BELLE HAD FINISHED UP SUPPER for herself and the boys, with the limited help of Chevez. The small, odd family were halfway through their meals and all the boys were practically inhaling the food that was placed in front of them. Both John and Belle chuckled at the boys' worked-up hunger.

"Well now, look at these appetites," John commented with a breathy laugh. John was sat at one end of the table, with Belle at the other. On John's right sat Dick, Josiah and Billy, with Billy closest to Belle. On John's left sat Steve, Charley and Chevez, respectively. Belle sipped on her drink as she watched Charley slap Steve's hand as he went to reach across his plate for more food. "Billy. Have some more. We wouldn't want Belle's hard work to go to waste."

"Have you ever worked beef before, Billy?" Dick asked curiously.

"Yeah... I worked a little out Fort Sumner way. Pete Maxwell's place. Did the chow line. But, I got a way with cattle," Billy answered, proud of his experiences. But his pride soon shrivelled at the sound of muffled giggles. Belle turned her attention toward the culprit, seeing Steve laughing with his mouth full of food. 

"What's so jolly funny, Master Steven?" John asked seriously, causing Steve's laughter to cease. "That's no proper table manners."

"Got a way with hogs," Charley muttered quietly, with a snort. 

"Congratulations, Charles. You and Steven will be doing the dirty crockery alone this evening," John announced. Belle suppressed her small smile. She was relieved she didn't have to wash up the pots for once, and she could finally relax after supper with the boys. 

Josiah watched as a small wave of relief washed over Belle, causing his lips to twitch up into a smile of his own. 

"Sorry John, it struck me funny," Charley defended himself with a timid smile.

"And to William. Both of you."

Charley reluctantly turned to Billy. "Apologises William. Just hacking on you,"

"Yeah, we're just hacking on you," Steve added. Josiah and Belle shared a funny look as if to express how much they wanted to laugh at the situation, causing two quick grins to spread across their faces. John did notice the quick exchange between his daughter and most trusted regulator but just smiled behind his glass. 

"Rumor has it, you killed a man, Billy? You don't seem like the killing sort," Dick continued his questioning. 

"Yeah, Billy, what'd you kill him for?" Steve asked with a sudden peaked interest in the new topic of conversation.  

"He was hacking on me," Billy replied with a smirk. Belle choked on her drink with a snort, causing Chevez, Josiah and Dick to chuckle under their breaths. Charley and Steve both looked as if they had been shot at Billy's confession, causing John to even show a small smirk. 

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After Charley and Steve had finished the washing up, everyone relocated to the living area to read. Steve was currently reading the recent newspaper, with John correcting his pronunciation from time to time. Across from Steve sat his best friend, Charley, and next to him was Billy who watched Steve intently. Chevez was fiddling with his knife as he sat close by John's rocking chair. In the furthest corner of the room sat Dick, Josiah and Belle. Dick was smoking on his cigarette, as he listened closely to Steve's reading. Josiah and Belle were reading quietly to each other. Josiah had never read the book before, but he noticed that it was Belle's current favourite, so he was a bit lost with the plot.

"There are plenty of men... who will never secede..." Steve trailed off. 

"Succeed," John corrected him. Steve nodded. Steve was taking longer than the other boys when it came to his speech and reading, but he had come a long way from when John first brought him back to the ranch. 

"...who will never succeed anywhere," Steve proudly continued. 

"You got a roomful of them right here," Dick joked. Doc chuckled under his breath at the comment, resulting in Belle to stop her quiet reading. 

"Do you want me to stop, Josiah?" Belle whispered to the blonde man. 

"No, you carry on, I'm listening. Sorry," Josiah whispered back with a smile.

"No need to apologise when there was no offence," Belle countered with a raised eyebrow, as she brought her book higher up to her face to hide her smile. One of the many things that Josiah admired about Belle was her wisdom. She was always right, and he loved that about her. Belle continued to quietly read to Josiah, her words were fluent and consistent - not a single stutter or stammer in her speech. 

But Belle stopped once again when she heard Billy speaking. Belle peaked over Josiah's shoulder to see him reading from the newspaper. His words were also fluent and clear as he read from the journal. Belle noticed the perplexed and shocked expressions that were evident on the boys' faces. 

Once Billy finished his paragraph, he folded the paper to wait for a response. John smiled and praised him for his reading. John stood up and patted Billy's head on his way out. John turned to Belle and kissed the crown of her head. "Goodnight Belle. Goodnight gents."

A chorus of good-nights followed after John's departure. Charley and Steve went off to bed shortly after, with Chevez following them. 

"Steve!" Belle called out before he disappeared from her eyesight. Steve poked his head back around the doorframe to see Belle stretching her neck to look at him. "Remember to brush your teeth. After all that rotten tobacco you've chewed on today, I'm surprised your teeth haven't fallen out yet," Belle continued, she heard Charley snickering behind the doorframe. "Don't think I can't hear you Siemasto, I'll make sure to wake you both up extra early tomorrow to help me with breakfast. Understood?" 

"Yes, ma'am," Charley and Steve said with a huff. Belle smiled and shooed them away. She chuckled as she heard their footsteps rushing up the stairs. 

"I'm sorry about those two, Billy. They'll ease up on you soon enough," Belle told Billy.

"Thank you, Miss Belle. You are mighty kind to me, Miss," Billy gushed. 

"It's no problem at all, Billy. Only trying to make my boys feel at home," Belle smiled at the brunette boy, standing up to close the curtains on the other side of the room. "Anyway, gentlemen, I will off to bed now. I advise you don't stay up too long, goodnight dears," Belle pressed a kiss to Billy's cheek, moving to Dick to do the same. Finally, she kissed Josiah's cheek. This wasn't the first time that Belle had given Josiah a kiss on the cheek, but this one felt slightly different. It could've been his growing scruff. It could've been her hand that rested against the other side of his face. It could've been his reddening cheeks. Or it could've been all three. 

Whatever it was, it made Belle's heart skip a beat. "Goodnight Josiah," Belle whispered to Josiah. Belle straightened her posture and walked out after reminding them to let the fire out. Belle made it upstairs to see Steve brushing his teeth. "Proud of you, Steve. For that, you can lie in tomorrow," Belle told the happy man. 

"But Miss Belle, that's not fair," She whipped around to see Charley leaning against his doorframe, looking flabbergastered. 

"Should've thought about that before you were a bully, shouldn't ya, Charles?" Belle countered with a proud smirk. 

"I swear, Miss Belle, all your power gets to your head," Charley laughed, pulling the girl into a hug. Belle pushed him away with a laugh. 

"Now go to bed, Charley, you've still got an early morning to wake up tomorrow," 

"How could I forget?" Charley joked, walking back into his bedroom. "G'night Miss Belle, Steve, Chevez."

"Goodnight," Chevez and Steve replied, walking into their own rooms. Belle walked to the bathroom and began to brush her teeth. Belle heard a gentle knock at the open bathroom door, seeing Josiah leaned against the white doorframe.

"Jesus Christ, Doctor Josiah Scurlock! You need to stop scaring me like that. One of these days, you're going to give me a heart attack, and there will be no-one to make sure you lot stay alive!" Belle exclaimed with a hand over her heart, the other still occupied with her toothbrush. "I'm honestly surprised I've lasted this long, with your surprise appearances, and Chevez's knives, and all the smoke and tobacco waving in the air," Belle laughed and continued to brush her teeth.

"Sorry, little lady, we wouldn't want you dying on us. Don't think I can handle not seeing your pretty face for that long," Josiah smirked once he saw Belle's face flush red. "Especially when you blush like that," Josiah pointed at Belle's face.

"Doc, stop it, I look like a tomato," Belle laughed off her nerves. Although the two casually flirted from time to time, Josiah had never been this confident with the topic at hand. 

"You know, Belle, I care about you, very much so," Josiah stepped into the bathroom, stepping closer to the ginger girl. "I meant what I said, I don't think I could take not seeing you for even a day. I don't think I could even bare a day without hearing your voice in the morning, shouting for me to wake up, or reading to me, or hearing you sing," Josiah and Belle were face-to-face. Belle had long forgotten her toothbrush. Josiah chuckled and brought his thumb up to her face, wiping some stray toothpaste off her chin. "You've really brightened my life, Miss Belle Tunstall, thank you."

"You don't need to -" Belle began but Josiah cut her off.

"No, I do need to thank you, no one says it enough," Josiah pressed a kiss to Belle's cheek, except this one was placed a few centimetres away from the corner of Belle's mouth. Josiah's lips lingered at that spot, waiting for Belle's reaction. But before Belle could respond, a cough was heard behind them. They jumped apart and whipped around to see Billy leaning against the doorframe with a smug smirk. 

"Don't let me interrupt, I just needed to use the toilet," Billy said, nodding towards the toilet seat. Belle nodded hastily, manoeuvring around Josiah to exit the bathroom. Belle tried her best to rush to her bedroom without causing the floors to creak, but Josiah caught up to her.

"Belle?" Josiah grabbed her forearm before she could open her door. "Belle, I'm sorry, that was inappropriate of me."

"No need to apologise when there was no offence, Doc," Belle smiled timidly, sliding her arm out of Josiah's grip and turned inside the comfort of her bedroom.