Sage: broadway_crackers
Grace: me

A/N this is set in December 1897 :)

Grace kicks a pebble absent minded my as she walks down through the Forrest. By now anybody she knew from her childhood was probably dead. The only family she had was her great nieces and nephews and what not. She looks up and hears someone yell in her direction.

"Hey kid! You looking for someone?"he asks her. She looks him in the eye.

"No. Um do you know where the Owens family's cottage is?"she asks. "I'm looking for them to sort some stuff out."

The man looks at her strangely. "That ain't there anymore but it was just on the south edge of the Foster's woods,"he replies. He gives her directions and Grace thanks him quickly.

She starts to walk again. This place sure ain't the same as it was in 1815. It was unusual to be back but she still remembered the same old routes home and all.

She soon finds herself back at her best friend's childhood home. Or where it was. What was in it's place was merely a sign.

Grace crouches down to read it and mumbles it under her breath.

This was the home of the Owens family once stood. A storm in 1886 destroyed it but it was rebuilt by the family and was removed from the Foster's land in 1896.

At least there's something to explain where it went she thinks to herself. She starts to walk about once more and realises where she could find some answers.

She starts to run towards their old tree. Or what was their tree but clearly wasn't. She was still a little bitter about Sage having a new partner in crime but understood her best friend had to move on.

Even the old Forrest was different. Instead where their tree was stood a small hill with flowers and fresh green grass framed with trees.

She starts to slow down when she sees a gravestone where it once was but it wasn't surrounded by trees anymore.

Grace gently crouches down and lightly removes some moss with her thumb.

Sage Amelia Owens
1795-1822
Beloved best friend
Dearest wife
Cherished mother

Her best friend was a mother. Her best friend was married. Her best friend was gone. Grace sits down and loosely wraps her arms around her knees.

She feels a tear drip down from her eye and she didn't care. Usually she would've hated for someone to see her cry but she didn't care. Her best friend only lived until the age of twenty five.

Grace lets go of her knees and lies down. It was hard for her to accept that the last person she knew from her childhood and her childhood home was gone.

A few hours pass by and she feels someone tap her shoulder.

"Miss can I help you?"the voice asks. Grace sits up and looks to the person, her eyes widening as she realises who it was.

"Sage Amelia Owens you sneaky liar,"she grins and tackles her best friend into a hug. Sage gladly accepts the hug.

The two girls stumble over slightly but laugh it off. Grace ruffles up her hair slightly and smile. "You're seriously telling me that you got married?"

"Yes and I was also a mother before I faked my death. Now why did you never visit!"Sage asks slightly annoyed. Grace shrugs and looks down sheepishly.

"I just couldn't bring myself to come here. Plus I was stuck in Europe and Asia for a lot of it,"she replies.

"Could've written though,"Sage replies. "Oh that's right you can't because you never paid attention."

"Yeah yeah. You had a child and you got married!"Grace says in disbelief. "I saw the wedding I was sat in a tree for that. Your groom was terrified."

"So you were there!"the younger girl says and looks at her in disbelief.

"Yeah. Like I would miss my partner in crime's wedding,"she scoffs. "Tell me about your child,"the older girl says.

"Two actually twins,"Sage corrects. "A boy and a girl."

"Do tell,"she smiles.

"Well my son Parker was older by two minutes and my daughter was called Charlie."

"Good to know just one question. How old are you?"Grace asks slightly confused and sits up properly.

"I drank when I was seventeen in 1812,"Sage replies and sits up properly beside her friend.

Grace looks at her slightly confused. "I visited you on your birthday in 1812 and you said you wouldn't drink,"she questions.

"I soon regretted it and drank a few months later,"the younger girl explains and ruffles her friend's hair.

"Alright then who was your new partner in crime?"

"New partner in crime? If you mean a few years after you left then that was a classmate,"Sage replies and Grace nods. "She could never replace you,"she promises, "plus she left to live in France a few years later."

"Okay okay but what'd my family now?"Grace asks.

"Well you parents died when your mother 81 and your father was 90. Liberty moved over to California in 1826 and married a guy called Joseph and had two daughters named Meghan and Grace,"Sage explains.

Grace nods. She'd been stuck all over Europe and Asia for sixty eight years. It made sense that she hadn't been very updated. She hadn't been to Treegap since Anna and Beck turned twenty. "Good to know I got my recognition."

"Yeah that was coincidence because Lib died in childbirth and Joseph named Grace,"the second girl replies. "Joseph remarried a woman who took great care of your nieces though,"she reassures.

"Daniel moves to Canada and married a woman named Jemima. They had two sons and a daughter called Mark, Alexander and Amelia,"she explains and thinks a little. "I think they lived somewhere up north. He died in the 70's no idea where his kids are."

"Anna became an elementary school teacher in the local school a few towns away. Didn't have any kids but had a boyfriend called Charlie. He was a soldier. If memory serves then Anna only died 10 years ago,"Sage explains.

Grace smiles a little bit at how her little sister's life went. "I'm proud of her. She always wanted to be a teacher."

"Beck moved to England and became a nursery maid. She stopped at 30 to take care of her own kids,"Sage replies and Grace grins. Her little brother always loved the coast and the sea. "She married a man called James and had two daughters and two sons called Amy, Charlotte, Edward and Michael."

"Least they had good lives,"the older girl nods. "Kinda disappointed that none of them gave me any purposeful recognition though,"she mumbles.

"Daniel wanted to name his daughter Rose which was your middle name if that makes you feel better,"Sage offers.

"No it doesn't. That's my mother's first name,"Grace replies blankly.

"Well Anna and Beck barely knew who you were,"Sage replies.

"I taught them how to skim stones and fish though!"Grace replies.

"But Lib had a daughter called Grace!"

"That was coincidental!"

"You'll live!"

"I've got no choice, stupid,"the older girl replies. "So where've you been?"

"Most states in the USA, Europe, Asia, South America,"Sage shrugs. "You?"

"Every state except New York because we said we'd go together. I've also been to Europe, Asia and Africa,"Grace replies.

"Take it we're going to New York City then?"Sage asks.

"What kind of a friend would I be if I didn't take you?"