DOTT Back At The Ranch Two

DISCLAIMER: A Song of Ice and Fire was created by George RR Martin.; I do not own it. Nor do I own Daria or its characters: Daria was created by Glen Eichler and is the property of MTV Viacom. Daria on the Trail is based on my research on the REAL Oregon Trail, not the computer game of the same name.

This story is written for my personal amusement and for ego gratification, not for profit. If you are enjoying this story, please write and post a review.

Daria on the Trail*Daria on the Trail*Daria on the Trail

Jake came home a couple of hours later. Helen motioned for him to sit down.

"Something interesting happened today, Jakey," said Helen. "We've got news about Daria."

"Please don't tell me she's dead, honey," said Jakey. "Please don't tell me some murdering psycho broke into her apartment and killed her."

"Relax, Jakey," said Helen. "She's alive, but it's complicated."

"She's alive?" said Jake, a smile spreading over his face. "That's great! When can she come home?"

"She's alive, but like I said, it's complicated," said Helen. "She told Amy that she wasn't able to come home." She watched as Jake's face fell. "But she did send pictures."

"She sent pictures?" said Jake. "That's good, isn't it?"

"It's proof of life, but our daughter isn't in a position to come home," said Helen.

"I don't understand," said Jake.

"Daria called Amy earlier today and told Amy that she'd been shifted in time and space to someplace where it's July 1860 and she's in Casper, Wyoming. She then sent Amy a couple of pictures to show where she was and who she was with. She then sent Amy a picture of one of my ancestors and her husband, a picture of the people she's traveling with, and a picture of what she called the Platte River Bridge. She then called me."

"She called you?" said Jake. "What did she say?"

"She didn't say very much," said Helen. "She was able to say that she was in Casper, Wyoming and that it was July, 1860. She then said that she was all right and that she loved us and then something dropped the signal."

"Casper, Wyoming?" Jake exclaimed. "What was she doing in Casper, Wyoming?"

"Amy said that she was traveling west with a wagon train," said Helen. "Daria told her that she was scared to death of catching some disease she wasn't vaccinated for, so she was going west instead of going east."

"Why hasn't she called back?" said Jake.

"I think her cell phone battery went splat," said Rikka. "I don't know how long she's been out there on her side of things, but if she was there for more than a couple of weeks, her cell phone battery might have lost its charge so she can't call again."

"Can't we call her?" said Jake.

Both Helen and Rikka shook their heads.

"Sorry, Jakey, but it doesn't work that way," Helen replied.

Jake opened his mouth, then looked abashed. "I know," he sighed.

"We do have her pictures," said Helen. "She sent them to Amy and Amy sent pictures to me."

"I'd love to see them," said Jake.

He really misses her, thought Helen. Well, so do I.

"I've got prints over here," she said. Jake sat down beside her, then Rikka sat down beside him on his other side. Helen picked up her print and handed them over to Jake.

Jake looked at all three prints but spent most of his time looking at the couple standing next to Daria. "Who is that woman and that soldier?" he said.

"That's my ancestor Bethany Ann Watkins and her former husband Marcus Ashfield or their counterparts," said Helen. "I don't know who the little girl is."

"Where did Daria get that dress?" said Jake.

"I think that's a second-hand dress from somebody," said Helen. "I guess it's from one of the other pioneers. I don't think she owned anything like that when she went missing."

"Helen, you said that the woman in the picture was one of your ancestors," said Jake. "Why isn't she an old lady?"

"She's not old yet," said Helen. "Daria said that the picture was taken in the summer of 1860. Bethany Ann was born in 1834 and she's either twenty five or twenty six. That's her first husband, the one who got killed in the Civil War."

Jake shivered. "And who are these guys?" he said, looking at the pioneer family.

"Those are the Trouts," said Helen. "Those are the people who took her in. She's traveling west with them."

Jake studied the picture for a long time. Helen watched as Jake sorted out his thoughts and feelings. His eyes narrowed, then returned to normal. "I hope they're good people," he said. "I wish I knew more about them."

"I think they're Westerosi," said Rikka.

"Damnit, why don't they let her call us?" Jake exclaimed.

"I think Daria's cell phone's battery is dead," said Rikka. "I spent some time figuring it out. Daria calls Amy but doesn't talk to her very long. Daria then sends Amy pictures, but only three pictures. She then calls Aunt Helen and her call cuts out. So we got questions. Why is Daria's conversation so short? Why does Daria only send Amy three photos? Why does Daria's conversation cut out? I think she's got a low battery. If Daria's phone had more charge in it, she'd talk longer to Amy. She'd also talk longer to Mom. She'd also send a lot more pictures. She doesn't photobomb like some of my friends, but she'd send a lot more than three."

Helen smiled fondly at her adopted child. Rikka had clearly picked up a lot from her and from Daria too.

Jake sat on the couch and closed his eyes. What Rikka said made good sense. His youngest girl was more passionate and emotional than either Daria or Quinn but she'd learned to think more rationally. Still, his eldest daughter was alive but still missing. He felt so helpless and futile.

Rikka put her arm over his shoulder. So did Helen. "You've got us, Dad," said Rikka. "We'll be with you, and maybe Daria can find a way home."

Quinn called a couple of hours later.

By luck, Helen was the one who picked up the phone.

"Hi, Mom, how's it going?" said Quinn.

"Better," said Helen. "We heard from Daria."

"FINALLY!" Quinn exclaimed. "Where the Hell is she? Did she say where she is? When is she going to come home?"

"It's complicated," said Helen. "Daria made two phone calls, one to Amy, one to me. She told Amy that she was out in Casper, Wyoming, that she'd fallen into a parallel universe and that it was July 1860 where she was. Then she called me. We were only able to talk a couple of seconds before her phone dropped the conversation. She said she was all right, that she loved her, then I lost the signal."

"What a crock of shit!" Quinn said bitterly.

"That's what I first thought," said Helen. "But Daria didn't just talk to Amy, she also sent her pictures. She only managed to send three of them, but two of them are very interesting. I'll send you the copies." Helen went upstairs to her home computer and e-mailed the three pictures to Quinn. She was back in the living room when Quinn called back.

"I see Daria, but who are those guys?" said Quinn.

"Daria claimed that the woman is Bethany Ann Watkins with her husband Marcus Ashfield and a little girl," said Helen.

"So?" said Quinn.

"Bethany Ann Watkins was one of our ancestors," said Helen. "She was born in 1834 and lived for 86 years. Mother told me that she was a terror and scared not only her mother but her grandmother too. If what Amy and Daria are saying is true, that is a picture of Bethany Ann or someone very much like her while she was a young woman."

"So where did Daria say she met this Bethany Ann?" asked Quinn.

"Daria said that she met them at a place called Fort Laramie," said Helen.

"And what's so special about the guy, except for the fact that he was married to this Bethany Ann?" said Quinn.

"That was her first husband Marcus Ashfield," said Helen. "He was killed in the Civil War."

"And the little girl?" asked Quinn.

"I'd guess that's their daughter," said Helen.

"Which leads to another point I'll have to think about," said Helen. "If this was a digital fake, Daria would not only have had to get pictures of Grand Bethany Ann, but also not only of Fort Laramie, but also get a picture of Marcus Ashfield. Assuming no time travel or dimensional displacement, I can imagine Daria making those phone calls and sending those e-mails, but the price for making those fakes is already climbing past the hundreds of dollars into the thousands. And for a girl with carrying thousands of dollars in student debt, I don't see Daria spending that kind of money for a sick joke."

"So like you believe her?" said Quinn. "Like Daria really is in like 1860 Kansas or Wyoming or wherever she is?"

"Quinn, if interdimensional travel was impossible, Rikka wouldn't be here," Helen said grimly, glancing at Rikka. "Given that dimensional travel is possible, I'd say the weight of the evidence has reached the point of maybe, even if I'm not ready to accept it entirely."

"So what are you going to do?" said Quinn. "What do you want me to do?"

"I want to believe that she might find a way to come home," said Helen. "You might help me pack her stuff and help your father put it in storage. We'll keep it there for a year or two so Daria can use it when she comes back. We are also going to keep Daria's cell phone account active so she can find a way to contact us if she finds a way back. Next I'm going to call Mother and then her friend and send them prints."

"What good would that do?" said Quinn

"Mother's friend is related to Marcus Ashfield," said Helen. "She might have pictures of Marcus and we can learn if that's really Marcus or an impostor."

"Oh," said Quinn.

Author's notes:

Rikka Morgendorffer is an OC I created for my story Daria: Winter is Coming.

Some readers may be wondering about the locations of the Platte River Bridge, Fort Caspar, and the present-day city of Casper, Wyoming. They're all in the same place. The US Army post built next to the Platte River bridges was often referred to as the Platte River Station, even though it would be decades before the area saw any railways. The Army post at the Platte River Station was later renamed Fort Caspar. Fort Caspar was later burned down during the Plains Indian wars of the late 1860's and early 1870's. A town named Casper was built not far from the ruins of Fort Caspar and was named Casper. It is still there.