A/N: Hello there, fellow fanfiction-ers! My name is Sav, and this is my very first fanfiction. As you can guess, I'm currently obsessed with North and South the book. I've read (probably) every story posted on this site for N&S. The chance are, if you've written it, I've read it. And let me tell you, I'm so impressed with the level of maturity in these stories that I'm inspired to post my own. With that being said, if you read this, please review and tell me if I should continue with this. You can be mean if you'd like. I'm a tough girl, I can take it :). Well, here it goes! Happy Reading! -Sav

Margaret Hale watched everything she knew fade into a seemingly distant memory as the train roared with speed. She was angry that she was leaving Helstone, but not angry at the reasoning behind it. On the contrary, she was quite proud of her father for standing by his morals. She admired his strength as she was sure it was a difficult decision that weighed on him heavily. She thought she could not make such a decision, surely.

She moved her gaze from the window to her father who sat across from her. As she studied his face, she recognized the deep lines that carved his features. His glasses sat on the edge of his nose while he peered down at his paper. He felt her gaze on him and looked up to meet the dark, shining eyes.

"Was there something you wanted to say, my dear?" He asked as she quickly found something else to look at.

"No. I was just admiring your wisdom. Though, you do seem tired. Should you not rest?" She replied, attempting to seem nonchalant. She worried for her father's health. The move to Milton was taking a toll on him, but he would never admit it.

"Do you mean my old age?" He laughed. "Surely, you do not find wisdom in these lines; however, they do hold many stories and secrets. Perhaps what you are seeing is their mystery," he said with a teasing smile.

Margaret grinned at her father's wit, a trait she dearly wished was a part of her own character.

They sat in a peaceful quiet as the train hurried along its path. Margaret looked back to the scenery that flew by with each passing second. How quickly the world changed, she thought. It hardly seemed like the same life that she woke up to that morning.

"When is the next stop, dear?" Mrs. Hale asked her husband, stifling a yawn as she opened her eyes sleepily.

"We will be arriving in Milton any minute now." Mr. Hale responded moving his head in the direction of his wife without his eyes leaving his paper. Mrs. Hale nodded in acknowledgment. Unlike Margaret, Mrs. Hale could be angry at her husband for their current circumstances. A simple formality, she thought to herself, and we would be sitting in Helstone, bathing in its quietness. Instead, they sat in a train carriage, wondering what the future held for their little family.

All of a sudden, the train started to slow down. The Hales collectively looked out the window to see what their new home looked like. Margaret looked to the sky, searching for the sun, but it was in vain. All she found was a dark mass of clouds. Foreshadowing, she thought to herself as her frown drew lower. The train came to a full stop some seconds later.

"Come, my loves, and let us find our bags." Said Mr. Hale as he stood from his sitting position.

The three, accompanied by their maid Dixon, made their way to the platform in search of the luggage carriage.

As they pulled the floral bags from their place, Margaret tugged on a larger one with difficulty. Pulling as hard as she could, Margaret unthinkingly placed a foot on the side of the cart to give her a better advantage. Before she knew it, Margaret tugged the bag from its place and began to fall with its weight, which was now crushing her. As she stumbled backward, a large, strong hand caught her hips and held them in place while she regained her countenance. The contact made every hair on her body stand on its end. Margaret shivered at the intimacy of the hands placement. She sturdier herself and dropped the stone-heavy bag onto the ground in front of her. Now free, she turned to thank her rescuer, but was faced with a broad chest. Stunned by the proximity, she slowly lifted her head to meet the eyes of her dark knight. She was afraid she would catch on fire at that very moment she was so hot with blush. After a moment of silent, intense staring at one another, he looked away at the sound of her father's voice.

"Why, thank you, sir. My daughter here often bites off more than she can chew, I'm afraid. Margaret, you should not have tried to manage such a weight. You could have been injured." Mr. Hale looked down at her disapprovingly, but quickly recovered. "Thank you again, sir. It would not do to see her take a fall on our first day in town."

The man's gaze returned to Margaret. "No, it would not do at all." He said with a low, deep voice that matched the intensity of his stare. She felt the vibrations of his voice seep through her like water, as if absorbed. His eyes, never looking away from her face, pierced her with their blueness. How anything could stand to be so intense, she wondered. She studied his face, taking in his heart-stopping handsome features. Her eyes moved from his, down his nose, across his cheeks, and around his jaw line. No, she had certainly never seen a more handsome face, even during her time in London with her Aunt Shaw. His stare was heavier than the bag, she thought.

A second later, she heard her mother call her name, beckoning her to help her load the carriage that would take them into town.

"I'll be right there, mother!" she called back, tearing her eyes away from the man. When she looked back to him, he had stepped away from her. As he walked away, he halted, turned, and tipped his hat to Margaret. When he turned back around, she saw him smile, which made her heart race in her chest. She was sure he could hear it from across the station.

Once he was out of sight, Margaret looked down at her dress to see if something was missing as she felt a sudden chill. After inspecting her gown from a moment, a deep blush rushed to her head as she realized that what she felt was the coolness that came from the vacancy of the man's large, warm hands.

Perhaps Milton won't be so dreadful after all, she thought as her mind wondered away with the man who saved her.