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It was early in the morning, the sun has just began to truly shine upon Valentine, the air was still chilly and the townfolks are still inside their houses, well, most of them are. Still having breakfast and sitting in silence, probably.
You, on the other hand, were already outside joining a few early birds on the muddy path. Greeting them good morning when you passed them. Originally you didn’t plan leaving your home in this early stages of the day, but the lack of bread and produce inside your houseets were making you, and your stomach, rather disappointed.
So with that, you grabbed your basket and a few dollars and headed to the general store not far away from your little house, still it was a good ten minute walk, since you lived rather outside of valentine. Not far but not too close.
After rambling about gossip with the man behind the bar and actually purchasing the things you needed, you finally said your goodbyes and left the store with fresh bread and some canned fish with biscuits, just for a little treat.
There were more people outside now, daily life has officially begun. Walking down the muddy path your eyes fell on a little boy sitting on the edge of the porch at the gunsmith with no parent in sight. He looked so young too, around one or two, maybe three but even that, was pushing it.
Some unruly dirty blond hair was being played with by the soft breeze, his little feet were dangling on the edge and he was still munching on his fingers, like it was the best thing he had ever eaten. Black scarf was wrapped around his neck and he was wearing blue overalls with a simple white tee underneath it, he even had a little cowboy hat hanging on his back, he was adorable.
Motherly instincts kicked in and your first thought was to go up to him and ask him about his parents, not that he could possibly talk, maybe just a few words. But even if you wouldn’t get anything coherent out of him, you could wait until his parents are back, yeah, that sounded like a plan.
Walking up to him you crouched down, getting your skirt potentially muddy, but that was the least of your worries, you could just simply wash it later, the growing inside your stomach was more concerning, yet you ignored it for his sake.
“Hi baby” you cooed sweetly taking his small hands into yours. Letting him wrap his fingers around yours. “Where are your parents, hmh?”
He just started babbling and smiling down at you happily. Kicking his feet and even giggling, as if you just told him a joke.
“No mum or dad in sight huh?...” You sighed looking around, trying to find familiar faces to his. Yet you saw none.
“Dada” He muffled, munching on his black scarf, getting it all drenched with saliva.
“Yes! Dada! Where is he, pretty baby?” You beamed at him standing up and taking him into your arms. For such a small thing sure he was heavy as a salt bag.
“I ain’t seein’ him baby…” Your lips curved down into a pout. “You hungry hmh? I have some biscuits.”
You were met with a giggle again. Your heart was ready to burst out from it’s cage. He was a walking sugarrush.
“Or uuuh! I have a better idea! How about…we get you some candy hmh?” He was smiling at you so fondly so you took that as a yes.
You knew that this was sort of a bad idea, all the possible outcomes ran trough your head in a flash. Parents coming back, they freak out, accuse you of kidnapping or such and then you would have a nice day behind bars trying to explain the situation to the sherif without him listening to you, or shutting you up for that matter
Regardless you took him back to the store, buying some candy for him. You weren’t sure if this would be something safe for him to eat, the candy wasn’t per se, you were just worried about everything now as it seemed.
You were just opening the door when you hear a man yelling someones name frantically.
“Isaac! Isaac where are ya boy?!” A deep raspy voice echoed trough the houses and trough your ears too. Was he looking for the little boy?
When the man in question spotted you standing there frozen with the boy in your arms, his expression quickly changed from worried to furious, and it was safe to say, your heart was once again trying to go into overdrive.
Seeing him angrily approaching you, you were quick to take a few steps back before words found their way out your lips.
“A-A-A!” Putting your free hand out the man stopped a few feet away from you. “Before you do anything, let me explain.”
“You ain’t explainin’ a damned thing woman. You took my child.” He stated pointing at the boy, Isaac was his name as it turns out, and you had to look twice to see the resemblance.
“He was left alone in the street!”
“I went in to get my rifle cleaned! I was in there for five minutes!”
“Yeah well–....Someone could’ve taken him!”
“You did!”
You parted your lips to speak but you quickly closed it because, as much as you didn’t like to admit, he was right, you did take Isaac, but you had a right reason…
“Besides Lady, if someone took my kid I would’ve put a bullet in their head.” His eyes raked up and down at you, it was distasteful, he was shooting daggers at you in his mind you were sure.
“Give the boy back.”
“No” The word left you mouth faster than you could actually stop it from leaving. His eyes narrowed and yours widened, holding Isaac tighter who was munching on candy.
“What if he’s not yours? What if you just tryin’ to take him, hmh?”
The man tipped his head back and groaned, clearly he was frustrated with this situation and did not want to deal with you and you making a scene. “God give me strength.”
“He’s mine, I knew I made him, now give him back to me woman.” He stepped closer to you trying to take Isaac away but you pulled away.
“Dada!” Isaac pointed at the angry man.
Your eyes danced between Isaac and his dad who was giving a deadpan look towards you. With a sigh you looked at Isaac with a saddened look and handed him back to his father, who now, looked much more relieved.
“Lucky for you I’m not the one who likes to involve the law in these situations.”
“If I wouldn’t have given him back to you, would you have resort to physical things?”
“What? God no!” He flipped at you now seemingly frustrated again. “I would never touch a woman in the wrong way, lady.”
Well at least, according to him, he was a gentle man.
“Look, I know you meant no harm, but takin’ my kid without permission and anythin’ like that, almost gave me a heart attack.”
“So you do understand that, I was just, worried?”
“Sure.”
“So uhm…You won’t…take me into the sheriffs office?”
“Nope.” His lips pulled into a thin line as he shook his head once. “I’m still mad at ya though.”
“Got it…Mr…-”
“Morgan. Arthur Morgan.”
“Mr.Morgan.”
“He’s lovely by the way.” You added pointing at Isaac who were reaching his chubby fingers towards you.
“He seems to be found of you as well lady.”
“Well, I’m sure he likes his mum more.”
Suddenly that small smile Arthur had on his face disappeared, noticing it, yours did too in that instant.
“Ouh…I-..I didn’t know. I’m so sorry…”
“No, it’s okay, you didn’t mean to.”
Standing there awkwardly, Arthur adjusted Isaac, holding him on his side before clearing his throat, getting your attention.
“We should go now…Thank you uhm…worrying for my son.”
“Y-Yeah! Anytime…guess…” You said quickly trying to force words out of yourself while a big lump was inside your throat, stuck there, preventing you from normally communicating.
Watching them go away, stepping down the porch and listening to Arthur talking to Isaac in the distance, picking up on him scolding his son lightheartedly for causing him more trouble than hes in already. Clearly he was not a bad man…nor a bad dad.
You felt lonely all of a sudden. The weight of Isaac’s weight in your arms left an ache in your chest and stomach. Reminding you that this was something you could never have. At first you took the fact that you were infertile good, but as time went by, it left an aching pain inside your heart, you wanted to have a family of your own. Yet you couldn’t.
Nevertheless you took a deep breath and gathered yourself, wiping away the unshead tears from your eyes and just, taking a moment to soothe yourself. Usually you tried not to think about it, knowing that it would rip some bandaids up, and you didn’t want to deal with those bruises and scars this caused you.
You just hoped, even if it was useless, that maybe, just maybe, you just haven’t met the right man yet. You have been with a few men in the last couple of years. But all of them fled knowing there wasn’t a possibility of a family with you.
Sure it hurted like, a lot, but you always managed to get back from the heartbreak and you always found yourself again every single time. You tried to understand that it wasn’t your fault. That if someone truly loved you they would, either, look for another another option, like adoption, or just give it up and just loving you the way you are.
Arthur and Isaac had been long gone since, probably they hopped on their horse and went back wherever they lived. The thought seeing them again passed trough your mind. You wanted to see them again, for some reason. Maybe it was because the encounter with Arthur. Definitely something that would live in your head for a couple of days…weeks…maybe months, you didn’t know.
Walking back towards your house, you would think about what kind of person Arthur really was. What kind of job did he do? What kind of personality did he really have? What kind of friends or family did he have? All these questions unanswered. Or maybe you were just thinking too much into this encounter. But then again, you always had a habit of wondering about people you met and talked with.
However those thoughts were pushed away by the everyday work you needed to do. Washing clothes, cooking, cleaning, feeding the only horse you had since the age of fifteen, took away all the time to think about anything else. And of course there was the small garden you had in the backyard.
This was your daily life, other than sometimes going to emerald ranch to keep in touch with friends you had since childhood, and of course, going to work to the saloon, trimming and cutting men’s hair. They were sweet people. Penelope would always greet you with tea and herbs to take home. While her husband Scotty would give you beef he’d gotten from his hunting trips. But that was just an example.
It was friday now, two days have passed since then and you went back to you normal and rather quiet life. You were outside in the garden pulling some carrots out of the soil, coming out in all various sizes. Your attempt to grow potatoes failed once again. Last season you tried too but you only got like a few.
Disappointed, but not surprised, you put everything into the little basket you bought outside and kept going, harvesting a few peppers and tomatoes in silence, occasionally some people on their horses passed by on the road a few meters away from your house.
“Little lady!” Someone called out from the distance.
Looking up, practically bolting up from crouching, your eyes were wide open, you spotted Arthur on his horse, leaning on the saddle horn with a small smile on his face. Bunching up your skirt, you were quick to leave your garden, running towards him.
“Mr.Morgan! Good to see you again.”
“Yeah well, we are in a better…meetin’ situation now.”
Your face flushed with embarrassment, remembering the scene you have caused with taking Isaac away from him earlier this week. Seems like he hasn’t forgotten either, but again, why would he?
“All yours?” He nodded towards the house.
“Ah that?...Yeah! Inherited from my dad.” You looked back at your modest little house and then back to him. “You shaved your beard…It was longer last time I saw it.”
“It needed a good ol’ trim.” He said rubbing his hand over his stubble.
“Where’s Isaac?”
“I am a bit offended that ya upset with only seein’ me”
“Oh! I didn’t mean it like that!” You panicked.
A deep rumble of laughter came from his lips shaking his head. “I was just messin’ with you lady, no need to panic.” He told you putting a hand on your shoulder.
“The troublemaker is back at the camp. He’s stayin’ with family while I go and get somethin’ to put on the table ya know?”
“Makes sense..” You mumbled shifting your weight from one foot to the other. “Tea?” You asked looking up at him putting your hand together hoping he would accept. “Or is it urgent?”
Arthur seemed to hesitate for a few seconds, chewing the offer left and right. “Fine. A tea won’t hurt nobody.” He said getting off his horse and leading it towards your house.
After brewing some fresh tea, you poured him and yourself a cup and sat down across him at you circular table in the kitchen. “So…Mr.Morgan.”
“Arthur, please.”
“Arthur….” Smiling into your cup you repeated his name. Trying to feel how it sounds and tastes. “I was wondering about how you spend you days ya know?”
He tensed and the cup froze in the air, looking at you up and down, just like he did back in front of the general store. He was sizing you up, trying to figure it out if he could trust you with that information. Which worried you a little. Did you let a criminal into your house?
“Listen, little lady, what I do is…Listen I’m a bad man but I won’t hurt ya, promise.”
“Okaay…” Smiling awkwardly you urged him to continue.
“Ever heard about Van der Linde gang?”
“Somewhere I did…But I don’t know much.” You shrugged. Realising what he meant you just stared at him shocked. “Are you?! Oh gods…So...robbin’ people and trains?...Banks?” Your eyebrows knitted together.
“Somethin’ like that…” Arthur mumbled and took a sip out of his tea. “I’m not sayin’ that you should trust me, but if I wanted to rob you, I would have already done so.”
Fair enough… Despite that you didn’t exactly trust him, yet. Regardless of that, and the fact that he was, in fact, a criminal, you tried to understand him. Why he was doing it and that the gang was his family, and not just some group of people who liked to cause trouble to others, they had dreams and wanted a life beyond this. As you gathered by Arthur talking about them.
“Thank you for the tea, little lady.” Arthur finished his cup of tea almost after an hour. Things went by fast when you enjoyed one’s company, and talking to Arthur was rather pleasant, by the end of it you even felt comfortable. He wasn’t a bad man. Not at all.
“You’re always welcome here Arthur.”
“I should get goin’ now.” Pushing himself away from the table he stood up and you followed him to the door and outside the porch.
“Maybe I’ll visit next time too.”
“Sounds lovely…” Beaming up at him with a bright smile you nodded.
“I won’t forget Isaac that time.”
That joke earned a laughter from you. Watching him get his horse and sitting up on it, you waved him goodbye until he was no longer visible, not even in the far far distance. You wished he could’ve stayed for a bit longer though…
Isaac and Arthur did visit, often too. Almost twice every week. It gotten to a point when Arthur let you watch over Isaac, saying that he wanted him to have a life outside of the gang. He wanted him to have a normal life. Those were the times when you would bring him to work, or gardening outside, letting him get all muddy and then giving him a warm bath, reading him bedtime stories and such. These moments were your favourite. You felt like you had your own family, not only that, but both boys grew close to your heart, Arthur too.
In the past three months you have seen him, in almost every condition a man could have ever been. From getting out bullets to treating smaller scratches and bruises, you have seen everything. At first you almost passed out from worrying, even when he told you he was fine and survived worse than this. It did not help.
“You’re going back today?” You asked him sitting by the fireplace with Isaac in your lap sleeping already.
“No darlin’. Not today. Maybe tomorrow sure…” Arthur hummed quietly and pressed a kiss on the top of your head, sitting down next to you on the couch, bringing you closer to his side.
“Could get used to this ya know?...Just the three of us and nothing else to be worried about. You would go hunting with Isaac while I would clean and cook for you two. Hell, I would even learn how to use a gun properly with you two when he gets older.” A chuckle left your lips.
“It’s a sweet dream ain’t it?” Arthur smiled down at you fondly. You could see it in his eyes, he liked your idea too. “It’s just not possible yet, little lady. But I promise, you get what you want.” He whispered kissing your cheek.
──── ୨୧ ────
It was a quiet day, you had no work and you were home alone. You haven’t seen Arthur and Isaac in a while and it made you anxious a little, but you tried to brush it off as them being busy with the gang. Besides, Arthur always promised to come back to you. Like a faithful husband would, minus the wedding and the ring.
So with that you were going on with your day as usual, making dinner for yourself. This time you cooked mushroom soup because, every now and then, you would get sick of eating things with meat in it. So often you switched up whats getting on the table in the end of the day.
Only when you finished cleaning your plate you heard someone familiar calling your name before Arthur came in, looking worried and panting with Isaac in his arms crying. Which was rare, Isaac wasn’t a crier usually. Unless he was really scared of sick.
“Take care of him please, just for a few days.” He said putting Isaac into your hands.
“W-What? Why?!” Words failed you but at least you could utter these few out. “Arthur!” You called his name while he went back to his horse looking side to side. Almost as if he was running from someone.
“Just for a few days! I’ll tell you everythin’!”
And just like that he was already gone. Urging his horse into fast gallop bolting away, leaving you with a crying little boy in your arms.
The night was difficult, Isaac refused to sleep and he kept crying for his dad, which was reasonable, you didn’t know what he saw or what happened but this whole situation told you that Arthur and the gang was most likely in trouble. Getting Isaac to stop crying was a challenge in itself, you have tried everything. Lullabies, rocking him back and forth, shushing him everything! Yet nothing worked.
But after he tired himself out with crying he finally calmed down and fell asleep in your arms. You were extremely exhausted, but you had just enough energy to go upstairs to your room. Putting Isaac down next to you and getting into bed to get some sleep finally.
In the middle of the night you woke up to a loud bang coming from downstairs. Picking up Isaac and holding his head close to your neck, you quietly went downstairs only to find Pinkertons inside your livingroom.
“Ah if it isn’t Arthur Morgan’s beloved?” Agent Milton piped up keeping his hands on his belt.
“What do you want?”
“We want to know where Mr.Morgan is. I need him to take me to Dutch van der Linde.”
“I don’t know where he is.”
“You see, I don’t believe that for a minute.”
“I am telling the truth!”
Agent Milton was quick to draw his gun and point it towards you. Your body tensed and everything in you was frozen. Your arms held Isaac closer to your body trying to protect him or shield him. Even if it looked nearly impossible.
“Put the gun down and I might let you go.” Arthur’s deep angry voice gave you some comfort. The barrel of his gun was pressed into the back of Milton’s head, and now the agent was tense too. “They don’t have nothin’ to do with any of this. Let them be.”
“I’ll leave them be, when you take me to Van der Linde.”
“Haven’t seen ol’ Dutch in a while Agent Milton I can assure you, but I won’t let you mess with my family that’s for sure.”
“Take me to him Mr.Morgan. And you have my word. You’ll be free.”
Arthur groaned holding the grip of the gun tighter and cocked his head to the side. Freedom sounded tempting, but he wouldn’t betray Dutch like that. He would never.
“No?...” Milton drawled and pulled the trigger but Arthur was faster than him. Putting a bullet into the back of his head.
Standing there frightened and from the loud noise Isaac woke up too, crying into your shoulder once more.
“We gotta go. We can’t stay here darlin’ pack your stuff and we gotta run.”
“B-But…This my home Arthur– I-...I can’t just leave!”
“Well you have to now since you got involved. I’m sorry little lady I didn’t want you in this I really tried to get them to stay away.” Arthur apologised stepping over Milton’s body a pulling you two closer into a hug.
You packed up everything you could as fast as possible. Only the necessities. Blankets, clothes, pots etc. Getting your horse saddled up Arthur put the luggage on the back of his horse and took Isaac too.
“Come, this way.” He whispered and led you up on the mountains, heading towards Big Valley until the three of you got to a cabin close to Little Creek River, far away from both Valentine and Strawberry too.
“Here,” Arthur gave Isaac to you while he got the things you brought from your house. How and why did he have this cabin was something you didn’t question. Heading in it was surprisingly lively inside, as if he was preparing the cabin for something like this in the past.
“Stay here. Stay until I can get money and go away from this place as far as possible.”
“Arthur…What’s going on?”
He walked towards you, taking your cheeks into his calloused hands.
“The gang ran into a little trouble in Valentine…We needed to move and the Pinkertons are breathin’ down our necks darlin’.” His voice was hushed, trying to soothe you, as well as himself. He almost witnessed you two getting killed. He couldn’t let that happen. Not again.
“But I promise I’ll keep you two safe alright?” You nodded to his question. You were too tired to argue or say anything else. You just wanted to sleep. Get some rest and figure everything out in the morning.
──── ୨୧ ────
There weren’t many options for the three of you, you had to stay, Arthur couldn’t just leave the gang and ran away, as much as he wanted to he couldn’t, and to the best of your abilities, you understood why, tried to see thing from his point of view. Besides, the new cabin and the place weren’t so bad to make you complain about it.
Arthur still visited the gang and stayed with them during days, while he would came home around dawn to be with you two, or sometimes he didn’t even leave, he would sleep next to you, holding you as close as possible, pamper you with kisses and reassuring words when you needed them, while Isaac would sleep in his crib. He would walk to the river with Isaac. Holding his chubby hands and often stepping into the water barefoot while you watched.Despite all the things going around him, the three of you lived a quiet life. You even managed to get a smaller garden next to the cabin.Coming back with Isaac in his arms he pulled you closer with his free hand by your hip and kissed your head.
“Told ya I would keep you safe.”
“Keep doing so and I might just believe you want to marry me Arthur Morgan.”
“Who said I wouldn’t my little lady?” He chuckled into your hair.
“Is that a promise?” A smirk tugged at your lips.
“A promise darlin’.”