Chapter 142- Beyond the Gathering Storm

Dylan unlocked the front door to the apartment. He was tired. It had been a long week and he was getting back late from work at the warehouse. In the sparsely furnished living room he noticed Allie asleep, curled in the old chair in the corner. A book, 'The Wonderful Wizard of Oz', lay open across her lap.

Dylan gazed at her. By the light of a low lamp on the table, he observed every aspect of the girl, and in the curve of her cheek, in the shape of her eyebrow, he saw Colleen. It made his heart tighten, and he could almost believe that if he spoke to the sleeping figure, it would be Colleen who answered.

His mind cast back to an earlier time, of getting home late from working at the mill, seeing Colleen sitting beside the little cot that toddler Allie slept in, speaking softly to the child while she pushed back wispy pieces of hair from her face. Colleen noticed him in the doorway. She smiled sweetly, "I'm whispering her good things for her dreams. As long as one has good things in the mind, one can be happy and not feel alone."

Dylan squeezed shut his eyes, ridding his mind of the memory that felt like it would tear him apart just as badly as losing Colleen the first time did. He had loved his wife, truly he had. And if he was being honest. He never stopped. His biggest regrets in life stemmed around not being the man Colleen and Allie had needed him to be. The husband and father they both deserved. But in his defense, he had no one in his life growing up to show him that sort of example.

Dylan had been raised in a big gaggle of tough siblings. He was the youngest- and the lowest in the pecking order. His mother died when he was very young. His father thought far more of the bottle than of his brood and Dylan was frightened of him. All he knew was to stay as far out of his reach as he could. Especially when he'd been on a bender. When Dylan was still a teenager, he left his home in the east, stowing away on a westbound train, stealing anything he could to survive.

Then he met Colleen, and for some reason, that Dylan would never understand, she saw something good in him and when he proposed marriage, she said yes. Life was hard. They were young. Poor. Constantly moving in search of new jobs and opportunities. Living a nomadic life that never allowed them to put down roots or build any friendships. The struggle and isolation put a strain on their relationship, which only intensified when Allie arrived and there was another mouth to feed and person to care for. Dylan's pay simply didn't stretch far enough. He began to push Colleen away and bury himself into his job and occasionally the bottle.

He had been gone, working on a rail line when he received a telegram from a neighbor, that Colleen had fallen ill with scarlet fever and her prognosis did not look good. Dylan hurried back to their little apartment in the city to find that his wife had passed the night before. The only thing left of her was the little girl that was a painful reminder of everything he loved about Colleen.

Maise and Nathan, having also received notice of Colleen's illness, arrived just in time to say their goodbyes to their daughter and sister. A fact that Dylan realized he had been jealous of for years.

It didn't take long for Nathan to understand the gravity of the situation, his sister's passing had on them all. With Colleen's death, the life she left behind was in utter disarray. The apartment was piled with dirty clothes and no food. After a day away making arrangements for Colleen's funeral, Nathan and Maise returned to the apartment with Dylan passed out drunk on the floor and an abandoned Allie soiled, hungry, and utterly confused why her mother was no longer there.

Nathan, in his selfless and calm resolve, orchestrated everything. Handling Colleen's funeral and paying off any debts that had accumulated. Comforting his niece and grieving mother. Sobering up Dylan and putting the apartment back in order, staying up until the wee hours of the morning to wash, clean, and cook meals.

Nathan had been granted special leave from the Mounties to take care of family matters, but as his time came for him to return to his post, Dylan was quickly overcome with a sense of dread. He didn't know the first thing about how to be a father. Especially without Colleen there. How could he be expected to care for a child he knew nothing about other than everything about the girl being an agonizing mnemonic of his dead wife.

So, the night before Nathan was to take his leave, Dylan did what he thought was right. He packed up his things, wrote a short note of explanation to Nathan, and left. Dylan knew that Nathan would feel it was his responsibility to look after Allie, to protect her. It was his duty as an uncle and brother to see that she was cared for.

It would have been what Colleen wanted. Dylan reasoned with himself as he looked back at his sleeping daughter on the cot one last time before walking out the door and her life for what he had assumed would be forever.

"It takes courage to be a parent. It is sheer bravery to love a child. To be there for them. To love them when they push you away. It takes courage to put your dreams on hold. To juggle your own heartache and disappointments. And just when you think that you might be getting the hang of things, inevitably your world gets shaken and turned upside down. So, now you have no choice but to just pull it together and care for the most precious, most amazing person you have ever known. Parenting is not for cowards, Dylan. You ran before. You'll run again."

Dylan shook his head, trying to rid it of Nathan's words to him from months ago. He sat down at the chair by the table in the kitchen, slipping off his boots and letting them fall heavily onto the old wood floor. It was then he noticed the small plate left on the table with a peanut butter and jelly sandwich on top. Cut diagonally, just like Colleen used to do for him. As he picked up one of the halves of the sandwich a soft voice startled him.

"Didn't you tell me that Momma used to make you sandwiches and leave them out for you when she knew you would get home late from work? And that she made sure to cut them diagonally, because it made it seem more special and you liked that?"

"Yeah…" He choked out the word in response to his daughter who had obviously woken up after hearing him come in. "She would." He set the sandwich piece back down and pushed the plate away.

Seeing his action, Allie's brow furrowed. "Aren't you hungry? I thought you would appreciate the gesture."

"Look, Allie," Dylan's voice rose as he stood up from the chair. "I don't need you to keep reminding me about Colleen! Okay?"

"I don't understand."

"You wouldn't. You wouldn't understand the pain of losing someone so close to your heart that it tears you apart."

"I wouldn't understand?" Angry tears instantly flooded Allie's eyes. "You're right. I wouldn't. I will never understand how after Momma died you could just leave. How you could run out on your own daughter."

"Being a father… It scared me."

"And losing both of my parents at the same time isn't scary to a four-year-old?"

"It was a mistake, alright? A huge mistake."

"What was a mistake? Running away? Or having me to begin with?"

Dylan was taken aback by the girl's directness, and he ran a frustrated hand along his stubbled jaw. "If I would have stayed, I would have screwed up your life, just like I did Colleen's."

"So why did you come back? Why did you have to screw up my life now? Did you ever even want me? Because they did. Mom and Dad. And they still do. They tell me that in every phone call and every letter they send. I was happy in Hope Valley. I had friends and the ranch. The horses and Remi. And most importantly I had a mom and dad who loved me. For you to steal me away from that, you are the most selfish person I've ever met, Dylan Parks."

Dylan was silent. He didn't have an explanation for Allie. At least not a good one.

"Losing you and Momma, it left a deep wound in me for a long time. Even though I knew I had Uncle Nathan, that fear of abandonment never would completely let go of me. What if something happened to him? What if he married and he and his wife decided they no longer wanted me because I wasn't theirs? What would happen to me then? But you want to know what Dad and Mom did? They were there. They never left me. Never let me feel like I was a burden to them. They accepted me for who I am, flaws and all. Affirming me. Healing me. Loving me."

"Allie…"

She held up her hand to cut him off. "You were wrong, earlier. That I would never understand the pain of losing someone so close to my heart it tears me apart. Because that's what I've felt all these weeks. I may physically be here, with you, but my heart is with my family. In Hope Valley. Not here. And being away from them. It's tearing me apart like you can't even imagine…" Her voice broke for a moment. "I have always known the love of a father, but it was never yours. And it never will be."

Allie stormed past Dylan and into the small room she had that was no bigger than a closet. She slammed the door. Frustration at her current situation wrecking her. She sat on her bed, angry at the prison she felt trapped in.

She thought back over the past weeks. It hadn't been all bad. Dylan had always been pleasant to her. Showing her around the city and telling her stories of the different places he had worked and occasionally a flitting story about her mother. And Allie really did care for Mr. and Mrs. Cody, who ran the store and lived in the apartment below them, but this wasn't home. This wasn't her family.

She reached below her bed and pulled out a small box that she kept all her letters in. She took the stack, bound with string, and untied it. Flipping through the envelopes until she came to one that piqued her interest and spoke to her heart.

Open When- All Seems Lost

Allie ran her finger under the flap of the envelope and pulled out the letter from within. It was Dad's writing. It was a blockier style than Mom's free flowing script and she held it close, bringing it into an embrace against her chest as if she was giving him a hug herself.

After a moment, she turned her focus back to the words written on the paper.

Hey Allie,

I had hoped you would never have to open this letter. I don't even want to imagine what you are going through right now to feel as though- all seems lost.

But it's not all lost. Always know you have us, your mom and me. Your family and friends. Everyone back here in Hope Valley and I'm sure by now you've even made some friends in your new adventures. And I know I can say that because you are so easy to love, Al. You are. You are a shining light to anyone you meet.

Remember the verse from Proverbs 3- Trust in the Lord with all your heart and lean not on your own understanding; in all your ways submit to Him, and He will make your paths straight.

When all seems lost, take out your compass I gave you before our camping trip. The one that saw me through so many times when I felt lost in my life. When there never seemed to be a straight path to take.

When you hold that compass, I want you to remember what your Mom had inscribed on the compass she gave me for our wedding.

May our love forever guide us

through life's unknowns.

May we always find our way

back to one another.

And may we never again

feel lost or alone.

You are more than capable of facing any obstacle in your path. Just remember what I told you on our camping trip. Stay aware of your surroundings. Be prepared for anything. Process the information you have and make smart decisions to keep you safe. But most of all trust your instincts. They won't steer you wrong.

Love, Dad

Allie ruffled through her belongings and found the compass. She squeezed it tightly in her hand. She remembered the feeling that she had when her dad had first entrusted her with it, the morning they left on their mountain survival trip. Even more so she remembered their conversation on their walk back to the meadow together.

"Hey, Dad." Allie stopped and looked over at Nathan. "Thank you."

"For what?"

"For taking this trip with me. For trusting me enough to do it on my own. But most of all for being here for me. Just like you always have been."

"Remember what I promised at your adoption ceremony?" Nathan reached forward and brushed back a piece of Allie's hair that had fallen out of place. "I promised that I'd never leave you."

"Good." She beamed in return, and they continued on the path to the meadow, arms wrapped around each other's backs. They had been each other's strength and stability for so long, there simply was no other way to be.

She needed him. Now more than ever. But if she went back to Hope Valley that would be the first place Dylan would look. And what would it mean for her dad and mom if they tried to hide her? No… she needed a different plan. But what?

It was then she noticed another envelope on her bed, and she knew the path she needed to take.

"Is that the bullet wound?" Charlotte asked, noting the slight grimace that crossed Nathan's face as she came to sit down beside him on the front porch steps. Running her hand gingerly along his shoulder and back.

"It acts up on occasion."

"The storm?"

"Yeah." Nathan's gaze followed Charlotte's in the direction of the gathering clouds that seemed to be brewing to the north all day. "It always seems that once the calendar moves into September, the weather starts to change."

"It will feel different."

"Different?"

"Not having Allie there on Monday morning. I've never taught here and not had her in my classroom."

Nathan reached over and placed a hand on her knee. Squeezing it gently in reassurance. In the couple weeks since Gabe and Lillian's wedding in Brookfield, they had poured through the old files secretly stored in Bill's office. The old files that John Bartlett had stolen from the Potter's Creek jail and Beck's home when he realized the man had left town. The same old files that he had given to Nathan to take back to Hope Valley along with all of Charlotte's family heirlooms she had left behind.

As Charlotte had predicted, they found multiple notes that involved a Sergeant Ralph Nelson. It didn't specifically say that the man was a Mountie, but it made plenty of mentions that he came from Cape Fullerton and the man appeared to be one of the main contacts who passed information back and forth from Beck to a man termed as "Boss".

Bill, Gabe, and Nathan searched fervently, yet discreetly, for any information on a Sergeant Ralph Nelson in the Mounties, but every trail seemed to lead to a dead end. Andrews seemed to have the correct assumption. Nelson did not exist.

Well, he existed. It was just that Sergeant Ralph Nelson was not his real name.

The group was almost certain now that there was an insider within the higher ranks of the RCMP that was playing a part in the Schneider gang in some capacity. Gabe and Nathan had that assumption since they first discovered Beck was a part of the gang last summer in Kinslow's undercover operations to Potter's Creek.

They needed help, but at the same time, they didn't know who they could trust. If there was an insider in the Mounties, from official reports, that person would know everything about Beck's case and the three men who had brought him down. With that information and the connections within the Schneider gang, there was no telling what could happen.

Charlotte had worried herself sick over the past weeks. Blaming herself for the danger she was putting their family and friends into by being the connecting link between their troubles and what appeared to be the Schneider gang. No matter what Gabe, or Bill, or even Nathan said to convince her it was not her fault, she still put the weight of it all on her shoulders. Withdrawing into herself no matter how hard she tried not to.

"Hey," Nathan said. "Why don't we try to take our mind off things. Do you want to go into town for ice cream and a trip to the library? We could ride the horses or drive the car?"

"And get stuck out in this storm?"

There it was again. That ominous cloud hanging over the valley all day. It wasn't just the weather, Nathan understood it was more. It was all the what ifs and whens that kept them holding a collective breath waiting for the first crack of lightning to strike across the sky.

"You have a point," Nathan conceded. "Then what if we make some popcorn for dinner and sit out here and watch the storm roll in? Maybe I'll even bring out the guitar and play something."

Before Charlotte could respond, Remi jolted up from beside them and began barking. She peered down the long driveway, until finally a horse and rider came into view from the trees by the road.

Nathan's heart dropped. "It's Dylan."

He and Charlotte rose and stepped down off the porch stairs the moment Dylan dismounted in front of them.

"Where is she?" Dylan mumbled, brushing past Nathan on his way to the house.

Nathan caught Dylan's arm and the motion swung him around. "What do you mean, where is she?" His voice was terse.

"Allie. Where are you hiding her?"

With the drop of Allie's name, Nathan's grip loosened enough that Dylan escaped and climbed the stairs two at a time to barrel into the Grant's home, with Charlotte and Nathan scampering close behind. He swirled into the living room first, shuffling furniture in a rage.

"Dylan. Stop it!" Charlotte cried. "Allie isn't here."

"You're lying." He pivoted to stand almost toe to toe with her. "I know she's here."

Charlotte set her jaw. She squared her shoulders and lifted her chin, so she appeared taller. Not willing to back down one bit to this man. "How can Allie be here, when she is supposed to be with you!"

Dylan shook his head and brushed past her, setting across the hallway to the dining room, but Nathan grabbed the lapels of his jacket and pushed him back against the wall. "Are you telling me… You lost my daughter!"

"I didn't lose her," Dylan swatted Nathan's arms away and straightened his coat. "She ran away." He mumbled under his breath.

"What do you mean she ran away?" A muscle jerked in Nathan's cheek as he took a step back, trying to control his anger.

Dylan rubbed the back of his neck and looked between Nathan and Charlotte. "Last night… We had a fight."

"So, help me God, Dylan. If you hurt her, I swear…"

"I didn't touch her! We just… exchanged some words."

"What did you say to her?" Charlotte seemed to spat the words at him.

Dylan looked truly remorseful.

"Dylan. What did you say to my daughter!" Charlotte gritted her teeth and took a step closer. Stressing every one of the words she spoke.

Dylan thought for a moment Charlotte was going to strike him. Her fists clenched at her side. "I... I told her that I didn't need her to keep reminding me about Colleen."

"You what?" Nathan shook his head in disbelief. "What were you thinking? Of course, she would remind you of Colleen. She's her daughter!"

"I told her she wouldn't understand the pain of losing someone so close to your heart that it tears you apart. You saw me, Nathan. You saw how I was after I lost Colleen. Being a father scared me. It was all a mistake." Dylan hadn't shed a tear since the day he left Allie in the care of Nathan all those years ago, but suddenly the tears that had been frozen inside him, came. The dam, finally breaking away.

"If you knew you couldn't be a father and you thought it was a mistake," Nathan said softly after some time. "Why did you come back for Allie?"

Dylan just shook his head side to side, still to overcome with emotions. Charlotte stood in shock. She knew how to handle the Dylan Parks she had been warned about for so long, but the shell of a man in front of her now confused her. Nathan and Charlotte exchanged a look between them.

Suddenly, it was like the lightning strike in the storm finally happened for Nathan. "Dylan, who was the man that visited you in jail before you were released? What did he promise you- if you came and took Allie away from us?"

Charlotte's jaw dropped open at the realization of what her husband was saying.

"How'd you know?" Dylan stuttered. "He said you'd never know."

"I'm a Mountie. It's my job to investigate."

"It's his too."

"Are you saying…" Charlotte began.

"Yeah." Dylan let out a long sigh as he tried to compose himself. "Yeah. A few days before I was released. Some Mountie came to visit me. Said he had an offer I couldn't refuse. He said that if I did everything he told me to, he could get me an early release from prison, but if I didn't, he would see that I never saw the outside again."

"And you believed him?" Nathan questioned.

"Call it years around gambling tables, but I like to think I can read people well enough. I knew this man was not one to be challenged. He was used to always getting his way."

"What did he say you had to do?"

"He said it was simple. He would get me a hearing with Judge Cameron in a couple days…"

"Richard Cameron? As in the Judge at Allie's custody trial?"

Dylan simply nodded his head.

"It was all a set up then. Rosemary's editorial was right all along. It was an inside job."

Again, Dylan nodded his head. "He said that once I got my release, I was to come and challenge for Allie's custody. He would make sure that all the documents you and Avery had completed for her adoption would be erased. Like they never happened."

Nathan ran a hand through his hair in frustration. He knew things hadn't been adding up for some time, but he didn't realize how deep this all truly went.

"He said he'd send a child case worker to town to work out the details, but Mr. Carl seemed to not understand the assignment, so he had to line up a full trial with Cameron."

"And what part do the Drakes play in all this?"

Dylan's eyes found Charlotte's. "He had given me Eldred Drake's name. Said to get in touch with him when I needed a job. He'd find me a position that paid well and when I told Mr. Drake about the trial with Cameron was when he suggested Seth help me at the hearing."

"You didn't answer Nathan's question from earlier," Charlotte stepped back into the conversation. "Who was this Mountie that visited you and put you up to all of this?"

"Sergeant Ralph Nelson."

Charlotte felt as if she was going to be sick. The blood seemed to rush from her body. Thankfully, Nathan stood near enough, he was able to wrap an arm around her waist to steady her to him.

"Why, Dylan?" The disappointment laced Nathan's words.

"To get back at you. I hated you for years. I hated the man you were that I could never be. I hated you for putting me behind bars, and the thought of two more years in there… or more if Nelson had his way. I couldn't do it. Plus, with the offer at a job with Drake, I had this fleeting thought that I could possibly make something of my life. To be somebody."

"That's all things you did for yourself. But what about Allie? Why would you do all this to hurt her?"

"Maybe…" Dylan looked at his worn boots. "Maybe to prove to myself I could be a father. A part of me has always wondered, and this seemed like my last chance."

"Your last chance to be a father was a long time ago."

"Nathan…" Charlotte's voice was soft. "We can work this all out later. Right now, we don't have any idea where our daughter is, and I'm concerned given the type of men Dylan's been working with that she could be in danger."

"You're right," Nathan ran his hands over his face, before turning his focus back to Dylan. "When did you realize she was first gone?"

"She was supposed to work at the Codys' store this morning, when she didn't come out of her room, I knocked and entered and realized she had ran away."

"Was there anything in the room that could be a clue as to where she went?"

"I don't know, I didn't pay that much attention. As soon as I realized she was gone, I was certain she had come here. I took the first train out of town and rented this horse from the livery."

"Come on, Allie is smarter than that. She would know that the first place you would look would be here."

"Nathan," Charlotte clutched his arm. Her face was pale. "I know where she went."

A booming clap of thunder confirmed what they already knew.

The brewing storm was now upon them.