So, last year I started watching Heartland and now I'm hopelessly addicted to this wonderful show that I started to cook up a fanfiction about it...

This story is going to be mainly a Jisa story (sorry Ty and Amy fans out there, I'm a devoted Jisa shipper so they get the spotlight) so Jack and Lisa, but there will also be a new character (my own creation) this is well, the main character of this story. All the other characters like Amy, Lou ect will be in it, however Jack, Lisa and my OC are the mains. Just wanted to clear this up in case people start leaving reviews like 'Where's Ty and Amy's relationship?' ect. They will be in it, but I won't be changing any of storyline that I've already drafted out for this story (which will be a series once I get around to it) and I'll read your ideas but I won't be taking requests as to storylines. Also, just wanted to clear this up so that there is no misunderstanding later on...

Anyway, the setting of this story..

This story takes place in between Season 1 and 2 (end of season 1, beginning of Season 2) and will follow along with the storylines in the season (for the most part, got to churn it up a bit lol) (and I will take elements from the first season like Jack and Lisa at the fishing cabin into this story, with my own twists of course) but that will be more towards the end of this particular story.

Jack and Lisa have been seeing each other for some time now, Lisa spends some time at Heartland and the family is pretty okay with her. Lisa and Jack are still in a way getting to know each other, but they are taking things slow.

Ty is no longer at the ranch, Amy still hasn't heard from him. There is a new ranch hand there now, Caleb.

A young girl (my OC) is running from something (or someone? Can't give away any spoilers here) and through a course of events, ends up at Heartland...

There's danger, drama, suspense and to top it all off, a little romance.

I hope you enjoy this story, if you do please be sure to leave a review! Feedback is everything and most welcome!

This story is completed (in my docs as a draft) and I will upload *hopefully* once a week when I have gone over it and given each chapter it's final edit. This chapter may change a little when I edit it, but I've waited so long (wanted to finish it before I started to upload) that I'm not waiting any longer!

Anyway, enjoy!

Chapter 1

The young girl looked down the valley at the small ranch below her. The lights in the house were on, but as far as she could tell, everyone was inside. Patting the black stallion she was riding with her right hand, she waited a moment longer then nudged him forward down the hill to the barn at a canter. The stallion was completely tackless, the girl staying on his back through pure skill. Her left hand intertwined in his mane, she turned him with a touch of her ankle towards the split rail fence and leant forward over his neck as he jumped. They were closer to the rach now, and she moved him into the shadows as they quietly cantered across the paddock to the barn. Another split rail fence, another jump. Steadying him, she slowed him down to a trot as they slunk around to the back of the barn, hidden from the house. Quietly vaulting off his back beside the door, she gave him a pat and rubbed between his ears. 'Stay here boy, I won't be long.'

Carefully, she opened the heavy sliding door just enough to slip through then she entered the barn. A couple of horses raised their heads as she walked past them, then returned to their feed. Her eyes landing on a door, she guessed that it was the door to the feed room. Walking over to it, she pushed it back with a creak and let her eyes adjust to the dim light. The room was tidy, with all the feed stored away in barrels and hay was stacked neatly against the wall.

Grabbing an old hessian bag off one of the bins, she opened a barrel and began to fill the bag with oats. She hated this, hated stealing but she needed to steal to survive. Winter was coming, and they needed more food if her and her stallion would make it through. She didn't want to do it, but now her whole life was focused on surviving. The bag full, she grabbed another empty bag and began to fill it with corn. Not only could he eat the corn and oats, she would as well. With her hunting, and the food she could steal she would make it last till spring came.

With the second bag full, she grabbed a piece of latigo and cut it with her knife to make to strings so she could tie them shut. Hoisting them over her shoulders, she staggered slightly under the weight. The bags were rather heavy, almost fifteen kilos each and she knew she wasn't as strong as she used to be. A life on the run, scavenging for food didn't really leave herself in a very good way heath wise. She barely weighed the total amount of the bags, but still she struggled forward with them.

Placing them down beside the door, she closed it securely behind her and made sure that the place had been left like she had found it. They wouldn't miss some feed, not with the amount that was in the room. The little bit she had taken wouldn't be noticed as long as there was nothing out of the ordinary to alert whoever owned the place that she had been in there.

Carefully, she made her way back to where she had left her horse and placed the feed beside him. The stallion snorted a little as he nudged the bags, but she pushed him away from them. 'You can't eat it yet buddy. That's for winter, and it has to last for both of us.' The stallion shook his head, then took a step back as she pulled the heavy door shut again. Turning back to him, she picked up one of the bags, groaning again from the weight as she tried to throw it over his withers. She could barely lift it to his shoulder. 'Bow boy.' The stallion flicked his ears back, then knelt down and waited as she placed the bags over his shoulders. Once she had made sure that they would stay on, she patted him and let him stand up. 'Alright, let's get back to Cougar shall we?'

Grabbing a lock of his long mane, she vaulted onto his broad back and nudged him gently with her heels. The stallion playfully shook his head again as he gave a little buck, then settled down into a canter as they departed from the ranch yard. Looking over her shoulder as her stallions long strides quickly left the ranch behind, she guided him up the driveway and around the fence before stopping him on the rise she had come on her way down. If she looked close enough, she could see a family sitting down to eat at the dinner table and a cloud of emotion passed over her face. As quickly as it had come, it left and with a gentle pat and nudge of a heel she turned the horse the way she had come and disappeared into the night…

'Well, that was a lovely dinner.' Lisa complemented Lou as she folded up her napkin and placed it beside her empty plate then took a quick glance to her watch. 'It's time that I should be getting on home now though.'

'I'll walk you out.' Jack placed his plate on the stack as he stood up, then glanced at Amy and Mallory. 'I'll do the barn check while I'm out so you don't need to worry about it Amy.'

'Thanks Grandpa.'

'Your folks coming to pick you up Mallory?'

'They should be. Dad was supposed to be here already.' She glanced towards the clock, a hint of annoyance evident in her voice. 'But he's probably gotten laid up or something. 'I'll go give him a call.'

'Night Mallory.' Lisa remarked as the girl left the table, then grabbed her handbag off the back of her chair as the others gathered the remains of the dinner together and began to start cleaning up. Smiling at Jack, her eyes sparkled as she gave him her arm. 'Shall we?'

'We shall.' He smiled down at her as the two of them walked out of the house, arm in arm. 'I'm glad you enjoyed yourself.'

'I did.' She looked up at him as they went through the gate to the front yard, then stopped as they came to her car. 'But I really don't want to leave just yet. I just came up with the excuse I needed to leave so I could spend some time with you.'

'Well, aren't you just full of surprises?' He teased as he gave her a quick kiss on the lips. 'You know, it mightn't be romantic, but you could come do the barn check with me.'

'Oooh, by ourselves? Sounds like its a good idea.' Resting her head on his shoulder, the two of them continued on to the barn. 'You know, I really do enjoy spending time with you.'

'Then I think we have a very big problem.' He opened the door and flicked on the lights as they walked into the ally of the barn.

'And what might that be?'

'Because I enjoy spending time with you too.'

'Oh you.' Lisa playfully tapped him on the shoulder, then turned her attention to the horses. Spartan was pacing in his stall, then looking out through the open door behind them. Rasing an eyebrow, she walked over to him as Jack began to check on the others. 'What's gotten you so upset, hey boy?'

'Paint seems a bit unsettled too.' Jack remarked, giving his gelding a pat as the horse looked out past him into the night. 'I wonder what's gotten them worried.'

'I don't know.' She looked around the barn, trying to see if anything appeared out of the ordinary but everything seemed as it should be, except for- 'The feed room door is opened Jack.'

'Mallory probably forgot to shut it again.' Even so, he started over to it,motioning for Lisa to stay behind. Carefully, he opened the door a crack, then reached in and flicked the lightswitch. Opening the door fully, he took a glance around then motioned that it was okay for her to come over. 'Looks fine to me.'

'Yeh, I guess it does.' She looked around, then glanced back at the horses. 'Something does seem a bit eary but. They normally aren't as unsettled as this, are they?'

'No. They generally are pretty quiet.' He flicked the light off as the left the room, then closed the door behind him. 'I'll take a quick look around outside. There could be a coyote or something prowling around. They've been in after the chickens lately.'

'Well be careful.' She cautioned as she walked back over to Spartan while Jack headed off outside. Spartan was still pacing his stall, pawing the ground and looking at something off in the distance through the open door. 'What's got you so worried, hey?' She glanced where his gaze was as the horse resumed pacing but she couldn't see anything. A shiver ran up her spine. There definitely was something going on.

'What's up with him?' Mallory asked as she walked into the barn, making her way over to Copper. 'I thought you were leaving.'

'I was, but I decided to come do the barn check with Jack before I took off.' Her breathing returned to normal as she hid the fact that Mallory had scared her. 'Mallory, did you close the feed room after you fed the horses?'

'Of course I did.' She gave Copper another pat, then moved him aside to check his water bucket. 'Why?'

'It was open.' Spartan snorted again as he threw his head up, pawing the ground viciously then stood looking through the door. 'Someone must have just left it open, but the horses are pretty unsettled.'

'Maybe it was a ghost.'

'Mallory, there are no ghosts.' Jack re-entered the barn, joining them beside Copper and Spartan's doors. 'But someone did leave the feed room unlatched. Are you sure you locked it properly?'

'Of course I'm sure! That's why I'm saying its a ghost.' The sound of a car pulling up outside caused her to turn around. 'Dad's here. I'll see you later.'

'Bye Mallory.' He remarked as the girl quickly jogged out to the car and hopped in. Turning back to Spartan, the gelding was pacing the stall again. 'Something must have really upset him.'

'Did you find anything?'

'Nothing out of the ordinary.' He looked around the barn again, then walked over to the door. 'You best get going Lis, it's getting quite late.'

'Your right.' She grabbed out her car keys from her pocket as she followed him out to her car. Stopping beside the drivers door, they kissed then she unlocked the car and hopped in. 'I'll see you later Jack.'

'We still on for dinner and Maggie's tomorrow?'

'You bet.' Lisa smiled as she started the engine, giving him one more kiss through the open window. 'I'll see you tomorrow.'

'See you tomorrow.' Jack repeated as Lisa reversed her car out and started down the drive. Turning his attention back to the barn, a single horses neigh from far far away echoed through the cold night…..

The girl shivered from the cold as her horse stopped in front of the mouth of a small cave, patting the stallion on his neck as she slid off his back. Hearing a purr, she turned and knelt down as her pet mountain lion trotted out to greet her. 'Hey girl. You been a good puss?' The lion purred as she rubbed her head against the girl. 'I take that as a yes then.'

Playing with her puma for a few moments longer, she stood up and turned back to the stallion. 'Come on boy, lets go warm up.' Walking into the cave, her horse and mountain lion followed her in, the cougar lying down next the the dying embers of the campfire. Grabbing the sacks of food off her horses back, she placed them on a ledge with the rest of her stores for the winter then placed another couple of logs on the campfire. Sitting down on the deer skin next to the fire, she clicked her fingers for her stallion to come over and he laid down beside her. 'Good boy.'

Resting back against him, she pulled up a moth-eaten blanket around her ears and stared into the fire as her cougar moved over and curled up next to her. This life, this life of running and danger was something she was tired of. She wanted to be safe, wanted to be wanted, but out there, in the big world, there were people after her. People with guns, and they wouldn't stop till she was dead.

A shudder passed through her body as she felt like someone was watching her. Looking at the mouth of the cave, her brown eyes gazed with fear but courage into the night. There was something there, she was sure of it. Automatically, her hand went to her pistol strapped on her side while her other felt for the rifle she kept beside where she slept. Satisfied that they were there, she continued peering into the night for a good time. Her eyes getting heavier and heavier, she finally succumbed to the need to sleep…

The sunlight shone on her face as the girl awoke the next morning. The fire was nothing more than a smoldering pile of ash as she rubbed her eyes and sighed. There would be no coffee this morning until she got the fire going and there was no point. She needed to be out hunting. She had to get more meat stored for the winter.

Rolling over, she yawned as Cougar licked her face. 'Morning girl. How did you sleep?' Cougar's response was to rub her shoulder with her chin as she purred deeply. 'Hey, cut it out girl. I need to be going.' Turning to her horse, she patted him on his neck. The stallion opened his eyes and got to his feet, then rubbed her with his nose. 'Morning to you too mister.' The black stallion knickered softly at her as she got up and rubbed the dirt from the floor off his coat. Grabbing a bridle hanging on a rock, she placed the bit into his mouth and pulled the head piece over his ears. 'We have to go hunting boy. We'll be traveling quite a few miles today.'

A small handful of dried grasses tied together made a crude brush and she quickly went over his coat before placing his saddle pad on his back. Grabbing his saddle, she did the girth up then pushed and pulled it to make sure it was secure. He had a cheeky habit of blowing his stomach up when she would go to saddle him but today he seemed to know that it wasn't the right time for tricks. Picking up the winchester off the floor beside the rug, she placed it in the scabbard then turned to her lion. 'I'll be back soon sweetie. You stay put now you hear.' The lion sat licking her paws as she watched her mount the stallion and ride to the mouth of the cave. 'You be a good girl.'

Nudging the stallion with her heels, she lent over his back as he stretched into a trot, gently holding him in even though he clearly wanted to gallop. That was just his spirit showing through. He loved to gallop, loved to jump. He would do it all day if he wanted and if she let him but today there was a serious purpose to this trip. They needed to find food.

Once he had warmed up enough, she let him jump into a canter then finally a gallop as they came to a clearing in the dense forest. He bucked a couple of times, just out of excess energy and she laughed but it was a hollow laugh. She was worried. Something, someone had been at the cave last night and it worried her. Here, she had thought she would be safe, hidden high up in the mountains in the virgin forest land but obviously that was not to be the case. She would have to move soon, but for now she needed to focus on finding something to hunt….

Amy furrowed her brow as she looked into the oat bin. She could have sworn that there was way more in it yesterday when she had given the horses their morning feed. There had to be a good quarter of the bin missing, and she placed Sparten's feed bucket down as she opened the corn bin.

Just as she had thought. There was a good amount of corn missing too. Who would steal a few pounds of feed though? Her grandfather had told her that the feed room had been unlocked the night before but she hadn't thought that anyone would bother stealing feed. Obviously she was wrong. Hearing footsteps behind her, she looked through the open door to see Jack walking over to Paint. 'Grandpa, come look at this.'

'What is it Amy?'

'I think there is feed missing.' She replied as he walked over, then turned back to the bins. 'Someone was in here last night.'

'Who would steal feed though?' He looked in the barrel, then around the room to see if there was anything else missing. At first glance everything seemed to be in order, then he noticed the empty feed bags off near the door were missing. 'Looks like whoever it was helped themselves to our stash of hessian bags too.'

'Looks like it.' Amy went over to the cupboard where the supplements were kept, making sure that there wasn't anything that were missing. 'They didn't take anything else, just some oats and corn it looks like.'

'Might have been a giant mouse.' Calab interrupted as he came in on the end of the conversation, carrying a couple of empty buckets. 'What are we going to do about it though?'

'Make sure that the door is locked for a first, and make sure everything else is put away.' Jack glanced out into the barn, looking to see if anything else had been taken. 'If someone is stealing feed, they'll probably go for other things too.'

'Do we alert the police?'

'They aren't going to worry about a few pounds of corn and oats missing, but we'll keep a closer eye on everything around here. You didn't hear anything last night Calab? Amy mentioned you spent the night so you could keep an eye on Shorty.''

'Not a thing, except for the horses. No one came in the barn while I was up in the loft, I can be certain of that.' He poured a couple of scoops of feed into the bucket, then helped Amy dish up the other horses portions. 'Pretty strange they would just steal a bit of corn and oats though.'

'It's a shame what the world is coming to when people start taking horse food.'

'What's going on?' Mallory asked as she walked into the feed room, having heard their conversation from in the barn. 'Who took horse food?'

'Someone who came into here last night Mallory. Who else?'

'The ghost.'

'Mallory, there are no ghosts.'

'Well, did you find any footprints or tyretracks?' She grabbed a carrot from the bag for Copper. 'I'm telling you there is a ghost around here.'

'And I'm telling you there isn't. Haven't you got somewhere to be Mallory?'

'Nope. It's a pupil free day today Jack.' She smiled at him. 'So I'm going to be here all day.'

'How thrilling.' Jack murmured under his breath as the girl left the room, then looked at Calab and Amy who were trying not to laugh. 'What's so funny?'

'Your saying to Mallory that there are no ghosts, but yet can't explain how sixty pounds of food went missing without a trace?' Amy grinned mischievously at him. 'How else can you explain it?'

'Someone just decided they wanted some feed and took it from here. That is all there is to it. There are no ghosts.'

'Or maybe there is.'

Jack rolled his eyes as he shook his head. 'You know, whatever. I have better things to do then argue about whether ghosts exist or not.'

'Man, he's unusually grumpy.' Calab commented out of his earshot as Jack left to take care of Paint. 'Doesn't he realise we're only joking?'

'I think so, but Calab, there is something going on here.' Amy grabbed the feed buckets and headed out to the stalls to give the horses their breakfast. 'That amount of food just doesn't go missing without a trace. Lets just hope nothing else going missing.'

Alright folks, I'm going to just leave it there. Hope you enjoyed the first chapter of this story and if you did be sure to leave a review and I'll see you again soon with the with the next chapter!