When Hearts collide (An Arthur Morgan Rdr2 fanfiction)

Part 3

Arthur's POV

Chapter 28: Home sweet Lakay

Shady Belle, stood empty, upon returning home to a land that was familiar. A land that was home. The entire time I'd been stuck in Guarma with Dutch and the others, I had fought and fought hard, to get back home. To get back to Peyton. She must be worried sick. God knows, I'd worried about her, and our unborn babies, while I had been away. I'd barely slept, worrying about her. There were times, I'd gaze up at the moon, wondering if miles away, she was doing the same. Hell, Peyton and our babies had been the only light of hope, that I'd had of ever coming back home. They'd been the very reason, I'd made it through.

Now, as I searched the old house for any signs of life, I worried even more. Until, I came across it. It was folded neatly, and tucked into the peeling wallpaper, by the fireplace, in the main foyer. I reached for it, unfolding it. Judging by the elegant writing, one of the women had left this, for us to find.
And I soon confirmed it, when I read through, and saw Sadie's alternate name, at the bottom of the page. She'd knew, one of us would come back here. And she'd left a clue, for one of us, to find. They were holed up, in a town a little ways away from here. A place called Lakay.

Preparing to head out and go in search of the place, I am stopped in my tracks, by the sound of voices, just outside. Crouching down, and moving silently, I glance out the window. Pinkerton agents. No wonder, they'd moved.
"I'm tellin' you. They was here. And not that long ago, by the looks of it," one of the agents says.
"They gotta be holed up, someplace. And once we find out where, we're gonna flush em out like bugs," another agent says, as they move to head into the house.
"Shit, shit, shit. Think, Arthur," I say, quietly to myself.
There was a back door. And if I timed it right and moved quickly and quietly enough, I could make my escape.
"Someone's here. See them hoofprints? Someone been here, and fairly recently," one of the agents heading towards the house, says.
"Search the house," the agent who'd just made his way into the kitchen, says.

Carefully and swiftly, I take my leave, making sure to remain silent. Once I am out, I bolt into the woods, calling the horse I'd stolen in Vanhorn, to me. It appears and I mount up. I needed to get to Lakay. I needed to get to Peyton. It was time her and I left. This life, wasn't for either of us, anymore. Nudging the nag beneath me into motion, I speed off, heading towards Lakay. The wind in my face, was rather welcoming. The cool night air, tickled my skin. It had been too long, since I'd been in the saddle, last. I'd missed it. But, not as much as I'd missed Peyton.

Riding into Lakay, I spot Sadie by the wash barrel. She looks up, slightly confused, until she got a closer look, at my face.
"Arthur, you're back!" She says, rushing to my side.
"Yeah, finally. Where is she? Where's Peyton?" I ask.
"In that cabin, over there. But, she's just been through a rather tough ordeal," she says.
"What happened, is she okay?" I ask, walking swiftly towards the cabin, and through the front door.
Charles is standing guard, outside of one of the rooms. He looks up in shock.
"Arthur, you're back?" He asks.
"Yeah. And I went through hell, to get here," I say.
"I can imagine. You look terrible," he says.
"Where's Peyton?" I ask.
"She's in there. She's exhausted. But, she'll be fine," he says.

I'm about to ask what he means, when I hear it. The sound of a baby whimpering, just beyond the door.
My eyes go wide, and my jaw drops open.
"Is she...may I see her?" I ask.
Charles moves aside, granting me access to the door.
"She's been waiting for you," he says, before I turn the knob and push the door open.
Abigail is with her, and they both look up, shock written in their expressions. Abigail glances over at Peyton, who had tears brimming her eyes. She must have seen this as her time to leave, as she gets up, and clears out of the room, brushing past me, smiling up at me before leaving me and Peyton in privacy.

Turning my gaze back to her, I feel my own tears, burning at the back of my eyes.
"Is it really you?" Peyton asks.
"Yeah, it's me. I'm back, baby. I'm home," I say, as I slowly make my way to her side.
"There's someone I want you to meet. Well, two someone's," she says, looking down at the two newborns, nursing from her breasts.
I sit on the edge of the bed, and take her hand in my own.
"I...I should've been here. I should've been here, and I wasn't. I've let you down. I'm sorry, Peyton. So sorry," I say, the tears flowing freely now.

Caressing the back of my hand with her thumb, she comforts me.
"It's not your fault," she says.
"It is, though. I should've told Dutch I wasn't goin', that day," I say.
"I don't blame you. I blame him. None of this would've happened, if not for him," she says.
"I'm sorry," I whisper.
"You've nothing to be sorry for. If anyone should be sorry, it's Dutch," she says.
I smile at that. Then, turning my gaze back to the babies, I gaze at them lovingly, once more.
"They are both boys, Arthur," she says.
"I have two sons. We have two sons," I say.
"This one, was the first born," she says, gesturing to the baby on her left breast.
"Have you named them, yet?" I ask.
"I have. The one closest to you, is Lance. Lance Arthur Morgan," she says, and my heart swells with pride.
"And the other boy?" I ask.
"Leif Dalton Morgan," she says.
"They're perfect," I say.

Suddenly, Lance unlatched from Peyton's breast, and began whimpering.
"You wanna hold him?" She asks.
Without hesitation, I carefully lift Lance, into my arms, placing him on my shoulder, and gently patting his back, to burp him. Peyton looks at me, adoringly, as I do so. Once he'd burped, I snuggle him to my chest, looking down on his tiny figure.
"He looks like me," I say.
"They both do," she says.
I return Lance to her, and climb into bed, with her. I shower her in kisses, having missed the love between us.

Happy shouts, erupt from behind the closed door. But, I didn't care. Dutch and the others must be back. Big deal. They didn't matter. My fiancee and family, did. If the man were to bust in on us, right now, I'd gladly tell him that.
Just as I would also gladly tell him, her and I were cutting out of the gang. I was through, with him. Through with the troubles, he constantly led to our door. It wasn't going to change. He wasn't going to change. I knew that.
"First thing, tomorrow mornin', at the crack of dawn, you and I are packin' up and we're leavin'," I tell Peyton.
"What about John?" She asks.
"That doesn't matter, anymore. What matters, is protecting you and our babies," I say.
"He's at the Sisika prison, Arthur. I promised Abigail, that you would help get him out of there," Peyton says.

My heart drops into my stomach, upon hearing this news.
"They got John?" I ask.
"Yes. So, we have to help her, get him back. Once that's done, we'll leave. Please, Arthur. Abigail needs us," Peyton says.
"Alright. Okay, we'll...we'll get him out," I say.
"Thank you," Peyton says.
"Then after that, you and I are leavin'. I'm done bein' Dutch's damn puppet," I say.
"I've been waiting, a long time, to hear you say that," Peyton says, her lips finding mine, and holding me captive.