Rose slept the day around, as her mother used to say. She didn't wake until the next morning just as the light was starting to fill her room with a soft pink glow. She laid in bed and tried to think about what happened the day before but it felt like it had happened to someone else. Like someone else had been in control of her body. She remembered her teasing confidence, and standing up to the deputy and how Forrest had kissed her, but they seemed like the actions of a stranger.

She had shot a man, more than one. She had shot two men. They hadn't attacked her first and she hadn't known about Eddie. All she knew was they had lit a cross out front of the store and threatened them and she had shot them. She hadn't killed them, but it wasn't for lack of trying. Had she better aim she probably would have killed those men without hesitation. Was this something she had always been capable of, or was it something that had come from living surrounded by the violence of the Garrett's. They were so wonderful to her, but she could not delude herself into ignoring the life they lived. It was them and not her that brought the KKK to the door in the middle of the night, as well as the man from Chicago. Before she had come here she hadn't been able to murder her brother, but now, only a few weeks under their roof and she was shooting at men without hesitation.

When Forrest had sent her behind the bar she had known what he intended her to do. She ran a hand through her messy curls as she thought on that. Forrest had known about the gun behind the bar and had trusted her to get them out of the trouble they were in. He hadn't treated her like some broken damsel in distress, he had treated her like a partner as they were facing a life and death situation. He had had faith in her and understood her willingness to act. Was that because of how she had proven herself over the last few weeks in his presence or was it because of the story she told him about what she did to her brother?

There was a soft knock at the door. She looked to the door and back to herself and quickly covered herself fully with the quilt. "Come in," she said guardedly.

Peter peaked his head in. "Just wanted to check on you. You've been sleeping almost a full day."

Rose nodded. "I guess it was a lot to deal with."

Peter nodded understandingly. "Do you mind if I come in?"

Rose shook her head.

Peter came in and sat at the end of the bed, staring out the window. "Arthur is back now, he told Miss Lilly all that happened...I don't think she's coming back."  He looked down at his hands as he said this and Rose couldn't help but think that he was fighting back tears.

Rose reached out and covered his hand with hers and gave it a gentle squeeze. "Maybe that's best. All that's happened here. I would think it would be incredibly painful to be here where her husband was murdered."

Peter swiped at his eyes and nodded. "Eddie was her brother."

Rose gasped softly, her hand going to her mouth. "I didn't know that," she confessed.

Peter nodded again grimly. "It's just, it's going to be hard not having Lilly around. Forrest...well, with Dan's death, and now Lilly leaving...Dan and Lilly took Forrest in you know. ..I'm don't know how much more loss my brother can handle."

Rose nodded. Forrest had seemed upset when they found Dan's body, but not inconsolable. Instead he had been focused on the people in front of him. The ones he could still save. "Forrest always seems to keep moving forward." Rose said gently.

Peter sighed. "I honestly think it's the only thing he knows how to do."  Peter turned to face her, his eyes red rimmed. "How are you doing? That must have been terrifying for you with those men."

Rose snorted humorlessly and shook her head as she toyed with a loose string on the quilt. "You know for the first time I wasn't afraid at all for myself. I was terrified for you."

"Really?"

"Of course, I love you all. I don't know what I would do without you."

Peter let out a breath he had been holding. "You love all of us," his voice was a little wooden.

Rose closed her eyes. She knew where this was going, and she just wanted to get out of this room and away from Peter. She didn't want to see the hurt in his eyes when she turned him down. When she told him she couldn't be with him. She remembered all too well the look on Arthur's face, but Arthur was so different from Peter. Arthur could have any woman he wanted. He charmed and he flirted with every woman who walked through the door. Rose wasn't sure if she had ever seen Peter speak to another woman.

"Rose," Peter said softly trying to catch her attention.

When she didn't respond he lightly touched her chin and lifted it so she would open her eyes. When she did, there were tears swinging in her vision, making it difficult to read his expression.

"I know you love Forrest...more than the rest of us." He didn't sound sad.

She started crying quietly then and shook her head.

"You don't?" he asked. Peter pulled back for a moment in surprise. Had he read the situation wrong? She looked so miserable.

She sniffed. "I do. I just...he just..."

Peter understood then and wrapped an arm around her shoulders and gave her an affectionate squeeze. "He won't let himself will he?"

She shook her head, and sobbed again, burying her head against Peter's shoulder. Peter had always been there silent and steady. If she didn't love Forrest the way she did she thought she could let herself love Peter. She could see a life with Peter. He was so kind and considerate and always trying to take care of her. But that wasn't what she wanted. She wanted to be a partner, an equal. She didn't want to be treated like she was broken for the rest of her life.

"Shh, Rose. Shh." He soothed. It's not as bad as all that."

She just shook her head. "I feel like a fool."

Peter took her hand. "You're no fool Rose. Forrest loves you, and he has not loved many things in this life – Rosemary, Tessa, Lilly," Peter shook his head. "I have never seen him in love with anyone. It's...interesting."

"He loves you and Arthur," she said defensively. She knew that without a shadow of a doubt. Forrest loved his brothers and sacrificed more than they knew.

Peter snorted. "I'm sure in his way he does, but my point is that he has been out of sorts since you showed up at our door in those silly shoes of yours," Peter said with a fond smile. "Be patient with him. He'll come 'round."

Rose sniffled one last time and nodded. She was being foolish again. She just wished she would get better at catching it before she reacted. She scrubbed at her face with the heels of her palms and climbed to her feet.

"I suppose we have a mess to clean up down there huh?" she asked.

"We got a start on it," he hedged.

Rose gave him a droll stare. "Waiting for me?" she teased.