AN: Hi lovely readers. Any of you that have me on author alert are probably like, "Why's she doing this when she should be doing one of her other stories?" The answer to that is, "I have no idea, but this thought popped into my head and I just had to write it." But anyway, this is my newest story. It's my first Heartland story, despite how much I love the series. I always found Heartland hard to write about. So, read, review and enjoy!
Summary: Amy and Julia Fleming, twin sisters. Following their mother's death, Julia rides off on her mare, Dream. An accident happens and she loses her memory. Will she get it back in time to help her sisters save Heartland, or will she never remember who she was and who her mother knew she could be?
Disclaimer: I do not own Heartland. I do however own Julia and Dream.
CHAPTER ONE: AMNESIA
A girl rides fast on a golden mare. She pushes the mare harder and faster with each passing moment. There are tears running down the girl's face as her long reddish brown hair streams out behind her. Her jaw is clenched and the tears flow as fast as her horse's hooves. She doesn't notice a low hanging branch. Her head collides with it and there is a loud crack. Her horse stops suddenly. The girl, who was previous falling backwards, now slumps forward, along the mare's neck. She is unconscious. The mare does the only thing she knows and turns slowly, careful of her rider, and heads for home.
In a large wooden framed farmhouse next to a barn, three people sit anxiously at a kitchen table. Two girls, sisters, and their grandfather.
"Where is she?" The youngest girl, who looked to be 15 or 16, asked, "She never takes this long, even when she's upset!"
The older girl, who looked to be in her mid-twenties, shrugged her shoulders.
"Why did she run off anyway? It's very immature of her!" She said with a sigh. The other girl turned towards her angrily.
"Lou! She's upset! We're all upset! This is just how she deals with it!" The girl cried defensively.
"Girls, calm down. Julia is a smart girl and Dream is a smart horse. You know that if anything bad happened, Dream would find her way back home." Their grandfather assured them. Though his voice had barely concealed worry in it. His granddaughter had never taken this long. He knew she always rode off when she was upset. And she had every right to be. Her mother had just died and they had not waited until she and her sister had been out of the hospital to have the funeral. Amy, the other girl in the room, had been sulking all day too.
Their heated conversation was interrupted by a loud neigh from outside. The three of them jumped up and went to the window. Outside they saw Julia draped over Dream, her mare. Julia was obviously unconscious. The three of them rushed outside. The grandfather gently lifted Julia off the horse.
"Amy, can you take care of Dream? Lou, get the first aid kit." He told his granddaughters. When they looked like they were about to object he added, "Now!" Then he carried Julia into the house. He brought her to her room and laid her on the bed. He noticed there was a large bruise forming on her forehead.
"Lou! I need an icepack from the freezer!" He called to his oldest granddaughter, who had just brought to first aid kit. She put down the kit, nodded and left the room again.
When Julia awoke a few hours later, she looked up to see a familiar face.
"Amy?" She asked, and her twin sister smiled.
"Julia! Oh thank goodness! We were so worried!" Amy exclaimed smiling down at her sister.
"Where am I? What happened? I can't remember anything. Oh my god. I can't remember anything. I remember your name and my name and Grandpa and Lou, but I don't remember our childhood. I don't remember Mom! I can't remember!" Julia exclaimed hysterically and started to cry.
"Julia, shhh, its okay!" Amy pulled her sister close and held her as she cried. Lou and their grandfather came into the room, after hearing the noise.
"Is she okay?" Jack, their grandfather, asked. Amy shook her head.
"She says she can't remember anything, beyond her own name, and our names." Amy informed her grandfather.
"Amnesia. It can happen when there is head trauma." Jack said, "I'm going to call the doctor." He left the room.
Lou came to sit on the bed.
"Julia, please, everything will be alright." She tried to reassure her younger sister, but Julia ignored her and continued to cry.
The doctor had little to say after examining her.
"Physically she's fine. Just slight bruising on her head. I doubt she'll have permanent brain damage, but I don't know if she will regain her memories. She might, but she will never be the same. I'm told there are triggers that often bring back memories. People, places, things, smells. That sort of thing." He told them, a little sadly.
Jack escorted the doctor out, talking quietly with him as they left the house. Amy and Lou turned back to their sister.
"Do you remember Dream, Julia? Maybe we can go for a ride?" Amy asked her sister. Julia smiled a little.
"Dream is my horse?" Julia asked, some memories coming back to her. A stormy night, a dying foal, her mother's anxious voice and worried face.
"Yes, she has been since she was born. Do you remember the night Dream was born?" Amy prompted her twin.
"There was a storm, wasn't there? I knew one of the mares was about to foal but Mom and Grandpa didn't think it was safe to go outside. But I went to the barn anyway, didn't I? The mare was about to drop her foal but terrified by the storm. Mom followed me and we helped deliver the foal. But the poor filly was dying, wasn't she? Did I save her?" Julia had a far off look on her face as the memory came rushing back to her.
"Yes! That's it! Can you remember anything else? Do you remember what you told me and Mom, when I went out to check on you two?" Amy asked.
"I…I think I said, 'I have to save her. She's my chance, my dream come true,'…I stayed up with her the whole night didn't I? She wouldn't stand up to feed. I wrapped her in blankets and stayed in that stall all night. When you and Grandpa came to the barn in the morning, Mom was fast asleep and I was watching as Dream stood up for the first time." A tear slipped from her eye as the whole memory came back to her.
All Amy could do was nod as her sister finished, a tear forming in her own eye.
"So how 'bout that ride?" She asked. Julia nodded enthusiastically, remembering that she loved to ride. She threw the covers off and tried to stand up, but the blood rushed to her head and she felt dizzy, sliding back down onto the bed.
"I don't think this is such a good idea…" Lou said. The twins both glared at her.
"I'm fine." Julia insisted.
"Leave us alone Lou, you have no right to say anything." Amy added.
"I'm still your sister!" Lou exclaimed.
"You were never there Lou. You ran off to New York as quick as you could. Never came back. Mom was so upset when you left. You have no idea." Amy told her calmly and helped Julia off the bed. Once Julia was off the bed she didn't need Amy's support and the twins made their way to the barn, telling Jack where they were going.
"Be careful, girls!" He called after them.
Lou stood where they had left her, her mouth open in shock. But it was true; she had run away as soon as she could. She had only meant to come back for the funeral. But she could see that Heartland and her family needed her. Without their mother, the rescue barn would fall apart. Lou would do what she could to make it a profitable business if it was possible.