AN: Thank you for the lovely reviews! I'm so glad that Season Four is on Netflix! Did everyone Love the Christmas special? I know I did!
The time between Christmas and New years passed slowly, and Elizabeth was glad for it. She had her husband back safe in her arms, and she had her sweet little girl, and with them, she was happier than she'd ever thought she could be. She and Jack both marveled at their daughter, the product of real, deep love, who seemed to grow a little bit each day.
"I can already tell, I'm going to have to scare the boys off in droves." Jack said with a laugh as they watched her lying on the floor on a handknit blanket, her chubby little fingers absently closing and opening in the air as she made soft babbling noises.
"One boy's already smitten with her." Elizabeth laughed, gesturing to where Rip was lying next to the blanket, one paw on the edge guarding the new baby for all he was worth. Rip had loved the baby from the moment that Jack had cautiously introduced them, and most nights he would sleep by her crib like a silent guard.
"Good, he can help me then." Jack pointed out, much to Elizabeth's delight.
"Mmm, maybe we'll just have to hurry up and give her a squadron of brothers to help too." She suggested, and he kissed her soundly until they were both starved for breath, and even then they only stopped because Lilly started to fuss. Elizabeth steadied herself, rose from the couch, and scoop the baby up. "Hello my beautiful one; are you hungry?" She asked, going to resume her seat on the sofa next to Jack. The baby blinked in response and made a disgruntled sound. Elizabeth unbuttoned her blouse, and began to feed her baby, whos fussing was instantly quieted. She was hyper aware of Jack's eyes on her, and she felt her face turn pink.
"This is the most incredible sight I've ever seen. You feeding our daughter." Jack said, hoping to make her less uneasy, but it only made her blush deepen. "It's the most beautiful and natural thing I've ever seen."
"I don't feel beautiful these days." Elizabeth sighed. She didn't get much sleep, and when she woke she was often too tired to put much effort into her hair or wearing cosmetics. Her old clothes still didn't fit, and the maternity clothing seemed much too big. She'd tried getting into one of her corsets for the first time in nearly nine months, but it was too painful with her tender abdomen and breasts. She wanted to look nice for her husband, very badly, and she was afraid she was failing miserably at it.
"What kind of nonsense is that?" Jack asked, putting his hand on her cheek. "Elizabeth, you're the most beautiful woman in the entire world. It doesn't matter if you're in a ball gown, or a night gown, or nothing at all. You're gorgeous. Perfect. Beautiful. You're everything to me, you and our Lilly. Every minute of every day I thought of you, of your perfect face, and when I came home, you were more beautiful than I remembered."
"When you came home I was in the middle of labour!" Elizabeth laughed.
"And you were radiant." Jack insisted, his lips brushing her cheek.
"And you're ridiculous, but I love you anyway." Elizabeth smiled.
"Ridiculous? Ridiculously sweet, maybe." Jack teased, and began peppering Elizabeth's face with soft kisses. Elizabeth sighed in content, and lifted her daughter up to burp her. She kissed her husband once softly on the mouth, and focused on the task at hand. As she rubbed and patted her daughter's back, she hummed softly, inhaling through her nose every time to inhale Lilly's sweet, baby scent. She could feel Jack's eyes again, and this time she was filled with wanting. It had been a month since he'd been home, and between Jack's injury and her healing, there had been plenty to keep them from doing more than kissing, which was certainly very nice, but she longed for the deeper intimacy she and Jack had known before, where she felt like he could see her entire soul. She felt horrible for wanting him so badly right then and there, while she was holding their new baby, but she longed for him anyways. And no matter how beautiful Jack claimed to find her, he still hadn't tried to touch her, and she assumed it had to be in part because of the way her body had changed after carrying a child. For Jack's part, he had never wanted Elizabeth more. His own injury felt a lot better these days, but he didn't want to rush Elizabeth, not when she was still healing from delivering their baby, the most perfect baby in the entire world. "Um, I'm going to go check on the roast." He said, clearing his throat.
"Oh, um, right, thank you!" Elizabeth stammered, suddenly blushing deeper than she had since before their wedding, as if he could read her thoughts. "Would you give the vegetables a stir in the oven too?"
"Of course." Jack disappeared, and Elizabeth tried to think of anything except Jack, which was nearly impossible with their baby in her arms, and his photograph on the mantle across from her. Satisfied that the baby was taken care of, she laid Lilly in the little cradle Rosemary and Lee had given them for the sitting room, and Rip moved away from the fireplace at once to stand guard beside it, resting his face on the side. Lilly cooed delightedly, and smacked her hand none to gently against Rip's face, but the dog didn't mind it. Deciding that Lilly was safe and sound here, she left the sitting room to go after her husband. His back was to her, and Elizabeth noticed the muscles of his back through his shirt, though his injured shoulder was a little slimmer from disuse, but it only made him more beautiful to her. It was a reminder of how precious life was, of how close she'd come to losing him forever.
"Do you still want me?" Elizabeth asked suddenly, and the spoon Jack had been holding slipped out of his fingers, hitting the floor with a clatter. He turned to face her with a look of disbelief in his eyes. "Sorry- I'm sorry, I know I'm not like I used to be, with all of the stretched out marks, and the weight, I-I don't know why I asked." Her face turned red in shame, and tears pricked in the corners of her eyes as she went to turn away, feeling stupid. Suddenly, Jack was grabbing her, pulling her to him, and kissing her hungrily. She gasped against his lips, and laid her hands against his chest, feeling the beating of his heart beneath her fingers.
"How could you even doubt it?" He asked against the skin of her throat.
"Jack…"
"Couldn't you feel it when we kissed earlier? Elizabeth, there will never be a day that goes by that I don't want you." He said pulling away from her to look into her eyes.
"But I'm-" He silenced her with a kiss, and she felt her knees go weak.
"Beautiful. You're beautiful." He said firmly, defensively. "No one says anything else about my wife. Not even you." She kissed him again, desperately. "I just didn't want to...I was afraid it was too soon, you know, after…"
"Oh." Elizabeth nodded, touched by his thoughtfulness. "Well, I think I'm in the clear." The words were music to Jack's ears. As he was leaning in to kiss her again, there was a knocking at the door, startling the lovers out of their trance. They'd completely forgotten about the people coming over to ring in the New year with them. Elizabeth sighed, and pulled away from her husband reluctantly, slipping away to get the door, but Jack caught her wrist, and pressed his lips to it once.
"Later." He said against the pale white skin, and shivers ran up and down Elizabeth's back. She went quickly to the door, doing her best to compose herself, and opened it wide.
"Happy New Year!" The small crowd chimed together. Abigail and Frank were there with Cody, then there were Lee and Rosemary, and Clara and Jessee.
"Happy New year!" Elizabeth laughed in return, and embraced each in turn. Rosemary brought a chocolate cake, while Abigail brought biscuits and mashed potatoes.
"Where's the baby? Let me see my little Goddaughter!" Abigail said as she sent the boys into the kitchen with the food she'd brought.
"Right this way!" Elizabeth laughed, and led her into the sitting room where the baby was still being guarded by Rip.
"Hello beautiful girl!" Abigail cooed as she scooped the baby up into her arms, and kissed her forehead. "She's even prettier today than she was the last time I saw her!"
"I'd agree, but it would sound prideful." Elizabeth said, winking at her friend. She gestured to the sofa, and they took seats followed by the other two women, since the rest of the men had gone to join Jack in the kitchen.
"How are you feeling dear?" Rosemary asked, reaching over to take her hand.
"Much better, better everyday. My moods have been a bit more stable the last few days, and I'm not sore anymore, most of the time." Elizabeth said, smiling over at the picture of Abigail and Lilly.
"I'm so glad to hear it!" Rosemary squeezed her hand and let go.
"Huh. Isn't it funny that all the boys are in the kitchen, while we're sitting around?" Abigail asked, and the women chuckled.
"Of course they're in the kitchen, all the hard work has been done!" Rosemary laughed, and Abigail offered her the baby. Though she was a bit hesitant still, Rosemary took the baby gently, and rocked her smoothly back and forth. Elizabeth noticed that Clara seemed a bit subdued, but she didn't mention it, and made a mental note to check in with her later. "I see Rip still worships the little darling!" Rosemary nodded her head to the place where Rip sat staring warily at the blonde woman.
"I think as far as Rip is concerned, Lilly is his baby, and the rest of us are merely allowed to hold her from time to time." Elizabeth explained.
"And you're never worried that he'll hurt her? Accidentally of course." Rosemary asked.
"Oh, no!" Elizabeth shook her head. "He's so gentle with her, really. She was basically smacking him earlier, and he just sat there content as anything. Besides, Rip's not really a fighter or a doer unless he thinks somethings seriously wrong. He'd rather just get cozy by the fire."
"At least he's warmed up to you!" Abigail said.
"At least. I still only think it's because he knows that Lilly came out of me." Elizabeth was laughing again. "I'm really glad you all wanted to come tonight. Holidays are always best spent with friends and family."
"Of course we came!" Abigail said. "We all love you, and Jack, and of course, Lilly Alice, but who could help but love her?"
"I feel bad that you're not out celebrating with the rest of the town!" Elizabeth sighed.
"Don't! We'd rather be with you, and you can't bring a baby out in this sort of weather for so long, so we're here." Clara shrugged. Rosemary passed the baby over to Clara who was happy to take her.
"Have you heard anything about Becky?" Elizabeth asked, turning back to Abigail.
"She's doing much better. In the next few weeks she should be well enough to be discharged and come home." Abigail said, and ELizabeth embraced her.
"Abigail, that's wonderful!"
"Cody is so excited, he can't wait!" Abigail was grinning.
"What will you do after she comes home?" Rosemary asked curiously.
"Well, I'll do everything I can to keep them with me." Abigail said resolutely.
"Do you really mean it Miss Abigail?" All four women turned to the open archway that connected the sitting room to the hallway where Cody was standing. Abigail rose from her seat and smoothed her hands over her dress.
"Of course I do. I want you and your sister to stay with me here, in Hope Valley, if that's what you both want." Abigail said, and Cody ran across the room to embrace her tightly around the midsection, and she hugged him just as tightly.
"I do! I want to stay here with you! I love you, Miss Abigail!" Cody said, and Elizabeth felt her eyes welling up with tears again, and gave a fleeting thought to the fact that her emotions were not quite so in check as she'd hoped.
"I love you too, Sweetheart." Abigail bent down to kiss his blonde hair with tears of joy in her eyes. "You and Becky both, very much." Elizabeth was grinning as she took her daughter back into her arms and watched the woman who had become her best friend. She was finally getting her happily ever after back on track after the Mine had done everything to ruin it.
"Oh dear, you know, I'd better go see how the boys are fairing- get dinner back on track." Rosemary said after a few moments, and she took Clara's hand to bring her with her.
"You know that Jack and I will help you in any way that we can." Elizabeth said softly as Cody and Abigail pulled apart. "Jack will be able to put a few good words in with the right people, I'm sure."
"Thank you." Abigail smiled at her, and kept a hand gently on Cody's shoulder.
"Can I start calling you Mom?" Cody asks.
"Of course you can." She insists.
"Thank you, mom!" He hugs her around the middle again, and her smile gets even brighter. Tears stream down her cheeks, and she makes no effort to hide them. Elizabeth smiles, and gathers up Lilly in her arms before leaving the room to give them their moment.
"Looks like someone's got another two cousins, huh?" She coos, and kisses her daughter's head. Her daughter yawns, and Elizabeth is transfixed, like her daughter has just done the most wonderful thing in the world. "Is someone getting tired? Well my sweet girl, that's alright. Staying up for the new year isn't for everyone...and you have so many new years ahead of you, don't you Lilly Alice?"
"Hm. Talking to a baby...is it much better than talking to yourself? Or the dog?" Jack asks. Elizabeth grins at him.
"It's good to talk to babies. How do you think they learn how to speak?" She asks, giving him a quick kiss. "She's tired. I'm going to take her upstairs to feed her and get her to bed."
"Alright. I'll stall for you down here." He says.
"Yes, you'll make a great hostess." She giggles, and heads up the stairs. By the time she's changed the baby, fed the baby, burped the baby, and put her to bed, she's absolutely starving. She comes down the steps, and Jack easily gives her a plate of food.
They play games together all night, they even dance to the music of the victrola. Everyone giggles, and drinks a bit of wine, except Cody, who fell asleep on the sofa at around ten thirty. They're just getting ready to countdown to the New Year when the baby starts to cry.
"I'll be right back!" Elizabeth says.
"Oh, Elizabeth, you'll miss the new year!" Rosemary protests.
"Oh, Don't worry, I'm sure I'll ring it in just fine where I'm at." She insists, and heads up the steps. She picks up her daughter, and presses kisses to her daughter's forehead. "Oh Lilly girl, what is it?" She sits in the rocking chair, and gently rocks her, and she starts to calm.
"Beautiful." Jack observes from the doorframe.
"For a man in giant boots, you sure are quiet." Elizabeth smiles at him. "What are you doing up here? You're missing the new year!" She teases, and Jack strides across the room as voices echo from downstairs.
"Ten…"
"What's there to miss? Everything I want is right here." He kneels by her feet, and runs his hand over their daughter's chocolate brown hair. "Sides, who am I gonna kiss at midnight if you're not with me?"
"Nine...Eight…"
"I love you so much." She sighs.
"Seven, six…"
"This time last year I was counting down the days to our wedding." Elizabeth says, cupping his cheek in her free hand.
"Five...Four…"
"Now it's been almost a year." He gives her the half smile that makes her heart flutter.
"Three...Two…"
"And every day with you gets better."
"One! Happy New Year!" They call downstairs, and Jack kisses her gently, bending forward to avoid bumping their daughter.
"Happy New Year." He whispers, resting his forehead against hers.
"Happy New Year." She says. "Happy New Year Lilly."
"The first of many." Jack says.
"The first of many." She agrees.
AN: Happy New years everyone! Thanks for reading!