Authors Note: I have always loved Doug, cause he was always quiet, but occasionally did or said something completely awesome. I was really happy that the series finale paired him up with Jack, another favorite character of mine. I began this story, fittingly, on November 2, but then life got crazy and I couldn't finish it. Hope you enjoy this story! I would appreciate any comments you have, but it is my first fan fiction ever, so please be kind.

Disclaimer: Don't own them, don't sue.

Timeline: set about a year and a half after the series finale.

Chapter 1: The night before

It was after midnight, and Doug was alone in the Capeside sheriff's office. All of the deputies had either finished off their paperwork and gone home for the day, or had donned their uniforms and headed out for evening patrol. Doug sat at his desk, looking around at the office that had been his for the last 2 years, ever since his father had retired and he had been elected the town sheriff. He had told Jack that he was going in to the office to work on some paperwork, and Jack had smiled, accepting the lie, knowing that Doug needed this time alone.

The outcome of tomorrow's election could change the rest of their lives. If he lost his bid for re-election as sheriff, where would they go? He hated the thought of leaving Capeside, where he had lived his whole life. Leaving his family, his friends, and the big house on the Creek that he and Jack had been renovating together for the last year. The house that had become their home, where they had become a family with the addition of their daughter, Amy. How could he ask Jack to leave his job at Capeside High, where he was already one of the students' favorite teachers? Yet all this might all be necessary if he lost the election. He knew he couldn't continue to work as a deputy under the new sheriff, even if Roy Carter would have been willing to hire him. Which he wasn't.

Carter was a former New York police officer, who had retired from the force at age 50 and had moved to Capeside to enjoy his early retirement. Shortly after, he had announced his plans to campaign for Sheriff of Capeside, an election that had not been seriously contested any time in the last 20 years. In his campaign, he insisted that the police force in Capeside were not tough enough, and that Doug was too young for the responsibility of being Capeside's sheriff. He also spent a lot of time talking about "family values", a sly way of insinuating that Doug was unfit because he was gay. Carter was careful to never say this directly, but Doug suspected that the sudden interest in running for sheriff was more to do with Doug's sexual orientation than a real desire to improve Capeside.

"Family values" Doug said to the empty office, picking up the picture that had been on the corner of his desk for the last couple of months. It was a portrait of Jack, Doug and Amy, and somehow the photographer had managed to capture the love between the two men, as well as their love for their child. "How can this not be a perfect example of family values?" he asked as he stared down into the faces of the two most precious people to him. He could still remember the day when Jack and Amy had moved into the house he had been renovating for the last two years, and it was then that they had truly become a family.

He was so lost in though that he never noticed the door to his office swing open, and he looked up in surprise when he heard Jack say, "I thought I would find you here."

Doug looked up and smiled at his lover, before he frowned in concern. "Where's Amy?" he asked.

"Home. In bed. Where you should be," replied Jack. "Pacey came over to watch her while I came looking for you."

Doug set the picture back down in its customary place before standing up and walking over to Jack, who reached out to pull him into a tight embrace. As Doug rested his head on Jack's shoulder, he felt the tension of the past few hours drain away. They stood together for some time, before Jack whispered, "do you ever regret coming out to Capeside?"

Doug pulled back so he could stare into they younger man's eyes, "no---never. When I said that I was proud to stand out with you, I meant it. I still do." He thought about that time in his life, when he had decided to no longer be ashamed of being gay and of his relationship with Jack. From that day on, they had refused to hide their relationship. They would often walk around town holding hands, and occasionally kiss in public. Just the sort of stuff every couple enjoyed. They still occasionally got funny looks when they were out together, but most people seemed to be content keeping their opinions to themselves. "I am just worried because for the first time, the people of Capeside are deciding whether to elect an openly gay sheriff, and I don't know what their choice is going to be. People don't say anything about us, but maybe they would rather not have a gay sheriff, and maybe that's more important than the fact that I've lived here all my life and Roy Carter is relatively new in town."

"Doug, you are a great sheriff, and I think the people of Capeside appreciate it. You know practically everyone in town, and are always there to help out when they need it. You can tell when some kid is starting to head down the wrong path, and you know when to intervene. I think all of that matters more to the people of Capeside than your sexual orientation," said Jack, praying that he was correct. "Roy Carter could never be as good of a sheriff as you are."

Doug looked up with hope in his eyes, "I hope you are right."

"Now come on-let's go home," said Jack. "Pacey is probably wondering what happened to us."

To Be Continued...