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 fixed between her and David, but now it's up to Duggin to swallow his pride and fix things with Ruby.
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: School's done! Huzzah! I even got above a 3.5! Anyways…here's the end you've been waiting for.
Chapter 12: Reconciliations
"Ruby." Duggin walked towards her. "I know we've had our problems. And there's been a lot of fightin' but I want…I want…can you forgive me? That bad things that I've done and the lies I've told, even if it were for what I thought were the right reasons?"
"Lying about what happened to Heather you mean?"
"I was so afraid you would follow her if you could. And it would have killed yer ma…you know that. I thought I was doing what was best, but I wasn't thinking. I was hiding from my faults again, because it was my fault she left. And when you left, I convinced myself not to care. I thought it would be better if I didn't show my feelings."
"Papa, I left because you had no feelin'. You used to be this bright thing I looked up to, always smiling, always laughing. And when Heather went away, you crashed. You became a different person, one I didn't know how to live with. I can't be like ma or you, or Heather. I'll never be submissive but I can't be a man."
"I know, and I was a fool to think otherwise. I was so bent on trying to change you, that I missed seeing the jewel you were." He made a pun on her name. He opened his arms to her. "Please tell me there's a chance."
"Well…only if you don't pick on Preacher 'cause I think he and Heather are sweet on each other."
"Ruby!" Heather blushed.
"Fine by me Preacher-man!" He swept Ruby into his arms. "I just hope you can handle her!"
"I think we'll be fine." David put his arm around Heather and drew her close, his smiling face looking down to meet her upturned one with a kiss. "We'll be just fine."
One year later…
All of Cutter Gap was turned out for what was sure to be the social event of the year: a week long of events at the mission, with the end of school celebration, and not one but TWO weddings. For at long last David and Heather were at last getting married with a double ceremony with Neil and Christy. Neil and Christy had planned on it earlier but a rampaging epidemic of scarlet fever that spread across the mountains had kept him occupied for many months and the whole cove worried. Neil and a team of doctors had worked hard to contain the disease's spread, and miraculously the fever had stopped short of Cutter Gap and El Pano much to everyone's joy and disbelief. And now…the day had finally arrived.
As the sun set over the mission, Miss Alice officiated the wedding. Fairlight and Ruby were Christy and Heather's bridesmaids and Dan Scott and Jeb Spencer were the groomsmen. Mountie O'Toole was the flower girl and Little Burl Allen was the ring bearer. Both David and Christy's families had came out for the wedding as well as Neil's aunt Hattie who sat next to Lulu and Zady Spencer so that they could whisper in her ear everything that happened. David's sister Ida cooked for the wedding along with the help of Opal McHone, who after the death of her husband was courting her husband's killer's father, Bird's Eye Taylor. This caused initial shock among the cove but people warmed to the match over time when they saw how Bird's Eye had changed and how he doted on Opal's three young sons.
Bird's Eye and Duggin were ushers for the wedding, and looked especially dapper thanks to the suits that they had borrowed from David. If anything, they appeared to be trying out do each other with little niceties such as cufflinks, a scarf, and a flower in the breast pocket showing up on each of their persons during the course of the day. Everything went off with out a hitch, except for the tears of Christy's and Heather's mothers, but that was to be expected on such a day. Not even Creed's raccoon chasing a coveman's hound dog through the reception marred the event, except with laughter.
And they all lived happily ever after!
The End
A/N: I was running out of dialogue towards the end…it's been a long quarter. Reviews! Reviews!
