Kate carried Lily out of church behind Jack as the bell rang overhead. She wrapped the blanket tight around the baby as the late fall wind blew and everyone was gathering outside to chat after the service.

"Charlotte it is so lovely to see you!" Abigail said giving her a warm hug. Everyone was excited to greet Charlotte as most of the crowed gathered around her everyone wanting to great her.

"Looks like she is kind of a celebrity around here." Eric said poping up being Kate making her jump.

"She kind of is, she can even upstage Rosemary without making her mad." Kate smiled. As Eric kissed her cheek.

"Still on for lunch today?"

"Of course, I hope you plan on making something good, I had to skip breakfast." Kate teased.

"I do, and I even have something to keep you busy while i am cooking." Eric laughed.

"Let me hand the baby over." Kate said. Elizabeth was standing with Abigail, Charlotte and Rosemary sounding like they were planing a big menu for tonights dinner.

"I'm going to go have lunch with Eric." Kate said as Elizabeth took the baby from her.

"Of course, have fun." Elizabeth nodded.

"Eric will you be joining us for dinner tonight?" Abigail asked.

"Well I would love to if you have the room."

"Oh we will make room!" Rosemary waved him off.

"Have a nice afternoon." Abigail smiled. Kate waved to Jack who was walking over, Jack waved back as the two started hand in hand to the lane where the row houses sat. Charlotte pulled Jack aside away from the crowed.

"What's that about?" Charlotte asked watching the two shadows fade away in the cloudy winter afternoon.

"I think Eric is making her lunch. I warned him against it, I mean he's a man, cooking for a women who has been studying under Abigail since she was old enough to see over the table but you know what they say, a body's got to learn from their own mistake..."

"Not that! Where are they going alone?" Charlotte asked.

"To Eric's house."

"He has a house?"

"Well he rents one of the row houses for now, just moved in a week or two ago." Jack nodded.

"And you are letting them be alone unsupervised in a house?" Charlotte asked.

"Oh Ma, Kate is a good girl, and I know Eric i trust him he's a good guy. They are just spending some time alone as they should be at this stage in their relationship." Jack said raising an eyebrow at his mother.

"Well I don't know how i feel about this."

"Ma, Elizabeth and i used to have dinner alone in her row house all the time, well we were alone after Kate went to bed."'

"Yes but you two got married."

"I think Kate and Eric are going to get married some day soon." Jack said softly.

"Really?" Charlotte asked suprised turning to him.

"Well, I mean he hasen't asked for her hand or anything, but I have seen the way they are, he's really good to her Ma, and she cares for him a lot." Jack said.

"Well, i suppose I didn't give him must attention at that dinner at your houses last night, maybe i should have a talk with him." Charlotte said.

"Well if it makes you feel better I have and he seems like a good man, but I think it would mean a lot to Kate if you would have a chat with him too, it's important to her what you think." Jack nodded.

"Well, I think i will do that." Charlotte nodded.

"So, it's still not done, as you saw yesterday, but i have a table and two chairs, and a little sofa, and there is coal in the stove to keep it warm." Eric said opening the door for Kate as she looked around.

"I love this, I can tell you worked really hard on it." Kate smiled.

"Thanks, there is ice in the ice box too." Eric said making Kate laugh.

"Here i can take your shawl and hat." Eric took them from her putting them on the hook by the door next to his stuff. Kate glanced around a little nervous about how hospitable Eric was being, usually they meet on common ground like the cafe or somewhere in town. Even when he came to dinner at her house there were usually so many people wanting his attention that they never sat in such silence with only each other for very long.

"So I thought of something fun we could do, but I will need your help." Eric said leading her into the kitchen.

"Oh is this my busy work to keep me from leaning over your shoulder when your cooking?" Kate laughed.

"Yes, and honestly it just sound fun." Eric smiled pulling the table cloth over a stack of things on the table.

"Gingerbread?" Kate asked.

"I love that you can tell that just by looking at the flour and spices here." Eric laughed.

"Cookies?" Kate asked.

"Gingerbread men, we can make the cookies now and I have a lot of candy, I thought maybe we could decorate them with all the kids as a special treat for after dinner." Eric said.

"That sounds perfect." Kate smiled.

"Watch this!" Aaron called tossing a piece of popcorn into the air and catching it in his mouth.

"Oh goodness" Rosemary shook her head at Jack and Lee chuckled.

"I want to try!" William cried reaching for his own handful.

"Bill put down the book he had been reading to the kids by the fire to watch the boys.

"Now the trick is to get it straight up and nice and high." Bill coached as Will tried again.

"Just don't choke on anything." Abigail said watching them as her knitting needles flashed. She paused for a second to measure the knit bonnet against Lily's head before starting again.

"It's so beautiful" Kate smiled watching her from where she was playing cards with Eric, Charlotte and Lee at the table.

"She is such a darling girl, those blue eyes, just like your Mama" Rosemary cooed to Lily who was sitting in her lap playing with her necklace. Kate smiled, she loved their winter nights after Sunday dinner everyone gathered in Abigail's warm kitchen.

"Mr Bill I want to hear what happens to the bear." Tommy said patting the book on Bill's lap.

"Well don't you know? we must have read this book fifty times this week." Bill faked his annoyance.

"Please, just one more time." Tommy begged.

"Alright alright let's see now where were we?" Bill asked opening the book as the kids settled around him again.

"Your quiet today." Elizabeth said softly leaning into Jack on the sofa.

"Oh, just a lot on my mind." Jack shrugged.

"Anything I can help with?"

"Nahh, just thinking about what to get the kids for Christmas." Jack shook his head.

"Out" Charlotte threw down her last card making the table of other players sigh in disappointment.

"I'm pretty sure your mother is getting money out of these games." Elizabeth muttered.

"No, she wouldn't bet money on a Sunday, plus she knows how much you hate betting games." Jack shook his head.

"Eric, what do you say you and I go out and have a chat on the porch?" Charlotte asked.

"Yeah, sure." Eric nodded glancing at Kate then at Jack, Jack game him a reassuring nod as Eric followed Charlotte out into the cold night. Kate went to the window to watch but Elizabeth called her away.

"Charlotte wants to talk to him man to man, let her have this time, you know it's important." Elizabeth told her gently.

"Can you go out there?" Kate asked Jack.

"No I can't, Eric can handle himself, this is all about becoming a man in this family, he has to pass her test, and he can do it on his own." Jack told her.

"That's right, just sit down and have some more tea and wait for them to come back." Elizabeth nodded getting up and pouring Kate a cup.

"Actually, while we have everyone gathered her we have a little something to share." Rosemary said as everyone turned to her.

"Lee and I applied to an adoption agency after the train came through. We got a letter back yesterday and we were approved." Rosemary said.

"Oh Rosemary that is wonderful!" Elizabeth cried as she and Abigail hugged her warmly.

"Good for you, you won't regret it." Jack gave Lee a smile shaking his hand.

"Hey there, your going to be a big brother" Bill slapped Aaron on the back.

"Do you know anything else?" Abigail asked.

"Not yet, the orphanage in Hamilton is going to be in contact soon, we can go there for a visit and see the children, though i think it will be terribly hard to leave with just one." Rosemary sighed.

"Any help you can do is a big help, all children need a home, one is better then none." Elizabeth said giving her a warm smile.

"That is right, I am so happy for you both." Abigail grinned.

"We will help out anyway we can." Jack nodded.

"Thank you all." Lee smiled.

"And Elizabeth, we want to assure you that if we find siblings we will adopt both of them, there will be no families broken up in our home." Rosemary said.

"Thank you, that means so much." Elizabeth said putting her arm around Kate.

Outside Charlotte leaned against the porch railing watching Eric who was shifting from one foot to the other nervously.

"When Kate invited you to dinner the other night, i assumed you two were just courting, but when I spoke to my son he seemed to think it was more serious, is that true?" Charlotte asked.

"Yes ma'am I like to think it is." Eric nodded.

"Your serious about Kate, You might marry her?"

"I would like to very much." Eric nodded.

"You got a house?"

"I am renting a row house right now, When i save enough money I would like to build a place of my own with some land."

"A job?"

"I work for Mr Coulter, in his office."

"Good pay?"

"I make enough to have what i need and save some away every week. Mr Coulter is a fair boss and he said i could earn a raise soon."

"What about your family?"

"Well I grew up near Hamilton with my parents and sisters, we were not so well off when I was young but my Pa does better now."

"Schooling?" Charlotte asked crossing her arms

"I finished grammar school in the city."

"What do you think about the family? Elizabeth, Jack, the kids?"

"The kids are great, we have a lot of fun. Elizabeth and Jack as so kind. I have a lot of respect for how they raise their children, and both of them working, Elizabeth is a wonderful teacher."

"You know Jack took in Kate and raised her as his own."

"I do know that, I think he is wonderful for doing that."

"He takes good care of both those girls, and should any harm every come to Kate, I know for a fact you would be run out of town."

"I would never..." Eric started but Charlotte cut him off.

"Kate is a strong women running this cafe and she doesn't need a man. If she so much as gave you the time of day I would consider yourself very lucky."

"Mrs Thornton, may I speak now?" Eric asked. Charlotte looked surprised but she nodded to him leaning back against the porch rail ready to listen.

"I know how special Kate is, and I know how many people around here love her. So I need you to know that I have no intention of hurting her, ever. I want to marry her and be a part of her life. Kate makes me very happy and I know that I make her happy too. So you can threaten me and ask me anything you want. But I love Kate, and I am not going anywhere, that's a promise." Eric said firmly. Charlotte looked surprised as she took in Eric standing before her.

"Well alright then." She nodded sizing him up again before turning and going back inside. Eric watched her as the door closed behind her.

"Alright then." Eric smiled softly to himself before heading back into the cafe behind her.

"Jack?" Elizabeth whispered into the dark room. She had awoken in the middle of the night and was surprised that Jack was not in bed beside her.

"Jack?" Elizabeth called again softly getting out of bed and creeping across the floor. Lily stirred in her cradle but stayed asleep as Elizabeth checked on her. She looked for Jack in the boys room but he wasn't there. William looked like he was about to fall out of bed so she tucked him back in tightly. Charlotte was sleeping in the girls room so Elizabeth knew Jack wouldn't be in there. She crept down the stairs seeing the lamp lit in the kitchen. Jack was sitting at the table a notebook open in front of him. Elizabeth peeked into Kate room, her sister and Abby both asleep as she shut the door tightly.

"What are you doing up?" Elizabeth asked softly running her fingers through the back of Jack's hair before putting a pot of water on the stove and lighting it.

"Just going over the books." Jack said softly. Elizabeth studied his worried face before sitting down in the chair beside him.

"What's wrong?" She asked.

"Just trying to figure out these numbers, We have less then I thought." Jack sighed. Elizabeth turned the book to face her looking over all their fiances.

"Well we knew this year would be tight..." She started.

"It was tight before the drought, we didn't get anything from the field or the garden so we don't have any storage." Jack sighed.

"So no canned foods for us and no food for the animals."

"Right, We didn't account for having to buy those things, usually we are fine with what we have. But this year we will have to buy all our canned foods and all grain and hay to feed the animals " Jack said softly tapping his pencil.

"Well how bad is it? Worst case, what happens?" Elizabeth asked. The look Jack gave her told her he had thought about this answer already and she wasn't going to like it.

"What Jack?"

"The Mounties are looking for people to join up. There is unrest at the border and they want people there. "

"Jack!"

"Now I know it's not perfect. But they don't expect fighting. They just want to show we are prepared and won't be taken advantage of." Jack told her quickly.

"What about our jobs?" Elizabeth asked looking back at the books .

"Well you teaching again does help, we had the doctor debt to pay off. Carson said there was no rush but..."

"Everyone is going to be in the same boat, we have to pay off our dept. " Elizabeth said and Jack nodded.

"And my work only pays so much. Sheriff in a tiny town like this I spend more time chasing down lost cattle then I do men. We were getting by because we didn't have many other bills. But the price of coal is high because the mines shut down this summer. Along with everything else. It seems the drought took more then just the crops." Jack said. Elizabeth nodded, they had known Jack was taking a big pay cut when he left the Mounties to become the town sheriff but it had been the right choice for their family.

"Well let's just say you leaving us isn't an option either. What else can we do? We can cut down on coal, we can camp out in the living room when it's really cold and not have to heat the house as long as there is wood in the fire place." Elizabeth said They both jumped and turned as the door to Kate's room opened.

"I can help, we can get by with my pay." Kate said joining them at the table.

"No Kate I'm not taking your pay," Jack shook his head.

"Why not! I am an adult in this house and you never let me pay my share." Kate frowned

" I told you to put your checks into the bank. "

"I did. And now we need them."

"Kate this family is not your responsibility. "

"But I can help!" Kate said. Elizabeth sat back watching Jack argue with her, knowing Jack was going to stand firm on his position.

"Kate, that money is yours, you work for it and I want you to save it up. I want you to be able to be as independent and strong as your sister was. I don't want you to ever have to rely on anyone. I took you on as my own child when Elizabeth and I got married. I would never take money from my children to pay our bills and I won't from you that is final. " Jack said firmly. Elizabeth knew Kate was stubborn and this probably made her angry but this was one of the reasons she had first fallen in love with Jack. He had taken on Kate as a little girl and loved her as his own, that hadn't changed even as Kate grew up.

"We will get by. If we need to, I will go to the border for a while." Jack said his voice softening.

"If you go, we're going with you." Elizabeth said strongly. Jack turned to her surprised but Elizabeth went on before he could argue.

"I won't sit home waiting and wondering about you Jack. I won't live through that again. If your going we are all going, as a family."

" Leave Hope Valley? " Kate asked as Jack seemed to surprised to speak.

"Not forever, we will come back when money is good again. But you promise me now Jack Thornton, you don't leave me behind again." Elizabeth said strongly.

"I promise." Jack nodded taking her hands firmly in his.

" Kate you don't have to come, you can probably stay with Abigail she would love to have you. " Elizabeth turned to her sister. Kate just shook her head.

"We're a family, if your going I'm going to. We will all go. And we will come back when we can." Kate nodded looking around their big house. Jack smiled softly as Elizabeth gave Kate's hand a squeeze.

" We don't have to decide right now. We have some time. Some money set aside to buy the kids Christmas presents. But after that, if we don't strike some luck, we will be out of money by the end of January. " Jack said. Kate nodded

"No matter what we are a family and we stick together." Elizabeth said as the three of them nodded.

" let's not tell my ma or the kids yet, not until we know we have to leave, " Jack said.

"Alright" Both girls nodded.

"We won't be the only families struggling, let's remember that, other families will be stuggling too, let's remember to be extra kind." Elizabeth added as Kate nodded.

"Alright, back to bed, morning will come sooner then we all hope i think." Jack said closing the book and putting it back on the shelf as if that would help them all forget their worries. But it didn't as Kate went back into her room crawling into bed next to Abby who was snoring softly. Kate watched her for a minute wishing she was young enough to sleep so soundly without any worries.

"Morning" Eric smiled coming into the cafe kitchen as Kate was making breakfast.

"Morning" She gave him a little smile before turning back to the stove. Eric glanced at Abigail who was playing with Lily on the sofa. Abigail just gave him a little shrug turning back to the baby.

"How was your night?" He asked her giving her a kiss on the cheek.

"It was fine how was yours?" Kate asked.

"Quiet, I'm still getting used to quiet nights, who know that would make it harder to sleep then the noise of the Saloon." Eric chuckled trying to get a laugh out of Kate. She managed another little half smile he could tell was only to please him.

"Everything ok? You don't seem yourself today?" he asked softly.

"I'm fine, I just didn't get much sleep last night, Even when your used to the quiet it can keep you up sometimes." Kate shrugged.

"Are you sure that's it?" Eric asked gently turning her head to face him so she would look him in the eye.

"Yea, I was just up a lot last night." Kate nodded.

"Alright, well take it easy today ok, I don't want you to make yourself sick?"

"I will" Kate nodded.

"Ok, I have to get to work but I'll come by after the lunch rush and we can eat together ok?"

"Sounds good." Kate offered him another weak smile.

"Alright, have a good morning I'll see you in a little bit." Eric said softly kissing her cheek before heading back out the door.

"He's right you're not yourself today." A

bigail said lifting the baby to her shoulder and crossing the room over to Kate.

"It's fine, it was just a long night." Kate said shaking her head. She wanted to badly to tell Abigail of her worries, she had always gone to Abigail for everything and she was always such a source of comfort to her, but she felt that it wasn't her place to talk about this without Jack or Elizabeth knowing. Abigail gave her a look like she didn't believe what Kate was telling her but she wasn't going to force her to talk. That somehow made Kate feel even more guilty.

"I won't force you to talk about it, but if something is bothering you, you should find someone to talk to, it will make you feel better." Abigail said softly. Kate nodded gently as Abigail tucked some stray hair back into her bun.

"Eric is a good man, he knows it's more then your letting on, you should talk to him, if you want a future with someone, you need to be able to talk to them about things." Abigail went on.

"I will when the time is right." Kate nodded.

"Good, here, holding babies helps too and I need to bring in my laundry." Abigail said handing Lily to Kate. Kate took the baby holding her close as Abigail went out the back door.

"It's alright little one, we will figure it out." Kate whispered softly rocking the baby.

The rest of the day passed slowly for Kate, she felt like she was walking around with cement blocks on her feet. She managed a quiet lunch with Eric but he did most of the talking while she nodded along. Abigail sent her home early saying Clara would help her serve dinner but Kate found she didn't want to go there either. She sat on a bench by the stagecoach stop watching people leaving work and going home. Many gave her a quick smile or wave before heading home to get out of the evening fall chill that was in the air. Kate would wave back but she wasn't in a rush. Something about the cold on her face actually felt good and woke her up a little bit getting rid of the pit she had in her stomach all day.

"You don't have to come Kate." Jack said softly. Kate looked up at him surprised to see him there, she had not heard him even walk up.

"What are you talking about?" Kate asked. Jack slipped onto the bench beside her.

"I know your struggling with it, and I want to tell you again, you don't have to come. I can send you money back, the house will still be here, I don't want you to have to give up everything because I have to go." Jack said softly.

"It's hard to think about leaving, but it's impossible to think about staying when my family is gone." Kate said softly.

"I know, I just want to remind you that the choice is yours to make, I know you have never been apart for your sister, and it breaks my heart to think that you might have to live so far apart for any length of time when it's not what either of you want. But I will take care of her, I promise, and we will come back to you as soon as we can." Jack said softly. Kate nodded listening.

"I haven't decided yet, I will let you know when I do." She said. Jack nodded.

"I understand, let me know if you need any help, I would love to have you along Kate you know what, we will all miss you so much, but we understand if you have to stay here." Jack said. Kate just nodded giving him a little smile. Jack patted her knee softly.

"Do you have to get back to work?"

"No, I'm done for the day." Kate shook her head.

"Me too, let's go home little shadow." Jack said, they both stood up and quietly walked home together.