A.N: okay. This chapter will be about Emma's parents realizing her independence. Also, me and Meggie have almost come up with soundtrack to the story.. I will post it on my website so you guys can look for the lyrics and see how the meaning of the songs work with the scenes they were picked for. The song for this scene is called Tangled Up Puppet by Harry Chapin. Look up the lyrics at Google. It's a sweet song.

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The Missing Sailor

Chapter 40

Bethany Hanzo looked out the window as her daughter was being chased by her boyfriend. She sighed and took a sip of her coffee. " Where has my little girl gone?" she asked herself.

" You tell me." Beth looked behind her and saw her husband.

" She's grown up hasn't she?" Beth said.

" I'm afraid So Koibito." Hotaka said. He wrapped his arms around his wife's waist.

" Grr. I don't want her to grow up. Do you?"

" Nope.." Hotaka said.

" Yeah. Soon she'll be going to her senior prom, then graduating Highschool and then college. She'll get married and have a family of her own. Then she'll look out the window and watch her daughter and her boyfriend and she'll be having this conversation with her husband." Beth said.

" Hey, she ain't getting married. No siree." Hotaka growled. " It's like yesterday, she was sitting on my shoulders saying she would be my little girl forever. What happened?"

" You blinked." Beth laughed.

" No more blinking. I shall never blink again." Hotaka said.

" Remember when she was afraid of thunderstorms? She would jump into Josh's bed and when he kicked her out she would come running to our room."

" Yeah. And when she saw the snake on your mother's porch and she jumped on the top of the patio table and climbed the umbrella."

" Damn. I promised my self I wouldn't cry." Beth wiped tears from her eyes.

" Face it , koi. She's almost 14. A full fledged teenager. And in two years she's going to drive. And then she'll put us in a nice fancy condo on the beaches of Argentina." Hotaka said.

" At least I have something to look forward to." Beth sighed. The looked out the window again to see Emma and Sam kissing. Hotaka pulled away from his wife. " What's wrong?"

" I'm getting my hunting rifle." Hotaka said leaving the room. Beth laughed and looked back at the window to watch her husband chased Sam up the fence and Emma chased her father yelling for him to stop. Beth laughed and went back to the kitchen to re fill her coffee.

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A.N: that was sweet chapter. I had to have that part at the end where Emma's dad chasing Sam. It was great. . less than 9 more chapters till the epilogue!