AN: So, I will admit that my memories of Jesse's introduction is a bit fuzzy so if I contradicted something, just go with what I wrote for the sake of this story.

After leaving the school with Allie and Jack, the Grants headed to the Coulters. When Elizabeth asked Lee if he had a few moments to discuss something, their friend not only invited them in but invited them for supper.

The Grants happily accepted the invitation, and while Nathan unhitched Cosmo and took him to the barn to settle him in an extra stall, Elizabeth and the children went inside. Allie volunteered to help Rosemary in the kitchen while her mother and Lee spoke. Wanting to be like his big sister, Jack echoed with his own offer of help.

Elizabeth opened her mouth, prepared to suggest that Jack stay with her, but Rosemary spoke up first.

"How lucky, I get two helpers," Rosemary said happily, holding a hand out to Jack. As Jack slipped his hand into hers, Rosemary looked up at Elizabeth. "We'll be fine," she mouthed to Elizabeth as she led Jack to the kitchen, Allie having already gone ahead.

"Have a seat," Lee invited, waving a hand to the settee and chairs in the sitting room.

Elizabeth took a seat on the settee, hoping that Nathan would sit next to her when he came in from settling the horse. Lee moved to one of the chairs, angling it differently so that he was facing Elizabeth a bit more.

"So, what is it you want to talk to me about."

Feeling completely at ease with Lee, Elizabeth began telling Lee about meeting with Frank and the idea he and Edward had for putting the house she used to live in to use. During her explanation, Nathan came inside. Quietly hanging up his coat, he then came and sat down next to her, his hand naturally seeking out hers. If Lee noticed, he gave no indication as he continued to give Elizabeth his undivided attention.

"I know that I can't advocate one way or the other at the town meeting. It wouldn't be right as I own the house that Pastor Frank and Edward want to buy. Money aside though, I think it is a good thing that they are doing for those children. No child should just be written off and perhaps some happiness can grace the inside of that house," Elizabeth finished.

"I agree with you," Lee said, when she finally quit speaking. "I can also anticipate some concerns from others in the community. These children are troubled. Parents might be concerned about them influencing their own children."

"Or perhaps it can be an opportunity for us all to practice grace and forgiveness," Elizabeth said. She glanced over at Nathan. "I can say from experience that it is a wonderful thing."

"Well, I think I will leave Frank to argue that point of view himself," Lee said with a smile. "I will certainly give my support to his proposition. Though, I have to admit, I am concerned about what might happen if these kids need a bit more help with schooling than the teachers can provide, especially if they have not had regular schooling. Or what if there is a situation among some of the older boys. I know there were issues with Mr. Standish, but I always thought it was a good thing that there was a man on the premises in case the older boys got unruly."

"Perhaps either Pastor Hogan or Edward would be willing to be in the schoolhouse during school hours if that is a concern," Nathan suggested.

"And if certain children need a little more help, perhaps I can do a little tutoring," Elizabeth said. "I think a part of me is always going to be drawn to teaching." She rested her hand on her stomach. "I just don't think full time teaching and motherhood mixes well."

A cry from upstairs indicated that little Aster had awoken from her nap.

"Speaking of parenthood," Lee said, preparing to stand up.

Nathan got to his feet first. "Let me go get her and the two of you continue talking," he suggested. "It has been a long time since Allie was that young. Might be good for me to get in a little practice."

Lee smiled. "All right but just call out if you need back up."

"I will," Nathan said, already heading for the steps.

Elizabeth watched her husband disappear upstairs as unpleasant memories of the times Lucas refused to show any interest in being a father to Jack reminded her once again of her bad choice.. Even before she had made that disastrous choice, the signs were there. He had even stated on the trip to see Virginia Wolf that he wasn't ready to be a father. He may have spoken to Jack if she was holding him, but he had never gone out of the way to make him feel included. When she had cancelled the date because Jack wasn't feeling good, he may have come to her row house, but his focus was still on a candlelight dinner for two.

In contrast, Nathan had offered to hold Jack at his christening party to give her a break. No matter where Jack was at when Nathan had come upon him, he had always made sure to give the boy a little of his attention. When she had started to turn down dinner because she had no one to watch Jack, Nathan had suggested including the kids.

"How could I have been so blind, Lee?" Elizabeth asked.

Leaning forward, Lee patted the woman's knee. "Fear can blind us to a lot of things but that is all in the past. Just cherish what you have now, Elizabeth."

Elizabeth turned her gaze to Lee and nodded. "You're right. Ever consider being a pastor yourself. You often know just what to say to people."

Lee let out a hearty laugh as he lifted his hand and leaned back in the chair. "That is one occupation that I can honestly say never crossed my mind. I did briefly consider being a jockey."

"A jockey? Really?" Elizabeth asked.

Lee nodded.

"What changed your mind?" Even as she waited for the answer, Elizabeth tried to picture Lee in that particular occupation.

"I think I was about eight when the horse I was on got spooked. It bolted and I simply held on for dear life. I am not sure how far that horse may have run if we hadn't been spotted by a Mountie who gave chased and brought my mount to a stop. Since then, I am quite content to keep horses to a nice medium pace if I have to be on one at all."

"I can understand that," Elizabeth said, the thought of her own chase after Sargent when he ran off with Robert coming to mind. "Speaking of pastors though, something else did cross my mind today. If Pastor Hogan gets approval from the council to bring his program for troubled youth here, then perhaps he might be willing to accept being in our pulpit every Sunday. It would be nice to have a proper church service every Sunday again."

"That is a good idea," Lee said. "I definitely want to see which way the vote goes for his program first. I don't like the idea of using it as a bargaining chip, but if Frank is going to settle in Hope Valley again, then I am all for seeing if he would return to the church that he did help us build."

Mention of the church being built brought up memories of Jack for her. He had built the schoolhouse so she would no longer have to teach in the saloon. Though she hadn't considered it at the time, perhaps seeing to its completion was also a show of Jack's faith in her promise to return to Hope Valley.

Footsteps on the stairs brought her out of her thoughts and she looked in that direction as Nathan descended with Aster in his arms.

"I think Nathan is going to do just fine when your little one comes along," Lee said softly.

Elizabeth couldn't agree with him more.

The next afternoon the dining room of the Amaryllis became the location for the town meeting. Tables had been pushed to the side so that chairs could be set up in rows facing a podium. Despite the short notice, word had gotten out about what the meeting was about and turnout was high. Though Nathan attended, Elizabeth elected to stay home with Jack. She also had Aster with her so that both Lee and Rosemary could attend without having to worry about the little girl being fussy.

For ease of the vote by the council, all the members had seats along the front row. Mayor Hickman and Frank's seats were also located there. After opening the meeting, Mike turned the podium over to the pastor.

In the back row, Jesse listened to the man he had known longer than anyone else in the room. Frank had always had a way with words. The man could talk most people into doing just about anything. Jesse knew it had happened to him on more than one occasion while in the gang. Not that Jesse blamed Frank for his bad choices with the gang. At the time, he had been looking for something to belong to and people whom he could trick himself into believing that they cared about him.

When he had been sent to bring Hogan back into their gang, Jesse had known it was test - one which he had desperately wanted to pass. However, he had not been prepared for the change that had come over Frank nor the magic of this town which lay in its citizens. Now using his gift with words to preach about the God he had found in prison, Jesse had felt his test had become a daunting feat that was doomed to failure. Though it hadn't turned out the way he had planned, the young man no longer thought of it as a failure. Once again, Frank's words had helped sway his actions but this time they had been encouraging Jesse to fight on the side of the law instead of breaking it.

Looking from Frank to his left hand intertwined with Clara's, Jesse saw the gold band there. Granted, he had made mistakes over the years. Marriage had proven to be the toughest task he had ever undertaken - even harder than learning math - but with love and leaning on the Lord, he and Clara were still making it work. Abby, now sitting on her mother's lap contently playing with her doll, was proof of that.

As Frank came to the end of his presentation, having explained the history of each boy currently in the program, he invited questions. As Jesse listened to the questions, he could tell his friends and neighbors had more reservations about the program than they did praise. If that bothered Frank, he never let on. The pastor calmly acknowledged the concern of each citizen before providing an answer.

Glancing over at Abby on Clara's lap, Jesse knew what he had to do. In a way, he was the first troubled youth that Frank had attempted to rehabilitate. He had been older than the boys that Frank was helping now but if he'd had someone like that in his life earlier, perhaps he wouldn't have so much in his past that he regretted.

"Are there any more questions?" Frank asked.

Letting go of Clara's hand, Jesse raised his hand. He felt Clara's gaze on him even as he looked toward the front of the room.

"Yes, Jesse," Frank acknowledged.

"It isn't a question, but I would like to say something," Jesse replied.

"Of course," Frank nodded.

Jesse got to his feet. As he was in the back, people shifted in their chairs to look in his direction. Jesse waited for that noise to quiet before speaking.

"As a lot of you know, when I first came to Hope Valley, I was part of a gang. The same gang that Frank told you of when he spoke of his past. In fact, I was sent to try to convince Frank to come back," Jesse looked toward the front of the room and found the older man's gaze. "Instead, he convinced me to do what was right and I helped him and Constable Thornton to capture the gang. Afterwards, I stayed, and though I faced a lot of mistrust at the beginning, I now feel like a valued member of this community. I have a wife, a daughter, and a job that I am proud of. I wouldn't have had those things if someone hadn't taken a chance on me and tried to steer me straight."

Jesse looked down at Clara. With tears in her eyes, she nodded encouraging him to go on.

"What a lot of you don't know is what led me to being in that gang in the first place as I have only shared that with a few. You see my father was an abusive drunk. He couldn't hold down a job for long. My mother tried to shelter me from him when I was younger despite the injuries he inflicted on her. When he didn't have a job, he would steal to make money. The times he was in jail were probably the most idyllic times of my childhood despite my mother and me depending on the charity of friends and neighbors to survive. When I was twelve, my father got out of jail for who knows what time. He was angry that my mother hadn't come to see him. In that anger, he shot and killed her. My mother was pregnant at the time."

There were gasps and murmurs among the crowd as Jesse took a deep breath before continuing.

"My father's response was to flee, hoping to be gone before the Mounties arrived. He took me with him. For four years, I lived on the run with my father. I learned how to be a pickpocket. I would cause a distraction while Dad stole money or food. When we finally did get caught, my father blammed the current crime on me, saying that he was trying to stop me. I went to jail for two months and he walked free. He skipped town and left me. When I got out of jail, I had no one to go to. That was when I fell in with the gang. I thought it was the only way I could survive."

"Children act in the way that they are taught. When they are left on their own with no means to provide for themselves legally then they will do what they need to in order to survive. Yes, on occasion there are probably some that can never be reached, but I would like to think that most of the troubled youth in our society would grow up to be productive members of society if given a chance. I didn't get my chance until I was nineteen, but I think most of you will agree I made good on that chance. Yes, I have made some more mistakes along the way, but I learned from them. Being here, among all of you, is what taught me how to be a valued, productive member of society and I continue to look to all the parents in the community as to how to be a good father to Abby because my childhood had little to draw on. You opened your arms to me, and I think if we open our arms to these boys, we can make a positive difference in their lives."

Finished, Jesse sat back down as murmurs broke out among the crowd. Clara reclaimed his hand and pressed a kiss against his cheek.

"I'm proud of you," she told him.

"Da," Abby said, holding her arms out to Jesse, who reached for the little girl.

"Does anyone else have concerns or questions to ask?" Frank asked looking around the room as he tried to bring the focus back to the topic at hand. Marion raised her hand. "Yes, ma'am."

"I'm Marion Stiles, one of the teachers at the school. Now, while I want all children to receive an education, I do have to admit to feeling some trepidation. By your own admission some of these children have been in fights and have resisted arrest. Even now, I have some of the older boys who get into fights and given the size of some of them, I get concerned for my safety and the safety of the other children."

"I understand your concern and I can't promise there will not be trouble. Even grown men get into fights sometimes," Frank acknowledged. "What I can tell you is that none of the boys in my care have hit a woman before. I am also trying to instill in them that fighting is not the way to solve issues and they do have rules that we expect them to abide by and set punishments for infractions. Edward and I will also work with you and the other teachers to address any concerns that may arise before they get out of hand."

"May I add something?" Lee asked.

"Of course."

"The safety of the teachers and the children was a concern of mine as well. Nathan brought up the suggestion to me that perhaps you or Mr. Montclair could be at the school during classroom hours, in case any situation arises."

Frank nodded. "If the teachers wouldn't feel we were in the way that is certainly something that could be arranged." He looked toward Marion. "Would that help ease your concerns, Ms. Stiles?"

Marion's eyes found Eva's a few chairs away. A silent communication passed between the two women before the former looked back to Frank. "That arrangement would put us at ease, yes," she replied, before sitting down.

"Is there anything else?" Frank asked. Though he scanned the audience, no one else said anything. The pastor looked to the mayor. "I'll turn things back over to you, Mayor."

Mike nodded, getting to his feet. As Frank returned to his own seat, they crossed paths as the mayor took his place at the podium.

"Are there any questions for me?" Mike asked his constituents. He waited, giving time for responses. When there were none, he looked to the front row. "Is the town council ready to vote or would they like time for deliberation?"

Jesse found himself holding his breath as he watched the heads turning back and forth in the front row. He was aware of the soft murmurs but couldn't make out what would being said. He couldn't help but feel that further deliberation would more likely end in a 'no' vote than if the voted in front of those currently gathered.

"Mr. Mayor," Lee finally said in a voice that carried throughout the room. "The council is prepared to vote now."

"Very well," Mike replied. "Members of the council, all those in favor of Pastor Hogan bringing his program for troubled youth here to Hope Valley, please raise your hands."

One by one, Jesse watched every hand on the council go up in the air. He let out the breath he was holding, feeling relief that these boys might get the support in their childhood that he hadn't had. Yes, his mother had loved him, but she had been too scared of his father to truly live. She had simply been trying to survive herself.

Mike smiled. "It is unanimous then," he said, looking toward Frank. "Pastor Hogan, you have the support of the town council to bring your youth program to this town."

Frank stood. "Thank you," he said, with a nod to Mike. He turned to look out over the crowd. "I want this program to work for both the youth in my care and for the community. I encourage anyone who has further questions or if concerns arise to come and discuss them."

There were some responses from those gathered for a few moments before Mike spoke again.

"Now that we have that settled," Mike said, gaining the attention of the room once again, "there is one other matter that needs to be addressed before I adjourn the meeting. Mr. Yost, would you like to come up."

Mike stepped aside as Ned came up to the podium. "Thank you, Mr. Mayor," he acknowledged before looking to Frank who had sat down again. "On behalf of the church committee, as you will be moving back to our community, we would like to formerly ask you to be our spiritual leader once more, Pastor Hogan. The church committee is fully willing to support you in any way we can so that you can be both our pastor and be there for the boys in your program."

Frank stood once again. "I remember being asked to return to my position as pastor for Hope Valley following my criminal past coming to light. I enjoyed being a part of the community even though I felt God's calling drawing me elsewhere for a while." He glanced over the crowd. "If I am wanted back in the pulpit, I would be honored to resume that position."

Those who had lived in Hope Valley back then all voiced their support. Looking back to Ned, Frank spoke again. "Looks like you have yourself a pastor."

Ned grinned. "Welcome back, Pastor Hogan."

"It'll be nice to be back," Frank assured him.

Mike took to the podium one last time to officially adjourn the meeting. With the meeting over, people rose and either talked to those around them or began filing out of the Amaryllis to return to work.

"I'm proud of you for finally sharing your past with everyone," Clara told him. "How do you feel?"

Jesse smiled. "A bit lighter, just like you said I would," he admitted. Turning Abby around to face him, he stood her up on his lap. "And when you get older little one, Papa is going to tell you all about his past so that there are no secrets for you to discover at an inopportune time. You are most definitely a part of my life that I am proud of as is your mother."

"Da," Abby said again with a gurgle as she patted Jesse's cheek.

The Flynns got to their feet. The crowd had thinned and some community members were helping Archie and his staff to get the dining room back in its normal arrangement.

"Let me take Abby, so you can get back to work," Clara said, reaching out for the girl. "Meghan said she could cover me tonight to give me an evening home with you and Abby," she told her husband. Meghan Neeve was the wife of the Valley Voice's other newspaper employee. Though she usually cooked for the café during the day while Clara was watching Abby, Meghan covered the evening hours on occasion to give Clara time with her husband.

"I will make sure I don't work late," Jesse assured her, surrendering their daughter. He leaned in for a quick kiss. Before he could tell his wife good-bye though, Frank approached them.

"I appreciate your support, Jesse. I think your little speech may have swayed some people my way," Frank said, holding out his hand.

Jesse grasped the offer hand. "I thought it might be good to remind people of the change you are capable of bringing about in people. If you had given up on me back then, I may not have the life I have now," Jesse said, reaching out to wrap a hand around Clara's waist. "Because you helped me get my life on the right track, I have a lovely wife and daughter."

Frank smiled. "It's good to see you again, Clara."

"You too, Pastor Hogan."

"And that must be Abigail's namesake that she has written so much about."

"Pastor Hogan, meet Abigail Lou Flynn," Clara said, looking down at her daughter. "Jesse's mother's name was Louisa and we thought it would be fitting to name her after two of her grandmothers."

"That is a pretty name for a pretty lady," Frank said, holding the girl's gaze. Abby laughed at the attention.

"When do you go back to Edmonton?" Clara asked.

"Well, I have to arrange the purchase of the house and make sure things are ready to bring the boys, so not for a few days yet."

Jesse exchanged a silent look with his wife, Clara asking his permission to extend an invitation to Frank. He nodded his consent.

"Would you like to join us for supper tonight?"

Frank nodded. "Definitely better than eating alone, thank you."

Abby gave a huge yawn.

"I think I better get this one home for a nap," Clara said.

"And I should head back to the office before Lee starts considering a new manager for his lumber business," Jesse said.

"Of course. I'll see you both this evening. What time?"

"Six o'clock."

"I'll see you then," Frank said, before turning and finding himself engaged in another conversation.

"Abby and I will walk you to the office," Clara offered.

"I won't turn that down," Jesse replied, as he led his wife toward the exit of the Amaryllis.