14

A/N: major spoilers so be sure you read chapter 13 before this.

"I promised to take care of Ike's girl for the rest of my life. I failed." Buck softly said.

"You didn't fail, Son. You took fine good care of her for the rest of her life. And you got the rest of that baby's life to care for him now too." Teaspoon answered. Jimmy stood up and strode toward the door, hand on one of his colts. Teaspoon, who was leaning closet to the door, held out an arm. "Where ya goin' Son?"

"I'm gonna find that sorry doctor." He replied.

Penny let out a screech. "I'm so sorry." She said covering her face with her hands. Cody put his arms around her.

"Don't worry. It ain't you." He comforted her.

"No it ain't you ma'am. That doctor ain't to blame either." Teaspoon said.

"He coulda came Teaspoon! He coulda helped her!" Jimmy cried with the pain clear in his voice. Penny's heart broke for the man, for them all. She only wished she knew more, she could have possibly helped.

"I should have sent Jimmy. Maybe it would have been different." Buck said said softly. He spoke so low, it was almost inaudible.

"Jimmy, finding that doctor won't do no good. Some people are set in their ways, some are just ignorant about the people around them and are set in their wrong ways. We don't know if he coulda done anything. But getting revenge..."he looked around the room, "it ain't gonna take the pain away."

Jimmy jerked his shoulder back throwing Teaspoon's hand off. He turned around facing the window. "He's just like us now." He said with his voice full of emotion.

"How so?" Noah asked.

"An Orphan" Jimmy said.

"No he ain't." Teaspoon said, then to everyone in the room, "Go bring in Kid and Lou, they need to hear this too." Somebody went and called the couple in. He went over to Rachel, who had gotten the baby from Buck, and held the tiny newborn in his arms. "Now all of you listen. I've lived a long time on this earth. Life has been hard in these here parts. It sure ain't easy. It's dirty and messy and downright painful at times. I've had many wives, but I've never been blessed with children. But within these past 2 years, I've been bestowed wit' 10. You six boys and my 4 girls. Now one, I ain't never got to meet. One I've already had to bury. And one we gotta bury today. With all that sadness an loss, we still are gifted with this here child. I'm now Grandpa 'Spoon with my first grand baby. You can think all the what if's, or blame but had not Cody brought that there girl, we might not have him." Teaspoon rocked the baby a little as he slept. "Buck, you can think that if you weren't Indian that some how coulda changed what happened. But think of what you did do. You done'd the best ya could. You went and brought That girl who was all alone with no one but a mule for a friend. None of us brought her. You gave her happiness and a home full of love for the short time she did have left. And she fought all she could to bring us him." He slightly lifted the infant "And you gave us the opportunity to enjoy her. " Then Teaspoon looked at Jimmy. "An' so to answer you, Jimmy, No, Baby Issac ain't no orphan. He's got me. You all got me, til the day I die. And more than that, you all got each other. You all stopped being orphans the moment you walked into each others lives." There wasn't a dry eye in the whole house. He handed the Baby to Buck. "Cody, take Miss Logan home. You done'd good ma'am and we are very grateful." He said touching Penny's hands. "Buck, I know this is difficult, I've had to do it myself, but you have the final decision. Where do you want us to take Emily's body?"

"With Ike." He said looking down at the baby.

Teaspoon nodded. "So be it. Boys, hitch up the wagon." Buck stood up and handed the baby to Lou. She sat there crying. Kid still had his arm around her.

Rachel stood up and walked over to Penny and hugged her. "Thank you." She told the young woman.

"I'm so sorry. I did all I could. Now you have to take good care of that baby. He's going to need to eat. Do you have a cow or goat would be best." Penny said, looking around at all the sad faces.

"There's a goat." Cody volunteered.

"I'll go milk 'er" Noah said.

Penny nodded. "A bottle would be good. But maybe just a spoonful might be enough. He's exhausted."

"We got him a bottle." Lou said and walked over to the baby things, she was still hiccuping from crying.

"You can try it. In the city, I've heard of a new company selling milk in a can. You might want to get some, but I don't know how costly it will be."

"Thank you, ma'am." Jimmy said. He never even noticed how scared she was of him. He just wanted her to know how much he appreciated her help. He, like all rest, knew life wasn't fair, it wasn't easy and was down right crushing at times. But they still had that newest family member that he was terrified to touch, let alone hold. Penny nodded to him.

"She was very special to have all of you love her so much." And with that she gathered her bag and walked out the door.