Disclaimer: When Calls the Heart, its contents, character and situations are the property of Crown Media, Hallmark, Janette Oke, Brian Bird, Michael Landon, and the creators & writers.

To our lovely LisaNY – Thank you for the ear to bounce ideas off and for the eyes that picks up all my mistakes. And letting me bombard you for all of my crazy ideas at crazy hours of the day

I have tweaked season two slightly. This includes Charles proposing, but Jack was not planning to at the time. Julie hasn't run away from home...Yet, may not at all. Please enjoy my short story ~ Em

Jack sat himself down at his desk in the jail, the door open ajar, just enough to be able to see the window of Elizabeth's room over the café. He knew that she would be packing for a trip back to Hamilton. School was out for the summer and he and Elizabeth would be travelling back for Viola and Sir Lionel's wedding soon. Jack shook his head at the thought of the three-ring circus this society event was going to be. Loosing the collar of his jacket, he started patting his pockets and located the key to the top drawer. Shuffling through his paints, art supplies and drawings he found the dark blue box that he had kept hidden for a number of months.

Flicking open the box, carefully he withdrew the delicate ring enclosed. The last time he and Elizabeth had visited Hamilton for Viola and Sir Lionel's engagement party, he had taken Faith to help him shop for a ring. Originally Tom was supposed to go with him, but that would have only ended in disaster. Over the prior year, Faith had become a close friend of both himself and Elizabeth. Grasping the ring between his forefinger and thumb of each hand, he viewed the filigree ring that he had chosen, admiring the intricate design that adorned the ring along with the European cut diamond. Accenting the centre diamond were four single cut diamonds that Jack took in thoughtfully as he rolled the ring back and forth.

Smiling to himself, he placed the ring back in its rightful spot. Loosing his red serge once more Jack started to unbutton the coat, he started to think back over the previous year. It hadn't all been plain sailing; they had had their ups and downs. Communication had been their biggest hurdle, something that their relationship was in constant need of working on. The biggest miscommunication had been the Charles fiasco.

It wasn't until Elizabeth saw Charles on bended knee that she realised what had been happening in her life and how serious her actions had been. She had never meant to lead Charles on; she had gotten caught up in her old life in Hamilton. Beth, as she was known in Hamilton, was a different person, but she was so much more than that life. Elizabeth knew that her life held more than dinner parties and simply staying at home being someone's wife and mother and she had told Charles so.

Unbeknown to her Jack was standing outside the door leading into the schoolhouse.

*Flashback*

Outside Jack's heart began to race, he wasn't sure how much more, if any, heartache he could take. Hadn't it only been a few short days since he and Elizabeth had exchanged 'I Love Yous?' Where was this going? Jack sighed and was about to turn to walk away when he heard Elizabeth's strong voice ring out.

"Charles, stand up! This isn't right. We aren't meant to be more than friends. I could never think of you in that way. My heart belongs to another," Elizabeth firmly told him, taking a step or two back.

Jack's breathing began to even out.

"Elizabeth, how could you turn me down? I told you I'd decide when it was time for me to stop perusing you. Jack cannot offer half of what I can offer you. He could never provide you with the lifestyle you are used to, or that you deserve," Charles commanded.

"It is no concern of yours Charles," started Elizabeth.

"And I have something that he never will have, your father's favour," interrupted Charles. "And would you give up everything for that simple Mountie?"

"Get up!" Elizabeth ordered, finding something strong deep inside of herself. "Get up, and leave. I have given you my answer. I will not marry you, it's not right. I am not ready to marry anyone yet, least of all you."

Charles turned on his heel and flew out of the door, not taking the time to notice Jack at the doorway.

Jack slid around the doorway, leaning his forearm against the doorframe and took in the sight of Elizabeth sinking down onto the front pew, trying to even out her breathing. Whilst Jack hadn't thought that he would be ready to propose to Elizabeth right now, they hadn't ever had time to court yet, he just knew that she was going to be the one for him. Just like he had told her, she was the one, the only one.

Walking down the aisle, Jack could hear Elizabeth muttering to herself.

"You know what they say about people who talk to themselves. I did tell you I would be seriously concerned about your health if I heard you doing that," Jack gently teased.

Elizabeth's breath caught as she turned around to find her handsome man walking towards her.

"Oh Jack," came her breathless reply. "Charles, he just… he just."

"It's okay."

"No. Jack you need to know. I never thought spending time with him was wrong. You were right," Elizabeth continued, the words just began spilling out her mouth. "I didn't know he was going to be here. I was expecting you. And I thought he was you, when he knocked. And I was no way encouraging him."

"Elizabeth." Jack knelt down to take Elizabeth's hands in his. "Stop."

"No, we said that together we could face everything. And for us to do that, I need to be honest with you."

"Elizabeth, I heard it all. I am so proud that you stood up for yourself," Jack told her whilst bring her to her feet and enveloping her into a hug. "It's ok, " he gently told her, pulling her a bit tighter as the tears started rolling down her face.

"Hey," he commented, pulling back from the hug slightly so he could look at her face. Digging into his trousers pocket, he withdrew a handkerchief and ran it over the tears making their way down Elizabeth's face.

"It's okay, we're going to be okay," he firmly told her.

*End Flashback*

Jack smiled as he thought back on that day. It was the beginning of something new in their courtship, they were finally taking steps forwards, rather than the one step forward and two steps back that had plagued their courtship early on.

And whilst he knew, even back then, that there were always going to be challenges, nothing had prepared them for Viola and Lionel's engagement party in Hamilton a few weeks later. Seeing the Thatchers as Elizabeth's partner, hopefully not running into Charles again and meeting Faith again.