Chapter 5! Gonna be Sadie and Arthur, out and about. Not exactly exciting, but will provide some information and some fun. Also, please try and guess the origin for the name of Arthur's horse, Spirit!

Sadie couldn't explain it. She'd been happier these past few days than she had thought possible. She hadn't felt this happy in a long time, at least since Jake had died. Everything seemed so much brighter, so much clearer.

Well, maybe she could explain it. She had spent most of the past few days with Arthur.

2 days ago

"Hey, Arthur!" Sadie walked up to his tent, baking in the hot Lemoyne sun. "You got anything going on today?"

The man finished slipping his boots on, tucking his pant legs inside. "Not much, why?"

"Because," she replied, sitting down on his cot next to him, "I was thinking you and I might be able to go somewhere and talk." She leaned in and planted a kiss on his cheek.

"That all you've got planned, Miss Adler?" He teased. She punched him in the arm.

"You're such an asshole," she rebuked him, but she was chuckling as well.

"That I am," he replied, placing his lips on hers. "But I'm yours."

She hummed into the kiss, then drew away. "So. You okay to come with me?"

"Anything for you, Miss Adler."

They rode out to Citadel rock, setting up a small lean-to to avoid the suffocating heat of the sun. Sadie sat down opposite Arthur, facing the horses hitched behind the temporary structure. She decided to get the questions over and answered.

"So what is it? What you did when you saved me?"

"I'm not sure," he replied. "I don't even know if someone else knows of it besides the two of us."

"Does it have a name?"

"Not really. I never had to talk about it before, or anyone to talk about it with."

"How about Deadeye?" she suggested.

"Doesn't sound too bad," Arthur replied. "But... why would you want to name it that?"

"Well..." Sadie sighed. "That's what happens to your eyes when you use it. They look... dead."

"Oh." He looked away from her and up at some birds flying overhead. "Deadeye it is, then."

"Have you always been able to use it?"

"No." Arthur took a deep breath. "It didn't show up until after-" His voice cracked and he looked away.

Sadie scooted closer on the grassy hill. She laid her hand on his. "It's okay. You don't have to tell me."

"Thank you," came the rough reply. Arthur turned back, his eyes glassy. "But I think... I think I want to."

"Okay. Take your time." Sadie wrapped her arms around him and fell silent.

They sat there for a few minutes, the only sound the wind and Arthur's deep breaths.

"It first showed up after I- after I lost Eliza and Isaac."

"Who were they?" Sadie hoped the question wasn't too personal.

"Isaac was- he was my son." Arthur's voice cracked again and he closed his eyes. He opened them to look up at the sky. "Eliza was the mother." He fell silent again.

He chuckled mirthlessly. "It happened years ago. I shouldn't still be feeling this. But I- I can't get over their deaths."

Sadie held him close once more. "I know. I know. It won't ever go away. I wish it would, but I guess there's some things we don't ever move past."

Emboldened by Sadie's words, Arthur continued. "As I said, it was years ago. I had only been with the gang a few months. I met Eliza serving tables at a saloon. We spent a night together, slept together. I had no idea that I'd gotten her pregnant, not until she wrote me a few months later. I left the gang for a few weeks when she had Isaac, and came back to them for about a week every few months. Then one day-" his voice hitched.

"Then one day, I showed up and the house was silent, and the door was open. Eliza always kept the door shut, unless she was sweeping." His eyes took on a faraway look, lost in memories. "They were both... they were both gone. I found traces of blood, but there were no bodies. I searched the property and found two shallow graves. I hunted down the men who did it. They told me they'd been trying to rob the house, that they hadn't been expecting the residents to be home. They shot Eliza and Isaac dead when they saw 'em. They shot my boy dead. They-" Arthur's voice trailed off and he finally she'd the tears he'd been holding. Sadie let him, simply holding him like there was nowhere else she could be on Earth.

After another few minutes, Arthur regained his composure. "They hadn't even found anything. They got ten dollars out of Eliza's lock box. They shot my boy and his mother dead for ten fucking dollars." His hands began shaking, this time with rage.

"What did you do?" Sadie whispered the question.

"One of 'em drew on me. I froze. I couldn't let their killers walk away alive. That's when it first..." he searched for the word. "Manifested."

"Oh." Sadie rested her head against Arthur's chest, listening to his heart. Despite its elevated status, it still soothed her. "Arthur?"

"Yeah?" He asked, his voice thick.

"What is it like? Your Deadeye?"

He scratched his chin thoughtfully. "You know how pictures look black and white when they come out?" She nodded in response. "Well, it's a lot like that. Except instead of black and white and shades of gray, it's got a sort of yellowish tint to everything. Like being in a sandstorm, I guess."

She nodded, waiting for him to find words to continue. "When I'm using it, everything slows down. I can move faster and react faster than anyone else I know because everyone else is moving slower than me."

"That's amazing," Sadie said. "I guess that explains how you can shoot five cougars with a bow."

Arthur let out a bark of a laugh. "Of course! No way I could get 'em otherwise, not with a bow at least. Any other time I just use a gun."

Sadie snickered into his shoulder. "That's what I thought."

They fell silent, letting them just sit together in silence for a while.

Sadie smiled at the memory while she walked through camp, her feet leading her inexorably to Arthur's tent. She spotted him sitting at his cot, writing in his journal.

"You're always writing in there," she said, causing him to jump in surprise. She chuckled at how far deep he'd been in his writing. "Makes a girl wonder what you put in there."

"As much as I would love to have you pore over my thoughts," he replied, closing the book and tucking it away, "I'm afraid I can't let you see it. Some of that stuff is best left on the page and up here." He tapped a finger against his head.

Sadie faked a pout, then bent down and kissed his nose. "Okay. Have your secrets, honey."

"Honey, eh?" He stood, taking hold of her arms. His head tilted to the side, pondering the nickname. "I guess I can put up with that." He looked down at her. "So is this little visit just for the pleasure of my company, or do you want something?"

"Mm, a little of both," she replied, nuzzling into his jacket. God, he smelled heavenly. "I wanted to go to Strawberry."

"Okay, I can have the horses saddled and ready in-"

She shushed him with a finger against his lips. "I was thinkin' maybe we take the train. Make it a day. Or two."

"Alright, then." He put on his hat, and they embarked.

They decided to forego the horses, and walking from Clemens Point to Rhodes wasn't that long of a walk anyway. They took their time, just enjoying the world around them and each other's company.

They reached the station around midday, and Arthur paid for the tickets. They took a pair of seats near one of the doors, next to a man reading a newspaper. The man noticed their arrival and scooted to the corner seat.

"So what do you need in Strawberry?" Arthur asked.

"Just picking up something," Sadie replied. "A gift, I guess you could call it."

"A gift? For who?"

"That's for me to know, and for you to find out," she said, tapping his nose.

He leaned back against the wall and sighed. "You are going to be the death of me, Sadie Adler."

"Sadie?" A man approached, his cane tapping urgently against the floor.

"Pa?" Sadie replied, standing up.

"What?" Arthur asked, confused. He stood as well, putting a hand on her shoulder. He gave the man a suspicious glare. "Sadie, who is this guy?"

"Sadie, who is this man?" The stranger asked her right after Arthur. "Where is your husband?"

"Sorry, Arthur," Sadie answered him first. "I should probably make introductions." She turned to the newcomer. "Pa, this is Arthur." She turned back to Arthur. "Arthur, this is my father. John Moses Browning."

Yep. I did that. Why? Because I looked at the data, saw an opportunity, and seized it by the throat. It does historically work, and Sadie's parents are unknown, so this doesn't even break canon.

Thanks to those who review, especially Phillipe363. Your reviews are incredibly insightful, helpful, and detailed.

Next chapter will be... interesting. Gonna have some fun with this.