The Contract

An ATC to Mannon

By

AZgirl66

Chapter 19-Moment of Truth (1)

Kitty stumbled as Mannon pushed her into the dark bedroom of their small farmhouse. She gritted her teeth, managing to keep herself upright by grabbing the iron footboard with both hands. She hissed, trying to catch her breath, "Ya don't have to push me, Will. Ya almost knocked me down."

"Well look who's found her voice again," Mannon chirped, as he lit a lamp, giving the room a soft yellow glow. "Ya didn't say a word on the way back t' the house," he took a deep drag off of his cigar.

Kitty didn't turn around. She kept her back to Mannon, not wanting him to see the fear in her eyes. Oh, God…why did he return early?

"Will…I gotta sit down," Kitty spoke softly, taking a deep breath in through her nose and exhaling slowly through her mouth. She was trying to ward off the cramping she was beginning to feel in the lower part of her belly.

"C'mon over here, Darlin'," Mannon wrapped his arm around Kitty's shoulders and lead her to a bench she'd been using as a vanity seat for the last few months.

Kitty slowly lowered herself onto the bench and inhaled deeply once again. "Will?" she didn't look in Mannon's direction.

"Ma'am?" he replied, cigar dangling from his half-opened lips.

"Can you put that out?" Kitty closed her eyes as she rested her head against the palms of her hands, elbows resting on the small table in front of her. She rubbed her temples, hoping to get relief from her throbbing headache.

"Listen, Woman-"

"The smell's gonna make me puke. Please…" Kitty interrupted. She never looked up nor opened her eyes.

Mannon crushed the orange glow of his cigar tip on the bottom of his boot. He took one small step and stood behind Kitty, staring at her reflection through the looking glass. He ran his hand over the length of her hair, leaning over to inhale her sweet, feminine scent.

"Red, you smell so damn good," he moved her long hair to one side and began to kiss the curve of her neck, moaning in pleasure.

Kitty sat still until she just couldn't take it anymore. She sat up straight and jerked her shoulder back in an effort to get Mannon to back off.

"Well, well…I didn't realize you wanted to play rough tonight, Darlin'," Mannon stood to his full height and yanked Kitty up by her shoulders. He dragged her over to the side of the bed and threw her onto her back, holding her arms above her head with one hand.

All Kitty could do was cry, "Please…please…don't, Will! It hurts…please!" she closed her eyes and shook her head from side to side.

Mannon grabbed her face with his free hand and held her head still. "Red," he commanded, "open those beautiful, blue eyes-now!"

Kitty slowly opened her eyes, releasing a salty torrent of tears. "Please…" she nearly choked, "I'm begging you…after…I swear to you…" her voice trailed off.

"After WHAT?" Mannon spit out, leaning closer to her face, his eyes wide open and nostrils flaring.

Kitty continued to sob, "After the…baby…comes," she sniffled, "I'll do…whatever…you want…ow!"

"If you think I'M WAITIN' till –"

Mannon's tirade was cut short by a deep, angry voice, authoritatively shouting from outside, "Mannon! Show yourself, ya coward!"

Mannon tilted his head to the side, releasing Kitty's hands. He made sure his gun belt was in its rightful position before he glanced back down at Kitty. She laid stock still on the bed, her big blue eyes opened wide.

"Mannon! I know you're in there…" the voice from outside growled.

"The day has finally come, Red," Mannon crooned, smiling wickedly, while he grabbed Kitty's shoulders, "I wonder what I'll see in your eyes when he's dead."

Mannon winked at Kitty before turning swiftly towards the sitting room.

"NO!" Kitty shrieked as she rolled herself off the bed, scurrying to catch up with Mannon. "Please…stop, Will!" Kitty grabbed Mannon's right arm and held on for dear life while he tried to turn the doorknob.

Mannon swatted at Kitty with is left hand, as if she were a pesky fly, but she continued to pull on his shooting arm.

"Hey, Dillon! I've got a surprise for ya! A little guest of honor for our duel!" Mannon shouted as he opened the door, shoving Kitty onto the porch first, using her as a human shield.

Matt Dillon could not believe his eyes. There on the porch of a small farm house, on the outskirts of the tiny town of Deep Ford near Osage Indian Territory, stood the woman he loved more than life itself. He had finally found her. And just like in his strange dream, she was heavy with child.

Kitty looked directly at her beloved Matt Dillon, tears streaming down her face, her hands clasped together under her swollen belly, supporting their child.

"Matt!" Kitty found her voice, albeit shaky, "Matt, you have to leave…now! Please…turn around and go home, Cowboy…" Kitty sobbed uncontrollably, weakly saying, "It will all be for nothing…"

Mannon smiled like the devil he was, reaching his left hand around Kitty's side to stroke her belly. "Looky here, Dillon! This is MY baby inside a your former woman! See that?! This is MY son she carries!" Mannon forced Kitty down the porch stairs, so all three of them were now standing but yards apart.

"Shut up, Will!" Kitty shouted as she stumbled and tried to wriggle out of Mannon's grasp. To get better control of his captive, Mannon grabbed one of her arms and bent it up behind her back.

"Let her go, Mannon! I mean it!" Matt took a few large steps forward, trying to get closer to Kitty.

Kitty let out a peculiar sound, something between a groan, a sob and a whistle, "Ow, oh, God…It hurts so bad…please, oh, God…" Kitty would have fallen to the ground if Mannon didn't have such a firm hold on her, as her legs gave out.

"Get up, Red!" Mannon commanded through gritted teeth, still holding her body in front of his.

Matt taunted, "Mannon, you pretend to be a big, brave man. You're nothing but a yellow-bellied killer! A rapist to boot! Why you're no better than a-"

"MANNON!" came a thundering, gravelly voice from Mannon's right side.

All heads snapped towards the sound of the booming voice. Mannon shoved Kitty off to the side, so he could face his potential assailant.

Kitty stumbled, with gunshots exploding through the air. She landed with a thud on the hard ground, a large weight collapsing on top of her back.

"Matt!" Kitty cried from underneath Mannon's bloodied body, "Oh, Matt, help me!" At the same instant, two other voices were calling out.

One gravelly, baritone yelling, "Mrs. Mannon!"

The other deep, commanding, familiar voice shouting, "Hold it! Drop your weapon! Then kick it away from you!"

Moose froze in his tracks, dropped his gun, raised his arms into the air and kicked his gun several feet towards the house. He never took his eyes off of Kitty, lying prostrate on the ground only a few feet away with Mannon's blood pooling all around her.

"Help her...please!" Moose gestured towards the lady he had come to admire, blood trickling down his left arm.

Matt was already at Kitty's side, holstering his weapon, "Kitty, Honey," He knelt down to shove Mannon off of her.

The emotional marshal rolled a hysterical Kitty onto her back, the sight of dirt mixed with blood all over her nightgown almost too much for Matt to bear.

"Matt…Matt," Kitty cried, "Is he dead? Please tell me he's dead…" she grabbed Matt's shirt-front, searching his gentle, blue eyes.

He nodded his head towards Moose, asking, "Could ya check for me?"

Matt lifted up Kitty's shoulders, hugging her desperately. He gently kissed her forehead, noting that she felt slightly fevered.

Moose put his hands down, grabbed his upper left arm and squatted over Mannon's body, "He's dead, Marshal. I got him square in the chest."

Matt asked him, "You get hit?"

Moose stood, gesturing towards his injury, "He just winged me. That second it took to push his Missus out of the way saved me."

"I think I'm gonna be sick," Kitty cried to no one in particular, her head rolling back on her neck.

"Is Mrs. Mannon okay?" Moose questioned, his eyes wide with panic.

Mrs. Mannon? Matt raised his eyebrows and shook his head. Focusing, he questioned the burly, bearded man before him, "Do you know where the doctor is?"

"He's not in town, I know that much," Moose answered.

Kitty moaned in pain, grabbing her belly, "He's out at...the Kapp's…baby there…" she bit out while fighting a contraction.

Matt lifted Kitty into his arms and headed toward the farmhouse. He asked Moose over his shoulder, "Do you know the Kapps?"

"No sir, but I'll head inta town and find out who does."

"Ask around for a Festus Haggen, too. He's my deputy. We split up to find Kitty," Matt implored.

Moose turned on his heels and took off in search of help for the lovely redhead.

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Matt sat Kitty upright on the side of the bed. She leaned over and braced her hands on her knees, pushing her arms straight. She took another deep breath in through her nose and released it slowly out through her mouth.

She whispered, "Matt…I'm gonna be sick. The bin…" She pointed to the wastepaper bin next to the dresser as her stomach began to rebel. Matt grabbed the bin and held it up, just in time for Kitty to retch. Matt scrunched up his face and turned his head to the side, keeping his eyes closed.

When the violent sound of Kitty vomiting ended and the sounds of her trying to catch her breath began, Matt smiled at her, gently stroking her back.

"Oh, Honey. Let me get you a cloth," Matt went into the small kitchen and placed the bin in a corner. As he searched for a cloth to dampen, he took inventory of the small residence. Neat and clean, small, but with all the creature comforts of an everyday farm home. So this is where you've been, Matt thought to himself, Mrs. Mannon…I'll have to ask about that.

After he'd wrung out the cloth he'd found in a bucket, Matt poured Kitty a glass of water from a pitcher and he slipped back into the soft glow of the bedroom.

Kitty was now upright, pacing around the room. Matt approached her, "Come 'ere, Sweetheart," he soothed as he wiped her mouth clean. "How ya feelin'?" Matt asked softly, handing Kitty the water glass.

"Terrible. Something's wrong, Matt," Kitty drank a couple of sips of water and rubbed the sides of her belly, her body beginning to shake.

"First things first," Matt encouraged, trying to remain calm for both of them, "let's get you cleaned up a bit and put a fresh nightgown on ya."

Kitty nodded in the affirmative as she scrunched her face and closed her eyes, waiting for the contraction to pass.

"Gown in the…top drawer," she pointed, catching her breath.

She pulled her dirty gown up to her waist, before sitting down on the bed.

Matt approached her with a clean, white cotton nightgown, watching as this beautiful woman slowly lifted her arms, wordlessly pleading for his help.

He couldn't help but smile as he grabbed the bottom of the dirty gown and pulled it off over Kitty's head.

"Kitty!" Matt gasped as he noticed the fading strap mark across her pregnant belly.

"Matt," Kitty let one tear slip from her still blackened-eye, crossing her arms in front of her breasts, "Please…not now. I just can't…right now."

"Okay, Honey," but before he could put the clean gown over her head, a slow trickle of liquid began to puddle on the floor, right in between Kitty's feet.

"Uh-Kitty?" Matt looked puzzled.

"Oh, no!" Kitty gasped, leaning over to confirm her suspiscions.

She grabbed the clean gown from Matt and only pulled it on to meet her waistline, waiting for the trickling to stop, muttering the whole time, "It's too soon…oh, Baby…it's too soon…no, no…"

"Kitty? Honey? What does this mean?" Matt asked, his eyes opened wide, staring at the puddle.

"What do you think it means, Matt?!" an exasperated Kitty bit out.

"Matthew?!" the twang of their faithful friend shot through the house, "You an' Miz Kitty in here, are ya?"

"Yes, Festus," Matt answered, looking over his shoulder, "in here!"

"Matt!" Kitty gasped as she awkwardly stood, avoiding the puddle. She pulled her nightgown down the rest of the way, turning her back to the door.

Festus paused at the threshold of the bedroom, his hat in his hands, "Miz Kitty?" he whispered, glancing into the dimly lit room.

Kitty slowly turned to see her dear friend, tears in her eyes, "Hello, Festus."

Festus blinked rapidly, trying not to stare at her swollen belly, "Can I give ya a hug?" he asked softly.

"You'd better," Kitty shyly replied, as she held her arms wide open, "Oh, Festus, how can I thank you enough for being such a good friend?!" She couldn't stop the tears from flowing down her cheeks.

Festus embraced Kitty and whispered in her ear, "I'd die for ya, don'tcha know that b' now?"

"I do, I do…" Kitty's voice trailed off and her body stiffened with another slight contraction.

Festus backed away, "Did I hurt ya some?"

Kitty breathed deeply, leaving one hand on Festus' shoulder for support, "No, Festus. Seems, I'm a….havin' a baby," Kitty forced a smile.

"Well, golly bill, Miz Kitty, I can shore see that with m' own eyeballs," the hillman nodded his head.

"I think she means soon, Festus," Matt joined in the conversation, "as in, tonight."

"Well, I'll be…" Festus stared at Kitty's stomach, not sure what he should say under the circumstances.

Matt tapped Festus on the arm to break his trance, "Is the doctor coming?"

"Yes sir," Festus turned his full attention to Matt, "that Moose fella sent a feller named Albert t' fetch the doc on some farm."

"And where is Moose?" Matt inquired, standing tall and looping his fingers atop his belt.

"He's got the feller at the barber shop cleanin' his arm up." Festus shook his head, "I cain't believe Moose got the drop on ol' Mannon. Mannon was fast as lightnin'. I oughta know."

Kitty sat on the edge of the bed, staring at the small puddle on the floor, trying to keep her composure. Mannon actually pushed me out of the way. Was that to protect me? The child?

Festus continued, "And Matthew, you won't believe it. Moose said t' me real quiet like, 'You tell that marshal I'm glad he got m' telygram.'"

"What?!" Kitty looked up at the men, "What telegram?"

"Kitty," Matt began, kneeling next to her, "Doc forwarded a message to me that someone sent a telegram to me in Dodge, saying you were here."

"Oh," Kitty sighed, looking down at her folded hands, obviously lost in her thoughts.

"Honey," Matt whispered, "Festus and I rode all over Kansas, Iowa, parts of Missouri. Thank God for Moose's telegram."

"And his quick draw," Festus added.

TBC