Disclaimer: I do not own the characters within this story. All rights and much respect go to Crown Media, Hallmark, Brian Bird, Michael Landon, Jr., the actors, creators, and writers of the show "When Calls the Heart."

Chapter 35- Don't Take the Girl

Note #1: I last updated this story in September 2017 with the birth of Jack and Elizabeth's twins, Will and Meg. Before reading this chapter, you may want to re-read Chapter 34 "And Babies Make Four" before moving on. The feelings and emotions of this chapter may be understood easier if you recall some of the back story.

Note #2: Steam Alert

Three Months Later…

"Hey, I forgot to tell you that the Crenshaw's rented their place," Jack stated as he came downstairs.

"I meant to tell you. I passed a moving van yesterday while I was taking the kids for a stroll," she advised. "It looks like they have babies, because they were carrying in cribs."

"Good, maybe the kids will be able to play together. You know, I love it here, but I guess my one complaint is that it's mostly older residents. Before we know it, Will and Meg are going to need some friends," he responded.

Elizabeth laughed, "You know, I'll bet if you make that statement to my dad his response will be that they don't need any friends; they have him."

"Honey would you grab the diaper bag? It's on the kitchen counter," Elizabeth called out from the living room sofa. "My parents will be here soon, and I want Will and Meg to be all clean and ready to visit."

"How long are they able to stay?" he asked.

"I'm not sure. Mom said something about a surprise," she replied.

"Well, I know they want more time with Will and Meg; you don't suppose they are planning to move in, do you?" he laughed, a thought that made Elizabeth giggle as well.

He placed the diaper bag on the coffee table, "Come to daddy," Jack stated as he picked up his son and held him close to his chest. Pulling a pad from the bag, he laid Will down and began to undress him.

"Be careful; remember; he's a boy…" she giggled.

"What are you talking about?" he commented as he went about removing Will's onesie.

Sitting beside them on the floor, Onyx quickly moved.

"Where are you going?" Jack called out as Onyx walked away.

"Humpf" was the only sound she made as she laid down by the back sliding glass doors in what was left of the afternoon sunshine.

"What's wrong with her?" Jack looked over at Elizabeth as he released the Velcro on Will's diaper.

"Look out…"

"Whoa buddy…" Jack called out as he did his best to deflect the steady stream of urine that his son so happily released. "Dag on Bud; now I'll need to shower again before I take your mom out."

Jack glanced over at Elizabeth, "What are you laughing at?"

"How many times do I have to tell you that you need to cover and dodge when you change his diaper?" her hysterical laughing continued.

"Funny, but this is the first time he's actually gotten me."

Elizabeth glanced over at Onyx whose expression almost seemed as if she was laughing. "You know, it's sad when the dog understands the routine better than you do."

Jack dressed Will in a new diaper and onesie, placed him in the playpen, and headed for the stairs.

"Where are you going?" she called out.

Pointing to the wet line on his perfectly pressed teal colored button down shirt, he replied, "To take a shower."

As he climbed the stairs, Elizabeth yelled out, "From now on you have to duck and cover…"

"Funny; not funny…" he yelled back.

The bathroom door closed just as the doorbell rang. Onyx race to the foyer, sitting patiently as Elizabeth opened the door to find her parents on the porch; each one quite antsy to get to their grandchildren.

Both parents "air kissed" Elizabeth as they rushed by, in their hands, each one carried a gift bag. Grandpa picked up Will and Grandma had her eye on the sweet cherub who already had her wrapped around her tiny little finger. They held their respective namesake as they took a seat on the sofa.

"Well, hello to you too," Elizabeth teased as she was quickly aware that the children tugged tightly on their grandparents' hearts.

As if it was on cue, they each reached into their gift bag and pulled out a present for both children.

"This is for you, sweet Meg," Grace stated as she held her granddaughter and introduced her to a pink stuffed elephant with "Margaret Grace Thornton" embroidered on its big floppy ear.

"Hey big boy," Grandpa Thatcher addressed his namesake as he showed him a blue stuffed Elephant with "William Henry Thornton" embroidered on its floppy right ear.

"Where's Jack," her mother asked.

"He had a diaper changing incident," Elizabeth advised with a giggle.

"Will got him, huh?" Grace responded with her own soft laugh.

"Jack and I appreciate you coming for a visit. We have your room ready for you," Elizabeth stated.

"Oh, that's not necessary," her father responded.

"What do you mean? You aren't going home tonight, are you?" Elizabeth asked.

"Hi William…Grace, it's really nice to see you," Jack stated as he stepped off the staircase and onto the den floor in his khaki trousers and mint green button down shirt. "Elizabeth and I appreciate you watching Will and Meg for us this evening."

"Oh, it's a treat for us to spend time with them," Grace replied. She turned back to William, "Are you ready?"

Before her father could answer, Elizabeth jumped in, "Ready for what, mom?"

"We're not watching them just for the evening," William spoke as if he was carrying on a conversation with Will in the baby talk voice Elizabeth remembered from her childhood.

"What are you talking about?" Elizabeth blurted out as she arched her eyebrows, and cocked her head to the side.

Grace picked up Meg, holding her under her arms as the infant danced in grandma's lap, "Your father rented a house down the street…"

"Excuse me…down the street; you moved here?" Elizabeth was practically floored by the information.

"Oh heavens no; he rented it so we will have a place to take the children when we visit to give you two some quiet time."

"Mom, that's not necessary," Elizabeth responded.

"Elizabeth, you may be parents, but you're still a young married couple. You two need private time…"

"Mother," Elizabeth tilted her head in her father's direction, a conversation that was totally lost on him as he was completely distracted by his grandson.

"Oh Elizabeth; don't be silly. Your father remembers what it was like when we were a young married couple," her mother replied.

"Oh my God; my ears are burning," she stated as she placed her hands on the sides of her head. "La la la la la…"

Jack did his best to curtail his laughter, "Did you rent the Crenshaw's place?"

"William…" Jack called out.

"What?" William finally looked away from Will's smiling face and beautiful blue eyes.

"Did you rent the Crenshaw place?" Jack asked again.

"Yes, that way when we come down we can spend time with the babies and you and Elizabeth aren't put out any," William remarked as his eyes returned to his grandson.

"Elizabeth and I were just talking about the Crenshaw's place. We'd seen the moving van, and the workmen unloading cribs. I commented that it would be nice for the kids to have some friends to play with in the neighborhood."

William's eyes never left Will as he responded, "These babies don't need any friends; they have me…"

Jack and Elizabeth looked at each other and did their best not to burst out laughing.

"Okay, you two run along and we'll bring the babies back tomorrow," Grace stated as she walked around the den with Meg on her hip. "Are you ready to go, William?"

"Go? But I haven't been away from them since they were born. Don't you think it would be better if you stayed here tonight; at least for the first time?"

Her father stood up with Will in his arms, "We're right down the street. Go out and enjoy yourselves."

"But you know it's been a while since you've had babies to take care of. Are you sure you're up to it?" Elizabeth did her best to justify her feelings.

"Come down and check it out if you'd like. We rented it furnished and you saw the moving van delivering the cribs, formula, toys and diapers yesterday. Everything is set up and just waiting on the babies," her father assured her.

"Well, if you're sure," Elizabeth responded as she watched her parents place Will and Meg in the double stroller and walk toward the door.

She stood in the foyer with Jack as they watched their world roll down the driveway and down the street.

As Jack turned to grab her coat and purse from the rack by the entryway mirror, he observed several tears as they slipped down her cheeks, "Honey are you okay?"

"No, it's the first time I've been away from them since they were born." She slipped her arm into her coat.

"Would you rather not go?" he asked. "I could go get take out and we could go down to the Crenshaw's, I mean the Thatcher's place, and spend the evening with them."

She initially hesitated, seriously thinking about his offer, but surprised him with her answer, "I'm lucky to have you in my life. We haven't spent any time together since the kids were born. I'd like to go out to dinner with my extremely handsome husband."

"Are you sure?"

She stepped in closer and pressed her lips to his, "I'm sorry, Jack. I know I've neglected you since the babies arrived and I'm so sorry. Maybe tonight is meant to get us back on track."

He smiled and took her hand. They walked out to the car; he held the door open as she slipped inside. Before she could reach for the seatbelt, Jack already had it in his hand. He pulled it across her body and securely snapped her in.

Jack walked around the car to the driver's side, her comment causing thoughts to run rampant in his head. He'd never loved a woman like he did Elizabeth, and although his body wanted desperately to be intimate with her again, his head remembered the trauma she went through giving birth to their two beautiful children, and he was scared.

He opened the door, initially thinking how silly these thoughts were, but as he slipped into the driver's seat, he looked into her eyes and recalled the fear he saw in them when she was whisked away to the operating room. He remembered the blood, the fact that the doctor said they didn't have time to let him accompany her, and he felt a complete lack of control.

Elizabeth didn't know what was wrong, but she sensed something. As they pulled out of the driveway, Jack went right instead of left, "Where are you going?" she asked.

"I just thought you would like to ride by your parents' place before we leave the neighborhood," he replied; his foot left the accelerator as they slowly passed by.

The doors were closed and Elizabeth had to assume that in the twenty minutes since she'd last seen them that Will and Meg were perfectly fine with their grandparents.

Elizabeth rested her hand on the console between the front seats. Usually very attentive, Jack would generally place his hand over top of hers as his thumb would gently stroke across her skin.

"Are you okay?" she asked.

"I'm sorry; I'm just a little preoccupied," he replied.

"I should have realized; you're worried about the babies too," she replied.

Jack just smiled; it certainly sounded better that he'd be worried about his children than having an intimate evening with his wife.

Elizabeth reached over and took his hand which he'd had resting on his thigh, "I love you, Jack."

"I love you too."

"I have an idea; why don't we pretend that we're on a date; you know, like before the children arrived," she suggested as she felt him squeeze her hand. "After all, my parents have the kids; they're in capable hands."

Jack turned onto Atlantic Avenue and drove along the strip to Catch 22, one of Elizabeth's favorite seafood restaurants.

He opened her door and her long shapely legs were the first part of her body to be seen. As beautiful as they were, the remainder of her dress was covered by the essential winter coat, but it was only moments from making its debut.

They were taken to a table along the bay window overlooking the Atlantic Ocean and he proudly removed her coat. Underneath, she wore a black stretch knit mini dress which fell midway up her thigh, with sheer crochet lace along the shoulder and back, providing a sultry peek of skin. As such, the rest of her body was perfectly presented.

Before pulling out her chair, Jack leaned in and kissed her cheek. She took a seat and both of them watched as the waves methodically rushed the shoreline.

For the first time in months, Jack put the thought of losing Elizabeth out of his head. She was there with him; the bright spark had returned to her eyes; he could see her rosy cheeks and broad happy smile, and his head was beginning to follow in line with the wants of his body.

During dinner, Jack reached his hand across the table and held hers. "In case I haven't told you, you look absolutely stunning tonight," he stated with a smile that for the past few months seemed to be reserved for the children.

"Thank you," she bashfully replied.

"I have something for you," he stated as he reached into his pocket and pulled out a rectangular velvet box.

"What's this, Jack; it's not my birthday," her voice had a slight lilt, showing her surprise.

"It's just something I saw and I wanted to get it for you; open it," he handed her the box.

She opened it and her broad smile showed how happy she was. "Jack, this is absolutely beautiful," she impatiently removed the necklace from the box. Holding the white gold pendant in her hand, she observed diamonds covering over one half of the outside, and a ruby encased on the inside with the word "LOVE" engraved on the left side of a heart.

"Look at this," Jack excitedly stated as he took the pendant from her, spun the inside around and showed her the back.

If possible her smile broadened as she observed two Topaz birthstones with "Will" and "Meg" engraved on attached linked hearts.

Jack got up from his seat, walked around behind her and snapped the clasp to the pendant behind her neck.

Elizabeth lovingly cupped the pendant in her hand. With tears welling in her eyes, she glanced up at Jack, "This is the most perfect gift you could have ever given me. Thank you…"

"You're welcome. I love you, and the two babies you gave me," he whispered with his own teary eyes before kissing her on the top of her head.

As they walked hand in hand out of the restaurant, Elizabeth observed that due to the temperature, the beach was deserted. She had always found the water to be her happy place, but unfortunately, this evening would come to an end without a walk in the sand.

As they headed home, Elizabeth asked, "Jack, would it be okay if we went by Eagle's Nest to listen to some music? I mean, we don't have the kids, so tonight is ours," she stated, as they held hands, a feeling of familiarity which caused both of their hearts to pound.

They pulled into the Eagle's Nest parking lot, parked and stepped up to the door.

"Its Tim McGraw night," Jack stated as he read the notice on the door. "Are you up for country music?"

"Tim McGraw songs are great," she replied as he pulled open the door and followed her inside. "Well, I love most of them."

They took a seat; Jack ordered a beer and a glass of white wine for Elizabeth. They sat side by side; her hand held tightly in his as her head rested against his shoulder.

After they finished their drink, Jack stood up, "Would you like to dance?"

The smile on her face answered his question as he helped her up and they walked to the dance floor. With her hand in his and his arm around her waist he pulled her close as one song began.

They looked deeply into each other's eyes as she felt him hold her like he used to. Her heart pounded as she felt his lips press tenderly against her forehead, and his hand on her back moved gently up and down, stirring her desires.

Jack felt her body in his arms, a feeling that he had long missed. His heart pounded, and at that moment he wished they were at home, alone as he would have scooped her up into his arms and carried her to bed.

Suddenly, a popular Tim McGraw song, "Don't Take the Girl," began to play…

Johnny's daddy was taking him fishin'
When he was eight years old

Little girl came through the front gate
Holdin' a fishin' pole
His dad looked down and smiled
He said, "We can't leave her behind"
"Son, I know you don't want her to go
But someday you'll change your mind"
And Johnny said
"Take Jimmy Johnson
Take Tommy Thompson
Take my best friend, Bo
Take anybody that you want as
Long as she don't go
Take any boy in the world
Daddy please, don't take the girl"

Same old boy, same sweet girl
Ten years down the road
He held her tight and kissed her lips in
Front of the picture show
Stranger came and pulled a gun
Grabbed her by the arm said
"If you do what I tell you to
There won't be any harm"
And Johnny said "Take my money
Take my wallet
Take my credit cards
Here's the watch that my Grandpa gave me
Here's the key to my car
Mister give it a whirl
But please don't take the girl"

Same old boy
Same sweet girl
Five years down the road
There's gonna be a little one and she
Says it's time to go
Doctor says the baby's fine
But you'll have to leave
'Cause his momma's fading fast and
Johnny hit his knees and there he prayed
"Take the very breath you gave me
Take the heart from my chest
I'll gladly take her place if you'll let me
Make this my last request
Take me out of this world
God, please don't take the girl"

Johnny's daddy
Was taking him fishin'
When he was eight years old…

Unbeknownst to Elizabeth, this song brought back Jack's fears from the night the twins were born. She could tell that he was preoccupied, his body stiffened and he seemed cold, but having felt so comfortable in his arms, she was oblivious to what could have happened to cause the change.

"What's wrong Jack?" she asked as he gathered her coat, slipped it over her shoulders and placed her purse in her arms.

"Let's go home," he replied as she draped her arm through his and they left.

Twenty five minutes later they turned onto their street, drove passed their house and stopped three houses down. The front porch light on the rental property was on, but otherwise everything appeared to be quiet.

"I'm sure they're okay; I mean, they would have called us if anything was wrong," Elizabeth commented.

Jack drove down to the end of the street, turned around and returned to their driveway. He parked the car and they headed inside.

Jack took a seat on the sofa as Elizabeth excused herself, going upstairs as she commented that she wanted to change into something more comfortable.

Ten minutes later, Elizabeth returned wearing a pale green lace and satin negligee. She hoped that with their babies under the watchful eyes of her parents that possibly she and Jack could enjoy being intimate again.

"Jack," she called out while standing on the first step of the staircase. "Jack," she called out again, concerned when she observed him wipe his eyes.

Walking over to him, she took a seat across from him. "What's wrong?"

When he didn't respond, she jumped up and grabbed her coat, slipping her feet into a pair of Jack's muck boots that were left at the front door.

"Are you coming with me?" she yelled.

"Where are you going?" he replied, clearly confused by her attire and her intentions.

"You won't tell me what's wrong, so there must be a problem with the kids," she yelled, her own confusion taking control.

Jack finally jumped up and rushed to the front door, "I'm sure they're fine. Come on; I'm tired, let's go to sleep."

Elizabeth understood the reasoning for taking things easy after her c-section. Truth be told, for the first month or so, she was exhausted, and she hated to admit it, but making love to Jack was not high on her radar.

The fact was that women have c-sections all the time, but whenever Elizabeth brought up being intimate again, there was always an excuse, sometimes work related, but most often the needs of the children took precedent. As time rolled along, the children became settled into a routine, and Elizabeth found free time and a strong desire to feel Jack's touch again.

Although she was still wearing her coat, she felt as though he had kicked her in the gut with the reference to going to sleep.

He headed upstairs, "Are you coming?" he called out.

"I'll be up later," she sadly responded.

Still wearing her winter coat, she stood practically motionless. She remembered how sexually active they were early in their marriage, and with the exception of Jack backing away from her during her pregnancy, fearing that he would hurt her or the baby, she never felt undesirable, until now.

Elizabeth removed her coat and Jack's muck boots, wrapped a throw around her and took a seat on the sofa. She shut off the TV, turned on some soft music and found herself staring out the back sliding glass door into the darkness.

Onyx had initially followed Jack upstairs, but when Elizabeth didn't appear in their room soon afterward, she made her way back down to the den, hopped up on the sofa and laid down.

Upstairs, Jack changed into a pair of long flannel pajama pants and a t-shirt before crawling into bed. Although Elizabeth's absence was well noted, he actually found it easier to sleep when she wasn't in the room. Every time she would snuggle against him, his body would stir and the visions of that beautiful, yet horrific night filled his head.

He loved Elizabeth; he wanted to kiss her, to touch her, to make love to her like they'd done so many times before, but somehow things felt different. Certainly not how he felt about her; that would never change, as she was still the only woman who could truly light his fire. However, each time that fire was lit, the visual of her being rushed out of the delivery room and into surgery on a stretcher as blood soaked through the sheets filled his head, and he felt cold inside.

Since Elizabeth's body needed to heal, and the babies' needs took up most of their time, there weren't a lot of "alone time moments" between her and Jack. After getting the babies to sleep, they were usually so tired that their own sleep came quickly, and with the next new day came a repeat of the one before.

He was supposed to be strong; the one she could lean on. So in his mind, how could he tell her how scared he was of losing her? Even though it happened three months ago, Jack remembered every terrifying moment as if it had just occurred. But in thinking about it, he wasn't even certain that she knew how dire the situation was after Will made his entrance.

Jack lay in bed staring at the ceiling; the light from the bathroom cast a soft glow through the almost closed door, and he was well aware that Elizabeth had not yet come to bed.

As Jack stood on the stairs, halfway between the floors, he heard Elizabeth talking to Onyx…

"I wish you could talk you me," Elizabeth commented, sitting quietly for a moment, hoping that Onyx would spout some words of wisdom. When that didn't occur she continued, "Is there something about a man watching his wife give birth that makes them somehow lose interest; I mean, does he see me differently now; does he not find me attractive anymore?"

He heard the sadness and confusion in her voice, but couldn't make out the one sided conversation. He slowly continued down the stairs, "Elizabeth," he called out softly, but his voice still startled her.

"Oh Jack; I'm sorry, I wasn't ready to go to sleep yet. Go on back to bed; I'm fine," she stated as she wiped her eyes and her arm around Onyx pulled her closer.

"I'm not; can we talk?" he asked.

"Of course," she replied. Elizabeth spun around on the sofa, placing her feet to the floor while Jack turned on the table lamp and took a seat beside her.

Before words passed his lips, tears filled his eyes, "I love you; you know that, right?"

"I know," she took hold of his hand. "Can I ask you a question?"

"Anything…"

"Jack, do you think differently about me since I've had the babies?"

Jack felt his breath catch in his throat. Maybe he did, but it certainly wasn't how she thought. In his heart he felt more love, appreciation and admiration for her, so her question surprised him until their conversation ran deeper.

"Why would you ask that?"

"Jack, before we were married, I felt…"

"You felt what?"

"I felt like you desired me; I knew you wanted to touch me, to kiss me, to make love to me, and even after we married, and were finally able to make love, I felt your desire."

Elizabeth, slightly embarrassed by the topic turned away, "Since the babies have arrived, I don't feel it anymore."

"You don't love me?" his hand cradled her cheek, turning her back to face him.

"Jack, I love you with all my heart but I don't feel that passion from you that I used to. Do you feel differently about me? I mean, do men lose interest in their wives once they witness them giving birth?"

"Elizabeth, if possible, I love you more today than I ever have…"

"Then what's wrong? The babies are with my parents tonight and all you could think of was going to sleep. I need you Jack; I want to feel your touch again. Do you have any idea how long it's been since you've kissed me?"

"Honey, I kissed you tonight."

"I don't mean a peck on the cheek or the forehead. I mean a mind blowing passionate kiss…"

He turned away trying to hide the errant tears that slipped down his cheeks, "I'm so afraid of losing you."

Her hand on his cheek turned his head toward her, "What are you talking about? I'm not going anywhere."

"What you went through giving birth to Will and Meg…you are an incredible woman, stronger than anyone I've ever known."

"Jack, I had a c-section. Plenty of women have them all the time. There's nothing really incredibly strong about that."

"Do you remember what happened?" he asked as he scooted over closer allowing the bodies to touch.

"Yes, of course I do. I mean, I don't remember the c-section, but I remember hearing Will scream and then…"

"And then what?"

Her brows furrowed and she appeared to be deep in thought, "I don't know."

"You began bleeding heavily. There was blood covering the sheet and…" tears began to fall in a steady stream. He took a deep breath, and brought her hand up to his lips, "I begged them to let me go with you, but they raced to the operating room, and I stood there alone, Will was gone, and you and Meg I didn't know if you would be okay."

Jack continued, "I have never felt more alone in my entire life."

"Jack, the doctor told me what happened, but they had it under control."

"It looked like everything was out of control when they rushed you to the operating room. I was so afraid of losing you."

"But Jack, I'm fine; I've healed and the babies are doing great."

She could tell he was thinking, so she continued, giving him her thoughts, "Do you have any idea how much I worry about you when you leave every morning?"

"Honey, I'm fine; I'm good at what I do."

"I have no doubt, but Jack, things can happen that are out of our control," she watched as he looked down, his glance scanning the floor. "Please look at me…"

Jack swallowed hard before casting his eyes upon her.

"Jack, you have a dangerous job, and any time you leave the house could be the last time I see you. I don't want my memories of our time together to be what we missed out on. I want us to live our lives; show Will what it's like to treat a lady with respect, and Meg to realize that she is worthy of it as well."

Elizabeth continued, "If you don't want to make love to me, that's fine; I'll stop suggesting it, but I can't stand feeling as though we're walking on eggshells with each other."

"I want to make love to you, but then I remember that night…"

Elizabeth stood up and threw the blanket on the sofa. Standing before him in her negligee, his heart began pumping, and his own desires stirred.

"I'm not asking you to make love to me, but maybe we could go to bed and you could just hold me," she stated as she held out her hand; a gesture that he quickly accepted.

Onyx ordinarily followed them to bed, but even she recognized that they needed some private time, and remained on the sofa as they walked up the stairs.

Jack pulled back the bedding and slipped into bed. He patted the mattress and watched as she slid in next to him.

With deep emotion, Elizabeth choked back tears as she stated, "Jack Thornton, I love the life you've given me; I love our babies and I am more in love with you now than I have even been. Please always know that."

She snuggled into his chest as his arms around her felt so comfortable and familiar. She felt his fingertips tracing along the crisscross straps on the back of her negligee, and with their talk and him holding her, she felt closer to him than she had in what seemed like forever.

She closed her eyes, and took a deep relaxing breath. She wasn't expecting anything from him; being this close for now was fine. Knowing why he had pulled away from her and the fact that it wasn't because he found her atrocious meant everything, and she was certain that the intimacy would return. She just wasn't aware of how quickly she would get her wish.

As Jack held her in his arms, his heart pounded and for the first time in months, he didn't see her lying on a stretcher, her lower half covered in a bloody sheet. She was the same beautiful, warm, enticing, passionate woman he had first dreamed of making love to before marrying her and eventually the dream became a reality.

"Elizabeth," he whispered.

"Uh huh," she responded as she lifted her head from his chest, her arms were bent with one hand resting on top of the other.

His hands on her upper arms pulled her closer. Their lips were a whisper apart, as his eyes didn't drift from hers. His hand behind her head pulled her even closer, their lips barely touching.

She closed her eyes in anticipation of their touch and when they did, it was like sunshine and happiness had electrified her soul. Her lips opened slightly, an invitation that he eagerly accepted.

As their lips separated, they just as quickly met again; each time was more passionate than the one before. Jack rolled over her body, coming to rest as he straddled her hips.

He leaned down; his lips met the soft, tender skin on her shoulder as he felt her body shudder beneath him. His finger slipped underneath the spaghetti strap of her negligee as he dropped it over her shoulder. As his mouth covered her exposed breast, her back arched and her arms around his body pulled him closer.

Her deep sigh brought him to the realization that both of them had missed this, had missed being this close to each other.

He found the hem on the bottom of her negligee as his fingers began to roll the material up her body. Her arms rose over her head as he pulled the garment off, dropping it onto the floor. His hand covered her right breast, as his thumb and finger rubbed across her nipple, quickly making it erect, while his mouth and tongue worked on her left breast with the very same result.

He sat up; still straddling her as his hands vigorously removed his t-shirt tossing it to join her negligee on the floor.

He returned his attention to her. "You are so beautiful, Elizabeth, you take my breath away." His hands cradled her face and he bent toward her and their lips touched. It was hot, demanding and passionate, everything they had individually been missing.

His tongue slipped through the opening in her lips and ran gently along the soft skin on the inside of her mouth. His hands ran through her auburn tresses as his lips planted gentle kisses along her collar bone, stopping momentarily to press his lips to the soft skin between her perfectly shaped breasts.

He rolled off of her body as his finger under the thin side seam of her panties pulled them down her long, shapely legs, another piece of clothing was then added to the growing mound of silk and cotton on the floor.

His hands roamed up her leg, as his fingers gently stroked across her abdomen.

Elizabeth placed her hand over his, "I'm sorry."

"Don't be sorry; as far as I'm concerned, it's a beauty mark," he whispered as his lips made contact with the scar on her abdomen, a symbol of both the best and worst night of their lives.

With his hand resting on her hip, her fingers slipped under the elastic waistband of his flannel pajama pants. She felt him gasp softly as his body move closer to hers.

Jack quickly shed his pants, dropping them on the top of the pile beside the bed. Elizabeth felt quite pleased with herself. It had been months since she and Jack had been truly intimate, and with her fears that he no longer found her desirable taking hold of her, it was quite evident that her fears were unfounded as his erect member pressed against her hip bone.

"Are you sure you're okay?" he whispered.

"I'm more than okay; make love to me Jack," she whispered back with a sense of urgency in her voice.

With her knees bent, Jack slipped between her legs. He looked deep into her eyes, seeing the ocean that he always swore could swallow him whole…and this was no exception.

As he pressed deep inside her, her hips rose to meet him, each one doing their best to get as close as possible. A familiar rhythm returned, and much like riding a bike, what to do, what each one liked, and what felt good to the other, had been previously captured to memory and easily drawn upon.

With all of the pleasurable sensations going through his body, Jack's lips met hers, and the heat from her body swallowed him. He could have died at that moment and he would have known that he had already seen Heaven.

She moaned softly in his ear, her sounds of pleasure driving him harder and stronger as a bolt of hot passion seared through each of them.

Jack dropped beside her as each of them held the other and did their best to calm their breathing and tame their pounding hearts. He pulled her onto his chest as their bodies lay skin to skin, each one satisfied and content.

She fell asleep in his arms quickly. Jack, usually the one to drift off first, lay with his arms around her as he provided his prayer of thanks…

"Lord, I know that I don't come to you as often as I should, and I am aware that I have fallen short in my faith at times, actually being accusatory on occasion," he whispered while looking back at Elizabeth. He remembered being angry at God that he would take Elizabeth and Meg from him. As his eyes watered and his fingers traced along her bare back he continued, "Thank you, Lord, for this beautiful gift you've given to me. She is kind, compassionate beyond words, loving and more forgiving than I probably deserve. I thank you for this life that you have opened up for me; Elizabeth and my children are my world. I ask that you help me to be the man they believe me to be, please keep them safe. In Jesus' name I pray, Amen"

Several hours later, Elizabeth woke, a smile firmly planted on her face. Jack still held her securely enveloped in the safety of his arms, as she gently slipped out of bed and grabbed her clothing from the floor.

Walking passed the bedpost she saw the button down shirt he wore the night before and slipped it on, along with her panties and laid her negligee at the foot of her bed. She quietly walked downstairs and found Onyx still asleep on the sofa.

"Do you want to go out?" she asked.

Onyx stretched and then slowly slid off the sofa and walked toward the back door. Elizabeth let her outside and then walked into the kitchen to put on a pot of coffee. She grabbed her journal from the bag hanging on the dining room chair and pulled a pen from her kitchen junk drawer, carried her coffee to the table and opened the door to let Onyx back inside.

Elizabeth took a seat on the sofa, curled her feet up beside her and draped the blanket hanging over the sofa across her and Onyx who had returned to her spot next to Elizabeth.

She opened her journal, flipped through a montage of happy, sad, joyful, and troubling entries before stopping at the next blank page. She glanced around the room, settling in on a picture of the twins which hung over the fireplace and she attempted to release the feelings she held inside…

"Fear can cause a plethora of emotions, anger, sadness, confusion, and uncertainty, just to name a few, but these are the things that make us who we are. They are the foundation in which we plant our feet; the things we fight through, and the experiences that we learn from.

However, unresolved fear becomes the darkness which consumes us. It leaves us feeling lost, trapped in a dark harbor, no light, no safety net, no explanation, or understanding and sadly, no end in sight. We realize the need to fight, but often we don't know what we are truly fighting against. We do our best pushing to find your way back to normalcy, but the emptiness threatens to drop us back down to our knees.

Communication is the key. Feeling safe in any relationship to express how we feel is essential to allow the growth that we desire. However, it isn't always as easy as simply speaking our truth, for you see, there are those who have the words, but the feelings escape them. Then again there are those who have the emotions, the bond, the strong feelings that drive them, but for whatever reason, they can't seem to find the words."

Elizabeth stood in front of the stove frying up a pan of bacon; a bowl of scrambled eggs with cheese sat on the counter awaiting their turn on the burner.

Jack slipped downstairs and stood in the den admiring how breathtaking his wife looked wearing his shirt. Then he wondered why women looked so beautiful in men's clothes, but the same couldn't be said for vice versa. Shaking his head he removed the thought.

"Mmm, that smells good; I'm starving," he stated as he walked into the kitchen, approached her, slipped his arms around her waist, pulled her into his body, and held her tight.

"Last night was beyond wonderful. I'm sorry for what I put you through," he whispered into her ear before his lips met the soft skin on her neck.

Elizabeth removed the bacon from the stove before turning around to face him. As her arms slipped around his neck, she felt him back her up against the counter.

"The kids are still with your parents; why don't we go back upstairs…" he suggested as his hand swept several strands of her hair over her shoulder, his fingers feeling much like a feather as they brushed lightly across her neck.

"I thought you were hungry…"

He smiled that coy grin that displayed the dimples she loved, "I am…"

To be continued…

Note:

For those of you who are members of the facebook fan fiction pages (those pages where we post to alert you of postings we have made), there will be some pictures posted soon.