HIS II | Arthur Morgan x Reader

The Loss of a Hero

Mary regards the maid's body with distaste.

"If only you'd arrived five minutes later, then we could have had tea."

"Mary, you killed someone." Arthur stares at her in disbelief. His plan is completely forgotten as he sits defenseless in the chair, his weapons scattering the edges of the room. The woman across from him was barely recognizable in her eerily calm demeanor.

"I'm so glad you're here Arthur, I missed you." She ignores him, straightening her back and poising herself as if she were the perfect host and there wasn't a dead body less than three feet away.

"Mary, what's going on? Where are my children? Where's Jack?"

"Oh, Arthur can't we just enjoy our time together?" when she sees he doesn't remove his frown she sighs, leaning back. "Fine. Tris is technically still here."

Arthur stands, "Where is she, I want to see her." Mary wags her finger, pointing at the gun and reminding him he was in no position to make demands. Reluctantly, he sinks back into the chair. "Mary, I swear to god if they're harmed."

"Relax Arthur, they're fine." She glances at the grandfather clock that ticks ominously by the wall. "Alfie and Jack should be with their mothers any minute now."

Confusion crosses his face. "What?"

"Yes, they're quite safe with Micah and they'll remain that way. I've no intention of harming a child Arthur they're simply there to make sure the rest of them go quietly. I'd hate to see Micah lose money on their bounties for bringing them in dead." She seems to consider this for a moment. "Actually, I don't really care, but I would enjoy it if we could go to her hanging."

Realization dawns. Arthur swallows the thick lump in his throat- she separated us. He had played right into her trap, and thanks to the letter John and Charles sent she knew exactly where to send Micah. He begins to feel sick and has to close his eyes to steady himself. He rakes his hands through his hair hoping this was all a nightmare and he'd wake up beside you soon.

He focuses on the thought of Tris. She was in the house, he just had to get to her to safety then he could figure out what to do.

"Mary, what do you want?"

She smiles at him, the smile that used to make his heart melt now sent shivers through his body. "For us to be a family, Arthur. You, me, and our beautiful daughter."

She had gone insane.

"Mary, Tris isn't-." Arthur pauses, seeing Mary's eye twitch. He had to tread extremely carefully as she had clearly become unstable. He needed to figure out her plan. "Mary, Abigail, and Y/n don't have dead or alive bounties, what do you mean hanging?" He was sure, he'd seen their posters. John was a different story.

"They do if you own the police."

Shit.

He should have known she'd paid them off. Now the pieces were falling into place. She had been the investor the chief had told the bartender about. The night in the bar felt like years ago.

"So, what, they all hang, and then you and I run away into the sunset? That it?"

"Again Arthur, you insult my intelligence. Or maybe I'm insulting yours? I'm not a silly old rich girl anymore Arthur, I know you'll high tail it out of here the minute you realize you can't save them. So, I'll offer you this." She stands, pacing back and forth in front of him. "As long as you stay with me, acting like the perfect husband they'll avoid the gallows. Fail to convince me you're anything but and I give the order to hang them. Do we have a deal?"

His heart is hammering against his chest, and he swallows down the urge to vomit.

Think Arthur. Think!

He draws a blank, unable to find a flaw in her plan. He eyes the gun on the table. He could kill her, take Tris and run, but that didn't help you. The bounties on your head were now dead or alive. If Micah didn't get to you, every other bounty hunter in the surrounding states would now be looking for you. Even if you did evade them, what could he offer you? Life on the run?

His stomach churns as he stands. "You have a deal."

Mary's smile is like a cat cornering its prey. "Oh, Arthur I'm so glad you see it my way."

She steps forward and places her hands on his chest, and he fights the urge to flinch.

"Now how about we practice?" she tilts her head up, sliding her arms around the neck making it clear she intended to kiss him. "Convince me."

The bile rises in his throat as he stares down at her, his brain screaming at him to run.

Please forgive me Y/N.

***

"One two three. No one's as brave as me." Tris's lip wobbles as she continues to repeat the mantra. Her knuckles are white with their grip on her knees as she rocks back and forth. "No one's as brave as me. No one's as brave as me."

She scrubs her sleeve across her nose, the fabric damp with tears and snot. Was her Daddy dead? Had that been what she heard? As she calms herself down, she's no longer sure- that or she didn't want to believe it.

Pushing herself from her hiding spot she creeps from the cupboard, and on shaky legs tiptoes back through the kitchen.

"I'm brave." She breathes to psyche herself up.

Peering low around the corner she first spots the blood, the sticky red pool seeping along the lines of the parlor's wooden floor. She pinches her eyes closed, not wanting to see anymore but needing to.

Pushing on she leans further out only to have all the air escape her lungs.

"Daddy?" she whimpers.

Her daddy's mouth moves against Mary's the way it used to against Mama's, the way that always made Mama smile.

"Tris?" he pulls away, his eyes wide as he turns to her.

But she doesn't want to see him anymore, the fear of his death now replaced with nothing but confusion and hurt. Covering her face she turns and runs, sprinting as fast as she can back to her room.

Her world was falling apart and she just wanted to go home.