After announcing to Doc that he and Kitty were getting married, Matt walked down the stairs still amused by the look on his old friend's face. As he continued down the street, however, his thoughts became more serious. Matt understood Doc's heart felt concerns about him putting the badge back on, and hoped that Doc understood that it was something he had to do. He cared deeply for Doc. The man had seen him through 19 years of wounds, illnesses, and heart wrenching situations, and had kept him alive, and many times it was more than his body that was kept alive. He knew that without Doc, and of course Kitty, he could have hardened into a badge without a heart.
He also understood what Kitty was going through and had gone through over the years. After all, they were as close as it was possible for two human beings to be, and had shared 19 years of the deepest kind of love. There had been good and happy times, successes and triumphs. There had also been plenty of hard times, daunting challenges, and difficult decisions, but there had never been one second in 19 tears when they stopped loving one another or stopped understanding each other's souls.
He knew their life together had been unconventional, but his love for her was limitless. Soon they'd be starting their married life, and he wanted to give her the best life possible, but he knew deep inside that he couldn't do that if he took the badge off now. If he walked away from the job before his time, it would eat away at him. He wouldn't be able to live with himself, much less be fit for anyone else to be with. He wouldn't be the man Kitty had loved and stayed with for 19 years. He thought back to his teenage years. As a youth he had witnessed what happened to people when there was no one to enforce the law. The urge to protect and to keep the spoilers at bay, so decent folks could have a chance, had gripped him like a vise. He knew he had to do his part. Now here he was, tired and hurt, with loved one's who wanted him to quit, but he couldn't. He knew he had another year in him. One more year, and he'd be at peace with the idea that after 20 years he could set down the burden. He'd have done his part.
Being deep in thought, Matt was almost surprised to find himself in front of the Long Branch. He pushed through the doors and saw Sam Noonan, the head bartender, wiping down the bar. Sam smiled, "Marshal, I know I've already welcomed you back, but I have to say how nice it is to see you walk through those doors again." Matt smiled his thanks, and Sam continued, "Miss Kitty said to let you know she's up stairs."
Matt nodded and started up the stairs. Kitty heard his footsteps and opened the door before he knocked. The looked at each other for a few seconds, before saying simultaneously, "I'm sorry."
They laughed, and he stepped inside and took her in his arms. "Kitty, you were right about why I hadn't gone to Doc."
"That doesn't matter Matt. You went. What did he say?"
"He's surprised at how much better the arm's gotten, but doesn't know how much more it can improve. He's going to give me some exercises that could help. Kitty, he knows I've asked for my job back, and when it came right down to it, he didn't try to talk me out of it."
"That doesn't mean he's not worried, does it Cowboy?"
Matt shook his head, "No it doesn't."
He held her shoulders, "Kitty, just one more year. If I'm reinstated I'll do it for one more year, and that will be it."
She took a deep breath and nodded. She knew there was nothing to be done. Matt had to leave the job when he was ready. Part of her hoped that the War Department wouldn't give him the job back, while the rest of her worried about what being denied the job would do to him.
They were jarred from their thoughts by a knock on the door. It was Sam. "A telegram came for the marshal, and I told the messenger I'd be sure to deliver it."
Matt took the wire as Kitty noted to herself that Sam, like everyone else still called Matt marshal even thought he wasn't wearing a badge."
Matt looked up, "It's from the War Department. I'm amazed they responded so fast." He smiled, "I'm reinstated effective tomorrow. My replacement has been reassigned to Abilene."
Sam grinned, "Congratulations, I can't wait to let folks know."
Sam left and Kitty kissed Matt deeply, savoring the taste of his lips on hers. She was filled with conflicting emotions, but smiled as she looked at him, "Welcome back marshal. You know, the job's not yours until tomorrow. How about we use today to start planning a wedding?"
Matt nodded knowing that thinking about their wedding lightened Kitty's heart, and truth be told, he was pretty excited about it himself.
They sat down on the sofa, and Kitty got a pen and paper. Matt put his arm around her shoulders, "Kitty as soon as we set a date, I'd like to get in touch Frank Reardon. I want him to be my best man."
Kitty smiled, "That's wonderful. I'll want Bess Ronniger to be my Matron of Honor. Oh Matt, what about Chester? I'd love it if he could come."
"Chester." Matt smiled, "It would sure be great to see him. I hear from him every now and again. Last I heard he said he was fat and a farmer with a wife and 2 daughters."
Kitty laughed, "Well I'd sure like to see a fat Chester. Matt what about Quint? Last we heard he married an Indian woman, and still trying to figure out how to live in two worlds."
"It may hard to find him, but I'll try. I'd like to reach Thad too. He left here to go to school, and I heard he got a job in Washington DC.
The couple spent hours drawing up a list of people from their past. They'd also place announcements in the newspapers, in the hope that the folks they couldn't reach would see it and come. They'd make it clear that all friends were welcome.
The Next Day
At noon Matt and the man who had replaced him for the past several weeks, emerged from the marshal's office. The people who saw them smiled as they noted with pleasure that Matt Dillon was again wearing the badge of a US Marshal.
Matt saw the man off on the stage to Abilene, still surprised that he thought Dodge was unfriendly, and walked back to his office. It was time to get to work and help Dodge recover a feeling of normalcy. He knew that the trauma to his arm had been traumatic for the entire community.
One of the people who'd been watching Matt was a lean, bearded man in his forties named Ralph Lang. He had been released from the state penitentiary 6 months before, after serving 15 years. His thick, dark brown beard hid an ugly scar that went from his right ear, across his cheek to the center of his chin. Both the prison sentence and scar were Matt Dillon's doing. Lang was pleased to see the badge back on Dillon's shirt. He and his friends wanted Dillon dead whether he was a lawman or not, but the fact that they'd be killing a US Marshal was a bonus. He had been keeping an eye on Matt since his return, and would stay in town until he learned the date of the marshal's wedding. Then he'd go back to his buddies. Three men he met in prison who hated Matt Dillon as much as he did.
TBC
