Meet Me in the Middle Chapter One

A/N I have given Julia Saxon a sister and added just a tad to the story she told Audra in this story. Also, Jarrod wasn't the one who saw her off. No, Julia Saxon is not shown in this story. She's just mentioned. Also, in this AU, Heath joined the family two years before Tom was killed.

A/N I'm playing with facts when it comes to furloughs. In all reality, as my beta pointed out, were usually only for emergencies and lasted only 15 days. But…..you get the picture.

A/N Adam Cartwright is in one chapter, and Ben Cartwright is in another. However, to me, that does not mandate the story going in the crossover section.

1863

"I am not mistaken! You're wrong!" Nick had glared at his brother, Jarrod. Both he and Jarrod were home on furlough, but Nick had surprised everyone by bringing home a young lady he intended to marry. "Yes, the South tried to entice her to get information, but she refused!" Jarrod, who normally did not hand out what the military saw as privileged information, didn't want Nick to make the biggest mistake in his life. That being the case, he told them all that he had almost enough solid proof that Miss Saxon was a spy for the South.

"Your brother never accuses anyone without solid proof. You should know that." Victoria, who was standing next to her husband spoke up. "I don't want a traitor in this house, especially one who almost cost your brother his life…something he assures us only happened because information she leaked to the other side-information that let the enemy know where the unit he was temporarily with was at. If he says he'll have enough proof soon and that she'll be prosecuted sooner or later, he will…and she will."

"It wasn't me, Mrs. Barkley. It was…" Melissa started to explain only to have Victoria interrupt her.

"I will not listen to the lies of a spy!" She'd then shocked everyone by ordering her son to 'turn the spy over to the law and then come home alone'.

"She's innocent. If you'd listen…" Nick started to argue only to have Tom-who didn't wish to have to go the rounds with his wife later-speak up.

"If she's innocent, time will prove it. For now, please, do as your mother asks and then come home."

Nick was furious. He hadn't been surprised to have Melissa accused of what her older sister had done-especially since the two could pass as twins-even with the age difference between them. However, he hadn't expected his family to turn her away without allowing the two of them to explain. He took Melissa's hand in his hand, led her to the front door and walked out. Hours later Tom, who was wondering where Nick was, sent Jarrod to town. However, Jarrod-who had gone out to the barn-was shocked to find a letter nailed to one of the stall posts. It was addressed to him.

Dear Jarrod,

I know you will be the one to find this, as Father will be busy calming Mother. Since all of you refuse to listen, you can read this letter instead. My fiancé's name is Melissa Saxon…Julia is her older sister. It is Julia who is doing the spying. We had definite proof of this and have informed the proper authorities. If the family had listened, I would have asked where your information came from…and, if you're the honest man I think you are…you'd have said Julia gave it to you-that she told you Melissa was a long distance cousin, or something like that. You will see, by the time you get back to Washington, I am telling you the truth. Also, you might as well tell the family goodbye for me. Melissa and I are getting married, but we will not live around people who will not even show us the courtesy of listening. Don't try to find me…I have friends who will hide my whereabouts during the rest of the war. After that, I'll simply remain silent as to where she and I are going to live.

Sincerely,

Nick

P.S. I'm a lot of things, dear brother, but I don't lie.

Jarrod's heart plummeted for a number of reasons. One; he knew he and the family had been way out of line in not listening; two, he had been courting Julia-who had vehemently denied having any siblings when he'd asked her-due to a comment Matt Parker had made; three, she had been the one to give him 'the proof' he had in his office; four, she had claimed Melissa was her third cousin and; five, if Nick said it would be useless to try to find him-it would be.

1876

Heath, who had just gotten back from town, walked into the house to find Jarrod sitting in front of the fireplace. His older brother was staring into the blazing fire-the first one in many months-with a look of regret and longing. He didn't have to ask what the problem was, as Julia had told Audra everything while sitting in the jail cell after being arrested for a murder she did not commit. Fortunately, Heath and Jarrod had been able to clear her name.

"The war tore a lot of families apart." Heath said as he sat down on the sofa, keeping an eye on Jarrod.

"It didn't have to tear ours part." Jarrod sighed and sat up, turning to face Heath as he did so. "If we had only listened," he sighed again, "If I hadn't been so desperate to believe Julia."

Heath, who could hear the guilt in Jarrod's voice, shook his head. "Julia admitted she let her thirst for a singing career get ahead of all else, including being honest about any family relations she had and desperation to throw suspicion off herself. You were simply young and thought you were in love. She used you."

"Doesn't matter," Jarrod turned his gaze back to the fire. "Nick was right. He was guilty of many things, but being a liar isn't among his traits. Even if we were convinced he was wrong, we still should have listened."

Heath scratched the back of his neck and then asked quietly. "How long did the family search for him?" If Jarrod said they had simply accepted Nick's departure, Heath was going to be faint. He wasn't surprised when Jarrod sighed again, allowing his shoulders slump forward just a little. "The moment I got that letter Father and I rode into town. We were too late. Nick and Melissa had been to the reverend's home and then caught the first train heading east….which meant they left right after exchanging their vows. After that, Father contacted everyone he knew in the military-as did I. It was no good. Either the men contacted had no idea where Nick was or," Jarrod straightened up and turned his face towards Heath again, "We were told very sharply that Nick had put his life on the line time and time again-to save those he served with or under. We were informed that Nick had turned down every medal offered him by a few generals." Jarrod swallowed as he fought to control his emotions. "The military said those generals-which they adamantly refused to name-agreed that instead of medals they'd keep Nick's whereabouts from us. It seems he'd been very vocal of our reaction, and our unwillingness to listen to him or Melissa."

"And afterwards?" Heath asked, just knowing what he'd hear…or close to it. Still, he wanted to hear it from Jarrod.

"We tried, but not even the Pinkertons could find him. Mother and Father, along with myself, are pretty sure he changed his name. The only time we had hopes of finding him, talking to him was- as you know-when those letters arrived when Father was fighting the railroad." Jarrod fell silent.

"The ones that warned Father and the farmers what Jordan was up to." Heath remembered how his father's face had paled when reading the letters and how he'd whispered, 'It's Nick's handwriting.'

Jarrod nodded. "They were mailed from Carson City, Nevada. Since Father was busy here, I traveled to Carson City, but I found nothing. The post office couldn't even help us. Oh, the man remembered the envelopes, but he said they'd been waiting on his desk for him when he arrived at work-said he hadn't seen anyone. Whether or not that was true, I don't know. All I know is that I searched hard Carson City inside out looking for him, and no one had seen him."

Heath, who had been struggling with something Julia had said when he'd dropped her off at the train station, again spoke quietly. "After asking me to give you her apologies, Julia mentioned she wished she could make peace with Melissa only, I quote 'I haven't seen her since I bumped into her outside Virginia City, and that's been a number of years ago. She wouldn't even look at me. As I walked away, I heard someone call her Mrs. Barker'. I didn't know what to think when she said that, been trying to decide if she was serious or not,"

Jarrod, who had gone back to gazing at fire whipped his head around. Barker…Barkley. So close…"Virginia City? Nevada?" Had he really been that close to finding Nick six years ago?

Heath nodded and started to say something else only to hear Silas calling him. He excused himself, leaving Jarrod to think on what Heath had just told him.