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roseghoul26 · 8 months ago

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Chapter 11: On Begged And Borrowed Time

Synopsis: A fic based off the song “ivy” by Taylor Swift. After a startling introduction to the man, Arthur Morgan became the most important part of your life. Married at a young age to an older, wealthy man to help your family, you were trapped in a loveless marriage, your only sense of escape with the rugged cowboy. Will you be able to keep your affair hidden, or will your husband find out, and destroy the last thing that made you happy? Tags: Fluff, Angst, Smut, Strangers To Lovers, Infidelity, Fem!Reader, She/Her Pronouns Used For Reader, Period Typical Misogyny, Emotional Manipulative Relationship (not with Arthur), Mostly Follows Timeline of Game, High Honor Arthur Morgan, Not Beta Read, Slow Burn, First Kiss, Arthur Is Bad At Emotions, Confessions, First Time Together, Cunnilingus, Missionary, Doggy Style, Handjobs, Mirrors, Party, Semi-Public Sex, Quickies, Unsafe Sex, Tags Updated Per Chapter Author's Note: sorry this took so long! Taglist: @lokiofasgard12 @ultraporcelainpig @that-one-beannnn @morethantheycansay@nn-hh192 @photo1030 @just-pure-trash @julialoopeezz @hqxee @salientseraph Chapter List

Failed Robbery in Saint Denis: 2 Dead, 1 Arrested, 6 Missing

You’d lost track of how many times you’d reread the article, the newspaper creased where your hands gripped it. You already knew what the article stated, yet you reread it at every free moment.

The Van Der Linde’s bank robbery had gone wrong. Terribly wrong. Pinkertons had been quick to arrive on the scene, resulting in a shootout that killed two members of the gang, as well as arresting John.

There was a pang in your chest when you saw the sketch of Hosea provided. You hadn’t been close with him, not like Arthur was, but you respected him deeply and were quite thankful for him. To see him listed as nothing more than a failed bank robber and lowlife was disheartening; you knew better.

There was another man pictured alongside Hosea, someone you didn’t recognize. You had been shocked when you first saw him, as he looked barely old enough to be an adult, let alone a part of the gang. Leonard “Lenny” Summers, his name read, and you took a mental note to ask Arthur about him later.

A deep sadness washed over you when you thought of Arthur. Unimaginable relief had flooded you when you hadn’t seen his picture in the newspaper article, meaning he was one of the six on the run. You just hoped that wherever he was, he was alright.

Glancing at the date at the top of the newspaper, you sighed deeply. It had been printed three weeks ago. Three weeks since you last saw Arthur, and possibly for the last time.

You quickly shook that thought from your mind. You refused to even entertain the idea that Arthur might’ve died. Until you saw his body, you didn’t let yourself think that he was anything other than alive. Worse for wear, but alive.

“You reading that damn newspaper again?” Hans’ voice startled you, and you dropped the paper like it burned you. He stood in the doorway of your bedroom, arms crossed over his chest, staring disapprovingly at the newspaper that had fallen back onto the nightstand.

Hans’ demeanor had turned sour over the past three weeks. He was more irritable, a constant scowl on his face, barking at you instead of speaking evenly. You figured it was the stress of his moonshine operation falling apart, and from nearly entrusting his operation’s security into the hands of the failed robbers of Saint Denis.

“Sorry, it’s just…” you sighed. “It’s just so shocking. They seemed so nice!”

“That’s what they want you to think. Can’t fault you for falling right into their trap.”

You’re the one who fell into their trap, you fool. You nearly rolled your eyes, but you forced them to remain still. “It makes me wonder how many liars I’ve trusted.” Like you.

Hans remained silent for a moment, the furrow in his brow deepening, making it almost look like he was glaring at you. “A thought that has passed my mind as well,” he finally said, sounding more like a threat than anything. He didn’t get to see your bewildered expression, though, because he disappeared from the doorway.

His words unsettled you deeply, anxiety brewing in your mind. Did he know? Was he suspicious? Or was he just speaking in an angry tone, with no idea what you were up to?

Grabbing the newspaper, you decided to hide it from your sight, realizing it was doing you more harm than good. Out of the clear of your husband, you grabbed the lockbox, and it took quite a bit of forcing to fit both newspapers in there. Next time Hans left, you’d have to clip out the important parts and discard the rest.

Your mother’s letter appeared as you were messing with the papers, a mixed sense of dread and happiness washing over you. You hadn’t told Hans about your letter. You couldn’t. You weren’t supposed to have reached out to your family, and a part of you dreaded that your mother was coming over because then you’d have to explain yourself to him.

You had no idea when she was coming over, but you knew it had to be sometime soon. Ever since that letter arrived, you’d been expecting her arrival daily, just adding to the stress you were feeling because of Arthur. To say the last few weeks had been difficult would be an understatement, but you pushed through.

Tucking the box away, you headed downstairs, the bedroom causing too many emotions for you to handle right now. You didn’t have to knock to know that Hans was in his office, the door locked shut when you passed.

Sitting on the couch, you picked up the embroidery you were working on, a hobby you’d taken up over the past two weeks to try and distract yourself, Hans permitting, of course. It barely worked, operating as more of a means to pass the time than anything.

Your thoughts were always occupied with Arthur, your stomach constantly in knots. You hadn’t had much of an appetite, and it was starting to wear you down, the bags under your eyes prominent.

It had been a startling discovery, seeing yourself in the mirror after these weeks. You looked how you did when you met Arthur, the sparkle of joy in your eyes that he brought vanishing. Your cheeks were gaunt, and you just looked exhausted.

A light knock at the door startled you, nearly stabbing yourself with your needle. You waited for Hans to emerge from his office; maybe he was expecting someone today.

But when a minute passed and he didn’t emerge, your heart hammered in your chest. Another light knock made you move, setting your embroidery on the couch. Shakily, you made your way to the front door, and you took a deep breath before opening it.

On the other side stood your mother, looking a few years older, yet still the same woman all the same. People always joked when you were a child that you were just a younger version of your mother, but as your eyes fell on her, you realized how right they had been.

A warm smile appeared on her face when she saw you, a smile that had brought you so much comfort. Even now, you feel like all the weight on your shoulders has been lifted. You couldn’t quite bring yourself to move, emotions rendering your legs useless, staring at your mother like you’d just seen a ghost.

It was when she said your name softly that the spell you were under finally broke. A sob tore from your throat, and she had barely opened her arms before you were crashing into her, your own arms clinging to her. Right now, you weren’t Mrs. Kerrigan. You were just someone who needed the comfort of their mother.

Immediately her hands were soothing you, one running through your hair, the other rubbing circles into your back. Your tears were staining her dress, but neither of you cared. For the first time in weeks, you finally let go of all the emotions that had bottled up inside of you, stress and sadness and grief pouring out, unable to hide them any longer.

You’re not sure how long she held you for, letting you cry on her shoulder. You’re sure your commotion caught the attention of Hans, but that was an afterthought. Eventually, your sobs receded, and you pulled away, your eyes puffy and cheeks red.

Tears of her own flowed down her face, and you felt her gently wipe your cheeks. “My beautiful daughter…” she murmured, and your bottom lip trembled. “I’ve missed you.”

“Me too,” you sighed. “How… how is everyone?”

“They’re well. But sweetheart, are you well?” You felt one of her thumbs brush beneath your eyes. “You don’t look it.”

“These past weeks have been… tough,” you admitted. “But that’s a conversation for later.” Where Hans won’t be able to hear me. “Oh, where are my manners? Please, come inside.” You took a step back, gesturing to the still-open door.

“Since when have you worried about manners?” Your mother teased, but you missed the slight bit of concern in her voice. “Before we head in, there is someone else who would like to see you. Margaret?” Your mother shouted to the carriage that you now saw behind her, and an even larger smile appeared on your face as you watched your sister step out.

If you looked exactly like your mother, then she was a carbon copy of your father. But when she smiled back at you, you swore you saw yourself. Her excitement was contagious as she practically ran to you, skirts bunched up in her hands as she bound up the stairs. YOu nearly toppled over as she barreled into you, and a fresh stream of tears poured down your face as you held her.

“Maggie!” You exclaimed, partially in shock. “You’ve grown so much!” It was true. Long gone was the young teenager you’d left back at home. In front of you was a grown woman, a maturity in her eyes that you weren’t expecting when she pulled away. But it was astounding to see she hadn’t lost her energy, her joy for life. A part of you almost felt envious, as much as you hated to admit.

Your name was barely audible, muffled as she hugged you, making you laugh. “You should’ve seen her when she saw your letter,” your mother smiled. “We haven’t had a moment of peace since.” She didn’t sound upset about it.

“Is that true?”

Maggie nodded her head, leaning back to look at you, her arms still wrapped around your body. “I’ve missed you so much!”

“It ain’t a competition, but I think I’ve missed you more.” Maggie playfully rolled her eyes, and you pressed a kiss to the top of her head. She was still shorter than you, but you weren’t about to comment about that now. “Let’s get inside. We’ve got a lot to discuss!”

With your arm around Maggie, you led her and your mother into your house for the first time. Their eyes danced around the spacious downstairs, and although they were used to seeing wealth, they could still appreciate the beauty of your home. If only you felt the same. Even with your family in it, it still felt foreign.

You led them to the living room, letting them sit on the couch before excusing yourself to the kitchen, going to grab drinks. Or at least you tried to until your mother stopped you with a gentle grasp of your hand. “Sit, sweetheart.”

“But-”

“You don’t have to bring out the formalities for us. We just want you, improper and perfect.”

Biting your trembling lip, you nodded, letting her sit you between her and Maggie. She didn’t let go of your hand, her other hand resting atop yours, and Maggie adjusted so that she was sitting closer to you. “You’ve got a beautiful house.” You nodded, an empty thanks leaving your lips. “Although it’s quite… empty.”

“If you’re asking about children,” you laughed, albeit bitterly, “I’m afraid me and my husband haven’t been blessed in that department.” Thank God. You weren’t opposed to children, no, but you did not want them with Hans. He’d make a terrible father, and you’d be stuck managing them by yourself.

“Is your husband around?” Maggie asked, and you struggled to come up with a response. How could you say that he was, but he locked himself away in his office at every spare moment?

You didn’t have to respond, though, because a loud cough from the staircase behind you answered for you, all three of you turning to face the noise. “Her husband is around and is quite confused. Care to explain, dear?” The endearment was dripping with vitriol.

You instinctively grasped your mother’s hand tighter. Confusion and concern were written across her face, already not liking the confrontational tone Hans had adopted. “Hans, this is my mother, Irene, and my little sister Margarete. Mother, sister, this is my husband, Hans Kerrigan.”

“I know who they are,” Hans interjected, slowly stepping towards you all. You failed to notice the slight panic in his voice. “What are they doing here?”

Your mother opened her mouth to respond, but you cut her off, afraid that she would mention the letters. “I don’t know,” you lied, and you missed the look Maggie and Irene shared. “They just showed up. Isn’t it great?”

If Hans believed you, you couldn’t tell. A forced smile found its way beneath his beard. “Great, yes.” If you thought your lying ability was terrible, his was even worse. “A pleasure, ladies.”

“Mr. Kerrigan, as lovely as it is to meet you, I’m afraid that we have… business in the city we must attend to.” Panic gripped you. “All three of us must attend to.”

Your husband's expression was unreadable, and you had no idea if he’d let you go. “Can I?” You asked, hating that you sounded like a child asking their parents if they could play with their friends. This was your family, you didn’t have to ask anyone’s permission to be with them.

It seemed your mother felt the same way, cutting your husband off before he could agree or disagree. “No daughter of mine needs permission from anyone. She’s going with me.”

A tense silence filled the room, making you shift uncomfortably. The look Irene gave Hans was deadly, her head cocked to the side like she was daring him to say something against it. Her actions confused you, though. She was advocating for your independence, yet she had no protest against a marriage against your will. Yet again, she had seemed surprised about your marriage, so maybe she didn’t have as much say as you thought. Just another thing you needed to ask her.

Hans’ eyes flicked to you, almost disbelieving. He didn’t respond, merely scoffing before retreating upstairs. You could feel the anger rolling off of him, and you knew you were in for it later.

Your mother stood, rather abruptly, yanking you to your feet as well. “We’re leaving,” was all she said.

You knew there was no room for argument, but you tried anyway. “But we just sat down-”

“We are leaving.” You didn’t offer any further protests. The house was suffocating right now, and you needed to escape. After putting on your shoes, Irene brought you back outside, Maggie hot on your heels. The tense silence still hung in the air, even as you sat in the carriage, your sister sliding in beside you, your mother across you.

Even as the carriage began to move, heading anywhere but here, no one spoke for a good five minutes. You were the first to break the silence. “I’m sorry,” you began, “he’s usually more… amicable than that.” It wasn’t a complete lie.

“You don’t need to apologize-”

“You left us for him?” Your sister interjected, not bothering to hide the hurt in her voice.

“Maggie,” your mother warned, but she just shook her head.

“No, I can’t believe it. You left us for him?” Her voice rose in anger. “Here I thought you ran away because you were in love, because you found someone who treated you well. But you ran away from us, from… me, for him? You ran away when I… I needed you. I needed my sister.”

So she also thought you ran away, and was rightfully angry at you for something you didn’t do. “I’m not sure I know what you’re sayin’. I didn’t run away.”

“Don’t lie to me. I found your note.”

“What note?” You were truly bewildered now, looking to your mother for clarification. You hated that she looked upset at you as well.

“The night you disappeared, you left a note on your bed, detailing why you were leaving. That was the last time we ever heard from you. You don’t remember?”

You felt like you were losing it. “I’ve got no clue what you’re talking about.” You scoffed, “You of all people should know that I didn’t run away.”

Now it was her turn to be confused. “What do you mean?”

“You think I wanted this? To be stuck with a man that hates everything to do with me, who controls me like I’m just his goddamn toy? In no world would I run away from my family to be with someone like him.”

“Then why did you leave?” Maggie asked, her voice surprisingly soft.

“I didn’t have much of a choice. Father set up this marriage to save the family from falling into financial ruin. I did this to help us. You know this, mother!”

You didn’t know if you should be relieved or concerned when you saw her shake her head, pure shock on her face. “He did what?” Her words were clipped, upset, but not at you anymore.

“You… you didn’t know? He officiated it and everything!”

She continued to shake her head, leaning back against her seat. “He wouldn’t…”

“But he did. He did it easily.”

Tears had begun to pool in her eyes, and a hand came to cover her mouth. “But why? How?”

So you told them. You told them how your father had woken you early in the morning, barely letting you get dressed before escorting you to the carriage that sat outside. Your belongings had already been packed, but he had not explained anything, not even during the few days of travel south. When you finally reached your destination, you had been whisked away, stuffed into a dress, and sent to the altar, where you met Hans for the first time, and then married. You realized now that the reason it had just been you, Hans, and your father at the wedding was because he wanted to keep the rest of the family in the dark. “I found out later it was done for financial security. We were about to lose everything.”

“Sweetheart, I don’t understand.”

“I don’t either.”

“No, I mean I don’t understand why.” Her next words made you pale. “We’ve never had financial troubles. At least not severe enough to warrant… this.”

“Maybe he didn’t tell you?” If your father had withheld the details of your marriage, then it was likely he kept the details of the family’s finances from them as well. But maybe you were desperate for the last two years to have any sort of meaning, for it to not all be in vain.

“He couldn’t have hidden financial troubles from us. Not as well as he hid, well, you.”

“Then what was it all for?” You whispered, your voice on the verge of breaking. “These past two years, what were they for?”

“I wish I could tell you, sweetheart.”

“So I didn’t have to leave? So I could’ve stayed at home, where I was happy, where I would’ve taken over the family business, where my dreams wouldn’t have been put on hold?” You were rambling, but you didn’t care. Tears poured down your cheeks, mourning a life you could’ve had. “I could’ve had that?”

“Why didn’t you leave?” Your sister asked, her hand finding its way to yours.

“I couldn’t. Mainly because I was under the impression that my marriage was what was keeping you well, and I couldn’t jeopardize that. But I didn’t have the means to leave either. And where would I go?”

“You could’ve come home!”

“I had no idea where you moved to, though. The only reason I was able to write to you was because I had a… friend find your new address. Why did you move, by the way?”

“Father didn’t say, although I’m beginning to suspect it was to keep you from finding us.”

“Why would he do that though? What would require such secrecy?”

“I have no idea.” Those words seemed to be the running theme of this conversation, and you sighed, your cheeks still damp. You had no idea how to process all this new information, anger and betrayal clouding your thoughts.

“You said you had a friend,” your mother began. She was trying to distract you, which you were grateful for, but thinking of Arthur just made your heart heavier. “Who’s she?”

“Well, he…” your mother and sister shared looks, “he’s kind. He’s helped me a lot over the past months. But… But I haven’t seen him in a while.”

“Do we know him?”

“How often do you read the newspaper?” You joked, with no humor in your voice.

“Every Sunday. Why?” Maggie asked, hesitantly.

“You’ll know him then. His name’s-”

Shouting from the carriage driver announcing you’d arrived in Saint Denis cut you off. It felt like no time had passed, and you weren’t expecting to be in the city already. The rest of your family seemed to be feeling the same way, a sense of wariness shared between the three of you.

“Come. Let us forget about this, if just for a moment,” your mother wiped at her face, forcing a smile on her face. “Terrible revelations aside, I wish to spend the afternoon with my daughters.” She got out of the carriage first, a gentleman escorting her out. Maggie was next, and you took a moment to compose yourself before stepping out.

The sound of the city hit you first, shouting and bells and whistles assaulting your ears. The stench was next, and your sister had a poorly hidden expression of disgust. “You’ll get used to it,” you whispered to her, remembering that she’d never been to Saint Denis. Glancing around, you saw that you were near the outskirts of the city, close to where Bronte lived.

Your mother extended an arm to each of you, and you both linked your arms with hers, walking beside her as she led you further into the city. You tried to distract yourself with the colorful imagery around you, yet your mind kept wandering to the words that had been spoken in the carriage.

You truly had no idea why your father would marry you off. You were his eldest daughter, set to be the heir of his business, his pride and joy second to his children. Your entire life, that is what you were led to believe would happen, and he seemed to believe it too. Why would he disrupt everything by sending you away?

So caught up in your thoughts, you failed to notice the different atmosphere the city held today. It was lively, sure, but it seemed almost on edge. No one greeted you as you passed, even if they recognized you, and people seemed to be almost somber.

“You’d think someone just died,” you heard Maggie mutter, pulling you from your mind.

She hadn’t been quiet, though, and the couple walking in front of you shot her each a dirty look. “That’s because someone has, girl.”

Her eyes widened. “My apologies,” she stammered, embarrassed. “Who?”

“Angelo Bronte.” Your responding gasp didn’t deter them. “They found his body in the swamp, eaten by gators. Maybe read the paper before spewing such ignorant things.”

Your mother and Maggie weren’t affected by their words, their attention was immediately on you and your reaction. “Did you know him?” Your sister asked, and you nodded.

“Not personally, but I’ve been to plenty of his parties. He was a prominent figure here, a rich one at that. He practically runs… ran this city.” You lowered your voice so only they could hear, “I’d say he got what was comin’ for him, though.”

“That bad?”

“That bad.” You sighed. “But let’s just hope the city doesn’t collapse without him.”

Your mother turned down a street, not having joined in on the conversation yet, but she was paying attention. You and Maggie continued to chat lightly, and for a moment you’d managed to successfully forget the worries in your mind. That was until you passed a wooden board, something you didn’t pay attention to until a familiar sketch caught your eye.

You suddenly stopped, much to the confusion of your sister and mother. But you didn’t hear their concerned questions; the only thing you could focus on was the bounty poster in front of you, which contained a sketch of someone you now saw to be Arthur. His features were almost shaper, the artist making him look as intimidating as possible. He was depicted like he’d been described in the papers, a bloodthirsty bank robber, a ruthless vagrant, pure evil in the public eye.

Yet even this depiction could not lessen the love you felt for him.

“Sweetheart, what is it?” You finally heard your mother, who was shaking your arm gently.

“I… I know him.” You shook your head. “Sorry, it’s nothin’.”

“Arthur?” It was incredibly strange hearing his name from your mother’s mouth. Recognition flashed across her face, most likely having read about him in the paper. “Did he hurt you?”

“What? No! Never!” You rushed to say. “He’s my… friend that I was takin’ about.” You were certainly more than that, but you were not about to explain that to your mother.

That surprised her, and she didn’t have any words. Maggie stepped in for her. “The outlaw with the five-thousand-dollar bounty is your friend?” She was in just as much disbelief as your mother, and you shushed her.

“Just tell the whole damn city while you’re at it,” you hissed. “Yes, he is my friend. Yes, I know it’s ridiculous. No, I will not go into further detail.” You spared one last glance at the poster before continuing down the road, dragging your family along beside you. Seeing him, even as just a sketch, made your heart ache. Maybe Arthur had hurt you, just not in the way you thought.

You hoped your mother didn’t see the way you reacted when you saw him, an expression you’re sure that filled his longing. An expression that wouldn’t be appropriate for “just a friend”. You hoped your sister hadn’t seen the tears that had sprung to your eyes as you read Wanted: Dead or Alive sprawled across the top.

They both didn’t question you about it, even though you knew they were dying to. They left you in silence, letting you process your emotions, which you were grateful for. If they made you talk about him, you were certain you’d burst into barely contained tears.

Your mother let you lead the way for a few more minutes, but she eventually took the reins again, steering you and a very curious Maggie to a tailor. She ushered your sister inside first but halted you when you tried to follow. Any protest died in your throat when you saw the adamant expression on her face, and so you let her take you by the arm to the narrow alleyway adjacent to the building.

“Talk to me.” Her voice was demanding yet kind.

“Mother-”

“You love him, don’t you? Your ‘friend’.” You cast your gaze to the ground, fighting tears. Were you that easy to read? Hesitantly, you nodded, and she softened. “Sweetheart…”

That broke the dam, a stifled sob leaving you as she pulled you into a hug. “I’m sorry,” you managed to get out, and you felt her shake her head.

“Why are you sorry?”

“Because I love him.”

“That is nothing to be sorry about,” she nearly laughed, pulling you back to look you in the eye.

“But I’m married. I’m… we’ve… it’s not right.”

“Maybe not,” she agreed, “but perhaps it’s what’s best. You’re miserable with Hans, and I can’t blame you. Why your father would ever agree to marry you to him is beyond me…”

“Are you sayin’ I should leave him?”

“Yes,” she responded with no hesitation. “You’ve no reason to be married to him any longer, no? It’s terrifying, but is it not scarier to imagine a life where you’re stuck by Hans’ side for years to come?”

The idea did make you shudder, especially now that you had Arthur. How long would you be able to keep your affair hidden? How long would you be able to pretend like Hans’ very presence didn’t revolt you? You guessed a few more months, tops. “Would he even agree to a divorce?” You whispered.

“I can’t answer that. But when you’re ready to ask,” she took your hands, “I’ll be right there by your side. We all will.”

“And if I don’t ask?” You blurted out. “What if I just… ran?”

“Then you’ll be running for the rest of the time Hans is on this Earth. Although, it seems like you’d have someone beside you who is quite good at not getting caught.” She sighed. “I can’t tell you what would be the best decision. But just know that whatever choice you make, I’ll support you. All I wish is to see you happy.”

You nodded, a new sense of hope growing within, something that had been lacking for a while. “If Arthur returns, I’ll do it.”

“When he returns,” your mother corrected. “Have some faith. If he cares about you nearly as much as you do him, he’ll make his way back to you.”

“He always has…” you muttered under your breath. “When he returns, I’ll do it.”

“Promise?”

“I promise.”

She smiled warmly at you after planting a kiss on your damp cheek. “Now, let us join your sister before she comes looking. If you couldn’t tell, she’s not the best at being subtle.”

You laughed, wiping away your tears, letting your mother lead you to the store. “I’ve noticed.”

The bell chimed as you stepped in, Maggie rushing to your sides as soon as you did. “What took you so long?” She whisper-shouted, making you laugh harder. She was as inconspicuous as a bull in a china shop. “What?”

“I told you.”

─•~❉᯽❉~•─

By the time the three of you had returned to the carriage, the sun had long since set, the moon washing the world in a cool white light. The vehicle was not only stuffed with you, Maggie, and your mother, but various bags and gowns from a successful shopping trip to the city. Your mother had not been lying when she said the family was not struggling financially, as she had easily paid for your new dresses and other items. Laughter flowed easily from the three of you, your minds fully distracted from the information of the morning.

That cheery mood lasted the whole ride, up until the driver turned down the familiar road leading to your house. Your smile fell, and you felt your mother grab your hand, squeezing it reassuringly. “You won’t have to deal with him for much longer, sweetheart. You’ve got this.”

“Can it be over now?” You practically whined, anxiety bubbling in you.

“Why can’t you just come home with us?” Maggie asked, having been informed about the conversation you’d had with your mother.

“I’m not leavin’ without Arthur. Once he comes back, I’m gone.” You weren’t sure if you were convincing them or yourself.

She didn’t let go of your hand, not until the carriage came to a halt. “It’s been wonderful seeing you both,” you began. “If I’m not gone in the next few weeks, come and get me. Please.”

“Gladly,” your mother responded. “If you and Arthur need a place to stay, to lie low, just know that our, your house is available. With or without your father’s permission.”

“Get some answers from him. And give my regards to everyone else.”

“I love you, sweetheart. Always remember that.” She kissed your cheek. “We’ll see you soon. That’s a promise.”

Hugging Maggie, at least as best you could, you left the carriage before your nerves rooted you in place. With your arms full of items, it took some careful steps, but you eventually made your way up the porch. You watched as the carriage drove away, smiling as brightly as you could at your sister through the window, before letting it fall away completely.

Taking a deep breath, you walked into your home, heading straight to the staircase. Climbing up the stairs with all the stuff was also difficult, cursing under your breath when you kept stepping on the skirts of your new dresses. It took longer than necessary, but you managed to stumble into your room. You’d only taken a single step in until an unseen force hit the back of your head.

Your vision went black before you made contact with the floor.

#rdr2 #red dead redemption 2 #arthur morgan #arthur morgan rdr2 #arthur morgan x reader #arthur morgan x female reader

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luke-hughes43 · 2 months ago

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chicklets interview | will and dani

i ended up down a rabbit hole, especially with the idea of maybe having dani and will start dating a couple months earlier. like the night he gets back from world juniors is when i'm thinking. which is a few days before his interview with spittin chicklets.

i'm including some parts of it, but also adding my own thing with it!

will's pov

i'm meeting up with biz and whit over zoom for their podcast. we were supposed to meet in nashville at the draft but the plan changed. after winning the world juniors, it made sense to finally get it going.

i finally made it official with dani, the night i got back. only took me two years. she came home with me for the weekend, just to get some us time before school, and she's currently napping.

one thing i've learned about dani, is that she struggles sleeping so when she gets the chance to sleep, she'll take it. so she's sleeping in my bed while i'm doing this.

i jump on and start talking with the guys. a little way into us talking, biz asks about school, "so with leonard blowing kisses to the sweden fans, did he ever do something like at school? like who had the nastiest student section?"

"maine was tough. they were saying whatever they wanted up there. they said some absurd stuff to our goalie."

whit chimes in, "that's because they don't have any teeth."

i laugh and then add, "well so they were like throwing condoms and they were landing on my mom underneath."

"she was probably saying 'grab one will please!' the whole time." whit says. i'm laughing but i'm also extremely glad that dani is asleep and can't hear this. she'd kill me, would not be a good start to our relationship.

"wait, used ones? or were they new?" biz asks. whit dies and i cannot believe he just said that. i shake my head, "i hope they were new."

"well i don't know i never went to college." biz tries defending himself. i'm still laughing about it. RA ends up asking, "outside of hockey, how was your first semester of college?"

"it was I mean coming from the program. so it was obviously online now so it's completely different from uh when whit was there when you guys were at school, but um so it's we do school at the rink. so now going to class it was a little bit different of making sure you get there on time."

"so you're saying that you didn't have to go class and now your having to attend the classes?" biz clarifies. i nod, "yeah."

biz asks again, "how much sleeping is going on in class? because when i was taking classes during my time in the ohl, within 5 minutes of being there i was asleep."

"some days are tougher than others. to get to class." i explain without going into detail. i know they know what i'm talking about. we go on talking about my major and theater class with the boys.

we go on into my birthday with st. patrick's day being in boston and then playing for junior eagles and then knowing lenny for a while. we also talked a little bit of taking summers off and not skating year round. biz says, "i wanna go back to the classes, did you have any funny interactions with students? like have has anyone maybe sent over a note to you like I don't know?"

"um, sometimes. I mean sometimes we'll like be walking from class to class in the hallways and then a kid for his one other class would ask to interview the line we do an interview in between classes with another student for his class" i explain a little bit. it has happened and it was weird. me, lenny, and gabe agreed immediately that it was weird. biz comments, "ok that's kinda silly."

i'm thinking of a few times where i'm just running into dani in the halls as i explain it and whit catches me. he says, "he was blushing a little at the beginning biz. I think he's leaving out some certain females that might have reached out these guys."

"that's what i mean though. bc hockey is more well known than bc football am i wrong?" biz asks. whit, RA, and grinnell agree and say that he's right. he continues, "so like bc hockey is like the thing you must be just getting hounded in the halls here."

i chose my words carefully, "well we have some friends that help us out with work if we need to or study groups and stuff like that."

"the fuck does that mean? am i missing something here?" biz says.

whit stars laughing and trolls me, "he's got a tutor. he's got a few different tutors." biz interrupts, "you have a tutor?"

i more or less don't respond and whit starts listing of girls names, "ashley and jasmine and maggie." RA adds laughing, "charity."

the boys are laughing. i chuckle and say, "ok, i have a girlfriend."

"oh shit. smitty is locked down huh?" biz comments. whit adds, "you must be mr romantic huh? i'm sure your mom is begging for you to grab those condoms now."

i laugh and say, "it's new so relax. but yea, i'm dating someone, so no study groups. actually, she is my tutor. she helps me out when i ask for it." which is true, dani does tutor me and is helping me with my classes when i ask her.

whit laughs, "is that how you met her and locked it down?"

"no. i've known her for almost 3 years. and that's all i'm saying." i say and shut it down. i'm not telling people who my girlfriend is. me and dani haven't even been on campus as a couple yet so the chicklets boys don't get to know about it yet.

we go back to talking about the program. and then whit starts asking about sebs and the jump to the program and making the teams. biz starts talking about me being a morgan wallen guy and i'm nodding along. him and whit sing the chorus of last night and then whit says, "i saw him at fenway last summer. did you go to one of those?"

"yea i went friday night." i say. whit says how he was there that night too. we start talking about music and country music and then who in the room at world juniors had the aux cord. i say, "brindley has the aux cord."

"that's a big job." biz says.

"he brought the michigan music to our team which was good." i say. biz pipes up, "grinnell always talks about this big booty mix is that what's going on pregame or does he actually shuffle up his own thing?" i start laughing because i do jam to a good big booty mix every now and then. and brindley did throw one on in the room. he asks, "why are you laughing? you a big big booty mix guy?"

"i mean sometimes." i start to answer but whit cuts me off, "that's his tutor. i'm sorry girlfriend."

i toss my head back to laugh. i'm so glad that she's asleep right now. biz says, "what else besides morgan wallen? i know we're digging deep on the music stuff here."

"what about tate mcrae? heard your a big tate mcrae fan." grinnell asks. that asshole. he's tryna get me in trouble with dani. biz gets excited talking about her album. i stay quiet while he talks. grinnell asks again, 'you ever send her a dm?"

"no, he wouldn't do that. cut another players grass like that." biz defends me. i say, "i might've."

"no way."

i immediately say, "ok, lets set a few things straight here. when i sent her the dm, i didn't know she got cheated on by another hockey player, and i was not dating my girlfriend at the time. this was before school, so me and my girlfriend were not anywhere close to dating."

"look at you tryna cover your tracks." whit says and laughs. i say, "she's gonna kill me. i mean she knows i sent it. ryan told her as a joke so she knows but still. i'm not tryna get in trouble."

"good man." RA says with a laugh.

we talk about sydney sweeney and her movie a little bit. and about will smith the rapper. i'm getting fidgety, i don't normally sit still like this for long so i'm moving around in my chair. and i guess i moved too far and dani sleeping got in the shot. whit asks, "is that your girlfriend sleeping in the background?"

i smile, "yeah. it's her nap time. she doesn't sleep much at night so she normally naps in the afternoon when she has the time. since we're on break still, she's taking her nap and it just so happened that i'm doing this at the same time as her nap."

"well that's nice. how new are we talking?"

"i finally made things like official with her when i landed after world juniors, but i've been working on it for months. she's here for the weekend with me before we're heading back to school. funny enough, she was in the same theater class as me, lenny, and gabe." i say. i'm trying not to give away too much.

"oh so she really was your tutor?" whit jokes.

i shake my head, "not really. she's a political science major but needed to take theater to fill a credit and it just so happened that she sat in front of us. but we've known her for a few years. i've been trying for months to take her out and she let me take her out, two days before we left for world juniors and i knew i had to make it official when i got back. but again, i've known her for a while."

"good man. but political science major, she must have a brain on her?" whit says. i nod with a smile, "yea, she's wicked smart. she has her eyes set on law school, but she's also an athlete here so she understands the grind of everything. she's honestly amazing though and one of the best people i know."

"aw smitty's in love." biz comments. everyone laughs and i blush. whit says, "now that you told us about your girlfriend, we're gonna grill you on her now."

"i'm not giving everything away." i say.

they nod and then whit asks, "so how does a political science pre law student take theatre class with 3 top NHL prospects?"

"well you have to take a certain amount of non major credits. like your gen eds, and she needed like an art one or something like that and she wanted something lowkey to off set her poly sci classes and be relaxed and she settled on theatre i guess. i think if she knew that me, gabe, and ryan were in that class and would be sitting behind her all semester, she would've picked a different class." i explain joking.

"i don't blame her. is she close with them too?" whit asks. i nod, "oh yeah. i mean she's known us since the program, so she knows gabe and ryan well. and her best friend is cutter's girlfriend, so she's close with some of the boys."

"that's good i guess. what about ryan and gabe, they locked down?" whit continues hounding me on my dating life. i nod, "they have girlfriends too. my girlfriend is pretty close with both of their girls so we have a good group going right now. i'm not telling you her name, i don't need your crazy fans finding her and hounding her dms."

"fair enough. you telling us off the record?" biz asks. i shrug, "maybe. both of her brothers play hockey so if i say her name, she's gonna get found. and i'm not doing that to her. she's got enough going on. her pre season starts next week."

"what sport does she play?"

"lacrosse. she's like amazing. i would watch her play last year and she is so good. i'm excited to get to see her play in person this year. she's an outstanding athlete, probably better than me." i say smiling.

"look at this geeking out over his girlfriend. such a good guy. and your even giving her that after dusting me at the locker room tour." grinnell says. i chuckle and say, "hey, be glad she wasn't there. she'd dust both of us. it takes a different kind of athleticism to play lacrosse compared to hockey. i've worked out with her in the summer before having mutual friends and stuff and she kills some us in the weight room. she's just so good."

"and good looking i'm assuming?" biz comments. whit says, "relax biz. these kids are 18, chill out."

"she's 19 but yea, she's beautiful. maybe i'm a little biased because she's my girl but probably one of if not the most beautiful girl i've ever seen. she's so pretty." i say smiling. i love dani and there's no doubt about it. i have no issue saying that to someone. RA says, "what a good boyfriend you are. pumping her tires."

i shrug and whit asks, "can you like text me her name? i promise i won't say it but i wanna see what she looks like and who she is. i promise not to announce it on the pod."

i nod and quickly send him her name and instagram. he pulls his phone out and looks her up. he says, "holy shit dude, she's beautiful. and now seeing who her brothers are, that makes sense keeping her name private. and with where he brothers play, that could go crazy real fast."

"yea. i think besides like our friends, her sister, my sister, and my mom are the only ones who actually know we're together. like her brothers don't even know yet. i've been working on this for years guys. and she knows that but it's been 2 years in the making. it's finally happened and i couldn't be happier."

"so if i shot ryan leonard a text right now, he'll confirm that you've been trying for years to get your girl?" whit asks. i nod and i see him typing on his phone. about a minute later he says, "no shit you weren't lying. i guess you really were playing the long game."

i shrug with a smirk and then say, "no more about my girlfriend. i've said enough. anything you guys got for me?"

"nope. you got anything for us smitty?" whit asks. biz says, "nothing for the ladies man RA?"

"i'm good." i say. we've been at this for like 45 minutes so dani will be awake soon. biz says, "have we talked about us blowing you off in nashville?

"grinnell and i talked about during the locker room tour." i explain. RA says, "not publicly so let's talk about it."

biz says,

"it's my fault because I'd gone four and a half months sober and then they they kind of put all this work on me at the draft where I had to do something at the awards and I hadn't had a drink and then Merles put this fucking margarita in front of me right before we were supposed to go back and you know 10 a.m margs at at this restaurant Nashville and I said you know what I don't give a flying fuck about any more work it's time to crank it so my apologies but there was a reason it got backed up it's because we knew we were going to win a gold medal and come on and get to talk about that in the bean pot brother so congrats on all your success your first half at college and keep kicking ass man keep kicking it.

i smile, "thank you guys for having me."

RA asks, "well what time did they did they call you and bail out at what time did they did they let you know they were bailing out at?"

"I think it was in the morning. because we were supposed to meet at like 1." i say and grinnell says, "yeah Biz gave me the whole grenell cancel everything today."

whit comments, "then didn't go to sleep for like three days after" biz adds, "then I went on then I went on a bender. then I went on my college visit as they call them I'll be all right. well thanks so much buddy. have a great rest of the season pal you're a legend"

"thanks guys." i say and log off. i shut my computer and put my headphones away. i climb into bed with dani and she cuddles right into me and wakes up. she mumbles, "hi will."

"hey baby. have a good nap?" i ask and kiss the top of her head. she nods, 'yea. how was the podcast with chicklets?"

"good. i didn't wake you did i?" i ask while rubbing her back. she says quietly, "no. what'd you guys talk about?"

"little bit of everything. school, world juniors, the program. i talked abotu a little bit."

"me?"

"yea. nothing crazy and i didn't name drop but it got mentioned about dating and girls and stuff in college so i said i have a girlfriend and they asked a bunch of questions but i didn't say too much. is that ok? i can have them take it out."

"no it's ok. as long as my name wasn't said."

"it wasn't, i made sure not to. we're not there yet." i say. she nods in agreement and we just stay like that for a bit. she's not big into being touched so i'm surprised she's cuddling with me right now but i'm not gonna say anything. i love having her in my arms.

#will smith hockey #danielle duke #will x dani

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oldstormyy · 2 years ago

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Mr Leonard Lenny Summers ? :-)))

First impression: not exactly first impression but the first time I restarted the game and saw Lenny again I started crying becos I missed him so much

Impression now: he is such a fundamental character and truly represented the future of the gang. this intention is clear in the writing and yet it's more understated than it could be. thankfully benjamin byron davis talks about it regularly in interviews lest we forget

Favorite moment: his intellectual debates with Dutch <3 also his death is so so impactful. I second complaints that it's the only death scene that isn't framed in a cinematic cutscene, however the way it plays out is so visceral, that moment for sure did something to me. the direction is bonkers in the entire mission

Idea for a story: sometimes I wonder how much of a theatre kid Lenny would be

Unpopular opinion: i dont know what opinions people have on Lenny. but I often think about how he defends Sean when Arthur compares the two of them.... I love how eager he is to prove himself and contribute to the gang and I love that sometimes it makes him reckless (like in the stagecoach robbery...) ah another thing I think is interesting is that he's not against robbing the train in chapter 1 !!

Favorite relationship: i have to say his relationship with Dutch is a source of infinite entertainment to me. Dutch trying to be fatherly to Lenny but Lenny already had a good father so he doesn't need the emotional support. the fact that hes the only gang member who can actually talk about Evelyn miller constructively. wait you know what's fucking hilarious to me, the fact that Hosea didn't like Lenny at first. but that says more about Hosea than Lenny so I won't get into it here <3

again no headcanons so have this really old Sean and Lenny doodle

#LOVE U FRIKK

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reddeadreference · 2 years ago

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Leonard "Lenny" Summers

(The above photo was taken at Clemen's Point)

(Warning: This post contains spoilers!)

About

Name: Leonard "Lenny" Summers

Age: 19 (the youngest member of the gang if you don't count Jack)

(Note: Even though the description states he joined 3 years after avenging his father when he was 15, Arthur states he's 19 so presumably Lenny had a birthday pass during the time he's been with the gang.)

Description: (official description from R*)

A fairly recent addition to the gang, young Lenny had spent the previous three years on the run for murder from every lawman and bounty hunter west of the Lannahechee River. Some drunks jumped and killed his father when he was walking home one night, so Lenny stole a gun and shot them all. He was only fifteen years old at the time. His father and uncle were well-educated and gave Lenny a good schooling when he was growing up. Smart, competent and ambitions, he is always ready to do his part, and is fairly happy living in a community where he his mostly judged for his ability not his appearance.

Quick Facts

He is one of the newer members of the gang. Arthur states he's been with them only six months.

His parents were slaves.

His father educated him.

He had been trying to teach Sean how to read. ("Trying" because Sean didn't want to learn.)

He sometimes has discussions with Dutch about Evelyn Miller, with whom he disagrees with because "[Miller] doesn't say much to [him]" and "...[Miller] speaks very prettily, but he doesn't say anything new."

During a campfire scene he tells how he lost the pocket watch given to him by his father during the escape from Blackwater. Arthur can buy/find/loot a replacement to give to him.

He was sweet on Jenny Kirk. (Mentioned once by Hosea and Arthur on the ride to Valentine in 'Exit Pursued by a Bruised Ego' and during a camp conversation between Hosea and Lenny. Lenny says "Was it that obvious?" in reply to Hosea saying "I know you were sweet on her".)

Outfits by chapter

Ch 1: Colter

Ch 2-4

Chapters 2 through 4 he has a few outfits that change in variation depending on the chapter. For instance, the first outfit under chapter 3 is the same as the first for chapter 4 only he doesn't have his union suit on underneath and pants are over his boots (also shown beside it as he does wear that union suit variation in chapter 4 too but again with pants over the boots). Some outfits shown are the same but with/without a hat or pants being over or under boots. Union suit is 'listed' under chapter 3 but can be seen in chapter 2 and 4 as well.

Outfit Details

Hat, knife and gun holsters, small details, and close up on fabric.

Bank Heist Outfit

Lenny is one of the four of the eight to use his bandana instead of a mask.

Life/Events

As stated in his description, his father was murdered when he was 15 and he took revenge on the men who did it. He had been on the run for three years before he joined the Van Der Linde gang.

Missions

Chapter 1: Colter -

Lenny is in two of the six missions in Chapter 1.

He's part of the assault on the O'Driscoll camp in Old Friends and the train robbery in Who the Hell is Leviticus Cornwall?

Chapter 2: Horseshoe Overlook -

His only mission in chapter 2 is A Quiet Time. Having been sent to scout ahead with Micah he later returns alone after escaping Strawberry where Micah had been arrested. Shaken, Dutch tells Arthur to take Lenny into town for a drink.

Chapter 3: Clemen's Point -

Lenny is part of 3 out of the 16 missions in Chapter 3.

In "Preaching Forgiveness as He Went" he and Arthur go to Shady Belle; the mission title is named so because Lenny 'pulls a Hosea' to trick the Lemoyne Raiders into coming closer for Arthur to fire on them. He joins Bill, Karen, and Arthur when they go back to Valentine to rob the bank in Sodom? Back to Gomorrah.

Chapter 4: Shady Belle -

While Lenny is also in Horsemen, Apocalypse so is everyone else so I'm only counting the other 4 out of 11 missions in chapter 4.

During The Gilded Cage Lenny is the one to drive the wagon for the others who are attending the Mayor's party. He, Dutch, and Arthur rob the trolley station in Urban Pleasures then goes along to confront Bronte in Revenge is a Dish Best Eaten for that set up. Lenny's final mission is Banking, The Old American Art where unfortunately he is gunned down on the roof.

Camp Life

Lenny's bed changes location and sleeping position depending on the camp much like many of the other members.

At Horseshoe Overlook he will sit in the center against a box between where Hosea and Bill sleep.

At Clemen's Point he'll sleep on his stomach at the main campfire.

At Shady Belle he sleeps on his back in the red tent on the bedroll furthest in the tent.

Lenny can be seen standing guard at each camp (Ch 1-4) and occasionally does the water bucket chore. At times he can be seen cleaning/checking his gun, smoking, reading either a newspaper or a book in various places in camp, or brushing one of the horses.

Death

Lenny is shot and killed in Banking, The Old American Art during the escape of the bank heist in chapter 4. After escaping to the roof he was the first to run forward and was shot by two lawmen who burst through a door. Arthur runs to his body and stays with him as long as he can. Charles is the only other member present to actually stop, Javier will hesitate and look back but the rest will simply run past without looking.

Lenny is later buried beside Hosea, under a tree in the swamp North East of Lakay.

-If there's something incorrect or something missing from this post you think is important or should be added please don't hesitate to either reply, reblog, or send in an ask about it.-

#Lenny Summers #rdr2 #red dead 2 #red dead redemption 2 #rdr2 spoilers #rdr2 chapter 4 spoilers

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ambarinos · 2 years ago

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glory to the night (it shows me what I am) (23265 words) by lavandulas Chapters: 3/? Fandom: Red Dead Redemption (Video Games) Rating: Mature Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings Relationships: Arthur Morgan/Charles Smith, John Marston & Arthur Morgan, Hosea Matthews & Arthur Morgan, Other Relationship Tags to Be Added, Tilly Jackson & Arthur Morgan Characters: Arthur Morgan, Charles Smith (Red Dead Redemption), John Marston, Hosea Matthews, Dutch van der Linde, Micah Bell, Javier Escuella, Leonard "Lenny" Summers, Sean MacGuire, Tilly Jackson, Mary-Beth Gaskill, Karen Jones (Red Dead Redemption), Sadie Adler, Susan Grimshaw, Kieran Duffy, Abigail Roberts Marston, Jack Marston, Molly O'Shea, Other Character Tags to Be Added Additional Tags: Fix-It, Fix-It of Sorts, Somebody Lives/Not Everyone Dies, Alternate Universe - Canon Divergence, Slow Burn, Manipulation, High Honor Arthur Morgan, an 'if the honour system actually mattered' au, Nature, Supernatural Elements, kind of. very subtly., more so hamfisted metaphors for the honour system than supernatural elements but here we are., Implied/Referenced Child Abuse, pushing my tilly and arthur sibling agenda, Period-Typical Homophobia, Angst, Dreams and Nightmares

Summary: Vague-edged and shadow-cast against the pale ice of the lake’s far bank stand a wolf and a buck. Skirting the frozen water’s edge they circle one another — not in the pursuit of predator and prey, but an eclipsing dance of equal footing — before coming to a standstill as if preparing to duel, the pinprick black of them like staring down the muzzle of a gun. At this distance, their eyes are lost in their shaded forms, but something glints in the lens, and Arthur gets a strange feeling in the hair on the back of his neck that he’s being watched. Later, Arthur will remember the buck and the wolf on the lake’s shore, and let himself hope.

#rdr2 fanfic #rdr2 fanfiction #charles smith rdr2 #rdr2 #rdr #charles smith #arthur morgan #charthur #red dead redemption 2 #red dead redemption fanfic

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fandomficsnstuff · 1 month ago

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Redemption For All - 18

(Warnings: Angst, blood, more angst and some tiny fluff at the end)

Notes: I do NOT speak spanish but I think it is a very beautiful language and sadly all I can say in spanish is ‘I can’t speak spanish’, so I used google translate, sorry. Some words are in Italic, which is the translated words, and others are just straight up spanish.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

“So, have you found out a name yet?” Lenny asked with a smile and Leah sighed, leaning back in the chair, a hand resting over her stomach as she looked down at it, smiling. She was only just about starting to show, her heart filling with bliss at the thought “no, not really. So much has been going on… I think Dutch has been looking into some railway or train station or something to rob so he’ll probably take Arthur with him. I guess I’ll ask him when he gets back from that.”

“And he asked you to marry him” Lenny added with a smirk and Leah blushed, looking down at the ring on her finger “that he did… I never thought I’d marry anyone, not after my last gi-... partner…” she admitted hesitantly, Lenny gently patting her shoulder “Arthur’s one of the good ones. I mean, at least compared to the rest of us.”

“You’re young, Lenny, there’s a lot of people you can still meet” she stated with amusement before sighing heavily, her eyes locked on her stomach. It wasn’t noticeable through her clothes yet, but it would be soon. “I still can’t believe that I’m pregnant” she admitted sheepishly, laughing briefly and Lenny placed a hand on her shoulder, making her look up at him “hey, you’re gonna be a good mom, I mean, look at how you take care of us! And we don’t exactly make it easy-” he was cut off by a loud scream, both of them standing up and turning, finding a horse riding into camp with a headless body on top, the missing head in the folded hands of the corpse. “It’s Kieran!” Mary-Beth screamed, Leah’s eyes widening and she hurried over in some misguided attempt to help when Dutch’s order for them to take cover was barely heard, Lenny tackling Leah to the ground, keeping her under cover behind some sandbags as gunfire rained down all around them. Lenny helped her crawl behind some wooden covers, Leah almost staying flat against the ground as Dutch called for the women and children to get inside and the rest to hold firm, Leah’s eyes landing on the house and it’s doors. “Go on, I’ll cover you-”

“What?! I’m not leaving you in this!” she hissed, Lenny sighing “you’re pregnant, Doc-”

“I’m not eight months yet!! Give me that repeater!” she hissed and gestured to a gun next to him, Lenny hesitantly giving it to her and Leah grabbed it, making sure it was loaded before sighing heavily. “You know how to shoot one of those?”

“Know how? Yes. Have I ever done it?... Not at anything other than bottles and cans” she admitted shakily before closing her eyes, mumbling to herself before moving to kneel behind the cover, leaning up when there was a cease in the rain of bullets, aiming the gun and firing, hitting at least three people as she kept squeezing the trigger, over and over again, Lenny yanking her back down, taking in her wide-eyed look. “You good?”

“I think-... I hit s-someone” she admitted, Lenny nodding with a frown “alright, you good?”

“No…”

“Think you can make a run for the house?”

“What about you?”

“I’ll be right behind you” he promised and Leah sighed heavily “you better be, Leonard Summers” she hissed before taking a deep breath, and another, and then bolting for the house, just in time for Arthur to appear, holding the doors open while shooting his revolver. The second he saw Leah, he put his gun away and caught her, holding her close as he pulled her behind a wall, Leah’s hands fisting his shirt, body shaking, her eyes shut tightly. “You hit? Leah! You hit?!”

“No! No, I’m okay” Leah managed to get out, having dropped the gun the second she was inside and in Arthur’s arms. “Alright, you listen to me. Don’t let anyone come through that door, you hear?”

“Arthur-”

“You hear me?” he asked a little harsher, letting go of her to kneel down, snatching the carbine repeater and giving it to her, cupping her face in his hands, noting the wetness on her cheeks from her tears “I love you, keep these folk safe, keep both of you safe” Arthur whispered, placing a hand over her stomach and she nodded, sniffling a little before straightening up a bit “don’t get shot” she whispered, kissing Arthur before letting him venture out into that hell. “Okay… okay, everyone? Follow me, come on!” Leah called, making sure the repeater was fully loaded before hurrying upstairs with the others, shooting from the window by the stairs to give them time to get past, following them shortly after, moving them all to her room, which by far had the most coverage compared to the rest of the upper floor. “Okay, okay, lay down flat on your stomachs” she ordered, everyone doing as told except Leah, she moved over to the door, kneeling down with her back against it, her heart racing in her chest and she shut her eyes tightly, her hand moving to her stomach before she nodded to herself. She turned her head and looked at a horrified Jack, forcing a smile at him, the gunfire outside having ceased so she moved over to him, still keeping low. She moved to her bag and got out her stethoscope, placing the buds in Jack’s ears and placing the end of it over Abigail’s heart. “Listen, that’s your mom’s heart” Leah whispered, turning to Abigail “you need to calm your heart. Take slow breaths, in through the nose, out through the mouth” Leah whispered and Abigail nodded, doing as told, shutting her eyes tightly and soon she felt her own heart slow down from it’s rapid beating.

The door burst open, all of them gasping as Leah turned around with the repeater, her eyes wide as she clutched it tightly, the barrel pointed at the intruder, which was Arthur. The second that Leah recognized him, she dropped the gun and ran to him, hugging him tightly and he hugged her back just as much. “You’re okay, you’re okay. You’re both okay?” Arthur asked quickly, parting from Leah to look her up and down, Leah smiling at him “I’m fine” she whispered, cupping his face in her hands, hoping he’d look at her but he just kept staring down at her. “Arthur?...”

“Your leg” Abigail nearly sobbed, Leah looking down at her leg, finding a large blood stain that had gone unnoticed due to the brown color of her pants, her brows furrowing and she felt her heart race. “That’s-... not good” she muttered, slowly starting to feel the pain spread, the others getting up, Abigail rushing over to Leah “what do we do? What do we do?”

“Is-... is there two holes?”

“Lemme see” Abigail leaned down, trying to spot a second hole and she breathed out in relief when she found it “there is!”

“Good, it went through…”

“You don’t feel it?” Karen asked and Leah clenched her jaw, the pain slowly becoming unbearable “adrenaline. It’s why I didn’t notice it before but it’s going to run out and when it does- FUCK!” Leah gasped, the true pain finally hitting her and she let out a brief cry, hands shaking as Arthur picked her up, hurrying her to her cot, past the others. “Get Miss Grimshaw and Swanson!” Arthur ordered, holding Leah’s hand as she almost broke her teeth with how hard she clenched her jaw, tears rolling down her cheeks as her entire body was strained and stiff, her blood starting to soak her cot. Miss Grimshaw and Swanson appeared, Swanson already getting out the morphine but Leah’s eyes widened and she nearly sat up, shaking her head “no, no no no no no no drugs please” she begged, looking to Arthur for help, tears pouring down her cheeks “no, no, no drugs, please! No drugs.”

“You’re in pain, sweetheart-”

“The baby, please don’t” she whispered, Arthur’s eyes moving to her unharmed belly and he clenched his jaw, shaking his head at Swanson who put his tools away in shock and confusion. “Everything that goes into my body-.... goes into the baby” Leah managed to get out through the pain, gritting her teeth as Miss Grimshaw felt around the area, her eyes moving to her “r-remember w-w-what I u-used on S-Strauss and Arthur?” she asked shakily, Miss Grimshaw nodding and Arthur left only long enough to bring her bag and open it, quickly grabbing her hand again and Leah clutched it tightly. “S-Stop the b-bleeding. I-It’s n-n-no-ot-” she cut herself off, taking a deep breath “it’s no-ot an a-arterial b-bleed… s-stop it b-by ap-plying pres-... pressure. I-It w-went t-through s-so there’s two h-hol-les. S-Stop the b-bleed-ding, t-then u-use the n-n-numbing agent” Leah stuttered, breath shaky at the burning pain. So, this is what getting shot feels like after the adrenaline wore off. Not fun by her standards.

“It’s alright now, Doctor Riverra, you can relax, I’ve got this” Miss Grimshaw stated comfortingly and Leah nodded, shutting her eyes tightly as she felt Miss Grimshaw apply pressure to both wounds, Arthur wincing “can’t you give her somethin’?!”

“I need to stop the bleeding first, Mr. Morgan. Now I know that you’ve been shot more than her but I think I’m gonna listen to the Doc on this one” Miss Grimshaw scolded, Leah briefly laughing before groaning in pain, Arthur turning to look at her “whatchu laughin’ at?” he asked jokingly to try and lift the mood, Leah giving him a strained smile “n-nothing… d-don’t w-worry about m-me, ok-kay? M-Mi-iss G-Grimshaw knows w-what she’s d-... doing. W-What a-ab-bout that t-train st-tation j-j-job?” she muttered, still clutching his hand tightly and Arthur couldn’t help but smirk “ain’t done it yet…”

“D-Do i-it so-oon, a-af-fterw-wards w-we can talk a-ab-bout n-names” she stuttered out, sweat covering her and yet she gave him a weak smile, Arthur nodding with hesitance “d-don’t l-le-et me g-gett-ting shot s-stop y-y-ou, I’m s-serious, Ar-rthur… d-don’t” she added, Arthur chuckling briefly, nodding as he continued to hold her hand “whatever you say, Doc. Let’s just get through this one first, though” he whispered, kissing her sweaty forehead. “Mr. Morgan, give me a hand with this” Miss Grimshaw ordered, Abigail hurrying into the room after settling Jack with John and comforting him. “Miss Roberts, I didn’t think you were gonna show” Miss Grimshaw scolded, Abigail opening her mouth when Leah jumped in “s-she ha-as a s-son, h-he comes f-...f-fir-rst, a-alw-ways” Leah got out harshly, Miss Grimshaw’s stern expression softening at Leah before turning to Arthur “you can stay by her side, Mr. Morgan” she stated softly, turning to Abigail who helped Miss Grimshaw with the dosage and the right needle of the numbing agent, Leah’s eyes closing somewhere along the way, the pain too much, her own body knocking her out to spare her the pain any long. “S-She-... Leah? Leah!”

“She’s fine, it’s just from the pain. She told me things like that can happen, even if someone is used to pain, it’s just the body responding to it, she’s fine” Abigail comforted, Arthur nodding, tears in his eyes as he continued to hold her hand while Miss Grimshaw and Abigail stopped the bleeding, numbed up the leg and bandaged it all.

---------------------------------------------------------------

Leah barely felt her leg as she woke up, her body sticky with sweat and her eyelids felt heavy. Her hand lazily moved up and covered her stomach, relief flooding her when she felt that small bulge, that small roundness where her child was. “I was thinkin’... maybe, if it’s a girl… we could name her after your mother” Arthur’s raspy voice was like a soothing white noise, her eyes opening, turning her head to look at Arthur “or, we could name her after yours… I kind of like the name ‘Beatrice’...”

“Well, my momma would’ve liked you for sure” Arthur stated with a soft chuckle before sighing, lifting his hand to place it over hers. “How long was I out for?”

“Only a day, Miss Grimshaw and Abigail got you fixed up real well. Not as well as you, mind, but well enough” Arthur joked lightly at the end and Leah chuckled briefly, closing her eyes again before sighing “getting shot sucks…”

“That it does” he mumbled, his brows furrowing as Leah tried to sit up “w-whoa, hold up, what’re you tryin’ ter do?”

“Sit up? Get up?”

“The hell you gonna do that for?”

“Arthur, do you honestly think that I’ll lay around for weeks?”

“If it’d been me, you would’ve tied me to the bed to keep me still!” Arthur pointed out, Leah hesitating before sighing, laying back down with a pout, making Arthur chuckle “don’t you go poutin’ like that, a few weeks and you’ll be runnin’ ‘round with the rest ‘f us” he soothed and Leah sighed, nodding to herself and at his words, though still not entirely pleased. “You feel any pain?”

“No… the numbing agent is probably still working.”

“And when it wears off?...”

“Hopefully I can handle it… I’ll see… if it’s worse than I can handle, I can always use some of that nerve block, inject it around the area on both sides to dull the pain until my leg is healed more” Leah mumbled, looking down at her slightly elevated leg, she could see the bandages underneath the pant leg. “Don’t you worry, you’ll be up ‘n ready for anythin’ before ya know it, if you take your own advice” Arthur reminded her and she rolled her eyes but smiled all the same, sighing as she decided to close her eyes and try to relax while the nerve block was still working. “I know you don’t want me to worry but I’m gonna anyway, so when you’re okay to be up ‘n about, Dutch, Lenny ‘n I will hit that trolley station, Bronte said there’d be a lotta money sittin’ in there ‘n Dutch scoped it out, he thinks we can hit it” Arthur stated and Leah nodded, turning to smile softly at him. “I have a few ideas if it’s a boy, you know” she admitted with a small smirk, Arthur leaning back in his chair, his hand still over hers over her pregnant belly, his hand holding hers tightly “that so?” he asked with a smirk, shrugging “maybe I got a few ‘f my own” he stated casually and Leah chuckled “I got shot recently, so I’m going first.”

“Oh, so that’s how it’s gonna be, is it?”

“Yup.”

“Fine, but only ‘cause you just got shot and you’re pregnant. I’ll let you go first” he stated with amusement and Leah giggled quietly, giving his hand a fond squeeze as she smiled at him.

#RDR2 #RDR2 fanfic #Red Dead Redemption 2 #Red Dead Redemption 2 fic #Leah Riverra #Arthur Morgan #Redemption For All #Arthur x OC #Arthur Morgan x Leah Riverra

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