Someone asked how long will this go, will it cover 9 years of Heartland? Not sure how far it will go but no it will not go that far. This will not really follow much of the show at all as it is a "What If" Marion had been alive. So there are a lot of the parts of HL that will not be used or not in the way they are now, Lou, Tim and of course any of the later characters. The story is about how Ty would have been affected by Marion's presents in his life not even that much about TAMY as they have a long way to go before that comes to be if at all in this story.
What If Chapter 3
Marion had been happy that Ty hadn't beaten her to the ranch but now she was wondering how Jack had found out about the new charge.
"He is from Calgary." she said, hoping but knowing that wouldn't end the questions. She had hoped to get Jack aside tell him without Amy being there, as she didn't want to scare her teenage daughter with Ty's past. Trying to get Amy to leave now would be impossible.
"I got him assigned to us from the juvenile center."
"You did what?!" Exclaimed Jack.
"I know you've needed more help lately. What with Amy in school and my client work, we haven't been able to lend a hand. I know that we couldn't afford to hire someone, so I had Ty placed by his probation officer with us. He just has one more year before he can be released. Since we are feeding and housing him the probation officer had agreed we don't have to pay him. You remember like we did with Scott."
"First of all, you're damn right we are not going to pay him. Second, as soon as he sets foot on this place I'm sending him home. You have enough things to take care of with the horses and her" said Jack nodding at Amy.
Amy started to protest but before she could Marion spoke again, "Dad, he is staying. He needs us as much as we need him and I will not allow you to put him back in detention, to see him end up in prison."
"And why may I ask, would he end up in Prison? What did he do to end up there in the first place? He must be some kind of work because you don't just go from detention to facing time in prison!"
"Amy you need to go in the house and start something for supper, I will join you in a minute." Marion tried to usher Amy away from the impending explanation.
"I won't need to; our criminal is bringing us supper from Maggie's." Amy replied.
Marion turned and looked at Amy. "What do you mean he is bringing us supper?"
"Soraya called and told me he was in there. She was about to call the police on him when he pulled out your phone and a hand written note from you." Amy explained.
"Why would he go to Maggie's?" Marion was becoming more and more confused and it did not appear that the day was going to get any better as she watched the smug look on Amy's face.
"Then you go set the table, NOW" Marion snapped, feeling a little stressed and instantly guilty for speaking to Amy that way,
When Amy had reluctantly turned and gone in the house to set the table Marion turned back to Jack to answer his question. "He just about beat his step father to death."
"He what? There is no way we are having someone like that around here. Do you understand me?" Jack said sternly, his face set with certainty.
"Let me finish Dad. His step-father was beating him and his mom. When his step-dad got drunk one night he came home and started beating his mom again. Ty had taken all he could stand and jumped him. It took the cops pulling him off or he would have killed him they think." Marion explained her voice soft and filled with empathy for Ty.
"If that was the case, then he wouldn't have been in juvenile because he was only protecting his mom." Jack replied, unconvinced.
"True but his mom sided with her husband, saying that Ty had attacked them."
"Let's say that what you are telling me is the truth. That still does not explain your remark about him ending up in prison if he goes back to the detention center though." Jack was adamant there was more to the story than Marion was sharing.
Marion knew what she had to say was something Jack would not understand, she considered lying to him but her dad would see right through that, he always had. "He sometimes gets into fights; and he put a couple of the guys into the hospital for a few days. He never hurt them bad though."
"Oh, so sending someone to the hospital is not a bad beating? Have you lost your mind Marion? Can you stand there after all you have told me and say that you want to bring this type of boy into your home and around your daughter?" Jack questioned.
Marion was getting angry, "I suspect you are most worried about yourself old man, afraid you'll be the next one he puts in a hospital!" She was sorry before the last words had exited her mouth but she couldn't stop herself.
In the way her father had always faced problems, he just shook his head and said. "No, I am not worried about me because if he lifts one hand at me, they will have a hard time finding the pieces of him scattered over this ranch."
To the untrained ear, it would have seemed like Jack had had the last say and there would be no Ty Borden on his property. But to Marion who had lived with her dad her whole life, she had heard what she needed to hear, when he said "if he lifts". Marion threw her arms around her Dad and said "thanks dad you will not regret this".
"I better not."
…
Ty sat on the stool at counter, watching everyone watch him. Had they never seen a stranger in this town? He was feeling more and more uncomfortable, with every minute he sat there. He decided he would go take a walk outside, so he could at least dodge all the people staring at him. As he was just about to get up from the counter, Soraya saw him and asked, "Where do you think you are going? Planning to skip out on me were you"?
"I am not sure, I feel like a new guppy in a fish bowl, in a house full of little kids. Has anyone around here ever seen a stranger before?"
"I am sure they have but not many that dress like you." Soraya teased.
"What's wrong with the way I'm dressed" said Ty looking down at his clothes, feeling mildly offended.
"Oh, there is nothing wrong with them if you lived in the projects in a big city, no offense. You know, to theme you look like rode a motorcycle riding drug dealing kind of guy. Here in Hudson you stick out like a sore thumb." said a smiling Soraya.
Ty again looked at his clothes and couldn't understand what Soraya was talking about. "I don't look like that, do I?" Ty started to realize how much he really was different to the other diners. His old leather jacket was not like any that men in the diner were wearing. His favorite faded old tee shirt was very different to the various shirts worn around him. He had noticed everyone seemed to have a belt with a buckle - a big buckle. The girls mostly wore jeans and boots, their shirts were not what he was used to either, as they seemed to either be button up long sleeves or have fancy snaps where the buttons should have been. The only thing that he seemed to have in common with most of the patrons here was that he drove a truck.
"Ok, I guess I see your point" said Ty defeated. "How soon is the food going to be ready? I feel the need to leave this place."
"And what makes you think that Jack and Amy are going to make you feel any less uncomfortable?" Soraya wanted to know.
He remembered Marion mentioning those two and now he knew that Amy was Soraya's friend, so he had an idea that the comment from her probably made sense. Jack, well that was a whole new ball of wax, as he had no idea of who he was.
Soraya finished packing up the meal and took it over to where Ty was sitting at the counter. "That will be $35.00" as Ty reached for the bag.
"$35.00 I thought they would have a tab or something."
"Oh they do, but you don't"
Ty fished in his pockets, pulling out $40.00 and handed it to Soraya. He wasn't sure why he was shelling out his money to buy food for people he did not even know.
He looked at Soraya and said, "I could be lying in bed a woman under each arm and them feeding me and giving me drinks and I am standing here giving you the last of my money and not even knowing why."
"Here's your change" Soraya said handing Ty the $5.00
Hell, I've done everything else completely out of character today, he thought to himself. "Keep it!" He said to Soraya.
"Thanks, it was nice to get to know you, too bad I won't be seeing you again."
"What do you mean? I am going to be living out at this Heartland place, so I am sure I will see you again."
"Doubt it, if what Amy said was true. Jack will probably just take the food and tell you to get off his place."
"Who is Jack again" Ty asked.
"He is the owner of Heartland a crusty ole cowboy who only understands two things, hard work and manners especially towards women. Cross him on either and I promise you it will be the last thing you ever do at Heartland.
How had he gotten himself into this? He should have stayed in solitary at the detention center or maybe his first thought of just leaving the area when he had the chance. Not many folks would come looking for an escaped delinquent. But he had made a promise to a woman who had trusted him like no one ever had. He could leave later if he chose but tonight he was going to stay true to his word. He took the food, putting it in the seat of his old blue pickup and drove out of Hudson headed to Heartland.
….
Jack turned on his heel, saying that he was headed to the barn to feed the horses and would be back in a few minutes. "When I get finished he had better be here and he better answer all the questions right or I'm going to remove him from this place before the bottoms of his feet hit the ground."
Marion walked into the house to find Amy in the kitchen, trying to start what she had been sent into the house to do minutes before. But the curiosity of a teenage girl was strong, she had stood at the front door trying to hear the conversation of her mom and grandpa. Amy reached for the dishes in a hurry to disguise that fact that she hadn't obeyed, causing her to drop a dish on the floor - shattering it to pieces. As was the custom in the house, she had taken her boots off at the front door and was now standing in the middle of pile of shattered glass.
"Don't move" said a frightened Marion knowing all too well how even the smallest of pieces of the shattered plate could cause her daughter harm. She helped Amy safely over the broken shards before asking her to get the vacuum while she swept up the largest pieces. After they had swept, vacuumed and mopped the floor they went back to the business at hand of setting the table.
"Mom, why do you want to have someone like this Ty character around our home? I heard what you told Grandpa and I agree with him, we don't need another mouth to feed and especially one who has a temper like that." Amy asked clearly worried.
Marion looked at her daughter and decided it was best to fill her in on their soon to be ranch hand. "Amy he comes from a broken home, one where his dad left when he was very young."
"I know all about that and I don't go around beating people up."
Marion continued. "There is a big difference, when his father left, his mom remarried. This man was a drunk, a real scoundrel from what I have learned. He has been in and out of jail for various reasons. Anyway, one night he came home drunk and started beating on Ty's mom and he stepped in to stop him. They got into a fight and Ty beat him really bad."
"I heard that part but what mother would lie about her son? I find that hard to believe, just like grandpa." Amy was struggling to understand where her mother was coming from.
"All I know is, I have observed him many times at the detention center. I was even there one time when a fight started. He didn't start the fight - he stepped in. A bigger bully was picking on a smaller child and though he went overboard, his heart was in the right place. I really think there is a good boy underneath that tough guy exterior."
She looked up, to see the blue pickup pull up in front of Heartland.
To be continued.
