Never again
Fanfiction based on The Man from Snowy river - The McGregor saga Kathleen and Matt
Kathleen and Montana had been taken prisoners by horse thieves. The horse thieves had knocked them unconscious and transported them to an unknown ranch in the mountains, where they´d been for two months. Matt and Rob had followed but lost track a few days ago. Luckily Matt had friends in the mountains and had found shelter for a few days. Matts good friend O´Donnell was familiar with the horse thieves and was interested in getting rid of them once for all. O´Donnel, Matt and Rob therefore spend a few days gathering supporters.
At the ranch Kathleen and Montanna were kept in handcuffs making their whole life quite difficult. The three outlaws were keen on both women, touching and kissing them while the women tried to do the chores the men told them too. If women got too frisky a slap on the side of the head was sure to keep them on track.
Montanna had noticed quickly that Kathleen was as ill tempered as herself, but lately she was loosing color and temper. She seemed white as a sheet and swayed on her feet now and then. One afternoon one of the men came home with a dead animal for the women to cook. Normally that kind of thing wouldn’t bother Kathleen, but the smell of the animal was too much, and she hurried to the sink and emptied her stomach. Her nausea had been coming and going for the past week, but this time she couldn’t hold it in. Montanna was by her side, supporting her weight and Kathleen slid to the floor. The men laughed at her, making fun of her week stomach and left with the expectation of a homecooked meal by sundown. “What´s going on with you Kathleen?” “Oh it´s nothing… just a bug I guess” Montanna wasn’t convinced so she noted to keep an eye on Kathleen.
Kathleen got through supper and to bed exhausted. Why was she so tired? The next morning, she felt even worse. The world was spinning around as she sat on the bedside and her stomach was whirling around.
“Montanna! Montanna” Montanna was woken by Kathleen soft alarming voice “What?” “Bucket, fast!” Montanna was fast on her feet to fetch the bucket for Kathleen just in time before she emptied what little content she held. “You´re not okay! What´s going on?” Montanna felt Kathleens forehead but felt no fever. The temperature outside was cold and moist from a rainy night. Both women slept only in their under gowns huddled together in a small bed with one big blanket. Montanna couldn’t help but notice Kathleen rounder bosom as they laid close together at night but also as she saw her washing by the table in their room. No room for modesty. Also, she hadn’t observed Kathleen having her monthly. They had been here for more than two months.
“You´re pregnant, right?” “Please don’t say anything to the men… it will give them an advantage when Matt finds us. They´ll use me against Matt” Montanne knew Kathleen was right. They were interrupted by gunshot and cheering men. They got dressed fast and awaited the door to be unlocked which didn’t take long. The men were hungry. It was inconvenient with the handcuffs and made cooking and housework ten times more slow. “Ah come her woman and let me warm you up. You´re white as a sheet and cold as ice” The boss pulled Kathleen down on his lap and felt his way around her waist and breasts. “Oh my lord, I think they grew overnight, and I can just feel they missed me” He laughed and ripped her blouse open as he buried his face in her bosom. Then he leaned her over the table, as he made his way under her dress. The two other men cheered yelling and laughing “Yeah show her a good time, boss!” Montanna tried to help but the other two made sure to knock her unconscious to the floor. The boos turned Kathleen on her flat on her stomach and pushed her dress up and ripped her briefs. Just as he was about to have his way with her the door was knocked in and Matt and Rob burst inside and shot the three men dead to the ground. Matt rushed to Kathleen and tossed her skirts down to cover her. Rob took care of Montanna and the bleeding cut at the side of her head. Matt didn’t get to talk to Kathleen before she fell into his arm unconscious. He felt a lump in his throat as he watched her ripped blouse and held her close to him on the floor. “What the hell did they do to her? Rob, tell me those men are dead, or I´m going send them to hell” Rob looked at the broken woman in his fathers arms and his heart broke. He didn’t dare wonder what else had been going on. Montanna regained consciousness and helped Matt with Kathleen. “She looks awful Montanna. No color and thinner than ever” Matt was really worried. “Yeah, she hasn’t been feeling well lately” “I can see that” When Kathleen got around she cried in Matts arms while O´Donnells men took care of the bodies of the horse thieves. O´Donnell also arranged a carriage for the two women. “Let´s make sure Kathleen gets a smooth ride home, okay boys!” Montanna ordered.
Home at Langara Kathleen didn’t say much. She just sat by the fire. She couldn’t seem to get warm again. Matt was greatly concerned for her. How much the thieve did to her he didn’t know, Kathleen wouldn’t speak of it. He didn’t know of the pregnancy yet either. But she would have to tell him soon. She was already showing. The doctor had assured her everything was alright with the baby. She was four and a half months along.
Montanna came by to visit regularly, and she seemed to get through to Kathleen.
“Kathleen you are making everybody worry sick. You got to talk about it. What happened after I was knocked out?”
A tear escaped Kathleens eye. “You know what happened! You heard Matt and Rob talk about the state I was in” Kathleen was yelling at Montanna and got up from the chair. She was only in her nightgown, and to Montanna it was obvious that Kathleen was showing a nice little baby bump.
“No body´s been talking about you or what you looked like. We´re just worried about you… and the baby”
Montanna reached forward to touch Kathleens abdomen, but Kathleen hit her hand away.
“Don’t touch me!”
Matt, Rob and Michael got into the livingroom at the sound of Kathleens agitated voice:
Montanna kept talking “Kathleen listen, you´ve got to start living again. Think of Michael, of Matt and of yourself”
Tears were running freely down Kathleens cheeks “Why Montanna? Why? I´m soiled. I´m not worth loving anymore. I´m filthy” Kathleen was shaking, and Montanna tried to comfort her by holding her close. Then she took one of Kathleens hands and guided it to her abdomen.
“Feel it Kathleen. Feel the life inside you. It´s not soiled or filthy. It´s your little angel. Can you feel it”
Matts heart almost stopped. He wanted to go to Kathleen, but Rob stopped him. “Let Montanna calm her down”.
Kathleens other hand also found the place where the small bubbles were telling her the baby was moving.
She looked down and smiled through her tears. When she looked up it was into Matts warm sympathetic eyes. He neared her carefully and admired her beautiful body and glowing red hair and the way her hand cradled her swelling abdomen.
He sat down on his knees and softly put his large hands on her hips and then sliding them towards her abdomen. Kathleen put her hand over his and he kissed them.
“Why didn’t you tell me? A baby, Kathleen”
“I was afraid you´d think it was one of the thieves baby… But I´m sure it´s not”
Matt got on his feet and opened his arms for her to walk into. Which she did. Head on his shoulder she cried and begged for forgiveness. He took her head between his hand kissed her and looked deep into her eyes “You have nothing to beg for. This wasn’t your fault”
With time Kathleen believed Matts words and with time she became her old self.
By summertime Kathleen and Matt welcomed a little girl. They called her Hope.
Life continued at Langara.
