Hi all! Sorry again for such a long gap between updates. Summer is generally a very busy time for me work wise and this is the first chance in a while that I've had to write and upload anything but that's all I'll say about that.
Please read and review the latest chapter of I and Love and You!
Jack lay still, eyes closed to the rest of the world. The sun was warm but not unpleasant as it rested high in the sky. He could fill the wind flutter through the grass underneath his finger tips. The song of the chickadee danced around Jack's ears, a welcome accompaniment to the adorable giggles echoing from the edge of the pond. A gentle smile danced across his face as his eyes opened and sat up to gaze upon the beautiful sight before him.
Elizabeth and a small child, a girl with russet ringlets, stood at the edge of the pod, the reflection of the school house standing out on the clear, still water. Jack watched as Elizabeth lifted the little girl up by the arms, dipping her bare feet into the water every few seconds. The child cackled every time and Elizabeth chuckled softly.
Jack's playful chortle caught the attention of his wife and child and suddenly, the little girl, no more than two, had leapt from her mother's arms and starting running towards her father. Jack caught the little girl, throwing her up in the air and earning a squeal of excitement for his efforts. Elizabeth calmly walked over to them, admiring the sight before her.
"We were wondering if you were going to sleep the day away," Elizabeth's words were stern but the glimmer in her eyes told Jack that they were all in jest.
He threw a dimpled grin her way, "Only if you two join me."
Elizabeth grinned brightly, her eyes squinting slightly as a playful giggle rushed past her lips.
Soon enough, the three of them lay in the grass, the little girl sleeping peacefully between her parents.
Jack watched as Elizabeth's eyes fluttered closed.
"This is what I always dreamed of," Jack whispered, afraid that if he spoke too loudly the delicate moment would shatter into a million pieces in his hands, "You and me. Here, with a baby between us. A family all our own."
Jack paused to steal a glance at the tiny sleeping girl between them. Dark, long eyelashes kissed round and rosy cheeks. A thumb stuck in between soft, full lips as she sucked it in her sleep. A soft, rather unladylike grunt echoed from the baby's chest and Jack smiled brightly at the sight. He lay a rough hand softly on the child's belly as she rolled closer into the his side.
"It's everything I hoped for but was too afraid to let myself think about for too long."
"I know what you mean," Elizabeth whispered, afraid of waking the baby between them.
Jack's attention turned from the little girl that looked so much like her mother, to Elizabeth. Her gaze was far away and melancholy overwhelmed her features. Jack lifted his hand up to stroke her cheek, desperately trying to wipe the pain from her features. He waited patiently for her to explain, knowing that Elizabeth wanted to share a painful secret, the kind that she and Jack were still working on revealing to each other since Charles' proposal nearly four years ago. Years of etiquette lessons and high society decorum weighed down on Elizabeth in moments like this, making It hard for her to fully open up to anyone. But she always fought to overcome it for him.
So they lay beside one another, their sleeping little girl tucked safely between them, as Jack waited for his wife to speak.
"I was so afraid, Jack," Elizabeth's voice cracked on his name. Elizabeth covered Jack's hand with her own, rubbing a small scar past his thumb. Jack pulled her closer to him and Elizabeth's hand moved up to touch his shoulder, the spot suddenly hot and painful.
"I was so afraid when you got back on that train to leave Hamilton. Things were so distant between us and I knew that I had broken something between us, something that I feared I could never repair…. I watched you walk away and I couldn't move. I couldn't speak. It was as if I had been frozen on that platform, just watching you disappear into the crowd and I knew… I knew that my future was disappearing in that crowd too."
Elizabeth's touch on Jack's shoulder seared through his skin. The weight of his daughter against his stomach felt like a thousand needles ripping through him. Jack glanced down at his wife's hand, now covered in blood by a seeping wound in his shoulder. His jaw clenched with pain as he gazed into Elizabeth's face.
A tear fell from Elizabeth's stormy, sapphire eyes as she gave him a melancholy smirk.
"Jack," her voice caught on his name as more tears began to fall, "please don't do that to me again. Please don't leave me."
"I won't," Jack vowed. He had never meant anything more in his life than those words.
"Then I need you to wake up," was Elizabeth's simple reply.
Jack's vision began to grow blurry. He blinked rapidly, forcing Elizabeth's face to come back into focus.
"Please wake up, sweetheart," Elizabeth's voice was muffled now, as if underwater.
"Elizabeth," Jack fought to keep her in focus, to keep the baby beside him close but they were both fading fast, slipping through his hand like sand through a sieve, "Elizabeth, please."
Wake up, Jack. Wake up, Jack.
"WAKE UP, JACK!"
Jack gasped for air as he came to. Jeremiah hovered above him, pulling him up onto his feet. He could feel the blood seeping out of his wounds stain his clothes, causing the cold wind to stick to his skin. Jack's teeth began to chatter and his knees buckled under the agony that coursed through his veins. Jeremiah grunted as he caught Jack, his long arms wrapping around the young Mountie like a welcome blanket.
"Come on, Jack," Jeremiah's voice was raspy, his words rushed as he forced Jack to walk to a horse tied up to the post beside them. Jack's eyes narrowed in confusion. Where did Jeremiah find a horse?
"Where…" Jack's throat was like sandpaper, "where are we…"
"Hope Valley," Jeremiah replied sharply, his voice harsher than Jack had ever heard it, "you said it's less thirty miles. We can make it in six or seven hours if we push the horses."
Jack's eyes narrowed at the sight in front of him. Two horses stood beside each other, tall and ready to ride. When the hell did the other horse show up?
You're delirious, his mind told him. You're dehydrated and you're body's suffering major blood loss. The wind blew again and the blood wet clothes he wore did nothing to block the cold. The pain shot through him again and the world began to spin. He wanted to throw up. Another gust of wind… Dear God it was cold.
That's good, Jack continued, that will slow your blood flow. But that means hypothermia… that means…
"I don't think…" Jack's teeth chattered as Jeremiah wrapped a coat around his shoulders. Where did he get a coat? "I don't know if… I don't know if I can ride…."
Jeremiah helped Jack get up onto the horse, the latter's hands barely able to grip the reins. Suddenly, Jeremiah was sitting behind Jack, his large frame a welcome shield to the winter wind that danced around them. Jack fought to keep his eyes open.
"You won't be doing it alone, Jack," Jeremiah spoke softly. Something about it put Jack off. It didn't sound right. It sounded forced and fake.
"But the other horse…"
"It's an extra. In case something happens to the one we're on."
Jack nodded, desperately fighting the urge to close his eyes and rest.
"Stay awake, Captain," Jeremiah's breathing was shallow, "I need you to tell me how to get to Hope Valley."
"I won't let you…" Jack took a deep breath, fighting to ignore the searing pain underneath his rib and in his shoulder, "I won't let you down."
"I know, Captain. I know."
Jeremiah kicked the sides of the horse, forcing the beast to jump into a sprint.
The sun had finally begun to peak over the horizon….
Bill Avery was not a cheerful man. He was gruff more often than not and at his best he would describe himself as ornery. But not today. Today the sun was shining brightly and he could hear children screaming delightedly as snowball fights ensued. The events of last night meant a cancellation of school and the children of Hope Valley had decided to take full advantage of the impromptu snow day. The day was nearly done and the sun had begun to set, painting the sky a vast array of pinks and blues and oranges and still the children ran and played and laughed.
Good, Bill thought, children need to have time to be children.
The thought of children brought the events of last night back to the forefront of his mind.
This morning, he had been granted the privilege of visiting the Thornton house to visit Elizabeth and her newborn son. The boy, Thatcher, had a full head of dark brown hair and bright blue eyes that looked exactly like his mother's. Abigail had told him that most babies are born with blue eyes, but he and Elizabeth had shared a secret glance, both knowing somewhere deep in their bones that the boy would keep Elizabeth's deep blue gaze.
Bill had held the boy for a few minutes, rocking gently back and forth in the rocking chair that sat by the fire in the small living room while Elizabeth sipped on her tea and Julie and Elizabeth's mother tidied up around the house. Bill had watched Elizabeth watch her son, the love and excitement and fear of a new mother etched into the contours of her face. An overwhelming sense of sadness swept over Bill in that instant.
Sadness for Elizabeth and Jack that they had not been able to share the moment of their child's birth. Sadness that Elizabeth would be the only parent to the boy for the foreseeable future. Sadness for the young man and woman that he so often thought of as a son and daughter, that they had had so short a time to be together before Jack had been forced to leave. They had been cheated out of so much time together. And then the anger rushed over him in waves.
Anger for Elizabeth and Jack that yet another moment for them to share had been stolen away in the dead of night. Anger at the Mounties for keeping another young man from his family. Anger at the world for being so cruel and thoughtless to all the lovers and soldiers and husbands and wives that only wished to be together and live in peace.
The anger dissipated and gave way to sadness once again, rushing over Bill so quickly that it brought tears to his eyes. And suddenly, Bill could feel Elizabeth's eyes on him, searching his weathered face for the pain that was so evident in his eyes. So Bill looked up from the sleeping baby in his arms and over to its mother. Her features were soft and sad, her gaze understanding and all knowing. And in that moment Bill knew. Bill knew that Elizabeth had thought and felt all the things he did only moments ago. He knew that she had railed against God in one breath and then asked for His forgiveness and strength in the next.
"It's worth it, Bill. It's all worth it if only for that little boy."
A bittersweet smile touched Elizabeth's lips and Bill could only give the young woman an understanding and barely perceptible nod before looking back down at the little boy in his arms. It was not a time to be sad or angry. It was a time to rejoice for the new life that had entered the world only a few hours ago.
"You should know, Elizabeth," Bill's rough, low voice cut through the companionable silence between them, "That a Mountie rode into town last night."
Elizabeth's eyes widened and she sat up a little straighter in her chair. Bill watched in amazement as Elizabeth willed herself to hope for good news while silently strengthening herself for the worst news.
Bill gave a crooked smile to put her mind at ease, "He is the second in command for Jack's unit. Apparently, Jack and his men are in the final stages of their assignment. They have a few prisoners to transport to Fort Clay and then he will be allowed to come home."
The smile that danced across Elizabeth's face could only be described as breathtaking….
So Bill walked down the main street of Hope Valley with an honest-to-God smile on his face. Elizabeth had safely delivered her baby. Jack was on his way home in a few weeks time. And children were playing happily in the snow.
"Bill!"
Bill whipped his head around to see an ecstatic Tom Thornton barreling down the porch from Abigail's Cafe and across the street to the Mountie office.
"What can I do for you, Mr. Thornton?" Bill asked playfully.
A wide grin broke out across Tom's face, "Did you hear the news?"
"You mean that you're an uncle to a handsome nephew?" Bill asked knowingly, "No. Haven't heard a thing about it."
Tom laughed heartily, "I can't believe it. I don't know who's more a mess over him. Elizabeth, Julie, Abigail or Grace."
Bill smirked, "I'm pretty sure that Rosemary has them all beat."
Another booming laugh erupted from Tom's lips, "Truer words have never been spoken."
Bill smiled brightly at the young man in front of him. Dear God, Thomas, you'd be so proud of your boys.
"Did you hear the news, Tom?" Bill asked conspiratorially.
Tom's brow furrowed in confusion but his eyes twinkled with curiosity. Bill's grin widened.
"A Mountie from Jack's unit road into town late last night."
Tom's breath caught and Bill fought the urge to laugh at the codfish expression on the young man's face.
"Apparently, Jack's close to coming home. Just a stop at Fort Clay and his time in the Northern Territories is over."
Tom's eyes filled with tears at the thought of his brother's homecoming. Jack would be able to see his wife and newborn son sooner than any of them thought. Jack would be home in time for his wedding. His big brother, his friend and protector and hero would be able to stand beside Tom on the most important day of his life…It was all too much to take in. It was all too good to be true.
"SOMEBODY HELP!"
Bill and Tom turned to see a large, black man riding a ragged, sweating horse past the Mountie office. But that wasn't what caught their eye. It was the young man sitting on the front of the saddle, slouched over the horse's neck. His face was covered in a full beard, his lips were blue and blood soaked his clothes.
"JACK!"
"DEAR GOD, JACK!"
Tom and Bill jumped off the porch. The man steering the horse stopped in front of them, panic and exhaustion heavy in his frame. He dismounted the horse quickly, careful to catch Jack as he began to slide of the beast.
"Please," Jeremiah begged as Bill and Tom reached him and began to take Jack from his weak, withering hold, "Please, help him."
Jeremiah stumbled a bit as he held onto Jack's unconscious body. Bill rushed and wrapped his arm around Jack's waist, helping Jeremiah carry the burden of his weight.
"Tom, go get Carson," Bill ordered, "we will take him to the infirmary."
Tom watched, stunned and unable to move, as Bill and the stranger picked his unconscious brother up by his waist and shoulders.
"Bill," Tom whispered, unsure of anything.
"NOW, TOM!"
Bill's voice cut through the chaos and without thinking, Tom was racing back toward the cafe to fetch Carson.
Bill began to help Jeremiah carry Jack to the infirmary. Their steps were slow but steady and soon enough, they were on the steps of Carson's office. Bill could hear the town doctor yelling back to Faith and Tom behind them. He looked over his shoulder to see Tom split off and run down the road towards the row houses. He watched as Faith's eyes widened with fear at the sight of her friend so battered and broken.
"What happened?!" Carson ordered Jeremiah to explain as Faith opened the door and ushered the men inside. Bill noticed absently that she had begun to rifle through cabinets and drawers for supplies. Jeremiah and Bill placed Jack onto the observation table and Carson began to rip open Jack's blood soaked clothes while Jeremiah started to answer.
"We were ambushed early this morning," Jeremiah's breathing was short and shallow. Bill could have sworn it sounded pained, "There… there was a shoot out." Jeremiah swallowed painfully and swayed unsteadily. "Jack… Jack and I were the only ones that…"
Suddenly, Jeremiah's eyes rolled back into his head and his broad body fell to the floor with a sickening thud. Faith jumped and shouted in surprise. Carson quickly told her to examine him while he began to study Jack's injuries and staunch the bleeding from the two gaping bullet wounds in his body. Bill fell to his knees to help Faith when he noticed it, the massive bullet wounds in Jeremiah's upper thigh and stomach.
"Oh God," was all Faith could mutter.
Oh God, Bill thought as he and Faith locked onto one another.
Elizabeth didn't know if she should smile or roll her eyes at the sight before her.
She was currently watching, with thinly veiled amusement, Julie, Abigail, Rosemary, and Grace standing over the bassinet just to the left of her bed. With each unconscious stretch and grunt that Thatcher made, the women above him fawned and sighed in amazement. Elizabeth would have laughed at them all if she wasn't so enamored herself.
He had fallen asleep at her breast, suckling softly for a few minutes before suddenly stopping. Elizabeth, who had admittedly been dosing off herself, woke up with a start, terrified that something horrible was happening. But she looked down at the beautiful baby boy in her arms and found him snoring softly, his tiny hand resting on her breast.
And now her son, Jack Thatcher Thornton, was resting comfortably in his bassinet by his mother's side while the most important women in her life gazed down lovingly at him. She smiled at the sight.
"ELIZABETH! JULIE!"
All five women glanced at one another, fury dancing in their eyes. It would have been laughable if they weren't all so angry at the prospect of someone waking up poor Thatcher from his nap prematurely.
"ELIZABETH!"
Elizabeth's eyes narrowed as she placed the voice echoing through the house as a set of boots trampled up the stairs. What on earth was Tom screaming about?
"ELIZABETH," Tom reached the top of the stairs when Julie ran out of the bedroom, ready to scold him for being so loud.
"Tom, be quiet! We just put Thatcher down!"
Tom practically picked Julie up and moved her out of the way so he could enter the bedroom.
"Elizabeth," Tom was out of breath and sweating. Fear and panic shimmered in his eyes and Elizabeth's heart dropped into her stomach. Something was wrong.
"Tom," Elizabeth began but her voice caught on the question she was too scared to ask.
Tom's eyes welled with tears as he looked frantically around the room. Suddenly, Elizabeth felt Abigail, Rosie, and her mother circle her, at the ready for whatever Tom was about to say. Julie walked up behind him and placed a loving, gentle hand on his shoulder and the tears that Tom had been fighting to hold back now fell freely.
"It's Jack…."
And another cliff hanger! Sorry guys. This was all originally going to be one chapter but with all the stuff that happens in the next chapter, I felt that I needed to split it up into these two parts. Don't hate me!
Again, please leave a review! They're the life blood of any fanfic writer.
-grayhello22
