A Life Of 'Shine - Lem Fike

20

"Yeah. They took a boy, a child. I knew the Braithwaite's were bad but I never thought they'd take to kidnapping." Nora told Lem and Maggie as they sat at the table, whiskey in hand as they celebrated. There was nothing to celebrate, everyone had just had a good day and so Maggie called for the whiskey to be brought out.

"Those Braithwaite's ain't never been right, it was a matter of time before they would resort to something as low as this; unfortunately for them, they decided to take a boy from a gang of outlaws who showed them no mercy. Just remind me to stay on their good sides." Maggie chuckled in reference to Mr Van Der Linde and his merry men, Nora having told her and Lem many stories of what she had heard them do, of course being careful to not mention any names or locations.

"You going to help them with the boy?" Lem asked from behind his glass, looking at the substance with a smile as he admired the liquid. Nora could only describe him as "squiffy" in this moment, seeing as his face was flushed and his attention was all over the place.

"I don't know. I'll go see if they need my help and I would like to help but it really depends on if they need me. I think they'll have it handled though, they burned the manor and killed, well, most of the Braithwaite's anyway." Nora explained, Lem nodding along before finishing his seventh glass of whiskey. She had never seen her lover drink so much in one sitting having only limited himself to three glasses whenever they drank together.

Maggie noticed this as well, taking the bottle of whiskey from her nephew before he could pour himself an additional glass.

"Why are you drinking more than usual, Lemuel?" Nora frowned, leaning forward on her arms to question the male. The male only offered a small shrug in his explanation before leaving the table without a goodbye, walking out of the moonshine shack much to the astonishment of Maggie and Nora.

"I'll go." Nora offered, following Lem after a minute or two.

"Lemuel, what is with you? I know you aren't one to reject a drink but you have had a little more than usual. In the year I've known you I've never seen you drink more than three glasses." Lem had moved to take care of the horses, the ones for the wagon as well as Nora's own animal, she watched intently from afar while he resumed patting the necks of the mammals.

"Revenue agents recognised me earlier. Was damn close to getting thrown into jail again and hell, they wouldn't have left me alive this time. I was involved with Hixon and I did set up that trap." Nora frowned, moving closer to wrap her arms around the male. He didn't object, moving in to return the hug she had offered.

"It's stupid, but I got scared. I get recognised one time and I'm already running for my life." He let out a saddened sigh, leaning forward slightly to rest his forehead against her shoulders. As if she was comforting a child, Nora ran her hand along his back in small circles. This being the best way she knew how to ease him.

"No, they would've sent you to Sisika which is a death sentence for most people." He nodded against her before moving, pulling away from her embrace to better look at the female's face.

"I sometimes wonder what I had done to deserve you as a friend. I also wonder why you considered me as anything more, but I know one thing for certain is that I really love you Nora Morgan."

"And I love you, Lemuel Fike." Her voice was low and in a whisper when she replied, moving closer so their bodies were mere centimetre's apart. She raised her right hand to caress his cheek, running her thumb along the bone before leaning into a kiss.

"If you two are just gonna stand out here being all lovey-dovey you may as well go home for the night and not do anything in the open." Maggie was joking of course, teasing his nephew as she used to before the increasing worry of Hixon on their tail. When Hixon was after the Fike's Maggie had grown more bitter and stern as the days passed, but she still cared for Lem even if she didn't show it most days.

"Sorry Maggie." Nora apologised although she couldn't hide the bright smile plastered on her face, the one mirrored by Lem as he stood before her. She pulled away from her lover to join Maggie into walking back inside, Lem not too far behind.

"I'm going to ride on out tomorrow, see if my help is needed in saving little Jack. If that is okay with you, Miss Fike."

"No need to be formal. Go rescue him, I'll be more happy if you did that than stay here." Maggie smiled, picking up the whiskey bottle and empty glasses from the table and moving them to the side. Nora nodded, leaning against the desk as conversed a little more with the companions.

Some time had passed and Nora decided to excuse herself, walking out into the cool night air to catch her breath for a moment. She leaned against the side of the moonshine shack, listening intently to the sounds around here. The usual sounds of winds and few bugs, nothing out of the ordinary until the thundering of hooves down the path echoed in the location. Similar to that of when the Male's had returned after their assault on Braithwaite manor.

The female walked around to see familiar faces dismounting their horses in the moonlight, smiling towards her once they recognised her presence. The familiar faces of Sean MacGuire, Arthur Morgan and Javier Escuella standing before her. Arthur taking the lead as he stepped closer to her.

"Dutch needs your help."