Sarah is on the mend. It's time to find some roots. Will she be able to go back, in order to go forward? A lot depends on four people that she never thought to see again.

The standard ownership disclaimers apply.

Brotherly Love...Or Not

Sarah sat in the booth at Bueno Nacho and waited. Every few minutes, she looked at the watch on her wrist. Each span seemed like hours, though it was mere moments that passed. Between the watch and the door, her eyes were in constant motion. She would have jumped out of her seat and bolted, if that had really been an option. The invitation had been sent, and now she had to see it through.

"Journey of a thousand miles...", she repeated to herself under her breath. Over the past three weeks, it had become something of a mantra to the raven haired beauty. When she was ready to give up, she would whisper the words to herself, and her faith would be renewed. She had been given the gift of a fresh start, and she would not throw it away. Kim and Ron would be proud to call her their friend. Each step was one more toward earning that privilege. This was her chosen road.

Either Kim or Ron had been with her at all times, or at least within easy call. The blond man and his unusual little friend had waited on her like a queen for three days since she had woken up in the bedroom of Kim's apartment. Warm meals slowly started to work their magic, and Sarah felt her energy levels rise. With each breakfast, Rufus brought her a fresh rose bud, a bright yellow, the color of loyal friendship. While he no longer tried to feed her anymore, Ron stood and watched until every last bite of the wonderful meals he cooked for her were gone.

Eventually, she was allowed out of bed. She protested that it would do her good to get up and exercise joints too long neglected, except for trips to the bathroom. Besides, she had been taking up the comfortable bed long enough. Between her classes at Upperton University and caring for her, Kim was going to wear herself out. Sleeping on the couch in the living room was not helping matters.

When it was clear that Sarah was improving nicely, both members of Team Possible went back to the hard job of being university freshmen. Kim was studying sociology and political science, with the goal of becoming a diplomat. Ron had forgone the culinary arts degree most had expected, and gone into business management and marketing. He could already cook circles around the instructors at Upperton U anyway. They had been getting lecture notes from friends in their classes. Fortunately, Monique was taking the same marketing course as Ron, with a major in Textile Arts.

As she grew stronger, Sarah began to help out around the apartment. She bacame a regular sight, in some of Kim's old workout clothes (rather a tight fit in some areas) going about the building with laundry or taking out the recycling. It felt so good to be useful again, to be earning the her keep. It had been so long.

A week after she had arrived on Kim's doorstep, Anne Possible pronounced her fit enough to start looking for a more long term solution to the problem of meeting her needs. Ron had dipped liberally into his reserve funds, the quarterly income from his naco royalties. Monique had just about died when he asked her to do the rounds of the boutiques with Sarah.

"You need something nice for job interviews, Sarah.", Ron had said when she protested his spending money on her. "I like to think of it as practice for when Hana gets to be a teenager. I'm gonna spoil her rotten."

So, Sarah was outfitted in some of the finest clothes Club Banana had to offer. Cream color blouses and faded blue jeans made it into a spare drawer. Dark skirts and mint green sweaters hung in Kim's closet. Just when she was beginning to think that they were done, Ron would spot something she just had to have.

"There!", Monique had cried, putting bags down in the middle of the living room. "You are all set, girl. GKED!"

"GKED?" Sarah looked at Kim.

"That's Monique-speak for 'Go Knock 'Em Dead'. One of these days I am so going to have to print a Monique to English dictionary."

Ron had walked in while Sarah was diplaying the new acquisitions to Kim, who hadn't been able to go on the trip. "Well, that's more like it. No sister of mine is going to walk around in less than the best!"

Suddenly, Sarah collapsed into a chair. Her eyes filled with tears and ragged sobs escaped from under the hair that had fallen forward to cover her face. Her shoulders shook with the force of her emotions. Instantly, Rufus was on her lap, dabbing at her cheeks with a tissue from the box on the table next to her. "Oh, s'alright.", he squeaked at her, patting at one of her hands as she took the tissue from him.

"I'm sorry, you've all been so good to me. I just got thinking about my own brothers. We haven't spoken in so long, and I miss them something awful. The twins have probably graduated from high school already." She raised red eyes and looked sorrowfully at those assembled.

"Maybe it's time for that next step." Ron sat on the arm of the chair next to her. "If you feel ready, we can get you together with your brothers. I'm not sure just how it would go," He put a hand on her shoulder, reassuring her. "but it might be time for a reunion."

It was decided that the meeting, if Team Go were agreeable, should take place in a public setting. After the events of a couple of years ago, tempers might still be simmering. Go Tower wasn't exactly neutral ground.

Invitations were sent by e-mail, in the name of Team Possible. All they said was that someone needed to talk to them, discreetly. Kim, Ron and Rufus were watching from a dark corner booth.

At the appointed hour, a multi-hued van pulled into the parking lot. Four men got out of the vehicle and approached the door. Herb Go pulled open the door, turning sideways to admit his rather over-large shoulders. Menlow strolled in after him, with the twins, Wes and William, hard on his heals. They looked around, and saw Sarah sitting at the booth.

"You!" Herb growled deep in his throat. "I should have known you would come crawling back."

"Herb, take it easy on her. She's family!" The twins got between their oldest brother and the woman they hadn't seen in so long.

"She walked out on us, guys. As far as I'm concerned, she isn't family anymore." The look of contempt on his face was enough to melt steel. "She actually tried to take our powers. By all rights, I ought to..." His hands began to glow with blue energy. The twins looked at each other nervously. It was just like before Sarah had left, except this time she hadn't done anything to deserve the way she was being treated. Even Menlow, normally so self-centered, stepped into the bigger man's path.

"Please, don't fight. If you don't want to see me, I'll go."

"Alright, Hego, stand down." Kim stepped up behind the Go City crime fighter. For all that he towered over the younger woman, she wasn't the least bit intimidated. "Sarah came here because she misses you guys. She has started to turn her life around, and wants you to be part of that. Don't you miss your sister at all?" She glared daggers at Herb Go, as if telling him to act like a gentleman, if not a brother.

"I don't need her. She left of her own free will. We owe her nothing!" With that, Herb turned on his heel and stalked out to the van.

Menlow looked after him for a couple of seconds, and turned back to the booth. By that time, the twins were sitting on either side of Sarah, telling her how much they had missed her. Menlow took the seat across from them. Ron stepped up behind his girlfriend and they both watched as the van peeled out of the parking lot.

"Well, since you are going to be here until Kim and I can arrange a ride, who's up for some nachos, extra cheese?"

Rufus immediately popped out of his pocket. "Yum mm, cheese!"

"Guys, are you sure you want to stick with me? I mean, Herb is right, I left you. He's looked after you since our parents died." There were tears in her eyes, and she sniffled, looking from one young man to another. She had already caused hard feelings when she left, she wouldn't put a wedge into what was left of her family. "I'll understand."

"Sarah, Herb's been a bossy idiot all of our lives." Wes began.

"You always made sure we got out of what we got into with our skins in one piece." William finished.

Menlow chewed at his lower lip for a minute. "We haven't been a team in a long time, sis. It would be different if I had been in charge of things."

Ron and Kim beat a hasty retreat to the service counter and chatted with Ned while their order of an extra large combo plate was being put together. "What do you think?" Kim looked back to the table, watching her new found sister. "Do they have a chance?"

"KP, family will usually find a way. Hego may be a lost cause, but I'm sure of the twins." He grinned mischieviouly. "They remind me of Jim and Tim, only a little older. Don't you think?"

"You..." Kim swatted at him .

That night, Sarah lay on the couch in Kim's living room.

She had gotten caught up with how the boys had been doing. Menlow's new job, the twins graduation from high school. There was so much she had missed. All of the intelligence at her fingertips when she was working for Drakken, and she had never thought to keep a close eye on what was going on back in Go City. Well, she had been looking out for herself for so long. She had counted on Herb to look after the boys. Maybe it was time to start being there.

Another step on the journey had been taken. It was time to move on again. Sarah had imposed on Kim's kindness long enough. Time to find some work and a place to call her own.