Todd Wants Key's Face

Sam: ... Uh... yeah? <:/

Harry: ... *to himself* ... he's not dead... I was right...

Sarah: *very quietly, her voice breaking* ...I think I believe in them now...

Claire: ...! *whispering* D-Did you see him, Harry?

Sam: ... D:>

Harry: *still smiling, he closes his eyes and shakes his head sadly* ... No... but I felt him... and I heard him...

Sarah: *a sad smile appears on her face*

Claire: D:> ... *turns to look at Sam over her shoulder--whatever it was that Harry felt, Sarah felt it too* D:> ...

Sam: *he gives her a one-armed hug* ... Uh... Mom... we've been wanting to tell you something after the funeral - something... well... happier.

Harry: ...?

Claire: Hmm?

Sarah: Oh! Y-Yeah. Um, you can tell them, Sam, I told my mom. ^^;

Claire: *raises an eyebrow at her son* Well?

Sam: Well... Sarah and I... We're together now. Like... TOGETHER together.

Harry: *his smile grows the tiniest bit wider*

Claire: *grins, proud of her son for mustering up the courage to ask* Congratulations, Sam. <:) *to Sarah* You take care of him for me, alright?

Sarah: I will. <:)

Sam: Hey, come on... I don't need to be "taken care of" anymore... <:P

Harry: *still wears his smile, happy*

Claire: *laughs a little at this* Oh, you'd be surprised. <:P

Sarah: Heheh... ^//^;

Sam: Heeeyy... D:

Harry: *he stops when they reach his and Claire's house* ...

Claire: *also stops* Well, here we are...

Sarah: I'll see you around, Mrs. Gatszky. <:/ You too, Harry.

Claire: *nods* Hopefully more often now that you and Sam are together.

Sam: You can bet on it. :)

Harry: *turns slightly in order to give Sam and Sarah a small wave goodbye*

Sam: *waves back* <:)

Sarah: *also waves back* <:)

Claire: <:) *walks Harry up to the house, and leads him inside*

Sam: ... Alright. Let's head back to your apartment, then. <:) *turns around and begins doing so*

Sarah: *hesitates for a moment, before nodding to herself and following him, taking his hand*

Sam: *holds her hand as they walk back, swinging it slightly, trying to loosen any tension that came from that day. He dares not speak, for fear of saying the wrong thing* ...

Sarah: *is also quiet as they walked. She thinks about that wind, those whispers, how much they reminded her of her dad... he must have stayed behind somehow. She doesn't know how, or why, but he's still around, and trying to talk to them... the thought both comforted her, and made her feel worse--it just wasn't the same as having him still be all there. a few tears escape her eyes without her noticing, noiselessly streaming down her cheek*

Sam: *he doesn't notice she's crying until he looks over and notices her wet cheeks, the pain in her eyes...* ... Sarah...? Sarah, are you... *No, he thought. "are you feeling okay" was the stupidest question in the world to ask someone walking away from a funeral. He doesn't bother finishing, and only looks at Sarah sadly*

Sarah: *looks up when he speaks, and wipes her tears away with the back of her hand (don't even know why I bother, they'll just keep coming...). She gives Sam a half-hearted smile that quickly fades back into a small frown* ...I don't know why he stayed...

up

Sam: ... Mom? Dad? You gonna come with us? <:(

Harry: *doesn't answer Sam* ...

meanwhile

Wind: *follows Key home for a while, drifting near her shoulders, as if hanging on to them*

Claire: Sure... No point in staying here anyway. *stands up, and tries to help Harry up*

Sarah: <:/ ... *stands, and waits for the others*

meanwhile

Key: *can feel the wind almost clinging to her, and it only makes her feel worse--why couldn't it be him instead? When she reaches her house, she lingers outside for a moment before opening the door and stepping inside*

Sam: *stands with Sarah* <:(

Harry: ... ... *he slowly stands up, grabbing his cane for support*

meanwhile

Wind: *gently closes the door shut behind Key*

Claire: *puts an arm around Harry to keep him steady, and nods to Sam and Sarah*

Sarah: .. *turns and heads to the exit with the rest of them*

meanwhile

Key: *hears the door close, and slowly turns around to look at it. She stares at it for a moment, before taking off her coat, hanging it up, and collapsing in a couch in her living room, staring blankly at the floor, wondering if he missed her just as much as she missed him* ...

*they all walk out*

Wind: *like Key, it wraps around both Sarah and Harry, hugging them*

Harry: *he completely freezes when this happens, staring ahead as he feels the wind move around him* ...

Sam: Woah - what's...? D:

Sarah: *stops when Harry does, but she nervously looks around instead of simply staring, as if she was trying to find a cause--but she allows the wind to circle her, feeling almost... comforted by it* ...I don't know...

Claire: ...Sarah...? *tries to tug Harry along* Come on, we need to get out of this windstorm...

Sarah: *looks at Claire, confused--it wasn't really a windstorm at all, it was... more like a breeze... she looks at Harry, wondering if he stopped because she felt the same thing she did*

Harry: *he's tearing up again, remembering - REMEMBERING, even through Alzheimer's - those moments, those special moments between him and Todd, just being friends. Just hanging out. Helping each other through hard times. He felt his throat tighten, and he speaks quietly* ... N-not yet... please don't make us go just yet...

Sam: ... Dad...? D:>

Claire: Harry...? D:>

Sarah: ...! *she looks away from Harry, deciding that the strange wind HAS no source--so she looks down and closes her eyes, allowing the wind to swirl around her, ruffle her hair, all those little things her dad would do and she'd never forget... it brought tears to her eyes, and she knew the wind wasn't to blame*

Harry: *he doesn't close his eyes, but he FEELS the wind, which acted like a person, almost... almost... like Todd. He laughs a little, laughs sadly to himself, holding his head in a hand* ... Why... why're you still here...? Because you really don't have anywhere better to go...?

Sam: D:> ...??

Wind: *continues to swirl, that whispering returning, as if answering Harry, even if the old man couldn't understand*

Sarah: *puts a hand over her mouth when she hears the whispers--was it possible that...?* ...d-dad...

Claire: D:>??? Harry, come on...

Harry: Why're you so eager to leave, Claire...? Wh-why can't we stay just a little longer...? D:> *there's desperation in his eyes*

Sam: Uh, w-well, there's a storm coming, and we don't want to get caught in the middle of it. D:>

Wind: *continues to swirl around Harry and Sarah, whispering*

Sarah: L-Let him stay for a bit...

Claire: *gives Sarah a confused look* ...

Harry: *quietly to Sarah* ... can you hear him too...?

Sam: D: ??

Sarah: *gives him a tiny nod, now too choked up to speak*

Claire: *looks at Sam, confused, concerned* D:> ...

Harry:... So I'm not just going nuts... *he sniffles*

Sam: *he looks back at his mother, biting his bottom lip* ... we... we need to GO, guys... D:>

Wind: *it finally dies down, and the whispering comes to a stop*

Sarah: *waits until the wind has completely stopped before she responds, nodding* ...O-Okay.

Claire: ... *very gently tugs Harry along again, hoping he'll walk this time*

Harry: *he walks with Claire, away from the church, away from it all* ...

Sam: *quietly to Sarah, tugging her along to follow his parents* What happened? D:>

Sarah: *almost inaudibly* ...it felt like he was there...

Claire: *walks along silently, trying to figure out what exactly had just happened. Sarah and Harry both saw, or heard, or felt the same thing... it couldn't possibly be...?*

Harry: *he's smiling a little to himself*

Sam: Who? D:>

Sarah: ...remember how you asked me if I believed in ghosts?

Claire: *looks at Harry and notices this, doubting her previous assumption. Maybe they DID see something she and Sam didn't...*

up

Harry: *through his hands, muffled* It's not fair...!! Why'd he have to go so soon...??

Sam: <:( ... *he gently places his hand over Sarah's*

Claire: Shhh... I don't know the answer to that, Harry... none of us do...

Key: *continues to look away, allowing tears to flow, using her hair to hide her face. She didn't want to cry anymore... she just wanted Todd back, same as Harry, same as everyone else did*

Sarah: *turns her hand so she can hold Sam's, looking at him, grief painfully obvious in her eyes. She has the same desire, the same wish her mother does, but her sadness comes from understanding that there was no way of getting him back* ...

Harry: *he continues to sob, seemingly unable to stop*

Sam: *he looks back at Sarah, grief and pity apparent in his eyes* ... I'm sure Mr. Huntings would agree that this whole thing sucks. It really, really does.

Claire: *continues trying to comfort her distraught husband*

Sarah: *gives Sam a half-hearted, bitter laugh* No kidding... Then again, if he were here to agree with it, we wouldn't be doing this in the first place...

Key: *continues crying silently* ...

Harry: *sobs, blubbering incoherently*

Sam: ... Well, I meant like, his ghost or whatever. <:P

*outside, the wind howls, blowing hard, bending the trees' branches*

Key: *looks up when she hears the wind blowing, looking out the window. she stares outside for a long while* ...

Sarah: ...Do you believe in ghosts, Sam?

Claire: *keeps trying, combing her hand through his hair, resting her head against his* Shhh... shh, it's okay...

Harry: *he calms down a bit, coughing and sniffling*

Sam: ... Nah... that's a silly thing to believe in, I think... do you?

The Wind: *continues to howl and push the branches in one direction, causing one tree to tap on a window every once in a while*

Claire: There we go, that's better...

Sarah: I dunno... I've never been able to make up my mind.

Key: *stares at that window, watching the branch, completely silent*

Harry: *he ends up staring silently at the table* ...

Sam: Well... I thought with ghosts, either you believe 'em or you don't... how can there be an in between? <:/

Wind: *keeps blowing*

Claire: *lets go of him, but keeps an arm around him, rubbing his shoulder with her thumb*

Sarah: *shrugs* I just haven't been given any reason to believe they exist, but at the same time, nothing's saying they don't. Does that make any sense...?

Key: *eventually looks away from the window, but continues listening to the wind, her tears having stopped a little while ago* ...

Harry: *stays silent* ...

Sam: Yeah, that makes sense... do you think you'd want to see the ghost of your father? <:/

Wind: *continues to blow, the howls almost sounding like words, like human speech*

Claire: ...

Sarah: ...I don't know... I'm not sure whether I'd be happy to see him, or just scared...

Key: *hears the jumbled words, and strains her ears to try to hear them better... but they couldn't possibly be real words, right? It was just the wind... playing tricks...*

Harry: ...

Sam: ... Well... it's still a what-if... and, if there's any bright-side to this - to ANY of this, it would be that he doesn't have to suffer from psychosis anymore.

Wind: *continues to seemingly speak*

Claire: ...

Sarah: Right... I'm sure he'd be happier that way... *sniffles a bit* I-It's what got him in trouble in the first place, anyway...

Key: *no matter how much she tells herself that there was no voice, she finds herself continually trying to listen, to understand... but she has no such luck. Maybe she was going crazy...*

Harry: ...

Sam: *pulls her into a one-armed hug* He's finally free from it... think of it that way...

Wind: *eventually goes back to normal howling*

Claire: ...

Sarah: I'll do my best...

Key: *frowns when the whispering seems to stop... she sighs, standing up from the table* I'm going home... Get home safe, okay? Looks like there's a storm brewing...

Sarah: *nods*

Claire: *nods, wondering if they should leave soon too*

Harry: ...

Sam: Get home safely, Ms. Huntings. Feel better soon. <:(

Wind: *blows*

Key: *nods* I'll try.

Sarah: I'll come visit you early tomorrow, okay?

Key: ... *nods again, then turns and leaves the church, bracing herself against the wind*

Claire: ...

Harry: ...

Sam: ... Should we leave? <:/

meanwhile

Wind: *instead of blowing harshly against her, it swirls around her gently, around her waist, her shoulders, her arms, as if the wind was hugging her. The whispered words start up again*

Sarah: We probably should... almost everyone else has left...

Claire: ...

meanwhile

Key: *stops, surprised at the sudden change in the wind's behavior... and at the fact that it just seems so familiar... so painfully familiar that she breaks down into tears again as she walks home, unable to decide if she WAS crazy or it was all just a dream*

up

Harry: NO!! *he yanks his arm away from her* H-he's not dead...!! Wh-why don't you see it...??

Sam: Dad... p-please go with Mom... D:>

Claire: *grabs his arm again, more firmly this time, her voice also becoming more firm* Harry, we need to go. Come on.

Sarah: <:( ....

Key: ...

Harry: ... *he walks away with Claire, a gust of wind blowing the grass that poked through half-melted snow against their legs*

Preacher: ... does anyone else have anything to say?

Sam: ...

Everyone: *is silent--even Key had stopped crying*

Preacher: Well... alright then... *he closes his book, which, in the silence of the graveyard, seemed almost like a thunderclap* And now, we shall make our way back to the church for a special brunch in honor of the deceased... *shuffles his way back*

Everyone Except Harry and Claire: *follows him*

Harry: ... *to Claire* You were going to tell me something?

Claire: ...I need you to understand this, Harry.... I know it seems impossible, but Todd's gone...

Harry: D-don't... don't say that... h-he's survived s-so much... he CAN'T be dead NOW...!

Claire: Everyone dies sometime, Harry, and apparently it was his turn... no one expected this to happen. I just want you to understand that he isn't coming back... <:(

Harry: *stares at Claire, a sadness in his moist eyes* ...

Claire: *returns his sad look, putting a hand on his cheek* I'm sorry, Harry... I know he was important to you... But the rest of us miss him too.

Harry: *he just stares at Claire for a while... then breaks down into sobs - if he didn't have his cane, he would have fallen down from how much emotion he was exerting*

Claire: *pulls him into a tight embrace, rubbing his back. She doesn't mind standing there for a while, in fact, she was willing to stay there for as long as he needed. She speaks quietly, in a gentle tone* We're going to be okay, Harry... We're going to be fine... He's in a better place now...

Harry: Nooo....!! No, he's six feet under the ground...!! DEAD...!! Th-there isn't ANYTHING to go to - NOTHING after all this...!! He's GONE - GONE FOREVER!! *continues to sob, hugging Claire tightly*

Claire: *doesn't know what else to say--Harry's grief was just enough to bring her to tears. She continues to hug him tightly, rubbing his back, trying to comfort him as best as she can without breaking down herself... she needed to stay strong for him*

Harry: *he cries and cries until finally, he slows to a stop. Taking his cane with him, he lets go of Claire and quietly leaves for the church*

IN THE CHURCH

Sam: *finishing up his brunch, sitting near Sarah and Key. He didn't eat much* ...

Key: *had barely touched her plate--her appetite was nonexistent* ...

Sarah: *has eaten significantly more than the others--she was trying to distract herself*

Claire: *comes into the church with Harry, and leads him to a couple of seats near Sam* ...

Harry: *he wears a heavy frown, completely silent*

Sam: ... Is he okay? <:(

Claire: ... *shakes her head* He's hurting... but he should be okay eventually... I hope...

Key: *frowns when she hears this--she may be upset with him over his outburst, but she knew how close the two of them were...*

Sarah: ... <:/

Sam: ... So he finally understands that...?

Harry: *breaks down sobbing at the table again, burying his face in his hands*

Claire: !! *puts her arms around Harry, hugging him to herself* Shh... shhh... *gives Sam a sad look* There's your answer...

Sarah: D:> ...

Key: ... *looks away, trying very hard not to cry again*

up

Sam: Eheh... uh... yeah. ^/////^ You're the first to know, other than us. I plan to tell my mom at some point.

Key: Wow, um... congrats! *can't help but smile a bit*

Sarah: *smiles as well--mission accomplished* I think your mom'll be happy to hear it, Sam.

Key: She certainly will... heh... he would've been happy to hear it too... *shakes her head* How about we start heading over there?

Sam: Right... the church isn't far from here, right? *he opens the door for them*

Key: No, it's practically down the street... *sighs, and starts heading in that direction*

Sarah: *shoots Sam a sad look before taking his hand and tugging him after her mother*

Sam: *is pulled along* ... perhaps you should be happy, Ms. Huntings, that you'll be able to see him one last time today... <:(

Key: *with a hint of bitterness* Right, that's a plus...

Sarah: <:( ...

Sam: I'm serious, Ms. Huntings - it could be worse. Something could have happened to the body, and then you wouldn't ever see him again... you're lucky. <:(

Key: ...If he had survived, THEN I could call it "lucky"...

Sarah: ... *lets go of Sam's hand, and puts an arm around her mother's shoulders* ...He wouldn't want you to be like this, mom...

Key: ...I know...

Sam: That's right - he really wouldn't be. He's in a better place, now, Ms. Huntings. D:>

Key: ... right...

Sarah: *keeps her arm around Key, rubbing her shoulder with her thumb, until they reach the church*

A Few People: *were already there, including Harry and Claire*

Harry: he sits on a bench next to Claire, staring blankly at the open casket at the end of the room, where the preacher stood. He is still in denial about Todd's death*

Sam: Oh... uh... there's Mom and Dad... I'm gonna go sit by them, okay, Sarah? <:/

Sarah: *nods* Okay. I'll see you later. <:/ *leads Key forward, sitting farther up, closer to the casket*

Key: *stares at Todd's body, her face completely expressionless--it was impossible to tell what she was thinking, but on the inside, she was grieving*

The Body: *from merely looking, it was hard to tell that he is dead. The people at the morgue tried their hardest to give him a more "alive, just sleeping" sort of look. They pushed his lips into a small, frozen smile, and, using makeup, they painted color on his cheeks and ears so he didn't seem so pale. His hands were neatly folded, resting on his abdomen. He was even dressed in a suit. He seems peaceful, even in death*

Sam: *goes to sit near his parents* ...

Harry: *glances at Sam, then continues staring at the body*

Claire: *looks at Sam when he sits down* Hey... Glad you could make it. <:(

Key: *she continues to stare, her hands clenched into fists in her lap--she would make sure the man who took her husband's life would never see the light of day...*

Sarah: *notices how tense her mother is, and puts her arm back around her shoulders, pulling her into a hug* Mom... you can cry if you need to...

Key: *refuses, gritting her teeth to try to keep the tears in, even as she feels her eyes water. Todd wouldn't want her to cry, not over him...*

Sam: I wouldn't miss this, Mom... Mr. Huntings was my friend, like he was yours and Dad's... oh... speaking of Dad, is he doing okay? He's just... staring at the body right now... D:>

Harry: *staring*

Preacher: *getting set up*

Claire: ...He's still in denial... he's convinced himself that there's no way Todd could be dead...

Sarah: *futilely attempts to comfort her mother*

Key: *doesn't seem to respond*

Sam: ... <:(

Harry: *stares*

*Eventually everyone comes - co-workers at the prison who had known Todd for only a day, and yet had been quickly touched by his energy and optimism, friends of Key, who had known Todd through her, and even the most random of people who Todd had stopped and talked to on the streets. It was an odd, small funeral, and the room dripped with sadness and mourning. Then the preacher began, speaking the lines he had memorized for such a service. When the part of the funeral inside the church is complete, the preacher leads the attendees out to the graveyard, with helpers of the church carrying the casket (now closed) to the graveyard, lowering it carefully into the six-foot-deep grave*

Preacher: Would anyone like to say anything about Todd Huntings?

Sam: ...

Harry: *quietly to himself* He's not dead...

Claire: ...

Sarah: ...He was the best father I could have asked for... And I'm glad he took me in... I just wish he could have stayed.

Key: ...T-Todd was one of a kind... He was the bravest, and most caring man I ever knew, and he wouldn't hesitate to risk his life for the ones he loved... and I would have spent my entire life with him if I had been given the choice... He didn't deserve this... *her voice breaks* W-We'll miss you... *finally breaks down, sobbing, tears flowing freely*

Sarah: *hugs her mother tightly, shedding tears of her own*

Sam: ... I'm glad that, by this time, Mr. Huntings was able to dig himself out of a hole that he had fallen into for most of his adulthood... and that hole is what happens when society cannot forgive. He really was a good man... but it took a very long time for people to see past his illness, and what it's made him do, in order to realize this... we'll miss you, Mr. Huntings.

Harry: He's not dead...! He's NOT dead!!

Everyone: *looks over at Harry in confusion*

Harry: Todd can't die - I GREW UP WITH HIM - He's my FRIEND - STILL my friend! H-he's still alive! Alive in that casket, and you're BURYING HIM - BURYING HIM ALIVE! DON'T DO THIS TO HIM - HE'S STILL ALIVE, TODD'S STILL ALIVE - DON'T DO THIS!! PLEASE!! DON'T DO THIS!! I PROTECTED HIM FOR SO LONG, DON'T YOU DARE TELL ME HE'S DEAD NOW!! *tears are now streaming down his cheek* HE'S NOT DEAD!! I WON'T LET HIM DIE - HE'S NOT DEAD!! TODD'S NOT DEAD!!

Sam: D-Dad...! D8>

Key: *glares at Harry through her tears--he'd better shut up before she MAKES him* ...

Sarah: *notices this, and looks at Claire* D:> ...

Claire: *doesn't know exactly what to do, since Harry's never reacted like this. She grabs his arm, and tries to tug him away* Harry--Harry, come on, we need to talk about something, okay?

up

THE NEXT MORNING

Sam: *wakes up, knowing the funeral is today, knowing he made sure he could go, go to this cluster of sadness jumbled into one two days - first the funeral, then the trial*

Sarah: *also wakes up, frowning at the contrast between last night and today--and wishing she could just go back to sleep and not have to go out* ...

Sam: *quietly* ... I have a suit back at my apartment... I need to go change into that... if anyone besides me knocks on the door, don't answer it. <:/

Sarah: ...okay. *kisses his cheek before rolling off him, allowing him to get up. She... REALLY didn't want to move...*

Sam: ... I'll be back, okay? <:( *he gets up and quickly gets dressed, then leaves the apartment*

Sarah: ... *eventually forces herself to get out of bed and eat something, then goes to get dressed*

Sam: *soon comes back in a black suit, knocking on Sarah's apartment door*

Sarah: ! *goes to answer the door, making sure it was Sam before letting him in. She was already dressed, black pants, black jacket* Hey...

Sam: Hey again... maybe we should go see your mom... <:/

Sarah: *nods* That's a good idea. Just lemme... *goes to a closet and grabs a spare coat, grabbing her keys and coming back to the door, closing it behind her and locking it* Let's go...

Sam: <:/ *he gently takes her hand and walks with her over to her mother's house in the chilly winter morning air*

Sarah: *silently walks with him, knocking on the door of her mother's home when they get there*

Key: *answers the door, already dressed* Oh, hi, Sarah, Sam... I thought you were going straight there...

Sarah: We thought it would be a good idea to drop by first...

Sam: Are you feeling alright, Ms. Huntings? Alright enough? <:(

Key: ... *nods* Enough. For now...

Sarah: *frowns* Mom...

Key: *waves her off* I'll be fine... I was actually just about to go out.

Sarah: We'll walk with you, then.

Sam: *wonders if they should tell Ms. Huntings about them being together before the funeral, or after* ... *he opens the door for her, and Sarah*

Key: *walks out*

Sarah: *walks out after her, glancing at Sam--perhaps telling her that the two of them were together would help lift her mood* Oh, hey, mom... Sam and I wanted to tell you something... >__>

Key: Hmm?

Sam: Oh, yeah... we thought it might lift your mood, at least a little.

Key: Oh really? *gives them a tiny smile* Well, don't keep me waiting.

Sarah: Okay, jeez. ^^; Sam and I are uh... together. ^///^

Key: *blinks in surprise* Really?

up

Sam: *smiles into the kiss, even laughing a little. He kisses her, rubbing her back, enjoying their moment together*

Sarah: *puts a hand on the back of his head, playing with his hair, while the other one travels down his chest as she deepens the kiss*

Sam: *kisses her right back - he pauses to speak* Sorry if I seem a little inexperienced... work left me no time for any other relationships... got no practice...

Sarah: Ah... *smiles at him, and nuzzles him* You'll be just fine, don't worry about it... I'll help you. *kisses him again, only more softly, lovingly, running her fingers through his hair*

Sam: *mirrors her, his heart fluttering again, bliss and happiness flooding him*

Sarah: *feels the warmth come back, and sighs--very slowly, gradually, she deepens the kiss, lightly stroking his cheek with the ends of her fingers*

Sam: *like this, relaxing completely. He continues rubbing Sarah's back, his happiness always increasing*

Sarah: *likes the feeling of Sam's hands on her back, and is briefly tempted to take her shirt off--but they could do that later. for now, she simply deepens the kiss further, continuing to do so until the kiss was messy and full of heat*

Sam: *now fully making out with Sarah, all thought thrown out the window, nothing else existing but each other*

Sarah: *is absolutely loving the feeling, but she figured she could take it up one more notch--both hands on the back of his head to hold him in place, she waits for the right moment, and slips her tongue into his mouth, skimming it along the top of his, hoping he won't panic and pull away*

Sam: *he doesn't - instead, he finds the sensation, strange, new... exciting, and he does the same to Sarah, battling his tongue with hers*

Sarah: *is pleasantly surprised by this, and continues fighting his tongue with hers, moaning into his mouth, enjoying the sensation*

Sam: *does this for a while with Sarah, then soon slows down, returning it to normal kissing*

Sarah: *doesn't mind this, perfectly happy with their gentle kissing. she gently strokes his cheek, kissing him lovingly, letting the heat fade back into warmth*

Sam: *he moves his hands to the sides of her face, kissing her, enjoying the warmth flowing through him like blood*

Sarah: *can almost FEEL that warmth emanating from him, and she tries her best to give it right back to him, putting as much emotion as she can into the simple action in an attempt to do so. she loved this, loved the feeling, and she could go on forever*

Sam: *eventually, it becomes incredibly late, and Sam becomes incredibly tired. His kissing slows until it stops completely, and Sam lies his head down on the pillow, ready to pass out*

Sarah: *smiles sleepily at him, and kisses his cheek before resting her head down on his shoulders, her arms around him* Goodnight, Sam...

Sam:... G'night Sarah... *he quickly falls into a warm, comfortable sleep*

Sarah: *quickly follows suit, smiling in her sleep*

up

Sam: *when she disappears into the bathroom, a sly smile grows on his face. He waits until he hears the shower turn off - waits about five minutes, then enters the bathroom and hugs Sarah from behind*

Sarah: !! *wasn't given enough time to finish getting dressed, and was missing her pants. Her face turns red, and she looks back over her shoulder at him* Uh... hello. <////<

Sam: *buries his face in her neck, kissing it* ... Hey.

Sarah: *sighs happily, and puts her hands over his* S'rude to come in without knocking, you know...

Sam: *smiles devilishly at her* I figured you wouldn't mind... *he uses his free hand to hold the side of her face, his thumb rubbing her jaw*

Sarah: *smiles* You're right, I really don't... *leans her head into his hand, slightly leaning her weight back on Sam*

Sam: *rocks from side to side slightly with her, closing his eyes, relaxed, smiling, humming to himself and to her a nameless tune*

Sarah: *rocks with him, smiling, listening to him hum, feeling the vibrations on her back. She was--dare she say it--happy*

Sam: *ceases his humming for a moment to kiss her cheek, then leads her out of the bathroom, back into the bedroom, and near her bed*

Sarah: *turns around to face him, putting her hands on his chest, slowly sliding them down his torso and around to his back* Huh... didn't know you got THAT much of a workout...

Sam: Well... you never saw me shirtless before. *he grins again, feeling happy*

Sarah: Yes I have--granted, we were completely wasted, so I don't even know if that counts...

SAM: Oh, wait, I guess that DOES count. XD; So, uh, you mind if I sleep with you tonight? Be your teddy bear? :)

Sarah: *grins at him* I wouldn't mind that at all.

Sam: Well alright then. :) *he climbs into Sarah's bed, waiting for her to join him*

Sarah: *climbs into bed with him, pulling the covers over them as she was starting to feel the cold*

Sam: *suddenly wraps his arms around her, pulling her into a kiss*

Sarah: *is caught a bit off-guard, but eagerly returns the kiss, pulling him closer to her*

Sam: *continues to kiss her, his slightly damp skin now rubbing against her shirt, kissing her PASSIONATELY*

Sarah: Mmm... *breaks the kiss for a brief moment, only to push Sam onto his back and climb on top of him, giving him a wolfish grin before leaning down to resume the kiss just as they had left it off*

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Sam: ... I think our moms are going to be seriously happy when they find out about... well, this. I know MY mom will be...

Sarah: Oh, I think my mom will be pretty happy about it... It was dad you would've had to worry about... not that he'd mind you, he already knew you.... *shakes her head, trying to force the sad thought away* This is something to be happy about. I think both of them will appreciate the change, after all the crap that's been going on lately...

Sam: ... Right... oh! Uh... the funeral's tomorrow, isn't it? <:/

Sarah: ... *sighs* Yeah, it is. Trial's the day after that. Not a good thing, in my opinion...

Sam: ... That's incredibly poorly timed, yeah... D:> Are you gonna be okay?

Sarah: *nods* I'm more worried about mom, though... she wants the killer dead... and I don't think seeing dad will help her at ALL...

Sam: No... it won't... ugh. This is going to be a bit of a mess...

Sarah: No kidding... we'll just have to see how much we can calm her down after the funeral and hope she doesn't do something impulsive during the trial...

Sam: Sarah... how are we gonna calm her down? D:>

Sarah: Well... I really don't know. We'll have to cross that bridge when we get to it, but... I'm telling you right now, it won't be easy.. <:/

Sam: Yeah, I figured it wouldn't be... <:( Oh. I'm gonna change the subject if you don't mind. So those thugs that want to kill you and I - I'm not gonna take my bike back just yet, because I think I need to live with you for a while. <:/

Sarah: That's fine, I don't mind... we've already discovered there's enough room for the two of us. :P

Sam: *he grins* Right, we have, haven't we? Geez... what time is it, you think? :/

Sarah: I dunno... late? *looks back over her shoulder at the clock on the stove* Uhh... oh wow, it's ten pm... D;

Sam: Huh. I guess we should go sleep, then. :/

Sarah: Guess we should... do you need to shower or anything...? Cuz you can go right ahead if you want...

Sam: Yeah, sure, thanks - chasing you around for a while probably made me stink like shoot. I'll go do that. :P *he gets up and goes to the bathroom to do so*

Sarah: *goes into her room and grabs her sleeping clothes, waiting for Sam to come out* ...

Sam: *eventually come out, his shirt in his hand, a towel around his shoulders* Your turn.

Sarah: *blinks, and reddens a bit* Emm, okay. *scampers into the bathroom and quickly showers*

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Sam: *he continues to kiss her, the snow sparkling around them, when he realized just how cold he actually was* ... Oh... uh, Sarah...? Can we go back to your apartment, please? D:

Sarah: Hmm? Oh, yeah, sure... *stands up, and offers Sam a hand to help him up--she hadn't realized how COLD she was until the wind hit her (yeah, because running out into the snow without a coat is a genius idea.)*

Sam: *takes her hand and uses it to help himself up, but doesn't let go of it when he's back on his feet, smiling at her. He was feeling lightheaded - that is how happy he is. He almost feels like giggling like a little boy in a candy shop - this is the happiest moment in his life*

Sarah: *smiles back at him, and laces her fingers together with his, leaning up and kissing his cheek before leading him out of the alleyway*

Sam: *outside the allyway,he stops and kisses her back, smiling. Then he looks behind him, at the pile of snow, and thinking about how different everything will soon be*

Sarah: *follows his gaze, noting that the place seemed somehow familiar--then she remembers: it was the alleyway her mom stared into after Todd died... what if... what if her parents did the same thing they just did...?*

Sam: ... Sarah? You okay? <:/

Sarah: H-Huh? *looks up at him* O-Oh yeah, I'm fffine... just freezing. D; Let's go-- *tugs him down the sidewalk, back towards her apartment. she didn't want to tell him what she may have discovered--it had been a private moment, just as theirs had just been. no one else needed to know*

Sam: <:/ ...

*they walk all the way back to Sarah's apartment. When entering it, they are greeted by a wave of warm air that Sam thought may be literally defrosting them*

Sam: Whoo... *shuts the door behind them*

Sarah: Window. D: *runs across the room and slams the window shut* Th-th-that's gonna hurt my heating bill... DX *sits down on the couch, shivering--the warmth hadn't affected her yet, that was how cold she was*

Sam: *he looks over and notices Sarah shivering. He takes off his wet, heavy coat and hugs Sarah tightly* Hey there. I'm here to help you warm up.

Sarah: *hugs him back, still shivering* Th-Thank you. Oh, wait-- *lets go of him and takes off her soaked hoodie, then hugs him again* B-Better.

Sam: Right... you'll warm up soon - don't worry. :)

Sarah: *can already feel herself warming up* R-Right... *snuggles into Sam, trying to get closer to the warmth*

Sam: *snuggles closer to her as well, very happy. He'd be sure to tell his mom about this - he knows the news will make her happy*

Sarah: *her shivering eventually stops* ...hey, um... I'm sorry for putting you through this... I was just scared, that's all...

Sam: It's okay, Sarah... you already told me why you were, and I understand. <:/

Sarah: Mm... *just rests there against him for a while, unable to think of anything else to say. She was... comfortable there. Not exactly HAPPY, no, there was too much on her mind for that, but... she liked where she was*

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