Chapter Text
Dutch left him behind Twice. First was when the O'Driscolls jumped him at that damned Parlay back when they were up in the Heartlands . . . and for however long that was was the closest Arthur ever reckoned he was to Hell since his father turned into that bastard of a drunk before the law finally strung him up. And then there was this time . . . after losing Hosea, Lenny, Sean, Mac, Davey, Jenny, Miss O'Shea, that Damn O'Driscoll boy Kieran, damn near John THREE GODDAMN TIMES and even LITTLE JACK almost got lost . . . here he was, steam blinding him as the pipe knocked him to the ground. He could hear soldiers coming in, one shouting "we got a white one, boys!" as he saw another pair of boots as his vision got clear.
Dutch's boots. "HEY! DUTCH I NEED HELP!!!" he tried to say as he tried to fight off the man who had kneeled over him, fighting to keep that knife from plunging into his chest . . . he saw those feet. He hoped Dutch would finally snap out of whatever horseshit Micah was feeding him and finally help him out . . . but it was fleeting as the feet turned around, saw the door open and then close.
Dutch . . . Dutch left him AGAIN. Three times for Marston, about half the camp he knew DEAD, a world of hurt for the Wapiti and now . . . THIS. He couldn't bullshit his way out of this. He saw Arthur in peril and despite riding with the man for twenty goddamn years, walked away like he was a tobacco stain on the ground. It made him sad . . . it made him scared.
And then . . . it pissed him off. But before he could bust out of the hold, Eagle Flies ran in and shot the man. Grateful for the help, Arthur got to his feet, but before he could get to the gun . . . another soldier got Eagle Flies, wounding him before Arthur could get him. Not by much though, as Arthur shot the man before grabbing Eagle Flies. "Gah, you damn fool!" Arthur grunted as Eagle Flies staggered.
"I give you my life to save yours, it's how it should be!" he said as Arthur shook his head.
"Don't you say that now!" he grunted as he fought the others, catching up to Sadie and Charles, the three fighting off the bastards as they made it back outside and to safety. John was safe on his horse, Bob, Taima, and Arthur's horse Tornado were waiting . . . as was Dutch.
"We did it, Gentlemen!" he said before seeing Arthur . . . and the look Arthur gave him was a look of sheer and unadulterated hate for what had just occurred.
"You . . . you ran away!" Arthur growled as Dutch, seeing Bill and Javier taking a look, Micah and his two little toadies more preoccupied.
"I did no such thing, Arthur, DON'T be a Fool!" Dutch hissed as it caused . . . it caused something to rattle inside Arthur's brain.
"Don't be a Fool" Like the time Arthur was roped into thinking Dutch's confrontation with Cornwall was anything more than pointless revenge and more fire than they already had gunning for them.
"Don't be a Fool" Like being expected to let John hang because Dutch thought that John ratted on them because Abigail and Jack got to safety during that shitshow of a robbery.
"Don't be a Fool" Like holding on to hope that Dutch would at least SEND SOMEONE to come rescue him after getting kidnapped by the O'Driscolls. He could understand (somewhat) why he didn't do that for Kieran, but for the man he considered a SON?
"Don't be a Fool" Like thinking that there'd be ANY sort of benefit of letting Micah get out of jail.
"Don't be a fool." Arthur said to himself quietly as he chuckled a little.
"is there something funny, Arthur? Or is this something else you're gonna try and hide behind my back?!" Dutch asked before Arthur looked up and shook his head.
"You tell me not t' be a fool, but honestly, I've been a fool for twenty goddamn years." he said as he looked at Charles. "The boy needs to be back with his father. Can you take him back to Rains Fall for me?" Arthur asked as Charles nodded, the look in Arthur's eyes telling him exactly everything he needed to know.
"Of course, Arthur." he said as Eagle Flies went with him.
"With any blessing from the Great Spirit, they might not have hit anything important." Eagle Flies said, wincing through the pain as Arthur stared down Dutch.
"What do you mean? With all this Doubting?" Dutch asked as he saw Charles ride off with Eagle Flies before taking a breath. If he did this, there was no turning back. The man who he rode with without question for Twenty fucking years, who he robbed, killed, plundered, pillaged, and damn near got Tuberculosis for had he not had the foresight to wear that mask . . . had left him to die. Twice.
There would NOT be a third.
"Because you're the biggest FUCKIN' Hypocrite I've ever met in my entire Goddamn Life! You left me to Die, left John to Hang if it wasn't for Sadie and I, turnin' the Wapiti People into your own smokescreen outta here, and I'm supposed to have FAITH in you!?" Arthur asked. "No! You tell me not to be a fool, but I've been a damn fool followin' you for as long as I have. So I'm out! I'm collectin' my things back at camp, and I'm leavin'. I'm gettin' outta here before you DAMN US ALL!" he barked as Dutch looked over at him.
"So you're gonna betray me like this?" Dutch asked as Arthur looked at him.
"You betrayed us all by listenin' to HIM!" Arthur growled as he nodded his head towards Micah, who sneered.
"Oh SHUT UP, Morgan, Always doubtin'. I think you need to cool off!" Micah snarled before Arthur whirled around.
"And you need to ride away NOW before I pull you off your horse and break your goddamn neck. Or Better yet, you wanna lead us all to our deaths like this!? Fine the hell by me." he said as he went to his horse and got on.
"And what are you saying by all this?!" Dutch asked as Arthur looked at him and . . . while he wanted to deck him, so badly, his fist white with how tight his hand balled up, he shook his head.
"FUCK YOU, Dutch. Fuck your Plan. Fuck Micah. Fuck Cornwall. Fuck Tahiti. Fuck Colm. Fuck the Loyalty you never earned. Fuck the Faith you wanted baselessly, Fuck your Obsession with Evelyn Miller and finally, to drive my point home. FUCK. YOU." Arthur growled as Dutch looked Stunned.
"You . . . you can't leave!" Dutch said as Arthur snarled and spat at the man.
"You gonna try an' stop me you goddamn fraud?" Arthur snarled. "I'm collecting my things back at camp an' leavin'. I donated damn near everythin' I had, wasted years off my life, an' all you want is More. Micah, you can HAVE my old spot, you asshole. I QUIT!" Arthur growled as he rode off. The others stunned there for a minute as Dutch spattered . . .
"w . . . . well . . . . FINE! We don't need him anyway! This isn't a jail, if you don't want to follow us to the future we all worked for, you can leave as well!" Dutch spat before John looked at Sadie, then Dutch, then Micah, then shrugged.
"I'm not even convinced there IS a plan. If he's goin', so'm I." John growled as he rode off as Sadie got on her horse and chose not to say anything.
"Well those fools are gonna need me anyway." Sadie said as she rode off, leaving Javier, Bill, Cleet, Joe, and Dutch . . . Dutch seething with Rage.
"Well FINE! Goddamn Traitors and cowards the lot of them!!" he hissed as Javier looked at Bill, then back at the others as they rode off.
"Well hell, I knew there was somethin' fishy goin' on. Never thought I'd see HIM go . . ." Bill mused as Javier nodded.
"Damn heartbreaking . . . leaves me a lot to think on." he said as he started to ride slowly, Bill riding with him.
"Hell you ain't fixin' to leave Dutch, are ya!?" Bill asked as Javier thought on it.
"I'm not sure, compadre. I gotta think . . . things sure went downhill fast." Javier mentioned.
As Arthur had finished packing, saying his goodbyes to the others, just as Trelawney had said goodbye to him. Basically at this point it was just Grimshaw and Tilly, who looked sad, but understood.
"Arthur . . . as Much as I hate to see you go . . . I've never been more proud of you for finally sticking up for yourself." Grimshaw said as Arthur nodded sadly as he gave Grimshaw a hug.
"Well . . . it is what it is. He's gone down a path I ain't sure I can pull him out of . . . " he said as Tilly sniffled as Arthur gave her a hug goodbye as well.
"I'll . . . I'll miss you, Arthur." She said as Arthur nodded.
"I'll miss you too . . . hopefully y'all get on outta here, too. Get a good life ahead of ya both before this spirals out of control." Arthur said as Grimshaw nodded.
"The Reverend told me of a place. I might go and pay him a call . . . " She said as Tilly wiped a tear from her eyes.
"If . . . if we're all leavin' . . . can I . . . Can I come with you?" She asked as Arthur nodded.
"C'mon an' get packed then." he said.
He was hoping to get in and out as soon as he got his stuff packed and ready to go . . . but what he didn't realize was the ripple of Arthur Quitting had made . . . as he rode out of camp, he heard hoofbeats alongside Thunderbolt or the Horse Tilly took with her belongings, turning around to see . . .
First he saw John and Old Boy with Sadie and Bob coming out of the clearing. Then he saw a wagon behind them.
Grimshaw, with Abigail, little Jack, and even CAIN riding in the wagon!
"Uncle Arthur! Uncle Arthur! I found Cain!" Jack said as Arthur broke into the first smile he had since he reunited with everyone back from Guarma.
"I also got us a surprise I'll show ya when we get outta here." Abigail called as John rode up alongside Arthur.
"So you too, huh?" Arthur asked as John smiled.
"So do I finally get to do this without you gettin' mad at me? I'm bringin' them, too." he said as Arthur nudged John playfully.
"Yes. An' thank God you did." Arthur mentioned as Sadie nodded.
"An' someone gotta help you lot not kill each other out there!" Sadie mentioned as Abigail and Tilly laughed at that joke.
"Well . . . I reckon we don't have to say goodbye if we all go." he said as Susan smiled, wiping a tear away.
"Well, where to, Mister Morgan?" Susan asked as Arthur nodded.
" . . . to the Wapiti. We need to tell Charles, an' we need to LEAVE." he said with a nod before the others rode on, Arthur happily smiling ear to ear . . . a ten ton weight off his shoulders. And it ended way better than he had thought. What the future held for them? He couldn't say . . . but he was sure about this.
It was damn sure better with them than with Dutch.