When Calls The Heart: What If? – Jack and Elizabeth
This series is a series of one shots. I will be taking actual scenes from the show and then asking the question what if and will then write out the what if scene. These will all be incidents between Jack Thornton and Elizabeth Thatcher. I will be starting with Season 1 episode 1 and will continue from there. The actual dialogue from the show will be included for simplicity sake so those will not be my own words but the played out what if scene is all mine.
Here goes…. I hope you enjoy.
Season 1 Episode 1 Scene 1
A door closes in the background while Elizabeth is standing and writing on the chalk board talking out loud.
Elizabeth: "Baskets contain... "
Jack is seen walking behind the chalk board when Elizabeth notices him.
Elizabeth: Oh. Hello. I didn't know anyone else was here.
Jack: Good morning. I'm staying in one of the rooms upstairs until something more permanent can be arranged.
Elizabeth: I'm Elizabeth Thatcher, I'm the new teacher here, but I guess you've probably already gathered that.
Jack: Constable Jack Thornton, but I guess you've already gathered that.
Elizabeth: I'm sorry. I'm afraid I may have left you with some of my chalk dust.
Jack: No. No chalk dust. Now I feel cheated.
Elizabeth: I have to say I'm a little surprised that Coal Valley merits a full-time mountie.
Jack: That makes two of us. My original posting was in Cape Fullerton, but that suddenly changed.
Elizabeth: Oh. I imagine Coal Valley will be a little quieter for you than a busy shipping port like that.
Jack: Wait, you know the place?
Elizabeth: Very well. My father has done business in Cape Fullerton for many years.
Jack: And what's your father's name?
Elizabeth: William Thatcher.
Jack: William Thatcher the shipping tycoon?
Elizabeth: Well, I don't think of him that way, but, yes, I suppose he is.
Jack: Now it's all making sense.
Elizabeth: What is?
Jack: Miss Thatcher, a week ago, I had never even heard of Coal Valley, and while I was planning my trip to Cape Fullerton, I was told I was being reassigned here, reassigned at the request of a very powerful man.
Elizabeth: Surely, you don't think that...
Jack: What, that a very wealthy man's daughter might be why I now have to eat coal dust for the next God knows how long? I'm absolutely sure that's why I'm here, to keep William Thatcher's princess from stubbing her toe in a town she had no business coming to.
Elizabeth: To be candid, sir, I think you're way off-base with that remark, and just so we're clear, even if my father did pull strings to get you here, I don't need you. I can take care of my own stubbed toes, thank you very much.
Jack: You know, on second thought, it's obvious I won't have to be here long, because you won't last a month in a town like this.
Elizabeth: Well, Constable Thornton, I think you'd better settle in and get used to a steady diet of coal dust. I'm a Thatcher. We don't run from a challenge. Now, if you'll excuse me, I have reading materials to prepare for my students. Good day to you, sir.
What If?
A door closes in the background while Elizabeth is standing and writing on the chalk board talking out loud.
Elizabeth: "Baskets contain... "
Jack is seen walking behind the chalk board when Elizabeth notices him.
Elizabeth: Oh. Hello. I didn't know anyone else was here.
Jack: Good morning. I'm staying in one of the rooms upstairs until something more permanent can be arranged.
Elizabeth: I'm Elizabeth Thatcher, I'm the new teacher here, but I guess you've probably already gathered that.
Jack: Constable Jack Thornton, but I guess you've already gathered that.
Elizabeth: I'm sorry. I'm afraid I may have left you with some of my chalk dust.
Jack: No. No chalk dust. Now I feel cheated.
Elizabeth: I have to say I'm a little surprised that Coal Valley merits a full-time mountie.
Jack: That makes two of us. My original posting was in Cape Fullerton, but that suddenly changed.
Elizabeth: Oh. What happened?
Jack: I'm not at liberty to discuss the full details, but lets just say that about a week ago, while I was planning my trip to Cape Fullerton, I was told I was being reassigned here, reassigned at the request of a very powerful man.
Elizabeth: You being here was my father's doing?
Jack: I wasn't given an actual name, but I guess that makes sense that your father would want you to have your own personal Mountie to watch over you.
Elizabeth: Okay, buy why you? If you were so excited to go to Cape Fullerton, then why would they send you of all random Mounties?
Jack: I did try to back out but apparently this powerful man had requested me specifically giving me no way out.
Elizabeth: How dare he?
Jack: Huh, I'm confused.
Elizabeth: My father… I cant believe he would do this to me.
Jack: I'm sorry Miss Thatcher but I am no longer following.
Elizabeth: Well, you see there is a man back home, you may have heard of him actually. Charles Kensington
Jack: Yes, I believe the name does ring a bell. What about him.
Elizabeth: Well there has always been and understanding between his family and mine that the two of us would get married.
Jack: Oh
Elizabeth: So lets just say that me leaving Hamilton and coming here did not exactly fit in those plans.
Jack: So Charles broke up with you when you left
Elizabeth: No, it was the other way around actually. Charles and I have known each other our whole lives. And While I know that he is a great guy and any girl would be lucky to have him, my feelings for him have always been that of just friends and nothing more. So when I told him I was leaving he was not exactly fond of the idea. Apparently he had been planning on proposing although I had told him many times that I did not have romantic feelings for him.
Jack: So you think that your father requested me here specifically for us to court now that you are no longer with Charles?
Elizabeth: Oh no, my father would never go for that. He still says that I will marry Charles, he just believes I need some time to come to my senses. I believe he sent you here because he strongly thinks that you will be able to prove to me that Charles is the right guy for me.
Jack: Well then, if you would like why don't we try to beat him at his own game?
Elizabeth: What do you mean?
Jack: How do you think he would react if we told him that you and I were to get married?
Elizabeth: Wait, we just met. I hardly know you and you are asking me to marry you.
Jack: No, well yes, well kind of.
Elizabeth: which one is it.
Jack: Okay, hear me out. My thought is like this, when you send them letters, write about me, in the beginning you tell them how handsome, and charming and cute I am. Then you start telling them about things we do together, kind of like dates… we don't actually have to hang out for you to write it, or we can if you feel more comfortable that way. And then eventually you tell them we are courting and if necessary you can even tell them we got engaged and married.
Elizabeth: I'm definitely in for something like this, sounds like fun. I'm just not sure what you will gain from doing this?
Jack: Me? I will get to hang out with one of the most gorgeous women in all of coal Valley.