Little Men
"Seeds of Doubt"
Part I
Something was wrong.
Jo could feel it as she and Nick approached the small cabin.
Nat had changed in the last few months. Becoming more quiet and sullen then ever. He'd hardly come to school and when he did he was distant, afraid even.
Nick gave her a 'hope ya know what you're doing' look as he helped her out the wagon.
Millions of thoughts went through her head as she made her way to Nat. Jo had never really trusted Michael Blake. He was too quick, too sly, to be truly anything he appeared to be.
And now here she was, searching the cold, scattered home, praying Nat was still alive.
"Jo" Nick said suddenly. "You should step back."
"Oh God, no." she replied pushing her way forward. If he had hurt Nat in anyway…. She looked down on the floor and saw Mr. Blake laying obviously dead.
A motherly instinct told her too turn to the corner. It was a pathetic site that made Mrs. Jo want to cry. Nat sat in the corner with his knees curled up to his chest. Making him look much younger than his fifteen years. His lip was bleeding and his face and arms were badly bruised and beaten. A winter wind came through the cabin that made the frail body shiver. "Lets get you home." she said placing her shawl around him.
"Home? Do you think we should do that Jo?" Nick questioned.
"And why not?"
Nick looked down at the floor, "Michael's dead Jo. What id it was Nat who did it?"
She cast him an angry look. "Nick."
"I feel the same way for Nat as you do. But we can't just hide him at Plumbfield. The sheriff will be askin' questions."
"He's not asking yet." she said turning to the boy. "Come on."
* * *
"I wasn't aware Nat had any living relatives, Mr. Blake." Mrs. Jo questioned not trusting this stranger.
"After his father died, my brother, Nathaniel lived with me." the man said.
He had a hard, cold look to him. Brownish hair with a mustache. In some ways, Jo supposed he did look like Nat. However, with Nat you could see a kindness in his eyes. In Michael you saw nothing.
* * *
"The boy's been severely malnourished and beaten. Some of these wounds are weeks old. He also won't talk." Dr. Pierce said, he had never seen a child abused like this.
"Will he be okay?"
"Within time yes. But-" the older man started to day.
"Dr. Pierce , Mrs. Bhaer, Nick. "the sheriff greeted. "I hate to bother you folks but I need to take Nat in for questioning."
* * *
"Then how is it that Nat ended up alone wondering the street of Boston, Mr. Blake?" Jo asked.
"At the time I wasn't able to take care of a young child. Then Nat ran away and I figured he was better off where he was. And I was right. He seems to have made a fine home with y'all."
"I came back home, but you were gone. People said you moved out west. I no where else to go." Nat put in.
"No child is better off in the street." Jo said.
"I realize now that was a mistake. But I'm better now and I want Nat to live with me."
"Live with you?" Jo asked in surprise.
"Surly you wouldn't want to damage his education by taking him out of school. Give you and Nat some time to get reacquainted Mr. Blake."
"Why don't we see what Nat wants, Mrs. Bhaer?" he said as they both turned to Nat. "You want to come live with me don't you Natty?"
Nat felt his uncle ruffle his hair affectionately. How could he leave Plumbfelid? When Mrs. Jo and Nick had become like a mother and father to him? And Dan his "older brother" always there, protecting him, especially when he didn't want it? Nan, who he loved spending time with? Asia, Tommy, Rob? But he had always wondered about this man. His uncle, who had left him. He knew what Dan would say. "Go with your kin." Especially since Dan had none of his own.
"Is that what you want?" Mrs. Jo asked.
"You said your place wasn't far from school. I could stay here in the week and go home on the weekends or I could even go home at night. If that's okay with you Mrs. Jo."
She looked up and smiled halfheartedly. "Sure." Nat deserved to be with his uncle. Maybe she was being too judging of the man. So, far all he had said implied that he did have the best intentions for Nat. But that didn't stop the nagging feeling in her heart or how quickly Nat had called Mr. Blake's place home.
* * *
"I didn't want to say this in front of Mrs. Bhear , but I'm going to arrest Nat for murder." the sheriff told Nick.
"Nat didn't cause no crime sheriff." Nick argued.
"Well until you can prove that to me, Nick, he's the only suspect I got."
* * *
a/n that's it so far. This is my first LM fanfic, so let me know what you think.
"Seeds of Doubt"
Part I
Something was wrong.
Jo could feel it as she and Nick approached the small cabin.
Nat had changed in the last few months. Becoming more quiet and sullen then ever. He'd hardly come to school and when he did he was distant, afraid even.
Nick gave her a 'hope ya know what you're doing' look as he helped her out the wagon.
Millions of thoughts went through her head as she made her way to Nat. Jo had never really trusted Michael Blake. He was too quick, too sly, to be truly anything he appeared to be.
And now here she was, searching the cold, scattered home, praying Nat was still alive.
"Jo" Nick said suddenly. "You should step back."
"Oh God, no." she replied pushing her way forward. If he had hurt Nat in anyway…. She looked down on the floor and saw Mr. Blake laying obviously dead.
A motherly instinct told her too turn to the corner. It was a pathetic site that made Mrs. Jo want to cry. Nat sat in the corner with his knees curled up to his chest. Making him look much younger than his fifteen years. His lip was bleeding and his face and arms were badly bruised and beaten. A winter wind came through the cabin that made the frail body shiver. "Lets get you home." she said placing her shawl around him.
"Home? Do you think we should do that Jo?" Nick questioned.
"And why not?"
Nick looked down at the floor, "Michael's dead Jo. What id it was Nat who did it?"
She cast him an angry look. "Nick."
"I feel the same way for Nat as you do. But we can't just hide him at Plumbfield. The sheriff will be askin' questions."
"He's not asking yet." she said turning to the boy. "Come on."
* * *
"I wasn't aware Nat had any living relatives, Mr. Blake." Mrs. Jo questioned not trusting this stranger.
"After his father died, my brother, Nathaniel lived with me." the man said.
He had a hard, cold look to him. Brownish hair with a mustache. In some ways, Jo supposed he did look like Nat. However, with Nat you could see a kindness in his eyes. In Michael you saw nothing.
* * *
"The boy's been severely malnourished and beaten. Some of these wounds are weeks old. He also won't talk." Dr. Pierce said, he had never seen a child abused like this.
"Will he be okay?"
"Within time yes. But-" the older man started to day.
"Dr. Pierce , Mrs. Bhaer, Nick. "the sheriff greeted. "I hate to bother you folks but I need to take Nat in for questioning."
* * *
"Then how is it that Nat ended up alone wondering the street of Boston, Mr. Blake?" Jo asked.
"At the time I wasn't able to take care of a young child. Then Nat ran away and I figured he was better off where he was. And I was right. He seems to have made a fine home with y'all."
"I came back home, but you were gone. People said you moved out west. I no where else to go." Nat put in.
"No child is better off in the street." Jo said.
"I realize now that was a mistake. But I'm better now and I want Nat to live with me."
"Live with you?" Jo asked in surprise.
"Surly you wouldn't want to damage his education by taking him out of school. Give you and Nat some time to get reacquainted Mr. Blake."
"Why don't we see what Nat wants, Mrs. Bhaer?" he said as they both turned to Nat. "You want to come live with me don't you Natty?"
Nat felt his uncle ruffle his hair affectionately. How could he leave Plumbfelid? When Mrs. Jo and Nick had become like a mother and father to him? And Dan his "older brother" always there, protecting him, especially when he didn't want it? Nan, who he loved spending time with? Asia, Tommy, Rob? But he had always wondered about this man. His uncle, who had left him. He knew what Dan would say. "Go with your kin." Especially since Dan had none of his own.
"Is that what you want?" Mrs. Jo asked.
"You said your place wasn't far from school. I could stay here in the week and go home on the weekends or I could even go home at night. If that's okay with you Mrs. Jo."
She looked up and smiled halfheartedly. "Sure." Nat deserved to be with his uncle. Maybe she was being too judging of the man. So, far all he had said implied that he did have the best intentions for Nat. But that didn't stop the nagging feeling in her heart or how quickly Nat had called Mr. Blake's place home.
* * *
"I didn't want to say this in front of Mrs. Bhear , but I'm going to arrest Nat for murder." the sheriff told Nick.
"Nat didn't cause no crime sheriff." Nick argued.
"Well until you can prove that to me, Nick, he's the only suspect I got."
* * *
a/n that's it so far. This is my first LM fanfic, so let me know what you think.