Arthur Morgan X Female Reader
(Past) Dutch Van der Linde X Female Reader
Summary: Seven years after the end of the Van der Linde gang, Dutch checks up on two people from his old life.
Word Count: 1600
After the confrontation on Mount Hagen, Dutch had a lot to think about. John, Sadie, and Charles had come to kill Micah but he was the one who ended up pulling the trigger. He still believed that John had betrayed him but he knew that Micah was no better, probably worse.
Since Arthur was not a member of the assault team, Dutch assumed that he had died up on that mountain at Beaver Hollow where he left him. But then John threw him a curve ball. Arthur was alive but didn't want to seek revenge on Micah, he wanted to focus on his new life.
Dutch knew he had to leave, hideout somewhere and start anew...but there was something he had to do first. He had to see if John was telling the truth, that Arthur was alive.
After doing some digging and getting some information, Dutch rode up to a ranch. It was close enough to town to do good business with them but far enough to give the occupants plenty of privacy. So this was where Arthur was living?
Riding up to the front gate, Dutch slowed down. He must have been in the wrong place because there was a child, a young boy about four years old, playing with a dog.
"S/n, there you are" a woman's voice get's Dutch's attention as he brings the horse to a halt.
"You can't run off like that, you have us worried sick" you remind the young boy.
"I'm sorry momma. Copper ran off and I was chasing him" your son apologised.
"It's alright, just try not to go out of sight. Okay?" you asked. He was a good kid, you didn't need chastise him for this.
"Okay, momma" your son nodded.
Dutch could only watch in silence, you tending to the child...your son. It didn't feel real, like it was a dream. No, more like a nightmare. You were beautiful, just as beautiful as you were all those years ago. Your eyes were bright and adoring as you looked at your child, your smile easy and honest.
You ran your hand over your son's head, neatening his hair up, before becoming aware of somebody's eyes on you. You looked up and completely froze when you saw the man sitting on top of the horse, just on the other side of the gate to your ranch. You couldn't believe what you were seeing. A man that you hadn't even thought about for years.
"S/n...go see your father" you told your son. The boy looked between you and the stranger before nodding and running away, going to find his father. "What are you doing here?" you asked before you could even think.
"...John told me that Arthur was alive, I came to see for myself" Dutch told you as he dismounted his horse but something didn't seem right with that answer.
"Why do you even care? You left him to die. Twice" you recalled, something that you could never forgive him for.
"That's why I had to see" Dutch explained. "The boy...he's yours?" he asked as he walked up to the gate.
"Yes" you nodded.
"Is he Arthur's?" Dutch asked.
"Yes, he is" you nodded again before pausing. "You should leave" you told him. He was a part of your past, you didn't want him to be a part of your life now.
"Y/n..." Dutch said your name for the first time in years. It was painful to say, bringing up old memories, but it didn't sound the same to you.
"Y/n. S/n said you were talking to a man-" Arthur's voice made you both look at him, but he completely stopped when he saw the man you were talking to. "Dutch?" he asked in complete disbelief.
"Arthur" Dutch nodded at him.
"What...are you doing here?" Arthur asked as he moved to stand by your side. The two of you were too in shock to say much else.
"John told me that you were alive, I wanted to see the proof. He said you didn't join them with hunting down Micah because you wanted to focus on your new life...I just didn't know what your new life entailed" Dutch explained himself.
"So what? You came here to see that I was alive so you could try to feel a little less guilty?" Arthur asked.
"I...I'm not sure" Dutch admitted.
"After what happened on Mount Hagen, we thought you would run to Mexico or something" you told him.
"That is the plan but I had to do this first" Dutch confessed.
"Do what exactly?" you asked, still not truly believing him.
"To see if-" Dutch began to repeat he same reason but didn't get the chance.
"That's a lie and you know it" Arthur interrupted. "You knew that John didn't lie, you knew I was alive. You came to see if Y/n was here, you came to see if I had lost her as well. Because that's what bothers you" he said, making you look up at him, surprised but that did make more sense.
Dutch just hung his head, knowing that Arthur was right. He had convinced himself that he was here to see if Arthur was really alive but the truth was he was here to see you. He wanted to see what you were doing now, seven years since he last saw you. He wanted to know if you were still with Arthur or if you had put them both behind you. He wasn't sure what he wanted to find.
"Seriously, Dutch? Seven years later and you still can't leave things be. Winning is still so important to you. If you can't be happy, you don't want anyone else to be, is that it? If you found Arthur living alone, would that have made you happy?" you asked. Dutch wouldn't admit it out loud but yes, it would have. He was ashamed of that.
"Alright, we'll tell you what you want to know" Arthur shrugged. "About a year after the gang separated, we settled down here. I proposed and we got married. About two years later, we had our son" he told him. "Now, what's your plan?" he asked.
"I shouldn't have come here" Dutch realised but deep down, he already knew that.
"Finally, you're speaking sense. It's been a real long time since you've done that" you commented.
"I'm...I should go" Dutch sighed and turned to leave.
"You can't even apologise" your voice made him him stop and turn back to you. "I know you feel guilty, it's written all over your face. I know that you mourn them...they friends we lost, just like we do" you spoke a little softer now. There wasn't anger in your voice but...pity? "You don't have to apologise, we don't need to hear it and it wouldn't be enough anyway. Just promise me that you won't let this cycle repeat, just try to do better. I do hope that you come to terms with what happened, that you find closure and peace and that you are happy" you told him honestly. "But Arthur and I are keeping all of that behind us now, we have a new life. We're happy now" you laced your fingers through Arthur's.
"This is goodbye then?" Dutch asked.
"We didn't think we would ever see you again but...yes, this is goodbye" you told him.
Dutch paused for a moment before speaking. "Very well" he nodded and turned back to his horse. "For what it's worth..." he mounted his horse, "...I'm sorry, to the both of you. As they say, I have made my bed and I must lay in it. Good luck to you both, I really mean it."
You were both a little surprised by his sincerity. Maybe he really had accepted his mistakes and really did regret them. Still, it didn't change anything.
You both just nodded at him before he rode away, eventually riding out of sight.
"...did that really just happen?" you asked. Once minute Dutch Van der Linde was standing in front of you, the next he was gone again.
"John isn't going to believe this" Arthur mumbled, making you chuckle to yourself. "Are you alright?" he asked, turning to you.
"I'm fine, honestly. How are you feeling?" you asked, stroking your thumb against the back of his hand.
"Fine. When I first saw him, I was angry but now...it's just nothing" Arthur assured you.
"That's how I felt" you confessed.
"C'mon, S/n is waiting by the house" Arthur sighed as he wrapped his arm around you, the two of you walking back towards your house.
When your son saw you both approaching, a bright smile spread out over his face and he ran over to you. Arthur let go of you and caught your son, picking him up as you both continued to walk to up the house.
"Who was that man, pa?" your son asked curiously.
"Just an old friend" you assured him.
"Is he gonna come again?" your son asked.
"No, he was just saying goodbye" Arthur shook his head.
"Okay" you son nodded, innocent and unaware.
You stepped inside the house and Arthur placed your son down. "Go wash up before you eat" Arthur told him and your son just nodded before disappearing into another room.
"Today has been weird" you laughed quietly to yourself, still not believing what just happened.
"God, I know" Arthur sighed, wrapping you up in his arms and you wrapped your arms around his waist as he pulled you into a hug.
"I love you, so much" you told him, not wanting him to doubt that for even a second. You loved your husband and your son more than anything, they meant everything to you.
"I love you too" Arthur kissed the top of your head. You lifted your head from his chest and lent up, capturing his lips in a sweet but short kiss.
"Now, let's go make something to eat" you smiled as you pulled away from him, making him smile too as he followed you into the kitchen.
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