Author's Note: I don't own Red Dead Redemption nor any of the characters. I only own the plot to the story and few characters which are my own.
Summary: Red Dead Redemption 2 Au. It was Sadie Arthur had been in love with not Mary Giles all those years ago. Arthur was prepared to leave it all behind for Sadie. Sadie's family intervened lying saying that Arthur was dead killed in a shootout with the law. Heartbroken Sadie marries Jake Adler. Eighteen years later. A snow storm brings both death, destruction and a ghost from the past to Sadie's doorstep.
Chapter 3
Colter, West Grizzles Ambarino
May 1899
A few days past with more of the same miserable weather. A snow storm had blown through the night before dumping another inch and a half of snow over night. The snow had been begun to thaw the day before it had snowed again.
Now the wagons where snowed in deeper then the last time. Spirits around camp where optimistic. More upbeat then they had been that first day at Colter.
The sun was just coming up when Arthur lead Blackjack and the still unnamed Chestnut Bridle Stallion out of the barn over to the hitching rail. This hour of the morning was best for hunting.
"Mind if I tag along" Arthur looked over his shoulder as Charles Smith approached leading Taima already saddled.
"Sure how's the hand" Arthur asked tightening the girth on his saddle.
"Still not a hundred percent healed but should be well enough to use a bow."Charles answered.
"We headed down towards the lake. Saw some Moose tracks yesterday. Might be worth checking out."Arthur explained mounting the Chestnut Dapple Stallion.
"Moose would feed the camp for a while" Charles observed as he mounted Taima.
"Going out hunting be back sometime today" Arthur called to Javier who was on guard.
Javier nodded to the pair as they rode off.
The snow was thicker in someplace then others. It was hard going for all of the horses. They stopped briefly to allow the horses to drink. Arthur took a long sip of his canteen. It was nearly empty.
He dismounted refilling it, while Charles did the same. Arthur heard what sounded like a Bison grunting.
"Hey Charles you hear that" Arthur asked
"A bison"
"Yeah strange for a Bison to be up here."Arthur hung his canteen back over the saddle horn.
"It might be that white Bison I heard stories about back in Blackwater. Said to be white as snow" Charles explained climbing back into his own saddle.
"Clearly make it hard to hunt it being white. Come on we better be careful O'Driscolls are supposed to be up this way."Arthur mounted his own horse.
"What's the deal with the gang and the O'Driscolls" Charles asked.
"That's a long story Charles. A lot of dead bodies and blood split over this feud between Dutch and Colm. Dutch and Colm used to be 'business' partners. That partner ship went south after Colm brother Connor raped Dutch's girl at the time Annabel
For that Dutch killed Connor and Colm kidnapped, raped, tortured, mutilated and killed Annabel in retaliation for killing his brother. That's what started the feud between us and O'Driscolls. Annabel she was one of a kind.
Dutch and her where really in love. No offense to Miss O'Shea but Dutch don't love her. Not like he did Annabel. He was talking about marrying her around the time it all went to hell with Colm" Arthur explained.
"Arthur you mind if I ask another question. You can tell me to mind my own business" Charles carefully asked.
"Depends on the question" Arthur answered.
"It's seems like there history about you and Mrs Adler. Just the way you look and act around one another."
"We where lovers years ago. Well it was more then that. We where both young and head over heels in love with each other. Or so I thought. I was prepared to leave the gang to start a new life with Sadie" Arthur answered.
"What happened."
"It was one last job before I left the gang for good. We where ripping off an army payroll heading for Fort Mercer down in New Austin. But it went wrong. I was badly injured. I got away over the border into Mexico.
Time I healed up the law and everyone else thought I was dead. I came to get Sadie and leave. But her folks said she'd married this Jake Adler fella. I followed them but it seems Sadie's brothers followed me.
Tried to warn me off to leave Sadie alone. I didn't listen. While we where arguing we where set upon by bounty hunters.
Sadie's brother Alexander was killed and her brother Hamish was mortally wounded. He was dying and begged me to kill him. He'd been gut shot. Rather then let him bleed out and suffer for hours. I killed him out of mercy.
I took both of their bodies back to Sadie's parents near Armadillo. Told them what happened. Went to Thieves Landing got pissed.
Fucked a barmaid there got her pregnant. I tried to be two people a father to Isaac my son and an outlaw."Arthur explained.
"Where your son now"
"Dead and buried. He and his mama Eliza where killed for measly ten dollar. He was only five when those bastards killed them."A dark look crossed Arthur's features thinking of those times.
They rode on for three quarters of a mile.
"Arthur there's a lot of horse tracks here. Less then a day old. Heading in that direction."Charles pointed to the south.
"O'Driscolls we best be careful incase there around" Arthur turned back to looking for any fresh moose tracks or sign the big Bull Moose he'd seen yesterday was about.
Colter, West Grizzlies Ambarino
May 1899
Ben made his way to the stables to check on Cisco. Entering the barn, Kieran Duffy was in there tending his mare Branwen. Miss Alexandra Adler was in the barn cleaning a Schofield Revolver and Lancaster Repeater.
"Miss Adler, Kieran" Ben nodded to the pair as he moved to over to his own horse Cisco.
"Ben" Kieran went back to brushing down his mare.
"What are you planning on doing with that pistol and repeater Miss Adler" Ben asked as he gave a sugar cube to Cisco.
"Track down the animals who killed my pa and raped us. I'm going to shoot the bastards in the cock then feed their balls to them Mr Matthews" Lex remarked. Ben had little doubt she meant every word.
"Remind me never to get on your bad side Miss Adler" Ben chuckled leaning on the back of Cisco.
"Where is my Pa's horse Red"
"Arthur has him. He's been riding him since the night we found you and your Ma" Ben answered as he began to brush down Cisco.
"He better treat him right. I hear he been mistreating Red then I'll deal with him"
"Arthur will take good care of him Miss Adler" Ben answered.
Lex stood up exiting the barn to do some target practice.
Hosea paused on his way to the main cabin where most of the gang where hold up in. Sadie's daughter was doing target practice. He smiled. 'The girls definitely got her father's eye for shooting'
Hosea quickly worked out the Alexandra 'Lex' Adler wasn't Jake Adler's daughter by blood anyway. She had a lot of her mother in, but her attitude and mannerism all came from her father.
She was like Arthur had been that age. Moody, temper like a pissed off rattlesnake. Swore like a sailor among other things.
He wasn't the only one who had worked out who the real father was of Sadie Adler daughter. Dutch and he had talked about it at length just a few hours ago.
Hosea would love to be around when Arthur was told that the girl he had rescued was his own daughter.
"Mind if I sit" Hosea asked.
"Sure" Sadie moved over for Hosea to sit beside her.
"Is there any family we can send you and Alexandra to once we leave here"Hosea asked.
"No. My folks died fifteen years ago Smallpox. My brothers where killed in a gunfight. My two sisters are god knows where in the world. Jake didn't have anyone expect me and Lex.
There was his Aunt and Uncle but they died around the same time as my parents did during that Smallpox outbreak. There's Jake's cousin Ray Worthington. But we don't know him from Adam it's been that long since we've seen once another.
Beside him there's really no one Mr Matthews" Sadie answered.
"Well you have Arthur. As does Alexandra. Seeing as Arthur is her father after all."
"How did"
"I work it out. It wasn't that hard to figure that Arthur is Lex's father. She is a lot like him. Though she has your looks and her father eyes, It's just her mannerism, attitude and that fiery temper of hers.
She reminds me a lot of Arthur when he was that age."Hosea answered.
"Hosea you got a minute" Dutch called from outside.
"What is it Dutch" Dutch's arm was still in sling healing.
"Colm O'Driscoll is what the matter is old friend. We're going to hit him before he hits us"
"As much as I loved to kill Colm O'Driscoll we've got bigger problems to deal with then him. Like the Pinkertons and Lawmen tracking us. Finding somewhere to lay to low till the heat dies down."Hosea understood Dutch's reasoning for revenge for Anabelle's horrible killing.
"Arthur said their camp somewhere passed the lake an old mining camp. Speaking of where is Arthur"
"Gone hunting with Charles he'll be back sometime today or now it seems" Hosea pointed out four horses making their way into camp.
"Arthur that's quite a haul of meat you go there" Dutch observed as Arthur dismounted.
"Got a big Moose Bull out near the lake. We got trouble to O'Driscolls are camped on the other side of the lake. Caught one of Colm's boys he might be worth getting some information out of him before killing him" Arthur drawled a dangerous look in his eye.
"Well an O'Driscoll in my camp."Dutch chuckled as Arthur dragged Ethan O'Hannon off his horse.
"I anit saying nothing" Ethan spat blood on Dutch's boots.
"Oh you'll talk friend" Arthur grabbed him by the scruff of the neck
"I anit telling you a fucken thing" He back talked to Arthur. Arthur smiled dangerously hitting the O'Driscoll twice in the jaw before driving his boot into O'Hannon's stomach.
"Bill, Uncle go and tie this piece of a shit up. I got a saying friend, we feed those that needed feeding, shoot those that need shooting. You'll talk sooner or later."Bill and Uncle dragged O'Hannon away.
"Did you see anymore O'Driscolls in your travels Arthur"
"No just him plus a heap of tracks. Saw a massive white Bison up by the lake as well" Arthur rolled himself a cigarette.
"White Bison" Hosea asked interested.
"Yeah he was big bastard alright."Arthur lite his cigarette before taking a drag.
"Once our friend there talks and we find how many of those son of bitches there is in that camp. We'll pay them a little visit"
"Not with that arm you anit Dutch" Arthur argued back.
"Well we'll see how well my arm is by then if not. Then you can take some of the others hand out a little justice on those Irish Bastards"
Colter, West Grizzlies Ambarino
May 1899
With the moose meat he and Charles had brought back to camp had an enough meat to see them through for a week or two. Arthur hoped at least.
The O'Driscoll they'd captured still wasn't talking and tied up in the barn. O'Hannon was nothing but loyal to Colm. Dutch was chomping at the bit to go after Colm. Despite Arthur and Hosea's protests to forget about the O'Driscolls for the time being.
Arthur made his way to the barn to fetch Mars he'd named the stallion that had formerly belonged to Jake Adler.
"Where is he" Arthur heard Sadie talking from inside the barn.
"Who"
"Tommy McDermott" Sadie said next.
"Tommy McDermott never heard of him" O'Hannon laughed
"You know him you son of a bitch you run in the same gang together. You where there with him and the others as well" Arthur pushed open the barn doors.
"Lot of names and faces. People coming and going. It's hard to keep track. Lots of fellas called Tommy. Can't rightly say which one is this McDermott fella your after. But I know a Tommy.
We told them all what a fine fuck you and that whore of a daughter of your was. So how about it then"
Arthur felt his blood pressure and temper rising with each word that was said from O'Hannon's sack of shit mouth. His short fuse got the better of him. Before Sadie could move or think Arthur stalked over to them.
Drawing his Navy Revolver from his holster. He struck O'Hannon across the face with the barrel. Not once but three times.
"That the best you can do" O'Hannon tautened blood pissing from gash in his head.
"Oh I can do better that partner."Arthur growled dragging O'Hannon outside.
"Bill get you ass out here. You got any gelding tongs or big knife will do as well. Mr O'Hannon going to talk with or without his balls "Arthur threw O'Hannon onto the still snow covered ground.
"Give me a second" Bill chuckled darkly disappearing to grab his gelding tongs.
"Arthur he talked yet" Dutch and Hosea approached, while other members of the gang watched on.
"He'll talk Dutch. He was one of the one who raped Sadie and her daughter. He'll pay for that first he'll tell us how many of his friends are at that camp" Arthur lowered his hunting knife to O'Hannon's groin.
"Tongs are ready Arthur" Bill returned with his tongs.
"Heat em up in the fire. Javier Ben hold the son of a bitch."Javier and Ben didn't argue and moved holding Ethan O'Hannon in place. Sadie watched on with her daughter near by seeing justice done to one of the men who had raped and abused them for three days.
Abigail ushered young Jack inside the cabin where John was. Jack was far to young to witness what was about to happen.
"Pull his pants off."Arthur ordered as Bill returned with the gelding thongs.
"Now how many of your friends are at that camp. You can answer now or after I cut your balls off so what's it going to be boy" Arthur spoke every word laced with venom and little emotion.
"Fuck you" O'Hannon spat.
"Very well then. You'll be losing your balls then" Arthur ripped the man's pants down. Forcefully grabbing the man's cock bring his hunting knife to his balls.
O'Hannon whimpered in fear and pissed himself. "Not so tough now are you" Arthur withdrew his knife.
"Bill where's those gelding tongs"
"Right here Arthur" Bill handed him the red hot gelding tongs.
"Now you going to answer me" Arthur asked.
"There's twenty of them at the camp" He whimpered.
"Now that wasn't so hard was it" Arthur patted him on the head patronizingly
"You not going castrate me then"
"Oh I'm still going to do that boy and I'm going to enjoy it."Arthur showed O'Hannon the gelding tongs.
"Your fucking sick"
"Oh and you're not. Raping a woman and her daughter after silting her husbands throat. Hold him" Arthur turned to Javier and Ben.
Ben and Javier kept a tight grip on O'Hannon. He screamed in pain as Arthur castrated him with Bill's gelding tongs.
Just cutting the bastards balls didn't seem like punishment enough to Arthur. He glanced up at Sadie. They shared a look. Memories of finding Eliza's body came back to Arthur. The bastards hadn't just robbed and killed Eliza and Isaac.
They'd raped her as well. Arthur had tracked down the bastards and made them pay. Slowly and painfully.
Arthur dropped the gelding tongs pulling his knife from it's scabbard on his hip. He grabbed a hold of O'Hannon's cock.
O'Hannon screams fell on deaf ears as Arthur cut the man's cock off. No one moved to stop Arthur as he cut the man's cock off.
With on last cut the cock was removed. The man was bleeding badly. He would die from blood loss. As much as it would give Arthur satisfaction to watch the bastard slowly bleed out.
Justice had been done. Arthur drove his knife into O'Hannon's chest and heart. Twisting the knife as he did so before removing his hunting knife.
Ben and Javier let the dead man fall into the snow. Arthur wiped his blood stained knife on his pants before placing it back in it's scabbard.
"First light we ride on the O'Driscoll camp be ready" Arthur shared a look with Dutch and Hosea.
"Lenny Charles. Burn the body" Arthur walked away. No one said a word as they stared after Arthur as he left.
Even Micah was stunned into silence but what he had seen Arthur do to the O'Driscoll. Normally it would be Micah doing something like that. Well not exactly like that but he was more bloodthirsty of the group or so he thought. He never though Morgan had it in him.
Later that night Arthur was cleaning his Navy Revolver and Litchfield Repeater in preparation for tomorrow when they rode on the O'Driscoll camp.
"Arthur do you have a moment" Hosea appeared in the doorway.
"Sure" Arthur set aside his Litchfield Repeater.
"I wanted to have a word with you about this afternoon"
"About me killing that O'Driscoll" Arthur asked.
"Well yes. I have no doubt he deserved to be punished for what he and those other men did to Sadie and her daughter. But the manner in which"
"I killed him that's the problem. The bastard didn't deserve to live after what he did. Cutting his balls of didn't seem like punishment enough" Arthur raised his voice slightly.
"In a manner of speaking. I think it was deeper then that. It seems to both me and Dutch that you are still in love with Sadie"
"And if I was. What does it matter she married women well a widowed woman now. I anit going to sticking my nose where it anit wanted. She just lost her husband of eighteen years.
No matter how I feel about her. Doesn't mean she feels the same way or ever did."Arthur answered.
"I'm not saying to go rushing in. Like you said she just lost her husband. You never said why it ended between you two. There was that last job that went sour and you got injured.
Once you healed up you went looking for Sadie. A few weeks later you came back not yourself nor where the same.
A year later you told us about Isaac"
"After I left you I went back to Armadillo to get Sadie. Her folks said she'd come to her senses and married Jake Adler. Her brothers warned me off following after them, but I didn't listen.
Sadie's brothers caught up with me and we stared arguing. Then we where set upon by bounty hunters. One of her brothers was killed and another mortally wounded. I killed him to put him out of his misery.
I took both their bodies back to her family to bury them. I left shortly after that. I stopped in Thieves Landing. Got blind drunk. Slept with Eliza. Nine months later Isaac came along" Arthur revealed.
After speaking with Hosea a while longer and cleaning his weapons. Arthur got up and left the cabin to go clear his head. He ended up at the barn.
Kieran was asleep in the corner of the barn. Mars approached Arthur as he entered the barn.
"Hey Boy you can't sleep ever" Arthur patted the stallion thick neck.
"Arthur can I have a word" Arthur turned around to see Sadie standing in the doorway of the barn.
"Sure" Arthur turned his attention away from the stallion to Sadie.
"I need to tell you the truth about something, a secret I've been keeping for eighteen years" Arthur didn't say a word and let Sadie continue to speak.
"Lex isn't Jake's daughter. She's yours. Lex is your daughter" Sadie dropped the bombshell secret she'd been carrying for the last eighteen years.
"What" Arthur uttered stumbling back a little in shock at the news.
"I leave you alone to process this"Sadie disappeared quickly as she appeared.
"Sadie wait" Arthur called after Sadie but she didn't stop heading back to the cabin she had been staying in since joining the gang.
Arthur didn't know what to think or say. He had a daughter. Sadie and he had a daughter. Fucking hell.
Arthur walked back to the cabin he'd been sharing with Hosea, Dutch, Molly and Ben. He passed Lenny in his way. Lenny spoke to him but Arthur passed him in a daze still trying to wrap his mind around the news he and Sadie had a daughter.
Arthur sat heavily on his bed finding his journal and a pencil.
'May 1899
We been here in Colter for around five days now. This bad weather is still hanging around a bit. Went hunting with Charles a few days ago. Shoot a big Moose Bull. Should feed the camp for a good while hopefully.
Marston going to live, old Scarface/Wolf boy will have a hell of a scar once he heals up.
While we was out hunting Charles and I, we came saw a white bison. Never seen a white bison before nor as far north as this. Saw plenty of them down on the plains out of Blackwater
Drawing of White Bison.
We brought back both the meat from the Moose Bull we killed and an O'Driscoll we caught.
Turns out he was one of the bastards who raped and abused Sadie and her daughter for those three days they had both them hostage.
Had the pleasure of making the sick bastard pay for what he did. Before killing him. We ride on the O'Driscoll camp tomorrow.
Had a long talk with Hosea tonight about me killing the O'Driscoll and Sadie. Speaking of Sadie.
We talked just moments ago. Where she told me that her daughter Alexandra or Lex as she likes to be called. Isn't Jake Adler daughter at all but mine daughter. I got a daughter.
I'm a fool to think just cause she told me about my daughter. That she still in love with me or ever was'