DISCLAIMER: The Magnificent Seven characters are the property of MGM, Trilogy, and the Mirisch Company. I have just borrowed them, and then will give them back.
RATING: PG13 — (language — violence)
NOTE: This is my first story, and it's unbeta'd.
Vin finally did get where he was headed, didn't much appreciate that he had four men standin outside the privy but sure was feelin lots better. He came out to find Nathan standin so close to the door the tracker almost hit him with it. "What the Hell" as he felt a hand close round his arm. Vin turned to find Buck takin hold of him an without so much as askin where he was headed, an tried ta take off toward the clinic. "Not my daddy Bucklin, so's unless you wanna lose that had, leave off." First time he'd try'd to speak an voice low an raspy, started coughen right away.
He felt Buck turn lose but didn't see what he was doin cause sure nough Larabee stepped right up in his face. Lest he waited til the coughen quit. "I've had bout enough of this bullshit from you Tanner, you're hurt an yer headed back up them stairs even if I have to carry you." Hands on his hips and a scowl on his face, "And no I anin't yer daddy, but you keep this shit up an you'll be hollerin for him"
Vin dropped his head for a moment, they didn't understand an he sure as hell didn't know how to say it to them, "Good men." He knew he was hurt but couldn't they understand that he couldn't 'ford to lay a bout, men out there huntin 'em an this Jessie fella on the lose as well. They didn't know how bad he'd been hurt in the past, times it should'a killed 'em he was sure, but had no other choice but to get up an go, had no choice now. They were at his back but they wouldn't always be there, so he had ta stay sharp an would just have to deal with the pain.
The gunslinger stood waiting to see what the stubborn man in front of him would do. Just never would make any kind of sense to him the way this man pushed himself, dame sure should'a known better then to let him get out the door of the clinic, and now didn't much feel like fighting him back up those stairs. He noticed that Buck had moved back to stand beside an unusually quiet JD. Nathan had already left, reconded he went back to the clinic.
"Vin?" He took one step closer to the younger man, an he sure looked young with no hat an the serape covering him past his knees. Looked like somebody's kid, he thought with a smile. Before he could say anything else the tracker looked up and spoke.
"I 'preciate what yer tryin ta do Chris, but I been takin care of myself fer a lot a years, can't stop now. So let me decide what'd be best fer me, 'kay." He hoped the man in black understood what he was askin cause he was hurtin real bad an getting a bit light headed, wanted to go lay down somewhere an wouldn't mind goin back to the clinic jus didn't think he'd make it back up them stair's. Sure as hell wasn't gonna let them pack 'em back up 'um like a sake 'a taters.
It didn't take but a moment for the gunslinger and the ladies man both to understand what Vin was trying to say and not say. They shared a look that JD just knew went right over his head.
Chris stood down and Buck moved back up beside the tracker, "Vin, let us help you get back to the clinic an ta bed, you'll heal better that a way an I promise I won't pick you up less you fall flat on yer face." The big man said with a smile.
"Sounds like a plan." From the gunslinger moving back and out of the trackers way as he moved slowly past obviously in pain. "Probley woulda stood here til he dropped to get his point across." Sure didn't like the fact that Vin was thinkin in terms of being out on his own again, but he understood that a man had to make his own decisions and was prepared to let Tanner do that very thing. "for now" as an afterthought.
He was so close he could take one or two of them out before they knew he was there Jessie thought as he watched the tracker an his friends head back to the clinic. One mistake he made was being overconfident an he was surprised to find a gun in his ribs an turned to find the preacher right there behind him. Felt the sharp stab of the gun barrel as the voice said "Move"
Now he looked out from behind the bars of the jail cell he was in, trying to think a way out of this. The one good thing was he hadn't killed the tracker, so they couldn't hang 'em could they? He asked with a question to himself.
Jessie knew he wasn't goin nowhere tonight so he lay back on the cot an pulled his hat down over his eyes, jus gonna hafta wait it out he guessed.
"Well, shouldn't leave any bad scarin in yer side but sorry bout that shoulder Vin, gonna take a while to heal over too." The healer looked up and found a grin on the other man's face. Wasn't sure how they talked 'em back up them stairs but he was here now an appeared to be ready to do whatever the healer told him to, so Nathan was not gonna miss this opportunity. Before he thought it through JD blurted out "Shit Nathan with all them other scars, he ain't gonna be cryin over one more...." His voice trailed off as a big hand came over his mouth. "Damitt JD." Buck said an threw a panicked look at first to the tracker an then the gunslinger.
"Don't go on the worry Bucklin, I know'd you had to see 'em since ya stripped me naked out in the desert." The tracker said to lighten the suddenly darkened mood in the little room. He made sure that JD an Chris both saw he was not upset by that. Wish'd they leave off an let him rest his body and his voice.
Since it seemed to JD to be all right now to ask, he opened his mouth the minute Buck took his hand away.
"That's why you don't' strip down in the baths with the rest of us, Vin." He stated, "They still bother ya?" After lookin over at the scowl on the gunslinger's face, the young man decided that might outta be the last question he asked fer now. So he stepped back toward the door.
Nathan had a question of his own, "How'd ya know we saw 'em"
"Cause yer as curious a bunch of men I eve seen, worse then a bunch'a church ladies on a Sunday picnic." He sent a smile their way as he lay back on the bed. "JD, they don't still hurt but didn't want people askin bout 'em." With that he closed his eyes to try to rest hopin they would get the drift.
JD headed out the door with Buck an Chris behind only to run straight into the preacher. Chris put a hand on the other man's chest as he backed him out the door an closed it behind.
"We got Jessie in jail, came up on him watchin you boy's" said with a smirk, "Playin round the privy." He smiled until he saw the look on the gunslinger's face.
Chris caught site of JD turning as if to go back inside the clinic, "JD!" Stopped the young man in his tracks. "Where the hell do you think you're goin?"
"Ta tell Vin and Nathan." He sent a curious look to the lady's man as he noticed the frown did not leave the man in black's face. "What?" he threw up his hands.
"Let me Chris" the ladies man sent a look to the other men there as he stepped back up to the young sheriff. "Vin's sick JD an tellin 'em that we got the man who done it to 'em ain't gonna help 'em get better, so's we just wire the judge, keep watch an let Tanner heal." He put a hand to the young man's neck an pulled him along with them as they followed their leader toward the jail.
While Jessie spent two days in jail tryin to figure a way out, Vin Tanner was laid up in the clinic, his fever came back an Nathan finally had to cauterize his shoulder wound, put the tracker on his back fer a day or so.
Vin laid there with his eyes closed thinkin bout getting up knew it to be early an wondered who Nathan was whisperin to an somethin bout the judge getting here in another two to three days. His attention was caught so he opened his eyes an slowly sat up, looked toward the door an saw who the healer was whisperin to was Larabee. "I'm awake so's you can stop the kiddy chatter." He smiled at them as he slowly stood to his feet, doin a mental run down on his body.
Feet don't hurt no more, lower side sore but he could handle it, back of his head sore as he touched it, neck an wrist tender but his left shoulder was the worst of the lot. Knew he'd have ta be careful of that fer a while. "What's up with the judge?" He asked as he moved over toward where his jacket, boots an his mares leg was.
Chris and Nathan looked at each other first before the gunslinger stepped up to the tracker, took a deep breath as he knew the man was not gonna appreciate the reason's why they didn't tell him about the other man being caught sooner.
Could see no other way round this then to just come on out with it, "Caught Jesse couple of days ago, wired the judge to come, should be here in the next day or so. We got him over to the jail." He thought he'd be prepared for the tracker's anger but not his silence. All he got was a hard blue stare and then the other man finished putting on his cloths and headed out the door. Nathan and Chris shared another look, shrugged their shoulders and followed along.
Vin was seething mad, first cause they should'a told 'em when they found the other man, but mostly cause they were gonna hafta let 'em go. Couldn't believe Larabee hadn't thought of that an now he was faced with what to do once they let 'em go.
So he headed over to the jail with the other two hot on his heels an preparin himself for the argument he was likely to get.
Chris saw Ezra an Josiah outside the saloon and upon seeing them headed toward the jail, they fell in line behind the tracker, Chris knew that Buck and the Kid were there now watching the jail, "Party's all here." He thought to himself.
"What!" JD exclaimed
To the shock of all present, Vin said again in his quiet voice "Let 'em out."
The young sheriff's mouth dropped open and he stood there starring at his friend like he was crazy, "vin, he tried to kill you, we done got the judge.........." he was cut off as the tracker made a move for the key's.
Chris had had enough, "What the fuck is yer problem Tanner?" He moved in between the man in buckskins and the jail cell door. His first thought was the tracker was gonna let Jessie out so he could kill him on the spot, but one look at the tense and frustrated features on his friends face was enough to convince him it was something else.
"Vin, lets take this outside." So saying he took a chance and pulled the man by the arm out after him, making sure not to tug too hard.
The tracker cast a cold look back to the man standin at the cell door an let him self be pulled along. Almost changed his mind when the man in the cell blew him a kiss an then a wink.
They all stood watching Vin as he paced for a moment an then stopped to look back at them. "What was ya thinkin ta bring the Judge inta this?" his agitation rose an his lean was more pronounced, all of them finally understandin the reason for this typical posture as brining relief to his curved back.
'Spit it out Tanner, ain't got all day." The gunslinger was starting to feel his own anger rise. Mostly due to not understanding what had the tracker so put out.
"I might as well ride on out now, cause I cann't be party to a trial fer that man." He went on before anyone could interrupt. "Got a price on my head, wanted Dead or Alive. By all accounts I'm the one that should be behind bars." His head hung an his hat shaded his eyes.
He looked up at the gunslinger an the other's as he continued hoping they understood now. "The way the law sees it, he didn't do nothin that was again 'em. I ain't goin ta put the Judge in the middle of this."
"Shit" Buck spat out as understanding dawned and they all understood by the looks on their faces.
"What now?" JD asked looking around to the other men.
"You either let 'em out or I gotta ride outta here fore the Judge gets wind a this." He saw the younger man start to open his mouth as in protest. "ain't got much of a choice JD"
"Everybody's got a choice Vin." The man in black spat out. "Can't fuckin believe you expect us to let him go, just like that." He leaned back against the wall of the jail.
Vin stood there an watched the expressions as they crossed the faces of the men in front of him. Chris in rage at Vin, Buck in anger, Josiah sadness, Nathan looked about ready to spit nails, Ezra confused and JD shocked.
Chris Larabee was not gonna stand here and let that man out of jail to go after Vin again, an he said as much with a look to his friend.
Buck was pissed, "let me in there fer a few minutes an there'd be no more need fer a trial." He thought to himself.
Josiah was saddened by the fix the tracker found himself in, the man who near killed him behind bars and he felt he had to set him free cause of his own past.
Nathan was not gonna agree to let that man outa jail to put more hurt on his friend or maybe even kill 'em.
Ezra really did not understand why they couldn't take this before the judge as nobody needed to know the full details of Mr. Tanner's past.
JD spoke stood rooted in shock. Never crossed his mind that Vin couldn't get the same kind of protection from the law that other people took fer granted. Never even considered that Vin brinin charges against Jessie might result in his own arrest.
Vin hung his head an let the dark thought come "Better if'n Chris had killed that bastard out in the desert." He did not look up at the other men, didn't want them to see death in his eyes. Cause now he felt he had no choice. They'd let 'em out an he'd track 'em down an take care of his own business.
The gunslinger came off the wall of the jail where he was leaning, vibrating with anger an headed toward the saloon without another word. "Times like these he dam sure wished he'd never got involved with these men nor this town." He headed to a table in the back with a bottle in hand swiped off the bar as Inez had just finished pouring a drink for someone else.
Vin thought about goin back in the jail an lettin Jessie lose right then, but when he turned back to the faces of the other men, he decided that fer once he'd try to explain himself. So with a jerk of his head he headed over to the saloon across the street silently inviting them along.
Found Chris in the back nursin a bottle an when the tracker approached he didn't look up. "Bad start fer sure." He thought to himself. Vin took a seat an the other men did the same. All of them crowded round the table as they waited for one or the other of the two men to speak.
What none of them noticed was the man who move himself off the bar an head over toward the jail. Jim came here to try to talk some sense into Carl only to find out that he was dead an they had Jessie in jail. He didn't know more than that but now was his chance to find out. So he headed over to the jail to see Jessie.
"I done tol ya what happened Jim, ya gotta believe me." Jessie clutched the bars of the jail as he begged the other man to help him. Knew something was up when that tracker came in an demanded they let 'em lose, guessed he wasn't gonna get a trial they'd just kill 'em outright. Sure was a blessin to see 'Ole Jim here only if'n he could make 'em see things his way.
Jim was pacing back an forth in front of the cell that held Jessie. Not sure if he could believe what the other man said. "He slit his throat?" He asked again.
"Yep, just slipped up on 'em an run that big blade of his right round Clem's neck." He told his story once again.
"Clem done 'cided not ta bother that Larabee fella an was headed outta town, I's gonna be long later with some grub, an then I found that long haired fucker standin over Clem's dead body. I had ta shoot 'em but them other's came an ran me away, so's I came back here to get 'em fer Clem you see." He took a breath an tried to put a sad look on his face. "They done went an locked me up fer tryin ta kill their friend. You gotta get me out cause I'm thinkin they plan on let 'em kill me."
Jim sure as hell was not going to let Jessie die for tryin to protect a friend. "I'll take care of things Jessie, don't you worry none."
Ezra spoke up seeing that no one else seemed likely to. "Lets just say for arguments sake Mr. Tanner, that Jessie goes to trial for attempted murder? You are obviously worried about the bounty resting upon your own head, but might I pose the question that is on everyone's mind? What my good man does one have to do with the other?" He tugged his vest as he sat back to wait for an answer catching the same question reflected in the other men's eyes.
Chris looked up first to the gambler and then to the tracker to see how Vin was gonna explain this that it would make any kind of sense to him. So he sat forward and added the weight of his green eye glare to the question thrown out.
Vin shifted a bit uncomfortably in his chair, reached for the bottle the gunslinger had on hand an took a large drink. Choked back a cough as the rotgut hit his stomach an ignored the disapproving frown on the healers face, an his hand went to his left shoulder instinctively with a burst of pain, noticing the healers frown deepen.
"We don't know nothin bout this Jessie, where he comes from, family nor friends. I got a price on my head that says I'm fair game fer anybody. Say we take it ta trial? My bounty comes out, Judge Travis ain't gonna have a choice but to arrest me bein the man he is." He took another drink. Talkin sure did make a feller dry. "Jessie walks free an I'm headed to a hangin tree in Texas, him $500.00 richer."
Ezra once again posed a question, "Be that as it may, you do not know for certain that this situation will escalate into that particular scenario."
The tracker thew a frustrated look at the gambler, "No, Ezra I don't an neither do you, so we let 'em go. Only choice ta make." He looked over at the man in black an was grateful to find an understanding stare noticed it was tempered with concern as well.
Chris spoke up for the first time since coming outside the jail, was able to set back an see this thing a little clearer now an understood what Vin was tryin to say. Not that this would happen but they didn't know it wouldn't. Vin's only choice then would be to hang or leave an either way he'd be gone from Four Corners. The gunslinger didn't like that at all but how to get around Jessie being freed. It was then that he caught the look in the other man's eyes and started shakin his head. No fuckin way was Tanner gonna be let lose to go after that man, that other fella had already proven to be tricky an Tanner could end up dead. "Vin's right." Said simply and he would deal with the other thoughts later when he had the tracker alone.
The other men at the table knew that no matter what their thoughts were, with Chris now agreeing with Vin the matter was decided.
Mary Travis was headed to Potters store when she saw a man go into the jail. She knew they had the man in there that had hurt Vin and she suspected had been the one with his hands all over her as well. At first assuming that JD, Buck or one of the other men would be there watching over the prisoner, she started to pass by. Hearing voices inside that she knew did not belong to any of the seven, she changed direction and crossed the street toward the saloon. No doubt one of the men would be there even this time of day.
Nathan saw Mary come through the batwing doors of the saloon an stood up to move in her direction, knowin she never came here without a good reason, "Or what she thought was a good reason." He said to himself with a smile thinkin on the times she'd come here to look fer Chris or ask after 'em.
"Mary?" He took her by the elbow an lead her over to the other's who now were at full attention as well.
Mary looked into the piercing green eyes of Chris Larabee and felt her heart flutter as it usually did when she felt the full attention of that gaze. "I was on my way to Potters and saw a gentleman enter the jail, I thought you might like to know since you have someone in there." They all stood and headed toward the door, except for Vin. He stayed back and lightly brushed her arm to get her attention. So she stopped and turned to him, glad to see him looking better.
"You alright Miss Mary?" the tracker asked, concern etched on every line of his face.
"Certainly Vin, I just wanted to let you all know that someone went into the jail." She turned questioning eyes on him.
"Thank you fer that, but I was talkin bout the other night." He felt some color rise as he remember'd that man's hands on her.
Mary felt the heat in her own face as the question stirred those unpleasant memories. "Yes, Vin I'm fine." She placed a hand on his arm, "Thank you for asking."
He just nodded his head an touched a finger to his hat brim as with a hand laid gently on the small of her back he walked her out of the saloon.
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