Unshown Moments for Chester's Mail Order Bride

This is for MissLizzyJ

Kitty had just finished dressing for her late shift at work when she heard a knock at the door and a familiar voice.

"Kitty?"

With a happy smile, she quickly crossed the room and opened the door. "Hey, Matt." She grinned as she let him in. "What brings you up here?"

"Well," he grinned as he reached out and pulled her to him. "I came to ask you a question but…" he paused as he bent and nuzzled her neck. "I uh, would prefer to do this." He moved his head and caught her lips in a soft yet promise filled kiss.

Kitty whole heartedly returned the kiss but finally, reluctantly, she pulled back. "As much as I would love to continue this, I have to go to work in a few minutes and you came up here to ask me a question. Remember?" She arched a brow.

"Yeah," Matt sighed and let her go. "I came up here to ask you about that fight last night. Sam said you were in the middle of it."

"Yeah," Kitty nodded. "It wasn't anything though. One of the cowboys got mad when I wouldn't come upstairs with him and another one, Robert Speers stepped into it. It's straightened out, though."

Matt's jaw clenched at the news. He hated that part of her job and had more than once offered to take in bounties or anything else to make extra money to keep her from it. But Kitty had always refused his offers of help, promising instead to keep that part of job to a minimum.

"Did he hurt you any?" His voice was soft and tense.

Kitty smiled and reached up, kissing him quickly before turning to grab her fan. "NO." She assured him. "No one did. Robert just picked him up by the seat of his pants and tossed him out. Nothing what so ever for you to worry about."

"As long as you work here, I'll worry." Matt answered pulling her once again into his arms.

"Well." Kitty gave him a saucy smile. "You could always fix that you know."

Matt reddened just slightly, looking for a reply when they suddenly heard Chester's raised voice down stairs.

"Ut oh," Kitty shook her head as she pulled away from him and headed to the door. "I was afraid of that."

"Of what?" Matt questioned, following her.

"Chester." Kitty answered with a shake her head as she went out onto the landing and looked down at a drunken assistant trying valiantly to get a picture away from the buffalo hunter.

After a brief discussion about Chester and his picture, Matt finally agreed with Kitty that he should get Chester out of the saloon and sobered up.

Kitty watched them go with a shake of her head, hoping whatever it was bothering Chester, that Matt could help him out.

Late that night, Matt found his way back to the saloon just as they were beginning to close up. "Kitty." He nodded as he entered, pushing his hat back off of his forehead. "Bill."

"Evening, Marshal." Bill Pense greeted him as he placed a dirty towel down on the counter, followed by his apron. "We're just about to close."

"Uh, I know, Bill." Matt looked over at Kitty. "I just needed to talk to Kitty for a couple of minutes."

"You go on, Bill." Kitty looked over at her employer. "I'll lock up after the Marshal leaves."

"Alright, Kitty." Bill smiled at the two as he grabbed his hat and coat and headed out.

After watching him go, Kitty looked up at Matt. "Well? Did you find out what was bothering Chester?"

"Yeah," Matt sighed as shook his head. "He's been corresponding with a girl in Philadelphia and she's coming here to marry him."

"What?" Kitty's eyes grew wide. "You're kidding me."

"No." Matt looked down. "But that's not the worst part."

"What is? Or do I want to know?"

Matt leaned down on the bar and looked over at her. "He sent her a picture of me and told her that it was him and he wants me to go pick her up at the train depot tomorrow."

For a couple of seconds, Kitty merely stared at Matt until the humor of the situation overtook her and she started to laugh. "Oh, ho, ho, Matt. You've got to be kidding."

"No, no, I'm not." Matt smirked. "But I'm not the only one messed up in this."

Kitty stopped laughing and looked up suspiciously at him. "What do you mean?"

"I mean we're gonna need your help too. I'll go get her at the depot but her being new here and all and just a young girl, she's gonna need another woman to talk to when she realizes Chester tricked her."

"Maybe not." Kitty shrugged. "She could decide that it's okay and even like Chester."

"Yeah, but I doubt it. And, besides, even if she did, she's going to kind of need someone to show her around, I mean other than Chester."

"Un huh." Kitty rolled her eyes. "And you all just naturally thought good old Kitty would be perfect for this."

"Look, honey..." Matt started but she raised a hand.

"Don't 'honey' me." She grumbled. "Why can't Chester do it? She will be his fiancé after all, not mine."

"Because, he's…. well…" Matt took a breath. "He's Chester. And you know, with his job and all he can't be there all the time and …"

"Alright," Kitty raised a hand with a sigh. "Alright. Tomorrow morning, you go get her and bring her to the hotel and I'll meet you there."

"Ah, thank you, Kitty." Matt grinned down at her. "I really appreciate it."

"Uh hum." Kitty shook her head. "But you're going to owe me."

Knowing the saloon was now closed and no one was down there with them, Matt grinned and leaned over, capturing her lips with a soft kiss. "I will pay it gladly." He grinned.

The next morning, when Matt arrived at the hotel with the real Ann, Kitty frowned. Matt had shown her the picture of the girl he was supposed to pick up and this girl looked nothing like that.

"Uh, hello?" Kitty looked questionably up at Matt.

"Kitty, this is Ann." Matt answered.

"Ann?" She arched a brow.

"I know." Ann dropped her head. "I don't look like my picture because it's not my picture. I sent my sister's picture."

"Oh, I see." Kitty held back a chuckle as she considered the situation. Ann had done the same thing to Chester that he'd done to her.

Matt walked the two ladies into the hotel, taking his hat off as he did so. "Kitty will take good care of you, Miss Smithright. Anything you want. She really knows her way around this town." Matt grinned down at Kitty and got a glare and a 'huh' in return.

"I'll be back later." He said as he beat a hasty retreat.

Determining to have a talk with him later, Kitty offered a smile to Ann and took her up to her room, introducing her to the real Chester a few minutes later. Matt was waiting at the bottom of the staircase for her when she left them alone to talk.

"They talking?" He asked when she reached him.

"Uh huh." Kitty answered with an arched brow. "And I think you and I need to talk as well.

"About what?" Matt looked confused.

"Anything she wants? Who do I look like to you? The town welcome wagon?" She advanced on him, hands on hips. "And what was that crack about I really know my way around this town?"

Matt grinned and shook his head. "You look like one of the nicest people in town and the only woman I would ever trust to show and impressionable young girl around town. And I didn't mean that as a crack. I just wanted Ann to know that she could trust you the way I trust you."

Kitty's irritation was instantly replaced by his charm and lopsided grin and she couldn't help but grin in reply. "Come on," she took his arm. "Let's go over to the Long Branch to wait and I'll buy a beer."

END