This is my continuation of A Different Life it's not required to have read the previous story because I summarized it here however it might be easier to have read the previous story first. It's only 5 chapters.
This story will be mostly one shots or 3 part stories but all in the same universe. Just an exploration of different moments in the Heartland story and stuff that could have happened.
~~~Heartland~~~
Jack Bartlet had been pretty lucky in life. He lived in the middle of God's country with his cows his horses and his family. He really did have the most wonderful family. He had married his first wife Lindy at a young age and their daughter Marion was their pride and joy. His wife had died of Cancer but her spirit lived on his daughter Marion and her two girls Lou and Amy. After a tragic accident their father, Marion's husband Tim had left her. And jack had helped to raise his granddaughters as well as one young foster child that Marion had taken in named Scott Marion and Scott, who was now a vet worked together to save traumatized horses.
Several years ago Jack met Lisa, a young blond with two girls around the age of his granddaughters. Lisa had left her father's home and run off to marry young and by the time she was 38 she had three kids. Her oldest son Colin was killed while serving in the war, devastating the family and leading her husband to drink and turn to violence. Lisa fled with her two daughters Cora and Clare and returned to life as a horse trainer and rider at Hudson race track. Jack and Lisa met and he could recall falling for her quite instantly. After a terrible accident, Lisa was forced to give up riding as well as make amends with her father and divorce her husband who was jailed for abuse. Within a year after her accident, which left Lisa with a slight limp and the occasional need for a cane, Jack had asked Lisa to marry him. The two family's merged well and Jack adopted Cora and Clare and turned his upstairs attic in to two separate bedrooms and a third bathroom to allow room for his growing family.
For a while people where happy. Jack and Lisa where especially happy. Lou and Marion, whose relationship during Lou's teenage years was rocky escalated the older Lou got. Then a letter came accepting her to college in New York. She left happily, ending things with boyfriend Scot Cardinal. Cora who had always idolized Lou and wished to be like her followed a year later to attend the same school.
Now as Jack looked at his dinner table it seemed empty. There was less joy and laughter with Lou and Cora gone and even though it had been a while since they had gone, years, the house still seemed empty.
Clare was 16 and Amy was 15 but the two were less dramatic than their respective older sisters and significantly quieter.
"What's everyone's plans for tonight?" Lisa asked looking around the dinner table.
Clare smiled, "Dad said he was going to help me with my roping. I'm trying to get ready for the competition next weekend."
"Amy and I are going to go pick up a horse." Marion said looking at her daughter and reminding her with her eyes not to mention Mallon's Farm and their plan.
Jack nodded, "Well be careful we have some weather moving in tonight. Supposed to get some pretty bad storms."
"I'll be fine dad." Marion said.
Amy smiled, "We'll be careful I promise."
~~~Heartland~~~
Lisa waited outside the terminal for Cora and Lou with bated breath. She willed herself not to cry the moment she saw them. Lou appeared first and Cora followed behind and as soon as Lisa saw them she noticed Cora cover her face with her hand to hold back a sob. Lou turned to look back and then when she turned back to an approaching Lisa her face was twisted with the grief that only comes when a daughter loses her mother. Lisa wrapped her arms around the two girls and allowed them to cry.
When their tears had temporarily dried Lisa took charge and directed them to the car. "How's Amy?" Lou finally whispered.
"The doctors say she is stable but they have her on a ventilator and she is in a coma. Don't know when she is going to wake up." Lisa said stroking Cora's hair as she pulled her daughter in close. "I'll take you guys to see Amy and then back to Heartland to rest. The service is tomorrow."
Lou looked surprised, "What about Amy?"
"They said we shouldn't wait for her. That it will likely be a while before she wakes up. Your mom can't wait that long to be put to rest." Lisa said tossing the suitcases in to the back of her car.
~~~Heartland~~~
The service drained everyone and no one said a word on the ride home. The group gathered awkwardly in the kitchen for lunch but no one ate much of anything. "I got chores." Jack grumbled as he stood up and grabbed his hat.
"I can help you." Lisa said standing up.
"Don't bother. I can do it on my own." Jack growled.
Lisa was taken back, Jack never spoke to her like this. She brushed it off and looked around, "I am going to the hospital, anyone need a lift?"
That night when she returned from the hospital Lisa strode out to the barn in search of Jack. "Jack?" she called out.
"What?" Jack grumbled.
"I just came out to see if you needed any help." Lisa said softly leaning up against the office door.
"I told you I don't need any help." Jack growled. "Just go back to the house. I don't want you here."
Lisa nodded. "I understand. I just wanted to check and see if you needed anything. I just want to help."
Jack looked at her with tears his eyes. "You can't help. My daughter is dead! She is dead and there isn't a damn thing you or I can do about it! I know you don't understand, but I need to be left alone. I had a child three days ago and now she's gone. I never get to see her face again, hug her, tell her I love her." Jack paused his lip quivering, "I need you to go. I don't think you understand." His voice was loud now and tears where falling down his weathered face.
Lisa shank against the wall tears falling holding back sobs, "Don't raise your voice at me! You think I don't understand? I think you have forgotten something. I lost a kid too. I know what it's like to get that phone call, to bury them in the ground knowing you'll never see them again." Lisa paused as a sob escaped her. "Just because you never met him doesn't mean he didn't exist. He was a person. He was my son. He liked toy cars, mint chip ice-cream, and adored his sisters. He joined the army because he loved his country and died in a senseless accident. Shot on accident during a training exercise. You know all this, his pictures are in the house you've seen them. Don't tell me I don't understand. I know how this feels. Colin was my first child, my whole world and he had the most wonderful laugh. I'll never hear it again." Lisa let out a sob.
Jack tried to form words but none came out.
"I loved her too you know, I hurt too. I know what this feels like." Lisa let out a small cry and wiped away more tears, "There is nothing worse in this world than losing a child. It hurts so much and it changes you, scars you deep down. I was married to a decent man, but losing his son made him mean. The pain and the drugs and the drinking made him yell and scream and hit. I've gone through this. I know how it goes. Lisa stepped forward until she was close enough to put her arm on Jack. "You are going to be sad, upset, hurt, depressed and every other feeling you can possibly think of. You'll forget, and find yourself smiling, then feel guilty and hate yourself for feeling even a little joy. Nothing ever heals this pain, time just makes it hurt less, it heels the wound but the scar will always be there and it will always hurt."
Jack looked at Lisa her light blue eyes smoldering with tears and a plethora of feelings. He reached for her pulling her in to a hug where the couple sobbed grieving for their children and the pain they knew the other was feeling.
~~~Heartland~~~
I felt like Jack really had it together in S1E1 and in all honestly there had to have been a moment where Jack broke down. I hope you like the first installment. Not sure if I will continue on with this episode or skip to a different one. Please leave reviews and suggestions on episodes or parts of episodes you might be interested in seeing in this AU version of Heartland.
