A/N: Once again I'm late. And instead of sleeping I'm uploading this.

Also, due to the suggestiveness and violence increasing as the story continues, this story will be upgrading to the M rating after I upload Chapter 38.

It gets steamy and then it gets real. Ready? Me neither. Here we goooo!

Sam shrugged. He and Hosea were at Arthur's bedside after another nightmare drew the two of them to his tent once again. They didn't happen as frequently now that his fever had gone, but it still left Arthur shaken up.

"They don't wanna quit, do they?" Hosea said.

Arthur could only shake his head. He looked up at Sam and flinched when he touched his shoulder, then relaxed when he looked into his eyes.

"You sure you don't want to talk about it?" Sam asked.

"I'm fine," said Arthur. "Stop fussing."

"Of course I'm gonna fuss over you, you idiot!" said Sam. "I…" Sam paused, but Hosea just gave him a firm pat on the back, "love you…" he finished, meekly. He could feel his ears burning.

Arthur sighed through his nose. "Okay, I'll tell you later. Just…"

"You're tired…"

The outlaw nodded. The nightmare and the panic he experienced afterwards left Arthur exhausted. "Really fucking tired…"

They gave Arthur tea and stayed with him until he was asleep. He was tuckered out and not waking up for anything for quite a while.

"Jesus!" said Sam. "What did you put in that tea?"

Hosea chuckled. "It's an old recipe Bessie taught me. It really helps after a long day or if we just want little John and Arthur to shut up for a while."

Sam giggled.

"So how are things between you and Dutch?"

Sam sat down in a chair next to Hosea. "Fine."

"You know, Sam. It took a lot of guts for Dutch to admit that he was wrong," said Hosea. "He don't do that often."

"Yeah… He… I…" Sam trailed off. He was looking at Arthur who was fast asleep, but it didn't seem like he was focused on the outlaw. "He said… a lot."

Hosea ran his hand through his hair. "He told you, didn't he?"

Sam nodded frantically. "He… Wait." Sam retained enough focus to face the elder. "You knew?"

"I think since Horseshoe…" said Hosea. "I decided that it would be best if Dutch told you himself when he was ready. He had barely found out after all our snooping around in Valentine."

"Huh…" Sam was still in disbelief. Sam thought about the back room in his uncle's clinic. "…I guess my uncle knew all along. Momma probably told him to keep quiet."

"She was probably just trying to protect you."

Sam nodded. "I suppose so."

The two sat in silence for a while, just watching Arthur fall deeper into sleep. Moments like these were plentiful since Arthur got hurt, but it was nice. Sam was grateful for the company, along with the comfort and advice the elder would give him.

Eventually, they would make sure Arthur was tucked in and cozy before heading out of the tent for the night. Sam's face was still a bit pink from telling Arthur that he loved him in front of Hosea. Eventually, Hosea stopped when they were outside.

"Thank-you for this," said Hosea. "It's been a while since I've seen Arthur happy in this… kind of field."

"Y-You're not mad?"

Hosea shrugged. "Why the hell would I be mad at someone who's making Arthur happy and actually relax for once in his damn life?"

"Huh. O-Okay."

The elder chuckled. "Oh, and I'll beat you with your own gun if you cause him any harm or any undue distress," he then said, almost too casually.

Sam gasped. "Huh?"

"Hell, if you hurt him badly enough maybe Dutch will get Bill to use those gelding tongs."

The young man's jaw dropped slowly. Hosea almost smiled at the way Sam winced and slightly moved his legs closer together. The elder just laughed, which caused a bit of a cough, but it didn't last long. He approached Sam, as it wore off and placed an arm around his shoulders.

"They'll never find your body…" he muttered in his ear. "Understood?"

Sam nodded frantically. "Y-Yes, sir."

Finally, Arthur had that darn sling taken off. He was able to flex it and move it from time to time to keep the blood flowing and his muscles strong, but now he could do it without much pain. It got kind of painful if he moved it too much, however.

Sam was still asleep from last night and after Hosea's little talk. He couldn't fall asleep for hours after that.

Meanwhile, Abigail was already up when the sun was. She finished some of the chores and helped Pearson with breakfast, but now she was just sitting at her tent, watching Jack play. With Arthur feeling better, Abigail was kind of curious about Sam offering reading lessons to some of the boys. If Jack could learn, and so can an idiot like Sean and even an ex-O'Driscoll like Kieran, maybe she could. That boy did need a lot of her time and attention, though.

"Like this?"

Abigail looked to her right and saw Jack brushing John's horse. They had two corners where they would let the horses rest and graze. The kid was still small, but John was holding the kid up so he could brush Old Boy's mane.

"Yeah, be firm but gentle," John replied. The horse seemed to be enjoying it, even nudging the little boy with his nose. Jack could only giggle.

Abigail smiled. She looked back at the book she could only view the illustrations from. Maybe she could learn now.

"Can I talk to you for a minute?"

Abigail looked up from the book once again. She was shocked to see it was Molly. Everyone had heard her screaming the other night and now she hadn't slept in Dutch's tent for days.

"...Sure," Abigail answered.

"It's about Dutch."

Abigail sighed. "It is?"

"See, I love him," Molly explained, her voice starting to shake, "and I know he loves me, but…"

Abigail had seen it all from the start. They were laughing and flirtatious, but Abigail had a feeling it was a facade. Dutch had not been the same since Annabelle. She would give the girl at least some credit, though. Molly really tried.

"I'm just gonna stop you there," said Abigail. She put the book down and stood up on her feet. "Dutch don't love you. Not in the way you want to be loved."

Molly could only look at the woman before her, dumbfounded.

"No!"

"Don't make a fool of yourself."

"No, it's… not like that," Molly pleaded.

Abigail could only frown at the poor girl. "I ain't one to sugarcoat things, my dear… It is like that." She placed a hand on her shoulder. "Take care of yourself."

Molly shook her head. "You don't understand!"

"Unfortunately, I do."

Molly yanked herself away from the young mother. "Well… well… well you don't!" she yelled. And she ran away before Abigail could respond. The woman could only shake her head and sit back down.

Sam only saw a blur of red and green rush by tent. He looked out and saw Molly rushing towards the shore of the Flat Iron Lake.

"What's with her?" said Sam. He ducked back inside and walked over to their patient, once again. Arthur was sitting on Sam's cot as he inspected his gunshot wound. It had mostly healed, but Arthur still felt a bit of pain and discomfort.

Lily shrugged. "Beats me. She and Dutch have been in some kind of spat. They'll get over it, hopefully."

Arthur just shook his head. He was just relieved that he could finally walk around without that stupid sling, and he was able to put on a shirt, now… with help. Lily prepared some medicine for the pain.

"Here," said Sam. He stepped towards Arthur and held out something the older outlaw hadn't seen in a while: his hat. "I think you dropped this on the cliffs."

"Well, I'll be!" Arthur almost exclaimed. He was quick to take it back into his hands. "So, that's where you've been."

Sam grinned. "Ready to go into town?"

Arthur nodded. "Sure. If I spend another minute in here, I may just about lose it."

"Okay! I'll go get the horses ready." Sam's eyes narrowed when Arthur was about to get up and help him. He sighed and sat back down.

"Thank you," Sam chimed as he dashed out.

Lily giggled. She picked up a small bottle and handed it to the outlaw.

"This should help with the pain in a pinch," said Lily, "but just rest if it gets to be too much."

"Thank you," Arthur said, taking the medicine from the girl. He shoved it into his satchel as Lily closed the tent flaps.

"It's so nice to see Sam happy…" Lily said, with a sigh. He turned back to Arthur, who looked up just in time to see Lily practically storm up to him in the dimness of the tent. Suddenly, Arthur's heart began to race. It was like his body usually would do before a fight.

With an accusatory finger, Lily pressed her finger into his chest. She was so close that Arthur started to lean back. He couldn't tell if he was starting to sweat from nerves or the heat of having the tent closed.

"Listen, Morgan…" Lily said, slowly, her teeth barely moving. Her brows were furrowed, and her hazel eyes were practically staring into his soul. "You break my cousin's heart…" She pressed her finger into his chest some more, nail digging into the skin, "I'll break your spine. Do I make myself clear?"

Arthur pulled down a gulp. He could probably take her in a fight, but he was still recovering and wasn't sure how it would be if she was angry. Besides, "hell hath no fury like a woman scorned."

Arthur just gulped and then nodded. "Y-Yeah… We're clear."

Suddenly, Lily giggled and she was back to her sunny disposition. "Okay, then." She walked over and opened the tent flaps again. The sun was shining through and the birds could be heard tweeting. "Have fun."

"They're ready!" Sam said, running to Arthur's side. "What are you talking about?"

Still smiling, the girl just looked at Arthur who slowly Rose up to his feet. He cleared his throat. "Aw, nothing important… Let's go." And immediately, Sam's questions were pushed to the wayside with Arthur holding his hand and dragging him out.

Lily could only laugh at how red Sam's face turned at the gesture. With them heading out and Lily finally being alone, she sat down on her cot and tore into the letter Rose gave her.

Arthur was just glad to be out of camp again, and Soleil was finally able to roam around on the plains, as horses should. The two took to the town of Rhodes heading to the Saloon owned by the Grays. The town seemed to be getting back on good terms after the O'Driscolls tore it up in that jailbreak. Sam and Arthur hitched their horses at the posts outside. Sam got off first, and patted Arthur on his good shoulder.

"I'll see you inside…" Sam whispered, a smile on his lips. He walked ahead, opting to enter from a window on the second floor. His heart was pounding, his hands were shaking and sweaty, and a light shade of red was appearing on his face.

Arthur entered the saloon from the front like a normal patron and asked for a bath. The room was upstairs, on the second floor. The barkeeper tried to not comment on the odd smell coming from the man who ordered it, but since he was paying, he praised the Lord above, because he definitely needed it.

Arthur sighed once he got into the room. He was alone, where nobody could see him… or what was left of him. He knew he shouldn't pout, but it was kind of frustrating, having to take it easy. It was only the fact that his friends and family loved him that at least made it a bit easier. It was still early in the morning, so not many people would be around.

The tapping on the window interrupted his thoughts. He opened it and Sam climbed inside with hardly any problems. He had probably climbed through plenty of windows, the thieving bastard.

But, if it weren't for that, they probably never would have met.

Arthur's body was still sore. Undressing himself made his muscles ache, but laying around in bed all day probably wasn't good for him either. He was getting out and walking some more, so it was progress.

Sam, having worked as a doctor, turned around, allowing his "patient" his privacy as Arthur undressed himself. He had done this type of thing plenty of times, but the outlaw was no ordinary patient of his. The young man couldn't stop the naughty thoughts in his head as he heard the rustling of Arthur's clothes, his boots slipping off, and the jingling of his gun belt. Sure, one could say that Sam and Arthur were going steady now, but maybe it was too soon to see each other without their clothes on yet.

Arthur sank into the water in the bathtub. It was warm, but different than the mountain of blankets he had been buried under in the days he spent recovering. The heat started from his legs and up through the rest of his body to his fingertips and even to his nose. There was a thick layer of soap suds that covered his body. He liked to wash starting from the head down, but when he tried to scrub at his head, his shoulder yelled at him with pain.

Sam turned around, hearing Arthur slight hiss.

"You need any help?" he said.

"I think I'm fine…" Arthur tried to say through the pain.

Sam rolled his eyes. "Nonsense. Why do you think we came out here, anyway, huh?"

To be honest, Sam was nervous, but Arthur let him approach. The young man took off his duster and set it aside. He looked at his gloved hands, sighed in defeat and took them off. Arthur could see the scar he had, and even more of it, as he rolled up his sleeves.

Sam put Arthur's hands down slowly, reached for some soap, scrubbed his own hands and proceeded to scrub through Arthur's hair himself. At first, Arthur sighed at needing the extra help, however, Sam was the one who offered, and he had done a great job playing nurse with him. Even without a degree, Arthur knew Sam took his job seriously. Maybe if things had been different, he could have been just like his uncle.

Sam's hands were gentle as they ran through his scalp. He was always so precise, yet handled his head as delicately as any bathmaid. Arthur could only sigh and closed his eyes, as Sam's hands moved down the back of his head and eventually cleaned his neck, and the layer of beard that had grown in while he'd been laid up and then back up and on the sides of his temple. Sam was very adamant on avoiding his face, but it was quite a sight to see Arthur truly relax.

Sam moved on to his hair, making sure it was scrubbed thoroughly. It had gotten quite long, but he kind of liked it that way. It was a nice golden brown, like the sun setting after a long day and very soft for a man who was constantly traveling. He leaned Arthur forward a bit so he could get his back and the outlaw was too relaxed to complain about it. Already, he was shocked that Sam hadn't gotten embarrassed enough to ask if he could stop or anything. He had gotten close to marriage with a girl, but never once did she ever bathe him. Sam had just confessed how he felt about him, and he was doing this already?

"So what was your dream about, anyway?" Sam said, breaking the silence for a moment.

Arthur groaned softly. "It's dumb."

"Nothing that scares you is dumb. I said I'd protect you and I will."

Arthur smiled a little. He felt ridiculous that Sam, despite his age and experience, would choose to protect him, of all people. Still, the amount of how sincere he was rang true. He proved it as much on that horrible night.

"Later," Arthur said. "I promise."

"Okay…"

Next, Sam moved to get his arms, he was nervous about cleaning around the gunshot wound in his shoulder. It had been cauterized shut, but the skin still looked red and angry, not to mention a messy work of Arthur's body working overtime to stop the bleeding and shut it on its own. Arthur just leaned back, and watched Sam with half-lidded eyes as Sam just put some water over the wound and lightly dab it with a rag. It didn't hurt as much as he thought it would.

There was a knock on the door. Arthur jolted a little, the water splashing slightly.

"How about some assistance in there?" said a voice.

"You know what to do," Sam whispered, as he walked over to wash his other arm. He was somehow unamused and unfrightened. Arthur just huffed.

"Nah, I'm alright, thanks," the outlaw said, his voice soft and heavy.

"Okay, I'll leave you to it then." The footsteps faded away and they were left to their own devices once again.

"Your scar," Arthur mumbled, as Sam moved on to scrubbing his chest. He could see it much more clearly now that Sam was close to him.

"This?" Sam said, holding up his right arm for a second. "It's a burn. It's… why I'm afraid of lightning…"

"Struck you?"

"Struck a tree, and then it hit me."

"Sorry…"

"It's okay…" said Sam. "I think… I'll be okay…"

Arthur patted Sam's scarred arm. "Yeah, you will be."

Sam smiled, as well. He lifted Arthur's leg and continued his job. "Not that I want to leave so soon, but let's finish up. I've got stuff to do."

"Like what?"

"Nothing for you to worry about."

"I am gonna worry," said Arthur. "Now tell me."

Sam rolled his eyes. Arthur still couldn't understand how he could stand cleaning somebody like him and do it with a straight face. Well, there was red on his face, but it just made him look quite adorable, actually. "It's nothing. The Grays just want to meet me and a few of the others so we can work out a new security detail."

"When is it?" Arthur said, as he put down his leg. Sam walked over to the other side to clean the other one.

"Arthur, you're not going," said Sam. "I'm not gonna be alone. Don't worry."

"Who's going?"

"Just me…" Sam said. He looked into the soapy water as he finished up with the outlaw's other leg and gently let it sink back into the water. "And Bill… and Sean… and…" He sighed. "Micah."

Arthur nodded. "Yup, I'm going with you, then."

"Arthur, you're barely back on your feet!"

"I'm on them," said Arthur. "And I ain't about to let you near Micah on your own."

Sam's heart was pattering. He was just worried about him, wasn't he?

"You said it was just a chat, right?" Arthur asked.

The young man nodded. He moved back behind Arthur to rinse out his hair.

"Then it shouldn't be so bad," said Arthur. He leaned his head back as Sam poured some clean water through his hair. The would-be doctor was thorough, pouring more when needed and made sure all the soap was gone.

Sam hummed. "You're quite a negotiator for a man sitting in his own filth right now."

Arthur chuckled. "Guess we're just a couple of strange graduates from the Van der Linde finishing school."

The two laughed to themselves. Sam came over to the side and crouched down a bit so he could lean over to him. Sam's eyes were beautiful. They were shining pearls. Even in the depths of that horrible cellar, he was relieved to see them practically shining in the darkness.

"Thank-you," Arthur said, his voice low so as to not draw the attention of other patrons or the bathmaids. "For all of this."

Sam smiled. "It's what doctors do. And… what I will continue to do for you…" He looked down, taking a gulp, but then found he was just looking down Arthur's body and then looked back at his face. Arthur grabbed his chin, tilting his head up, before he closed his eyes and pulled him into a kiss. He moved his hand from Sam's chin to the back of his head, not caring that his hand was still damp from the water. The younger man didn't seem to care, either. He closed his eyes, as well, and let himself enjoy it.

They kissed for what felt like a while. Arthur tugged at Sam's lips, swiped his tongue over them, and Sam parted them as if on instinct and let his tongue in. Arthur savored the small, muffled moan he managed to have Sam make.

Sam shivered. He hadn't felt excited in this way in a long time. There were butterflies in his stomach, his face felt like it was on fire, and there was a reaction… down south.

When they pulled away, Arthur looked and saw that Sam was as red as a tomato as his body shook. He stood up. "I… I'll go… get your t-towel…" he stuttered quickly. He ran over to the towel rack. Arthur rolled his eyes with a grin and leaned back.

"You sure as hell took your time!" said Bill.

Sam rolled his eyes as he and Arthur arrived at the Bank of Rhodes. Bill, Sean, and Micah were at the hitching posts. All three of them were armed and holding rifles.

"Yeah, yeah…" said Sam. "Arthur wouldn't let up, so he's here, too."

"Well, glad you could join us, cowpoke," said Micah.

"Shut up," said Arthur. "Are we going or what?"

"Would you all be quiet, you sour-faced idiots?" said Sean. "It's just a simple meeting with some of them Gray boys."

"Fine, fine," said Bill. "Come on, then. You sure you're up to this, Morgan?"

Arthur rolled his eyes. He didn't have a rifle or a repeater on him, but he did bring his sidearms. "I'll be fine. What's the deal that's so big, that you had to pull Sam out of his 'leave'?"

"We're meeting with some of the Grays down at the saloon," said Micah, "if you'll follow me, fellers."

Micah walked ahead, taking the lead. The others followed behind and together, they walked down the main street. "They spoke to Bill about needing more security after what happened with their fields."

"After the farce of stealing their horses?" said Arthur.

"Shh!" Sam hissed. "They think it was the Braithwaites."

"Sam's right," said Bill. "Besides, they're paying and we need to stay in with them."

"This seem legit to you, Bill?" said Arthur.

"Sure."

"Can we trust them?" said Sean.

"Can we trust anyone?" said Arthur.

"Let's just see what they have to say," Micah said, calmly.

They continued down the street and everything seemed normal. People were dragging their things into the store, wagons were moving away, people were sweeping their porches, and all seemed well on this nice summer afternoon.

"They said there was some misunderstanding about them horses…" said Bill.

"The ones John was lied to about?" said Sam.

"What about burning them fields?" said Sean.

"They think it was the Braithwaites," said Bill.

Their banter went on. Meanwhile, all of those people, the same that were minding their own business, stopped and ducked into their homes and businesses. People were getting on their horses and leaving.

And suddenly… it was all too quiet.

"They were saying that Catherine Braithwaite-"

"Hey, hold up." Arthur interrupted Bill before he could continue. The outlaw stopped, taking in the silence. The others stopped, as well. "This don't feel right."

Sean scoffed. He had been ahead of them, but turned back to face the others.

None of them had any idea…

None of them…

"Now it don't feel right?" said Sean. "I could'a told you that-"

And then, Sam saw red. It splattered on the dirt, on Sean's clothes and face. Sam felt some warmth hit his face. Red warmth. There was a thud. It was from Sean. He landed on the ground… with a hole in his head.

Sam couldn't hear anything. He saw movement, but didn't move himself. It wasn't until an arm wrapped around his waist and pulled him away, did a scream leave his lips.

"SEAAAAAAAN!"

The next thing Sam knew, he was dragged to cover by Arthur. They ran across the street from the police station to a homestead and hid behind some barrels. Sam barely got a look at the shooter. They were on top of the sheriff's office.

Gunshots were firing everywhere. They were coming from the roofs and from around buildings.

"What the… ahh, goddammit!" Bill shouted. He ducked beside the porch by the sheriff's office. The man grabbed his arm for a moment and got his rifle ready. "I can't believe you shot me, you bastards!"

"You okay?!" Arthur called from across the road. He aimed up with his Schofield, and shot some gunmen on the balcony of the hotel.

"I'm fine!" Bill grunted.

More men were riding in on horseback, others were bashing in windows on the second floor of shops and houses. All of them had to be Grays.

Arthur ducked back under cover. He looked at Sam who was still in shock. He was on his knees, his breaths still heavy, his skin pale as paper, and eyes the size of golf balls.

Why was he like this? He shot men like this before!

Sean. Sean… Sam was just starting to get to know him. He was a pain in the ass sometimes, but he was funny.

"Oh, Sean… you idiots!" Arthur yelled.

"Is he dead?" said Micah. He shot at the men riding on horseback. One of them fell back but their leg got caught in the stirrup and they were dragged a distance by the spooked horse. Arthur managed to shoot the other.

"Look at him, of course he's dead!" Arthur shouted through the gunfire.

Dead.

Sean was dead.

Right before their eyes.

Just like Sam's uncle.

"How could you not know this was a trap?!" Arthur yelled.

"You sure you wanna talk about this now, Morgan?" Micah yelled back.

The sinking feeling in Sam's heart didn't fade. It just got worse and worse. His breath quickened, he showed his teeth, rose from his knees, and reached for his gun.

"Shooter…" Sam muttered. He stood and shot some men riding in on a cart. "Where the hell IS THE SHOOTER?!" He ducked again, bullets whizzing over him. Then, Sam looked over an unmoving cart to clear the way to the police station.

"Sam!" Arthur could only yell, as Sam made his way across the street to Bill's side.. More came out from the hotel, and the outlaw pinned them down before they could even aim at the boy. He made it to the other side, but didn't even look at Bill. He was heading towards the back.

"You see a way outta here?" said Micah.

"Bill!" Arthur yelled. He gestured to Sam from cover. Bill knew what Arthur was asking and rushed towards the back of the building, as well, to watch Sam's six. He turned to Micah who ran behind an electrical pole. "Not right now," he answered the loudmouth, "they got us penned in good."

More glass broke from gunshots. There were more people in the gun store. Micah was quick and ran towards it from the side.

"The cowards are in the gun store!" Micah called, putting his back against the wall. Arthur shot some suppressing fire, before joining him. "I'll take the front, you take the back!"

Meanwhile, Sam and Bill were racing down the side of the sheriff's office. There was a back door, and Bill, in his rage, was pounding on it with his fist. It was locked, almost barricaded shut.

"Shoot a man in the back of the head?" Bill shouted through the door. "I'll show you how a real man fights, you damn cowards!"

Sam's eyes were darting around, while he had his back to the wall on the side of the hotel. Bill was now kicking the door, and it seemed to be breaking under his strength. Sam saw several crates against the wall. By the time he ran up to them, Bill made the door collapse and he rushed.

"Be careful!" Sam yelled, but all he could hear were gunshots and Bill yelling. Sam, on the other hand, stepped on the crates like stairs. He reloaded his gun, but instead of bullets he put something else in the chamber. The young man jumped, gripping the frame of the roof with both hands, one still holding the gun and pulled himself up.

"Stop right-"

BANG!

Sam found the sniper on the roof and made the shot. The bullet hit him in the leg and he fell on the ground. The young man stayed low and made his way to the sniper, and flipped him onto his back.

"Archibald…" Sam muttered. "Leave it Gray to send his lackey…"

Archibald coughed, and blood came out from his lips. Sam didn't flinch. "Oh, don't worry," the young man said, his tone flat and emotionless. "That wasn't enough to kill you… yet." He pressed the gun up to his head.

The deputy wheezed, small coughs still escaping, while he tried to talk, but only small noises coming out. He kept his hands up, like surrendering would save him. Sam gazed into his eyes, and Archibald was still, as if he could see something worse than hell in those silver irises.

"But that's my student you shot there…" Sam said, slowly, not moving his teeth. "So before you die, you'll suffer for what you did!" And with that, Sam grabbed him by his shirt.

Arthur kicked in the door to the gun store. He tackled the first Gray he saw, who was behind the counter, onto the floor and put a bullet in his head. Just as he stood another was waiting for him, pointing a gun. Then Micah charged in from the front door and shot them with his revolvers.

The two outlaws locked eyes.

"You're getting sloppy, Morgan," Micah snarled.

Arthur growled. He raced up to the front walls and put his back to it, while looking out the windows.

"You see that window in Sean's skull?" Arthur growled. "Don't talk to me about sloppy!"

"They're in the gun store!"

Several Grays started piling out from the store across the street. They shot through the broken windows, which only gave Arthur and Micah more of an opportunity to shoot back. Micah opened the front door to fool them into shooting in that direction, and then the two took aim from the windows. More were riding in on horseback, but the two stepped out with the way across cleared.

Together the two men took aim and shot the gunmen right off their horses. Others that were behind were suddenly turning away and running.

"See that?" said Micah. "Those cowards are running away."

Arthur rolled his eyes. "Looks like most of them…"

"But not all of them…"

"Where the hell are Bill and Sam?" Arthur looked around.

"Sheriff Gray! Get the hell out here!"

"Who do you think you are? You're just a two-bit thug from God-knows-where!"

"He was just a goddamn boy!"

"And I'll sure as hell shoot the rest of scum like you!"

Arthur and Micah hurried down the street to see Sam standing in front of the police station. He was covered in blood, but didn't look like he was hurt.

"That sounds like a threat," Sam said, flatly. "I'm very scared right now."

Arthur looked at the young man, and saw why. He was surrounded by fresh kills. Blood was pooling out into the floor. Then Sam pushed his next victim forward.

"But not as scared as your deputy!" Sam then yelled. He threw a bloody and beaten Archibald to the dirt and shot him in the ankle. His scream echoed through the main street. He writhed and coughed up more blood from the poison.

Sam reached out and grabbed the officer's hair. He yanked him back and put his Schofield to the side of the man's head.

"Tell them how scared you are, right now!" Sam snarled.

"Sh… Sheriff… don't… please help me…" Archibald wheezed.

"So you gonna help him, or not?"

"She… Sheriff…" Archibald struggled to suck in some air. "Please…"

Silence.

"Sam!" Arthur ran up to him. Micah joined him on the other side.

"Bill's in there…" Sam muttered, softly. He tugged on Archibald's hair, pulling a groan from his captive. "And this is the bastard who put a bullet in Sean's head!"

Arthur gulped. Of course he was mad. But this? Sam was angry… he beat up the man like this? He was bleeding from his nose and mouth, his face swollen from bruises, along with the rest of his body. And the corpses on the ground…

Meanwhile, Micah just chuckled at the sight.

"You've got five seconds to come out, or your deputy's brains will be on the floor!" Sam shouted. "Now get the hell out here!"

"This is the Gray's town!" the Sheriff yelled. "Always has been, always will be!"

"Five!" Sam started.

Micah shrugged and looked around the littered streets. "Only Grays we see left around here… is you!" he bellowed.

"Four!"

"You're just a little boy from a livestock town, Mr. Hawkeson!"

"Three!"

"You think you can just pick up a gun and become Landon Ricketts?"

"Two!"

"That little Irish bastard got what was coming!"

There was a pause. Sam growled. He threw Archibald to the ground, and held out his gun, finger squeezing the trigger.

"Zero."

"SHER-"

BANG!

Sam knew they heard it. Hell, Arthur and Micah just watched it. He straight up shot Archibald in the skull. He slumped onto the ground, unmoving. He was now just a corpse, blood pooling out into the dirt. There was noise inside of the police station, a curse being thrown here and there.

"Lawmen, O'Driscolls, Lemoyne Raiders… all of you are all the goddamn same! You only look out for yourselves! If it weren't for your cooperation, I would've burned this town to the ground weeks ago. You're done, Gray! Now get out here, NOW!"

Sam had not hesitated. In fact, he stared at the body and then spat on it like garbage. And, then he looked up and heard footsteps on the floorboards in the building.

"You want us to come out?!" the sheriff then yelled. "We'll come out!"

The door swung open. However, Bill was pushed out first, and then the Sheriff followed. He wrapped an arm around him and put a gun to his head. Several other deputies filed out, as well, lining up on the porch with guns ready.

He looked at Sam, seeing a part of his face stained with blood, along with parts of his coat and blue shirt. His pants and boots were stained with dirt that had kicked up from the fight. Still, he was staring right at him, with that Schofield in his hand.

"That's a federal crime, Slayer," the Sheriff said, as he looked at poor Archibald.

Sam shrugged. "Do I look like I give a damn?"

"Guns on the ground, now!" said an officer.

"All of you!" ordered another.

"You know we can't do that!" Arthur called. "You put the gun down, Sheriff!"

"I'll blow his brains out!" Leigh Gray shouted. "Or you wanna join your little friend?"

"Either way, you're a dead man," said Micah. "Morgan! Hawkeson!"

And then, almost in sync, the men drew their weapons. Arthur was quick and shot down the Sheriff, who was holding Bill. Sam took out the men on the left, while Micah got the right. Bill stumbled around as he was let go, and looked at the bodies around him.

"Shit…" was all he could mutter.

Sam looked around. His face was still flecked with blood. Sean's… He locked eyes with Arthur, but then the older outlaw quickly looked away to see the whole reason for all of this bloodshed.

The older man sighed. He walked over to poor Sean and knelt down on one knee. Sam followed him, but just stood behind him.

"He was a good kid…" said Arthur.

"Well, how the hell was I to know?" Bill grumbled. He climbed down the steps and picked up his rifle.

"Well, let me see…" Arthur said, standing back up. Sam knelt down on both of his knees and lifted Sean's head, inspecting the wound on his head.

Micah didn't see the point. He was dead. That's all there was to it.

"They set us up once before…" Arthur went on. "They didn't like us…" His voice began to raise. "We destroyed their farm… should I go on!?"

"Go easy on him, Morgan," said Micah. "He was out trying to find a lead, same as you… same as Hosea. All you do is complain… when things don't work out. Except when it's your goddamn fault."

Sam looked up at him, eyes burning with rage.

"You don't know what you're talking about," Arthur growled. "You don't give a damn about nobody but yourself!"

Micah backed away holding his hands up for a moment. "Oh, you act so high and mighty… but you're no better than the rest of us. I ridden with you boys close on what… six months now? And all you ever did was complain."

"And all you've ever done is get us into trouble!" Sam shouted. He stood up. "'It's a chance we've gotta take'," he then mocked Micah's voice. "'It's a long time ago, Dutch.' Lenny was almost lynched because of you! Arthur was captured and tortured because of you! And now Sean's dead because of you!"

"And you ain't high and mighty yourself, you cold-blooded killer!" Micah shouted back.

"You would've killed all these men regardless!"

"Everyone just shut up!" Arthur then yelled. "We need to move before more come out here." Sam looked in his direction, but Arthur wouldn't meet his eyes. He ignored it and knelt back down to Sean, then grunted and rubbed his sore shoulder.

"I've got him, Morgan," Bill said, unusually quiet. Sam knelt down to help Sean over Bill's shoulder. Once Bill was on his feet they walked towards their horses.

"Arthur…?" Sam tried to speak.

"We should ride back to camp… separately," Arthur said, sternly.

"Ooh. I'm just so frightened by you Morgan…" Micah said, rolling his eyes.

Micah just rode off by himself, and so did Arthur, before Sam could get to Aurora. Sam sighed. He decided to help Bill with Sean.

They really screwed up today, didn't they?

Bill was the one who broke the news to everyone, once they made it back to camp. He spoke to Dutch first, and when people started coming up asking questions, the gang leader was forced to tell them.

"Sean?!" Karen almost screamed.

"What happened?!" said Tilly.

"They killed Sean?!" said Javier.

"Goddammit!" Lenny shouted.

Charles didn't say anything, but he did punch a nearby tree.

Miss Grimshaw's voice cut through the crowd. Slowly, but surely she got everyone to calm down enough to get back to work. Dutch was just glad that little Jack was away for the moment with Abigail and John, doing something. Still, it hurt. Dutch left his tent, deciding to go find Arthur and Sam.

It was safe to say that the Grays caught on as to what they were up to. It was still hard to say when it came to the Braithwaites, however.

Bill did take a bullet, but Lily had a look at it and his flesh was merely grazed. She cleaned it up, dressed it, and sent him on his way. He didn't show it, but Bill sure as hell felt bad about what happened, as if sloping off to his tent with a beer didn't send a clear message. He only had about one or two of them before heading out into the forest with Charles to help dig a grave for poor Sean.

Still, Arthur had yet to return to camp.

Micah, too.

And where was Sam?

Lily looked around the camp, but he wasn't there. At least where no one could see him. Aurora was grazing with other horses, but he wasn't with her.

Lily had another walk around the perimeter, her eyes looking through the water, until she went to the tiny inlet where Sam, Arthur and Kieran had gone fishing that one time. It was there that she found Sam sitting by the shore.

"Sam!" Lily quickly rushed to his side. She heard what had happened, but luckily, it seemed that Sam had taken care of himself. He washed the blood off his face, and earlier, Lily had found his duster, shirt and gloves hanging out to dry outside of their tent. So, for now, his hands were bare, the scar on his right arm was visible, as the sleeves on his new shirt were rolled up. "Are you okay?! We all heard about Sean."

"Yeah…" Sam said, his voice quiet and distant. It only worried the girl more. "They shot him in the head… while we were walking down the street. I… I'm okay…"

Lily knelt down. No wonder Sam was shaken up. He literally saw someone get shot down in front of him. Of course, he was mostly unconscious when Cliff was shot. "You don't sound okay."

"Lily, I…" He turned to her slowly. "Am I… a monster?"

"If you are, then that's what we need to scare the O'Driscolls."

Sam sighed, and put his head in his hands. "I used to not care about that… I wanted them to know that it was me who was hurting them. I want to be feared. I want to be strong, but…"

"Bill told me what you did back there."

"But did Arthur?"

"Huh?"

Sam lifted his head. He barely looked at Lily, with his gaze distant and staring at the water. "Did you see the way… He wouldn't even look at me…"

"Who?"

"Arthur…" said Sam. He covered his face again. "Sean's dead… and I couldn't control myself… I was… I'm a monster. What was I thinking? I really screwed up… for Sean and Arthur."

Lily growled. She placed her arms around her cousin. Sam was pulled to lean against her, but his arms remained as limp as he was numb inside. "Sean was your student. Your friend! What did Arthur expect you to do? Just walk away?"

"Just save it," Sam muttered. He sounded so defeated. "I was foolish to think I could make something with me and Arthur." He stood up. "I should go help bury Sean."

Lily grabbed his arm before he could walk away. "If one little spat is enough to split you up, then what were all of those looks, those nice gestures, and those times you saved each other's lives?"

"I… I don't know…?" Her cousin shrugged.

"Archie and I got in spats all the time," said Lily. "It's gonna happen." With that she walked up and hugged him. "It's gonna be okay. Death is a time where we should all be together. Now, go help bury your friend. I'll be there to help you in a minute."

Sam nodded and walked off to go meet with Bill and Charles on the other side of camp.

"Who goes there?" Lenny was out on patrol. Karen, Kieran and some of the others took up arms to provide extra security after today's incident..

"It's Arthur!"

Lily looked at the envelope Rose left her. She glared at him as he rode into camp.

Her secret mission would have to wait. Right now, she just wanted to be with her cousin.

Sean has been killed.

I'm more sad than I can admit. I loved that little loud mouthed wretch more than I knew - he was like an annoying little brother to me. What fun we had riding together - and now, he's dead. His head shot half off in an ambush. What a goddamn mess we're making of things.

Sean was dead. Yet Arthur couldn't stop reliving that night, when Sam and John dragged him out from that cellar.

All those bodies were on the ground. They were dead. They had no wounds, though.

"Th-They're dead…"

"Don't look at them. Just look ahead."

Sam had killed them… but he was trying to save him… right?

Arthur finished up writing, closed his journal and stared up at the sky. He came in the dead of the night, when mostly everyone was asleep. When he walked by Sam and Lily's tent, Lily was there, and she rushed to close the tent flaps before he could even check if Sam was in there.

She knew. And she was pissed.

It was a new day. Noon, actually. Still, things were quiet. Jack was still blissfully oblivious, playing with Cain, and everyone forced a smile, whenever he was around. When he asked about his "Uncle Sean" they had to use a story that they agreed on putting together.

It was so sudden. They were just walking down the street, and then…

He wasn't better than Sam. He saw red, and so did he.

Arthur really didn't have much more to write right now, but he didn't feel like being in camp. Hell, he'd hardly slept. So he was sat outside of the camp, near where he and Hosea had kept the stolen moonshine. There was a collapsed house made of stone, but it wasn't even standing anymore. Perhaps it was one of many places that got torn down during the Civil War. Either way, Arthur just needed the peace and quiet.

And then the quiet ended.

"Arthur!"

Lily stormed out from the woods with the wrath of hell burning in her eyes.

"You want that broken spine we talked about?!"

Arthur immediately stood up and backed up a bit as she approached. He took a moment to tuck away his journal.

"Whoa! What?"

"Don't 'what' me!" Lily snapped. She walked up and pointed at him like a mother scolding a child. "Sean's dead, and you're giving Sam the cold shoulder."

"No, I was actually going to talk to him," said Arthur.

"Really?"

"Yes!"

Still, the girl stayed where she was. It was a standoff with no guns, but Arthur would be dead right now if looks could kill. Lily sighed. She finally backed away from him and took a few deep breaths. "Okay…"

"Well, where is he?" said Arthur.

"Tending to the grave," said Lily. "A few people have come and gone. I was about to go there, myself."

Arthur shrugged. "Okay. Show me."

Arthur followed behind Lily. They went back into the trees that would lead to Clemen's Point, but Lily quickly walked off the trail. Still, Arthur followed her. It wasn't long before they were near the water. The cliffs were low enough to be close to the shore of Flat Iron Lake, and there, just off the beach, under some trees was the grave. It was a simple cross with Sean's name marked on the horizontal plank. Rocks were arranged where he was buried. Sam, Dutch, and Hosea were standing near it.

"I… I inspected the wound on his head," Sam said, meekly. "Judging from the wound, he died instantly. He didn't suffer."

It was a cold comfort, but Arthur was kind of relieved to hear that, at least. He could tell the others were too. Lily covered her mouth.

"He was a good kid…" said Hosea. "I kicked his arse back to work all the time, because I knew he could do better."

Dutch turned to Sam. "You was teaching him to read, weren't you?"

"Lenny helped," Sam spoke, softly. "He was a pain in the ass for a student, but he tried."

Dutch sighed and patted his son's shoulder. "I know you did, too."

"All this… and we've still got nothing…" said Hosea.

"No," said Dutch. "For Sean's sake, we've got to find something." They grew silent as soon as they heard Arthur and Lily approach. "Arthur, there you are."

"Where have you been?" said Hosea. "You worried us sick."

"Just… needed to think, is all," said Arthur. He sighed and rubbed his sore shoulder. "Stop fussing."

"We are gonna worry, Arthur," said Dutch. "We thought someone snatched you up again."

"Well, I'm here," said Arthur. He stared down at Sean's grave. "I'm gonna miss him."

Dutch nodded. "We all are, son. We all are."

Lily stepped between Hosea and Dutch. Sam hadn't said much, but Arthur was standing next to him. The girl rolled her eyes, and elbowed Hosea and Dutch. They immediately got the message.

"Come on, Old Girl. Let's spruce up this resting place for Sean."

Hosea nodded. "I'd like that, Dutch…" he said, softly.

Lily walked off with the men. He looked at Arthur, pointing two fingers at her eyes and then at the outlaw once again, before turning away.

Sam just kept staring at the grave. He took a step towards it. It was like Arthur wasn't even there.

"I got the shooter…" he said, softly. He knelt down. "I can only hope you find peace." Sam could only bow his head. He sniffled and wiped his eyes. This was Sam: Kind, introspective, brave…

And then there was the one who raised hell in the streets, covered in blood, nothing but rage in those cold but beautiful eyes.

Sam felt remorse. He wasn't like Micah. Hell, the damn loudmouth hadn't even been to see Sean's grave even once.

Arthur swallowed and cleared his throat.

"Sam." Saying his name alone, got the younger man's attention. He turned to him, immediately, ready to listen. The young man looked at his face, and Arthur did the same. They had something in common this afternoon: They both hadn't slept last night.

Sam stood up slowly, like he was trying to avoid the wrath of a grizzly bear. "I… I'm…"

"Will you ride with me, Sam?" Arthur then asked. He was scared to step forward, worried Sam would run like a spooked deer, if he did.

The raven haired man nodded. "Of course."

Sam told Lily that they were leaving. Soon, they were on their horses, promising not to go far, which they didn't. With Rhodes shot to hell, it was best to stay away from there, for now. So, Sam and Arthur left the camp and went towards a place up north, but not too close to the border of Lemoyne. It was a secluded pond that connected to a thin little river called Ringneck Creek. The place was surrounded by trees and foliage, so they would be well hidden.

The pair rode there in relative silence. Even when they got off the horses and set up a small camp to relax, they were still quiet. Sam had no idea why they came all the way out here, or how long they were staying. Despite what happened, he still trusted him.

Arthur started a fire and they set up some chairs, facing the small pond. A few fish flew up from the water at times, catching bugs for food. Sam wandered off to go find some kindling and came back with a good stack of branches. When he came back Arthur was still sitting by the fire, finishing up a cigarette.

And then, finally Arthur took a deep sigh and explained himself.

"It was about you," he answered.

Sam stopped in his tracks. "What?"

"Those dreams about Colm kinda… went away after the fever did…" said Arthur. "What I dreamt was about you… The way you… killed them."

"The poison?" said Sam. He grimaced and stepped closer, but was scared to do so.

"You poisoned them?!" said Arthur.

Sam flinched, his body tensing and straightening up immediately. To be fair, he never told John to keep his mouth shut about it. He swallowed hard.

"They was gonna hand you to the law…" he spoke, quietly. "When I saw…" The young man struggled to get in a proper breath. "When I saw that birdshot near Horseshoe and that… man who did it. I thought you'd be dead before I got to you!" Without hesitation he dropped the kindling at his feet. "All I could see at that moment was my uncle… his face after he was shot down, and he… he…" Sam trembled. He formed fists, but his form continued to shake. "It was just me and John, if they saw us, they could've…"

Arthur nodded. He suddenly felt terrible for even thinking of seeing Sam in the same light as Micah. "I know. Just… in the dream… you were standing over the bodies… and you were enjoying it."

Sam held his teeth tight. "He… He didn't deserve to go out like that… Sean… I know you keep calling me young and a kid, but Sean was actually still just a goddamn boy! My uncle was a goddamn doctor! He was helping people! So was my aunt! My momma wasn't perfect, but I loved her! I hate it! I'm sick of losing people!" His voice started to crack and quiver. "And I couldn't stand the thought of losing you, as well!"

"Sam-"

"And when Sean was just dead, I… I just froze… It was all so fast and then I was just so angry…" He wiped his eyes. "I…" The young man reached out his trembling hand. "I took… no pleasure in what I did." Sam's voice was shaking, going quiet, creaking like old floorboards. "I… I thought I wouldn't care… but I do."

Arthur nodded and stood onto his feet. "Okay… I'm sorry."

Sam shook his head and when he was done, he stared at the ground, while Arthur walked up to him. "Why are you apologizing?" Sam asked. "I'm the one who beat Archibald… shot all those men like an animal. I know what we do, but it's not like that… ain't it?"

The outlaw sighed. He placed his hand under his chin, and tilted his head up to look at him. He envied how Sam was already crying. It was easier for him to express his emotions.

"No, it ain't. I just don't want Micah to turn you into a monster."

"Then hit me!" said Sam.

"What?"

"If I ever… If I stop being myself, hit me! Hard! Like, 'wake the hell up and come back to your senses' hard! I thought I wouldn't care what happened after we found our uncle's killer, but… I want to live afterwards! I do! You saved me, you've saved others in our gang." He sniffled, stepped forward and just hid his face in Arthur's shoulder. "So… save me and Lily from becoming monsters," he pleaded.

Arthur just gulped. He couldn't save Sean… but he saved Bill. He lifted his arms and placed them around Sam.

"I promise."

Sam nodded, but felt Arthur trembling. There was a sniffle.

"I'm gonna miss that bastard," Arthur muttered.

"Me too."

Sam just felt him tremble even more. He hugged him, as well, and patted his back.

"It's okay…" the young man said, gently. "We're alone. It's just you and me."

Suddenly, Arthur just pulled away. He nodded, though, and walked over to the nearest tree. And then he hit it! Hard! It was hard enough that a chunk of bark came off of the trunk. He pulled away after that, his knuckles red with blood that bled dully. Sam walked up to him with caution, and got him to face in his direction. He was tired, as Sam saw the water that ran down from his eyes, he had seen for the first time since he met Arthur…

He was crying.

Sam said nothing and just pulled Arthur into his arms once more.

"Stupid kid never up… didn't mean for him to stop… like this…" said Arthur. The last time Sam heard his voice break like a pillar under too much pressure was when he told him about Issac. "I'm gonna miss him…"

"Me too," Sam said again.

They stayed like that for a while, until Arthur had calmed down enough. Sam shed a few more tears himself.

When they pulled away, Sam looked and saw his shirt was a bit soaked.

"Sorry…" Arthur mumbled.

"It's fine," said Sam. "You wanna go back?"

"Don't feel like it…"

To be honest, Sam didn't want to, either. Both of them were exhausted, and if they ran into trouble out there , they wouldn't be fit to deal with it.

Sam had Arthur sit at their campfire while he got the tent set up. It was getting dark and both of them were too tired to do much of anything. Before that, however, he reached into his satchel and wiped Arthur's bloody knuckles, before bandaging them up. They didn't speak much while Sam stood up to go set up the tent, but once he was done, Arthur felt too sluggish to stand. With Sam's help he did. Together they made their way to the tent.

A tarp was on the floor to prevent them from touching the dirt and the bedrolls were rolled out. Arthur took off his gun belt and sank down quickly to lay flat on his back. Sam followed him into the tent and laid down, as well. Then they kicked off their boots.

Sam heard Arthur sniffle again. So he rolled on his side and grabbed his arm. It was lucky that he was on the side with his good arm, but that mattered little. Arthur ended up lifting it so Sam could cuddle up on his chest like usually did when they laid together, and held Sam securely.

It wasn't long before Arthur's eyes slid shut. His breathing slowed and evened out. Sam looked up from his spot and saw that Arthur was asleep. He laid back down and closed his eyes, as well. His hand moved to rest on Arthur's sore shoulder just before he joined him in sleep.

Arthur was a bit shocked when he woke up and didn't find Sam the next morning. It was super early, but he could just make out the sun starting to rise, judging from the color of the sky. He was able to see it through the crack of light at the tent doors. The outlaw stepped out and was both relieved and surprised.

Sam was outside, but he had fallen asleep again, it seemed. He was covered in dirt, especially on his hands and parts of his face, but there was coffee ready by the fire and the smell of meat was in the air. Sam was sitting on the ground practically slumped over one of the fold out chairs they had as a pillow.

Sam was still trying to take care of him, despite everything. He still didn't feel like he deserved this kind of treatment, but… it was nice. He had to repay Sam's kindness, somehow.

Arthur walked over his side, knelt down and shook his shoulder. He chuckled at the soft mumbling Sam made. Once his eyes were open, Sam flailed a little before seeing Arthur.

"Oh… hi…" Sam muttered, rubbing one of his eyes. Then he reached and picked up the tin near the fire. "Coffee? I made breakfast."

Arthur took the tin mug Sam poured it into and took a sip. "Yeah… sure. What are you doing up?"

"I woke up and decided to hunt something, but…" Sam covered his mouth and yawned. "These foxes showed up and tried to take the rabbit meat I hunted, so… it got a bit messy…"

Arthur looked over at the cooked meat bits. They were on sticks over the fire and looked just about ready. He took one of them and had a taste.

"Tastes fine to me…" Arthur said, a small smile on his lips.

"Really?" Sam perked up, eyes still half-lidded from sleep. He looked so peaceful despite the hectic morning he seemed to have had. "It wasn't too hard. Just…"

Sam was silenced when Arthur cupped his cheek again. He smiled and just closed his eyes, letting Arthur lean in to kiss him once again.

When he pulled away, he grabbed the other meat stick and gave it to Sam. Then he gave Sam his coffee mug, stood and pulled Sam to his feet by his shoulders.

"Come on," said Arthur. Sam was too hungry and sleepy to notice Arthur was smirking. "Let's go… get you cleaned up."

Sam took a bite of his food and nodded. "Okay."

Arthur rolled his eyes as they made their way to the lake. The boy had no idea what he was in for…

Besides, Sean wouldn't want them to waste time being sad about him, right?

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