PENNY M VS EPISODE - 1999 DISCLAIMERS: I do not own or claim to own any of the seven. They belong to John Watson, MGM, Trilogy, Mirisch Co., etc. Only Trevor and minor townspeople are mine. COMMENTS: Special thanks to Marla, Shellie and Cindy for betaing, encouraging and helping me make it better with your comments and suggestions.
PART I J.D. sat in the sparse shade fearing he was about to suffer a heat stroke. His horse whinnied restlessly behind him and he put a calming palm on the mare's nose. He could see the approaching stage as it took its regular path through the desert; a trail of dust flying behind the wheels as it headed toward Four Corners. He wondered again why he'd followed Trevor an hour out of town to meet a stage they could have waited for there, but then again J.D. had followed him a lot of places he'd learned too late weren't the wisest of choices. Trevor Greer was Casey's cousin and had been visiting her and Nettie for the last three months. He was 23 or so and J.D. had especially been fascinated when he'd mentioned he was on his way to Texas to ride with the Rangers. Since his arrival they'd become fast friends, although at this particular moment J.D. was questioning the logic of that decision. Trevor had wanted to ride out here and meet up with the stage, said it was a surprise, but J.D. was too hot and too tired to care anymore. Trevor's horse had bolted and J.D. had no intentions of riding double all the way back home. Let Mr. Adventure catch the stage back. J.D. watched as Trevor ran into the eventual path of the stage and began to wave his arms frantically, signaling the driver to stop. J.D. started to stand up, but Trevor motioned for him to sit back down. J.D. looked at the older boy curiously, then shrugged his shoulders and plopped back in the dirt. He'd have to turn down the next fool notion that kid came up with, J.D. assured himself. He'd already gotten into more trouble since he'd been hanging around him than he ever had in his life. J.D. leaned against the tree and waited. The stage pulled to a stop and the driver shouted angrily at the over-grown adolescent forcing him to a halt. "Boy! Git outta the way, 'fore I run you down." The driver leaned forward on his perch. "Please, Mister, my friend's hurt and I can't get him back to town alone." Trevor made sure his voice held enough believable shakiness. The driver braked the stage and climbed down. Trevor's eyes quickly scanned the interior of the coach and saw only an elderly couple inside, apparently trying to figure out what the problem was. "You people stay inside, I'll be right back." Trevor followed the driver as they ran to J.D. J.D. removed his hat and wiped at the beads of sweat that had rolled down his forehead and into the corners of his eyes. He was surprised to see the stage driver hurrying toward him. As he pulled himself to his feet, he saw Trevor cold-cock the man from behind. J.D.'s eyes widened in horror and he jumped to his feet, staring at the fallen man on the ground. "What the hell are you doin'?" J.D. yelled in shock. "Hurry up, J.D., go through his pockets, I'll get the old cronies in the coach." Trevor returned to the stage, screaming for the old man to throw out his weapon or he'd start shooting. J.D.'s heart hammered as he realized why Trevor had wanted to catch the stage in the middle of nowhere. "Trevor! No!!!" J.D. ran after the larger boy, grabbing his arm and whirling him around to face him. "I'm not lettin' you do this." Trevor shook off J.D.'s grasp and towered over him threateningly. "Either help me or shut up." The young outlaw turned to open the coach door and J.D. tackled him and they both went sprawling into the dirt. J.D. had the advantage of surprise and quickly got in a couple of good hits to Trevor’s jaw before letting his heart take control of his head. He made the mistake of trusting Trevor to give in, out of loyalty he supposed. Friends weren't supposed to turn on each other and he had to show Trevor he was willing if he was. J.D. let up on his attack and realized too late that Trevor wasn’t beyond hurting anyone, friend or not, who dared stand up to him. Trevor shoved the kid off, slamming him to the hard earth. J.D. struggled in vain to get away from the stronger youth but he was pinned with sheer weight. "Damn it, J.D.! You stupid chicken… baby!" Trevor shouted as he slammed the pistol handle across J.D.'s cheek. Lights exploded in the kid's head as another blow caught him near his left ear. …don't ever use the butt of your gun as a weapon. J.D. let out a sick laugh in his head as Buck's words replaced Trevor's rants. He realized he'd stopped struggling, but Trevor still hit him again across the temple, then shoved his knee hard into the young man’s belly. J.D. lay gasping, praying he'd pass out and not have to endure the torture anymore. The old man in the coach watched the two boys fight, or rather the larger one cruelly beating the younger man who he’d first assumed was his accomplice. "Carl, do something." The man’s wife begged as Carl clutched his pistol and watched as Trevor climbed off of the wounded boy and cruelly kicked him in the ribs. Carl flinched as J.D. moaned pitifully and curled up into a ball and his attacker drew his boot back to strike at the back of his head. The old man pulled the trigger, sending an explosion of dust at the bigger boy’s feet and Trevor whirled around to see the shooter hanging out of the stage, his gun bearing on him. Carl saw Trevor glance toward the driver who was slowly getting to his feet and the panic in the boy’s eyes told the old man he was going to run. Trevor stepped over J.D.'s prone form and ran toward the horse, mounting and running in one swift motion. The driver stumbled up as Carl and his wife made their way out of the coach. The woman knelt down beside the injured young man and Carl saw the wave of pity replace the fear and outrage on her face. The driver stood over J.D. and Carl knew the man was fighting the urge to finish the kid off. "He wasn't in on it." Hattie spoke up, obviously reading the man’s thoughts as her husband had. "He's in on it all right. Let's see how he likes fightin' off buzzards," the man huffed and started to climb back into his seat. "We'll send the law to pick up his body." "No, we can't leave him." The woman turned to the driver, then to her husband. "Carl, we can take him with us and turn him over to the sheriff." "That scum ain't riding in my stage." "He's just a boy!" Hattie shouted. "He made a mistake and he's paying for it right now." "Good." The driver called down to his passengers. "You can ride with me or stay with him, but either way, he stays here." The woman's eyes flashed and Carl knew that look of determination etched in her features. "I'll stay with him, Hattie." He wanted no arguments. "Go into town and send the sheriff for us." Hattie shook her head. "I won't leave you either." Carl took the old woman by her thick arms and shook her gently. "I don't trust him to get help back here in time. I need you to make sure someone knows where we are." The woman's eyes softened and glistened with tears and she nodded, laying a hand on her husband's wrinkled cheek. "I'm goin' folks, either get on or get out of the way." the driver shouted as he picked up the reins. Carl opened the door and helped his wife inside. She quickly snatched up the box that they'd packed with sandwiches and extra water and dropped it to the man. "I'll be right back." she said as the stage pulled abruptly away. "I'll be right here." He answered as his wife's waving form disappeared into a cloud of dust. Carl sighed and looked down at the boy at his feet. He didn't have the strength to carry him so he grabbed the kid's shoulders and dragged him over to the shade tree where he'd been before. He lay him down as gently as his aching arms would allow, yet a pitiful moan still escaped from J.D.'s throat as his broken body settled on the ground. The old man wiped the beads of sweat from J.D.’s forehead with a sleeve and hurried back to get the supplies his wife had left, suddenly craving the canteen of water he knew was in there. He opened the box on the way back and was letting the water drip from his mouth onto his neck. He sat down beside J.D. and poured some of the water onto his bandana and wiped J.D.'s pale face. He unbuttoned the young man’s vest and shirt, grimacing at the bruises already forming under his rib cage. Water splashed onto the boy's chest, causing him to stir slightly, calling out for someone, but the man couldn't make out what he'd said. "You should be careful of the company you keep." Carl said softly as he continued to wipe J.D.’s battered face with the cloth. A surge of fatherly devotion hit hard as he imagined his own son in such a predicament and he smoothed the sweaty hair affectionately. "Just hold on long enough to let your folks whip you good for hanging around the likes of that boy." J.D. could hear someone talking, felt cool water on his face, but he didn't know who was there. Wasn't Trevor, oh God, he hoped it wasn't. No, it was an older man, and even he was chastising him. He and Buck ought to have a lot to talk about, he thought before he realized just how bad he hurt. Felt like he'd been hit by the stage, no, it was Trevor, no, couldn't be, I'm just dreaming this. His mind refused to rationalize anything and soon the effort of trying to think hurt too bad and he succumbed to the swirling darkness that beckoned him. His last conscious thought was that he'd messed up again, yet exactly what he'd done though, he couldn't remember to save his life. Buck had known that boy was trouble. He could spot his kind from 30 yards and he knew from many years of experience when someone was trying to pull the wool over everybody's eyes. He'd always been a good judge of character and he’d seen his share of Trevor’s kind before. Trevor was Nettie's nephew, her late sister's only son. He was a big, strapping kid, with cropped blond hair and steely blue eyes. Buck thought he'd seemed nice enough at first, then again, something had bothered the older gunslinger about that boy from the very start. He'd come to visit with his aunt, the true excuse he'd given, Buck never remembered anyone saying. Chris wrote him off, said he was just a lot like J.D., but Buck knew different. True, Trevor was cocky, green and as full of tall tales as a horse was of, well, you know. That much Buck didn't deny. But Trevor didn't have the sweet, underlying innocence that made J.D. so likable, nor was his young friend ever the braggart Mr. Greer was. According to himself, Trevor was the fastest, most accurate shot this side of the Mississippi and was on his way to Texas, because the Rangers had asked him to join, just from his reputation. Nobody really paid any attention to his ramblings, except for J.D. Buck knew the kid was susceptible to that kind of grand talk and knew he had bought Trevor's stories hook, line and sinker. J.D. had been taken in by the young man's charming personality and his penchant for finding fun, otherwise known as trouble, so it was only natural the two had become fast friends. Buck wasn't bothered by this too much, it was good to see J.D. with a friend his own age, although Buck did admit to a few twinges of jealousy when the kid seemed to prefer Trevor's company over his. As time passed, Trevor began to reveal more complicated layers of his personality, like an uncontrollable wild side and a remarkable ability to tell a lie like he truly believed it himself. Most disturbing to Buck, though, was how he continuously involved J.D. in his little schemes and Trevor’s fascination with famous outlaws and the fact he looked on them more as heroes than villains downright scared Wilmington. In the beginning they'd been harmless enough, boyhood pranks that J.D. would have never even considered trying without the influence of Trevor. Just last week they'd all jumped on the kid for following his wayward friend to Dutton Canyon and staying gone all night and a half a day without telling anyone where he was going. J.D. had ridden back into town looking like he’d seen a ghost and nursing a swollen wrist he tried desperately to hide. Despite numerous threats, neither boy had fully explained what had happened to them there. Usually though, the trouble consisted of Trevor having a few too many beers and either picking a fight or destroying a plate glass window and having to be thrown out of the saloon or escorted home in a drunken stupor. J.D. had managed to stay out of harm’s way so far, but Buck had told the other peacekeepers it'd only be a matter of time before Trevor either talked J.D. into joining in, or more likely, he'd just be in the wrong place at the wrong time and get caught in the crossfire. Buck leaned back in his chair and watched his young friend as he tossed fitfully in his sleep and wondered what more he could have done to prevent the tragic events the last several hours had brought. Buck had warned the others that something bad was going to happen. God, sometimes he hated being right. J.D. feigned sleep. In reality he was all too conscious and all too aware of the tremendous pain invading his battered body, yet that still didn't compare to the ripping wound in his soul. He'd messed up real bad this time. He vaguely remembered someone taking care of him in the desert, but the events that led up to it were playing over and over in his exhausted mind. He hadn't realized before how much he'd pushed Buck aside since Trevor showed up. He'd decided he'd just pretend he wasn't awake yet, at least not until he figured out exactly what it was he could do to make it up to them all. The concerned tones and calming words he'd heard his friends utter to him only made his heart hurt worse and he felt queasy at the thought of how much he'd let them all down. He was just a stupid kid who didn't deserve their loyalty, their friendship, or their respect. He'd let himself be led around by the nose by a friend who was using him. J.D. laughed bitterly to himself as he tried to think of another word besides 'friend' to describe Trevor. He opened his eyes slightly, the pressure in his skull causing him to flash on a mental image of his head being crushed between two rocks like a walnut. He saw Buck sitting, stoically looking out into the twilight sky and overwhelming guilt washed over him. There was a true friend, one he no longer deserved to have, one he'd almost abandoned for childish fun and a chance for a little excitement. Now J.D. lay trapped in his own misery and Trevor was not only no where to be found, but he'd been the one who had hurt him, probably tried to kill him if he'd wanted to admit the truth. J.D. tried to roll over, to get Buck out of his line of sight, but the movement only increased the agony in his head. The muscles in his stomach knotted and cramped at the strain and his ribs felt as if they were going to pop in half. J.D. cried out without meaning to and shut his eyes tight when he heard the tall gunslinger rushing to his side. "J.D.?" he asked, turning up the lamplight and grabbing a wet cloth from the basin. "Come on, open your eyes now, you're startin' to worry us, boy." Buck bathed the kid's face and neck with the cool water. Grief flooded through J.D. and he couldn't control the tears that seeped from his closed lids, but he couldn't face Buck, not yet. "Now don't cry, you're gonna be just fine." Buck wiped the soft rag over his young friend's eyes and J.D. felt his heart breaking into tiny fragments. "Nathan!" Buck called loudly. Nathan stirred from across the room and hurried over to the bed. "J.D." Nathan checked the boy's brow for fever. "You hurtin' or just dreamin'?" "He must be feelin' pretty bad to be cryin' in his sleep." Buck's worried tone only increased J.D.'s flow of tears and he involuntarily began to shake. J.D. wanted to explode. As much as he hated getting yelled at, he would have welcomed that reaction instead of the caring and understanding they were offering now. Another searing pain shot through his head and he yelped before flipping himself over and burying his face into the pillow. He couldn't bear to have them feeling sorry for him, not after how horrible he'd been, and he welcomed every ounce of agony as if it alone offered restitution for his deeds. "Whoa, son." Buck said. J.D. felt strong arms lifting his upper body and he struggled to break free from the grip. He didn't deserve to feel better, didn't deserve this kind of devotion and he resisted, but Buck clung tighter, refusing to let him go. "Come on now, settle down." Buck said softly as he gently restrained the youth. Exhausted and in agony, J.D. relented, letting himself be cradled against the soft fabric of his best friend's shirt. Quiet sobs rippled through his body as he felt himself being rocked slowly in rhythm with the older man’s deep breathing. "What I want is those two boys in jail!" The stagecoach driver shook his fist at Chris. "I'll clear up everything as soon as we talk to J.D." Chris tried to explain for the fourth time already and was losing his patience despite the legitimate complaint the man had. "I'm tellin' you what happened. Them two boys tried to rob my stage!" The man's arms waved wildly as he tried to make his point. "See this goose egg growin' on my noggin'?" He leaned in, forcing Chris to see the injury on his balding head. Chris rubbed his face with one hand and sighed in frustration. "I got men out lookin' for Trevor and J.D.'s not even come to yet - what else do you suggest I do?" Chris' tone became more calm as the drivers' reached a fevered pitch. "Plan the hangin'!" The driver socked his hat on his cracked head and stomped toward the door. "I'll be back, mister and those two wet-behind-the-ears robbers better be in a cell!" Chris let the man vent, let him get away with a lot he wouldn't have ordinarily, if he hadn't been so confused. The passengers' version of the events certainly sounded more plausible than the driver's tale, but he wouldn't know for sure until J.D. could tell his side. It scared him that J.D. was such a kid sometimes, so easily led by someone like Trevor, but Chris knew that without a doubt J.D. would have never agreed to rob a stage, or even stand back and let his friend do it. That left Trevor as the culprit and Chris found that almost as hard to comprehend and he sure as hell didn't know how he was going to explain it to Nettie. Of course he'd sent Vin to look for Trevor at her farm, and to tell her what happened. (Coward's) way out, he knew, but he also figured she'd be more willing to accept the news from Vin than anyone else. "Chris." The tracker's soft tone snapped him out of his thoughts and he looked up to see Vin push Trevor through the open doorway and toward the empty cell. "Nettie's not far behind." "How'd she take it?" "To say she was upset wouldn't do it justice." Chris shook his head in dismay. "I knew you were gonna say that." "She thinks it's all a misunderstanding. Trevor, J.D., doesn't believe either of them could be involved in somethin' like that." Vin finished locking the cell and moved in front of Chris. "I know. It just don't make sense." " J.D. wake up yet?" "I dunno. 'Bout time to check on him anyway." "I'm sure he'll clear up all this mess, Chris." Chris picked up his hat as he followed his friend outside the jailhouse. "Yeah, it’s all just a simple misunderstandin'" He didn't know how long he'd sat with the boy ‘til J.D. had finally quieted. Buck watched the kid as he shifted restlessly, softly mumbling and Buck wondered if he was asleep or still unconscious. Damn, he didn't understand all the ins and outs Nathan had told him about that sort of thing. He remembered the healer saying he believed people could still hear what you said to them, even if they're out cold. He also said some people never woke up again. Buck stood up, his legs cramped from sitting on the edge of the bed for so long. "I'm sorry, Buck." The gunslinger nearly jumped for joy at the weak words. "Hey, kid." Buck's grin couldn't be contained as he leaned over his friend. "Bout time you woke up." Tears threatened to spill anew as J.D. opened weary lids and he looked up at his best friend. "Didn't want to." J.D. croaked out before a cough spasmed in his throat. "Whoa, hang on." Buck quickly poured the boy a cup of water and helped him sit up and take a sip. "I'm really sorry." "Now whatta you keep apologizing for, J.D.?" "You know." "You mean for stoppin' a robbery and gettin' the crap beaten outta ya?" Buck tried to make his voice light, wanted the kid to know he wasn't mad or disappointed in him. "For being such a lousy friend." J.D. closed his eyes, his courage seeming to fade. "No, J.D. No, whatever gave you a crazy notion like that?" Buck couldn't stand the guilt he knew the boy was consumed with and hoped he hadn't done anything to cause him to feel that way. "I shoulda stayed away from him, shoulda never believed him, Buck. You told me, but I didn't wanna listen." Buck tried to interrupt but J.D.'s words tumbled uncontrollably as he confessed. "I don't blame you if you don't believe me, if you don't want nothin' to do with me no more." "Shhh, J.D. stop it." Buck had resorted to clamping a callused hand over the kid's moving mouth long enough to get a word in. "Now you listen to me, boy. I don't believe for a second you had anything to do with that stage holdup." "I had no idea what he was gonna do, Buck." "I know, kid. I know that." "I tried to stop him." J.D. closed his eyes briefly then looked back up at his best friend. "He didn't hurt anybody did he?" "Yeah, kid - you. And it was because of you he didn't get a chance to hurt anybody else." "I still can't believe he'd do something like that. And what made him think I'd help him?" Buck noticed the youth's words slurring and he couldn't miss the pain creasing the kid’s brow and knew he was taxing his already weaken body. J.D. moaned softly and one hand flew to the side of his head. "Ohhh, gosh, it hurts." J.D. pushed his palm gingerly against the puffy knot on his temple. "Come on, son, you're gettin' all worked up over nothin'." Buck helped him settle back into the bed. "Everybody 'round here knows there ain't no way you did anything wrong, so stop worryin', ok?" J.D. nodded, but the distress was still clearly evident on his face. Buck patted his shoulder affectionately. "Here, Nathan wanted you to drink some of this." Buck retrieved the cup from the nightstand and placed it in J.D.’s trembling hands. "Geez, Buck, I’d never tell him, but this stuff’s so bad I’d almost rather have a headache." "I know it tastes worse than water from a puddle of baby ducks, but drink it anyway." Buck nodded his head, he wasn’t about to defy Nathan’s orders. "Thanks for the encouragement." J.D. sipped at the tea, his face contorting as the strong liquid flowed down his throat. "God, that’s even worse cold." "Get some sleep or Nathan’ll keep pouring this outhouse sludge down ya." Buck grinned maniacally and J.D. scowled at him then lay his head back. "Better?" Buck asked as J.D. closed his eyes. "Not yet." The boy sighed sleepily and moaned softly as he turned away from the light. "I’ll be fine." Buck laughed softly and pulled the blanket up to J.D.’s chest. "Yeah, you will, kid." God, you’d better be. "Mr. Larabee!" Chris had almost made it to the steps leading to Nathan’s when he heard Nettie call to him. Damn you, Vin. The gunslinger saw his friend quicken his pace up the staircase and disappear around the corner, leaving him to face the woman alone. "I do hope you have a good explanation for dragging my nephew to jail." The woman glared at Chris and he understood why Vin had abandoned him. "Is J.D. all right?" Chris turned to see Casey’s dark eyes ready to overflow. "Buck’s with him and I’m on my way to find out now." "I know this is all a tremendous mistake, Mr. Larabee and I expect you to clear it up immediately." Nettie hadn’t taken her eyes off the gunslinger. "Yes, ma’am, I expect it is and I’ll do what I can, I promise. Now why don’t you two go on over and talk to Trevor." "I’ll wait for you there." Nettie announced before marching off toward the jailhouse. Casey threw one last pleading look at Chris as she followed her aunt and Chris wondered why on earth he’d ever allowed himself to be put in this position of town guardian. He climbed up the stairs and saw Vin and Nathan waiting for him on the landing. "Thanks for leaving me down there." "Hey, I got your back in a gunfight, but I ain't goin' up against that lady." Vin grinned and raised his hands in defeat. "You got a point." Chris turned his gaze toward Nathan. "How's J.D.?" "He’s awake, left so him and Buck could talk a bit. Seemed like a private conversation." "Hope they’re done." Chris pushed open the door and Buck quickly put his finger to his lips to warn Chris to be quiet. "Sorry, Buck, I gotta talk to him." "I’m awake, Chris." J.D.’s strained words made him sound like a scolded child trying to be brave for his father and Chris had to catch his breath at the vulnerability in his friend’s voice. Buck reluctantly gave up his spot beside J.D. and Chris pulled a chair next to the boy’s bed. J.D. groaned as he pushed himself into a sitting position and faced Chris. Larabee fought back the anger as he looked at the kid’s face. A massive bruise covered the left temple and his cheek was one angry, red slash swollen up under his eye. "J.D., did Trevor try to rob that stage?" Chris knew the youth was exhausted, could see the fatigue in his dark eyes and wanted to get this over with. J.D. nodded and he bit his lip before he spoke. "I swear Chris, I’d have never figured he’d try somethin’ like that. You know I wouldn’t help him rob nobody." Chris smiled and placed his hands on the kid’s trembling shoulders. "I know you didn’t, J.D. It’s just that Nettie’s…" Chris wasn’t sure how to put the woman’s outrage into terms J.D. wouldn’t be devastated by. "I didn’t wanna believe it either." J.D. held his eyes shut for a beat then whispered softly. "But I saw him hit the driver, saw him point his gun at those people, Chris. No mistakin’ what he was tryin’ to do." Chris nodded in agreement. "Ok, I’ve gotta talk to Nettie. The stage driver’s hell bent on prosecutin’, so that boy’s in a lotta trouble." J.D. hung his head and Chris knew from experience that the boy was at least partially blaming himself. "You stopped him, son, the old couple vouched for ya, so don’t worry about gettin’ blamed for any part of this, ok?" "Thanks." Chris stood up and gently tousled the kid’s hair before he turned to leave. "Chris?" J.D. wiped his nose with a sleeve and then continued. "Make sure you tell Casey I didn’t have nothin’ to do with it, all right?" "She already knows that, kid. I will tell her you’re better though, had her pretty worried like the rest of us." The youth smiled, his lips quivering with the effort. "Buck, see to it this boy gets some rest." Chris clapped his friend on the back as he went outside and Buck moved toward J.D. "Oh, yeah, he ain’t gettin’ outta that bed til he’s 25, I swear, you can’t keep him outta trouble…" Chris grinned and shook his head as he shut the door on Buck’s mock ranting. It had taken a good three hours for his friends to fall asleep and for J.D. to gather the courage he needed to face Trevor. Agony coursed through his body as he slowly made his way down the steps and toward the jail. He had thought several times about turning around and going back, but pride kept him moving and the rage growing in his heart energized his weakening limbs. "What in the hell were you thinkin'?" J.D.'s voice sliced through the room as the door slammed hard behind him. Trevor cocked his head and grinned. That stupid lop-sided grin that J.D. desperately wanted to knock off his face. J.D. forced his battered body in front of the older boy and stared at him through pain-glazed eyes. "Know what, just never mind that question, cause there ain't nothin' you could say that would make me believe you." J.D. tried to keep his voice steady, but the fury and the reverberating pain in his head made it nearly impossible. "Now, come on J.D." "NO. You shut up for a change." "J.D. I swear I ain't never done nothin' like that before." Trevor's lip quivered and a tear formed in the corner of his eyes. "I thought we could do it and nobody'd get hurt..." "You were robbing the stage!" J.D. couldn't believe the casual attitude Trevor had about what he'd done. "Look at my face, Trevor, does it look like nobody got hurt!" J.D. fought to stay on his feet, the rage and adrenaline propelling him to confront Trevor was quickly beginning to wane under his emotional outburst. The memory of his former friend on top of him using the butt of his gun to try and crack open his skull made him nauseous. "I'm sorry, really, I panicked when you wouldn't help me. You'd always stuck by me before and I just got scared." J.D. narrowed his eyes and a bitter laugh escaped his throat. "What in heaven's name made you think I'd help you do that? I said I wanted to be like Bat Masterson, not Jesse James!" "Please, J.D., please, I really ain't never done anything like that and I ain't never goin' to again, please don't tell them it was my idea." Trevor reached through the bars and J.D. jerked away from the young man's groping hands, his heart thudding loudly in his ears. "Too late, I already told Chris what happened." "Well that's gonna be hard to explain, since I already told Aunt Nettie what really happened." The pleading tremor in the boy's tone disappeared and J.D. clearly read the threat underlying his words. "Not only are you a thief, but a damn coward too." J.D. lowered his voice and backed away, saying a silent prayer his weakened body could hold up long enough to preserve his dignity. Trevor's eyes flashed and the hairs on the back of J.D.'s neck stood on end. A strong hand gripped his shoulder and he felt his legs turn to jelly as he slowly turned to face Chris. J.D. wanted to cry, just sit down and bawl from the pain, the frustration and the betrayal invading his heart, but he wasn't about to let go now. "Nathan and Buck both's gonna have your hide if they catch you outta bed. Come on and we won't have to tell ‘em." Chris' words barely registered to the stunned youth but he nodded anyway. J.D. felt his friend’s supporting hand on the back of his neck and he pushed himself to stay up on his own as he slowly let himself be led to the door. "Hey, ain't you gonna hear my side of this!" Trevor yelled at the pair as they left. "He needs to be in here too, damn it!" Chris pulled the door shut, Trevor's muffled cries still audible as they crossed the street. "J.D., I gotta ask you something else." Chris' somber mood made J.D. nervous. "Ok." "You're gonna have to tell me what happened when you boys went to Dutton Canyon a coupla weeks ago." J.D. felt the blood drain from his face and his knees nearly buckled. He stopped and looked up at Chris. "How'd you know what..." The boy's voice trailed and he saw the anguish in the older man's eyes. "J.D., I got a telegram a little while ago, from the sheriff there. He's looking for two boys from around here, matching you and Trevor's descriptions, said there was a murder the night you two were there." The youth's throbbing head magnified his confusion and he didn't trust his ears. "He thinks we did it? That's crazy, Chris." "I'm supposed to arrest both of you, hold you til they conduct a trial." J.D. hung his head, the tears he'd been fighting to keep inside were seeping out of the corners of his eyes. "No, Chris, that can't be..." Chris looked away, then gently began to lead J.D. toward Nathan's again. "Let's get you back in bed and we'll discuss this when Judge Travis gets here in the morning?" "I thought you had to arrest me." J.D. whispered, still watching each step he took, careful not to let his wobbly legs trip him. "Consider it house-arrest." Chris put his hand gently on top of the boy's head. "Can't in good conscience lock you up when you're still hurt, ‘sides I just don’t feel up to fightin’ Buck." J.D. didn't answer; couldn't without choking on his words, so he remained silent, unable to stop the tears that sprang up from the gaping hole in his heart. "Dang it boy, I can't close my eyes for a second, and you go traipsing off to God knows where." Buck teased as he met his friends at the door. His good nature abruptly stopped when he saw the tears dripping off J.D.'s pale cheeks. "What happened?" Nathan asked as Buck took the shaky youth from Chris and helped him into bed. Chris handed Nathan the telegram and Buck tried to settle the boy, turning in time to see the black man's features grow anxious. "What is it?" "I’m goin’ to jail, Buck." J.D. looked up from the pillow, the dark circles made haunted shadows beneath the boy’s eyes and his body shook uncontrollably with the announcement. "What’s he talkin’ about, damn it!" Buck’s stood up to face Chris. Nathan passed Buck the paper and the gunslinger quickly scanned the message. "So what does this mean, Chris?" Buck seemed just as confused as he finished reading the telegram and faced his old friend. "It means we've got a bigger problem than we'd even imagined." Bright morning light penetrated the room as Buck pulled back the drapes, then paced back and forth from the window to J.D.'s bed, routinely checking the boy and then the street for the stage he knew would bring Judge Travis. Buck had stayed up most of the night, catching a few hours of uncomfortable sleep in that darn yellow chair. Nathan had been called away earlier, and Buck had no one to force him to stop the vigil at his young friend’s side. Buck’s weary eyes finally caught sight of the coach and watched as Chris met the Judge. The gunslinger sat on J.D.'s bed and gently shook the youth's shoulder. "J.D., you need to wake up now." Buck's tone didn't hide his worry. The boy's eyes fluttered open and he wore a confused frown before focusing on Buck's face. "The judge is comin’ to talk to you, son." J.D. gritted his teeth against the agony that stabbed through his ribs and he struggled to keep his throbbing head from toppling him forward. "Ohhhh, man." He leaned into Buck’s supporting arm as the gunslinger propped pillows behind him and helped him lean back. "Thanks, Buck." The door opened and J.D. tried to focus on the men entering. He forced a smile, immediately regretting the gesture and hoping his eyes really weren’t dropping onto the sheets. "Well, son, I must say I’ve seen you looking a bit more spry." Judge Travis’ voice sounded light, but J.D. could see the shock written on his face. I must look as bad as I feel. "I won’t keep you long, J.D., but I need your statement about what happened in Dutton two weeks ago." J.D. had tried to recall everything, ran it over and over in his mind last night after Chris had asked him, but there were some parts that were still cloudy to him. "Ok." J.D. tried to sound confident, but the act of thinking combined with actually speaking made it harder to be clear about what he was remembering. "Trevor wanted to go someplace different, I guess so nobody’d see what he did, so we rode to Dutton. We went to the saloon, he got a little, no, a lot drunk." J.D. sighed heavily and continued. "There was a girl that worked there and Trevor tried to kiss her or something and this man told him to stop and they ended up fightin’." "Do you remember what this man looked like?" "Just that he was big, a little bigger ‘n Trevor, and a lot older too, but that’s all I remember." "He was really hittin’ Trevor hard, but Trevor wouldn’t quit, just kept jumpin’ on him. I tried to make Trevor leave, then I got caught in the middle, then some more guys in the bar held me back and wouldn’t let me help him at all." J.D. closed his eyes and leaned his head back against the wall. "Can’t this wait?" Buck’s concern for the boy not lost on anyone in the room. "No, I need to get this over with." J.D.’s eyes were unfocused and tired, but for now his determination was stronger than his pain. "So then what did Trevor do?" Travis leaned forward and J.D. thought he could read the respect in the older man’s expression. "Uh, Trevor wouldn’t stop, he didn’t seem hurt or anything, he just kept gettin’ knocked down and gettin’ back up. So the men that were holding me pushed me on the floor, then they threw Trevor outside and told him if he came back they’d shoot him." "What was the man he was fighting doing then?" "He was laughing, said he was gonna finish Trevor off anyway. So I told Trevor I was leavin’." Judge Travis shifted in his chair and he rubbed his palm absently under his chin. "Did Trevor leave with you?" "He didn’t wanna go. He said he’d meet me back at the livery. I yelled at him, told him I was goin’ without him if he didn’t come right then." "Did he come with you?" "Uh, un." J.D.’s voice cracked and Buck quickly poured him a cup of water. The youth drank greedily, then continued before he lost momentum. "I was mad, real mad and I didn’t care if he left or not. I’d finished saddling my horse and that man came back, the one Trevor was fightin’. He said to tell my big dumb friend he’d better not ever see his face again, or somethin’ like that, and I told him I didn’t want no trouble and we were goin’." "What did he do?" "Trevor came in and they started in on each other again. I yelled at them to stop but one of ‘em shoved me and I hit my head on something, after that I don’t remember anything until Trevor came back and said we had to go." "You didn’t see the man again when you came to?" Travis asks. "No. I saw some blood in the straw and on one of the stall doors, but I was so confused, I think I believed it was mine. No, Trevor told me it was mine." "Were you bleeding, J.D.?" "Yeah, some, but everything was still spinning and I didn’t know how long I’d been out. I believed him." J.D. looked at the judge, his features stricken with sudden terror. "Do you think that was that man’s blood? You think Trevor actually killed him?" J.D. felt faint. When Chris had told him about the murder he thought it had to just be a coincidence, but now, with the judge sitting in front of him and the recollection of all the blood in the livery, the realization hit hard. J.D. couldn’t believe Trevor would do that, then again, a few hours ago he would have never thought his friend would try and rob a stage either. J.D. felt himself pitch forward and both the judge and Buck eased him on his back against the sheets. He could hear buzzing in his ears and black spots danced in front of his face. "Oh, God." Travis looked up at Chris, and J.D. caught a brief glimpse of the hopelessness written in the older man’s weathered face. "No, it can’t be, please tell me it can’t be." J.D. let himself detach from reality and slip into the beckoning oblivion of unconsciousness. He could heard Buck’s frantic voice, but he only wanted to escape, to run away from it all and, at the moment, passing out seemed like the only option. Buck was mad. Fighting mad. He tried to comfort J.D., tried to convince himself the boy was all right, but the thing he wanted most at this very moment was Trevor’s head beneath his boot. With no other outlet for his rage, he turned on Chris and Judge Travis. "I don’t believe what I’m hearin’!" Buck had listened to the conversation between Travis and Chris as they discussed escorting him back to Dutton with Trevor and that he would have to be locked up in the meantime. "He told you what happened, you both know that boy didn’t kill nobody!" "It’s not a matter of disbelief." The Judge’s calm tone only agitated Buck more. "The Dutton sheriff has issued a warrant for their arrest, Buck. Ain’t nothin’ we can do about it til the trial." Chris’ eyes clearly showed the turmoil inside his heart, but Buck was too infuriated to stop his attack. "You ain’t lockin’ him up, Chris. He’s hurt for Christ sake! You can’t just throw him in a drafty old cell, it’ll kill him!" Buck’s anger fizzled into pleading as he tried to reason with the two men. Chris turned to the judge. "We can keep him here, he ain’t goin’ nowhere." "He can stay here tonight, but I have to follow the law. Tomorrow he has to be in the jail until transport to Dutton." Buck’s jaw tighten in fury, but he kept his mouth shut and returned to sit by J.D. "Are you presidin’ over that trial?" Buck’s voice was soft and desperate, his back to the judge. "Yes, Mr. Wilmington, I am." "You think J.D. had anything to do with that man’s death?" "No. I know this boy. I know in my heart that he didn’t murder anybody." Buck turned slowly and looked into the older man’s eyes. "Is that your decision, or do you have to hear all the evidence before you can legally say that?" "You know I have to be a judge first, I can’t let my friendship with J.D. or any of you get in the way of the execution of my duty. I can’t say what my ruling will be in advance." Buck’s eyes misted over as he stared dumbfounded at the judge. What duty was there above friendship? Above what a man knew was right? How could a few people saying things about a boy they didn’t even know change the truth? "Heaven-forbid the truth get in the way of your duties, judge." Buck didn’t try to hide the bitterness he felt creeping down to his gut and he turned back to watch J.D. Buck couldn’t stop them from putting J.D. in jail, couldn’t stop them from making him stand trial for something he didn’t do, but the gunslinger swore on his dear mother’s grave J.D. wouldn’t pay for Trevor’s crimes. No matter what he had to do to keep the kid safe he would do it. That’s the only thing he had in common with Judge Travis right now; Buck also knew without a doubt exactly where his duties lay. "Bout time your 'daddy' left." Trevor’s mocking tone broke the silence inside J.D.’s cell. J.D. didn't acknowledge him, instead rolled his head away from the drone of the older boy's voice. Buck had stayed all morning and J.D. had finally had enough of the gunslinger's hovering, checking him every five minutes to see if he had a fever or was still breathing. J.D. really didn't mind as much as he let on, he did feel safer with the man around, but he knew Trevor was watching. The youth felt a twinge of guilt for basically throwing Buck out, but he didn't want their friendship to become the object of Trevor's ridicule. "I'd hate to have a daddy like that, always treating you like a baby, don't he think you can take care of yourself? Oh yeah, sorry, I forgot... you can't." J.D. gritted his teeth against the insults and that insane laugh that made his skin crawl, but kept quiet. That boy had a way of drawing out the worst in him and J.D. was mad at himself as much as Trevor for allowing that to happen. The kid was using every reserve he had to keep his temper in check. "What's the matter J.D., you ain't scared are you? Don't tell me a soon to be famous, hired gun like you ain't never been in jail for somethin'?" Trevor kept pushing. J.D. squeezed his eyes tight. God does he ever shut up? "You want me to call for your mommy now?" Trevor laughed again. J.D. remembered telling Trevor his mother was dead, told him about how he and Buck were like brothers too, and he felt a rage building within his soul. How dare he mockingly throw his confidences back at him. Trevor still said nothing as J.D. rolled to face him and propped up on one arm. Please just don't let me pass out. J.D. willed himself to stay conscious despite the blinding headache he couldn’t seem to shake since the robbery. "Exactly what is it you want from me, Trevor?" J.D. hoped his words came out stronger than he felt. Trevor laughed again. One more time with that cackling and I'm going to rip his head through these bars...if only I could get up. "You know J.D., I thought you were a man, my friend. Thought you’d left your kid games behind, but you’re still hanging on your daddy’s coattails aren’t ya?" Blood rushed to J.D.’s cheeks and he hated it was light enough inside for Trevor to see him blush. He pushed himself up on the mattress, sitting facing Trevor’s cell, the dizziness brought on by pain made him afraid to even attempt to stand up. "You think you’re one of them, but guess what kiddo, you ain’t. Not by a long shot." Trevor approached the bars and stared down at J.D. as he wavered weakly on the cot. "They think you’re just a tagalong, get in the way, titty baby." Trevor goaded. "You’re a damn liar, Trevor." Great, J.D., now maybe I should ask Nettie for a comeback. J.D. knew Trevor was making this up, or stretching it way out of proportion, but a hint of truth in his statements tore at the unhealed wound in his heart. He couldn’t think of any words to defend himself. He couldn’t think at all with his head hammering out a steady beat inside his skull and he knew anything he could come back with would just sound shallow and childish anyway. It hurt too much listen, hell, it hurt too damn much to breathe. J.D. pushed away the litany Trevor spouted and used the little energy he had left to lie back on the bed and close his eyes, shutting out Trevor and the rest of the world until he found a way to deal with it. "Casey, you shouldn't be here." J.D.'s words belied the fact he was relieved to see the girl. He couldn’t sleep and was staring through the bars when he saw her sneak silently into the jailhouse. J.D. looked into the cell next to him to make sure Trevor was still asleep, then forced himself off his cot. "I had to see if you were all right." Her eyes misted over as she reached through the bars and touched the swollen bruise on his cheekbone. J.D. couldn't control the flinch, but smiled as his lip quivered and he grasped her hand in his. "I am now..." He swallowed the lump stuck in his throat. "I was afraid you were mad at me." Casey shook her head. "I know you didn't do anything like what they said. Aunt Nettie's tryin' to tell 'em they've got the wrong boys." The youth's heart sunk as he realized what she'd said and he let her hand drop. "Casey, all I said was I didn't do it. I didn't rob the stage and I sure didn't murder anybody." The girl's face creased in a frown, unsure she truly understood the implications J.D. was making. "Are you sayin' Trevor did?" Her tone more hurt than accusatory. "Yeah, Casey - I am." J.D. didn't know any other way to tell her than to just spit it out. The girl stepped back from the cell and J.D. could see the swell of emotions in her brown eyes. "I'm sorry, but that's the truth." J.D. dropped his gaze to the floor, wanting to avoid the hurt in her face. "I know he's family and all, but you have to trust me." "I don't know, J.D., he's Aunt Katie's boy." J.D. knew she was struggling with her loyalties and he hated bringing her in the middle of his troubles. "I'm sorry, Casey. I wish things were different, but I saw him knock out the stage driver, I watched him try and rob the stage!" "The one you helped me plan." J.D. jumped at the deep whisper beside him and he saw Casey's head jerk up too. "How long you known this kid?" Trevor asked his cousin. "Longer 'n she's known you." J.D. hoped his anger showed through more than his fear as he turned to face Trevor. "But I am family." The older youth's eyes locked on J.D. "'Sides, I ain't never shot no woman." The surprise attack was like a kick in the gut and J.D. stared into the sickening pools of blue in front of him. He felt the blood drain to his feet and it took all his concentration to keep his legs from buckling underneath him. Yet his rage propelled him toward the bars and he grabbed Trevor's arm and yanked, causing the larger boy's ear to smack hard against metal, but he didn't cry out. Instead Trevor laughed and spun around, quickly reaching long arms through and pulling J.D. toward him. J.D. let out a slight groan as his wounded cheek broke open under the pressure of the bars and Trevor's foul breath assaulted his senses. "Stop it!" Casey's horrified cry broke through to J.D., but Trevor didn't seem to care. "I ain't takin' all the blame - I go to prison, so do you." Trevor's whisper sounded like a runaway train in J.D.'s swirling mind and he fought against the dark circles dancing in front of his eyes. Suddenly the grip loosened and he hit the floor, Trevor's cackling laugh pounded in his ears and he saw someone kneeling over him. "Kid, you all right?" J.D. blinked through the haze into Vin and Casey's concerned faces. He saw Chris slam Trevor onto his cot and lock the door as he stepped back out. "J.D., you hurt?" Chris' voice sounded far away and J.D. couldn't seem to find the strength to answer, and shook his head instead. The tremendous thumping in his head drummed louder than even the sound of his own voice. He jumped as he felt Casey's press a sleeve to the reopened wound on his cheek and he desperately wanted them all to leave him alone. He didn't like his girl seeing him this way, and was even more mortified to know Trevor was probably watching as well. Chris and Vin helped him to his feet and J.D. struggled out of their grasp and stumbled to his cot. "I'm fine." "No, you're not." Casey's worried tone touched him, but he couldn't let Trevor see his weakness and he pushed her away. "Go home, Casey." He tried to make his tone sound authoritative, but it rang insincere in his ears. Thankfully, Vin must have realized his plight and he gently led Casey out of the cell. "Aren't you gonna take him to Nathan's?" Her plea broke J.D.'s heart and he bit his lip to keep it steady. "We'll see he's taken care of." Vin's soothed as he escorted the girl outside. J.D. lowered himself onto the mattress and turned his back away from Chris. He felt the gunslinger hesitate above him before walking away and shutting the heavy door behind him. J.D. curled up tight and squeezed his eyes shut, trying to block out the pain and the depression he felt pounding in his ears. Nathan unlocked the cell door and left it open as he made his way to J.D. He set down the herbal tea he'd brought to help with the pain he knew J.D. was suffering through. The boy didn't move. He lay facing the wall, not even stirring when the healer's weight sunk in the cot as he sat beside him. J.D. flinched slightly as Nathan lay a hand on his shoulder and gently rolled him onto his back. "J.D." Nathan's deep voice echoed softly in the small room. "Let me get a look at cha." J.D.'s eyes were already open and Nathan's heart sunk as he saw the grief reflected in their depths. The black man gingerly touched his fingertips to examine the old and newly acquired injuries on the boy's face. "How come you can’t even manage to stay outta trouble even when you’re locked up." Nathan frowned when his joke did nothing to change the boy's expression. "Betcha still got a whopper of a headache." Nathan commented as he ran thick fingers over the swollen and purplish lump on the kid's temple. J.D. reflexively jerked away and his face contorted in pain. "Yeah been wishin' my head would just fall off, give me some peace." "I brought you something that should help." Nathan lifted the cup into J.D.'s hands. "Got somethin’ that'll cure a bad case of the stupids?" J.D. sipped the warm drink, grimacing as the bitter concoction flowed down his raw throat. "If I did, I'd have to put it in the water supply 'round here. Now finish that up." Nathan knew the stuff tasted terrible, but it would help with the pain and let the boy sleep. "I'm sorry." J.D. hung his head and handed the cup back to the healer. "J.D., you got nothin' to be sorry for." "I got myself into this mess, ain't right for you guys to worry so much about helpin' me out of it." Nathan was touched by the earnestness of the youth's statement and it tore him up that he felt this way. "Everybody makes mistakes, son." "Yeah, well I've made enough for a whole lifetime already." Nathan smiled as J.D.'s eyelids fluttered, the medicine taking hold sooner than he'd expected. "Seems like it, but it ain't no more than any of us made at your age. That's just the way things are, J.D." J.D. shut his eyes. "Thanks Nathan." The pain and vulnerability in the kid's strained voice tore at Nathan's heart. J.D. was scared. Hell, they were all scared for him and Nathan’s anger flared that this innocent boy was lying hurt in a jail cell when he should be recovering in his own bed. Not having the threat of a hanging weighing on his already tortured mind. Physically he knew J.D. would recover, but betrayal was a bitter pill to take. No matter how many times it happened or how old you were, it never got any easier. Nathan hung his head and glanced over at the youth in the next cell. Trevor sat on his cot, back leaned against the bricks, his boots pressing into the thin mattress. Nathan met him with a piercing stare, ready to admonish him for the intrusion. The healer wasn't prepared for the despair written on the young man's face, the look of longing written in his eyes as he watched Nathan taking care of J.D., and Nathan broke the gaze. A brief rush of sympathy surfaced for this boy who obviously lacked the understanding of friendship and loyalty and love of another living being. He was just a kid too. A scared, stupid kid who was in way over his head and didn't know what to do about it. Nathan looked up at Trevor again. This time the hard shell of anger had replaced the boyish features, his mask firmly back in its place. Nathan felt his empathy dissolve as he looked into J.D.'s face, cupping a large hand through the boy's thick hair. J.D. let out a heavy moan and shifted into the cot and Nathan's anger flared again. The ride to Dutton wasn’t more than two hours, but to J.D. it was the longest trip of his life. Nathan and Ezra had reluctantly stayed in Four Corners, Nathan had a family of sick kids that needed him and Ezra was picked to uphold the law until they all got back. J.D. couldn’t shake the looks of despair on each of their faces as they watched him leave. J.D. knew he hadn’t murdered anybody, but the fear written in their eyes made him wonder if that fact would even matter to the people in Dutton. He longed for reassurance that he’d be all right, realizing his reliance on his friends’ strength for his own. Maybe Trevor was right, he was just a mangy pup they let stick around because they felt sorry for him. The camaraderie, the sense of belonging was just all in his head. J.D. couldn’t hold his head up. Shame and disappointment dulled his senses, the constant throbbing in his skull took away his ability to think straight and his shackled hands took away his will to fight. He glanced up, meeting Buck’s worried gaze and he wanted to cry. The one whose devotion he deserved the least was the one whose loyalty and friendship he couldn’t deny. Buck was real, the pain written plainly on his face was real, not imagined, not a pretense. Trevor wasn’t right, never was. Tears began to roll down J.D.’s cheeks and he quickly turned his head to hide them from his friends. He tried to wipe them away with his sleeve, but the clanking of the chains only drew the others' attentions to him. He could feel Buck’s leg brush against his as his friend drew his horse in close. "J.D." Buck’s soft voice only made J.D. cry harder. "You’ll be all right, boy." J.D. felt the older man’s hand on his knee and he didn’t move it away. He drew strength from his brother’s touch, and while he still felt undeserving, he longed for the connection. The laugh. That damn laugh erupted behind them and J.D. shuddered. "Ain’t that just the sweetest thing you’ve ever seen?" Trevor’s mocking tone sent chills of rage through J.D.’s body but he kept his focus straight ahead. He didn’t want Trevor to know he’d gotten under his skin. "Here, put your hand right here cowboy." Trevor giggled, and J.D. heard the rattle of chains as he slapped his leg with his hands. Buck pulled up on his reins and let his horse fall in line with Trevor’s. J.D. turned to see Buck reach out with one hand and grab the boy’s cropped hair and yank Trevor’s head straight back. Trevor let out a short yelp, then that damn laugh again. J.D. wondered if the boy was actually human or one of those man-beasts Buck was always tellin’ tales about. Buck moved his hand down to the back of Trevor’s neck and J.D. watched as Trevor’s eyes began to bulge and his sick laughter turned into shrieks of agony. "Are you crazy?!" The big boy tried to shout, his eyes were crazed and his tongue hung out of his mouth as he seemingly lost control of the muscles in his face. His cries turned into gurgles and his body began to flop in the saddle, but Buck held on. The look of rage and satisfaction on his best friend’s face scared J.D. "Buck, stop!" J.D. shouted, looking around to see if the others saw what he was doing. Chris and Vin watched, neither of them really had any panic on their faces or seemed too concerned. Josiah was actually grinning. "Buck, I mean it, stop!" J.D. tried to turn his horse and Buck let go. Trevor slumped over the saddle horn gasping for breath. "He. . .he tried. . . kill. . .me!" Buck grinned and walked his horse toward J.D. "Hell, knew that little trick you showed me would come in handy, Josiah." J.D. looked at the ex-preacher, still confused as to why no one seemed concerned that Buck had almost killed Trevor. "Don’t worry, son." Josiah’s booming voice in his ear made J.D. jump. "It’s a move my daddy taught me. Hurts like the dickens, but no permanent damage." "Well, I guess I’ll have to teach it to ya, now that I can’t sneak up and use it on ya." Buck laughed and winked as he rode up beside J.D. again. "Yeah, that’ll be good to know." J.D.’s voice was weak and he finished the rest of the sentence in his head. Real good to know in prison. Chris could see the glow just on the edge of town. "What the…" His words never finished their journey out of his mouth before he realized what he saw. "Vin, get the boys off the trail." Vin nodded. Chris figured he’d known the lights were torches before Chris did. "Come on, let’s get out of sight." Vin told the two prisoners and Chris heard them rustle through the brush. Chris urged his horse on and met up with the townsmen in a few strides. "Too nice a night for a torch party, huh, boys?" Chris stopped his horse a few feet away from the men, his horse stomping in agitation as the men waved the burning clubs at the group before them. Chris could smell the scorched rags and see an even brighter fire in the enraged men’s eyes. "We just want them. They killed a great man in this town and we aim to see to it they pay the consequences!" Chris watched as an older gentleman in a suit tried desperately to stand his ground. The others too looked like they were better suited to shucking corn than planning a raid and Chris decided to call their bluff. The men’s eyes searched each other for confirmation of the righteousness of their struggle and Chris knew this angry mob was just a bunch of terrified townspeople. "The bible says ‘an eye for an eye’." The man out front nodded his head in agreement with his own words and he set his jaw in determination, but his eyes were uncertain. "Just go home to your families, don’t think your God’s gonna think any less of ya if you let him be the one that doles out the justice my brothers." Josiah’s gentle words carried through the silence of the trees and he rode forward, splitting the pitiful mob into two groups. Vin emerged from the safety of the trees, but the situation had already been diffused. The men watched as the protectors flanked the accused and rode into Dutton. After the boys were settled, the peacekeepers stuck close to the jail after the incident on the trail. Buck left his friends inside and strode onto the rickety porch, dropping heavily on the creaky planks. His eyes drifted from the men milling around the streets to the star-filled sky. He’d watched J.D. all the way here, the kid’s slumped shoulders and defeated attitude ripped him apart. Buck tried to set aside his worry long enough to come up with an alternate plan, just in case the worse happened and J.D. was sentenced to prison. Buck already knew what he’d do, didn’t have to think more than three seconds on the notion. Nope, the decision was the easy part, pulling it off would be the challenge. Hell, it was hard enough keeping that kid alive on a daily basis, much less teaching him how to survive on the run. "Don’t even think about it." Chris’ soft tone made Buck jump. "Being sneaky has gotten good men killed." Buck never looked up at his friend, his gaze still on the clear night sky. "So has being stupid." "It ain’t stupid, Chris. It’s survival, plain and simple." "You got no belief in the law, Buck?" The gunslinger turned his attention to the tall figure beside him. "Seen men hang for things they weren’t no part of, ain’t gonna stand by and let it happen this time." "It won’t." "What damn gypsy fortune teller told you that? Huh?" Buck stood to his full height and pushed his face inches from Chris’, his voice purposely low enough to only be heard by the man in front of him. "Was I the only one listenin’ when Travis made his little ‘I have to be a good judge first’ speech?" Chris shook his head. "That don’t mean he’s gonna sentence J.D. to hang, or even to go to prison. It just means he can’t rightly tell the people of this town that he’s going to let some man go ‘cause he knows him. That wouldn’t be exactly right neither." "He’s just a kid, Chris. Kids do dumb things, hell, if they locked up boys for being stupid we’d still be serving time." Buck tried to add a hint of humor, but there was none left in him. Only bitterness at the situation J.D. was being put through. Chris let out a soft laugh and put his hand on Buck’s shoulder. Buck breathed a heavy sigh and glanced up at the stars again. "Ok, Chris, we’ll play this your way for now." The gunslinger turned his head and let weary yet determined eyes lock on Chris. "But if somethin’ goes wrong, J.D. ain’t goin’ to jail, ya hear me? He can’t live like that and I ain’t gonna let him." "You talkin’ about runnin’?" "Damn right I am." Buck whispered. He tried to make his tone menacing but he couldn’t control the slight quiver that spilled out instead. "You plannin’ on tryin’ to stop me?" Chris dropped his arm back to his side and looked toward the door of the jail, making sure they were both alone with their confessions. "Nope. Probably even help ya. Just hope you can get J.D. to agree to it, if need be." Buck stared at Chris. He hadn’t even considered the kid’s overly honest nature and a twinge of panic clutched at his heart. He gasped, then quickly willed the thought away. "Sometimes you just gotta do what’s best with or without a young ‘un’s blessing." Buck set his jaw firmly and he saw the compassion and understanding in his oldest friend’s eyes. Chris nodded. "Sometimes you just gotta wait and see. Have a little faith, pard." Chris turned and walked to the other end of the old porch. Buck scrubbed his hand through his short hair and squeezed his eyes tight, trying to shut out the indecision clouding his mind. Faith was something he hadn’t relied on in a long time. Maybe now was as good a time as any to give it another try. The protectors’ peaceful night was interrupted when three drunken cowboys stormed through the jailhouse door, announcing their intentions to ‘finish the job those chicken townspeople couldn’t.’ The men were a bit too dumb and a lot too inebriated to get very far, especially since they were challenging four very irritable peacekeepers with a vested interest in protecting at least one of their prisoners. The boys remained unscathed, but to J.D.'s horror the sheriff put the men in Trevor's cell, and moved his former friend in with him. J.D. stood up but stayed silent as he heard Buck and Chris loudly discussing the situation with the sheriff. Trevor faced J.D., turning his head so that only the young man was privy to the older boy’s cruel smile and soulless eyes. "Now, don't start cryin' for your daddy, I ain’t gonna hurt ya." Trevor laughed slightly louder than he'd spoken and Vin looked at the two as he sat in the chair behind the desk. J.D. met the tracker's blue gaze then quickly turned back to Trevor, looking the older boy square in the eye and trying desperately to project an arrogance he didn't feel. "You wanted excitement, little man, it don't get no more excitin' than this. Living or dying, that's the ultimate risk isn't it?" Trevor slowly circled J.D., neither taking their eyes off the other. J.D. stared, afraid any attempt to defend himself would come out as whiny and childish and that was the last thing he wanted. J.D. kept up his dispassionate stare and he prayed Trevor couldn't see or hear his heart as it crashed repeatedly into the flesh over his breastbone. Trevor grinned wider and leaned down to get on the cot under the window where J.D. had been moments before. J.D. snorted softly, hoping the bravado he was trying to convey was actually coming through as he moved in front of Trevor and flopped on the mattress, staking his territory. J.D. was scared, but he was mad too. Trevor might try and kill him for his defiance, but damn it, he wasn't going to be stepped on anymore. To J.D.'s surprise the ploy worked and Trevor threw his coat on the other bed and sat down slowly. J.D. wasn't delusional. He knew he didn't scare Trevor much at all, but he'd made his point and he'd stuck to it. If nothing else it earned him a much-needed dose of self-respect. PART VIII The next morning the courtroom was packed. It was a small town and an even smaller room, but that didn't diminish the seriousness of the faces gathered in this place of equity. They all wanted to see justice done to the killer of Bob Nelson, one of their own, who had been murdered in cold blood by a couple of outsiders. Judge Travis presided over this territory and he knew most of the older citizens in town. He’d met Nelson a couple of times, but knew him more by reputation than from a personal relationship with the man. Nelson had been the saloon owner and had been well respected by everyone in town for his generosity and his contributions in making Dutton Canyon into a prospering little community. He'd had a real way with the ladies, and a violent temper if he thought one of his girls was being treated unfairly. After an entire morning of hearing of the wondrous deeds of Mr. Nelson, Travis was ready to begin the real proceedings. Judge Travis watched J.D. fidgeting in the defendant's chair next to Josiah. He'd been allowed a bath and apparently had even shaved for the trial, which made him look 12 instead of the usual 15 or so. He tried to put his feelings aside, but damn it, Buck's words had continued to haunt him. He knew that boy was innocent. If he didn't know anything else in this world he knew that. What he didn't know was, if the evidence against both boys was strong enough to send an innocent boy to prison, how he could stand by and watch it happen. J.D. couldn't stop moving. He had to keep his hands intertwined to kept them steady, but his leg continued to bounce. Josiah would nudge him, the big man finally resorting to placing a firm hand on J.D.’s knee, but he couldn't control it. J.D. had to move or explode. J.D. looked over his shoulder. Chris and Vin were standing near the back wall, Buck sat directly behind him and placed his hand on the young man’s shoulder and leaned in to whisper words of encouragement. J.D. caught a glimpse of Casey, looking as lost as he felt as Nettie looked as close to tears as he’d ever seen the woman. Trevor’s defense lawyer called him to the stand. J.D. had never seen the lawyer before, Chris said she’d hired him from Eagle Bend because nobody in Four Corners wanted the job. Trevor was a good actor, J.D. would give him that. The overgrown boy had slumped his shoulders and hung his head like he was the most shameful person who'd ever put on boots. He smiled weakly at the jury as he sat down, his face that of a terribly wronged child. "Can you tell us what happened on the night of August 22, Mr. Greer?" The man's voice evoked sympathy for his client and Trevor was thriving on his pretense. "J.D. and me, we rode up to Dutton sos we could have a little fun without his 'friends' gettin' in the way." J.D. felt Buck's gaze on his back. God, Buck, it wasn't like that. "And what happened during yours and Mr. Dunne's little adventure?" "We had some beers, but not too many that I was drunk or anything." "Mr. Greer, do you recall getting into a fight with the saloon owner?" "I didn't know who he was, I..." Trevor stuttered slightly. "I just wanted to kiss one of the girls is all. Ain't never kissed a genuine woman before." Trevor gave the jury a shy smile before hanging his head in mock shame. The young man's statement evoked a slight giggle from the onlookers and J.D. rolled his eyes and looked despairingly at Josiah. Am I the only one who sees through him?! "Did Mr. Nelson try to stop you from your pursuits?" "He didn't say nothin' really, just started hittin' on me and telling me to stay away from her." "And what did you do, Mr. Greer?" "I fought him back." Trevor straightened up, the pride in his voice evident. "So what was Mr. Dunne doing while you were 'fighting back’?" Trevor studied on it a moment. "Well, I think I saw somebody holdin' him cause he was yellin'." J.D. was on the edge of his seat, eager to tell his side, the reality intertwined in this little tale Trevor was spinning. He felt Josiah's strong hand on his back and he settled enough to keep from leaping from his seat and punching his former friend in the face. ". . .I know he was just trying to save my life, he didn't really mean to kill him!" J.D.'s head jerked up and he had to blink away the dark spots swimming before his eyes and choke down the bile he felt rising up in his throat. "What?" Trevor's voice quivered and tears streamed down the young criminal's face. "I'm sorry, J.D., I know you saved my life, but I can't lie! It was self defense, your honor!" "You saw Mr. Dunne strangle Mr. Nelson to death! Is that what you're saying, young man?" Trevor's defense attorney pushed the point home. J.D.'s mouth gaped and his wide eyes looked desperately at Josiah. "NO!" "Yes." Trevor began to sob uncontrollably. J.D. jumped to his feet, ignoring Josiah's protest behind him. "YOU'RE A DAMN LIAR!" J.D. shoved the table in front of him and hopped over it in an attempt to get to Trevor. Trevor shrunk away from the smaller man's wrath and J.D. felt a strong grip from behind, pinning his arms to his sides and nearly lifting him off the floor. "Let me go, DAMN IT!" J.D. struggled against his captor as his friends escorted him out of the courtroom. "He's lying! You gotta believe me, he's LYING!" J.D.'s last word carried as he was taken into the sunlit street. "J.D.!" Chris' voice found its way into his traumatized brain and he stopped to look at the older man. "It's ok, kid, just settle down before you get us all thrown in jail." Buck released his iron grip on J.D., only to have to grab him under the arms as J.D. started to sink to the ground, his strength spent in the outburst. "He's twisting it all around to make it look like I did it, Chris." J.D. could hear the weakness in his voice, but it was hard to concentrate with the sound of angry bees inside his skull. "We know that, but you ain't doing yourself any good flyin' off the handle in there!" Chris' words were stern, but J.D. could hear the concern behind them. "Do I have to go back in there right now?" J.D. didn't want to face the jury again, and the way he felt he knew there was a good chance he'd pass out in front of the whole crowd. "No, you don't." Buck answered. J.D. saw the defiant look on Chris' face disappear and figured Buck was responding with one of his own. "I'll tell Travis the boy was feeling poorly, nearly passed out on the boardwalk." Josiah put an end to the unspoken argument. "Thanks Josiah." J.D. heard the relief in Buck's voice and he almost broke down again. My fault. Trevor's right, I'm nothing but trouble, don't know why they keep me around. J.D. plopped heavily onto his cot, his back thudding against the wall, the weak springs creaking from the jolt. Buck eased himself beside the boy and leaned forward and waited. "You know, my momma always told me to be good, taught me to stay outta trouble, wouldn't let me run with the older boys." J.D. looked at the cell door Buck had purposely left open. "Guess now I wished I'd listened to her." "You know that kinda talk is gettin' pretty old, J.D." The sternness in Buck's words surprised even him, but he was tired of the kid beating up on himself simply for being a bad judge of character. "You and I both know you made a few mistakes and hopefully you're a better man because of 'em, but right now you've got to fight back. Don't let him get to ya, son." "Buck, I don't know what else to do but tell the truth." The sincerity in his voice sliced at Buck’s soul. "I've always believed in the law to protect people who are innocent. I thought if a man did what was just and right, then nothing like this could ever happen to him." J.D.'s brow furrowed with worry and Buck nearly caved when he saw the hurt and uncertainty written in the depths of his eyes. "It ain't supposed to J.D., but it does. Sometimes things ain't fair or right, all we can do is play the hand out, cut our losses and get on with it." "Yeah, well this time I bet my life. . . and I lost." Buck quickly surveyed the jail. The three men occupying the cell next to them looked asleep, but Buck still lowered his voice. "J.D., don't worry, ok? If this trial ends bad, if those people believe Trevor's lies, you still ain't gonna see the inside of a prison." J.D. looked at his friend in stunned silence, then realization flickered into his eyes and he shook his head. "You ain't breakin’ me outta jail, Buck." "Now you listen to me, boy. I been around a lot longer ‘n you, seen a lot of things that no man oughta have to see. I ain't about to stand back and let you go through that kinda hell if I can help it. And from where I sit, I can help it." Buck watched the boy as his conscience and his will to survive tangled in his head. "I appreciate that, Buck." J.D.'s dark eyes shone with pure gratitude that Buck had never seen before, and doubted he ever would again. "It ain't like you're runnin' from something you know you should be payin' for. Even good men like Judge Travis make mistakes." Buck felt the words constrict in his throat as he thought of what Travis was making J.D. go through, using the kid's respect for the law to make him feel guilty for wanting to get out of this mess. "Mexico's not at all a bad place to settle down, find a senorita or two..." Buck let his voice trail off as he smiled contentedly and glanced down at J.D., praying the kid believed him. Hoping even harder it all wouldn't be necessary. It was after three in the afternoon before they brought Trevor in to join his cellmate. J.D. lay facing the wall, but sleep alluded him. "J.D., get up." Josiah's baritone made J.D. flinch and he quietly obeyed. "Come on, we gotta talk to you." Chris shot Trevor a menacing glance as he led J.D. out of the cell and to the sheriff's desk, just out of earshot of the prisoners. J.D. sat in the chair and Chris sat on the edge of the desk. Vin, Buck and Josiah formed a protective wall between him and Trevor's probing eyes. "You feelin' ok now, J.D.?" The black-clad gunslinger asked sincerely. "I guess so. My head ain't stopped hurtin' for a week now." J.D. said softly, the buzzing in his head had now given way to a more subtle pounding, but it was there just the same. "I know. I'm sorry you're havin' to go through all this, but this can't wait." Chris looked to Josiah and the ex-preacher cleared his throat. "J.D., after you left this morning, the defense called several witnesses who said they saw the fight and it was pretty much like Trevor said." J.D. started to interrupt, but Josiah pointed a quieting finger at him and he stopped. "That girl Trevor said he tried to kiss, she testified she went looking for her boss and saw one of you boys dragging him from the livery and then strangle him, but she couldn't tell which one of you it was." J.D. felt his heart skip a beat and his breath caught in his chest. "She saw all that and can't tell it wasn't me?" He knew he sounded desperate, because he was. "Said she saw you both ride off and she hid for a while to make sure you weren’t coming back before she went for help. Nelson was dead when the sheriff got there." Chris kept his voice low even though he knew Trevor had heard it all. "We need you in court tomorrow, son." Josiah placed a comforting hand on J.D.'s shoulder. "I argued that Nelson was a much larger man and that you physically couldn't drag him 20 feet or strangle him. I need them to get a good look at you." J.D. knew he was smaller than his friends, heck it normally didn't bother him too much. But now, knowing they wanted to base his whole defense on the fact they thought he was a runt, that was too insulting. "I coulda dragged that guy easy." Josiah closed his eyes and dropped his head. "Work with us, son." "Now, boy, not if you looked anythin' like you did when you came ridin' back that day, looking like something the cat would have buried again, your eyes all red and your wrist swoll up so bad you couldn't hold onto the reins." Buck stopped his rattling, realization slapping them all at the same time. "J.D., when did you hurt your wrist?" Chris’ tone was urgent. "In the saloon. I started for my gun when that guy was beatin' on Trevor, somebody grabbed my hand, just about tore it off trying to make me let go." "Did anybody in the saloon see him do it, did they know you'd nearly broke it?" Vin asked, picking up the thread. "I guess the guy who did it, and the guys who kept me from helping Trevor. I couldn't use it no more after that." "Well, Josiah?" Buck's anxiousness was contagious and the others looked eagerly to the ex-preacher turned temporary defense attorney. "Gentlemen, I think we might just have our defense." The next morning, dark and depressing weather outside mirrored the atmosphere inside the jailhouse. Thunder rattled the thin walls and rain relentlessly pelted the roof making it impossible for J.D. to rest. It was bad enough to be forced to sleep with the spawn of Satan within spitting distance, but now, on top of it all, a steady stream of water dripped from the window above J.D.'s cot, splattering his blanket with its chilly wetness. J.D. lay underneath the covers and drew his knees to his chest to avoid the drip and stay under the protective warmth a few minutes longer. The pain pressing into his temples seemed to diminish with sleep, but he knew the sights and smells of the tiny courtroom would bring it back full force. He opened his eyes and tried to focus on Trevor, but he was rewarded with a wave of nausea that came close to causing him to pass out. "Fine day for a hangin’ ain’t it, little man?" Trevor laughed. Suddenly the blanket wasn’t nearly enough to keep away the chills that shook his entire body and J.D. was near his breaking point. He laughs one more time I WILL strangle him. Can’t get in much more trouble anyway. The thought satisfied him enough that he didn’t fall for Trevor’s goading comments and kept silent. J.D. knew Trevor hated being ignored more than just about anything. "Yep, people’ll show up in droves to see you swing from a rope, after what you did to that poor ole man." Trevor nodded his head in mock sympathy. J.D. was tired, damn it. Tired of the games, the constant pressure in his head, the pitying looks from his friends, but most of all he was sick and tired of Trevor. He wanted this over and done, one way or another, but one more night in this cell alone with Trevor and Judge Travis would have a real reason to try him for murder. J.D. sat up on the bed. Pale light shown through the window above his head and cast an eerie glow on Trevor’s face. For the first time J.D. really saw the older boy. He saw through the tough-guy façade that Trevor had probably spent his whole life hiding from the world behind. He was nothing more than a scared kid and J.D. began to laugh. Trevor’s eyes narrowed in anger. "What the hell’s so funny?" "You." J.D. couldn’t help himself. "You’re all tough talk and bullyin’, but you’re losing it Trevor. I can see how scared you are. I bet your bed’s wet too and you ain’t nowhere near the window." J.D. didn’t know what came over him. Maybe he wanted the brute to just kill him, put him out of his misery, but challenging Trevor made J.D. feel more alive than he’d had since this whole situation started. His desire and determination to fight back was growing stronger each minute. J.D. cut his eyes to look at Buck, still fast asleep leaning on the wooden desk, and wished he’d wake up enough to witness the rebirth of his spirit. "Big mouth on such a small boy. You wouldn’t be talkin’ like that if your ‘daddy’ weren’t sleepin’ in the same room." Trevor nodded his head toward the exhausted gunslinger, a patronizing smirk on the blond boy’s lips. J.D. looked back at Trevor, knowing the quiet resolve bursting within his soul was shining through his eyes. J.D. watched the subtle changes in Trevor’s face as the older boy tried to erect the wall again. But J.D. was no longer fooled by Trevor’s act and the younger man smiled broadly as he read Trevor’s stricken features and knew Trevor realized it too. Despite the weather, the courtroom was overflowing again, but a peace had settled over J.D. His faith in his friends had made him feel strong enough to handle whatever this day brought. Josiah had asked J.D. to point out the man who had injured him and the ex-preacher immediately called the cowboy to the stand. "State your name please." "Ben Whitson." The man’s face was a mass of confusion. "I don’t understand…" "Mr. Whitson, were you one of the parties who restrained Mr. Dunne during the other defendant’s altercation with Mr. Nelson?" Josiah swept his hand toward J.D. behind the table and the man nodded. "Did this young man reach for his gun at any point?" "Yeah, yeah he did." Whitson sounded satisfied with his answer. "Did you stop him, sir?" Josiah continued to play the man like a worn fiddle. "Sure did. I bent his hand back so hard I heard it snap, he didn’t try going for that gun again." Whitson smiled and let out a deep breath. "Did you see him use that hand again?" Whitson cut his eyes toward the ceiling, deep in thought. "Naw. He held onto it with the other hand, looked like he was in a lotta pain to me." "Thank you sir." Josiah finished and went to sit by J.D. as the witness was released from the stand. "You think that’s gonna help?" J.D. whispered. "We’ll see my boy, we will see." Josiah called Trevor to the stand and J.D. watched as he made his way to the front of the room. He was using the same tricks he’d used the day before, but this time J.D. could read the uneasiness in his gait, saw the hint of fear in his downcast eyes. Trevor glanced nervously over at J.D. as Josiah loomed in front of him. "So, son, just out for a little harmless fun weren’t you? Kiss a few girls, drink a few beers. You didn’t mean for it to turn out so wrong." Josiah walked toward the jury box, his smooth words rolling off his tongue. "How big a man was Mr. Nelson do you think, son? Over six feet, 250 or more would you say?" Josiah quickly turned back to face Trevor and the boy visibly jumped. "I’m not sure." "In the habit of picking on little guys, Mr. Greer, or do you like a fair fight?" "He was big enough I guess." "I think everyone on this jury knew Mr. Nelson’s stature. Did you know J.D. hurt his wrist during that fight?" "No." "Well, without that bit of knowledge, your story might be plausible Mr. Greer. But now that we have an outstanding citizen of this community saying he disabled young Mr. Dunne, are you going to continue to stick by your story?" Trevor remained calm, but J.D. saw the panic dancing in his blue eyes. "Yes." The voice was soft and subdued. "So you’re telling these fine people that a boy J.D.’s size, with a busted wrist not only dragged a man twice his size out of a barn and into a corral, but strangled him to death with one hand?!" Josiah’s voice boomed throughout the room as he screamed the last few words in Trevor’s face. "Your Honor!" Trevor’s attorney jumped to his feet, but Travis motioned for him to sit down. Trevor began to shuffle in his seat. "I didn’t know he was hurt." "I think that’s the point, ‘son.’" Josiah leaned on the wooden surface in front of Trevor, but turned to face the jury. "Would you like a few minutes to think up another one of your tall tales to spin for the jury, now that you know J.D. couldn’t physically have murdered Mr. Nelson?" J.D. almost felt sorry for Trevor as he cringed under the badgering Josiah was doling out, yet he couldn’t deny the rush of satisfaction in his heart now that Trevor’s lies were finally being exposed. J.D. heard a commotion from the spectators and turned his head in time to see Nettie rushing up to the witness stand. Judge Travis began to bang the gavel, trying to re-establish order to the room now filled with loud whispers and cries from the onlookers. Nettie stood in front of Trevor. J.D. couldn’t imagine the fury Trevor was witnessing in her eyes and he held his breath. "Young man, you are part of my flesh, my sister’s only child and I’ve done everything in my power to prove your innocence. Now you tell me the truth right now, in front of God and all these witnesses or so help me I’ll take you out back and beat it out of your hide!" J.D. whirled his head to look at Casey. The girl sat stunned, but intrigued by her aunt’s display. J.D. felt Buck’s hand on his shoulder and the grip tightened as Nettie pushed closer into her nephew’s face. "Tell me now, boy!" Trevor’s paper walls began to crumble and he sobbed, putting his head in his hands and wailing like an infant. "I didn’t mean for anything to happen, I was just defending myself!" Trevor shouted, his voice filled with indescribable anguish and the room erupted in a collective gasp. Josiah hung his head and walked back to stand next to J.D. "I didn’t mean to kill him." Trevor cried and J.D. couldn’t tell if the quiver in his voice was real or just part of the show, but none of that mattered now. "WHOO HOO." J.D. grimaced as Buck’s loud war cry erupted in his ear and the gunslinger clapped the younger man’s arms between his hands in a display of pure joy. "We did it, kid!" J.D. couldn’t help but smile at Buck’s excitement, but he couldn’t break the gaze he held on Trevor as the sheriff led him away. J.D. still wasn’t sure if he realized where the older boy had gone wrong. They were a lot alike. Both eager to find adventure, liked to take risks and follow their heart’s desires. Maybe it lay in the men each had looked up to. Trevor believed the outlaws he admired from the stories he’d read were good at heart, but just misunderstood fighters of good and evil. J.D. wasn’t that gullible. As Trevor’s handcuffed form disappeared into the crowd and out the door, J.D. looked up at the men surrounding him, congratulating him, and in Buck and Josiah’s case, hugging him. J.D. again felt a tug of sorrow for Trevor that he didn’t have this kind of loyalty, this brotherhood he could claim to be a part of. J.D. shook himself out of his reverie, and the sound of Buck’s exhilarated voice made him smile widely. His first genuine smile in a long, long time and J.D. realized the difference between him and Trevor. It had to be their choice of the men they called heroes. The End CONSEQUENCES
RATING: PG13
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PART II
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PART III
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PART IV
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PART V
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PART VI
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PART VII
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PART XIV
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