Chapter Text
Autumn had arrived in Hope Valley. The air was crisp and all around them, nature displayed her richest tapestry. Elizabeth laughed jovially with Rosemary who was filling her in on the latest news about Hope Valley. As they talked, they walked through the town they loved.
Nathan stepped out from the cafe, joining their conversation. She reached for him as he stood beside her, love in her eyes. All felt right in Elizabeth’s world. She had followed her heart, faced her fears, made peace with her past, and now she lived in the love and freedom her choices had given her. It was a beautiful day. A beautiful life.
Without warning, they were interrupted by shouting. Robert, Cooper, and Toby ran toward them, fear on their faces.
“Mrs Thornton, it’s Jack! He disappeared!”
“What do you mean he disappeared?” she asked slowly.
Robert began to explain but Elizabeth’s mind raced ahead, barely listening. Disappeared? Her baby…her son…gone? The world about them seemed to shift suddenly from crisp to cold.
“Jack doesn’t wander…” Elizabeth said weakly.
Beside her, Nathan immediately jumped into action, allowing his training to take over, asking that the boys lead him to Jack’s last known location while Rosemary ran in the opposite direction to summon help. Elizabeth numbly followed Nathan, feeling his arm go around her as he began to walk briskly toward the woods.
“I’ll check the school,” she suggested, breaking away from the group.
Nathan nodded, watching her go for a moment before catching up to the boys. They led him to a particular spot at the edge of the woods by an open field. They had watched Jack follow an errant baseball through there. When he hadn’t returned after a few minutes, they went after him, and when they found no trace, they had run for help. Nathan stopped them from going any further.
“I don’t need anyone else to search for today. Can you all check around town?” he suggested, knowing how easy it was to get turned around in a thick grove of trees.
He searched the area, calling Jack’s name loudly. Struggling to keep his heart from taking the lead, he forced his mind to focus on the skill set that would serve him well. Carefully he looked for clues. A footprint, a toy, a hat, anything but nothing caught his well trained eye.
Retracing his steps, he stepped back out of the woods as Elizabeth rounded the corner. He could see the question in her eyes, desperate hoping.
“No,” he said answering her silent plea, “I didn’t find him.”
Elizabeth collapsed into his arms, the tears she’d held back now falling relentlessly. Nathan held her tightly, wanting nothing more than to take her pain away and bring her baby home.
“Why don’t you go home? I’ll keep looking for him and check in with Rosemary to see who else is out there. We’re going to find him, Lizbeth.”
“No,” she replied, echoing his earlier statement. “I can’t. I can’t just go home when my son is lost.”
Her words came out louder than she intended, grief and fear cloaked in anger. How was he staying so calm when her world was crumbling?
“Okay, then come with me,” Nathan agreed, reaching for her hand.
Elizabeth slipped her hand into his and allowed herself to be led across town, feeling both everything and nothing. Nathan turning toward the saloon, a natural headquarters for their search.
“He’s probably just playing and got turned around or doesn’t realize how much time has passed,” Nathan tried to encourage but inside he contemplated more dire possibilities. Could he be hurt somewhere? Or taken?
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Little Jack awoke slowly from an unnatural slumber, uncertain of his surroundings.
“Mommy?” he called out softly, expecting her familiar and calming face to be at his side any moment.
“Mommy?” he called again, looking around the unfamiliar cabin.
“Hello, my sweet child,” a new voice said. “It’s mama.”
Jack shrunk away, unsure of the woman who stood before him, reaching her hands out toward him.
“Oh we’re going to have so much fun, my sweet child.”