Author's note: If you still haven't watched "My Heart Will Go On", this does reference events from that episode, so it could spoil things.

After last week's episode—which even with the emotional rollercoaster and Jack leaving, was probably by far my favorite episode—my mind would not stop running. I've made many attempts at writing little scenes in response to a week's episode, but I never finish before the next week, so they've remained on my hard drive. But this one, I could not get out of my head, and is my first, but hopefully not only, visit to Hope Valley in my writings.

Disclaimer: I do not own the characters within. All rights reserved to the creators and writers of When Calls the Heart and Crown Media.

Abigail made her way to Elizabeth's rowhouse, carrying a basket of blueberry muffins, as she knew they were one of her favorites. She had been both proud and worried for her friend since the recital the previous evening. No one would have blamed Elizabeth at all if she had needed the time to herself after Jack's departure that morning. Everyone in town was feeling the loss in his absence, and knew it must have been infinitely more difficult on her. As usual, though, the needs of her students and the promises she made came first, despite her own pain.

However, when she excused herself shortly thereafter, with barely restrained tears, Abigail's first instinct was to follow and make sure she was all right. She knew that Elizabeth was strong and could withstand just about anything, but watching her friend's heart shattering before her eyes was breaking her own. Yet, she knew Cody needed her right now, having grown very attached to Jack as well, and she decided to check on her at first light.

When Abigail knocked on the door, she received no response, so she tried the doorknob, surprised to find it unlocked. She cracked it open, softly calling Elizabeth's name and halting as she spotted her seated in the armchair, staring at the wall in front of her. She was surprised to find her already changed for the day, hair fixed, but still sitting still as a statue, appearing as if she had no intention to move.

"Elizabeth, did you sleep at all?" Abigail asked as she entered and closed the door behind her, and the ache in her chest grew as Elizabeth turned her head to look at her. Her red, swollen eyes were the only answer she needed, but Elizabeth shook her head and spoke.

"No. I tried but I couldn't," she answered, her voice crackling with her raw throat, turning her eyes back to the wall. "It may seem ridiculous and improper, but the last time I slept was in the church, and I had Jack beside me and I was in his arms. I wouldn't trade that for anything, but now, when I close my eyes, I feel him there. And it's wonderful and I feel so warm, until I open my eyes and he's gone."

Abigail's gaze followed Elizabeth's to find Jack's drawing of the two of them, that had hung in the jail for ages, now situated there.

"I needed it here with me," Elizabeth's soft voice sounded suddenly, and Abigail turned to face her, watching another tear fall in the path of the obvious evidence of many before it. "A piece of him. That's why I was late to the recital last night. I stopped at the jail and brought it back here."

"That is more than understandable, Elizabeth," Abigail said gently as she moved toward her, sitting down on the seat beside her and placing the basket between them. "It is also understandable if you need a few days to yourself after all of this. No one would hold it against you."

Elizabeth immediately shook her head. "Being alone is the last thing I need right now. I thought I would, but all I did last night was sit here and think, and the only thing that accomplished was making me miss him more. I also thought I was stronger than this, Abigail. I fell in love with a Mountie, and I made the decision to follow my heart. To brave everything that spending my life with him would and could entail, and now that it's staring me in the face, I'm falling apart. I knew what could happen, even before Doug, or Superintendent Collins' initial offer. He has to follow his calling as much as I do, but I took it for granted that he would never leave Hope Valley. Or if he had to, I would be going with him, as much as I would never want to leave, either. In so many ways, Hope Valley is my home, but Jack…he's my home in every way. Letting him go was the hardest thing I've ever done."

Abigail reached over to take Elizabeth's hand and gave it a gentle squeeze. "Nothing can ever prepare us for saying goodbye to the men we love, even if only for a little while. But you can't lose faith that God will bring him back."

"Faith. It's such an easy word to say, but an ideal that can be the most difficult to uphold," Elizabeth replied, turning her teary gaze to Abigail again. "Did our prayers and faith bring Doug back? Or any of the other men who lost their lives up there? When Jack left for Cape Fullerton, I was afraid of what might happen that could put him in danger, and my feelings for him were nothing compared to what they are now. I love him so much, I feel like I can't breathe sometimes, and now, it's not just what might happen. It is happening, and has happened. And Jack is going straight into the middle of it all…"

Abigail felt her own tears brimming in her eyes as she moved the basket to the side to wrap her arms around Elizabeth. She couldn't deny that the same thoughts had been plaguing her mind since they all watched Jack ride away, praying that it wouldn't be long before he'd be back again. He meant so much to the entire town, and held such a special place in her own heart. She'd come to love him as if he were her own son, and she thought coming so close to losing him to that bout of pneumonia the year before was terrifying and difficult to bear. To even think of never seeing him again was unbearable. And then there was the young woman sobbing softly in her arms, who had so much life ahead of her that she was looking forward to spending with him. Getting married, raising a family, and building a future together. She had already watched Clara struggle to move on after Peter, but she had meant what she'd said the night before; she had never met anyone as in love as Jack and Elizabeth. After everything they had gone through, and continued to go through, together, their bond was like nothing she'd ever seen before. She didn't even want to begin to imagine the level of heartbreak Elizabeth would endure if anything were to happen to him.

Elizabeth straightened and wiped at her eyes with her fingertips, taking a slow, steadying breath before looking to Abigail again. "I gave myself one night. To lose myself in my despair and heartache. Because if I continue to do this day after day, night after night, until God willing he's back with me, I'll be paralyzed. I can't live like that, and I can't do that to my students, now that I finally have my classroom back. I must try to find my faith and believe that Jack and I were meant to have a future together, and focus on that."

"I have every faith in that, Elizabeth," Abigail replied with an encouraging smile and squeeze of her hand. "And in you. You'll find it."

Elizabeth held Abigail's hand for a moment and then rose from her seat. "I guess I should go prepare for my first day back."

Abigail's eyes glanced to the clock and then back to Elizabeth. "Isn't that still a few hours away?"

Elizabeth nodded as she grabbed her shawl and wrapped it around her shoulders. "Yes, but I have a lot to catch up on, and I have a stop to make first."

Abigail reached into the basket and extracted one of the muffins and a napkin, taking it over to her. When Elizabeth tried to protest and say she wasn't hungry, Abigail wrapped it in the napkin, taking her hands and placing it in them. "You will be, and you need to take care of yourself."

Elizabeth relented with a small nod, before she stepped outside and began making her way toward the livery.

Upon reaching the top of the hill, Elizabeth dismounted her horse and took in the expanse of the view before her… Jack's land. The site of their future home and life together. After a gentle stroke to the horse's mane, she stepped forward and knelt on the grass, closing her eyes and trying to envision it all.

A modest white house, two stories. A barn out back for their chickens and goat—she couldn't help the chuckle that escaped at the memory of Jack stating that so seriously. And a porch out back, where they could sit and watch their children run and play as the sun set, before tucking them in for the night and retiring to their own feather bed, wrapped in each other's arms.

Opening her eyes, she looked up to the sky, whispering into the air as she held her left hand against her heart and ran the thumb of her other hand over her engagement ring, "Please come back to me, Jack."