Authors Note: There are lines from the movie in this chapter—only Cassie belongs to me, Meg is used with permission from Cougar.

This is the final chapter before the epilogue to this story, it's kind of a sad feeling knowing that this story is ending… but I am so glad that all of you have enjoyed it! Also, thanks again to all those who reviewed!

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The sound of gunfire began and Cassie shot an uneasy look at Meg but Meg was keeping her eyes trained forward. Cassie followed her friends gaze and she saw the train speeding past through the foliage.

Andrew held up his hand, he had specific orders, they were to wait for three gunshots that Frank would fire then they would burst from the woods with their guns blazing.

Cassie cocked her pistol; Andrew had scoffed at her shot gun and gave her one of his spare guns.

"It'll be easier to carry."

But would it be easier to shoot? Cassie was used to the shotgun; she didn't know how she could aim which such a small thing.

Horses were snorting and Cassie smoothed her hand down Bullet's mane, he could sense the tension in the air. She leant down and whispered soothingly in his ear. Just then there was a sound that was so loud Cassie jumped in her saddle and almost sent Bullet into a canter.

"Whoa!" She said, jerking back on her reins.

That had been a cannon shot.

The sound of three gunshots followed after and Andrew let out a strangled yell. Cassie kicked Bullet's haunches and raised her gun in the air; she screamed with all her might and fired her gun into the air.

It was a rush of sound, dust and green until they burst out of the forest. Andrew was shouting directions and other men were following suit.

"Catch Pinkerton's men!"

"Get them surrounded!"

"Fire!"

Cassie could hear the sound of glass breaking, Pinkerton's men and the other men on the train were breaking the glass so they could shoot through the windows.

Cassie urged Bullet forward; she looked around her and noticed that with all the men from Liberty and the resistance led by Frank they had Pinkerton's men outnumbered. A rider rode forth and pitched something through one of the broken windows.

Fire exploded and grey choking smoke filled the air, Bullet reared back and Cassie cried out trying to settle him. She couldn't get bucked off, she would be trampled. She drew Bullet's reins to the left and tapped her heels so that he ran in the opposite direction of the fire.

Cassie was too busy trying to keep a spooked Bullet under control that she didn't notice one of Pinkerton's men take aim on his mark. She didn't hear the shot in all the chaos, but she felt the burn and heard the scream tear from her lips as the bullet ripped through her flesh.

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Shouldn't being shot hurt more?

Cassie took a deep breath, all the noise that had assaulted her ears only moments before had ceased. She looked down at her left arm and saw the gaping fabric of her father's coat. She reached into the hole with trembling fingers, she was shot definitely she could feel the slippery warmth of blood but there was no gaping hole only what felt like a gash—hopefully it was not too deep.

"Cassie," Someone was speaking to her, she looked over at Andrew, and he had a worried look on his face. "Are you hurt? Were you shot?"

"Just a graze," Cassie replied, "I'm okay."

"They've surrendered!" Cassie wasn't sure but she thought those might be tears standing in Andrew's eyes. "Pinkerton's men! We did it!"

Cassie looked towards the stopped train, it was true, and men in navy uniforms were lining up being corralled by resistance members on horses. Cassie saw a familiar flash of blond hair that was pulled into a pleat. She saw someone climb up onto the back of Zee's horse.

"Let's go!" Andrew said, "We'll meet up with them up the hill."

Cassie wasn't sure she remembered how to command Bullet but somehow she managed to direct him up the hill. Her heart was pounding in her chest, she was so bloody close to Cole, and she was so close that if she called his name he could hear her. This time Cassie made sure to stop Bullet before she jumped off him. She rushed forward pushing through the men who were congratulating each other.

"Cole!" She cried, her voice sounded so strangled, so she took a deep breath and tried again. "Cole!"

Cole turned away from Jesse.

"Did you hear that?" He wondered, he could have sworn he heard someone call his name, he was about to brush it off when he heard it again. He looked past Jesse and could have sworn he was hallucinating.

Cassie was pushing through the crowd, she pulled her hat from her head and her hair spilled down her shoulders.

"Cole!" She cried again before finally she reached him.

"Cassandra?"

Cassie burst into tears and Cole strode over and gathered her into his arms, only allowing himself to truly believe she was there when he could touch her. After all these weeks he could finally touch her. He secured his arms around her waist and lifted her off her feet, spinning her around. He set her down and pulled back, she was openly crying and he felt near tears himself.

But she was smiling.

Cole took Cassie's face in her hands and planted a kiss on her mouth. She wrapped her arms around his neck tightly and when he pulled back she spoke quickly.

"I love you, I love you," she spoke the words so softly he barely heard her.

He kissed her again, "I was such a damn fool," he said pulling her close again.

"None of that matters now," Cassie replied, she looked over at Jesse and nearly dissolved in tears again. She managed to extract herself from Cole so that she could give Jesse a hug.

Jesse held her tight, "you never will learn will you girl?"

"Never," Cassie retorted brazenly, "and you love me for it."

"A girl after my own heart," Bob said loudly, and Meg gave him a playful swat.

"Where did you get all these riders?" Jesse asked.

"We didn't," Frank replied, he was still on his horse, "Zerelda did. Turns out your wife makes a damn good outlaw."

"So what are you going to do now?" Bob asked.

Jesse smiled at Zee, "I think me and Zee are going to get us a farm, in Tennessee."

Cole turned to Jesse, "you wouldn't want to ride with the Younger Gang for a while?"

Jesse snorted and clapped a hand on Cole's shoulder, "bye boys," he winked at Cassie and kissed Meg on the cheek before he climbed up onto Zee's horse.

Cole couldn't stop looking at her, was it possible that after everything that she was here? Was it possible that she could have forgiven him? And did she mean the words she hadn't meant for him to hear?

"Your gaping Cole Younger," Cassie said grinning happily. "So, you gonna move to Tennessee?"

"If I do it won't be before I get home and tell my mother I'm all right." And it won't be alone, he finished silently.

Cassie took hold of Cole's hand and he helped her back up onto Bullet, he saddled up on his own horse and then rode over to her, he took hold her hand again and kissed it.

Cassie made a promise to herself then. No matter what happened when they got home, even if they had to move to the territory up north—she would never be without him again.

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Endnote: I know that in the movie that Cole did not stop being an outlaw, but for the sake of this story and for the sake of happy ever after—he is!