A/N – Thanks to all who reviewed. I appreciate your time in both writing and taking the time to read. I deleted three reviews, and set up moderation for 24 hours, it's off again. I'm fine with people not agreeing with my story line, but when reviews citing 'your' inflexible take on canon reaches close to 600 words and gets belligerent I'm not going to deal with it.

To those who don't see the 'old' Amy, you need to keep reading, but she doesn't exist anymore and the 'old' Amy is not who Ty marries in the show either. In the show he learns that growth doesn't mean you're not the same person, generally it makes you a better one.

Chapter 6

The house was bustling early with the kids along with Jack getting ready to fish and Amy and Lisa leaving for an 8:00 AM salon appointment in town.

The day before had been exciting and in the evening Jack and Lisa sat in the seating area of a spacious guest suite looking at a small fire Jack had built more for show than heat as it was summer. "That Jack is one happy boy Lis, exuberant is a fitting word."

"So are the girls Jack, you know what they do, they draw straws the morning of an event to see which horse they jump and they have this routine when they win, which is usually, where they exchange congratulations at the ceremony. And oh Jack, their horses are amazing and look like twins and the girls love it."

"You believe all this about Ty, that he's coming here ?"

"Seems he is and she does and she's going to offer him all of this Jack. She's tired of being alone and wants to live her life with him."

"It's been so long Lis, I know he still cares for her, whenever he sees her pictures in the house or the office that's clear."

"She said something to me Jack and I didn't have an answer. I know he talked to you about both Stacey and Helena. Did he ever tell you he loved either of them ?"

Jack was silent for a few minutes and took a sip of the wine Betty was kind enough to leave in the room. "You know Lis, I can't rightly say he did but he wasn't asking me for their hand either. I do remember that when he talked about them he didn't mention kids which I thought was odd at the time. I assume she's had boyfriends ?"

"I think you'd assume wrong and this may shock you Jack but the way she described it to me was arrangements with men. She'd have to be in Antwerp or the Loire for a week and she had a friend in Europe that she spent time with. Or other places I guess away from the kids and prying eyes. Lovers by agreement. She's only ever loved Ty. She makes no apologies, she had needs and dealt with them."

"It's weird, she's our Amy but not. Jack took me around that Medical barn and she was there working. Two vets following her directions, discussing treatments, she's always deserved respect but I don't know how to describe it."

"I know what you mean Jack, makes you proud huh ?"

"She reminds me of you Lis in a way, she cares about her staff and stock. I still can't get over that whole Foundation thing. She funnels everything from here into it ?"

"And not fast enough for her tastes, I told her I was humbled that she holds me up to herself as a mentor, she's quite remarkable our granddaughter. You need to speak with Ty Jack. I know it's not your way but he's stubborn as a mule that son of ours and you need to talk him through his fears, she's done all this for him."

"For him ?"

"In her words Jack, this facility is the best in the world and nobody knows who the fuck I am. His biggest fear was that she would turn into this monster and forget her roots, leave him behind, truth is she hides from the spotlight."

"She leads a somewhat pretentious life Lis."

"And today I watched her muck out a stall and get down on her knees to massage a horse because it was her and she was there. Pretension tempered by sweat and horse shit. I own an estate in prime Alberta cattle country, a villa in Toulon and I travel First Class Jack, if it's good enough for his adopted parents it should be good enough for him. It's time for him to shake his childhood crap, that burden and pain he bears doesn't lead to happiness, it's become a crutch he uses for his misery."

At a few minutes until 8:00 AM, Amy and Lisa walked into the salon just about the time Maddie called "Fish on !" to the exclamations and cheers of her sister, brother and his best friend.

"Morning Amy and would you prefer Mrs Stillman or ?"

"Lisa is fine thanks."

"Great, I'm Audrey and I'll coordinate the goings on, let's get you some refreshments and some robes. Follow me, Amy coffee and then water ?"

"Yup."

"And Lisa, name your poison."

"Well coffee would be nice to start."

"Followed by your finest champagne Audrey." Amy added.

"I can live with that." Lisa agreed

"If you want a snack just let us know. Amy, want to shower first and we'll get to your waxing and I'll sit with Lisa and see what she'll have."

An hour later they sat through pedicures and manicures together. Lisa was sipping champagne and Amy her water, both wore plush white robes and leaned back with their eyes closed.

"So Brin ?"

"You caught that huh, Maddie is quite clearly a lesbian Lisa, she has never expressed any interest in men, ever. Brin, Sabrina actually, is as well it seems, I'm good friends with her parents, nice folks, he's a doctor and she teaches piano. The girls are young and I've seen them kiss, Maddie turns to mush when you even mention Brin's name. Charlotte on the other hand has a budding romance with Robert or Bobby Carmichael, our neighbors son. The three have been best friends since the beginning, Sabrina joined about a year ago and now it seems love blossoms with the other two. Advanced kissing is recent. One step forward and two steps back or vice versa, I can't keep up."

"And Jack ?"

"A little early for this conversation don't you think ?"

"No, no, I mean friends."

"Sure, his best friend is Carson Carmichael or Cars as he's called around here. Bobby's brother. I'm sure he'll show up fishing today. He's a great kid and a big huge support for JT. April Potter lives down the road, they're away for a few weeks, she's here all the time, somewhat Malloryish but they ride together and run the ranch. Lot of folk around here are off for the summer and a lot leave to travel, it slows down when the college kids leave and the tourists arrive."

Lisa had a facial while Amy got her brows done and a bit of coloring in her hair.

"You haven't mentioned the hair Lisa."

"Oh, nothing to mention, you look remarkably like their natural mother, close enough to blonde, do they know ?"

"I think so, they also know their name is actually Fleming, I'm not sure they understand all this completely but they're pretty good at going with the flow, I can be fickle."

"I have to tell you Amy, your grandfather is falling head over heels for your son and watching the girls jump yesterday was amazing. I'm in love."

"Wait till you see them shop Lisa, they'll volunteer to accompany you anywhere."

"Apparently Antwerp at least, I really can't wait, Georgie is a pain in the ass when it comes to this stuff."

"Mine can turn on the girly girl in a heartbeat and revert to doubles roping right back from the stores. You ask them to come lay on a Toulon beach for two weeks and they'll be yours forever. On the odd times I've had to go to Europe, Antwerp is nice and works for us. I can visit friends and the jumping teams and the girls love it."

"That's all you Amy and though it befuddles your grandfather, I'm all for the creature comforts."

"Fish on !" JT called out from his spot at the small rapids.

The girls shouted out encouragement and advice as he bravely fought his trout. His friend Carson ran to the shore and cheered as well, "bring him in slow JT, tire him out."

"It's a big brown Jack, he's beautiful, keep him tight." Maddie called out.

"GG, get the net, he's right here."

"I got you buddy, just a bit more" as Jack scooped the net up and a beautiful 14 inch brown trout shook inside.

"Get him out GG so we can get a picture."

JT stood for his picture smiling from ear to ear and then his grandfather helped him gently let it go on his way. Jack smiled as JT said thanks to the little warrior as it swam downstream.

"Catch and release GG means we can fish here forever."

"That it does JT and you are a heck of a fisherman, you all are."

"Thanks Jack, Maddie those Dragonflies you tied are awesome !"

"Thanks Cars !"

Cars headed home when JT started getting ready to swim, he had snuck out on chores to fish so there would be a price to pay but his dad was pretty cool. Jack heard the tale told as the boy tucked his stuff in the saddle bags. "That was a nice fish you caught Carson, worth a little extra shoveling, but make sure you show him a picture of that trout and I'll bet he's prouder than mad."

"You bet Jack, no worries. Bye everyone, c'mon Buckles." he called out as he turned his horse up the trail.

"So who taught you all to be such good fishermen ?"

"Mom and Gran taught us but mom doesn't fish much, she comes down and writes in her journal, sometimes she just sits or rides with Spartan. "JT explained. "The ranch hands fish a bunch so sometimes we fish with them."

"JT had his first trout at 4 GG." Charlotte added before heading off with Maddie.

"4 years old huh, how big JT ?"

"Just a small one GG but I was just a kid."

Jack laughed, "Your mom never did take much to fishing, she was more like my first wife who passed, Lyndy, she preferred to sit and play guitar and write songs while I fished."

"Great Grandma Lyndy is awesome, we listen to her music and mom sings, it's a lot of fun. The girls play guitar and Maddie sometimes sings her own songs."

"That's nice to know you like her music JT."

They were quiet for a few minutes before JT spoke.

"So you think I'll like this guy Ty ?"

"I think you would, why ?"

"I don't know, we went to a wedding in the spring and I asked mom why she's not married and she said because she was waiting for her knight in shining armor and it sounds like it's this Ty guy so I just wondered."

"Hmm, well it also sounds like you might get to meet him pretty soon so I guess we'll see."

"Here GG, you better tie one on these dragonflies on so you can catch one too and then we'll head over to the grotto, JT wants to swim and it's good exercise for his leg." Maddie said sitting down and opening her case.

"You tied this Maddie ?, it's very good work."

"Thanks, the harder part was catching the little bugger so I could take the pictures. Do you tie GG ?"

"I do, been doing it my whole life, where'd you learn ?"

"Gran ties and taught us, Bryce too. We like it, focus on a task to make something as perfect as you can and when they bite and you know that you did it, wow it's amazing !"

"Why don't you three head over and I'll stay here for my fish and join you in a little while ?"

"Ok, but you have to call out fish on so we can cheer you on, we'll hear."

"Deal."

They got to cheer GG on after a while though it was a small trophy, it was a fish and that's what mattered. He sat by the edge of the grotto, part of one of Ithaca's famous gorges and watched JT swim. The girls were off to the side reading near the horses that grazed around them. Seeing teenagers read a book these days was almost strange and he wondered at it. When JT was done he climbed out to his towel near Jack and sat to dry himself off. Jack was a little embarrassed when JT caught him looking at the series of scars on his leg.

"It's ok GG, Mom calls them my badges of courage."

"That they are JT." He was taken by this boy he didn't really know. He wasn't flesh and blood but he was part of Amy's heart and Jack was falling in love with his namesake. Hell, he already had, with all of them. He sat and thought about Ty, what he knew and what he'd learned from Lisa.

It was hard for Jack to see Amy's side in all this, she left and hid herself away, he couldn't remember how many times he read her letters to him. Her expression of love to him always tore at his heart. Seeing what she'd built here in 8 short years and the woman she had become was hard for him, knowing he played some part in her decision to leave gnawed a little, but this made him proud. More though it made him understand what she wrote, the need to make her own decisions, follow her heart, spread her wings and grow. He knew he was overbearing when it came to Heartland, he still was, Lisa reminded him of it more than once. He remembered her look of disappointment when she got back from Europe and talked about what she could do, her dreams on full display and unappreciated by everybody. No need to change, we've always done fine with a four stall barn. The look on her face the morning after he walked away.

I never want to be the one to stand in her way. She could be great Jack. Go anywhere, do anything. That's what he said. They all knew after talking to everyone involved in that whole Ahmed business, Lou and Georgie, talking about how she reacted, crying and screaming in the house when she got back from the auction she never made it to apparently. Her confusion as to how this all could be happening. Her reaction at that dinner. Ty said he had always known it wasn't her. He couldn't imagine what Ty's reaction to this place would be though. He knew that Ty would see this as vindication, a confirmation of his worst fears, that he was right. Well, that might be true but a large part of it was his fear that it would change her and it didn't change her, she's the same Amy she was, dedicated with all her heart to these horses and now with a family, making hard decisions for them and the people she worked with.

The camps, what she called her Pegasus Centers. All children or anyone welcome to touch and love and marvel at a horse. Helping the infirm, the autistic and everyone in between, he knew that if she could she would have a 1000 of them. Ty would have to see that, it wasn't the success he should focus on but the fact that Amy was a loving, caring person completely focused on doing good in the world and helping horses and if Jack could be happy and head over heels in love with a rich woman who loved her creature comforts then so could Ty.

"Thinking deep thoughts GG ?"

"Excuse me uhm too soon ?"

"Maddie, it's confusing at first" she said with a bright smile, "you look like you've got something on your mind. Worried about mom ?"

"I am Maddie."

"And this guy Ty ?"

"Seems to be going around, what's your take if you don't mind my asking, a woman's point of view."

"Let's start this way GG, you may not have caught this at the table but asking me a woman's point of view about a guy is like asking a steer who lives with a sheep where their calves are."

Jack laughed "I caught it sweetheart or at least I think I did after I realized that I had never met a man named Brin, I guess the pretty part should have given it away but I'm over 80 so the processor."

"I'll cut you some slack GG, you Ok with it ?"

"It makes you happy and doesn't hurt anybody Maddie I'm good to go."

"He's cool Charlie" she called out before hugging Jack. "You and me are going to be tight GG."

"Uh Maddie ?"

"Right Ty, well, she was all excited to talk about him, when she talks fast you can tell, usually she's talking about a horse, never seen it with a guy, and she closed her eyes when she reached down and touched that ring like she does when she hugs JT after a surgery, like nothing else in the world matters in the minute but for that time he's Ok and back to her. That's gotta count for something GG. I think she's got it bad, it's sad, we've been reading tragedies this year. I don't like the way they end."

"Thanks Maddie."

"Your welcome, oh, we've got to go."

"Right. Let's mount up."