*Author's Note*

Thanks for all of the follows, faves, and reviews.

I know, this has been a long time coming. Sorry about that, but I've been pouring a lot of my energy into Transcending Time. I hope you guys like this.


Culturized

Cap POV:

"Jim, I need your help!" I shouted as I barged into my Uncle Jim's small house, which was a short walk down from mine. "Uncle Jim, get up! I need your help, now!" I shouted, barrelin' into my uncle's bedroom that was right off the small main room/kitchen of his cabin.

"Goddamnit! I'm sleepin'!" Uncle Jim roared, pushin' himself up on his elbows in order t'sit and give me a groggy death stare.

"I need ya t'help me drag Moses off my horse an' into my house. He got himself hurt protectin' Robert E. an' Mariah."

"Shit…" Uncle Jim trailed off in a loud guffaw as he got outta bed. "What happened?" He asked, grabbin' his pants that were slung on a chair in the corner near his bed.

"Moses was s'posed to be keepin' Billy McCoy occupied so Robert E. could pick up Mariah tonight, but Billy went home early and Moses went wit' him. Robert E. says he jumped on the McCoy when he drew his gun, told him to take Mariah and run." I explained to my uncle as he quickly got dressed.

"Boy's got stones." Jim concluded, walkin' past me and out of his room.

Quickly, I followed my uncle while remarking, "Yea and they nearly got him killed."

"Boy's tough, he'll be fine." My uncle waved his hand dismissively as he made his way outside of the cabin. "Shit…He don't look too good." Jim remarked as he saw Moses slung over my horse as he approached the steed.

"Yea, well, that's cause he's bleedin' t'death, Jim." I deadpanned as we went over to Badger and Moses, who was still blacked out.

"Hell, what've 'em whores been feedin' him over in that Pikeville Saloon?" Jim groaned as he got Moses, who was heavier than he looked, off my horse. "Boys goin' on a diet or else I ain't haulin' his big ass 'round when he gets hurt 'gain." My uncle declared as we carried my brother-in-law over to my cabin.

Nova POV:

I was sittin' at the table with Robert E. and Mariah, frantically waitin' for Cap to get back with Moses. My brother-in-law and his lover seemed more on edge then me, if that was even possible. I could see that while they were worried sick for my brother, they also felt guilty that he was in danger in the first place. "Stop blamin' yourselves. It's not your fault Moses is in trouble." I ordered Robert E. and Mariah since I was tired of watchin' them mope and watch the door with guilt ridden eyes.

"But it is our fault, Nova. If I didn't ask for his help, he wouldn't be in a gunfight wit' Billy right now." Robert. E told me while Mariah just silently nodded in agreement, showin' that she shared her beau's sentiments.

"Hell, he'd put himself in danger over and over 'gain to help ya'll. It's just how he is when it comes to his family, so stop blamin' yourselves for Moses takin' on Billy so ya'll could escape to safety."

Before either Robert E. or Mariah could utter a word, the door banged open followed by Cap and Uncle Jim carryin' my brother's unconscious body into the house. "Move! We gotta put 'im on the table!" Jim ordered in a shout, causin' all of us to jump away from the table.

"Oh my god, how bad is he hurt?" I asked my husband as soon as he and im placed Moses down on the table.

"Dunno, but he's bleedin' in his side real bad." Cap told me as I tore my brother's jacket and gun holster off while Uncle Jim started lighting every scone, candle, and lantern in the room in order to make it brighter so I'd be able to see and treat Mo's wound properly.

"Oh my god…Oh my god…It's all our fault!" Mariah cried out, clearly overcome with grief, as she watched me tear off my brother's vest and shirt, exposing his badly bleeding wound.

"Shut her up, Robert E., Nova can't work on Moses if your bitch's cryin'!" Cap snapped at his brother while grabbing me a bowl of water and a rag from the sink and the cabinet by it.

"Don't call her a bitch, Cap. She's worried; scared too." Robert E. told his brother, holding Mariah in his arms and smoothin' out her hair, as I pressed my brother's ruined shirt to his wound.

"If it's bleedin' that bad it might need culturizing." Uncle Jim pointed out as Cap rushed over to me, setting the bowl on water onto the table with a loud clank.

"Then get me what I need to do that." I barked, grabbing the wet rag from the water bow and quickly wringing it out. Jim didn't say a word, just took off to the kitchen to grab me what I needed. I knew what I needed, a knife that's steel was heated by the fire in the stove to burn the wound closed with, from readin' a few books. Never in my wildest dreams did I ever think I'd be culturizing my brother.


Once Moses was patched up, Jim volunteered to house him in his spare room so that my chil'ren wouldn't see their uncle passed unconscious on the kitchen table or on the sofa. I was a bit hesitant to let my brother go to his cabin, but he assured me he'd take good care of Moses. Cap had agreed with Jim, sayin' that it'd be best if we shield our chil'ren, especially Anna since she was so close to Mo, by lettin' my brother heal up at our crochety uncle's place. I relented, in which Cap helped Jim bring Moses over to the cabin a few yards away from ours.

While Cap and Jim took my brother to the latter's cabin, I convinced Robert E. to take Mariah back to their cabin by assurin' him that Moses would be fine; that I'd fetch them as soon as he woke up so that they could see him and apologize for any guilt that they felt.

Sadly, I didn't sleep a wink last night and neither did my husband. I was a nervous wreck and Cap just sat with me, holding me and whispering soothing assurances into my ear. We were tangled up in each other at the kitchen table even as dawn's breaking light shined into the few windows, we had in our settlement cabin. "He'll pull thru. Moses is a stubborn one. Strong too."

Before I could say anything back to my husband the creakin' sound of footsteps on the nearby stairs echoed throughout the small room. Me and Cap looked over to the staircase only to see Anna descending them. "G'Mornin', mama, papa." She greeted us in a cheerful voice, completely oblivious to what had occurred hours ago.

"Mornin', sweetpea." I smiled at my daughter, even tho it wasn't wide and didn't show in my eyes.

Cap gave our daughter a lined smile before suggestin', "How 'bout ya go over to nana and pap-pap's for breakfast. Tell 'em we said it was okay."

"Okay, but can I wake up the twins and bring them too?" She asked, excitement in her voice at the thought of being able to bring her siblings to Anse and Levicy's for breakfast. Anna loved her gran'parents and her siblings, so having all of them in the same room for breakfast was a win win for her.

"Sure, you can, Anna." He told our daughter, causin' her to run upstairs to get the twins.

Me and Cap didn't say a word, just waited in a heavy silence for Anna to come downstairs with Wilson and Wyatt. With how heavy hearted we were right now, the best thing for our chil'ren were to spend some time with their grandparents. Well, at least it was til we got our wits back and could function without anxiety or the fear of my brother's health.


Bad Frank POV:

When I went downstairs to get some coffee from the barkeep this mornin' Moses weren't nowhere in sight. That was odd for him. He was always up, sippin' a cup o'Joe while leanin' on the bar every mornin'. Sometimes he'd be at a table alone or with the whore he kept company wit', but usually he was at the bar. Him not bein' there made me think somethin' was wrong. Don't know why, it just did.

"Ya seen Moses 'round? He still asleep?" I asked the barkeep, comin' up to the bar.

"No, sir. In fact, he never came back in after he left with his friend last night."

"He didn't?" I asked, my brow raised curiously.

"No, he didn't, Mr. Phillips." The barkeep confirmed wit' the shake of his head.

That was unlike Moses. Hell, I knew he left with Billy last night so maybe he got drunk and stayed ov'r? Reckon I better head on over to Billy's; round up both him and Moses for work.

An Unmeasured Amount Of Time Later…

I stopped my horse in its tracks as I noticed horseshoe prints veerin' of from the path to Billy's house. Didn't know why, but I felt that wherever those tracks lead it'd help me understand why Moses was missin' from the saloon this mornin'. When I finally reached the end of the tracks, I found Billy lyin' dead on the ground, a trail of blood seemin' to led 'way from the McCoy boy, an' Moses nowhere in sight.

Hell, looks like the Hatfields got the drop on 'em. Reckon they killed Billy an' injured Moses; took him prisoner too since his sister prolly wanted 'im wherever her husband's demon family's at. Shit…now I gotta tell the Wolfords, Mr. McCoy, and Lawyer Cline 'bout what I presume happened.

Moses was a good personal deputy; the thought of him hurt and captured by Hatfields disgusts me. Hell, Billy was a good kid too. Billy and Moses were thick as thieves; I imagine they ran into trouble together an' tried to fight their way out, but didn't prevail. Most likely 'em Hatfields jumped the boys in the dark, takin' them offguard. Only way I can think of neither of 'em being able to get a shot off. 'Specially when a gun was found on the ground not far from Billy's body.

I shook my head 'fore pickin' up Billy an' draggin' him over to my horse. Quickly, I slung him 'hind my saddle an' mounted up. Today's gonna be a hard an' long day. Reckon I better ride the rest of the way to the Wolfords to bring Billy back to Mariah.