Sarah smiled at Kevin's sleeping figure as the plane sped north to New York. His head was in her lap, his feet kicked up onto the armrest of the seat. She ran her hands through his dark, thick hair, which was tousled and out of place as she murmured silent prayers to his guardian angels. "He's precious, so precious to me. Keep him safe…no matter what, always bring him home to me." She traced her fingers down the smooth canyons of his cheeks and thought about the man she had found. He was everything and anything a woman could hope for, and she knew in her heart that if he asked, she would follow him to the ends of the Earth.

Trying not to wake Kevin, Sarah twisted her body and pulled the 2 angel pendants out of her bag. They each hung on their own thin silver chain, and were made of wrought silver, with gold halos. Kissing one, Sarah slid it over Kevin's head and down onto his neck. The touch of the cold metal woke him, and he brought up his hand to feel what the weight around his neck was. "What…what's this?" Kevin stuttered, tripping over his words, his lips still heavy from sleep. He sat up and looked down at the necklace around his neck, and then up at Sarah, an open, vulnerable look in his eyes. "These…where did you get these?"

"Your mom gave them to me sweetie. Why?" Sarah replied, visibly concerned.

"And you know what they are, what they're for?" Kevin asked, his voice growing urgent.

"Yes Kev, I do. Now tell me, what's going on?"

Kevin looked over at Sarah, his hand still clutching the chain around his neck. "My mom…gave them to you. Sarah, these were hers. My dad wore his until the day he died…" and as Kevin's voice trailed off, he reached out and enveloped her in a hug, burying his own head into her hair.

"Oh my god..." Sarah whispered, "Kevin, I had no idea...none. Oh god, I'm so sorry." Sarah moved her arms around Kevin's back and held him as he lay, motionless, against her. Sarah kissed his cheeks, and as she did, she could swear she tasted the bitter saltwater of his tears… "Kevin…are you crying?" she whispered next to his ear. "Please baby, let me help. If you don't want to, we don't have to wear them…" But Kevin cut her off.

"He would have been so proud of me. To see you, it would of made him so happy. I miss him Sarah…I really miss him. He never got to see the success you know? Only the trouble in between…" He straightened up, and Sarah could see that he had pulled himself together.

"My typical Kev." Sarah thought "Doesn't like to show emotion for too long."

She watched silently as Kevin pulled the pendant out of her hand, and kissed it, just as Sarah had. Then he too pulled it down over her head, and settled it onto her neck. Running his hands along her collarbone and down her shoulders he murmured to her "You keep this on ok baby doll? I don't want anything to happen to you…promise me."

"Kevin, you know I'd promise you that." Kevin kissed her slowly as he pulled her down into a sleeping position not unlike the one he had inhabited before.

"You will always be my angel…"

Hours later, on their huge bed, Sarah stared at the ceiling, playing with her hair. She was remembering Kevin's mom, and wishing she had that kind of close relationship with her own. Her thoughts were suddenly interrupted by Kevin muttering under his breath "What the hell?" and she rolled over on the bed to watch Kevin unpack. She laughed quietly as she watched Kevin pull item after item out of her bag, a cross look on his face. Turning to look at her, he frowned, setting creases in his brow. "WHY do girls bring so many clothes?" he asked, "It doesn't make any sense to me."

"It's not supposed to." Sarah replied, pushing herself up into a sitting position, "It's one of our divine secrets: 'One shall always bring 15 too many outfits on a trip.' It's written in the hidden rule book."

"Right, and that thing in my wallet really IS my 'lucky silver dollar'!" Kevin grinned, rolling his eyes to the ceiling, then ducking quickly to avoid the pillows flying at him from the bed.

"God, you're so MEAN!" Sarah screeched, lunging off the bed and clawing at his shirt. "I've gotta teach you a lesson!" Sarah pushed him over, and climbed onto his stomach, hitting him softly with punches. After a while, she stopped, and threw out one of her arms. "Hit me!" she yelled, "C'mon Kev, hit me!" When Kevin objected, Sarah rolled over onto the floor beside him, and the two lay there side by side laughing together. After a while Sarah sat up. "Kevin, I'm gonna call my mom."

"Alright." Kevin smiled, reaching up to grab the portable phone for her, "Here ya go…call me if ya need anything, ok?" "Yeah…" Sarah sighed, "Wish me luck." She whispered as she walked out into the large living room, and sat on the carpet. As Sarah punched in each number to her parent's home, a greater feeling of dread washed over her. "What am I doing?" she thought, "Ugh, I REALLY hope this goes well…" Sarah held her breath as the dial-tone rang in her ear.

"Hello?" Sarah heard the voice on the other end say, and her own voice caught in her throat.

"Mom?" Sarah asked, tears gathering in her voice, "Is that you?"

"Sarah? What…where are you?" Her mother asked. Sarah couldn't read into the feelings in her mother's voice. It was calm and controlled, with the smallest hint of steeliness on the edge. Melanie (Sarah's mother) had always been a controlled person, who asked of nothing more from her children other that they get a good education, and not waste their time on silly inconveniences. By not going to college, and trying a career her mother couldn't understand, Sarah had disappointed her mother on both accounts.

"I'm in New York mom."

"Ahh yes. With Kevin? He did call me…a sweet boy. He is much to old for you of course…"

"Mother, we are not going to discuss this. I have heard it from everyone under the sun, AND it's written in every tabloid in the country. I called because I cannot let this go on mother. I need you to forgive me, to not dwell on this anymore."

"Sarah…" her mother began, "You were a honor roll student. You participated in many after school activities, and you had done lots of community service. You could have gotten into any school you wanted, but you threw all that away to follow a boy-band across the country like some young hussy, and-"

"Mom, you know full well that I did not follow the backstreet boys here. You KNOW that I happened into AJ backstage. Mom, what is this REALLY about? I know you're mad I didn't go to college, but can't you see that I'm happy here with my life…with Kevin, can't you PLEASE except me?"

"Sarah I am very happy that you have found a man that you think you're in love with. But Sarah…he IS much older, and I am afraid he could be using you."

"He's not mother, he isn't, I swear. If you were here, you would see it too." Sarah waited for the silence on the other end to stop.

"Sarah, if you feel this is what you want…I guess…this is ok with me."

"Thank you mom." Sarah whispered. "This means a lot to me."

"Alright, well, I have to go ok Sarah?"

"Ok mom, I'll talk to you later…bye." Sarah hung up the phone and turned to see Kevin walking down the hall waving a Chinese take-out menu.

"Chinese?"

"So everything is cool?" Kevin asked as he passed Sarah some black-bean chicken. He threw an extra pair of chopsticks at her, and kicked his bare feet up on the edge of the table. Sarah fixed her gaze on them, and the bottom of his black adidas snap pants that framed them.

"Kevin that's really nasty while I'm eating." Sarah frowned, as she dug her chopsticks into some moo-shi beef.

"Again I ask…how is this thing? Did you guys make up?"

"Yeah we did. She thinks you're too old for me, but she says that if I'm happy, then I have her blessing."

"And you are happy here Sarah?" Kevin asked, leaning forward in his chair, and leveling his gaze at her, "Are you happy with me?"

"Kevin!" Sarah giggled, throwing him a look, "What is going on? Of COURSE I'm happy here and of COURSE I'm happy with you. Why would you think differently?"

"I don't necessarily…" Kevin mumbled, "But a guy's always got to make sure." Sarah shook her head at Kevin. In her opinion he had been acting really strange lately. In the middle of her thoughts, she bit down hard on a spicy black-bean, and her eyes began to tear. Kevin silently handed her an extra can of coke, and watched as she gulped some down.

"This is what I want." Sarah thought as she stared at Kevin over the rim of her coke. "Just someone to sit with, and silently eat Chinese food with on a Tuesday evening."

"I want this." Kevin thought, "I want her to sit here with me across a table, and eat take out with me, and...I want her to be here for me always…forever."

At the exact same time the two opened their mouths, both and whispered, "I love you."

Sarah turned and looked out over the Manhatten skyline. The view from the balcony took her breath away, and she simply stood and breathed it all in. The wind whistled around the building and whipped at her white silk pajamas, as she shivered, and pulled the thin fabric closer to her body. She felt that FINALLY everything was going right in her world. Her mother had forgiven, and finally excepted her, she had met Kevin's mother, and she had liked her. Not to mention Sarah was living in a beautiful apartment with a gorgeous caring man she loved. Her thoughts were interrupted by the sound of the glass door opening behind her. She turned, whipping her hair into her eyes, and blinding her for a moment. After she had brushed back the strands she saw Kevin staring straight at her, with a demeanor more serious then she had ever seen. "Hey baby." Sarah smiled, "What's up?"

Kevin crossed to her, and looked down deeply into her eyes. "Sarah, you know there isn't anything I wouldn't give you. Nothing I wouldn't WANT to give you. But, but…I want you to know that I love you more then anything on this Earth, and…I want you to know how precious you are to me. I-"

"Kevin, you know I love you too. You know I feel the exact same way about you. What do you want to say to me? Just say it Kevin."

Sarah watched, her eyes growing wider as Kevin lowered himself to one knee, and pulled a box out of his pocket. Looking up at her, he smiled softly and murmured "Sarah, you are my light, my hope, my future, and I want to spend my life with you until my dying breath. Sarah…will you marry me?"

Chapter 15//E-Mail Me//Fanfic Index