Save the Next Dance

Ellie fumed when she found herself once again restricted to bed. Twice in a little over a week was more than she could tolerate. Louise had been yelled at for cold coffee, Teaspoon for hammering too loud, her father was blamed for her isolation and Teddy had asked how she was feeling too many times. Only Rachel had been able to get near enough to the miserable patient to convince her of a hot bath and some fresh air in the swing seat.

On the third day Cody gingerly knocked on her bedroom door, unsure whether or not he'd make it back out alive. He rode around for two days after the attempted ambush, reliving the events and contemplating how things may have otherwise turned out. One of his biggest fears previously, was that by his being around Ellie he may end up being the cause of her getting shot, but now the dream had run its course and he had prevented it from becoming reality he didn't quite know how to approach her. When he returned last night he had found Teaspoon, Jack and the riders at Rachel's house, discussing strategies to cope with Ellie's temper tantrums. Teddy had drawn the short straw and stayed at home to keep and eye on her.

"She can't be that bad," suggested Cody to the little party, "she's just hurt and shaken after everything. She'll be alright soon".

"Why don't you try talking to her then!" Jimmy had bravely entered her room earlier that morning and made the mistake of asking how her head was, only to be told in no uncertain terms to get out and stay away until he could come up with a more original topic of conversation.

But that was yesterday and Cody reasoned that by now she had another night's sleep and the doctor had allowed her to get up today so maybe he'd fare better than Jimmy had the previous morning. He took a deep breath and entered the bear's cave. She was sitting in a chair by the window, no doubt she had seen him ride up.

"Did you lose all you manners with that bump on the head or do you just enjoy making people miserable?" he opened the conversation having decided to fight fire with fire.

"How are you Eleanor? It's good to see you out of bed. I trust you are feeling better..." Ellie said sarcastically.

"From what I've heard from the others I figured I'd be better off not asking about your health," he replied saucily.

She glared at him for his reproach, she knew she had been difficult for everyone else but she had been worried when Billy had just disappeared after the shootout as well as frustrated with her current position of confinement.

"Thank you for saving me," she closed her eyes in disgust at how inadequate that sounded, not to mention how pathetic. She opened her eyes and looked at him "How did you know?"

"Know what?" Cody was distracted by the repair-work on the balcony door in her room.

Ellie saw the direction of his gaze "Where that bullet was going" she nodded towards the door.

Cody remained silent then turned to the window, "I had a vision of sorts."

Eleanor frowned not quite comprehending at first then remembered something Jimmy had said a earlier at the dance a little over a week ago. "The dream?" she asked. "Jimmy mentioned you kept having nightmares" Ellie explained to his questioning glance.

Cody nodded "Yeah" he said quietly.

Ellie hesitated, "Did I die?"

"Uh huh" he turned away but not before Ellie noticed how tense and drawn he looked.

"You changed it," she said softly "I'm still alive, you saved my life. I guess that makes you my hero," she attempted to lighten the mood.

He let out a half sigh, half laugh and turned towards her again "I guess so".

"Imagine me being the damsel in distress, not usually my style is it?" she joked.

At this Cody relaxed and laughed aloud "Not your style! If your father had given me a dollar for everytime I've had to save your neck so far in your short life, I'd be a rich man!"

"It doesn't count when you're the reason I need saving in the first place!" she retorted.

"I never forced you to climb the trees... catch the snake... swim to the middle of the river..."

"Huh!" she strode over and twisted his ear "YOU would have called me chicken if I didn't! You swine!"

"Owwww! You're not and never have been a chicken ok. Just let go!" she released his ear. "In fact, now that you're all grown up, you're a stubborn, temperamental, head strong hussy!" he raced for the door and flew down the steps before she could retaliate.

"William Cody get back here! How dare you call me a hussy! Just you wait..."

"What on earth is going on?" Cody almost hurtled into Jack Cicely who had just got back from town.

"Morning Mr Cicely. I have to get ready for a ride but Ellie seems to be better" he stated then turned to Ellie who was watching from the top step with her hands on hips, "I'll see you again when I get back. Keep on getting better won't you?" he said with extra sweetness to be patronizing.

"Good bye William, so nice of you to call by," Ellie replied with equal sweetness then turned and swept back to her room with a grin, happy at last to be called Ellie again. A confused Jack Cicely just shook his head and carried on his business.

Eleanor ran her finger over the dent in the table. Teddy had left earlier that day, headed for Virginia and his cottage to start a new life. Jack Cicely had been less than pleased about Teddy leaving, some of his wounds had still not completely healed but Jack was glad that his son was at least beginning to show a sense of direction in his life. The chink in the table was the only evidence left from the shootout that had taken place there two weeks earlier.

"Ellie?"

"Yes Pa?" she moved to the door to see her father on the porch.

"Why don't you go into town and see Rachel and Lou. It might stop you moping around in here" he suggested.

"I'm not moping" she replied slightly offended, "I was just thinking how quiet and empty it seems without Teddy"

"You're going to miss him aren't you?"

"I wish he could have stayed longer. It was so long since we were together and then when he did come back he was here for such a short time" she mused.

Her father leaned against the door careful to keep his muddy boots at a distance, "Well you'll just have to wait 'til he's settled and then you can stay with him for a while".

"I know." Ellie sighed, "Maybe I will go into town for a bit."

Ellie arrived to find great excitement at the waystation, a mustang had broken loose and both Ike and Noah were out on a run and no-one else was keen on trying to catch him. Jimmy was yelling at Cody to rope the horse, Kid was yelling at Lou to get out of the way, and Teaspoon was yelling at everyone to quiet down because they were exciting the poor animal. Ellie tethered her horse, delighted at the spectacle taking place, and joined Rachel who was on the porch trying not to laugh as various people slithered around in the mud.

Suddenly Cody glanced at her then climbed onto the fence, Ellie gasped as she predicted what he was going to do then watched horrified as he flung himself onto the rampaging horse's back as it charged by. The horse, stunned by the sudden weight on it's back twisted and bucked until Cody found himself face down in the mud.

Lou looked over at Ellie who was vigorously biting her lip to suppress her laughter. Ellie shook her head at Lou's raised eyebrows.

"I wonder who that act of bravery was aimed at" Rachel teased.

"Billy is more than capable of doing foolish things whether I'm here or not" Eleanor pointed out defensively.

Lou walked over to the two ladies "Has Teddy left?"

Ellie nodded "Just after breakfast. Pa sent me over here, he thinks I'm moping around" she explained.

"Well since you're here you might as well help me get lunch on the table" suggested Rachel as Buck and Teaspoon managed to lasso the troublesome animal, "Cody, get cleaned up!"

Eleanor carried a piece of carrot towards the ever-hungry foal who pushed her silky nose through the fence in anticipation. "You are too spoilt" Eleanor stated as the little teeth tugged at the carrot in her hand, "I expect it's because you are so cute".

"I expect you're right" Cody joined her at the fence and fingered the foals downy ears. "Ellie..."

"Mmm?"

"When are you going home?"

"Gee, thanks" Ellie looked at him feigning offense.

"I didn't mean it like that...I'm going for a ride out to Cutter's Creek, I just wondered if you had time to go."

Ellie wiped her hand on her skirt "Sure, I'd like that". She turned towards the house "Just give me a few minutes ok".

"I'll get your horse ready."

A few minutes later Ellie reappeared. Cody couldn't help laughing at the figure that had emerged wearing a pair of Lou's trousers. It obviously wasn't a habit she was ever likely to break entirely.

"What?" she shot at him.

"Nothing."

Ellie glared at him and as she mounted her horse.

"Stop by that tree" Cody called out to her. They had traveled quite a distance in silence, each enjoying the beauty of the surrounding land and lost in their own thoughts.

"Oh look!" she whispered as she dismounted.

Cody looked into the tree to where she was pointing at three fluffy chicks sitting on a branch waiting for food. "I watched their mother sitting on the nest a few weeks back" he commented thoughtfully.

"Do you often ride out here?"

Cody nodded "The bunkhouse gets a bit noisy at times, I usually come out here to think about things".

"Oh" said Ellie remembering how Lou had told her that Cody spent a lot of time out here before the dance a month back. Cody glanced at her realizing that her silence meant that she was in no doubt as to what he'd been thinking about out here.

"Come down here" he pointed to a path through the grass. She followed him down towards the river that gurgled as it passed over the rocks . Suddenly she became aware of how hot her feet were but after being laughed at when she appeared in trousers, she decided that she'd wait for him to remove his boots first!

"It reminds me of Edgar's Creek back home, I guess that's why I always come here" Cody reflected.

"Do you ever wish you were a kid again?" asked Ellie.

Cody flicked a stone in the water "Sometimes", he watched the ripples rush away in all directions, he turned to Ellie "but then I remember how many doors are closed to you when you are young".

Ellie laughed as the stone she had tried to skim sunk to the bottom like the rock that it was. "Like what?" she asked.

"Freedom to make your own decisions about life".

"Like being able to move on when you want to?" Ellie queried.

"Partly I guess" Cody realised they were approaching dangerous territory "I had to go Ellie, I couldn't make a life in Irwin. There would always be someone telling me what to do," he paused and looked at her "I had to do it for myself, do you understand that?"

Ellie smiled "Considering I'm a head-stong hussy, as someone once told me, I guess I do understand the need to be independent. I also know that Pa would have killed us both if I'd gone with you".

"I imagine so!" Cody fidgeted uncomfortably "He told me I should leave..."

"What?" her eyes blazed.

"He told me I should leave so I could get some money together to offer my future wife a home" he finished.

"Oh" Ellie felt the color rising in her neck, future wife? What exactly had her father meant by that? They sat in silence for a few minutes as Ellie digested the new information.

"I'm sorry" she said at last, Cody frowned at first not understanding until he saw the tears welled up in her eyes. She turned away quickly hoping to hide her emotions as she played with a small stone drawing lines in the dry dirt with it.

Cody looked desperately across the river in search of something to tell him what to do now. He needed to know why she had done it, why did she hate him so much that she'd left him for his friend? He knew she'd been hurt by his leaving but he couldn't understand her need to punish him in that way, he vividly remembered the ache he'd felt inside when he saw her walking to the dance with Andy. It was something that he doubted he'd ever forget. He'd been angry with her for so long, he'd hated her then. He remembered the day two months later when he'd ridden through Irwin and watched her hanging out washing and talking with Andy, he'd wanted to shoot them both that day. He had ridden off again without either of them ever knowing that he'd been back. He had tried to hate her when he had first arrived in Rock Creek but she was so full of life and fun just as he'd known her as a child, although he could see the hurt and sadness that she carried around with her too. Slowly he had realised that she had been punishing herself over that awful night for the past three years, he wanted to help lift that darkness from inside her so that she didn't hurt anymore. But right now he needed answers to help him understand.

"Why Ellie? Why did you hate me so much then?"

Ellie rubbed her eyes and took a deep breathe "I never hated you" her voice was soft, little more than a whisper. "I thought that you would come after me and decide not to leave".

"What about Andy?"

Ellie looked at the ground, embarrassed "I just used him to make you jealous. I hurt him too" she said tearfully "I was a horrible person, so selfish, I never blamed you for hating me. I didn't like me very much either".

Cody struggled with supposed dust in his eyes as he pulled the small, trembling figure towards him "I don't hate you" he said, she emitted a sob as he kissed the top of her head. His mind flashed back to the day he'd told her he was going west, her hair had escaped that day too as they sat in a similar embrace. "My feet are hot. How about yours?" he asked tucking the usual piece of hair behind her ear.

Ellie dried her eyes on her sleeve and slowly smiled "Roasting!" she answered as she bent to unlace her boots .

"Ellie... there's a dance coming up in a few weeks".

"Uh huh."

"Do you think you could save a dance or two for me?"

Ellie smiled "I'm sure I could manage that" she said, immersing her bare feet into the cool water.

THE END

Copyright 1998-This work is not to be reproduced without the permission of the author

The Way Station
Campfire Tales

Email: gliterin@bellsouth.net