Archive of Our Own

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Horseshoe Overlook
Camp was rarely a quiet place - hence why those who wanted some peace from all the drama would ride out as much as possible, leaving the noise behind them. Most of the time, it was the usual suspects who made most of the noise - the younger generation of the Van der Linde gang who could drink until the sunrise and do it all again the next night. They could always be heard singing, laughing or swapping stories by the campfires.And while it wasn’t odd to hear an argument between the gang members, it was usually an alcohol fuelled one that came to nothing and the person causing the trouble was either sent to their bedroll or out of the camp.But tonight there wasn’t just one argument taking place in Horseshoe Overlook - there were two separate ones taking place on opposite sides of the camp. And as far as the gang were aware, nobody had been drinking. Not that they were listening in, of course; though Pearson had swore loudly when he had nearly cut his finger twice cutting up the meat from Charles' latest hunt, and Karen’s patchwork on one of Bill’s shirts was done so poorly, she would be better using it as a cleaning rag.… Well, that was camp life for you. Couldn’t even argue without an audience.Abigail and John’s words to each other were loud and sharp, while Arthur and Charles were muted but harsh. While it was somewhat common to hear John and Abigail going at each other, Charles was certainly not one to cause a scene, which is how you knew that whatever he was speaking to Arthur about was certainly something he felt passionately about. The fact that Arthur was entertaining their “discussion” meant it was important to him, too.A shared look of frustration was shared by Charles and Abigail as their eyes met by chance over the shoulders of their current headaches. There was a moment of clarity that seemed to wash over them both - there was clearly no arguing with the Sons of Dutch, and really, having half the gang watching you argue like it was free entertainment was becoming too much.“I’m riding out,” Charles said over Arthur’s ramblings. “Go and collect that debt if you really want to, but I won’t watch you leave.”“Charles-” Arthur started, frustration leaking into his tone, but another voice spoke over him.“Charles, wait up!” Abigail called, pushing past John. “Tilly, Tilly! Will you take care of Jack for me? I need to get out of camp for a bit.”“No problem,” Tilly called back, ignoring John’s shout of protest.Abigail approached Charles and Taima, ignoring Arthur gaping at her by her side. Charles looked down at her, and paused for a moment. Whatever he saw on her face seemed to influence his decision to reach out and help her jump onto the back of his horse.“Where the Hell are you two even going?” Arthur asked, his hand on Taima’s reigns. Charles sharply pulled them out of his grip.“Valentine.” He muttered, and with that, they left the camp without looking back.There seemed to be an unspoken alliance that they had developed since Charles had joined them - well, since Charles and Arthur had started being sweet on each other, really. The infamous “Sons of Dutch” were ruthless outlaws, raised to see the world in a different light to society and strive to do all you could for your chosen family, whether it was right or wrong. However, with all of Dutch’s great teachings came a streak of stubbornness that made arguing with a brick wall a better option than trying to knock sense into their thick skulls. It was enough to drive a man to drink - and, well, what better place to drown their sorrows than in the Valentine saloon.The saloon had been somewhat busier than usual, and although there were looks thrown their way when they arrived, the music had soon picked back up and suspicion of them seemed to drop. Charles bought them beers, and then another round soon after.“That man is a fool,” Abigail spat, her hand gripping the bottle of beer tightly. Charles gave a grunt of agreement, tipping back his own bottle. “It ain’t like he even cares for Jack, or for me, but the moment I ask Arthur to take the boy out of camp for a bit of fishing, suddenly I’m implying that he is a good for nothin’ father.” She turned to look at Charles, eyes narrowed. “Which is he, and that is nothin’ to do with me, and all to do with him! I mean, how fool headed do you need to be not to see it?”“I’m just glad you managed to talk Arthur into doing it,” Charles said, his voice louder than usual due to the noise of the saloon around them. Valentine sure knew how to party. “Do you know how much he has argued with me about collecting those debts for Strauss? Even though he hates himself every time he goes to collect? But no, he keeps saying he is the only one that can do it…” Charles rolled his eyes, though in reality his chest felt tight at the thought of Arthur riding out into the night after money they both knew these people could not afford to pay back (especially not with the interest Strauss liked to add on). “At least going out with Jack delayed him.”“Oh, and then with the Pinkertons - apparently if Jack had gone fishing with John, none of that would have happened.” Abigail sighed and downed the rest of her beer. “My Lord, why are these Sons of Dutch so stupid? Can aim a gun and shoot, but cannot hear themselves talk!”“Trust me, I know,” Charles responded. “It makes me wonder how they’ve managed for so long.” The “without us” went unsaid, but both people at the table heard it. They fell into silence, both lost in their own thoughts. There was a battle of emotions racing through them both, the alcohol dampening it somewhat, but not enough to bury it.And wasn’t that just the worst of it all? They only argued with them because they cared so deeply for them. Abigail knew she was in love with John Marston, no matter how foolish he had been, nor how he had treated her once Jack was born. Something kept them tied together, deeper than just being connected because of the gang, or because of Jack. No matter what life threw at them, she knew he was her man for life.And although Charles' development with Arthur was still fairly recent - they had only truly established that what between them was more than just really good friends just before everything went to shit in Blackwater, he knew himself that he had never felt this way before about… well, anybody. It was scary, but that was what made this all the more important. Charles didn’t want to sit back and watch Arthur chip away at what was left of his soul, not if he could avoid it. Too many people in the camp seemed to do too little, and labouring Arthur with more than what he could handle was painful to watch.“And yet…” Abigail said, her voice snapping Charles from his thoughts. “I can’t think of anyone else I would rather be arguing with, y’know? He drives me crazy, but I know he don’t mean too. This whole camp situation has just gotten stressful, and he’s been recoverin’ from the wolves attack. And Arthur is just a natural with Jack, it must make him feel… well, he always wanted to be just like Arthur. If he would just talk about how he’s feelin’...”“You’ve got more luck getting one of the horses to tell you how they are feeling,” Charles said dryly, making Abigail snort. “I get it. Arthur loves the gang more than anything, it’s what I admired about him from the start. He wants to protect us from the worst of it all.” And it’s funny, because Charles knows that a man like Micah would think nothing of debt collecting, whereas Charles and Arthur know that it’s one of the gang's worst side businesses.He frowned as he thought about it. Strauss said they need a brute to do the collecting, and compared to Arthur, Charles is the closest to the description. His heart sank, thinking that Arthur was so adamant to protect Charles from having to do the dirty work. And he had been snapping at him about it, making him feel worse than he probably already did…“They may be the foolish Sons of Dutch,” Charles said, leaning heavily on the table. “But we are the fools who love them, regardless. Urgh, we should probably head back.” Charles said, and began to get up. Abigail reached out and grabbed his arm gently, stopping him in his tracks.“How about one more round? I hardly ever get out of camp,” she asked, a slight twinkle in her eye. “Plus, might make the two of ‘em sweat a bit if we take longer to get back.”“You can be surprisingly wicked, Miss Roberts.” Charles said slowly, but there was a playful smile on his face. “Same again?”
*
When they arrived back at Horseshoe Overlook, the camp was, for once, quiet. If anything, it felt like the whole camp was holding its breath. They called out a greeting to Lenny as they arrived, and he waved them in.“Thank you, for tonight.” Abigail said as she slid off the back of Taima. “Really. It’s hard, not having someone to talk to who just understands.”“There’s no need to thank me,” Charles murmured, a lot more like his usual quiet self. “It was… nice. I know I’m not always the best company, but I needed this.” He began to untack Taima, but threw Abigail a cautious smile. “Thank you for your acceptance.”Abigail scoffed at that, a way to reassure Charles that she was just glad that he and Arthur had found each other, when a small cough from behind them made her pause. She glanced over her shoulder, and instantly her eyes narrowed. There stood John, with Arthur behind him, his hat in his hands.“Did youse, uh… have a good night?” Arthur tried, looking between Abigail and Charles. Charles snorted and continued to attend to the horses.“Yes, we did.” Abigail snipped, turning back to her horse. “It was nice to speak to someone who actually bothers to listen, not just shout over you.”“Look, Abigail - I am sorry, I really am. I know you asked Tilly to look after Jack, but once you left I took over and… it was nice.” He walked over to her and put his hand on her shoulder. “I know, I’m an idiot and you were right - I was just jealous seeing the boy spend time with Arthur, when I know it should be me. M’sorry, okay? Boy’s already making plans to take me with him n’ his Uncle Arthur next time they go out.”“My gosh, John, is that you saying you are actually gonna make time for the boy?” Abigail asked - she didn’t push his hand off of her shoulder, which John took to be a good sign.“Yes, I am.” He said firmly, trailing his hand down until it caught her hand. “And you, if you will let me.” There was a pause, in which Abigail eyed their joined hands. With a sigh, she let go, but patted John’s chest gently.“We got a lot to talk about, John Marston.” Abigail murmured, walking into the camp. John followed after her, hot on her heels.“Well, let’s do it in my tent - Jack is sleepin’ in there, anyway. Can I get you anything? Some leftover stew, or water, or-”Arthur watched them walk to John’s tent, before looking back at Charles, who had yet to turn around. “Charles?”“Mmhm?”“I spoke to Hosea. He, uh, spoke to Dutch. Wasn’t happy about it, but I said I ain’t wanting to do the collecting no more. He sent Micah out to deal with the last one on the list, that Thomas Downes or whatever his name is.” Arthur came to stand by Charles, giving Taima a gentle pat to her neck. “So it’s… done. As long as I bring in money elsewhere, I shouldn’t’ve to go debt collectin’ again.” His hand slid from the horse’s neck to brush over Charles’ hand. “So, are we good?”Charles was quiet for a moment, and Arthur didn’t rush the silence. He had been a fool, when he thought about their argument. Charles wasn’t trying to stop money coming back to the gang or dictate Arthur’s work. He just saw clearly what others didn’t, or chose not to: that he hated collecting debts from those who could never pay it back. It was soul destroying, if he even had a soul to destroy, and Charles didn’t want him to continue going into situations that made him feel less than human.The walls he had firmly built over the years were knocked down in weeks with Charles, and that scared Arthur, causing him to be defensive over things he deep down agreed with. Watching Charles ride out with Abigail tonight for a break from him made him realise that all this was leading to damaging the one good thing he had left.Speaking to Hosea made him feel like a boy again, too scared to tell Dutch about whatever he had screwed up, all to avoid upsetting him. Hosea hadn’t even asked him to explain why he was not willing to do it (Dutch would have), just got up and put his book down, and headed straight to Dutch’s tent.The horrid feeling of butterflies in his stomach had started up once the tent flaps had fallen shut.“Arthur,” Charles’ voice cut through his thoughts, thankfully. His finger carefully curling around Arthur’s own soothed the thoughts away. “I’m glad you spoke to Hosea, there are enough men in this camp to do that work.” He squeezed his hand. “I just want you to be happier, Arthur Morgan.”“Oh, trust me, I am.” Arthur promised, a small smile gracing his face.
*

Clemens Point
“So what is it that happened with that German family anyway?” Abigail asked, her hand resting on her forehead so she could watch Jack splash in the lake in what was meant to be a bath. Charles had come with her, muttering something about ensuring no outsiders bothered her or Jack, but Abigail could see the sullen look on his and Arthur’s faces. Something had happened between them moving camps, and Charles wanted to get it off his chest. She was touched that he seemed to want to confide in her. It was nice, knowing that their night out in Valentine hadn’t been a one off. Having a confidant in the camp that knew exactly what you were dealing with took a load off of her shoulders.“They were rich people, totally unprepared for how life is out here,” Charles said, cleaning his rifle methodically. “Couldn’t speak a word of English, except their daughter, but you don’t need to speak the language to know how scared they were. Their father had been taken, they were going to ransom him. I doubt they would have actually returned him…” Not alive, anyway. “I couldn’t just leave them. But Arthur, he… he didn’t seem bothered.” He remembered the way Arthur tried to shoo them off the land, as if they weren’t even people. It stung, and he wished it didn’t. “We argued about it, and I managed to get him to help, but just some of the things he said…”
“Go on, get out of here. We need the land, go. Get the Hell out of here!”

“Ain’t no business of ours! I don’t even speak their language.”
It had stung, at the time: Charles maybe didn’t know him as well as he thought. Out of everyone at the camp, besides those who had been part of the gang while Arthur was growing up, he thought he understood Arthur entirely. The good and the bad. The connection they had went deeper than surface level; more than just sex, or stress relief. He truly loved the man.But the way Arthur had been so quick to deny any kind of help to that family, it had made Charles' chest feel tight - he only got this way when he thought of his parents. He guessed, in some romanticised version in his head, that Arthur would not be so quick to dismiss the suffering of others. That perhaps, when things got quiet again with the gang (if they ever did), they could perhaps visit the Wapiti tribe and offer assistance to them. Charles knew they would be suffering, and if he could get reconnected with his mother’s roots, then…Then what? Arthur was loyal to the death with Dutch and his gang. Even if Charles wanted to find a more settled future, one that left the outlaw life behind as much as possible, Arthur simply would not be able to join him on it. Charles was no fool - he knew this to be true.It was his own fault for letting himself dream of it.His face must have somewhat shown his hurt, because Abigail reached out and gently squeezed his arm. Jack’s laughter seemed to flow around them, free of cares and unaware of the danger they were in. It eased some of the feeling in Charles' chest.“John has said things to me before, too, without thinkin’.” Abigail said to him, her eyes kind. “It made me doubt if I knew him at all, y’know? How could this brute of a man be the one I fell in love with. To speak so foolishly about me, about Jack, and then disappear on us when we needed him most. And then I remember somethin’...” Her kind eyes held a sparkle of mischief to them. “These men don’t know themselves at all. They can only see themselves as one thing, and one thing only. You didn’t fall for Arthur just because he can be a brute, now did you?”“Well, no.” Charles admitted, suddenly interested in inspecting his rifle. When he had first joined the gang, Charles spent a lot of time within the camp - he could see that it was Dutch’s way of sussing him out, to see if he was worth keeping around and if the existing gang members took to him. Arthur hadn’t been there at the time of him joining, but he heard lots of stories about him. As lead enforcer, Charles had been prepared to find meeting Arthur his toughest trial yet.And then he had shown up, on a beautiful liver chestnut Hungarian Half Breed who stomped around the camp as if it owned the place, nipping insistently at Arthur’s satchel until he had given in without much push and gave her a peppermint. The other horses had crowded around him at that, and for a while you could only see his hat in a sea of horses. If there was any creature on Earth that Charles trusted, it was horses - they knew danger when they saw it. But these horses seemed to be just as glad to see Arthur as the human members of the camp were - even Taima seemed interested in him, and she was wary of strangers.That was already a sign - there was more to the dangerous outlaw than met the eye. Charles had known from that point on, they would get on just fine.He hadn’t expected they would get on as fine as they did, but really, who could plan for love?“You saw the side of him he can’t see in himself - and that’s why he needs you.” Abigail continued, “to challenge him and to call him out on it. Because that part of them is dangerous? They can get lost in it. John’s told me about Arthur bein’ at his lowest… ain’t no one want him to get like that again. Well, maybe ‘cept Dutch, apparently Arthur would do anythin’ Dutch asked him to do without question when he gets like that.” She shook her head. “Just don’t feel so disheartened, alright? Without you challenging him, we wouldn’t have found this spot. And hey, he did listen to you, didn’t he? Must mean he really does lo-”“Hey, Abi!” A voice called from behind them, stopping Abigail from finishing her sentence, which Charles was grateful for. His face already felt hot with the embarrassment of being under scrutiny, even with a trusted friend. Karen gave them a wave as they turned to look at her. “And Charles! Thought it was you I saw disappearin’ from the camp. You guys startin’ up your moaning club again?”“Moanin’? Ain’t no one moanin’ over here, Karen.” Abigail said, crossing her arms. “I was about to do some laundry, and Jack went in for his bath - though he’s mostly splashing around. John refuses to go near the water with him, unless it’s for more fishin’. Charles was just makin’ sure no one bothered us.”“Oh please,” Karen rolled her eyes and lifted her own laundry basket, which was half empty. In the basket were some beers from camp. Abigail and Charles shared a look. “I know you two went off to Valentine and moaned about John n’ Arthur together, right? It stopped you from wanting to kill them?” There was a beat of silence before she continued. “Well, I want into this group of yours, because I swear, if I have to hear Sean talkin’ about going out on these ‘big man’ jobs, and not helpin’ with the camp chores, he is gonna end up at the bottom of this lake.”“What job are they letting him out on?” Charles asked with a frown. He liked Sean, when he was at a distance. Doing jobs with him could be more stress than what they were worth.“None yet, thankfully. Ever since Dutch has gotten Arthur and Hosea playin’ lawmen, Sean has been dyin’ to get involved. I know he just wants to prove himself, but my God, he just keeps lazin’ around claiming he needs all the rest he can get.” Karen handed them each a bottle, clinking their bottles together.“Sean is very… excitable.” Charles said, frowning slightly at the beer in his hand. Drinking on the job was accepted by most of the gang, but it felt a little odd to Charles when he needed to be sharp. “I think after the whole bounty hunter business, he’s putting himself under pressure to go on bigger jobs. Or he just really hates the camp chores.”“I think it’s the latter.” Karen snorted and tipped back her beer. “He just helped you, John and Arthur with the train job. Why does he need to rush out again? They are still lookin’ for him, these bounty hunters. He isn’t exactly a subtle person, with that goddamn red hair and thick accent. They’ll find him again before he knows it.”Ah, and there it was - the tone of her voice had changed to one of worry. A feeling both Charles and Abigail knew well when it came to their other halves.“Karen…” Abigail said, taking a sip of her own beer. “Are you worried he is going to get caught, again?”“They can have him, for all I care.” She sniffed, keeping her eyes firmly on Jack. “Ain’t like he’s worried over it. He ain’t thinkin’ twice about the camp at all.”He isn’t thinking twice about you, Charles summarised to himself. “I’m sorry, Karen. Do you want me to talk to him?”“No point in that, Charles - it will go in one ear and out the other. But thanks, I guess, for offering.” She sighed and finished her beer. “I just wish he would see that there is more to it than me caring about him helpin’ out - no doubt he would be more of a hindrance than anything else. I just wish he would use his head to see that he doesn’t need to throw himself into the most dangerous situations just to feel valued…”“... And, I guess, part of me is scared he will get taken again, or killed this time.” Karen said, looking out over the lake. “But I can’t tell him that; he just says it’s the nature of the job. He just wants Dutch and Arthur to approve of him, no matter what. Not even if it means we end up burying him.”“Oh Karen… he isn’t wrong about the nature of our lives,” Abigail sighed, leaning her head on Karen’s shoulder in a sign of comfort. “But that don’t make it any easier. You might not be able to stop him doing what he wants, Karen, but Charles and me? We get it. And we’re always happy to listen.”“Told you two you had a moaning club,” Karen laughed, but gave them both a genuine smile. “But really, thank you. Best get started on this laundry before Grimshaw chews me out over it.”
*
They walked back to camp, clothing washed and Jack as clean as he was gonna get. Sean was hovering around the horses, and his expression perked up once he saw them return.“Hey, Karen, c’mere a minute!”“What is it you want, Mr MacGuire?” Karen asked, shooting an exasperated look at Charles and Abigail. They both gave her a look of pity, before they kept walking.“Look… I spoke to Arthur, and the boys.” Sean said, trying his best to look pathetic. “N’ although I really outta be pulling my weight out there and stirrin’ up trouble with these two families, Arthur and Hosea think I should keep a low profile.” He can’t help but grin at this, his chest puffing up slightly. “My name’s still in the newspaper after I escaped from those bounty hunters, y’see, so my wanted pictures must be out there too. I’ll be no use to you lot if my cover is blown.”“You didn’t escape them bounty hunters, you was rescued.” Karen responded sharply, making Sean wilt slightly. “And you ain’t much use to us anyway, out there or in the camp.”“Aw… come on, Miss Jones, don’t y’hear what I’m saying? You got your wish! I’ll be stayin’ with you in camp, helping you with… well, whatever you do all day.” Sean looked around the camp, his eyebrow quirked. “What exactly do you do all day, eh? Brush your hair and think about me?”This caused Karen to snort, a small smile cracking out on her face. Sean took this as an invite to get closer to her, his hand finding hers and giving it a squeeze. “You got lots to learn, Sean, Miss Grimshaw is gonna lose her mind with you.”“Here’s hoping!” He grinned, pulling Karen further into camp. “And just think, once these boys are out working, we’ll have the pick of tents to use-”“Sean!” Karen yelped with a laugh, smacking his arm. “You’re a fool, if you even think I’ll be going near you.”“Oh please,” he smirked, an arm sliding around her waist. “Just try n’ keep me away.” Karen laughed again, playfully fighting Sean as he pulled her away.“Hey, Charles.” Abigail murmured, putting down the washing. Charles looked over at her, “Arthur is lookin’ at you. Might be best to talk to him before he goes off again; Pearson has come back to camp ravin’ something about O’Driscolls, ain’t no way Arthur isn’t going to get involved.”“Don’t you want help to hang all this up?” Charles said, gesturing to the clothes.“Oh no, I have help.” Abigail said, smirking slightly. “John, get over here, will you?” She shouted. It was only a little bit funny how quickly John got to his feet and over to his woman.“Huh, okay then.” Charles smiled, giving her a small nod. “Thanks, for-”“Think nothin’ of it,” Abigail said, shooing him away.Charles walked over to Arthur’s lean to, his dark eyes meeting Arthur’s teal ones. He had his journal open in his lap, and Arthur could see some sketches of horses. It had taken Arthur a while to be open to Charles seeing what was in his journal; probably because of the amount of half finished sketches of Charles being in there.“Hey,” Charles said softly.“Hey, Charles.” Arthur said, his eyes jumping from Abigail to his partner again. “Everythin’ ok with Abigail?”“No one bothered us,” Charles confirmed, putting down his rifle. “Pearson sayin’ something about the O’Driscolls?”“That’s what I’m hearin’. He’s talkin’ to Dutch in his tent. Lord knows what he’s heard,” Arthur closed his journal and put it back in his satchel. “Walk with me?”They walked into the woods, staying close enough to the camp but hidden from view of those on lookout. Funnily enough, it was now that Arthur looked uncomfortable now that they were alone. Charles didn’t push him to break the silence; sometimes, Arthur needed a moment to collect his thoughts.“I… reacted poorly when we were lookin’ for this camp. I treated those people wrong. I was stressed with the move, which I know is no excuse, but I just wanted to find somewhere safe for our people. For us.” Arthur swallowed, tilting his hat down lower to avert his gaze. “You mean so much to me, and the idea of these Pinkertons bein’ anywhere close to you makes me feel nervous. I know you can look after yourself just fine, but my face is on a thousand wanted posters. Dutch and Hosea, on even more. If anyone recognises me, like that family, it can lead those lawmen right back to you. And I know sometimes you just gotta take a gamble, that even if they saw my face on one of those posters, they would keep quiet and remember that we helped them, but it’s just such a big gamble, and I can’t afford to lose.” Arthur rubbed his eyes for a moment, before he muttered; “I just don’t want to drag you to the noose with me, Charles.”“None of us are hanging,” Charles promised him, taking his hand in his and squeezing his fingers tight. “I understand your fears, but you need to trust me - if I thought that family was a threat, I would have reacted the same as you. Sometimes, it’s all about taking a step back to really see the full picture, to find the good before the bad. You can protect us, protect me, from the world, but don’t decide everyone is a threat and not worth it. I know you, Arthur. You love more than you know, and it drives you. But don’t twist that love to fit the role that Dutch gave you - be more than that.”Arthur watched him as he spoke, not letting go of his hand and squeezing back just as hard, as if Charles was his anchor keeping his feet on the ground.“I’m glad I have you,” Arthur said truthfully, “really, Charles. I lost myself for a lotta years after… well, after Isaac and ‘Liza,” he stumbled over the words quickly, pain in his tone. “World can be a cruel place, and I ain’t a good person, but that don’t mean I need to make everyone else suffer. So… Thank you for callin’ me out on my bullshit.”Arthur barely got the last word out before he was swept into a kiss, his hat knocked back off of his head.“I’ll always be here to call you out on your bullshit,” Charles murmured against his lips, smiling when Arthur chuckled. “If that’s what it takes to remind you that you are a good man, Arthur Morgan, I’ll do it.”He’ll do everything in his power to make Arthur see what Charles can see, even if it takes a lifetime.
*

Shady Belle
“Any luck?” Charles asked, looking up from his current project - carving animal figurines for Jack to play with. Since they had gotten him back from Bronte, all he could talk about was all the toys he had in that big house of his.“No,” Abigail sighed, giving the door a shove until it shut. They were the building behind the crumbling mansion - the structure of it wasn’t solid enough to risk moving people into it, but it served as a good place to have these private conversations away from listening ears. Abigail swore that John would have a glass up to the wood trying to listen in from the outside if he thought he wouldn’t get caught. “She’s out near the water. I told her to be careful, bein’ so close to them gators, but she wouldn’t listen. I think she’s in a real bad way, Charles - but she isn’t ready to talk about it. Convinced we are all laughing at her.”They were speaking about Molly. Since the latest move to Shady Belle, her relationship with Dutch just seemed outright hostile. Abigail and Karen were the ones who mentioned trying to get her to talk about it with them in the safety of their little group, but with no luck. Charles frowned and looked down at his half-made deer. “Hopefully she will feel ready to join us before it’s too late,” Charles sighed, going back to his work.“I doubt it,” Karen said, not unkindly. She had a bottle of beer in her hand, but had yet to open it. “She’s too concerned about what we all think, to see how much this is affectin’ her. I swear, if we didn’t do this and I didn’t get to moan about Sean at least once a week, I’d no doubt be as crazy as her. Speaking of Sean, that fool will not leave his bandages alone-”The door screeched open, making Karen pause in her moaning. Charles looked up, thinking Molly had considered joining them after all. But it was Mary-Beth who stood there, eyes a bit red and cheeks wet. The small group stared at her in surprise.“Mary-Beth? Is everything okay?” Abigail asked, getting up to guide her to the spare chair. Mary-Beth shook her head, her curls bouncing on her shoulders.“No, it’s not. How do you all do?” At their continued stares, she threw her hands up in the air with frustration. “How do you all love a fool without losing your mind? I swear, Kieran is going to make me as crabby as Miss Grimshaw!”“Kieran made you upset?” Karen asked, one eyebrow raised in disbelief. “What in the world did he do, not braid your horse's hair or somethin’?”“Ha ha,” Mary-Beth replied, her head dropping to her hands. Abigail rubbed her shoulders soothingly. “The men in this camp, always acting like they have something to prove… he’s going to get himself killed…” She choked on the word, causing Charles and Abigail to share a look of concern.“Mary-Beth, if you want to talk, we’re happy to listen.” Charles said softly.“Thank you, Charles…” Mary-Beth muttered, looking up at him and attempting a watery smile. “It’s been going on for a few days, but this is the first time we fought about it…”
*
Kieran was taking the long way around to the horses - not wanting to walk past the tents set up on the right hand side of the house, where most of the gang could be found. Tensions were rising, and he was an easy target for frustrations. Besides, he wanted to get moving before nightfall, and although he wasn’t happy with how he was leaving things with Mary-Beth, this felt like something he had to do.A whistle from above made him look up with a squint. It was Arthur, leaning halfway out of the busted window from his room on the first floor. Once their eyes met, Arthur jerked his hand to get Kieran to join him. He felt the usual anxiety crawl over him, the fear of the unknown reason behind the invite making him start to wish he had gone past the tents after all.He had been with the gang for weeks now, and while some had accepted him, he still felt entirely unsure of where he stood with the men in the camp. He tried to avoid them, when he could - and really, he much preferred spending time with the women. Well… Mary-Beth especially. He couldn’t read, but he loved listening to her stories that she wrote. And listening to her ideas, her thoughts and feelings, her dreams for the future…He was starting to, well, love her. And the fact that somehow, she may feel the same? Well, that meant the world to him.Which is why he was so desperate to go out of the camp and try and earn some money. He didn’t want to risk the gang turning on him for never bringing in any money, and no one ever asked him to come on a job. If he was forced out, he couldn’t ask Mary-Beth to come with him. She had a family of sorts here, and he had nothing to offer her. But if he started getting small jobs done, able to put his name in the ledger (Mary-Beth could write it for him), then he felt like he could truly court her.“Will you get up here, O’Driscoll?” Arthur called out, snapping him from his thoughts. With a swallow, Kieran nodded and headed into the old house. The stairs creaked as he made his way up them. Before he could knock on the door to Arthur’s room, the door opened - but it wasn’t Arthur. John Marston jerked his head, motioning him to come into the room. Kieran did so, trying to keep his expression neutral.“Uh…” Kieran looked over at Sean. Half his head was wrapped in bandages, and the rest of his face was black and blue. His recent run in with the actual O’Driscolls had been rough - seeing Sean drag himself back to camp covered in blood had shaken them all up. It reminded them all of when Arthur had arrived back to camp, slumped over his horse after his ‘stay’ with Colm. Thankfully, his injuries were bad but not life threatening, and Sean was sure he had killed all the O’Driscolls so they wouldn’t discover their new camp. But he was going to take time to heal from it, and Arthur had insisted Sean take his room. Though, if Kieran was honest, he was pretty sure Arthur had only offered so he could have his bedroll next to Charles.Not that he would ever say that to Arthur, or Charles. He was pretty sure that they were a… thing, or something, but he wouldn’t want to mention it where the wrong person could hear it.“Will you quit standin’ in the doorway?” Arthur barked from the windowsill. “Make yourself useful and pass me those cigarettes.”“Of course, Arthur-” Kieran reached out to the desk and grabbed the packet. He handed it to Arthur, who plucked a cigarette from the packet. John took one too with a sigh, patting himself down for his matches.“Sean, you want a smoke?” Arthur asked. Sean made a noise of agreement, and was handed a cigarette. John went to light it with his match. “Kieran?” His head snapped up, and he looked at Arthur, waiting to see what he wanted. He realised that he was offering him a cigarette.“Oh, uh… sure.” He wasn’t usually one for smoking, but it soothed some of his anxiety that he had been offered. That was surprisingly nice of Arthur. “Is there, uh, something you need, Mr Morgan? I was planning on riding out-”“I know that, Kieran.” Arthur said, lighting his cigarette and handing him the match. He fumbled slightly lighting his own, quickly putting it to his lips to take a drag. He kept it short, not wanting to cough in front of them. “But here’s the thing: Mary-Beth just went in there,” he jerked his head towards the old shed. There had been talks of repurposing it to allow the rest of the camp to sleep with a proper roof over their heads, but deep down, they knew they probably wouldn’t be able to stay here long enough to use it. “And if she is in there with Charles, Abigail and Karen… well, that means you done somethin’ wrong. And you better get thinkin’ of how to fix it, boy.”“Huh?” Kieran walked closer, looking down from the broken window. He couldn’t see anything, but he did hear voices from the shed when he had walked past. “How do you know that?”“Because it ain’t the first time they have met up to discuss us.” John said, leaning against the door. “And it means we’ve done somethin’ that has caused a mighty frustration. Now, I can’t think of what the Hell it is I’ve done this time, but there always seems to be something wrong…”“Marston, you never know when you fucked up.” Arthur snorted. “And Sean here? He is always doing something to piss Karen off.”“Aw, fuck off Morgan, you forgettin’ that Charles is in there too.” Sean snorted, then winced at the movement.“Heh… Anyways, it sure is a surprise to see Mary-Beth go in there. The Hell did you do?” Arthur asked, stumping out his cigarette on the rotten wood.“Me, Sir? Oh, nothing that I can think of…” Kieran took another drag of the cigarette, feeling his eyes water. “I just mentioned to her I was riding out, is all. I wanted to try and get some money for the camp. Mary-Beth wasn’t too pleased with me going myself - after the O’Driscolls jumped Sean, well, she was worried if any of them were hanging around. But I said, I can’t just hide away forever, not when we need the money more than ever, and-”“Are you a goddamn fool, Duffy?” Arthur asked, crossing his arms with a frown. “Mary-Beth is right; the last thing you should be doin’ right now is leaving the camp, especially by yourself.” John nodded in agreement.“B-but Dutch and Micah, they keep saying that we need more money, and-”“You just let me deal with Dutch and Micah if they give you any grief, okay?” Arthur sighed, rubbing at his eyes. “I’ve seen Sean’s aim, and even if he thinks he killed all them O’Driscolls, best not to risk your neck for a few dollars.”“Oi, English.” Sean grumbled. He had finished his cigarette and was lying back down on the bed with a groan. “I ain’t takin’ no cheek from you, when you should be bloody thankin’ me for getting you some revenge.”“Besides, the horses need you.” John rasped from behind him. “If we need to move again, they need to be healthy and ready to go.”Kieran looked at each of their faces, trying to see if there was hidden meaning behind their words. There was none that he could see, just open honesty. He felt himself relax, just a bit.“Well… alright, gentlemen.” Kieran nodded, “but please, if I may… let me come with you on the bank job Hosea is planning.” There was a groan from John at the mention of it, but Kieran pressed on. “With Mr Macguire not being able to help, there’s a spot for me. I… I ain’t ever robbed a bank before, but I can shoot, and ain’t no one knows my face-”“Wait,” Arthur said, cutting through his ramblings. “John, he’s right. Ain’t no one but O’Driscolls know his face, and I ain’t see any of them fools in the city. If we can safely get him into Saint Denis, then he could take Hosea’s place as running the distraction. And that means Hosea can be with us, since Sean is no use to anyone at the moment.”“That’s all well and good, Arthur, but Abigail was meant to be helping Hosea with the distraction.” John said, frowning at Kieran. Kieran looked away quickly, feeling that nervousness return. “And I trust Hosea with Abigail.”“John, Kieran saved my life when he didn’t need to,” Arthur said quietly. John stopped, but not without shooting Morgan a dirty look. “It’s ‘bout time we started trusting him with jobs. I’m gonna mention it to Hosea, see what he says.” Arthur made to move, before movement from below caught his eye. “I see Mary-Beth down there, Kieran. You better go tell her you ain’t goin’ anywhere just yet.”“O-of course, Mr Morgan, uh… and thank you, for talkin’ to me-”“Lord above, I don’t need your thanks. Just count yourself lucky your better half is already out of their little club house.” Arthur muttered, ducking his head. “Go on now, get.”Kieran was quick to leave, hearing the door shut behind him. He raced down the stairs and out the back door, nearly running straight into Mary-Beth. She looked startled at the sight of him.“My Lord, Kieran, where’s the fire?” She snapped, a hand over her heart. After a beat, she dropped her hand and frowned at him. “I thought you were riding out?”“Mary-Beth, you were right.” Kieran said, grasping his hands together. “It would be stupid of me to ride out after what happened to Sean - I am just so desperate to make a good impression, y’know? But there ain’t no point of me riding out by myself just to get myself in trouble.” He looked around the grounds, before he took her hand in his. A beautiful rosy colour came onto Mary-Beth’s cheeks - from the heat of his own face, he too was blushing. “I spoke to Mr Morgan, and he is going to see if I can help with the bank job instead, with Abigail. If, uh, you think it's okay?”“... Well, I still don’t like the idea of you getting involved in anything too dangerous,” she said softly, looking down at their joined hands. “But I feel much better, knowing you were with the gang out there. Just… please Kieran, be careful, won’t you?”“Of course, Mary-Beth.” Kieran promised, squeezing her hand. “Of course.”
*

Beavers Hollow
There has been a significant shift within the feeling of the camp, mainly between the most senior members of the gang. When Dutch, Arthur, Bill, Javier and Micah had ended up on that boat and presumed to have drowned, Hosea had completely stepped up to lead the remaining gang. Thankfully, he had managed to leave with Lenny from Saint Denis when Charles had caused that distraction, and they had managed to patch the kid up back at the camp before moving on. Just another bullet wound, just another scar. How many more could they take?Sadie and Charles had really stepped up to help Hosea, acting like Arthur and John would. Once they were somewhat settled in Lakay, need more here.When Charles had arrived back from one of his visits to the Wapiti Tribe with head shaved, Hosea had felt his own heart sink. Perhaps they had to consider the future, instead of holding out for the past. Once they rescued John, Hosea had planned to move everyone as far away as possible - which is how they had come to agree on Canada. They would be chased their whole lives if they lived in America, and Hosea could not risk any more of his family. Not everyone would want to go with them, and he would never force anyone,But then, one by one, their lost members had returned. When Arthur had walked into camp, his beard and hair longer than Hosea had ever seen it, and his skin as red as a ripe tomato, he had shed a few tears. Arthur had wiped them away for him as quick as they came, his own eyes wet. One by one, the others trickled into their current camp - they heard Micah coming with that harsh cough of his. It was sounding worse than Hosea’s cough; admittedly, he was disappointed to see his return.When Dutch had arrived back, Hosea had felt pleased to see him - but something felt different. Maybe it was Dutch, who started up on his big talks and bullshit as if they weren’t all feeling the noose around their necks. Maybe it was how he spotted Arthur almost deflate from his joy at the sight of their fearless leader. He would need to catch Arthur alone to discuss all that had happened (though by the way Charles was following Arthur around like a baby bear following its momma, he would probably be better speaking to them both).The arrival of the Pinkertons had stopped Hosea from thinking about it too much, and once again, they were on the move. Beaver Hollow was a god damn Hell hole, and no matter how much they tried to make it “home”, there was a feeling of despair that seemed to come from the horrors that those damn Murfree Brood had inflicted upon it. Dutch spent a lot of time with his tent flaps closed, and Micah walking in and out of it like it was shared quarters. Hosea went to speak to Dutch when he could, but even he could see it - the unchecked madness in his eyes. He snapped at any of Hosea’s careful questions and ushered him out, muttering under his breath about “those lacking faith”.It hurt, to be on the receiving end of Dutch’s anger. They had certainly fought over the years, but it had never caused this growing gap between them. They always found their way through any storm. But now, it felt like Dutch was the storm itself, intent on dragging them all into his ideas.There was no saving him, not from himself. The Dutch he knew had died, somewhere along the way - maybe even in Blackwater. The man who stalked around the camp now was an imposter - not that man he had shared his life with for over twenty years, brothers in everything but blood. He would mourn him later, once he managed to get the gang away from their impending doom.After quiet words between Arthur, Sadie and Abigail, he had sent them off to rescue John from prison - he could not even manage considering moving on without having him back. Hosea himself had ridden out on Silver Dollar, patrolling the area outside of the camp to ensure there was no one loitering around them - Pinkerton or Murfree. It was there he met Uncle, with Miss O’Shea half hanging onto him and his saddle.“Hosea! I found her drunk in Saint Denis,” he said, for once sounding serious. Hosea frowned at the sight of her - she had clearly been crying, and the stench that came from her meant she had been in a saloon for some time. “I was going to bring her back to Dutch, but-”“Dutch can go to Hell, for all I care!” Molly spat, but her voice wobbled. “I hate him, and this gang, and this country-”“Uncle, help me get her down from there.” Hosea said, hopping down from his horse. “Not a word about this back at camp, you hear me?”“I hear you!” Uncle agreed, helping get Molly down. “Whatcha gonna do with her?”“Get her to sober up, for a start.” Hosea grumbled, giving Molly a boost up onto his horse (he had to hold onto her to stop her from falling back off). “I’ll take her down to the river.” He’d throw her in if it meant she would get out of her drunken stupor. Molly had started weeping again, her shoulders shaking against her will.“I don’t want to talk to you, Mr Matthews,” she said, wiping her face. “You don’t understand what he’s like, the promises he has made and broken… the way he treats me, like I’m mad, the nasty things he says... You’re lucky, because he is fond of you, he’ll never treat you like you are scum. No one can talk to me about him, because no one can see the real him.”“Oh, don’t worry, I know exactly who you can speak to.” He said firmly as Silver Dollar started to trot. “A whole group of people, actually.”After he managed to get her to drink and splash some of the cold water on her face, he took Molly back. She was much calmer, if a little numb to it all now, but the main thing was that she was quiet enough to sneak past Dutch’s tent. Hosea took her down into the cave, into the deeper chambers where a small fire was burning. He could hear a muted conversation taking place, the light feminine voices bouncing off the walls so softly you couldn’t make out the words. Charles had gone out to help Eagle Flies and so the group was down a member, but really, Hosea thought this would be best to happen without a man present.“Hosea? Is everything-Molly?” Mary-Beth gaped at them both, before looking towards the cave’s mouth. “Does Dutch know-?”“No, thankfully. Will you please talk sense into her?” Hosea barked, pulling Molly along by her arm. “I’ve tried to sober her up the best I can, but she won’t stop crying over Dutch. He’s really driven her mad this time.”“Oh, Molly.” Abigail sighed, reaching out to take her hand. She was surprised Molly didn’t pull away from her. “You should have spoken to us long before he led you to… this. This ain’t the Molly O’Shea we first met all those months ago.”“No, it isn’t.” Molly whispered, her shoulders beginning to shake again. “My God, what am I still doing here?”“Come on,” Karen sighed, and tapped the wooden crate next to her. “Let’s talk about it, okay? And - I can’t believe I’m the one sayin’ it - but no more beer, alright? Smells like you’ve had enough already.”
*
By the next morning, Molly was gone - she had taken a spare horse and had left for good, with enough money in her purse to get her on the next train out of there. No one in the group mentioned it, and neither did Hosea or Uncle. Dutch never even asked about her whereabouts. It was as if she had never existed - which was a good thing. It was one less worry for Hosea to deal with.
*
Things seemed to get worse once Sadie and Arthur had managed to rescue John from prison. Dutch was filled with anger at the sight of John back in the camp, which in turn made Hosea feel like a raging bull. It wasn’t so long ago that Dutch had been welcoming John back with open arms after he had run off when Jack was just one year old. Now, he was acting like he was the enemy - and really, from the look in eyes, it felt like Dutch believed John was his enemy.Hosea knew they had to move, as fast as possible.After some hushed discussions with Charles to see if there was any way they could start evacuating members of the gang, there had been some hopeful news. Chief Rains Fall of the Wapiti tribe had agreed to help move the women and Jack, if the men could provide protection from the army once they moved. He was concerned with travelling with so many known outlaws, which Hosea could not blame him for - the last thing they needed was more law on their tails because they were travelling with wanted men. But the men who wanted to leave Dutch could manage to rough it, until they managed to get out of imminent danger.And then? It was onwards to Canada. It was all set to happen fairly soon - the only problem being the Chief's son, who refused to leave their land behind. Charles was working on it, but from the sound of it, he was even more stubborn than Dutch.Sean and Kieran had left with Arthur and John; something about a pig farm they heard might be worth robbing. It didn’t seem like a job that needed four men, but with the tension being so high at the camp, Hosea was sure Sean and Kieran had been invited along to avoid any fights breaking out. Hosea had been out of the camp himself, trying to plot the best routes that the gang could take - travelling in such a big group was risky, they would be best splitting up and going off the main roads. He plotted out shortcuts on his map, feeling somewhat more prepared for their impending upheaval.“Come on, boy,” Hosea murmured to Silver Dollar, patting his neck. “We best get back before the boys do.” He swore the horse knew what he said; with a snort, Silver Dollar turned back towards the camp.The first thing that struck Hosea as odd was the lack of guard calling out to him as he approached; Dutch made sure there was a guard covering all points of entry without fail. Hosea frowned as he approached the camp, and put a hand over his handgun. The whole place felt too quiet, though as the camp came into view, he could see people. Taima was back, meaning Charles must have returned.“Why is there no guard on duty? I just waltzed right in here.” Hosea asked, annoyance in his tone. The sight that greeted him had him pulling Silver Dollar to a complete stop. In the opening of the cave, next to Dutch’s tent, was Mary-Beth, Karen and Abigail. In the middle of them was little Jack, who kept trying to peek out.Bill stood there, pointing a rifle at them. He had a grim but determined look on his face. Javier stood with him, a frown on his face and his handguns drawn, though he kept his guns pointed upwards. And still, this wasn’t the most shocking sight.Charles was on the ground, slouched on his knees with a head wound that was bleeding sluggishly. Micah circled him slowly, a sick grin on his face. The man had gotten sick at some point in their travels, and most of the gang tried to avoid going near him when he started coughing fits. This was possibly the closest someone had gotten near him, excluding Dutch.From the blood on his gun, it was clear he had been the one to attack Charles.The rest of the gang were standing near the main camp fire, some with their own guns out, but they weren’t pointing them at any targets. Lenny looked as shocked as Hosea felt, and Tilly looked downright furious. Susan had her shotgun firmly in her grasp, but even from here, Hosea could see her hands were shaking.“What the Hell is going on here?” Hosea shouted. Silver Dollar stamped his hooves, sensing the danger in the camp.“Ah, Mr Matthews…” Micah rasped, his gun held loosely in his hand. “We was waitin’ for you to get back. Where’s Morgan and Marston?”“Where do you think they are?” He snapped, jumping down from his horse. “Working on a home robbery, like they said they were. Now tell me, what is going on here?”“Don’t you know, old friend?” Dutch called out from his tent. He slowly walked out of it, his hands on his gun belt. He was frowning at Hosea, and seemed strangely calm about the scene in front of him. “Don’t you see, Micah has caught the rats hiding in our nest. More rats than I was prepared for, but vermin does spread like wildfire if it goes unchecked, does it not?”“Dutch, are you even hearing yourself?” Hosea asked, with shock on his face. “You think these people have all betrayed you? Look at them! These are our family-”“No, they are not!” Screamed Dutch, causing birds to shriek and fly away. Abigail flinched at the sound, and the ladies tightened their circle around Jack. “They think I am a fool, but I notice their little meetups; their dangerous whispers behind my back. Family does not plot against one another.” Dutch spat at the ground next to Charles. “No, these pretenders have only taken the guise of family and stolen my own. I will not let these imposters be my downfall, Hosea.”“My God, you have lost it!” Hosea dropped his hand to his side, next to his pistol. Bill moved closer to Dutch, gripping his rifle tighter. “These so-called mutiny chats have been about the family you are destroying! These people are in love, and when you send these boys out to be fools, they come together to let out their frustrations. They are not looking to get you, Dutch, they just don’t want to lose their loved ones to a foolish plan that has never come together!”“Oh bullshit! Charles has been away the most out of camp, and won’t tell us where he’s been.” Micah hissed, the noise cracking between his teeth. “I bet he was with them god damn Pinkertons.”“Charles has been working on my behalf,” Hosea responded, “what do you say to that, Dutch? Are you saying I am a rat?”“My friend,” Dutch said, shaking his head. “You put too much trust into Mr Smith. He is working on something much bigger than all of us - and he’s got these women working for him. But ain’t no one talking.”“But don’t worry about that, we’ll get the redskin talking.” Micah leered, holstering his gun and taking out his hunting knife. “Do you think he feels pain?”“Micah, stop this!” Abigail yelled, “please, don’t hurt him, he didn’t do nothin’ wrong!”“You know how to make it stop, Miss Roberts - tell Dutch just what you’ve been doing behind his back!”“We ain’t the rats!” Karen snapped, walking towards Dutch despite the other’s protests. “Will you open your eyes and see it’s Mi-ah!”Karen was struck hard by the back of Bill’s rifle - as she fell, blood blossomed from her nose. Mary-Beth screamed at the sight and went down to her, trying to stop the flow. Hosea took another step forward, ready to start shooting, when the sight behind him made him pause.Now that Mary-Beth and Karen were on the ground, Hosea could just make out the shapes of Sean and Kieran from inside the cave’s mouth. They were watching the scene unfold in front of them, and both had their handguns out. They must have sneaked in through the cave system - Hosea had mentioned it before, about needing a guard up there, but for once he was glad that Dutch hadn’t bothered to listen to him.Arthur and John couldn’t be far behind them - perhaps they were already here. He had back up. Now he just had to keep Micah, Bill, Javier and Dutch’s eyes on him.“Is this living free, Dutch?” Hosea asked, glaring at the man. “When we attack our own? Just admit it, this has all fallen apart because of you. Did you forget we have had rats in the gang before? It always happens, and we’ve always managed to come out stronger. But the world has changed - you have changed. And this is done.”“You have just lost your faith, my dear friend. I’ll help you find it again, Micah will help you find it-” Hosea laughed over that, but Dutch continued. “We just need one more job, and no more rats, and we’ll be free.”There - the tip of Arthur’s hat could just be seen from the inside of Dutch’s tent. He would have to move fast if he wanted to avoid being seen by Javier. Hosea had to give him that opening; he was always good at playing distraction - this had to be the biggest distraction of his life.He jerked the gun upwards and under his chin, his finger on the trigger. The whole gang seemed to jerk with it’s movements, shocked gasps coming from their mouths.“Hosea-!” Lenny shouted out, his voice filled with fear.“Now, enough! Mr Matthews, put down the gun.” Grimshaw said firmly, trying to create order again. “This is ridiculous! Dutch, tell him!”“No, let me tell you, Dutch. I don’t need your help in finding my faith. My faith is in the young, those who can still make something of themselves outside of your shadow. Those who deserve a chance to live, not find themselves six foot under for your goals! If only Annabelle could see you now…”“Don't mention her name,” Dutch said, shaking his head. “Do not even go there, Hosea.”“Why not, Dutch? Because you know she wouldn’t recognise the man you are? Because if she heard the way you were treating John and Arthur, she would have left you? I know Bessie would hate to see who we have become. I refuse to become as poisoned as you; if that means I die right here, right now, then so be it.”“... So be it.” Dutch repeated, grabbing hold of his gun. It all happened quickly, after that.The boys sprung out from their hiding places in perfect timing -John and Arthur grabbed hold of Dutch’s arms and dragged them behind his back. Sean took care of Bill, whacking him on the back of his head with his own pistol. Bill fell forward with a yell, his rifle clattering out of his hands. Sean put his gun against Bill’s temple, anger in his eyes - Bill hitting Karen had not been missed.Kieran managed to rush into Javier, knocking him down to the ground in a pile of limbs and cursing. He pushed his gun against Javier’s neck, breathing heavily - Javier held his hands up in surrender. Hosea himself began to move, aiming his gun towards Micah, but the man was too quick. Micah dropped his knife and pulled out his gun and took a shot. It hit Hosea’s gun, causing it to fly out of his hand.“Now you’ve done it, you old fool!” Micah yelled, aiming his gun at Hosea’s chest. Hosea braced himself for the final bullet, praying to whoever would listen that the gang could make it without him.A whistling noise sounded through the trees, passing Hosea for a split second. Micah suddenly gasped and tumbled to the ground; Charles managed to roll away from him before he fell on top of him. Hosea gaped at the scene, and slowly turned to see who had taken him out.There, on the back of his horse, sat Eagle Flies - the son of Rains Fall. His bow was still pulled back with a new arrow in its place. His face was one of mixed emotion, as if he was still unsure of what he had just witnessed.“I had come to meet with you, Dutch Van Der Linde, to ask you for your help in stopping the army from attacking my people.” Eagle Flies said, keeping his arrow aimed at Dutch’s heart. “I can see now that you are worse than them - that you would allow your own people to perish to save yourself. You are no man, and you are no leader. You are nothing but a fraud.”“Now, listen here, you-!” Dutch snarled, trying to take a step forward; John and Arthur refused to let him go.“I wouldn’t do that if I were you, Dutch.” Hosea snapped, though his voice still shook. From adrenaline or relief, he wasn’t sure. “This ends now, you hear me? Accept that this is done. All of you, listen! If you want to stay behind and die for Dutch’s dream, then you are more than welcome to! But for those who want a chance to live, the time to leave is now. The Pinkerton’s are closing in on us, and it will be the noose for you all. This way of life is over. And the only way out is to accept that and change. We can’t keep doing the same thing over and over and expect any kind of change.”“So this is it, old girl?” Dutch hissed; despite his tone, Hosea could see his eyes shine with unshed tears. “You will all leave me, just like that? After everything?”“I cannot look past your actions any longer, Dutch. I’m so sorry I didn’t stop you from your madness as soon as I saw it festering. But you turn on your gang, your sons,” his voice cracked on the word. “All for your own greed. Enough is enough. If I spend my last years on Earth getting our family to safety and away from you, then that is what I will do.”“They were going to betray me!” Dutch yelled, “all of them! They’ll stab you in the back too, Hosea! Arthur, don’t you see it? Abigail and John, they caused all of this! Karen, Mary-Beth, your precious Charles,” he spat out the names, “they know what they have done to us. You simply refuse to see it because of love. All of you are blind, it’s like they got you under a god damn spell!”“Dutch…” Arthur said softly, letting go of his arm. He took out Dutch’s gun and emptied it of its bullets around their feet. “Things were wrong long before these people joined us. The only thing they done is show us how bad we are. We don’t… I don’t want this life anymore. Okay? I don’t want it.”Silence fell upon the camp, the only noise coming from Dutch’s heavy breathing. He looked at each of their faces, looking for a friendly one. He saw none. “Fine.” Dutch muttered, shaking his head. “Fine. We’re done. I want you out of here - you and your little group.”
*
They pack light - whatever folk can carry, they take. The mood leaving the camp was a sombre one, with guns drawn until they were well out of Annesburg. From there, Hosea can feel like he can breathe again.Susan, Javier and Bill had chosen to stay with Dutch. From the looks of it, Susan was getting them ready to move away from Beavers Hollow - God knows where they would go. Hosea couldn’t think about it - it wasn’t his concern any more. Trelawny, Pearson, Swanson and Strauss had left the camp too, but they were all going their separate ways. The rest had come with Hosea - Tilly, Lenny and Uncle too. It was more than he could have hoped for.Eagle Flies had ridden with them, shrugging off their thanks for shooting Micah and ultimately stopping the inevitable bloodshed.
“I always thought my father was a scared old fool, who could not see the importance of us pushing back against these invaders.” Eagle Flies had told Charles as they made their way towards their temporary home. “But, witnessing that man who called himself a father, a leader… ready to assassinate his ‘family’.” He shook his head in disgust. “I saw him for what he is. And I am glad I do not have a father that wishes me harm. Perhaps… he is not so wrong in what he says.”
They didn’t go straight to tribe; Arthur knew of a woman who would allow them to camp on their ground - Charlotte Balfour. She didn’t seem to be worried over the size of their group, and invited the Marstons to sleep inside with Jack. The rest of them insisted on camping out under the stars, only lighting a small fire to keep them hidden from the road.It was nice to see Arthur fret over Charles’ wound - though he kept insisting he was fine, Arthur still insisted on looking over the bandages every hour. They passed around a bottle of moonshine, chatting quietly around a small campfire. Mary-Beth sat within Kieran’s arms, informing Tilly of their little support group that Dutch thought was plotting against him. Sean and Karen were wrapped up around each other, Sean whispering something in her ear that was making her giggle. Abigail and John appeared with Jack from the house, each of them holding one of his hands.“The boy wanted to say goodnight to you all,” Abigail said, giving him a gentle push. Jack began making the rounds, wishing them all a good night. Once he got to Hosea, he paused.“Uncle Hosea?” Jack asked. “Are we safe now? Is Uncle Dutch gonna leave us alone?”“I believe so, Jack.” Hosea told him softly, “no one is going to hurt our family any more. You go to bed now, and listen to your parents. We gotta a lot of travelling to do.”“To get to Canada? How long will it take us? A few days?”“Oho, more like a few weeks! And from there, well, we’ll need to find our new home. Now go on, get to bed.”“Okay, goodnight Uncle Hosea!” Jack smiled, before he took his mother’s hand and went back inside. Silence fell between them for a moment, a silence that would usually be filled with Javier’s guitar.“You know, it’s thanks to your other halves that we all made it here, alive.” Hosea told them all once it felt too quiet. “If you hadn't given them such headaches these past few months, I don’t think half of us would still be alive.”“You got that right,” Arthur said, leaning back against Charles. The two usually didn’t show much affection around camp - no doubt wanting to avoid giving Micah any reason to hassle them. “Dutch, well… He always preached about loyalty to him. But somethin’ started to feel missin’. And I know what it is, now - Dutch only had love for himself in the end. But… well, what we all have in our own ways…” either it was the fire, or his cheeks were turning red. “That is loyalty all on its own, and yet, so much more.”“Lord, someone keep that bottle away from Arthur,” Sean heckled, causing Lenny to laugh. “He’s gettin’ romantic.”“Not with you, boy.” Arthur muttered, tipping his head down over his face.“Clearly not, I don’t quite fit the dark, silent and handsome type you’ve went for-”“Alright, enough, the both of you.” Hosea chuckled good naturedly. “Will you all grab a bottle? I want to make a toast.”“To Charles, Abigail, Karen and of course, Mary-Beth. Thank you, for showing these fools there is more to life than being an outlaw. For bringing love to this camp. Lord knows we lost it when Bessie and Annabelle… Well, I won’t go there. But to you all - thank you!”A chorus of thanks rose up, their bottles held high before being tipped back. Sean started to sing a song, and before the verse was up, everyone was joining in. Hosea chose not to, for a moment. He instead listened to each voice, and smiled.They had done it. They had made it, another day. And whatever followed? Well, at least he knew they would be facing it together.
*