The Sequel. The Little Rose.

Chapter Ten. Sang gets Serious.

Sang and Sean plunked themselves on the lounge after everyone had left for the night. Sean sighed in relief. "It's really quiet without the kids now. Isn't it Pookie." He smirked hearing Sang giggle. "So what would you like to do now Sweetheart? Read, watch a movie or finish our chat from this morning?" He asked turning himself to face Sang on the lounge.

"Chat, Sean. I have some things to run past someone. If you want to hear that is?" Sang said frowning. She wasn't totally sure where to start or if she should even say something. She let out a breath she hadn't even realised she had been holding when she heard Sean scoff and tell her to start anywhere. He loved talking with her.

Sang decided to just blurt it out. "Okay, well for starters, I think I should start staying by myself at night."

There was silence for a minute and Sang started to wonder if perhaps she should have started with something easier. But, well, she thought that probably was the easiest.

"Okay, Pookie. Would you mind telling me what brought this on?" Sean finally asked, knowing this wasn't going to go down well with anyone. Even he didn't like the idea, and knew it wasn't just for Sang's sake and her need to feel safe and actually be safe that they stayed with her overnight. Not any more, and it hadn't been for a long time.

"Well, I think it's time for me to grow up. I cannot expect others to look out for me all the time. Not like you guys do. I need to be able to look after myself. That means being able to sleep alone and take care of my own bad dreams. I'm nearly 17 Sean. The boogy man can't get me. Logic tells me that if nothing else. And I know the guys turn down jobs because they feel someone needs to be with me, and that's not right."

"Pookie, I've heard the guys mention many times that they were spending the night with you. I've seen the looks on their faces, and I know how I feel personally. It's not just about keeping you safe and looking out for you with those horrendous nightmares you get. Not anymore. Honestly, it hasn't been for a long, long time. Not completely. We do it as much for ourselves as you now."

"We all love to be with you. You're like a flame that attracts moths. Some pesky ones at that. There are nine of us. Every little minute any of us can spend with you, we all want to take it. Please reconsider your decision. Think about it some more. There's no hurry, is there?"

Sang thought about what Sean was saying. "Um, I'm not sure I agree with your opinion of this. But I suppose you're right, Sean there's no hurry. I can wait and think about it some more."

Sean breathed a sigh of relief. He had bought them some time, but he knew there was more to this and he made the decision to keep pressing.

"Have you had many nightmares since you hit your head? He asked. "North hasn't mentioned you telling him about them."

"One or two, and I didn't say anything to North about them. Like I said, it's time to grow up." She said briefly and continued "I think I've mainly had dreams of times spent with my grandparents. Very jumbled and they make no sense at all. But they don't wake me up, and I don't really remember what they were about. I just have vague memories of having dreamt."

"Everyone needs help at some time in their life, Pookie." Sean murmured as he put his arm around Sang and her cuddled her close.

"Maybe. I thinks there's help and total dependence on others. Like I said I'm nearly 17. I shouldn't be so dependent, and I loathe waking everyone up when it happens. I know how busy you all are. It's just one more way that you are all spending too much time being concerned about me. It's not that I'm not grateful, because I am, but I always seem to be the centre of attention."

"Which reminds me of something else I did think of which is my lack of identification."

"Neither of my parents can get to me now and I don't want to see them, Sean. I really don't. Although I may have to talk to them about my birth certificate. I've not heard from my father at all, even when I've left messages asking about it." Sang shrugged. "I stopped asking."