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Charlotte, Tom and Elizabeth all sat around Jack's bed; sharing stories and laughing. Trying to do what they could to distract Jack from the difficult road that lies ahead of him. He watched them, smiling, loving the fact that his mother and brother were both interacting with Elizabeth so easily. He wanted this woman to remain part of his life; though he wasn't sure in what capacity just yet. He couldn't take his eyes off her. Her laugh was infectious; her smile lit up the room; she was beautiful.
Jack had been awake for a few hours and Jack was fighting sleep so he could watch his family; but it was a losing battle and sleep won.
Jack walked out of the jail and into the street. The street was filled with people, more than he'd ever seen in Hope Valley. Elizabeth, Tom and his mother were all walking toward him. Jack smiled and looked down to find the wolf still standing at his feet. He bent down to pet the wolf's head when a deafening boom came from behind him. Jack flinched, his arms flying up to protect his head and he spun around to see what happened. One of the business was nothing but splinters and roaring fire. Another ear-piercing boom came from the other end of town. Jack spun to see yet another building up in flames, debris flying everywhere. People were running all around him, screaming.
Elizabeth, Tom and his mother were running toward Jack. He began to run to them when the gunfire began. Jack ducked down, covering his head briefly. People were dropping like flies in the street. Jack looked up at the trio that had been running toward him with horror in eyes. Tom was lying on the ground; Elizabeth and his mother still running. Then simultaneously, the two women were hit and they dropped to the ground.
Jack dropped to his knees and screamed, "NO!"
Tom, Charlotte and Elizabeth were still visiting when Jack began to thrash around in the bed. Elizabeth and Tom were on either side of him, holding his shoulders down to restrict his movement so that he might not hurt himself even more. Charlotte ran out to get help.
Suddenly, Jack yelled, "NO!" He opened his eyes wide, filled will fear and tried to sit up. Tom and Elizabeth held him down. "No, no, no!" he continued to scream.
Elizabeth cupped Jack's face with her hands, "Jack. You're okay. You're safe. Look at me." It wasn't working, Jack could not be consoled. Elizabeth got harsher with him, trying anything to pull him out of the nightmare, "Jack! Look at me!"
Jack stopped and looked into Elizabeth's eyes. He took in a short breath, wrapped his arm around her and pulled her to him; tightening his hold on her, tears flowing.
Charlotte and Dr. Shepherd arrived to find Jack and Elizabeth like this. Jack's body was shaking from the emotions that had overtaken him. Elizabeth was clearly crying too, even though they couldn't see her face. Tom was standing on the other side of the bed, his hand on his brother's shoulder, his gaze down to the floor.
Tom couldn't stand seeing his brother like this. He looked up to him, strived to be like him. Seeing Jack's body, broken up like this, his emotional and mental state broken as well, tore Tom up.
Elizabeth pulled herself from Jack's tight hold, sitting up so she could look at him. "Are you okay?"
Jack nodded, tears still falling down his cheeks.
"Do you want to tell me what happened."
Jack shook his head no.
Elizabeth touched Jack's face, "It will probably be easier for you if you talk about it."
Jack hesitated; his gaze still locked on her face. "You...all...died."
Elizabeth pulled back a little, "What?"
"You...m...ma...Tom...shot."
"Oh, Jack. It was just a nightmare. We are all here. We're all fine." Elizabeth leaned back down, hugging Jack. He tightly wrapped his arm around her again, breathing her in, finding solace in the warmth of her embrace.
"Jack, Dr. Shepherd here again. I'm going to give you something to help you sleep for a little while. Okay?"
Elizabeth sat up and Jack nodded. Dr. Shepherd injected a syringe into the IV port and slowly pushed the plunger in until the syringe was empty. "This will kick in fairly quickly."
Everyone watched Jack as his heavy eyelids closed and sleep took over him.
"Jack will be in a pretty deep sleep for a while." He placed his hand on Elizabeth's shoulder. "Do yourself and Jack a favor, go home and get some rest."
Elizabeth nodded in agreement. She was exhausted both physically and emotionally. She bent down and whispered in Jack's ear, "I'll be back in a while. Sleep peacefully please." She told Charlotte and Tom goodbye then left for home.
Elizabeth closed the door to her car and instantly began to cry. She had been holding back for Jack's sake but in the solitude of her car, she let her emotions go. With her hands and head on her steering wheel, Elizabeth let all the tears flow, not holding any back. A knock on her window startled her, causing her jump. She looked up to find Rosemary looking at her with a concerned look on her face. Rosemary opened the door and pulled Elizabeth out into a tight embrace, trying to console her friend.
Tom and Charlotte sat in silence for a few moments after everyone else had left the room.
"What's the deal between Jack and Elizabeth?"
"What do you mean?" Charlotte asked.
"Have you watched those two interact? They act like they've known each other for years."
"Yes, we have all noticed that. They have a special connection that none of us will understand. I don't think the two of them even understand it quite yet."
"And this just started from her reading to him?"
"Yes, she came in the day he arrived; talked to him, prayed over him. Then she began reading to him, like her kids do for that reading program she runs. She's been here every day since. Her name was his first word when I woke from his coma."
"What? Seriously? How did he know her name?"
"He could hear her talking to him and reading to him I guess."
"Wow. That's actually quite amazing. She seems like a very nice person."
"Oh, she is, Tom. Her entire family is wonderful. They invited me to stay at their house so I wouldn't have to pay for a hotel and be closer to Jack. Elizabeth invited me into her home for dinner with her family and friends. They have all made this time so much easier for me."
"I wish I had known so I could have been here for you, mom."
"I'm sorry about that. But you finishing your finals helped me more than if you were here. I would have been so worried about your future too if you had skipped out on them or failed them all. If Jack had gotten worse, I would have called you in."
"I understand." Tom did understand where his mother was coming from, but he was still hurt that he hadn't been able to be there with Jack from the beginning.
Jack sat on a fallen tree in the middle of a field. He was alone. A warm breeze blew across his face. The gentle aroma of nearby jasmine caused Jack to think of Elizabeth; her perfume. He heard a rustle in the grass behind him. He turned to find Elizabeth joining him, sitting on the log by his side, taking his hand in hers. The two sat, without speaking, looking out onto the vast field. A doe and her young fawn bounded by at the edge of the field; an eagle screeched in the distance. Jack hadn't felt such peace in a while. His body relaxed as Elizabeth leaned in to him. He wrapped his arm around her and pulled her closer. There was a new feeling washing over him, one he was unfamiliar with. He looked down at Elizabeth, kissed the top of her head and whispered, "I love you."
Rosemary and Elizabeth had visited for a short while, then Elizabeth went home to shower and get some sleep. It didn't take long for her exhaustion to overcome her once her head hit her pillow. Her sleep was restless, unsettling dreams made sure of that.
Charlotte took Tom to the Thatcher house to get him settled in. Grace was home and the three discussed Jack's condition. Grace and Charlotte both voiced concern over Elizabeth and her wellbeing. They both agreed to keep a close eye on her.
Elizabeth rolled over in her bed, opened her eyes and looked at the clock. 1:11 p.m. She rolled out of bed and quickly got dressed, throwing her hair up into a messy bun. She grabbed an apple as she ran out the door.
A short while later she was back in Jack's room. No one else was there and Jack was still asleep. She sat on the edge of his bed, watching him sleep. His face was much more relaxed than the last time she watched him sleep. She gently picked up his hand, trying not to wake him. She was rubbing the back of his hand when she heard him.
"Hi." He said, smiling at her.
She looked up to find him watching her. "Hi," she said, returning his smile.
Jack gave her hand a slight squeeze. "It's good...to...s...see...you."
"It's good to see you too, Jack. How are you feeling?"
"B...b...better...now."
"That's good. No nightmares?"
"No. G...g...good...dr...dream...though." He flashed a big smile, revealing his dimples in all their glory.
"Jack, you're dimples will be the end of me," Elizabeth said as she brushed her hand across his cheek.
Jack was looking at the gorgeous woman in front of him, trying to hold his feelings for her at bay. But Elizabeth was so close; he could smell her perfume and feel the heat from her body. He couldn't take it anymore and reached up to her face, placing his hand under her chin, he pulled her face towards his. Elizabeth, without hesitation, followed his lead and met his lips with hers. It was a quick, sweet kiss and Elizabeth pulled her head back slightly, hovering just inches from Jack's face. She could see the gold flakes in his brown eyes. Jack slid his hand to the side of her neck, rubbing her cheek with his thumb. Then moving his hand further back, slipping his fingers to the back of her neck, he pulled her in tighter, kissing her with a passion he didn't know he had. She parted her lips, inviting him in.
Nurses Molly and Florence were doing their rounds; Jack was their next patient. Florence entered the room with Molly following, who's head was down, reading some notes. Florence saw Jack and Elizabeth kissing, spun around on one foot, left the room, dragging Molly with her.
"What?" A confused Molly asked, looking up from her papers, almost falling over from Florence pulling her.
"Look." Florence and Molly peeked in the door and Molly saw the reason for the quick retreat.
"Oh, my." She whispered, smiling. "Let's leave them be."
Elizabeth pulled her head back to get some air. Her and Jack both took in deep breaths and locked eyes again. They stayed that way, faces inches apart, memorizing each other's faces. Jack slid his hand back to her cheek, rubbing her soft, flushed skin with his thumb, his eyes moving from her blue eyes to her luscious lips and back.
Elizabeth's heart was racing. She had her right hand on the other side of Jack on the bed, supporting herself over his chest; she could feel his heart racing too. Jack pulled her in again. Time stopped as their lips met once more, raw emotions taking them over. Jack could taste the sweet caramel of the cappuccino Elizabeth had earlier; he didn't want to stop. Elizabeth felt weak. Allowing herself to rest onto Jack's chest, she moved her hand up to his face, their kiss intensifying even more. A slight moan escaped from Jack. He moved his arm to wrap around Elizabeth, pulling her body closer. Her heart was pounding in her chest, his kiss weakened her at the core.
Jack released her, but only enough for them to breathe. He held her close, his arm still wrapped around her waist.
"Hi," she said softly, a smile growing on her face.
Jack released his hold around her waist, but Elizabeth didn't move away. He brought his hand to her face, pushing a fallen lock of hair back and tucking it behind her ear.
"Hi," he said in return, smiling back. He rubbed his hand up and down the side of her arm, then rested it on the side of her hip. "That...w...was...nice."
Elizabeth blushed, "Yes, it was, Jack. Very."
Jack could see exhaustion in Elizabeth's eyes, mixed with passion. "Lay...d...d...down. Sl...sleep." He gently pulled on her shoulder, showing her he wanted her by his side.
Elizabeth stood and turned, placing her leg alongside his cast, being extremely careful not to bump it. She laid down, her head on his shoulder and her arm across his chest. Jack wrapped his arm around her, holding her tight. Elizabeth reached up and pulled the string leading up to the light over their heads, turning it off.
She laid very still, watching the rise and fall of Jack's chest with each of his breaths, getting lost in the rhythmic motion. Her eyelids grew heavy and she was asleep, in the protection of Jack's embrace. Once Jack was sure she was asleep, he allowed himself to sleep too; he knew he would see her in his dreams.
Jack, with oars in hand, slowly rowed the small, wooden dinghy across the lily covered pond. Elizabeth had her head tipped back, soaking in the warm sun. Jack stopped and laid the oars in the boat. He sat, with his elbows on his knees and his hands clasped together, and watched the amazing woman in front of him.
When Elizabeth realized they had stopped, she opened her eyes and looked at Jack. "What are you staring at?"
"Perfection."
A bright shade of crimson invaded her cheeks. "Jack, please," she said as she rolled her eyes.
"What? It's the truth. I've never met anyone like you before."
Elizabeth looked at Jack with her best flirty eyes, "I feel the same way about you."
Jack slid forward to the edge of his seat, taking her hands in his. Elizabeth followed suit, sliding closer to Jack; their lips meeting into a passionate kiss under the open sky.