Title: The Swear Jar 8/X

Author: Romantique

Email: dolph1n

Classification: Raylan/Winona Family/General

Rating: T for language (but no worse than the show)

Summary: Raylan is a new dad. This one is a stand-alone, not a sequel to 'A Change of Scenery.'

Disclaimer: It's 'Justified' hiatus time, and I'm bored. This fic is based on nothing but my imagination and takes place sometime after the end of Season 3.

Legal: These characters do not belong to me. I'm just a fan and have not made a dime. Please email me to obtain permission to post.

o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o

Stretched out under the shade of an old hickory tree, Raylan and Winona enjoyed the peacefulness of a weekday when the park was none too crowded. Caitlyn was wide awake, beginning to find her hands. The adorable site of the baby trying to focus with crossed eyes provided her parents with the afternoon entertainment.

Finishing up their Panini's, Raylan unscrewed the cap off of a bottle of iced tea and passed it over to Winona. He then did the same for himself and took a nice long pull off the caffeinated liquid.

"What would you think about us moving in together?" Winona asked, out of the blue. "As a family," she quickly added, a little apprehensive of Raylan's response.

Surprised and caught off guard, he stifled choking on the gulp of tea, wiped his mouth with his sleeve, and carefully chose his words.

He spoke slowly. "As delighted as I am to hear you ask that question, because it's what I've always wanted ... you know ... to spend the rest of my life with you ... I have to ask: What brought on this sudden change of heart?"

Winona looked down at her own fidgeting hands.

"I deserved that," she said. "I mean, after what I did to you, leaving you again."

"Now, let me stop you right there," he held up his index finger, as if to make a point. "Your reasons for leavin' me, this last time, were not entirely without merit. It took me awhile to see that, but I eventually came around. Art's been instrumental in makin' sure I call for backup and wear my Kevlar vest, under threat of bodily harm from him," he sighed.

Winona smiled and thought, 'Good 'ol Art.'

Continuing on, he said, "But, even with me takin' more care, my job is just as dangerous as it always was. And when somethin' is goin' on in Harlan, and I'm assigned to a case because I'm often found to be helpful because of my unique ties to the God-forsaken place, I can't ... not ... go, if ordered because you don't want me to go. That would be insubordination." After a beat, he add, "Trust me, I don't volunteer to go to Harlan." Then, he paused. "Well, except for that one time with Loretta, but that was a special case. And you don't have to worry about me runnin' down there on account of Helen or Arlo anymore."

"You're a good man," she said, reassuringly. "And I'm not gonna lie. Your job scares the ..." and she slowed down a bit. "Am I going have to owe the Swear Jar a buck if I say 'hell?'

Raylan stifled a smile.

"I think we could make an exception," he answered, raising his eyebrows, "just this once."

"Okay," she continued. "Your job still scares the hell out of me, but that's going to happen whether we're living together or not."

Then, she reached over and placed her hand on top of his.

"What I'm trying to say is this week made me realize the three of us are a family," she looked into his eyes.

Then, she looked over at Caitlyn.

"She's more important than you and me and our little squabbles ... or my fears about your job," she said, "... or Harlan."

"What about my job?" he went back to the sticking point. "What are you sayin'?"

She sighed and tilted her head.

"You are good at what you do," she acquiesced. "You should be proud of yourself. I am. And Caitlyn will be proud of you, too. To be the daughter of a U.S. Marshal."

And with that, she squeezed his hand. His eyes narrowed as he studied her, taking in what she was saying.

"What exactly are you sayin' here?" he asked. "From this beautiful day we're havin' here, where do you see us goin'?"

"Home," she answered without skipping a beat. "I want you and me to make a home ... with Cait."

Raylan's narrowed eyes softened, as he felt his tightened lips change into a tight-lipped smile. His eyes quickly followed suit. He turned his hand over and squeezed hers in return.

In a much quieter tone, he asked, "Where would you like to live? I can't stay at Gayle's, and my place is no place for a little one."

"Honey, do you really care where we live?" she asked. "I mean, would you trust me to find a place for the three of us? And, of course, run it by you before we sign anything?"

From past experience, she had given up on the notion that Raylan held any interest in house hunting. All he wanted was a quiet place to hang his hat. And some space. After growing up in the country, he needed a little space.

His smile was still there.

"You would concede on my job and be agreeable to do the house huntin', too?" he asked, a little perplexed. "What do you get out of this deal?"

She looked deep into his eyes.

"You," she said, as a complete thought. "Cait and I get a family ... a real family."

Raylan shifted his weight to move closer and put his arm around her.

"Alright," he said. "We could move in together, but on one condition."

He then held her close and gazed into her blue eyes. "Marry me. Again?"

With Cait still focusing on her hands, close by, Winona smiled and answered, "Yes, I'll marry you."

Then, they leaned in to each other for a kiss.

She paused for a beat and added, "Again."

o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o

Over the next two days, Raylan and Winona didn't make it very far to finding a new home. They spent their remaining time in Bowling Green at the hotel ... tending to Caitlyn, eating out in restaurants, and making a lot of love. On that Saturday after lunch, they drove downtown to a jewelry store recommended by the Concierge. They had decided to put their money where their mouths were and look for wedding bands.

After parking the car in a downtown garage, they exited the parking lot and headed down the street, with address in hand.

"Whatever happened to the weddin' set I bought you?" Raylan asked, carrying Caitlin in her carrier.

Winona shot him a look.

"I'm just curious," he shot back. "I'm not expectin' you to use the same set, again." Then, he smiled. "As a matter of fact, I'd say our old rings are rather 'tarnished.'

Then, he chuckled, amused with himself.

Winona smiled.

"I'm so glad you think that's funny," she said, "because I don't have the rings anymore."

He looked back over at her. "What? Did you hock 'em?"

"No," she shook her head. Then, she took in a deep cleansing breath of confession and answered, "I threw them into the ocean ... off a long fishing pier in Miami."

Raylan's eyes narrowed.

"I was mad at you at the time," she explained, "thought I never wanted to see you again. It all seems so foolish now."

Walking another half city block, she turned and asked him, "What happened to your band?"

"I wore it for a long time after you left," he said. "But one day, I finally took it off ... put it in a box I keep. I guess I'll give to Cait one of these days ... you know, when she's much older."

Finally, they reached their destination, Morris Jewelers. Once inside, a middle aged saleswoman welcomed them and asked if she could help them find something.

"Yeah," Raylan said, shifting his Stetson back further on his head. "We're lookin' for weddin' bands."

The woman then led them back to a case on the far right hand side of the store. They weaved through a sea of much younger couples shopping for a lot of bling. Finally, reaching their destination, they had a little more room to breathe.

"What kind of settings are you thinking about? Gold, platinum, white gold? Maybe silver?" she asked from behind the counter.

Raylan looked over at Winona.

"Oh, who is this?" the woman finally noticed Caitlyn.

"This is our daughter, Cait," Winona answered. "It's about time her folks got married," she smiled.

Then, she leaned into Raylan.

"I'd like to get platinum settings, if you don't mind," she said.

Raylan nodded. "Alright."

Directing his attention to the sale clerk, he asked, "You want to show us some platinum sets?"

The clerk directed them to the center of the case.

"Ohhhhh," Winona exclaimed. "These are gorgeous!"

Raylan was confused. "I would have thought you wanted diamonds."

She had wanted diamonds the last time they shopped for rings. And later, Gary Hawkins outdid Raylan by putting a 2 carat sparkler on her finger.

"No," she shook her head, zoning in on the sapphire and diamond rings. "I want something very different this time."

The clerk chimed in. "Princess Kate has made the sapphire and diamond wedding rings very popular."

Raylan thought for a moment. "Didn't Princess Kate use Princess Diana's sapphire engagement ring? You saw how that worked out for her, didn't you?"

He alluded to the divorce of Prince Charles and Princess Di.

"Don't worry. I don't want one like hers," Winona assured him. "I want one like this."

And she pointed to an emerald cut sapphire ring with smaller sapphires inlaid in a channel on both sides of the center cut.

"This is called The Reese," the clerk explained, pulling the ring and handing it to Winona to try on. "It is inspired by Reese Witherspoon's ring."

"Oh, it's exquisite," Winona exclaimed, sliding it on her finger. It was a perfect fit. "Was this for Reese's second marriage?" she asked the clerk.

"Yes," the woman answered. "Hers was custom made with diamonds on the side. And we've been able to make a close approximation in all sapphires. We also carry the same ring in diamonds. The center stone is 2 and 3/4 carats."

"Second marriage?" Raylan asked, thinking this ring could be another bad omen.

Winona held her hand up to the light for Raylan to see and said, "Oh, yeah. Her first husband was that jerk actor who cheated on her."

"Wasn't that just awful?" the clerk joined in. "But she got it right with this last one."

Then, Winona offered, "I got it right the first time, but was too stupid to know it."

And she leaned into Raylan. He noticed the sapphires were the same color as Winona's eyes. And he could see she was 'in love' with it.

Cutting to the chase, he had to ask, "How much?"

The woman looked at the tag code.

"$13,000.00," she answered in an even tone. "It's an excellent investment."

Raylan shook his head with a smile. "Of course it is."

The ring cost 3 times what he had paid for her first set. But he did like the fact that the center stone was bigger than the one Gary bought for her. He had to hand it to Winona ... she had always had good taste.

Then, he stroked his chin. "Isn't the price of gold and platinum inflated because of the economy?"

The marshal was a lot smarter than he looked or sounded, than a man from Harlan.

"More so with gold and silver than with platinum," the woman explained. "And more so with diamonds than with sapphires. Given enough time, they'll all go up in value." Then, the woman added, "And you need to know that our appraiser is certified by the American Gem Society. That is very important."

He remembered the standard of the AGS with appraisals from some of his marshalling work over the years. Then, Raylan looked at Winona.

"You love it, don't you?" he asked.

"Raylan, it's the most beautiful ring I've ever seen," she said, bringing the tips of her fingers up near her heart. "I know ... it's a lot of money, but ..."

"No," he stopped her. "If you love it that much, I want you to have it. It is a beautiful ring."

Then, he leaned down and whispered, "But you gotta me promise you'll never throw it away or pitch it in a waterway."

She laughed. "I promise." She sounded sincere.

Then, he looked up at the clerk. "Think you can find something for me to go with it ... at a much lower price?"

The woman said, "I can get you out of here with a flat comfort ring, in a matching platinum setting, for less than $1,500.00."

"I'm buying yours," Winona announced to him with a smile.

Raylan shook his head with an equal smile. "Of course you are."

(To be continued)