as a gun was pointed directly at her.
Quatre and the others managed to get to the school and bust through the front entrance "Where are you Sammy?" Heero asked himself as they searched the hall first. Meanwhile Sammy was struggling to get away from the man but he had her weak arm and it hurt so much, Heero and the others arrived in the corridor to hear and see the gun shot penetrate Sammy's chest. She screamed a high pitched scream, tears dropped from her eyes as her body dropped to the ground. "NO!" they shouted; Heero and Duo shot down the three men while Quatre ran over to Sammy's shaking body. Blood was every where, the floor, Sammy and now Quatre as he cradled Sammy gently. Trowa called an ambulance that would arrive in ten minutes, but it didn't look like she would last that long "Please hang on Sammy" Quatre cried his tears dropping on to Sammy's already stained face "Quatre please, don't cry" she said in a frail voice, lifting her arm up to wipe his tears but he put it back down gently.
Heero had bent down next to her and was stroking her hair and face gently to sooth her, he'd do anything to take away her pain. Five minutes past and five minutes were left; Sammy had already started to cough up blood however Quatre didn't let her go he still held her close to him, rocking her. Trowa was looking out side of the door to keep an eye out for the ambulance but he tended to look at Sammy and Quatre on the floor, his heart was breaking. Sammy was now his legal child as well as the other four men, but they were going to loose her and this time no rescue.
Wufei was doing his best to calm Quatre down as Duo was right by Heero's side watching over Sammy. Sammy looked up to her family, like a newborn child seeing for the first time with her vibrant blue eyes, they were like angels to her, maybe she was just getting light headed but they seemed to glow. In the distance a siren could be heard, the ambulance was getting closer but Sammy's breathing was faint now and her eyes were half closed.
Just as the ambulance arrived and the paramedics put her on the stretcher her arm dropped limply down the side, and her breathing had stopped completely "Sammy!" Quatre cried there was no steady rise and fall of breath any more; she was dead. They all gazed down at the child and were surprised to see a small smile on her face; her tormented soul could now rest in peace.
Five days since the death of Sammy Winner no, Takao and the funeral began early in the morning. Black suits, black ties and black dresses were worn and they seemed to make a blanket of dark sadness. Every one was there her godfathers, their friends from her 6th birthday and friends of her true parents. Quatre, Duo, Heero, Wufei and Trowa carried the coffin into the church and took their seats but Quatre stayed standing as he had prepared something to say
"Sammy's life was short, only nine years of life was she allowed. Four years were spent with her parents before they were murdered, one year she spent being tortured and the rest she spent with us. We revived the child in her that was thought to be long gone and brought her happiness but now she has greater happiness for she is reunited with her parents once again" he finished almost in tears again.
After the ceremony and her coffin was buried Quatre and the other stayed behind and watched the sunset. The day had ended and so did another life, Trowa gazed up at the blue, pinky sky "She's happy" he said to break the silence
As a light wind flicked their hair "their all together now" Heero stated as he patted Hikaru.
Finally after a while they left the church yard taking one last look at the grave from a distance. Suddenly the wind blew and they swore they could hear Sammy's laughter.
The End