𝐂𝐚𝐮𝐠𝐡𝐭 𝐔𝐩 ✧ 𝐑𝐃𝐑𝟐

𝐂𝐡𝐚𝐩𝐭𝐞𝐫 𝐄𝐢𝐠𝐡𝐭.

"Audrey, is it?" A female's voice asked from above Audrey. Audrey looked up to see a woman standing before her. She looked beside her at Tilly who was watching from the side. Audrey closed her book slightly, the dirty blonde haired woman not moving as she looked slightly angered.

"Yes, nice to meet you," Audrey introduced herself, the woman however didn't look so pleased. Audrey felt herself tense up by the woman's hostility. 

"You rode with the O'Driscolls, right?" The woman asked. Audrey shook her head at the woman.

"Well no. I was kid-"

"You better hope what you're saying isn't a lie," The woman hissed at her. Audrey felt her jaw drop slightly. "Because if you are lying and I find out, I'll stab those pretty eyes of yours out of your head," the woman warned. Before Audrey could say anymore the woman was walking away. Shocked, she looked at Tilly. What was that all about?

"So you met Sadie Adler," Tilly sighed. The name didn't ring a bell, was it meant to? "The O'Driscolls murdered her husband at their home. She wants them all, including Colm dead. She's already been harassing poor Kieran, looks like she doesn't believe your story," Tilly frowned, stopping the needles from threading as she looked over at Audrey. "I believe you though," Tilly comforted, giving Audrey a small smile. 

"I feel so bad for her," Audrey frowned, Sadie was hurting. Her hostility was explained and Audrey understood why the woman hated her. "I wish I could prove to her that I'm telling the truth."

"She'll warm up eventually, right now she is just grieving," Tilly proposed. Audrey however didn't know if that would be the case. Hate is a strong feeling, it's a feeling that will eventually take over if you don't get a grip on it. Audrey has hate for Colm, just like Sadie. 

"Is Colm a big enemy to you all?" Audrey asked. Tilly nodded, turning her body on the box she sat on to face Audrey. 

"To Dutch mainly. It's pretty personal, Colm killed Annabelle, Dutch's lover. Ever since then the two of them have been at each others throats," Tilly explained. Audrey felt her heart drop. She shouldn't be here, it'll only make things between the two gangs worse especially if Colm finds out she is with Dutch. By now he most likely has figured Kieran has joined Dutch's gang and she couldn't imagine how furious that would make Colm. But once he hears two of his people are taken by Dutch, all she could do was pray that Dutch and the rest of the gang wouldn't get slaughtered. 

Mary-Beth sat down beside Audrey, the woman smiling as she joined them. Tilly smiled at Mary-Beth.

"How are you settling?" Mary-Beth asked Audrey. Audrey nodded slightly.

"Very different to what I'm use to but you all aren't bad people," Audrey frowned as she finished her sentence. "Well, except for Micah," she looked across at the blonde outlaw who was cleaning his revolvers. She could tell Micah was a very trigger-happy man. Mary-Beth and Tilly both laughed.

"If that ain't the truth," Tilly agreed.

"So where did you use to live, Miss?" Mary-Beth asked, interested in Audrey's life.

"Saint Denis," Audrey answered, her heart stopping as she hoped for a better reaction than what she got from Arthur. Audrey still didn't understand why he got so weird about it. A place shouldn't define a person. 

"Wow!" Mary-Beth breathed, her eyes lit up with amazement. Audrey looked at Tilly who was also gawking in amazement. Audrey laughed at the two women. "A real city? I hope one day I can go!" Mary-Beth admitted, Tilly nodding in agreement. 

"It must be quite something," Tilly agreed before turning her attention back to Audrey. "I bet you felt like a princess."

"Well, not really," Audrey shrugged her shoulders. "I never really thought of myself as being treated like a princess. I lived in a nice house though in a pretty spot in the town but I was happy to help people whenever I could," Audrey smiled. She remembered a week before her life fell apart she had walked the children in her neighbour hood to school. She wished she could return home now, Audrey missed her family and her life more than anything but she knew with Colm searching for her it wouldn't be long before they found her at her home. In the corner of Audrey's eye she could see Miss Grimshaw approaching them. "I'd love to show you both around the city one day seeing your interest in it," Audrey offered, the two women immediately beaming with excitement. Mary-beth and Tilly started chatting over each other, expressing their excitement while Susan placed a hand on Audrey's shoulder. Audrey looked up at the woman.

"I've set you up. I can show you?" Susan offered. Audrey nodded, Mary-beth and Tilly wouldn't notice her slipping away since the two of them were making theories to each other now. Audrey got up, taking her book with her and followed Susan. Susan chuckled as she led the way. "I don't know what you said to those two gossip hens but it certainly made them happy," Susan noted. Audrey grinned, nodding. Susan led her towards a small canvas shelter beside a child and his mother, she hadn't been introduced to the two of them yet. "Well, this is you. I know it ain't nothing fancy but it'll keep you covered in the rain and out of the sun," Susan explained, turning to face Audrey. 

"It's nice, thank you," Audrey thanked the older woman. Susan nodded before hurrying off towards Karen who was walking into the camp with a gun in her hands, coming back from guard duty. 

"Mama, who is that?" A small voice muttered beside her. Audrey turned her attention to the small boy who was sitting in his mother's lap, it was the same woman she had seen when she was first dragged into the camp with Arthur before not even staying for five minutes. The woman looked up at Audrey, a small smile crossing her face before she looked back down at her child. 

"Why don't you go introduce yourself?" She smiled before ushering the child off of her. The small boy shuffled off of his mother's lap and wandered over towards Audrey, twiddling his thumbs as he was nervous.

"Are you new?" The boy asked instantly, looking up at her. Audrey nodded, kneeling down to speak to the boy.

"I am. Dutch is looking after me," Audrey explained to him. Jack smiled before dropping his hands away from each other.

"I'm Jack!" He stated with courage. Audrey smiled, extending a hand out to Jack.

"Well, Jack. I'm Audrey," she informed the boy as he shook her hand. "Looks like I'm your neighbour," she grinned at him which Jack nodded keenly in agreement.

"Yes! I like you, you're nice!" Jack complimented with a squeak. Audrey chuckled, raising to her feet before turning the boy towards his mother. 

"Why don't you introduce me to your Mother?" She asked him. Jack was about to lead her over when the woman rose to her feet, overhearing the two of them.

"I'm sorry, my name is Abigail," Abigail introduced herself to Audrey, Jack standing happily beside Audrey. "Looks like you've made a friend, Jack!" Abigail looked down at her son. Jack nodded happily.

"Audrey," Audrey introduced. 

"Jack, why don't you go find Uncle Hosea?" Abigail offered her son. He hesitated but went off, Abigail turning back to Audrey. "John told me about you," Abigail explained. "I...I'm sorry about everything you've gone through."

"Thank you," Audrey mumbled. She knew she would be the talk of the camp until something new happens. "Your son is nice," Audrey changed the topic. 

"I could do better. It's difficult, his father won't help and this isn't the life I want for a child," Abigail sighed. She placed her hands on her hips as she looked across to Jack who was talking to Hosea. 

"Why don't you leave?" Audrey asked, confused to why Abigail would stay. 

"Because I love... Jack loves his father," Abigail corrected herself. She looked away awkwardly as she took a deep breath. Audrey felt her heart flutter, Abigail was in love and it was sweet. Abigail shouldn't be ashamed of it. "Jack needs John in his life," Abigail continued. 

"I understand," Audrey stopped Abigail from continuing. Abigail smiled in appreciation at Audrey before tilting her head towards Jack.

"I should go check on the boy, make sure he isn't causing Hosea any trouble," Abigail chuckled. Audrey nodded before Abigail headed across the camp towards her son who was now sitting on Hosea's knee at the camp fire. Audrey walked towards her small tent and placed her book down before sitting in her cot. This was her life for now.