CHAPTER 5
Joshua and Jeremy sat, resting the horses for a few minutes as they gathered their bearings. The had managed to find several clues that their sister had left, each one finding the hopefulness of finding their sister increasing. They realized that they had stumbled onto something when they came across, what had turned out to be, the last campsite that the Harmons had left, and judging by how they had found things, it was apparent that they had left it in a hurry. Seeing the condition of the campsite, Jeremy questioned;
"Joshua, what do you think happened?"
Surveying the area, Josh noticed a much smaller set of footprints that he knew had to belong to their sister. Motioning, he called;
"Jeremy, come here."
When his brother had joined him, Joshua pointed out;
"Look, those have to be Jemma's footprints, they're smaller and they weren't made by boots."
Nodding, his agreement, Jeremy followed the trail of prints before realizing that she must have begun running at some point, a mystery he found quickly solved as the trail led to the river bank. Realization dawning, Jeremy summoned;
"JOSHUA!"
When he joined his brother, Josh demanded;
"What is it?"
Pointing out his discovery, he explained;
"Her tracks end here, at the bank and judging by that last print, she dove into the water."
His eyes falling on something in the grass, Josh snatched it up as he immediately recognized it. Turning to his younger brother, he wasn't surprised when Jeremy's eyes widened in recognition as he exclaimed;
"That's Mother's locket!"
Nodding, Joshua ventured;
"Jeremy, I think what happened was that it fell off at she dove in and when she did, the Harmons broke camp to go after her."
Considering, Jeremy speculated;
"Josh, that means that they can't be too far ahead of us."
Agreeing, Josh suggested;
"I know, I think that what we need to do is split up. We take that trail that Aaron and Jason took and see about finding them to let them know what's going on, my guess is that, with her trying to escape, they will ride hard and fast. I don't see them going into the mountains because it will be dark by the time they get there, but I do see them making camp at the base."
Seeing the logic of Josh's plan, Jeremy agreed, although he couldn't help but ask;
"Josh, I don't want to think about it, but what if, since she went into the water..."
Leaving the thought unspoken, Josh offered, unable to think about it himself;
"Jeremy, you know that Pixie can swim better than anybody we know. Who else do you know that can fall into the water and take to it like a fish the way that she did. Don't you remember, she could out swim the rest of us by the time she was five."
Nodding, Jeremy agreed;
"Yeah, Josh, but she wasn't wearing an evening gown when she did that either."
Shaking his head, Josh clasped his hand on his brother's shoulder as he advised;
"Come on, Jeremy let's go find Jason and Aaron."
With that they mounted their horses as Josh tucked the locket into his hip pocket for safety, determined to return the necklace to its rightful owner; his sister.
Jason sat just outside the cave, far enough back to stay hidden but close enough for an eagle view of the land just below which encompassed the entrance to the mountains. He and Aaron had taken turns on watch, waiting for the Harmons to appear, something that found them both on tenterhooks as each pondered their personal worries and fears for Jemma. Despite being preoccupied with his own worries for his sister, Jason couldn't help but feel even more sympathetic for Aaron's plight, especially after the confidences that he had shared regarding his feelings where Jemma was concerned. Not only had he been considering Aaron's confidences but he had also been repeatedly examining the fact that he had overlooked several clues of his sister's behavior that had been a clear indication of her feelings. He couldn't help but remember how he had, absentmindedly, thought that there was some man who was building up his courage to approach her big brother; however, he had never considered the possibility that man would turn out to be Aaron Stempel. A fact that he couldn't deny also eliminated the theory of a man building his courage before asking for the hand of Jason Bolt's sister in marriage. Despite there past differences, one fact that Jason could not deny was that courage was not something that Aaron lacked. Although he might not rush into anything rashly, he was also not one to back down from anything either.
Rising to stretch his legs, as he noted the position of the sun, he could see that the afternoon was quickly approaching evening. Taking the canteens, he made his way to the small stream that was fed off the nearby mountains to refill them, when he returned it was to find Aaron up and awake as he was standing in an attempt to stretch and work the kinks out of his back and legs from sleeping on the stone floor. Holding his canteen out in invitation, Jason offered;
"I refilled them, could you use some water?"
Nodding, he took the canteen before taking a long drink. Once he was satisfied he replaced the cap as he observed;
"Thank you, although I can't say I wouldn't have preferred a cup of good, strong coffee."
Chuckling, Jason nodded as he agreed;
"I can't deny that I wouldn't mind the same thing. I assume that you slept well, at least given our accommodations."
Searching through the sack that Lottie and Candy had provided for them, Aaron found the pouch of biscuits that had been packed for them. Taking one before offering the pouch to Jason, he asked before taking a bite;
"I slept, at least enough to make sure I rested."
Before taking another bite, he turned to look at Jason in curiosity as he demanded;
"Why did you say that you assumed I had slept well."
Taking a biscuit from the pouch for himself, Jason sat with his knee raised and his arm braced across it as if he was studying the pastry before offering in a neutral tone;
"Oh, no reason, only that you must have been able to sleep hard enough to dream."
Finding himself irritated, Aaron demanded in a sharp tone;
"And just what makes you say that, Bolt?"
Offering a knowing and slight smile, Jason quipped;
"Because, Aaron, you were talking in your sleep."
Slightly embarrassed by Jason's observations, Aaron huffed;
"Plenty of people talk in their sleep, Bolt, especially when they have something on their minds."
Taking a bite of his food, Jason muttered between bites;
"That's true enough, Aaron, but I'm guessing that, since the only thing you kept saying was my sister's name, you must only have one thing on yours."
His aggravation and determination showing, Aaron nodded as he agreed;
"You're absolutely right, I do. That one thing, at this moment, is getting Jemma away from the Harmons."
Moving to the mouth of the cave to observe the afternoon sky for himself and to get some fresh air, Aaron glanced over his shoulder as he asked;
"Did you see anything while I was asleep."
Shaking his head, Jason related;
"Not yet, I figure that if they aren't here by dark then we can look for them tomorrow."
Seeking to ease the mood, Jason ventured;
"You know, Aaron, since you mentioned it earlier, Pixie makes a really good cup of coffee."
Leaning against the mouth of the entrance of the cave, Aaron crossed his arms over his chest as he admitted;
"I'm quite well aware of just how talented your sister is in the kitchen, Jason. Didn't you know that she used to do a great deal of cooking when she stayed with Lottie? Lottie said that she's never seen anyone make cooking look as easy as Jemma does."
His curiosity peaked, Aaron queried;
"But since we're on the subject, there's something that I've always been curious about but I've never asked."
Replacing his canteen cap after having drunk from the container, Jason nodded his encouragement;
"Go ahead and ask."
Approaching his companion, Aaron sat across from Jason as he asked;
"Why do you, Joshua and Jeremy call Jemma 'Pixie' sometimes?"
His mind flashing recalling just how his sister had come by her nickname, Jason began;
"You know that our parents died when Jemma was very little."
Nodding, Aaron offered;
"Yes, she was a little more than a year or so old, wasn't she? I know that she doesn't remember anything about your parents except the stories that you and your brothers have told her over the years."
Taking a deep breath as he recalled, Jason continued;
"Our mother died a few months after Jemma was born and our father died just before she turned two years old. She was such a small thing when she was born, she still is, anyway, mother and father would tell us the fairy tales that they had been brought up with, in Scotland and, according to those tales, there were these little fairy-like creatures who flitted to and fro that were full of joy and happiness called the pixies. The first time she laughed when she was a baby, Mother said that the sound reminded her of what the pixies must have sounded like, and then when she began walking she seemed to be everywhere, Father said that not only did she sound like a pixie but she also flitted about like one too, so we all took to calling her Pixie."
Offering a slight smile, Aaron turned to Jason before observing;
"It still fits her, doesn't it? That how she is, even now, she always seems to be full of happiness and joy and laughter."
Turning serious as he pinned the man with his eyes, Jason issued;
"I don't want that to change about her, Aaron, EVER. I never want to see her sad or hurt or unhappy."
Accepting the obvious challenge of his statement, Aaron nodded his agreement as he vowed;
"Neither do I, Jason, which is why I plan to make certain that she never is."
Before they could say more, they found their attention
drawn by a noise outside.
Jeremy and Joshua were riding as quickly as possible, following the trail that Jason and Aaron had left for them should the need arise. Despite the desperation of the current situation, Jeremy couldn't help but find his thoughts split between the more immediate issue at hand of his sister's abduction, and the news of Aaron Stempel's intentions to marry Jemma. Turning to his older brother, Joshua, he began hesitantly;
"Josh, there's something that I'd like to ask."
Joshua knew that, given the talks he had already had with Jason, Lottie and even Aaron, it was only a matter of time before Jeremy sought him out about the subject. Bearing that thought in mind, Joshua nodded;
"Go ahead, Jeremy."
Choosing his words carefully, Jeremy asked;
"Do you really think that Jemma's going to marry Stempel? I mean do you think that Jason's going to let that happen?"
Turning to his brother, Josh countered;
"Jeremy, let me ask you something; can you remember our sister ever asking for anything for herself, ever?"
Searching his memory, Jeremy shook his head;
"No, not really."
Nodding, Joshua decided to share with Jeremy what he had shared with Jason;
"Jeremy, I understand why you feel the way you do about it. I know our history with Stempel hasn't exactly been a smooth one, but I watched them at the dance and I don't doubt that he loves her, and even more importantly, she loves him. I could see it in her eyes, she wants to marry Aaron just as much as he wants to marry her and given just how unselfish Pixie has always been, don't you think the least we can do is to support and back her about this?"
The concern obvious in his eyes, Jeremy expressed his greatest concern aloud as he demanded;
"But do you think that he'll take care of her? I mean this isn't about the mountain is it?"
Shaking his head, Joshua ventured;
"No, Jeremy, truthfully, I'm not sure that it really ever was about the mountain. At least not in the way that we originally thought it was."
Processing his brother's observations, Jeremy sighed in resignation as he admitted;
"I guess that she could do worse. I mean it's not like he isn't the richest man in town."
Shaking his head, Joshua ventured;
"Actually, Jeremy he won't be that unless he DOES marry Pixie."
Motioning just up ahead, Joshua pointed;
"Look, there are their horses."
Glancing about, Jeremy noticed the almost hidden cave, as well as the copse of trees where Aaron and Jason had sheltered and secured their horses. Following suit with their own horses, Joshua and Jeremy made certain that all four animals were far enough back and out of sight to afford them the element of surprise before making their way to the cave entrance. Trying to be as quiet as possible, they found themselves shocked as they were jerked inside the mouth of the cave to be pushed against the side of the cave wall. However, they breathed a sigh of relief as they faced their brother and Aaron Stempel, who's own relief showed as they released the fistful of a shirt that each had been clutching. Worry showing on his features, Jason demanded;
"What's going on, what are you two doing here? You're supposed to be trailing them, why are you here?"
Fishing in their pockets Jeremy and Joshua dropped the clues they had picked up into Jason and Aaron's hands as Joshua explained;
"We did, Jason they are heading this way and they're doing it a lot faster then what we thought they were."
His worry for Jemma obvious, Aaron demanded;
"Why do you say that, Joshua?"
Reaching into his other pocket, Joshua held the last clue that they had found by its chain as Aaron took it to study it just before turning to Jason to observe;
"Jemma sets a lot of store by this locket, she wouldn't ever just leave it unless she was desperate."
Holding up the matching earring to the one they had found at his sister's marker, Jason countered;
"And here is her other earring."
Facing his brothers, he demanded;
"Where did you find the locket, Joshua?"
Catching his breath, Joshua explained;
"The last campsite, Jason. We followed her tracks and they led to the river, we found the locket in the grass next to the river."
Offering his observations, Jeremy stated;
"Jason, judging by the tracks, it looks like she dove into the river and tried swimming for it."
Shocked, Aaron demanded;
"Do you mean to tell me, Jeremy, that you think she tried to get away by diving in the river and trying to swim away, in an evening gown?"
Nodding, Joshua rushed to explain;
"Yes, but, in her defense, I don't think that she was exactly thinking about that fact when she dove in. We followed until we came to where they must have pulled her out, and we found her tracks."
Breathing a sigh of relief, Aaron offered;
"Thank God, that means she's still alive."
Jeremy nodded as he informed them;
"Yes, and it wasn't too hard to figure out where they were heading. It looks like they were going to make camp and when Pixie decided to go for her swim, they broke it up pretty quick to try and catch her and, by the looks of it, they're riding hard and fast, so I figure that we'll see them by nightfall."
Turning to Aaron, Jason vowed;
"We'll be ready for them."
Turning to his brothers, he ordered;
"Make sure that the horses are out of sight and that you have your guns ready."
Swallowing hard, Jeremy asked;
"Jason, I know that we don't like the idea of it, but.."
Placing his hand on his brother's shoulder, Jason finished the statement;
"Jeremy, we do whatever we have to, to get Jemma back. I don't want to have to take their lives, but if it's a choice between their lives or our sister's, there really isn't a choice, is there?"
Shaking his head, Jeremy agreed;
"No, Jason, not when you put it that way."
Having settled that aspect of their situation, Aaron asked;
"Jason, how do we want to do this?"
Thinking for a moment, he ventured;
"We wait for them, out of sight, and when we see how they situate themselves, then we'll know better how to handle it."
It wasn't long before Aaron and the Bolt's vigil was rewarded as they heard the sound of horses being ridden hard and fast. They watched as the four Harmon's dismounted as well as noticing that something, aside from her situation, wasn't quite right with Jemma. Studying the distant figure that he would recognize anywhere, Aaron motioned as he spoke in a hushed tone;
"Jason, something isn't right, besides the situation, with Jemma. Look how she's sitting that horse."
Studying his sister's figure, Jason nodded;
"She's been able to sit a horse since the first time that she was put on the back of one."
Shaking his head, Jason advised;
"Aaron, we can't worry about the small things like that right now. We have to worry about getting her away from them and then we can deal with everything else."
Motioning to Jeremy and Joshua, he advised;
"Jeremy, Joshua, you circle behind in the direction they entered from. Aaron, you and I will come from this one, we're lucky that we have that river to one side and the mountains to the other. Now, let's go."
Easing their way closer to tighten the circle that they had formed around their adversaries, Jason and Aaron waited until the Harmons had gathered at one of the two campfires that had been made. Noticing how they had laid their rifles to the side, Jason motioned to Jeremy and Joshua as he turned to Aaron to advise;
"Now!"
Rushing on the group to surround them, Jason advised;
"You know, Elijah, I thought that we had everything settled the last time that we met. But apparently, considering that you saw fit to abduct our sister, I must have been mistaken."
Sneering in contempt, Elijah growled;
"Considering that you cost me, my boy and grandson, I think that one useless female, no matter how pretty she may be, is more than a fair trade."
Noticing Aaron's presence, Elijah snickered as he observed;
"So I guess she wasn't lying when she said that she was already spoken for, even though I had to force a name from her."
His contempt and hatred for the man increasing, especially after what he had just implied, Aaron's eyes narrowed in a look of hatred as he confirmed in a low and dangerous tone;
"No, she wasn't lying."
Leveling his rifle at Elijah's chest, he demanded;
"Now, where is she?"
Despite having followed along with his father's plans, Job found that he couldn't stomach any more of his father's cruelty as he pleaded;
"Pa, this isn't right, it hasn't been from the start. What happened to Will was an accident and he could have just as well been killed if he was a trapper, and trying to take the boy from his mama, that was wrong. This has to stop Pa, the only reason I went along with it was because of Stoker and because I knew that if I didn't come along that poor girl would have been hurt worse than what she is now."
His attention immediately drawn by Job's last statement, Aaron's eyes widened in a combination of fear for Jemma and hatred for Elijah as he demanded;
"Where is she, Harmon?"
Seeing his adversary's temper and thinking he could use it to his advantage, Elijah pointed to the side, and seeing Aaron's attention diverted, he grabbed for his rifle, but not realizing that Joshua and Jeremy were behind them, he found himself shocked as Josh warned;
"AARON LOOK OUT!"
His instincts kicking in, Aaron swung around and pulled the trigger on the rifle that he was holding, sending a bullet into Elijah's heart. Jason found himself momentarily shocked until he noticed Dorne raising his pistol in Aaron's direction and pulled the trigger on his own pistol. He watched as the man fell next to his father and Joshua and Jeremy ran out from their positions to level their rifles at Job and Stoker. Turning to Jason as he let out the
breath that he had been holding since he had pulled the trigger, Aaron nodded;
"Thanks."
Turning to the two remaining Harmons, they found themselves shocked as Job shook his head;
"You can put them away, you ain't gonna have no problems out of us."
Motioning to his brother, Job explained;
"Me and Stoker, we always knew that this was gonna happen someday, especially the way Pa was."
Crossing the space, Aaron jerked the man from his place to demand;
"I don't give a damn about your father and brother right this second."
Snatching him by his collar, Aaron held him in a death grip as he bellowed;
"WHERE IS SHE?!"
Seeing the frenzied look in the man's eyes, Job realized the truth of his father's earlier concern over this man's determination to find the girl. Motioning towards the second fire, he advised;
"She's over there, but, well I think she's sick."
Pushing the man away from him, Aaron hurried in the direction and stopped short at what he saw as well as understanding the reason for the second fire; Jemma was covered with a thin blanket and appeared to be unconscious. Hurrying to her side, he placed his arm behind her neck to lift her slightly as he pleaded;
"Jemma, Jemma, sweetheart."
He breathed a reserved sigh of relief when she opened her eyes slightly, although he could see that something wasn't right as she asked in a whispered frail voice;
"Aaron? What are you doing here?"
Offering a slight chuckle at her question, he replied;
"I've come to escort you home, Miss Bolt."
With that, he placed his lips against her forehead and realized that her condition was much more serious than what he at first realized. Panic lending volume to his voice, Aaron called out;
"JASON, JEREMY, JOSHUA!"
As all three appeared with the remaining Harmons, who were now secured, Aaron shook his head as he stated;
"Jason, she's burning up with fever."
Pulling the blanket away from her, Aaron's temper and frustration rose as he turned to Job and seethed;
"Do you mean to tell me that you left her in a soaking wet dress and it getting colder by the hour?"
Touching the gown and feeling the chill it seemed to hold in its dampness, Aaron turned to Jason to demand;
"What's the chance that one of you brought one of her dresses?"
Josh broke and ran to return a few minutes later to toss a dress towards Aaron as he offered;
"Here you go, Aaron."
Nodding, Aaron began shrugging out of his coat as he addressed Jason;
"Modesty is something that we can't afford right now, Jason."
Agreeing with his observation, Jason offered;
"I told you before, Aaron, I trust you."
Pushing her long hair out of her face, Aaron explained;
"Jemma, love, we have to get you out of this dress and into a dry one. I'm going to set you up so I can unfasten the back."
Placing his arm behind her shoulders, he felt her flinch as well as moan in pain as he felt the possible reason for her discomfort. Raising his eyes up to meet Jason's, both men's looks full of concern, Aaron turned to Job to demand;
"Would you care to explain to me just how her shoulder came to be dislocated?"
Exchanging twin looks of disbelief and anger, Joshua and Jeremy glared at their two prisoners as Joshua railed;
"What did you animals do to her?"
Hanging his head in shame, Job explained;
"It's no excuse, but I tried to keep Pa and Dorne from hurting her as much as I could. She told Pa that she was spoken for and he got real mad and snatched her arm, hard, then, when she went into the water, Dorne roped the same arm to pull her from the water and after that, I noticed that she was having a hard time with it."
His face a scowling mask, Jason demanded;
"And the wet dress?"
Shaking his head, Job confessed;
"I asked Pa couldn't we get her some dry clothes at least and he said no. He said that leaving her in the dress would keep her from trying to swim again since all of them skirts would weight her down and since she was the one that dove in the water, she could just suffer with it."
Even though he had done so out of self-defense, any regrets that Aaron might have had over ending Elijah Harmon's life had just evaporated at Job's explanation. Seething with anger, he turned to Job to ground out;
"Not that you care, but you might be interested in knowing that she's burning up with fever."
Turning to Jason, he demanded;
"Jason, we can't leave her with her shoulder like this, what do we do?"
Jason was stroking his chin in consideration, he knew when Aaron had discovered the condition of her shoulder that there was only one way to rectify the situation, but he also knew just what that was going to mean in terms of pain. Doing what he had in mind when it came to a big, burly logger was vastly different when it came to performing the same action on a woman, especially his own sister, and that was before taking in the consideration of her small size. Turning to Aaron, he asked;
"Aaron, have you ever had a dislocated shoulder?"
Shaking his head, he admitted;
"No, but I have had to help put one back in place."
A pleading look in his eyes, Aaron shook his head;
"Jason, isn't there any other way, one that won't cost her as much pain as that will?"
Sighing in aggravation at what he was about to have to do, Jason shook his head;
"No, Aaron, we can't leave it like it is, you and I both know that."
Despite his loathing the idea of doing so, Jason took a deep breath as he offered;
"I'll do it, Aaron. You're going to have to hold her, she's too weak to brace herself."
Kneeling next to his sister and careful of the bruise, Jason touched her cheek as he pleaded;
"Pixie, can you hear me, sweetie?"
Opening her eyes slightly as she swallowed hard, she issued in a rasping voice;
"I've heard all of you, I know, Jason, I know that you don't have any choice. Do what you have to do."
Jason helped Aaron to turn her onto her good side as Aaron slipped one arm under her good arm and the other over the top of her waist to hold her firmly. Jason braced himself as he took hold of his sister's arm just before Job spoke up;
"I wouldn't do that."
Angrily, Aaron glared at the man before stating;
"There's obviously a lot that you wouldn't do, which has a great deal to do with the shape that she's in."
Hesitating a moment as he recalled Job's reluctance to be a part of his father's dealings, Jason ventured;
"Wait a second, Aaron."
Turning to Job, Jason asked;
"Why do you say you wouldn't do this?"
Nodding towards Jemma, Job explained;
"Cause she's too small for the way you're trying to do that. Me and Stoker, we've had more than our fair share of having to do what you're about to. If you try doing it that way, you might just break a bone that can't be healed up and she won't be able to use her shoulder or arm proper after that."
Locking eyes, the same thought in their minds, Jason and Aaron seemed in agreement as Aaron questioned;
"Do you think you can do this, without breaking any bones or costing her the use of her shoulder or arm in the future?"
Nodding as he motioned to his silent brother, Job offered;
"Yes, Sir, I believe that I can. I need Stoker to help me though, he makes sure that it pops into place in the back while I pull her arm from the front."
Jeremy had remained silent up to that point, but hearing what these men were proposing, he spoke his peace;
"Jason, Aaron, you aren't really going to let them touch her, are you?"
Before they could answer, Jemma placed her hand over the clasped hands that Aaron had wrapped around her to gain his attention. Raising her head as much as she possibly could she opened her eyes to look into his as she pleaded;
"Let them do it."
Shocked, he unclasped his hands to place one over her much smaller one as his eyes reflected his concern before asking;
"Sweetheart, are you sure?"
Nodding, despite the pain she felt, she begged;
"Yes."
Sparing a glance at Job, she admitted;
"He tried to protect me from his father and brother, I trust him."
Meeting each other's stares of disbelief, Aaron and Jason both shrugged as Jason stood before motioning for Job to take his place while Stoker positioned himself behind Jemma and Aaron. As Job took her arm, Aaron narrowed his eyes as he advised;
"You two need to understand something."
Certain that he had both men's attention, he turned from one to the other as he vowed;
"If you hurt her any more than absolutely necessary, I swear, I'll kill you both."
Job shook his head as he replied;
"We wouldn't do that, this is gonna be hard enough on her, you just make sure you hold her real still."
Looking at his brother, he asked;
"Stoker, you ready?"
At his brother's nod, he took Jemma's forearm in one hand and then her upper arm in the other as he advised;
"Miss Bolt, I ain't gonna lie to you, this is gonna hurt you some, but it's got to be done. You ready?"
At her silent nod, Job motioned to Stoker as he advised;
"On the count of three, Stoker; one, two, three."
With that he jerked Jemma's arm forward as Stoker pushed her shoulder blade forward, both going back into their proper place. Feeling the shudder of pain that shook her small frame, Aaron held her tighter as she screamed just before passing out. Jason, Joshua, and Jeremy rushed forward as Joshua demanded;
"Aaron, is she alright?"
Feeling the rise and fall of her chest as well as inspecting her shoulder and feeling that it was, indeed, back in its proper place, he looked up at the three brothers to verify;
"She's fine, I think that the pain was just too much and she passed out."
Motioning to the two men, Joshua demanded;
"What do we do about these two, Jason?"
Considering the question, Jason, as well as Aaron, Joshua, and Jeremy found themselves shocked as Jemma ordered;
"Let them go, Jason."
Turning,
Jason knelt next to his sister as he took her hand to ask;
"Pixie, we did that before, remember? I made that mistake and you're the one who paid the price for my stupidity."
Swallowing to try and ease the dryness and pain in her throat, Jemma shook her head;
"No, Jason, you had no idea that he would do this. You did what you thought was right."
Despite the pain in doing so, she motioned towards the two men as she defended;
"They're not completely blameless, but they did try to protect me from their father and brother. Job tried to help me as much as he could. That's provided that we won't have to worry about the Harmon family anymore."
Shaking his head, Job addressed Aaron and Jason as he vowed;
"We didn't want no part of this to start with, but me and Stoker didn't want to see her hurt none either. We know we don't belong down here, we'll be taking Pa and Dorne and burying em up in the mountains and making our way on into Oregon."
His anger seemed boundless as the thought of what she had been made to suffer, but once he looked down into her pleading eyes, Aaron sighed in resignation as he turned to Jason;
"Jason, you heard the lady."
Turning to Joshua and Jeremy, Jason asked;
"Joshua, Jeremy?"
Lowering their rifles, the two looked at each other as Joshua nodded before turning to Jason;
"If that's what Pixie wants and they won't be a threat anymore. Then we're fine with it."
Motioning towards the mountain range, Jason ordered;
"Jeremy, Joshua, go with them and see to it that they mount up and go."
Turning to make their way back to the site, Job stopped as he motioned to Jemma before addressing Aaron;
"You're a mighty lucky man."
Holding Jemma closer, Aaron shook his head as he corrected;
"No, I don't believe in luck, you make your own luck in this world, you get what you want by going after it. What I am is a blessed man, because she and her love are a gift that I never even hoped to find in this life."
Offering a slight nod, Job advised;
"By the way, you'll be wanting to put that arm in a sling and she needs to be easy on it for a few days."
At that, he turned and left as Joshua and Jeremy escorted the men away. Glancing over his shoulder, Jason motioned towards his sister as he ventured;
"Aaron we need to get her out of that dress, it's still damp and it's getting colder by the minute."
Motioning to the fire, he suggested;
"I'm going to go gather up some wood so she'll be warm enough."
Turning, Aaron stopped him;
"Jason, you realize that she can't do this by herself."
Shrugging, he pointed out;
"So help her, Aaron, I trust you."
Watching as he walked away, leaving them in privacy, Aaron shook his head in amazement as he turned his attention back to his more immediate concern. Placing his hand across Jemma's forehead his concern increased as he explained;
"Alright, love, we need to get you out of this wet gown and into a dry one. How much do you think you can do for yourself?"
Despite her relief at having been rescued by her brothers and Aaron, Jemma also knew just how weak and ill she already was as well as how fast her condition was deteriorating. Giving a slight shake of her head, she whispered weakly;
"Help me stand and I'll do as much as I can."
Unsure as to just how wise doing so was and against his better judgment, Aaron helped her to stand, careful of her arm and shoulder. Seeing her sway, he shook his head as he stated;
"Jemma, I don't think that this is such a good idea, there's no earthly reason, under the circumstances, that I can't help you."
Finding her balance, she held her hand out for the dry dress as she stared at him stubbornly before issuing;
"Aaron, my love, the sooner you hand me my dress the sooner I will be out of this wet one."
Seeing the determined look on her face, he shook his head at her show of stubbornness as he relinquished his hold on the garment before asking;
"Now, exactly how are we going to accomplish this?"
Despite a dense copse of trees as well as some boulders that would offer privacy, Jemma knew that she was too weak to make it that far. The truth was that she was pushing her luck just standing, but she also knew that she needed out of her wet clothes, especially considering how ill she was quickly becoming. Using the last of her strength and determination, She pointed away from her as she instructed;
"Turn around."
Doing as told, Aaron turned his back to her as he folded his arms over his chest before stating in an exasperated tone;
"You are, without a doubt, the most stubborn, willful and headstrong woman that I have ever met in my life, Jemma Bolt."
Despite her condition, he wasn't surprised when he heard her quip in response;
"You know it's not like I ever hid that from you, you know?"
Having managed to remove her wet things, Jemma had gotten into her dress more easily than what she thought she might have, grateful that, whoever had thought to bring her a dress had brought one that fastened in the front. Something that her arm and shoulder appreciated giving the throbbing she felt. When Aaron felt her tapping his shoulder, he turned around to face her and, noticing how she was cradling her arm and remembering Job's advice, he issued;
"Wait just a minute."
Reaching inside his vest, he pulled out her lace shawl, much to her shock. As he was using it to construct a sling for her left arm, she voiced;
"I can't believe that you have that."
Tying the ends of the shawl together to secure the sling, he leaned closer to her ear as he stated quietly;
"I couldn't very well leave something that belongs to someone as precious to me as you are hanging on a bush out in the middle of the Washington territory wilderness, now could I?"
With that, he placed a kiss on her cheek. Noticing that she had begun to shiver, he took his coat from where he had dropped it earlier to place it over her shoulders in an attempt to warm her up. Noticing that she had begun to sway slightly, Aaron placed his hand against her face as he placed his lips against her forehead. Pulling back he studied her face and eyes carefully in the firelight and realized that she was much more ill than what he had originally thought. He knew that she had been running a fever, but she was even hotter now than before and he couldn't help but notice how flushed her face was as well as how bright her eyes seemed. Any doubts that he had as to just how serious her condition was were soon eliminated as her face took on a strange look as Aaron asked cautiously;
"Jemma, sweetheart, are you..."
Before he could finish asking his question, her eyes closed and her body went limp. Wrapping his arms around her to keep her from falling to the ground, Aaron swept her up into his arms as he hurried to where Jason, Jeremy, and Jason were tending to the horses. As they turned, the looks on their faces changed from relief to fear as they noticed their sister's condition. Rushing forward, Jason demanded;
"What happened?"
Placing his hand against her flushed face, he looked up into Aaron's face which wore an expression of concern similar to his own as Aaron confirmed;
"Her fever has gotten worse, Jason, she collapsed. That's not all, listen."
All four men remained quiet as they heard the last sound in the world that they wanted to at that moment, the slight rattle as well as the sound of her shallow breathing. His face determined, Aaron declared;
"Jason, we can't afford to make camp. She'll never survive if we do, we have to get back to Seattle."
Turning to Jeremy, Jason ordered;
"Jeremy, get the horses ready, Josh put out the fires. We're riding out of here, NOW!"
Turning back to Aaron, Jason pointed out in his quiet, serious tone;
"Aaron, you know that she can't ride, not like that."
Nodding, he agreed;
"I know, Jason. My horse is a heavy one, he can handle mine and her weight."
Josh, having put out the campfires, rushed to help Jeremy lead the horses forward as Josh asked;
"Jason, she can't ride in her condition, what are we going to do?"
Seeing that the horses were saddled and ready, Jason approached Aaron and took his sister in his arms as Aaron hurried to mount his horse. Turning to Josh, Jason explained;
"Aaron's horse is the biggest, he can handle both their weights."
Once he was sure that Aaron was settled securely in his saddle, he motioned to Josh and Jeremy for assistance as they handed Jemma up into Aaron's waiting arms. Situating her securely against him, he realized that, even as heavy as his coat was, she needed something more for warmth. Looking to Jason, he pointed out;
"Jason, we need to keep her as warm as possible and I don't think that my coat will be nearly enough to do that."
Reaching into his bags, Josh produced a blanket as he explained;
"I knew we'd have to camp and I know she gets cold."
Gratefully, Aaron took the blanket and, with their help, had Jemma securely wrapped up and satisfied that she was as warm as possible, he motioned towards the others as he suggested;
"One of you need to ride ahead and tell Lottie what's going on and get the doctor."
Turning to Jeremy, Jason issued;
"Jeremy, you're the fastest, you go on ahead and be careful. Take the same trails that we did so that we're right behind you."
Jason couldn't help but feel an ache in his heart for his youngest brother as the nervous habit he had of stuttering came back as he motioned towards their sister;
"Ja, Jason, what if sh, what if she, di, di, dies?"
Before Jason could answer his brother, Aaron's voice rose in volume as he demanded angrily;
"DON'T YOU DARE THAT, JEREMY BOLT! SHE IS NOT GOING TO DIE! THAT'S NOT GOING TO HAPPEN!"
Jason couldn't help but notice how Aaron's hold on Jemma became much tighter and much more possessive as he fumed at Jeremy.
Reaching across to place his hand on his brother's shoulder, he assured;
"Jeremy, just do as I told you. Aaron's right, Pixie will be just fine. Now go on."
Jason offered his brother a look of sincere honesty as Jeremy searched his face, seeing that he was satisfied, he ordered;
"Now, go Jeremy."
Setting the horse in motion, Jeremy hurried in the direction of Seattle. Satisfied, Aaron turned to Josh and Jason as he advised;
"Keep up as best you can."
With that, he set his horse in motion and urged it to speed. Staring after him, Josh observed;
"Jason, if he rides like that, he's liable to end up breaking their necks."
Shaking his head, Jason corrected;
"No, Josh, he won't. He's carrying something that's much too precious to him to take that chance."
Setting his own horse in motion, Jason followed as Josh shook his head in amazement before following suit.
