Tonight is the last chapter for this story which was supposed to be a one shot. I hope you all enjoy it.
Glossary:
*Ace-high ~ first class, respected
*Clean my/his plow ~ beat up
*Whistle blower ~ a through and through bullet wound
Ch. 3 I've Seen Love Come
(FITZ)
"Two rooms please," I say to the old man behind the counter at the White Rose Hotel.
The man looks at me briefly before taking a long gander at Clare. We were checking into the hotel as respectable folk, and in a couple of days Clare would go to the bank to make a deposit. Then the others would come and rob the bank and Clare would clean out the safe. We'd already robbed six banks this way but tomorrow would be our last one before going to Adam and Maya's wedding.
"We only have one room I can find a bedroll and a blanket," the man says.
"That'll be fine," I nod paying for the room and he gives us a key.
"You aren't really going to sleep on the floor are you?" Clare asks when we get up to the room.
"I wasn't plannin' on it but we go to look ace-high," I comment after locking the door.
Clare often slept with me or Owen when we were camped out. The nights were cold and it was warmer with two bodies. We were clothed, even used separate blankets but we were used to sleeping together.
I set down our bags and there's a knock at the door, a young boy brings in a bedroll and extra blanket and Clare orders a bath. A few minutes later the hotel owner brings in the bath and soon some women begin bringing hot water to fill the copper tub.
"I'm going to look at the town, maybe walk out to the meeting place make sure everything is set so that you can take your bath," I tell Clare.
She smiles and kisses my cheek and I grab my hat leaving the hotel room. I walk through town a bit and out to the meeting point. We stole horses from a couple of towns over and we have them waiting in gulley, corralled at an abandoned farm. When I walk back to the hotel Clare is out of the bath.
"Enjoy your bath?" I question.
"Very much it's nice to have a hot bath," she grins.
"We'd better go get some supper, I could smell steaks cooking when I came in," I tell her.
Clare puts on her white lace fingerless gloves and we go down to the dining room of the hotel. We order two steak dinners and some wine. After dinner we walk through the city together.
"Everyone is looking at us," Clare whispers.
"Everyone is looking at you because they've never seen such a pretty girl with long ready hair and clear blue eyes," I reply.
"I wonder if they'd still think I was so pretty if they knew this was a wig and these beauty marks was painted on?"
"If they think anything like me and Owen they would," I reply and Clare smiles.
A few of the guys whistle at her as we walk but I glare at them and they stop. We return to the hotel room a little after ten o'clock. When we're in the room with the door locked Clare starts unbuttoning her dress.
"What are you doing?"
"I ain't sleeping in this dress or this damn corset. Can you unlace me?"
"Drew's going to clean my plow for this," I remark as I begin to unlace her corset.
"We ain't doin' nothing wrong I just can't unlace the corset myself," she replies.
"You're not sleeping in that suit either you need it to be in good shape," Clare says now that she's down to her chemise and pantalettes. "You'll sleep in your long underwear now let's get to bed," she commands getting into bed.
I take off my suit and boots getting into the bed with Clare and putting my arm around her. I hold her close and we fall asleep very quickly, waking up to noises outside our window the next morning. Clare's body is still against mine, my arm draped over her and her soft breaths making my arm rise and fall gently.
"Morning," she smiles turning around and placing a soft kiss on my lips before slipping from my arms.
"We should get some food, rent the horses to go for a ride and meet with the others," Clare comments.
We get dressed in our nice clothes and I ask the hotel to get us a buckboard and horse and pack us a large picnic lunch. While they're getting everything ready Clare and I walk around the town a bit. Everything is ready by the time we return to the hotel, I help Clare into the buckboard and we drive it far out past the town to meet the rest of the gang. I stop the horse and Owen lifts Clare off the buckboard.
"We brought lunch," I tell them.
"Good we're hungry," Lucas says.
Drew and I spread out the blanket the hotel provided and Clare and I sit on it so we don't get our fine clothes dirty. We tell them all about the town, drawing maps of what the streets look like and best way to and from the bank. After lunch Clare and I return to the town and she goes up to the room while I return the cart and everything. We rob the bank tomorrow so after eating in the dining room we spend the rest of the night in our room.
"It's been so long since we've seen everyone, I hope Jake isn't around but I'm not afraid of him anymore. I miss Bianca and Adam and my other pals so much," Clare comments as we sit in our room.
"I bet they will all be excited to see you too and Drew will be with you at the wedding he won't let Jake lay a hand on you," I assure her.
"We'll be in disguise I doubt Jake will recognize me but if he does I'll shoot him myself," she tells me and I smile.
We sleep the same as we did last night and I relish holding her and being so close to her skin. After breakfast the next morning and at precisely ten we split up to rob the bank. Clare goes in first, her wig on and fancy dress with beauty marks painted on. I wait out back while Drew, Owen and Lucas go in through the front. I stole horses from a stable earlier this morning and I'm waiting with them behind the bank. It doesn't take long for me to hear Clare in the back room of the bank and then people screaming when Owen and the others come through the front with guns blazing. Soon they're all running out the back and hopping on the horses. We take off but go right past the town Marshall and he hops on a horse behind us. We still have a good start on him but he starts firing. I slap Clare's to make it go faster and get her out of the line of fire. As I lean over to do that I feel the pain of a bullet going through my arm, hitting bone and bursting through flesh on the other side.
"MARK!" Clare screams as I slump forward a little.
Lucas, Drew and Owen have all turned around and are firing at the Marshall. I hear him scream out and fall off his horse and there's no longer an exchange of bullets so we're safe, at least for now. I'm beginning to feel the loss of blood and my eyes close.
(OWEN)
"MARK!" Clare makes a blood curdling scream and I look back to see blood streaming from his arm. Drew and I are firing at the Marshall but he's still shooting at us, at least until Lucas gets off a grand shot hitting the Marshall in the right kneecap and he falls off his horse. Fitz slumps forward on his horse and goes unconscious, I grab the reigns on Fitz's horse and pull it to a stop.
"He's losing blood fast stop the horses," I command and everyone stops their horses. Clare leaps off her horse and runs over to Fitz as I'm taking him off his horse.
"There's so much blood," she cries and her words tremble.
"Here tie it above the gunshot," Drew instructs taking off his bandana and I tie it on Fitz's arm just above the wound. Lucas tears a piece of his shirt off and I wrap it around the wound securing it tightly to try and stop the bleeding.
"Drew send Fitz's horse back, we have to get back to camp and get our horses then we got to get Fitz to a doctor or he could bleed out," I tell them as I lift Fitz onto my horse and get on behind him.
Lucas puts Clare on his horse and we send her horse back as well then we ride out to our camp. We take the saddlebags with the stolen loot and get on our horses, I put Fitz on my horse and we start riding, we can't go to a doctor in town because they'll know we robbed the bank. We ride as fast as we can, riding the horses hard reaching the next town after dark. We had to stop to water the horses and Clare changed into more appropriate clothes for riding, took off her wig and wiped off the beauty marks so she's no longer in disguise. We ride straight to the doctor's office and I get Fitz down while Drew and Lucas begin banging on the door.
"Alright I'm here what's the trouble?" The Doc asks when he opens the door.
"We were ambushed our pal's been shot and he's bleeding a lot," I say carrying Fitz in and pushing past the Doc.
"Alright let me see," he says as I lay Fitz on the bed. "Wait outside so I can work," he tells us.
"He'll be alright won't he?" Clare asks when we sit on the porch.
"Yeah Fitz is a fighter you know that he'll be fine," Drew assures her putting his arm around her.
"Maybe you ought to take Clare to the hotel and get us a couple of rooms. We'll wait here for news on Fitz," Lucas says.
Drew nods taking Clare's hand and the two of them take the horses and head to the hotel. Lucas and I wait on the porch for a while until the doctor comes out again.
"The bullet probably nicked the artery, he lost a lot of blood but I think he'll be okay. The bullet went straight through; he'll need to rest a few days you can get some rooms at the hotel or the boarding house. You can come back and see him in the morning but he'll probably still be sleeping."
"Alright thanks Doc we'll settle up tomorrow our pals took all our stuff to the hotel," I tell him and he nods.
We look at Fitz but he's sleeping, he looks pretty pale but the Doc said he'd make it and we gotta believe him. We leave the Doc's office and start walking toward the hotel, when Lucas veers toward the Marshall's office I follow him. We don't go in but we're in the habit of checking the law offices in each town to see how far our Wanted Posters have reached and how high our rewards are.
"I'm up to $500," Lucas says taking down his poster. They never do get our faces right because we wear masks and everyone who sees us seems to remember us as monsters. Lucas' picture shows him with a deep scar on his cheek and a mole on his nose, black teeth and a menacing look. One over anxious newspaper writer gave us all nicknames and they stuck. Six Shooter Lucas is what they call Lucas.
"I'm up to $500 too," I grin taking my poster down. My poster, where I'm dubbed Dreadful Drew, shows me with much darker skin tone than I have and the poster says I'm an Indian. I have an evil grin and a scar between my eyes.
"Looks like all four of us are," Lucas remarks taking down Fitz and Owen's posters. Bone Knife Fitz is what he's called, his poster shows him with a scar above his eye and one on his chin and he also has black teeth. Cold-Hearted Owen as his poster calls him has a scar across his whole face.
"Look," I remark taking down another poster, "Clare's got one too and she's already up to $200."
It really does look like Clare, well like her in her disguise anyway, she's shown with a lot of curly hair and two beauty marks. Described as having fiery red hair and bright blue eyes she's been dubbed Lady Blue Eyes since we always use a different name for her in every town we visit.
We take the posters and go to the hotel, no need to check in since we see Drew and Clare in the dining room but she doesn't seem to be eating. Lucas and I tuck away the wanted posters so no one else sees them and sit at the table.
"Is Fitz alright?" Clare asks.
"Doc said he should be he'll need to rest a few days looks like we'll be staying here until Fitz can ride again," Lucas tells her and Clare releases a breath.
"If Fitz can't ride by Friday you and Drew should ride on ahead so that you make it in time for the wedding," I comment and Drew nods.
A waiter comes over and Lucas and I order supper. Drew pays and hands us a room key since he's sharing a room with Clare. We finish eating and all go up to Drew and Clare's room.
"Look you're a wanted woman," I tell Clare showing her the wanted poster.
"Lady Blue Eyes? That doesn't sound dangerous that sounds like I'm a singer or something," she replies twisting her mouth at the name.
"We can give you a more dangerous one, at least you got a pretty picture we all look terrible," Lucas comments.
"I'm beat I'm going to bed," she says standing up.
"Yeah me too, see you guys in the morning," Drew waves.
We're all tired after riding so hard to get Fitz to a doctor so Lucas and I say goodnight and go out to our room. I wake up early, I can't sleep and not just because Lucas is snoring. I'm worried about Fitz; he was the first pal I ever had, the first one to join me. He was the first person to ever stand at my side and be loyal to me. As soon as the sun is up so am I, leaving the hotel room I walk back to the doctor's office and knock on the door.
"How's he doing?" I question when the doctor opens the door.
"I was up all night with him, he's had a fever but it broke about an hour ago. He's doing a little better, you can try and give him some broth and help him get his strength back. I just heated a fresh bowl," he tells me and I nod.
I sit by Fitz's bed and the doctor shows me how to give him the broth. The doctor goes up to his room to get some rest and tells his wife to come get him if anyone needs him.
"You'd better pull through this Fitz we need you," I say as I feed him the broth.
I feed him the whole bowl and set it down. After a couple of hours Clare comes in with Drew and Lucas but Fitz is still out although he seems to be getting some color back. While they sit with him I go and get some breakfast then return to the doctor's office. Clare and I sit with him for hours but by supper time Drew comes to get us.
"I'm going to stay with him, you go have some supper and maybe bring me something," I tell them.
"We'll bring you some supper," Drew nods pulling Clare up by the arm.
Clare kisses Fitz's forehead and leaves with Drew and Lucas to get supper. I sit with Fitz and Clare comes back after about an hour with some supper for me but Fitz is still out and I tell her to go find a dress for Adam and Maya's wedding. I finish eating and give Fitz some water with a spoon to his lips and he starts to stir.
"Fitz, wake up pal we have a wedding to get to," I tell him.
"Clare," he says weakly.
"She's close you'll see her soon," I tell him and he opens his eyes suddenly as if waking from a dream.
"Owen? Ugh I feel like I been drug behind a horse," Fitz says with a dry throat.
"Well you got shot, a whistle blower that probably nicked the artery Doc said. You were almost a goner," I comment.
"I'm too damn stubborn death will never get me," Fitz grins.
"I'll let the doctor know you're awake and then go tell the others."
I go up to the doctor's apartment and knock calling in that Fitz is awake. He goes down to check on Fitz and I go to the hotel to find the others. I knock on the door to Drew and Clare's room and find them all in the room after Drew opens the door.
"He's awake, the doctor's looking at him now but you can come and see him if you like."
When I tell them Fitz is awake Clare grins wide and jumps up. We all leave the hotel room and go back to the doctor's office. Clare goes straight to Fitz's bed and he smiles when he sees her. I see the look in both their eyes a look of true love and I know Clare's made her choice between us. I ain't sore I'm happy for them.
"I never seen anyone recover from a wound like that so fast. He still needs to rest a couple of days but he'll be ready to ride by Friday I think," the doctor informs us.
"We'll make it by the wedding then," Drew comments.
"He still needs to rest, you all should. You can come back and see him in the morning we'll watch over him tonight," the doctor instructs us.
"We'll be back in the morning," Clare says kissing Fitz's cheek.
"I'll be right along," I tell them and Lucas nods. "I know you and Clare are in love, you better do somthin' about it before I decide to."
"You pullin' out of the fight?" Fitz asks.
"Ain't a fight no more she's made her choice and I been whipped. I'm happy for the both of you. But you'd better talk to Drew first or he might kill you," I remark and Fitz laughs.
(CLARE)
"In a couple of days we'll be at Maya and Adam's wedding. I sure am excited to see Adam and everyone," I grin as we stop at town for the night.
Once the doctor said Fitz could ride we started heading back to the town where Drew and I were born. We'll make it back on the day of the wedding and Drew and I will attend in disguise while the others are camped outside of town. Fitz still has his arm in a sling and bandaged up and it will be that way for a couple of weeks.
"Let's get some rooms and get some grub I'm starving," Lucas comments.
"If we have to share I'll bunk with Clare," Drew speaks up.
"You always bunk with Clare," Owen remarks.
"That's because I think on her as a sister and the rest of you don't," Drew replies and I smile.
We're able to get two rooms, one for me and Drew and one for the other three boys. We eat at the saloon since the small hotel doesn't offer much food. Not that the saloon is a whole lot better.
"Walk with me?" Fitz requests after supper and I smile linking my arm with his. I'm still dressed in riding pants and my blue blouse which attracts a fair amount of attention as we walk through town. "I think you know how I feel about you and I think you feel the same way about me. I know this isn't really proper and there's usually a time for courting but the life we live doesn't really allow for such things. I spoke to Drew and asked him for permission and well what I'm getting at is will you marry me?"
"Yes," I grin putting my arms around his neck and gently placing my lips on his for a joyous kiss. "Let's do it tomorrow, I want to go home as your wife and the people closest to us are already here," I say when I take my lips from his.
"Just what I was thinking. We'll find a preacher in the morning, we'd better get back though we ain't married yet and Drew will have my head if I don't get you back to your room on time," Fitz comments and I giggle.
We walk back through town to the hotel and Fitz takes me to my room. I knock and Drew opens the door, I kiss Fitz on the cheek and bid him goodnight.
"Enjoy the walk?" Drew questions.
"He asked me to marry him. Did he really ask your permission?" I inquire.
"He sure did, told me he was in love with you and he wanted to do things proper and would I give my blessing for you two to get married. I told him he made you happy and so long as he took care of you then I wouldn't kill him."
I smile and kiss Drew's cheek, "I've never been happier we're getting married tomorrow before we leave."
Drew grins and we get ready for bed, sleeping with our clothes on and back to back. We wake up early get a breakfast of biscuits and coffee. Then we all clean up and I put on the real fancy dress I got for Adam and Maya's wedding, Fitz and the boys put on their best suits and we go to the church and tell the preacher we want to get married. He performs a quick ceremony right then, we say our vows and he asks if Fitz if he has a ring but of course we don't and Fitz shakes his head.
"I'll buy you the most gorgeous ring we can find the next time we're in a big city," Fitz tells me.
"Do you…I need your name son," the preacher says and Fitz grins.
"Mark Fitzgerald," he replies and we all smile because none of us have ever heard his full name. He told me about a month after I began riding with them that his first name was Mark but I never knew Fitzgerald was his last name.
"Do you Mark Fitzgerald take Clare as your wife?"
"I do," Fitz smiles.
"Clare do take Mark as your husband?"
"I do."
"Then by the power vested in me by the province of Ontario and under the eyes of God that you are now and forever man and wife. You may kiss the bride," the preacher says and I smile at Fitz as our lips couple together in the most loving and tender kiss.
Lucas, Drew and Owen clap for us and we return to the hotel to change. Then we get on the horses and ride out, camping that night near a small pond. I sit by the fire and Fitz sits with me putting his good arm around me.
"We'll have to have our wedding night the next time we get to a hotel. From now on you'll bunk with me and not Drew," Fitz says and I grin giving him a chaste kiss.
"We'd better get some sleep we have a long ride tomorrow," Drew comments.
I sleep by the fire with Fitz and we all wake up at dawn. It's a long ride home and we reach the spot Owen says to camp long after dark.
"Build a fire, let's set up camp I'm going to water the horses," Owen orders.
"I'll come with you," I tell him. "I'm sorry," apologize as the horses begin to drink from the stream.
"For what?" He asks.
"You know I had a special fondness for the both of you. I didn't think about talking to you when Fitz asked me to marry him. I am still fond of you, I care about all of you a lot, you're all family in a way."
"I know and I'm happy for you and Fitz. If I didn't like the idea of you two being hitched I would have said something. I saw that you two were in love and I told him he'd better do something about it."
I grin and kiss Owen's cheek. When the horses are done drinking we go back to camp and get some sleep. After breakfast the next morning Drew and I clean up to go to the wedding. I have a new dress and a wide brimmed hat with a veil along with my red wig. Drew also has a wide brimmed hat and a fake mustache he sometimes uses when he's robbing places. We ride the horses to the edge of town and then Drew and I walk through town arm in arm. We sit at the back of church and watch the ceremony, smiling as we watch Adam and Maya exchange vows. I see most of the town here but Jake is nowhere in sight. After the ceremony there's a celebration in the center of town. The happy couple greets their guests and after making sure that the Sheriff isn't around Drew and I walk through the crowd to say hello.
"I'm glad you guys made it I thought you might miss the wedding," Adam grins hugging us both.
"I'd never miss my little brother's wedding," Drew smiles.
"Drew is that you?" Maya questions and he nods. "And Clare?" She queries and I nod. "Why are you two in disguise?"
"We're wanted by the law," Drew replies.
"And Jake might recognize me," I comment.
"Jake is dead, Eli shot him a couple of months ago. Bianca's running the saloon now," Adam informs me.
"And I run me a respectable place not a cat house. It is grand to see you two again," Bianca grins hugging us tightly. "Jake is dead now you can come home if you want," Bianca offers.
"Thanks but I like my life, anyway I'm a married woman now. Fitz and I got married," I tell them and the three of them smile and hug me again.
"Where are Fitz, Owen and Lucas anyway?" Adam queries.
"Camped outside of town," I reply.
"They should be here, no one will arrest you on our wedding day," Adam remarks.
"I'll go and get them you spend some time with Adam and Maya," I tell Drew and he smiles.
I walk back to the edge of town and our horses riding out to the camp and gather the other boys. We ride back to the celebration together and when people begin dancing Fitz takes my hand and we begin dancing, his hand resting on my waist.
"Bianca said she'd give us a room tonight we can finally have our wedding night," Fitz says with a licentious smile and I blush. "I also heard Jake was dead and you can come back. We can stay if you want, get jobs at the saloon or something."
"It'll be nice to come back and visit but I love the life that we have. Riding with you and the boys brought me back to life and now that we're married I couldn't be happier," I tell my husband taking his hand in the sling and gently interlacing our fingers.
"You know I still owe you a ring," Fitz says.
"There will be time for that. Tonight we consummate our marriage and tomorrow we ride."
"I love you," Fitz grins cupping my chin and ensnaring my lips in a passionately loving kiss.