Blessed are the Peacemakers {[RDR2 Arthur X Reader]}

chapter 31; new beginnings

Five Months Later

The honeymoon was blissful. A summer's worth of traveling the country side you'd thought you were familiar with until you had the chance to travel with a man who knows it like the back of his hand. Knowing that the
family wouldn't reach Beecher's Hope until fall time, your husband took his time taking you on many tours around historical sights, old battlegrounds and even to the town he was born in. You'd be lying if you said that was your favorite part of the trip, the truth being that you favored the rough sex in the back of the wagon in the middle of the night.

Things had quieted down and you two were adjusting to your new life together. Today is the day you reach your new home. The family you missed so much wouldn't arrive for two more weeks but you looked forward to the time alone with Arthur to settle in. You wanted to have a home ready to show off by the time they get here.

"That's it up ahead." Arthur points ahead to a tiny cabin surrounded by broken fence posts. It didn't look like much but you immediately start envisioning where the houses would be built. A spot for a barn, a field for crops and a fire pit at the center of it all for late night parties drowned with whiskey and homemade moonshine.

"It's beautiful." You lay your head on your husbands shoulder, your hand resting on your stomach.

"How are you feeling this morning?" He asks with a slight tone of concern as he kisses your forehead.

"Better. Not so sick anymore." You look up at him and place a light kiss on his lips.

"We don't need to be scared. This time is different." Arthur reassures you, reaching a hand over to rub your slightly swollen belly.

"I don't know how to... not... be scared. It's so early, anything could happen at this point. I don't want to get excited just yet."

He nods, silently sharing the same emotions and concerns. "Take your time... but I have hope."

His hand is warm on your skin, contrary to the crisp autumn air. "I don't know what I'll do if we lose-" You start to say, your voice wavering with anxiety.

"Shhh... Don't think like that. We're gonna do things right this time. I'm gonna take good care of you."

You smile at him and return your head to his shoulder. The wagon comes to a stop just outside the shambles of a cabin. You hop down and eye the place over. The dry sandy dirt and dead plants don't help make it look anymore promising. Broken glass litters the ground and the building is barely still standing, leaning towards one direction, bound to collapse at any moment.

"Best if we just tear that down and start over. I'll run into town tomorrow and see about securing some lumber." He jumps down from the wagon, joining you.

"You're going to build a house? By yourself?" You squint up at him, shielding your eyes from the rising sun.

"Sure. Not as if I'm building a mansion." He lifts his hat to scratch his head. "It'll be small but it will be more than enough for the three of us."

You lean against his chest, sighing heavily. He places another kiss on your forehead before letting go of you to unload the wagon and hitch the horses. You offer to help lift the boxes down but she shoos you away. Ever since he found out you were expecting again, he was a neurotic mess about keeping you from stress of any kind. Feeling helpless you decide to go see about a water source for the horses.

- The Next Day -

It'd been hours since Arthur had gone to town and you were beginning to feel anxious. Your mornings were no longer occupied by nausea so you didn't have much to do but read, waiting for his return. Finally, you see his horse coming around the corner of the dirt drive. The wagon is in tow behind, hauling massive loads of wooden boards and tools. To your surprise, another two wagons follow his lead, rolling into the empty homestead land.

"Hey baby!" He waves to you with a big smile stretching from ear to ear.

You wave back at him slightly confused. He'd said the house was going to be small and so you were having trouble understanding what purpose he would have for purchasing three wagons worth of wood. He barks a few orders at the hefty men in the other wagons and they begin unloading the materials onto the ground.

"What's all this?" You ask him, setting down the book you had been reading during his absence.

"Met a man in Blackwater that sells 'pre-cut houses' for the half the cost and all the tools you'll need to build it. It's gon' save us a lot of money and time. I even had enough money left over to buy a barn for the horses." He stands straight, proud of his accomplishment.

"Oh honey, that's wonderful!" You wrap your arms around him, pulling him in for a hug.

"Our house should be done before everyone gets here. I've got the blueprints here and these fine gentlemen are going to help me get the job done." He pulls the papers from his jacket pocket. "Once Dutch gets here, we can start building the other houses."

You look at him, so proud of the man you married. It was all coming together, your dream becoming a reality and it was all thanks to his hard work. It seemed like yesterday that you were making your vows to one another and now here you were, settling land and awaiting the rest of you outlaw families arrival.

Cradling your belly, you knew you weren't out of the woods yet. Every part of you was in constant fear of losing this child. You are painfully aware that you would not make it through another loss like that - the grief alone nearly killed you the first time.

But this is Beecher's Hope, named quite truthfully for the hope it gives you and Arthur. It was time to set your fears aside and look towards the Morgan families future.