Three days had passed since Sam decided to rob the camp.

He had gone home after that day, and he and his uncle had barely talked. Lily had noticed how much less he was helping out around the clinic, and left every early afternoon without a word. He used the excuse that the lack of customers made it so that his help wasn't needed, or that he was going to help out with the local farmers again. Even after he had told Cliff about the campers he just assured him they would leave in maybe a few days.

But what if they never did? Would he just stand by and let them take their favorite spot, where they have had most of their best memories?

Sam was surprised that he hadn't been spotted by these campers yet. Or maybe they did, and thought he was harmless. If that was the case, he wasn't sure if he should feel relieved or insulted.

He had observed the behavior at the camp with his binoculars, seeing some of the people and how they behaved. Most of the women were usually doing chores, so were the men, but they would occasionally leave and come back with money to put into the box that was outside the biggest tent at the center. The man who lived in it with a red headed woman seemed to be the one in charge. His hair was long, curly, and dark as the night, pulled back and flowing down the back of his head, almost blending in with the hat he wore. He wore a vest that black on the front and red on the back. His mustache was neatly kept and he was wearing fancy pants and shoes. On some moments, Sam observed that he wore gold jewelry on his person and rings on fingers. The man walked with authority on his shoulders. It was almost admirable.

The young man came to the conclusion that these people weren't necessarily good. On one hand they were treating the one kid they had running around with such care, but on the other hand, they were tormenting someone who was tied to a tree.

Nevertheless, it still gave him reason to make them "share" their earnings.

Sam had drawn the camp's layout in his journal. He had drawn out these schemes before, so this was nothing new, but what was new was that he'd be stealing from potentially real criminals. Occasionally, some of the camp members would hang out by the cliff, usually unarmed, so they were just relaxing. Most of the firepower was dedicated to protecting the camp at the entrance, where he and his family would always ride in.

Big mistake.

Although the other side was surrounded by cliffs, there was a steep slope he could climb up and get into the camp from behind. He had done so many times as a child, riding on Aurora and eventually on his own on foot, much to his uncle's scolding. The big tent was in the middle, but the money box was facing towards the cliff, he would just have to rush in and grab it. Escape would be the same way he came in, but he would have to do it quietly. The toughest part would be getting most of the camp away from the cliffside.

That's where Lily would come in… along with some help.

After Sam finished sketching in his journal, he checked his pocket watch. It was gold, with a chain to keep it on his person at all times. There was an engraving on the back that just said, "Never leave love aside." He ran his finger gently over the words before opening it to check the time.

It was getting late, so he packed up his satchel and rode on Aurora back towards Valentine. Aurora found shelter at the stable. The man there was decent, and occasionally paid Sam for helping to take care of some of the horses. It was also perfect for arranging secret meetings. Lily and Archie were there in no time. They caught him right in the middle while he was feeding the horses, and he took them out to talk in the back.

"So that's why you've been leaving without saying anything…" said Lily. "I should've known you were making another one of your plans again."

"Are you crazy?!" said Archie. "They sound like real bad people."

"Hey, you said you wanted money, and this is the way to get it!" Sam snapped. "We're doing a bad thing, but those are bad people. I am sick of having things being controlled and taken from us because of bad people! And then, we, the good people, have to just stand by and take it?!"

Archie shook his head. "Don't you ever listen to what my Pa says? If you can do all this, you can help people. The weak. The people who can't help themselves."

Sam rolled his eyes. "Yeah, I hear him yelling almost every other day on the street, but I don't have time when my family's in the red." He felt bad saying that, seeing as his uncle spent his days helping people as a doctor and teaching him, as well. "And, I know your family is, too."

Archie rubbed the back of his head. "Ma is never gonna forgive me for this." He sighed. "But you're right…"

"We don't have to worry." He placed a hand on Archie's shoulder and the other on Lily's. "If everything goes right, those idiots won't even know I was there, and once they see what happened, we'll be long gone. Are they really gonna suspect three random people in a cattle town? They'll probably think the O'Driscoll gang did it, or something."

Lily sighed, putting her hands on her hips. "Well, I'll be sure to put on my best show."

Sam grew a warm smile on his face. No matter how crazy he sounded, he knew he could count on her, at least. "Thank-you, Lily."

Everyone knew what they had to do. They had their orders, and a plan to carry out. Sam came home to see that the shop had closed for the night, but his uncle was in the back room. The door was opened, but he knew he and Lily weren't allowed in there. Despite that, he could see Cliff at his desk, running his hand through his hair as he stared at the piles of papers in front of him.

Dinner was ready before too long. This time, Cliff requested that Sam actually eat in the kitchen for once with the others, but they just ate in silence.

"I made sure to make it that spicy flavor you like, Daddy," Lily said.

Cliff smiled. "I noticed. Thank-you, Lily." He took another bite out of the beef stew Lily made, before looking at his nephew. "Too spicy for you, kid?"

"No." Sam's response was quiet in between bites. He took his time cutting the potatoes with his spoon.

"Did you have a good day?"

Sam just shrugged. His mind was too focused on tonight. He would sneak under the cover of darkness. Hopefully the weather would hold, or at least there wouldn't be a thunderstorm until after he had the money. "Sure."

There were a few more minutes of silence. Eventually, Cliff had enough and put his utensils down.

"You know I'm just trying to keep us safe, right?"

Sam swallowed his food before speaking. "We won't be safe if we lose this place, Uncle Cliff."

"Sam, let me worry about that," he said. "I've raised you and Lily since you were babies. Have I ever let you down?"

The nephew sighed. "No."

The older man sighed. Lily stared in silence, while she started sipping the broth. Cliff placed a hand on Sam's shoulder.

"It's my job to worry about you, Sam," he said. "Not the other way around."

Sam turned to him. "But, you raised me, even though I'm not even your son, and even though Momma left me here."

"Sam, you know your mother loved you."

Sam turned back to his food, lifting a spoonful of boiled potato to his mouth. He rolled his eyes. Once he swallowed he continued. "I just… wish I could do something in return."

"I want you kids to be happy. That's all I want in return."

The rest of dinner went on peacefully, and before they knew it, it was time for bed. However, Sam and Lily couldn't sleep. They sat on their beds, facing one another as the clock in their room ticked. It was almost time. They had put lights out in their room, but stared outside, seeing clouds beginning to gather. They had to act now, before a thunderstorm broke.

"Shit…" Sam muttered. He looked to the floor, his hand grasped together.

"Are you sure we should still do this?" said Lily.

"I know Uncle Cliff is just trying to protect us…" He slowly looked into his cousin's eyes. "But, I know we can protect ourselves. Or, at least I can protect you."

"Sam…"

"Cliff wants us to be happy, but my happiness is knowing that we're going to be okay."

Lily reached out, placing her hands in his. "I know. I know we'll be okay." The two stood up, staring at each other, their bond stronger than anyone else's. They narrowed their eyes and nodded. They knew what they had to do.

Sam marched out the house in the dead of night, knowing that his uncle was fast asleep. He walked down the main street of Valentine, now gone quiet in its late hours. The scent of dirt filled the young man's nose, giving some sense of calmness in what was about to happen, as he approached the Valentine Church.

Seeing as it was late, Sam was not surprised to see that there were barely any people left. He was also surprised that he had come here. He was never that much of the religious type, but if there was a god, he had to hope He would keep him safe.

Sam took off his hat and walked up to the altar, pressing his hands together and bowing his head slightly, praying for a safe night and that everything would go smoothly.

Meanwhile, he didn't know that a certain nun had been watching him, seeing how troubled he looked, before he dashed out after a deep breath. She watched him go, seeing him flinch as a small rumble of thunder was heard.

At the Downes Ranch, Archie had remembered to stay awake. Once he was dressed, he snuck into his parents' room, and opened the box under their bed. There was a simple pistol, but he needed some defense. He made sure to be quiet to avoid waking them, and he stood. He watched how Edith and Thomas Downes slept, smiling at their peace, if only temporary, and swore to himself he'd return. He hid the gun away, and crept out, heading for the small stable where they kept the horses.

Lily was in the washroom of her uncle's house. She stared at the mirror, seeing her reflection after taking a brief but thorough bath. She grabbed her hair and tied it on the lower part on the back of her head into the neatest bun. Then she went towards her room and searched for the prettiest dress she had.

Sam had come home, and searched his drawers for his duster coat. It was blue, with two coattails hanging off the back. Opening the drawer in the nightstand he pulled out a pair of fingerless gloves and put them on his hands one by one. Under the bed, he opened a box, putting a repeater on his back and his volcanic pistol on his gun belt.

Sam's beloved horse, Aurora, was awakened in the middle of the night as the man himself entered the stable. She was startled, at first, but Sam was quick to calm her down, taking the reins and walking her out.

Archie had made it to town. He was standing outside of the shop with his family's covered wagon. Lily was wearing a dress shirt with her mother's brooch on her neck. Her gown was red, and was wearing glittering red earrings and shiny gloves on her hands. Her brimmed hat had a beautiful red ribbon.

"You look beautiful, Lily," said Sam. His sister smiled, and blushed upon seeing Archie staring at her. The man cleared his throat.

Sam petted his horse. He held the reins gently.

"It's now or never, you two. Archie, drive the carriage around the mountainside to make it look like you're heading towards Valentine on the turn back. Lily?"

"I've got it." She reached into her bag and pulled out a roll of dynamite.

"Archie?"

"I'm ready!" their friend said.

"Okay… Now… Let's ride!"

Archie helped Lily onto the wagon first before getting on himself. Sam got on his horse, and together, they rode out of town, off to try and save their families.

Today was slow.

Arthur couldn't do much with his cut up hand, but it was on the mend and he could write in his journal. Now he knew what Charles felt like when they were stuck in the mountains.

"How's the hand Arthur?"

Arthur, who was in his tent, looked up to see Tilly approaching.

"Evening, Tilly. I'm doing just fine."

"I ran this by Dutch, but I thought I'd let you know of something I saw in Valentine."

"What is it?"

"There's a doctor's office near the station. There's something going on there. I saw a whole bunch of suspicious men go in there, but I never saw them come back out."

Arthur closed his journal. "Okay. Anything else?"

"No. But, I thought it might be worth taking a look. If there's anything illegal going on back there, they might have a lot of money."

"Thank-you, Tilly. I'll keep that in mind."

"Sure. I'll just-"

Suddenly, the whole camp, locked in their nightly activities of singing, drinking, telling stories, or sleeping were interrupted by loud gunshots. They were frequent. Arthur stood up from his cot, counting above five or six rounds. From the tips of the trees, he could barely see birds flying away in fright.

"What the hell was that?!" Arthur was already storming out with a revolver ready.

Then a high pitched scream echoed through the forest.

"Whoo-hoo! We got a live one here, boys!"

"And this one looks pretty, too."

"Get away from her!"

"Shit!" John almost growled. "Almost sounds like-"

"O'Driscolls!" Dutch yelled, storming out from his tent. He was holding a loaded gun. "Arthur, John, Charles, Bill with me. The rest of you, guard the entrance of the camp. If anything moves, shoot it!"

Most of the camp was awake by now. The men left were keeping their guns out, pointed into the darkness. The women were still looking on, some armed with knives, and Miss Grimshaw had a shotgun. All of them were at the front, locked and loaded.

All according to Sam's plan…

Under the cover darkness, Sam scaled up the slope as quietly as he could. He finally found himself at the top of the cliff and crept through the grass until he was behind one of the tents. A roaring campfire had been left burning, but chairs, crates and a log were around it, so it was probably used a lot. He kept going forward, silent as he could be, trying his hardest to keep his breathing calm and quiet.

Once his hand was on the barrel where the box stood, Sam's heart started racing. He stood, opening the box as slow as possible. Then the young man covered his mouth and gulped down a yell. It was filled to the brim with money and valuables. There was no time to waste. He loaded it all into his satchel and made a beeline back to the slope where he came from. In a hurry, he slid down the slope, stumbling as he hit the bottom and ran towards his horse.

"Aurora!" Sam whispered in the dark. He stumbled, nearly tripping over himself in excitement. He petted Aurora's mane softly, finger tangled in her mane as he caught his breath. His heart was pounding, he could hear the beat in his ears. "Come on! Let's get out of here!"

His heart was soaring as he rode on Aurora, galloping away from the camp. He would just have to pray that Lily and Archie's distraction worked, and meet them at the rendezvous.

"Don't let a single one of these bastards escape!" Dutch yelled. He had stormed out with some of his best men, and they opened fire on O'Driscoll's harassing two people in a carriage. One of the wheels had broken off. "The last thing we need is Colm O'Driscoll paying us a visit."

One minute, O'Driscolls were terrifying two people, the next, the Van der Linde Gang had opened fire from the trees. Under the cover of darkness, the O'Driscolls were caught off guard, and Arthur and Dutch rode on their horses, making sure that the remaining few that decided to flee were dealt with.

Javier approached the cart, with Charles and the others who had gone out with them, hearing the small whimpers of a girl. He saw Lily clinging tightly to Archie who was holding his gun.

"Hey, come on out," said Javier. "You're safe now."

"Who are you?!" said Archie.

"Someone who won't hurt you. Now, come on."

Archie let go of the girl slowly, and she held herself, wiping the tears from her eyes. Archie got off the cart first and then held his hand out, helping Lily. Still she hid behind Archie.

"Th-Thank-you…" said Archie. He saw Dutch and Arthur riding back. "We were…" He paused remembering what he was going to use. "We were on our way to Valentine, and…" He sighed, "Well… I g-guess it doesn't matter now. Thank-you."

"No problem," said Arthur. "We've been dealing with those bastards for weeks."

"It's dangerous out on these roads, especially at night," said Dutch. "We've been out here a while, but you two look like a different story."

Lily slipped out carefully from behind him. "Do you guys n-need food? We have some in the back, if you need any. Think of it as thanks for saving us."

"Li-" Archie almost interjected.

"Ar… Anthony grows these in the next s-state over…" Lily lied.

Everyone turned to Dutch. "Why, thank-you miss," he said. "We could use the food. Now, you get to town, and have a safe night."

"Thank-you, too," said Lily. "And good luck."

Once the gang took some of their crates, they helped put the wheel back on. Lily and Archie got back on the cart, waving good-bye at their misfit band of saviors.

"I can't believe you gave them some of my parents' crops," said Archie.

"They saved us!" said Lily. "The O'Driscolls attacking wasn't a part of the plan, but I guess it worked out anyway. I guess we were a death magnet out there."

Archie sighed. "Sam is a death magnet!"

"Archie-"

"He's gonna get you killed!"

"He didn't force me out here!" Lily then snapped. "Everything he has done, he has only done to people who deserve it! I help him, because I want to! I know he got the money, and once we're back home, worrying about losing some crops will be the least of your problems."

Archie remained silent, and ahead he could see the buildings of Valentine. The lights shined through the windows, calming him from what just happened. How dedicated was Lily to Sam? So much so to risk her life? Styling her hair, just to look the part for some grand scheme? He looked over, seeing her untying her hair, and letting her golden locks of hair hang loose. Then he saw her wiping her eyes.

Sam was absolutely happy.

He had stopped by Smithfield's Saloon and decided to calm himself down with a drink. His hands still shook, anticipating when they'd get back. Luckily, he wouldn't have to wait long.

"Sam!"

Sam sighed in relief and ran over to embrace his cousin. She laughed as he twirled her around and put her back on the ground.

"You made it!" he said, breathing a sigh of relief.

"Of course I did!" said Lily. She guided him and Archie over to a table in the back. Each of them took a seat, getting a beer and sitting in silence before finally relaxing.

"Did… Did you get it?" said Lily.

Sam sighed, leaning back in his chair. "Come on, LIly… Let a man-"

"Sam!"

"Just kidding!" He threw his satchel on the table. It was full to bursting. Lily and Archie jumped to their feet, cheering. "I guess all these years paid off. We can sell the jewelry and stuff at Emerald Ranch. There's a guy I know there, who'll buy it off us."

"We actually did it!" Lily cheered.

Sam, Lily and Archie divided the money up, so that Archie would get half of it, having enough for his family. The rest would be for Sam and Lily.

"Thank-you…" Archie said, his voice shaking. "Thank-you… I can't tell you how much this means to me."

Lily briefly looked to Sam who was downing another bottle of whiskey. Then she looked back at their friend. "Archie, you never told us. Why do you need the money so bad?"

The young man sighed. "We… My pa's ranch ain't doing so well, anymore. It hasn't been for months."

"Is it because of his sickness…?"

Archie nodded. "Something like that. We just don't have enough money, and-"

"Archie!" He was silenced when Sam sat up, putting the half empty whiskey down. "It doesn't matter now. Take the money and go help your family."

Their friend nodded. "Yeah. Alright." He put his share into a bag.

"We should go home separately…" said Lily.

"Right. I'll leave first and take the wagon home. Sam?"

"Yeah?"

Archie looked Sam in the eye, the events of today were still fresh in his mind. As much as he wanted to scream and shout at him at what Lily endured today, he wouldn't. He had the money right now. His family needed him as much as Sam's needed him.

"Just… make sure Lily gets home safe."

"Yeah… Okay?" Sam said with a raised brow. He got no answer as to why he said that, and Archie had left through the front door.

Sam packed the rest of the money and items back in his satchel.

"We should get home, too," he said. "Shit!" He jumped at a clap of thunder. Clouds had been outside all night, and he had hoped there would be no thunder until after it was over. It looked like he got his wish, but now that it was happening...

"Yeah," Lily said, rubbing her eyes. "I'm tired…" Once she was done, she saw Sam, trembling a little and placed her hand one on his that was resting on the table. "Hey. It's okay. I'm here." Her cousin was still looking at the windows, but he nodded. She stood up and helped him to his feet. "Let's go home, dummy."

Sam, satchel hanging from his shoulder, followed behind his cousin. He hated when he was like this, especially in public, and in front of his sister. It made him feel useless.

Once Lily was at the front door, she suddenly yelped and clung to her cousin. Sam saw some people staring and just laughed nervously. Eventually, they went back to what they were doing.

"Wh-What? What is it?"

Lily shook in his arms, but didn't move. She didn't even turn her head when she spoke again.

"Sam, they're outside," Lily said, her voice shrill with fear, but her body nearly unmoving.

"What? Who?"

"That man leading the camp, and that Arthur feller!"

Outside the window, the two could see Arthur and that gang leader just riding down the street on their horses. Sam's breath hitched briefly. He put his hand on Lily's hips, keeping her in place briefly as another clap of thunder was heard. The young man took off his satchel and handed it to Lily.

"Here. Take it. Go out the back door on the first floor and once they walk in here, take Aurora to the stable and stay until I get there."

"B-But, Sam… the thunder…" Lily whispered.

"I'll be fine!" He put his hand on her shoulders. "I'll meet you there. Now don't worry about me and go!" Lily nodded and started to walk. "And be discreet, Lily!"

As soon as she was out of sight, Sam started walking up stairs in the back. There was another exit up there.

He heard the saloon doors swing open, but Sam stayed calm and kept walking. He pushed past some gentlemen and other women, saying his friendly apologies as he did. His breath was steady, and he tried to ignore the thunder. His goal was the stable. He had to remember that, and keep a level head.

Everything's going to be fine… Sam thought.

"Hey, you! Mister! Can we have a word?!" The voice was deep and rough, like the man he bumped into the other day. The man who showed up at their clinic after beating the shit of Tommy.

Uh… M-Maybe it's someone else?

"You! In the coat!"

Okay, screw this! Sam immediately thought. Luckily, the exit from the second floor was right next to him, so he pushed through it, going outside and quickly going down the stairs. He heard Arthur yell, and ran behind the general store.

The door swung open, and Arthur looked around, seeing no sign of Sam.

"You see him, Arthur?" Dutch called from inside.

"He went out here!" Arthur yelled. "I'll find that son of a bitch!"

Sam was trembling, both from the angry man, and the fact that a thunderstorm was starting. Rain was falling down. Despite the threat of getting his head beaten in like Tommy did, he was about to bust out laughing. He started walking more, his boots getting soaked in mud as he walked, but he didn't care.

The young man held himself rushing through the rain and shut his eyes tightly every time a clap of thunder rumbled. He turned the corner, seeing the stable across the street.

"GET BACK HERE!"

"Shit!" Sam hissed. If he ran to the stable, he'd lead Arthur to Lily and the money. He ran into an alley, between the inn and the bank, and hopped the fence, running into one of the local farms. The first thing he saw was the huge barn, usually filled with places to hide, so he went there.

As soon as he was there, he shut the big doors and made his way towards the otherside. It looked like all the cows inside were fast asleep, so he just had to be quiet.

Sam took deep breaths, trying to calm himself as the rain pounded outside. Hearing another clap of thunder made him gasp.

He had to get out of here. He had to get to Lily.

Sam ran towards the other side of the barn. After a deep breath, he was ready to go back out in the storm. Once he opened the door however, he was met with a gun pointed at him by the camp's leader, who was also holding a lantern in his hand. Sam backed away into the barn once again towards the other door with his hands up, his heart pounding against his chest.

"Now, now," he said. "Where are you off to in a hurry?"

This wasn't new to Sam. He's had guns pointed at him before. But usually, he wasn't cornered. His palms were sweaty and Sam could hear his own heart beating. Hopefully, he still had that charm… but this man looked like he had been in these kinds of situations before. The way he carried himself was almost calming.

"Why were you running?" the man then told him when Sam didn't answer.

"I bet you'd run, too, if you saw a scary man coming after you."

Sam was met with a laugh, and for some reason he gulped when the lantern's light shined on him, revealing his face.

"Sure, I bet… But unlike you, I face my problems head on, you…"

Dutch stopped upon properly seeing the young man's face. There was nothing particularly special about him, but what did catch him off guard were his eyes.

They were silver, shining like mirrors with the light that he had shined on him. He had seen other people with gray eyes before, so why was this different? Why were they so familiar?

"Dutch! You got him?"

Arthur started walking in from the open door. Dutch turned away briefly just to make sure it was him. That's when Sam backed into the doors behind him, getting outside and shutting them. He grabbed a crowbar and stuck it behind the handles, keeping them in place.

"Shit!" Sam heard Dutch say. "Don't lose him! Get through the other side!"

Sam immediately just booked it, running like his life depended on it, which it did. His breath was heavy, every flash of lightning and crackle of thunder made him move faster, pushing his legs and lungs to keep going, as he desperately tried to push his fear down, ignoring the memories of himself when he was a boy, lost in sadness in a storm.

Eventually, Sam made it to the stables. He pushed the doors open and just fell forward onto the ground. The air whooshed around him and lightning followed by another clap of thunder. Curling up on the ground, he shivered, his heart pounding.

"Sam!"

The doors were suddenly closed, and Sam found himself being flipped onto his back by gentle hands. He sighed, knowing it was Lily, but his hands and legs were still shaking and his breathing was still heavy. His heart was slamming against his ribcage.

"Lily…" he could barely whisper through his lips. His hands suddenly clung to her as more thunder rumbled. "I-I… I can't…" He gasped for air, reaching out at nothing as thunder roared.

"Hey, shhhhh…" His cousin whispered. She put her hands on his face. "It's okay. I'm here."

"I… I got away…" Sam whimpered, softly.

"Yeah." Lily then nodded. "Yeah, you did." She stood, helping Sam to his feet. "Let's go hide with Aurora." She guided him into the stable where Aurora was being kept. Once they were sat down and out of sight, Sam's loyal horse was there to nuzzle his face with her nose, making the boy chuckle.

"You did a good job, girl…" Sam mumbled. He sat down and leaned against the wall and Lily, like the night when he got drunk at Horseshoe Overlook. "We… Let's stay here a bit. Then, head home." Lily put her arm around him, anchoring him in place.

"Okay. Now relax. You're safe. Listen to my heart and not the thunder."

It took a few minutes of soothing speech, but Lily managed to get Sam to calm down. It was quite remarkable how he would outrun some scary, shady people, but shiver in fear of a thunderstorm. Regardless, she wouldn't hold that against him. He and her father were the bravest men she knew.

Sam was exhausted, and he wasn't sure if it was from staying up this late, the adrenaline from stealing and running from those men, or panicking on the floor of the stable. At least the closest thing he ever had to a sister was holding him, brushing his wet and muddy hair as he relaxed, hearing her heartbeat. She was alive. They both were. Alive and safe.

It felt like hours passed, as they sat there. Lily kept a vigilant eye out, jumping at any noise, worrying that those men would find them.

But they didn't, and Sam had managed to be relaxed enough to fall into a somewhat peaceful sleep. After slipping his hat over his eyes, Lily breathed a sigh of relief, hearing the rain continue to pound down. As much as Sam doted over her safety, she was just as glad that he made it back to her safely, too.

After enough time had passed, Sam, Lily, and even Aurora had fallen asleep as the rain poured down, the thunder failing to wake even Sam in his relaxed state.

That's why it wasn't thunder that woke them. It was gunshots.

Lily jolted upright to the sound. Sam began to stir, stretching and rubbing his eyes with a corner of his shirt, before adjusting his hat.

"Wh-What? What's happeni-" Sam could only say, before there were more gunshots, followed by the sound of horses trotting through the town, while crazy wild laughter could be heard among the screaming. Aurora was awakened and started jumping on her hind legs, whining in terror.

"Let's go, boys! Let's make this town of Valentine see the O'Driscolls ain't finished!"

Lily yelped, clinging to Sam with all her might. Sam's breath hitched, but this time it wasn't because of the storm outside. He stood, his body shaking as he stumbled towards the door, despite Lily reaching for him.

Parting the door only slightly, he saw thugs on horses and on foot, running around tearing Valentine apart. They were breaking windows, taking stuff and setting fire to shops.

Sam shut the door with a gasp, backing away and bumping into Lily. "The whole town…" He felt Lily shaking behind her. These weren't just random bullies or thugs, they were a gang, and a notorious one, at that. "Uncle… I have to get him."

"W-Wait!" said Lily. "I'm going with you."

"No!" said Sam. "I need to get him. You have to stay here with Aurora and the money. When I come back we need to go immediately."

"B-But…"

"I'll be fine…" said Sam. He took the rifle off his back and gave it to Lily to hold. "If anyone comes in who's not me, shoot them."

Lily teared up, shaking, but she nodded. Sam wiped the tears from her eyes.

"I know you can do this…" he said. Lily hugged her cousin and he hugged her back. "Now go hide."

Sam snuck out of the stable, through the back holding his volcanic pistol still on his gun belt. His hand was still on the handle, though. He could hear people screaming, and running for their lives, and those gang members… They were laughing. He wasn't sure if he was shivering in fear or because of the storm. His hand clung to the frame, knuckles turning white from gripping it so hard.

Taking a deep but shuddering breath, he dashed through the street, praying that no criminal would see or attack him. The clinic already had some broken windows, which made Sam rush over even faster.

"Uncle Cliff?" Sam knocked on the door. He twisted the door knob to find that it was locked. Gun in hand, he broke down the door with one swift kick and entered the home. He scanned the room, pointing the weapon wherever he looked. It seemed empty, but he heard footsteps and stuff being knocked over. "Shit!"

"I am not going to ask you again, Dr. Hawkeson." The voice sounded sharp, spiteful, and with no room for nonsense.

"I can't tell you what I don't know, Mister… uh."

"My name is not important to you, sir. What is important is that you tell me what I want!"

Sam ran up the stairs as fast as he could. He pushed the door open and saw his uncle stand up from the couch, but saw no one else in there with him.

"S-Sam?" Cliff's hands were still up.

"Uncle?" Sam could only say. Then something hard hit the top of his head and he saw black.

"SAM! NO, STOP! LEAVE HIM THE HELL ALONE!"

Sam's head was throbbing, and his ears were ringing. His vision was blurred, but he managed to use his hands and lift his head, seeing a figure of a man pointing a gun at Cliff. He was tall, his coat was long, and he had what seemed to be a bowler hat on his head. His vision was too hazy and it was too dark to see anything else specific.

"You're gonna kill me either way, why would I tell you shit?" said Cliff. "You'd kill someone who heals the injured and sick? Is that what you stand for?"

"N-No…" Sam tried to shout, but it only came out as a soft whisper, as he reached out his hand. His vision blurred more and more, starting to go dark again.

"Don't mix up the facts, Dr. Hawkeson. You hid her for years, and you're still hiding shit now."

Cliff shook his head. He looked at his attacker straight in the eyes.

"I'm not giving up my family. Dead or not."

Just as Sam lost consciousness again, there was a gunshot.

"Sam? Sam?! Oh my god!"

Sam cracked one of his eyes open again, finding himself on the floor near the coffee table, facing the ceiling of the living room.

"Daddy, please! Daddy!"

Sam sat up, his head pounding and a trickle of blood dripped down from the wound on his head, and over his eyelid and down the side of his mouth. He couldn't stop himself from groaning out loud. His gun was still near him, so he picked it up.

"Daddy…" the voice was followed by hiccuping and sobbing. He looked over at the couch to see Lily with his rifle on her back and his pistol in her hand. The satchel was hanging from her shoulder. She was crying on the couch next to her father, who was laying still on the couch, reclined, his head leaning back and a gaping bullet wound right where his heart was, but his eyes were closed like he was asleep.

A sharp gasp came from Sam. He lunged forward, forcing his wobbly legs to push him up and move towards Cliff.

"Uncle! Uncle Cliff!" He fell to his knees once more, both hands grasping Cliff's right hand. He wasn't moving, and he felt no pulse. He was still warm, feeling it when he held his hand. Sam's breaths were deep, his body shaking and tears started filling his eyes. The storm raged on, suddenly sounding louder from where he was. "Wake up…" he pleaded. His voice was almost a whisper. "Cliff! Please! Don't you fucking leave us!" He started crying out for him. "Please! Wake up!" His hands reached out for Cliff's lifeless body and shook his shoulders and he cried for him over and over, as his voice gave out to sobs, tears flowing freely.

"No…" He whimpered. "NO!" His body gave up, and he fell onto his knees again, hands slipping off from his uncle. Sam shuddered, not caring who heard him and began to cry. "Not again. Please…"

Suddenly, the door swung open, making Lily scream and reach for the rifle on her back. Sam tried to stand, but the dizziness made him fall back down on his bottom, facing the door. His body still shook, tears flowing down his cheeks, some mixing with the blood that dripped down his face. Silver eyes met sapphire ones, and even in the darkness and thunderstorm outside, Sam knew it was Arthur.

Arthur's eyes drifted to the couch, where Cliff laid lifeless, and the two relatives he had left behind. The daughter cowering in fear and pointing a rifle at him with tears in her eyes.

"Damn!" Arthur hissed under his voice. He held up his hands, moving them away from his gun belt. "Hey. Easy. It's okay. I ain't going to hurt you." He walked forward slowly, and his eyes landed on Sam briefly. He wasn't even looking at him, but he was shaking severely, his breathing was heavy, and he was lost in a daze, like he could fall over at any moment. There was another clap of thunder and Sam gasped for air. "What happened? Who did this?"

Lily slowly lowered her gun, as Arthur got closer, coaxing her to do so with gentle words. Then she saw someone behind him.

"Mister! Behind you!" she shrieked.

Arthur turned around just in time to stop an O'Driscoll from stabbing him in the back. He still fell down, however, with the thug still trying to stab him in the heart, but Arthur was holding him back.

Lily screamed and fell back, dropping the rifle and crying while almost curling up into a ball. The two men struggled still.

"NO, STOP!" Lily screamed. "PLEASE!" But her screams were like music to the O'Driscoll's ears.

"Wait 'till Colm hears I took down one of Van der Linde's best-"

BANG!

Lily let out a scream and suddenly, the O'Driscoll slumped over, and Arthur managed to push him off. After picking up the hat that fell off his head, he stood and saw that there was a bullet hole in the center of the dead thug's forehead. A direct hit!

"Shit…" Arthur muttered, stumbling to his feet.

"Arthur!" said a voice. "Are you okay?!"

"Up here, Dutch!" Arthur called. He turned around upon hearing Lily. Following the sound of soft whimpering, he saw Lily staring at her cousin. There, he saw who had fired the shot.

Sam was sitting there, gasping softly for air, shaking. His eyes were wide open, silver eyes staring at the body that now laid on the floor. The volcanic pistol was in Sam's grasp and was still pointed forward, like the enemy was still standing. The empty shell the bullet was from was now on the floor nearby. A small trickle of smoke floated up from the barrel.

Another clap of thunder made Sam gasp sharply. He was frozen. He didn't even see Lily and Arthur approach him. He could barely speak, let alone think.

"I shot…" he rasped, between hiccups of air. "I shot him… I…"

"S-Sam…" Lily whimpered.

"Hey!" Arthur suddenly rushed towards his side. He was frozen like a statue, even when Lily was near him and Arthur had knelt down in front of him. To Sam, it was like he wasn't there. "Hey! Kid! Calm down! You had no-"

Lightning flashed through the window, followed by the loud rumble of thunder. The light had shone on the dead body, revealing Sam's deed in all of it's detail.

The O'Driscoll's body laid like a mannequin, blood soaking into the floorboards from the head wound. His eyes were wide open, like he was staring at the roof, and mouth open agape.

Another sharp gasp escaped Sam's lips. He took a few more sharp intakes of breath, and he saw Arthur and Lily in front of him as his vision blurred, going dark once more, as his eyes drooped shut. His body slumped against the couch behind him, head lolling to the side, his gun wielding arm dropping to the ground, and silence surrounded the young man, unable to hear the voices of Arthur and Lily around him.