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Caleb sat slightly apart, observing the scene. The inventory system still occupied his thoughts. Between bites of stew, he continues to experiment mentally, storing and retrieving small items from his pockets, a coin, his knife, and a piece of a bullet. The system worked flawlessly, each item appearing and disappearing at will.
His musings were interrupted by Hosea settling onto the log beside him. "You've been quiet since we arrived son," the older man observed. "Something on your mind?"
Caleb considered his words carefully. "Just thinking about how long we'll get to stay here. You know, before trouble comes to us once again."
Hosea followed his gaze across the moonlit lake. "Longer than the last place, hopefully. Thanks to you." He patted Caleb's knee. "Get some rest, son. Tomorrow's another day."
Later, in the privacy of his newly pitched tent beside Arthur's tent (which he received as Dutch's thanks for the contribution he made), Caleb finally had time to properly examine his new abilities.
A mental command brought the gold bar into his hand, its weight familiar and comforting. Another sent it back to storage.
He spent the next hour testing limits, how quickly he could store and retrieve items, whether the system worked through barriers (it did), and most importantly, if others could see when he used it in which they couldn't, but items appeared or disappeared suddenly could still raise a question.
Satisfied, Caleb stored his most valuable possessions, the gold bar and 2 gold nuggets, almost all of his money inside his satchel, and almost all of the bullets he had in hand as well, making a mental note to take bullets from the weapons and ammo wagon tomorrow. The rest he kept on his person for appearances.
As he lay back on his bedroll, exhaustion finally catching up with him, he couldn't help but feel a surge of optimism. With this new advantage, maybe, just maybe, the chance of him changing the gang's fate increases.
The sun was only just beginning to peek over the horizon when Caleb stirred, roused not by the chill morning air, but by the sweet sound of familial joy just outside his tent.
"Look, Pa! You got a big fish!" Jack's voice rang out with the clear, infectious excitement of a child's discovery.
"Yes, son," John's deeper and rougher voice responded with uncharacteristic warmth, calm and patient in a way few in camp ever heard. "Now why don't I teach you how to bring it to shore?"
"Really? I could do that, Pa?!" Jack's voice brimmed with barely contained excitement.
John's chuckle was warm and genuine. "Of course you can. Now come here and hold the rod tight with me."
The laughter that followed brought a smile to Caleb's face even before he opened his eyes. He blinked once, took a breath, and sat up slowly in his bedroll, the dim light of morning filtering in through the canvas walls of his tent.
For a long moment, he just listened, to the gentle lapping of the water nearby, the clink of utensils from the campfire, and the happy murmur of voices drifting through the new camp at Clemens Point.
He pulled on his boots, shook the stiffness from his arms through stretching, and stepped out into the fresh morning air. Rather than head straight to do his usual morning exercise or go straight to have breakfast, he walked around to the back of his tent, drawn by the sounds of Jack and John.
There, near the edge of the lake, he saw them, John crouched behind Jack, his large hands guiding the boy's smaller ones on the rod.
The fish tugged and splashed in the shallows, and Jack's squeals of delight echoed across the water. John smiled, a real, open smile that Caleb rarely saw on the man's face. and together they reeled the fish in.
Caleb stood quietly, arms crossed, just watching. This was the first real father son moment he'd witnessed between. When he'd first urged John to take on more responsibility with Jack, he hadn't known whether it would stick.
But this… this was proof. Real change. Something better. The sight tugged at something in Caleb's chest, this was the family Jack deserved, not the fractured one he got at the start of the original timeline until John changed.
As he watched, lost in quiet satisfaction, a hand landed gently on his shoulder.
"Good morning, Caleb. How was your sleep?" A voice like birdsong after a storm followed after the hand.
He turned to see Mary-Beth, her eyes bright despite the early hour and filled with amusement at having caught him unaware, a soft smile on her lips, her cheeks pink from the morning chill. Their eyes met, and for a heartbeat, neither spoke. Both smiled, and both felt it, the quiet flutter of something unspoken passing between them.
"Morning, Mary-Beth," Caleb greeted, his tone are warm, but the sight of her, hair slightly mussed from sleep, the way her borrowed shirt hung loose on her slender frame, made Caleb's breath catch. "I slept very well, Mary-Beth," he managed. "What about you? Get some rest in this new place?""
"I did," she said with a small nod, tucking a stray lock of hair behind her ear. "I actually fell asleep right after supper, after my head hit the pillow last night. This place is so peaceful. Much better than our last camp." Her gaze swept across the lake before returning to him, warm with admiration. "So... thank you."
Caleb tilted his head slightly. "For what?"
"For finding it and for bringing us here." Her voice was gentle, almost shy now. "It feels safer already."
Caleb's smile grew faintly. "It's what I should do. For the safety of the whole gang." He paused just long enough for her to raise an eyebrow in surprise before adding, "Especially yours."
Mary-Beth's reaction was everything he could have hoped for, her cheeks flushed crimson, eyes dropping to the ground, smiling despite herself, as she fidgeted with her skirt. "Th-thank you for caring about the gang's safety. Especially... mine." The last word was barely audible.
Seeing her reaction, Caleb's heart warmed, and he thought, maybe this was the right time. The words slipped out before he could temper them, but to his surprise, he didn't regret them. A new chapter, new camp, new opportunities. If there was ever a moment to start being more open and honest with himself and her, it was now.
Before he could second guess himself, he immediately asked, "Have you had breakfast yet this morning?
Mary-Beth looked up again, a little caught off guard. "No, not yet. I was helping Miss Grimshaw with the linens, and when I was finished, I saw you standing here looking at Jack and John."
As if on cue, her stomach let out an audible growl that made her clap both hands over her abdomen in mortification. She froze, blushing furiously.
Caleb couldn't help but laugh, a warm, genuine sound that seemed to startle them both. "Well, looks like your stomach had answered for you as well, Mary-Beth."
She weakly swatted his arm lightly, embarrassed but smiling. The way her nose scrunched when embarrassed was downright adorable. "Don't tease me, Caleb."
"I wouldn't dare," he said with mock seriousness, then grinned. "Tell you what, how about some fresh fish? I was just thinking of catching some myself."
Mary-Beth blinked. "You're going fishing?"
"Figured it's a nice morning. Calm water. Good time for it." He paused, eyes locking with hers. "Want to come with me?"
For a moment, she didn't respond. But then, her eyes widened then softened, and a bright smile spread across her face. "Sure. I'd... I'd like that very much."
"Great," Caleb said, pleased. "Wait here a second, I'll grab the fishing gears."
He made his way to Arthur's tent, where the man was just pulling on his shirt, clearly still groggy.
"Morning, Arthur."
Arthur squinted at him. "Morning, Caleb. You're up early."
Before Arthur could say more, Caleb plunged ahead. "Yeah. Say, you mind if I borrow your rod and some bait? Thought I try my luck down by the river and take Mary-Beth fishing."
Arthur paused mid button, blinking. Then his eyebrows shot up, sleepiness vanishing as a slow knowing grin spread across his face, and he rubs his stubbled jaw. "Well now… someone's gettin' bold. What happened to the shy feller who immediately lashed out to me when I tease you some time back?"
Caleb rolled his eyes but couldn't suppress his own smile. "So, can I borrow it or not?"
Arthur chuckled, jerking his thumb toward his tent. "Help yourself. Rod's in my satchel atop the chest by the bed. Baits too."
"Thanks." Caleb ducked inside, emerging moments later with Arthur's folded fishing rod and a small tin of worms. Arthur clapped him on the shoulder as he passed.
"Don't do anything I wouldn't do," the older man called after him, laughter in his voice.
"Which leaves me plenty of options!" Caleb shot back over his shoulder, earning a bark of laughter from Arthur.
With the gear in hand, a foldable rod and enough bait for two, Caleb returned to where Mary-Beth waited. She stood near the edge of the camp, arms folded, watching the lake.
He handed her the rod. "Shall we?"
They walked together along the lake, far enough from John and Jack to have their own space, but close enough to enjoy the same tranquil view. The mist still clung to the water's surface in patches, and birds chirped in the trees. A few ducks drifted lazily in the distance.
Caleb unfolded the rod, baited the line, and showed Mary-Beth how to cast. She listened attentively, laughing when her first try plopped unceremoniously into the shallows.
"Don't worry," Caleb said, kneeling beside her to adjust her grip. "Everyone starts somewhere."
With his help, her next cast was much better, the line sailed out smoothly and plunked just right into the deeper waters.
They sat side by side as the minutes ticked by, lines cast, the sun rising slowly behind them. The world felt quiet, safe. For once, there were no gunshots in the distance, no tension in the air. Just the soft lap of water and the occasional tug on the line.
Mary-Beth leaned back on her palms. "This is nice," she said softly. "I can see why Dutch and Hosea enjoys it."
Caleb nodded. "Peaceful. Makes you forget what kind of world we're in."
They sat in silence for a time, enjoying the view, before Mary-Beth spoke again. ""You've changed, Caleb."
Caleb glanced at her. "Oh?"
"You're more confident now," she said. "Like you're still you… just, stronger. Like you've figured something out."
Caleb hesitated, unsure how to respond. She wasn't wrong, after all slowly the system, the memories, and the knowledge from his past life, all of it had given him an edge, which the slowly get used to and he also decide to act more braver with her. But he couldn't tell her that.
"Maybe I have," he said quietly. "Or maybe I'm just learning how to hold on to the good things while I can."
Their eyes met again, and something deeper passed between them, understanding, warmth, and maybe even the start of something more.
Suddenly, Mary-Beth's rod jerked.
"Oh!" she gasped.
Caleb grinned. "Hold tight! Reel it slow!"
Together they reeled in the fish, Mary-Beth laughing all the while. It wasn't huge, but it was enough for breakfast.
By the time they returned to camp, they had three fish between them, and smiles on their faces. Mary-Beth blushed when Tilly gave her a knowing look, but Caleb just handed the fish to Pearson with a casual grin. "You cook, Pearson," Caleb said, patting his belly. "We'll eat." Mary-Beth laughed, and for the rest of the morning, they shared breakfast and stories by the fire.
...
Name: Caleb Thorne
Age: 23
Body Attributes:
- Strength: 7/10
- Agility: 6/10
- Perception: 8/10
- Stamina: 7/10
- Charm: 5/10
- Luck: 6/10
Skills:
- Handgun (Lvl 2)
- Rifle (Lvl 2)
- Firearms Knowledge (Lvl 2)
- Past Life Memory (Lvl MAX)
- Knife (Lvl 1)
- Blunt Weapon (Lvl 1)
- Sneaking (Lvl 2)
- Horse Mastery (Lvl 3)
- Poker (Lvl 3)
- Hand to Hand Combat (Lvl 1)
- Eagle Eye (Lvl 1)
- Dead Eye (Lvl 1)
- Bow (Lvl 2)
- Pain Nullifier (Lvl 1)
- Physical Regeneration (Lvl 0)
- Crafting (Lv1)
- Persuasion (Lvl 2)
- Mental Fortitude (Lvl MAX)
- Cooking (Lvl 2)
- Teaching (Lvl 1)
- Germanic Language Proficiency (Lvl MAX)
- Inventory System (Permanent - 5x5x5)
Money: 463 dollars and 45 cents
Inventory: 1000 dollars, 2 gold nuggets, and 1 gold bar
Bank: 320 dollars, 4 gold bars, a large bag of jewelry, and 3 gold nuggets