Liars And Thieves

Chapter 12

Grace walked out of the bushes in clean clothes, a dark navy skirt with a black blouse, at the top of the sleeves was white frills, white buttons down the front of the blouse. Grace carried her bloody clothes in her now clean hands. Grace made her way to the back of the camp and towards the water's edge before getting on her knees, the small pebbles digging through the material of the skirt and into her knees. Grace began to toss the clothes in the water, scrubbing in attempt to get the blood out. Grace had gotten herself covered in blood many times, sometimes it was hers. Sometimes it was her enemies and sometimes it was her own friends. 

"You need a hand?" Abigail's voice rang out beside Grace, a soft hand landing on Grace's shoulder comfortingly. Grace looked up at Abigail, brushing a strand of hair out of her face.

"It's fine Miss. I can-" Grace sniffled, suddenly feeling upset. Abigail frowned, kneeling beside Grace. Abigail's hands moved into the water, gently untangling Grace's fingers from the clothes. "I don't know what's wrong with me," Grace sighed, shaking her head in disappointment. 

"That's okay. You're shaken up," Abigail answered softly. Grace looked at Abigail who was now scrubbing the blood out of Grace's clothes. "I don't know what you got yourself into but it didn't look pretty. Dutch sent Arthur to search around, Arthur said he found a lot of dead bodies. How did you get out alive?" Abigail questioned finally. Grace knew Dutch would have wanted answers to why she returned as a bloody mess. 

"I guess I was just thinkin' I didn't want to die. Not yet anyway. So, I wasn't going to let that happen and I sure as shit wasn't goin' to let them rob me," Grace chuckled softly, trying to find humour in the situation. Abigail was quiet, not knowing what else to say. "I hope I didn't frighten Jack," Grace worried. Abigail shook her head before lifting the soaked clothes out of the water. 

"No, Jack didn't see. And if he did, he has seen it before. I know it's something a child shouldn't see and I try... I try to hide it from him but, it's hard. If only John would step up and help me maybe it wouldn't be so hard," Abigail sighed, holding up the shirt that was once bloody and now soaked, her fierce eyes scanning the shirt for blood stains. 

"John's been busy. He'll come around soon Abigail, I know he will," Grace insisted. John hadn't been the best father to the boy but he was trying. He was being a better father than what anyone else in the gang would be anyway. 

"Hosea keeps saying that too but right now, those are just words," Abigail gathered the dripping wet clothes in her hands, squeezing the water out of them. "I'll go hang these for you. You get some rest, okay?" Abigail ordered. Grace nodded before thanking Abigail. They both got off of the ground, walking in different directions. Grace brushed the dirt off of her skirt as she walked back into camp. Grace felt Dutch staring at her as she walked past his tent. She knew he was worried about her. Grace continued her way towards the scout camp, sitting against the tree just a few feet away. Grace rested her head against the trunk, taking a deep breath. Her eyes closed for a moment, finding herself escaping her problems. The warm breeze of Clemen's Point brushed against her soft skin, the sun warming her. The bark of the tree eventually turned into something soft as she fell off into a dream. 

The voice of a friend began to make Grace stir, slowly waking up to reality she saw Arthur next to her. Grace looked up at him, frowning in annoyance.

"What now?" She sighed, rubbing her eyes as Arthur sat down against the tree with her. She looked around to realise the evening sun had wrapped around the camp, the pink and orange of the sky making the camp glow orange. 

"Just making sure ya're okay," Arthur insisted as he released a sigh once he sat down. Grace watched as Arthur reached into his coat pocket, pulling out a pack of cigarettes before pulling out a cigarette. He held out the box to Grace, offering her one. Grace grabbed one from the packet, holding it between her fingers as Arthur lit them both. 

"Well, I'm fine," Grace grunted before taking a drag from her cigarette. Arthur scoffed slightly before looking at her. 

"That's not what Abigail told me, she told me ya seem shaken up," Arthur explained. Grace blew out a cloud of smoke, the smoke aesthetically dancing around her face.

"I'm fine," Grace insisted, growing irritated with being the camp's main topic. Grace knew Abigail did the right thing, telling someone. Grace was shaken up, having a gun aimed at you does that, especially when you're staring the gunman down. 

"Well than, you gon' tell me what happened?" Arthur questioned, Grace watched as the end of his cigarette burned as he took a drag. Grace held her cigarette between her fingers, the end smoking as she looked ahead of her, into the camp. 

"Lemoyne Raiders were going to rob me, probably kill me after. One of the fuckers aimed the gun right in my face, his sick smile... I guess I was scared. For the first time in a long time I was actually scared, Arthur." Grace looked over at Arthur. "I don't know what I did next, it all went like a blur and then I was surrounded by dead bodies. But by the blood on me, I knew it had been a bloody fight."

"There's nothing to be scared of, miss. You are very capable to handle yourself, just like you did," Arthur comforted, a small grin forming on his face. "Hell, I'd hate to be those men you killed. I saw what you did, you did it alright."

Grace chuckled, Grace turned to look at Arthur.

"I guess I did. I just wish Dutch would understand-"

"He'll come around. He was just worried, he worries about us all," Arthur reminded. Grace nodded as she took another drag. "Just... don't let today haunt you. You're alive and that's all that matters."

"Thank you, Arthur. I guess I should thank Abigail for telling you," Grace joked. Arthur chuckled, blowing out smoke.

"We could all tell you weren't okay. Even if Abigail hadn't told me, I would've still come to talk to you about it," Arthur informed. Grace grinned softly at him. "Next time when you're in a situation like that... I hope I'm there."

"Why?" Grace questioned, curious to why Arthur would want to be there.

"Next time you might not be so lucky. I want to be there to help you...I couldn't imagine what I... everyone would do without you," Arthur explained. Grace frowned, grinning before letting out a light laugh. 

"I'm sure it won't happen again," Grace insisted, hoping. She knew Arthur was right though, next time she may not be so lucky. Arthur nodded.

"I'm sure, like I said you can handle yourself. Anyway," Arthur got to his feet, looking down at Grace before motioning towards Dutch's tent. "I'm going to go see how Dutch is doing. I still don't agree with him about playing lawman," Arthur grunted. Grace chuckled as Arthur pulled the badge out of his satchel, the badge shining in the evening sun. Arthur shoved it back in before tipping his hat politely to Grace before turning away and walking down the small hill towards the camp. Grace watched as he threw his cigarette away as he walked, his muscular build waltzing into camp. Grace looked at the cigarette between her fingers, she couldn't help but think about Arthur had gotten awkward before, how he quickly corrected himself. She couldn't help but think what he meant by it and how he wanted to get away as soon as possible. Grace placed her cigarette next to her foot before squishing it with her shoe, putting it out. Grace pushed herself to her feet, her brown hair cascading her shoulders as she stood up. Grace flicked her hair with ease before making her way back to camp, feeling a lot better than how she was when talking to Abigail.