A/N Just a few things:

1. I don't own these characters, Hallmark does.

2. This is the first of two stories I'm working on. My current plan is to alternate which one I update each week (meaning each one will be updated every other week). However, I am a full time graduate student, so there are no guarantees that I will be able to stick with this schedule in the long term.

3. I have a big chunk of this already written. That being said, I welcome any comments or suggestions on things that you guys would like to see in this story.

Now, on with the story...

...

I awakened, drenched in sweat. My throat was raw, as if I had been screaming. Hot tears slid down my cheeks. It took a moment for me to realize that it had all been a dream. There was no Mountie standing in front of me, no horrible news. I rolled over and reached out into the empty space in the bed beside me. I needed Jack to come home. I'd had the nightmares for years, but they had been happening more frequently. It was becoming harder to shake the sickening feeling they brought. Jack had to be okay. He told me there was no danger with this assignment; he would be fine. It was an honor for him to be asked. I took a few deep breaths and closed my eyes. I longed for a peaceful night of rest, but knew that it wouldn't come until Jack was safe beside me again.

The sun was barely peeking over the horizon when I awakened the next morning. I was exhausted, having spent the rest of the night tossing and turning, my mind always returning to the nightmare. It had been so real. I had felt the foggy mist against my skin. I had felt the gravel beneath my knees as my legs buckled. I had felt Abigail's hand on my back, comforting me.

Abigail. I had promised to meet her at the café before school. I stood from the bed and pulled my clothes from the wardrobe. I paused for a moment, my fingers grazing the lace of the wedding gown hanging in the back of the wardrobe. Memories from that day flooded into my mind. The wedding had just been a few weeks ago; it felt like a lifetime. I smiled, remembering the look on Jack's face as I had walked down the aisle toward him, the feeling of my hands in his as we said our vows. I brought my fingers to my lips, remembering our first kiss as husband and wife. I couldn't wait to see his face, to feel his touch again.

I pulled myself away from the memories and dressed quickly, knowing Abigail would be waiting for me. I laid a few books in my basket and headed out the door and toward the café. I smiled at the few people I passed in the street, trying to ignore the knot in my stomach that hadn't gone away since the nightmare.

Abigail looked up as I walked through the door. "Good morning, Elizabeth."

I smiled and took a seat at an empty table. She set a scone and a cup of tea in front of me.

"Elizabeth, are you feeling okay?"

I nodded. "Yes. I'm just a little tired."

"Are you still having the nightmares?"

I fidgeted with the napkin in my lap. "Yes. They're getting worse."

"Elizabeth… Maybe you should take the day off and rest. I'm sure Rosemary wouldn't mind watching over the children today."

I shook my head. "No. I need the distraction. I'll be okay, Abigail." I reached for the basket I had set on the floor beside me. "Thank you for breakfast. I should get to school."

"You hardly touched your food."

I shrugged. "My stomach is just a little upset today. Really, don't worry about me, Abigail. I'll see you later."

She just watched me silently as I pushed my chair from the table and headed out the door.

I kept my head down as I walked toward the school, fighting a wave a nausea that had come over me. I sat on the steps of the building, hoping that the fresh air would clear my head. The gravel crunched as the children made their way down the lane. I took a deep breath and smiled as they approached me. One day at a time, I told myself. I just had to get through today.

The rest of the week progressed in the same fashion. I still wasn't sleeping; the nightmare had begun occurring every single night. The lack of sleep was catching up with me. I felt ill the entire week, and I couldn't wait for the weekend. I needed a break, a chance to just slow down and rest.

The children seemed to sense that I had been feeling off. They had been on their very best behavior, helping one another and keeping focused on their work. I didn't have to intervene in any disagreements the entire week, and for that, I was thankful.

Abigail told me she was worried about me every single time I saw her. She tried to talk me into staying with her until Jack came home. I reassured her that I would be fine. I knew I wouldn't sleep any better if I stayed with her. She sat with me almost every evening. She seemed to be afraid of what would happen if I was left alone for too long.

I dreaded going to sleep every night. Jack and I had only spent a few weeks together after the wedding before he had to report to his new posting, but I had quickly gotten used to falling asleep beside him. Even though it had been over a month since Jack left, it was still difficult sleeping in an empty bed. It seemed that every night was the same. I woke up after having the same nightmare. I was always drenched in sweat, despite the chill in the night air. It always felt so real, leaving a knot in my stomach for the rest of the day.

...

The weekend finally arrived. I put away all my school things, planning to do nothing but relax for the entire day. I grabbed a book and curled up on the sofa. I made it through a few chapters before my exhaustion took over and I found myself dozing off.

Unfortunately, even my nap was infiltrated by the nightmare. Once again, I awakened in a cold sweat, screaming Jack's name. My heart was racing, and it took a moment for me to gain control over my breathing. I ran my fingers through my sleep-tousled hair, trying to pull myself away from the dream and back to reality.

I jumped when there was a knock at the door. I wasn't expecting any visitors, but I assumed it must be Abigail coming over to check on me.

I was surprised when I opened the door to see Rosemary.

"Elizabeth, can I come in?"

"Um, sure." I moved aside so she could enter the house.

She went straight to the sofa and sat down. "Elizabeth," she sighed and motioned for me to join her.

I sat beside her. "Is something wrong?"

"I'm worried about you. I know you're still having the nightmares."

"Did you talk to Abigail?"

She shook her head. "Do you forget how thin these walls are? Anyway, I assume you haven't really been sleeping?"

"No, not since I left Jack in Fort Clay." I twisted the rings on my left hand.

"We want to help you, Elizabeth. You're going to make yourself ill. Even the children know that something isn't right."

"I'm just so worried about Jack. I know he said this assignment wasn't dangerous, but I feel like this nightmare that I keep having is some sort of premonition." I felt tears filling my eyes as I finally started to explore my feelings. "It's been so long since I've heard from him. I can't help thinking there must be a reason for that."

A sob caught in my throat. Rosemary put her arms around me, and I broke down. I had been suppressing all of my emotions as I tried to get through each day without Jack. Once I let myself sit in those feelings, the tears wouldn't stop.

Rosemary stayed with me for the rest of the afternoon, letting me talk through my worries. I think it was the first time she let someone else dominate the conversation. I was thankful for her company. I thought I wanted to spend my weekend alone, but the time with Rosemary was cathartic and very much needed. I felt a little better by the time she left in the evening—not anywhere near normal, but better.

That night, I fell asleep much more quickly than I had in weeks, though I still tossed and turned all night. I brought one of Jack's shirts to bed with me, hoping that it would help me feel closer to him. With my eyes closed, it was almost like he was there with me again. Almost.

...

Sunday morning arrived sooner than I hoped. I was still exhausted, and I still felt like I had a knot in the pit of my stomach.

I decided to stay home for the morning. I knew that Abigail would probably come to check on me when I didn't show up at church, but I couldn't get myself out of bed. Emotionally, I was feeling better. Physically, however, I was feeling much, much worse. My head was pounding, and every time I tried to sit up, I was hit with waves of dizziness.

All morning, I lay in bed, willing the room to stop spinning around me. Eventually, I was able to doze off, only to be awakened by a knock at the door. I could hear Abigail calling my name. The dizziness had subsided a bit, so I slowly made my way down the stairs, holding the wall to ensure I didn't fall over.

Abigail had a spare key, and she let herself in before I made it to the base of the stairs. She placed a pot on the table before she rushed over to me. "Elizabeth? Are you okay?" She helped me across the room and into a chair.

I shook my head. "I'm not feeling great today. I woke up feeling terribly dizzy, and I've had a horrible headache all morning."

"I hope you aren't coming down with something." She stood and pulled out two bowls and began filling them. "Here, I brought some soup. I figured you probably weren't feeling well since you missed church, and you really should eat something."

"Abigail, I'm fine."

She put her hand on top of mine. "Just humor me, please."

I sighed and lifted the spoon to my mouth.

"I heard Rosemary came over yesterday."

I nodded. "We had a good talk. I think I worked through some things."

She smiled. "I'm glad to hear it. You know, Elizabeth, I don't want to tell you what to do, but maybe you should go see Carson soon. You've been feeling poorly for a while now."

I looked down at the table. "I know."

"I can walk with you to town later, if you want. Maybe the fresh air will do you some good."

"Okay." I knew there was no point in arguing with her. There was something about Abigail that made it impossible to go against her.

A few hours later, I was feeling well enough to walk to town. Darkness was falling. Abigail's arm was looped through mine. We were both quiet as we walked. I kept my eyes on the ground, focusing on the crunch of the gravel beneath our feet. I pulled my shawl tighter around me as we reached Main Street and a cold breeze blew.

I looked up and felt my stomach drop at the familiar scene in front of me. There was a man in a red jacket, riding slowly toward the center of town. His face was obscured by the fog that had rolled in earlier that evening. I froze. This was it. This was my nightmare. Only this time, I wasn't sleeping. I felt Abigail's hand on my arm, steadying me as I trembled. I knew there had to be a reason why I couldn't shake the feeling that something bad was going to happen, and here it was. My mind couldn't even form the words that I expected to hear from the young Mountie, words I had heard too many times in my dreams. Before the man on the horse had even reached us, I found myself sliding to the ground. The night grew darker around me, then silence fell.

...

"Elizabeth?" I felt Abigail's hand on my shoulder, trying to rouse me. "Elizabeth, wake up."

I blinked sleepily. "What happened? Where am I?"

"You're in the infirmary." Faith's voice this time. "You collapsed."

I reached my hand to my head, feeling a faint throbbing in my temples. I must've hit my head when I fell.

Suddenly, the memory of the night hit me, knocking the breath out of my chest. "Jack," I croaked.

"What is it, Elizabeth?" Abigail took my hand in hers.

"He's gone, isn't he?"

She looked confused.

"That Mountie. He was coming to tell me that Jack…" My voice trailed off, unable to finish the thought. "It was exactly like the nightmare. The fog, the darkness, the gravel digging into my knees." Tears threatened to spill over my eyelids as I thought about the news that the Mountie had been bringing to me. I swallowed a sob. How could he really be gone? Jack. My Jack. My husband. The room spun. I sat up and reached for the bowl sitting on the table beside the bed and emptied the contents of my stomach into it.

Faith rushed over, handing me a glass of water. I took small sips in between sobs. Darkness began to close in on me once more. Abigail took the glass from me. She said something—almost inaudibly—just as consciousness left me.