The days started repeating themselves. Arthur would wake up early in the morning, dress and eat what he could. His appetite was beginning to fade and his waist began to show it. He couldn't wear his pants without his suspenders anymore and he hated seeing himself in a mirror, less he see his harrowed face. He avoided them at all cost.

He would then set to work with feeding the chickens, pigs, and horses. Jack would trail him and watch him from a safe distance, claiming he wanted to learn how to farm like his Uncle Arthur. It was as close Arthur would allow Jack to get to him. He would not be responsible for getting Jack sick.

Arthur's fingers healed to the point where they could partially bend and he quickly learned how to work around it. He could still hold a pistol easily enough, but his grip was less secure. He took his time practicing shooting with his right and left hand. He didn't want to get rusty, now that he wasn't taking up the outlaw life.

The horses' fence was finished, meaning they could free roam about the property. They had easy access to the pond and plenty of grass to eat. Maybe in the future Arthur could buy the land next to him and expand the horses' enclosure, but it was a dream for another day. He had already marked out where the stable would go, and had leveled out the ground as best he could. Once the winter passed, that was his next goal.

Then there were the odd bits of time where he had nothing to work on. He found himself doodling in his journal more, drawing of the older Francis Sinclair and writing random thoughts down of just how Francis might be old. All Arthur could think of was magic, but he quickly buried that thought as how silly it was.

His tent now consisted of a cot, a wooden chair, table, and his chest. He still kept the good luck charm by his bed, one of the only memories of his mother. It was a flower that only grew back in Oregon and Washington. The next time he traveled over there, he would pick one up. He suspected that could be awhile.

Sadie and Charlotte had taken it upon themselves to teach Abigail to read, as well as teaching Jack. Hosea had been teaching Jack the past year and it only felt necessary to continue those lessons. They had also taken up knitting, Abigail for the most part, and now Arthur sported a warm red scarf and matching gloves. Apparently she was also working on a matching set for John, who had refused from the start.

October slowly turned into November, and with it, the first snow fell. They had taken the time to buy winter clothing for everyone and proper socks, boots, and jackets. Despite the warm clothing, the cold air bit through Arthur's bones, sapping his strength faster than ever. It turned into most mornings he would wake up in a coughing fit and uncontrollable shivers. It seemed no matter how many blankets and jackets he would wear, he always seemed cold.

The second day of snow, he finally gave in and went inside to warm up. Sadie nearly jumped at the sight of him as she moved about the kitchen. She was dressed in a white frilly shirt and blue skirt. Her golden hair was partly pulled back by a ribbon, while the rest fell down her back like a waterfall. It had gotten long to the point where she had been talking of cutting it. Either way, Arthur loved her hair, long or short.

She had taken to visiting Arthur every morning and they would share every single meal, though Arthur still refused to touch her for long periods of time.

Despite this, she was all smiles when she saw him. "Hey," she gleamed and walked over to him. She kissed him lightly on the cheek and led him towards the kitchen table. The inside of the home still felt foreign to Arthur, like he wasn't supposed to be there and it wasn't actually his. He sat down and held out his hands toward the fireplace.

"John and Abigail left with Jack to Annesburg to pick up some supplies. The house is ours for the day."

"Oh? I didn't even see them leave."

"They're hopin' there's gonna be a letter from Charles, too. It's been awhile since we heard from 'im." Sadie grabbed the coffee pot off the stove and poured a cup for Arthur. "Here, drink this. You look like you're freezin'."

Arthur accepted the coffee and took a sip. It warmed all the way down to his stomach and he felt himself relax a bit. "You're four months along today, ain't ya?" Arthur asked and looked to her stomach.

Sadie scooted a chair next to him and sat down. "That's right."

"Can I?" Arthur moved his hand forward, wanting to touch her slightly bigger stomach.

"Silly, 'course you can. You don't even have to ask." Sadie lightly grabbed his hand and laid it softly against her stomach. "She's a fighter. You feel that?"

"Woah!" Arthur felt a hard bump against his hand. "Did she just start doin' that?"

Sadie beamed with pride. "Yes. She woke me up this mornin' with it."

"That's amazin'." Arthur kept his hand there in hopes of feeling another kick. There was a smaller one, then she seemed to settle down. Arthur pulled away and grabbed Sadie's hand. He ran a finger over her knuckles and paused over the ring finger. "You still doin' okay?"

"Surprisingly. Abigail kept sayin' how jealous she was that I hadn't gotten morning sickness… but fish still makes me sick. There's that."

"That ain't too bad. We can get by without fish."

"How about you? We got a few inches of snow again, it looks like."

"I'm fine. Just a bit cold in the mornin', that's all." Arthur let go of Sadie's hand and focused on his coffee. He didn't know why, but he thought of the ring Mary had given him. Arthur had been engaged, once, and that had ended up terribly. Now Arthur could do it again, but he'd make Sadie a widow once more. He hadn't bothered thinking of it, once he learned how sick he was. He couldn't do that to Sadie. She deserved so much more.

Sadie leaned closer and tapped Arthur on the nose. "Hey, Morgan. Your nose is all scrunched up. Whatchu thinkin' about?"

"Aw. You know, this and that. The ranch."

"Thinkin' up names for it?"

Arthur dug out his journal from his satchel and set it on the table. He had actually been thinking up names just the other day. He wanted to make a sign at the start of the path to their house. He opened to the page he had written his ideas and passed it along for Sadie to read.

She smiled as she read it. "Camp Morgan? Adler Ranch? Outlaw's Reach? Don't you think that too obvious?"

Arthur chuckled. "Maybe."

"Let's see… Saddleback Road. Mustang Landing. Fool's Hope? Is that what you thought this place was?"

"Still is," Arthur said with a shrug. "I'm a fool, that's for sure."

Sadie closed the journal and stood to kiss him on his forehead. "I don't know why, but I'm keen on that one. Shall we make a sign for it? We got some paint in the shed."

"Sure."

The two ate their breakfast and set to work on the signpost. Arthur had already cut it out and stuck the posts on the road. All that was left was the letters, and it would be good to go. They spread out a blanket and laid down the sign. Sadie grabbed the paint and gave it a good stir, then handed the paintbrush to Arthur.

"You have the better handwriting. I've seen enough of your journal," she said.

"I'll only mess it up, but…" Arthur grabbed the paintbrush and contemplated the sign. Fool's Hope. He took his time in writing and made sure each letter was perfect. He had already practiced writing it in his journal several times. Fool's Hope flowed in cursive and had a delicate line connecting the two words. As he finished the last letter, he couldn't help but feel pleased with himself.

Sadie leaned over him and rubbed her hands against his shoulders. "Looks good."

"Has to dry, but we can hang it up in the mornin'."

"Shall we head over to Charlotte's? I knitted her a scarf that I been meanin' to give to her. It's been a week since she visited."

"Sure. I'm up for a ride." Arthur went to close the paint can and went outside to clean the brush at the well. Whoever had lived there before him had had a well dug. The bushes had grown up to cover it by the time Arthur had moved in, and he had been pleasantly surprised to find it. It was up an overgrown trail hidden by the trees and a tiny walk from the house. The well was still in working condition; Arthur had cleaned it up a little and built a new pulley system.

After the paintbrush was cleaned, Arthur changed into his warmest clothing and brushed his hair behind his ears. It had been awhile since he had last had a haircut. Maybe Sadie or Charlotte would be willing. He had let his beard grow out because of winter and he spent a few minutes shaping it into something presentable. Lastly, he wore one of the scarves Sadie had knitted for him, gold in color and thick enough to hold back a winter chill.

He met Sadie at the front of the house. She had changed into a fleece lined jacket and had a shawl tied around her shoulders. The pants she owned no longer fit, so she was back to living in skirts. Her hair was let loose and she wore a simple cap over her ears. Already the winter chill had made her nose turn red; Arthur was tempted to kiss it, but held back.

They took only Roy, with Sadie sitting behind Arthur with her arms wrapped around him. Arthur took his time heading to Charlotte's. He was just enjoying being close to Sadie and feeling her body next to his. He missed it, as he always did.

The coughing was sporadic that day which he was grateful for. There had been a couple days in the past where he hadn't been able to do anything besides cough and lay in bed. Despite having woken up with coughs and shivers, Arthur was beginning to feel a little bit like his old self.

"Remember those months ago when we found that serial killer?" Arthur asked her.

"Just thinkin' of that man gives me the creeps." Sadie hugged her arms tighter around Arthur.

"That was also the first night we were together."

"I remember that part fondly, yes."

"You said you might regret it, that first night. Do you?"

Sadie scoffed. "Christ, no. Ever since you kissed me I realized how much I was fond of ya. You was handsome… had a bit of a temper, like me. You was loyal... to a fault. You cared too much. I liked everythin' about you and you was hard to resist."

"Naw. You flatter me."

"I'm just glad we got out. Despite everythin', Arthur, we got lucky. We'll ignore the TB. That don't count. We takin' care of each other and that's what matters."

"You think of any new names for the baby?"

"Hmm…" Sadie mused. "A little. But none that I overly like. What if it's a boy? Would you like to name him after anyone?"

"No… maybe. Dutch ain't worth it no more, and Hosea ain't gone yet. Micah's a name only a ma could love, and anybody else don't deserve it. Maybe Sean. He was… gone too soon." Arthur still felt bad he hadn't been there to save Sean. Perhaps, even then, it would not have meant to be. "If anythin', I'd like the name to be simple, no bad thoughts attached to it."

"Agreed."

"It'll be good for Jack to have a friend close to his age. Someone to play with."

"You think Abigail and John would have anymore children?"

"Well... they had plenty of times where they coulda started one. I guess it just depends if they can."

"How many you want, Arthur?"

Arthur narrowed his eyes in thought. He had never dreamed that far ahead. "Maybe two or three. If we bein' optimistic. I'd… we'd… hard to say, Sadie, if we ever be able to-"

"We will. Trust me."

"You awfully optimistic. Why?"

"Call it…" Sadie pondered. "A ma's intuition."

"You plannin' on takin' me right here?"

Sadie laughed and lightly smacked his shoulder in jest. "Not now, but just you wait, Morgan. I'll have my way with you yet."

"I'll take your word for it."

They continued down the road in high spirits, chattering back and forth about random things. Arthur felt lighter now that he had gotten away from his tent and wished he could do this more often. He had been so distracted with fixing his ranch and avoiding the house, he had nearly forgotten what it was like to simply socialize and not worry about anything.

It was short lived. As they neared Charlotte's path, something seemed off and he instantly snapped to attention. The snow leading up to and around Charlotte's house was undisturbed. It had snowed the past two days and left several inches - it would have been disturbed in some shape or form. But nothing. Her horse was still at the small stable, though it pranced around anxiously in his stall.

"How long it been since we seen Charlotte? A week?" Arthur asked.

"Yes, about so."

Arthur hopped off the horse and helped Sadie down. "You stay here. I'll check the house, see if she's okay." Charlotte would have stepped outside for the outhouse, but the snow leading up to it was flawless.

He pulled out his pistol and made his way cautiously to the front door. He rapped on it a few times and called her name. No answer. He waited another moment, then pushed open the door. The cabin was poorly lit with the drapes drawn, but his eyes quickly adjusted and his heart sank. There had been a scuffle in the cabin. Charlotte's table was turned over on its side, books were everywhere and glasses were shattered. Her rifle was on the floor with bullets scattered around.

There was a lack of blood, which made him feel just a little bit better. It meant she was alive. But also alive and left to the horrors of whoever had taken her. It could have been the Murfree gang back again, but Arthur wasn't convinced. He searched the house and looked for clues and found nothing, until he caught sight of a letter pinned on the door with a knife.

He plucked off the knife and used it to tear open the letter. The handwriting was crude but legible.

"We have Charlotte Balfour. She is being held for ransom at Beaver Hollow. Come and she won't be harmed. Oh, and bring John and Abigail Marston and the Mrs. Adler. They won't want to miss this. - Micah."

"Micah?" Arthur muttered as he crumpled up the paper. "What is he playin' at? Held for ransom?" He guessed the Pinkertons hadn't gotten Dutch quite yet. He was relieved to hear it, but appalled Dutch would ever hold an innocent woman for ransom.

There was no way Arthur would be bringing John and Sadie into this. Not when they had families. It was time to escort Sadie home and prepare for a possible gunfight.

Arthur stormed out and furiously grabbed a lead for Charlotte's horse. The poor thing had been kept in a stable for too long - he would bring it back to Fool's Hope and take care of it until he got Charlotte back.

"She's still alive," Arthur bit out as he tied the lead around the horse. "But bein' held for ransom."

Sadie gasped and held her hand to her mouth. "Christ. Is she okay, do you know?"

"No. But I'm gonna go after her."

"I'll go with you-"

"No!" Arthur roared, then turned away to cough furiously into his hand. He grabbed a handkerchief from his pocket to cough into and tried not be alarmed at the amount of blood that stained it. He leaned against the stable, waiting for the dizziness to pass. He could feel Sadie's hand rubbing his back.

"I can help," she was saying.

"No. Sadie, please . No." Arthur wiped his mouth and folded the handkerchief before he put it back in his pocket. "You are carryin' our child," he said, his voice cracking. "I can't let you. I couldn't bear to lose both of you, if things go wrong."

That seemed to make her hesitate. "What if we wait for John to return?"

"No. He has a family. I ain't bringin' him into this."

"You can't fight this all on your own!"

"Yes, I can! This is my fight. Sadie, please." He led her to Roy and lifted her on to sit. He got on in front of her and led them home, Charlotte's horse following them from behind. He could feel Sadie's anger as she held tight to him. "This is for the best. Charlotte needs someone now, and I can't wait for John to show up."

"This ain't right. It's too risky. Who took her?"

Arthur supposed it couldn't hurt. "Micah."

"Are they still at Beaver Hollow?"

"That's all I'm gonna tell you. I don't want you or John followin' me. I can handle this."

Sadie snorted in frustration, but turned quiet.

They made it to Fool's Hope in record time. Arthur road up to the front door and hopped off the horse, then helped Sadie down. Once she was on the ground, she pushed him away and stomped inside, her face flushed with anger.

Arthur felt bad, but he was going to stand firm. He put Charlotte's horse in the pasture, then went to his tent to switch hats. He grabbed his father's hat, which he always wore before heading to a fight. Pink and green caught his eye as he went through his tent. He stopped and picked up the flower his mother always told him to keep. Normally, he left it behind, but he needed all the luck he could get. He put it in his satchel and went to the house.

Sadie had pulled out all his rifles and set them on the dinner table.

"You know this is a trap, right? If Micah's a rat, he just tryin' to get to you." Sadie was livid and refused to meet his gaze.

Arthur picked up his bandolier and shrugged it on. It was already prepped with bullets in the loops. Next, he grabbed his rifle and shotgun, made sure they were cleaned and prepared, then put them over his shoulder. He was silent as he gathered more bullets to put in his belt. Sadie's gaze was burning into him and when he was finally ready, he met her gaze.

"I gotta do this. We dragged Charlotte into this life. I ain't gonna let her die for us."

"I know." Sadie wiped at her eyes. "I know I can't stop you."

"Here." Arthur dug into his satchel and pulled out the flower. He grabbed Sadie's hand and put the flower in her palm. "This is my good luck charm. You keep it with you."

"No. Keep it with you." Sadie pushed his hand back. "You gonna need it more than me."

"I'll be back, Sadie." Arthur stared down at her, wanting more than ever to kiss her.

Sadie leaned up and did just that, planting her lips directly on his. They were hesitant at first, but Arthur pulled her closer and covered her in hard kisses, her lips soft and inviting and so full of love - Arthur broke away abruptly. "I love you." He gave her one last kiss and was out the door before he heard her response.