One Shot of Elizabeth's grief to love based on the lyrics of the song Tell you Heart to Beat Again by Danny Gokey

"You're shattered like you've never been before. The life you knew in a thousand pieces on the floor"

Elizabeth dropped down to the ground next to Jack's grave. It had been 3 weeks since Elizabeth heard the news of Jack's death. Elizabeth refused to believe it. She thought it was just a bad dream that she would wake up from and Jack would be lying next to her. The truth came quickly when Jack's body was brought back to Hope Valley. Elizabeth looked at Jack's body. He was gone. He wasn't going to give her his special smile. He wasn't going to look at her the way he did with his eyes. He wasn't going to kiss her like his one and only.

There would be no Thornton clan. There would be no house on his land. They had plans. They had dreams. Tears fell from Elizabeth's eyes as she sat next to Jacks grave.

For the next few days she was in a fog. Everywhere she went reminded her of Jack. But the place that hurt her the most was the one place that always brought her joy; the school. She would think of the schoolhouse and remember the time that Jack told her to close her eyes and led her to the newly built schoolhouse. The schoolhouse represented his unconditional love for Elizabeth and she wasn't sure if she could go back inside. Elizabeth thought about going back to Hamilton to hide from her grief. Leave Hope Valley behind and go live her destined life in Hamilton.

Elizabeth rode Sargent out to Jack's land. As they were getting closer to his land, Elizabeth let Sargent run. As silly as it may seem, Sargent needed this sprint as much as she did. When they finally reached the land, Elizabeth slowed Sargent down. She got off from Sargent and went over to the log that held their initials. She took the letter that Jack wrote for her when he went to the Northern Territories. As she read it, she imagined Jack writing it. It must have been the hardest letter for him to write. But he was always selfless. He asked her to open her heart to love again. Elizabeth closed the letter and kissed it. Elizabeth looked at the land and realized that Jack would want her to go on with her life. He would want her to keep teaching. And that is exactly what she did.

"Tell your heart to beat again. Close your eyes and breathe it in."

"Elizabeth. You're going to have a baby." Abigail said smiling at Elizabeth. Elizabeth smiled and let out a little laugh. Jack left a part of himself with Elizabeth. He wasn't leaving her all alone.

For the next 9 months, Elizabeth was an emotional rollercoaster. There would be times that she was excited to meet this child. She wondered if the baby would have her eyes of Jack's eyes. Would the baby have her smile or his smile? There were other times where she would weep. She missed Jack. She wished that he was here to be in these moments with her. She wanted him to comfort her when she was scared to be an only parent. She wanted him to laugh when she asked him to go get her a jar of pickles for the fifth time in a week.

But Elizabeth realized that she wasn't alone. The women in Hope Valley rallied around Elizabeth and supported her through her pregnancy. They set up the nursery. And when the baby was ready to arrive, her two best friends were right by her side to help. When the baby finally arrived and that it was a boy, there was only one name that could suit him; Jack.

"Beginning. Just let that word wash over you. It's alright now. Love's healing hands have pulled you through. So get back up, take step one. Leave the darkness, feel the sun. 'Cause your story's far from over. And your journey's just begun."

With Little Jack in her life, Elizabeth was ready to move forward. She had a part of Jack with her. Hope Valley was beginning to change. A telephone was installed. A mysterious man bought the saloon. But Elizabeth's full attention was Little Jack. All Elizabeth wanted to do was stay home with him. Stay in a bubble with him and protect him from any disappointments or hurt. Elizabeth wanted to stay in that bubble to protect her from everything that reminded her of Jack. Elizabeth knew that the world didn't work that way. Hurt, loss and disappointment were all part of being human.

And when Elizabeth left that bubble, that's when she saw him. She saw a man in red. She saw the new Mountie that was assigned to Hope Valley. Elizabeth had to catch her breath. While this man looked like nothing like Jack, it was striking red serge that caught her off guard. For the last few months, no one with a red serge was in Hope Valley. It gave Elizabeth piece of mind. That serge caught her off guard. Elizabeth closed her eyes and saw Jack smiling wearing the red serge. Elizabeth smiled and opened her eyes. Her smile faded quickly when she saw Jack was not standing there. Elizabeth rushed home to Little Jack and wept with him.

There had been grumblings about the new Mountie. People wondered how they could let another Mountie come to Hope Valley after Jack. Other people spoke about how they couldn't trust this Mountie. All of this talk made Elizabeth feel sorry for the new Mountie. It wasn't his fault that he was assigned to Hope Valley. Elizabeth decided to go meet the new Mountie. Hopefully her approval would squash any more talk.

This was the first time since Jack had died that she was going to the Mountie's office. It had been too hard to go in there and not have Jack smiling back at her. Elizabeth took a deep breath and went into the office.

"Hello." Elizabeth said.

"Ma'am" The tall Mountie said.

"I'm Elizabeth Thornton." Elizabeth said. Elizabeth looked at this new Mountie. He was tall with blue eyes. But like Jack, he had a nice smile and was polite. They talked for a few minutes outside. People watched as they talked. She told the Constable that people weren't sure of her when she first moved here but they slowly accepted her. The Constable thanked her the advice. After talking to with the new Constable, Elizabeth went home and spent time with Little Jack smiling at a new friend she had made.

"Tell your heart to beat again. Close your eyes and breathe it in. Let the shadows fall away
Step into the light of grace. Yesterday's a closing door. You don't live there anymore
Say goodbye to where you've been. And tell your heart to beat again."

The new Constable was Nathan Grant. He was much more reserved than Jack. He was shy. He had a niece. She enjoyed his company. They could share the hardships of being single parents. They also lost important people in their life. But slowly feelings began to change for Elizabeth. There were times she was hoping that Nathan Grant would be making his rounds so that she could talk to him. Elizabeth noticed her feelings changing for Nathan at the Founder's Day dance. While she asked Lucas to dance because of the library and because she was the first one she saw, she looked at the door to the saloon and saw Nathan standing there. He gave her a sad smile. Elizabeth watched Nathan leave. Part of her hoped that he would come back and cut in. If she had seen him first, she would have danced with him.

Elizabeth brushed those feelings off as friendship. But when it was the Christmas season, she gravitated more toward Nathan. She helped Nathan and Allie find a Christmas tree. When Nathan told her that he might be taking a position in Union City, Elizabeth did not want him to leave. She denied that it had anything to do with her wanting him to stay and deflected to Allie's need to be settled down. Nathan did not take the position and this gave Elizabeth a sigh of relief.

"Let every heartbreak. And every scarbe a picture that reminds youwho has carried you this far. 'Cause love sees farther than you ever couldin this moment heaven's working. Everything for your good."

"I think its Nathan." Elizabeth heard someone yell. Someone had been shot during the prisoner transfer. Elizabeth went outside and heard Carson say that he was gone. Elizabeth's heart beat faster. Images raced through her mind. Nathan asking what's in her heart. The cute banter between them. The sleepover with frosting on his nose. The cabin during the windstorm. You matter to me. There were so many things left unsaid between them. That feeling she had when she lost Jack crept in. Suddenly, Elizabeth felt someone come toward her. She turned around and saw it was Nathan. He was alive. He was safe. Elizabeth ran toward him and hugged him. Her ear pressed to his heart to hear it beating. And she stood there with him consoling him while he held her. She was safe.

After the hug, Elizabeth realized that she cared a great deal for Nathan. Elizabeth knew that she was starting to fall for Nathan and this scared her. Instead of running toward Nathan, she ran away from her. She cancelled their date. When he declared his love for her she ran. She ran to Lucas who was safe. Her heart wouldn't feel a loss that she felt with Jack or could feel with Nathan.

A scab was ripped off. One that had not fully healed. Nathan was supposed to lead the mission that Jack led. This led Elizabeth to feel hurt. Although the wound of her heart had scabbed over when Jack died, the scab was still there. But Elizabeth knew that Nathan's wound was much larger than hers. He had been carrying this burden even before she met him. Everything made sense. The resistance to ask her out to dinner. Wanting to say something and holding his tongue. Elizabeth knew that Jack's death was an accident, but Nathan blamed himself like Jack did with Doug. Elizabeth did not forgive Nathan because he did do anything wrong. Instead, she told him that she did not blame Nathan for Jack's death because Jack wouldn't either.

"Tell your heart to beat again. Close your eyes and breathe it in. Let the shadows fall away
Step into the light of grace. Yesterday's a closing door. You don't live there anymore
Say goodbye to where you've been. And tell your heart to beat again."

The rain poured outside. Elizabeth sat her desk looking at her rings and a photo of her and Jack. She looked over the manuscript of her book. Rosemary's words of a season, reason, and a lifetime played over in her head. As Elizabeth looked at the manuscript, she was able to achieve her dreams of becoming an author with help from Lucas. He was the reason he came into her life. And while he was a great reason, he wasn't her lifetime. Elizabeth thought about the words season and lifetime, Jack fit both of those words. Jack and Elizabeth were together for a short while, like a season. But he will always be in her heart for the rest of her lifetime.

She thought about Nathan. He has always been there for her. He did not leave 3 months after the hug. He waited for a date with her. He waited until she figured out her feelings. He was patient. Like Jack, he wears a red serge. But that was the only thing they had in common. She thought about what she said to Clara. If she knew the outcome with Jack, she would do it all over again. Elizabeth realized that if she only got to love Nathan only for a minute, it would be the best minute of her life.

Elizabeth removed her rings. She went over the door and grabbed her coat. She ran across the street and asked Rosemary to look after Jack. She obliged but wanted details later. She ran down the row house until she got to Nathan's. She knocked on the door. Nathan opened it.

"Elizabeth?" Nathan asked.

"Remember what you asked me at the pond one day? Can you ask me again?" Elizabeth asked.

"What's in your heart?" Nathan asked.

"You. It has always been you Nathan." Elizabeth said.

Nathan smiled and went outside in the rain. Nathan bent down to Elizabeth and kissed her. They both looked at the rain and started laughing. They began to kiss again.