What if Elizabeth walked into that Mountie office in the season 8 finale to finally face her fears instead of running away from them? Well this one-shot story explores that possibility. If you are into social media and want more content involving the show, feel free to check out my Instagram account at partylikeaheartie.

disclaimer: I do not own the characters from When Calls the Heart. They belong to Janette Oke & Hallmark Channel.

As always enjoy the story :)

The exact moment Elizabeth knew she was in love with Nathan Grant was on her son's third birthday, Christmas Eve. Ironically Elizabeth's morning started out as a complete disaster. She woke late to Jack crying in his crib and then later burned their breakfast. Which ultimately is where Nathan Grant found her, with a burnt breakfast and a crying toddler on her hip.

"Nathan"

"Hi. You look like you've had a rough morning so far" Nathan carefully responded with a hint of a smile as he lowered his campaign hat to his hands. He scanned behind her in the kitchen and noticed the burnt breakfast, which he completely smelt from his place on the porch.

"You could say that" Elizabeth replied with a fake smile looking over her shoulder before turning her watery eyes back at the Mountie on her door step. She could imagine what her appearance entailed and she internally face planted. She wanted this morning to be special for her son's birthday but things hadn't exactly went as smoothly as she wanted. Truthfully she just wanted to roll up in a ball and cry.

"Here"

If there was one thing Nathan learned over the years it would have to be he didn't do well when people he cared about cried. Once the tears fell, Nathan would do about anything to make them go away.

Noticing the tears about to fall from Elizabeth's eyes, Nathan instinctively took initiative by taking the crying toddler from her arms and entering the row house. Nathan lifted his campaign hat and set it on top of the boy's head before heading towards the kitchen to further inspect the damage of breakfast.

Giggles instantly replaced Little Jack's previous whimpers as the boy peaked his eyes under the Mountie's hat.

Nathan set the boy in his high chair before turning back towards the boy's mother, "Why don't you go fix yourself up? Jack will keep me company while I make his birthday breakfast"

"Nathan. You don't have to" Elizabeth whispered as she wiped a tear away from her cheek with the back of her hand and took a deep breath out. She knew she looked like a total mess but she also knew she didn't deserve his kindness.

Nathan quickly walked back over to where Elizabeth stood and placed his right hand on top of her shoulder. "Hey. I want to" A smile lit the mountie's face before whipping his head back at the giggling three year old, "Plus I get to spend some extra time with the birthday boy this morning. Isn't that right Jack?"

Before another thought Elizabeth lunged forward into Nathan's arms completely surprising him. Only staying in his arms for a moment, Elizabeth took a step back from his embrace and looked up into his eyes.

"Thank you, Nathan"

Nathan chuckled at her reaction as he motioned his head towards the stairs. "Go ahead"

Elizabeth answered with a smile and headed towards the staircase. Taking a step up, she swiftly turns back around in Nathan's direction with a light in her eyes that wasn't previously there before quickly disappearing upstairs.

When Elizabeth descended back downstairs ten minutes later, Nathan was just plating the dishes with eggs, bacon, and pancakes as glasses of milk held their place already on the table.

Seeing a movement at the staircase, Nathan spins his head around catching a glimpse of Elizabeth coming down in her Christmas outfit.

"You look…" Nathan starts to say stunned before a three year old cheerfully interrupts.

"Pretty mama" Little Jack announces with excitement while lifting his new wooden Mountie toy in the air.

"Beautiful" Nathan quietly utters under his breath as he watches Elizabeth blush three shades of red and ducks her head in embarrassment. Truthfully Nathan felt like his breath left his lungs at the sight of Elizabeth. He didn't think he ever saw someone so beautiful in his life.

"Thank you" Elizabeth quickly replies before redirecting her attention to her son. "And thank you my sweet boy. What do you have here?"

"Mountie. Like Daddy in heaven. And Mountie Nathan" the little boy answered excitedly as he waved the Mountie back and forth before bringing it close to his chest.

Elizabeth looked back up with admiration in her eyes for this selfless and thoughtful man in front of her. Her once previous crying son now had the biggest smile shining on his face. And it was all because of Nathan Grant.

"I thought it was fitting for a mountie's son" Nathan humbly said with a shrug of his shoulders as he picked up the two plates and walked over to the table. He set a small plate in front of Jack before setting the other one at the end of the table.

Elizabeth didn't have to ask if Nathan made the wooden Mountie because she knew he had. She also noticed how Nathan cut Jack's pancakes into smaller pieces and wrapped a bib around his neck to protect his clothes from getting dirty. Nathan noticed the little things, the things only a parent would notice a child needed. The little things that make a difference.

"Thank you for making this for him"

"Of course. Enjoy your breakfast and I'll see you both later at the Christmas pageant" Nathan dried his hands on one of the towels before walking behind Jack and ruffling the boy's hair with his right hand. "Happy birthday Jack"

Elizabeth wrinkled her eyebrows together at noticing his early departure. She figured he would at least stay to eat breakfast with them. "You don't want to stay for breakfast?"

"I should probably be getting back to Allie before she wakes up. She'll be wanting her breakfast soon" Nathan informed her before taking his campaign hat from the side of the table and turning to go.

"Nathan?"

"Hm" Nathan answers as he turns back around to face her and sets his hat on top of his head.

"Thank you, for everything"

"You never have to thank me Elizabeth" Nathan responded as he lifted two fingers to his hat and tipped it with a smile before shutting the door behind him.

And Elizabeth knew in that very moment that Nathan Grant was more than the serge he wore and that the man under the serge was the man she wholeheartedly fell in love with.

| four months later |

Elizabeth knew she had to talk to Nathan about how she felt. About what she knew to be true. Elizabeth Thornton fell in love with Nathan Grant. It was wrong of her to push him away when he poured out his heart to her. Today she would make things right. Today things would change for them. Today things would change for the better. Because today instead of running away from him, she would be running to him.

After the Thorntons finished eating their breakfast, Elizabeth dropped her son off with his godfather, Bill Avery. Bill cheerfully took his godson from Elizabeth's arms before landing a fatherly kiss on the side of her head and pushing her in the direction of town. A serge of pride flowed through Bill at learning that Elizabeth was finally facing her fears regarding Nathan today. It was long over due that the teacher stopped running from love and owned up to her mistakes these last few months.

Arriving in town, Elizabeth briskly beelined it towards the Mountie office with a determined and confident stride. Not even Florence Blakeley could interfere and distract her from her intended destination today.

Quickly climbing up the mountie's steps, Elizabeth burst into the door without hesitation.

"Elizabeth?" Nathan inquired with hint of worry lacing his voice as he pushed himself up against the desk to stand.

Elizabeth took a deep breath out and shut the door behind her. Turning back around to face him, Elizabeth knew this was it. This was the moment. It was all or nothing. There was no going back now. "I'm sorry. I'm sorry for pushing you away. I'm sorry for hurting you and Allie. You both were the last people I ever wanted to hurt" Elizabeth took a step toward him as a tear slipped down the side of her cheek. She wiped the tear away with the back of her hand as she continued on, "I was denying my feelings for you thinking that would diminish the connection we have. But I was wrong. I ran away from you while I should have been running to you. I was scared. If I'm honest I still am. But I don't want to run away anymore. I don't want to keep hurting the people that I really care about"

Nathan couldn't believe his ears. He had been waiting for her to acknowledge her behavior towards Allie and himself for weeks. Now that she has apologized, he didn't know what to say. Following his instinct, Nathan drew closer to where she stood. But before he got the chance to formulate and voice any of his thoughts, Elizabeth went on.

"I'm in love with you" Elizabeth softly uttered as tears fell down the sides of her rosy cheeks and a smile lifting in the corners of her mouth. For the first time in months, she felt a weight lift from her shoulders when speaking those five powerful words.

"And that scares me, Nathan. But what scares me more is losing you. I thought that by not being with you, I would be protecting myself from that pain. But I realized that it would hurt worse to lose you without getting the chance to love you"

"What about Lucas?" Nathan blurted out as Elizabeth's words slowly started to sink in. He knew they both couldn't act on anything until Lucas was firmly out of the picture. Truthfully he wouldn't object to someone pinching him to make sure this whole thing wasn't a dream. His hopes were rising by the second along with the intensity of his heartbeat while waiting for her answer.

"He's not you" Elizabeth responded without hesitation as she took a step towards him. Standing directly in front of him, Elizabeth paused for only a moment, "he doesn't make me genuinely laugh at his, oh so corny jokes" Elizabeth lightly chuckles as she teasingly rolls her eyes and watches him mirror a smile on his own face.

"He doesn't have the deepest blue eyes I often find myself getting lost into" Elizabeth whispered seriously as she ever so lightly lifts Nathan's hair out of his face with her fingers while never breaking eye contact.

Nathan watches Elizabeth with an intensity like no other as the bolt of electricity shoots through him. The pounding of his heartbeat could be heard in his ears as he waited for what Elizabeth would say next.

"He doesn't give my stomach butterflies every time he walks into the room. He doesn't make my son's eyes light up with excitement with his presence or the mention of his name. He doesn't have a daughter I absolutely adore" grabbing a hold of one of his hands in hers, Elizabeth continues with her eyes filling with tears once more, "I don't love him, Nathan. I won't ever love him because he's not Nathan Grant. He's not you"

Nathan releases a relieved smile as his eyes fill with tears in response. He gently brings their conjoined hands over his heart. "Are you absolutely sure?"

"So sure" Elizabeth chuckles before reaching up on her tiptoes and capturing his lips with hers. Moving her hands around his neck, Elizabeth conjoins her hands securely together.

Nathan immediately responds to her kiss by placing both of his hands on the sides of her cheeks and deepening the kiss. After a moment, Nathan reluctantly breaks away from their kiss to search into Elizabeth's deep blue eyes. Finding what he was looking for, Nathan's smile widens before resting his forehead against hers.

"I have loved you for a very long time. And I won't ever stop. I don't think I know how. I love you, Elizabeth Thornton" Nathan whispered with genuine emotion showing through the delivery of his words. He breathed a sigh of relief at the knowledge of finally knowing that all the uncertainty and waiting was finally over.

"I love you too"

"You have no idea how long I've wanted to hear you say that" Nathan marveled with a light in his eyes as he leaned back to gaze into her eyes once more. This was a moment he wished he could stay in forever. A moment he would remember for a lifetime. And that's what he wanted with her, a lifetime kind of love.

"I'm sorry I pushed you away for so long" Elizabeth silently addressed as she lowered her eyes to focus on her hand that now laid over his heart. A heart she wished she had never caused so much pain. A heart that she vowed to herself that she would forever protect from now on.

Putting his index finger under her chin, Nathan lifted it until Elizabeth's eyes met his, "You, Elizabeth Thornton, are worth waiting for"