This is part of the #holiday chapter exchange. I got #Nebule, a.k.a. Lynn. I hope you enjoy it.

A Hope Valley Christmas

Nathan sighed heavily as he watched even more vendors start to set up for the 5th annual Hope Valley Christmas Festival. Nathan was not a fan of crowds to begin with, and with the town growing and the returning tourists, he felt his Christmas spirit dwindling. Nathan smiled at Allie leading Jack around showing him the different places to try and the vendors to stay away from. As Jack would be turning 5 this year, he was allowed to join the festivities rather than need a babysitter. Nathan's smile stopped when he heard an argument being started between a few vendors. He walked over to the group causing a spectacle.

"What's the problem?" Nathan asked as he stood firmly in front of the arguing pair.

They both looked at Nathan, saw the serge, and both deflated.

"Sorry, I am trying to tell this man that this is MY spot," one of the men explained.

"And I was told that I could set up anywhere there was space," the other explained. "He wasn't here when I started to set up."

"I have been coming to this festival since it first started. This has always been my spot," the first man argued.

"How am I supposed to know that? Your name isn't around this space," the second man pointed out.

Nathan's eyes followed the back and forth between the men.

"It seems to me that you two need to discuss your problem with Mr. Bouchard to see where you both need to set up," Nathan pointed to where Lucas was standing with plans for the spaces for the vendors.

Both looked in Lucas' direction, and slowly followed Nathan's directions.

Nathan watched them walk towards Lucas before shifting his attention back to the others. He started walking his rounds.

When Nathan came into his home later that night, he was ready for some much needed peace and quiet. What he walked into was Jack crying at the top of his lungs, Allie plugging her ears as she tried to cook. Elizabeth was holding a crying Jack but looked exhausted. Nathan took one look at his family and for a brief moment, was annoyed at their chaos. Elizabeth saw Nathan come in first. She looked at him in desperation. Nathan strode towards Jack and took Jack into his arms as he stomped up stairs to Jack's bedroom. He slammed the door shut, which made the house grow quiet at his action.

"Why are you crying?" Nathan asked with anger.

Jack shrugged.

"Try again," Nathan demanded.

Jack's lip started quivering at Nathan's tone.

"You're getting a time out. I don't want to hear a whisper out of you until dinner," Nathan ordered.

Jack nodded.

Nathan went into his bedroom and began to change out his work clothes. When he had finally calmed down, Nathan walked into Jack's room again and found Jack silently crying in the same spot. Nathan's heart clenched when Jack flinched at him entering the room.

Nathan went to Jack and picked him up.

"Sorry buddy, we all had a bad day," Nathan apologized to Jack's right cheek as he gave Jack a kiss on his cheek.

"Are we okay?" Nathan asked.

Jack nodded slowly, but wasn't as vocal as he normally was yet. Nathan walked Jack downstairs. He watched as Elizabeth was looking at him in concern and wariness. She wasn't sure if she could trust him with Jack. Allie was also silently working in the kitchen. Both women were looking at him with shock and wariness.

"I'm sorry. It has been a long day at the end of a long week, and I just needed some solitude. I shouldn't have let my anger get the best of me," Nathan said.

Elizabeth and Allie both nodded at the explanation.

"You've been on duty without a break all month, perhaps you should call for backup?" Elizabeth said as she sat next to Nathan.

Nathan nodded his agreement to the idea.

"You should call Uncle Gabe," Allie said. "He always brings out your fun side."

"It would be nice to see him again," Elizabeth said as she had only met the man once at their wedding. But he had the best Nathan stories.

Nathan just smiled into his cup of water.

The family spent a quieter evening together.

Nathan was sitting up in his bed as Elizabeth was getting ready for bed. Elizabeth positioned next to him so that she could easily cuddle with him. Nathan embraced her immediately.

"I am sorry," Nathan whispered while looking deep into her eyes.

"I know. I know how trying your job is to you on normal days. Christmas festivals bring out the worst people in your job. I know how drained you are," Elizabeth gave him a long look in return. "But I do want you to ask for help. I think you should ask for help from someone in Hope Valley tomorrow, it will take time for Gabe to get here."

Nathan gave her a skeptical look in return.

"Bill and every other person I trust will be just as busy," Nathan pointed out.

"Partner with someone who has to help out with the festival anyway," Elizabeth added. Nathan nodded before turning down the lamp.

The next morning someone in town had an emergency, so Nathan was called at their home before the rest of the house was even awake, and Nathan just grabbed some fruit to eat later. But the fruit wasn't touched, because after he came back from the emergency, the tourists kept him busy with directions and settling small disputes until he was trying to leave on evening rounds.

"So, when is Uncle Gabe coming?" Allie asked.

Nathan froze as he processed that statement.

"I didn't have time to ask," Nathan looked at his wife and daughter with an apologetic shrug.

Both Allie and Elizabeth gave him a look of reprimand.

"Nathan, you need help," Elizabeth reminded him.

"I know," he replied as he finally put his jacket and serge on the hooks by the door. Elizabeth glared at him.

"Call Gabe," she ordered.

"I will," he insisted.

"Now," she ordered.

"Okay, okay," Nathan said as he walked to where they had begrudgingly placed the phone to the home.

Nathan picked up a the phone and waited for the Florence to connect to the Brookfield office, a new placement in the area, and waited for Gabe's voice to come across the line.

"Nathan? What's wrong?" Gabe asked with suspicion as he knew that his best friend would be at home by now.

"Not much, yet. But I have been too busy here recently. I need backup for a few days," Nathan admitted. Nathan could feel Gabe's smirk.

"Is Hope Valley getting too busy for your liking?" Gabe asked.

"Yup," Nathan replied with all his weariness in his tone.

"I will be there as soon as I can," Gabe replied.

"Thanks," Nathan responded.

"But it will take me a few days," Gabe reminded him.

Nathan nodded as he sighed.

"I know."

Gabe ended the conversation and Nathan sighed heavily as he placed the headpiece back on the phone. He rubbed his face in exhaustion before he joined his family again.


The next morning, Nathan was able to eat his breakfast in peace before he started getting ready for work.

"Nathan, can you find me a salami?" Elizabeth asked as she was putting on Jack's shoes and jacket. "Rosemary has a cold and called to see if I could watch Goldi while Lee is at work. So, Jack and I are going to the Coulters today. Allie is baking with the Canfields, and we need to get one before the butcher runs out."

Nathan nodded in agreement to the request.

The salami was part of the party trays that were served at the Christmas Eve play reception, and Nathan knew how important it was to get one at the beginning of the week rather than at the end. Since everyone worked, it was necessary for Nathan to pick up some items before the school day was out.

"Anything else?" Nathan asked.

Elizabeth shook her head as she smiled at him with gratitude. The I love you was obvious.

Nathan nodded before leaving to go into town. The first thing Nathan did was buy the Christmas salami and put it into his office to bring home later. Nathan then went on his rounds.

He helped Lucas with the extra large meat order that Lucas was also carrying back from the butcher.

"How are you doing with the extra people?" Lucas asked as Nathan set down what he was carrying.

"I just have to remind myself that it is just temporary," Nathan responded.

Lucas gave him a long look.

"I also feel like you should not be the only one responsible for problem solving," Lucas stated.

"Elizabeth put you up to this didn't she?" Nathan said as he crossed his arms at Lucas' phrasing.

"I was pretty far down the list, but if it is festival related, send them to me or Gustave," Lucas explained.

Nathan sighed before saying, "sure."

Lucas smiled at Nathan before the two men both went back outside. They stood side by side for a moment, before someone asked Nathan where one of the vendors was. Lucas interrupted before Nathan had a chance to breathe in.

"Welcome to Hope Valley. I can show you your requested vendor. But I would also suggest going to three more vendors just around the one you are looking for," Lucas led the woman with her child to the center of the festivities.

Nathan watched as Lucas winked at him before giving his full attention to the woman. Shaking his head, Nathan stood on the boardwalk where he had a better position to see everything. He stood there. Gave verbal instructions to various spots. Gave his opinion on the best food. Nathan was just about ready to go home, when the butcher was racing out of his shop and headed for all of the food establishments. Nathan got a sinking feeling in his stomach. He knew that something was terribly wrong.

Lucas saw the murmurings of the people as well. He looked at Nathan with a questioning glance. Nathan shrugged. But Nathan and Lucas both went towards Abigail's Cafe. Both men looked around at the people sitting in the cafe.

"NATHAN!" Bill barked from the back of the cafe.

Nathan sighed and immediately went on duty mode, knowing that whatever had Bill agitated wasn't good. Lucas followed him to the back. The butcher was explaining to Bill that one of the cows that had been feeding with the ones that the butcher had slaughtered this week was sick and that any meat that had been around the sick cow was suspect and could cause severe food poisoning.

Nathan was looking at the butcher, observing his demeanor. Nathan could see that the butcher was completely aware of the enormity of the problems this would cause. Bill looked at Nathan.

"We need to put a stop on any meat being fed to anyone else," Nathan began to take notes. "I will need help with having families and businesses return what they haven't eaten and bring anyone who has eaten meat to be on observation for food poisoning."

Bill and Faith both nodded in agreement.

"I will take the south," Bill said.

"I will take the north," Lee volunteered.

"I will take the east," Hickam also volunteered.

"I will take the west," Henry said.

"I will stay in town to keep calm and let the locals in town know," Nathan said.

"I will help you with the town and you can use the saloon for returns," Lucas added.

Nathan nodded his agreement.

The men went off to let people know of the potential food poisoning.

Nathan was kept so busy that he hadn't had time to let Elizabeth and the children know that the meat was potentially contaminated. Allie had seen the business of the street and that her father was in the middle of something, Allie grabbed the salami he had set aside in his office and took it home.

"We're missing one!" the butcher said after everything had been counted. He was checking the numbers of his orders and purchases with everything that had been returned.

"Who did we miss?" Bill barked in offense.

"No one, everyone who is on my list knows," the butcher pointed out.

"How are we missing one, did it get eaten?" Lee asked.

"We are missing a salami," the butcher said.

Bill and Henry looked at the butcher's notes.

"We're missing Nathan's," Henry caught which one hadn't been returned. "Where is Nathan?"

Nathan heard his name being called and looked over.

"Where did you put your salami?" Bill asked.

"In my office," Nathan replied.

Lucas was closer and entered the Mountie office.

"It's not here," Lucas said.

"Has anyone seen another Grant since this started?" Bill asked everyone gathered.

"Allie, I think I saw Allie walk into town," Florence said.

"Did anyone talk to Allie or Elizabeth about the contamination?" Bill asked again.

"We thought Nathan had," everyone else shook their heads.

Nathan blushed.

"I couldn't get away from town. I should have returned it first," Nathan reprimanded himself. "I will ride home and let them know. Pray that they haven't eaten any yet."

Nathan mounted Newton and galloped towards home. He hurriedly dismounted and walked into his home. Allie was playing with Jack, while Elizabeth could be heard vomiting. Nathan immediately became worried.

"How long has she been feeling ill?" Nathan asked Allie as Elizabeth gave a horrible retch into a bucket in their water closet.

"She started when I brought the salami home," Allie explained. Nathan's eyebrows went straight up in horror. Allie noticed her father's terror. She looked at him with a questioning eyebrow raised.

"Why? What's wrong?" Allie asked.

"Has she eaten any of it?" Nathan asked.

"The salami?" Allie asked.

Nathan nodded.

"No, she couldn't even stand the smell of it two rooms over. I put it in the icebox after she ran to the bathroom," Allie explained.

Nathan walked to the icebox, and opened it to find the salami that he had purchased that morning. He grabbed it, and then explained not to eat any of the meats that came from town yet.

"No meat? During Christmas?" Allie asked in horror.

"It could be contaminated. You can get sick," Nathan warned.

Allie nodded while sighing heavily.

Elizabeth finally barely stepped out to greet her husband.

"I can not come near you until that horrendous smell is gone," Elizabeth put her handkerchief to her mouth again.

Nathan air blew a kiss and walked back out to Newton and rode back into town. He handed over the last salami and sighed as he looked out into town.

Later that night, Gabriel showed up and Nathan.

"Let's get a beer while you catch me up," Gabriel said. Nathan nodded his agreement.

Lucas ended up sitting with them as the rest of the tables were full of the returned meats.

Gabriel looked between the two men in confusion. Nathan shrugged as Lucas told him to start.

Nathan then recounted everything that had happened to the town and why Lucas was hosting all the meat in the town.

Gabriel began smirking at Nathan's worried description of Elizabeth. Lucas also smiled knowingly. They grinned even wider when Nathan glared at them.

"Apparently, two single men are more knowledgeable about wives," Nathan glared at them both.

"Not wives, no," Lucas started.

"Women, yes," Gabriel finished.

Nathan crossed his arms at them.

"Do you forget that I have 3 married sisters and I have sat with them through their issues as a wife?" Gabriel reminded him.

"Too many women in my life. My mother's friends all have lots of children and I had to deal with their hormones," Lucas responded.

Nathan looked at Lucas when he said children and pregnant hormones. Lucas gave him a look that suggested he was being willfully dumb at this point.

Gabriel nodded his agreement to Lucas.

Nathan looked at both of them in shock and then when his brain finally caught up to wait his ears had heard, Nathan was beaming as he finally processed what that meant for them.

"How do you feel, Pops?" Lucas asked.

"Additionally blessed. Why hasn't Elizabeth said anything?" Nathan asked.

"She may have wanted to wait to see if the pregnancy sticks," Gabriel explained.

"You need to go home and confirm, but just know that we will raise a toast to the expectant mother and father," Lucas raised his glass in a toasting gesture.

"I also have some presents for the family, that may help your pageant crises," Gabriel said as he gestured to his filled pack. Nathan looked into the pack and found three wrapped salami rolls.

"Well I know how much you and Allie eat it, I figured the third would be for Jack and Elizabeth," Gabriel gave his explanation.

Nathan smiled at his two friends and began to laugh with them. Knowing that Elizabeth had been correct in knowing that what he needed was a few friends to relax with outside the family.

Lucas looked at the change in demeanor in Nathan and began to quote something he read a few times.

"The Grinch's small heart grew three sizes that day. And then – the true meaning of Christmas came through."

The End