My first Heartland FanFic. I've been binge watching Heartland recently and I'm mid-season 6. Upon watching Episode 9 and 10, I wanted to add some extra scenes and dialogue from Lou's perspective with the fire at the Hanley place and almost losing Georgie.

Spoilers up to S6 Episodes 9 and 10.

Lou's Perspective:

I slowly stepped into Amy and Georgie's room. The warm day had dissolved into a cold night. I knew Amy was up in the mountains with Ty—

Oh, I hope she packed enough warm clothes...

—But I wanted to check if Georgie had enough blankets. As soon as I entered the room, the cold air struck me.

"Gosh, Georgie, why is the window open?" I crossed the room in three long strides and slammed the window shut. "Aren't you freezing?" I turned to the bed and found it empty.

No...

I hurried down the hallway, trying not to panic just yet. "Is Georgie in here?" I looked at Grandpa and Peter sitting by the fireplace.

"No," Grandpa turned to me.

"I went to check and see if she needed another blanket and she's not in her room and her window was wide open."

Grandpa rose to his feet. "C'mon Peter, we'll find her."

"Don't worry," Peter whispered after seeing my stricken face. He kissed me before he followed Grandpa. "Stay with Katie."

I leaned into his kiss before he rushed off, drawing strength from Peter's comforting touch. I can't remember feeling this worried except ... except Mom and Amy's accident. I felt so helpless—just like now. Why was I suddenly so worried for Georgie? Then it hit me. Georgie reminded me of Amy at her age.

The ringing of the phone interrupted my thoughts. Grandpa took the call.

"Georgie! Where are you?"

I breathed in relief, feeling a burden rise off my shoulders. "Thank God!" I joined Grandpa in the kitchen.

Grandpa's face changed. "I'll be right there!" His voice sounded urgent. He shoved the phone into my hands. "Keep her on the line! Peter—!" Grandpa ran outside, the rest of his sentence fading into the night.

"Grandpa! What's wrong?" I took the phone and held it to my ear. "Georgie, honey, where are you?"

I didn't hear an answer. All I heard was a dull roar in the background. "Georgie? Are you okay?" I became aware of a new sound on the other end of the line: crying. Georgie was crying. My heart ripped in two.

"There's a fire, Lou." Georgie's broken voice came across the line.

My heart plummeted. My mouth went dry. I fell to the kitchen chair, gripping the table.

"Georgie, where are you?" I repeated.

"The Hanley Place. Lou, I'm sorry!"

I pulled the phone away from my mouth just in time as my startled gasp echoed in the house. My free hand clapped over my mouth. Not my home! Not my home!

"I'm scared, Lou," the tough tomboy Georgie sounded so young and so small.

I willed myself to be strong. "I know, honey. Peter and Grandpa are coming. Everything will be okay. Are you somewhere safe?"

"I'm in the hayloft. There's fire on the stairs."

The hayloft?! If the fire reaches the floorboards... "Okay, then stay as far away from the stairs as possible. Get away from the fire."

"I am. But it's spreading."

"Grandpa's coming," I tried to sound reassuring but I could hear the roaring fire only getting louder.

The line suddenly went dead. "Georgie? Georgie?!" I tried to call back but each time, the line went dead. My heart went to my throat. Georgie is trapped in that barn. I knew she didn't have much time—between the flames and the floorboards along with the smoke. Who knew how long it would take for the fire department to get there.

I heard Katie begin to cry. I rushed to the nursery, thankful for the distraction. As I held my darling girl, I prayed Georgie would be fine. I prayed Grandpa and Peter would get there fast enough.

I sat Katie back in her bed and I returned to the living room. Waiting.

I don't know how long I sat there, staring at the waning fire. I knew I should probably put more wood on, but I was so lost in my trance, I never moved.

The screen door banged open and shut and I lurched to my feet. "Grandpa? Peter?"

Grandpa rounded the corner, ushering in Georgie.

"Georgie!" In relief, I sank to my knees and Georgie stepped into my arms. I held her close, holding back my grateful tears that she was okay.

This relief feels just like when Amy opened her eyes after being in her coma... Thinking about that awful day only made me cling to Georgie even more.

Georgie's arms tightened around my neck. "I'm sorry, Lou. I'm sorry."

"It's okay, honey. You're safe; that's all that matters." I looked up at Peter. His face was ashen-hollow. He looked so old. I needed to talk to him. "Let's get you to bed," I told Georgie, breaking our embrace.

"I'm not tired yet," Georgie balked.

I expected as much. Who could sleep after that much excitement? But, I needed to talk to Peter. What happened to my home?

I looked from Grandpa to Peter, then back to Grandpa.

"How about we sit in the living room and relax? Lou and Peter can get us some hot cocoa," Grandpa steered Georgie towards the couch.

"Yes! Hot cocoa. Coming right up." I grabbed four mugs and filled the kettle. Peter came up behind me and slipped his hands around me.

"Peter...?" I was dreading what he would say.

"It's gone, Lou. Gone."

I fell against him and he quickly caught me, holding me up. I clung to him and wept. I couldn't remember crying like this since Mom died. When I got that horrible phone call. I've been through so much loss! My dad left when I was a teenager, my mom died, Peter and I went bankrupt, and now my house, burned to the ground? Couldn't I catch a break?

It was a late morning for all of us. Peter practically carried me to bed, insisting I try to rest. With the loss of the house stewing inside of me, I barely slept. When Peter and I woke, Katie still slept soundly, thank goodness. I found Grandpa and Georgie still on the couch.

"Did you sleep at all, Grandpa?" I bent over him to gently kiss his forehead.

"Oh, I got some sleep," he returned, his low voice, rumbling deep in his throat, trying not to wake Georgie.

"Did she sleep well?"

"Out like a light."

I sat down across from them, watching Georgie sleep. Last night could've been so much worse than it was ... yet that didn't make me feel any better.

Peter paced back and forth behind me. I heard him droning on with either the insurance company or the fire department. He had been on the phone all morning trying to sort things out. I did my best to block it all out.

"Just fine yeah, just...just...keep in touch, okay?" Peter ended his call, then punched in numbers to someone else, stepping outside to make the call.

I looked over at Grandpa, a wave of grief flooding over me, "I don't understand, Grandpa. How could this happen?"

Grandpa locked eyes with me, his eyes showing he mourned with me, "I don't have an answer for you, Lou. I'm sorry. I'm so sorry."

"And Georgie?" I paused, looking at the little girl who practically weaseled her way into our lives, hiding away in the barn, stealing my lasagna and Ty's ring. "I mean, what if she ... what if she..." I stopped. The words wouldn't come out. They couldn't. I couldn't bring myself to even comprehend losing Georgie. I needed Georgie in my life.

I felt Grandpa staring at me so I finished, "I can't even think about it."

"You don't have to think about it, 'cause she's right here." Grandpa offered me a smile as he pointed at Georgie who was stirring awake.

Georgie pulled her arms out from under the blanket, wiping the sleep from her eyes. Suddenly she sat straight up, "Where's Phoenix, is he back yet?"

I looked at Georgie sadly, "No, honey." I was going to miss her straight-to-the-point ways. Darn it, why couldn't Clint approve Grandpa as Georgie's foster parent? This has been the worst weekend ever.

"I'll take the truck and go look for him later," Grandpa promised Georgie.

Changing the subject, I rose, "Let's get you some breakfast." I gently cupped Georgie's face in my hand. She didn't pull away, just looked up at me with her big brown eyes. Something in me stirred at that moment. I needed to protect this girl; watch over her. I couldn't let Clint take her away. I wouldn't.