Birds of a Feather

John

John stood at the entrance to the Shady Belle camp, wishing for Pearson to finish cooking and hoping Abigail would bring him a meal soon. Somehow, he'd gotten stuck with the early guard shift and he couldn't say he preferred it.

After a few hours with only himself for company, Charles settled nearby on a crate and began wrapping arrows.

John pointed. "What are you makin' there?"

"Fire arrows," Charles told him solemnly. "We should be better prepared in case those O'Driscolls come around again."

John nodded. "How much to make me some of those?"

Charles paused in his work and looked up. "Do you know how to use a bow? Or even own one?"

John winced. Dumb ass. "No. I guess I don't."

Charles smiled a little. "I taught Arthur to hunt with a bow. It can't be any more difficult to teach you."

"Thanks," John said. "As long as I ain't made fun of for tryin'."

"That's half the teaching."

Uncle eventually ambled over to them. He took a spot near John and crossed his arms with a smug look on his face.

"What is it, old man?" John asked irritably when it didn't appear Uncle was going away anytime soon.

"Oh, nothing."

"Will you just tell me and be on your goddamn way?"

Uncle frowned. "Why's everyone so goddamn pissy today?"

"Maybe 'cause you keep walkin' up to them."

"You talk to me like that some more and I won't want to tell you what I seen."

"Maybe I don't want to hear it."

But John had known Uncle since childhood. The old fool couldn't keep his damn mouth shut to save his life.

As he expected, Uncle leaned in and jutted a thumb behind him. "Morgan's got himself a woman up there."

Charles glanced at the house. "Is that so?"

"Yeah. Mighty fine one too."

John pushed on his shoulder. "Get the hell out of here with your lies, old man."

Uncle protested, "I ain't lyin'. It's true! I saw her."

"Sure."

"I'm serious! If you don't believe me, ask..." Uncle trailed off and his eyes went wide, staring behind John.

"Ask who?"

"Gotta go." He scurried off real quick.

John glanced behind him and figured out why. Abigail was striding their direction, but there weren't no dinner plate in her hands and she had the look of a woman on a mission. He sighed. This couldn't be good.

When she reached him, he asked right away, "What's wrong? The boy okay?"

Her mouth was partially open, but his questions stopped her full on. She stared at him in surprise. "Yes. Jack's fine. Tilly's watching over him."

He nodded, relieved. "Good."

After they'd got the boy back, he'd convinced Abigail to move up into his room. So they could...he didn't know. Be a real family or something. John didn't want to say Jack getting taken was a good thing, but it really put it in perspective for him how much the boy meant to him.

Abigail shook her head. "I ain't here about Jack."

"Well, what's going on then?"

"Something strange, that's what."