"Get them bags packed up quick, Miss Grimshaw," Grace heard Micah order the woman as Arthur and Grace both arrived back at Beaver Hollow. "Come on, all of you," he waved his hands in the air.
"Well, we're doing our best!" Susan argued. Susan looked up from one of the sacks she was packing towards Grace and Arthur. She froze, knowing that it was time. She kept quiet, continuing to pack.
"Hurry, we ain't got long. Hurry," Micah demanded as he continued to walk across the camp.
"We just got plenty of time, Micah," Arthur announced their arrival. Micah spun around, seeing the two of them. "We all need to have a little chat."
"Great, you're back. Hooray," Micah cheered sarcastically at the sight of the two of them. Grace and Arthur walked into camp the rest of the way, leaving their horses.
"Dutch, you will want to hear this," Grace called out, keeping her eyes on Micah. Micah immediately laughed, knowing that she was going to tell Dutch. Susan walked away from the sack she was packing, watching from the side. Dutch began to emerge from the tent.
"I just saw Agent Milton, Dutch," Arthur explained to him. "Abigail shot him," Grace looked over at Susan who had a relieved look to hear Abigail was okay. "She's okay... not that you care too much about that," Arthur continued as him and Grace continued to move into the camp. Arthur's head turned towards Micah and his friends. "You rats... all of you. Seems old Micah was pretty close with Milton."
"What the hell are you talking about, cowpoke?" Micah grumbled, taking a step forward. Dutch continued to stand there, gobsmacked.
"You talked," Arthur stated as he stared Micah down.
"That's a goddamn lie," Micah lied, looking over at Dutch as he continued to take steps closer to him and Grace, Joe and Cleet keeping close behind Micah whereas Bill hung back.
"You want to know where I've been, Dutch?" Grace asked the man, looking at him before pointing at Micah. "This asshole chained me up in Catfish Jackson. You want to know why?" She continued, taking a few steps closer to Micah, her eyes locking onto his. "I caught him ratting to Milton and Ross in Doyle's Tavern. Micah said if they get him the Blackwater money he'll tell them everything, on top of that he'd get the cash for your head," Grace hissed.
"She weren't shot by an O'Driscoll," Arthur jumped in as Micah opened his mouth to speak again. His jaw clamped shut tightly as he stared at the both of them. "He shot her, he shot her because she saw him," Arthur explained, looking at Dutch. Dutch looked shocked and confused, looking back and forth at the divide in his camp. "Bet he was harassing you about where the Blackwater money was hidden, Dutch?"
"I...I," Dutch began, looking at them and Micah. The leader looked shocked, he had been fooled by Micah.
"Dutch," Grace began, trying to get him to see eye to eye with her and Arthur.
"Dutch," Micah jumped in. "Think of the future," Micah tried to convince Dutch once more.
"Milton told me," Arthur reminded.
"I saw it all for myself, Dutch," Grace also reminded.
"And you believe him, Arthur? You believe him?" Micah continued, trying to now work his persuasion skills on Arthur. "And you believe her? She's a fool, she would do anything to get things to go her way."
"Excuse me?" Grace hissed in disgust. "This is something one can not make up. I would never say this to hurt you, Dutch. I would say it to be honest and loyal," Grace pushed on Micah, her fists clenching by her sides. She looked over at Dutch. "It all should make sense to you, how he has been slithering all around you."
"No..." Micah shook his head at her. "It damn well won't," he finished before reaching for his pistols. Grace and Arthur immediately drew their revolvers as Micah duel wielded his guns, one at her and one at Arthur. Grace spotted in the corner of her eye Susan backing away to reach her shotgun.
"Dutch, think!" Arthur demanded Dutch.
"Dutch, be practical now," Micah hissed, staring down his guns at his victims. Dutch stayed quiet as he thought to himself before a voice boomed across the camp.
"Dutch!" John shouted from the otherside of camp, stumbling into the camp. Grace's jaw dropped in shock, she couldn't believe he was alive. Dutch and Micah lied, they left John behind.
"John?" Bill questioned in astonishment. He had also been fooled by Dutch and Micah's lie.
"You left me... you left me to die!" John shouted, holding his shoulder in pain. John's eyes landed on Grace, she could see a relaxed look flood him knowing that Abigail had gotten her out. Dutch stepped off of the floorboards of his tent, walking over to John slowly as he saw the betrayal in John's eyes.
"My boy..." Dutch trailed off in shock, overwhelmed that John managed to get back to Beaver Hollow. "I didn't have a choice, John, I didn't," Dutch argued.
"You..."
"I didn't have a choice," Dutch restated.
"Left me!" John shouted at him. His voice was pained with heartbreak that Dutch betrayed him and left him for dead.
"You pick your side now, because this is all over. All them years, Dutch, for this snake?" Arthur questioned Dutch, pointing at Micah with his revolver.
"Dutch, you saw I was shot," Grace reminded him. Dutch continued to look at them all in disbelief so she laughed. "Do I really have to show you how it went?" Grace asked him as she laughed. Without looking at Micah, her eyes stuck to Dutch as she aimed down at Micah's calf and pulled the trigger. The man groaned in pain, his revolvers shooting at the ground as his hands immediately reached down for his gunshot wound. Cleet and Joe immediately jumped forward, aiming their guns.
"Don't!" Micah growled at them between loud breaths. The two of them stopped, keeping their guns aimed on her however. Grace watched his blood pool out of his gunshot wound before he placed a hand on it, keeping pressure on the wound.
"Micah..." Dutch trailed off, his head turning to the pain stricken man. "Is this true?" He asked him, shaking his head in disappointment.
"Of... of course not, Dutch!" Micah denied. "They're both as crazy as each other, like we've discussed," he tried to sidle up to Dutch once more. "She's a goddamn bitch and John's the rat, we both know it!"
"I ain't a rat!" John rejected Micah's accusation, now drawing his revolver also, stepping beside Grace.
"If John was the rat, why would he get the Pinkertons to take Abigail?" Arthur spat at Micah. John immediately looked at Arthur and Grace in worry, before he could say anything Arthur jumped in. "She's fine, so is Jack," Arthur informed, his voice lower then before. John looked relieved, turning his attention back to Micah and his rat friends.
"Oh, be quiet, cowpoke.... be quiet. You live in the clouds," Micah groaned through gritted teeth, looking up at Arthur.
"No. You be quiet, Mr. Bell," Susan spat, moving up beside John with her shotgun. "And put down your gun!" She demanded. "Dutch, Abigail told Tilly and I. It's true," Susan turned to Dutch, looking at the man in hope he would listen to her. Faint hooves echoed around the camp before someone erupted into view. Grace smirked to see Charles jump off of his horse, running up and joining Arthur, drawing his sawed off shotgun.
"Sorry about being late," Charles muttered. Grace grinned as Charles nodded at her, pleased to see her again. "Micah's the rat, Grace told Arthur and I when we found her."
"She wrote to me, Dutch. She was scared to come back as she was afraid Micah would do something to her," Arthur hissed in disgust. "That's why she stayed quiet for so long, he scared her into being quiet."
"My son watched him hold a knife to her throat," John growled. "We've tried keeping violence from Jack's eyes but Micah ruined that, Abigail and I had to explain to him that what he saw wasn't real. Imagine having to explain something that messed up to a child, Dutch!" John spat in hatred. "A kid can't make that shit up, it's too messed up."
"Micah..." Dutch repeated from before, this time with a low growl. "G-get out of my camp," Dutch ordered.
"Dutch, you-" Micah began, chuckling. Dutch immediately drew his pistols, aiming them at Micah.
"GET OUT!" Dutch yelled, his voice booming. Micah began to laugh more, shaking his head in denial that Dutch sided with Arthur and Grace after all of this.
"You're going to regret this!" Micah shouted before laughing again, looking at the line that stood in front of him. "All of you!"
"There's Pinkertons coming, fast!" Javier informed as he ran over. As everyone looked at him Micah found the strength to reach down for his pistol. He managed to pick one up and fired carelessly. Grace jumped at the crack of the gunshot, looking around to see who got hit. Grace frowned, noticing no one around her got shot. She blinked, confused as a burning feeling built up inside of her. She looked down to see blood pooling out of her hip, where Bronte had stabbed her. She stared helplessly at her wound before she fell to her knees, the pain beginning to kick in.
"YOU BASTARD!" Arthur roared before pulling his trigger, taking Joe down with a head shot. Grace's breathing fell weak as she fell from her knees onto her side, a tear slipping from her eyes. That's when gunfire roared throughout the camp, the Pinkertons were here. She felt herself being scooped up. "GET HER OUT THROUGH THE CAVE!" Arthur shouted to whoever was carrying her. Grace's vision broke out of the darkness for a second to see Javier carrying her, he ran into the cave.
"Copperhead landing," she muttered weakly to him. "Go to copperhead landing." As the gunshots faded as Javier got further away she realised his face was full of regret.
"Grace... I'm sorry for not believing you and Arthur," he apologised, his voice creaked with regret. Grace smiled at him, shaking her head at him.
"You were only sticking by Dutch, if I was in your shoes I would've too," Grace tried to make Javier fell better about himself. Their surroundings got darker and darker as Javier carried her further into the cave.
"You're going to get out of here," Javier announced. "We'll get you to Copperhead Landing and Abigail will patch you up," he continued being positive. He stopped, looking around before spotting a ladder. "Okay, hold on," he told her as he moved her onto his shoulder. She cried out in pain as she moved, tears springing to her eyes. She looked down to see Javier climbing up the ladder, the ground getting further and further away from them. She closed her eyes, weariness taking over her. "No, wake up! You need to stay awake!" Javier pleaded as he shifted her back into the original position he had her in when they reached solid ground again. Her eyes opened, adjusting to the light as Javier ran towards the light. Once the night breeze hit her, her eyes widened as fresh air washed over her. She heard him let out a whistle for his horse, Boaz.
"What about the others?" Grace rasped out as Javier approached his horse that was running towards them in the distance.
"They'll join us, we just need to get you safe," Javier informed. Boaz joined them both, heaving as the horse caught his breath after running. "Are you alright to sit on the back of my horse?" Javier asked her. Grace nodded and Javier lifted her up onto the horse, behind his saddle. She held onto the seat of the saddle, steadying herself. Javier carefully got on, careful not to hit her. She wrapped her arms around him, holding on tight as his horse leapt into a gallop, heading away from Roanoke Ridge and towards Copperhead Landing. The gunshots faded as her and Javier escaped, the whole ride Grace worried about the others. She was scared that they would all be killed and she didn't get to say goodbye. She was afraid that her friends waiting at Copperhead Landing had been caught and taken away.
"Are we..." Grace trailed off, feeling extremely weak after they rode further.
"Yes, we're almost there. Hang in there," Javier assured her. She felt the ride become a lot more bumpy as they moved off road. Up ahead Grace could see Copperhead Landing. She caught glimpse of blonde hair under the moonlight glistening, it was Sadie. She gasped, running over as Javier slowed down his horse.
"What happened?" She demanded as Javier jumped down. He lifted Grace off of his horse, Sadie rushing to Grace's other side and helping her get towards the rundown building. Grace could smell the sea they were beside, she remembered this place when her, Arthur and Sadie broke out John.
"Micah shot her, the others will be here soon," Javier answered before they lifted her up onto the small balcony of the house before carrying her inside. Abigail sprung up from beside Jack as they laid Grace down on the wooden floor. Abigail rushed over, looking at her wound immediately.
"Tilly, cover the boy's eyes," Abigail ordered Tilly who was still here with them. Tilly nodded, picking Jack up into her lap and turning the boy away from the bloody sight.
"Javier, find something sharp but clean, the bullet is still in," Abigail ordered him as she lifted up Grace's shirt to scan the wound. "She's losing blood!" Abigail informed as Javier handed Abigail his knife. His knife was smaller than Grace's, it would defiantly work better than her knife she used to pry the bullet out of her calf. "A knife?" Abigail questioned as she took it from him. He shrugged at her.
"I've used mine before... that'll work fine," Grace groaned. Abigail nodded before waving Javier and Sadie over. They grabbed an arm each, holding her down. Abigail hovered the knife over the wound, her hand shaking as she began to panic. Sadie placed a hand on Abigail's.
"You can do this," Sadie encouraged her. Abigail looked at Sadie and nodded. Sadie removed her hand from Abigail's before Grace felt Javier's knife enter her wound. She clenched her teeth together, holding back a scream of agony as she felt the blade moving around before it hit the bullet. She jolted in pain, Abigail immediately yelling at them to hold her still. She felt them tighten their grip on her arms before she felt Abigail beginning to move the bullet up before she felt in come out. She gasped in relief, her head falling back onto the wood as she steadied her breathing. Abigail immediately applied pressure to Grace's wound, stopping blood from going everywhere. Grace heard faint hooves approaching as she looked at Sadie.
"We need to cauterise the wound, I have nothing to stitch her up with," Abigail stated quickly to Sadie. Sadie grabbed a revolver cartridge out of her revolver, handing it to Abigail. Abigail wiped the bloody knife on her skirt before splitting the cartridge open, revealing gunpowder. She tipped the gunpowder over the wound.
"Is she okay?" Charles voice was heard as he appeared. Susan was beside him, Arthur must've told him to get Susan out of there. Susan looked down at her before spotting Tilly and rushing over to the girl, comforting her.
"She will be if we can cauterise the wound," Abigail announced with a nod to him. He spotted the gunpowder on her wound and immediately grabbed a match from the pocket on his pants. He hurried over before scrapping the match against his boot before holding it above the gunpowder.
"You ready?" He asked Grace. Grace nodded before looking up at the moon through the wooden beams that once supported a roof. She let out an agonising scream as she felt the burning sensation on her skin, closing the wound. Charles pulled the match away as soon as the wound was closed, taking the match outside and dumping it into the mud that surrounded Copperhead Landing. Grace opened her eyes to see a flask being held in front of her face. She took it and took a drink, expecting it to be water. She was taken by surprise to taste whiskey, almost choking on the unexpected whiskey. Javier chuckled lightly as she handed it back to him with a scowling look on her face.
"Warn me next time," she muttered at him. He nodded as he screwed the cap back on. Grace sat up, moving herself backwards to sit against the remainders of a wooden wall. "Thank you," she thanked Abigail. Abigail nodded at the woman, she could see the grief on Abigail's face still. "Also, I should probably tell you th-"
"Abigail? Jack?" John's voice shouted from outside. Abigail's eyes widened in shock but immediately lit up with joy. Jack scrambled away from Tilly's arms at the sound of his Father's voice. Grace grinned as she watched the Mother and son run out of the building and to John. She heard Abigail laughing as she hugged her husband. She saw their silhouettes outside, watching as they pulled away to see John wiping a tear from Abigail's cheek before he lifted up Jack, hugging the boy. A wave of curiosity washed over Grace when she realised Arthur, Dutch and Bill weren't here with him.
Abigail led John into the rundown shack, his hand holding Jack's as the boy grinned from ear to ear. John spotted Grace, looking at her in relief.
"You're okay," he breathed. "Arthur and Dutch held them off so I could get back to my family, they'll be here soon," John explained.
"What about Bill?" Javier asked, confused to why there was no mentioning of Bill. John shrugged before shaking his head.
"I think he split, the whole thing messed him up so he went off alone which I don't blame him, this is all done now," John answered. Abigail hugged John's arm, her head resting on his shoulder. Javier shook his head in disappointment but Grace wasn't surprised, Bill wasn't the same after they got of Guarma.
Grace's heart raced as she heard more hooves approaching. Pounding against her chest, the others also heard the hooves. Sadie and John grabbed their guns, rushing out the door to see who it was. Javier held his gun, staying inside to protect the women. A few moments passed when the hooves fell quiet and Sadie and John emerged back inside. They both looked emotionless. Grace frowned as they both looked at her before her attention turned to Dutch as he walked in. He looked around to everyone, covered in blood. She didn't know if it was his blood or someone elses.
"I-" Dutch began. She watched as she didn't see Arthur walk in. Her heart immediately stopped as her vision blurred.
"No," She muttered, pushing herself onto her feet. She immediately began to walk across the shack weakly, heading towards what was left of the door.
"Dutch, stop her!" John called out as she pushed past Dutch. She froze when she saw Arthur riding over, he hadn't arrived back with Dutch. Arthur's eyes fell on her as he rode over, leading Kaya. He went back for her horse. She grinned as he quickly jumped off, catching her before she fell from blood loss.
"I thought you were-" She started as she wrapped her arms around his neck, pulling herself back up. A large hand placed on her back as Arthur held her close to him.
"I know, I know," Arthur muttered before kissing the top of her head. Grace pulled away to hear footsteps walking past them, it was Dutch. The two of them watched as he mounted his horse without a word before galloping away. Dutch was done.
EPILOGUE.
1907.
"How was it?" Grace called out to Arthur and Harry as they walked over to the house from the barn where they had put their horses away. She looked over at them as they crossed over to her, Harry had the biggest grin on his small face, he turned six a month ago.
"It was great! Pa never told me he was good at fishing," Harry cheered, holding up a tiny fish he had caught. Grace grinned at the boy as he climbed the steps. She lifted him up into her arms, hugging her bundle of joy. She put the boy back down after placing a kiss on his cheek.
"How about you go get yourself cleaned up?" Grace asked him. He nodded before running into the house they owned in New Hanover. Arthur walked up the steps, a smirk on his face.
"Where's my warm welcome?" He asked. Grace grinned as she held her arms out before he pulled her into his.
"You happy now, Mr. Morgan?" Grace cooed at him as she looked up at him. He grinned down at her.
"You bet, Mrs. Morgan," he replied before cupping the side of her face and placing a kiss on her lips. She kissed him back, her hands moving up his back before they parted. The two of them walked in before Grace quickly walked over to the table, picking up a letter they had received.
"While you boys were fishing, we got a letter from the Marstons. They've invited us to stay for a few days," Grace grinned, holding the letter up. Arthur nodded as he sat down at the table. Grace handed him the letter before heading into the kitchen and grabbing the kettle and two cups, walking back out into the dining room.
"Sounds good," Arthur nodded as he scanned the letter over. Grace placed the cups on the table before pouring coffee into them. "So they built a house," Arthur grinned as he reached for the cup. Grace nodded before sitting down beside him.
"Seems so, I knew they would do well," Grace grinned with a sparkle in her eyes.
"We did too, we got a boy and a house," Arthur grinned, placing a hand on hers. Grace nodded in agreement. She was proud to be a mother to Harry Morgan and the wife of Arthur Morgan.
"So I should write back to them and say we'll visit?" Grace asked him and he answered with a nod before taking a sip from his cup.
"You know, I couldn't imagine life being out of the gang," Arthur began. Grace hated talking about the gang, sure she had good years with them but she didn't like talking about it, especially now that they have a child. The both of them agreed to never mention the gang around Harry, they didn't want him questioning them. "That's why I couldn't leave when you wanted to. But now, I see things clearly and I'm glad it's over," Arthur smiled. Grace nodded in agreement, this was the life the both of them deserved. Settling down without the worry of being killed by Pinkertons. "But I'm glad we kept in touch with them."
"I'm excited to see Abigail again, Jack will be grown so much by now," Grace grinned excitedly. "Harry will enjoy meeting Jack. Sure, Jack won't be small anymore but I can see Jack playing with Harry and showing him around."
"Would be quite something," Arthur agreed. Harry emerged from the bathroom, running down the stairs.
"I'm clean!" The boy announced happily as he bounced around in his pyjamas.
"Harry, come here," Grace motioned the child over. He rushed over, Arthur sitting the boy on his lap. "We're going to go on an adventure!" She explained. The boy's face fell in confusion.
"Adventure? To where!" He asked, growing curious.
"To Beechers Hope! You get to meet some of our friends," Grace grinned at the boy. "They've built a new house and we get to go see it. Isn't that exciting?"
"It sounds fun!" Harry cheered happily. Arthur chuckled, bouncing his leg the boy sat on.
"Well, we'll write back to the Marstons. I'm going to read you a story before bed," Arthur announced to Harry. Harry jumped off of Arthur before hurrying over to Grace.
"Goodnight Momma," Harry said before kissing Grace on the cheek and rushing back up the stairs to his room. Arthur placed a hand on Grace's shoulder as he walked past her towards the stairs, following Harry up to his room. Grace grinned as she held her cup in her hands, this was what she ever wanted. For them to be happy and be somewhere safe.
The End.