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." Any real people or places noted in the chapter are just there for storyline purposes.

Chapter 2- Bella's Got Their Number

As Elizabeth bowed her head and continued reciting The Lord's Prayer, Bella stood in front of her, jostling from side to side as the plane swayed, first left and then right. Bella used her nose doing her best to push between Elizabeth's locked hands, trying to get closer.

Unable to break the vice grip Elizabeth now had on her hands, Bella jumped up on the sofa and scooted beside her. Elizabeth was thankful that her father allowed her to take Gator, for even as big as this plane was, she felt as though they were being blown out of the sky…up, down, right and then left.

With her eyes closed, she felt much like Dorothy in the Wizard of Oz as the tornado ripped through her town, lifting her home from the ground and tossing it into the sky.

She could feel Bella's paw as it ran down her arm, but when that didn't break Elizabeth's hand lock, the loving black Labrador began providing wet kisses on her cheek. Still Elizabeth remained rigid in her seat until the jet dipped dramatically tossing Bella off the sofa, into the air, and she whimpered as she hit the floor.

Immediately, Elizabeth removed her seatbelt and stumbled to "her" dog. Suddenly, the plane appeared to leave the frightening turbulence from before, and it was as if they'd experienced no previous difficulty, except for the fact that Bella was laying on the floor and by all accounts, couldn't walk.

Elizabeth slipped her arms around Bella's body and picked her up, carefully carrying her back to the sofa.

"I'm so sorry, baby; where does it hurt?" Elizabeth softly asked, feeling horrible that she didn't do more to protect her.

Bella looked depressed and as Elizabeth massaged her legs, she released soft whimpers, sounds that made Elizabeth feel even worse. She was so consumed with Bella that she wasn't even aware that the jet had touched down.

Once the Jet came to a stop on the tarmac, Felicia opened the cockpit door and made her way down the aisle, "Are you okay?"

"Was he trying to kill us?" Elizabeth asked.

Feeling responsible for the safety of his boss's daughter, Jack followed closely behind Felicia. Slipping to the side, "Oh great, I just saved this jet, and your behind but no thanks are necessary."

"Don't you worry about my behind."

"Ms. Thatcher, I'm sorry, I didn't mean it the way it sounded. Are you okay?" Jack asked.

"I'm fine, but Bella was thrown in the air and landed on the floor. I'm worried about her; she can't walk."

Jack rushed past Felicia and squatted down in front of the sofa where Bella was resting. "What's the matter sweetheart?"

"I just told you; she hurt her leg and doesn't want to walk on it."

"Which one is it?" Jack asked.

"I don't know; it might be all of them. She flinches whenever I touch them."

Looking out the window, Jack stated, "Your limo is here. Let me get your bag so you can get started on your non-honeymoon."

"That's not funny, Captain Thornton."

"Well, I'm sorry, but what would you call it?"

"It's a well-deserved vacation, but right now I think I need to get Bella to the vet."

"Don't you worry about Bella; I'll see to it that she gets to the vet."

"Captain Thornton, are you planning to drive there in the jet?" Elizabeth asked. "We'll go in the limo, besides, I'm assuming that the driver knows the location of the nearest vet."

Not wanting to be beholding to who he assumed to be a snooty heiress, but understanding that he had little choice, he accepted her offer.

Jack carried Bella down the airstairs, as Felicia grabbed Elizabeth's and Jack's bags from the luggage compartment.

"Do you have a place to stay?" Jack asked Felicia.

"Yes, Mrs. Thatcher made a reservation for me. Didn't she make one for you?" Felicia asked.

"No, but I think that's beyond the scope of her employee responsibility," Jack responded. "Are you able to lock up things here?"

Felicia assured Jack that she and the jet would be fine. Feeling comfortable that Felicia had everything under control, Jack returned to the situation at hand.

The limo driver placed both bag in the trunk, and assuming that they were the married couple he was expecting, he turned back to face them and stated, "Ni sa kidavaki mai ki Viti. Oi kemudrau e dua na veiwatini totoka kau kila ni na tekivu marau eke na nomu bula vakawati."

Not ones to speak Fijian, both Jack and Elizabeth smiled unaware that what he'd said was, "Welcome to Fiji. You are a beautiful couple and I know your marriage will start out happy here."

The driver opened the door to usher them inside, surprised when Jack did not sit in the back with his beautiful 'bride,' preferring to hold Bella in the front seat.

After several attempts, the driver finally realized that Jack needed medical attention for Bella, and instead of taking them to "their" bungalow, they headed for the vet.

The limo pulled into the veterinary center, and unable to find a parking space large enough, he let Jack and Elizabeth out, before driving to the shopping center across the street where he parked and waited.

Watching as Elizabeth opened the door to the Fiji Sand Veterinary Center, the limo driver thought how sad it must be to have to start out their honeymoon with possible heartache.

"Bayla Thornaton…" the vet tech called out.

"It's Bella Thornton…" Jack responded. Picking up Bella, he turned to face Elizabeth, and curtly remarked, "You sit out here; there's no need for you to come in with us."

"I'm sorry, but I'm going with you…"

"Ms. Thatcher…"

"Captain Thornton…"

"Okay, I don't have the energy to argue with you."

"Good because it wouldn't do you any good anyway."

"Just be quiet; she's my dog and you don't have a say in her treatment."

"WOW, Captain… why do you have to be so rude; I'm worried about her too."

He entered the exam room and took a seat while continuing to hold Bella in his lap. Elizabeth took a seat in the other chair located on the opposite side of the room. Thinking back to the flight, she silently berated herself for not holding on tighter to Bella, therefore keeping her from what seemed like a serious injury.

The Vet stepped into the room and did an initial assessment. Thankfully, the Vet, Dr. Andrews, was American, so at least nothing, hopefully, would be lost in translation.

Determining that x-rays were needed to rule out any fractures, the Vet asked Jack and Elizabeth to step outside, and Bella was carried down to the treatment room.

Placing her in a crate while they prepared the machine in the adjoining room, Bella stood up and paced, watching the door, confused that her "people" were gone, and she was now alone.

When the treatment room door opened, Bella was again laying in her crate, all signs leaning toward a serious injury. The crate door was opened, and the vet tech did her best to encourage Bella to stand, but she refused.

Carefully, Bella was picked up and placed onto a rolling cart and wheeled next door to be x-rayed.

Jack and Elizabeth sat out in the waiting room and by the distance between them there was no indication that they knew each other, let alone arrived together in the same vehicle.

When they looked in each other's direction, they glared, and huffed, and as if they were back in elementary school again, they rolled their eyes. Elizabeth had no real reason to be angry with Jack, except for in her eyes he'd stolen her dog, almost crashed the jet and well, he was a man, and right now that was all he needed to be in order to be the recipient of her wrath.

Jack, on the other hand, had pleasant contacts with Elizabeth previously. He was unaware that he had "stolen Bella from her," and by all accounts, his skill as a pilot had saved the jet, and the occupants. Lastly, unfortunately for him, he was a man, and as such, he wasn't really thinking about how, just by her current situation, he was automatically lumped into the "scum of the Earth" category.

Maybe if he'd been able to get passed her outward anger, his snarky attitude toward her would have been tempered with understanding over the hurt that consumed her.

At this moment, the only thing they had in common was their concern for Bella, the beautiful Labrador that both of them loved.

"Mr. Thornton…" the Vet stepped out into the waiting area causing both Jack and Elizabeth to leap to their feet.

Gone were the stone-faced glares, stiff stance and general annoyance. Standing side by side, they were not thinking of themselves; they're only concern was for Bella, and what was needed to help her recover.

"How is she?" both Jack and Elizabeth asked in unison.

"Well, the x-rays show no fractures, so I'm assuming that when she fell, she may have suffered deep muscle bruising, which can take quite some time to resolve," the Vet advised. "I'm releasing her, and I'll send you with Carprofen…"

"What's that?" Elizabeth asked.

"He's trying to tell us, Ms. Thatcher…"

"Sorry, Captain…" Elizabeth abruptly responded.

And just like that, with the positive news on Bella, the attitudes returned.

Glancing between Jack and Elizabeth, the Vet smiled, doing his best to ease the tension. "Carprofen is a pain killer. I'd suggest that you let her rest, and when you need to take her out, unless she's willing to get up on her own, you may need to carry her, or…" the Vet advised as the tech approached with two slings in her hand.

The Vet took the slings from the tech and handed them to Jack, "You can use these to help her stand."

"How do these work?" Elizabeth asked, never having had to use them previously.

"Really…?" Jack snapped as he looked at her incredulously.

Snapping back, Elizabeth blurted out, "I'm sorry, but I've never had to do this before."

"And you don't have to do it now."

"Look, Captain Thornton, I love her too, and I want to help."

"She's not your responsibility," Jack quipped. Turning his attention back to the Vet, he could feel the room getting colder and it had nothing to do with the breeze blowing in through the open front door. "Okay, what do I need to do?"

"One strap goes behind the front legs and the other in front of the back legs. She's a big girl, so if you two can figure out a way to work together, it will be easier if you take the front end," he looked toward Elizabeth, "And, you take the back end," he turned back to face Jack.

"I can take care of her myself; I don't want to infringe on her non-honeymoon."

Tilting his head, "Excuse me…" Dr. Andrews asked.

Elizabeth released a hard breath, "I'm supposed to be here on my honeymoon, but as the Captain seems to take great joy in sharing, I didn't get married, and yes, if you need to know, my fiancé walked out on me before the wedding."

"Well, I didn't need to know, but thanks for sharing…I guess," Dr. Andrews responded. "My concern is for Bella, and if you can work together, it will benefit her."

"I'll think about it," Jack tersely responded. "May I see Bella now?"

"Sure," Dr. Andrews replied as he turned and started toward the door leading to the back rooms.

Once at the door, Jack walked through. Assuming that Elizabeth, having butted in constantly, would be directly on his heels, he observed her standing by the window, wiping her eyes. Feeling a bit of humanity strike him where she's concerned, he called out, "Are you coming?"

"You don't mind…?"

"Come on…"

When they stepped into the treatment room, Bella was laying on a table, a Vet Tech by her side. Seeing Jack and Elizabeth together, her tail began wagging, seemingly the only part of her body that she could control and that didn't hurt.

Jack and Elizabeth rushed over to the table, as the Vet Tech moved to avoid the stampede. Bella enjoyed the hugs and kisses, and the animosity previously between her people was replaced by kindness…even if it was only for a moment.

Once their visit with Bella ended, they were escorted out to the reception area while the statement was printed out. Both Jack and Elizabeth reached for their wallets.

"What are you doing?" he asked.

"Um, I don't know. I guess I'd just like to pay for half of her bill," Elizabeth stated, somehow feeling as though Bella would always feel like hers.

"Ms. Thatcher, I don't need your charity. I'm quite capable of paying for MY dog," Jack's words were harsh. "What is it with you and MY dog…you are aware that she belongs to me, right?"

Elizabeth shoved her wallet back into her purse, "I can't forget, you keep reminding me. I'm sorry; I was just trying to help."

As Elizabeth started to walk away, Jack spoke without thinking, "Well, if you really wanted to help, you could have held on to her tighter, maybe she wouldn't have flown around the cabin. So, no thank you; you've done enough."

She stopped and turned around. Unconcerned that the clerk was standing on the other side of the desk, privy to this angry exchange, she blurted out, "Oh, do you really want to go there? Maybe you should have flown around the storm or paid more attention in class when the topic was discussed."

"Oh, so it's my fault?" Jack announced.

"Captain Thornton, I'm sorry. It's not your fault anymore than it was my fault. It was an accident, and I just wanted to help. But you've made your position perfectly clear, and I'm sorry if I insulted you; it wasn't my intention."

Just then the clerk handed Jack the bill and he provided her with his credit card. As they waited, Bella was brought out by two staff members, one holding the sling in the front and the other with a sturdy hold on the rear.

Jack handed the vet tech the two slings he was given, and he took control of the ones that were already in place.

They walked to the entrance with Jack in full control of his dog. Elizabeth opened the door and motioned for the limo driver to pull around and pick them up. When the car stopped in front of them, the driver exited and opened the back passenger door.

Jack slipped inside, and carefully pulled Bella in beside him. With plenty of room remaining on the seat, Elizabeth took a seat beside Bella.

Jack and Elizabeth had nothing else on their minds except Bella and her comfort. His hand moved across his dog's sleek black coat, as Elizabeth continued to rub along her back. Jack's hand ran over top of Elizabeth's and although they both immediately pulled back, the jolt of electricity each one felt, reminded them of the childhood game, hot potato…it got their attention, and made them wonder, why?

Pulling up to the 4-bedroom, 4 bath private home, the limo driver opened Elizabeth's door, "Ma'am…home."

"Captain Thornton, where are you staying?" she asked.

"Well, this trip was a spur of the moment thing; if you will remember, I was supposed to go to Los Angeles. So, I'll have to find a place."

Elizabeth turned to the limo driver, "Are there any places that allow pets?"

He simply stared back at Elizabeth; a lost look covered his face.

"Pets, any place allow them to sleep?" she pointed to Bella and then she formed praying hands and held them against her head to signal sleeping.

"No, no place allow dog…"

Wanting to keep an eye on Bella, Elizabeth turned to Jack, "You and Bella are welcome to stay here."

"Uh, no, that's not going to happen," he responded.

"Are you serious? Captain, don't flatter yourself. Men are not a priority on my list right now. So, just get over yourself. Besides, you're not my type," she stated without thinking. The fact was she didn't know him well enough to know his type, except that he was a dog lover. If she was being totally honest with herself, an animal lover was one of the first characteristic of "her type." She had always thought that a man who loved animals and was kind to them, was a good man.

She continued, "I just want Bella to be comfortable," she quickly interjected. "This house has 4 bedrooms, and we'll probably never see each other. Stay if you want; I've made the offer, but just know that it will be difficult to find a hotel that accepts pets. If you love Bella like you say you do, please do what's best for her…"

"For your information, Ms. Thatcher, I wasn't implying anything. I'm just assuming that my boss, your father, would not think too kindly of me staying here with you," Jack was quick to explain. "And don't ever question my love for Bella. For your information, someone else was interested in her, and I made sure that I was the first one there to adopt her the morning that she became available."

"Don't be so sure," she silently thought. "I'm sorry, I don't mean to imply that you don't love her; I know you do," Elizabeth managed an apology before jumping back in. "Captain Thornton, the fact is, we'd just be staying in the same house, we aren't together, and we most certainly are not staying together. Good Heavens, I can't even imagine us together…what a joke!" Elizabeth couldn't help the anger she felt. At this point, in her mind all men were liars, and not worth her time, energy or emotional investment.

As Jack thought for a moment, Elizabeth continued, "Look, it's obvious that you don't want to stay here with me, and that's fine, but why don't you let Bella stay. I'll take care of her, and you can get a hotel room."

"That's a lot of responsibility for you…I'd better stay so I can be available to take care of her," Jack responded as he slipped out of the backseat.

Elizabeth rushed around to the opposite side of the limo to assist Jack, and although each time previously she'd been met with resistance, this time, he allowed her to take the sling in the front and they managed to work together to get Bella inside.

The limo drive carried the bags for both Jack and Elizabeth inside and left them in the common area.

"I'm taking this bedroom, but you can pick any one of the two down the hall. The fourth bedroom is bunk beds, and I'm assuming unless you want to relive a portion of your childhood, that wouldn't be the room you'd want," Elizabeth advised. However, as kind as her offer was, she immediately assumed that his response would be snarky, so she attempted to beat him with an explanation, "I'm not implying that you had to share a bedroom or that you…"

"That I what?" Jack asked.

"I'm sorry. Please just forget that I said anything."

Jack turned his attention to Bella, "She seems like she'll be fine right here for a few minutes; would you mind if I went to take a shower?" Jack asked, the first seemingly civil tone he'd extended to her since she arrived at the airport in Charlotte.

"Sure, go ahead…" Elizabeth replied as she watched Jack leave the room, remembering how much she loved a man in uniform. "Snap out of it," she quickly berated herself.

Elizabeth carried her bag to her room, quickly returning, not wanting to give Jack another reason to despise her.

With Jack out of the room, she sat down beside her four-legged buddy. The beautiful black lab placed her head in her "mom's" lap, and for the first time since Ryan left, Elizabeth talked honestly, knowing that her words and emotions were safe with Bella.

With military speed, Jack was in and out of the shower, changing into a pair of blue shorts and a white t-shirt. Walking back out toward the common area, he didn't mean to eavesdrop, but somehow the soulful sound of her voice brought him back to the few times previously that he'd met her. With today's events aside, he'd never tell Lee that he was right, that she is beautiful, he was intrigued by her, and as Lee had suggested, maybe he should have made the attempt to get to know her better before she became involved with her co-host.

He stood just outside the room and listened…

Elizabeth continued to rub Bella's coat as she spoke from the heart, "I love you. Not like Ryan supposedly loved me, but totally, completely, and without reservation. I don't ever want you to think that I just let you go…I wanted you so bad. I was there early; I was the first person there, and you could have come home with me."

Jack didn't understand what she was talking about, but he could easily fathom the emotion in her voice, the sadness, the disappointment, maybe even a sense of regret.

He leaned against the door frame and continued to listen…

"Your daddy showed up, and I assumed that he worked there, but when he got out and stood at the door wearing that Labrador sweatshirt, I thought, 'really, you're pulling out the big guns here.'

Jack watched quietly as her tears fell, and he could hear her heartache over a situation he still did not understand. But somehow, it didn't matter, because this was the woman he'd met before, vulnerable, and kind, and it suddenly dawned on him that he was getting the anger that she wanted to thrust upon her ex-fiancé, but with him gone, Jack became the lucky recipient.

Elizabeth wiped her eyes before continuing, "I'm just so worried that you think I don't love you, because I did then, and I do now, and I don't care what he says, I will always have a connection to you."

Elizabeth bent over and planted a kiss on the top of Bella's head, "I had everything at home ready for you, food, toys, a bed, and all the love you could ever need, but then I met your daddy. He told me about his previous dog, and that he'd pas…oh, never mind; you don't need to know about that. Your daddy seemed so nice, and well, he needed you. I mean, don't get me wrong, I needed you too, but I couldn't fight him over you. Oh, and his truck…everyone knows that a Labrador looks right at home in a big truck."

Jack smiled, accidentally tapping the door with his foot, he drew Elizabeth's attention his way, "I'm done…"

"How long have you been standing there?" she asked.

"Long enough," he replied. "I'm sorry, I didn't mean to eavesdrop, but did you know Bella before I adopted her?"

"It's not important now, she's your dog; you've made that perfectly clear…"

"Please, tell me…"

Elizabeth looked up as her eyes watered, "Yes, I knew Bella. She's a remarkable dog. I don't know if you know this, but she protected a little girl who was lost, and she wasn't even her person," Elizabeth's tears fell as she began to explain. "I did a story on the missing girl, and once she was found, Bella was taken to the animal shelter. I went that day and left my information to adopt her when she became available. I thought I'd be the only one waiting to adopt her and then you showed up," Elizabeth continued to rub Bella's soft coat as Jack took a seat beside them on the floor.

"We met…" she assumed she needed to remind him, but he was keenly aware of that first meeting.

"I remember, but you never mentioned that you were there for the black Lab," Jack thought back to their initial introduction.

"What was I supposed to say? You had told me about your other dog, how you'd been serving in Afghanistan, and once home you came to the Animal Shelter continually looking for just the right dog. And then…"

"And then, what?"

"You told me her name…Bella," Elizabeth looked up, caught his eyes, and it was the first time that they'd smiled in each other's direction. "Bella was the name I'd given her. So, I took it as a sign that she was supposed to go with you."

Elizabeth took a deep breath, "So you see, Captain Thornton, I wasn't trying to intrude, meddle or interfere in your life with Bella, but my attempts to help are because she means a great deal to me. I know she's yours, you have made that point perfectly clear, but to me, she'll always hold a piece of my heart."

Finally, all of the emotion from the past few days came rushing out. Elizabeth turned her head, assuming that if he couldn't see her that he'd have no idea how emotionally raw she was.

He wasn't sure why, but he scooted over next to her and without thought he pulled her in for a hug. She too did not think, for if the events of the day had been any indication, he would not have been the person she would have grabbed onto as if he were her safe port in a storm.

"Go ahead and cry…" he whispered.

"I don't want to cry over him…" she responded through her broken speech.

Jack leaned back, "Then don't cry for him. Go ahead and cry for those who are forgotten on their birthday, the elderly who have to eat alone, animals left behind by their people, and for when the ice cream falls off a little kid's cone. All of those things are worthy of your tears, but him…no."

Elizabeth pushed away from Jack, "I'm sorry, Captain."

"Could we just dispense with the 'Captain' stuff, and could you just go back to calling me, Jack?"

Elizabeth stuck out her arm to shake his hand, "Hello Jack…I'm Elizabeth."

"Well, hello, Elizabeth. It's genuinely nice to meet you," he responded.

Elizabeth started to get up, "It's been a long day; I think I'll head to bed. Good night…"

As Elizabeth started to walk toward her room, Jack called out, "Would you like Bella to sleep with you tonight?"

Her eyes sparkled and her smile was bright, "Are you sure it's okay?"

"Sure, let me just help get her into your room…"

Jack stood, and before he knew it, Bella was on her feet, her tail wagging, no sign of an injury, as it was quite apparent that she was smarter than both of her parents… and her work here was done!

To be continued…