"Oh Jack if you don't mind I need to move dinner to a little later tonight." Elizabeth said as they walked to school.
"Anything I can help with?" Jack asked.
"Not unless you like grading Math tests"
"I think I'll leave that to you" Jack chuckled as Kate came running up to join them from Abigail's.
"She was all out of the scones but she packed you a muffin." Kate said handing Elizabeth the basket.
"Thank you" Elizabeth smiled taking it from her.
"Breakfast on the go?" Jack frowned a little.
"Turns out running a house and a school don't leave a lot of free time. I forgot to do the shopping, we were out of any kind of food." Elizabeth said as Kate bite into her own muffin.
"Well do you have any dinner for tonight?" Jack laughed taking a piece from Kate's muffin and popping it into his mouth.
"Kate is stopping by the mercantile on the way home." Elizabeth nodded.
"What is for dinner tonight?" Kate asked.
"Pot roast, does 7:00 sound good?"
"Sounds adventurous." Jack nodded as Kate laughed.
"I have made pot roast before.. once" Elizabeth frowned at them both.
"And it was very good" Kate sad straightening her face.
"Constable Jack Thornton?" A voice behind them asked and they all turned to see a young mountie walking up to them. To their surprise he swung a punch at Jack who caught his arm and used the young mountie's momentum to throw him to the ground as Kate and Elizabeth gasped.
"Didn't I teach you better then that?" Jack asked and Kate looked at him surprised to see him smirking as he reached out helping the other man up from the ground.
"Would someone here like to explain?" Elizabeth asked still frowning.
"Elizabeth, Kate, this is Constable Douglas Burk" Jack introduced them.
"Doug, and it's Corporal." The young man said tipping his hat to the sisters.
"I didn't know, congratulations" Jack smiled.
"All thanks to you" Doug told him.
"I don't understand" Jack shook his head.
"join the group" Kate frowned.
"Why did you just try to hit him?" Elizabeth asked frowning at Doug a little.
"It was long over due" Doug chuckled.
"Doug was one of the junior cadets I mentored at the academy. We used to play practical jokes on each other." Jack smiled.
"That's only partly right, Jack outranked me, so he got to play the jokes and I had to suffer them." Doug said. Kate and Elizabeth laughed now, Kate could easily picture exactly that happening.
"So what prank was that for?" Kate asked Doug.
"Choose one" Doug said turning to Jack.
"Regimental review day, a quart of goat milk in your boots." Jack said laughing.
"Eww" Elizabeth making a face.
"Took me two weeks to get rid of that smell" Doug nodded making Kate giggle.
"Boys will be boys." Elizabeth rolled her eyes as Jack and Doug started laughing.
"Well don't let us stand in the way, it was nice to meet you." Elizabeth smiled at Doug.
"You too Miss, both of you" Doug nodded to Elizabeth and Kate again.
"See you later" Elizabeth smiled to Jack standing on her toes to quickly kiss his cheek.
"Have a good day, study hard!" Jack smiled after the girls at they walked towards the school house.
"Sometimes it's hard picturing Jack as anything but a mountie, and a gentlemen to you" Kate said as Elizabeth chuckled.
"I suppose he was a trouble maker when he was younger wasn't he?" She agreed.
"As long as he doesn't teach anyone around here. Goat milk in boots sounds awful." Kate wrinkled her nose.
"Alright everyone, find your seats I have something very exciting to share with you." Elizabeth smiled as the children filed into the school house sitting down.
"I saw a few other mounties in town the morning" Anna whispered to Kate as they sat down.
"Yeah, one of them was friends with Jack. I think they are just passing through. We didn't have much time to talk." Kate shrugged.
"Good morning everyone, this week we are starting a new project I think you will really enjoy." Elizabeth said.
"What is it?" Cody asked.
"We are going to be working on a family tree" Elizabeth said
"What's that?" Opal asked.
"It's where you trace your family back, and name your relatives and then you share that information with the class." Elizabeth smiled. As the children whispered excitedly for a minute before turning back to her.
"Younger children you will be drawing a tree and filling in the names, older children you will be writing an essay with your tree. I want to hear about how your family traveled, where they came from and anything interesting you might know. So make sure you get your parents involved too, this can be fun for everyone and you might hear some amazing stories." Elizabeth smiled.
"I bet the Thatchers can be traced back to the Mayflower" Laura whispered to Kate.
"I don't know for sure, but according to Grandmother was can." Kate shrugged.
"Hey Kate" Jack smiled as he walked up to the house that evening, Kate was sitting on the front steps her notebook in front of her but not looking like she was doing any work. Jack sat down next to her as Rip curled up at her feet, grateful for a rest after the long walk from town.
"Hi" Kate offered him a little smile.
"Did Elizabeth tell you Doug was coming to dinner tonight too?"
"She did, it's good of you to invite him, she said he was going up north, leading other men?"
"Yeah, they have been having a lot of troubles up there. There's a lot of fighting" Jack nodded.
"That was the job that you turned down right?"
"Yes, Doug is going in my place."
"I'm glad you turned it down Jack" Kate said softly.
"Me too, it was the right thing to do for me." Jack nodded, Kate nodded turning back to her empty page.
"No homework tonight?" Jack asked.
"Actually I have to write an essay."
"Oh yeah? On what?"
"Elizabeth assigned us a family tree project. We have to make the tree, and then write an essay, include each person and something interesting about them or our family history, stuff like that." Kate said softly.
"Well, I bet you have a lot to write about. Your father ran a shipping port, your family is straight from England." Jack said.
"That's two sentences. I don't know anything else really. I don't remember my mother and father. I don't have anything to write about them."
"Yeah, I can see how this assignment might not be your favorite." Jack nodded softly.
"I wish I had the memories that Elizabeth did. Even if it would make me sad to miss them. At least I would have something." Kate shrugged.
"You know, you could ask her, for her memories."
"It makes her sad." Kate whispered.
"Well, it makes me sad talking about my dad too. That's why I don't do it very much. But it also makes me happy to remember him. Tom and I used to talk about him a lot, it used to make us laugh to think of what he would say about things, even though he wasn't around anymore. I think when Elizabeth assigned this project she knew you would need to go to her with your questions anyway right?" Jack asked.
"I suppose" Kate nodded.
"So ask her, I'm sure she would love to tell you. And it's ok if she is sad about it sometimes. Remembering does that, but don't be afraid to ask her because you don't want to make her sad." Jack said softly.
"Ok, I will ask her." Kate nodded.
"Good, one day you will be really happy to have those stories written down. They will become your memories too." Jack smiled standing up and putting put his hand to pull Kate up with him.
"Come on, I smell dinner, and it actually smells good." Jack said the last part under his breath as he opened the door making them both giggle.
Doug came to dinner and he and Jack laughing and telling stories had them all holding their sides as they tried to eat. Kate truly enjoyed his company and he was so polite and respectful and a truly wonderful friend. After dinner Elizabeth turned on the victrola and played some music. Before they knew it Doug pulled her up and they danced around the small kitchen while Kate and Jack laughed watching them.
"You are such a good dancer" Elizabeth laughed when the song ended and they went back to the table.
"Oh I'm sure Jack is better them I am" Doug said.
"Oh no, you are much better sir." Jack told him.
"Did you take dance lessons?" Kate asked.
"No but my mom loved to dance, my dad traveled a lot so I filled in" Doug smiled.
"How is your mom? I haven't seen her in years." Jack asked.
"Good, she's always asking about you. She thinks of Jack as a son. Sometimes I think she likes him better then me." Doug said making them laugh.
"He is very lovable." Elizabeth smiled softly reaching out to take Jack's hand.
"It's getting late, I better go. Thank you for the wonderful dinner and company." Doug said.
"I really admire what you are doing, just be safe" Elizabeth said softly.
"That's the plan" Doug assured her. Elizabeth and Kate both gave him a hug and Jack firmly shook his hand before he saw himself out of the row house.
"He seems to young to be leading those men" Elizabeth sighed as Kate started to clear the table.
"I'm going to be praying for him" Jack nodded.
"Me too" Kate agreed.
"We all will" Elizabeth nodded.
Kate jolted awake from a nightmare, sitting up in bed in her dark room. The war they had been hearing about up north had come here, there had been fighting in the streets of Hope Valley, people were hurt and dying, their friends. Kate lit the candle by her bed going to the window. The town was silent and dark, everyone asleep. Kate sighed picking up the candle and creeping down the stairs splashing her face in the wash bucket trying to forget what she had dreamed.
"Katie, it's the middle of the night what are you doing up?" Elizabeth whispered and Kate turned to see her walking down the stairs wrapping her shawl around her.
"Sorry, I didn't mean to wake you."
"What's wrong?"
"I just had a nightmare, trying to clear my head." Kate shrugged.
"Do you want to talk about it?"
"No, just want to forget it."
"You have not been yourself this afternoon, are you sure your ok?" Elizabeth asked.
"Not in the middle of the night, but.. can we talk about the family tree project tomorrow?"
"I thought that might be it. We certainly can, I was hoping that we would."
"I just, I know it makes you sad to talk about mother and father. But Jack said it can also make you happy to remember them too. Is that true?"
"It is. it's both sad and happy as strange as that is. I was actually looking forward to helping you with this project. I know we don't talk about them much, but your older now, I want to know what questions you have and what you want to know." Elizabeth said giving Kate a little smile.
"Sometimes I'm jealous, that you have memories I don't. Jack said that if we talk about them, they can be both of our memories." Kate said softly.
"He's right. I'm sorry that you thought I didn't want to talk about them. If you have questions you can ask me. Not just about Mother and Father, but especially them. I don't want you to feel like you can't because it makes me sad, I like talking about them too." Elizabeth said.
"Good" Kate gave her a little smile that Elizabeth returned.
"Now back to bed, it's late and cold" Elizabeth said as Kate nodded and followed her back up the stairs.
"Elizabeth" Kate turned right before going into her room.
"mmm?" Elizabeth turned from the doorway of her own room.
"Does it make me an awful person, that I'm grateful Doug is going up north, and not Jack?" Kate whispered.
"If it does then we are both equally awful." Elizabeth sighed and Kate nodded understanding that Elizabeth was feeling the same way she was.
"We can be thankful Jack is safe and pray for the other men's safety."
"I will do that." Kate nodded.
"Me too, get some sleep" Elizabeth smiled. Kate nodded crawling back into her bed and closing her eyes.
"Hi Jack" Kate said softly meeting him outside his office the next afternoon.
"Hello, you alone?" Jack asked.
"Elizabeth went to talk to Mayor Gowen again. She's been having to beg him for school supplies lately. He's not happy with her." Kate said with a shrug.
"Well Henry Gowen is hardly ever happy with anyone as far as I can tell." Jack sighed frowning at the thought of someone giving Elizabeth trouble. They both turned when they heard commotion outside the saloon. A group of a dozen mounties was saddling up their horses all dressed in shiny clean uniforms.
"Are they leaving already?" Kate asked softly as Doug was walking over.
"Yes" Jack nodded.
"I'm not sure when I will see you again, so take care of yourself." Doug said shaking Jack's hand.
"Come find me when you get back, I'll be here." Jack said as they gave each other a firm handshake.
"Keep an eye on him for me will you?" Doug winked as Kate making her smile at him as he walked back to his group.
"Good luck boys" Jack called as they fell into formation. Doug solute Jack who returned it to him before Doug nudged his house and Kate silently watched them ride out of town heading north.
"He seems so young" Kate said softly watching him.
"Five or six years older then you." Jack nodded.
"It's not fair." Kate said softly.
"It's their calling, this is what they want to do. To serve their country, keep their families safe. It's important and necessary. " Jack said watching them disappear down the road.
"Yes sir." Kate whispered.
"Come on, let's go see if we can catch up with Elizabeth." Jack said pulling his eyes away from the men and giving Kate a smile placing his hand on her shoulder and leading her down the road.
"How was your talk with Kate?" Jack asked a few days later as they were walking through town one evening.
"Wonderful. I don't know why it took a homework assignment for us to talk about our parents. I just, it's hard to start remembering and she has no memory, it never found a real place in our lives I suppose. Besides the odd here and there of mentioning something. But once we got started, she loved hearing the stories and I love getting to tell her." Elizabeth smiled.
"I'm glad to hear that" Jack smiled putting his arm around her.
"I heard you had a hand in convincing her to talk to me about it?" Elizabeth raised her eyebrows at him.
"She mentioned it. I just encouraged based on personal experience." Jack gave a little shrug.
"Well, thank you, thank you for being someone she can turn to when she feels like she can't talk to me. That really means a lot." Elizabeth said softly.
"I love being that person for her." Jack smiled softly. They walked hand in hand for a few minutes of silence.
"Everything alright?" Elizabeth asked softly.
"Yeah, I'm just thinking about Doug and his men. They are probably in the think of it by now" Jack said softly.
"Well, if they are as good at their jobs as your are at yours then they will be fine." Elizabeth gave him a little smile. Jack returned it reaching out and rubbing his hand up and down her arms.
"You just bought yourself dinner at the saloon." He said softly making Elizabeth laugh.
"Why don't you get us a table, I'll just tell Kate and grab my shawl at school." Elizabeth said.
"You got it" Jack whispered leaning down he gave her lips a little kiss before going in and she headed to the pond where Kate was sitting with her friends.
"Katie, I'm having dinner with Jack tonight, do you want to join us?" Elizabeth asked.
"Can I eat at Abigail's. Clara was going to show me her new sewing machine?" Kate asked waving to her friends and catching up with Elizabeth as she continued the walk to the school house.
"Of course, I will pick you up after dinner with Jack." Elizabeth nodded walking into the school. Both sisters stopped short when they saw a man writing on Elizabeth's blackboard behind her desk.
"Excuse me" Elizabeth said.
"Yes?" The man asked turning around. Mr Stoneman was written on the board and Kate assumed that was his name.
"Why are you writing on my chalk board?" Elizabeth asked.
"I'm preparing for tomorrow's lesson." He said giving the girls a tight polite smile.
"What?" Kate whispered.
"I don't understand" Elizabeth shook her head.
"Oh, I suppose nobody told you. I'm your replacement." He told Elizabeth.
"What!" Kate gasped as Elizabeth looked shocked.
