Rating: PG
Pairing: Sarah/Harry
Beta: hhertzof
Spoilers: Invasion of the Bane
Summary: Sarah attempts to get used to the relationships she has with her children.

"Where are you going?" Nat asked, wiping her face with her sleeve, as her hands were still wet and foamy.

Luke had one hand on the open front door, the other on the strap of the rucksack on his shoulder. It was the big rucksack that he had used to go backpacking one summer holiday and that made Nat worry. He hadn't been himself the past week, but then none of them had. He used to go to her with all his problems but lately it seemed like he didn't talk to anyone, or even spend much time at home.

"You're not my mother," Luke replied, "you can't stop me."

Nat sighed. "It was just a question."

He shuffled his feet. "Out."

"When will you be home? Tomorrow? The next day?" Nat felt like she was his mother and she hated it. It wasn't her place and it wasn't the relationship she used to have with him.

"I don't have a home any more."

"Sarah left this house to all three of us."

"I said home, not a house."

Nat gave in. He was right - this house wasn't the same without Sarah. "At least say goodbye to Georgia first." She hoped that Georgia would be upset enough to make him stay.

He nodded, put his rucksack down and ran up the stairs. Nat heard Luke and Georgia's voices but not what they said. When Luke came back down he kissed Nat on the cheek, said "Bye," and there was nothing more she could do to stop him. He took Sarah's car, she noticed, which she hoped meant he had somewhere in mind and would be safe.

After a minute it became clear he really wasn't coming back and Georgia hadn't run down to complain or anything, so she went back to the washing up - it needed to be done and there was nothing else useful she could do. It had become the only time in the day when she was on her own and was usually undisturbed, so it was the only time she let herself cry. She told herself it was just the running water that set her off, but the trouble was she couldn't decide whether she was more upset at Sarah's death, that it reminded her of her mother's, or whether it was just the stress of having to deal with everyone else.

She had just finished when the front door opened. The sound was closely followed by Georgia clumping down the stairs and a shout of "Dad!" followed by "Luke's gone." Nat heard their voices getting quieter as they both went back upstairs.

Nat put Harry's dinner in the microwave and turned her attention to the drying up. She had done by the time Harry appeared in the kitchen.

He sat down and said, "Thank you," before picking up his knife and fork. "What's happened with Luke?"

Nat settled opposite him. "He's run away from home."

"And you didn't stop him?"

Nat resented the accusation she heard in his voice but bit her tongue. She didn't want to get into an argument about this. "He's just lost his mother, can you blame him?"

Harry sighed and shook his head.

If he didn't come back in a week, or maybe a month, she would look for him. For the moment he seemed to want to be on his own, and she would give him that space. Everyone grieved differently, after all. She put thoughts of Luke aside and tackled the topic she really wanted to speak to Harry about. "We have to talk about your working hours," she said.

He sighed and set his cutlery down. "It wasn't work that kept me late. I had some things to do back at my flat and--"

"It's not what you're doing, it's what time you're getting in. You only see Georgia at her bedtime. Doesn't that bother you?"

He started eating again. Nat took that as a yes.

"She's just lost her mother and now her brother's disappeared, goodness knows where." Her anger on this subject stopped her from feeling anything else at her words. "She needs her father and if you're not here for her now she might never forgive you." She spoke from experience.

"It's just going to take me a while to get organised."

"You've had a week. You forget I have a home of my own to go to. Or did you remember?"

He shook his head. "No, I--"

She was determined to have her say; she was going to win this argument. "I'm not Sarah, and I'm not going to take her place." No matter how much she had recently. "Georgia is your daughter, she's your responsibility."

There was silence as Harry ate and Nat struggled to think of what else to say to get her point across. The trouble was she couldn't just leave here whenever she liked because she couldn't leave Georgia on her own, and he knew it. Not that she thought he was doing it on purpose, he was just taking her for granted and if he carried on her marriage wasn't going to make it to its first anniversary.

They were interrupted by a small voice calling, "Daddy," and Georgia stood in the doorway, tears running down her cheeks.

Harry put his knife and fork down, pushed his chair back and held his arms out. Georgia settled herself on his lap, burying her face against his chest.

Georgia said a muffled, "Everyone's left me," between sobs.

"No, they haven't." Harry stroked her hair and rubbed her back. "I'm still here."

She didn't say anything else and eventually her crying subsided as she fell asleep. Nat looked at Harry pointedly. He kissed Georgia on the top of her head.

"I'll be here when she gets up," Nat said, quietly. "But I'm leaving at six o'clock, so I can go home and eat the dinner my husband will be cooking for me."

"I do appreciate everything you've done." Harry's voice was just as quiet, so as not to wake Georgia. He sighed. "I didn't think it would be this hard."

Nat smiled at him. Maybe it was easier for her to be able to go home where everything was normal and nothing had changed. "It will get easier." She hoped.

He nodded. "She looks more and more like her mother everyday."

There was definitely a resemblance. But Nat thought that perhaps it was because she missed Sarah that she saw her in Georgia's place. She went around the table to softly kiss Georgia. "Night, Harry."

"Night." He saw her out, carrying Georgia, before taking her back to bed.

Share this post

• 

Fandom: Sarah Jane Adventures | Type: Character: Georgia Sullivan (original), Character: Harry Sullivan, Character: Luke Smith, Character: Nat Redfern, Length: Long story, Pairing: Sarah/Harry, Series: Soap Opera, Type: Het | Link

Leave a Reply

If you haven't commented here before your review will be moderated and I have to approve it before it shows up. If you give your email address my reply will be emailed to you (check your spam folder if you're using hotmail or yahoo).