A Life Of 'Shine - Lem Fike

60

Sean was the last of the group inside to wake up, opening his eye's to an empty cabin which was a little strange at first before he heard the laughter of the other's outside and shortly after could smell the stew as it was being prepared.

He rubbed the sleep out of his eye's before stumbling out of the small shack they made home in, greeted with joyful looks from the others as he steadily approached them.

"Mornin'." He said, voice a little groggy.

Nora smiled, throwing some ingredients she had gathered into the pot as it steadily boiled.

"Mornin', Sean." She greeted, gently passing over a warm cup of coffee Lem had just made.

The irishman thanked them both respectively, sitting opposite the small group on his own little stool as he savoured the bitter liquid.

"What are you lot doing this far out then?" Sean asked, thinking it peculiar as they had last been seen  near the swamps.

She shrugged, not wanting to recount the events that led up to now. Eventually, Nora noticed how forlorn Sean had looked as if he was far too exhausted to keep up with the old, excited act he had once been.

"You know, Sean." She began. "You're welcome to stay with us for as long as you need too."

He looked appreciative for the offer but felt himself to be too much a burden if he did stay, not only that but the idea of making himself apart of another gang was far too.. scary, after what had happened with his last one at least.

But Sean didn't want to appear rude, not to somebody so kind. So instead he mustered a small "Thanks." In return.

At some point Kieran had gotten up and left the group, unbeknownst to the other's who only realised when Cripps had asked about him. Nora cursed under her breath before rising to a stand. She walked over to the tree line and gently called for the male, but recieved no answer in turn which meant he was distant of shouting range and had wandered to far which did no help for Nora's nerves.

"I'm sure he's fine, probably went to go bathroom somewhere." Cripps announced and Nora gently nodded, accepting it to be the case although she highly doubted it seeing as Kieran was never one to wander too far off.

"I can go looking if you wish." Lem said and Nora simply shook her head. "If you want too, but I won't force you."

Fike only shrugged before rising out of the chair he stole from inside the shack, waving for Sean to follow him as he set out to look for Kieran. While confused at first, the irishman did eventually get up and follow Lem after he realised why he had been beckoned over.

Nora gave the duo a quick glance as they sauntered off, disappearing amongst the thick trees and out of sight.

"Why'd you get rid of them?" Harry asked, noticing the man they went out to look far just emerging from inside the house. Kieran gave the group a gentle wave before pacing around to the back of the cabin where he would wait for the pair to return.

Nora briefly looked around before leaning forward to better talk with the remaining lot.

"Needed to speak with you three."

"About?"

Nora sighed. "I saw Maggie an' Marcel in Strawberry. Jus' before James an' you arrived. They didn't see neither me nor Lem and he didn't see them."

Cripps looked excited at Maggie's name being mentioned but it had gone unnoticed by the siblings. "So are you gonna bring her over here?"

"That's the problem, Jim."

"Cripps." He sounded annoyed. "And what's the problem?"

"I have no idea what I'm to do. I want too, of course I do but at the same time the situation we're all in, I don't want them caught up in it."

"That's understandable, Nora. But you can't keep Lem from knowin' about them, Maggie's his family you know an' she did raise him."

"I'm going to tell him regardless, Cripps. I just; I don't know if I can tell her that we're all hidin' here."

"We got ourselves into quite the predicament ain't we?" He chuckled. "But Maggie'll find us anyway, so for what it's worth, tell her now an' get it over with."

Cripps gently clapped his hands together. "If it gives you any peace of mind, don't tell her where we are just mention that we're near."

"Nearer to Blackwater than we are Strawberry." James cut-in, but had been brushed off by the both as they conversed.

Eventually, they could hear the snapping of branches as someone or something approached them and while it could still be Lem and Sean returning the group were still cautious about who it could be.

With their revolvers ready, all eye's had moved to watch the trees. Kieran quickly rushed around the cabin to sit with the other's, whispering under his breath that it was in fact Lem and Sean returning from their search.

The Irishman broke the silence as he shouted at the group about their failure in finding Kieran but was quickly hushed by Lem.

"He's here." Nora called back, looking over her shoulder as they emerged amidst the trees. "Came back not long after you left."

"Nothin' to worry about then, see Nor." Lem said as he sat by Nora. She nodded towards him, taking his hand into her own before holding onto it in both a loving and protective manner.

He shuffled closer a little before resting his head on top her own, watching the dancing of the flames before him on the fire.

Tomorrow. He decided. Tomorrow he will tell Nora how he saw his aunt Maggie in Strawberry just before they set out for Aurora Basin.

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A/N; Decided to call JB Cripps, Jim in this. Dunno what the 'B' could stand for and as his name is only ever mentioned as JB Cripps (from what I could find) I decided to roll with Jim. If you don't like it and would rather me stick to JB then please say. But I plan to use it in conversations that most of the time will have an annoyed response from Cripps upon hearing it.. not all the time because I don't want it being overly repetitive. But enough times.