Chapter 3

A/N: Heeyyyy I'm back I'm trying not to be loud because I'm currently running away from a very scary looking Bill Avery. If he comes by here asking for me tell him that I moved away or I got taken by aliens. Trust me you don't want to make that guy angry seriously he throws some hurtful punches *holds arm*. Thx to him I have writers block now cause I'm too scared to write right now. So I'll try to make this a/n quick so I can find a better hiding spot than in the bathroom U^U. "Scar!" YIPE! UH got to go Author take it away please!

Disclaimer: I don't own When Calls the Heart otherwise I'd be dead by now for putting this torture in the series QwQ.

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Elizabeth opened the back door to the café and walked inside she placed her shawl on one of the chairs in the kitchen and turned on the lights. "Abigail you home?" Elizabeth asked not getting an answer she walked up the stairs and opened the door to Abigail's room and looked in. "Abigail?" Elizabeth asked again Abigail's room was dark, and her sheets were still made. There was no sign that she was in the room recently. Elizabeth walked back out and shut the door behind her.

"Ms. Thatcher where is Ms. Abigail?" A voice asked Elizabeth turned around and looked at a very tired looking Cody. "I don't know where she is at, but why don't you go back to bed and I'll go to Inspector Avery and ask where she is at." Elizabeth implied Cody nodded and went back to his room and shut the door. Elizabeth sighed and walked back down the stairs, grabbed her shawl, turned off the lights, and walked out to find Bill.

Elizabeth walked across the road and went straight to the jail. She walked up the steps and knocked on the door. Jack answered the door and looked at Elizabeth with a concerned look. "Elizabeth?" Jack inquired and walked out and shut the door behind him. "What's wrong?" Jack asked putting his hands on Elizabeth's forearms. She looked Jack in the eyes and looked like she was going to break down right there and then. "Abigail's gone, Cody's home alone, and I have no idea what to do and I can't leave Cody home alone without someone with him." Elizabeth rambled Jack pulled Elizabeth into a hug and rubbed her back calming her down. "It's ok, I'll find someone to look after Cody while we search for Abigail and you go find Bill and tell him what happened." Jack stated and gave Elizabeth a quick peck on the lips before going off to find someone to watch over Cody.

Elizabeth walked across the road and went towards the saloon she turned the knob and walked in. She looked around the room for the inspector before spotting him at the bar with his head in his hands, an empty whiskey cup next to him. Elizabeth walked up to Bill and took a seat next to him one of the bar tenders walked up to her. "What can I get you?" The bartender asked. Elizabeth looked at him. "Sorry I don't want anything." Elizabeth responded. He shrugged and walked away putting the wine bottle away.

Elizabeth put a comforting hand on Bill's shoulder making him look up at Elizabeth his eyes were a little bit red. "Bill do you know where Abigail is?" Elizabeth inquired. Bill looked at Elizabeth with a confused look. "No I don't know where she is." Bill answered when the words that Elizabeth stated sunk in a little longer his eyes looked at her with alarm. "Why isn't she in the café?" Bill asked Elizabeth turned her attention to the ground answering Bill's question. Bill grabbed her by the arms making her look at him. "Where is she?" Bill inquired again. Tears starting to fall slowly down Elizabeth's cheeks as she leaned into Bill. Her shoulders shaking with her sobs.

"I-I don't k-know where she is w-when I got there the lights were off and C-Cody was home alone unaware that Abigail was gone." Elizabeth stuttered Bill patted Elizabeth on the back not quite sure how to comfort her. The brunette's sobs stopped and she took in a shaky breath. "Does Jack know?" Bill questioned Elizabeth nodded her head 'yes' and removed herself from Bill's hug and wiped her eyes. Bill stood up and started for the door when he was stopped when a hand touched his arm. Bill turned around expecting it to be Elizabeth when it turned out to be Nora. He fought the urge to groan and roll his eyes at her. "What Nora?" Bill griped

Nora was taken aback by Bill's tone of voice at her. "Are you really going after that café woman?" Nora inquired with a hint of bitterness in her tone. Bill looked at Nora then back at Elizabeth who was waiting patiently at the door for him. She looked at Bill and motioned for him to hurry. "Yes as a matter fact I am." Bill stated and walked over to Elizabeth and they both walked out the saloon.

Bill pulled his coat around him a little tighter as trying to keep out the cold. "Ok, where do you suggest we look first?" Bill asked shivering Elizabeth looked around Hope Valley. "Maybe we could ask the boy in the stable and see if he's seen Abigail." Elizabeth suggested Bill nodded in agreement not really having any ideas of where to look. They both walked over to the boy who was shoveling hay into the horse stables not hearing the pair walk up to him.

*Blooper*"Exsqueeze me young man…" Bill stated then he and Elizabeth started cracking up in laughter. Bill turns to the author. "Is this really my line?" Bill asked author walks over and looks at his script and marks through the *cough* mistake. "Sorry my fault." The author replied before stepping out of the screen. "Redo!" the characters are still cracking up at Bill's mistake.

*Back to the story*

Bill tapped on the boy's shoulder making him turn and look at Bill. "Excuse me young man have you seen Mrs. Stanton around here by chance?" Bill asked bending down to the boy's eye level. "Yeah I actually come out of here a few hours ago." The boy answered Bill and Elizabeth looked at each other and looked back at the stable boy. "Do you know where she went?" Elizabeth inquired the boy nodded his head 'yes' and pointed in the direction of the woods. Elizabeth gave the boy a kind smile and placed a hand on the boy's shoulder. "What's your name?" queried Elizabeth the boy looked at Elizabeth. "Kyle." Kyle answered Elizabeth smiled warmly and removed her hand from Kyle's shoulder. "Well Kyle thank you for your help." Elizabeth spoke Kyle smiled back and went back to what he was doing.

Just as Bill and Elizabeth were about to walk into the stable Abigail's Paso Fino mare came galloping down the road. People jumped out of the horse's way some people ran over to the mare trying to calm her down. Hera reared up making the people that were trying to help her stumble back a little. Elizabeth cautiously walked up to the horse and petted Hera's muzzle, and whispered comforting words into the horse's ear making the mare calm down a little. "Its ok folks she's all right go back to what you were doing." Bill yelled out into the crowd. The group surrounding the horse walked away going back to their own business.

"Bill this is Abigail's horse." Elizabeth claimed petting Hera's muzzle. Bill walked over to the mare and started petting Hera. "Are you sure Elizabeth?" Bill questioned Elizabeth nodded her head 'yes'. "I'm sure Bill. Abigail took me on a trail ride and this was the horse she rode." Elizabeth assured Bill. She turned her attention back to Hera. The horse looked like she was spooked by something or someone. "Bill do you think that Hera was possibly spooked by something?" Elizabeth inquired and stopped petting Hera to look at Bill. "It's a possibility." Bill stated but trailed off. Elizabeth looked at Bill with concern. "What is it Bill?" Elizabeth asked

Bill stopped petting Hera and sighed. "I don't think that Hera's spooking was on accident." Bill spoke again looking Elizabeth in the eyes. She raised an eyebrow at Bill. "I'm not following Bill." Puzzled Elizabeth motioned Bill to continue. "I think that someone purposely followed Abigail and Hera, and waited until Abigail got off of Hera to spook her. Leaving Abigail alone in the woods hurt or lost." Bill explained.

Bells run in Elizabeth rung in her head. 'How could I have been so stupid not to realize that?' Elizabeth wondered she turned to Bill with a plan in mind. "Ok this sounds a little nutty but I think we should split up to look for Abigail in the woods so we can cover more ground." Elizabeth suggested Bill nodded in agreement. Elizabeth mounted Hera and took towards the woods. Bill went back inside to grab his horse and took off after Elizabeth.

The trip to the woods for Bill felt like it was slow even with his horse going at top speed. Bill put his horse into a trot once they reached the woods he looked around him for any sign of Abigail. "Bill." A voice whispered Bill pulled back on the reins making his horse stop. He got off of his horse and walked over to the hill where he thought he heard the voice come from. "Hello?" Bill called out as he looked down the hill. "Bill." The voice whispered again Bill spotted a figure lying on her back near a stream. "Abigail?" Bill asked as he climbed down the hill. Bill knelt down beside Abigail he felt her forehead she was cold to the touch. He took off his jacket and put it on her.

Bill cradled Abigail in his arms as he whispered her name and comforting words in her ears. "My head hurts Bill." Abigail muttered half awake and half asleep. Bill felt the back of her head trying to feel what she meant he drew his hand back. Blood covered his hand Bill's eyes widened. 'How did I not see this earlier?' Bill wondered he carefully got to his feet being careful not to jostle Abigail too much. "Bill?" A voice called out Bill looked back up the hill and saw Elizabeth standing up there with both of the horses. "Down here Elizabeth!" Bill called

Elizabeth made her way down the hill and looked relieved to see Abigail in Bill's arms. But a worried look replaced her relived look when she saw Abigail pale and blood on Bill's shirt. "What happened?" Elizabeth asked Bill looked down at Abigail who had fallen asleep again. "No time to explain we need to get her to Doctor Carson. She hit her head on a rock." Bill spoke as he tried to get up the hill with Abigail in his arms.

'Hang in there Abigail.' Bill thought as he reached the horses.

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A/N: Whew this took forever to write -_- but hey I'm proud the way it turned out. I hope you enjoyed that little blooper in there you all know I had to put that in there U^U. And yes I'm in a safe spot now I'm currently hiding from Bill in the attic it's not the best spot though O-O. Hopefully it won't take so long to get the next chapter out. "Aha found you!" HOW DID YOU FIND ME?! One favorite equals one lucky moment for me to escape from this mess. BYE!

~Scar~