The Stallion

Epilogue

Epilogue – One Year Later

Akira was sick and tired of being pregnant. She was about seven months along, when her husband reminded her about the reunion with the other members of their group. Being heavily pregnant and not being able to ride a horse they had to borrow a cart, and spend the three week journey to Rose Creek in absolute hell. Why she decided to have a child was completely lost on her, and Akira promised herself she would not be having a second.

When they finally arrived in the town of Rose Creek Akira was now eight months pregnant and in her opinion as big as a house. Elizabeth was the first to greet them, when they arrived. Akira and Red would be staying with her and Joshua during their time since they had built a large house with several bedrooms that Joshua had said was for when they had lots of kids. Elizabeth lead them into the house to the cries of Elizabeth and Joshua's three month old, Matthew.

Akira couldn't help fawn over the little boy who was the spitting image of his father. His dark brown hair and nose being the same as his mom.

"So how is it," Akira asks, "being a mother? Do you enjoy it?"

"Well I sure hope so, since we have another one on the way!" Elizabeth smiles placing her hand on her still small stomach, "I hope this one is a little girl."

At that moment Joshua comes in from his job running the mine. The federal government had come in to take it over and put Josh and Sam in charge of the day to day work. It was a much better situation. Joshua walks over to Elizabeth kisses her on the lips, and grabs Matthew from the crib. You can tell the two are just in love with each other, the way Matthew lights up when he walks in the door.

"Red! Akira!" Josh shouts, "How have you two been? Getting busy I see?" he mentions to Akira's growing stomach.

"Joshua!" Elizabeth shouts slapping his arm.

"What!" he says, rubbing his arm.

"It's alright Elizabeth," Akira tells her, "he can't really judge you have a three month old and are already pregnant again," she tells them.

"Touché" Joshua agrees.

"Hola!" someone shouts from outside the door, "Can we come in?" Elizabeth races to the door.

"AUTUMN!" she shouts running into her friends arms.

"Hey! What about me?" Vasquez teases holding a small baby in his arms.

"Buddy!" Joshua shouts to him, spooking the baby in his friends arms causing her to cry.

Vasquez begins speaking to the baby rapidly in Spanish and she calms down almost instantly, small arms reaching out for her mom. Autumn takes the little girl from her husband and begins to rock her in her arms.

"Come on inside." Elizabeth says to them.

When inside Akira and Red greet the others with hugs and handshakes, and they all sit down together.
"So what's her name?" Akira asks looking at the tiny girl in Autumn's arms.

"Maria," she tells them. Vasquez looks on proudly at his daughter and wife.

"Honey, why don't you hand me Matthew and you men can go talk outside?" Elizabeth asks her husband taking the baby from his arms, "Is Sam and Emma still coming for dinner?"

"I think so, he had to go home and bathe but said they would be coming over." He tells her dropping a kiss to her head and Matthews.

Red, and Vasquez follow him outside, and the women begin to tell each other about their new lives. Autumn lives in Mexico with her husband and newborn daughter. They own a cattle ranch bought with his money from being an outlaw and have several people who work for them, who are watching the ranch for them while they are gone.

Akira and Red found the Nomads in the White Mountains and have a home there among the people. Red was recently named leader of the group, and while they are gone the second in the man watches and protects the people.

Elizabeth and Joshua built their house, and he grew his career working for the mine. They want to have as many children as possible and love being close to Emma and Sam. Speak of the devil Emma enters with a small toddler, a child she had made with Matthew. The other women stand to greet her, and say hello to the little girl Elizabeth after her aunt.

Sam stayed with Emma to help her rebuild the town, and when she found herself pregnant and scared with Matthew's baby Sam married her, and took care of her. They are now expecting a child of their own.

As the women were chatting Akira starts to feel a sharp pain in her stomach, and notices a leak between her legs.
"Oh my god!" she shouts startling the others, "I think the baby is coming!"

"The doctor is out of town till next week," Elizabeth tells her, "I guess we will be delivering this baby!" Elizabeth says looking at the other two women.

Akira lets out a shriek of pain, and Red runs into the house looking at his wife in panic.

"BABY COMING!" she screams at him, holding his hand in a death grip.

"We need to get her upstairs," Elizabeth instructs the men, who lift Akira and carry her up the stairs. "We need hot water, and blankets," she instructs the other two women who run to the kitchen.

When the women enter the bedroom, Elizabeth and the others hand over their children to their husbands and shoo them from the room. Red Harvest goes to leave the room and the women stop him.

"I would not have made it through labor without my husband, you need to stay and help her!" Emma yells at him.

Red clearly out of his element returns to his wife's side and begins speaking to her calmly in a combination of Apache, Comanche, and English.

The women make quick work and four hours later, Akira and Red Harvest now have a son of their own. They name him Jack Little Bear. For their friend and fallen comrade Jack Horne.

The group gathers back into the room and say a prayer together. Thanking their friends who have died for them, and thanking god they lived to see another day.

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