Author Notes: Thank you for the feedback for such a small ass prologue! Here is your first chapter. I can't promise you every chapter will be super long but it will always be at least in the 2,000 if not 3,000 mark I believe hope that is long enough. I know myself I love HUGE ass chapters but I just can't seem to be one of those that writes huge fuller gapping stories. I'm working on it! Anyways hope everybody had a wonderful holiday and hope y'all have a wonderful New Years!

If you see any mistakes I'm sorry I read this chapter like fifty damn times to the point I'm sick of it lol so if you see anything, I'm sorry!

Also of course do not own any of the characters…there not my own!

Chapter 1 – The Hunters are being Hunted

The ground they covered had been a lot quicker then Arthur had ever anticipated but nightfall was starting to creep into the land and the horses could use a rest. He brought his horse to a full stop pulling on the reins gently so not to hurt his horse and called to Sadie who was not far behind him. "Let's stop here for the night. My horse could use a break and not to mention I have to piss like one."

"You're the boss." Sadie stopped her horse and patted him on the neck. She then dropped down from the saddle and grabbed the supplies. Arthur ran off into the wood line disappearing for a few moments and then returning rearranging himself as he did.

"You want to cook, and I set up the tents while we still have some daylight left." It was more of a statement then a question, not really asking but directing her.

"Why because I'm the woman?" Her eyes shot back defensively at Arthur crossing her arms. The arguments she had with Pearson over cooking and cleaning came to mind quickly. She would not be treated as some woman that was a dainty creature. She didn't come on this trip just to be treated as such. Suggesting she cooked sparked a defiance in her and all she could think about was the comments Pearson had made towards her since she got to camp.

"Maybe because you don't know how to set a tent up and I do and plus you cook better than I do. Anything else?" Arthur challenging her. He didn't want this to turn into a battle of sexists or them fighting the entire trip. He wanted it to be a simple hunting trip, peaceful and quiet as can be with no trouble, probably why he went looking for Charles and John instead of Sadie not that Sadie brought problems she just was always on edge with every comment you made towards her. It was going to take time for her to settle down and realize not everything was directed at her or them being chauvinistic towards her, except for Pearson he was just a fool. He also knew it was her way of trying to earn her keep that she deserved to be there, but he didn't want to keep having this conversation every time something came up. They had an unspoken rank structure within their camp and everyone seem to understand it except her. He was the next in line to Dutch, and right now she was probably one step up from Kieran Duffy and that's only because he was a former O'Driscoll regardless of what he said and claimed not to be.

"Fine," crossing her arms knowing she had been defeated, "however can you teach me how to set up a tent, so I know in the future?"

Arthur couldn't argue with that. "Fine," he repeated back, "But first cook my food woman." He said the last part as a joke which earned a small smile from Sadie. Which he was thankful for being the fact she could have taken it the wrong way and that would have started a whole new argument, which if that had been the case Arthur would have just walked off. "I'm going to go look for some wood to make our tents out of." Not waiting for any further discussion, he trailed off into the forest. He didn't realize how far had wandered till he heard voices off in the distance. At first he was not being utterly cautious of his noise making as he traipsed through the area, not minding his steps but the minute he heard somebody was nearby he started being careful how he stepped to make to no little sound as he got closer to see who else could be so close to their very campsite.

"He'll be hard to bring in," Arthur heard one male speaking, and as he got closer he was able to get a better understanding who the voices belonged to, "but can you imagine being the fabled bounty hunters that brought in the notorious Arthur Morgan."

Arthur felt a little pride when he said that last part, so he was "notorious," didn't think he had gotten that notoriety yet but he'd accept it.

"He's one of the best shooters or so I've been told so we have to have the element of surprise," another ego stroke for Arthur. He nodded his head listening to these men talk him up.

"Yeah well, I also heard he's dumber than a box of rocks, so it shouldn't be that hard to capture him." Arthur frowned at that and practically rolled his eyes. Everyone always seem to mistake him for this big dumb brute but honestly, he was smarter then he allowed others to believe, so it worked to his advantage when he was able to outsmart and out play those around him.

"Well I guess I have to be a dumber than a box of rocks sees as I stumbled onto you boys." The bounty hunters turned around startled. Arthur had positioned himself, so he was leaning up against the tree with his hat tilted so you couldn't read his eyes and one leg crossed over the other with his arms crossed chewing on a piece of tall grass.

The three men jumped up from their position not expecting the famous Arthur Morgan to be gracing them with his presence.

"That bounty your looking for, hate to break it to you you'll be going empty handed."

One man reached for his weapon and quicker than anyone could even blink Arthur was standing with weapon drawled and cocked back ready to fire. "Now see as I'm the one with the gun on you, best be taken your hand off that shotgun." The man who had been reaching let go of his Winchester rifle and showed his hands were free of any firearms.

"Now what to do with you boys."

"Don't kill us please!" One practically cried and begged which Arthur couldn't help but smile at that. Show your cards already that you are weak at the sight of the gun, this is to easy.

"I'm not gonna kill yeah, maybe humiliate you."

"What do you mean?"

"Take off your clothes." Looking them up and down and waving his pistol in a small motion to emphasis what he was saying.

The men looked and glanced at one another not sure why such a request was being given by Arthur Morgan. "I'm not going to repeat myself a second-time gentlemen." Moving closer to them and drawing his secondary pistol while cocking back the lever.

Taking the threat for what it was the men slowly got undressed until they barefooted and wearing nothing but their skivvies. "Throw your clothes over here, come on, quickly I don't have all god damn day." Each man brought their clothes over in front of Arthur and dumped them, he in return watched each and every movement they made just to make sure they didn't get wise or quick with him.

"Now, go get your horses." The men started to question such a statement when Arthur shot near one of the horses. Instantly the horses whinnied in protest rearing its ears backs showing its distaste of the events that just transpired. The horses getting spoked ran into each other practically trampling the men in the process began running in different directions as the men hollered and yelled after them. Arthur began laughing and holstered his weapons. He grabbed up the bundle of clothes and making sure he was not followed went back to their campsite.

When Sadie saw Arthur come through the wood line once more she was surprised to see him carrying a bunch of clothes with him. The question was written all over her face.

"Arthur why do you have a bunch of clothes?"

Laughter could be heard between the make shift camp as Sadie and Arthur laughed over what Arthur had done only a mere few hours ago. Arthur hit his knee as he held the other plate in his hand. "They were running scared, like scared little pussy cats. If they had tails they would have been big."

"I do have to ask, where did you get the idea to take their clothes?" Sadie's laughter subsiding as she looked at the pile they were using to burn with.

"I don't know, came to me. Just thought it be funny I guess." Arthur gave a lopsided smile which made Sadie break into laughter even harder by the tone of his voice and just the look on his face.

Sadie grabbed her stomach from holding it as she calmed her laughing bug she nodded to Arthur, "thank you Arthur I haven't laughed like that, well not since after.." she dropped the last bit not wanting to bring up Jake. It would easily shift the mood from happiness to dark really quick and that's not something she was aiming to do at the moment.

"No problem Mrs. Adler, also great meal." Finishing off the last bit of food he had left in his plate and he let out a small burp hiding it behind a hand, "I do say I'll take your cooking over that shit Pearson claims to be stew, that he always claims kept him in alive in the Navy. Shit, if that's how bad the chow is don't sign me up for that shit."

"Thank you, Morgan."

"Arthur, call me Arthur. You sound like a school teacher with that last name thing. Or that's what I assume a school teacher would sound like."

"You never went to school Arthur?" Not surprising given the time they live in. Not everybody was so lucky to get an education.

"Nahh my Momma was teaching me a little before she passed, and well can't say much about Lyle Morgan." Sadie did not press further with the topic, but she was curious as to how Arthur's life was before Dutch found him. She had to piece by piece from the information she had gathered from the other camp members. But with a man like Arthur he wasn't going to tell his life story to anyone it would take time and trust.

"What about you Mrs. Adler?" Asking her about her education.

"Sadie, call me Sadie or I'll keep calling you Morgan."

"Fair enough."

Sadie smiled and was about to respond to Arthur's questions when voices could be heard off in the distance. As they got closer Arthur stood up. Anyone that knew Arthur well enough could see how he squared his shoulders back and something came over the man when he was ready for a fight. The man turned into something completely different. When Arthur was around people he knew he dropped his guard and turned into this gentle being, but that all could change at the drop of a hat. It was like knowing two different Arthur's.

"I see light over there." A familiar voice reached through the woods and Arthur immediately recognized the voice of one of the bounty hunters.

"These boys don't know when to quit." Pulling his weapon out of its holster.

"Hide in the tent." Turning around bewildered on Sadie, not liking the idea of him cowering away.

"What?"

"Hide in the tent. There not looking for me, I'll think of something but just hide."

Arthur turned and Sadie for half a second believed Arthur was not going to listen to her but instead he let out a frustrated growl and went into the tent pushing past the flaps, so you could not see in. She saw the clothes of the bounty hunters she quickly ran to them gathered them up and threw them into the tent not carrying how they landed. She spun around to collect herself and not look so flustered as they finally made the clearing and walked right up on her. She grabbed the rifle that was resting near the camp fire and held it low but still at the ready just in case.

"Hello their young miss. We mean you no harm. Hate to bother you so late in the evening but we are looking for a male in his thirties may have passed him on the road, possibly carrying some ummm…" looking at the men behind him, "our clothes."

"No gentlemen I'm surely certain I would have noticed that if I had seen him."

"Be careful a woman out here in these woods all alone, should be more careful especially with Arthur Morgan running around out here."

"Who? Besides I have my husband who is in the tent," when one of the men stepped closer as though they wanted to look in she positioned herself and moved the weapon up to show she was not in any business of being messed with, "but he is very ill with the flu and I just got him down so you best be on your way before you wake him. He's meaner than a rattle snake when he gets awaken for no reason. Good luck finding your clothes, and this man, Arthur Morgan."

The men said nothing else to her just nodded their heads as though their hats were still on their heads and said Ma'am to her as they slowly walked away seeing the conversation was going to go no further with her. Once she felt it was safe and Sadie waited for a good few minutes before she finally let her guard down. "Close is clear," Arthur then stepped out of the tent with the remaining of the clothes and throwing them on the fire to burn them and be rid of any evidence.

"Could have pretended you know who I was." Arthur looking at the flames of the fire and watched the clothes slowly disintegrate in front of their eyes.

"Why, so you could hear them talk you up and boost that ego of yours, no thank you. I'm going to bed this has been a little too much excitement and we aren't even near Annesburg yet. You going to bed too?"

Arthur nodded his head. "Yeah in a few, think I may write in my journal for a few."

Sadie went into her tent and settled down for the evening. She could hear the crackling of the fire as it dwindled down. She woke up when she heard Arthur shuffle to bed. She had a hard time going back to sleep after that just lying there and thinking about Jake. Her mind drifted to him, the images of him proposing to her, their wedding day, images flashing though her head quickly before she could stop them. A single tear left her eye and she quickly brushed it away and rolled to a different side. She decided to try and not think of him and trying to leave her mind blank she soon fell back to sleep. Luckily before Arthur started snoring in his sleep and waking up the dead.

The morning summer sun was beginning to rise into the sky casting a shadow against the trees. Rain had moved in sending a slight chill into the air from the previous night, however as the sun rose further into the sky it brought a warmth to the land and penetrated the dense forest. For the two outlaws this kind of weather they were use too. As long as it was not the blistering cold they had to deal with in the Grizzly Mountains a little rain hurt nobody. Besides it made animals much easier to track in.

After the close call from the bounty hunters early on in to the trip, Arthur and Sadie had been rather quiet as they rode the trail passing random strangers on the road. Both not sure how to start the conversation up again as both were lost in their own thoughts about things happening either in their lives or what was going on back in the camp. Arthur's thoughts kept circling around to Mary and no matter how much he tried to stop that line of thinking he couldn't help it. Oh how he missed her, her smile to her simple touch on his forearm. She had a way of melting his heart and seeing past his rough exterior that no one else seemed able too. Yet in a lot of ways she didn't understand him, why he choose this life and why he couldn't up and leave. He couldn't leave his family when they needed him the most. What kind of man would he be if he abandoned them now? He might as well be called the same man as his father. He'd be damned if that was the case. Then those thoughts would turn into about Isaac and Eliza and that was a path of self-loathing that would make his mood much more grumpier and harder to be around if he allowed his mind to drift into those memories.

Looking over at Sadie he could see she was lost in thought. He truly felt bad for her at times when she saw the hurt behind her eyes knowing she was thinking of her husband and the events that lead to that faithful night. He felt bad for her because she truly had a chance at a good life, having kids and dying of old age with her faithful husband by her side. But life was cruel bitch that did not care how happy you were, it had the ability to take a hold of you and dump you in the mud and leave you to either pick yourself back up or die there lying on the ground. Thing about Sadie was she was a survivor and she was going to keep surviving until her very last breath. Arthur Morgan could respect a lady like that. Turning his eyes back to the road and his mind once again trailed onto Mary. If only Mary was a little like Sadie, things may have worked out between them after all.

Sadie had caught Arthur glancing over at her and she almost responded with something nasty. It was defense it was habit she always felt she had to prove herself to the gang always letting them know she was fully capable of handling herself. That she could be more than just one of the women who sat around the camp doing daily chores. No, she could hunt, she could shoot she would rob if necessary to survive. Yet she still somehow felt they looked at her as though she was going to break. That any minute she was going to shoot them or shoot herself in hysteria. Biting back what she wanted to say she wondered what Arthur was thinking. Out of all the men in the camp he was one of the hardest men to read and if not complex. Arthur had this ability to appear as though he didn't understand or even act stupid at times, he was their muscle, Dutch's right hand man. He was always called upon when every there was need to do some dirty work and they knew Arthur would get it done. Yet, behind those blue eyes there was something deeper. The small glances he would give when somebody would say something, to even the subtle pull of a smile on his stoic face. It was like he was hiding something gentler behind that rough exterior, not allowing anyone to see it for fear of being either hurt or run over by somebody like Micha.

Sadie's mind shifted to that man. Now that was a man that rubbed her the wrong way. There was just something she could not put her finger on it, but she could not stand that man. Every time she saw the man everything in her body told her to stay away from him, and if anything, she ever been taught you do not go against your gut instinct. However, it's not like she could go to Dutch or anyone for that matter. She was the lowest on the totem pole, she didn't have a lot of pull yet with the gang so she would just have to keep her distance. She knew Arthur and Micha never saw eye to eye and the entire camp saw it and knew it. Neither one would stand next to each other, when one had to talk to each other it was either jabs with words or glares would be given to one another. Sadie hoped that maybe Micha would just grow tired of them and either wander off and never return or somehow get himself killed off mouthing off to the wrong person, somebody like Arthur.

Arthur cleared his throat and bringing Sadie out of her thoughts. "Let's stop here. We can leave the horses here. Be better to go on foot, so the animals won't hear us coming." Sadie looked at Arthur as he got off his horse. She hated to leave her horse anywhere where someone could find him. But, Arthur was right the sound of the horse hoofs and even the horse making normal sounds could spoke any game they were trying to hunt. Swinging off the horse she then proceed to grab the weapon from her saddle and walked over to Arthur. She caught him speaking to his horse, and gently petting the side of the neck. It was a side of Arthur that no one rarely sees. He could intimidate people with his stature, bully people, be a downright scary dude. Yet, there was something gentle and caring behind his hand as he talked to his horse. It warmed her heart in a way she never thought was possible, bringing a small smile to her lips.

Arthur had not realized Sadie was ready and giving his horse one gentler pat he then started walking with Sadie close behind. He had been so hesitant to bring her along. Not sure why either. She was not bad company. Maybe he was just use to riding with male counterparts and not women. Most women would never be caught dead trying to hunt for their own food, that was the male's role. To provide for their families amongst other things. Yet, Sadie was different.

"You really like animals don't you Arthur?"

"I think I understand them more than I understand people. There just like you and I," Looking over "out to survive the cruel world of life. There just not boggled down with emotions and feelings, they go off pure instinct and I can admire that."

"You're an interesting man you know that." Sadie said. She closed her eyes for a split second internally winced, not sure what possessed herself to even say that. She didn't know Arthur well enough to be making such a statement, or maybe that's what she felt like. She turned to read his facial expression any body language and the look was definite surprise by the accusation.

"Now why would you say that Sadie?" Curious as to where this line of thought was going in regard to him the way he was as a man. He stopped what he was doing to look at her.

Sadie swallowed trying to think of the right words so as not to stutter over them and look like a damn fool. In a lot of respects, she admired Arthur out of the entire group, she never admit that to anyone hell even admitting it to herself was hard. At times Arthur did not seem right for the group. A man who should have left a completely different life that for having such a shitty start on life, he was really a gentle person. If he had just a different upbringing he may had stood a chance and been a different man, a man that he was supposed to be.

"I don't know…just seen you the way you are with Jack and your horse. Just think there more under that tough exterior. You may act stupid Arthur Morgan, but I think you are a much smarter man then you like to have everyone think."

"Now Sadie Adler I can't have you ruining my reputation," proceeding to walk again and looking down looking for tracks in the soft mud. He kneeled down and brushed his hand over a few leaf's that was hiding some tracks. "Besides if I'm so nice, I wouldn't beat men for money or have even killed." Standing up and turning around and giving an arch eyebrow underneath his hat.

Sadie Adler shot back her own look of not impressed. "You don't kill just to kill. If you and Dutch had found me and Jakey instead of the O'Driscoll,…well I wouldn't be a widower talking to you."

Arthur Morgan stayed silent taking in what she had said. He never thought himself a good man, had even said it a few times to individuals among the camp. There were days he felt he wasn't living the life he was destined to be living. That he could do more with it. He always thought about what it would like to be a family and be a good man to a woman and child to leave this life and never look back. He hadn't told anyone, but he was starting to get the itch, if he got the money he probably would escape and go find a quiet life near the mountains, to watch the sunsets crest over the mountain and maybe even start a family, but first he had to take care of a few things before that dream could become reality.

She watched as he would squat down look down at the trail then get back up. For a nice stature of a man he sure moved quietly through the woods barely making much sound so not to spook the animals if there were any around. Sadie lost track of time till Arthur let out a frustrated groan. She had watched him study the ground for a few seconds and then stand back up suddenly and started moving back the way they had come.

"I think we been away from the horses long enough, say we head back to them and make camp and try our luck again tomorrow."

"What is it?"

"There is a lot of traffic on the ground, human, and I don't trust that there not more bounty hunters in the area. Might make our way a little more north west. Have better luck up that way."

Sadie trusted Arthur and his judgement call. He'd been doing this a hell of a lot longer then she had. Arthur's step had quickened, and it didn't take a rocket scientist or someone who hadn't been around the man to know something had him spooked. His rifle was no longer in one hand but in both ready to bring up if needed be and he was constantly watching the wood line, always glancing either to his right or left and sometimes he would look behind them checking to see if anything was following them. It wasn't till they reached where they left the horses that Sadie heard Arthur lose his cool.

"Oh son of a bitch!"

Sadie was able to look past and find the horses were missing. She looked around as though they would appear in front of her, but it was obvious somebody had led them away from their original spot. Arthur walked around looking for any sign of which way they went. He let out a slow breath and looked up Sadie, "well whoever it is, they wanted us on foot."

TBC….

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