Jimmy finally felt like he got his Faith back, the one he knew and fell in love with and not the broken pieces of her that had escaped Aaron's grasp. She was whole and she was funny. She teased him and challenged him and loved him without shame or hesitation. Sure there were still times when she would be sad but then she had those before and sometimes people are sad. She no longer tried to hide from him but sought him out for comfort.

He was sitting in the barn in a little area he had set aside as a work space. Once he had used it to ready materials for repairs on the house but right then he was working on a bed for the baby, his baby—their baby. He had made good progress in a short amount of time and was nearly finished. When he had left the house after breakfast, Faith was humming and baking bread and he had glanced toward the house once during that morning to see her on the front porch sewing diligently on something that would in some way clothe their child. He decided right then that life was about as good as it could get. He wasn't sure that there really only was one true love for every person but he knew that there wouldn't be very many in the world for him and he was glad he got a second chance with the only woman he really had loved. Things made sense again in a way that he had thought impossible at one time. He thought back to when he had met her and how disgusted he had been with his life, how ensnared with Bill he had become. Now Bill was little more than a memory. No one seemed to talk of Bill anymore and no one paid him much mind at all. He even carried the guns some of the time and no one seemed to take notice of them at all. It was freeing.

As he worked he heard Faith's humming coming closer to him and knew it must be around mid-day if she was bringing him lunch, which she was. Actually, as she had for the last three days, she was bringing lunch for both of them. It wasn't fancy, just sandwiches but sitting together and talking, not about anything in particular really, was better than any fancy meal he could imagine. They talked sometimes of how they had missed each other and sometimes about what had happened with Jimmy while they'd been parted and sometimes they spoke of a future together with their child and sometimes they even contemplated baby names. There were afternoons where they also spoke of that night they spent in the pond and then under the willow. It had been such a perfect night. They would laugh as they talked because neither of them would bring up sadness at this time. There were times for such things, times when Jimmy would speak of how lonely and nearly despondent he had been and times when Faith would cry out her fears that this was another tease by God and she still would have her miracle somehow taken from her just as Adam had been. Lunch was not the time for these things.

This particular day Jimmy was feeling so good about the progress he had made on the cradle that he decided to take the afternoon off. On a typical day Faith would remain after lunch and sit and watch him work until she needed to head inside to prepare supper. Today he thought he would break the routine up a little bit.

"Faith," he said as they were each nearly finished with their lunch, "How about the two of us take a little ride once we're finished here?"

"Just a ride or are we going somewhere in particular?" she asked and even her question felt good to Jimmy. He wasn't sure she would have voiced such a thing when she had first arrived.

"You still haven't met Kid and Lou," he said, "They haven't been to town in a while so I don't even know if they know about you but I feel like they should meet you and you should meet them too."

Her face, now devoid of all signs of the violence done to her—he wished he could say the same for the rest of her body but those were fading as well—brightened.

"That would be nice," she told him, "I've heard so much about them."

The two were on their way shortly after that. Jimmy held the reins lightly and Faith rested her head on his shoulder. If he needed a confirmation that his life was perfect, this was it.

"Aren't I a lot to spring on someone all at once?" Faith asked after they'd been driving a little while, "From what I understand Teaspoon was the only one who knew I existed and to not only pop in with me but with, well, us," she rubbed at her belly which Jimmy marveled had gotten even bigger. "And we're getting married too. It just seems like a lot."

"It is a lot," he agreed, "It was a lot just to see you come here in the condition you're in. But it's all good news and if I'm going to overwhelm my friends with news, it might as well be good news."

Jimmy smiled as Faith wrapped her arms around his arm and rested her head once again against his shoulder. They traveled along like that a while and were getting closer to Kid and Lou's place.

"Jimmy," Faith said almost tentatively. It was a tone she hadn't been using much of late and it concerned him some.

"Are you alright, sweetheart?"

"Yes," she replied squeezing his arm tighter, "I just think I'm a little nervous. I'm meeting two of your closest friends and I just worry what they might think of me."

"They will love you," he said kissing her forehead, "How could they not?"

At last they arrived at the little homestead. Faith allowed Jimmy to help her from the wagon. Jimmy looked around a moment as if deciding what to do exactly. Then he spied him.

Kid was just heading up to the house when he saw the wagon pull in and his good friend, a man who'd been in many ways more a brother to him than his own brother had, climbed out. Blood may be thicker than water but he and Jimmy had a bond between them thicker than blood even. His brow furrowed a question as he saw Jimmy helping a woman he didn't recognize down from the wagon. She looked to be heavily with child. Without thinking about it, Kid quickened his pace.

"Hey Jimmy!" he called out, "Good to see you!"

"Kid!"

The two came together and slapped each other on the back. Jimmy noticed Kid's eyes glued to Faith.

"Why don't you go and fetch that wife of yours and I'll make introductions all at once?"

Kid nodded and went inside calling for Lou. While Jimmy put an arm around Faith's shoulders squeezing her to him and kissing the side of her head. Soon Kid and Lou were standing on the porch and Jimmy and Faith approached them.

"Hey Lou," Jimmy said nodding in the direction of the woman he more than once thought he ought to try to love. "I wanted you both to meet my fiancée, Faith. I'd introduce you to the baby too but we decided it'd be best to wait to name it until we knew if it was a boy or a girl."

Kid was off the porch immediately heading toward Faith and Jimmy. He shook Jimmy's hand heartily.

"That's great news, Jimmy," he said knowing there was a story behind all of this but if he was patient, he would be filled in. Then he turned to Faith. "It is so good to meet you. Isn't this great news, Lou?"

Lou had followed Kid off the porch but with nowhere near the enthusiasm. She pasted on a smile because that was what was expected but she was not as jubilant as the men. She had never laid eyes on this woman before and now he was marrying her? She had seen Jimmy's failed attempts at love before. It wasn't that Lou didn't think he could find love, she just didn't trust him to find it on his own. The last thing Lou thought she could bear after seeing his sullenness these last few months was seeing his heart broken once again.

And if Lou was being honest, she was hurt. Jimmy had always confided in her. He had even told her about that church lady Alice. None of the others knew about her, even still Kid didn't know because Lou wanted to hold tight to the connection she and Jimmy shared. She knew her path was with Kid and she was better off for it. She would not trade their life for anything but so many times she had looked at Jimmy and felt something she shouldn't feel and wanted something she shouldn't want. It wasn't that she was jealous exactly but perhaps extra protective in a way that couldn't be purely explained by the sibling type aspect of their relationship.

"Lou," Kid said pulling her from her inner thoughts, "Maybe you and Faith could go inside and get to know each other."

"Yes," Lou said stiffly, "I was just making myself some tea."

She led Faith inside but all the while Faith was starting to wonder if her appearance was really as good of news as Jimmy thought it would be. She looked back to Jimmy but he was already engrossed in happy talk with Kid.

The two men settled into the front porch and Kid waited patiently for Jimmy to begin talking which he did once the door had shut behind the women.

Inside, Lou gestured to a seat at the kitchen table and set about pouring tea for the two of them. Faith felt desperate to break this uncomfortable silence between them. Everything Jimmy had ever told her about Lou spoke to her kindness and warmth. Surely Faith must be misreading her now.

"So do you prefer Lou or Louise?" Faith asked timidly.

"Louise," was the curt reply, "My friends call me Lou."

Faith was taken aback but recovered quickly. Of course Louise hadn't known her long enough to consider her a friend. In time perhaps she would earn that closeness. Louise had been through a lot and maybe wasn't as able to open up as quickly as Jenny.

"I've heard so many wonderful things about you, Louise," Faith said still trying to break the ice with this woman.

"Isn't that nice?" Lou snapped, "I've never heard a thing about you until today. I have to figure he's had his chances in the last six months. He had to've known you at least that long I'm guessing."

"More like seven," Faith said rubbing protectively at her belly.

"You're claiming it's his, then?"

"It is his child," Faith asserted, "There's no way it could be anyone else's."

"So you say," Lou said, "Women are always claiming things where Jimmy's concerned."

"I would never claim what wasn't true about him," Faith whispered, "He's too good of a man for that."

She swallowed hard and blinked to keep the moisture from leaving her eyes. She could not figure why Louise was being so mean to her. All she wanted was to be with the man she loved, the man who had given her life back to her.

"He is a good man," Lou shot back not even attempting to hide the venom in her voice. This was for every woman who had hurt Jimmy. This was for Sarah Downs who nearly got him hanged and for Rosemary who got Noah killed and then drug Jimmy away from them all. They were all sugar and sweetness on the surface but beneath they wanted what they wanted and if her dear friend was a casualty then that was none of their concern. Lou wasn't having any of that this time. "He's more than those guns he straps on, too. Whatever you're running from, whatever took you six whole months to finally show up for that good man, you better be damned sure you want more than just his help getting rid of it."

Faith wasn't sure what was happening. She had been told no one would judge her here and this woman's husband had certainly not judged her. Jenny hadn't either. Buck, Teaspoon and Rachel had been kind and welcoming but this woman hated her. Faith couldn't even find words so she just stood and ran out not even bothering to hide the tears.

The men were leaning on the rail of the porch talking.

"I can't believe all this happened and you didn't say a word, Jimmy," Kid said amazed.

"Well, I didn't know half of it until recently."

"I know but you never even mentioned Faith to us. I should've guessed something like this though with the way you were acting."

They both looked up as the door flew open and Faith came through it as fast as she could move her enlarged body. Kid headed in to see to Lou not knowing what had happened and Jimmy followed Faith down the porch steps wrapping her in a bear hug once he caught her.

"Let go of me please," she cried, "I just want to be alone."

"Talk to me," he pleaded with her, "Tell me what's wrong."

"I just need some air," she said, "I want to be alone right now. Please!"

"You'll tell me later?"

"Yes," she said willing to promise anything just to be free of all of this for a while, "Just let me go."

Jimmy did as she asked and Faith hurried out to a huge oak tree. Jimmy watched until he saw her sink to the ground in its shade and rest her head against the trunk to weep.

Inside, Kid found Lou glaring out after the other woman.

"What happened Lou?" he asked, "Faith looked upset. A woman in her condition-"

"Just stop it Kid," Lou said sourly, "A woman in her condition turning up out of nowhere after being out of someone's life at least six months and you think she's here for anything good?"

"Lou," Kid said, "He's in love with her. He has been all this time."

"He was in love with that Downs woman too," she spat not even paying attention to Jimmy who had just walked in the room, "And with Rosemary too. Or did you forget? Six months he's here with us and never once mentions her and no one thinks maybe she's not what she appears?"

"So you're why Faith is crying?" Jimmy bellowed figuring all he needed to, "Dammit Lou, what did you say to her? You have no idea what she's been through."

"Why was she going through all of that instead of here with you?"

"Because I walked away," he said hanging his head, "I made a stupid decision and I left her to a monster. I didn't know she was already carrying my child when I left and neither did she."

He sank into a chair at the table and proceeded to unravel the whole tale from beginning to end.

"I know I normally would have confided in you," he said, "But Teaspoon got it out of me once and it hurt so bad to even talk about her that I couldn't bring myself to bring her up again. She showed up here a week, week and a half ago. I failed her but she didn't even care. She came to me anyway. She still loves me and God knows I never stopped loving her. I promised her no one here would judge her or hurt her. I just can't keep a promise to her."

"I'm sorry, Jimmy," Lou told him and she was. There was no way she would have said anything like she had if she had known all Faith had been through. She had seen what a man's beatings could do to a woman's spirit and what she had just done to that poor woman was nearly as bad. "I was just worried that she was trying to use you to escape a trouble that'll come gunning for you."

"It will," he said grimly, "He will. I don't know when but he will. But I'm the one she should run to and I'm the one who should help her escape from him."

Jimmy stood and looked around.

"I should probably head out and check on her," he sighed, "She gets edgy if she's alone too long."

"No," Lou jumped up and grabbed his arm, "I upset her. I should go and talk to her. If I'm lucky we can start over."

They all walked outside but the men stayed on the porch while Lou headed toward the tree. She still wasn't entirely sure of this woman but she knew there was more to her than the conclusions she had jumped to earlier. If there's one thing Lou was it was a big enough person to admit when she was wrong and apologize for it.

Faith had been sitting beside the tree sobbing into its trunk for a while and not feeling any better. She was about to cause a rift between Jimmy and his family and there was nothing she wanted to do less than that. It was clear that Lou hated her and Jimmy spoke more affectionately of Lou than he did his own sisters. She didn't hear feet approaching until she felt a small hand on her shoulder.

"Lady, why are you crying?"

She looked up and met the eyes of a little boy of four, maybe five years of age. He had the curly brown hair she knew he'd gotten from her father and the deep, dark chocolate eyes of his mother. Oh those eyes looked so like her Adam's eyes had. She quickly wiped at her own eyes to avoid further concerning the child before her.

"Sometimes, sweetie, ladies just need to have a cry," she said conjuring a smile for the lad. "You must be Jamie."

He nodded suddenly feeling shy.

"Right," she smiled again, "You're probably not supposed to talk to strangers. My name's Faith. I came here with, uh, your Uncle Jimmy."

Jamie loved his uncle Jimmy. He was the greatest man Jamie had ever met and if Uncle Jimmy brought this lady then she must be fine.

"Do you got a baby in your tummy?"

"Yes, I have," Faith answered, "It's moving. Do you want to feel?"

Jamie nodded and reached for her belly smiling.

"Mama had a baby in her belly," he said excitedly when he felt the kick, "But she came out. Her name's Mary."

"I heard about Mary."

Faith blinked and swallowed hard but just could not get past how much Jamie reminded her of Adam. The tears began to slide down her cheeks again.

Neither of them saw or heard Lou approaching them. Lou thought to walk right in but opted instead to stand back a little ways and listen. Whatever she had first feared about this woman, Lou could not fathom that Jamie would be in any danger.

"Are you sad?" Lou heard Jamie ask Faith.

"Maybe a little," Faith replied, "You remind me so much of my little boy."

"You have a little boy?" Jamie asked and Lou's ears pricked up. Neither Jimmy nor Faith had mentioned another child.

"I did," Faith told the lad, "His name was Adam."

Jamie didn't catch the past tense of Faith's words but Lou did and it tore at her heart a little in spite of herself.

"Where is he?" Jamie wanted to know.

"He's an angel now," Faith said and Lou could hear the crack in her voice even as her own breath hitched.

"Angels live in heaven, right?" Jamie questioned and Lou wondered how much longer this woman's patience with these questions would hold out. She nearly rushed in to save Faith from any more interrogation but then she heard the answer come anyway.

"Yes, they do. And they watch over us."

"My uncles live in heaven too," Jamie said and Lou had to bite her lip to keep from sobbing out loud. "Maybe they know Adam."

"I'd like to think they do," Faith said and it did comfort her some. She had heard Jimmy speak of Ike and Noah and the thought that her little boy might be in their company somewhere beyond her sight felt better.

"I'd like to think so too," Lou spoke up and stepped forward blinking away her tears. "Jamie why don't you go on up to the house and tell Uncle Jimmy that Mary needs to get up from her nap."

The women watched the boy run off happily toward his uncle.

"If I let her sleep too long she'll never go down tonight," Lou explained, "And she'll wake up better if Jimmy gets her than if Kid does or I do. He's going to be a terrific father."

Faith rubbed her belly still reeling from her thoughts of Adam and from the seemingly sudden change in Louise.

"I'm sorry," Lou said, "I didn't know anything and I assumed things I shouldn't. I get protective of him and he's sometimes so thick."

Faith didn't know what to say at all.

"Really Faith," Lou spoke again, "I should have shut my mouth and at least given you a chance. Can you forgive me and maybe we can start over?"

Faith nodded.

"I would like that, Louise."

"Call me Lou."

Well did her reaction to Faith really surprise you all that much? Thanks as always to my dear, sweet friend and idea bouncer for her help with this...this is a much better story for our chats, hon!-J