AN: Thank-you for all the reviews. I appreciate them all. Also, I thank-you for your patience. Updates will be a bit slower this month but I will update occasionally.


Pulling the car to a stop in front of his home, Lee turned to Brian. "Leave your bag for now. I'll grab it in a bit. I think you're going to have your arms full shortly after walking through that door."

Brian simply nodded his consent, before turning and looking toward the little house they had stopped in front of. Smoke drifted out of the chimney and the lamps lighted the interior. On the door, a wreath hung to welcome visitors. Garlands of pine boughs were underneath the windows. It was a welcoming site, though this house and this town were unfamiliar to him.

Pushing open the car door, Brian stepped out. He waited for Lee to come around the car and then followed the man toward the house feeling nervous. It wasn't just the idea of imposing upon the Coulters on the holidays but also the knowledge that Bridget and Ivy had been for over a month now. Part of him hoped his sisters felt at home here by now, while another part of him was afraid of just that. If Bridget and Ivy were at ease here with the Coulters, would they even want him coming back into their lives.

Pausing at the front door, Lee looked back at his guest. "Are you ready?"

Brian stood at the bottom of the steps, wanting to say no. Perhaps even just return to Union City without even telling Bridget and Ivy he was here. Instead, he simply nodded his head yes.

Opening the door, Lee stepped into the house. "I'm home," he announced to the occupants of the house whom Brian couldn't see. "I brought another guess for the holidays as well," he added, moving far enough into the house to allow Brian to enter.

Looking out the door, Lee motioned Brian forward. Nervously, Brian Peterson stepped into the Coulters home. He didn't have much of a chance to take in his new surroundings though. What he did hear were his sisters calling his name, shortly before they both threw their arms around him. All his fears about his sisters not wanting him around were pushed aside.

"I missed you," Bridget told her older brother.

"Me too," Ivy echoed.

"I've missed the two of you as well," Brian told them, as Lee quietly shut the front door behind him. "And I love you both," he told them as he wrapped his arms around the both of them.

"Are you going to be staying here too?" Ivy asked still clinging to her brother.

"For a little while, yes," Brian told her. "The Coulters have been kind enough to let us all spend the holiday here together."

"What happens to us when you go back to work?" Bridget asked, looking up at her brother.

Brian took a deep breath and let it out slowly. He had been hoping neither of his sisters would ask that question. He had been hoping that with Christmas being so close, they might be distracted by everything and not worried about the future. He supposed he should have known better. The only thing he could do now was to be as honest with his sisters as he could.

"Let's sit down," Brian told them, leading Bridget and Ivy over to the settee. He was aware of Lee retreating to the kitchen area where Rosemary was finishing dinner preparations.

Sitting down on the settee, Brian pulled Ivy up onto his lap, while Bridget settled down beside him.

"Right now, I am still on medical leave. I haven't been cleared by a doctor yet to return to work."

"Does that mean you're not okay yet?" Bridget asked, worriedly.

"I'm well enough that you don't have to worry about losing me," Brian assured her. "However, I still need to take things easy or I get spells where I feel light headed or headaches. I'm getting better though and as soon as Dr. Shepherd says it's okay to return to light duty, I'll be helping out here in Hope Valley for a while, though my goal is to return to my posting in Unity."

"What becomes of us?" Ivy asked.

Brian looked down at his sisters. He wanted to tell them that they would stay with him and perhaps he could figure out a way to make that happen. However he wasn't sure if that was what would be best. He didn't know anything about raising kids, especially two little girls. He knew his job would take him away a lot and he had no idea who would watch them then. He'd only been at his posting in Unity a couple of weeks before the accident happened. Nor did he know how long he would be in Unity before another posting came along. At nineteen, he wasn't sure he was ready to become a single father. However, he still cared about what happened to his sisters. He wanted to do what was right by them. The problem was, right then he wasn't sure what that was.

"Whatever happens, I will make sure that the two of you are properly cared for. I'm not sure what that arrangement is yet and I promise to take your feelings into consideration. What I can promise you, is that whether we're together or apart, I will always be there for you if you need me."

"Promise?" Bridget asked.

"I promise," Brian told her, pulling her close to him.

"I miss mommy," Ivy said softly, as she leaned against her brother.

Brian placed a kiss on the top of his youngest sister's head. "I know you do," he said quietly. "I miss her too, but you know what? You've got an angel looking over you now. Mom is going to be looking down on you from heaven and she'll always be in our hearts."

"Do you think she was looking over you while you were in the hospital?"

"I know she was," Brian told her.

The three siblings sat huddled together silently for a little while, drawing comfort from one another. After giving them some time, Rosemary announced the dinner, which had been about finished when Lee and Brian had made it home, was ready.

The Peterson siblings joined Lee and Rosemary around the table. With gentle prompting from Rosemary, Bridget and Ivy were soon telling their brother about the tree hunt, the kids at school, and the upcoming Christmas plans.


About midmorning the next day, Brian made his way from the row of houses into town, the file with some of his records from his stay at the Union City hospital. His discharging doctor had informed him that everything that Dr. Shepherd would need to know to continue monitoring his recovery was in there. As, he had been instructed by headquarters to check in with Dr. Shepherd as soon as he could when he got to Hope Valley. Knowing that the doctor was his route to being able to return to work, Brian didn't intend to put it off. He wasn't sure how long it would be before he would be given clearance to work, but now that he was out of the hospital, Brian was anxious to start getting his life back to normal.

The question was, what did normal entail now with the death of both his parents?

It was a question that he needed to figure out the answer for, along with quite a few other questions. Though he wasn't looking forward to the search, he knew that it was a challenge that he couldn't turn away from.

Reaching the cluster of buildings that made up the little town, Brian found him searching the signs for his destination. It didn't take him long to locate the infirmary. Now he just had to hope the doctor was in and not out on a call or something.

Walking into the infirmary, Brian spotted one man sitting at the desk just inside the door. Though he had a book opened in front of him, the man looked up at the sound of Brian's entrance. As he wore the white coat he had come to associate with the doctor's at the hospital during his long stay, Brian assumed he was the town's doctor.

"You're looking better than the last time I saw you," Carson replied as he got to his feet. Seeing Brian's confusion he continued, "I'm Dr. Carson Shepherd. I helped transport you to the hospital in Union City," Carson explained. "I'm very relieved to know you are up and about."

"Thank-you, Dr. Shepherd. Sorry, but I don't remember you at all."

"I wouldn't expect you to," Carson assured him. "Come in and have a seat," he added, motioning Brian toward one of the beds.

Brian held the file out to Carson as he walked further into the infirmary. "My doctor in Union City sent this for you."

"Thank-you," Carson said, opening and glancing over the information as Brian moved to the closest bed. After a few minutes, Carson closed the file and set it to the side. "I'll look over it more closely afterwards," he told his patient as he walked closer to the bed that Brian was sitting on.

As he continued to speak, Carson moved the partitions around the bed to provide some privacy should someone else come into the infirmary. "What I'd like to do right now is do my own examination, and ask you some questions. I'm going to tell you right now, I don't plan on giving you medical clearance right away. I want you to take this time before Christmas to adjust. You've lost your mother just like your sisters have. I have a feeling that during your recovery, you haven't completely processes that. You're also in a new town and I think you need time with your sisters as much as they need time for you."

"I really would just like something to occupy my mind. I feel like all I did was sit around at the hospital."

"Oh, I'm sure there are holiday preparations you can get involved in. Our town isn't big but you can explore the area. Get to know the lay of the land so to say. The school students are doing a holiday concert on Christmas Eve that Bridget and Ivy are involved in followed by a family friendly party at the saloon. And from what I did see in your file, you still tend to tire from activities."

Brian nodded.

"How did you fare with the drive from Union City yesterday?" Carson asked.

"It was tiring," Brian admitted. "I went upstairs after dinner just to unpack and ended up falling asleep."

Carson smiled. "Sleep is probably the best medicine for you right now. Don't push yourself. It's okay to be up and around and doing things. It'll help build your strength and stamina back up. However, take breaks periodically. There is no shame in taking a nap in the middle of the day."

"Yes, doctor," Brian replied.

"Any headaches recently?"

"I usually get one at least once a day. Normally afternoon or evening. They're not as bad as they use to be. The doctor at the hospital sent me home with some aspirin. That usually helps."

"Okay," Carson said. "Let me know if you run out and need more. I also recommend lying down when a headache comes on. The headache is your head's way of saying it wants a rest."

"That is what the hospital doctor's told me as well."

Carson continued his exam, taking his patience's blood pressure, listening to his heart and lungs with the stethoscope. He then asked Brian to perform a series of simple tasks. They were tasks that Brian was becoming a pro at and was relieved that he was now at the point where he could perform them all.

"Things look well. Take the week to get settled in and enjoy the holiday. I'll go over your file more thoroughly and as long as there are no setbacks, we'll talk about getting you back to light duty next Monday."

"Fair enough," Brian said, disappointed but not surprised by the assessment. "Thank-you, Dr. Shepherd."

"You're welcome and feel free to call me Carson."

Brian nodded as he got to his feet. After shaking hands with the doctor he left the infirmary. As he stood on the boardwalk just outside, he looked around. Carson was right. The town wasn't big. However, Bridget and Ivy seemed to have come to like this little town since coming here.

Deciding there was one more person in the community that he wanted to meet before heading back to the Coulter's home, Brian set out in the direction of the North West Mounted Police office. The horse tied outside of the office told Brian that there was a good chance that the Mountie assigned to Hope Valley was there. As his return to full duty rested as much in that Mountie's hands as it did Dr. Shepherd, Brian wanted to meet the man as soon as possible.