Disclaimer: I, unfortunately, do not own Longmire -sigh-

A/N: Please review! Reiviews not only give the author encouragement in what they are doing but any suggestions or things you readers would like to see is nice to see as well!

Chapter 2: Carry Me Home

An hour later saw Tarlo inside the Absaroka County Sheriff's Department with Mathias. As Mathias talked to her godfather, Tarlo carefully took in his mood, she could see that he was stressed. From what her father had told her Walt was facing a lot of problems at work. He was facing a civil suit which could end his career if the verdict swings the wrong way. Then there is the current fall out he was having with his own daughter, Cady. That thought made Tarlo sink down in her chair feeling guilty. She was now adding to his stress with her own problems and just being there as a physical reminder of his fight with her father.

Walt noticed and knelt down to her level in the chair. Gently, with a weathered, calloused hand the sheriff cupped her face and stared at her with caring eyes. "I don't want you to worry Tarlo. I will find your dad, fight or no fight he is my best friend and nothing is going to change that."

The teenager stared at him, daring to hope. She knew there was one piece of information he needed if he was going to find her dad. "There is something you need to know."

"What's that?"

"Dad and Jacob Night Horse banished Malachi from the Tribe."

Walt's eyes widened slightly. That was a double-edged sword, it answered the who did it, but now the search area expanded greatly. "Mathias, do you think any of Malachi's employees may know where Henry is?"

"Darius was Malachi's number one; if he is operating off of the rez he would be the one to know. There is only one problem though." Mathias answered, after a suspenseful second.

Walt raised an eyebrow, quietly telling Mathias to go on.

"Your daughter is his lawyer."

This stunned Walt. "She wouldn't do that. She knows that he is bad news."

"I advised her on that as well. Saying that he should be left in jail, but she did not want to listen."

Once this news sunk in, Walt got up from his kneeling position in front of Tarlo with a nod. "Tarlo, I want you to stay here with Vic and the Ferg. Until your dad is found and Malachi is caught this is the safest place for you. Mathias, thank you for bringing Tarlo to me and the reach out on Henry, could I have a word with you outside?"

Mathias gave a nod of consent, leading the way out of the office giving Walt a moment alone with his goddaughter.

"I know waiting is going to be painful and you want to help, but this is where I need you to be." Walt told her softly. "Malachi is a very dangerous man and I would not put it past him to use you to hurt your dad."

"I understand, Uncle Walt. Promise me you will find him?" Tarlo asked him, a tone of hopelessness in her voice.

"I promise, cub. I will be back as soon as I can." Leaning over her, the sheriff kissed the teenager on the crown before making his way out of his office. Mathias stood there patiently, looking at the sheriff with a questioning look in his eyes.

"Mathias, I know you and I have never really gotten along, but I need to know that if anything happens to Henry and if he does not make it out of this alive, that Tarlo will be able to come home with me. I know the tribe wants to keep its children within the tribe, but she is my goddaughter and I know that is Henry's wish in his will." Walt asked the native in hushed tones. He did not want Tarlo to overhear this conversation. It was a worst-case scenario, but he needed to be prepared.

"As long as it is in Standing Bear's will there should be no problem. The council would take in not only his wishes but hers as well with her being fifteen."Mathias said slowly considering his words very carefully.

Walt gave a nod, shook Mathias' hand one more time before explaining the situation to Vic and Ferg. He needed them to be on guard with Malachi lurking around. Tarlo was now a target to hurt Henry and one Malachi might see as easy pickings with Henry indisposed.

Twelve hours later saw Tarlo in her father's hospital room with Walt and Cady. He looked horrible. His entire face, neck, chest, and arms were sunburned from the being tied to posts in the Wyoming desert. Her godfather had explained to her that he was lucky to be alive. Walt had found a dead rattlesnake near where Henry had been tied, on top of the severe sunburn and dehydration. The doctor's said her father should make a full recovery, but it would take time. That her father had to take it easy and not overdo it, good luck with that, has he ever met her dad?

What that meant to Tarlo was that she would be in this hospital room with her father for a while. This she did not mind because it meant that her father was alive and still with her. Henry was not only her father but her best friend. He taught her everything she knew about tracking and supported her wholeheartedly through all of her activities she did. Tarlo could not imagine her life without him nor would she want to.

"I got permission for you to stay the night with him tonight, Tarlo." Cady, told her gently, carefully placing her hand on the teenager's skinny shoulder. Walt had told her the near thirty-year-old, knew her father was in danger from a vision she had during a sweat. He also told her to take it easy on her since she already felt guilty about helping Darius get out of jail. Cady felt that was partly her fault.

The childish and irrational part of Tarlo wanted to lay blame on Cady. After all, if Cady had not let Darius out of prison then perhaps her father would not be in this position, yet at the same time, Tarlo knew that was not true. It may have been part of it, but it was not the whole reason. This was a threat of happening once her father got involved with banishing Strand from the tribe. Strand would want revenge one way or another and there are plenty of other lackeys than Darius.

"What about the threat to dad?" Tarlo asked, tightening her grip on her father's hand Tarlo glanced back at Walt with fear in her eyes. She knew if something happened right now her father would not be able to defend himself and she may not be fully capable of protecting him.

" Well, you are not going to be left here alone. I'm going to be staying here with you and when your father wakes up and is released you guys will be staying at my place for a little bit. Just until the threat is gone." Walt reassured her. " No harm will come to you and your father while I am here"

Nodding, comforted by Walt's statement Tarlo turned back to her father. She knew they did not have much. While the Red Pony was successful, it was not a money builder yet they were comfortable. They lived over the top of the Red Pony and her father drove her to the rez school every day. The apartment was not much, just enough room for her and her father and the small living area, but it was home. Hell, her "room" was a sheet dividing her bed from her father's.

Some point amidst her thoughts Tarlo must have drifted off, the next thing she knew there was a something stroking her hair. Thinking it must have been Walt with her father still knocked out, the teenager snuggled further into the makeshift pillow of her arms. Just as Tarlo was about to drift off asleep voices from above her pulled her out of the abyss.

"How long has she been here?" Henry asked Walt softly, continuing to stroke his daughter's curly hair.

"Since you have been admitted. She has not wanted to leave your side." Walt replied pulling another chair up to Henry's other side.

"Stubborn girl. I am glad she went to you. I was worried Malachi would go after her as well."

" So it was Malachi? What happened? Tarlo said you and Nighthorse banished Malachi from the tribe." Walt questioned, hoping to get the whole story.

"It was. He wanted payback. He was mad about what we had done, making him sign my bar back to me and the banishing. He left me there to die with some of his followers so they could let them know when I died." Henry swallowed the lump in his throat. "I am glad he chose to grab me instead of Tarlo. Malachi might be scum, but at least he has honor enough to go after the people who wronged him and not their families, even if he is not above threatening them."

"That may be true this time, but not for next and you know it" Walt countered.

"Malachi knows the best way to get to you is through that little girl. You now escaped him several times. He gets desperate enough he will use Tarlo to get to you and we both know it."

Henry stayed silent after that. He knew Walt was right, but he did not want to admit it. Tarlo was his life and if anything happened to her, even The Spirits would not be able to stop him from hurting whoever hurt her.

Tears slowly slipped from Tarlo's eyes. Her dad went through hell, all to protect the tribe, and there is still danger. Malachi would not stop till he got what he wanted. Were her dad and she going to have to constantly live in fear? Would Malachi always be lurking over them, like a horsefly on a horse? Why did it always have to be her dad?

Seeing that Tarlo was awake, but pretending to be asleep, Walt slipped out of the room to give the family some privacy. Giving the back of his daughter's head a soft smile, Henry carefully shook her shoulder. "Aponi, I know you are awake."

Tarlo, embarrassed, slowly raised her head using her curtain of hair to hide her blushing cheeks. "Hi Dad." she said meekly

Henry gave her a loving smile "Hi Aponi, are you alright?" He asked kindly.

This simple question had Tarlo carefully throwing her arms around her dad and the tears in her eyes going again. Her father is the one who was hit in the head with a butt of a rifle, kidnapped, tied to stakes like Jesus was tied to the cross, and was left to die in the Wyoming desert, yet here he was asking if she was okay? "Shouldn't I be asking you that?"

Henry hugged his daughter with all the strength he had not caring about the pain. Yes, was in pain, but his daughter was okay. She may be a little shaken up, but she was safe with him and that was how she was going to stay.

He knew his daughter was strong, stronger than most, but that did not make her invincible. Henry knew that he was her lifeline, both in reality and metaphorically. If something was to happen to him, Henry did not think his daughter would be the same. After all, He raised her, was the one to change her diapers, watch her first steps, words; he was there every single step of the way. Deena had no part in their life. Their bond was one that could never be broken or splintered, it would just continue to grow stronger just like her.

"I am fine, my cub. With a little rest and time I will be good as new." Henry reassured her, leaning her back slightly to look in her eyes. "No one is ever going to tear us apart. And when I do go it will be a long time from now because of old age surrounded by you and your children."

Giving a watery chuckle Tarlo settled back into her seat next to her father. "So, what do we do now?" She asked

Henry gave it some thought before answering. "Life goes on, but we are a little more careful. Until Malachi is caught I will be picking you up and dropping you off from school and your activities. He is mad that I forced him out of the tribe, while there a low chance he will use you to get to me, it is still a chance. I want you to take every precaution, promise me?"

"I promise dad."

A/N: Things will start changing up from here. This episode I saw as a good way to introduce Tarlo.

Fun Fact: Tarlo means "cub of bear" in Native American and Aponi is "Butterfly" Both of these names were chosen for specific reasons. Reasons for you to try and find! I can wait to continue this story and see where it goes! Stay tuned and thanks for reading!