Chapter 6

What neither Nathan or Bill anticipated was a very angry Elizabeth Thornton showing up at Mountie headquarters in Union City on Thursday morning. She was demanding to speak to Nathan. Both Bill and Nathan heard her yelling and exchanged looks.

"Stay here. I will deal with her."

"Thanks Bill."

Bill slipped out of Nathan's office and headed to see if he could calm Elizabeth down. The moment that she saw Bill, she turned her anger toward him. Despite Bill trying to explain things to her, she wouldn't listen. After a few moments, Bill knew that it was pointless to try and explain things to her. Finally frustrated, Bill raised his voice.

"Elizabeth Thornton. You need to calm down right now or I will have you arrested for creating a disturbance."

Elizabeth stopped for a moment and glared at Bill.

"You and Nathan never could accept my decision and you did this to be vindictive."

"Elizabeth, you need to listen to me and listen good. Nathan and I just followed the evidence. We didn't target anyone. Bouchard was arrested with stolen jewels. Don't blame us because you can't accept your own bad decisions."

With that, Elizabeth took a step forward and slapped Bill. Before Bill even had a chance to react, several Mounties had surrounded the duo and were placing Elizabeth in handcuffs. She was screaming for them to let her go. Bill turned and saw Nathan standing there shaking his head.

"Come on, Bill. Lets get some ice. She will eventually calm down and then I will talk to her."

"You are going to leave her in a cell?"

"She assaulted you in front of half a dozen Mounties."

"Point taken."

Bill and Nathan headed back to Nathan's office. They got some ice and then tried to figure out what they were going to do.

"Bill, do you want to press charges?"

"I don't know. I know that she is just upset, but she can't keep lashing out at people just because she didn't get her way."

"I know. So what do you want to do?"

"Do we know where Little Jack is?"

"While you were trying to talk to her, I confirmed he is with the Coulters."

"Then let her sit there for a bit. I need to have another conversation with her father. This is unacceptable. This is not the first time that she had lashed out."

"William Thatcher is traveling here and should be here tomorrow."

"Then since Jack is taken care of, she can sit in that cell until her father arrives. Then we will decide what to do. I better call and change my ticket."

Bill called and changed his ticket for the Saturday early train. After Bill and Nathan had lunch, Nathan went to see if he could talk some sense into Elizabeth. The moment that she saw him, she started yelling again.

"Silence!"

Having never heard Nathan raise his voice like that she stopped and looked at him.

"I suggest that you keep your mouth shut and listen to what I am going to say."

Nathan waited a moment until Elizabeth sat back down on the cot in the cell. He then pulled a chair over and took a seat.

"This is what is going to happen. If you fail to listen or do what I say, you will be facing charges of assaulting an officer of the law, which will result in the loss of your teaching certificate."

Elizabeth didn't say anything, but glared at Nathan.

"First, you are going to apologize to Bill. Second, you are going to tell the Mounties everything and I mean everything, that you know about Lucas Bouchard and finally, you are going to apologize to all the other Mounties who witnessed your outburst. Once you do those things, you will be released to your father who will be here tomorrow. You will go back to Hope Valley and you will stay out of trouble. If I find out otherwise, you will not like the results of what will happen. Am I clear?"

"You just can't stand that I don't love you. You did this on purpose."

"Fine have it your way."

Nathan got up and left, leaving Elizabeth yelling after him. Nathan went straight to his office and got Bill. They went home to meet Allie. The next morning when they arrived at headquarters, they were met with a much more subdued Elizabeth. She apologized to Bill, even though she wasn't happy about it. She agreed to speak to the Mounties and when her father arrived, she would be released to him.

Neither Nathan or Bill took joy in arresting her, but it was what was needed to get through to her. Nathan and Bill were never happier to put a case behind them then they were to for this one to be done. They knew that they would still have to deal with the courts, but their job was done for the most part. Bill knew that it was going to be tense going back to Hope Valley, but he hoped that Elizabeth had learned her lesson and as more came out about Bouchard's involvement she would see him for what he was.

It took months, but Elizabeth finally apologized to Bill for her behavior and meant it. As much as Elizabeth wanted to try and pursue Nathan, she was blocked at every turn. Nathan still loved her, but he also knew that she wasn't he woman he had fallen in love with anymore.