Partner (Micah Bell)

21. Figuring it out

The two outlaws rode back into camp and acted the way they usually would. Micah went to sit at the fire while Ashley went to give the cash that she collected to Dutch. She walked up to Dutch, who was sitting just outside of his tent. "Hey, Dutch. I got your debt" Ashley smiled, waving the cash at him as she approached.

"Thank you, Ashley" Dutch smiled as he took the cash from her and thumbed through it, but Ashley couldn't help but notice the flatness to his voice.

"Are you alright, Dutch?" she asked as she sat down beside him.

"I'm fine, but thank you for the concern" Dutch smiled at her, no real emotion behind the smile though.

"Come on, I know that something is bothering you" Ashley sighed but he didn't respond. "I know things are getting difficult, I can't imagine the kind of stress and pressure that you are feeling. We are living in a world that isn't made for us anymore, the times are changing and we have to accept that. But for now, Dutch, we are still free and we are still here. Everyone in this camp will follow you, no matter how hard it gets...and maybe, one day, the gang won't exist anymore. Maybe we all go our separate ways, but is that really such a bad thing? We will still remember this place, each other, and you. We might just have to change with the times...but no matter what, we are a family" she assured him.

"What are you going to do if this all falls apart?" Dutch asked, looking around the camp with a fond smile.

"...I really don't know. I don't know how to do anything other than this. This is my family...but I will figure it out, we all will" Ashley smiled, placing her hand on his in a comforting manner.

"Enough of this sad talk, we are still thriving" Dutch smiled, giving her hand a quick squeeze. "I have to ask...Micah seemed to be in a better mood, he isn't sulking around his tent and I saw that you took him with you to collect my cash. What was wrong with him anyway?" he asked, glancing over at the blonde man who was sitting at the fire.

"We had a bit of an argument, he was being a child about it...but we got over it and are working together again" she explained, leaving out some details of course.

"That's great. I'm glad that you two are working together. Micah has been causing less trouble around camp since he started working with you" he chuckled.

"Yeah, I might've told him that if he causes any trouble around camp I wouldn't work with him" she laughed. "Now, I'm going to go because Molly is trying to kill me with her glare. I suggest that you go and talk to her" Ashley smiled, patting Dutch's knee as she stood up. Dutch just glanced over at Molly who was indeed glaring at Ashley.

Ashley sent Molly an energetic friendly wave, before laughing to herself and walking over to the fire.

"Are you annoying Miss O'shea?" Micah asked as Ashley sat down beside him.

"Not on purpose" Ashley defended herself, making herself comfortable on the uncomfortable log that she was sitting on.

"Yeah, she's a jealous one. I bet she bitches at Dutch just for talking to you now" he laughed to himself, glancing over just in time to see Molly ushering Dutch into his tent.

"Yeah, she is 'a jealous one'" she teased him, smirking at him playfully. 

"Shut your mouth" Micah warned, his voice lowering dangerously but Ashley just laughed to herself at his embarrassment.

"But seriously, don't be so hard on Molly. Always moving around and Dutch being so stressed must be difficult for her too" Ashley defended, she wouldn't say that her and Molly are friends but she had nothing against the woman.

"Wait, are you talking to each other again?" Lenny asked as he sat down around the fire.

"Yeah, Micah got over it, he apologised and we are all good again" Ashley smiled but it was obvious that Lenny wasn't believing it.

"I didn't apologise for anything" Micah muttered, rolling his eyes.

"Yeah...no one would've believed it anyway" she sighed before chuckling to herself.

"Yeah, I didn't believe that Micah would apologise to anyone" Lenny laughed along, Micah just grumbled about something before standing up and walked away.

"Give him a break, Lenny. He ain't that bad" Ashley defended Micah once the blonde man was far enough away to not be able to hear them. 

"Really, you're defending Micah?" Lenny asked, a little shocked.

"You've seen him recently. He is trying to be a little less...Micah. It's just going to take some time" she sighed, she had noticed that he had been trying to cause less trouble around camp and she really appreciated that he was trying. Ashley didn't exactly want Micah to change, she wanted him to still be Micah, but she just wanted him to be a little nicer to people in camp. He can cause as much trouble outside of the camp as he likes, as long as he doesn't antagonise the people that Ashley cares about.

"Actually, I have noticed that" he nodded, thinking back to the times were he noticed Micah biting his tongue and keeping any comments to himself.

"Well, you can thank me later" Ashley winked playfully as she stood up and walked away, and Lenny just laughed to himself.

Ashley walked towards her tent, smiling to herself when Micah winked at her as he walked past her. Maybe they didn't quite know where they stood with each other, they weren't completely sure what they were to each other, but both of them had decided to not think too much about it. Whatever it was, it was a secret from the rest of the gang, and they could only wait to see where it goes.