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Stepping Into Love
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.By Eilie Hunter
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A WCTH Fanfiction story to get us to the end of Season 10 Episode 12.
Please note that this story was started with only a couple promos/previews/sneak peeks screened, but as more content was revealed I have tried to incorporate it into this story. Also note, I am publishing this the afternoon prior to the finale. My intention was not to write a multi-chapter story within one week, but here we are.
Due to its length, you may want to read this after our finale airs when we have a long wait for the next season, but just know this is one way it could have been resolved! I just couldn't let go of a few possibilities in my imagination and I want to end this fanfiction in the very happiest place for our beautiful, blended Grant family of Nathan and Elizabeth, Allie and Jack.
All characters and portions of the dialog printed in bold belong to Hallmark Media LLC.
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Part One – Losing Hope
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Thunder crashed, awakening Allie Grant. She snuggled beneath her quilt and listened to the torrential rain pelting her window as she watched for lightning. A sudden bolt across the sky illumined her clock face. Four o'clock in the morning... Groaning, she turned away from the window and pulled her quilt up and over her ear, willing herself back to sleep.
Still awake after some time Allie decided to get up and use the bathroom, so hastily slid into her slippers and threw on her bathrobe, drawing it close and tying the belt. As she turned towards the door, she saw the orange glow from beneath spreading across the floor. Quietly she lifted her latch and stepped into the hallway, lit by the low light from the front room below.
Allie quickly exited the bathroom and slipped, what she thought was noiselessly, down the stairs. The view broke her heart as her Dad turned towards the stairway. He had been sitting hunched over with his head in his hands.
"Sorry, Dad, I thought I was being quiet."
Making her way to her father, she immediately cuddled next to him on the sofa, pulling him to place his arm around her shoulders and draw her close. Allie decided silence was best and hoped her presence would comfort her father. She didn't know what to say anyway.
It had been a difficult evening. Neither of them ate much at dinner and, although Allie brought her literature assignment to read downstairs while keeping her father company in the front room, their conversation only included their bedtime benedictions before each whispered, "I love you."
Now, a low fire warmed the room, but the crashing thunder still sent chills through her. Nathan moved to envelop her in the quilt draped over the back of the sofa and whispered, "Is that better?"
"Thank you. It is," Allie spoke softly as she rearranged the quilt to include her father and settled back against his arm.
After a long silence Allie whispered, "Are you ready to talk about it, Dad?"
Nathan considered his daughter's offer and finally decided that they were in this together, so he might as well share what he could.
"I talked to Mrs. Thornton this afternoon. I asked her about her decision to accompany Mr. Bouchard to Capital City." He paused and sighed before continuing, "I reminded her that she had just told me she didn't want to leave Hope Valley so I asked what changed. She responded that it was all bigger than her and expressed her need to do what was best for the Town."
"Even when I asked about all you students and told her she was important to the school and to the town, she wasn't swayed. She thinks she doesn't have any choice and must leave…" Nathan's voice trailed off as he remembered what Elizabeth had said. "She told me that 'saving Hope Valley' was all that mattered." Silently Nathan recalled that he had told her 'that is not all that matters.'
Nathan lowered his gaze to the floor, and hardly whispered aloud, "I asked her what she wanted. She answered that she wanted Lu… Mr. Bouchard to win and if he won they would figure out what to do about moving."
Tears fell unbidden as Nathan continued, "I told her I hoped that would make her happy…" He could not verbalize more.
Instead, he let his mind wander, remembering to himself, 'I told her to 'be safe.'
Nathan pondered silently, 'She used to say that to me when I departed for Mountie activities. It was like saying she cared… Be safe…' He couldn't finish his thoughts so closed his eyes and sighed.
Allie had listened to the words her Dad spoke and even more to the underlying emotions. As a Mountie's daughter Allie was becoming increasingly proficient in reading the mood and understanding the unspoken nuances in a situation. She knew her father was devastated at the prospect of the Thornton's leaving Hope Valley as was she. While her Dad had adjusted to Mrs. Thornton's choice of Mr. Bouchard, he had worked hard to put his feelings aside and develop a friendship with her teacher over the past year. Recently he seemed happy to encounter her, always parting with a thoughtful expression and a frequent smile. Her father had seemed at ease, at least until tonight.
"You still love her, don't you, Dad," Allie posed the words as a statement rather than a question.
"I think I always will. I just cannot imagine this place without her…" Nathan choked up as he admitted his struggle.
Allie turned towards her Dad and wrapped her arm around his chest, giving him a hug and squeezing him to her. She wept as she leaned her head upon his strong shoulder, her father kissing the top of her head before tilting his cheek against her soft hair.
When first light broke, the Grants stirred, hearing an alarm ring from upstairs.
"Oh! We fell asleep here, Honey. Are you alright?" Nathan shook his head to clear it as he remembered his confessions from a few hours ago. "Do you want to go back upstairs or stay here and sleep a bit longer?"
In spite of her cheerful disposition, Allie always took some time to fully awaken. "Yeah…" She responded, closing her eyes again and leaning against a pillow her father placed under her head after he rose to face the day.
"Sleep. I'll awaken you in a while. You have time before you need to leave." Nathan adjusted the quilt over Allie and added a log to the potbelly stove after stirring the embers. He watched as the log caught fire, latched the door and retreated upstairs to prepare for his day.
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In another row house down the lane, Elizabeth Thornton stared at her face in the mirror. It was blotched and her eyelids seemed swollen, so she dampened a washcloth with cold water and pressed it to her face numerous times. The cold shocked her awake yet she wasn't convinced that it helped her complexion. Finally giving up, she unbraided her hair and slowly brushed it as she recalled her post-midnight conversation with Rosemary.
Elizabeth had confessed that she didn't want to leave Hope Valley. Yet, more importantly, she had owned up to her choice of the wrong man. 'I told her that I had made the comfortable choice and the safe one…' As the thought returned to her, Elizabeth recalled that Nathan had used that word. 'He told me to be safe…' Tears welled in her eyes again at her remembrance. 'He knew that was my farewell to him that means he matters to me…' she reached for the damp washcloth and pressed it to her face once again. 'I told him to be safe when we bumped into each other outside the library just the other morning…'
Elizabeth gulped, recalling Nathan's recent words in the schoolhouse, 'Nathan told me Hope Valley wasn't the only thing that matters. Did that 'be safe' mean that I matter? Like he told me I mattered to him a few years ago? Does he remember that? Do I still matter to him?'
Her eye caught her engagement ring in the mirror and she lowered her hands and stared at it, resolving that the first thing she had to do was to talk to Lucas. Straightening her shoulders, she inhaled a fortifying breath, lifted her hair brush, and added a barrette to the side of her hairstyle. Returning to her bedroom, Elizabeth dressed for the day.
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"Thank you, Rosemary," Elizabeth spoke into her dear friend's ear as they hugged. "Thank you for seeing my light on earlier this morning and listening to me. Everything is clearer now, even though it will be difficult. I can see my way forward for the first time in a long while. Thank you for watching Jack too! I'm sorry it is not a week day but if I see Robert I will ask if he can spare you soon."
"You are welcome, my friend. Lee will be in town, but I'll pray for you…" Turning to Jack, Rosemary addressed him, "We will have a good time together, eh? I'm thinking I might need to bake some cookies! Could you be my assistant?"
"Oh yes! I help Mommy with cookies all the time! I'm good at helping."
"You be good for Auntie Rosie and have fun too, okay? I think with all these puddles it is an inside day today." Elizabeth bent to kiss her son's cheek. "I love you, Sweet Boy."
"Me too!" Jack grinned, "Bye, Mommy!"
"I'll see you later… both of you!"
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Cautiously navigating the puddles, Elizabeth used her umbrella to steady herself and walked into town. The skies still looked ominous, even after the earlier deluge so Elizabeth hurried towards the Saloon.
When Bill stepped out from the RCMP office, nearly bumping into Elizabeth, a startled gasp escaped.
"Oafff! I'm sorry Elizabeth," Bill apologized, extending his hand to grasp her arm. "Good morn… Wait, are you alright?" Staring into her face, Bill was concerned at the mix of determination and sadness he saw there.
"I'm fine…" Glancing down, a tear escaped and trailed down her cheek.
"That tear means you are not fine. Come inside and tell me what is going on?"
With a panicked look, Elizabeth shook her head, "Oh no, I can't. I can't go in there. I mean I don't want to disturb Nathan. I'll be fine."
"Nathan is on rounds, so the office is empty. Come on." Bill took her elbow and escorted her into the Mountie office. After guiding her to a seat, he leaned against the front of the desk, repeating his question, "What is going on?"
"I'm… I am supposed to go to Capital City with Lucas tonight."
This was not what Bill expected to hear so he studied her as he waited for more. When she remained silent, he questioned, "You are going to elope or to campaign beside him or what?"
"Elope? No, Bill! Absolutely not. I'm supposed to help him with the campaign, but..."
A knock sounded and the door opened to reveal Pastor Joseph peeking inside. "I'm sorry, I'm looking for Nathan. He stopped by the Café and told Minnie he would like to see me. Is he here?" Joseph glanced around the office, not finding Nathan but observing Elizabeth's distress. "I've interrupted something here. May I help or would you prefer to continue your chat?"
"I need to get to the Saloon to talk to Lucas, so no thank you, Joseph." Elizabeth stood and nodded at Bill, adding, "I'm fine, Bill. Thank you."
Escaping the jail, Elizabeth hurried across to the Saloon, opening the door and slipping inside.
"Just the one I wanted to talk to! Lucas tells me you are accompanying him this evening! I need a moment of your time, okay?" Mr. Mitchell took her elbow just as Bill had done, leading her to the nearest booth.
"Don't worry, Lucas is on the telephone so it is okay for you to take some moments with me right now. I have reserved two rooms at the Prince Albert Hotel. Will you be attending the rallies with Lucas? Would you be willing to take some interviews and explain his intentions and goals for his candidacy? You will be an asset as someone who has known him for a long time here in Hope Valley. I can arrange for an interview and some photographs tomorrow afternoon if that is okay?"
"Sir, I am not ready for all this. Everything is happening so fast and I just want to support him from behind the scenes. I don't want any of the focus to be on me. Please excuse me now, but I must speak to Lucas."
Elizabeth stood and almost ran from a confused and disappointed Mr. Mitchell who knew her poise and beauty would be a great asset to the Bouchard campaign.
Gasping as she opened the office door, Elizabeth closed and leaned against it, catching Lucas's eye. His earpiece held with one hand and his other sorting some papers on his desk, Lucas looked up apologetically, shrugged then returned to find the page he sought. She sat on the loveseat and waited, twisting the ring on her hand while warily glancing at the door, hoping that Mr. Mitchell would not follow her inside.
"Sorry about that, Elizabeth." Lucas hung up the telephone. "This is getting more real all the time! That was another newspaper wanting an exclusive. Did you talk to Mitchell yet? He had arrangements to make with you."
"I saw him, but we need to talk, Lucas." Her request was interrupted as soon as he agreed.
"Sure… Ah, yes? Come in?" Lucas stood behind his desk as he heard the knock.
Gustave needed instructions for the weeks that Lucas would be campaigning, then Mike had a few questions as he examined the supply order before he placed it. Another telephone call came in to discuss campaign finances with the former Cunningham Campaign manager, and Gustave brought two cups of tea, then disappeared muttering in French. By lunchtime, Elizabeth was still waiting to talk until Lucas finally said, "I think we need to save our talk until later. I really am sorry, Elizabeth. I haven't completed my packing yet, so why don't we just meet here at nine o'clock so we can head to the train?"
Before Elizabeth could answer, Mr. Mitchell entered with a clipboard and diverted Lucas's attention again. With a nod and small wave, Elizabeth departed the office intending on going to the Library to decide her next step. The torrential rain prevented her from communicating with anyone on the street although she thought she saw a tall Mountie in red serge entering Bill's office.
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