"Let me park, Nathan," Lee exclaimed as he realised his friend was about to open the car door before he had completely stopped.

Elizabeth put her hand on Nathan's leg and smiled at him reassuringly, "It's only going to be another minute."

Nathan exhaled and rubbed a hand over his face, he knew they were right, but he needed to make sure his sister and Allie were okay. He was still angry with himself for waiting so long to check on them; what if something was seriously wrong?

Bill looked at the paper Rosemary had given them and nodded to Nathan, "this is the place."

The four of them stood outside the building, taking a moment to stretch while Lee secured the car, "we can come back for our things."

Clara sat at the kitchen table with Allie, watching the young girl draw a picture. Her friendship with Allie had changed dramatically. Once Allie realised Clara wasn't going to hurt her Mother, and she knew her Uncle Nathan, the girl had come out of her shell. She happily chattered away to Clara while she drew, telling her all about the people in her drawing.

Allie stopped talking abruptly when she heard the knock on the door; jumping up, she ran to Rosemary's bedroom to check on her Mother.

"Allie, it's okay," Clara called out. "I am expecting someone, maybe even your Uncle Nathan and the Doctor needs to finish examining your Mama, so you can't go in."

Allie stopped and waited, staring at the door, watching Clara as she approached the door.

"Hello, everyone, come in," Clara exclaimed. "I was expecting Nathan but not the rest of you. Did you think he needed an escort?" she laughed.

Nathan stepped through the doorway first, "Clara ..." he stopped speaking as he heard Allie call his name. Stepping around Clara, he bent down and opened his arms for Allie to run into them. He folded his niece in his arms and buried his face in her hair.

Nathan felt as though he could finally take a deep breath; Allie was okay. "Oh, Allie, I missed you?"

"I missed you!" she said excitedly. "Mama's sick," Allie explained succinctly as though that was all the explanation needed.

Nathan comforted his niece while listening to the others greet Clara. He heard Clara explaining that the Doctor was in with Colleen right now and wouldn't be much longer before he finished his examination.

Clara started making tea for everyone, knowing they would need it after their long trip. She gestured for them to sit around the table, moving Allie's drawing aside so they wouldn't be spoiled. The bedroom door opened as the tea kettle boiled, and the Doctor stepped out.

Nathan was torn; he wanted to talk to the Doctor and see Colleen. His choice was made when the Doctor agreed to a cup of tea, so Nathan knew he would be there for a little while.

He stood, lifting Allie as he did so and walked toward the bedroom. He paused and looked at the Doctor, who nodded for him to go ahead.

Colleen looked up as Nathan walked into the room, tears filling her eyes at seeing her brother carrying her daughter. She was so pleased to see him; even though she was older than him, he was always the one who looked after her.

Nathan sat on the edge of the bed, letting Allie down next to her Mother.

Allie crawled over and kissed her Mother on the cheek, "Uncle Nathan's here, Mama."

"I can see that, sweetie," Colleen said, smiling at her. "Could you do me a big favour? Could you see if Mrs Stanton has a cup of tea for Mama?"

Allie's face lit up, pleased she was able to do a favour for her Mother. Jumping off the bed, she ran out of the room.

"It's good to see you, Nathan, but you didn't have to come all this way to see me; I am fine."

Nathan rolled his eyes at his sister, hearing her say it, but knowing it wasn't true. "Of course I did; I should have come sooner." Nathan frowned, "how long ago did Dylan leave, and what else did he do?"

"Long enough, Nathan; it doesn't matter now; I hope I never see him again," Colleen said, her tone firm. "There were debts he left behind I couldn't pay, so Allie and I ended up with nowhere to go until we came here. " Colleen wasn't ready to tell Nathan about the lie she told and breaking into the apartment; there would be time to admit to what she had done later.

"What did the Doctor say?" Nathan asked, concerned about what was wrong with her.

Colleen looked down at her hands, "he wants to examine me some more before he gives me his diagnosis." Tears rolled down her cheeks. Looking up at him, eyes full of pain, "I feel terrible, Nathan; I wasn't taking proper care of Allie; I was always worried about money and...Dylan."

"This is not your fault, Colleen. Of course, you were worried; Dylan should have been taking care of you and Allie," Nathan inhaled a breath, trying to control his anger toward Dylan, "not chasing after easy money."

"The most important thing is that you're going to be okay. Right?" Nathan said reassuringly, squeezing her hand. "When does the Doctor say you can be up and around? When can you travel?"

"Travel?" Colleen asked quizzically, "Where would I go?" Colleen was avoiding telling Nathan the rest of what the Doctor had said. The Doctor said she needed more tests, but only to confirm his thoughts. The Doctor had told her that he thought she had a tumour that was causing her to be so unwell. The Doctor hadn't said, but she could tell by his expression that the news when she got it wasn't going to be good. Colleen had known this was serious.

"To Coal Valley, to live where I can care for you, watch out for you. Where you and Allie will have a place to live," Nathan said, confused that she didn't immediately realise this was the best thing for her.

"I am not going to Coal Valley, Nathan. You do not need to look after us; you have your own life to live." Colleen's voice was rising in agitation. "When I recover, I am going back to work at the Hills Cafe; Clara said I could stay here, that Rosemary wasn't coming back."

"Colleen!" Nathan said, frustrated.

"No, Nathan. Thank you for coming here, for caring enough to drop everything and be here for Allie and me. I need to take care of myself and her, not you."

A knock interrupted Colleen, and she and Nathan turned to see who was in the doorway.

Elizabeth winced; she knew she had interrupted; the tension in the air was palpable.

"I am sorry, Allie asked for a cup of tea for you." Elizabeth held the tray out, "I brought one for you too, Nathan. I will leave it." Neither of them had said a word, and she didn't know what to do; she felt awkward and out of place.

"Elizabeth, thank you," Nathan said, going to her and taking the tray. Nathan turned to look at Colleen, raising his eyes in question.

"Come in, please, Elizabeth. Nathan has told me so much about you in his letters. I feel I know you. I'm sorry we had to meet like this." Colleen tried to smile brightly at Elizabeth, but her eyes were dull with pain. She wouldn't have chosen to meet Elizabeth for the first time while lying in bed, but she was thrilled to meet her at last. Colleen knew how her brother felt about Elizabeth, and it was apparent she returned those feelings.

"Pleased to meet you too, Colleen. I hope you're feeling better," Elizabeth smiled back at the woman in the bed, noting her resemblance to Nathan, especially in the eyes. "I've heard a lot about you and Allie, too; Nathan and I often read our letters from home together. I love Allie's drawings."

"Why don't you tell Colleen how wonderful living in Coal Valley is? I am trying to convince her to come home with us." Nathan said as he passed Colleen a cup of tea.

Elizabeth glanced at Colleen and saw the stubborn look on her face, so similar to Nathan's. Smiling, she said, "I am staying out of this one, although Coal Valley does have its attractions," glancing at Nathan.

Nathan smiled at Elizabeth, "yes, it does." Looking back to Colleen, he said, "if you won't come home with me and let me look after you, when will you be back on your feet?"

"The Doctor has said I can start back at work in a couple of days as long as I keep improving." Colleen stretched, "I cannot wait; I feel as though I have been in this bed forever, but it's only been a few days." Colleen held back that the Doctor had only reluctantly agreed to let her return to work for shorter shifts than usual. The Doctor had advised her she could continue to work until she could no longer; he didn't see a full recovery for her.

"Did you want to freshen up? The Doctor told us he would allow you out of bed for a visit; Clara sent me in to ask you?" Elizabeth would be happy to help Colleen, although she would probably feel more comfortable with Clara.

"That sounds wonderful," Colleen sighed.

"I will go and ask Clara where I can get the water ready," Nathan said; as he walked past Elizabeth, he stroked her arm, leaving the two women alone.

Colleen smiled at Elizabeth, "so, you and Nathan, it seems serious?"

Elizabeth smiled back, love for him shining in her eyes, "I can't imagine it could be any more serious. I am in love with him."

"I'm glad you are; my brother is the best of men and deserves to be happy. He also deserves to have someone look after him for a change, instead of him always being the one putting others first." Colleen studied Elizabeth while she spoke, looking to see her reaction to the words. She was pleased to see her nodding and knew her brother had found the 'one.'

"Colleen, you can trust me to love your brother the way he deserves. I know he is the very best of men. I adore him and want to spend the rest of my life with him." Elizabeth couldn't stop the smile from spreading across her face.

"Have you talked about that?" Colleen asked; Nathan hadn't been as forthcoming as Elizabeth. She had learned most of what she knew by reading between the lines in his letters.

"We are officially courting, but he hasn't asked me anything else. Given our start, it's lucky we have gotten this far." Elizabeth laughed and told Colleen about their first meeting, the missing letter and then what her Father had done. "I was angry with Nathan for not telling me, but that was wrong, and I did apologise. I am still angry with my Father, though."

"That's a wonderful story of how you got to know each other. I wish I had something similar to say about my husband, but I don't. Looking back, I'm not sure what I ever saw in him." Colleen's face darkened, "It doesn't matter now, that's over, and I hope I never see him again."

Elizabeth sat and took Colleen's hand, "I'm sorry, Colleen, for you and Allie, you deserve better than what happened. She seems like a wonderful little girl and bright for her age."

"Colleen, the water is ready for you in the washroom; let me help you get there," Nathan said, walking back into the room; ending their conversation.

Colleen spent some time with the others after she bathed and dressed. Sitting amongst the group from Coal Valley, she understood what Nathan described in his letters. Coal Valley was a community that had bonded after the mining tragedy and was now moving on. With Leland Coulter arriving and giving the Town hope for their future, she could see why Elizabeth and Nathan wanted to live there. This group had almost changed her mind about following Nathan home. She was pleased there were so many people; it meant Nathan hadn't had the chance to speak to her Doctor.

"You look tired, Colleen," Clara said. "Why don't you go and have a lie-down? We can look after Allie."

"That's a good idea; we could get dinner and bring you something back." Nathan offered, "we need to check into our accommodation as well. Allie can come with us."

Allie jumped out of her seat and ran to her Uncle, excited at the thought of going with him.

"Well, I guess that choice has been made," Colleen said, laughing along with the others. She hated to admit it, and despite feeling better, her short time out of bed had exhausted her. She was also tired from concealing her pain and was ready to take some of the medication the Doctor had left her.

Lee decided to drive Nathan to the Mountie office before he and Elizabeth got settled at the hotel. Allie travelled with them and would wait with Elizabeth while Nathan settled in and returned to collect them. Bill and Clara had decided to walk to the Hils Cafe and meet them there.

As they walked, Bill updated Clara on Abigail, although she hadn't been gone long enough to miss too much. As they walked along, Clara was animated and happy to be talking to Bill; then, suddenly, he felt her stiffen and looked to where her gaze had gone. A man was walking towards them, dressed in a suit and tie. Bill couldn't see anything about the man which made him stand out, but Clara knew him; that was clear.

"Clara, how lovely to see you back in Town," the man said to her; his smile was overly familiar.

"Thank you, Mr Collins, my trip out of Town was successful, and I was pleased I was able to help the widows of Coal Valley," Clara responded, her smile tight.

Bill stepped toward Mr Collins, moving slightly in front of Clara as he did, "Bill Avery, Forensic Inspector, Mounted Police." He stared at Mr Collins, pleased the man's eyes widened at his title. "How do you know, Clara?"

"I was an acquaintance of her Father's and was able to help him in his hour of need. Now Clara helps me out."

Bill looked at Clara and saw a coldness in her eyes, mixed with something he couldn't quite identify, fear, loathing. He had never seen Clara look that way, and whatever the emotion, he would find out which one, but most importantly, why she felt that way. Bill sensed Mr Collins was the reason Clara was staying in Benson Hills.


Elizabeth sat on the couch watching Allie drawing a picture. The little girl's face was serious as she concentrated on colouring the jacket of the man she had drawn. "Is that your Uncle Nathan?" she asked.

Allie glanced at her, smiling, nodding rapidly, "he's a Mountie."

'Yes, he is; he protects the Town where I live, and he makes us all feel safe." Elizabeth loved how much Allie adored her Uncle, and Nathan returned her love tenfold. It was apparent how much he adored his sister and Allie. "Do you think your Mother would like a picture from you? Maybe you could draw her some flowers to cheer her up."

Allie nodded again and reached for a clean piece of paper; she was selecting her first coloured pencil when there was a knock on the door. "Uncle Nathan," Allie squealed, jumping up and running towards the hotel room door.

"Slow down, Allie," Elizabeth called, hurrying after her. "You shouldn't open the door to strangers; you should always let an adult open it, okay," she said gently.

Allie paused before the door, letting Elizabeth open it; however, when she saw Nathan, she ran to him and leapt up into his arms. "I drew you a picture!"

"You did, thank you, Allie," he said, kissing her forehead. Nathan smiled at Elizabeth as he leaned toward her and kissed her quickly. "Have you had fun with Miss Thornton?" he asked, shifting her onto his hip and walking inside.

"Yes," Allie said, lowering her voice; "she smells nice. Now I am drawing a picture for Mama."

"She sure does," Nathan said, grinning at her, loving the light blush on her cheeks. "Why don't you finish the drawing for your Mama while Miss Thornton and I get ready to go for dinner," Nathan said, settling her on the couch.

Nathan waited a moment, making sure Allie was distracted by her drawing, before turning to Elizabeth and taking her in his arms. "Have I told you how glad I am you are here with me?"

Elizabeth slid her arms around Nathan's waist and gazed up at him, "you know I wouldn't want to be anywhere else. I am so glad I got to meet Colleen and Allie."

Nathan stroked her face, letting his hand linger on her cheek, cupping her face in his palm as he leaned down and captured her lips in a kiss.

Elizabeth leaned into Nathan; the feel of his lips on hers created butterflies in her stomach, the heat between them flaring instantaneously.

Nathan broke away from Elizabeth and said, "maybe we should get out of here."

Elizabeth giggled, "good idea, let me gather mine and Allie's things. Do you want to see if Lee is ready? I am not sure what room number is his, though."

"I do; I asked when I checked for yours," Nathan said, smoothing back a curl. "How about we meet downstairs?"


Clara and Bill arrived at the Hills cafe before the others and settled themselves at a table large enough for when the others arrived. Clara introduced Bill to her boss Mr Arthur and the others working that day.

"You can avoid looking at me and waste time introducing me to your friends, but we will talk about him, Clara." Bill kept his voice quiet and calm; Clara was skittish enough without him frightening her.

Clara knew the moment Bill met Mr Collins, he would question her about him. Without looking at Bill, she said, "Mr Collins was a friend of my Father. He owed him money. My Father died before he paid him back, so," Clara stopped speaking, her voice breaking. Swallowing back her tears, she said, "now it's my responsibility to pay it back. I work for him when I am not here; I cook meals for him, clean for him."

Bill's frown grew deeper the more he heard. "Clara, your Father's debt is not yours. You have no obligation to pay it back, and he cannot make you." Bill took the young woman's hand and was pleased when she looked at him. "I'm going to talk to him."

"Bill. No. Please." Clara exclaimed. "He will be so angry; he told me not to tell anyone about the arrangement. He said I could get in trouble if anyone found out my Father had borrowed the money." Tears were flowing down Clara's cheeks, "he said my Father used the money for something illegal."

"Even so, Clara. Even if he did, you haven't done anything wrong," Bill reassured her. "This ends with your Father, and whatever was between him and Mr Collins, it is nothing to do with you." Bill handed Clara his handkerchief, "I know you will say no, but I am going to talk to him, Clara."

Clara wished her tears would stop, so she wouldn't make a spectacle of herself where she worked. She wanted to tell Bill no, she wanted to tell Bill that she would handle it herself, but she didn't. Clara knew Mr Collins was taking advantage of her and worried he would eventually ask her for more than cooking and cleaning. Initially, he wasn't around when she went to his home, but lately, he had been watching her too closely, staying in the room with her, standing a little too close.

"Bill, I want to say no, but I am not sure I can keep doing what I am doing. I am frightened of him," Clara admitted.

"That settles it; I will deal with him," Bill declared. "Now, you take a few minutes and wipe your tears away. The others will be here soon."

Once Lee, Nathan, Elizabeth and Allie arrived, they ordered dinner and ate as soon as it arrived. All of them were conscious that Colleen was at home waiting for them to bring her food.


Colleen woke in the empty apartment; she felt better than she had recently; she supposed it was due to the pain medication the Doctor had left her. Despite physically feeling better, her heart ached. She hadn't been honest when talking to Nathan earlier; the Doctor, while holding back on a diagnosis, had all but confirmed her illness was serious. He had hinted to her that she should start to cut back at work and get her affairs in order. She told him about Dylan, and he suggested she try to find him. Colleen knew she wouldn't; Allie would not be better off with him.