This Town is Big Enough...

Arthur found himself growing tired, but something told him to at least keep awake. Alfred's chest was warm, everything seemed wonderful with him there. He made a noise to acknowledge he was listening, as his eyes slide close. Alfred's voice sounded odd, and something wet hit his face. He slide his eyes opened, about to ask Alfred was that happening. Suddenly he felt lips on his, only for a brief second, but they were there. He blinked, overly confused. He smiled to himself though. Arthur had kissed a lot of people, but it was different. Somewhere in the back of his mind there was a hope he wasn't dream, because he was truly happy.

He grew tired in Alfred's hold, and the stillness felt good, and he figured he could dose off. His eyes slide close again, before the snapped open at a sudden burning in his side. He covered his mouth, muffling a scream of pain and attempted to curl up on himself, but he was blocked, something heavy on his legs. His eyes water, and he felt something heavy push down on his top half.

The pain was unbearable, his hands searched blindly for something to grip to make it all go away. His vision left him and he couldn't hear much of anything, he hoped he was screaming to bad. It seemed like forever to it dull down, he found himself panting. Eventually everything faded back to normal. He felt arms lifting him up and he didn't care how he was being held. He felt something on his cheek and some word in his ears.

"I'm not going anywhere fast." Arthur said with a light tone, his mind was starting to come back to him. "Al..." Arthur found he was too tired to complete his partners name, "I'm tried...can I go to sleep? I'll come back I promise." Arthur said with a loop sided grin before his head fell heavily on Alfred's shoulder and his world became nothing around him. He didn't wait for an answer.

Alfred couldn't help but panic when Arthur fainted into him, but Matthew assured him that with the massive amounts of blood loss and pain he had just experienced, fainting was to be expected. This did not comfort the sheriff, but he tried not to let it distract him from making it back to town. Francis and his brother walked a couple paces in front of him, oddly quiet and worn out from the days events. They left Alfred mostly to his thoughts, which he appreciated. He pushed away the events of the train, of Braginski, and of the wound on his partner's side, choosing instead to focus on the way Arthur's blond eyelashes hit his cheek. He studied those faint lashes with uninterrupted intensity for the entirety of the trip without any inclination as to why. Later, if he ever looked back on this incident, he might realize that what he really wanted to see while looking at those lashes was for them to move up so he could catch a glimpse of the emerald pools beneath them.

The day passed as a blur to Alfred. They managed to arrive in a small town by nightfall and set themselves up in an inn. Alfred refused to leave Arthur's side, even when Matthew threatened to drag him into bed himself. After seeing the determined look on his brother's face, the doctor begrudgingly conceded and retired to his own room for the night. Alfred sat dutifully by Arthur's beside the entire night, carefully watching for any strangled breathing or feverish cheeks with surprisingly attentiveness. Whenever Arthur made a noise of discomfort, he would lean in and take his hand until his face relaxed again. This continued until the early hours of the morning when Alfred's eyes grew tired. The exhausting day was finally catching up to him, despite his best efforts to keep it at bay. Alfred feel asleep in his chair, his fingers still intertwined within Arthur's even in slumber.

Arthur stirred when he felt a cold hand on his forehead. His green eyes slowly opened with a groan. They found a longer haired Alfred hovering above him. "Alfred?" He asked. How long have I been out? Alfred shock his head and pointed right side. Arthur turned his head slowly, a beating headache made him not want to move it so much. There he saw what looked like Alfred passed out in a chair and flopped onto the bed. "Matt?" Arthur said pointing weakly at the other.

"Close enough, Matthew." Matthew corrected gently. "How do you feel?"

"Uh..." Arthur said dumbly, his brain not functioning well enough for anything truly proper. "Thirsty, hungry...and dizzy." Matthew nodded and smiled.

"That's expected with the amount of blood you lost. You have a slight fever though." Matthew said gently placing his hand on Arthur's shoulder, which he realized was bare. "I should change you bandages and check for infection. Could you try to wake him up, I always tried."

Arthur turned to Alfred, wincing slightly as pain shot up his side when he turned more towards him. He noticed his hand was in Alfred's and blushed. He hoped Matthew didn't see anything and if he did, he was glad the boy didn't say anything. He slide his hand out of his larger.

"Alfred, Alfred, wake up." Arthur said shaking the American's arm cause it was all he could reach without hurting himself more.

He was standing out in the middle of nowhere, surrounded by nothing but stars and sky. The only noises that permeated the air were that of singing crickets and the occasional lone coyote. He was sprawled out against the dirt, waiting. He knew he had been waiting for a long time, but it was for something very important, so he didn't mind the long stretch of nothingness. If he tried to move or occupy his mind with something besides stargazing, he would miss whatever was about to happen. So he lay there, content but alert with anticipation. Somewhere from above him, he heard a voice call out to him. Alfred smiled and sat up, instantly catching sight of the reason he was out here. A small, lithe man crouched down beside him, his calloused hands resting against his cheek. Alfred mouthed his name and pulled him down into the dust beside him. The man with green eyes laughed turned on his side to speak to him. Alfred answer, also shifting onto his side to converse. They spoke of everything from the stars above them, to the people who may as well not have been real. Once everything that needed to be spoken, had been, they fell silent. The two stared at each other for a long while before leaning forward. Their lips meet in the middle in a soft kiss that evolved into something deeper. After the heated moments had passed, the two lay in a breathless embrace in the dust, the stars twinkling knowingly above them.

* * *

A soft pressure on his arm accompanied with the sound of his name pulled Alfred back into vague consciousness. Slowly, his blue eyes opened and began to take in the world around him. He was in yet another inn, although he was having trouble conjuring up any memories from this one. He saw his brother a few feet away, seemingly busing himself with what looked like rolls of bandages. On the bed beside him, was Arthur - awake and lightly shaking his arm. Alfred blinked once, than again to try and make sense of the situation despite his exhaustion. Then, like a gunshot, he was off the chair and on the bed, holding Arthur in a loose hug (minding his left side). "Arthur! You're awake! How are you feeling? I thought you weren't going to wake up, but Mattie came and managed to help with all the bleeding. I'm so glad you're awake." Alfred smiled out of pure relief. Mattie had warned him that with the amount of blood loss Arthur sustained, he might not make it through the night. "You kept your promise," He murmured, much quieter then before, "You said you would come back, and you did. Thank you for that."

Alfred would have stayed like that all day if Matthew hadn't come to pull him off, saying something about Arthur needing a change of bandages. The sheriff stayed impatiently to the side until his twin was done and Arthur had settled back down on the bed. When he had been given the sign it was clear, he sat on the bed and immediately took his partner's hand. There were a million things he wanted to say at that moment, but he couldn't find the words. A feeling of relief clashed violently with guilt, but he tried to focus only on the positive. Arthur was awake and Matthew appeared to be fairly confident in his survival now, as he had left the room fairly quickly to find them some breakfast. The room fell silent. Alfred stared at the floor paneling before working up the courage to spit at least one sentence out. "I'm sorry." The sheriff shifted nervously, unable to look at Arthur just yet. Although the other man didn't appear to be angry about taking a bullet because of Alfred's blunder, that didn't mean he didn't feel resentment. "I never meant for you to be hurt Arthur. Please forgive me."

Arthur winced slightly at the sudden movement, but it could have been from when tensing up to much. He still wasn't use to some of the hugs the American gave him. He attempted to wrap his arms around the American, but it proved to be somewhat fruitless. He chuckled at Alfred's rambling he was somewhat aware of what happened after everything happened. Some parts were fuzzier than others, like the part about Matthew. "I'm fine, Alfred," Arthur said willing some of his dizziness from being lifted into a hug away. "Just a slight fever." He grinned, resting in Alfred's hold, content with the world. "I'm glad I kept is as well, it's ungentlemanly to break a promise."

Matthew eventually parted them. Matthew didn't take long in his changing the bandages and checking his wound. He helped Arthur settle back into the bed and said something about getting breakfast. A silence sat in the room and Arthur debated saying something. The American did it eventually, and Arthur was thankful for some noise.

"I don't need to accept it," Arthur said shaking his head on the pillow a bit, causing the room to spin slightly, he gripped the sheet tightly. "I know you didn't plan for me to get hurt, and I honestly wasn't planing for you to get hurt. It happened from an unexpected third party that over thought everyone and wanted us hurt. I'm sorry far causing you worry though." Arthur said attempting to find Alfred with his, but with his vision spinning he missed a few times. Arthur bit his lip, he had a more pressing question. "Did you kiss me?" He asked before he stop it and word it carefully.

Relief flooded his system when Arthur brushed off his apology. If he had blamed the sheriff for having taken a bullet to the side, Alfred felt he would have expressed those feelings right away. Still, he could not properly forgive himself for the blunder quite yet - as it had almost cost the life of a man who was quickly becoming a necessary aspect of his life. "Still, I want you to know how sorry I am. And I promise I will do anything and everything to help you recover fully." He said, smiling brightly. Thankfully with Matthew's help, he had no doubt that Arthur would make a speedy recovery. Although he had not had the chance to have a real conversation with his brother about the years they spent apart, he was impressed by how much he had already managed to make of his life. But then again, Mattie had always been the studious type. It really came as no surprise that he had become as successful as he was.

Alfred brought his attention back to Arthur when he heard him address him once more. At first, the question totally threw him. But thinking back to the previous night, he suddenly remembered that he had indeed kissed Arthur. Immediately his cheeks turned a rosy pink at the memory. "Um... well," he stared down at his hands, fumbling to find a response that didn't make him sound like a total moron. "I... well... yes." He admitted softly, looking rather pathetic with his red cheeks and downcast eyes. "I thought you were going to... well you know, and so I just did it. I'm sorry if I offended you or anything, but at the time it felt right. I understand if you don't want me to talk about it again. I won't bring it up and we can just forget it about it, if that makes you feel better." Why was he such a child at times? He should have realized, even at that emotional moment, that kissing a man he barely knew was not acceptable. No matter what the context. Hopefully Arthur would agree not to speak of it again and they could continue on, relatively normally.

Matthew walked back in a moment later, carrying a small tray of food with a pitcher of water and two glasses. He lay it on the bed beside Arthur and expertly helped to maneuver him into a comfortable sitting position. "Here, you need to drink water. Both of you do," said the doctor, violent eyes flickering over to his brother. "Eat what you can Arthur, but don't worry about not finishing. The most important thing right now is staying hydrated and resting. Alfred, you really should go and sleep. I'll be in to check on Arthur." Alfred frowned and shook his head stubbornly, refusing to budge from his spot on the bed. Matthew groaned and handed him the other glass filled with water. "I thought you might say that. Stay here if you want, but at least drink up. Arthur, I will be back in later. Call if you feel you need me." With that, the young doctor left his brother and the former crook to their own devices. Alfred leaned back and slowly sipped his water, hoping their previous conversation had now been forgotten.

Arthur's heart soared when he heard that Alfred had done it. He was afraid he had imagined it in the shock or delusions of his mind. Yet he frowned slightly at the Sheriff's words. He honestly didn't want to forget about it, and it wasn't like they could just not talk about it, but it was awkward too. Forgetting about it was not going to make him feel better, because in that small moment it seemed like everything was perfect in the world. It was perfect and everything alined. Yet now did didn't seem that way so much any more. He was about to open his mouth to tell Alfred that he didn't wish to forget it.

Matthew entered before Arthur could say anything. Arthur sighed a bit, people had very bad timing it seemed in America and it was rubbing off on him as well. He let Matthew help him up and took a glass from him, drinking it rather hungrily. His green eyes caught sight of the food and was somewhat happy. It was something else home cooked. He took the plate when Matthew handed it to him and happily munched on the food. Eventually Matthew left him and Alfred alone again, promising to come back later. Silence returned, and Arthur was seriously going to murder it. The American leaned back and Arthur continued nibbling on his food.

"Do you want..."Arthur said pausing, wondering is he should just ask if Alfred wanted some, or continue with what he asked. "Do you want...some food and forget about the kiss?" He asked lightly, blushing because as it squeaks out.

The odd combination of questions confused Alfred. He hesitantly glanced over at Arthur to be sure he heard right, catching sight of the blush that colored his cheeks a pretty pink. At that thought, he in turn went red. Yes, it appeared he had heard right. It was somehow comforting to know that he wasn't the only one still thinking about the kiss. Arthur had sounded almost unsure when he spoke, as if maybe he really wasn't interested in simply tossing aside the moment they shared. The sheriff's heart fluttered nervously at the possibility. Never before had he felt anything so... there wasn't a word for what he was feeling at the moment. There was excitement twinged with fear; elation combined with dread; and hope combined with an unsatisfied longing. He was almost terrified by everything he was feeling, but being in Arthur's presence somehow made it all okay again. Maybe, he dared to hope, Arthur was experiencing the same things he was.

"Um... yes to the food. No to the forgetting," He said softly, not trusting himself to look up. "Unless that's what you want of course, because then I will. But, if it were up to me, I wouldn't want to forget. Because... because well, I really liked kissing you. The circumstances were horrible, and I really wasn't even convinced that you were conscious at that point, but I wanted to kiss you. And I wouldn't mind kissing you again. If you didn't mind! But I'm just some stupid kid, I understand if you don't want to! It's really okay. I'll be fine, and why am I still talking? Sorry! I'll stop." Alfred's face burned and he quickly hid behind his hands.

Oh god. Had he really just said all that? Damn him and his stupid inability to shut his mouth! Arthur probably thought he was a complete moron! No way he wanted to kiss him now! Not that Alfred would be upset if he didn't want to. No, no, kissing wasn't that big of a deal - he really could have cared less. Alfred groaned internally, pulling his legs up into his chest as he tried to hide from the world. He was so bad at lying, even to himself. He wanted to kiss Arthur again. So, so badly. Last time had been a thank you and goodbye - what he really wanted more than anything was to kiss and be kissed. But that was too much to hope for. He had probably ruined whatever chance they might have had because of his stupid mouth. "Sorry," He muttered softly, refusing to lift his head from the protection his arms provided. I'm sorry I ruin everything I touch...

Arthur bit back a chuckle. He found Alfred incredibly adorable in the moment. It was quite clear Alfred hadn't been with someone else before. Arthur couldn't stop his grin though. He gently placed the plate on his left, he could eat more but he figured for not it could sit next to him. He turned back to Alfred. He wanted him to shut up and just do what he wanted. He already knew Arthur had kissed men before, and if he wanted to kiss him what was stopping him? Nothing should, they had done it before, though Arthur had been going in and out from blood loss, it still counted if he remembered it.

"Alfred, come here, I want to tell you something." Arthur said motioning for the other to come slower to him.

When he did, Arthur grabbed him by his neck and yanked him down to his lips. His eyes slid closed as he pressed firmly, his fingers playing with the short hairs on Alfred's neck. The Sheriff's hair was soft, Arthur had to stop his other hand for wanting to weave into it. When he pulled away, he blushed, Arthur had never truly been a forward type of person, he always buttered things up, made sure everything was safe, before acting and here was just acting.

"Don't apologize for something you want," Arthur stress, his green eyes searching in the sky blue of his partner. "But do shut your mouth you babbling baboon." Arthur said with a sly grin. Hoping he good a good message across.

Alfred was a bit weary of what his partner might do, especially having caught sight of that grin from earlier. He half expected to be slapped for being so forward before (he knew the English were a little weird with their sensibilities), but he scooted closer anyway. After all, Arthur was injured and he owed him at least this much. He flinched when the hand came up, but instead of taking a hit to the back of the head like he expected, Arthur pulled him down, their lips meeting halfway. Alfred made a soft noise and his eyes widened in surprise, but he didn't pull away. After a moment or two of muted shock, Alfred's eyes drifted shut and he found himself leaning in closer to get a better taste of the British man's lips.

All too soon, Arthur pulled away, causing him to lean in closer, lips still half pursed in wanting. Realizing what he was doing, Alfred quickly moved back slightly and blushed as well. He listened carefully to his partner, biting back a smile when he teased him for his earlier rambling. "I'll try my best Artie, but..." He glanced up at the other man, blue eyes flashing mischievously, "You may have to find a way to keep my mouth occupied." Without waiting for a response, he had leaned forward and once again captured Arthur's lips with his own. Alfred pressed a hand against the other man's cheek, carefully angling his head so they could be as close as possible. Everything about kissing Arthur was intoxicating. The slightly chapped lips mixed with his musky scent and a tasted that vaguely reminded him of black tea and fresh air. Unable to stop himself, he lightly flicked his tongue over the other man's bottom lip to catch more of his unique flavor.

A loud gasp suddenly sounded by the door, startling Alfred. He instantly pulled back, his face cherry red from embarrassment. Please don't be Matthew. He silently prayed as he glanced towards the open door. Well, it wasn't Matthew, but he couldn't say he was any more pleased to see the perverted Frenchman standing there, wearing a leer that made him more than a little uncomfortable. The flamboyant Frenchman clapped his hands happily and walked towards them. "L'amour is beautiful, non? Even when it is wearing those massive, caterpillar eyebrows mon cher Arthur," he said, flashing his rival a grin. "I should have realized sooner that you two were more than just 'partner's', really the dramatics on the train were enough for anybody. Did you have to ravish your lover in the middle of a job, Kirkland?" Alfred froze, suddenly having remembered Ivan and the events on the train. He had yet to discuss all this with his partner and honestly had intended to tell him, but now was not the time. He wanted to simply enjoy these new found emotions (and perhaps sneak in a few more kisses here and there), so he settled for glaring at the meddlesome Frenchie - silently hoping Arthur would not delve any deeper at the moment.

Arthur felt his hands weave their way up into Alfred's hair, and his body move ever so slightly as to not cause pain to his side and bring him closer to Alfred's body. Arthur is more than happy to keep his partner's mouth occupied. His lips were chapped but they still left amazing on Arthur's lips. He could taste the lingering taste of coffee and whiskey. The Sheriff's large hand was warm on his cheek and he leaned into it. His smell made him think of the West, along with the smell of leather and gunpowder. Everything about Alfred seemed to be over taking his senses, and Arthur was surprise he could still think about, still process everything. Arthur felt a tongue on his bottom lip and grinned, oddly he was willing to let Alfred in, but the fact that lately no one had very good timing any more.

Alfred moved away fast, causing Arthur to slowly register everything else in the room. Then he heard the Francis' voice and he felt he could honestly murder the man. He glance at Alfred who was all red face. Honestly if it had been Matthew, Arthur would have blushed brighter than Alfred. He didn't know too much about the other's twin, other than he was his doctor and Arthur did not want to get the boy to worked up. However with Francis it was different. Arthur had walked in on Francis doing much worse that kissing someone and he had learned to just blankly look, close the door and walk away when it came to Francis. Besides Francis always said crude things, in fact he was in that moment and it was starting to piss Arthur off.

"Francis," Arthur said calmly, glare at the man he was giving him a look. "I did not 'ravish' my partner, you did that the night before. Alfred clearly got into a fight." Arthur said. He figured something happened in Arthur's absence and dragging Matthew around the train. He wanted to know what happened, but in the current moment it could wait, and it could probably wait till Arthur had to know what happened.

"Oui, whatever you say, Eyebrows." Francis said wiggling his eyebrows.

"You do know that I know you are in love with your reproductive organ, and I know Alfred has shoes somewhere in the room, and I know I have killer aim and there's a fork beside me if I can't get a shoe." Arthur said darkly with a bit of a grin. "Now you should tell us why you're really here."

Francis gulped loudly before adjusting his shirt a bit. "The Sheriff who sent for Alfred is here, but seeing as you two are busy, I can tell him to wait a bit." Francis said waving his hand a bit.

Alfred bit back a loud groan when he heard the message Francis had been sent to relay. Honestly, had all but forgotten all about his original mission and the sheriff who had sent him to do it when he first caught sight of Braginski on the train. His heart sank at the realization that the sheriff was probably furious with him. Still, if wouldn't do him much good to run away from their confrontation - it would happen sooner or later, whether he liked it or not. Best get it out of the way and accept whatever punishment the sheriff saw fit. "No, I should go talk with him," Alfred said, pulling himself off the bed with a long sigh. Glancing at the mirror beside him, he inwardly winced at his disorganized appearance. Oh well, nothing he could do for it - the suit he had borrowed was already ruined beyond repair.

He slowly made his way towards the door, pausing just before he left the room. He glanced at Arthur and gave him a shy smile. "I'll be back in a few minutes. You just rest up and you," Alfred glanced at the Frenchman, his eyes flashing with annoyance, "If possible, try and stay off of Arthur's bad side. He may be stuck in bed for now, but I am perfectly confident in his ability to beat the living hell out of you anyway." With his peace said, the young American walked out the door, making beeline for the parlor where he assumed the sheriff was. The lady working at the front desk directed him to a smaller sitting room, just outside of the main one where the sheriff sat waiting, his lips pressed together in a harsh line. Alfred winched, but forced himself to step inside, gently closing the door behind him. "Listen, I didn't mean..."

"Dammit Jones! Do you realize how badly you messed this up?!" The sheriff said, jumping to his feet, the grip on his walking stick was so tight, his knuckles were a stark white. Alfred winced, still slightly unprepared for the yelling, although he knew he deserved it. The man continued, face steadily growing redder with anger. "I specifically told you to follow orders, and what do you do? Run around the train like a madman, shooting wildly, and cutting the engine in the middling of the desert! What part of 'don't make a mess of things' did you fail to comprehend?! Do you realize how much damage control I have to do because of you? If I had the power to do so, I would strip you of your position and lock you in prison for the rest of your life, along with that damned Kirkland!" "But there was no heist!" Alfred interrupted, trying desperately to explain himself to the older man. "I know I messed up, but under the circumstances, I did the best I possibly could! There was a madman on that train! I did the only thing I could think of in order to save lives! If you were there, you would understand why I..."

"Jones!" The sheriff snapped, hitting his walking stick down against the hardwood floor beneath them. "Don't interrupt me when I am talking!" Alfred went silent. The older man took a deep breath and stepped forward, placing a hand against the blonde's shoulder. "Mistakes were made on that train, but that doesn't mean that you will never be successful Jones. You have a lot of potential if you paid more attention to the guidance of others. I'll give you another chance. Here, I even brought a peace offering." He motioned to the bundle on the table and lightly pushed Alfred towards it. Alfred walked over to it, hesitantly untying the string keeping it together. Beneath the crudely wrapping where his two pistols, shined and ready for use. He gasped a bit and picked them up, turning them over in his hands. "Wait, how did you get these? I lost them on the train when..." Alfred frowned and slowly turned back towards the sheriff. "He paid you off too, didn't he? You would never have called me to help with a train heist, no matter what the circumstances."

The older man took a step forward, raising a hand up in a submissive pose and opened his mouth to explain, but Alfred took aim with his pistols. "If you weren't apart of this in someway, you would have arrested Francis for his crimes instead of sending him up to get me. What's the angle now? What did Braginski ask you to do for him when we escaped from the train?" The sheriff frowned and dropped his hand to his side. In a flash, he had thrown the walking stick aside and had a gun in his hand, but Alfred was faster. He fired a single shot into his hand, causing the gun to fall to the ground and the older sheriff to curse loudly, blood trailing down his palm. Alfred stared at him, a hard glare on his face. Sparing no more words to the corrupt man, he left the room and raced back upstairs to Arthur. If Francis was still under Braginski's control, he hated to think what had happened when he left. "Arthur!" He shouted, kicking open the door. "Are you alright?"

Once Alfred left, Francis slide into the chair Alfred had been using before he crawled up on the bed. There was a silence on them, Arthur still glared at him before he grabbed his plate and started eating softly again. "You say one bloody word about what Alfred or I and I'll make sure this fork gets in one of your eyes." Francis sighed leaning back in his chair. "Was the Sheriff paid off too?" Arthur asked suddenly.

"You always surprise me," Francis said with a laugh as he ran his hand through his long blonde hair. "But if you want to know, yes, he was but I don't know they details."

Arthur nodded, "Why the bloody hell you're you tied up? I mean the real reason, Frog, not cause you thought you were going to shag some woman."

Francis chuckled a bit leaning forward, as if it was some huge secret. "Ah, but surely that is a wonderful story." Arthur looked at him flatly and the Frenchman sighed again. "I was simply going to tell you Braginski was on board and to watch your step, even when I knew you were with the Sheriff." Arthur raised an eyebrow. Francis cared enough to still warn him about Braginski even knew he knew he was on the other side. "It might be hard to believe Mr. Kirkland, but I do care about you as a friend from time to time."

Arthur stared at Francis, about to open his mouth and say something when a gunshot sounded in the distance. It was muffled but Arthur knew the sound well enough. His eyes widened and he sprang forward to get off the bed too quickly. Francis took a quick hold on his shoulders trying to ease him back. Arthur could hear French curses and what he figured were insults that just worked their way out in the curses. Arthur's hand found his left side and cradled it as he rested on the bed after Francis eased him down.

The door burst open and he heard Alfred's frantic voice. "I'm bloody fine," Arthur said painfully, though it probably sounded muffled. He felt Francis try to remove his hand and look at the wound. "Don't bloody touch it, Frog!" Arthur snapped slapping the other's hand.

Alfred was at his partner's side in an instant, yanking the Frenchman off with a hardened look in his eyes. He was angry, so much more then he ever thought possible. The lines that had been so clear to him before - that of good and evil, right and wrong, had been blurred to the point that they might as well have been erased entirely. Everything was so confusing, he could barely find his footing. He had once been so sure that he had been doing the right thing, but the sheriff had been a man he looked up to. He had been a pillar of justice that turned out to be decaying with corruption and buy-offs. What could be trusted? The copper star he had once worn so proudly meant nothing. A symbol of the law indeed, only the law was just as broken as the outlaws out here in the west.

The young sheriff slammed the Frenchman against the wall, pressing the pistol against his temple. "Were you apart of this too?" He demanded, eyes narrowed in an uncharacteristically dark expression. Francis squirmed desperately within his grip, blue eyes widened in shocked fear, but Alfred didn't care. He was tried of all these lies. He wanted to believe in the best of people, but people continuously went out of their way to expose their true colors. "Well? Were you? Did you help Braginski find me and try and kill Arthur? Better answer quick because from this close, I promise I won't miss!" Francis quickly shook his head, in his panic, speaking in rapid French to explain himself. "Non, non! Je n'avais rien à faire avec lui nuire soit de vous. S'il vous plaît! Vous devez me croire!"

Alfred frowned, hand now shaking from anxiety. Too much had happened in such a sort time and he was finding it difficult to know who or what to believe. "Alfred!" A voice called from behind him, "Alfred let him go!" Hands grabbed him from behind, forcing the gun out of his hands. He tried to fight back, but quickly stopped when he caught sight of his brother pulling him into a tight embrace. "Calm down! Francis is an idiot and a pervert, but he's not bad! You need to think before you act you big moron!" Alfred stared up at his brother, eyes wide and body shaking. Slowly he sank into his brothers strong grip, breaking down into a fit of sobs. After going continuously for nearly twenty-four hours, he allowed himself to break down completely within the comfort of Mattie's arms. He vaguely registered his twin sitting them down on the ground, lightly rubbing his back and whispering comforting words in his ear.

"I hate this Mattie. I'm supposed to be the good guy." He hiccuped, trying to explain everything he was feeling through his tears. "And Artie got hurt, he wasn't supposed to. And then Ivan was there and he kissed me, even when I didn't want to. And I just..." He broke back down, crying softly into his twins chest. Matthew continued to hold him until his sobs had died down a bit, leaving his head feeling fuzzy and the weight on his chest significantly lighter then before. "You need to sleep Alfred. You can spare a few hours." Alfred nodded in agreement, too tired to say anything differently. Using his brother as support, he managed to stand, but refused to leave the room. "Let me stay in here with Arthur." Matthew frowned at the former criminal, obviously not liking the idea. "If Mr. Kirkland is okay with it. The quieter of the two mumbled, giving Arthur a slightly warning glare.

The moment Matthew ripped Alfred off Francis he came over to Arthur, easing him up so he wasn't laying on the bed in a heap. Arthur and him got in a quiet spat while Matthew dealt with his brother. Once Arthur was seated again, and he stiffened when he heard Alfred talking. It was everything that happened on the train.

Arthur glanced down on at his hands. That's what had happened when Alfred was split from him. Never in his life had he ever wanted to step in front of Braginski more. Mostly everyone in a life of crime had heard of Ivan Braginski, they extremely creepy Russian man who was a huge criminal power in the West. Everyone sort of knew that getting in his way usually meant getting shot, hurt, or dealt with painfully.

The young Sheriff's voice knocked him from his thinking. When he looked up Matthew was glaring at him and he honestly wanted to know what he did to cause the twin to glare at him like that. Sure he got shot, but if he hadn't then Alfred would have and Arthur was quiet sure everything would have been an extremely different story that was glaring at him.

"I...uh...I don't mind." Arthur said feeling odd under Matthew's gaze. "I could...scoot over to make room."

Matthew sighed softly when the Englishman conceded. He had nothing personal against Arthur (at the moment), but it worried him how dependent his brother was on him. If he was anything like Francis was, he had no doubt that the first chance he got, he would be off robbing another train and looking for another person to take to bed. Still, he walked forward and helped Arthur move to one side of the bed, careful not to tare the stitches in his side. Once he was comfortably settled, he helped Alfred into the space beside him. It was worrisome to the older twin to see his brother so emotionally unstable. From what he could piece together from his hysterical ramblings, Alfred was feeling conflicted by a number of things that he simply did not have control over - and it terrified him. His heart ached for his brother's pain. And here, after being separated for so many years, their first reunion was twinged with sadness.

"You need to promise me you'll sleep, at least some Alfred." He murmured softly, easing a blanket over his brother's form. Alfred nodded, still half dazed from his crying session. Matthew sighed and leaned in, giving him a soft kiss against his forehead. There was nothing more to be done. He could only hope that after a long rest, they could speak to each other properly and determine what to do from there. After all, he only had a very vague idea of what was happening, but he too had traveled to the west despite it not being in his best interests. Perhaps there was a way to be of use to his brother. Matthew shook those thoughts away and moved around the bed to check over Arthur's bandages. No bleeding - it appeared the stitches had held. "Try not to move around much. You're going to tare those stitches if you don't let yourself heal a bit first. Also," He leaned in closer, pretending to readjust the wrappings, "Try and not hurt my brother." Matthew didn't quite understand their relationship just yet, but he wanted to make it clear to Kirkland from the very beginning that he had to treat his brother right. Matthew straightened up and grabbed Francis's shoulder, pulling him towards the door. "We'll let you rest. I'll be back around to check on you both in a few hours." With that said, the two left the room and softly let the door close behind them.

* * *

Alfred pressed his nose against his pillow when he brother finally left the room, taking a shuddering breath. It felt good to finally have a good emotional release from all the stress he had experienced lately, but that still left him with the job of figuring out what to do next. Braginski was still somewhere close, and he would like to avoid another meeting with him if at all possible. Arthur was injured, which made transportation virtually impossible, and he had possibly made himself another powerful enemy by shooting a corrupt (yet influential sheriff). But, most pressing was what to do about Arthur. He flushed a bit, thinking back to the kisses they had shared. Where did that leave them? He liked kissing Arthur and would like to have the opportunity to do it again, but his limited experience made him a bit nervous. Plus the brutal kiss forced onto his by Braginski remained seared into his memory.

"Hey Arthur," He mumbled from behind the pillow, peeking up at him with tired eyes. "Where do we go from here? I mean, not from this town but with just us. We kissed and I liked that," He couldn't help but flush a bit, despite his exhaustion, "So I was wondering what that meant." He went silent after that, staring up at his partner with a hopeful expression. He didn't want this to be the only time they were ever intimation with one another (he flushed again at the thought). Honestly, he had never felt strong emotions such as these with anybody before and the last thing he wanted was for them to just forget about what they experienced and move on. Arthur hadn't seemed too keen on that idea before, but he was still nervous that the knowledge of what had truly happened on the train might have swayed him. "And I'm sorry about what happened on the train. I didn't want him to do that." He added quietly for good measure.

Arthur is somewhat surprised by the kindness Matthew had for his brother. Not that Arthur's brother's didn't care for him, they had all been kicked out of pubs and restaurants for getting into fights. But Arthur had been the youngest for the longest time and he was in a sense bullied by his brothers. Sure they were all brothers and handled things like brother's did. No one really tucked him in when he was scared, they reluctantly held up their sheet and allowed him to crawl in. They made him silently cry in the corner and attempt to cheer him up, they never took him in their arms and let if all flow out. They didn't silently give messages or frighten people, or at least not that he was aware of. He was somewhat jealous Alfred had someone like that to lean on to.

Still he took Matthew's words like they were law. Not that he was planning on hurting Alfred. There wasn't a thought in his head that could make Arthur want to do anything like that. Usually Arthur could walk out from someone, he could rob a bank and not think to much about it. However he couldn't do it to Alfred, not that he tried, he couldn't even do that. He didn't know way, but in the back of his mind it was nice to know that he couldn't really do that to him. Matthew should have nothing to worry about, but Arthur felt himself let Matthew have those worries. He watched Matthew lead Francis away, Francis giving him a sort of look that Arthur didn't quite understand. He flicked the Frenchman off before leaning back slowly and letting out a sigh.

His green eyes different close, it had been a long day, or it felt like it and he didn't even seemed to have been conscious for all that long. Everything just seemed to long and unbearable it was frustrating. Alfred's voice brought him out of the spinning his head was doing.

"I honestly don't know," Arthur said with his eyes still closed. "Everything is so different now. I don't know what to make of it." Arthur had gotten based the kissing a few times, but there was no relationship. The people he had kissed were nothing of importance, just someone in a room who he charmed. Everything had all been fooling around with his brothers (he had originally gone out with them and "lost them confidently). Opening his eyes he glanced down, his meeting a blue that could rival the sky. He brought his right hand to gently rest on his partner's hair. "Go to sleep, and stop thinking so much about it." Arthur shushed gently, letting his fingers weave through the other's hair.

It was somehow comforting to know he wasn't the only one who was confused about the sudden change of events. He smiled sleepily and allowed his eyes to drift closed. The hand weaving through his corn-silk hair calmed him, making it easier for him to relax into the bed. Although a part of him was still afraid of the consequences of the whirlwind of emotions he was suddenly experiencing, he managed to push it all away. Now was not the time to worry about it. Both he and Arthur needed to rest - they could talk more in depth later. "Okay..." He murmured, settling into the covers. He had to resist the urge to wrap his arms around the lithe form beside him to snuggle up with, and instead settled for grabbing Arthur arm, interlocking their fingers together. "Sleep well Arthur." Holding his partner's hand lightly, Alfred found himself falling into an easy, well-deserved slumber.

* * *

Alfred wasn't sure how much time had passed, but it must have been several hours later because the sun had sunk behind the horizon, leaving the room dark. He shifted slightly, trying to find a more comfortable position. Arthur was beside him, and somehow during their nap, he had gone from holding his hand to clutching the Brit's arm to his broad chest. He smiled slightly and was prepared to snuggle up against his partner when a soft noise caused his ears to perk up. He sat up and listened hard, but heard nothing more. Just as he was about to pass off the noise to his imagination, he heard it again. Alfred frowned and carefully slipped out of bed, doing his best not to jostle Arthur around too much. He quietly crossed the room and peeked out the window. There was a figure standing outside the building and when Alfred's face appeared at the window, it immediately turned and began running down the street. Alfred stepped away from the window, unsure of what to make of the event.

Shaking it off as unimportant, he slid back into bed beside Arthur. He snuggled back under the covers but did not immediately fall back to sleep. Instead he quietly watched Arthur's face as he slept, enjoying the peacefulness of the moment. Although neither of them knew what to make of their new-found relationship, he was glad to know that Arthur would stay by his side. "I'm glad you're here," He whispered, planting a soft kiss against his forehead before letting his eyes drift closed again. He slept lightly, vaguely aware of Matthew entering the room a few times to check on them and leave water for when the woke up. He stayed sleeping until the sunlight began creeping through the curtains. He groaned softly and flopped onto his back, throwing his arm over his face in order to hide from the sun. "Mm... Morning Arthur..."

Arthur wasn't tired like Alfred. He had passed out and slept for a long time before that. But he grinned at Alfred, watching him sleep. He looked like a child, and obviously overgrown child, but his was cute. Sure his face still had manly features to them, but it was so much more childish when there was nothing on it but sleep. He squeezed the young Sheriff's hand from time to time, easing away any sign of distress he could make out. Matthew came in a lot, he never stayed overly long, just checked on things and left soon afterwards. Arthur grew somewhat bored after a while, he wasn't sleepy and he couldn't leave so easily. Matthew attempted to get him a book, blank or not, just so Arthur had something to do other than sit there and start at the wall.

Eventually dusk rolled around and Matthew helped Arthur lie down after checking his bandages. He left and Arthur didn't know when he returned because he feel asleep rather quickly, unaware of how tired he truly was.

He woke up as the sun rose, he always sort of done it, unless he was beyond exhausted or something caused him to sleep in. However he didn't move till the sun came in the window to say good morning to them to actually move. His green eyes opened and he turned to see Alfred and chuckled slightly. "Morning," He said gently.

Alfred yawned loudly and sat up, stretching out the kinks in his back. The long rest had really done him the world of good. He felt much more refreshed and ready to take on the day with his usual dose of optimism. "Mm..." He moaned softly, trying to work out the stiffness in his neck. Glancing over at Arthur, he gave him a small smile, eyes still a tad bit sleepy. "Hey there. How are you feeling?" Alfred glanced down to his bandaged side curiously, wondering how long it would be before his partner would be able to move around normally. Perhaps today (if Matthew let him), they could walk around a bit. If it were him, he would have already be aching to get up and moving again.

The sheriff ran his fingers through his messy hair, glancing back towards his partner with curious eyes. Last night they hadn't really decided where they now stood relationship wise, but nothing was said about stopping their newly found affection. So Alfred leaned forward and placed a chaste kiss against Arthur's lips, flushing a pretty pink as he pulled away. "Um so," He said, looking away in embarrassment, least Arthur be upset by the sudden contact, "I thought we could ask Mattie if it would be alright to try to do a little walking today. I bet you're tired of laying in bed all day - at least I would be." Alfred slid out of bed, lightly walking across the hardwood floor to glance out the window. Outside, the town was bustling with activity. It made him smile to see at least something was still running normally. He turned when the door opened, revealing his twin holding a tray filled with food. Alfred's stomach grumbled as he suddenly remembered his hunger.

"Thanks Mattie!" He said, instantly brightening at the prospect of eating. He grabbed one of the plates off the tray and sat down by the bed, shoveling down the food with ease. The food was simple, nothing too fancy, but to his empty stomach it was heavenly. "Chew Alfred," He heard his brother mumble in annoyance, but he was too preoccupied by the meal to really listen. Before long, his plate was clean and his stomach was pleasantly full. Alfred set aside the empty plate and turned his attention back to Arthur. Rest had been necessary, he knew that, but it also concerned him how much time they had spent sitting around this unknown town. He vaguely remembered somebody outside his window last night, and also his encounter with the sheriff. They needed to move on as soon as possible to avoid any other unpleasant meetings. "Do you think we can move Arthur?" He asked his brother, who was checking over the Brit's bandages with careful, practiced hands. The doctor sighed and shook his head. "I wouldn't advise it. The wound wasn't large, but if the stitches tare, it could lead to him sustaining more blood loss. Plus, he still has a slight fever. I don't want to risk infection."

Alfred nodded, having figured Matthew's response would be something of that nature. Still, he turned his full attention to Arthur, worry showing clearly on his face. "What do you think we should do now Artie?" Is it safe enough to even consider staying?" He silently wondered. His encounter with the sheriff yesterday made him worry that Ivan was still close by, and after their last meeting, he wasn't entirely sure how the creepy Russian would react if they were to run into each other again. More than anything, he was concerned about Arthur's safety. He had already taken a bullet to the stomach by one of Braginski's men, who was to say they wouldn't try to kill him again? But trying to move him could potentially be just as dangerous. The young sheriff's mind considered each possibility, but in the end, it was Arthur's call. He understood the situation and his own limits better than Alfred could. He only hoped they would make it out of this mess.

"It's not has bad as yesterday," Arthur said, his green eyes watching Alfred's blue ones wander to his bandages.

Arthur leaned into Alfred's touch, it was almost instinct to now, and Arthur didn't know why. When Alfred pecked him on the lips he wondered if this was how every morning was going to be, because he didn't mind it at all. Alfred pulled away quicker than he would have liked and flushed turning away. A pout formed an Arthur's face as he listened to the American talked. A walk sounded lovely, though Arthur was sure it would be at least ten steps for him and that was it. He knew it was a bit too soon, the wound was still tender and new, but it still sounded like a nice idea, at least to get out.

Matthew entered before he could say anything, bringing them breakfast. He helped Arthur sit up while Alfred busily ate his breakfast. He handed Arthur his plate, gently trying to remind Alfred of manners, but they were ignored. Matthew rolled his eyes and checked Arthur's wound while he ate what he could, Arthur felt like he was being spoiled with all these homemade meals. The brothers talked while he watched them finishing up on his breakfast.

Arthur swallowed butting his plate down and thinking. They probably should say another night. This town wasn't a train town, but it had a big scale, big enough for Ivan to blend in and find them. They shouldn't stay long and with everything that had happened he wasn't sure if they should even try. Alfred's town was small and they could stay as long as they wanted because Ivan wouldn't dare send anyone there for anything because the small scale would get them noticed. His bit his lips, taking everything into account.

"Mattheiu it would be better if we moved," Francis voice said suddenly. Arthur turned to find him in the doorway. "Yes another day's rest would be good for Mr. Kirkland is probably isn't good for us."

"Besides there is a huge list of things we still have to do as well. We can't have another day of sitting around." Arthur said, backing Francis because he was honestly right. "Trust me, I know how delicate everything is right now."

At the sound of the Frenchman's voice, both Matthew and Alfred turned to see the fourth member of their strange little group leaning up against the door frame. His suggestion of moving, despite the consequences had both brothers concerned. But when Arthur agreed, the decision had already been made. Matthew sighed and nodded his head, silently looking over his patient to try and determine the best way to travel. Silence resigned over the small room for a few moments before the doctor spoke. "His stitches would tare far too easily on horseback. A stagecoach would be our best bet if you don't want him bleeding out before we make it to town." Alfred looked over his partner's bandaged side and silently agreed with his brother's opinion. However, a stagecoach traveled at less than half the speed of a single horse, opening them up to more dangers. But it was their best option at the moment, and they had to take what they could get.

Matthew continued, turning his full attention back to the flamboyant Frenchman. "Francis, can you find a way to rent a stagecoach and meet up back here in less than a half hour?" The older man simply grinned and bowed dramatically, causing both twins to roll their eyes at his antics. "Matthieu , for you, I could travel to the stars and back. I will be back shortly." He blew a kiss as he exited the room, leaving Alfred and Matthew with the task of moving Arthur. Alfred stood up and began collecting their few belongings as his brother did one last check-up over the condition of Arthur's wound. Neither of them spoke for a few tense minutes, the full weight of the situation laying heavy over their shoulders. After about twenty minutes had passed, they were ready to start moving.

Alfred went to his partner's side and gently looped his arms around his slender form. "Just wrap your arms around my neck, I can handle the rest." He promised with an easy smile, lifting the Brit up against his chest. Matthew lead the way out of the room and down into the parlor where Francis was waiting. Outside was a modest black stagecoach, ready to carry them home. Alfred carefully placed his partner inside, doing his best to keep from jostling his left side. Matthew slid into the seat beside Arthur while Francis climbed up to take the horses reigns. The sheriff stood outside the small carriage for a moment, debating whether or not the act as guard outside or not, but than his brother grabbed his hand and pulled him inside, making the decision for him. Immediately after the door closed behind them, the horses began to move. Inside the carriage was a long tense silence until the they had made it out of the town's boundaries without incident. Alfred relaxed visibly after the first hour and hesitantly peeked out the small window. All around them was the vast and empty desert. "That was almost easy," He said quietly, clutching a pistol lightly.

Arthur watched helplessly and the twins chatted with each other one what to do. It was somewhat odd that they were in away deciding what to do, but Matthew was a doctor and Alfred was a Sheriff. In a way both of their words were law, depending on the situation. Francis looked at him with a raised eyebrows as if to question why they were letting them decide. Arthur rolled his eyes, before the Frenchman was addressed by Matthew and over dramatically declared something, as well as after.

"Matthew, can you hand me my shirt?" Arthur asked, and Matthew silently got it for him before checking his wound. Arthur frowned when it was the white dress shirt he had "borrowed" It was red on the left side and a bit torn up. He groaned he wished he had his other shirt, but that was on the train hidden in the luggage cart somewhere. He put it on with Matthew's help, buttoning it up and ignoring the wholes. At least he has something on his chest, though honestly with a doctor, sheriff and bandages around his middle, he was sure no one would ask, but still he liked the idea of being clothed in public.

He hooked his arm around Alfred's neck, gripping tighter when he was suddenly lifted up. He blushed bright red, honestly he didn't think it would be such a strange feeling, Alfred had picked him up before, of course he had been rather loopy. Francis gave a wiggle of the eyebrows when he saw them, and Arthur fought the urge to flick the man off or though one of his shoes at him. Matthew had handed them to him and muttered something about putting them on later.

Once he was inside the carriage Arthur leaned heavily on the seat. He was oddly lazy and he figured it might just have been the moving around. That and he knew he was going to be jiggled about and he wasn't going to sit like he normally did and moved to quickly. He glanced out the window, there was a bit of a crowd around them. Probably all wondering what was going on, surely they had heard gunshot and Arthur figured Alfred shot the other sheriff. It was a rare thing to happen and they were all probably wondering. Once the town was out of sight he relaxed more.

"I don't know if that's a good thing or a bad thing anymore." Arthur joked lightly, because there was some seriousness to the statement.

Alfred nodded carefully at Arthur's statement, but didn't take his eyes off the horizon. There was something not right about the situation. They had left the town with little to no incident, which was incredible considering they had shown up with a wounded, unconscious man one night and he himself had shot a fellow sheriff the next. In all probability, somebody should have at least tried to stop them. He unconsciously ran a calloused fingertip over the metal of his pistol as he watched. The carriage was moving too slowly for his taste, and even if they were to travel throughout the night, it would take at least twenty-four hours to get back to town. The thought of being stuck out in the middle of the vast, uncaring desert distressed him slightly, but he tried to force himself not the think about it.

"Alfred," his brother called to him softly, pointing out the opposite window with a shaking finger. About a hundred yards behind them were a group of no less than five horseman, steadily gaining on them. He frowned and gave a quick glance towards Arthur, as if waiting to see if he had a better grasp of the situation. "Perhaps they are simply passing by?" He offered, although even to his own ears that sounded doubtful. Their speed increased, causing the passengers to jostle about more violently than before. Obviously Francis had caught sight of their pursuers and was trying (in vain) to gain some distance. Matthew grabbed a hold of Arthur, doing his best to steady him in hopes of keeping his wound from opening. Alfred pushed open the carriage door and leaned outside. Throwing one arm up to steady himself with the beam, he took aim with his gun and trained it on the coming horseman and fired a warning shot. It was immediately met and a bullet went whizzing by his ear. He cursed loudly and began shooting at will - trying to scare them off without actually killing anyone.

The men steadily drew closer, firing at the horses and Francis as they came within range. Francis cursed and drew a revolver of his own, shooting behind him at random in hopes of knocking off a few men. Between the two of them, they managed to stop two of their pursuers, but the other three were riding strong and steadily gaining ground. The closer they got, the more dread filled Alfred's heart. One rider in particular caught his attention - his huge form was too familiar to deny. Ivan Braginski himself was chasing after them. From his milky white horse a few yards shy of their stagecoach, Alfred could see Ivan pull out a small, shiny pistol and take aim. With a single, well executed shot, he pierced the temple of one of their horses. The effect was immediate. The coach lurched forward as the horses stopped running. Alfred pistol was knocked from his hand as he was thrown off the side, landing a few yards away from the destruction. He could vaguely hear French curses and the sound of the carriage overturning and the sound of all three horses stopping around them. "Arthur," He said softly, forcing himself back to his feet.

The sight that meet him was horrible. The carriage was turned over on it's side with one horse laying dead next to it. The other was frantically trying to escape it's bindings, it's large brown eyes full of terror. Matthew was laying on his side unconscious, blood trickling down from his forehead from the impact. Francis appeared to be alright and had immediately rushed over to his twin's side, checking him over with a frantic expression on his face. "Arthur?" He called, limping slightly as he made his way over to the wreckage. All around him he could hear the loud jeering from the men who had caused this, save for the silently smug Russian who watched the sheriff's actions with interest in his violet eyes. "Arthur," He called again, more frantically this time. "Where are you?"

"Perhaps they are simply passing by?" The moment Arthur heard that he knew something was very wrong. He knew he couldn't turn quickly or get up to see what was going on, but then the carriage picked up speed, and he gripped his side and the sudden movement. He sucked in air through his teeth, feeling Matthew try to study him. It helped, but it wasn't perfect. Guns sounded, and he glanced at Matthew still wincing, before nodding. Matthew got up to drag Alfred back in the carriage when the whole thing lruged to a stop and fell on its side.

The glass of the windows shattered, showering Arthur in small shards on glass as he attempted to get out of the haze of pain that had fallen on him. He took slow calming breaths trying to ease everything away. He heard the door slam close from above him. He realized he was still in the horrible thing. He groaned, coughing at some of the dust that was settling from the fall. The Briton attempted to push himself up on the door below him, only to find his hand went start down. Quickly, Arthur turned to see there carriage had landed on a tall enough rock for him to slide out and crawl to the other side.

He panted from the pain before tearing some of his shirt and getting in his mouth to clam down on. He didn't remember slipping his boots, but Matthew most of done it when and he forgot. Bloody hell...1...2...3 Arthur counted before rolling onto the door and out under the carriage. He felt his jaw tighter on the fabric in his mouth and ever curse he knew came to his head as the pain came back with vengeance. Arthur rested on his back, before peeking up and using some of the carriage as a way to shove his way out from under it. Once he was up enough, he turned on his right side and dragged himself out from under.

There was a shine of something once he was fulling in the sun of the desert. He turned, his green eyes brightening at the side of a gun. He quickly reached it, his jaw forever tightening. He got to his feet slowly before spitting out the wad of fabric in his mouth. His left hand gripped his side. Don't thinking about it! He mentally screamed at himself. He could feel the warm liquid seeping through the bandages and he was beyond cross.

He peeked up over the top of the carriage to see Ivan tall on a horse and a few others, and Alfred frantically looking for him. Cocking the pistol he found on the ground, he figured it was Francis' he trained the pistol on Ivan.

"Oi, Braginski, there's something you should know about a Kirkland." Arthur said, making himself known as he limped out from behind the fallen carriage. "They have really, really short tempers." Arthur said his voice and face completely drained of any emotions. "It's never pretty when they get cross." He fired at Ivan.