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Previously In Baby, Baby:
"It isn't your fault you know." Dan suddenly spoke, breaking the companionable silence.
"What isn't my fault?" Bess asked softly.
"The baby. It wasn't your fault, that your mother isn't pregnant." Dan reached over and grabbed her hand and was surprised when she didn't take it away.
"Whatever Dan. I just wish I could take away her pain." Bess sighed looking out over the water.
"Well, we'll just have to do it."
"Do what?" Bess looked over at him and saw a smile forming on his lips.
"We'll just have to have a baby ourselves. We might even be able to have a boy."
"What!"
Part 1
"You and Me? Have a baby together?"
"Sure why not?" Dan grinned at her shock.
"But, . . . but . . . I . . . Dan . . ."
"Calm down Bess. I was kidding."
"But . . . I . . . We . . . ."
"Bess, really, I was kidding." Dan suddenly grew serious and a little upset.
"No Dan, I . . . Dan, you don't understand." Bess became angry with herself as she tried to pull herself out of the shock of his words, but they kept pounding through her head, ‘baby, baby, you and me, baby, baby.'
"You're right Bess. I don't understand."
"Dan, I . . ."
"Why don't we just go?" He turned and started gathering their stuff.
"Dan . . ." Bess started to explain, but he cut her off.
"Bess please, don't. Let's just go."
Dan started scaling down the mountain. Reluctant to leave, Bess took a last look around. After admiring the view she walked over to the edge and started climbing down.
Dan looked up at Bess who was just starting down. She looked so cute, and the look of determination on her face was almost adorable. Suddenly the look turned to fear.
"Dan? I can't go any further. I'm scared." Bess froze on the small ledge and stared down at Dan.
"Bess, you're fine. There's another ledge just under your left foot. I'll wait for you here." Dan sighed and wondered if he should drop the basket, then decided he wanted, or rather, needed the challenge.
"Dan I can't."
"Bess come on. You got up, you can come down." Frustrated he started pacing on the small ledge. "Lets go Bess. It's going to be dark soon."
Slowly Bess put her foot down on the ledge underneath her. Loose pebbles and dirt made her foot slide.
"Aaahhh!" She screamed as she slipped. "Dan!" She looked for a hand grip, but finding none, she started falling towards the ground.
"Bess?" Dan looked up as she fell. His eyes grew big when she couldn't get a grip. "Bess."
She screamed till she hit the ground. A sharp pain filled her head, and blackness came.
"BESS!"
Part 2 -
Dan dropped the basket, and quickly scaled the mountain. Seeing her lying motionless scared him. "Bess? Bess please wake up!"
When she wouldn't rouse, he picked her up and started walking back to the house. He quickly discovered that it was easier to carry someone when they were holding on to you.
It was slow, almost tedious work, trying to get back to the house. He had to stop and rest his aching arms more than once. He finally sighed relieved when he saw lights coming toward him in the darkness.
"Help," he weakly called out.
"Dan? Is that you? Are you okay?" Jo ran to the tired boy.
"Mrs. Jo . . ." he started crying. "Bess fell off the . . . the mountain. She . . . won't wake up."
"Okay Dan. I've got her. Emil, take Penny and go get Dr. Pierce. Nat, got get Laurie and Amy. Hurry!" Nick called out instructions then picking up Bess, started hiking back to the house.
Jo put her arm around Dan and started leading him down the path. "It'll be okay Dan. She'll be alright."
*****
They got back to Plumfield right as Nat got back with Amy and Laurie who were followed by Emil and Dr. Pierce.
Amy jumped from the carriage before it had time to stop and ran towards Nick and Bess. "Bess? Oh, my darling Bess."
*****
The doctor came out of the room with a somber expression on his face. He quickly shared the bad news. "Its not good. Falling from that height and then hitting her head on a rock doesn't help her chances any."
Amy started to sob, and clutched to her husband's shirt.
"Will she wake up doctor?" Jo asked softly.
"It's unlikely but possible. I'm sorry." Dr. Pierce hesitated then added, "if she doesn't wake up by the end of next week, don't expect her to. Again, my condolences." He grabbed his bag and pausing he put his hand on Dan's shoulder for a minute, then left.
The room was filled with a dark gloom when he left. Amy, Jo, and Nan were crying while Laurie, Nick, Nat, and Dan stood helpless, and somber.
Laurie finally led Amy to a chair by the bad and sat her down. She grabbed Bess' hand and held it tightly.
Nick, after a minute of hesitation, turned and pulled Jo into his arms, while Nan turned to Nat and buried her head in his shirt.
Dan just stood there, a thousand thoughts running through his head. Thoughts like: ‘Why didn't I help her? Will she wake up? It's all my fault.'
"Mrs. Laurence. I'm sorry . . I . . I don't . . ."
"Don't Dan!" Amy looked up tears and anger in her eyes. "You've done enough for one day!"
"Amy!" Jo looked up startled.
Dan's eyes filled with water, so he tried, unsuccessfully, to blink the tears away.
"It's true Jo. If he hadn't agreed to on the stupid hike, if he had helped her more, none of this would have happened! It's All His Fault!"
"Amy please . . ."
"Laurie don't!" She looked back at Dan and spoke quietly but determined. "Get out! I don't want you near my daughter! Get Out!"
Jo looked like she was about to say something, but one look from Amy and she quikly closed her mouth.
Dan looked around the room, then quickly left.
Nat left, following Dan down the stairs. He looked around but couldn't find Dan so he went out to the barn.
Not finding Dan in the barn, he started walking around till hearing something, he stopped. Poking his head around the corner, he saw Dan pounding on the wall of the barn sobbing.
"Dan?"
"Go away Nat!" Dan turned as if to hide the tears.
"I'll be in the house if you want to talk." Nat turned and left, leaving Dan alone once again.
Sobbing, Dan fell to the ground. ‘It's all my fault. All my fault. It's . . . . All . . . . My . . . . Fault . . ."
Part 3 -
"Did you talk to him?" Nan asked as soon as Nat walked in the door.
"No, he wouldn't talk to me. I think he blamed himself even before Mrs. Laurence accused him.
"In other words, Mrs. Laurence's accusation was, the icing on the cake." Nan sighed and turned to stare out the window.
"The what?"
"The icing on the cake. I heard some person in town say that. It's like the cake isn't complete without the frosting, so . . ."
He completed it for her, "so Mrs. Laurence's accusation is the icing on the cake of Dan's grief. He must really blame himself . . ."
*****
It was nearing the end of the second week, yet there was no change in Bess' condition.
The only time Dan had gotten to see Bess after the accident was thru the open doorway to her room while her mother slept inside.
Everyday and everything was a constant reminder of the girl in the upstairs bedroom. No matter what he, or anyone else for that matter, said, it always brought back a memory of something Bess had said or done.
Dan sighed as these thoughts filled his head again. Amy was getting more and more angry as the hours came and went. Hour after hour, day after day, she had nothing to do but be bitter.
She had even mentioned the fact that it wouldn't really be a bad thing if Dan was to leave. He thought about that. . . he thought about it a lot.
He thought about the west and how great it would be to be on his own again. Then he thought of how hard it would be to leave Plumfield. He'd miss Mrs. Jo, and Nick, Nat and Nan, and . . . . . . . . Bess.
Still he couldn't stay. What if she didn't wake up? What if she did? ‘She'd probably hate me for the rest of my like. Why didn't I help her?'
Dan's thoughts tumbled around his mind hour, after hour, till finally he made up his mind. He would leave Plumfield. He had enough money saved to get a ticket to go somewhere west, then he'd get a job.
Planning when to leave took time, and as he came out of his thoughts he heard Asia ringing the dinner bell.
He would leave tomorrow. . . . .
*****
Amy sat holding her daughter's hand tightly. "Bess, please wake up. I have so many plans for you. I . ." A sob escaped though she tried to stifle it. "Please Bess. Honey? Bess?"
She sat softly pleading with her daughter unaware that Dan was standing in the doorway. His face was expressionless and when he heard footsteps on the stairs he silently moved away.
Packing that night proved to be harder than he thought it would be. There were so many memories. Happy memories, but also some sad:
Bringing Penny back to Mrs. Jo.
The Father and Son ski race with Mr. Laurie.
Jasper coming back.
Marcus dying.
The fight with Franz.
Nan and Bess coming to Plumfield.
The fist fight between Nat and Cade.
Mr. Bhaer dying.
Nick coming.
So many mermories and he was leaving them all. He finished packing and slid the, now full, suitcase under his bed. Then sighing he walked out of his room, by Bess' room, and down the stairs.
*****
Dan got up quietly and put his shoes on. Walking softly so he wouldn't wake up Nat he want to the door. Taking one last look around, he left. Pausing only once to look into Bess' room, and whisper "Goodbye."
It was chilly out, so he pulled his coat around him tighter as he walked towards town. He got there right as the first train pulled up. He walked to the ticket booth and cleared his throat. A young man walked towards him. "Can I help you?"
"Give me a ticket as far west as this can go."
"Yes young sir. The farthest you can go is Colorado, Denver to be more precise. Is that okay?" The ticket man was surprised at how young this boy was, but her gave him the ticket anyway.
Dan waited until he heard "All Aboard," then presented his ticket and got on the train. Sitting in the closest window seat he gazed out into town when the train jerked forward. He suddenly began to doubt his plan, but there was no way he was going back now. Maybe not ever . . .
*****
Bess opened her eyes slowly as the train whistle blew. Looking around the room, she saw her mother in Nan's bed and her father asleep in blankets by the foot of her bed.
‘Why are they here?' she wondered then groaned as she remembered. She was falling and Dan was yelling out her name. Groaning once more, she tried to push herself into a sitting position. "Mother?"
Amy stirred and slowly opened her eyes. Looking over at her daughter she shrieked when she saw her looking back.
"Bess! You're awake!" She jumped out of bed and as she passed her sleeping husband, kicked him in the side. "Laurie, get up! Bess is awake!"
Laurie woke instantly and, seeing that his wife was telling the truth, ran to the door. "Jo! She's awake! Bess is awake!"
*****
Jo woke with a sense that something was wrong. Thinking it must be one of the chilren she grabbed her robe and pulled it around her.
Just then she heard Laurie yell, "Jo! She's awake! Bess is awake!"
Running down the hall to Bess' room she found Nan, and Nat already at the door to the boy's room. Nat whispered something and Nan headed down the stairs.
Jo thought nothing of it and hurried to Bess. "Hey sweetie. How are you feeling?"
"Hi Aunt Jo. I feel fine, but mother insists I stay still until father gets back with the doctor."
Amy quickly smiled at Jo, then turned her full attention to her daughter.
*****
Nat heard Mr. Laurie and quickly sat up in bed. Glancing over at Dan's bed he was surprised to find it empty.
He met Nan in the hall who was just pulling her robe together. "Nan?"
She looked up in surprise. "What?"
"Dan's bed is empty. Do you know where he is?" Nat suddenly felt an awful feeling.
Nan's forehead creased in sudden worry. "You don't think he left?" She asked not even bothering to answer his question.
"Should I look in his drawers?"
"Let me check the barn first . . ." she paused as Jo went by them to the girl's room. Nan had been sleeping in a guest room while Amy and Laurie were there. "Dan wouldn't like it if we went through his stuff."
Nat nodded and watched as Nan headed for the stairs. Sighing he went to the doorway of the girl's bedroom. "Hey Bess, how are you feeling?"
"Hey Nat. I feel fine." Bess smiled.
"Nat, where is Nan?"
"She uh . . ." he didn't want to worry Jo so he quickly came up with an excuse. "She went to go get Nick."
"I'm right here Nat." Nick's voice startled Nat and he turned around quickly. "Oh, hey Nick I'd better go find Nan."
Nat turned around, pretending not to notice the weird looks he was getting from Jo, and Nick, and headed for the stairs. Halfway down he met Nan who was just coming up. "Was he . . ."
I think we'd better go check those drawers out Nat." She whispered, worrry evident on her face.
Moving quickly to the bedroom, Nat and Nan looked like people going to a funeral. Arriving first, Nat opened all of the drawers, that at one time were filled with stuff. Nothing was in them.
Nan looked up after crouching low to see under the bed. "Nothing." She barely spoke.
"He's gone . . . . . ."
Part 4 -
The train was moving slowly. So slow that the scenery was never changing. Not that Dan noticed it anyway.
It seemed like no matter what was said by anyone else on the train, it always reminded him of Plumfield and the people there . . . of Bess.
Even when the people in front started talking about their memories, it started him thinking about his own. Climbing trees, fishing, people laughing, he sighed, trying to forget it all.
*****
Bess was sitting up in bed bored out of her head. She wondered why Dan hadn't come in to see her and why whenever she mentioned his name her mother would glare, and Nat and Nan's eyes would get big and they would turn away.
Finally three days after she had woken from her "deep sleep," she found herself alone in her room, with the silent Nat and Nan.
"Okay, what is going on?"
"What do you mean?" Nat turned to Nan, his eyes getting big as he tried to think of an excuse to answer the question that they both knew was coming.
"Where is Dan?"
"Whatever do you mean?" Nan asked suddenly interested in something outside the window.
"Why hasn't he been in to see me? Don't lie to me Nan!"
Nan sighed and turned to face her. "He's gone Bess."
"And good riddance!" The three turned to find Amy in the doorway.
"Mother!"
"It's his fault and . . . and . . . everything." Amy finished lamely.
"He's gone? Well . . . where did he go?" Bess looked like she was about to cry.
"We . . ah . . went to the train station and the guy there said . . . uh . . . said that Dan bought a ticket to Denver."
"Colorado?"
*****
Colorado was nothing like he had expected it to be. It had been almost three weeks since he had left Plumfield, yet he still hadn't found a job. He had even had to swipe food off a cart a couple times to keep from starving.
No one wanted to hire him, and no one would give him a chance. He had gone three days without food and his stomach was constantly reminding him of that - He finally decided, to wait a couple more days before swiping off a cart again. Two days. He could last that long. "It's only two days . . . . .'
*****
Bess looked at the calender and sighed. It had been three weeks since she had woken and found that Dan had left. Not a word had come from him, and she was worried.
It was partly her fault after all, that he had left. She shook her head, it was practically all her fault that he had left. ‘If she hadn't been so surprised on the mountain, if she hadn't stuttered, if she hadn't made such a fool of herself, if she hadn't slipped, Dan would still be here,' she thought to herself.
Looking at the calender, then at the one picture she had of Dan . . and everyone else at Plumfield she made up her mind. She would go to Colorado, find Dan, and bring him back to Plumfield where he belonged, . . . with her.
*****
Packing her small bag presented a problem when Nan walked in.
"What are you doing?"
Bess looked up guiltily, "packing" she mumbled.
"You're not going home are you?" Nan asked softly.
"No! Why would you say that?"
"Oh, no reason. Besides the fact that your mother is here, and told me to come up and tell you to pack, no reason at all."
"I'm not going home with her!" Bess sighed and closed her bag.
"Then what are you doing? Are you upset with me?"
"No! No, Nan, I'm not upset with you. I, promise me you won't tell anybody this. . ."
"What?" Nan looked confused then suddenly her eyes widened. "You're going after Dan aren't you?"
"Promise?" Bess loudly spoke.
"I promise!"
"Yes, I'm going after Dan. The train leaves in 30 minutes. Nan . . . how am I going to make it in thirty minutes? I can't walk that fast."
"Don't worry about that. I have an idea . . ."
*****
20 minutes later the two girls were riding horseback towards town at full gallop. They got there as the whistle blew and Bess jumped from her horse. Quickly buying her ticket she turned to face Nan for the last time for a while.
"You have enough money?" Nan asked with tears threatening to spill.
"I have plenty," she tried to smile.
"I wish I could go with you."
"ALL ABOARD!"
The conductor startled them both and Bess handed him her ticket. Nodding he held out his hand to help her up.
She ignored it and turned instead to Nan. "Take care of yourself."
"I will, you too."
She nodded, then quickly hugging Nan, she stepped onto the train.
*****
Meanwhile, in Colorado Dan was having problems. He had changed his mind about waiting two days and was scouting around to find the safest and best looking cart to get some food.
Quickly selecting a busy cart in the middle of the street he began calmly moving towards it. Just as he grabbed the fruit and was backing away he felt a hand grab his wrist.
Looking up, he found himself eye to eye with Sully!
"You're under arrest kid . . ."
Part 5 -
"Nan! Where is Bess?" Jo walked into the girl's room, followed closely by Nat.
"Well, um . . . actually . . uh . . she's on a train headed for Denver."
"Denver?" Jo looked startled and glanced at Nat who was just as startled as she.
"She went after Dan Mrs. Jo." Nan looked extremely guilty.
"She what?" Jo had to sit down, or she would have fainted.
"She went after Dan because she was worried and felt like it was her fault that he left." Nan looked at Nat, then out the window.
"And just what am I supposed to tell Amy?" Jo started to look frustrated.
"How about the truth?" Nat asked.
Jo whirled around to look at him, and sighed. "I guess I'm going to have to, but I can tell you right now. She's not going to like this."
*****
It had been two weeks since she had left Plumfield, and five since Dan had left, yet she still had no idea of where he went.
‘He probably didn't even stop in Denver,' she thought to herself. ‘Probably went straight on to California.'
She was feeling depressed, and when she got back to the hotel that evening she found yet another telegram from her mother which read:
Darling Bess,
She got one everyday, so it wasn't a surprise to receive it, but that day, and at that moment, it brought tears to her eyes. Those weren't words that she needed to hear. She groaned softly and left the room to find something to eat and to rethink her strategy.
*****
Two years. That's what he was sentenced to - Two Years in the Denver Jail.
Dan groaned and hit his head against the bars that surrounded him. He'd been in jail before, but this time it could have been avoided. If he had only stayed at Plumfield . . . . .
*****
Amy sighed as her husband began yet another lecture.
" . . . . Amy you need to support your daughter, not keep telling her to come home."
"Laurie! Don't lecture me! She is my daughter . . ."
"But she is also mine!"
She continued without even hearing him, " . . . and furthermore, she needs to give up this foolish idea of being Dan's savior . . ."
"Amy! She loves him!"
*****
Finally deciding she wasn't really hungry she headed for a fruit stand instead.
"You from around here miss?" The man taking the money asked as she was leaving.
"No actually I'm from Concord, Massachusetts."
"Way over there miss? What are you doing here?"
"Looking for a friend of mine. You wouldn't happen to have seen the boy in this picture? The one in the front next to the lady in the middle?" Bess was surprised when the man started cussing using some words she had never heard before.
"You know him?" She tentatively asked.
"Know him! Know him she asks." He laughed. "I sent him to jail!"
"You what!"
"Sent him to jail. You won't have to worry about the likes of him anymore miss." The man smiled as Bess groaned.
"What jail?" She asked quietly.
"What does it matter?" The man growled.
"I'm supposed to take him back to Concord. Where is he?"
"Listen girly, I don't know who you think you are, but, I sent him to jail for stealing my food and I'll be darned if you think you can just waltz in here and get your little ‘boyfriend' out of jail."
Bess stood silently listening to his speech, raising her eyebrows at the reference of ‘boyfriend,' then when he was done and watching her expectantly, she spoke, "Mr. . . ."
"Yeller." He mumbled.
"Mr Yeller. Who do you think you are, to withhold information from someone who is trying to help her ‘friend' and the family of the ‘friend' back in Concord?" She stared at him with eyebrows raised.
He stood watching her for a moment, then pointed down the street. "Go five blocks that way. You can't miss it."
"Thank-you." She then turned and headed down the street.
*****
Today was the same as yesterday, and the day before that.
They woke up at 6 for breakfast, 7-9 was free time (or in other words, think-of-what-you've-done-time), 9:30-12:30 was spent outside, 1-2 was lunch, 2-5 was more free time, 5:30-6:30 was dinner, then 7-9 was spent walking outside, and 9:30 p.m. was lights out.
It was the same everyday, so why should today feel any different?
Dan sat, his head in his hands, trying to forget where he was.
Suddenly the guard came in smiling. "Today must be your lucky day, young sir."
Dan looked up in surprise, "why do you say that?"
"A girl is here to get you out of this dump." The man smiled.
"Really?"
"Yeah. So why don't you gather up your stuff and you can get out of here?"
"What stuff?"
"Oh, that's right . . .You ready to go?" He started walking with Dan following.
As a thought came to him, Dan stopped. "Did you happen to get the name of the girl?" Personally he was hoping for Nan or Flash. They would be the most understanding of all the girl's he could think of, and he could bear to face them.
"I think she said her name was Bess."
Dan groaned, but continued walking.
*****
Dan hesitated outside the door to the room that Bess was in, then slowly pushed it open.
Bess was facing the other wall, but when she heard the door open, she turned. "Dan . . . . ."
Part 6 -
"What are you doing here Bess?"
"Isn't that obvious?"
"Bess . ."
"Dan! You are wanted back at Plumfield. Now lets go or we are going to miss our train. Its leaving in twenty minutes, and I don't have our tickets yet. So are you coming?" Bess walked towards the door then turned expectantly to him.
He followed, sighing, half of annoyance, and half of relief.
*****
"So do you think they'll ever come back?" Nan asked Nat who was sitting with her on the porch swing.
"Bess will soon I'm sure. Dan, . . . I don't know." Nat answered sighing.
*****
"Next stop, Concord Massachusetts." The conductor called walking down the isle towards the next car.
Bess sat looking straight ahead barely hearing the conductor, while Dan sat staring out the window.
"Dan, I . . ."
He turned to face her, "what?"
"I wanted to apologize . . ."
"For what?"
"For everything. I'm sorry Dan."
"I'm sorry I didn't help you, I'm sorry you fell, and I'm sorry you had to come to Denver to get me out of jail."
"And I'm sorry you felt like you had to leave."
He laughed, "apology accepted."
"Why did you leave?"
"I had to. I was worried that you wouldn't wake up, then I was worried that you would."
Bess looked confused. "You were worried that I would?"
"I was worried that when you woke up that you would be mad. Mad enough not to want me around anymore."
"So you didn't give me the choice? When I woke up . . . I wanted to see you, but nobody would tell me where you were. I was hurt when I found out you were gone . . I . . ." She broke down and couldn't finish.
"Why did you go to Colorado?"
"To get you."
"I know that. Why?" Dan watched as she tried to avoid looking into his eyes.
Finally giving up, she looked at him, and replied. "Dan, I'm too young to think about getting married. I'm too young to think about having kids. . . . But, . . . when I do get older, I . . . I'll keep you in mind because Dan, I have to admit I have feelings for you. . . and . . . maybe someday . . ." she smiled "we can have a boy."
Instead of replying, he reached over and pulled her into a tight embrace.
"Someday," he whispered as the train pulled into Concord.
he found himself eye to eye with a police officer.* * * * *
You must give up this foolish notion of finding Dan and return home
at once to those who love you.
Your mother,
Amy!* * * * *
The End!!!
Fan-Fiction