AN: Alrighty so here is chapter 3. This one does not end on the happy note the previous chapter did. On another note, Thank you ElizabethB88 for adding the title of the story to one of my photographs so this story has its own cover picture! She also did my cover for Through Another's Eyes which I like as well.

"Jack, it is time to go," Elizabeth called to her son, holding out her hand.

The little boy pouted, but obeyed the command from his mother.

"Thanks for helping me fish, Jack," Nathan told the boy as he walked away.

"You are welcome," Jack commented, with the naivety of a child who didn't know he should be thanking Nathan for including him, as he walked toward Elizabeth.

Both Nathan and Ally called out a good bye to the boy. Almost to Elizabeth, Jack turned back. In doing so, he lost his balance and grabbed for the skirt of his mother's dress, even as Elizabeth reached down for the boy to steady him. As Jack steadied himself, his added weight on the skirt pulled the dress taught, confirming Nathan's suspicions. The baby bump was clear, even if Elizabeth did not have the happy glow of an expectant mother. As no one had mentioned the Bouchard's were expecting, Nathan assumed that they were keeping the news quiet for whatever reason. Respecting that choice, Nathan did not offer his congratulation. He could do that later when the pregnancy became public knowledge.

"Bye, Nathan. Bye Ally," Jack called.

"Jack, you should address adults formally using their last names," Elizabeth admonished softly. "You should address Ally's Dad as Constable Grant."

"I don't use Uncle Lee, Aunt Rosie, Uncle Bill or Aunt Julie's last name," the boy told her logically.

"That is different. You have a special relationship with them," Elizabeth said, grasping at a way to explain the difference to the four-year-old.

"But I just fish with Na- Constable Grant," Jack replied, correcting himself before his mother could admonish him again. "That is a special relationship. No one helped me fish before," Jack countered with his child's logic.

"He makes a good point, Elizabeth," Nathan said softly. He was sure there was an amused smile on his face and he hoped that Elizabeth was not offended by it. While he did not want to interfere with how Elizabeth raised her son, he also liked the informal reference from the boy. "Jack can call me Nathan if he wants."

Jack looked up at his mother. "Please?" the boy requested.

Elizabeth smiled. "As Nathan said it is okay, you may, but you and I are going to have a talk about addressing adults properly."

"Yes, Mama," Jack replied.

With a final wave, Elizabeth lead Jack away toward home. Nathan and Ally were still sitting on the riverbank. Nathan looked to Ally.

"We have enough fish for dinner. Are you ready to call it an afternoon?" Nathan asked his daughter.

Ally nodded in reply.

The two gathered their fishing gear. Pulling the string of fish out of the water, Ally held them away from her to let the water drip off. When they were no longer dripping, she and Nathan head away from the river and down the path that led to their rented home. They had not gone far when Ally spoke.

"Do you think it is true what Opal said people are saying about why Mrs. Bouchard is not teaching any longer? Do you think Mr. Bouchard paid the parents to make the claims they did?"

"I think it is not our place to speculate," Nathan told her, the allegation not being news to him. Bill had mentioned the rumor last summer and had said he had looked into the matter. The judge had not been able to find a money trail but that did not mean the rumor still was not true.

'Yes, sir," Ally replied. She was quiet for only a moment before she spoke again. "There was a time when I would have been happy if Mrs. Bouchard was no longer my teacher, but I think I am going to miss not having her as my teacher tomorrow. I know Opal does."

"Well, just keep an open mind. You may like your new teacher just as much."

"Not from what Opal says," Ally muttered.

"Just treat your teacher with respect, pay attention in class and do your schoolwork. You did okay in Calgary without Elizabeth as your teacher and you will do fine here."

Nathan knew he should use Elizabeth's formal address when talking to his daughter, but while Mrs. Thornton had been easy enough to say, Nathan could not bring himself to use her new name. He was not sure he ever would be able to.

"At least I already have friends when starting school this time," Ally told him. She looked up at him. "Thank you for bringing us back here. I am glad we are settling here but are you really okay with giving up the Mounties? I am getting older now. I can deal with you being away."

Nathan put his arm around her shoulders. "You are getting older, Ally, and soon enough you will be out on your own. I want to make the most of these final years, which means I do not want to be away from you, sometimes for weeks on end. I will be just as happy working with wood as I was with the Mounties. Perhaps even happier."

"Being a Mountie is a heavy burden, isn't it?"

Nathan nodded. "It is, though most people don't realize just how heavy when they first join. The weight gets heavier as time goes on. Recognizing when that weight is getting too heavy is something that can be hard," he told her.

As he thought about it, Nathan wondered if he may have waited too long already. Perhaps Elizabeth had been right that night Opal had gotten hurt because of Ally's prank about the haunted cabin. Perhaps his job had taught him to see the worst in people. Or perhaps that had been his dad who had taught him that. These days, he was not really sure, especially as his father had finally seemed to get his life sorted out. Nathan was thankful for that, for Ally's sake, if for no other reason. However, Nathan knew that both he and his mother had truly forgiven Archie of his past mistakes during those last months in Calgary.

Not only had the job made him suspicious, but it had taken some joy out of life. He was more serious now then he had been when he had first joined. According to Ally, he had become even more serious after the landslide that had taken Jack Thornton's life. The fact that his niece had noticed the change told him a lot but then nightmares had a way of changing people. Being disciplined for making the choice to go after the cattle rustlers on his own would not have bothered him. He had made the choice and he had been prepared to face the consequences. Even losing the honor of the assignment to train new Mounties he had accepted as a just consequence of his choice.

The fact that his replacement on that assignment had lost his life had never sat well with Nathan. Facing the consequences for his choice was one thing. Someone else paying for that choice was something altogether different. Following the landslide on that training mission was when the nightmare that often haunted his sleep had started. In the nightmare, he had seen the group of Mounties and the landslide coming toward them. He had shouted, but no sound had come from his mouth. He had watched helplessly as the landslide had claimed the life of a faceless Mountie.

Since coming to Hope Valley and seeing Jack's picture, that Mountie in his nightmare was no longer faceless. These days, it was Jack Thornton who disappeared in that sea of mud. Even Elizabeth's forgiveness had not chased away that nightmare.

Nathan felt something shake his arm. Looking in that direction he saw Ally looking up at him a distressed look on her face.

"I am sorry. I didn't mean to make you sad with my questions."

Nathan forced a smile. As Ally had let go of his arm, he reached out and put it around her shoulders. "No reason to be sorry, Ally," he told her as he hugged her close. "You can ask me anything, no matter what emotions those questions bring about. Keeping things bottled up inside is not a good way to deal with sad events in life."

"I am proud of what you do as a Mountie, but I know I will still be proud of you after you resign as well," Ally told him.

Nathan placed a kiss on the top of Ally's head. "That is all I really need to be happy," he told her as they walked into the clearing that held their new home.

Reaching the house she shared with Lucas, Elizabeth saw her husband's car was parked out front. Lucas was never home this early in the afternoon. Elizabeth felt a feeling of panic grip her as she realized that she was still wearing the locket with Jack Sr.'s picture in it. Reaching up with the hand not holding her son's hand, Elizabeth tucked the locket underneath her dress. Lucas had not seemed to notice she was pregnant yet. Perhaps he would not notice the locket either.

Elizabeth walked silently up the front steps of the house and inside. She saw no sign of her husband. Perhaps she could get upstairs and stash the locket before Lucas realized she was home.

"Go into the sitting room and play with your Lincoln Logs," Elizabeth instructed her son.

More than happy to go play with his logs, Jack did not question the instruction. Elizabeth watched as Jack hurried into the sitting room. Satisfied that Jack would be all right playing with his logs for a few minutes, Elizabeth headed upstairs.

Reaching the top of the steps, Elizabeth heard noises coming from the room she shared with Lucas. Apparently her husband was in there. If she had to take a guess from the sounds she heard, Elizabeth would say that her husband was packing. She could not recall Lucas telling her about needing to go out of town for anything.

Hoping that whatever Lucas was doing would buy her the time she needed, Elizabeth headed to her son's room. Walking into it, she tried to quickly unfasten the locket. Her shaking hands made the task difficult, but eventually she got it undone. Not bothering to refasten the necklace, she opened one of the dresser drawers and dropped it into it.

"Elizabeth, is that you?"

Elizabeth jumped at her husband's question, his voice getting closer. Elizabeth turned quickly, pushed the drawer shut as she stood in front of it, just as Lucas stepped into the doorway.

"You're home early?" Elizabeth asked, trying to keep her voice steady.

"I need to leave for a business meeting concerning a potential new buyer for Gowen Petroleum. Henry was supposed to handle it but apparently he has a touch of laryngitis."

"Hard to conduct a business meeting with no voice," Elizabeth agreed. "How long will you be gone?"

"Four or five days," Lucas replied even as he eyed his wife suspiciously. "Are you hiding something?"

"Why would you say that? I was just putting away some of Jack's clothes," Elizabeth tried.

Lucas' expression darkened. Striding forward, he pushed Elizabeth aside as he approached the dresser. He forcibly opened up drawers. Elizabeth held her breath, hoping he would miss seeing the locket. As he reached into the drawer, Elizabeth knew that was not to be.

"I thought I threw this away!" Lucas said loudly. He pushed the drawer shut forcibly, the sound making Elizabeth jump.

"You did," Elizabeth admitted, emotion building inside her. She could feel tears building up in her eyes. Was it so wrong to want to hold onto a piece of her late husband? "I couldn't let it go though. I couldn't let Jack go completely."

"Couldn't let Jack go or couldn't let Nathan go?! He is the one that gave you the locket, isn't he?"

"I chose you though, Lucas," Elizabeth said, wishing her husband could see that he didn't have to compete with Jack. Jack had wanted her to find love again. Jack would have been happy for them if he knew that Elizabeth was happy with her choice. These days, Elizabeth had her doubts.

"Did you?" Lucas asked. "I've heard Bill and Lee talking in town. They think you simply came to me because you were running from the uniform. Was that my appeal? The fact that I didn't wear red serge? Or perhaps you simply wanted my money to provide you a nice cushy life?"

Elizabeth's pride bristled at the last accusation. "If I simply wanted a cushy life, I could have gone home to my father."

Lucas stormed past her. He went down the hallway to the room they shared. Trembling, Elizabeth stepped into the hallway herself. She was standing at the top of the steps when Lucas came back out of the room.

"Perhaps you should run home to Daddy!" Lucas told her. "Then you can cling to your dead husband's memory all you want!"

"Lucas, don't leave like this. Let's talk this out before you leave!" Elizabeth pleaded, trying to block his exit.

"I don't have time," Lucas told her as he reached out and pushed her out of his way.

The push was in the direction of the stairs. Feeling her foot slip over the side of the top stair, Elizabeth reached out for the banister. All her hands found was air as Elizabeth felt herself falling. The feeling of nothingness was short lived though, as she felt her shoulder hit a step as she tumbled down the stairs. Each step that she went past sent a jarring sensation through her body until she finally came to a stop against the wall on the landing where the stairs turned, the side of her head making contact with the wall as well.

So many parts of her body hurt that Elizabeth could not say what felt worse. The tears she had been holding in check came out in sods, as the physical and emotional pain became too much. She wasn't sure if anything was broken. Elizabeth wasn't sure she cared. All she was sure of was that she was afraid to move, on the chance that it would make the pain worse.

Even through her tears, she heard footsteps coming down the steps. Though they were unhurried, Elizabeth still thought that her husband would gather her in his arms and ask if she were okay.

That did not happen. The footsteps did pause briefly, and something light and small fell on her hand.

"Let's see how much comfort his memory brings you right now," Lucas told her and then he continued down the steps.

The sound of the front door slamming told Elizabeth that Lucas had left as planned. He was off to who knows where on business, obviously not caring if she was seriously hurt. The sobs picked up in intensity. Elizabeth had never felt so alone as she did right them. Not even when Jack was away in the Northern Territories. Then she at least had Jack's promise that he would come home to her. Even when the Mountie had brought word of Jack's death, Abigail's comforting arms had been around her.

"Mama?"

The fearful sound of her son's voice broke through her tears. Elizabeth struggled to sit up, her fears being realized as the movement hurt. She saw Jack standing at the bottom of the short flight of stairs.

"Mama, will be all right, Jack," Elizabeth managed to get out, hoping to comfort her son even if she did not believe it herself.

"I'll get help," Jack told her.

The little boy moved away. Elizabeth worried at first he would leave the house but Jack did not head for the front door. Instead, he walked back toward the sitting room. From out of sight, the sound of her son's voice floated back to her.

"Hello. I need Aunt Rosie."

Elizabeth's heart both swelled with pride and hurt knowing her little boy was scared as she realized he was using the phone to try to get help for her.