Author's Note: I really used some creative license for this chapter. ;)

Chapter 21—Family Ties

Nathan and John looked from one to the other. "He's your father?" Nathan asked, his voice showing the shock he was feeling.

Bill sat there in disbelief. He quickly reread the letter, then looked up at Lucy. She saw the hurt in his eyes. "Lucy…you've been here for weeks. Why? Why haven't you told me before this?"

Lucy stood there crossing her arms over her chest, refusing the tears in her eyes permission to fall. She didn't speak for fear of breaking down.

"Do you mind?" Nathan asked gently, putting out his hand for the letter. Bill handed it over and Nathan read it then passed it to John who also looked it over and handed it back to Nathan.

"I assume you know this handwriting?" Nathan asked as he gave the letter back to Bill. John still sat there quietly watching Lucy.

Bill looked up at Nathan then back at the letter. "Yes. It's my ex-wife Nora's. She has a distinctive hand. Would you two excuse us?" Bill said to Nathan and John.

"Of course," John said as he and Nathan left the office. He glanced at Lucy before walking out, but she wouldn't look his way. Most likely she was still angry with him.

Bill looked at Lucy, still standing and looking like she might bolt at any second. He was wondering why he hadn't seen before how much she resembled Nora. Most likely because he had no reason to notice it.

"Please, have a seat," he said with a gentle voice, not wanting to spook her.

"Bill," Lucy said, her voice shaking. "I'm not sure I can do this right now."

"I understand but I need a few answers before you go. I want to apologize for not trusting you, Lucy. Can you tell me about this letter?"

Lucy slowly sat back down and looked at her still trembling hands for a moment trying to collect her thoughts. "When I was young, I was sent away to all of the finest schools," she said and then looked at Bill. "Once I graduated, I came back home. When my dad died, I was pretty devastated. Then my mom passed shortly after he did. I walked around the house in a fog, day after day, unsure of what my next move should be. Finally, I decided I needed to stay busy, so I started going through their documents. That's when I found this letter, along with several others from Nora, and adoption papers. The rest are in my hotel room. Apparently, my parents kept in contact with her over the years. This is the most current letter, dated just three years ago. They never told me I was adopted, so you can imagine the shock I felt. Probably about what you are feeling right now."

Lucy stopped speaking, giving Bill a chance to process what she had said.

"So, you have known for a while? You said your parents died almost 2 years ago."

"Yes, I have known for well over a year," Lucy answered. "At first, I planned to just ignore it. I believed there must be a reason that my parents decided not to tell me. But my curiosity kept growing. I knew that my real father was out there, and I wanted that familial connection. That's when I decided to come here and find you."

Bill nodded silently, staring at the letter in his hand.

"Bill, I need to go get some fresh air. Can we continue this conversation later? I know…it's a lot. I'm sorry you found out this way." Lucy could see that he needed some time to work through it.

"Sure. I'll see you later," Bill said as she walked out the door. He looked back at the letter that Nora had written.

Dear Mr. and Mrs. Jones,

It's been a while since I have written. I hope all of you are well. Thank you for the picture of Lucy, she is such a beautiful girl. I see myself in her when I was that age.

I'm writing this letter to clear my conscience- at least with you. I lied to you all those years ago when you found me, lost and crying. The truth is, I was married at the time. And I already had a young son.

My mind was such a mess after the birth of my son that I didn't know how I would handle another child. Discovering I was pregnant again so quickly, I ran away, not even realizing what I was doing was wrong. You both were so wonderful the way you took me in and didn't judge me even after telling you that I was unmarried and expecting. It seemed the perfect solution to give you my beautiful daughter when she was born a few months later to raise. Especially since you had never been able to have children of your own. I couldn't be the mother that she needed. Unfortunately, that meant lying to my husband. And to you. So, please forgive me for the deceit. I'm certain her father never will if he finds out what I have done. We divorced a few years ago.

Should you ever tell Lucy about her parentage, she should know that her father, Bill Avery, lives in Hope Valley at the writing of this letter. He is the sheriff there. I would hope that she might want to get to know him, as I cheated him out of raising her because of my own confusion and depression. He is a wonderful man and deserves to know his daughter.

Sincerely,

Nora Avery

Bill thought back to the time that Nora was gone for about 10 months, Martin was just a toddler and Bill had to find someone to take care of him while he worked. Her depression had started soon after his birth and only grew worse until she left when he was about 14 months old. Bill had taken her to the doctor- more than one in fact- but they weren't able to help. The note she had left said not to look for her. He didn't know if she was alive or dead for almost a year.

Then she just showed up again one day, acting like nothing had ever happened. When he would ask questions, she evaded them. Nora mentally struggled several times after that but didn't run away again until after the death of their son years later.

Now he knew where she went the first time and why. She was distant when she came back, even more than she had been before. And she no longer shared his bed but slept in Martin's room at night.

Nora had given his daughter away and he never knew about it. And thinking back to her mental state at the time, he wasn't surprised that she was able to do such a thing.

Bill lay the letter on the desk and intertwined his fingers, placing his chin on top. Then he allowed the tears filling his eyes to escape and roll down his cheeks.

###

Elizabeth was picking up the house when she heard a knock at the door. She found Nathan there when she opened it. "Nathan, this is a surprise. What can I do for you?"

"Elizabeth, could I come in just for a moment?"

Elizabeth stepped back and opened the door wider. "Please," she said, gesturing with her arm for him to enter.

"I've been walking around for a while trying to figure out how to handle a situation."

"What's going on Nathan?"

"I know you and Bill are close. And I think he needs a friend right now. I just feel inadequate to deal with this."

Elizabeth was apprehensive at Nathan's tone. "Is Bill okay?"

"It seems Lucy is Bill's daughter, at least that was what the letter said that she gave to him a little while ago."

"Uh…what? Lucy? How could that be? And he never knew about her? That gives me more questions than answers. I can't even imagine how he must be feeling. Is he at the office?"

"Not anymore. I saw him headed towards the pond a bit ago."

"Thanks Nathan. Jack is next door, so I'm going to go see if he needs an ear. I appreciate you letting me know about this."

"You're welcome. I will see you later."

Nathan left and Elizabeth twisted her hands for a moment. "Poor Bill," she said as she put a few things away and hurried out the door.

###

John had gone to the mercantile after leaving Nathan's office. He couldn't believe the turn of events and he felt guilty for not trusting Lucy. He hated admitting to himself that he was captivated by her and was troubled at what she must be going through right now.

Bill finding out he had a daughter he never knew about had to be the shock of his life. John couldn't fathom what the man must be feeling.

When John came outside, he saw Lucy leaving the livery on a borrowed horse. He watched as she kicked it into a run and headed out of town, then suddenly decided that Outlaw could use a little exercise himself.

###

Elizabeth saw Bill sitting and looking out at the water as she walked up. She came and sat next to him, just to be present, and didn't say anything. She couldn't even conceive the emotions that must be wreaking havoc on his mind.

After a few quiet minutes, Bill finally spoke. "Nothing I have been through in this life has prepared me for what I am feeling right at this moment."

Elizabeth sat there quietly, reaching her hand over to take his.

"I didn't know Nora hated me that much, to never tell me that I…we had a daughter. And then we lost…our son." Bill gripped the letter in his hand as he spoke.

"May I?" Elizabeth asked softly with her hand out. Bill handed the letter over without looking at her. She read the wrinkled paper and then handed it back. She noticed his hand was shaking as he took it.

"Elizabeth, I always wanted a daughter. Since coming to Hope Valley, I have come to think of you and Clara as the daughters I never had. And now I find out I had one I didn't get to raise." Bill took a deep breath. "I can't tell you how painful this is. How do I begin a relationship with a grown child that I didn't know about?"

Tears filled Elizabeth's eyes seeing how much he was suffering.

"Bill, I can't pretend to know what you are dealing with. It is beyond my understanding. And I am so sorry at how much your ex-wife hurt you. You didn't get to raise your child. That has to break your heart. Lucy was hurt also. She came here looking for you. She wanted to know her real father. You can't change the past, but you can get to know your adult daughter. Nora must have been in an awful place to give her up for adoption. At some point you need to forgive her for that. But Bill, you have a daughter! And she is here wanting to know her father. You need to figure out how to move forward knowing that."

Bill looked down for a moment and thought. "I guess I need to. I've never been hurt like this before. It may take some time."

"Just remember, Lucy is here now. And if you don't get to know her, she could leave and you might not see her again."

Then he straightened his shoulders and looked over at Elizabeth with a slight smile. "You are right. She came to find me. My daughter wants a relationship with me. I need to focus on that."

"Yes, you do. And deal with Nora later."

"That is what I am going to do. It will take awhile to get over the hurt, but I want to know my daughter," Bill said with a smile that reached his eyes.

Elizabeth grinned. "Now that's the Bill I know and love."

"What would I do without you?" Bill asked.

"Let's hope you never have to find out," Elizabeth answered then gave him a hug. "It will all be okay."

"You know, I believe you are right. Thank you, Elizabeth."

"You are always welcome," Elizabeth said as they both stood and walked back towards town.

###

John had headed in the direction he had seen Lucy go, but it took him a while to locate her. He saw her horse tied to a tree and he dismounted, looping Outlaw's reins to a nearby one. He looked around and saw a pond, Lucy sitting near its banks tossing rocks in. He slowly walked in her direction, not wanting to startle her. She looked up when she heard his footsteps, then went back to throwing stones into the water.

John came and sat nearby, picking up a few pebbles to pitch in the pond also.

They both remained quiet for a few moments just listening to the splash of the rocks when they hit the water. John realized that Lucy wasn't planning on talking to him, so he finally spoke.

"I just came out to check on you. I saw you riding out of town rather fast."

Lucy didn't respond and acted like she hadn't heard him.

"Lucy, I'm sorry for how things happened today. I had no way of knowing…"

"Exactly," Lucy interrupted, looking over at John with angry eyes. "John Davis, you can't begin to understand how hard today was. I have known for over a year that I was adopted. It took me a long while to process that before I made the decision to come and find my father. That first conversation when you saw me eavesdropping? That was a lonely, confused, girl just trying to see what kind of man she came from. I didn't even know what he looked like until I came here. All I knew was his name and that he was a sheriff. My chats with Nathan were me looking to find a possible friend in a strange location. He is obviously close to Bill, so I thought he would be a good choice. I did nothing wrong, and yet you wanted me tried and convicted, and for what? Because you overheard a few words and wanted to believe I was a bad person. I don't know if I could ever forgive you for how you made me feel today."

Lucy turned back to the water and went silent.

John sat there nodding his head. He couldn't possibly feel any worse than he did right now. He stood and brushed the dirt off his pants.

"Lucy Jones, you are absolutely right. And I was terribly wrong. Maybe I shouldn't have suspected you of anything and I apologize for hurting you. But I only wanted to protect my cousin. Perhaps all this could have been avoided if you had been honest sooner. You have to admit you have been a bit mysterious. Nevertheless, your business didn't concern me, and I shouldn't have interfered. I had planned on staying in town until tomorrow, but I may as well go back to the ranch today. Nothing is keeping me here. Good day to you," John said as he tipped his hat. He went and mounted Outlaw and rode a little closer to where she sat.

"I won't trouble you any longer. I can see you don't want anything to do with me," John said as he tried to turn around, ready to head back to town for his things. Outlaw suddenly got very restless and refused to budge. He whinnied and bucked, getting Lucy's attention. She stood and walked over, petting his nose and speaking softly to him.

"It's alright Sir Lancelot. I'm sorry I didn't talk to you. Hopefully we will see each other again one day. I'll miss you," Lucy said as she kissed his face and hugged his neck. Outlaw calmed down considerably, and Lucy backed up. She looked up at John then turned back to the water. "Lucy," he said, making her stop and turn around. "You know where the ranch is if you need me," John said locking eyes with her, then turned and rode back to town.

Lucy watched him ride off then put her face in her hands and cried.

###

Lucas was about to go see Elizabeth when John came into the saloon.

"You don't look very happy, cousin."

"I'm checking out and heading back to the ranch. I decided not to stay until tomorrow," John said unhappily.

"Let me guess, this has something to do with a certain green-eyed blond."

"Lucas, I know this isn't my secret to tell, but I'm sure it will be all over town soon anyway."

"What happened, John?"

"I found out what Lucy was hiding. You're not gonna believe it."

"Then just tell me," Lucas said.

"Lucy is Bill's daughter."

"Excuse me? What…how did you find that out?"

John told Lucas the story of what he heard in the livery and the following conversation in Nathan's office.

"I didn't see that coming," Lucas said.

"Neither did Bill."

"You said you left before he talked to her?"

"Yes. They wanted some privacy. That had to be quite a shock for Bill. And now Lucy is mad at me for spying on her."

"I wonder why that bothers you," Lucas said with a slight smile.

"To be honest, I don't know why it bothers me. But I'm going home. You and Elizabeth should bring Jack out to the ranch sometime. You are always welcome."

"Thank you, we might just do that. We are going to talk about wedding plans today. I'm due over there right now as a matter of fact. Are you coming back soon?"

John nodded his head. "Probably next week. Tell Elizabeth I said hello, and I will see you before long."

"See you later, John."

"You can do me one favor after I leave..." John said.

###

Elizabeth had just come out her door to go get Jack when she saw Lucas walking up. She walked his way and put her arms around him, holding on tightly. Lucas could tell she was upset and just stood there holding her.

"I'm so glad you are here," she said softly.

"Are you alright? What can I do?" Lucas asked as he lightly rubbed her back and kissed the top of her head, worried about her.

She stepped back and looked up at him. "It's Bill. I just came from talking to him."

Lucas nodded, "John just told me about Lucy. He was there when Bill found out."

"Oh. Then you already know. I can't believe Bill has a daughter!"

"I know. His whole life is about to change," Lucas replied.

"He was pretty upset. I've never seen him like that. He seemed better after we talked."

"I am sure you said exactly what he needed to hear, my love," Lucas said placing his hand on her cheek.

"I was just going to get Jack at Rosemary's."

"Allow me, please," Lucas said smiling.

He walked up on the Coulter's porch and knocked on the door. Rosemary opened it and smiled. "Jack, someone is here to see you," she said. Jack came running and threw himself into Lucas' open arms. Lucas grabbed him up and cuddled him for a moment. "Hey buddy, I have missed you today, son."

"I miss you Daddy Lucas," Jack said, kissing him on the cheek. Lucas hugged him to his chest and turned to Elizabeth in surprise.

"We've been working on that," she said cheerfully.

"That's the best gift you could have given me to start a new year," Lucas said, his voice cracking as he spoke.

"Thank you, Rosemary," Elizabeth said.

"You know I love my Jack time. See you all later!" Rosemary said as she waved and closed the door.

"We have some wedding planning to do," Elizabeth said.

"Yes, we do. I am very excited about that."

"Me too, Mr. Bouchard." Elizabeth opened the door, and they all went inside.

###

John came down the stairs and found Fiona at the bar.

"I'm leaving now Ona. I'll see you next week."

"Johnny, why don't you stay another day like you had planned? You look like you could use another day of rest," Fiona replied.

"I've messed things up and work is what I need. Good-bye."

John turned to leave before Fiona could ask him what he meant. He had left Outlaw just outside since he knew he wouldn't be long. He tied on his small bag, then mounted up and headed out of town just as Lucy was coming in. He stopped and watched her ride to the livery, never looking his way. "Come on Outlaw, let's go home," he said as they turned towards the ranch.

###

Lucy dropped off the horse she was riding then began her walk towards the café. She had seen John as he left but decided to pretend that she didn't. She walked in and looked around, taking a seat at a small table by the wall. Lucy didn't see Bill, but he could be in the back. She ordered some tea and sat in silence as she drank. Lucy had done a lot of thinking while she was gone and wanted to talk to him to hopefully clear the air.

As if on cue, the door opened and Bill walked in, immediately noticing Lucy sitting inside. She gave him a slight smile which he returned and then walked over to her table. "May I join you?" he asked and sat down when she nodded.

"Bill, I did a lot of thinking while I was out. I should have come to you when I first arrived in Hope Valley. Please forgive me. I wanted to get to know where I came from before talking to you and then the more time passed, the more anxious I got about telling you at all. You didn't deserve that. I'm so sorry you found out the way you did."

Bill nodded. "I have to say you took me by surprise. But I can't fault you for not knowing what to do. I haven't shared this with you yet, but I was orphaned at a young age. And actually, your maternal grandfather took me in."

"Really? I would love to know more about my family."

"I need to get to work now, but maybe we can have dinner later and talk some more?" Bill asked as he stood.

"I would love that. Thank you for being so gracious." Lucy stood as she spoke. "I look forward to getting to know you." She leaned up and kissed Bill on the cheek, bringing tears to his eyes.

"I'll see you later," Bill said as he headed to the kitchen smiling, reaching up to touch his cheek as he went.

Author's Note: The Nora history may be far-fetched, but that is the fun of writing fiction. And it was really the best way to give Bill a long-lost daughter, which I had to do! I have never liked that he doesn't have children.

While I love Kristina Wagner, I didn't care for the character of Nora on the show and honestly, I thought it was totally plausible that she may have a mental illness and had a breakdown in her past. I wrote that in my story as a post-partum depression event which resulted in her giving their daughter away.