The Mountie's Daughter(A When Calls the Heart fanfic)

Chapter 1

Jack Thornton rode into Coal Valley on a horse. His daughter, Mary Alice, was behind him. And the horse was pulling a small wagon that held their bags and a wheelchair. Jack stopped in front of the saloon.

"We'll get a room at the saloon and get you settled in before I go over to look at the jailhouse." He said as he lifted Mary Alice off the horse and placed her into the wheelchair.

Mary Alice nodded.

They headed into the saloon and over to the bar keep.

"What can I do for you?" The bar keep asked.

"Can I get a room for the two of us?" Jack asked.

"For how long?" The bar keep asked.

"Until we find a more permanent place." Jack answered.

The bar keep handed him a key. Jack looked between Mary Alice and the stairs.

"How about I set you up with something to eat and you hang out down here until I get back." Jack said, pulling some money out of his pocket and getting a meal for Mary Alice. He set her at a table. "I'll be back in a little bit." He kissed the top of her head.

Mary Alice smiled at her father as he left. She separated her food on the plate because she didn't like them touching.

As she ate, a woman came in. It was Elizabeth Thatcher. The new school teacher.

"Hello." Elizabeth greeted. "Are you here for school?"

Mary Alice shook her head.

"Where are your parents?" Elizabeth asked.

Mary Alice made a writing motion.

Elizabeth grabbed a piece of paper and a pencil.

Mary Alice started drawing a picture. Drawing pictures were how Mary Alice communicated, so she was very good at drawing. She drew a picture of a jailhouse building and a man walking towards it.

"Are your parents in jail?" Elizabeth asked.

Mary Alice shook her and drew some more. She drew things on the man to indicate his profession.

"Is your father a Mountie?" Elizabeth asked.

Mary Alice nodded and pointed to the jailhouse.

"Oh. Is he at the jailhouse?" Elizabeth asked.

Mary Alice pointed to her plate and took a bite.

"And left you here to eat breakfast." Elizabeth finished.

Mary Alice nodded, again.

"What's your name?" Elizabeth asked.

Mary Alice thought about what she could draw and drew a couple things. She grew a couple getting married at an altar to indicate "Mary." A girl and a rabbit like "Alice in Wonderland" to indicate "Alice." A thorn bush to indicate "Thorn." She circled each thorn, ten of them to indicate "Ton."

Mary Alice pointed to the couple.

"A married couple?" Elizabeth asked.

Mary Alice nodded her head at "married."

"Mary?" Elizabeth asked. "Then there's a girl and a rabbit. But, I'm not sure what it means."

Mary Alice added some things to the drawing. "The girl is going down a hole and there's a book." Elizabeth continued. "Oh. Alice in Wonderland. Alice?"

Mary Alice nodded.

Elizabeth looked back at the drawing. "A bush?" She asked.

Mary Alice pointed to the thorns. "Thorns. And there's ten of them." Elizabeth continued. "Mary Alice Thornton?"

Mary Alice nodded and smiled. "That's a beautiful name." Elizabeth said. "I'm  Elizabeth Thatcher. I'm the new schoolteacher here."

Mary Alice pointed to her meal and took a bite.

"You're welcome to continue eating and sit in here while I teach." Elizabeth said. "You can listen to the lesson, if you'd like." The young girl smiled.

As Mary Alice continued to eat and school started, they heard a whistle go off. Some of the kids ran out of the saloon.

"Boys and girls, please don't run off." Elizabeth called after them. "Come back here!"

"Mrs. Thatcher?" A girl said.

"Yes?" Elizabeth said.

"You shouldn't stop them." The girl explained. "The whistle means they found more Daddy's at the mines."

"Everyone follow me." Elizabeth said.

Mary Alice followed behind everyone. Before coming here, her father had her that this town had suffered a mining accident and a bunch of men were killed.

When they got to the mine, a plank of wood was held up. But, Mary Alice didn't know what it said as she didn't know how to read. She did notice that there some people that were upset.

Just then, her father came riding up on his horse and calmed everyone down.

As everyone left the mines, Jack noticed his daughter. He got off his his horse and took the reins, so he could push the wheelchair and guide his horse.

That evening, Jack and Mary Alice were in their room at the saloon. Mary Alice tapped her father.

"What is it?" Jack asked.

Mary Alice patted the wood table in the room.

"The table?" Jack asked. "What about it?"

Mary Alice shook her head. There was a piece of wood on the floor.

"I can throw it away, so it doesn't get stuck in the wheels." Jack said as he picked it up.

Mary Alice sighed.

"Okay. I can see you're getting frustrated." Jack said as he looked for paper and paper. "Why don't you draw out what you're trying to say."

Mary Alice drew the scene from earlier. She drew an arrow towards the plank of wood.

"We don't know who it belongs to yet." Jack replied. "Hopefully, we'll figure it out."

Mary Alice shook her head and drew a scribble on the plank.

"Oh. You want to know what it had written on it?" Jack asked.

Mary Alice nodded.

"It said 'Forgive Me, Pa.'" Jack answered.

Mary Alice sighed again.

"I know it's frustrating for you." Jack said. "Hopefully we can get you some schooling here and they'll be willing to help you."

Mary Alice nodded.

"But for now, it's time for bed." Jack said he lifted her out of the chair and into the bed, tucking her in. "Goodnight sweetheart." He said, kissing her forehead. "Sweet dreams."

Mary Alice soon fell asleep.

AN: Ultimately, I'm going for that Mary Alice has autism. She doesn't speak or walk. And considering this show takes place in the 1910s, most doctors would say she's "developmentally retarted."