Moonlightaholics

I did an alternate universe of my story John Whitley's Afterlife. I first wanted to show the pain people cause by holding on to anger. Now I wanted to show the peace that can be brought by forgiveness. This story will contain the mention of a real air disaster in New York City in 1960. If that will disturb you please do not read any further.

I do not own any recognizable characters no copyright infringement is intended.


Decenber 16, 1960


John Whitley had always been obsessed with business but since the disappearance of his daughter five years ago, he had been completely consumed by it.

Another Christmas without her. His only child had run away five years ago. He hadn’t been able to find Fitzgerald anywhere.

Five long years. He was probably a grandfather. How could she be so unkind as to not call or send a letter? A young girl may run away because of love. It’s a cruel woman that would make her poor mother suffer or else that Fitzgerald has forbidden it.

Boarding United Airlines Flight 826 Chicago O Hare to New York Idlewild

Forbid. He doubted even Fitzgerald could forbid her to do anything. Sarah always had a mind of her own. He hated the holidays. No one likes to do business this late in December. He knew his wife would be decorating the house as if Sarah was going to show up.

He got lost in his financial newspaper for the duration of the flight. They should arrive shortly.

The plane jolted sharply.

What the??? It felt like we hit something.


Pilot – Ladies and Gentlemen we will have to make an emergency landing. Follow the instructions of the Cabin Crew. Prepare for impact.

Impact! John thought. We’re going to crash! If I could have only seen my daughter one more time. I’m so sorry, you’re afraid to contact us. That was my fault. You didn’t think I could forgive. I do Sarah, if I could just…….


Fade to Black


"ohn Whitley before we review your life do you have any questions?

"Am I dead?

"Yes.

"Is my daughter happy?

"She has just awakened from a five year coma." The voice said.

"Coma? What happened?"

"John Whitley as we review your life you will see everything you ever did and the impact it had on people and the world."

"Why did she just wake up now?" John asked

"Because you set her free. Now let’s begin your life review."





In a brownstone near Soho, New York.

Sarah Whitley opens her eyes. She looks around what appears to be a home hospital room. A nurse walks in.

"Please send for my husband. Sarah said.

The nurse dropped the bag of blood she was carrying and fled the room. She dialed a long distance number she never thought she would call.

"Sir, the patient is awake."

"Awake? What do you mean awake?"

"She’s conscious and speaking." The nurse said.

"When is the last time she was fed?"

"Yesterday, Mr. Fitzgerald. I was about to give her a fresh pint and she asked me to send her husband."

"Does she seem rational?

"Yes.

"Bring the phone into her room so I can speak with her. "Give her the IV and walk calmly out of the house. Don’t return until tomorrow. Whatever you do, don’t run."

She walked back in the room where Sarah waited impatiently. "Can I please have my blood? I’m starting to feel a little hungry."

"Yes. Your husband is on the phone. Let me bring it to you."

Sarah snatched the phone "Charles! Where are you?"

"Sarah! I’m in California.

"California? On business? " she asked

"I live here now, but I’m coming home today."

Sarah was confused "You live there! How long has it been?

"Sarah, I’ll explain everything when I get there."

"How long? she demanded

"Sarah calm down."

"Charles, I’m getting upset. Tell me how long!

"Five years.

"Five years!

"I’ll be there by sundown I promise."

Sarah sighed "I guess if you’ve waited five years, I can wait a few hours. Charles I can’t wait to see you."

Wow! Didn't you say you were in the planning stages of this? You are fast!
This is such a great AU story. Maybe it would even be worth expanding it. What would Josef's role in Moonlight be if Sarah was with him? How would it change the Josef we have seen in the show?
A wonderful alternative!

I'm glad you gave us the forgiveness, cassy, after yesterday's devastating punishment. this scenario would have changed the whole ML world. Well done.

francis - Thank you. I couldn't leave it with just the tragic version. You need to have hope. I do have an idea for their reunion we'll see beyond that.

Luxe - Thank you. Aside from the plane crash it's based on I thought five years would be a good time. Not so long that Sarah would have to acclimate to a new world, not so long that Josef would be settled in his life without her.

Okay, cassy, this was better than the first one, and that's saying a lot. Great job!!!

What a wonderful, uplifting story!!!! The polar opposite of the first one, which is equally well-written. You should continue this, it would be very interesting to see what would have happened in the ML world if Sarah had woken up only five years later!!!! Excellent story...


mitzie

wollstonecraft61 - That's such a compliment. Thank you!!

mitzie - Thank you. It is nice to have a happier ending.

Ahhh! What a wonderful counterpoint to yesterday's story Cassy. And I agree with everyone else that it would have totally changed Moonlight's path if Josef had Sarah. I doubt he'd be nearly as driven as he was. And most likely more sympathetic to Mick & Beth.

Karen

Aggie - I agree he would have been more sympathetic to Mick/Beth because he wouldn't only be looking at it from the bad things that can happen.

I think he'd probably be as successful as we saw him Josef did build in a lot of relaxation time for himself. It just would have been more Sarah centric.

Ooh--I found the beginning! Wow. I read the John Whitley story when you first posted it, but somehow I missed this story and its follow-ons. I love this version. It's fun to speculate about what would have happened if Sarah had woken up... and to think that John gets a chance at redemption too is somehow a relief, too.

Thank you. I've gone a little crazy with the number of stories in the Forgiveness series. I can't believe how many I've done. I love Sarah waking up only a few years from when she was turned that way she doesn't have the catch up.

I wanted to go back to the beginning of this series. Thanks for giving us an alternative to the idea of poor Sarah being in a coma forever. And John has a chance too! Thanks for this.

I found something today on a Park Slope page and it made me remember the storyline I started about this plane crash with Sarah and Josef


https://www.timeout.com/newyork/things- ... 1611617082

Here is a bizarre postcard of the plane crash I was at a postcard convention and when I saw it I had already written the story so I was drawn to it.

Image (143) by Carol Jacob, on Flickr

This crash aside from being in my neighborhood was a pivotal event in my brother and sister's childhood. They were nine and eight years old and the Nanny brought them down to the crash site. (Something you would never think of doing today but the Nanny was really into disasters.} She traveled to New Jersey to see the Hindenburg disaster. She was my mother's Nanny at the time, I don't think she brought her because she was only five

On a side note, when my mother was twelve she had a premonition dream about a plane crashing into the Empire State Building. She told one of her friends the week before it happened and then when it did happen that friends mother was asking her How did you know that was going to happen? You said this last week. My mother said what she remembered most was how upset the woman seemed that she had that dream.

Then you all know I was under the World Trade Center on 9/11. My family seems to have strange experiences around flying disasters.

Fortunately when I've been in the air all has been well for the most part. The strangest experience I ever had was coming back to New York from Washington DC. Laguardia airport has two of the shortest runways in the world for a major airport. I am absolutely convinced the pilot forgot he was going into Laguardia and thought it was JFK because we begin a perfectly normal descent and then when it lands it was like squealing breaks. It bumped, bumped, bumped, The overheads opened and bags fell out before we can to full stop. I was with my sister and we don't usually travel together and when the plane was bumping my thoughts went to who is going to take care of our cat (my brother is allergic)

This was fantastic Cassysj!! I always wondered if Whitley was sorry he was filled with hate. This totally would have changed things for Josef!! Amazing story!!

I had to go back and reread the story, so thank you for the double benefit to reading your post! I love this alternate ending to the story.

The postcard picture is kind of chilling. It's amazing that not more people were killed. The article is interesting. Have you been to visit that building and see the brickwork? It's so strange that your older sister and brother actually visited the crash site! I feel sorry for the kids, does your sister remember it being a traumatic experience?

How eerie that a plane crashed into the Empire State Building! And even eerier that your mom had a prescient dream about it! Human brains have so much potential, if we could only figure out how to use it.

Your family really does have an interesting relationship with air disasters! Your own experience flying sounds very scary. Yikes, I'm glad things turned out okay that day! I remember that you were under the Trade Center.