Chapter 6

Evan was still sitting at the card table, engrossed in a game, when he felt a hand touch him from behind. Instinctively he whirled around, hand seeking his iron. He frowned when he saw the man standing behind him.

"Excuse me for a minute, won't you, gents?" He offered a quick smile to the other men then quickly led the man outside, away from listening ears.

"I thought I told you never to speak to me in public!" Evan hissed once they were alone.

The man blinked. His skin shone with a light sweat that matched his oily black hair. For the first time Evan noticed the look of wild panic in the man's eyes.

"What is it? Did you do it?" He asked when the man continued to stare at him blankly. "Richards, for God's sake, what happened? Did you kill the retard or not?"

Richards tried to focus. He knew he was in a bad situation and he wasn't sure that he hadn't just made it worse by coming to Evan. Denver Richards was a cold man; had to be in his line of work, but he had met few men as heartless as Evan Windmere. The girl was the whole reason Evan wanted the mute dead; and now...

"Richards!" Evan cried impatiently. He sensed something was wrong. Had Richards botched his assassination attempt? Maybe the Seven were already looking for him; in which case, Evan couldn't afford to be seen talking to the man.

He pulled his gun again and held it to Richard's temple. "Tell me what you did. Now." Evan whispered menacingly.

Richards closed his eyes and swallowed hard. When he spoke, his voice quivered with fear. "I--I...missed."

"You missed. What do you mean, you missed? Did you hit him or not?"

Richards shook his head. "I d-didn't hit him."

Evan's brow creased in puzzlement. "Did you hit someone else? Is that what you're trying to tell me?"

Richards nodded and a sob escaped him.

Evan sighed. "Who?" This was bad but maybe not totally a lost cause. If Richards had managed to take out one of the seven...that prissy Ezra perhaps, then his mistake could be forgiven...

"The girl..." Richards choked out.

Evan's head jerked up sharply. "Girl? You hit one of the girls? Which one?" Images of his sister flooded him. A sharp fear twisted up within him and unknowingly he pushed the gun a little harder into Richards' skull. "Which one?!"

"Th-the blonde. The mute's girl..." Richards was practically shaking with his fear. He let out a small moan as a look of fury passed over Evan's face.

Evan's breathing came in hard, heaving gasps. An unbelievable rage spread throughout him. He wanted to hurt someone; mainly Richards.

Richards saw the expression and he began to plead. "Oh, no, please! I never meant--"

His words were cut off by the blast of a gun. Blood began to trickle from the hole in his head and Denver Richards slowly slumped to the ground. Evan reholstered his gun, still breathing heavily.

The fool had killed Amanda. And whose fault was it? His? He supposed he could share in some of the blame, but not all of it; oh no, not all. It was the retard's fault. Probably he had seen Richards with the gun and had known what he was about to do so he had pushed Amanda in front of the bullet to save himself. In his mind, Evan could see this happening easily and his anger grew. The retard would pay. And he would pay most dearly...

Buck and Tommie glanced sharply at each other as the gunshot ricocheted across the prairie.

"That came from the station!" Tommie exclaimed in a frightened, worried voice.

"Stay here!" Buck commanded as he began running.

Tommie stayed still for approximately five seconds, then she took off in pursuit of Buck. Everything at the station was in a state of chaos. The boys were running here and there. Tommie could hear Eshe crying somewhere in the background. And in the center of it all, near the barn, Tommie could see Ike crouched over a dark unmoving form.

A figure ran by her and blindly Tommie reached out and grabbed it. It was Jimmy. He noticed the wild look in the girl's eyes, so he stopped.

"Where's Buck?" He asked gruffly. "What are you doing out here?"

He began to lead her unwillingly toward the bunkhouse but Tommie planted her feet, refusing to move. "Jimmy, what's happening? We heard a gunshot...is someone hurt?"

Her head turned to the silhouette of Ike, still bent over that strangely familiar form hidden by the darkness. Jimmy quickly moved to block her view and pushed her towards the bunkhouse again. Tommie struggled against him, her fright growing.

"Answer me! Is someone hurt? Why won't you let me see?" She demanded.

Jimmy paused, his hand still grasping her arm. His hazel eyes looked dark and deep with only a few lamps to light them. "Tommie...It's Amanda..."

"Amanda? What about--" Tommie's face paled with shock. "She's been shot? Let me go! I've got to see her!"

Jimmy pulled her roughly back to him. "Tommie, no! Whoever did this is still out there; it's not safe!"

"She needs me, Jimmy!" Tommie insisted. "Please let me go, I just want to make sure she's all right!"

"Ike is with her. And Kid went for the doctor." Jimmy said firmly. "Now please, go inside with Eshe...just until we make sure it's safe. I'll come get you, I promise."

Tommie looked at him, wanting to argue. She knew what he said made sense but how could she wait inside while her friend lay bleeding on the hard ground not twenty feet away from her? She glanced from Jimmy to the still unmoving shadow of Amanda's body and back again.

"Tommie, please." Jimmy pleaded again. "It won't take us long to search the grounds and maybe we can catch whoever did this. Go inside."

She nodded mutely. Jimmy watched her long enough to make sure she obeyed him, then he disappeared into the shadows. Tommie tried to make out what was happening through the bunkhouse windows but the night was too dark; beyond the lamplight she could see nothing.

She turned to Eshe, who was sitting on one of the bunks, her arms wrapped around herself. Eshe gazed at her with red eyes. Tommie went to sit next to her and wrapped an arm around her friend's slim shoulders.

"It looked bad, Tommie, real bad." Eshe whispered.

"What happened? Did you see it?"

"No, Kid and I were inside...we heard the shot. There was so much blood..." Eshe moaned.

"Hush!" Tommie reprimanded. "Amanda will be fine! She has to be."

They sat together for what seemed like an eternity; waiting to hear something, anything. Just when Tommie had decided she could wait no longer, the door flew open. Jimmy and Kid stood there, both looking grim.

"Where's Amanda?" Eshe and Tommie asked in one voice.

"Ike carried her up to the house. Nathan's with her now." Kid ran a hand through his dark hair.

"Is she--?" Tommie stopped, unable to continue.

Jimmy shrugged. "We don't know anything yet."

"Who would have done something like this?" Eshe whispered.

"I have a feeling if we find Evan, we'll get the answer to that question." Came a soft voice from the door.

Tommie whirled around to find Buck had quietly joined the little gathering. He was leaned against the doorframe, his thumbs tucked into the pockets of his pants.

"You think Evan did this?" Eshe asked, her expression horrified. "But why? I thought he was claiming to be in love with Amanda; why would he want to kill her?"

"Who else would have done it?" Buck countered. "He sees Ike and Amanda together and his jealousy gets the best of him, so he just loses it."

Tommie's features settled into an expression of hurt. She knew perfectly well what evil Evan was capable of but she still didn't like to hear anyone say it. An image of Evan releasing her the time she and Amanda had been kidnapped by Evan and Austin flashed in her head. There was some good in her brother; there had to be, otherwise why had he bothered to let her go? Despite herself, she felt the urge to defend him.

"Buck, do you have any proof Evan was involved? I know he isn't exactly a favorite around here, but I really don't think he'd go so far as to hurt..."

He cut her off. "I rode back into town, Tommie. I've got a couple of witnesses that say Evan disappeared with another man not long after I left... around the time that Amanda was shot. He hasn't come back and neither of them have been seen since."

"That doesn't mean he shot Amanda! He could be anywhere...He's probably up to no good, that I'll admit...but this? I don't think he did this, Buck."

Buck shook his head stubbornly. "It's too coincidental, Tommie. Amanda's shot, Evan's missing; I'd say he's as good as got the gun in his hand."

"What about the other man?" Tommie persisted. "Why would Evan have involved someone else? He wouldn't want the witnesses! It doesn't add up!"

"Why are you defending him?" Buck asked hotly. "He robs and steals and kidnaps and let's not forget that little incident with the hotel clerk back in Sweetwater--you think he'd have a problem with killing Amanda? Don't be so naive, Tommie!"

Tommie's face reddened with anger. "I'm not being naive! I know what kind of person Evan is, believe me! I just don't think you should point fingers until we have more proof!"

"What more proof do you need? Think about it, Tommie, who else would have done this? Evan is the only logical answer!"

"Logic doesn't have anything to do with this! You're just mad because of what happened earlier and you're determined to blame this on my brother!"

Jimmy suddenly stepped between the two of them with his hands raised. Up until this point he had been watching silently along with Kid and Eshe as Tommie's and Buck's tempers both escalated. Now he knew he needed to stop them before things worsened anymore.

"I don't know what's going on between you two but right now Amanda needs us. Buck, Tommie is right; we don't have any proof that Evan is behind this although I will agree with you that I'd like to know where he is right about now. But let's drop it for the time being. There's not much else we can do tonight and you and Vin can pick up the trail first thing in the morning."

Tommie seemed to relax some at Jimmy's words. Her face lost its anger, leaving only the worry and fear for her friend behind. "You're right, Jimmy. This is no time to argue; all I want is for Amanda to be alright...Buck?"

She extended her hand to him as a gesture of peace. Buck stared at it for a long time, then he turned and walked back to the door. "I think I'll go back into town for awhile."

The room was entirely silent as the door shut behind him. Tommie felt her cheeks burn at Buck's rebuffal; could he really be that angry with her for not telling him about her past? Jimmy glanced at her sympathetically then studied his boots intently. Kid and Eshe exchanged a mystified look, then Eshe hurried forward to comfort her friend.

"He's just worried about Amanda." Eshe soothed gently. "Give him a little time and he'll realize he didn't mean what he said."

"I know." Tommie replied tonelessly. Inside, she wondered if Eshe was right.

Eshe shot another look at Kid, who simply shrugged. She squeezed Tommie's shoulders tightly. "Let's go up to the house; surely Nathan is finished examining Amanda by now."

"You go ahead, I'll be up in a few minutes. I just...just need a few minutes by myself." Tommie sighed.

Eshe nodded understandingly, hugging Tommie one final time before leading Kid outside. Jimmy followed but hesitated by the door. He removed his hat, twisting it around and around in his hands.

"She's right, you know. Buck will come around." He said finally.

Tommie sighed again. "It doesn't matter. Truth is, Buck is probably right. If I had to guess, I'd say that Evan did have something to do with this. It's just...he's my brother, Jimmy. It's hard for me to accept that he's the way he is. He wasn't always like this, you know. When we were young..." Her voice trailed off and her eyes became distant.

"People change." Jimmy shrugged, but not uncaringly. He too knew the pain of having someone turn out differently than what was expected. "Sometimes not for the best."

Again Tommie thought of the night that Evan had released her. Why? She still had no reasoning for it. However it did make her believe that somewhere deep inside, Evan did still retain a small portion of that boy he used to be. She just wished she knew how to bring him to the surface again.

"Well." Jimmy cleared his throat, interrupting her thoughts. She waited for him to finish his statement but he never did.

"I had better go see about Amanda." Tommie said after a pause.

Jimmy nodded, then stopped her again just before she left. "Tommie...why don't I go check on Buck? Just to make sure..."

He left his words unspoken but both of them knew what the rest of the sentence was: Just to make sure Buck didn't try anything stupid, like killing Evan. Tommie nodded, looking at Jimmy gratefully. He ducked his head, then slipped to the barn for his horse.

Tommie remained standing still for a long time after Jimmy had left. It seemed like her whole life had upended in the space of a few hours. She remembered the last time this had happened, when her father had sent her away from Sweetwater to live in Rock Creek. She had thought then that her world would never be the same again, and in some ways it wasn't, but overall it was better. She had her friends and she had Buck. She wondered if it would be as easy to recover this time...

Jimmy followed Buck into town, carefully staying far enough behind that Buck wouldn't suspect his presence. It wasn't hard to figure out where the young half-breed was going; Buck made a clear, straight path to the saloon. He tied his horse and quickly went inside. Jimmy waited a few minutes, then he went in pursuit.

Buck was normally so level-headed, it seemed strange to Jimmy that it was he who was trying to help a friend avoid trouble instead of the other way around. However, Jimmy knew when it came to matters of the heart, sometimes people didn't think clearly.

What exactly was going on between Buck and Tommie? It obviously had something to do with Evan. Buck thought that Tommie had deceived him...How? Why? It was hard for Jimmy to imagine the sweetnatured Tommie doing anything deceiving. Had Evan somehow coerced his sister into doing something wrong? Maybe Tommie had decided to confess to Buck. But why was Buck being so unforgiving? It just didn't make sense.

All of this Jimmy thought as he eased into the saloon and took a seat in an inconspicous corner. Buck was observing the other side of the room with sweeping eyes. You won't find what you're looking for here, Jimmy thought to himself. A cursory glance had already told him that Evan wasn't here, not now.

Soon enough Buck came to the same conclusion and he slipped out the saloon's batwing doors. Jimmy rose from his corner and went after him. Where would Buck go now? None of them knew Evan well enough to know his hangouts.

Outside, the night was silent. Buck's horse was still standing patiently, drinking slowly from a trough of water. Jimmy scanned the empty street in both directions, looking for any sign of his friend.

With an aggravated groan, he finally decided to go to the left, in the direction of the bordello that Tommie's aunt owned. Jimmy thought he had heard somewhere that it was there that Evan was staying. He hoped that Buck had drawn the same conclusion.

Jimmy stepped down from the sidewalk and an arm reached out and pulled him into the smooth darkness between the saloon and the building next to it. Automatically, Jimmy reached for his gun.

"I don't know who you are, mister, but you better turn me loose." Jimmy said quietly.

The hand released him and a shadow moved forward into the light. It was Buck. Jimmy's grip relieved itself a little on his gun.

"Why are you following me?" Buck asked.

Jimmy shrugged a little self consciously. "Don't want you to get your fool head in trouble, is all."

"Evan had something to do with this. I know it." Buck said vehemently.

"Maybe. Maybe not." Jimmy shook his head. "But if he did, Evan's smart enough to lay low for awhile. We ain't gonna find him tonight. I imagine Chris and Vin will scare him out of whatever hole he's hiding in soon enough, Ezra will see to that."

Buck's jaw set in a stubborn line. "I don't like the idea of him running loose. What's to keep him from trying again?"

"Ike for one. Ezra for another." Jimmy smiled half-heartedly. "You and me, if we go back to the station. Ike needs you. Your girl needs you. Let this go, for tonight at least."

"He has to pay!" Buck hissed angrily.

"And if he did this, he will. But right now there's more important things to think about."

Buck looked at Jimmy for a long time. Was this really the same hotheaded, quick-for-the-gun Jimmy that would have at one time been the first one to lead a lynch party to hunt down Amanda's attackers? Not that he didn't care; no, Buck could see that Jimmy wanted to find whoever had done this as badly as he did, but...Ike needed him.

Suddenly Buck was filled with a regret so deep it curdled his stomach. He had thought he was doing the right thing, going to track down Evan. But was he? Was he really? Didn't Ike need him right now more than anything? And Tommie...Amanda was her best friend; what was she going through?

The image of Tommie's hurt face when he had left her in the bunkhouse came to him. He had been so angry, but at what? Because she wanted to protect her brother despite the odds against him? Buck really couldn't fault her for that, could he?

No, the truth was he was really mad because of what Tommie had revealed to him earlier about her past. Not so much because of what she had done but the fact that she had concealed it from him for so long; the fact that she had felt she couldn't confide in him. It hurt him because if she didn't trust him, what did they have, really? And worst of all, he knew of no reason why she shouldn't trust him. He had never judged her, why would he start now?

"Buck?" Jimmy asked quizzically, breaking into his reverie.

He started a little, then sighed, trying to release some of the pent up feelings lodged inside him. His mixed emotions about Tommie could wait. Evan could wait. The only thing that mattered was Ike and Amanda.

"Let's get back to the station." Buck said softly.

Relieved, Jimmy didn't try to argue.

The silence in the house was deafening, and Ike felt as if he would lose his mind. He held his head in his hands, his elbows resting on the edge of the bed. It was in the early hours of the morning; the exact time he wasn't sure. But to Ike, it felt as if the night had been a thousand nights.

It had all happened so fast. One minute he was overjoyed by Amanda's agreeing to be his wife; the next, he was watching her bleed nearly to death. Ike shook his head, raising his eyes to meet the slack face of his lady love.

Amanda was so very pale; sweat covering her brow as she lay motionless. Her breathing was slow and unsteady, but he thanked whatever God was watching them that there was breath in her lungs at all.

Ike bit back the tears that so desperately wanted to escape. He raised a shaky hand to her forehead, wiping clumps of sweat-soaked bangs back from her eyes. Slowly, he ran the backs of his fingers against her clammy skin. 'Please,' his mind screamed, willing her to open her eyes. 'You have to beat this. You can't leave me now.'

Ezra had nearly ripped her from Ike's arms outside the barn, whisking her into the house before Ike had been able to wrap his mind around what had happened. Nathan had gone in behind him, his youthful face full of certainty, and it was hours before Nathan had finally emerged from the spare bedroom, his arms and shirt soaked with blood.

Conversation had gone on around Ike during that long period of wait that had seemed like an eternity. The gambler raged about finding those responsible. Tommie and Eshe sobbed constantly as they clung together. The tracker had gone out to search the areas around the barn for clues. Buck sat next to Ike, his hand resting on the quiet riders' shoulder, though Buck had been certain that Ike didn't even know he was there.

When the handsome healer had finally emerged, the room came to a complete stand still.

"Well?" Ezra asked, his voice shaky as he folded her arms across his chest.

Nathan lowered his head, shaking it slowly as he wiped his hands along the legs of his pants.

"Oh God no!!" Tommie shrieked through a mass of heart-wrenching sobs.

Immediately, Nathan stepped forward, his face alarmed. "No, Tommie, she's alive. I didn't mean to imply that she wasn't," he said, trying to reassure the pretty redhead. "She is alive." Quickly, he glanced around the room, meeting the eyes of all those that occupied it. Finally, he swallowed hard. "But barely though."

The creak of the door brought Ike from his thoughts, glancing over his shoulder to see Ezra quietly closing the door behind him. Turning his attention back to Amanda, Ike scooped her cold hand in his, bringing it to his lips and placing a tender kiss on her palm.

"Anything?" Ezra asked hopefully as he laid a hand on Ike's shoulders. But the sorrow that filled Ike's clear green eyes told Ezra everything he needed to know. "Dammit," Ezra cursed under his breath as he moved to the other side of the bed and took the seat that sat empty there.

A moment of silence past between them as both of their eyes were glued to the unconscious form. "She's a Standish you know," Ezra said aloud, his voice cracking briefly before he cleared his throat. When he spoke again, it was stronger and in Ike's desperate state, he actually believed the gambler. "She's a fighter. All Standish's are fighters."

Ike forced a smile, meeting Ezra's brilliant green ones and silently wished it was Amanda's identical eyes he was looking into. Slowly, he shook his head in agreement.

"That's right. She's a fighter," he said again, turning worried eyes back toward his sister. "Aren't ya, kiddo?" Ezra stood up from the chair, taking Amanda's hand and kissing it gently. As he laid her hand back down on the bed, something caught his eye.

Squinting against the dark of the room, Ezra barely made out the small silver ring that was nestled snugly on her finger. Taken completely by surprise, Ezra quickly looked up to meet Ike's gaze. "Did you?" he asked, not quite getting his question fully out. The first genuine smile that Ezra had seen since the whole bloody ordeal had begun crossed Ike's face. "And she said yes?" His smile widened farther as Ike wrapped his free hand around the one already clutching Amanda's. Again, he shook his head yes.

Ezra felt his jaw drop. He knew it would happen someday. There would never be another for Amanda and that he was certain. "Ike, that's fantastic," he said as he crossed around the foot of the bed, drawing the smaller man into his arms. He hugged Ike tightly, happy to hear such great news.

As the two pulled apart, Ezra's brilliant smile began to fade. "You know she means everything to me, don't you Ike?" he asked, tilting his head to one side as he regarded the smaller man closely. "You know if you ever......" Ezra stopped. He had intended to tell the rider how much pain he would inflict if Ike ever hurt her, how he would track the rider to the ends of the earth if Ike broke her heart. But he didn't.

Looking into the rider's pale face, seeing his tear stained cheeks and the dark circles that enclosed his deeply blood shot eyes, Ezra knew that Ike would die before he would ever bring Amanda harm. Instead, Ezra laid a hand on Ike's shoulder, pulling him back into a strong embrace and patting his young friend on the back. "Welcome to the family, Ike."

Sun spilled brightly through the window, casting an ethereal glow over Amanda. With his elbow on the bed, Ike rested his head in his hand. He was exhausted, but he would not leave her side. Instead, he simply stared at her.

They had come too far for it to end like this, he thought to himself. Ike sighed. He had lost everything that he had ever loved in his life, his mother, his father, his sister. He had lost his voice and his hair. He had nearly given up on his ability to love. That was until he had met her.

Ike's eyes began to droop as his breathing slowed. Everyone had urged him to get some sleep, Buck nearly begging him to rest. But he wouldn't leave. How could he? he had signed.

A soft breeze blew through an open window at the far end of the room, washing over Ike like a baptismal. He took a deep breath, slowly releasing it as his eyes closed all the way. Immediately, he began to dream......

There was a cabin, high atop a rolling hill. It was small, simple, but it was homey. A small gated fence surrounded the house, nearly hidden by the hordes of wild daisies and sunflowers that lined it. The bright sun felt warm on Ike's face, and he could almost smell the sweet floral fragrance that filled the air. A dog barked in the distance and a child laughed playfully.

Ike turned toward the sound and smiled. A small boy, probably three or four, sat in the midst of a field of soft grass as the dog circled him. The child looked up, smiling brightly. Brilliant green eyes stared back at Ike. "Hi daddy," he giggled as he waved. The boy turned his attention toward the house. "Mommy, come play."

Ike turned toward the house and his breath caught in his chest at the sight that he before him. Amanda stood at the foot of the stairs, long blonde hair blowing gently off of her shoulders. She looked older, peaceful, and more beautiful than Ike could have ever imagined. She wore a long floral white gown that blew snugly against her legs. She ran her hand along the swell of her full belly, and this one she had told Ike she knew would be a girl. "Come on Ike," she said as she started toward the young boy. "Come play." A dazzling smile danced on her lips.

Ike walked toward them, the aching in his heart growing more and more painful with each step. It was perfect, exactly the way he always dreamed it would be. But there was something lurking that he couldn't quit place, something that would rip his perfect world apart. That was when he saw the gunman at the far end of the ridge.

"NNNOOOO!!" he screamed, but no words came out. He tried to run, but he couldn't move. Instead, he was helpless to only watch. "Nnnooooo," his mind screamed again, yet Amanda only smiled, waving again as she reached the young boy. Bending down, she wrapped her arms tightly around him, oblivious to the gun aimed directly at her head.

"Nnnnoooooo," his wordless cries echoed in his mind.

A gunshot echoed through the still, perfect afternoon as his wife and child looked back at him with love.

"NNNOOOOOOOOO!!!!"

Ike jerked awake, sweating pouring from his brow. Once again, he was back in the bedroom. The house was silent as the sun made it's way into the brightening sky. Turning toward Amanda, he saw there was no change. Finally, able to hold it no longer, Ike laid his head down on the bed and wept.

He cried until there were no tears left, his eyes burning and red. His head ached almost as much as his heart as he struggled for breath. 'It wasn't supposed to be this way,' he told himself as he gripped Amanda's hand tightly, his face still buried in the quilt that covered her. 'Not now. It's supposed to be like my dream, like my dream.....'

"Sweetheart, don't cry."

Ike nearly jumped from his skin, immediately raising his head. The voice had been distant, cracked and very weak, but it had been there nonetheless. Quickly, he moved closer to her, clutching her hand tightly in his.

Her face was slack and unmoving, her color gray, and for the longest time, there was nothing at all. Ike was beginning to think that he had imagined it, but then he noticed the faintest hint of pink that tinged her cheeks. At last, her tongue darted out of her mouth in an attempt to moisten her lips, and her eyes began to flutter. "Ike?" she groaned, her head moving slightly to one side. "Ike....."

Tears poured from his eyes forgotten as he moped at the sweat on her brow. Gently, he kissed her forehead. "Ike, I had the most, um." She stopped, licking her lips as she swallowed back the dryness. "A dream. I had a dream and it was amazing," she continued as she struggled to open her eyes. "There were flowers, and a child. He was beautiful, Ike, with bright blonde hair......"

He knew he should have been surprised, should have been amazed really. But looking into her face, his heart bursting with an undying love, Ike McSwain simply smiled.

~~~~~*~~~~~*~~~~~JESSAMYN~~~~~*~~~~~*~~~~~

Bathed, dressed in clean clothing and halfway toward being drunk, Jessamyn Jackson gestured toward the barkeep for another whiskey. It was probably the daftest idea in history to drink herself into insensibility over an old flame, but she couldn't be smart all the time could she? For one thing, common sense took effort and she was dog-tired...

Why the *hell* had it been such a shock to see Vin again?

It shouldn't have, by God it shouldn't have! Maybe she'd been lulled into a false sense of security by the fact that it'd been five - or was it more like seven? - years since she'd stormed out of their camp. Some naive part of her brain had conned the rest of it into thinking that the west of America was so infinitely large that they'd never meet again. Despite the fact that they shared a 'trade' so to speak and thus moved in the same circles.

"Another one?" the barkeep asked gruffly, holding up the bottle of fermented horse piss that he sold as alcohol as an offer.

"What do you think?" she growled back at him, shooting him a look that threatened to remove a certain part of his anatomy and cram it down his throat without so much as a 'by your leave'. "Leave the bottle."

Giving her a shocked look, he just about fell over himself pouring the whiskey and abandoning the bottle before retreating back to the other end of the bar. She could just about feel their glances toward her as she knocked back the four-finger's worth of firewater in a single gulp before refilling the dirty glass again. Can't have been too many women drinking hard liquor in this town for them to think her such a novelty. Well, maybe not so much a novelty as a freak of nature. But then, she'd always taken great delight in shocking the pantaloons off polite folk so the stares didn't bother her in the slightest.

Ten minutes later she was swaying slightly on her stool, the bottle down to its dregs as she inverted it one last time over the glass. Unfortunately, despite the alcohol in her veins, she could still see Vin standing in front of her. Although in her mind's eye the salloon she was currently holed up in had vanished to be replaced by trees and long grass. In her thoughts she was back out in the middle of Texas, on the run from the law with a man that she'd met only little more than a week ago...

~~~~~<*>~~~~~<*>~~~~~<*>~~~~~<*>~~~~~<*>~~~~~

She watched him pull his shirt off and crouch beside the water's edge of the small creek they'd found, cupping his hands into the clear liquid to bring it to his mouth so he could drink. Small rivulets escaped down his chin, and her eyes followed their progress down the column of his throat before they disappeared from view. Her fingers itched to follow the trail they'd marked on his tanned skin, and her heart pounded in her ears as he stood to slowly unbuckle his belt. Licking her lips, she pondered for a moment whether she shouldn't just make herself known instead of hiding in the bushes like some voyeur - after all, it wasn't like she was a blushing maid anymore. Hadn't been for nearly ten years, ever since a ranch hand had given her her first taste of alcohol.

"I know you're there," Vin said in a casual tone, just about scaring the life out of her. "For someone who claims to be a tracker you're lousy at staying quiet."

"I'm a very good tracker," she protested, gathering up her skirts and stepping clear of the grasping branches. "I also wasn't wearing this fluffery when I did it."

He raised an eyebrow and crossed his arms over his bare chest, coughing to drag her attention up from the gaping at the waistband of his pants. "Whatever you say Miss Jackson. Now did you want something?"

"I, uh..." Unable to help herself, she blushed for a beat before catching hold of her self-assurance once more. "Why, Mr Tanner, do I need some kind of permit to wander free country?"

His smile was amused as she stepped closer. "So you make a habit of wandering 'free country' to watch men bathe?"

Giving him a non-committal shrug, she came to a halt within a heartbeat of him, her knees seeming to quiver as she caught his musky scent. "If men don't want me watching them bathe then they shouldn't do it where I can see them," she shot back pertly.

"Well just let me get my things and go somewhere you can't see me then." He made as if to follow-through on his threat, turning away slightly before swinging back to pull her into his arms, dipping his head to cover her mouth with his own. Jay moaned as he kissed her savagely, her arms somehow worming their way around his torso so she could cling to him as her knees threatened to give way. After a long moment, he pulled back to allow her to breathe, looking down at her with a harsh gaze.

"Is this what you want?" he demanded in a rough voice, his arms tightening so that she thought her ribs might snap.

She looked at him hazily for a moment. "Yes..."

~~~~~<*>~~~~~<*>~~~~~<*>~~~~~<*>~~~~~<*>~~~~~

Growling in self-loathing, Jay swept her arm across the bar-top, sending her glass and the empty bottle to the floor with a crash that startled everyone. She picked up her hat and jammed it on her head, not caring in the slightest that it was as black as a cat's gut outside, sliding off her stool to stagger to the door. She needed fresh air, maybe to drop her head in a freezing horse trough to shock the memories out of her head. That time was over, long over, and there was no need to dwell on it regardless of... well, regardless of anything.

She found what she was after soon enough, only a few feet from the swinging doors of the salloon in fact. Shuffling over, she nearly broke her neck getting down the stairs before falling to her knees and dunking almost her entire upper body in the combination of water and horse spit. It wasn't all that cold, but it did sober her up a little... Not nearly enough, but enough to allow her to drag her thoughts away from the tracker she'd called lover years ago, for as long as she was able to hold her breath at least. Fate, it seemed, wasn't going to make her life easier though because she was only into her second submerging for a few seconds when a hand grabbed the back of her jacket to haul her head up out of the water.

"I didn't think you were the suicidal kind," the unmistakeable (to her at least) voice of Vin Tanner said as he dragged her bodily to her feet.

"I'm not," she retorted, steadying her upright posture before fixing him with a glare. "What do you want?"

"Still a lousy drunk, aren't you Jay? Well you'd better sober the hell up."

"Why don't you go eat horse shit Vin? I'll sober up when I'm good and ready," she said with the bravado only a truly inebriated person could muster. Vainly, she struggled against the hold he had on her clothing, the hold that was keeping her standing. He let go without warning, and she squawked in a highly undignified manner before tumbling backwards into the trough.

Vin was kneeling beside her as she spluttered and tried to get herself into at least a sitting position. Reaching down between her legs he pulled the hat that'd fallen off her head during her initial attempts to throw off the alcohol out from under her rump and dumped it back on her head. "You'll sober up now Jay. I need your help."

Soaked to the skin and feeling incredibly foolish, his words nonetheless caused her to come to a complete help. "What's wrong?" she asked.

"A friend of mine... She's been shot. I'm gonna find out who did it and you're going to help me." His eyes bore into hers, glittering with rage in the darkness.

"Gee, you could always try asking," she muttered. "Why the hell should I help you Tanner?"

"For old time's sake. You owe me a few favours." Grabbing hold of her jacket, he pulled her to her feet with a grunt of effort before slipping an arm around her waist to pull her out of the trough.

Once she was steady on her feet once more, Jay glared up at him in indignation for a beat. "Fine, I'll help you find who shot your girlfriend, but *you'll* be the one that owes *me*. I paid my debt in full, remember?" she said firmly, propping her hands on her hips.

He nodded once, not even flinching at her accusation. "Fine. Let's go."

~~~~~*~~~~~*~~~~~JESSAMYN~~~~~*~~~~~*~~~~~

"He's been dead for an hour, maybe more. Clean shot too, so he wasn't running," Vin said flatly, wiping his sticky fingers on the dead man's duster before straightening.

"Dead men tell no tales," Jay murmured. "I don't know about you, but this looks mighty suspicious. Someone shoots your little friend and then this... thing, turns up dead."

The tracker's lips thinned. "You're right. We need to ask around. A gunshot isn't going to be silent so someone must've heard it."

She smiled faintly. "Good to see your brains haven't stopped working from not being used." Holstering her six-shooter, she lead the way out of the alleyway behind the salloon. "Let's go do some asking."

~~~~~<*>~~~~~<*>~~~~~<*>~~~~~<*>~~~~~<*>~~~~~

"So you saw my uncle?" Jay asked in a breathy whisper, trying her best not to vomit as another wave of cesspool breath hit her in the face.

"Well if you're descripshun is right, I saw 'im," the drunkard replied, smiling at her in a way that he thought charming but she found repulsive. "Came in 'ere not more'n two hours ago... Tapped someone on the shoulder and th'pair of 'em went out. Haven' seen either of 'em since." He leaned forward, bathing her in stinking breath. "They looked like theys had some bizness, so why don' you just stay here a while?"

"Aw, gee, I'd like to," she said in an ingenuous voice, "but I really must go and find him. My aunt is so angry at him."

"C'mon sweetie, it won' take long," the drunk whined, grabbing for her hand when she pushed her chair back.

"I'll just bet," she murmured with a smile, standing up and pushing her jacket to one side to reveal the Colt she wore. "Now if you wanna keep your hand, I suggest you move it off of mine."

His hand moved mighty fast, although that might've had more to do with the murderous look in her eye than the revelation that she was armed. "Jeezus!"

"Good boy. Thanks for your help." Moving away from the corner table, Jay wiped her hand fiercely on her pants to get rid of the oily feeling she had on it all of a sudden. "He left with someone, so I'm guessing that someone is probably the one who did us all a great disservice by killing him," she said in an undertone as she slouched beside Vin at the bar.

"That's what I heard too," he replied in a low voice, his face thunderous. "No-one's gonna turn him in though, dammit!"

"Simmer down," she warned him, glancing over the ale room with wary eyes. "Let's get out of here before anyone gets the bright idea to protect our mystery man's honour."

~~~~~<*>~~~~~<*>~~~~~<*>~~~~~<*>~~~~~<*>~~~~~

"Honour amongst bandits Vin, you know how it is," Jay murmured as they rode slowly toward the station house. "They're afraid someone might accidentally turn them in."

That only seemed to deepen the glower on the tracker's face, and he didn't reply as he swung out of his saddle to hitch his horse's reins to a handy post. "You coming?" he rasped, turning his scowl on her.

"If you insist," she said tartly, dropping softly to the ground and tying up Libelulle before following him up the front steps.

The front room was lit almost cheerily, but the mood inside was as sombre as that of a tomb. That didn't stop every set of eyes in the room swinging toward her as she walked through the door. Some gazes seemed curious, some others hostile, the rest didn't seem to care so long as she left them alone.

"How is she?" Vin asked in a low voice.

"Recovering," someone, a black man, replied in a similarly quiet tone. "Ike and Ezra are with her now."

"Any luck?" another garbed entirely in black asked.

"Maybe. Might need some help getting some people to talk though."

The man's grin of reply was wolfish. "I was hoping you might say that."

"And who would this vision of beauty be?" yet another man, this time mustachioed, asked as he sidled up to Jay.

"Someone who's going to tear your balls off and shove them down your throat if you aren't careful," she shot back in a threatening growl.

"Feisty too. I admire that in a lady, don't you know." He graced her with a rakish smile before bowing. "I'm Buck Wilmington, and I am very much at your service m'lady."

"Marie Richelieu," she replied blandly, resting a hand meaningfully on her Colt and ignoring Vin's cocked eyebrow. "And I don't need your service thanks all the same."

Walking over to the only free chair in the entire room, she flopped down into it and crossed her legs. "I don't suppose anyone's got some whiskey on them."

Chapter 7