Cami stopped him before they came too close to her house, pulling him into and alleyway where they could speak in private.

"Buck, can I ask you something?"

"Sure, what?" Buck asked back and began to play with her exposed neck; he kissed her until she sighed delightfully.

"Buck, stop."

Buck looked up with impatience written all over his face. "What?" he asked with both his hands flung up.

"When's your birthday?"

The question hit his face like a fist, and his gaze dropped to investigate his boots.

"Buck?"

He looked up again, sighing. "Does it matter?" he asked.

"Yes, I wanna know. After all, you know when my birthday is," Cami gave him a sinister smile and started to give back some of what he had just given her; her lips were warm and gentle as they danced over his bronze skin.

"I don't have a habit of telling people when my birthday is," Buck sighed and Cami looked up.

"Why not?"

"It's not my highest dream in the world to celebrate the worst day of my life," Buck sighed again, looking away. She couldn't understand anyway.

"That you were born? Buck, look at me," Cami begged and took his chin in her hand. He turned his gaze slowly until he met her sky blue eyes. "Buck, if you had not been born, then I would never have met you. An you had never met me. Isn't that worth anything at all?"

Buck nodded silently with a solemn look on his fallen face. He rarely thought of his birthday. It brought back so many memories. Only Red Bear, their mother and those in the tribe who bothered to care, knew what day and year the half-white, half-Kiowa boy was born. He looked into Cami's clear and honest eyes and knew he had to tell her. And maybe he actually wanted to.

"Next week."

Cami's face lit up. "Really?"

"Yeah."

"What day? Tell me, tell me!" Cami probed and almost began jumping up and down in excitement.

"Saturday."

Cami thought for a moment. "The day of the dance?"

"Yeah," Buck admitted and sighed a third time. "Now you know."

"How old are you on Saturday then?" Cami asked with a hopeful tone.

"Twenty-two," Buck answered without knowing why he did it.

"That makes you almost exactly on the day four years older than I am," Cami smiled and kissed his lips quickly. "What do you want for your birthday?"

"Cami, don't. Don't even think about it," Buck pleaded and her eyes narrowed. "I don't want anything, and I don't want you telling nobody, is that a deal?"

Cami's face fell and she let her gaze find the ground. "Sure."

Like every time she was sad Buck's heart ripped in two, and he searched through his mind desperately to find a way to make her happy again.

"Cami, I'm sorry. I didn't mean to sound-"

Cami's smile broke him off. She took his hand and lead him out of the alley again, and Buck could only shake his head in disbelief. What suddenly changed her mood?