Freak

11.

***

There was something wrong with Blue, something bothering her, but Arthur couldn't figure out what it was and she denied it when he asked her. She wasn't sad or angry, nor was she sick, she just acted different. He 'd caught her looking at his and the others weapons more than once but when he offered to show it to her she acted like she had absolutely no interest in it. She'd also taken to talking and smiling at Bill whenever he was around, which was weird since the man never really payed her much attention.

Arthur thought maybe she was curious about the weapons or maybe, maybe, she was scared. He didn't know if she'd ever seen anyone getting shot before she came to live with the gang but during her time with them he'd done everything in his power to keep it all well away from her.

The worst thing about how she was acting was the fact that she'd ask him when he would be gone, if he was going hunting or had any plans to be gone for longer periods of time. Was she just making sure to be aware of when she could spend time with him or was she trying to get rid of him? Arthur simply couldn't figure it out and no one else seemed to be able to shed any light on the situation.

It'd been going on for about three and a half weeks now and he didn't like it, it needed to end, so he came up with the only logical solution. He was going to have to trick her into telling him, it sounded silly but he was desperate enough to go for it.

He was going to tell her he was going away for a day or two and then when she though he was gone he would come back. That way he should be able to catch her doing whatever it was that she was doing without telling him.

Arthur chuckled to himself as he laid on his cot in the middle of the night, plotting on how to trick a little girl... pathetic... well what was one to do when a child, their own child, was refusing to admit something was going on?

***

Today was the day! The day when Bill said he was gonna let her have a try at shooting. Arthur had left camp early in the morning and wasn't coming back for at least two days. As soon as Arthur told her, she sneaked of to tell Bill the good news.

Blue knew that Arthur was suspecting something and she felt awful for keeping it from him but what was one to do when a parent, their own parent, was better off not knowing?

They left after she'd had dinner, only Kieran seeing them leave, and made their way back to the old tree where Bill had shot the bottles. They had been back a few times since then and every time Blue made sure to drop some hints that she wanted to try soon, and today was the day when that was to happen.

"You sure about this kid?" Bill questioned for the hundredth time. She gave him a confirming nod, too nervous to form words.

"Okay... well I ain't gonna let you do it on your own, the gun could hit you in the face if you ain't strong enough, which I doubt you are..." he only mumbled the last few words but Blue paid no mind, only focusing on her racing heart.

Bill crouched down, one knee on the ground, and motioned for her to stand I front of him. Once she stood with her back towards him he looped his arms around her so that he could hold the gun with her.

"Now you hold it like I showed you and tell me when you're ready." She took a few breaths and tried to comfortably fit her small hands around the handle

"I'm ready"

***

Arthur couldn't believe what he was seeing! Bill Williamson was crouching in the middle of a field, arms around Blue, pointing towards the woods. What the hell was he doing taking Blue out of camp without asking?! And what were they doing?!