Posting on an odd day because I won't be available to post later this weekend.

Thanks everyone for the wonderful responses! I was a little nervous about posting Chapter 54, but it was great to see that despite some of you being disappointed with Marita's diagnosis you were still able to enjoy the chapter. Thanks again for reading and responding. I really appreciate your thoughts.

Chapter Fifty-five

Ned strode down the hall towards Jeremy's room, with Lexy following closely behind, both hoping that the boy wasn't gone, hoping that he was just dodging his chores or maybe just under the weather and lying down in his room. Yet deep down Ned knew that wasn't the case, for Jeremy always did his work and never got sick. So perhaps Clay was right. He tried to reason, maybe Jeremy had gone to see his daughter, but the boy would've told him first he thought. For ever since Jeremy confessed his past he'd always informed him when he was going to see Danielle. So why would he stop that now? Ned questioned to himself. Why would he leave, if he was gone, without telling anyone...

"Pa do you think Marita and Sean will get married now?" Lexy queried out of the blue, attempting to ease her worries about Jeremy by starting a conversation about Sean and Marita.

"Honey I don't know." Ned answered distractedly as they came to Jeremy's door. His mind plagued with the boy's past, fearing the part it may be playing in the Jeremy's possible disappearance. Ned then knocked on Jeremy's bedroom door, and called the boy's name. There was no answer, so he knocked again, and there was still no response. Ned then slowly opened the bedroom door and cautiously entered the room, with Lexy following behind.

"Jeremy?" He uttered again as he fully came into the room. Then saw that the boy wasn't there.

"Clay must be right." Lexy stated nervously as she glanced around the room. "Jeremy must've snuck off to visit his daughter." She said. Ned didn't respond to his daughter's assertion, but continued to walk about the room, now noticing its unusual cleanliness, feeling that something was off. He then made his way over to the closet, feeling an urge to check the storage space, but when he opened the door it appeared that all of Jeremy's clothing was there. Ned breathed a quiet sigh of relief, feeling hopeful that the boy was still there, when Lexy suddenly called his name...

"Pa there's an envelope with your name on it." Lexy continued uneasily, as she slowly picked up the envelope she'd found; then turned her gaze back to her pa, who was now striding towards her.

"Let me see." Ned said, immediately requesting the envelope once he reached his daughter, who promptly complied, giving him the letter.

"Pa what do you think is it?" Lexy queried with concerned, as Ned examined the envelope, hoping that her pa would say it was nothing.

"I'm not sure." Ned quietly answered. Even though he had a strong suspicion as to what it was. He then opened the envelope, pulled out the paper inside, and silently read, while Lexy watched, noting his expression darkening as his eyes moved down the page.

"What does it say?" Lexy then asked, anxiety in her voice. For a moment Ned was quiet, not answering his daughter, needing a moment to process the pain of what he'd just read, to ponder how he was going to tell his daughter such hurtful news.

"Pa?"

"Honey..." Ned began; then paused, lowering his gaze from his daughter's eyes, quietly sighing with hurt and regret, before he returned his eyes to her face and resumed. "Jeremy's gone." He revealed.

"What do you mean gone?" Lexy questioned slowly, holding her father's gaze, breaking his heart, with the confusion and sadness he saw in her face.

Silence –

"Honey he's..."

"Pa no one at the stables have seen Jeremy!" Clay announced as he walked into the room, interrupting his father's response, drawing he and Lexy's attention to him. "But his horse is gone, which means that he had to leave before day break." The boy continued. "Pa I think he's gone. I think Jeremy's runaway!" Clay declared with excitement and accusation.

"No." Lexy rejected, refusing to believe what her father had just tried to explain.

Ned heaved a sighed, shaking his head in sadness; then solemnly responded to Clay's assertion. "He has runaway." He confirmed as he looked at his son. "I'm sorry honey." He continued after turning his gaze back to his daughter.

"But pa why?" Lexy questioned, hurt in her voice.

"Hon..."

"Wait a minute what's going on?" Clay interjected with perplexity, not understanding why his Pa would already know that Jeremy was gone for good.

"I just found a letter from Jeremy..." Ned answered returning his eyes to Clay. "It said...he said that he was leaving...and he asked that I not come after him."

"Well there is a God!" Clay immediately scoffed with terse satisfaction.

"Clay don't." Ned warned, impatience in his voice.

"Pa he didn't belong here."

"That's because you wouldn't let him belong!" Lexy countered tearfully.

"Lexy he's a thief and a liar!"

"Clay enough!" Ned angrily asserted. "We don't need to be reminded of your disdain for Jeremy." He said, giving his son a reproachful stare.

"Pa can't we go find him?" Lexy asked in a pleading tone, prompting Clay to heave an irritated sigh.

"Honey I don't know... if that's a good idea." Ned replied with the only answer he could, feeling that it would be unwise to reveal what he was really thinking, which was that this situation was probably more complicated than Jeremy running away.

"But pa why, he's family." Lexy cried.

"Family?" Clay jeered, before his father could respond to Lexy's words. "He's not our family. He didn't even want to be here."

"Cla..."

"He doesn't want to be here because of you!" Lexy exclaimed, interrupting her pa's reprimand of her brother. "You've hated Jeremy since he got here! You never gave him a chance..."

"That's because he didn't deserve a chance!" Clay argued with frustration. "Lexy he's a lying user!" He cried.

"That's enough!"

"And you're a hateful jerk." Lexy continued angrily, ignoring her father's rebuke. "This is all your fault!" She accused. "You hated Jeremy and drove him away!"

"Lexy that's not true." Clay contended with sincerity, trying to calm his sister's anger.

"It is true!" She tearfully cried. "And I hate you for hating him!" she yelled. Then turned and ran from the room as both Ned and Clay called after her, trying to stop her.

"When are you going to learn to think before you speak?" Ned questioned fiercely, now turning his livid gaze towards his son.

"Pa I..."

"I don't want to hear it Clay!" Ned retorted. "If I have to say one more word to you about your mouth, about speaking before you think, you'll be cleaning stables and plowing crops for a year!" His father furiously vowed, briefly holding Clay's gaze to further convey the seriousness of his threat, before he then quickly left the room to go find an upset Lexy.

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Time had faded away, lost in the tranquilness of the room, the tranquilness emanating from their souls, connecting in the silence. Long gone were their tears, vanished from their eyes, dried by the truth in knowing that they were meant to be, that they could make it through anything, as they continued to hold each other close, melting in each other's arms, the love strengthening in their hearts, solidifying their vow to never let go again...

"So what now?" Marita quietly asked – languidly, again feeling the tiredness she'd felt before the fire, but this time knowing that if she closed her eyes she'd actually find sleep, due to the peace that came with being in Sean's arms.

"You get the rest Dr. Williams said you need." Sean whispered as he strengthened his arms around her, wanting her so much closer. "Then we get married." He uttered tenderly.

"I like that idea." Marita stated in a hushed tone, trembling at the heat his gesture had caused. "Do you think...that we should still marry here?" She then questioned cautiously - quietly.

Silence –

"I don't know." Sean softly replied. "It might be best... if you, return to Cholena and wait..."

"No." Marita immediately rejected as she pulled back from the hug to look him in the eyes.

"Marita I don't know if you should remain in town, especially after what happened today." Sean continued seriously, even though he didn't fully support his own words. "Me saving you from the fire will be all over Lexington in no time, and if it's learned that we plan to marry, things could stir up all over again."

"I agree that marrying here might not be the best choice." Marita concurred. "And I'm okay with that. We can marry in Michigan. But I'm not going to be away from you again." She passionately declared. "Not after all the horrible things that have occurred when we've been apart."

"Marita I feel what you're saying." Sean contended with earnest, hating the idea of them being apart from her again. "You know that the last thing I want to do is see you leave town without me, but if something else happens..."

"We'll deal with it together." She interjected. "That's what we vowed right? That's what we'll do once we're married. So why not start now." She stated strongly, holding his gaze, further weakening his already conflicted resolve with the truth of her words. "And as far as what happened earlier, you said it yourself. All you did was save my life." She quietly pointed out, her eyes emanating thanks and love. "You didn't announce right there that you wanted to marry me."

Silence –

"I didn't did I." Sean conceded, his voice smoldering with passion as he tenderly touched her cheek.

"No, you didn't." Marita sighed. Her heart racing at the touch of his hand.

"But I wanted to." Sean quietly confessed, love in his voice. Then he leaned in and kissed her lips, slipping his arm around her back, gently pulling her closer, while he slowly slid his hand from her cheek, to the sensitive spot below her ear, caressing it lightly, rousing Marita to a quiet moan. Sean tightened his arm around her, groaning as the kiss grew deeper, more passionate, driven by their intense hunger for more, their need to be closer. Before they gradually slowed down, gaining control of their raging desires, and reluctantly pulled back...

"So sweet." Sean murmured as his eyes lingered on her lips. His mouth still so close to them, wanting them again...

"Does that mean that you'll agree to me staying?" Marita questioned weakly, her voice uneven due to longing and amour.

"I don't know." Sean answered softly. Then he again took a long deep taste of her, fueling the fervor that was surging her core, before he ended it quickly and spoke. "What do you think?" He quietly asked, his voice deeper, feverish with desire.

"I think... that I'm staying here with you." Marita uttered breathlessly.

"I think you're right." Sean whispered and once more kissed her lips - tenderly; then reluctantly pulled away.

"So how soon... will we be leaving town?" Marita breathed, struggling to control the intense yearning she felt within.

"I can have my business wrapped in three weeks." Sean quietly answered, his tone etched with passion as he heatedly held her stare.

"That soon?" She sighed, still working to calm her lingering fervor, her desire for more.

"Well I got a lot of things taken care of before you arrived from Cholena." Sean whispered as he sweetly touched her hair, running a soft curl through his fingers. "Things that I didn't undo, when we... broke up." He continued. "But there's still my projects in town and other minor business that I need to close out."

"Are you sure that three weeks will be enough notice for Assemblyman Clancy?" Marita asked. "I mean you do have a lot going on as Director of Regional Affairs."

"It'll be enough time, maybe more than enough." Sean answered solemnly, now thinking of the problems he'd encountered on the job, due to the mess at the Assemblyman's Dinner. "Things have been ...difficult since the attack." He revealed. "Many of the people I'd worked with before, now will only work with Clancy, and some won't even do that because he's kept me on. And as a result my current initiatives, as well as the projects I'd hoped to launch before year's end are virtually at a stand still." He said. "So, I don't think me leaving with such short notice will hurt any of the projects. In fact I think it might actually help things."

"I'm sorry." Marita stated softly as she clasped his hand and brought it to her lips, kissing it lightly. "I know that you never wanted your position to turn into this."

"It's unfortunate, but it's okay." Sean uttered huskily, stirred by her chaste caress. "Because I'm getting what I want most in this world." He impassionedly declared, his gaze telling her what she already knew, that she was what he wanted most in this world. Marita then to kiss him – slowly, lovingly, then wrap her arms around him, releasing a sensuous sigh, when Sean returned her embrace, enfolding her in his strength and his warmth, pulling her closer. They again held each other for what seemed like an eternity, quiet, savoring the moment, savoring the peace that came with being in each other's arms and the incredible joy they felt in knowing that they were together, this time for good ...

"I'm going to tell my pa about our plans." Marita softly announced, breaking the silence.

"Marita..."

"Sean I know that you feel that he should hear of our plans from you." She said as they slowly ended the hug. "But this time I think that it would be better coming from me, especially after all that's happened." She explained. "And besides…" She quickly continued, before Sean could voice the skepticism that was etched on his face. "You have your family to tell, and…Vivian to deal with." She contended, a slight question in her voice, not sure if the woman was still having memory problems…

"Marita, my family will be fine." Sean countered, now thinking that Clay would probably be the only one who'd react negatively to the news. "And as far as Vivian goes..." He hesitated. His anger rising as he recalled her lies along with everything her father had done to him. "She won't be a problem." He uttered coolly, instantly alarming Marita.

"Sean what's going on?" She then questioned with concern, not liking the wrath she saw flickering in his eyes.

Silence –

"Sean..."

"Vivian has her memory back." He answered stiffly.

"Really? Well that's gre..." Marita responded with hesitance, but stopped when Sean's scowl deepened even more. "Why is Vivian having her memory back a problem?" She queried, bewilderment in her voice.

"It's not a problem, not anymore." Sean stated tautly.

"What does that mean?"

Silence –

"Can we not talk about this?" Sean requested in a strained tone, trying to keep the anger out of his voice, trying not to let his disgust with the Winters sully this moment with Marita. "Right now I want to focus on you, and our future." He continued softly, more calmly, as he lightly brushed his thumb over her brow. "And telling our families our plans to marry." He uttered as his hand now drifted to her cheek. "So can we just do that, just...focus on us?"

"Yes." Marita earnestly replied, with a hint of hesitation, still a bit curious and concerned about what had happened with Vivian.

"Good." Sean whispered; then took her lips in a fervent kiss. "Now about your pa..." He began as he slowly drew away from her mouth, his hand still resting on her cheek. But before he could continue what he was about to say, there was knock on the door, prompting him and Marita to turn their attention to the room's entry, where they found Isaac standing in the doorway, holding a tray of water, giving them a stern stare. Mortified, Sean immediately drew his hand from Marita's face, as she shyly dropped her eyes, and he then quickly stood from the bed.

"May I come in?" Isaac then asked as his eyes remained fixed on his daughter and Sean, his gaze still stern.

"Yes. Sure." Marita and Sean both responded at once, their voices reflecting their embarrassment and unease.

"Dr. Williams said that you were a little dehydrated." Isaac continued calmly, speaking to his daughter, ignoring her and Sean's embarrassment over what he'd just seen. "So I brought you some water." He said as he made his way to the dresser across the room; then put the tray down and poured his daughter a glass of water.

"I'll...give you two some time alone." Sean stated awkwardly, still feeling extremely self-conscious about what had just occurred.

"That'll be good thank you." Isaac said. His tone impassive, giving nothing away as he now walked towards the bed with a glass of water in hand. Sean then turned his eyes back to Marita's now lifted gaze, and his heart instantly ached with love and mirth at the sweet shyness he saw in her face. He stood there for a brief moment, holding her stare, wanting desperately to kiss her once more, before he finally turned away from the bed, knowing that he couldn't act on his desire, and quietly left the room.

---------------------

Vivian stared ahead, unmoving, not noticing that her carriage had come to a stop in front of her home, that her extended ride from Sean's had ended. After she'd finally gathered herself and left the Logan Ranch, she couldn't bring herself to return home, not yet. So she'd ordered her driver to take her on an extended ride, so that she could try and think things through. Now they were back at her father's estate and her coachman was calling her name as he stood next to the carriage, wanting to assist her descent from the buggy, but Vivian didn't hear him. Because she was still thinking, deep in thought about what had just happened, all she'd just seen, what Sean had said to her. How could he know, she now questioned, how could he know that she'd been lying about her memory, that she'd been lying all this time. How could he tell her that he didn't want her, that he didn't want to give them another chance. He can't mean it she thought. He's just angry and hurt right now. After he settles down they could work things out she tried to reason. After all, he was willing to give them another chance before he learned of her lies. She just had to get him to forgive her. But what about the Negro? Her logic forced her to question as she now recalled how Sean had gazed at Marita, how he'd touched her, which nearly sickened Vivian to her stomach, but didn't deter her determination. Even though Sean loved that Negro, he would never officially act on it. He would never marry her. Vivian reassured herself. Which meant that they still had a chance, she mused. All she had to do was make him see that she needed him...

"Vivian thank God you're home!" Wilhelmina exclaimed, her voice etched with fear as she swiftly moved towards the carriage, disrupting Vivian's thoughts, drawing the young woman's frustrated gaze to her.

"Wilhelmina I don't want to hear..."

"You're father's been shot." The woman interjected, interrupting Vivian's curt response.

"What! Oh my God!" Vivian gasped with shock and immediately descended the carriage. "Where is he? Is he okay?" She asked, panic in her voice.

"He's inside." Wilhelmina answered. "The doctor is with him right now."

"Is he okay?" Vivian questioned again, trepidation in her heart.

"We don't know." Wilhelmina cautiously replied. "He was unconscious when the doctor arrived."

"Oh my God." Vivian gasped; then quickly moved to enter the house.

"Vivian wait!" Wilhelmina exclaimed, stopping the young woman before she reached the front steps. "There's something else you should know." The woman slowly uttered.

"What? What is it?" Vivian immediately queried, impatience and fear in her voice.

"Before the doctor arrived, Deputy Brunson was here... to investigate the shooting." The woman revealed with hesitance.

"Wilhelmina why is this important right now?" Vivian questioned with irritation, eager to see her father, to learn if he was all right.

"It's important because your father was conscious while the deputy was here." Wilhelmina explained with caution. "And because he told Deputy Brunson that it was Sean Logan... who shot him."