Rosemary loved her father more than anything in the world. That was why, right before she applied for Release, she left him one final song. She felt awful for what she was about to do, ending her life and leaving him on his own, but she just couldn't carry on any longer. The memories he'd shared with her were just too much for her to bear. Even music could no longer help her cope…

Ah, music. Sweet, sweet music. For as long as she could remember, music had been a big part of her life. Even back in the days when she didn't know what it was or what it was called or how it was made, the strange yet wonderful noises that filled her head were always around to comfort or enliven her, no matter what.

Of course, after she learned what music was, Rosemary's love of the sound only grew from there. With every new musical memory her father gave her, she fell more and more in love with the craft. He had given her many good memories during their time together, but her favorites were always the ones full of music. Whether the memories contained CDs, concerts, shows, plays or movies, it did not matter. So long as they had music, Rosemary adored them. It even reached a point where she used those memories to teach herself how to make new music, studying voice and piano and crafting up cute little songs all her own. Just like all of her favorite musical heroes in the memories!

But even though Rosemary loved just about any type of music she heard, there was one singer of old whom she favored more than most. It was some girl named Taylor Swift, from back and back and back, way before the great disaster that led to the creation of the Community. The girl was roughly her age, and they even looked fairly similar, save for that fact that Rosemary had brown hair instead of blonde. But she still loved the other girl's music. It was so emotional and vibrant and diverse. It seemed like there was a song for every human emotion possible! That was what Rosemary truly appreciated.

In fact, it was even some of this other girl's music that inspired the little last lullaby Rosemary had written for her father. It was a song of mourning, but also a song of hope, of goodwill. It was a song that seemed to say that even though everything was dark and scary and cold, the singer wanted nothing more than for the listener to remain safe and happy. It was a song begging for release. Not Release. Just release. But for Rosemary, she was about to get both types…

ooo

After Rosemary had been Released, the old Receiver of Memory was left with nothing but the same thing he always had: tragic memories of the past. No more, no less. For all his life, his only true companions had been memories, and with Rosemary now gone, that was holding true all over again. All he could do was weep, his tears creating rivers in the wrinkles of his face. To hear that his beloved daughter had applied for Release and actually gone through with it was absolutely devastating to him. Even though he had worried she might try something like this, he never thought it would actually happen. Let alone so soon. But it had indeed happened, and now she was gone, forever…

All the Receiver of Memory could do now was grieve, alone on the edge of the Community as he mourned for his lost child. The sole thing he had left of hers was that last lullaby. It was the best and worst thing he'd ever gotten from her. Listening to it inflicted a sort of pain and joy no words could describe, yet for all the agony it brought him now, he could not stop listening to it.

I remember tears streaming down your face when I said I'd never let you go… When all those shadows almost killed your light. I remember you said, "Don't leave me here alone!" But all that's dead and gone and passed, tonight…

Through the hologram, the very last image he would ever have of Rosemary, the Receiver of Memory listened to her song, only just barely able to hear it over his own muffled sobs.

"Just close your eyes, the sun is going down. You'll be alright, no one can hurt you now. Come morning light, you and I will be safe and sound…"

And even long after the song came to a close, the Receiver of Memory could still hear it echoing around his mind. He vowed he would never ever replay that hologram again, just because of the immense pain it caused him, but he no longer needed to. That song was burned into his brain so powerfully that he didn't need to hear the recording in order to hear the song…

ooo

Many years later, though, the Receiver of Memory (who had since renamed himself "the Giver") did at last bring the recording back. This time, though, it was for his other child, Jonas. His son. Well, Jonas was not really his son, but it certainly felt that way sometimes. Their bond bound them together tighter than blood ever could. That was why, after long enough, the Giver decided to show Jonas the recording of the song.

"Her name was Rosemary," the Giver said at last. "She was my daughter, and I loved her…"

"I'm so sorry you lost her," Jonas replied, looking uncertain, like he didn't know quite how to respond. But beneath that confusion was a sincere desire to comfort. That was the thing the Giver so loved about Jonas. Despite his lack of knowledge, Jonas wanted nothing more than to help.

"She loved music more than anything else in the whole world and she wrote me this song the day before she died," the Giver continued, pausing only to wipe his misty eyes for just a moment. "Forgive me if my voice is no good, but I think you should hear me sing it first," he said.

"Take your time, sir," Jonas murmured soothingly, but the Giver shook his head and opened his mouth.

"Don't you dare look out your window, darling, everything's on fire. The war outside our door keeps raging on… Hold on to this lullaby, even when the music's gone… Gone…" The Giver's voice was shaky with tears, but Jonas, himself, was getting too emotional to really notice.

"That was beautiful," he said.

"She wrote that to me in response to my idea of releasing the memories to the Community," the Giver explained. "And that's exactly why I've called you here so late at night," he said, and Jonas nodded. He already knew about the plan, but hearing the song revealed a new depth that he had not known before. Now, it only made him more determined than ever to see it through, just like the Giver had hoped.

"Teach me the song," Jonas insisted. "Then teach me how to release the memories…"

"Just close your eyes, the sun is going down. You'll be alright, no one can hurt you now. Come morning light, you and I will be safe and sound…"

ooo

Not too long after that night, Jonas found himself needing to put all of his strength and skills to the test. Leaving the Community early in order to save the life of an innocent baby about to be Released, Jonas was forced to go into hiding. In order to keep his spirits up, as well as the baby's, he used Rosemary's last lullaby.

"Just close your eyes, the sun is going down. You'll be alright, no one can hurt you now. Come morning light, you and I will be safe and sound…" His own voice wasn't too good, but the words emboldened and comforted him, and when he realized that they had successfully lulled the baby to sleep, he felt himself grow even stronger and braver. He pressed on immediately, and he could've sworn he heard a woman's voice singing just off in the distance…

"Just close your eyes, the sun is going down. You'll be alright, no one can hurt you now. Come morning light, you and I will be safe and sound…"

That feminine and ethereal voice sang Jonas and the baby to sleep every single night, rejuvenating them and giving them the strength and courage to carry on in their treacherous journey. Her lovely, loving voice followed Jonas every step of the way, always just out of reach but also always right where he needed her to be. Somehow, even though the Giver had been unwilling to give up a memory of her, Jonas knew that it was Rosemary's ghost, guiding and protecting him all the way through. It was the journey she'd been too afraid to try herself. But now, it seemed, Jonas was her second chance. She was ready now and he was going to be the vessel in which she completed the long-overdue mission.

Then at last, the journey was over. The memories had been returned to the Community and Jonas and the baby were safe. They'd found a place to stay, after months on the run. But in spite of this, the war was still raging on. Everything was a blizzard and Jonas could feel himself slowly freezing to death. But Rosemary, ever his guardian angel, refused to let him die now. Instead, she tried one last time to sing him back to life.

"Just close your eyes, the sun is going down. You'll be alright, no one can hurt you now. Come morning light, you and I will be safe and sound…"

While she sang, Jonas continued to lie motionless in the snow, more dead than alive. But as cold and tired as he was, he somehow knew he would make it out alive. Even though he was beyond helpless, it felt as if a massive burden had been lifted from his shoulders and that someone else would carry the load for him from now on. The journey was over. He had won. And then he could hear more and more voices. It wasn't just Rosemary anymore. Instead, it sounded like an entire family. But even though their song was different from hears, Jonas could still hear Rosemary's faint strains fading off into the cold winter night.

"We will all be safe and sound…"

Perhaps it was only an echo. But it was enough. It would ensure they would indeed all be safe and sound and it would lead them all home.

AN: I know Taylor's role as Rosemary was infamously short, but I still wanted to write the idea of Rosemary being a Swiftie (because I am) and "Safe and Sound" is a pretty fitting song if you think about it.