"Well, that was a disaster." Nathan said as he returned to the men's cabin that evening, slinging his jacket on the bed.

"Didn't look like a disaster to me." Joseph said, looking up from his cot. "You two looked like you were having a real good time."

"If you call losing the ability to speak a good time. Dang! Why do I do that?" he tossed his tie across the room where it landed on Lucas's bed.

"I'm sure it wasn't that bad." Lucas said, without looking up from the newspaper he was reading.

"Oh, yeah? Try this one on for size. First, there's all this awkward silence. I'm too caught up in how pretty she looked. Then when I finally do find words, I open my mouth and say something that made her think I was calling her a drunkard." Nathan said.

"That ain't good." Joseph replied.

"No. It isn't." Nathan said. "Finally, I decided to just shut up and let her talk and only then did things turn around. Emily led the conversation pretty much the rest of the night -which proves, I'm just not cut out for this. Guess I'm just not as slick as you, Lucas."

Lucas ignored the jab. "At least you didn't fall asleep on her while she was reading her life's work to you."

"You did that?" Nathan asked.

"I did." Lucas nodded. "Then, when I finally did wake up, she kept asking me if I was okay, if I needed anything. I feel as if I make her nervous."

"First of all, Lucas, you both fell asleep. I walked by and saw you. And second, you have had us all worried." Joseph said. "Can't blame her there."

Lucas frowned. "Returning to Emily, did she smile at you?"

Nathan paused to think. "Yeah. I guess so."

"A lot?"

"Um…"

Joseph vigorously shook his head yes. "She was grinning from ear to ear when I walked by and don't let him tell you she wasn't. So was he."

Lucas tossed Nathan's tie back toward him, then leaned against the wall. "They say a woman's smile is a window to her heart. If you had her smiling, you have nothing to worry about."

"Exactly!" Joseph added. "It's when they stop smiling – that's when you have your work cut out for you."

Nathan grumbled something under his breath that neither man could understand and Lucas set down the newspaper.

"What was that, Nathan?" Lucas asked.

"I said it's easy for you to say. This stuff comes naturally to you."

"Not exactly. Any relationship takes work. And, I didn't suggest that you come up with a plan for your date with Emily so that you could be like me. That's not even possible - nor, I might add, advisable. I suggested it because I hoped it would help things to run more smoothly. You seemed rather nervous and I thought it would help. Please, forgive the intrusion."

Nathan sighed. Try as he might, there was no way he could blame his perceived performance on anyone other than himself. "Lucas – First of all, it wasn't a 'date'. We were just having dinner. Second, I'm just not good at these things. I wish I was. But your advice did help us to discover a few more things we have in common, so thanks for that, I suppose."

A moment passed in which neither man knew what to say, so Joseph spoke up.

"So, what you're saying is that Lucas was right."

Lucas raised his eyebrows and grinned.

"I wouldn't go that far." Nathan smirked. "But…he's not all bad."

"Thank you." Lucas chortled. "I will take that in the most positive sense that I can."

"Take it in whatever sense you want to." Nathan said before grabbing a change of clothes in order to head to the showers. "And, Joseph, say a prayer I get this right the next time. Emily must think I'm a blithering idiot."

Joseph smiled and shook his head.

"So, how did it go?" Allie asked, the minute that Emily walked through the door. Emily glanced at Elizabeth who was sitting at a small desk in their cabin writing in her journal. Jack was sound asleep.

"Very well." she said. "I never knew your dad was such a conversationalist!"

"My dad?" Allie said. "Nathan Archibald Grant? Tall guy? About six-foot-four?"

Elizabeth stopped writing and listened. After she and Lucas started courting in earnest, they had discussed her desire to remain friends with Nathan and their mutual desire that he find happiness. She also mentioned how in order to do that, he would need to learn to open up a bit more. Hearing that he was doing so with Emily made her heart happy.

"His middle name is Archibald? Interesting." Emily replied.

"What did you talk about?" Allie asked.

Emily sat on the end of Allie's bed and smiled. "Oh, a little bit of everything. Did you know that your dad is a big baseball fan? We both follow Ty Cobb."

"Yeah. He likes Detroit. But, don't say anything to Judge Avery when you get to town. He and my dad are always debating who is better, Detroit versus New York."
"Detroit, of course." Emily said.

"That's what we say, but Judge Avery seems to think that the guy that Yankees picked up this year is really going to be something special. Some guy named Ruth?"

"Babe Ruth. He is quite the slugger. Do you know he started with Baltimore? But that was before I was there. Anyway, we talked about that for a while and he promised to take us to a game next time he comes to Baltimore."

"Next time he comes to Baltimore? But Mr. Bouchard is going home." Allie stated.

Emily cleared her throat. "Um…yes…well, you know. He may want to see Dr. Shepherd."

Allie smirked. "Yeah…because, dad always makes trips across the continent just to see Dr. Shepherd."

Emily blushed. "Well, I'm just telling you what he said.

Elizabeth bit her lip and turned back to her writing, telling her journal:

It appears that along with the advent of spring, new love is in bloom for Nathan Grant and Emily Reardon. The two of them have really seemed to form a connection these past weeks and I foresee good things for them in the future – perhaps a move to Hope Valley? Time will tell.

The next three days quickly passed and the group was excited to be reentering Canada. While they had a lovely time of catching up and enjoying one another's presence, four days sequestered on a train was enough to test any relationship. Of course, the Coulters were as loving as ever since they had long since learned the art of keeping one another happy. And, Nathan and Emily wasted no time in easing into what became a comfortable pattern of togetherness, spending most of their days in the Observation room or chatting over coffee or a meal in the dining car. Things definitely felt better once Nathan was able to just be himself.

But, then, there was Lucas and Elizabeth. Their case was a bit more challenging. It wasn't that they were having any real trouble. It was that since their reunion, there had been a certain change in their relationship and Lucas didn't like it at all.

For as long as he had known her, Lucas Bouchard took great pleasure and pride in being a pillar of strength upon which Elizabeth could lean. He genuinely enjoyed anticipating and meeting her needs without any other tangible reward than that he had made her happy. But since they had been reunited, that dynamic had changed to where instead of him being the caretaker she had taken on that role and had turned into what he would later label "a Nervous Nellie."

It was understandable, at first, that Elizabeth, being a nurturing soul, would want to do things for Lucas. But within a day or two her attentions became smothering and Lucas, in turn, felt out of place. Being ever observant of people, it was Joseph who first noticed the change.

It started when the two men were sitting alone in the cabin on a rainy afternoon. Both had their books and Lucas had been pretending to read the same page for over ten minutes. The pastor let it go on for a while, but finally decided to do a little ministering, if he could.

"Good book?"

Lucas stirred slightly, then nodded. "Yes…it…" He found it impossible to lie, particularly to his pastor. "I honestly couldn't say."

"Something troubling you?" Joseph asked.

"I will be okay."

"That's not what I asked. If there's something you need to talk about, I'd be happy to listen." Joseph said. "Maybe I can help."

After a moment, Lucas's eyes turned toward the minister. "If you must know, I'm worried about Elizabeth."

"How so?" he asked.

Lucas considered his words carefully. "Well, when we were reunited, she seemed so happy – it felt so…it felt wonderful."

"And now?"

"And now, she appears worried all the time, as if I were to leave her sight something bad is going to happen."

"She thought she was going to lose you – more than once." Joseph said. "Her reaction is natural."

"I know that and I regret my part in that. It's just..." Lucas lowered his head, resting his forehead against his hand.

"What is it, Lucas?"

Lucas looked up.

"Joseph, on my first 'official' date with Elizabeth, we were out in her backyard having a candlelight dinner because little Jack was having a hard day being away from his mother. We had just finished eating and she looked up at me and told me that it was the first time in a long time that she didn't feel as if she had something weighing on her."

Lucas paused and smiled softly. "Her smile that evening…it was so sincere, so heartfelt, and I felt so happy knowing, you know, that I had put it there. Everything felt so light and lovely and I knew that I would gladly spend the rest of my life bringing that smile to her face again and again– as much as I could.

It seems right now that we've lost that lovely element of our relationship and rather than easing her burdens, I seem to be contributing to them."

Joseph shook his head. "Lucas, you know that's not true. That woman is thrilled to have you back. Of course, she's worried about you because she loves you and you're just coming from the hospital and that's kind of what women do. In truth, it may take a while for her to get over that."

"But, I'm not an invalid. I can do things myself and I need her to know that she doesn't have to worry over me. I'm really doing better than I was expected to be." He responded. "It just feels all wrong. I don't want her walking on egg shells or thinking I can't be a support for her. I know that there will be some things that I'm going to have to relearn – but Joseph, being there for her is what I do and when she won't let me do so, I just don't feel like me. It doesn't feel like us."

"Have you told her this?" Joseph asked.

"No. I do not wish to make her feel uncomfortable." he replied.

Joseph shook his head. "I don't know what to tell you then, man. My advice is to talk to her. Otherwise, I guess, wait it out. You just got out of the hospital. I'm sure things will get better if you just give it some time."

Lucas considered Joseph's words but hadn't made any decisions about talking things over with Elizabeth as of yet. And in the morning, when she knocked upon his door, he opened the door and explained to her, truthfully, that he hadn't slept well and planned on sleeping in a little later than usual – that she should go on without him and they would catch up later. Elizabeth was disappointed and a little concerned, but she did as he requested and walked the span of the train to the Coulter's suite to see if they wanted to have breakfast. She was just about to knock on their door when the door opened and she and Rosemary collided. Both women gasped, then they laughed.

"Good morning, Elizabeth! It's so nice to, um, run into you." Rosemary said. "Where's Lucas this morning?"

Elizabeth sighed. "Back in his cabin. It appears I'm all alone this morning."

"Oh? Is he not feeling well?" she asked.

"He said he's fine." She replied. "He just wanted to spend some time in his cabin to rest up and get ready for tomorrow."

"Well, that makes sense. It's been a big trip for him. He's probably still tired." Rosemary said.

"I hope that's all it is." Elizabeth said, worriedly.

"Well, since you're free, would you like to have breakfast with me and Lee? We were just about to walk down to the dining car." Rosemary said.

"Yes, I would like that very much."

The three friends made their way down to dining and once they were seated, Rosemary smiled and clasped her hands together. "I don't know about you, but I can't wait to get home! Lucas is going to be so surprised!"

"I know he will be." Elizabeth said. "Are we sure that everything is going to be ready when we get there?"

Lee raised an eyebrow, immediately recognizing her anxiety over the entire situation.

"Yes." Rosemary said. "The decorating committee said the new beds at the hotel arrived and they've already got them set up and are putting the finishing touches on the rooms, and the movie equipment arrived the day after we left. Mike Hickham has that up and running and I just know Harry Houdini has never had a better screening!"

"Wow! And the party?" Elizabeth asked.

"Ned told me when we stopped in Chicago that everything is set." Lee said. "All we have to do is show up."

"What about refreshments?" Elizabeth asked. "Did someone remember to take care of those?"

Lee laughed, "Relax, Elizabeth. Gustave has that all handled.".

"Gustave does?"

"Yes. Florence said that Jesse told Ned that Clara said that Abigail said that Gustave's been in the kitchen at Abigail's making hors d'oeuvres and petit fours since before we left Baltimore. So, there's nothing to worry about." Rosemary replied.

Elizabeth smiled. "I just want it to be perfect – after everything he's been through."

"After everything you've both been through." Lee said. "It hasn't exactly been a picnic for you either."

"I just want him to be happy." She replied.

"He already is." Rosemary said. "He has you."

Just then, Nathan Grant walked into the restaurant followed by Emily and Allie. Spotting the trio, Nathan walked over to their table. "Got room for three more?" he asked.

"We sure do." Lee said, as he went to move a table up beside them. Nathan joined him.

"We almost have a quorum this morning." Rosemary said. "This is nice!"

"Yeah. Well, Joseph is in our room working on his Sunday sermon and preaching up a storm so I thought maybe I'd save a little suspense for Sunday and ask the ladies if they wanted to grab breakfast."

"We're glad you did!" Lee said.

Elizabeth furrowed her brow and looked around, behind the ladies. "Allie, where is Jack?"

"Oh, he's with Mr. Bouchard."

"With Lucas?" Elizabeth asked, surprised. "You mean back in the cabin?"

"No. Lucas took off when I did." Nathan said. "There's no sleeping when Joseph's preaching."

"He told us he was going to go take Jack to visit Annabelle and then go read him a book so that you could enjoy some free time." Emily explained.

"Really? I wonder why he didn't stop to get me?" Elizabeth asked.

"He figured you'd be having breakfast with Rosemary and Lee. I don't think he wanted to interrupt." Emily replied.

"That's silly. He wouldn't have been an interruption." she responded.

"Truthfully, I think maybe he wanted to spend a little time with Jack – you know, to sort of bond." Emily smiled.

Elizabeth immediately received her inference and relaxed a little. "Well, I didn't see him come through here."

"He wouldn't have." Allie said. "We left the cabin right after you did and he spotted the three of us in the drawing room."

"I see." Elizabeth said. "Well, that's good!"

"It's very good." Emily said, with a smile.

Lucas had always been very sweet to little Jack, bringing him gifts and talking to him, even before Jack could say more than a two-syllable word. But other than when he would hold him at her request when she was in the middle of some task, she'd never seen him take the initiative to take care of her son on his own. In fact, unless requested, he never picked Jack up at all. She suspected that this was because of his own upbringing and the fact that he hadn't been held much as a child. It was something that she resolved to work on with him when they returned to town. But now, hearing that he was one step ahead of her, it was a pleasant surprise.

Folding her napkin and placing it on the table, Elizabeth decided she would sneak down to the drawing room to go see them. She thanked her friends and left the room.

Even before she reached the area, she could hear the conversation between the two most important men in her life.

Lucas's deep voice travelled down the hallway carrying with it just the right inflection that one would need to capture the attention of a child.

"There was once upon a time . . . "A king!" my little readers will instantly exclaim.

No, children, you are wrong. There was… once upon a time… a piece of wood."

Elizabeth reached the doorway and stood just outside, peeking her head around the corner. She nearly shed tears when she spotted Lucas seated on the settee near the window with his arm placed gently around her son, a children's book in his lap. Jack's loving eyes were mesmerized by everything that Lucas was saying.

"This wood was not valuable: it was only a common log like…like the kind your mother puts into the stove to warm up the room."

"Mommy say to not touch stobe." Jack said. "It'll burn."

"Your mother is a wise woman." Lucas said.

"Mm hmm." Jack replied.

Lucas continued the story, reading and interacting with Jack as he did. "Now, I cannot say how it came about, but the fact is, that one fine day this piece of wood was lying in the shop of an old carpenter of the name of Master Antonio. He was, however, called by everybody Master Cherry.

Do you want to know why he was called that?"

"Why dat?" Jack asked.

"It was on account of… the end of his nose, which was always as red and polished as a ripe cherry!" Lucas said, touching the tip of Jack's nose with his finger.

Jack giggled with glee. "Jack's nose not cherry!"

"It's not?" Lucas teased. "I thought it was!"

"Noooo!" Jack laughed. "Wookus nose a cherry!" The little boy reached up to grab onto Lucas's nose but instead grabbed hold of his mustache. Lucas feigned discomfort but truth was he didn't pull hard enough to cause any pain.

"Oh, no. He's got me!" he said, as tiny hands reached for his face and finally grabbed hold of his neck, hugging him.

"Oh, my goodness!" Elizabeth exclaimed to herself.

Lucas startled then looked toward the door. "Oh! Elizabeth! I didn't see you there. I was just reading to little Jack." He said, beginning to stand.

"Please, don't get up." She said, stepping forward.

"But…"

"It's fine."

Lucas took a deep breath and decided to let it go.

"Mommy!" Jack said, squirming off of the settee so that he could go to his mother.

"I didn't mean to interrupt." She said, picking up her son. "That was just too precious for words."

"I thought he might enjoy it." Lucas said, patting the seat beside him. She came and sat.

"Pinocchio?" she asked.

"Yes." Lucas said. "I picked it up in the book store when we stopped in Chicago."

"So, that's what you were looking for." She replied.

"That's what I found." he said. "It's a newer edition. Richly illustrated. I remember reading it to myself when I was around five years old."

"An early reader! Very advanced." She replied.

"One did not lag in reading in Helen Bouchard's home." he said. "But these books were my special friends. Whenever we'd move, they'd move with me and I never had to say goodbye. I loved them and figured that I would introduce them to Jack – not that you don't read to him all the time. It's just there were certain books I enjoyed as a boy. The original for Pinocchio came out around two years before I was born." he said, her first indication as to his actual age – which, she immediately calculated was a few years younger than herself.

She smiled at the little revelation. "Didn't you find that book a little scary?"

"As a five-year-old, yes. Parts of it. Most children's stories have that element though. Perhaps they are meant to prepare children for the darkness in life."

"Not all life is dark." She said, stroking her little boy's head.

He looked over at little Jack and then at her. "Thankfully, no. God always seems to provide rays of light in the midst of our greatest darkness."

She smiled then lifted Jack off of her lap, transferring him to Lucas's lap. "Jack, why don't you sit with Lucas and allow him to read you more of the story?"

"M-kay." Jack said, snuggling up with Lucas and laying his head against the man's chest. Bouchard gave him a little hug. "Thank you. Are you sure you don't want to stay with us?" he asked as she stood to leave.

"No. You go ahead." she replied. "This is time for the two of you. I interrupted. I'll just… go back to my cabin and make sure everything's ready to go for when we get home tomorrow."

"Then we shall see one another later?"

"For lunch?"

"Absolutely."

"It's a date." She winked. Lucas smiled as he watched her leave, then returned to reading the book.

Morning light broke east of the Canadian Rockies bathing the valley with the warm shimmering glow that only Spring provided. As the train rounded the tracks into Calgary, the Hope Valley band all gathered to together, ready to step off of the train.

"Canadian Pacific Railway now arriving at Calgary, Platform three." The porter said and soon the group disembarked. The sight outside the train was one of pandemonium as men from each of the cars pushed and shoved their ways through the throng of people in order to retrieve their luggage in preparation to switch trains or just to go home.

The women immediately stepped to the side as Lee, Joseph, Nathan and Lucas went to join in with the crowd. They hadn't moved five feet when Elizabeth grabbed on to Lucas's arm.

"Let me help you with that." she said.

Lucas took in a deep breath, then turned to her speaking as gently as possible, "No. Please Elizabeth, allow me." He turned to join the others, but she held him back.

"But Lucas you need to be careful. You can't…"

"ELIZABETH!" he stated in an uncharacteristically coarse tone. The others turned and tried not to watch. He lowered his voice. "Elizabeth, I can really do this myself. You don't have to do everything for me. I'm…not all of me is broken. So, please, just go stand by the ladies and permit me to do this one simple thing."

A stunned Elizabeth looked up at him through wounded eyes and he turned and walked away. She stood and watched, unsure of what had just transpired, until Rosemary came up beside her and put her arm around Elizabeth's shoulder to take her back to the women. The moment wasn't lost on Joseph who looked at both of his parishioners with concern and Lucas immediately felt remorse for how he had spoken to her. But he knew he had to be firm or things would never get back to normal. As difficult as it was, he had to take that stand. The couple was silent for a while after that as they waited for the two stage coaches that would take them home – a fact also not missed by the others. And when the Sherrington lines arrived, immediately, one coach loaded to its capacity of six leaving the other coach to just Elizabeth, Lucas and little Jack.

Lucas looked toward Joseph for help, but the pastor just pointedly nodded at him as if to say fix it and stepped onto the coach with the others.

Lucas turned to Elizabeth who looked up at him somberly. "Allow me." he said, taking little Jack from her arms so as to help her onto the carriage.

Quietly, she took his hand and accepted his offer of help as she stepped onto the carriage. He then handed her little Jack and with surprisingly little effort, made it up into the coach himself, taking her by the hand before the coachman shut the door.

By the time they reached their first stop in order to change out horses, things had changed, dramatically. As the coachman opened the door, the first thing that the other couples saw when Elizabeth and Lucas's coach door opened up was the couple kissing as little Jack napped in the seat across from them.

"Oh, good grief." Nathan said, dramatically rolling his eyes.

"What?" Emily said, wrapping her arm around his. "I think it's sweet."

"Yeah, sweet."

"What's a matter? Have you never kissed a girl?" she asked.

Nathan turned his face away from her and began to walk, evading her look. "Of course. Plenty of times." He lied.

Emily raised an eyebrow and grinned, continuing to hold on to his arm as they made their way through the staging area in search of a snack.

A few minutes later, Lucas stepped off the stagecoach while Elizabeth stayed with Jack. He walked up behind Joseph with a countenance that was completely changed.

"I take it you've talked?" Joseph asked, ignoring the public display of affection at that moment.

Lucas looked at his friend. "Yes, we have an, um…understanding."

"Well, good." he said. "So, when's the date? I need it so Minnie can be sure to have my good suit ready."

Lucas looked at him in shock, but couldn't suppress his grin. "It's your turn." Was all he would say.

"Huh?" Joseph asked.

"The vendor is ready for your order." Lucas replied.

By eight o'clock that evening, their journey was nearly complete. It had been a time of growth and understanding for all who were involved. And while, if given a choice, the events of recent months would never have been repeated, already Elizabeth and Lucas could see some of the blessings that had come out of the curse.

They were together and closer than they had ever been, having weathered their first major storm, coming out stronger as a couple on the other side of it. Elizabeth had learned the importance of being patient when her normally steady-tempered beau was having a bad day and Lucas learned the virtues of trusting in someone other than himself, that things would turn out right. He was changed, no longer seeing himself as the 'master of his own destiny' but as a man who, though he would still give everything he had for the benefit of those he loved, knew sometimes his everything just wasn't enough. Bad things did sometimes happen and it was in those times that he needed God, his friends, and his beloved Elizabeth to make it through.

As their stagecoach rounded the bend, leaving the newly paved road and travelling across the familiar gravel, there was an excitement and a relief that only came from coming home. Elizabeth watched Lucas's face as they rode past the row houses and then by the church and her heart sped up in anticipation as they came up to the mercantile.

Lucas's eyes widened and his lips parted when then turned the corner and his eyes beheld a street full of citizens of Hope Valley, gathered together with balloons and music and a giant banner which spelled out in giant letters "Welcome Home, Lucas Bouchard." Next, he spotted the entertainment plaza and he gasped, his trembling hand grasping onto hers. And for the first time since she had known him, Lucas was what she'd never seen him be – utterly speechless.

The coach came to a stop and the couples gathered on the sidewalk, Elizabeth with her arm wrapped around her love's, and they walked toward the site of the old Queen of Hearts Saloon.

"Well, what do you think?" Mike Hickham said as he and Fiona rushed up to greet him. Lucas continued to look straight ahead, taking in every plain, curve and decorative feature of the building ahead – and also the faces. So many people were there, so many smiles to see him back.

"I think…a miracle." He finally said. Elizabeth squeezed onto his arm and then kissed his shoulder.

"And, it's all for you, my love." she replied.

"But, how?" he asked, knowing the funding to do this hadn't come from him.

Lee walked forward and put his hand on Lucas's back. "The townspeople voted to rebuild a short time after you left for Baltimore. Of course, there are a few changes we had to make due to regulations but we can discuss that a little later."

Lucas swallowed. "I still don't understand."

It was then that a voice from the past walked up with her husband.

'Of course, you do." she said.

Lucas turned toward her. "Abigail!" Then he spotted his friend. "Henry! You've come back!" he smiled. Henry shook his hand then gave him a hug.

"Yes. With Abigail. My wife." he replied, returning to her side.

Lucas laughed. "Well, I see there really have been some changes in this town."

Abigail smiled. "Lucas, I once told you that in Hope Valley, we take care of our own - which includes you. What you see before you is just taste of what all of that means."

Lucas's eyes glistened. "Thank you. Thank all of you."

"Let's not just stand out here chatting." Henry stated, taking Abigail by the hand. Let's go on inside and see your new restaurant."

"I would like that." Lucas said. He then turned to Elizabeth and looked at her with love.

"Shall we?" he asked. She smiled and they walked ahead.