A/N:

I hope you enjoy this chapter with William, Elizabeth, and Thomas Thorton's history. I know this is a little different, but I hope you like it.

Chapter 18

Jack sat completely still. He simply stared at William with a blank expression. How could he know my father's given name? How did he know he was answering a domestic call when he was shot? I haven't told Elizabeth that. He couldn't figure this out. The shock was written all over his face. He didn't even feel Elizabeth's hand when she reached for his and squeezed it. Everyone was staring at William waiting for him to inform them how he knew that. Elizabeth wondered what was going on. This didn't make sense to her either. Grace's face suddenly changed at the realization of who Jack is.

"Wait…is this Little Jack?" She asked completely shocked.

Suddenly, Jack's gaze went from William to Grace at the sound of the nickname only one person called him. He hasn't heard that name since his father passed. Along with the shock on his face, a single tear fell down his face at hearing his father's nickname for him for the first time in so long. He didn't realize how much he missed hearing that name. He went to open his mouth, but nothing came out of it. Elizabeth could feel all the emotions coming from Jack. Shock, surprise, sorrow, and confusion all flowed from Jack in that moment. She squeezed Jack's hand so tight that he finally felt her holding onto him. He finally looked at her and she saw every emotion from him when she looked into his eyes. Her shock gave way to sorrow when she saw in Jack's eyes the emotions he was trying to get a grasp on them.

"Father, mother, what is going on? Did you know Jack's dad?"

…

Henry settled into his new room rather quickly. His living conditions over the last few months went from ok to really horrible. His dad had changed. He was a good dad and then a lot of people started to show up that he didn't know. They also showed up at all hours of the night and they were not good guys. They were loud and vulgar, and they often gave him dirty looks before he left the room. When they showed up, his father always made him go outside or back to his room. He welcomed the quiet.

"I hope you find everything is ok. Please let Abagail or me know if you need anything."

Henry smile at Frank and then turned and smiled toward Abagail. She wasn't sure, but at that moment she knew Henry was part of their little family and wouldn't be going anywhere anytime soon. What she didn't realize that was the moment Frank felt the same way. Henry, by that simple act, cemented himself into their lives.

"Ok Henry. There are two rules in this house you need to be aware of. First, we all treat each other with respect. We will treat you with respect and you will treat us with respect. Do you understand?"

"Yes, ma'am." He nodded.

"The second rule is this, we expect you to be home at the end of each day. Do you understand?"

The confused look of his face shown he didn't.

Frank started. "We want you safe. We need to know where you are, and you will know where we are in case we need to find you or you need to find us. By coming home at the end of each day, we know you are safe and ok. The end of your day may be the end of your school day when you come home and stay for the rest of the day. It may also be after you come home from your friend's house after school. Each night we expect you here. Do you understand now?"

"Yes sir. You want to know I am safe and ok."

"Yes, we do. All the other rules will be figured out as we go forward together."

He smiled the biggest smile yet. Now he felt cared for and loved. They wanted to know he was safe, where he was, and how he was doing, he hadn't felt that from his father in a long time. He felt wanted…loved. Without thinking, he hugged both Frank and Abagail. This brought tears to their eyes.

…

Jack continued to look at William and Grace. Elizabeth realized that Jack had scooted his chair closer to her. He was seeking her comfort and didn't realize he was doing it. This simple act would have made her smile, but she was almost as confused as he was. She let go of his hand and put her arm around him, trying to comfort him and give him her strength.

Jack opened his mouth a few times and finally was able to say something, it was just above a whisper. "How did you know my father's nickname for me? No one knows that."

William began, "Your mother called you Jack because she didn't want you confused using the name of Tom. You were named after him at her request, but she didn't want you two to be confused with the same name. He loved the idea but didn't like you were not going to use the name Tom. He never told Charlette that. So, to feel closer to you, he called you little Jack. That reminded him you were named after him. When your younger brother was born, Charlette also wanted to call him Tom. That's when she would call the older Tom Thomas."

Jack stood out of complete shock. "How do you know that? And how do you know my mom's name is Charlette?" A shocked tone was evident in his voice. Elizabeth stood with Jack and grabbed his hand.

"I'm sorry to startle you, Jack. Please, have a seat and we will explain everything." William pleaded with Jack and Elizabeth to sit. Jack was completely stunned. Elizabeth knew Jack was dumbfounded and reached for him to give him comfort. She looked over and caught Jack's eyes. While comforted, he was still at a loss of words.

"Father, you have caused enough shock for one evening, please explain to Jack how you know all of this." She demanded as he squeezed her hand. Grateful she took charge and knew what he wanted to know.

"Have a seat you two and I will explain everything. Please."

Very slowly, Jack sat down along with Elizabeth. She would not release her hold of him.

"It's great to see them have a united front together." He whispered to his wife.

Grace smiled and gave him the look that he needed to begin his story.

"Elizabeth, when you were about five years old, I was in my office in the warehouse working late one evening. I was trying to get an important shipment out on time. It was a valuable shipment. I heard something but didn't think anything about it. A warehouse has many weird sounds. Before I knew it, a man was standing in front of me with a gun. He was looking for money or anything of value."

Grace interjected. "Jack, somehow your father saw the man enter the warehouse. You father knew something was wrong by how he was acting. He followed him into the warehouse."

William continued. "He demanded money, but we don't keep money at the warehouse. It's a storage area from deliveries until we can get them on ships. We only had shipping containers. He began to get belligerent because he wasn't getting what he wanted. Out of nowhere, some man tackled him and placed him under arrest. Jack, that man who tackled him was your father. He saved my life that night. I knew that man was going to shoot me because he wasn't getting what he wanted."

Jack nodded. He didn't say a word.

"Your father called in the arrest and stayed with me to ask me questions. I think he also stayed because he saw how shaken I was due to everything. We got along very well. Elizabeth, he saw your picture on my desk and mention how beautiful you were in your yellow and blue dress."

"I remember that dress and that picture. That was my favorite dress. I was playing Cinderella, wasn't I?"

"Yes, that's the picture. He picked it up and asked how old you were. I told him five and he mentioned his son was seven. We talked about each of our families for a few minutes. We could tell each of us were proud of our families. First, I thought he was just trying to calm me down, but I realized he was genuinely interested."

Grace began to share more of the story. "After two weeks, the man admitted to the robbery and several other crimes that he committed."

"Yeah, my dad received an award for that."

"Yes Jack, he did. I wanted to give him a monetary award as well, but he wouldn't accept it. He said he was just doing his job. He shouldn't be rewarded for simply doing his job when he gets paid to do it."

Jack laughed. "Yes, that sounds like him. I have heard him say that before."

"About a week after that, I was back in town, and I walked into a restaurant close to the warehouse for lunch and he was sitting down at the counter waiting for his food. I sat beside him, and we began talking about our families again. He shared with me about Charlette, Tom, and you and I shared with him about Grace, Viola, Julie, and you." He stated as he looked toward Elizabeth.

"Wait, you owned that large warehouse beside the water?"

"Yes. I do. That was the second warehouse we opened. Anyways, we enjoyed our lunch together and the conversation. We enjoyed it so much that lunch became a normal thing for us when I was in town. Every opportunity we would meet for lunch to catch up with each other and our families. We took advantage of that time every opportunity we could. For me, he became a dear friend."

Jack thought for a minute and then the though hit him. "Wait, your Marcus?"

William chuckled at the nickname he hasn't heard in a very long time. "Yes, your father called me Marcus, after Marcus Tremaine."

"Marcus?" Questioned Elizabeth.

"Marcus Tremaine was the father figure to Cinderella in the Disney movie. It was just assumed he was her father or at least a father figure to her. So, your dad would call me Marcus because of you Elizabeth. He thought you looked like the Princess Cinderella in that photo."

Jack sat trying to put the pieces of the puzzle together. "I remember him talking about his new friend, Marcus. That was you?"

"Yes Jack. I considered your father a dear friend of mine."

"Mother, how did you not know this when I spoke of Jack Thorton?"

"Oh my dear, that has been a long time ago. I think I have heard his last name once or twice. Honestly, I forgot it. I knew Jack's father as Officer T."

"What!? Officer T was Jack's father?" A surprised Elizabeth asked.

At that moment, the waitress appeared with everyone's food. Jack and Elizabeth were grateful for the moment to gather their thoughts. This was just so confusing. Once the waitress passed out everyone's food, she left and Grace continued.

"Yes. William called him Officer T as a nickname. Officer Thorton was too formal between friends and William respected him too much as a police officer to call him Tom."

Jack looked at Elizabeth with a look of total confusion.

He didn't have to ask the question. She knew the question in his eyes. "Yes, I meet your father several times. I would go with father to have lunch with him and Officer T. He was a very kind man. He called me Cinderella and often would give me a small Cinderella doll."

Jack spoke in a whisper. "I remember him talking about his Cinderella."

This was becoming too overwhelming for Jack. Elizabeth's parents knew his father. His father knew Elizabeth and would often give her small Cinderella gifts. This was just too strange. William and Grace noticed Jack was becoming engulfed with all the information. They decided it was best to eat dinner and let Jack take the lead in talking first. They all sat quietly while eating. Each processing everything that has happened over the last few minutes.

For Jack, he replayed all his moments with his father talking about his Cinderella and his friend Marcus. Elizabeth replayed all the lunch times with Officer T. The small gifts he would give her. William fondly remembered all the time and conversations with Officer T. They really were good friends. Grace new him and meet him a few times, but Jack's father was basically William's friend. She thought of him as a nice man, a kind man who liked William for himself and not what he could get out of William.

Jack looked up at Willliam and had a thousand questions. He just didn't know which one to begin with first. All of this was bringing back the feeling of missing his dad. It was becoming a little too much. Jack sat with his head down and pushing his food around on his plate.

"Jack, I'm so sorry if this brought up a lot of difficult memories and emotions for you. I was so shocked when I saw you. It was like looking at my old friend. You look just like him."

"It's ok, Mr. Thatcher. It's just a lot to take in all at once."

"It is, son. It's funny, he would always joke with me that we needed to arrange your marriage."

"My marriage?"

"Yes, your marriage with Elizabeth."

"What?" Both Jack and Elizabeth stated at the same time.

"Yes. Beth, he loved you. He thought you were such a nice and sweet young lady. He often said that he wanted his son to marry a young lady just like you. Then that statement went to arranging a marriage between you two like they did years ago. I would laugh and told him I wouldn't let my little Beth marry at all. It became a running joke with us. Secretly, I was ok with it because of how he spoke about you Jack. He was very proud of you and was excited about the kind of person you were becoming."

"I remember him as a kind man. He would always kiss me on the top of my head." She smiled at the fond memories.

"Jack, I never thought I would see you again after so many years. I was at your father's funeral. I met you there. You were a polite, gracious young man in a very difficult time for you and your family."

Jack's eyes watered at the memory of his father's funeral. "I'm sorry, Mr. Thatcher, but I don't remember you."

"Don't worry Jack. You were mourning your father. It was a difficult time for you."

Elizabeth sensed Jack needed a moment to himself. "Jack, sweetheart, would you please take a walk with me?" She had no desire to give Jack an option. She knew he needed this moment to himself and stood while tugging his hand to follow her.

His expression gave her the answer. "Mother, father, we will be back in a few minutes. Please excuse us."

"Absolutely. We will be here waiting for you two. No rush."

As they entered the foyer of the restaurant, Elizabeth told Jack that she would wait here for him to come back. "I'll let you have a moment to yourself. I will be here waiting for you, ok? Take your time."

Without speaking a word, he tightened his grip on her hand and lead her out the front door with him. She willingly followed. Their connection as a couple was strong. He not only needed a breath of air and a moment, but he needed her in that moment.

They walked down the street for a few minutes. Both of them were soaking in the breeze and trying to figure out the connection between their families.

"Do you think we meet before?" Jack asked.

"I don't think so. Unless we meet at the funeral. I was with mother and father for a few minutes. They didn't want me to stay too long, but I insisted on going to say goodbye to Officer T."

"We probably did meet then. I never left his casket until I had too. I didn't want to let him go." And with that, his tears flowed from all the memories.

Elizabeth stopped and wrapped her arms around Jack and just held him as he cried. She cried along with him. In that moment, their hearts beat as one. She was his strength in that moment. She held him for as long as he needed to be held and she slowly rubbed his back to give him comfort.

…

Julie and Tom went out to celebrate Tom's job. He knew her parents were coming to down, and he was very nervous in seeing them since Julie and he became engaged.

"Julie, what if your parents don't like me since we are together now?"

"Tom, please calm down and don't over think this. They will love you. They are already shocked enough that I am settling down. They never thought I would do this."

"Are you happy, Jules?"

"Very. Sweetheart where is this coming from?"

"You know my past they will not think I am good enough for you."

"My past is just like yours and they know my past. We are not the same people we were in the past. We have grown up and matured. Look at us now? You have a good job. We have both been working for a while now at the same place. We have saved money and now we are looking into purchasing a home because we are getting married. We may not be killing it by other people's standards, but for us we are doing excellent."

"I think so too."

…

Henry settled into his new room easily. There wasn't much, but it was clean and comfortable. He instantly felt at home in it. He walked into the living room to find Frank and Abagail sitting on the couch.

"Mrs. Abagail and Pastor Frank, when are we going to eat?"

"Dinner will be ready in twenty minutes, and we will eat at the dining room table. And please, call us Abagail and Frank."

"Ms. Elizabeth taught us to always call people Mr. or Mrs."

"That's a great lesson. It shows respect, but for family, we only use our names. Now, you are part of our family. You live here, so you are family."

Henry smiled. For the first time in months, he felt wanted.

"Thank you, Abagail. Do you mind if I stay out here with you two?"

"Henry, you never have to ask. You are always welcomed to stay out here with us." A tear formed in her eye but did not fall. She could see the hurt in him.

"Henry, if you would look in the hall closet, you will find some board games. Pick one out and we will play after dinner."

"Really, Frank. Would you come with me and help me decide?"

"Let's go look."

Abagail smile at the excitement from Henry.

…

Elizabeth sensed Jack's storm of emotions. She wanted to fix this. To remove all the anguish he was dealing with but knew she couldn't. All she could do was be there for him and she was determined to do just that.

After a few moments in Elizabeth's arms, he felt much better. She really was his strength after a difficult week. She held tight to him until she sensed his body relaxing a little.

"Did you know I helped pick out some of those gifts for you. He would often joke that he didn't know what to buy for a girl since he only had boys."

Elizabeth laughed. "How did you know what to pick out?"

"I didn't. I just knew it had to be Cinderella theme. So anytime I saw anything Cinderella related, I just picked it out. I didn't give it much thought."

"Well, I loved them. Jack, I really loved Officer T. He was always so kind to me. He made me feel like a princess. I always looked forward to seeing him. So, that's where you get it from?"

"Get what from?"

"Knowing how to make me feel special."

"You are special. I love you Elizabeth Marie Thatcher."

"I love you too, Thomas Jack Thorton. Are you ok?"

Jack lowered his head a little in embarrassment. "I am thanks to you. I am not used to depending on someone so much. Everything took me by surprise."

"It was shocking. I'm still trying to process it all. I can't believe I knew your father."

"Yeah. I am grateful you did though. I always felt bad that he wouldn't know the person I would marry. Now I know he meet you and even spent some time with you."

"And apparently approved of me as your wife." She said with her mischievous grin.

"Belle, that means more to me than you can ever imagine."

"So, since I apparently have your father's approval, when do you plan on asking my father for his approval?" She sassed him with a bit of honestly in it. She was hoping this teasing was breaking the emotional tension.

"Soon, Bella, soon."

They continued their walk in silence. These walks were becoming important to them. It was time alone where they could talk something through, or they could walk in silence and work through their thoughts individually. They rejoined her parents a few minutes later.

"Jack, I want to apologize for the shocking news. I was shocked when I saw you in the airport. Who would have ever guessed the person my middle daughter is dating is the son of my friend a couple of decades ago."

"Yes. It's strange to say the least. Thank you for your apology, but you did nothing wrong."

"Maybe, but I know this must be shocking to you. We can talk more about it later if you want. It's getting late, why don't we begin our journey to Hope Valley.

…

The ride to Hope Valley was quiet and thoughtful, it wasn't awkward. Jack drove with Elizabeth in the front with him. They held hands with Elizabeth lightly rubbing her thumb over his hand. William and Grace rode in the back and exchanged looks during the ride. They both saw the same thing. Even though they just met a week ago, you could see the complete love between them. The problem for William was the time frame. Grace and he was married in less than one year of meeting each other. He wasn't opposed to short relationships turning into marriage, but this was going extremely fast. As a father, he was a little concerned. He could see the love between them and knew where this was leading.

Grace leaned toward her husband, "So, what do you think?" As she looked toward the couple up front.

"I think I see what everyone else sees. I'm afraid it is happening a little quick though."

"I was too until I spoke to both Beth and Jack."

"I see a talk with Jack very soon." He grinned.

"Yeah. What do you make of knowing his father? That was a little strange."

William smiled. "I was shocked into silence when I saw him with Beth at the airport. He looks like his father. I thought I was dreaming or something."

"Yes. I can't believe I didn't make the connection, but I wasn't around Officer T very much."

"Yes. It's a little eerie thinking about Elizabeth and Tom's interactions. I thought it was cute then, I thought he was being a good police officer and good friend to pay attention to my daughter. She seemed to like him very much. She always asked to go have lunch with us."

"I always thought she just liked his gifts."

"Oh no Grace. The gifts were just a bonus, but she really liked him. Remember how she cried when he passed away?"

"They had to meet at the funeral, didn't they?"

"I'm not sure. She wasn't there for very long, but she did want to come and pay her respects. I remember when she was at his casket, she placed a small Cinderella doll she purchased in with him. It was her final gift to him. She insisted on buying it with her own money. I do believe they shared a special bond."

"I agree. They did share a special bond. What are the chances they would meet and fall in love?"

"I'm not sure, very slim I suppose." William stated. "Grace, what do you think about all of this?"

I have spoken with her about him. I believe she really loves him. After seeing them together, I am certain she loves him. I can see it in his eyes too. I have no doubt."

"Yes, I can as well. But what do you think about the time frame?"

She thought about it for a little while. I think it's very quick, but I can't deny their love for each other."

"Too quick?"

"William, if you remember ours was quick too. Too quick for our families liking."

"Yes, but it was longer than a week."

"Oh William, they aren't married yet."

"Yet sweetheart. Do you really think they will wait a year?"

"Not on your life."

…

Elizabeth and Jack were listening to her parent's conversation. They were whispering but not as quiet as they thought they were. They would smile at each other. Jack leaned over slightly and asked, "Do you think we met?"

"I'm not sure. I did go to the casket and place that small doll there. I wanted to say goodbye and that was all I could think of. I bought that Cinderella doll with my own money. That was important to me. He always gave me something like that and I wanted to say thank you. I still believe I have those. I have two at my apartment now and the rest are still in my closet in my old bedroom. They meant a lot to me."

"I remember seeing that doll. I picked it up and laughed. I figured ma or someone put it in there. I put it back by his shoulder."

"This is all so weird. I can't believe your father was Officer T. Those dolls were so important to me. I cried for weeks after he died."

"I'm glad they meant something to you. I always wanted the person I marry to meet him. I'm grateful you did, even though we didn't know each other."

"He was a special man. That answers a lot of my questions. Now I know how you learned to be such an honorable man."