John kicked his horse's sides as he rode towards Armadillo... While he was sad to leave Bonnie behind, he reminded himself over and over again that his goal was to kill his former brothers in arms to free himself and his family... His Family... Right. Finally riding into town, he allowed his ivory stallion to slow.

"Good boy, Harlow." He said quietly as he trotted up to the Sheriff Station and hitching up the horse.

John ran a hand over the Kentucky Saddler before walking into the station, raising a brow as there was no one to be found, but noting that one of the cells was actually open, it seemed the Sheriff was napping... Oh yeah, John was completely confident...

"Excuse me." He announced, the prisoner in the locked cell turning over to the sleeping buffoon.

"Hey... Hey! You got a visitor!" He snapped, the sleeping man awakening with a slight jolt and coughing up some phlegm, John narrowed his eyes with disgust, he watched the unfamiliar man glanced at him before craning his head back to the prisoner.

"Shut up you!" He snarled in a heavy hillbilly accent before finally acknowledging John. "What'chu want?" He growled.

"My name's John Marston... I was told to come here." He replied.

"Oh yeah..? Why?" The other asked.

"I guess cause we're both in the business of the law." John stated, watching the so-called-Sheriff stand and stretch lazily as he leaned against the iron bar frame.

"... You that fella from the train company?" He asked.

"No, I'm from Fort Mercer." John corrected, but the demeanor of the other quickly changed.

"Fort Mercer... Y-You one of them Williamson boys!?" He asked quickly drawing his revolver and pointing it at John who did the exact same.

"Calm down." John said sternly.

"Shoot 'em mister! Shoot 'em!" The prisoner encouraged John.

"You gettin' cute with me boy?" The strange man asked, but thankfully before John could be shot again, someone else entered the room.

"What's goin' on here?" The white bearded man sighed in a frustrated fashion, a cigar pursed between his lips.

"I got me one of them Williamson boys." The younger of the two strangers said matter-of-factly.

"I got me one of them idiots who give Marshals a bad name..." John quipped back evenly.

"... Jonah put your gun down." The older stranger instructed.

Embers watched intently as this Jonah character eyed him but slowly put his revolver back at his side, and only then did John bring his gun down. The captive man releasing an irked sigh and throwing his hands up angrily.

"You must be the man from Blackwater." This new man said in slight disinterest.

"Yessir... Listen that dog ain't too bright... But he seems loyal." John snorted softly, watching Jonah rest his hands on his hips and look to the floor.

"... Jonah, get outta here for a minute." The other demanded.

"... Yessir Mister Johnson, sir." Jonah complied but glared at John as he began making his way out the door. "You... I dun seen enough of yer hide around here, friend." He huffed, but John just chuckled in reply.

"I think there's some school children down the way that you can go frighten." He antagonized.

"Oh hardy-fucking-harr... Dickhead." Jonah snarled and disappeared out the door.

"What are you doing here, Mr. Marston, apart from frightening my deputies?" Mister Johnson asked.

"I'm here to capture or kill Bill Williamson." John said seriously, feeling slightly uneasy as Johnson began chuckling.

"Okay." He said almost in disbelief.

"Can you help me?" John asked.

"He's outside my jurisdiction, he's in the next county. Of course, Bill Williamson and his boys have tended to keep themselves away from my town." Johnson said without much inflection.

"So you're happy to have him out there?" John questioned.

"Well, I ain't happy, but I also ain't suicidal. My job is to keep this town safe, not clean up all of these three counties. It's hard enough around here." Johnson said and leaned against his desk, continuing to smoke.

"Ya know...I hear you speak, and suddenly I'm reminded of how some of the people I respected most in my life had a problem with authority. What's wrong with you?" John asked, frowning.

"Well, I'm sure you and your fine friends have enjoyed spending your time running around pursuing noble causes. My cause is to keep this town from turning into a living hell for the folks who live here. Whole world has problems, mister, and I'm here, doing what I can." He explained, pouring himself and John a shot.

"Why? What's happening?" John questioned.

"Right now? Well, I got the railway, the people who pay my salary trying to get me to turn a blind eye to them burning down settlements up there. I got a bunch of cattle rustlers out near box canyon need shutting down, not forgetting the gang that keeps murdering homesteaders out in the back country, and I got a bunch of hoods over in the saloon, drunk, threatening to shoot up the whole town. That's all I got today, but it's early yet. Give me couple more days and there'll be more." Johnson listed and downed the shot.

"Alright, tell you what, let's go deal with them hoods, in the saloon, then we'll discuss Williamson." John offered and downed his own shot.

"Okay, boy. You're a persistent little cuss, ain't ya?" Johnson asked with slight amusement.

"Only when things matter." John mused and followed Johnson out the door.

After hunting down a small gang run by a man named Walton, John managed to tie him up alive for Johnson's preference, he needed him on his side after all.

"You're not a bad shot, Mr. Marston. Why don't you check in with me next time you're in town?" the Marshal asked.

"I don't want to be no policeman, Marshal." John chuckled softly.

"Nor did I, my friend, I can promise you that. I'll see you soon, Mr. Marston." Johnson said and waved to John before riding back towards Armadillo.

While this wasn't exactly how John thought this would go, he was at least satisfied he seemed to be getting somewhere to Marshal Johnson. Well, the best thing was to just roll with this and do the best he could to please Johnson.


About a week and a half passed before he was able to approach Johnson again, his stitches were removed and a scar took its place... He thought about Bonnie, he kind of missed her. However, walking into the Sheriff's Office, he noted Johnson and his deputies arming for what looked like, a war.

"Ahhh. Since you're here, you want to make yourself useful?" Johnson asked.

"Not particularly." John replied.

"Listen, son, I know you got a mission, but right now, I need another gun." The older of the two said.

"Why, what's happening?" John asked.

"We've had this problem for months with a group of bandits, who are getting drunk and murdering settlers. Last night, they went to a big place up near Ridgewood." Johnson explained the situation.

"They burnt the place down, killed the men, burning most of them alive, and raped the women. The women folk then got their throats slit. One of them survived and walked in here this morning." An unfamiliar deputy said, the gruesome scene playing out in John's head with a frown.

"Anyway, we got a posse gathering up near Ridgewood. Will you ride with us?" Johnson inquired.

"I'll ride." John confirmed.

"Thank you, John Marston. It's gonna be a bloody job."

"Huh, I don't think I know any other kind, sir." John said with a small dry chuckle.


John rode with the small brigade, discovering some bloody and brutal campsites being ravaged by vultures, John truly hoped that Bill wasn't behind this. While he knew that Bill was a coward, he hoped that he wasn't too much of a cur that he would shoot unarmed men for no reason... Bill seemed to definitely a stranger now. As they rode into Ridgewood farm, Johnson frowned and looked around suspiciously.

"This is too quiet. I got a bad feeling about this. Split up and search the area! John, you check the buildings and the barn." He assigned and John nodded, dismounting Harlow and jogging to the outer facilities, finding only blood, walking to the barn as the deputies and Marshall gathered around the door.

"There's no good reason for that to be boarded up. Come on, John. Shoot that door open." Johnson ordered, John obliged with no hesitation, pointing his rifle at the boards and pulling the trigger.

Upon opening the door, the group gasped, even John was shocked. Bodies aligned the floor of humans and horses alike, blood spattered all over the walls, but what really took John for a ride was the female corpse that was hanging from the rafters... Whoever did this... Had to be put into the ground.

"Holy sweet mother of mercy." Eli gasped and turned away to vomit, but a woman suddenly emerged, scaring the shit out of everyone alike.

"Please! Please don't shoot me. Some bandits came by and took us hostage. They're holed up in the farmhouse. Some of my family's being kept hostage inside." She cried, her hands held up.

"Alright, boys, we need to get into that house right now!" Johnson commanded.

John and the law enforcement stormed the farmhouse. He was nauseated and horrified as he shot men who were in the process of, or about to rape the captive women. These definitely looked like Bill's men, he was angry that Bill had become this, John was never a rapist and he was disappointed to see one of his old friends sink so low... Once the women were rescued, the rescuers rejoined the survivors outside.

"Some folk tried escaping to the south, but then some robbers started chasing 'em down, like wild dogs. I thought you were supposed to protect us, Marshal? You folk ain't men. You ain't nothing. You're just some man on a government payroll, taking money that the rest of us have to pay for with our lives! What is wrong with this country?" One of the beat up woman screeched angrily as her family members tried to console her.

"Mount up, men! The man that kills the boss of that bunch gets fifty dollars." Johnson announced.

"It ain't about the money, Marshall. These are people's lives. People's homes!" The woman argued.

"Mount up, boys! We gotta get after those bandits." Johnson said seriously.

John couldn't help but feel for these woman having been victimized, the men of their family butchered. He didn't care about the money... He just wanted to slaughter the son of a bitch that hurt these defenseless women... And that son of a bitch might be Bill.

"D'ya think they might be headed for Fort Mercer, Marshal?" Eli asked as they galloped after the escaped bandits.

"What, Williamson's men?" John inquired.

"Maybe. All this sure looks like their handywork." Johnson responded.

"Makes sense if they took this road." Jonah chimed in.

"Come on, Marshal. This might be our chance!" John exclaimed.

"What's your beef with Williamson anyways, Marston?" Jonah quizzed

"Let's just say he's the currency in a complicated transaction." John retorted without much information.

"What the hell you talkin' 'bout?" Jonah challenged.

"Some people I have the displeasure of knowing want him dead." John cleared up.

"Why does that involve you?" John asked suspiciously.

"We used to run in a gang together. He was once like family." John said, remembering Bill almost fondly.

"If this is how you treat your family, I'd hate to see what you do to your enemies." Eli said, side-eyeing John.

"That was a lifetime ago. And bearin' in mind he's left me for dead the last two times I seen him. I'm about figurin' we've moved past the family part." John countered acutely.

"Is that somebody on the cliffs?" Johnson suddenly asked as they rode up towards a hill.

"You just walk away now, John. I didn't kill you before, but I sure as shit will now!" The hostile gangster shouted as rifles were pointed in John's direction.

"Get yourself down here, Bill. You know you ain't man enough to stop me. You know I don't want to kill you, but I will." John taunted.

"You always did have a high opinion of yourself, John. Dutch always said you were an arrogant son of a bitch! I guess he was about right. Get 'em boys!" Bill commanded, sending his posse to attack John and the law.

"Everybody, take cover! In that shed." Johnson yelled.

John, Leigh, Eli and Jonah took cover in a broken down building that was barely a shell now but it shielded them from gunshots. John and the force held back Bill's barrage after barrage of troops from Bill's faction. How John managed to keep Bill from killing him was beyond him but eventually, the bullets stopped flying and whoever was left alive fled back into the hills.

"Hey, look what I got here! This son of a bitch is still breathing!" Jonah called as one of the wounded members of Bill's gang tried crawling away, Jonah climbing atop of him and pretending to ride him while taunting him viciously.

"Norman Deek." Johnson chortled as he landed a kick to the downed man's face.

"Fuck!" Norman gasped painfully.

"Nice to see you again, buddy. Thanks for your help, John. Norman here's gonna help us get to Bill. Ain't you, Norman?" Johnson inquired, smirking down at Norman.

"Thank you, Mr. Deek. Mighty kind." John mused.

"Fuck you!" Normal sneered.

"Hogtie him, let's get him to jail." Johnson scoffed.

John grinned as Norman was hauled onto the back of Marshall Johnson's horse. He was exhausted... Perhaps now was the time to finally get back to the MacFarlane's... He had been gone for about two weeks, he could really use a decent place to relax for a few days while Johnson was extracting information out of Norman.


John rode into the MacFarlane's homestead, it was by early evening the next day. He dismounted Harlow, yawning as he began walking towards his room.

"John!" Bonnie called excitedly as she jogged towards him, in her usual attire thankfully but John was definitely happy to see her.

"Miss MacFarlane, how are you?" He asked, acknowledging her as his usual formal way.

"I-I wish I was better, have you seen my father around?" She asked and John furrowed his brows.

"No, I haven't why?" John questioned back.

"He went out this morning to ride the land and was supposed to be back hours ago. I don't know. The ranch hands have been out looking, but so far they found nothing." Bonnie explained, obviously a bit panicked.

"Calm down, let's go find him." John said, resting a palm on Bonnie's shoulder before walking back towards Harlow.

"Thank you, John... He couldn't have gone far." She sighed.

When they finally found Drew, he was surrounded by bodies, both those of horses and men, dangerously similar to the other attacks that he had seen days before...

"Daddy! What happened!?" Bonnie gasped.

"Nothing nice. Rustlers, I guess. Maybe the Bollard Twins, that bunch. Now you head back to the ranch right now and fetch the wagon." Drew ordered.

"Yessir!" Bonnie replied.

"Marston! You watch after her!" Drew said.

"Wouldn't have it any other way, Mister MacFarlane!" John called as he and Bonnie began galloping back towards the ranch, John trying to calm Bonnie as they rode, but this was just the calm before the storm.

"O-Oh my god! The barn is on fire!" Bonnie cried as she roughly kicked her horse's sides, John wasn't far behind.

Bill must have found out that John had been staying here... Goddammit! He pushed Harlow to his limits trying to get to the barn and beginning to run towards it.

"The barn door it stuck! There are horses inside!" Amos called.

John tried pulling at the door but indeed they were blocked, he looked around, his eyes darting around the building. He sprinted around the back and noted a ladder, he began climbing, hoping that there would be an entrance on top of the rafters. Seeing the smoke escaping from a broken window, John crawled in, dropping to the second story storage area of the barn. He climbed down, beginning to cough and choke, but hobbling forward through the blinding smoke, he saw what was blocking the door... A pitchfork, this was definitely Bill's doing.

John quickly pulled the doors free and pushed the doors open, doubling over and hacking violently.

"John! He's got the doors!" Bonnie yelled and ran forward, trying to get in but the smoke deterred her, making her cough and forcing her to turn away and fall to her knees.

John bent down and quickly ushered Bonnie out of the way before taking a breath of fresh air and running back into the barn to save the remaining trapped horses. He waved his hands trying to see, finally managing to see one of the horses in the clouds he coughed and smacked it's rear, watching it quickly run out of the barn. He did the same with the second horse he came in contact with, but suddenly the door was caved in... John was trapped.

"John!" Bonnie screamed.

John fell to his knees, desperately trying to get air into his lungs, but hearing another whinny, John gasped and craned his head up, there was one last horse... He might have a way out after all. He managed to stand and make his way to the horse, climbing upon the beast and leading him out of the stall. John kicked the horse's sides, the horse neighed loudly and raced forward, thankfully jumping over the burning debris, John inhaling gingerly once he was out of the smoke and ash. He panted and nearly fell off the horse but he managed to stay on his feet.

"John!" Bonnie gasped and ran over to John, nearly crashing into him as she enveloped him in a tight hug. "Y-You stupid man I thought you were dead!" She said, her body trembling, John didn't hesitate on wrapping his arms around her waist, one hand resting between her shoulder blades and the other pressing against the small of her back.

Bonnie panted and kept her arms wrapped around his neck, inhaling his smokey scent while he could smell her subtle perfume... She smelled so sweet. The hand on the lower end of her back slowly slid upwards, but before anything else could be done, he pulled away from her.

"Are you alright?" He asked her.

"I-I'm fine, what about you? It felt like you were trapped in there forever..." She sighed and reached up, wiping some ash off his cheek. "Come on, let me get you in the house so you can wash your face off." She said and walked John into the house.


John coughed softly, sitting on the sofa in the living room, Bonnie walked into the living room with a bowl of water and a clean rag. She sat next to him and dabbed the rag into the water before reaching up and slowly dabbing at a small cut on John's forehead where the debris had cut him while falling. John winced but sighed in some relief as she cleaned the damage.

"Miss MacFarlane... I feel like I'm to blame." John muttered, guilt lacing his tone.

"What? You didn't set my barn on fire." Bonnie said with some surprise.

"... The men who did it... I think it was Bill Williamson trying to get even." He explained and he felt Bonnie's movements pause for a moment but she kept cleaning regardless.

"John, you're not to blame." She said clearly.

"But-"

"John." Bonnie said and tilted his head over to meet her gaze. "... You saved my ranch again... I owe you my livelihood... I owe you everything really." She said shyly but leaned in and kissed his cheek.

"... Sometimes I think you shoulda just left me on the road to die... Then maybe you wouldn't have to worry about all this garbage that happened because of me." He sighed.

"... I don't regret saving you at all, John..." Bonnie said softly, John looked up to Bonnie's sparkling eyes, while she was tired she was still beautiful... His feelings for her hadn't changed... Perhaps this was more than just sex?

John then looked out the window, it was dark now... Drew would probably be home soon he should leave... He needed to leave.

"I suppose I should tell you good night, Miss MacFarlane." He said, Bonnie raised her brows at the abrupt statement, watching John stand and near the door.

"J-John!" She called and stood, catching his hand and forcing him to turn and face her. "Are you sure you're alright..? You're still coughing." She said and John shrugged.

"I will be." He murmured, squeezing her hand, he needed to walk out of the door before he did something he would regret, but his legs wouldn't move and it seemed like Bonnie was in the same predicament.

"John... Really... Thank you for today... The barn might be burned but my horses and ranch hands are alive thanks to you... I will never be able to repay you." She sighed and turned her gaze downwards.

"... I'm just glad I could help you." He replied.

"I suppose this is good night then." She said just above a whisper, beginning to turn away from him.

John watched her but tightened his grasp on her hand and he pulled her back, she gasped and looked up at him, his eyes were so... Intense. She reached in hesitantly, resting her hand on his chest as he breathed his other hand reached up and took it as well, bringing it up to his lips and kissing it, however without much warning Bonnie took a breath and threw herself into John's arms, ler lips crashing into his...