Lamb To The Slaughter (Red Dead Redemption 2 Fanfic)

The Entire History Of Her: Part Two

The ochre sky seeped into their shared tent. Her eyes faintly open enough for her to notice the hazy morning. When his calloused fingertips ran down her shoulder, then his hand went to her stomach. An old habit he never broke. He always searched for movement he never found. Javier adjusted his position, pulling her closer to his chest as she slept next to him. Fae's back was pressed to his chest: his arm rested on her stomach, his fingers gently curled and uncurled at the feeling of her soft skin, his other arm relaxed under her head.

Fae rolled over, his hazel eyes only focused on her. She ran her hand down his cheek, brushing his loose hair behind his ear. In his hoarse morning voice, he couldn't help but chortle," Don't mind me, just enjoying the view."

She laughed, going in for their first morning kiss, wrapping her arms around his neck. Then yawning and stretching she finally spoke," I think I'm more tired now then when we went to sleep." Her head rested on his chest, closing her eyes and taking the smell of him in.

Mornings were always hard, after all they had their greatest grief in the morning. His hand went back to her stomach, as he tucked her head under his chin. She pretended it was the afternoon.

Once they'd dressed, Fae's fingers fiddled with Javier's necktie. When she was finished, she tucked it into his shirt, flattened his jacket, and stood on her tippy toes to kiss his cheek. They both forced a false smile with no words, he saw the pain in her eyes. He pulled her into a tight hug, she wept silently.

He stayed with her until she finished her morning routines, walking with his arm around her waist towards Pearson's wagon. He cracked his Javier jokes into her ear, he was one of the few that could make her smile when she was upset. He let go of her waist, poured her a cup of coffee. As she fixed it the way she wanted, he kissed her on the temple and dismissed himself to do his morning chores. 

Fae noticed Mrs. Adler sitting by herself at the table near Pearson's wagon. She seemed so sad and alone. Fae felt she was the only one that would understand her grief," Good morning Mrs. Adler, mind if I sit?"

Sadie barely looked up to acknowledge her," Suit yourself."

Fae was hesitant to take a seat, she seemed to want to be left alone," Can-can I uh, get you anything?"

"No." Sadie shook her head," Thank you Miss, But I'm fine."

"Well then." Fae finally took her seat next to Sadie," I don't mean to sound like mockingbird, but I'm sorry for your loss. These are terrible times we live in."

Sadie didn't reply, her grip just tightened on her fork that she ate with," Some group y'all are."

"Ain't we? Finnick says it's a cluster fuck, but I think we deserve a little more credit than that."
Not even a smile. Tough crowd, Fae thought," But we are good people in our own ways and many of us understand your grief."

" My grief? What have you lost that would make you understand, my grief ?"

"It may not seem like it but we all have lost something to get here. All of us are orphans or widowers, there's  little room for an in between." Fae points to Finnick," He was married once, to a girl named Talia. She was taken from us by the flu back in 93. He was only twenty. Delilah, lost her first love, he drowned. Mine rode off into the sunset one evening,no ones heard of him since I was fourteen and he was sixteen. Dutch, he lost both the girl he loved and Delilah's mother within three years. Charles, Arthur, myself, Lenny, the list goes on and on, but we are all orphans." Fae swallows, maybe she should say it," Javier and I, we had a baby girl back in 94. She was only six months old when she died."

Fae now had Sadie's full attention, she no longer scowled at her or her food, instead she looked at her with sympathy," What.... What happened to her? If you don't mind me asking.."

Fae shook her head, and took a long drink from her sweet coffee," She just got sick. I woke up one morning, she hadn't been acting like she felt well the night before. I went to her cradle that was at the end of our bed. She was just gone." Her blood curdling scream played through her mind as she remembered the image of her rosy cheeked daughter in the white cradle," She wasn't dead long either, Javier had woken up not even an hour before she passed and he said she looked fine. Her cheeks were still warm, when I found her."

"What-what was her name?" Sadie's voice was low and gruff.

"Maria. Here." Fae reaches into her satchel and pulls out a picture, handing it to Sadie," This was the day she was born. She was only a few hours old in that photo."

"She looks beautiful." Sadie cracked a half smile

Fae smirked," She was. She had her daddy's eyes, and everyone said she had my lips." Fae runs her fingers over her dry lips trying to remember," She loved her father, oh she loved him more than me. I remember, I'd try to rock her and she'd just cry and cry. But when Javier took her, it was a different story." Fae felt the tears rise in her eyes but she was quick to suppress them, she laughed nervously," Maybe I said too much."

Sadie handed back the photo," No, thank you for telling me."

"Of course. And feel free to gather around for Bennett story time, anytime." She laughed a fake laugh, Fae poured out her coffee," You have yourself a fine day, Mrs. Adler." She gave her a two finger salute as she walked away.

It felt good to finally tell the tale again. Of the child who should have owned the west, but perished before she could claim her throne. Fae would never forget that morning, even if her memory was stripped. She'd never forget the way she watched everyone collapse to their knees, or the sounds of the tears that would soon follow. She'd never forget the sounds that Javier made when he first saw his baby girl, dead. She'd never forget.

A/N: Pst. Just a heads up, chapters titled, The Entire History Of Her, are history chapters.:) also this chapter, big sad, and no picture :((