This is the final Chapter. Please note that there are some similarities to this story and Second Chances.

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The mystery persons POV

I don't know how long I sat at the end of Heartland's drive. It could have been at least 3 hours maybe even more. I was trying to work up the courage to go up there to walk up and knock on the door. To say how sorry I was for messing up the way I did. For being stupid enough to leave.

Would they hate me? If the roles were reversed would anyone have done the things I did? Even if I was protecting them would they forgive me?

What was I going to say when they asked me why? Why I abandoned them. Why I didn't tell anyone what happened. Why I disappeared. I rehearsed my response to each of these questions, then gathered all of my courage and drove up the drive.

I parked my truck and looked up at the Christmas lights though Caleb had put them up crooked they didn't look bad if you closed one eye and squinted with the other. They looked fine. As I quietly opened the door I could hear the laughter coming from the living room. From the angle I was standing at I could see most of the room. Maybe I should just wait until everyone leaves and talk to my family then. "Stop stalling Jack!" I told myself.

I gathered up all of my courage and walked in to the room cringing when all eyes turned to me.

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Amy looked at Jack in shock. "Grandpa?"

Jack looked around the room at his family. "Before you say anything, I have an explanation."

Lisa looked at him angrily. "It better be a dammed good one." She stood up and walked to the back door pausing to grab shoes and a coat, slamming the door hard behind her.

Lou still in shock from Jack's appearance looked at him. "You better go after her. But don't think you are off the hook. When you get back you better explain everything."

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Lisa stood on the porch tears streaming down her face. She herd the door open then close and Jack's footsteps on the porch as he walked up behind her. "Lisa."

"Jack. You left you could have told me whatever it was that made you leave. But you left. You faked your death and left. Do you have any idea what happened to your family after you left. Amy w-"

"Lisa." Jack cut her off. "Do you want me to explain or not."

"Start explaining."

"A while back I was at the bank in Calgary and these guys walked in and shot three of the tellers then walked out. The cops caught them but they suspected that they were part of a gang. I along with 3 others agreed to testify so they offed me witness protection but I refused so did one other guy. Then that guy turned up dead and his wife was missing, two days later they found her body. I didn't want that to happen to you. The wreck with Amy wasn't planed but worked well into my story. I became Jon Bents a fisherman up north near Alaska. Then yesterday I was told that the deaths of the husband and wife were unrelated to the trial so I came home."

Lisa looked at him. "Jack-" She didn't finish her sentence, Jack kissed her and then pulled her into a hug. Her tears staining his shirt.

"Lisa. We'd better go in before your tears freeze on your face." Jack brushed the tears off her face with his finger.

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Amy looked at Lou. "What do you think they're saying?"

Lou jumped when Lisa raised her voce loud enough to be heard.

*"Jack. You left you could have told me whatever it was that made you leave. But you left. You faked your death and left. Do you have any idea what happened to your family after you left."* Lisa's voice could be heard from the porch

"Something likes that." Lou said.

The room was silent for some time then suddenly the door opened and Jack and Lisa walked through shivering from the cold. Jack sat down and began to explain once again why he had left.

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Amy woke up the next morning to find that most everyone had fallen asleep in the living room. Though Tim Janice and Scot had gone home at about midnight the night before, Lou, Peter, Ty, Lorie, Ben, Lisa, Jack Melissa, Michael, and herself had fallen asleep in the living room at one point. She looked around at her family Lou and Peter where asleep on the couch. Ty had fallen asleep next to her on the floor, Michael, Melissa and Ben where asleep on the floor as well. Lorie was asleep in one chair, Jack and Lisa in the other. Amy smiled at the happy ending she would get to put in her journals. It had been rough recently but she had pulled through and her family where together and happy once again.

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The Happy END! If anyone thought I really would have killed Jack. He is my favorite character I would NEVER kill him. Now Chase, Blare, Kit, or yes maybe Peter, I could do so.

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I have finished I hope you all liked it. I will now be putting my time into my story Second Chances.

Libby