Apart - Set at the end of Season 6

I don't own anything and I'm getting paid for nothing. But I sure do enjoy the time I spent with these characters.

AN: I'm fighting multiple schedules and conflicting agendas so this won't be posted quickly. But I will try not to let it go on too long.

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Kitty stood silently by her fireplace, staring angrily at the flames as Matt stood pensively behind her, hat in hand.

"Kitty, I'm sorry, but this just can't be helped. It's my job."

"Oh, Matt." Kitty seethed as she finally turned to face him. "Don't tell me that. Your job? Your job is to uphold the law, arrest bank robbers and killers. It's not your job to escort some spoiled rich young woman half way across the country to see her father. It's not your job to put yourself in danger for… "

Matt sighed, weary of the argument. "Kitty, it is my job, though. I was assigned to look after Senator Hudgins' goddaughter. I have to do this. I wasn't given the option to say no. Besides, it's not safe for a woman to be out there on the prairie alone, you know that."

Kitty took a deep breath, swallowing the tears that so badly wanted to come. "What I know," she said tiredly, "is once again you are riding off and putting your life in danger when you promised me you would stay here. Can't someone else do this?"

Matt reached up and gently grasped her by the shoulders, locking gazes. "Kitty, no. It's my duty. I have to do this. Besides, there's no reason to believe there's any danger what so ever to me in this. I'm not chasing some outlaw. I'm insuring the safety of a citizen. And that is part of my job."

Kitty pulled away from him and turned back towards the fire. "Then why don't you leave Marshal, and go do your job?"

Matt stared at her back for a couple minutes but he recognized the rigid posture and knew nothing he said was going to change anything. He didn't want it this way, but as he saw it, he had no choice. Donning his hat he turned and walked to the door. "I'll see ya when I get back." He said, in a questioning tone.

But Kitty didn't answer or turn towards him.

Shaking his head; Matt pulled open the door and left. Kitty was as mad as he'd ever seen her and though part of him understood, he wasn't about to let her anger detour him. He'd been assigned to escort the Senator's goddaughter and he had to carry through with that. Eventually she'd understand and get over being mad.

Kitty stood still and quietly by the fire until she heard the door close, before finally giving in to the anger, hurt and worry and flinging herself to her bed in tears. Matt knew how she worried about him, didn't he? He knew she wouldn't have said a thing if she wasn't, didn't he. He knew she was usually right about things like this, didn't he?

And aside from that, he knew how important tomorrow was to her, didn't he? It wasn't like she'd been overly demanding of his time and attention. But this… this was different. This meant more to her than anything else and he had promised to be there for her. For them. But she was scared that if he left, he would never come back and there would be no them.

For quite a while, Kitty lay on the bed and sobbed out her heartbreak, finally crying herself to sleep. When she awoke it was late. Judging by the lack of sound, she could tell Bill Pence had already closed down the saloon and gone home. Wearily, she got to her feet and stepped over to her desk, lighting the lantern so she could see to get ready for bed.

The situation with Matt had not been a good one and she hadn't wanted him to leave with that between them, but her worry and anger had seemed to override everything and she'd let him walk out with vile words between them. Looking at the small clock on the mantle, she saw it was about one in the morning.

For several minutes she stood there. She loved Matt Dillon more than anything and if something were to happen to him before he came back and she could tell him that, like she was afraid it would, she'd die inside. Picking up her skirts, she grabbed a shawl and made her way out of her room and down the back stairs. She needed to go to him and apologize. She didn't agree with his going but she didn't want this to be between them.

But she never made Front Street. No sooner had her foot hit the bottom rung of the stairs then a hand came around and clamped down on her mouth and an arm tightened around her waist.

"We was gonna come up and get ya." A rough male voice spoke in her ear. "But looks like ya made it easy on us. Let's go."

Matt slept through till dawn, unaware of Kitty's predicament. The next morning, he thought briefly of stopping by the Long Branch and trying once more to smooth things over between them, but decided against it. Kitty would most likely still be asleep and right then, he had no desire for more of the argument.

He knew she was worried about him. But he could see no danger in this assignment. And he knew today was important to her. It was important to him as well but he had been practically ordered by the Senator to take care of his goddaughter and deliver her to her father in Fort Mixson.

He'd protested when the Senator first approached him with the idea and he'd argued, as Kitty had, that it wasn't really a part of a US Marshal's job. But the Senator wanted him for the position and he'd gone way over Matt's head to have him assigned to the job. His job was on the line if he didn't follow through.

Sighing, he packed his belongings and headed out to collect the girl. He never knew Kitty Russell was gone.

TBC