Hi all! No, I haven't dropped off the face of the earth if you were wondering. Thanks for being so patient with me. I recently lost my aunt, who I was really close with, and then I had a pretty serious case of flu, where I nearly landed in the hospital. Don't worry though, I'll continue with this story until It's done, but I'm not quite sure when that'll be. Until then, happy reading!

Jack's POV

"Jack, we're having a baby!"

There aren't many things in life that can surprise me. When I was training to become a Mountie, they told me that I was one of the best at reacting to situations. I never panicked or ran away. I was taught to always use my head and use logic to my advantage, so I did. Of course, God can always throw you a curveball at any time. You just have to be ready to catch it. But right now, I hadn't caught the curveball that I had been thrown. No, I had missed it by a mile, and instead of it landing in my palm, in my control, it had landed and it had struck me like a punch to the gut.

Suddenly, I was back there. To the place before the gates of heaven. The place where a slideshow of images and scenes flashed before my eyes. The place where I had seen glimpses of my future.

And this was one of them. Closing my eyes, I struggled to remember that scene. It had appeared for only a second, and was gone like a thief in the night.

It was all coming back to me. Elizabeth with a huge grin on her face. Tears flowing freely down her cheeks. Trees and bushes in the background. A soft wind blowing. This was it.

"Jack, are you okay?"

A voice. Elizabeth's voice to be precise. Breaking my reverie and focussing my attention back on her, I noticed that she had a look on her face that was a mix between amusement and anxiousness. I knew I had to respond, but I suddenly couldn't force my words past the lump that had formed in my throat. Instead of responding with, "I'm fine," or something to that effect, I only managed to croak out one word.

"Baby."

Thankfully, instead of Elizabeth looking at me like I was an idiot, she bit her bottom lip gently and smiled up at me, tears now streaming down her face in pure joy and happiness. "Yes, Jack. We're going to have a baby."

At this point, the shock had worn off enough for me to actually think and respond like a normal person. So I did the first thing that came to mind. In one smooth action I stepped forward and wrapped my arms around her, picking her up bridal style, with her squealing in surprise, and spun her around, kissing her with all the emotions I was feeling. Joy, excitement, delight. The list could have gone on forever.

Finally I set her down but pressed my forehead against hers and kept my hands on her back so we were only inches apart.

"Thank you Elizabeth. This is the greatest present you could have ever given me. I love you so much, and I already love our child." At this, I stepped back a little and took my arm from the small of her back, so that it lightly rested on her abdomen. I still couldn't fathom it. We were going to be parents. God had kept me alive so I could experience this moment.

"You're going to make a wonderful father, Jack Thornton. All our dreams and hopes are coming true," Elizabeth murmured, cupping my cheek with her hand.

Silently, I sent up a prayer of thankfulness to the One who made it all possible.

I was just about to ask Elizabeth how far along she was, when I heard the bushes rustle from behind. We both turned to see Abigail stepping away from the bushes that separated the clearing from where everyone else was gathered, to the private area we were standing in. When she got close enough, she called out, "So I hear congratulations are in order!"

Suddenly, everything made a bit more sense. The late night "talks" at the café. The suspicious looking glances that had passed between them. I should have known that Elizabeth would go to Abigail first.

"Indeed, they are!" I called back with a laugh.

Once she got close enough, I stepped away from Elizabeth to wrap a surprised Abigail into a tight hug.

"Thank you for everything you've done Abigail. It means more to us than I can possibly express with words," I exclaimed.

She just gripped me tighter and whispered into my ear, "I am so incredibly grateful that God has blessed us by keeping you alive. You can raise your son or daughter with the love of your life by your side, and I can watch your lives prosper."

Finally pulling away, Abigail stepped back and then pulled Elizabeth into a hug. Whispered words were passed between them, so I stepped back a bit further to let them have some privacy. I was sure that if I was meant to hear the words passed between them, I would be told later.

When they broke apart, Abigail announced that she should get back to the party before anyone got too curious as to where she was and started looking. She also reminded us that we should head back soon, too. After all, it was my birthday that they were celebrating.

As soon as Abigail's footsteps couldn't be heard anymore, I surprised Elizabeth for the second time today, cupping her cheek with the palm of my hand before leaning forward and pressing my lips against hers. I could hear her soft, sharp intake of breath in surprise, but she quickly responded to the kiss and pressed her body into mine.

The kiss seemed to last an eternity, but it probably only lasted a few seconds before I could feel Elizabeth's mouth form into a smile. I leaned back only slightly, resting my forehead against hers, and whispered against her lips, "What's so amusing, love?" only noticing then, the soft pink colouring her cheeks.

"I was just remembering the last time we were up here alone. Although difficulties have come our way since then, our love has stayed true, and now we're going to have a child to add to our lives," she whispered back, so softly I could barely hear them against the light blowing of the wind, the sound of a brook bubbling in the distance and the chatter of the townspeople.

Now I understood why she had been blushing at least. She had been recalling the time when before our wedding, I brought her up to this very spot and kissed Ms. Elizabeth Thatcher for the last time. This was one of the many reasons why I loved Elizabeth so. She always looked to the positive side of things in life, and I had a feeling that nothing could never take that away from her.

After staring into her deep blue eyes once more, almost trying to memorize their exact colour, I slowly leaned back, and started.

"Love is patient, love is kind."

Catching on pretty quick, Elizabeth added, "It does not envy, it does not boast. It is not proud."

And back and forth we went, until we came to the end where, in perfect sync, we both ended with the words, "love never fails."

I could have spent my entire day, right here with Elizabeth, but responsibilities seemed to be beckoning us back to the crowd. I know everyone must have worked so hard to pull this all off, without me finding out, so it seemed rude not to show up for it.

After I offered my arm to Elizabeth, and we were slowly making our way to the bush and tree barrier, she said, "If everyone is nearly done eating, it's time for them to give you your gifts."

Slightly confused, I responded with, "Why? Nobody needed to get me anything."

"But Jack, you deserve every single one of them," she expressed.

I hesitated, then gave her a big smile, wrapping my arm around her shoulder. "What can I say? Even if I do, everything I want in the world is right here."

Abigail's POV

I was just about to look for them, when I saw them emerge from the bushes. Jack must have noticed my gaze, for his head turned in my direction. Ushering him over, he said something to Elizabeth, and they both quickly and efficiently made their way through the crowd toward where I was standing by the food tables.

When they were close enough that I could speak without raising my voice too much, I asked, " Are you going to announce present time yet?"

With a smile, Jack responded back with, "I was just about to. It looks like everything is winding down a bit, so now seems like the best time."

Clearing his throat, he raised his voice to be heard over the chatter of the crowd.

"If I could have everyone's attention please!"

Waiting for the chatter to die down, he only continued when everyone's eyes were on him. It amazed me that he was able to gain control of a crowd so fast, but I suppose getting the attention of a crowd was an important task of a Mountie.

"First of all, I want to thank everyone for coming today. It means a lot to us. I would also like to thank those who planned and set everything up. Not a lot of things surprise me, but this sure did!"

He paused when the crowd started to laugh.

"I also want to thank everyone for the support that we have been given these last few months. We honestly couldn't have gotten through it without you all. Finally I want to give the biggest thanks to my wife, Elizabeth, for never leaving my side and for being the greatest gift in my life."

During his speech, I noticed that his hand had instinctively reached down to grab Elizabeth's, and was now holding it speech was so touching and beautiful and full of love, that I saw several people wipe away teas from their eyes. Me included.

"But without further adieu, let's get to my favorite part: opening presents!"

Jack's POV

Before I knew it, everyone had gathered around the table, and was either sitting on the blankets that had been brought along, or standing and watching. As I picked up a small, lightweight box, I quickly sent up a prayer of thanks for all my friends.

As I took the lid off of he box, signed by Abigail, I was shocked to see her gift. It was a beautiful black pillow, with the phrase, 'Maintiens le Droit' stitched on in red thread. The motto of the Mounties.

This process went on, with several thoughtful gifts being opened. Bill had gotten me new horseshoes for Sergeant. Several of Elizabeth's students had given me drawings. Carson had given me a Bible with my name etched into the cover. Faith had given me a book on the history of the Royal Northwest Mounted Police. Ned Yost gave me new painting supplies. Apparently, sometime over the years, my secret as an artist had gotten out.

My mother had even presented me with a present. All the journals and letters that my father had written over the years. As I flipped through the pages, and gazed at his handwriting, I suddenly looked forward to getting home to read them.

This process continued until there were only 2 items left on the table. Instead of picking one, or the other to open first, I chose the envelope, and I handed the big box to Elizabeth for her to open. During this time, everyone had become pretty quiet, but as I started cracking the seal on the unlabeled envelope, Lee stepped forward from the back and spoke up.

"That one's from all of us at Coulter Lumber. I hope you like it."

Just as I was about to respond, Rosemary cut me off and addressed the crowd, pointing at the box in Elizabeth's lap.

"And that one's from most of the women of Hope Valley."

My curiosity was pretty piqued now. Breaking the seal, I opened the top of the envelope and started pulling out a piece of paper with a message on it.

For some reason unknown, I started reading aloud.

'To Jack and Elizabeth. I know that these last few months have been tough on us all, so some plans were disrupted. You two have been a pillar of our community, and we can't thank you enough for everything that you have done for us. For your birthday Jack, we are paying back the favor, and are building your house. Construction starts tomorrow, and we will all work until it's finished.

Sincerely,

Everyone at Coulter Lumber."

I couldn't believe it. The house would be built. The house where Elizabeth and I would spend the rest of our lives in. I felt as though that I was in a dream. Everything was so perfect that I was sure that I would wake up and realize that I had been dreaming.

During this time, Elizabeth had finished untying the ribbon that held the box in her lap shut. I looked over to see her slide the lid off, and move away the paper rested on top. She gasped in surprise, and pulled out a quilt, with hearts on each square.

"All of us worked on a section," Clara explained.

"It's so beautiful," Elizabeth breathed out.

"We want you to know that you're always wrapped in love," Abigail added, tenderness in her voice.

Reaching over to grab Elizabeth's hand, I commented nonchalantly, "These gifts couldn't have come at a more perfect time."

As soon as the words were out, I wished I could take them back. Instantly, Elizabeth's eyes grew wide, and we both looked out into the curious faces of the crowd. Nobody said anything, and I thought that everyone overlooked the true meaning of my statement, when young Opal piped up, "Why, Mountie Jack?"

Uh oh. Should I tell her? Elizabeth and I never discussed whether we should tell everyone about the baby or not today.

Before I had a chance to make up something, my mother stepped forward and pointedly asked, "Yes, Jack. Why?"

Seriously? It was bad enough lying to a 6 year old, but my own mother?

Sighing, I glanced to Elizabeth. She had a similar look on her face, knowing that there was no other choice but to tell everyone.

"What I meant was…"

My words were cut off by the galloping of a horse's hooves. Turning around, I was astonished to see a young Mountie in his serge, no more than 20 years old, ride up. Standing up, I noticed that he had a serious look on his face. As soon as he was close enough, he asked, "Is Jack Thornton here?"

"I'm here."

"Mountie headquarters wants you to check in. They have a mission for you."

Thanks for reading! Next chapter will be posted soon.