𝐂𝐚𝐮𝐠𝐡𝐭 𝐔𝐩 ✧ 𝐑𝐃𝐑𝟐

𝐂𝐡𝐚𝐩𝐭𝐞𝐫 𝐓𝐰𝐞𝐧𝐭𝐲.

"Hosea?" Audrey chirped out at the man who was sitting at the rectangular tent by the camp entrance. He looked up at the woman. "Can I talk to you? About Arthur?" She asked. Hosea nodded, motioning to a seat at the table. She sat at the end of the table, scooting her chair a little closer to Hosea before sitting down.

"What's the fool done now?" Hosea sighed jokingly. His chuckled faded when he saw Audrey didn't find his joke very humorous. "What'd he do?" He asked, his face creasing with concern. Audrey looked at her hands as she gathered herself, clamping her hands together on the table.

"Arthur and I... well you might know," She was paused by Hosea interrupting.

"We all know, dear," Hosea stopped her, causing her face to flush slightly. Hosea smiled, waiting for her to go on.

"Well, okay," Audrey breathed before continuing. "I think he's trying to push me away, like he's trying to scare me out of all of this," Audrey motioned around them with her hands. Hosea frowned slightly as she continued to ramble on. "Now I'm scared. I don't want to be scared... do I need to be scared?" She asked, her eyes finally landing on Hosea. Hosea placed a hand over her hands, supporting her. 

"May I be honest with you?" He asked. Audrey nodded, the truth is what she wanted. "We all have been scared. Some more than others. Everyone here is willing to die for each other, that love we share takes a lot of the fear away," Hosea informed. He leant over the table a little before lowering his voice. "I suggest you think about things. Think about what you want. You need to figure out if you want to stay and you can only figure that out if you are willing to put yourself in danger for others," Hosea sighed before leaning back in his chair, his hand still on top of her hands. He squeezed them slightly before continuing. "As for Arthur, he's always been stubborn and hopeless when it comes to love," Hosea chuckled. Audrey smiled, Hosea was brutally honest but it was what she needed to hear. Would she want to die for anyone here? They've fed her, given her clothes and a home. They saved her from Colm. Maybe she would, no matter how many times a day Audrey went and thanked Dutch for his hospitality her words could never repay what he and his friends have done for her. Bill and Javier helped place tombstones for her parents, they didn't even argue with her about it. They protected her from the O'Driscolls, if she was alone she would probably be dead now. John saved her from Colm last night and Abigail made her feel safe and comforted. Karen, Mary-Beth and Tilly were some of her best friends she's ever had and they don't talk a lot but when they all do it's like they've known each other for ages. Everyone had been so kind to her, perhaps not Micah but that's just him. 

"I want to learn how to use a gun," Audrey spoke up to him. Hosea didn't say anything or give her any funny look. "Last night scared me... I-I think it's something I need to know for my safety and for the safety of others," Audrey explained, Hosea nodding in understandment. 

"I want you to know, Miss, that shooting a gun isn't all that bad. There is some good that comes with it," Hosea nodded at her. "Like protection as you said," his attention was caught by Micah, the blonde outlaw walking towards the box of whiskey. "Micah!" He called out to the man, motioning him over. Micah groaned but approached them. 

"Yes, old man?" Micah sneered, annoyed that he got dragged away from a drink. Hosea narrowed his eyes at him, warning him before continuing.

"Take Audrey out, would you? Teach her how to use a gun," Hosea informed, looking over at Audrey who was scolding in fury. Out of everyone who could teach her it had to be Micah. Hosea looked back at Micah. "If you do anything funny to her I will kill you, I don't care what Dutch says," Hosea warned him. Micah held his hands up in defeat, chuckling. "I'm only asking you 'cause you're the only one doing nothing. Javier and Bill are on guard and Arthur, Charles, John and Sean have gone to rob that train Mary-Beth had been telling them about."

"She's safe with me," Micah informed, looking as if he was telling the truth for once. Maybe she should give him a chance. Maybe she should accidentally misfire and shot him. Who knows how tonight will go. Hosea nodded, looking at Audrey and motioning her to go with Micah. Audrey rose from her seat.

"You got a gun?" He asked her. Audrey nodded. "Well, go get it woman," Micah scoffed. Audrey nodded before heading to her horse and reaching into the saddlebag. Her fingers clasped around the barrel of the revolver, wincing as she felt the warm blood still on the gun. She pulled it out, Micah now standing with her. He looked at the gun, snatching it from her. She jumped, spinning to look at him as he wiped it on his shirt before handing it back to her. "There. Now come on, we'll go somewhere quiet," he explained before walking over to his horse. Audrey stared after him in shock, surprised he did something kind for her. She regained herself, tucking the revolver under her belt before swinging up into Desert Rose's saddle and following Micah who was waiting for her by a path that led out of camp. "There's an old settlement nearby. It's been burnt down but a lot of bottles have been left around from previous squatters, you can use those," Micah informed as the cantered down the path and out of camp. 

The bullet rang out, completely missing the bottle which caused a small chuckled from Micah. Audrey stared at the bottles in frustration before turning to Micah, crossing her arms across her chest.

"It's not funny!" She warned him as the man continued to chuckle. She frowned at him. "I'm learning, okay?" 

"Okay," Micah chuckled before walking over to her. He lifted a finger, indicating her to aim. She aimed at the bottles, her eyes locking onto the same one she had been trying to shoot for what felt like an hour. He tapped her arm, her arm not budging.

"That's the problem, you ain't relaxed," Micah informed. Audrey looked at her arm before releasing a deep breath as she relaxed herself. Micah tapped her arm again, this time it was relaxed. He nodded in approval. "Good, remember don't jerk the trigger, do it softly. It'll throw your whole aim off," Micah explained before taking a few steps away from her making sure he was in a safe spot so she wouldn't somehow shoot him. The two of them had a few arguments while they were here but Audrey figured that was a part of Mr. Bell's charm, or lack of. She did as he had told her before, breath slowly and steadily, aim with determination but relax the arm. Don't jerk the trigger and shoot on an empty lung. Once she breathed out she pulled the trigger. The gun jolted back in her hand slightly but she was pleased to hear the shatter of a bottle. She gasped in delight, turning to Micah with a grin spread on her face. 

"I did it!" She cheered. Micah nodded before pointing at the other ones that still stood. Audrey nodded, turning back around the aiming at the bottles again.

"Hold the revolver a bit firmer this time so it won't jolt," Micah called out to her before she fired a bullet. This time the gun remained firm in her grip and the bullet pierced through the glass bottle. She aimed at the bottle beside it, cocking a bullet into place before pulling the trigger again, the bottle shattering as response to the bullet's impact. "Good," Micah complimented as he walked over to the box where the bottles were standing, picking the lantern up off of the barrel that was beside the box. "You managed to miss the lantern, not like a fire would do much to this shit hole," he scoffed. He walked back over to her, holding the lantern in a hand. "But you did well. So how do you plan on repaying me?"

"Excuse me?" Audrey sounded startled. She thought she didn't need to give him anything and it's not like she had anything to give. Hosea asked Micah to help and he did. Micah smirked, taking a step towards her.

"Surely you can give me a go since you gave all the O'Driscoll's boys a go," Micah hissed through his teeth. Audrey's face screwed up in disgust before a hand met the side of his face. Audrey stared shocked at him as her hand ached from how hard she had slapped him. She shook her head to ease the pain, a chuckled erupting from Micah.

"You putrid man!" Audrey hissed before marching towards where they had hitched the horses.

"I was joking!" Micah called out from behind her. He groaned as he rubbed the side of his face before following after her, the lantern still in his hand.

"Well I'm not," Audrey called back to him over her shoulder. She shoved the cattleman's revolver into her saddle bag, the one Arthur had given her before mounting the horse. 

"Clearly," Micah huffed as he mounted Baylock. He attached the lantern to his saddle, giving them light on the ride back to camp. "Let's get back," he groaned before leading the way back to camp.