After being married for almost a year and a half, it was late afternoon on a chilly fall day that found Hank, Heyes and Jed gathered in the house. Two were sitting, watching as the third walked back and forth nervously raking his hands through his hair.

"Jed, you might as well sit down, it could take a while yet."

"It's bin hours Hank, what's takin' so long?" he asked as he continued to pace worriedly.

Amused, that for a change it was the Kid that was pacing restlessly, Heyes got to his feet, stepping in front of his cousin with a smile on his face as he put his hands on his shoulders. "Kid, you've gotta calm down, she's gonna need your help."

Jed closed his eyes, sighing as he ran his hands through his hair yet again. Heyes squeezed his shoulders and spoke softly. "Come and sit down."

He nodded… his best friend keeping a hand on his elbow as he led him to a chair, but before he got a chance to sit, they all froze, looking toward the top of the stairs at the sound of a faint wail. They were on their feet as they waited impatiently for news, Heyes thinking he had never seen his cousin look as worried and scared as he did at this moment. He placed a comforting hand on his back and it seemed they had been standing there forever when Sophie at last appeared at the top of the stairs, a broad smile on her face as she looked down at them… a bundle in her arms. Heyes gave his friend a shove toward the stairs which he took two at a time as he hurried up to Sophie, who whispered something to him. He gently took the bundle from her, looking down at the face of his child with a sense of wonder, smiling, unable to look at anything except the baby in his arms. Sophie shook her head good naturedly as she gave the other two men the news they were waiting to hear.

"It's a girl…mother and baby both fine."

Sophie rolled her eyes seeing her father and Heyes grinning at each other. "Men," she muttered. "Well don't just stand there, come up and meet the newest member of the family."

The men got to the top of the stairs as the midwife came out of Sarah's room, smiling when they all turned to look at her.

"She's fine, a little tired which is to be expected, but she is asking to see all of you. You don't need me any more so I'll say goodbye…and congratulations Jed."

They entered the bedroom, Jed placing his daughter in the arms of the man she would forever know as Uncle Heyes, before bending to give his wife a kiss and stroking her face.

"Does this little one have a name yet?" Heyes asked, smiling at the tiny girl as he carefully handed her over to her waiting grandfather.

Sarah paused, biting her lip as she looked at her husband. "If it's all right I'd like to name her Emily after my mother…and Katherine after yours."

All three men were touched at this announcement and it took a moment for Jed to find his voice. "It's perfect," he responded hoarsely.

XXX

It was six months later when, after searching for some time, Jed found Heyes leaning against the fence gazing off across the fields in the direction of Devil's Hole as the sun was setting. He approached, knowing Heyes could hear him, leaning on the fence beside him speaking quietly as he too looked across the fields.

"Beautiful night ain't it?"

"It sure is."

They stood silently for a few minutes. "Kid, you ever wonder if any of the boys are still there?"

He eyed his partner, blinking in surprise at the unexpected question.

"I saw Wheat and Kyle in town just after they got their amnesties and they said they heard the place was deserted."

"I forgot you said that you'd seen them…things surely have changed for us since those days haven't they Kid."

"Yeah they have," he replied watching his cousin closely. "The girls asked me to find you, make sure you were all right…What the hell's goin' on Heyes?"

"She caught me off guard is all Kid. I didn't think it was gonna happen," he said finally turning his head and seeing the confused frown on his cousins' face.

"They didn't tell you?"

Jed shook his head, shrugging his shoulders at the same time. "Tell me what?"

Heyes gave his friend a dimpled smile, his eyes twinkling. "How do you feel about being called Uncle Jed?"

"Uncle…" His confusion lifted and his face lit up. "You mean…Sophie's gonna have a baby?"

Heyes nodded, his cousin pulling him into an enthusiastic hug before quickly letting him go and stepping back, only slightly embarrassed. Heyes turned away to look out toward the setting sun again. "Kid I never…I mean in my wildest dreams I never pictured myself settling down or getting married, let alone becoming a father… you I could see…but me?"

The Kid looked at his friend seriously. "You are happy about it, aren't you? I mean, believe me I know it's scary, but Heyes look at the way you are with Emily, you'll be a great pa."

"I couldn't be happier Kid…it was just a bit of a shock."

"You wait and see, our kids'll be best friends, probably look out for each other all their lives…just like us."

"Well, hopefully they'll grow up bein' more law abidin' than we were," Heyes laughed draping his arm around his cousin's shoulders.

"C'mon partner, let's go back inside…I could use a drink now."

XXX

Heyes couldn't wipe the smile off his face as he stood holding his newborn daughter in his arms, Jed standing beside him.

"She's beautiful," he said as he placed his arm carefully over his friends shoulder.

Heyes looked up at his cousin, his eyes shining. "Meet Caroline Anna," he said barely above a whisper. "Caroline after the girls' grandma and Anna…" he swallowed unable to finish.

"After your ma," the Kid finished with a smile. "She'd be real proud Heyes."

XXX

Winter passed quickly with the regular ranch chores as well as two small children keeping them all on their toes, especially now that, at a year and half, Emily had discovered how much fun running could be with someone trying to catch her. She also seemed to be fearless, climbing on anything and everything she could.

Heyes laughed as, with his six month old girl safely in his arms, Jed hurried after his daughter, scooping the giggling child up, tucking her under one arm before she could get yet another bump or bruise. He started to walk past his still chuckling cousin, stopping in front of him to give him a knowing look.

"Keep laughin' Heyes, your turn's comin'."

"Naw…My Caroline's gonna be a thinker like her pa, aren't ya darlin'?" he said chucking her under the chin.

"Uh huh."

"Down."

"Ow…Emily stop kickin'."

Heyes burst into laughter again as Sarah, with a smile, rescued her husband by taking the squirming child from him.

Jed sighed as he turned to the man at his side. "I swear that child wears me out." Heyes regarded his partner with a smirk and a raised eyebrow. "Now you know how I used to feel." Kid snorted, shaking his head as he walked away.

XXX

With Emily about to turn three and Caroline two, Heyes and Jed couldn't believe how fast the children were growing. The horses had been moved to their winter pasture when Hank made the announcement that he had decided that since it had been years since he had seen his brother and sister, he was going to travel to Boston and spend the winter visiting them.

The two partners nervously drove the buckboard to the train station in Lander, waiting just long enough to make sure he got onto the train all right, before immediately heading back to Sweetwater. They both breathed a sigh of relief when they pulled the wagon up in front of the Red Dog saloon and made their way inside. Will looked up when he saw them.

"Howdy boys…you get Hank off on his way to Boston?"

"Yeah we did Will…couple of whiskeys."

Will poured the drinks smiling when he saw Heyes glance at the wall behind him, knowing what was coming…it had become a ritual with them whenever Heyes came in.

"When you gonna take those pictures of us down Will?" Heyes grinned.

"Now Heyes you know your friend Clementine gave me that one of the three of you when she was here for the weddin'. Made me promise I'd hang it on the wall alongside that picture of you two getting your amnesty. So I guess they're gonna be stayin' up there…at least as long as I'm here."

"Gonna start rainin' any minute," Bill Simpson, one of the younger ranchers said as he came in. Heyes and Jed tipped their glasses up in unison, draining the last of the whiskey from them before heading for the door, both waving at the bartender.

By Wyoming standards it had been a fairly mild winter with less snow than usual. Surprisingly, everyone stayed healthy with not even the children getting colds. The snow was almost gone, being replaced by rain…lots of rain. It started with Sarah beginning to feel rather poorly, but insisting that with all the rain it was just a cold. Days passed and finally Jed had enough and, despite her protests, rode into town for the doctor.

While Jed hovered outside the bedroom waiting impatiently for the doctor, Sophie and Heyes took charge of the children. When the doctor exited the bedroom after spending quite a while with Sarah, Heyes took note of the serious look on his face, seeing him take a deep breath as he approached his cousin. Keeping his distance he watched his friends' face closely as the doctor, his hand on Jed's shoulder, spoke to him, seeing Jed nod as his shoulders slumped. Jed straightened up, pausing only a moment before going into the bedroom to be with his wife.

The doctor promised to send a wire to Hank after having explained to Heyes and Sophie that it wasn't a cold that Sarah was suffering from, but a form of influenza that had already claimed the lives of six people in town. Sophie leaned against her husband who put a steadying arm around her waist. Even the two little girls stood silently, Caroline holding her mother's hand and Emily holding tightly to her uncle's as she stared at her parents' bedroom.