AN: Okay so for my Lillain/Sam fans who have found this story, this chapter has a section I think you will enjoy. While some of the background of how I got to this point with them might not be what you would have done, I still need to be true to how I precieved season 1. I hope you will forgive me that. Not sure where the last section of this chapter came from, but once I wrote it it had to stay. Enjoy!


As they approached the infirmary again, Faith found herself not wanting the night to end. Her evening with Gabriel had been relaxing and enjoyable. Though their conversation had gone deeper than any other first date she had ever had, it had not felt awkward. Instead, it seemed like proof that they could talk about anything with one another. To Faith, that felt like it was good solid ground to start a relationship on.

Reaching the door, Gabriel brought them to a stop.

"I had an enjoyable evening with you, Faith," Gabriel said, turning to face her as he reached for both of her hands.

"Me too," Faith whispered back. She could feel her heart pounding in her chest and with the otherwise quiet of the night, the blonde wondered if Gabriel could hear it.

"I am already looking forward to tomorrow evening. I will take any reason to spend time with you."

"I would prefer if it doesn't involve a visit to the infirmary due to an injury," Faith said lightly.

"So, noted."

The little town around them seemed to melt away. For Faith, the only thing she saw was the hazel eyes before her, the lantern Gabriel carried casting them both in a pool of light. Faith found herself wondering if Gabriel would kiss her or not. Despite the fact that it was only their first date, Faith found herself hoping that he would. She really didn't care about what people would think about them kissing on the first date. It wasn't like they were both kids anymore.

As Gabriel leaned in closer, Faith's breath caught. Was he really going to kiss her? Instead of pressing his lips against hers though, he titled his head to the side and pressed a chaste kiss to her cheek. The brief touch of his lips sent tingles across her cheek.

"I don't want to ruin things by moving too fast," Gabriel whispered softly, in her ear. "Some things are definitely worth waiting for."

The words touched her heart. They told Faith that Gabriel felt the same way she did. That he wanted to find out what her lips tasted like as much as she wanted to know how his lips would feel against hers. What she didn't quite agree on was that kissing tonight would ruin things, but protesting would ruin the night for sure.

"Don't make me wait too long," Faith said. Her voice was so low she wasn't even sure if she had spoken the words out loud herself until Gabriel made his own reply.

"I won't," he promised, before gently squeezing her hands and letting go. Gabriel took a step back and nodded to the infirmary door.

The silent motion reminded Faith that they were standing outside of her home and that Gabriel wouldn't head to his apartment behind the Mounted Police office until she was safely inside.

"Good night," Faith told him, slipping a hand into the pocket of her dress to remove the key to the infirmary. Turning, she stepped to the door and unlocked it. Pushing it open, she cast a final look over her shoulder at Gabriel before stepping inside.

Gabriel raised a hand and nodded to her, a smile of his own on his face. "Good night," he told her.

Though she didn't want the evening to end, Faith made herself step into the building. Not wanting to see the door close on Gabriel, she closed the door behind her. Quickly locking it, sure that Gabriel would be waiting for that soft sound before walking away, she stepped over to the window. Pushing aside the curtain, she watched Gabriel walking away. As if he sensed her looking, Gabriel glanced over his shoulder. He then paused, turned halfway back in the direction of the infirmary and blew her a kiss, before continuing on his way home.

Faith smiled as she put a hand to the cheek that Gabriel had kissed. It had been a lovely evening, and she had a feeling she knew what she would be dreaming about tonight.


Looking up at the night sky, Lillian figured this was her favorite time of the day - these quiet hours between getting the children in bed and going to sleep herself. Yes, sometimes she was kept busy with tasks that she had not been able to get through during the day. Other times, like tonight, she was able to spend some of this time just sitting on the porch reflecting or enjoying someone's company. Lately, that company tended to be Sam's. The warmth of his hand in hers as they sat on the porch tonight let her know that he was with her. She liked that the relationship they shared allowed for that to be enough - that neither of them felt compelled to fill these moments with needless words.

Not that she didn't enjoy talking with Sam and learning about him, but sometimes a hand to hold was all a moment required.

"I don't see the light from their lantern any longer," Sam finally said, breaking the silence. "It is probably time that I head into town myself."

Lillian smiled. Sam had been about to leave when they had spotted the lantern light coming from town. As whoever was carrying it had been moving at a leisurely pace, its appearance had not alarmed Lillian. As it got closer, she and Sam had made out the forms of Gabriel and Faith out for an evening walk. Not wanting to disrupt what was clearly part of their date, Sam had sat back down.

"Don't want them to think I am spying on them," Sam had told her softly. "No way Gabriel won't notice if I walk behind them into town."

Lillian had softly chuckled at the comment though internally she had acknowledged the truth to it. Even now, the words brought a smile to her face. Sam had a kind heart. It was one of the many things she adored about him. Lillian truly believed that she had not only found a man with the heart to embrace her orphans, but an occupation that fit as well. After all, she had not doubt that Gabriel would have cared for not only her but the orphans in her care. Even now, he spent time with the boys teaching them things that she and Grace were not able to but when he could find them in bloom, Gabriel would give the girls small bouquet of wildflowers. He had even been known to have penny candy for all the children when he stopped by on rounds. Lillian knew how wonderful it was for these children to be truly seen by another adult. The fact that Gabriel represented the law of their country gave Lillian the confidence that should the need ever arise in the future that these children would see the Mounties as friends and not someone to avoid.

But there was no guarantee that Gabriel would not get a posting elsewhere. She had not wanted to choose between Gabriel and the children, though she knew who would have won out. Nor would she want him to choose between her and her job. What they wanted from life just did not align, whereas Sam had already had several opportunities to leave Brookfield. Yet, even with a future with her uncertain, he had chosen to stay. Oh, perhaps he would disappear on small excursions when the itch for the adventure of searching for gold called to him, but in the end, Lillian had no doubt he would always choose to come back here to Brookfield.

Besides, she had cared for Sam. There had been no denying the physical attraction that she had felt the first time she had seen him clean shaven. He had shown his caring nature while fixing the roof. Yes he had been doing a job, but he had also taken time to acknowledge the children. If there hadn't already been an attraction to Gabriel in the works, perhaps she could have returned his feelings from the beginning. As it was, since she had made her choice, Lillian had felt her feelings for Sam getting stronger. If asked, she knew she could honestly say she was in love with Sam these days. As of late, she may have even been picturing what life would look like with Sam living here with her and staying at her side instead of saying good night at the end of the day.

"I suppose so," Lillian said reluctantly. She did not want Sam to leave, but she knew if he didn't people would talk. As the orphanage was finally being accepted by the folks of Brookfield, the last thing she wanted to do was give them reason to talk again. Not to mention, they were still on thin ice with the man from the children's society. She was sure that inappropriate behavior with a man on her part would be viewed as an infraction.

Sam let go of her hand and got to his feet, she did likewise. As she turned to face him, Sam reached out and placed his hands lightly on the small of her back, "holding her" though there was still room between them. She placed her hands on his upper arms, feeling the strength of them through the fabric of his shirt.

"Now that Grace has had a little time to settle in, do you think she would be willing to give the kids supper alone tomorrow night so I could take you to supper at the Royal Brookfield?" Sam inquired.

Before Lillian could form a word, another voice piped in.

"I would be happy to," Grace said excitedly, gaining both Sam and Lillian's attention as they looked to the front door to the house. "Sorry," she told them. "Christian and Vincent wanted Lillian to come read to them instead of me, so I was just coming out to ask for them," she explained.

Lillian chuckled. She couldn't be mad. Living in a house with so many people meant that interruptions would happen. It was best to get use to and accept that right at the beginning. Looking away from Grace, she found Sam's blue eyes. "I would love to have supper with you," she told him sincerely.

"Shall I pick you up at five-thirty then?" Sam asked.

"I'll be looking forward to it," Lillian said. "Though I do hope that I will see you before then."

Sam smiled. "You will. I have that wasp nest to take care of at the end of the porch still. Hopefully, the soap and water I sprayed the nest with earlier will have killed the wasps inside and it will go smoothly."

"You will be careful, won't you?" Lillian asked.

"I promise," Sam told her, leaning in toward her.

Grace cleared her throat. "Can I tell the boys you will be in shortly, Lillian?" her sister asked.

"Yes," Lillian replied, amusement in her voice.

"Goodnight, Sam," Grace called before going back inside without waiting for an answer.

If Grace, or Eleanor, were still watching through a window, neither Sam nor Lillian cared. They knew both women were happy for them and not begrudge them a little show of affection toward each other. With his hands still on the small of her back, Lillian was aware of Sam moving his head toward hers again. She didn't bother waiting passively for his lips to find hers, instead leaning in toward him as well.

This wasn't their first kiss, but with the sensations that Sam's lips against hers created, it might as well be.

Yes, Lillian thought, I believe I have found the one I was meant to be with.

Neither rushed the moment but when they finally did pull back from one another, Sam brushed his fingertips along Lillian's temple as he huskily bid her goodnight. As she repeated the words to him, Sam slipped down the porch steps and headed toward town. Standing on the porch, Lillian stood watching as the night enveloped him.


Having found a recipe for a chicken noddle casserole that Gabriel thought would be a fairly easy one for Faith to attempt, Gabriel made a list of things he needed for it after a quick breakfast. With the list in the breast pocket of his Serge, he left through the door connecting to the office. He locked the door behind him before heading to the front door of the office. Unlocking it, he stepped onto the boardwalk.

Brookfield was just starting to come to life. The only real activity at any of the businesses was the coming and goings at the hotel across the street. Down the road, Gabriel could barely make out the form of Pearl as she swept dust from the boardwalk in front of her bakery. A door opening next to him, drew his attention and he gave a good morning to Ruth as she unlocked the door to the telegraph and post office as he started toward the general store.

As he approached the store, his eyes naturally drifted across the street to the infirmary. Even though he had been hoping for a glimpse of Faith, his heart skipped a beat as he saw her in the window on the door, flipping the sign there. He stopped walking as he watched her, though she didn't seem to notice him. However, the glimpse of her brought a smile to his face even as she turned and moved away from the door.

"Well, at least you've learned to stop when observing the pretty doctor."

Joe's comment, the amusement clear in his voice, drew Gabriel's attention away from the infirmary. The store owner was standing next to an outdoor table that he had placed a tray of produce for sale on. A huge grin was further indication of the man's amusement.

"Why do I get the feeling you would have let me walk into something if I hadn't stopped?" Gabriel asked his grinning friend.

Joe shrugged his shoulders not looking at all contrite. "A broken nose would be a reason to go see her," he teased.

"Faith told me last night to not get hurt just so I have more reason to see her," Gabriel countered.

"Good woman," Joe commented. "Can I help you with something?"

"Yes, I have a few things I needed for a recipe I thought would be good for a cooking lesson for Faith tonight," Gabriel said, walking toward Joe even as he reached into his pocket for the list.

"The man teaching the woman to cook," Joe commented as he preceded Gabriel into his store. "That is a switch and a cooking lesson is a good reason to get a quick second date."

"After last night, I want to spend as much time as possible with Faith," Gabriel admitted not bothering trying to counter Joe's teasing as he usually did.

Joe chuckled. "I felt like that with Lissette," he admitted, his voice going soft. "Bought her a ring two months later - though I have to admit, it took me a few more months to actually get the courage up to ask her."

Having reached the counter, he turned to face Gabriel as he finished speaking. Joe didn't miss the flush that had come to the Mountie's cheeks. He grinned bigger in response to the observation.

"We've had one date, Joe. It's a little early to start thinking about a ring isn't it?"

"Not if she's the right one," Joe countered, reaching out to clap a hand on his friend's shoulder. "And when you get to that point, I still have Lissette's ring if you would like to have it. Before, I could never even entertain the idea of letting it go. Now that Maggie and I have gone on a few dates, I realize that while it is still special to me, it would have no place in a current relationship. At my age, there is little chance of having a kid to pass it down to even if a relationship ever went that far."

"If fatherhood is something you want, I wouldn't give up on the idea altogether. You've finally opened your heart up to possibility again. Who knows what could happen," Gabriel said in encouragement to his friend.

"Perhaps."

"Besides, there are plenty of orphans out there that would be lucky to have you for a dad if the opportunity arose."

"Now, don't rush me," Joe countered.

"You started it," Gabriel replied.

Joe chuckled. "Touche," he said. "Seriously though, if your thoughts start going in that direction, and Lisette's ring is something you want to consider, I would be happy to pass it along to you. I have never had a better friend than you, Gabriel, and it would be nice to know that it was bringing happiness to another couple."

"Thank you," Gabriel said, a part of him telling him that he would probably be asking to see the ring sooner rather than later.

"So, what is it you need for tonight?" Joe asked, getting the conversation back to the reason that had brought Gabriel to his store in the first place.

Gabriel handed the list over to Joe, knowing the store owner could find the things quicker than he did and there were still rounds to do.