Anastasia sits on a deteriorating log that rests amongst wet sand. It's a cold night, she's done up her baby blue blouse. Things were good, they brought back a lot of money from the bank in Valentine. Dutch was pleased, pleased enough that he came crawling into her tent last night. Despite being in his early 40s, his capacity to be pleasured was insatiable. Sure, the two of them didn't take long to figure out that they liked each other, but something more than that was developing, even though neither of them is aware. The nights they spend together bring them physically and mentally closer. Dutch opened up about his mother to Ana, he told her how she used to beat him as a child, how she was insane and stubborn to her core. Ana listened with bated breath as Dutch confessed he wished his mother hadn't lived as long as she did. He claimed her death was god showing her mercy at the end of her dreadful life.
And then there was John. Their relationship differed quite a bit from the one between her and the notorious leader. They haven't even slept together yet. Ana figured that he's holding onto his last bit of pride, considering how close they'd come to sex several times now. It's a funny thing, a man's pride, it can be so resilient until it comes crashing down in one moment, Ana thought to herself while contemplating her relationships. Or maybe it breaks down over time, like the log she's sitting on now. It once stood tall but now is a shell of its former self. She prays that won't happen to John or Dutch. They're good men, she hopes she doesn't turn them into something else. Right there and then, Ana made a promise to herself, that she'll do anything to help keep them on the right path, even if she has to die for it. They deserve better than the life they were given.
Ana takes a long breath before she stands, lifting the wanted poster with her father on it out from her bag, along with a carton of matches. She lights it on fire and drops it to the ground, watching it burn. If her father was out there, she figured there's no point in chasing him. Fate will bring them together if that's what's meant to be. Her moment of self-reflection ends when Arthur joins her side, wanting to provide some friendly company to the girl seeking solitude. The thing about Arthur, he knew when he was wanted. He was never one to hover.
"Let me guess, you're out here, looking at the lake and burning something, so you can try and figure out how to solve the world's problems. Am I right?" he asks like his typical sarcastic self.
Ana stays silent for a moment, staring at him for a long time. She squints her eyes, playfully challenging her friend. Arthur puts his hands up and backs away in defeat until she suddenly bursts into a sprint, tackling his side and jokingly hitting his stomach. He starts laughing hard as he tries to mess up her hair with his hands. "No way I'm letting you win this girl!" Arthur says joyfully. He tosses her easily over his shoulder, she starts squirming and hitting his back, pretending to scream in fear as tears caused by laughter blur her sight. The rest of the gang watch from the edge of camp with amused looks on their faces. "Arthur no! Not the lake, anything but the lake. I'll shine them fancy-looking boots of yours for a month!" she shouts, her cheeks red as Arthur moves to the end of the dock. "Aw did you just call my boots fancy? Now you ain't getting out of this for sure." And with that, Arthur tosses a screaming Ana into the water. She holds her breath and stays down for a few seconds, thinking it'll cause Arthur to look into the water to make sure she doesn't drown. She bursts out from the surface and grabs Arthur by his collar, causing him to lose his balance and fall in with her. Ana grins at the sound of Dutch laughing. Moments later, a beaming Arthur and Ana splash one another playfully, Lenny, Sean and Javier kick off their boots and join in on the water fight. Bill follows and does a rather impressive cannonball. Everyone is content at that moment, even an angry-looking Molly can't spoil their fun. Although that doesn't stop her from mumbling insults to herself. During moments like this, Ana knows she still has a family.
…
Ana dries herself with a blanket in front of the campfire, John next to her along with Javier, Bill, Arthur, and Sean who surround the flames. They exchange small talk as they watch how the fire dances. Sipping on beers and whiskey to loosen their tongues and forget their worries. John shifts closer to Ana, just tipsy enough to not care who sees. She leans into him as he rubs her shoulders quickly, causing friction to keep her warm without being asked to. It's a fairly innocent act, but it's an affectionate one. It catches the attention of Molly, who stomps over to Dutch instantly to tell him about what she saw. She's gone before John plants a kiss on Ana's lips.
Arthur pretends to gag before sharing a silent boyish giggle with the rest of the boys and Ana. "Careful Arthur. One day you'll do that and actually vomit," says Ana with fake lecturing eyes. "Yeah. Maybe. I'll just make sure I'm aiming for you." Everyone simultaneously laughs, not aware of Dutch who is walking in a rage towards John and Ana. He firmly grips Ana's shoulder, burning his eyes into hers as a way of saying that they need to talk, now. Dutch looks over to a confused John. "Son, I don't want to hurt you. I suggest you get out of camp for the night. You can come back in the morning," Dutch says while resisting the urge to punch that look off his face. John looks to Ana before uneasily leaving the tense scene about to take place. The rest of the guys watch, unsure of what to do. Ana stares at Dutch, wondering what could have pissed him off that much. She nods to Arthur before walking with Dutch to the beach. He doesn't let go of her shoulder until they stop. Her fingers graze where he held her, wondering if that was truly necessary.
"What is it, Dutch?" she asks, placing her hands on her hips and tilting her head to the left.
Dutch walks back and forth for a moment, not looking at her while he does so. He stops right in front of her and points an accusing finger at her. "You'd best tell me the truth now, Miss. I don't got a soft spot for liars. Tell me, have you been whoring yourself out to my brothers?!" His voice cracks, his head turning a shade of beet red as he yells in her face.
"What? Whoring myself out? The fuck is you talking about, Dutch?" Ana's hands drop to her sides, anger rising in her chest. She looks back at camp, knowing exactly who put such an idea in his head. Molly. She must've been dying for this opportunity.
"Don't play dumb. Molly told me, and Micah said you threw yourself at him back in Horseshoe Overlook!" Dutch makes a fist, feeling unconvinced by her confusion. She must be lying, she's been lying to him since the day they met.
"Molly and Micah are liars, Dutch. Take a moment to really think about this. I'm not a whore. If I was, I'd be smart enough to know that Micah don't pay for such services. Why would I want to sleep with that parasite anyways?! Plus, you and me, we agreed that this ain't exclusive," she points between them, trying to de-escalate the situation, "the only other person I'm with is John, I swear to god. If that pisses you off, then that's your own dam fault van der Linde.
"That much I figured out by the way you two cling to each other like teenagers. It's pathetic really! You think he can give you what you want? He's a boy for fuck's sake, Ana!" Dutch raises his voice more, believing that even if she wasn't sleeping with the rest of the gang, it's disgraceful. John is a father and an idiot; couldn't have she at least have the respect to have chosen better?
"Oh, shut up, Dutch. Now you're just looking for a reason to be mad. If you don't like it, leave Molly!" Ana responds, annoyed with his irrational way of thinking. She throws an arm up in the air and starts to walk away. Dutch grabs her arm to try and stop her, she pulls away and keeps walking. Dutch hesitates, not wanting to admit he's wrong. He should've been smart enough not to listen to Molly, the girl lies to get what she wants. And Micah, well, he probably just imagined the whole thing. He follows Ana, calling after her softly, but not saying he's sorry. "J-just leave me be, Dutch! Go be with your other woman for once tonight!" she shouts as goes into her tent to hide from him, now speaking quietly to herself "see if I give a damn…" Ana presses two fingers against her forehead, trembling as she starts to sob quietly. That man, how could he treat her like this? She sits down on her mattress, wondering how and why she got herself into this mess.
Dutch sighs and shakes his head. Pushing off Molly's uncomforting touch and as she tries to pull him away. His eyes meet the shaking head of Hosea. "Dutch, you fool, you're getting too old for these games," says the older gentleman, feeling unimpressed by his actions. He needs to settle down, or just make a damn decision for once. He's been floating from woman to woman ever since Annabel. Anastasia is the first he appears to actually care for. Dutch ignores his friend, deciding to sleep his current mental state off.
Ana doesn't sleep well that night. She has a nightmare about her own funeral, years from now. Molly and Micah come to spit on her grave. John and Dutch are nowhere to be seen.
…
I gasp as I sit up straight, awakened by my nightmare. It got quite strange near the end, I came back to life as a dead woman, think I even killed some folk. Mom always said our dreams tell us how we feel, I guess that means I don't got the best opinion of myself. I begin to recall last night as I run my fingers through my hair, probably would've been better if I left with John… I don't know. Dutch would've been even more pissed if I ran off with him. Honestly, it'd be best if I just forget about it all. If that man wants to apologize, it's his own responsibility. I won't let him see me weakened, I'll have to go on with my usual routine and make it seem like I'm not hurting. Which shouldn't be so hard, I've always known how to seem fine on the outside, it came naturally to me. Although I might as well fake in style, I'll wear my best blue dress today. Remind Dutch what a fool he is sometimes. I walk out and do my morning stretch, deciding on going for a walk by the water, ignoring his stares on my way.
…
Micah, Arthur, Dutch, Pearson and Hosea gather around a table in camp, discussing the possibility of whether or not to go and make peace with Colm O'Driscoll and his men. The men know it's obviously a trap. Arthur looks skeptical of the whole thing while Micah is rather persistent that it's got to get done. Anastasia is sitting in front of a nearby tree with a cigarette between her lips, trying to hide the fact that she's listening in on this conversation by holding a book up to her face. Dutch avoids looking at her as a way of focusing on the matter at hand.
"It's a chance we got to take," says Micah passionately, Ana notes how out of character he seems. She trusts him less and less as each day goes by.
Dutch rests his fists on the table, pushing himself up before speaking "I killed Colm's brother… long time ago," he pauses, now looking over at Ana, "then he killed a woman I loved dear."
Micah leans forward, saying his next words carefully. "As you say… it's a long time ago, Dutch." Ana feels sick to her stomach, everything he says just feels so wrong to her.
"Let's go. You and me," Dutch points at Micah, "and with Arthur protecting us. No one else."
Micah pretends to look unsure all of a sudden, he glances at Ana intently. "I don't know, Dutch. Is Arthur enough? No offence, but the big guy is past his prime," Arthur is about to shut Micah down before he continues, "Why not bring along some new blood? I heard Anastasia is a good shot, come on, with Little A and Big A we'll be safe for sure!"
Arthur rolls his eyes at how stupid the blonde fool sounds as Dutch turns his head over to Ana, inviting her with a stern look. Dutch also takes a moment to examine his favourite dress of hers. He can't think about last night right now, they'll have to save that for later. Ana says nothing as she drops her book to the ground and gets up, joining the men as they head towards their horses. She figures that being there will allow her to truly understand what Micah's true intentions are. Arthur and she exchange an uneasy look, preparing for the worst.
…
Anastasia rides next to Arthur, with Dutch leading in front and Micah following him eagerly. Micah has been talking Dutch's ear off the whole way here. Ana stares at his greasy blonde hair, not believing one word of what he's saying. To her, it appears that Micah wants to move up in the unspoken ranks of Dutch's gang. Was he trying to replace Arthur? Hopefully not, Ana feels sick at the idea of him taking on such a significant role. He'll have to go through her if that's what his game is.
"I dream too big. Caring too much. That's my problem," says Micah. Ana has never rolled her eyes so hard. She subtly taps Arthur's shoulder and pretends to stick a finger down her throat. They share a quiet chuckle.
"Caring too much? There's no such thing," says a captivated Dutch.
Ana can't stand to hear this conversation anymore, she speaks up loudly, so the men can hear her. "You're joking right, Micah? This is coming from the man who kicked Jack's fucking dog, is that what you mean by caring too much?"
Micah audibly huffs and stares back at her. "The dog was getting into the food, what else is a man to do?"
"This is horseshit. From both of you!" says Arthur, obviously just as tired of this conversation as Ana.
"It might be! Micah might be full of shit. Colm O'Driscoll might be full of shit. The promise of this great nation, men created equal, liberty and justice for all… that might be nonsense too. But it's worth trying for. It's worth believing in. Can't you see that friend?" asks Dutch, sounding like his usual inspirational self as he addresses the man he raised.
Arthur sighs, sounding frustrated, "I don't know…"
"Try. All I ask is you try," says Dutch.
They keep on riding until they reach a cliff that overlooks where the meeting will take place.
"Alright cowpoke. You find a spot around us where you can keep an eye on us. Arthur, you take the spot on the left. Lady, um… how about you head over to that hill on the right side of the plane," says Micah in an instructive tone. Neither Arthur nor Ana question his command since it's fairly reasonable. Ana moves quickly to the other side of the open land, stopping on a hill that's across from Arthur.
She takes her place, kneeling onto the dusty ground and lifting her rifle. She'd bought it back in Valentine but had hardly used it. The confident woman wasn't too worried, she never had to try that hard to hit her target. That was evident from when they fought with half the population of the livestock town. She closes one eye and watches Micah and Dutch get off their horses, walking steadily to meet Dutch's oldest enemy.
Colm is probably the most unpleasant man Ana's ever laid eyes on. He must be at least a decade older than Dutch. She aims the crosshair on his skull, feeling slightly tempted to take the shot although she doubts it'll be necessary at the moment. She watches the movement of their lips but can't understand what any of them are saying. Colm doesn't look happy despite what appears to be laughter… no, not laughter, it's mockery. Ana begins to worry, Dutch doesn't take too kindly to being mocked. She can't help but notice how calm her lover appears until he says something slowly, she thinks he might've said the name Annabel. This can't be good, she keeps her finger steady on the trigger. Ana pauses for a moment; her eyes leave the scope and look over to Arthur. Her eyes widen at the sight of a man running up behind Arthur and hitting him in the head, she's about to call out his name when she's smacked so hard in the head it knocks her out cold. Her body falls to the ground, blood dripping from her forehead.
…
Everything is so unclear. Where am I? Why can't I see right? It's blurry. I try to focus by squinting, I see trees, I'm in a forest. I listen to the sound of people talking, I don't recognize the voices, they sound Irish. Are they Colm's men? This isn't good, the last thing I remember was aiming at Colm O'Driscoll's head. The meeting must've gone badly, and they kidnapped me… if something happened to Dutch or Arthur, I'll kill every one of these bastards. God, my body hurts so much, I turn my head to the person laying not so far from me. Arthur. They got us both.
I reach over to him, he's awake. Our eyes meet, I've never seen him look afraid, but he does right now. I mouth instructions to him slowly, "Go get help." Arthur is about to object, he knows I can't move, they tied me up. I don't know why they hadn't done the same to him, fools must've forgotten. I motion my head in the direction away from the camp, Arthur reluctantly gets up, moving as fast as he can considering his injuries. I hear shouting and then a gunshot, tears fall from eyes as I scream Arthur's name. One of the men approaches me, "You stupid bitch" are the last words I hear before I'm struck in the head once again.
…
Arthur's and Ana's limp bodies hang from the back of two horses. They're both going in and out of consciousness, wishing they were dead whenever they awoke. Arthur moans in pain each time his eyes open, they shot him in the leg and shoulder. Luckily Ana's injuries weren't as bad, she felt so guilty, if she hadn't told him to go, he wouldn't have been shot. When she awakes, she begins to cry, mourning for the inevitable loss of her own life and Arthur's. She'll be leaving behind so much unfinished business; Dutch, John, her father, Micah, and her future. And Arthur, the man deserves so much better than this, after all those years. At one point, Arthur notices her silent sobs and weakly grabs her hand, not judging her for breaking down.
It took about half a day to arrive at the O'Driscoll camp. The men store their prisoners in a small underground room. They hang Arthur up by his feet and use built-in chains connected to the wall on Ana, assuming she's less of a threat than him.
…
I lean my head against the cold stone wall, tear pricking at my eyes whenever I glance at Arthur, who has been passed out for at least four hours. I hope he wakes up soon, we need to find a way out of here before they kill us both. I heard two guards gossiping before, it doesn't sound like we're getting a peaceful death. Supposedly Colm plans on beating or burning us to death. How cheery. I hear the door creak open and I hold my breath. Colm appears with a torch and a plate, I look over to Arthur who seems to be waking up.
"Arthur Morgan and Ana Fetcher… good to see you, Arthur. I don't think we've met before, Miss" says Colm cruelly.
What do I say? I can't talk my way out of this. I build up the courage to say one word, "No."
Arthur speaks through the sound of exhausted coughs, "Hello, Colm." He still sounds strong, he's a tough man, that's for sure.
"How's the wound?" asks Colm, about to give Arthur a spoonful of food before he pulls away.
"I hardly feel it," he answers. I shut my eyes as he yells out in pain, I've got to get him out of here before he dies.
"You will… now tell me, a fine gun like you, why you still running with old Dutch? You could come ride with me and make real money," says Colm, he doesn't seem as interested in me, at least for now. I need to stay strong for Arthur, so I'll stay quiet.
"It ain't about the money, Colm," Arthur says faintly.
"Oh no… it's Dutch's famous charisma," I flinch as I hear Arthur cry out when Colm kicks him hard in the side, "you killed a bunch of my boys at Six Point Cabin…"
I can't take this anymore. Colm is about to continue beating Arthur when I shout as loud as I can, "Stop it!"
He turns to me, an evil grin on his face. "Ah yes, nearly forgot you were there, where are my manners? Dutch's new lady, right? He's going to be angry, I hear he likes you a lot. He'll come for you and Arthur. We'll be gone, and the law will be waiting for him. How does that sound to that sound to you, pretty lady?"
I spit at him; his grin turns into an expression of anger. He pulls back his hand and slaps me. I wince at the sting. "Well, I suppose we'd better give you a good injury or two, can't be playing favourites!" he says as he laughs.
I can't say or do anything as he lifts his gun and points it at me. I start to tremble as he aims for my head, he stays there a moment before shifting his aim to my shoulder. I feel like a child, so defenseless and weak. I shut my eyes, awaiting the impact. I scream out as the bullet goes through me, Arthur calls out for me, asking me to stay with him as Colm walks out the door, leaving us to die.
…
I gasp when I wake up before crying out in pain when I remember I was shot. What in the hell happened? I look at a pair of dirty hands that hold onto my waist loosely, I know those hands. "A-Arthur?" he groans before whispering a response, "Y-you're alive. I got us out, we're going home, sister." I let out a sob, feeling free since there's no O'Driscoll to punish me for making a sound. "Thank you, brother. Thank you so much." I let my head drop down, not having the energy to look up or speak. We made it, we're alive. I'll never be able to repay this man for saving me. I shut my eyes, at the pace we're going this trip will take a while.
…
Anastasia and Arthur arrive at camp, Ana resting her head on the horse's neck and Arthur leaning on her back. Ana is the one to open her eyes, she tries her best to call out, but nothing but a wince leaves her throat. She's close to bleeding out, so is Arthur. His large body falls to the floor. His grunt is what catches the attention of Mary-Beth and Karen.
"Arthur? Ana?" says the girl with brown hair. Dutch comes running calling the names of the two who mean so much to him, trying to remain calm until he assesses what happened.
Ana is next to fall but a pair of arms catch her. Surprisingly, John is the face that she looks up to. Dutch is occupied with calling Miss Grimshaw and Reverend Swanson for help.
"Marston?" she asks, trying to figure out if she's truly awake and not dreaming.
"I got you, Fetcher. You'll be okay," John responds, running to lay her down on her mattress.
Dutch looks conflicted as he helps Arthur up, he doesn't know what to do or who to help first. Once he ensures Arthur is being attended to, he runs to Ana's side.
"My girl…oh my dear girl. I'm so sorry, please stay with me…" Dutch pleads as he kneels next to her, taking her hand, John standing out of his leader's way.
"Oh, Dutch, I'm fine, love," she chuckles before whimpering, the pain taking over again.
"Damn someone get over here now and save this girl before she bleeds out!" shouts John. Abigail comes running with supplies. Dutch hesitates before stepping back, letting his lover be attended to. Guilt starts to weigh him down, he feels so foolish. He wanted to go for them right away, but Micah insisted they needed to wait and come up with a plan so Colm didn't kill them all. Dutch held his chin in his hand, overseeing Ana's medical attention. He felt the need to shed a few tears for the first time in a decade. He fought the impulse with every fibre of his being to stay strong.
A/N: New chapter! And the longest one so far! Sorry it took so long to get this one out, but I had a bit of writer's block plus this took a couple of days to write to be honest. But I'm satisfied with the outcome and I hope everyone else is!
I'm starting to think more long-term about this fic and I'd like to get everyone's input. I won't be covering the entire story, but I think I'd like it to end near the end of the Saint Denis chapter of the game? I'll be adding a bunch of original content to the story for sure, so it'll be probably almost thirty chapters in total. But here is a question for my readers:
Should Arthur die in this fic? I'm letting you guys decide so let me know! Now if Ana is going to die or not, that'll be something I'll decide, so keep on reading! Thank you for the support, please review!
Disclaimer: I do not own RDR.
