The air was colder up in the Grizzlies. Arthur had brought his wolf pelt and wore it draped around his shoulders. His heavy jacket was rolled up and tied to the horse in case he would need it. A light, cold breeze followed them as they traveled west and the rain had kept at bay, making their travel pleasant.

After two days of traveling, Sadie began relaxing. Arthur noticed she smiled a bit more at his comments, her cheeks were flushed a bit more. On the third night, they even made tender love by a creek and held each other until they fell asleep.

Arthur was determined to make this last fight against the O'Driscoll as painless as possible. He wasn't worried about he and Sadie fighting against them - he knew they could do it, especially that Colm was gone. It was afterwards, when Sadie was done with her vengeance.

He hoped this wouldn't scar her for life.

By the end of the week, they were exhausted from the daily travel, and took a day to relax along a lake. Hanging Dog Ranch was less than a few hour's away and they wanted to be at their full strength when they attacked.

"We'll use stealth," Arthur said, putting logs down so he could build a fire. He lightly coughed into his shoulder and moved on. "It's only just the two of us. I got some dynamite Charles handed me before we left. Best play it smart and use it."

Sadie grabbed the small fishing rod Arthur kept attached to his saddle. "You and I could do this with our eyes closed. I ain't too worried." The edge of the lake was ten feet away. She went over and stepped into the water with her boots, then tossed the fishing line. It landed far out with a tiny plunk.

"There's a big, fat O'Driscoll, with a beard," Sadie said. She flicked her eyes to Arthur then looked back to the water. "Save him for me."

"'Course." Arthur kneeled down and used his flint. The kindling caught fire without complaint. The evening sun was still very present, but he liked the heat the fire offered. Even though it was only September, there was a winter chill this high up.

Arthur wondered what that particular O'Driscoll did, if he was responsible for Jake's death and… Arthur hated thinking of it. He would rather wring the O'Driscoll's neck himself if that man had touched or abused Sadie. Still, this was Sadie's agenda. It wasn't about Arthur. He had had his revenge on the Gap tooth O'Driscoll and when Colm had been hung. Arthur was satisfied with that.

Something tugged at the end of Sadie's fishing line. She gave a small cheer and fought with the fish for a bit, then reeled in a small but decent pike. She handed it over to Arthur, then went to cast out another line.

"You a better fisherman than me," Arthur commented as he sliced the fish and gutted it. "I don't have patience for it."

"You hunt all the time. You're the one who came back with the most deer, back at Valentine."

"Yes, but I get to move, track, explore. With fishin'... you just watch the water. Ain't that great."

Sadie smiled. "You and Kieran went fishin' those months ago? And you bathed together? And I caught the first view of your behind? Goddamn, did I not expect that from you."

Arthur felt himself redden. "It just happened that way. Who took our horses and clothes, anyhow? Never did figure that out."

"Whoever was drunk that night, I suppose. Uncle. Bill. Karen. Or Micah, because he's a right bastard."

The day slowly turned into night as they ate their dinner. The two of them became silent as they sat around the fire, cleaning and oiling their guns in preparation. Arthur had kept his pistol in prime condition, though age was beginning to show on the grip. The carving of an elk in the grip had begun to fade away as the years went on. He had taken time to have the same carving in his favorite rifle.

The next day, his rifle was his main weapon of choice. He had a small scope attached to it, which he used to scout out Hanging Dog Ranch. Rain had held off long enough on the trip and now a slight drizzle greeted them. O'Driscolls were everywhere, all wearing the same kind of long black jacket and dirty look about them. He could see a few of them arguing amongst themselves, while a few did patrols around the area.

If Arthur could get close enough without alerting them, he figured he could toss the dynamite in to where the cluster of them were. It would get rid of a few of them, but his aim would need to be precise.

Sadie was bone white as she listened to him discuss the plan.

"After I throw the dynamite, you take out the patrols, then make your way up," Arthur explained to her in a low tone. He had been watching the patrols for quite some time. There was a span of time where an area was unguarded when he could sneak up to the fence and toss it in.

"Got it," Sadie breathed and pointed to the house. "The man must be in there. Don't shoot 'im."

"I know. Don'tchu worry, Sadie." Arthur double checked his gun and adjusted his hat as he mentally prepared himself. "Let's do this." He gave a quick kiss to Sadie and made his way down, staying low to the ground with the dynamite in his hand.

Dynamite wasn't his favorite choice. It was a messy job and had taken awhile to get used to the carnage. It was necessary when they were outnumbered.

Hanging Dog Ranch was an old, ill kept ranch with a farmhouse, shed, and a barn. Tents were hitched near the back and random junk was strewn about. Arthur hopped over the wooden fence once the patrols had passed, then made his way to the barn. The rain helped muffled his footsteps. The cluster of O'Driscolls were still arguing by the edge of the barn - not one had seen him yet.

He lit the dynamite without hesitance - hoping the rain didn't quench it - and waited a second to toss it. He aimed it directly in between the group of four men, still chattering amongst themselves. He dove behind the barn and waited. From the sudden screams and loud explosion, Arthur could tell it worked. He waited for the dirt to settle, then looked over the edge with his rifle.

All four men were down, though whether or not they were injured, Arthur couldn't tell. He caught a glimpse at a head peeking out from the shed across the way; he shot the person in the head and they fell backwards. O'Driscolls started appearing left and right. The wood around Arthur shattered and splintered near him, causing him to duck behind the barn.

A few shots sounded off and Sadie stormed into view, eyes raging, her pistols smoking in her hands. She took down the onslaught of O'Driscolls and hid behind the shed.

Once there was a break in shooting, Sadie went ahead to hide behind a wagon. Arthur went through the barn and made sure it was clear. Once he confirmed it was, he pushed the door open to head outside and saw Sadie kick through the front door of the farmhouse. An O'Driscoll came from around the right corner of the house and attempted to follow her in; Arthur shot him in the shoulder, then finished it with a shot to the head.

Arthur tried to ignore the blood splatter against the farm house, or the man who had suffered a few limbs from the dynamite. He had no pity for them, yet his body was screaming how tired it was of the bloodshed. Every nerve protested as he pulled the trigger - yet it must be done. The O'Driscolls did nothing but destroy everything they touched. This would be an end to them.

Sadie screamed from inside the house, making Arthur jump. He cursed and ran to the house, his heart racing. He made it to the door and pushed it open with his shoulder, then pointed his rifle as he scouted out for enemies. One O'Driscoll lay dead on the floor. Another lay a few feet from him, mouth slack, a bullet still smoking from his forehead.

He heard a thump up on the second floor. He ran through the living room and ran up the stairs to find Sadie standing over a man with a knife. She had found the one she was looking for - a middle aged, pasty man with a large gut and beard. He screamed like a coward as he tried to get away from her.

Arthur could see Sadie's pistols had been tossed aside for her knife. She stood above the man, her whole body shaking. Sometime during the fight she had lost her hair tie, letting her hair shroud her in a halo. One quick move and Sadie had stepped over the man and dug her knife into his chest.

The yell the man uttered was nearly silent; the sound of the knife twisting in his gut and Sadie's sobs filled the room. The instant her hands let go of the knife Arthur was there for her, his rifle set aside as he gathered in her arms. Blood drenched the front of her shirt, her hands, her face. Arthur pulled her away from the body and together they collapsed on the wall as Sadie sobbed into his shirt.

"It's okay," Arthur said, holding her tight.

"Me and Jake… that man took it all," Sadie wept into his shirt. "Jakie and I, we was… he's gone, Arthur. Really, really gone."

Arthur ran a hand absently up and down her back and stayed silent. He knew she had loved Jake - had loved him so much, in fact, Sadie had personally eliminated the O'Driscolls.

After a few minutes of sitting in silence, Arthur finally couldn't stand the smell of blood. He slowly got up and pulled Sadie with him. "It's over, Sadie. You did it. You avenged Jake. Now it's best we go and clean ourselves up, alright?"

Sadie rubbed her eyes and let herself be led out. Arthur made sure to collect their weapons. By the time they reached outside, the rain was pouring in sheets. Sadie let go of Arthur and took a few steps into the rain, letting the water wash over her.

"I still alive," Sadie said. She lifted her arms and blinked as raindrops hit her face. "After this, I still alive. Maybe I ain't meant to die yet, Arthur. I had wished for it, so I could be with my Jakie. But I ain't."

"No, you ain't."

"You the reason for that," Sadie said and looked back at him. Her face was clean of blood as the rain wet her face. "I love you, Arthur Morgan. Thank you for lettin' me settle this for Jake and me."

Arthur closed the distance between them and put a hand on her cheek. "You the most spirited woman I met. I am glad to walk beside you, Sadie." He kissed her softly, wishing he could pause the world at that very moment.

"We best loot before people show up," Sadie murmured once they broke away. "Last time we be able to loot for awhile, anyhow."

Arthur didn't disagree with her. He let her take the outside and he took the farmhouse, making sure to check every nook and cranny. The O'Driscolls liked hiding their money in tough places to find, though Arthur knew how to look for them by now. He kept his eyes peeled for loose floorboards - in a house this old, there were many. Arthur skipped the ones which were dusty or covered with cobwebs.

He passed the fireplace and stuck his hand up the charred chimney. He ran his hand over the stones and checked for anything stuck in them. His fingers touched something light - he grabbed it and yanked it out. A wad of several hundred dollars. That was better than nothing. He pocketed the money and continued to search for the loose boards.

There was little hope the O'Driscolls hadn't taken all the money and split it up between themselves now that Colm was gone. Still, there was a chance.

Out here, there was a small chance of the law finding them any time soon, unless someone passing had taken notice. Strawberry was the nearest town and hours away. Arthur and Sadie had time to comb the place.

A broken floorboard caught his attention. He knelt down, grabbed the chipped corner and pulled it off with ease. There was a large crevice with a metal box tucked inside. Arthur pulled it out and set it on the floor. He grabbed his small knife from his belt and fiddled with the lock, which clicked with a satisfactory pop.

He nearly grinned when he opened it. A few thousand dollars greeted him, along with other tiny trinkets of expensive watches, rings, and necklaces, among other things. Arthur searched the house until he found a decent satchel an O'Driscoll had been wearing, thankfully free of blood. He packed it full of the money and trinkets and left to go find Sadie.

She was in the process of leading the horses into the ranch. Arthur met up with her and opened the bag for her to see. Her mouth dropped open at the sight of it.

"We'll count it later," Arthur said. He shut the satchel close and grabbed his horse's reins. "You okay?"

"Ready to get out of here. I got a few dollars from each O'Driscoll, and their jewelry, but not much."

"It don't matter. Let's get out of here."

They stopped at Emerald Ranch a few days later to sell the trinkets. Arthur always liked Emerald Ranch; it was a beautiful ranch amidst a valley of rolling green hills. Arthur still knew a fence there. He had barely dealt with the man, but in order to sell the trinkets, the man would be willing to pay cash, no questions asked.

The fence was more than pleased with the trinkets. Arthur left with just a little over a hundred dollars. It was nothing more than dirty money, stolen time and time again. He and Sadie had discussed they would use the money only to survive - they would not take up looting from then on.

Night had fallen and Arthur planned to scout out someplace to camp before they continued on. He was more than grateful when they stopped for the night. His chest was aching something fierce and he wanted to sleep it off. He excused himself to take care of his business, only to dissolve into a coughing fit once he was a ways away.

His palms turned clammy as he tried to control the coughing. The trees around him began dancing and he collapsed against one as a wave of pain clenched his chest. A large dark figure entered his vision as he tried to find his bearings.

"You ain't doin' so good," a voice said and grabbed Arthur from under the arms.

Arthur focused in on the man and found himself looking at a heavyset, stinky man who only wore a pair of overalls. "I'm…. I'm fine," he huffed out. The pain in his chest had begun to settle.

"Let me take you over here - that's my house, over that hill. My wife can getchu some tea for that cough." The heavyset man picked up Arthur easily and set him over his shoulder.

Arthur was slightly desperate for anything at that moment but he did not like the way this man was acting. Sadie was probably wondering where he was by now. Arthur tried to push himself up. "Let go of me."

The man's grip on his legs tightened. As the man was easily a hundred pounds heavier than Arthur and just as tall, the man had the strength over him. "My wife loves visitors, you know. You ain't gonna refuse her tea now, would you?"

Arthur was in trouble. He knew how this would turn out. He struggled more against the ironclad grip and tried to kick his legs. "Let me go, mister. You ain't in the right of mind."

They came into the view of the house and passed it. The man led Arthur away from the house and into a thick patch of forest. A stench hit the air and Arthur put a hand on his holster; his guns were missing. The fat man must have knocked them aside when he found him.

"This ain't how we normally do things," the fat man was saying. "But you have the look about you, mister. And that bag of yours." He lifted Arthur and threw him down a slick patch of mud.

Arthur tumbled down and fell on his back. What little air his lungs had vanished. He struggled for breath as rain pelted his face and only just saw a heavy object heading for his face. He turned on his side and dashed to stand up; he was dizzy on his feet but had avoided being decapitated from a shovel.

The fat man swung the shovel again, which Arthur fell backwards avoiding. His feet slid in the mud and he landed partly on some dirt and what felt like a body. He wasn't able to give it much thought. The shovel kept flying at him and his strength was waning.

There was a loud gunshot and suddenly the fat man collapsed beside Arthur, his limbs slack. Arthur gasped and crawled away, his fingers digging into the mud. He rolled to his back once he reached clean grass and took in deep gulps of air.

"Arthur, what happened?" Sadie was saying. She held Arthur's pistols in her hands and had his pack over her shoulder. "How did he get you?" She leaned down and ran a hand down his face. "You don't look injured, 'cept this blood on your lip. Did he hit you?"

Arthur shook his head weakly. "I ain't… I ain't doin' so well, Sadie."

"Arthur Morgan," Sadie chided. She whistled for the horses. "We takin' you to the doctor in Rhodes. You okay to ride?"

Arthur nodded again. Sadie offered her hand and helped him stand. He was wobbly on his feet and everything seemed to be spinning. He leaned on Sadie for support and the two of them met the horses on the road. Once Sadie made sure he was on his horse and could stay on, she hopped on hers and they were off on the road again, hours away from Rhodes.

By the time they reached the town, Arthur was all shades of done. They hitched the horses to the post and he let himself collapse to the ground.

When he came to, he was lying in a small room with a tiny balding man standing over him, holding a stethoscope to his chest. Sadie stood next to him, her arms crossed with one hand holding her necklace. Her eyes brightened once she saw he was awake and she helped him sit up and put pillows behind him.

"I been worried sick," Sadie murmured and planted a soft kiss on his forehead. "The doctor is checkin' you out now."

The doctor backed away and set the stethoscope around his neck. By the grim look on his face, Arthur knew it wasn't good. The doctor turned around and grabbed a pipe off a table and lit it.

"What is it?" Arthur asked after the doctor didn't elaborate. "Tell me straight."

"You have tuberculosis, son," the doctor said. He let out a puff of smoke.

Sadie gasped and held a hand over her mouth in disbelief.

"Well? … What can I do about it?" Arthur didn't know what else to say.

"Get plenty of rest and fresh air. There isn't anything that can be done. I'm sorry, son."

"How much... "

"Could be a few months, could be a few years. I'll leave you two, now. You can leave payment at the window there." The doctor bowed his head and left the room. He shut the door behind him quietly.

Tuberculosis. TB. That didn't seem real to Arthur. He ran a hand through his hair and realized he was still covered in mud. He sat up and swung his legs over, feeling numb to his very core.

"Arthur…" Sadie began.

He waved her off. "It's contagious, ain't it," he stated in a light voice. At Sadie's grimace, he knew it. Now he knew why this all felt similar, this coughing, this blood - months ago, at the Downes farm. Mr. Downes, who owed Strauss some money. Mr. Downes, who died from his disease. This disease. Made Mrs. Downes a widow, made her lose her house. And now she was a street walker.

He couldn't be there right now. He stood up and stormed out the door, only pausing to set a small amount of bills on the counter. Sadie was at his heel.

"I got us a room," Sadie said. She grabbed Arthur's hand and led him towards the saloon. She was upset as well, but Arthur didn't know what of. Him being sick? Him holding it from her so long?

She didn't say. They walked with a fury through the dusty road and to the saloon. As it was not yet morning, the saloon was deserted. She led him into the back of the saloon where the bathing room was stationed. It was a cramped room with one small bathtub, stool, and one cracked mirror on the wall. The wall paint was chipped and in dire need of repainting.

"Undress. Get in the water," Sadie commanded. The water was already warmed; Sadie had asked for it ahead of time as well.

Arthur did as he was told. He undid the necktie and set it aside, then slid off his boots and socks. After his shirt, pants, and long johns were off, he went to the bath and slowly set himself in. He barely noticed the heat of the water. Sadie grabbed a washcloth and some soap then went to sit on the side of the tub.

"So what we gonna do about this?" she asked as she dipped the cloth into the tub.

"Do what about what?" Arthur's voice didn't feel like his own - his mind felt blank.

"You. This… tuberculosis."

"You heard the doctor. There ain't no cure."

"There has to be."

"Sadie, there ain't-" Arthur stopped once he heard her sniff. He looked back at her and saw the tears pouring down her face. "Sadie. Don't. Don't cry for me."

"We just built our house, Arthur. I ain't gonna lose you from this."

Arthur caught her hand in his and nearly kissed her palm, but stopped himself. "I shouldn't even be touching you." He let go of her hand. "We know it contagious."

"I been with you how long now and have I showed any signs? No. Arthur, I refuse. I ain't gonna stop touchin' you. I ain't gonna stop makin' love to you."

"I don't wanna risk puttin' you in danger!"

Sadie started scrubbing his head and ignored his comment. "How'd you get it in the first place?"

"... Only person I can think of is Mr. Downes. He was sick when I found him, he coughed in my face." Arthur grabbed the washcloth from Sadie and completed the rest of the cleaning. He stood and stepped out of the bath.

"Arthur. We both agreed to be there for one another." Sadie still sat on the stool, her shoulders slumped and her tears openly flowing.

He was silent as he got dressed. The heat of the water must finally be getting to him; his face felt warm. Everything seemed to be crashing in on him at that moment. He was not a crying man - but he felt tears he had not let fall in a long, long time. "We did, Sadie. That we did. But my sins have finally caught up to me. And now, I must pay." He blinked away the tears, avoided her gaze, and walked out of the room.

There wasn't anywhere to go but the room. His limbs were tired, his mind exhausted, and his lungs screaming at him to rest. As he lay in bed that night, his thoughts wouldn't let him fall asleep. He tossed and turned and angrily wiped away tears - he didn't deserve them. He shouldn't feel pity for himself.

Yet when Sadie crawled into bed beside him and held him in her arms, he silently wept.