This is a short that I wrote sort of as a test for the plot based fic I'm working on, but it went a slightly different direction from where it'll end up in that story, so I figured I'd share! Thank you all for the wonderful reviews! They truly keep me going with these and encourage me to write more. If you have any ideas rolling around in your head for a prompt feel free to share also because I'd be happy to take requests!
I'm also rewatching the entire series at the moment, really listening to the plot as I go and picking up on parallels, which has been super fun! That certainly plays into this short as well, and honestly there's so much from the earlier seasons that I've forgotten (probably because I spend most of my available When Calls time rewatching seasons 6-8)!
I hope you enjoy this one!
No one could determine exactly why the Pinkertons were back in town.
Elizabeth was aware that Nathan had his eye on them. He'd told Lucas as much, and after Rosemary's eventful adventure out to the cabin, everyone in the town was a bit on edge. Hope Valley's history with Pinkertons wasn't exactly a positive one to begin with, and Elizabeth wasn't eager to revisit the events of her first year in town. They felt more like a distant memory now, and she preferred to keep them that way.
But Lucas had, of course, caught the way the color drained from her face when she first heard the name Spurlock.
Few in town knew of the incident that had taken place all those years ago. She had only told Abigail, and Jack had sent Spurlock to prison on the grounds of framing Kat Montgomery for arson. Or at least, that's what the town thought. In an official capacity, the charges had been much more serious, but Elizabeth hadn't wanted to frighten the children by letting it get out that their school teacher had nearly been murdered by a Pinkerton.
"Elizabeth?" Lucas asked, and suddenly everyone at the table fell quiet. They'd been enjoying dinner with Little Jack, Rosemary, and Lee when Nathan had stopped by the saloon, mentioning that they should let him know if they sensed anything was amiss. She hadn't missed the pointed look he gave Lucas either. Something had changed between the two men, and it seemed like they had taken a step in the right direction. Or at least, they now had a common goal - to figure out what was going on in Hope Valley.
She felt Lucas take her hand in his, grasping it tightly and giving it a squeeze in an attempt to ground her. When she refocused her eyes, Elizabeth realized that everyone was staring at her.
They didn't know. None of them knew who Spurlock was or what he was capable of. They didn't know what he did.
"Elizabeth, are you alright?" Rosemary reiterated.
The brunette woman turned to face her friend, trying to shake off the chill that ran up her neck. "I'm fine, Rosemary," she started, although her voice cracked with each syllable. Elizabeth cleared her throat. "Really, it's nothing."
None of them looked convinced, Lucas and Nathan least of all, and she caught the way they looked at each other again. Still, no one pushed her to continue.
The sound of the front door of the saloon slamming shut shook each of them back to attention, all heads turning in the direction of the sound. Elizabeth sucked in a breath, causing Lucas to glance back at her out of the corner of his eye, already aware that something was wrong.
Spurlock.
He was with a couple of other Pinkertons, standing in the doorway as their eyes scanned the room. After the initial shock of the slam, the remainder of the customers around them returned to their conversations, largely unbothered by the presence of the men, but Elizabeth couldn't tear her gaze away from the man she had once hoped to never see again.
And yet there they were.
His eye met hers, a slight crinkle appearing in the corners as a sly smile crept across his face. She met his gaze with an intensity that most in town would fear, her eyes narrowing in an attempt to prove to him that she would not dignify his appearance with a reaction, even if internally she felt like she was falling apart.
Spurlock continued to observe Elizabeth as he made his way into the saloon. Nathan watched him closely, while Rosemary picked up Jack and pulled him protectively onto her lap.
As the Pinkertons passed the table, heading toward the bar, no words were spoken. They passed with only a slight nod from Spurlock directed at Elizabeth, who did not reciprocate in the slightest. Lucas' grip on her hand tightened further at the other man's motion.
Raising her chin a bit higher and straightening her back a bit further, Elizabeth turned back to her friends, all of whom were watching her intently once more. Lucas leaned over to her, his breath hot against her ear, "Are you alright?"
"I'm fine, Lucas," she insisted again, but the look in her eyes did not support her argument. She turned back to Lee and Rosemary, who was still holding Jack tightly in her lap. "Why don't you three head home?"
A brief look of confusion crossed their faces, but Rosemary and Lee hid it well, nodding and agreeing that they should, indeed, be heading home. It pained Elizabeth to let her son out of her sight, but Spurlock was dangerous, and she knew his eyes were still on them. He was watching, waiting for her to slip up and let on about something that he could use against her, and that meant that allowing Jack to stay in the care of her closest friends was the best thing for him at the moment.
"We'll see you later?" Rosemary questioned as they bundled Jack up for the drive home.
Elizabeth nodded. "Absolutely. And Rosemary?" she continued as her friends were about to turn away, "please be safe."
"I'll make sure we are," Lee responded, giving one last look to Elizabeth and Lucas before clasping a hand on Nathan's shoulder.
Once they were gone, Nathan sat across from the pair, setting his hat on the table beside him. "I'm sensing you know him?" he asked quietly, nodding his head in the general direction of the bar.
Elizabeth was thankful that her back was to the men, hiding her face from the Pinkertons and from Spurlock, and that the saloon was busy enough that if she spoke softly, her words wouldn't be heard.
"He tried to kill me," she said flatly, lips pressed in a firm line. She felt Lucas tense next to her immediately.
"He what?"
Both men were focused on her, watching her every movement. Nathan looked like he was about to walk straight over to Spurlock and knock him out cold. Lucas, on the other hand, stared at her with an uneasiness in his usually perpetually warm, comforting eyes. She knew he was searching for answers, longing to take away whatever pain she must be experiencing. And yet, there was a sense of determination set in his jaw.
"When I first came to Hope Valley, back when it was still Coal Valley, several Pinkertons were employed by Henry as a part of the security team for the mining company," she explained. "Prior to my arrival, the church had burnt down, only weeks after the mining accident, and Jack was quick to investigate after pressure from the Pastor. At first, he thought that Kat Montgomery had played a part in the fire, since there had been a can of whale oil amongst the ashes and she was the only one in town who used it, but we soon learned that she had been framed by Spurlock."
Lucas clenched his jaw tighter. "That doesn't explain how he tried to kill you."
Elizabeth looked weary, preparing herself for the remainder of the story. "He did. I was returning a lost necklace that belonged to him when I noticed a foul stench. After some investigating, I realized that he had burnt the can of whale oil on his property and planted it in the remains of the church. When I realized what it was, I confronted him. If Jack hadn't appeared when he did, Spurlock would've shot me."
"Do you have any idea why he might be back in town?" Nathan questioned.
"I don't. Jack assured me that Spurlock would be in jail for quite some time, and even then I'm not sure how he got his job back with the Pinkertons."
She could almost see the thoughts as they ran through the Mountie's head. He was trying to put together the pieces. "Elizabeth, I'd like you and Jack to stay with someone while we figure out what's going on."
"Nathan, as much as I wish he wasn't here, I'm more than capable of staying in my own home."
His gaze met Lucas' for a second before returning to her. "I'm aware of that, but Elizabeth, if what you just told me has anything to do with Spurlock's return to town…"
Elizabeth closed her eyes and slowly nodded in acceptance. He was right. "I know. And I don't take that lightly. I'll talk to Rosemary and Lee, and in the meantime, Lucas can walk me home."
Turning to her suitor, she gave him a weak smile, which he returned the best he could. He'd been mysteriously quiet through the end of her story. "Of course. You'll let us know about any developments?" he asked Nathan.
"I will. I'm going to put through a call to the station in Union City right away to see if there's any additional information I can come across."
Together, they stood. Lucas helped Elizabeth into her jacket and then pulled on his own. They kept their backs to the Pinkertons the entire time, giving them no recognition as they headed for the door.
Once outside, Nathan bid them goodnight, but not without reiterating once more that they should be careful, and that if either noticed anything suspicious that they should come to him immediately.
"Come with me," Lucas said quietly after Nathan was on his way back to the jail. He took her hand in his as he pulled her in the direction of the back door of the saloon. Through the windows on the side of the building, Elizabeth could see Spurlock watching them, following their movements closely until they were finally out of sight.
Reaching the back door, Lucas ushered her in, stopping in the doorway to pull Gustave aside. Elizabeth, meanwhile, walked immediately through the door to Lucas' office, letting it fall shut behind her.
He followed a moment later, opening the door just enough to sneak past before closing and locking it. Elizabeth had turned on a few of the lights and was in the process of taking off her coat once more, face expressionless.
Lucas let out a sigh, relieved that they were finally alone. "Are you alright?" he asked again.
Elizabeth nodded lightly, her lips still pressed tightly together. She thought she had it together, that she could keep her composure, but suddenly the emotions overwhelmed her like a tidal wave.
It was all coming back to her now - the way it felt to fall back against the hard ground. Spurlock standing over her with a gun pointed at her head. The rush as Jack appeared out of nowhere, knocking the Pinkerton to the ground and saving her life. The feeling of the Mountie's strong arms around her once she was safe.
Lucas rushed to her side, settling in next to her on the settee and pulling her tight against him. She fisted her hand in the fabric of his brown jacket, her breath coming out in forceful huffs.
"I've got you," he assured her, shifting so her head could rest comfortably against his shoulder. "I'm not going to let anything happen to you or Jack. We're going to figure this out together."
"You can't promise that, Lucas," she cried. "Spurlock...he's dangerous and if he is here to seek revenge against me then he'll stop at nothing to do so. We don't have Jack to protect us anymore and…"
Lucas tensed against her again.
"Lucas...I…" she stumbled as she realized what she'd said. Regret began to set in, overwhelming her terror and replacing it with guilt. "I didn't mean…"
She tried to pull back, but Lucas didn't let her, instead pulling her even tighter against him. "I know you didn't, Elizabeth," he responded softly. "But do you remember that day in the library? Do you remember what I told you?"
A different memory came rushing back, of Amos' attack on Lucas, and on her. The way Lucas had rushed to save her, had clued Natahn into the trouble, and had done it all because he was protecting someone else from danger.
"You told me that you wouldn't have let anything happen to me."
"That without fear and without hesitation, I would've done whatever it took to keep you safe. And I meant it. I still mean it." Lucas let out a breath, turning slightly so he could nestle into her, his nose just behind her ear, buried in her hair, lips just brushing over the skin of her neck. "You and Little Jack are all that matter to me, and, Elizabeth," he continued, his voice breaking with emotion, "I don't know what I would do if I let someone hurt either of you."
Elizabeth was the one to hug him tighter now, moving so her legs were almost draped over his, all sense of propriety left on the opposite side of his office door. Neither said anything for a moment as they clung to one another.
When he released her, he didn't move far - just enough to look into her bright blue eyes. Their breath mingled, but he didn't kiss her, not yet. It looked like he was searching for permission, waiting for some signal to continue, until his resolve broke.
"Elizabeth, I've told myself time and time again that I wasn't going to rush this. That I don't want to rush this. I never want to push you into something you aren't ready for, and I stand by that. We have all the time in the world, but I can't let you walk away from me tonight without telling you."
He paused then, as if giving her an opportunity to stop him, but no complaint came. She knew what he was about to tell her because she felt it too. And so, her eyes only urged him to continue.
"I love you, Elizabeth."
She smiled softly, her hand falling to the back of his neck to pull him closer. Their foreheads rested against one another, noses bumping. "I love you too, Lucas." She closed the gap between them, her lips just barely brushing against his. "I love you so much," she continued.
He returned her smile, and for the first time since they'd entered the room, she felt him relax fully. He hauled her against him, kissing her firmly, and she couldn't help but let out a laugh.
Spurlock may be back in Hope Valley, and they might have a long road ahead of them, but they weren't about to let any of it ruin this moment for them. Because as long as they were together, as long as they had each other, nothing else mattered anyway.