A Band of Unlikely Avengers – Extended Epilogue

“Are you sure you want to go?” Nellie asked, fixing her eyes on Chayton.

“I have to,” he replied, holding open his arms.

Nellie stepped forward and wrapped her arms around him. “Okay, but you’d better come back. I missed you way too much last time. You can’t just stay away like that.”

Chayton laughed as he stepped out of the hug. “I can’t tell you how long I’ll be gone, but I promise I’ll be back whether I find her or not.”

“I guess that’s the best I’m going to get out of you,” Nellie said with a sigh. “At least send us a letter every now and then so we know you’re all right.”

“I can do that,” Chayton agreed.

“My turn,” Byron said as he walked closer and gave Chayton a quick hug. “You’d better keep your promise and come back.”

“I will. Maybe I’ll even bring my mother with if I manage to find her.”

“You’re both welcome here anytime,” Nellie’s father stated. “Your part of our family, and that means she is too.”

“That’s very generous of you.” Chayton gave him a hug. “You know you’re like a father to me, right?”

Dr. Birch’s whole face lit up. “I think that’s one of the nicest things anybody has ever said to me.”

“Well, it’s true. You took care of me when I had nobody. I’ll never forget that.”

“Why are you being so emotional?” Nellie complained, wiping her eyes. Chayton was usually much more reserved with his emotions, only opening up when he had to.

He shrugged. “Don’t know. It feels kind of strange, but I like it. Might do it more often.”

All of them laughed at that.

“All right, that’s enough,” Chayton finally said, placing a hand on Byron’s shoulder. “You’ll take care of them for me?”

“Always,” Byron agreed. “And you take care of yourself.”

“Always,” Chayton repeated as he took a step back, grabbed Gunner’s reins, and hoisted himself onto the horse’s back.

Byron wrapped his arm around Nellie’s shoulder, pulling her close as they watched Chayton ride away. Nellie turned toward her husband, seeking his comfort. She had hoped that Chayton would stay longer or change his mind about going to look for his mother, but she understood why he had to go.

Chayton was like a brother to her. She hated to see him riding off into the unknown. He could take care of himself, but she still worried. Even tough men could die if they found themselves in the wrong situation. Traveling alone was dangerous.

“He’ll be all right,” Byron said from beside her. “He has to do this or he’ll never be able to rest.”

“I know,” Nellie whispered, holding tighter onto Byron.

When they couldn’t see Chayton any longer, the three of them made their way back into the house. They had already eaten breakfast, so Nellie cleared the table and started with the dishes. She needed to keep busy. Chores always helped when her mind was spiraling.

Byron let her be for a little while, clearly well aware that she needed a moment to herself. She was almost done with the dishes when she heard her husband’s voice.

“You all right in there?” he asked.

Nellie turned around and smiled as she took him in. She loved how he looked. She always had, but his new shorter hair suited him much better than the long hair he’d worn when they first met.

“Yeah, I’m okay now,” she replied. “Just needed a minute.”

Byron took a step closer, and Nellie couldn’t help but notice how well his shirt fit him. He was still the same man she had fallen in love with, but at the same time he had changed so much. Instead of denim jeans, work shirts, and boots, he now wore suits and polished shoes. She could picture him being a top-tier lawyer in a big city like New York.

Nellie knew it was his dream, and it saddened her that he’d never been able to realize it.

“What you are thinking about?” Byron asked, tilting his head to the side.

“Well,” Nellie teased, taking a step forward and running her finger down his chest, “I was thinking about how handsome my husband is.”

Byron’s eyes lit up. “I like the sound of that.”

“And so you should.” Nellie giggled. “I’m all done in here for now. How about we go to our room?”

Byron swallowed and licked his lips. “That’s a tempting offer, Mrs. Jacobs.”

Nellie loved it when he called her that. In fact, she loved everything about him.

“I do have an ulterior motive,” she admitted, wrapping her arms around his neck.

Byron raised a brow. “And what might that be?”

“I really want our family to grow.”

Needless to say, Nellie didn’t have to convince Byron to fulfill her wish. He all but pulled her to their bedroom and quickly locked the door behind them. Locks on the doors inside houses weren’t common, but after Chayton had forgotten to knock one too many times, Byron had insisted. Even now, with Chayton gone, he clearly wasn’t taking any chances.

Nellie didn’t mind. She appreciated the privacy it provided.

***

Chayton rode for days on end, only stopping to eat, sleep, and relieve himself. He felt restless and knew only one thing would help to settle him. He had felt that same need before, when he was craving revenge, but now that Deacon was dead, the need had changed to finding his mother.

He had always wondered about her. Why had she not kept him? Did she not love him, or did she not have a choice? Chayton had loved his father—he still did even though the man was long gone—but he couldn’t help but think that his life would have been easier if he had grown up with his mother instead.

Being a half-breed, as many people called him, wasn’t easy. Chayton had never fit in anywhere. Growing up, he had been made fun of and some of the other children’s parents even banned them from playing with him. He had always known that he was different, and there was a time when he’d hated it.

Now that he was older, he didn’t hate it anymore. He had learned to embrace who he was and to love those who excepted him. He simply wanted answers, whatever they were.

If his mother was dead, he would accept it. But he wanted to find her, even if he only got to speak to her once. He just wanted to ask her why she never came to look for him. He needed to know so that he could put it behind him and move on with his life.

Chayton had tried to talk to his father about his mother a couple of times, but his father had always refused. He simply wouldn’t talk about her, and as a child Chayton had had no choice but to respect it. After his father’s death, Chayton was left with so many questions and absolutely no answers. He was too young to go looking for his mother back then. He would have died on the plains, but now he knew how to survive.

As he traveled, he wondered if he would ever get to have what Byron and Nellie had. He longed for a love like that, to be with somebody who accepted him heart and soul. He had time, though, and he made a promise to himself that once he had found the answers he was looking for, he would find somebody to love.

Before he had returned for Byron and Nellie’s wedding, Chayton had received a couple of leads. He didn’t know if any of them would work out, so he simply chose one randomly and hoped for the best. To his surprise, the directions he had been given led him straight to a Sioux reservation.

Chayton stopped as soon as the tents, horses, and cattle came into view. He hadn’t even been searching for that long and couldn’t believe his luck. He knew his mother might not be amongst the tribe, but there was a possibility.

Taking a deep breath, Chayton approached the reservation. He was only half-Sioux, and they might not accept him at first sight. As he got closer, a group of armed men on horseback approached him.

“Who are you?” the leader of the group asked, his rifle pointed at him.

Chayton kept his hands where they could see them. “My name is Chayton Rollins,” he replied. “And I’m looking for my mother. A woman named Halona.

The leader exchanged a surprised look with the men flanking him. “Come with us,” he instructed.

Chayton’s heart nearly leaped right out of his chest. From the man’s reaction, it was clear that he knew something. Chayton followed after them in quiet anticipation.

They led him to the edge of the reservation and dismounted. “Get down,” the leader said, pointing at a wooden log next to a fire. “Sit there and wait.”

Chayton did as instructed. He had no reason to argue. He sat on the log and watched as the leader headed to a nearby tent.

A minute later, he reappeared with an older woman following him. She looked just like a normal Native woman, but Chayton knew that she was his mother.

He watched nervously as they approached.

“Chayton Rollins?” she asked, an expression of awe on her face.

“Yes,” Chayton replied as he stood up.

Her eyes grew big and before he could say another word, she lunged at him, embracing him. Not knowing what else to do, Chayton hugged her back. It should have felt awkward, but it didn’t.

He couldn’t believe that he had actually found her, and from the look on her face, it was clear that despite never having met her, she cared about him.

“I thought I’d lost you forever.”

Chayton shook his head. “No, I’m right here.”

His mother placed her hand over his heart as she looked up at him. He was a couple of inches taller than her. “My sweet boy,” she whispered. “You must have so many questions.”

Chayton nodded. “I do.”

“Come, sit with me,” she said, taking a step back and sitting down on the log.

Chayton sat next to her, turning so that he could see her. “Why did you leave me?” he asked. “Why didn’t you ever come look for me?”

Tears ran down her face and she took his hand in hers. He let her. “I didn’t want to. I loved you so much and you were so little, but your father was a military man. He couldn’t stay with me, and I couldn’t stay with him.”

“I don’t understand.” Chayton shook his head. “Did you two love each other? What happened?”

“Oh, I did love him.” His mother smiled sadly. “He was an amazing man, but I was never enough for him. Your father loved his career more than me. What we had was special, but it wasn’t meant to last, and I knew you would be better off with him.”

“You couldn’t know that,” Chayton argued. “A child needs its mother.”

“I know, and I regretted leaving you every day of my life, but your father could give you a better life than I ever could. He could give you the life you deserved.”

“So you simply abandoned me?” Chayton asked, trying to process what he was hearing.

“No, I didn’t abandon you,” his mother assured him. “I was young. My tribe didn’t approve of my relationship with your father, and his people would never have approved of me. I did what I thought was best for you.”

Chayton hated it, but he understood why she’d done it. It didn’t mean she didn’t love him. Maybe it meant that she was brave enough to sacrifice what she wanted so that he could be happy. While he had never been happy as a child, she had no way of knowing that.

“Where’s your father?” she asked, looking around as if hoping to see him.

Chayton shook his head. “He died a long time ago.”

His mother sucked in her breath. “I’m so sorry.”

“It’s okay,” he told her. “I’m all right, and it looks like you are too.”

“I am,” she agreed. “In fact, I’ve never been better.”

She was looking at him with so much love that he couldn’t even be angry at her. “Do you like living here, at the reservation?” Chayton asked.

His mother nodded. “Yes, this is my home, and these are my people.”

“I live in Trinity Springs,” he said. “Maybe one day you can come visit me there, but for now, I’d like to stay here for a little while so that we can get to know each other. Do you think your people will allow me to stay?”

“Of course,” his mother replied with a warm smile. “You will always be welcome here.”

***

“Are you ready to go?” Byron asked as he wrapped his arm around Nellie’s waist, his hands finding their way to her stomach as he leaned over her shoulder from behind.

“I am,” she replied, placing her hands over his.

“When are we going to tell your father?”

An enormous smile formed on her face as she glanced up at him. “Today,” she stated. “I can’t wait any longer.”

“He’s going to be so happy,” Byron said. Dr. Birch had always wanted grandchildren. The man was an exceptional doctor and had a heart of gold.

“Nellie! Byron! We have to go,” Dr. Birch called.

Byron took a step back but kept a hold of Nellie’s hand. “Let’s go. Your father is in desperate need of some fun.”

Together, they made their way to the buggy. Dr. Birch was already waiting for them, sitting at the back. Byron helped Nellie up so that she could sit next to her father and then settled in behind the reins.

They were going to Deadwood to deliver one last shipment of cholera medicine. It wasn’t really necessary, but Dr. Birch was nothing if not thorough.

The epidemic was all but over, and the medicine was more of a preventative measure for the future than anything else. Not too long ago, they had found the source of the epidemic. A small makeshift tannery was dumping animal parts upriver, contaminating the water. Once it was found, it was quickly shut down and the cleanup process started.

With the source gone, fewer and fewer people were getting sick, and with the help of Dr. Birch, many of those who were ill started to heal. There were still a few cases here and there, but soon enough, it would all be history.

As they rode, Dr. Birch spoke about his practice and his patients. With things looking up, the old man had been relying less on opium and Byron had quickly learned that the doctor liked to talk when he was sober. Byron didn’t mind it at all. Dr. Birch always had an interesting story to tell.

“What’s going on?” Dr. Birch as they entered Deadwood.

Byron glanced back at Nellie and the two shared a knowing smile. People were gathered in the streets, waiting for them, and as soon as they were close enough, they started clapping and cheering. The whole main street was littered with people and there were tables with food and games, almost like a town fair.

“It’s for you, Pa,” Nellie shouted over the cheers.

Byron stopped the wagon and turned to look at Dr. Birch and Nellie. He had never seen the doctor look so confused.

“What do you mean?” he asked, as he looked around, taking in the people that surrounded them.

“It’s their way of saying thank you for everything you’ve done for them.”

Dr. Birch shook his head, surprise clear on his face. “But Deadwood isn’t a friendly town,” he whispered, shocked.

“Friendly or not, they want to celebrate you,” Byron stated. “And you deserve it. After everything you’ve done for the people here, they see you as a hero.”

“Thank you, Dr. Birch!” a young woman yelled.

“You saved our family!” another added.

Once the townsfolk started, they didn’t stop. People kept yelling their thanks.

“I can’t believe this is all for me.” Dr. Birch waved at the people.

“The mayor arranged it as a thank you,” Nellie informed her father. “So how about we get down from here, secure the medicine, and have some fun?”

Dr. Birch nodded. “Yes, of course.”

Once the initial shock wore off, Dr. Birch fully embraced the celebrations. Byron and Nellie watched as he took in the praise and spoke to the people. Even now, when they weren’t sick, he treated them with the greatest of care. Each one of them meant something to the old man.

Byron felt privileged to be able to call the man his father-in-law. Byron had known many good men and many bad men in his life, but he had never met anybody as genuinely kind and selfless as Dr. Birch.

“Thank you, too,” a young girl said as she approached Byron.

“Me?” he asked, confused.

“Yes,” she replied, handing him a red rose. “You helped save my life.”

Byron wasn’t sure how he’d done that.

“You don’t remember me, do you?” she asked.

Nellie laughed at that. “Don’t be offended, he has a horrible memory.”

“You came to the tent hospital set up outside of town,” the girl told him. “You sat with me in my tent even though I was throwing up, and then you fed me and gave me medicine. I got better after that day.”

Byron’s heart warmed at her words. He had been so overwhelmed that day that he hardly remembered any of the faces. He’d been consumed with anger and the need for revenge, but seeing all those sick people still haunted him.

“I’m sorry I don’t remember you, but I’m really happy that I could help you. It’s not often that I get to save a life.”

Later, once Dr. Birch had spoken to almost everyone, they all sat down to eat. The townsfolk had really outdone themselves and Byron couldn’t wait to taste all the delicious food on offer.

They were seated at a long table with people all around them, talking and laughing.

“We have another surprise for you,” Nellie said, taking Byron’s hand in hers.

Dr. Birch’s eyes grew big. “No, this was already too much.”

“Well, this is a different sort of surprise,” Byron stated. “You’re going to like it.”

Dr. Birch glanced between the two of them, the hint of a smile on his lips.

“I’m with child,” Nellie blurted out, her face lighting up. She had always been radiant, but since they found out they were having a baby, she had been glowing.

She had been wanting to tell her father from the moment they knew, but she also wanted to wait for the right time. Byron had left it to her to decide when that was.

“You’re going to have a baby!” Dr. Birch half-whispered, half-yelled, looking delighted.

“We sure are,” Nellie agreed. “And we just know that he, or she, is going to love you.”

THE END