#haming

Word count: 2445

"Dutch, I knew you were loosing it, but you really are becoming a real sick son of a bitch," Elizabeth spoke, her tone harsh and cold as she took a long drag of her cigar. Instantly her elegant image disappeared when the word came out her mouth. She spoke like an Outlaw.

"Do elaborate Miss. Orléans," Dutch spoke dangerously as he didn't take too kindly with being insulted like that, "atleast I ain't a hypocrite. Look at you living in this fine mansion while you left the lot of us to rot."

Elizabeth only scoffed as she crossed her free hand underneath her chest, "I left you with everything I got at the time Dutch, ain't my fault you didn't use it wisely. If you even used it at all. At least I don't go and shoot an innocent women."

There was so much hostility between the two it was suffocating as Arthur and John shuffled around their feet uncomfortable. Hosea placed a gentle hand on Dutch's shoulder, to calm him down but to also warn him. They needed her help and Dutch wasn't about to risk not getting it with his stupid pride, "your business is the reason why people are starving and working their asses off in factories!"

"Don't go blabbering your mouth as if you know a damn thing Dutch. All you know how to do is shoot a gun and give false inspirational speeches," Elizabeth snapped, her green eyes darkening as there was nothing but hatred in them when she looked at Dutch, "I pay my workers plenty and I make sure them and their family live a good life. I give back to the people, but I don't give back to Outlaws who are reckless and shoot innocent folks. Told you this world is changing, they don't want Outlaws anymore Dutch. All I did was adapt and now I'm thriving. So if I were you, I would watch what you say because I ain't the one Pinkertons and every Law man in Blackwater wants hanged."

Dutch was about to retaliate, but Hosea squeezed his shoulders roughly, stopping him. He was nearly shaking in rage as he wanted to pull out his pistol and shoot the damn women. However as soon as that thought passed through his mind, he was instantly horrified. It terrified him to even think such thoughts, even if he was angry at Elizabeth for leaving them, he would never want to kill her. Dutch saw the girl as a daughter or a sister, someone he needed to protect. Maybe she was right, maybe he was just becoming a cold-blooded murderer.

"Forgive him Eliza," Hosea used the nickname he gave her so long ago, "it's been rough on him. Rough on all of us. We need a place to stay or at least for the females in the camp to stay. One of them has a son, I'm sure you remember Abigail, she had a little boy name Jack."

John internally groaned when Hosea mentioned Abigail. The old man didn't know what Elizabeth didn't like her in the slightest bit, only ever tolerating her but never liked her. If there was any sure chance if her potentially letting them live in her mansion, it was gone now. After all, he still remembered how hurt and distraught she was when he left her for Abigail.

"A little boy you say?" Elizabeth questioned as she furrowed her brows slightly as she discarded the cigar. Directing her attention to Timothy she offered him a gentle smile, "go get some whiskey for these fine folks please," her voice was now light and cheery. Her gaze flickered back to Hosea to speak more.

"Yes, Jack. A kind boy, shouldn't be living like this but he is. If you don't want to associate with us, that's fine, but young Jack never had a choice on how his life will turn out. Never asked to be thrown in with a bunch of Outlaws," Hosea noticed a change in Elizabeth's posture as it was more relaxed and the harshness in her green eyes gone. Instead it was replaced with something else that he remembered seeing in Abigail before. His thoughts flickered to what Timothy said about her before he introduced her.

Elizabeth didn't respond right away as she hummed lightly before walking towards her desk. Opening one of the drawers she pulled out a small wooden box. When she took off the kid it revealed rather expensive looking cigars, "take one if you want, I'd like to meet Jack before I make my decision. I owe you my life and plus some Hosea, but things changed and I can't just let a bunch of Outlaws come and live with me."

"I know we're asking for a lot Eliza," Hosea sighed out, his age was catching up to him as he took a cigar and lit it, "if we could have met in different circumstances I would have liked to maybe go fishing again," he's always been like a father to Elizabeth and it was hard for her to leave the gang because of him, but she needed to. It was a decision she didn't regret.

Before Elizabeth could respond, the door opened and it wasn't Timothy walking through the door with a bottle of whiskey. In fact, the person was two people and the said people were a lot shorter then Timothy. In a blur the small figures raced inside the room and made a bee line towards Elizabeth. However, they stopped when they noticed the rather four intimidating looking men in the room.

Everyone got a good look at the two new people and many were surprised. From the looks of it they were twins, nearly identical if it weren't for the fact that one was a girl and one was a boy. Though they shared the same key features with one another, dark black hair, light blue eyes and a beauty mark underneath their left eye.

The girl was wearing something similar to what Elizabeth was wearing but a more toned down version. Her black hair was nearly done up into a bun and in her hands she held onto a white stuffed horse animal. She nearly looked like the child version of Elizabeth if her eyes were blue.

The boy matched his sisters color scheme with fitted black pants and a burgundy button up shirt that was tucked in. Over it was a black vest with silver accents and he wore black hunting boots to match.

To say the least, it didn't fake a genius to figure out who the twins mother was as Elizabeth quickly walked over to Hosea and took the cigar out of his mouth and disposed of it quickly. Not even bothering with an explanation, she walked right towards the two with a set frown on her lips.

"Brother," the girl whispered not so quietly, "I think moma is mad."

"I told you she was busy Rosie!" The boy replied as his blue eyes looked at anything but his upset mother as his hands never left his sisters as they would face the wrath of their mother together.

"Didn't I fell you two I was meeting some guests today?" Elizabeth asked sternly when she reached the two. With her arms crossed she looked at the young girl who smiled widely at her. Not a care in the world that she interrupted something.

Practically beaming with joy, the girl only giggled at her mother's playful glare, "Moma, you said you were gonna go take us fishin today! I got bored form waiting and James got bored to!"

James looked at her sister with a face of betrayal, "I wasn't bored, mama, Rosemary is lying again!" The little boy whined his small hands gripped the fabric of his mother's clothes, "I was being good, I promise I was," blue eyes turned back as he tried to show his innocence.

Arthur didn't say anything, well neither the other but he was left stunned. It was as if someone went ahead and hit his stomach with a baseball bat 10x over as he nearly doubled over when he saw the kids. They looked slightly older then Jack, probably 6 or 7 years old, around the same time Elizabeth left the gang. However, that's not what bothered him, it was the fact that the twins blue eyes matched almost exactly to his and the boy almost looked like him when he was younger, just with black hair.

The twins finally seemed to notice of the other people in the room as the girl stared pass her mother with curiosity as her brother stayed put. They've never seen people like them before, they seemed different as the people they've met were always dressed in expensive suits and looked mean and scary. While the men did seem slightly scary, one in particular didn't to Rosemary as she slipped towards him much to Elizabeth displeasure.

Rosemary went right to Arthur as she stopped right in front of him. Holding out her hands just like her mother always taught her, she gave her award winning grin, "hello mister! My names Rosemary Elaine Orléans, what's your name Mister?"

It took a minute for Arthur to figure out what was happening as he stared at Elizabeth who only looked at him with warning. Glancing down at the young girl he couldn't help but see himself in her as well or maybe it was wishful thinking as he carefully shook the girls hand, "nice to meet you Miss. Rosemary, my names Arthur Morgan."

"You can call me Rosie! James and Mama calls me that. I think Elaine also makes me sound old " Rosie stated bluntly, her goofy grin still on her face.

Arthur couldn't help but chuckle slightly, "Rosie it is then," he tried to make his voice softer but he was failing at doing it.

Rosie turned around and looked at her brother who diligently stood by his mother's side, "come on James!" She gave her brother a comforting smile, "say hi to him, he's nice," she said as she pointed at Arthur.

The boy didn't do or say anything right away as he looked up to his mother for confirmation. Elizabeth didn't exactly look mad or pleased by his sisters actions but kept a neutral face. Noticing her sons gaze on her, she looked down and gently patted his head and smiled warmly at him, "well if you want to go say hi, go ahead. Don't be shy."

Nodding, James timidly talking towards Arthur and his sister. Just like Rosie, he held out his hand towards Arthur, "I'm James Arthur Orléans," he introduced himself shyly.

Elizabeth looked slightly thrown back that James introduced his full name to Arthur. All the other times he ever introduced himself it was just James Orléans, never his middle name. She caught the gaze of Arthur who looked at her and his eyes silently demanded answers before looking back down at her son, "howdy to you too James," he shook his hand like he did to Rosie, "aren't you two polite now."

"Rosie, James," Elizabeth finally called out, catching her children's attention, "why don't you go and get ready to go fishing with Miss. Cartwright?"  There was something in her tone that told them not to argue. 

Rosie pouted slightly, but simply puffed her cheeks as she grabbed her brothers hand and dragged him out the room, "okay! Be quick Mama, I wanna go catch a really big shark!" She giggled when he brother let out a protest.

"You don't want to catch sharks Rosie, they'll eat you!"

"Not before I eat them!" The girl laughed as the two disappeared through the door once more.

Leaving the grownup with some more talking to do.

Elizabeth crossed her arms underneath her chest as she allowed her facial expression to morph into one with full displeasure as she stared at Arthur who had his hands on his hips. This was not how today was suppose to turn out. Then again  she didn't know how she was gonna hide the truth if the gang truly was gonna stay in her mansion.

"Who's the father?" John finally spoke up after not saying anything. His curiosity was edging him on, but he already knew who it was and wanted confirmation.

"Doesn't matter, they're Orléans aren't they?" Elizabeth replied, her southern accent slightly returning as she replied to John.

"In any chance, would they have been Morgan's is you stuck around?" Arthur boldly asked as his blue eyes met with hostile green ones.

Anger overcame Elizabeth as she lost her high society posture as she didn't like the predicament she was placed in, "You may have helped make them Arthur, but don't think you can come here and weezle your way into their lives. OUR lives. They don't have a father and they certainly don't need one."

Taking a few steps towards Elizabeth, just as equally angry he retaliated back, "don't you think I had the right to know? God damn it Eliza! They're my kids to, I have the right to know."

"I was 5 months along," Elizabeth stated bluntly, more dull as she simply lost the strength or energy to fight back with anger.