I Am Not Yours

Home For Christmas

November 1914

Abigail felt herself on Cloud Nine after Cody had woken up from the surgery Carson performed. She immediately began to plan Cody's birthday party with Becky and Elizabeth. She let Elizabeth know that she could help with the cake as they walked down Main Street that afternoon and soon her friend grabbed her arm and stopped her from walking. "That's a sight I'd never thought I'd see." Elizabeth said, looking across the street at Bill escorting Henry out of the office and to a prison stagecoach.

Abigail's smile immediately faded as she looked to see what the teacher was talking about and she looked back at Elizabeth. "I'll catch up with you later."

Elizabeth nodded, suddenly feeling bad for what she had said as she realized that Abigail might be a little sad seeing Henry go. Before she could say anything else to Abigail, the cafe owner rushed across the street to greet Henry just before Bill was about to place him in the stagecoach.

"I thought you were leaving yesterday." Abigail said to him.

"I heard there was bad weather near Cape Fullerton. I didn't want to take the chance." Bill lied.

"Actually, Bill was kind enough to let me stay an extra day until there was news." Henry admitted.

"About?" Abigail asked, a bit confused.

"About your boy." He said and gulped a bit, nervous about how she would react to that. When she looked a bit in shock with no response, he spoke again. "I'm glad he pulled through."

"Thank you for that, Henry." She softly smiled at him, her stomach feeling butterflies and she tried to ignore it as she and Henry just looked into each other's eyes.

Bill looked between them, feeling awkward. "Time to get going." He finally broke the silence.

"Well, I guess this is goodbye." Abigail told Henry.

"I'll be back sooner than you think." Henry softly smiled back at her. His words not really matching reality as he was too lost in Abigail's eyes to even know what he was saying.

"I wouldn't be too sure of that." Bill said.

Abigail actually felt a tinge of sadness as Bill said that and she hoped, for a brief second, that Henry would be found innocent though she knew that he was most likely guilty. But she didn't want this to be the very last time she saw him and a part of her wished they were alone so she could kiss him one last time. "Take care of yourself, Henry." She decided to just be civil in front of everyone that watched them and she leaned forward, taking one of his arms and kissing him on the cheek.

"You too." He said, barely in a whisper before she turned and left, knowing that if she didn't leave immediately, she would try to stall Bill even more from taking Henry away from her...well, the town.

Henry watched her leave, feeling something he hadn't felt in a long time...Sadness.

He was quickly snapped out of it as Bill placed a hand on his shoulder to make him get inside the stagecoach and they left...Henry feeling certain that he would never get to see Abigail ever again and he told himself...it's what he deserved after everything he had done.

That night, the first snow fell and the ride toward Cape Fullerton was cold for Henry. He normally ran warm but feeling so melancholy about Abigail possibly being disappointed in him and never getting to see her again was keeping his body temperature lower than usual. But he never complained. The thoughts that he deserved it all kept him quiet and he ignored hearing some of Bill's remarks in the front of the stagecoach.

It was almost morning by the time they arrived at their destination. Henry shivered in the back as the stagecoach door swung open but before he could step out, they were met by a man that worked in the prison. "I'm afraid we are going to have to turn you away." The man said.