The Blue Mountain Affair

Goodbye

 Goodbye

Joe didn’t get a chance to talk to Peter on his own, to let him know his thoughts on what he found not half an hour’s ride from the Marsden’s place. It worried him to no end that Gregory might be close to them, and these people that have welcomed them into their home. It had to be Gregory, he remembered him taking that pipe and tobacco from Sargent Hutchens coat, after slitting his throat. It looked as though it was broken, and there had obviously been a scuffle around the fire. He wasn’t sure if Shawn saw the marks in the dirt, but he did, and they were not old.

Joe was able to function on a relatively small amount of sleep, and it was because the few hours he was asleep, he slept hard. This was mostly due to needing to get all the rest he could with the small time they were allowed to, when he was in chains. It had been a long time since he had woken up entwined with Lane that morning, the rest of the day had seemed to stretch on and on, and yet, sleep still eluded him. Some times, over the five days, he still couldn’t believe he had no chains holding him to a tree, or wagon wheel, or even to a steel bar of some cell, and that he was actually able to be alone. There were some moments that he felt a bit panicked, almost like Lane had been, especially, when he would turn and didn’t see Peter right beside him anymore.

This thought made him look over at his brother who actually had not moved much in the last hour or so, and he should probably check on him. Rolling, onto his side  a fraction, to reach over and touch his brothers head he first came in contact with a soaking wet collar and neck. He felt his way up his brother’s face not being able to see much in the dark, with only the moon light shining through the curtains over the window by the door. And his fears were confirmed when Peters cheeks and forehead were damp also, with heat radiating off them like a cook fire. Sitting up, he felt around for the candle he blew out a few hours ago, and re lit the wick. He didn’t notice before, but Peter was actually shaking, he regretted being so caught up in his own thoughts to miss this. This was twice in one day that he had let his mind wonder, first it got him a rifle in his back, and now his brother was suffering unattended. There was only one person in this house he felt comfortable waking at this hour of the night to help, Peter. So he got up, pulled his shirt over his head, and quietly started to head for Shawn's room.

Joe opened the door to Shawn's room and slipped quietly threw it, grateful that the door didn’t make any noises. He could see Lane's silhouette in the bed, and from nowhere he felt a moment of comfort wash over him, knowing she was in his sight again. He stood over her for a minute, enjoying the peaceful look on her face. She really did look so young and especially now, in her sleep. Then remembering why he was there, and berating himself again for becoming distracted, he leaned in closer to her sleeping  form.

“Lane.” He whispered, probably a little too quietly for even the dead to hear. So he sat on the edge of the bed and shook her shoulder. “Lanie honey wake up.” She groaned in her sleep, and then slowly opened her eyes, blinking, and then frowning.

“Joe, what are you doing in here?” She didn’t sound angry just confused, which was a relief. Joe couldn’t stop looking at her, and he didn’t know if this tightening in his chest was from seeing Lane laying here soft and vulnerable, or the fact that only after these few days he was attached enough to her that he was going to be sad, when the time came to leave her. Shaking his head to get back to the reason he was here again, he simply said.

“It’s Peter.” That was enough to have her sitting bolt up right, and shuffling him off the bed.

“What’s wrong with him?” He watched as she untwisted the extremely large night dress Penny leant her then followed her out of the room.

Shawn was awake now too and crouching down over Peter. He turned at the noise Lane was making stumbling over her dress, and frowned when he saw that Joe was following her out of his room in the middle of the night, and as much as it would have been fun to play with Shawn's mind, it wouldn’t do Lane any favours, for people to think they were spending time alone in a room together. But Lane put things to right before he could anyway.