"I need them not to come for you," he says, meaning it, his words throaty and tight with emotion. "I will do what I have to for you, and I can't promise we would make it out of there alive."

And he doesn't want her dead. He doesn't want to be dead. Not when he's finally finding a part of life that he can truly enjoy and want to be part of.

His hand tightens on her arm. "I admit, I'm going to avoid them," he admits. "Doc... I can stand never seeing him, standing up to him, even if I know it will get ugly, but Wyatt." Much as he hates to admit it, he knows he'd do a lot for Earp.

"But I will avoid that so it doesn't happen. Promise."