AN: To my usual reader's please note the characters and pairing of this story. It is not my typical pairing. To be honest, on some level I am still trying to convince myself of this pairing. This story was started for Eion's Faith/Nathan pairing contest which was announced on IG and the Sunday Night Serge Facebook page. I have at least 3 chapters to post before the 23rd dealine, hope to have a couple more ready before then, so I will be posting those during the week. The story will not be completed by then, so you will see a hiatus of posts from the 23rd to the end of the month as the voting process takes place. I do have every intention of seeing this story to the end.
I also want to say this. Everyone's feelings on pairings is valid. Even if you are someone that usually follows my stroies, I will not be offended if you choose to skip this one because you can't get behind the pairing. However, I would appreciate it if that is the reason you are skipiing it and feel the need to let me know, do so in a PM. I don't feel that a review should be 'I don't like this pairing'. It is a valid stance but not a constructive criticism. That being said, if you are leaving a longer, constructive review and mention your feelings, no matter the stance, I am okay with that. In that case, your feelings on the pairing will influence your perception of the story and are valid for the review. I know that I will sometimes read a story about a pairing I don't like because of you the author is. There are other elements of the story, or just the journey itself that I can enjoy.
With that said, please read on and I hope you enjoy hearing about Faith, Nathan, Allie, Bill, Gabriel and Lillian as they move on from the events of Season 8 WCTH and Country Christmas. For the sake of my story, the events of When Hope Calls: A County Christmas occured the Christmas of 1917 and this story picks up just after the Christmas of 1918. I cannot remember all the little details for Faith over the years as she wasn't one I focused on, so while I am trying to stay true to her established storyline, if I write something that contradicts cannon consider what I wrote now 'story cannon'.
Disclaimer: the characters and places of WCTH and WHC belong to Hallmark media and GAC. I am simply borrowing them for entertainment purposes only.
Finishing her assessment of the unconscious patient, Faith once again found herself holding her breath as she waited for her supervisor's response. Dr. Anthony Greene had been hard on her ever since she came to Clearwater Hospital in September. At first she had thought it was simply because she was a woman in a man's field. However, she had received assurances from Dr. Bradley Asher, who had just finished his two-year period of studying under Dr. Greene a few months ago, that the man had been just as hard on him. "He just wants to make sure you are prepared for anything when you are done," Bradley had assured her. Her colleague's words had made her reassess her actions back in Hope Valley. She had gotten upset with Carson for scrutinizing and questioning her actions as a doctor. Faith now saw how wrong that had been. Carson had simply been doing exactly what he was supposed to be doing as her mentor. She hadn't realized it, but she had expected him to treat her differently because of their personal relationship. Though she knew that had not been the only issue in their troubled relationship upon her return from Chicago, Faith knew it had played a part. A few long letters exchanged between her and Carson over the last couple of months had been beneficial to them both. They had been able to restore their friendship and accept that their lives were meant to be on separate paths now. She was genuinely happy that Carson was finding new challenges in his fellowship in Baltimore. He had been pleased that she had found a way to finish her training as a doctor without him.
"A very thorough assessment, Dr. Carter," her mentor told her. He glanced down at their patient, a paper boy who had been hit by an intoxicated driver. Luckily, the newspaper office had been able to give them the contact information for the young man's parents. "Now, I suggest you take a short break. The boy's parents should be here in about twenty minutes. I want you to talk to the family this time instead of just observing. I think you are ready. I will, of course, be right by your side."
Faith's breath caught. Though she had been anxious to take on more responsibilities such as this one, now that it was happening she felt a bit of trepidation at the prospect. Still, as a doctor, family notifications would be a part of her job.
"Yes, Dr. Greene," Faith finally replied, struggling to keep her voice steady. The last thing she wanted was to give her mentor the impression that she was nervous. She definitely did not want him to change his mind. Though her supervisor had said nothing to her, she had overheard the man be asked what he thought about women being doctors. Faith knew her presence at the hospital had sparked the talk. She had expected it really. Dr. Greene's response had been simply that he believed women had the intelligence to do the job but he feared they may get too emotional when things got rough. This was her chance to show him that she could keep her emotions under control when it came to the job.
Trying to keep a professional demeanor, Faith placed the clipboard with the patient's information on the hook at the foot of the bed and left the hospital room. In the almost four months since she had come to Clearwater, she knew she had been exposed to things she might never have had to deal with, in Hope Valley. As much as she missed the former coal town, Faith knew she was becoming a better doctor in her new environment. At least Dr. Owen Davis had seemed happy to take over caring for Hope Valley. At twenty-five, they young man had just finished his own training and Hope Valley was his first solo practice. The young man had assured her though that his mentors were a call or telegram away. The fact that Owen wasn't so prideful that he wouldn't ask for help made her feel better about the situation.
Perhaps that had been in God's plan all along. She had heard the saying of people coming into your life for a reason, a season, and a lifetime. Perhaps Carson's presence in her life and vice versa had merely been a reason. Perhaps God had simply planned on Carson helping her restore her relationship with her father and encourage her to reach for her dream of becoming a doctor. She didn't think she would have ever finished her schooling without Carson's push. She would always thank him for those things.
As for Carson, perhaps her purpose had simply been to show him that it was possible for him to open his heart to another following Amber's death. He had started opening his heart with her, and if his last letter had been any indication, Carson had not closed it since leaving Hope Valley. Though he had admitted it had taken him awhile to really let her go and accept the idea of seeing someone else, Carson had admitted to taking a lady named Carol out to supper one evening.
Perhaps the reason I was never able to give you the ring I bought was that God did not plan for our love to be one of those forever loves, Carson had written. Not that I regret what we had. You were the sunshine in my life when I so desperately needed it, Faith. I will never forget you for that. However, I believe that God intended us to spend forever with someone other than each other. Please open your heart to that possibility. You have so much to give to whoever that lucky man is.
The memory of the words brought a smile to Faith's face as she reached the employee break room. She had tucked that particular letter into her Bible. It had felt like Carson's final good-bye. More than once, she had wondered if he expected a reply from her. Now, after a week of tears and prayers, the words brought only a smile. Carson may not have been her 'forever' but perhaps they could still be friends. God had a plan for both of them and something in Faith told her that God's plan for her was not to be alone all her life. He was simply preparing her for when that special someone finally did come along.
"Is Dr. Greene giving you a break or did you sneak away?"
The question brought Faith out of her thoughts and back to the present. The question had come from Monica Stevenson, a nurse at the hospital and Faith's best friend in Clearwater. Though five years her senior, Faith had come to rely on Monica for a lot of things since bumping, quite literally, into her at the hospital back in September. Having secured the position to study under Dr. Greene, Faith had taken the train to Clearwater. After checking into the hotel, she had headed for the hospital to meet with her new supervisor. She had hoped that not wasting time with the move would show the man how dedicated she was to finishing her training. Paying more attention to placards outside of the rooms as she looked for Dr. Greene's office than where she was going, Faith had walked into the nurse. Monica had quickly dismissed her apology and asked if she could help her. Though having just gotten off shift, Monica had walked her to the correct office. When Faith had come out of the meeting an hour later, she had found Monica waiting for her.
"You didn't have to wait," Faith had told her.
Monica had shrugged, an easy smile on her face. "I was the new person in Clearwater three years ago myself. Luckily, I had a great-aunt who could show me around. Aunt Gertie always told me to pay it forward and my life would be rewarded. You said you were at the hotel?" Faith had nodded. "Then let me help you find a boarding house. Even being a doctor, you will find yourself short on cash staying at the Clearwater hotel. Overpriced and the owner knows it."
The two had been friends ever since, and Faith was thankful for that friendship.
"He gave me a break. The parents of one of our patients are coming in to learn about their son's condition," Faith told her friend as she sat down in an empty chair next to Monica. "That seventeen-year-old paper boy who was brought in this morning."
Monica nodded, knowing whom Faith meant.
"Dr. Greene wants me to be the one to talk to the parents."
Monica whistled. "You must have really impressed him. Bradley worked under him for a year before Dr. Greene let him take on that task."
"Wow," Faith breathed, suddenly feeling more weight on her shoulders. She had known this was a huge step in her training but she suddenly realized just how big.
"Now, don't go putting more pressure on yourself," Monica said hurriedly. "You are a good doctor. I have a feeling you were a good nurse. As a nurse, you probably interacted with the family even more than doctors do."
"Yeah, but as a nurse, if they asked me a question I didn't know the answer to, I simply told them I would look into it. Now, I am supposed to have all the answers."
"The only one who has all the answers is God," Monica said, without missing a beat. "Some doctors might like to think they are God, but they are not. Like I told Bradley, you will do well to remember that. Do what you can and offer the rest up to God."
Faith was reminded of Carson and his grief over his wife. Carson's guilt over her death had been unfounded. He had done all that she could. He had honored Amber's wishes by attempting to save her life but God had called the woman home to him. Yet it had been a struggle for Carson to reach that realization.
"You are right," Faith replied with a nod and a smile to her friend. "I simply need to tell that boy's parents what we know and what our prognosis is. I will try to answer the questions they have to the best of my ability and I will have Dr. Greene there if I need help," she stated, her confidence rising and the weight of her nerves lessening. "Thank you."
Monica smiled at her, wiped a hand on her napkin and reached her hand out, palm up, across the table. Faith reached out and placed her hand over Monica's.
"That is what friends are for," Monica assured her, giving Faith's hand a squeeze before going back to eating her sandwich. After swallowing the next bite, she spoke again but on a different topic. "You are off New Year's Day, right?"
Faith nodded. After she had worked both the Thanksgiving holiday and both Christmas Eve and Christmas, Dr. Green had insisted that Faith take this holiday for herself. "Go out and meet some people," her supervisor had told her. "You will be here in Clearwater for the next fifteen months. You will need a social life to balance the pressures of this job."
"Good, then you can come to the New Year's Dance at the Clearwater Hotel with us. Bradley is taking me, but as he is on shift here, bright and early Wednesday morning, he will not be able to stay and ring in the New Year with me. Say you will, Faith. I can introduce you to a few other people I know. You can't keep turning down social engagements forever. You have had three months to settle in. Now it is time to get to know people."
Faith was about to say no, but her friend's pleading look stopped her. Both Monica and Dr. Greene were right. She should start trying to have a social life outside of the hospital. What better way to start than a dance to ring in a new year?
"All right, but I am not buying a new dress. One I have will just have to do."
Monica's smile grew bigger. "I am sure you have something that will be suitable. I'll stop by tonight and we can go through your wardrobe."
Faith knew better than to talk her friend out of her plan of action. Monica reminded her of Rosemary Coulter when it came to making plans - the word 'no' just wasn't in her vocabulary.
Walking into the Clearwater RNWMP headquarters, Corporal Nathan Grant hung his hat up on a coat rack by the door and made his way to his desk.
"Couldn't find any excitement to avoid the office, huh Grant?"
As he sat down, Nathan glanced over at his fellow Mountie. Though he tried to hide the painful emotions behind his gruff demeanor, Nathan had actually taken a liking to Sergeant Earl Anderson. The man had taken three bullets from the gun runners during the conflict in the Northwest Territories and survived to tell the tale. One of those bullets was still lodged in bone near his left ankle, the doctor's unable to remove it. Nathan didn't blame the man for choosing to take the office job he was offered, though he wondered if sometimes it was a choice that Earl himself resented.
"Not this morning," Nathan told him. "Other than that vehicle versus pedestrian incident, things were quiet."
"Wouldn't be so quiet if you were stationed in Saskatchewan," Earl commented, handing him a telegram.
Nathan quickly read the bulletin that had been sent out to all Mountie outposts along the railroad line. A train, headed east, had derailed at first light this morning. Though casualties were currently unknown, Headquarters was advising that notification may become necessary.
"Not a good way to start any morning," Nathan asked, saying a quick prayer for those on the train and the ones assisting them. "Makes me thankful people here can take advantage of a quiet start to a Saturday to sleep in. Allie sure did. She didn't even want to get out of bed to join me for breakfast this morning. I have a feeling she stayed up last night in anticipation of her friend coming from Hope Valley this evening."
Earl shook his head. "You are a brave man, Grant. Two thirteen-year-old girls, in the house for the next week, is going to be a handful."
Nathan smiled. "Probably, but Allie has taken this move like a champ. Though she was happy to put some stuff about our time in Hope Valley behind us, she had been missing her friends, especially Opal."
"Well if you need any help, Morgan will be glad to assist," Earl reminded him, speaking of his wife. The Andersons were one of the Grants' new neighbors in the house they were renting. Unable to have children of their own, Morgan Anderson doted on the neighborhood children and Allie was no exception. It gave Nathan a little peace of mind knowing that when Allie was home alone, the older woman was right next door if anything should happen.
"I have appreciated you and your wife's hospitality," Nathan said, stopping when Earl gave a wry chuckle.
"We both know it is my wife who is the hospitable one. She just makes me look good," Earl said.
"Glad someone can manage that feat," a new voice chimed in. Earl and Nathan glanced toward the doorway to see Corporal Gabriel Kinslow standing in the doorway.
"Are you alone, or am I going to need to get out boxes of missing people posters for Miss Walsh?" Earl asked, countering the teasing remark rather than replying to it.
Gabriel chuckled. "You're safe. Lillian is home with the kids. I, however, had to come share some news with my best friend seeing as he is so close these days," he explained. The Brookfield Mountie looked from Earl to Nathan. The smile on his face was the only message that Nathan needed.
"I told you Lillian would say yes," Nathan said, getting to his feet. Having gone with Gabriel to find an engagement ring, Nathan knew his friend was planning to ask, though Gabriel had been unsure of the timing.
Picking out a ring for Lillian had not been the only task completed at the jewelry store that day. Nathan had also managed to sell back the ring he bought for Elizabeth. Even after Elizabeth's dismissal of him in the Hope Valley Mountie office, Nathan had not been able to give up hope altogether and part with the ring. Though he had accepted her choice, Nathan had known if he had gotten wind of Elizabeth breaking things off with Bouchard that he would have taken another chance, despite the way she had shattered his heart. However, like with a lot of other things, after winning the girl, Bouchard did not want to waste time taking the next step. When Bill had mentioned that Elizabeth planned on marrying the saloon owner on Christmas, Nathan was finally able to accept that there was no chance. Selling the ring was the final step to letting go.
Shaking hands with Gabriel, Nathan pushed his own lingering sadness aside. "Congratulations. I know the two of you will be happy."
"Thank you," Gabriel said, releasing Nathan's hand. Earl had gotten to his feet and he offered his congratulations as well.
"Have you set a date yet?" Earl asked, taking a step back to lean against his desk.
"Well, if the only man I could imagine standing next to me on the happy day is free, we were thinking March twenty-ninth. Lillian says that will give her time to plan but not enough to over think it and Chuck and Grace were already planning to be here. Grace is training someone to take over the orphanage in London, and she and Chuck are moving back to Brookfield. They plan to arrive on the tenth of March giving them time to get settled before the wedding. Abigail and Eleanor assured Lillian that would be plenty of time to prepare. As Abigail took over as Ronnie's Kitchen Manager at the Royal Brookfield, she said to leave arranging the venue to her."
Nathan chuckled. Having met Abigail the few times he had visited Brookfield since her arrival with Roy, he knew that Ronnie would be hosting the Walsh/Kinslow wedding whether he liked it or not. As Cody had joined the September class at Depot, Abigail had been trying to keep herself occupied. Unbeknownst to her, both Nathan and Gabriel were trying to arrange for one of them to be Cody's training officer when the boy graduated.
"I will make sure to clear my schedule for March twenty-ninth," Nathan assured his friend.
"Wonderful," Gabriel said. "Can I steal Nathan for an early lunch, Earl?"
"Like either of you would listen if I said no," Earl muttered. He waved a hand toward the door. "Go. Get out here."
"Thank you," Nathan told his fellow Mountie. "I'll suggest to Allie to make cheesecake for dessert tomorrow and bring you and Morgan a slice."
"I will not say no to that," Earl replied, his lips turning upward at the corners in what passed as a smile for the man.
That afternoon, after seeing Gabriel off to Brookfield, Nathan stood on the train platform with his daughter. Allie was bouncing up and down in anticipation. Nathan found himself holding his breath that the precariously pinned bun at the nape of Allie's neck didn't work itself loose with the motion. His daughter had been experimenting with hairstyles, and failed attempts usually ending in tears these days.
The shrill whistle of the train announced its approach.
"It's almost here!" Allie exclaimed, turning and throwing her arms around his waist.
Nathan instinctively wrapped an arm around his daughter. He had been told that most teenagers went through a phase of not wanting to show their parents affection in public. Allie had not reached that point yet, but Nathan planned to enjoy every moment just in case that changed.
Soon, the train was pulling to a stop in front of them. Allie pulled away, as passengers started to disembark, searching for her friend. As soon as she spotted Opal being helped down the steps by a conductor, Allie rushed forward to greet her friend. A smile on his own face, Nathan followed so he could claim the bag the conductor had been left holding as Opal's reaction upon seeing her friend had been identical to Allie's. No, looking after two teenage girls for the next week would not be easy, but Nathan knew every moment would be worth it.