Nathan peered into the darkness, eyes moving from the dim light above the front door of the bank to the street to the bank's back door. His eyes continued to move around that circuit, waiting and watching for any movement that was unusual.

He desperately hoped that for once Bill's instincts were wrong, but if he'd learned anything in his time as a Mountie, it was to follow the instincts of a fellow lawman. Especially if that lawman was someone as seasoned as Bill. As the hours went by, he kept his silent vigil, periodically making sure he could still see Bill and Gabe at their posts.

While his eyes swept the town, his mind drifted to Elizabeth. He wondered if she was getting any sleep tonight, or if she was holding a vigil of her own. He was amazed at her courage and bravery in the face of knowing someone she loved was in danger. She had clung to him tightly, but then she had been able to let him go despite her fear. He loved that about her. Considering everything she had been through, she had every reason to hold on tighter, to beg him not to go. But she hadn't. She had squared her shoulders, let him go, and told him to come back to her.

And he had every intention of coming back to her. Now that he had finally found her, he wasn't going to let go.

His mind turned to thoughts of the two of them becoming a family together with Allie and Jack. He knew it was going to be difficult at first, all of them living under one roof and trying to come together as a family when they were all so used to living their own lives. He'd experienced that struggle when Colleen died and he'd been named Allie's guardian; his life had changed so radically he almost didn't know what to do. But day by day it had gotten easier, and eventually he and Allie had settled into a routine and gotten used to being together. Within a few weeks, he hadn't been able to remember what life had been like without her, nor did he want to remember. He loved her with a fierceness that surprised him, and while he missed his sister dearly, he was thankful for the blessing Allie was to him. He knew he would feel something similar as Elizabeth and Jack became an irreplaceable part of his life.

They were practically already there. Nathan knew Elizabeth loved Allie completely, and he loved little Jack as if he were his own son. Jack had wiggled his way into Nathan's heart easily, much like his mother had. He was looking forward to all the highs and lows that came with being a family and the challenge that would present itself coparenting the two children with Elizabeth. He was ready for them to be a family. Nine months seemed like a long time to wait.

But they were worth the wait.

He already knew the wedding would be beautiful, especially since it would take place at Christmas. He also knew Rosemary would move mountains to make the day special for her best friend. As much as he was looking forward to the wedding, though, he was more excited about actually marrying Elizabeth and starting their life together. The setting didn't matter to him. All that mattered was that they were sacramentally joined as husband and wife. The rest would just be an added bonus.

A door creaked open slowly behind him, jerking him back to reality. Nathan pressed back into the shadows, pulling his gun from its holster. He tensed, ready for anything, then relaxed when he saw Lucas emerge from the building. "What are you doing up here?" Nathan asked in a whisper, relief flooding him as he placed his gun back in its holster.

"I've been watching from my window," Lucas whispered back. "It looks over the back of the saloon, and I thought I saw someone creeping from building to building. I thought you should know."

Instantly on high alert, Nathan crept to the side of the saloon and peered around the building. After a few minutes, he noticed something moving in the shadows. As he came back to his spot, he noticed that the light over the bank door had gone out. His stomach dropped to his feet. "There's two of them," he murmured, signaling to Bill and Gabe. "And it looks like we're about to stop a bank robbery."

He quietly hurried to the saloon door and swiftly moved down the hallway and descended the stairs. He was almost to the front door of the saloon before he noticed Lucas was on his heels. "What do you think you're doing?" he asked, raising a brow at him.

"Helping," Lucas said immediately.

Nathan noticed a gun nestled in Lucas's pants pocket. He gave him a look. "Lucas, I can't have a civilian getting involved in this. It's potentially very dangerous."

Lucas gave him a look right back. "I know that, and I want to help anyways. Besides, for all we know you're going to need all the help you can get." A determined look set on his face. "I'm following you with or without your approval."

Nathan sighed, realizing suddenly that Lucas had a stubborn side. "Fine," he said. "But don't do anything without my permission."

"Noted," Lucas agreed. The two men silently crept out of the saloon and made their way to the side of Lee's office, where Bill and Gabe had met. The four of them crouched in the shadows, talking in whispers.

"Lucas saw someone creeping behind the saloon," Nathan said. "And someone else must have turned off the light over the bank."

Gabe nodded. "And we saw someone slinking from building to building near Bill's office," he said. A concerned look crossed his face. "There's at least three of them, Nathan."

"Then it's a good thing there's three of us," Bill said, a resolute look on his face.

"Four," Lucas chimed in. "I'm helping too."

"This is Mountie business," Bill said firmly.

Lucas seared Bill with the same look he'd given Nathan. "You're not a Mountie anymore, Bill, but you're helping."

"That's different. I can deputize myself."

"Then you can deputize me too."

Bill and Lucas continued their stare off as Nathan and Gabe watched in amusement. Bill finally gave a nod in acquiescence. "Fine, Bouchard, consider yourself deputized. But you stick with Nathan, understand?"

Lucas gave a little smile. "Yes, sir."

They watched the bank for a few more minutes, then noticed two shadows moving toward a third from opposite sides of the building.

"They're moving," Nathan said. "Time to roll." He looked at Bill and Gabe. "Bill, you take the front of the bank. Lucas and I will take the back door. And Gabe, you take the side. Let's move!"

Silently, the four men crept to their posts, moving steadily closer to the three figures slinking in the shadows.

Elizabeth tossed and turned in her bed, unable to sleep. Finally she gave up trying. Flinging the covers aside, she put on her favorite robe, checked on Jack, and then made her way down the stairs. She set about making herself a calming cup of peppermint tea, then sat on the settee and stared into her cup.

What was Nathan doing right now? Was he safe? Was there a bad man coming into town, or would he leave Hope Valley alone? The questions swirled in her head. She rubbed her forehead, hoping the headache that was developing would vanish in the morning when Nathan showed up at her door.

She had to believe he would be okay. The alternative was not an option. They couldn't have found each other only to have it all taken away like she thought it had when Carson said those fateful words: "he's gone."

Elizabeth took a deep breath. "'Do not worry about tomorrow, for tomorrow will worry about itself,'" she quoted quietly, drawing strength from the words of scripture. She let the words settle in her heart, then took a sip of her tea. The minty flavor coated her tongue and instantly made her feel more relaxed. She let out a sigh.

There was nothing she would gain by worrying. Nathan was good at his job, and he wouldn't take unnecessary risks. She said a prayer for his protection, then tried to leave him in God's hands.

Her thoughts went to Allie, who was staying the night at Opal's. She wondered whether Nathan had told Allie about his mission tonight, or if he tried to spare her feelings by keeping it to himself. Allie had already been through so much. Elizabeth doubted Nathan told his niece everything about his job, and considering no one knew if a bank robber was even coming to Hope Valley, there would be no need to cause her to worry about a hypothetical situation.

Elizabeth sighed again, then rested her head against one of the pillows on the settee. Her eyes started to droop, and she smiled as she drifted into sleep. Something deep down told her Nathan was going to be fine. He was going to come back to her.

The last thing she remembered before falling asleep was Nathan's sweet face in her mind, telling her he loved her and would see her in the morning.

Nathan looked to the right and left as he and Lucas quickly crossed the street, heading for the back door of the bank. He motioned for Lucas to stay right behind him, then peered around the fence to make sure no one was standing at the back door. He quickly moved back behind the fence and looked at Lucas. "One of them is there," he mouthed. Lucas nodded his understanding. They crouched there in silent expectation, waiting either for the door to open or to hear Bill or Gabe announce their presence.

After five minutes, the back door to the bank creaked open. Nathan could barely hear the thief whisper, "We've got it. Let's go."

"Where's Larry?" the other one said quietly, looking around his partner. "He's supposed to come out this door too."

Nathan looked around the fence in time to see the man who was coming out the door look behind him, then look back with surprise on his face. "He was right behind me." He poked his head back into the bank and loudly whispered, "Larry! Where are you?"

"Follow my lead," Nathan said under his breath to Lucas. They pulled their guns, and Nathan stepped confidently around the fence. "Police! Freeze!" He had a gun trained on one man, and he could see Lucas had his trained on the other. He silently admired the fact that Lucas's hand wasn't wavering in the least. The man on the steps vanished into the bank and the other tried to run, but Nathan was too fast for him. He leapt forward and tackled him to the ground. Yanking him up again, Nathan pulled the man's hands behind his back and handcuffed him. "You're under arrest."

From inside the bank, Nathan heard Bill yell, "I've got the other one!"

Gabe appeared in the doorway, leading another man Nathan assumed was Larry. "And I've got the third."

Bill came out of the door with the thief who had been talking to the first one. "Three criminals," he said, shaking his head. "We should have known it wasn't only one. This was too well planned to be a one-man job." He smirked. "You gentleman robbed six different banks without leaving a trace. But not in Hope Valley." He took the first criminal from Nathan. "Gabe and I will take these men to the jail. You and Lucas make sure this money gets back where it belongs." Gabe tossed the bag to Nathan and nodded.

They started to lead the men away, and Nathan headed for the steps with the money. Without warning, several things happened at once. Before he reached the first step, Bill shouted, "Nathan, watch out!" He heard Gabe's horrified yell, and then someone rammed hard into Nathan, knocking him off his feet. As he hit the ground, he heard the unmistakable sound of a gunshot. Then a second shot rang out. He froze momentarily, unsure where the sound came from.

Looking up, he saw Gabe tackle a fourth man, wrestling a gun away from him. Nathan felt a little dazed. The wind had been knocked out of him from his fall. Who had hit him?

Pushing himself up, he saw that Gabe had cuffed the shooter, and he was looking at something behind him. Nathan turned, and his heart dropped to his feet.

Lucas was lying on the ground, unmoving. In the dim light from the bank, Nathan could see crimson stains soaking into his clothes at his shoulder and at his abdomen. As he hurried to Lucas's side and knelt beside him, two realizations swept over him.

This man, whom he had once seen as his biggest rival, had pushed him out of the way of a bullet, risking his own life to save Nathan's. And now Lucas's life was hanging in the balance. They had to get him to the infirmary immediately.

Pressing a hand to Lucas's neck, Nathan was relieved to feel a pulse. It was thready, but it was still going. "He's alive," Nathan called. He looked down at Lucas. His face was whiter than should be possible, and his breathing was getting raspier by the moment. Nathan jumped up, looking at Bill. "Tie those thieves to that tree," he said, pointing at a tree and tossing the coil of rope from the side of the bank to Gabe. "And then get Lucas to the infirmary. I'm going to get Carson."

Bill and Gabe nodded, looking solemn and springing into action. Nathan raced to Carson's house, praying the whole way.

Please, please don't let it be too late!