The first time Jack met Elizabeth was not the first time that Elizabeth had met Jack. She had known him her whole life, he just didn't know it yet. They were just kids then, and in the childish innocence of youth had no idea of the consequences that would come from this chance meeting. Jack was already a grown adult when Elizabeth first met Jack, although she was too young to remember, it had been her birth day after all.
Jack Thornton smiled at the sleeping newborn as she lay in her plastic crib in the nursery. She was a little thing, but he could already see that all too familiar fight in her eyes as she struggled to undo the blanket that she had been swaddled in, those proud eyes zipping back and forth beneath her lids. He frowned to himself as he wandered if it was creepy that he found her cute. She was his future wife after all, but nobody except himself knew that. He shook off the thought, turning away from the large window, focusing instead on her, the adult Elizabeth, the one who's ring he now wore on his hand. He smiled and kissed it, hoping that he would soon return to her.
He had barely turned from the window when a cry resounded from the nursery. His fatherly instinct immediately kicked in, the cry sounding so much like his daughter's. It had been baby Elizabeth that had released the wail. He watched her helplessly through the window, wanting to soothe her infant fears, but unable to do so. He feared that she would never lose her distress, until a new crib was rolled into the nursery and placed next to hers. This crib held a baby, wrapped in blue, and bearing a familiar name. Thornton. 'So', he thought, 'we have known each other for all our lives', and wouldn't you know it.. she stopped crying.
Young Elizabeth Thatcher raced through the field of her family's summer estate and out into the broad meadow, right to the edge of the forest. As planned out on her calendar she brought with her a set of clothes for her friend, an old set of her father's that had been defunct as "old fashioned" for the up to date lawyer. William Thatcher was a proud man who liked to look his best for trial and didn't want to be dismissed as old fashioned. Unbeknownst to William he was keeping his daughter's friend stocked up in nice clothes for his visits.
Elizabeth reached the edge of the forest and laid out the clothes on a flat rock and walked away, out of sight and sat down to right in her journal. Today was her sixteenth birthday and she was excited to share her new present with her friend. But that would have to wait until after their chess game.
"You really should tell your parents". Elizabeth smiled at the warm sound of his voice, it never ceases to make her smile.
"They would just ruin our fun Jack", she said, trying to flirt with him, but it only earned her a scowl from the older man.
"This isn't a game Elizabeth", he said in a fatherly tone.
"Then it's a good thing I trust you", she said. They had had this conversation before, ever since she began showing romantic interest in the opposite sex. It had been profoundly uncomfortable for him, and extremely awkward. He had never revealed their "current" relationship to her, especially not now. All Elizabeth knew was that he was a time traveler, and that he was a polite, kind man who genuinely cared for her and loved her, albeit not enough for her liking. While Jack didn't see the point in arguing the matter with her, he refused to budge and she simply was not the kind to force a matter, he would remind her every chance he had that a relationship with him simply would not work, of course he omitted the important fact that they already had a relationship from his point of view of the timeline, she just had to wait patiently to catch up to him.
"I'm sixteen today", she said, changing the subject, "my parents got me a car", she said, holding up the keys to a new Porsche. Jack whistled at the gift.
"The perks of being the daughter of a high profile lawyer", he said teasingly, setting up the chess moves in his mind, going off of the previous games.
"I actually detest it", she said, casually dropping the keys to the side, "I was actually wandering if you wanted to take a ride", she cautiously proffered, "it would be nice to share my gift with a friend".
"You know I can't Elizabeth". She knew it was true. She didn't know why, but she trusted him when he told her that he couldn't leave his point of travel. The point of travel was where he entered a moment in time, and also served as his exit. The last time he left the point of travel was late one night when Elizabeth was still a toddler. He had walked to the edge of the field, which also served as his barrier, and watched the house. On his watch he noticed a windowless van pull up.. and watched as the men broke into the house. He quickly ran to the house, the first pangs of being ripped out of time beginning to course through his body, but he ignored them. He arrived just in time to tackle the first man as he struggled to get a fighting Elizabeth into the van. This commotion set off the perimeter alarm, causing the men to flee, leaving Elizabeth crying over Jack as his body was violently, and painfully, wrenched from her time, and back to his present.
Leaving the point of travel forced his body to return, and it was never a pleasant experience. So he did whatever he could to protect her, and at the same time keep himself safe. It would do his wife no comfort to return a broken mess.
The chess game went quickly, which Elizabeth was grateful for, because she had a plan. She quickly packed up everything and left Jack alone in the field, only to return, tearing up the beautiful meadow with her brand new car.
"You're not leaving me without taking a ride, Mister".
Jack laughed softly. No matter what time, no matter what age, Elizabeth was always going to be Elizabeth.
What do y'all think of this as a future series?
