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"OVER THE MOUNTAINS OF THE MOON, down the valley of the shadow. Ride, boldly, ride, the shade replied, if you seek for Eldorado!"
Doc was lounging in the lukewarm water of the tub while Belle fiddled with the sash hanging from the dressing gown that Jane had lent her. Underneath, a semi-sheer lace nightgown, courtesy of another woman of the house. The blonde woman propped her feet up on the edge of the tub, crossing her ankles as she lovingly stared at her husband.
"That was lovely, Doc," Belle smiled, running a hand through her golden locks. "Did you write that?"
"Indeed I did, sweetheart," Josiah grinned at his wife. "You know, Belle, you really are beautiful."
"I know," Belle playfully rolled her eyes. "You tell me just about every day."
"Do I?" Josiah tilted his head, resting his neck against the cool metal of the tub. "Well, I don't believe I say it enough." Belle blushed at her husband's compliments but her mind ran with thoughts of Billy's confession, causing her expressions to unconsciously turn sour. "What's wrong, doll?"
"Oh- u-um nothing, sweetie, don't worry about it," Belle waved her hand, dismissively.
"No, come on, what is it? It's obviously bothering you, darling," Josiah pleaded, grabbing Belle's hand and soothingly rubbing his thumb across her knuckle and her wedding ring. "Please tell me."
Belle's mind went in two halves. Should she keep the small interaction to herself, or should she confide in her husband?
"Well..."
-----
"BILLY!" Josiah shouted throughout the house. Banging his fist against the wood of one of the doors, knowing he would be fooling around with one of Jane's girls. Billy came rushing out of the room, hastily buttoning up his trousers.
"What?"
"You love Belle?! My fucking wife?!" Josiah yelled in Billy's face, pushing him against the rigid doorframe, causing the brunet man to wince in pain. "Well!?"
"It's none of your business, bud," Billy seethed, glancing at Belle briefly over Doc's shoulder.
"You see that woman behind me?" Josiah pointed over to Belle. "Well, believe it or not, bud, that's my wife. So when I found out that someone loves her the same way I do, I'm gonna get mad. Especially, when that someone was considered a friend."
Belle winced at the situation, which had managed to grab the attention of the rest of the gang and the women in the house.
"So what if I love her!?" Billy yelled. "Just because you're married, isn't gonna get rid of my attraction to Belle, is it?!"
"Well, it better or I'll give you to Pat myself," Josiah lowly muttered, roughly pushing Billy into the prostitute behind him while turning back to Belle, beginning to drag her behind him.
"Belle would've been better off with any other geezer than with you!" Billy shouted. Josiah stopped dead in his tracks at the other end of the hall, with Belle by his side.
"What did you say?" Josiah questioned, an outraged tone lacing with his words.
"You heard me," Billy taunted, standing at the other end of the hallway. "Hell, maybe, John would still be alive if you weren't touching up his daughter. Maybe, Belle would still have a life if she wasn't with you!"
Josiah dropped Belle's wrist, charging up to Billy, but Chevez and Dave tackled him before he could kill the mouthy brunet.
Belle moves around them. "Billy," she started, catching everyone's attention. "Don't tell me what's good for me. Only I will know that."
Billy glanced at her, before grinning at the restrained Josiah over her shoulder. Billy's hands lunged at Belle's waist, pulling the petite girl against his chest and pressing his lips to her own.
Belle froze for second before she lowered her hands to his waist. She felt Billy's sickening smile split across his face while she did so. She couldn't ignore Josiah's yells and the struggles of the men holding him back.
Belle pulled away, holding Billy's gun up at his head. "Fuck you, William H Bonney. If there's one thing in this world that I would love to do more than stay by Doc's side TIL the day I die, it would be to kill you myself."
"Calm down, Belle-"
"No! Don't tell me to calm down! I'm so fed up with you and your fucking gang! Christ, I don't even know what we're fighting for anymore!"
"Belle-" Josiah began from behind her.
"Shut up! No one ever fucking listens to me! I never wanted to follow you, Billy, but Doc dragged me here. All I want to go back to New York and see my little boys. No one in this fucking group realised that I'm a mother who's been forced away from her children for over a week now, not even their own father realised that! Everyone here just brushed me off, forgot about what I wanted!" Belle shouted, not lowering the gun from Billy's head.
Tom came rushing into the hallway, stopping short at the scene briefly before turning to Billy.
"Billy! Look out the window!"
Billy raised his hands in surrender to Belle. With a scoff, Belle lowered the gun, however her knuckles still remained white around the handle as she watched Billy rush over to the nearest window.
"It's a mob, out there."
—-
dedicated to June_Bug99 for all the amazing support recently
