Dutch's Daughter [[RDR2 Arthur Morgan x OC]]

chapter 37; shoot the messenger

"You brought him back to me!" Abigail weeps, immediate tears rolling down her cheeks. She's the first to spot the horses coming in to camp, John still in his prison garb and metal chains hanging from his ankles. She bombards him with a too tight hug, sending him staggering back, more uncomfortable with the large show of affection than the contact itself. 

"Anything for my brother." Charlotte smirks, patting John on the back just as Jack rushes to join in on the reunion. But the moment is cut short. Dutch, tailed closely by Micah, storms over wearing a nasty scowl on his face.

"John! What are you doing here?" He thundered.

"It's good to see you to!" John half laughs.

"I meant, I hadn't sent for you yet."

"I went." Arthur finishes tying Rogue to the hitching post. 

"But I said that-"

"I know what you said. But I felt differently." Arthur steps up to face Dutch face to face, staring him down.

"We both did." Charlotte adds, hovering behind Arthur's shoulder. 

"Is that so... And when springing John brings the law down all of us, what then, Arthur?"

"Well, guess we'll have another fight on our hands." Arthur answers, unblinking. 

"Loyalty, Arthur, it ain't..." Dutch sucks in a breath, nearly shaking. "I had a goddamn plan! John. You are my son. I was coming for you."

"They was talking of hanging me!" John defends.

"They was talking! Just talking. And now they may come and hang us all!" Dutch bellows, taking slow steps back. Micah keeps his spot, eyeing them down with one hand on his pistol.

A third horse rides into town, Uncle returning to camp from a rare outing. "Found her at the saloon in Saint Denis! Drunk as a skunk and mighty mad."

Uncle hitches his horse and helps miss Molly O'Shea down from the saddle. She can barely keep two feet beneath her, eyes searching the crowd for Dutch. Once she finds him, her eyes light up and a wicked grin spreads across her face.

"Oh, Dutch! Did you miss me?" She slurs, stumbling 'til she's standing in front of him. 

"You're back, how jolly Miss O'Shea." Dutch grumbles, watching the pitiful show before him. 

"It's Molly, you sack of shit!" Tears begin to flow freely now. "The one who made you the master, the Lord Almighty! I won't be ignored any longer Dutch Van der Linde!" 

The noise attracts a crowd, circling around her like a trapped animal. She whimpers looking at the familiar. "I ain't him!" She points to Arthur. "I ain't her!" She points to Charlotte. "Or any of your stooges! You don't owe me nothing, Dutch and I don't owe you nothing."

Dutch carefully steps towards her, hands raised. "Now just try to calm down." He attempts to soothe but his approach only angers her further.

"Nothing!" She yowls again. "I'd spit in your eye! I did. I told them!"

Dutch's eyebrows knit together, hands lowering to his gun belt. "I'm sorry?"

"Yeah, that's right, I told them! I told them everything and I'd do it again! Now I've got God's ear!"

"You told who, what?" Dutch spits.

"Mr. Milton and Mr. Ross." Molly starts and every standing body in the gang feels the punch of betrayal. "About the bank robbery and I wanted them to kill you. i loved you, you goddamn bastard!" Molly weeps, throwing herself in her former lovers direction. 

Dutch dodges her, drawing his pistol. "You did what?!" He booms. Molly spirals backwards, spinning in circles with hysterical laughter.

"She's crazy. She ain't worth it. Just get her out of here!" Arthur whispers to Dutch, trying to calm the rising tension.

"What?! You know the rules, Arthur!" Dutch grits, keeping his sights well aimed.

"Not so big now, are ye Dutch? Are ye, your Majesty?" Molly challenges, roaring with laughter, her eyes crazed and delirious from many sleepless nights as she curtsies to Dutch.

The blast of a shotgun comes from within the crowd, peppering Miss Molly O'Shea with bullet holes. She doesn't stammer, doesn't cry out with pain but simply looks back up at Dutch one last time with one last tear streaming down her cheek before she topples over. Miss Grimshaw looks down at her, kicking her limp body with the heel of her boot while her gun still smokes.

"What is the hell is wrong with you, Arthur? She knew the rules!" Susan scolds, shaking her head at the man. "Mr. Pearson, Mr. Williamson, carry this body out of here and get it burnt. The rest of you, get back to work! Quit yer lollygagging!" 

Arthur grips Charlotte's arm, pulling her away from the scene, shaking his head. They walk back to his tent where they each take a seat on the bed, completely silent and unable to look each other in the eye. They'd both figured Micah to be the mole, never suspecting Molly. 

In fact, no one gave Molly much thought and ultimately that's what undid her. Loyalty was the only thing keeping this group together and when loyalty started to fail, everything built around it was doomed to fall apart.