Part 1: Chapter 95: 1894 Red Deer, Alberta

Another Promise Between Siblings

Nate sat on General's back as he rode to his hunting snare. It was frigid and cold, and yet, the family needed food to eat. Nate had taken to setting up a rabbit snare in several places in the morning and then, checking them after school. There were times when Uncle James was with him, but Nate had gotten good enough that James wasn't needed every day. Nate also believed that Uncle James considered General another person so that Nate wasn't ever alone with him.

Nate pulled General to a stop by his last snare and dismounted the horse easily. He looked around before bending down into the underbrush for the woods. Nate slowly pulled on the snare. He had caught a skinny one. Nate grimaced. A small rabbit for three people would be pushing Ma's and Colleen's culinary skills. Nate grabbed the rabbit by his ears and disentangled it from the snare lines.

General walked with him to a trappers cabin in the woods nearby. He did a quick perimeter check and checked inside, before going to the table and hooks to skin and butcher the rabbit. Nate still was quite queasy from this process, but he had stopped throwing up.

Nate cut the fur line, and then pulled it down in one strong yank. He wiped his forehead with his forearm as he looked at the rabbit. As he was observing the rabbit he heard something moving outside of the cabin. Voices?

Nate heard General whiny. Nate was listening with more focus as he slowly walked towards the door. He heard voices speaking in two languages he didn't know. The other was Bobby Wallace. Bobby was claiming that someone was there to do harm. Someone protested in a different language.
"Bobby, they are here to take cover in the cabin. You just had the same idea," Uncle James explained.

Bobby Wallace glared at the person who couldn't speak English.

"I will show you both to safety," Uncle James explained in English and the native language of the person he was speaking to. Nate was surprised because it wasn't a language they were learning at Edith's tutoring sessions.

Nate and General both showed themselves on the path. James was only mildly surprised while Bobby and the other teenage boy were both startled that he was there.

"What are you doing here, Grant?" Bobby glared at him.

"Not looking for cover. But I am skinning a rabbit," Nate replied as he gestured where the cabin was.

"You can hunt?" Bobby gapped in astonishment.

Nate nodded.

"I only hunt when I can't find food anyway else," Nate explained.

James gave him an approving smile. Nate turned towards the cabin where the rabbit was hanging up, skinned, but still hadn't been butchered yet.

James and the other boy both looked at the rabbit as if it were a normal sight for them. Bobby didn't even make it through the doorway before he started heaving. James turned Bobby away so that he wouldn't throw up inside the cabin.

The boy spoke to James. He nodded and translated to English.

"He is asking if he butchers the rabbit, will you let him have a piece. His hunt is going to take a lot of time and he is out of jerky meat," James asked for the teenager.

Nate nodded his agreement. Butchering was something he was still learning.

Nate watched the boy as the boy expertly butchered the rabbit. Leaving nothing to waste, he separated the piles between Nate and him. Nate thanked him. James translated. Bobby finally was well enough to escort home. The other boy was looking around to start a fire. Nate walked to General and put it in a special leather satchel. He walked with Bobby and James as they took the same road.

"What language were you speaking?" Nate asked.

James looked down at him.

"Blackcrow," James replied.

"Why haven't we learned it?" Nate asked, as the words had sounded musical to his ears.

"I barely know basic words. I have learned in my work that it is important to take time to get to know the cultures of the people we meet. They are not monsters when you realize that they have the same fears of us," James said with authority on the subject.

Nate nodded.

The groups eventually had to separate on the path. Nate went towards his home. Bobby and James headed towards town.

Nate rode General in a quiet walk as they approached the land surrounding the house. He saw the chimney smoke first. His mother and Colleen were making side dishes. And his mouth started watering at the thought of what they were accomplishing.

He smiled at his now growling stomach. General gave him a look of reprimand as he had heard it.

"I know, boy. I know," Nate said as he leaned forward to pat General's neck.

Nate rode up to the backdoor. Colleen was out in her winter shawl. She smiled at them. Nate helped her get the rabbit pieces. She looked at him in confusion when she saw the neatly cut pieces. He smiled at her, but shook his head in answer to her silent question. He then led General into the barn where he bag to untack him. He brushed General down. Cleaned his stall. Then he grabbed the milk bin and started to milk the cow. Nate took care of the chickens. Then he cleaned out the satchel so well that it shined and looked brand new so no critters would smell it and think there was an easy snack.

Nate then stretched and went inside his home. Ophelia and Colleen were almost done with dinner by the time he got back. Nate sat down at the table. Ophelia and Colleen quickly served and sat down as well. They quickly had a decent meal and rehashed what happened.

Eventually, the table was cleaned up. Ophelia shooed both children away to do homework. Nate and Colleen went upstairs to grab their school things. He grabbed his math homework and put his hand over his eyes and swiftly fell asleep one hand clutching his book.

Ophelia found him asleep on top of his covers when he didn't come down with Colleen. She sighed heavily. Knowing that the increase in everyone's chores were taking their toll on everyone, but Nate wasn't even ten yet. This was too much for his young body. Ophelia rubbed her eyes of the tears that were present at her anger at her husband. Then, she pushed Nate onto the bed in the correct manner and placed a quilt over him. Nate's eyes opened ever so briefly. Ophelia kissed his head gently.

"Go back to sleep, Nate," she whispered.

Nate didn't even respond. He was fast asleep as Ophelia walked out of his room and walked back towards the kitchen where Colleen was spread out doing her homework.

"Nate?" Colleen asked.

"Asleep," Ophelia answered as she took up her mending next to Colleen. Colleen sighed as she looked at the ceiling with exasperation and sorrow.

"I was hoping Nate could help me with my math," Colleen admitted as she pushed at the problems she was having issues with. Ophelia nodded.

"I would help, if I understood your math at all, but…you're father is correct about my skills," Ophelia said bitterly.

"You're smarter than Daddy will ever be," Colleen said as she looked at her mother. Ophelia had never openly stated that she was disappointed in herself for not being a better money maker, especially now. She had no business for complex numbers. Archie knew that.

Ophelia shook her head.

"Not in the ways that matter," Ophelia said.

"Daddy can't cook, clean house, or mend his clothes. He wouldn't stand five minutes without actually having someone do all of those things. Meanwhile, you are doing just fine without his money. I know we're struggling, but we are getting by. Even if it is day to day," Colleen said with earnestness.

Ophelia gave her daughter a smile. She was turning into a young woman.

"We're going to have ask Edith for young lady clothes soon," Ophelia noticed.

Colleen looked at her with a raised eyebrow.

"At least we have Uncle James and Auntie Edith," Colleen said.

"I truly do not know how we would be without them," Ophelia admitted.

"We would be doing just fine," Colleen reassured her mother.

Ophelia looked down at her hands.

Colleen grabbed Ophelia's hands and clasped them warmly.

"Why don't I help you with your evening chores. I need the practice if I am destined to keep up with Nate and Thomas," Colleen winked.

"And who told you that?" Ophelia asked.

"Nate said I am going to marry Thomas," Colleen rolled her eyes at the suggestion.

Ophelia's eyes went up in surprise.

"Nate said it?" Ophelia questioned.

Colleen nodded in confirmation as she grabbed some of Ophelia's pile and sat in the chair next to her to begin her own mending.

"Nate said our feelings are obvious," Colleen replied.

Ophelia shook her head.

"Obvious to your family, he means. We know you well enough to see the change," Ophelia explained.

Colleen looked at her in surprise.

"Everyone knows?" Colleen asked in horror.

"Uncle James and I knew it that last Red Deer picnic. I am surprised that your brother recognizes it as romantic feelings, since he is so young and hasn't experienced them yet," Ophelia added.

Colleen's eyes widened in horror.

"No one else can tell. It's just because we know you both so well," Ophelia reassured her daughter.

Colleen looked down at her mending with a flush on her cheeks.

"Mama, how do you know if it is worth it to mention anything?" Colleen asked.

Ophelia smiled at her.

"I didn't know your father as a child, Colleen. Our relationship is completely different from yours with Thomas. But with your father and I he is the one who showed genuine interest first. Others will tell you to flirt, but I don't believe that flirting does anything except get the gents for the wrong reasons," Ophelia tried to explain.

"Daddy, must have done something to make you open your heart to the courtship," Colleen protested.

"He let me be myself, and for some unknown reason, he liked the things that others always critiqued me with," Ophelia said.

Colleen smiled at her mother.

"A strong woman who stands her ground," Colleen complimented her mother.

Ophelia smiled at her daughter.

"Except I was called stubborn and unyielding," Ophelia remembered back to the days where she had been belittled by her peers.

"I hope to be as stubborn and unyielding as you when I am grown up," Colleen admitted.

"You already are, my dear child," Ophelia said with affection.

Colleen beamed. She took after her father more in personality. Everyone knew it. No one had ever said that she acted like her mother. So, for Ophelia to say that she already saw herself in her daughter was the best compliment anyone could give to Colleen. She choked on her tears as she leaned over to hug Ophelia.

"I love you, Mama," Colleen said as she hugged her mother tightly.

Ophelia hugged her tightly back.

Nate and Colleen entered the schoolhouse the next morning. Nate plopped down in his normal chair, yawning widely. Thomas sat down next to him looking as concerned as Colleen felt. Thomas sat in the seat next to Nate. Thomas took out his homework. Nate pulled out what he had gotten done, but his paper stack was a lot smaller.

Thomas gave Nate a weird look.

"Sleep was more important," stuttered Nate as he yawned through his words.

Thomas gave him a long look of helplessness. Thomas grabbed Nate's papers and joined the line to put the homework on Ms. Fletcher's desk. He stacked theirs on top of the boy's pile. And sighed in relief that Ms. Fletcher wasn't at her desk to see that Nate hadn't turned in his own work.

Nate gave Thomas a grateful smile across the room. Thomas gave a nod back before sitting down next to Nate again. Nate propped his head on his fist and struggled to keep his eyes open. Ms. Fletcher soon began class.

She started the day as she normally did picking on the young students about reading out loud. Nate tried keeping his book open, but he eventually nodded off into its pages. Thomas was reading his book next to Nate, and had noticed when Nate feel asleep, but he didn't make any gesture towards him because he didn't want Nate to get into trouble for sleeping in Ms. Fletcher's class.

Nate almost got away with sleeping, but he shifted an arm ever so slightly, which meant that his balance was shifted and he knocked his book to the floor with a loud thundering crash, which startled everyone awake. Nate looked around in surprise.

Ms. Fletcher turned sharply and walked with crossed arms and a long glare at Nate.

"Detention, Mr. Grant," she said.

Nate just nodded as he turned in his seat as he returned to facing the board and watched Ms. Fletcher put his name on the white board. Thomas had picked up Nate's fallen book and handed it back to Nate. Nate gave a nod of thanks and put the books gently on their table. Thomas gave a nod back.

They focused on the rest of Ms. Fletcher's lessons until the end of the school day. Nate stayed after school. James was watching the release and didn't see Nate come out. Colleen and Thomas were both talking rapidly at each other back and forth.

"Where's Nate?" James asked as his nephew still hadn't shown up after everyone else had dispersed home. The looks Thomas and Colleen exchanged told James almost everything about how Nate's day had begun.

"Nate got detention today," Thomas said.

James raised an eyebrow.

"He slept in class," Colleen added. "He has had too much to do at home and he isn't sleeping right."

James sighed as observed the door. He was worried about the boy. James just nodded Thomas and Colleen to go to Edith. She was waiting for them for a tutoring session. They both walked slowly to the fort, hoping Nate would eventually come to them. Colleen and Thomas were both less enthusiastic than before.

Edith greeted them with hugs as they entered without Nate. They went through the tutoring session with Nate gone. Nate finally entered the Normandeau parlor just before they would normally head home.

"What a day, huh?" Thomas greeted as he clapped his best friend's shoulder.

Nate nodded in agreement and gave Thomas the faintest of smiles.

"I'm sorry I can't stick around, but Pa is getting worse with his…whatever…and he is being irrational about acknowledging his problem. He is getting mad at us whenever we mention that he see a doctor," Thomas explained as he shifted his weight from one foot to another and wrapped his right hand around his suspender.

Edith looked at Thomas in worry.

"You let us know if it gets too much," Edith said.

"Don't I always?" Thomas said with a mischievous gleam in his brown eyes.

"We love you, Thomas," Edith said as she pulled him into a hug.

"I love ya, too, Mum," Thomas said from Edith's arms.

No matter how often she heard that, Edith's heart was warmed at the title.

Thomas left the house. Nate sat down to do his homework in the front parlor. But he also seemed just as tired as he had been before.

"Nate?" Edith asked as she put an arm around her nephew.

Nate just sighed with exhaustion on every ounce of his lithe frame.

Ophelia and James entered the parlor for their weekly family meal. When Ophelia entered, Rachel came into the room with a note for her. Ophelia took the note, noticed the safety pin holes, and saw Ms. Fletcher's flowing cursive. She read the note, which said that Nate had fallen asleep during class. That he had served detention and if he did it again, it would be a suspension. Ophelia folded the note, and put it to a pocket on her dress.

She looked at Nate in a questioning glance. His eyes met hers.

"Don't you want to be a vet?" Ophelia asked.

Nate shrugged, "It doesn't seem like a valuable life goal at the moment."

Colleen, James, Edith , Ophelia all looked at him in horror.

"Nate, I realize your father put you in a precarious position, but school is more important for your future. You both need to graduate at least high school. I will not allow either of you to spend the time at school at a job. You both need to be better than us," Ophelia said as she looked at both of her children.

"Yes, Mama," both promised as they realized how serious she was.

Ophelia then wrapped her arms around Nate in a comforting hug.

"It is okay for your dreams to change, as long as the reason for them changing is about your interests and wants, not because of our family," Ophelia whispered into her son's ears.

Nate didn't meet her eyes.

"Nate, I mean it," Ophelia grabbed his face between her hands and waited until he met her eyes.

"I know, Mama," Nate said.

"I love you," Ophelia added. Nate smiled at her. Ophelia smiled back.

"Please know that all of you have our help and love no matter what," Edith said as she pointed between herself and James. James nodded his agreement.

"Why do you think I will marry Thomas?" Colleen asked Nate in a whisper as they were doing dish cleanup at home later.

Nate gave her a look of being dumb.

"Enlighten me," Colleen insisted.

"Because you remind me of Uncle James and Auntie Edith," Nate explained simply. Colleen's jaw dropped, but she had to admit that Nate wasn't wrong.

Colleen just nodded in acceptance.

"Nate, I know you aren't going to actually follow Ma's guidelines about being a vet," Colleen whispered to her brother.

Nate didn't pause, but he did look at the dish he was washing harder.

"But I really think we shouldn't fight Ma over these things. She isn't wrong about more possibilities with a high school diploma. Especially for you! You are so smart, Nate and you will be successful at whatever you want to do," Colleen whispered as she dried the plate in her hands.

Nate finally turned his eyes towards her.

"We both know that we can't last long without you doing Dad's work, but still attempt school," Colleen added.

"And what will you do once you graduate?" Nate asked.

Colleen shrugged.

Nate gave her a long look.

"I want to co-own a bakeshop with Ma," Colleen whispered as she looked down in embarrassment.

"That would be a lot of math neither of you are good at," Nate pointed out.

"Well, that's why we have you. You're the brains, Ma and I are the brawn and the beauty," Colleen teased.

"If I work as a Mountie, I cannot be your brain," Nate added.

"Sure you can. We will move with you, duh!" Colleen said with a wink.

Nate rolled his eyes.

"My point in all of this is, we have to listen to and respect Ma's wishes. We can't disrespect them in any way," Colleen explained with seriousness.

Nate nodded his agreement.

"We need to promise each other to do whatever Ma needs," Colleen added as she dried the last dish in a hurry.

Nate looked at her again.

"I promise to help," Nate added.

Colleen glared at him.

"Which means following her directions about our future," Nate added.

Colleen nodded in satisfaction.

"I also promise to follow Ma's directions," Colleen held her pinky out.

Nate gave her a long skeptical look.

"It seals the promise," Colleen argued.

Nate shook his head as he wrapped his pinky finger around his sister's. She beamed at him then pulled him into a hug.

Nate stiffened as she kissed his cheek.

"Why are you like this?" Nate asked as his sister held him against his will.

"Born this way," Colleen said with pride.

"Mmmmhhhhhhhhmmmmmmm. Can I get a promise that you will never bug me again?" Nate asked as he finally managed to detach himself from his sister.

"Only if you promise never to frighten be with a frog, toad, mice, what have you?" Colleen retorted right back.

Nate smirked at her.

"Yeah, no. That is the only fun I have some days," Nate responded.

Colleen also shook her head disagreeing with the deal.

"In this together?" Colleen asked as she held out her right hand.

Nate grabbed her hand with his.

"Always, Sister." Nate said with a formal handshake.

Colleen nodded solemnly back. Then she pulled Nate into the living room and started forcing him to dance her favorite Irish Jig as she sang the song.

Nate glared at her, but didn't try to stop, either.

Hello everyone! I want to thank everyone who sees that Nathan truly overcame a lot, that is why I focused this story on him. He has a story to tell, but the show didn't go into it, even before the season 8/9 crap. When I first started this story, I had questions about Nathan's past and decided to fill in holes. As always, thanks for your kind words and your patience.