Chapter Text
Isaac sat on the floor. Staring at the door. By now, he'd memorised every engraving, crack and crevice of the wood. Nothing else existed but him and the door. Every second mattered. Any millisecond the door could open. The knob could turn with that familiar creek, the fresh hair would flood in, light filling the room, Revealing the thing he had been waiting for for days, years, decades, cen-
“Isaac, Darlin’, what’re you doin’ on the floor?”
That familiar voice, he looked up to see his mama, her blonde hair fell over her shoulders. Her eyebrows were nit into a face of concern and confusion that scrunched the freckles on her face. Those icy blye eyes were fixed on Isaac with her hands were her hips. One of those looks only a mother could give. She wore a white shirt and a blue skirt. Around her waist was a red scarf she improvised to tuck her pen and paper for orders at the bar. Aswell as a small pen knife, she was a small woman, you never know what could happen at the saloon.
“Waiting.” Isaac turned back to the door, gripping his toy horse, he called it ‘Baby Bodie’ because it looked just like his fathers horse. Whom he was waiting to open the door.
“for what?” she looked at the door, confused.
“For pa’” Isaac said, simply.
Immediately his mothers shoulders dropped, she looked between him and the door with sympathy, “Oh ...hon’...” she sighed.
She watched for a few seconds, her ten year old son sat criss-cross-apple-sauce waiting for his father like it was the most important thing in the world to him.
Because it was.
His mousy brown hair just like his fathers before those flecks of grey and the sun lightened it. Along with those blue-green eyes to match along the abundance of freckles she’d given him that bunched at his nose and then dispersed all over him. He was in his green shirt with his overalls that were pinned up, far too big for him. Baby-Bodie on his lap.
“well... I’m going to work, will you be okay alone?” She says eventually, tilting her head.
Isaac nods, She leans down and kisses his head, he leans up into her, “bye bye mama.”
“Please don’t just sit on the floor all day, fix this place up a little, theres some beans in the cupboard, I love you, bye.”
With that, the door opened, and shut again, his mother had left and a usual silence filled the room. In truth he disobeyed his mother, he sat on that floor for atleast another hour or so.
Before finally.
The door knob turned, the door swung open roughly.
A large man stepped in, tall and brawny, his massive silhouette outlined in the doorframe. The smell of the forest filled the room. He saw his boots first, they looked new, frayed already but made sense for a cowboy. Covered in the dirt and mud that came with town roads. Shiny spurs crested their own lines of light, his black jeans frayed at the knees probably from falling or kneeling infront of the fire. The gunbelt that holstered two of his smaller fire arms. That blue striped shirt, suspenders leading up to his black neckerchief, his trimmed beard, blue-green eyes, sun damaged cheeks, crooked nose, dark blonde hair, and that signature black gamblers hat littered with scrapes and scars of it’s own.
“Papa!” Isaac sprung up, Bodie in his hand, and reached upward for his father who immediately lifted him.
Arthur let out an over dramatic grunt as he took his son into his arms, “Hey buddy! What you doing on the floor?”
“I was waitin’! What took you so long! You said you’d be here yesterday!” Isaac said with a false tone of anger.
Arthur walked over with him on his lap and sat on the couch with him, “oh, I’m sorry buddy I caught up with things at camp, how have you and mama been? Where is she?”
“shes at work! What were you guys doing at camp?” He leaned on his father, crossing Bodie in his arms and looked up at him expectantly.
“Oh- hm- wranglin’ the cows... ofcoarse.”
“really! You guys have cows now?”
“ha...yeah...”
“oh wow... One day I’ll have to come help, mama says I gotta start lookin’ for work!”
“y-yeah... Anyway, I was thinking we go do some fishin’?” Arthur patted Isaacs shoulder.
“Yeah! I don’t have a pole, though...”
“thats fine,” Arthur looked down at Bodie, “ how about you leave him-“
“her.”
“right...why don’t you leave her here, don’t want her gettin ruined huh’?”
Isaac hesitated, looking at Bodie, “yeah...” he set her down on the table.
Arthur pulled out his journal, “I’ll write your mama a note, so she doesn’t think we’ve been kidnapped, n’ then we’ll go. Go wait outside with Boadicea. Oh! N’ i brought your friend too.”
“okay!” Isaac scampered outside, it was a warm day in Applebrook. The clouds only covered the sun a little and birds tweeted while various rodents scampered around. The roads were barron, everyone was at work. Just outside his house was some trees and grassy patches before they hit the begining of the town road. Out one door was endless fields and plains and out the other was his hometown. The smell of fresh air hit him only just before soggy paws did.
Copper floored him easily, covering him with excited licks and whimpers. Isaac giggled and pushed him off, his floppy ears flying backward as his tail wagged back and forth rapidly. His brown fur and wet, pink nose glittered in the sun and just behind him stood Boadicea tied to a tree. She looked up to see him, mouth stuffed with grass, her chestnut fur sandy from the travel and her dark brown mane was long and covered her face. Just like his toy. The white streak down her face was stained green from grazing aswell as her socks.
“I see you’ve greeted ol’ friends. You ready?” Arthur came out and smiled at Isaac and Copper, untying Boadicea.
“Yeah!” Isaac rushed over to Boadicea with Copper not far behind. Arthur got on first then reached down to lift Isaac up fairly effortlessly, Isaac looked up at his father with a massive smile before Arthur kicked them into a canter down to the river.
“How are Uncle Hosea and Auntie Susan and Uncle Dutch?”
“They’re fine, nothing new.”
“Can i come see them?” Isaac turns back to him, grinning hopefully.
His smile dropped for a second, “mmm, I-I would love to but yer’ mama says- awk-“ Arthur stops himself. “look maybe when your older, cows are... Uh, dangerous, i guess.”
Soon, the rustling of a tiny little water fall filled Isaacs ears. They approached a rocky river, not far was the tiny waterfall, less than a foot drop, if even.
“salmon season, reckon this rivers perfect huh? I’ll grab my pole, you’ll mainly do the fishin’ iI bet you’ll be great at it by now!”
Isaac thought back to all their previous fishing trips and nodded, fairly confident in himself.
His father handed him the pole, loaded with bait, then walked over to the nearest tree, settling against it with a peice or old grass between his teeth, Copper lying on his lap and watches Isaac. Isaac casts his rod. Getting a fair distance.
“Well done!” his father gives him a harty thumbs up from the side lines.
He sits like that for atleast half an hour, he’d lost a fish or too on behalf of not wrangling fast enough, but now he was dead-set on catching a salmon. Both because he was starting to get hungry, also because he wanted to prove her could.
Suddenly, his pole nearly dragged him off the shore.
“woah, you alright, boy?”
“hrrgh- yeah-“ Isaac continued pulling, tiring the fish before reeling a little, but the fish was strong, he couldn’t turn the handle. Before he’d even asked, his fathers hand was on his, helping him reel in the fish.
“thats it your doing good keeping going!”
Whenever Arthur felt like Isaac was doing fine on his own, he’d let go until Isaac was struggling, then step in and helping again. Toward the tail end, Isaac took some steps back, Arthur completely let go and put his arms on gis hips, watching as Isaac finally reeled the massive salmon, huffing and puffing. By god, was it massive.
It was easily a few pounds, maybe more.
“jesus, look atchu!” Arthur unhooked the fish and held it up. “goddamn, I think this is the only fish we’ll need to catch,” he looked back down at his son, “you know what, i reckon it’s time to show you how to use a gun huh?”
“really?” Isaac looked up in excitement.
“really, but lets atleast put this in the house first. Don’t quite fancy my horse smelling like like the oceans ass.”
Isaac giggled. They gathered their things and set off home.
…ᘛ⁐̤ᕐᐷ
The next few days were spent with Isaac learning more and more from his father. As much time he spent away, Arthur made up for it by spending every waking hour with his boy, hunting, fishing, swimming, riding, occasionally his father would let him have a drink. Isaac didn’t have many friends, but he felt like the most special kid in the world when his father was home.
His father had came up to tuck him in one last night, his mother standing right next to him. It felt nice to be tucked in by both parents.
“Do you really have to go?” Isaac pouted, looking up from his mattress on the floor.
“yep, I’m afraid.” His father knelt next to him, Copper at his side. He looked down at his boy, seeing the visible disappointment on his face. He patted his head, “hey don’t look so down buddy, I’ll be back before you know it.”
“... Okay I suppose.”
“Go to sleep, say goodbye to Copper.” His Mama said, fidgeting with her cross necklace. She wasn’t religious, as much as she tried to get Isaac to be, he was never sure why she wore it. Isaac reached up to pet copper one last time, rubbing his scruffy chin.
“Go to sleep be up early to help yer’ mama, I’ll be gone by the morn’,” Arthur ruffled his hair again and pull his old blanket over him, “goodnight.”
“goodnight,” Isaac watched him for a few seconds, spoke up just before he disappeared, “...I love you, pa.” He watched carefully for his fathers response, it wasn’t something young boys said to their dad alot, especially not at his age.
Arthur paused and turned a little, “Love you too, son.” And with a warm smile he turned away.
It was only him and his mother now, “you okay?” it was her turn to kneel down beside him now, her brows tilted upward.
He nodded, still looking at the doorframe.
“Go to sleep, sweetheart, you’ve got plenty time now to be worrying about what your father’s doing,” she finished that sentence with a tone he couldn’t quite read, but it softened with the next, “I love you,” she kissed his forehead, then pulled Baby Bodie out of that scarf she doubled as a waistband to keep her things in, tucking her in beside him.
He threw his hands out excitedly to grab her and cuddled into his limp pillow, starting to melt into his makeshift bed as sleepiness set in, he yawned, “I love you too.”
She blew out the gas lamp and gave him one last kiss on the forehead, her silhouetted figure walking away and closing the door.
He could swear he heard hushed arguing, but he was too tired to care, after a busy day with his father, he was out cold in a few minutes.
It had been weeks since his father visited, he’d be back soon, maybe.
…ᘛ⁐̤ᕐᐷ
It had been weeks since Arthur visited.
Isaac was meant to be asleep but he and Bodie stared out the window, seeing if he could see that familiar chestnut mare and black gamblers hat. Perhaps he’d appear during the night? Sometimes he sent a letter sometimes he didn’t, in truth his father was unpredictable. But for a kid with as little friends as Isaac, it kept him looking forward to something.
He didn’t realise he’d fallen asleep upright with his head in his own arms until he was awoken by a massive bang and a clatter. It was coming from downstairs, he walked out his bedroom door to a deafening gun shot, he went to the top of the stares and looked through the planks of the banister down. A man was in his house, holding mama by the shirt, another man was on the floor, covered in blood and mama still had the gun in her hand.
She threw a pretty hefty punch to his face, causing his nose to burst and spray blood on the floor. She was small but she was strong, “get the fuck out my house asshole!” She grunted, finishing off the man with her pistol, but before she could realise Isaac was there. A shotgun went off.
Isaac didn’t want to remember the details.
He remembers the shotgun hitting her in the head, the man walking in seconds after, close range.
Isaac could already tell it was close range by the gore on the walls.
He remembered jumping out the top window before the man saw him.
Falling on his face and hitting his jaw, causing him to split the side of his chin and loose a few baby teeth. The fall created gashes on his elbows and knees and covered him in dirt.
All he could do was run. The fear sparked the adrenaline which made it impossible to stop, the pain in his body dull.
He ran until he couldn’t see his town anymore, Bodie still in his arms, his grip on her so tight his knuckles were white. He ran until the skin on his feet tore away, til' the night stars faded and the moon set.
He’d run into a camp, filled with people he didn’t know. He looked around, terrified and turned to run a different direction, bumping into a tall man.
He tried to turn and run a different direction but the man roughly grabbed him by the arm and yanked him back to look at him. He looked up to see a man, with grey greasy hair, a hooked nose, scarred face, covered in scars, cuts and blemishes. His eyes wandered to the other men that now surrounded them, armed to the teeth, skeptical looks on their face.
“look at me, boy!” The man grabbed his bleeding chin and forced it up, “whats yer’ name?” it was more of a demand than an ask.
Isaac stood frozen for a second, staring up in terror.
There was an array of voices in the background that all blurred together, he was too deafened by the mans peircing stare to pick up on any of it, clutching at Bodie.
“we can’t let him go back, he might tell someone he saw-“ a man piped up from the back but the big man slapped him across the cheek before he could finish.
“You think I don’t know that?” The big man shouted, “Dermot- Where’s Dermot Macbrian?” His tone was alot softer as he said that name.
A different man pushed through the crowd, ginger hair, bright green eyes. He had a skinny figure, a stained white vest covered mostly by a black leather jacket, his gunbelt was dark brown with a green cloth tucked into it, a sparkling gold revolver stored in a holster. His boots were well worn, so worn the leather has started to work its way down his leg snd scrunched up at the ankle.
“yessir?” he said, an irish accent poking through immediately.
“We can’t send the boy back, either kill him or make him a good gun, maybe a grrom and for now or something. Your more equipped for this then any of us.” The big man waved his band in dismissal, jewelry sparkling and jangling as he walked away, closely followed by some other men.
‘Dermot’ examined Isaac, blood staining his clothes and tears running down his face. The little floppy horse in his arms that had a button for an eye, the other probably lost ages ago. Once all the other boys had left, Dermot picked Isaac up. It felt strange, This was a complete stranger. Picking him up? He had no idea where he was going.
Dermot walked him over to a crate, sitting Isaac on it and pulling out a handkerchief from one of the inner pockets of his jacket. Dipping it into a bucket, ringing it out, slowly pulling up Isaacs dungaree leg and wiping his knee.
It hurt alot actually, and the silence between them was off putting, Dermot seemed... awkward...more than anything. All Isaac could think about was his poor mother, he didn’t care about the blood dripping down his shins or the pain in his feet from running without shoes on.
“So...what is your name, wee man?” Dermot finally spoke, not looking away from Isaacs knees as he – carefully as he could – cleaned the gashes.
Isaac sniffed, “Isaac...”
“Isaac, n’ what happened to you, Isaac?” Dermots voice was as gentle as it could be.
He thought carefully, he remembered his mama and pa’ sitting him down and telling him about the dangers of men. Not to tell them his full name, that especially. When he’d asked why he was met with the classic; ‘because i said so’
“I fell...”
“You must’ve hit the ground pretty hard,” Dermot finally looks up, takes Isaacs face in his hand and tilts it up to look at his chin. He hisses, “That looks sore, is it sore?”
Isaac nods.
“yeah? Thats okay. You’ll be okay.”
There wasnt anither word spoke between them while Dermot wrapped up his elbows and knees, then cleaned the wound on his chin. There was nothing to wrap it with, the placement was too awkward, hed just have to let the air get to it, he finished his work, then looks right into Isaac’s eyes, pressing his lips together, prompting him to say something.
When Isaac just looked at the ground, he spoke up again, “you wanna tell me how you got into this mess?”
Isaac shook his head, craned his head to rest on Bodies’, getting some blood on her woolen mane.
“mmm, well, whatever it was, it really shook you...” Dermot remarked more to himself than anything, “You wanna lie down?” he angles his head down so he can meet Isaacs eyes again.
Isaac hesitates, then nods, eventually.
Dermot gently offers his hand, Isaac doesn’t take it, just slides off the crate and stares up at Dermot, blankly. Dermot shrugs, then makes his way to a tent, gesturing his head for the boy to follow, he did.
The rest of the camp was asleep by now, the smell of booze radiating off every man. Snoring snd gargling in the not-so soft sounds of sleep, campfires still glowing bright. They got into a tiny tent, one little bedroll on the floor.
“You uh...sleep there,” dermot pointed at the bedroll, then took off his jacket. Isaac settled down where he was told. Then felt th jacket be thrown ontop of him, before Dermot down beside the makeshift bed, “You keep warm, I’m used to sleeping on the grass.”
There was a silence in which Isaacs eyes didn’t shut for a second of it, “You got any... family?”
Isaac thought carefully, considering what happened with his mother. He didn’t know where his pa was, and he didn’t want to talk to this man.
“no.” He said, a little harsher then he meant to.
“Okay...I...well... goodnight kid, an’- welcome to the O’Driscolls. For now.”
…ᘛ⁐̤ᕐᐷ