A/N There's not really steam in this chapter, but there's some *implied* steam, so proceed accordingly :)

...

Jack shifted nervously from one foot to the other.

"Daddy?" Harrison looked up at him. "You gotta go potty? You're doing the potty dance."

Jack chuckled, stopping his movement. "No."

"Hey." Elizabeth put a hand on his arm. "Are you nervous? Because you have no reason to be. My parents really like you."

"Is your dad going to be upset that I didn't talk to him before I proposed?"

A smile played on her lips. "No. He just wants me to be happy, and you make me very happy." She tucked her arm into his. "You and Harrison both."

The door opened, and Grace smiled upon seeing her guests. "Well, hello, you three. Come on in."

"Jack's mother is on her way, if you were wondering," Elizabeth explained as they followed her mother into the house.

"She insisted on driving separate because she has to be somewhere early in the morning."

"We're just happy we could have you all over." She crouched down in front of Harrison. "How are you today, young man?"

"Good. What's for dinner?"

"Baked chicken and potatoes. And we have some macaroni and cheese, because Elizabeth said that's one of your favorite foods."

His eyes lit up, and he threw his arms around Grace. "Thank you!"

"Oh, you're welcome, sweetheart." She stood and took his hand. "Why don't you come in here and you can tell me and William all about how big Simba has gotten while we wait for your nana to get here."

...

Harrison sat on Charlotte's lap while he ate his chocolate ice cream—with extra sprinkles.

"How's that ice cream, bud?" Jack asked with a chuckle, watching chocolate drip from his son's face.

"So good! I love it here!"

William laughed. "You can thank Elizabeth for that. She's the one who told us what you like. All the way down to the extra sprinkles on your chocolate ice cream."

He turned toward Elizabeth with a chocolate-covered grin. "Thank you, mommy."

Charlotte and Grace just glanced at Elizabeth, eyebrows raised.

"You're welcome, sweetheart."

"Harrison," Jack pushed back from the table, "why don't we go get you cleaned up?"

"Two more bites!" Harrison shoveled the last of the ice cream into his mouth, then followed his dad to the bathroom.

"He calls you 'mommy'?" Grace asked.

Elizabeth nodded, a smile stretching across her face. "The day Jack proposed, Harrison asked me if he could call me that."

Charlotte clasped her hands on the table in front of her. "How did Jack react to that?"

She shrugged. "I think it makes him sad, but he understands that Harrison wants someone here that he can call mom. Besides, we don't want him to feel any differently if we have more kids." She looked off, a dreamy look coming across her face. "And I love that he sees me as his mom, because I see him as my son, even though I didn't give birth to him."

"Well," Charlotte reached over and took her hand, "I'm very glad that the three of you have become a little family."

"So am I," Jack said as he walked into the room, a cleaned-up Harrison in his arms. He stood behind Elizabeth, putting a hand on her shoulder. "And I'm glad we only have a few more weeks before we're officially a family."

"So everything is in place for the wedding?"

Jack nodded, passing Harrison to Elizabeth and taking a seat beside her. "Everything has worked out really well."

"Shockingly well, actually," Elizabeth added. "At this point, all we need to do is pick up my dress and the flowers and then just show up at the church."

"We're certainly looking forward to it."

"I'm the ring bear!" Harrison announced excitedly.

Elizabeth laughed, ruffling his hair. "That's right. You have a very important role in the wedding."

...

"ROAR!" Harrison jumped out from behind the sofa, holding out his hands like claws. "Mommy, I'm Simba!"

"I see that." Elizabeth chuckled. "Are you ready to go trick-or-treating?"

He nodded emphatically. "But daddy said I gotta share my candy."

"With him?"

"Yeah."

"Well," she lowered her voice, "you can always share the yucky candy with him."

Harrison giggled. "Okay."

"What are you two conspiring about in here?" Jack narrowed his eyes as he looked between the two of them.

"Nothing." Elizabeth crossed the room to kiss him. "Nice costume, Doc."

He straightened his fake ears on his head. "I still can't decide if I'm offended that Harrison insisted I be a warthog while you get to be his favorite animal."

"If it makes you feel better, I think you look adorable."

He rolled his eyes playfully. "Whatever." He pulled her in for another kiss.

"YUCK!" Harrison covered his eyes. "Have you SEEN Lion King? Timon and Pumbaa don't kiss."

Jack laughed. "Sorry, bud. Go grab your candy bucket, and we'll get going."

The three of them walked down the sidewalk, Harrison running a few steps ahead of his parents.

Elizabeth slipped her hand into Jack's. "Can you believe that this time next week, we'll be married?"

"I can't wait." He gently squeezed her fingers, his thumb rubbing the back of her hand. "Then we can start working on giving Harrison the brother he wants so badly."

Her cheeks warmed as he winked at her. "Just think, next Halloween, we could have a four-person family costume."

"I hope so."

...

"I got SO MUCH candy!" Harrison exclaimed from his spot atop Jack's shoulders.

"I know. Your daddy and I might have to trade, because I think this bucket of candy might weigh more than you." Elizabeth pretended to struggle under the weight of the bucket, almost letting it drag on the ground.

"You're silly, mommy." Harrison giggled.

"Did you like having mommy here to trick-or-treat with you this year?"

He nodded. "I like having a mommy. Mommy, when will you live at our house?"

"Just a few more days, bud. The wedding is Saturday, and then you're staying with your nana for a week while daddy and I go on a little vacation."

"Then you live with us?"

She nodded. "Yep. Once daddy and I get home, I'm moving in with you two."

"Why can't I go on vacation?"

"This is a special vacation," Jack explained. "It's called a honeymoon, and it's a vacation that two people go on when they first get married. We can all go on vacation together another time, okay? Maybe for Christmas or Spring Break."

"Okay." He was quiet for the rest of the walk home, thinking about everything that was going to change.

"Harrison, you can pick two pieces of candy, but then it's time for bath and bedtime."

"Mommy, you gonna tuck me in?"

"Sure, bud." She lightly pinched his cheek. "I'll stay until bedtime."

"Good." He smiled, reaching into his bucket to choose his pieces of candy. "Mommy, when do I get a brother?"

She pulled him into her lap, helping him open his piece of candy. "I don't know, Harrison. We aren't sure how long it'll take before I have a baby in my belly, and then it takes nine months for the baby to grow big enough to come out."

"That's SO LONG."

Jack chuckled. "I know, bud. Nine months feels like forever. I remember when you were in your mom's belly, it was so hard to wait for you to be born. But the wait was worth it, because then you were here, and it's been so fun being your daddy."

"I'm glad you're my daddy."

"I'm glad you're my son." He leaned over and kissed the little boy's cheek.

Harrison turned in Elizabeth's lap, putting his arms around her. "I'm glad you're my mommy now."

She kissed the top of his head, blinking back tears. "And I'm so glad I get to be your mommy."

...

"Okay, Harrison." Jack pulled the blanket up to his shoulders. "You sleep tight, okay? We gotta be rested up for the wedding in three days."

"Daddy?" Harrison sighed. "My tummy hurts."

"Your tummy hurts?" He took a seat on the edge of the bed, running his fingers through Harrison's hair. "Do you feel like you're going to be sick?"

He nodded.

"Hold tight. I'll get you a bucket and some crackers."

A few minutes later, Jack was back at his son's side, coaxing him to drink some water.

"Daddy." Harrison gave him the cup. "I'm sleepy."

"Okay. We'll drink some more water later. How's your tummy feeling now?"

He shrugged.

"You just get some sleep, bud. I'll be right here."

Harrison closed his eyes, and Jack reached for his phone.

"Hello, fiancé." The smiled was evident in Elizabeth's voice. "What are you up to?"

"Harrison is sick."

"Oh no! Is he okay?"

"Yes. I'm pretty sure it's just a little stomach bug, but if he's not feeling better in the next day or two…" he trailed off, but Elizabeth understood what he was saying.

"We'll have to postpone the wedding."

He leaned back against the wall, running his fingers through his hair. "I'm so sorry."

"Don't be. It isn't anybody's fault that he's sick, and we can't get married without him there."

"Thank you for being so understanding."

"Is he awake?"

He looked over at the bed. Harrison was lying on his side, his eyes still open. "Yes. Do you want to talk to him?"

"Please."

"Harrison, mommy's on the phone." He held the phone out, turning it on speaker.

Harrison took it from him. "Mommy?"

"Hey, Harrison. Your daddy told me you're sick."

"I throwed up."

"I'm sorry, buddy. That's no fun."

"Mommy, you come here?"

Jack put his hand out. "Harrison, I don't think—"

"No, I'll be there, Harrison. Just give me a few minutes."

...

Elizabeth let herself into the house, quickly making her way to Harrison's bedroom. Jack was sitting on the floor beside the bed, his hand on Harrison's back as he slept.

"Hey," he whispered, exhaustion evident on his face. "You know you didn't have to come."

She took a seat beside him. "We may not be married yet, but we're a family. Our baby is sick, so of course I need to be here for him."

Jack leaned his head against hers. "Thank you for loving him like he's yours."

"As far as I'm concerned, he is mine." She turned to look at him. "I'm not trying to replace Olive, and I'll do whatever I can to make sure he remembers her, but he's my son now, too."

"Mommy?" Harrison mumbled, rolling over on the bed.

"I'm right here, buddy." She moved to his side, pushing the hair back from his forehead. "How are you feeling?"

"My tummy hurts."

"I know. I'm sorry, Harrison." She kissed his forehead. "Do you need me to get you anything?"

He shook his head. "No."

"Okay. You just rest now."

"Mommy? What about you and daddy?"

"You mean the wedding?"

He nodded, his eyelids starting to slip shut. "The wedding."

"You don't worry about that. You just get to feeling better." She touched his cheek. "Just go to sleep. Daddy and I are right here."

It only took a few minutes before he was fast asleep once more. Elizabeth returned to her spot by Jack's side.

"You're such a good mom," he whispered.

"It's not hard with a kid like him."

He kissed her softly. "Why don't we go to sleep? You can have my room."

"You can join me." She put her arm around him. "That way you can hear Harrison if he needs you."

...

The next morning, Jack peered into Harrison's room and smiled.

Elizabeth was lying on Harrison's bed, squeezed up against the wall. Harrison was tucked up in her arms, mouth wide open as he snored quietly.

He met her eyes. "I made breakfast if you're hungry," he whispered.

"What time is it?"

"Six. I know you need to get to work."

"Thank you. I'll be out in a minute."

"How's he doing?" Jack asked when Elizabeth wandered into the kitchen a few minutes later.

"He's still a little warm. I got him to drink a little water the last time he woke up, though."

"Poor kid." Jack sighed, passing her a cup of coffee and a plate of eggs, toast, and fruit. "I'm going to see if my mom or Tom can watch him while you and I are at work today."

"Jack, should we make any decisions about the wedding yet?"

"I think we can hold off on that for now. We'll see how he's feeling this evening." He reached over and took her hand. "There's a good chance this is just a twenty-four-hour bug."

"But if it's not…"

"We'll cross that bridge when we get there." He gave her a little smile. "Everything is going to work out exactly how it's supposed to."

"I love you, Jack."

"I love you. Now," he squeezed her hand, "you need to finish your breakfast and get to work."

...

Jack greeted Elizabeth at the door. "Hi, sweetheart."

"Hi. How's Harrison?"

"He's doing a lot better. It's looking like we won't have to postpone the wedding after all."

"Really?" Her eyes lit up. "That's wonderful."

"His temperature has gone down, and he's been able to keep some food down. As long as his appetite continues to come back, I think he'll be perfectly fine by Saturday."

"Well, I have something that might make him feel even better."

"What is it?"

"I may have stopped by the store on my way home from work." She held up a shopping bag. "We had so much fun playing with Legos a few weeks ago, and I remembered seeing this set. It's not meerkats, but it has some fun animals in there."

Jack pulled the box out of the bag and grinned. "He'll love that. He's in my room watching a movie, if you want to give it to him now."

"Okay." She gave him a quick kiss before taking the box of Legos to his bedroom. "Knock knock." She stuck her head into the room, seeing Harrison propped up among the pillows. Simba was curled up on the floor beside him, his tail wagging when he caught sight of Elizabeth.

"Hi, mommy!" Harrison sat up.

"Hi, sweetheart." She held the box behind her back as she entered the room. "Your daddy said you're feeling a little better."

He nodded. "Uncle Tom gave me Sprite and my tummy doesn't hurt now."

"Well, I'm glad to hear it." She took a seat on the bed. "I got you a little present to help you feel better."

"Really?"

"Mhmm." She pulled the box from behind her back. "I thought maybe you could have Nana help you put this together while your daddy and I are on our honeymoon next week."

"Thank you, mommy." He put his arms around her neck, hugging her tight.

She wrapped her arms around him. "You're welcome, buddy."

"You having a sleepover tonight?"

"I don't think so, Harrison." She loosened her hold on him. "I need to go back to my house so I can pack some more things. I need to be ready to move here in a few days. But," she kissed the top of his head, "I'll stay until you go to sleep tonight."

...

Julie zipped up Elizabeth's dress, putting her hands on her sister's arms when she was finished. "You look so beautiful, Elizabeth."

"I've dreamed of this day since I was fourteen years old." She gazed at herself in the mirror, a smile playing on her lips. "I never thought it would actually come. I'm actually going to marry Jack Thornton."

Julie pulled her into a hug, taking care not to mess up her hair or makeup. "I'm so happy for you, Elizabeth."

"Thank you, Jules. I love you."

"I love you, Beth." She tightened her arms around her briefly before taking a step back. "I'm going to make sure Willa is ready. I'll see you in a few minutes."

Once alone, Elizabeth returned her attention to her reflection. She took a deep breath, smoothing down the front of her dress.

"Elizabeth?" Viola peered around the door. "Are you almost ready?"

"Yes." She adjusted her hairpiece on the back of her head. "Oh! My veil!"

"I'll help you." She grabbed the veil from where it was hanging, carefully pinning it in Elizabeth's hair. "There. You look perfect. Jack isn't going to know what hit him."

"Is he here? Is he ready?"

Viola nodded. "He's already in the sanctuary. We're just waiting for you. Whenever you're ready."

Elizabeth turned to face her sister. "I think I've been ready for this for a very long time."

"Then let's get you married."

Elizabeth stood outside the double doors leading into the sanctuary, watching as everyone took their turn stepping into the room and down the aisle. First Tom, then Viola and Julie, Willa tucked up in Julie's arms as an honorary flower girl.

Finally Harrison and Aaron took their turn, with Harrison remaining up front as one of Jack's best men.

William held out his arm. "Are you ready, sweetheart?"

Elizabeth nodded, weaving one arm through her father's and the other through her mother's.

"I can't believe this is the last time I'll walk one of my daughters down the aisle." William gave her a watery smile.

"Dad! You can't cry!"

"I'm sorry!" He chuckled. "It just makes me so happy to see my girls happy."

"I know just what you mean, dear," Grace agreed, tearing up herself.

The music in the sanctuary changed, and Grace passed Elizabeth her bouquet. Elizabeth took a deep breath. "Let's go."

Tears stung her eyes as soon as the doors opened and she saw Jack waiting at the front of the church. His lips curled up into a smile, his mouth moving slightly as he whispered something to Harrison.

It felt like hours or seconds or somewhere in between before Elizabeth joined Jack, standing in front of the small group of friends and family that had been invited.

"Mommy," Harrison whispered loudly, "you look beautiful."

"Thank you," she said with a quiet chuckle.

"He stole my line." Jack winked, taking her hands. "You do look amazing, Elizabeth."

The pastor led them through a scripture reading and short devotional before prompting them to say their vows.

Jack's voice shook, and Elizabeth stumbled through her tears, but they both promised to love and cherish each other forever.

Harrison proudly handed the rings to the pastor, and Elizabeth and Jack exchanged them with more promises of commitment.

Jack gave her a dimpled grin as the pastor proclaimed them husband and wife, and he pulled her in for a sweet, chaste kiss amid the cheers and applause of their guests. "I'll do better later," he teased.

"I'll hold you to that," she giggled.

"Shall we?" Jack offered her his arm, and she gladly took it.

She sniffled as they retreated down the aisle, tears still rolling down her cheeks. Jack pulled her to the side.

"These are happy tears, right?" He wiped a few away with his thumb.

She nodded. "Very very happy." She leaned up to kiss him, more deeply than they had in front of their guests just moments before. "I love you so much."

"I love you more." Jack kissed her again. "Now, what do you say we find our boy and get the party started?"

...

Elizabeth stood with her sisters, watching as their husbands spun around the dance floor with the kids.

"We all picked some pretty great men, huh?"

Elizabeth nodded, sipping her champagne. "I still can't believe that the guy I fell in love with in high school is now my husband, more than a decade later. And not only that, I also have a really great kid now."

"I'm so happy for you, Beth." Viola put an arm around her. "So," she lowered her voice, "are you ready for tonight?"

Elizabeth groaned. "Not you, too! I already got enough of this talk from Julie when we were dress shopping. You aren't getting intimate details from me, and I don't want to hear any from you. Either of you," she added, with a scowl thrown at Julie.

"Fine." Viola rolled her eyes. "But I just want to say one thing. Make sure you're completely prepared if you don't want a baby right away. Luke and I may have learned the hard way with that one."

"La la la la la." Elizabeth stuck her fingers in her ears. "What did I just say, Vi?"

Viola laughed. "Sorry."

"When you do decide to have kids, they're going to be super cute." Julie threaded her arms through Elizabeth's. "And you already know Jack is going to be a wonderful father to whatever babies you have."

"That I do." She grinned as Jack spun around, Harrison laughing hard in his arms.

...

"Thank you again for watching him for us." Jack passed a sleeping Harrison to Charlotte.

"Of course. You two have a wonderful time on your honeymoon."

He looked at Elizabeth with a dimpled grin. "We will."

She ducked her head, trying to hide the flush she felt rising in her cheeks.

Jack kissed her temple. "We should get going. We have to be at the airport pretty early tomorrow."

"Go." Charlotte waved them off. "We'll make sure everything is cleaned up here."

"Thanks, ma." Jack kissed her cheek. "I just want to say bye to Harrison before we go." He rubbed his son's back, gently rousing him.

"Daddy?"

"Hey, buddy. Mommy and I are going to leave now."

"I come too?"

"Not this time, bud." He kissed his forehead. "You're going to have so much fun with Nana, and mommy and I will call you every day. I love you, Harrison."

"Okay, daddy." He blinked sleepily. "Love you."

"Bye, sweet boy." Elizabeth dropped a kiss on the top of his head. "I love you."

"Love you, mommy."

"See you soon." Jack waved, taking Elizabeth's hand as they headed out of the church, saying goodbye to the rest of the guests on their way.

"Thank you, Jack," Elizabeth stated quietly as they stood just outside Jack's car.

"For what?"

"For marrying me." She smiled. "This has been one of the best days of my life."

"Mine, too." He kissed her deeply. "Are you ready to go home?"

She nodded. "Let's go."

He put his hand palm-up on the center console. Elizabeth didn't hesitate to slip her fingers into his.

"Do you think Harrison is upset that he doesn't get to come with us this week?"

Jack chuckled. "A little, but I know my mom has some fun things planned for them while we're gone." He brought her hand to his lips, dropping a soft kiss across her knuckles. "And I have some fun things planned for us."

"I can't wait. A whole week, just the two of us."

He smiled but said nothing, and they spent the rest of the drive in silence, both lost in thought about the events of the day and those to come. Finally, Jack pulled into the driveway. He turned toward Elizabeth.

"Well, Mrs. Thornton, here we are. Home at last."

"That's going to take some getting used to. Being Mrs. Thornton. Calling you my husband."

"Good thing we have a lifetime to get used to it, then." He gave her a reassuring smile. "Let's go inside."

She nodded and unbuckled her seatbelt, beginning to feel nervous. Her hands were shaking as Jack unlocked the front door.

"Hey." He took her hands, steadying her. "I love you."

"I love you, too."

Scooping her up into his arms, he carried her across the threshold. She laughed as he set her back down, kicking the door closed behind them.

"Thank you for not hitting my head on the doorframe. Every time I've thought about being carried over the threshold, that's been in the back of my mind."

"Well, I couldn't very well start off our honeymoon by giving you a concussion." He gave her a quick kiss, which soon turned into a long kiss, warmth filling him down to his toes. "Elizabeth Thornton," he whispered, trailing his lips down her jaw, down her neck. "God, I love you."

"How much?" she breathed, looking into his eyes, dark and wanting.

"I'll show you." He kissed her deeply, his hands moving to the zipper at the back of her dress. "Unless you're going to stop me again?" he teased.

"Jack!" She gave him a little shove.

"Sorry." He laughed. "Why don't we continue this in our room?"