We could have a life, us two..

Unexpected death

"I can't Nell, sorry.." He secured her tight between his arms meanwhile he held the reins tigtly. As much as he hated what happened to Toby and he was in shock too he couldn't let have her the same fate.

"I can't leave him like this, he doesn't deserve that" speaking in difficulty as she closed her eyes tears falling from her eyes.

"I know Nell" going as fast as the horse could, trying to let the man lose of his track behind them he made sure he held Eleanor tightly.

"Stop!" the officers behind them yelled when there were a few shots been fired again, luckily it did hit the trees. "Hold on tight pet" he indicated her, she looked up when she heard him say that she saw a lake in the distance and realized what he was going to do she immediately grabbed his hands on the rains and held them tightly and before the edge he jumped over the lake as high as the horse could, Eleanor opened her eyes not knowing she had closed in fear until then, they both exhaled a breath of relief when they managed to get over the lake.

"Good boy" Sweeney patted the horse's back as he was riding at a fast speed, he looked behind him and saw that one of the officers had fallen into the lake and the other stopped to help him. "They couldn't cross the lake" he informed Eleanor who was still crying.

Hours passed on the horse's back, now that they were much further Sweeney was riding the horse a little slower than before to let the animal rest a bit too. Nellie was still crying in grief, he could tell by the way her shoulders was shaking. He took a deep breath "I'm sorry, I'm really sorry Nell.." he wanted to comfort her, he wanted to share her pain, support her but he didn't know how he would do that.

"He was my son.." her voice was broken in immense grief and sorrow. Eleanor had never felt this way before, not when Albert died, not when her mother died whom she had a difficult relationship with although her loss hurt too, she remembered that she had pain and cried a lot when her father died but this was completely different.

Toby was just a child, a child who hadn't had a chance to be happy in his life. He didn't deserve such a horrible death. She still saw the sight of him before her eyes every time she closed them she saw the blood rushing from his head. He didn't deserve this.. she was in shock she couldn't believe it it was such an unexpected death.

"You should have left me with him" she felt guilty, guilty that it was him and not her, she felt like it was her fault after all they had taken him on the run with them, guilty that she had just left him there in the middle of the road he didn't even have a burial place, at least he deserved to be buried.

He couldn't leave her behind, especially now that he was trying to figure out how he felt about her. He embraced her more closely even though he couldn't express his feelings, he tried to be with her and support her with his actions. "I couldn't and can't Nell.." he breathed out feeling thankfull that it wasn't her, he felt bad, awful and guilty for the boy especially since he'd developed some sort of bond with him lately but he couldn't let anything happen to her.

It started to get dark he wanted Eleanor and the horse to rest beceause they had yet a long way to go, he saw a very big oak tree to hide under, stopping near the tree he jumped from the horse and looked at Eleanor her eyes were red from crying.

"Come take a rest" placing his hands on her waist he took her of the horse and put her down by the tree, Sweeney then tied the horse to a tree so that he wouldn't go away, as soon as the horse was tied up he took the bags off the horse give the animal some bread and sat down beside Eleanor.

"Are you cold?" he asked her but took off his coat without waiting for her to answer and put it on her shoulders embracing her with his arm over her shoulder he pulled her closer to his chest to give her some comfort. This could have been the most romantic setting, together under an oak tree, with his coat over her shoulders ambraced with his warmth under his arm, but unfortunately it was filled with tears and sobs.