Though she assured Elizabeth that everything looked fine, Faith had also cautioned her to stay in bed for a day or two more and even then to take things easy for the next week to give her body time to heal. Faith cautioned her not to even try doing too much of the housework or pick up Jack for that time period. Elizabeth's response was to ask if she would be able to attend the wedding to which Faith said if she followed instructions, and got a ride in a car or wagon, that it would be fine.

Upon hearing the situation, Eleanor went into mothering mode. Though she had never had children of her own, Lillian had always held a special spot in the woman's heart as did the orphans under her care. She enjoyed taking care of people, and she said that her contribution to the wedding preparations would be helping Elizabeth and helping with the care of Gabriella and Jack while the others did what needed to be done, including Nathan.

As the week went on, the wedding plans came together. Rosemary got the material Lillian needed for Billy's shirt, the red a perfect match to the serge of the Mountie uniform. Lillian took care of making the shirt while Rosemary finished alterations on Lillian's dress. Green dresses arrived from Union City and Grace tried them on at the Grant's home so that Elizabeth could be a part of the choosing of her dress.

In what seemed a blink of an eye, Thursday arrived and Gabriel, Lillian, Billy and Nathan were at the train station to meet Gabriel's family. As the train pulled into the station, Gabriel and Lillian stood hand in hand with others waiting to meet passengers. Knowing the initial chaos of disembarking passengers would not be a good situation for Billy, the boy was waiting with Nathan on a bench in the waiting area.

"I hope your parents like me," Lillian commented.

Gabriel looked to his left and saw the nervousness on his fiance's face. Leaning in, he placed a kiss against her temple knowing how Lillian felt about kissing in public places.

"My whole family is going to love you," Gabriel assured her.

Lillian let her head rest against Gabriel's shoulder. "Not long ago, I had no family. Then I found Grace. The children we look after are family, but I know they can go out of my life at any moment to new families. Now, I found you and am about to be a part of a big family again," Lillian mused out loud.

Gabriel gently applied pressure to the hand he held, even as he reached up with his other hand to brush back Lillian's hair.

"I have always wanted a family of my own, Lillian. There have been times that I wondered if that would ever happen. Times that I wondered if I would ever find someone willing to love me despite my profession. There were times when I wondered if you would be able to. In two days though, you and Billy will make that dream of mine come true. The two of you will be my family and I hope that we can raise our children to be respected, productive members of society like my parents did."

Passengers began to disembark from the train. Gabriel let his hand fall from the side of Lillian's head as she lifted her head from his shoulder. Still holding hands, the two began scanning the stream of people stepping from the train. It was not long before Arthur Kinslow stepped from one of the train cars, his wife behind him. Victoria spotted Gabriel in the crowd and waved as her husband helped her step from the train. Though Gabriel was heading in their direction, Victoria broke into a run the moment both feet were on the platform, her hat falling from her head. Letting go of Lillian's hand, Gabriel opened his arms to his mother as she rushed into them.

"Oh, my Gabriel," Victoria said, embracing her first born son tightly. "It is so good to see you."

"I missed you too, mother," Gabriel replied, resting his chin on the top of his mother's head.

Mother and son stood like that for a few moments, everyone else around them momentarily disappearing. By the time Victoria let her son go, the rest of the Kinslow family had joined them. Angela had retrieved her mother's hat on the way. With one arm around his mother's waist, Gabriel introduced his family members to Lillian, each of them giving the young woman a warm welcome. Even Arthur, who was not much of a hugger, had a hug for his future daughter-in-law.

Though she had been introduced first, Victoria only stepped away from Gabriel's side as Evelyn stepped back from hugging Lillian.

"You are every bit as beautiful as Gabriel has described you," Victoria told Lillian as she stepped forward and enveloped Lillian in a warm embraced.

"Thank you," Lillian told her. "I am so happy to meet you," she said, embracing her soon to be mother-in-law.

Around them, Gabriel was being greeted by the members of his family.

Releasing Lillian, Victoria held the young woman at arms' length. "You are an answer to my prayers, dear," she told Lillian. "More than anything, even seeing Gabriel find a new profession, I have always wanted him to find someone to share his life with. I thought he had at one point, but she did not like the idea of being married to a Mountie. I hope you know what you are getting into, because the nights of worry can be very long."

"I am already familiar with those nights," Lillian replied. "They have taught me just how much I love your son."

Victoria nodded. "Then I think the two of you will have a happy marriage, just like Arthur and I have had."

"Thank you, Mrs. Kinslow," Lillian said, the simple exchange telling her that she had been accepted by the older woman.

Victoria shook her head. "That address is way too formal. I would tell you to use my first name, but as my one daughter shares it, that could get confusing. Would you be comfortable referring to me as Mother right from the start?"

Lillian smiled. It had been awhile since she had anyone in her life she could refer to by that title. It was a nice feeling. "I would like that."

"Wonderful," Victoria said, finally releasing Lillian. Victoria turned to Gabriel. "So, where is this little boy you have taken in?"

"Billy is waiting in the main part of the station with Nathan," Gabriel said. "He has been through a lot and is just beginning to trust people again. Meeting everyone at once is probably not a good idea."

"Then how about you take the ladies to meet him, Son, and Matthew, Jake and I will gather the bags," Arthur suggested.

"That sounds like a good idea."

"Then perhaps once we are all settled in our rooms, you will sit down with your mother and me and explain what you would not explain in your telegrams," Arthur added, pointedly.

"Yes, sir," Gabriel replied, knowing that it was not just his father wanting answers. His mother was wondering about the moving up in plans as well even if she had not mentioned it.

With one arm around Lillian's shoulders and the other around his mother's, Gabriel led the ladies from the platform and into the station while Arthur, Jake and Matthew headed for the baggage claim.

An hour later, Gabriel and Lillian were sitting in Lucas' office with his parents. The rest of the group was seated at tables out in the main room of the Queen of Hearts. The others had been told to start without them. As Billy had seemed to hit it off well with Matthew, Nathan had gone out on rounds after inviting everyone out to the house that evening so they could meet Elizabeth, Jack and Gabriella as the next couple of days was going to be busy with wedding preparations.

"Why do I have a feeling I am not going to like what I hear?" Victoria said nervously as she held her husband's hand. She and Arthur were sitting next to each other in chairs facing the settee that Gabriel and Lillian were occupying.

"You probably will not," Gabriel admitted before launching into an abbreviated account of his abduction. Though he knew his father could handle the details, he wanted to spare his mother hearing the details. She had been through enough what with him getting shot and then injured last fall. Though she deserved to know what happened, Gabriel wanted to spare her what he could.

"You went missing and the Mounties did not even bother letting us know!" Victoria demanded, her emotions for now directed toward the organization that he worked for. Gabriel knew it would not be long before her words switched to imploring him to quit.

"Their first priority was searching for me," Gabriel said in defense of his superiors. "When they did, I requested that any notification of the incident came from me."

"And if you had been found dead? Would they have bothered having informed us then?" Victoria demanded.

"You know we would have been, Victoria," Arthur said soothingly, laying his second hand over top of their clasped hands.

"Haven't you been through enough already?" Victoria implored, the question directed at her son.

Moving from the settee, Gabriel reached for his mother's hand as he knelt next to her chair. "It does seem like I have had more than my share of bad luck lately," Gabriel admitted. "However, I have also accomplished a lot of good. The stage coach that Trenton was after last fall got safely to its destination. Nothing happened to Lillian or the children when Trenton was at the orphanage because I was able to direct his attention to me. I safely delivered little Hope in Brookfield, and was there last Friday to help Elizabeth and deliver Gabriella. My job put me in the position to help Billy, and Lillian has helped me to see that as hard as my abduction was for all of us, it helped foster the bond Billy has with Lillian. A bond that will help us all going forward."

"I am just so scared that every phone call or telegram I get is going to be the one saying that you are gone," Victoria admitted, her voice shaking. "Do not try to tell me it will not happen," she continued, seeing Gabriel open his mouth. "Plenty of mothers and wives have gotten that news from the Mounties, especially after the conflict in the Northern Territories."

"I was not going to say that," Gabriel assured her. "I know it is a fear that can become a reality, for you and now Lillian. However, this is what I want to do with my life mother. I want to help make positive differences in people's lives. I know the risks and I know that I am asking those I love to make sacrifices with me, but when I see the good that comes about because of my actions, that fills me with pride. The same kind of pride that Dad sees when he looks over the ranch that he has built and made successful. Can you understand that, Mother?"

Victoria nodded, squeezing her son's hands as she struggled with her emotions.

"You have accepted the dangers of my job, Victoria," Arthur said, trying to find words of support for his son, even if he did not like his son's career choice for his own reasons. "Gabriel's jobs might offer different dangers but they are no more likely to happen than the dangers of working with cattle."

"Cattle do not have guns," Victoria protested.

"But they are heavier and stronger than ranchers and ranch hands. They also have horns. The scar on my leg is proof of the dangers they present."

"It somehow feels different," Victoria said, the words no more than a feeble protest. Pulling her hand from her husband's grasp, she laid it on her son's cheek. "But nothing I say is going to change your mind, is it?"

"I know you worry about me, Mother. You worry about all of us. I also may someday decide to resign and do something else but I need to do that on my own terms," Gabriel told her, having finally made up his mind to stay with the Mounties for now. He had to prove to himself that what he had gone through had not made him gun shy. He needed to know that if he did resign it was his choice and not something forced on him by actions of someone else. The plan for now was to continue until he heard about the possible promotion and then he would reevaluate the situation.

"So this is why you and Lillian have decided to move up your wedding day?" Arthur asked, even as Gabriel remained kneeling at Victoria's side.

It was Lillian and not Gabriel who answered.

"It was my idea, sir," Lillian told him. "With everything that has happened, I came to the realization that I want to spend as much time as possible with Gabriel. I want to know that he is home safely when he is suppose to be. I can't do anything to protect him while he is on the job, but I can do that much."

"And I would have married Lillian the day after she accepted my proposal if I had thought she would go along with the plan," Gabriel told them. "We may be doing this quickly, but we are both sure that this is what we want."

Arthur nodded. "Your mother and I will do all we can to make sure the day is special for you both," the man said. "Having someone by your side that supports you makes even the hard times easier to bear."

"I think we have already discovered that, sir," Lillian said.

"I am glad you will no longer be alone," Victoria said, looking at her son. Finally removing her hand from Gabriel's cheek, she placed a kiss on it.

"Perhaps you can try to stay out of trouble for the next few months though, Son," Arthur said.

Gabriel looked over at his father. "I will certainly see what I can do," he replied.