AN: One more time, I want to thank all of you for the wonderful reviews. I truly appreciate each and every one. God bless you all.

Matt and Kitty lay contently in each other's arms in her rooms above the now silent Long Branch.

Lying on his back and slightly sitting up, Kitty half lying on his chest, Matt softly chuckled. "You know, I still can't get over old Mr. Garner. He wasn't upset in the slightest by his wife's death. Doc said the old man claimed it was the first time in years he'd gotten any rest without her nagging him or snoring."

Kitty joined in the chuckle for a moment before sobering. "Well, I'm glad he wasn't as sick as he looked. Doc said, he was pretty much just passed out from exhaustion."

"No, wonder if his wife wouldn't let him sleep." Matt chuckled again until he noticed Kitty's silence. "Sorry. Just joking."

Kitty sighed. "I wonder if he'll feel that way about her later, when he realizes she'll never come back."

"I don't know." Matt answered. "But I'll tell ya what, if it were me, I wouldn't feel that way ever." He stopped for a second when Kitty raised her head to look at him. "I know I don't say it very often, Kitty, but I'm awfully proud of you. You took in strangers, doctored them, fed them, defended them and did it all alone. Not many women could do what you did."

Kitty laid her head back down. "Ah, Matt, I didn't do it all alone. I had Sam and the girls here as well as Festus. We all just did what we had to."

"Yeah, but we both know, it took you to organize it all and hold the fort. Neither Sam nor your girls could've delivered that baby like you did. And I doubt any of them would've known exactly what to do when that baby began to come." When Kitty didn't reply, Matt gently raised her chin to look at him. "Kitty, I meant what I said, I'm proud of you. Every time I ride out of town, I go knowing that I have you here, to take care of things until I get back."

"Me?" She questioned. "I'm not your deputy or…"

"No, you're my life." Matt answered simply. "You're the one that makes life worth living for me. When I ride out, I do so knowing that you'll be waiting here for me when I get back. That knowledge makes me just a little more cautious cause I want to live to get back. But it also makes me a little more daring at the same time. I take chances sometimes that, well, they may seem fool hardy but they make things go a little quicker and easier, if I do them right, so that I can home."

Kitty was silent for so long, Matt wasn't sure what to think. "Kitty, if I said…"

"You said more than you have in a long time, Matt Dillon." She smiled up at him. "I know you're not much of a talker. But when you do talk, you say a whole lot." Leaning up, Kitty captured his lips in a kiss meant to convey many things. "I love you, Matt and I always will."

"I love you too, Kitty and I always will." He returned the kiss and took it further. "Now, what do you say, we quit talking and do something better." His hand moved lower, rekindling the fire they'd earlier banked.

"On, one condition." She answered as she placed a hand on his shoulder to hold him back.

"Oh?" He arched a brow. "What's that?"

"That you practice more caution and less daring when you're away from me. I promise that no matter how long it takes you to get here, I'll be waiting."

"Deal." Matt answered as he quickly gripped her by the waist and flipped her under him. "Now, stop talking, woman, and make love to me."

"Yes, Sir." She replied with a soft chuckle.

END