To all of you who have passed through and read this so far, I do hope you're enjoying it!

ARTHUR'S POV

It had been non stop since he'd returned to camp. Dutch and Hosea were running around and playing both of the families in Rhodes. Arthur couldn't help but think this was going to end up badly. When Micah had suggested that they rob them both, he wanted to choke the man. They had prices on their heads in three states, and here they were. Even though Dutch thought they were keeping their heads down, Arthur knew they were attracting attention. Men suddenly showing up, acting all helpful. Too fucking helpful. There were going to be problems with that. During all of the shit that had been going on, Arthur found himself thinking about that woman, Nora. They had only been around each other for a few days, but she had taken him by complete surprise. The last woman to do that had been Mary. He ignored the tightening of his chest at the thought of his old flame. Nora had warned him to stay away from the Downes Ranch, and he had listened. Strauss hadn't been happy about it, but Arthur wasn't about to throw his life down the damn drain for that shit.

Glancing over the lake, he leaned back against the tree for a long moment. It had been at least a week since he had parted from that woman. Fuck, why was he thinking about her again. He and Sean had just burned the Gray family's tobacco fields to shit, and he was daydreaming. Grunting, he lit a cigarette and stared out over the water. He hadn't had a chance to sit down and relax for a moment. The chance to do so was few and far between. He took what he could get.

"You doin ok?"

"Huh?" Arthur asked, glancing up in surprise.

Sadie chuckled and came to sit down next to him. She had been on one hell of a journey since joining them. He felt bad for her, but she had once told him not to, and to fuck off.

"I said, are you ok?" she demanded, and he tisked at her.

"I'm fine," he drawled. "Just thinkin."

"You've been awfully quiet for the most part this last week," she observed and he grunted again. "So what is it?"

"It's nothin," he rumbled, waving his hand.

"Right," she answered, not giving in. "Tell me."

"You…"

"Shut up and just tell me already," she laughed, elbowing him.

"Fine," Arthur chuckled, and glanced over the water. "I met a woman in Valentine. She...I don't know, she surprised me. I ran into her again, and saved her from a few O'Driscoll's, and then traveled with her. Brought her into the Heartlands, and then parted ways. There...I don't know, there was something about her."

"Oh no, you have a crush," Sadie hissed, and he laughed at her.

"Maybe," he joked. "You'd like her."

"I don't like anyone," she snorted, and he laughed again.

"Naw, that's not true," he disagreed.

"Fine, but don't tell anyone," Sadie grumbled, lifting her leg. "So, what was her name?"

"Nora," he rumbled. "We talked a lot. I told her things...things I never thought anyone would coax out of me. She didn't even ask...we just...talked…"

"I know the feeling," she sighed softly. "My husband, when I first met him...we talked about all sorts of things. Oh god...not suggesting that...so sorry."

Arthur chuckled softly. "No, that's all right," he replied. "It's just...well...you know how we been going."

"I know," she murmured.

She knew he didn't agree with the way things were going in the camp. Dutch was leaning more and more toward revenge. Killing for the sake of killing, and even though their leader denied it, Arthur wasn't stupid.

"Maybe you'll run into her again," Sadie smiled.

"Maybe," he grunted. "But being caught up in this life…"

"I know," she sighed, cutting through an apple she had in her hands. "But when you ever going to find it, you know?"

"Yeah," he rumbled, and then shooed her off. "Get out of here, you're making me talk like a woman."

"Oh, you're definitely not a woman," Sadie grinned, almost howling with laughter.

"Get outta here," he laughed, shoving her away.

The laughter faded as she walked off, and he sighed softly to himself. He wasn't going to lie, that talk did help lighten his shoulders. He didn't feel as burdened anymore. For the moment. Getting to his feet, he went over to Pearson's wagon and grabbed an apple from the box. He cut it up as he ate it, and walked over to Micah who was sitting at the front of Dutch's tent. It was no secret that he hated the man.

"Micah," he greeted.

"Blessed are the peacemakers for they shall be called…"

Arthur grunted at him, and then turned around to Molly who was walking out. She threw her hands up when he asked where Dutch was, and then back at the other man in irritation.

"Well, however it goes," Micah finished, and Arthur grunted.

"I'm not sure that line of thought serves you and me very well," Arthur snorted, glancing at him.

"Well that's because cowpoke, you are a man of profoundly limited intelligence," Micah answered, and Arthur wanted to slit his throat.

"No doubt," he answered, sarcasm in his drawl.

"While you, the old man and Dutch have been running around...digging us ever deeper into shit," Micah hissed. "Old Pearson might have gone and lightened the load a little. Pearson! Ain't ya curious?"

"I guess," Arthur rumbled slowly, as Pearson walked over.

"Gentlemen!" Dutch called, walking hurriedly over.

"Dutch," Micah greeted, and then glanced at Pearson. "Tell him, fat man."

"It's peace, Dutch," the man answered. "The O'Driscoll's. I mean, I think there is a way."

Arthur listened in silence as Pearson told them about the conversation he had with a few of the rival gang. Colm agreeing to a fucking truce? He highly doubted that, and when Hosea spoke up, he agreed instantly.

"You always say do what needs to be done. Don't start wars that ain't worth fighting," Micah urged. "I mean, what have we got to lose?"

"We get shot," Arthur said flatly, and Dutch pointed in agreement.

"Well, that's why you'll be protecting us! If it's a trap, you shoot the lot of them and we get the hell outta there," Micah insisted. "But if there's a slim chance it ain't a trap…"

"I don't see the point in any of this," Dutch grunted, walking past them.

"But it's a chance we gotta take," Micah pleaded as Dutch went over to Hosea.

Arthur grunted in irritation. There was no way this wasn't a trap. It was likely that Colm would draw them in, shoot them and be gone. The man would never want peace, so what the hell did he really want? As Dutch told Micah why the gangs were fighting, Micah pleaded again. It had been a long time ago. Well, lots of things had been a long time ago. People never just forgot. He glanced at Dutch suddenly as the man nodded.

"Let's go. Just you and me. With Arthur protecting us, no one else," Dutch nodded, and Arthur almost scoffed at him.

"Ughh….fine," he groaned, throwing his arm out in anger.

The ride was quick and easy, only about an hour out of their time. He tried hard to ignore the conversation that they'd all had on the way up there. Micah had been so full of shit, but Dutch just took it all in. Why couldn't he see that?! He found somewhere high to set up with his rifle, and their faith in this meeting couldn't have been more wrong. Except for it wasn't them he needed to worry about. It had been himself.