Chapter 37

The depot of San Francisco roared with life as Atlantis, Matthew and Marshall Burch stepped down from the train. They made their way through the crowd of people as men, women and children ran toward each other, hugging their loved ones as they left the train, sounds of happy laughter and talk could be heard around three of them as they walked away from the depot.

"Hotel is just a block away, we can walk to it if you are okay with that. I wouldn't like to get into the carriage right now and put you two in a possible danger", Marshall Burch seriously stated and Matthew and Atlantis gazed at him, concerned.

"Wouldn't we have better chance to catch those thieves if there were three of us?", asked Atlantis.

"Absolutely not, child", Marshall Burch shook his head "I won't put you two in a danger, you are going straight to the hotel. And promise me that you won't stay long in San Francisco. It's not the safe place at the moment", frowns of concern wrinkled Marshall Burch's face as he talked.

"Marshall Burch, you shouldn't go after them by yourself, I mean, who knows how many men are we talking about", Matthew tried to speak up, but Marshall Burch interrupted him "Son", he looked straightly at Matthew's eyes, cutting him off the words "You must promise."

Matthew swallowed hard and as he and Atlantis shared a look, he slightly nodded "All right."

Slightly relieved, Marshall Burch started to walk beside them and asked "How long are you two planning on to stay here?"

"I don't know… Two days, maybe three. We have to see what will they tell us at the bank", replied Matthew.

Marshall Burch's face twitched a bit and he shook his head "That's too long. I'll go with you at the bank, see if we could hurry things up and put you two back on the train as soon as possible."

"And what about you, Marshall Burch?", Atlantis interjected, worry taking better of her. She glanced at him and asked "What if you can't catch them? Or what if you get wounded? Who's gonna help you?"

Marshall Burch's face softened a bit as his eyes set on his two young friends and giving them a small smile, he silently replied "That's not something you two should be worried about. Come on, lets get settled and have some lunch, and than we can go to the bank to see how soon can we finish this job of yours."

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Atlantis just finished with fixing her hair when the knock on the doors was heard. Getting up from the chair in front of the mirror and putting the last pin into her brown locks, she unlocked the doors and opened them to find Matthew outside. His eyes stopped on her and he smiled, warmly saying "You look beautiful."

Atlantis felt her cheeks getting a nice shade of red at hearing the compliment from the man she loved and she shyly smiled, accepting his kiss "Thank you", she whispered. Gently fixing his tie, she raised one eyebrow and said "You're looking very handsome yourself. Let me just fix that tie for you", she smiled as she noticed how crooked it was and Matthew grimaced, commenting "I was never good at it. Usually Colleen would fix the stupid thing for me and in Denver I avoid them as much as I can. And when Keith and I had to go at the court, his wife would fix it up for both of us."

Atlantis' smile widened as she straightened the tie and looked back up at her fiancé "Well, you don't have to worry about that anymore", as those words left her mouth, Matthew gently smiled at her and she could feel her heart skipping the beat as he slowly kissed her and she realized that she will be the one who will fix his tie till the day they die…Between kisses, Matthew caressed her back, sending warmth up and down her spine and he whispered against her lips "You know, I'd rather if you would just take it off…"

Atlantis could feel how her face flushed at his words and yet she couldn't resist not to whisper back "Don't tempt me, Mister Cooper", she smiled and silently gasped in the next moment as his lips passionately kissed her, her hands running up and down his shoulders, pulling him closer to her as she kissed him back.

It took quite some time before they pulled away from each other, both their breathing accelerated, far away from the normal pace from the love they just shared with each other through heated kisses. One hand stopped on his shoulder and the other one gently caressed his neck as Atlantis tried to normalize her breathing, her heart thumping fast, her forehead leaning against his forehead.

Matthew held her close, his fingers caressing her waist and back, feeling how she shivered under his touch and that made him love her even more. He kissed the tip of her nose and brought one of his palm up to cup her cheek and she leant into it, nestling against his fingers and he admired over and over again how perfectly she fit there.

"We should get going", he whispered.

Atlantis nodded and when they slowly parted and started to walk toward the doors, she suddenly stopped him by taking his palm into her fingers "Matthew?"

He turned to look at her and she swallowed before nervously whispering "I'm worried for Marshall Burch."

Matthew's face fell serious and he nodded "Yeah, so am I. I hate to leave him doing all by himself, but knowing him I know that he thought all this through and through. I just wish that there's some way we could help him."

"He won't let us", Atlantis bit her lower lip before telling the next words "Hope you don't mind me saying this, but… Marshall Burch sees you as his son and…", she hesitated for a moment and than added "And you look up to him. You two have a special bond, I don't know how to explain it."

Matthew warmly glanced at his fiancée. No wonder he fell in love with her; she could read him like an open book no matter how closed he was. She saw through all his masks. He slowly took her palm toward his lips and gently kissed it.

"I don't mind. In fact you're right", he slowly started to talk and she watched him carefully, listening every word "Marshall Burch taught me a lot. He believed in me, chose me to be his lawyer even though I didn't have experience at all. He trusted me. And taught me how to use my head before I use my gun. Calmed down my anger. See…", he fell silent for a second and than continued "He said that I reminded him of himself when he was my age; wouldn't want to listen, was full of anger… That was when I realized that I was really behaving like that. He was shot because of my stupid mistake… and yet he didn't hold a grudge. He saw it as a lesson, the hardest one he could give me. And when we met again few years later and he chose me to defend him on the court, I really didn't want to betray him even though I was so scared that I will loose and that they will hang him", taking a deep breath in, Matthew silently said "Brian and Colleen were still very young when Ethan left and when Ma died. They warmed up to Dr. Mike and Sully faster than I did. And me being over age… for a long time I felt like I didn't fit in. Don't get me wrong, I love both Dr. Mike and Sully, it's just… It was Brian who spent more time with Sully and learned form him. I was already over age. I never had a Father figure in my life and Sully filled in that hole that Ethan made, but still… He was more Brian's mentor. To me he was a great friend. And I am eternally grateful to him for everything he had done for Colleen and Brian, but…I'd say that for me Marshall Burch is something like Cloud Dancing was for Sully…"

Atlantis creased her eyebrows "Cloud Dancing?"

Matthew realized just than that Atlantis didn't meet Cloud Dancing and he explained "Yeah, Cheyenne Medicine Man. He found Sully after he lost his first wife and baby and wanted to die… Sully was completely lost, full of despair and anger and Cloud Dancing helped him to find his path again", slightly shrugging, Matthew silently finished "Sometimes I think that Marshall Burch has done the same for me."

Atlantis nodded "I understand. You thought that it was your duty to take care of the family together with Sully."

Matthew sighed and nodded "Yeah… And when he was hiding from the army, I took care of Dr. Mike", in few lines, he filled Atlantis in about Sully's hiding period and he slightly shook his head "And, Marshall Burch just…"

"He knew the right words to tell you", Atlantis gently squeezed his fingers "He taught you a lot."

Matthew nodded "Yeah… He taught me more in those two times I saw him than Ethan ever did in ten years he spent with us."

Pain that flickered in Matthew's eyes hit Atlantis' heart strong and she quickly hugged him, without saying a word. She understood. He didn't need to tell her anything else.

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The bank of San Francisco was big, but there was only four more people in the line as Atlantis, Matthew and Marshall Burch came inside. As Atlantis and Matthew talked with a bank worker, Marshall Burch kept a careful eye on the people around. There was one more young couple and Marshall noticed wedding rings on their fingers. There was one older lady, probably in her sixties who was annoying the bank worker with questions. And there was a man, few years younger than Marshall himself and he stood there with an attitude like he was the king of the world. Something about him just didn't feel right. Every time when Matthew would look at his right side, the stranger would take his handkerchief and pretended to cough in it. At first, Marshall Burch didn't pay attention to it, but when it repeated few times, he got worried.

"You sign here, Miss and you will be able to pick up your money tomorrow or transfer it on account in your bank where you live. It takes a bit of time because it's a large amount of money, but come back tomorrow and it will be finished", a bank worker said to Atlantis and Atlantis nodded, signing the papers. Matthew stood beside her, carefully reading every word of the contract.

As they finished, they turned to leave and Marshall Burch noticed the unknown man crouching down to tie his laces; well actually, to untie them and tie them again. Hair on Marshall' s neck stood up and as Atlantis and Matthew stopped beside him, he swallowed hard and nonchalantly said "You two go, get some lunch, I wanna open my account in this bank and that takes time."

Matthew glanced at his friend, not being sure about this. He had an itchy feeling that something was wrong "Is everything all right, Marshall Burch?"

Marshall Burch glared at him feeling the fear clenching its freezing cold fists around him and he quickly nodded "Everything's fine, son. We'll see each other again at the hotel. Now go."

Atlantis and Matthew shared concerned look, but in that moment a bank worker called Marshall Burch to approach and so they didn't have a choice but to leave the bank.

The minute the doors closed, Marshall Burch apologized to the bank worker as he noticed the stranger leaving the bank. He followed him, his fingers touching his gun under his coat…

As he left the bank, Marshall was relieved to see that Atlantis and Matthew were nowhere in sight and he couldn't help but slightly grin at the look of frustration on stranger's face. He watched as his palms clenched into fists and heard him whisper "Tomorrow."

As the man continued to walk down the road, Marshall Burch followed him, not daring to even blink.