Thank you everyone for your wonderful reviews. I only wish this was how the show had really gone! I hope you enjoy this new chapter.

Elizabeth was getting dressed for Church, struggling to find something that fit. She was showing a little more now, enough that her clothes were too tight. "What am I going to wear? Nothing fits."

Jack was buttoning his shirt, "Stop by the dress shop tomorrow and order some from Dottie. I'm sure Rosemary would love to design some dresses for you," he winked at her.

Elizabeth rolled her eyes. "She'll have me looking like I'm ready for a ball."

"That would be fine with me." Jack grinned, dimples and all.

Jack watched Elizabeth dig through her wardrobe, throwing dresses and skirts onto the bed, trying one on only to take it off and throw it on the bed with the others. He walked up to her placing his hands on her shoulders, turning her to face him.

"I'm getting fat and nothing fits. I don't know how we'll ever make it to church now."

Jack took her face in his hands, "Elizabeth, you are absolutely gorgeous." He planted a sweet kiss on her lips then slid his hands down to her stomach. "There is an amazing little life growing inside you, there is nothing more beautiful in the world than that."

Elizabeth started crying, "And this crying! I'm crying all the time for no reason." She wiped the tears away with her hands. "I'm always a mess and now I'm a fat mess."

Jack wrapped his arms around her waist, locking his hands behind her back, "Now you listen here, Mrs. Thornton. You are not fat and you are not a mess." He released a hand to wipe a tear from her cheek, "Ok, maybe a little bit of a mess, but a beautiful mess." He smiled at her, revealing those dimples that she loved, and she melted in his arms. Jack kissed her on her nose, "How about we just stay home today?"

"I would love that, Jack. But we aren't skipping next Sunday," she added, waving a finger at him.

"Of course not, ma'am," Jack said with his official Mountie voice.

They spent the morning on the couch in the sitting room together, relaxing, listening to music on the Victrola and reading. After lunch, Jack hitched Rose to the buggy and they went for a drive around the countryside, stopping occasionally for Jack to pick some wildflowers for Elizabeth. Some deer were standing at the edge of a field and they stopped to watch a fawn jump around and play next to its mother who was busy eating.

Jack turned to look at Elizabeth and saw tears falling down her cheeks. Elizabeth noticed him looking at her, "See what I mean...no reason at all!" The both laughed and Jack wiped the tears from her face and gave her a quick kiss. Clucking Rose back into a walk, they headed toward their home.

Jack spent the remainder of the evening working on the pen for Sargent and Rose while Elizabeth sat on the back porch watching him. As she watched him cutting a post, a memory flashed in her mind of the first time she saw him chopping wood shortly after he'd arrived to Coal Valley. She was walking through town and saw him behind the jail and couldn't help but stop and stare, thinking how handsome he was.

Elizabeth looked at Jack now, thinking the same thought, watching the muscles in his arms flex and his chest tense up with each swing of the ax. Elizabeth hadn't even noticed that Jack was watching her and lowered the ax. Elizabeth snapped back to reality to see Jack looking at her, smiling.

"What are you looking at, Elizabeth?"

Elizabeth just grinned and picked her book up to pretend she was reading. Jack picked the ax back up and started chopping at the post again and Elizabeth couldn't help but stare. Jack noticed her watching him again, dropped the ax and ran over to her. Elizabeth squealed and ran into the house, laughing. Jack easily caught up to his wife, swooped her up into his arms and spun her around. When he stopped, he lowered her feet to the floor. He brushed some loose hair out of her face. Looking at her eyes, her lips and memorizing every shape and line of her face, he leaned in for a kiss.

"I love you so much, Elizabeth. Thank you for making my life complete."

They spent a few moments in each other's arms, looking into each other's eyes, kissing, slowly dancing around the room to the sounds that floated in from outside: birds chirping, a horse neighing, a squirrel running across the deck. Moments like these are what Jack and Elizabeth dreamed of and are now living.

Jack sighed, "I really need to get back to the horse pen."

"I know," Elizabeth said with a pout.

Jack kissed her on the nose and walked outside to work. Elizabeth wanted to sit on the porch again and watch but she knew she'd just distract him so she stayed inside. After starting dinner and cleaning up around the house, she sat down at her typewriter and started working on her stories. She was still typing when Jack walked back in, blood streaming down his arm.

"Elizabeth"

Elizabeth looked up and gasped at the sight of all the blood. "Oh Jack, what happened?" She jumped out of her chair and ran to him, ripping off part of her skirt to wrap around his arm.

"The ax slipped." Jack lost his balance and stumbled a little. Elizabeth caught him and helped him straighten up. "I'm not feeling very..." Jack's voice trailed off as he collapsed to the floor, Elizabeth unable to hold him.

Elizabeth ran out the back door, grabbing Rose and hitching her to the buggy as fast as she could. By the time she got back into the house to get Jack, he was sitting up on the floor where he had fallen, holding onto his arm. His eyes were glassed over and he wasn't making sense when he spoke. Elizabeth helped him stand and half carried him to the buggy. After a long struggle, she finally had him sitting up in the buggy. She climbed up, grabbed the reigns and slapped them against Rose, "Run, Rose!" She yelled. She kept Rose at a dead run all the way in to town, constantly glancing at Jack to make sure he was still awake. Every time he'd close his eyes, she would yell at him, waking him up.

Lee was standing on his front step enjoying the night air when he saw Elizabeth and Jack in the buggy, going much faster than they should ever need to...unless something was wrong. He yelled into the house to Rosemary then jumped in to the car and started it up. Rosemary came running out and jumped in with Lee and they started in the direction of the buggy.

Bill had just stepped out into the street when he heard horse hooves running toward him. He jumped out of the way in time to see Elizabeth yelling at the horse to move faster. She pulled the horse to a stop in front of the infirmary and jumped down.

Bill was at her side and saw Jack, slumped in the buggy, passed out. He reached up and pulled Jack onto his shoulder and carried him into the infirmary as Elizabeth held open the door.

"Carson!" She screamed as she ran in behind Bill and Jack.

Faith ran into the room, took one look at Jack and ran out the back door to find Carson. A few seconds later Carson and Faith came running.

"Jack said the ax slipped. He's been in and out of consciousness and not making sense when he talks."

"He's had a lot of blood loss. We need to get this stitched up as soon as possible or..." Carson stopped himself and looked up at Faith.

"Come with me, Elizabeth, Bill," she led them out the door and to the bench in front of the infirmary.

"There's nothing we can do in there that we can't do out here, Elizabeth." Bill wasn't much of a praying man but he thought it wouldn't hurt to try.

Lee and Rosemary pulled up next to Elizabeth's buggy and jumped out. Abigail, Molly, Florence and Frank had seen them drive by and came out to see what was going on. Everyone was at Elizabeth's side within minutes and Bill filled them all in with what was going on.

"Let's all pray for Jack," Frank said as he took off his hat. Bill removed his hat as well, as Frank said a prayer. By the time he was done, more people had gathered around to see what was going on.

"What is happening?" Elizabeth cried, "What is taking so long?"

Abigail sat next to Elizabeth and wrapped her arms around her, pulling her in and holding her. Some the children had appeared as well. Phillip, Opal, Robert and Cody were all standing near Rosemary. Phillip had his arm around Opal as little tears fell down her cheeks.

After what felt like an eternity, Dr. Shepherd walked out of the infirmary and up to Elizabeth.

"How is he?" She asked as she jumped up.

"He's going to be fine. He lost a lot of blood but we were able to get his wound closed fast and give him more blood. He's going to be groggy for a bit and very sore for quite a while. But I expect a full recovery. He was lucky, he just missed the ligaments. Had he severed those; he might have lost use of his arm." Carson placed his hand on her shoulder, "Would you like to go in and sit with him?"

"Yes, I would very much."

Carson led her in while everyone waited outside. "That is wonderful news," Rosemary said to break the silence.

"Poor Elizabeth," Abigail said as she stood. "That poor thing continues to go through so much."

Bill entered the infirmary to check on his friends. "How's he doing?" He asked, barely above a whisper.

"He hasn't opened his eyes yet. Carson said he'd be out for a while due to the drugs he had to give him."

"I'm going to send everyone home unless you need something." He placed his hand on her shoulder.

Elizabeth stood and gave Bill a hug, "No, I'm fine. I'm going to stay here until he wakes up."

"Ok, I'll come back in a while to check on you."

Elizabeth nodded and turned her attention back to Jack.

Bill walked outside and sent everyone home, ensuring them that if anything changed, he would let them know.

Carson and Faith had just been in to see Jack and check on him and the wound. After they left, Elizabeth returned to her seat next to him. She placed her hand on his, "Jack, please wake up. I need you. I need to know that you're ok." She laid her head on his arm, sobbing.

She felt someone squeeze her hand and looked up to find Jack looking at her. "What happened?" He said with a quiet, gravelly voice.

"I'm not a hundred percent sure but you said the ax slipped."

The scene of the day came back to Jack, he had been cutting some posts for the horse pen. He laid the ax down and carried a post over to a hole and dropped it in. As he was walking back toward the ax, he heard a noise in the trees and looked up, not paying attention to where he was walking. He tripped on a chunk of wood; falling toward the ax, he hit the handle, flipping it up and slicing his arm.

"It wasn't the ax that slipped, it was me." He said as he explained what had happened.

"Jack, it could have been so much worse."

"I know, I am usually extremely careful when working with tools." Jack moaned and closed his eyes.

"Just sleep, Jack. You don't need to talk."

Jack opened his eyes and looked at Elizabeth, "I do need to say one more thing. I love you."

Elizabeth stood and gently kissed Jack, being very careful not to bump his arm. "I love you too," she whispered in his ear. And with that, Jack was asleep again.