Love Finds A Way Home
Pairings:
None... yet! :}
Disclaimer: No... Heartland is not mine :( Nor will it ever be I am afraid. However I own the plot and I own *some* characters! Therefore... if Lauren Brooke steals them I shall sue her and Heartland would be mine! Haha, just kidding. I don't think things would work that way.
Summary: Mostly canon, some characters are AU and make the story stray a bit. Starts from the beginning of the series. After Marion Fleming dies, Lou is not the only one that makes the journey home. There is someone else who comes, someone Jack and Amy barely know and someone Ty has never met! OC!
A/N: This story is seriously my new pride and joy. It's my baby. Please, noone steal my idea! This is gunna be a good story, so hopefully everyone will like it and stick with me. I would love to have a huge fanbase for this story! This is just the prologue... And just so everyone is aware there are two parts to the prologue. This is the first. After the second we will go into it mid-series.


Love Finds A Way Home

Prologue: Part 1

Lou Fleming glances out the window of the kitchen to see an unfamiliar silver Ford truck pull up, pulling behind it a large, fancy, exsquisite livestock trailer.

"Grandpa," Lou calls rubbing her puffy and swollen red eyes; her English accent shining through prominently, "she's finally here."

Jack Bartlett slowly got out of his seat at the kitchen table and moved to the sink where he dumped his cold and untouched coffee. His grief and age shown on his face; now more than ever before. He pulled on his boots and headed out the kitchen door; holding it open for his eldest granddaughter, Lou, as she swiftly followed him out into the cool, early morning where dawn was just beginning to arise in Virigina. He put his arm around Lou as they made their way to the truck and trailer, which was backed up against the front barn.

A young girl hopped out of the driver's side, appearing to be 17 years old or no more than 18 or 19. She has rich brown hair and the expression of sadness and grief, mixed with somberness and sullen light green eyes.

The girl sees Jack and immediately runs over to him and throws her arms around Jack; he holds her tightly as tears begin to fall from both their eyes. After a short while, an impatient kick rattled the trailer causing Lou to jump and Jack and the girl to share a slight smile.

She then turned to Lou and gave her a quick hug. "It's great to see you Lou! I can't wait to hear how New York has been treating you! It's really been much too long since we've talked... I wish I was seeing you under better circumstances however... How's Amy?" she asked quietly.

"Amy's still in the ICU and hasn't woken up yet. The doctors say she's suffered very minimal damage and should be awake sometime within the next two weeks. They are hoping later this week she'll wake up." Jack told the brown haired, green eyed girl. The girl nodded, looking concerned.

"I can't believe this happened... I do hope she wakes up soon." The girl said quietly, tears gently falling from her cheeks. "I miss her..."

"I know," Jack said interrupting, "Heartland is not the same without Amy. Marion made Heartland and it's up to Amy to see it through. It just won't be - " Jack was interruped by the high pitched whinny that sounded erratically and half dangerously. Seeing Lou jump back, no doubt frightened, the girl told her: "It's okay, she means no harm. She just doesn't like being trailered longer than necessary. And who can blame her? I better get them out." Without another word she slipped into the side door of the trailer. Lou looked at Jack, whom simply shrugged. They heard her murmur to the horse inside "easy girl, easy... that's a good girl" and finally she called out to Jack: "I've got her now, you can lower the ramp," which he did carefully.

The girl's hair was pulled into a loose side braid that lay on her right shoulder, her bangs were loose and flopping into her light colored greenish/blue eyes. She carefully led out of the trailer a beautifully regal cherry bay Arabian mare. The mare whinnied loudly, scaring Lou again, as she arched her neck high; showing over her beautiful body and the beautiful typical Arabian dished head and ear-set. The mare nickered at her owner and began nuzzling her shoulder thoughtfully. The girl beamed at her horse, rubbing her nose, before turning to smile proudly at Jack and Lou.

"This is my champion jumper and dressage mare, DancingOnEmbers." she explained proudly stroking the mare's slightly sweating neck, she opened her mouth to continue but was first interrupted.

"What's all the hubbub?" 17 year-old Heartland stable hand Ty Baldwin asked coming over to the small group.

"Where've you been Ty? You're late to work. That's out of character for you." Jack asked the boy after checking his watch.

"Remember, I told you and Lou last night that I'd be a bit late this morning. I had to go get a suit for Marion's visitation service and funeral. And while I was in town I stopped to see Amy for a little bit. The doctor's say they are almost positive she'll wake up by the end of the week with how fast she's been improving." Jack looked satisfied with Ty's answer.

"Do we have an open double stall for Dancer here?" Jack asked Ty.

"Yes sir," Ty replied respectively, "I switched some horses around in the back barn. She can go next to Pegasus." he explained before moving to grab the lead rope from the girl. "Here," he said, "I'll take her."

"Oh no," the brown haired girl said in disapproval, "I will get her but, would you be able to get her foal for me? He's tied in the trailer. Then you can show me where to take her." Ty's eyes narrowed at the girls attitude but he did not argue. He just hoped silently that this "important guests" (as Lou and Jack had referred to her and her mare" would not stay long. Especially if she acted as though he should be her and her horse's slave. He could see it. Some stuck up girl who always won jumping and dressage competitions thinking that he was her slave to make him muck out her horse's stall and cool down her horse after workouts. And he knew he wouldn't put up with it at all he told himself as he untied the foal. He wasn't pay much attention (he was still very angry at this imposing girl and the foal managed to get loose and run down the ramp. He heard Lou gasp and heard the foal's frantic whinny.

"It's alright Ty, I have him." And she did. She had the mare by the lead rope with her right hand and the colt by his small halter in her left hand. She gave him a smile. "Lead the way!" And he did. He led them through the front barn to the back barn and went down to the middle isle to a stall that was the very last on the left side. It was indeed a double stall and was plenty big enough for the mare and foal. "Can you please hold the foal, Ty?" She asked politely enough, no trace of attitude. "Dancer always seems to give me a hard time going into stalls in new places. It's a routine of her's. I've tried to break it but with no luck. Maybe you or Amy could help me out with new ideas." she suggested. Ty took the foal and opened the stall door. The girl was right, the mare went half into the stall before throwing her head up in the air and abruptly stopping. The girl smiled but sighed. Ty cringed, wondering how this girl would handle her mare. Would she try to pull her or yank her? Or worse? Hit her or slap her?

But the girl did none of the above. She allowed the lead rope to slacken a bit (while maintaining her tight hold on it so Dancer wouldn't get loose) and gently tried to coax the mare in but the mare refused to budge. She smiled and rolled her eyes good-naturedly at her mare before reaching into her back pocket of her designer American Eagle jeans to pull out a small jar of Lavender. She shocked Ty by applying the lavender to her fingers and began to massage her mare for only a short while before the mare willingly walked into the stall that was freshly bedded with straw. The girl poked her head out and grabbed the foal, leading him into the stall without any problems at all. The mare nickered when her colt joined her and began munching at her hay contentedly. The girl slipped the lavender back into her pocket and exited the stall and securely bolted it shut. She laughed when she met Ty's shocked gaze.

"What?" She asked confusedly.

"You - you know what T-Touch is!" Ty accused incredulously causing the girl to giggle.

"And you don't know who I am? Do you Ty?" he shook his head 'no" and began to massage his temples.

"All I know, " he mumbled, "is that my head is really starting to hurt..."

"Well Ty," she began, "my name is Tara. Dancer and I are National Youth Champions in jumping and now in dressage." Tara paused. "My name is Tara Fleming. I'm Jack's granddaughter, Lou and Amy's sister and Marion's middle daughter."


Author's Note: What do you all think? This story idea has been playing in my head for awhile now and thought I'd oughta put it down on paper. Tara is a creation all her own and I can't wait to see what you all think of her once she begins to play out!
And yes this is right after Marion's accident. This is the day before the funeral which means Amy will wake up in two days.

Please please please read and review! I am sure you all will love this story if you all just give it a chance! And please review as well! I love oppinions and I LOVE feedback. Please keep an open mind to my story that's all that I ask! :)

Love always, MCF