𝔴𝔢𝔰𝔱𝔴𝔞𝔯𝔡 𝔰𝔲𝔫 ⟡ ʀɖʀ2

ᴄʜᴀᴘᴛᴇʀ 𝟺𝟼

"So, Selina, Asher, tell us, what happened after you guys left Beaver Hollow? We rode away before we even saw you guys leave. Know you guys talked to Arthur and all." Abigail was quick, right of the gate as always. At least Arthur and Andrew were off with Jack so we didn't have to worry too much about him and his unneeded questions.
"Well, we ended up headin' to Saint Denis, y'know I got shot by Selina's ex-fiance up in Van Horn. Needed to get the bullet out. But before all that, just talked to Arthur for the last time. Knew it was the end then and there honestly. He wasn't soundin' good. Gave me his hat and all, tellin' me to pass it on to my son, then my son's son. Just all that. They took out the bullet from my skin and I remember I was standing outside the doctor's office and the sun was rising, then I just got a real bad feeling within my chest, they did too. Knew in that moment that he was gone. Soon after we headed to Blackwater, I proposed to Selina, we went to clear our bounties and turns out someone used the gang's old aias and had already cleared all seven thousand dollars. Don't know why and don't know how. All I know is it saved us a hell of a lot of money. Then Sel and I got married the next day, got our ranch, now we have our beautiful family and one another."
John shakes his head ever so slightly with a slight grin upon hearing our story. "He helped me get outta there, told me we both wasn't gonna make it off that mountain. Gave me his satchel and that journal he used to write in. He wrote 'bout you guys a couple times..." He's quick to walk into the room he shared with Abigail then coming up with the aged journal I knew the other male used to go about his time drawing and writing in. He opens up one particular page and hands me this photo that he had taken back in the day. It was the Marston's, myself, Selina, Nathan, Charles, and Sadie. I was looking for this for a while for he took it a couple times for the sake of all of us getting one. I flip it over to the writing he had put on the back.

Family - The ones who mattered
Beaver Hollow, 1899

      The crazy part about this photo, was Sadie and Charles were never meant to be in it. Sadie walked by and saw and Arthur had called Charles over and he joined in too. Uncle wasn't in it but if you did look closely, he was asleep in the tent behind us. I felt as though Arthur had to be an angel of some kind, sure, the life we did live wasn't the best or the most honest one, but he sure did make us believe that people could be something more if their hearts had it within them. "Damn, look at us, I've been lookin' for this picture since we headed out from Beaver Hollow after the whole thing down in Van Horn. We're all so young... God, he did a good job with this one." I hand the photo over to Selina so she could look it over. "It's almost like he knew who was gonna be here in the future versus who wouldn't." I nod my head as she speaks before I look over at John whose turning pages. "Here, there's a few I'm gonna read. So, this was back in Horseshoe Overlook. He says 'That kid, Asher is getting along great with the girl I had him meet in Valentine. He truly is something to her and I can see every time they look at one another. Trust me they're not short on happiness at the moment, but I'll save the details for never as I don't wanna look back on 'em. The two of them ain't nothing but love birds. I got a feeling that he's in love with her already and she with him. But I'm not to sure, she's good with a gun though. Taught her some stuff last night. She can really be a killer one day and even I don't know if that's good or bad. Dutch really as a way of turning good people into unrespectable ones.'--- Next one is in Shady Bell. 'Selina is having a baby. Asher's baby. I knew from the very start and I'll say it so many times. They are meant to be with one another. That baby is going to grow up to be such a fine young man or a very respectable woman with parents like the ones they got. Dutch is happy too for once, though, I can see they don't like it when he calls their child a future gang member. I would only hope that isn't the case.' Then here, last one from Beaver Hollow and where he had the photo placed. 'At the end of everything, I know I'm dying. I ain't gonna be on this earth much longer. I love everyone who has come to be my family in this time. The people I took the picture of right here, these are the family I could only hope to have lived on with. Sadie is gonna do amazing things, The Marston's are gonna have a nice life, Charles will always be a good man. I'm sure by the time this ever gets read, The Sanders family will have grown and I know that they will be married one day. Nathan will too. Time has but reached the end for me. My lungs are only producing dust and I know death will be for me soon. Wishing nothing but the best, for these eight people.' He truly did know what to do with us in the end. He did everything right." Everything Arthur did, it wasn't right in his eyes, but he did his best. He got all of us in this one spot again, the main thing I think was, he knew he wasn't gonna be in that photo, exactly why he took it. Damn well knew. "He was a good man, truly. Buried him facing the sun rise just as he wanted." Charles states as he's nodding his head in an understanding manner. "He really did know what he was talkin' 'bout though." Sadie adds as we all agree with her. "It's been a hell of a ride, that's for sure. Looking back at this photo. Hard to believe we were all just days away from leaving Dutch's gang, and Arthur passing away." I mutter in disbelief. I would keep this photo to show to Arthur and Andrew when all was said and done. Abigail and Selina are actually nearly in tears now, Selina I figured 'cause she was pregnant but Abigail? Ms. Roberts? No. But I did know talking about Arthur hit all of us in the way that we felt like family. We were. The good part of the gang was everyone present right now.
"You know what happened to the fools who chose to stay with Dutch, John?"
"Well, Javier did, but as far as I know, he ran back off to Mexico. Probably gonna start his own gang down there. Bill as well, but he's in New Austin or somewhere around there. Then Micah, but--- I've heard you had a nice run in with him."
"Yeah, fucker nearly killed me in front of my boy. Shit--- It wasn't right."
"Ain't nothin' ever been right with, Micah. He could give two fucks 'bout all of us... I was there though, at camp, when Arthur came back."
"Oh yeah, Marston? What happened?"
"Well, I came in a little too late, Dutch, ya know he already left me after that robbery. But I heard Arthur calling Cleet and that other guy Micah brought to the gang a bunch of rats. Micah was one of them, when I came up. Miss. Grimshaw was siding with Arthur and then--- Micah fuckin' shot her. No mercy, Dutch demanded to know who was with him and who was betraying him. Obviously I went with Arthur and then the Pinkertons showed up. Arthur and I fled, Dutch came after us with Bill and Javier and Micah. Then we get to the side of the mountain and that's when him and I parted ways." John's story was wild, it truly was. I never thought that Arthur would save all of us like he did. Though, I guess I shouldn't be surprised.
"Well! That's enough reminiscing for one day, boys. Selina, why don't you come and cook some dinner with me? Show me how you make food in your family and for your family." My wife grins before standing and joining Abigail within the kitchen.
We ate pretty damn good that night, Selina with her cooking and Abigail with hers. It was almost the perfect family dinner you would want if I was honest. I was happy to be with these people or as Arthur would put it.

My family, the ones who matter.