A/N: Whew! Well hey there anyone who's still around and into this story! It's been a good 9 years since I last updated this and hasn't the time just flown by? Unfortunately, I've changed my laptop a couple of times since then and I don't have the original plans for this but I'm pretty sure I remember the ending and what I wanted to happen! I've had to read the whole story for myself though to catch up (cringe) and I think I'm ready to finish! Thanks for your continued support, and all of the reviews/follows/favourites I've received during this tiny, tiny hiatus and I'm looking forward to finally finishing it. Well here goes! Laura x

As always, all I own is the plot and the OCs!

Flashbacks are in italics

The smell hit us first. I'd come across this only twice before – my first family, when I was young and innocent and then with my second family, those slaughtered by the Indians when we were too busy celebrating and burying the stolen money. It almost smelled of rust, like metal that had been left out in the damp for too long. The metallic stench was almost palpable, like we'd hit a wall when we walked in. I would never get used to it – I hoped I'd never experience it again. The smell, the shock, the horrors spread out in front of me. I felt my eyes begin to water as it infiltrated my nose, but also as the sights as they registered and became too much.

There were so many men and women strewn about the barn. Too many. Some were on the floor, their faces buried in the hay. They were probably the easiest ones to see – the ones lying face up allowed me to see their glazed eyes and still faces. Some were twisted in pain, or horror, but all unblinking. I recognised a few of the faces as I quickly looked around – men who had fought shoulder to shoulder when the ranch was attacked, women who I had grown to know and wished good morning when I saw them at the start of the day, before my chores. People I had grown to like, enjoy the company of, danced and drunk with. All lifeless. All gone.

I finish my scan of the barn. I'm grateful knowing that Kurt and Mercedes are safe in Sheridan with the Marshall and his deputy. Tina's left with Susan and I hope they're safe out there too. I'm frantically looking for any signs of Mr Pierce when I suddenly hear the loud gasp come from the woman on my left.

Brittany.

I was too wrapped up in my own nightmare. But it was her nightmare that was worse on my own.

Brittany was innocent. Brittany was pure, and full of love and light. She had never seen anything like this before. She didn't deserve to see anything like this. I quickly grabbed her right shoulder and spun her away from the horrors before her. The tears flowed from her eyes as she took in the sights of the barn. I tucked her head next to mine and started whispering frantically. "Britt," I gasp, closing my eyes. "Britt, you need to close your eyes, okay? Close your eyes for me baby." I lean back for a second, opening my eyes to see hers scrunched shut, like she was trying to force what she had just seen out of them. "Good, good," I look around and swallow before shutting my eyes again. "Okay, we need to get out of here. We're gonna start walkin' now, okay? And we're not gonna look back. Not ever. We're gonna get our rides, we're gonna go someplace safe and we're gonna be okay." I try to take a deep breath but the metallic air catches in my throat and I cough lightly. "You ready to walk, Britt?"

I feel her head nod against me as she sighs deeply. The tears are still rolling down her cheeks, soaking the collar of my shirt. "Keep your eyes closed," I whisper as I take her hand and lead her away from the barn. "Don't open them until I say." We get to the hitching post where we dismounted earlier. "Here, boy," I scratch Sirocco between the ears and look back at Brittany. "Baby," I place her between me and the barn so she's facing away from the monstrosities we left behind. "Open your eyes, look at me."

She opens them slowly, the whites of her eyes now red and bloodshot from the crying. "We need to go." I look around, the barn still eerily quiet and empty. "Where's Mac?"

Brittany whips her head round, her eyes full of panic. "I left him here. I left him here right?" She whistles loudly and calls out for her horse. "San, where is he? Where's Mac?" She shivers, clutching her arms and pulling them closer to herself. "San, where's my father? Where's everyone?"

I look around in shock. We left the horses together, right here. "Maybe the rope was loose. He could have slipped out?" I try to reason through it. Where could he be? Her father was hopefully not in that barn, but I didn't have the answers for her. "He's safe, I'm sure."

She shrugs, looking defeated but panicked. "I don't know. He hasn't done that for a while. Maybe-"

She's cut off by a loud bang. A rifle, somewhere nearby. My eyes widen and I throw myself on top of Sirocco. "Brittany," I extend my hand to her. "We need to leave."

"But Mac-"

"We'll come back for him. Or he'll find us. Just please." Another shot rings in the distance, seeming closer than before. "We need to go. Right now."

She looks around one more time, her gaze lingering on the barn and I see her swallow hard. "Okay," she finally whispers. She grabs my outstretched hand and I pull her up behind me.

Her arms immediately circle my waist and I dig my heels into Sirocco. "Come, boy," I mutter to him and he sets off quickly. Away from the gun shots. Away from the ranch.

Away from home.