Stepping out of the infirmary on the Monday following Christmas, Brian felt a little less anxious then he had since waking up in the hospital. Dr. Shepherd had examined and interrogated him, and then finally released him to return to work the following day with certain precautions. He was only to work a half day and he was to stay in town. Brian wasn't sure how much help he would be with those restrictions in a town like Hope Valley, but at least it was a start.

Stepping to the edge of the boardwalk, Brian looked around the little town. The office of the judge was in sight, and Brian knew stopping by to see the judge was his next task. Bridget and Ivy deserved some solid answers of what was to become of them. Not to mention, if all went well with his return to work, then he didn't know how long he would be in Hope Valley. The situation with his sisters needed to be settled by then.

Taking a deep breath, Brian closed his eyes and let it out slowly. He hadn't felt this nervous since the day he had to report for Mountie training. Being a Mountie was something that he had wanted to do for years but he had often wondered if he had what it takes to do the job. Even after passing the training, he still had those doubts.

Surely, talking to the judge couldn't be as bad as what they had gone through during training.

"You look like you're getting ready to face the instructors after one of the drills during training," Nathan said softly as he approached Brian.

Brian opened his eyes and looked over at his fellow Mountie. "That's about the way I feel," he admitted.

"Going to talk to Dr. Shepherd?"

Brian shook his head. It was a reasonable guess, seeing as he was still standing outside the infirmary. "I've already seen him," Brian replied. "He said he would give you the paperwork allowing me to start work with restrictions tomorrow. Though I'm not sure how much help I'll be."

Nathan shook his head. "Don't worry about that. The important thing is, you're returning to work."

"You're right," Brian said. "However, now I need to find the courage to go see Judge Avery."

Nathan smiled. "Well, if it helps at all, Bill does a lot of growling but I've never actually seen him bite anyone," he said, hoping the words might get the young man to relax a little. "Besides, you're going to see him for advice not because you did something wrong."

"I'm afraid he might think I'm doing something wrong," Brian replied, wondering if Judge Avery or anyone would understand his choice to give up custody of his sisters. He had a feeling people expected him to keep them and raise them. He wished he could, but he truly believed they would be better off with a loving couple like Rosemary and Lee.

"You're choosing to give up custody of Bridget and Ivy then?" Nathan asked, though it was more of a statement than a question.

Brian nodded. "Sometimes I still find myself wondering if I'm ready to be out on my own. I don't know anything about children and this job . . ."

"Doesn't lend itself well to be a parent well, let alone a single parent," Nathan finished when Brian didn't finish the thought. "I get it. The important thing is to make sure the Bridget and Ivy are in a loving and supporting environment not necessarily being the one trying to provide that."

"I just hope I'm doing the right thing."

"I have to believe that there was a reason that Bridget and Ivy found their way to Hope Valley. Perhaps this was why," Nathan told the young man. "Would you like me to accompany you to the judge's office?"

Brian's first instinct was to say no. This was something that he should be doing by himself. However, the truth was he wouldn't mind having someone by his side when he went to talk to judge Avery. Someone who was supportive. Nathan Grant had certainly been that.

"I don't want to take you away from your duties," Brian replied.

"Nothing pressing is going on right now," Nathan told him. "Besides, looking out for the people of Hope Valley is part of my duties and no matter how temporary it is, you and your sisters are currently living here. Therefore, I consider this part of my duties. Are you ready?" Nathan asked, clapping the young man on the back.

Brian smiled. "As ready as I'm going to be," he admitted.

Feeling a little less anxious with Nathan at his side, Brian headed toward the office of the judge. As the two Mounties entered the judge's office, they found an annoyed looking Bill behind his desk with a man standing before the desk. Nathan and Brian stepped to the side, but stayed back, though Bill did acknowledge their presence with a nod.

"Well, it's definitely your right to bring the matter before a judge, but are you seriously telling me the two of you can't figure this out between yourselves."

"It's not the first time her cows have wandered onto my property. It may have just been grass the cows ate this time but what if this happens when my crop is in? Neither that boy of hers or herself can apparently fix the fence properly."

"Did it occur to you to offer to show them how to fix it?" Bill asked.

"That is not my responsibility, judge," the man retorted.

Bill sighed. "Of course not. If I give you my word that I will make sure the fence adjoining your property with the Crandall property will be properly fixed within the week, will you drop the law suit?"

"Fine," the man replied. "However, if those cows end up on my property again, I'm taking her to court. Don't know what she's thinking trying to keep that place with it just being her and three young kids," the man muttered as he turned and headed for the door.

Spotting Nathan and Brian standing by the door, the man nodded respectfully. "Good day, Constables."

"Good day, Mr. Marks," Nathan replied as the man left the judge's office.

"All this fuss over a couple of cows breaking loose?" Nathan questioned as he walked toward Bill's desk.

"Not really. The cows are just an excuse. Ted Marks is just upset that Mrs. Crandall wouldn't sell him her farm after her husband past away. He wants to expand and the Crandall land is good farmland, which is why a couple of the other neighbors have rented the land for their crops these past few years."

"What are you going to do about the fence?"

"I plan on going out and fixing it myself," Bill said. "I'll have Abe help and I can teach him how to do it properly. I prefer that over listening to such a frivolous complaint in my courtroom,"

"Let me know when you want to go out. I'll give you a hand," Nathan told him.

"I appreciate it," Bill replied. "Now, what brings you two to my office?" Bill asked, leaning back in his chair.

"If now is a bad time, I can come back," Brian said nervously, a bit intimidated by the older man sitting behind the desk. If Nathan hadn't been with him, he probably would have left before the judge had finished speaking with the other man.

Bill smiled. "Have a seat. I'll admit, frivolous matters, stupidity, and people with no compassion brings out my gruff side, but as I don't believe any of those apply to you, you'll be fine."

Brian looked over at Nathan, who nodded toward the desk.

Brian slowly walked over to the desk and took a seat. He was grateful when Nathan sat down in the chair beside him.

"I assume you're here to talk about Bridget and Ivy?" Bill commented.

Brian nodded. "I know they're my responsibility but I don't think I can properly raise them."

"An understandable concern," Bill said, his voice taking on a measure of compassion. "You're young yourself and your job isn't exactly the most child friendly. I'm sure you never expected your younger sisters to be your responsibility. So, the question becomes what course of action do you want to take next."

"Bridget and Ivy like it at the Coulters, and Mr. And Mrs. Coulter said they would be willing to keep them. Is that a possibility?"

"Yes. It is certainly in your right to choose who becomes responsible for Bridget and Ivy. As they're not blood relatives, the court would have to weigh in on the Coulters fitness of providing a good home for the children. As I'm the judge, I can guarantee you that won't be a problem. The question is, how involved do you want to remain in your sister's lives?"

Brian searched for the words to voice his thoughts. "Well, I want to be able to visit them when I'd like and for them to be able to visit me at times."

"Okay, so you would maintain visitation rights," Bill said. "Would you be open to allowing the Coulters to adopting the girls or just be their guardians?" Bill asked. Seeing the confusion on the young man's face, Bill launched into an explanation fo the differences between the two statuses in the eyes of the laws.

For almost the next hour, Bill talked through everything with Brian Peterson, answering questions that Brian would never have even thought to ask. In some ways, Brian found it overwhelming though deep down, he knew that letting Bridget and Ivy stay with the Coulters would be best in the long run.

"I know I threw a lot of information at you today, so if any questions arise over the next few days, feel free to come ask me. I promise I won't growl," Bill told the young man.

"Okay," Brian replied, managing a smile. The older man had been quite patient and compassionate during their conversation, which had made Brian a little less anxious.

"I'll talk with Lee and Rosemary and discuss the details we've figured out. It'll then take a few days to get all the paperwork in place. Between now and then, if you should change your mind, and I'm not saying you should even consider doing that, but if it happens, it would be okay. This is a huge decision for all of you. I want you to be absolutely sure this is what you want before you sign the papers."

"I believe this is what is best for Bridget and Ivy," Brian told him, meeting Bill's gaze. "The Coulters can give them things that I never could."

"And you'll still be as much a part of their lives as you would in normal circumstances," Nathan said, the first words he had uttered since Brian and Bill had started talking over the details. Having been in Brian's shoes before, he knew the prospect of taking on a child was a tough situation to be in. Nathan wanted the young man to know he was supported in the choice he had made.

"Nathan's right," Bill stated. "There is nothing wrong with the choice you're making. The fact that you want to maintain guardianship if the worst should happen again means that you still care for those two girls. That's what is important."

Brian took a deep breath and let it out slowly, trying to ground himself before speaking. "Thank-you both. The support helps."

Nathan reached out and rested his hand on Brian's shoulder. "You've got all the support you need."

"Even if you didn't want it," Bill added. "That's just Hope Valley."

"I'm figuring that out," Brian admitted. "Thank-you for your time Judge Avery."

"You're welcome," Bill replied, with a nod.

Brian and Nathan got to their feet and headed outside again. As Nathan pulled the door shut behind them, Brian spoke.

"Thank-you for coming with me, Con . . . Nathan."

"You're welcome," Nathan replied. "I'll see you tomorrow. For now, I've got rounds to do."

"Of course," Brian replied. "Have a good day," he said, nodding to Nathan before he turned and started the walk back out to the row houses.