Curly was silent for a few moments, allowing the realization sink into Jimmy and Lou. They stared at each other wordlessly, yet Curly guessed that neither of them really saw the other.

Finally he cleared his throat, "Come, I will help you find a suitable place to set up your tee-pee."

Jimmy snapped out of his daze and met Curly's eyes, "All right." He then reached out to squeeze Lou's shoulder gently, "Come on Lou."

She followed obediently, walking slightly behind Jimmy and Curly.

Curly showed them through the village, explaining where people of importance lived, where they should not go, where they were free to wander. All the while dark-eyed men, women, and children peered cautiously at the visitors. The People knew that these were not ordinary captives, and looked at them with interest, not scorn.

"Curly," Jimmy suddenly said, "You aren't Sioux."

Curly smiled, "Ah, yes. But now I am. I married Running Horses' daughter, Raven Wing. Many tribes are centered on the woman's side of the family. The Sioux are one of those tribes. The man lives with her family, not as in your world."

Jimmy nodded, "And your half-brother is Sioux, ain't he? Sitting Bull, right?"

Curly smiled, "Yes, that is so."

"Can't hurt to have friends in high places," Jimmy commented and Curly smiled.

"And Kid, how is he?" Curly asked.

Lou faltered in stride at the very mention of his name, for she'd been thinking of him. Neither of the men noticed though.

Jimmy, however, wasn't too fond of the Kid himself lately, and knowing Lou was listening to every word, forced his voice to sound normal, "He is well. He will be worried to find that we have gone, though."

"No he won't," Lou muttered under her breath.

Jimmy shot her a dirty look.

Curly turned around to smile at Lou, "And you are very different than I remember you!"

Lou tried to smile, didn't quite succeed, "I guess so."

"Much better now," Curly said approvingly.

Jimmy looked on the girl with pity. Their world was crumbling around them and they were forced to make small talk.

"Ah, here we are. My home," Curly announced proudly, then called out softly in Lakota.

Jimmy and Lou were both taken aback by the beauty of the woman who emerged from the lodge. She had the long blue-black hair of the Sioux, and it flowed to her hips. Her eyes were shaped like almonds, and the deepest of black. She was tall and proud. She studied the visitors carefully, and then her face broke into a beautiful white smile.

"James and Lou," She said in slow but sure English, "Welcome."

"This is my wife, Raven Wing," Curly said, obviously enjoying showing off her beauty, "The most beautiful woman in the world, and the kindest."

She bowed her head to them and then said, "And the most patient to put up with him."

Jimmy laughed out loud, and Lou mustered her first real smile of the day.

"Our guests must be hungry," She said in the same careful, but well spoken English, "Let us eat before you begin to set up your home."

Jimmy didn't miss the violent shiver that ran down Lou's spine at the word "home".

And so, they ate. For the first time in their lives, Jimmy and Lou had buffalo. Jimmy was ravenous and consumed his instantly, and then most of Lou's. She had no appetite, and Jimmy was too hungry to argue.

A few hours later Lou sat in the grass as Jimmy and Curly worked on cutting the last of the wood poles for the tee pee. She idly picked at her torn pants. She hadn't even a change of clothes with her since the horse carrying her saddlebags had run away. She was filthy, covered in mud, and smelled like a sweaty horse after riding on the back of Jimmy's horse last night.

Had that only been last night? A lifetime of worries had come down on her since then. She knew she was sulking, feeling sorry for herself, but she didn't care.

Jimmy watched carefully as Curly laid out the wooden poles and then drug a large piece of buffalo hide over the grass to the spot Jimmy had chosen; it was a bit secluded, located under a towering oak tree. Lou hadn't been interested in helping. Curly and Raven Wing's tee pee was the closest to them.

A brave called sharply to Curly, who then turned to Jimmy apologetically, "I must go! We are to go horse-trading, and I am the translator."

"Oh," Jimmy said simply, and then looked doubtfully at the poles and hide lying on the ground.

"It's not as hard as it looks," Curly said quickly, as he slipped back into his vest. He proceeded to rattle instructions to Jimmy rapidly. Jimmy lost him after, "First you…"

Suddenly Curly was gone, leaving a shirtless Jimmy standing amidst the unassembled tee pee.

Jimmy noticed Lou watching him with interest.

"What!" He demanded, hiding a smile.

"I didn't say anything!" She protested, and managed a smile too.

"Keep it that way!" Jimmy growled playfully and putting his hands on his hips studied the mess for a moment, "Not a word!"

Lou raised her eyebrows, but kept her mouth closed.

An hour later, Jimmy, now covered in sweat, stepped back triumphantly and waved his hand at the precariously right-leaning tee pee.

"See! I knew I could do it!" He was bursting with pride.

"Do what?" Lou wondered, feeling closer to laughing than she had since she left the station.

"Make the tee pee!" Jimmy snapped, growing defensive.

"You'd sleep in there?" Lou wondered.

"Yeah, why not? What's wrong with it?" He wondered.

"Nothing as long as the wind doesn't blow," Lou said nonchalantly.

Jimmy looked as if he might kill her, and Lou fought back a giggle. It was absurd. Jimmy honestly thought he'd done a fine job of building them a home, and Lou wouldn't have stepped inside for fear of her life.

"Damn it, Lou, I've been over here sweating for an hour and that's all you can say?" Jimmy demanded.

"No, I can also say watch out!" Lou exclaimed, covering her mouth as the tee pee leaned even more violently, though Lou wondered how that was possible.

"What?" Jimmy wondered as if she'd lost her mind. About that time the tee pee toppled over, mostly on Jimmy.

Lou laughed until tears filled her eyes.

He ended up on his back and stayed there, staring up at the sky and wishing the ground would swallow him so he wouldn't have to face her. It was inevitable though, as she slowly got up from her spot in the grass and crouched beside him.

"You all right?" She asked, her head eclipsing the sun.

"I'm fine!" He growled, although his head hurt like hell where he'd hit the ground. But if his arm had fallen off, he wouldn't give her the satisfaction of knowing he was in pain.

Lou helped pull the hide and two light poles off of him and he jumped to his feet, brushing the dirt from his sweaty back and shoulders.

"I don't understand what I did wrong!"

"You didn't secure the two main support poles. Curly told you to do that," Lou answered matter-of-factly.

Jimmy thought of how easily his hands would fit around her slim white throat. Through clenched teeth he hissed, "Why the hell didn't you tell me that an hour ago when I started!"

"You told me not to say anything," Lou replied breezily.

She started to walk away, and Jimmy smiled devishly. In two long strides he caught her, and swooped her up, throwing her over his shoulder.

Lou, afraid of his wrath, cried out, "Jimmy! Where are you taking me?" She struggled to see around him, but couldn't.

"Jimmy! Jimmy!" She laughed nervously, "Okay, this isn't funny anymore!"

Jimmy smiled from ear to ear, though Lou couldn't see him, "Oh, I think it's down right hilarious!"

"Jimmy, no!" Lou began as she suddenly saw water beneath his feet.

But it was too late. Jimmy promptly dumped her in waist deep water. Lou slipped under the surface and came up sputtering. Wiping water out of one eye, she squinted up at him while brushing the hair out of the other eye.

"That was uncalled for," She pointed out.

Jimmy was laughing too hard to hear her.

That's probably why he was so surprised when she grabbed his leg and jerked hard. It was easy to lose his balance on the slick rock of the riverbed, and he too slipped into the water.

As he came up coughing, for he'd inhaled much water when he fell in it laughing, Lou smiled sweetly, "Now, that was downright hilarious!"

They engaged in a water fight.

A few minutes later, refreshed from the warm sun, albeit soggy, Lou and Jimmy climbed back up to their clearing.

Curly strode up and surveyed the two, sopping wet and smiling and then looked at the tee pee, lying much like it had been when he left it.

"Ah, so you waited till I came back to do this," He said, "Just as well, you probably couldn't have figured it out on your own."

Jimmy groaned while Lou said innocently, "He's probably right, Jimmy."

She then retreated to watch them go about setting up the tee pee again.

Lou was just thinking of what a small space it was to share with Jimmy when a voice from behind her startled her.

"Lou, come on, I've some things for you."

Lou spun around to find Raven Wing standing behind her. She'd crept up with true Indian silence.

Lou climbed to her feet and smiled at the beautiful woman. She followed her back to the tee pee.

Raven Wing smiled, "I hope to be your friend while you are here. That is why I hope you will accept these gifts."

Lou started to protest, but then saw what Raven Wing offered her. In her outstretched arms were two deerskin dresses. One of them was simple, for every day, and the other was white with beautiful turquoise bead work.

"Oh, I can't take both of these! This one is so beautiful! You can't give this to me."

"They are too small for me now," Raven Wing insisted, "And I will never wear them again after the baby is born…"

Lou met the woman's shining eyes and they shared a gentle smile.

"That's wonderful!" She said softly.

"Yes," Raven Wing agreed, "But now, come. I will show you where you can wash. Although I saw James throw you in the river, I believe you are wanting for more water!"

"Yes, just not so much in my lungs," Lou commented.

Raven Wing laughed lightly, "You are happy with James, you appear very much in love."

Lou stopped in mid-stride, and her mouth hung open. She remembered then that she was supposed to appear Jimmy's woman. She smiled, hoping it would suffice as an answer.

Curly and Jimmy watched as the two women walked by them and disappeared on a wooded path.

"Lou will be all right?" Jimmy wondered.

"My wife will watch over her." Curly promised.

They went back to constructing the tee-pee. Lou had been right, Jimmy admitted grudgingly, he should have secured two of the big poles first.

A while later Lou was surrounded by deep, cool water. She scrubbed her skin with a bit of soap Raven Wing had. She stared at the bar, thinking it surely must have come from some poor white family massacred by the tribe.

Raven Wing, with wisdom beyond her years, read Lou's thoughts, "Ah, you are contemplating the horrible deaths of the owners of that soap. Not to worry, my friend, the Indians trade for goods with the white man. The Sioux are mostly a peaceful people. We wish only to live our way."

Lou blushed in shame, "I'm sorry," She said simply, not denying her thoughts.

"It's only natural for you to be wary of us. But you will find out in time that we are quite civilized."

Lou's heart sank at the reminder that they would be there for awhile, "Raven Wing, do you know how long your father will hold us here?"

Raven Wing sighed and said quietly, "You will be allowed to go when you have proven yourselves worthy to the spirits."

"How?" Lou wondered, knowing she wouldn't get a simple answer.

"There is no way to know yet," Raven Wing said.

Lou turned her back on Raven Wing, who was sitting on an overturned log. She scrubbed her skin furiously and then lathered her hair and ducked under the water. She wanted to scream, but instead kept methodically scrubbing. She felt her skin might wash off any minute.

"You think you will be unhappy here," Raven Wing wondered when she finally resurfaced.

Lou turned slowly to face her, "I have a life somewhere else. I wish to return to it."

"But the man you love is here. Surely that is all that matters!"

Lou again turned away to hide the tears that sprung to her eyes. She wondered momentarily if the thought of Kid would ever cease to twist her heart. How different it might have been if Kid had been the one to come after her, to confess he still loved her. How happy they could be, living side by side, known as lovers by all the tribe!

She was more disturbed to think of the charade with Jimmy. If there was anyone else who she could ever love, she had a sinking feeling it was James Hickok. Lately she wondered if he thought the same thing.

Lou considered confiding to Raven Wing that she was not Jimmy's woman, but thought the better of it. Whose woman was she then? Certainly not Kid's. Jimmy was the one who cared for her enough to risk his life to come after her, and now he was the one who would die to protect her. She was definitely more Jimmy's woman than Kid's.

She sighed and hugged her arms around herself, for the water suddenly seemed to have a cold bite. She shivered.

She remembered the time when she was happy being her own woman.

No longer could she pretend she didn't need anyone. Not when her heart split at the very thought of all that she'd known and lost.

She ducked under the water again.

Raven Wing shook her head sadly. She liked the girl very much, but there was a sadness about her that was enough to break her heart. The girl had too many ghosts, Raven Wing thought, and wondered what on earth such a young girl could have gone through in her short life to know so much pain.

When Lou surfaced she heard Raven Wing's voice, but instead of the beautifully lilting English, her voice was high and angry, and she spoke in Lakota.

Lou swung around and her heart slammed against the wall of her chest. Two tall braves stood at the water's edge, gazing at her. She lowered herself to her chin in the water and was very much aware of her vulnerability. She had nowhere to go. She'd felt like this once before, when Teaspoon had discovered she was a girl after jumping in the lake with her. This instance could have greater consequences she realized.

Raven Wing was furious, yelling at the two braves, but they paid her little attention.

Lou didn't like the look in either of their eyes and she backed up in the water, trying to think of how she would fight them if they came close to her. The bar of soap in her hand didn't promise to be a good weapon.

Then, as she feared, one of them started into the water, not bothering to take off his high moccasin boots. He advanced closer.

"Stay away!" Lou warned him in a shrill voice, and folded her arms across herself.

The other brave stood on the bank, holding Raven Wing.

Raven Wing screamed a final time, and broke free, running back down the path as quickly as she could.

Lou had been scared plenty of times, but never quite so acutely as she was when the brave stopped a few feet from her. The brave on the shore had stepped into the water too. She was completely alone with them. Lou back paddled as fast as she could, but refused to turn her back on the Indians.

"Jimmy!" She screamed suddenly, knowing that there was no way he could hear her.