AN: Hello my fellow hearties! I was inspired to write this when after watching season one and two in preparation for the season three premiere! Now, I obviously cannot say what will happen in season 3, because I am merely a fan of the show. But the love between Jack and Elizabeth is one that I felt inspired to write about. So, here's a fic from a perfect world where the Stage was late and Charles didn't ruin everything in the season two finale.

One

"Class dismissed!" Elizabeth said, and rang the cowbell that she kept on her desk. She couldn't help but smile, knowing that Jack would soon be there to take her riding. "Jack." She said quietly, and her smile grew wider as she remembered the look in his eye when he had told her that he loved her. She pulled on her coat, and stood by her desk, waiting anxiously. She watched the children file out, some of them throwing "Good bye Miss Thatcher"'s and "See ya' tomorrow"'s over their shoulders. She found herself fidgeting and let out a shaky breath. "Stop being so silly, Elizabeth. You're only going for a ride."

"Are you talking to yourself?" She felt a slow smile spread across her face, and she set down her papers as she turned to face him.

"Of course not." She said, and took in the sight of him. He looked so very handsome and refined, standing there in the doorway of the school house that he had built for her.

"First you were talking to yourself, now you're staring at me with a slack jaw." Jack said, stepping forward and quickly closing the distance between them.

"Jack Thorton! I am- was not!" Elizabeth gasped, and put her hands on her hips. He took her pile of books from her desk, and offered her his arm. She smiled at him, and accepted it as they walked out of the school house together. It was only then that Elizabeth noticed that he didn't wear his red surge, or his typical everyday clothes. He was in his blue suit. "A little fancy for a ride, isn't it?"

"I don't know what you mean." Jack said.

"Your suit?" Elizabeth asked.

"What about it?" Jack asked nervously.

"Well, nothing I suppose. I'm not complaining, Jack, I think you look...very nice." Elizabeth said, and blushed. Jack admired her, with her flushed cheeks, and suddenly stopped walking. He had planned this all out, they would walk back to town, put her books at the cafe, and get the horses. They would ride out to a beautiful place, and then, he would ask her...But he suddenly found that he didn't want to wait so long. He glanced around- noticed the sun setting, reflecting on the lake, and thought that perhaps this view would do.

"Jack? Hello?" Elizabeth asked, squeezing his forearm a little. He turned to her with a smile, and very slowly, deliberately, he dropped down to one knee. Elizabeth gasped, and put her hand over her lips. "What are you doing? Jack, what are you doing?" Elizabeth asked, and he merely smiled, and reached into his pocket. "Jack?" She asked quietly.

"I had a plan for this, you see. I was going to take you riding out to this lovely place that I've been meaning to paint. I was going to do everything just so… But, I don't think I want to wait, even for another second...so…" He said, pulling a small wooden box from his pocket, and opening it easily with his thumb. "Elizabeth Thatcher, I love you, more than I thought it was possible to love anyone. I'm not Rich. I can't buy you a fancy house with marble floors, or fancy jewelry, or anything like that. But I can promise to love you, and to provide for you for the rest of your life….so, Elizabeth Thatcher, will you please, be my wife?" Elizabeth felt as if she were floating, and her heart was soaring. She glanced only briefly at the ring that rested in the plain wooden box, a silver band with a small, solitary pearl, surrounded by a dozen tiny stones. Nothing like the ring her father had given her mother, nothing like the ring her sister Viola had received. But it was perfect. Just like the man who was offering it to her. She looked into his beautiful eyes, and found herself speechless as she beheld the passion and utter devotion in them. "Well, will you?" He prompted.

"Yes." She managed, nodding vigorously. Jack grinned, rose from the ground, and pulled her into his arms for a kiss. Her arms went around his neck, and her fingers gently caressed his hair. "I love you." She said when they finally broke apart. He rested his forehead against hers, and pulled her left hand up to his chest. He stared at her hand, and noticed for the first time that it looked wrong without the ring he had purchased around her finger. He pulled back just enough to grab the ring, and slide it into place.

"Are you crying?" He asked when he looked up from her hands. He gently brushed the tears from her cheeks, and cradled her face in his hands. "Happy tears I hope."

"Of course. How could I be sad right now, Jack! I'm so incredibly happy." She promised, and kissed his lips. She glanced down at the ring that she suddenly felt had been missing from her hand for her entire life. "I get to spend my life with you."

"Absolutely." He nodded, grinning broadly. He kissed her hand tenderly, wrapped it in his own, and gently tugged on her arm. "Shall we?"

"Where are we going exactly?" Elizabeth laughed, not resisting.

"I thought we could go for that ride." He suggested.

"I'd like that." Elizabeth smiled. "But could we stop by the cafe first?"

"You want to tell Abigail." He said with a knowing smile.

"Yes!" She laughed.

"Of course. We've got to put these away anyhow." Jack said, gesturing to the books he'd set aside during his impromptu proposal. Elizabeth nodded, but her head was spinning. She was engaged- engaged! To Jack, to the man she loved more than life itself! She was going to be a mounties wife. She laughed at the thought. "What's funny, Miss Thatcher?"

"I was just thinking of the time when you told me that if the mounties wanted you to have a wife they would have issued you one." She explained with a sly smile.

"As I recall those words almost led to a disaster." Jack laughed. Elizabeth blushed as she thought of Billy Hamilton, the way he had treated her, the way he had humiliated her.

"I don't want to think about that. Not today, or ever, really." She insisted. She stopped walking, and turned to face him. "But especially not today. Not on the best day of my life...so far."

"So far?"

"Well, I can only hope- only pray, that there will be even better days ahead of us, Constable Thornton." Elizabeth smiled. She envisioned their wedding day, and all of the things that would come with marriage, and grinned even wider. And how could Jack resist leaning in to kiss her when she looked so absolutely beautiful?

"There will be." he promised, and they resumed their walk. Elizabeth held up her hand, and looked at the ring again. "I know it's not much-"

"Don't you start that Jack Thornton. It's perfect. It's absolutely perfect." Elizabeth assured him. "It's more beautiful than anything I ever dreamed of."

"That's what I think when I look at you." Jack said. Elizabeth sighed dreamily, and laced her arm through his to pull him closer to her.

"I'm so glad." Elizabeth said after a moment.

"Hm?"

"That this mountie decided he wanted a wife after all." Elizabeth explained.

"Well, It wasn't really a choice." He shrugged, and she looked at him with big, confused eyes. "When you love someone, as much as I love you, the only thing you want is to be with that person forever. And because...well, another more selfish reason."

"What's that?" Elizabeth asked warily.

"I want all of the men to know that you're mine." He said gesturing to the ring.

"I think they already know that." Elizabeth laughed. "And if they didn't, believe me, I'd be quick to tell them...I like the idea of being yours...but not as much as I like the idea of you being mine."

"Good. Because you're stuck with me now." Jack grinned.

"I wouldn't say stuck…" Elizabeth said. "Blessed, maybe." By now they had entered the town, and people were looking at them, with almost knowing smiles. "Jack, Is everyone staring at us? Or am I imagining things?"

"Why shouldn't they stare? Have you seen yourself? You're beautiful." Jack said.

"Jack." Elizabeth mock scolded.

"Just being honest." He shrugged. She smiled at him as they walked up the steps to the cafe door.

"Aren't they so sweet together?" Cat Montgomery said with a smile after they'd gone in.

"I think that they need to learn to be more reserved in public." Florence Blakely sniffed, but she too was wearing a smile.

"Oh, they're young and in love." Cat sighed. "I hear wedding bells already."

AN: There it was! Chapter one! Another coming soon! XOXO