That Which Leads Us Home - Chapter 5, Cause and Effect
That Which Leads us Home
by Frakkin_Eh
Rating: K for now....
Authors notes: This story is a sequel of sorts to the Movie 'For All time' starring Mark Harmon and Mary McDonnell. It picks up in the second to last scene in the movie. If you have not seen the movie you should be able to follow the story anyway as I hope (fingers crossed on that one) that I've provided enough information in the story about what happened prior to the timeline the story takes place in. You should watch the movie though, for no other reason than it's a wonderful little movie and .. well, Mary's in it.
Special super duper thanks to tayryn for being my beta and mentor. Thanks to her my stuff actually looks like the person who wrote it finished high school.
Chapter 5 - Cause and Effect
Charles winced as he adjusted the ice on his knuckles. He couldn’t remember the last time he’d felt enough rage to actually hit someone… that just wasn’t his style. He never did see any value in taking the macho “I’ll kick yo’ ass” approach. But hitting Wallace Thompson had felt good… real good. He just couldn’t help himself, for all he’d felt in that moment was the fierce protective instinct to shield her from anything and anyone who was threatening.
Unfortunately for him, his actions hadn’t earned him any points. For Laura Brown was a strong independent woman. She adamantly pointed out that she didn’t need him defending her honor… that she was perfectly capable of taking care of herself. She’d also given him a glimpse of that temper she’d mentioned not so long ago.
Charles smiled as he recalled that day at the “Gazette”.
===//===
Charles hadn’t planned on returning. He figured he’d go back to his life, his time, and simply remember his visit to Somerville and the company of the Browns with fondness. But the pull he felt to spend one more day with her was just too strong.
When he entered the Gazette that day, he found her working frantically at the typesetting machine. As he came through the door she dropped a set of tiles on the floor.
“Damnation!” she muttered.
“You certainly do have a mouth on you, Mrs. Brown.” Charles said.
Laura looked over her shoulder at the sound of a voice in the room. Seeing it was him, a shy smile swept across her face. “I have a temper too and if I drop any more type you just might see it.” She answered.
She then gave him an apologetic look. “I’m sorry I can’t visit, I’m behind.”
“Where’s your typesetter?” Charles asked.
“Fred came down with the Croup.”
“I have time. How about I typeset?” he offered, as he made his way around the banister and over to the machine.
Laura’s face lit up. “You typeset?” she asked.
“Sure! If you show me how.”
Laura looked at him in disbelief, as if wondering if she be so lucky?
She then turned to the machine and gave him some basic instructions. “You read the copy, you type it in, when you hear the bell you lift the elevator, you send it on its way and then you start the next line.”
“Piece of cake.” He said.
Laura gestured to the snacks on the window sill. “No, those are crackers but help yourself.”
===//===
His thoughts drifted to the fury in her eyes earlier that afternoon. Her words rang again in his ears. ”Why are you here, Mr. Lattimer?”
“Well?” He asked himself. “Exactly why did you come back?”
Sure, he knew the main reason was to save Laura from the explosion… but why? A sane man doesn’t leave his entire life behind because he read in a book that a woman died a hundred years ago in an explosion. Even if he’d somehow met that woman and had become fond of her. That just wasn’t logical.
Was it guilt? Was it because he knew she’d been there because of him?
He remembered the conversation they had that day in the restaurant and how it had set things in motion.
===//===
“The paper is going to be the death of me.” she stated. “My competitor is trying to get a law passed to ban women from owning businesses.”
“That’s ridiculous.” He stated. “Write editorials!” he suggested.
“See most people agree with him. That’s why Fred has to cover certain stories… I don’t have access to every place a story might occur. Take Saturday for example.”
“What happens Saturday?”
“Mr. McKinley is coming here on a campaign stop. I don’t know why he’s even bothering to run… he doesn’t stand a lick of a chance against Mr. Bryan.”
Charles gave her an amused look. “Keep an open mind about McKinley.” He stated.
“You think so?”
With a smile, Charles muttered an affirmative.
“Anyway, he’s meeting reporters in the hotel bar after his speech and since women aren’t allowed in the bar…” she hesitated before adding “… except for certain women. The “Gazette” will be the only paper without a story.”
“Tell them it’s business…” he said. “… don’t take no for an answer.”
“I admire your spirit but you are definitely not from these parts.”
Charles laughed off her protests. “Listen! Listen. You fight for what you believe in. Freedom and equality is what this country was founded on. Stir things up! Make some noise! It’s the only way change will come. And believe me… it will come.”
Laura sat looking at him in amazement. “Mother was right! You are an anarchist!” she teased.
“No!” he laughed. “Forget the bar; catch McKinley outside before he even goes in.”
“How?”
“You’ll figure it out! You’re a journalist… Scoop’em all! Get an exclusive! Just get McKinley alone.” He hesitated for an instant as she sat smiling. “Smile at him… that’ll get his attention! It got mine.”
“Alright.” She said. “I’ll do it.”===//===
Charles sat pensively, trying to wrap his head around the concept of cause and effect. In his mind that particular conversation had nearly changed everything. For that particular conversation had put Laura in a situation that had nearly gotten her killed.
Was that why he had returned? Because he’d read about the explosion? He’d read about how she died, and needed to put right what never should have gone wrong in the first place? Or was it the gut wrenching feeling that came over him with the realization that harm had come to her?
It was in that moment that he realized that he wasn’t just fond of Laura Brown… he was in love with her.
Problem was; he wasn’t too sure how she felt about him.
“************************************************************************
“************************************************************************
The broom scraped across the floor as Laura finished cleaning up the last of the shards. What was left of a glass jar sat on the desk… it’s jagged edges the only remaining evidence of the outburst from an hour before.
Laura still trembled from head to toe but at least she’d stopped crying. “I guess that’s a start.” she thought. She silently thanked God that Fred had left early to tend to an issue at his home… God knows she’d needed some privacy following her run-in with Mr. Thompson and then Charles.
As she swept the last of the glass into the dustpan she chastised herself for losing her cool. “You have got to get a grip on that temper, Laura.” She said aloud.
A soft knock at the door startled her, causing her to jump up nearly knocking the already broken jar off the desk.
Brigitte cautiously poked her head in the door, hesitated, and then entered the office. “Is it safe to come in yet?” she asked.
Laura gave her a guilty smile. “You know me a little too well sometimes.”
“Well enough to know that something’s terribly wrong.” She said, as she tilted her head in an effort to study her friend’s face.
“I’m fine, Brie… really. I am.”
“No you’re not, Laura. I could see it the instant you walked in the store this afternoon. What’s going on with you and Mr. Lattimer?”
“Nothing.” Laura said, as she turned to put the broom away, a good excuse to avoid eye contact with her friend.
“Are you sure about that?”
“For a very short time I thought that there might have been something between us but that’s over now.” Laura stated.
Brigitte smiled warmly at Laura. “It sure didn’t look like it was over to me.”
“Take my word for it. It’s over.”
“Well that’s really too bad because I haven’t seen you that affected by a man since the day Will Brown pushed you in Watson’s creek. If I recall correctly you were mad as hell that day too.”
Brigitte regretted her words the instant they left her lips. For the pain in her friend’s eyes was enough to break her in two. “He’s nothing like Will.” Laura retorted.
Brigitte held up a hand in surrender. “I’m sorry, Lore, I know that.” She said softly. “But you do care about him very deeply. That much is clear.”
Laura closed her eyes and shook her head. “No I don’t,” she said, almost as though she was trying to convince herself more than Brigitte.
Brigitte sat quietly for several moments, letting her friend regroup, before she asked. “Do you want to tell me what happened?”
“I can’t, Brie. Not right now.”
“Okay.” She said, as she gently patted her friend’s hand. “When you’re ready…”
Unable to speak, Laura simply nodded through her tears.
“************************************************************************
“************************************************************************
Laura’s eyes were heavy as she urged Turnip down the dusty road to home. It had been another draining day. She knew she was just going to have to get used to seeing Charles Lattimer around for a while and needed to find a way to control her emotions. “He’ll eventually give up and go away… he won’t just live in the hotel forever.” She told herself.
An argument had been taking place in her head all afternoon and it didn’t sound like it was going to give up any time soon.
“Why don’t you just hear him out, and then send him on his way?” She’d ask herself.
“You KNOW why.” she always responded.
Recollections of his boyish grin and charming eyes took hold of her once again as she thought about that afternoon in the office of the “Gazette.”
===//===
Charles sat at the typeset machine searching for the key he needed. Finally giving up he asked. “If I were an ampersand, where would I be?”
Laura got up from her typewriter and walked over to help him. “Those are over there.” She said, as she pointed to the tray of typeset tiles. “You have to put them in by hand.” She leaned over the machine in front of him and began searching through the tray for the tile he needed. “Let’s see… “ she said. “Where’s it hiding…. Come on…”
Laura could feel the warmth flood through her veins at the rush of being so close to him. It took her by surprise… this rush of pheromones… this sudden attraction… this need to be near him.
She could feel the flutter of a thousand butterflies fill her belly as he nuzzled her hair while she leaned in closer… pushing each tile aside with her finger until she found the right one.
“Oh there you are!” she said to the tile as she plucked it from the tray and placed it in the slot. “See?”
“Mmhmm,” he hummed softly, his eyes filled with quiet need.
She turned her face towards him and time stood still. The only thing Laura could hear was the beating of their hearts. She leaned in closer… her pulse racing… his lips only a fraction of an inch from hers.
They quickly jumped apart at the sound of the door opening as Mary skipped in. “Hey! Mr. Lattimer is here!” She exclaimed, as she made her way over to him with a basket in her hands. “Look! We brought a bunch of cookies for Mama.”
“You got one in there for me?” he asked.
“Yep!”
Laura’s mother shot Charles a suspicious look before turning to Laura. “I needed a few things over at the store.” She explained.
“I may have to work late this evening.” Laura told her.
As Charles stuffed cookies in his mouth he said, “Delicious, Mrs. Clark!”
Laura’s mother simply grunted in his general direction.
“I helped!” piped in Mary.
“I knew that.” He said to her.
“How?” she asked.
“I can taste it, Silly.” He replied.
Mary giggled. “You can NOT, Silly!”
Laura stood aside and watched the playful banter between her daughter and this man who’d suddenly appeared in their lives. It was clear he liked her daughter and it was clear that Mary liked him. Unlike any other men who’d met Mary in the past, Charles’ fondness towards her daughter seemed genuine and free of motive.
She smiled warmly at them.
“Come on, child.” Called Mrs. Clark.
“Come on my sweet lovely girl!” Laura urged. “I’ll see you later tonight. We’ll finish our book.”
As Mrs. Clark and Mary made their way out Laura smiled at Charles. “You really like children don’t you?”
Charles simply smiled back. “Yeah!” he said.
Charles paused for a moment before he continued. “Do I detect a certain “coolness” towards me from your mother?”
Laura emitted a short high-pitched giggle, causing Charles to laugh.
“She’s just protecting me.” She explained. “She doesn’t understand why a man of your age, and your looks, isn’t married.”
===//===
Laura scoffed at this memory for as it turned out he was married. “So why isn’t he with his wife and family? Why is it that he’s still here in Somerville, bothering me?” she wondered. ”Never you mind about that, Laura Brown.” she told herself. “That’s not relevant. What’s relevant is that there is a wife… not where she is.”
His words from that afternoon rang in her ears once again. “I’m not leaving until you talk to me, Mrs. Brown.”
Chapter 4 <> Chapter 6
Previous Chapters
by Frakkin_Eh
Rating: K for now....
Authors notes: This story is a sequel of sorts to the Movie 'For All time' starring Mark Harmon and Mary McDonnell. It picks up in the second to last scene in the movie. If you have not seen the movie you should be able to follow the story anyway as I hope (fingers crossed on that one) that I've provided enough information in the story about what happened prior to the timeline the story takes place in. You should watch the movie though, for no other reason than it's a wonderful little movie and .. well, Mary's in it.
Special super duper thanks to tayryn for being my beta and mentor. Thanks to her my stuff actually looks like the person who wrote it finished high school.
Chapter 5 - Cause and Effect
Charles winced as he adjusted the ice on his knuckles. He couldn’t remember the last time he’d felt enough rage to actually hit someone… that just wasn’t his style. He never did see any value in taking the macho “I’ll kick yo’ ass” approach. But hitting Wallace Thompson had felt good… real good. He just couldn’t help himself, for all he’d felt in that moment was the fierce protective instinct to shield her from anything and anyone who was threatening.
Unfortunately for him, his actions hadn’t earned him any points. For Laura Brown was a strong independent woman. She adamantly pointed out that she didn’t need him defending her honor… that she was perfectly capable of taking care of herself. She’d also given him a glimpse of that temper she’d mentioned not so long ago.
Charles smiled as he recalled that day at the “Gazette”.
===//===
Charles hadn’t planned on returning. He figured he’d go back to his life, his time, and simply remember his visit to Somerville and the company of the Browns with fondness. But the pull he felt to spend one more day with her was just too strong.
When he entered the Gazette that day, he found her working frantically at the typesetting machine. As he came through the door she dropped a set of tiles on the floor.
“Damnation!” she muttered.
“You certainly do have a mouth on you, Mrs. Brown.” Charles said.
Laura looked over her shoulder at the sound of a voice in the room. Seeing it was him, a shy smile swept across her face. “I have a temper too and if I drop any more type you just might see it.” She answered.
She then gave him an apologetic look. “I’m sorry I can’t visit, I’m behind.”
“Where’s your typesetter?” Charles asked.
“Fred came down with the Croup.”
“I have time. How about I typeset?” he offered, as he made his way around the banister and over to the machine.
Laura’s face lit up. “You typeset?” she asked.
“Sure! If you show me how.”
Laura looked at him in disbelief, as if wondering if she be so lucky?
She then turned to the machine and gave him some basic instructions. “You read the copy, you type it in, when you hear the bell you lift the elevator, you send it on its way and then you start the next line.”
“Piece of cake.” He said.
Laura gestured to the snacks on the window sill. “No, those are crackers but help yourself.”
===//===
His thoughts drifted to the fury in her eyes earlier that afternoon. Her words rang again in his ears. ”Why are you here, Mr. Lattimer?”
“Well?” He asked himself. “Exactly why did you come back?”
Sure, he knew the main reason was to save Laura from the explosion… but why? A sane man doesn’t leave his entire life behind because he read in a book that a woman died a hundred years ago in an explosion. Even if he’d somehow met that woman and had become fond of her. That just wasn’t logical.
Was it guilt? Was it because he knew she’d been there because of him?
He remembered the conversation they had that day in the restaurant and how it had set things in motion.
===//===
“The paper is going to be the death of me.” she stated. “My competitor is trying to get a law passed to ban women from owning businesses.”
“That’s ridiculous.” He stated. “Write editorials!” he suggested.
“See most people agree with him. That’s why Fred has to cover certain stories… I don’t have access to every place a story might occur. Take Saturday for example.”
“What happens Saturday?”
“Mr. McKinley is coming here on a campaign stop. I don’t know why he’s even bothering to run… he doesn’t stand a lick of a chance against Mr. Bryan.”
Charles gave her an amused look. “Keep an open mind about McKinley.” He stated.
“You think so?”
With a smile, Charles muttered an affirmative.
“Anyway, he’s meeting reporters in the hotel bar after his speech and since women aren’t allowed in the bar…” she hesitated before adding “… except for certain women. The “Gazette” will be the only paper without a story.”
“Tell them it’s business…” he said. “… don’t take no for an answer.”
“I admire your spirit but you are definitely not from these parts.”
Charles laughed off her protests. “Listen! Listen. You fight for what you believe in. Freedom and equality is what this country was founded on. Stir things up! Make some noise! It’s the only way change will come. And believe me… it will come.”
Laura sat looking at him in amazement. “Mother was right! You are an anarchist!” she teased.
“No!” he laughed. “Forget the bar; catch McKinley outside before he even goes in.”
“How?”
“You’ll figure it out! You’re a journalist… Scoop’em all! Get an exclusive! Just get McKinley alone.” He hesitated for an instant as she sat smiling. “Smile at him… that’ll get his attention! It got mine.”
“Alright.” She said. “I’ll do it.”===//===
Charles sat pensively, trying to wrap his head around the concept of cause and effect. In his mind that particular conversation had nearly changed everything. For that particular conversation had put Laura in a situation that had nearly gotten her killed.
Was that why he had returned? Because he’d read about the explosion? He’d read about how she died, and needed to put right what never should have gone wrong in the first place? Or was it the gut wrenching feeling that came over him with the realization that harm had come to her?
It was in that moment that he realized that he wasn’t just fond of Laura Brown… he was in love with her.
Problem was; he wasn’t too sure how she felt about him.
“************************************************************************
“************************************************************************
The broom scraped across the floor as Laura finished cleaning up the last of the shards. What was left of a glass jar sat on the desk… it’s jagged edges the only remaining evidence of the outburst from an hour before.
Laura still trembled from head to toe but at least she’d stopped crying. “I guess that’s a start.” she thought. She silently thanked God that Fred had left early to tend to an issue at his home… God knows she’d needed some privacy following her run-in with Mr. Thompson and then Charles.
As she swept the last of the glass into the dustpan she chastised herself for losing her cool. “You have got to get a grip on that temper, Laura.” She said aloud.
A soft knock at the door startled her, causing her to jump up nearly knocking the already broken jar off the desk.
Brigitte cautiously poked her head in the door, hesitated, and then entered the office. “Is it safe to come in yet?” she asked.
Laura gave her a guilty smile. “You know me a little too well sometimes.”
“Well enough to know that something’s terribly wrong.” She said, as she tilted her head in an effort to study her friend’s face.
“I’m fine, Brie… really. I am.”
“No you’re not, Laura. I could see it the instant you walked in the store this afternoon. What’s going on with you and Mr. Lattimer?”
“Nothing.” Laura said, as she turned to put the broom away, a good excuse to avoid eye contact with her friend.
“Are you sure about that?”
“For a very short time I thought that there might have been something between us but that’s over now.” Laura stated.
Brigitte smiled warmly at Laura. “It sure didn’t look like it was over to me.”
“Take my word for it. It’s over.”
“Well that’s really too bad because I haven’t seen you that affected by a man since the day Will Brown pushed you in Watson’s creek. If I recall correctly you were mad as hell that day too.”
Brigitte regretted her words the instant they left her lips. For the pain in her friend’s eyes was enough to break her in two. “He’s nothing like Will.” Laura retorted.
Brigitte held up a hand in surrender. “I’m sorry, Lore, I know that.” She said softly. “But you do care about him very deeply. That much is clear.”
Laura closed her eyes and shook her head. “No I don’t,” she said, almost as though she was trying to convince herself more than Brigitte.
Brigitte sat quietly for several moments, letting her friend regroup, before she asked. “Do you want to tell me what happened?”
“I can’t, Brie. Not right now.”
“Okay.” She said, as she gently patted her friend’s hand. “When you’re ready…”
Unable to speak, Laura simply nodded through her tears.
“************************************************************************
“************************************************************************
Laura’s eyes were heavy as she urged Turnip down the dusty road to home. It had been another draining day. She knew she was just going to have to get used to seeing Charles Lattimer around for a while and needed to find a way to control her emotions. “He’ll eventually give up and go away… he won’t just live in the hotel forever.” She told herself.
An argument had been taking place in her head all afternoon and it didn’t sound like it was going to give up any time soon.
“Why don’t you just hear him out, and then send him on his way?” She’d ask herself.
“You KNOW why.” she always responded.
Recollections of his boyish grin and charming eyes took hold of her once again as she thought about that afternoon in the office of the “Gazette.”
===//===
Charles sat at the typeset machine searching for the key he needed. Finally giving up he asked. “If I were an ampersand, where would I be?”
Laura got up from her typewriter and walked over to help him. “Those are over there.” She said, as she pointed to the tray of typeset tiles. “You have to put them in by hand.” She leaned over the machine in front of him and began searching through the tray for the tile he needed. “Let’s see… “ she said. “Where’s it hiding…. Come on…”
Laura could feel the warmth flood through her veins at the rush of being so close to him. It took her by surprise… this rush of pheromones… this sudden attraction… this need to be near him.
She could feel the flutter of a thousand butterflies fill her belly as he nuzzled her hair while she leaned in closer… pushing each tile aside with her finger until she found the right one.
“Oh there you are!” she said to the tile as she plucked it from the tray and placed it in the slot. “See?”
“Mmhmm,” he hummed softly, his eyes filled with quiet need.
She turned her face towards him and time stood still. The only thing Laura could hear was the beating of their hearts. She leaned in closer… her pulse racing… his lips only a fraction of an inch from hers.
They quickly jumped apart at the sound of the door opening as Mary skipped in. “Hey! Mr. Lattimer is here!” She exclaimed, as she made her way over to him with a basket in her hands. “Look! We brought a bunch of cookies for Mama.”
“You got one in there for me?” he asked.
“Yep!”
Laura’s mother shot Charles a suspicious look before turning to Laura. “I needed a few things over at the store.” She explained.
“I may have to work late this evening.” Laura told her.
As Charles stuffed cookies in his mouth he said, “Delicious, Mrs. Clark!”
Laura’s mother simply grunted in his general direction.
“I helped!” piped in Mary.
“I knew that.” He said to her.
“How?” she asked.
“I can taste it, Silly.” He replied.
Mary giggled. “You can NOT, Silly!”
Laura stood aside and watched the playful banter between her daughter and this man who’d suddenly appeared in their lives. It was clear he liked her daughter and it was clear that Mary liked him. Unlike any other men who’d met Mary in the past, Charles’ fondness towards her daughter seemed genuine and free of motive.
She smiled warmly at them.
“Come on, child.” Called Mrs. Clark.
“Come on my sweet lovely girl!” Laura urged. “I’ll see you later tonight. We’ll finish our book.”
As Mrs. Clark and Mary made their way out Laura smiled at Charles. “You really like children don’t you?”
Charles simply smiled back. “Yeah!” he said.
Charles paused for a moment before he continued. “Do I detect a certain “coolness” towards me from your mother?”
Laura emitted a short high-pitched giggle, causing Charles to laugh.
“She’s just protecting me.” She explained. “She doesn’t understand why a man of your age, and your looks, isn’t married.”
===//===
Laura scoffed at this memory for as it turned out he was married. “So why isn’t he with his wife and family? Why is it that he’s still here in Somerville, bothering me?” she wondered. ”Never you mind about that, Laura Brown.” she told herself. “That’s not relevant. What’s relevant is that there is a wife… not where she is.”
His words from that afternoon rang in her ears once again. “I’m not leaving until you talk to me, Mrs. Brown.”
Chapter 4 <> Chapter 6
Previous Chapters