When hearts Come Together.
I do not own When Calls the Heart. This picked up at the end of season 2.
Jack was incredibly nervous but hopeful as he set out to ask one Elizabeth Thatcher to marry him. Finally blue suit picked out and ring in his pocket he walked with a little spring in his step to the School house/church where he was to pick up Elizabeth to 'go for a walk together'.
Once at the schoolhouse however he slowed his gait wondering why one of the doors was left open. Standing his mouth agape he realized that Charles had beat him to the punch. In this case Charles was on one knee asking Elizabeth to be his wife. 'My Elizabeth!' his heart growled in his chest.
Quickly he backed out of the door way and hid behind the other door. He had no idea what to do in this situation. Should he interrupt? Should he walk away? He felt like he shouldn't stand around to listen in but he couldn't help it. He thought they had come so far that after their time in the mine when she almost died and they both confessed their love that they were ready for more. Jack had no idea what he should think or feel in this moment; and he was thinking and feeling plenty.
Elizabeth had told him that she had explained things to Charles. This didn't look like it to him. Still not hearing anything inside he started feeling betrayed and angry. Jack started walking away. Apparently Elizabeth and Jack had different ideas of what explaining things to Charles entailed.
Inside the school Elizabeth had frozen in shock and fear. She didn't want to hurt Charles but she thought what she had explained to him was enough to get him to back off. Apparently she was wrong.
"Charles." Elizabeth managed to breath out at last. "I thought we had been over this already? I love you only as a friend or brother. " Elizabeth explained.
"Elizabeth, there is much more between us than what friends or brothers feel. I know you are confused about your feelings. You are infatuated with that Mounty." Charles interjected.
"His name is Jack, and I am not infatuated. I am in love." Elizabeth defended and looked toward the door wondering when Jack would come.
Charles jumped to his feet and grabbed Elizabeth turning her to face him. "You can't be serious! Elizabeth I know you. This Jack can't begin to know you like I do. We have been destined for each other since we were kids. You can't possibly want to say here in this little Podunk town and be a Mounty's wife. He will leave you to go riding off into the sunset to risk his life fighting bad guys. Is that what attracts you? The excitement? " Charles growled to her slowly tightening his grip on her arms.
"You don't understand at all." Elizabeth started to answer when his grip became bruising. "You're hurting me! Let me go!"
"I'll show you that you feel more for me than a friend or brother!" Charles growled and pulled her in and kissed her. Wildly Elizabeth struggled in his hold and finally pulled away and slapped him hard on the face. "Is that enough excitement for you?" Charles growled stepping toward her menacingly.
Elizabeth turned to run but Charles was right behind her. Grabbing her waist he pulled her back to him.
"No! Jack help." Elizabeth cried out as he pulled her around to face him and started dragging her back to try and kiss her again. His arms crushing her body against him he slapped her face and while her head was still spinning he kissed her again.
Strong arms pulled her away from Charles and suddenly Jack was there standing between her and Charles.
Jack was furious. He was seriously seeing red. He was a ways from the church when he realized that he should be trusting Elizabeth. So he made his way back to the School. He was still a ways away when he heard Elizabeth demand to be let go and broke into a run. He was so angry and he knew not all of it was at Charles. He was angry with himself what if he hadn't turned around and come back? What would have happened to his sweet Elizabeth? He had arrived just in time to see the slap and the following kiss.
"You!" Charles hissed and continued in a growl. "I was having a private conversation with Elizabeth."
"Is that what you are calling it?" Jack growled back his eyes flashing in anger. "There are laws regarding the kind of 'discussion' you were trying to have with her."
At this Charles swung at Jack. Raising his arm Jack blocked the blow and countered with one of his own knocking Charles out.
Turning to look at Elizabeth Jack realized she was shaking like a leaf and seemed to be going into shock. Jack could have kicked himself in that moment for ever walking away from the door. If he had stayed where he was he could have intervened before things got so bad between them.
"Oh, Jack." Tears were streaming down Elizabeth's face. "Thank God you came when you did. Charles went crazy. I can't believe he acted like that."
"What happened?" Jack asked.
"Charles came in after the students left. He...well he asked me to marry him. I swear it was out of the blue, I told him when I was home last time that I didn't love him like that and I asked him to stop pursuing me."
"What happened after he asked you?" Jack asked in his constable voice and demeanor.
"At first I was so shocked I couldn't do anything for a long moment. Then I started to explain again that I do not love him like that. I told him that I only love him like a friend or a brother. He started arguing with me saying that what we have went beyond friends or brothers. He said I was confused about my feelings and that I was..." Elizabeth blushed at this point. "He said I was just infatuated with you. I told him that I was in love with you and he lost it. He grabbed me and started talking very fast. He said all I wanted was excitement. I started to explain that that wasn't it at all but his grip was starting to hurt me so I told him so. He didn't let go or lighten his hold at all instead he kissed me. I fought to get free and slapped him across the face. He then asked me if that was enough excitement for me, I turned to run away but he grabbed me turned me around and slapped me and then kissed me. Then you were there pulling me away from him." Elizabeth was still shaking and crying, but going over everything really let her get out the fear and shock she was feeling.
Jack looked closer at her face and saw the red imprint of a hand across her face. Looking down he could see the beginnings of bruises on her arms where Charles had held her. Once again rage filled him and he wanted nothing more than to go over and start kicking Mr. Charles Kenzington.
"Elizabeth, I am so sorry. Let's get you back to Abigail's then I will lock up Charles for the night and we can figure out what to do from there."
Elizabeth furrowed her brows wondering what he had to be sorry about. He had just saved her again. But before she could ask him he was helping her gather her things.
"Jack, I would rather stay with you if that is alright?" Elizabeth asked still shaking like a leaf.
"You don't want to go home and curl up in a blanket? I think you have a mild case of shock."
"I feel safer with you then anywhere else." She admitted melting his heart and making him smile revealing his dimples.
Together they got Charles locked up and Jack had insisted on taking pictures of her bruises. Then he insisted that they had better get her something to eat to help her with her shock. Besides it was getting on to dinner time.
Together they walked into Abigail's Cafe and instantly everyone went quiet and was starring at the red hand print on Elizabeth's face. Abigail's eyes went wide as soon as she saw her .
"What happened?" She demanded to know.
"We will tell you in the kitchen," Elizabeth asked? She gently touched her bruised face, "I didn't realize it was quite that bad." She admitted.
"Of course." Abigail said realizing that Elizabeth didn't want everyone in town to know what had happened. Everyone was going to figure it out eventually but she hated being the one everyone gossiped over and Abigail didn't blame her.
After going over everything Abigail was incensed at Charles. Leaping back to work she had two dinners ready for them right away. She then advised them that if they wanted to they could go eat in the parlor instead of with half the town to avoid the questioning they were bound to get.
Elizabeth smiled and thanked her and together they made their way into the home Abigail shared with Elizabeth.
Together they ate in silence and Jack was pleased to see that Elizabeth seemed to be getting a better color instead of being quite so pale.
After eating Elizabeth moved over to cuddle with him but his conscious wouldn't let him.
"Jack what is the matter?" She asked worried that he was angry at her that Charles had asked her. She felt bad that she hadn't been stronger when explaining things to Charles. She hadn't wanted to hurt him and so he continued to think she would accept his advances.
Jack started pacing in front of her. "I just feel so terrible about what happened."
"That was hardly your fault, I thought you were angry at me." She explained causing him to stop his pacing in surprise.
"You?" He asked clearly surprised.
She then explained why she thought what had happened was largely her own fault.
"You listen to me Elizabeth Thatcher. No matter what you didn't deserve him acting like that to you. You are not responsible for what he did."
Hesitantly Elizabeth nodded.
"I am so sorry about it."
"That is the second time you said that. What on Earth could you have to be sorry about? You were my hero. You saved me."
Jack blushed but couldn't accept her thinking of him as the hero of the story.
"Elizabeth, I have to admit something to you. I arrived at the church to see him on one knee before you very obviously asking you to marry him. I admit that I got so upset I started walking away. Then I realized that I should have more faith in you. And I started returning to the church. I was a ways away when I heard you Then I came running. If I had, had more faith in you I would have still been there instead of walking away. I could have saved you much sooner if only I had."
"Oh Jack." Elizabeth held her hand out to him and pulled him back down to the sofa with her. "You just pointed out that the only one truly culpable in this whole wretched business was Charles. Don't let it bother you so. You really were my hero."
Jack blushed and looked down. Gently Elizabeth turned his head up so he was looking her in the eye.
"I mean it Jack. Thank you." She said.
A.N. Please review me hearties and readers. this is my first story in When Calls the Heart Fandom. I have an idea of a crossover but first I thought I would get this out there. I have more to write in this and I hope it will be more original as I continue. Thanks for reading and reviewing.