A/N: This is a different kind of story. I hope you enjoy it. Takes place in season 6 in WCTH Universe.
Chapter 1
"I sent a courier over to your office and you should receive the contract soon. Look it over and if agree with it, have your client sign. It's a good deal. My client isn't willing to come down any lower."
Nathan Grant nodded his head agreeing with what the opposing counsel was saying.
"I hope to hear from you soon." Nathan said hanging up the phone.
Nathan Grant was one of Hamilton's most prominent attorneys. Nathan sat back in his chair and put his feet up. He had just successfully negotiated a deal against a company trying to force a client off their property. The client was going to be well compensated for their land.
The phone rang again. Nathan took his feet down off the desk. It was probably opposing counsel calling back to accept the offer.
"Nathan Grant." Nathan said.
"Hello, Mr. Grant. My name is Bill Avery. I am the Judge in Hope Valley. May I have a moment of your time?" Judge Avery asked.
"Of course, your honor, how can I help you?" Nathan asked.
"It's about your sister." Judge Avery asked.
"What about her?" Nathan asked
"I regret to inform you that your sister passed away a week ago." Judge Avery said.
Nathan's heart sunk.
"What? How?" Nathan asked.
"She contracted yellow fever. It was too late before anyone could help." Judge Avery.
Nathan was shocked. He didn't know what to say.
"Mr. Grant, are you still there?" Judge Avery asked.
Nathan cleared his throat.
"Yes. My niece, Allie, is she okay?" Nathan asked.
"She did not contract the illness" Judge Avery said.
"Thank God." Nathan said.
There was a silence between them.
"The funeral is in two days at 10:00. I don't know how your relationship was with your sister, but your niece needs you now." Bill said.
"I understand. I will be there in two days." Nathan said. The two said their goodbyes. When Nathan hung up the phone, he sat there for a minute. Nathan was in shock. His older sister was gone. Nathan rubbed his eyes. Finally, Nathan stood up from his desk. He grabbed papers and put them into his briefcase. He opened the door and saw his secretary, Gertrude, typing away.
"Gertrude, I have been called away on a person matter. I won't be back until at least next week. Please hold my calls." Nathan said.
"What? What if I need to contact you?" Gertrude asked.
"If it is a real emergency, contact Judge Bill Avery in Hope Valley." Nathan said.
"Hope Valley? Where is that?" Gertrude asked.
"That's where I'll be." Nathan said.
He left his office and began walking home. He lived close to work in an upscale apartment. Once he reached his building, he took the elevator up to his loft.
Before getting off the elevator, Nathan looked both ways of the hallway. The coast was clear of Suzanne, who also lived in the building and was obsessed with Nathan.
Nathan opened his apartment and went straight to his room to pack. Nathan packed a couple of suits, casual clothing and shoes. He went over to his closet shelf and took his type writer off the shelf and put it in his suitcase. After making sure everything was packed, he left and locked the door to his apartment.
When Nathan turned around, Suzanne was standing behind him.
"Suzanne, what are you doing here?" Nathan said with a startle
"I was just seeing what you were up to." Suzanne said.
"I'm leaving town for a few days." Nathan said.
"What for?" Suzanne asked. Nathan walked over to the elevator and pushed the button.
"Personal issues." Nathan said.
"Oh no! Do you want me to come with you?" Suzanne asked.
"No, thank you." Nathan said politely. The door to the elevators opened and Nathan got inside.
"Where can I contact you?" Suzanne asked.
"Goodbye Suzanne." Nathan said as the elevator doors closed.
The elevator reached the lobby and Nathan left his building. His building had an on-site driver as a courtesy. He told the driver to go to the train station. Once he was at the train station and talking to one of the C concierge's, he learned that he would take the train overnight to Union City for and then catch a stagecoach to Hope Valley in Union City.
Nathan waited for his train to arrive at the station. Once his train arrived in the station, he sat in his first-class cabin. After the train started moving, the attendants came around to take dinner orders and pour drinks. Nathan ordered a scotch. When the attendant came with his scotch, he ordered dinner. While drinking his scotch, Nathan thought about his relationship with Colleen.
If Nathan truly thought about where his relationship with Colleen started to change, it was when they moved to Toronto. Nathan was 10 and Colleen was 13. Their father had put the deed to the house in a poker game. Like every other time, he lost the game. Losing the house was the final straw for their mother. She kicked him out. Hearing that her favorite niece was going to be homeless, their mother's aunt took them in and they moved to Toronto. This was especially hard on Colleen. She had friends she had to leave. It was hard on Nathan too but not to the same extent.
Their great aunt was a widow with no children of her own. She was wealthy and decided to spend that wealth by helping her niece. She enrolled Nathan and Colleen in a private school. They were seen as outcasts. When Nathan was in high school, he realized that he was slender but not athletic and sports were not for him. Nathan joined the debate club and was their top debater which made him a little popular.
Colleen decided that since she couldn't fit in with the students at the school, she would find her own friends. She hung out with students from the public high school. She made a group of her friends. Dylan Parks was part of this group of friends. Nathan knew that Dylan was trouble. He was a few years older than Colleen. And he had a way to manipulate Colleen into doing whatever he wanted. Just like Nathan's father.
After private school, Nathan went onto college. He joined the debate club in college and was the star of that team. Just before graduating from college, their great aunt passed away. They were each left a substantial amount of money. Nathan did the math and decided the money would be enough to go to law school and he enrolled.
Meanwhile, while Nathan was in law school, Dylan and Colleen had married. Nathan thought that maybe Dylan would change once they were married. But that did not happen. The substantial money their aunt had left Colleen dwindled away by Dylan gambling it and paying off gambling debts.
After Nathan had found out that Dylan had lost all that money, Nathan was enraged. There was a verbal altercation and then it got physical. After this fight, Nathan and Colleen stopped talking to each other. She had chosen Dylan over Nathan.
After Nathan finished law school, he joined a real estate firm in Toronto. This firm would acquire land and force people out of their homes. At first, Nathan didn't think about the people he was forcing from the land. To him, they were just numbers to him. But slowly, Nathan came to realize that people aren't just numbers. While he was working in Toronto, he learned through his mother that Colleen had a baby girl named Allie. Nathan had thought about reaching out. Too much time had passed and Nathan thought she wouldn't want to hear from him. Christmas and birthday gifts for Allie were sent through the mail.
And then three years ago, their mother had passed away. They reunited for the funeral. Colleen had finally kicked Dylan out of her and Allie's lives. After moving from place to place, Colleen and Allie settled into a town called Hope Valley. Nathan had never heard of it. But after their funeral, their relationship began to repair but not fully.
After the funeral, Nathan went back to Toronto. In one case, he helped a company acquire land that forced families off their land. One day, while walking home from work, he saw one of the families on the street begging. Nathan realized that he couldn't help force people off his land and quit his job.
Nathan decided it was time for a life change. He packed up and moved to Hamilton. He opened his own law firm fighting for the families who were being forced out of their land. He was quite successful. The biggest culprit of forcing families off their land was Thatcher Shipping.
Nathan drank the last of his scotch as the train kept going. Nathan watched as the train passed by trees. Nathan was always going to visit Colleen in Hope Valley. I guess he finally would be. A lump started to grow in Nathan's throat. He pushed it down. Nathan closed his eyes and fell asleep.