The Gathering (27 page)

Rona turned around with a sickly sweet smile on her face to see Sean standing behind her.
 
She nodded her head.

"Of course, Captain."

Sean could feel the malice she oozed as he took a step towards her.
 
She turned and Todd and Quinn moved aside to let her pass.
 
Sean walked up to them.

"Watch her like a hawk, Boys.
 
I don't trust her as far as I can throw her."

They both nodded and followed her out.
 
Sean had a bad feeling about Rona.
 
He had never liked her.

He watched them walk off, and then closed the doors.

32

Sara sat bleary eyed at the kitchen table.
 
Her brothers and sisters had kept watch over her until she fell asleep, but her face was puffy and pink from crying and her eyes were swollen and red, but remarkably blue.

Coeli was biting the inside of her lip.

"Sara?"

Sara looked over at Coeli.
 

"He's not going to give up, Sara."

"Stop it!"

Alisha was watching as she leaned against the counter.
 
She took the last bite of grits from her bowl and placed it in the sink.

"You weren't the only one who lost them, Sara."

Sara turned and shook her head, tears falling from her eyes.
 
Rebecca stroked her hair and turned to Alisha.

"Leave her alone."

"I think we've left her alone for too long," Kaley said, as she walked into the kitchen and sat down.

"Listen, Sara,” Kaley started.
 
“We all lost Dad and Frank and Colleen.
 
We all died a little that day.
 
But they weren't the first.
 
You don't remember Cassie do you?
 
You didn’t know Gail and Steven.
 
Hell, I barely remember Gail and Steven, but every day I see that pain in Mom’s eyes, and every day she gets up and every day she takes chances.
 
Every day, Sara."

Coeli took Kaley's hand and they turned to smile at one another.
 
Alisha stepped forward, her arms crossed in front of her.

"The point is, Sara, we had them.
 
It wouldn't be all of us if mom and dad hadn't taken a chance after losing Gail and Cassie and Steven and decided to become parents all over again, not just once but…a lot."

The twins nodded in agreement.
 
Tanner leaned forward.

"But first they had to take a chance on each another."

Chris leaned forward, too.

"You know what mom always says," Chris added.
 
"If you never take a chance, you'll never find amazing."

Tanner looked at his brother and smiled.

"That sounds so puss comin' out of your mouth."

Chris pushed his brother's face without even looking at him.
 
Rebecca looked at him.

"Wasn't it dad who said that?"

Sara looked around her, shaking her head.

"What is this?
 
Some kind of intervention?
 
Look, I almost killed Scott Forrester last night.
 
I tried to read the signs and I failed.
 
I can't like anyone, let alone love them.
 
I'll just end up killing them."

Sara buried her face in her hands and began to sob.
 
Tanner leaned over and took her hands away, despite Rebecca's objections.

"Is that what you think? That you had something to do with dad and Frank and Colleen getting killed?"

"Oh, Sara," Kaley said.
 
"We all loved them.
 
None of us had anything to with that.
 
Loving someone doesn't kill them.”

"And for the record, Sara," Tanner started, "you saved Scott's life.
 
That thing was in his head.
 
If you hadn't sensed something, then chances are that thing would have eventually killed him.
 
What was it called?"

"Mrs. Petrulengo called it an imp," Chris answered.

Tanner let go of Sara's face and Alisha sat down next to her and began to wipe away her tears with a cloth.

"You have a bond with him, Sara.
 
You can't deny that.
 
We all see it.
 
Trust me I know, besides, it's time you took a chance."

Kaley smiled.

"It's time to stop hiding, Sara."

Sara looked around the table at her family.
 
Coeli leaned in and took her arm with her free hand.

"He said he's not giving up, Sara.
 
He said he won't let you run away from him like you have with every one else."

Alisha hugged Sara.

"I think I like Scott Forrester.
 
You're not running from any of us any more, Sara Stark."

Rebecca looked at everyone and started to cry.
 
Kaley looked over at Rebecca.

"What's wrong with you?"

She shrugged and continued crying.

"I love my family."

That caused every one to laugh, including Sara, who reached over and grabbed her little sister into a hug.

Sean walked into the room.

"Everything alright in here?"

The kids looked over at Sean and smiled.

"Yeah," Sara said.
 
"We're ok."

"Good, cause there's a bunch of guys waiting for you girls outside."

The older girls got up and started to walk to the main foyer, thanking Sean as they left.
 
Rebecca looked over.

"Not all of us."

Sean looked at her and took her hand as he knelt on the floor.

"You're right.
 
There are no boys for you outside, but David Levine is in the sitting room.
 
Said he wanted to know if you wanted to go to breakfast with him?"

"Really?"

"Yeah."

Sean smiled as Rebecca screamed and looked at her pajamas.
 

"Oh My God!
 
Tell him I'll be ready in a minute, no five minutes. Oh My God!"

She jumped up and ran up the stairs.
 
Sean looked over at the twins who were still recovering from the high-pitched scream, and laughed.

"You two have breakfast plans?"

The twins looked at each other and grinned.

"Lunch."

Sean smiled as he left the kitchen and walked out to the foyer to see the other girls walking out the door.

Sara walked outside holding hands with Kaley and Coeli.
 
Waiting on the steps were Ian, Vance, Sam and Scott, who all stood up when the girls appeared from the doorway.

Kaley gave Sara's hand a squeeze and let go.
 
Alisha, who was behind Sara, rubbed her back and nodded as she walked over to Vance.

Coeli took a deep breath and also squeezed Sara's hand, but Sara squeezed back, not wanting Coeli to let go.
 
Coeli gently let go.
 

"No more running, Sara."

She left Sara to stand on the steps of the main entrance as Scott walked up the steps and held out his hand.

Sara looked down at his hand and then into his eyes.
 
She saw his fear.
 
He was afraid she wouldn't love him, afraid she would run.
 
She was afraid.
 
She looked over at her sisters who were waiting at the bottom of the stairs.

She bit her bottom lip, fighting the urge to run away, to run back inside and lock herself in her room, when she heard her father's voice.

"The things that are most worth having are the things with the highest risk."

She was staring at Scott's hand, lost in her thoughts, when she felt her hand reach out and their fingers touch.
 
She looked into his warm brown eyes and he grabbed her hand firmly.

"I'm not letting you go, Sara Stark."

She felt her breathing ease and she felt warmth spread across her chest.

"Ok."

He leaned up and kissed her, as she blushed.

"Hey, Bud, can we eat now?"

Sam was smiling at him.

"Yeah, we can eat now."

They all walked off towards the main Dining Hall.
 
From the door Sean watched it all.
 
He turned around and closed the door and saw that Alia was watching him.
 
He motioned that there was someone in the next room.

Rebecca came bounding down the stairs and almost knocked Alia over.

"Sorry, Mom."

She burst into the sitting room and just as quickly as she had run in; she and David Levine came running out.

"Nice to see you, Mrs. Stark, Captain Lantry."

"Later, Mom."

They both ran out the main door.
 
She looked at Sean.

"Did I miss something?"

"Don't you always?"

"Very funny.
 
Did you eat?"

"Nope, not yet."

Alia motioned for him to follow her into the kitchen and he did.
 
They sat at the table and proceeded to have breakfast.
 
Sean was happy he had woken up early.

33

Stephan Merganser sat quietly rubbing his forehead as he processed what he had seen the night before.
 
He thought it might have been a dream, save for the others who had also witnessed the event.
 
It had been real.
 
He had watched Alia Stark pull some sort of creature from the young atheist's head.
 
He sighed heavily, knowing that Satan was afoot in this heathen village and only he could stop the dark prince.
 

He had prayed for guidance and waited for the Lord to send his instructions.
 
He knew he would need assistance, but to whom could he go?
 
He admired Justin's faith, but he was not sure Justin would understand the magnitude of evil they would be dealing with.
 
Stephan had seen the tiny creature, black as night.
 
The old gypsy woman had placed something in its mouth and she undoubtedly sent it to a containment area so she could call on it at a later date to do her wickedness.
 
He thought to himself,
"Poor Alia, she's so misguided."