Author's Note

Bit of a shorter one today, but I like how it turned out! Hope you enjoy!

Danielle breathed a sigh of relief as the last of the makeup was finally washed from her face. She looked at herself in the little mirror she was using. She felt like someone else was looking at her, judging her, mocking her, looking at her as though she knew something Dani herself didn't.

She's gonna break your heart again. A voice in the back of her mind said. She'll do it a million times before you finally let go.

Dani shook her head and set about getting changed. She looked at herself in the taller mirror that stood by the door and smiled as she put her hat on. That's better, she thought.

The other voice was back though, repeating the same words over and over again. Dani kept trying to push them away as she walked outside.

Damn you, Sadie Adler, Dani thought as she saw Sadie at the spot they agreed to meet. There was a full moon tonight, and the light coming from it hit Sadie perfectly. Damn you and your damn perfect face.

"Dani, I can recognise you now," Sadie joked when Dani approached her.

The redhead hated that she smiled at that. She cleared her throat, "What's this about, Sadie? Like I said, I'm tired."

The smile dropped from Sadie's face, it made Dani's heart hurt. "I...I wanted to apologise. For the other night. I had too much to drink at the party and when I saw you with her I,-"

"You what, Sadie?" Dani snapped, "You have no god damn right to be jealous. None. You made it perfectly clear what you wanted, so even if somethin' was goin' on that night, which there wasn't, you had no right to act like you did." She blinked the tears from her face, "It ain't fair, Sadie. It ain't. You can't have this both ways. You know I don't want anyone but you, but if I did, it ain't none of your damn business."

"I know! I know. That's why I'm apologisin'. I know I shouldn't have got jealous but...I just...you know that I,-"

"Don't. Don't do that. Don't say, "you know that I love you", because, honestly, I think I'd prefer if the reason you didn't wanna be with me was because you didn't love me. Because then, every time we have a conversation like this, I wouldn't get my hopes up. You know what I want, but I feel like I don't have a clue what you want. Maybe you don't even know. The only thing I do know is that I love you. I want you. Only you. And I'm always gonna be here for you, whenever you need me because, no matter how much my head wants me to, I could never just leave you, Sadie. Ever. So just...when you think about somethin' bad happenin' to me, think about that. Think about how hard I will fight to keep myself alive for you. Think about it, then come find me." Dani didn't want to give Sadie time to say anything else, she turned and made her way back to the house. She didn't look back. She knew if she did she probably wouldn't be able to stop herself from saying "to hell with it" and running into Sadie's arms.

Instead, she made sure she went straight to bed.

The next day, Dani was busying herself by playing with Jack. The boy had run off after Cane who had wandered over to him, tail wagging, clearly in a playful mood. Abigail took this as the perfect time to sit down next to Dani and catch up with her.

"So...Mary-Beth tells me you was wearin' a dress last night?" The brunette smirked.

"Dammit Mary-Beth…" Dani grumbled. "Yes. I was. I had to for that stupid party at the Saint Denis' mayor's house. And before you ask, no I will not wear it again. Ever."

Abigail just laughed, "She also mentioned Sadie…" She noticed Dani's jaw clench, "She said Sadie thought you looked beautiful."

Dani sighed, knowing Abigail wasn't going to give up, "Yeah...she wanted to talk."

"And?"

"And I got mad."

"Why?" Abigail frowned.

"Because I-." Dani cut herself off when she noticed a horse riding into camp, "What the hell is that?"

At that, Mary-Beth screamed, "It's Kieran!" Kieran's headless body was atop the horse, his dead hands holding his head.

Dani tensed, "Abigail, get Jack and get inside, now!" She instructed as gunshots rang out.

She heard Dutch yell from the balcony, "Everybody take cover! O'Driscoll boys are comin'!"

"Bastards," Dani muttered before running to cover beside Charles. They managed to take out the first wave of O'Driscoll's, but they just seemed to keep coming, "Jesus, what is this a family reunion?" She bit out as she stayed low to reload her rifle.

Charles, despite the situation, laughed, "Must be someone's birthday."

The redhead smirked before taking another shot, her gun fully loaded. "There's too many, we gotta fall back to the house."

"Alright, you go first, I'll cover you, then you cover me once you're safe."

Dani just nodded, waiting for a moment before rushing to a pillar at the house, "Come on Charles! Arthur! We need you down here!" She called, remembering seeing Arthur up on the balcony with Dutch.

They were getting overwhelmed. Once everyone got inside, they set about barricading the doors, Dani covered Arthur as he blocked the front door.

"Good, now everyone, I got this. Get these windows covered quickly, John, you take the windows over there, Charles, you take the side door there, Arthur, Danielle you two take the windows in the back. Go!" Dutch instructed, each of them following his orders.

"Is everyone accounted for?" Arthur called to John.

"I don't know…" John muttered.

"Hey! I said is everyone accounted for?!"

"I don't know!" John yelled back, "I think!"

"Think ain't good enough, John!" Dani called.

At that, they heard a scream. Dani's heart stopped.

"That's Sadie! I gotta go help her, cover me!"

Arthur growled, but covered her nonetheless.

Dani kicked the back door open, "Sadie?!" all she heard in return was another scream. "If you sons of bitches hurt her, I'll kill every last one of you!"

She ran to the source of the screams, one of the old run down shacks on the perimeter of camp. She rounded the corner of the house to see Sadie, quite expertly, take out two O'Driscoll's with just a knife. "Sadie?" The blonde was breathing heavily, "Why the hell didn't you get inside?" Dani snapped.

"And miss all this?" Sadie replied, grimly, as she took some ammo off one of the O'Driscoll's bodies. "Come on."

Danielle had been impressed by Sadie many times, but this? Taking out the O'Driscoll's, marching through them as though they were just harmless rabbits? Dani was proud, impressed...in awe. Part of her was still mad though. How dare Sadie throw herself into danger like this after her reason for leaving Dani? Still, Dani couldn't really blame her. The O'Driscoll's took everything from her. Tortured her. Part of Dani wanted to say ruined her as well but she couldn't imagine Sadie any other way than this, the woman she fell in love with faster than she could say hello to her. So no, maybe ruined wasn't the right word...changed? Probably. Ruined? No. Never.

They made their way back to the front of the house, the others started coming outside too.

"We got 'em runnin'!" Charles called.

"We do!" Sadie smirked.

They still kept firing on the runners, taking out as many as they could before they were out of sight.

"Cowards!" Dutch called to them.

"We okay?" Hosea asked, coming out of the house.

"I think so...except for Kieran here." They looked down on Kieran's headless body, sad frowns on their faces. Kieran hadn't been with them too long, but most of them sure liked him more than Micah...though that wasn't hard. "Poor kid. Mr. Swanson, would you take this boy and bury him...someplace near, but not too near."

"Of course," Swanson said, "Charles, help me with the body."

"We need to get this place cleaned up." Hosea said, "Mr. Pearson, Miss. Grimshaw!"

"Already taking care of it! Come on now, work!" They heard Miss. Grimshaw yell.

"Colm O'Driscoll." Dutch kicked the dirt.

"That man can really hate." Arthur bit out.

"So can I, Arthur…" Dutch nodded, "So can I. We need to get movin'. Away from here."

"So we should start lookin' for another camp."

"You ain't thinkin' big enough, Arthur, you ain't seein' the vastness of our problems, and our opportunities."

"I'm not sure I get you," Arthur shook his head. Dani looked to John, they both frowned, they weren't sure either.

"You will, son. You will." Dutch started walking away, "Meet me near the trolley station. We got work!"

"Shall we?" Arthur gestured to the bodies scattered around them. He and John looked at Dani, who, at first glance, was staring off into space. When they followed her gaze, they noticed she was looking at Sadie, who was washing the blood off her face and hands. "Danielle." Arthur pushed.

Dani snapped back to reality, "What? Sorry...yeah let's...let's clean this mess up."

Once the mess was cleared, Arthur and Lenny had gone to help Dutch scope out the trolley station in Saint Denis. They had already gotten a bit of money from some riverboat, Dani didn't ask, she had been too caught up in her own feelings to pay attention to anything else, they had just hoped the station would be more than enough to get them somewhere safe. Dani was sipping a beer in her room, sitting on her bed, she wanted some time alone after all the chaos. She hadn't really gotten close to Kieran in the short time she'd known him, but she knew he was a nice guy, just got caught in a bad situation. Kind of like she and John. Well, like pretty much everyone in the gang really. Poor bastard… she thought.

She had just taken another sip of her beer when someone knocked on her door. "Danielle? Can I come in?"

Sadie, Dani sighed, "Sure."

Sadie, somewhat cautiously, entered the room. "I...Abigail said you wanted to be alone but I-,"

"It's fine."

"Can you stop that?"

"Stop what, Sadie?" Dani sighed, rolling her eyes.

"That. Bein' all...short with me." Sadie pointed at Dani, as though to prove her point.

"I just watched a man ride into camp holdin' his own god damn head in his hands, Sadie, how do you want me to be?"

Okay, so maybe she'd had a few beers and was feeling a little more brazen than usual.

Sadie took her hat off and ran her fingers through her hair, sighing, "Don't put it all on that, Dani. You know it ain't just that."

Dani just looked down at her own feet this time. She felt the bed shift next to her, Sadie had sat down beside her.

"I...I'm sorry." The redhead whispered, "I'm just worried. Stressed."

"Because of what happened?"

Dani nodded, "If the O'Driscoll's managed to find us, it's only a matter of time before the Pinkertons do too. We can take care of another gang, obviously, but I ain't so sure on our chances against whatever army Agent Milton brings with him. I just wanna get Jack, and Abigail, and you, and everyone someplace safe. Fast. But we can't do that without any money. And because I don't trust that bastard Bronte, I don't think that trolley station has as much money as he's lettin' on. Which leaves one thing…"

"What?" Sadie frowned, no one had mentioned any other jobs.

"Hosea said somethin' about a bank in the city. A big one. Lotta money, guaranteed. I ain't ever robbed a bank like that before, only smaller ones in little towns like Valentine...A big city bank, gonna have a lotta resistance."

A few moments passed before Sadie realised, "You're scared."

Dani quickly turned to look at the other woman, her eyes wide, "What? No! 'Course I ain't scared!"

"Dani…" Sadie put her hand on Dani's thigh, "It's okay...You're allowed to be scared. You're human."

"I can't afford to be scared, Sadie," Dani stood up, walking to the window and looking out at Jack and Abigail playing, John watching over them, "When you get scared, you hesitate. You hesitate, people get hurt. Or worse. I cannot let that happen." She blinked away the tears from her eyes. "Well, unless it was Micah," she tried to joke to stop herself from crying.

Behind her, Sadie smiled sadly, walking over to the younger woman, but not touching her.

"So I can't be scared. I can't. I," she took a deep breath, "I have to be strong. Brave. For them...for you."

"No," the blonde shook her head, finally putting a hand on Dani's shoulder, "I'm the one person you can be scared with. I get it, wantin' to be brave in front of your family...but you don't have to be like that with me. I won't tell anyone," she breathed out a laugh and saw the corner of Dani's mouth twitch into a smile.

"You're my family too." Dani said, her voice small.

Sadie smiled, "I know. You're mine too."

"Just in a different way."

"Yeah."

Dani finally turned around to face Sadie, the tears falling freely now, but she was smiling.

"I love you, Danielle. Really." Sadie said, wiping the tears from Dani's face.

The younger woman laughed, "I know." And Sadie laughed with her, and pulled her into a hug.

"Dani?"

"Yeah?"

"I...I don't think I'm scared anymore." She said, and Dani drew back from the hug.

"What do you mean?" She asked, frowning.

"I mean," Sadie ran her hands through her own hair again, "bein' out there today, killin' those O'Driscoll boys. You bein' there. I get why you weren't afraid to be with me even though you get shot at damn near every day." They laughed. "I get it now because, when I was killin' them boys, as much as it made me feel good to get back at them for what they did, I kept thinkin' about you, too. 'Bout when they beat you and I thought I'd lost you forever. 'Bout how, if I couldn't stop them, maybe they would kill you this time and I...when you showed up to help me I guess I just realised that we'll always be there, lookin' out for one another."

"Always." Dani nodded eagerly.

Sadie smiled, "So I suppose I realised that, whatever happens, all that matters is we tried. Like you said, you'll fight hard to stay alive for me. So that's what I'm gonna do. Fight to keep us both alive. Alive and…"

"Together?" Dani suggested, her eyes hopeful.

"Together." Sadie nodded, smiling.

Dani was about to pull Sadie in for a kiss, but stopped herself, "This is it, y'know. If...if you wanna end things again...I won't come back next time. This is it."

"I know." Sadie took the redhead's hand and pulled her close, "I plan on makin' a good go of things this time. I promise."

"You damn well better," Dani smirked before finally giving in and kissing Sadie. "I missed you so much," she breathed against Sadie's lips.

Sadie just nodded as they kissed again.

When Abigail approached the house a few hours later, Dutch called to her as he rode into camp, "Abigail! You know where Danielle is?"

"She said she wanted to be alone, I think she's in her room. You need her?"

"Yes. I need to speak with her and Hosea, would you get her for me while I find Hosea?"

"Sure thing, Dutch." Abigail crouched to kiss her son's head, "I'll be right back, Jack, don't go to far."

"I won't Mama." He promised.

The brunette smiled as she walked to the house. As she walked through the house she spotted Mary-Beth and Tilly giggling, she just shook her head and made her way to Dani's room.

She knocked twice quickly before entering, "Dani? Dutch is-oh!"

"Abigail!" Dani quickly tried to cover her and Sadie's naked bodies with the blanket on her bed, "The hell are you doin'?!" She yelled as Sadie rolled onto her stomach, burying her face into the pillow, trying not to laugh.

Abigail, who had turned to face the wall, laughed openly, "Hey, don't shoot the messenger, Dutch asked me to fetch you!"

"Well knock next time!" Dani hissed, her face red with embarrassment.

"Well I didn't know you two were-,!"

"Abigail, please!" Dani picked up her boot off the floor and threw it at Abigail who quickly shut the door. They could still hear her laughing as she walked away. Dani looked back at Sadie, her head still buried in the pillow, her shoulders shaking. "Sadie?" She looked like she was crying. "Sadie?" Dani tried again, turning Sadie over gently to see she was indeed crying. With laughter. "It ain't funny!" The younger woman whined.

"Oh come on," Sadie sat up a little, wiping the tears from her eyes, "it ain't like it was Dutch or Hosea, it was Abigail!"

"It's still embarrassin'!"

"It's a little funny." Sadie tried, smiling up at her lover.

Dani could never resist that smile, she finally laughed a little, rolling her eyes, "Alright...a little." She leaned down and kissed the blonde, who laughed again and pushed Dani back.

"Dutch wants to see you," She reminded.

Dani groaned, "But I wanna stay with you."

"Stop poutin', I'll still be here when you're done."

"Here?" Dani smirked.

Sadie rolled her eyes, "Here as in around camp."

The redhead made a face, "Fine," she sighed and got up to get dressed. "I cannot wait for the day we don't have to get out of bed until we want to."

Sadie laughed again, "You are too much!"

"Maybe...you love me though." Dani smiled.

Sadie melted, "Yeah."

Dani kissed Sadie one last time before finally going to find Dutch, grumbling the whole time.