Following the service, Abigail and the Coulters had remained at the cemetery with Elizabeth who wanted a few moments alone. Knowing Elizabeth was in good hands, Bill had gone to the café. Though Elizabeth just wanted to go home, which was understandable, many others would still be gathering at the café to continue remembering Jack in their own way. Bill planned on serving some simple food, coffee and tea for those who gathered.

For the next couple of hours, there were tears and laughter as memories of Jack Thornton were shared among his friends and the people he had served for four years. Even while helping Clara prep and serve the refreshments, Bill had been able to do his own reminiscing with his friends and neighbors. None of the Mounties had joined this gathering, though Bill had noticed that Tom Trevoy was also absent. He had a feeling those Mounties who had not left town immediately following the funeral service, were remembering their fallen brother-in-arms in their own way at the White Horse.

Abigail and Bill had decided not to put a time limit on the after service gathering. They had chosen to simply let those who came leave at their own accord. When the crowd had started to thin out, Bill had asked Clara and Molly, who was also helping serve, if they thought they could handle things without him for a bit. The two women assured him they could and Bill slipped from the café.

Heading over the White Stallion, Bill did find a sea of red occupying the tables in the saloon. Spotting Patrick O'Reilly at the bar, Bill made his way to his old friend.

"How are you doing, Patrick?" Bill asked, sitting down in the stool next to the Inspector.

"I just want this whole mess in the Northern Territories to be over," Patrick replied, looking from the mug of coffee in front of him to Bill. "We are losing too many good men up there. Men that I have either asked or ordered to go up there."

"There are people above you giving those orders too," Bill told him, knowing that the words would offer little solace. He had lost a man serving under him once before in his years as Inspector. It had happened not long after he had gotten the promotion. They had been investigating a fire that had taken out one whole side of the street of a little town. Arson was suspected by the town's sheriff, who had requested help. The young Mountie had been assigned to assist him in that investigation which had led to a counterfeiting operation ran by the town's saloon owner. When the saloon owner had realized they were on to him, he had tried to shoot them both while collecting evidence. Only the young Mountie had been hit by the bullets fired. Bill might not have pulled the trigger but he still felt responsible for that young man's death. It had what had led him to insisting that he work the investigations alone.

"It doesn't make it any easier," Patrick said. "Especially when you factor in that Jack turned down the assignment once. I should have realized it was guilt for Doug's death that made him change his mind. I should have turned down his request to go North in those circumstances but the truth is, Bill, we needed good leaders up there. We would be losing a whole lot more men without men like Jack Thornton leading the squads. There have been some injuries in his ranks, but Jack was the only squad leader that did not have a death in its ranks until his own death."

"That sounds like a good legacy for a Mountie to leave," Bill commented.

"Somehow I do not think that will be of solace to his widow," Patrick countered.

Bill thought of Elizabeth who had clung to him during the service. No, right now, she would care very little about the legacy that Jack had left with the Mounties.

"Jack wasn't the only one who was issued a medal up there for that day, you know," Patrick continued. "Constable Grant earned a medal with his actions as well. He risked his own life attempting to get Jack to safety. Even after suffering that bullet wound to his shoulder, Grant took charge of that squad of young Mounties. They even ended up rounding up the group of gunrunners who fired upon them that day, before coming back. Though his main focus had been getting the injured members of the squad back to receive medical treatment, when they had come across the group of gunrunners, Grant engaged instead of avoiding them. One of the gunrunners was shot and killed in the engagement but the squad brought the others in as prisoners. Grant asked that there be no ceremony for the medal, not wanting to take away from Jack's funeral. The same with his promotion, which will go through next week."

"Grant's getting a promotion?"

Patrick nodded. "He'll be promoted to Corporal. As he requested Hope Valley, saying he had promised Jack he would come look after his town, Nathan will remain here for the foreseeable future."

"Is there a reason you mentioned this to me?" Bill asked.

"There is," Patrick confirmed. "It doesn't sit well with me, Bill, that the man should go unrecognized for his actions. I also do not want to be disrespectful to the memory of Jack Thornton either. You are a respected member of this community and close to Jack's widow. Perhaps once some time has passed, perhaps the town can recognize the medal and promotion."

"Then he hasn't been given the medal yet?"

"No. Constable Grant has been told he is receiving it but I was to give it to him while I was here. If you do not think it will be insensitive to Elizabeth, I was hoping to give it to you to present to him at a later date. Even if it is just done in front of the town council. People in this town need to know what kind of man they have serving them."

Bill sighed. Patrick was right. Any Mountie serving Hope Valley in the wake of Jack Thornton would have big shoes to fill. Knowing that Jack had asked Nathan to come here would go a long way to helping them accept that. Hearing about Constable Grant's actions in Jack's final hours and the wake of his death, would probably help even more. Though Bill knew they had to be sensitive to Elizabeth's feelings, Bill's preference would be to make a public presentation and promotion announcement in the near future.

"If you give me the medal, I will see what can be done, Patrick," Bill told him. "Though some of it needs to wait until emotions are a little less raw, I do plan on letting townsfolk know that Nathan is here because Jack asked him to take this posting. It will help smooth the way for him."

"Good," Patrick replied, looking a little less weary at Bill's promise.

"Can you tell me what you know about that day?" Bill asked, having his doubts about Nathan opening up to any of them any time soon. However, Bill had seen Nathan's reaction today at the funeral. They all may be grieving Jack's death but Nathan had seen their friend fall. If he knew what had happened, then Bill knew he could be more of a support system for the man in the days ahead.

Upon returning home from the service, Elizabeth had retreated upstairs. Silently, Abigail had followed. She had watched as Elizabeth went to the closet, removed Jack's robe, slipped it on and retreated to the bed. Though she had asked Elizabeth if she wanted to talk, Abigail had not forced the issue when the younger woman had shaken her head no. Instead, Abigail had simply sat on the bed beside her, stroking Elizabeth's hair as a mother comforting a daughter would.

It wasn't until Elizabeth had fallen asleep that Abigail had moved from her spot. Going downstairs, she was not surprised to find Rosemary and Lee sitting together on the settee.

"She's asleep right now," Abigail told them. "I plan on staying with her tonight, but could you two stay here while I go check on Constable Grant. I would rather Elizabeth not be here alone if she wakes up."

"Of course," Rosemary replied. "We'll keep an eye on her."

"How are you doing, Abigail?" Lee asked.

Abigail gave a sad smile. "I am holding up all right. I have done my grieving for Jack when not around Elizabeth. I remember how I felt when Noah and Peter were killed. She needs my support right now, not my tears."

"If you need someone to talk to or even just a shoulder to cry on, Abigail, you know Rosie and I are here for you, right?"

"I do, Lee," Abigail told him. "Thank you, both. It may help you to know that I have had Frank's support through all of this."

Rosemary and Lee nodded knowingly. They had been aware of the developing relationship between Abigail and their pastor, despite Frank's checkered past having come to light.

"Good," Rosemary said. "We all need someone to lean on in times like these."

Abigail nodded. "I shouldn't be gone long," she told them putting on her coat and picking up the second of the two baskets that she had brought with her to Elizabeth's that morning. The other had been for Elizabeth and in both had been a loaf of regular bread, a loaf of cornbread, a loaf of banana bread, an assortment of nuts, a few jars of preserves, and some scones. To the basket for the Constable and his niece she had added some canned vegetables and fruit, and a jar of dried oats for oatmeal. Jed Campbell had said he had delivered fresh milk and eggs to them last night and Ellen Weisse had told her she planned on providing them with a casserole for tonight.

Stepping from Elizabeth's row house, Abigail made her way carefully down the snow-covered path. The snow of earlier had stopped though grey clouds still hung in the sky, darkening with the setting sun.

Reaching the row house that had been provided for Constable Grant and his niece, Abigail knocked on the door. It wasn't long before the door was opened by the dark-haired Mountie that had escorted Allie to Hope Valley.

"Hello, I am Mayor Stanton," she told him. "You may call me Abigail. I was just stopping by to see how Constable Grant was doing after the service and to bring by a basket of food," she said, holding up the basket she carried.

"Come on in out of the cold, Abigail," the man told her stepping aside. "I am Constable Gabriel Kinslow. I am a long time friend's of Nathan."

Abigail stepped inside. Though the house was still furnished from the previous occupants there was little to make the place feel homey. Abigail spotted two photographs already on the mantle and a can of colored pencils and a sketch pad on a blanket by the fireplace. She made a mental note to see if rugs, curtains and afghans appeared or if she could supply something to soften the feel of the home.

"It is good to meet you, Constable."

"Gabriel is fine," he told her. "Let me take that," he said reaching for the basket. "Ellen Weisse from next door just dropped off a casserole for supper. I am happy to know that Nathan and Allie will have helpful and generous neighbors."

Footsteps on the steps kept Abigail from replying. Glancing in their direction, she saw a tired looking Nathan, appear. His hair had an unkempt appearance, his eyes were red and puffy, and he still wore his uniform from earlier minus hat, gloves and jacket.

"Mayor Stanton, is everything all right?" Nathan asked seeing the woman standing just inside his door.

Abigail had to admire the man. Despite having just laid a comrade to rest in a service that had clearly taken an emotional toll on him, Constable Grant seemed ready to be of assistance if his services were required.

"Everything is as good as can be expected on a day like today. I did not mean to alarm you, Constable."

"Abigail brought you a basket of food," Gabriel said from the kitchen area where he was putting away the food. "We now have supper and breakfast so Allie and I will go grocery shopping tomorrow."

"Gabe-"

"Don't argue with me, Nathan," Gabriel replied. "I am here to help you and Allie settle in. Grocery shopping is part of settling in, wouldn't you agree, Abigail."

"It is," she agreed. "Besides, it has already been a long day for all of us. Sticking close to home is probably the best thing we can all do."

"Except that you are not at home," Nathan commented softly. Abigail heard only a tone of inquiry in the words, not condemnation.

"I am doing my duty as mayor and making sure our new Constable is all right and settling in."

Nathan let a ghost of a smile soften his tired expression. "I appreciate it. Giving the circumstances, I am doing fine. The gifts of food have been appreciated, thank you. I wish you could meet my niece, but I just finally got her to take a nap. She did not sleep well last night. Before she passed, my sister had said Allie's nightmares about losing her Dad had gotten less frequent but I think recent events may have let them resurface."

"Allie has been having nightmares about everyone in her life dying for the last couple of weeks," Gabriel supplied. "I was hoping being here with Nathan might ease those fears but if last night was any indication that hasn't been the case."

"The poor dear," Abigail said. "You don't need to answer, but may I inquire how her parents died?"

Abigail could see the war of emotions in Nathan's eyes. It was clear to her that he was a private and proud man. She doubted he opened up to people easily. She also knew that whether he realized it yet or not, he was going to need help raising his niece. Even without the addition of the emotional turmoil the two had been through, raising a child alone was no easy feat.

"You are going to need help watching her while you work, Constable. I can help you find that help, but I can do that best if I know her background," Abigail told him kindly.

"You can call me, Nathan," he told her, as he nodded in consent. "Let me take your coat and we can sit," he told the woman. Abigail removed her gloves, stuffed them in the pockets of her coat and removed the garment. Handing it to Nathan, she moved toward the settee. Gabriel had finished his task and sat down in a nearby rocking chair. After hanging up her coat, Nathan took the seat beside her.

Nathan began his story as he had with Bill the day before, starting with how he and Allie's father, Dylan, who was also a Mountie, had headed up to the conflict in the Northern Territories when the trouble first began. "We were serving in the same squad then. Dylan and another squad member were out on a scouting mission when Dylan was shot and killed. He was one of the first casualties of the conflict up North," Nathan told her. "I was the one to break the news to my family, going home for bereavement leave. My sister and Ally took Dylan's death hard. Colleen moved in with my mother. That was when I had found out that Colleen had been diagnosed with a blood disorder and given at the most, a year to live."

Abigail gasped. A diagnosis like that would never be easy to hear, but in the wake of the brother-in-law's death, it would have been harder.

"I offered to break my contract to stay with them but neither Colleen nor my mother would hear of it. Colleen told me that her life might be ending too soon but that she did not want me to destroy my life and career just to watch her die. When my bereavement leave was up, I returned to the conflict up North. My one consolation was that Gabriel was still serving in the town they lived as the Constable. I knew he would check on them daily and give them any help he could."

Abigail reached out a hand and rested it on Nathan's uninjured shoulder, waiting patiently for him to continue.

"Though she had not told Allie about her illness, Allie eventually became aware of how ill her mother was. She eventually refused to go to school wanting to be with her mother. My mother gave in, knowing that those last days would be precious for Allie. My mother wore herself ragged caring for them both even with Gabriel's help and the help from neighbors."

"When Jack came North, he took over the squad I was with. Our commanding officer had suffered a broken leg when his horse was shot and had to be shipped out. Up until that point, no one in the Mounties except Gabriel knew about my family situation at home. Jack and I got to know one another quickly under the circumstances and I soon confided in him. When my mom's letter came at the beginning of December saying that Colleen would not be with us for much longer, Jack made sure that I was able to go home for emergency family leave. Because of Jack, I was able to hold my sister's hand as she took . . ."

Nathan's voice broke.

"It is okay. You do not need to say it out loud," Abigail told him softly.

"My original plan was to stay through Christmas as my family leave was indefinite. However, when I got wind of the effort by Sheriff Avery to get Jack home for Christmas with his fiancé, I headed back North to return the courtesy he had given me. It was time for him to be with the person he loved."

"So that was why Jack was able to come home all of the sudden," Abigail said. "You gave Elizabeth a very special Christmas present through that act. Having that Christmas with Jack raised her spirits. It is even more special given how things turned out."

Nathan looked at Abigail. "Don't tell her, please? I do not want her to think she owes me anything. I did it because it was the right thing to do."

Abigail nodded. "We can let her keep thinking she has only Bill to thank if you want," she promised him.

"Thank you," Nathan replied.

"So, how did you end up with Allie?"

"My mother's health was failing after the months of caring for both Colleen and Allie. Though Allie had gone back to school, she was struggling due to her emotional issues. My niece use to be a bubbly, caring, talkative child. Now she barely speaks. I haven't seen a smile from her since before my sister passed."

"The teacher in Allie's previous school suggested that she be pulled from school until she was passed her emotional issues. She told Amelia, Nathan's mother, that she did not have time to deal with a child who had withdrawn from life," Gabriel supplied.

"Giving what she has been through, it is understandable for her to be withdrawn and be struggling. A good teacher should be working with her, not brushing her off like that. When Elizabeth is ready to resume teaching, Allie will be in good hands."

Nathan nodded. "I am considering keeping Allie out of school here until Mrs. Thornton decides whether she is going back or not. I am sure whoever takes over classes for her will do fine, but given Allie's current struggles both in and out of school, I am not sure I want to put her through more changes than necessary. She already accused me of taking her away from Grandma last night because of my job."

"She is just scared and frightened. Just be patient with her and love her. Things will work out."

Nathan nodded. "That is what my mother said. However, if she isn't in school, I do not know what I am going to do with her during the day while I am at work after Gabriel leaves. Not to mention what I will do if I work late or am away overnight."

"Well, I am always willing to look after her for you. I raised one son of my own, though I lost him and my husband in the mining accident almost five years ago, so I understand loss. Most folks in Hope Valley do. I also have a little boy that I recently adopted with his sister who went away to school last year. I can ask around and find you some choices for a back up if you would like as well."

"I couldn't ask-"

"You are not asking," Abigail said, not letting Nathan continue. "I am offering and folks will tell you I don't take the answer no very well."

Nathan smiled the first real smile he had in awhile. "Thank you, Abigail."

"You're welcome," Abigail told him. "As long as you are here in Hope Valley, you are going to find plenty of people willing to help you, Nathan. You do not even have to learn to ask for help, just to graciously receive."

"That is what Jack said about this town," Nathan commented.

"Now, seeing as you are in good hands with Constable Kinslow, I am going to stop making you relive painful memories and enjoy the supper Ellen brought you and hopefully rest. We can talk about particulars another day," she told him getting to her feet.

"Thank you for everything, Abigail," Nathan said as he walked her to the door. Retrieving her coat from the hook, he held it out to her.

"You are most welcome," Abigail assured him. She said good-bye to Gabriel and stepped outside, making her way back to Elizabeth's home as she knew Cody would be safe with Clara for the night.

Hope Valley had been dealt another devastating blow but just like all the hard times in the past, Abigail knew they would persevere.