Title: They Will Know Us By Our Kin

Author: Heather-Lass

Summary: The naturalist Heather O'Toole is here, and she's not what anybody expected. But they still welcome her openly, especially her mother and grandfather. Things are developing between her and David but they've hit a bit of rough patch. They're really mad at each other now, and Christy will have to intervene. Heather's also met her father and reconciled with him.

Disclaimer: All the Christy characters are property of the Marshell/LeSourd (did I get that right?) estate, etc, etc, etc. The naturalist character is of my own creation but with some real life folk singer. Heather Alexander. Because she rocks. So yeah.

Author's Note: See…didn't finish it before the end of the year. School project went well! Check it out at http/students. I just want to add, that despite all the drama, I should have mentioned that David and Heather haven't kissed yet. But that's all about to change…

Chapter 11: The Confrontation

Heather and her father rode silently towards the mission, each thinking of the demon they had to face. Heather was sure there could be no reconciliation between her and David. She was convinced there would be no joy in the meeting and that it would only end in sadness, perhaps his but most definitely hers.

Duggin Morrison on the other hand, was facing a task he hadn't had to do in a very long time. Give in first to an argument. He wanted so much to be reunited with Ruby Mae, but wasn't sure if things between them could be alright or if they would just end up fighting again. Duggin was also a cove highlander, a type of person who thought it a mark of honor and pride to hold a grudge from an argument. To give in first was to be considered weak.

Finally Heather broke the silence, for whenever the two were together, there was always talking, something to talk about. "Are you worried?" she quietly asked her father.

"Worried? What for?" he tried to scoff but failed in the attempt. Heather could see something was bothering him.

"Worried about seeing Ruby Mae again."

"That slice of a carrot couldn't scare anybody. Although, her cooking might."

"I said worried, not scared. You're anxious to see her, admit it."

"Well yes, I suppose. A man's not supposed to back down first. I'm worried she'll think less of me than before."

"Nonsense, she never has, not even after she ran away. If anything, she'll think more of you. You've changed, I've noticed. You're fitter than I remember, I haven't heard you swear in hours and I've not seen a single moonshine bottle."

"I've been visiting the church in El Pano too."

"See? You've shaped up. Ruby Mae will be pleased, I know. You're her Papa, you can do no wrong in her eyes."

"But she left!"

"Only after you kicked her out, dragged her back and kept her under house arrest. Female or not, no Morrison would stand for that. Would you?"

"No," he hung his head shamefully. "I've been a bad father and a bad man."

"But you're better now. Things can change. She still loves you and wants to come home."

"She told you that?"

"Yes, she did. Repeatedly. But she's afraid of being caged again. You'll have more luck with her than I will with David, trust me."

"If he's mean to you, I'll pound him."

"Dad!..."

"What!"

"He's the preacher."

"Oh. Well, I'll just glare at him a lot then."

"Oh Dad." Heather laughed and Duggin joined in. The both put their fears to the back of their minds and spent the rest of the ride catching up on events, telling old stories and laughing until their eyes were filled with tears.

Christy and David could not do anything during the storm. As the storm abated, Christy sat drinking coffee watching David pace back and forth.

"What if something happened?" David moaned. "What if her supplies got ruined? What if the rain caused a mudslide and she's hurt somewhere?"

"We don't know where she went, David." Christy explained with patience, "so it would do no good to look."

"What if she's stuck somewhere?"

"The storm's still blowing; you'd only be risking yourself. If her supplies are lost, I know Heather can survive in these woods better than both of us put together. We are best off wait until she's supposed to return."

"This is my entire fault," David moaned. "I'm so stupid and I always have the worst luck with women."

"Yes you do, and you aren't stupid, you're male. Besides, HER stubbornness is just as much to blame as yours. Come, stop your pacing, that won't help. Let's go find those maps Neil made and figure out some possible places she could have gone."

The sun was shining and the ground was drying by the time Heather and Duggin rode in sight of the mission house. The mission's horses, Prince and Buttons, as well as Neil's horse Charlie were saddled and tied to the porch railing. As they reached the railing, David came out the door, saddlebags in hand.

"Leaving so soon?" Heather asked with a twinge of bitterness and sadness in her voice.

"No." He looked her straight in the eye. "I was going to look for you."

"Oh." She replied in a small voice.

Christy and Neil came out of the mission and saw David and Heather glaring daggers at each other and Duggin looking amused at the whole thing. Christy wasn't sure what Duggin's purpose was there, but she knew something had to be done about David and Heather.

"Alright, both of you inside." She pointed. "Both of you go in the kitchen, and you two will have to talk to each other civilly, because I'm not letting either of you two out until this is resolved. So stop acting like a pair of moody children." They shuffled inside, avoiding each other's gaze.

"Why'd you do that?" Neil complained. "Now we won't even know what they're saying."

"Neil MacNeil, you are the last I would suspect of gossip." Christy grinned up at him. "Besides, I left the window open. If we sit just around the corner, we'll hear everything and they won't even know!"

David and Heather stood there for a moment staring at the floor.

"I WAS going to find you," David looked up at her.

"Why? You don't care."

"Because after all that's happened, I don't want anything to happen to you. Despite you snubbing me."

"I wasn't snubbing you! Am I not good enough for you? All you want is Christy!" Heather yelled. Outside the building Christy and Neil looked at each other silently laughing, for they knew how the two actually felt about each other.

"No I don't! I did for a time, yes! But she chose Neil. And now I've come to see her as a sister. As such, I offer her protection and comfort when she needs it, that's all! Something I can't do for you apparently!" He yelled back.

"I can take care of myself, I don't need your help!"

"I'm not saying you do! But don't you ever want equal companionship again, someone to love and trust and feel secure with?"

"What good would it do if I did? I'd only get hurt again." Heather whispered with tears in her eyes. "I tried that and ruined it. Besides, you said you didn't want to start our friendship over again."

"Because I'd rather start in the middle." He walked over to her and gently brushed the tears away with his thumb. "I want to be more. But I can't unless you let me. Are you that afraid? I won't leave you, not unless you want me too."

"How can I be so angry at you and love you so much at the same time?" She brushed his hair back.

"Do you?"

"Love you? Yes, at least I think so. After this long and hope's not lost? Yes. David, I love you."

"Good. Because I love you Heather Morrison O'Toole."

At this point, the sighs of relief from those outside were very audible but the two inside didn't notice. They were in a world of their own as David slowly bent his head to meet Heather's upraised one with a kiss.

"I've been so stubborn." They said in unison and laughed.

"Should we go back outside?" Heather motioned to the open window she just noticed.

"Shameless gossips. They probably heard every word. I'd rather stay here, but I suppose we must. Now Heather, you must know…may I ask your father for permission to court you? Not now, I mean, I think we need time to get to know each other again first. But soon?"

"Yes," she said softly. "I would like that."

They stepped outside to the grinning faces of Christy, Neil and Duggin. And at that moment (A/N: as all great cliffies have to be, of course!) Ruby Mae came up the trail.

"Preacher! Heather! Are things alright again? By the looks on Teacher's and Doc's faces it must be!"

"Yes Ruby Mae, we made up." The two sisters hugged. It was at this time that Ruby Mae noticed the fifth person there besides her?

"Pa?" Her eyes grew wide with recognition and a bit of fear and hope.

End of Chapter 11

Next Up: Chapter 12: Reconciliations. Duggin and Ruby Mae talk and Happily Ever Afters are had by all.

Author's Note: Sorry about the cliffie, it had to be. Almost done yay! One more to go!