12th December, 1907 

Readjusting to his second life wasn't as easy as Danny hoped it would be. The law had made a public display, as well as some humiliation to their family name - their false one under The Dupont's - so folks who were familiar with the family gave them all strange looks, in particular, Danny. 

The storm from a few days ago still hadn't passed and Danny was not at all fond of getting wet. He kept his umbrella open ever since he left the house and walking to school with his daughter was bothersome. But there were some days where he was grateful that he didn't have to ride a horse in the rain, yet at the same time he was disappointed the motor cars weren't as reliable as the ads made them out to be. 

Once Danny and Karen arrived at Galilee Catholic Primary School, he felt his daughter tug on his arm. 

"Daddy, I'm scared." Karen spoke up, addressing this only to her father once they were on school property. 

Danny knelt down and whispered to his daughter. "Everything will be fine, cupcake. Your pappy is going to sort out this mess once and for all." 

Together, they walked into the main building, all the way to Karen's first class for the day. Students in the hallways glared when Danny and Karen walked past them, everyone gave them both uncomfortable looks and glares, especially the students who wondered what sort of a crook Danny was - or as he disguised himself as his alias, Craig. 

Inside Karen's classroom, Danny let go of his daughter's hand and settled at his desk. Every voice inside the room went completely silent when he entered the room. 

Danny had to take a minute to compose himself before he addressed his students. 

"Good morning class." He swallowed dryly without breaking character. 

The two dozen students all replied all at once in a flat, monotonous voice that sounded forced. 

"Could you all please open your textbooks to page..." Danny paused to look at where he wanted his students to open up to. "Forty-eight, please? Today, we'll be revising over the... Wild West. The Wild West. Now, can anybody tell me what they might already know about the Wild West?" 

Almost immediately, one of the students in the centre of the classroom shot their hand up to answer confidently. 

"Yes, uhm, T-Tiffany?" 

"It has cowboys in it?" 

"Yes, that's correct. Anybody else want to add to this?" 

Another student answered after being picked from raising their hand up. "Gun duels!" 

"Good answer, Adam. Anyone else?" 

As expected, Karen had shot her arm up, but another girl sitting in front of her stretched her arm upwards and spoke before Karen could. The girl in front of her had pompadour-styled blonde hair, which matched the style of the generation. 

"It's about outlaws who robbed folk, robbed banks and stagecoaches, killed cops and duelled with guns." The girl in front of Karen answered proudly. 

Danny narrowed his eyes at the girl, replying slowly. "Good answer... Alice. You wanted to say something, Karen?" 

Once again, Karen was interrupted, but instead of it being by another student, it was a faculty member of the school, urging for the attention of Craig Dupont. 

"Mr Dupont, there are men here for you," the faculty member spoke breathlessly as if they'd run a marathon to reach his class. 

Furrowing his brows, Danny gave his students the order to remain inside the room while he investigated the disturbance more closely. He exited the room, quick on his heels, and promptly made his way to the front yard of the school. To make sure he wasn't seen, Danny lingered inside the hall of the main building, hiding behind the corner where he managed to take a peek at just who was there for him. 

"DANNY MATTHEWS! THIS IS AGENT BOOKER WITH THE PINKERTON DETECTIVE AGENCY! COME OUT WITH YOUR HANDS UP! I AM HERE TO ARREST YOU! HAND YOURSELF OVER PEACEFULLY!" A voice shouted authoritatively. 

Shocked. Danny was shocked that Agent Booker had come for him - the reason confounded Danny as to what he could have done that wasn't satisfactory in regards to Agent Booker's demands. 

"What are you doin' here, Booker? I did what you asked!" Danny yelled back. 

"That is where you are slightly mistaken, my bovine friend! You did what I asked, but you murdered a police informant!" 

" 'Murdered?!' I did no such thing!" 

"Well, maybe we can go down to the station and talk about it! This doesn't have to end in a fight! Just come in peacefully, and I can guarantee you that neither myself nor any of these police officers with me, will shoot you! You have my word." 

The conundrum Danny was in left him wondering how he couldn't foresee it happening again, for he was so certain that nobody would have recognised him nor Mary-Beth after seven years in hiding. 

The terrible realisation dawned on Danny: as long as he was still alive, his family would never truly be safe from his past. They couldn't be protected if there were people who knew who exactly he was and the life of crime he'd led; to exploit his weaknesses and force him to do whatever they so desired. 

Danny then pondered on the idea of fleeing the country again so long as he and his family were able to make it out of that mess alive. 

"You must take me for an idiot, Agent Booker? This ain't my first rodeo. I know how things like this turn out. You'd just shoot me the second I walked out of this building! Can you really do that in front of a school of children?! Are you really that heartless, Agent Booker?!" 

"I'd've held my end of the bargain, except you shot a good man in cold blood, Mr Matthews! You have thirty seconds to come out with your hands up!" 

One other thing that came to Danny's mind was how ill-equipped he was to handle conflict. He didn't have his gun belt nor his gun with him, and he knew right where it was. He had no other means of escaping the campus; his only route was through the front gate where all the cops were. 

This left Danny with no other choice but to hand himself in. 

Right as Danny was about to step out from cover, he felt something tug on the sleeve of his shirt. Danny turned around and was gobsmacked to find his daughter standing behind him. 

"Karen?! Cupcake, what are you doing here?!" Danny whisper-yelled. 

The little girl looked miserable, as if she could foresee what travesty was going to occur; as if she wouldn't see her father again. 

"Daddy, I'm scared." The small child whimpered. 

Danny knelt down and put his hands on his daughter's shoulders. "I know, cupcake, I know. Everything will be fine, I promise. We're gonna get out of this mess. You and your mother will be safe. Just stay calm and take deep breaths. Whatever happens, daddy loves you." 

"I love you too, daddy." 

"Attagirl. Stay right behind me." Danny stood up on both feet and peeked his head from behind cover. "Alright! I'm coming out!" 

Danny exposed himself and raised his arms up above his head while his daughter hid herself behind his body. Danny took slow steps towards the several police officers who had their standard police issue M1899 and Colt  1911 semi-automatic pistols. Agent Booker was the only person amongst the lawmen who didn't have a gun in his hand. 

"Constable Luker, cuff him." Agent Booker commanded the young officer beside him. 

Said officer took out his handcuffs and approached Danny Matthews. 

"Don't try anything funny, mate," warned Constable Luker. 

Before Constable Luker was able to slap the handcuffs over Danny's wrists, he immediately retaliated once the officer was in grabbing distance and stole the handgun out of his hand. The scuffle alarmed the other officers and Agent Booker included, where Danny had pointed the loaded weapon at the officers whilst holding Constable Luker hostage. 

"Now, this is what's gonna happen..." Danny spoke aloud, calmly. 

The other officers chattered over one another while Danny waited until they were all settled, all the while, Karen clung onto the back of Jackson's shirt tightly. 

"Let him go, Mr Matthews. Don't make things worse than they already are." Agent Booker ordered with slight aggression in his tone. 

"All of you, put your guns down now!" Danny shouted. "No funny business, or Mr Luker here is gonna get his brains blown all over the place. And for what?! You ain't taking me from my family again, Mr Booker. I've been patient - very, very patient - but today, you've made me real angry. I don't care what you intend to threaten me with, but it ain't gonna work. I am not a man you should trifle with, especially when I've worked very hard to leave my past behind." 

"And you're doing an excellent job in proving that, Mr Matthews. Now let him go now, goddammit!" 

"I got some demands, Agent!" 

Agent Booker grumbled under his breath before screaming, "Name 'em!" 

"Get me... a-a horse! I don't want any pursuit, so you and your men put your guns down and y'all get inside that sports equipment room!" Danny gestured to the room on the far left which was shut with a sign hanging from the handle, which read, 'SPORTS EQUIPMENT.' 

The lawmen were all sceptical about Danny's demands but they had to comply if they were to get through the day without the constable's death on their hands. One of the officers had requested a horse as transportation for Danny while the former outlaw pointed at the supply closet with the pistol. 

Several minutes of arguing later, a horse was presented behind the group of officers. 

"Alright, get in." Danny ordered impatiently. 

The cops and Agent Booker did as they were told while Danny shimmied towards the horse while he still held the constable hostage. As soon as they were all uncomfortably shoved into the sports equipment room, Danny whacked Constable Luker on the side of his head and locked the equipment room door. It wouldn't take them long to escape if they shot the door to kick it open, so it bought Danny some time to escape. 

Danny mounted the horse and grabbed his daughter under her arms, hoisting her body to sit in front of him before slapping the reins. 

Meanwhile at the Dupont residence, Mary-Beth had been enjoying her day being stuck in her books - ones that she read in her free time, not the ones she wrote, although she didn't mind occasionally reading over her work now and again so as to grasp any inspiration for how she could inspire the progression of novels whenever she lost her train of thought or inspiration. 

Mary-Beth found herself deeply indulged with the later chapters of the novel she was reading which contained eroticism beyond her wildest dreams; how said titillation created such deep and meaningful desires in Mary-Beth's mind as she pictured herself experiencing such lustful pleasure instead of the character she read at the hands of her lover. Her dominant hand applied more pressure down on the book to keep it wide open whilst her free hand slithered down her waist and down her thigh covered by her dress. 

The brunette bit on her bottom lip as her non-dominant hand pulled her dress up so that her hand could slither underneath with ease until her fingers rubbed circles on her clit. She stimulated herself very quickly as she leaned back in her chair and leaned her head back until it was stopped by the upper cross rail. 

"Ohh, oh yeah... that feels so good." Mary-Beth moaned erotically. 

Her eyes shut in order to picture her husband being the one to rub circles and finger her ring-dang-doo. As this occurred,  her clit dripped wet from how stimulated she'd become. Now, her fingers went in and out of her dripping wet clit in a fast-paced motion whilst she moaned her lover's name with such a fiery passion, she wished it was he who was pleasuring her right then and there in her office. 

"Danny... Danny... o-oh, Danny... I need you. I need you in me," Mary-Beth groaned with lustful impatience. "Oh yeah, oh yeah. Faster, faster. Danny. Danny, daddy- D-Danny, oh Lord! Augh!" 

Mary-Beth envisioned her husband giving her the best sex of her life: she imagined his phantom touch caressing her silky smooth skin. She dreamed of his masculinity thrusting in between her legs and his hot, sticky cum exploding inside of her and all over her breasts and face. Once she finished touching herself, Mary-Beth tidied herself up and poured herself a glass of wine to refresh herself. 

Suddenly, there was loud banging coming from the front door, startling Mary-Beth right as the brim of the glass touched her lips. 

"Oh, I wonder who that could be?" Mary-Beth pondered aloud to herself. 

The brunette put her glass down and made her way to answer the door. As she walked through the living room to get to the front door, gunshots went off, causing Mary-Beth to scream. 

BANG! 

BANG! 

BANG! 

Mary-Beth stood completely still, her body frozen on the spot as she waited for more gunshots to go off. Once she found mobility in her body, she slowly leaned over and stared at the front door. 

There were three bullet holes in the door. It didn't matter to her that somebody had damaged her door, rather that her life was potentially in danger because of the gunshots that three entire blocks had to have heard. The doorknob rotated to the right for the door to open. 

Mary-Beth hid around the corner with a table lamp at her disposal to use as a weapon. She was prepared, tense and beyond scared. 

One pair of footsteps clapped on the floor as the stranger walked closer to Mary-Beth, closer to the corner where she was almost fully prepared to swing at the intruder for breaking into her home. Mary-Beth yelled when she found bravery and took a swing at the intruder when she heard the footsteps come around the corner. She swung the lamp, effectively hitting the intruder in the head. 

It wasn't until the intruder was stunned by the blow that Mary-Beth made a grave mistake as she was quickly overcome with guilt. 

"Oh my Lord! Honey, I-I'm so sorry!" Mary-Beth wailed as she touched her husband's shoulders. 

Danny, the one who fell victim to his wife's surprise attack, groaned in agony as he pushed hard on the spot on his head where he'd been hit and squatted on the spot. 

"Daddy! Daddy, are you okay?!" Their daughter exclaimed. The seven year-old came running into the living room and impulsively hugged her father. 

"Aahhh," Danny hissed as his head pulsed in pain from where he'd been struck by the now broken table lamp. "I'm... I'll be fine, pumpkin. Your mama has got a mean swing on her, don't you, honey?" 

Still upset at how she harmed her husband, Mary-Beth got down on her knees and examined the spot where she struck her husband. 

A small cut had been exposed above his left eyebrow. Blood leaked down his forehead, just missing the corner of his eye. 

"I'll be fine. Mary-Beth, we-we gotta get outta here. The law - Agent Booker - they're after me. They're after me because they think I murdered a feller who was trying to help me find Micah Bell." Danny exerted breathlessly. He did not waste a second in jumping up to his feet to rush into his room so that he could gather his valuables. 

"Wha-What?! That's absurd! How- Who...? Why would they think you murdered that feller?" 

"I think... I-I don't rightly know right now, but what I do know, is that we have to get out of here as soon as possible, on the next boat back to America." 

"America? Danny, that's the reason why we came here in the first place; to escape the hangmen. And now you're saying Australia ain't safe for us no more?! And just what do you think you are doing, mister? Please don't tell me you intend to use that thing again..." Mary-Beth argued. 

On the floor, Danny was knelt down, fishing out his old gun belt and revolver. Only for such emergencies, did Danny keep his piece which was still in immaculate condition despite not being used nor cleaned in several years. Given that he'd buried it beneath clothes and his old journal and his papers and such, he had to make sure that if the time came - which was in that moment - he needed it quickly. 

"I've got no choice, Mary-Beth. Our second chance is over. The best hope we have now is to get on a boat and run to America. We can find salvation with the Marston's at a place called Beecher's Hope where they set up a ranch just West of Blackwater until we can get back on our feet." Danny explained as calmly as he could manage while he and his daughter packed their suitcases. 

It was a very difficult decision, but Mary-Beth was compelled to agree with her husband by reminding herself that everything he'd done was for the benefit of their family and their safety. Very soon, Mary-Beth assisted Danny in packing a case for her to carry for their return to their home country. 

The Matthew's - formerly under their disguise, the Dupont's - had their bags packed and they had left their home, their second chance, behind as they fled to the horse Danny rode on. 

"Here, you two, get yourselves to the docks. You know the way, Mary-Beth. I'll catch you up." Danny instructed hastily as he helped his wife and daughter up on the horse. 

"Come back to me," Mary-Beth uttered on a soft exhale. 

The two star-crossed lovers shared a tender kiss. 

"Always. Go on, now, git!" 

Danny slapped the horse's arse, exciting it to ride off without him. 

Now left behind with no means of catching up immediately, Danny was alerted by the whistle of a police whistle going off just around the corner from his home. Without hesitation, he drew his revolver and pulled back on the hammer with the intention to use lethal force. 

"He's over there!" A policeman shouted further down the road. 

"He's armed!" Another policeman yelled to warn his comrades. 

Danny hid behind a motor vehicle and took deep breaths when gunshots went off, bullets hitting the body of the motor vehicle Danny was using for cover. 

Times had changed since he last used a gun, and to use his old Schofield Revolver came back with many memories; both good and bad, with a fair share of the worst ones. Holding the gun brought Danny some comfort as he suppressed the gunfire out of his mind in order to channel his old self back. 

Once he was ready, Danny returned fire.