Bridget Curry, nee Shaughnessy stared over at the wide green expanse in front of them.

A creek burbled down cheerfully past the small cabin she would soon call home. Her mind spread forward years, and in her mind's eye she saw the cabin, larger, with light blooming out of the windows, and warmth filling every corner, bustling with the laughter of many children. She nodded down past the boundary of the flowing water, to the next homestead, where a small but sturdy cabin, a mirror to the Curry one, peeked out from the hill. "The neighbours all right?"

Her husband followed her gaze and said lightly. "Oh, the Heyes' are good folk, English, but that's all that goes against 'em. And we can't blame them for where they was born can we?" He laughed and added more seriously. "Mr and Mrs Heyes have always been real good neighbours to my Pa, especially since he was bringing me and Kathleen up alone. They have a son 'bout my age, Alexander, we'll meet them soon." He paused and added tentatively, as aware of his wife's urban upbringing, he was suddenly fearful she'd be disappointed in the wild untouched nature of the land he'd been born to. "I know it isn't much Bridie, but it is Curry land, and there ain't no debt on it." He paused and when she turned back to him, he took her hands in his, as he added. "And your Pa and uncles won't never find us here. We'll be safe."

Bridget looked up at her husband, her eyes shining as she said. "Ahh, James, its perfect so it is. Good place to raise our baby strong." She stroked her stomach as she spoke. James realising exactly what she was saying, gave a small whoop of joy and pulled her tight to him as he stroked her hair.

As they embraced, James felt the strongest sense of belonging to the land beneath his feet, and wondered why he'd ever left. But then of course if he hadn't, he'd never have found his Bridie, maybe that had been God's plan all along.

Bridget shivered slightly, and asked softly, her face still buried in James' chest. "You think your Pa is goin' to accept me? I doubt he was figuring on his daughter in law being a Mick criminal."

James pulled away from her with a heavy sigh. She looked up at him, and at the expression on his face, stepped back as she felt a chill of fear. That look on her Pa's face had always been followed by several blows and a beating she rarely deserved. At her involuntary movement away from him, his face drew down into a worried frown as he said gently. "Ahh my darlin', I won't ever raise a hand to you in anger I promise. But you hafta stop saying things like that." He stopped talking then, and took her face gently but firmly in his hands, and added with fierce tenderness. "He'll see what I see, a woman who deserves all the love in the world, and he'll do his darnedest to make sure you get it." Then he drew her back into a hug as he kissed her forehead before speaking again. "Even if he takes leave of his senses, and can't see the truth of it, it won't change a thing. We'll leave together, 'cos I ain't ever gonna be without you! I love you Bridie, and I always will."

ASJ

Patrick Curry laughed, studied the vision in front of him. Strawberry blond , violet eyes and delicate looking, but the way she met his gaze firmly, and the set of her jaw, suggested a fearless stubborn nature, that would suit his son down to the ground. As he drank her in, he knew this woman was the reason his son had been called to Philadelphia. With a broad smile, he pulled Bridget into a hug and said loudly enough for both James and her to hear. "Now, we'll have none of this Mr shite, call me Pat, and if you ever have a mind to, I wouldn't object to Pa somewhere down the line." He released her and turned to his son with a broad grin. "Now, your letters didn't do the lady justice! She's just the prettiest colleen I ever did see, your Ma and sister aside of course. Dunno what ya did to catch her, but I'm proud of ya!" He looked back at Bridget and gave her a wink. "Now when is my first grandchild due to make an appearance? We got time to build an addition before or we gonna have to wait till the little 'un is here?"

Bridget blushed as James cleared his throat and said. "Pa!"

"Don't make no odds to me, Kathleen is courting Alexander so we'll have plenty space if we gotta wait!"

"Now Pa, you promised you'd let me tell him!"

Kathleen Curry, as fair as her brother was dark, and with the same cornflower blue eyes, flew in with a small smile on her face. She pulled her brother into a tight hug, her smile broadening as her eyes, full of warmth and welcome swept over Bridget showing much approval. "Gonna be nice, having another woman around."

ASJ

"I lost another one, Bridie, there was blood everywhere, and it hurt so bad again. I know how much Alexander wants a baby too, but all he did was hold me while I cried myself to sleep. " She paused then added in a choked voice, her eyes bright with tears.. "Am I a bad person, is that why I can't give him the child he deserves?"

"Kathleen Margaret Heyes, you get that idea out of your head, you hear me?"

Both women jumped at the angry tones of Kathleen's husband, as he entered with their father on his heels, and glared at them his hands on his hips. Kathleen started to cry, and in one stride, she was swept into a tight hug as her husband said soothingly. "I'm sorry Katie, don't cry, hush now, I got you sweetheart."

ASJ

"You want to do what? I won't let your Pa sign those papers, I'll burn them first. Joseph ain't even old enough. What are you boys thinking? Are you even thinking? James tell them!"

"Bridie please, lets just all calm down." James shouted to be heard over the babble of voices, and it was enough to still them into brief silence, before Bridie broke the awkward quiet. "Calm down! Calm down Our boys want to go and die in Texas or Mexico for what? Honour! Pfft...you ain't signing them you hear me. You ain't!"

Nathaniel, looked over at his younger brothers as Thomas said. "Try and make her see, Nathan...we gotta do this."

Nathaniel took a deep breath and walked towards his still raging Ma, and held her arms gently as his Pa came up behind him saying softly. "Listen to him, Bridie, please."

Bridget took a deep breath and subsided, her body stiff, as she said. "Go on then, boy."

"I know the harvest ain't been good for a couple of years Ma. It isn't cos of some damn fool idea of glory, Ma, I promise. It's just the money will help and you know it."

Bridget took a steadying breath and looked into the grey eyes of her eldest boy. "But Nat, what about your brother Joseph, he ain't hardly a man."

"I am too, Ma! I ain't staying here on my own. Please Ma, it'll fly by and we'll be home real soon. We might even have got us a trade, and that'll make things much easier."

James cleared his throat and said. "We ain't that hard up boys, we got resources, and with Alexander doing some teaching, we got some extra coming in anyways. We can stand it, we don't owe anyone anything. You don't need to do this, boys."

Nathaniel met his gaze firmly before turning to his brothers who all nodded emphatically.

"I know Pa, but we've talked this over and we want to help...seems we oughta."

Bridget had always given them a sense of how important family was, but she didn't want this, there were other ways. But she met the gaze of her sons and knew there was no moving them. She was facing both Curry and Shaughnessy stubbornness, which even she couldn't break through. So she gave an explosive sigh, and nodded reluctantly, then watched in subdued silence as her husband signed the papers agreeing to them doing a three year stint in the army, and sending them South to Texas, to some stupid war, that she didn't understand.

The night after they'd seen them off, James held her as she cried, unable to provide any real comfort, as his own heart was ripped in two. "I got a real bad feeling, James..."

ASJ

January 1848

1.20.48

Bridie preparing lunch for her herself and James for when he came in for a break from from working their land, was disturbed by a knock. Wiping flour from her hands, she opened the door, to see the postmaster's boy with a letter in his hand. "Mail coach came in this morning. Pa figured this was important."

She handed Tommy a few coins taking the letter with a smile, hoping it was from Nathaniel, who had taken on the task of writing to them for all the boys. Tommy returned her smile pocketed the coins and left.

But when Bridie's eyes fell on the envelope, her heart sank, as she noted the unfamiliar script and black border on the edge. She tore it open and the writing quickly blurred as she took in what it was telling her.

Dear Mr and Mrs Curry,

I am your boy's commanding officer, and it is with great regret that I must inform you that they were all lost some three weeks ago. They fought bravely to the end, and indeed saved many of their fellow soldiers lives. The older boys may well have survived, but your youngest was injured in the ambush, and his brothers would not leave him. I know it will be of only small comfort, but they died defending each other, and I will ensure that their courage is recorded for posterity.

I grieve with you.

Major David Morley.

Enclosed within the folded letter was a bunch of bills wrapped in parchment, with the notation. "Monies owed."

Bridget gazed at the bundle of money in mute horror and threw it, so it scattered onto the dusty floor, as she spat. "Blood money." She raged for several minutes, before her eyes fell back to the letter, and her voice broke as she whispered. " All my babies, gone."

With a keening wail, her legs collapsed under her, and she fell to her knees, tears flowing so hard she couldn't see, the letter falling to the floor as she covered her face almost howling with powerful desperate grief. She was still there, sobbing more quietly, as her strength ebbed, when her husband returned some time later. He felt his heart stutter at the sight of her. He had seen Tommy coming up to the house from where'd he'd been fixing a broken fence, and he didn't dare guess which of his boys he'd seen for the last time. But as he read the letter, tears blurred his eyes and he felt a pain his chest that made it hard to breathe, the news was almost too much to take in. All his boys, lost.

Even seemingly lost in her own grief Bridie had felt him enter, and she looked over at him, and with a shuddering sigh held her arms out to him.

With no hesitation, he knelt down next to her, pulling her into a tight hug, as he murmured softly, his own cheeks already wet. "We'll get through this together. Hold on to me, my dearest heart."

Three Years Later

Kathleen looked up from her sewing, over at her sister in law, her sister really in every way but blood, and wondered how to break her news. Since Bridget had lost her sons, there was often a lost look in her eyes, and she was far quieter and more reserved than she had ever been before. It was as if a part of her had died with her boys. Kathleen feared that this might just be too cruel a twist of fate for her to endure..but then Bridget looked up from her book, her face wreathed in a soft smile, her eyes damp but warm. "When is the baby due, and do Alexander and Pa know yet?"

"Bridie..."

"Aww, hush now, Katie, it is the most wonderful news...there will be a child in our family again, how can that bring anything but joy to my heart?"

"Oh Bridie." The women embraced as Kathleen said. "You're the first to know." She stopped. "I didn't want to raise Alexander's hopes...what if?"

Bridget pulled away from her and cocked her head to one side, her arms folded across her chest as she said fiercely "No.. ...she or he is our reward for never giving up. You hear me, Kathleen, this one is meant to be born."

"But the doc said I was too old to birth safely, even last year..."

"Pfft, old Doc Jenkins is an ass, he don't know anything about women...Ignore the old fool."

Kathleen laughed, relishing the return of her friend's fire and nodded. "Well, if Bridget Curry says so, who am I to argue?"

Bridget nodded firmly. "That's the spirit, Kathleen. Now we better tell the menfolk today, as you're beginning to show, and we don't want anyone suggesting you're just putting on weight, or I might be saying words that a respectable woman shouldn't know."

Though twenty years had passed since James had brought her home to them, Kathleen could still easily see the young woman she'd been then, and taking in the fierce determination in her gaze, allowed herself to believe that she would finally be a Ma, because there was no way this child was going to disappoint Bridget Curry this time. It wouldn't dare.

ASJ

"Mr Heyes, Mr Heyes!" Ma Hinkley, the midwife came running out of the cabin, just as a mewling squeal ripped through the air. "Its a boy, and your wife is doing nicely... She winced as another loud squawl came from the house, followed by two more, before she said in some amusement. "He sure has a grand pair of lungs on him don't he?" She paused, then whacked Alexander hard on the arm. "Get in there, you've a son to say hello to." She made to stop James from following him, Bridget was already in the house, but the new father shook his head at her as he said. "Both of us." and she stood aside with a small sigh as she muttered. "Men."

ASJ

"Hannibal?" You sure 'bout that Alex?" James studied his friend, a frown on his face.

"Not really Jim, but you gonna argue with Katie? 'Cos I sure won't. When she gets that look, there ain't no moving her, so I'm not even going to try!"

Patrick Curry entering the living area, his face wreathed in a broad smile, handed them both a cigar then sat down. With a pipe in his hand he said cheerfully. "Well, that's a wise decision, son. I've learnt to never argue with a mama bear about her cub, lessen you want to get bit..."

"What about arguing with her sister?"

Alexander looked over at James as he spoke, knowing that his wife was just as determined as Katie, that Hannibal would be her nephew's name, but it was his father in law who answered. "Oh, that's even more foolish." As he relaxed even further into the comfortable couch, grinning, Patrick added happily. "Besides Hannibal Heyes has a grand ring to it, don't ya think?"

Alexander chuckled, then tried out the name and nodded in agreement. The three men smoked in companionable silence for a few minutes, before a worrying thought crept in, disturbing Alexander's joy at his son's birth, and he turned to his brother in law, his face concerned. "Bridie really all right about this? I know its gotta be hard."

James grinned wide, his face lighting up, in a way it rarely did, since the loss of his boys, before his face softened into a look of relieved pleasure. "Happiest I seen her...since...well since we got that letter. Its like something came back on inside her, Alex."

ASJ

Bridie blushed as Kathleen laughed and shook her head. "Well, I did wonder why you were looking so flushed when we came for breakfast on your birthday..."

"Well, you know how it is...it'd been a while..." She stopped and her blush faded as she said seriously, her hand resting gently on Kathleen's wrist "You're not mad? I don't want..."

"Oh hush now, it means Hannibal will have someone to grow up with...think he needs that as he seems to get real bored some days.'Sides means he can talk someone else's ear off, soon as that boy learnt his first words, it don't seem like he's been quiet, 'cept for when he's sleeping..." She paused then added ruefully. "Even then I'm not sure he's exactly silent... It's like all those babies I lost somehow ended up in him., and there isn't enough of him to contain them, so he..." She was interrupted by a loud crash, from where Hannibal had been laid down for a nap, which was followed by a brief silence, rapidly replaced by yells of 'Mama! Mama!"

The two women exchanged a rueful look as they jumped to their feet to head rapidly towards the sound, as Kathleen said wryly. "Maybe we oughta not have called him Hannibal, Bridie."

ASJ

There was silence from inside the cabin, despite the door being open. James felt a gentle hand on his arm as his heart flipped. Alexander cleared his throat, and kept his hand where it was as James blinked rapidly, this would be just too too cruel, but then a muffled cry came over to them, followed by a louder one, and then a third before they heard a gentle. "Shh, now, Jedediah, you'll be fed soon enough. But you gotta wait till your Pa sees ya."

Ma Hinkley hurried out, smiling. "You've a fine son, James, good bit quieter than your boy, Mr Heyes, but he's good and healthy, and Bridget is eager to see ya both."

Alexander watched with his arm round his wife's shoulder, eyes burning and throat tight as James knelt by Bridget, who looked tired but well. They both stared in wonder at the child in her arms as James said reverently. "Our precious gift, Bridie."

"Aye, James, ar tiodhlac luachmhor."

ASJ

"You're always in the way, Jed, you're too little, go home...I wanna play without having to worry 'bout you." Hannibal stared at his three year old cousin, who was blinking rapidly, a sure sign he was about to cry.

"Pleath Heyeth, I won't get in the way this time...I'll be real quiet." Jed stuck his lip out and looked at him pleadingly.

Hannibal sighed, hardening his heart against that look and tone. He just wanted a day free of his shadow, was that too much to ask?

His cousin couldn't yet manage Hannibal, and a few months ago, sick of his cousin's various mangled attempts at saying his name, it was him who'd taught Jed to say Heyes, or the closest he could get to it. But determined not to give in to the warm feeling the name gave him, he looked away from Jed's hopeful expression, shaking his head. "Go home...just go home. You're being a baby."

Jed nodded sadly, and turned away, heading back down the hill towards their cabins, not looking back, his shoulders drooping, and Hannibal could hear him sniffling, and muttering to himself, as he attempted to stop. "Can't cry, can't cry...Heyeth thinks I'm a baby...can't cry."

ASJ

Hannibal enjoyed his day with his friends, but kept finding himself looking for Jed, and once he'd said goodbye to the boys, he decided to drop in on his cousin.

His aunt met him at the door, her face flushed as she shook her head. "You can't see him Hannibal, he's been sent to bed with his ass warmed. The little eejit decided he was going swimming by himself. He knows he's not supposed to without an adult, been told often enough."

Hannibal swallowed and asked quietly. "He say why?" He suspected he knew exactly why his cousin had gone swimming on his own.

"'Cos he's an eejit that's why. He wouldn't say, just shrugged at me, like he hadn't done nothing stupid. Dunno what took him, Hannibal, I really don't." She huffed and said. "I wasn't even a little bit grey before he was born." She paused then added less irately. "Come see him tomorrow. He's grounded till the weekend, but don't mean he can't have company. Dunno why he didn't go looking for you, rather than doing his best to drown his darned fool self. You'd have found him somethin' safer I'm sure."

His aunt's endorsement of him, made Hannibal's guilt spike, and he swallowed hard, glad that her frustrated concern was distracting her from reading him and said. "See ya in the mornin'." Then he turned quickly and headed home, his mind already working on how he could make it up to his cousin.

ASJ

"Jed, why didn't you tell your Ma you'd come looking for me? Wouldn't have stopped your ass bein' whupped, but leastwise you'd have had company in it."

"I ain't no baby, Heyeth. I can take it."

Jed glared at him fiercely, and Hannibal's guilt was joined by a small sliver of amusement at him as his looks didn't exactly lend themselves to being intimidating, but he hid a smile, and said casually, as if he hadn't been thinking about it all night. "Say, maybe on Sunday, we can go climb that tree you were looking at last week."

Jed looked hopeful, then his face dropped as he shuffled a little uncomfortably, rubbing his butt carefully. Hannibal figured from his shuffle that he was still a little sore, a t his Ma had probably been mad enough that she hadn't gone easy on him. "But our folks say we don't oughta..."

Hannibal grinned and winked. "Then we just gotta make sure they don't find out eh?"

Jed grinned then said hopefully. "You don't think I'm a baby no more Heyeth?"

"Nah, more like one of them annoying buzzing things that won't leave me alone." Jed stared at him, his lip quivering a little, until Hannibal winked at him, the way he'd seen their Grandpa do and added. "But I'm so used to you, its too quiet when you ain't around."

They heard footsteps and quietened, as Jed's Pa came up the ladder to the bedroom and nodded over at Hannibal. "Time you were going, Hannibal, your aunt is still spitting feathers, and she wants another chat with our boy here." Jed stiffened at that, but his Pa smiled at him. "It'll just be your ears that hurt son..."

Hannibal laughed then stood, and as he started down the ladder said casually. "See ya Sunday, Jed."