This story idea's been bouncing around in my head for some time now, and it started to fall into place seeing the promos for episode 11, so I bit the bullet and pushed out three chapters, hoping for the best. Then as I started on the next set of chapters things just felt a little off with the flow, so I reworked those first chapters and republished them.

Thank you to those who've read this one so far, and I apologize for the changes, but I think this will work much better now.

The show and characters belong to Hallmark, the idea comes from me.

Elizabeth was nervous. There was no reason to be nervous, but she was, and sitting in the library trying to make the time go by faster was only making the hands of the clock move slower. Frustrated, she shook her head and began to pace around the small building straightening shelves and moving books around before giving up and sitting back down. Looking at the clock one more time and seeing that only five minutes had passed. She stood up, grabbed her jacket and headed out the door. As she was closing the door behind her, she saw a flash of red down the street, causing her heart to speed up.

Earlier that morning, she had invited Nathan to go for a ride, or she had at least tried to ask him. It was becoming harder and harder to concentrate when looking into those deep blue eyes when they started to sparkle. Then his mouth would start to turn up into that lopsided grin, which in turn took her eyes to his lips. All she could think about was how they'd feel against hers. At that point she had forgotten everything she wanted to say and wasn't even sure of what she had said up to that point. Thankfully, he had understood what she was trying to ask, and they'd made a plan to meet at the stables at 3 o'clock to go for a ride.

Why was it so hard to just ask him straight out? She wondered to herself, or at least she thought it was to herself until she heard a familiar gruff voice answer, "Maybe because your feelings run deeper than you will admit?" She turned to see Bill standing next to her with that knowing smirk of a smile he used when he knew he was right.

"Can I help you Bill?" Elizabeth asked. Trying to sound annoyed to cover up the embarrassment of what she had said.

"Yes, yes you can, Elizabeth. Can you tell me why it's taking you and Nathan so long to figure things out?" Bill replied.

Caught off guard, Elizabeth looked at him for a moment with a confused look on her face. "Come again?"

"When are you and Nathan going to just jump in with both feet?" he said.

"What are you talking about?" she asked, confusion apparent in her eyes.

"Come on Elizabeth, it's a plain as day to everyone that you have feelings for him, but what is not clear is why you are fumbling around with them?"

"Um, well…. Bill… " Elizabeth stammered, trying to think of a way out of this conversation when she looked into his eyes and saw nothing but love and concern for her. Bill had come to Coal Valley to help Jack with his investigation in the mine disaster that had taken the lives of all those men. He had only planned on staying long enough to get the evidence needed to hold the mining company responsible, but he was still here, 10 years later. Not only was he an important member of the community, but he had turned into a very important part of her life, her family, and she was overcome with emotion for how much love she had for him.

To Bill's surprise, Elizabeth wrapped her arms around him and pulled him into a hug. "Well this was unexpected" he said, "But don't think you can avoid my question because of it."

Pulling back, Elizabeth smiled, "I know, it's just that I want you to know how indispensable you are to me, Bill. You've always been there for me, through the good and the bad. You are an amazing Godfather to Little Jack and if I'm honest you've been more of a father to me than my own father is, despite my love for him, and I couldn't love you anymore. I don't know that I thank you enough for that," Reaching up she placed a kiss on his cheek and smiled, "so thank you."

Feeling the tears well up in his eyes, but fighting them off, he cleared his throat, "Elizabeth, you don't know how much that means for me to hear. I've always loved you like my daughter and am so proud of you for how strong and resilient you are. You are very precious to me." He kissed her back on the cheek and cleared his throat again, this was not how he saw this conversation going, but there was relief in being able to say the words out loud. "Now getting back to my original question?" he asked, raising his eyebrow at her.

Knowing she couldn't get out of the conversation, but not knowing how to talk about it, she started with. "Well it's complicated." That was usually the safe answer, but the older man wasn't buying it. He put his arm around her shoulders, and walked her towards his office.

"Elizabeth, it's not complicated and you know it. Now, look me in the eye and tell me what is holding you back." he challenged her once they were inside and seated.

"Bill, I care for Nathan. I care for him a lot, in fact sometimes I think I love him, but there are so many things to think about. There's Allie and Little Jack to consider, not to mention the fact I rejected him in the past and said some things that were untrue, but at the time seemed right. What if I say it out loud, and it's out there in the universe, but he doesn't return it or worse, rejects me like I did him?"

Now we are getting somewhere, Bill thought, not ignorant to the fact he and Nathan had a similar conversation earlier in the Jail. Seeing she was starting to open up, he pushed a little more. "Is that all?"

Shaking her head, Elizabeth continued. "I loved Jack, I still love him, but what I feel for Nathan is so different so… I can't even describe it, so much deeper and stronger than the love I have for Jack. It scares me to think about how much I need him in my life. Bill, I want to move forward and have a future with him, but the fear keeps creeping up on me."

"Elizabeth, what did you say to him that was untrue but seemed right?" he asked, curious about this part of the story.

"I knew that I needed to make a choice between Nathan and Lucas, and the thought of losing Nathan like I had Jack was something I couldn't even think about. It would break me all over again, and I knew I'd never get the pieces back together a second time, so I told him that I was looking for, and in fact saw, Jack in him. Also, that I loved him but wasn't in love with him."

Wiping away the tears that had started to fall, she took and deep breath and continued. "I admit that when I first saw the red Serge and for a while afterward my first thought was about Jack. How could it not be? Then I got to know Nathan, and that stopped happening. Admittedly, seeing the red out of the corner of my eye will bring Jack's name to my mind for a short second, but it always turns back to Nathan and the hope of seeing him takes over. As for not being in love with him, well that was a straight out lie, but at the time it made sense in my head, as a way to protect myself. I only said those things out loud to try to convince myself they were true, and I thought they'd allow me to give my heart to Lucas." The tears were flowing now. "The thought of losing Nathan like I did Jack makes my heart stop, so I thought I could make myself really love Lucas and I would be protected from having to go through that ever again. I ended up learning that wasn't the case the hard way, too."

"With the prisoner transport?" Bill asked, even though he knew it was true.

"No" was her answer

"No?" he repeated, "Then may I ask when?"

Seeing the confusion and shock in his eyes, Elizabeth went on to explain. "Last year during the incident with the farmer in Rock Creek. I had overheard Florence and Molly talking about all the troubles, that shots were fired, and a Mountie was involved, so I went to find Nathan to be sure he was safe. When I got to the Livery and saw his horse was gone, my entire world came crashing down around me, again. It was right then I realized that I couldn't protect from that kind of hurt no matter who I was with, and it scared me, Bill."

With understanding in his eyes, Bill stood and walked over to where she was sitting and enveloped her in his arms. He knew how much courage it took her to say those words out loud, and was finally able to understand why things happened the way that they did, and his heart broke for her once again. After a few moments, Elizabeth pulled back to look him in the eye and said "You know Bill, I've never told anyone, not even Rosemary, all that. You should feel very special." The older man chuckled and pulled her back to his chest before saying "I do feel very special, and am honored you felt safe enough to trust me with it, but Elizabeth there is someone else who also needs to know. " He felt Elizabeth nod as she looked up at him. "Maybe this will be what warms up the molasses and gets things flowing for you two."

The quizzical look on Elizabeth's face just made him chuckle more. The embrace ended with Elizabeth placing another kiss on his cheek and said with a smile, "I don't even want to know."

They both stood up and Bill offered his arm, "Elizabeth, may I take you to lunch?"

"Yes, you may" was her response as she looped her around his with a smile, and together they headed to the Café.


It was the "Hey Dad," followed by "Hi Mountie Nathan" that startled Nathan out of his thoughts. Looking up he saw his daughter, oh how he loved that word when it was applied to Allie, and Little Jack coming into the jail. He'd been working on some paperwork, when his mind began to wander away from him. Soon he was thinking about what had happened between him and Elizabeth since returning from the investigation into the Governor's shooting earlier in the spring. All those interrupted moments, all those conversations, the looks and finally the dance. Nathan had been to his share of dances before, but he'd never experienced anything like he did when they had danced after the Choir Festival. The world fell away, and it was just the two of them in each other's arms, swaying to the music.

"Hello Mountie Jack, Hello, Allie, what are you two doing here?" He asked before looking at the clock and realizing long he'd been sitting there staring into space.

"Allie and me are doing rounds, making sure you're safe." Jack explained. "Your rounds make everyone else is safe, but no one does rounds for you, so we are doing them."

"Wow Jack, that is very thoughtful of you, thank you. I don't know if anyone's ever done rounds for me before." Nathan told him.

"That's what Allie said, so we decided to come." Jack told him, looking at Allie with a smile. Nathan noticed the smile but decided to let them have their secrets. "Then we are going to the playground. Can you come too?"

Watching Jack grow up had brought back so many memories of when Allie was that age and made him a little sad to once again be reminded his little girl was growing up. He smiled before replying "That sounds like a lot of fun Jack, but your Mom and I are going to take the horses for a ride, give them some exercise after all those treats you gave them."

Jack's eyes lit up at the word horses. "Can I come too?" Nathan knelt down in front of him saying "That would be great Jack, you are doing so well learning how to ride, but not this time, okay buddy? This time, it's just your Mom and me."

Heaving an adult sized sigh, Jack just looked at him for a minute before sadly saying "Okay"

Allie let out a small gasp as she realized what her dad was actually saying. He was going riding with Mrs. Thornton. That means there really is something going on with them. That's why her Dad had been acting differently lately, he like-liked her and she like-liked him. There was no way she would let anything stop this from happening, so taking Jack's hand she said, "Come on Jack, let's go see if anyone is at the playground yet", and they headed out the door.

Nathan had seen the puzzled look on her face and heard the small gasp, and watched as the pieces fall into place for Allie about what was going on. He knew she had figured it out and that conversation would have to happen sooner rather than later. Glancing at the clock he decided that if he was going to get the horses tacked up and ready so they could leave quickly, he wouldn't have time to go home and change. Instead, he headed towards the back room, grateful he kept some extra clothes at the jail and that they were clean, they might be a little wrinkled, but they were going to be riding horses, after all. As he was finishing up he heard the door to the jail open, followed by "Oh Constable, are you here?"

"Florence!" he muttered under his breath, before walking out to find the woman standing behind his desk reading the wanted poster there. He should have known something like this would come up. More and more it felt like fate was just messing with him.

"Hello Florence."

She turned around, startled that he'd snuck up on her. Regaining control of herself she handed him a telegram, saying "This arrived for you a few moments ago, from Union City."

Glancing at it, he sighed with relief that it wasn't anything official he needed to worry about. It was just confirmation from his Mother that she'd arrived home safe from her trip to the States to visit her family.

"Thanks Florence, I appreciate it." he told her as she headed back out the door before turning back around. "Oh, and can you give this letter to Judge Avery when you see him? I need to get back to the Mercantile."

"I will, and thank you for the reminder that I need to drop some papers off at his office."

With a simile and nod, Florence headed back out the door. Before it closed Nathan noticed there were a lot of people walking around at the moment, so instead he went out the back door and took the long way to the stables, back behind the buildings hoping no one had the same idea.

He arrived at the back door to Bill's office and reached out to open it, hoping it was unlocked. I opened into a short hallway that led to some stairs. He reached the top and headed towards the office when he heard "...loved Jack, I still love him, but what I feel for Nathan is so different. I don't even know how to describe it. It feels so much deeper and stronger than the love I have for Jack. That scares me too. Bill, if I am honest, I am a little confused. I want to move forward, but the fear keeps creeping up on me."

Nathan stopped dead in his tracks and froze. What had he just heard?