The show must continue on

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Just noticed WP deleted this.... the hell you doing bro?


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"Esperanza?" John dumbfoundedly stated. The look across the woman's face best described matched his tone with the same amount of disbelief. Esperanza grew slightly skittish. Yet she also felt a sense of alleviation invade her body. "John?" She dittoed. The two stood in a wavering silence, unsure what to say or do. Both had a million thoughts but neither seemed ready to come to a clause.

John spoke up a moment later: "I can't say I was expecting to see you alive..." he murmured lowly. Esperanza swallowed lightly. She wasn't expecting to be alive. She wouldn't have thought she'd say this, but; John seemed to be a saving grace she wasn't expecting. "What the hell happened?"

Esperanza's eyes drifted out the window before returning to him. "Colm. You know how he is." He did. "We thought you ran off. Didn't hear a damn dime out of you," He stated sourly as he pulled out the chair where Mac Cogaigh previously sat. Esperanza looked at the man in guilt as he sat down. None of this situation felt right. Her mind had hardly stuck enough in one place besides survival until Cain had come.

She'd been afraid of this. It'd taken her so long to gain enough of Dutch's trust to leave by herself and as soon as she did, this happened. There was no way Dutch would openly accept all of this with certainty in her again, if not anytime soon.

"Where'd you end up to be here? Arthur's all torn up. He said he wasn't sure whatchu were going after escaping Colm." The brown-haired man continued to press on. "A friend 'f mine I met here found me, wouldn't still be here if he didn't..."

"Arthur, did he make it okay?" she asked. "And... well... everyone?"

John eyed her as Ranza looked at him nervously. Javier... Con.. everyone had been a constant race around her mind. She felt bad. While she awaited to be back in the arms of Javier, it also scared her. She was afraid of what Javier would think, and what Dutch would think. Alas, Dutch's opinions came first and she truly didn't have a clue what his reaction might be.

"'Everyone' is fine. Worried. Your horse showed up like a bat out of hell. Few of 'em were scared as shit what happened to ya." John said with a light tone. He seemed to have understood prior this would send her mixed emotions as he waited patiently for her to think. "He's okay though?"

"He's okay." John nodded as he scratched at his speckled beard. "He was a bit riled up, but he settled down some. Missing you still." Ranza huffed lightly. "It was a mess..." she paused before sitting straighter with a twinge of pain. "And Javier?"

John shrugged. "Bout as good as he can be right now..." He studied her as her eyes clouded over with voided emotion. There was a silent buzz that surrounded the duo as their minds rivered with thoughts. "So... are you comin' back?"

"You think I can?" Ranza said with an almost weak voice. Not scared, simply unsure and unstable. John looked at her oddly. "No one hates you Es. They're worried, might be a little mad, but better sooner than later."

Ranza looked up at John for a moment. "I think that's the most understandable thing I've heard come outta your mouth." She muttered, John scoffed as he looked at the ceiling. "Goddamn, let's go then." He urged grumpily. John stood, a wave of anxiety pulsing through the woman. "Wait, uh my friend... he's kinda babysittin' me right now, don't wanna just up and leave."

John looked at her with a look that basically said "Are you serious right now?". "Who is this 'friend'?" he questioned as he helped Ranza up. The woman let out a small grunt as she stiffly stood up, the two hobbling out of the saloon at an easy pace. "His name's Cain. Kinda stalked me down to do some jobs with me."\

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