Author's Note: I understand I have recently posted the first chapter. However, the feedback has been so sweet that I could not stop myself from updating the story. I hope everyone enjoys this new chapter. However, if you think something is amiss, please, kindly let me know. Thank you.

Chapter II

"Little Jack is finally asleep." Elizabeth whispered as she went down the stairs as softly as she could. Rosemary looked up from the table she was setting, and smiled at her friend. "Thank you so much for helping out with dinner."

"Oh, it's no problem." Rosemary answered as she waved her hands around, "Lee actually came here a while ago, to ask about you. I told him you were with little Jack. He will be back soon."

"He could have stayed." Elizabeth started to say, but once again Rosemary just waved a hand in the air. With a small smile, Elizabeth approached her friend, and clasped her hands in front of her skirt. "Rosemary, thank you."

"Oh please, I just made soup. It wasn't that hard." Rosemary explained, and Elizabeth's smile increased a little more.

"No. Thank you for always being here."

Rosemary, who was about to put the soup on the table, paused her movements. Clearing her throat, she put the pot down, and ran her hands down her skirt. Then, she took a deep breath, and turned to Elizabeth.

"Sweetie, you don't have to thank me," she started. "Besides, thanking me is completely unnecessary. We actually ought to talk about what happened this afternoon. If you're ready that is."

Elizabeth felt her heart skip a beat, the events of that day flooding her mind in an instant.

Someone's been shot.

I think it's Nathan! He's been shot!

Without thinking, Elizabeth pulled a chair, and sat down in a rather un-ladylike manner. Slowly, she forced herself to let out a deep breath, her eyes meeting Rosemary's.

"I don't know if I can." Elizabeth confessed, still feeling a little out of breath. "It's just… The thought of… Whenever I think about it, I…"

Elizabeth rested her hands on the table, and lowered her gaze.

"You remembered Jack?"

Elizabeth looked up at Rosemary's soothing voice. For a moment, the two friends just looked at each other, the silence surrounding them being both a blessing and a curse. Before she knew it, Elizabeth bit her lower lip.

"I remembered them both." she eventually admitted. "I remembered that night when the Mountie came and told me about Jack's passing. I thought of everything Jack has missed, and of how I just... Of how much time I have been wasting because I've been so busy protecting myself – protecting my heart – and of how Nathan was suddenly just…gone."

"Until he wasn't."

"…until he wasn't." Elizabeth repeated in a whisper, and then she took a deep breath. "When I turned around, and I saw him… When I saw him alive, I just…I was just so glad to see him. When I hugged him, I just found myself thinking 'God, thank you, for this second chance'."

Rosemary listened to her before looking down. Without saying anything, she reached for a plate, and was about to pour some soup when she paused. Without saying anything, Rosemary put the plate down again, and turned to Elizabeth.

"What are you going to do now?"

"I don't know…" Elizabeth eventually said, "I was just so relieved, and so thankful, and… I don't know what to do."

"Well, it's not as if you have to decide right this instance." Rosemary promptly responded. "In fact, what you need right now is some warm soup, a good night of sleep – well as good as little Jack allows it – and then, when you feel ready, you can think about it."

Suddenly, there was a knock on the door, and Rosemary stopped Elizabeth from getting up, deciding to do go instead. A few seconds later, Rosemary was opening the door to her husband, and Elizabeth could not help but feel relieved when she saw her neighbour.

"How are you feeling?" Lee asked as he approached the door, and Elizabeth smiled softly at him.

"I'm all right." she answered, "How's Nathan?"

"He's…doing all right." Lee replied, and he immediately raised his hands in the air. "He's fine. He's not hurt or anything, but… He's going through a tough time at the moment."

"Is it because of the Mountie that died?" Rosemary dared to ask, and Lee looked at her before nodding. Elizabeth took a deep breath at that.

"I should go see him." she started to stand up, but Lee immediately stopped her.

"No. I barely managed to convince him to go home. Let him have this night."

"Not to mention that you deserve some rest as well." Rosemary added with a serious tone. "So, I believe you should just eat your soup and go straight to bed. Don't forget you can always call us if anything happens."

"I'm sorry about all this." Elizabeth apologised, and both Lee and Rosemary had the same reaction: the two of them made a dismissive sign with their hands and shook their hands. "Thank you for everything."

"Don't worry, all is fine." Rosemary reassured her. "Don't forget; we're right next door if you need anything."

Elizabeth smiled at that, and nodded. Quietly Lee and Rosemary said their goodbyes, and Elizabeth followed them to the door. Once silence settled around her, Elizabeth leaned her back against the closed door, and took a deep breath.

Without thinking about her actions, she made her way towards the staircase, and looked at the bookshelves next to it. With a bittersweet smile on her face, Elizabeth grabbed the frame that carried the picture of her wedding. Her eyes rested on Jack's face, and she carefully ran the tip of her finger over his face.

Just tell me he's still alive.

I'm sorry, ma'am.

Gently, Elizabeth put the frame down, and pushed the painful memory away as soon as it started to surface. Instead, she forced herself to think about the letter she had received after learning of Jack's passing. The letter that told her that Jack would be watching over her for the rest of her life.

Open your heart to the possibility of love again.

"Oh Jack…" Elizabeth murmured, her eyes still locked with the picture, but before she could continue, little Jack started to cry. Without thinking twice, Elizabeth pushed all of her memories away from her mind, and went to her son.

Take out your guns! Slowly! And throw them down. All of you!

Nathan closed his eyes at the voice that echoed in his ears, his body tensing up as memories flashed in his mind. He could still see himself standing in front of the woman, who was pointing the gun at him.

Give me the gun, OK? Everything will be all right. I promise.

No! Don't!

Jenny!

No!

The sound of the gun being fired rang in his ears, and Nathan clenched his jaw in order to stop himself from growling. He knew Allie was on the other floor, and he did not want her to hear him cry out in anguish. Instead, Nathan closed his hands in tight fists to the point of feeling his nails digging his skin.

Mountie Thomas Fortin, a young man fresh out of the camp, had died in the line of duty, and it had all been because of him. No matter what people said to him – and Nathan remembered what Bill had told him the night before – if he had not tried to grab the shotgun, then perhaps things would have turned out different.

He had lost a partner, another Mountie, and nothing was ever going to change that.

And then there was Elizabeth. Thinking about Hope Valley's teacher helped to loosen the pressure on his chest a tad, but not enough. Although he had been taken back by surprise by her embrace, Nathan could not help but think about how reckless it would be if he ever confessed his feelings. What had happened to Countable Fortin could undoubtedly happen to him as well, and worrying about Allie's future was already more than enough for him. To add Elizabeth and baby Jack to the equation… It simply would not be fair for them.

Perhaps that had been why he had motioned for Lucas to help him with Elizabeth. By having Lucas there, Nathan was forced to understand that his feelings alone were not enough. They would never be enough. Elizabeth had already lost Jack Thornton, an excellent man and first-rate Mountie. Nathan could not have her going through the same thing all over again.

"Uncle Nathan?"

Allie's voice forced Nathan to snap out of his thoughts and reservations. He looked over his shoulder in time to see his niece coming down the stairs, a frightened expression on her face.

"Hey Allie; are you ready to go to school?"

Instead of answering him, Allie rushed to the sofa, and jumped into his arms. Nathan, caught completely off guard, lost his balance. He had been about to ask if something had happened, when he felt it. Allie was shaking in his arms, soft sobs leaving her body as she held onto him as tightly as she could.

Nathan heart broke a little as he returned the tight embrace.

"I'm here." was all he managed to say in a comforting voice, but his niece still refused to let him go. Sensing that Allie was not going to loosen the grip any time soon, Nathan managed to sit her on his lap as he straightened his back.

Last time Nathan had seen his niece weep, she had been five years old. It had happened on the first-year anniversary of Colleen's passing. Nathan could remember that day quite intensely; his little niece, in the middle of the cemetery, crying out for her mother, begging her to return, saying how much she was missing her, and how much she needed her.

Her hand had been holding his during the whole time. Nathan had vowed his sister he would look out for his niece at the best of his abilities on that day.

"Hey…" Nathan whispered, and Allie managed to tighten her hold on him at his voice. Tenderly, Nathan rested a hand on her shoulder, and pulled her back so that he could look into Allie's eyes. "I'm OK."

"I was with Opal when I… When I heard…" fresh tears spilled from Allie's eyes, and Nathan felt his chest constrict. Gently, he wiped the tears with his thumb before offering his niece a small smile.

"I know, sweetheart, and I'm so sorry." Nathan apologised in a tender voice. "Everything happened so fast. I wanted to ride ahead of Bill, but I just couldn't. I had to follow behind because we had to make sure both the prisoner and his sister did not run away. When I finally arrived, I had no idea what had just transpired. Unfortunately, I couldn't go get to you straightaway."

Allie locked eyes with his at his explanation. She was holding her breath. Nathan knew she was carefully studying his face, searching for anything that could reveal pain or uneasiness. When she saw none, she relaxed her hold on him even though her arms were still around his neck.

"Are you sure you're OK?" she asked, in what seemed like a very small voice. She suddenly looked like she was five years old again, struggling to hold onto the only thing she had left.

Nathan offered her a smile, and went to wipe the tear that silently rolled down her cheek.

"Yes, I'm all right." he repeated in the same soothing voice, and then he looked at Allie in the eye again. "I'm sorry for what you went through. I never wanted you to—"

Once again, Nathan was cut off because Allie pulled him into another bear-like hug. Nathan took the chance to close his eyes, and take in her scent. Allie was his family, and he had almost been ripped away from her.

The sound of the shotgun echoed in his ears again, and Nathan frowned pulling Allie away from him. Without looking away from her eyes, Nathan helped Allie stand up before doing the same. Then, he unconsciously stuck his hands in his pants.

"What do you say if we go to Abigail's buy some breakfast?"

"Will you eat with me?"

Once again, Allie seemed so small. The helpless expression on her face almost made Nathan pull her into another hug. Instead, Nathan nodded before offering her a crocked smile.

"I wouldn't have it any other way." he then rested a hand on Allie's shoulder, "Go grab your things, and then we'll go."

With a small nod, Allie turned to the staircase. She paused, and looked back at him as soon as her foot settled on the first step. Nathan simply nodded back at her, and Allie took a deep breath before going to her room.

As Allie's footsteps faded away, Nathan reached out for his red serge tunic. He intuitively put it on before reaching out for his brown pistol holder. Pausing, he stared at his gun for a moment before putting it on as well. Allie appeared moments later, looking a little more tranquil, and Nathan took in her posture.

"Are you ready to go?" he asked, and Allie nodded. Motioning for her to go ahead, Nathan let her leave the house first before closing the door behind him. He took a glance at the sky when the wind kissed his face. Unconsciously, Nathan took the opportunity to look to his side, in direction of Elizabeth's house.

However, before any thoughts could cross his mind, he felt a tiny hand reach out for his. Looking down, he saw Allie biting her lower lip, her hand holding feebly onto his. With a small smile, Nathan squeezed his niece's hand, silently telling her he was not going anywhere.

Allie squeezed back, and Nathan understood it was time to stop, and think about what he was going to do next.

To Be Continued…