TITLE: Lost Love AUTHOR: Tracy Eltrevoog FEEDBACK: mickey600@hotmail.com COMMENTS: Acknowledgements go out to Jenny Steele for her inputs and Matt Adams for helping me when I was "stuck" and needed a boost. If you want to read Matt's "creatively edited" version for a good laugh, visit http://www.angelfire.com/il/ducks/tyr.html STANDARD DISCLAIMER: The Young Riders don't belong to the author, but to MGM/UA Television, Ed Spielman and Josh Kane. No copyright infringement intended. Lost Love By Tracy Eltrevoog "Rachel, I want the run to St. Joe next week," Kid told the woman as he walked up to her. "Kid, you know that Cody and Noah are scheduled for that run," the blonde woman answered looking up from where she was hanging sheets on the line to dry. "Why would you want that run anyway? You'd be gone for Valentine's Day and I don't think Lou would like that very much." "That's just it Rachel," Kid tried to explain. "I want to take Lou with me." He continued at the woman's puzzled look. "I want to buy her a new dress for Valentine's Day but I want her to be able to wear it too. I want to have a special night with just the two of us, you know? We can't do that here in Rock Creek." Kid continued, "Besides, we've both got some vacation time coming anyhow." "So you want me to switch the schedule just so you and Lou can have a few romantic days?" Rachel asked questioningly. The Kid looked away disappointed at her question but she surprised him when she said, "I love it. I think that's one of the best ideas you've ever had, Kid." "Thank you Rachel," Kid beamed as he began to walk away. He suddenly stopped and turned back to her, "Oh, one other thing," Kid asked hesitantly, "would you... I mean... do you think..." Kid began. "I'd be delighted to help you pick out the dress Kid," Rachel smiled. "Thank you, Rachel." With that the Kid walked away. He had big plans for this run. He knew about the danger of going east with the war coming, even if it was only as far as St. Joseph but he knew that Lou really needed this trip and Valentine's Day would be a perfect opportunity for both of them to share their feelings with each other. ***** The young man finished eating the little food his mother had packed for him and leaned against the tree. He recalled the day a few weeks ago when Mrs. Brown sat him down saying, "Lucas, honey, you know that your father and I love you very much but we need to tell you something very important." Lucas felt his heart breaking as she told him the story of her close friend, his mother's desperate attempt to save his life. His mother had loved him with all her heart. It had killed her to give him to the Brown's but she was worried about his safety. His father had abused him and left him for dead in the woods. He had known that the Brown's were not his real parents but they had never told him about his twin sister. He had dreams of playing with a little girl when he was just a boy but he never thought much about them. He had been almost five when his real mother left him in the care of Mrs. Brown so he vaguely remembered his real family. They used to cause all sorts of mischief that used to anger their father. He had always taken the blame because he did not want to his sister to be hit too. He remembered the last day with his family. He was saddened as he recalled what had happened on that dreaded day so long ago. "Mama, I don't want to leave you!" he cried as she told him good-bye. She tried to explain herself saying, "Lucas, this is the only way to save you. I don't want to leave you either but this is something that must be done," she said with tears in her eyes. "Your father has gone too far this time. He believes that you are dead. We need him to continue to think that." "But what about you andÉ" he began. "We'll be all right," she said as she pulled the covers up around his chin. "Your father won't hurt your sister because she's a girl." "But Mama!" "Hush now, Lucas," his mother began. "I want you to remember us and as soon as you're old enough Mrs. Brown will tell you the rest. Then you can come find us and be with us, all right?" He nodded and she began to sing the lullaby that she sang for and his sister every night to put them to sleep. He saw the tears begin to fall freely as she leaned over and kissed his forehead before she ran out of the room to leave him alone with his own tears. Lucas wiped the tear from his cheek as he pulled out the only memory he had of his mother. She had left him an old pocket watch with a picture of her inside the back cover. He looked at that picture often since Mrs. Brown gave it to him a few short weeks ago before he left on his mission. He was going to find his mother and his sister, the best friend he ever knew. ***** "Come on Lou!" Kid called into the bunkhouse. "We've gotta get goin'!" "I'm comin', I'm comin'," she said as she ran out the door carrying her bedroll and pulling on her coat. "Why are we leavin' so early anyway?" she asked as she secured the bedroll to the back of her saddle. "The shipment's not gonna be ready to leave St. Joe for another week, Kid." "We've both got some vacation time and I thought that maybe you'd want to spend it away from everyone here. Otherwise you might end up doin' all of Cody's work." Lou chuckled thinking about the lazy rider. "Good point. I guess I could use some time away." She stopped short of mounting her horse. "If we're staying for a week I'm gonna need more clothes!" she exclaimed as she ran back in the bunkhouse. Kid sighed and shook his head as he leaned against the fence to wait for Lou to return so they could try to leaveÉagain. Kid turned to his horse Katy and asked, "Why does she have to be such a woman at times?" ***** Later that evening Lou and the Kid stopped to make camp for the night. They had started a small fire and eaten some of the food Rachel had packed for them. "Kid," Lou asked, "why are we leaving a week early?" Kid just smiled and answered, "You'll just have to wait until we get to St. Joe, now won't you?" Lou rolled her eyes at his answer but she also knew that he had something special in mind and she could not wait to find out just what that was. ***** Lucas rode into St. Joseph late that same evening and looked around for a hotel. He found one near the livery that would be perfect. He dismounted out front and tied his big, black horse to the hitching rail and walked into the hotel to get a room. After he had signed his name and gotten the key to room 205, Lucas carried his few traveling belongings up to his room. Lucas returned downstairs immediately and led his horse to the livery stable where he proceeded to give him a good rub down and brushing. Lucas was alone in the stable considering the time. Suddenly he heard footsteps and he instinctively backed into a corner and dropped to his knees. Lucas tried to get a look at the men through the spaces in the stall as the visitors began to talk. "Are you sure we're alone?" a questioning man's voice asked. "Of course!" the second man said. "Okay, here's the plan." Lucas strained his ears to listen to the conversation between the two men. "The best time is just at closing because the only one there will be the manager. We'll hit at five o'clock." "What about the gang?" the first man asked. "Are they gonna be ready? "Would you just stop worrying about the gang, Nick? I'm taking care of them!" the second man said irritated. "I'm sorry, Jake," the man now known as Nick apologized. I'm just nervous. I'll let you handle it from now on." "That's a good idea," Jake said. "The only thing you need to worry about is getting the safe open tomorrow. We'd better go before anyone finds us." The two men walked out the way they had come in. Lucas stood from his hiding spot. They're gonna rob the bank! He knew he had to do something, but what? He left his horse in search of the marshal's office. ***** "I'd like two rooms, please," Kid said at the front desk of the hotel. "Yes, sir, just sign right here, please," the desk clerk said. "That'll be two dollars." Kid pulled a few coins from his pocket and handed them to the clerk. "Could I have a couple of baths in those rooms?" "Yes, sir. I'll have someone draw your baths right away," the desk clerk said. "Thank you." Kid walked back out the hotel door and toward the livery stable where Lou was taking care of the horses. He leaned against the door frame and watched her brush Lightning for a few minutes. He could not wait to give her the dress that Rachel had helped him pick out for her. He really wanted to see her in it tomorrow when he walked her around town and took her to dinner. Lou felt his eyes on the back of her neck but she ignored it for a few minutes. When she had finished brushing her horse she turned around to see Kid in some sort of a daze. "Did you get the rooms?" she asked starling him. "Huh? Oh, yeah," he said pulling the keys out of his pocket. "Do you want 206 or 207?" "Does it really matter?" Lou asked rolling her eyes. She knew he was just trying to cover up his staring. "Fine, I'll take 206." She took the key from him walked toward the hotel. I wonder what he has on his mind. "Oh, excuse me!" she said as she bumped into a young man who was also on his way into the hotel. She climbed the stairs and entered her room. "Well now, Kid," she said as she saw the bath in her room. "You sure know how to read my mind!" ***** Lucas followed the young woman who had bumped into him up the stairs. He noticed that her room was next to hers. From the way she was dressed he had a feeling that she was supposed to appear to be a man but somehow he knew differently. Lucas had more important problems on his mind though. The marshal and his deputies were all out of town chasing a gang who had murdered a stage coach driver and the passengers. They weren't due back until tomorrow evening. "What am I gonna do?" Lucas asked himself as he lay down on the bed and put his hands behind his head. He'd never dealt with bank robbers before. This was definitely going to delay his plans for leaving St. Joseph tomorrow. How am I supposed to find my sister if I have to do the right thing all the time? ***** Lou awoke late the next morning feeling refreshed from the hot bath and a good night of sleep. She stretched her arms over her head as she thought about what she and the Kid were going to do that day when there was a knock at her door. "Hold on," Lou called as she grabbed her robe off the chair next to the bed. She pulled it around her as she grabbed her gun and crossed the room to the door. "Who is it?" "It's me," Kid answered as Lou unlocked and opened the door. "Woa!" Kid exclaimed holding his hands in the air as he saw her gun. "I come in peace!" Lou put her gun away and sat on the bed. Kid followed her and handed her a package wrapped in brown paper tied with a red bow. "Happy Valentine's Day, Lou." Lou looked at him with a puzzled look. "But that's not for another couple of days, Kid." "I know, I just want you to have it early. Go ahead, open it." Lou, still a bit confused, carefully removed the red ribbon. Then she proceeded to open the brown paper. "Oh, Kid!" she exclaimed as she let the brown paper fall to the floor revealing a beautiful blue-green velvet dress. Lou held the dress in front of her to reveal it's full beauty. The dress had long sleeves with black lace at the cuffs. It's full skirt was strait in the front but layered and flared in the back with black lace around the bottom hem. The dress had a square neckline with the same black lace trim. The bodice was fitted with a piece of material at each side to tie in the back to form a large bow. "This is beautiful!" she said astonished. "WhereÉwhenÉ" "Rachel helped me," Kid said snickering. "But the deal is you can't wear it until Valentine's Day. We're spending today shopping for stuff to go with it." Lou carefully laid the dress on the chair and sat on the bed next to Kid wrapping her arms around his neck. "Thank you, Kid." She leaned over and placed a gentle kiss on his lips. "Now would you excuse me so I can get ready for our day together?" ***** "But, Sir," Lucas tried to convince the bank manager to take him seriously. "Now look boy, I get people in here all the time telling me about a bank robbery that never happens," the older man explained somewhat annoyed by the boy's persistence. Now if you don't mind I've got work to do," the manager said as he shut the door to his office in Lucas's face. "Don't say I didn't warn you," Lucas muttered under his breath as he walked down the sidewalk away from the bank. As he walked past the saloon he overheard two distinct voices deep in conversation outside by their horses. "Are you sure Jake?" one man asked. "This will work," the other man answered as he looked around. When he noticed Lucas walking by he motioned to the other man and the two mounted their horses and rode toward the bank. Those are the men who are robbing the bank! Lucas thought as he looked at his pocket watch. It was nearly five o'clock! Lucas took off at a dead run in the direction he has just come. He ran down the first alleyway so that so many people would not see him. He ran up an alley near the bank but as he turned the corner at his full speed he ran directly into a young woman knocking her off her feet. ***** Thank you, Kid," Lou said as she handed him the last package she had just purchased which contained beautiful black lace gloves. Kid shifted the packages in his arms around to make room for the gloves. He already held her black high-heeled lace up boots and a new pearl necklace with matching earrings. "Are you getting ready for dinner?" Kid asked as he held his free arm out to Lou. She smiled as she took it and said, "Sure." They hadn't walked more than a few steps when a man appeared out of nowhere and ran directly into Lou causing her to loose her balance." ***** Lucas reached out and grabbed the young woman's arms to try to keep her from falling. "Oh! Miss! I'm so sorry!" he started as he helped her to regain her balance. "What do you think you're doing?" the gentleman with her asked. He then noticed the packages strewn about the ground. He immediately bent to help pick them up. As he stood he finally got a good look at the young woman in front of him. "Pardon me, Miss," Lucas started. He had seen that face before but he couldn't remember where. "Have we met somewhere? You look very familiar." The woman looked at him with a confused look on her face and stated, "No, I don't believe we have. My name is Louise McCloud," she said as she extended her hand to his. Louise! This is her! I've found my sister. "Louise!" Lucas began. "It's meÉ" An explosion cut off Lucas's words. The three hit the ground and dove for cover behind some boxes. Kid and Lou reached for their guns but found none as they had unfortunately left them in the hotel. The threesome watched as a group of men rode up shooting to cover the men who ran out of the bank next door. Just as it seemed the men were going to get away with their crime the Marshal and his deputies rode into sight shooting at the gang and dropping some of them. Suddenly the leader of the gang spotted the trio hiding behind the boxes. He ran over and grabbed Lou holding his gun to her side. "Let us go!" the man Lucas knew as Jake exclaimed. "Let us go or she won't live!" he yelled pushing the gun even harder into Lou's side making her wince in pain. "Lou!" Kid yelled hopeless. Lucas and Kid were helpless and prayed the Marshal would listen as the shooting stopped. The man made his way to his horse where he ordered Lou into the saddle. She sent Kid a pleading look as she climbed up. Please, Kid, don't let him take me! She thought as the man climbed up behind her. "Don't try to follow us either Marshal" the man stated, "or this pretty little thing just might have a little accident, if you know what I mean!" "Please let her go!" Lucas cried as the man spurred his horsed into a dead run out of town. "I'll find you Lou!" Kid yelled as he and Lucas ran into the street looking in the direction in which the gang had ridden. ***** "I'm sorry but there's nothing I can do tonight," the marshal explained. "Can't or won't," Kid accused angrily. "Listen son," the marshal began, "it's gonna get dark soon which will make tacking them near impossible. I'll have my men start out at first light tomorrow morning. That's all I can do. I'm sorry." Kid stormed out of the marshal's office and headed back in the direction of the hotel closely followed by Lucas. "You're goin' after Ôem aren't you?" Lucas stated more than asked. "I'm going with you. I happen to be pretty good at tracking." The Kid looked at him questioningly as they entered the hotel lobby. "Why do you care so much about this anyway?" he asked turning to face the man beside him. The man had dark, auburn colored hair and brown eyes that he knew very well. They were Lou's eyes. Kid was at a loss for words. He remembered the look on the young man's face when Lou had told him her name. Lucas understood what was going through the Kid's mind. "Yes, I know what you're thinking," Lucas said looking at Kid's troubled eyes. "I look so much like Louise that the resemblance is remarkable. I know. You see, she's my twin sister." Kid was totally shocked by this news. Lou had never mentioned a twin brother to him before. "ButÉ" Kid began. "Lou's father said that he only had ONE son." "It's a long story and I'll tell you all about it on the way," Lucas said as he started for the stairs. "We've got to go find her." ***** The gang had been riding for quite some time. They had split up into 4 groups to try to confuse anyone trying to track them. Suddenly the men slowed as they reached the face of a cliff. The man Lou had been ridding with jumped down and dragged her off the horse as well. He led her up a small, steep trail up the side of the cliff. After a few hundred yards they reached an opening that was nearly impossible to spot from the ground. Lou was shoved inside the dark cave and thrown to the ground. "Stay there and don't get up," the man said. He began the unsuccessful process of building a fire. He tried again and again but the fire wouldn't light. "You need to find some dry kindling," Lou spoke up from her spot on the cold ground. "Shut up!" the man yelled. "If you're so smart why don't you come build one!" Lou rose and started the trait that was second nature to her. Once the fire was going strong the man allowed Lou to warm herself. He was amazed that a woman who looked as though she had been brought up well would know how to light a fire so well. "Where did you learn how to build a fire?" he finally asked. "My family taught me," Lou said referring to Teaspoon and the boys. That's odd, the man thought, I've never known ANY family to teach a girl skills like that. "What else did this "family" of yours teach you?" "Just the basic skills of survival on the plains," Lou answered not wanting to give away too much information about herself. After a time of silence the other members of the gang began straggling in. "Hey, woman!" one of the men yelled. "Cook us some food!" He dropped a bag of food next to Lou and laughed. Lou smiled to herself as she started rooting through the bag. The boys all knew she couldn't cook but this time it may come to her advantage. ***** "The tracks split up here," Kid observed. "Now which way?" Lucas studied the tracks for a few minutes and then pointed at a particular set. "Look here," he said. "These are deeper than all the others. This must be the horse that Louise was on!" Kid studied the direction in which the tracks led. He knew that nothing existed in that direction which would make that the perfect place for the gang to hide. "Well then," he said mounting Katy, "let's get going!" ***** "This stuff is terrible!" one of the gang members yelled as he threw the plate of food across the cave in Lou's direction. "If she can't cook she's no use to us! We should just kill her now and get her out of our way." The man stood up and started in Lou's direction until he was towering over her but she held her ground. Just as he was about to strike her someone grabbed his arm. "Not yet," Jake said. "We need to hold onto her until we're sure no one's following us." Besides, he thought, she may not be so bad aside from the fact that she couldn't cook. The man still frustrated with the young girl grabbed her arms and threw her back against the cave wall. Lou felt her head hit the rock behind her and then all she saw was black. ***** Lucas and the Kid were growing weary from the long travel that night and knew they and their horses needed a rest. "We could find a cave up there," Lucas said pointing toward a cliff ahead of them. "It would be better than this cold." Neither man had realized just how cold the air had grown. They had moved only a few hundred yards toward the cliff when Lucas noticed something shiny on the ground near them. He dismounted and picked up the object. "That's the hair clip Lou was wearing!" Kid exclaimed as he quickly scanned the area around them. Then a glimmer on the cliff's face caught his eye. He focused in on a man with a rifle sitting on the edge of what appeared to be a cave. Lucas turned to see what Kid was staring at and saw the man as well. They noticed three more in scattered positions along the rock. "That's where they have her!" Kid said as he moved toward his horse but Lucas caught his arm. "We can't just go rushing in on them," Lucas explained. "There's four of them just on the outside. You saw the size of that gang! We need a plan. Wait! Follow me!" ***** Lou awoke to someone dribbling water over her forehead. "It's about time you finally woke up," Jake said leaning over Lou. "That was some bump you took on your head, miss," he paused. "I don't even know your name!" "Louise," she managed to get out. "It's nice to meet you, Louise. My name is Jake." He pulled a blanket up around her shoulders. "Don't worry," he said lowering his voice. "Everyone's asleep. I know you're probably worried about what we're gonna do with you." He glanced around again. "Well, we really can't let you go because you can identify us. But don't worry," he said at her worried look, "I don't intend to kill you either. I'm not sure just what we're gonna do yet but we'll figure somethin' out." He handed her a cup of water and helped her sit up so she could have a drink. "There you go. Now I want you to get some rest. We'll be pulling out tomorrow night." Lou lay awake in the cave thinking about the man they had met on the street in St. Joseph. She had thought a lot about him since she had been abducted. He knew me she thought. He looked so familiar. His eyes and his faceÉbut where have I seen them before? Lou eventually fell into a troubled sleep filled with dreams and memories. ***** "There's a cave somewhere around here that leads straight through to the other side," Lucas said. "I remember playing in it when I was a little boy." The two stumbled up the incline on foot looking for this opening Lucas remembered from his childhood. Lou suddenly awoke from her nightmare. Lucas! It's Lucas! How could I have not known? She lay remembering the last time she saw her brother and the night her mother had told her he would never come home. Louise, honey, Lucas can't come back. He's passed on now. I'm sorry but you'll never see him again. The memories made the tears form in her eyes again. She was never allowed to mention Lucas to anyone. No one was to know how he had died or that he had ever even lived. She lied to me, Louise thought. Why would she lie to me about my own brother? And why didn't I remember him until now? ***** "Here it is!" Lucas whispered excitedly as he pushed some brush away from the hillside. Kid followed Lucas inside the cave they both hoped housed the gang. "I can't see," Kid whispered. "How are we supposed to make it through if we can't see?" Lucas fumbled around on the ground next to the entrance and came up with a candle. "It's still here!" he whispered as he lit the candle and started off toward the opposite end of the cave. After several minutes of winding through the darkness they saw a light ahead of them. Lucas extinguished the candle and the two drew their guns. ***** Jake heard movement in the cave and decided that one of the gang members had woken up. He could see Lou laying across the cave with her back to him. Then he saw two figures moving toward her with their guns drawn. ***** Lou was only half awake when she felt a hand clamp over her mouth. Her eyes flew open and met a very familiar pair of eyes. "Kid!" she whispered excitedly. "Shhh," he said as he helped her to her feet. "Let's get out of here." He and Lucas each grabbed one of her hands and led her back the direction from which they had come. They had almost made it back to the rear of the large room when someone grabbed Lucas' arm. "Who are you and what are you doing?" Jake asked. "I'm taking my sister out of here," he replied expecting resistance from the man. Lucas suddenly tripped over a man he didn't see sleeping in his path. The man sat up and looked at the three trying to escape. "Hey!" he said just as he was hit in the head from behind. Jake stepped out from behind the man. "Let me help," he whispered. The three looked at each other for a few moments. Lucas and Kid nodded in acceptance and the four made their way out the back of the cave. They sneaked their horses back around the front of the mountain where Jake and Lucas mounted their own horses and Lou and Kid got on Katy. The four rode about two miles toward St. Joseph when Jake suddenly stopped. "Are you guys gonna turn me in?" Jake asked. Kid and Lucas looked at each other but Lou spoke up. "You saved our lives. You could have alerted the gang but you didn't." Then to Kid and Lucas, "He was kind to me." Kid and Lucas thought for a moment and then shook their heads. He had helped them save the woman they both loved. They knew they had to return the favor. "I just want to know why you did it," Kid wondered. Jake smiled. "I had a sweetheart once too. Happy Valentine's Day," he said as he rode off toward Nebraska territory. ***** "And then you jumped out and the bucket fell and spilled!" Lou finished her story, which made both Kid and Lucas laugh. The three were talking over breakfast in the hotel the next morning. "So how did you find me?" Lou asked her brother. "I went to the last town we received a letter from and they told me about that the three of you had been sent to the orphanage here in St. Joe so I came here to see if you were still there. I talked to the sisters and they told me everything from Jeremiah and Teresa to Boggs to you being in Sweetwater. I was just on my way out of town to head there when I overheard the plot to rob the bank and then I ran into you. Literally." Lou smiled and took her brother's hand. "Wait a minute," she said. "You didn't tell Jeremiah and Teresa did you?" Lucas shook his head. "No, I figured it would come better if it came from you." "Well," Lou said, "I was planning to make a trip to see them while I was here. I guess today's as good as any." Lou stepped out onto the sidewalk a few minutes later shading her eyes from the bright sun. Kid and Lucas followed her out. "Are you sure you can't come with us to Rock Creek?" she asked turning to Lucas. He shook his head. "I've gotta get back home and help on the farm. But I will come visit." "I guess that will have to do," she replied with a smile on her face. The wind whipped at her new dress but she didn't mind as she walked down the street with her arms looped through those of the two men that she had grown to love. The End Acknowledgements go out to Jenny Steele for her inputs and Matt Adams for helping me when I was "stuck" and needed a boost. If you want to read Matt's "creatively edited" version for a good laugh, visit http://www.angelfire.com/il/ducks/tyr.html