DISCLAIMER: The Young Riders is the creation of Ed Spielman, and the property of Ogiens/Kane productions in association with MGM/UA television. This Story is created for entertainment purposes only, no infringement intended. Not to be copied without permission from the author.
Lou was barely halfway into town, tears streaming down her cheeks, her ride into town allowing her to vent some of the grief that was choking her soul before she collected the bodies of her husband and their two ‘brothers’ and take them home. She only hoped that she reached her beloved Kid in time to say her final goodbyes and tell him just how much she really did love him before he was snatched so cruelly from her. She had dreamed since they had first confessed their love that they would grow old together, parting only when old age parted them, but somehow, deep down she realised that she had always known that his convictions and his sense of right and wrong would part them earlier then they would ever hope.
Perhaps if she had not been so deeply consumed by her all encompassing grief, perhaps if she had been paying attention to her surroundings she would have noticed the men following her before they had the opportunity to fulfil their mission, but she didn’t. Grief stricken and heartbroken, she didn’t see them as they rode ever closer to their prey. They were almost at her side when she did notice them, two large burly men, their bandannas tied tightly around their faces, their hats pulled low as they rode, Lou saw them and knowing that they meant her harm she spurred lightning, urging him to move faster to try and evade what she knew would be capture by these two outlaws. But it was too late, even as she urged Lightning forward trying to elude her captors, the largest of the two men was lifting her from Lightning’s back, nearly dropping her as she was thrown kicking and punching across his lap, the saddle pommel digging painfully into her ribs as he threw her across his lap and rode towards their hideout.
Buck walked back into the house, for the first time in his life he felt completely controlled by his grief, his churning emotions making him a different person. He had thought that the pain and sorrow he felt when Ike was killed was almost more than he could bear, but the pain of losing three of his friends, including the man who had become as close to him as Ike had been, maybe even closer, was making him physically ill. Still, he had unwilling to tell anyone yet, unsure if he could actually form the words and not break down as he was telling the rest of the family and he knew that he would be expected to be the strong one. Theresia and Jeremiah were both too young to understand, Lou had just lost not only her husband and soul mate but the only other man she had truly loved, Rachel he knew would take the news badly but well, he didn’t even want to think how Teaspoon would take the loss of three of his sons. However, he knew that he had to tell them before Lou returned, and he didn’t know how he was going to tell Teaspoon without doing possibly irreparable damage to his health. Hearing baby Emma crying he lifted her from her cradle and lifted her into his loving embrace.
Crooning a gentle soothing Kiowa lullaby to her, he sank to sit cross legged on the floor, singing a song that he remembered his mother singing to him in times of discomfort, he wondered how she would cope without a father, not just a father but without the father that loved her so dearly. He kissed her gently on the forehead, watching as her sleepy eyes once again closed, loving her just as much as he would love a child of his own. He knew that Lou would try to be both mother and father to her daughter, and he would willingly fill the gap left by Kid’s demise, if only so she would never want for a father figure, but there would be no way that the tiny angel in his arms would be denied the possibility to know what a good man her father was the rest of them would make sure that every day of her life she would be reminded of the strength of his convictions, his courage and his loyalty, but most of all there would be no way she could not know the all encompassing love her mother and father shared for the short time they had been allowed to share.
Placing the sleeping baby back into the cradle he had lifted her from, he was startled by the sound of horses approaching the house. Walking out onto the porch drying the tears he hadn’t been aware he was shedding, his face went pale, unsure of exactly what he was seeing, thinking that maybe in the depth of his grief he was hallucinating as Kid Cody and Jimmy rode up.
“Buck you look like you’ve seen a ghost?’ Cody laughed as he watched his old friends face
“I think I just have” he spoke as he walked slowly down the stairs. The others could not help but see the signs of his grief as he walked closer to them
“What’s wrong Buck?’ Kid asked knowing that something momentous had happened while they were away from the house.
“Grant was here’ he spoke, his speech fragmented, not making his usual sense as he tried to make sense of what was happening
“Yeah and we went into town” Jimmy spoke, almost enjoying Buck being so confused until Buck moved closer and he saw the ravages that his tears had done to his face
“No not long ago he was here and told us that you were all killed.’ He looked at them all, realising now what had happened, they had been duped. The news of their deaths was just a ploy to get Lou away from their protection.
“Where is Lou?’ Kid asked his voice almost flat with fear
“She went into town to bring you all home, I think she wanted to be alone to grieve. She didn’t want me to go with her.’ He spoke quietly knowing that if anything happened to Lou he knew that nobody would blame him but it would be nobody’s fault but his own.
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