25 - Oklahoma Bound

by Bluebird0032

Mark, Cassie, and Daniel head to Oklahoma to visit relatives.

Oklahoma Bound

"So you're telling me you went to everyone in town, told them you were being forced into running, and that they should vote for Johnny?" Mark laughed as he sat down across from Ned. "Ned, if my uncle ever finds out…"

"Well, let's just hope he doesn't. But after all, it's not my fault that my name is even on the ballot. If it were up to me, people wouldn't even have a choice between me and Johnny."

"Either one of you would make a fine marshal for North Fork, Ned."

"That's not the point. I know Johnny wants the position, he just feels like I should be marshal because of my work with the Marshals Service. Maybe I should've written to Marshal Anker and gotten him to tell Micah I was under orders to not take the position."

"That wouldn't have gotten you very far," a voice declared behind them.

Both men turned to see Marshal Anker standing in the office. They stood and greeted the man with a handshake.

"Marshal Anker, good to see you," Mark stated.

"Good to see you alive!"

"I didn't know you were coming, Marshal," Ned began. "What brings you all the way out here?"

"You're in trouble." The straight face the marshal held didn't last long; he couldn't help but laugh as the worry spread across Ned's face. "I've been wanting to make it down here after everything that happened, but gunrunners and gangs have been keeping me farther south. But I certainly wouldn't want to miss your wedding. I used getting the reports about what happened this fall as an excuse to come up since somebody never sent them to me."

"...You did say to let Cassie take her time," Ned defended.

"...You mean you still don't have the reports completed?" Anker asked, somewhat surprised.

"Sir, I… I might have… forgotten that reports needed to be submitted."

Anker rolled his eyes and let out a sigh.

"You want a job done right, you do it yourself…" Anker teasingly mumbled. "I should've sent someone to follow up, you were dealing with a lot at the time. Mark, would you and Cassie be willing to sit down with me so I can file some reports?"

"...Of course," Mark replied with a hesitant nod. "Why don't you come out to the ranch tomorrow evening for supper?"

"I'd be very much obliged. Say, I never heard, was it a boy or a girl?"

"A boy," Mark answered with a smile.

"The spitting image of his Pa, too," Ned added.

"Well, congratulations."

"Are you hungry?" Mark asked. "I was just getting ready to head over to Lou's for lunch with Cassie."

"Thanks, but my deputy and I have some paperwork to look at…" Anker chuckled as Ned groaned. "A LOT of paperwork."

"Well, I'll leave you two to it then, see you later."

"Bye, Mark."

"I'll be seeing you," Ned called as he started sorting the mess of papers on his desk.

Mark left the office and walked to the hotel where he found Helen at the front desk.

"You and Cassie done already?" Mark asked in surprise.

"She's making just a few last adjustments before I try it on again."

"Is she in Aunt Lou's office?"

Helen nodded before Mark headed to the office and walked inside, just in time to see Cassie prick her finger.

"Ouch!"

"Where's your thimble?" Mark inquired as he picked Daniel up from the cradle.

"I don't know, I can't find it and don't have time to waste looking for it. This dress has taken longer than I ever thought it would; I should've started it sooner."

"Better late than never," Mark commented as he started looking through his wife's sewing basket.

"I'm just hoping these final alterations are going to do the trick."

"...Marshal Anker is in town."

"Making sure Ned's staying in line?" Cassie quipped before she realized what him being in town meant. "...Is he here to… talk about…"

"He needs to file a report. I invited him to the ranch tomorrow night for dinner."

"...Alright…"

Mark knelt beside his wife and handed her a thimble before going on, "Are you alright, Cass?"

"...Yes. It'll be good to have it all said and done. I suppose I've known for a while that this was coming… it's just… he's going to be asking questions and…"

"I'll be there with you through the whole thing, Cassie. We'll get through it, and it'll be done and over with."

"...I hope so, Mark."

Cassie stood and held the dress up before calling down the hall for Helen.

"I'll get us a table and put our orders in," Mark said as he walked past Cassie. "Do you want the Salisbury steak?"

"I think I'll take a chicken sandwich instead."

"Okay."

Mark walked down the hall with Daniel in his arms and sat down at a table before placing their order for lunch. Just as the waitress walked away, Mark noticed Anna coming from the kitchen with a large tray of food.

"Things busy at the clinic?" Mark asked she walked past his table.

"A few ranch hands from Mr. Jackford's place just got thrown trying to break a horse. We have a few sprained wrists and some cracked ribs."

"I'm sure Doc's glad to have Jason around."

"Jason got called to Vendix again, he'll be gone through the end of next week."

"Didn't he just get back from Vendix?"

"No, he had to go help take care of a sick aunt. Vendix was the time before that. ...I'm glad he can help so many people… that they ask him for help… but I do hope he doesn't have to keep traveling to Vendix regularly. I know Doc needs to retire soon and…"

"And you want him home?" Mark asked with a grin as Anna blushed.

"...I better get this over to the clinic."

"I'm happy for you, Anna."

"Thanks, Mark."

"I'll see you later."

Mark sat at the table for a few more minutes before Cassie came out from the office. He stood and pulled her chair out for her before sitting back down.

"Were able to get it all finished?"

"Finally, yes. Thank you so much for driving me into town today."

"Like I told you before, it's not a problem. Besides, we would have had to drive in this afternoon anyway."

"Who are you voting for?"

"Part of me hates choosing between the two because they're both fine lawmen, but I think realistically it would be better for Johnny to be North Fork's marshal. He's served the town well and could use the raise. Ned has enough on his plate as a Deputy U.S. Marshal and if he ever got relocated, we'd have to have another election."

"...How often is there supposed to be an election, anyway? There hasn't been one since we moved here."

"I think technically it's supposed to be every two years, but Micah's the only one that's ran for probably six or seven years, so we didn't bother."

"Has Micah said for sure if or how long he'll stay on as a deputy?"

"No, but I can't see him ever putting down the badge, permanently. It's too much a part of him."

"Mark, did you ever think about becoming a deputy?"

"I thought about it plenty of times, but there wasn't ever really a need since my Pa and Uncle Johnny helped out. I guess I would've been deputized had I become a Pinkerton agent so I could have legal authority in the territory, but that never panned out, either."

"... I'm glad we didn't move to New Jersey, Mark… really glad."

"Me too, Cassie."

As president of the town council, Lucas swore in Johnny as North Fork's new marshal later that afternoon. While everyone was giving their congratulations to the Gibbs and enjoying the refreshments provided, Mark noticed his Ma slipping out the back door of the church. Excusing himself from the conversation he was in, Mark followed Milly outside. Seeing her on a nearby bench with a hand to her head, Mark approached Milly.

"Ma, are you alright?"

Milly looked up to see Mark sitting down beside her.

"I'm fine, I just needed some fresh air."

But Mark looked into her eyes and could see differently.

"Let me get Pa-"

"No, Mark," Milly said, grabbing Mark's arm as he stood. "Your Pa has a hundred things to do while he's in town. I'm fine, I just needed some fresh air."

"You can lie to me just about as well as I can lie to you or Pa. Cassie and I should be getting home anyway, we can drive you, Lydia, and Rachael home."

"Rachael is spending the night at Melissa's. But Mark, I don't want you to leave just because-"

"Ma, you need to get home and rest. No "but's" about it."

"Now you're starting to sound like your father."

"You know what they say, the apple doesn't fall far from the tree. Let me get Cassie and Daniel and let Pa know."

"Just don't worry him…"

"I won't." Mark gave his Ma a kiss on the cheek. "We'll meet you at the buckboard."

Mark headed back inside and found Cassie before pulling her aside.

"Ma's not doing well and Pa has business to take care of in town, so I'm going to take her home. Do you want to come home with us or Pa?"

"Does she need Doc?"

"No, she just needs rest."

"I'll come home with you and start supper."

"I'll be right there, I'm going to let Pa know."

Cassie nodded and headed for the door while Mark looked around the room for his Pa. He eventually found him talking to Mr. Hamilton and apologized for interrupting, but asked if he could talk to Lucas for a minute.

"Mark, is something wrong?" Lucas asked as they stepped to the corner of the room and he picked Lydia up.

"Pa, I saw Ma slip outside and she's not doing well."

"She slipped? Where's-"

"No, I mean she slipped out of the room. She's not feeling well, but knew you had to take care of some things in town. Cassie and I need to head home so I'm going to take her with us, if that's alright."

"I can-"

"Pa, you have to be at that meeting tonight, it's fine. No use driving all the way home and then back to town. I just wanted to let you know what's going on. I think she'll be fine, but I think she needs rest."

Lucas nodded as Mark took Lydia from his Pa.

"If she gets worse though…"

"She won't, Pa, don't worry. And we'll be sure to save you a plate from supper."

"Thanks, Son."

"I love you, Pa. See ya later."

Mark drove the buckboard home and Cassie saw to it that her aunt went straight to bed, despite Milly's complaints. After Mark took care of the barn chores he entered his parents' home to help his wife finish dinner. Cassie checked on Milly when supper was ready, but found her aunt asleep and decided to leave her be. After supper, Mark and Cassie sat in the front room with Daniel and Lydia as Mark read Lydia a bedtime story. After putting his sister to bed, Mark rejoined his wife in front of the fireplace.

"It's strange," Mark commented with a slight chuckle. "It's been a long time since I've seen this house so quiet. Pa and I used to spend a lot of nights reading in front of the fireplace, listening to the fire crackle and pop. During good weather we'd sit out on the porch and listen to all the different noises of the ranch…"

"I look forward to seeing your Pa out there with Daniel," Cassie stated with a smile. "He so enjoys being a grandpa. And I can't wait to see you out on our porch with Daniel."

"Him and hopefully many, many more children."

As the evening passed, Cassie finally decided it was time to put Daniel to bed. Mark walked up the hill with Cassie before returning to his parents' home, wanting to be there until his Pa returned.

When Lucas got back, Mark met his Pa in the yard.

"Mark, what are you doing down here so late?"

"Ma slept through dinner and Lydia's in bed. I didn't want to leave 'til you got home, just in case Lydia woke up or something."

"Thanks, Mark, I appreciate it."

"...I'm assuming you saw Marshal Anker in town today?"

"No, I actually didn't. What's he doing in town?"

"He's here for Ned's wedding and to finish the reports on what happened this fall. I invited him for dinner tomorrow night, so Cassie and I won't be joining the family down here tomorrow evening."

"Are you alright, Mark?"

"...I just feel like every time we start getting traction and start moving forward, something comes up. ...But I do hope that this is the end of it, and… I'll be alright."

"You know you can talk to me anytime, Mark."

"I know, and thanks. ...Pa, has Ma been to see Doc?"

Lucas nodded as he led Razor into the barn.

"He doubled her medication and said she needed to take it easier."

"I bet that went over like a ton of bricks."

"Just about," Lucas answered with a chuckle. "...But I think she is realizing more and more... that she does need to rest more."

"Pa, if there's anything Cass and I can do… even if it's just having Rachael and Lydia up the hill for a couple days, be sure to let us know."

"I will, Son. Thank you."

"...You alright, Pa?"

"I will be, Son," Lucas replied with a faint smile. "I will be…"

1MC1

"Cassie, is there anything I can help with?" Mark asked as he walked through the back door the next evening.

"Would you mind checking on Daniel for me?" Cassie asked as she opened the oven door. "He just started fussing and I haven't had a chance to-"

"I'll take care of him."

Mark crossed the room and entered the bedroom before picking his son up out of the cradle. He changed Daniel's diaper before washing his hands and setting the table, Daniel still in one arm. He could see how flustered his wife was and waited a few moments before asking, "Are you alright, Cassie?"

"Daniel's been fussy all afternoon, I had to start over on the rolls because one of the eggs was rotten, the stew isn't cooking and-"

Mark put a hand on his wife's shoulder and turned her towards him before putting his hand on her face and rubbing his thumb across her cheek.

"Cassie, it's going to be alright. One last time, and then this is all over."

"Not for us," Cassie cried as she fell into Mark's arms. "This may be over for everyone else, but Mark… the nightmares, the memories…"

"The nightmares and memories might come, Cass. But we don't have to give into the fears. We can't. We made it this far and I look forward to the days and years to come. We gotta have faith and take it one day at a time; we don't need to worry about what might happen tomorrow. For now, we have each other."

Cassie slowly nodded and wiped away her tears before turning back to the stove. Mark stood there beside her for several minutes and gave his wife a kiss before finishing the table. As Cassie was pulling supper off the stove, a knock sounded at the door.

"Marshal Anker, glad you could make it," Mark greeted as he let the man inside.

"My apologies for being late, I got held up in town."

"Perfect timing, dinner just finished," Cassie replied.

The three sat down to supper and Mark said grace before serving up the meal. Small conversation was made, but everyone knew they were just putting off the inevitable.

"...I think we all might be better off if we just get the business over with," Mark finally commented.

"Mark, Cassie…" Anker began. "...I wanted to start this evening off with an apology. ...I made the call to not tell you and your family that DeFord was still alive, and I take full responsibility for it. I never imagined that this would happen… I thought we would be able to track him down before anything could happen. I was wrong, and I sincerely apologize to both of you."

"Marshal Anker..." Mark started, only to be interrupted.

"Please, Mark, considering what we've all been through, I think Dawson will do fine. ...I hope I'm here as a friend and not merely an officer of the law."

Mark nodded as he went on, "...We knew Osborne was still out there and didn't expect him any more than we expected DeFord to show up. This would've happened whether we knew DeFord was alive or not. Pa would've still been on a business trip, I would've still been working on the range. Tom would have still had the day off. Ma and Ara still would have been on their way to see Catherine. What happened wasn't your fault and I want you to know that neither Cassie or I have blamed anyone but DeFord or Osborne for one moment."

"I thank you for that, but I still apologize for not telling you. You of all people had a right to know."

"...Well then you can consider your apology accepted."

"I know this has to be difficult for you both, so I want to make this as brief as possible, but I will have to ask some questions."

"We understand," Mark answered as Cassie nodded.

As the marshal took notes, Cassie and Mark both gave their accounts of what happened before he asked them each a few questions. As they were finishing up, Anker asked Cassie one last question.

"And you didn't see or hear either of them mention any more men, besides the ones that were killed that day?"

"Not that I can recall… although I didn't pay much attention to what they were saying most of the time."

"Thank you both for being willing to do this. I know it wasn't an easy thing to talk about."

"...We're just glad it's over, and would like to keep it that way," Mark replied.

"Believe me, the press isn't getting their hands on any of this."

"Now that that's over with, would you like some pie?" Cassie offered.

"Sounds good to me."

Anker visited with the couple for a while longer before taking his leave. Once in town, Anker wasted no time in making his way back the marshal's office where he found Ned getting ready to make his rounds.

"Ned, when you went after DeFord and Osborne, Cassie said there were gunshots and then you and Micah entered the office. What exactly happened?"

"We heard two shots from the office and made our way inside. DeFord and Osborne were both dead."

"They shot each other, then?"

"...I would assume…" Ned paused as he thought some more. "...My father was the only one with a gun drawn."

"Who went back to bury the bodies?"

"Micah took care of it, I'm not sure who went back."

"And you're positive they're both dead?"

"I checked for their pulses myself. With all due respect, Sir, what are you getting at?"

"...Something just doesn't feel right. Why would your father kill DeFord and then himself?"

"...Maybe whatever small amount of conscience he had left took over and he did it out of guilt."

"Do you know where Micah is?"

"He was over at the hotel last I saw."

"Thanks."

Anker headed to the hotel and looked around for Micah before approaching his table.

"Mind if I have a seat?" Anker asked.

"Of course not. Something I can do for you?"

"Tell me that DeFord and Osborne are both dead and buried."

"Of course they are."

"You saw to it yourself?"

"Didn't have to. I went back with a few men and a saddle tramp who had stumbled across the bodies was just finishing up burying them. He gave me their personal belongings and was on his way."

"And you're sure that it was DeFord and Osborne that were buried?"

"Of course I am. What has you so worried?"

"...I suppose I'm just feeling guilty for not telling the McCains that DeFord was alive. ...I suppose I'm feeling guilty for not being there when John and DeFord died. I'm feeling guilty that they didn't really get justice… that Mark and Cassie didn't get to see them put away. ...I guess deep down there was a strange hope that they were alive so I could put them away… that we could track them down and make them pay. Doesn't seem fair that it was so quick and painless for them while Mark and Cassie have to live with what happened for the rest of their lives."

"At least they're gone. We don't have to worry about anyone breaking out of prison or showing up years down the road. It's in the past, and I'm thankful we can all leave it there."

"I don't know how the two of them do it; how they live with the horrors they've seen and experienced. Especially Cassie…"

"What do you mean?"

"...Let's just say her troubles didn't start when they moved to North Fork. I don't… I don't understand how John could have turned out the way he did. He always seemed like such a loyal husband, a loving father. He thought the world of his children. He thought the world of this town and Mark… he wasn't just faking it. We had plenty of conversations and I know he was looking forward to Mark becoming his son-in-law."

"It goes to show how much one mistake can change everything."

"It didn't have to… he could've turned it around. And that's the shame of it all."

"Sounds to me like you were a lot more than just his superior."

"I considered him a good friend. Saved my life a number of times. When everything came out…" the marshal slowly shook his head. "I didn't believe the report I was reading… and then I saw Mark's name. To be honest, I didn't know what to believe at first. The longer I thought about it though, the more I realized that I should've sensed that something was off with John. I wish I had… I wish Mark and Cassie hadn't gotten caught up in everything."

"We all wish the same, but we can thank God it's all over. I know Mark and Cassie are still struggling… we all are, but one day this will all hopefully just be a bad memory." Micah paused for a moment and looked the other marshal over. "...Is there something else bothering you?"

"I wouldn't say it's necessarily bothering me, and like I said, I wish Cassie and Mark hadn't gotten caught up in it all. ...But if Mark hadn't lived here… if he and Mrs. McCain hadn't been in town the day the bank was robbed, John would still be wearing a badge. He would still be helping DeFord and his men."

"Something I've always said is that "if" is a troublesome word. We only have what is."

"I guess you're right." Anker let out a long sigh before changing the subject. "So, now that you're retired, what are you planning on doing with all your spare time?"

"Oh, I'll still help Johnny and Ned out around the office for a while. But at the rate this family is growing, I'll have plenty of adopted grandchildren to spoil in no time."

"You've definitely found something special here, Micah. North Fork is certainly unique."

"I have to disagree with you there, Marshal. North Fork is a town just like any other. But there are a handful of families here that have created something special; that have created a family. A family I feel very honored to be a part of."

2MC2

Rachael looked up from hammering a nail in place to see Mark rubbing his head.

"Mark, are you feeling alright?"

"What? No… I mean, yeah I'm fine." Mark turned and started putting tools back in his saddle bag. "We better go find Pa and Tom before they start wondering what happened to us."

The cousins mounted up and rode to the south pasture where they began helping Lucas and Tom move the cattle to another section of land. Mark noticed a calf staying from the herd and rode after it, only to see the calf take a tumble down a hill. Shaking his head, Mark rode up to the calf and dismounted before checking on it.

"He alright, Mark?" Lucas called.

"...Looks like he hurt his leg pretty bad. I'll get its mother and take them up to the corral for a few days."

"Alright. We'll wait for you out on the east pasture."

"Sounds good."

Mark started the trek back to the homestead with the calf and its mother in tow. After getting them inside the corral, Mark entered his parents' home to get what he needed to take care of the calf's leg.

"Back already?" Milly asked as she and Cassie looked up from doing the laundry.

"A calf decided to take a tumble down a hill and hurt its leg," Mark answered as he looked through the cupboards.

"Do you need any help?" Cassie offered.

"Thanks, but I got it." Having found what he needed, Mark gave his wife a kiss and headed back towards the door. "We should be finishing up in a little over three hours."

"Be careful," Milly and Cassie both called as Mark walked out the door.

Returning to the corral, Mark sat down and tended to the calf's leg, keeping a wary eye on the mother. As Mark finished up he stood, only to feel a sharp pain run through his head. Using one hand to steady himself on the corral fence and holding the other hand to his head, Mark waited for the pain to lessen before storing the supplies in the barn and walking up the hill, trying to keep his balance. The young rancher entered his home and rummaged through several cabinets and drawers before finding a bottle of pills he had hoped he would never have to mess with again. He took two of the pills before sitting down at the table and holding his head in his hands as he waited for the room to stop spinning. With time, the pain and dizziness lessened, but it never went away. Knowing he had to get back to the range, Mark took a deep breath and stood before walking back down the hill to BlueBoy. He rode back down to the south pasture, only to remember he was supposed to meet up with everyone in the east pasture.

"What'd you do, get lost?" Lucas quipped as Mark rode up.

"Sorry it took so long. But boy, if I ever get my hands on whoever let a seed bull lose in here…"

"We can just be thankful only a few cows got pregnant, and that the ones that did seem to have healthy calves."

"They're certainly not very smart ones," Rachael commented as she motioned to a calf who got its head stuck in the fence. "I'll get it."

The foursome finished working for the afternoon before Tom headed back to town and the McCains returned home. As they were unsaddling the horses, Rachael noticed Mark rubbing his head again.

"Mark, are you sure you're alright?" She asked, causing Lucas to look over at his son.

"Just a headache is all. When you head inside, would you ask Cassie to put the coffee on?"

Rachael and Lucas both looked at Mark in confusion as they asked, "Coffee?"

"Since when do you like coffee?" Rachael laughed.

"Right now it just sounds warm."

"Alright…"

After she finished taking care of Liberty, Rachael headed inside as Lucas and Mark started hitching the teams.

"Mark, are you sure you're feeling alright?" Lucas asked.

"I'll be fine," Mark assured.

Lucas wasn't convinced by his son's response, but let it drop. After the teams were ready, Lucas and Mark headed inside to warm up for a few minutes. Soon the family was headed into town for the New Year's Eve celebration. Mark had just finished one dance with Cassie when Ned came over for a dance with his sister. Seeing his son being hovered over by his mother-in-laws, Mark slipped out the back door of the hotel and took a seat on the back porch. Several thoughts ran through his head and Mark found himself torn between what he wanted to do, and what he knew he needed to do.

Quite a while had passed before Mark went back inside where he saw Cassie taking a fussy Daniel from Ara and heading to Lou's office. He followed her back there and caught the door just before it closed behind his wife.

"Cassie?" Mark called as he stepped inside.

"There you are; I was wondering where you went."

"...Cassie, if you don't mind, I think we need to head home."

"Mark, what's wrong?"

"I…" Mark hesitated. "I thought we should have some time to ourselves tonight… we still haven't written out our list for this year, and… and we have a lot to write down."

"Let me feed Daniel and then I'll be ready," Cassie answered with a smile.

Mark went to find his Pa and let him know that he was taking Cassie and Daniel home for the night so they could have some family time. After Cassie had finished nursing Daniel, the small family made a discreet exit and headed back home.

In front of the fire that evening, Cassie and Mark enjoyed their yearly tradition of recording that year's blessings. As Mark was returning his Bible to its place, however, Cassie couldn't ignore her husband's demeanor any longer.

"Mark, I love spending time with you and Daniel. And I know you love having time for just the three of us. This tradition is something very special to the two of us… but those weren't the only reasons you wanted to come home early tonight." Cassie walked to Mark who had braced himself against the fireplace mantel and put a hand on his shoulder. "Mark, what's bothering you?"

"Cassie, I…" Mark turned towards his wife and cupped her face in his hands before giving her a long kiss. They both walked to the table and sat down before Mark went on. "Cassie, I don't want you to worry… but it's only fair to you that you be prepared and… and like we've said before… we can't keep secrets from each other. This may turn out to be nothing, but… I am concerned."

"Mark, what's the matter?"

"...I thought I was doing fine, that things were getting better… that things had possibly been completely healed. And maybe they had been and what happened just caused more damage, I don't know. ...But I've been having more lapses in memory… and when I fell off the ladder last week… I'm pretty sure I had a small seizure. Today I felt like one was coming on, and my headaches… they've just been getting worse. Like I said before, I don't want you to worry, but… if something happens and I start acting strange or… or if my memory decides to disappear again… I want you to be ready for it."

Cassie put a hand to her husband's cheek and looked deep into his eyes.

"Mark, I love you. ...I thought that might be happening, but I wasn't quite sure. Thank you for telling me. Would you mind going to Doc, for me, please?"

"Cassie, he's not going to tell us anything we haven't heard before. It's just going to take time to fix itself. It'd be a waste of money."

"Mark…"

"It'll be alright, Cassie. I think there's going to be a bit of a rough patch for a while, but it'll be alright."

"Maybe we should put the trip off…"

"We already bought the tickets, it's a little too late to do that," Mark chuckled. "Besides, getting away might be just what we need."

"Are you going to tell your Pa what's been going on?"

"...Not unless it gets significantly worse. He's got enough on his mind with Ma and… and something else has been eating at him ever since I first brought up going back to Enid."

"Should we really be keeping something like this from him though? He's your father."

"...They still know it could potentially happen."

"But they don't know it's getting worse again."

"I know, but… Cassie, I'd really like to keep this between the two of us for now. I don't want to worry anyone unnecessarily. Pa and Ma don't need the extra stress."

"Will you at least tell Tom? He doesn't know about any of it and if the two of you are working on the range together…"

"If things continue to get worse, I'll tell Tom as soon as we get back from our trip, I promise."

Cassie laid her head on Mark's shoulder as he wrapped an arm around her. They sat for a long while before Cassie broke the silence.

"Mark… if… if you ever did… lose your memory, like you said you did on the cattle drive… how would you want us to handle it?"

"What do you mean?"

"Would you want us to tell you everything about yourself… about our life, or would you want us to let you figure it all out on your own?"

"...I guess I don't really know. I mean, when everything went blank on the cattle drive, Thomas pretty much explained the essentials and that helped put me at ease a little bit, but it was still pretty unnerving. ...I guess just as much as Doc thinks is a good idea. ...But please, Cassie, don't worry yourself over it. It's probably nothing."

"The fact that you were worried about telling me tells me that it's not "nothing." ... But I know worrying isn't going to do either of us any good. I reserve the right to be concerned," Cassie added with a small smile, "...But I'll try not to worry."

"I can understand. Did I ever tell you about the time Pa lost his memory?"

"...I think you mentioned it once, but you didn't really tell me about it."

"Long story short, Pa lost his memory and got mistook for an outlaw. He believed it too… nearly got lynched. Then he almost rode out and I was scared out of my wits that he would ride off and never come back. …It was a hard few weeks, but he kept remembering more and more until it finally all came back to him. But every time he hit his head for the next few months… part of me got scared that he was going to lose his memory again. ...But thankfully that never happened."

"Mark, what's your earliest memory?"

Mark thought for a long moment before replying.

"...I'm guessing I was about four. Pa had been gone on a long trip and I saw him riding up. He picked me up and asked me if I had been good and I proudly replied that I had helped with dinner that night without Ma even asking." Mark chuckled as he went on, "Ma then yelled my full name from the house… I think I had ruined her supper by putting too much pepper in. What about you? What's the first thing you remember?"

"...I think it was the night I snuck out of my bedroom and sat out on the front porch, watching a thunderstorm. Ned found me and took me back inside before lecturing me about how lucky I was that Ma and Pa hadn't found me. Problem was, he was loud enough to wake my parents who then followed up with another stern talking-to."

"...You know, after all this time, I still can't believe everything that had to happen to get us here. Any marshal could've filled Micah's request for a deputy, but the position stayed open until your Pa showed up. And I mean… if Micah hadn't stumbled into North Fork, he wouldn't have ever put in that request. If Pa and I had settled somewhere else, or if Pa would've given up when someone tried to take our land… we wouldn't be sitting here right now. ...If Ned hadn't come home early to surprise you that first summer, we wouldn't have even gotten to start courting."

"...You know, I almost even stayed with my grandparents for a few months after my family first moved here, but Pa decided against it. That could've… could've had a whole other set of consequences." Cassie smiled as she looked up at her husband. "Mark, I love you, and I'm so thankful for the life we have together."

Mark bent down and gave his wife a long, loving kiss; a kiss interrupted by a cry from the bedroom. Husband and wife chuckled as they separated and Cassie stood to check on Daniel.

"How does a midnight snack sound?" Mark asked as he headed towards the stove.

"Fine, just as long as you stay away from the pepper!"

3MC3

"You alright there, Ned?" Mark asked as his brother-in-law nervously paced the room.

"What kind of question is that, kid?" Johnny laughed from the desk. "He's about to get married, of course he's not alright! Ned, you still have five minutes to change your mind…"

"Don't listen to a word he says," Mark said. "Don't worry, everything will be fine."

"I feel like I forgot something," Ned fretted before he started frantically searching his pockets. "The ring, I forgot-"

"Ned, I have the ring," Mark calmly assured as he pulled the ring out of his pocket.

"Johnny, did you get nervous before the wedding?"

"Nervous? Me?" Johnny laughed. "I was fine."

"You and I sure remember that day differently," Mark chuckled. "As I recall, you were a nervous wreck!"

The three men looked up as the door to the office swung open and a man walked through.

"I was told I could find a Ned Osborne in here?" The man asked with a charismatic smile.

"Jarrod, are you a sight for sore eyes!" Ned exclaimed as he went to shake the man's hand. "What are you doing here? I thought..."

"I was, but the trial ended early and I was able to catch a last minute train. I certainly wasn't going to miss your wedding!"

"It's great to see you! Mark, Johnny, this is my former professor and a good friend of mine, Jarrod Barkley. Jarrod, this is my brother-in-law, Mark McCain, and his uncle, Johnny Gibbs."

"It's a pleasure to meet you," Mark said as he and Johnny shook the man's hand in turn.

"Welcome to North Fork," Johnny added.

"It's a pleasure to meet you both," Jarrod replied. "Ned has told me a lot about you."

"All bad things, I'm sure," Johnny quipped.

"Not in the slightest. Ned been behaving himself or getting into more trouble?"

"A little bit of both," Mark teased.

"Sounds about right," Jarrod replied. "Ned, I would love to catch up and hear about all the trouble you've gotten mixed up in, but I don't think it would be best if we left your bride waiting at the altar."

"You ready?" Mark asked Ned.

"Who cares if he's ready?" Johnny piped in. "It's too late for that now!"

The four walked to the church and waited for the ceremony begin. Mark could hardly keep his laughter contained as he watched Ned nervously fidget and wait for his bride to come down the aisle.

As his wife walked down the aisle, Mark looked into Cassie's eyes and smiled as they both remembered back to their own wedding day. Family sat in the pews, remembering back to their children's childhoods, wondering how they could be getting married and starting families of their own.

Everyone had a good laugh when Ned started reciting Helen's vows, but other than that the ceremony went smoothly. After Reverend Graft announced, "Mr. and Mrs. Ned Osborne," Mark and Cassie followed the couple out of the church before everyone made their way to the hotel for the reception.

When it came time for the bouquet toss, all the women got gleam in their eye as Anna caught Helen's bouquet.

"So, how long do you think it will be?" Mark asked as he and Cassie walked to a bench and sat down again.

"How long before what?"

"Jason and Anna get married?"

"Oh… I'd give it until this summer. Give us some time to recoup from this wedding. How long do you think it will be until they get hitched?" Cassie asked as she gestured to Emma and Jake dancing together.

"Depends on how long it takes Jake to work up the nerve to ask for permission."

"How nervous were you when you asked for my hand?"

"That was nerve racking all the way around…" Mark chuckled as he shook his head. "First I had to ask my Pa for permission to court you and all he could bring up was Sally. Then he made me wait ten months. Then I had to ask your Pa's permission. I was already nervous enough but I went ahead and asked him on the day he asked me to step back for a while. Looking back, I don't even know why I asked him then. ...Then the day I came back after DeFord had kept me in that cabin for a month, I knew it would only be right for me to ask your Ma if I could continue our courtship. ...I think that scared me more then asking both our Pa's. Then I had to ask for Pa and Ma's blessing to marry you and I could hardly think straight enough to get the words out. When I finally asked your Ma, I was so nervous it just came out in one big rush."

"Were you nervous when you asked me?"

"The first time I was planning on it I was. I could hardly pay attention in church that morning. The second time around… after everything we had been through… I think all my nerves were spent. I knew we loved each other and were supposed to spend the rest of our lives together. I couldn't wait to marry you and asking you to marry me… that was one of the best days of my life."

Mark and Cassie stayed well after most of the guests had left and helped clean everything up. Cassie, however, eventually shooed Mark out of the kitchen, knowing he wasn't doing as well as he let on. Seeing his Pa hitching up one of the teams outside the livery, Mark walked down the street.

"Hey Pa, I think I'm going to get a room for the night here in town. I know Cassie wants to be here to see Ned and Helen off in the morning and seeing as how it's already getting late…"

"I understand. Do you want us to take Daniel?"

"...Thanks, but I don't think that's something Cassie's ready for yet. We'll ask Lou if we can borrow the cradle from her office."

"Alright."

"What pasture are we working tomorrow?"

"I was thinking we could start on the south end… but if you and Tom want to start in the west pasture where that big elm tree is and start working your way south once you get back from town, Rachael and I can start working your direction and hopefully meet up with you about noon."

"Sounds good, I'll see you tomorrow."

Mark returned to the hotel kitchen and asked Lou about getting a room for the night.

"Of course, Mark. Ye know where the register and the keys are. Rooms six, eight, and eleven are vacant."

"Mark are you sure?" Cassie asked.

"Positive." Mark took Daniel from his wife and went back out to the lobby to register for a room.

That night, Mark and Cassie were both woken by a ruckus coming from the saloon.

"Mark, where are you going?" Cassie asked as Mark started getting out of bed.

"If I know your brother, he's going to see if Johnny needs any help. I'll be back after I send him back home."

"Be careful."

"I will."

Mark kissed Cassie and grabbed his rifle before leaving the hotel. He met Ned on the boardwalk and shook his head, chuckling.

"Ned, get back to your wife. I'll see if Uncle Johnny needs any help."

"But-"

"You're off duty for ten days, enjoy it while you can."

"...Thanks, Mark."

Mark waved to his brother-in-law and headed towards the saloon, sighing as he saw the chaos inside. Johnny had managed to get in the middle of a fight with two men and didn't exactly have the upper hand. Mark ran to pull one of the men off his uncle before receiving a left hook to his jaw. Before the man could serve another blow, Mark had ducked and sent a punch to the man's midsection. The man doubled over, but quickly straightened up and hit Mark hard enough to knock him off his feet.

Johnny was a bit dazed after the man he was fighting had managed to knock him to the ground. The marshal looked up just in time to see his nephew being thrown into a table; his attention being diverted when Jenkins came towards him with another punch. Johnny rolled out of the way and pulled his gun before firing it in the air, then pointing it at Jenkins. At the same time, Mark had manage to pull himself off the table and brought his rifle to bear on the other man.

"Looks like the jail's going to have a few guests tonight," Johnny commented, the irritation evident in his voice. "Mark, would you mind helping me walking these two over?"

"Sure thing, Uncle Johnny."

After locking the two drunks in jail, Mark and Johnny walked back to the main part of the office. As Johnny sat down at his desk, he saw the goose egg developing on his nephew's forehead.

"That certainly doesn't look too good," Johnny commented as he reached into a drawer for the witch hazel. "You alright?"

"It- it- it's nothing."

Johnny eyed his nephew in concern and crossed the room as he started opening the jar.

"...Mark, maybe we should have Doc take a look at you."

"I just hit- hit- hit my head."

"You did a whole lot more than that."

"I… I'm fine," Mark said as he shook his head. "My brain just got a little rattled, that's all. Besides, if I don't get back over to the hotel, Cassie's gonna start worrying."

Johnny eyed Mark for a few more moments before hesitantly replying.

"...Alright, but put some of this on your head." Johnny handed Mark the witch hazel as he went on, "What were you doing out this late?"

"The noise at the saloon woke us up and I figured Ned was going to go try to check on things if I didn't."

"Don't tell me he was out there?"

"Don't worry, I sent him back home."

"That boy…" Johnny laughed. "Well thanks for the help, I sure needed it."

"Anytime. You seeing Ned and Helen off tomorrow?" Mark asked as he stood and started walking towards the door.

"You know me better than that. I'm not missing one last chance to tease him!"

Both men turned as the door to the office opened.

"I thought I saw you two head in here," Jarrod Barkley commented. "Anybody up for a good old-fashioned shivaree?"

"Ned warned us…" Mark said as he saw the look in his uncle's eye.

"You let your wife know you survived and then go get Willie and Tom, I'll gather up a few more."

4MC4

Two weeks later, Cassie and Mark were getting ready to leave on their trip.

"Mark, I really don't know about this…" Cassie turned around to face her husband. "What if… what if something happens while we're traveling?"

"Cassie, nothing is going to happen," Mark assured as he put his hands on her shoulders. "This trip is going to be good for all of us. You just need to relax, we've all been way too wound up the last few months."

"I just have this feeling…"

Mark cupped Cassie's face in his hands and rubbed his thumbs across her cheeks.

"We're going to be around family almost the entire time; Cassie, you don't need to worry. We can't spend the rest of our lives afraid of the rest of the world, we have to enjoy the time we have here."

"Mark, I'm sorry, I just…"

"I understand," Mark replied as he wrapped his arms around his wife. "But everything's going to be alright. I want you to enjoy yourself on this trip."

"Are you sure your Pa can handle the ranch alright?"

"He did it for years without any help."

"He had you," Cassie reminded with raised eyebrows.

"And just how much help do you think twelve-year-old, troublesome me was? I probably caused more problems than I helped. Besides, now he has Tom, and even Rachael a few days a week."

"Sometimes I still can't believe he's letting her ride the range," Cassie commented before giving Mark a kiss and turning to finish packing their trunk.

"You'd actually be surprised how many of my friends' sisters grew up helping with cattle and farm work. I kinda figured Pa might let her help out if she was insistent enough, but I think it comes with the stipulation that she lets Ma teach her a little more about home making."

"You think she'll ever leave North Fork?"

"I really hope not, but I guess it wouldn't surprise me if she did." Mark took the trunk from Cassie before she went to the cradle and picked Daniel up.

"I think that's everything…"

"Forgetting something, aren't you?"

Cassie thought for a moment before shaking her head.

"...I don't think so…?"

"Your brush?" Mark asked as he picked it up off the dresser and put it inside the trunk. "And you're worried about me forgetting things…" he teased.

"Mark, I'll have you know-"

Mark interrupted Cassie with a playful kiss.

"We're gonna miss our train if we don't get a move on."

They walked down the hill together and said goodbye to Milly, Rachael, and Lydia before Lucas drove the small family into town.

"See you when we get back," Cassie said as she hugged her father-in-law.

"Have a good time; and make sure that husband of yours stays in line!"

Cassie chuckled as she waved and stepped away from the buckboard, knowing Mark and Lucas needed a moment.

"Well Mark, I hope the three of you have a good time. ...We're sure gonna miss you around the ranch."

"It's only two weeks Pa, we'll be back."

"Be sure to wire when you get to your grandfather's so we know you got there alright."

"I will, Pa."

There was a long, uncomfortable silence as father and son looked around at the comings and goings of the station, trying to avoid eye contact. Finally, Mark shook his head and looked up at his Pa.

"Pa, I… I can put off going to Enid. Cass and I could just go visit Grandpa Gibbs and her family, and then we could… you and I… we could go back together some other time."

Lucas gave a weak smile as he put a hand on Mark's shoulder.

"Son… that… that wouldn't be fair to you. I don't know when I'll be ready… if I'll ever be ready to go back home. You go and have a good time."

"...Pa, thank you."

"For what?" Lucas asked in confusion.

"...For being alright with this."

"You're an adult now, Mark…"

"I know watching us go isn't easy… I know it's been eating at you ever since we first talked about it. But having your blessing… it does mean a lot."

"I love you, Son." Lucas pulled Mark into an embrace as he fought back the tears. "...Tell your Ma hello for me."

"I will."

Lucas waved as Mark and Cassie boarded the train. He then watched as it pulled out of the station; a tear finally escaping the corner of his eye.

It was a long drive back to the ranch for Lucas as memories from the place he had called home for so many years clouded his mind.

When Lucas pulled into the yard, Rachael came running up from inside the barn.

"Uncle Lucas, can I talk to you for a few…" Rachael hesitated as she saw the look on her uncle's face. "...Are you alright?"

"Now's not a good time, Rachael."

"...Is there anything I can do?"

"No, I… I just need some time to think."

Rachael slowly nodded and walked towards the house. She stopped on the porch and looked back at her uncle before going inside.

"Rachael, are you alright?" Milly asked as she looked up from the book she was reading to Lydia.

"...It's Uncle Lucas… something's… something's wrong."

"...You do know where Mark and Cassie are going, don't you?"

"I thought they were just visiting family in Oklahoma."

"They are, but… Rachael, that includes them going back to Enid, where Mark's mother was laid to rest. I'm sure it stirs up a lot of memories for Lucas… I know it does."

"He just looked so… lost."

"...Hopefully that won't last long."

"You think maybe we can make a dessert for dinner tonight?"

"I certainly don't see why not," Milly answered with a smile.

The rest of the day slowly passed, Rachael and Milly working around the house while Lucas worked the cattle with Tom. At dinner that evening, Milly and Rachael were both glad to see that Lucas was almost back to his normal self.

"So, Rachael," Lucas began, "What did you need to talk about this afternoon?"

"...Well since I am done with school, I've been thinking about what I want to do next."

"You know you're always welcome here, don't you?" Milly asked.

"Yes Aunt Milly, and this will always be my home, but… well… I don't exactly see myself getting married and starting a family any time soon."

"...Just what exactly do you "see yourself" doing, then?" Lucas curiously inquired.

"...Well do either of you know who Kate Warne is?"

"Should we?" Lucas asked as he and Milly shook their heads no.

"Not many people do, but they should. Well you know who the Pinkertons are, and back when the agency first started, Mr. Allan Pinkerton hired Kate Warne, only not as a secretary. She became the first woman detective ever and even had assignments like protecting the president. Mr. Pinkerton saw having female agents as such an asset that he put her in charge of a whole branch of women detectives."

"And let me guess," Lucas began with a teasing gleam in his eye. "She's inspired you to become a writer."

"Oh how did you know?" Rachael sarcastically asked. "...I know most people wouldn't see it as a suitable kind of work for a young woman, but they really do need more female operatives, specifically for going undercover. People aren't as intimidated by women, we don't raise as many questions and there are plenty of situations where a woman could get information without blowing their cover much easier than a man could."

"It may look all exciting from the outside, Rachael, but..."

"Uncle Lucas, I've been thinking about this for a long time, and this isn't something that's spur of the moment. I have great respect for the position a woman can fill as a wife and mother, and one day I hope to be just as good a wife and mother as… as my Ma was. ...But right now, I really do feel a calling to this. After what happened with my father… with Tom… after hearing all Laura went through and seeing what Mark and Cassie have gone through… I can't help but want to help keep those types of things from happening to other people, other families."

"...I'll think about it. But you are only seventeen."

"But I'll be eighteen this summer."

"I don't care how old you get, you'll always be my sister's little girl and I'll always worry about you. ...But I want you to know I did hear what you had to say and I'll give it some thought."

"Thank you, Uncle Lucas."

"Now, did my nose deceive me or did I smell a cherry pie when I came in this afternoon?"

That evening as Lucas and Milly were preparing for bed, Lucas could tell something was on his wife's mind.

"Something troubling you, Milly?" The tall rancher inquired as he came up behind his wife and put his hands on her shoulders.

Milly hesitated and bit her lip as she turned around to face Lucas.

"...You're not really planning on going along with this idea of Rachael's, are you?"

"I'm hoping it's just an impulse and after a few months she'll put the idea aside and forget all about it..."

"...But?"

"...But," Lucas sighed. "Milly, I really don't know if she will. And as much as I don't want to see her go into that line of work…"

"You can't seriously be alright with her pursuing this notion!"

"...Milly, I don't know if it matters if we're alright with it or not. Don't get me wrong, Rachael has become a very responsible, respectful young woman over the last few years… but when it comes down to it, she is her mother's daughter. If she really thinks this is what she wants to do or what she's supposed to do, I don't think we can stop her. And besides, I don't know if it's fair that we try to stop her… we encouraged Mark to pursue it."

"Lucas McCain, that was a completely different situation! Besides that she's… well, she's a she."

"That didn't stop someone else I know from setting off on her own and trying to make her way."

"I hardly think my opening a store can be compared to Rachael putting her life at risk as part of a job. Lucas… what if something happens to her?"

"What if something had happened to Mark?"

"I… I just don't like the idea of it."

"Well if her mind can be changed, you have a while yet to do it. Otherwise… we have a while to adjust to the idea of it." Lucas let out a deep sigh as he wrapped his arms around his wife and kissed the top of her head. "How were you feeling today?"

"Now don't go and start changing the subject…" Milly started with raised eyebrows as she turned to face her husband, but Lucas interrupted her with a kiss.

"I just so happen to care about my wife, Mrs. McCain," Lucas replied as he put a hand to her face. "How are you feeling?"

"...It comes and goes. Today was better than yesterday."

"You know, I think it might just be about time to treat you to dinner in town."

"We just went-"

"I meant just the two of us. It's been a long time since I've taken you out for some alone time. Rachael can babysit for a few hours."

"Lucas, I-"

"Milly, you need a break from the ranch and cooking and cleaning. Just a few hours, it won't hurt anything."

"If Rachael really doesn't mind watching Lydia…"

"You know how much she enjoys the little ones, she won't mind at all."

"It would be nice to have some alone time…"

"I'll pick you up at six," Lucas replied with a gleam in his eye before bending down to give his wife one last kiss.

5MC5

"Mark, are you alright?" Cassie asked as she watched her husband's knee rapidly bounce up and down.

"I guess I'm just nervous…"

"Nervous? What could you possibly be nervous about?"

"Just seeing my grandpa again… I… I'm honestly not sure how I feel about him anymore."

"...It's a little late to be having second thoughts, isn't it?"

"I guess so. It's just… it's different now, knowing…"

"...I know it has to be hard, but you also have to remember that he went through all of that too… that he's had to live with all that guilt… and that he's a changed person."

"I know, I just…" Mark sighed and shook his head. "You're right… I know you're right."

As the train settled, Mark got their trunk before they made their way to the end of the car. A sheriff on the platform directed the couple to a hotel where they registered and then settled into their room.

"You know, this brings back memories from the honeymoon…" Cassie commented as she looked out the window. "That was such a wonderful week."

"One of the best weeks of my life," Mark agreed as he came up behind Cassie and wrapped his arms around her. "One day, when we're old and have grandchildren of our own, I'll take you back there and we can relive that week all over again."

"Just as long as someone doesn't call you out again."

"What do you mean?"

"Remember, your friend… Thomas Mitchell. He called you out on the boardwalk and just about gave me a heart attack!"

"Oh yeah," Mark chuckled.

"What time are we supposed to meet your grandfather?"

"Six-thirty. Gives us a little time to rest and-" Mark's statement was interrupted by Daniel who began to fuss. "Get him changed and fed."

As Cassie started feeding Daniel, Mark went through the trunk to find a diaper and pins. Twenty minutes after six, the small family made their way downstairs and Mark approached the desk.

"Excuse me, could you tell me where the local café is?"

"Two streets over, just past the livery," the woman replied as she gestured.

"Thank you."

Mark offered Cassie his arm and they followed the woman's directions to the café. They were seated by a young woman who asked if they wanted anything to drink. She came back a few minutes later and asked if they wanted to order.

"We're waiting on someone, thanks though," Mark replied.

"No problem, just let me know when you're ready." The woman smiled and turned to walk away.

Fifteen minutes passed before Cassie asked Mark if maybe they were at the wrong place.

"No, his wire said there was just the one café. Maybe he's just running late. It is somewhat of a Gibbs trait," Mark jested with a gleam in his eye.

Ten more minutes passed before the waitress came back.

"Are you sure you don't want the cook to start your order?"

"No, it's fine," Mark replied. "...This is the only café in town, isn't it?"

"Only café for fifty miles!" She declared with a laugh. "Just who are you waitin' for? There are a number of folk in a council meeting."

"I don't think he'd be there. His name is Gibbs, Samuel Gibbs."

"Oh, Mr. Gibbs…" the woman replied as her demeanor quieted. "...Are you friends of his?"

"I'm his grandson," Mark replied in confusion. "He does still live here, doesn't he?"

"He does, but… I'm sorry, I wish I would have asked sooner. You best make your way to the doctor's office."

"The doctor?" Cassie asked in alarm as she and Mark both stood.

"Mr. Gibbs is in a bad way, he fell not too long ago and… and he's just so old, why… you just better get on down to the clinic, it's at the end of the street."

"Thank you," Mark quickly replied before he and Cassie hastily left the café.

They found their way to the doctor's office and entered to find a middle-aged man sitting at a desk.

"Can I help you?"

"I was told Samuel Gibbs was here?" Mark asked as he approached the man as he stood.

"He is. And just who would you be?"

"Mark McCain. Please, I need to see him."

"Mark McCain…" suddenly the man snapped his fingers. "You're Samuel's grandson, he said you would be coming, but… but you aren't due until tomorrow…?"

"What?" Mark asked in confusion before shaking his head. "It doesn't matter. My grandfather, is he alright?"

"Mr. and Mrs. McCain, please take a seat." The doctor gestured to the seats in front of the desk and the three sat down, Cassie trying to quiet a fussy Daniel. "Mr. McCain, your grandfather took a fall about a week ago. He slipped on a patch of ice. Thankfully it was in town and someone saw and helped him over here. He hit his head pretty good and… well, your grandfather was already fairly sickly and feeble as it was. I'm sorry to be so blunt, but I'm not sure how much longer he has to live. ...He just doesn't seem to have much of a desire to live. I think knowing you were coming has forced him to fight just a while longer."

"Can I see him, please?"

"Of course." The doctor stood and showed them down a hallway and stopped in front of a room. "Mr. McCain, it may be best if you go in and talk to him first. I don't want him being overwhelmed. He… he excites easily in both good and bad ways."

Mark nodded in understanding and softly knocked on the door before opening it and stepping inside. The man he saw lying in the bed was so much different than he remembered. His face was gaunt and his body looked so frail. The once full, neatly trimmed beard was now a tangled, long, but thin mess, and the hair on his head had thinned to a fine, single layer.

"...Grandpa?" Mark finally called.

Recognizing the young voice, the elderly man opened his eyes and softly smiled at the young man standing before him.

"Mark… it's so good to see you, boy…"

"Why didn't you send word? We could've made the trip sooner."

"...Oh, I didn't wanna go and cause anybody no trouble."

"...How are ya feeling?"

"Like a tired old man."

He began laughing at his own joke before going into a short coughing fit. Seeing the pitcher on the table, Mark offered him some water.

"Johnny… how's Johnny and his family doing?"

"They're all fine, real fine. Madelyn is starting to talk up a storm just like her Ma and Madison is getting into plenty of trouble now that she's started walking. Uncle Johnny was just elected town marshal."

"I'm right proud of him. I always felt I was to blame for him getting himself on the wrong side of the law…"

"...It was his choice to get himself into trouble, but he sure did get himself turned around, too."

"Mark, I need you to do me a favor."

"Of course, what is it?"

"Before you leave, go on over a street, to Mrs. Blake's boarding house. Ask her to let you into my room. In the Bible on the night stand is a letter for Johnny. I'd sure appreciate it if you would give it to him."

"Of course I will."

"There's some money under the mattress and in some of the drawers. Whatever is left after the doctor and Mrs. Blake are paid up is yours."

"Now Grandpa, don't go and start talking like that. You-"

"I'm living on borrowed time. The Good Lord's given me time to see you again, to turn my life around… and I know it's getting close to the time for me to go. I don't have much, but I always hoped to be able to leave my grandchildren something."

"But Madelyn and Madison-"

"I took care of that in my letter to Johnny, you just make sure he gets it."

"Yes sir."

"Son, I know the hurt I caused you, and our family…"

"...Family… family forgives."

"Thank you, boy… now, do I get to meat my first great-grandchild before I die, or not?"

"Yes sir," Mark replied with a weak smile. He went to the door and opened it before asking Cassie inside. "Grandpa, you'll remember Cassie. And this is our son, Daniel Lucas McCain."

Cassie sat down beside the bed and held Daniel so Samuel could get a good look at him. She smiled as a gleam of pride and joy entered the man's eyes.

"He's got a lot of Margaret in him…"

"Grandpa, what was my Ma like, as a little girl?"

A sad, distant look came into the man's eyes as Mark asked the question.

"I'm sorry, I-"

"No, Mark, you were right to ask. I… I just wasn't a very good father. ...I spent more time at the saloon than I did with my own family… but I did know this much, your mother was so full of compassion. She had a quiet, meek spirit about her. One that I sense in you."

The family spent as long as they could visiting that evening before the doctor suggested Samuel get some rest. As he was seeing the McCains out the front door of the clinic, Mark turned towards the doctor.

"...If anything happens to him, at all, we're in room seventeen at the hotel. Please don't hesitate to wake us."

"I won't. Have a good night, Mr. and Mrs. McCain."

"Goodnight, Doctor."

They quietly walked back to the hotel and retired for the evening. As Cassie sat on the bed braiding her hair, she looked across the room at Mark, who sat staring out the window with Daniel in his arms.

"...Mark, are you alright?"

"I… I guess I'm just feeling guilty."

"Guilty? What on earth for?"

"...Not coming back sooner."

"Mark, you've hardly had time…"

"I should've made time. I'm the only one in our family that has come to terms with what he's done and… and I should've come out sooner."

"You can only do so much, Mark. We're just lucky we came out when we did… from what the doctor said…"

"If we had come here last, like we originally planned… maybe… maybe it would've been too late. But I still wish I had come sooner. Especially after all the effort he made."

After finishing her braid, Cassie came up behind Mark and started rubbing his shoulders.

"We have to count our blessings, Mark, not our regrets. ...But there's something else bothering you, isn't there?"

"...I'm debating whether I should wire Uncle Johnny or not. ...I doubt it would make a difference, but… it is his father."

"...It's always worth a shot."

"Will you be alright for a while? I want to wait for a response."

"Of course."

Mark stood and handed Daniel to Cassie before throwing his shirt back on. He gave his wife a kiss and grabbed his rifle, then turned to walk out the door. He waited to hear Cassie lock the door behind him before making his way down stairs and over to the telegraph office. After sending the wire, Mark only had to wait a few minutes for the reply. When Mark returned to the hotel room, Cassie knew Johnny's response hadn't been a good one.

"...What happened?"

"I told him his father was dying," Mark said as he sat on the bed and kicked his boots off. "...He said that his father had been dead to him for fifteen years."

"Mark, I'm sorry," Cassie whispered as she sat beside him.

"...Of all people, I thought that Uncle Johnny would understand the most about becoming a changed person… about forgiveness. About not holding someone's past over their heads…"

"One day he'll look back and wish he would've acted on that telegram. ...Until then… we have to love and forgive him just the same. We can't hold it against him."

"I know…" Mark turned down the lamp as he and Cassie got underneath the covers.

Several hours later, a knock sounded at their door. Mark answered it to find the desk clerk standing in the hallway.

"The doctor sent word to get you, your grandfather has taken a turn for the worse."

Mark nodded in response before getting his boots and hat.

"Cassie, I'll be back as soon as I can."

"Take all the time you need."

After again waiting to hear his wife lock the door behind him, Mark quickly ran to the doctor's office. He entered his grandfather's room to see the doctor tending to him.

"Doc?"

"I'm glad you're here."

"What happened?"

"I just think he's close. His heart beat is getting weaker and he was asking for you." The doctor stood and offered Mark a seat beside his grandfather.

Mark took the man's hand and called to him, letting him know he was there.

"Grandpa?"

"...Mark, I'm so sorry… you… you deserved to grow up… grow up with your mother..."

"You… you could've saved her, but you didn't… you didn't kill her."

"But… your grandmother, Mark…" his statement was interrupted by a coughing fit.

"...You… you could've prevented it. You shouldn't have been drinking. You should've let Uncle Johnny drive you home. ...But it was an accident."

"You… you knew?"

"Pa told me."

"Please, Mark… tell your Pa I'm sorry. Tell him I'm so sorry. Tell him…" Samuel began choking on his coughs as Mark worked with the doctor to sit him up a little more. "...Tell him he was right."

"Right about what?"

"He was right… about… the… the…"

Mark looked up at the doctor as his grandfather's eyes closed and his body went limp. The doctor held his stethoscope to Samuel's chest before shaking his head.

"I'm sorry, Mr. McCain."

Mark slowly nodded as a tear escaped his eye.

"I'll have the body taken over the the undertakers. ...I know you and your family weren't planning on being here long. We can hold the funeral tomorrow morning at the church, ten o'clock…?"

"Thank you," Mark managed to reply as he stood. "I… I can settle accounts with you tomorrow."

"No need to worry about that right now. If you need anything, please let me know."

"...Thank you."

"I'm sorry for your loss."

There was very little said between Mark and Cassie the next morning as they had breakfast and prepared for the funeral. Mark was lost in his thoughts and Cassie could see grief deep in her husband's eyes.

A simple service was held which few people attended. It was mostly older folks, a few of whom did put in a good word about their neighbor, Samuel Gibbs.

Mark and Cassie walked back to the hotel after the service to change into something a little simpler. Mark stood in front of the mirror untying his tie as he finally spoke, "I guess it's a good thing you made me pack this after all…"

"Oh, Mark…"

"...I just wish I had worn it to a regular church service instead of…" Tears fell down Mark's face as he braced himself against the dresser.

Cassie came up beside Mark and put a hand on his arm.

"At least he had family here when he did pass…"

"...Seeing him buried… it just brings back so… so many memories… my Ma… Charlie… our… our baby…" Mark turned and walked to the bed where he sat down. "...He was the only grandparent I ever knew. And part of me wants to still blame him for Ma's death… for my grandmother's death… but the other part of me… I just feel so lost. A whole… a whole generation of family… just gone. ...And… and I wish I could've done something… done more to reconcile Pa and Grandpa, and Uncle Johnny and Grandpa… I wish… I wish things just hadn't ended as they had. He looked so sad… so… empty…"

"None of that is on you, Mark," Cassie said as she sat down beside him. "...I know how hard it is… losing a grandparent. But you have to remember that how happy or unhappy he was, wasn't your fault. And you at least got to say one final goodbye."

"...I knew this was coming, I just… wish it hadn't. Not this suddenly." Mark let himself fall back onto the bed as he let out a deep, heavy sigh.

"Do you want some time alone to think?"

Mark slowly nodded before Cassie bent down and gave him a kiss on the cheek.

"I'm going to go shopping for some yarn, then I'll meet you downstairs for lunch in a while," Cassie said as she stood.

"Alright."

"Mark, I love you."

Mark sat up and then stood to give his wife a kiss.

"I love you too."

6MC6

Two days later, Mark, Cassie, and Daniel were on a train headed towards Oklahoma City. Cassie watched with a smile on her face as Mark interacted with Daniel, playing peekaboo with his hat. It then turned into a game of tug-of-war when Daniel grabbed onto the brim of his Pa's hat. Mark played along until Daniel started pulling it into his mouth.

"Sorry partner," Mark chuckled as he pulled his hat from Daniel's grasp. "You've already had your breakfast." Mark moved Daniel to one arm before putting the other around Cassie. "So you never said if your aunt and uncle have any children."

"I didn't?" Cassie asked as she stifled a chuckle.

"No…?"

"There's nine."

"How could they possibly have room to put us up, then?"

"Don't worry, five of them are married and have families of their own. But even if they weren't, Uncle Jeffery and Aunt Gracelyn have a very large home."

"How many siblings did John have?"

"Five; Marissa, James... Ruth, Edward, and Jeffery. Aunt Marissa is married and lives out east with her husband who's a prominent lawyer. Uncle James lives in Idaho and doesn't really talk to anybody. Everyone else still lives in Oklahoma. Aunt Ruth married Uncle Charles, Uncle Edward married Aunt Alice, and they all live in Bloomington. Uncle Jeffery married Aunt Gracelyn and moved to Oklahoma City for the work, and they were in the best position to take Grandmother in when my grandfather died."

"Do they all have children?"

"All except Uncle James."

"And I thought our family was hard to keep track of…"

Half an hour later, the train pulled into the station. A large crowd of people swarmed the platform, making it difficult for Mark and Cassie to look for their relatives. As the platform finally started to clear, Cassie saw a man and woman standing near the ticket both, both looking across the dispersing crowd.

"Mark I think that's them," Cassie said as she gestured to the couple. "Uncle Jeffrey?" She called as they made their way towards them.

At the sound of Cassie's voice, the man and woman both turned in Mark and Cassie's direction.

"Cassie?" The man asked in surprise before pulling her into a hug. "My how you've grown, pumpkin!"

"Oh it's so good to see you!" Cassie turned and gave her aunt a hug as well. "I've missed you so much!"

Cassie took a step back as she introduced Mark. "Uncle Jeffrey, Aunt Gracelyn, this is my husband, Mark."

"A pleasure to meet you," Jeffrey greeted as he shook Mark's hand.

"So you're the young man we've heard so much about!" Gracelyn declared with a smile. "We've so looked forward to meeting you."

"Cassie, last I knew you were starting a courtship, then I get news you want to come for a visit with your husband. When did this little addition happen?" Jeffrey inquired as he gestured to Daniel.

"Daniel was born in late October. I'm sorry we've been so slow about writing… just with everything…"

"We understand," Gracelyn assured. "Life as a wife and mother out west can be a handful."

"Mark, let me take your bag," Jeffrey offered. "The carriage is right over this way."

After everyone loaded up, Jeffrey drove the carriage out of the heart of the city towards the outskirts.

"I know you both have to be tired," Gracelyn began, "But we do have a small surprise for you, Cassie. Ruth, Edward, Charles, and Alice are all coming up and staying through tomorrow afternoon. They should be here about seven so you have a few hours to rest, but it was the only time that worked for the four of them to come up."

"Oh, that's wonderful," Cassie said with a smile. "It's been so long since I've seen anyone from out here. Are any of their children coming?"

"Just the four of them this time," Jeffery replied. "But all of our children are already at the house for dinner this evening. And who knows? Maybe one of these days we can organize some kind of a family reunion. I know mother would like to see that happen."

"We all would," Cassie agreed.

"So, Mark," Jeffrey started. "What kind of work do you do?"

"My Pa and I own a cattle ranch outside of North Fork. We've been working it for over ten years now."

"I bet the railroad has been quite a big asset for you."

"Actually, Pa and I still drive the cattle across open country. Right now it'd be too expensive to do it by train. Maybe one day, though."

"So just how long have the two of you been married?" Gracelyn inquired.

"Almost two and a half years now," Cassie replied.

"That's a long time for someone to survive your cooking…"

"Jeffery!" Gracelyn chided.

"Cassie's a wonderful cook," Mark assured. "Between her and Ma, I think I've put on fifteen pounds over the last three years."

"I'm just teasing," Jeffery replied. "When Cassie first learned to cook…"

"Oh don't worry, Mark knows…" Cassie chuckled. "I admit I was a pretty bad cook for a long time."

"I'm just glad that changed before we got married."

Small talk and light-hearted teasing continued until they finally arrived at the Osborne's home. Mark had no sooner helped Cassie down from the carriage than several children came running out of the house, an elderly woman and a few parents calling after them. Cassie happily greeted her family before introducing Mark to cousins, second cousins, and her grandmother. When things had finally settled some, Mrs. Osborne asked her youngest four if their chores were done. They all looked at each other before the girls ran inside and the boys bolted for the barn, some of their nieces and nephews following.

"I'll show you two to your room so you can rest a while," Gracelyn offered.

Mark and Cassie followed her into the house and down several hallways before she opened the door to their room.

"Everyone should be here around seven. If you need anything, please let me know. Oh, and the water closet is at the end of the hall, last door on your left."

"Thank you," Mark offered.

"We're so happy you could come," Gracelyn replied.

"We're happy to be here," Cassie said with a wide smile as she hugged her aunt. "Thank you for having us."

"It's our pleasure. I'll see you at supper."

After the door closed behind Gracelyn, Mark watched his wife walk to the mirror and let her hair out of a bun, a contented smile on her face. After setting Daniel down on the bed and placing a barrier of pillows around him, Mark walked up behind Cassie and wrapped his arms around her.

"Are you happy?" Mark asked as he gave her a kiss on the cheek.

Cassie turned around and smiled, draping her arms around his neck.

"Mark, as long as we're together, I'm happy. But I am very glad to be here. I've missed this side of my family so much for so long… thank you for letting us come."

Mark gave his wife a kiss before he replied, "I'm glad it worked out. They seem like wonderful people."

Mark and Cassie spent a while resting before supper that evening. Mark tried his best to keep up with all the names, but found it especially difficult since they all looked alike. Cassie asked questions about all the cousins and their families and the majority of the evening was spent getting her caught up on everything. Eventually, Cassie's Aunt Ruth asked about Ned and Anna.

"Ned just got married a few weeks ago. I'm sure he would've sent invitations, but they only decided on the date for the wedding a few weeks beforehand. Anna became a nurse and works at the clinic in North Fork, and is courting one of our town doctors."

"And how are your Ma and Pa?" Edward asked.

Mark nearly choked on his water as Cassie dropped her fork and blankly stared at her uncle before turning to look at the others in the room. The all held the same inquisitive look on their face, confused by Mark and Cassie's reaction.

"Cassie, is something wrong?"

"...When… when was the last time you heard from Ma?"

"Well your Pa always writes the letters, but it's been… quite a long time since we've heard from him."

"So Ma didn't write you? ...Ned didn't write you?" Everyone around the table shook their heads no.

Mark leaned towards Cassie and softly spoke, "...If you want to take Daniel, I can explain…"

Cassie shook her head as she replied, "No… it's alright."

"Cassie, did something happen to your Pa?" Jeffry worriedly asked.

"...I think it might be best if the younger children went to play."

Still thoroughly confused and becoming alarmed, parents quickly shooed their children out of the dining room.

"I can't say how sorry I am," Cassie began. "I don't know how it happened that no one told you…"

"Cassie, what happened?" Edward asked.

Mark and Cassie began a slow, careful explanation of the last three years. Cassie could see the grief in her grandmother's face as they told her and the rest of the family what her son had done.

"Mark came home just as I was giving birth to Daniel… and… and it was finally all over," Cassie concluded. "I'm sorry you all found out this way. I thought for sure you knew…"

"You, of all people, have nothing to apologize for, Cassie," Jeffrey assured. "...I guess we should've realized something was wrong when the letters stopped. I Just figured… well, we all get busy, and with his new job…"

There was an extremely long, awkward silence as everything Mark and Cassie had said sunk in. Finally, Cassie's grandmother broke the silence.

"Mark, we're very blessed that the Good Lord brought you into this family. You've been a man of honor and courage who has protected my granddaughter at all costs, and we are ever grateful to you. While this news is… it is something that saddens all of us, I believe family and the fact that we can all be here is worth celebrating. We only have a short amount of time left together, so if no one minds, I think it's about time we serve up dessert."

Ruth, Gracelyn, and Clara, Gracelyn's eldest, all stood to get the dessert from the kitchen. Though it took a while and the tone had been dampened for the evening, conversation eventually moved past what had happened and on to much lighter subjects.

It was late when everyone said goodnight and the McCains returned to their room. As Mark shut the bedroom door behind him he asked, "...Cass, are you alright?"

"I think so…" Cassie replied with a small smile as she sat down on the bed, Mark soon joining her. "...For the first time tonight, I finally… I wasn't reliving it any more. It happened… it was horrible… but… it's not a part of me any more. I felt like I could talk about it without… without all the questions and worries coming back. It… it's finally in the past, where it belongs."

"... I'm glad."

"Mark, are you alright?"

Mark took Cassie's hand and rested his head on hers as he nodded.

"I felt the same way. ...Tonight you said that when I came home, the day Daniel was born, that it was all over. But I think for us… it's been an ongoing battle… until now. I think now… like you said… it's not a part of us any more. And it's finally, truly over."

Mark kissed the top of Cassie's head and smiled. He got off the bed and knelt down. Mark cupped her face in his hands and gave his wife a long, passionate kiss. As they broke, Mark rested his forehead against hers and gave a slight chuckle.

"What?" Cassie asked with a curious smile.

"Just thinking about Ned interrupting our kiss after we ran out of the church."

"Well he's not here to interrupt us now..."

7MC7

While the family was still trying to adjust to everything Mark and Cassie told them, everyone tried to make the best of the time they had. Over the next several days, Mark and Cassie enjoyed visiting with their family and seeing the sights. One afternoon, Mark was helping Jeffrey repair their barn roof while the women were out shopping.

"Mark, I have to say you and Cassie certainly seem happy together."

"Yes sir, we are. I couldn't imagine my life without her."

"You figure you'll always stay in New Mexico?"

Mark nodded as he replied, "I thought about moving out east when a job offer came up, but we belong in North Fork. Cassie and I both want to be on the ranch with my parents, and having Catherine and Cassie's siblings so close is an added blessing."

"I know what you mean. Do you have any siblings?"

"Lydia; she'll be two this summer." Mark laughed as he saw the bewilderment on the man's face. "I guess there is just a little bit of an age gap. Lydia-" Mark stopped short as it hit him for the first time that they were half-siblings. "Lydia's my half-sister, my mother died when I saw six."

"I'm sorry, I…"

"No need to apologize, I don't mind talking about it."

"Did you grow up in New Mexico then, or did you move there later?"

"We moved there when I was ten after several years of traveling around the country. I spent the first few years of my life just north of here in Enid. That's where Cassie and I are headed next."

"I'm assuming there's family there you'll be visiting?"

"That's the hope," Mark sighed. "...There's some old family issues I'm hoping to see resolved while I'm there. If not… well, it'll be a long couple of days."

"You could always catch a train back here," Jeffrey invited. "We've definitely enjoyed having you here."

"Thanks, and we've enjoyed our time here, but I hope I don't have to take you up on that offer."

"I understand." Jeffrey finished driving in the final nail before stretching his back. "Well, why don't we go see what we can scrounge up in the kitchen?"

"Sounds good to me!"

That evening, Mark, Cassie, and several of Cassie's older cousins attended an opera in town, Gracelyn happily volunteering to watch Daniel for a few hours. Though Cassie knew Daniel was in good hands, Mark was aware of how anxious she was about leaving him. The entire night, Mark quietly reassured her everything was fine when Cassie would hint at leaving early.

It was late when they returned to the Osborne's, but Mark and Cassie found Gracelyn was in the sitting room with Daniel and her mother-in-law.

"Thank you so much for watching him," Cassie offered as she took Daniel from her aunt. "There's no way he would have sat through that whole thing."

"He was a perfect angel; it was my pleasure," Gracelyn replied. "It's been a while since anyone has had a baby; I've missed having little ones around the house."

Cassie gave a smile, restraining herself from revealing a secret that two of her cousins held. The couple soon said goodnight and retired to their bedroom.

The next afternoon, Mark and Cassie said their goodbyes to the family before Jeffrey drove them to the train station. After Mark had helped Cassie down from the carriage, Jeffrey handed Mark their trunk.

"Mark, it was a pleasure to meet you," Jeffrey said before shaking the man's hand.

"Pleasure was mine."

Jeffrey went to hug his niece one last time as he continued, "You both are welcome here any time, and I hope we can all do a better job of staying in touch."

"Of course," Cassie replied.

"Tell your family I said hello."

"I will. And thank you, Uncle Jeffrey, for everything."

"You're welcome, Pumpkin. Have a good trip!"

Mark and Cassie waved before heading towards the train. After putting the trunk in the overhead compartment, Mark took Daniel from Cassie and sat down. As the train pulled out of the station, Cassie looked through the window and waved one last time to her uncle.

"You're gonna miss them, aren't you?"

"I am. Family is the strangest thing… you don't talk in years, and yet somehow… there's this bond like nothing else. ...But like he said, hopefully we'll keep in better touch this time."

At five o'clock on the dot, the train pulled into the station at Enid. As Mark stepped off the train onto a fairly empty platform, he took in a deep breath and took in his surroundings. His eyes finally rested on the church where they had held his mother's funeral service all those years ago.

"...Mark, are you alright?" Cassie asked as she put her hand on his arm.

"Yeah…" Mark slowly let out the breath he had been holding and offered Cassie his arm. "We better find the hotel."

Mark had hardly finished speaking before he caught sight of the establishment at the end of the street. They made their way inside and were greeted by a chipper woman, who Mark assessed her to be in her early fifties.

"Welcome to Enid," she said with a smile, seeing their luggage. "How can I help you?"

"One room please," Mark replied as they approached the desk.

"No problem at all. Front, back, upstairs, downstairs or something in between?"

"...Anything is fine, really."

"Alright then, we'll put you upstairs in room twenty-four. Have you travelled far?" The words came out in a rush as she turned the register for Mark to sign.

"We were just down in Oklahoma City visiting some relatives."

"Well Enid certainly isn't as big as the city, but we certainly are proud of our small town. Quiet, care free, and boastin' the best flapjacks for a hundred and fifty miles around! Supper is served until seven, breakfast closes at nine, lunch is eleven to two, and dinner starts up again at four. If there's anything at all you need during your stay, please let me know, Mr…" the woman stopped and looked down at the register before declaring, "Mark McCain, I never!" She came around and gave Mark a big a hug, startling both Mark and Cassie. "It's so wonderful to see you again! Grown up and married at that!" The woman turned and gave Cassie a hug before adding, "And already starting a family! Oh, Mark he looks so much like you at that age! Is your Pa here? Or Johnny? I heard he moved somewhere close to you."

"No…" Mark slowly replied. "Neither of them… could make the trip…"

"No matter, we'll take what we can get! Does Joseph know you're here?"

"I-"

"Well I suppose not, elsewise the whole town would've known you were coming! I promise, Mark, not a word until he's seen you! Oh, it's just so wonderful to have you home!" The woman gave Mark another hug before starting to usher the couple towards the stairs. "I'm sure you two have to be exhausted. You go right on up and rest up some, and I'll keep my lips sealed so you aren't disturbed."

The woman promptly returned to the desk as Mark and Cassie slowly started up the stairs. As they reached their hotel room, Cassie asked, "Mark, who was that?"

"I haven't the faintest idea…"

After settling in their room and freshening up, Mark and Cassie went down for supper. Somewhat to Mark's relief, a different clerk was at the desk. As Mark and Cassie were eating supper, a man slowly approached the table.

"I'm sorry to interrupt," he finally said. "But you wouldn't be related to Lucas and Margaret McCain, would you?"

It had been a long time since Mark had heard someone say, "Lucas and Margaret," and it took Mark a moment to reply.

"...Yes, I'm their son, Mark."

"By George, I knew it! You take so much after your Ma, and then the rifle… I knew it had to be. My name's Albert Thomas, you probably don't remember me, but I was a good friend of your parents."

Mark stood and shook the man's hand before offering him a seat. They both sat down again as Mark began to reply.

"...I think I remember Pa telling me stories about you."

"There certainly were some stories to tell," the man chuckled.

"Mr. Thomas, this is my wife, Cassie."

"A pleasure, ma'am."

"It's nice to meet you, Mr. Thomas," Cassie replied with a graceful smile.

"Mark, what brings you back here? Is your Pa with you?"

"No sir, Pa stayed back home. Cassie and I have been visiting relatives and Enid is our last stop."

"Well, we're certainly glad you decided to visit. I'm surprised your uncle didn't say anything about you coming."

"...Uncle Joseph doesn't know I'm here."

"Oh, I see…"

"...I'm hoping to talk to him first thing tomorrow morning. Would you mind giving me directions to his place?"

"Of course, not a problem. You follow this street down and then go over two blocks and turn left. Take the first street on your right and they live at the very end of the street, only yard with a fence."

"Thanks."

"How long do you plan on staying?"

"We leave on Saturday morning's train… provided we're welcome to stay that long."

"Don't let Joseph scare you away. You have just as much right to be here."

"What happened to my parents' ranch?"

"The Henry's own it now. Mrs. Henry does a right fine job of keeping up your mother's resting place. Plants marigolds every spring there and around the porch."

"Sounds like she knew Ma well."

"Mrs. Henry grew up with your Ma. I know she'd be delighted to have the three of you out to the ranch."

"Maybe we'll make it out Thursday."

"Mark, how's your Pa?"

"He's good, he remarried a few years ago and I finally have a little sister."

"That's great to hear! And Johnny?"

"Turned his life around, just got elected town marshal. He's married and has two little girls, Madelyn and Madison."

Mark and Cassie spent most of the evening visiting with the man, who was able to fill them in on the comings and goings of Enid and tell Mark a little about his parents as teenagers and as a young married couple. When Cassie and Mark said goodnight and went back to their room for the evening, Cassie could tell something was bothering Mark.

"...Do you want to talk about it?" Cassie finally asked.

"It doesn't feel like I thought it would… coming back. I thought there would be lots of memories and familiar faces… but it's mostly just a strange town filled with people I only know about. ...But I'm alright with that. I guess maybe I should have expected it more."

"Then what is it?"

"...I'm nervous about talking to my uncle tomorrow. I don't want to get off on the wrong foot… I hope everything will be fine… but what if it isn't?"

"Like Mr. Thomas said, Mark, you have just as much right to be here. And I'm sure everything will be fine. After all, you were only a child when it all happened. He can't blame you for anything."

"I hope you're right…"

"Don't worry about it, tomorrow will be here soon enough and it will be what it will be."

Mark gave Cassie a quick kiss before replying, "...You're right. Besides, staying up all night worrying about it isn't going to do anything."

"I'm assuming you'll want to talk to him alone?"

"If you don't mind. Otherwise-"

"It's alright, I figured it would be better that way. I saw some shops down on Main Street and I can do some window shopping."

"I don't know how you women can stand doing that for hours on end…"

Cassie chuckled as she replied, "Just be thankful most of it's window shopping and not actual shopping. We'd go broke every time I went to town, otherwise."

8MC8

Mark slowly walked up the porch steps, nervously toying with his hat. He stood there, trying to will himself into knocking on the door.

"Can I help you?"

Mark turned to see a woman coming around the side of the house, carrying a basket of laundry.

"...Is this Joseph McCain's place?" Mark asked, half way hoping he had the wrong house.

"Mister McCain ain't here. He working this morning at the office."

"Could you tell me where that is?"

"Do you have an appointment? 'Cause if you don't, you ain't gonna be able to see him."

"I'll wait. Where does he work?"

"You ain't from around here, are you?"

"No ma'am."

"Mr. McCain owns the law firm in town, and he's the only lawyer for almost a hundred miles 'round. The only one that doesn't charge an arm and a leg, neither. All them lawyers in Oklahoma City… why they just about get away with murder with what they charge."

"Where is his office?"

"One street over from the hotel, big ol' ugly brick building with a sign right out front. You can't miss it."

"Thank you, ma'am."

"No need to thank me, you's just wastin' your time if you ain't got no appointment. See, Mr. McCain don't like visitors and holds to a strict schedule."

"I'll try my luck. Thanks again."

"You have a good day now."

Mark waved as he walked away. He followed the woman's instructions and soon found himself standing outside his uncle's office.

"Well," Mark thought, "Here goes nothing…"

Mark walked inside to see a tall, blond haired man towering over a woman who sat at the desk, showing him a stack of papers. They both looked up as the door shut behind Mark, the man taking his glasses off.

"Can I help you?" He inquired.

"I'm looking for Joseph McCain," Mark replied, already seeing the resemblance between this man and his Pa.

"That would be me." The man stood up straight as he crossed his arms. "What can I help you with?"

"I was wondering if I could have a few moments of your time. You see…"

"If you'll make an appointment with Esther, I'd be happy to sit down with you and discuss your case." The man started to walk to his office as he went on, "I have to warn you that I am extremely backed up right now, and I-"

The man stopped short as his eyes fell on Mark's rifle. He then looked up at Mark's face and studied it for a moment before turning to the woman.

"Esther, cancel my next appointment."

"Joseph?"

"Just cancel it." He turned to Mark again before opening the door to his office. "Why don't you come inside?"

Mark nodded and entered the office. The door closed behind the man before he walked to the window, resting his hands on his hips and giving a long sigh.

"...Is your Pa alright?" He finally asked as he turned towards Mark.

"Pa's fine," Mark answered with a nod.

"Then what are you doing here?"

The question surprised Mark a bit and he took a moment before responding.

"This is where my mother was buried and-"

"Not here in Enid, Mark. What are you doing here? In my office? Your Pa put you up to it?"

"No sir," Mark answered in confusion as he furrowed his brow. "Pa wouldn't… he wouldn't put me up to anything. I… I wanted to let you know we were here, and… while I was hoping to maybe talk about Aunt Krissy and Rachael, that's not why I'm here."

"Krissy and… and who?" He took a few steps forward as he asked the question.

"Rachael. ...Didn't you get Pa's letter?"

"I got it, but I didn't read it."

"Uncle Joseph, I know you blame Pa for Aunt Krissy running away, but-"

"You think I blame- just where did you get an idea like that?"

"...Well Pa. Isn't that… isn't that why you two don't talk to each other?"

"You mean to tell me that he thinks I blame him for Klarissa running away? And you think that's why… Mark, why didn't your Pa come back with you?"

"...He just said that he couldn't. ...That he wasn't welcome here…"

"What did he tell you about Ma?"

"You mean your mother? ...What does she have to do with any of this?"

"Ask your Pa," Joseph bitterly replied as he sat down, gesturing to a seat for Mark. "...Look, Son, there's a lot that has happened between your Pa and me. ...But that shouldn't have any bearing on you being here and… Mark, I'm sorry to come at you the way I did." The man softly chuckled and sat up more in his chair. "Boy, It sure is good to see you… last time I saw you, you hardly came up to my waist!"

Mark relaxed as his uncle's demeanor changed and sat forward on the chair.

"It's good to be back, though it's a lot different than I remember."

"Enid has changed, that's for sure. ...You said earlier you wanted to let me know that "we" were here. Just who did you bring along with you?"

"My wife and son."

"You can't be old enough to have a family of your own!" The man mused. "How old is your son?"

"Three months in just a few days."

"Mark, I'd love to meet your family. How does dinner at the hotel sound, my treat?"

"Well thank you, but-"

"Unless you already have plans, no buts."

"We'd be happy to. Uncle Dan said you finally got married and have children now, too?"

"Adam and Audra are in school right now," the man answered as he stood and gestured for Mark to follow. "Esther and I have been married for almost sixteen years."

Joseph opened the door and put a hand on Mark's shoulder.

"Esther, sorry for being so abrupt. This is my nephew, Mark. Mark, this is your Aunt Esther."

Before Mark could get a word in, Esther stood and gave Mark a hug.

"It's wonderful to meet you, Mark."

"You too, ma'am."

"By the way your uncle always talked of you, I always had a little boy in mind, but…"

"He's certainly grown into a man," Joseph stated.

For the next hour, Mark got acquainted with his uncle and aunt. Twice, Mark attempted to bring Klarissa and Rachael up, but Joseph quickly averted the subject and Mark let the matter drop. After agreeing on a time for supper that evening, Mark said goodbye and left the office, a large burden having been lifted from his shoulders.

That evening, the two McCain families met in the hotel lobby where introductions were made before they found a table in the restaurant. Cassie quickly caught on to steering clear of the subject of Lucas, but the family enjoyed getting to know one another.

"So, Adam, Audra," Mark began, "How do the two of you like school?"

"I like it alright," Audra answered. "It's better than doing laundry with Miss Jenny all day."

"It's boring," Adam complained. "I don't know how father did all regular school, then all that extra school to become a lawyer."

"I felt the same way at your age," Mark laughed.

"I traded Elmer for a slingshot the other day, want to see?"

"Sure," Mark answered with a smile.

Adam reached over the table to hand Mark the slingshot, only he let go before Mark could grab it. The slingshot fell to the floor and Mark bent down to get it. When he came up, however, Mark managed to bang his head on the bottom of the table.

"Mark, are you alright?" Cassie asked, hearing a groan escape Mark's lips.

"Guess I gotta watch what I'm doing better. Adam, that's one well made slingshot. What'd you trade him for it?"

"Just some arrowheads and cat-gold."

"He did know it was fools gold, didn't he?" Esther inquired with raised eyebrows.

"I don't know," Adam replied as he shrugged, Mark handing the slingshot back to him. "Not my fault if he didn't. Like Pa always says, it's not my fault if the other person doesn't do their research."

"Son, courtroom processing are different than play ground trading. You talk to him tomorrow and make sure he knew what he was trading for."

"Aw, but Pa…"

Adam stopped as Joseph gave his son one of "those" looks; a look Mark remembered receiving from his own Pa on several occasions.

"Mark, are you alright?" Cassie asked, seeing Mark starting to rub the bridge of his nose. "...Mark?"

"What? Sorry, just tired." Mark put his hand down as he continued. "Uncle Joseph, how long have you had a firm here in Enid?"

"I started right after I married Esther. Took me quite a few years to save up enough to go to law school, and of course there was the war. I had a bit of a late start, but I've been doing well. Not too many lawyers out here are willing to settle for the middle-class clients who can't pay so much, but if you have enough clients, you make do. What do you do?"

"Cattle," Mark answered as he began subconsciously rubbing the side of his head. "And I'm getting into horse breeding, but it'll be a while before that pays off."

"How many horses do you have?"

"Just for- for starting I- I- I have three- three."

As Mark shook his head, everyone else looked at him curiously.

"Mark, are you feeling alright?" Joseph asked.

"I- I'm fine- fine- fine."

"Maybe you hit your head a little too hard…"

"Really, I'll be- be fine. I should- should just..." Mark started to stand, only to have stabbing pain shoot across his head.

Cassie screamed Mark's name as she watched him fall to the ground, holding his hands to his head. Joseph jumped from his seat and knelt down beside Mark as Esther stood to take Daniel from Cassie, who was already at her husband's side. They all watched Mark go completely limp before Joseph turned around and asked a man to help him carry Mark over to the doctor's, Cassie, Esther, and the children following closely behind. Once they arrived at the doctor's office and started explaining, the doctor had them carry Mark to a back room before asking Joseph to see Cassie to the waiting room.

"But I-" Cassie protested, tears in her eyes.

"Let the doctor work," Joseph calmly said as he put his hands on her shoulders and directed her out of the room. "We won't do any good out here."

Joseph and Cassie joined the others in the waiting room. Joseph thanked the man that had helped carry Mark over as the man headed for the door.

"Let me know what happens."

"I will."

The family sat, waiting for the doctor to come out. Joseph and Esther were both surprised by how quickly Cassie composed herself and how calm she became. The minutes crept by, the silence only being interrupted by a question from Adam.

"Father… is… is Mark going to be alright?"

"...We hope so, Son."

Fifteen more minutes passed before the doctor came in the room. The adults all anxiously stood, only for the doctor to motion for them to sit back down as he took a seat.

"I'm assuming you're his wife?" He asked Cassie.

"Yes, I am. Is he alright?"

"For now. I'm not exactly sure what happened. Mrs…?"

"McCain."

"Oh, I see," the doctor replied in surprise. "Mrs. McCain, has anything happened like this before?"

Cassie nodded as she closed her eyes and took in a deep breath. She opened them again as she replied, "It all started several years ago, before we were married. He sustained a skull fracture that our doctor believes started his seizures. He's… he's head several head injuries since causing a variety of issues."

"Has anything happened recently that would lead to something like this? I can't imagine him just hitting his head on the table tonight starting a seizure."

"He fell off a ladder a few weeks ago… got caught in the middle of a fight a week after that and had a large bump on his head for a while."

"Has he complained of any headaches lately?"

"He's has one for… four months or so."

"Did something happen to start it?"

"He had a fairly significant head injury a few months ago and I think that's what started the headaches. Doctor, is he going to be alright?"

"Mrs. McCain, I hope so. We'll have to wait until he wakes up to know more about what happened."

Cassie slowly nodded, remembering back to the winter Mark had been attacked by the wolf… having to wait ten long days for Mark to wake up.

"I'm afraid I don't know when that will be, but I don't think it will be tonight."

"Cassie, we'd like you to stay with us until Mark's better," Joseph invited.

"Thank you, but the hotel is closer…" Cassie turned to the doctor as she continued, "Would you mind… I know he's not awake, but could I have a few minutes?"

"Of course."

The doctor took Cassie to the room her husband was in and shut the door behind him as he left the room. Cassie sat on Mark's bed and took his hand in her own as she brushed his hair out of his face with the other.

"We've made it this fair…" Cassie whispered. "Don't you dare give up on me now…"

Cassie bent down and gently kissed Mark on the forehead.

"I love you, Mark."

9MC9

Early the next morning, Joseph made his way to the hotel. He started up the stairs, only to have the clerk stop him.

"If you're going up there to look for Mark's wife, she's not there. She headed to the doctor's office an hour ago."

"An hour ago?" Joseph asked in surprise. "Leslie, are you sure?"

"Why sure I'm sure! Little Mark McCain returns home and you don't think I know what his wife looks like?"

"Alright…" the lawyer replied as he raised his hands. "Thanks."

"Be sure to let me know if anythin' changes!"

"I will."

Joseph walked down the street to the clinic and found the doctor at his desk.

"She here?" Joseph asked.

"Came in a long time ago. She's in there sitting with him."

"Any change?"

"No," the doctor sighed and shook his head. "You can head on back if you want."

Joseph thanked the doctor and headed back to Mark's room. He softly knocked on the door and waited for Cassie's answer before entering the room. He saw Cassie sitting in a chair beside Mark's bed, Daniel in one arm and a Bible in her free hand.

"How are you doing?" Joseph asked as he sat beside her.

"Alright," Cassie gave a weak smile before letting out a small chuckle.

"What?"

"You and Uncle Lucas are so-" Cassie stopped as she saw the look in Joseph's eyes. "I'm sorry, I shouldn't have…"

"It's alright," Joseph assured as he shook his head. "What happened between me and Lucas isn't your fault and you shouldn't feel like you're walking on eggshells. ...Is there anything Esther and I can do for you?"

"No, thank you though."

"Well, I just wanted to check on you before I headed to the office. Esther usually joins me in the afternoon, she said she would drop by and bring you some lunch."

"Thank you, that's very sweet of her."

"If you need anything, please let us know. We'll be back to check on the three of you this evening."

Cassie stayed with Mark all day before Esther convinced her to join them for supper at the hotel that evening. Cassie reluctantly agreed before repeatedly asking the doctor to get her if anything changed.

After supper, Joseph walked Cassie and Daniel back to the clinic. As they entered Mark's room, they both started smiling when they saw Mark stirring in the bed. Joseph offered to take Daniel and went to get the doctor as Cassie rushed to Mark's side.

"Mark?" Cassie hopefully called as she took his hand.

Mark rubbed his eyes before slowly opening them and trying to sit up some. Cassie propped pillows up behind Mark to give him some support.

"Mark, how do you feel?"

"Tired," Mark answered as he looked around. "Where am I?"

"You're at the doctor's office, Mark," Cassie answered as Joseph came back in with the doctor.

"But where?"

"Enid, Oklahoma," the doctor replied.

"Enid…" Mark mumbled. "Do I live here?"

The doctor and Joseph were both taken aback by Mark's question, but Cassie quickly replied as if nothing was the matter.

"No, we live on a ranch in New Mexico. We're here visiting your aunt and uncle, but you hit your head last night and went unconscious."

"We? We're visiting?"

"We've been married for almost three years, and the baby in your uncle's arms," Cassie explained, gesturing, "Is our son, Daniel."

"What about… well why…" Mark gave up and shook his head in confusion as he started rubbing his head.

There were several moments of silence as Cassie looked to the doctor, waiting for him to say something.

"Can you tell me your name?" The doctor finally asked.

"My name?" Mark asked in confusion. "I… I don't know…"

"Is there anything you can remember?"

Mark thought long and hard before shaking his head.

"Do you have a headache?"

Mark nodded.

"Mrs. McCain, can I talk to you in the hallway?"

Cassie nodded before telling Mark she'd be back and following the doctor and Joseph out of the room.

"You don't seem very surprised by this," the doctor commented.

"I wondered if it would happen… Mark has had problems with his memory after head injuries before, and there have been some little things he's been noticing the last few weeks…"

"What has your doctor said about it?" Joseph asked.

"Just that the brain will have to heal itself if it's going to improve."

"Aren't you worried?" Joseph finally asked, not believing Cassie's reaction.

"Concerned, yes. But Mark and I have been through a lot these last few years and right now… I can't sit here and worry myself over it. If this is the way things are going to be for a while… it's the way they're going to be. I vowed to be there in sickness and in health as long as we're both alive, and we are. I'm just thankful for that. ...I know how scared Mark has to be right now and… and me turning into an emotional wreck isn't going to help matters right now."

"That's for sure," the doctor agreed. "Mrs. McCain, I'm going to give your husband a full examination, but I don't think there's going to be anything I can do to help him. After a day or two of rest, I suggest you take him home so he's surrounded by familiar places and people. That'll be the best medicine for him."