The sun rose the next morning to singing birds, gentle breezes and two frantically nervous people at opposite ends of Rock Creek.

To be honest Jimmy was less nervous than hung over. His head was splitting and with every movement his stomach threatened to empty its nonexistent contents on the floor. While Faith was just nervous.

Faith was more than nervous, she was afraid. She was afraid that maybe he didn't really love her, that he was marrying her out of pity or obligation and eventually would resent her. She was afraid what that resentment could turn to in time. He could be a very fearsome man to those who raise his ire. She was also afraid that the tightening of her abdomen meant that she wouldn't make it through the ceremony. She had labored many hours with Adam, more than a day, but she knew that first babies took longer and if this one didn't feel like taking its time then they might not get to the I do's. Despite all of her fears, she did want to be married to him. She wanted that chance to prove to him that she could be a good wife, better than she had been to Aaron. Most of all, she wanted to make sure there was no doubt about the last name her child would be born with. She was proud of the very thought of bringing this man's child into the world. She knew he never thought he would have such a thing and for all he had done for her, to give him something he thought impossible seemed the best way to repay him.

Lou and Jenny tried to get Faith to eat some breakfast but she just wasn't all that hungry so they gave up and set to getting her ready for her big day. The rags were taken out of her hair to reveal ringlets that cascaded down her back. Most of these curls were gathered atop her head but some were allowed to flow. Faith was helped into her dress as the first sounds of approaching guests could be heard. Jenny looked out through the curtain.

"Looks like my father is here," she said smiling, "And everyone else too."

The finishing touches came in the form of a few flowers stuck into the pile of curls on her head and a bundle of wildflowers tied with a ribbon for her to carry down the aisle. Lou ducked out of the house to make sure everything was ready.

The men had set up a few chairs for the sparse guests which basically consisted of Lou and Kid and their children, Buck and Jenny and Jenny's father and then Rachel and Teaspoon. It was very small and intimate but then that is how Faith wanted things. Lou quickly found Jimmy and told him Faith was ready and he should take his place.

"Faith," Lou said once she was back in the house, "We missed a detail here."

"What is that?"

"Who's giving you away?"

"I am" Faith replied, "It only makes sense."

Her words were true and how she felt but sounded strained as another cramp hit her. They were getting a little stronger but were still nearly a half hour between each and anything but regular.

"I'll waddle my own self down the aisle," she told Lou and she sounded much more convincing now that the pain had passed. Lou finally just nodded at her.

"We made it so you don't have too waddle far to get to him," Lou said, "Jenny and I will go out and sit and you come out when you're ready. You look beautiful."

"Thank you. Both of you," Faith said, "I know it hasn't been easy being my friend and I can't begin to tell you how much your kindness has meant to me. Before I met Jimmy it had been a very long time since anyone had been very kind to me. Thank you."

Lou and Jenny each offered a hug to Faith before leaving but Jenny hung on an extra moment or two.

"People weren't always nice to me, either," Jenny said, "You're easy to be nice to."

Faith then found herself alone at the front door. This was it; her last moment to make sure this was what she wanted. There was really nothing to make sure of. There was nothing in the world she wanted more than to be Mrs. James Hickok. Faith was about to reach for the doorknob when her belly tightened up and she had to lean against the wall until it passed. That was only twenty minutes or so since the last one. She hoped Teaspoon wasn't going to get too wordy with the ceremony or Jimmy was going to be holding her up. It still wasn't very bad but the pains were starting to get more intense. When this one subsided she grabbed the doorknob.

Jimmy stood in front of his family and looked next to him at the man who had been more a father to him than his own had the time or inclination to attempt. Teaspoon offered an encouraging smile for him. Soon he saw Lou and Jenny take their seats next to their respective husbands. He watched the door for what seemed like forever before it opened and his breath was taken from him by the vision that emerged. He had never seen Faith look lovelier. The sun was playing upon her hair bringing to notice all of the red strands hiding among the brown just as it had the day he first took note of her. She looked uncertain for a moment but once her eyes caught his, a bright smile spread across her face. He knew his own smile matched hers right then. If there was not another person on the earth but the two of them, Jimmy knew she would be enough.

Faith turned the knob and stepped out to the sight of everyone rising and turning to look at her. Feeling self-conscious she almost went back inside but then she lifted her eyes and saw him. Jimmy was looking at her with that expression of reverence that always made her feel like the most beautiful woman in the world. Suddenly the others no longer existed. There was only Jimmy and her and she was just fine with that.

It was slow going getting to Jimmy as she was probably the least mobile she had been in the whole time of carrying this child. The baby had lowered to prepare to be born and it was almost painful to walk but his eyes and smile pulled her to him.

Jimmy thought something was different in how she walked toward him but her smile was so big for him that he chose not to worry. Eventually she was at his side and they both looked to Teaspoon who cleared his throat before beginning to speak.

"Dearly beloved," he began with a smile, "We're here today to see these two fine young people joined in marriage."

Teaspoon looked from Faith to Jimmy as his smile grew and his chest puffed out a little. He thought maybe he'd failed with Jimmy but it seemed the boy was just a little later blooming. Taking a breath, Teaspoon continued and got them through the exchange of their vows.

Faith thought the ceremony was going to last forever and hoped the next cramp was something she could smile through but at last it was over. Teaspoon said Jimmy could kiss the bride. Faith turned to him and lost her breath at the look in his eyes. In all her time thinking on what it meant to her to be marrying this man who treated her so well, who brought her pleasure she never knew possible, who worshipped her and held her and just loved her, she never had considered what this was for him. But right then his eyes spoke volumes. She saw his love for her and happiness that they were married but she also saw the fear. He had feared she was lost from him for good. But he also had feared he would never meet someone in the first place. She forgot what the reputation of Wild Bill did to people, what it actually had done to her at first too. She had rarely seen him so unguarded. He was vulnerable before her now and the power of how powerless he looked hit her and had she not already been in love with him, she would have fallen for him right then. His lips descended on hers and the tenderness and passion in them made her weep. It made her sad how many would never know a love the likes of which they had for each other and how close she came to losing this, to losing him. The next pain came but she barely felt it for the kiss.

That was it. They were married. Jimmy never wanted to let their lips part again, never wanted to let her go. But he had to and he knew somehow that was alright because they would always be together and soon another would join them and make everything even better although he still wondered that anything could be better than how he felt right then. Faith's hand tightened around his and he whispered softly to her.

"We sure took the hard road to this but we're married now."

Her grip on him loosened and he was sort of glad he thought she might break his hand but still she did not release him entirely and when she looked to him there were tears shining in her eyes.

"I love you," she said and noted that the pains still seemed about twenty or so minutes apart. There was still time to even enjoy a bit of the party and let their guests enjoy themselves too before she would need to get to the real work of bringing their child into the world. She was disappointed that there would be no wedding night as most thought of it but then perhaps this would be even better.

The two of them were ushered to a table the men had set up in the yard and Rachel had made enough food for a small army. It was wonderful but Faith barely touched what was on her plate.

"Is the baby sticking his foot in your stomach again?"

"Not exactly," she said, "I just don't feel much like eating right now. Maybe I'm too excited."

Her words were strained around the tightening of her tummy muscles.

"If something was wrong you'd tell me, wouldn't you?"

Faith smiled and patted his hand.

"Of course I would."

She wasn't lying exactly because nothing was wrong. She was just in labor and that was a perfectly normal thing and from what she recalled this was how it felt and nothing felt even the slightest bit amiss. She would let him and someone else know when she needed to excuse herself from the party and things would still be just fine. That wasn't to say that she wasn't starting to get a little scared. She remembered delivering Adam and she knew it was painful and so many things could go wrong and she wished that she could tell Jimmy and have him hold her and tell her everything would be fine. But then if she told him then she would be handed off to Rachel or Lou and taken away and she would not get that comfort she needed anyway. So she stayed close to him and was delighted when there was some music being played and Jimmy bowed to her and extended a hand. She gladly took it and allowed herself to be led to a cleared space which had become a dance floor. The pains were getting closer and this would probably be the last little time she would spend with him. Indeed it would be the only time they would have as a married couple, just the two of them.

Jimmy kept watch on Faith. Most of the time she was smiling and laughing and a gracious hostess but occasionally she looked strained and it worried him. He knew that she was not completely over her ordeal and possibly that she would never be but it bothered him that those six months he had left her might be marring their wedding day. She said there was nothing wrong and he hoped she wasn't just trying to save his feelings. This day was the true start to the life he really wanted. When the band Teaspoon had arranged for began to play Jimmy was proud to be able to turn to this woman, his wife, and ask for the dance and the look of joy on her face at that moment was worth everything they had gone through. It was worth everything that went before her. If all that was what he had to do to hold this woman close and sway with her to music then he would take it, all of it. He felt her melt into him and rest her head against his chest. The song ended and Faith looked up at him.

"I don't want to stop dancing," she said, "Please keep holding me and dancing with me. It's perfect."

Jimmy was more than happy to oblige her. They swayed and held each other and took no notice of the other couples around them or even the envious looks some of the guests gave them. He did feel her arms tighten around him every so often and her body would become tense but then she would relax into him again. He was about to ask if she was alright when she pulled away from him.

"I wish I could dance with you like this forever," she told him.

"You can," he replied, "At least for the rest of today and maybe tonight as well."

"No I can't," she paused and he could feel her body tighten in his arms, "Kiss me."

He did and when they parted her eyes were moist.

"What's the matter, sweetheart?"

"Nothing but I need to find the women. I love you."

She placed a hand to the side of his face and then stepped away to find Rachel or someone who could help her through this. She made it barely a step when the next pain hit her. Things had been coming steadily closer together as they had danced and the pains were less than five minutes apart, she guessed. They didn't seem that bad in his arms but away from him this one was enough to double her over. Jimmy grabbed her and held her tight.

"Faith, what's wrong?"

"Nothing," she gasped, "The baby is coming."

"Rachel!" he yelled and soon the yard was a flurry of activity as the women rushed Faith into their bedroom and started barking orders to the men to watch Mary and Jamie and get water on to boil.

Faith felt her dress being lifted from her and replaced with a nightgown as Lou and Jenny settled her onto her bed. Another pain hit and she cried out.

"How close are these coming?" Rachel asked.

"I think every two or three minutes," Faith answered through gritted teeth.

"How long have you been having the pains?"

"Since the middle of the night," Faith said as she started to weep in the wake of the last pain, "I knew I had time and I wanted this day so badly."

"Well, then it shouldn't be long now," Rachel observed, "I guess that's good. I don't think your husband could handle if this was too drawn out."

"That's going to take some getting used to," Lou muttered to herself at the reference to Jimmy as a husband.

Jimmy headed toward the house at the first scream he heard only to have his arm grabbed by Teaspoon.

"She's alright, son," the older man said, "Going inside and hearing her louder ain't going to make it go faster or make it easier on either one of you. Rachel and the girls will take good care of her."

"She's hurting, Teaspoon," Jimmy whined, "And it's all my fault—again."

"I don't think she'll want to hold this against you too much once she has that babe in her arms," Teaspoon mused, "Now I heard tell that you had some secret project you was working on in the barn. How about you show me what that is?"

Jimmy reluctantly led Teaspoon to the barn and first they passed the cradle Jimmy had made.

"Has she seen this yet?" Teaspoon asked.

"No, I hadn't had the chance to bring it in yet. Thought I had more time."

"I think she'll be right pleased with it."

Jimmy ran his hand along the end of the bed he had made for his child and felt a stab of guilt that Faith was in there without him struggling to bring the child into the world and the most he had suffered for it was a few splinters. It didn't seem right. He was supposed to protect her and he was the one who was supposed to do the hard work. He was the man after all. It didn't seem right she was the one in pain right now. He knew it was just how things are and the way they have always been and it wasn't up to people at all to decide such things but it still seemed wrong. How God could make such beautiful and soft creatures as women and make men want to take care of them so badly but then leave the men having to listen to the woman they love screaming in pain and be helpless to do anything at all about it. He hadn't suffered at all for this child. He had been there when it was made and that was no suffering at all. He couldn't know which time they were together that had created this life but every time with her had been pleasure and beautiful and something he treasured. She had suffered to keep the child safe while he left her and now she was suffering again.

"Son, you've got to just trust the ladies are going to take care of your missus for you right now," Teaspoon assured him, "Now what is it you have been working on?"

"It's done now," Jimmy said, "I made sure it would be before today. It's her wedding present. I didn't get to give it to her though."

"You will," Teaspoon told him following behind as Jimmy led him to his latest project.

There, resting on a bale of hay was a porch swing all ready to hang on the end of the porch.

"She had one at the other house," Jimmy explained, "We used to sit out on the porch in the evenings and look at the stars and sometimes we'd talk and sometimes we'd just sit. I missed being able to do that with her."

"I think she'll be real happy with this when you can show her. Might even be a nice place to rock that little one when the nights are hot."

Inside the house Faith was wondering how she had managed to get through this before. The pains were coming so close together it was as if she was having just one long pain and there was no time to even catch her breath.

"You're doing great," Jenny told her as she dabbed at Faith's forehead with a cool cloth.

"You're doing so well," Rachel agreed, "I don't think it will be long now."

Outside Jimmy was just staring blankly at the porch swing.

"Women have babies every day," Teaspoon said, "She'll be fine. You two'll be cuddled on that swing looking at the stars in no time."

"Yeah," Jimmy said noncommittally.

"What's really troubling you, son. You might's well talk about it."

"What if all that time with Aaron beating on her hurt the baby or hurt her inside and we didn't know? She could die, Teaspoon," Jimmy nearly whispered as if saying it out loud would assure it of happening. "Women die having babies. And what if there's something wrong with the baby? How could she ever bear that after losing Adam? I don't think I could do any better. I don't know how to be a father but I don't think I've ever wanted to do something more."

"You need to settle down some," Teaspoon said trying to calm Jimmy, "I'm sure everything is going to be fine. I just have a feeling."

"Okay, Faith," Rachel said as Jenny held one hand tight and Lou had the other, "When the next pain hits I need you to push as hard as you can. I can see the baby's head now."

Faith took as much of a breath as she could and when the pain began she pushed and screamed and tried to breath for a bit before another wave of pain hit and she pushed and screamed some more.

"Almost there," Rachel encouraged, "Give me one more big push!"

"Jimmy!"

Teaspoon and Jimmy both whirled around to the door of the barn where Buck stood trying to catch his breath.

"Jenny said you need to come up to the house."

"Is she okay, Buck?" Jimmy asked frantically, "And the baby? Is the baby okay?"

"I didn't get details," Buck answered, "She just said for me to get you."

Jimmy took off on a dead run toward his house trying to fight the horrible thoughts that were flashing through his mind.

Yeah...whatever...get your pitchforks...just see if I care! Ha! I know what happens and you don't! heehee...It was a nice wedding though, wasn't it?-J