Hello, everyone! Thanks for the positive reviews and patience! Life is always hectic during the school year.

Chapter 26

New Titles

Elizabeth and Nathan both looked at each other in alarm and got out of their bed. Nathan was out first, in just his sleep clothes. Elizabeth grabbed a blanket to hold Jack with.

Nathan made it to Allie's door first.

He knocked urgently.

"Allie?" he said firmly.

"Dad…" Allie's terrified voice came through the door.

Nathan opened it and saw Allie curled around a towel. Her nightgown and sheets were stained with blood. Nathan tried to assess where it was coming from but couldn't really tell where the starting point was because she had moved around so much.

"Allie?" Nathan said softly as he approached her bedside. "What happened?"

Allie looked at him with a painful and fear stricken look.

"I...I...don't know. I was sleeping when I woke up because of pain. When I stood up, I...I...I...I started bleeding everywhere. Am I going to die? People aren't supposed to bleed this much," Allie said between choking sobs and fear in her voice.

Nathan just put his hand against her face.

"You're not going to die," Elizabeth said calmly.

Allie looked up to her in skepticism.

"She bleeding a lot," Jack added.

"Girls Allie's age and women all bleed like this. We've endured it for centuries and we will survive it again," Elizabeth said calmly as she looked between Allie and Jack. "It's nature's way of showing you that your body is developed enough to support and grow a child."

Allie looked at her horrified.

"Not right now!" Allie protested loudly.

"I agree with that comment," Nathan said.

Allie gave him a look.

"Which is why you and Robert aren't allowed to be alone together," Elizabeth said.

Allie looked confused, but before she could ask her question another round of pain hit her and she grimaced.

"What do we do to help with this part?" Nathan asked as he looked at Elizabeth.

"I will show her how to use what I use during this time. I think she needs some chocolate and a hot compress," Elizabeth said. "Take Jack, and I will help Allie change."

Nathan gave Allie a light kiss on her forehead before taking Jack from Elizabeth's arms and leading them downstairs to keep out of Elizabeth's and Allie's way.

Elizabeth and Allie peeled away the soiled sheets and clothes.

"Wash what you can. I will be right back," Elizabeth said as she quickly left the room to grab her items for this time of the month. She knocked before entering again. Allie was standing awkwardly on a rag towel.

"This is what I use. I will warn you it's uncomfortable but it holds your rags more steadily," Elizabeth said in a soft voice as she showed Allie how to put on her rag belts.

"Is yours always this painful?" Allie said as another spasm went through her.

"It's different for each woman. My sister Viola had bad cramps like you seem to be. Mine can be bad, but only if I have been sitting a lot the month prior. Do you know if your mother ever retired early because of pain?" Elizabeth asked gently as she wiped Allie's forehead.

"No, but I don't remember her much. Grandma would know," Allie said.

Elizabeth made sure that Allie's new things were near her and she was fully clothed before calling Nathan back inside. Nathan and Jack were both outside. Jack was holding a glass of water. Nathan had the hot compress, aspirin, and hot chocolate.

"You look like you've been through this before?" Elizabeth commented on the items he was carrying.

"Colleen. She never outright said what was wrong, but she would hole up in her room for a day and this seemed to help," Nathan said as he put down his items next to Allie's bed. Nathan and Elizabeth both set about making Allie's bed with clean sheets. She got tucked into it when it was ready.

Then Nathan and Elizabeth both sat on opposite sides of Allie and held her as she drank her hot chocolate. Jack was sitting on her bed where Nathan's legs were curled.

Elizabeth started singing a lullaby as she caressed Allie's hair.

Nathan started singing with her.

"I wuv you, Awwie," Jack said as he leaned across Allie's legs and put his head down.

Allie couldn't remember a time where she felt so safe, warm, and loved by someone other than her Dad. She knew that she had been holding back calling Elizabeth Mom because her birth mother wasn't a bad person and had been tragically killed. So, she had struggled with calling anyone else Mom.

But as she was being held and protected by all of her new family, she realized that she wanted to call her that, and she knew she would need to talk with her dad first, but he would be fine with it, she was certain of that.

As they watched both Allie and Jack start to fall back to sleep, Elizabeth and Nathan lowered their voices singing the lullaby.

"Don' stop," Allie protested giving one angry eye up to each parent.

Nathan and Elizabeth both smiled but kept singing until they felt for sure that she was asleep. Then they gently tried moving out from behind her.

"I love you, Dad...love Mom, too. Glad you're married," Allie said in a sleepy voice.

Elizabeth looked at Nathan in surprise.

"Is she talking about Colleen?" Elizabeth said.

Nathan shook his head.

"I think she means you. She always called Colleen Mama," Nathan said in a whisper.

Elizabeth couldn't stop her tears.

"I love you, sweet girl, and even if you don't mean me, you've been the daughter of my heart for so long," Elizabeth said in a whisper into Allie's ears just as Allie fell into a deeper sleep.

Nathan and Elizabeth left both Allie and Jack to sleep alone. They grabbed the things from Allie's mess and went about cleaning them.

"Anything I need to know about how to help her through this?" Nathan asked in a whisper as he brought out the wash basin.

"I think you already know more than most men do," Elizabeth said in a whisper.

Nathan just shrugged.

"Is there anything you refuse to know?" Elizabeth asked.

"I don't think me not knowing is going to help anyone. I am glad you're here to help through this, but what if you're away...or something...and you can't?" Nathan pointed out.

Elizabeth smiled at him. The father of a little girl for so long that he had to do it himself for a very long time.

"Alright, lesson one," Elizabeth then went into a long explanation of what Allie would be going through, how her body and emotions were going to act. She also showed him her menstrual cycle materials and what she did with them and how to make it more bearable.

"We're also going to need to start getting her a trainer corset," Elizabeth ended.

The look of horror on Nathan's face was one that Elizabeth would have imbedded in her memory until she died.

"Why? It seems like it's just uncomfortable," Nathan said quietly with a blush.

"Because society expects women to wear them," Elizabeth smirked.

"Well, society can kiss my…" Nathan said an angry whisper before Elizabeth stepped up and kissed him soundly.

"That wasn't what I was going for, but I much prefer your kisses," Nathan said once she pulled back.

"Society hasn't realized that you're an overprotective father," Elizabeth said with a teasing glint. "Coresets can be uncomfortable, but they are part of the rules. We are rule followers."

Nathan just gave her an exasperated look.

"Have you met Allie? She's the biggest rule pusher I've ever met, and that includes my sister," Nathan said.

Elizabeth smiled at him.

"But she ends up following them," Elizabeth said in a whisper.

Nathan nodded once.

"I will take Allie to Dottie's after she is better," Elizabeth said.

Nathan nodded again before they went upstairs into their room. Trying to rest once more. But neither slept well, each with an ear listening for any sound of movement from Allie's room.

It was a bleary-eyed law enforcement officer who stumbled out of his house later that day. Elizabeth was planning on staying with Allie and Jack to help Allie with her new womanly experience. Nathan couldn't take a day, though. So, he was trudging through the snow into Hope Valley to get started with his business and training these new cadets he was assigned. Constable Monroe and Constable Kinslow were watching the Mounties under arrest and supervising their building of the livery. It looked like they would have the livery rebuilt that day.

Nathan approached both men.

Gabe smiled.

Nathan nodded back.

"You look like crap," Gabe said in greeting.

"Thanks, it's nice to see you, too," Nathan said sarcastically.

Gabe smiled wider.

"Already problems in paradise?" Gabe asked, knowing that this was Nathan's 'didn't sleep at all look.'

Nathan gave him a glare before shaking his head.

"Allie..." Nathan whispered as low as he could and he stopped before he would embarrass her further.

Gabe just nodded in understanding.

"Ah. How are you handling it?" Gabe asked softly.

Nathan shrugged before taking a sip of his coffee.

"I'm glad Elizabeth can help her," Nathan admitted.

Gabe nodded once before he focused back to the people he was observing.

"The livery is almost rebuilt enough for people to use it again. It will need some more sturdy work in the spring, but it's almost functional. When we finish it, we are going to have a prisoner transfer of Hargraves, Boyce, and Croaker and some others in this milieu. Clear out the clutter a little bit," Gabe said as he gestured towards the people that had been in Hope Valley for a long time.

Nathan smiled.

"I will be very happy once they are gone," Nathan admitted with a smirk.

Gabe smiled at him.

"I know you have to start training your cadets, but I want to see Allie later. Let me know when you are going home?" Gabe said with an eyebrow raise.

Nathan just nodded his agreement before turning to find Robert in the Valley Voice office.

Robert was just returning from local deliveries.

"Hello, sir," Robert said politely.

"Robert. Allie got sick last night," Nathan started, before seeing Robert's look of worry.

"Is it serious? Perhaps Dr. Carter and Dr. Sheppard…?" Robert said quickly.

Nathan glared at him for interrupting.

Robert gave him an apologetic look.

"She'll be fine after some rest, but I seriously doubt she will be going to church tomorrow," Nathan said, coming to the point of this conversation.

"Ah," Robert said with understanding.

Nathan just gave him a head tip as he turned to leave.

"Please tell Allie that I hope she feels better soon," Robert said.

Nathan nodded.

"Sir?" Robert added at the last second.

Nathan turned back with a questioning eyebrow.

"Sir, will you still agree to teach me how to ride tomorrow?" Robert said.

Nathan was surprised by the request, but nodded in agreement.

Robert smiled in thanks.

Elizabeth, Allie, and Jack were all sleep deprived, but doing their best in trying to keep Allie comfortable and calm as she went through this new experience. Elizabeth knew that she would have to go to the Mercantile sometime that day, but she didn't really want to leave her and Jack alone, while she shopped.

"I can tell you want to go to the store. Is what you want to get going to be a better fit?" Allie asked from her bed just before Jack's naptime story.

Jack was sitting on Allie's bed, leaning into his big sister's side, eagerly waiting for her to start the story he had picked. Elizabeth just shook her head in exasperation at how much Allie observed.

"Yes, but I don't want to leave you," Elizabeth said softly.

Allie smiled at her.

"Jack and I will be fine for a few minutes," Allie said.

Elizabeth gave them both a long look.

"Awwie right, Mama. We fine. Go," Jack said as he waved her away and snuggled deeper into her side.

Allie was smiling with a lot of love for her new brother.

"Alright, but if something happens, you go straight to Mrs. Montgomery," Elizabeth said firmly.

Allie and Jack were both smiling widely. Allie because Elizabeth was trusting her with such a big responsibility of watching her son. Jack because he got to spend more time with Allie, which was the best thing in the world right now for him.

Elizabeth quickly got her things ready for a quick trip to the Mercantile and back. Allie was heard reading The Night Before Christmas to Jack.

"Alright, Jack, I think we need to have another discussion about what we call Aunt Elizabeth and Dad," Allie whispered when Elizabeth was far enough away.

Jack nodded eagerly.

Elizabeth was quick to getting the Mercantile, but once she was inside, several of her friends were all looking at her purchases and noticing the smaller sizes.

"Oh, honey, no one is that small-especially after childbirth," one of Molly's friends said.

Florence and Elizabeth both glared at her.

"Not that it's any of your business, they aren't mine," Elizabeth said firmly but very softly.

"Allie? How is Nathan handling it?" Florence asked into her ear.

Elizabeth smiled and nodded.

"Better than he is handling the idea of her needing a corset," Elizabeth whispered back.

Florence gave a light chuckle and checked Elizabeth out.

"The chocolate is on the house. We can't survive without chocolate," Florence winked.

Elizabeth smiled in gratitude, grabbed her purchases and walked back to their home.

When she went upstairs, Allie was holding a sleeping Jack.

Elizabeth smiled at the image.

"I've always wanted to be a sister. This is better than I imagined it," Allie said softly when she finally noticed Elizabeth.

Elizabeth smiled with warmth and love at her two children. Elizabeth and Allie enjoyed the rest of their afternoon in Allie's room.

After Nathan was done with his first lessons to the cadets he had been assigned (one greener than a green horn, and the other so jumpy that he thought the enemy was behind every noise), Nathan and Gabe walked together to the Mercantile on Gabe's insistence.

Gabe bought winter flowers, a large box of truffles, and Allie's favorite cracker.

But the two men didn't say a word about why Gabe was buying these things.

"God has a sense of humor because He has created women to all sync their courses at the same time if they are living in the same house. When they are, you do whatever they ask even if it seems crazy. Always have a stash of rolls and chocolates," Gabe said in a quick whisper to Nathan as they walked towards Nathan's old property.

Nathan just nodded in acknowledgment knowing that Gabe's sisters were very open with Gabe about girl things.

"This is a sink or swim moment," Gabe said.

Nathan nodded again.

As the men approached the farthest row house, the Coulters were just returning from their work days and standing on their porch.

"Rosemary, Lee. Glad to have caught you. Lillian and Grace wanted me to let you know they will be coming by with the paperwork to officially adopt Fred on Monday," Gabe said with happiness.

Rosemary and Lee both looked at him in astonishment.

"What? Isn't this what you want?" Gabe asked.

"Yes, of course it is. But we've had rotten luck with praying and hoping for a child that we thought something would happen to stop it," Rosemary said.

Gabe and Nathan smiled at both.

"Not this time. In fact, I dare say, they are quite eager to place Fred in your family," Gabe said. "I think it's because you live near Brookfield."

Rosemary and Lee both started beaming happily.

"We're going to be parents, Lee!" Rosemary said ecstatically.

"I know," Lee said breathless.

"We need to get his room ready," Rosemary said, already on mission mode. She turned and went back inside.

"Nathan, do you have a minute?" Lee asked.

Nathan looked surprised but nodded. Gabe went ahead to the next rowhouse.

"Nathan, may I ask why you waited so long to adopt Allie?" Lee asked in a low whisper.

"Because her father is alive. If I tried to start the adoption process, and put out a search for him that he responded to, and he decided to take her…" Nathan said trailing off. "I was too afraid that Dylan would take her away from me. I, wrongly, thought being her guardian would be enough. I never hid where we were, but I should have realized that if he wanted to find us, he could have easily done so. He never wanted to be a dad, though."

Lee looked at him.

"Fred is different. He most certainly has no other relatives," Nathan reassured Lee.

Lee let out a breath of relief.

"Good, because Rosie and I both wouldn't handle a parent showing up in town and trying to take him from us," Lee said under his breath.

Nathan smiled.

"You won't need to," Nathan added with a smile.

"Thanks, Nathan. I'm glad you stayed," Lee said as he shook Nathan's hand.

Nathan shook it back.

The two men both went to their separate homes.

Nathan walked into his house to find Allie downstairs with Jack.

"How are you feeling?" Nathan asked as he eyed his daughter.

"The pain comes and goes, as does the...other part, but it's not as bad," Allie admitted.

Nathan smiled as he gave her a kiss to her forehead. Elizabeth was in the kitchen finishing up dinner. Gabe was getting the table set.

The family all ate together.

"Jack and I have a surprise for you both," Allie said.

Jack nodded happily.

Elizabeth and Nathan both looked at each other in surprise, but nodded.

Jack went to where he had been studiously drawing all day, and hadn't let anyone watch him draw.

He brought his picture.

It was a family portrait.

"Who's in the picture, Jack?" Allie started.

"Nana Thornton, Nana Grace, Grandpa William, Auntie Julie, Grandma Ruth, Grandpa Archie, Me, Allie," Jack was pointing to his stick figures.

"And who are these?" Allie pointed to the last two.

Jack was smiling widely and was too excited to talk properly.

So, Allie took it over.

"Mama and," Allie added.

"Daddy!" Jack said.

Elizabeth and Nathan could recognize themselves in the drawing, and each person's title within their Grant family. Allie and Jack had talked about calling Elizabeth 'Mom' and Nathan 'Dad' and both agreed it was best.

Both looked at each other to see if it was okay.

"Of course it is," Nathan and Elizabeth both replied at the same time.

Elizabeth and Nathan were both certain they had never been happier.