... thank god for writing, because season 8 has me so exhausted at this point that I need a stiff drink just to make it to the next episode, let alone the finale.

"Coffee?"

Elizabeth's eyes sprang open to find a disembodied hand with a steaming cup of coffee floating in the space in front of her face. Confused, she cocked her head to the side and glanced up to find Gabe Kinslow attached to the hand.

"Thank you," Elizabeth said with a squint. She rearranged herself in the chair and gingerly took the offered cup. "How did you know I wasn't asleep?"

"Never met anyone that hums in their sleep."

She furrowed her brow and chanced a sip of coffee. It had clearly come from either Bill or Clara, because it was made just the way she liked it. "I was humming?"

Gabe smiled and took a seat in the chair on the other side of the bed. Nathan was asleep on the bed between them. At least, Faith had assured them that he was sleeping and no longer unconscious. Exhaustion, Faith had said, and a body that should not have been pushed to walk thirty miles in its current condition. Faith had originally tried not to divulge any details of Nathan's condition, but considering that his closest next of kin was Allie, who was a minor, she had given in pretty quickly.

And it had been that, but what Faith hadn't told her was that it was also the way Elizabeth's face had crumpled in abject fear when Nathan passed out in the street. Elizabeth had been silent as the grave as she and Gabe maneuvered Nathan into the infirmary, but the tension and anxiety had rolled off of her in waves. Faith was willing to risk Carson's wrath rather than force Elizabeth to continue in that state simply because she wasn't Nathan's family.

"Been here all night?" Gabe asked conversationally.

Elizabeth made an affirmative sound in the back of her throat. When Gabe glanced at the small cot and rolled up blanket that had been pushed against the wall, Elizabeth explained. "Allie."

"No change?" Gabe asked when Elizabeth had nearly finished her coffee.

"No. Faith says it's just exhaustion at this point, though."

Elizabeth studied Nathan's face again. He looked so different like this, still and quiet in a way that she had never seen. He'd always been something of the strong, silent type, but this was ... frightening for how unnatural it felt. His hair wasn't brushed back the way she was used to seeing it, and the few bruises on his chin and neck had turned a mixture of yellow and pale purple as they healed. Carson and Faith had stripped him of his uniform, so he was just in the cream undershirt he usually wore beneath his uniform. It was clean, which surprised Elizabeth for some reason. He hadn't shaved recently and the shadow of his growing beard was visible. All in all, Nathan looked ... vulnerable.

"What happened out there?" Elizabeth finally ventured to ask. Her voice was hushed and it took her a moment to look away from Nathan's face and to Gabe's.

Gabe interlaced his fingers and leaned his forearms down onto his thighs. He looked from her to Nathan and back. "He wouldn't want me to answer that."

"I'm not asking him." She said it with just the hint of steel in her tone.

Gabe chuckled and dropped his eyes to his hands. "Yeah, he said you were like that."

Elizabeth latched onto that. "Like what?"

"Headstrong."

That made her smile. Elizabeth could hear the exact tone of voice he'd probably used when he said it, too. "Did you catch them? The Olsen gang?"

"All but one. We got both brothers though. I won't be surprised if they try to give Grant a promotion for it. Not that he'll take it. I can't imagine anyone who wanted to get home as badly as that man did willingly leaving."

Elizabeth blinked back tears. She could, because it had happened. Nathan and Allie had both willingly left Hope Valley, because they'd needed time to recover from their hurts. Hurts that Elizabeth was partially responsible for causing, and allowing to stand. She had made Nathan feel like what they needed was literal miles and towns between them, and he'd still walked nearly three dozen miles, injured and in pain, to come home again.

"Is that admiration I hear in your voice, Constable Kinslow?"

"Please, call me Gabe. And it is, ma'am. That man there is made of the good stuff, Mrs. Thornton."

"The best stuff," Elizabeth corrected. "Call me Elizabeth. I hope we can be friends, Gabe."

"I'd like that, Elizabeth."

They sat for a few more minutes in comfortable silence, and then Elizabeth excused herself to return the coffee cup to the café. She had been sitting in that chair for hours and needed to stretch her legs. The fresh air would also be welcome.

Elizabeth hadn't been gone more than five minutes when Nathan began to stir. He came around with a wince and what might have been a grumble if it were any louder.

"Allie?"

"They finally convinced her to go home," Gabe told him.

"Gabe." Nathan blinked and waited for the last vestiges of sleep to retreat, then tried to push himself up into a more seated position.

"Take it easy," Gabe said, but rather than discouraging Nathan he helped him move the pillow to a spot behind his back so that he could lean against it. "You done napping, or what?"

Nathan huffed in annoyance. "Thought I told you to get out of my town, Kinslow."

Gabe grinned. "Nah. I told you, I gotta see if that kid of yours fishes as well as you say she does." Then, "How are you feeling?"

Nathan winced. "Like I was mauled by a bear."

Gabe thought about it and then replied, "Well, Sam Olsen was about the size of a bear, yeah. Look at the bright side: at least this time there wasn't any dynamite."

Nathan nodded. "The dynamite hurt less."

"How's that for a sentence you never thought you'd say?"

"One day," Elizabeth said suddenly, "I'm going to ask you for that story."

Nathan looked up to find Elizabeth just inside the door to the infirmary. She looked tired, and her face was set in an expression that was two parts concern and one part curiosity. Nathan had no idea how long she'd been standing there, or how much she'd heard, but she didn't look as shaken as she had the night before. At least, he thought it had been the night before.

"Hi," Nathan said stupidly.

"Hi," Elizabeth replied with obvious tenderness.

Gabe stood. "I need another cup of coffee. Elizabeth, should I bring you one as well?"

"No, thank you, Gabe."

Nathan raised an eyebrow. "What about me?"

"You telling me you can walk all the way home but can't make it across the street? Nice try, Grant," and Gabe disappeared out the door.

Nathan let out the breathiest approximation of a laugh that his cracked ribs would allow, and it still made him cough before he was done. Elizabeth grabbed a cup of water off the small table next to him; Nathan tried to lift a hand to take it from her and grimaced in pain. Elizabeth didn't look like she'd intended to let him take it, anyway. She just held it to his lips and waited until he'd had his fill. Though she moved the cup away from his mouth, she didn't move away from him, and Nathan's eyes automatically traveled up to lock on hers.

"Thank you," he said quietly. "I'm sorry if I frightened you."

"There was no if about it, Nathan." When Nathan averted his gaze, Elizabeth softened. She hadn't meant to sound so ... stern. "I'm glad you're awake. Allie will be so happy to see you. I finally convinced her to go back to Opal's a few hours ago and at least get cleaned up and changed."

"She was here all night?"

Elizabeth smiled in fond exasperation. "No one could make her leave. Though, I admit, I didn't try very hard."

Nathan stared at her for a moment too long. He wasn't sure what to make of that comment, but it reassured him to know that despite the tension between Allie and Elizabeth - and him and Elizabeth - Elizabeth had been a supportive shoulder for Allie to lean on in her fear. It gave him hope that they could eventually find some normalcy again.

To distract himself before he could go too far down that mental road, Nathan spoke. "I think I dreamed of music. I can't remember the tune, but it felt familiar."

The blush that spread across Elizabeth's cheeks and nose surprised him. "It was a lullaby. I sing it to little Jack sometimes when he can't sleep. Allie was restless, and I thought it might help."

"Did it?" Two simple words, yet Nathan could barely force them out around the emotion that tried to close his throat.

"It did."

Four years would not have been enough time away for Nathan, let alone four weeks. He had been foolish to think that anything could dim what he felt for Elizabeth, or the bone-deep ache that he felt to gather her in his arms and press a kiss to her forehead, and the tip of her nose, and those pink lips. The image of Elizabeth singing a lullaby to Allie to help her fall asleep in the face of her fear was so bittersweet it hurt more than all of his physical injuries combined. Nathan wished with all his heart that he could have witnessed that moment; that he could be there on the nights when little Jack was too fussy to sleep, so that he could whisper to Elizabeth to go back to bed and pad quietly into the other room and rock little Jack to sleep. Nathan knew a few lullabies of his own, and what he wouldn't give to share them with Elizabeth and her son.

Her son, and his daughter, until they were just their kids, and it was their family.

Thinking about it, and knowing that he'd almost had it - that he wouldn't have it - was torture.

"Nathan? What is it?"

He was going to have to improve his poker face, but at least for now he could blame it on his physical pain.

"Nothing." His answer wasn't convincing, but it was the best he could do at the moment.

He was saved from having to answer any more questions when the door opened and Carson, Faith, and Allie entered one after the other. Nathan felt his face light up at the sight of Allie, who looked tired but started beaming the moment her eyes found his across the room.

"You're awake!" Allie practically leapt the distance from the door the side of the bed that Gabe had just vacated. She held her excitement in check admirably, however, and gave him the gentlest hug she could manage.

In return, Nathan hugged her as tightly as his battered body would allow. He held her for a long moment. The reassurance was as much for him as it was for her, though, and when he finally did release her his eyes felt a little wetter than he'd anticipated.

"I missed you," he told you.

"Not as much as I missed you! Are you okay now? I waited all night but Faith and Carson said it was normal that you didn't wake up, and Mrs. Thornton said you were probably just in pain when you started getting really restless, but I didn't like it."

Nathan had been pressing his lips into a line to hide his smile as Allie rambled, but at the mention of Nathan's restlessness his eyes shot straight to Elizabeth's face.

The look was lost on Carson, who said, "It was a long night for everyone, I think."

"So I'm learning," Nathan muttered. It had initially escaped his notice, but he was now beginning to suspect that Elizabeth was wearing the same dress she'd been wearing the night before.

"The good news," Carson started, and then he paused and glanced from Allie to Elizabeth.

Nathan mouthed a silent "ah" as he realized where Carson's sudden hesitation came from. "Allie," he started.

Her face immediately transformed into a pleading look. "Please don't make me leave, dad. I can handle it, I promise."

Nathan held his hand out for hers, and gave it a steadying squeeze when Allie had placed her smaller hand in his. "I have no doubt that you can handle it," he explained softly. "But my job is to make sure you don't have to. Sometimes it's better not to know. Now, go stand outside, please."

"But ..."

"Allie."

When she sighed heavily, Faith stepped in and put a hand on her shoulder. "I'll come get you as soon as we're done, all right?"

"Fine."

But when Nathan turned to look at Elizabeth, her eyes had taken on that steely blue flint that he'd long since learned heralded a bout of particular stubbornness. With a defeated huff, Nathan shook his head once and turned his eyes back to Carson.

"Go ahead."

Carson had the slightest hint of a smile. "The good news is that none of the fractures to your ribs pierced your lungs, but there are a few fracture lines I'd like to keep an eye on. About half of your torso is bruised. The bullet wound in your arm is in good shape, though, and you managed to keep your stitches clean and dry. You're dehydrated and have a slight concussion, but those things, like everything else, will resolve in time. Your ribs are going to give you the most trouble: you're not going to be able to bend over, reach for, or lift anything for a few weeks at least. I'll have a word with Bill, but you won't be able to resume your duties until the fractures in your ribs have repaired themselves."

Nathan blew out a breath and couldn't resist looking at Elizabeth. She had sat quietly through the rundown of his injuries, and when she felt his eyes on her Elizabeth returned his gaze. She didn't smile, and she didn't look particularly at ease, but neither did she look like she was going to fall apart. It had been inappropriate for him to let her stay, perhaps, considering that she was in a relationship with another man and had no real business here at his side ... but Nathan could admit that he wanted her here, and she'd wanted to stay - had stayed all night, apparently - and for right now he was just going to let that be enough.

"I won't ask you what happened," Carson continued, and his voice had taken on that stern doctor's tone that Nathan had rarely heard. "And I doubt you would tell me if I did, but if anything like that happens again I would urge you, as a friend and as a doctor, to stay in whatever hospital you wake up in. You pushed yourself too far, too soon."

Nathan was halfway through saying, "Understood," in his best 'I-understand-an-order-when-I-hear-one' voice when the hand of Elizabeth's that was nearest him slid unexpectedly, palm up, under his. The sensation shocked him so thoroughly that he only avoided flinching by the barest margin.

Either Carson and Faith did not notice, or they were kind enough to pretend that they hadn't.

"I'll go get Allie," Faith informed them.

In the moment between Faith turning toward the door, and Carson turning to smile at Allie as she re-entered the room, Nathan turned questioning eyes on Elizabeth.

Elizabeth managed to smile in response. Her heart was beating too quickly in her chest, but only part of that was because she'd finally had the courage to take his hand - while he was awake. She'd been doing a fairly good job at maintaining an even disposition through Carson's rundown of Nathan's injuries, but when the doctor had let Nathan know in no uncertain terms that he should not have left wherever he was, it had all come back to her. That first moment of seeing Nathan in the distance, his tall silhouette outlined in the gold of fading sunlight; the moment she had been close enough to see the bruises around his throat and the exhaustion in his face ... Gabe, a man she had not known in that moment, standing like a barrier before Nathan as though the lightest breeze might knock him off his feet.

Feeling the sudden pressure and give as his body crumpled between her and Gabe.

Nathan's gaze swept over her like a wildfire. She didn't have a lot of time, so Elizabeth spoke quietly.

"When you're feeling up to it, I'd like to talk about this. About us. Maybe over dinner?"

Allie had returned to her spot on the other side of the bed, and Faith looked like she had something to say, so Elizabeth started to remove her hand. Nathan's hand suddenly closed around hers in a squeeze, and she recognized it for his acknowledgement, so she returned the squeeze and then broke the contact.

Faith studied Allie with a serious expression and then gave her a kind smile. "Your uncle -."

"Dad," Allie corrected quickly, and all of the assembled adults smiled.

"Your dad," Faith corrected, "Is going to need help for awhile, Allie. He's not going to be able to lift things, or reach, and he'll probably have a hard time going up and down the stairs."

"I can help," Allie said firmly. "I can cook for us - Grandma taught me how to make shepherd's pie! - and do the laundry, and everything else." Allie paused and turned her attention to Nathan and continued, quieter this time. "You've always taken care of me, but no one ever takes care of you."

"C'mere," Nathan murmured, and he folded Allie into his chest without a moment's regard for any of his injuries. He clutched his daughter tightly to him. "We take care of each other, Allie."

"But you were alone, and I would have been alone if you hadn't come home, and ..."

Allie was sobbing now. Sobbing as she hadn't since she'd been much younger, and it occurred to Nathan again how fragile Allie's sense of safety still was despite how hard he had worked over the years to change that. They were still all the other one had left in the world, and if Nathan hadn't come home - if he had been a little less lucky in that fight, or his ribs had taken just a little more damage - he would have been the loss that undid whatever foundation Allie had. She didn't remember her mother, and had only sparse memories of her father; Elizabeth had been spot on when she'd said that Nathan was the only father that Allie had ever known. The only parent she'd ever known, and the cornerstone of her world.

"Please don't leave again," Allie sobbed into his shoulder. "No matter how sad you are. Please don't leave."

Nathan had thought that leaving was the right choice - that it would give them all what they needed - but he knew in that moment that it had been the wrong choice. He should have stayed; he should have fought for Elizabeth, and helped Allie understand what was happening and that none of it would change how much he loved her, and ...

"I'm sorry, Allie." He couldn't do anything but apologize now, and learn from his mistake. "As long as I have a choice, I promise I won't leave again, okay? Shh, it's okay. I'm okay, Allie."

It took him a few minutes to reassure Allie enough to stem the tide of her tears. No matter what Carson had said he'd made the right choice in coming home. There was no way he could have left Allie to face the news of his injuries without being here to reassure her, and he'd walk those thirty plus miles all over again, and then some, to be here holding her now.

When Allie's sobs had quieted into timid sniffles and Nathan had rubbed countless circles into her back, the strain of her weight on his injuries and the continued use of his arms began to infringe on his senses. Allie was just tall enough that her back was above waist height for him, and the prolonged elevation of his arms was sending shoots of pain through his shoulders and down into his stomach.

"Allie."

Nathan opened his eyes to see that Elizabeth had stood and placed a hand on Allie's back. Carson and Faith were nowhere to be seen, and Nathan didn't know if Elizabeth had stayed or just returned. He thought she might have stayed, because he thought he could see the sheen of tear tracks on her cheeks.

"Allie," Elizabeth said again, still gentle but a little louder. "Please."

She didn't want to tell Allie that she was hurting Nathan, but Elizabeth could see the strain on his face and his hands had begun to shake.

"Allie," Nathan finally added.

Allie uncurled herself finally and allowed Elizabeth to help her down from the bed. "Faith should be just outside," Elizabeth told Allie. "I'm going to go get her, and then you and I will go get something to eat, okay? We'll bring something back for your dad."

Allie nodded but didn't say anything. Elizabeth squeezed the girl's shoulder and then glanced at Nathan quickly before stepping to the door. Faith and Carson both were sitting on the bench just outside the infirmary, and Elizabeth didn't need to utter a single word: they saw her face in the doorway and stood in perfect unison.

"He's in pain," Elizabeth whispered quietly.

Nathan was doing an admirable job of masking that pain, but when she returned Elizabeth could see that his face had lost some of its color. Faith retrieved a glass of water, and Carson had something in his hand that Elizabeth knew would take the edge off his pain.

"... sleep for awhile," Carson was saying, "but right now that's exactly what you need."

Nathan nodded and took whatever pain relief Carson offered and washed it down with the water that Faith held to his lips. When he'd done that he offered Elizabeth and Allie a tired smile.

"We'll be back in a little while," Elizabeth assured him.

Faith helped Nathan lay down as Elizabeth motioned for Allie to stand and then draped an arm around her shoulders. She squeezed Allie's shoulders, who sniffed and turned slightly into Elizabeth.

"Come on," Elizabeth said.

"Allie?" Nathan called when they were almost to the door. When she turned to look at him, he said, "I love you."

"I love you, too, dad."

The whole way home, Elizabeth kept hearing Allie's words replay in her head: No matter how sad you are, please don't leave.

Elizabeth managed to make it all the way home and to her room before completely falling apart.