I don't own these characters; if I did, Gunsmoke would have gotten a proper series finale that ended with Matt and Kitty walking down Front Street with their arms around each other.

WARNING! This story contains actual character death. It's not a fake or a dream and there's no mistake or miraculous rescue. Please don't read this if it will bother you.

Together

The stage bringing her back would be there in fifteen minutes. He sent Newly to meet her and get her to the office before anyone else could tell her. Not that they could tell her much. Other than Festus and Newly, no one else knew yet. She deserved to be the first to know, but since she couldn't be she needed to know before the rest of the town. Fifteen more minutes before he had to be the one to destroy the world of the woman he loved like a daughter.

For once it had been an uneventful stage ride. Not so much as a delay from the moment she left Dodge until they pulled out of the last relay station two hours earlier. Then an hour ago, a feeling of dread started to come over her, and she hadn't been able to shake it. It got stronger the closer they got to Dodge, even as the chances for an accident or holdup lessened by the mile. She tried in vain to put it out of her mind, repeatedly telling herself that if it was anything at all, it was that there would be no reunion tonight because he had been called out of town again. That had to be it. Disappointing, but nothing that hadn't happened before. It would be that much sweeter when he finally came home.

He heard the stage coming into town. She would be here soon. He went into the outer room of the office, shutting the door behind him, to wait for her.

The stage pulled in to the depot and she noticed two things right away. Newly was standing there on the platform. He did get called away after all, and Newly was there to tell her. And there was no one else on the platform, in spite of there being two other passengers, nor, she noticed as Newly helped her down, was there anyone else on Front Street. And there should have been.

"Newly," she said, taking his hand, and then her words faded away.

"Doc wants you right away. There's been—"

She didn't wait for the rest of it. Matt. Get to Doc's before it's too—she couldn't even finish the thought. Not stopping to think about how she could possibly run all the way to Doc's in a corset and high heels. Matt. There had to be something she could do this time to get him to give up that damn badge. Matt. Get to Matt.

He was slumped in his chair, head resting on one hand, when he heard her, running much too fast, on the stairs. Bursting through the door. He stood.

"Doc? How is he?" The look on his face told her. No. "No," she whispered, then louder, "No! No!" Collapsing into Doc's arms. Her wordless cries of anguish telling the townspeople at the bottom of the stairs what they were waiting to hear. Doc supported her as her grief poured out. Not asking what happened. No explanation could have helped her understand. Matt. Gone. No room for any other words in her consciousness. Matt. Gone. Doc held her, helplessly, as she cried, stroking her back. "I'm so sorry, Kitty. So sorry, honey." He could find no other words to offer her comfort. She wasn't hearing him, anyway.

After a time she realized she was sitting in the chair next to Doc's desk, and Doc was urging her to take one of his sleeping powders.

"I don't need anything, Doc, except to see him."

"I just want to make sure you're all right before I take you in there."

"All right? When am I ever going to be all right again?" Doc was surprised to hear her ask this without a trace of bitterness in her voice. "You could give me a shot of whiskey, if you've got any."

"All right, but just one. I'm not letting you destroy yourself over this, young lady." She had no response to this, but he could see the emptiness in her eyes as she took the glass from him and wondered if he would be able to prevent that from happening.

Kitty handed the glass back to Doc and stood. "Take me to him, please."

She stood at the foot of the bed, trembling. He was so pale, and there was no rise and fall of his chest that had always provided her some small measure of reassurance in the past, no matter how bad things looked.

"Tell me something, Doc. Was he alone when…when he…."

"No." Doc squeezed her shoulder. "Festus and I were with him."

"Good." She couldn't look at him. If he was lying to spare her she'd know and she needed to believe he was telling the truth. "I should have been there."

"Don't do that to yourself, Kitty."

"I should have been there. But I'm…I'm glad the two of you were with him." She sat in the chair next to the bed as she had so many times before, looking for some sign, anything to tell her Doc was mistaken. "I need a little time alone with him, Doc"

"Kitty, I just don't think that's a very good idea. I want you to go and get some rest."

"I'll have plenty of time to rest, Doc. I need to spend some time alone with him now, before…." She couldn't finish saying it: before they take him away for good. "Seems like we never got enough time alone, together…."

"Kitty, I'll be right on the other side of that door if you need anything." He knew the words had fallen on deaf ears as she turned all her attention to the man lying in the bed.

She lifted his hand from the sheet and stroked its rough surface; the hand which had never been anything but gentle to her. She held it to her cheek, surprised he wasn't cold yet. Finally, she was able to look at his face.

What do I do, Cowboy? I can't let you go. Can't watch them put you in the ground. No answers this time from the blue eyes she would never see again. Still, there was something. From somewhere, he was trying to tell her something. I'm sorry, honey. I tried. Doc tried. Sorry I couldn't last until you got here.

"It's all right, Matt," she whispered. "It's all right." With her other hand she stroked his cheek. Combed the graying curls back from his forehead. As usual, he needed a haircut. She'd try to see he got one before…before. She slid an arm under his shoulders and tried to pull him closer, to hold him, but he was too heavy and, suddenly, she was just too tired. She realized then that she would never again lie next to him, never again feel the comfort of his arms around her. She had to be close to him one last time. Heedless of what Doc or anyone else would think, she took her place next to her man, resting her head on his shoulder and her arm on his chest. She closed her eyes and in the stillness, slowly began to sense that something had changed. She was no longer in Doc's office.

She was standing on the balcony at the Long Branch, looking out over the barroom, her eyes searching the many faces in the crowded room. Her heart leapt when she saw that Doc was wrong. Matt wasn't gone, after all. He was right there, standing by the bar waiting for her, just as he'd said he'd be. There was no more hiding her feelings. She ran down the stairs to him with a smile. He swept his hat off and set it on the bar, smiling that lovesick smile she loved.

"Hello, Kitty."

She took both his hands. "Evening, Matt. Been waiting long?"

"Not long. You're looking awfully pretty tonight, Kitty," he said, sweeping her into his arms. Cupping her cheek with his hand, his lips met hers for a kiss. Right there in front of God and everybody. "I'm all yours tonight. I'll take you anywhere you want."

She pulled back slightly and looked up, smiling, at the dark curls and boyish grin of the young marshal. She knew it was true. They could go anywhere, do anything they wanted. No longer would they need to worry someone might see something they shouldn't. No longer would the badge take him away from her. Her mind swirled with the possibilities, but she knew what she wanted the most was time alone with her cowboy. He seemed to know it, too, without her having to say a word. Picnics and fishing, riding and sociables could all wait for another day. Her smile deepened and she slipped one arm around his waist. He looked down at her tenderly as he put an arm around her shoulders and as they began to move through the room, faces blurred and voices lowered to an indistinct hum. Their arms tightened around each other as they walked side by side up the stairs.

"Ain't they nothin' you kin do fer her, Doc?" The hill man's voice cracked and he didn't bother to try to hide his tears as he mopped at his face with a bandana.

"No, Festus, it's too late. Nothing I can do. I'm sorry." Doc choked on the words, then shook his head and swiped at his mustache. "Will you go ask Percy to come up here?"

"Shore thing, Doc," Festus said, patting the older man's shoulder as he passed him. "Ain't never gonna be the same around here without her, Doc. Matthew, neither."

Doc waited alone in his office for the undertaker, thinking of the one thing he could do for Kitty now. Matt's letter, left with him several years ago, telling Doc his final wishes, lay open on his desk.

…although I love her with all my heart, I have never changed my belief that marriage between the two of us is impossible as long as I wear this badge. I know this hurts her a great deal and why she has continued to stay with me I will never understand. My only wish upon my death is to give Kitty what I could never give her in life. Kitty understands what I am asking and is writing a letter giving her agreement. I'm sure she will have a lot more than that to say on the subject, but she does agree. As far as I know there's no law against it, so please do whatever you can to see that we are buried as man and wife.

With a trembling hand, Doc picked up the sealed envelope lying next to it.

END

Today and still today they ride

Will they ever win

He the glory…

She the love…

Still they try again

"The Highwayman" written and sung by Stevie Nicks

a/n This kind of story is way out of my comfort zone, but my muse gave me a shove and said "Write!" and I had to get it out of my system. Also, for those of you who have read my story "Act Out of Hope," please be assured that the two stories are not connected in any way. The original character introduced in that story doesn't exist in this one.

I have no idea about the legality of Matt's final wish, then or now, but it seems to me a person could have whatever name they wanted on their headstone.