Light From Shadows
A/N: Happy birthday Lynn! You've always challenged me to write a more 'gray' Lucas so here you go. I couldn't have done it without the help & input from Katie @k8eSunbug and Maggie @thefrenchconnection. Thanks ladies!
All characters are property of Crown Media and are borrowed for entertainment purposes only. Sections of dialogue are lifted from s8e1 of WCTH and are indicated with an *.
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Chapter 1: An Untimely Arrival
It was a bright spring morning, and Elizabeth and Jack were driven outside by the little boy's discovery of a mama rabbit and her baby. Always one to seize a learning opportunity, Elizabeth headed out with a basket of snacks to observe the pair—despite its proximity to the road.
Jack's glee was infectious as he whispered and pointed at the mother and baby rabbit. She watched him as a smile of her own crossed her lips.
Canadian spring brought the promise of warmer weather at last, the end of another school year, and more time with Jack, who had been needing her more and more as of late.
His questions were already starting about the father he never knew. His endless wonderings dredged up so many stories and memories that she had tried for years to bury deep within her heart. Jack was sweetly relentless. He was never satisfied with just one or two memories, but regularly asked for a story with every place they visited and every belonging they owned.
"Mama?" Jack started, but the rumbling of an approaching car quickly captured the little boy's attention.
The car slowed to a stop and out popped the ever-suave globe-trotting saloon owner, sporting a smile a mile-wide. He held his door open as he called out to the schoolteacher and child.
"What're you two doing?"*
"Well, we were watching a mama bunny and her baby," Elizabeth smiled back politely.
"No daddy?"
Elizabeth bristled a bit at the reminder, but recovered quickly, reciting a familiar nursery rhyme. "We think the daddy went hippity-hop to the candy-shop."
"To buy a piece of candy?" He leaned on the door and flashed her his best smile.
Surprised at his recognition of children's literature she continued, "One for me and one for you..."
"…And one for sister Annie." He confidently finished.
"Helen Bouchard taught you Mother Goose?"
"Helen Bouchard taught me to read, and after that I was on my own." His eyes flashed a glimpse of pain before it was replaced by a cunning smile.
Elizabeth pressed her lips into a line at the admission and gave a sympathetic smile. "Where did you go when you left?"
"Grand Isle, Louisiana." He hesitated a moment with his lips parted as he looked up and to the right. "I…have friends there… rebuilding a...school that was levelled in the hurricane…"
He tilted his head—as if studying her. "I thought helping others might give me some perspective on things here." As he spoke, he seemed to stretch out the words he wanted her most to hear.
She tilted her own head in response, lifting her chin slightly, "You got your perspective?"
He glanced to the ground quickly and back up in a calculated move, flashing her his boyish smile. "Whatever you decide. I want you to be happy."
Her eyes narrowed slightly, though her mouth formed a smile. "Thank you."*
He straightened his tie and climbed back into the front seat of his gleaming new car before he sped off down the road.
Elizabeth watched him go, her thoughts turning over at their exchange.
"Mama? Can we keep 'dem?"
Suddenly remembering where she was, Elizabeth turned to her son. "Oh, Jack. I don't think so. Wild bunnies need to stay in the wild where they can be free."
His eyes misted, and his lip trembled, "But Mama, Mister Boo-shar say dey have no daddy. Dey need us."
"Oh, my sweet boy. Maybe the daddy will come back. We should leave them here so the daddy knows where to find them."
Jack sniffled. "But my daddy not coming back."
Elizabeth's face fell as she scooped Jack up onto her hip. "I'm sorry Jack. Your daddy would come back if he could. He would love you so much."
He buried his head in his mother's shoulder as his little body trembled. After a few minutes of his mom slowly swaying and rubbing his back, he lifted his head up and asked somberly, "You fink he watches me?"
Elizabeth gave him a sad smile. "Yes, sweet boy, I do."
Jack sniffled, and his face hardened in a young boy's determination, "Den I watch deese bunnies tomorrow too."
Elizabeth's smile grew at his plan, "Ok. We'll check them again tomorrow." She gave him a squeeze before setting him down.
With that settled, they headed back towards the house, grabbing their basket along the way. Before long, Elizabeth was fixing lunch, then they ate, and soon after she was laying Jack down for a nap. She caught up on straightening the house and hanging her wash. With everything finished, she decided to sit outside and enjoy the quiet sunshine.
She sat for a few minutes in solitude before the sound of hoof beats drew her attention, and the man in red caused her heart to skip a beat.
"You made it home!"* she called out at his approach.
Nathan's eyes sparkled with playfulness, "Yeah. What? You didn't think I would?"
Blushing at his joke, she quickly recovered. "No, it's not that, it's just... you do look a bit worse for wear."
Nathan pressed his lips into a line at the comment before a smile broke free. "Things couldn't be better. Unless, of course, you uh, you agreed to have dinner with me this evening."
Elizabeth's eyes flared in surprise as her cheeks turned a deeper shade of red. "Nathan, you look like you've just been through-"
A lop-sided grin crossed his lips at her blushing concern, "Well, I would... I'd go home and bathe and change first."
She rolled her eyes at him in a mock protest, "That's not what I meant. Besides, I'm not even sure Laura's free to watch Jack."
Nathan thought a moment, "Well, why don't we all go?"
Her mouth gaped in surprise, "The four of us?"
Nathan smiled, "Yeah. I know Allie would like it. She's... she's talked about it before."
Suddenly self-conscious, Elizabeth found herself at a loss for words, "Um... um, alright."
Nathan's eyes took on a look of wonder and light as his smile filled his face—completely chasing away the shadows of weariness from before. "Alright. Uh... great. Well, I'll uh, I'll go change and uh, I'll come back."*
Elizabeth nodded, her mind already in a whirl over the sudden change of plans.
——
Before Nathan could even knock, Elizabeth heard Allie on the other side of the door squealing with delight.
"Uncle Nathan, it's finally here! I've been dreaming of this day for years! I can't believe she said 'yes' and we can all go together. Oh, Uncle Nathan this is just the BEST day, isn't it?!"
Nathan was harder to make out, but his voice was calm and quiet.
Elizabeth was startled when someone finally knocked. She panicked and snuck off and then walked loudly in a quick circle to disguise her accidental eavesdropping.
She opened the door to a curious smile from Nathan, "Oh hi, Nathan, Allie. You two sure cleaned up well."
"Thanks Mrs. Thornton. Uncle Nathan looked kind of…rough."
"Allie!" His head snapped towards his outspoken daughter.
"Sorry…" She whispered sheepishly.
"Well, I think you both look great. Come on in. I just need to put on Jack's shoes." She turned, calling out, "Jack?"
"N'atan!!!" A shoeless little Thornton appeared from behind the settee, took a few running steps, and slammed into Nathan's legs.
Nathan smiled affectionately at the toddler's ambush. "Hi Jack. Are you ready to go eat dinner with Allie and me?"
"Yep!" He hugged the man's legs tightly, but looked up long enough to flash Allie a big smile.
"Yes," Elizabeth corrected her son with amusement in her voice. She crouched down and slipped his shoes on without any fuss from the little boy.
"I get pie, N'atan?" Jack asked, his eyes rounding sweetly as he rocked back on his heels to look up at the man.
Nathan glanced down at the boy's startled mother. "That's up to your mama. I'm on her team tonight."
Elizabeth released a breath, stood, and smiled appreciatively back at him as a wave of butterflies floated through her at the thought of Nathan on her side as she raised Jack. It was nice having support for her decisions.
Nathan held her gaze for a moment, seeking her permission. After her nod, he turned back to Jack, squatting down to his level. "So do you like pie, Jack?"
The little boy nodded eagerly and slipped his arms around Nathan, hugging him tightly.
"What kind of pie?" Nathan asked, leaning back to look Jack in the eyes.
"Choc-wet," the little boy answered with a toothy grin.
"Chocolate pie? Well, that's my favorite too. Maybe we'll have to get some."
Jack beamed from ear to ear. "Ok, N'atan. Wet's go!" He grabbed Nathan's hand eagerly as the man stood up. Allie quickly took her uncle's other hand.
"Are you ready?"
Elizabeth knew that he meant dinner, but the image of him with both children brought another round of butterflies, and also the burning question. Was she ready?
She swallowed hard and nodded timidly. Nathan's brows pinched in concern, but he ushered the children outside at their giddy insistence before dropping their hands to hold her door.
The kids skipped ahead—thrilled to be together. Nathan glanced at Elizabeth as they started to walk towards town. He stuck his hands awkwardly in his pockets. "How are you?"
Surprised at his question and uncertain if she even knew the answer, she gave a vague reply that would have satisfied most people. "I'm fine, thank you. How are you? How was your mission?"
"It went well, but hang on a second. Are you sure you're ok? Because if this is too much, we can figure something else out."
Elizabeth felt worse. It felt too far to turn back now. She had been wanting this, right?! She practically begged him to ask her out and now he has. So why was this so hard? The kids were running happily ahead of them in their own little world—a world she so desperately wanted to give them.
She glanced at Nathan. Big mistake. His eyes held a mixture of sincerity and pain. She couldn't hold it, nor could she lie to him. She sighed softly.
"Nathan, I don't know if I'm ok… I'm feeling a lot of things."
"Ok. You seem…hesitant." He swallowed hard and looked down the road at the kids.
She naturally followed his gaze. Jack had reached up and grabbed Allie's hand. They were giggling and almost skipping together. She hadn't seen Jack this happy in a long time, and she couldn't help but smile.
Nathan's gaze softened as he watched her. "Lizbeth, is this too much pressure?"
She snapped her head back in his direction with an instantly apologetic face. Her mouth opened to protest, but Nathan continued.
"Maybe I could pick up dinner, and we head back to my house instead?…or…maybe a picnic?"
Elizabeth took a deep breath, and a relieved smile graced her lips. "That sounds really nice. It's a beautiful night. A picnic sounds wonderful….thank you."
Nathan released his breath, and a smile tugged at his own lips in response. "Ok. Well…I can run ahead so you don't have to walk all the way into town."
"No. Please. We'll walk together. The kids are loving this." Though she didn't mean to stress the word, her eyes reflected that more than just the kids were enjoying the time.
"Mama!!!" Jack ran back towards his mother and grabbed her hand. "Walk wif me." He glanced up at Nathan and took hold of his hand as well. Allie smiled at the sight and took her uncle's hand when they met her down the road.
The rest of the walk hand-in-hand was filled with excited ramblings about squirrels in the trees, ducks at the pond, and guesses about what Uncle Bill would be serving tonight at the cafe.
As they rounded the Mercantile, they caught the smiles and whispers of many in town who seemed to nod their approval at the budding family. A red stagecoach rushed past, and Lucas stepped out of the saloon, quickly crossing the street to greet its passenger.
Elizabeth wasn't sure why, but the sight of the blonde woman rushing into Lucas's arms and fussing over his suit made her feel uncomfortable. Unconsciously, Elizabeth slowed her pace with her gaze transfixed forward. Jack continued walking along until his grip on his mother became strained—which drew Nathan's attention to her as well.
"Elizabeth!"* Lucas called out as the blonde woman stood to his side. His hand laid affectionately on her shoulder. He nodded with a blank stare in Nathan's direction—barely acknowledging his presence. "Nathan."
Lucas gestured with his introductions, "Constable Nathan Grant, his niece, Allie, and Elizabeth Thornton and her son, Jack." He turned to the blonde, "I'd like you all to meet…my mother."
The older woman glanced up affectionately at the saloon owner before she looked back to the family. "Helen Bouchard."
They each greeted her as she seemed to scrutinize their appearance—narrowing her eyes at them as if sizing them up.
Elizabeth recovered first, "It's so lovely to meet you, Mrs. Bouchard. Lucas didn't mention you'd be arriving."
"Well, he only found out a short while ago. I'm on my way to San Francisco, but when I found myself passing so close to Hope Valley…I thought I should stop." She looked up affectionately at Lucas before turning back to Elizabeth with a condescending glare. "After all, someone ought to take an interest in your writing, don't you think?"
Elizabeth shriveled under her gaze, suddenly feeling a rush of heat to her cheeks and feeling like she had just swallowed a rock.
Lucas smoothly interrupted, offering his arm to the woman, "Shall we?"
She gladly accepted and snuggled into his side. He tapped her arm gently as he gave a hollow glare at Nathan while Elizabeth stood shell-shocked at their quick departure.
"Elizabeth?" Nathan asked softly, his voice filled with concern. "Ready?"*
The color from before drained completely from her face. She glanced up at him with fear clearly dancing her eyes. He glanced at the Bouchards walking back to the saloon arm-in-arm and back to her. "Do you want to wait here while I grab the dinners or would you rather head back now?"
"What's happening? I thought we were going to the Cafe?" Allie asked with worry coloring her face. Jack glanced at Allie nervously and back to his mother.
"Pie?" He asked sweetly.
Her lip trembled at her son's question. "Yes, Jack, we'll get pie. Nathan is going to grab dinner, and we'll head back to our house and do a picnic…maybe watch the sunset?" She glanced back at Nathan apologetically.
His chest heaved in relief, and a smile crossed his face. "That sounds great. I'll be right back. Do you want to wait here?"
Elizabeth glanced nervously over her shoulder only to see Lucas also turning back to check on them—amusement clear on his face.
"Uh…actually…maybe we'll head around the corner and wait for you there?"
Nathan nodded at the plan. "I'll be right there."
Bill and Minnie quickly gathered four of the house specials and a chocolate pie—packing them neatly into a large basket. Nathan hustled out of the cafe and down the street with a full basket and a smile. Just before he turned the corner, he recognized a brooding pair from the top balcony sipping tea nearly in the shadows.
——
"Well, she's lovely, Hugo. You've always had an eye for pretty brunettes." The blonde took another sip of her tea as she watched the retreating Constable rejoin what looked like a happy family.
She spoke low, continuing to mutter entirely in French from the shadow of the balcony.
"It's Lucas here," he reminded her—also speaking in French.
"Ah, yes. That made you easy to find. Lucas Bouchard no less." She smiled with amusement, "My little Big Mouth."
Hugo's lip upturned in a grin. "I thought you'd like that. It worked, didn't it?"
She nodded with a smile. She raised the teacup back up to her lips, but paused, "Your mother would be touched by The Queen of Hearts reference."
He looked over at the blonde with a sad smile, "It was the only way to keep her with me…to make this little town more like a home."
"Yes, well I doubt she'd like to be a saloon."
"There weren't any other available buildings in town…and it's a hotel now." He corrected, smoothing his suit with one hand,
"Do you serve liquor?" She asked dryly with her brow arched. He pressed his lips together but didn't argue.
"Then it's still a saloon, Lucas." She leaned against the saloon railing, with only her teacup catching the retreating rays of sunlight.
He rolled his eyes at her and took another sip of his tea. "What are you doing in San Francisco, Janette?"
"Business…and it's Helen, remember? Helen Bouch-ard." She said with a laugh before taking another sip of tea.
His eyes narrowed incredulously, "Another shipment?"
"More like checking in with a distributor." Her brows raised in challenge.
"Is that why you're here?" He asked, subconsciously taking a step back.
"My dear, is there reason I should check-in around here? Seems like a building of this size has plenty of places to hide." She stepped towards him—her eyes focused intently on the door.
"Everything is fine. The Queen is still here."
"Good. Now, I saw the way that you were making eyes at the teacher. Leave her out of this. The last thing we need is that Constable sniffing around."
Lucas huffed and sunk back further into the shadows against the saloon wall. In the distance, he could see Nathan and Elizabeth disappearing down the road, walking much closer than he wanted to witness.
Janette approached cautiously, laying a hand on his arm tenderly. "You're not the kind of man that settles down, Hugo. If you care for her at all, leave her alone. She has a son."
His eyes held a pained determination as he switched to English speaking loudly. "Come, Mother. I'll show you your room."
—-
Dialogue was lifted from the transcripts of WCTH season 8 episode 1 "Open Season"