Nathan was in the Mountie office looking at the paperwork that needed to be done. Maybe he could take it home with him since Allie was at a sleepover. He could stop by and pick it up after going back over to the cafe. He could hear everyone still over there when he walked into the Mountie office. Nathan usually didn't like crowds but if it meant spending more time with Elizabeth he thought he could do it.

He was sitting at his desk trying to sort through which papers needed to be done first when Elizabeth walked in the doorway. She didn't say anything, she didn't knock, but Nathan could sense that she was there. He looked up and he could tell something was wrong by the look in her eyes.

"What is it, what's wrong?"

"It's Lucas. I saw him earlier getting into his car. He had a gun and he sped out of town. I went to the mercantile and Fiona said he made a short call to Cape Fullerton before he left. All he said on the call was 'It's time.' and he hung up." '

Nathan stood up, putting the papers into the desk. "Elizabeth, I need you to go back to the cafe. Can you ask Bill to come over here? I need to change into my uniform and Bill and I need to figure out what is going on."

"Is everything ok?"

"I won't lie to you Elizabeth. I'm not sure. I hope so."

Elizabeth walked over to Nathan, putting her hands on his arms, "Be safe." Elizabeth turned and walked out of the office to go get Bill. Nathan stared at the door for a minute before walking into the back room to change.

Elizabeth walked into the street, looking around. She heard a crash in the alley next to the saloon. She looked over to the cafe and then looked back to the direction the noise came from. She told herself she would just take a look and then go get Bill. She walked up to the boardwalk and peeked around the corner. As soon as she did, a hand covered her mouth and another arm went around her waist. She started to squirm and tried to yell. "Quiet, or I go into the cafe next." Elizabeth immediately stopped to struggle, her eyes going wide.

–––––––––

Nathan finished putting on his Mountie uniform and went back into the office. Bill still wasn't there. He knew it wouldn't take Elizabeth that long to walk over to the cafe and get Bill. She would have told him about Lucas and the call. Bill would have known that time was of the essence, so why wasn't he here. Nathan grabbed his hat off the hook and walked towards the cafe.

He opened the door to the cafe and the conversations stopped and people turned to look at him

"Eliza…. Oh Nathan, sorry we thought you were Elizabeth," Rosemary said.

"What do you mean, she's not here?" Nathan asked.

"No, she went outside to get some air but she's been gone for a while now. Jack was asleep so we were just waiting for her to get back to see if she wanted to go home."

Nathan wondered where she could have went. She knew what was going on and how important it was that he talked to Bill. Where would she have gone? Or worse, what if she was in danger. Nathan tried to calm himself to not alarm Rosemary or Julie. "I'm sure she is fine, but I will go out and look for her. Why don't the two of you go home and I will tell her where you are? Do you know where Bill is?"

Rosemary looked at Nathan but then said, "I think we will do that. I will go to Elizabeth's too just until she gets there. Bill is in the kitchen." Nathan tipped his hat and walked to the kitchen.

"Bill…" Nathan said. Bill looked up from the coffee he was pouring. He hadn't worked with Nathan long but he knew that tone. It was a Mountie thing, he guessed.

"Clara, can you take over with the coffee? I forgot I was going to help Nathan with something. I will be back later to help clean up."

"Sure Bill."

Bill nodded to the side door and Nathan followed after him. The two of them walked in silence until they got to the Mountie office and shut the door. "Ok Nathan, what is going on?"

"We have a problem. Lucas left town earlier in his car headed towards Cape Fullerton I believe. Elizabeth saw him heading out of town. She went to the mercantile to ask Fiona if he got any calls and he called Cape Fullerton before he left and told someone 'It's time' before hanging up. Elizabeth came to tell me before I asked her to go back to the cafe to get you."

"I haven't seen Elizabeth since the christening Nathan."

"That's the problem. Elizabeth never made it over to the cafe after she left this office. She knew what was going on. I don't think she would have gone somewhere without telling me or you. What if something happened to her?"

"Have you seen anything strange going on in town?"

"Other than the saloon being closed? No. Wait, the saloon."

"What about the saloon?" Bill asked.

"What if he is here? Amos Dixon. If he was looking for Lucas he would have gone to the saloon."

"What does that have to do with Elizabeth though?"

"I'm not sure, but at this point I can't think of anywhere else she could be. Can you? We need to find her Bill." Nathan said, pain obvious in his voice and in his eyes. "I will go up the back stairs of the saloon so I can come in from the upper floor. If you can walk around the front and see if you can find anyone outside or look in the windows, that would help. Try to stay out of sight if you can or you hear me call."

"Ok, I wish we had more backup."

"I am going to call Gabe now before we head over there. It would take him hours to get here but it's better than nothing."

––––––––––

Elizabeth sat in the back storage room of the saloon, tied to a chair. A man stood outside the door. She was in complete darkness so she couldn't see if there was anything she could use to cut herself free. She was also afraid to make too much noise based on the threats these men had made earlier. What did they want with her? Did this have something to do with her family? Not many people knew who her parents were, but since Julie was in town people could have made the connection to the Thatchers in Hamilton.

She tried to be as quiet as possible so she could hear them talking if they got closer to where she was being held. Elizabeth knew that Nathan would come looking for her. If Bill didn't come to the Mountie office, Nathan would go to the cafe and he would see she wasn't there. She hoped he would notice anyway. Elizabeth knew she would notice if he wasn't around.

Elizabeth heard the voices get louder.

"Are you sure this woman has a connection to Bouchard?"

"Of course I am, I saw them walking out of the building in town together. They were alone in there. If they didn't have a relationship, why would they be in there?"

Elizabeth closed her eyes. This had to do with Lucas Bouchard? How could they think that she had a connection with that man. Everyone knew he had a secret past. Elizabeth could not have an interest in him, not when there was a man with the bluest eyes who consumed her every thought recently.

'Please Nathan, please find me,' Elizabeth thought to herself.

–––––––––––

Nathan walked up the steps slowly but with urgency. He didn't want to rush and risk making too much noise, alerting anyone inside to his presence. Since Lucas had run out of town, he didn't think there should be anyone inside. He could hear voices as he got closer to the door. He couldn't hear what they were saying but there were definitely multiple voices on the lower floor. Nathan opened the door to the balcony and shut the door behind him.

He walked against the wall, trying to peek down at the floor. He saw two men standing at the door looking out. Nathan hoped that Bill was staying hidden or that he would come up with a good excuse for being out there if these men saw him. He heard a couple others near the base of the steps but he couldn't see them. He heard the word 'Bouchard' from one of them. Nathan knew that these were the criminals he had been worried about- Amos Dixon and his gang.

Nathan wished there was a way to alert Bill but he was too far into the room at this point. He held his gun out in front of him, hoping he wouldn't have to use it. Nathan was thinking how he was going to get downstairs without everyone seeing him. Just then, there was a knock on the saloon door.

KNOCK KNOCK

The men at the door looked at each other and then looked towards the men standing by the stairs. There was another knock.

KNOCK KNOCK

"Open it, you fools!" Nathan heard from a voice near the stairs. One of the men near the door opened it a crack.

Nathan could hear Bill's voice and he tried not to laugh, "Hey! Why is the saloon closed?" Bill said, trying to act as if his words were slurred. "Buddy, I really need a drink. C'mon you can let me in."

The men near the stairs started to walk near the door. Bill was trying to push his way in gently as he continued his drunk act. Nathan took this opportunity to creep down the stairs. He crouched down and stayed against the wall. He hoped he would still be hidden if someone turned around. He made it to the bottom of the stairs without anyone turning around.

"By order of the Royal Northwest Mounted Police, you are all under arrest," Nathan yelled out holding his gun pointed at the man he recognized as Amos Dixon. Bill took that moment to throw the door open, knocking the one man to the ground. He held out his gun as well, pointing it to the man by the door. Amos put his hands up and told the others to put their guns down.

Elizabeth had heard the commotion from the closet and she heard Nathan's voice as he arrested the men. She began to cry as she realized she was safe. Then Elizabeth realized he wouldn't know where she was so she began to yell his name, "Nathan!"

Nathan turned looking at the doors under the steps, he swore he heard a voice. When he heard it a second time, he knew someone was yelling his name. 'Elizabeth,' he thought. "Bill, help me tie these men up." Nathan went over to the bar and found some rope and tied the men to the chairs in the saloon. "Can you watch them for a minute?"

"I got it."

Nathan ran over to where he heard the voice and opened the door. The light shined into the small room and he saw Elizabeth sitting in the chair with tears on her face. Nathan knelt in front of her, "Oh Elizabeth, are you ok?" She nodded overwhelmed by everything she was feeling in that moment. Nathan reached up both of his hands, rubbing the tears from her face. She looked in his eyes then, seeing the pain on his face for the first time. Both of them understood the danger she had been in and the relief that it was over. Nathan untied her quickly and he stood. Elizabeth immediately went into his arms, tucking her head against his chest. He put his arms around her for a minute. He breathed in her scent. He pulled back after a minute saying, "let's get you out of here."

Nathan walked out with Elizabeth on his arm. When he walked out, Lee and Henry were in the saloon with Bill watching the prisoners, all with guns on them. Nathan nodded at Bill, walking Elizabeth to the door. There was a crowd outside the saloon, with most everyone who was in the cafe out on the street with other people from the town as well. Rosemary was there waiting for Elizabeth.

"Oh Elizabeth! Are you ok?" Rosemary asked.

"I think she is in shock, can you make sure she gets home Rosemary? I have some things I need to finish up here."

"Yes I can do that. Julie is back at her house with Jack."

"Elizabeth, I will check on you tomorrow, ok?" Nathan said.

Elizabeth nodded, still not speaking since Nathan had found her. She released Nathan's arm and Rosemary put her arm around her. Rosemary smiled at Nathan and walked Elizabeth outside of the crowd. Nathan watched as they walked towards the row houses. Nathan said a prayer that Elizabeth would find comfort and peace tonight. He was sure she had been through something tonight, but he was hoping she could get some sleep.