Chapter 25: Union City

The train lurched forward, waking Nathan from the slumber that he didn't realize he was taking. He briefly wondered if it went unnoticed—until he recognized the sound of Gabriel sputtering and holding back laughter. He shot his friend a sleepy glare.

"What?" Nathan's eyes narrowed in preparation for his friend's onslaught of teasing.

"Oh nothing…but who is Nemo?" Gabriel asked, purposefully elongating the name.

Nathan sighed and gritted his teeth. Hanging out with Gabe always had a way of bringing his walls down, which was equal parts blessing as it was incredibly frustrating. It often forced him to process whatever it was he was suppressing. Unconsciously, however, it seemed it also gave Gabriel crystal clarity into his dream world—a place that Nathan would prefer stay private.

"It's Captain Nemo, actually."

Gabriel raised his brow, "You were dreaming about 20,000 Leagues Under the Sea? …With the way your feet started thrashing, I figured you were chasing a criminal…or maybe chasing Elizabeth…"

Nathan slumped against the seat and rubbed the bridge of his nose with a sigh. "You're infuriating, do you know that?"

Gabriel leaned forward with a smile akin to the Cheshire Cat. "You were chasing Elizabeth!"

"No…I was running with Lucas."

Gabriel froze as his eyebrows pinched in confusion. "What?! So… it was a nightmare?"

"Yes." Nathan sighed, sinking further into his seat, and hoping the conversation was over. A few moments of silence gave him—what turned out to be—false hope.

"So what does that have to do with Captain Nemo?" Gabriel asked with a puzzled brow that confirmed this conversation wasn't going anywhere.

Nathan groaned, knowing full well that his fellow Mountie was just as perceptive and determined of an investigator as he was.

Deciding the truth was the fastest way out, Nathan whispered, "Me. I was Nemo alright?! It was Lucas's fault. And don't you dare call me Nemo. The dream was enough."

"Aye aye, Captain." Gabriel retorted with a satisfied smirk.

Nathan rolled his eyes. "All those Mounties at Depot… and I get stuck with you."

Gabriel's smirk turned to a smile as he batted his eyes playfully, "I see how it is. That's the last time I'll let you use me as a pillow."

"I did not!" Nathan hoarsely whispered back, hoping Gabriel would follow suit and quiet down.

"Everyone in this car can confirm that you did," Gabriel confidently stated.

Amused glances from across the aisle made Nathan drop his eyes and the topic simultaneously.

——

Elizabeth walked up and down the rows as the students recited their addition facts. Without missing a step, Elizabeth discreetly slipped a handmade card onto Allie's desk that immediately drew the young teen's attention.

Allie quietly glanced up at her teacher, catching her wink before she turned the corner to walk down the next row. Allie continued reciting her facts even as she slipped her hand over the corner of the paper revealing a simple drawing of herself and her teacher sitting on the schoolhouse steps. "Lunch?" Was beautifully scrolled in intricate cursive with boxes to check 'yes' or 'no.'

A smile crept across her face, and she glanced up again at her teacher's discreet gaze, nodding to her an emphatic yes.

——

The two Mounties sat in silence for a few minutes that stretched on like hours as the Canadian prairie raced by their window. Nathan's cheeks burned crimson as his thoughts flitted from one topic to the next. Truthfully, he had a lot on his mind—his thoughts ranging from elation to dread.

His normally boring life had turned into a rollercoaster as of late.

He had gone from a broken heart to an overflowing one, and a mundane job season to making national headlines after a railway heist.

There had hardly been a moment to catch his breath. The tell-tale rumbling of his nearly empty stomach caught his fellow Mountie's attention.

Gabriel nudged him. "Do you want to go grab a bite to eat in the dining car?"

Nathan nodded, and the two gathered their Stetsons and stood in the row, drawing the notice of most of the rail car—particularly among the women. They were a commanding sight in their red serge. They traveled three cars back to the dining car and took a seat at the bar top.

They greeted the bar hop who was attending to another table and picked up their menus. Without even looking, Gabriel set his down, and spoke with a look of regret. "Nathan, I'm sorry about last night. I never meant to…"

"No need to apologize, Gabe. You did nothing wrong. I know you. You weren't trying to hurt her. We had no way of knowing that the sketchbook was so loaded with hurt for her. She never told anyone about trying to look at it…not even Rosemary."

Gabriel nodded ruefully as he glanced at the menu.

Nathan gave him a sympathetic nudge."You know how it is. Something strikes out of the blue and takes you right back to the hurt. No matter how far you've come, it just hits you between the eyes."

Gabriel looked at Nathan reluctantly with a sigh. "I know. I had hoped that it would be encouraging. It's not like we had a lot of positive stories up there."

"I think Jack was a big fan of your Apollo story. He asked me if it really happened when I carried him home last night."

Gabriel held a hand to his chest in mock offense, "Mountie Gabe would never lie."

Nathan's eyes lit with amusement, "Oh yeah? Then how did Apollo eat the last piece of apple pie at my house when he was at the livery, and Allie was asleep upstairs?"

"He's a very mischievous horse." Gabriel deadpanned, before burying his face in the menu.

The bar hop returned "Have you decided on your meal, sirs?"

"Chicken sandwich and a coffee for me," Gabriel said, smiling back at the man.

"Me too."

The bar hop nodded, and collected their menus, before returning to the kitchen area.

Gabriel eyed his friend, "Are you nervous for today?"

"I'd be more nervous if Hargreaves was here, but it still hasn't given me much sleep."

"I noticed. You look terrible." Gabriel's eyes twinkled with mischief.

"Gee, thanks." Nathan retorted with an eye-roll.

"O'Reilly is a fair man. I don't think you're under investigation, and I know you handled the situation well. Don't second guess yourself, Nathan. You're a good Mountie."

"Now what makes you think I would do a thing like that?" Nathan asked with a pained smile.

"History."

Gabriel roughly put his arm around his partner, shaking him slightly.

Nathan merely nodded and stared down at the elegant walnut bar top as Gabriel's arm slipped back to his side.

"Just go in there and focus on the facts. He already knows what happened. Let him do the questioning. I suspect you've done enough of that already the last few days. You like to be your own judge, jury, and executioner…and you're terrible at it."

Nathan shot him an exasperated look.

"Am I wrong?"

The blue-eyed Mountie merely huffed in response.

The bar hop returned with a tray of chicken sandwiches, two mugs of coffee, and two slices of maple pecan pie. Setting the dishes in front of each Mountie, they looked up surprised.

"I'm sorry. We didn't order pie."

"You didn't, but it's on the house. Thatcher Shipping has comped and upgraded your meals. It's something they have done for officers the last several years on this train... I believe as a memorial to his son-in-law."

"Thank you." Nathan studied his plate with an unreadable expression.

The barhop smiled and returned to his other tables.

"So…your father-in-law seems nice." Gabriel quipped, breaking Nathan from his thoughts.

"Lord-willing." Nathan breathed.

——

After another two hours, the train pulled into Union Station and Nathan and Gabriel headed across town to check in at headquarters.

The streets were buzzing with traffic as dozens of gleaming black automobiles weaved around pedestrians. The two Mounties traveled a half block north before facing the towering limestone edifice of the Royal Canadian Mounted Police Regional Headquarters.

The building was as tall and foreboding as it was impressive. The heavy oak door arched at its peak mirroring the main floor window arches. The second and third floor square windows were nestled neatly between stone Roman columns that wrapped around the building.

A young Constable in brown serge greeted them at the door and ushered them inside, directing them to the superintendent's office. After checking in with his secretary, Gabriel and Nathan took a seat, each claiming a leather armchair flanking the sides of the office door.

After a few minutes, a shadow appeared—darkening the glass of the door. The knob turned and a nervous, "Yes, Sir…No, Sir…Of course. Thank you," drifted into the hall. A short and stocky young Constable stepped out of the door, glancing timidly at Nathan and Gabriel with a nod before walking briskly towards the front door.

Superintendent Patrick O'Reilly cleared his throat at his office door with a smile, "Constable Grant…Constable Kinslow…good to see you this afternoon. I trust your trip went well?"

Nathan and Gabriel stood with a salute to their superior.

The superintendent returned the salute. "Constable Grant, if you'll step this way, we'll start with you."

Gabriel took a step back, giving Nathan a reassuring pat on the shoulder before returning to his armchair as Nathan stepped inside.

O'Reilly gestured to the chair opposite his desk.

Nathan's palms began to sweat, and he caught himself discreetly wiping them against his jodhpurs.

"At ease, Constable Grant. Have a seat. I'm guessing that Bill Avery is still in Hope Valley today?"

"Yes Sir. I had requested that he cover the town for me."

"I see. That's understandable, and seems wise. I had expected him to arrive with you as your legal counsel today."

"He was willing to, but I didn't want to risk leaving Hope Valley unguarded."

"Yes. I appreciate that. We'll circle back to that later. For now, we'll start with your official statement of the events and your involvement in your last mission."

Nathan relayed his part in Nordegg for the manhunt, pursuit, shoot out, and capture of both Bassoff and Arkoff while Superintendent O'Reilly took notes on his statement. Even though Nathan was giving a detailed account of the case, he struggled to keep the events impersonal.

Inwardly, he was at war with himself, arguing with his own narrative that he should have known better, or made a different decision than what had transpired.

"Can you tell me why you chose to approach from behind Bassoff and Arkoff? Wasn't that directly in the line of fire of both Usher and Bailey?"

Nathan swallowed, willing his heart to slow its beating. "I was in it briefly. I snuck from the kitchen to behind Arkoff and Bassoff's table with the hopes of surrounding them. Kinslow was guarding the kitchen door…keeping it sealed off in case they tried to escape that direction. Both Bailey and Usher were able to see my approach, I caught their eye briefly with my movement, and at the time they seemed to have the situation under control with their pistols drawn."

With no visible reaction from the superintendent apart from a pinched brow, Nathan continued.

"I was hoping to be in position for backup while still remaining out of their direct lines of fire. At that time, we were unable to see the suspects' concealed weapons under the table. Once shots were fired, Usher, Bailey, and I all sought cover in booths and behind tables."

"I see. At any point in the cafe did you have a clear shot on either of the fugitives?"

"No Sir. There were civilians at the surrounding tables."

O'Reilly leaned forward in his chair, "And yet you said that you fired three shots. How were you able to do that?"

Nathan's mouth went dry, and he braced his trembling hands against his bouncing knees, forcing them to stop.

"I had to change positions twice, but my first position allowed me to shoot into their booth although they were hiding behind the table. My rounds didn't seem to penetrate their overturned table. I left that position and tried to get a better angle between the table and their booth, but then I had a woman directly behind them…making it an unclear shot."

Without looking up from his notes, O'Reilly questioned, "And you were the first responder to Corporal Usher?"

"Yes Sir, but by the time Bassoff and Arkoff fled the scene, Usher was gone. I believe he was already gone when Constable Bailey tripped over his body and out the door pursuing the criminals."

"I see…and you said that you spoke with Constable Bailey?"

"Only a few words. He had apologized for not capturing the bandits, and I promised him that we would. That's when he succumbed to his injuries."

The superintendent leaned back in his chair and rubbed his chin. "So…Special Constable Kyslik? You were his first responder?"

Nathan let out a breath, "Yes. He fell to his knees at my feet. Several other officers gathered around us for protection, but I was the first to apply gauze and pressure to his wound. With the air as dusty as it was, it was difficult to keep the wound clean." He looked up at his superior with regret staining his face.

O'Reilly silently scribbled a few notes at his desk, "Hmm…I understand that you also located the Constable responsible for the friendly fire?"

"More like he came to me, Sir. I was afraid that he was going into shock so I kept him involved with Kyslik's care."

Superintendent O'Reilly nodded. "Most men would have sent him away. You pulled him closer….why is that?"

"I'm…not sure. At the time, we still hadn't located Bassoff. He was so young, and I guess I just…reacted as if he were my daughter caught in a mistake. I wanted to keep him safe, and let him try to make it right. I know I would want that opportunity myself."

Nathan glanced down nervously at his feet. "I figured he would have enough regret as it was. I carried out Kyslik's care, but I had the young Constable unrolling gauze and handing it to me as needed."

O'Reilly maintained his unreadable composure as he continued with his note-taking. His pen tapped against the pad a few times in the proceeding silence before he finally spoke, "I'm sure you have heard by now that Kyslik passed that night?"

Nathan nodded. "Yes, Sir. I'm sorry to hear that."

Both men dropped their gaze in silence. The only sound in the room for the moment was the slow ticking of the clock on the wall.

"Nathan, from what I am hearing, you gave Special Constable Kyslik exceptional care in unusual circumstances. Not only that, but you kept another Mountie from potentially being harmed in his distress. That's the kind of leadership we hope for among the ranks. A calm and cool head despite the circumstances. This is a trait that has become apparent between your last inquiry and this one. You consistently keep your wits about you, Grant, whether you are staring down the barrel of a gun or assisting a man as he lay dying. From what I hear from Constables Frewin and Morley, you handled young Constable Fraser well too."

Nathan's head was spinning at the turn in conversation and let out a nervous laugh, "Thank you. I'm just doing my job, but Fraser's a good kid. A little green still, but he learns fast…he's teachable."

"I'm glad to hear that. Morley had similar things to say about the young man."

Nathan fought a smile, proud of the young man that had become like a friend in their short time together.

Superintendent O'Reilly cleared his throat, breaking Nathan from his thoughts. "Constable Grant, I hereby offer you the promotion to Corporal."

Nathan's mouth hung open before he sputtered a few words, "Uh…Sir? Thank you! But…what would this mean about my station in Hope Valley? I…well…my little girl is secure there…and…"

"We would not be looking to uproot you. Between the two of us, I think Jack Thornton's widow has been through enough. Hope Valley has long been understaffed. We would be dispatching an additional two Constables that would be under your direction if you'll take it."

Nathan fought a smile and looked down at his lap. He sat for a moment taking in the offer before he pressed his lips into a line and raised his eyes to meet the Superintendent's curious gaze.

"I'm honored. Can I have a few days to consider the offer? I'd like to talk it over with my daughter and with Elizabeth."

Superintendent O'Reilly sat back in his chair with a big smile. "You haven't changed a bit, Grant. Most men would jump at the chance to rise in the ranks, but you consistently consider the cost."

"I've always tried to include my daughter in decisions that would affect our family. Elizabeth and I are courting, but I'd like to give her the same consideration too."

"Wise man."

Nathan shook off the praise, "Can I let you know on Monday morning?"

"Of course. Nathan, you should know that with the region expanding, Constable Morley has been promoted to Sergeant and he will be located near Clearwater. He will travel to oversee both Hope Valley and Brookfield as well. Whether you take the Corporal position or not, there will be two more Mounties added to the posting. Bill Avery won't have to cover the town anymore in your absence, though I suspect he'll always be guarding it in his own way." O'Reilly seemed amused at his own observation about the judge, and the thought of Bill's teasing over having to cover rounds brought a smile to Nathan's face.

"You are my first choice for the Corporal position, but I can bring in another Corporal instead if you choose."

"I understand. Thank you, Sir." Nathan's eyes shone despite his professional demeanor with the praise.

Superintendent O'Reilly stood, prompting Nathan to follow suit. His superior stuck out his hand, and Nathan clasped it with his own in agreement.

After shaking Nathan's hand, O'Reilly removed his forager cap and loosened his tie. He cleared his throat and spoke plainly, "Nathan, if I may, I'd like to ask you a few questions not as Superintendent O'Reilly, but just as Patrick if that's ok with you."

Nathan's brow pinched in concern, but he nodded and wiped his hands down his jodhpurs as he reclaimed his seat, mirroring his superior.

"Nathan, you've lost a lot of comrades over the past few years. How are you actually doing?"

Not anticipating this line of questioning, Nathan slumped back in his chair with a deep breath, subconsciously tugging at the collar of his serge.

After a few moments of silence, Patrick interjected, "Strictly off-the-record of course. This won't affect your promotion."

Nathan let out a breath and raked his fingers through his hair. He opened his mouth to speak only to shut it again. "I…don't know. I'm having a hard time sleeping…I know in my head that I did everything I could, but I can't shake this feeling that I should have done more."

Patrick leaned back in his chair and nodded silently. "Hmm. Nightmares?"

Nathan snapped his head up, "How did you know?"

"It's pretty common for men who have seen battle. I struggled with nightmares myself up in the Northern Territories."

"But I haven't seen battle. I had custody of my niece and…"

"You might not have seen war, but you've experienced battle and loss. Repeated losses no less."

Nathan closed his mouth firmly. There was no point arguing. He had a point. The two men sat silently as if in a friendly stand-off, daring the other to speak.

Nathan took a deep breath and his face relaxed, "Any advice for the reoccurring nightmares?"

Patrick gave a pained half-smile, "Everyone is different, but I've learned that trying to avoid them is the best way to ensure they keep happening."

Nathan's brow crinkled in confusion.

"My wife was always good about listening to my dreams. I don't know how she did it, but talking to her typically brought clarity. I used to dream that I was riding along when there would be a rustle in the bushes. I would freeze or try to run, but it was a grizzly bear mere steps behind me biting and chasing after me."

"So what happened?"

"That's the thing. I always woke up before I was caught."

"At least you didn't have to get eaten over and over," Nathan murmured in defeat.

"Maybe if I did, the dreams would have stopped sooner."

Nathan's eyes narrowed in skeptical curiosity.

"Once I stopped running from the bear, it ran past me and bit a charging moose that would have been in front of me had I kept running."

Nathan blinked in surprise. He ran his fingers through his hair with a sigh, "I'm not dreaming about bears. The worst dream is where I'm riding on rounds and approach a stream. At first every thing is quiet with just a few leaves floating down stream, then it looks like logs, but they're not logs, they're people….all the people I have lost. They start stacking up together damming up the stream. I can't even move or look away. I can only watch."

O'Reilly leaned forward. "Sounds like you need a new ending. Have you tried finishing it?"

"Finishing what? If I can even get back to sleep, the dream starts over, or I dream about something else."

"Right. No. I mean while you're awake you should write a new ending and help your dream out."

"You can do that?"

O'Reilly shrugged with a laugh, "That's what my wife suggested. So I quit running. You're frozen in place. What could you do instead?"

Nathan looked down at his hands and thought a moment. "I need to bury them. All of them...give them real graves." He glanced up at Patrick with a look of determination.

His superior smiled, "That sounds like a good solution….and Nathan, if it doesn't work? Try something else. In fact, I'd like to have you see our staff psychiatrist this afternoon. You really should have received some services after the last inquiry for the prison transfer, but from what I understand, there was a lot that wasn't done by the book last time."

Nathan swallowed nervously. "Uh…yes Sir. If you think that's necessary…they're just some dreams…and…"

Patrick's eyes softened with sympathy, "Nathan, this is a help and not a criticism. We're seeing many men benefit from at least a few sessions when they return from overseas. It will be strictly confidential, but it will be considered standard procedure from here on out. This is nothing to be ashamed of. It's an order."

"Yes, Sir. I'll be there."

"Good. I'll give him a call after I finish with Kinslow, and I'll let you know the appointment time."

Nathan nodded somberly and took a deep breath, though the tension in his shoulders remained.

"And Nathan? If they're reoccurring nightmares, you'll get plenty of opportunities to figure it out, but you will. You're not the first one to struggle with this, and I'm certain you won't be the last."

Nathan pressed his lips together with a small nod. His eyes held a spark of hope recoloring his weary face. "Thanks, Patrick."

His superior straightened his tie, placed his forage cap back on his head, and stood behind his desk. "You're welcome. You're not alone in this, Nathan. No need to fight your battles alone."

Nathan stood, smoothing his serge. "Thank you. I'll be in touch Monday morning." He extended his hand out to his superior.

"I'm counting on it." Patrick replied, shaking his hand. The two men headed for the door, opening it to find a relieved Gabriel—which brought a genuine smile to Nathan's face.

"Constable Kinslow, this way." The Brookfield Constable stood tall and received a similarly reassuring pat from his friend before he filed through the door behind the superintendent—closing it firmly behind him just as Nathan had.

—-

"And…unless anyone has any questions we can break for…"

The sound of books slamming closed, and the squeak of a dozen chairs scraping against the wooden floor as students pushed them back to stand was all the answer Elizabeth needed that the grammar lesson was finished. With a wry smile and a hand on her hip, she spoke softly to their retreating backs, "…class dismissed."

Perhaps she had gotten a tad carried away with her enthusiasm for proper sentence structure, but surely it would be an applicable lesson for their day to day lives on the frontier. One faithful student remained, politely stifling a yawn behind her hand.

Allie's eyes warmed at the sight of her teacher walking to the schoolhouse door as the rest of the kids tore their way down the front steps and out to the yard. Angela trailed behind, bracing one hand against the familiar stair rail, and another tenderly gripping her brother's hand. Upon reaching the bottom, she gave her brother a thankful squeeze and released his hand. He took off running towards the boys playing ball.

Elizabeth turned and caught Allie's eye as she approached. "Thanks for inviting me," Allie spoke almost reverently.

"I think we are overdue for a lunch date, don't you?" Elizabeth spoke low, her lips upturned in a soft smile.

Allie nodded.

"How about you grab your lunch, and we can sit outside and eat on the steps…unless you'd like to play with the girls first. Looks like they have the jump ropes out."

Allie shook her head. "No thanks, Mrs. Thornton. I can play with Opal and Emily later at Opal's." She stood with a smile and hustled off to the wall covered with hooks, coats, and bags. Rifling through her bag, she returned quickly with a noticeably masculine handkerchief-wrapped parcel.

Elizabeth recovered her own lunch and met the girl at the door, each having grabbed their lightweight shawls. Once past the door, they settled themselves comfortably on the top step.

The crisp morning had given way to abundant sunshine, and the other children were contentedly playing throughout the yard.

Elizabeth glanced up at a distant rider who turned out to be Bill Avery out on rounds. She raised her hand in greeting, and he did the same before continuing down the path past the schoolhouse.

Turning towards Allie, Elizabeth noticed her glazed over eyes. "Missing your Dad?"

The question broke the spell, and the teen merely nodded.

"I know he's probably ok. It's just…" Allie trailed off biting her lip, glancing nervously at her teacher.

"You feel better once you see him again?" Elizabeth asked, her lip forming a sympathetic pout at the question.

Allie exhaled, "Yes. Exactly. I don't know, Mrs. Thornton, I don't want him to be worried about me, so I try to be strong. But…he's…all I have."

"I know what you mean, Allie. The waiting is hard, and I'm a grown woman. I can't imagine what it's like as a daughter."

Allie smiled sympathetically before her eyes fell again to her sandwich in her lap.

Her teacher continued slowly, "But, actually…I do know someone who knows exactly what that's like…"

Allie glanced up in surprise. "You do?"

Elizabeth smiled warmly, gently placing a hand on Allie's shoulder. "I do. Mrs. Coulter is a Mountie daughter."

"She is?! I didn't know that!" Allie leaned back in surprise, unintentionally breaking free from Elizabeth's touch.

"Her father served with Mountie Jack's father. She and Jack practically grew up together."

"They did?"

Elizabeth nodded. "My husband said that they were often gone on missions for months at a time."

"That would be hard. Dad has mostly had to be gone for a week or two…not months."

"I think it was hard. They were young and missed their daddies. It's one of the reasons they bonded together. They understood each other and had a lot of shared history."

"I never had kids understand until we moved here. Most kids here lost their daddies, but most of them still have their moms around every night." Allie's eyes brimmed with tears.

"You've experienced both."

"And a dad in prison."

Elizabeth placed a hand on Allie's free hand. "You've experienced a lot of loss in your young life, both through death and hard circumstances. Sometimes I forget how much you have gone through because of how well you seem to carry yourself."

"I'm not always strong," Allie whispered, her tears finally spilling over.

"Are you sure?" Elizabeth asked softly, "Crying doesn't make you weak. I have seen many strong women cry. It just means that your heart is still alive. It takes strength to feel…to hurt." Elizabeth's voice cracked at the last word.

"Dad says the same thing. He says the strongest women he knows cry."

"Your dad is a smart man," Elizabeth spoke softly, her own eyes glistening.

Allie wiped her tear with a sniffle. "He's handsome too." Her lip upturned into a smirk at her teacher's surprised blush.

"So I've noticed." Elizabeth laughed, her eyes narrowing into a teasing glare.

"Good." Allie contentedly took her last bites of her sandwich as the two sat in silence peering out over the busy schoolyard.

"Allie? Would you like to come over for supper tonight? We could talk with Mrs. Coulter. It might be good for all of us."

Allie smiled, "I'd like that. Thanks Mrs. Thornton. Thanks for inviting me to lunch with you." She stood and dusted the crumbs off her pinafore.

"You're welcome, but Allie…there was one other thing I wanted to say before you go."

Allie's eyebrows pinched in concern.

"I wanted to apologize for running out last night. I got overwhelmed in the moment and needed a minute to be alone. I didn't realize how that would look to you. I'm sorry that I scared you. I never meant to do that. Do you forgive me?"

Allie released her breath and rushed into her teacher's arms. A muffled yes barely reached Elizabeth's ears.

They sat huddled together for a few moments with Elizabeth slowly rubbing Allie's back like she had often comforted Jack.

"Thanks, Mrs. Thornton. I know what it's like when a memory is too hard."

"I'm sorry that you do." Elizabeth whispered, a look of understanding passing silently between them.

Allie laid her head on her teacher's shoulder and sighed. Whether they realized it or not, it was just the beginning of a lifetime of heart to heart conversations between the two.

—-

A/N:

Thanks for the patience! There has been so much life stuff going on that has been getting in the way of writing. *Mostly good things, with a fair share of two year old meltdowns too.

Special thanks to Lynn & Eoin who both helped me tackle this bear of a chapter and encouraged me along. So many technical and logistical questions for Eoin as well as practical feedback from Lynn when I was ready to scrap it all.

The nightmare content was inspired by the YouTube channel: Therapy In A Nutshell. My son and I watched an episode on how to stop nightmares & so far the advice that I had O'Reilly repeat works well.

Several Easter eggs this chapter, but the Captain Nemo dream is a nod to my Common Starting Point short story submission, "Luck Be A Lady." If you want to see Nathan's dream in its entirety, you can read it there. It's a funny one—despite Nathan's wry comment that running with Lucas was a "nightmare."

The handmade card by Elizabeth is my response to the s8 one that Allie made for Elizabeth & ended up ripping out of rejection. This seemed like the proper full-circle.