Disclaimer: I do not own Heartland nor the characters, please give credit to those who deserve it.

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I apologize for being gone the last few days after pumping out a few quick updates. We are in the process of attempting to sell our house so things have been quiet busy. Anyone, this one is longer then normal so I do hope you enjoy it.

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Chapter Four

Jack stared out the window, his morning coffee in hand as he took in the sight of his land as he had done every morning for many years. The house was quiet, the birds were chirping, and in the near distance he could hear the horses whining. In most peoples eyes, this was the perfect morning except he knew better. It was only thirteen days ago he had lost his daughter, and almost his granddaughter. And now in his house was Lou, the granddaughter that has fled Heartland.
He had often wondered what their reunion would look like, that was if they ever had one but this was not what he had pictured it to be.

He had loved her from the moment Marion had announced her pregnancy. And for the moment she had been born, he had cherished her. This tiny little human, his granddaughter. He had given her another reason to breathe.
He remembered when she was a little girl how she would follow him around the ranch, imitating his every move. "One day Grampa this is going to be all mine." She'd said it with such conviction, standing on porch beside him sipping orange juice while he had coffee. He'd never forget that bright smile on her lips when she had said it, nor would he forget the way his heart swelled knowing she loved this place as much as he.

Jack sighed, he had been torn between his daughter and his granddaughter. It had been an impossible choice, and most days he found himself questioning if he had made the right one. It was all a mess now, and he had helped make it this way. He wondered if Lou hated him, she would be right to. It was why he felt selfish knowing that he needed to ask for her help but it was for Heartland. The place she had once loved.

The slight bit of movement flicked in the corner of his eye and he turned to find Lou's little girl. It amazed him that although they were not biologically related, Georgie was a striking familiar image of Lou at the same age. If he pulled out old photos it would be amazing. "Well, good morning."

Georgie blinked sleepily, looking up at the man in the kitchen. "Hi." She looked around the room, this wasn't home, it was certainly different and this man wasn't grandpa, he was mommas grandpa. An unfamiliar stranger. Momma never talked about her family, and Georgie had never asked. She wondered if she was supposed to be nice or if they hurt Momma. She remembered Momma crying once. Maybe it was because of him.

Jack Bartlett couldn't help but let a small smile take over on his usually firm lined lips. The little brown haired curl with her pearly white teeth was standing in front of him rubbing her sleepily eyes. "You hungry?"

Georgie nodded. "Uh huh."

Jack glanced behind her to the hallway. "Your mom still sleeping?"

"Yep." She moved to sit on one of the chairs. "Is Amy still at the hospital?" She had been sleeping when they arrived home last night and knew no different. She was only certain that Amy didn't like her momma.

Jack placed a couple of pieces of bread in the toaster. "No, she's upstairs sleeping. So, Georgie, do you like horses?" He couldn't help but feel happiness well inside of him when he saw her bright smile. She had clearly gained Lou's love for animals.
He wondered if she had ever gotten back onto a horse, he doubted it. He imagined it would only be a trigger.

Georgie nodded her head frantically. "I love horses. My grandpa takes me riding all the time and he promised to buy me my own horse. Momma says he's not allowed until I'm bigger, cause horses are a lot of work."

Jack had heard her say grandpa before, he was certain of it but did she mean Tim? He wondered if Tim was around, he hadn't expected he would be. After all, was he the type of bloke that would stick around for his daughter after he abandoned his wife and toddler, Jack doubted it. "Uh, your momma is right. Horses are a lot of work."

"Grampa! Grampa!"

"Amy." Jack abandoned the toast and looked towards the stairs just in time to see Amy practically run into the room. "What has happened? Are you hurt?"

"Why'd you bring that horse here?" Amy demanded to know, her finger pointing to the door where she could here the horse loudly making it's presence known.

Jack hadn't wanted Amy to find out this way, he wanted to take her out there and talk it over but he knew that having Spartan here was the right call. Amy could work miracles with horses, just like her mother, he was certain of it. Bringing them together would allow both their wounds to heal. "I thought you and that horse had a lot in common."

Amy shook her head, saving that horse was the reason her mother died, the last thing she wanted to do was see it. Now it was living here, at her ranch. "Send it back."

He could see the hurt in her eyes, and he had expected there to be some but it wouldn't do any good to simply get rid of the horse. "You don't have see him yet Amy, but when your ready he'll be there."

"I don't think I'm every going to be ready, Grampa." She spared a glance at the kid who was watching them. They hadn't formally been introduced but she knew that it was Lou's kid. If this were uncomplicated and Lou had never left then she would have been this kids Aunt, but now she was just another reminder of the sister and father whom abandoned her. "I suppose your mothers still here then."

Georgie frowned. "She's sleeping."

Amy snorted. "Of course, she is. Does she know we are a ranch? People don't just get to sleep in till midday."

"You're mean." Georgie stated with the innocence that only a child could have. "I don't like you." She had heard the way this girl spoke to her momma in the hospital, and she had heard her mother crying at night, even if her momma hadn't wanted her to hear and it was all cause of this girl.

Amy merely shrugged. "I don't like you either."

"Amy." Lou interrupted, looking from the 15 year old to Georgie.

Amy turned around, backing away from her. "Don't talk to me." She immediately headed for the door.

"Don't go, I just..."

"Lou." Jack spoke his granddaughters name as the door slammed closed. "Just give it a little time."

"How much time?" Lou asked softly, were the last years not enough distance between them. She understood that Amy was angry and hurt, but this teenager knew nothing of what truly happened. She didn't know what Lou had gone through.
Lou tried so hard to reign in her disappointment, to remind her self that Amy could have been fed a million lies by her mother. But was it wrong of her to just want to hug Amy? After all, she couldn't remember the last time she had been allowed to just hold her.

"Momma."

Lou straightened her shoulders, there was no time for that. Not to dwell on the past, this was the present. Amy would come round, at least once she heard her side of things, she had to right? "Hey, honey, how did you sleep?"

"Good." Georgie tilted her head as if she was studying her mothers facial expression. "Are you alright, momma? Do you need a hug?"

Lou felt those words hit her right in the heart, she immediately stepped forward and gathered Georgie into her arms. "I love you, sweetheart."

"I love you more, momma." Georgie squeezed her tightly, she knew her momma was in pain, she could see it. Where was Grandpa? He always knew how to make her feel better. "Momma, can I call grandpa now?" She had been waiting impatiently since yesterday afternoon, and now seemed like the perfect time. He'd know how to cheer momma up. "Please!"

Lou nodded. "Alright, go on, my phone is beside the bed." She barely could get the sentence out before Georgie was off the chair and rushing out of the room. She shook her head, she hadn't expected how close her father would grow to Georgie, but she relished in seeing their relationship grow.

"Grandpa..."

Lou looked over at her grandfather, she knew that he had never truly gotten along nor accepted her father. There was also no denying the anger that had been there the day they left. But she needed him to understand that her father was the only person she trusted to back her a hundred percent all of the time. "Dad's still around and very present in our lives, Grampa, so don't...don't say anything especially in front of Georgie. Please."

Jack was surprised by the fact that Tim was still in Lou's life, even more surprised to find that he was a part of Georgie's. "I won't..." He held out the cup of tea he had been making to take to Amy out to her. "Here."

Lou gently took it from his hands. "Thank-you." She moved over to look out the window, seeing the paddocks, and yards for the horses. The property that could have once been hers. "Look Grampa..."

"Lou..."

Lou paused when she realised he had spoken her name just as she was starting to speak, yet she stopped and gave him a nod to continue. It was polite and respectful thing to do and Marion had always demanded manners from her. "You go..."

"I know it is a lot to ask, especially since, well, you..."

Lou could see the struggle in his eyes, as if he had forgotten how to communicate with her. Straight to the point, that had always been the best way. "What is it, Grampa? If I can help, I will." It was honest. Despite what he probably thought of her, she would always put family first and if she could help him or Amy then she would. She had a chance to be apart of their lives now that Marion was gone.

Jack looked nervous, as if he was about to ask the most forbidden question. Because to him, the topic has always seemed untouchable. Marion had shut him down the one time he had brought it up to her, pushed it away and that was when he decided to never speak her name, to even whisper...Lou. "Will you stay? At least for a while until...well, I've got some problems with the bank and your mother she mentioned a kid coming, he's on probation but she had a good feeling and I..."

Lou gently reached out to touch his arm but pulled her hand back for she could make contact, instead running her fingers through her hair. She knew that this question would have taken a lot of courage for her grandfather to ask, and she felt grateful that he had at least thought to ask her. It felt unusual that she was being asked to stay when they had once told her to leave, but she'd take it, at least for a while. "Uh, yeah, Georgie and I can stay a while." She made the decision without even thinking it over.

...

"Grandpa!" Georgie snuggled under the covers, whispering into the phone.

Tim snorted on the other end of the line. "Rugrat, why you whispering?"

"Uh, covert operation, Grandpa." Georgie replied as if he should have known exactly what they were speaking about.

"Oh, right, of course." He shook his head, they'd spent all last summer working on secret missions. Trying to convince Lou to let him buy her a horse. "What are you doing, honey?" When they were home in New York, he was like a pea in a pod with his granddaughter, it was weird to have her be so far away that she needed to use a phone to talk to him. Usually she could just yell down the hall.

"Grandpa," Georgie shuffled under the blankets nervously. "Momma's sad."

Tim drew a deep breath, he should have seen this coming. Georgie was a bright kid, she was in tune with Lou's emotions as if they were her own. He had always placed it down to the bond they had created. He had never imagined that Lou could love another child, especially not one that was not her own but then Georgie came along.
He would never forget the day that she barged into their life, it had been as if he was staring at a little Lou. Everything about her told them that she was there to stay. "Listen, kiddo, your momma hasn't been back to Heartland in many years and she is gonna be sad for a little while but this is nothing for you to worry about. Okay?"

Georgie sighed. "Will you worry about it?"

"Always." Tim told her honestly, he always tried to be honest with her. "But it's not your job, honey, she'll be okay."

"She was crying. I heard her," Georgie paused sheepishly. "She didn't want me to but it's Amy that's makin' her sad Grandpa."

"Amy will be hurtin' too." Tim acknowledged, he could only imagine what this was doing to the 15 year old. "Listen, Georgie, I'll talk to your momma tonight. I'll do whatever I can to help her, you trust me right?"

"Yep."

"Good. Then I want you just to keep giving your momma those famous G hugs and I'll take care of the rest. Let's call it, Operation Look After Momma."

Georgie smiled. "Okay. I love you, Grandpa."

"I love you too, G. And kiddo?"

"Yeah?"

Tim sighed, unsure if this was the right thing to say. "Don't give Amy a rough time, remember how much it hurt when you lost your other momma?"

Georgie breathed in sharply. "Yeah, Grandpa, I 'member."

"That's how much Amy is hurtin' okay?"

"Okay Grandpa, I'll be nice as long as she be's nice to momma."

….

"So your sister is back."

Amy huffed, but nodded in acknowledgement at Soraya's statement. They were best-friends so of course it was only natural that she told her of Lou's existence but otherwise most people didn't know because no one talked about her. It was only those who knew Lou from when she lived here that knew of her. "She's here with her kid, Grampa called. I'm hoping she'll pack up an leave when she realises she's not welcome."

Soraya could hear the bitterness in her friends voice, she had known that Amy disliked Lou even though she couldn't remember her. "Have you spoken to her? Asked her about..."

"Mom told me everything I needed to know."

"Except she didn't really tell you anything."

"Soraya." Amy glared.

"What? It's the truth. Remember when we were little, we found that photo..."

Amy shook her head, looking rather confused. "What are you talking about?"

"Don't you remember? We must have been 6 or 7. We were playing upstairs in the barn."

Amy tried to think back but she couldn't remember it. What on earth was Soraya talking about? She honestly didn't think she had ever seen a photo of Lou, surely she would have remembered that. Especially since she spent so long begging her mom to show her. "I don't remember."

Soraya looked at her friend weirdly, the sound of the horses hooves on the gravel was the only sound in the air. "We were playing, there was old nightstand. We were little and curious so we opened the draws and found some useless junk and a picture. Your mom was in it, and I think your dad but there was also a little girl. From memory I think she was about our age in the photo." Soraya smiled softly. "You were so excited, and we raced downstairs to show your mom but that's when things got weird."

Amy frowned. "How can you remember this? I don't...I didn't think..." Had she really seen a photo? And if she had why would her mom get weird about it, it's just a photo. "What happened after that?"

Soraya bit her bottom lip, slowing her horse to a stop. "Your mom told us it wasn't her, but you kept badgering. She told us not to snoop, that Lou was never coming back then she took the photo tore it up and put it in the bin." Soraya closed her eyes. "This is when it got weird, she walked over and grabbed you." She saw Amy's doubtful look, after all, how could she remember this but Amy couldn't. "I think I remember this because it was the only time your mom ever seemed scary. She kept repeating that you were hers and that Lou was never coming home. That your father left and it was all Lou's fault." Soraya shook her head. "It was the look in her eyes. It scared me and you were crying and then that was it. We never spoke about her again."

"Why don't I remember that?"

"I don't know, Amy, but I do, it freaked me out. I've always wondered why your family never mentioned Lou. Aren't you a little bit curious?"

Amy shrugged, a brief flash of anger crossing her face. "No. She broke my family apart, took my dad away. She doesn't deserve to be welcome here and I don't want excuses for why she did this."

Soraya knew better, she could see in Amy's eyes that she did want to know but she was stubborn enough that she didn't want to ask.

...

Lou stood on the porch, sipping on her coffee, Georgie played just below her in the garden just as she had once as a kid.
The breeze blew gently across her skin, and she attempted to block out the memories that were haunting her. Just wanting a few moment to herself, to breathe. But her eyes saw her in the distance, with her friend. They were on horseback.
She had wished to teach Amy to ride, but her mother had forbid it and now there she was, on a horse and her mother had taught her it all.

Lou closed her eyes, her right hand dropping to hover just above her stomach.

"One day Amy, when you are all grown up all this will be ours." Lou held baby Amy tightly in her arms, showing her the lay of Heartland from their porch. "I have so much I want to teach you, and show you. You'll learn to ride, right there, in those paddocks and I'll teach you. I'll catch you if you fall, I promise." The three month old baby, just stared up at Lou with wide eyes, no longer crying as she listened to words. "You are..."

"Samantha Louise!"

Lou jumped back slightly, startled by the loud sound of her mothers voice. "Mom..."

"You give that baby here, right now."

Lou frowned, not having much of a choice as her mother pulled Amy from her arms jolting a small cry from the child as she was disturbed. "Mom, I was just...you were sleeping."

Marion Fleming raised her eyebrow. "Then you wake me, or you find your father. Under no circumstances do you take the baby. Do you understand?"

Lou felt the tears spring to her eyes, and she nodded her head obediently. "Yes Mom."

"Go on, get to your chores." Marion looked down at the baby in her arms. "There you are my precious girl, I've been looking for you."

Lou stepped back, listening to her mother speaking to Amy and Amy cooing right back. Her heart sank, her mother did not even bother to acknowledge her presence again as she walked off with Amy in her arms.

Lou opened her eyes, forcing the memory back. Trying to push down the tears and hate, hate for her mother. "Why did you do it momma? Why did you hate me?" Lou whispered quietly. "Why did you blame me when it was all your fault?" Her words were spoken a little louder, such bitterness clouding them.

"What was her fault?"

Lou stepped back, startled as Amy pulled her horse to a halt just outside the fence to the house. "Amy..."

"Tell me Lou, what did mom do? I already know what you did."

Thoughts?
Not long now till things unravel. Place your guess around what happened? I think it is quiet obvious now. ;)

I just want to say thank-you for all the lovely reviews, they truly do keep me smiling. They are some of the most genuine and kind ones I've had.

Much Love. x