Apart 28 - Epilogue - A

A year later, Kitty was walking down the boardwalk, a package under one arm and a smile on her face. She felt good that day, felt at peace. Remembering back, she thought of how far she'd come since a year ago. The night Daniel had taken her, she'd been planning on buying out Bill Pence's share of the Long Branch. Matt had promised to be there for that but instead escorted the blonde vixen Cynthia St. John out of town.

But he had been standing proudly by her side when she finally did complete the transaction upon returning home. And now that business was not only hers completely, but it was booming as well. As was her relationship with the tall man who owned her heart and soul.

The ugliness and pain from a year prior was mostly gone. The few remnants that remained were pushed far enough away that they didn't hinder or bother her any longer. For the first time in a long time, she felt perfectly fine. It had taken time and effort and patience on her part as well as Matt's and the other people around her that loved her. Grinning wickedly, she thought back to the previous night. She and Matt had spent the night together, really together, and though it wasn't their first time since they'd returned home, it was probably their best.

The first time, since Daniel had taken her, there had still been issues to resolve. Matt had been patient and kind and understanding and their coupling had been more emotional than physical but it had been. But it hadn't been anything like the night before.

"Miss Kitty!"

Turning around, Kitty saw Beau racing her way, Will Ronniger hurrying after him. "Beau!" She exclaimed, bending down to give the child a hug. "Gee, it's good to see you. How are you? How's your sister?"

"Good!" He beamed. "Me and Pa come to town for supplies, just him and me." He looked fondly up at Will who smiled happily down at the little boy.

"Bess and the girls wanted the house to themselves today and Beau was the only one of the boys that wanted to come with me." Will explained. "So here we are. How are you today, Miss Kitty?"

Kitty smiled as she gave another hug to Beau. "I'm doing wonderful, Will. Things couldn't be better for me."

"I'm glad to hear that." Matt spoke up from behind her. He'd seen her from the window of the general store and had stepped out to greet her as well as Will and Beau. "How you doing, Will?" He reached out a hand to the farmer and looked down at Beau. "And how's my favorite partner?"

"I'm just fine, Marshal Dillon." He answered brightly. "Me and Pa's going to the store."

Matt grinned at the little boy and reached into his pocket, pulling out a nickel and handing it to him. "Tell ya what, why don't you use that to get yourself some candy while you're in there."

"Wow!" Beau's eyes lit up at his sudden wealth and he looked up to Will. "Can we go now, Pa?"

"Sure can, son." Will agreed as nodded to Kitty and Matt. "Marshal, Miss Kitty, good to see you. You two need to come out for dinner real soon, now."

"Alright, we will." Kitty agreed. "Give Bess and everyone my love, especially Sarah. And tell Bess I'll be driving out there in a few days with some left over fabric I thought she might be able to use."

"Sure will." Will agreed as he tipped his hat to her and followed his antsy adopted son into the store.

"You figure Bess believes that material is left over?" Matt asked her with a chuckle.

"Nope." Kitty grinned. "But Will doesn't know it and he doesn't need to."

Matt nodded then sobered. "Uh, I got some information today." He said a little hesitantly.

"Oh?" Curious blue eyes watched his expression, understanding she might not like his answer.

"Got a wire today." He spoke quietly. "Let's go somewhere to talk."

Kitty nodded. "Walk with me to the Long Branch; we can talk in the office."

After reaching her office and closing the door, Matt gently took Kitty by the arms and pulled her to him. He wanted her in his arms when he told her. "Cynthia St. John was paroled from prison yesterday and sent home to Topeka."

"Oh." Kitty dropped her eyes, taking the information more quietly than he expected.

"I know that's not what she deserves. She should be there for a lot longer but her parents pulled some strings and got her released." He was frustrated at the privileges of the rich but he knew he could do nothing about it. "I'm sorry, Honey. I wish I could make her pay completely for her part in what happened."

Kitty looked up at him, a smile returning to her face. "You have nothing to be sorry for, Matt. You did your job in arresting her and making sure she was tried and convicted for her part in all of that. Anything else is on the people who let her out. Besides, maybe she's learned her lesson. You know, Daniel didn't do her any better than he did me. From what I heard, his men treated her pretty rough before the rangers arrested them."

"Yeah, I guess so." He sighed. "But I still wish…"

"Matt," Kitty shook her head and reached up to kiss him. "Don't worry about it. Okay? It doesn't matter anymore. You and I are fine. Daniel is dead and Cynthia, whether she's in prison or at home, will always have to live with what she did with Daniel and what he did to her."

"So do you, Kitty." Matt asked softly. "He hurt you far worse than he did her."

Kitty smiled as she shook her head. "Uh, huh. He took my body, Matt, but he didn't take my heart or my soul. You had those all the time and you kept them safe for me."

Matt bent his neck and kissed her softly and sweetly. Passion wasn't needed for that moment, only love, and he put all he had into the kiss before it ended and he pulled away. "You are really something, Miss Russell." He grinned.

Kitty laughed. "Well, I'll tell ya what, Marshal Dillon, you come back tonight, say around closing time, and I'll be even more."

Matt laughed and reached for the door knob. "I'll be here." He winked at her as he left the office.

Kitty watched him go thoughtfully. Painfully, she thought of all that had happened. Despite what he'd become, Kitty still felt Daniel had at one time had a good heart. But the war and time had twisted him somehow and he had turned into the man that had raped, kidnapped and killed with no remorse. A small part of her grieved for the Daniel she had known so many years before, but she didn't feel sorry for the fate of the man he'd become.

She did feel sorry a little sorry for Cynthia though. She didn't serve as much time as she may have deserved but Kitty had a feeling she was now serving a different kind of time and a worse one. Polite society didn't exactly smile on respectable girls who participated in kidnapping and murder and who bore the child of a bandit. Cynthia would suffer, Kitty felt, whether in prison or not.

Looking down at a book at her desk, Kitty smiled. It was a book of poems she'd gotten from one of her girls a long time ago. "There is music here." One of the poems had stated. And Kitty smiled realizing there was. One had only to seperate it from the noise.

The End