**No life or death situations this time, at least not of the medical kind. :D**
"I guess this means no picnic today, huh, Dad?" Allie asked once they'd gotten home.
"Probably not one outdoors, kiddo, I am sorry." her dad said with a frown. "For now, you just stay on the couch and rest."
"Dad," Allie began, using the tone of voice that Nathan knew all too well. "I am not going to just sit here all day and do nothing. By the way, where are Jack and Mrs. Thornton? I thought they were at the infirmary with us, but maybe that was part of my dream too."
"Mrs. Thornton decided they would head home so you can rest." Nathan explained.
"But, I thought we were spending the day together, you know, like a family. Why did you let them go home?"
"You really scared me today, Allie, and to make sure that never happens again, you need to take it easy for now."
Rolling her eyes, she stood up. He was doing it again. Protecting her from what he thought was bad. Feeling the anger and frustration build up in her, she headed towards the door.
"Allie, where are you going?" Nathan asked, worriedly.
"To see Jack and Mrs. Thornton. I asked Dr. Carter, while you were outside, if this meant I had to stay in bed all day, and she said no. She said I just needed to take it easy, and not go run a marathon. Besides, I promised Jack we would draw some pictures of Pal after our picnic, and that is what I want to do." Opening the door, she turned around and added, "Come join us if you'd like."
"Wait, Allie." Nathan called after her, "Mrs. Thornton and Jack will be over in a little while. After being outside all day, they wanted to freshen up a little bit, and then have a dinner picnic a little later."
"Really?"
"Really. Did you actually think I could keep Jack away for the rest of the day?"
"Well, it's probably more that you didn't want to stay away from Mrs. Thornton." Allie smirked at him with a grin.
Nathan's cheeks began to turn pink, making Allie laugh.
"Elizabeth!" Rosemary called, opening her front door after seeing her friend stop in front of her house.
"Rosemary. Hello." Elizabeth said with a smile.
"I heard about what happened with Allie earlier. How is she doing?"
"I think she is doing okay now, Jack and I are just on our way to see her and Nathan." Elizabeth said. Seeing the door to her row house open, she smiled as Jack came running out and jumped down the stairs.
"I got it, mama." he shouted. Turning he saw Rosemary and said "Hi Auntie Rosemary, I made a card for Allie. She was sick when we played baseball, but we are still going to have a picnic. It will just be inside Mountie Nathan's house, not outside"
Taking the card Jack handed to her, Rosemary smiled when she saw what he had drawn, and said, handing it back, "I think she will love it, Jack."
"I know. Come on mama, let's go." he said, pulling Elizabeth's arm in the direction of the Grant row house.
"Yes, we mustn't keep Nath… I mean, Allie waiting, must we?" Rosemary said with a wink before heading back into her house.
Elizabeth rolled her eyes and laughed, as she followed her son down the lane.
Running to the door, Jack knocked a few times and started bouncing on his toes in excitement.
"Hi Mountie Nathan," he said, a little disappointed that it wasn't Allie.
"Hey slugger." Nathan answered back. "Allie is upstairs resting, but she might be awake now if you'd like to go up and see. Just knock quietly first, but if she is still asleep, come on back down."
Nathan smiled and knelt down to Jack's level, and explained, "Well, when I was your age my dad taught me how to play baseball, and the first time I hit the ball he called me his little slugger. Since you hit the ball today, I was hoping that could be my special name for you, if it's okay with your mom. Well, and you, of course."
Both of them looked over at Elizabeth, and both had the same expression, begging her to say yes.
"I think that is an excellent idea." she told them
"Yay!" Jack called out excitedly, and then quickly covered his mouth, "Sorry, that was too loud for inside."
"It was Jack, and thank you for recognizing it. Now, why don't you tiptoe upstairs and check on Allie." Elizabeth suggested.
"Okay," Jack whispered, and then started up the stairs.
Reaching for her basket with one hand, Nathan used the other hand to gently pull her into the house, closing the door behind them. Setting the basket on the sofa, he pulled Elizabeth into his arms and sighed, resting his chin on her head. Immediately, he was overwhelmed by the feeling of being complete, without even knowing he was missing anything. It was a strange phenomenon but, enjoyed the peace that would follow and hoped it was something he'd never get used to. Placing a lingering kiss in her hair, he pulled back and smiled, seeing the twinkle in her eyes.
"How's she doing?" Elizabeth asked.
"Okay, I think, but there is something else going on in that head of hers. She nearly bit my head off when I suggested she stay on the couch and take it easy. Thankfully I could tell her you were coming back, otherwise she would have marched out that door, and headed to your house." Nathan sighed, reaching down for Elizabeth's hand and then picking up the basket from the sofa. Together they walked into the kitchen and he continued. "I thought it would get easier the older she got, and it has with some things, but I'm finding more often than not, I am at a complete loss with what to do or say."
Reaching up, Elizabeth gently kissed his lips and then said, "You are doing an excellent job with her, Nathan. Don't ever let anyone, including yourself, tell you otherwise. But maybe you are doing too good of a job?"
"What do you mean, exactly?" Nathan asked, putting his arms back around his waist.
"Well, you've managed to raise a smart, resourceful, beautiful young woman, but I also think that what she's experienced in her life has forced her to grow up a little faster than maybe others her age. She's learned how to look out for herself, how to make decisions for herself, and most importantly, understands that actions have consequences, both good and bad. It might not hurt to get her input or even trust her decisions on things. You might be surprised at what happens."
"But she's my little girl, Elizabeth, how can I knowingly let her get hurt? I've never experienced anything with her like I did today. Watching her struggle to breath, and then seeing her lying on that bed, her lips turning blue, was the most scared I've ever been, ever. If you hadn't been there, holding my hand, I don't know what I would have done. Probably collapsed on the floor and given up on everything. Now that I know the fear of losing her, I am more determined than ever to keep her safe."
Seeing a few tears escape his eyes and make their way down his face, Elizabeth reached up and gently wiped them away.
"I can't imagine what that was like for you, it's my biggest fear when it comes to Jack, and it's not my place to interfere. Goodness knows, you have more experience raising a child than I do at this point. But what I can, and will do, is share what I've learned these past 10 years being a school teacher and watching my kids grow up and fly away. They are more stubborn than either you or me, especially when someone older tells them no, or not to do something, that they will do everything in their power to prove you wrong. No matter how dangerous, or foolish, they know it is. I can remember doing that with my parents, and I bet you do too." she said, giving him a knowing smile. "So maybe let her fly a little bit. You will still be there to catch her or even pick her up if she does fall, and believe me, she will be so grateful that you do. You fall down learning to walk, but you still have to learn, right?"
"How do I do that? How do I let her fall, when every instinct inside me knows that's what will happen?"
"I don't even know if there is a right answer to that, but, Nathan, we are in this together, okay? We're not alone anymore, okay?"
His lips found hers, and what started out as a gentle kiss, trying to show her how much his words meant to him, his desire and passion took on a life of its own. A spark lit a fire inside of him, and soon it was roaring in his ears. He couldn't think, couldn't remember his name, and probably couldn't say what day it was. All he knew was the woman in his arms had just given him the most precious of gifts, and he wanted to repay that gift in full, and the only way he could think of doing that was to have her body as close to his as possible, and then maybe even closer. If only these darn clothes weren't in the way, maybe, if he could just….
The sound of glass breaking as it hit the floor, followed by a dog's bark, finally penetrated through the roaring noise in his ears, and slowly he came back to reality. Nathan was able to begin gentling the kiss, and soon they were able to part with rested heads on the others' forehead.
Elizabeth's eyes were closed, and her heart was still racing, but she managed to whisper, "We really need to stop doing this."
"Yeah, it might be a good idea to have a chaperone around at all times." Nathan quietly said. Making them both laugh quietly.
"Mama, Mountie Nathan?" they heard Jack call out.
"Dad, Mrs. Thornton?" called Allie at the same time.
Both were coming down the stairs with Scout right behind them.
"Is everything okay? We heard something break." Allie explained.
Hearing the footsteps coming down the stairs, Nathan and Elizabeth quickly parted and looked around, remembering where they were. Hearing Allie's question, Nathan cleared his throat and said, "Didn't something break upstairs?"
"Uh, no. It looks like the pitcher feel off the table." Allie said, pointing to the shattered glass and liquid on the floor, with a confused look on their face.
Looking at the mess on the ground and then each other, Nathan and Elizabeth realized what happened. Having been so caught up in their kiss, they ended up next to the table and without knowing it, managed to knock the pitcher that was sitting there to the floor.
Biting her lip, to keep from laughing, Elizabeth turned into Nathan's chest. Nathan still not quite recovered from the kiss just looked at the mess, in confusion.
Allie, realizing that her dad and Mrs. Thornton had just gotten caught with both their hands in the cookie jar, looked down at Jack, saying, "Stay right there Jack, I'll get it cleaned up so no one gets hurt." She gave the two adults a knowing glance as she passed them.
Elizabeth recovered quickly and sent Nathan, Jack, and Scout out of the house while she and Allie cleaned up the kitchen.
Later that evening, after the picnic food had been eaten and the dished cleaned and put away, and the table put back in its place, Allie decided she was ready to call it a day. Jack offered to read her a story and tuck her in since, as he said, "Her mommy's in heaven and can't do it tonight."
Watching the two of them go up the stairs, Elizabeth smiled to herself.
"What's that smile for, Mrs. Thornton?" Nathan asked.
"Well, Constable, if you must know. Seeing how well those two get along and watching Jack willingly take on responsibilities, like tonight, makes my heart very happy." She answered.
Nathan smiled, he loved watching them too.
"I just worry," Elizabeth continued, "that Jack is going to start getting on Allie's nerves with him being constantly around her. Especially when school starts."
"Trust me, Allie loves that little kid so much, I doubt it would ever come to that." Nathan assured her before changing the subject. "Come sit with me?" he asked, pointing to the front door.
"Sure, but I am not sitting next to you." Elizabeth told him.
Seeing the question in his eyes, she clarified, "I will sit on the step in front of you. Maybe that way we won't get into trouble again."
Grinning like a little boy, Nathan pulled her to him and kissed her saying, "See, I can behave." and then taking her hand and walking them both outside.
Jack was sitting on the bed, next to Allie, with Scout lying on his feet. He had read a simple story first, and Allie started reading from another book. She would change her voice for the different characters, and he loved it. Now they were sitting in silence watching Scout sleep.
"Allie, are you better now?" he asked after a few moments of silence.
"Well now that I have your card sitting next to my bed, I am all better." she answered with a smile, looking at the card Jack had given her. He had written "feel better" in big letter at the top, and then drew a picture of her, standing next to Jack, with her Dad and Mrs. Thornton playing baseball. He had written his name at the bottom and put a heart next to it. She had received many drawings from Jack, but this one was very special to her.
"I am glad, Are you sad you don't have a mom to help you feel better?" he asked.
She was a little surprised at the question and took a second to answer him. "I do get sad, yes. I was a little younger than you when my mom died, and sometimes it's hard to remember what it was like having her with me, but my Dad always does he best to take care of me, no matter what."
"I haven't ever had a daddy, but sometimes I wonder what it would be like to have one. What's it like, Allie?"
Putting her arms around the little boy, she drew him in for a hug and said, "I think it's different for everyone, but for me, having a dad means I have someone who will always be there for me, no matter what I do. He takes care of me when I am sick, or sad. He helps me when I have problems and is always willing to teach me new things. But most importantly, he has promised to never leave me, and always love me."
Jack thought about what he had heard for a minute. "That sounds nice." he finally said, looking down at his hands.
"Jack?" Allie asked, "what's wrong?"
"I don't have a dad to do those things for me, and sometimes it makes me sad."
"I understand, Jack, and a lot of times I am sad that I don't have a mom, but we both have people who love us and that's the most important thing. Besides, when you start feeling sad, you can always borrow my dad." Giving him another squeeze, Allie loudly whispered, "He's a real good dad, and I think he likes you a lot."
Jack's face lit up with excitement at the idea, "You mean it?" he asked.
"Of course I mean it, Jack. I always wanted a little brother"
"A little brother?" Jack asked, looking up with wonder.
"Yep, we are a family Jack, no matter what happens, you and I will always be there for each other. That's what families do."
Jack was quiet for a few more minutes, trying to understand everything Allie had just said. Some of it didn't make sense, but he trusted everything she said.
"This was a really good day." He finally said, leaning over and kissing Allie on the cheek.
"Thank you for a perfect day, Nathan." Elizabeth said, leaning back against his broad chest, enjoying the feeling of having strong arms around her.
"You are welcome. I am, however, sorry we didn't get to have our alone time, but with what happened to Allie, I didn't want to leave her alone. Thank you again for being with us at the infirmary. I am not sure why I encouraged you to leave, but I really wish you had stayed. You were right earlier, we are in this together." Nathan answered, enjoying the simplicity of just sitting with his love, on the porch, watching the skies.
Leaning her head back, so she could see his face, Elizabeth answered, "Yes we are."
"I was thinking maybe, tomorrow after church services, we can have the alone time? I will see if Rosemary and Lee can watch Jack for a while, that way Allie can relax at home. Who knows if we will ever be able to find time for each other during the week." Elizabeth said, with a smile.
"It's a date, Mrs. Thornton." Nathan told her, placing a kiss in her hair and breathing in the scent that he would recognize anywhere, as Elizabeth's.
"Great." he heard her whisper, seeming to enjoy the feeling of his lips in her hair.
"It's probably time to get Jack home and to bed, if he isn't asleep already." Elizabeth sighed, not wanting the evening to end.
Standing up, Nathan pulled Elizabeth up to him and held her tight. This was the first full day of them being together, and already he was dreading the thought of letting her go. Thankfully, he had tomorrow to look forward to, and some perfect memories to dream about tonight. Leaning down to kiss her, Elizabeth put a finger to his lips, stopping his forward movement.
"Now Constable, are you going to behave this time?" she asked him, using her teacher voice, as Jack had called it so long ago.
"Yes, Mrs. Thornton, I promise to behave for the rest of the night." he answered, giving her his lopsided grin.
"Good" she whispered, capturing his lips in a slow and sweet kiss, that sent butterflies racing around in her stomach. "I love you." she said as they parted.
"I love you too."
