Lee and Grace were worried about Caly. Neither had seen her around the station for a few days, so they decided to go over to her house to see her. Once they got there they found Caly on the porch talking with Meg. She had come by to visit.

The four exchanged hello's and were soon seated and talking.

Grace looked at Caly, "Is everything all right?"

Caly shrugged, "I'm okay. I'd be better if I could see Buck."

Grace looked confused, "Why can't you see Buck?" She knew Buck and Caly were close and didn't understand why she couldn't be around him now.

Caly grinned. "Well, my father caught us doing something he didn't want us doing."

Lee let out a chuckle, and Meg smiled and shook her head.

Grace paled, remembering the night she spent with Charlie. She reached down and felt her abdomen. "What did he catch you doing?"

Caly winked at Grace. "We were mattress dancing."

"Huh?" Grace looked confused.

Lee slapped her leg and laughed harder, "Mattress dancing! I never heard it said that way before!"

Grace nodded and understood. "You slept with Buck. I slept with Charlie, too." She sat back and bit her lip realizing what she had just told them.

Lee stopped laughing and looked at Grace. "What?"

Grace looked at her tummy. "I don't know what I'm going to do now."

Meg who had been quiet for a bit looked at Grace. "Well do you think?"

Grace nodded, "I'm going to have a baby. Please don't say anything."

"We won't." The girls said in unison with shocked looks on their faces.

Meg started asking Grace some questions about signs and symptoms of pregnancy, none of which Grace had. After a bit Meg excused her and Grace and took Grace's hand leading her away so that they could talk privately. She wasn't for sure Grace wasn't expecting and panicked when she found out Grace was bleeding.

Grace ended up going inside with Meg and was nervous when Meg said she had to examine her. Thinking she was losing Charlie's baby, Grace started crying, pleading with Meg to save her baby.

After the examination, Meg stood up and asked Grace what all had happened on the train. She smiled when she realized Grace wasn't aware of how babies were made. Meg sat down on the bed taking Grace's hand as she explained things to her. Things her mother would have told Grace if she had been alive.

Grace hugged Meg and thanked her. She was embarrassed when she explained the situation to Caly and Lee, but the girls didn't laugh at her because they understood. However, they all got worried when they found out that Grace had told Charity as well. Lee and Caly decided that they would have a talk with Charity. They just hoped it wasn't too late.

Grace was upset. She had hoped she was going to have Charlie's baby. Her spirits were lifted when Meg explained to her that she felt someday that Grace would. Her spirits soared even higher when Meg told her that Charlie had told her husband that he loved Grace.

After Grace's problem was fixed, the women decided to help Caly to be able to see Buck. Lee offered to help them meet someplace, and Grace even offered to allow them to meet at her boutique.

*****

Later that day while Lee was working at the ranch, she saw Grace's horse trot into the yard, saddled with no rider. She panicked and went to get help. Soon Charlie, Teaspoon and the others were out in search of Grace. Lee went with them as well. What they found out frightened them. The convicts that the Marshall was transporting to Two Forks had escaped and one was still at large.

*****

After waking up from getting a blow to his head, Tad had heard voices, one of them being the Marshall. He took off hoping that he wouldn�t be noticed. He wasn�t. He walked several miles until he stumbled upon a camp where he sneaked in and stole a horse. He then decided to go to his brother�s cabin nearby. Earl had listened to Tad�s story about the others getting caught, and then he had decided that they weren�t going to give up so easily. They would get some money somehow.

Earl decided that they would sneak into Dreamville, grab someone and hold them for ransom. So Tad had doubled-back with Earl, and now they had the sheriff�s niece. Surely he would pay a king�s ransom to get her back.

Earl pushed Grace back against a tree. "My, my, look at how lucky we got." His eyes roamed over the pretty young blond. He had already slapped her around a few times, and Grace was crying.

"Come on Earl. We need to get out of here. We can take her with us. Let's go!"

Earl reached out to grab at Grace, but she kicked him hard right where Lee had told her to, and then she started to scream and run.

Earl yowled and then rushed after her. He tackled her from behind, and then roughly pushed her back over to where he had been straddling her. He didn't hear the riders approaching as he reached down and started hitting her until she blacked out. He tore her dress, ripping it away from her body. He stood up and dropped his pants. Tad hollered, "Look out, Earl." But his warning was too late, as Charlie rode over and kicked Earl in his side. Earl lost his balance and fell to the ground. Enraged Charlie dismounted and went over to the man. He couldn't believe this man was trying to rape his Grace.

Charlie was seeing red. This man had hurt his woman, and he wanted to kill him for putting his hands on her. Earl raised his arms in surrender as he realized he was outnumbered. Meanwhile Cody and Teaspoon were apprehending Tad after he tried to make a getaway, and Lee had rushed over to Grace while Charlie screamed, "Get up you filthy bastard!"

Charlie reached down and pulled Earl up to a standing position, slamming his fist into Earl's belly as he did so. "No one! No one touches her! You hear me!" He kept beating on Earl until Teaspoon came over and pulled him away.

"Charlie stop! You'll kill him. I know he deserves it, but damn it don't let him take you down with him." Teaspoon sternly pulled Charlie back away from Earl. Charlie wiped the man�s blood off of his fist and then looked over at Grace who was unconscious in Lee's lap.

Lee had tears. "I can't get her to wake up. She's breathing, but she won't wake up."

Charlie pushed away from Teaspoon and rushed over to Grace lifting her up and holding her in his arms. "Grace, my sweet Grace." He held her close while fighting back tears.

Buck and Cody silently watched for a few minutes, and then Cody spoke up. "We'll take them back to the jail." Teaspoon and the riders took the prisoners back to town. They all knew that Grace was in good hands with Charlie.

Luke and Meg's place was closest, so Charlie took Grace there. Meg led Charlie upstairs, and he put Grace down on the bed. She started to stir and then her eyes opened wide in panic. Charlie knelt beside her and held her. "It's okay Grace, I'm here. They won't hurt you anymore. I won't let anyone hurt you ever again." He held onto her while she shook.

Grace was in shock and didn't realize it was Charlie. She screamed and pushed him away. Leaping off the bed she huddled in the corner. Holding her hands over her she said, "Stay away from me!"

Meg looked at Charlie. "I'll get something for her to calm her nerves. Try and make her realize it's you. She still thinks they have her."

Charlie made his way over to Grace. "Grace, please look at me. It's me, Charlie. They're gone. They can't hurt you anymore." He reached out and placed his hand on her shoulder. "Please Grace, look at me. He watched as she shook her head. Then he reached forward and gently grabbed her by her shoulders forcing her to look at him. "Look at me, please Grace."

Grace looked at Charlie. The bruises on her face were starting to form and her left eye was swollen shut. "Ch-Charlie?"

"Yes, it's me," he pulled her to him cradling her over his lap. "I love you, and no one is going to hurt you anymore. I'm so sorry I wasn't there."

After a bit he got her to calm down some more, and she drank the tea that Meg had prepared for her. It was laced with laudanum. It took some coaxing to get Charlie to leave Grace's side, but he ended up going downstairs for a bit while Meg examined her.

Teaspoon returned, and Meg explained to Charlie, Luke and Teaspoon what had happened to Grace. "She has a few bruised ribs and a slight concussion, but I think she will be fine. She wasn't raped, thank God."

Charlie clenched his fist. "They had better stay locked up this time Teaspoon, or I'll kill them."

With stern conviction in his voice, Teaspoon replied, "Don't worry Charlie, they won't escape again." He looked at Meg, "Can I see her?" Teaspoon felt bad. He was responsible for Grace.

Meg nodded, "But don't wake her, she needs her rest."

After Teaspoon left the room, she sat down and explained to Charlie what had happened earlier that day. She felt he needed to know because Charity was aware of what Grace had thought, and if word got back to town that Grace had been attacked they might assume she was raped.

Charlie couldn't believe it and was upset. Grace was so innocent, and he had led her to believe that he had gotten her pregnant. He looked down. "I'm not good enough for her."

Luke spoke up. "You love her Charlie, and she loves you."

Meg sat down and took Charlie's hand. "Look at me Charlie. Grace was upset because she wasn't pregnant. She wasn't upset when she thought she was. She was happy about it. She wanted, no, she wants to have your child. She loves you."

Charlie shook his head. "She's so pure and innocent, and she deserves someone better then me. Look at all the whores." He looked at Meg. "I'm sorry, but look at all the women I've been with."

Meg shook her head, "Let Grace make that decision. Charlie she really loves you. She loves you like I love Luke. I know I've been really bad at showing it lately, but she told us this afternoon that she loves you so much it hurts."

Luke smiled, "Mate, if you really love her, then ask Teaspoon for her hand. You have to leave that decision up to her not up to you. Don't make the mistake I almost did. If I hadn't taken Serena's advise, I wouldn't have Meg as a wife and I wouldn't have our two beautiful babies.

Charlie sat back and got quiet for a few minutes. It was what he had wanted for so long, a beautiful wife and children. He couldn't ask for a more beautiful wife, Grace was the prettiest gal he'd ever seen and the sweetest one, too. And she wanted children, too, his children. And he loved her so very much.

Luke continued, "Don't let your Soul-Mate get away because of your past mistakes. Tell her about them and let her decide if she can deal with it.

Meg smiled, "And I think she will. She loves you that much Charlie."

Charlie nodded, "Alright just as soon as she is well, I'll ask Teaspoon."