Author's Note: This is a short two chapter story that is part one of at least a three or four part series. This first part is part of the Nathan Grant Fanfiction September Heart Stories. Special shout out to Amy H and Donna K to beta reading the story for me and helping me to get it polished for you all to read. Sorry it is just over the 6000 word limit, but I really tried.

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Chapter 1

It was the day before Lucas and Elizabeth's wedding, and despite the couple at least seeming happy, not everyone else was. Many thought the pairing was wrong. Between the wedding and hot springs tourists there were many people in town and the hotel was full, many people had even started renting an extra room. There was one man in particular that had drawn a lot of attention. He seemed to know his way around and he looked a little bit familiar, but no one could place him. He called himself John. When he signed in at the hotel he just wrote John Smith. Any attempt to get information from him had led nowhere. He had been in town since the previous morning when he had gotten off the train. Bill couldn't even get information out of the man, but he also had to admit that there was something familiar about him and it was driving Bill crazy he couldn't figure it out.

Lucas had been tasked with watching LJ for a few hours, and was on the boardwalk with him. LJ was not having any of it. He didn't want to be with Lucas or have to sit quietly in the hotel on a beautiful spring day.

The stranger was sitting at one of the tables watching everything around him when he spotted the boy. He was stunned and couldn't believe his eyes. He thought that there must be some mistake or his eyes were playing tricks on him. Either way, he couldn't take his eyes off the little boy.

"Let's go Buddy." Lucas said in frustration.

"I am not your buddy." LJ yelled. "I hate you!"

LJ then took off running right toward the stranger. Lucas groaned in frustration, he didn't have time for the boy's behavior. It just reinforced that he was right in wanting him in boarding school. Lucas knew it was going to be a long summer unless he could convince Elizabeth to leave the boy with her parents and travel for a long honeymoon. Lucas stocked over to the table that LJ was hiding under.

"Sorry." Lucas said, when he saw the stranger.

"It is okay." John said.

"Come on Buddy." Lucas said. "We need to go inside and leave this man alone."

"NO!" LJ yelled.

Lucas again groaned in frustration. John watched with amusement, reminded of himself at that age.

"Can I try?" John asked.

"Be my guest." Lucas said. "The boy needs to be taught some manners. His mother should have done better."

A cloud crossed over the man's face, but he quickly schooled his features. He then pushed back from his chair and sat on the ground so that he could see the little boy.

"Hey, Little Man." John said.

"Hi." LJ said with a smile.

"It is not nice to run aways from you Dad." John said.

An angry look came over LJ's face.

"He is not my Daddy." LJ spat. "He is mean and takes Mommy away."

"Is that so?" John said.

John patted the ground next to him, but LJ refused to move and inch closer to the hotel owner.

"Yes." LJ said, emphatically. "Mommy is not nice anymore. Spends all her time with him, so I hate him. He also is not nice to Mommy. He doesn't listen to her."

John glanced up at the hotel owner, who didn't look amused.

"Just grab him." Lucas huffed. "I don't have time for this."

"Then go." John said with an icy tone. "I will stay with the boy until he is ready to go inside."

"I can't do that." Lucas huffed. "Not only are you a stranger, but the boy needs to learn to listen. His mother has spoiled him, but I refuse to coddle him."

John stood up and looked the hotel owner up and down.

"Look." John said. "Obviously the boy doesn't want to go with you. Look around there are all these people, he will be fine. Look, the Constable is just over there with Bill Avery. He will be fine."

"Uncle Bill!" LJ said, poking his head out from under the table looking around.

Lucas tried to grab LJ, but instead LJ screamed and ran behind John, hugging his legs. LJ's screaming attracted people's attention, including Bill and Nathan. Who both hurried over to the table.

"Is there a problem here?" Nathan asked, noting that LJ was hiding behind a stranger and clinging to him.

"I can handle it." Lucas said, again the irritation in his voice.

"The boy ran from him and hid under the table." John said. "He doesn't seem to want to go with Mr Bouchard."

"We got him, Lucas." Bill said. "If Elizabeth has a problem, send her to me."

"Fine." Lucas huffed.

He walked away muttering something about boarding school and manners that the three men couldn't quite make out.

"It is okay, Jack." Nathan said, crouching down. "Why don't you come sit with Uncle Bill and I."

"No, stay here with Daddy." LJ said, still clinging to the stranger.

"Jack." Bill said. "We have talked about this. Your Daddy is in heaven, and Mr Bouchard is going to be your new Daddy."

Hearing Bill call him Jack removed all doubt about who he was looking at. Still not ready to share, but knew he needed to comfort the boy, John was torn.

"No." LJ sobbed. "Stay with Daddy. No new Daddy."

"I am sorry about this." Bill said.

John just nodded in understanding. To try and soothe the now sobbing child, John picked him up and LJ immediately cuddled in his arms, calming down. Bill motioned for them to all sit down. Still having LJ in his arms, John settled back in his chair, while Nathan went back and grabbed the drinks from the table. Once the three men were settled, Nathan just watched LJ in the man's arms with a pain in his eyes.

"I am so sorry about all of this." Bill said.

"It is fine." John said. "I understand. I wouldn't have wanted a new man in my mom's life when I was his age. Granted I was older when my dad passed, but still."

"That is the thing …." Nathan said.

"Jack, here, never knew his father." Bill continued. "It has only been in the last couple months that he has become like this. He runs from Lucas and refuses to listen. He is normally a very well behaved boy. He doesn't act like this with anyone else."

"He also has never insisted on anyone else being his late father." Nathan said. "At least as far as I know."

By the time their meals came, LJ had fallen asleep in John's arms, but he didn't seem bothered by it. Both Bill and Nathan had to admit that LJ looked good sleeping in the stranger's arms, almost like he belonged there.

Over their meal, both Bill and Nathan tried to learn more about the stranger, but he had seemed to turn the tables and get them to tell him more about the town and themselves. Bill noticed John only seemed interested in things that have happened recently, almost like he knew of the town's past.

"So have you been to Hope Valley before?" Nathan asked.

"Briefly about five years ago." John said. "I ended up passing through. Would have liked to stay then, but couldn't. Decided to come back and try again."

"Well." Nathan said. "Welcome back. I might not have been the Constable then, but have settled here with my niece, now daughter. It really is a lovely town."

"I know." John said.

They finished their meals and were just sitting when Elizabeth came around the corner. John looked up and froze, glass halfway to his lips. Elizabeth faltered a moment and then continued forward. She shook her head and told herself it wasn't possible. Yet when she got to the table and looked at the man holding her sleeping son, she couldn't believe it. She stared at the man and his gray green eyes, eyes she hadn't seen in five years. She thought she must be dreaming. She didn't even register that Lucas had come over and was speaking to her.

John had recovered enough to put his glass down and stand up. He was toe to toe with Elizabeth and she was staring at him like she saw the man under the scraggly hair and beard.

"Jack?" Elizabeth uttered, barely above a whisper.

"Yes, Elizabeth." Lucas said. "We need to talk about Jack and his behavior. It is completely unacceptable the way he acted this afternoon."

When he realized that Elizabeth wasn't paying attention to him, Lucas grabbed her arm, hard and tried to pull her toward him. The pain in her arm broke Elizabeth out of her trance.

"Let go of me, Lucas." Elizabeth snapped.

While still holding LJ, John stepped in between Lucas and Elizabeth. Lucas still had a hold of Elizabeth's arm and squeezed. The three were in a standoff and Lucas wasn't going to back down. It was one thing for him to tolerate this so-called friendship with the Constable, but now Elizabeth was making eyes at a complete stranger. If he didn't need her trust fund, he would have walked away a long time ago.

"The lady said to let her go." John said, in an icy cold tone.

"Stay out of this." Lucas snapped. "This is between me and my fiance."

Nathan was on his feet by this point and so was Bill. Elizabeth finally wrenched her arm away from Lucas. When Elizabeth got her arm away from Lucas, John stepped more fully between her and Lucas. His glare was icy cold.

"I said stay out of this." Lucas ground out.

Seeing Lee out of the corner of his eye, John surrendered the sleeping child to him when he reached for him. Now with his hands free, John turned square to Lucas. Seeing the stranger flex his hand, Elizabeth stepped in.

"Enough!" Elizabeth yelled.

Everyone stopped. The two men were still facing off, but both shut their mouths.

"Lucas." Elizabeth said. "You had no right to grab me and hurt my arm. Now leave. I will talk to you later."

Lucas opened his mouth to protest, but then saw the look on Elizabeth's face as she stood there with her hands on her hips. Lucas just closed his mouth, didn't say sorry or anything and just walked away sulking.

Elizabeth waited a moment and then turned to John. She still had her scary teacher face on. John just had a smirk on his face.

"How many times do I have to say I don't need to be rescued." Elizabeth huffed.

As if a light bulb went off, Bill stepped closer.

"Maybe we should all go talk somewhere more private." Bill said.

Elizabeth shook her head and looked at Bill.

"Yes." Elizabeth finally said.

"Nathan." Bill said. "Please escort these two to my office and stay there. That is an order."

Nathan nodded.

"This way." Nathan said, holding out his arm.

John, Elizabeth and Nathan went to Bill's office. While they were doing that, Bill paid for their meals, encouraged others to go about their business and finally walked over to Lee and Rosemary.

"Please take Jack to your house." Bill said. "I will send someone as soon as I can."

"What is going on?" Rosemary asked. "Elizabeth got angry like when …."

"Yes." Bill said, cutting her off. "I don't know anything and I don't have answers right now."

"Go." Lee said. "We can handle Jack."

Lee gave one last look at where Elizabeth and the guys had gone before turning to his wife and nodding to go. Bill watched them head toward the row houses. He took a deep breath and blew it out. There were several people standing there, including Molly and Florence. He didn't know what to say to them, so he shook his head and walked to his office.

…. …. …. ….

When Bill got to his office, Nathan was standing by the door, guarding it so no one left. Elizabeth was pacing back and forth, muttering and gesturing wildly. No one could quite make out what she was saying. Bill then looked at the stranger. He was sitting on the couch watching Elizabeth with amusement on his face.

"What is going on?" Nathan asked.

"I am not sure." Bill said. "But I intend to find out. Stay here, I might need your help."

Nathan nodded and stepped back toward the door as Bill walked up to Elizabeth.

"No, no, no." Elizabeth muttered. "This isn't happening. Why now?"

"Elizabeth!" Bill said forcibly.

She stopped and looked at him.

"First." Bill said. "Are you okay from where Lucas grabbed you?"

Stopping to think, Elizabeth rubbed her arm. "There probably will be a mark."

"You should press charges." John said.

"Stay out of this." Elizabeth and Bill said, simultaneously.

"Especially since it is your fault." Elizabeth added.

Getting to his feet and walking over. "How is it my fault?"

"Why are you doing this to me?" Elizabeth said.

She then tried to hit John, but he just wrapped her in his arms and held her. Nathan had moved a step forward to intervene, but Bill held out his hand. Elizabeth was crying at this point and John still just held her. He knew she was processing several emotions at once.

"I am only going to ask this once." Bill said. "And I expect the whole truth. Don't make me ask twice. You will regret it."

John nodded. Elizabeth pushed away and John let her go. She went back to pacing and muttering.

"What is your real name and what are you doing here?" Bill asked.

"Corporal Jack Thomas Thornton."

Elizabeth fainted when she heard him say his name. Nathan stood there mouth agape. Bill and Jack rushed to Elizabeth's side.

"Nathan, go get Faith." Bill shouted.

Nathan shook his head, then went out the door and down the step. He was thankful for his long strides as it didn't take long for him to reach Faith. They hurried back and she immediately tended to Elizabeth. Jack and Bill stepped back.

"Nathan." Bill said. "Take him to the jailhouse and keep him there."

Turning to Jack.

"Shave your face and wait." Bill barked.

Nathan reached for Jack, still not believing it was him. Jack took one last look at Elizabeth and went with Nathan. As they walked the short distance to the jail, Nathan had a million questions he wanted to ask, but was too stunned to speak. He was also so shocked he wasn't sure he could speak.

…. …. …. ….