A Nightmare Come True

Mari and Zee were grooming the horses when Zee's contractions started and Jesse carried her back up to their house. Cole rode to Liberty to fetch Doc Mims and after three agonizing hours Zee gave birth to a beautiful baby girl, Alice. She and Jesse sat on the bed holding their daughter and smiling from ear to ear.

Jim had been keeping the twins occupied out in the barn by getting them to help clean the horse tack. They had just finished when Mari popped her head round the barn door.

"I hope you two are behaving your selves" She smiled as she hugged her daughter.

"We are, what's wrong with auntie Zee mummy?" Lizzy asked.

"She's had a baby" Mari smiled.

"Is it a girl or a boy?" Joe smiled.

"It's a little girl."

"Can we see her?" Joe shouted.

"Well ask daddy first"

"Please can we go and see her daddy?" Lizzy begged as she pulled on her dad's hand.

"I suppose so" Jim smiled as he picked up his daughter and carried her out the barn over his shoulder. Joe after his dad laughing as his sister.

"Right you have to be quiet now" Jim said as he put Lizzy down on the porch. The twins nodded and put their fingers to their lips.

"Shhhh"

"Come on then" Smiled Jim as he led the way into the house.

"Hey Cole how's Zee doin'?" Jim smiled as his brother came out the bedroom.

"She's doin' ok and so's lil' Alice May." Cole smiled.

"I take it you two monkeys wanna see your new friend" Frank said as he took his feet down off the table.

"Yes please" Joe smiled.

"Go on through kids, but keep the noise down"

Joe and Lizzy went into the bedroom and each held the new baby.

That night Zee slept soundly for the first time in months. Alice May woke only once but went back to sleep after a lullaby from Jesse. The next morning Zee awoke to the sweet smell of the summer air, Jesse had opened the bedroom window slightly and the gentle breeze made Zee's skin tingle with happiness.

"Now everything will be ok" She smiled and went to wash and dress.

Mari and Zee decided to pay Mari's parents a visit and to go to then store in town and get some material for clothes and thread.

"Mari I really appreciate your help" Zee sighed as she and Mari walked back to the farm from the town.

"I've already told you Zee you've been there for me and now I'm returning the favor." As they reached the top of the hill where the farm sat they were met by an eerie silence.

"Their probably in the barn." Mari sighed and headed for Zee's house. "We'd best get this lot put away first and then I'll start on supper. Zee what's wrong?"

"I can't hear them" Zee said almost panicking.

"Zee come on your tired"

"Your right sorry" She sighed and followed Mari into her house and they put all the food away in the larder.

"I'll be back soon alright, why don't you have a sleep with Alice while I'm gone?" Mari smiled as she and the twins left for their house and to put their food away. Zee wandered to the bedroom and curled up on her bed with baby and slowly drifted to sleep.

"Mummy can we go find daddy?" Lizzy called.

"Not just yet I want you to help me put this away first then you can play until suppers ready and maybe for a little bit afterwards." Mari sighed as she started to put the food away. "Can you pass me a few things please?" She said as she put the bottle of whiskey on the top shelf of the twins' reach.

Soon Joe and Lizzy were running to the barn to find their dad.

"Daddy" Lizzy called as she and Joe pushed the heavy barn door open.

But their ears were met only by the calls of lambs to their mothers and the horses' munching their oats.

"Daddy we've come to help." Joe called. "Daddy why are you hiding?"

Mari was watching from the porch, she had started on a new dress for Lizzy as hers was getting to small.

"Mummy, Daddy's not there" Joe called as he struggled up the porch steps.

"Are the horses there?" Mari asked without looking up from her sewing.

"Yes but Uncle Cole and Daddy aren't"

"What?" Mari said and put her sewing on the chair next to her and running to the bedroom, she unlocked the trunk in the corner, the one in which she and Jim hid their guns and ammunition from their outlaw days.

"Joe stay inside please" Mari said as she slipped several bullets into a gun and hid it in the belt of her dress. She locked the trunk again and went to leave the house.

"Why?"

"Just do it please, I'll send Lizzy up in a minute and I want you to both stay in the house alright?" Joe nodded and ran inside.

"Lizzy come here sweetheart" Mari called as she reached the barn.

"What's wrong mummy?" The little girl asked.

"Nothing sweetheart I just want you to go to the house and stay with Joe please"

"Ok" Lizzy smiled and ran off to the house.

Mari opened the barn door and pulled out the gun.

"Boys it's Mari" She called but there was no reply. She wandered to the back of the barn and made her way back to the front checking the stables, and pens as she went but there was no sign of her husbands and his family. Then as she went to leave the barn she spotted several footsteps in the dirt, they led behind the hay bales in the corner and she cautiously approached them with her finger on the trigger of her gun.

"Hello," She called as she heard moaning form behind the bales as she looked around the bales and there on the floor lay a man in a dark suit, clutching his chest with a bloody hand.

"You're a pinkerton detective" Mari gasped. The man nodded and his hand slipped down form his chest as the life slipped form his body.

AN: This really is nearly the end but there's a couple more things I want to happen before it doe so keep reading and keep reviewing.