I own no part of Gunsmoke
"What should I do?" Matt asked Doc. Doc thought for a moment. "Shoot Festus. I hate it when he is right." He got up playing with his hat ..."You and Kitty could have a kid." Matt looked out the window and watched Festus helping Kitty clean the high windows. "Doc, the child would not be safe."Doc put on his hat. "Well, with women romance seems to work."

Matt approached Kitty. "Can I help?" Festus got off the ladder and gave Matt the towel. "I can not reach the high corner and I am supposed to be painting Mr. Jones' barn today." He tilted his hat. "Good day Miss Kitty."

Kitty smiled a little as she watched the tall handsome man reach the tall corners. Looking down at Kitty he asked, "Miss Russel, will you do me the honor of letting me cook you lunch?" Kitty smiled. "You're going to cook Mr. Dillon?" Matt stepped off the ladder."I can manage." Kitty laughed. "Let me guess... beans with beans and beans for dessert?" Matt laughed. "I think I can do better than that. You will come?" Kitty's eyes changed, got dark and cold. "I will." A cheer went up. In the Long Branch. Kitty a little-startled" guess someone won"

When Kitty stepped into the Long Branch.
The room became silent. Kitty put her hand on her hip. "Well, I guess I should take a day off!" Matt gave the Cowboys in the saloon a
mean look. "I will call on you in about an hour."

Matt was surprised at how fast word of his and Kitty's date spread through the town. He did not even make it back to the jail before he started getting advice on how to cook and how to handle a high strung woman like Kitty. Matt's gun hand felt itchy. He thought he might shoot the next person who butted into his and Kitty's business.

Festus and Doc somehow returned to the jail before him. Festus was busy brushing off Matt's dating coat. Doc was making a list to take to the market. Doc asked Matt what he was planning. Matt thought about it. "I guess will take her on a buggy ride, then shoot a rabbit and cook it over a fire." Doc asked, "What is Kitty suppose to do while you go hunting?" Matt started to shave. "I just thought if I got her out of town we could talk." Festus shifted his feet causing a ringing sound from his spurs. "You don't want to talk to her. What are you going to say? Sorry, you're not good enough for me to marry or have a kid with?" Matt cut himself with his razor. "It is not like that!" Doc spoke softly, "Talking is probably not a good idea. I will go to the store and buy you something to cook. Festus, you come help. Let the man get dressed in peace." Matt wondered how he was going to explain to Kitty what Festus clearly did not understand.

Kitty was getting all kinds of advice on how to dress and how to handle a lawman until she got mad and threw the girls out of her room. She sat down at her dressing table. She wondered why this date seemed to take on such importance. Looking at the dresses the girls laid out, Kitty felt like none of them were right. Looking at them made her very tired. Maybe a ten-minute a nap would improve her outlook.

Matt sat on his cot to pull on his boots. He wondered what he could say to make things better. Nothing came to mind. The thought of Kitty's tears seemed to suck the life out of him, and he laid down for a ten-minute nap. Doc returned with a basket of food - a poke of hard biscuits and a jar of chopped beef in a creamy pepper sauce. Matt sat up and looked. "What's that?"Doc carefully placed the jar in a towel inside the basket. "All you have to do is dump the sauce over the buns and you will have lunch."

Festus brought a buggy up from the stable. Before entering the jail, he securely tied a basket of Fried chicken and corn on the cob on the back. He placed a large bunch of wildflowers on the seat for Matt to give to Kitty.

Matt climbed in the small buggy. He did not have room for his feet and his knees seemed to reach his chest. He had to ride with his leg outside the buggy. To his distress, the townspeople lined the street to see their marshal in such a vulnerable position.

Even though it was a Tuesday at 11:45, the Long Branch was full. Sam put a drink on the bar. "She has not come down yet." Matt had two drinks. It was now 12:25 and the flowers now were a little less for the wear. Matt slowly went up the stairs. "Kitty, you about ready?" he asked through the door. Stepping into the room, Matt found Kitty asleep, sobbing holding Mary's blanket. He softly touched her hair as overwhelming sadness gripped him. Kitty awoke. "Matt!" She shoved the baby blanket under her pillow and jumped
up. "What time is it?... I was getting dressed and could not find anything to wear. I got tired and just laid down for a moment." Matt looked around the room at the mountain of dresses. "It is alright. I know this is not your favorite time of day. Maybe we should make it supper. "Kitty bit her lip as tears again filled her eyes. "No... I want to go with you. I just don't know how to dress. What do you have planned? Are we eating in your room, the jail, or are we taking the horses somewhere?" Matt smiled, went to the closet, and picked a soft calf-length A-line dress that featured sheer detailing and intricate floral appliques. It was low-cut, off the shoulder, full tulle and chiffon skirt, cinched-in waist gathered bodice, with a floppy hat and white gloves. "I like this one." Kitty smiled."Ok"... Can you have one of the girls come up to help lace it up?"Matt got a sneaky smile. "I could do that." Kitty pushed him toward the door."No, you don't, you promised to cook for me. You're not getting out of it."

Sadly Kitty watched the door close. She thought that is what you get for not making a decision. The dress was one of her older ones, bought when she had a small waist. Getting into it was going to take some doing. Kitty held on to the bedpost as Connie pulled the ties until Kitty's breasts popped out. Then she knotted the ties so they would not slip. Small cuts and lace ties were added to the side. Connie laughed. "I would like to see the marshal try to get you out of that one." Kitty was trying to breathe. "The marshal is very capable ...I will have no more talk like that!"

It was now 1:25. Matt was getting restless as he made his drink last almost an hour. He thought he would be back at the jail by now. How long does it take to put on one dress?

Connie attached a diamond cocktail necklace to the lace on the neckline to stop overexposure. "Why this dress? You have others that fit you better." Kitty tried to pull the waist into place. "Matt picked it. I was not about to tell him I am too fat to fit it. How does it look? Can you tell?" Connie stepped back "You look great. But let me fix your hair." Kitty shook her hair loose and pulled it up in a half ponytail, then pinned it with a diamond comb. " If I take much longer, Matt will find some work no one can do but him and leave."

An out of town cowboy looked up and said, "Wow! I want that one." Every man in the place stopped what they were doing to watch Miss Kitty come down the stairs. Matt took a big gulp of his very warm beer (as he looked up)and choked.
Kitty was stunning as she floated down the stairs. Matt met her on the bottom stair. She smiled. "Sorry I took so long." Matt smiled. "It was worth it."

Sam brought a basket of food saying, "I know you two are getting a late start so I packed you a lunch."Matt took the basket without taking his eyes off of her "thank you"

It seemed like the whole town watched as Matt helped her in the buggy. Matt did his best to give them all a stern look. Kitty smiled sweetly. "I am sorry about how I have been acting. I know I have been wrong. I just can't seem to stop." Matt slapped the reins. The jerk of the buggy caused the necklace to come loose from the lace and Kitty struggled to pull the neckline up to make herself presentable. Matt noted but said nothing. It softly started to rain as they moved out of town. The buggy bumped and splashed down the dirt road. A soft spray of dirty water sprayed Kitty's dress.

"Judy and Carla quit. I don't know where I can find new girls for the drover season." Matt, fully aware of Kitty's employee trouble, smiled. "They were not good at their job. You should be able to replace them easily." Kitty took his hand. "They were ok. I just was too hard on them. I did not mean to be, but their continuous chatter seemed to drive me crazy."

The rain got harder. The canvas top became soaked and the rain came through. Matt slapped the Reins."Giddy up!" The horse started to trot. Matt stopped on a covered bridge. "We can eat in here and wait out the storm."Kitty hopped down from the buggy. "Sounds good to me. " The rain was now going pitter-patter on the roof as the river raged under them. Every word they spoke seemed to echo through the bridge. "Sorry, we cannot have a fire." Kitty smiled as her dress pinched and scratched her. Her breast was now peeping a little out over her bodice. Matt spread a blanket on the bridge floor. Lightning flashed across the sky and in Kitty's eyes. Seeing the goosebumps on Kitty's shoulders, Matt offered his vest. He tried to button it, but due to Kitty's breast size,the buttons pulled. Matt removed his badge and pinned the vest. He bent and kissed the badge that now was held between her ample breasts. Before looking up, he said in a soft voice, "I did not realize the cost of that piece of tin when I took the job. I was just looking for a paycheck. I did not care about Dodge or the people who would be looking to me to protect them. That all came later. It seems to grip me, adding responsibility with
each passing day. I became the law. I tried to be fair and do what was best for everyone." Kitty was tired of hearing how important his job was. She shifted her weight but remained silent.

Matt raised his head and looked deep into her eyes. "I miss our unborn children also. When I am alone with just a fire to keep me company." His eyes took on a sparkle Kitty had not seen for years. "I think about how they would look. A little boy with your hair and freckles, but with my eyes and tall like me. A little girl with my hair framing her perfect heart-shaped face, your eyes and ivory skin."
Kitty was about to say something, but Matt put his fingers to her lips to stop her. "I sometimes see the glimmer of the children we could have, playing with Festus in the street or Doc bumping them on his knee. When I see a perfect pine tree, I see you string popcorn with the kids singing Christmas songs."

His eyes grew dark. "I see them dozing In your settee, I feel them waiting on my return, and I never come. I see them lying dead covered with blood. Then the fire will crackle and I can feel our little girl being held by some outlaw in the cold dark night, her arms desperately stretching out to me. My little girl crying so loud it disturbs the silence of the night. The little boy consumed with sorrow and the desire to punish me, robbing a bank. The law begging me to shoot him, for I am the one who spoiled him."

Kitty hugged him. The ice in her stomach started to melt a little. He leaned his head against the buggy. He looked older now, tired with a sadness she had never seen before. They laid in each other's arms listening to the rain. Kitty pulled him close. "I am sorry. It was not all your fault. I was afraid to have a baby when we first started out. I was afraid of poverty. I would see those farm women with five or six kids hanging on them all hungry. I'd see the kids steal bottles from the back of the Long Branch and bring them in for a cent reward just to buy food for their family. I set out to make money, thought there would be time after I got enough money to never go hungry again.

I also grew up without anyone to teach me everything a mother should know. I was afraid I would not know what to do and the child
would suffer. When I took cair of Mary I realized I can do it. Matt, I would take good care of your child."

Kitty's eyes filled with tears. She started once again to say something when Matt stopped her. "I do have a plan. You want a child. The child would not be safe in Dodge. So you can move to Victoria, that's about 19 miles from Hays. I spend as much time in Hays as I do in Dodge. You change your name and have the baby. When I retire I will come to you."

Kitty was now mad. "Let me get this right. I move to a new town, have the baby myself, raise it by myself. You come around when you take someone to Hays to hang. After all, you're in such a good mood after you take someone to hang. What happens if you don't have anyone to hang? Then would you come to see us? Until you retire, that is if you ever retire. How do you suppose I support myself and this child? Work in a saloon serving drinks with a kid on my hip? Or maybe you think I can entertain upstairs with the kid in the
closet."

Matt was surprised at Kitty's response. "I thought you would sell the Long Branch. I would help you with the money. I go to Hays for other reasons than just to hang someone. I often ride past Victoria when I am tracking someone. Maybe you can keep the Long Branch. Sam could run it."

Kitty had a strange look on her face. Matt was unable to read it. Kitty closed her eyes. "You got one thing right. It is time I leave Dodge. You want me to have your child out of wedlock raise it alone under a fake name! You can just come and go as you please. Me not knowing where you are, if or when you might see fit to stop by. To live and grow old alone"

The storm seemed to rage harder. High winds came up. The rain was now running off the bridge roof in sheets. The water below them now almost touched the deck of the bridge. Matt got up. He now realized the road was underwater on both sides of the bridge. He waded out on one side and determined the buggy could not get through on that side. Checking the other side, he realized they were trapped.