AN: So, the muse was kind of uncooperative with other things today but after seeing an ad for a sweatshirt, it really liked this idea. Thank you, Katie, for Nathan's line about perhaps Elizabeth would thank him. That line was brilliant and I hope you approve of how it got used. Being at the end of Season 8, this is not Lucas friendly. I also am not totally sure things are happening in the right order as the end of season 8 is blurry as I have tried to forget it even happened. However, this is my fix of that ending. Hope you enjoy. Thanks to everyone on facebook who answered my question about how Nathan cut his hand.
Prompt (From a sweatshirt ad): "Back off. I've got enough to deal with today without having to make your death look like an accident."
It had been one of those days. He had been woken up by a worried Allie who was asking if he was okay. He hadn't been about to admit to her that he had been up most of the night with Elizabeth's words echoing in his head that she "loved him but wasn't in love with him." He had been so upset by that comment he had ended up at the saloon as Lucas was locking up. He had probably even shed a few tears last night.
Nathan had then rushed to get ready while assuring Allie he was fine. His plan to skip breakfast had resulted in Allie sticking a corn muffin in his hand as he headed out the door. He was still missing one of his gloves. He had hoped rounds would give him a chance to get his mind in the correct place. Instead, his boots and part of his pants legs had gotten covered in mud trying to help Jack Campbell get a calf out of deep mud it had gotten stuck in. By the time he had left the Campbell farm, the wind was picky up and he saw dark clouds in the distance. More worried about the possibility of rain, a gust of wind had claimed his hat. He had chased it and though a barbed wire fence at the Wolf farm had stopped the hat's flight, he had also cut his hand on said barbed wire retrieving it. If that hadn't been enough, Newton had lost a shoe, meaning he'd had to walk into town.
Leaving Newton with Kevin, who promised to have a new shoe on the horse as quickly as possible, Nathan happened to walk by Lucas as the man got from his car with a huge bouquet of flowers.
"Do you think Elizabeth will like these?" Lucas asked, a smug smirk on his face.
"Most women tend to like flowers."
Lucas nodded. "Seems like that saying is right - if you love something set it free. I told Elizabeth that I was giving her space to make her choice and she broke things off with you. I wanted to do something special for her."
Nathan leveled Lucas with a stare he reserved for criminals. "Look Lucas, I don't need to hear your gloating today of all days. I have 'enough to deal with without having to make your death look like an accident.'"
Nathan could tell the man felt uneasy under the stare and the words. Lucas was silent for a bit and when he did, the words were not directed at Nathan.
"Bill, did you just hear our constable threaten me?"
Coming to a stop next to Nathan Bill replied. "I did and it is Judge Avery to you." Bill rested a hand on Nathan's shoulder gaining the Mountie's attention. "If you are serious, I can help you make it happen."
Nathan fought the smile that threatened to come through. He knew as well as Bill it was an idle threat, but the older man's support meant everything right about now.
"Elizabeth won't find this funny," Lucas countered, sounding upset and a little uneasy at this point.
Nathan knew he had a point. Elizabeth's reaction to his remark the night Opal had gotten hurt when Allie had pulled her haunted cabin prank was proof of that. However, nothing she could say today could hurt any more than those words in his office had.
"Or she'll realize I did her a favor," Nathan muttered about to walk away even as Lucas' uneasy look changed to panic.
"Why do you always have to try making Nathan look bad when I am around?" Elizabeth demanded, causing Nathan and Bill to turn to see Elizabeth standing a bit behind them. "And just because I told Nathan I can't be with him doesn't mean I am choosing you Lucas," the woman continued. "Your assumption that I had is just one of the reasons that I could never have a long-term relationship with you. I've tried to convince myself I could. Mostly because you represent the world I grew up in. The world that didn't take Jack from me! But it is wrong. I am aware of it every time you try to kiss me or hold my hand! My heart is Nathan's but I can't let myself be in love with him but it isn't fair to try being in a relationship with anyone else. I thought I could and I am sorry for leading you on but I am not sorry for telling you that I could only ever be your friend, Lucas."
And with that, Elizabeth turned and fled toward the row houses. Meeting Bill's gaze, Nathan nodded in her direction. Someone needed to go after her and in this case, the best person for that job was Bill.
Without wasting another moment on Lucas Bouchard, Nathan headed in the direction of his office, unsure if his headache or his hand hurt worse. Glancing down at his hand, Nathan changed his direction slightly to head to the infirmary. He didn't need to add infection to his list of things that had gone wrong today.