Chapter 1
There is some dialogue from the Christmas episode in thins chapter… I will use a bit from it over the duration of this story, but I hope you like it. All credits go to Crown Media and all those associated with making us a great show! So far I've had about two hundred views, but no reviews! I need feedback on this!
It was a beautiful winter day in Hope Valley. A layer of snow covered the ground, decorating the countryside and that, mingled with the numerous Christmas decorations that were beginning to appear around town, gave a sense of Christmas spirit and joy. But for two women, this was going to be quite a sad Christmas, because both of them had people they loved who were missing…
Abigail was dusting down the furniture in the living room, humming a Christmas carol as she went around. As she finished the bookcase, she turned around to dust the coffee table and saw the picture of her and Josie, sitting together on Josie's horse. She stopped humming and tenderly picked up the picture, her eyes filling with tears. "Oh, Josie, darling, where are you?" She asked as she ran her fingers over the picture.
As Abigail was absorbed in her thoughts, Bill Avery entered the kitchen. He was about to ask Abigail about what she was planning on doing for the Christmas dinner, when he saw her next to the couch, holding the picture of Josie and he also saw the tears running down Abigail's cheeks. Bill's heart went out to Abigail and he went over to her. As he stood beside her, he put his arm around her. "Are you alright?"
Abigail looked up at him. "Its just the waiting. Wondering if she's safe. Not knowing what's happened to her. Not knowing is she's alive or dying somewhere. Hoping against hope that this is just a bad dream and Josie will run through the door, ask for the cookies she loves and throw her arms around me while she calls me "Mum."
"I know, I know." Bill said as he gently brushed her tears away with his hand. "When I made the promise to you that I would find her, I meant it and I intend to follow it through. I know how much she means to you. She means a lot to me and the town as well, and I know how your feeling. I too often wonder where she is and how she's doing. I wont stop searching until I find out what has happened to her. I promise you Abigail, I'll never give up."
"I know." Abigail said, her voice breaking. "I know your doing the best you can, but…"
"But its hard. I know." Bill said as he gave her a hug to reassure her, and Abigail held on tight. "Does that make you feel a little better?"
"Yes." Abigail replied as she let go. "A little, thanks Bill." She was about to say more when she heard the door open and she saw Colin walk in.
"The tree's up, so we're on schedule." He said as he entered the kitchen, then he saw that Abigail had been crying. He looked at Bill, then back to Abigail. "Bad news about Josie?" he asked almost scared with the answer he might receive.
Abigail blew her nose before she replied. "No news. Its just the waiting. I'll be out shortly… I just need some time. I'm sorry you had to see me like this." She apologized to Colin.
"Its fine Abigail, we're friends. I know how much you miss her, and I do to. I'll go outside and let you get your emotions together." Colin replied as he put his hand on her shoulder. "I can let the town know about the tree if you like."
"No, its fine, Colin. I'll do it."
"So look within and you will see the magic of the Wishing tree." Elizabeth read from the book for the classes reading time. "So make a wish a tie it on and soon your wish just might be gone, which means that someone cares for you and they might make your wish come true." She closed the book and looked at the class. "The end." She saw Laura raise her hand and nodded. "Laura."
"So, if you put a wish on the tree, you'll get what you asked for?"
"That's the idea." Elizabeth replied. "And according to the book, your wish can be for anything. A toy, a hope, a dream, and then someone can take your wish down and try to make it come true. Yes, Phillip?"
"What if they cant?"
"That's what's so special about the tree. If one person cant make the wish come true, then the legend says that the tree will magically make it happen."
"Can you make a wish for someone else?" This question came from Harper.
"Those are the best kind."
"I wish we could get a wishing tree." Opal said, a bit crestfallen that it mightn't happen.
"Well, Opal, I am happy to report that Hope Valley already has its very own wishing tree, and Mayor Stanton will show it to all of us this afternoon on main street, so we will be ending class early, so we can all be there for the tree presentation." Elizabeth ended as the children began to cheer. "Class dismissed!" She said as she rang her cowbell.
The children began to leave the class room, and Elizabeth gave a contented sigh as she put her book down, but then she saw Cody still sitting in his chair. "Cody?" Elizabeth walked over and sat down in the chair in front of him. "Is everything alright?"
"I don't know what to get Miss Abigail, I mean, Mom, for Christmas. Its our first since she adopted us." Cody explained.
"Mmm, Moms are always a challenge."
"She's really happy that Becky's coming home from school."
"Well, there's your answer. Having you and Becky here for Christmas is all your mom could ever want."
Cody didn't look convinced.
"That's not all is it?"
Cody shook his head. "I want Mom to be happy again. Ever since Josie was kidnapped, she's changed. She doesn't smile as often, and sometimes I hear her crying herself to sleep. Mom doesn't know that I hear her, but I do. I know she puts on a brave face to show me how to be brave for Josie, but she's struggling too."
"Oh, Cody, I'm sorry, I didn't realize what you've been struggling with." Elizabeth said with sympathy. "Is there anything I can do?"
"No, its okay, Miss Thatcher, I just needed to tell someone, I feel better now. I just wish for something else to give her, to try and make her happy again."
"You know, you could put that on the tree."
"That's a great idea!" Cody said with more enthusiasm than he'd shown all day. "Thanks Miss Thatcher!" He said as he got up.
"Your welcome."
Cody stopped and turned back at his teacher again. "I bet you wish Mountie Jack could be here for Christmas.
Elizabeth nodded. "Yes. I do."
"Me too." He picked up his coat and left.
Abigail had managed to gather herself together and was working on the Christmas stockings for her kids. One for Becky, one for Cody, and one in faith for Josie. Then she heard Bill come in.
"Well, you must be counting the minutes until Becky comes home." Abigail nodded as she took the glass he extended to her. "Thank you. Yes, it will be nice to have my whole family together for the holidays, well, except for Josie." Abigail sighed.
Bill sat down. "Yeh." Bill took a drink out of his cup, and watched Abigail do the same.
"Your eggnog tastes different this year." Abigail remarked.
"Yah, added more nutmeg, now its got some real kick."
"I'll say."
"I have a question for you. The Christmas tree out on main street, what's that all about?"
"You don't like the wishing tree?"
"I didn't say that I didn't like it, I just like to stick to tradition."
"Oh, we are, but like your eggnog, this Christmas tree has a little kick."
"I guess it will be fun for the kids."
"Oh, it will be fun for everyone, you just have to believe."
Bill noticed Elizabeth come in. "Why the long face? You know, I'm going to get you a glass of my homemade eggnog." He said as he got up.
"No, no, no, okay." She said when she saw that Bill wouldn't give in. She sighed and sat down.
"That for Jack?"
"Mhm. Figure if I can't be with him on Christmas I can at least I can let him know I'm thinking of him."
"Have you heard from him recently?" Abigail said as she continued to sew Josie's Christmas stocking.
"Its been eight days."
Even though Abigail was hurting, she saw that Elizabeth need some comfort. "I'm sure he's fine."
"He said that he has a very important mission, and for me not to worry."
"Well then, I wouldn't worry, and you know I'm here for you. By the way, Christmas dinner will be at six."
"What can I bring?"
"Oh, biscuits and mashed potatoes would be great."
"Alright, I guess I'd better get to the mercantile in time for the mail pick up." Elizabeth contemplated if she should tell Abigail what Cody had said. "Abigail, Cody spoke to me today."
Abigail looked up. "Is everything alright?"
"He's worried about you."
"Worried about me? Worried about what?"
"How your coping with Josie being gone. He says he can see that you've changed, and he says he hears you crying at night. Now I know its hard, but this is what Cody has told me. He's really concerned about you." Elizabeth said softly.
"I didn't know that he could hear me." Abigail said, with her head down. "I've been trying to stay strong for Cody and for the town, but its hard. Especially at Christmas. Bill still hasn't gotten any leads as to where she is, but he is still trying."
"I've seen that he has, and it good that you have both him and Frank to talk to. Look, I'm really sorry, but I have to go, but Abigail, if you need to talk, you know where to come." Elizabeth said as she got up.
"Thanks Elizabeth." Abigail said as she looked up, then she chuckled as she saw Bill stop Elizabeth.
"Elizabeth, this will perk you right up." Bill said as he put the glass under her nose.
Elizabeth took one whiff of it and smelt the nutmeg. She quickly tried to think of something that wouldn't offended Bill. "Oh, um, save some for me." She said as she walked away.
"But." Bill started, rather confused.
Abigail stood up. "Is everything on schedule?" She said to change the subject.
"Yeh, it should be. Well, to holiday cheer, Abigail." Bill said as he raised the glass he was going to give to Elizabeth.
Abigail picked hers up and clicked it against Bills. "And a very Merry Christmas." She waited until Bill had turned, and made a face at the smell, then she saw Bill looking at her. "Oh, it's good." She said, hoping he hadn't seen the face she'd made.
"Come on, lets get them moving, don't let them lag!" Josie yelled from the back of the bay stallion she was riding. "We need to make it to Lethbridge by nightfall if we're going to make it back to Hope Valley for Christmas."
"Right, Josie." A young Indian girl replied as she moved her buckskin stallion faster to turn back a wandering mare. She was about eighteen years old, with beautiful black eyes and hair, but she was wearing the dress of the English people. "Easy boy." She said as he began to get a bit fidgety.
"How much further?" Another girl asked, this one an American. She moved her horse further in to the trail to avoid the trees. She looked about twenty, with blue eyes, blond hair and a beautiful smile.
"About ten more miles." Josie replied. "So, lets pick up the pace." She yelled back above the sound of the herd of mustangs they'd rescued. She nudged her horse into a canter and caught up to the Indian girl. "I'm going to scout ahead and try to find a path with the least amount of snow." She motioned to a rise. "Bring the horses down to the creek at the bottom of that hill and wait until I come back. The horses need a quick rest anyway. Make sure they have a quick drink, please Snow Maiden."
Snow Maiden nodded. "Its good. Horses do need to rest. Foals are tired." She replied as she flicked her whip out at another wandering filly to bring it back to the main bunch.
"Thanks. I knew I could count on you." She groaned as she sat through one of the massive bucks that this horse loved to give. She pulled his head up and gave the horse a swift kick. "Come on, get up you crazy thing." The horse gave another buck and began to shy at a rabbit on the side of the trail, and for the thousandth time, Josie wished for her stallion, Thowra.
Josie galloped the horse up the side of the steep hill and surveyed the snowy landscape before she decided to dismount and have a little rest. As she had a drink from the deerskin waterbag, she made a mental calculation of how much further she had to get back to Hope Valley. She figured out that it was at least another two hundred miles away and she sighed. "I don't think we'll make it in time for Christmas." She said to herself as she looked at the rough map in front of her.
She knew they would have been back in Hope Valley weeks ago if she and the other girls hadn't decided to bring the mustangs with them, but she couldn't leave them to be killed as vermin by the ranchers. Especially after she had witnessed a mare killed by one of them, leaving behind a five-month-old foal, and then the others that they had put out of their misery after they'd been shot, but not killed.
The memories of the horses that hadn't been shot properly still saddened her. Seeing foals mourning over their mothers, and horses trying to escape from their hunters on three legs because they'd been shot through a leg, hip or shoulder had forced her to make sure that they would try and get as many of them back to safety. Somewhere they wouldn't get shot at by angry ranchers who blamed them for taking grass from their cattle.
As she folded the map, she thought of Abigail, Cody, Becky, Colin and the rest of the people she had been taken from. Did they miss her? Did they think she was dead? Where they looking for her? She put the map back into the saddle bag and wished again that she'd never gone fishing that day…
