AUTHOR'S NOTE.

This is my 2009 NaNoWriMo [National Novel Writing Month - if you don't know what it is google the website. ;) haha.] novel! Therefore... there is ABSOLUTELY NO EDITING DONE TO THIS!

I'm using fanfiction to back up all my documents in case something were to happen to my poor little laptop during November. I figured I might as well let people know what was being written, and come December when I start to edit it, I figured any reviews I get would be helpful!

So, please be nice about your reviews. I KNOW this is very un-polished. There will most likely be spelling mistakes [I made sure to turn spellcheck OFF for NaNoWriMo!] and grammar mistakes [I'm trying my hardest to NOT re-read what I've written]. So, read this with the full understanding that there will be a lot of craptastic writing in here! haha. :)

With that being said... I hope you enjoy.

Prologue

The rainy New England day fit Lacey Jefferson's mood perfectly. Her husband Jonah was about ready to join the wagon train to California. He wanted to work the mines! She ran her hands through her long blonde hair before wrestling it into Jonah's favorite up do. Lacey looked at herself in the mirror, hardly believing that she was already twenty four years old. Twenty four, and about to become a California widow. That's what they were calling the women these days, wasn't it? When their husbands would run off to chase the gold, these women were left alone as if they were widows. Widows because of California and that darn gold rush. Lacey was quite happy with their station in life, and couldn't understand why Jonah had to leave them to make it better. She could only hope she wouldn't become a widow in the true sense of the word before she and Jonah were both at a ripe old age. In their mid eighties, at least!

"Mother! Will you do my hair too?" Seven year old Rebecca burst into Lacey's room, her beautiful red hair swinging around her shoulders. Lacey loved how her daughter inherited Jonah's hazel eyes and red locks as opposed to her own blonde curls and blue eyes. Becky stood out from the crowd, and would be stunning as she got older. A heartbreaker, even. Just like Jonah had been.

"Of course, sweetie." As she played with her daughter's red hair, she couldn't believe that this lively seven year old would be going without her father for such a long time. And poor Becky was such a daddy's girl. Every day when he returned from work, she would race to the front of the house to greet him with a yell and a hug.

"Where are my girls?" Jonah walked through the door, his things all packed. Lacey looked at her first love, her only love, and had to blink to hold the tears in check.

"We're right here, Papa!" Becky ran to hug her father around his middle, and he leaned down to plant a kiss on the top of her head. Jonah looked up at Lacey and smiled. Her breath caught in her throat like it always did when she saw that smile. It was the first thing she ever remembered seeing about Jonah, besides his bright red hair. She got up and headed towards the man of the house as well, but at a more demure pace. The blonde wanted to give their daughter some time with her father. The young one was going to be crushed... Just as crushed as Lacey herself already was, and Jonah hadn't even left yet.

"Wait here, Papa. I have something for you to take with you!" said Becky as she darted out of the room and to some other part of the house.

The couple stared at each other for seconds that felt like ages. They collided in a hug that lifted Lacey off of her feet as she buried her face in Jonah's neck.

"I love you, Lovely," Jonah murmured into his wife's hair. Lovely was the nickname he had come up with when the pair of them were both only fifteen. Lovely Lacey.

"I love you too, Jonah. Why must you go?"

"I want to give you two a better life, you know that."

"But I don't need a better life, Jonah. I need you." Lacey pulled back and looked into her beloved's eyes. He leaned forward to give her a kiss, and Lacey put her hand to the back of his head to hold him there. They didn't break apart until Becky cam bounding back into the room, a small stuffed animal in her hand.

"This is Fluffy. Fluffy is one of my favorites... he's the smallest that I have." She raised the home-made toy up in the air towards her father. "I know you don't have much space left so I thought I better give you a small one. Fluffy is the one that chases away the scary noises at night."

Jonah got down on one knee to be on his daughter's level. He took the small animal and hugged both the toy and the girl. "Thank you, baby. I'm sure he will help me while I'm out in the desert. I'm sure there will be lots of scary, unfamiliar noises. But I'll have Fluffy."

"And God, Papa! Don't forget about God," she said. Her little girl gaze was wide eyed and innocently earnest. Jonah smiled and nodded.

"I could never forget, sweetie. Yes, God will be with me the whole time. And I'll be praying for you two the whole time I'm gone. But I'll be back before you know it. I'm sure Fluffy will tell you all about it."

"Papa! Fluffy can't talk! You know that." Becky giggled and gave Jonah another hug, this time around his neck since he was still on his knee.

"Of course he can't. What was I thinking?" With one last squeeze around his daughter's middle, he rose and hugged Lacey again. This time he gave her a kiss on the forehead. "Its time for me to go. I wouldn't want to miss the wagon train. We're leaving in exactly half an hour. You ladies don't forget about me while I'm gone.. I wouldn't want to find a replacement when I get back." Jonah winked at Becky as she giggled again. Lacey knew he was just trying to keep them all from crying. He was always cracking jokes to keep the mood lighter. And even though she knew it was just a joke, she shook her head and made eye contact with her husband.

"Never."