AN: Hello my marvelous readers! I bring you another chapter of "Stuck With You". Your kind reviews always make me so happy! I hope you enjoy! This chapter takes place about two weeks into the future.

Elizabeth sat at her own kitchen table and graded the children's papers as dinner cooked on the stove. The dinner she was making for her husband was cooking on her kitchen stove. She smiled, and looked down at the two rings on her finger again. The last two weeks had been absolutely blissful. She loved being married to Jack; he was the most wonderful, thoughtful, amazing husband. She rose from the table, and stirred the stew she was cooking. As she sprinkled in a little more salt, she heard the front door open and a slow smile spread across her face.

"Hello Mrs. Thornton." Jack said as he came up behind her, and rested his hands low on her hips. Elizabeth smiled, and relaxed into him. "Dinner smells good."

"Mmm. I missed you today." Elizabeth sighed, and put her hands over his. "I wish we'd both taken two weeks off. I just haven't been able to focus on my lessons. I keep thinking about you."

"About me, huh?" Jack smiled as he kissed her shoulder. "What about me?"

"About how kind, and wonderful you are." Elizabeth said. She stirred the stew one last time, set the spoon aside, and turned in Jack's arms to wrap her arms around his neck. "About how much I love you, how happy I am that we're married. About...other things."

"Other things?" Jack asked mischievously.

"How handsome you are…" Elizabeth said, and stood on her toes to kiss him. Jack kissed her back, and she felt his hands wander over the small of her back, and down- "Jack. I'm still cooking."

"The stew can wait." Jack said, and began kissing his way down her neck.

"Mmmm. But Jack...I worked hard on it." Elizabeth laughed. She gently pushed him away, and observed the meal on the stove. "If we have to go to the cafe for dinner for the third time this week, people are going to start getting suspicious. I can make us dinner, you know."

"I know. You're not a bad cook Elizabeth." Jack assured her. "I thought about you today too."

"You did?" Elizabeth smiled slyly.

"All day. I never wanted to be anything other than a mountie, but now I find that I want to spend all day just, being your husband." Jack said, and Elizabeth felt herself go a little weak in the knees.

"How was work?" Elizabeth asked after clearing her throat.

"Dull today. Sometimes this town is just...full of crimes, and then there's nothing for weeks." Jack sighed. He took off his red serge jacket, and hung it on a peg by the door. "But it's fine, because It means I can come home to you a little early."

"Is Rip still at the jail?" Elizabeth asked.

"It's the strangest thing. He won't follow me here anymore. I think he's jealous of our relationship." Jack laughed.

"That's the most ridiculous thing I've ever heard!" Elizabeth gasped. She took two bowls from the cupboard, and ladled stew into them. "Here, eat up. Jealous of our relationship? Ridiculous."

"And there you are again, talking to yourself." Jack smiled and pulled out a chair for his wife.

"Jack! I don't talk to myself." Elizabeth protested weakly. "Most of the time. And it isn't as bad as you, with the slack jawed staring."

"If you don't want me to stare, then you're going to have to stop being so beautiful." Jack said, and Elizabeth blushed under his gaze. "I like it when you blush too. Did you know that you blush all the way down to your-"

"Jack!" Elizabeth gasped, and took in his impish smile. She rolled her eyes, and reached out to take his hand. "You're insatiable."

"Can you blame me?" Jack asked, taking the hand she offered. "I have the most beautiful wife in the entire world. And she's one heck of a cook too." Elizabeth smiled, and took a bite of her stew.

"Jack, when do you think we can go to visit our siblings?" She asked after a moment.

"I don't know. We both just took a week off of work. But if we wait a month or two, I think we should be able to get the time off." Jack said.

"Or we could invite them here." Elizabeth suggested. "I mean, I know it might be a little soon, but if we went to visit them, we would have to get a hotel, and take time off of work. This way the only one who would have to take time off would be Tom, and we have this nice big house that you built us, with three empty rooms upstairs."

"If that's what you want." Jack shrugged.

"I mean, we don't have to have them here if you don't want them here?" Elizabeth asked.

"No, I mean, they're our siblings. Of course we should see them. And if having them here is the best way to do it, then sure." Jack said.

"If you're sure. I can write Julie later to try to arrange something." Elizabeth said.

"Maybe you can do that tomorrow." Jack said.

"Hm? I mean, of course I could. Why?" Elizabeth asked.

"I thought that we could just stay in, spend the evening together." Jack said.

"Isn't that what we've done every day for the last two weeks?" Elizabeth laughed.

"Exactly." Jack grinned. Elizabeth rolled her eyes, but grinned back. "Tell you what. I'll take care of the dishes, you go write that letter."

"What did I do to deserve a man like you?" Elizabeth sighed. "I love you, Jack."

"I love you." He said, and rose to clear her bowl. He leaned in and kissed her softly.

"I'll go get started on that letter then. I have a feeling you'll be finished with those dishes pretty quickly." Elizabeth laughed. He smirked at her and she went quickly to the beautiful library that Jack had built for her, and pulled a piece of stationery to extend an invitation to her reckless younger sister.

Dearest Julie,

I'll start this letter by answering your questions from your last letter. One, Everything was perfect, two I'll show you the pictures when they're ready, Three, Julie, that is inappropriate, and I refuse to discuss it.

And as for your request to see us, I'm pleased to invite you to come visit us in Hope Valley. You and Tom are welcome to stay in our house, so there will be no need to arrange a room anywhere. You'll be able to sample my cooking, which has come a long way since we were children sipping imaginary tea.

You'll be pleased to hear that married life is treating me wonderfully. These last two weeks have been purely heaven. Being married to Jack is the most wonderful thing in the entire world. Right now, he's washing our dishes so that I would have time to write to you. Every day I'm struck by how wonderful Jack is. And then I think of how everything can only become more wonderful as time goes on.

I'm glad that you are happy, Julie. And you know that I love you, very, very much. I hope and pray that you never come to regret it. And don't worry, Julie. I'm certain that your cooking will improve soon. Perhaps I can give you a few lessons when you visit. Ha, you know, I never thought I'd be offering to give cooking lessons to anyone. But Jack has honestly said that my cooking is delightful. I made a stew tonight that was actually delicious.

This will have to be a short letter, because I can hear Jack putting the dishes away, and we have plans for the evening.

Write me soon, tell me when you'll be able to come to visit us.

All of my love,

Elizabeth Thornton.

AN: There it was, another chapter!