Rowan groaned as he sat up.

He rubbed his face as he then set his hands on to his knees. He gave his head a quick shake to try and get his awareness up. A hard night of drinking, among other things, sapped his strength.

It was then he felt a warm hand on his bare if scared chest.

"Can't sleep?" Zoë asked as she then set her head on his shoulder.

Rowan chuckled as he gently gripped her hand with his own. "Nah. Just thinkin'." He said casually. "Got a lot on my mind." He said then looked back at her face. Her long black hair unkempt, her soft green eyes full of love and exhaustion.

Zoë sighed contently. "Well, Mr. James." She said as she lied back down. "Care to talk about it?" She asked.

It was here that she saw a scar running from his left wrist to his elbow. She wondered what could have caused that. She also noticed a particularly large scar on his back. It was evident of a gunshot wound, but this was the first time she truly noticed it.

"Rowan? What's this one?" She asked placing her hand on it. Rowan craned his neck to look at her.

"Hmm? Oh that one." He said as he angled his body so his side was facing her sheet covered body. "I'm not exactly sure. It was there when I woke up that one day." He said. Rowan was referring to the day he had lost his memory.

"In fact, my grandfather suggested that it might have been the one to make me lose who I was."

Zoë stared at him intently. Then smiled. She didn't care who he was before that wound was made. She only cared about the man now sitting in front of her.

"Well, who ever made that. I'm grateful." She said as she picked up his hand and kissed it. "Cause it got me you." She said happily. "Didn't it?"

Rowan grinned as he laid back down next to her. "Yes." He said as he kissed her forehead. "Yes it did."

Benjamin Topper casually walked into the atrium that served as a cafeteria as well. He usually walked in when it was bright and early. That way he could beat the massive lines and the food was freshest.

And as usual he had one those massive cigars in his mouth.

As if on cue, Cappy walked out as soon as Top got to the counter. He smiled and nodded to the Regulator grandmaster.

"Hiya boss. Got some biscuits and gravy a-cookin'. Fancy some?" Cappy asked.

The grizzled and gruff old Regulator nodded. "Sure Cap. And some coffee, black." He said and the chef nodded as he disappeared back into the kitchen. He cringed and pulled out his cigar. After tossing it away, it was here he noticed a peculiar sight.

He saw a Regulator passed out on one of the tables, his arms and legs hanging off the edges. He could be heard snoring heavily, more evidence that he had been drinking more than he should have.

Scoffing, Top looked back to the kitchen as Cappy reappeared with a healthy serving of the meal, as well as fresh and steaming cup of black java. When the chief set the plate and cup down on the counter, he looked surprised to see the aged Regulator cock his thumb at the table.

"How long has he been like that?" Top asked. Cappy glanced around his boss and looked as if this was the first time he saw him. "As unprofessional and uncouth as it is, I'll let it slip if it's his first time." He said.

"Oh. Not exactly sure how long he's been like that. Must've been there all night." Cappy said as he gave the exact amount of salt and pepper that Top liked. Cappy always seemed to have the unusual ability to know how much salt and pepper, how many refills, and how big the seconds should be.

Which was why everyone from the highest echelons of the Regulators, to the mere civilian, preferred when he was the head cook.

"I suppose you've heard the good news?" Cappy asked. Top cocked his head, not sure what he was talking about. "Rowan and Zoë are gettin' hitched. Ceremony's at the end of his tour." He said.

Top shook his head and chuckled as he left his meal at the counter and approached the drunk Regulator. Good for you, son. I wish I had the cooperation that you two have. Already tried twice. Then he reached the table, to which the Regulator was still snoring.

"Lad." Top said and then tapped his stomach a couple of times. This prompted no response. Top then moved over and grabbed the Regulator's collar and pulled him up, revealing his face.

"MacGloans." Topper said as the smashed Dez let out an indiscernible and slurred moan and his eyes rolled into the back of his head. Top sighed as he shook his own head in disgust. Then not so subtly, simply dropped the hammered Dez back down onto the table with a solid clunk!

"Shameful." Top said as he left Dez on the table. "I wonder what he's pissed off about this time." He said as he approached the counter to recover his meal. Top sighed as he then picked up his breakfast and then addressed Cappy. "Unfortunately, I'm gonna have to ruin James' day." He said.

"'Nother mission?" Cap asked.

"Yeah, unfortunately. Despite the fact it's a milk run, I know what he's gonna say." Top said and chuckled.

"You got to be shitting me." Rowan said in Top's office.

For the first time in nearly a month, he finally got a little down time. It seemed fame and prominence of being one of the Ghost of the Four Horsemen meant no rest for the weary.

"Sorry son. I'd honestly send someone else, except we've got a situation brewing with the Cree and Crow nations." Top said passively, without a cigar in his mouth. He let out a few hoarse coughs and cleared his throat. "If those two go to war, it'll be hard on everyone from here to the border."

"Top, come on! Certainly a prospect or a mercenary could handle this." Rowan complained. "Besides, Aurora threw a shoe last night. Doc says she'll need to be re-shoed when the swelling goes down, and that could take weeks."

"You won't need but one horse to drive the wagon to Jericho." Top said.

Jericho was a small Regulator outpost that needed fresh supplies. Supplies that could not be replenished from there, such as fodder for the animals and ammunition.

"That's a hundred miles north east from here." Rowan said. "And my wedding is two weeks from now!" By now Rowan was livid about this.

Top, had all the complaining he could take, slammed his fist down onto his desk, which made Rowan jump.

"JAMES!" He hollered. "I've had all the bitchin' and moanin' I can stand out of you! Shut up and start packing! You are going!" He shouted. This prompted to Rowan to button his lip.

Top sighed as he let the steam off and cleared his throat. "And to make you're life even more miserable, I'm afraid MacGloans is gonna have to ride shotgun on this."

Rowan opened his mouth to protest, only to have Top point a finger at him, and once again RJ was force to shut up.

"Now get that Irish bastard sobered up, and both of you leave by the end of the day." Top said firmly. RJ sighed and nodded. "Now poof." Top said and Rowan made sure to slam the door when he left.

RJ fumed so badly he didn't even noticed he was back in the bunkhouse until his fiancée began shaking his shoulder. He calmed down and recanted the whole tale to her. Zoe reacted no better than Rowan did, but she kept a little more a level head.

Until the part about Dez came up.

"D-Dez? Why him?" She asked sounding thunderstruck. Rowan merely shrugged as he slipped his extra warm duster on. Snow reportedly had fallen at the halfway to Jericho so it was going to be cold.

"He and myself are the only ones." Rowan answered. At this point he didn't even care. As he straightened up his duster, he then noticed that Zoe had her head down, as if she was ashamed of something that had happened.

"Zoe?" Rowan asked, as he placed his hand under her chin and gently raised it up. He noticed that her eyes were getting misty. "What is it?"

She was now crying gently. The hot and fat tears practically falling from her eyes. Rowan found himself being pulled into a tight hug, his shoulder becoming moist as she buried her face into his duster.

"Rowan...I thought I was going to lose you in Moosomin." She said, and she began shaking. "I watched as you began taking a fever, and the doctors didn't think you would have made it. I couldn't bare to watch that, so I talked to Dez, and he found us a couple bottles of whiskey." Rowan sighed as he knew where this was going.

"The next morning, I found myself naked, and sleeping next to him."

Rowan James closed his eyes, pleading that he had not heard what she had just said. He sat down after Zoe had released him and placed his palms on his face, letting a pained groan escape.

Zoe stood in front of him, still shaking, still dropping tears. With the truth out, Zoe felt so filthy, and low. Not a day had gone by since he had proposed, and she had already proven untrue to Rowan.

Now fully ashamed, she turned and opened the door to leave.

"Zoe." Rowan said firmly, stopping her in her tracks. She found her hand being gently grasped as he had stood up and closed the door. He then pressed his hands down firmly on her shoulders. "Whatever you may have done," Rowan said as he then shook his head. "You wouldn't do now."

Rowan then embraced her as he rested his chin on her head. "I'm not mad at you. How can I be? You're gonna be my wife." He said smiling.

Zoe simply gaped at him. His humility was something that made him stood out, and she even was passionate about. One of the other reasons she said yes.

"Rowan..." She said and squeezed him tightly.

Then the realization came. She then looked up at him in concern. "But what about Dez? He's not as humble as you are. And given the chance he might-"

"Let me deal with Dez." Rowan said passively. "For now, you take it easy, until I get back, Mrs. James." He said as he kissed her forehead. Rowan then opened the door and proceeded to the livery barn.

Dez groaned as he rubbed his eyes. The after effects his hangover still causing chaos in every corner of his mind. After giving his head a quick shake he blinked several times.

As he tried to break off the painful feeling, he began thinking back to the night prior.

Of Zoe.

He kept going over how...happy. The smile she had on her face when Rowan proposed to her. A smile she had not on her face in a long, long time. A smile from her in a world filled with so much hardship, misery, and death, that was a rarity.

Dez found himself in a bit of a self mental debate. Most of him was still convinced that Zoe would have been better off with him and not someone who couldn't even remember his childhood.

Then there was a smaller voice telling him to be the better man.

He came back to reality as he saw Rowan approaching. Dez coughed as he saw the massive Jacoby rifle on his shoulder. His Garand was a child's toy compared to that .52 caliber that beast launched.

It was here that he saw the un-amused look on RJ's face. And it was burning holes into Dez. He did not have to be a genius to figure out that Rowan knew about his obsession to Zoe.

Now was no longer a matter of if fighting would break out between those two, but when. The only real question was which one of them was going to throw the first punch.

RJ slung his rifle onto his back as he stopped in front of Dez. The two stared hard at each other as a cool breeze blew by them, parts of Rowan's long hair blowing. After giving a heavy sigh, Rowan nodded.

"You ready for this?" He asked.

Dez nodded silently. He stayed quiet as hopped up onto the wagon. The Irishman then reached into the back of the wagon and retrieved his 20 gauge lever action. A shotgun on a wagon was a better weapon then that of a rifle especially on a bumpy wagon ride.

Though the ride was the least of Rowan's concern.

Erin sighed as she held onto the cups of tea in her hands.

The steaming drinks would help warm her up as the snow had fallen over Winnipeg. Thick but soft blankets lay around the city, but not in it directly. The heat from the factories, and the small fires created by the guards and some of the slaves caused the snow to melt before it even took to the ground.

Of course, only one drink was for her.

Taking one cup into her elbow, she bared the heat it was giving off on her bare skin as she opened the door to her destination. Upon entering and closing the door with her leg, she smiled gently as sat down.

"Here. I thought this would warm you up." She said as she handed a cup to the man who was half covered in shadow. He took the cup and it vanished into the dark as he took a drink.

"Thank you, Erin." He said. Erin nodded as she gave herself a good sip.

"Papa." Erin said as she had her hands on her cup to warm them. "How have you been?" She asked.

Patrick chuckled in the dark. "Getting old. Getting frail." He said slyly. Erin chuckled herself as she shook her head.

"I don't believe that." She said and patted his knee. "You're not old. You're..." She began and thought about it. Erin then smiled and said. "You're still young, just getting wrinkly." It was then she heard her father laugh.

Though it wasn't a hearty and full laugh, it was something Erin had not heard him do in a long time.

"And what about frail? Am I not that too?" He asked.

Erin's smile dropped when she spoke the answer to that particular question. "No. You're not frail. Most men would have their spirits shattered after what you've been through."

They sat in silence as the steam from their tea rose gently before dissipating. Erin of course had been referring to the siblings she had lost over these last ten or fifteen years. She saw Patrick lower his cup slightly and gave a heavy sigh in the darkness.

"Yes." He said slowly. "We've all lost so much. Sometimes I wonder if it's even worth it anymore." Patrick groaned as he leaned forward, still obscured by the darkness. "I often wonder if my old friend Topper is still willing to talk."

Erin sat in silence. While she did not like the idea of negotiating, the last few years have been particularly hard on the MacManus family. Though she was more particularly worried how Michael would react if he heard this.

Obviously he wouldn't be happy would be a very extreme understatement.