Chapter 185- A Mountie's Honor

As much as they both disliked it, because of Nathan's award he and Charlotte were pulled in different directions all night following his speech. Sucked into separate whirlwinds of gratitude, memories, photographs, and dirty diapers.

Charlotte and Nathan continuously stole glances across the crowded room, trying to make their way to one another, before being snatched away into a new group of people.

It was exhausting.

Later in the night, as Liam began to fuss, Charlotte pulled him off to the side of the room that seemed a little quieter. Away from the band playing music and the ruckus of the dance floor where Allie, Abigail, and the others seemed to be having a wonderful time. As Charlotte stood by the window and admired the view of the lake, she swayed slowly to the music and soon Liam was fast asleep on her shoulder.

"Mrs. Grant?"

A soft voice behind Charlotte made her turn around.

"Yes," Charlotte answered, not recognizing the petite woman who now stood in front of her. "I'm Charlotte Grant."

"Nathan Grant's wife?"

"Yes. I'm Nathan's wife." Charlotte studied the woman. Noting the look in her eyes and the way her hands twisted together in front of her. This woman was nervous. But why? Charlotte tried to think of a way to reassure the other woman and when she caught her looking at Liam, Charlotte had her answer. "And this here…" Charlotte turned slightly so her son's face, sleeping peacefully on her chest, was visible. "Is our son, Liam."

Charlotte's plan seemed to work as the woman softened, reaching a hand forward to brush over Liam's soft hair. "He's a beautiful boy."

"I'm sorry," Charlotte said. "I seemed to have missed your name."

"Oh, I'm…" The woman swallowed. "I'm Isabelle Novak." She paused again. "Constable Martin Novak's wife."

"Mrs. Novak!" Charlotte's hand touched the woman's arm. "It is so wonderful to meet you and put a face with a name." Her eyes darted around the room, searching once more for her husband. "Does Nathan know you're here? He…"

"No. No." Isabelle dismissed with a wave of her hand. "I'm certain he does not. I had no idea Sergeant Grant would be here tonight when I received my invitation. We've never met before."

"All the more reason to make the connection now. I know he's thought of you and your children often and wondered how you were after…" Charlotte saw Isabelle's eyes drop to the floor at the memory. She squeezed Isabelle's arm in gentle reassurance. "You've been in our family's prayers for many years."

Isabelle was silent, but with Charlotte's words she seemed to overcome some of the emotions she was feeling. Straightening and wiping the back of her hand across her cheek to catch a few tears that trailed there.

Charlotte glanced up to see Nathan coming towards her, kindly dismissing the few Mounties that tried to garner his attention as he walked by. He seemed to sense that his wife needed him, and he was tired of letting anything or anyone stop him from spending the rest of the evening by her side.

"Hi," he said with a smile. Dipping low to see that Liam was asleep in her arms. "Tuckered him out, eh?"

"Yes, seems all he needed was a quiet little dance with his mom," Charlotte answered, before turning her attention back to the woman beside them. "Nathan, I'd like you to meet my new acquaintance. This is Isabelle Novak."

Charlotte watched the realization play across Nathan's face. He stood beside her. Seemingly unsure of what to say.

Isabelle broke the silence first, extending her hand in greeting. "Hello, Sergeant Grant. It is good to finally meet you."

"Yes." Nathan shook her hand in return. "Yes. It's good."

"After your moving speech earlier, I wanted to come and find you. But because you always seemed to be drawn in other directions tonight, I thought I'd at least come and visit with Mrs. Grant before I retire for the evening."

"Please call me, Charlotte," she insisted.

Isabelle nodded in acceptance and then turned her attention back to Nathan. "I just wanted to say thank you personally. For the very kind letter you sent after Martin's death."

Nathan felt Charlotte's eyes upon him. She hadn't known about the letter. "It was nothing."

"It was far from nothing," Isabelle said. "Between that letter and the monthly payments…"

"I'm not sure what you're talking about." Nathan tried to cut Isabelle off from explaining further. Heat rising to his cheeks at the admiration and gratitude the woman was bestowing upon him.

Isabelle turned to Charlotte, believing another woman would be able to see that what Nathan Grant had done for her, was not nothing, and far from what was required to personally sacrifice for a fallen comrade. "Charlotte, your husband is far too humble for his own good. Every month since Martin's death, our family would receive money in various amounts through the mail. I'm assuming it was whatever extra pay Sergeant Grant could afford to part with."

"It was supposed to be anonymous." Nathan said under his breath.

"A woman has her ways." Isabelle gave him a kind smile. "Anyway, I wanted to thank you for that. You realized that Martin's pension would only go so far raising our four children and your money helped make up the difference month to month."

Charlotte's hand slipped into Nathan's, squeezing it when words between them were not possible.

"The other reason…" Isabelle continued. "I wanted to talk, is to let you know I will no longer be needing your assistance. I found a job sewing at a local dress shop that pays well and I've also opened my heart again to love." She lifted her left hand to reveal a beautiful engagement ring on her finger. "Constable Ben Graham asked me to marry him a few months ago. I never thought it'd be possible to feel this way again, especially towards another Mountie, knowing the risks that are involved. But… One day it just happened. I like to think Martin sent Ben to show that the children and I could be happy again."

Nathan nodded, still at a loss for words. "Thank you for taking the time to tell me. I always felt guilty for what happened to Martin, wondering if only I…"

"If onlys- only cause hurt, Sergeant Grant." It was now Isabelle's turn to comfort another. "You and I can't change the past. But it is as you said in your first letter. We can't bring back the men that we've lost, but we can continue to honor them, by living our lives in a way they would be proud of. Martin was proud to serve in the Mounties and beside you. I want you to know from the bottom of my heart, I've never blamed you for his death."

"Thank you." Nathan croaked.

"Now, if you'll excuse me, I believe my fiancé promised me a dance."

Nathan was pulled into another group of Mounties soon after speaking with Isabelle Novak. Charlotte knew that the conversation with Constable Novak's widow impacted her husband, and she was anxious to talk to him about it, and make sure he was okay.

Abigail and Allie stopped by, calling it a night. They offered to take Liam, who was still fast asleep, upstairs with them, while Charlotte and Nathan continued to celebrate.

Bill still floated around to different groups of colleagues. His eyes found Charlotte's when they both witnessed Nathan leave the party and slip outside onto the terrace. Charlotte signaled to him that she would follow her husband, slipping out the side door to the ballroom only a minute or two after Nathan.

"How'd I know you'd be the one to find me," Nathan said without turning around. Sensing it was his wife coming to check up on him.

Charlotte could tell he was trying to make his voice sound light and jovial, but she could hear the slight quiver just below the surface. She chose to match his approach. "I'm married to the best tracker in the territory, it was only a matter of time before I picked up a few tricks of the trade."

Nathan chuckled and turned to face her. "Charlotte," he said. "You're always worrying about making sure the kids and I have enough clothes on before going outside in winter and here you are without a coat."

Charlotte shrugged. "It's barely below freezing and not even the slightest of breezes. I'll be fine."

"No." He made quick work of unbuttoning his dress serge "It's not fine. You'll catch your death out here."

"Don't you know, moms never get sick," Charlotte joked, but turned to accept Nathan's jacket that he held open for her.

"I'm not taking my chances." Nathan guided the tunic into place over Charlotte's shoulders. When she turned again to face him, he began rubbing her arms in a slow up and down fashion through the heavy fabric.

"Yeah, this feels better," she admitted. "But are you sure you're okay without it?"

"I'll be fine for a little while. I just needed to get some air. My head is spinning from all the events of tonight."

"Anything I can help with?"

Nathan's eyes softened. "You being here with me, is more than enough." He pulled her in close and Charlotte settled her head on his chest. His cheek resting on the top of her head.

After a few moments, Charlotte spoke. "Why didn't you ever tell me about your letter to Mrs. Novak? Or the money? I hope you didn't think it was because I wouldn't approve."

Nathan took a deep breath and let it out slowly. The action caused the little hairs that framed her face to dance about. "It was nothing like that. I started sending the payments over a year before we met. By the time you came into my life, the portion I would take out of my pay to send to Novak's family was second nature. Just something I did without thinking really, which is probably why I never brought it up."

"Are you sorry that Mrs. Novak revealed your secret to me?"

"Heavens, no!" He pulled away from Charlotte and looked into her eyes. "It really wasn't a secret. I just… I don't know, I didn't feel a need to tell anyone and make it look like I needed a pat on the back for doing what was right by a fallen brother's family. It's a Mountie's honor to be there and step in to care for their loved ones if something should happen."

Charlotte's heart tightened at her husband's admission. Nathan had many wonderful qualities, but his integrity and morals ranked high on the list. It was what first brought him to Hope Valley, and then a couple years later, it was what spurred him to send money to another Mountie's widow and children. Neither of which he'd done to be raised onto a pedestal, earn accolades, or even receive a simple 'thank you'. Nathan Grant took to heart the verse from Matthew 'But when you give to the needy, do not let your left hand know what your right hand is doing, so that your giving may be in secret. Then your Father, who sees what is done in secret, will reward you.'

"I sent the first letter to Mrs. Novak a few months after the shooting. I worked on it in the days following the accident, but never sent it until around Christmas that year. I knew it would be hard for Isabelle to make the holidays feel special without her husband and the father of her children so I sent a little money along in the hopes it would make a difference for them."

"I'm sure it did and in more ways than one. Financially and, maybe more so, the knowledge that someone out there cared about them."

"That Christmas, I knew Isabelle wouldn't have received Novak's pension from the Mounties yet. Bureaucracy and paperwork within the Force at its finest. Did you know I was the one to deliver Elizabeth's payment of Jack Thronton's pension? It was nearly a year after he was killed. A year, Charlotte!"

"Maybe that's something they can change?" Charlotte questioned, taking a step or two backwards so she could read Nathan's face better. "Especially if their Victoria Cross honored Mountie requested it."

"Maybe." Nathan reached forward to brush his hand over the medal that Charlotte now wore pinned to his serge. "I always wonder whether I could have done better. Especially for Novak's children. I know what it's like to grow up without a father. It's not easy."

"Oh, Nathan." Charlotte's hand came to cup the side of his face, her thumb brushing away an escaped tear that trailed across his cheek. "I know it is hard some days to look at the troubles of this world and wonder what can we do? We are just one person, but do you know what? To one person, you could mean the world. Like what your kindness has done for Mrs. Novak. And me." She kissed him gently. "Your love is not small, nor is it insignificant. It's a gift, and one that I will treasure all the days of my life."

The music playing from inside changed, to a slow song. Nathan smiled down at Charlotte as the opening notes to 'Waltzing Matilda', their wedding song, began.

"I may have made a request earlier," he said, a charming grin spreading across his face. Nathan held out his hand. "I did promise to save you the last dance. Shall we?"

She took his hand and easily went into his arms when he gave a gentle tug around her waist. "Thought you'd never ask, Sarge."

As they began to sway and let the music direct their steps, the heavens seemed to open and dainty snowflakes began to cascade down around them. Pure and perfect.

"Nathan," Charlotte whispered as they continued to dance around in circles. "An idea came to me earlier this evening, and now after meeting Mrs. Novak, I really do think it's more important than ever."

"What's that?"

"I think you and I should start a summer camp of sorts."

Nathan drew back slightly so he could look in Charlotte's eyes. "A summer camp?"

"Yes," Charlotte said. "A camp for maybe a week or two in the summer, right in Hope Valley. One that is for children of fallen Mounties. A place where they can come and just be kids and not have to worry about anything else."

Nathan's mind swam with the concept and all the possibilities. He and other volunteers of the Force could take the children on backpacking trips and fishing. Teach them to cook their catch on an open fire and other skills of survival in the wilderness. Maybe he could even show them how to canoe.

"Do you really think that kids would want that?" Nathan asked. "It wouldn't be just a reminder of a father they lost?"

Charlotte pondered the question a moment before answering. "It may be hard for some, but I think it also could be therapeutic. Being surrounded by other children who would have gone through the same loss. I think it gives an opportunity for healing. And hope. And what better place to find that than Hope Valley?"

If any of you are happy that I brought 'So This Is Love' back for a 12th and now 13th season- you probably have this chapter to thank.

It's a storyline for Nathan I've been imagining for years, and it was one of the main factors pushing me to write these last two seasons. I always thought it would be in Nathan's character to somehow find a way to care for Novak's widow and children after the Mountie's death during the prisoner transport in S7. This was my way of bringing that idea to life.