A/N: Yes, I put a crack in their happiness.

Disclaimer: The Magnificent Seven do not belong to me and I'm making to profit from this story.

Maude hadn't felt well all day, but the cramps hadn't started till this afternoon. Although they had steadily gotten worse as the evening had gone on, Maude had hesitated to say anything to Patrick. He had become fiercely protective ever since learning of her pregnancy and she didn't want to do anything to cause him any undue concern but by that night she had to speak up.

For nearly an hour Maude had tried to find some relief from the cramps. When it became apparent she wasn't going to be able to she had woken Patrick. "Patrick." She reached over and shook his arm. "Patrick, would you go get Julia, please?"

Groggily, Patrick rolled over. "What's wrong?"

"I need Julia." She said, her voice strained.

He set up suddenly wide awake. "Are you alright?"

"I'm not sure." She turned to face him and felt dampness on her nightdress. Panic seized her. Something was wrong, something was very wrong. "Patrick, I need her now!"

There was now a note of hysteria in Maude voice that Patrick had never heard before and it scared him. Something was terribly wrong if his calm, collected Maude were panicking. Kicking free of the sheets, he jumped from the bed. Hardly taking the time the make himself decent Patrick ran down the stairs, leaving Maude alone.

She took a deep breath. This couldn't be happening. The wetness she'd felt was blood, she was sure of it. She was bleeding and the cramps…no, this couldn't be happening.

Julia came in with Patrick and rushed over to Maude. "Julia!" Maude cried when she saw the older woman. "Julia, the baby…somethin' wrong."

Julia come over, Patrick on her heels, and when the older woman saw the spots of blood the sheets she inhaled sharply. "Patrick, go for the doctor."

Patrick shot her a confused look. "What…."

"Patrick, she needs the doctor!"

Patrick ran out the door and Maude felt the air leave her lungs. Maude knew she was bleeding but she had held on to a vain hope that she was wrong about what it meant, that she was imagining a problem when there wasn't one, but the urgency in Julia voice had just proven her wrong. She was losing her baby.

Patrick had been barred from the room as soon as the doctor had arrived and the last few hours had found him the sitting room pacing, praying, cussing, and generally being eaten alive with worry. He couldn't lose Maude, not now, not like this. He needed her and the thought of her not being with him was enough to make him physically ill. Why hadn't someone told him something? Was the fact that no one had been down good or bad? What if Maude were up there dying? Someone would tell him, wouldn't they? Patrick felt the bile rise in his throat and it took every bit of will power he had not to empty the contents of his stomach on the parlor floor. She had to be alright. There was no way he would be able to stand losing Maude. Please, let her be alright. Please! He slightly pleaded, sinking on to the sofa with a groan.

Hearing footsteps, Patrick jumped to his feet. The doctor was coming down looking, what? Forlorn, sympathetic, defeated…whatever it was, it was a look that told Patrick the man didn't have good news. Patrick felt his stomach clench and he fought the urge to vomit again. Oh, God please.

"Mr. Standish." Dr. Gates said approaching him.

"Is she alright?" Patrick demanded, not giving the man a chance to speak farther.

The doctor sighed. "Your wife is doing fine but I'm afraid there was nothing to be done to save the baby."

"But Maude, she'll be alright?"

The fear coming off the young man was almost tangible and the doctor gave him a sympathetic half smile. "She's very shaken by the loss of the baby at the moment but physically she's doing well. A few days should have her back to normal."

Patrick released a shuddering breath, his legs suddenly feeling to weak to hold him up. The loss of the baby was a blow but relief that Maude was well blocked any sadness he might have at the moment. "What went wrong?" He finally asked.

Gates shrugged helplessly. "It's one of those things. Even if I'd been here sooner nothing could have been done. It's a terrible thing for the women but sometimes it just happens." He'd known as soon as he'd walked in there was nothing he could do, and the girl had known it to. He had stayed until it was over to be sure there were no complications and the whole time the girl's emotions had gone from nearly hysterical to stony silence and back again. Gates had every confidence the young woman would have no problems carrying other children and had told her so, but she was still taking the loss hard. At least she hadn't been far along, that was something to be thankful for.

"Mr. Standish, your wife had no complications and should be fine in a few days; however it would be best if you refrained from certain activities for the next few weeks." He said the last part with a very pointed look at Patrick.

It took Patrick a moment to understand what the doctor had meant by activities. "Yes, Sir." He replied simply, looking away. He didn't particularly want to discuss that with the man.

Gates nodded his satisfaction. "Good. I'm truly sorry for you and your wife's loss, Mr. Standish but the best thing for you to do is start thinking about children again as soon as possible."

"Is that all?"

"Let her rest for a few days then get her back to an everyday routine. Returning to normal will be the best thing for her."

Patrick nodded and shook the man's hand. "Thank you for your help, Doctor."

"I wish I could have done more. I'll see myself out if you wish to see your wife."

"Thank you." The man wasn't even halfway to the door before Patrick made it up the stairs.

Maude was quietly lying in bed when Patrick entered the room. "Maudie?" He asked hesitantly.

Maude turned her head to face him, her eyes reflecting her broken heart. "Patrick,the baby's gone."

He set on the edge of the bed and took her hand, his own heart aching. "I know."

No more words were spoken that night. They merely set in the darkness in each other arms, lost in their private grief.

Maude hadn't left the bed in three days. She had eaten little and spoken less but she hadn't cried. For Maude it was easier to keep tears from falling than to stop them once they started. And she knew that as soon as she let the first tear escape there would be no way she could stop them. Patrick hadn't gone out the first night after the miscarriage and he had offered to stay in last night, as she was sure he would tonight, but she would rather him go out. He hadn't said anything but she knew he was disappointed that she had lost his baby…his son. Oh, the doctor may have said there was no way to know what the baby would have been but Maude knew it had been a boy.

She just wished she knew what had gone wrong. Julia and the doctor had both told her that there was nothing that could have prevented the miscarriage, but Maude wasn't sure she believed that. There had to be a reason. The doctor had also told her she shouldn't have any more problems and that they should try to have another baby as soon as she could but she wasn't sure about that either. She didn't want to ever go through this again. Her heart ached, her empty womb ached, and she wasn't sure either one would ever go away.

Patrick had stayed in the first night after Maude had lost the baby. He had offered to stay in last night as well as tonight but Maude had told him to go out. He knew he could have stayed in anyway but his presence didn't seem to help Maude any so Patrick did want was easiest for him and left. He knew Maude probably needed him here but,if he were honest with himself, he didn't really want to stay in. She was so brokenhearted it actually hurt to look at her. Going out offered him an escape from the sorrow that hung over their room and Patrick shamelessly took it.

As he was getting dressed he dutifully asked once again if she wanted him to stay. While he hoped, selfishly he knew, that she would say no a part of him desperately wanted her to tell him to stay. He wanted her to ask him to hold her again, to let them morn this loss together as they had that first night but once again she told him to leave. It had struck him tonight that he hadn't once in the last three days seen Maude cry, and that worried him. It seemed to him it would be natural for a woman to cry about something like this. She wasn't eating either and despite having been in bed for three days she looked completely worn out. He know she was upset about the baby, but something else was wrong as well and before he left he asked once more if she wanted him to stay.

Maude sighed heavily when she heard the question for the third time. "No, Patrick, I told you to go. There's no reason for you to stay here."

"Julia said you didn't eat anything tonight." Actually Maude hadn't eaten much for days and that worried him too.

"I wasn't hungry."

Maude had her back to him but he could tell she was starting to get agitated. "You need to eat."

"I'm not hungry, Patrick! Now would you please go?" Maude could feel the tears threatening to push their way through and she didn't want Patrick around when they finally won out against her.

Patrick heaved a sigh and headed for the door only to stop and turn around. For the past three days Maude had done nothing but push him away and he didn't understand. He knew she was hurting but he was her husband, he had made a promise for better or worse. Why was she distancing herself now? "Maude, this isn't healthy."

"Patrick, please…" Maude broke off when she felt a tear rolled down her cheek. Why wouldn't he just leave her in peace?

Patrick went over and sank to his knees by the bed. "Maudie…"

"Want do you want from me, Patrick?" She snapped turning to face her husband. Just as she knew they would, the tears now fell freely and she cursed their timing. Why couldn't they have stayed contained just a little longer?

"I want you to talk to me! Tell me why you're pushing me away."

Maude began to sob; deep, heaving, heart breaking sobs. Unable to speak she buried her face in her hands.

Patrick stared up from the floor shocked by Maude's sudden outburst, but the shock was soon replaced by relief, relief that Maude was finally showing emotion of some kind. Slowly he got up from his knees and slide onto the bed wrapping Maude in his arms. She didn't resist and she didn't pull away, she just clung to him and sobbed.

Maude gratefully fell into Patrick's arms when she felt them wrap around her. It felt so good to be in his comforting embrace again. She hadn't realized how much she had missed him the past few days. Maude didn't know how long she set there crying her heart out but slowly the awful ache in her chest seemed to ease some. As her tears slowed she found her voice. "I'm sorry, Patrick. I'm so sorry."

"Shhh, you ain't gotta apologize, Baby." Patrick told her, his accent coming through heavier than usual. "You needed to do that."

Maude shook her head. "No. I'm sorry about the baby. I'm sorry I couldn't do it. I'm sorry you never got to meet your son."

Patrick set in dumbfound silence. Maude was apologizing for her miscarriage as if she was responsible for it. "Maudie, what…why... Baby you couldn't have stopped it. Even the doc said he couldn't have done nothin'." Gently, he lifted her face to look at him. "Maude, it wasn't your fault. It just happened."

"You we're so happy and I couldn't...I couldn't do it. I couldn't give…" Another sob escaped. "I'm sorry I disappointed you."

"Maude, stop it! This was not your fault. You…Maude, you could never disappoint me. Yes, I wanted the baby and I hate what happened, but it wasn't your fault. You did nothing to cause it and you couldn't have stopped it. Maude Standish, I love you and as much as I wanted that baby if we never have any children I'll go to my grave knowin' I had more happiness than any man's got a right to because I got to have you. You ain't done anything you gotta be sorry for, Maudie. Please believe that."

Maude felt the tears start again and she laid her head back on his shoulder. "But I wanted him Patrick. I wanted him so badly."

"I know." Patrick began to slowly rub her back. He couldn't believe Maude thought she had disappointed him. His cracked heart had broken completely at Maude's confession, but he'd meant every word of what he'd told her. He had wanted the baby, he wanted a family with Maude, but he'd rather have Maude whole and healthy if he had to choose. Maude was still crying softly and he pulled her closer laying his chin on her head. He didn't know what the future would hold for them but he did knew that tonight he just wanted to hold his wife.

When Maude opened her eyes she was surprised to see daylight filtering through the curtains. The last thing she remembered was crying on Patrick shoulder, the headache she had testified that she must have cried herself to sleep, and his words of comfort. Slowly she became aware that Patrick was still with her; still holding her in his arms. He was here with her and he didn't fault her for anything that had happened. Tears began to silently roll down her cheeks as she moved closer to him. What had she ever done to deserve a man like Patrick Standish?

As Maude lay there soaking up the comfort of his presence she heard his soft Tennessee draw."Mornin'."

She looked up and gave him a weak smile. "Good mornin'."

"Feelin' any better?" He asked, pushing a strand of hair out of her face.

She took a shuddering breath, unsure of how to answer. The awful ache inside had eased some but it was still very much there and she know it would be for a while yet. "Yes." She finally said. "But it still hurts."

Patrick wiped a tear from her cheek and gently kissed her forehead. "I know but it won't last forever, Baby."

Maude closed her eyes again and sighed. It still hurt but for the first time since her miscarriage she knew everything would eventually be okay.

A/N: Please don't hate me. It had to be done but things will get better, I promise.