Matt grimaced slightly, but quickly shook his head as Kitty carefully grasped his arm. "I'm fine, Kitty." He assured her. "It's just a scratch."
Kitty shook her head in exasperation. "It's always 'just a scratch' with you, Matt Dillon. You scared me out my wits, do you know that?"
"Sorry." He said, the half-smile on his face giving him away.
Seeing that, she swatted him on his good arm and moved away. "Oh, Matt…."
Matt's smiled disappeared as he reached out and took her arm, pulling her back to him. "I love you, Kitty." He said simply. "I came up here to tell you that and find out if I stand any chance what so ever of getting you back into my life. When I heard what was happening in here I was almost afraid I'd not have the chance because I took too long. But… well, have I?"
"That depends." She answered evenly. "I don't want to give you any ultimatums but…"
"I'm done with the badge, Kitty." He stopped her. "I know now that I can't continue to serve it as I had. It's cost me too much. It's cost you too much, us too much." Seeing the look on her face, Matt gently moved an errant lock of hair from her face. "You were pregnant when I left town, weren't you?" He didn't need her to answer when he saw the look on her face.
Kitty shuddered at the memory and dropped her head even as she nodded, a tear slipping down her face, followed by more. "I… I lost our son, Matt." She quietly sobbed. "It was an accident. I got caught in a crossfire at the Long Branch and I…" She stopped as her whole body shook and she buried her head in his chest. "Oh God, Matt, I wanted that baby so badly. It was all I had left of you and I lost him like I thought I'd lost you. I lost our son."
Matt held her tightly to him, rocking her gently while she cried. "I'm sorry, honey." He softly crooned. "I'm sorry you had to go through that and I'm sorry I wasn't there. I…" his voice constricted with emotion as he realized he too had lost a child. That he didn't know about it mattered none at all. He had lost a son and his heart ached at not only Kitty's loss, but now his too. Though he shed no tears, his heart broke at the knowledge.
When her racking sobs subsided enough, he slowly pushed her back and tilted her head up with his forefinger under her chin. "I have a lot to make up to you." He told her. "I don't know if I ever can, but I'd like to try, if you'll let me."
Kitty shook her head though. "You have nothing to make up to me. Just promise me, you won't leave me again without telling me why. Matt, if I…"
"I won't leave you again, period." He assured her. "I don't know where we go from here and I know we still have some things to work out between us, but we'll do it together." Pulling her back, he wrapped both arms around her and kissed her on the crown of her head. "We'll do it together, Kitty."
A year and a half later
"Well? What do you think?" Matt stood proudly in front of the newly built two story house with a grin on his face.
"I think it needs decorating." Kitty answered, stone faced for just a second until a grin broke out. "But I love it, Matt. It's absolutely beautiful." She moved over next to him and looked around at the 300 acre ranch they had purchased near the town of Pueblo, Colorado.
It had taken time to find the right land and the right spot to build the perfect house but they had done it. Of course, it had taken time for them to get to that. After Matt had testified against the men he'd helped arrest and officially resigned, he dedicated himself to Kitty and their future life together.
Kitty was thrilled, though she had her own problems to deal with before they could leave Denver. She'd been cleared completely of culpability in Deb's death, but she still had the Silver Dollar to deal with. She hadn't wanted the gambling parlor and certainly didn't feel right in claiming it but legally, it was hers.
Finally, she settled on something that would benefit a great number of people. She sold the Silver Dollar and donated part of the proceeds to various charities as well as the school there in Denver. What money she kept, was sent back to Dodge, in a letter to Doc, to be given to charitable causes there. The money she had in savings and the little bit of money Matt had managed to save was used to buy their ranch and build their house.
Doc, after fulfilling Kitty's wishes with the money, made a few contacts and arranged for another physician to come to Dodge and take over his practice. As soon as the new doctor arrived, Doc left, telling no one where he was going or why. A few days later, he arrived in a sleepy little town, bag in hand, ready to spend the rest of his life with his children.
Though moving in day was still about a week away, while Kitty made it presentable, they and Doc already felt like the ranch was home. The house, situated on top of a knoll in practically the middle of the property looked out over acres of grassland to the south, perfect for the horses Matt wanted to raise.
On the back side of the property was a wooded section with giant ancient trees that had not only provided the timber for their new home and barn and corrals but would also, according to Matt, eventually be another source of income as they carefully logged the biggest of the trees, careful to always replant each time a tree was felled.
Matt had also cordoned off a small section of the land, just to the east of the house, and planted fruit trees and berry bushes. To the west, he sectioned off a piece of land to raise wheat and other crops. He wanted this ranch to provide everything they needed, if possible, so that no matter what came their way, they'd be able to make it.
When he'd first told Kitty of his plans, she'd agreed that his ideas were good ones but she reminded him that even if all of those plans failed, they would still survive.
"We have each other, Matt." She smiled. "We'll survive no matter what comes or goes. We have in the past and we will in the future."
"I know." He nodded. 'But what about after we're gone? You know if we have kids…"
"Now, Matt." She shook her head in warning. "You heard what Doc told us. There's a possibility that I might never be able to carry another child."
"I know." He nodded. "But I've been thinking about that. What do you say we look into adopting? There's always kids needing a good home and if we happen to have one of our own too…"
"What ever happened to that stoic marshal that didn't want a family or kids?" Kitty interrupted him.
"He left." Matt declared with a smirk. "He realized how wrong he was and took off, leaving me here in his place. You disappointed in that?"
Kitty laughed and shook her head. "Not on your life, Matt Dillon."
Matt pulled her into an embrace, her back to his chest, as they looked around their new place. "You know, if it hadn't been for that stubborn heart of yours, we might not be here together like this. You never gave up on me, Kitty. You were just to stubborn to do so."
"Huh!" Kitty looked up at him. "I'm not the only stubborn heart around here. What about you? You know, you protested quite a bit while we were in Denver, but I noticed you refused to just let me go and fend for myself."
"That's because I love you, Mrs. Dillon." He inclined his head and kissed her. "My heart's pretty stubborn too, I guess."
Kitty turned and wrapped her arms as far around him as she could. "We're both stubborn, Matt. We're just two stubborn hearts who love each other and I guess, at the end of the day, that's all that matters."
"Uh, huh." Matt agreed as he bent down and kissed her again.
The End