Elizabeth sighed breathing in the fresh air. Winter had been long and filled with snow storms and cold days, but today it felt like they were officially past it. The sun was warm, there were wild flowers poking out of the grass and the trees were coming back to life. It was officially spring in their little valley. She smiled opening her eyes meeting Jack's as he gazed silently at her as he rowed their little boat to the middle of the lake by the school house.

"Penny for your thoughts?" She asked him with a little smile.

"I will give them you for free, Rip desperately needs a bath, I really hope Abigail made her blueberry scones today, and you look absolutely beautiful." Jack finished giving her a soft smile.

"You know, you shouldn't make a women blush while your rowing." Elizabeth smiled at him.

"Why's that?"Jack asked.

"Because then she might just kiss you and you'd drop the oars" Elizabeth gave him a teasing smile.

"Well then we'd be stuck in the middle of the lake all day." Jack said.

"And we wouldn't want that to happen would we?"

"Well maybe we would." Jack shrugged making Elizabeth laugh.

"Then who would do your morning rounds?" She asked.

"I'm sure Hope Valley could get along without me for just a day." Jack said looking over their little town from the outside.

"I couldn't" Elizabeth said softly.

"Sure you could." Jack turned back to her.

"I'm serious Jack, When you had Pneumonia, and I thought I might lose you…"

"Your never going to lose me Elizabeth" Jack told her firmly.

"Well it's easy to say that now." Elizabeth said giving him a light smile.

"I knew it, even back then."

"How?"

"I don't know, I just had a feeling that it wasn't my time yet. That there was more I was meant to do." Jack said. Elizabeth gave him a smile.

"More like what?" She asked.

"Well, kissing you in row boats for starters" Jack said softly leaning towards her. She grinned leaning into him rewarding his sly speech with a kiss.


Monday morning Kate squirmed in her seat. The benches were certainly big enough for four younger students, but the class had nearly doubled in size since winter and Kate and the older children were squished. Where they used to sit two sometimes even three in a row very comfortably, they were now seat four. Kate was squished between Anna and Laura, with Rachel sitting on the end. It made for a lot of bumped elbows when they were doing their essays in the afternoon. The families from the settlement had permeant homes now in town which meant all the children were in school. Elizabeth tended to let the children pick where they sat which meant they got to sit next to their friends. Kate glanced over, the children from the settlement were a smaller group, sitting two to a row. But the children from Hope Valley were almost all squished four in a row on the other side of the classroom. Elizabeth seemed not to notice as she leaned over Maggie helping her and the younger students with their reading.

"Oww" Anna cried as Kate picked up her pencil again bumping her elbow making Anna's pencil slide across her paper in an angry line.

"Sorry" Kate whispered as Elizabeth turned to them.

"Girls, there's plenty of room in the other row, you don't need to be squished." Elizabeth said.

"I like it here." Anna said.

"In fact you are all squished on that side, some of you move over." Elizabeth said going to the front of the room and glancing back and forth between the rows.

"We like sitting with our friends" Cody said softly.

"We are all a community, and we are all friends." Elizabeth said raising her eyebrows at her whole class.

"Yes Ma'am" Cody whispered.

"Come on now. Rachel, Robert, Caleb, Gabe… you all move over." Elizabeth said her hands on her hips. The students she had called collected their things moving to the other side of the room casting glances at their friends. Elizabeth shook her head watching her class.


"It's our turn with the ball!" Timmy yelled.

"No it's not we were playing kickball!" Sarah yelled. Elizabeth glanced up from where she fixing Opal's hair watching the children play at recess.

"Timmy, Sarah, please share" Elizabeth called. Timmy frowned at Sarah and she gave him the ball and he ran off. Elizabeth sighed as Jack climbed down from the ladder where he was doing some spring cleaning of the school house.

"Tough day?" He asked sitting next to her on the steps as Opal ran off to play her hair now rebraided.

"I can't get them to get along, the new kids play with the new kids and the old kids play with the old kids." Elizabeth sighed looking over the field. The children from the settlement played together by the lake, while the children who had already lived in town play together with at least thirty feet between the two groups.

"You know what I was young, playing sports with a team was a great way for kids to make friends." Jack offered.

"You think that could work here?" Elizabeth asked

"Well everyone likes winning, and you can't win unless you work together." Jack smiled.

"That's a wonderful idea I'll set up a baseball game." Elizabeth smiled.

"Baseball! I love baseball, if you want I can coach one of the teams." Jack said.

"And I'll coach the other team." Elizabeth smiled.

"You?" Jack asked.

"What?"

"Well are you sure you want to coach?"

"Why shouldn't I coach?" Elizabeth asked narrowing her eyes at him.

"Well I just.. I don't know if thats going to be a fair game. Perhaps you should be equipment manager instead" Jack chuckled as Elizabeth pressed her lips together in a tight line that told him he was past the point of jokes and was going to far.

"Jack, being a coach, is about motivating a team, and getting them to realize their full potential, as I teacher I am very good at that." Elizabeth told him.

"It's also about scoring runs." Jack said in a mock whisper.

"That's the easy part." Elizabeth told him.

"Whatever you say coach." Jack chuckled.

"So do we have a deal? Your team against mine?" Elizabeth asked putting her hand out to him.

"Deal" Jack smiled shaking her hand.


After school the children gathered to play at they always did now that the weather was warmer. Elizabeth came out of the school telling them of her idea just as Jack walked up.

"Who want's to have a baseball game?" Jack asked.

"Me! Me!" All the kids cried jumping up and down excited.

"Miss Thatcher and I are coaches, we will break you up into two teams." Jack said. Kate raised her eyebrows as Elizabeth who smirked at her.

"Alright everyone line up!" Jack called as they all scrambled to form a single line standing next to their friends. Elizabeth had already informed Jack of her plan to pick children from both groups equally as they both started calling children over to them. Kate, to her surprise ended up on Jack's team.

"But I wanted to be on Cody's team." Robert mumbled at he went to stand by Elizabeth.

"These are the teams and we are not making any changes" Elizabeth told them all. There were a few groans and mutters of displeasure.

"You want to play don't you?" Elizabeth asked.

"Yeah!"

"Alright then we will start practicing tomorrow after school, and I want to see real teamwork ok?" Elizabeth said.

"Teamwork!" Jack cheered making the children cheer as well as Elizabeth grinned.

"Alright, have a good day, see you tomorrow." Elizabeth smiled as the kids ran off to play again.

"So what's the real plan behind the baseball game?" Kate asked picking up their lunchpail as they started home, Laura walking with them.

"I'm hoping we will start looking like one class again, instead of two separate groups." Elizabeth sighed.

"But Miss Thatcher, the children from the settlement haven't been to school, they aren't at the same level as us, thats why they were all sitting together."

"We are one town, we can certainly work together to help everyone right? Things like sharing our books and helping others along is how we do that." Elizabeth said.

"Elizabeth, do you even know how to play baseball?" Kate asked.

"Of course." Elizabeth said. Kate glanced up at her giving her a doubtful look.

"Well father took me to a few baseball games… I'll get a book on it." Elizabeth sighed realizing she may be in a little over her head.

"Oh no" Laura sighed, she was on Elizabeth's team as Kate laughed.

"Good think I'm with Jack them." She grinned.

"Traitor" Laura teased

"That's right" Elizabeth played along making them all laugh.


"I was thinking, Lee and I could clear the field next to Abigail's for the game." Jack said as he and Elizabeth were out riding the next afternoon.

"That's a good idea, but do you think there will be enough room for the goal posts?" Elizabeth asked pulling her horse closer to Jack and Sergeant. She was comfortable riding now, and one of her favorite past times with riding with Jack. Kate often tagged along too, riding her own horse of on the back with one of them.

"the goal posts?" Jack asked. Elizabeth turned to him with a teasing grin.

"You had me going for a minute there." Jack chuckled realizing she was kidding.

"Always keep your opponent off balance, I read that in the Art of War." Elizabeth said brushing her hair from her shoulder in a way that always seemed to bring fire to Jack's eyes when he watched her do it.

"So this is war?"

"Mmhmm prepare for defeat" Elizabeth smiled as they neared where Kate and Laura were sitting outside the row houses.

"Hey Kate, you want to show your sister how to win?" Jack asked pulling Sergeant close to their front steps as Kate stood up with a smile.

"Oh no you don't! Jack!" Elizabeth cried as Jack reached down his hand pulling Kate up behind him.

"Laura you say go, first one back to town win" Jack shot Elizabeth a teasing grin.

"You're on" Elizabeth said.

"On your mark, get set, go!" Laura yelled. Kate squealed with laughter as Jack pushed Sergeant into a run, Elizabeth borrowed farm house was no match for a mountie trained horse and Jack had dismounted by the time she pulled up outside the stables.

"Cheater" Elizabeth mocked.

"How about I cook you some dinner to make up for it?" Jack grinned reaching up to help Elizabeth off. Not that she needed help, but he wouldn't give up a chance to hold her.

"Deal" Elizabeth smiled.

"Come on Miss Kate, you have to bulk up if your going to be on my team!" Jack told her as they started back down the road to the row houses.

"Oh my, I don't think I want that." Kate wrinkled her nose making them laugh.


"So what exactly is your secret weapon?" Jack asked as Kate cleared the dishes.

"Oh wait until you see what she picked up." Kate giggled.

"This" Elizabeth said holding out a little booklet.

"the baseball players pocket companion?" Jack read it.

"Winners always do their homework" Elizabeth said.

"Look what I brought" Rosemary sang letting herself into the row house with a cake in her hands. Since their wedding, Rosemary and Lee had moved into the row house right next to Elizabeth and Kate. Often it was nice, despite their rocky start Rosemary was someone Elizabeth now considered a good friend, Lee and Jack were good friends as well and they enjoyed seeing each other so often. Rosemary however still tended to be a busy body, Kate often pictured her with her ear pressed against the wall of her house which was just inches from their own. It wasn't uncommon for Rosemary to slip up and mention something she had overheard the girls or Elizabeth and Jack talking about.

"Dessert!" She said as she dramatic swept across the room placing it on the table.

"Oh Rosemary that's very sweet but I already made something." Elizabeth said.

"Oh cherry cobbler isn't dessert" Rosemary frowned reaching to put the little plates on the table Kate had just washed.

"How did you know we made cobbler?" Kate asked.

"Oh who knows, lucky guess" Rosemary gave a little chuckle as they all turned to her.

"Rosemary, have you been listening through the walls again?" Elizabeth asked.

"Of course not I was just being neighborly" Rosemary said shaking her head.

"And we really appreciate it. Thanks for stopping by." Jack said trying to politely let Rosemary know they preferred her not to linger.

"Arn't you going to ask me to stay?" Rosemary asked.

"We wouldn't want to impose" Elizabeth said.

"Oh it's no imposition at all! Though if all your going to talk about is baseball this and baseball that…" Rosemary rolled her eyes. As Jack crossed his arms and Elizabeth gave her a look.

"Not that you were talking about baseball" Rosemary said quickly realizing her mistake.

"Another lucky guess?" Kate giggled.

"Oh, I think I left something on the stove! I better get back before I burn down the house! Enjoy" Rosemary said quickly leaving.

"Cake Kate?" Jack asked pulling out a knife.

"No thank you, I'm going to finish my homework and go to bed." Kate said.

"I'll save you some for tomorrow, good night" Elizabeth smiled as Kate gave her a quick kiss and climbed the stairs.

"Good idea, get some rest, you need to be all set for practice tomorrow" Jack called after her.

"Whatever you say coach" Kate laughed heading up to her room.

"Not so loud! Rosemary will hear us" Elizabeth said softly.

"Maybe we should whisper from now on" Jack whispered smiling.

"Or maybe we shouldn't talk at all" Elizabeth gave him a smile.

"I like the sound of that." Jack smiled leaning down to kiss her.


"I'm not sure this qualifies as a healthy breakfast, but it sure was good." Kate smiled putting her fork down the next morning.

"I have never had cherry cobbler for breakfast before" Jack agreed smiling. Elizabeth and Kate had come to the jail early before school to have breakfast with Jack. Kate noticed he seemed to be seamlessly blending his way into girls day. What used to be once a week dinner, had turned into dinner together every night unless Jack had work. He was around more for breakfasts in the mornings and his days off were often spent sitting around the row house and spending time with them.

"Well I couldn't let it go to waste, besides, they say it tastes better the next day anyway." Elizabeth smiled putting her own fork down.

"Whoever they are they're right." Jack smiled cutting himself another small piece.

"There goes Anna and Rachel, I'm going to walk with them." Kate said picking up their lunch pail.

"Alright. I'll be along soon" Elizabeth nodded.

"Have a good day! See you at practice." Jack called as Kate waved heading out.

"I still think it's awful you turned my own sister against me for this baseball game." Elizabeth teased turning back to Jack.

"Well, selfishly I wanted to have some time with her without you around. I want to build my relationship with her."

"Jack, you know she adores you." Elizabeth said softly.

"I know, but if I'm going to be in her life, I want to be someone she can trust and rely on herself, because she wants to, not just because of my relationship with you." Jack said playing with his fork. Elizabeth reached out taking his hand and stilling his nervous movements.

"That means so much Jack." She said giving him a smile, he smiled back warmly just as the door opened again.

"Superintendent Collins." Jack said and they both quickly got to their feel as an older and well decorated Mountie came into the office.

"I wasn't expecting you until this afternoon." Jack said.

"Oh I finished my work in Union City early. It's good to see you again Miss Thatcher." He said giving Elizabeth a kind smile.

"You too sir, I was just leaving." Elizabeth said quickly reaching for her books.

"Actually I think you should stay." Collins said making Elizabeth stop and she and Jack glanced at each other.

"Jack, I am delighted to tell you that you will be presented with the Commissioner's Medal for all of the commendable work you have been doing."

"Thank you sir." Jack said sounding surprised.

"Jack that's wonderful" Elizabeth said grinning at him.

"The rescue work you did after the flood, rounding up the Tolliver Gang, it didn't go unnoticed."

"Truly sir I was just doing my job" Jack said lightly.

"Oh it's more then that. You show exemplary leadership quality, that's not something you can learn that's something you are born with."

"Oh, I don't know what to say" Jack said glancing at his boots.

"Well you have a few days to think about, I would like to present you with the medal in the center of town this weekend, you will be expected to say a few words."

"Of course, Thank you sir" Jack said his face fir but his eyes smiling.


"Elizabeth told me about the medal your getting." Kate said as she and Jack walked to the row house after practice.

"It's nothing really, just doing my job, I don't need any kind of reward for that." Jack shrugged her off.

"You should be proud, We are very proud of you. Your brave, you save people Jack." Kate said looking up at him.

"Thank you."Jack smiled putting his hand on her shoulder for a second.

"Your father was a mountie too right?" Kate asked.

"He was." Jack nodded.

"Did he ever get an award?"

"He got a few"

"Did he get this one?"

"He did" Jack nodded. Kate was silent for a minute watching Jack closely.

"Why don't you talk about your father Jack?"

"Well, there's not much to talk about, you have heard me mention him" Jack said frowning a little.

"I have known you almost three years now and you mentioned him once the first night you came to dinner at Abigail's" Kate said raising her eyebrows at him.

"You know you look just like Elizabeth when you do that." Jack smirked at her.

"And your changing the subject" Kate sighed.

"Now you sound just like her." Jack muttered. Kate walked in silence and Jack sighed.

"He was gone a lot. There was a war when I was young, he was back and forth when he could be, the the travel was a lot. My Ma took care of Tom and I most of the time on her own. But whenever my Pa came back he always had these wonderful stories to tell. He was a really good story teller, even the adults would alway stop to listen to him. He loved coming home and playing catch with my brother and I. Whenever he was home he was a good father, helped us with lessons, did all the chores, loved my Ma. But it was hard him being gone so much, and because he was so good at his job he was often sent to the most dangerous places so we couldn't go with him most of the time." Jack said.

"You must have been proud of him." Kate said softly.

"I was, we all were." Jack nodded.

"Elizabeth doesn't talk about Mother and Father much. Sometimes she does, she will tell me a story about them, or I will do something and she says it reminds her of Father. Sometimes I wish I could remember them, but then sometimes I'm glad I don't. Remembering makes Elizabeth sad and I don't feel the same way because I don't have the memories like she does." Kate shrugged.

"But they are happy memories, are you ever sad you don't have any of your own?" Jack asked.

"Is it better to have had and lost? Or to never have at all?" Kate asked not really expecting an answer..

"To have and to have lost, because at least then, you had that person, and those memories, and that love. No matter how short it will always hold a special place in your heart." Jack said softly as Kate looked up at him surprised.

"Why Jack Thornton, I do believe you are going soft on me." Kate gave him a teasing smile.

"I know, it's awful, I blame Elizabeth" Jack chuckled at the air around them became light again.

"I would to" Kate nodded opening the door to the row house.

"Hello, your just in time, I was just taking dinner out of the oven." Elizabeth smiled at them greeting them.

"Smells wonderful" Jack grinned.


"Intruder!" Kate yelled as Elizabeth and Laura walked up to Jack's team practicing the next afternoon. Elizabeth made a face at her sister as Jack slung the bat over his shoulder as he turned to them.

"Your practice done already?" He asked.

"I guess we just don't need as much practice as you" Elizabeth shrugged teasingly.

"Or you won't even be as good as us and are just accepting your defeat." Jack teased back.

"Alright guys, throw the ball back and forth for a few more minutes." Jack called to the kids.

"Laura, come play catch!" Kate waved her over.

"Oh no! We can't be mingling with the other team, five more minutes of practice then she can be your friend" Jack called only half joking.

"Laura, go play" Elizabeth rolled her eyes as Laura ran off to join them.

"Do you have any idea how infuriating you can be?" Elizabeth asked playfully.

"All's fair in love and war" Jack shrugged.

"Which is this?"

"A little of both" He smiled at her.

"Jack! Rip stole the ball!" Kate yelled as Rip suddenly ran past them drooling over the baseball as Cody tried to catch him.

"I swear the dog never moves unless he has something he knows you want." Jack sighed as Elizabeth laughed.

"I'm not touching that ball it's going to be all slobbery now!" Rachel yelled as everyone else nodded.

"Alright, good practice guys, let's call it a day." Jack called as the kids ran off gathering their things.

"How do we get the ball back?" Laura asked as she and Kate walked up to Jack and Elizabeth.

"Elizabeth, you go from the north, I'll take the west, Laura and Kate, your east and south, We'll surround him so he can't run, and if that fails, we get him a nice steak from Abigail's." Jack sighed.

"Jack, your dog is spoiled" Kate laughed.

"Don't I know it" Jack sighed.


Saturday was game day. Almost the whole town came out to watch the baseball game. Elizabeth grinned watching her students from two different places talking and laughing as they got ready to play. It didn't matter the the bases were hay stacks and then uniforms were thrown together by the mothers with extra fabric, her team while Jack's team blue. The children were having fun and getting along and it warmed her heart.

"Batter up!" Bill Avery, acting umpire called as Jack's team took the field.

"Go blue!" Abigail yelled waving her homemade and Cody laughed waving to her as she sat with Frank watching.

"Alright Robert, your up" Elizabeth said clapping for him as Robert went to hit first. Elizabeth was pleased to see the whole town cheering on each child no matter what team. Even Jack, despite how competitive Jack had been during the week, he cheered just as loudly for her team. At the end of the afternoon, they had a town full of dirty kids all playing together and a game that ended in a tie making everyone happy.

"How is your speech coming?" Elizabeth asked later on as Jack rowed the boat onto the lake again both of them watching the children play together by the waters edge.

"Awful, I have no idea what I am doing." Jack sighed.

"Jack, just listen to your heart." Elizabeth told him softly.

"My heart doesn't know how to write a speech." Jack shook his head.

"Then just let it speak to me." Elizabeth said reaching out and taking his hand.

Sunday after church everyone gathered in the center of town as Jack received his award. The whole town was proud of their brave mountie, but no one was quiet as proud as Elizabeth who had been smiling all morning.

"So, In conclusion, for doing my job, for being brave. But there are people here today who are a lot braver then I am and they don't get medals for it. So I accept this award on all the hero's here today. And I thank God that I have been given the privilege to serve our little town." Jack said. He was speaking to everyone but his eyes stayed glued on Elizabeth as if she was giving him the strength and courage to speak his words. When his medal was pinned on him nobody clapped louder then Kate and Elizabeth.