As Winter slowly gave way to Spring, trees and flowers came back to life. With the gentle Spring rain green grass had begun to grow after the last frost had passed and with it the promise of warmer weather and goodbye to the cold of winter for another year. Also with the arrival of Spring came August's fifteenth birthday, celebrated in the middle of March. A small family gathering it had been with a few extra family friends and some kids from his class but all in all it had been a nice and pleasant time for them all.

To the relief of everyone, Captain James had made a full recovery and had returned to active duty a couple weeks prior. Part of him being hard at work was attempting to find Cordell another partner to be paired with but that was proving to not be an easy task. A few remarks had been made around the house about Cordell not having someone to work with and it was easy to see that he still missed Micki greatly.

They had heard from Micki on the odd occasion, the former Ranger having rung a few times just to see how everyone was getting along. From what Maddie had heard it seemed like Micki was doing well back in San Antonio, making a new life for herself. Though it had been sad to see her go it had been for the best and it was apparent that the move had been the right decision for her to make, as hard as it had been.

Trey also was doing well, the school counselor having attended more than one family dinner over the course of the last month. Though Maddie hadn't asked for it, Trey seemed to have taken an interest in her and the two of them had begun to form a friendship. It was nice to be able to talk to someone other than just her family when she had something on her mind and Trey was one who gave good advice. Not only that but he had been giving her a hand with the harder stuff of her schoolwork when she didn't want to bother one of the Walkers with needing help.

Geri too she had started to have a connection with, especially since she was now working at the Side Step a few times a week so that she could earn extra money. She was still a bit shy and reserved around her as she didn't know her all that well but Geri had been kind and patient with her and slowly had begun to earn her trust. It was clear that Geri liked her father and that he liked her back and Maddie had started to wonder what it would be like if Cordell and her decided to do something about that attraction. What would it be like to have a Mom again? She'd given it some thought for awhile then decided that if her Dad ever decided to ask Geri out, she'd deal with it then.

With training two horses, her schoolwork, helping out at the ranch and also with her new job at the Side Step, Maddie didn't have time to be bored. The extra money she was making at the Side Step was going into her savings fund to be able to buy Dakota at the auction she'd be put up in at the end of the competition. She hoped that with the addition of some of her wages from working at the ranch and all of her salary from the Side Step she'd have enough to be able to purchase the mare. Though it was hard work having the extra job, if in the end she could buy Dakota, it would be worth it.

Her training with both Bel and Dakota had been progressing splendidly, both of them having been out on a couple trips to some small rodeos and trail course days. Bel and Dakota were paddocked together now, the two mustangs having gotten along wonderfully with each other when she'd first introduced them. With the end of the makeover a little over three months away Maddie was really putting as much time and experience onto Dakota as she could. The mare certainly had proven to be a lot easier to train then Bel and even though she had only had her for about a month and a half, Dakota was now to the same point in training as Bel was.

The only downside to the extra work that she had taken on was that her health was starting to suffer. Little by little she had begun to lose weight that went unnoticed by herself or anyone else. It didn't help that when she felt nauseous she went without eating. Her headaches too kept coming and going but putting them down to stress and the fact she was doing a lot, she didn't pay them much attention. A couple of painkillers and she managed them just fine.

As March began to come to an end and April loomed on the horizon, that time of the year began to approach. It had been five years since her mother had passed, five long years. This year though, somehow, it didn't feel quite as painful as it had in previous times. Perhaps that was due to the fact she wasn't alone anymore. She wasn't left on her own to fend for herself. She'd found a family who had taken her in and loved her as their own.

It wasn't just the anniversary of her mothers passing coming up, it was Emily's too. Two years Emily would have been gone when April 8 came around. There had been talk of planning a camping trip in her honor but Maddie had been wondering herself of what she might be able to do to honor both her mothers memory and Emily's too. After all, if she was a Walker now, and Cordell her Dad, it would only stand to reason that she wished to do something for Emily too even though she'd never had the privilege of knowing or meeting her. And so, with that in mind, Maddie had begun to conjure up a little plan of her own.

'You're here early.' Geri exclaimed with surprise as Maddie walked in through the back door Sunday morning. 'Your shift doesn't start till four this afternoon.'

'I know but Dad said I could come spend the day here. I wasn't expecting you to be here, I got Colton to drop me off.' She replied, a bag with her laptop in one hand and a few other things and her guitar case in the other. 'I was hoping to try recording a song and since, well, everyone that it's supposed to be a surprise for is at home, here was the only place that I'd be able to do it without them knowing. That's alright, isn't it? I know I should have asked first-'

'No, no, it's more than alright. I was planning on doing a few things this morning that I spoke to your Dad about earlier but we'll just work around each other.' She assured her. 'It'll be fine. You go right ahead and do what you need to do. You won't even know I'm here.

She smiled gratefully, putting her things down on one of the tables. 'Thanks.'

'No worries. When you finish, how about we grab some ice cream before opening time?'

'Sure. Sounds like a good idea.'

Geri left her after that, the woman attending to her own things around the Bar and Maddie set to work on what she was doing. Over the past week she'd been writing up a song that she planned to put to a slideshow of photos and videos of both her and her mom and her adopted siblings with their mother. For the most part her little project was finished but she still needed to record the lyrics and guitar and add them into the rest of the track she'd composed electronically. She was still learning how to do that kind of thing, Colton had been kind enough to teach her the basics of how to use the music program and once she'd fingered that out she'd been able to start her experimenting.

'Do you mind if I set up over here?' She questioned to Geri as the woman returned from the kitchen carrying a tray of clean glasses.

Geri shook her head, motioning to the stage. 'Go right ahead. Just make sure you put everything back as you find it.'

Nodding her understanding Maddie moved a couple things aside and brought over her computer and guitar. After a short while and a couple texts to Colton to ask him about a couple things she managed to get herself set up and began to record the song. As she sang through the lyrics she didn't notice Geri stop what she was doing to listen to her sing, just focused on her guitar and hitting the notes as she wanted them.

By the time Maddie had finished and was happy with her final result, she was thoroughly exhausted. Geri must have noticed how tired she was for she came over and gave her a hand to return the stage to what it was and also to put her things away.

Finally, Maddie wearily sank to a chair in front of her laptop, going over the track one last time as Geri went to get some ice cream for them to share. 'Thanks for lending a hand.' She said upon her return, the woman taking a seat in front of her before handing her an ice cream cone.

'Your welcome.' Geri smiled. 'Nice song. You ever thought about a career in singing?'

She shook her head as she closed the lid of her laptop and placed it aside, taking a lick of her chocolate ice cream. 'It's just something I do for fun when I feel like it.'

'I thought you sounded really good. You should think about it.' She continued. 'I've been planning an open mic night of sorts. Why don't you join?'

'I uh... I don't-I don't think that's my kinda thing.' Maddie replied with apprehension. 'I mean, I know I did the Eisteddfod thing with Mawline-'

'And you did get third-'

'That's beside the point.' She interrupted with a chuckle. 'It was a bucket list thing so I really wanted to mark that off. Long story. But yeah... To sing in front of a bunch of random people-' She cringed as she took another bite out of her cone. 'I don't really want or need... to be the center of attention. I'm just happy to just keep my songs and singing to myself for the most part.'

Geri nodded. 'That's fair but think about it, at least? You can give me an answer on the night if you want and you could go up last.'

'I'll think about it, just 'cause you asked. When were you going to hold this 'open mic night' thing?'

'Oh, probably in a couple weeks or so. It'd be on a Friday night. I was hoping to invite Minni Jayne along too, to draw a larger crowd but we'll see.'

'Well if it'd be next weekend I definitely won't be here. Dad's taking Stella, Augie and I out camping.'

'For Emily's...'

She nodded as Geri's voice trailed off. 'And my mothers. It'll be five years since she passed on Wednesday.'

Geri finished her ice cream cone, wiping her hands on a napkin. 'The song you wrote... I couldn't help but overhear the lyrics. You wrote it for your mom?'

'And for Emily too.' She too had finished her cone, cleaning her hands too as she replied. 'I wanted to do something special in memory of them both. I know I never met Emily but I kinda feel like I know her, you know. Like the stories that Stella and August told me, Mawline and Dad too. I'm a Walker now and yeah...' Her voice trailed off. 'It's not silly, is it?'

'Not at all Maddie.'

Maddie was silent for a moment then looked back at her. 'It might be a weird request but have you got any photos or videos of Emily with Dad, Stella and Augie? I've been putting together a slideshow but I need some more and I don't want to ask Mawline or anyone in case they want to know why. I want to keep it as a surprise.'

'Oh I uh... I'd have to take a look and see what I've got.' Geri replied. 'When do you need them by?'

'No later than Wednesday, I wanted to show it to them this weekend. We were planning to go camping this weekend but Dad couldn't get the time off so next weekend it is.'

'Alright. I'll take a look tonight and I'll send you through whatever I find.'

She smiled with appreciation. 'Thanks.'

'You know...' Geri started after silence had fallen for a moment. 'Your Mom used to sing here.'

Maddie's full attention shot to her. 'She did?'

She nodded. 'Way back when she first started a career in singing. Surely someone must have mentioned it before.'

The teen shook her head. 'Dad said once that Emily used to like Mom's songs but he never said she used to sing here. Did you know my mom?'

'No. Well, we met her on the odd occasion when she sang here but that was it. Your mom used to sing at different bars and rodeos and such before she really became famous. The Side Step was one she'd come to once a month to sing and Cordell, Hoyt, Emily and I would come listen to her sing.' Geri replied. 'Seeing you up there-' She motioned towards the stage. 'You looked so much like your mom.'

A sad smile came to her lips. 'A lot of people have said that.'

'It's true. You've got her voice too, her talent.'

'I just wish she were still here... you know.' Maddie said softly, playing with a salt shaker that sat on the table. 'There's so much I don't know about her and the memories I have of her, they're getting foggy. Like how she laughed, how she loved watching me feed the ducks at the park. I don't want to lose those memories.' She paused again and looked around the Bar, back towards the stage. 'There were so many things I never got to ask her. So many things I wished I could talk to her about. Those times when I needed a woman to talk to and I didn't have anyone I could trust.'

'I understand.' Geri exclaimed kindly. 'I never had a mother.' Maddie looked back to her with a confused look on her expression. 'My father, Frank, was a single parent. He adopted me. He was a good man and I know he loved me but there were times when I used to wish that I had a mother too. Abeline actually; she became the closest thing I've ever had to a mother so when you say that, I understand.'

She was quiet for a moment then started asking a question cautiously. 'Have you ever thought about finding your birth parents?'

'A few years ago, after my father passed, I did. I never got the chance to ask him when he was alive who they were he uh... he had a heart attack.' She paused a moment, biting her lip before continuing. 'And he was gone. I went searching but I kept hitting dead ends and after a time, I gave up.'

'When my Mom died-' Maddie started once she'd finished. 'CPS tried to find living relatives but they couldn't. Apart from my father I didn't have anyone and it took months for him to finally come claim me. Even though I've got a new family now, I still miss my mom. I just wish she were still here, you know...' She began fiddling with the salt shaker again. 'Is there anything else you could tell me about my mom?'

'Not much I'm afraid, sorry Maddie. She used to sing here for a couple years but when she picked up fame she took on bigger performances then she moved to Nashville. I never knew her personally, just knew of her. From what I saw though, she was a good person and judging by you I'd say she was just as kind and sweet as you are.'

A slight blush came to her cheeks. 'Mama had her demons but she was gentle and kind. I think part of her problem was she might have been too kind hearted. She always wanted to believe there was good in people. And my father...' Her voice trailed off as she sighed gently. 'He took advantage of her kind heart. I guess that's part of why I just can't trust people. I don't want that to happen to me.'

'Something on your mind Maddie?' Abeline questioned, joining the girl at the sink as she washed up the dishes from dinner. 'You've been awfully quiet this evening.'

'Just thinking.' She replied with a sad smile. 'I'm almost finished here, why don't you go join the others in the living room for game night? I've got something to show you all too.'

'You sure?'

'You cooked dinner. I'll finish the dishes. Go.'

'Alright. Thanks honey.'

Maddie smiled up at her as her grandma gave her a kiss on the head. 'Happy to do it.'

Abilene left, Maddie staring back into the distance as she absentmindedly washed the remaining plates in the sink. Another week passed, another Friday coming to an end. Already they were into the first week of April and with each passing day, the Mustang Makeover finals. It wasn't really the finals that she had been thinking of though when her Grandmother had come to speak with her, it was the Open Mic night thing Geri was hosting at the Side Step the Friday after they got back from camping.

Her mom had sung at the Side Step, she hadn't known that before.

As she placed the last plate into the drying rack and pulled the plug she sighed softly. Five years. Five years since her mom had passed... And yes, the memories she had of her mom were growing distant and dim. She had so many questions she never would receive answers to. Like, for instance, how on earth did she and her father meet? Let alone actually have a relationship and a child from it.

With the passing of time she had come to the realization and understanding that the image of the younger years of her life she had previous held was anything but the truth. She hadn't wanted to believe that her family had been bad and in her eyes, her father had been her hero. Now she knew and understood though that wasn't the case and with it, questions began to rise. What had her mother seen in him? Why had she stayed-

The plate she had been wiping down slipped from her grasp, shattering on the floor. She jumped at the noise, her heart skipping a beat as she looked down in disbelief, Cordell and Abeline coming into the kitchen to investigate. 'I'm sorry-I'm sorry... It just slipped-'

'Baby girl, baby girl, it's okay.' Cordell assured her, stepping carefully around the broken ceramic on the floor to her. 'It's just a plate.'

'I shouldn't have been so careless...'

'It was just an accident.' He had a hand on her shoulder, the girl appearing almost on the verge of crying. 'Come on, I'll help you clean it up.'

Maddie nodded, swallowing the lump back in her throat. Abeline, seeing that Cordell had the situation in hand, returned to the living room as they began picking up the large pieces. 'Last time... Last time I dropped a plate...' She started softly while he grabbed the trash can from the cupboard. 'My father...'

'Brought back memories?' He said gently as her voice trailed off.

'Yeah.' Maddie sighed softly, dropping the broken pieces into the bin. 'Silly isn't it? I mean, I know you wouldn't get angry with me for something so trivial but I just can't help it...'

'Maddie, it isn't silly sweetheart. What-what you went through with... with your father... I'm sorry. I wish everyday that I'd been able to do something sooner. To help you.'

'I probably wouldn't have accepted it anyway.' She replied after a pause. 'I was too busy trying to hide it from you all.' Having picked up all the large pieces her father began to sweep up the remaining shards with a dustpan and brush. 'But I'm grateful for what I have now. I just... the memories... I guess with enough time, like my scars, they'll begin to fade.'

Cordell didn't make a reply as he finished sweeping up what was left, tossing it into the bin before returning the trash can to the cupboard along with the dustpan and brush. 'Tell you what; you can leave the dishes to dry. Didn't you say you had something to show us before game night?'

'I did.' She nodded, hanging the tea towel up to dry. 'The dishes can dry themselves.' He chuckled as he slipped his arm around her, the two of them walking into the living room where everyone else was already gathered around. When Cordell was seated she slipped a usb stick from her pocket and plugged it into the tv, turning back to the family as she waited for the tv to turn on. 'So... um... couple weeks ago I decided I wanted to do something in memory of my mom but not just my mom, I wanted to do something for Emily too.' She paused for a moment, fumbling for words. 'And I um... I wrote this song-' The tv had turned on and she used the remote to choose the right file to play. 'So I um... I hope you all like it.'

Taking a seat down on the floor in front of the couch, she pressed the play button.

The slideshow began to play accompanied by the song she had written See You Again, pictures and clips of both her with her mom and Emily with the Walkers. There were photos of the day Stella had been born; Emily holding her for the first time with Cordell beside her. Then when August had been born, Stella had been the one holding him on the hospital bed sitting beside her. For Maddie though, she didn't have any photos of her with her mom when she'd been born. She hardly had anything until she was older. Her father hadn't been one to take photos...

They laughed and shed a few tears at the memories that came with the photos and when the slideshow came to an end, there were quite a few misty eyes in the room. It was Cordell though who found his voice first as he looked over at his daughter. 'Maddie... that was-that was beautiful sweetheart.'

She smiled sadly as she flicked the tv off. 'Thanks Dad. I wanted to do something special...' Her voice trailed off.

'Where did you find those photos though?' Abeline questioned. 'Some of them I've never seen before.'

'Geri. I asked her if she had anything and she sent me what she'd gotten over the years.'

'There wasn't much of you and your mom when you were little.' Stella pointed out softly. 'There was a lot more of mom and us...'

'I know. I don't really have many photos of us.' Maddie replied sadly. 'But I'm grateful for what I do have.'

Song is See You Again by Carrie Underwood