"As to being a Mountie, that is in my blood. My father made a career of being a peace officer, and my mother told me 'Never let a day go by without serving somebody else.'" -Jack Thornton, Lost and Found

Jack took a deep breath before he walked into the jail, calling up his courage before he faced his father. Slowly, he opened the jailhouse door, and walked in with all the confidence he was not actually feeling.

"Hey Jack," Nathan greeted. He barely looked up from his paperwork, continuing on as though his son hadn't even walked in.

Jack inhaled deeply again. "Do you have a minute?"

Nathan's head came up and he pushed the paperwork to the back of his desk. "Of course."

Jack feared how his father would react, but he was committed now. "Dad, I've decided what I'm going to do after graduation. I want to go to the RCMP academy."

Jack waited for his father to try to dissuade him. He knew exactly how his mother felt about him joining the Mounties, and he always suspected his dad's ideas were similar. So it shocked him when all he got was an okay.

"Okay? That's it?" Jack didn't know if he had missed something.

"Jack, if you want to become a Mountie, I will fully support you. If you've really thought this through, then go for it. But - may I ask why you want to be a Mountie?"

Now it was time for the arguments he had prepared. "The job is getting safer and safer everyday. It's more likely I'll drive a car day to day than ride a horse. And even if I did ride, you know I can handle a horse. I'm an excellent horseman according to Uncle Bill.

"I will accept any assignment I'm given; you taught me to respect my superiors. But I won't volunteer for any dangerous assignments, especially if I get married and have kids one day. So I'll be safe that way. And I'm a good shot…"

His dad held up a hand, and Jack stopped abruptly. "Why do you want to be a Mountie? Why not a teacher, or a sawmill worker, or a coal miner? I want to know that you're doing this because you want to be a Mountie more than anything else, not just because you think you should."

Jack pondered. He hadn't thought about his decision in those terms. As the silence stretched, Nathan added, "I said I would be proud if you joined the Mounties, but I wouldn't want you to join because of me, or your daddy Jack."

His words sparked the truth in Jack. "I'll admit, you and my daddy Jack are both why I considered the Mounties in the first place. You're both my biggest heroes, and I want to be just like you. But, that's not the only reason. I want to make a difference in the world. I see how important it is that good people do what they can to foster goodness around them. What better example can I be than a peace officer?"

Jack paused, assessing how his dad contemplated his words. He had his Mountie face on, giving nothing away, but it still gave Jack further insight into himself. "You know, it's partially because you've been training me to be an investigator my whole life. For example, I know you didn't eat lunch, because Mom packed cherry pie for all of us, and you never manage to eat pie without getting at least some on your shirt."

Nathan gave a glance down at his shirt, then over at his untouched lunch pail. "You're right. That's a good observation."

"And you had a visitor today. Mr. Trent sleeping off a long night, I presume? There's that whiff of alcohol, and no one's here now, so it wasn't a real criminal." Jack grinned triumphantly at his dad's proud surprise.

"Wow! Okay, I have to admit, that was good."

Jack turned somber again before he spoke. "I know there's an incredible risk to becoming a Mountie. I know I'm putting myself in danger everyday if I make this choice. But I do know that this is the only choice that makes me happy."

Nathan nodded. "That sounds like you're ready. So, should we go talk to Mom?" he asked.

Jack shuddered. "I guess so. If I'm not brave enough to talk to Mom, I'm not much of a Mountie."

Nathan reached over to him, and Jack expected his dad to ruffle his hair as he had done so much while he was growing up. But the hand came down on his shoulder instead. Nathan looked deep into Jack's eyes. "You will be an amazing Mountie. I know it."

As nervous as Jack had been to talk with his father, the thought of telling his mother about his decision made a greater storm of nerves within his stomach. Grandma Thornton had told him many years ago about his unfortunate family legacy amongst the ranks of the North-West Mounted Police, and he surely hoped that he could avoid the same fate as his birth father and grandfather. He also knew that this would prevent his mom from accepting his career choice as easily as his dad had done. Luckily, having his father by his side was a strength to his mission.

The time it took to reach home seemed shorter than usual, and Nathan gave Jack a little nudge into the house. "You can do this," he murmured to his son.

Jack screwed up his courage, and walked in as straight and tall as he ever had. He found his mom in the kitchen, and he exhaled deeply before he grabbed her attention.

"Hi Mom." Jack sat at the kitchen table, trying to make the situation as normal as possible. He grabbed an apple out of the fruit bowl, and took a large bite.

"Jack?" He turned to see his father give him a pointed look, and he knew he couldn't delay any longer.

"Mom, can we talk for a minute?" Jack asked.

Elizabeth checked on the pot on the stove, and wiped her hands before she gave him a nod and sat across from him at the table. "What's going on?

He looked pleadingly at his father, but Nathan gave only encouragement in the form of a nod and smile. Once again, Jack gave a sigh as he gathered his thoughts. "Mom, I want to become a Mountie."

For the second time today, Jack was shocked by the response his words received from his parent. Elizabeth didn't immediately try to dissuade him, or break down in tears at his decision. Instead, she bowed her head slightly and murmured, "I knew this day was coming. I just wish I was wrong."

She turned away from Jack to look Nathan in the eye. "I take it Jack had already told you?"

"Yes. And now I'm going to let you two have some time to yourselves," Nathan said, slipping out of the kitchen.

Though he felt slightly abandoned, Jack reached across the table to grab his mother's hand, grateful that the truth was out at least. He very tenderly reiterated some of what he had told his dad in the jail. "I know it's a scary job to take. But it's so much safer than it used to be. And I'm not going to do anything reckless, or foolhardy. I just want to use my skills to help people, and I honestly can't see myself doing anything else for the rest of my life other than being of service to my fellow man."

When Elizabeth lifted her head to look into her son's eyes, her own were shining brightly with the tears that had gathered there. She squeezed Jack's hand and spoke barely above a whisper. "I think the hardest part about all of this is realizing just how grown up you've become. I don't want to be the reason you can't follow your dream, your calling, because I know how hard it is to feel unsupported. But, I will tell you that there won't be a day that goes by that I won't be praying fervently for your safe return to us."

"That will be my prayer as well," Jack spoke just as softly.

Elizabeth released his hand so she could make her way around the table and gather her son into her arms. She held him tightly, and part of Jack wished that he could turn back time and crawl into her lap as he had so many times as a child. But as Elizabeth had said, he was growing up, and part of that was recognizing that he had the courage to stand on his own, forge his own path, and make the world around him a better place because of his actions.

"I love you Mom."

"I love you too, Honey Bear."

The childhood nickname made Jack hold on a little tighter, knowing that he would be able to carry his mother's love with him, no matter what.

Up Next: Naked

In case you're worried about the next chapter, it takes place during Season 11, Episode 3 "Steps Forward." There will be no actual description of nudity - just thoughts and feelings laid bare.