No Time To Die- ARTHURMORGAN x O/C

part 36- Father

Stars shine through the trees as Arthur rides back into camp, the familiar scent of woodsmoke and the distant chatter of the women. Claudia sits behind him, her hands gripping anxiously at his waist as they amble through the last stretch of the swamps
"Some will be glad to see you back," Arthur says over his shoulder, trying to imbue his voice with warmth, though he feels the unease growing between them, not just her fear, but their history, the tentacles of their past growing thicker with every passing moment.
"I hope so," Claudia replies, her voice barely above a whisper. She is still shaken from her capture, and Arthur wishes he could do more to ease her mind, but the walls between them, the tension, the resentment she seems to hold towards Dutch, made him feel like a bridge stretching too thin.
As they approach the camp, the flickering flames of the lamps draws her gaze, and the air shifts with the murmur of conversation filling the gathering dusk. Arthur dismounts, reaching down to help her off his horse, careful to keep his grip light and respectful.
Dutch spots them immediately, his expression darkening as he strides over, eyes flicking from Arthur to Claudia, then back again. Anger radiates from him, a palpable force that makes the air feel heavy.
"What the hell were you thinking?" he barks, his voice lacing with frustration, "You went after her? I told you to stay away!"
Arthur feels himself tense, the weight of Dutch's anger crashing down like a wave. "She needed help, Dutch," he replies steadily, though his heart raced, "I wasn't going to leave her to be hung."
"Hung?" Dutch laughs bitterly, though the sound had no warmth, "You think that because you managed to drag her back, everything's fine? This isn't some game, Arthur. We're at war!"
"Exactly! And she's our family!"
Dutch takes a step back, scowling. "Family? In a family, you are supposed to be loyal to each other. So you went behind my back to save her, when I told you not to."
With frustration bubbling between them, Arthur doesn't have the strength to argue, his eyes heavy with tiredness. Claudia stands quietly, taking in the confrontation, flinching at the words tossing back and forth.
Dutch turns and walks away, his back to both Arthur and Claudia, leaving an unsettling silence in his wake.
"Great," Claudia mutters under her breath, folding her arms across her chest. She looks small, cornering in a space that is supposed to feel like home. Arthur could sense her disappointment cutting deeper than the initial shock of being rescued.
Abigail approaches, her expression softening as she catches sight of the two, "Claudia," she says, coming to a stop in front of her, "I... I need to apologize. The other day, I said some things I shouldn't have. I was rude, and I shouldn't have taken that out on you."
Claudia blinks,"You didn't..."
"Yes, I did. You're part of our family, too, whether we like it or not. I'm sorry for not treating you like that," Abigail says earnestly.
Claudia's shoulders relax just slightly, "I'm sorry, too," she admits, "I shouldn't have snapped at you like that. I was... angry about everything going on."
Abigail holds her gaze, the honesty in her expression palpable, "You've been through a lot. We all have, I reckon. We just gotta find a way through this together."
"Thank you," Claudia says, her voice a little firmer now, but the worry in her eyes remained.
Abigail moves away to help with the evening arrangements, Claudia finds herself standing there, feeling slightly lighter. She turns to look for Dutch, her heart sinking as she spots him leaning against the side of the wall, taking in the peaceful view of the water, as if it could offer him solace from the chaos of their lives.
"Dutch?" she calls softly, her voice trembling slightly from nerves as she walks up to him from behind. He doesn't respond, his attention fixing on the water's surface, watching the ripples dance under the fading light. She takes a step closer, drawing in a breath.
"Dutch!" she calls again, louder this time, frustration building.
Finally, he turns his head slightly, but his expression remaining hard, the lines on his face etching deeper with exhaustion mixing with an unyielding resolve. "What do you want, Claudia?"
Her heart pounds in her chest, anger mixing with hurt, "Why did you want to leave me there?" she demands, the weight of her words hanging heavily in the air, "Why would you want to leave me there!"
Dutch straightens, a flicker of something, regret, perhaps? Dimming behind his eyes, "I didn't have a choice," he replies sharply.
"You didn't have a  choice?" Claudia's voice rises, sharp and unwavering, "You had a choice, Dutch! You could have helped me. You could have saved me like Arthur did!" 
He remains silent, the tension thickening the air between them. Anger surges through her, as he doesn't respond. She steps closer, her voice rising further, "Why? Why do you keep pushing me away? Before, it was like you wanted to get closer to me like a real parent would but recently it's like you don't even want me!"
He turns to face her entirely, the silence between them charges emotions, "We don't need anymore trouble at the moment, we've had too many deaths at the moment" he snaps, the heat of his own frustration leaking into his tone, though it was lacing with a weariness that settles in his bones.
"So you would leave me to die instead!" Claudia presses, her voice trembling now with a mix of anger and pain, "You selfish bastard! Hosea wouldn't have left me!"
"Don't speak his name! Did you think I wanted to leave you?" Dutch shoots back, finally breaking his stoic demeanour, "You think I could just sit back and let you suffer? I was trying to protect this gang, protect our future! But you don't understand the position you put us in!"
Claudia feels her world spinning, the realization that her father was willing to sacrifice her for his ambitions cutting like a knife, "I might not understand everything about this life, but I know one thing, you're not acting like a father. You're acting like a tyrant!"
He flinches at the word, and for a moment, the facade slips, revealing a man struggling beneath the weight of his ideals. But anger flickers back, his voice quieter yet thick with emotion, "You want me to be something I'm not! I'm not your hero, Claudia! I'm just a man trying to keep us alive!"
"And I just want a father figure in my life!" Claudia cries, "Why can't you see that I'm trying to be part of this family, too?"
The air falls still, their breaths the only sound echoing around them, Claudia fears she has finally lost him. Dutch looks away, his eyes shadowing as his voice lowers, "I see you, but I'm scared, Claudia. I'm scared that if I let you in, I'll lose you, just like I lost Hosea, and Annabelle and your mother, and I can't—I won't lose anyone else"
"You just nearly lost me, don't try and twist your words now for me to feel sorry for your ass!" Claudia voice strains as tears fall from her eyes. Dutch stands up from leaning and turns his gaze away, walking, leaving her, "you bastard!"