Elizabeth woke up before Little Jack on Christmas Eve. She was thankful for the early morning solitude so she could reflect on her son's birth in the cabin 2 years ago. She would be forever grateful to Rosemary and Abigail for helping her get through that day. At the same time, she thought of Jack and Little Jack and how they'd missed out on knowing one another. Elizabeth knew that Little Jack would always know who his father was thanks to her memories as well as those of their friends and family but, a part of her would always be sad that Jack and his son never met.
Her mind quickly shifted to Nathan and how at ease he was with her son. She knew that Nathan would love Little Jack as his own child just as he had done with Allie years ago. Even though they weren't that far into their official courtship, Elizabeth and Nathan had known one another for almost 2 years now and had been friends almost as long. Elizabeth knew she had already started falling in love with Nathan and simply couldn't picture her future without him and Allie in it. So when she thought back to Little Jack, she knew he'd be blessed to have the love of 2 fathers: Nathan and Jack.
Right on cue, Elizabeth heard "Mama" coming repeatedly from Little Jack's room. She quickly put on her slippers and robe and walked into her son's room.
"Happy Birthday my precious boy! You're 2 years old today! We have such a fun day planned for you!" she said as she picked him up and showered him with a hug and several kisses. Jack giggled. She changed him and they headed downstairs where Elizabeth placed him on the floor next to his blocks and she proceeded to whip up pancakes and scrambled eggs for breakfast. She poured herself a cup of coffee and Jack a cup of apple juice and mother and son enjoyed breakfast together.
Elizabeth then carried Jack over to the Christmas tree where she handed him a small box. Jack opened it eagerly and found a brand new cloth horse. He just couldn't get enough toy horses! As was the case the prior year, Elizabeth started the day with a small gift for Jack and then would give him a larger gift at his birthday party that afternoon. Elizabeth cleaned up the breakfast dishes while Jack played with his new toy. They then washed up and got dressed. As they were coming back downstairs, a knock was at the door. Elizabeth opened it to find a smiling, red serge clad Nathan on the other side.
"Merry Christmas Eve! Happy birthday Jack!" he said as Jack immediately lifted his arms and screamed "Up". Nathan laughed and scooped him up showering him with kisses just as Elizabeth had done earlier. Jack giggled again.
"We weren't expecting you so early. Please come in!"
"I was on my way to do some quick rounds before the festivities get started and I was wondering if there was anything you needed from the mercantile."
"Oh Nathan that was so thoughtful of you! I think we are good but I could always use a kiss."
Nathan smiled and stepped towards Elizabeth. He wrapped his free arm around her and proceeded to lean down and kiss her even with Jack in between them. Jack just stared at them and then giggled. And soon Elizabeth and Nathan joined the giggles. Nathan then wrapped both Jack and Elizabeth into a hug before handing the little boy back to his mother. Jack started to fuss but Nathan quickly reminded him that he would be back later to celebrate. He smiled at both of them and left. Elizabeth put Jack down to go play because she needed a few minutes to collect herself and get her rapid heartbeat under control. She also hoped this feeling would never end.
Elizabeth knew that the afternoon and evening would be busy so she purposely did not make a lot of plans for the early part of the day. She wanted to make sure she had quality time to spend with her son and that he would be well rested for his party and the Christmas concert. Elizabeth baked a chocolate cake as well as chocolate chip cookies that morning and then served herself and Jack lunch. After that, Elizabeth put him down for what she hoped would be a long nap. She used naptime to set out her dress and Jack's dressy overalls for the concert. They would both change quickly after the party.
Little Jack slept for just over 2 hours. By the time he woke up, the house was ready for his birthday party. Lee, Rosemary, Bill, Nathan, Allie, and Laura all arrived within minutes of one another. Everyone was in a good mood and happy to celebrate Elizabeth's special little boy and then Christmas. The group spent most of the time in the living room enjoying one another's company while Elizabeth got the cake and cookies ready. She also had hot chocolate for everyone. Nathan came into the kitchen to help her set up everything and to steal a quick kiss. After everyone had eaten, the group settled in the living room again for Jack's presents.
Rosemary handed Jack a large wrapped box. After last year's wooden rocking horse made by Hickam, Lee and Rosemary wanted to do something else that he could enjoy now. Little Jack started to open the large package but struggled a bit. Allie lowered herself to the floor next to him and helped him open the box. Inside was a simple but beautiful wooden train set perfect for a toddler. It contained an engine, 3 cars, a red caboose. All cars had been painted a different color with the engine bright blue. The words "Hope Valley Express" had been painted along the side of each car and there were connecting wooden tracks as well so that Jack could set up the train set in a large oval. Elizabeth had tears in her eyes as she looked at Lee and Rosemary, knowing they had asked Hickam once again to create a unique gift for her son.
"What do you say to Uncle Lee and Auntie Rosie, Jack?"
"Tank you!" said an excited Jack as he ran over to hug Lee and Rosemary.
Jack ran back to the floor and his new trains as Bill handed him another large gift. Once again, Allie helped him open it. Inside was a large round tin of Lincoln Logs.
Jack looked at the picture on the tin curiously. "Bwoks?" he asked.
"Yes Baby they are similar to blocks! We will play with them together since the pieces are different from your regular blocks. Go say thank you to Uncle Bill."
Jack did what his mother told him to do and ran over to give Bill a hug.
Laura handed Jack a softly, wrapped package telling the boy that she had made the gift for him. Allie helped him open it to reveal a beautiful navy blue cable knit sweater, similar to one that Nathan has.
"Laura! That is just beautiful. You are so talented with your knitting needles!" said Elizabeth as she quickly hugged Laura and then had Jack do the same.
"Our turn!" said Allie as she handed Jack a long, thin package.
Jack was able to easily open this one on his own. Elizabeth smiled her appreciation at Nathan. Inside the package was a small, hand-carved fishing pole, perfect for Jack now but also long enough that he could use it for a few years.
"Nathan, that is exquisite!" exclaimed Lee.
"You have quite the gift for wood carving Nathan!" said Bill.
"I know Jack will love it, especially once you teach him how to fish." added Rosemary.
Elizabeth simply walked over to Nathan and gave him a kiss in front of her Hope Valley family. The kiss didn't last long because both Elizabeth and Nathan felt tiny hands down at their knees. Jack wanted some kisses too. Nathan scooped him up and showered him with kisses as did his mother. Eventually, Allie came over and joined them in a group. Meanwhile, everyone else in the room couldn't help but feel happy for these 4 people who had been through so much tragedy now starting to come together as a family.
After a quick break to change for the Christmas Eve concert, Nathan and Allie walked Elizabeth and Jack to the schoolhouse with the Coulters not far behind. At the school, this time Nathan sat with Lee and Bill rather than behind them. And Jack sat on Nathan's lap instead of Lee's lap. If Nathan was anywhere near, nobody else would do. Nathan made sure to sit on the aisle in case Jack got fussy and they needed to step out. But, Little Jack was fully enthralled by the concert and was on his best behavior the entire time.
The Christmas Choir performed without a hitch as Allie once again sang her solo for Oh Come, Are Ye Faithful. Nathan beamed with pride as did Elizabeth. After the rest of the performances, Laura took Little Jack home to put him to bed while Elizabeth, Nathan, and Allie went to the Queen of Hearts for the town Christmas Eve celebration. Lucas and Gustav had served up a nice flavored hot chocolate bar and every type of sweet treat imaginable. There were also heavy appetizers available in lieu of a more formal dinner. Since they had already had their share of sweets earlier at Jack's party, Nathan, Elizabeth and Allie stuck with the appetizers along with their hot chocolate.
This year in lieu of a Christmas Festival, Lucas had also invited Hope Valley residents to display their homemade wreaths at the Queen of Hearts during the party. There wasn't a formal contest per se but residents were definitely enjoying the different wreaths and whose might be the most unique. All of the wreaths were lined up along the back wall so guests took their time walking through the line and enjoying the creations. Lucas was considering a more formal contest for next Christmas. With Allie's help, earlier in the week Elizabeth and Rosemary had created a Princess themed wreath to go along with their long awaited gingerbread castle. Elizabeth had been grateful to Nathan for taking Little Jack to work with him for the afternoon so that they could build the gingerbread castle and the Princess wreath. Then Hickam had gone around to each participating home to pick up the wreaths and deliver them to the saloon. Now Elizabeth and Allie were proudly showing Nathan their wreath and he was loving every minute of it. The gingerbread castle was on display at the Coulter home.
"Great job Ladies! Your wreath is the most beautiful one on display." said a proud Nathan as he checked out the wreath details.
Elizabeth and Allie beamed with pride. Lee and Rosemary soon joined the group and soon Lee was also admiring the wreath with Nathan. The 3 women hugged and just watched the men look over the wreath. It had been a long but wonderful Christmas Eve and Elizabeth was equally excited for Christmas Day. As Nathan and Allie walked her back to the rowhouses a short time later, she couldn't help but feel truly excited again for Christmas.
The next morning as Christmas Day dawned, Elizabeth heard very loud shouts of "Mama" coming from Little Jack's room. It was just after sunrise so not too early but also not too late either. She quickly put on her robe and slippers and went to get Little Jack.
"Good morning sweet boy! Merry Christmas! Are you excited to go fishing today?"
"Kissmas! Fis wit Awee and Nat'an!"
Little Jack's smile mirrored the one on Elizabeth's face. She couldn't tell who was more excited for the day, her or her son. Elizabeth quickly got both herself and Jack washed and dressed for breakfast. She headed downstairs and found Rosemary in the kitchen already on her 2nd batch of cinnamon rolls. Bill was bringing over gingerbread scones from the Cafe. So Elizabeth went about making scrambled eggs and coffee while Rosemary finished up the cinnamon rolls. Jack was happily settled on the living room floor with his blocks. He soon had help as Bill came in and immediately went to his godson after dropping off the baked goods in the kitchen.
"Are you happy?" Rosemary repeated the same question she had asked a year ago.
"I'm happier than I ever thought I could be after Jack died. Last year, I was happy but I was also concerned about making sure that Little Jack had the best possible birthday and Christmas without his dad. This year I feel so much lighter and not stressed at all. Everyone that matters to me is happy and healthy today and that's what really counts. I know Nathan and I decided to keep our Christmas morning traditions this year but, I already miss him and Allie, even though I know we will see them later today."
Rosemary looked at her best friend and smiled. "Elizabeth, you're in love with him already, aren't you?"
Elizabeth blushed and looked down at the eggs she was still scrambling. Rosemary gently touched her arm and said "It's ok to be scared. You've been through a lot the last few years and this is all still very new. But you've known Nathan for 2 years now even if you haven't been formally courting until recently. It's been pretty obvious to the rest of us that there is a connection there."
Elizabeth finally smiled at Rosemary and wrapped her in a bear hug.
"I've said this before but you'll know when the time is right to admit to yourself and Nathan just how much you care about him."
Once Lee arrived, the group sat down for Christmas breakfast. Bill said the prayer and the group enjoyed a leisurely breakfast followed by present exchanges. Little Jack was blessed with new overalls and shirts from Bill, a stack of books from Lee and Rosemary, and several new outfits and a new set of blocks from Elizabeth. The adults traditionally didn't exchange gifts as they considered their "family" to be the gift but Elizabeth had baked her chocolate chip cookies for everyone so she handed a festive tin to both Rosemary and Bill. Ever on the same page, Bill handed boxes of chocolate scones to Elizabeth and the Coulters while Rosemary gave everyone tins of sugar cookies. It had been a Merry Christmas morning indeed.
Over at the Grant rowhouse, Allie and Nathan were having a similarly festive but quieter morning. Both were missing Elizabeth and Little Jack. After breakfast, the 2 settled on the settee for presents. Nathan handed Allie a small wrapped box.
"Is this what I think it is?" Allie asked as she shook the charm bracelet on her wrist
"Open it and find out!"
Allie opened the box to find a crown charm.
"Uncle Nathan, I love it!" smiled Allie.
"I know how much you love Queen Victoria after doing that book report. Here let me put it on the bracelet for you while you open your other gifts."
Allie allowed her uncle to remove her bracelet to add the new charm while she opened the next present. Inside were 2 books: Jane Eyre and Sense and Sensibility.
"Thank you Uncle Nathan! I've been wanting to read both of these but they are never in the library. You know how much I love romance novels."
Nathan then handed Allie a familiar looking round box. She opened it to find a flower pot once again filled with soil. Nathan handed her the seedlings from one of Christmas tree pine cones and Allie planted them. She then reached over and gave her uncle a big hug.
"I have something for you too Uncle Nathan" said Allie as she handed her uncle a wrapped box. Nathan gave Allie his crooked smile and then proceeded to open his gift. Inside was a beautifully decorated wooden picture frame and inside the frame was a photo of Nathan holding a 4 year old Allie on his hip. They were standing next to Newton.
"How?" asked a very tearful Nathan.
"I remember seeing it at Grandma's house a long time ago when we were there for a visit. I don't even remember when it was taken but I remember seeing it. So I wrote to Grandma back in September and asked if I could have it. When we decided to stay in Hope Valley last Christmas, I realized that we didn't have a lot of photos of us together. And I wanted us to have a photo together in case you and …"
"In case me and Elizabeth? What are you trying to say Al?"
"Well now that you're courting, I figured it's only a matter of time before you maybe want to get married and then our family will be bigger. So if we take a family photo, it won't be just us."
Nathan thought for a moment. "Allie, whatever happens between Elizabeth and I will never change my relationship with you or my love for you. I love you more than you'll ever know and nothing can change that. And you are absolutely right that we don't have nearly enough photos! I love this one and will cherish it always but how about we ask Dr. Shepherd if he wouldn't mind taking an updated version once the holidays are over?"
They were both crying now so they embraced again and stayed that way for a few minutes.
Finally, Nathan checked his pocket watch and realized it was almost time to meet up with Elizabeth and Jack. They quickly cleaned up the wrapping paper and both freshened up and got ready to meet up with the Thorntons. Nathan grabbed a couple of packages he had already wrapped and on the way out, they grabbed their fishing poles and tackle box. They walked the short distance to Elizabeth's rowhouse and knocked on the door. Elizabeth greeted them with a smiling Jack on her hip and invited them inside.
"Nat'an! Awee! It's Kissmas!" squealed Little Jack as he reached out for Nathan.
Nathan happily took the little boy in his arms. "Merry Christmas little man!" said Nathan as he gave Jack a kiss on the cheek and then hugged him. He then stepped over to Elizabeth and did the exact same thing while holding a giggling Jack.
"Merry Christmas Elizabeth!"
"Merry Christmas Nathan! Merry Christmas Allie!" said Elizabeth as she folded Allie into a hug.
Nathan walked over again with Jack and joined their hug. He then revealed the 2 wrapped presents and handed one to Elizabeth and one to Jack.
"Oh Nathan you shouldn't have! But I have something for each of you as well."
Elizabeth handed a wrapped present to Nathan and to Allie. The foursome made their way over to the settee. Little Jack opened his gift first with Allie's help. It was a rather large, oddly shaped package. Finally, the wrapping was torn away to reveal a beautiful hand-carved toddler sized rocking chair. Jack's eyes lit up at the site of it and he immediately went to hug Nathan before sitting in his new chair.
"I noticed that you didn't have a lot of furniture his size so I thought it would be fun if he had a chair his own size. It also looks similar to the one in his room that you use to rock him to sleep."
Elizabeth reached over to hug Nathan. "It's perfect thank you!"
Allie then opened her gift to find a beautiful leather journal with a fountain pen. She smiled and ran to hug Elizabeth. No words needed as they both understood the importance of it.
Finally, Nathan and Elizabeth looked at the similar sized packages in their respective laps.
"Shall we open them at the same time?" asked Nathan.
Elizabeth smiled and nodded. They both opened their presents to reveal the same exact gift: a copy of the photo that Carson had taken of them at Jesse and Clara's wedding. Elizabeth's had a wooden frame with roses carved into it. Across the top the words "It's A Keeper" were carved in cursive. Nathan's also had a wooden frame with a symmetrical line carved around it at the midpoint in the wood. Simple yet a dash of detail. Perfect for Nathan. Elizabeth had asked Hickam to make it. They looked at one another with tears in their eyes and came together in a brief kiss, already so much on the same page.
"Are we still going fishing or what?" asked Allie.
Nathan reluctantly turned away from Elizabeth and looked at Allie. "Yes Allie, go get your coat." Nathan looked back at Elizabeth and asked if she was ready. She nodded and went to help Little Jack with his coat, hat, and mittens. The little boy then grabbed his new fishing rod and reached his hands up to Nathan who picked him up and made a funny face at him. The foursome walked out of Elizabeth's house and walked together to the fishing hole at the pond. Along the way, they dropped off Nathan and Allie's presents and dessert for tonight at the Grant rowhouse.
Nathan and Allie spent the afternoon teaching Elizabeth and Little Jack how to fish. By the time 5pm rolled around, Jack's eyes were drooping from lack of a nap and the group had caught 6 fish between them, more than enough for dinner. Nathan carried Little Jack back to his house where he planned to fry the fish and cook dinner for everyone. Elizabeth had insisted on handling dessert so earlier she had dropped off the remainder of Little Jack's birthday cake along with a tin of chocolate chip cookies for Nathan and Allie.
At the Grant rowhouse, Nathan placed Little Jack on his bed and tucked him in with the covers so he was secure. He then went downstairs and worked on preparing the fish. He also had string beans and mashed potatoes to go with the fish. Elizabeth and Allie worked on setting the table and pouring the water. By the time Nathan finished, the kitchen smelled wonderful and Little Jack was awake again. Elizabeth went up to Nathan's room to get him. She was intrigued by how simple yet homey the room was. She quickly grabbed Little Jack and went back downstairs to dinner. Since Nathan didn't have a highchair, Elizabeth placed her son on her lap. Nathan had already made up a plate for Little Jack and Elizabeth also noticed that he had also cut the food into bite sized pieces for him. She and Nathan exchanged smiles.
"Nathan, this is delicious! Where did you learn how to fry fish like this?"
"Aww thanks! My mom is an incredible cook and she taught Colleen and I quite a few things in the kitchen. We all happened to love fish so this was a regular recipe for us." he replied smiling.
"Well maybe you can teach me your recipe next time." smiled Elizabeth.
Nathan nodded. After dinner and dessert, Nathan surprised Elizabeth again by pulling out a guitar.
"How about we all sing a few Christmas carols?" he asked.
"Yes! Oh yes!" said Elizabeth and Allie while Little Jack clapped his hands. Nathan sat on the settee with the guitar while Elizabeth sat next to him. Allie and Jack sat together on a blanket on the floor in front of them.
The group sang Silent Night, Hark the Herald Angels Sing, and Oh Come, All Ye Faithful before noticing that they were losing a member of the group again. Little Jack had slowly laid down during the songs and was now fast asleep.
"I guess that's our cue to leave." said Elizabeth.
Nathan put the guitar aside and helped Elizabeth up from the settee. He then bent down and carefully picked up Little Jack.
"Allie could you please get me Jack's coat and hat?" asked Elizabeth.
"Sure!"
Allie handed the items to Elizabeth who quickly dressed her son while Nathan continued to hold him. Elizabeth then walked over to the coat rack and put on her own coat and gloves. She didn't realize that Nathan had quietly followed her. Allie suddenly and rather conspicuously cleared her throat.
"What?!" asked Nathan quietly.
Allie just motioned up above him where there was a sprig of mistletoe hanging right inside the front door. Elizabeth and Nathan both looked up at the same time and then looked at one another.
"Allie will you please hold Little Jack for a moment? I'd like to kiss your teacher."
She came over and carefully took the sleeping boy from her Uncle.
Nathan turned back to Elizabeth and took her in his arms. She put her arms around his neck. Both were smiling.
"I didn't want to ignore tradition," said Nathan.
"We can't have that now can we?"
Nathan leaned down and moved his head closer to Elizabeth until their lips were touching. They shared a short yet passionate kiss. As Nathan pulled back to catch his breath, he closed his eyes and leaned his forehead against Elizabeth's forehead.
"I love you Elizabeth and I have for a long time now. You don't have to reply to me just yet but this has been the best Christmas I've had in a long time and I wanted you to know how I feel about you."
Elizabeth looked into his very clear and very blue eyes and then leaned up to kiss Nathan again.
"I love you too Nathan. I never expected to feel this way again after Jack died but you and Allie have been the best thing that has happened to me in a long time and I'm so grateful to have you both in my life."
Both of them now had tears in their eyes so they kissed once more. This time Elizabeth felt hands around her waist and looked down to find Allie holding a sleeping Little Jack. She pulled the kids in close and the 4 of them stood there hugging for a few minutes. Then Nathan quickly put on his coat and gloves and took Little Jack back from Allie, cradling his head on his shoulder. Elizabeth and Allie hugged and Nathan kissed his niece's forehead.
"I'll be back shortly." he said as he used his free hand to open the door to walk Elizabeth and Jack home.
"This has been the best Christmas ever!" smiled Allie.
"It sure has Allie! I hope that next year is even better!" said Elizabeth as she took Nathan's hand and they stepped out onto his porch. They then walked down the steps and headed towards Elizabeth's rowhouse.
"Me too Elizabeth" said Allie as she shut the front door.