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IT WAS MORNING WHEN BELLE woke up from her deep slumber. Her green eyes squinted under the bright sun as she heard voices coming from beside her. Painfully sitting up from her position on the ground, Belle searched the area for signs of her husband of old friends.
When her gaze stopped on Billy pointing his gun at Josiah's chains, she laughed, standing up on wobbly legs and walking over to the group.
"Darling?" Belle called out. Josiah's head shot up at the sound of his wife's voice. Sighing with a grin, the blonde man rushed up from his spot, stumbling with the lack of functionality in his hands. Josiah's linked hands rested against Belle's face as he pulled her into a bruising kiss.
"I'm so glad you're ok, doll," Doc breathed when he pulled away from the embrace. "What did they do to you, baby?"
"Nothing I couldn't handle," Belle beamed up at her husband, not wanting to worry him about her treatment back in Lincoln. Reaching into her dress' pocket, Belle pulled out the set of keys she stole from the guard in her little makeshift prison. Twisting a key into the chains of Josiah's handcuffs, the chain fell from his wrists, releasing his hands from the restraints.
Billy continued to gush over his old friends, while one of Billy's new gang members rolled his eyes.
"I knew you'd come back. We made a pack, remember? You, me, Belle, and Chevez!" Billy laughed with adoration at the fact the remains of his old family and gang were reunited. "Pals, forever!"
"Look, I don't care if you guys swapped spittle and pissed in each other's boots. I don't take to tenderfoots in my gang," The man pointed to Josiah. "Or whores," He pointed at Belle, before finally turning to Chevez. "I definitely don't take to no Mexicans!"
"It ain't your gang, Dave," Billy muttered.
"Mexican Indian, you piece of shit," Chevez accused, stroking his horse's mane.
"Oh, I'm sorry!" Dave mocked, stepping closer to the Native American man. "Tell me, Chevez. Was it the savages putting it to a Mexican whore, or was it an Indian whore putting it to the whole god damn Mexican Army?" Before Dave could actually finish his awful attempt of a joke, Chevez lunged at him. However, Billy and Pat broke them up immediately.
"Sorry, who the fuck are you?" Belle moved to stand face-to-face with Dave.
"Arkansas Dave Rudabaugh," Dave proudly declared, but after seeing Belle's unchanged expression. "You ever heard of me?"
"Should I?" Belle glared, looking Dave up and down with distaste.
"I killed over 65 people!" Dave pointed out, desperate to get a reaction out of the girl, but to no avail. "Seriously!"
"You're a piece of shit," Belle mumbled, moving to stand with Pat, Chevez and Josiah.
"Yeah, and you're just a slut," Dave called out to her, but he did not revoke a reaction out, except for a simple middle finger from both Josiah and Belle.
"Remember something, Dave," Billy pointed his gun to Dave's chest. "These boys and girl are the Lincoln County Regulators."
"Yeah. Was," Dave laughed, walking away to his bronco.
"Were," Both Belle and Josiah corrected together.
"You're right, Scurlocks," Billy commented, walking over to the married couple. "Were. There ain't no Regulators no more. No room for them. No room for me," Billy took a minute to think before opening his mouth once more. "I'm taking the Mexican Blackbird."
"What?" Josiah asked, his arm wrapped around the back of Belle's waist.
"The broken trail that goes down to Old Mexico. Only me and a few boys know it," Billy commented, before turning his direction back to Josiah and Belle. "Once you're down there, these basket men, pay them, and they'll come up and get your belongings, your boys, whatever you need."
The mention of Belle's children made tears well in her eyes. Burying her head in the crook of Josiah's neck, Belle silently cried at the thought of what the officers did to her two sons. She had no idea if they were dead or alive. If they were well or ill. If they were alone or not. Every outcome scared her to no end. Rubbing her back soothingly, Josiah reluctantly nodded along with Billy, part of him not trusting him his judgement.
Josiah reached into his pocket, pulling out his pocket-watch and throwing in Billy's direction. "It's for you. It's from New York. It's for the horse," Josiah guided Belle over to a horse, helping her up onto the saddle, before climbing up himself, slotting behind her. Belle rested her heavy head against his shoulder, as Josiah grabbed onto the reins in front of her, securing her in place.
"That horse ain't for sale," Billy hollered out to Josiah, walking over to the couple. "But, uh, how about my boots. They're nice and broke -"
Before Billy could finish his statement, Josiah kicked him in the face, falling on top of him. The two wrestled on the ground, while Dave encouraged Billy to kill Josiah. Chevez and Pat finally broke up the fight, while Belle watched Dave sneakily pick up the fallen watch, sliding it in his pocket. Belle narrowed her eyes in his direction, holding her hand out to him, instructing him to place the valuable possession in her grasp. Defeated, Dave huffed, dropping the handheld clock in the girl's hand.
"I know you, Doc! I watched you kill!" Billy accused, shouting at the blonde teacher. "You killed half the men I got credit for, same for you, Belle! I saw you both with blood all over yourselves. I saw you kill! Just because you went back East and got married. Just because you put on a silk cravat, Doc, and you put on a fancy dress, Belle, that doesn't change what you did!"
"Billy -" Belle began to say but he cut her off, saying something that made her go silent instantly.
"You remember John Tunstall?" Billy sneered. "You remember your father, huh, Belle? Remember the stories he'd tell us about the three Chinamen playing fan-tan? Someone runs up to them and says, 'Hey! The world is coming to an end.' And the first one says, 'Well, I best go to the mission and pray.' And the second one says, 'Well, hell! I'm going to go buy me a case of mescal and six whores.' And the third one says, 'Well, I shall finish the game.'" Billy resited. "I shall finish the game, Doc."
Belle watched in sorrow as Billy walked back to his horse, slowly riding off with Dave, Pat following shortly after, but not before he shared a few words with Josiah.
"Baby?" Belle asked, grabbing Josiah's attention. "Are we going back to New York?"
"Of course, sweetheart," Josiah reached up, brushing a strand of blonde hair behind her ear. "We'll be back with Richie and Charlie in no time, I promise."
"Whenever you promise something, the opposite usually happens, Doc," Belle gently yawned as Josiah jumped up behind her on the horse, resting her head back against her husband's collar and closing her lids.
Josiah softly chuckled, seeing that in her hands was his pocket-watch. "I know it does."
