Arthur looked at the gun in his hand. All he needed was one bullet, but he wasn't about to leave anything to chance, so he had made sure that every chamber had been filled with a deadly projectile. In truth, death would be a kindness, it would release him from the darkness of his mind. It would free him from the animal inside of him that he could not stop, that he could not keep caged for long.

When he had met (Y/n), the sweet and completely perfect schoolteacher had made him believe that there could be some good in his heart, that there could be something more to him than the disaster and death that surrounded him; but his hands, the hands that currently held the gun, well, they belonged to the devil, and with them, he had ruined everything. With them, he killed people; with them, he drank; with them, he had done all the things that had forced the beautiful school teacher and others, away. And with them, he would end the madness; for if (Y/n) didn't love him, if she didn't want him, then what was the point in going on? Arthur slowly turning the muzzle of the gun, so that he could see straight down the barrel. His thumb softly resting on the trigger; the oldest of the Shelby boys beginning to squeeze a little harder, only stopping as he heard a voice exclaim his name.

                                                             >>----------------------------------<<

(Y/n) quickly made her way through the snow, to the old outbuilding that now appeared to be some kind of stables. The sensation in the pit of her stomach, was getting worse with every step; and now it was to the point where she really felt as though she was going to be physically sick. The former school teacher feeling as though something, some unseen force was pushing her towards a scene that she was not going to like. Her heart fit to burst from her chest, as she finally got to the door of the building. Her nerves, a feeling of distress and fear causing her hand to shake, as she raised it up to push open the door. The old wood creaking and protesting, as it revealed what lay beyond. (Y/n)'s eyes widening in horror, as she saw what the unseen force had brought her to.

There was Arthur, sat on a small, three-legged stool: a softly flickering oil lamp to his side, and a gun in his hand. He was disheveled again, his hair all mussed up, and his trousers at the knees, appeared to be cut and stained with something. The strong smell of alcohol filling the air. For a moment, she couldn't move, she couldn't speak. She was terrified; but not of Arthur, no; it was what he might do to himself if she made one wrong move, that was scaring her.

They had done this to one another. Arthur had broken her heart by doing what she had done; and it seemed obvious that without knowing it, she had broken his heart by leaving, by staying away. And then, just to add insult to injury, she had told him that she could not love him, which was something that she knew had been a lie. And that lie.........that awful untruth had led to this moment. (Y/n) calling out Arthur's name as she saw him turn to gun on himself.

                                                         >>----------------------------------<<

"Go away..............." Arthur warned, as he turned the gun from himself and pointed it at (Y/n). The school teacher shaking her head, before defiantly making her way a few steps closer to him. His hand now visibly shaking, as he refused to drop his weapon.

"No, I'm not going anywhere; and there is nothing you can say that will make me. If you want to take your own life, Arthur Shelby, then I am afraid that you are going to have to kill me first.............."

"WHAT DO YOU CARE? YOU DON'T FUCKIN LOVE ME!" Arthur exclaimed in reply, as he quickly got to his feet. The stool being knocked over as he rose. (Y/n) refusing to let her fear take over, as he came towards her. The gun still aimed at her.

"You..........you couldn't be more wrong............" (Y/n) began. Tears rolling down her cheeks, as the distressed man looked at her.

"The problem is, I love you too much, Arthur. From the moment I met you, I have loved you. When I left, I thought I could escape you; that I could move on. But I knew that only fooling myself. I said what I said, because I can't be hurt again. I said what I said, because my mind is trying to protect me. Yet my heart........my heart doesn't care if you hurt me, all it wants is to be with you, just you. All it wants is to be loved by you in return, and it will give you anything you want. So, as I said, if you want to hurt yourself, I am afraid that you will have to shoot me first; because I don't want to be in a world without you..................." (Y/n) confessed. The tears clouding her vision, as she continued to stand in front of the oldest Shelby. Arthur suddenly dropping the gun to his side and closing the distance between them. His head dropping to her shoulder, as she wrapped her arms around him. His own tears mingling with hers, as they made their way down her neck.

"I'm a bad man, (Y/n)............"

"No, Arthur.........you are a haunted man. Changed by sights that no one should see; by things that you were forced to do.............."

"But in my head..........there is nothing but darkness...........I'm a fuckin animal........a monster............"

"No, you're not. You are Arthur Shelby. A flawed human being that has made mistakes, like we all do. A man that has been punishing himself for his mistakes. But maybe, if you would like, this also flawed human being, could try and help you fight that darkness; maybe we could forgive one another for what we have done and said in the past, and start anew; promising never to repeat those same mistakes in the future.............." (Y/n) interrupted. More tears, but these now of joy, as she felt Arthur nod in agreement. Her hand slowly reaching down and taking the gun from his palm. The school teacher throwing the weapon through the still open door of the outbuilding, then raising his head to look at her. Using her thumbs to wipe the tears from his cheeks, before placing a kiss to his lips.