So let me start by asking, did any of you see that American Horror Story episode last night? I don't want to spoil anything, but… CRAZY. I am concerned about how the show will progress without a certain character. And I'm sure everyone now knows about Ma Petite. Very sad. But I've got to say, I'm missing Edward's gentlemanly presence.

Anyway, I have another chapter ready. It is kind of mean to leave such a cliffhanger for a long period of time.

WARNING. It's AHS, so… Character death. Sorry in advance! Also a lot more action in this chapter.

And, to clarify the "demon's" accusations against Emily… Part of the reason, as you can imagine, is that it does not like Emily at all. Especially. If you don't already know why, Edward says it in this chapter. It might call her things that aren't necessarily true or is an overstatement to turn Edward away. Now sometimes, it might actually convince Edward otherwise. I don't want to spoil anything!

And the manager is a little overbearing. Not a bad man, but I don't want to spoil much for you. He and Edward will discuss a little more about Edward's observations in the next chapter. And Emily is not involved with the dwarf. But, once again, she will talk later because Edward is wondering, too.

But, until then, enjoy and thanks for all the support.

Chapter 4 Dead Weight

Edward

Edward watched as the more of the miners decided to join their companion in dragging Emily Beth off the stage. In a matter of a second, he saw the terror in her eyes as she tried to resist. But she was only dragged backwards when more of them got a hold of her feet and dress. She made another attempt to scurry back, but couldn't budge.

"Edward!" she screamed.

He managed to catch one of her hands, just before they could pull her from the stage and into the crowd. Edward reached for his cane with his other hand, which he'd leaned against the wall just before the dance (All Lewis' idea of props).

When he finally had it in his hand, he took it and stepped forward. He found the man that had first grabbed Emily Beth. It turned out to be young boy who looked up at him in fear, but still held Emily by the ankle. Edward jammed the end of his cane through the boy's hand with little trouble. The boy cried out in pain and let go when Edward finally retrieved his cane and stood between the miners and Emily as Lewis and Otto dragged her back onto the stage.

All the men inched back away from the stage once they saw the fire in his eyes. Edwards clenched his teeth and looked around at that audience of hateful men and turned away without offering a single word of apology for the boy.

Edward turned back to Emily Beth. She had yet to stand. She held tight to Otto and sobbed, briefly looking back at him with fearful eyes.

Lewis briefly checked her over and shook his head at Edward. "We should get backstage. Now."

Edward gathered Emily in his arms and carried her there without a moment's hesitation. "Bertha!" he called.

"Here! Bring her here." Bertha cleared the only chair they had backstage and stepped back as Edward sat Emily Beth down. She stepped forward when Edward stood back and cradled Emily's crumpled face in her hands. "Oh, Em. Did they-"

Emily put her trembling hands on Bertha's and managed to shake her head. Bertha hugged her then, thanking Edward with her eyes as she looked over Emily's shoulder. All at once, the managed ran in with the young boy that kept the stables.

He held his hat as he ran over to them. "Em! Emily Beth!"

The stable boy took one of Emily's hands. "Emily?"

Emily looked back at the boy. "Matthew…" she whispered. The boy smiled in relief as the manager tapped his shoulder.

"Thank god," said the manager. "We are going to get them out of here. Mordrake?"

He nodded when Edward looked back at him in silence. The young aristocrat half-expected his manager to demand an apology out of him, which he knew he wouldn't give. But then he surprised him. "You did right," he said.

Matthew looked back at Emily Beth. "We're going to get them out of here," he promised as he followed the manager out.

Lewis and Otto rushed in shortly after they left. "You should check her feet," Lewis said.

Even through her tears, he could see Emily Beth blush. In England, it was considered improper for a young lady to show her ankles in any class. She shook her head. "No! No…"

"Now is hardly the time for modesty, Emily. Give me your foot. Let's have it!"

Edward knelt down with Lewis because, despite his constant strive to be gentlemanly and modest, he agreed. Otto busied himself with helping Bertha get some wet cloths. Edward frowned as he saw fresh blood soaking through Emily's right shoe. Lewis had already removed the left, which the boy had grabbed first. There was nothing but a badly bruised handprint just above her ankle. Lewis flexed it back and forth a few times.

"Does it hurt?" he asked.

"No," Emily answered, still trembling. She drew a sharp intake of breath through her teeth and startled when he gave it a light squeeze. Deciding he wasn't overly concerned, he looked to Edward.

"How about the other, Edward?"

Edward briefly grimaced and gently began working Emily's shoe off her foot. Emily started or winced each time he moved the shoe. He finally removed it altogether and gently took her ankle in his hands. He and Lewis were horrified to see a deep gash than ran from her ankle to the middle of her calf. Her entire right foot was already covered in blood.

Lewis motioned frantically with his hand. "Bertha, Bertha! Give us something to wrap it. Hurry!"

Bertha tossed a white cloth to Lewis and patted Emily's face. She was turning already beginning to turn pale. "Stay with us, Em."

Edward and Lewis worked to wrap the wound, hands wet and red from blood. Edward tied the bandage as tight as he possibly could. When he was finished, he removed his now blood-soaked gloves and threw them away. There was no hope for them anymore.

"What did they do to her?" Lewis fretted.

"It's fortunate Edward got to her. She needs a doctor for that wound. Quickly," Otto stated.

"Is there one nearby?" Edward asked.

"Dr. Edison. He's always treated us well."

"Are those miners gone?" Bertha inquired.

"Yes. They are nearly off the grounds." Matthew pulled back the curtain and rushed in. He stopped next to Edward.

"The manager is still making rounds to be sure the grounds are clear. If we move her to her tent, others will need to look after her. Does she require a doctor?"

"Yes," Edward answered. "She needs someone to retrieve him quickly. Shall it be you, or I?"

"I know the way and the horses. I will go. I trust there is no one better to watch after her than you. You and the others should try to get her to her tent."

As Matthew started to take his leave, Edward called him back. "Matthew."

Edward pulled his dagger out from under his coat and offered it to him, should the situation call for it. "These men are still not entirely off the grounds. Take care."

The young boy smiled. "You really do have everything, don't you?"

Once Matthew left, Edward approached the others. "Matthew is going to fetch a doctor for Emily. We should try to move her to her tent."

They all hesitated at the thought of going out there. Everyone nodded when Emily took a shaky breath and restlessly turned her head from side to side.

"Let's stay together," Otto said, taking the rest of the good cloths and the water.

Edward offered his cane to Lewis, just in case anything happened along the way. But Lewis, who sometimes used a cane to make mobility easier for himself, found them all staring when he unsheathed a sword from it.

"You never know," was the only answer he could come up with in his defense.

"Hmm. I want one," Otto replied. Edward passed him his cane and once again took Emily in his arms to carry her out. Emily helped a little by slinging one arm over his shoulder, but otherwise was dead weight. She leaned her head on his shoulder and closed her eyes.

Edward carried her out, cautiously scanning his surroundings. Lewis, Otto, and Bertha followed on all sides of him. They could hear the miners talking far up ahead of them. He studied her face as they walked along with the others in close proximity. She was pale and drained; not the lively Emily they all knew.

They reached her tent with no trouble. Bertha cleared Emily's nightstand and took the cloths from Otto. "They must be off the grounds," she said. Lewis sheathed his sword back into his cane.

Edward gently laid Emily on her bed. Her eyes sprang open in panic of being moved somewhere else, but she calmed herself when she realized where she was and looked into his eyes with a glazed expression. She reached up and put a hand on his shoulder, moving her lips like she was trying to say something. Then she blacked out.

Suddenly, Edward heard the voice he so dreaded to hear every day.

"She'll die…"

A million revelations hit him at once. Emily. It was Emily Beth who kept the demon at bay.

And, at this rate, she might be gone before Matthew returned.

Edward talked to the others over his shoulder. "We have to do something for her now! We cannot wait!"

Bertha pulled back the hem of Emily's torn dress, and gasped when she saw that blood had soaked through the gauze and was seeping into the mattress. Edward patted Emily's face once more, but did not get a response from her. She was even more pale than before. He and Otto exchanged looks, then Otto took the nearest candle in his long, skinny hand.

"Bertha, Lewis. Unwrap her leg and clean the wound as best as you can. Edward, hold her steady. I am going to cauterize the wound to stop the bleeding, but I have only seen it done once."

Edward gaped at the dark-skinned man a moment. The horror of what he was about to do slowly dawned on him, but it was the only way to ensure Emily Beth did not bleed out. Edward nodded. If anyone were to do it, he had faith in Otto. Edward struggled to ignore the constant whisperings of the fiend as he held Emily's arms down.

Otto carefully brought the candle flamed to her wound, slowly moving the candle so that it seared only the wound without burning her skin. Edward felt Emily cringe at one point, but she was likely too weak to respond otherwise. Finally, Otto exhaled. The once freely bleeding wound was now a seared gash. It looked dreadful, but at least Emily Beth was not in danger of bleeding out before Matthew returned with the doctor. Otto watched the gash a moment, occasionally using the candle flame on an area he missed. Bertha's face crumpled with worry when he stood back.

"This still looks terrible," she fretted.

"It's only temporary Bertha," Lewis assured her.

Bertha bent over Emily as best as she could. Emily's lack of response worried them all. She smoothed the strawberry blond curls away from her face and turned to Edward. "She's still…?"

Edward nodded. "Yes," he whispered.

Bertha took one of Emily's hands, slowly beginning to cry. "Those hateful men," she whispered.

Edward leaned on a post that held up the tent and brushed the hair that was caked to his forehead away with his hand. His eyes traveled the road leading into town. No sign of Matthew. A little time passed. Finally, some of the dwarves came in.

A dwarf woman Edward had yet to meet rushed in. She was young. Maybe Emily Beth's age. "We've just heard what's happened! Is she hurt?"

No one had the spirit to answer the question. They all moved back so she could get the Emily. The little woman of stature gasped and went to Emily's bedside. "My god…"

"We've sent for a doctor, Minnie," Lewis offered as comfort. He walked over and gently took one of her hands. She nodded and sniffed.

"I was hoping this would never happen again. It hasn't since…" Lewis gave her a warm hug then, and comfortingly rubbed her shoulder. Edward stared at the two and looked away because the situation hardly called for a smile. Anyone could tell at first glance that Lewis and Minnie, despite their physical differences, were quite well suited for each other.

Minnie and Bertha whispered back and forth a moment. Finally, Bertha asked all the men to step outside while they helped Emily out of her torn dress and into something more comfortable. Every man blushed and was out of there in a matter of seconds.

They, having nothing to do, either paced or watched the road. Edward folded his hands on his cane and pressed them into it in an attempt to ignore the fiend and watched the road. The dwarf that had so hatefully asked for Emily earlier stood on one side of him, Otto on the other.

"They should be back by now," the dwarf said.

Edward made no effort to answer, as he did not care for him.

"He's right," Otto whispered. "Where is he?"

Edward would have loved to answer Otto, but had nothing to offer.

Another red-headed dwarf with an optimistic and kind nature cleared his throat behind them. "They may have got caught up. Dr. Edison could be with another patient. They will be along."

After what seemed like an eternity, Minnie opened the flap of the tent. "Alright, it is safe to come in now. She is awake." The woman walked up to Edward, who had to bend down to hear her. "Edward, she asked for you."

For the first time, Edward noticed that the whisperings had stopped. For how long, he was uncertain. Emily Beth was leaning against the pillows when he ducked inside. She was still so pale, and barely awake. Her grey eyes still had a glassy haze over them. Bertha and Minnie had helped her into a thin, simple white dress that was still proper enough for company to see her in.

She smiled at him as he sat down on the edge of the bed next to her. "Edward…"

"I am here," he said in a low voice that matched hers. She caught him off guard by throwing her arms around him neck. The movement was a little too much for her. He was forced to return the hug in order to support her. He felt her face crumple against his cheek as she began to cry.

"Thank you," she whispered through her tears. Edward held her tighter as she began to sob. "Thank you," she said again.

Edward held her for a moment, then he rested his chin on the top of her head briefly before pulling back and staring into her eyes. He reached up and gently brushed a tear from her cheek. Emily managed to laugh through her tears. The two put a hand on each other's cheek for comfort and smiled. Edward caught her when she lost her strength again and leaned on his shoulder. Bertha helped him lean her back against the pillows to rest.

The two stared at Emily without speaking for a moment. Finally Bertha asked, "Matthew hasn't returned yet?"

Edward shook his head. "No."

"You don't think he encountered them, do you?"

He just stared back at her. For the first time, he felt concerned for Matthew. They waited. And waited more.

Emily woke briefly from time to time. Minnie and Lewis were with her when Lewis mentioned that their manager had yet to appear as well.

The night turned into very early morning. Finally, they couldn't stand to wait any longer. Edward decided that he would go after Matthew. Otto volunteered to come along. It was the first time Emily, who was now awake, had heard mention of a doctor. She looked up to Bertha for answers as Edward and Otto left the tent.

But when Edward and Otto opened the flap of the tent, they froze in place. The manager was leading a horse with a bloody corpse thrown across the saddle. Edward let out a shaky breath and stepped forward as the manager stopped the horse and gestured to the body, at a loss of words for a change. Edward knew the identity of the body before he even took the face in his hands and turned it to his to confirm what he knew was true.

Matthew had never made it to Dr. Edison. The miners had gotten their revenge before leaving the grounds. He'd been stabbed to death, all over, by a group of them and left for dead.

"I found him just outside the stables," the manager stated solemnly.

Grief for the boy Edward knew would have grown into a kind man overwhelmed him. He sniffed and barely managed to stifle a mournful cry that sounded more like a huff of rage as he and Otto pulled the remains of Matthew from the saddle. Edward and Otto laid him flat on the ground. Edward stared into the boy's bloody face, struggling to steady his breathing. But Matthew looked peaceful, despite his gruesome murder. He found the dagger he gave him, still tucked in Matthew's belt. Either Matthew didn't fight them, or never got the chance. Edward removed the dagger and sheathed it under his own coat.

"What's happened?" Minnie unknowingly pulled the flap back. Her facial expression went blank from disbelief when she saw the scene before her. Everyone inside the tent could see. There were various reactions. But perhaps the most unforgettable one to Edward was Emily's. She went in shock when she realized who it was. For a moment, her expression was unreadable. While everyone was too frozen to react, shock overruled her pain.

"Matthew!"

She flung herself out of bed, steadying herself on the posts that supported the tent as she worked her way forward. The effort drained what little color had returned to her face, and she depended on other objects to move, as she found she could not walk well on either foot. Especially the right.

Emily Beth fell forward when she made it outside for lack of something to hold on to. Edward and everyone else moved forward to help her, but she pushed past them and pulled herself over to what was left of Matthew. She put a hand on his still heart, blankly staring into his face for a moment. "Matthew…?"

She cried then, perhaps harder than Edward had ever heard anyone cry before. For a moment, no one intervened. Finally, Minnie approached the manager and Edward.

"She still needs a doctor," she whispered, as if it were hard to say. But she was right. Even Emily Beth's lips had lost their color now.

"Shall I go?" Edward whispered to the manager.

He shook his head no. "You have proven yourself to be one of the stronger ones. I will need you here to watch over them. I'll send two men of the staff."

A crowd of staff had gathered by this time. Two of them stepped forward. One took the horse and turned to them. "We will return. And when we get back, we will help bury Matthew. He was one of our own."

The manager nodded to them. They departed, deciding the unfortunate other was to take Lady.

Edward gently pulled Emily away from Matthew. Emily feebly resisted at first, then finally leaned into his chest. He knelt on the ground and held her for a moment, letting her know he was truly sorry. The manager knelt down and squeezed one of her hands. "So glad to see you safe, Em. Why don't you let Mordrake take you back inside?"

Emily's body shook as she quietly began to sob again. Edward once again lifted her and proceeded to put her back to bed when Minnie stopped him. "Wait. Here, Edward. In this chair."

"Yes madam," Lewis stated in a sarcastic manner to let her know that she was being bossy.

Minnie gave him a stern look. "And… All the men out."

Edward did as Minnie said and left the tent. Later on, they wrapped Matthew's body in blanket and were just getting a head start digging a grave near the field when the two hands arrived with an elderly gentleman Edward assumed with Dr. Edison. Edward, having never dug anything in his life, was learning as he helped.

The man that had taken Lady was slightly behind the others. It seemed Lady had given him quite a time.

He continued to dig, relieved that Emily was going to be alright.

"How often does something like this happen?" Edward asked the red-headed dwarf they had spoken to earlier.

The dwarf stepped on his shovel and tossed dirt aside. "Not very. But it does happen."

Later on, when Matthew's grave was finished, Edward went back to his tent for some much needed rest with the others. Grey morning light was already beginning to make itself known in the sky. They decided to wait until later to bury Matthew, in case everyone else wished to attend. Edward stopped with Lewis and Otto when they found Bertha outside Emily's tent.

"How is she?" Edward prompted quietly. He could just see inside. Emily was sleeping as the doctor checked her pulse by feeling her wrist with his fingers.

"She is stable," Bertha said. "The doctor is about to leave. Minnie and I will take turns staying with her."

Edward nodded. Lewis yawned. "What a night…"

"Yes. I'm off to bed," Otto stated.

"Me too," Lewis seconded.

"You are not going to say goodnight to Minnie?" Bertha teased.

Lewis almost seemed tempted when he looked back at the tent, then he turned away. "She will be alright."

Edward started to take his leave as well.

"Edward?" Bertha called after him.

When he turned around, she nodded to him. "Thank you for saving her."

Edward nodded and bid her goodnight. He changed into his night clothes when he made it to his tent, eager to remove all the grime and blood and filth of the day. The demon whispered and whispered, happy from the passing of Matthew.

Edward was too exhausted at the time to pay much attention. "Silence, you vile thing."

He pulled the pillow over his head and instantly dozed into sleep.