Work Text:
"That was so fun uncle Arthur! Can we do it again?"
They were nearing the camp at Clemens point. It was late in the afternoon. The sun was about to set, and the little boy was ecstatic. He loved riding horses and he loved it even more when he rode with his Uncle Arthur. They always took the dirtiest, and muddiest routes cause Arthur knew Jack enjoyed the thrill. His mother on the other hand, not so much.
"Sure, if your mother will let ya."
As if on cue, Abigail sees them and walks briskly towards the boys with a worried look in her eyes. "Jack! Are you okay? Did something happen? Why are you so dirty?"
This isn't a new sight to behold. Jack has rode with Arthur many many times before and never once did the boy come back clean. Nevertheless, she can't stop herself from asking the same questions time and time again.
"He's fine Abigail. It's not like this is the first time." Arthur lifts Jack from in front of him and sets his feet on the ground.
"Exactly Arthur! It also ain't the first time I told you to stop passing through dirt. I swear if the pinkertons don't kill you, I will."
A smile crept on his face, and he laughed. She had that tone in her voice, but they both knew that she wasn't angry... well maybe a little, but not enough for her to push through with her death threats.
"With the way my life is going, I'd say death by Abigail Roberts ain't such a bad proposition."
His remark got the corners of her mouth to lift ever so slightly. "Thank you, Arthur." She takes the boy away as he responds with a tip of the hat.
He gets down from his horse and hitches her near his tent. "You did good Darlin'. You can rest now, I know it's hard lugging around a big feller like me." He pats Darling's neck and nuzzles it too.
His butt's hurting, and so is his back. Maybe he finally got that lumbago Uncle keeps yapping about. Instead of his cot however, his feet take him to the shoreline. He breathes in the fresh air and decides to rest there for awhile, but before he could even sit his ass down, Jack comes running to him.
"Uncle Arthur! Uncle Arthur! Mama's chasing me!" Jack squeals with laughter and excitement knowing that there was a chase about to ensue.
His brain couldn't process what was happening but his body takes over and he lifts Jack onto his shoulders without a moment's notice.
"Oh don't you bring your Uncle Arthur into this Jack!"
Alas it was too late. Arthur already started running the other way.
"Morgan I'm gonna kill you!" She says with a smile as she runs after the big guy.
"Ya really think you can outrun an outlaw who's been running his whole life?!" He shouts back to Abigail.
Dutch and Hosea stop mid conversation distracted by the sight they were seeing. Arthur was laughing like a maniac and well, so was Abigail. The boy held onto his Uncle's hair so as not to fall off and everyone was jumping out of their goddamn way.
Arthur runs to his fathers and hides behind them like a little boy. He holds on to their shoulders and peeks between them to look for the mad woman chasing him.
"Arthur, you are a grown man, and a big one at that. Do you really think she's not going to see you." Dutch says with those iconic voice cracks of his.
"Shh, she's gonna hear you."
Abigail spots him instantly. She doesn't know if he's forgotten that Jack is high up on his shoulders, or he's forgotten he's a huge man, or he's forgotten to use that brain of his. Probably all three.
She slowly makes her way to the three men, a small smile on her face to let the two older men know that she's aware of what's up.
Hosea smiles dearly at the woman he sees as his daughter.
"Dutch, Hosea, do you know where my boys went?"
"Your boys? Well you'll have to be more specific than that my dear", Hosea says playing along.
"Oh you know, my sweet baby boy, Jack, and that burly Uncle of his, Arthur."
"Burly?" Arthur says to himself a bit louder than he wants to. "Shit."
He runs straight out of Dutch's tent and Abigail shoots after him.
"Faster Uncle Arthur! Mama's gonna catch us!"
This feeling of youth and happiness could have lasted them a lifetime, but age just had to go and ruin things.
His lungs were burning and he felt himself slowing down. Damn he was getting old.
"Jack I ain't no horse... I can't keep running forever." He says between short breaths. "Why ARE we running anyway?"
"Mama wants me to take a bath."
"Whut?!" He skids to a stop and Abigail slams into his back causing them to topple over.
Thankfully Jack falls backwards and lands on Arthur's back. Not so thankfully, Arthur lands on his face.
"All that running just cause ya didn't wanna take a bath." He shakes his head while he pushes himself up.
"I told ya you shouldn't have gotten involved," Abigail says, also on the ground.
Arthur gets up, picks the boy up, then offers his hand to Abigail. She takes it and allows her hand to linger a little longer. They stand there, looking at each other, and just smiling like idiots.
"Marston's not gonna like this", Micah says loud enough for both of them to hear, a sadistic smile on his face.
They move apart and Jack's voice brings them back to earth. "Papa never takes baths so I won't take a bath," he says firmly.
"That's cause your papa's a pig who dun know how to swim," Arthur says with a loud laugh.
Abigail slaps him hard on the arm. He levels down the laughing when he gets the message.
"How bout we both take a bath. We can do it in the lake. It ain't too deep."
"Arthur, you don't have to do this," she says softly.
"It's okay Abigail. I'm just as dirty as little Jack over here. It'll both do us good. Come on Jack, let's have a race. First one to get to that rock over there and get naked don't need to do chores tomorrow."
Jack runs at full speed without hesitation and Arthur chuckles. He walks to the shore and sees the little boy already as naked as the day he was born.
Abigail takes a detour by her tent to get the boys soap. She arrives at the lakeside to a half naked Arthur Morgan about to get even more naked.
"Mama, come swim with us!"
Arthur looks behind him and instantly pull his long johns back up. He faces the lake, looks to the ground, clears his throat and casually says, "Miss Roberts".
"I'm sorry... I just... here's some soap." She slaps the soap on his hand, and attempts to leave it at that, but as usual, Jack unknowingly plays wingman.
"Mama, don't you want to swim?"
"Jack-"
"Yeah Miss Roberts..."
With his thumbs resting on the top of his long johns causing them to slide down bit by bit he looks her in the eyes.
"don't you wanna swim?"
She bites her lip and almost says yes... but... there is always a but.
"I'm back!" John's voice rings throughout the camp.
And just like that, the few moments that could have been are washed away.