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(T/W: Mentions of suicide and abuse)

Thomas Samuel Fergus Haxton, known as Tommy by his friends and family, went to a duel to defend his wife's honor after a man called her a whore. He was killed by a gunshot wound to the chest.

At least, in your universe, he was. In this one, he didn't even go to the duel.

-

1817

Tommy lay in bed beside his wife. Her arms were tightly around him, her face nuzzled into his chest. He pressed a kiss to the top of her head. He knew he had to get up soon. His duel was at sunrise. But oh, Angel's arms were so welcoming. He could rest for a moment longer, surely...

Suddenly it was noon. He overslept and missed the duel. Oh, what would his father say? His cousins and siblings?

But perhaps...it was better this way. He'd never been much of a fighter, anyhow. He couldn't stand the idea of shooting another man.

Angel sat up sleepily beside him. She yawned, rubbing the sleep from her eyes. "What're you thinking about, darling?" she asked softly.

Tommy shook the thoughts from his head, smiling. "Nothing, Dolphin."

-

Later, 1817

Angel laid in bed, holding a small blonde baby girl. 

"What will we name her?" she asked, looking up at her husband.

Tommy stroked the baby's fuzz of hair. He thought for a moment, looking down at the baby girl. "Susie," he said finally. "Susie Alice."

Angel smiled, pressing a kiss to the top of her daughter's head. "Susie Alice Haxton," she said softly. "Welcome to the world."

-

1819

Susie Alice ran through the house, screaming with laughter. Little Ruby and Claire chased her. Angel smiled, watching the three girls play.

Tommy stooped down and pressed a kiss to his wife's cheek. Even after five- well, now six- pregnancies, she was still as beautiful as the day he met her.

Her dark hair shone like chestnut in the dimming light, the dusk sky giving the appearance of red highlights. Her eyes were like coffee, or tea. She had laugh lines around her mouth and crow's feet around her eyes from laughing so much.

She looked like an angel.

"Look at them," she said softly, gesturing to Claire, Ruby, and Susie Alice. "It seems like just yesterday they were growing inside me. Now..."

"Now we're going to have another," Tommy finished, crouching down. He pressed a kiss to Angel's growing stomach.

The brunette nodded, a small smile on her face.

"I love you, Tommy."

"I love you more, Dolphin."

-

1825

Tommy sat in the kitchen, his youngest son at his feet. He was reading a book of fairytales to the small boy.

Daniel looked up at Tommy, his red hair falling in his eyes. "How come the mermaid fell in love with a prince?" he asked.

"We can't control who we fall in love with," the man chuckled. "Just like I fell in love with your mother."

He looked down. It had been six years since Angel had died. She'd come down with childbed fever and died two weeks after Daniel had been born. Now Tommy was raising their six kids on his own.

"What was Mama like?" Daniel asked, though he heard the stories all the time. He never got tired of hearing them.

Tommy chuckled. "Well..."

-

1826

TJ burst into Tommy's room, in tears. With no warning, he blurted, "I killed a man."

Tommy jumped up. "You did what!?" he demanded.

His son broke down sobbing, explaining.

TJ's cousin and best friend, Elizabeth, had been shot and killed by her father, Hugh Richardson. TJ had promised to duel whoever killed Elizabeth the day before. It had been a joke. But then Hugh shot her and suddenly TJ was shooting him.

"I don't know what to do..." he whispered.

Tommy hauled him to his feet. "Run," he informed him. 

"Run."

-

1830

"Papa, this is Adam," Ruby said, gesturing to the Native American man on her arm. The man gave Tommy a charming smile. "We're gonna get married!"

Tommy hugged his daughter tightly. "I'm so happy for you, sweetheart," he said quietly. In all honesty, he was surprised. Why hadn't he heard about this boy before?

He held out his hand to Adam. "Nice to meet you, young man. You better treat my little girl like a princess," he said.

Ruby's face flushed bright red as Adam took Tommy's hand. "I promise, sir," he assured him.

Tommy prayed that he would.

-

1832

Tommy sat in a small shack in the woods, holding a healthy baby boy. "Hello, Micheal," he said softly. "How are you?"

He smiled at his grandson, looking between Ruby and Adam. Ruby looked tired, dark circles under her eyes. Her auburn hair had lost its shine. Adam looked happy and energetic. He held his wife's hand tightly, watching his newborn son intently.

"I'll trust him with you two kids," Tommy said lightheartedly, handing Micheal to Ruby.

-

1850

Tommy burst into Ruby and Adam's cabin. It couldn't have been true. It couldn't have! Ruby had to be alive.

He grabbed Adam by the collar, towering over the other man. "Where is my daughter!?" he demanded.

Adam froze. "She killed herself, Mr. Haxton," he said quietly.

Tommy dropped him. He was seeing red. He'd heard rumors that Adam had been beating Ruby, but he thought they'd been just that. Rumors. Now Adam had driven his baby girl to committing suicide.

"I'll kill you!" Tommy roared, lunging for the man.

Adam took a step back, grabbing a knife. Tommy grabbed for Adam but tripped over a stool, the knife getting embedded in his abdomen.

Tommy gasped. He fell to the ground, clutching his stomach.

"I'm sorry, Mr. Haxton," Adam said coolly. "But you have to leave now." With that, he twisted the knife in Tommy. Everything faded to black.

At last, Tommy and Angel were reunited.