𝐓𝐡𝐞 𝐑𝐮𝐧𝐭 ~ 𝐁𝐢𝐥𝐥𝐲 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐊𝐢𝐝

𝐂𝐡𝐚𝐩𝐭𝐞𝐫 𝐄𝐢𝐠𝐡𝐭

𝐁𝐢𝐥𝐥𝐲 𝐫𝐞𝐭𝐮𝐫𝐧𝐞𝐝 𝐭𝐨 the room at the inn after yet another successful night of gambling, he quietly creaked open the door and closed it. His eyes landed on the 13-year-old who was fast asleep on her bed, cuddling her stuffed animal while she slept. The outlaw couldn't help but smile at her as he took off his hat and placed it on the dresser, the only light being the small lantern on Laurie's bedside table. Laurie refused to sleep without a light on. She hated the dark.

Just as Billy kicked off his boots, Laurie began to toss and turn in her bed. Her face was scrunched up and she was clearly in distress, muttering things under her breath as she took in short, deep breaths. Cold beads of sweat dripped down her forehead and Billy immediately became concerned as he walked over to the younger girl, kneeling beside her as she began sobbing in her sleep. He gently shook her by the shoulders, waking her up.

Laurie yelped in terror as she shot up from the bed, looking around frantically as tears dripped down her face as another small sob left her lips. Billy didn't hesitate to pull the crying child into his arms, rubbing circles on her back as he tried to soothe her. Laurie sobbed as she clung to Billy, burying her face into his shoulder. Laurie often had nightmares like this, nightmares that took her back to the day they found Dale's body in the river after he had drowned – but she'd never had one in front of Billy. And right now, she just wanted to be held.

Billy kept rubbing the young teenager's back, trying his best to calm her down when he suddenly got an idea. He started singing to her.

"Oh, bury me not on the lone prairie," he quietly hummed as he felt Laurie's tears soaking his shirt as he sang. Laurie inhaled shakily, trying to keep her focus on the outlaws soft, yet comforting singing.

"Those words came low... and mournfully." Laurie could feel herself beginning to calm down as the song continued, Billy still hugging her like that of a loving brother bear.

"From the pallid lips of the youth that lay."

Laurie took another deep breath, her soft sobs slowly fading as a wave of sleepiness overtook her once more, her breathing slowly beginning to even out as she began to relax more and more.

"On his dyin' bed at the close of day," Billy continued, smiling to himself as he felt the kid slowly beginning to calm down and relax, making him continue his soft singing.

"I wish to lie... where a mother's prayers."

Laurie's eyes grew heavier as her tight grip slightly loosened on Billy as sleep began to take over her body, her breathing began to even out.

"And a sister's tears will linger here."

"Where friends can come and weep over me."

"Oh, bury me not... in the lone prairie."

Billy smiled to himself when he heard Laurie's soft, evened out breath as he slowly laid her on the bed again. The teenager was asleep once more, despite her panicked state a few minutes before, and the fact her face was stained with fresh tears, she was able to sleep again. He gently removed a few stray hair strands from the girl's face. She reminded him so much of Joe, even the way he was able to calm her down from a bad dream was like Joe.

ⅠⅠⅠⅠ

The next day, Laurie, Billy and Melquiades were all riding through a large field, Billy singing the same song he had sung to Laurie to help her with her bad dream. Laurie was on the back of Artax, not saying much as she looked around her, every so often patting the young stallion on the neck.