"Get on out of here," Hosea ordered to the gang as they initially only made room for Pearson to do what he had to do, "You can't tell me you all really want to stay around for this, it ain't gonna be pretty."

Dutch refused to move from the side of the couch, "I'm staying, the rest of you give us some space would you? And someone get her some whisky or something, she's gonna need it." Dutch's voice sounded distant- troubled as he looked down at the woman he loved.

Arthur stepped forwards from where he stood by Sadie Adler with his arm around her waist, "I'm staying too, if we lose her, she needs to know we're there... not that we're in the next room over."

Dutch shook his head, "Just, stay out of the way then, and keep quiet, would you?" He shook his head, he was too emotionally exhausted to argue and apparently so was Hosea who just held a look of dread on his face. It made the situation even heavier to see that the older man didn't seem to have much hope.

Bill broke apart from the group and started across the room, "Don't do anything yet, I'm getting that whisky."

John leaned on the back of the couch, looking down at Celina with sorrow, "You know, if it weren't for her, things would be a lot diffrent by now."

Dutch glanced at John, "They would."

John shook his head and backed up when he saw Bill come back into the room with the whisky he had promised, "I'm sorry to be the first one to say this but I- I don't think I can watch." Everyone made room for John to walk away, and Lenny followed, then Javier to everyone's surprise.

Bill handed a bottle to Hosea who was at Pearsons side, Dutch hanging back to give them some room, "Do you think she'll be ok?"

Pearson looked up at him with a heavy sigh, "I ain't no doctor, but I'll do my best."

Dutch stared at Bill silently before looking at the others who were gathered around the room, not being able to muster the motivation to say a word to anyone. His defeated gaze dropped back down to Celina who's breathing was barely noticeable. He greatly feared that she would die, that he would lose her and life would go on without her if that were even possible.

He could feel his vision of the future slowly beginning to crumble in his mind without her in it as the reality of her situation hit him harder and harder by the minute. He should have never let her go on that bank heist. He hated himself for all he had put her through more than ever before. How he had acted towards her about the Braithwaites and Grays, it seemed like so long ago but really it hadn't been long at all, how had he been such an idiot?

Dutch set his jaw, and then going around and getting comfortable with Molly again after the fight with Celina? Well no wonder she had run off with Trelawny. Looking back at what had happened, it seemed that he probably had deserved her treatment of him... but she had come back, she had come back willing to believe that he would do everything he could to be a better man for her. He had meant what he had said as well, he wanted to be the man that she deserved.

Then she had to go and get shot. Dutch did everything he could to hold back his tears. The last thing he wanted to do was cry in front of the gang. What if Celina died before she could ever truly witness the man he could be for her? What if she died before they got to enjoy their future together? He hated himself for previously almost taking her life for granted and not realizing the reality that he could lose her at any second. Now, that reality was directly in front of him.

Hosea gently rolled up Celina's shirt, exposing the nasty bullet wound and cringed at the sight of it, again, bringing the gang greater worry at his reaction. He looked over at Dutch, "Dutch, hold up her shirt please." When Dutch showed no sign of registering what he had said, Hosea snapped in a firmer tone, "Dutch, her shirt."

Dutch finally snapped out of his thoughts at that and took over holding Celina's shirt up out of Pearsons way. His gaze fell upon the ring that she wore around the chain on her neck which had been tucked safely under her shirt, it was the ring he had given her only the other day. Dutch closed his eyes and for the first time in a long time, he prayed.

Pearson took a tool that he swore to them all was clean and poured alcohol over it to clean it further before Hosea carefully poured the alcohol over Celina's wound, awakening her as she let out a shout of pain.

...

Celina awoke all of a sudden and with a shout at the feeling of mind-numbimg pain, her eyes flying open as she desperately attempted to move away from the source of the pain. Her eyes fluttered shut again as if she didn't have the strength to even keep them open. She could hear fine though, the first thing she heard was Hosea's voice, "Shit," the older man cursed, "Dutch, Arthur, you boys get over here and hold her down, we can't have her squirming around while we're trying to do this."

Dutch just stared at the girl as Arthur made his way around the couch and her lower body down. He waited for Dutch to restrain her upper portion but when he didn't, Arthur spoke, "Dutch, are you going to hold her down or not?"

Dutch showed no sign that he had heard Arthur or Hosea and didn't snap out of his thoughts again until Bill pushed his way past him, "I'll hold her."

Dutch backed up, eyes wide as he watched Bill hold her upper half down by her chest, "I, I'm sorry. I-" The problem was, he simply couldn't stay focused to help whatsoever. He backed away more from the group, seeing that he was no longer needed and shook his head, "She's- she's gotta make it." He knelt beside the end of the couch, running a gentle hand over her face, "I love you, you've got to pull through or I'll kill every last law man in this country."

Celina managed to open her eyes slowly at Dutch's words and the pressure that Bill put on her chest and Arthur on her hips. Dutch was the first one she saw and she moved her lips silently at first, her words not coming out until the second try, "I love you too."

Dutch's face seemed to light up at the fact that she had awoken and he ran his thumb over her bottom lip affectionately, "She's awake, someone get her something to bite on." He then spoke lowly again to her, "Just hang in there. You were shot, Pearson's gotta get the bullet out."

Celina groaned upon registering Dutch's words, "I-It was an i-idiot idea o-of mine t-to rob the c-c-city bank." She tried to smile but couldn't manage to do it, her eyes fluttering shut again for a moment before she managed to open them.

Dutch smiled sadly, at least her personality hadn't been effected with her pain, "You'll be fine, no need to talk, just relax."

Celina nodded weakly before Dutch held a rolled up rag in front of her mouth and she accepted, biting down on it to the best of her ability. Dutch looked over to Pearson nervously as he began to move the tweezers towards the site of the wound.

...

"The bullets out," Pearson wiped the sweat from his forehead with his sleeve and made eye contact with the group who had all witnessed Celina going unconscious due to the pain digging for the bullet had caused her, "She lost a lot of blood." He gestured to the ruined bloodsoaked couch, his own hands covered in it, "Now we stitch her up and just hope she pulls through."

Mary-Beth handed him a needle, "I found a needle like you asked, I don't think we have any thread left though."

Hosea was the one to come up with a solution, "We're gonna have to use horse hair then, from the tail." He stood to his feet, stretching out his back, "I'll go get it."

Dutch watched as his oldest friend left the house with a heavy heart. He ran his fingers through Celina's dark hair. It had been hard, listening to her screams before she had passed out from pain due to them working to get the bullet out. It was something though, it showed that she was alive, they hadn't lost her yet. She was still hanging on, just barely.

Due to the pain she had so clearly been in, everyone except the people who were helping Pearson and Dutch had left the room so that they could at least try to block out what was going on. The tensions were high, the atmosphere thick as Dutch, Hosea, Arthur, Bill and Pearson at several points had thought that they'd lost her.

Dutch smiled at her to the best of his ability, she was a beautiful young woman, his Celina. He loved her so dearly that he swore on his mother's grave if he lost her he would never touch a woman again. He looked over at Bill and Arthur who relaxed a bit due to the fact she was currently unconscious, the slight rise and fall of her chest the only thing showing she was alive, "She's fighting."

Bill nodded, sitting back on the edge of the table behind him and withdrawing his touch from her, "She's a good woman, I ain't ever been much of a believer that there were good women."

Arthur sat back as well, his hands bloody from the blood running down her stomach and onto them. He carelessly wiped them off on his pants the best he could, "She's stayed with us this long, she should recover."

"I'm afraid she isn't quite out of the woods yet." Hosea made his way back into the house with some horse hair and took his place beside Pearson again, handing him what they would use to replace thread.

The butcher carefully strung the first hair through the needle and waited for Bill and Arthur to resume holding her down on the couch before he inserted the needle into her, begining the process to close her injury. Really, since it was just a bullet wound, stitching her back together didn't take but a few minutes and finally the butcher stood up, "My best of wishes to the lass but I'm afraid that is all I can do."

Hosea let out a sigh as Pearson moved away from them and with one last look in their direction, went back out the door. The older man shook his head and took a deep breath as he stared at the unconscious girl and Arthur and Bill slowly backed away as well.

Arthur gestured to the other room where most of the gang probably was, "I'll let them know she's hanging on. See if we can't find a clean shirt or something to bandage her up with."

Bill reached over and took a swig of the whisky, sitting down on the table again and Dutch stood to his feet, weaving his fingers through Celina's hair once again, savoring the feel of her locks slipping through his hands, "I'm going to step outside. Let me know if anything changes."

Hosea nodded with a look of both concern and sympathy towards his long-time friend, "Will do, Dutch. I'll let you know."

The leader hesitated for one moment longer before dipping his head to Hosea and Bill and walking outside as well. He sat down on the porch bench and stared ahead at the horses in attempt to wrap his mind around how good of a day the current day had started out to be. It was hard for him to grasp the fact that the woman he loved was now laying inside, unconscious and barely hanging onto her life.

...

Bill sat at the table outside so that he could be alone, everyone else was hanging around in the front room of the house as if they were waiting for Celina to wake up at any second. The veteran had had enough for the time being, he needed to get away from the group and get some fresh air. Dutch had gone back in the house himself and Bill wasn't sure if Dutch really knew what to do with himself for once.

Bill? He knew what he wanted to do, he wanted to get really drunk. Bill wanted to get drunk to the point he didn't remember anything that had happened in the current day, let alone the past week... maybe longer. He wanted to forget that Celina Knoll could be dying inside and there was nothing any of them could do about it. He wanted to forget that he weren't man enough to stay there beside her to witness her last breath should it come.

Bill really wanted to forget the night of the party at the Mayor's house when he had walked Celina into the motel in Saint Denis. He wanted to forget how he wanted to offer to stay with her, they wouldn't have had to do anything. She was more than just a pretty face and a hot body, she was one of the good women in the world and he wanted to get to know her better than he had.

Bill wanted to forget that he wasn't man enough to suggest that and that he had been the fool to put his loyalty to Dutch first. Plus, what would a woman like her want with a man like him? Bill grunted and took another drink of his whisky. Always drinking like he was, it couldn't be attractive. How everyone around camp seemed to base more than half their jokes around him, big ol' stupid Bill.

Bill took another drink. He wanted to forget how he had wanted to kiss her before he left her alone in that motel. How he had really wanted to kiss her and again how his self doubt and loyalty to Dutch kept him from even trying. He finished off the bottle and threw it to the ground before uncorking the next.

The veteran opened the book that sat on the table before him, it was a book with entirely blank pages and ready to be wrote in. Now, Bill's writing wasn't great, it wasn't even good, but he figured he would be able to read his own writing if the time should come he had to. He picked up the pen which had laid beside the book and tried to think about what to put on the first page.

"Why don't you try to tell her how you feel?" Karen called out to Bill as she approached him.

Bill looked over at her, his eyes narrowed in defense, "What're you talking about?"

Karen sighed and took a seat next to him, "Oh don't be coy. I can tell that you care about her, Celina that is."

"Just don't want her to die is all." Bill shut the journal and sat the pen down, not caring for anyone to know that he was trying to take up writing.

"And that's it?"

"Yes." Karen raised a brow and fixed him with a stern look, making Bill let out a whine of frustration, "I don't know, maybe?" He scoffed and waved her off, "It don't matter anyhow, she's with Dutch and that's that."

"Ok then, if you say so."

Bill nodded firmly, "I do say so. No point in even thinking about it."

Karen shrugged and stood up, "Alright then, suit yourself."

Bill nodded once again, refusing to budge on his previous decision, "I will, thank you."

...

Celina awoke with a groan, putting forth more effort than she should have had to to open her eyes. She looked around her vision slowly coming into focus to see that Dutch was lounging in the chair across from her, cleaning his gun and appearing to be the only other person in the room besides herself. She licked her dried lips and tried to speak, just barely getting Dutch's name out of her mouth considering how dry her throat was as well.

Dutch looked up from his gun immediately upon hearing her say his name, "You're alive."

Celina laughed a bit but then let out a squeak of pain due to the movement it caused in her stomach, "It seems that way. Can I get some water?"

Dutch sat his gun down on the table, "Of course." He reached over to where he had a glass of water already sitting ready for her in the case she would wake up during his shift watching over her. Dutch brought the water to her, holding it to her lips with a steady hand as she lifted her head to drink to the best of her ability, "How are you feeling?"

Celina laid her head back down, instantly relieved of the struggle to keep it up. She smirked up at him, looking into the enchanting dark eyes she loved so much and although they weren't technically back together, for a moment she forgot that, "I feel like I got shot."

Dutch chuckled at her and sat the water back on the table, "How I'm glad that you are retaining your sarcastic nature perfectly."

"Well I'm breathing, aren't I?"

"Yes you are. Yes, you are. It was touch and go there for a while."

Celina reached out for the water and Dutch assisted her in taking another drink. She swallowed and darted her tongue across her lips to moisten them too, "Guess I should have listened to you about the ladder."

Dutch shook his head, "We should have never robbed that bank. I should have known it would be too risky."

She weakly held up her hand, wincing at the pain the movement caused her, "That was my fault to, I will fully take the blame for that. I'm the one who told you it would be fine despite knowing how dangerous it could be. I- I should have known-" her voice broke off and Dutch immediately assisted her in taking another drink.

He sat the glass back on the table, "Don't worry about using all your strength to talk. Save it for getting better. There's nothing that can't wait to be said until you've recovered some."

She couldn't help herself, there were some questions she just had to have the answer to now, "Hosea, I think I saw him here earlier. He's ok, right?"

Dutch nodded, "He's just fine, actually went to lay down not too long ago, as late as it is."

Celina nodded back at him, a feeling of relief washing over her at the news, "And the money? Did we get away with it ok?"

Dutch smiled at her concern and nodded, "We have it, all sixty-seven thousand dollars worth. Hosea and I are going to discuss our next move in the morning and decide what to do once you're feeling well enough to move with us."

"I really hate to be the hold up. I don't know if we really have the time we need to wait around here for me to get better. I can try to move, Dutch. If I lie down in the back of a wagon it should be fine."

The leader shook his head as he looked down at her face which was still pale from blood loss and pain, "We are not going to move before we are sure we won't be risking your life by doing so. We can defend ourselves here if need be."

Celina rolled her eyes at him through her pain before closing them slowly, "I think I am going to try to catch some more sleep though."

Dutch bent down and kissed her forehead softly, "Goodnight miss Knoll."

Celina opened her eyes again a bit, and smiled, "Celina. Goodnight Dutch."

...

The next two days had been like that. Celina in and out of consciousness and having small conversations with the gang. They had taken turns watching over her one or two at a time while the rest of the boys went about their business.

Of course, Dutch was blaming Angelo Bronte for the law lying in wait for them saying that the man in power didn't have to know exactly when the robbery would take place but only that it would. Dutch believed that Bronte had tipped off the law to be keeping extra security within the city until the robbery took place. Now Celina wasn't too sure of how much she knew about the Italian man, but she didn't feel like Dutch's accusations were too far fetched for once. Who else would it be really?

Celina let out a yawn and tried to shift to a more comfortable position on the couch, wincing as her stitches pulled painfully. She couldn't wait to recover so she and the gang could get on their way to true freedom. She licked her lips and sat up just enough to take a drink of water, looking over to John who was passed out in the chair across from her.

From the lack of light filtering in through the window, she deduced that it was once again dark out. She hated the feeling of sleeping away too much time but of course sleep was the best thing to do for fast recovery. She took another drink and sat the glass back on the table.

That proved to be enough to wake Javier up and be looked at her with groggy eyes, "Is everything ok?"

Celina nodded, "Just getting some water is all. Didn't mean to wake you up."

There was one thing about the last couple days that struck Celina a bit odd. It seemed that everyone in the gang that she actually bothered to talk to had stayed around to keep her company while she was on a strict rest schedule. And by everyone she bothered to talk to, she pretty much meant everyone except Pearson, Molly and Reverend Swanson.

So, by all rights, it didn't make much sense to her that Bill hadn't been keeping her company at all to her knowledge. At least he hadn't been around whenever she was awake, maybe there could have been the coincidence that he was there when she happened to be sleeping but that possibility truly didn't seem very likely to her. Not with how often she switched back and forth between being awake and asleep.

She and Bill got along fine, didn't they? She thought so, expecially recently. It just didn't make sense... unless he thought less of her after he had to stop her from almost blowing her own brains out. It hadn't seemed like he would be the type to judge her for that though. She shook her head, pushing her thoughts to the side when Javier spoke again, "Are you sure you're ok?"

Celina nodded again and tried to make herself comfortable while being careful as to how she was moving to prevent further injury to herself, "I'm just thinking about some things is all... the past couple days have really been a lot."

Javier nodded, "They sure have, expecially for you. Tell you the truth, a lot of us didn't think you would recover like you are."

Celina shrugged, "It just wasn't my time yet, I guess. Hopefully that won't be for a long, long time..." She trailed off, truly wanting to ask the question that was on her mind, "Bill hasn't been around to stay with me yet, has he?"

Javier thought for a moment, "Now that you say it, I don't think he has."

"He's not mad at me or something, is he?"

"You'd have to ask him but I don't see what there would be for him to be mad about... what would there be really? Mad at you for getting shot?"

Celina kept her voice low, "Other reasons like maybe he's troubled over Micah's death?"

Javier waved that suggestion off, "There's no way that that would be bothering him. I'm sure that he was happy when those bounty hunters got him. A lot of us are, saves us a good deal of trouble around here."

Celina nodded and adjusted the pillow behind her head, "I hate feeling like I've wasted the last few days sleeping. I can't help it though, this being shot really takes a lot to recover from."

Javier smiled and nodded, "I think I'm willing to take your word for it. Are you starting to feel back to your normal self yet though? I mean it seems like you've been sleeping less today than yesterday."

She nodded and looked down towards her belly to the best of her ability, "I'm starting to. I mean it still hurts more than I can explain... but I feel my strength beginning to pick back up slowly but surely. I just wish I had the medical luxuries now that I could have if something like this would happen in 2018."

Javier shifted in the chair, leaning forwards in intrest, "What's it like, 2018 anyway?"

She took another drink of her water, "A heck of a lot different. We have cars, like I've explained before that are the dominant form of transportation... some people ride horses but more for fun instead of true method of transportation. That said, people are generally a lot more lazy... not quite as lazy as uncle... well, I suppose some are, but... it's just different. For the most part people buy entertainment such as videogames and movies instead of going out and finding it like they would at this time. There's a lot and I mean a lot more law so there's that... society is a joke. Medicine is well advanced but doctors are pricks for the most part, I don't think the majority really care about patients too much. Doctor's now are definately more empathetic. I don't know," she shrugged, "Everything's so much different... if I had to choose to go back or stay here, I would stay here, no questions asked."

Javier raised a brow, "Even with the life you left behind?"

Celina nodded, "Expecially with the life I left behind. I mean..." She hesitated for a moment, "I had a good group of friends back in 2018 but it was nothing like I have now with you guys. I didn't fit in with them, not really, not with losing my brother. They all tried to understand, but I knew they didn't, they couldn't possibly, they couldn't relate. You guys, I feel like in one way or another we are in similar boats regarding our losses. Eventhough I don't talk about Thomas... It helps me to feel like if I wanted to, I think all of you would truly understand. You know, I..." She took another drink of water, "When I started playing RDR2 and then reading about your guy's gang, it began to change my mentality. I began to believe in freedom above the law as well like you guys. I began to find myself turning against the law, no longer wanting to be under it. I tried to push those feelings to the side at first but even before I was thrown back in time, I began to embrace the idea of freedom from the law... that's something I never told anyone. I truly believe in my heart that this is where I belong and I don't think I would go back to 2018 to save my life... not after living like I am now."

...

A/N: Now officially longest chapter yet I do believe lol. Anyway, I wanted to touch some more on Bill's feelings for Celina as I love writing them and think they're absolutely adorable myself. Any further thoughts on this such as what you would like to see from it and if you like it or not? I just love it tbh lol.

Maybe I'll do a chapter in my Imagine book to show what would have happened if he had offered to stay with Celina after the mayor's party? I think that would be interesting... so I might do that, thoughts? Won't write if you guys aren't interested.

And nope, none of this book is a dream whatsoever, 100% real life. She's really in 1899 guys. She's a real fighter too, surviving a gunshot like that and I really think it adds a lot to the story personally. Making her fight for her life.

Anyway, as always, look forward to reading all of your questions/comments or predictions so leave them in the comments for me if you would.

If I don't update tomorrow, Happy New Year and please, everyone be safe!

Disclaimer: I do not own Red Dead Redemption 1 or 2 or anything associated with it.