Arthur Morgan did not intend to survive when he gave his hat to John Marston and stayed behind to gain his redemption. As he crawled towards his final resting place, he never intended to wake up again.
But he does wake up. Thanks to time travelers F...
Oops! This image does not follow our content guidelines. To continue publishing, please remove it or upload a different image.
1883
Arthur awoke gently from a very peaceful sleep. Sleeping next to him, cuddled up to him on the small cot they now shared, was Mary.
He watched her sleep for a moment, completely enamored with the tranquil look on her face, and the sound of her deep breathing. She deserved it after all she'd been through in the past twenty-four hours.
After escorting her to the tent he'd been sharing with John up until that point, Arthur had helped her sit down and get comfortable. She was obviously traumatized from her father's sudden abuse because she wouldn't eat or drink anything, and it was hours before she spoke. After the sobbing ended, she continued to cry silently for most of the rest of the day, until she seemed to finally run out of tears as night fell.
From what he could coax out of her, Arthur discovered her father had come home from Annesburg after losing the $250 he had started out with in a high stakes game of Blackjack. The Evans Boys had wasted no time telling Mr. Gillis about Arthur. In his fury, Mary's father had pulled out his gun and threatened Jamie with it until Mary told him about everything, including the two nights she'd spent with Arthur in her bed. Now, Mary was not only distraught because he'd disowned her for something she felt was her fault, but also because Jamie was still at the farm and she was afraid for his safety if she wasn't there to protect him.
With his promise to discuss a solution in the morning, Arthur was finally able to coax Mary into much-needed sleep. She'd wrapped her arms around him, and hadn't removed them all night. Not that Arthur was complaining. Being held by her was comforting to him as well.
As he watched her resting, Arthur's anger with Mr. Gillis grew and boiled until it began to bubble over. With anger in his heart and unable to sleep a wink, he gently wriggled out of Mary's embrace and rose from the cot. His fingers grasped his gun belt from the floor, and he clicked it around his waist with purposeful fingers.
As he began to quietly open the flap to the tent, he heard Mary stirring. She had noticed his absence, even in sleep. "Arthur?" She whispered sleepily. "Where are you going?"
Arthur sighed and knelt down next to her, kissing her forehead tenderly. "Don't worry, Mary. I ain't goin' far. I been thinkin' about Jamie, and I think I can spare John and Hosea to help me rescue him from your father before something bad happens."
Mary smiled sadly. "Okay. Be safe, Arthur. I...I love you." Her hand squeezed his gently, and a fresh tear fell from her eye.
"Shh, Mary," Arthur whispered. "Don't cry. I love you too, and I'll get him back safely. I swear." His thumb wiped her tear away. "It'll be okay soon. You'll see."
She nodded. "I know."
Arthur kissed her forehead one last time and stood back up. Pushing open the flap, he exited the tent into the cool stillness of morning. The sun was just beginning to peek over Flat Iron Lake in the distance, turning the water into a shiny, orange mirror.
