A couple of days later, the snow storm had finally calmed down to where everyone could at least walk out and see more than two feet in front of them. (Y/n) and Annebeth were huddled by the fireplace again when they heard voices talking amongst each other.

She walked out and saw Dutch, Micah, Lenny, Javier, Bill and Arthur mount their horses. (Y/n) went over to the building that was consider the kitchen of the camp as Charles walks up next to her. "Hey, (y/n)." He greets. "Charles." She greets, warmly, when Dutch shouts. "Mr Mathews, Mr Smith and Mr Pearson, will you please look after the place. There are O'Driscoll's about."

Then he and the men head out on horses. Must be after the O'Driscoll camp Arthur told me about. (y/n) thought as she heads to the little kitchen area, to see Mr Pearson there. "We're gonna starve to death, Miss (l/n)." He said as he warms himself by the fire he had going. 

"We're okay." (Y/n) tries to assure him and he shakes his head. "We have a few cans of food and a rabbit. For what? Twelve? Fourteen people?" He asked, annoyed, as he goes over to the table while (y/n) went by the fire and warmed herself up.

"When I was in the Navy..." Pearson started to say as he chops up what food they had left. "Oh, here we go." (Y/n) grumbles as she rolls her eyes and walks over to Pearson. "We were stranded at sea for fifty days..." he said. "And you unfortunately survived." (Y/n) remarks and Pearson sets his knife down and turns to her.

"When we ran away from Blackwater, I wasn't able to get supplies in." Pearson explains and picks up a pot. "What choice did we have, Mr Pearson? Government agents were coming after us! A shopping trip was the least of our worries at the time. We'll survive. We always have." (Y/n) said as Pearson walks back over to the table to grab a ladle.

"And if needs be we can eat you, you're the fattest." (Y/n) quips but Pearson rolls his eyes at her. "I sent Lenny and Bill hunting, yesterday, and they found nothing." Pearson said as he gestures towards the snowy landscape. "Well, Lenny's more into book learning than hunting. And Bill...well, he's Bill. Unless those mountains are full of game that want to read, ain't no wonder they found nothing." (Y/n) said as Pearson was stirring the stew in the pot.

"Enough of this. We'll go find something. C'mon (y/n)." Charles said and (y/n) looks down at her outfit, which consisted of pants, a dress shirt, boots and a long coat that kept her warm. "Glad I dressed appropriately." She mutters, as she sometimes would wear a dress but she hated how the snow kept latching at the ends of her skirt so she grabbed these pants and shirts.

She began to follow Charles when Pearson speaks up. "Wait a second! Hold on!" Pearson said as he walks back over to the table and grabs something. "Here. You're gonna need something to eat out there." Pearson said as he tosses a small jar towards (y/n), who catches it and looks at the label. 

"Assorted, salted offal." She mutters then crinkled her nose in disgust. "Starving would be preferable." (Y/n) remarks. "C'mon." Charles said to her as she pockets the jar in her satchel. "Okay, let me go tell Annebeth." (Y/n) said and Charles nods.

(Y/n) walks towards the main building to see Annebeth and Jack playing with some sticks they found. "Annebeth, honey." (Y/n) said and the little dark blonde haired girl walks up to her. "Yes momma?" She asked and (y/n) kneels down to her. "Momma's gonna be out for a bit, so I need you to stay here where Miss Grimshaw and Miss Abigail can watch you. Okay?" She said and the little girl nods. 

"Good girl." (Y/n) said and she kisses the top of her daughter's head then looks up at Abigail and Grimshaw. "I'll be back in a little bit. Gonna go with Charles to find some food." She tells them. "Be careful out there, Miss (l/n)." Grimshaw said. The (h/c) woman nods and walks out of the building and meets up with Charles as he mounts his horse.

"You sure you're okay to hunt? How's your hand?" (Y/n) asked as she mounts her horse. "It'll be fine in a day or two. Besides, if there's game out there, I can find it and track them. And you can kill it." Charles said and he starts to take the lead. "Alright, let's head out." He said and the two head out.

"You sure we're gonna find something to kill that ain't an O'Driscoll?" (Y/n) asked and Charles chuckles. "There's meat up here for sure. Pearson doesn't know what he's talking about. Now that the weather's eased off a bit, they'll be needing to feed." He replied then he points ahead of himself. "We'll head up this way, find some higher ground." Charles said and both of them dig their heels to the side of their horses to make them go faster.

(Y/n) shivers a bit before she speaks up. "Been a wild few days, alright. That ride north from Blackwater, getting stuck in the storm, Arthur and Javier going out for John, now those boys got something with the O'Driscoll's." (Y/n) said. "Yeah, I wish I could do more." Charles said.

"I didn't mean it like that. Just...alot to think back on." (Y/n) said. "I still don't know what happened on that boat." Charles said. "Me neither. But obviously, it wasn't good." She said and they sat there in silence as they make their way through the valley and mountain.

"There's some patches of grass here. This is good. C'mon, let's try this way. Keep your eyes peeled for movement." Charles said as the two trot next to a small river. "The wind's died down too." Charles points out. "And that's good?" (Y/n) asked him. "No wind at all is bad, but if it's too strong they won't move. Now shhh...stay quiet." He said and they go across the stream then continued down a few miles before Charles speaks again.

"Stop here a second. I see something." He said and the two stop their horses and Charles gets off of his horse, walks a few steps before kneeling down. "There's deer been here. And recently." Charles said as (y/n) comes up to him and sees the hoof tracks he was inspecting. "Yeah, I see." She said and Charles stands up.

"We'll track them on foot. You have a bow and arrows?" He asked her and she nods. "Yeah, I'll go get it." She said and she goes over to her horse and pulls out the bow and arrows from her horse's cargo.

"Quiet as you can, stay low and move slowly." He instructs and she nods then looks over the tracks and begins to follow the hoof tracks. It took a bit but the duo followed the tracks until they saw a deer by the stream some miles down. (Y/n) readies her bow and arrow, takes aim and fires. The arrow hits the deer in the neck, killing it instantly.

"Nice. Let's see if we can get another one." He said and (y/n) walks a bit before she sees another deer not too far from where the first deer was. She does the same thing and fires the arrow, once again killing the second deer.

"Well done." He said and the two walk over to the one deer. "Here, let me help you." He said. "You sure your hand's okay?" (Y/n) asked, concerned. "It'll be fine if both of us carry it." He said. "Okay." She said and they pick up the first deer and stow it on Charles' horse then they go over to the second deer.

(Y/n) whistles, calling her horse over, and they stowed the second deer on her horse. "Alright, let's head back." Charles said and he mounts his horse, (y/n) gets on her horse as well.

"Nice work, (y/n). Should be enough meat to keep us fed for a few days." Charles said. "Considering how things were couple of days back, maybe our luck is finally on the turn." (Y/N) said. "Seems to me we should be putting our effort to get off this mountain now." Charles said. "Soon. People are still weak and you've seen how snowed in those wagons are. They ain't going nowhere til we get some more thaw." (Y/n) tells him.

"You're probably right. Even if we do get off here, what then? We still have a big price on our heads." Charles said. "We'll find somewhere to lie low. It is a big country after all. Dutch and Hosea will have a plan." (Y/n) said and they trot through the white snow when Charles raises a hand.

"Hold up. Bear up ahead." He said and they stop as a large brown bear was wandering just a few feet in front of them. "He's got alot of meat on him." (Y/n) said. "We've got enough meat here. Let's not push it." Charles said and (y/n) thinks for a moment then nods in agreement.

"Let's head up here." He said as he point up the hill next to them and they head up. "You know, we haven't talked that much, you and me. How long have you been with us now? Five...six months?" (Y/n) asked. "Something like that." He replied.

"Bet you didn't expect this." (Y/n) chuckles. "What?" Charles asked. "Any of this. Blackwater mess, being up here." (Y/n) said. "Sooner or later, a job's gonna go wrong. Nature of life." Charles said. "I just thought, you'd moved on by now." (Y/n) said, shrugging. "You want me to move on?" Charles asked her, confused. "No. No, not at all. I just...I know you can run it alone, no problem." (Y/n) said.

"I did that for a long time. I'm done with it. Always wondering if someone would kill you in your sleep." He said and she chuckles a bit. "I still wonder that most nights." (Y/n) said. "I reckon you're okay. This suits me. Sure, I can fall in with another gang but Dutch....you know, Dutch is different." Charles said and (y/n) laughs. "Oh yes. Dutch is certainly different." She laughs.

"He treats me fair. Most of you do. And for a feller with a Black father and an Indian mother, that ain't normally the case." said Charles. "Well...we need you now. More than ever." (Y/n) tells him and Charles smiles at her. "Good." He said. "How long have you been with them?" He asked her.

"Me? Bout two years." (Y/n) replied. "Really? Huh?" Charles said. "What?" She asked. "It's just...the way you've interacted with them, I assumed you been with them for a long time." Charles said and (y/n) chuckles. "It does feel like it but...no." she said.

"How did you get involved with them? If you don't mind me asking." He said and (y/n) looks down at her hands for a moment before she said. "I used to live with my father and mother. We lived in this cabin in the woods. They used to live in the city but got tired of it. I moved in with them after Annebeth's father left me. Then one night, a gang...the O'Driscoll's...came in, demanded money then they...." she stopped and closed her eyes, the memories of that night flooded her mind again and she does her best to stop the tears before she continued.

"Luckily, Dutch, Hosea and Arthur were there and saved me and my daughter." She finished. "Oh (y/n). I'm so sorry." Charles said, sympathetic. "I owe Dutch, Hosea and Arthur for that. So I try my best to help them out in any way that I can." (Y/n) said.

"You said Annabeth's father left you?" Charles asked and she nods. "Yeah, it wasn't too long after I gave birth to her. He was there by my side until one morning I woke up and he was gone. No note or anything. Just vanished, like he never existed." She explained. "That’s terrible. I'm very sorry." Charles tells her and she waves a hand at him, vaguely.

"Well, I'm gonna be honest, I always thought Annebeth was yours and Arthur's daughter." Charles said and (y/n) snorts out a laugh at this. "Seriously?" She asked, chuckling. "Yeah." Charles said. "Yeah, she wishes. That girl adores him. And he's been nothing but kind to her." She said and Charles laughs just as they make it back to Colter.

"Brought some food back, boys!" (Y/n) shouts as her and Charles go and hitch their horses then pull the deers off of the horses. "Let's get these over to Pearson." (Y/n) said and they carry them over to the kitchen. "Well, well, well...just drop it down on the floor." Pearson said, impressed, and (y/n) sets her deer down then looks over to see an old man, Uncle, sitting nearby.

"What a surprise...to find the camp rat loitering round in the kitchen." (Y/n) grumbles. "That any way to greet an old friend? I feel like we haven't spoken for days." Uncle said as Charles sets the second deer down and he and (y/n) go warm by the fire. "I do my utmost to avoid you." (Y/n) said.

"Oh she loves me. She just follows Arthur around too much and he's put ideas in her head." Uncle said. "That ain't true. Now get outta here." (Y/n) growls and Uncle scoffs then stands up. "See you later." He said and leaves.

"See you got on just fine." Pearson said, smiling at the deers. "Charles is a wonder." (Y/n) said and Pearson holds out a bottle. "Have a drink, you two. You earned it." He said and (y/n) takes the bottle and takes a swig then recoils from the taste as she hands the bottle to Charles.

"Jesus! What is that?" She asked as she gags a bit at the aftertaste, Charles takes the bottle and gets a sip. "Navy rum, madam. It's the only thing, the only thing." Pearson laughs while Charles hands him the bottle back. "Keeps you sane, it does." He said. "Yes, seems to have done a treat on you." (Y/n) grumbles then turns to Charles. 

"You go rest that hand, Charles." She tells him. "It'll be fine in a few days." He said. "Mind helping me with the skinning, Miss (l/n). It's easier if we do it together." Pearson said. "Do I get to skin you?" (Y/n) asked him and Pearson laughs. "Starting to think Uncle was right about Arthur having an influence on you." Pearson said and (y/n) rolls her eyes.

"This really isn't a job for a man with a burnt hand. I'll see you two later." Charles said as he leaves and Pearson and (y/n) got to work on skinning the deers.

Sometime later, Dutch, Bill, Javier, Micah and Lenny returned and informed everyone they took out the O'Driscoll gang at the nearby camp and found some dynamite there. (Y/n) asked where Arthur was and Dutch told her that there was one straggler of the O'Driscoll gang still left, so he sent Arthur after him.

Few minutes after that, Arthur returns and Dutch goes out to meet up with him, and sees him carrying the O'Driscoll. "Oh, you found the little shit, did ya?" He said. "Yeah." Arthur said and he drops the O'Driscoll down on the ground.

"I got him." Arthur said as he cuts the ropes around the O'Driscoll's leg then pulls him up. "Very good. Welcome to your new home. Hope you're real happy here." Dutch greets the newcomer. "You want me to make him talk?" Arthur asked Dutch. "Oh no, now all we'll get is lies." Dutch said then he turns his head.

"Uncle! Mr Williamson! Tie this maggot up someplace safe. We get him hungry first." Dutch tells them and they come up and grab the young frightened man. "I got a saying, friend. We shoot fellas that need shooting, save fellas as need saving, and feed 'em as need feeding. We are gonna find out what you need." Dutch said then he starts to laugh. "I can't believe it! An O'Driscoll in my camp!" He laughs then he turns around and walks away.

"I ain't an O'Driscoll, mister! I hate that fella!" The young man, Kieran, exclaims as Bill and Uncle drag him away. "Oh, whatever you say, son!" Dutch calls out then turns to Arthur. "Well done, Arthur." He said. "I'm just sorry we missed out on Colm." Arthur tells him.

"Oh there's time enough for that. Now, I gotta figure out if we can hit that train." Dutch said, happily. "Okay." Arthur said and Dutch walks into one of the buildings. Arthur heads to his room while (y/n) stood out of the doorway of the main building, watching Bill and Uncle taking the young man away.

She let's out a heavy sigh and wraps her arms around herself, wondering if this was a smart idea to keep an O'Driscoll in camp. Sure the young man didn't look much but that didn't stop her wonder what if he was able to escape and run back to his boss.

Splatter of blood flash in her eyes and screams filled her ears so she closes her eyes then starts to breath in slow then let it out, trying to calm herself down. 

Finally, her heartbeat slows down and she feels like she could breathe better. Then she walks back into the building to warm herself once again before her and Annebeth head to bed.