"Well," …what I like best," and then he had to stop and think. Because although eating honey was a very good thing to do, there was a moment just before you began to eat it which was better than when you were, but he didn't know what it was called."

A.A. Milne

Chapter 30: Summer Sky and Winter Night

Matt, a pensive expression on his face, stood watching as Cass and his family exited the makeshift courtroom and headed towards the Dodge House. The Dunbarts now had the rest of their lives in front of them, and Matt couldn't help but think how fortunate they all were to still be here. It would be a long time before he would be able to come to grips with Kitty kneeling on that cave floor, derringer in hand and blood staining her shirt.

Kitty and Doc joined Matt near the front of the courtroom. Kitty put a comforting hand on his shoulder. "Is everything okay?"

Matt pulled himself back to the present and focused his gaze on a healthy, smiling Kitty. "Yup, Kitty, everything is just fine."

Doc, with a glint in his eye, fixed his gaze on Matt and moved in on the lawman like a snake stalking his prey. "I'm real glad to hear that everything is just fine. But, I have to say, Matt, I was kind of wondering how you decided on that specific charge?" ''Aiding in the escape of a prisoner is what I think I heard?"

Matt could see the ill-concealed glee on Doc's face and figured he'd just have to do the best he could to get out of this with his dignity intact. "Yeah, you heard right, Doc. Something bothering ya, is there?"

"Oh, no, nothing's bothering me. I was just wondering how you picked that charge. I mean you had so many to pick from, attempted murder, assaulting a federal officer, kidnapping…just to name a few."

Matt couldn't think of anything real intelligent to say so he went with tried and true noncommittal semi-agreement. "Mmmhmm."

Not willing to let the lawman off the hook that easily, Doc gave Matt a slightly predatory smile. "It seems to me you were just kind of unreasonable picking that one."

Matt, his lawman's countenance firmly in place, locked his gaze on the good doctor. It was a look that could make hardened criminals cringe. "You thinking of taking up the law and giving up doctor'n are ya?"

Doc seemed quite oblivious to the withering glare. "Oh, no, Matt. I'm just a country doctor. I'm not a lawyer, or a marshal, or anything like that. And, it's not like anyone got hurt or nearly died out there on the prairie, is it? I suppose that's the reason you asked the Judge to be lenient, isn't it, to kind of make up for choosing such a, well a harsh charge." Doc was really struggling to keep the grin off his face and was completely failing to keep the merriment from showing in his eyes as he pushed the taciturn lawman just a little farther. "Yes sir, you're a hard man, Matt Dillon. Even for a U.S. Marshal, you're just an awful hard man."

Matt pulled his lips together in a tight line and gave Doc a disapproving look. "Now, Doc, how about you take care of the doctorin around here, and I'll see to enforcing the law?"

"Well Mr. Marshal, how about the next time you get yourself shot, you find your own way back to Dodge? Don't expect me to hunt all over the prairie for ya."

Kitty grinned at the two of them. Some things never changed. "C'mon, Doc. How about I buy you and Matt a beer?"

The three friends were heading to the Long Branch when they saw the Judge still at the front of the makeshift courtroom removing his robe and gathering the accessories to his position. Kitty was quick to extend her invitation to him as well. "Judge Brooking, we were just heading over to the Long Branch. Would you like to join us?"

The Judge looked up from his packing. "Why thank you, Miss Russell, It would be my pleasure. I'll stop by my hotel room and drop off my belongings, then come over and join you."

XXXXXXXXXX

It wasn't long before the four of them were seated at the table towards the back of the Long Branch. Matt couldn't help but think it sure was good to be home. The mood was light and they all enjoyed the beer and the friendship.

As he finished up his beer, the Judge turned to Doc, "Galen, do you have any interest in a few games of checkers before I call it a night?"

"Well Judge, I thought you'd never ask. Seems to me the last time you were in town, you beat me three games to one. I'm feeling like I might be able to even that up tonight."

The Judge turned to Matt. "Marshal, before I go, I just have one question for you. How was it that Miss Russell was involved in this terrible thing with the Dunbarts? Cass Dunbart mentioned you had to shoot Floyd Dunbart to save the lives of both you and Miss Russell here? I mean what exactly was Miss Russell's role in all this?"

Doc leaned back in his chair and just barely suppressed the grin that wanted to break out on his face. He was gonna enjoy Matt answering that question. He surely was.

Matt wrinkled his brow and pursed his lips as he tried to formulate an answer to a very problematic question. Ever since Cass mentioned Kitty, Matt had it in his mind that the Judge might get around to wondering about that, but for the life of him, he couldn't come up with any sort of reasonable response. It was kind of cowardly, but he pretty much decided he would claim ignorance because of that concussion Doc said he had. Maybe he could just let Kitty explain what happened. Yeah, that was the answer. Judge Brooking was real partial to Kitty. He just barely squashed a grin as he thought to himself, and she's real good at making stuff up, and he was a U.S. Marshal. He sure couldn't mislead a federal judge. "You know Judge, I didn't mention this earlier, but Doc here told me I had a pretty serious concussion." He looked to Doc for confirmation.

Doc nodded his head in agreement. "That's true Judge. Matt had a bad concussion. Why he woulda been real swimmy-headed."

Matt nodded his head. "Well, because of the concussion, I'm a little hazy on some of the details of those last few hours with Floyd. I do know he tried to shoot Kitty, uh, Miss Russell and me." He paused. "But I don't exactly recollect how Kitty came to be there with me. I mean she wasn't there and then, all of a sudden, she was. It almost felt like a dream. Maybe she could explain?"

The Judge turned his attention to Kitty. "Well, Miss Russell, could you shed some light on this mystery?"

The glare Kitty aimed at Matt turned into a dazzling smile when the Judge turned her way. "There isn't really much to tell. I went looking for the Marshal because I was worried." She looked over at Doc. "We were all worried because we got a telegram telling us that Matt, the Marshal, hadn't arrived in Hays. Well, Chester actually got the telegram, …but he told us what it said. …And we were all worried, right Doc?" She looked towards Doc, nodding her head affirmatively to make sure he understood what the right answer was.

Doc nodded his agreement. "We sure were. It isn't like Matt to be late delivering a prisoner."

Kitty picked up her narrative. "Like I said, I went riding out on the prairie looking for Matt, …because I was worried. I didn't really expect to find him, but I just decided to go out, …riding on the prairie. Mostly, I just needed to get out of Dodge, to be doing something. And well, imagine my surprise when I found him, …out there, …on the prairie. It was just an amazing piece of luck." She gave the Judge another brilliant smile. "And uh, Floyd wanted to kill the Marshal. You recall, he said that at his trial."

The Judge nodded his head in agreement. "Yes, the man seemed quite demented."

"Somehow, when I found them all, out there, something I said set Floyd off. Floyd was um… kind of unstable, crazy even, demented…like you said. And he shot Caleb, …his own brother. Caleb dropped his gun… on the ground. Floyd was going to shoot me… and Matt. But Matt, he was a...," she glanced at Doc. "… A little 'swimmy-headed,' but he still managed to get Caleb's gun and use it to shoot Floyd before Floyd was able to kill me, …well both of us." Kitty looked over at the Judge again and gave him another radiant smile, widened her eyes, and nodded her head. "That's pretty much how it happened, as best as I can remember. It was kind of traumatic for me, so I might have it a little confused."

"That is really a remarkable story, Miss Russell, remarkable. I can't even imagine the odds against you finding Matt like that. I'm not really sure it was good luck though. I mean you were nearly killed. Thank goodness the Marshal was able to prevent that. If anything were to happen to you, it would be a terrible loss for Dodge."

"Yes, it would be," growled Matt. "Miss Russell really should take more care with her safety." Matt couldn't begin to imagine Dodge without the brightness and light Kitty brought to the dingy town.

"Yes, indeed, Marshal. I totally agree with you on that, but at least it all ended well. Well, it's getting late, Galen. Let's go and get started on those checker games." The Judge rose and Doc reluctantly followed. This had been most entertaining, and he was sorry to see it end. Both men wished Matt and Kitty a pleasant evening and headed for Doc's Office.

Kitty dropped her head back and rolled her eyes to the ceiling. "Thanks a lot, Matt. Do you think he believed a word I said?"

"Kitty, he would have believed anything you said sandwiched among those dazzling smiles you targeted him with. They're like weapons. And don't pretend you didn't know exactly what you were doing."

"Now Matt, that's just not true."

"Well, let me tell ya, Kitty. When you smile at a man like that, he pretty much loses his ability to reason, and the craziest things seem perfectly sensible."

Kitty shifted her chair a little closer to him so that they were knee to knee, shoulder to shoulder—well knee to thigh and shoulder to elbow. "Is that a fact?" She leaned in, captured his gaze and held it to ransom. "Well, Matt, did I ever tell you that your eyes are the color of a cloudless summer sky, and when you give a girl that full-on grin of yours, something deep inside her just melts."

Not breaking eye contact, Matt grinned that full-on grin, leaned even closer, whispering. "And did I ever tell you that your eyes are the color of the winter sky on a moonlit evening, all sprinkled with sparkling stars. A man can just lose himself in them. And, if you add a smile, your wish is his command."

"Well, I'm smiling Matt, and I'd like to see you…" she paused, still holding his eyes captive, as she deliberately rolled hers upward, towards her room at the top of the stairs, then slowly dropped them, his hopelessly ensnared and still following, "In something less than five minutes." She gracefully stood, freed him with a wink and headed up the stairs.

Matt blinked and shook his head, clearing the haze from his brain, grabbed his hat and, holding it in front of him, nodded to Sam at the bar, barreled through the saloon doors and ducked down the alley. Within seconds, not minutes, he climbed the stairs and let himself into Kitty's rooms and carefully locked the door behind him. He paused, dropped his hat and gun belt and pulled off his boots and socks.

Somehow in those brief moments, Kitty had already divested herself of her clothing, which blazed a trail starting at the door and ending at the bed. She stood, waiting, the flickering lamplight partially lighting her naked body, hinting at unseen mysteries still to be discovered. Barefoot, he slowly stalked her, one careful silent step at a time, let his eyes slowly drift downward from her flaming hair to her adorable toes caressing all the interesting places in between, taking the time to appreciate the exquisiteness of every inch of her form while reflecting on her inner beauty as well. He raised his eyes, locking them with hers as he savored the love for him that shone from within. He never stopped being amazed that she could love someone like him the way she did. Once again, he felt himself drowning in the fathomless depths of those incredible eyes. He swallowed and whispered one word, "Kitty."

Never breaking contact with his eyes, she slowly unbuttoned his shirt—one button at a time. Then slipped it off his shoulders, letting it fall to the floor as she pulled it free. Then her fingers found his belt and released it, followed by the buttons on his pants. Her eyes still locked on his, she pushed his confining garments down over his hips, and he stepped free of them

Only now did she release his eyes as hers slowly and deliberately tracked down his body from his unruly dark curls, to his summer sky blue eyes, across the chiseled planes of his chest, over the hard evidence of his desire, and all the way down to his toes. No man affected her the way he did. She slowly brought her eyes back to again imprison his, saw the love and smoldering longing in them. She held him in thrall for a moment more, a moment to appreciate the sublime perfection of the anticipation. And then she smiled at him. All her other smiles paled in comparison to the one that was only for him.

He reached for her. "Kitty."

"Make love to me, Matt."

And he did.

"I love you and I will until the end of time. And just as she said the words, two bright stars drifted past them overhead and disappeared into the night sky together…" Daniel Steel, Until the end of Time

The End

Vice President Stevenson at the dedication of the Chickamauga Battlefield as a National Park:

"Here, in the dread tribunal of last resort, valor contended against valor. Here brave men struggled and died for the right as God gave them to see the right."

Adlai E. Stevenson

I hope that those of you who read found pleasure in this story. I meant it to trace the early beginnings of a love affair between two mythic humans who were drawn to each other in a cowtown on the Kansas prairie and whose life stories have entertained us for over sixty years. It is of course only one scenario amongst nearly innumerable possibilities. It was my goal to trace their burgeoning relationship and the promises made as they first committed themselves one to the other. I then sought to provide a first shared adventure which would set the bedrock for that relationship. Lastly, I did my best to base the story on events within the episodes and stay true to canon to the extent I understand it.

I sincerely thank every reader who has made it this far. I appreciate you reading. I know it was a long story and a long ending. I especially appreciate those of you who took the time to provide reviews. I loved reading each and every comment. Each one is a learning experience for me. I have tried to individually thank all reviewers who are registered on the site and have enjoyed conversations with some of you via the personal messaging option. There is no forum for me to thank those of you who are not registered, but I assure you that I read and appreciated your comments as well. I encourage you to register on the site. It is a lot of fun to be able to interact with others who share your passion for the TV show that began so many years ago, before many of you were even born.

Thank you,

GunShy1