The Scorpios; 1860s

To Where the Sun Sets

Port Charles Virginia

It was late in the evening as Malcolm exited the front door of his home as quietly as he could; with a jug of moonshine in his grasp. He lurked his way through the pitch blackness of night and found his way to where his older brother was camped out at.

Robert, who had become accustomed to the outdoors, had made himself a small campfire in the near distance of the house and was underneath a giant wool blanket. Malcolm, dejected that Robert was probably asleep already, was about to turn back when Robert's Australian accented voice suddenly spoke.

"Are you gonna come drinkin', little brother, or what?" Robert asked with a whimsical voice.

Malcolm was excited that his brother was still awake, and then he made his way over to the small campfire and handed the jug to Robert; who promptly took a big swig.

Mac sat down and the two silently took turns guzzling down the potent alcohol drink. Finally Robert broke the silence as coyotes could be here in the far distance of the quiet night.

"I know my little brother well enough to realize when there is something on your mind," Robert said after a few more minutes of drinking had passed. "Now…if this is about what I said to Felicia… I meant what I said and…"

Malcolm cut off his brother and just came right out and said what he had come to say…

"Robert," Mac said, "Felicia and I have discussed it and…" Malcolm took an excited swig from the jug and continued, "She and I want you to take us, all of us, out west."

Robert was surprised at what Malcolm said, and decided to give him a true assessment of such an endeavor.

"Mac," Robert began to explain as he lit up a pipe and began to smoke, "It would be a very hard thing to do. The trails that lead out west are littered with the sun bleached bones of those, including whole families, who couldn't make it. There are large swaths of desert where the heat will pound down on us and the rain, at times, will be relentless. And there is the constant threat of Indians…"

Malcolm looked seriously at Robert.

"Robert," Malcolm said, "you've already done it…and you're friends with some of those Indians out there. Felicia really believes God brought you here for a reason, and I think she's right."

Mac knew that Robert didn't believe in God the same way he did, and Felicia actually believed he had a seat waiting for him in hell; due to his heathen ways.

Robert pondered his younger brother's words.

"I tell you what," Robert said with a smile after a moment. "We can't go now…it is too far into spring to start. But next year when…"

Again Mac cut him off.

"Robert," Malcolm said with a solemn tone, "Felicia and I are both worried that war between the NORTH and SOUTH will soon breakout. That's what is driving our wanting to leave…tomorrow. Now, one way or another, we are going."

Robert looked squarely at his younger brother and could tell that he was deadly serious about leaving, and his worry about the coming war was real. Robert reached out and took the jug of Moonshine from Mac.

"Then I guess," Robert said as he took a big swig, "we're going west."

From her bedroom window, Felicia could see the two brothers drinking in the glow of the campfire. She could tell they were both excided and she deduced correctly that Robert had accepted Malcolm's request to take them all west.

She began to cry; leaving Port Charles Virginia, where she had lived all of her life and raised her children, would not be easy…but it had to be done.

Continued…

This chapter featured;

John J York as Malcolm Scorpio

Kristina Wagner as Felicia Scorpio

and Tristan Rogers as Robert Scorpio