Revenge

A Sequel to The Contract

By

AZgirl66

Chapter 17- The Awakening

Doc rocked on the porch swing, sitting with his arm tightly around Adam's shoulders. They waited in silence for the trio of knights to return home with the queen of the castle and two of her little princesses. Everyone just had to return in one piece, for that Doc prayed. And please, Lord, let no more harm have come to Kitty.

"Grandpa, look!" Adam exclaimed as he stood pointing down the road, "Here comes Daddy! And I think that's Mama, too."

Doc groaned as he steadied himself onto the porch. He wasn't nearly as spry as his six-year-old grandson. He squinted to see the approaching riders.

"Abelia!" he alerted, "They're comin'!"

Abelia ran out onto the porch, wiping her hands on her apron. "Doc," she began, her voice shaky, "I don't see Festus. And Kitty's on Ruth…" she wrung her hands.

"Now, now. That doesn't mean a thing," he wrapped his arm around her shoulders, giving her a light squeeze. "Where are Ezra and Scarlett?"

Abelia kept her eyes on the approaching riders, "Upstairs playing with blocks in the boys' room. Matthew's keepin' an eye on 'em. They've been bathed and they've eaten."

"I know Kitty will be grateful."

"Grandpa! Look! Daddy has Addie!"

Doc held his breath. He'd also noticed that the child did not seem to be moving. Lord, let her just be asleep. Please, I beg you.

"Doc!" Matt shouted from several yards out, "She's alive! I just don't want t' jostle her too much."

Doc descended the steps to receive his eldest grandchild. Abelia followed, ready to snatch a wet and disgruntled Maggie from her mother. Adam had remained on the porch, standing off to the side, merely as an observer.

Once Matt dismounted, he reclaimed Addie from Doc's arms.

"Take her to the study, Matt. After you men left, I readied my bed-just in case."

Matt quickly strode into the home, with Kitty directly on his heels. Doc had noticed that the worried mother hadn't spoken one word. He'd also noticed that her blouse was missing a couple of buttons and the garment was not buttoned correctly, with a piece of torn chemise peeking out the bottom.

Matt placed Addie on her grandpa's daybed, noticing that Doc had readied some cleansers and instruments, just in case he'd need them.

"What happened?" Doc asked as he checked Addie's pupils.

"We don't really know. It was utter chaos when she got hurt. Festus shot the woman who'd been holding them hostage, and Addie went down at the same time," Matt quickly explained, hooking his thumbs in his belt loops, keeping his focus on his little girl.

"No blood, I see," Doc lifted her arms and rolled her onto her side. He gently caressed the back of her head, "There we are," he tilted his head to the side, staring at the wall while he used his hands to explore her skull.

"Doc?" Matt asked.

"When she fell, she must've hit her head on something. She's got one hell of a goose egg back here…"

Kitty suddenly let out a sob that practically shook the walls of the small room. "I think I'm gonna be sick," she uttered, clutching her midsection with one arm, her other hand covering her mouth.

Matt hurriedly handed her the trash bin, into which she immediately emptied the meager contents of her stomach.

"Oh, God…" she shuddered, wiping her mouth with the back of her hand.

Doc looked at Matt over his spectacles, then nodded his head toward Kitty. "I need you two t' give me some room here."

"I'm not leaving her," Kitty bit out, still trying to catch her breath, her hands shaking.

"Yes, you are. You need to go get cleaned up. I don't want you giving the child any kind of infection. Once you've done that and spoken with Adam, you can return," Doc continued his examination.

"Adam?" Kitty seemed confused. She blinked slowly, trying to understand what she'd been told.

"Yes," Doc turned to face her, "your six-year-old son who ran as fast as he could to get help for his mother and sisters. That sweet boy came in here," Doc wiped away a tear before it could fall, "just frantic. Once Matt and the men left, Adam cried for a solid half hour. Then he rode his birthday pony to Abelia's, asking her for help."

Kitty looked at the floor. She whispered, "I thought he was afraid to ride Pepper alone."

"He was," Doc gently spoke, "But he was more afraid for the safety of his mother and sisters," he clasped Kitty's hand between both of his and gave it a squeeze as she exited the room.

XXXXXXXX

Kitty stood in the outdoor shower, her hands pressed against the wooden wall to help her stand. She sobbed uncontrollably with each pull of the chain. The conversation with her middle son replaying in her head.

"Mama, I was so scared. I runned as fast as I could t' get home t' Daddy. I fell once, but I got right back up," Adam began his story, sitting upon Kitty's lap as she rocked him on the porch.

"I'm so proud of you, Adam. You were so brave," Kitty kissed the boy's forehead while rubbing his back.

"I hope you're not mad."

"Baby, why would I be mad?"

"I lost my pants. When I ran away I left my pants by the pond. 'Member, Mama?" the small boy pursed his lips.

"Of course I remember. And I'm not mad. You did exactly what I asked you to do, my middle prince. You rode Pepper all the way to Abelia's, too! You're our hero, Honey."

"A HERO?! Wow…I've never been a hero before," he spontaneously threw his arms around his mother's neck and slowly began to weep. A cry so deep, Kitty felt it ripple through her own body.

She rocked him in her rocking chair, whispering soothing words of love into his perfect little ear.

As the cries became whimpers and the whimpers became sniffles, Adam whispered into his mama's ear, "I'm so glad yer home, Mama. I was so scared. I love you so much."

Kitty could no longer hold back her own torrent of salty tears. She and Adam hugged and cried until the sun was nearly set.

Abelia stood outside the outdoor shower, listening to Kitty sob. She'd figured her friend must be freezing by now.

"Kitty?" she softly called, knocking on the shower gate.

"Ye-yes? Kitty sniffled, "Is Addie awake?"

"Not yet. Doc says her brain needs t' rest up. But Maggie needs t' eat. I figure you can feed her right before you dress and then later I can give her some goat's milk so you can rest," Abelia held a towel over the shower gate, "Ezra and Scarlett are ready for bed. But they want t' see their mama. Matthew's helping Festus and Moose with the night feed."

"Thank you," Kitty murmured, her voice hoarse, "I'll be right out."

XXXXXXXX

"Matthew, why don'tcha go t' the li'l barn and take care a the cows? Then go t' th' goat pen. If ya do that real quick, start with the hay fer the family horses," Festus instructed.

"Yes, Uncle Festus," Matthew Jr. nodded, heading for the small barn.

"Matthew?" Festus called after the boy.

"Yes, Sir?" he glanced over his shoulder.

"I'm real proud a ya, Boy. Miz Abelia tol' me what a big help ya was t'day with yer brothers and sister, and ya even killed us some rabbits fer supper," Festus smiled.

"Thanks, Uncle Festus. I skinned 'em, too. My daddy asked me t' do everything I could t' help."

"Wael, ya shore done did that," Festus winked at the boy, "Now git t' yer chores."

Festus turned toward the big barn. He noticed Moose standing close by, his arms folded across his chest.

"That child shore loves ya, Festus. He'd try t' move the moon if ya asked 'im to," Moose smiled weakly.

"I love that there boy like he was m' own," Festus began to walk toward the big barn, Moose at his side, "Miz Kitty, Matthew, and the young 'uns…" he gazed at the darkening sky, "they's m' family. I'd go through thunder and fire fer 'em. Doc, too."

"Yer a lucky man. I don't got no one left now," Moose started to scoop grain, "and now I don't even got a job."

Festus stopped pitching hay into the stalls, "What in tarnation are ya talkin' 'bout? Ya got a job…Right 'ere at the Triple D."

Moose didn't want to look at Festus. He simply continued to scoop grain into the horses' pans. He took a deep breath, "Like the marshal wants a fella around whose brother kidnapped his missus and two girls…"

Festus placed his hand on Moose's shoulder, his voice sincere, "Golly bill, Moose, it ain't like that here. Matthew is a fair man. He don't judge people by what theys family done did."

"I'll guess we'll find out soon 'nuff," Moose commented, getting back to his job.

XXXXXXXX

Kitty sat vigil at her daughter's bedside, the rest of the children in bed. It wasn't very late, but everyone was in need of a good night's sleep. She'd had a private chat with Matthew, Jr., praising him for being such a great helper, especially in preparing the rabbits for Miss Abelia to roast. She'd also spent some time loving on Ezra and Scarlett, only telling them what they needed to know; that Addie'd had an accident and she needed to rest.

The worried mother stroked her daughter's hair, telling her stories about her own childhood. She continued, speaking softly, "Then there was the time when me and my best friend, Lucy, decided t' spy on her parents while they were having a fancy dinner party. I'd been staying at their house for a few days, because my mother wasn't feeling well," Kitty paused, thinking about that innocent time in her life. If she'd only known that her mother wouldn't have had that much more time on this Earth…

Matt entered the dimly lit room, holding two cups of coffee.

"Hi, Honey. Am I interrupting?" he grinned, trying to offer his wife support.

She accepted the proffered coffee cup, "Thanks. And no. I was just trying t' tell Addie some stories. Doc said it's good t' talk to her."

Matt sat next to Addie on the edge of the bed. He held Kitty's cheek in the palm of his hulking hand, "You look tired. Why don't you head up to-"

"No," Kitty flatly stated, "it's still early. And what if she wakes up and I'm not here?"

"Okay," he looked at the cup in his lap, "Let's discuss something, then."

Kitty didn't care for her husband's tone. "O K A Y," she drawled, "What would you like t' talk about?"

Matt took a long sip of his coffee. He looked her in the eye, "Your blouse."

She stared down at her dress, "My blouse?"

"The one you were wearing earlier t'day."

"Oh."

"You gonna tell me what happened out there? Why you were missing buttons and how your chemise got torn?" Matt's eyes softened his words. He reached out and placed his hand on top of Kitty's knee.

"I, um…I tried to…well, I came up with a plan," Kitty looked at her lap, rotating her coffee cup, trying to figure out how to tell Matt about her actions.

Matt bit the inside of his cheek in an attempt to quash his anger, "A plan, huh?"

"Uh-huh," she still didn't look up.

"Go on…"

"He-Weston-ogled me while I nursed Maggie," Kitty deeply inhaled and slowly exhaled, "He said he wanted t' taste me…" she took in Matt's expression, biting her bottom lip.

"And?"

"And," Kitty began to anger, "I came up with a plan for Addie to run away with the baby. I told her once I had Weston outside, t' run away as fast as she could…"

"Obviously, that didn't happen," Matt filled in the blank for her.

"Boy, no wonder you're a marshal," Kitty sarcastically spat.

Matt stood and paced behind Kitty's chair. She turned her torso toward her husband, her arm hooked over the top of the chair.

"So…what happened outside?" Matt whispered, not able to look at his wife.

"Oh, Matt…does it even matter?!"

"Hell, yes, it matters, Kitty!" he whisper-yelled, stopping to look at her, "It matters if a man raped you!"

"Lower your voice, Matthew Dillon," she hissed, standing next to Addie. She whispered, turning her back to her husband, "And I wasn't…raped," tears slipped down her flushed cheeks as she stroked Addie's forehead with a cool cloth.

"Your blouse?" Matt stood behind Kitty, resting his hands on her shoulders.

"I let him…I tried to buy time for Addie t' run away with Maggie."

"You let him…what?"

Kitty turned to face Matt. She looked completely defeated, her eyes downcast. She finally spoke, "You're a smart man, Matt. He watched me feed our baby. You tell me what he…" she closed her eyes, unable to finish.

"Oh, Kitty," Matt sighed, enveloping her in his arms. He kissed her forehead and then they heard it. A tiny wisp of a voice.

"Ma…ma. Mama…"

Both parents startled and turned toward the bed.

"Addie? Baby?" Kitty could barely speak.

"Da…ddy?"'

"I'm here, Pumpkin. I'm here."

Kitty stroked the girl's brow, tears trickling down her cheeks, "We're both here, Honey. We're all home and safe."

Addie's eyes slowly flickered open. She blinked rapidly, whispering, "I knew Daddy," she swallowed hard, "would save us…"

TBC