I want death so fucking much. This chapter was fucking long and painful but this is important to the plot so bear with me if this chapter is boring as hell.

The morning after was rougher than expected.

Annabel fell asleep over her maps and papers, her back bent in an uncomfortable position and her neck sore from leaning on her arms weirdly. She stretched her legs out before sitting up and looking around with bleary eyes.

Sadie and Charles were still asleep, and there was no sign of John or Abigail so she assumed that they were asleep as well. She heard some small noises from the kitchen and she assumed that it might be Arthur, but when a young boy came out from the corner she let go of a sigh she didn't realize that she was holding.

"Good morning." She said, voice quiet and raspy. She cleared her throat before smiling at him. "You must be Jack. I'm Annabel. I'm sorry I didn't introduce myself yesterday." He shrugged, not extremely interested in the conversation, but he sat at the table nonetheless.

"It's alright. I assumed that it was all adult stuff anyways." Annabel hummed and watched him eat his oatmeal, looking at the maps, papers and an astronomy book scattered around the table.

"Sorry, I can move them." She got up slowly, trying to gather all of them up but he waved at her sympathetically.

"It's not a problem." His eyes were fixated on the Astronomy book that had dried flowers sticking out from all ends. "You like astronomy?" Annabel perked up a little at the slight attention that Jack was giving despite her best effort not to seem so excited.

"My mother studied it, said that if she didn't go to war she would have become an Astronomy teacher." She laughed lightly at the memory of her mother always talking about the stars and planets. "You can borrow it, if you'd like. I'm sure I'll be here for a few days."

"Is that okay?"

"I wouldn't be offering if it wasn't." she picked up the book and handed it to him, and he was almost hesitant to take it. "Just don't fold the pages. It was my mothers." He smiled, taking the book from her hand and studied the cover for a long moment before opening it to the first page. "She took a lot of notes in her books, so you might see a lot of chicken scratch in it."

"That's fine." He was so fixated on the words of just the introduction, and the little notes in her mother's scribble like writing. Annabel smiled, and started to fold up her maps and her letters from her uncle before getting up and going outside.

She walked out barefooted, and the sun was just starting to rise. The sky was gorgeous, reds and oranges that faded into the blue sky where the clouds started to thin out. She closed her eyes, taking a deep breath and letting out a heavy sigh before walking over to her saddle bags to put her papers and maps away.

Something moved in her peripheral, and her head whipped over to what moved, ready for her fight or flight response to kick in.

It was Arthur.

He was sleeping against a tree, his hat tilted down and one leg propped up. His arms were crossed against his chest, his journal tucked between his arms and chest and his pencil tucked behind his ear. His mare – Morrighan – was close by and grazing on the tall, dead grass.

Annabel watched him for a moment, biting her lip before looking away. She hoped that things wouldn't be different between them, hoping that maybe he would just forgive and forget.

But hope was all she could do.

She finished tucking her maps away, and pulled out a ribbon for her hair, pulling her long locks back into a ponytail and wrapping it in a bun. She grabbed her boots that laid, muddy and gross next to the front door and slipped them on and tying them tight before walking down the stairs and over to the barn where she put Flynn for the night.

The sun continued to rise as she let out Flynn out to pasture with Morrighan. He nickered and trotted over to where she was; tail up high in excitement even as she pinned her ears and nipped at him.

She leaned against the barn doorway and hummed, watching Flynn settle a bit to start grazing on the tall grasses as well.

She still was beating herself up, for the way she left him last night to her wave of emotions she can't seem to control anymore. She was so calm and collected and ready for anything and now with her father gone, she can't even keep up with simple tasks like sleeping.

Three years… she would have thought that falling for a man like that for three years would be easier but it wasn't. They aged together for three years, they nagged each other for three years, they grew together for three years but all of that washed down that waterfall and burned away with her father.

All that progress, and for what?

Shitty emotions, terrible headaches, and a man who she would do anything for.

She hit the back of her head against the wooden doorway, only to curse from the pain. "What did I expect…" she mumbled, watching as Arthur stretched from his position against the tree and adjusted his hat. He rubbed his face with one hand as he supported himself standing up with the other. His yawn was large and wide, nose scrunched up like he was snarling and baring a bit of teeth.

He slightly wobbled before straightening out and walking over to the fire that was at the side of the house. She knew that even when he woke up earlier then her, he was never much of a morning person. Arthur required too much coffee in the morning to function, and she told him that, insisting that he had tea instead but the man would merely nod at her and tell her, hell no.

She felt an urge to talk to him, to resolve what happened last night. To talk to him about what was going through her head but even she couldn't figure out what was going through her head. She remembered the times she went to him when her father was asleep in his chair by the fire and simply talk with him about her worries and fears and nightmares. She remembered the times that he would soothe them, and tell her they were okay to have but never to let them control her.

She knew that she was letting her worries and fears and nightmares control her in that moment.

Annabel really wanted to talk to Arthur, but as soon as her courage to walk down the few steps and lightly tip toe towards the fire where he started to boil some water for his normal cup of coffee, the door behind her opened.

Sadie stretched her arms over her head and yawned before trying to smooth down her stray hairs and rub the sleep from her eyes. Annabel noticed how beautiful Sadie was, her strawberry blonde hair shining in the soft sunlight and her freckles that glittered her cheeks. For a moment, Annabel was surprised that this woman was a ruthless bounty hunter who didn't give mercy to anyone she was hunting.

"Mornin', Anna." Her voiced was still laced with slumber, but she looked ready for the day. "Did you sleep alright?" Anna shrugged, and noticed that Sadie was still dressed in her dress from yesterday, little wrinkles here and there from where she laid imprinted in the skirt and blouse.

Annabel stole a glance at Arthur as he poured himself a cup and looked off into the distance and enjoyed the morning sun warm his body. "I slept at the table, so I'm pretty sore…"

"Why'd you sleep at the damn table?" she heard Sadie's voice crack during her question, and she couldn't help but find it cute though her voice was more on the demanding side.

"Ah… it's a long story."

"Well, then let's talk." Annabel chuckled before smiling over at her.

"You're trying to play matchmaker, I know you are." Sadie shrugged, not really trying to deny anything she was doing. "Fine, I'll tell you but not right here where people might walk in on it." Sadie chuckled as Annabel bounced down the stairs and slowly walked towards the barn.

The fire that burned at the side of the barn was still blazing from the wood that Arthur must of put in the night before, and she added another log just in case and stoked it for a moment. The crackling and popping was all too familiar to those cold nights back at him where she sang with Arthur and her father, and the talks about her time at college even though she knew that Arthur had no clue what she was going on about.

She stared at the fire for a moment too long, and Sadie placed a hand on her shoulder. With Sadie closer to her, she noticed just how short she was. Sadie was a good five foot six and poor Annabel stood at a whopping five foot two.

It wasn't that hard to be taller than Annabel, she was sure Abigail was taller than her even by a few inches.

"I'm fine… just thinking."

"You think a lot?"

"I do. Maybe too much." Sadie's chocolate eyes bore into her causing Annabel to shift under her gaze. "Arthur kissed me last night."

"Did he now…" Annabel rolled her eyes at her playful tone.

"Don't. It's not cute or funny." Annabel pointed, giving a little huff. "Not to me at least."

"So…" Sadie leaned against the wooded poll that held up the cover, "What happened that lead to him kissing you?" Annabel groaned, and sat down in the dirt by the fireplace.

"I rode off just to get some air and peace of mind and he came along, much to my dismay." Annabel grumbled, remembering the events of last night. She replayed them over and over, wondering about the different paths that she could have taken and imagining the outcomes of each one. "I lost my father, I've been extremely irritable and shut down, I just needed some time to myself and I said he could come along because he is someone who helped me just as much as I helped him."

"And…?" Sadie pushed, brow raised in question as Annabel gave her a soft glare.

"I don't really know where I went but I rode far from here to a cliff and I screamed until I felt better." Annabel looked down at her feet, face hot with embarrassment and shame. "We… we relaxed under the night sky, talking a little bit. He complimented me…" he moved her hair out of her face, his rough hands soft and cool – she shook her head and huffed again. "Then he kissed me, and while I liked it I have a lot of things that I need to do."

"You're grieving, I understand."

"I feel like an idiot, because I liked it? But I know myself and I know the human body enough to know what happens to a person who grieves." Sadie sighs.

"You can't pull medical terminology and other educated mumbo jumbo into this." She listened to Sadie shuffle her feet, before Annabel felt a warm body next to her. "No amount of education can prepare you for the grieving process or love. You may know what goes on inside, but it's not definite." Annabel laughed, her voice soft and breathy.

"You sure have a way with words for a bounty hunter." Sadie pushed her shoulder, just a little too hard.

"Don't test me, Anna." They laughed, and Annabel realized why Arthur had such great bonds with these people.

"Thank you, Sadie."

"You take your time, and Arthur will follow. He as for this long, there's no way he'll leave right as it gets good."

"Let's hope not."

They sat in silence, enjoying the crackling of the fire, and the soft gallops of the horses that were let out in the small pasture to the left of them. Annabel started to realize how good these people were, and she truly wondered what it was like to run with them before the fall of their family.

She wondered what Arthur was like before she met him, and she was tempted to ask, she was ready to ask Sadie but a loud scream that came from the homestead caused them to both bolt up from their spots and run.

Annabel thought the worst, a scream that loud and that pained wasn't normal. Sadie already had a gun in her hand, cocked and ready and Arthur was already at the door, kicking it in and aiming it at whatever or whoever was the threat.

"Put that gun down, she's in labor!" Annabel pushed her way past Sadie and Arthur, who looked at her in confusion.

"How do ya know?"

"John is in the room. Do you really think she would be screaming if someone came in to threaten them if John was there." She snatched her bags that sat by the door, ready for whatever was to come their way and dragged them to the room. "Sadie boil some water and grab some towels and rags. Arthur I'm gonna need you and Charles to take John out of the room if need be. Abigail is already frantic enough, him being there might make it worse."

"Is this normal?"

"From my experiences," she took a moment to look at him, standing tall despite her heavy bags. She saw his blue eyes, soft but still filled with worry and confusion. She only hoped her confidence was enough to ease most of their worries. "This isn't normal." Arthur's nod was stiff, and she knew he had so many questions for her but she turned from him and continued to the master bedroom.

"I'm coming in!" Annabel was assertive as she pushed the door open with her back, taking a deep breath before it all come in front of her.

Abigail was on her side, breathing in quick, short breathes with John next to her, holding her and talking calmly to her. Blood soaked through her night dress and onto the sheets and quilt underneath and Annabel immediately knew this was urgent.

"Holy shit…" Annabel turned to Arthur, who only stared at the blood soaked sheets.

"John, are you good to stay?" Annabel was already getting her gloves on, and pulling out some of her other tools for cutting the umbilical cord. She didn't get an immediate answer from him, which caused her to snap at him, "John!"

"I'm good to stay." He was calm, staring at his wife who was in immense pain on the bed.

"Okay." She looked at Arthur and Charles who had just walked over to inspect the screaming. "Get out of here and go see if Sadie needs help." She demanded, walking to the door with her hands up and in front of her. When Arthur didn't move, she simple started to shut the door and pushing him out in the process. "Go."

"What's happening?" John ask, his voice slightly cracking but Annabel was the only one that seemed to notice that.

"I'm assuming a hemorrhage within her uterine walls. It might be the placenta, but I'm not entirely sure." She took another deep breathe as Abigail screamed and groaned in pain, "I've never had this happen before, but I'll figure it out." She walked over to Abigail and placed a soft hand on her hip. "Alright, Abigail… I'm gonna check for anything abnormal so I'm gonna touch you. Are you okay with that?"

Abigail's weak nod was enough for Annabel to get to work, feeling around her belly and making sure the baby wasn't breeched in the womb. When she didn't feel like the baby was bottom first, she moved down to her hips then her back. Heat radiated from the areas even through the thin night dress and medical gloves.

"So far, so good…" Annabel mumbled, pressing softly around the spine and focusing. "Was it like this with your first child?"

"No…" Abigail groaned, "He was easy…"

"Well, I hate to be bearer of bad news, but this one won't be." She pulled away and looked at Abigail, "Is it possible for you to lay on your back?" Abigail tried her best to move onto her back, but from what Annabel could see and hear, Abigail wasn't able to do so.

Sadie ran in, holding a pot of hot water with thick oven mitts and towels thrown over her arms. "Where do you want it?"

"Dresser." She pointed, then put her focus back on Abigail. "Alright, sweetheart. I'm gonna have you on your hands and knees. It's most likely gonna be the most comfortable. It should release the pressure off your back and hips a bit."

"Should?" Abigail seethed, but still tried her best to move to the position she recommended.

Annabel looked over at Sadie, "Do you want to stay and help?"

"Only if it's okay." Abigail screamed again.

"I don't think it matters at this point." Annabel was at the edge of the bed, helping Abigail onto her hands and knees while supporting her belly. "You ready, Abigail?"

"No."

"Well, the baby is so when you feel ready, you push." Abigail nodded, groaning and panting from the pain.

It was going to be a long night.

The labor was long, going on for hours but Arthur noticed that John never left that room unless the women demanding something from the kitchen or wash room. Arthur felt proud blooming in his chest, watching at how much John had changed in the last few years. Going from doing his own thing to taking care of his family.

Arthur felt as if John was trying to make up for being gone for a year.

By the time silence came, it was night. The moon was high up in the dark blue sky and the coyote's yips and howls echoed through the valley.

Then, as soon as the silence came, it left and was replaced with the wails of an infant. The tension was no longer there and a collective sigh spread across the room. There was a small, lively chatter between Charles and Uncle which ended with Uncle being scolded about something, Arthur wasn't paying attention.

Sadie walked out first, sweaty and exhausted but she had a happy and fulfilled look on her face. "I need a damn drink." She huffed, as Annabel came out of the room next.

Sweat dripped from her brow and blood covered the front of her dress, but her expression was calm and happy with a soft little smirk covering the exhaustion that was there.

"It's a girl." Annabel giggled softly as everyone cheered and laughed off their worries. "The bleeding was from the placenta, so we'll need to stay for a few more days just to make sure no infections come on." Arthur nodded, not caring that he had to stay longer.

"Can we go see them?" Uncle's curious voice caught her attention and she shook her head.

"I think it's best that we leave them be with their baby until morning. They are both exhausted and excited and it's important for them to bond with the baby for the first few hours after birth." Uncle groaned but didn't pester any more after that as Annabel went to wash herself off and change her dress.

She heard a party go on outside the washroom as she changed and cleaned herself off without having to make a bath though she knew she would have to have one soon enough.

She stared are herself in the mirror, trying her best to fix the fly away strands of hair and huffing when she couldn't.

"Always had to be the feminine one." She voiced what her mother would always tell her. Her mother, who was built tall and strong and kept her hair short, would always playfully tease her daughter, who was small and dainty and would refuse and cry when her mother came at her with scissors to try and trim her long, thick mane. "I guess I'm turning into you more than you know, momma… Rescuing a dirty outlaw and having him for company." She huffed, "I am truly a foolish woman, huh, momma…"

Time passed, and Annabel found herself relaxing at the dining table, watching as Arthur kept losing at dominos to Sadie. Laughter burst into the air as the gramophone played as soft melody in the background. Some songs were sung, but Arthur was so focused on winning the pot against Sadie. Annabel sighed, watching from a distance and dazing off.

A hand grazed her shoulder, and she looked up to see Charles look down at her, two bottles of whiskey in his hand. "You alright?" She wasn't really expecting him to come up and talk to you, to be honest, he was a quiet one and she didn't know how to interact with him if it seemed he didn't want to talk.

She nodded and sighed. "Yeah, deliveries have always taken a lot out of me." He took a seat next to her, handing her the bottle of liquor but she refused.

"Emotionally?" he placed the bottle next to him, sipping at his already opened bottle.

"No…" she leaned back in the old wooden chair, listening to it croak under her weight. "Physically. The woman giving birth goes through a lot of work but I have to make sure things go well and because of that, my mind goes into over drive and over thinks just because something bad happens. If something bad happened I would have to do and think later so I think when I know I have a moment to do so." She wonders about the alcohol she was offered, and thinks about taking the bottle just to get her nerves to relax. "Besides, I never really enjoyed assisting in births. I'd rather help with mass sickness and war wounds."

"Why's that?" he took another sip, and listened to her carefully while watching Sadie and Arthur play another round of dominos.

"Creating life and bringing it into the world is important, but saving a life is just as important and satisfying if not more so to me." Charles laughed, his voice deep and causing something in her to relax her shoulders and body.

"I guess you have a good point there." She smiled, chuckling quietly as they watched Arthur grow frustrated.

"Did Arthur ever tell you how we met?" Charles perked up, curiosity taking over his not so sober senses.

"No." Charles thought for a moment. "He only mentioned you when he came back from a mission up in Ambarino, when we were still with the gang."

"Well, he and I met briefly when I was helping the Wapiti Indians, before Cornwall's men came in to drill on their lands. And Arthur –," she pointed at him, who looked ready to flip that wooden table, "–stole medicine for them. If he didn't, they would have died."

"You seem to not give yourself much credit."

"I usually don't. I didn't learn my skills just to boast about my education or charge people tons of money for a simple procedure. I didn't go to college to earn respect from others, either. I went to find myself as well as help people in a ruthless world."

They sat quietly, enjoying the quiet presence of each other despite Arthurs annoyed groans as he lost more money to Sadie.

"Dammit, Woman!"

"Pay up, Arthur!" he did, begrudgingly.

"He's a good man." Annabel sighed and Charles nodded, chuckling at the interaction.

"That he is."

The noise begins to die down and everyone let their slumber take over, but Annabel was too antsy for sleep. She still sat at the table, with an unopened bottle of whiskey in front of her. Charles left it for her, saying it was for emergencies.

She relished in the silence, taking deep breaths to soothe her anxiety that raged in her head. Annabel was so caught up in her thoughts and worries that she didn't hear Arthur come up from behind her.

"You alright?" that hand on her shoulder caused her to jump out of her skin, which caused Arthur to pull his hand away fast.

"Yeah." She coughed, rubbing her eyes in hopes that it would removes her worried look. "I'm thinking about stepping outside for some air before I go sleep."

"Ya gonna ride off again." She could see him smile, but his tone showed a different emotion and the tension of his jaw was something he only did when he was worried or on edge.

"I'll try not to." She took a moment before standing up, her back popping a little as she stretched her arms up above her head. "Come sit with me." She offered, and as soon as she said it she regretted it.

His nod was enough for her, as she walked out through the front door with Arthur trailing behind her, and she wished she could ride away again. She wished she could be alone and away from everyone and everything once more while her emotions were running rampant.

Annabel stood on the edge of the stairs, wind cold and sharp against her cheeks as Arthur slumped down on the set of stairs before taking a cigarette between his lips.

"Want one?" he struck a match on the heel of his boot, covering the small flame with his hand as he lit it.

"You know how I feel about them." She quipped, scrunching her nose at the smell of cigarette smoke. He chuckled as he shook out the flame and threw it into the dirt.

"You looked stressed, and it usually helps me with my stress." Arthur was startling calm, despite her disgruntled behavior.

"I'm fine." She was quiet and quick to respond, sitting down next to him and trying to steal some of his heat as the wind blew through her.

Silence fell over them like a thick blanket and the nature around them kept their thoughts a bay. Coyote yips and some calls from some birds overhead mixed well with the rustling of leaves and tall grass.

Annabel wanted to say something, about anything just to get his attention but her tongue wouldn't work and her throat was dry. The man beside her was calm, softly puffing his cigarette as he watched out in the distance at nothing in particular. She didn't really try to stop herself from staring at him, trying to ready his face for any kind of emotion or reaction.

His brows were relaxed and his stress lines weren't so prominent from his scowls. His smile lines were deep and his crow's feet folded as he squinted towards something in the distance. He was so… Passive and serene. His cheeks were still a tinge pink from the alcohol he consumed and the heat of the homestead.

"Why you starin'?" she didn't grow embarrassed by his question, and continued to look his way. He glanced at her, blue eyes were gentle and tired but still so focused.

"I'm trying to see what you're thinking."

"Oh, you read minds now?" he chuckled and she smiled, biting her bottom lip.

"I'm still trying to learn the skill, but I'll master it at some point."

Silence took over again, but Annabel wanted to talk, to tell him what was on her mind.

To apologize.

But she couldn't find her voice over the whistling of the wind and the rustling of the tree leaves. Maybe it was a good thing she didn't say anything, and maybe she should just enjoy their position on the stairs for a moment longer.

"I'm sorry." She looked up at him, almost unsure it was him who said those two words.

"For what?"

"For last night…" he took one last drag from his cigarette before snuffing it out in the dirt. He didn't say anything else, and she was okay with that. He was a gruff, hard man who was vulnerable for a moment and she had hurt him.

"I'm sorry, too…" she muttered out, looking past the trees and tall grass.

They sat like that for a while, comforted by the silence of the night and the warmth of each other.

Annabel retired first, yawning wide and placing a hand on his should for support.

"Goodnight, Arthur."

She walked off before he can say anything and when he turned to call out to her, she was already inside and once again leaving him with thoughts.

Days passed without a care as Abigail started to settle and heal from her intense labor while John worked hard around the ranch with help from Arthur and Charles. They started to build a room that was off from the dining room for the new addition, much to Abigail's excitement.

Things were going well, things were quiet and soon enough she and Arthur could go home.

Annabel enjoyed going out after days of being cooped up in the house, watching and hovering over the mother. Even Abigail was getting tired of the hovering.

She and Sadie took several trips down to Blackwater, buying a few things for the baby's room and Abigail. Annabel found some books stashed in the corner of the general store and snatched them for Jack before Sadie came in bellowing at her to hurry up.

"What are those for?" Sadie raised a brow as Annabel climbed into the wagon.

"Jack. He's reading my astronomy book. Thought I'd get him his own copy." Sadie snorted.

"Much to John's dismay."

"Like it matters at this point."

The trip back to the homestead was easy, Sadie talking about her husband and her little homestead and her plans for her future. Annabel listen intently, tilting her head and smiling, interrupting Sadie to ask some questions or make comments.

The day started to end and the sun was hiding behind the hills as Sadie and Annabel rode up towards the men who were finishing up the building of the room.

"Where do you want the wagon?" Sadie yelled out, pulling on the reins to halt the shires. Annabel took a moment to settle herself as John and Arthur walked up to the wagon to take over.

Arthur held a hand out for Annabel, who gladly took it. "Thanks." She was feeling better, her emotions not so overrun and rampant in her mind.

"More books, huh?" he pointed to the large novels in her arms, a smile gracing his lips.

"No, they're for Jack. I thought he would like them." She started to walk off once Arthur was called away by Charles, but she noticed his hesitation to walk away and the slight jerkiness in his stride as he bellows at uncle who was 'trying' to help.

Annabel walked into the house, watching Abigail move in the rocking the baby girl in the wooden rocking chair and Jack was laying on the couch, reading aloud to his mother from the astronomy book.

"How is she?" she ask Abigail quietly, trying to not wake or disturb the infant.

"She's great. Just finished feeding her." Abigail hummed, moving little hairs on the baby's head. "My little Florence…"

Annabel gave a breathy chuckle before turning her attention towards Jack. He was so absorbed in the book, nearing the last few chapters of the book. He was still ready out loud, his voice soft and slow as he stuttered over a few words before he attempted to pronounce them correctly.

Annabel took a seat next to him, the cushion sinking under her weight and pulling Jack out of his slight trance caused from the book.

"Hey, so I got you something." She placed the books next to him. "You seemed interested in anything, so I grabbed you some things from my trip into Blackwater. They surprisingly had some other astronomy books that I know are different from what I let you borrow." His face lit up with excitement as he bookmarked his current page to set down and look at the two books next to him.

"Are you sure?" he looked up at her, then to Abigail who had a sweet smile on her face.

"I'm very sure. Thought you might want some new reading material."

"What do you say, Jack?" Abigail encouraged, and Jack looked up with joy all over his face.

"Thank you, ma'am."

"Good ahead and finish the first book before starting the next one; otherwise, you won't finish it."

With that she was up from the couch, packing up her medical supplies and her journal and getting them ready for tomorrow morning. She and Arthur were finally going home, and she was excited to be able to sleep in her bed again and start planning her trip once more.

Annabel was sure that Arthur didn't want her to go, but she knew he wouldn't stop her. What she was uncertain of is if he would join her. Would this man join her on her journey all the way west towards California just to spread her parents' ashes in a place they dreamt and longed for in their early days? Or would he stay and watch over the house that her parents built from the skin off their backs?

She was unsure, but she hoped that he would come with her.

Annabel was lost in thought as she carried her bags out towards Flynn, who was all tacked up and ready for the morning. The sun was just setting over the hills, blinding her as she walked out and over to lift her bags.

It was too bright for her to notice the three men to the right over her, standing so close with their revolvers in hand and disgusting smiles on their lips.

"Hello, miss." She jumped at the gruff voice, turning around towards them and squinting because of the glaring sun.

"Hello." She hesitated in her greeting, and stayed right next to her horses flank. "Can I help you?"

"Yeah, we're lookin' for Arthur Morgan." She stiffened and she prayed they didn't notice it.

"I'm sorry?"

"Arthur Morgan. We saw him in Blackwater a few days ago and we just wanted to catch up with an old friend." She licked her lips, unsure or anything anymore.

"How do you know him?" the front man shrugged.

"We don't know him, but our gang leader does." He holstered his revolver, but the other two had their revolvers still in hand. The front man wasn't someone with a friendly face. A large scar was going across his nose and over his eye, a thick black beard and bright green eyes. He was tall, and mysterious and she didn't like it.

"I don't know an Arthur Morgan." She tried to back pedal but it was too late for that.

"Then why did you ask how we know him." Annabel cursed herself, and she desperately wanted to get out of this situation.

She should have packed her damn Lancaster.

They stood in heavy silence, with Annabel deathly afraid to move in case she got shot. She waited and wondered if something would happen, if Arthur would walk out or really anyone would walk out and see this and shoot them all. She wanted to be saved even though she hated being the damsel in distress.

"Look, honey. It's a simple question." His strides were long and it didn't take much for him to stand close to her, pressing her so hard against her horse that Flynn moved his back legs to accommodate the pressure. "Where is Arthur Morgan?" She stayed silent, her eyes flicking from side to side, trying to find an escape route, just like her mother taught her.

"I don't know." His hand raised up, grabbing her throat and throwing her to the dirt.

"Where is he!?" he screamed, and she was sure that caught the attention of the men were still on the side of the house.

The front door opened, Sadie walking out with her revolver at the ready with Charles following close behind her in actions, a rifle bumped up against his shoulder.

"I wouldn't do that if I were you."

"Sadie Adler and Charles Smith. Figures you'd be here." The man shrugged, turning away from Annabel and towards the front door. "Where's Arthur Morgan."

"Dead."

"Bullshit." He pulled his revolver out and pointed it at Annabel, "Tell me where he is, or she dies."

Before Sadie or Charles could answer there were two loud pops that echoed across the valley, catching the unknown man off guard.

He turned in time to watch his two partners to drop, blood gushing from their skulls. Arthur and John came around the corner of the house, revolvers drawn and ready.

"Four against one doesn't seem so fair." The unknown man chuckled, before throwing his revolver down and putting his hands up. "I know when to stop."

"Get out of here." Arthur growled, eyes filled with hatred and a murderous intent she's never seen before.

"There he is! Do you know how hard it was to find you? When Micah Bell got the letter that you were alive, he sent me to take care of you."

"Micah's still alive?" Arthur quietly questioned, but didn't really want an answer to it.

"He really don't like you."

"I don't give a shit what that rat likes." She noticed his grip on the gun tightened as he seethed. "You need to leave."

"Alright, alright. I know when to take my leave." He whistled, his horse cantering over to him. "Mr. Bell will be ecstatic to hear that you're alive."

Annabel watched as he mounted and rode off, leaving his two dead partners in the dirt a few yards away. She groaned, and laid down completely on the ground and covering her face with her arms.

"Annabel! You alright?" she waved her arms at Arthur's calls of worry. She knew he was next to her in seconds, worry replacing the venom and anger in his body.

"I'm fine, just shaken up." She took a few deep breaths, before sitting up. "I hate adrenaline rushes…"

She looked over to the two bodies that laid crumpled in the dirt, as the yelling and arguments happened behind her. She knew her father had enemies when he was running away from his past, and she assumed that Arthur had the same.

But he never mentioned them, and that was worrisome.

"Who's Micah Bell?"

I'm hoping that after this chapter, things are gonna pick up. I had to change my chapter line up and take two out because I shoved a bunch of stuff together and cut out some unnecessary crap because of it.

Hopefully in the next chapter, were gonna start their travels.

I don't know yet.

Anyways, thanks so much for the love! I really appreciate it!