lb_heartland | Fic: Quiet Sanctuary 6/14

Quiet Sanctuary
Chapter Six
Word Count: 3,114
Rating: PG-13
Pairings: Tim/Marion, eventually... Lou/Scott and Ty/Amy.
Warnings: Non-graphic discussion of child abuse.
Disclaimer: I'm never going to grow up. That means... I'm not legally responsible for anything, right?
Summary: AU. Heartland is a refuge, not just for abused and neglected horses, but for all.
Author's Note: I have to say, it was not easy introducing Lou to this mix. I kind of had an idea of how she would fit in, but it surprised me anyway when I was writing it. Finally, though, I got through the very important meeting between Scott and Lou, as well as Lou's first impressions of Ty, and started something else important in the works. I guess that means a bit more time with everyone as kids, but it's better for the story in the long run.

Winter Chill

"It's a good thing she didn't delay any longer," Scott observed, looking at the sky. Another storm was coming in, and the ground still had some snow left on it from the last one. It was cold, too, and it seemed to be getting colder. "Another week or so, and the snow would have been too deep for the stage to make it."

Next to him, Ty fidgeted a little. He didn't seem comfortable waiting, and Scott had to wonder if that had to do with Lou. She was coming home today, and maybe he thought when she was home, the rest of them would think that he wasn't needed anymore, that they'd want him gone. He knew Lou was an excellent rider, but he'd never heard of her being any particular help around the farm. Amy did more than she did, and she was younger. Then again, Amy was the one they all said should have been born a boy. She was always getting her new friend Soraya in some kind of trouble or other, and then there would be two of them with messy dresses and guilty expressions. Ty did the most work out there besides Jack, even while he was in school. Mrs. Fleming was busy taking care of her husband.

Then again, maybe the boy's discomfort had nothing to do with Lou. He was rubbing his shoulder again, the arm that had been sore before. Ty had seemed to favor it even when they were in school together, past when it should have healed.

"You know they're not going to make you leave, right?"

Ty just looked at him. Scott had started to get uncomfortable with that look. It was hard to tell what the other boy was thinking, but usually, he had a feeling that Ty thought he was an idiot. It wasn't something he felt all the time, but sitting next to Ty during school, he had learned that the other boy was smart—really smart. Pratt only hated him worse for that. Scott thought that Ty should go to school, not just the town school, but college. He probably wouldn't, though. If he stuck around, he'd end up quitting when he was about twelve, just like everyone else. "The stage is running late, though."

He had to wonder, again, how Ty had managed to find his way to Heartland. It was so remote, and the stage didn't pass anywhere near there. He could ask, he supposed, but Ty wouldn't answer. He never did. Sometimes he ignored the question, other times he shrugged, but he didn't ever answer questions about his past or where he'd come from.

"I thought Amy would be with you," Scott observed. Amy followed Ty around like she was a puppy, and if she wasn't following him, she was trying to drag him somewhere. Soraya was a third to their party a lot, but Scott managed to give Ty a break every once and a while.

Ty shrugged. "I guess Ashley Grant was bothering Soraya, so Amy had to rescue her."

Scott nodded. That made sense. Only something that important would draw Amy away from impatiently waiting for her sister. He was actually looking forward to the day when little Amy was big enough to smack Ashley straight in the face.

Up ahead, he heard hooves thundering and saw the approach of the Wells Fargo coach. "There's the stage. Mrs. Fleming's in the store?"

"I can go get her," Ty offered, and Scott nodded absently. The coach had stopped, and the driver had jumped off, starting to get the luggage down.

"Whoa," Scott said, watching the first person step down from the stage. She was something else, with the fancy hat on her head, the ringlets in her hair, and the muff over her hands. She looked like someone from a big city out east, the type he'd seen when his family had gone to their relatives in New York. Her boots were fine, the skirt seemed new, fancier than what most of the women wore on Sunday. "That can't be Lou. That just can't be Lou."

Ty looked at him, shaking his head. "And that can't be Scott."

"What's that supposed to mean?" Scott wondered, but he didn't give it much thought as he crossed over to greet the girl. She was looking around for someone, and he couldn't get a good look at her face. "Can I help you?"

She lifted her head, and she studied him for a moment before smiling. "Scott Trewin, isn't it? It seems like I haven't been here in years. You're so tall now."

He frowned a little, not liking her tone. "Welcome back, Miss Fleming."

"Thank you. I thought my family would be here to meet me," she began, looking around. Scott motioned Ty over, and he shook his head. Lou looked at him, confused. "Who is that?"

"Ty Baldwin. Your family should have told you about him in their letters."

"Oh, yes, the boy they took in," she said. "He doesn't seem to want to join us."

"Ty's shy, I guess, and you look pretty intimidating right now," Scott told her, and then he realized what he'd said and regretted it. She looked at him and seemed almost to smile. "Come with me, I'll introduce you. Your sister is around, and I'm sure she'll turn up any minute."

"Thank you, Mr. Trewin," she agreed with stiff formality, and Scott thought that boarding school had been a very bad idea for her. She had changed, and not in a good way. She took his arm, and he led her over to Ty, who wasn't pleased with this at all.

"Ty, this is Miss Fleming," Scott began, and Ty nodded. Before anyone else could say anything, Amy came tearing around the corner at full speed, running straight towards Ty, covered in mud. She threw herself at him, wrapping her arms around him.

"Ty, I swear I'm going to set her hair on fire or something! You'll never believe what she said about Soraya this time! And then she shoved me in the mud, and when I tried to get her back, Mrs. Grant blamed it all on me. And Mom let her! Now I'm in trouble! It's all her fault! It's not fair."

"You know, Amy, if you ignored her, you wouldn't be in half the trouble you are," Ty told her, and she stuck her tongue out at him. "You don't have to fight with her every time. I've found it bothers people even more when you don't say anything."

"Sure. Like I'm going to believe that's why you never talk," Amy rolled her eyes. "I thought I heard the stage."

"Your sister's right there."

"Lou!" Amy cried, and Lou ducked behind Scott before the mud covered girl could ruin her fancy clothes.

"Amy, no! You're all muddy," Lou protested, holding her back. "Haven't you grown up at all? You're a mess. I thought you'd have learned some sense by now."

Amy looked at her sister, hurt, and Scott cleared his throat. "I think I see Mrs. Fleming coming out of the store, there. I'm sure she'd like to see you."

Lou smiled. "Yes, of course. Thank you again... Scott."

As she walked away, he stared after her, thinking about how much she'd changed. She was so different. He hadn't expected that. Ty elbowed him in the side. Scott looked at him. "What?"

Ty just shook his head.

"Is Amy always such a mess?" Lou asked her mother, looking over her skirt to see if her sister had gotten it dirty. The traveling suit had been the headmistress' gift just before Lou left, and she would never forgive Amy if she ruined it.

Marion laughed. "She does seem to be quite drawn to mud, though Ty has been pretty good at keeping her out of it."

"Ty keeps her out of mud?" Lou repeated with a frown. Though her mother had written her that they'd taken in a young boy named Ty, she knew very little about him. From what she could tell, there wasn't anyone who knew anything about him. Still, they'd welcomed them into their home, given him clothes and a place to stay. He was Amy's constant companion and now he was going to school. That should be reassuring, but who was this boy? Where had he come from? Why was he there?

He didn't seem very friendly, either. She just didn't trust him.

Marion smiled. "Ty's a very orderly young man, as you might have noticed. Oh, his things are no where near as fine as the ones you're wearing. I don't believe I've ever seen that before, and I think you made quite the impression on young Scott."

Lou found herself blushing. She knew the girls back at school were a lot better at drawing in the boys. She was always more focused on her studies—she wanted to run a business, though she was afraid she'd never get the chance just because she was a girl—but those tips of theirs had actually worked. She'd had Scott Trewin pretty flustered. The girls would just say he was a small town boy, and they were supposed to be easy.

"The suit was a gift," Lou explained, lifting up the skirt a little and twirling around happily. She'd never had anything this pretty in her life, and she couldn't help being excited. "It is very pretty, isn't it?"

"Not as pretty as you are," Marion corrected. She hugged Lou close for a moment. It felt good to be back in her mother's arms. As kind as the headmistress was, as nice as the other girls were, they weren't family. They weren't her mother. Lou hadn't even realized how much she missed this. It was so good to be home. "I have missed you so much, honey. It's good to have you home."

"I can't wait to see everything back home. Daddy especially. How is he?"

Marion bit her lip, looking away in distraction. "I think you might need to see for yourself. After dinner, of course. He'll feel better after he eats, and I know he'll be happy to see you."

Lou smiled at her mother as her sister and the young—what was Ty, a stable hand?—boy came over to them. Amy was a lot quieter than she had been before, and somehow a bit cleaner, too. Ty looked up at Marion. "Jack said to tell you that he was coming."

"Grandpa's arguing with the blacksmith again," Amy added. She looked at Ty. "You shouldn't have told him."

"I wasn't going to let Pegasus suffer," Ty shot back, annoyed. That boy could have a real temper, couldn't he? Did her mom even realize that? "You were the one that said the blacksmith did a bad job. All I said was that Pegasus' feet were bothering him."

Lou looked at the two children and then at her mother, who was smiling fondly. She didn't seem to have any idea. She turned to Lou. "Ty has a gift. He knows what the horses are thinking, how they feel. I wrote you about what he did with Jake, didn't I?"

"Yes, Mom," Lou agreed. Ty moved behind Amy, not liking the scrutiny. Lou didn't understand that child. "You did write about Jake. And about Pegasus and about Jasmine. I guess you're a little miracle worker, aren't you?"

Ty made a face. "Mrs. Fleming says horses communicate if we're willing to listen. I guess I can... listen, that's all."

"Ty, I've told you before, call me Marion," her mom said, smiling as warmly at the boy as she had at Lou. Though Lou didn't say it, couldn't say anything, she felt strange. Had she gone off to school only to lose her place at home? Who was this boy who was taking over everything? She didn't even know him. None of them knew him. It wasn't right.

"Mrs. Fleming," Ty repeated formally, "I'm going back to Jack now."

Marion smiled again. "Tell Dad that we need to get back before the sun sets."

Ty started away, and Amy ran after him, catching his hand. Lou frowned. She'd just gotten back to town, and first Amy hadn't seemed to recognize her, and now she was going off with Ty again. That boy... what was it about him? Who was he?

Marion shook her head. "Those two. Or maybe it's just that boy. I can't get him to call me Marion, but he started calling your Grandpa 'Jack' as soon as he asked."

"Amy... seems rather attached to him."

"Puppy love, your grandpa calls it. He thinks we'll be in trouble later."

Lou forced a smile. She couldn't help feeling that they already were in trouble.

"It doesn't seem right, leaving Daddy upstairs while we have this dinner," Lou began, sitting down at the table. She took her cup and drank a slow sip. Her manners were so perfect that Marion caught herself watching her own behavior, checking to make sure her elbows weren't on the table and looking for the right fork. She hadn't been this formal at dinner since they met that woman who ran the school Lou attended. That had been a very stiff dinner. She shook her head. This was going to stop. Marion wasn't the only one uncomfortable right now. Jack looked displeased, and Ty was only a minute from claiming he wasn't hungry and skipping out on dinner—again. "Have you ever asked him if he wants to come down? Surely he could sit up with us?"

"Dad doesn't ever come down. He doesn't see us. He just yells at us. If we asked, he'd just say no," Amy said, angry. She glared at her sister. "You don't know anything."

"Amy," Marion began warningly. She had meant to take more time, take Lou aside and explain things to her. The situation was a difficult one, and she hadn't put all the details in her letters. Now, of course, she regretted it. She should have said more.

"There's no sense in lying to the girl," Jack interrupted. Marion knew he was right, but it hurt all the same. "Lou, what your sister says is true. Your father hasn't felt very... sociable lately. He doesn't come down, and he has a fair bit of temper. I don't think he wants to come down. He'd just shut himself in that room and that bed forever, and if your mom has led you to believe otherwise, she's done both of you a disservice."

"May I be excused, Mrs. Fleming? I'm not very hungry," Ty asked, and Marion shook her head.

"Ty, you haven't been eating very much for the past week," she reminded him. She had noticed. Something was off with the boy, and she hoped it wasn't him worrying about Lou. They weren't going to make him leave. "You're starting to worry me. Are you sure you're feeling well?"

"It's just the time of year. I'm never hungry in winter," he said, and Marion frowned at him. She really did think that he was not feeling well, but she didn't know why he wouldn't just admit it. "Please?"

Reluctantly, Marion nodded, and Ty smiled gratefully as he headed outside. Amy glared at Lou. "See what you did? It's all your fault. Why couldn't you just have stayed at school? You're ruining everything."

"I didn't—"

"Amy," Marion began again, but her daughter had already taken off, running towards the barn and towards Ty. She sighed.

Jack finished up his plate and stood. "I'll go check on them. You two should talk."

Marion watched her father go and turned back to the daughter who had become a stranger in the last year. She took a drink of her water and tried to find the right words. "I'm sorry, Lou. Your grandfather is right. Things have been difficult here. I didn't write you all of it because I knew it would be hard for you, being so far away from us and everything, being away from your father... It's been a long year for us all. Your father's accident has been hard for all of us. Him, most of all, but not just him. I've tried, very hard, to reach him, to help him, and he keeps rejecting my assistance. I use the herbs and remedies that Huten taught me, but they're not doing him any good. It seems almost certain now that your father won't ever walk again."

Lou gasped, covering her mouth and shaking her head. "No, that's not true. It can't be. Daddy has to walk again."

Marion smiled a little. "I wish that would happen, honey, I truly do. He just... won't."

"So... that's why you took in Ty? Because he can walk and work and do what Daddy can't?"

"It's a lot more than that," Marion began. She took a deep breath. "Lou, when that boy came to us, he was covered in horrible bruises... Someone hurt that child very badly. We took him in, not because we felt sorry for him or because we needed help, but because he needed us as much as we needed him. Your sister just adores him, and Grandpa relies on him."

Lou looked out towards the barn. "I don't understand, Mom. So much has changed..."

"I know," Marion agreed. "It's not just here, at Heartland, Lou. You've gotten so... I hardly recognized my own daughter. You've become a very beautiful young woman, and I'm proud of you."

There was a crash and a loud string of curses from upstairs, followed by a bellow of "Marion!"

Lou jumped, having never heard her father use those words or that tone. She frowned. Marion gave her a look of apology and headed upstairs to find out just what her husband had done this time. She opened the door to find Tim on the floor in his room, having fallen out of bed. He was still throwing things and cursing.

Then he stopped and looked behind Marion. "Lou."

She looked at her father and shook her head, tears in her eyes as she ran away.