Disclaimer: I do not own the characters within; all rights and much respect go to Crown Media, Hallmark, Ms. Oke, Mr. Bird, Mr. Landon, and the creators/writers/actors of "When Calls the Heart". You inspired me to write and I'm not a writer! Feel free to use my story on the show, I'd be honored!

"Love Never Fails"

*Thank you for reading Hearties! Thank you also to those who are reviewing!

Chapter 4

Elizabeth, Clayton and Jack kept losing each other among the crowd at the train station. They headed toward the station on the wooden boardwalk that ran along the train tracks. Elizabeth kept looking back to make sure Jack was getting through the crowd with his horse and tripped on a loose board. She began to fall toward the train tracks but Clayton moved quickly and caught her.

"Thank you, Clayton." Elizabeth said looking at him in surprise as she pushed herself out of his embrace.

"I'm glad I saved you from a fall. You could have been hurt." Clayton said with smile.

Elizabeth cleared her throat, "Yes." She said as she looked over at Jack.

Jack looked away quickly and tried to act like he didn't see what had just transpired, he didn't like it. He stopped to send a telegram stating that he was delayed and would return west to the post after Toronto.

"Train to Toronto leaves in 15 minutes. All aboard!" The conductor yelled and blew the steam whistle.

"Come on Elizabeth, we have to go! We already have tickets, first class!" Clayton encouraged her.

"I'm waiting for Jack!" she said firmly.

Jack went to purchase a ticket and was not happy when he learned that the train was sold out but could ride in the livery car. He wished he could have punched the smug smile on Clayton's face when he heard that Jack had to ride with his horse, not with Elizabeth.

"It's not right!" Elizabeth protested as she placed her hand on his arm.

"It's ok. I promised I'd get you to Toronto safely and I will. You know where to find me if you need me. You still have my service knife in your boot, right?" Jack asked to be sure.

Elizabeth nodded.

"Good, you'll scare someone like you did me!" he smiled at her but then turned serious. "I'll see you soon." Jack said as he squeezed her hand. He turned away with his horse and headed to the back of the train.

Elizabeth felt sick as she watched him walk away and disappeared into the crowd. She watched his horse's head as it bobbed above the crowd; it was the only way she could tell where Jack was. The whistle blew again and she felt Clayton pull her arm.

"Train to Toronto leaves in 5 minutes! All aboard!" the engineer yelled as he blew the whistle twice.

"Come on or we'll miss the train. We need to keep on schedule!" Clayton said. "Do you have anything to claim to the Express Guards for the safe? Money? Jewelry?"

"No, I don't have anything of value with me." Elizabeth said. She still carried her purse with her but kept her money in her boot just like Jack had advised.

Jack closed the door of the livery stall. "Well, it looks like it's just you and me." Jack said to his horse as he secured his horse in the stall. He glanced up when he heard a few other men enter toward the back of the car talking. Jack moved some hay on the floor and found a stool. He pushed it into the corner of the stall, sat down and sighed. He pulled out a small leather-bound pad and began to draw to pass the time.

Meanwhile in the luxury train car, Elizabeth was still upset that Jack had to ride with the animals. 'He doesn't deserve to be in there!' Elizabeth thought. Sure it was annoying to witness him and Clayton competing for who could be the better Mountie in front of her. 'He could get in trouble for staying with me and not going to Lethbridge. Now he's in some smelly car with the animals; that's no place for a hero like Jack!' Elizabeth thought.

Clayton sat down next to Elizabeth. "I'm glad we have some time alone. We haven't had a chance to get reacquainted with each other since Thornton showed up. I know our families will be happy to know that we have rekindled what we had all those years ago in secondary school."

"Rekindle what we had? Clayton, what do you recall of it? That was a long time ago and frankly, I wasn't interested in you. Do you remember that I said I wasn't interested? I recall that I made quite a fuss about it! I only went out with you because I felt a sense of obligation since our parents were friends and my parents encouraged me to do so. I don't know what my mother told you but I'm not interested in getting reacquainted with you. Jack and I are courting and I'm so thankful that he showed up and kept me safe and secure while you neglected your duty. I'm sure my family will not be happy to know that you left me." Elizabeth concluded feeling aggravated.

Clayton stared at her for a moment. He was annoyed, "What does Jack have that I don't?" Clayton asked.

"My heart!" Elizabeth said firmly as she stood up and walked away. She walked to the back of the train car and spoke to an attendant. "Excuse me, I need the livery car."

"Sorry ma'am it isn't customary to take someone back there while we are moving. It can be dangerous to move between the cars." the attendant said.

"Please? The man I love is in there and…I want to be with him!" Elizabeth pleaded.

"I'm sorry ma'am it's dangerous to go from car to car. You could fall between the cars if you take a misstep and that will be the end of you." The man said as he turned away.

Elizabeth looked around and noticed that everyone had their back to her. She discreetly pulled money from her boot. "Sir? Will this get me to the livery car?" She asked with a smile and held up a bill.

The man turned around and smiled. "The livery car it is! Now listen, you must do exactly as I say and hold on tight as we move from car to car." The man said quietly as he led the way.

Elizabeth was surprised at how scary it was to move between the cars but she put her fear aside because she was determined to get to Jack. Once the attendant showed her where to step, it was easier with each car that she moved to.

"Here you are! Have fun!" The attendant said closing the door behind her. "Wait!" Elizabeth said as she turned to the closed door. She turned back around and noted the car was lined with stalls. She could hear men talking in the back of the car. "Jack?" Elizabeth called as she moved toward the center aisle.

"Elizabeth?" Jack said peering out of the stall directly to her left. "What are you doing here?" He asked as he opened the stall door.

"You left me with 'Lowne the clown'!" She said with a smile as she walked in.

"Well, I didn't want to leave you with that second rate Mountie. Is everything all right? Did you need something?" Jack asked.

"I just…want to be with you." Elizabeth said shyly.

"I want to be with you." Jack said with a smile as they came together and embraced. "You have to admit though your dress is going to get dirty sitting in here." Jack said looking around.

"I don't care, Jack!" Elizabeth said as she moved past him. "I'm worried you'll have problems with your superiors over your delay." Elizabeth said.

"Don't worry about it, just stay focused on your solving this issue with your family and getting back to your students and Abigail and...me." Jack said. They looked at each other and began to move closer to kiss.

"Excuse me, I'm Constable Lowne. I'm looking for a woman who stormed out of here about an hour ago. Pretty brunette, her name is Miss Thatcher." Clayton said to the attendant who returned to his post after delivering Elizabeth.

The attendant wasn't going to reveal anything because he took a bribe from her. "Sorry Constable, I haven't seen that woman since you boarded."

"Well I need to find her. If you see her please make sure that she returns to her seat." Clayton said.

"Sure thing but sir, it's too dangerous to go between the cars. You could fall and that would be the end of you." The attendant said hoping to make another buck.

"I'll take my chances!" Clayton said as he moved past the attendant.

"Good luck!" the attendant said under his breath.

Clayton moved as swiftly as he could. He knew he couldn't get to Toronto empty handed. He walked through each car looking for Elizabeth. "I bet she's with Thornton." He said to himself.

Jack and Elizabeth sat against the stall wall. He removed his red serge jacket for her to sit on so her dress wouldn't get dirty from the hay. "I bet the new school and church will be finished when we get back, I can't wait to see it! The children are so excited." Elizabeth said.

"I'm excited to see it too!" Jack said.

"I know I've thanked you a thousand times already but, that was such a lovely gesture, Jack." Elizabeth said with a smile. "Thank you."

Jack smiled, "Well you do deserve it."

"Were you hoping it would make me stay?" Elizabeth said with a smile.

Jack smirked but then smiled fully, "That DID cross my mind."

"You know the children think I chose to stay because of you." Elizabeth said as she looked down and then back up at him.

"Because of me?" Jack said as his brow furrowed. "Well of course!" Jack said with a smile. "Wait! Are you implying I'm not the reason why you stayed?" Jack asked softly suddenly worried.

Elizabeth giggled as she placed her hand on his arm. She opened her mouth to speak but was cut off by the voices of men who were moving closer to the front of the car.

Their voices were in the background but now the men stood just outside of Jack's stall. "Ok on my count, Stephen will get the engineer, Sam and I will get the Express Guard to open the safe. We will all meet back here to grab our horses and go!" Their leader said as they stood at the exit.

Jack placed his hands over his lips and gestured for Elizabeth to stay down. He peeked out over the wall and noted their guns. They were going to rob the train. Elizabeth did as she wanted to and stood behind him to peek out too. She touched his back when she saw the guns. Jack looked at her and noted her wide eyes. He pulled her down to kneel on the floor, "Elizabeth, I said to stay down. They have guns!" Jack whispered.

"I saw that!" Elizabeth whispered. "What are we going to do?" Elizabeth said with worry and concern.

They heard the door open and the men exit.

"I've got an idea!" Jack said as he grabbed his pistol and a few extra sets of handcuffs from the horse's saddle bag.

"Here!" Elizabeth said handing him his uniform jacket.

"No, I'm less noticeable without it. Wish me luck!" Jack said as he went to leave.

"Wait! I'm coming with you!" Elizabeth said in protest.

"What? No!" Jack said ushering her back into the stall. "You're safe here!"

"I'm not taking orders from you, Constable! You didn't listen to me when you decided to come with me! I can be a decoy, Jack. I can distract them while you take them down." Elizabeth said.

Jack said stared at her, "Are you kidding me?"

Elizabeth was surprised by his reaction. "No!"

"That's a very good idea!" Jack said with a small smile but quickly turned serious and looked away, "The only problem is the decoy is the woman I Lo...care for." Jack said as he recovered quickly. He glanced at her but looked away quickly. "It's probably too soon to say that. What if she doesn't feel the same way?' Jack thought.

Elizabeth looked at him. 'Was he about to say the woman I love? No, don't be foolish! If he felt that way he would have said it just now.' She thought.

"Ok, they're on the move! I need you to listen carefully. First you need to hide that gold locket of yours. Slip it under the neckline of your dress. We need to get Clayton to help..." Jack said as they moved to the door and began to tell her his plan.

Elizabeth showed him where to step in order to pass through from car to car. Jack looked at Elizabeth, "This is dangerous! How many cars did you have to move through to get to the livery car?" Jack yelled over the sound of the train.

"Uh…6!" Elizabeth yelled.

Jack shook his head.

"What?" Elizabeth yelled over the noise.

"All just to come and sit with me in the smelly livery car? You are something else, Elizabeth Thatcher!" Jack said.

Elizabeth smiled at him, "Well I love you!" she said knowing it would be drowned out by the noise of the train but she felt it, so she said it.

Jack saw her lips move as she said something, "What?" He said as he leaned closer to her to hear her.

She smiled but was then surprised to see Clayton on the other side of the doorway.

"There you are!" Clayton said. "I knew you were with Thornton!"

"Clayton, this is not the time! Did you see the men passing through here with bandanas?" Elizabeth said stepping into the next car.

"They had guns and were heading to the engineer!" Jack said in a low voice as he closed the door behind him.

"No!" Clayton said.

"No? How could you miss them? They were heading this way!" Jack said.

"I…I had to utilize the restroom." Clayton said.

Jack sighed, "Ok, here's the plan." Jack said as he shared his plan with Clayton. They suddenly felt the train slow down.

"We're stopping! They must have reached the engineer!" Clayton said with concern.

"Let's go!" Jack said leading the way.