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Boys Don't Cry © 2011 Zoe Taylor & Dark Kitten Sarah learns Nathan's fate, and she has an important decision to make that will affect the rest of her life.

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Darkness had fallen, and Zoey was running late. She promised to have dinner ready for Ashleigh. After all, it had been a long, trying day, and she knew the latest arrest would change the face of the game, but for better or worse, she wasn’t sure. She had everything planned out with a nice, romantic dinner. She breathed a relieved sigh when she didn’t see Ashleigh’s rented car in the driveway, but at the same time, this couldn’t possibly bode well.

She smiled at the small bouquet of white and pink roses sitting in a clear glass vase in the passenger seat of her car. “Good thing I sprung for those,” she mused to herself as she stepped out. She retrieved the grocery bags from the backseat, balancing her gift in her other hand, along with her purse, at the same time retrieving her house key.

“That smells nice,” Ashleigh’s weary voice called from the front entrance. Zoey frowned to herself, glancing up.

“I wanted to have everything ready before you got back. How did it go?”

“I don’t want to talk about it right now. Let’s just eat.”

“That bad?”

Ashleigh stepped into the kitchen without a word, wrapping an arm around Zoey’s waist. Zoey shifted the spatula deftly to her other hand as she turned to hug Ashleigh, kissing her softly. “I’m sorry.”

“So am I,” she muttered. Zoey pointed her spatula at the nearby counter. She had taken the liberty of re-arranging the roses while giving them fresh water, and left them in plain sight near the clutter of unwashed plates and glasses.

“I know those won’t make your day any better, but-”

Ashleigh interrupted Zoey’s sentiment by pressing her lips against Zoey’s in a soft kiss. “They’re beautiful.”

Zoey smiled as she shifted the skillet off the burner, setting the meal aside for now. “You’re tense. Let me give you a massage after we eat, okay?”

“You know I can never resist your massages, but...”

“But?” She frowned. “Honey what is it?”

Ashleigh sighed as she pressed her cheek to her beloved’s shoulder. “I failed her, Zo.”

Zoey set the spatula aside now, turning to fully embrace Ashleigh. “What? Failed who?”

Ashleigh sighed heavily as she turned her back on Zoey, pressing against her for a moment. “Sarah. It’s all gone to hell,” she groused. She slowly paced toward the cabinet, bending down to smell the roses, Zoey following close behind.

“Oh no.”

“They forced our hand. The defense attorney's put in a motion for a plea deal. The little fucker could walk if he pleads guilty.”

“That’s bullshit,” Zoey muttered. Ashleigh grabbed the vase. In a fit of rage she swung, flinging it against the wall. Glass shards flew outward as the roses tumbled to the ground.

“It’s not right!” she shouted angrily. “He put that little girl through hell. She’s never going to have a normal life because of him! They should cut his balls off and shove ‘em down his throat!” she shrieked

Zoey smiled softly as she kissed her forehead. “Feel better?”

“Not really,” she mumbled. Zoey smiled as she held her close.

“It’s not over yet. I got a call today that they want me to sit in on the hearing.”

Ashleigh blinked slowly as she stared up at her lover. “Even with me involved so deeply, they want you there?”

“Mmhmm. I’ve been asked to appear as a child Psychologist and transgender issues expert. They feel that since I have a stake on both sides of the issue, both with Sarah and with her friend Max, who just happens to be Nathan’s sibling, that I can be neutral.”

“You’re not going to be neutral, are you?”

Zoey laughed. “Of course I am, as much as the law requires. I’m going to make damn sure to emphasize the suffering Sarah’s been through. He can’t get off scot-free, no matter his mother’s involvement. And Sarah’s been through so much. This really will be with her for the rest of her life.” She paused to exhale softly.

“I wish we could do more,” Ashleigh finally, reluctantly pulled away from Zoey, gathering a dust pan and broom to clean up the shattered vase. “Sorry about the flowers. They really are lovely.”

“Maybe we can,” Zoey responded, shooting Ashleigh a sly smile. “We did promise her a trip to D.C., didn’t we?”

Ashleigh slowly turned back to her again, and for the first time that evening, a genuine smile crossed her lips. “Zoey, you’re a genius.”

~oOo~

“So that’s it?” Sarah verbally flailed. She shook her head in disbelief. “He’s taking a plea deal, so that makes what he did to me okay?”

Zoey shook her head carefully. She knew that this news would be hard for Sarah, and she had practiced delivering it. Ashleigh didn’t quite share her practiced calm though.

“I don’t like this any more than you do,” she answered firmly. “I pulled every string, called in every favor-”

Zoey spoke up next, “She’s worked very hard to get this much, but with this new evidence of his abusive home life, our hands are tied, sweetie. I know this isn’t what we promised you, but if this goes to trial,”

Ashleigh now spoke up again, “If this goes to trial the defense attorneys would just eat up a chance to cross-examine you and your mother, and draw allusions to your father for a sympathetic jury. ‘Look at what it’s done to him’, they’d tout.”

Sarah flinched, and Ashleigh gave her an apologetic smile. “I’m sorry. I don’t mean to use the wrong pronoun like that. I know - I KNOW who you are, but this world is ruthless sometimes.”

She stood, turning away, her thin-heeled black shoes clicking lightly against the tile kitchen floor as she approached the window. A slow sigh escaped as she braced herself against the frame and stared out.

Zoey stayed by Sarah’s side, but Sarah slid away from the table to approach Ashleigh, reaching out to squeeze her hand. The woman slowly tilted her head, staring down at Sarah, and the girl smiled faintly back at her.

“You tried, right?”

Ashleigh nodded, but only slightly.

“So what’s going to happen to him?”

“That’s still to be decided, but in a hearing, not a full trial. You won’t be called to testify. He’s looking at a jail sentence and fines, and your medical bills will be covered at the very least.”

“And I’ll be waiving my therapy fees regardless,” Zoey added softly, as though she were afraid to even mention it, that talk of money might offend Sarah somehow.

“And Nathan’s mother?” Sarah pressed.

“I couldn’t say for sure. My sources tell me she plans to plead not guilty, which will tie that mess up in court for awhile. If he testifies against her, which may be part of his plea deal, she could be going away for awhile.”

“Good,” Sarah answered matter-of-factly. “Don’t get me wrong. I can’t forgive him for what he did to me or Chris; I just want to know Max’ll be safe.”

The corners of Ashleigh’s lips tugged, forming a weak smile as she turned back to Sarah, and for the first time pulled the girl into a hug. “If Zoey and I ever adopt a child, I hope she’s as caring as you. I don’t think I’m capable of being so forgiving after,” but she trailed off at that and shook her head. “I need to get going. My flight leaves in a couple of days, and there are still some loose ends that need to be taken care of here.”

“You’re leaving?” Sarah frowned.

“I took a leave of absence to come here and help you, but I have to head back to D.C. soon. It’s not the last you’ll see of me though.” She paused, giving Sarah a knowing smile. “That is, if your mother doesn’t mind.”

Sarah stared, confused, up at Ashleigh, and Zoey stood to approach. “It was sort of my idea. We promised you we’d fight this thing all the way to the Supreme Court, but that was a little bit unrealistic. We were both upset, and believe me sweetheart; Ashleigh has her reasons for why she’s been so fervent about making an example of that rotten little bastard.”

Ashleigh laughed outright. “Why, my dear, I do believe you’ve been around me too long to be using such harsh language.”

“Believe me, lover, I was thinking something much harsher,” Zoey responded with a teasing smirk then turned back to Sarah. “But we promised you a trip to Washington, so once the hearing is over, and again, if your mother agrees, we’d like to treat you.”

“Why after the hearing?” Sarah asked, confused. Zoey smiled sympathetically.

“It’s because of my involvement in the case. I got involved with social services on behalf of Max and his brother, but I’ve also been working with you.”

“For some reason, they consider her a neutral party,” Ashleigh snickered with some mild delight. Zoey smirked.

“I plan to make it clear that the hate crimes against you are unforgivable, and I will fight for your medical bills plus pain and suffering as an expert in child psychology and transgender. It’s a complicated situation.”

“I wouldn’t want to be in your shoes,” Sarah answered quietly. She paused to glance down at Zoey’s feet, clad in a pair of simple canvas flats. “Then again, they look more comfortable than those stilts you’re wearing,” she added, nodding toward Ashleigh.

The two women laughed, and Zoey’s expression shifted, as though she wanted to ask Sarah something, but couldn’t find a tactful way to ask it. Sarah, for her part, decided to press the subject.

“You’re wondering what I decided, aren’t you?”

Zoey nodded. “Well, now that it’s over, you can go back to dressing as John again if you want.”

“I could,” Sarah started, “But I’m not sure I really want to. I kind of like the clothes, but it’s more than that. I like being treated like a girl.”

“You can’t base your decision on just how you want to be treated though,” Zoey cautioned. Sarah shook her head as she smiled, confident in her decision.

“I know, and it’s not just that. I guess what I’m trying to say is, I feel happier as a girl. When people saw me as John, I always felt like there was something, um,” she paused, lightly tinted lips agape as she searched for the right words. Ashleigh and Zoey waited patiently for her to continue. “Wrong. I felt wrong, somehow.”

Ashleigh glanced briefly at Zoey, who returned a knowing smile. Sarah glanced between the two of them briefly.

“… What?”

Zoey giggled. “Nothing. Anyway, we’ll talk again soon okay? You and I have a lot to discuss. I’m still not ready to start you on hormones for awhile, but you can continue the blockers without any irreversible issues. You need time to let things settle down first.”

Sarah nodded softly. “I’m not sure they ever will. Zoey you’re from Arkansas aren’t you?”

“I grew up in a little town near Fort Smith, yes,” Zoey answered.

“How did you… I mean…”

“Support. You can’t do this alone, and I certainly didn’t. In a lot of ways I’m still learning, like how I lied to you to protect myself. It takes time, and I didn’t have the attention of national media exposing me either.”

Sarah flinched. “Thanks for reminding me,” she sighed. “I can’t have a normal life after this can I?”

“I’m afraid not kiddo,” Zoey answered softly. “But if you want to try and relocate, I have friends in several states that would be willing to help out until you and your Mom get back on your feet again.”

“That’s not fair to Mom or my friends here though,” Sarah answered reluctantly. “But I’m afraid of staying here. What should I do?”

Zoey bent down to hug Sarah gently. “A very wise friend once told me, before I transitioned, that you have to decide which set of regrets you want to live with. For me it was no contest. I chose to live with the threat of being exposed to hate crimes in order to live free of hating looking in the mirror every day.”

Sarah nodded. “I kind of want to move to Connecticut to be with my big sister, but again, I don’t want to abandon my friends here.”

“You don’t have to decide right now,” Ashleigh answered reassuringly. “Give it some time. Maybe spending a week in D.C. will give you time to think about it.”

Sarah smiled a little as she nodded. “Yeah, maybe. Thank you both for everything, by the way.”

“It’s the least we can do,” Zoey replied and kissed Sarah’s forehead lightly. “Just try and focus on getting through this last month of school. We’ll take care of the rest, okay?”

~oOo~

It wasn’t so much that Max had been avoiding Sarah since the incident with his mother’s arrest, but neither had gone out of their way to really talk, either. Sarah felt badly even though technically, it was Cassandra who figured it out, and Zoey who got herself involved in the whole situation. Max had still made Sarah promise not to talk about it.

It was when Sarah and Christina were on their way to dance class that they quite literally bumped into Max. Sarah had just rounded the corner outside the studio when she collided with him. Max grunted, and started to say something he might regret, when he realized whom it was he had just knocked to the ground.

“Sarah!” he exclaimed, reaching for her hand. Sarah smiled meekly.

“Hi Max.”

“Are you okay? I’m so sorry. I wasn’t even paying attention.”

Sarah gave a quiet laugh as she nodded and smiled nervously. “Yeah, I’m okay. H-how’ve you been?”

He shrugged lightly at her question. “Same. You?”

“I’m okay. I um,” she fidgeted, “Sorry about … you know.”

“Oh, yeah,” Max answered with less self-assurance. “It’s okay. I’m still staying with my aunt, and you still need to come pick up that stuff,” he teased.

“You mean those old clothes?” Sarah asked, a little surprised.

“Uh, yeah. It’s not like I’m ever going to wear any of that crap again - thank God for little miracles. Hey, what’s wrong with you anyway?”

“She thinks you blame her for what happened,” Christina answered matter-of-factly, drawing an icy, dagger-like glare from Sarah. Max blinked a few times then started to laugh.

“Wait a minute. You think I was mad at you because my mother’s finally got what she deserves?”

“Well, yeah,” Sarah answered, confused. “You made me promise not to tell anyone.”

“I was upset and a little embarrassed, okay? I’m glad that hag’s out of my life.”

Sarah stared in disbelief for a moment or two before tears began to well up in her eyes, and she practically leaped into Max’s arms, kissing him once, softly on the cheek. “Oh thank God,” she whispered.

Max stared helplessly back at her, smiling as he slowly wrapped her in a friendly hug.

“Come on you. We’re going to be late for our dance class,” Christina insisted. Sarah reluctantly pulled away again.

“Listen, I’m going to be leaving in a few weeks. I’m going to Washington as kind of a treat, you know, to get away from this place for awhile, but do you maybe want to catch a movie some time?”

“You mean like a date?” Max asked, hopeful. Sarah smiled.

“Well, yeah. It was your idea remember?”

“So does that mean you’re staying a girl?”

Sarah nodded. “My therapist wants me to think about it awhile longer, but I mean the entire freaking nation saw that interview on national TV. It’s not like I can just change back now. Plus I like being a girl. I can cry and nobody cares,” she teased. Max shook his head as he squeezed her hand.

“Hey, I care. Anyway, go on and get to your class. Here,” he added, pulling out a pen and scribbling a phone number on her palm. “That’s my aunt’s home number. Call me tonight?”

“Sure,” Sarah answered, staring at her hand as Max walked away.

~oOo~

“See you tomorrow,” Emily called after the girls as they raced across the street to Christina’s. Sarah had spotted her mother’s car waiting in the drive even as they rounded the corner, and was anxious to see what she had to say about the news.

“Momma?” she called as they entered the house.

“In here sweetheart,” Margaret replied from the kitchen, where the girls quickly found both their mothers sitting at the kitchen table, sharing a cup of coffee together as they chatted quietly, though they grew silent as the girls came closer.

“Sarah, there’s something I need to discuss with you. It’s about this trip to Washington,” she began. Sarah’s face fell.

“Please, Momma, I promise I’ll be okay, and I can even take you or Chris’ parents or whoever-”

“Hold on a minute,” she responded, holding her hands up disarmingly. “It’s not that I disapprove.” She hesitated a moment. “Quite the opposite in fact. I’ve been in touch with your sister after talking at length with Ashleigh about the whole thing. She thinks it would be a great idea, and I agree with her.”

“So what’s there to talk about?” Sarah asked, confused. Her mother stood, pulling her into a hug.

“Sweetheart, while you’re there, sorting your thoughts, I’d like you to think about where you want to spend your teen years as well.”

“Momma? What... are you saying?”

Margaret exhaled softly as she closed her eyes. “Twice in the last few months, I almost lost you: first when that boy attacked you, and again when the tornado came through. Everybody here knows who you are, for better or worse. I’m sure people might recognize you elsewhere too, but I’m just not sure this is the best place for you anymore.”

Sarah tilted her head to stare at Christina, who gave a helpless shrug.

“But what about Max, and my friends here?”

“You don’t have to decide right now,” she answered softly. “I just want you to give it some thought. In the end it’s up to you. I just wanted you to know it’s an option.”

“I can always come visit you some time, especially during the summer,” Christina added. “Because of you Emily, CJ and I are a lot closer too, so it’s not like I don’t have any friends, and we can talk on the phone about all the cute boys there,” she teased, causing Sarah to crack a smile and even giggle, if faintly.

“Okay, I’ll think about it,” she finally answered. “The trip’s not for another while anyway. C’mon, Chris, let’s go finish our homework.”

Margaret smiled as she squeezed Sarah’s hand, watching the pair until they disappeared into Christina’s bedroom. Sarah sat down on the edge of Christina’s bed, waiting for her to close the door.

“This is nuts.”

“I know, right?” Christina answered. “But I meant what I said. If this’ what you wanna do you should go for it.”

“I wanna be closer to my sister, plus Spirit lives in that area somewhere... Ohmygosh, Spirit! I haven’t e-mailed her in like, two weeks. Um... Do you mind if I...?”

Christina giggled, waving her hand dismissively. “Go ahead. I need a shower anyway. You do too.”

~oOo~

Dear Spirit,

I’m so sorry I haven’t written in awhile. Things have been crazy here. You’ll probably hear about it all over the news soon, but Nathan’s taking a plea deal. Sucks right? But Zoey says she’s going to fight to get my medical bills covered when she testifies as an expert on this stuff.

Anyway, it’s not all horrible. Some of the people in my dance class are finally starting to warm up to me and treat me like a normal human, but that’s not the best news. Ashleigh and Zoey want to treat me to a trip to Washington D.C., sort of as a chance to get away from here for awhile.

Hey that reminds me, I’m not sure if you’d want to meet in person or not, but I’d love it if we could, maybe like at a neutral place for a few minutes? It’s okay if not though. It’s just you’re kind of someone I really look up to, like Zoey and Ashleigh.

Anyway, it’ll probably be like mid-May or so, after school’s out here. Write back and let me know. Better yet, can I give you my phone number? It’s totally up to you if you want to talk, but just in case I’ll attach it at the bottom.

Hugs and junk!

~ Sarah
(xxx)xxx-xxxx

~oOo~

A couple of weeks had passed since Sarah received the mixed news, though little had changed, for better or worse. Those who held a grudge against her kept their distance after the way Nathan’s buddies had nearly gotten themselves shot for breaking-and-entering. Max’s friends were still Sarah’s friends, though Sarah hadn’t mentioned that she might be moving yet. She hadn’t decided for herself, after all.

Late Thursday afternoon as Sarah and Christina sat across from one another at the kitchen table, studying for one of the last tests of the semester, Sarah’s purple phone rang out its familiar, tinny pop music ringtone. Christina squealed lightly in surprise, causing Sarah to snicker as she reached for the phone.

“Uh... I don’t recognize the number. It’s LeAnn’s area code though.” Her face fell. She was sure something bad had happened, and frantically fumbled to accept the call.

“H-hello?” she answered nervously.

“Sarah?” a young-sounding voice on the other end answered.

“Yeah, this is Sarah. Who’s this?”

“Sarah, hey! Um, well, this is Spirit.”

“OhmyGod,” she whispered, a little habit she’d picked up from spending too much time with Christina and Emily.

“Who is it?” Christina mouthed. Sarah covered the receiver.

“It’s Spirit!” she answered excitedly.

“Sarah? Hello?”

“Sorry Spirit,” Sarah quickly responded. “I’m just sort of shocked you called. You never replied to my email so I figured I scared you off or something.”

“Oh, Sarah I’m sorry. No you didn’t scare me off. It’s just a friend of mine stopped by that day, and I got distracted with shopping for a prom dress. I guess I thought I e-mailed you back when I hadn’t. I programmed your number into my phone, but this was the first chance I’ve had to really call. So how is everything?”

“The same, mostly. People are leaving me alone at least, probably because they’re afraid they’ll get thrown in jail.” Sarah sighed quietly. “But I still have a couple of close friends. And by this time next week I’ll be in D.C.”

“That soon? Man, where did the time go? Feels like just yesterday we were celebrating Christmas.”

Sarah laughed to herself. “Yeah, I guess. We haven’t really ever celebrated it. Not since I was a kid anyway.” She cleared her throat, changing the subject. “So um, I guess you’ve got a cheer thing soon?”

“Yeah, it’s coming up this weekend, plus prom right alongside it. It’s going to be crazy busy, but I’m hoping we have time for some sightseeing too. If you make it in time you should come watch us cheer. I’d love to introduce you to my friends!”

“Seriously? I mean, that’d be awesome! They wouldn’t mind though?”

“Why would they? They know about me. Heck one of them is the whole reason I was able to find myself, but they don’t care. They just think of it as a tomboy phase.”

“Oh, I like them already,” Sarah teased. “I’m not sure if I’ll make it in time, but if you’re still in the area maybe we could meet somewhere else? I mean, it’s not far from where you live is it?”

“Not terribly, no. Plus your sister lives here. Worst case you could always catch a bus here. I know she’d love to see you again. Kelly says she threatened to kidnap you a few times and bring you up here to live.”

Sarah blinked at that. Christina frowned, watching as tears began to well up in Sarah’s eyes. Her voice cracked as she answered, “She... really said that?”

“Yeah. We’ve all been kind of rooting for you, you know. Anyway, I’ll give you a call again soon, and we can work out the details, okay?”

“Thanks Spirit.”

“Hey, you can call me Robin.”

“Thanks, Robin,” Sarah echoed, smiling fondly even as she reached up to wipe her eyes, setting the phone aside. By now Christina had moved around the table to stand beside her, slipping an arm around her friend.

“You okay?”

“Great,” Sarah replied quietly as she smiled up at her. “Where were we?”

~oOo~

“I wish you guys were coming with me,” Sarah pouted as she embraced Christina, Emily, and then CJ where they stood waiting for the final boarding call. Sarah had dressed comfortably for the long flight, but even in faded jeans and a baggy t-shirt, all remnants of ‘John’ had been long gone for some time now. She even now sported the star-shaped silver stud earrings Christina bought for her that fateful day.

“I’ve got too much going on here,” Emily insisted.

“Besides, you need some space,” Christina added, giving her friend one last hug as Margaret, herself dressed uncharacteristically casually, approached. She even had her hair pulled back into a simple ponytail rather than the usual hairspray-stricken curls. She gently rested her hand on Sarah’s shoulder.

“It’s time, sweetheart. Our flight’s leaving soon.”

“Okay Momma,” Sarah answered. She leaned into her mother as she wrapped an arm around her waist. “Thanks for taking time off for this. I know it’s hard.”

Margaret glanced down at her daughter briefly and shook her head. “Sweetheart, I need this vacation as much as you do. Besides, Ms. McGregor insisted on paying for my ticket.”

Sarah’s expression brightened at that. “She’s persistent, but she means well,” Sarah advised, echoing the same words Zoey had spoken not so long ago. Her mother laughed softly. “Momma... It’s good to hear you laugh again.”

“It’s been a long time since I had any reason to laugh,” she answered. “Hi, here you go,” she added, handing over their boarding passes to the waiting attendant. Sarah paused to give the airport one last glance around before quickly following her mother.

~oOo~

Neither Sarah nor Margaret had ever done any real traveling beyond their sleepy little corner of the southern United States. Margaret tried to keep her apprehension about flying hidden, but her relief at being on the ground again showed. Just after the pair had collected their suitcases, something seemed to catch Sarah’s attention. Margaret watched with surprise as Sarah dropped her suitcase, racing toward LeAnn.

“Hey sweet girl,” LeAnn cheered warmly as she embraced Sarah, holding her tight.

“What are you doing here?!” Sarah gasped. Margaret, now carrying both their bags, staggered over, though she laughed as she set them down to hug her elder daughter.

“I’d like to know the same thing, young lady. I thought you couldn’t get away from the hospital?”

“Well when I told Kelly about the big news, she helped me work out a revised schedule. I’m due back in a couple of days. Where’re you staying anyway?”

“Ashleigh booked us a suite at the Four Seasons,” Sarah responded excitedly. “A real luxury suite!”

Margaret nodded. “I tried to talk her out of it. I told her it was too much for just the two of us, but you try arguing with a Scottish-descended lawyer,” she teased, clearly meaning no real offense.

“Gawd I missed you guys,” LeAnn added and kissed the top of Sarah’s head. “Sarah, you look amazing. I can’t believe how much you’ve changed.”

“And she’s even smiling,” Margaret noted, as LeAnn grabbed up Sarah’s suitcase.

As the three stepped outside, a tall, lanky fellow wearing a chauffeur’s uniform waved curtly as he approached, looking them over. He smiled politely.

“Pardon me, but would you be Margaret and Sarah Stevens?”

“Yes,” Margaret answered, eyeing the man warily. “Can I help you?”

His smile brightened as he tipped his hat. “On the contrary. Ms. McGregor arranged for me to shuttle you to your hotel, and anywhere else you’d like to go today.”

LeAnn’s jaw dropped. She and Sarah shared a blank stare before both started to laugh. “Damn, girl. You must’ve really made an impression.”

“This way, please. Your limo awaits.”

~oOo~

Late in the afternoon Sarah found herself staring up at the Lincoln Memorial from midway up the stairs. LeAnn had gone off to chase down a hotdog vendor, and Margaret waited at the base, leaving Sarah mostly alone with her thoughts, and a small brochure. She thought she could hear a small group of girls laughing amongst themselves, drawing closer, but she ignored it for now, at least until one very familiar voice spoke.

“Look, there’s the Lincoln Memorial. Hey Jen, what does it say about it?”

Another voice, slightly more mature in tone, answered, “The long version or the short?”

Sarah slowly turned back to see two cheerleaders dressed in purple-and-gold uniforms, as well as two more girls, one tall and tan with blonde hair, the other dressed in black with long, black hair, dark plum lips, and entirely too much eye makeup. The first girl spoke again.

“The short. We have to get back to the hotel before dark. Oh, hi there,” she continued, waving at Sarah as they drew nearer. “Sightseeing too?”

“Um, yeah,” Sarah answered hesitantly. Recognition seemed to dawn, but not in the first girl’s, rather her goth companion’s face first.

“Do I … know you from somewhere? Robin doesn’t she look really familiar?”

“Robin?” Sarah asked, stunned. “Spirit?”

“Sarah?” Robin answered. Immediately the two raced closer.

“Oh my God, it IS you isn’t it!”

“Sarah! Guys this is her! This is the girl Kelly sort of introduced me to, the one I’ve been emailing with back and forth for awhile now.”

Sarah smiled nervously as she waved back. “Um, hi,” she offered meekly. Robin laughed.

“Sarah this is Jennifer, Allison, and Nikki, my best friends.”

“I kind of feel like I already know you guys. Spirit’s told me so much. Er, I mean Robin,” she corrected herself. Jennifer laughed.

“Hey, they’re interchangeable. You wouldn’t believe how often we’ll be visiting somewhere and hear somebody scream,” Jennifer paused, shouting, “HEY SPIRIT!” causing both Robin and Allison to jump slightly. Nicole laughed.

“Gawd, yeah. Hey, is that your mom over there?”

“Oops, yeah, that’s her. How could you tell?”

“It’s the glare,” she answered with a giggle. “Better go let her know we’re not harassing you or something, hey?”

“Good idea. I’ll catch up with you guys in a minute okay?”

Sarah turned to walk back down the stairs. By the time Sarah reached her, LeAnn had returned as well, precariously balancing their late lunch - one piled high with relish, one a mix of ketchup and mustard, and one plain, as well as their drinks.

“What on earth was that about?” Margaret asked. Sarah smiled proudly.

“That was my pen pal and her friends. That was Spirit. I can’t believe it was really her.”

“Are you sure?” Margaret asked, naturally skeptical, but Sarah nodded quickly.

“I recognized her voice. That’s definitely her.”

LeAnn peered up the tall stairs then nodded. “I think that is her. We’ve met once before. Sure looks like the girl Kelly was talkin’ to that day.”

“C’mon, lemme introduce y’all,” she insisted, already sinking back into her Southern twang after a mere few hours around her sister. LeAnn nodded.

“Sure. But take your hot dog, will ya? I almost dropped ‘em twice,” she teased.

~oOo~

“So you haven’t decided yet?” Robin asked, glancing at Sarah. By now the sun had begun to set, and the girls still had much they wanted to discuss. Sarah gave a simple nod.

“It’s just so hard, y’know? This afternoon’s been so much fun, but I just know I’d miss Chris and Emily too.”

“I guess I was lucky like that,” Robin answered as she wrapped an arm around Nicole’s waist. “When I left San Francisco, I wasn’t leaving anyone behind, really. There’s Andrea, but we didn’t really become good friends until after I moved here.”

“And after she showed up in a McDonalds in the middle of nowhere, on the way to a basketball game,” Jennifer advised. Robin laughed.

“Yeah, um, that was … that was a weird day for me all around. But listen, for what it’s worth, you won’t jump head-first into the unknown if you do decide to come stay with your sister.”

Sarah stopped in her tracks to stare at Robin. “I’m not sure I follow.”

Robin smiled. “I love my friends, and there’s no way I’d have had the courage to be myself without their strength and support. You don’t think we’d just abandon you to the wolves, do you?”

“But I hardly know you,” Sarah answered.

“You did say you felt like you already knew us,” Allison offered reassuringly. “Besides, we’re all Girl Scouts. We do know a few girls your age we could introduce you to, plus you’d be welcome to hang out with us anytime you wanted.”

“We’re not trying to push you to a decision,” Nicole concluded, “But Robin’s damn special to us, and anyone she’s willing to go out on a limb for like this, we are too. Plus we’ve been following the news reports ever since you were made a media darling. Like it or not, we care about what happens to you.”

“Thanks guys. I really dunno what to say.”

Robin smiled and hugged Sarah. “Say you won’t let fear decide what you want. You’ll have a place here, and you’ll have a place back in Arkansas. It’s up to you. If you decide to go back we can still stay in touch, email and stuff so you’re not losing anything. We just want to help.”

“I’ll let you know what I decide,” Sarah responded simply, but added a moment later, “But … it would really help if I could see what Alpine Springs is like.”

LeAnn laughed. “I’ll let my roommate know we’ll have company in a few days. I’m sure she won’t mind.”

“Thanks sis; you’re the best!” Sarah answered excitedly. Margaret chuckled.

“And I’ll let Ashleigh know about the change of plans so she doesn’t book our suite for too long.”

Allison’s eyebrows quirked. “Wait a minute. You guys got a suite?”

Sarah nodded. “It’s a long story. Can we give y’all a ride back to your hotel?” she added as she motioned to a point just up the street, where their limousine, and driver, awaited.

Nicole laughed to herself. “Haven’t been in one of those in awhile. Sure, why not?”

~oOo~

“Is that everything?” Margaret asked as Sarah emerged from her old bedroom carrying a stack of boxes. Sarah carefully set them down, pausing to catch her breath.

“Yeah. Some things Max gave me that fit really well, plus something Chris gave me to remember her by.” Tears began to well up as she turned aside, and Margaret stepped closer, pulling her into a hug. “I’m going to miss her so much. It feels like I’m abandoning her.”

“Oh, sweetie, you know she’s going to come visit us once we find a new place to live, and get everything settled.”

“I know, but she’s been there for me when no one else was. She’s like another sister, y’know? It’s just gonna take some time for me to adjust I guess.”

As Sarah tried to compose herself, someone knocked firmly on the apartment door. Margaret glanced over her shoulder. “Now who could that be?” she mused with some surprise, glancing back at Sarah, who simply shrugged.

Margaret turned to approach and pulled the door open, to find their elderly neighbor, Jack McGregor standing with a small, brown parcel in-hand. He smiled as he nodded.

“I couldn’t let you leave without saying goodbye. I have a present for Sarah.”

Sarah cautiously approached, peeking around her mother at the old man. His smile broadened.

“Sarah. I’ve been talking with my niece a great deal about whether or not this was even a good idea, and we both feel that you would take this in the spirit that it’s meant. I’d like you to have this.” He extended the parcel to her, and she stared blankly back at him for a moment before carefully tearing away the paper.

Inside, his old service revolver had been mounted on a piece of high-polished, stained wood. Below, a small brass plaque read, “For courage and bravery above and beyond the call of any young woman. Love, Ashleigh and Jack McGregor.”

Sarah stared back at the old man with tears in her eyes.

“I had the barrel filled in with cement and painted over so you’d have to be looking straight on to see it.”

“Thank you so much,” Sarah answered, throwing her arms around his neck as she wept openly. “This means so much to me. But … Ashleigh is your niece?”

He smiled more openly now. “Who do you think introduced her to Zoey? Of course, she had a different name back then, but the times are changing. Who am I to stand in the way of love? Take care of yourself Sarah. And write to us some time. You know our address.”

As Jack turned to walk away, Sarah felt Margaret’s arms around her. She smiled brightly as she turned back to her mother, now herself in tears.

“LeAnn’s waiting for us. Let’s go ‘home’.”

Sarah set the plaque on top of her boxes, not even giving the old apartment a last glance as she stepped through the door. Margaret lingered for a moment, but smiled, echoing ‘home’ in a barely audible whisper, before she pulled the door closed behind her, following Sarah down to the waiting moving van.

---

Authors’ Note:

I (Zoe) thought long and hard about what to do with Sarah’s story. I knew that I wanted to end Boys Don’t Cry when I resolved the Nathan situation for a number of reasons, one of many being that I just can’t keep up the dark atmosphere anymore.

So when I approached my partner-in-crime about what we could do with the story, she astutely reminded me that Sarah is just too important for me to simply abandon.

The result is the culmination of our hard work, discussion, planning, and quite an enjoyable amount of banter to bring Sarah fully into Robin’s world because, to be honest, Sarah could use a little bit of light.

Will she become a mainstay character in Becoming Robin? We don’t know yet, but as she was already a minor character, bringing her to Alpine Springs rather than simply letting her fade into obscurity felt ‘right’ to us. I know not everyone wanted it to end like this, but I am the Queen of Sweetness. ^_~

It's been a lot of fun watching Sarah's story unfold, from what began as just a simple short story, expanding it into a full-blown mini-serial, bringing Ashly on-board, and finding creative ways to write ourselves into the story as well.

I promise I have something special (and very dark) on the horizon for Halloween though (hopefully!), and of course Robin's story will continue for a long time to come.

We hope you've enjoyed the ride as much as we've enjoyed writing it!

With love,
Zoe and Ashly

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