Arthur woke up feeling stiff. Joe was snoring beside him, so he reached over to smack him.

"Wha-?" Joe lurched awake. He blinked.

"You'll raise the dead if you keep that up," Arthur commented. "And you were supposed to keep watch."

"Shit. Sorry."

"Just don't let it happen again," Arthur replied.

"Well, you were supposed to take over at some point, so it's partly your fault," Joe said as he stood and stretched. Arthur just shook his head. He went outside and felt like something was off. He didn't know what, though, until he reached the house. Then he realized it was too quiet. He went inside, and he found Jesse holding a gun to Sara's head.

"Arthur," Jesse nodded. "Where is he?"

"You didn't have to slam the door in my face," Joe's voice said as he entered the house. Arthur closed his eyes briefly. There was no stopping it now. Joe halted to a stop upon seeing Jesse.

"Hello, Joe," Jesse said.

"Jesse. You're back," Joe replied. "You, uh, don't have to aim that at her."

Arthur could tell Sara was pissed off at being caught off guard.

"You gonna do anything stupid?" Jesse asked.

"Nope. Sara, just move to the couch and don't move, and he won't shoot you," Joe instructed. Jesse let Sara go, and she quickly sat on the couch. She looked back and forth between them and Jesse.

"Jesse, my loop is coming here," Joe started. "I'm gonna finish it and then make things right with Abe. I'll split with you whatever I get to keep. Scout's honor."

"That's a really shitty plan, Joe," Jesse smirked. "As long as there is a Gat Man standing, Abe will hunt you down and kill you."

"Oh, that's not nice," Joe said, trying to buy some time. Arthur was trying to formulate a plan, but he was drawing a blank.

"You're gonna come with me," Jesse told Joe. Then he turned to Arthur. "And you, well...Abe's pretty pissed that you got involved. He's gonna deal with you in a different way."

Arthur went to say something when a noise on the stairs behind him made them all turn to see Cid standing there. Jesse aimed his gun at him instantly, and Cid jerked back, losing his footing and starting to fall down the stairs. Arthur felt like it was happening in slow motion, and the air started to buzz and feel strange. He moved to assist Cid, but Sara launched herself into him and shoved him backwards toward the door. Joe started to walk backwards as they came at him, unsure of what was going on. Then his eyes widened as he saw Cid start to scream and Jesse get lifted in the air with everything else in the living room. Arthur was staring in shock as well at the scene before him, and he stopped resisting Sara's pushing.

All three of them burst out the door and fell to the ground just as the explosion happened, shattering glass everywhere. Then it was silent. Sara was lying on top of Arthur, who had instinctively grabbed her around the middle when they fell.

"What the hell?" Joe asked, sitting up. He looked at Sara, who was shaking as she got off of Arthur. She looked towards the house. Cid didn't come out. She got to her feet, panicked.

"He's the Rainmaker," Arthur said, shocked. All this time he had figured it was someone else. He wanted it to be someone else.

"He knows," Joe said. "Old Joe knows. He saw it through me somehow."

"Shit," Arthur said, jumping to his feet.

"Cid?" Sara called, rushing through the house. "CID?! Oh my God."

Arthur saw all the blood everywhere, and he felt nauseous. He felt even worse seeing the spot on the wall where Cid had been. The boy would be covered in blood. He started to breath heavily. Joe was on his heels. They burst out the back door, but Cid was nowhere to be found.

"CID!" Sara screamed.

"You knew he did this?" Joe demanded, glaring at her.

"How did Leslie die, Sara?" Arthur asked a bit angrily. "Was it like that?" He pointed back to the house. He was a bit angry himself. How could Cid do that?

"He gets scared," Sara cried. "He climbed a bookcase and it fell back on him. It exploded. He didn't mean to. He can't control it, but he'll learn to control it."

"Bull shit!" Joe exclaimed. "We know damn well what he does with it!"

"But he has me!" Sara shouted. "I can raise him to be good! He won't grow up to be a monster!"

Arthur realized that was probably the other reason she was afraid to tell him Cid was his son. She feared he would hate him for being like this.

"But he does," Joe said to Sara. "He does become a monster." Then he ran off into the cane.

"Oh my God," Sara sobbed. "He's gonna kill Cid." She started to run after Joe with Arthur on her heels. "CID! Stay away from Joe, baby!"

She ran faster than Arthur, and they got separated. Arthur didn't know what to think or feel. He eventually stumbled upon Joe, who was looking at a blood soaked Cid, and Cid was crying and leaning into his leg. The scene was heartbreaking. He really was just a little kid who had no idea what he'd done.

"Joe," Arthur said, approaching him. He hovered his hand over his gun. He knew he'd shoot Joe before letting him kill his son.

"I'm not gonna," Joe said, looking at him. "But we're gonna be in for a shit show here in less than twenty minutes. Old Joe knows he's here, and the gang knows I'm here."

Sara found them then, and Cid ran to her.

"You're okay," she told him, hugging him. "You're okay."

"You have to get out of here," Joe told her. "Now."

Sara looked at Arthur, who nodded.

"What about you?" she asked.

"We'll hold the fort here. I'll meet you somewhere later."

"Okay."

Sara took Cid's hand, and they hurried back to the farmhouse. Arthur looked at Joe.

"Well, brother," Joe said. "It all ends now, doesn't it?"

Arthur didn't hesitate to pull Joe into a hug.

"See you on the other side," he said.

"It's been wild," Joe smiled grimly. They separated and walked quickly back to the farmhouse. Joe stood guard while Arthur went inside to check on Sara and Cid. She was cleaning him up fast, and Arthur went to pack some things for them both while she did so.

"Promise you'll find me," she said to him when Cid clattered down the stairs to go to the truck Jesse had arrived in.

"I promise," Arthur nodded. She kissed him hard, and he kissed her back, hoping that this wasn't the last time he was going to see her. She squeezed his hands tightly and reluctantly let him go as she ran down the stairs after Cid. Arthur followed, and he walked over to Joe as they got into the truck to leave.

"Bye, Joe," Cid called from the window.

"Bye, Cid. You be good for her," Joe ordered.

"I will," Cid promised.

An engine revving and peeling into the driveway made them spin around.

"We're too late," Joe said, pulling out his gun. "It's him."

"Go," Arthur urged Sara. "Go, now."

"I fixed it!" Old Joe shouted at Joe after he got out. "It's over. Abe's dead. They're all dead. Take this truck with your gold and go live your life! No one is coming after you now."

Arthur didn't know what to think or feel. Abe was gone. He was free. He looked at Joe, who was breathing hard now.

"And you think killing this boy is going to fix it?" Joe asked, stalling.

"It is going to fix it. It's going to get our life back!" Old Joe exclaimed.

"I don't want to become like you!" Joe yelled at him. "I don't want that life!"

"You think you know what you're doing, but you don't," Arthur said now.

"I respected you," Old Joe said to him, seeing him now and recognizing him. "I looked up to you. Then you disappeared and abandoned me only to come back on your deathbed and tell me to smarten up, and I did. I found someone and I love her, and if you were me, you'd be doing the same damn thing to get your life back!"

"Not like this," Arthur shook his head. Seeing Old Joe move his hand towards his gun, he fired at him, making Old Joe duck for cover, and he jumped into the backseat of the truck with Cid, urging Sara to drive.

"Go!" Joe shouted at them, and she obeyed. Cid twisted to look back and saw Old Joe knock down Joe before firing at them.

"He can shoot us," he whimpered. "Stop."

"It's all right," Arthur assured him. "We'll be okay."

"Stop! STOP!" Cid was freaking out now.

"Cid, calm down," Sara tried.

"STOP!" Cid screamed. Arthur went to reach for him to comfort him, but he was too late. The truck flipped, and Sara screamed. Since Arthur wasn't belted in, he crashed around hard before landing on the roof as the truck landed upside down.

"Arthur," Sara said weakly. He groaned. He was hurting, but he was okay.

"Shit," he said. He twisted to his stomach and crawled out the broken window. Then he turned and went to help Cid get out. Sara was out in moments as well.

"What do we do?" Sara asked, afraid.

"Go for the field," Arthur urged. "Go now. I'll cover you."

"Okay," Sara agreed. She grabbed Cid's hand, and they ran for it. Arthur turned to see Old Joe right there, fist aiming for his face, and he ducked out of the way just in time. Obviously he had overpowered Joe, and Arthur briefly wondered if his brother was all right. They broke out into a fist fight, and Arthur regretted being the one to have taught him everything he knew about hand to hand combat. It was like trying to fight with a mirror.

"Stand down," Old Joe ordered when he threw Arthur to the ground. Then he raced after Sara and Cid. Arthur got to his feet, his whole body screaming in pain now, but he didn't care. He ran after Old Joe and managed to catch and tackle him. They fell together, fighting once more until Old Joe got the best of him again. Arthur was disoriented as he tried to get up. He saw Sara trip and fall, and he felt fear constrict his chest. Cid stopped to look for Sara, and Old Joe aimed and fired, hitting Cid in the face. The boy twisted from the shot and fell.

"NOO!" Sara screamed, reaching out her hand towards Cid.

"JOE!" Arthur roared. Rage pulsed through his veins. He couldn't believe his brother would do it, that he'd kill Arthur's son. Then he saw Cid sit up, and suddenly he, Old Joe, and Sara were lifted into the air. There was panic because Arthur knew what would happen if Cid lost complete control of his emotions.

"It's okay, Cid!" he yelled. He had no idea if his son could even hear him. He watched as Cid grew angrier, and he started to feel tightness in his chest. He couldn't believe he was going to die this way, and he had never felt so helpless in his life.

Then Cid looked at Sara, and the tightness in Arthur's chest started to fade. Arthur realized Sara was talking to Cid, and the boy was listening. He could hear what she was saying suddenly, and it made him feel so much more love for her than he already felt.

"It's okay," she was saying. "You can calm down. It's okay. Mommy loves you."

Cid wiped at his eyes, and Arthur knew it was working.

"Mommy loves you," Sara said again.

"Mom," Cid said tearfully. Then Arthur felt his stomach drop as he was let go, and he hit the ground hard. He gasped for air, trying to get his wits back about him. He got to his feet, seeing Sara rushing towards Cid and hugging him tightly, telling him how he had done good. Then he saw Old Joe get up, and he knew this wasn't over. He started towards Old Joe again.

"Run, Cid!" Sara shouted. The boy was reluctant at first. He didn't want to leave Sara, but then he eventually ran. Sara stood in front of Old Joe, blocking him.

"Move!" Old Joe was shouting at her.

"JOE!" Arthur yelled again, and Old Joe turned to face him. Arthur stopped and lifted his gun, but not fast enough. Old Joe's bullet struck him in the chest, and he cried out in pain as he fell backwards to the ground.

"ARTHUR!" Sara screamed.

At this point, Joe, who had driven after them and got swept up in Cid's moment and tossed over, got out of the upturned vehicle, and he stumbled forward towards where everyone was. He gripped his blunderbuss tightly in his hand. He halted upon seeing Arthur get shot by his older self and fall to the ground. Joe stared in horror. His brother fell hard, and he didn't get up. Then he looked to see Old Joe turn back to Sara, and he saw it all play out before him. He saw himself shoot and kill Sara. He saw himself chasing after Cid in the cane and not finding him, and he saw Cid on a train feeling alone, afraid, and angry, becoming the very thing they wanted to destroy.

And if it didn't happen, then Cid would most likely be okay, just like Sara predicted. Breathing hard, he met Sara's eyes as she looked at him. Without hesitating, he turned his blunderbuss towards his own chest, and he gave Sara one last look, telling her it was all going to be okay. He was doing this for her, for Cid, and for his brother: Arthur.

And he changed it.

...

Sara flinched as Joe shot himself. Old Joe lurched, and he looked shocked for a moment until he disappeared. She was breathing hard and feeling her adrenaline pounding through her. She turned to the cane where her son had disappeared.

"CID!" she yelled. When he appeared, she breathed in relief. He was okay. He wasn't lost.

"Mom," he said.

"Stay there, baby," she ordered. "Please stay there." She turned and ran to Arthur, who was still on the ground. She fell to her knees beside him, grabbing at him.

"Arthur," she said, starting to cry. "Arthur!"

He groaned, and she reached to grab his face. He opened his eyes and looked at her.

"Sara?" he croaked.

"It's okay," she said. "We're okay. It's over."

He struggled to sit up, and she helped him gently. He winced.

"The bastard shot me," he said, grunting in slight pain. "Where is he?"

"Gone," Sara answered. "You're going to be okay, right?"

Arthur lifted his shirt to show his body armor and the bullet that was lodged into it. It was under his heart. He hurt from the impact, and he was pretty sure his ribs were bruised, but he was alive. Thank God he had remembered to put it on that morning when he got up.

"He could have aimed for the heart," Arthur said. "But he didn't."

"You meant something to him," Sara reasoned.

"He knew you meant something to me, and he was going to kill you," Arthur argued. Then he realized. It was because he had never told Joe who Sara was, not in that timeline. He didn't know that Sara was his entire world or that Cid was his son.

"Mom!" Cid cried, running towards them now. "Arthur!"

"He's okay, baby," Sara assured him as he stopped and started to cry upon seeing Arthur hurt. Cid threw his arms around Arthur's neck, and he gripped his son to him tightly.

"We'll get this looked at, huh?" Arthur said, examining Cid's face. "Get you fixed right up."

"Where's Joe?" Cid asked. Arthur realized he didn't know either, and they both looked at Sara, whose face said it all.

"Joe had to go away," she answered.

Arthur felt the grief hit him hard, realizing what Joe had done for him, for them. He clenched his jaw and breathed hard, trying not to cry. Sara took Cid's hand as Arthur got to his feet.

"Go back to the house," he instructed.

"But," she started.

"I'll be right behind you," he assured her.

"Okay," she finally nodded. After she started walking away, he went over to where young Joe was laying, and he fell to his knees beside him, picking him up into his arms and holding him close.

"I'm sorry, Joe," he said, emotional. "I'm sorry, brother. You gave your life for us, and I'll never forget that. I'll never forget you. You had my back til the end, and I can't thank you enough. I'm sorry, Joe." He didn't normally cry, but he was crying now. He kept thinking about Joe's life and how he ended up here. He felt his heart break for a third time in his life, and it all just felt so unfair. He knew he couldn't stay there, so he picked Joe up in his arms despite his bruised ribs, and he started walking back to the farm.

Sara saw him coming, and she encouraged Cid to stay in the barn. She wasn't ready to go into the house yet. She met Arthur at the end of the driveway, and she was worried he was hurting himself.

"How can I help?" she asked instead.

"Get me a shovel," he answered. "He deserves a proper burial."

"Okay," she said, feeling her throat tighten. She had liked Joe. She went for a shovel, grabbed two, and went to find Arthur in the backyard, looking for a spot.

"Over here," she said, moving towards the other three marked graves. Arthur followed, and he knew that was where her sister and parents were laid to rest. He set Joe on the ground gently. Without a word, she handed him a shovel, and they both started to dig. She saw he was upset, and she felt bad that he had lost his friend. When they had made a big enough hole, she stopped him from picking Joe up.

"Wait," she said. She rushed inside, avoiding the front room, and found some sheets. She grabbed them and brought them out to Arthur. "I know he deserves more, but it's better than nothing. I don't have any wood around or I'd help you make a..." She trailed off, and he just nodded.

"I know," he said. She laid the sheets out flat and helped him lift Joe and settle him on top of them. She let him wrap Joe, tears leaking out of her eyes now as Arthur finished. Together, they lifted Joe and placed him in the grave.

"Is that Joe?" Cid asked, making them both jump.

"Cid," Sara said, her tone a little chastising. "I told you to stay in the barn."

"Is he dead?" Cid asked, ignoring her.

"Yea, buddy," Arthur answered. "He is."

"Oh," Cid said, looking sad. "Did I do it?"

"No, baby. Absolutely not," Sara shook her head vehemently. She pulled him in to hug him. "Joe saved us."

Cid processed this information, and he looked at Arthur, who was struggling to keep his emotions off his face. Then he moved to look into the grave.

"Thank you, Joe, for saving my family," he said. Sara couldn't help but cry at this, and Cid hugged her again. Arthur cleared his throat before speaking.

"I couldn't say it any better, son," he said, and Cid looked at him, catching that Arthur had called him "son." He looked at Sara.

"Is Arthur my dad?" he asked.

"Yea," she nodded. "He's your dad."

"For real?"

"Yes."

Cid's face broke out into a wide smile for a moment before he remembered they were sad about Joe. He looked to see Arthur giving him a smile, though, so he knew it was okay. Then Arthur started filling in the grave, and Cid helped by pushing the dirt with his hands while Sara shoveled as well. The three of them finished together and stood looking at it for a moment.

"My face hurts," Cid said, making Sara look at him.

"I think it's time we went to the hospital," Sara said, looking at Arthur.

"Yea," he agreed. "Good idea."

Cid reached for his hand as they walked to the spare car. Sara ran to get the keys and returned. Once Cid was buckled in the back, she reached to kiss Arthur.

"You and me," she said, looking at him and holding his face.

"I love you," he told her.

"I love you too."

He kissed her once more before they broke apart and got into the car. He reached to hold her hand as they drove, and he felt like he finally found home.

He had something and someone again, and it was all thanks to Joe. His brother.

The End

I hope someone out there enjoyed this story! Thanks for reading.