A Shift Between Dimensions

Platonic or Passion

Sarah was so thankful that when she was working at the bookstore she could keep Strider with her.  It was even more important since Melissa was now unable to watch him.  She had him tucked in the carrier on her chest as she went up and down the ladder restocking the books that had come in.  He was such a good baby.  He only cried when he was hungry, needed a change, or was sleepy.  She stroked his soft, silver hair loving that he got his father's good looks.  She wasn't sure what she was going to do tomorrow when she was supposed to be at the restaurant.  She had been turning it over and over again in her mind.  She wasn't sure her boss there would be as accommodating as Akari had been.  Klaudia had volunteered to watch him over the weekends when she worked out on the Nakami farm.

She was leaning over, shoving a book onto the shelf when the bell tinkled behind her.  She turned her head then grinned as she saw Yamato strolling in.  He had been coming into the shop and the restaurant she worked at regularly since Kakashi had left town.  He stopped at the bottom of the stairs and frowned up at her.

"I don't think that is entirely safe, Sarah," he said softly.

"You're right, it's not, but... I gotta get stuff done," she responded before slowly coming down the ladder.

She almost laughed when he moved directly under her in the event she did in fact fall.  She was quite a bit more agile now than she had been just before giving birth to Strider.  She grimaced as she remembered how she had fallen and thankfully he had been there at the time to catch her.  That had been... embarrassing and uncomfortable.  She had been very heavy at that point in time but he had only made a small grunt from the impact.

"I'm never going to like seeing you up that ladder," he muttered when she finally got to the bottom.

"Well I did almost crush you that time so..."

Yamato laughed and leaned towards her, "That's not what I meant and you know it."  He peered down at Strider and ran his finger across his little head, getting a slight frown from the boy in his sleep from the disturbance.  "He's getting big."

"Yes, he's growing a lot," she agreed with a grin.  "Oh how I love that little face."

Yamato eyed the boy for a moment before leaning forward and bracing his arm on the ladder behind her.  She looked up at him and raised her brows.  He had asked a dozen times already but she had said no every single time but it didn't stop him from asking again, "So... I was wondering if you would come to dinner with me tonight."

Sarah sighed as she looked up at him, "Yamato..."

"Listen Sarah," he said as he lowered his voice while leaning towards her, "You're working yourself to death and your health is going to eventually suffer from it if you keep going like this.  Give me a chance to show you I'm different.  You need a husband.  I need a wife.  Strider needs a father. Give me one chance."

Sarah was so tired and he was making a lot of sense in that moment.  Her grandmother had married a man out of necessity during the Great Depression that she didn't love and eventually, through the course of time, she had come to love him.  Her great-grandmother had married a man out of convenience as well and things turned out good for both of them.  But was that fair to Yamato?  Why he wanted her in the first place was a mystery to her.  She was burned, bad emotionally.  She wasn't sure she would ever love anyone again after Kakashi.  She had a son that was only a few months old.  She shifted her head to the side as she looked at him. She felt herself wavering and he slowly started to smile, seeing it in her expression too.

"It's not fair to you, Yamato," she protested finally, pushing against the momentary weakness.  "I don't know if I'll ever be able to love someone again and you'd be saddled with a lot of responsibility that isn't yours to shoulder.  You've been such a wonderful friend and I would-"

She made a small sound when he reached forward, sliding his hand into her hair before pulling her forward and kissing her.  It was a very different kind of kiss than Kakashi's had been and as he pulled back, he started chuckling softly.  "Damn.  Well... I wasn't expecting that."

Sarah gave him a smile and touched the side of his face with affection.  "I'm sorry, Yamato.  That's the universe's way of telling us both it's not the right move."

He gave a heavy sigh then leaned back, "Yes, it was definitely a sign."

Yamato frowned at her then, "I still stand by what I said earlier, Sarah.  You need a husband.  Strider needs a father."

Sarah gave him a sad smile, "I agree with you but... it is what it is.  My life has never been one that has had happy endings."  She looked down at her son that had slept through the entire thing, "But I have this little guy and I will work myself to the bone to make sure he has everything he needs.  When he's older... it won't be so hard.  I just got to dig in until then."

Yamato tilted his head to the side, "Hmm.  There has to be something you can do that will take care of those needs without breaking you down.  I'll do some poking around and see if I can find that for you at least."

"You really are a class act, Yamato," she said with a soft laugh. "I'm glad you are my friend."

He left shortly after and she finished up for the rest of the day.  It was strange how when he kissed her, she had felt nothing.  She must really have been broken for that.  Although, it had obviously been the same for him.  She gave a soft sigh as she closed up and started down the street to the apartment she had found.  It was in a little bit of a shady neighborhood but it was what she could afford.

She was about to turn down the street that led to the neighborhood when in the distance she saw a sight she wasn't prepared for.  She gave a soft gasp and quickly ducked into the alley before peering around the corner.  Her heart hurt as she saw him then fear went through her as she looked down at Strider.  Kakashi was back.

Oh no, he couldn't know about Strider.  She turned and ran through the alleyways away from him as she made her way back to their apartment.  It was stupid really, he would find out about him eventually but if he never saw Strider, then he wouldn't know he was his child.  At least, that is what she told herself.  Maybe he wouldn't care even if he did find out?

Sarah scowled as she went up the stairs to her apartment.  Oh no, not Kakashi.  He would consider him just as much his property as he once did her. No, he might even try to take him from her.  She was shaking by the time she turned the lock in the door and quickly went about closing up every window.  Her mind going back to when he had knocked open the window with his Chakra before and hauled her out.  Calm down, Sarah.  He doesn't know where you are and even if he did, he doesn't know about Strider yet.

She felt tears roll over her cheeks as she kissed the top of Strider's head.  She had been thinking about it for a while now but she had pushed it away because he was still gone.  Yet seeing him, the old fears started sweeping up in her.  She was going to have to leave the Leaf, permanently.  There was no getting around it.  The village was too small to avoid him forever, she was silently thankful that he had not seen her.

Sarah carefully took Strider out of his carrier and set him in the tiny crib that she kept by the bed.  She then started packing their meager possessions.  She had refrained from asking for help from Naruto all this time but this time... she was going to ask him for help to leave the Leaf.  The Land of Sand would be a good place to go.  Gaara was a good man and ruled the land well.  It would be a good place to raise Strider in peace.

It just about killed her thinking about leaving her friends behind but... damn you Kakashi Hatake.  Why didn't you just stay away?