A/N THIS IS THE SECOND POST OUT OF TWO CHAPTER UPDATES. Edited to add Nathan placing the ring on Elizabeth's hand. Thank you to the reviewer who caught that.
Elizabeth once again found herself in a dream where she was on the train. It arrives at the station, she gets off, and Nathan and the others are waiting for her. But this time, she began to hear murmurs and bits of conversation coming from somewhere and suddenly felt weak. She began to notice pain that hadn't been in the previous dreams. Just as Nathan was about to kiss her, she moaned as the picture faded and disappeared. Elizabeth moaned because, yet again, she was disappointed. She reluctantly opened her eyes. Instead of seeing the ceiling of the hunting cabin, she saw a white ceiling. Suddenly Nathan's face appeared in front of her.
It was the most beautiful thing she had seen in a while. Her dazed mind registered several things at once. She began to feel a bit like Dorothy from the Wizard of Oz. Where was she? She looked around to see what she could discern. Elizabeth saw that she was hooked up to machines and an IV. She was in a hospital bed. She could feel pain. Finally, Elizabeth saw the bulky dressing through the nightgown she wore. Elizabeth blushed as she realized she was in a nightgown, and Nathan saw her in it. Her heart sped up a bit from fear rising within her. She felt the overwhelming need to run, and the pain increased as she tried to move.
Realizing that she was upset, Nathan gently restrained her. "Elizabeth, I need you to lay still, sweetheart." At the sound of his voice and feeling his touch, she calmed. Their eyes locked as the world fell away, and they were transported into that special place where only the two of them existed.
"Am I dreaming?" she asked, unable to look away. He could hear the vulnerability in her tone and see it when she bit her bottom lip drawing his attention to them. Then she winced as her teeth grazed where her lip was still healing. He was wondering the same thing as he had woken up just as he had been about to kiss her just like before.
Needing the same reassurance she was seeking, Nathan said, "There's only one way to find out," Then he leaned down and gently captured her lips with his own. It was like finally coming home from a long journey. They both sighed as he pulled back though he didn't go far.
"Well?" Nathan asked, raising a brow in question crooked smile, her favorite, firmly in place.
"If it is, I never want to wake up," Elizabeth said, giggling. "All my other dreams happened at the train station and ended just before you kissed me. I think it's safe to say I'm not."
"Would it surprise you that I had similar dreams that ended similarly, Lizbeth?"
"Really, Nathan?" Elizabeth asked, eyes sparking and full of hope.
He just nodded, unable to speak.
Elizabeth's eyes softened as she saw the raw emotion on his face. "I love you, Nathan Grant. I have almost from the moment we first met. I hold you and Allie in my heart beside Jack and our son."
Tears welled up in Nathan's eyes at her words of love, and his heart swelled up in his chest. "Oh, Lizbeth, I love you too. I'm so glad that I can finally repeat it."
Before he could say anything else, William and Bill came in. They smiled knowingly at Nathan sitting on the bed and Elizabeth awake, glowing and smiling despite the pain that could be seen on her face.
The doctor came in right behind them. "Ah, Mrs. Thornton, I am Dr. Jensen, and you are in the Union City hospital. Do you remember what happened?"
"Not really?" Elizabeth said. "The last thing I remember was running into the depot after Nathan."
"You were shot in the chest, but it missed your heart. You are weak because of the blood loss, exhaustion, and malnourishment, but I anticipate a full recovery. You'll be sore for quite a while until you fully recover. The cracked ribs you sustained will take the longest. There is a lot of swelling due to all the injuries you sustained that may cause additional pain and add to your recovery time. Now I have told your family that I will be keeping you here for a week to monitor for infection. After that, I will turn your care over to Dr. Carter, and you can go home. I have already spoken with her and filled her in on your condition. Do you have any further questions for me?"
"How long was I out?" Elisabeth asked, trying to piece everything together.
"Approximately 18 hours, give or take. You have had brief moments going in and out of consciousness. But you never responded fully to stimuli. I need to do a quick nerve exam, and then I can give you some privacy." He frowned slightly when he got to her legs as she didn't respond. "Elizabeth, can you feel me touching your leg?"
"I can feel it but barely. What's wrong, Dr. Jensen," Elizabeth said, starting to panic.
"There's swelling that is pressing on the nerves in your spine. It is temporary, I assure you, and the feeling should return as the swelling goes down. I have seen it many times, and I do not doubt that you will have a full recovery. It's one of the reasons I want you here in Union City for a week after we discharge you. We will send you home with a wheelchair until the feeling comes back. The fact that you have some feeling is a great sign, and it tells me that I am right about the swelling. Do you have any more questions for me?"
Elizabeth just shook her head as a tear fell. "Mrs. Thornton, I know it seems overwhelming and scary, but I promise this is only temporary." He said, smiling gently down at her. "Between getting shot and the injuries you suffered before, I'm not surprised." He left the room with a nod to the men and another at Elizabeth.
William came over to the bed and leaned down to kiss her. Nathan walked over to where Bill was standing to give them privacy.
"Bill," Nathan whispered as they watched the interaction between the pair on the bed. "Did you bring those papers with you?"
"I did," Bill said with a smile. "You want to look them over?"
Bill cleared his throat, turned, and went over to greet Elizabeth. Before long, Nathan was back, and she saw her father and Bill whispering.
"Lizbeth, um…. Uh…. There's something I need to talk to you about." Nathan began.
"What's wrong, Nathan? Wait, where are Allie and Jack? Are they all right?"
"They are fine, Beth," William said.
"Charlotte took them out to distract them for a bit," Bill added.
She looked back at Nathan, and her breath caught what she saw. Just like in her dream, Nathan held the letter up in one hand and two wedding bands in the other.
"Nathan?" Elizabeth said breathlessly, afraid to believe what she was seeing.
"Lizbeth, while you were sleeping, I thought about all we have been through. Then I thought about the letter and your words in it. It's not a train station, but as you can see, I have Bill and the rings. You have admitted you love me, and I love you, so I'm holding you to your words. Will you marry me?" But before she could answer, he added, "Oh, and we have the blessings of Charlotte and your father too."
Elizabeth looked over at her father in astonishment. William just smiled and nodded back at the couple. "We both love you, Beth. Be happy."
"So, will you marry me, Lizbeth?" Nathan asked, the vulnerability creeping into his voice. "If your hesitation is because of what is happening with the feeling in your legs, I assure you it doesn't matter. So, answer me as if our situation was reversed, Elizabeth, because I assure you, I feel the same as you would."
She smiled and said, "There's nothing I want more. Just name the day, and I'll be there, Nathan."
He smiled the crooked smile that always caused the butterflies in her stomach. But a mischievous twinkle in his eyes made her wonder at it. Suddenly Jack and Allie came running in the door, excited to see her. Nathan moved to allow the children to say hello, giving him time to speak to the others before returning to bed. Elizabeth looked back at Nathan and asked, "When?"
"Now seems good to me. How about you, Bill?" Nathan asked.
"No time like the present," Bill said. "I already have the license with me." Then he held up the papers to prove it.
"Now as in now, now? Like in this hospital room now?" Elizabeth asked.
"Sure, why not!" Nathan said.
Elizabeth smiled and said, "Well, the most important people are here, and I am a woman of my word." Then she paused, pretending to think about it before saying, "Let's do it."
Cheers went up, and the hugs commenced. "I never thought I would wake up in my wedding dress," Elizabeth said, giggling and trying to smooth her hair.
"Actually, If you, gentleman, will give Allie and me a minute alone with the bride, we have a surprise," Charlotte said, winking at Elizabeth.
After they left, Charlotte and Allie presented her with a bouquet of wildflowers. Charlotte helped her into a beautiful lacy nightgown with a matching robe they had purchased on a whim. Charlotte had even had the foresight to buy a brush. It came with a matching mirror, and as Allie held it up, Elizabeth saw her bruises, though fading, were still noticeable.
"You didn't happen to buy any makeup that I could cover these up with, did you," Elizabeth said, biting her lip.
Nathan came in and caught her remarks. Seeing her upset, he walked over and kissed her softly and said, "It doesn't matter, sweetheart, because I can still see the beauty shining through. You have never looked more beautiful than right now."
At her skeptical look, he said, "I'm being truthful, Lizbeth. Right now, at this moment, you are the woman about to be my wife. That makes you the most beautiful woman in the world because you are about to be mine." He said huskily before kissing her once more. After that, she didn't care about anything but becoming his wife, and they quickly moved into their places. Jack sat on the bed, cuddled up to Elizabeth's side. Nathan stood beside the bed with Allie next to him. Bill stood at the foot while Charlotte and William stood to one side.
Before Bill could start, Rosemary, Lee, and Gabe arrived. Quickly taking in the scene, they promptly distributed themselves on either side of the bed.
Bill began the ceremony. "Dearly Beloved, we are gathered today to join this man and this woman in Holy Matrimony. Does anyone have cause why this wedding shouldn't take place?"
Pausing momentarily, he continued, "Who gives this woman in marriage?"
Everyone chuckled when Jack piped up, "I give Mama away."
"Nathan, do you take Elizabeth as your wife and Jack as your son, to have and to hold, love, and cherish for the rest of your days?"
"Without hesitation, I do," Nathan said as he placed the band on Elizabeth's finger.
"Elizabeth, do you take Nathan as your husband and Allie as your daughter, to have and to hold, to love and to cherish for the rest of your days?"
"I do, without a doubt," Elizabeth said. Then taking the ring from Bill, she slipped it on his finger.
By the power vested in me by the province of Alberta, Canada, I now pronounce you husband and wife. Let me be the first to introduce Nathan and Elizabeth Grant. Congratulations to the new Grant Family of Hope valley. Nathan, you may kiss your bride." It was an order that he happily complied with.