TO BE YOU
By: Lady Angel
Chris and Vin exchanged glances as they watched all the activity buzzing about them. People rushed to and fro, changing signs and wares in windows. The two men recognized the usual trappings for a Wednesday. . . even though it was Thursday.
"What the hell is goin' on?" Chris raised an eyebrow as he watched Inez change the breakfast menu. . . it read "Wednesday Special – Two bits!"
"No idea, cowboy," Vin said quietly. "Maybe we should go ask one of the others?"
"Don't bother!" Buck's voice said from behind them. "Already asked the kid."
"Well?" Chris had to jump back as two men rushed past him – carrying what looked like the hotel's bathtub – the one that was set up only on Wednesdays.
"Ezra, Josiah, JD, and Nathan – and the whole damn town – are conning Mr. Kilgore into believin' that today's Wednesday." Buck grinned widely, thinking of all the fun he could have with it.
"Why?" Vin smirked at the idea – he didn't even care what day it was most times. Why bother? All he needed to know what season it was. . . that way he would know which leather jacket to wear – the light one or the heavy one.
Inez watched covertly as Benjamin Kilgore seated himself at an empty table. With a nod at Celia, the serving girl, she headed towards the banker. "And what can I get for you, Senor?"
Kilgore never glanced up from his papers. "The special, Inez."
She smiled. "Of course, Senor."
Moments later, Inez placed his breakfast on the table.
Kilgore looked at it with surprise. "Ms. Rosillos, I asked for today's special."
"Si, Senor, and here it is." Inez gracefully swept her hand across the fare.
Kilgore shook his head. "No, this is Wednesday's special. I want today's special."
Inez frowned. "Senor, are you all right?"
"I'm fine," Kilgore huffed. "Why?"
"Senor," Inez's voice was the perfect blend of concern and patience. "Today is Wednesday."
Kilgore gapped at her in confusion. He could have sworn it was Thursday. The banker glanced over at all the other saloon patrons, noticing that except for a few custom orders, most everyone had the Wednesday special. He swallowed. "Ah, well, thank you, Ms. Rosillos, I must have been mistaken."
Inez nodded before returning to the bar. With a giggle and a smile, Celia flounced off to inform Ezra.
"I ain't never had a lady before," the cowboy said, biting down on her shoulder, his meaty paws grabbing her body.
"Well, here's your chance, cowboy," she whispered in his ear, leading him backward towards the bed.
He suddenly stopped. "This ain't gonna cost me nothing, right?"
"That's right, darling, I don't want anything from you -- "
"Good."
"Except one thing. . . ."
He frowned with suspicion. "What?"
"I want you to say my name. . . over and over again."
The cowboy grinned wide. "Sure, honey, no problem. What is it?"
"Mary," she sighed. "Mary Travis.
"Pretty name - Mary." He buried his head in her breasts.
"Why, thank you, Chris," she said, absurdly pleaded.
Gus Manel lifted his head with a frown once more on his face. "My name ain't Chris."
She sighed with a dreamy smile on her face. "For right now it is."
Kilgore watched from a safe distance as the stagecoach rode in. He was still confused at this morning's activities. He could have sworn it was Thursday. . . but everything around him clearly stated that it was Wednesday. But as he waited for the dust to die down from the stagecoach's wheels, he knew that that today had to be Thursday because the mail would be delivered today.
"Mr. Kilgore," Finnigan nodded a greeting at the ever-punctual banker.
"Albert," Kilgore greeted. "I was just waiting for my mail."
Finnigan frowned. "There ain't no mail today, sir."
"No mail?" Kilgore stared at the man. "But today's Thursday, there's always mail on Thursday!"
Finnigan scratched his head. "Sir, its Wednesday."
Kilgore glanced over at Finnigan's shotgun. Joe nodded too. Finally, Kilgore turned to the passengers. "Excuse me, sir."
The elegantly dressed gentleman turned with a questioning expression. "Yes?"
"Is this the coach from Eagle Bend?"
The man shook his head. "No, we just came in from Sweet Water. Though we are heading in that direction."
Kilgore quietly thanked the man before turning away. The coach from Sweet Water only came in on Wednesday.
Matty sidled up next to the blonde cowboy at the bar. "Hey, honey, buy me a drink?"
Gus smiled down at the redheaded saloon girl. "Thanks, girl, but I just got me the best ride of my life and I'm plumb tired. Ain't really up to sharing a 'drink' with ya."
Matty huffed, squaring her shoulders. "Ain't nobody better than Matty Cole!"
"Sure there is." Gus smiled smugly. "She's a real lady too."
"Oh really? What's this lady's name?" Sarcasm dripped from her voice.
"Mary. Mary Travis."
The saloon went silent. For a spilt second no one moved. Then Matty began backing away from Gus as did the other saloon patrons. Gus slowly turned and found himself staring into the coldest eyes he'd ever seen. "What -- " his words died a painful death as a strong callused hand curled around his throat.
"I think," the blonde gunslinger hissed, "that you've got the wrong woman."
Manel struggled to breathe as he stared in horror at the three men. One with a mustache, another with long hair. The third son of a bitch, from whose long arm he now dangled, was a devil dressed in unrelenting black. They must be the peacekeepers and it had to be Larabee slowly choking the life out of him. "Blonde. . . brown eyes," he managed to gasp, hoping it would save his life.
Larabee's eyes widened, Manel was sure he was going to meet his maker, when Larabee suddenly loosened his grip.
"Chris!" Heads turned at the new voice.
Mary rushed to Chris' side.
Chris, still pinning Manel to the bar, wrapped one arm around Mary's waist. "What is it, Mary?"
"Mr. Clarence said someone claiming to be a friend of mine just sent a telegram to Eagle Bend. She sent for Billy!" Mary clutched Chris' duster in tight fists, panic and fear for her son starting to set in.
"It's all right, Mary, she won't get Billy. Remember what we told the Judge?" Chris ran his hand up and down her back, soothing the tense muscles he found.
Mary nodded vigorously, relief sweeping through her. "I'm sorry, I'm not thinking straight."
Chris continued his calming massage. "Let's go talk to Clarence." The blonde couple left the saloon together.
Manel's sigh of relief was short lived. Larabee's friends still stood on either side of him.
Wilmington smiled. . . it was humorless. "Mind if we have a little chat?"
Nathan and JD watched in glee as Kilgore walked away from the stagecoach. It worked!
"Wonder what that was about?"
The two peacekeepers turned to see several drifters loitering in front of Yosemite's forge.
"Don't rightly know, Mike. 'Cause sure as shootin' that my hair's red, today's Thursday."
The blonde cowboy smiled. "You think that fancy gent over there would 'ppreciate knowing that the whole town's lying to him?"
Red grinned. "Like a reward, huh?"
"Yeah," Mike said.
JD and Nathan exchanged twin-panicked looks, but before they could reach the two troublemakers, Weston and Yosemite grabbed them.
"Gentlemen." Weston smiled. "Can we have a moment of your time?"
Mike and Red glared at the two men warily.
"Ain't got nothing to say to either of you." Mike turned away, searching for Kilgore.
"Look, gentlemen," Yosemite said with a slight hint of impatience. "We're trying to help a friend. Would you mind not telling the banker man what day it really is?"
"Banker, huh?" Red smiled. "Just keeps gettin' better, Mike."
Before the two men could take a single step, blackness consumed them.
Vin didn't bother to look up; he'd recognize Buck's exuberant footsteps anywhere. "Bucklin." He pushed the bottle towards his friend.
"Well, ol' Gus won't be coming back here any time soon." Buck grinned widely. . . he loved 'shows of force'.
Vin chuckled, then sobered. "Buck, I've been thinking. . . what if it's Ella?"
"WHAT?" Buck's full-throated roar got everyone's attention, forcing Vin to grab his arm.
Only when Vin was sure that no one was overly interested in their conversation did he continue, "Makes sense, don't it, Buck? A woman, threatening the woman and child in his life?"
Buck paled as Vin's words sunk in. "Awww shit!" Buck slammed back the much-needed alcohol. "What do we do?"
Vin shrugged. "Keep an eye on Mary, alert the Judge. It's all we can do."
Buck nodded, then sighed. "I sure don't want to be the one to tell him."
Vin snorted. "Don't look at me."
JD grunted, hefting Red onto the bunk. Across the way, Nathan and Yosemite took care of Mike. "Thanks, Mayor."
Weston shrugged. "You're welcome, Sheriff. What now?"
Nathan scratched his head. "I guess we keep 'em here until this thing's over."
"You can't just arrest men for no reason!" The mayor sputtered. "Look, Mr. Jackson, I know you and the rest of the Seven. . . . "
"Relax, Mr. Weston." JD smiled. "We've arrested them for disturbing the peace."
"Disturbing the peace?" Yosemite asked then shook his head. "They weren't disturbing anyone."
"Well, my peace has to do with this con goin' the way Ezra said, and since they were gonna 'disturb' that plan, they were disturbing my peace." JD's grin was completely mischievous.
All four men laughed at the logic, Weston and Yosemite shaking their heads as they left.
"JD, you've been hanging out with Ezra too long if you're thinkin' like that."
"Actually, I think I heard one of the others sayin' that."
Nathan grinned. "Sounds like something Josiah would think up."
"No, I don't think it was Josiah."
"Well, it sure as hell wasn't Vin."
"Or Buck."
The two men glanced at each other then laughed. "Chris!"
Chris slipped silently back into the saloon, joining his friends. "What did he say?"
"Well, hello to you too, Chris." Buck smiled as Chris rolled his eyes.
"Manel says she didn't look anything like Miz Travis. . . except for her height," Vin murmured.
"Where'd they meet?" Chris glanced around the saloon.
"In the general store," Buck answered and before Chris could ask, he said, "And no, Mrs. Potter don't remember any woman in there claiming to be Mary."
"She's careful," Chris said. "Not letting anyone who knows Mary see her."
Buck and Vin exchanged glances. Buck sighed. "Chris, what if it's Ella?"
Chris Larabee was a statue. A cold, unmoving, lifeless statue.
"It might be her, cowboy," Vin's soft voice broke the silence. "She's done shit like this before."
Their friend and leader's eyes slid closed. "Send word to the Judge. Tell him to hire protection for Billy."
"Chris, you want me --"
Chris shook his head, but his eyes shone with gratitude. "She's gonna want Mary gone first. Then she'll go after Billy."
"But what if she tries for Billy to get to Mary?" Buck's quiet question silenced them all.
Chris' sigh was heartfelt. "Tell the Judge to get Billy and Evie out of Eagle Bend. Take them somewhere Ella can't find them."
The two men nodded.
Chris stood wearily. "I'll be with Mary."
