Bill, Rosemary, Nathan and Elizabeth sat around the desk in the Judge's office. It was late morning the day after Bill and Rosemary returned from Benson Hills. They definitely had some news and were waiting on more. The bottom line is that Hamish Moriarty was far from a squeaky clean character.

"We weren't able to talk with Moriarty, and I honestly think we need more information before we do that. Something's afoot here and it doesn't add up. I'm wondering how deep Hargreaves is in this. I hate to say it, but that man is either highly negligent and simply self serving or he's gone dirty." Bill said.

"Or all of the above" Nathan muttered.

"Or that." Bill nodded. "I have a former associate of mine following Moriarty, and another is delving more into his past and current activity. More than we could do with limited time."

Rosemary cleared her throat. "I do have an interesting tidbit that a fellow reporter shared with me. He happened to be researching a story and came across Moriarty at a tavern that we know the man frequents. The reporter said that he remembered it because Moriarty was a rough sort and he was meeting with what he called a 'British dandy.' Upper crust accent and attitude. Three piece suit and a sneer on his face." Her eyes slid over to Elizabeth and Nathan.

Nathan caught it immediately, and Elizabeth was right behind him. "Wait...that sounds like Thomas Higgins?" She grabbed Nathan's hand.

"He threatened me, more than once. Then Nathan and, apparently, Lucas. Would he be so stupid?" She looked from Bill to Nathan. "Isn't he facing a trial?

Bill nodded and then Nathan said, "Yes, he is. But he is not in custody. Unfortunately, even if he were, that might not stop him from trying to get back at us."

Looking at Bill, Nathan continued, "If this were just Hargreaves, I'd expect it to be aimed directly at me. I'm not saying he isn't involved, on some level. But, this smells a lot like revenge against Elizabeth to me." He squeezed her hand. He really hadn't wanted to say it in front of her, but he'd promised to keep her informed. Forewarned is forearmed. After she and Rosemary had been taken hostage, he'd felt like it could've been avoided with less secrecy and he regretted not going against Lucas and just telling her what was going on.

Elizabeth squeezed his hand back, her sign that she was okay. "I think Nathan is right. Hargreaves wouldn't have known that Nathan and I were a couple when he came all the way to Hope Valley to deliver his news, so getting to Nathan through Jack and me, just doesn't add up."

"I think you're both right. I wasn't aware that Higgins had thrown that many threats around before he left town." Bill said. "I think I have a few more calls to make now that we have what could be a very strong lead, thanks to Rosemary."

Elizabeth watched her friend's face go from surprise to beaming to quickly covering both up. The foursome talked for a few minutes more and then Elizabeth, Rosemary and Nathan all got up and left. Rosemary, not so discreetly, excused herself once they were outside. She was obviously leaving the couple to say their goodbyes alone.

Nathan held out his hand, Elizabeth took it immediately. "How about I walk you over to the schoolhouse?" he offered.

Elizabeth smiled. "I'd really love that."

They stood on the schoolhouse porch after a largely quiet walk over. Nathan turned to face her, reaching up to brush an errant curl back from her face. "Penny for your thoughts, Lizbeth."

"Honestly? I'm not even sure what I'm thinking. Right now, going home sounds good to me. If this is happening because of Thomas Higgins..." She trailed off.

"If he is behind this, we are on to him very early. Bill is holding some of his cards very close to his vest right now, but he's got many contacts - both active and retired Mounties as well as informants that would have his back in any fight. We will figure this out and put a stop to it. I only wish that I could fight for Jack and for you."

She put her arms around him. "Nathan, you know you can't, not officially. I know that you can't. If Hargreaves has done something wrong, you need to not be the one that shines a light on it. You know that. He already has it out for you. I want you to understand that you are right where I need you most...here...beside me."

Elizabeth pulled him closer and kissed him lightly. He then wrapped his arms around her and put all of his feelings into a beautifully passionate kiss of his own. With their foreheads resting together, they each tried to catch their breath.

She looked up at him with love shining through her eyes, gently caressed his cheek and whispered, "I love you, Nathan."

He answered back softly. "I love you, too, Lizbeth."

"Will you be over for dinner tonight?" she asked, hopefully.

"Of course! Wouldn't miss it. Can I bring anything?"

"Just your handsome self." she responded coyly.

He smiled widely as he turned to head to his office.

"Nathan?" Elizabeth called.

He looked back. "Yes, Lizbeth?"

"Be safe."

"You too."

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Nathan walked in to his office to find Bill seated behind his desk...again. No doubt to get under his skin. He hung his hat up and sighed. "Bill, what can I do for you?" Bill motioned for Nathan to sit down. He shook his head. "Really, Bill?" Then walked around his desk and stood waiting for Bill to move. He waved his hand towards the other chair.

With a huff, Bill rolled his eyes and moved. Grumbling the whole time about Nathan being so difficult, good help being hard to find and respecting ones elders. It was their routine. Neither one of them was serious about it. He knew that he'd find Bill in his chair for as long as he was a Mountie here, which briefly led his thoughts to figuring out a back up plan as he had no intention of ever moving away from Hope Valley. But first, Bill.

When both men were seated and Bill still hadn't said anything, Nathan leaned on his elbows and said, "Well? Out with it. You either already knew something you weren't ready to share with Elizabeth or you've heard from a contact with news."

"Both, actually. The first isn't news, but thoughts I had during and after our meeting. The second was a phone call from an informant. Looks like Thomas Higgins is in the wind."

Nathan's palms hit his desk. "He's what?!"

"I've put another call into O'Reilly and I'm waiting to hear back from him. I plan to tell him what we've found out. I had another call from someone within Headquarters. It seems that Hargreaves is already being looked at because he so quickly closed the case on Lucas's shooting with very convenient and suspect evidence and then denied your request to keep it open. After what happened here when Jeanette was revealed as Shaw...well, it doesn't reflect favorably on Hargreaves."

Nathan was still stewing over the fact that Thomas Higgins had all but disappeared before his trial, and he'd likely been as close as Benson Hills and meeting with Hamish Moriarty.

"Elizabeth could be in danger." It was all he could think about. "As long as that man is out there and bent on revenge." Nathan stated.

"I know, Nathan. That leads me to the other thing, Lucas should at least know that Higgins is missing, if he doesn't already. Doubtful that he's in Capitol City, but I'll put a call in to Gowen."

"We need to let Elizabeth and Rosemary know, and it wouldn't hurt if we could find a picture or a drawing of Higgins and distribute to the Yosts, Canfields, Hickams and Faith. That way, there will be a few more people on the lookout for him. They don't need to know everything, only that he's potentially dangerous."

"I'll get on that. Rosemary might have something from the merger with the Valley School System. I'll let you tell Elizabeth. Meet you back here in a little while." With that, he left.

Nathan ran a hand through his hair and thought about what he could do to keep Elizabeth, Jack and maybe even Allie safe...

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Elizabeth sat at her desk staring out the window. She wasn't going to be able to get a thing done here at the schoolhouse, alone with her thoughts. She kept remembering the moment when Thomas Higgins had called her name a few months ago. Her skin crawled.

She quickly stood and gathered up the things that she could do from home and decided to head to The Valley Voice office and find Rosemary. Maybe her friend would be able to go to lunch. Then, she'd enlist Allie in some dinner prep and company. Whatever it ended up being, she just did not want to be alone.

Once she arrived on Main Street, she saw that Newton was outside the Mountie office and she decided to go by and let Nathan know her change in plans.

Nathan looked up when the door opened and was surprised to see Elizabeth standing there. It hadn't been very long since he'd left her at the schoolhouse. Even though she was trying to hide it, he could tell she was concerned, out of sorts. He stood and walked over and wrapped his arms around her. He hated that he was about to shake her foundation even more, but it was necessary.

They stood in that embrace for a good five minutes, without either saying a word. He pulled back, took her hand and led her to a chair and he pulled one up facing her. Grabbed her hands and with a heavy sigh, plowed forward. "Lizbeth, I'd like to simply ask you how you're feeling and reassure you that it will all be okay and let that be it.

"But, after the incident with Jeanette where Bill, Lee and I were sworn to secrecy and decided to abide by that, I vowed to not ever let my loved ones go without knowing of potential dangers." He hated the look of sudden fear that flashed into her eyes.

"What is it, Nathan? I can tell that you've learned something and it's bothering you."

His thumbs stroked the backs of her hands as he continued. "There is news. It's not confirmation of Higgins' involvement, but it throws some weight onto that theory. He's currently missing, Lizbeth. Skipped town and hasn't been seen in Capitol City for a couple of weeks."

He watched her resolve waver as a cry slipped from her mouth. "Ah, Lizbeth." He leaned towards her and she threw her arms around him and cried softly for a few minutes. By this time, she was practically in his lap.

'This can't be happening.', she thought. All she wanted to do was crawl into Nathan's lap and be held by his strong and capable arms. He made her feel safe and brave at the same time. She almost got there, into his lap, when the door opened and Bill, Lee and Rosemary walked in, all three clearing their throats.

Elizabeth refused to act like an errant child caught with her hand in the cookie jar. With all of the dignity she could muster, she pulled back and sat down in her chair again, while Nathan handed her a handkerchief so she could dry her eyes.

Chairs were fetched, and Nathan relinquished his desk chair to Bill so he could remain by Elizabeth. There was a flurry of discussion regarding Elizabeth's safety while Higgins' whereabouts were unknown and what would be the next move in finding proof of his involvement with Hamish Moriarty.

Once the meeting broke up, they all stood. Bill pulled Nathan aside and quietly told him to take Elizabeth home. "I'll cover you for the rest of the day. If I need you, I'll call her house. Stay with her, she needs you for more than safety. I'll also take care of Newton. Go."

xxxxxxxxx

After collecting Jack from daycare, Nathan and Elizabeth went to the cafe to get something to take home for lunch and dinner. Allie was there with Angela, and it didn't take her too long to figure out that something was wrong. She decided right then to go with them when they left.

The foursome stopped in at the Grant's where Allie rushed up the stairs after her dad to catch him before he changed. "What's going on, Dad?" she asked softly, yet urgently. "And, please don't tell me it's nothing."

Nathan sighed. "It is something, Allie. But, it's Mrs Thornton's story to tell, not mine. So we'll need to wait until we can both sit down with you. Please pack an overnight bag. We'll be staying at the Thornton's tonight. You'll be our chaperone."

The teen frowned. "Ohhhh-kayy."

He raised an eyebrow at his daughter, brooking any further questions. "We'll discuss it all in a little while, now please get ready." He went into his room and shut the door. The truth is, that he was conflicted about staying at the Thornton's. Everything within him wanted, no - needed, to protect the woman and boy that he loved so deeply. But, they weren't married, and it was hard for him to accept that his 15 year old daughter was mature enough to be considered a chaperone. Yet - his own sister had married when she was not much older than Allie. Plenty of young women still did. He'd been furious at Lucas when he 'hid out' at Elizabeth's overnight. A three year old hardly counted as a valid chaperone. And, he'd been there to protect himself, not Elizabeth and Jack. Bottom line, though, the lives of herself and her son mattered so much more than reputation. He'd marry her tomorrow if that became an issue.

He threw some clothing and toiletries in his duffel bag, and was going through his top dresser drawer when his hand brushed a velvet bag. He stilled. He picked the bag out of the drawer and sat down on his bed. He undid the drawstring and pulled out a lovely filigree engagement ring with a sapphire in the center. He'd bought this ring over three years ago, right before he went to look at Bill's land. It was the reason he didn't have the money to deal with Dylan when he came to town. He'd never been able to bring himself to sell it. After a moment of hesitation, he replaced the ring within the bag and tucked it in a pocket inside the duffel.

xxxxxxxxx

Dinner at the Thornton home was slightly subdued. Both Elizabeth and Nathan were so appreciative of Allie's extra effort to entertain Jack. She even enlisted his help to clean up afterwards to allow the parents to relax. Elizabeth made some coffee and the two of them sat down on the settee.

Elizabeth glanced over her shoulder, then at Nathan. "You must be very proud of her. You've done such an amazing job. And, before you tell me that Allie takes after Colleen, you can stop. I know she doesn't have many memories of her mother. It's you, Nathan. And, it's one of the things I love the most about who you are."

He looked over at his daughter and Jack. Swallowed hard. Looking into Elizabeth's sapphire blue eyes, he accepted what she said. It moved him that she'd noticed and acknowledged it. That it meant something to her. For a long while, he'd felt like she was overly critical of his parenting skills and now he wondered if that had been influenced by Lucas. Now was not the time to ask about it, though.

The kids came over to join their parents and a game of charades was 'requested' (ahem, demanded) by Jack. It was a great mood lifter because plenty of shenanigans ensued, which wore Jack right out. Elizabeth took him up to get him ready for bed and she called down for Allie. Jack was insisting that she read him a story.

Allie looked at Nathan and he knew what she wanted to know. "Don't worry, we'll discuss what's going on when you're finished with Jack. It will give me a chance to let Mrs Thornton know that you're concerned."

"Thanks, Dad." With that, she grabbed a book from her bag and took it upstairs.

It was only a few minutes later that Elizabeth came back and sat down next to him. She blew out a breath. "What a day!"

"I'm sorry, Lizbeth. But, It's not quite over yet. Allie cornered me at home and said she knows that something's wrong. She knew before I announced we were going to stay over here. I told her that I would speak to you first and we'd tell her then."

He knew that she didn't want any of her students to know what happened, but if she were vulnerable, it might help some of the older girls deal better with a similar situation if it ever came up.

"Tell me, if you had known what to do when Higgins first started to pressure you, might you have handled it differently back then? Think about it, if you open up a little to your oldest female students, maybe you could empower them, Lizbeth. You've done nothing wrong and neither have any of the other young women that Higgins, or any other man, has preyed upon. I'd prefer that we be as honest with Allie as possible. I've learned a little bit about that lately. And, if you insist upon her discretion, she'll respect that."

She took a few deep breaths. He was right. She hadn't wanted Anna to know, even though there was a good chance that Higgins was going to target her as well. Fortunately, she was able to derail his plans...thereby diverting his attention away from her former student.

She looked at Nathan, reached for his hand. "Okay. But I expect you to interject if you feel it's necessary."

xxxxxxxxx

Nathan had moved to a chair, allowing Allie to sit next to Elizabeth. His daughter was deeply concerned and looked back and forth between the two of them. "You two are scaring me. Please, tell me what's going on!"

Elizabeth shot a troubled look at Nathan and he knew she wanted him to start this conversation. "Allie, Mrs Thornton has a troubling experience to share with you. And, unless she says otherwise, please don't discuss this with any of your friends. The only ones who currently know about it are Judge Avery and the Coulters."

She looked at Elizabeth. "Of course, I promise I won't."

Elizabeth reached over and put her hand on Allie's. "Thank you. What I have to tell you is difficult and it started a very long time ago when I was still in Teacher's College. A man who was in a position of authority started to pay special attention to me."

She swallowed, looked at Nathan again. He intuitively hopped up and went to pour her a glass of water. Also dug around in his pocket for a handkerchief.

"Thank you, Nathan." She took a drink, blew out a breath and continued. "After a little while, he started to pressure me for more. And began dangling coveted job placements in front of me...in exchange for 'favors' outside of the school/work place. When I turned him down, he then began to make things miserable for me."

Allie's mouth dropped open and she narrowed her eyes. "When you say 'favors', do you mean..."

Silently, Elizabeth nodded.

The teen's eyes widened.

"There's more. About seven years ago, he was moved into a position of power that affected this area. He decided to try to pay me back by making false allegations about how I gained my job position. That I had used my family's influence, which is ludicrous. Because my father would've made sure I never left Hamilton, if that were the case. I was let go for a time, until I could show proof that he was lying. A former classmate of mine had that proof and came forward."

"What we're dealing with now is that he came to Hope Valley right after Anna arrived. He had become the Superintendent of the Valley Schools, thereby becoming my superior when we merged with Benson Hills. He began to do the very same thing he had before, but your father caught him making threats and Governor Bouchard fired him and told him he'd be facing a trial."

A tear trickled down Allie's face and she squeezed Elizabeth's hand. "There's more, isn't there? Because we're staying over here, even though..."

Elizabeth nodded. "Even though your dad and I are not married. Yes. Someone has made allegations about my late husband's last mission, saying he was negligent..." she looked to Nathan with a nod. She really need to dry her eyes and get a drink.

"Allie, it looks like this man, Thomas Higgins, may have colluded with the former trainee who is making claims about Jack Thornton Sr being negligent on that mission. And, even though he is facing a trial and was forbidden from leaving Capitol City until that trial, he's disappeared and we think he's been seen as close as Benson Hills. So, Bill, the Coulters and I are going to make sure that Elizabeth and Jack stay safe. And you. He threatened me as well as Governor Bouchard, though we all think he'll be focused on Mrs Thornton."

It was a lot, and Allie had quite a few questions. She also understood that none of this was proven, so they could very well be wrong. Afterwards, she leaned in and wrapped her arms around Elizabeth. The girl wept as she told her teacher just how sorry she was that she had to go through all of that. Nathan got up and dug through his duffel, trying to find more handkerchiefs as he usually had some on hand. The women clung to each other, crying softly, for quite awhile.

xxxxxxxxx

The plan was for Allie to sleep with Elizabeth in her room and Nathan would use a spare cot downstairs. He planned to sleep very light tonight, anyways.

Before Allie went upstairs, Elizabeth called to her, "Allie? I think we could dispense with Mrs Thornton while we're not in school, if you'd like. You could call me Mrs Elizabeth. That is, if that's okay with you."

Allie's face lit with delight. She ran back down and threw her arms around Elizabeth. In a soft voice she said, "I'd really love that, Mrs Elizabeth. Good night." Then she was gone again.

He walked slowly over to Elizabeth and drew her into his arms. "I'm sorry that was so draining, but you did amazing."

She just breathed in his woodsy scent and sighed. "I couldn't do any of this without you." She looked up into his eyes. "I love you, Nathan, more than words can even begin to express."

He brought her lips to his in a gentle and loving kiss. "I love you, too, Lizbeth. You're stronger than you know, but I wouldn't be anywhere else. I'd fight for you, no matter what."

With her eyes shining with tears, she whispered, "I know that to be true, and I thank God every day for you and your steadfast love." She brushed another kiss on his lips and said, "Good night, Nathan. Be safe."

"G'night, Lizbeth."

She went upstairs and a few minutes later, there was a light knock on the door. Nathan opened it to Bill, who was holding his duffel and a bedroll.

Nathan stepped back and let the man in. He half expected him, because even though Avery seemed to want to speed up his relationship with Elizabeth, he also cared about her reputation as well as her safety.

"I'm not giving you my cot, old man." Nathan grumbled as he headed for his bed.

"Ha! I could sleep on a rock, whippersnapper. You younguns are too soft!"

And, with that, they settled in for the night.