Frontier General Store

Charlestown

Jax eyes the comings and goings of the railway station. Even with the onset of winter, the trains would be running but even less likely to keep their schedule than the rest of the year. There's a train coming thru with a package he is expecting from St. Louis. This time of the year it was mostly freight going thru heading down to California or over to Oregon.

The manager of the depot comes out to stand next to Jax. "Mr. Jacks, the train left the Helena station on time." He pulls out his watch from his vest pocket and flips open the top. Course saying something is on time meant the train would probably show up today and if it didn't then they'd have to go looking for what was holding them up.

"Good to know." Jax agrees with a nod. He shrugs his shoulders. "I'll be over at Jake's." He moves off. The station manager looks up the tracks and then down at his watch again.

Meanwhile Hannah Scott and Jane Jacks walk together down to the General Store. Christmas is coming and each has a few little odd and ends things to get done. Most of the presents had already been made but maybe there would be something there to strike their fancy. Not that there was anything different there than there had been the day before. Or the day before that but it at least got them out of the boardinghouse. That was the nice thing about living in town, winter had yet to take them in it's icy grip but even then there are plenty of people to share it with. Not like out in the valley with the homesteaders... actually even the valley might not be so bad but the three days in between could be life and death with a change in the wind direction.

"I did paint some canvases that I haven't stitched. But it's not something the boys would be interested in." Jane says aloud. She sighs. "The boys are really so difficult to buy for. It was so much easier when they were babies and a penny's worth of candy, a game and new socks made the holiday."

"Yes." Hannah agrees absently. It's not like she actually knew. Her husband's children lived with their mother's family. Baldwin Scott had little luck with wives having lost two and divorced the last. The last wife had bundled up their two girls and headed back to the bosom of her family down in Texas. Hannah never seen the sense of that after all you had to be married to somebody. Had thought that Lucy had been crazy to leave a fine pillar of the community like Baldwin but marriage had cured her of that. Lucy was still crazy of course. Baldwin wasn't abusive. He didn't lay a finger in anger on his wife. Marriage definitely isn't what it was cracked up to be. She isn't just married to Baldwin but to the boarding house as well and business is booming. There's only one room left empty and she'd just as soon it stayed so just for emergencies or real company. There might still be a chance the folks in the valley might make a trip over. That Cassadine fella had a sleigh. It wasn't impossible.

"It's Jax really who is the problem." Jane continues to speak not knowing the turmoil going on in her companion's thoughts. "Jerry and John I've already made them some nice fresh shirts... and I had time to order from back east. Everything for them is stowed away and ready for Christmas morning. But Jax..." Jane sighs. "He always has been difficult."

Hannah breaks from her own concerns and gives her attention to Jane. "Perhaps something for the new homestead. For when you break ground in Spring."

"Yes, I suppose that will have to do. Although Jax did tell me that there would be a train today from back east. I was hoping that it would have already arrived and there would be a chance at a new selection at the General Store."

"Maybe tomorrow when we take our morning constitutional." Hannah suggests.

"Maybe tomorrow."

At the boardinghouse, Jerry Jacks and Baldwin Scott are out behind the house. Each one has a hand on the saw and are making short work of cutting logs to lengths for the fireplaces and woodstove of the boarding house. John is nearby splitting the logs into manageable chunks. The boarding house goes thru a lot of firewood. There's a fire going at all times in the kitchen and then in the front parlor as well. The Jacks, since deciding to spend the winter in Charlestown, have been quick to help out around the boarding house. Jerry and John are used to long hard days and sitting around watching the snow fall isn't their cuppa at all.

"Take it easy, Da." Jerry warns his father watching his color. John is dangerously flushed.

"Mind your own fingers and thumbs, Jere." John demands with a pant as he brings the ax over his head and down on the hapless log splitting it skillfully into two. "And I'll mind mine."

"I do appreciate your help with this." Baldwin times his words with each stroke of the saw.

"Mum would never forgive me if I didn't." Jerry grins. "Idle hands and all that."

John snorts at that one. True enough. If Jerry didn't find something to do... then something would find him. It was always the way. The sound of a whistle blowing halts all of them. "Guess Jax is going to get that package he was so concerned about off the train after all."

West bound train.

"Pulling into Charlestown, Montana. We'll be stopping here to refill on water, coal and supplies before continuing West to Seattle. Go ahead and stretch your legs if you like but stay close. The next train won't be going west for another week." The conductor keeps moving, keeps repeating his message as he moves up the car and to the front of the train. The train is a long one with both passenger cars and freight.

"Is this it, Mama?" A young man asks curiously out of his seat and craning to get a view from the window. "But there is nothing here. Not like a real city. The conductor said it was a town. That isn't a town. St. Louis is a town."

"St. Louis is a city, darling. And the last we'll see for quite some time. And I'm counting my blessings that the train even stops in Charlestown. When I left this frozen hellhole it was by stagecoach."

"Mother, please, your language." A fancy man grimaces at the woman's language and then starts gathering the items that had been stretched over the seats that they had made their own over the lengthy trip from St. Louis and before that New York City. How she had ever managed to attract his father he would never know with her rough around the edges manner and her braying laugh. But maybe her family's money had had something to do with it. But even that hadn't held his father's interest for long. He'd moved on to another-- as had his mother. Boarding school had kept him from seeing the worst of his mother's hard earned ill reputation although there had been plenty who'd been willing to tell him all about it.

"Shut up, Ned. Spend three months here and you'll be finding frozen hellhole to be kind moniker." Tracy Quartermaine Ashton Hornsby proclaims bitterly. "And if it weren't for you we wouldn't even be in this position to come back to my father with hat in hand. If you hadn't invested in that damn vaudeville show with the last of my funds."

"They owe you, Mother." Ned states flatly.

"I hope that isn't what you're planning on announcing, Ned. The Old Man will not tolerate it." Tracy says nervously. When she'd left she'd been a young woman and her dowry had been significant. And she hadn't been back since. There had been a few letters, a couple of telegraphs but no communication of substance. Her parents don't even know about Dylan. Tracy runs a maternal hand over Dylan's hair making sure it's tidy. Mother had already been house bound when she'd married Lord Ashton, Ned's father. And the fat had been in the fire then. Edward had no use for Ashton thinking him only after the Quartermaine fortune. Not that there had been much of a fortune back then... just more than anyone else in Montana. And of course her father had been right. He was always right.

"Why do you call your papa The Old Man?" Dylan asks curiously. While he was his mother's baby and a later in life surprise Dylan is actually about ten.

"Everyone does, darling." Tracy says absently. She glances down at the time piece pinned to the front of her coat and then checks the placement of the sun in the sky. "We're going to have to seek accommodations for the evening and then head out to the ranch in the morning." Ned nods in agreement. "That useless Irish had better have our bags ready."

"I'll check." Ned rises to his feet.

"Sit down. We don't have time for you to be diddling the help, Ned." Tracy states flatly. "We'll be pulling into the station in a matter of minutes. Either Flynn will have them packed or she'll be seeking another position."

Jakes.

Jason hears the train whistle but ignores it. He'd already done the books. There is a coffee and a whiskey in front of him. He had things on his mind. Grandmother would never forgive him if he didn't show up for Christmas and stay until the New Year at least. She always hoped for a huge snowstorm before he left in January that would keep him on the ranch until February. He'd been putting it off and putting it off. Not seeing Grandmother, if it was only that then he'd already have made his way.
Even the Old Man didn't bother him anymore. They got along fine. The Old Man left him to run the cattle and Jason could give a fig for whatever the Old Man was doing. It was the parents that were the actual problem. Drs. Alan and Monica Quartermaine had never been able to get over the fact that he wasn't going to be a doctor. Had no desire to be a doctor. Had no desire to hear about them lamenting the loss of their son, the doctor.
Besides he's feeling a fierce tug to head out to the valley. Another might lie to himself and say it was to check on Dara and see how she was doing but not him. Caroline Spencer had gotten under his skin and there was no way he was going to wait until the spring cattle drive to see her again.

The train whistle had set the place to jumping as the girls race upstairs to make sure they look their best for the fresh blood in town. Jake polishes up the bar and looks over to the small stage and sighs. It just wasn't the same without Dara. She'd even made that fumble fingered piano player sound good. Without her here it was a regular battle to keep the piano player alive. "Jason, I have to stick here. Figure it's going to be busy but could you go down to the station and make arrangements for whatever deliveries...."

Jason shrugs and straightens from away from the bar. "Yeah, what the hell." He tosses back the shot of whiskey and chases it with the coffee. He winces at the thick black bitter brew. "I'll take care of it."

Down at the train depot the train has pulled in and only one party has disembarked but it is taking some time for the freight to be unloaded and passengers taken on.

"I need some information please." Ned asks of the man in charge.

While keeping a close eye on the freight being loaded into wagons, the man nods. "What can I do for you?"

"We will need accommodations for the evening and then transportation to the Quartermaine... ranch in the morning."

At the name Quartermaine the man looks over at the entire party. He squints in their direction and then asks in disbelief. "Miss Tracy?"

"I see The Old Man has moved you out from the ranch to town." Tracy says wryly. Perhaps it's a compliment that she's recognized after all these years. A sign that birthing the boys hadn't cost her her girlish figure.

"The Accommodations?" Ned interrupts.

"Baldwin Scott's got a place. Think he was around before you left." The manager keeps talking to Tracy. "It's right up the way over there. It's the most established boarding house. Charlestown still isn't big enough to have a hotel proper but we get by. Tracy Quartermaine as a I live and breathe." The man shakes his head. "You've been missed around these parts."

"I'm sure you managed to find a way to keep things lively."

"Well Miss Emmie and Jason do their best to twist the Old Man's tail but nobody could ever do it like you."

"And they are?" Tracy asks derisively.

That causes a frown. "They're Doc Alan's kids. Them and AJ-- Alan junior. The Old Man has pretty much split things up with those three kids. Not that AJ or Jason are kids mind you but you know what I mean. AJ runs the mines, Jason runs the ranch and well Miss Emmie she's been running the bloodstock for a few years now 'cept for that while she was back east. Frees up The Old Man to keep his hands in the politics over in Helena."

Tracy runs a hand over Dylan's shoulder. Her youngest is distracted by the activity of the offloading. over my dead body will my children not have their share. "It will be good to see my brother again. The Old Man too."

Three days later over in the valley. The sound of horse bells announce the arrival of someone from outside the valley. Zander who had been carefully walking the property, using the cane provided by Miss Natasha, spots the horse drawn sleigh. This is a more functional sleigh than the Cassadine's though. It is a wagon box on runners. And from the look of things it was digging in to the hard base of packed snow. According to Mrs. Hardy this was the interesting time of year when one could never be sure if they would need a sled or a wagon and that made transportation difficult. Wagon wheels broke when packed with snow and the metal of the wheels just seemed to act as a magnet to the powdery stuff. Stefan Cassadine and Edward Quartermaine had found that one out. Zander opens the gate once he recognizes the driver. Jason Morgan. "Did you pass Roscoe on your way to the valley?"

Jason frowns and once the gate is closed waits for Zander to climb in beside him for the short ride up to the Hardy's. "No, why?"

Zander sighs. "He left the Cassadines the day before the snow fall. Guess this means we should probably go looking for him."

Jason snorts. "Wait til spring. It's a bitch to bury anyone in the winter that's why we always dig a few holes in the fall."

Zander turns around to the tarp covered box behind them. "You playing Old Saint Nick?"

Shrugging. "Heading out this way anyway. Might as well save the manager's son at the General Store a trip out here to deliver everything for the valley that came off the train."

Audrey comes out on the front porch of the cabin her wool shawl wrapped around her. "Mr. Morgan. It's a pleasure to see you."

"Ma'am." Jason tips his hat. "The store has had plenty of practice now in arranging loads for the valley." Jason sets the brake on the sleigh and goes around to the back. He unfastens the tarp. The things to the back were for the Hardy's. Jason grunts as he reefs the large steamer trunk off of the back of the box and carries it up onto the porch and then pauses just long enough for Audrey to race around him to open the door. Jason plants the trunk in the middle of the floor and steps back.

"Oh my. It's from my son, Tom and his family. The girls will be so pleased." Audrey reads the return address on the trunk.

Zander comes in with a few odds and ends of parcels that were actually from the mail order houses back east and the regular mail.

"There some in the wagon for you too." Jason tells Zander. "It's just further up the wagon cause the manager's son packed things by the way the homesteads are laid out."

Elizabeth and Sarah come in to the cabin in time to hear Zander's answer. "Might as well leave it on the wagon. I'll be back at my place next week. If you don't mind, I'll go with you up the valley. I need to check on my place anyway. Haven't been up there much since the Jacks left to head back to town."

Sarah blanches at that but doesn't say anything. There's nothing to say. Zander probably could have left for his place already. He was out of the splint and walking with the cane. Gram had talked him into staying for Christmas but she'd known all along he was going to head back before the new year. It's just that it hit all of a sudden. Next week Zander wouldn't be here. They'd be back to getting together for Sunday dinners... weather permitting.

"Sarah! It's from Uncle Tom and his family. I wonder what they sent out." Liz distracts Sarah from her thoughts.

"We probably shouldn't open it until Christmas." Sarah says absently. She makes eye contact with Zander and neither of them look away.

"Well if you're coming then lets get going. I need to check in on Dara..." and Carly. Jason finally drops into the long silence.

Zander and Jason leave for the Taggart's place.

Audrey comes up behind Sarah who has turned away to hang up her coat and scarf on the peg by the door. "You knew this day was coming, darling."

Sarah turns around with a frozen smile on her face. "Of course. It's what Zander wants after all-- to succeed out here. I would never stand in his way."

The sweet sounds of Christmas carols comes from the Taggart Cabin along with the smell of cookies baking. Marcus is out in the barn making sure that everything is ship shape and avoiding going into the cabin. Course there is nothing he'd like better than going in there but the temptation was getting to him. Temptation he couldn't give in to. Not after the promise he'd made to his mother before she and Gia had gone over to the Quartermaine spread to pick up a couple of days work over the holidays. Edward Quartermaine had come up with a price that had made the sacrifice worthwhile.
The Old Man had been convinced with the intervention of the Taggart women that he'd finally have a real holiday-- not the botched tradition of a Quartermaine Thanksgiving. Gia's eyes had already been calculating what they would do with the compensation by her figuring it would be enough for an iron pump for the well he was going to definitely be digging come spring and all the iron needed to put together the new barn that she'd been drawing plans. It had seemed a simple promise to make. A simple promise to keep.
After all he'd been around women he wasn't allowed to touch all his life.

The sound of the bells on the horses harness brings Marcus out of the barn and Dara out of the cabin.

"Jason!" Dara calls out cheerfully as she wraps her shawl around her. "I thought you'd be holed up at Jakes by now."

Jason grimaces. He pulls the sleigh to a stop in front of the cabin and sets the break. "Have to do the holiday thing or Lila will skin me."

"Miss Lila would never." Dara counters before continuing. "Although I'm sure she could try to guilt you to the point of falling on your bowie."

Jason snorts. "Yeah, that about covers it." He and Zander climb out of the sleigh and Jason goes around to the back and undoes the tarp. "Got some mail and a couple of the girls sent along a note checking up on ya."

"And probably seeing if I had an inside track on getting some of Miz Laura's lavender soaps." Dara says wryly as she takes the packet of letters from Jason. She sees the note from Miss Kitty Bell on the top. "Yep. That's about the only reason I know of that Kitty would be corresponding with me." Dara shakes her head and moves that letter to the bottom of the pile and instead opens Lorraine's.

"Figured Gia and Miz Flo would be out here by now." Zander asks curiously.

"Working over the Quartermaines for the holiday." Marcus replies.

"Really." Jason looks from Dara to Marcus.

It's a good kitchen just as fine as Miz Hannah's at the boarding house. Flo looks around the Quartermaine kitchen; it had taken her awhile but she'd gotten her bearings. You could tell it had been expanded and expanded again over time. The Quartermaines had been out on the Montana frontier since back in the Indian days coming on out with the trappers but never moving on. At one point the kitchen had probably been the whole of their cabin but it had been built over as the family had expanded, as the holdings had expanded. And knowing that an outfit ran on it's stomach there had been no making do. And the Quartermaine cook might be a fussy one but there was plenty of provisions put up. There was nothing lacking there either.
There would be two different Christmas dinners one for the family and guests and then one for all the hands down at the bunkhouse. And the Quartermaine numbers had grown by three with the addition of the long absent daughter, Tracy. Now Flo isn't one to gossip but she isn't deaf. And since Tracy's return the old stories had resurfaced. There had evidently been good reason for Miz Tracy to head east and stay there. But that is a never you mind.

Gia comes into the kitchen buried under a mound of dresses. Evidently all the ladies were going to wear their finest to the Christmas Dinner and they all needed pressing. "Better put the iron on the stove, mama." Gia says wryly as she drops the dresses in basket in the corner. If she'd known when she was going to make the beds that she would be picking up this chore at the same time she would have taken the basket with her. Flo gives Gia a look. "I know. I know. But the money is worth it."

Emily comes into the kitchen. "Gia, I don't care what my mother says. Just put my dress to the bottom of that pile and if you don't get to it that is just fine with me. Fact is if you want to leave the iron sitting right on it right in the front that would be a blessing so I won't have this fight every single holiday. Wow! So this is what the kitchen looks like." Em looks around curiously. "Normally cook won't let us in and that is fine with me since I'd rather be out anyway. Where is Flynn?" Em realizes that someone is missing.

"Took Miz Tracy her breakfast tray." Flo informs.

Em looks out the window toward the sun about as high as it's gonna get in the December sky. "Breakfast. Right. Is there anything I can do to help?"

Flo looks at the way that Emily is dressed and half frowns. "Were you serious about rather being out and about?"

"Please give me an outside chore." Emily pleads. "You want firewood split? Go dig something out of the root cellar? I am your girl."

"I was just thinking that if y'all want a turkey or goose for Christmas dinner then you'd best get one hanging."

"Yes! I'm on it." Emily ducks back out the kitchen door and goes to get her gun. The Quartermaines hadn't bothered with penning a fowl for the holiday dinner so if there was going to be one it was gonna be a wild one. This could take awhile.

At the Spencer homestead the holiday packages come from Laura's sister Amy and The Spencer's Aunt Ruby. Laura and Bobbie take possession of the trunks, calling upon Zander and Jason to assist them in getting them up into Luke and Laura's room in the loft area of the cabin. Like the Hardy's gift the far flung family members had realized that the trunks in themselves would be presents and could be used for storage. With Laura and Bobbie distracted by the offerings, Carly is quick to offer refreshments to keep the guys from moving on to Zander's cabin. "You must have passed Uncle Luke he's um... out hunting."

Zander grins at that. Luke is out at the still. "And Lucky?"

"Getting a present for the Hardy's. He shouldn't take him long. Although you might consider it a present for you too, Zander."

"What's that?" Zander asks curiously.

"Lucky found some mistletoe up in the trees."

"Ah." Zander grins again. Yep, Lucky was definitely on his Christmas list this year.

Carly sees Jason starting to get ready to leave and makes a quick decision. The only kind that would work. "Mama?" Carly calls up not looking away from Jason. "I'm going to see Miz Tasha up at the Cassadines see how things are going there. I'll be back before dark." Then before Bobbie can say yea or nay Carly practically shoves Zander and Jason out the door grabbing her coat and hat as she goes.

Gia carefully hangs the fancy dress in the wardrobe in the room being used by Tracy Quartermaine Ashton Hornsby. It was perfect and it had been a pain to get it just so. Dr. Monica's had been easier and Miz Lila's had been a piece of cake considering that she liked to keep her simple housecoats even if they were in the nicest of fabrics. Only Em's dress was left to do, then the men's fancy collars and cuffs. That wouldn't take long. Gia straightens with a squeak when she feels a hand being entirely too familiar with her posterior. She turns around swiftly.

"Mother is with Grandmother; we've got some time... You aren't Faith."

"No, sir; I am not." Gia retorts sharply wanting to ask how Tracy's son could ever confuse her with the yellow haired Irish that served as Tracy's maid but figuring that would be rude. "Excuse me, sir. I need to be about my duties."

Ned blocks the door shut with a firm hand. "You're not really in that much of a hurry are you? I can think of a few things to do to while away the hours. You really are a pretty little thing."

Gia backs away from him. This is actually the first time this had happened here in Montana but unfortunately not the first time it had happened. She barely started her monthly the first time she'd gotten cornered back in Alabama. It had been one of the major reasons why the family had moved to Montana. She curses herself for getting into this position, of letting her guard down. "Thank you, sir. If you'll excuse me I'll go find Flynn for you."

Ned steps away from the door as if to let Gia leave but as soon as she gets next to the door blocks her in and surrounds her. "No need for that, you'll do just fine." He brushes a thumb over Gia's cheek. "I bet you taste as sweet as chocolate."

"I'm expected downstairs."

"They can wait."

Gia reaches for the door and manages to get it open a bit before Ned slams it shut again. The sound has managed to draw attention though.

The door opens from the hallway side. AJ takes in the situation in a glance and his jaw tightens. "Gia, your mother is looking for you downstairs."

"I'm on my way." Gia pauses briefly by AJ. "Thanks." She says quietly.

AJ nods but doesn't take his eyes off his cousin. Ned rolls his eyes and sighs. There would be time enough later for samples. While Flynn was a creative little thing she'd started to get... clingy. "Junior." Ned says derisively.

"Don't do that again." AJ says flatly. "Ever."

"What on earth you are talking about?" Ned shrugs. "Unless perhaps I was stepping on your toes, cousin."

"I have no idea what's it like where you're from but out here we normally take a minute or two to check out the lay of the land before barging in. Saves on misunderstandings."

"And you don't take your own counsel." Ned reminds AJ. "Perhaps you are the one misunderstanding. Perhaps your little black dove isn't happy with you."

AJ slowly smiles and shakes his head. "I should just let you keep yapping. And if it wouldn't piss Gia off I would."

"Who cares what the maid thinks?! Who would believe her anyway?"

"Her mother."

Over in the valley, Carly reaches over and puts a hand on Jason's arm. "Stop."

"Right here?"

"Right now." They'd left from Zander's place and are in a sheltered spot that is out of the view of either of the homesteads. Zander had stayed behind at his place to work on putting away the items the Jacks had sent along to replace what they'd used.

Jason sets the brake and reaches for Carly pulling her close. His gloved hand goes to her chin and tilts her head back to receive his kiss. Only the need to breathe brings his head back up and then his wind comes in gasps. "I've missed you. I don't know why." Jason's voice is colored by the bewilderment in his own actions. "But I did, I do."

"Don't be gone so long. I don't think I could handle it again." Carly reaches for the front of Jason's coat fisting it in her hand as she pulls him to her again. They are soon frustrated by all the clothing between the two of them.

"Winter is a bitch." Jason mutters finally pulling Carly into his lap and reaching up under her skirts.

"Not having a place of our own is a bitch and always having to sneak around when all I want..." Carly looks away and falls silent. Carly pushes Jason's hands away and sits down next to him on the bench seat of the sleigh. "I'm not some kind of sporting gal you know. I don't go flipping my skirts up for every good looking guy. And if I were looking for a smooth talker..."

"It wouldn't have been me." Jason interjects wryly.

"But it is you." Carly looks at him seriously. "Just you."

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