"Arthur, a word," Dutch called as the rumble of horse hooves came near.

Isaac looked up helplessly as his father untangled himself fom him.

"Charles," Arthur called as he made his way over to Dutch, "I need you to keep an eye on him a minute. Alright?"

"Alright Arthur." came a deep yet concerned voice.

Isaac couldn't help the stab of betrail as he watched the man walk away. Dutch eyeing him from over his father's shoulder. A look of pinched in distain had Isaac finching away like he would in the glare of a hungry wolf.

He finched in further as he realized Dutch's pack had him surrounded.

Out of the corner of his eye, a dirty gray rifle muzzle swayed inches from the ground. Held casually in the grasp of a dark-skinned man. Isaac couldn't bring himself to look him in the eye. Instead he stared at the ground, all the while he strained his ears to pick up scraps of conversation between Dutch and his father.

"...no." was all he could pick up. His heart dropping out and his lower lip threatened to tremble but he steadfastly kept it in check.

"Alright boy." someone growled. Surprising Isaac with the cold chamber of a gun nudging his chin up. He couldn't hide his fear as he looked up into the dark unforgiving eyes of Dutch Van Der Linde. "You have any proof you are who you say you are?"

His throat came up dry and he chuffed before shaking his head.

Dutch sneered looking back to Arthur. "See, you said yourself, Micah isn't to be trusted. Yet that's all we can go off of for this boy."

"Dutch, I know you're upset with Micah but..." Arthur floundered. "Damit Dutch. I'm not saying he is or he isn't. I'm just sayin let's bring him with."

"So we can bring a new rat into the gang? Someone specifically designed to manipulate YOU?" Dutch challenged and Arthur looked away.

Isaac could feel the tension in the air as the gange fidgeted nervously at Dutch's words.

They'd leave him behind? Isaac thought fearfully. He'd come so far and gone through so much only to find himself on the precipice of being abandoned again. Feverisously he though back to any sort of proof he had.

"Sir?" he whispered tentatively before clearing his voice to try again. "Um, I don't have it with me but when I was arrested, before Micah found me, I had a picture of my mother." Dutch's glare intensified to outright hatred. "T-the the sheriff took it from me and I never got it back. But it's there, I promise."

"Where were you arrested?"

"Annesburg," he said, eyes drifting to his father's warn boots. "I left my saddle pad behind the stables too. Didn't have time to properly tack up before I left," he added lamely.

"Alright," Arthur said nodding to Dutch. "I'll go to Annesburg and get the photo. That would at least give credence to his story."

"I'll go with." Isaac looked up to see a man with three parallel scars along his cheek, walk over to Arthur. "don't rightly know what's going on but steeling from a sheriff doesn't exactly sound like a one-person job."

"Be careful." Isaac cautioned quickly, "Micah killed the sheriff when he broke me out of jail."

To the boy's surprise, Arthur laughed bitterly. "Typical." he muttered under his breath. "so it's settled, John and I'll go to Annesburg and bring back any proof... " for a minute it looked like he was going to say more but trailed off.

Dutch sighed in defeat. "Alright, but I want you both back in no less than three days. It's still possible this is a setup."

Arthur nodded as "John" brought his horse up beside him.

But instead of mounting his horse, Arthur walked past Isaac to the man with the rifle pointed to the ground. "Charles, I want you to keep an eye on him while I'm gone, he's ah..."

Isaac looked up at him, eyes meeting as Arthur turned to him. "H, his name is Isacc Morgan." He said softly, maintaining eye contact and watching as Isaac's body relaxed and a week smile played across is features.

Tho the gang froze in shock, Isaac felt relieved. His father hadn't abandoned him, hadn't denied him. In fact, he was heading into danger to prove Isaac was telling the truth.

"Be careful" he said softly. Wanting so much to call him 'pa' but instinctively he knew it would infuriate Dutch, so he kept quiet.

Arthur nodded quickly before turning back the Charles. "Keep an eye on him. Make sure he, that he..."

"I will Arthur," Charles assured gently, reaching up to grip Arthur's shoulder. Something seemed to pass between them and Arthur relaxed a bit before he too reached up to rest his hand on Charles'.

Eventually, the two broke apart and Arthur let out a whistle that called a sturdy mustang to him.

"We have no proof he is who he claimes to be." Dutch growled as Arthur mounted up. "And in the absence of proof, no one will refer to him as Isaac Morgan." Isaac watched as his father frowned deeply.

"Well," Isaac ventured happily, fueled by a cheeky recklessness brought on by finally meeting his father. "I gave Micah a fake name, so if you want you could use that in the meantime."

"What name was that?"

"Isaac Killgore."

And Isaac's world grew brighter as he saw his pa laugh. "You may want to keep him out of Dutch's way." Arthur said smiling at Charles as he nudged his horse up the dusty trail towards Annenberg. "We'll see you in a few days. Try to stay out of trouble."