The chapter we've all been waiting for right? No? Damn. The four love birds go to Dodge to shop yada yada yada. Enjoy. First one to think of a name for this chapter gets a prize.

Disclaimer: You know the drill. Oh and I borrowed the Gunsmoke characters again. Sorry.

20

On Friday morning the two couples boarded the train to Dodge City. It was Ethan's first time ever traveling by train as he preferred to travel by horse but for Emily he would take the train to Dodge. He would also buy a new suit as she insisted that he did for Oliver and Louise's wedding. While setting with the other couple on the train, Ethan asked the question that had been burning a hole in his pocket since the whole wedding discussion had began in the first place, "Oliver, so where are you taking Louise on your honeymoon?"

Emily gave him a hard look for asking and then went back to planning with Louise, which gave Oliver time to answer Ethan. "We're not taking one, because of Jesse."

"You could take him with you." Ethan suggested. He almost laughed when he saw the look that Oliver gave him. It said, Would you take a baby on your honeymoon buddy?

That ended the talk of honeymoons for the rest of the ride to Dodge. Ethan looked out the window and watched as the plains flew by. Soon he saw the familiar buildings of Dodge City. He hoped that he would see Marshall Dillon, Festus, and maybe even Hester Mae. He would like to thank her again for helping him out when Keevler had left him staked out in the grass.

When the train stopped Oliver and Ethan got down and helped the girls down and Jesse down. Ethan had just helped Emily and was gathering their things when he heard it. The unstable steps of the one and only Festus Haggen. Ethan turned and looked at his friend. "Howdy Festus! How are you?"

The older man squinted his eyes and looked and then came over, spurs clanging. "Ethan? Ethan, is that you boy?"

"Yes Festus, it's me. How are you?"

"Well I'll be. I'm good Ethan. How are you?"

"Good. We're down here to get a few things for a couple friends wedding that are coming up soon."

"Well I'll be." Festus said. "Well I gotta go. I'll see ya later." Then he walked away, whistling.

Emily came up then, "Who was that, Ethan?"

"Festus Haggen." Ethan replied. "He's the deputy here in Dodge."

Emily didn't say anything about Festus and they went to their hotel to check in. The boys checked in together as did the girls and baby Jesse. Then the boys were dragged along shopping with the girls.

The dress shop was the girl's first destination so Ethan and Oliver wandered into a men's clothing store that was right next door. "So what kind of suit are you going to get?" Ethan asked his friend.

"Something I can wear at the bank. You?" Oliver replied.

"I think I'm just going to get a new jacket. There's nothing wrong with my pants or shirt." Ethan said. He knew that Emily would like to see him have something like Oliver or Thomas but he was a rancher and had no need for such things. They wandered around for several minutes and soon had their selections made. Oliver even convinced Ethan to get himself a vest to wear for nice as well. He did it because he knew that Emily would like it. They went back out on the boardwalk only to see Marshall Dillon lounging outside the dress shop as well. "Hello Marshall." Ethan greeted.

"Ethan Stabler?" the Marshall said in disbelief. "How are you son?"

"I'm good, Marshall. Oh, Marshall this is my friend Oliver Munch."

"Nice to meet you Oliver." The marshal said extending his hand.

Oliver shook it and looked in the door of the dress shop. "Waiting for someone in there too Marshall?" he asked.

"Uh, yeah, a friend of mine." The marshal replied.

Ethan sat down next to him. "How's Miss Kitty doing Marshall?"

"Pretty well from the sounds that keep coming out of there." Dillon replied to the younger man. "Who are you waiting for that's in there?"

"Oh my gal, Emily, is in there helping Oliver's fiancé and her best friend, Louise find a wedding dress."

That was when the girls came breezing out the red headed saloon keeper behind them. "Oh Matt." She said. "I was just helping these young ladies prepare for a wedding." Then she saw Ethan setting there. "Ethan! How nice to see you, what brings you back to Dodge?"

Ethan stood and offered his hand to Miss Kitty Russell. "These ladies that you were helping, Miss Kitty." He replied.

Emily moved closer to Ethan. "I see you already know Ethan, Miss Russell." She said.

Kitty watched as Ethan wrapped his arm around the shapely little blonde, before replying. "Yes I do. The last time I saw him though he looked terrible. How are you feeling?"

Ethan smiled and said, "My ribs are still sore, I got bucked off right before I got home and also a concussion. I was laid up for a few days but Emily has been taking good care of me."

"So are you getting married?" Kitty asked.

Oliver and Louise stepped in then, "No. We are Miss Russell." Louise said.

"Oh my. Well I think you girls are going to knock these boys' socks off. Matt, I need to get back to the Long Branch." Kitty said and she and Matt said their goodbyes and made their way down the street.

"Did you find new suits?" Emily asked her brother and Ethan.

"Yes." They said in unison.

Jesse began to cry then and Oliver and Louise said that they had to go back to the hotel to take care of him. Oliver offered to carry his friend and his sister's packages so that they could continue walking about Dodge.

After Oliver and Louise walked away with the crying baby, Ethan offered his arm to Emily. "Well are you hungry Miss Munch?" he asked.

"Why Mr. Stabler, I thought you would never ask." She said in her best impersonation of a southern belle.

They made their way to Del Monico's and found a table. Ethan ordered the special and Emily followed suit. While they were waiting for their food Emily sighed and said, "I feel bad for Lou and Oliver."

"Why?" Ethan asked, taking a drink of the lemonade they had ordered.

"Well we took this trip over here and now they can't even enjoy their time here because they have to take care of Jesse." Emily said. "It's just sad."

Ethan wiped the sweat off his glass with his thumb. "I suppose. Why didn't they leave Jesse with your Ma and Pa?"

"Ethan, the child is only three months old. He's much too young to leave with Mother for a weekend."

"Why?" Ethan said. "My Ma went on that trip that one time when Katie was little."

Emily looked down, "I guess it's different when it's your first. Now, tell me about what you bought."

"I bought a new jacket, dark grey in color to go with my good black pants. I also bought a new string tie. "And" he said, before she could begin on his shoes, "I plan to buy new boots later today."

"Oh. Well that sounds alright then. Oh Ethan, I'm so excited for Lou and Ollie."

"So am I." Ethan replied.

Their meal came then and it was so good that it didn't leave much room for conversation. They finished their meal and made their way down to the boot store that was housed in Dodge. It took Ethan almost an hour to find a pair that he liked and that fit well. He wore them out of the store telling Emily that he needed to break them in.

They went back to the hotel only to find Oliver, Louise and Jesse asleep on the bed in what was to be Louise and Emily's room. They went to Ethan and Oliver's room and Ethan sat down in the chair to pull off the new boots, they were hurting his feet. He wiggled his toes and said to Emily, "That feels better. I'll soak 'em in the water tank and wear them until they dry when we get home to stretch them out."

Emily sat down in the other chair and said to him, "Just don't ruin them dear."

"I won't. What would you like to do now?" Ethan asked. He was really thinking about how pretty she looked today in her yellow dress. Her hair was pulled up into a fashionable bun and she had a little straw hat perched on her head. It had a big yellow ribbon around the brim.

"I don't know." Emily said. "How about we rent a buggy and go for a ride?"

"Ok, that sounds good." Ethan said. He pulled on his old boots, set his hat on his head and he and Emily walked down the street to the livery stable. There they rented a one seated buggy and horse and took a drive out of town.

Ethan found a shady spot under a cottonwood tree and pulled up the buggy. He stopped the horse, climbed out, tied her to a low hanging branch, and then helped Emily out. She placed her hands on his shoulders and looked up at his face under the brim of his hat. "Thank you." She said.

"Your welcome." Ethan said. He kissed her; he'd been waiting all day to do it too. Then they went over to set under the tree as well. He put his arms around Emily and liked the feel of her leaning against his chest. Then remembering he wanted to find out her plans for the fourth of July he said, "What are you planning for the Fourth of July, Em?"

"Nothing. What are you planning?"

"I was planning on asking you to go with me to the dance." Ethan said.

"Of course. Who else would I go with?" Emily said, turning her face up to look at him.

"I don't know." Ethan said, resting his chin on her forehead. "Did I tell you how pretty you looked today?"

Emily moved out of the uncomfortable position and turned to face Ethan. "No but I wouldn't mind hearing."

"Emily Munch, you're the prettiest gal I've seen all day." Ethan said, dropping a kiss on her lips.

Emily didn't get a chance to respond as the kiss became more heated. She was getting much too used to kissing Ethan, being held by Ethan. Her mind, her life were consumed by him.

Ethan felt the same way but he was so much happier than he had been before everything had happened. He couldn't wait until the dance on the fourth. He would finally get his chance to participate and he wouldn't have to watch from afar.

When they made it back to the hotel to find Oliver and Louise waiting for them. They all went to eat and then on the way back, Ethan stopped Oliver and said, "Let's send the gals back to the hotel, I need your help doing something."

"Ok. I need your help doing something too." Oliver said.

Oliver told the girls that they had something that they needed to do before they came back to go to bed and sent them on towards the hotel. Then the two men went back towards the general mercantile to look at rings. Oliver had already given Louise an engagement ring but he hadn't bought a band and Ethan just wanted to look for someday.

As they looked Oliver eyed his friend. "So, where did you and Emily go this afternoon?"

"Out for a drive." Ethan said, "Why?"

"Just wondering. So what are you looking for anyway?" Oliver asked.

"I'm just looking. Look Ollie, I love your sister, I've never told her but I plan on doing that and asking her to marry me someday. I don't want to court her a month and then run and get married."

"Are you saying that Louise and I are rushing things?" Oliver asked.

"No, not at all. I'm just saying that I don't want to do that with Emily."

"Oh. Well did I tell you that I plan to adopt Jesse and give him the Munch name. I want him to be my son."

"Really? That's wonderful Oliver. Congratulations." Ethan said.

"Thanks. I'm doing the paperwork and Lou and I are having his birth certificate changed. He'll never know that he had a different father, other than the fact that we are leaving White as a surname for him as well."

When they returned back to the hotel, the girls and Jesse were already asleep from the long day. Oliver had purchased a simple, elegant band to put on Louise's finger when they got married the next week. Ethan had made a purchase too, a pretty little diamond ring that he planned to give to Emily, someday.

They spent another day in Dodge City and then returned home so that the ladies could finish their planning for Oliver and Louise's wedding the next week.