A/N Thank you all very much for your messages and well wishes. They mean so much to me. I'm doing really well and will be back to my usual self in no time.
Now where were we - ah yes - we had a big finish with the claimers and in this chapter we see some of what happens in the aftermath of that altercation. We'll also have some much-needed alone time with the newlyweds. I hope you enjoy!
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She was holding onto him so tightly, as if her life depended on it. He could feel her small body trembling and even though he was still reeling from the shock of what just occurred, he felt the need to lighten the moment in hopes of easing her mind, "I told ya I'd be back Sweetheart, I'll be comin' back ta you the rest a my life." He let his finger glide along her jawline as he only half-teased, "Who else is gonna protect me the way ya do?"
His intended humor escaped her. She was still too stunned by all that had happened and what she had done. She couldn't seem to get her thoughts together. All she could manage to say was, "No one gets to take you from me, not ever."
He whispered reassurance, "No one can," and he kept a tight hold on her as he got to his feet. Her slight body felt heavy in his arms, as if she held the weight of the world on her small shoulders. Fearing she may not be able to stand on her own he kept an arm wrapped firmly around his wife's waist, holding her pressed to his side as he surveyed the carnage before him.
A new kind of chaos began as others started to arrive at the scene of the showdown.
Tyrese was the first. He'd been at the sheriff's office minding his children and keeping guard of the prisoners when he heard Lozen's war whooping, a signal that told him there was trouble. He followed the sound as he rushed to the scene where he saw the aftermath of the confrontation. He observed that although there were dead, that his people, save for Zach, appeared to be alright. He heard the young man's wife weeping as she knelt next to her wounded husband, rubbing a hand through his hair as she whispered, "Zach, Zach."
Tyrese's voice was calm as he instructed, "Step away now Ma'am, lemme get him ta the Doc."
The buffalo soldier bent down and with what seemed to be no effort at all he scooped the young man up in his arms. He glanced over his shoulder and promised Amy, "Don't fret now, the doc'll have him patched up right quick."
Amy hurried behind him and Beth made a move to accompany her friend in support, but Andrea stopped her. She could see the younger woman was in a state of distress, even appearing to have trouble staying on her feet. She lay a hand on Beth's cheek, trying to sound calm and reassuring as she told her, "Not now Honey, you need to stay with Smithy." Daryl nodded his appreciation while Caesar took Andrea's arm and they quickly caught up to Tyrese and Amy.
Kuruk and Sonsee-array had followed their Daddy and they now stood on either side of their mother. They were stoic, quiet, as they waited for a sign from her. Lozen spoke to Daryl, "We will go to this Doctor now and wait for our man."
He nodded, "Send word if ya need me."
What happened next served to take Beth's mind off everything that had occurred, at least temporarily. The Indian woman reached a hand toward her but not too close. Beth saw the question in her eye and realized right away what she was curious about. She found her smile as she looked to Lozen while pulling the tie from her hair and loosening the braid. She let the hair fall loose down her back and then gave a small nod to Lozen. The Indian woman took a handful of the hair and rubbed it between her fingers and thumb. For a second time that day she smiled at Daryl, "You were smart to marry this woman Smithy, she's a warrior. A brave warrior with yellow curls."
He nodded back smiling, "She is."
Beth didn't know how to respond and so she simply did what felt natural. She leaned in and kissed the woman's cheek saying, "Thank you Lozen."
Merle and Virgil had been at the parsonage checking on Eastman and Olivia and when they heard the gunshots they came running to check on their family. Just as they arrived on the scene they saw the women and children streaming out of the sheriff's home. Karen spotted her husband and eldest son and she and her younger children hurried to them. Beth and Daryl joined them and as the Dixon family reunited they were already setting plans for a family meeting the next evening.
The sheriff kissed and held his wife as he inquired about their son, and Lori smiled as she placed a hand on her husband's cheek and assured him, "He's just fine Rick, thank goodness, he's still upstairs safely in his bed."
Her husband sighed heavily in relief knowing his family was safe, "You've been brave and I have to ask you to continue to be brave and patient. I'm afraid I'll be workin' late into the night."
She kissed his cheek and assured him, "I'll be waiting for you."
Daryl temporarily left Beth in his sister's care while he went to the sheriff and informed him, "Me an Lozen tracked these assholes ta the bank. Sure enough they'd been there. They beat Milton and left him tied up in the vault, stole the miner's payroll along with a lotta other cash."
The outlaws had been so sure of themselves they had made no attempt to stash the money before going after the sheriff and attempting to kidnap Andrea. The gang had simply tossed aside the two sets of saddlebags containing the loot, planning to retrieve it after killing Rick and grabbing Andrea. It took only a matter of minutes for the small group of citizens to locate the funds. The sheriff, with Daryl on one side and Merle on the other, hurried to return the money to the bank.
When the men arrived they found Milton still there. The banker was battered, bruised and his glasses in need of repair, but he had stayed at his post, tidying up the bank and hoping for good news about the stolen funds. When the cash was once again securely locked in the vault, the sheriff insisted the banker have doc examine his injuries.
Doctor Carlson found himself overwhelmed with patients. There were so many injuries, some required extensive care, such as the deputy and Zach, others simply needed a few stitches and some patching up. The local mid-wife, Denise Cloyd had been called upon to assist. After she'd tended to the banker's injuries she stitched up both Caesar's and Daryl's head wounds.
When the last of the cuts and scrapes had been tended to, the bullets removed, arms set, deep wounds stitched, medicines applied, and elixirs swallowed, the Deputy was carried to the parsonage to stay with and be cared for by Olivia and Eastman. Zach was carried home to his own bed to be tended to by his wife, her sister and her sister's beau.
A long night of questioning followed. So many of the townspeople were involved in the incidents that had transpired that Sunday. There were many tales to be told describing each confrontation that had taken place and the events surrounding those confrontations.
The sheriff took copious notes and carefully pieced it all together, then painstakingly wrote it all down as one long cohesive story. He left out no detail, and he was careful to include the names of all who participated in the actions that lead to the demise of the West's most notorious gang of outlaws.
It would surely be the longest telegram ever sent, it would have to be delivered in several transmissions. But length did not hinder the sheriff. Rick Grimes walked it down to the Western Union Office himself and stood watching as Eugene Porter carefully entered the series of dots and dashes into the telegraph machine. The wire was sent off to both the territorial governor's office and the chairman of the big east coast company that owned the mine.
The telegram advised that all claimers, save for one, had been killed, and that the lone remaining outlaw was securely locked in a jail cell. He would be held there until such time as the circuit judge made his way to Heavenly for a trial.
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When Daryl and Beth finally arrived home it was eleven o'clock in the evening. They were tired, hungry and longing to just to be away from the day's events and alone with each other. Beth's spirits were much improved. Hearing everyone's stories and simply talking with the other townspeople had helped her realize the fate of the outlaws was justified. Still the events of the day weighed heavy on her.
As soon as they were in the door her husband took her in his arms and held her so closely. Feeling his warmth and his love brought her great comfort, but her worried mind wouldn't quiet. Never in her life had she harmed another living creature, yet in just a few short days she had acted with violence toward two men. She had not hesitated to stab them, an act she considered most savage.
Her mind turned to her husband, this man she loved so dearly, the man to whom she had promised herself forever; the man who could be so quiet and shy, and the man she knew was always tender and gentle with her. That man had taken the lives of two men. If not for herself, Lozen and Andrea, she was confident he would have found a way to take a third.
All of it had happened in instants, as though he gave it no thought and no worry, as if the act of killing was easy for him. She knew better though, she knew he'd done it to protect her and to protect the others. She understood, both her own behavior and his were something she would have to find a way to reconcile.
For now though, he held her tightly and she felt the warmth of his body as his hand so tenderly rubbed her back and he whispered, "Thank God you're alright, I worried so. I love ya my sweetheart." In that moment she made up her mind, she would look to this side of him always. She would not dwell on the side of him that fought with such fierceness, this was the side of him she would focus on. The side he showed only to her, the warm, quiet and affectionate side of him that made her feel so loved and cared for.
The house had gone cold and he stepped back from her, "Lemme get some logs in the fireplace, then I'll get the stove heatin'."
She didn't respond, she simply watched her husband for a moment as he set the logs in the hearth and then used the bellows to get the blaze burning hot. She thought to herself that perhaps someday he would finally understand, she would not allow him to simply do it all. She smiled then as she took it upon herself to add the wood to the cookstove, using the small bellows to fan the flames.
He smiled as he walked back toward her, "Please, sit Beth, lemme get us some food outta the box on the porch. I know ya gotta be hungry. I'm half-starved."
She smiled as she softly shook her head side to side, " I'll sit when you sit. You get the food, I'll get us plates and utensils." She set the table with their dishes and napkins, cups of water, jars of jam and the saltbox. He set the meats on the table and his wife had prepared a basket with the leftover quick breads, now only slightly stale.
When he'd lived on his own he'd never been one to say a blessing before a meal or sleep, but he knew these things were important to his bride. Before they sat he took her hand, and she did indeed find solace in the strength of her husband's hand wrapped around her own as he said the brief blessing, thanking God for keeping them and the other townspeople safe.
They didn't bother with warming the leftovers, they were too tired to worry about such things. They simply filled their plates with the cold meats and breads and they ate together, pausing often to squeeze one another's hand or share a smile.
Yet he noticed something in her face. He detected it in the knit of her brow and the worry in her eyes. He thought he may know where this concern came from and he set his fork down. He cupped her face in his hands, and although his voice was soft and loving, his words were serious, "I want ya ta understand Beth, this, what happened, what's been happening here, it is not common. It is not the way life has been or will be here in Heavenly."
"The harshness and difficulty of livin' high in the mountains does not come from outside. Outlaws don't ride for days ta come ta some high mountain town ta run roughshod over the local folks, ta rob the bank or all them other things those men was up to. The lowlanders have ta worry far more about such as that. They're the easier targets. Anyhow, after what's happened I don't think we'll be bothered by outlaws again."
He glanced down, chewing his bottom lip and then looked back in her eyes, "I know we talked about it before an I want ya ta think on it again. I'm 25 years old an until just over a week ago I never killed a man, now I killed two. I know just as sure as I know my name ya never stabbed another human, but now ya have. We didn't do it cuz we're bad folks, we done it cuz we had to. We done it ta survive and ta protect each other. I know ya feel bad, I feel bad too. Takin' a life is not an easy thing." He leaned in then, kissing her cheek.
He was looking in her eyes for a sign, she nodded and said, "I do understand, and I know and love the man you are."
"I love that ya feel that for me, but it ain't just me ya gotta love an forgive, ya gotta forgive yourself too. Without ya I might be dead. That's a fact ta consider if ya start ta feel bad about what ya done."
He kissed her once more, then hunger took over and he begin to eat again, but he also talked. "I told ya before Beth, this is hard country. What keeps worryin' me is ya still don't know just how harsh it can be. The harshness don't come from the usual trouble that happens out west. It don't come from range wars, battles over water, Indian wars or outlaws like them claimers."
"It comes from havin' ta survive the weather an all that comes with it. Maybe ya think I been exaggeratin' or that I worry too much about havin' enough an bein' prepared. I do concern myself because that's how it's done, that's how we survive. We gotta have enough food an supplies ta get by should the town be snowed in. Heavenly could be isolated for days or even weeks from the rest of the world. It's why folks here look out for each other the way we do."
"This fall we've had some snow an some cold temperatures, but it ain't got bad yet. It will. The snow will get deep, deeper than I am tall, ice will form on the roads an the trees an the buildins, you'll spend days here in the house. Doors an windows will freeze shut an I'll be gettin' up two or more times durin' the night ta make sure them fires are well stoked."
"A person has ta be careful, has ta have things ta keep themselves busy, keep yourself from goin' crazy with the cabin fever. Come spring you'll see folks an you'll realize ya ain't seen em since before Christmas. They'll just smile at ya an inquire, 'How'd ya winter Beth?'"
"It's the way of life in these parts. But I promise ya, we'll get by, we'll thrive in it an I will make sure ya never go without. I promise you'll never spend a day or night feelin' too cold or too lonely, an I'd never let ya go hungry."
His words made their point, she could not imagine the kind of weather and isolation of which he spoke. She was fascinated to experience it while at the same time she feared it. What she felt sure of was her husband truly would take care of her, and she would do whatever she could to take care of him. Together they would survive.
They made short work of the dishes they'd dirtied and the meat was put back in the box. She smiled as she wrapped the remaining pieces of the breads back in a towel. "It'll be quite stale by tomorrow. I think I'll be making my husband a bread pudding with these leftovers."
As good as that sounded he had other things on his mind, and he smiled as he took her in his arms. "Fire's been goin' good for a while now. Makes me think a bath would feel real nice. Whaddya thinkin'?"
She felt her cheeks heat up and she wondered how many years it would take before his words no longer brought the color to her face. "I think it sounds wonderful."
He teased her as he added two more logs to the hearth, "I never much cared for bathin' til I married you." Again she felt the heat rise to her cheeks as he took her hand and they walked in the bathroom together.
There they stood so close but not touching, not talking. They were in no rush. They were enjoying the quiet calmness of just the two of them alone. They both knew what they wanted, and they knew it would happen and so there was no need to hurry it.
It was something that even two days before she never could have imagined she would consider doing, but now it was as if she craved taking the first step with her husband. So it was that she did not hesitate as she let her open palms slowly slide up the front of his shirt, across his broad shoulders and she slipped his suspenders down. She smiled at him and he smiled back as he watched her delicate fingers begin to loosen the buttons of his shirt. He was anxious to see what she would do when those pretty hands got to his waistband.
He was not at all disappointed when she opened the first two buttons of his trousers and pulled the shirt free. She loosened the remaining buttons and once again her open hands slid slowly up his chest and across his manly shoulders as she slipped the shirt off.
His long underwear fit tightly and her hands went to him as she felt the muscles of his arms. He waited no longer as he reached his hands behind him and pulled the shirt from the back, up and over his head, letting it drop to the floor.
Her husband's half-naked body caused what felt like a warm shiver to travel through her, and she had a strong desire to touch him more. Before she had the chance he'd leaned over and turned the spigot on the tub, and then he was behind her. As if mimicking her moves his strong hands seemed to be gliding as they moved slowly up her back and across her shoulders, down her arms and then he began to loosen the buttons of her dress.
When it was open he slipped his hands inside and reaching around he took her small breasts in those strong hands. She softly whimpered as she leaned her body into his, while his pinching at her nipples quickly had them hard and she felt the warm moisture between her legs.
His lips sucked softly on the lobe of her ear, down her neck to her shoulder and along her back, and then he slipped the dress off her. One of his big hands moved down along her tummy until it reached her mound and he gave it a gentle squeeze. She let out a low moan and squirmed in his arms, and with her response to his touch he felt his own desire grow more urgent.
He reached and turned the spigot off, and then he turned her around to face him. He grasped at the back of her hair pulling her mouth to his and kissed her deeply, continuing to hold her hair firmly in his hand while with his other he'd begun to undo the buttons of her undergarment. He felt her shiver and he drew his lips from hers as with concern he asked, "Ya cold Sweetheart?"
She bit her lip and smiled, "No. It's you, you're making me feel warm all over and I think…I'm excited." He smiled back and again his mouth was on hers, her words encouraging him. He soon had all the buttons open and he removed the camisole, and as he took her breast in his mouth he pulled the satin ribbon that held the slip around her waist. The skirt fell to the floor but neither paid attention to it as his hands slid down her back, squeezing her bottom while he sucked and nipped at her breast.
As the heat and desire grew between them he once more drew back, hesitated as if he needed more, leaned in and again kissed her tenderly. He was looking at her so intently and she did not mistake the hunger in his eyes as he loosened the sash and buttons of her ruffled bloomers, pulling them down to fully expose his bride. Without embarrassment he stood back a moment taking in the sight of her naked body, while she fought her modesty and did not try to cover herself from her husband's eyes.
With his big open hands clasped firmly on her bottom he began to press passionate kisses across her décolletage and her breasts. One hand slipped around until it grasped her mound while his mouth continued making its way down her body until his lips had reached that soft curve. She was shocked and yet it made her long for more as he gently nibbled at the delicate rise of her womanhood.
He hadn't intended to take his wife in their bathroom but now it was as if he could not stop himself. He pulled back and quickly removed his trousers and long johns, and then he laid her down on the pile of their discarded clothes. He was both delighted and further aroused when his bride made no objection.
He'd already learned so much about her body, where and how she liked to be touched. He knew it piqued her desire and so his mouth went back to her breast, where he once again sucked and nibbled at the tight little nipple. Her fingers were grasping at his hair and she was softly moaning and whimpering as he let a finger slip inside her, and it pleased him when she spread her legs for him and raised her knees.
He'd heard it spoken of, the way men talk of these things when they're in a saloon full of working girls and they've had far too much whiskey. He'd wondered to himself if it was simply man talk and braggadocio, or if it could possibly be true. He questioned if this act they called French sex was something women really allowed and that men enjoyed.
At that time he'd never known a woman, or imagined a woman he would want to do that with, but looking at his wife naked before him, her legs spread and her womanhood so wet and welcoming, his desire to love her in that way overwhelmed him. He let that desire be his guide as he dared to kiss the most personal part of her body.
She called out, "Oh!" And he knew he'd startled her, he'd startled himself, yet she did not sound angry. It emboldened him and he took another chance as again he kissed her there and then became even more daring as he let his tongue lick the pink swollen folds. At first her body stiffened a little, but she had not recoiled from him, and then she seemed to relax into it fully as her fingers tugged at his hair and her low body was rising as if wanting more.
Her increasing passion fed his own as now he tasted lustfully and hungrily, and when he found that sensitive little bump he let his tongue flick across it. She let out a sound almost like a squeal and he knew she liked what he'd done. He kept up his tantalizing of the little bump with his tongue and his lips, while his finger moved deeper inside her.
When her low body seemed to be out of her control and she tugged at his hair making a noise like a kind of sensual crying, he knew she was close and he quickened his pace. He was rewarded when her body shook and she called out, "Daryl!" Over and over as the release caused her whole body to shudder.
He was amazed that what he'd done had brought his wife such intense pleasure, and it also thrilled him to know that he could try such a thing with her and she would allow it.
He took his time letting her breathing recover as he kissed his was back up her body. When he reached her lips he hesitated, uncertain if he should kiss her after what he'd done. She gave him his answer as she lightly grabbed the hair at the sides of his head, pulling his lips toward hers while raising her head from the floor to meet them with her own.
He slipped his body between her legs and she reached her hand down, feeling the hardness of him. She smiled and whispered, "I think you need my comfort Husband."
He smiled back, "I do." He nuzzled her neck and then once again he let his mouth engulf her breast while his finger played with the sensitive little bump. It wasn't long before her body was moving beneath his in that way that let him know she wanted him. He encouraged her, "Lift your bottom for me." She smiled, doing as he asked and he slowly let his manhood slide inside her. Only minutes before his mouth had been there and he smiled recalling the excitement it brought them both.
He tried to keep a slow and steady pace as he alternated thrusting himself nearly all in, and then almost out of her. It wasn't long before in a low moan she pleaded, "Daryl…Please…" She didn't have to explain, he gave her what she needed as he drove himself fully into her and began pumping a little harder and a little faster. She was gripping his bottom, and his big hands were beneath her grasping at hers as he raised her low body up just a little and his pumping became more and more intense.
He was trying to rub himself on the little bump and his efforts were successful. Once again it was as if her whole being began to quiver, her moaning got louder and he dared to tell her, "Lemme feel ya get your pleasure." Her body stiffened a moment, her hips rose higher and then she trembled hard while once again calling his name over and over as her release came.
He was lost in their combined pleasure and he almost let himself go without thinking. It was only at the last possible moment he thought to pull himself from her, his seed spilling onto her mound and her tummy.
She was curious, she raised her head as she looked at what he'd left, and tentatively she reached her fingers down to touch the still warm fluid. He kissed her and he smiled as he rose and got a cloth. Drawing warm water at the sink he wet the cloth, wrung out the excess water and tenderly cleaned the evidence of his love off of her. He rinsed the cloth in the sink again, again wringing it out once or twice. She found she could not look away, nor did she care to, as she watched mesmerized by the simple act of her husband cleaning himself off.
When he was done she still hadn't moved, she lay there in the pile of discarded clothes and he'd never seen a more beautiful sight. He teased, "Didn't we come in here ta have a bath?" She smiled, nodded, and watched as he checked the water. "My wife gets me distracted. It's good the copper keeps the water warm." Still he turned the hot water spigot on again.
He reached out both hands to help her up and again he unashamedly looked her body over, kissing her neck and her shoulder. He cupped her bottom and took a look at the soft swell of it, and that's when he saw. Her back and her bottom looked red, the skin chafed. "Dammit, Beth, I hurt ya."
She would not allow her husband to feel guilty about something they'd both enjoyed so much. She turned and pressed her naked body to his, "The floor may have been a bit unforgiving, and it may have hurt some, but you didn't hear me complain. I wanted to give myself to my husband." His arms wrapped around her and he held her close. He was amazed by her again. This woman of his, the sweet and chaste girl that he'd married, the angel who sang in church and said her prayers and had never been kissed by any man but him. This woman, his wife, could be so adventurous when they were alone.
"I'ma have ta shoot another bear an make us a nice soft rug for in here."
They laughed together as he climbed in the tub and then helped her in. The warm water felt good against their tired and now sated bodies. She sat between his legs as he took the warm soapy cloth and washed her; and he could not quite believe the pleasure it brought him when she washed his.
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He woke a few times, it was Monday morning and any other Monday he would already be on his way to the shop, but this morning was different. It wasn't just that he had no desire to disturb the woman sleeping in his arms, he also knew there was no hurry. Once again there would be no school for at least a few days. Not after all that had happened. He also knew it was unlikely he'd have much in the way of customers first thing. There would be folks coming around, but they'd be coming around to talk about what had happened, not because they had work for him.
Feeling no pressure to leave her, he simply lay there and watched a while as his pretty wife slept.
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A/N We'll pick up right there when we come back. Next chapter we'll find out more about how the final altercation with the claimers impacts the citizens of Heavenly, and Virgil will have a little something to say. I hope you'll leave a comment / review. There's a chapter photo on my tumblrs, gneebee, bethylmethbrick and A Place Called Heavenly, please check it out. Thank you again for your good thoughts my way. I hope to see you all back here next Friday for more of our story. Until then remember, I love ya large! xo gneebee