A Place to Be

JISA/set shortly after s10e05/Something to prove – To make it work there need to be changes

(Okay you guys. Here's a new one for you. Maybe some of you remember that I have already started to write the story "a place to be" - until my computer thought 'yay, lets trash it!'. It's always hard for me to restart something I have already put work in but I really wanted this story to happen. So I started all new and actually like it. I hope you do too! It will be a shorter story which mean maybe 2-3 chapters.
As always: English is not my native language, pls excuse any grammatical mistakes.)

Chapter 1

The sun rose behind the mountains and illuminated the rough landscape which spread like a carpet at the foot of the mountains.
Rocks. Trees. A Stream. And a little wooden cottage that was seated lonely a few meters next to the river, almost hidden among a few evergreens which branches hung so low that they nearly touched the roof of the cabin.
With the break of a new day the life inside of the cabin rose as well. Not much yet, but enough for Jack to sit comfortably in the only rocking chair that the little place held, in his hand a mug of steaming hot coffee. He was gently rocking back and forth with his legs crossed. The quiet creaking filled the small room. It wasn't spacious but definitely told a big story with all the furniture and decoration in it. Besides the cozy atmosphere the interior looked quite archaic and reminded more of some kind of dusty museum than a place to live. There was one wooden table with three chairs standing in the middle of the room, a cabinet, a sink and a wood burning stove on either side of it. A rather small double bed was squeezed into the adjacent room which extended the cabin by just a couple meters. In terms of furniture that was about it. There was not much more space to put any more into the cabin. The rest were things that decorated the walls or shelves here and there. Old photographs, burnt down candles, a guitar, records and its appertaining record player, an old fashioned cowboy hat, fishermen gear and a few more things that were covered in dust. All in all the fishing cabin looked pretty crammed but this didn't diminish the accuracy of the chosen things that one could find. They all had a story to tell and if one looked close enough he would notice that the tiny house once belonged to a small family – a young brown haired woman, a guy that looked like Jack in his younger years and a little blond girl. Those were the photographs that decorated the walls but it was obvious that their time was long gone. The man in the rocking chair had aged. Aged about forty years. His hair turned gray over the years and a mustache had grown on his face which showed the one or the other wrinkle. His skin was slightly withered by the seasons of the year and the hard work he did over all this time. The light gray eyes were full of wisdom and knowledge . With an almost unnoticeable, yet meaningful glimmer they were set on the woman that lay in the bed opposite of him. It wasn't the woman that was shown on the pictures. Instead of brown hair, blond loose strands were spread over the pillow on which her head rested. She was younger than Jack, her skin flawless yet the corner of her eyes showing the faintest sign of age as well. Lisa looked peaceful while she was sleeping on her back, her head turned to the side and her body covered in a red blanket which however didn't reach all the way up and thus exposed her bare shoulders and arms.
Jack had been watching her for awhile now. He always woke early due to the morning chores that needed to be done on the ranch. However, since he spent the night in the fishing cabin there was nothing to do except for getting dressed and brew a kettle of fresh coffee to start the day. Of course, he could have just stayed in bed with her, pulled her in his arms and nestle his face into her hair, but Jack usually got a headache once he tried to sleep in or the like. So instead of running around with pain all day he chose to get his blood running and sit by the foot of the bed, taking some time to think. Think about her, him, them.
They were married for two years by now and although their relationship worked better than they imagined, doubts were rising between them lately. No, they weren't doubting their love for each other but the life they led as a married couple. It was not traditional with them living at separate places and being apart most of the time due to their jobs. It was nothing they worried about until Lisa's aunt Evelyn came around to pay a visit. Except for Lisa's nephew Ben, Jack had never met any of her relatives. Over all those years they spent together he knew only little about her family. She seldom talked about it and if so it was always a stressful topic. Jack tried to understand but deep down he was giving her space to find the right time to talk about it herself. Meeting Evelyn was a nice surprise first but pretty quickly turned into an uncomfortable situation for everyone in the family. She was skeptical and critical, especially towards him. Clearly, she had a different conception of who her niece was married to and what life she lived. Although Lisa was bravely fighting for the choices she made and they both managed to prove that their love was real, they couldn't help but feel the repercussions of aunt Evelyn's visit. The separated living situation topic kept popping up and caused discussions and arguments between them and the rest of the Heartland family. As much as they both wanted and needed more time together they seldom had the chance due to the always crowed ranch house which was the reason why Jack and Lisa ended up at the fishing cabin yesterday night. -
It nearly became a total disaster. It was the same course of events as always. They were planning to go out for dinner. Lou got called into Maggies. They were asked to look after Katie. Lisa asked Amy and Georgie to step in for them. Of course the girls themselves had already other plans for the evening and so they were about to babysit yet another time. Jack didn't doubt one second that his wife loved to help and to spent time with Katie. Yet, he already noticed that she was stressed and tensed up lately. Something told him that she wasn't open to help this time. He was right. Lisa started to oppose which clearly came unexpected for Lou and everyone else. It all ended in a fight which involved the whole family yelling at one another. Jack had no idea whom to side with so he chose the only way out by pulling their jackets from the rag, grabbed Lisa by the hand and without another word pulled her out of the house, towards his truck where he pushed her gently but determined onto the passenger seat. It was clear to him that they needed to get away from everyone else to safe their relationship and it was clear to him that they needed to do something about it on a more regular basis.
The drive went silently which gave them time to process what happened and to calm down. When they arrived at the cabin it was already late and dark. After all the trouble and heartache it didn't take them long to end up entwined in each others arms and find back together. After all love was what bound them together and so far it had withstood all the downs they went through over the last ten years. It always was there to catch them when they fell. It was not only relieving but also something both of them were very grateful for. So they spent the night in that too small double bed, healing their emotional wounds but certain things were still left unsaid and it was urgent to talk about them.
The sun just rose high enough to send its rays through the small gap of the nearly shut window curtains. Little dust particles became visible which danced through the air only to fall onto the many objects that were already covered in a layer of dust. A sunbeam softly hit against Lisa's face and caused her to shift slightly. In the morning light her skin and hair glimmered almost golden. She looked like an angel. An angel that had fallen from the sky only to be with him. After ten years Jack still couldn't understand why she chose him. From all the men that walked in and out her life, why him. He had nothing to offer. Nothing much. He couldn't even keep up with her. Although their break up lay in the past and he wouldn't change his decision to marry her, the worry about their age difference was still there and haunted his day and night dreams. Jack was aware that Lisa wasn't open to talk about it but some day that topic would get a hold of them. He was older than her. He thought about things like that.
With the sun still in her face Lisa woke up slowly. Her eyes struggled with the brightness before she lifted a hand to cover them. The other one moved over to reach for him but landed on an empty space on the bed. Jack smiled and took another sip of his coffee. She was such a sleepy head in the morning whereas he was up and about within minutes. It never took him long. He could see the frown on her face. With an heavy sigh Lisa started to sit up, holding on to the blanket and pulling it with her. The sunbeam now hit the area on her upper body. It took her a bit to get used to the light and adjust her focus but eventually spotted him sitting at the end of the bed, gazing at her.
Their eyes met.
Jack's smile broadened.
Her frown deepened.
She couldn't quite figure what he was doing there. Fair enough. After all Jack made sure she usually never noticed when he watched her. It was something that he did pretty often lately but knew that she might feel uncomfortable and he was right. Now that she understood, one eyebrow went up, her expression skeptical.
"How long have you been sitting there?", her voice was raspy from the sleep.
"A bit.", was all he said and it was enough to let her drop her gaze and start fumbling with pieces of fluff, her mind lost in thoughts.
Since when had she become so insecure about herself? She used to be confident and bold but since aunt Evelyn's visit and the recent arguments with the Heartland family Lisa seemed to get more and more pensive. He wasn't really sure why. He just knew that he didn't like it.
Jack put his mug aside and stood up to walk over to the bed and take a seat next to her legs.
The bed creaked under his weight.
One hand reached for hers to stop them from fiddling with the fabric, the other found it's way up and brushed a few loose hairs back behind her ear. This caused her to look up.
Her eyes so deep and blue like the sea.
Her lips so slim and delicate.
Her skin still golden in the sunlight.
"You are beautiful.", he whispered and leaned in to press his lips against her cheek, not missing out to linger there for a bit longer. He would never get enough of her.
When he drew back her expression had turned into that typical Lisa face that would say 'typical men' - the pointed lips, the slight roll in her eye. It made him smirk.
It was obvious that a place and some time apart from everybody else had a good impact on their relationship. It felt much more intense and emotional, free from any expectations and pressure. Definitely something to have more often. There needed to be a solution. Maybe the solution was already there. Right here.
Jack tired to wrap his head around the idea that just came up while his eyes were set on their melted hands in her lap. If Heartland wasn't the place where they could find peace and Fairfield was definitely not the place where he could find peace than there had to be something else. No, not some expensive vacation house on the other side of the planet and not some other property in the States. Maybe it was much closer to both of them than they had ever been looking for. It wasn't big. It wasn't glamours, but it was all he could offer.
"So, I think I've come to a decision.", Jack started while he was still thinking it through. There was a pause where she waited for him to go on and explain, but he was lost in thoughts.
"What about?", she asked quietly.
Maybe it was stupid.
Maybe it was crazy.
Maybe she wouldn't like it.
But, no. It was a good idea. He wondered why he hadn't come up with it sooner. When he looked up he met her questioning eyes. It was best to take a little detour and explain from the beginning. It would probably make more sense.
"I think I have never really told you the story of this little fishing cabin, have I?"
Another pause rose up between them in which Lisa was trying to figure out where he was going with this.
"No. No, you haven't."
"Well, my great-grandfather built it. Many years ago. I was just a little lad back then but it fascinated me how one man could built an entire house with nothing more than his hands and his tools... It took him some time. Especially since I had the great ability to bombard him with questions and keep him off the work.", he chuckled slightly with these old memories in his head and she joined in quietly.
"He was a good fisherman, liked to be up here for days in a row. So it was just reasonable to have a place he could sleep in... It drove everybody nuts because... well, we had to take over all his work at the ranch. But would come up here every time he needed to get away from the fast-changing life. On my 18th birthday, shortly before he died, he gave me this cabin. I had to promise him to share it with the people I love... For a long time I wasn't really sure what he meant and I wouldn't come up here anyway. Rodeo was much more fun these days. But then I met Lyndy and I quickly learned what it meant to share something. It wasn't just the place I had to share, it was the time of togetherness. So, I gave this cabin to Lyndy on the day of our wedding. She was obsessed with it, always found the best inspiration for her songs up here and even after Marion was born she came here...dragging the girl along. With age Marion wasn't so fond of it – always complained that she'd rather stay with the ponies down by the ranch.", they both laughed again but after a few seconds Jack became quiet and his expression changed.
"Well, after Lyndy died I spread her ashes into the river because... I knew she wanted me to.", Jack stopped. He needed a moment to let the words and the memories pass by. Lisa squeezed his hand empathetically, knowing how much he missed her at times.
Yet, he suddenly looked up with an determined face.
"I want you to have it.", he said plainly.
Her eyes wide. Her mouth open. She was dumbstruck.
"Wha-?"
"I am giving the cabin to you."
"Jack.", she breathed almost not audible, her head shaking slightly in disbelief.
"Listen, we both know how hard it is to find some time for ourselves, right? Maybe this it it. Maybe it's the fishing cabin that could be our place. We don't have to travel, we don't have to pack any things. We can just take the truck and drive up here whenever we like. We don't even have to tell anyone." he added jokingly which caused her to relax a bit and smile.
"So, what do you say?"
But instead of agreeing enthusiastically, Lisa was still shaking her head and searching for the right words.
"I...I...I...Jack, it's Lyndy's place. I know how much it still means to you because...because it is the only place where she kind of lives on...I don't want you to give up on her."
He would have never expected her saying that. After all Lyndy wasn't a topic they usually talked about or rather he talked about. It always felt uncomfortable to dig into old memories although there were quiet a few good ones. Yes, after all those years he still loved Lyndy. He still loved her as his first wife. But time brought a lot of change and he knew that Lyndy was gone. He got closure and he found a new beginning. With Lisa. That she respected his loss and especially Lyndy herself was something he really appreciated. She was so thoughtful, so kind and honest. He loved her for all those traits but it also worried him. If she presumed that she wasn't as important to him as Lyndy was then this misapprehension needed to be put right.
"I am not giving up on her, Lis. She will always be a part of it. But I also don't want to give up on you." Now it was him squeezing her hand.
"What do you mean?"
"I know that the life we share isn't all satisfying for you. But you know, I love you. I probably can't offer you much Lisa...so please let me just give you this one little thing."
Silence filled the air and he could see tears glimmering in her eyes as they were locked with his. She obviously was really touched by what he said.
"Oh Jack.", her voice was a bit shaky. "You have given me so much more already.", she pulled him into a hug. His arm immediately run around her and his palm landed on the warm skin of her back as he held her against him.
"I love the life we have together.", she whispered, a tear dropped onto her hand that lay on his shoulder.
Through the wooden door the muffled cry of an eagle pierced through the silence in the cabin. It was a morning call and reminded them of the life that was happening outside these wooden walls. With the start of a new day things needed to be done and since that little trip to the fishing cabin came quite spontaneous yesterday night, it was time to head back into civilization soon.
Although he would prefer to stay a bit longer, Jack released his grip around her and leaned back. With another creak of the bed, he stood up to walk over to the cabinet and get a clean mug. While he was busy to pour her some coffee he resumed the idea he actually had in his mind. It was still unclear if Lisa agreed to take on the fishing cabin.
"Look, the cabin needs a bit of an upgrade anyway and who could do it better than you, huh?", he said, stirring the content in the mug and saw how Lisa was taking a moment to let her eyes wander through the room – her head probably already full of ideas and plans of how to make the place more livable. It caused a smile on his lips. That was his Lisa. She was finally back in her element which was evidence enough that Jack had done the right thing. Although change was always a hard thing to cope with, giving Lisa this little opportunity to create something for just the two of them felt good and put every worry into the background.
"I think you are right.", she said and ripped him from his thoughts. Jack looked up smiling. He was glad that she agreed. When he himself looked through the room one more time, every little object that was placed into the cabin seemed to look back at him. Their individual stories echoed through his head and he almost found himself backing out the offer. The change was here. Old against new. Time against time. But no. He once made a promise and he would keep it. Share it with the ones you love. And he will.
Yet, maybe there was a chance to combine past, present and future. Old things didn't have to make way for new things. They could just merge together. Play as one. Like Jack and Lisa did. Like their marriage worked. Over all those years.
Jack started to walk over to the bed, the coffee for his wife in his hand.
"But-", he started and Lisa listened up.
"But here comes the deal.", he carried on and on his short way to her he took the record that was laying on the little table next to the record player. A dark-haired young woman who held a guitar in her hands was displayed on the front cover – Lyndy Bartlett it said above the picture.
With his eyes on it, Jack sat back down onto the bed next to Lisa and handed the mug over to her. She was still waiting for him to go on.
"There are a few things here that need to stay... important things.", he looked up and met her eyes that had been watching him with an almost painful expression. She knew how much the cabin with everything in it meant to him and she would never go so far to get rid of it. When she married him, Lisa knew that he came with a longer history than anybody else and it was still part of him. Part of him which she loved as much as the story he was currently writing with her. She saw it as her responsibility to respect the life he lived before she entered and besides that – combining old stuff with modern furniture and decoration was something she could already picture in her head.
"I think it is a fantastic idea.", Lisa said and reached for his hand to squeeze it.
"But-", she repeated with the same pitch he had been using a few minutes ago.
Now it was his turn to listen up.
"I will need your help.", with that she took a sip of her coffee, looking over the rim at him like a business woman. Jack started to chuckle.
"Count me in."

(Thx for reading. I am working on the next chapter)