Jesse Walker stepped off the stagecoach. He surveyed the town of Hope Valley in one quick pass. Some would call it "quaint." Some might even call it "booming." But all Jesse would call it was "simple." He really wanted to be in this town for as little time as possible.

"Mr. Walker," Wesley Campbell came hurrying up to meet Jesse. "Welcome Sir."

"Thank you Wes," Jesse shook Wesley's hand. "Do you have a room for me arranged?"

"Yes Sir," Wesley confirmed. "The Queen of Hearts has some rooms in which we can stay." Wesley Campbell made a motion towards the saloon.

Jesse couldn't help but turn up his nose. "The saloon?"

"Yes Sir," Wesley apologized. "There isn't anything else."

"No matter," Jesse looked around. "I won't be here long enough to care."

Wesley picked up Jesse's suitcases. "Would you like me to show you to your room?"

Jesse shook his head. "No. I have business to attend to." He looked towards the Mountie office. "I'll meet up with you later."

Nathan was typing away furiously. As much as the situation regarding Ally weighed heavily on him, he also had to wrap up the reports regarding the O'Roarke incident. He heard the door open and glanced up, hoping to see Elizabeth's smiling face. She had been a quiet support the last few days, honoring Nathan's request to not tell Ally. However, it was not Elizabeth's face that he saw.

"It's been a long time, Nathan," Jesse Walker drawled.

"Not long enough," Nathan said through clenched teeth. The last thing he had anticipated was Jesse Walker showing up in Hope Valley. "You're not welcome here."

"Now, Constable," Jesse sneered. "Is that any way an official should act?"

Nathan stood up, doing his best to keep his anger in check. "At the moment, I don't really care how I should be."

"Well," Jesse placed a document on Nathan's desk. "You know why I'm here."

"Yeah, it's not happening," Nathan said emphatically.

"The law is on my side," Jesse pointed to the document. "I am her biological father and it is time she comes to live with me."

"Uncle Nathan…."

Unbeknownst to Nathan and Jesse, Ally and Elizabeth had left school together and had decided to stop by the jail. The hope had been to have Nathan walk home with them.

Nathan's face blanched. "Ally…."

Jesse turned around. "Hi Ally. I'm your dad. I've come to take you home with me."

"This is my home," Ally said, her voice quivering. "Hope Valley is my home. Uncle Nathan is my home."

"Not according to the law Sweetheart."

"You do not have any right to call her that," Elizabeth instinctively stepped in front of Ally.

"And who are you?" Jesse sized this woman up. Where he was from, women remained in the background, not really speaking up. His wife was a member of high society and would never jump into a man's conversation.

"I'm Elizabeth Thornton, Ally's teacher. And as I was saying, you have no right to call her sweetheart." Elizabeth stared down Jesse Walker. It seemed like the jail was always the place for a showdown and she wasn't about to lose this one. "That title is reserved for someone you love. Not someone you abandoned at the age of four."

"Well, I am here now," Jesse responded. "And it is time for me to fix my past transgressions."

"As I said," Nathan repeated. "That is not happening."

"Well," Jesse made a motion towards the door. "A judge is coming on Monday. I suggest you find representative counsel." Jesse walked out the door.

As soon as he walked out the door, Ally broke down in sobs. Nathan rushed over to his niece and held her in his arms. Elizabeth stepped out of the way. This needed to be Nathan's moment with Ally.

"Why is he here Uncle Nathan?" Ally wailed. "Why is my dad here?"

Nathan just held her, doing his best to keep his emotions in check. "I don't know, Ally Girl. I really don't know."

Ally continued to sob. "He wants to take me away?"

Nathan rubbed her back. "I promise you, Ally, that I will let nothing happen to you. Do you hear me? You are not going anywhere."

"He abandoned me, Uncle Nathan. He abandoned my mom."

"I know," Nathan whispered softly. He glanced up at Elizabeth through wet eyes. Silent tears had fallen. For both of them.

Uncle and niece stayed in this position for a while. Ally continued to cry and Nathan doing his best to comfort her. But there was no comfort to be found.

It had been a difficult afternoon and evening. The outburst and the cries had been heard by many in the town. Word had spread quickly as a result. The news that Ally's father was in town was not met with happiness. Rather, it was met with horror, disgust, and sadness. Elizabeth had walked home with Nathan and Ally but she didn't stay. She wanted the two of them to have more time to think, to process, to walk. Elizabeth had gone home and snuggled her son. Those snuggles meant even more.

All of a sudden, Elizabeth felt a need to check on Nathan. She carried her sleeping son down to Nathan's house and gently rapped on the door.

Nathan answered, dressed in his undershirt, hair askew. His eyes were red. Clearly, Nathan had given into his emotions. Nathan just stood in the doorway for a moment not doing anything, not saying anything. Elizabeth stepped closer to him and gently placed her free hand on his arm. That was enough to cause Nathan to break down in sobs.

Elizabeth led Nathan to the comfortable rug in front of the fire, laying her son down as well. Once both arms were free, Elizabeth and Nathan met in an embrace. It wasn't one of passion; it was one of grief.

"Lizabeth…" Nathan wiped away the tears from his eyes. "I cannot lose Ally. She means everything to me."

Elizabeth was reminded, yet again, of the special relationship between the man in front of her and his niece. It was one of the things Elizabeth found most attractive about Nathan. A man being a father when he didn't have to be…it was a special characteristic. She knew that if things continued to progress between Nathan and her, Elizabeth had a feeling Nathan would be the same way towards her son.

"I made a promise to Colleen," Nathan shakily spoke. "I promised my sister, on her death bed, that I would always look after Ally. And I have done that the best I could."

"You have done a wonderful job," Elizabeth touched Nathan's arm. "Do not think differently for a second."

Nathan managed a smile. Of course this woman would try to be encourage him at his weakest moment. "Do you remember when I said that as a parent, I should do something special for you? Well, Lizabeth, I have always thought of myself as Ally's parent. Not even her Uncle. I have loved that girl like she is my own flesh and blood. Like my daughter."

"I know," Elizabeth looked knowingly at Nathan. "Everyone here at Hope Valley can see that."

"And just think how last week we were decorating this house for Christmas." Nathan took in the tree, the pine boughs, the ornaments. "Ally thought this was going to be an even better Christmas than last year. And then Jesse Walker shows up."

"We will do everything to make sure Ally does have that wonderful Christmas," Elizabeth reassured Nathan.

"We, huh?" Nathan looked lovingly at Elizabeth.

"Yes," Elizabeth replied. "We."