Chapter 189- Searching for Answers

"Maise!"

"Maise! Where are you?"

The voices calling out echoed off the surrounding mountains. Each hit Nathan like a gunshot wound to the chest. The moment Lee told them that Archie had woken that morning with Maise nowhere to be found, Nathan struggled to even function. Let alone formulate a plan. Thankfully Charlotte took charge and before he could wake from the fog he was in, Nathan found himself in the fellowship hall surrounding a table with maps. Charlotte dividing people into strategic groups and sending them out to marked areas for the search.

"Grandma! Grandma, it's me, Allie. If you hear my voice, please say something."

Nathan looked to his right and saw Allie. Searching methodically at the edge of the woods. He knew by the way his daughter was moving, she was putting to work all he taught her about tracking. Looking for any sign of footprints, snapped branches, or trodden grass.

Charlotte stayed back in Hope Valley, supervising operations from the jail and making calls to neighboring and regional RCMP offices. As difficult as it was for him, everyone agreed it was best for Archie to stay at the apartment in case Maise found a way back on her own. Minnie offered to keep him company. Everyone else in the community, including the school children, under Laura and Elizabeth's supervision, went off in different directions in search of the elderly woman.

They had no idea at what point in the night Maise left. Archie awoke that morning to her gone, the door to their apartment slightly ajar. They never kept it locked, this was Hope Valley after all, but none of them ever considered that it would be necessary to keep someone in, instead of out.

It didn't appear as though Maise took the time to change out of her pajamas or even take a coat before leaving. While the days were becoming warmer as spring shifted into summer, the nights still held a bitter chill. Nathan and the others were worried about her being out in the elements too long. Hypothermia was a strong possibility.

Remi tugged on her leash in Nathan's hand. Charlotte convinced him to bring the dog along. Recently Nathan began training Remi with little 'search' drills. One where various members of the family would hide at home or in the barn or out on their property and then Remi was told to 'go find'. She would take off and in no time discover Allie or Charlotte or even Liam's hiding place.

Nathan thought the training may come in handy one day if there was ever a criminal needing to be tracked down. Never did he think Remi's new skills would be used to search for his own mother out in the foothills surrounding town.

The sun was rising high overhead, still they searched. Voices echoing back and forth through the hills calling, "Maise - Maise." It was eerie. It was unreal. Surely if she were still wandering the hills or following the roads leading out of town, they would have already found her.

"Mom!" He called out. "Mom, it's Nathan!"

He prayed silently repeating the verse from Proverbs that had been running through his mind all morning.

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.

Remi barked and pulled hard on her leash, Nathan was caught off guard and the strap slipped from his hand.

"Remi! Stop girl." Nathan called after the dog as she took off running.

Allie tried to grab Remi's leash as she brushed by but missed. "Rem, come back here!"

The dog looked back for a moment, barked, and then continued on the path in front of them. She stopped again a few feet ahead, sniffed the ground, and then disappeared into the tree line. Nathan and Allie darted in after. The bushes were thick, and soon Remi was lost in them.

"Wait up, Al." Nathan grabbed Allie's arm and pulled her to a stop. "No use in us getting lost too, lookin' for Remi. She won't go far. We best get back towards the road."

As he turned to head back in the direction the pair came from moments earlier it was Allie's turn to stop him. "Look, Dad. Over there." Nathan's gaze followed to where Allie was pointing. "That spider web. It's been broken. See!" Allie moved closer and indicated the distance between the two saplings the web was supported by. "This would be about Grandma's height wouldn't you say?"

Nathan studied the spoor closer. "Maybe…"

"And this…" She pointed at the spider beginning to repair the web. "Didn't you say that if a web is partially rebuilt, something broke it about two hours ago?"

"Yeah, that's the general rule." He said, stepping closer. "And look here, Al. This rock on the ground. It's been kicked over recently."

"Do you think it could be her?"

Nathan squeezed his daughter's arm in reassurance. "I'm praying it is."

Just then, Remi began barking somewhere in the distance, alerting them. Nathan and Allie followed the sound, down the covered path from where they started by the spider web. After a few hundred feet they came to a small clearing. They saw Remi barking at the top of the hill, bouncing up and down to draw their attention. Nathan and Allie both took off at a run towards her, but Nathan and his long stride got there first, seeing what the dog was alerting him to.

Barely visible on the other side of a rotting log was his mother. The light from the sun above fell over the face of a very tired, very dirty older woman. She was curled up in a ball, and her arm tucked under her like a pillow, sound asleep.

"Mom!" Nathan moved cautiously toward her and crouched down. "Mom, it's me, Nathan." His hand reached out and touched her arm, causing her to stir and start to wake. Nathan's heart pounded and his mind tumbled with prayers of gratitude. She was alive.

"Grandma!" Allie swept in at Nathan's side, and gently helped her grandmother sit up and rest against the log. "Grandma, are you alright? You had us so worried."

Maise stirred and looked at her granddaughter in confusion. "Colleen?"

Allie swallowed, glancing over to Nathan for guidance on how to proceed. Before he could offer any, Maise continued.

"I was wondering where you went off to. We were having such a wonderful time walking along together just like we used to. You brought me here to sit on this log. You said it was a friend of yours secret spot, but he thought it was time that it was shared with others. But then I couldn't see you anymore. I heard your voice though. In the distance. You just told me that I should lay down and rest. Nathan would be there soon to take me home." She glanced up at Nathan, as though for the first time seeing him beside Allie. "So, I took a little nap, and then the next thing I know, here you are. Just like my sweet girl said you would be."

"Mom," Nathan said, taking her hands. "Are you okay? You're not hurt, or anything are you?"

"No, I'm fine." Maise furrowed her brow. "Why in the world would I not be okay?"

"Because you left home in the middle of the night, that's why." Nathan tried to keep his emotions in check. "We've been worried. All of Hope Valley is out looking for you."

"Looking for me? Why?"

"Because you've been lost and all the way out here. Alone."

"I wasn't alone. I had… Colleen." Maise glanced back over at Allie. She blinked rapidly and looked flustered. Trying to understand how the girl in front of her looked so much like her daughter- but wasn't. The fog lessened, but still held her captive.

Maise now looked around her, clarity slowly creeping back in as she took in her surroundings. "What… What was I doing out here?"

Nathan gathered his mother into his arms. "I'm not sure, but let's get you back to town and checked out at the hospital, just to make sure everything is okay."

She seemed to think about that. "Can I have something to eat first? I'm suddenly rather hungry."

Nathan laughed shakily. "Yeah. I think that could be arranged."

As Nathan helped his mother to her feet, he caught sight of a carving in the wood of the old log his mother rested beside. Seeing the initials JT + ET inside the shape of a heart, Nathan knew instantly whose land they stumbled across, and he also had a good idea who Colleen's friend was in his mother's dream.

Charlotte greeted the trio at the edge of town, having been moments earlier informed that Maise was found unharmed. They quickly set about getting her to the hospital, where Faith gave the woman a thorough exam and confirmed, given everything that happened, the only remnants of her night out in the wilderness were a few minor scratches on her arms and cheek from branches and brush.

"Your mom had a guardian angel looking out for her last night," Faith said, coming into the waiting room to deliver the news about Maise to the Grants.

"Yeah," Nathan agreed. "Something like that."

"We want to keep her for a couple more hours if that's alright. Maise is currently eating the sandwiches Abigail and Minnie brought over, but then I imagine she could do well with a nap after last night's activities."

Archie and Nathan nodded their heads. It was a good plan.

Carson walked in then, flipping back and forth on a pad of paper. "I just got off the phone with some of my colleagues that I met while at John Hopkins."

"Did they know what we can do to help Maise?" Archie asked.

Carson shook his head. "Not exactly. Most of the research for Maise's sickness is being done by a small group of doctors in Germany. So much is still unknown when it comes to the human brain. I imagine we will be searching for answers for years, maybe even decades to come."

"I'll do anything to keep her safe."

"We know you will, Archie," Charlotte said. Hoping her words also conveyed the sentiment that no one held him responsible for what happened the night before with Maise. "We all will do what we can to keep her safe."

"We need to talk."

Charlotte was caught off guard by Elizabeth's voice behind her as she exited the hospital. After Maise finished her lunch that Abigail and Minnie brought over from the cafe, she slipped off to sleep, allowing Charlotte a chance to go check on Liam who she dropped off with Rosemary hours before.

"Right now?" Charlotte asked with clear aggravation in her voice. She normally tried to hide it and be pleasant to everyone, but she was tired. It had been a long, hard, and emotionally draining twenty-four hours. Between the failed town council meeting, and the search for Maise, Charlotte was exhausted. Her back was aching, and she was hungry. What she wouldn't do for a big slice of chocolate cake and glass of ice-cold lemonade right about now. Maybe she could swing by the cafe to see if Abigail had…

"Yes," Elizabeth answered. "Right now.

She turned away and began walking towards the town pond, clearly expecting Charlotte to follow.

"Okay…" Charlotte drawled. "Right, right now." Charlotte turned on her heel and slowly trudged along behind Elizabeth. Always a few paces back, in no hurry to catch up to the other woman. Literally, dragging her feet to delay this conversation. Dealing with Elizabeth Bouchard and her known fickleness was not on Charlotte's to-do list for the rest of the day.

When they reached the pond, Elizabeth was the first to speak. "I wanted to talk to both you and Nathan about this, but I imagine after the events of this morning, he's a little preoccupied."

That's a first. Charlotte thought. Elizabeth thinking about and being respectful of Nathan's time.

"He is," Charlotte said. "Nathan and a few others went over to Archie's apartment this afternoon to see what adjustments they needed to make for it to be safe for Maise to return home."

"I heard they found Maise… They found her out at Jack's land."

"Yes," Charlotte said. "She apparently was lost in the forests of the foothills and found her way into that clearing from a thicket to the west."

Elizabeth nodded her head. "I'm glad she's going to be alright."

"As much as I appreciate you saying that, is it really the reason for this discussion?" Charlotte instantly regretted the snap in her question, but to be honest, she was about at her wits end today.

"No, it isn't. I wanted to apologize for my reaction last night to your request."

Charlotte softened. This was another thing she did not expect to come from Elizabeth. A genuine apology.

"I hope you know that I think what you and Nathan are wanting to do for these children is…" Elizabeth continued. "Well, it is wonderful. Part of me wishes it was something I would have dreamed up myself."

Charlotte heard the teasing humor in Elizabeth's voice at her last statement and giggled, easing some of the tension of the moment.

When the women stopped laughing, Elizabeth once again spoke. "As wonderful as I think it is, I hope you understand why I am struggling with what you all are asking me to do with Jack's land."

"I think I understand," Charlotte said. "Nathan and I discussed it last night. We don't blame you and we understand how difficult it was to ask you to process our request right there in front of everyone. It was unintentionally done. I didn't even know you owned a piece of land that Jack purchased."

"I don't like talking about it much. No matter how much time has passed, whenever I think about that land and what Jack dreamed for it, but never got to experience… I feel…"

"Bitter?"

Elizabeth's eyes darted to Charlotte's. "Yeah." She paused and let the word ruminate for a moment. "Bitter is probably the right word. When I first met Jack, I think he had a hard time seeing how he could be both a family man and a Mountie. When he purchased that piece of land, it was as though he was telling me with his actions that he could finally see me as a part of that future. Us creating a life here together."

Charlotte stayed silent and let Elizabeth continue. "The last year or so Jack and I were together, I felt as though we were apart more than we were together. He was off serving in the Northern Territories, and I was here." Elizabeth let out a bleak laugh. "I even followed him to Fort Clay after our wedding just so I could spend our honeymoon together." Tears began to collect in the corners of her eyes. "I'd barely returned to Hope Valley when I found out Jack died."

Charlotte placed her hand on Elizabeth's arm. "I'm sorry, Elizabeth. I am. I can't imagine…"

"No, you can't imagine," Elizabeth bit back. "You and Nathan… What you two have built together over these past years…" She struggled to swallow. "It is everything Jack wanted for us. I never got to experience that with him. As much as I hate to admit it, I think I'm also bitter that I see you and Nathan living the life I was supposed to have with him."

Charlotte needed clarity, so she asked. "Supposed to have with… Jack?"

Elizabeth's eyes grew large at what Charlotte was alluding to. Her hands wrung together, and she looked away, out over the water of the pond.

"I know that Jack's land holds a lot of memories for you and that is why you have never tried to sell it," Charlotte said. "But there is a question I've had since last night's meeting that I just can't seem to figure out. Why have you and Lucas never built a house out there? I mean… I know first-hand how cramped living in those row houses can be, I couldn't imagine trying to fit Nathan, I, and the two kids in there and stay sane."

"That's why I've told Lucas we can have no more children."

"What?!" Charlotte knew there was clear shock in her voice, but she had no chance to conceal it before it came stumbling forth.

"Like I said…" Elizabeth continued. "Building a home out on that piece of land, that was Jack's dream. And you are right, the row houses are much too small for any more kids running about."

"I… I…" Charlotte was stunned. "I didn't mean it that way. There are other families who have more than one child and live very happily in the row houses."

Elizabeth held up her hand to stop Charlotte from continuing. "I didn't come here to discuss my marriage or my family. I came to tell you that… If you still want Jack's land for the camp, it's yours. I've had time to think it over and search for an answer, and… And I think that this is what Jack would have wanted. What his new dream would have been. And mine."