"Kitty!"

The saloon owner sat straight up in her bed and looked around.

"Matt!" she called out quickly a broad smile on her face.

His smell hung heavy in the air as she flipped back the covers and climbed out of bed.

"Matt Dillion, where are you?"

But her smiled faded and tears came to her eyes when she realized, it was just a dream.

"Morning, Sam," Doc said entering the saloon an hour later.

"Good morning, Doc," the barkeep replied pouring the older man a cup of black coffee.

"Kitty down yet," Doc asked taking the cup with a nod of thanks.

"Not yet," Sam said quietly a note of worry in his voice.

The physician looked up as the door to Kitty's room shut and the woman dressed in a long black skirt and crisp white blouse descended the stairs and slowly made her way to where the two men stood alone at the bar.

"Sam," Kitty said putting her booking ledger on the top of the bar. "Could you check over these figures for me, I just can't seem to get them right!"

"Sure, Miss Kitty," Sam said taking the book to her office.

"What?" Kitty said a moment later after she realized Doc had been staring at her.

"Worrying over Matt, isn't going to bring him back," Doc said slowly.

"Who said, I was worried?" Kitty replied harshly.

"Look at you," Doc said swiping at his mustache. "Dark circles under your eyes tell me your not sleeping, you've clearly lost weight so I know you're not eating and now you can't concentrate on your work! You want me to go on?"

Kitty scoffed, but as much as she wanted to deny what Doc was saying, she just couldn't. "I miss him, Doc," she said quietly her voice cracking with pent up emotion.

Doc nodded as he took her hand in his. "I know you do, honey," he said gently. "We all do but you're going to make yourself sick if you keep this up."

Kitty smiled as she wiped away the tears with the back of her hand. "Haven't you got anyone else to worry about, curly," she said meeting his eyes.

"No," Doc replied tugging at his ear. "Not until Festus gets back anyway."

"But Matt's never been gone this long before," Kitty said wringing her hands nervously. "And if he was, he'd at least get word to us, a telegram, something!"

"Now don't you go getting all upset again," Doc replied taking her arm. "We're going to Delmonico's for breakfast..."

"I'm not hungry," Kitty said as Doc shook his head no.

"Your going to eat everything on that plate, young lady and then your going to get some sleep," he said leading her to the door. "I'll give you something to put you out if I have to."

"Alright," Kitty said exasperated and finally gave in to Doc's cajoling. "I'll have some toast and tea."

"You'll have some eggs and potatoes and you'll eat it," Doc said sternly as Kitty nodded in agreement.

"Beautiful day, isn't it," Mike said wrapping her arm around Matt's.

"Sure is," Matt replied watching the road ahead. "Looks like we got someone coming this way."

Mike cranked her neck to see who it was but couldn't make out the rider in the distance.

"Probably just a drifter passing though," she said as Matt nodded.

"Perhaps," he said reaching for the rifle on the floor of the wagon.

Mike took the reins as the rider got closer and she noticed the familiarity of the man on horse back.

"Dan," she said suddenly alarmed. "That's one of Starcourt's men!"

"Stop the wagon," Matt yelled as Mike brought the wagon to a stop. "Quick, get behind it!"

Mike took her revolver before following Matt behind the wagon as the rider got close enough to squeeze off a shot which Matt returned with his rifle.

"Did you get him," Mike asked as another bullet ricocheted off the wagon.

"Not yet," Matt replied needlessly.

The sound of gunfire coming from some where beside them made them both look up as Starcourt's man returned fire in the opposite direction before another shot found its target and he fell from his horse to the ground below and didn't move.

Mike looked at Matt worriedly as the man riding a mule slowly approved the wagon.

"I don't know what all that was about," he said sliding off the mule's back. "But, I sure am glad ta see you, Matthew. Wal, I hardly knew it was you dressed in them duds ya got on!"

"Who are you, Mister?" Matt said leveling the rifle at Festus before glancing sideways at Mike. "He one of Starcourt's men?"

"Starcourt," Festus said confused. "What you talkin bout, Matthew. I'm Festus Haggen, one of yer deputy's!"

"He don't know you, Mister," Mike said quickly. "I found him like this almost a month ago."

"Wal, if in that's true, Matthew," Festus replied gently. "Why I bet ol Doc can do something if you just come on back ta Dodge with me."

"No," Matt replied adamantly. "I'm not going no where with you or anyone else. So just get back on your mule and ride on out of here!"

"What about your job, what bout the people in Dodge that care bout you," Festus said more than a little confused. "Yer just gonna give all that up?"

"Tell them, I died, tell them I'm gone," Matt said angrily. "What ever you want to tell them is fine with me but you didn't find anyone named Matthew here, you found Dan Smith! Now get out of here!"

"Alright, Dan," Festus said slowly turning around. "If in ya change yer mind or come ta your sense's, I'll be in Dodge."

"Wait," Mike said stepping closer to the deputy. "He ain't married, is he?"

"No ma'am," Festus replied slowly purposely neglecting to tell them about Kitty. "He ain't married."

Mike sighed in relief before she noticed the red stain on Festus shoulder. "You shot mister Haggen?" she asked searching his face.

"It's just a graze," he said looking up at the sun. "I'll be going now. You remember what I said, I'll be in Dodge if in he ever gets his sense's back."

Mike nodded as Festus climbed onto Ruth's back. Tipping his hat slightly, he said, "it was nice ta meet ya, Dan, ma'am."

Mike watched as Festus turned Ruth back toward Dodge before meeting Dan's eyes. "He seemed like a good friend," she said quietly. "There aren't many men that I know would come all this way looking for someone unless they really cared about that person."

"Yeah, well," Matt said grabbing a shovel from the wagon. "That man doesn't exist anymore."

Mike watched as Matt walked over to the dead man and started to dig a grave next to his body. That maybe true now, she thought happily. But would it stay that way?"