That Which Leads Us Home - Chapter 12, A Fish Out of Water
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.
Huge thanks to tayryn for being my beta. Thank so much Tay, you make me look like I actually know what I'm doing!!!
Chapter 12 - A fish out of water
As Laura boarded the train she could feel the nervous excitement wash over her. “Oh Lord, I’m not so sure about this.” She thought, as she settled into her seat and the cars began to roll away from the station. “Sure about it or not, there’s no turning back now.”
She caught one final glimpse of Brigitte through the window and smiled as her friend gave her an encouraging wink. She laughed inwardly at how Brigitte always knew how persuade her to do things. This, however, was perhaps one of the most outrageous things she’d ever allowed her friend to talk her into. Her thoughts drifted back to the day before and how Brigitte had been so convincing.
===//===
“Have you completely lost your mind?” Laura exclaimed, as she looked at Brigitte.
Brigitte gave her a puzzled look. “Well, yes.” She said with a silly grin. “ But I thought that was established years ago.”
“Oh come on, Brie. You know what I mean. This is crazy! I can’t go to St. Louis!”
“And why the heavens not?”
“What do you mean ‘Why not?’. You know why not. I have responsibilities, commitments, things that need tending to.”
“Like…”
“Like the paper. I can’t just take off and leave Fred to take care of everything by himself…”
Brigitte cut her protest short. “Ormond and I will help Fred with whatever he needs.”
Laura moved on to her next excuse. “The house… and the garden needs to be sown...”
“I’m sure Walt can take care of that for you.” Brigitte replied.
“Well yes, but… what about Mary?”
“I’m sure your mother can take care of her.”
Laura shuddered at the mention of her mother.
“Oh my goodness, Brie, my mother will have a heart attack over this.”
“So don’t tell her.”
“What? She’s going to wonder where I am!”
“I don’t mean don’t tell her that you’re going to St. Louis, Silly. I mean don’t tell her you’re going in search of Charles. Tell her its business… tell her… Oh, I know! Tell her you’re thinking of buying a new press for the paper and that you need to visit a few places in St. Louis to shop around and compare prices.”
A small smile crept across Laura’s face. Could she really do this? She wanted to… but…
“Oh, Brie. I couldn’t lie to Mother like that.”
Brigitte simply shrugged her shoulders as she challenged Laura again. “Then tell her the truth. Tell her you’re going to St. Louis to chase down a man. The very man that you sent away a couple of months ago… the same man she just happens to despise… I’m sure she won’t react badly at all!” She said with a hint of sarcasm.
Brigitte allowed a few moments for Laura to respond before she gave her another nudge. “Oh come on, Laura! What have you got to lose? So maybe you get there and you can’t find him and you come home. At least then you know you tried. Otherwise you are going to spend the rest of your life wondering whether you two could have had a life together. Is that what you want?”
As Brigitte studied Laura’s face she could see the tell tale signs of her friend wavering. She pushed a little harder. “Come on, Laura. Just for once throw caution to the wind and do it!”
“Alright!” Laura finally said. “I’ll do it! I’ll leave tomorrow.”
===//===
As the train picked up speed, Laura closed her eyes and said a silent prayer. “Oh, Lord, please help me get through this in one piece.”
“******************************************************************************
“******************************************************************************
Charles scanned the newspaper as he sipped his coffee and nibbled on a tea biscuit. Seeing as he had managed to secure another client he had decided that perhaps it was time to buy a small house instead of staying in the hotel. Yes, he still had hopes of returning to Somerville, but as time went by he was beginning to realize that that’s all they were… hopes. Charles had to accept the fact that there was a real possibility that he may never see her again. He was also beginning to realize that no matter how much time passed, he would never get over Laura. His chest tightened at the thought of her. He closed his eyes and could see the smile on her face and how beautiful she looked that day they’d sat by the river with Mary.
So far success had come easily to Charles. In eight short weeks he had managed to build a small business and had even begun to make a name for himself. As the new guy in town, he had attracted a fair bit of attention in the business world, and he had to admit he liked it. Everything was going so well for him, yet he couldn’t imagine being more miserable if he tried.
“You’re going to have to figure out a way to either get over her or get through to her, Charlie. One thing is for sure, you can’t go on like this.” he thought.
Rolling his head over his shoulders he stretched before he began to prepare for the day. He had a jam-packed agenda which consisted of several meetings and a few deadlines that he had to meet. “Lots to do today, Charlie. At least that helps keep your mind off of her.” He thought to himself, as he made his way to the bathroom.
“******************************************************************************
“******************************************************************************
The Headhouse was unlike anything she’d ever seen. Laura felt like a fish out of water as she stood in the midst of a flurry of activity as people came and went around her. “Union Station.” she said to herself. She marveled at the grandness of it all, with its small restaurant, smoke shop, hotel, and… “Oh my! Where do I go to collect my bag?” she wondered.
As Laura made her way to the baggage claim area she felt a giddy feeling come over her. “The Big City,” she thought to herself. “The amount of people in the train station alone is probably more than the entire population of Somerville”. This realization suddenly made her feel very small.
Fighting her nerves, Laura willed her legs to move as she collected her bag and made her way out of the station. As she stepped onto the street she was nearly run down by a streetcar. “Dear Lord.” She muttered under her breath. “What I have I gotten myself into?”
Laura turned and made her way down the street. She had no idea of where she was going, but figured she’d find a hotel somewhere along the way where she could get a room at an affordable rate. “If all else fails…” she said to herself, “you can book a room in the hotel at Union Station for a small fortune.” Absentmindedly she reached in and closed her hand over the small billfold in her pocket. She figured she had enough money to last a few days… after that the only thing of value she’d have left would be the return ticket to Somerville.
Laura could feel the contents of her stomach curdle as a nervous knot formed. “Okay, Laura.” She told herself. “Just follow the plan and see how it goes.”
Her thoughts then drifted once again to Brigitte and the plan they had cooked up together.
===//===
“Oh my goodness, Brie, what am I saying? I can’t do this.”
“Why not?”
“Because I’ve never as much as set foot outside of Somerville in the past fifteen years. I have no idea where to go, what to do... I can’t just show up in St. Louis and walk the streets looking for him. How will I find him?”
Brigitte’s face took on the look she bore whenever she was deep in thought.
“Oh Lord.” Laura groaned. “Whenever you get that look it usually spells trouble for me.”
“Oh don’t be silly, Lore. I have no intention of getting you into trouble this time. I’m just trying to think up a plan for you once you get there.”
“That’s what I’m afraid of.” Laura muttered under her breath.
Ignoring her, Brigitte continued to consider their options. “Let’s think about this a little. What did Charles say he did for a living?”
“He’s in advertising.”
“Advertising. Okay… so then that’s where you start.”
Brigitte began to beat a path back and forth in front of Laura as she gave words to her thoughts. “He must have a client base in St. Louis…” she turned to Laura for confirmation, “… that is where he’s from right?”
Laura hesitated for a moment as she considered this. Yes, Charles had said that he was from St. Louis, but he was from a St. Louis that didn’t exist yet. Well… it existed but not quite in the same way he knew… which meant that he didn’t have a job or a home or a life in St. Louis at all.
A chill ran down her spine at this sudden realization. What if he hadn’t gone to St. Louis when he’d left Somerville? What if he’d decided to start over somewhere else… somewhere far away… a place where he could leave the it all behind him and start fresh? Laura gave her head a quick shake as though to dispel her negative thoughts. “Don’t go there, Laura.” She told herself.
Realizing she’d lost her friend somewhere along the way, Brigitte stopped her pacing and looked at her. “Laura? Are you with me?”
“Yes. Yes I am. And yes, Charles is from St. Louis.”
“Okay, so if he’s in advertising then he would most likely work with or have ads placed in the newspaper… right?”
Laura’s lips curled slightly as she realized the direction Brigitte was going in. “Of course he would. Or at least, he would be somewhat associated with some sort of media. If not the newspaper, then a magazine.”
“Right.” Stated Brigitte with confidence. “So, the first thing you do when you get to St. Louis is find somewhere to stay.” She held her index finger in the air. Springing her middle finger out to join it she added. “Then, you hit the streets. You go to all the papers and ask if they know of him.”
Laura nodded in tentative agreement as she carefully considered this potential form of action. “And if they haven’t heard of him?” she asked.
Brigitte’s forehead creased as her eyebrows borrowed together in deep thought. “Then…” She added carefully, “… if you don’t find someone who knows him or knows of him, you place an ad in the newspaper yourself. I hear it’s done all the time in larger cities. When people are looking for someone they place an ad in the classifieds.”
Laura sat quietly as she considered Brigitte’s idea, playing over all of the potential pitfalls and hurdles that might spring up in her path.
“Look, Lore. I know it isn’t a perfect plan but it’s a start. Honey, you have to do this… you have to try.”
Laura gave her a small smile as she nodded in agreement.
“I know.” She said, as she wrung her hands together nervously.
===//===
“Alright, Laura.” She muttered under her breath. “Let’s find somewhere to stay...”
“******************************************************************************
“******************************************************************************
Charles took a slow sip of his ale as he focused on the streetcar passing by the window. Across from him sat a stocky man in his late forties. Silence filled the air for several moments before Charles finally replied without batting an eyelash. “My client would like nothing more than to advertise in your paper, Mr. Hicks. But, the rate you are asking for is just not in his budget.”
He then returned his gaze to man at his table before continuing. “Surely we can negotiate a better price if, let’s say my client agrees to run several adds over the next few weeks?”
Mr. Hicks focused on the napkin he held in his hand. “Alright, Mr. Lattimer, why don’t you tell me what number you had in mind.”
Just as Charles was about to make his initial offer, his eye caught sight of a woman walking by. His heart leapt in his chest and he could feel his mouth go dry. “Laura.” He said aloud.
Mr. Hicks gave him a puzzled look as he watched Charles spring to his feet and quickly rush from the bar. Out on the street he ran in the direction he’d seen her walking. His eyes scanned the sidewalk but she was nowhere to be seen.
He could faintly hear Mr. Hicks calling after him as the sound of his heart beating rang loudly in his ears. “Laura.” He muttered under his breath.
Then he saw her. “Laura!” he called out as he broke into a full sprint. He watched helplessly as the woman climbed boarded the streetcar, which slowly began to roll away. “Laura!” He called again in desperation.
His heart skipped a beat as he thought he saw her turn her head in response. Was it really her? Had she heard her name and responded? Or was he just seeing things again?
Breathless, Charles wiped away the small beads of moisture that had formed on his forehead as he chastised himself for being a fool. “Oh stop it, Charles!” he told himself, “You’re just seeing things again.” For this was not the first time he thought he’d seen Laura. Although it hadn’t happened in a few weeks, he’d seen her everywhere when he’d first arrived in St. Louis.
He cast Mr. Hicks an apologetic smile. “I am terribly sorry about that.” He said.
“Who was that woman?” Mr. Hicks asked.
Charles’ smile morphed to a sad expression. “Nobody, Mr. Hicks. I thought it was someone I knew but I was mistaken.”
“It’s just a figment of my imagination…” he added silently. “… just wishful thinking.”
“******************************************************************************
“******************************************************************************
Laura heaved a sigh of relief as she set her bag on the floor of her room. She couldn’t believe how tired she was. She’d heard travel did that to a person, but just hadn’t really believed it until that moment.
She eyed the bed as her mind drifted to thoughts of a nap and how nice one would be. “No time for naps.” She said aloud. “You didn’t come here to nap, Laura.”
Her thoughts then drifted to the streetcar and how she was certain she’d heard someone call her name. “You’ve only been here a couple of hours and you’re already losing it.” She scolded herself “Pull it together, Laura.”
Chapter 11 <> Chapter 13
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.
Huge thanks to tayryn for being my beta. Thank so much Tay, you make me look like I actually know what I'm doing!!!
Chapter 12 - A fish out of water
As Laura boarded the train she could feel the nervous excitement wash over her. “Oh Lord, I’m not so sure about this.” She thought, as she settled into her seat and the cars began to roll away from the station. “Sure about it or not, there’s no turning back now.”
She caught one final glimpse of Brigitte through the window and smiled as her friend gave her an encouraging wink. She laughed inwardly at how Brigitte always knew how persuade her to do things. This, however, was perhaps one of the most outrageous things she’d ever allowed her friend to talk her into. Her thoughts drifted back to the day before and how Brigitte had been so convincing.
===//===
“Have you completely lost your mind?” Laura exclaimed, as she looked at Brigitte.
Brigitte gave her a puzzled look. “Well, yes.” She said with a silly grin. “ But I thought that was established years ago.”
“Oh come on, Brie. You know what I mean. This is crazy! I can’t go to St. Louis!”
“And why the heavens not?”
“What do you mean ‘Why not?’. You know why not. I have responsibilities, commitments, things that need tending to.”
“Like…”
“Like the paper. I can’t just take off and leave Fred to take care of everything by himself…”
Brigitte cut her protest short. “Ormond and I will help Fred with whatever he needs.”
Laura moved on to her next excuse. “The house… and the garden needs to be sown...”
“I’m sure Walt can take care of that for you.” Brigitte replied.
“Well yes, but… what about Mary?”
“I’m sure your mother can take care of her.”
Laura shuddered at the mention of her mother.
“Oh my goodness, Brie, my mother will have a heart attack over this.”
“So don’t tell her.”
“What? She’s going to wonder where I am!”
“I don’t mean don’t tell her that you’re going to St. Louis, Silly. I mean don’t tell her you’re going in search of Charles. Tell her its business… tell her… Oh, I know! Tell her you’re thinking of buying a new press for the paper and that you need to visit a few places in St. Louis to shop around and compare prices.”
A small smile crept across Laura’s face. Could she really do this? She wanted to… but…
“Oh, Brie. I couldn’t lie to Mother like that.”
Brigitte simply shrugged her shoulders as she challenged Laura again. “Then tell her the truth. Tell her you’re going to St. Louis to chase down a man. The very man that you sent away a couple of months ago… the same man she just happens to despise… I’m sure she won’t react badly at all!” She said with a hint of sarcasm.
Brigitte allowed a few moments for Laura to respond before she gave her another nudge. “Oh come on, Laura! What have you got to lose? So maybe you get there and you can’t find him and you come home. At least then you know you tried. Otherwise you are going to spend the rest of your life wondering whether you two could have had a life together. Is that what you want?”
As Brigitte studied Laura’s face she could see the tell tale signs of her friend wavering. She pushed a little harder. “Come on, Laura. Just for once throw caution to the wind and do it!”
“Alright!” Laura finally said. “I’ll do it! I’ll leave tomorrow.”
===//===
As the train picked up speed, Laura closed her eyes and said a silent prayer. “Oh, Lord, please help me get through this in one piece.”
“******************************************************************************
“******************************************************************************
Charles scanned the newspaper as he sipped his coffee and nibbled on a tea biscuit. Seeing as he had managed to secure another client he had decided that perhaps it was time to buy a small house instead of staying in the hotel. Yes, he still had hopes of returning to Somerville, but as time went by he was beginning to realize that that’s all they were… hopes. Charles had to accept the fact that there was a real possibility that he may never see her again. He was also beginning to realize that no matter how much time passed, he would never get over Laura. His chest tightened at the thought of her. He closed his eyes and could see the smile on her face and how beautiful she looked that day they’d sat by the river with Mary.
So far success had come easily to Charles. In eight short weeks he had managed to build a small business and had even begun to make a name for himself. As the new guy in town, he had attracted a fair bit of attention in the business world, and he had to admit he liked it. Everything was going so well for him, yet he couldn’t imagine being more miserable if he tried.
“You’re going to have to figure out a way to either get over her or get through to her, Charlie. One thing is for sure, you can’t go on like this.” he thought.
Rolling his head over his shoulders he stretched before he began to prepare for the day. He had a jam-packed agenda which consisted of several meetings and a few deadlines that he had to meet. “Lots to do today, Charlie. At least that helps keep your mind off of her.” He thought to himself, as he made his way to the bathroom.
“******************************************************************************
“******************************************************************************
The Headhouse was unlike anything she’d ever seen. Laura felt like a fish out of water as she stood in the midst of a flurry of activity as people came and went around her. “Union Station.” she said to herself. She marveled at the grandness of it all, with its small restaurant, smoke shop, hotel, and… “Oh my! Where do I go to collect my bag?” she wondered.
As Laura made her way to the baggage claim area she felt a giddy feeling come over her. “The Big City,” she thought to herself. “The amount of people in the train station alone is probably more than the entire population of Somerville”. This realization suddenly made her feel very small.
Fighting her nerves, Laura willed her legs to move as she collected her bag and made her way out of the station. As she stepped onto the street she was nearly run down by a streetcar. “Dear Lord.” She muttered under her breath. “What I have I gotten myself into?”
Laura turned and made her way down the street. She had no idea of where she was going, but figured she’d find a hotel somewhere along the way where she could get a room at an affordable rate. “If all else fails…” she said to herself, “you can book a room in the hotel at Union Station for a small fortune.” Absentmindedly she reached in and closed her hand over the small billfold in her pocket. She figured she had enough money to last a few days… after that the only thing of value she’d have left would be the return ticket to Somerville.
Laura could feel the contents of her stomach curdle as a nervous knot formed. “Okay, Laura.” She told herself. “Just follow the plan and see how it goes.”
Her thoughts then drifted once again to Brigitte and the plan they had cooked up together.
===//===
“Oh my goodness, Brie, what am I saying? I can’t do this.”
“Why not?”
“Because I’ve never as much as set foot outside of Somerville in the past fifteen years. I have no idea where to go, what to do... I can’t just show up in St. Louis and walk the streets looking for him. How will I find him?”
Brigitte’s face took on the look she bore whenever she was deep in thought.
“Oh Lord.” Laura groaned. “Whenever you get that look it usually spells trouble for me.”
“Oh don’t be silly, Lore. I have no intention of getting you into trouble this time. I’m just trying to think up a plan for you once you get there.”
“That’s what I’m afraid of.” Laura muttered under her breath.
Ignoring her, Brigitte continued to consider their options. “Let’s think about this a little. What did Charles say he did for a living?”
“He’s in advertising.”
“Advertising. Okay… so then that’s where you start.”
Brigitte began to beat a path back and forth in front of Laura as she gave words to her thoughts. “He must have a client base in St. Louis…” she turned to Laura for confirmation, “… that is where he’s from right?”
Laura hesitated for a moment as she considered this. Yes, Charles had said that he was from St. Louis, but he was from a St. Louis that didn’t exist yet. Well… it existed but not quite in the same way he knew… which meant that he didn’t have a job or a home or a life in St. Louis at all.
A chill ran down her spine at this sudden realization. What if he hadn’t gone to St. Louis when he’d left Somerville? What if he’d decided to start over somewhere else… somewhere far away… a place where he could leave the it all behind him and start fresh? Laura gave her head a quick shake as though to dispel her negative thoughts. “Don’t go there, Laura.” She told herself.
Realizing she’d lost her friend somewhere along the way, Brigitte stopped her pacing and looked at her. “Laura? Are you with me?”
“Yes. Yes I am. And yes, Charles is from St. Louis.”
“Okay, so if he’s in advertising then he would most likely work with or have ads placed in the newspaper… right?”
Laura’s lips curled slightly as she realized the direction Brigitte was going in. “Of course he would. Or at least, he would be somewhat associated with some sort of media. If not the newspaper, then a magazine.”
“Right.” Stated Brigitte with confidence. “So, the first thing you do when you get to St. Louis is find somewhere to stay.” She held her index finger in the air. Springing her middle finger out to join it she added. “Then, you hit the streets. You go to all the papers and ask if they know of him.”
Laura nodded in tentative agreement as she carefully considered this potential form of action. “And if they haven’t heard of him?” she asked.
Brigitte’s forehead creased as her eyebrows borrowed together in deep thought. “Then…” She added carefully, “… if you don’t find someone who knows him or knows of him, you place an ad in the newspaper yourself. I hear it’s done all the time in larger cities. When people are looking for someone they place an ad in the classifieds.”
Laura sat quietly as she considered Brigitte’s idea, playing over all of the potential pitfalls and hurdles that might spring up in her path.
“Look, Lore. I know it isn’t a perfect plan but it’s a start. Honey, you have to do this… you have to try.”
Laura gave her a small smile as she nodded in agreement.
“I know.” She said, as she wrung her hands together nervously.
===//===
“Alright, Laura.” She muttered under her breath. “Let’s find somewhere to stay...”
“******************************************************************************
“******************************************************************************
Charles took a slow sip of his ale as he focused on the streetcar passing by the window. Across from him sat a stocky man in his late forties. Silence filled the air for several moments before Charles finally replied without batting an eyelash. “My client would like nothing more than to advertise in your paper, Mr. Hicks. But, the rate you are asking for is just not in his budget.”
He then returned his gaze to man at his table before continuing. “Surely we can negotiate a better price if, let’s say my client agrees to run several adds over the next few weeks?”
Mr. Hicks focused on the napkin he held in his hand. “Alright, Mr. Lattimer, why don’t you tell me what number you had in mind.”
Just as Charles was about to make his initial offer, his eye caught sight of a woman walking by. His heart leapt in his chest and he could feel his mouth go dry. “Laura.” He said aloud.
Mr. Hicks gave him a puzzled look as he watched Charles spring to his feet and quickly rush from the bar. Out on the street he ran in the direction he’d seen her walking. His eyes scanned the sidewalk but she was nowhere to be seen.
He could faintly hear Mr. Hicks calling after him as the sound of his heart beating rang loudly in his ears. “Laura.” He muttered under his breath.
Then he saw her. “Laura!” he called out as he broke into a full sprint. He watched helplessly as the woman climbed boarded the streetcar, which slowly began to roll away. “Laura!” He called again in desperation.
His heart skipped a beat as he thought he saw her turn her head in response. Was it really her? Had she heard her name and responded? Or was he just seeing things again?
Breathless, Charles wiped away the small beads of moisture that had formed on his forehead as he chastised himself for being a fool. “Oh stop it, Charles!” he told himself, “You’re just seeing things again.” For this was not the first time he thought he’d seen Laura. Although it hadn’t happened in a few weeks, he’d seen her everywhere when he’d first arrived in St. Louis.
He cast Mr. Hicks an apologetic smile. “I am terribly sorry about that.” He said.
“Who was that woman?” Mr. Hicks asked.
Charles’ smile morphed to a sad expression. “Nobody, Mr. Hicks. I thought it was someone I knew but I was mistaken.”
“It’s just a figment of my imagination…” he added silently. “… just wishful thinking.”
“******************************************************************************
“******************************************************************************
Laura heaved a sigh of relief as she set her bag on the floor of her room. She couldn’t believe how tired she was. She’d heard travel did that to a person, but just hadn’t really believed it until that moment.
She eyed the bed as her mind drifted to thoughts of a nap and how nice one would be. “No time for naps.” She said aloud. “You didn’t come here to nap, Laura.”
Her thoughts then drifted to the streetcar and how she was certain she’d heard someone call her name. “You’ve only been here a couple of hours and you’re already losing it.” She scolded herself “Pull it together, Laura.”
Chapter 11 <> Chapter 13
Previous Chapters