Disclaimer: All the characters from the "Magnificent Seven" T.V. series are property of Trilogy Entertainment, The Mirisch Group, MGM Worldwide.
The wind was blowing through the trees and although the rain had yet to come, the air felt damp. One could feel the moisture each time a breath was taken. It weighed heavily in the lungs as all things solid with form would inside that sensitive organ. The summer was almost over and fast approaching autumn. While the leaves were beginning to brown from the heat, their shade would turn even darker during the penultimate months before winter. Vin Tanner preferred spring to summer, he liked the green of growth because it held promise of what could be as opposed to summer, which meant things were at their prime and could only get worse from here.
For today however, he could not say he minded summer all that much.
True, the storm was almost upon them and it would be wise to take a slight shortcut at this point to avoid caught in its awesome fury because the rumbling of thunder and the occasional flashes of light through the thick cumulous clouds promised a rather fierce one. However, he was riding on his horse, in the open spaces of the Territory, with the woman he loved, wrapping her arms around his waist as they rode on to Coventry and with all that factored in, Vin decided the day was not so bad after all. He loved riding with Alex this way because she would remind him of his presence each time she drew breath and released it against the nape of his neck, sending tingles down his skin.
Instead of taking two horses, they had opted on leaving Four Corners with just Peso because it would make the trip much faster if she could ride with him. The storm was almost upon them and Vin's hope of reaching Coventry directly was fading fast with its eminent arrival. He knew of a faster route and since he had only one horse to worry about, it seemed like the most prudent course of action to take.
"I'm gonna to take a detour at the pass ahead." He declared as they galloped through the flat plain of knee high grass, scorched amber by the summer heat.
"Okay." Alex answered, understanding why because the sky looked rather ominous overhead and Four Corners was not that long behind them. Aside from the wind and rumbling thunder, the air was rather silent. All the native wildlife had sensibly gone to ground, choosing to sit out the rains before it came. "Do you think we will make it there before the rain."
"No." Vin said with absolute certainty of that fact. "We may not be in it too long but we're gonna get wet just the same." He remarked, casting his gaze across the terrain and seeing more confirming signs that his statement was the truth.
"Why does this always happen to us, whenever we go anywhere?" Alex groaned, not at all happy to be soaked to the skin by the time they got to their destination and supposed she ought to be grateful that she had come prepared this time.
"Can't say," Vin replied neutrally, even though his true feelings on the matter had a very good answer to her query. It might have a little something to do with the fact that no matter how unwise the circumstances, Alex would go to any lengths to reach a patient. While this was an admirable quality, one that Vin appreciated because it made her the physician she was, however, it could be damned inconvenient at times. "Just lucky, I guess. Maybe we'll find a cabin on the way." He looked over his shoulder at her with a wolfish grin.
"Oh you are so funny." She frowned. While some aspects of the trip to Agnes Doherty's had been life changing, the journey for most part had been three days of hell. It was a toss up whether or not they would be lovers or dead at the end of it, considering the emotions that had been displayed by both of them at the time. "Just remember to keep that to a minimum when we get to the nunnery."
"This the same place where Mary and the rest of you girls got those nun's outfits to break you out of jail?" Vin asked.
"That's the one," Alex could not help chuckle as she pictured her best friends wearing nun habits as they played the performance of their lives for Sheriff Pierce so they could rescue her. "And I'll have you know they did not break me out of jail, I was not supposed to be there in the first place."
"You weren't supposed to be going to Eagle Bend in the first place." He snorted.
"Hey, I am a grown woman you know." She looked at him with mock offense. "I have the right to go where I please and if that entails taking off to Eagle Bend to take part in a card game then I will do so even if I risk capturing the attention of a homicidal sheriff who wants to take me....." she drifted off seeing the sarcastic expression of triumph on his face. "Oh shut up."
Vin flashed her an affectionate grin as they reached Baker's Pass. Instead of taking the usual trail that would eventually take them into the heart of Coventry, Vin directed Peso towards a more uneven trail that revealed its disuse by the overgrown grass and the overhanging branches. Alex kept her head down as they continued up the path for a few minutes until they broke through the shrubs and reached a clear trail. Although Vin's detour seemed a little rough, Alex did not question his decision to take them this way, after all, he knew the land a lot better than she did. A slight drop of water on her cheek immediately prompted her to look skywards and she saw more water coming down on them with pregnant drops.
"Do you want to stop?" Vin asked as the rain started to come down on them.
"No it's fine." She replied, pulling the hood of her riding cloak over her head, to keep the rain off. "Let's try and get there before it gets any worse."
"Its gonna get that and worse." He muttered under his breath although it was not a declaration that was loud enough for her to hear but she nonetheless did anyway.
"You didn't have to come with me you know." She said hotly. "I could have gotten there on my own."
"You'd get caught in the rain Alex and then I have to come looking for you." He retorted, aware of the annoyance in her voice.
"I can look after myself." Alex declared firmly, her ire well and truly raised whenever her ability to fend for herself was called into question.
"I'm sure you can." He rolled his eyes. "Look, I wouldn't be no kind of man if I let my wife go roaming about on her own, when there's a storm coming okay?" He hoped that would be something of a conciliatory gesture.
"I'm not your wife yet." She pointed out defiantly, a clear indication that she was far from happy with the situation just yet.
"Oh is that how it is?" He looked over his shoulder at her, starting to feel his own annoyance escalate. The rain was picking up its pace now, battering the earth with large drops that could not be distinguished. He could feel the wet seeping through his clothes and the chill starting to set into his skin. This was the last thing he needed right now. "And whose fault is that?" He asked.
"Yours." Alex said with a smug smile of satisfaction.
"Mine?" Vin burst out, his voice raising an octave in exclamation. "How is my fault?" He demanded to know.
"Well you are the one whose let all your good friends tell you horror stories of weddings that are three ringed circuses, that everything time I bring up the subject, you look like you want to disappear into the hills or something." Alex declared, wiping some water off her nose that was dribbling over the edge of her hood onto her skin.
Vin faced front again because he could not deny that part of her response. It was true. He did seem to get nervous about wedding talk. He had assumed it would be a simple matter of getting a preacher, in this case Josiah and doing it. He had never considered the possibility of suits, dresses, reception halls and place cards. That was a little more fuss than he was used to and Alex was the town doctor, for sure everyone would want to turn for the thing and celebrate with them. Vin could not imagine anything worse than having stranger looking at him on the most important day of his life.
"That's not true."
"You're right," Alex replied, catching the expression on his face before he had turned away which more or less confirmed his fear on the subject. "Mexico is closer."
"No!" Vin groaned. "It ain't like that at all." He tried to convince her. "I want to marry you. Damn, I want that more than anything else but I don't want to be doing it in front of whole bunch of people, I mean what if it don't work out?"
"What if it don't work out?" She said through her teeth. "Have you actually pictured or even given concept to the possibility that it might not work out?" Alex said softly because that had never crossed her mind at all. Oh she expected there to be difficulties, this was after all marriage, and difficulties and marriage were symbiotic words, like men and pain in the ass. However, she had never fathomed the idea of their marriage not working out ever. Alex had pictured herself growing old with Vin the moment she realised she loved him and that image kept her warm on the nights when he was out on the trail with the rest of the seven or whenever she worried about the price on his head back then.
"Well..." Vin started to stammer because that was obviously not the case with her and he tried to think carefully how to get out of it. "Its only right that I think about it. I mean we ain't really lived with each other, you know as man and wife. There might be something we..." He glanced at her and saw the storm brewing on her face was even worse then the one around them at present.
Oh shit.
Vin had expected her to yell at him or knock him off his horse but she did neither. What she did was worse. She went very quiet and her lower lip quivered with emotion and disappointment. "I never thought it would end badly between us. Not at all. Marrying you was going to be the happiest day of my life. Every night since that dance we went together has been just wonderful, even the bad times. I couldn't imagine being with anyone after that because I knew you would never hurt me and you'd always love me. I never thought you could do anything that would ever make me wish you were gone Vin."
"Aw hell..." Vin pulled the reins up and stopped Peso from moving before he turned in his saddle towards her. "I love you Alex and I want to spend the rest of my life with you. I keep thinking that we ought to get married the way we planned, quiet like and then I get to thinking that maybe it ain't fair on you. You're a lady, you deserve the kind of wedding day that ladies get, with all the fancy trimmings and stuff you gals like. I don't want to take that away from you."
"Oh Vin," she embraced him hard and their mouths met in a kiss of passion, dueling tongues of heat as their lips locked in exploration. The warm heat of their bodies pressed together in passion made the rain and the cold forgotten for a brief time. Vin felt his body respond instinctively to her soft full lips and rekindled the desire he had to suppress each time he felt that golden skin brushing against his. His mouth moved past her lips, down her chin, burying itself in the softness of her neck as he pulled at the cloak, exposing her face to the rain as he nibbled on the soft flesh.
She leaned further across him, until his hands were able to pull apart the cloak and cup the breast under the fabric of her shirt and began kneading with soft caresses. Vin could feel himself hardening as the rain pelted down on them and Alex was responding so sensuously to him with her soft moans that he knew that if he wanted to take her here and now, she would allow him. His fingers delved through the part of her shirt, making its way past the folds of lacy under things until he actually felt skin. Pulling back the mixture of cotton and lace, his fingers found the point of her nipple and began rolling it between its town.
"Oh Vin..." she groaned at his touch.
"Maybe we ought to stop for a while," he said hoarsely, not caring about anything at the moment.
"Yes," she whispered, when suddenly a powerful crack of lighting roared through the air with such force that Peso reared up on his hind legs and almost knocked them both out of the saddle because of their precarious positioning.
Vin immediately grabbed the reins and brought Peso back under control while Alex buttoned herself back to respectability. When he had settled own the horse, he looked at her and both of them started to chuckle at how easy it was to become lost with each other once the mood took them. Although he still wanted her and wanted her badly, Vin had decided perhaps they ought to get where they were going before the weather got any worse.
"And you said I'd have trouble keeping my hands off you." She said mischievously as he dug his heels into Peso and prompted the horse to start moving again.
"Well I had to do something to let you know that I don't want anyone else." He replied as she leaned her body against his buckskin coat, not at all caring that it was wet.
"Nice try," she commended. "Although I wish you would get it in your head that I don't want a fancy wedding. You're not taking anything away from me Vin by wanting something simpler. I can't stand all that stuff myself. I saw how it was at Chris and Mary's wedding and believe me, its all together too much fuss."
Vin wished he could believe her because he wanted to put this issue to rest once and for all. He wanted her for his wife. He wanted to be able to wake up every morning and find her by his side. Vin had never thought he could feel so powerfully about anyone but the moment he had laid eyes on Alexandra Styles, he knew she was made for him and every day since she had told she loved him had been a confirmation of that belief. Every time he had to pull himself out of her bed to sneak out of her house or watch her leave to return in secret from a visit to the shack, Vin felt his heart and soul going with her.
"All right," he finally conceded defeat. "When we get back to town, what say we get Josiah to marry us?"
"I think that's a good idea." Alex smiled in pleasure at theirs finally coming to a decision.
"But I'm telling you now," he said firmly. "I ain't never gonna want to hear about you not getting the wedding you wanted once we've done it. Right?"
Alex was too happy to care. "Absolutely." She answered, barely able to conceal her smile and hugged him tighter as they continued the trip to Coventry. Besides, if she wanted a big wedding. They could always have it later.
Of course Vin did not need to know that.
Vin's short cut required them to travel over water but fortunately, the waterway through which they had to traverse in order to reach Coventry, came complete with a barge of sorts that required a pulley system operated by those it was ferrying from bank to another to pull it across. When the reached the banks of the river they were required to cross, the rain had progressed form teeming and had definitely entered storm territory. Sheets of water were lashing at them as the wind whipped at their clothes with harsh intensity. Alex's cloak was billowing in the air as she took refuge behind Peso as Vin walked to the pulley that would bring the barge from the other side of the river so they could use it to travel across.
Although he did not voice it, he was taking particular note at the furious surge of water that was rushing past them. The strength of the current looked terribly fierce, not to mention choppy and as Vin pulled the barge back towards them, he could see the strain in the structure as it struggled against the waves that were smashing hard against it. However, the alternative was to go back and Vin had to believe that the barge would manage one more trip since it had remained intact so far.
"Vin," Alex said coming along side of him as he pulled the ropes of the pulley. "Is that thing safe?" She asked looking at the barge.
"Its still in one piece." He said confidently because if he showed concern then she would started to feel afraid and getting them across was going to take enough of his attention without his having to worry about how she was feeling. "I think it should be okay."
The barge shuddered a little on its return to their side of the river and appeared to be quite sturdy although it was hard to say because the flow of current was considerably less at the embankment then it was in the middle. Upon reaching them, Vin gestured for Alex to get on while he went to lead Peso onto the barge. The horse was skittish about being on the device probably because it looked as unsteady to his faithful companion as it did to Vin. The pounding rain and the powerful gusts of wind were not helping the creature's temperament either and it took a few seconds before he could settle Peso enough to bring him forward.
Alex in the meantime, found herself holding the hand rails that surrounded the sides of the barge with a firm grip, not liking the fact that they had to trust their safety to this ancient piece of travel that did not at all look very comforting by the way it creaked each time she stepped on the planks beneath. She watched Vin leading Peso from the pontoon onto the barge, aware that the horse's eyes were wide with fear and Alex had never seen Peso afraid of anything. The horse was very much like his master, seldom afraid to launch itself into trouble no matter what the consequences and she could feel her own anxieties starting to bubble forth in face of what they were about to do.
"You okay?" He asked, seeing the apprehension on Alex's face.
"I'm fine." She answered with a faint smile, trying to hide her nervousness at the buoyant movements of the wood above the water. "Let's just get this over and done with," she retorted.
Vin nodded in understanding, appreciating her concerns because he felt the same way himself. Without saying another word, he began pulling the rope and the barge heaved into motion beneath them. "Alex," he called as Peso started to stamp his hooves. "Could you just hang on to the reins?"
"Sure." She hurried over and took Peso's reins and ran a palm against his flank, hoping that the sensation of human touch would do something to soothe the horse's fears. "Its okay boy," she whispered in its ear. "Its gonna be okay."
Peso seemed to settle down after that and Vin could not help but throw his lover a warm smile. "I thought I was the only one who could do that."
"Well," she teased. "This usually works on you so I thought it might work on Peso." She gave him a cheesy smile as she said that.
"I'll get you for that." He responded.
The barge pulled further and further from the shore and the journey away became fraught with more trepidation. The barge began to sway under the constant hammering by the rain and the wind. Peso was becoming more and more nervous. He was snorting and neighing the further across they went until Vin was starting to believe that the horse knew something they did not. Alex was having a great deal of trouble keeping him under control and the cajoling that had worked earlier did not have the least impact on Peso now.
"Alex let him go!" Vin declared, having no choice but to keep pulling the barge to the other side.
"He'll jump off!" Alex cried out defiantly. Peso meant just as much to her as he to Vin. She refused to let the animal drown if she could help it.
"Let him go!" Vin roared. If Peso jumped off, Vin could be fairly certain that the animal was a good enough swimmer to make it to the other side. He could not say the same for Alex if Peso took her with him.
"Damn!" She swore and released her hold of the reins. Peso continued to stamp his feet and pushed himself onto his hind legs as his fear escalated. The barge was in the centre of the river and rocking about precariously from both the wind and the currents beneath it. Water sloshed against the sides, spilling onto the floor and splashing them with cold wet moisture. Alex tried to back away from the frantic animal but as the barge's shaking became worse, the slick floor hindered her retreat.
Peso reared himself up on his hindquarters again, doing so abruptly that he knocked Alex off her feet. She hit the wood, the side of her head impacting hard against the wet surface. The downed human further frightened the animal and it backed away, aware that it had done something wrong.
"Alex!" Vin cried out as he saw her fall, rain lashing at his eyes as he tried to squint and clear his vision enough to go towards her.
He let go of the rope and started towards her when suddenly, he heard a loud crack. Around him, pandemonium started to take place as the wooden rivets began popping out of their places in the seams of the barge. It took an instant for him to realise that the barge was breaking up and in desperation ran across the craft to reach Alex as it started to crumble away. Alex was still dazed from her injury; he could see rivulets of blood running down the side of her head. He did not think she was hurt badly but he wanted to reach her before the barge started to break up completely.
He never had the chance at the floor separate beneath him, creating a large fissure of water and froth that surge through as what he was standing on gave way. He was still on the part of the barge that remained mostly afloat because of his size but the section Alex had been lying on was small and started to sink immediately. Peso had wisely disembarked and was fighting the swirling currents to get back to shore.
"Alex!" He shouted as she scrambled to her feet and tried to escape the rising water. Thinking fast, he grabbed a hold of the rope that had snapped free of the barge and was hanging limply on the ground but still attached to the other side. Taking a few steps back, he made a running start and jumped through the wind and the rain to reach her. She was struggling to remain on what was left of the barge, trying to leave it to the very last moment to take her changes in the choppy water, when Vin landed next to her. The force of his landing tipped the barge over and threw them both into the water.
Vin kept a firm grip on the rope even though everything was going to hell around him. The currents were strong and threatened to drag him under as the water claimed him but the tracker kicked hard and managed to escape it powerful pull into a watery grave. He broke surface with a loud gasp and immediately started searching for Alex. It was almost impossible to see anything other that the crashing waves around him however, he saw her hair on the surface as the currents and the weight of her clothes pulled her down.
Wasting no time, he started swimming towards her as he saw her pushing herself to the surface to steal a hungry breath, before the pressure forcing her down started to win out and he could see the despair on her face as she attempted to remain afloat.
"Alex hold on!" He shouted and got a mouthful of water for his trouble, gurgling out his words. However it was enough to give her focus and she immediately started swimming towards him, struggling against the hindrance of clothes to make some of the crossing needed to reach him.
Vin clung to the rope as he struggled forward, the chord of his hat pulling at his throat as it threatened to be swept away by the water. He swam as hard as he could, until finally his hand reached hers and he was able to wrap his fist around her wrist and pull her the rest of the distance. One hand coiled firmly around the rope that would drag them to safety, Vin pulled Alex towards him until she was able to wrap her hands around his neck.
"Thank god!" She coughed. "I couldn't stay up anymore."
"Hang on to me," he ordered once her arms were securely around him.
Alex nodded, clearly too afraid to do much else and Vin started pulling them both towards the shore, feeling the rope cut into his palms as he fought wind, rain and current to force them through the breadth of the river. The embankment seemed so far away even though they were closing the distance between it. The water had turned icy cold and the rain was making it hard to see but Vin concentrated on nothing else except getting across because failure would not only condemn himself to death but also Alex and that was not something he was prepared to accept under any circumstances.
His arms ached with pain and he could feel blood in his palms as the rope rubbed his skin raw but somehow Vin continued the laborious journey to the shore until finally, they could both feel land underneath their feet. The currents remained as strong as every until finally, they were far enough along the incline to be able to crawl out of the water. When they finally reached shore, both Alex and Vin collapsed on the soft sand gasping with exhaustion. Vin in particular because it was his strength that had saved both their lives. For a moment, he could only lie there, breathing hard as he tried to capture his breath as the terrible ache in his arms started to fade slightly.
"Vin," Alex moved first. "Are you alright?" She asked shaking him.
"I'm okay," he said after a moment, still breathing hard. He raised his head in her direction. "Are you hurt?" His eyes filled with concern.
"I'm fine," she answered wiping more rain out of her eyes. "I'm wet and tired but I'm okay."
Suddenly, Peso appeared out of the bushes, looking just a bedraggled as both of them. The creature approached them almost contritely as if trying to make an apology for abandoning them earlier. The horse came up to Vin and nudged the tracker gently with its long nose.
"I guess we're all doing okay." Vin smiled and lay his head down to rest again.
The rain did not stop despite what they had endured to cross the river. Once they had recovered enough to take stock of their losses, Alex discovered that the river had taken her carpetbag of clothing but fortunately not her father's medical bag whose value would have been irreplaceable if it had been taken. She could live with the loss of her clothing but she was drenched through and getting back to Four Corners now was impossible. There was nowhere to take shelter so they had little choice but to continue the journey to Coventry. Vin knew the terrain ahead and although the trail was rough, it would significantly cut down their travelling time.
"Why is its always my clothes," Alex grumbled once they were on the way again. "Wherever I go with you, I'm always getting soaked to the skin in a rain storm."
"Mostly," Vin drawled humoring her. "Because you're the one crazy enough to go out in this weather and I'm the one dumb enough to follow you."
"You're a real comedian." She said sarcastically and clung to him tighter because she was terribly cold and her cloak was somewhere on its way out of the state by now.
"I aim to please." He grinned, trying to keep both their spirits up in this dismal venture with a little levity. In some ways, this trip was reminiscent of that trip to Agnes Doherty and despite the ordeal they were going through on this occasion; he could not help feeling slightly amused by the whole thing. It almost seemed like some kind of biblical sign telling him that a turning point had come in their relationship, although Vin could not imagine what that might be. It was as perfect as it could get. He no longer had a price on his head and he was free to marry her. The ranch was starting to pay money and in a few weeks, he would have rebuilt the shack enough for Alex to move in with him.
Everything was as perfect as he could ever imagined in his wildest dreams. What more could he ask for?
"Vin, you ever think about children?" Alex asked suddenly.
He nearly fell off his horse.
Vin looked over her shoulder trying to hide the panic in his face as she waited for an answer to that question. "I don't know," he stammered. "Ain't really thought much about it and all. I mean is there some reason you are asking me now?"
"We've never really talked about it and since we're thinking about getting married when we get back to town, I thought it might be a good idea." Alex could see the fear in his eyes and was rather surprised by it. He was not even this afraid when they fallen into the river. Why should he be afraid of a harmless question unless...
"Oh Vin, you didn't think I was pregnant did you?"
"What me?" Vin turned back to the reins and let out a short laugh, extremely grateful that she could not see the relief in his face. "I ain't dumb, I knew it was just a question."
"You did huh?" she said skeptically, trying not to laugh. "So what are your thoughts on the subject, Mr Tanner? Do you want to have children straight away, wait for a year or two or let things come naturally."
"Let things come naturally?" Vin asked, "ain't that what's been happening now?"
Actually now that he thought about it, considering how Mary and Inez were pregnant so soon after their marriages and Mary was pregnant when she and Chris had first started courting, he had to admit they had been lucky in that respect. Alex never seemed to worry about getting pregnant or even asking him to use anything while they were making love. Although he had not known many women and working girls did not expect it, he did know there were items out there for the purpose of not conceiving a child.
"Not exactly Vin." She answered. "I am a doctor and my father was well traveled. When you visit a lot of cultures you pick up things."
"Things?" He knew that a lot of her medicinal remedies were not often stock standard practices utilised by conventional physicians. He had seen her use some very odd herbs and plants he would never have figured as having healing properties to treat people. Of course Vin never complained when the results were so positive. "Like what?" He asked suspiciously.
"Vin, I realise that you aren't around most mornings to know this but haven't you noticed me drinking willow bark tea every morning when I stay with you at the shack?" She looked at him.
"Sure I do," he answered, still not comprehending what she was trying to tell him. "I can't see why though, that stuff taste like rotgut gone bad."
"Well let's say I don't drink it for my health." She replied, having debated whether or not she ought to tell him about this but decided he had a right to know if they were going to be married. She probably should have brought this up before but men could be really obtuse about some things and this particular topic was incendiary to say the least. Some could even consider it sacrilegious to circumvent the course of life being born in this way.
"So what is it?" Vin demanded to know, not liking the fact that there was something about her he did not know.
"Let's just say that without it, you would have been a father a lot sooner than you would have liked." Alex replied after exhaling loudly.
It took a minute for it to register in his brain and then he looked over his shoulder and stared at her in shock. "You mean that stuff keeps you from..."
"That's right." Alex cut him off before he could say it.
"Oh." He paused and considered the knowledge she had presented to him, uncertain at how he felt about it. In truth, he had wondered about that considering how healthy both their sexual appetites had been, it was something of a minor miracle that she had not gotten in family way already. "How often do you have to take this stuff?"
"Every 21 days of the month." She answered. "Its almost completely effective, works even better than the things you men can use." Alex explained, wishing he would say something. The subject was awkward enough as it was.
"And if you miss it?" He asked finding the whole thing strange but fascinating.
"I have to keep taking it or not have sex for a week." Alex responded.
"Well that explains that anyway." Vin shrugged.
"What?"
"Your headaches." He grinned.
"Very funny." Alex chuckled. "Is it okay with us Vin?" She asked. "I didn't want to keep this from you but it's not something I really like to talk about."
"Its women business." Vin retorted, deciding that there were some things that he did not want to know but he understood why she had revealed this to him now. "Alex, I want to have a mess of children with you, I ain't gonna lie about that but I ain't ready for it right now. I don't think you are neither."
"I'm not." She admitted honestly.
"Since we got something of a choice," he said feeling this great weight taken off his shoulders. "I think we can wait a bit."
"Good," she smiled, pleased that he had been so good about it.
The trail was rocky and uneven with the side of a hill flanking their position as they continued skirting the foot of it. The slope was formed mostly by sedentary layers of shale and grit. Once they were past this stretch of terrain, it would empty into the flat, grass plains that Alex was used to seeing when she traveled. Although she did not want to admit it, she would have rather taken her chances with the longer route to Coventry after what she had endured already. Of course, she did not voice that opinion to Vin whose entire purpose for this detour was so that they would get to Coventry before they were caught in the storm. It was not his fault that the weather was much more turbulent than he had originally anticipated.
They were halfway past the hill when Vin noticed Peso having trouble moving across the ground. What was normally hard, packed earth had became soft and malleable, the rain's battering of it so relentlessly, had left the ground saturated with water. Each time Peso took a step, the animal's hooves left an imprint in the soil that soon filled with water. Vin looked up the hill with concern, taking note that the sharp incline was devoid of any trees other than a few small shrubs here and there. He watched as the storm continued pounding water and wind into the side of the mound, loosening dirt and fused earth that had been compacted together for years, eroding those bonds with constant precipitation.
"Aw hell." Vin started to say as he realised the danger that they were in.
"What's wrong?" Alex demanded, hearing the tension in his voice and following his gaze as he started upward.
"We need to get out of here." He said warily, his eyes still fixed on the incline. He had now started to notice slight shifts of earth moving down the slope and pausing as they came to an obstruction. The shifts were minor for the moment but Vin knew that once a large chunk of earth decided to break away, it was going to bring down the entire side of the mountain upon on them. Unfortunately, he could not break Peso into a gallop because the sudden impact of hooves against the ground would only worsen the situation and hasten the coming mudslide.
"What is it?" She asked, feeling her stomach knot because he did not get this worried without very good reason and considering what had happened today, she was not about to discount any further acts of nature from breathing its angry wrath upon them.
"Rain's loosening up all the soil on the hill." Vin answered after a moment, somewhat reluctantly because he had not wanted to worry her but decided that she was strong enough to take it and smart enough to work it out for herself.
"You mean a mudslide?" Alex exclaimed, her eyes widening in fear as her gaze returned to the hill.
"Yep." He nodded.
"What do we do?" She asked quietly, aware that any sound of loud could jar something loose. She had seen avalanches before to know how dangerous this could be not to mention when she had endured that landslide when returning from the Doherty spread. She could see Vin mindful of this in the way he nudged Peso forward, trying to guide the animal to make its steps lightly as possible, until they had cleared the danger zone.
"Nothing we can do." Vin responded, watching the terrain cautiously, aware of the shudders he could see and took note of every rock or clump of earth that made its descent, praying that those small detachments would not percipitate something much larger. "We gotta make it past this point and hope nothing happens in between."
"Oh great." She hissed loudly. "You know, I was joking when I said that this was turning out to be like the last trip I took out of town for a house call."
"Keep your voice down." He ordered since this was not time for her to be complaining, not when her voice had the power to do as much damage as Peso's hooves against the ground or any impacting force that could shake something into movement.
"Oh God." Alex shuddered in fear and clung tighter to him in response, feeling her heart pound and wishing it would not because she was just frightened enough to think that it could have some effect on their outside environment. As if trying to stab at the wound that was festering, the rain which had until this point had been steady, suddenly intensified. The winds did the same, increasing its speed until the trees in the distance were struggling to stay upright from the powerful gale. The ground began to tremor suddenly and Vin realised that they were almost out of time.
"Hold on tight!" He shouted and kicked his heels hard into Peso's side.
The horse was more than happy to depart, its senses detecting the danger far more efficiently than its master was capable and immediately launched into a robust gallop forward. Its efforts were somewhat hindered by the saturation of the ground beneath it and strained the animal somewhat to maintain the pace with the drag of mud pulling at its hooves. However the urgency of the situation soon propelled Peso to double its efforts the rumbled of earth became more than just passing and both Alex and Vin looked up in time to see a large shelf of earth suddenly break loose and begin its descent down the incline.
"Hell." Vin uttered and dug his heels into Peso's flank again while Alex held on tight as she watch the wave of soil saturated by water, become a mud slide that was gaining momentum the further down the slope it progressed. The roar of its movement filled the air, like a great snake dragging its belly across the wet ground. The wave of mud was wide and as it continued downward, increased its volume until Vin was uncertain of how far they would have to ride to escape its devastating reach.
Alex closed her eyes and buried his face in his back, not daring too look at what was coming towards them because it would only heightened her panic. Peso was riding hard, the animal's fear was such that it was oblivious to the mud, its powerful muscles compensating as it surged forward under Vin's guidance. They had to clear the side of the mountain if they were going to escape the mud slide and in the distance, Vin could see the stretch of flat land they needed to reach to keep from being buried alive by the torrent of water and earth.
The cascade of earth continued to rumble down the slope, increasing in velocity and force as it roared down the hill. It tore up everything in its path, uprooting any plant life and dislodging boulder and rocks embedded in its surface, sweeping everything towards them in a sheer wall of nature's deadly fury. Vin continued to push Peso to clear the field of danger coming towards them but knew with a sinking feeling that they would be extremely lucky if they made it. Alex was holding to him even tighter and he could not blame her for her terror because he was not to happy to see what was coming straight for them either.
The stretch of flat land that would have heralded their safety was just beyond their reach when Vin took stock of the progress made by the slide and saw the avalanche of mud finally reaching the foot of the hill. Finding no slope to continue, it exploded outwards and began expanding like a ripple in a pond, sending the deadly wall of soil and water rushing towards them like a wave. Alex let out a scream and while safety was close, it would not be close enough.
It hit them so hard that Peso tumbled over, throwing both riders off its back. The last thing Vin remembered as he was covered in a blanket of mud, was Peso braying loudly in panic and fear before everything went black and he knew nothing more.
Peso.
That was what Alex heard when the disorientation had worn away after their tremendous collision with the mud slide as it swept them away like kindling in its awesome might. She could feel slick wetness all around her, it stuck to her face and was on her lips. She recoiled at the realisation that it was mud and was starting to panic when suddenly she heard Peso neighing. She was lying on her face, unable to breathe when Alex forced herself onto her knees and discovered that she was not buried as deeply as she thought. It took a little bit of effort to break the surface, mostly because the mud was weighing down her clothes.
Alex forced herself out of the mud and looked around. She saw Peso struggling to get onto its feet and started moving unconsciously towards the animal to stop it from braying because the sound cut straight through her shaken nerves. There was no time to think yet and as she grabbed him by the reins and gently helped him onto his feet, spraying her with mud as he stood up just as shakily. She wiped the smattering of it from her face and surveyed the river of mud drying around her, with leaves of shrubs protruding out in some places and a tuft of something that Alex recognised immediately.
"Oh my god, Vin!" She scrambled forward, unaware that she was running until she dropped to her feet next to him. All she could see of her fiancée was part of that damned buckskin coat he was never without. Digging her hands into the soft mud, she cleared away more soil off his coat until there was enough material for both her hands to grab. Plunging her fingers against the hide, Alex fisted her hands around it and pulled as hard as she could. She dislodged some of the earth around him but not enough. She could feel his heat under her hands and knew he was still alive. Alex refused to allow herself to think otherwise.
"Come on Alex!" She shouted to herself as she ground her teeth and pulled back once again. It was not just his weight but the pressure of all that mud covered on top of him. Tears started to run down her cheeks, creating streaks in the mud on her face as she heaved again, putting every ounce of strength she could in a single Herculean effort. Without warning, the mud around him loosened suddenly and she fell backwards, pulling him out of his grave by the force of the recoil. He collapsed on top of her, unmoving and Alex's instincts as a doctor kicked in immediately. Pulling herself free of him, Alex moved quickly to examine him. There was mud all over his face and she tried to clean as much of it as she could from his breathing passages. Forcing his mouth open, she doubled over him and started breathing air into his lung, forcing them into working.
"Breathe goddamn it!" She swore as she came up for air in order to replenish his.
She continued this for a few a seconds, daring not to believe that he was beyond help. Alex did not even want to envision the possibility that it was too late. He looked pale and she knew that he had been buried for at least two minutes. The human body could tolerate at least two and a half minutes without oxygen before the heart gave out. The brain could last a little longer but not much. She knew she had gotten to him in time but none of these statistic was set in stone because human individuality made everyone different.
Suddenly, he convulsed violently and gasped as his natural instincts to live kicked in and he started breathing on his own, taking each mouthful of air into his lungs like he was a man starved. He took several breaths until the intake became too much for his lungs to cope with and he doubled over, coughing loudly as Alex helped him sit up right. He could feel pieces of grit in his mouth and the taste of mud, scraping against the back of his throat.
"Can you breathe okay?" She asked, looking at him with concern. Judging by the way he was wiping mud off himself, she guessed he was unharmed except for some cuts and bruises sustained when they were hit by the mud slide.
"Yeah." He nodded, his voice sounding just a little hoarse. Vin turned his attention to her and saw that the wound she had sustained during their ordeal on the river had started bleeding again. "You don't look so good though." He said with concern and reached for her cheek and caressed it gently.
"I'm fine," Alex sighed, instinctively touching her forehead and wincing a little at the pain when her fingers made contact with the tender skin. "I'm really starting to think we should have stayed at home."
Vin managed a sardonic laugh. "Well at least the weather has let up." He remarked, raising his gaze to the sky. Although there was no blue to be seen except thick dark clouds, the rain had paused for the moment. Vin could tell roughly that it was evening by the vague glimmer of the sun behind the clouds. It would soon be dark and Coventry was not far away now. Looking around, he saw Peso waiting patiently for them and felt relieved to see that the animal had come through the mudslide unhurt. While it was dangerous all around for any creature to be caught in such a natural disaster, it was especially so for horses because their slender bones could break so easily. A broken leg was fatal for a horse and Vin would not have relished performing the same duty he had once been called upon to do for Alex's last horse, Calliope.
"That's something." She grumbled. "I really think God hates us."
Vin managed a small smile and allowed himself a moment to recover before attempting to stand up. "He don't hate us," he drawled, examining himself and actually wished for a hot bath. Unfortunately, he did not think he was going to get one at a nunnery. Sometimes, Vin did not appreciate the Almighty's sense of humor. "He just likes to have a lot of fun with us."
"Vin," Alex said cautiously. "You should rest for a few more minutes." She was so grateful that he had come out of this latest ordeal alive, she did not want to risk himself any more than necessary. The weariness on his face was obvious but Alex also knew that he would disregard his own state of health to get her to Coventry before the sun went down.
"I'm okay," he stood up and extended his hand towards her. "I'm been through worse. Besides, I'd be a lot happier resting some place that didn't look like no pig sty."
"Can't say I disagree with you." She replied taking his hand as he pulled her to her feet. Her body ached terribly and she would not be surprised if she was a little bruised. Alex looked forward to a warm bed where she could snuggle up to him. That was the only thing that would make this nightmare of a day remotely salvageable. "If you're good, you can scrub my back." She teased.
"To hell with it," Vin decided. "We're riding into Coventry once you're done at this nunnery and getting a room." After everything they had been through today, he was sure as hell not going to let a bunch of nuns tell him that he could not be with the woman he loved because they were not married. That was going to happen soon enough and no one knew them at Coventry to get the local gossips worked up.
"Why Mr Tanner," she looked at him with a raised brow. "That's mighty presumptuous of you. What if I want to stay at the nunnery."
Vin turned to her with a raised brow. "Woman," he said firmly. "I'm taking you to a hotel room even if I have to drag you there kicking and screaming."
"Well," Alex said with a smile as they made their way to Peso. "When you put it so romantically, how can a girl refuse an offer like that?" She giggled as he pulled her towards him, feeling immensely happy to be alive considering what they had just been through.
"It's all in the asking," Vin's voice became husky when his mouth took hers and they shared the moment as they exchanged a lingering kiss. When they parted, they resumed the journey to Peso who seemed none the worse for the experience and looked just as bedraggled and disheveled as they did. Vin climbed into the saddle first, ensuring that Peso was well enough to continue their journey to Coventry. His eyes surveyed the destruction around them and could see branches of upended plants and shrubs protruding from the river of mud. The mudslide had hit even ground and spread outwards until its momentum was exhausted and it finally came to a stop. Vin hoped that no one else had been caught in its path.
Pulling Alex into the saddle behind him, Vin prepared to ride out once he felt the comforting feel of her arms around his waist and her body pressing into his back. A shudder of pleasure moved through him as he felt her warmth against him and wondered how she managed to do that every single time. Even though she was just as filthy as he was, she never looked more beautiful to him because no matter what the calamity befell them, Alex would always be at his side to share the burden.
It was a good feeling to know that with such certainty.
"Come on Doc," he said digging his heels into Peso's sides. "Let get going before anything else happens to us."
It was well past dark when they finally arrived at the nunnery outside of Coventry. Alex had little time to rest and although the ladies inside the holy establishment were rather shocked at the ordeal she had endured to reach them, they could offer little more than words of thanks before reminding her that a patient awaited her. A priest had been sent for because the old lady had not roused from her comatose state and Vin was forced to wait in the chapel on premises while Alex tended to their ailing sister.
In the meantime, understanding that he had been through something of a trial in the last few hours, the sisters were good enough to provide him with a hot meal and a place to clean up. Of course, a basin and wash cloth were no substitutes for a hot bath but on the whole, he decided not to complain because he was accustomed to living it rough. What was provided allowed him to get cleaned up considerably which was gratifying because there was not a corner of him that was not covered in mud. The sisters provided similar comforts to Peso, taking the horse to their stable where fresh feed and dry hay was available for its disposal.
Vin remained in the chapel, not wishing to wander around the hallowed halls of a convent. He never felt comfortable in such places for it reminded him too much of the state run foster homes he had been sent to after his mother had died. Instead, he sat on the pew, waiting out the hours that seemed to drag on by as Alex tended to her patient, feeling a little sorry that she had to work when she had gone through as much as he had today and could not rest. However, he knew Alex well enough to realise that she could never sit still if there was someone in need.
Despite how uncomfortable he felt in the confines of the convent, he had to admit he felt no such ambivalence in the chapel. It was rather serene really and looked no different from the church that Josiah had restored so devotedly during his time in Four Corners. Unlike Josiah's church which only had a pulpit at the head of the congregation, this chapel was larger, with stained glass windows which must have looked really pretty when the sun shone through them. The images were of knights and horses, of friars and bishops and of ages long before his time and captioned in a language he could not read, much less understand.
Watching the candles flicker on the candle stand, Vin could not help but look back upon the day and find the whole thing amusing after the fact. When Alexandra Styles had discovered that he meant something to her, it had been through a similar sort of journey. They had been through an ordeal as if it took that to give them the nudge needed to admit how they truly felt about each other. From the moment his lips had met hers in that little cabin on the Doherty spread, they were lost to each other even if neither knew it at the time. There was so many thing occupying their thoughts then, her feelings for Ezra, Vin's determination not betray the same, unaware that events were taking place in Four Corners that made such considerations pointless.
Now here they were and so much had happened since that first moment when he first laid eyes upon her and knew without doubt that she was made for him. Sometimes, Vin could scarcely believe it and then there were others times when it was so real that it made his heart pound from the sheer joy of her being in his life. Alex had been through much for him, endure things he was certain she would never tell him because he would not truly understand. There were secret wounds she had suffered him, things he could see in her eyes but dared not ask because it would hurt her too much to tell him. When they had returned form Tascosa, he had seen that pain become apart of her and knew that it had been endured because she loved him.
"Vin." Alex's voice shattered the dignified tranquility of the chapel and invaded his thoughts, bringing him back to the present.
With her was a priest in dark, somber robes and a portly nun that Vin remembered from their initial arrival to the convent, even though they had not been formally introduced. Vin rose to his feet and walked up the red carpeted aisle to greet his fiancée, taking note that she looked extremely weary and needed to sleep. The expression on her face did not seem terribly hopeful and Vin had a feeling she had not been able to do very much for the nun she had made this journey to help.
"How did it go?" Vin asked. "Is she alright?"
"I'm afraid not," Alex shook her head sadly, mimicking the mournful expression on the faces of her companions, although not to their extent. "She fell because she had a stroke. She's very old so it was to be expected."
"She ain't gonna make it?" Vin said sympathetically.
"Not the way she used to be," Alex looked at the duo with her. "Unfortunately the stroke was massive. She could live for years or she could die tonight. It's very uncertain but Mother Superior here tells me she is very strong, so I imagine that she'll be with us for a little longer."
"That's too bad." Vin met their eyes. "I'm real sorry to hear that."
"Its god's will." Mother Superior shrugged. "We cannot always understand his ways and so we must accept it and go on."
"I'll take your word for it." He remarked and thought she looked a little like Nettie for she had the same kindness in her face. Her eyes were younger than she was he suspected.
"Well Mother Superior," the priest made himself heard. "I am sure that Doctor Styles and Mr Tanner are exhausted after their journey to aid us. Have you prepared rooms for both of them?"
"Yes," the woman looked at them with a warm smile. "Please come with me Doctor Styles, I can show you a place to get cleaned up and I'm sure we have something you can wear while we have your clothes cleaned."
"Oh that's very kind of you," Alex glanced at Vin, aware that he wanted to go to Coventry. "But we'll keep going."
"But its storming outside," Father O'Halloran replied with his thick Irish accent. He was a stocky man with white hair who hid his youthful eyes behind steel rimmed glasses. "You cannot possibly venture out like this and we would not be at all Christian to let you both go."
"Alex, you're plenty tired." Vin admitted, seeing the exhaustion in her eyes and would prefer not to put her through the ordeal of venturing out into the cold night for another trip. He did not think either Alex or Peso was up to the journey. "We can stay here the night." He answered with a smile. He hated the thought of sleeping apart especially after today but was not about to make her ride to Coventry because he could not stand to not have her in his bed.
"Vin are you sure?" She asked, perfectly willing to make the trip if he wanted her to do so.
Vin kissed her on the forehead and saw the smile on Father O'Halloran's face when suddenly an idea came to him. It took a millisecond for him to decide that it was an extremely good idea and worth indulging. Looking up at the priest, Vin wrapped his arms around Alex, not caring how scandalous it looked and asked. "Father O'Halloran, can you marry us?"
Alex broke his grasp and stared at him. "Now?"
"You said you didn't want no fancy wedding." He reminded.
"Yes but now...?" she sputtered unable to believe that this was his solution to their sleeping arrangements tonight. Although, come to think of it, it was not a bad idea actually, she decided after a moment's reflection.
"Certainly," the man said somewhat amused by the whole interplay as was Mother Superior who was looking on with a widening smile. She did so love weddings, even ones as abrupt as this.
"Come on Doc," Vin looked at her. "I even brought the ring."
"You brought the ring?" Her eyes widened it around. "When did you buy a ring?"
"When we got back from Tascosa," he said proudly, somewhat pleased he had managed to keep that secret. Vin had been carrying the gold band in his coat for sometime now, ever since Ezra had helped make the selection. The gambler had been so astute at helping him with an engagement ring for Alex that Vin had chosen to recruit his aid when selecting its successor. He reached into the folds of the jacket and produced a velvet box that was rather encrusted in mud after the day's events. Flipping it open, he revealed to her with pride, a single gold band set with three tiny stones of blue turquoise. It had cost him quite a bit but Vin did not care, he was happy to delve into his savings to see this on her finger.
"Oh Vin," Alex exclaimed. "Its beautiful." She whispered.
"So," he asked once again. "Marry me?" His blue eyes twinkled as he looked at her.
"Yes," she smiled and embraced him, trying to keep the emotion out of her voice. "You crazy son of bitch. Yes!"
"Well," Father O'Halloran said raising a brow as he watched the couple coming to their decision. "I've heard better answers but that will do." He grinned. "Let's get his wedding started."
Alex and Vin lay in each other arms, less than an hour later after their small but lovely wedding, sharing the same bed in one of the guest rooms inside the convent. They were too tired to do much else but stare out the window at the storm and wondered if all the pivotal moments in their life together would be marked by such calamity. Alex had cleaned up and was lying next to him, smelling fresh and clean, his face nuzzling in her hair as he took a breath of that heady scent that made him fall in love with her all over again, each time he felt it inside his lungs.
"You know," Alex said staring at the ring on her finger as they lay spooning, enjoying the warmth and the magic the night had to offer. "They're gonna kill us when we get back."
"Yeah, I reckon." He agreed, knowing what she was talking about. Undoubtedly, their friends were not going to be happy at how they had chosen to make their nuptials. "I'll tell them it was your idea."
"Thanks a lot Mr Tanner." Alex said staring at him in mock outrage.
"My pleasure, Mrs. Tanner." He replied and decided he liked the sound of that very much.
Very much indeed.