Yellow Diamonds In The Light

At first when she returned to the camp everyone thought that she was engaged to Durant. That she was a kept woman who could not marry him due to his own previous marriage. But then everyone was shocked when she moved into the sea of camps. Tall proud with her blonde hair shining in the light.

And then as time passed everyone began to see what had driven her out of Durant's hands and into the cold. Lily Bell's stomach began to swell. It has been mere weeks since her husband's death and it was then understood. She was pregnant with a dead man's child. As she went about her business everyone in the camp began charmed and some would say beguiled by her beauty.

Joseph helped make her tent ready and the priest handed her back some of the reward money she had made them take. Eva slowly but surely befriended the woman and soon the pair were attached at the hips as Lily would sit knitting and listening to Eva tell stories laughing. Elam, who anyone could see was in love with Eva, also learned to befriend the woman as he slowly but surely also began to see she would unlike many a woman he had met before. Even the Swede refused to let anyone treat the widow with anything but respect and soon the ruffians living in the camp learned to keep their distance lest they end up with a broken nose as a price for their wandering hands.

As Lily struggled with her decision to have her husband's child and living in the dirty streets of Hell On Wheels something inside of her began to change. Gone was the woman who cared only about her husband's legacy and getting the railroad built. Now in her place was a woman who was willing to do whatever it took to bring her child into the world. The cook gave her extra rations and the men were mostly polite. But it was Cullen Bohannon who drove her insane.

When they returned from the raid on the Cheyenne unharmed and it was revealed about her condition a fight erupted between the pair of them when she refused to board the train back to Chicago and then England. Words were cast and she told him to mind his own business.

And he did. He did not talk to her for almost a month. And how she missed his company and the few words they exchanged. She missed his gruff exterior and his carefully guarded words and expressions. She missed him with a more emotion than was appropriate for a grieving widow. But as time passed it seemed a gaping wound formed over what was left of her heart.

But everything changed when she was almost five months pregnant. A Cheyenne war party attacked the camp and Lily and Eva were huddled in the chapel with Rebecca and only Joseph to protect them. A brave entered and was killed by Eva after he caught a hold of Lily. As his blood poured over her and Rebecca's screams were heard ringing through out the air something changed in her world.

When they entered the streets to help care for the wounded she stopped when she heard footsteps running towards her. She then turned and before she could breathe she was surrounded by strong arms smelling of smoke and whiskey. As she was crushed into his arms after a minute he pulled back and brought his rough bloody hands to cup her cheeks. His forehead rested against hers and then one hands moved to her protruding belly.

No words were spoken as she moved her hands to rest on his own. As she helped with the wounded he was never far away. And that night he joined her in her tent. And as he stood watch Lily reached out and grasped his hand. As their hands laced together Lily fell asleep with their hands tethered together. And when she awoke they were still together.

***This is my dream couple. Drabbles with continue with this narrative as well as some AUS as well. !*****************