A Hearties Story: Watching the Twins

Chapter 4: tentative ending

"I didn't think it was safe to go checking by the mines but that's the only place I could think of her going!" Mrs. Sullivan cried. Jack spoke up, " Well, why don't you go out by the lake maybe she just wanted to take that special route home to pick some flowers." Jack said as a way to keep the grieving mother away from the dangerous mine because he knew how unsafe that area was and he saw the look in her eyes that said she was about to go anyway.

Mrs. Sullivan stepped out and headed towards the lake just as Elizabeth grabbed her coat.

"Elizabeth, no!" Jack said gently grabbing her arm, " I am not letting you go in there! It's to dangerous!" Jack said worry clear on his face.

"To dangerous for a little girl wanting to be closer to her father." Elizabeth shot back.

"I'll go, and look for her you stay here with your family were its safe, please Elizabeth. What about the twins!" Jack reasoned.

" I know where she is I've been in that mine time and time again Jack ! It won't take long to find her." Elizabeth responded stubbornly.

Her mother gasped in the background surprised to here that her daughter had been in a mine, multiple times at that. Jack and Elizabeth stared at each other waiting for the other to cave first.

"I'm coming with you then, you are not going in there alone, Elizabeth." Jack said stiffly. Julie called out, "I will gladly watch Erin and Lucas while you to are saving the day." Julie said with a smile and a wink sent towards her sister.

With that Jack helped Elizabeth into her cape and they took off on two horses towards the mine. Elizabeth was right, Rosaleen was in the mine this time just walking around her hand skimming the walls, as she hummed a sort of lullaby.

"Rosaleen, sweetie we need to leave the mine...it isn't safe right now." Elizabeth said soothingly crouching down in front of the small child.

Rosaleen looked up at Jack and smiled, "okay, I just missed daddy, sorry for worrying you guys and momma. I didn't think any one would notice."

Jack crouched down next to Elizabeth and opened up his arms, "Rosaleen, there is something you should now," he said as Rosallen stepped into his arms and Jack picked her up to carry her, " Your momma and the people of this town love you very much, we love you enough to notice when you disappear."

They walked out of the mine just as Rosaleen's mother walked up the path. She started running as soon as she saw Rosaleen. Jack passed her off to her mother when she approached. Mrs. Sullivan thanked the two and walked off back towards the row houses with her daughter, leaving Jack and Elizabeth alone. Elizabeth sighed, "That poor girl I can't even imagine what she's been through..." Her voice trailing off. She sharply turned to Jack, " Jack don't die on me don't you ever dare die on me, I know your job is dangerous but promise me you will always come back home, to me."

The phrase, 'back home to me' caught Jack off guard but he liked the sound of it. Coming home to Elizabeth instead of an empty jail house sounded wonderful. Jack took Elizabeth's face in his hands and looked intently down at her, "I promise you, I will always fight for my life to get back to you, but even if I don't make it back physically know that I will always be with you right here." Jack said as he gently tapped her heart before bending down and capturing her lips with his. Jack pulled away. "Now I have to get you back home so you can babysit Erin and Lucas and spend time with your family."

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The tentative ending because this is just a one-shot and yeah writers block so .... Yeah ! Any way thanks for reading !!! I know I didn't make parts of it as funny as a group of us discussed on face book back in April but I think I might have just been in a bad mood or something writing that scene, I'm not sure. I'm not entirely happy with this chapter so is May get re-written but for now I just wanted to get it to a point where it wasn't a cliffhanger even though I have writers block..... So again open to suggestions :)