7HtD Post Ep

by Picajc15425

My own idea of what could have happened following the episode "Seven Hours til Dawn". It absolutely does not follow cannon, and that's just how I like it. I apologize for not splitting it into chapters, but I'll figure that out later ;)

"Wh- why? Why did you… why did you let me think he was dead?!" She practically shouted at her long time friend, and father figure. But in that very moment she didn't care. She felt Matt's grip on her tighten, almost willing her to calm down.

Matt knew she was upset- he was just as upset with Doc, but for different reasons. He had tried to voice his concerns when he was down in the cellar, but Doc wouldn't let him talk long enough to make those reasons known. As for Festus, this wasn't something he was quite ready to share with his deputy.

"He had to Miss Kitty, don'tcha see? If he hadn't they would have finished Matthew off!" Festus tried to console Kitty- a woman who did so much for him, and who obviously meant so much to Matt. Though he would never openly admit it, he was trying to defend Doc as well. On the other hand though, he couldn't blame her for feeling the way she was feeling toward Doc; he had felt it initially as well.

Matt knew he had to get Festus out of there for a few minutes, so he sent him to start handing out everyone's belongings. Kitty was still holding tightly to him, and it was all he could do to keep reassuring her he was alright.

"Is he really gonna be all right?" she tearfully asked Doc. She didn't want to think about what she would do if he said no, so she prayed for the answer she wanted to hear. Matt squeezed her arm in an attempt to answer her himself.

"Well he said so, and I think he will be," Doc answered. He paused and smiled to himself before continuing. "That is of course, if he gets an awful lot of attention for the next couple or three weeks." He started to walk toward the batwing doors.

Two sets of eyes followed him before Kitty turned with a teary smile toward Matt.

"Well I'll just see what I can do about that," she choked out before they embraced each other tightly; joy and relief flooding through both of them.

Matt gently pulled back from her and held onto her shoulders. "Has Doc looked you over yet? Festus said something about one of Gore's men-"

"I'm OK, cowboy," she smiled. "I'm even better now that I know you're still here."

"Are you sure? He said that Sam saw you fighting off one of them- Barrens?"

Kitty smiled slightly. "He tried to get a little too friendly- Gore yanked him off of me- was mad that Barrens wasn't doing his work." In truth, Kitty had been terrified. It seemed as though Barrens intended to have his way with her right at the top of the stairs in the saloon, with all of his cronies around to watch. She had heard Sam call out to her, but she knew they would never let him help her. She was surprised and relieved to feel the weight of that pig pulled from her- and for a second, she even felt grateful. Now, she was just grateful that both were dead.

Matt grimaced at the thought of what she had been through. She didn't deserve that hell, not just physically, but emotionally as well. In his head he knew that Doc did the right thing, but his heart thought otherwise. Kitty hadn't needed to think he was dead. She never should have been left alone. If something would have happened to her or… He needed- no- they needed to have a talk with their friend, and they needed to have it now.

"Doc, can you come back in here please," Matt called, albeit weakly. Doc was just outside on the boardwalk, and came right away. "Sit down, I have a bone to pick with you."

"Matt, can't this wait?" Kitty admonished. "You were shot 4 times a few hours ago, and I thought you were dead. And now you want to 'pick a bone' with Doc?"

"Yes."

"Why?"

"Because despite his best intentions, I am mad at him."

"What on earth for?!"

"For one, letting you out of his sight for a second when you thought I was dead." He looked pointedly at Doc as he said it. Doc had the courtesy to look ashamed- that had not been the wisest decision, he knew, but it was all he could do at the time to try and save Matt's life. "And two, for not telling you I was alive, and putting you through that stress in your condition."

Now Doc looked puzzled. In your condition. What in tarnation did he—then he looked, really looked at the two in front of him. Kitty was on her feet next to Matt, who remained seated in the chair. Matt had one arm wrapped around the red head's waist, the other laying on her stomach, covering a slight, but until now well concealed, bump. His head was also on her hip, resting close to said bump. To say Doc was shocked would have been a drastic understatement.

He was brought out of the whirlwind going on in his head by the soft sound of Kitty's voice. "Well, that was one way to tell him." She then put her hand over Matt's, the other tousling his hair. She looked more tired than Doc had thought, and definitely realized for the first time in several hours how pale she was. These two observations snapped him out of his daze. He forgot about Matt, and his thoughts and concerns immediately went to Kitty.

"Come on young lady, I am getting a good look at you in my office- NOW." She hesitated only slightly before Matt gently pushed her toward Doc, who took her arm and lead her toward the doors of The Long Branch. Before they left, he turned toward Matt. "I'm sending Festus and Sam in to help you up to my office. Once you are settled, and I make sure Kitty and my grandbaby are fine, you two have a lot of explaining to do."

And with that, Doc lead Kitty out of the Long Branch and toward his office. Matt was a little bit surprised at the reaction, or lack of one from Doc, but figured he would get an earful once he got up those stairs, and made sure the woman he loved and their baby were both 100 percent fine.

It took a good long while, and a great deal of effort, but finally Festus and Sam had helped Matt up the stairs to Doc's office. Kitty was sitting up on the table and Doc was at his desk, glasses removed, top buttons of his shirt undone, and a tumbler of whiskey sitting in front of him. After the last several hours, he felt a small drink was more than acceptable at 8AM. Though he hadn't thought to have one until he examined Kitty, and made sure she and her unborn child were alright.

Kitty hopped off of the table quickly and made her way to her man. Mindful of his injuries, she gently wrapped her arms around him and laid her head against his chest, grateful once again to hear the sound of his heart beating in her ear.

Matt wrapped an arm around her slight frame as well, looking at Doc over her head. Doc gave a small smile and a slight nod, and Matt felt a weight lift from his shoulders, knowing the woman he loved more than anything, and their child, were both unharmed.

Festus and Sam lingered a moment, neither one surprised at the display in front of them. They knew both of these people fairly well, and knew of the love that existed between them. They kept what they knew to themselves, which only strengthened the trust Matt and Kitty had in each of them. They quietly slipped out with a nod to Doc. The sound of the door clicking behind the two caused both Matt and Kitty to look up. Kitty took a good look at Matt and lead him toward the back room of the office. Doc stood to help her and between the two of them, they got Matt settled in the bed in the back. Kitty moved to sit next to him, but Matt shifted and pulled her to lie in his arms.

Doc for his part did not question them right away. In truth, he was incredibly glad that he was able to see them together. As much as he wanted to start asking questions, and he certainly had many of them, he held his tongue until they were ready to offer up some information on their own.

"We're sorry we didn't tell you sooner," Kitty finally started. "We have only known about the baby for two weeks- we found out the day before we came home from St. Louis." She waited for Doc to say something, but when he didn't she continued. "We were walking around the city and I fainted. We might have chalked it up to the heat, but morning sickness had already reared its ugly head the two mornings before. And every day since."

Doc chuckled at this. "And I'm guessing this overgrown worrywart was panicked."

"The whole time she was unconscious," Matt smiled. "By the time she came to, the doctor there had already told me she was pregnant."

"And he was grinning like an idiot when I opened my eyes," Kitty chuckled.

"How far along did he say you were?" Doc wanted to know.

"He said between three and four months. What do you say?"

"About four months," Doc answered. "The baby has a strong heartbeat, and all things of the last several hours considered, Kitty is in fine condition." The couple shared a tired smile at the good news.

Doc had so many thoughts and feeling running through him about the two youngsters in front of him, and the news they had just shared. On one hand, he wanted nothing more than to hug them and offer all of the congratulations and well wishes he could stand. On another, he wanted to take Matt out and horse whip him. While he knew that physically it certainly took two to tango, he still wanted to blame Matt for putting Kitty in the position of being an unwed mother. He loved both of them as if they were his children, but Kitty was special- he looked at her like a daughter, and his feelings about her in this situation were certainly paternal.

He also wanted to give both of them a lecture about the ugly they (more so Kitty) were sure to face once the pregnancy became obvious. The old hens of the community looked for new ways to torment Kitty every day- this would only add fuel to their fire. Even if he could convince them to marry tomorrow, people could still count, and count they certainly would. His internal war of emotions must have shown on his face, for Kitty's voice broke him from his train of thought.

"Curly, I can see what you're thinking," she said. "And before you decide how to horse whip and hog tie Matt, there is something else we want you to know."

"Kitty, I am not a young man. I am not sure how much more 'news' my heart can stand today."

"We are already married, and have been for six months," Matt explained. "Right after we came back from dealing with Grant Shay and his gang, we had a long talk. Kitty made me realize that whether or not people knew about us didn't seem to stop bad things from happening to her. Shay had no idea we were together before he took her and the others hostage." He paused, debating how to continue. "And then she listed every other thing that has happened in the time we have been together." That earned him a light slap from his wife.

Doc nodded in agreement. He had always questioned the lawman's reasons for not making things official with Kitty. He was happy to know that she had managed to convince him otherwise, but still had a concern. "How do you plan to convince the 'god fearing' people of this town that you have been married for so long? I believe you, and believe me, I am thrilled for you, but you know people are going to talk."

"They already talk- EVERY, single day they talk," Kitty replied with a groan.

Matt chuckled next to her. "But we think we took care of that. Judge Brooker has a letter drafted stating when we were married and where. He said he would hand deliver it with a smile if anyone asked."

"And we had one unsuspecting witness we think will help diffuse any gossiping from those hens," Kitty added, a smile playing at her lips.

"Who was that?"

"Edsel Pry," they replied in unison.

Doc finally had to laugh. For the first time in almost 24 hours, his heart felt light and he felt real joy for Matt and Kitty.

"Well how in tarnation did you manage that? Did you kidnap, tie her up, and drag her with you?"

Matt smiled, not wanting to laugh as his side throbbed when he did. "She happened to be in Hays City when we went. Visiting some 'influential' friend she knows there. At the last minute, Kitty asked her to come visit the judge with us, and she unknowingly attended our wedding, and was sworn to secrecy until we decided we were ready to make our marriage known."

"I always knew you were a woman with smarts." Kitty smiled. "I don't know how, but she has held her tongue the whole time!" Doc sounded surprised. "No one else is any wiser!"

"Are you kidding- the idea of being trusted with such 'valuable and important information' tickled her pink," Kitty mumbled, rolling her eyes and giving a tired sigh.

Doc smiled and Matt placed a light kiss to her brow. "Well, make sure I am there when you decide to share this information with Festus- seeing his reaction to all of this just might make my day."

"We will, Doc," Matt replied sleepily, his eyes closing along with Kitty's. Doc said nothing else as he quietly left the room and gently shut the door behind them. As tired as he felt, he knew he wouldn't be able to sleep with all of the news swimming in his head. He took a look at the tumbler on his desk and downed it in one gulp. He decided he was celebrating; celebrating Matt being alive, he and Kitty being married with a little one on the way, and the survival of their town, and by extension, their family.

After a few days, the town collectively decided that a celebration was in order. Matt was improving steadily each day. And since there couldn't be a celebration without the marshal, two weeks after the nightmare of Mason Gore, Dodge threw a party.

Matt was still not completely himself, but was a sight better than he had been two weeks ago. The government had commended Matt, and by extension Festus, for what they had done in putting a stop to Mace Gore. He would be on paid leave for at least another month, but he was itching to get back to work. Festus took care of the day to day operations around town, and Matt took care of paperwork. Prisoners needing escort were sent to Fort Dodge or other towns.

Kitty was finding pregnancy to be very agreeable. Despite still being sick in the mornings, by the time the Long Branch would start to get busy, she positively glowed- not just from the pregnancy, but happiness as well. Being married to and having a baby with the man she loved more than anything in the world filled her with such joy. People knowing about it also lifted a weight from her shoulders. A few days after telling Doc, Matt and Kitty told Sam and Festus about their marriage and the baby. They had reacted most favorably…

"We have something we would like to tell both of you," Kitty began. The foursome and Doc were seated at a table in the Long Branch well after closing time.

Kitty sat very close to Matt, holding his hand under the table; hands that until this very night, had been empty of any sign of their marriage. Now, both had rings on their fingers. Kitty had a beautiful diamond and sapphire engagement ring; when she had asked Matt how on earth he could have afforded it, he revealed that it had belonged to his mother; he had forgotten about it for a long time until he had met her. Kitty sent a silent prayer of thanks to Marie Dillon for turning Matt into the man he was. Their wedding bands were simple gold bands, that didn't need anything fancy- what they represented was the most beautiful thing of all.

"Is everything alright, Miss Kitty?" Sam asked. He had noticed a change in her over the last few weeks- both before and after the Gore gang had come through Dodge. He would never admit it to her, but he did keep an extra close eye on her. She was a kind and fair boss, and he was very fond of the younger woman.

"Yeah, I could tell something is goin on here, but I jus can't put my finger on it," Festus piped up.

"Well that wouldn't be the first time," Doc mumbled.

"Now listen here grumphead," Festus turned on Doc, but was interrupted by Matt.

"Would you two stop- we have something important to tell you," Matt shook his head. Doc and Festus stopped and turned their attention to Matt and Kitty. "Well, the truth is, we got married about six months ago."

Leave it to Matt to get right to the point. Two mouths dropped in surprise at the announcement they had just heard. You could have heard a pin drop in the saloon.

"Will one of you please say something," Kitty smiled at their obvious shock. "We thought you'd be happy for us."

"Miz Kitty, I couldn't be any happier for you and Matthew," Festus finally spoke.

"Kitty, Matt, I think you rendered Festus almost speechless!" Doc chuckled.

"Oh hush up ye ol scudder!"

"Miss Kitty, I am very happy for you. And you too, Marshal," Sam extended his hand to Matt and leaned over to kiss Kitty on the cheek. "And may I say, it's about time!"

"Oh, thank you Sam," Kitty blushed.

"Now all you two need is to have yerselves a youngin or two and life will be just about near perfect."

Matt and Kitty exchanged big smiles and looked at Festus and Sam with knowing looks.

"Oh my…" was all Sam managed with a smile.

"Think you can wait a few months to be 'Uncle Festus'?" Matt asked his deputy with a smile.

Festus was quiet a moment before jumping up so quickly he knocked his chair to the ground with a clatter. Before anyone else could react, he pulled Kitty up from her chair and spun her around shouting, "Wahoo! Miz Kitty that thar is the best news I ever heard!"

"Festus put her down!" Doc yelled. "She's been sick enough without you spinning her around like that!" Festus immediately set Kitty on the ground and looked ashamed. "I'm sorry Miz Kitty- I didn't know you were feelin poorly."

Kitty smiled and gently sat down in Matt's lap- or he pulled her there, she wasn't quite sure which. "I'm fine, Festus. Nothing the next 5 months won't take care of."

That had been the start of the happiness and well wishes that soon came their way. When they told Edsel Pry that she could make their secret known to whomever she wished, the old woman certainly wasted no time. Within a day or two, Matt and Kitty thought that they had heard from every single citizen of Dodge, from the youngest Roninger, to the oldest member of the church. The majority of the reactions were favorable. Some of the women from the church still lifted their noses at Kitty and refused to believe that a man as upstanding as the marshal would have married a saloon woman. Matt and Kitty decided that as long as the people they cared about the most were happy for them, everyone else could sit on their opinions.

As for the baby, they decided not to make an announcement, though Festus wished they would. It was becoming more and more obvious as the days passed, and soon there would be no doubt in people's minds that the couple was expecting. They would accept people's well wishes, and when the insults and accusations came, they would deal with them. In fact, the way things were progressing in their rooms over the Long Branch, it seemed the night of the party would be the night the rumors started flying.

Matt peeked into the bedroom after once again hearing Kitty groan in frustration. She was standing in front of her full length mirror, and it seemed she was having trouble getting dressed.

"Kitty? Is everything alright?" He asked that question with a hint of nervousness. Doc had put the fear of God in him regarding Kitty's emotional well- being for the next few months. One wrong word to her and the war would seem like a picnic on a sunny spring day.

Kitty sighed and looked at him with unshed tears glistening in her eyes. "No, I am not alright. My clothes do not fit anymore." This admission seemed to be the catalyst for the tears that started to fall. Matt could never stand to see her cry, and immediately went to her. She buried her face in his chest and let the tears fall freely. He didn't know what to say, so he just held her close and kissed the top of her head.

"I'm sorry," she stammered after a few minutes. "You must think I'm being crazy."

"Never. You're too pretty to be crazy." She smiled at that, and he relaxed slightly. Smiling was good. Smiling meant he wasn't in any danger- he hoped. "Now, I am sure there is something in that closet that fits. What about those dresses you bought our last day in St. Louis? The ones the woman there told you were perfect for… what did she say again?"

Kitty gave an un-lady like snort at the mention of the over-the-top dress maker she had dealt with in St. Louis. "A striking, lovely, young business woman in a delicate and blessed condition. If she had used anymore adjectives I think my head would have exploded!"

Kitty had been bound and determined to not leave St. Louis without at least ordering some kind of maternity wear. As much as Matt hated shopping, he had been so ecstatic to learn about the baby, he was ready to agree to anything that would make her happy. Several dresses later, Kitty was very happy.

"Well, then wear one of them," he stated simply.

"You realize that if I do, this," she put her hand over the bump that was clearly visible in her state of undress and turned back toward her mirror, "will be extremely obvious?"

Matt smiled, stepped behind her and wrapped his arms around her, bringing her other hand to rest on her stomach as well. He put both of his hands over hers and looked at her in the mirror. "This is our baby. And I don't care who knows it."

He can be so sweet when he tries Kitty thought to herself. She smiled back at him in the mirror and nodded, then kicked him out of the bedroom so they both could finish getting ready for what was sure to be a most memorable night in Dodge.

The figurative bomb the couple had expected when people saw Kitty at the party was not quite what they had expected. Yes, there were whispers and murmurs, and quite a few 'is she' or 'isn't she' looks, but no confrontations of surprise, shock, or outrage. Kitty was relieved, while Matt attributed it to how stunning she looked. Doc attributed it to the fact that not five minutes before Matt and Kitty had arrived, Fetus had threatened everyone within an inch of their life to not say anything 'unkindly like' to the marshal and Miss Kitty- no matter what. Of course, not knowing what Festus was implying, they all agreed without question.

Kitty could look beautiful in a brown sack- her beauty was effortless and natural. But the pregnancy had made her look even more beautiful, if that were possible. She positively glowed in every way possible; she was happy, and finally living her life the way she wanted. Not the way her circumstances had dictated when she was younger, and not the way Matt's badge had dictated until very recently. She was a young woman with a successful business of her own, a husband she adored and whom adored her more, and she was going to be a mother in a few short months. Her life was good and more importantly, was finally hers.

One thing Kitty loved was a good square dance; and Doc and Festus could call them better than anyone she had ever met. However, she had been forbidden by Doc and later her husband from participating in any this night. Doc had laid the guilt on her about resting, and that he loved her and his future grandchild too much to let her dance the night away. Matt agreed, and made sure he followed through on Doc's orders. Kitty didn't talk to either of them for almost an entire day.

As she watched many of the townsfolk dancing and having a good time, she felt someone come up behind her and put a gentle hand on her arm. She turned to see her good friend Bess Roninger.

"Evenin Bess," Kitty smiled.

"Hello Kitty," Bess replied with a kind smile. "How are you feeling?" Bess had been one of the first people Matt and Kitty had told about the wedding and the baby in the few days following Matt's recovery. Though, being a mother of 10 herself, Bess had figured out that Kitty was expecting before she could get the words out.

"Just fine," Kitty answered.

"Still sick in the mornings?"

Kitty grimaced. "Unfortunately."

Bess nodded in understanding. "Try some tea with mint leaves before bed- did me a world of good every time."

"Really?"

"Cross my heart," Bess beamed and put a friendly arm around Kitty's shoulders. "Oh Kitty, I can't tell you how happy we are for you, and for the marshal. My little Catherine and this baby will be mighty close in age."

"Well, neither she nor this baby will ever be at a loss for playmates," Kitty giggled and Bess laughed right along with her.

"Kitty, I swear once I get one of them up and out of diapers, I want another one!"

"And you've gotten just what you wanted- several times!" Both women laughed together at this.

"Oh, you tease now, but you just wait until this one," Bess looked pointedly at the barely there, but still obvious, bump in Kitty's stomach, "starts showing any sign of independence- you'll see what I mean."

Kitty smiled. She wasn't ready to say it out loud, but she certainly hoped her dear friend was right. She and Matt had both grown up alone for the most part. She had hated it and she knew Matt had too; that was a topic of many a late night conversation between the two. One of the things about themselves that they kept just between the two of them; one of many things that over time had strengthened their bond to one another. They had never really discussed having a family, even after getting married. But she knew that she didn't want this baby to be an only child- and she was almost certain Matt felt the same way.

The music stopped and both women clapped along with everyone else. Festus then stepped to the podium and called for everyone's attention.

"Alright, alright everybody, simmer down," Festus quieted the large crowd. "Now, in case you ain't already heard, we have a couple a newlyweds here tonight."

Kitty looked over toward Matt and both lifted their eyes skyward with slight smiles. There wasn't much doubt in either of their minds as to who Festus was referring; and the applause from everyone else meant they all knew it too.

"Now, I had it all figured out to call a weddin' dance for ol Mathew and Miz Kitty, but things being what they are with the both of em, Doc told me I wasn't allowed to, mangy ol windbag." That earned a laugh and some jeers from the crowd and a pointed look from Doc. "Now hold on, hold on. Ya can't blame ol Doc- Matthew is jus startin to feel better an Miss Kitty is in a del-i-cat condition." Well, if anyone who was blind enough not to notice that Kitty was pregnant certainly knew now. Kitty looked over at Matt, who crossed his arms and looked at Festus. Somehow the hill man always got to do what he wanted in the first place. Festus quickly finished his speech. "But he did tell me they was allowed a slow dance so that's what this next one here is. Come on out Marshall and Mrs. Dillon!"

Bess gave Kitty a gentle push toward Matt and he met her halfway across the saloon to the tune of many cheers, whistles and applause. In that moment, the love the people of Dodge had for these two people was astounding. Any worry Doc had initially had about the reactions people would have to Matt and Kitty's marriage and pregnancy vanished. He looked around and saw genuine happiness on so many faces. Even the most judgmental of the towns citizens were smiling and applauding the couple. Though he would deny it if ever confronted, the sight brought tears of happiness to his eyes. He looked on at the couple and his heart soared with pride in his two 'children.'

"You doin' alright, Cowboy?" Kitty whispered to Matt as they swayed gently to the music.

"Just fine, Kitty. Are you OK? This isn't too much for you?"

"Not at all- this is just about perfect." He smiled and leaned down to kiss her, which of course, earned them another loud cheer. She smiled against his lips ad he pressed his forehead to hers as the song quietly finished.

For a few weeks after Matt fully returned to work, things were relatively quiet, which Kitty was very thankful for. His return to work occurred sooner than originally anticipated, which caused a stir in the small Dillon family, as well as with Doc. After several 'disagreements' (as Matt refused to fight with his wife in her condition) and tears (from Kitty), Matt went back to work two weeks sooner than planned.

As the days wore on, and things stayed quiet, Kitty found herself feeling less and less afraid as Matt got back into the routine of being the marshal. She found ways to keep herself busy, either at The Long Branch, or starting to get things ready for the baby. One thing she knew they had to do soon was figure out their living arrangements. Sure, the rooms over the saloon were fine for them, but they would not be fine in a few months with a new baby. House hunting was a frequent topic of conversation, but neither had found anything they particularly liked.

Then, after things had been calm for over a month, and Kitty was just about six months pregnant, the inevitable happened; the relative peace of the last several weeks was broken by the arrival of several suspicious gunslingers. Miguel Samando was just a dumb kid out on the trail looking to prove himself, wasn't he? Billy Coe same thing- trying to look like a somebody in front of Tresh and Phleger. Matt hadn't thought much of it until Festus found out that they were after him. It was then that the fear washed over him like a waterfall. Fear not for himself, but for his wife and their child. Knowing that someone was after him and could get to Kitty made him feel sick. Then there was the fight between Phleger and Tresh- he knew she wasn't in the saloon at the time but still, she could have been. And she could have been hurt… or worse. Getting her to listen to the plan he had was not going to be easy; Kitty was stubborn in the best of circumstances- being pregnant only made her more so.

"Kitty, please, just listen to me," Matt was trying (and failing) to convince her to get out of town and go stay with Bess and Will. He feared for her and their child. This was one of the many nightmares that plagued him from time to time. Only this time, the nightmare was turning into a reality.

"No, I already told you once, I am not leaving you!" she shot back. "If something is going to happen, I want to be near you when it does."

"But Kitty, it isn't safe!"

"And being away from you will be? You've said yourself that there is no one better than you to take care of me."

"Not when I am the one being hunted after! Phleger is looking for any way he can to draw me out- and he is always hanging around the Long Branch. If you go to the Roningers, at least I know you'll be protected. Someone will be able to be with you constantly- I can't do that, my job, and watch my back all at the same time."

"And I'll worry myself sick over you. And how would that be good for me? For our baby? If something were to happen to you, I don't want to find out about it from Festus or Doc after it's too late. Matt, please, I don't want to be away from you- I can't bear to be away from you. Why can't you see that?"

"Why can't you see that I am just trying to do my best to keep you and our baby safe?" Yes, even he would have to admit that they weren't disagreeing anymore- they were fighting.

"I won't feel safe. And what kind of wife would that make me to you? If every time something bad happens I run for the hills? I need you- to be with you. I won't be safe if I am not- with- YOU!" Her voice rose with every word, and the tears threatened to spill.

"Yes you will! This is what I have been afraid of for 12 years. This scenario is why I never wanted to get married in the first place! And now it's not just you I have to worry about!" As soon as the words left his lips he knew he had said the wrong thing. He hadn't meant it the way it had come out- sounding like he was regretting marrying her, and not just that, but regretting their baby too.

The look of shock and hurt on her face killed him a little bit inside. If he could take back his words he would. He was stressed about the bounty on his head, and was taking it out on her. He didn't know what else to do. The silent tears streamed down her face now.

"Kitty," his voice was softer now. "Look, I didn't-"

She straightened to her full height, put one hand on her hip, and the other over her belly. "No- if that's the way you feel about it, maybe I should just go to the Roningers." Her voice cracked as she spoke, and Matt's heart cracked right along with it. "Give me a half an hour to pack some things." And with that, she strode past him without a second glance.

He had messed up- no, he had royally messed up. He threw his Stetson down on the floor and dropped into the chair in her sitting room in disgust. He really hadn't meant what he had said- marrying her, having a baby with her, were two of the greatest gifts he never thought he would have. But because he loved her so much, he feared for her. Not just for her, but for their future, the future of their family.

Since finding out he was going to be a father, and more so since Mace Gore, his fears had been eating at him. Fears he needed to talk to someone about; he didn't want to burden Kitty with them, especially since she was involved in most of them. Festus was very much like a brother to him, but he couldn't see himself having that kind of conversation with the deputy- at least not sober. There was only one person he could have this conversation with, and as soon as he made sure Kitty was safe with Will and Bess, he was going to do it.

Bess knew as soon as Matt and Kitty arrived that something was amiss between the couple. They were seated a good bit apart from each other on the bench of the wagon, and Kitty refused to look at Matt. Will helped her down, and Matt brought her things over to her, looking so much more than his years. Kitty looked like she might cry at any moment, but Bess knew it wasn't because of the baby- no, there was definitely something going on.

"I can't thank you enough for this," Matt said as he shook Will's hand. "I know Kitty will be safe here with you."

"Don't mention it Matt," Bess smiled and put an arm around Kitty, who was still unusually quiet. "We're happy to help the two of you out any way we can. You just be safe now, you hear?"

"Kids, why don't you take Miss Kitty's things into the house," Will instructed a few of the boys, who did what they were told without being asked twice. They all had agreed it was best not to frighten the children with the real reason why Kitty was staying with them. So for the time being, until this mess was over, they were told that the marshal had some business to attend to out of town and didn't want to leave Kitty alone.

"We'll give the two of you a moment," Bess said and she and Will walked toward the house.

Matt looked down at Kitty, who looked down at the ground. He knew she was upset, and she had every right to be. What he had said was wrong, and it had hurt her deeply. He hoped she knew that deep down he didn't mean it, hoped she knew that he loved her more than anything on earth, and that marrying her and having a family with her was more than he ever could have dreamed of. Unfortunately, he had a feeling that she wasn't seeing things that way at the moment.

"Kitty, I… look I…," words were failing him now when he needed them the most. He took a steadying breath and tried again. "Kitty, I know 'I'm sorry' isn't what you want to hear right now, but I am. I don't know how else to say it. I let my worries get the best of me and said something I shouldn't have said. I love you, and I love our baby, and I don't want anything to happen to either of you. I know I don't deserve it, but I am going to ask you to forgive me. You don't have to do it now, but when all of this is settled, I hope you do." He looked up and saw that she was looking at him with tears once again streaming down her face. He wasn't sure how she would react, but he pulled her to him anyway. To his relief, she wrapped her arms around him and buried her face in his chest.

"I'm st- still mad a-at you," she hiccupped. "But I love you too." He squeezed her to him once more, careful of her ever growing belly, and kissed the top of her head.

"A few days, honey, hopefully just a few days," he whispered as he held her, shifting a hand to cover their baby. "I have Jack in town to help me, so all of this will hopefully be taken care of soon." He felt her nod, and felt her turn toward the house. He nodded to Will and Bess in silent thanks, before climbing back onto the buckboard. He gave one last glance back to see Kitty quickly blow him a teary eyed kiss.

Bess gently guided Kitty toward the house. "Something tells me you could use a friendly ear." Kitty nodded and furiously wiped at her eyes. "Come on then, I'll put on some tea."

The first place Mat went after returning to town was up to Doc's office. Phleger and Tresh were still around, so he made sure to stay clear of them.

"So you finally convinced her to go, did ya?" Doc asked when Matt walked in. However, his jovial attitude disappeared when he saw the mix of emotions flashing across Matt's face. "Matt, what's wrong?"

Matt just sat down in the chair and put his head in his hands. Doc moved toward him and put a hand on his shoulder. "Matt?"

"I don't think I'm cut out to be a husband, much less a father," he finally whispered, still not looking at Doc.

"What?" Doc was confused. Where was this coming from?

"She thinks I regret marrying her; regret the baby."

"Why in tarnation would she think that?!"

Matt finally looked at Doc- even sitting down in the chair he was almost eye level with the man. "Because that's basically what I said to her before we left." Doc said nothing but sank into the chair next to Matt. "We were arguing about her going- she fought me on it for a while. I was, I am, so scared that something will happen to her. She wouldn't listen, just kept saying she wanted to stay with me."

"She loves you- can you blame her?" Doc asked.

"I guess not. Part of me wanted to keep her with me too, but I knew she would be in danger if I did. If Phleger or Tresh were to shoot at me and miss and hit her," he stopped, rubbing his hands over his eyes, fighting off the tears that threatened to spill. "Anyway, I was so upset and I told her this scenario was why I never wanted to get married in the first place. And to make matters worse, I said she wasn't the only one I had to worry about now."

Doc let out a long slow breath, trying to gather his thoughts. As Matt's friend and father figure, he wanted to tell him that everything was fine, that Kitty would see past her own anger in a day or so. However, as a friend and father figure to Kitty, he wanted nothing more than to beat Matt about the head. He was about to respond, when Matt started speaking again.

"Doc, the truth is, I have never been more scared of anything in my life."

"You mean of Phleger and Tresh?"

"No, of being a husband and a father. Especially being a father. I screwed up already- I fought with and made my pregnant wife cry. Then I left her with friends instead of taking care of her myself."

"Matt, you did the best thing you could for her, sending her to the Roningers," Doc tried to comfort him. "Everyone knows that, and Kitty will see that in time."

Matt shook his head. "You didn't see her face, Doc. I hurt her, and I don't know how to fix it."

"I'll admit that certainly wasn't the smartest thing you could have said," Doc lightly admonished, "but I am willing to bet she will forgive you."

"I asked her to, but she didn't. At least, not yet anyway."

"You asked her to?"

"Right before I left- I told her she didn't have to then, but I hoped that she would forgive me. I thought she would before I left, but she didn't."

"She will in time," Doc replied. "She just needs time."

Matt sat silent for a minute. "Will she forgive me when I mess up with our child?"

Suddenly, Doc knew what was really bothering Matt, and had probably been bothering him for most of the last few months.

"So that's what this is about- you're afraid you're going to be a bad father?"

Matt nodded and suddenly, all of his fears and emotions spilled out in a rush. "What if I can't change a diaper? What if Kitty thinks I'm not cut out to be a father? What if I can't protect my little girl from falling and hurting herself, let alone an outlaw after me? Maybe I can't show her how to read or write, or show her how to ride a horse. What if someone comes into town looking for me and finds my wife, or my daughter instead? If something happens to our child because of my job, would Kitty forgive me? I wouldn't!" He took a deep shuddering breath. "I worry about Kitty too- what if something happens to her? She's never been pregnant before, what if her body can't handle it, can't handle giving birth? If I lose her, am I going to be able to look at our child, knowing she is the reason Kitty is gone? What if it gets to be too much for either of us and one of us leaves? I can't remember my father, I don't know what to do!" He stopped there, unable to continue and the flood gates finally opened. Doc put an arm around the younger man and just let him cry. He let a few tears fall himself- he had never seen Matt so distraught- even when Kitty was injured from being thrown from her horse, or when she had been caught in the middle of that gunfight a few years ago. He only hoped he had the right words to offer him.

"Now Kitty, you sit down and tell me what's going on," Bess gently encouraged Kitty once the two were settled with their tea. Bess had sent the boys to help Will out in the barn, and the girls were tending to the upstairs chores. She knew Kitty wouldn't talk about what was going on with a houseful of kids running around.

"Matt said something before we left- about this situation being the reason why he never wanted to get married and have a family to begin with. He made it seem like he was regretting marrying me, and regretting the fact that we're pregnant."

Bess looked surprised. She and everyone else in Dodge knew how excited he was to become a father- how excited they both were to become parents. "Kitty, I'm sure he didn't mean it that way- why the way that man dotes after you…"

Kitty stopped her. "I know he didn't mean it that way- but it still hurt to hear it." She paused. "Especially when it's the one thing that scares me more than anything."

"What? Kitty what are you talking about?"

"Bess, weren't you ever afraid that after having a baby, something would happen to make Will want to leave? That maybe a wife and a baby was too much for him, and he would decide he just couldn't do it anymore?"

"Sure I did, especially early on. But I don't feel that way now."

"Well then, you understand how I feel about Matt, and why his words hit so hard. You know he has been married to that job for longer than I care to think about. I am so afraid that one day he will decide that he really wasn't cut out to be a husband, father, and a lawman, and he'll just leave." The tears started again. "I waited a long time for him to want to marry me. I couldn't stand it if he left; it would kill me."

"Oh, Kitty," Bess hugged her friend tightly as the tears turned into sobs.

"And besides that, what if I am not cut out to be a mother? Look at the life I had before buying into the Long Branch? A mother doesn't do those things! What if my past comes back to haunt me, or my child? I never liked bringing men up to my room, I knew it was wrong, but I had no other choice. What if my choices affect our child- like something happening to him to punish me? What if I find out I have no idea what I am doing and ruin his life? What if I can't feed him, or comfort him, or help him do homework? What if I don't hold him right? What if I get so fed up with things that I'm the one who leaves? If he looks like Matt, and something happens to him, will I be able to look at my son knowing his father is gone? Is Matt still going to want me after I have the baby? I don't see how he can bare to look at me now!"

Bess just hugged Kitty to her- she understood many of the fears Kitty had; she had them at one time herself. "Kitty, honey, your past is not going to hurt your baby. God does not work that way- he does not punish innocent children for the actions of their parents. You are a good, kind hearted person, Kitty Dillon. Don't you forget that." Kitty sniffled in response. "As for the rest, they are perfectly normal fears- I think any first time mother has them. And I'll tell you what- you won't have any clue what you're doing for a while. You are going to learn as you go, and Doc, and me will be there to help as much as we can." Kitty looked up at Bess at that. "Being a parent, especially to a newborn is not going to be easy. Throwing drunken cowboys out of The Long Branch at 3AM is going to seem like a picnic." They both chuckled at this. "But the minute you see him OR her, you'll know that you would do anything to help them and keep them safe- you'll start to figure out what to do."

"What about Matt?" Kitty sniffed.

"Kitty, if you can't see how much that man loves you, and how crazy he is for you, then maybe you need to have Doc check your eyes out!"

"Really?"

"Yes, really. And trust me, he wants you, and will still want you after. Would I have 10 kids if I thought otherwise?" They both grinned.

Kitty gave Bess a teary smile. "Thank you," she whispered. "Can I ask you something else?"

"Whatever you need," Bess smiled.

"Well, you know, usually when Doc delivers a baby I go with him?" Bess nodded. "Well, since I'll already be there, and not very much help, I was wondering if you could help him- you know, take my place?"

Bess beamed and hugged Kitty close again. "Of course I will be. You just send Festus out here quick as lightning to get me." She paused. "Better send him with Buck though- I'm not sure Ruth could move fast enough for him!" Both women dissolved into laughter that rang throughout the Roninger house, and out into the yard. If asked later, the rest of the Roninger family would agree it was the best sound they all had ever heard.

The last 30 hours had Matt's mind reeling. He had had a very enlightening conversation with Doc that had thankfully lessened some of his fears. One thing Doc made sure to drive home was the fact that he and Kitty needed to sit and talk about their worries together, for Doc was certain she had some of her own. Matt had never thought of it that way- Kitty was so strong most of the time, and he had always thought her to be fearless. This was uncharted territory for the both of them- a scary thought in and of itself.

Then, all hell broke loose with the bounty hunters and his 'friend' Jack Pinto. Phleger and Tresh were dead, both at the hands of Jack Pinto, his one-time friend and fellow lawman. Jack had tried to kill him, and for what? Money. Ben Pringle had set five men after him in a twisted game of revenge. Money and vengeance- two of the most dangerous things Matt had ever come across in his lifetime.

However, both made him think. Did the life of a lawman really leave a man, a single man at that, so hard up, that he would kill a friend for $25,000? Did the death of a loved one turn a man into a crazed and twisted killer? Is this where his own life could possibly be headed some day? He knew that if anyone ever laid a hand on Kitty or his daughter, he would kill them with his bare hands… or would he? Isn't that how any good husband and father should think?

Doc could see the wheels turning in Matt's head, and knew he couldn't let him go off to fetch Kitty right away. So he told Matt to take care of the things he needed to in town, and he would go and bring Kitty home. He wanted to have a look at her anyway following his talk with Matt. He knew she was fine, he had just seen her two weeks ago. But if examining her would put that overgrown public servant at ease, he would do it.

When Doc arrived at the Roninger farm, he saw Bess sitting on one of the porch rocking chairs preparing something or other for dinner probably, and Kitty held baby Catherine in her lap, or what little there was left of it. It appeared Catherine was very enchanted by a necklace Kitty wore, and would occasionally reach out to grab a hold of it. Kitty was making a game out of it for the baby, and when she did finally grab the gold chain in her tiny fist, the baby would clap, and Kitty and Bess both laughed. The sound was music to Doc's ears.

'She sure does look pretty with a baby in her arms,' Doc thought to himself as he pulled closer to the house.

Both women looked up when they heard Doc approach; one with a smile, the other with a look of absolute dread.

"Afternoon Doc Adams!" Bess greeted in her usual friendly manner. "How nice t-" she stopped as she looked over at Kitty. Kitty had gone ghostly pale, and her hold on baby Catherine seemed to have tightened. Her heart was pounding in her ears, her breath coming more and more rapidly the longer it took Doc to say anything. "Kitty, are you alright?"

"Doc, where is-" she started with a shaky voice, and suddenly Doc realized her concern. Matt hadn't come to get her- he had. And if Matt wasn't coming himself, something had to be wrong.

"Oh, honey, calm down, he is just fine," Doc quickly replied as he knelt down in front of Kitty. She gave a great sigh of relief and relaxed back against the chair, her free hand flying to her chest. "I told him to take care of everything in town and I would come and get you. He missed you something terrible, young lady."

"I missed him too," she whispered. "He's really alright?"

"I swear."

"What happened?" He then proceeded to tell her the story of all that had transpired in the short time she was gone. She had been shocked to learn that Jack had been involved in the bounty hunt, he had seemed to be such a good friend to Matt. Despite that fact, she was happy to hear that the five me after Matt were all dead, and the man who had set them up would be going to prison for a very long time.

"Mind if I squeeze in a quick check up on little Catherine and yourself before we go?" Kitty shook her head. "Good." He rose and then moved to take the baby from her. "Come on Miss Catherine, let ol Doc get a good look at you." He then went into the house, leaving the two women alone on the porch.

"You sure you're alright?" Bess checked on Kitty again.

Kitty smiled and reached for her hand, putting the other over her stomach. "We're fine now," she smiled.

After both Catherine and Kitty received a clean bill of health, Kitty was ready to get home. She thanked all of the Roningers for making her feel so at home. She hugged Bess goodbye, and quietly thanked her for easing some of her worries. She knew she and Matt needed to talk about their joined feelings, but that could wait until they gave one another a proper homecoming.

The ride back to town (and Matt) seemed incredibly long to Kitty. All she wanted to do was to hold on to Matt and never let go. She wanted to tell him that she forgave him. One thought had plagued her over the last two days- that she may have lost him, and he would have died thinking she didn't forgive him.

Matt heard the sound of Doc's buggy before he saw it. He was standing in front of Doc's office waiting for her to come back. The sight of her sped up his heart and it took every ounce of self-control not to run toward her and pull her from her seat and into his arms. He restrained himself, but as soon as the buggy came to a stop in front of him, Kitty practically leaped into his arms. They held onto each other as tightly as her body would allow. Her tears of happiness at seeing him alive, having him in her arms, fell from her eyes. They had quite a crowd of onlookers, though none dared to comment about the couple's very public display of affection.

"Oh honey, I'm so sorry," Matt whispered as he held her, one hand cradling her head, the other wrapped around her waist.

"I know- I forgive you," she responded tearfully. "I'm sorry I didn't tell you before you left the other day."

"I missed you," he said as he pulled back to look her in the eye. "I'm so happy you're safe- that you're both safe."

"Safe and both very healthy," Doc interrupted briefly, looking pointedly at Matt. "Why don't the two of you head on home and relax a while- doctors orders."

They both turned and smiled at Doc. Matt wrapped one arm around Kitty's shoulders and dropped the other to cover their child. Almost instantly, he was rewarded with a very strong kick.

"Hey- she kicked me!" Matt laughed.

"Imagine how it feels on my side," Kitty grimaced, gently rubbing the spot where the baby had kicked its father. The two then walked into the Long Branch and Doc couldn't help but smile after them. One thing was for sure- his grandbaby sure was smart- could already tell when its parents needed a swift kick to get them back on track.

Once they were safely ensconced in their rooms, Matt gently lead Kitty toward the bed, undoing buttons on her dress as he went, and pausing to kiss her every few steps.

"Cowboy, what are you doing?" Kitty managed to ask, not that she minded in the slightest.

"Trying to show my wife how much I missed her," was his reply, complete with boyish grin.

She smiled. "Oh? And just how much is that?"

His smile was all the answer she needed. "You just wait and see…"

Later that night as they both lay in bed, they made an effort to talk with each other about the things that frightened them the most about their impending parenthood. While Doc and Bess had managed to relieve them of a few of those fears, there were some things that just needed to be sorted out between the two of them.

"Matt, do you think I'll be a good mother?" Kitty asked. He was spooned up behind her, one arm pillowed under her head, the other wrapped around her waist.

"Of course you will be," he replied with a kiss to her temple. "Kitty, I've seen how you are with so many kids- you have a way with them that just comes naturally to you." He paused. "I'm the one we need to worry about."

"Matt Dillon you are not!" she turned her head around to look at him. "You are just as good with the kids in this town as I am- probably better. They respect you."

"No, they probably fear me because of the badge and the fact that I carry a gun all day. That's not exactly the feelings I want our daughter to have for me."

"If it was fear they would stay at least 20 feet clear of you. They love you and they respect you- they do not fear you. And our son won't fear you either."

"Our son? What makes you so sure it's going to be a boy?"

"What makes you so sure it's going to be a girl?"

"I don't know- it just sounded better than to keep calling the baby 'it'." He smiled against her neck. "Besides, I like the idea of a miniature you running around in a couple years."

She swatted at him playfully. "Well that's why I said son- I don't like calling the baby 'it' either. And the idea of a little boy with your eyes sounds good to me."

"Well one of us is going to be right and one of us is going to be wrong."

She grinned at that. "Or maybe we'll both be right or wrong- I could have twins you know."

His face paled unbeknownst to her. "Kitty that's not even funny."

Now she laughed out loud, but stopped when she saw the panic stricken look on his face. "You're that scared of twins?"

"No, I'm that scared of one, I'm terrified of two."

"Why?"

"It would be bad enough if I was a bad father to one, but to mess up with two? No thank you, ma'am."

She groaned in frustration at this and moved to sit up as quickly as her body would allow. "Matthew Dillon you listen to me right now- YOU are not going to mess anything or anyone up. You are the most kind, decent, and caring man I have ever known- and we both know I have known a good many men."

"I know." He did know, and it broke his heart every time he thought about it. It was the main reason he and Doc had given her the rest of the money she needed to buy half interest in the Long Branch years ago. They knew she hated it, and neither one of them could bare to see the look in her eyes every time some cowboy trudged up those stairs after her.

"I had a long talk with Bess, and she made me realize some things. She said-"

"You had a talk with Bess?"

"Yes, why?"

He smiled and sat up next to her. "Oh, I had a talk with Doc while you were gone too. He made sense of some things for me too."

"What did he say?"

"Well, for starters, he told me that I won't be able to protect HER from everything. She is going to fall at some point, probably scrape a knee, or bruise her elbow a few times too." He paused and blushed before I continued. "He also told me I can't carry her everywhere either to stop those things from happening."

Kitty laughed so hard she had tears streaming down her cheeks. "Oh Cowboy, did you really ask him that?"

"No," he shot back quickly. "But he knew I was thinkin' it."

She wiped away a few stray tears of mirth before continuing. "What else did Curly say?"

"Well," Matt hesitated slighty. "I told him I was worried about you, and how well you would handle actually having a baby." She gently put a hand on his arm. "That is one of my biggest fears- losing you."

"Oh, Cowboy…"

"But Doc said that you were just fine- you are healthy, and young enough and strong enough to have a strong, healthy baby. And I trust him, so I feel better about that."

"It's gonna take a lot to get me away from you and our SON," Kitty replied softly. "I'll argue with God himself if I have to to stay with you and our baby."

Matt chuckled. "Oh I don't doubt that." She gave him a look in response. "What about you? What did Bess have to say?"

"Well, she helped me realize that I am not going to know exactly what to do all the time- that WE aren't going to know what to do, and that was OK. She said we'll learn on the job."

"And how do you feel about that?"

"Ha! Take a guess, cowboy."

"Terrified."

"Damn right." They both laughed at that. "But she said that some things will just come naturally once he is here. She made me understand that there will be times when one of us may just want to leave it all behind, but we won't because we love each other, and we love our baby too much to actually do it."

Matt took her hand in his, and looked straight into her eyes. "Not for nothin', but I promise I will never leave you, or our family. I love you and that little cowgirl in there too much already. You are my other half Kitty, I don't think I could live without you."

Her eyes filled with tears at the emotion in his words. "I couldn't live without you either. You and our family are my whole world. I've loved this cowBOY since the moment I knew he was there. I'd rather die than walk away."

They were quiet for a little while as they snuggled closer into each other's arms. Both felt a weight lifted from their shoulders at finally dealing with their concerns together. For the first time, they both felt that parenthood was something they could handle, and not a quite so scary unknown. However, Kitty still had one question on her mind that she needed to ask.

"Matt?" she whispered.

"What, honey?"

"Matt, um, I want you to—that is I already talked to Doc, and-," she paused to gather her courage. "I want you there when the time comes. In the room with me, be it here, or at a house we finally agree on." She paused again, and when he didn't respond she added, "please?"

"Oh I'll be there," he smiled at her. "I don't know how much help I'll be, but if you're sure you want me there, I'll be there."

She beamed back at him. "No help needed- that's what Bess is for. You being there, and holding me while I bring our son," he gave her a pointed look and she rolled her eyes, "alright, OR daughter, into the world is all the help you need to provide."

"I think I can do that."

She cupped his cheek in her hand. "I know you can."

Two weeks later, the ordeal with Ben Pringle and the bounty hunters was finished, at least as far as Matt was concerned. He gave his testimony at the trial in Hays City, and left shortly after. Judge Brooker assured him that he would not be needed for any kind of transport- he understood why Matt wanted to be home as quickly as possible.

After returning, Matt and Kitty took house hunting a little more seriously, though they still had trouble finding something to suit their needs. Their home needed to be close enough to town for Matt, and well enough put together so that neither of them would be scrambling to make it just right before they became parents.

The couple walked into the Long Branch looking defeated early one afternoon, and sat at a table with Doc and Festus.

"Don't much look like you had any luck findin a house today," Festus said as Sam brought over a beer for Matt.

"Now whatever gave you that idea?" Doc asked sarcastically.

"Will you two please just stop before you get started!" Kitty exclaimed, resting her head in her hands. "I have a headache."

"Why don't you go on upstairs and lay down a while," Matt suggested ever so gently. Surprisingly, Kitty didn't fight him. With Festus' help, she stood from her chair and walked up the stairs of the saloon.

"Matt, she looks exhausted!" Doc started once he knew Kitty was out of earshot.

"I know," Matt replied rubbing his hands over his face. "She hasn't slept more than a few hours the past couple'a nights."

"Well what for?" Festus asked.

"Finding a house in time has her worried," Matt replied. "Truth is, it's starting to worry me too."

"It'll all work out Matthew, I jus know it," Festus tried to reassure him.

"I hope you're right, Festus. Besides the house, she said the baby has been moving around too much to let her sleep very long." He then frowned. "And somehow, that's my fault!"

"Course it is!" Doc spoke up. "Look at ya- if that baby is inheriting your height, it's no wonder it keeps moving around- probably running out of room!" Matt said nothing, but threw Doc a look. Doc looked thoughtful a moment, and abruptly stood. "Listen, I have something I need to take care of- Festus why don't you come with me?"

"But Doc, I ain't finished my-"

"I'll buy ya one later, c'mon!" And before Matt had a chance to say anything, they were gone. He looked over at Sam.

"What do you think they're up to?" Matt asked the bartender.

"I haven't the faintest idea, Marshal," he chuckled.

"If Kitty comes down before I get back, tell her I'm over at the office?"

"You got it."

For the next week or so, Doc was a hard man to find. Sure he took care of his patients, and Festus seemed to always know where to find him in an emergency. Matt thought about following him a couple of times, but something always stopped him. Kitty had noticed he was acting strangely as well, but she was too preoccupied with other things to give it much thought.

After two weeks, Doc came by the Long Branch early one morning to find Matt and Kitty having a cup of coffee together.

"Would the two of you mind taking a ride with me?" he asked.

"Everything alright Doc?" Kitty sounded concerned- in fact, his appearance concerned her. He looked worn out, had a few small cuts across his face, and something else she couldn't make out covering parts of his clothes.

"Everything's fine, don't worry," he brushed aside her concern. "I just thought a quiet ride with the two of you would be nice. I haven't been around much the last couple weeks to visit with you."

"If Festus is around we'd love to," Matt replied with a smile.

"Oh I already talked to Festus- he is down at the jail and said he'd stay there until you got back."

Kitty smiled- Doc was up to something she was sure. She was pretty sure Matt knew something was going on as well. "Well, alright then. I'll ride along with you and Matt can take Buck."

Doc smiled tiredly. "I'll go get my buggy and meet you both out front in five minutes." He practically ran out of the saloon. Matt and Kitty looked at each other.

"Do you have any idea what he's up to?" she asked.

Matt walked up next to her and put an arm around her. "I haven't got a clue." They laughed and shook their heads as they walked out of the saloon together.

The ride was very peaceful, and Kitty felt relaxed for the first time in a few weeks. With just about two months left until their baby arrived, finding a house had become Kitty's number one priority. She loved the Long Branch, but the more she thought about it, the more she thought that she didn't want to raise her child there, let alone deliver it there. No, they just had to have a house before she gave birth. Their child would be born in the bedroom of their home, not in a room above her place of business.

It was becoming more obvious to those around her just how stressed out she was; Matt was particularly concerned. He didn't know much about pregnancy and babies, but he was sure that Kitty not sleeping, running the Long Branch and dealing with drunk cattle drovers all night, and worrying about things neither of them could control was not good for her. If he had the time and the resources, he would have built her any kind of house she wanted, wherever she wanted. But with two months to go, and his job as marshal, it just wasn't possible.

They hadn't been riding very long when Doc pulled the buggy to a stop in front of the McKinley farm. Mr. and Mrs. McKinley were an older couple, and their five children had all gone east for school, and had remained there permanently. Rumor had it that since the birth of their first grandchild, the couple was thinking of heading east for good themselves.

"Doc, why are we stopped here?" Matt questioned.

"I wanted to check in on ol man McKinley- said he tweaked his back the other day. Come on in with me, I shouldn't be too long. Besides, Etta would love to see Kitty."

The trio made their way to the door of the two story house, but rather than knock, Doc walked right in, Matt and Kitty close behind them. As soon as he was sure they were behind them, he stepped to the side to make sure they got a good look at the house- it was empty.

"Doc, where are Hank and Etta?" Matt asked, his concern rising with each passing second. Kitty didn't know what to think, but started walking around the house, finding each room as empty as the one before it, until she came to the living room. Sitting next to the fireplace was a beautiful cradle with a soft yellow blanket and a note addressed to her and Matt in it. Confused, she hurried to open the letter and gasped when she had finished reading the short, but sweet note inside.

"Kitty, what's wrong?" Matt rushed to her side in a flash. "Are you alright? Is it the baby?"

She looked at him with tears of happiness streaming down her face and shook her head. "No, no, I'm fine. Read this." He took the note and skimmed it quickly. He couldn't believe it either. They both looked at Doc in shock.

Doc could not contain the grin that spread across his weathered face. "Well, what does it say?"

Kitty didn't bother to look at the note again, for she had the words memorized. "It said, Welcome home. Now stop worrying- doctors orders.'" She took in a shaky breath, trying to control her emotions from spinning completely out of control. "Curly, is this really…"

"Yes it is, honey," he walked over and took her hands in his, and leaned in to kiss her cheek. "Think of it as a belated wedding present."

"Doc, how did you do this? And again, where are Hank and Etta?" Matt asked, still not quite able to wrap his head around what Doc had done.

"Well, I had a lot of help, I'll tell ya that," Doc chuckled looking at the younger man. "Hank and Etta left to head back east a few weeks ago. I talked them into quietly selling before they left, and they were more than happy to oblige when I told them why. Festus, Sam, and the entire Roninger family helped to make this place just right for the two of you."

"So the cuts on your face, and marks all over your clothes…" Kitty said as she looked him up and down, wiping a stray tear from her eye.

"Hazards of the job… and working with Festus, and 10 kids!" Doc attempted to sound gruff, but neither Matt nor Kitty were fooled.

"And every time you disappeared the last couple'a weeks?" Matt asked.

"I came out here," was the simple reply.

"Doc, we can't just let you give us a –" Matt started, but Doc cut him off. Matt was torn- he was incredibly grateful, but guilt was eating at him too. He knew that more often than not, Doc was not paid for his services to the citizens of Dodge.

"Yes you can," Doc stopped him. "Now look, I don't like to get sentimental, but I think you both know how much you mean to me. You, overgrown public servant that you are, are more than any son I ever could have hoped for." He turned his attention to Kitty. "And you, young lady, are the closest thing to a daughter I will ever have. And the two of you together, married, and having a baby make me happier than I ever thought possible." The tears threatened to fall from his eyes, but he held them at bay, and swiped at his moustache. "Now go on and… just accept the gift already."

Kitty smiled and gave Doc a firm kiss on the cheek. "We love you too, Curly. Thank you."

Matt nodded his appreciation as well. "Just one question though."

"What's that?" Doc asked.

"How did you keep Festus from telling us about this?"

Doc sighed and rubbed a hand over tired eyes. "I promised him a beer a day at the Long Branch until Kitty has the baby."

Kitty gave a very unladylike snort and Matt laughed out loud.

"That'll do it!" and he patted the older man on the back.

Doc went outside and gave the two a chance to explore their new home. Hank McKiney had been a carpenter before his age forced him to give up the profession. When he and Etta had come west so many years ago (probably before Matt or Kitty was even born), he had wanted to build her her dream house to ease the heartache of leaving her family down south, and in Kitty's eyes, he certainly did not disappoint. The first floor was broken up into a living room, dining area, and kitchen, with a washroom off to the side. There was a lovely wrap around porch, complete with a swing that Kitty immediately envisioned herself sitting in with her baby. Upstairs was a large master bedroom, with a small balcony. Three additional bedrooms completed the house. In short, the house was spectacular and everything they could have hoped for. The barn was a little run down from years of not really being used, but since Matt had no plans to heavily invest in livestock, it was something that could be overlooked.

"Doc, it's perfect," Kitty hugged him as she and Matt stepped onto the porch. "I can't thank you enough. This means the world to me- to us."

"Yeah, Doc," Matt agreed. "Thank you."

Doc simply smiled. "You are very welcome. I feel better knowing you have one less thing to worry about, Kitty." She smiled and Matt put his arm across her shoulders, and kissed her temple. "And before I forget, Festus made the cradle. He's mighty proud of it too. And Bess Roninger made the blanket. She said yellow was good for a boy or a girl, since you two seem to be disagreeing on that one."

"We'll know soon enough," Kitty smiled and wrapped an arm around her stomach.

"I still say it's a girl," Matt mumbled and Kitty gently elbowed him in the side.

"Come on cowboy, we have a lot to do," Kitty suddenly sounded very business-like.

"Right now?" he asked, and Doc looked puzzled as well.

"Yes, now! Furniture doesn't move itself you know! And I have to send out for all the things we picked out for a house, and for the baby's room. Now let's go!"

The men looked at each other and shook their heads. Gone was the over-stressed and defeated woman they had seen for the past few weeks. Kitty Dillon was back on track and nothing was going to deter her from what she needed to get done.

It took almost an entire month, but within that time, the Dillons had set up a very nice home for themselves; well, Kitty had anyway. It took Matt, Festus, Doc, Sam, Will Roninger and some of his boys a couple of days to move Kitty's things from the Long Branch to the house. One item both Matt and Kitty were happy made the move without harm was her oversized tub that they both fit in just perfectly. There were several good memories associated with that tub, and neither were sure how they would react if it couldn't have made the move (and though Kitty would never be positive, it was entirely possible the baby they were expecting had been the result of one of those memories on Christmas Eve- their first as a married couple).

During that time, deliveries were arriving for the couple almost every day. If Matt wasn't able to deliver something to her right away, Louie was always more than happy to 'drop by the Long Branch' to do it.

"Got another one for ya, Miss Kitty," he walked in one day as Kitty was looking over the ledgers.

She smiled at the man. "Thank you, Louie. Sam, get him a drink for his trouble."

"Oh, no trouble at all Miss Kitty. I was happy to do it." He hesitated, as if wanting to say more, but thought better of it. Kitty, always observant, noticed.

"Something on your mind, Louie?"

"Oh, nothing, just that, well, Miss Kitty I'm gonna miss ya when your gone is all."

"Gone? Louie where am I going?"

"Well, it's just that you'll have a baby to take care of- you won't be wantin' to come in here no more. And I'll miss ya is all." Kitty would have laughed had he not looked so depressed. She looked at Sam who gave her a small smile. He knew how much his boss meant to the poor man. She was kinder to him than anyone, and despite being drunk most of the time, it was one of a few things Louie did notice.

"Louie," she reached over and took his hand. "I may not be around so much for a while, but last time I checked I still owned this place, so it's not like I'm leaving for good. Sam is just going to be more in charge for a while."

Louie seemed to brighten a little. "Really?"

"Yes, really!" He beamed at her. "And even if I didn't, Matt and I don't live that far away- we'll be in town all the time, and you are more than welcome to visit us anytime you like."

"You really mean that?" he sounded almost like a child, and Kitty guessed that, in a lot of ways, he was very much like a child. Her eyes filled with unshed tears as her emotions began to get the best of her. To be completely honest, she hadn't quite figured out how being a mother and a business owner could go hand in hand, but she knew there had to be a way; and she was going to find it.

"I really do, Louie." To her surprise, Louie threw his arms around her and hugged her.

"Oh thank you, Miss Kitty." He pulled away almost as quickly as he had thrown his arms around her. He took his drink down in one gulp and turned back to her. "I'm gonna go see if anything else at all came in for ya." And Louie moved as fast as he could out the doors of the saloon.

Kitty was slightly bewildered by Louie's behavior, and looked to Sam with a silent question in her eyes.

Sam smiled at her. "You mean an awful lot to an awful lot of people, Miss Kitty. I sure hope you know that." She smiled and finally a few tears escaped. She didn't trust herself to say anything. "And I want you to know, I'm very happy for you and the marshal- I think that is one lucky baby."

Now she couldn't help the steady stream of tears- hormones aside, she wasn't used to men in her life being so sentimental. "Oh, Sam…"

He handed her a handkerchief. "Don't cry Miss Kitty- Doc and the marshal would have my head if they came in here and saw you so upset."

"I'm not- not upset! I'm h-happy!" Sam smiled and put a hand on her arms. Then he just shook his head- sometimes he just didn't understand women- especially pregnant women.

After rounds that night, Matt picked Kitty up from the Long Branch so they could ride home. Kitty was unusually quiet, and Matt noticed. Without saying a word, he shifted closer to her and wrapped an arm around her.

"Want to tell me what's on your mind?" He gently kissed her temple.

She was brought out of her daze a smiled up at him. "Nothing bad. Just thinking."

"What about?"

She shook her head. "Just something that made me very happy." Her eyes misted over again as she thought about what Louie and Sam had said to her. As much as she may have meant to them, she knew they meant just as much to her. "You know, I never realized how many people our son had to love him."

Matt chucked and kissed her again. "I know what you mean. I can't tell you how many people have been comin' up to me and callin' themselves 'aunt' this or 'uncle' that to our daughter." He rolled his eyes before he continued. "And Edsel Pry keeps calling herself Granny Edsel."

She laughed at that- Edsel Pry had done the same to her. And she also felt that it was OK to touch Kitty's stomach whenever she wanted; Kitty disagreed. Truth be told, all of her girls and bartenders (Sam most of all) had been doing the same in regard to being an 'aunt' or uncle'. "Well, there is certainly one good thing about that."

"Oh yeah? What's that?"

"Plenty of babysitters." And they both laughed out loud into the starry night as they made their way home.

After several overnight trips in the final weeks of Kitty's pregnancy, Matt finally put his foot down when another request came from Garden City which would have kept him away for at least a week. Judge Brooker, knowing Matt's situation, had sent all of his requests on to other lawmen in other towns- or simply dealt with them himself. Judge Carroll, new to the territory, did not know Matt very well, and was quite shocked at his response.

"Not coming STOP Won't be coming anytime soon STOP Don't ask again STOP" Barney had been very hesitant to send it, but the look in Matt's eyes changed his mind, and he sent it without a word. Matt didn't receive a response, but the telegram he received from Judge Brooker was certainly interesting.

"Carroll not happy with you STOP I'll take care of it STOP Take care of Kitty STOP" Satisfied that the judge would handle his new colleague, Matt headed out into the late morning sun.

The weather at the end of any summer in Dodge was unpredictable; it could be unbearably hot, stormy as anything, or quite comfortable. The last few weeks had been enjoyable for the most part, and a breeze had picked up in the last day or two. The change of seasons was certainly on its way to Dodge- as well as the lives of Matt and Kitty Dillon.

"Mornin' Matt!" Doc greeted him as he walked down the boardwalk.

"Hey there Doc," Matt replied with a smile.

"Kitty with you?"

"No she stayed home this morning- Bess is supposed to be stopping by today."

"Good- I'll tell ya Matt I don't think it's gonna be long."

Matt took a deep breath. "I know."

"Anytime now- when I saw Kitty yesterday I swear it looked like the baby dropped."

"I noticed."

"And when that happens, it means-"

"Doc!" Matt cut him off with a gentle smile. "I know. Because of you, and Bess, and all the times Kitty has gone with you to deliver a baby, she knows. We just want this to go smooth as possible."

Doc patted Matt on the arm in reassurance. "I'm sure it will, Matt. I'm sure it will." As they stepped out into the street Matt was hit with a sudden feeling of unease. The wind had seemed to pick up, and the sky darkened slightly, but neither man thought anything of it- fast moving thunderstorms were very common this time of year in Dodge.

As the two men were about to go their separate ways, Festus came barreling down the street on Ruth.

"Matthew! Matthew! Doc!" he shouted as he got closer.

"Festus, what's the matter?" Matt asked. His feeling of unease multiplied in that very moment.

"Matt, there's twisty's comin'," Festus panted, out of breath from his ride.

"Twisty's?" Doc asked. "What in tarnation is a twisty."

"A tornado, Doc," Matt quickly responded. "Festus, are you sure?"

"I done seen the clouds comin down, Matthew! They ain't touched the ground yet, and they still purty high up, but they's for sure gonna be twisties." Matt's heart was racing. All he could think of was Kitty being alone at their house; a house that he wasn't sure had a cellar- he had never bothered to look.

"Festus are you sure?" Doc sounded exasperated, but Matt knew better. His thoughts were on his very pregnant patient as well.

"Course I'm sure Doc! I done seen enough of em in my time to know a real twisty from a pretend one!"

"Festus, how long do you think we have?" Matt wanted to know. His mind was racing between making sure the town was safe, and racing the two or so miles out to the house to get Kitty.

"I don't rightly know, Matthew," the hillman responded. "Them clouds is still swirlin' way high up, but they could come down right quick."

Matt thought fast. A plan quickly came to mind. "Festus, take Buck and go out to my place and check on Kitty. Get her into town as quick as you can- I'm pretty sure that the house has no cellar."

"It doesn't, Matt- we checked when we were fixing it up," Doc informed him.

Matt nodded. "If Mrs. Roninger is there too, bring her in as well."

"I'm on it Matthew!"

"Festus!" Festus spun back around, all while still back pedaling toward the stable. "If you're not back within an hour, I'll know to come out there." Festus nodded and spun back around continuing toward the stable.

He turned to Doc. "I need ya Doc- get Sam to help you, start telling people to take cover. I don't want anyone out in the streets. Make them stay inside until we know this is over."

"Matt, what about Kitty? Shouldn't I go with Festus in case-"

"No. You'll never catch up with him now, and I need to know where you are in case they come back and she needs you. And it will be easier for Festus to just have to worry about getting her back here." He thought a moment. "Besides, if Bess is with her, you know she's in good hands." He didn't sound very convincing, but Doc knew better than to comment on it in that moment.

Festus rode hard and fast and made it to the Dillon house in record time. He quickly tied Buck up to the rail and made his way up the porch steps to the front door.

Kitty heard the door open and breathed a sigh of relief, thinking it was Bess. When she saw Festus, her face dropped slightly, but she was still grateful that someone was there. She had seen the clouds too, and they frightened her. She had lived through all kinds of weather here, in San Francisco, and New Orleans, but the thought of a tornado today scared her more than anything else ever had, and for a very good reason.

"Festus, what are you doing here?" Suddenly she began to panic, thinking that Matt was hurt. "Did something happen to Matt?"

"No, Miss Kitty, Matthew's fine!" Festus assured her. She relaxed slightly, but Festus failed to notice she still looked distressed. "He sent me out here to get you and Miss Roninger- ain't she here with ya?"

Kitty shook her head. "I thought you were her. Why did Matt send for me?"

"There looks to be a twisty comin- said he wanted to get ya into town so he'd know you was safe!"

No- this wasn't happening. She refused to believe that this was happening. She bit her bottom lip and looked at Festus. "You're joking, right?"

"No ma'am- wish I was. Come on, we got to get you back into town b'fore Matthew comes lookin fer us!"

Kitty shook her head again. "I'm afraid that's not happening, Festus."

He looked and sounded surprised. "Why not?!"

At that moment, her upper body pitched forward into Festus' arms, and her knees went weak. She squeezed her eyes shut against the pain, and gave a loud groan as she squeezed Festus' arms with a force he didn't know she possessed. As she regained her breath, first she looked at the puddle now at her feet, and then she looked into his eyes, a look of fear and uncertainty shining in them.

"That's…why," she panted out before lowering her head to his shoulder.

Festus felt panicked- he didn't know one single thing about having babies, and he definitely didn't know what to do if a baby decided to come during a twisty. So he did the first thing that came to mind.

He wrapped an arm around Kitty and gently patted her belly with the other. He then repeated the words he had said to Matthew some months ago. "Stay in the buggy baby, please just stay in the buggy."

Matt had told Festus an hour, but after 40 minutes, the feeling that he should head out then got the better of him. He looked up in the sky and noted that it had indeed darkened, and a definite tail was starting to descend. He knew he had to hurry.

"Doc, Sam," he caught up with the two men. "I'm going out there- Festus should have been back with her by now."

Doc and Sam looked worried too. Between the threat of a tornado, and wondering about Kitty, there was plenty to be worried about.

"Hold on, Matt, I'll go with you," Doc volunteered.

"No, stay here. I can get out there and get back quicker than you can with a buggy."

"Do you want me to go with you, marshal?" Sam asked. Sam wasn't a man to believe in omens, but he sure had a feeling about this; and not a very good one either.

"No, stay with Doc. It will be better if I go."

"Matt, listen for a second," Doc grabbed his arm. "If she is in labor, she's not gonna be able to ride a horse back here hard."

Matt looked thoughtful a moment. "I'll send Festus if I need you." All Doc could do was nod. Matt jumped on a horse bareback and took off like lightning toward his house.

"What do you think, Doc?" Sam asked, his eyes following Matt.

"I don't know, Sam. But I'd start prayin."

When Matt arrived home he saw Buck tied to the porch. The animal sensed that danger was coming and was becoming more and more agitated with each passing second. Looking at the now rapidly descending, but still far in the distance twister, he set both horses free and watched as they took off at a gallop.

Matt ran into the house and began frantically yelling for Kitty.

"Matthew!" he turned and saw Festus at the top of the stairs.

"Festus, what's going on?" In his heart he already knew, but he needed to hear the words.

"It's time, Matthew. The baby's comin!"

Matt ran up the stairs toward Festus. "Are you sure?"

"I ain't, but Miss Kitty sure is," Festus replied, unconsciously shaking his hand which had the unfortunate luck of being wrapped around hers during a contraction. "An' I think she would know a heap bett'r 'n I would."

Matt thought quickly, trying to decide what to do. "Think you can get back to Dodge and get Doc out here before that storm hits?"

"I don't rightly know, Matthew," Festus answered, sounding more nervous than Matt had ever heard him. "But I'm sure gonna try."

Matt nodded. "I turned Buck and the other horse loose, but they couldn't have gotten too far. You should be able to-" he was cut off by a cry of pain coming from the bedroom and his head immediately shot toward the half closed door.

"You go, I'll track down ol Buck," Festus assured him.

"Thanks, Festus."

He turned to go, but quickly spun back toward Matthew. "But what are you gonna do if a twisty hits with no cellar?" Matt said nothing, but the look he gave to Festus told him everything- he didn't know, and hopefully he wouldn't have to find out. Festus nodded and bolted out of the house.

Matt wasted no time and quickly made his way into the bedroom. The sight before him was beautiful and heartbreaking all at once. Kitty, dressed in a white cotton nightgown, was propped up in bed against all of the pillows they had on their bed. Her head was bent against her chest, her long hair cascading down her back, and her eyes were tightly shut. One hand was covering her stomach and the other was gripping the covers of the bed so hard her knuckles were white. The only sound Matt heard was her labored breathing and an intermittent whimper. It killed him to think of how much pain she was in, but he couldn't help but admire how beautiful she looked in that moment.

He was brought out of his admiration of her beauty by the sound of her moaning at the end of the contraction. Before she knew he was there, he sat on the bed next to her and picked up the hand that had been holding the sheet in a vice grip.

"Oh Matt," she sighed when she saw him and leaned heavily into him.

"It's alright, honey, I'm here," he tried to soothe her. "It's going to be alright."

She shook her head and sobbed. "No it's not! Doc isn't here, Bess isn't here, and there's a tornado coming. It wasn't supposed to- oh God!" she cried out and grabbed onto the front of his shirt. There was nothing he could say so he just held her and rubbed her back and kissed her temple. When the contraction passed, she looked into his eyes almost pleadingly. "What are we gonna do?"

He gave her a soft smile. "Well Mrs. Dillon, I think we're gonna have a baby today."

She smiled back at him, forgetting for a moment, the pain, and the danger that potentially lurked outside. "We sure are, cowboy."

The sense of peace that had enveloped both of them disappeared as thunder rumbled close by and rain and hail started to pound the house. Matt quickly made his way to the window and saw that a funnel cloud had indeed touched the ground and was swirling around way out in the distance. It was far enough away for now, but he felt the house start to shake slightly. Kitty did too.

"Matt what's happening?" she sounded panicked as she rubbed a hand across her belly, trying to soothe the baby that was trying to make their way into the world at that very moment.

"It touched down," he replied, tearing his eyes away from the window to look at his terrified wife. "It's far enough away for now."

"For now?"

He didn't want to answer her. Didn't want to tell her that it was headed toward town. Didn't want to tell her that it seemed like they were going to be in the clear, but their town was not. Didn't want to tell her that Festus was riding hard toward it to get Doc for her. And he certainly didn't want to mention what could happen if the wicked side-winder decided to shift its track.

So he repeated his previous answer. "For now."

Two hours later he was holding her hand as she struggled through yet another contraction. The funnel cloud had been sucked back up into the sky not long ago, but the wind and rain was still viciously whipping at the house. When Matt had gone downstairs to fetch some supplies, he saw a lot of debris on the porch, and two broken windows littered the floor. They were damn lucky and he knew it; he hoped the same could be said for their town, and their friends there.

Kitty was finding the pain less manageable now, and was praying it would be over soon. She had gone with Doc many times to deliver babies, so she was fairly well prepared to give birth- or so she thought. The pain had started off strong, but not unbearable, but that was a long time ago. She cried out with every contraction and held onto some part of Matt harder and longer each time.

"Oh, God, please make it stop!" she wailed as the last one subsided some. She leaned back against the pillows and closed her eyes as the tears fell.

His heart shattered with each cry she gave. Matt looked at the clock on the dresser and noted that Kitty's contractions were coming faster and lasting longer. They both knew what that meant- the birth of their baby was imminent, and there was no one there to help them.

Matt brought a damp cloth to Kitty's head and gently dabbed at her forehead. "You're doing good, Kitty. It shouldn't be long now." He had no idea how he was remaining calm on the outside- on the inside, his heart and stomach were doing backflips into his throat. He wished that Doc or Bess were there, but they weren't. The reality had started to creep in that he was going to be the one to deliver his child- and he was terrified.

She screamed again and leaned forward, clutching the sheets in both hands. She was in agony, and she knew that she was very close. She didn't even try to be quiet, and screamed and cried, waiting for the pain to drop off. Instead, it changed to an incredible pressure, and the need to start pushing.

She looked up at Matt with wide eyes. "Matt, he's coming, I need to push!" she moaned through gritted teeth.

Matt was frozen in shock, but only for a few seconds. He took a deep breath to steel himself against the rising fear; for despite how scared he was, he knew he would do anything for Kitty. She was his wife, and the mother of their child- there was nothing he would not do for her. "Alright, just hold on, honey." He moved from his position next to her to the foot of the bed. He pulled the top sheet off of her and threw it to the floor. He grabbed two towels he had brought in earlier and sat them next to him.

"Matt, please!" she was fighting the urge to push until he was ready, but the pressure was so strong she wasn't sure how much longer she could hold back.

"I know, honey, I know." Very gently, he raised her nightgown, and rubbed her leg soothingly as he went. His heart caught in his throat when he looked down and saw the dark reddish-brown head trying to make its way out. He looked up at his wife and said the two words she had been waiting for.

"Push honey!"

And push she did. No longer having Matt to hold onto, she reached behind her and grabbed hold of the spindles on the headboard and bore down into the contractions as they came.

"That's it Kitty, keep pushing. She's coming!"

Kitty took a deep breath and tightened her hold on the bars behind her head. She screamed as she felt the baby's head slip free from her body. She looked down and was awestruck at the sight of the little face that had emerged.

"He has my nose!" she panted with a slight smile.

Matt looked up and saw the wonder he was feeling mirrored in her eyes. "One more honey and the rest of her will be here. You're doing so good, just one more, baby." Was that his voice, sounding so calm and reassuring? How could it be when all he heard was the pounding of his heart in his ears, praying that he was doing this the right way.

Their eyes locked, and the love she saw in his gave her the last bit of strength she needed. With newfound energy, and the strong desire to want to see all of her son, she adjusted her hold behind her and pushed with everything she had. Her grip tightened, her back arched as she threw her head back, she screamed like never before, and in the next moment, she felt relief as she watched her child slip from her body into Matt's hands.

Her eyes filled with tears as she dropped her arms to her sides and fell back against the pillows. She broke out into a huge smile. "I did it," she sobbed happily.

Matt couldn't stop the tears that fell from his eyes as he cradled the crying baby close to his chest for a moment, and looked into her eyes. "You sure did, honey. You sure did." He carefully placed the baby into Kitty's outstretched arms, then moved back to the side of the bed. "And guess what?"

"What?" she sniffed, looking at him with a teary smile.

"I was right- we have a daughter. And she's just as pretty as her mama." Kitty couldn't stop the new wave of happy tears that flowed as Matt leaned in to kiss her fully on the mouth. When they broke apart, they looked down at their wailing daughter. With Matt's help, Kitty gently unbuttoned the top of her nightgown and brought the baby to her breast. She immediately quieted down and began to nurse. Kitty winced a little bit at the sensation.

"Are you alright?" Matt sounded concerned.

Kitty smiled at him. "I'm fine- it just feels different. Not like when you do it." She winked as his ears turned a light shade of pink. For a few minutes, they watched as their daughter nursed, and gazed deeply into her mother's eyes, the sun shining on both of them, indicating the passing of the storm, but neither seemed to care or notice. Mother and daughter were bonding, and Matt thought it was one of the most beautiful sights he had ever seen.

"I was right about something too," she whispered after a bit, not taking her eyes off of her daughter.

"What's that?" Matt wondered, his gaze also remaining on the perfect little girl they had created.

She tore her gaze from her daughter to look at her husband. "You are already an amazing father." She cupped his cheek and leaned in for a softer kiss. They broke apart at the sound of the downstairs door being thrown open, and Doc's voice calling out to them. Matt quickly pulled a sheet over Kitty to provide her with some semblance of privacy.

"Matt! Kitty!" Doc was running up the stairs, shedding his coat as he went, hardly noticing the shattered glass that littered part of the floor. He looked quite disheveled, but unharmed when he finally burst into the bedroom. He stopped dead in his tracks, and his heart almost burst with joy at the site before him. Matt was sitting on the bed, Kitty propped up against him, nursing the most beautiful baby he had ever seen. "My, oh my…" he gave a shuddering breath.

"Say hi Grandpa," Kitty softy cooed to the sleepy baby girl. She looked up at Doc with a tired, but still bright smile.

"It's a girl, Doc," Matt told him, the same smile lighting up his face as well.

Doc smiled, and the tears of happiness fell from his eyes. "I've delivered many babies in my time, but she is by far, the prettiest baby I have ever seen."

"Well, she has a pretty mama you know," Matt smiled. After a few more minutes, Matt left the room so Doc could check Kitty and the baby, and so he could give the good news to Festus.

As Matt hit the last stair, Festus ran through the door.

"Matthew, is Miss Kitty alright?"

Matt nodded. "She and our daughter are just fine."

"Your dau—yahoo! Congratulations, Matthew!" Festus enveloped his friend in a bear hug and danced around the doorway, his spurs jingling the whole time. Matt couldn't help but laugh.

"Hey Uncle Festus!" Doc called down from the top of the stairs, trying for all the world to look stern, and failing miseraby. "If you can stop kickin those spurs around, Kitty said you can come see my granddaughter." Quicker than anything, Festus removed his spurs from his boots and made his way up the stairs, with Matt close behind him.

"Don't want my jinglin' to scare her now," Festus winked as he went. Matt just shook his head.

After relaying the story of their daughters' birth to their two friends, Matt and Kitty were relieved to hear that while a tornado had gone through town, the damage had not been too severe; a lot of small repairs to be made over the next few weeks and months, and a few large ones, but nothing people couldn't bounce back from. When Doc and Festus tore out of town, there had been no reports of loss of life either.

"When Festus came back and told me you were in labor, I almost came out here right away," Doc said. "But before I could get my buggy out, we saw the funnel touch down and I couldn't get out."

"Fer a while, we thought it were gonna hit out here," Festus chimed in. "But then it did this whirly twirly thing an' then it went the other way, so-"

"It did what?" Doc interrupted him.

"A whirly twirly thing!" Festus tried to show him with his hands. "Oh nevrmind, ye ol billy goat."

"Hey," Kitty chuckled softly from the bed. "No arguing and name calling in front of my daughter!"

"Sorry Miss Kitty," Festus apologized.

"Me too, Kitty," Doc agreed.

"So ye nevr tol' us what you was gonna name her?" Fetus piped up.

"Well, Matt knew she was going to be a girl, so he gets to pick," Kitty answered with a smile toward her husband. They had discussed names at length, and both had agreed that their baby, and any others that would come along, deserved their own name. There would be no little Matthew's or Kathleen's in the Dillon family.

Matt smiled and lifted his daughter from Kitty's arms. "This is Nora Marie Dillon."

"That's a fine name for a beautiful little girl," Doc nodded.

Kitty smiled at the name. They had both liked it, though Kitty had been so sure she was having a boy, that she didn't give much thought to girl's names. She had suggested Marie as a middle name after Matt's mother, and that meant a lot to him. Once again, Kitty had shown she was the most amazing woman he could have ever dared hope to fall in love with.

In the days that followed, the Dillon house was filled with visitors. Bess had been the first to visit, and repeatedly apologized for not being there as Kitty had requested a few months before. Kitty had completely understood and told Bess that several times; some things just couldn't be helped. Bess, still feeling guilty, promised to be there for the next one. The next one- though the plan was to have more than one child, the thought at that very moment made Kitty cringe.

Matt, during that time, passed a number of duties on to Festus. He couldn't fathom being away from Kitty and Nora for and length of time. One project he made sure they took care of immediately was the house; Kitty swore she had never seen two men build a cellar so fast in her entire life. Matt simply explained that while they had been extremely lucky, he wasn't taking any chances with his family… or any other babies of theirs that might decide they needed to be born during a tornado.

At two weeks old, Nora Marie Dillon was baptized in the First Church of Dodge, with godparents Bess Roninger and Festus Hagen, and grandpa Galen 'Doc" Adams standing by. Louie even attended, and looked as though he had been made to have a bath first. The church was packed to the brim, with so many people wanting to offer their congratulations and well wishes to the new family. Even the older women of the church couldn't resist the urge to see the baby and remark on how pretty she was. Matt saw it as a step in the right direction; Kitty saw it as them being nosey. But as long as they continued to gush over her baby, she would deal with it.

As the water was poured over her head, Nora made her displeasure well known to the large group assembled. Matt quietly remarked that she seemed to have inherited her mothers' temper, causing a good number of people to laugh. Kitty rolled her eyes with a smile as she tried to comfort her angry daughter with soft kisses and soothing words; she was a natural mother and it was obvious to all assembled.

After three months, Matt was forced to head out of town overnight. He hated leaving his family behind, but Kitty was as understanding as ever. He had a job to do, she said, and there was no one better to do it. She felt better knowing he was keeping the territory a safe place for their daughter to grow up. He kissed his wife and daughter goodbye before he rode out of town for the longest three days of his life.

He returned late at night to a dark house, save for the lamp in their bedroom; a light Kitty always left lit until he returned from his overnight trips. As he walked up the stairs, he heard a sound coming from the bedroom. As he got closer, he realized it was Kitty, and she was singing to Nora.

La la lu, la la lu

Oh my little starsweeper,

I'll sweep the stardust for you

He climbed the rest of the stairs as quietly as possible, skipping the creaky one at the top. He didn't want to interrupt the nighttime ritual. Or risk the possibility of startling Kitty and waking the baby.

La la lu, la la lu

Little soft, fluffy sleeper

Here comes a pink cloud for you

He crept toward the door and peeked in to see Kitty walking around the room with Nora drifting off to sleep in her arms. The sight made his heart constrict at the love he felt for them both.

La la lu, la la lu

Little wondering angel

Fold up your wings, close your eyes

He walked the rest of the way into the room and she looked up at him and smiled. As quiet as he tried to be, Kitty always knew when he was home. As long as they had been together, she could always feel when his presence was near. He walked over to the two of them to see Nora drift off to sleep with a smile on her tiny lips.

La la lu, la la lu,

And may love be your keeper

La la lu, la la lu, la la lu.

"There now, little starsweeper," Kitty whispered as she gently laid Nora in her cradle. "Dream on." She then turned toward Matt and wrapped her arms around him. "Welcome home, cowboy."

After all they had been through in the last year, this moment, holding his wife while their daughter slept nearby, made every moment of that year worth it. He lifted Kitty's chin so that he could look into her eyes. He leaned in and kissed her gently as his hold on her tightened. Oh yes- most definitely worth it.

END 1-4-14