bakerstreet | pic prompts.

Arthur lost sight of Uncle but he trusted the man wouldn't leave him. As for the men, course they didn't know what they had on their hands, how could they? They were under the assumption the Van Der Linde gang had at some point adopted a bear and trained it like a dog. And now were trying to make it do...whatever they had planned. Which of course he wouldn't do.

For a moment he thought about trying to get Uncle to call off the rescue for a bit in order to see these idiots attempt to train and make him do things and then end up looking like absolute fools. But no doubt such training would come with pain and irritation so, perhaps not.

Uncle was back and hissing through the bars for the lock pick tools

He got up and slid them over to him with a grunt.

With a look over his shoulder at the camp, Uncle looked to make sure everything was dandy, nobody was looking their way, and started picking the lock, feeling and listening to the pins as they caught. "Real smart of them boys, tryin' to steal you. Don't they know bears is dangerous? And real good at breakin' locks." He jimmied the lock open and slid it out, but he heard a shout of, "HEY! WHO'RE YOU?" and his eyes shot wide, before he scooted out of the way to make room for Arthur to leave the cage, quickly moving into the shadows to turn once more.

All those ol' O'Driscolls would find was a pair of trousers behind the cage, god willing.

Soon as the lock clicked open and Uncle was not within door-whacking distance, Arthur busted through and bolted. He took a couple gunshots to the back followed by a few drugged arrows, and he bellowed a cry of pain, but he ran quick as he could before they could get any more into him.

He didn't head back to the ranch, instead, he weaved through the trees to make it hard as he could to follow on horseback.

After nearly half an hour, he finally couldn't take it any more and he dropped, exhausted from the run. He sat down in the leaf litter, panting and drooling as he caught his breath. When he couldn't hear horses or smell O'Driscolls, he got up and began to make his way back home.

Little while before dawn, a familiar bear lumbered back onto the ranch, several arrows in his back, but alive and free again.

While Arthur dashed one way, Uncle skidded the other, running right past Lenny in the process. Shit, the kid was still there? Well, there goes the neighborhood. If Lenny told, it was going to be hell for his loafing. They might actually even put him to genuine work! Well... they weren't too bad, and Arthur needed him around, at least for a while.

John had gotten some sleep at least, though it was a restless, ill-suited sleep that only served to make him more tense than he had been when he laid down. Three hours wasn't a lot, but it was when he was keyed up from the siege, from the kidnapping, from frankly all of the day prior. He'd been so close to actually thinking that they would be able to leave all that shit behind, that the truth of their past wasn't going to come to bite them in the ass.

He was looking out on the paddock, at the sleeping horses when he heard the telltale sounds of a bear walking up. "That didn't take long," John said in a murmur. "Your clothes're folded in the stables on the stool. Didn't want 'em gettin' shit on by the horses. C'mere so I can get them arrows out."

Lenny did indeed see all that and he wasn't sure what he was seeing had been real but then he remembered-right, the bear could do the same damn trick.

Well, that explained a lot about Uncle.

Confident both men-beasts?-would make it out fine, he made his way back to the ranch and told Dutch, Sean and Sadie everything before turning in for the evening.

Arthur grunted a grateful chuff and took a seat in the grass to let John yank them, the wounds already starting to heal once they were removed. He then lumbered into the stables to find his clothes and get dressed.

"Did I ever mention how much I hate O'Driscolls?" he said, once shifted back, coming out in his pants and boots. He sighed, absolutely exhausted. "I need a vacation." he muttered, heading for the Marston's house to maybe snag some breakfast, and then screw the day, he was sleeping.

"Mighta come up once or twice," John retorted with a huff of a chuckle. "You'n me both, friend. Unfortunately, I don't got much a say in the matter." He'd had to use his elbow to get the right leverage with the arrow removal, using his left hand to yank. It was amazing Arthur didn't bellow from the pain of it.

At least Arthur was home. It'd let him sleep a couple more hours, knowing Arthur was back where he needed to be. John would have led a war party to get the man back, not wanting his brother to have to deal with the loneliness again. To deal with the abandonment.

Dutch was glad of Arthur's return, but was more than pissed that Uncle hadn't said one damn thing to him about knowing about any of this were-creature business. He'd have to have a talk with the old coot at some point about the importance of honesty and openness, especially when someone so damn important to this group was needing that knowledge.

Namely, himself. He was certain Arthur had talked to Uncle, but Uncle hadn't been clear about much of anything, now that Dutch considered it. But as he ruminated on it, he decided to get a second opinion from Hosea. He didn't bother with waking him just to confide in him. He waited until Hosea was awake and had some coffee in him before he explained what Lenny had seen.

Sadie had fallen asleep on the porch of the Marston residence, resting in a chair, so when Lenny told her what had happened, she snorted as she came out of her catnap. "Figures. I'll go after 'em in a couple days. They ain't hard to track." Then it clicked what Lenny had said about Uncle, and she woke up much faster, confounded by the news.

Lenny nodded then shrugged, “Yea, guy changed into a bobcat like Arthur does a bear and was off like a shot.” He laughed a little, “Wonder if there’s a shifter for every animal out there? Well, goodnight miss” He said, then left Sadie be to go get some sleep before dawn.

Arthur grunted as each was removed but he hardly felt them otherwise.

He thanked Abigail for the eggs and sausage, skipping the coffee in favor of just some cool water, then curled up as a bear in his room, and slept like a rock for the morning. Mercifully nightmare-less.

The morning rolled through, and it was coming up on noon when the bickering started. Again.

"You best not get any funny ideas about going and helping with the horses today. You gotta rest up that wrist!"

"I ain't gonna be haulin' nothin', Jesus! I can train 'em without even touchin' 'em, it ain't gonna put strain on--"

"John Marston, you sit back down and you keep weight off that damn wrist!"

"No, okay? No! I got work to do!"

"You're gonna lose your goddamn hand if you keep actin' so... so PETULANT!"

"Whoa-ho-ho! Big word, Abigail, you sure you didn't borrow that one from Dutch?"

That earned a stomp on the wooden floor. "The nerve of you! Fine! Let the damn thing get infected, see how much work you do with only one hand for the rest of your life!"

John heaved a sigh as he went out the door beside Arthur's room. "Goddamn woman," though it was said with a kind of soft-hearted resignation. She was looking out for him, and he couldn't begrudge her that, or really anything else she could shout at him about. She loved him, and wanted him safe.

The day was going much like it always did on the property, minus the fact that there was a strange air to everyone's motions. Colm O'Driscoll was dead. Arthur was back, but Uncle wasn't. Dutch had been picked on to stay on the porch and not go aggravating his leg. He hardly listened to medical advice given by Hosea, however, and simply used a cane to get around.

It shouldn't surprise him - and it didn't - that the moment Lenny told Sean, everyone in camp knew about Uncle's little secret. Even Jack, while playing with a dog they'd found abandoned on the side of the road a couple weeks prior, was told and replied with, "I know, he's the oldest man ever!"

Arthur groaned as he heard the young couple start their routine argument, though as he eavesdropped, he had to side with Abigail, even if he knew John had always had trouble sitting still. Even after the wolf attack he'd been squirming to get up and do something.

If this was going to be the norm, he'd have to consult Dutch about getting another cabin built, this time for himself. And maybe Charles...

Once it quieted, he closed his eyes and allowed himself a bit more time to sleep before getting up and dressing. A quick feel along his back indicated the arrow and bullet wounds had healed up like they never were.

He grabbed some late coffee and went out to talk to Uncle and thank him. Only to find he'd not yet returned.

"Hey, anyone seen my favorite old parasite?" he asked coming up to the paddock where Kieran was putting one of the new mustangs through its training paces. The former O'Driscoll was diligent about his work, Arthur gave him that.

To be completely fair, John didn't go out to train the horses, but he did go check on the cracker horse, which he fed, then groomed slowly, using his left hand to do most of the work, talking to him and telling him what a fine horse he was. He still hadn't decided whether or not to sell the tall boy. He was quite taken with him, regardless, and he knew that Seminoles sold very well, even without their papers.

Dutch wandered out to look at what John was doing, and gave him the same gruff lecture of 'take it easy', to which John quipped back, "You oughta do the same, old man. Why're you even up? You should be restin' that leg."

Kieran looked up and shook his head, which then turned into a spin between yes and no, and he gestured past Arthur's shoulder to the old man walking in, dressed in a new set of clothes than what he'd been wearing the night prior.

"Howdy, gents!" Uncle greeted pleasantly, noticing everyone around looking at him like he'd grown a second head. "Guess the secret's out." He gave a lackadaisical shrug, and set aside the newspapers that he'd brought home from town. Dutch looked over from where he was standing by John, and started forward, determined and angry.

"Now now, Dutch, 'fore you get any highfalutin' ideas about givin' me a lecture, remember you ain't lost a single chicken in the years I been here with you, I done you all great service in patrollin' 'round the camps, I been keepin' you all damn well and safe."

"You didn't tell me," Dutch started, and Uncle raised his hands in surrender.

"Now would you go'n and say somethin' so serious as that in my shoes, Dutch? So outlandish?"

"John's right Dutch, you should be off your feet for a couple days at least." Dutch was double John's age too and he'd heal slower, but he dare never mention that to the old man.

When Uncle walked in, Arthur was about to thank him when it seemed like Dutch was irritated at the man about somethin'. "Why what's happened?"

"Mister Uncle, h-he's a bobcat like you is a bear" Kieran filled in for him quietly

Well, cat was out of the bag it seemed. He wondered who'd spotted the change.

"Leave him be Dutch, I knew" he defended "Don't hold it against him, hell, I might have kept my own shifting ability to myself if Charles hadn't come lookin' for me." And Micah dying in between the time when he'd been bitten and when he was dealing with the side effects.

John followed after Dutch while the older man approached Uncle. He hadn't even heard the news, so the whole thing struck him as absurdly amusing to learn of it this way. And hey, it explained the bobcat, so it had that going for it.

Before Dutch could get too into his fury, he was defused. Arthur had some good points, and his leg hurt like hell, so between the two things - neither of which he was particularly happy about - he sighed with a pinch to the bridge of his nose. "I propose a new rule. If any'a you fools got shapeshiftin' abilities, or any other supernatural happenings, you have to tell me! Christ, what other secrets do all of you got?"

John piped up with a smartassed, "Well, I'm a bigfoot, Dutch. N'Sean's a leprechaun."

Uncle snorted at both things, and then patted Arthur on the arm. "I told who needed knowin', and you didn't need to know, Dutch. Ain't nobody known about it save Arthur for damn near on fifty years! You folk are lucky to have that knowledge. Ain't too good for much, bein' so small."

The quip from John was appreciated, and he was glad he was taking it stride. He'd seen how the man had been a bit unsettled when he'd told him what he was, but he quickly grew on the revelation once Abigail and Jack had been told. Dutch however...to Arthur, felt like it'd taken the man and whatever internal misgivings he'd had quite awhile to come around.

So he wasn't having that from him. "If folk wanna keep personal things to themselves, that's up to them Dutch. Like he says, Uncle need not have told anyone. Ain't someone's business but their own."

Truth be told, he'd probably need to stop spending so much time as a bear. While he was pretty certain Sadie would be looking to take out the rest of the O'Driscolls, it was better for all he didn't get caught again for whatever hair brained ideas they had cooking. Though in the event Pinkertons showed up, he'd have to change to avoid the awkward truth that while they hanged and buried him, it didn't take.

Speaking of Sadie...

"Anyone seen Mrs. Adler?" he asked

John had come to not just accept the idea that this sort of thing happened at times. It was more the BEAR thing than the WERE part of the wearbear scenario. He had enough scrapes and scraps with big beasts for one year, and wasn't quick to looking for another. Gunshy though he was of Arthur's predicament, he got less fearful over time. Not of bears in general, but the big blond one that lived with them? He felt protected, safe, and generally less likely to pick a fight with him just for fun.

Truth was, Arthur was just about the only person that could've gotten him over that skepticism and worry. Except for maybe Uncle, who clearly had been this way since he'd known him.

Uncle, for his part, gave a smile and a "Thank you, mister Bigfoot," fully deciding to enjoy the joke for what it was, while Dutch simply steamed over the fact that everyone around him was ready and willing to take Uncle's side in this, and make it out to be small potatoes. He supposed it likely was, because Arthur didn't mind, John was able to make fun, and Uncle... well, he was Uncle. If something that required gravitas was the topic of discussion, nobody would be so lighthearted about it, especially after a night like last night.

Patting Dutch on the back and then Arthur, Uncle gave a sparkling-eyed smile to the men. "Oh'n I told Jack, too."

"You did what?" John said, looking first at Uncle, then the boy, who beamed up at him, and said, "I told you he was the oldest man ever!" He seemed a little put out that John hadn't remembered, or didn't believe him. Hell below, Jack certainly had said that.

Sadie was in the stables, brushing down and pampering her horse. "I'm here, listenin' to you idiots talk." And too busy doing what she was doing to come out and make things a spectacle.

"It makes sense, for all it don't make sense," she said, setting the brush aside to walk out and light a cigarette. "You heard his stories, ain't no more outlandish than any of them."

Arthur laughed at that, of course Jack knew long before any of them.

He left the group to continue to chat and stepped up to the stall Sadie was in. "So, when you aimin' to head out after the O'Driscolls?"

He knew she was still out for blood and while he didn't go for revenge, he didn't want her going out on her own. Arthur would admit he left her probably too soon in that barn, looking after everyone else before her. He wanted to make sure she was okay on this, as well as offer to be another gun. Not a bear this time.

John decided to help Dutch back to his cabin, offering his good arm in exchange for Dutch's bad leg. "C'mon, Dutch, let's get you off that leg. Ain't gonna do a heap of good aggravatin' it like that so soon after you got shot. No need to catch hell from Hosea over it."

"I'll be fine."

"You'll be needin' a cane to walk for the rest of your life if you keep this up, old man."

Sadie briefly watched the men - and Jack tailing after - as they walked away, giving a thought to Arthur's offer. "Probably this evenin'. They ain't liable to pick up stakes just because you escaped. Hell, chances are, they'll try it again if we don't get to 'em first." She took a drag of her cigarette, looking up at Arthur with a wry smile. "Thought you wasn't the sort to go after 'em anymore, Arthur."

Arthur watched them go, but mostly watched Jack trailing after John, and the man accepting the boy. What a difference a couple months made.

"Well as you said, they'd undoubtedly try again, though find the bear has left the ranch, so to speak as I ain't changing again I think for a long time. Also, if they know I-Arthur Morgan-am alive, that could potentially cause problems. Colm weren't above dealing with the law to get what he wanted so there's the possibility, even slim, that this new leader might as well if it means a big payday or at least the government off their backs." He sighed, looking out the stables doors to the land they'd settled on.

"I don't want all this to blow up because Agent Ross or another Pinkerton gets wind we're here. Local law might forgive us if we're on best behavior but Pinkertons with pockets loaded from Cornwall will, and there's a lot of proof the man was ruthless in gettin' what he wanted. John and Dutch and a few others seem to think we're out of their reach, but look at where the O'Driscolls landed. No, I want the O'Driscolls dead, just not for the same reasons as you."

"That moron don't know his ass from a hole in the ground, but you're probably right; if they know you're up here, there's no doubt they'd be just as soon take you in, to get the Marshalls off their asses." Sadie looked around as well, at the prosperity that the gang had found, of the simple, comfortable life they'd built for themselves.

Lord, how it reminded her of Jake and her life before. She wanted to see it succeed without the interference of the damned O'Driscolls that had burned her dreams, her hopes, her love to the ground.

Sadie nodded to Arthur's proposition. "We'll take care of it together. That's the last of 'em. The sooner they get dealt with, the sooner you folks can live that life you all been craving."

She had yet to decide whether or not she wanted to come stay. There was the pain of seeing this place and the memories that came up, but there was a spark of happiness in seeing the people who had kept her safe, comforted her while she grieved, finding themselves on the road to a good life outside of The Life. That spark was the first she'd had felt since they found her, ruined, half-wild, and panicking up on her land.

It'd take a little longer for her to make up her mind.

"Sure. Let's get saddled, go see if they're still where we left'em, and attack tonight" he planned. He gave Edelweiss a brushing and then geared her up, thinking if there was anyone else they could bring along. John ideally but his arm needed rest, same with Dutch. He approached Sean and the young man happily leapt at the chance to kill some O'Driscolls

Arthur quickly informed Dutch where they were headed and the trio rode out for where they'd last seen the rival gang.

The fire in Sadie's eyes hadn't been extinguished since that fire was set inside her by what Dutch had said. Dutch had gotten his blood, and Sadie had seen her fill of it, herself, but she wasn't done yet. Until she was, she couldn't make the decision of if she wanted to travel or stay with this ragtag group of outcasts and outlaws.

She saddled up her thoroughbred mare with a subtle brindle coat, patting her with a "good girl, Vesta," before mounting up, not unhappy that Sean was with them. While most people thought his incessant rambling was an earsore at best, Sadie thought his chatter was, at the very least, entertaining.

It wasn't far, but the camp that the O'Driscolls had made was tucked away and hidden in the woods, barely able to be seen save for the plume of smoke rising up from their campfire. Surrounded by trees, it was obfuscated, but that left plenty of hiding spots for people who wanted to peek in and see who was there.

Once Sadie dismounted, and hitched her horse to a tree, she looked over her shoulders at Arthur and Sean. They really were good friends, she thought, or at the very least folks who had her back. And she ultimately had theirs, too.

They were far enough away from the O'Driscoll camp that she spoke to them. "If they're lookin' like they're on the move, we take care of this now. If they look like they're stickin' round, we take 'em out tonight. You boys don't need the hassle of another botched kidnapping, and I sure as hell don't need this bag of shit runnin' around to terrorize any more goddamned innocents."

Horses tied to trees to avoid wandering, the trio made their way closer, pausing when Sadie spoke.

"Sounds like a plan. Sean, keep quiet." Arthur said, pre-emptively.

"You and Lenny tellin' me to shut up all the time" Sean huffed, but obeyed as they made their way a bit closer, keeping silent and each other's sights.

They eventually manage to get close enough to see what was happening.

The new leader was actually addressing the gang who were mostly gathered around, talking about their next move. From what Arthur could pick up, they were aiming to try and grab "the bear" once more, and if not capture, then kill it so that the Van Der Linde gang was minus such a powerful creature in their arsenal. Their other aim was to kill Dutch and bring his body to the law in return for being let off the hook for the papers incident.

No one seemed to miss Colm.

It was a miracle these O'Driscoll dopes hadn't died of stupidity ages ago. Sadie snorted and listened in some more, her brow furrowed in concentration. While she didn't much care for Dutch, she wouldn't let him die. He'd saved her life, kept her safe, and gave her the means to do what she felt was necessary. She looked over her shoulder at Sean, then over to Arthur, before nodding. Well, that settled it.

"We take 'em while they're fixin' to leave, distracted by saddlin' up. There ain't many, the three of us are definitely enough to take down the mess of 'em. Til then, we got plenty of time to gather ourselves." She was hushed but still serious and assertive, knowing exactly how this band of fools operated.

She was so close to done. It was within reach. She was patient, though, and wasn't about to go in guns blazing until it was the right time.

Arthur agreed and they sat in wait to see what they'd do.

After today, it'd be over. For good he hoped.

Didn't take long to figure they were looking to move during the day instead of under the cover of night so the three of them fanned out to pick off those on the outskirts quietly as they could.

They each managed to get one before Sean was spotted and the alarm was sounded. Arthur raised his gun and began to fire, bullets began to fly and O'Driscolls began to fall.

Sadie wasn't the type to take cover and let the boys have all the fun. Once the jig was up, and the posse of idiots was alerted to them, she was in there, guns blazing, and hellbent on one man.

She didn't give him much of a chance. At least that poor bastard wasn't done like a piñata like the man in the barn the night before. But he did wind up with a throwing knife sticking out of one eye socket, and a shotgun last into his torso.

Now how the hell did these morons think they was gonna steal a bear, as ill-prepared as they were for a little shootout? No cohesion whatsoever.

They made short work of the O'Driscolls, the fools even under new leadership apparently no smarter or more capable than before under Colm and they cleared them out quickly.

Once they were all dead they rounded up a few of the horses to see if they were worth taking, or otherwise removing them of their gear and setting them free. In the end they took none of them as they weren't anything special.

"Well, that's that then." Arthur said quietly before mounting up on Edelweiss. No more O'Driscolls to fight, after years of it all, it was over.

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I didn't get a gd email! hi!

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