Disclaimer: All the characters from the "Magnificent Seven" TV series are property of Trilogy Entertainment, The Mirisch Group, MGM Worldwide.
Alexandra Styles lived.
She remembered running away at Vin's orders as gunfire erupted around her and everything descended into anarchy. She had sought shelter to allow him to do what was necessary without having to worry about her welfare. She crossed the dirt square, her intention to reach one of the homes like the other women and children were doing. Then she recalled her name tearing through the noise of bullets, singing its siren song above the chaos. She had paused long enough to look over her shoulder when the pain had come. She could hear with absolute clarity, the escaping bullet from his gun moved through the air with quiet whoosh.
Then there was the agony of penetration followed by the terrible darkness that swallowed her whole. In the depths of the black hell that enveloped her, she could hear voices. She heard his anguished voice and was vaguely aware of his warmth on her hand, his distant touch anchored her to life when the haunting melody of the drowning pool wanted her to slip away for good. Alex was aware of other things, Nathan's voice speaking in grim tones while Chris Larabee was strong as always, offering comfort in his brooding voice.
Yet it was still Vin Tanner that kept her alive.
When she woke up two days later, Alex was surprised to find herself in her own bed in her house. She was lying on her stomach in a fresh night gown with no idea at how she had come to be there. Outside her window, the moon shone brightly against the indigo sky of twinkling stars. It would have almost felt like a dream had not the pain made itself known approximately two seconds after her awakening. She moved slightly and felt a rush of agony descend upon her so swiftly that it forced a soft cry from her lips until she bit down to stifle it. It travelled quickly along the length of her body until every nerve she possessed was aware of the agony.
She dug her nails into the sheets, trying to control it and felt tears run down her cheeks when she could not. Moments slipped past as she wrestled to overcome it, until they became minutes which stretched in tens of minutes. Alex was in no mind to calculate how much time had passed when she finally felt it subsiding. Swallowing hard, she turned her head painfully at a sound that became clear only when her sense had returned to her. She saw him snoring gently as he slept on a wing chair in the corner of the room. His slouch hadhat covered most of his face but she knew it was him. Even in the moonlight, she recognisedrecognized his silhouette and the buckskin jacket that hung on the corner of her bed post.
Vin slept and Alex watched him wondering how long he had been there. He did not stir as she watched him, allowing several minutes to tumble by as she basked in the sight of him, feeling herself fill with love when a flash of insight came upon her that he had probably held a vigil by her bedside all day and night. Alex allowed him the slumber with no wish to interrupt such a peaceful sojourn.
However, she had things to do.
As silently as a person in her condition was capable, Alex pulled the covers off herself and gritted her teeth as the pain descended upon her in agonisingagonizing waves. How she managed to slip out of bed and leave the room in her injured state was testament to how exhausted he must have been. She left Vin in her room and struggled slowly towards the stairs that led down to her clinic. Painfully slipping her thick cloak around her body, she felt the tension in the skin of her back that could only be the result of sutures that held her wounds closed. She moved gingerly, more aware than anyone else what splitting any of thosethe delicate stitching of catgut could do.
Her journey to the lower floor of the building was punctuated by pauses as she recouped her strength with any supportive wall or banister she came across. Her progress into her clinic was slow but she was determined and more importantly, her pace allowed her to continue in silence because if Vin knew she was awake and attempting this, he would carry her back to bed without a moment's thought.
The pain was unbelievable but Alex knew she had to do this.
She entered the familiar surroundings of her clinic, feeling some measure of comfort in the sight of her instruments, the pull down desk and the examination table. In this room, she was in control of all things and never uncertain about anything. Alex knew what was required of her and wondered how conscience would survive after this day.
However, she thought of her father and how he once said to her that he would show her the world and invariably did. She remembered how he once brought an injured lion cub to her and let her delight in running her small hands through its soft fur. Alex was given a life most women dreamed of because of the man her father was. She loved him because he was a wanderer at heart who felt trapped by walls and people. The book he had sought to write was always an excuse, even she knew that, but Alex loved that he dreamed so vividly of open spaces while gazing at the stars above.
With a sudden start, she realisedrealized that Vin was not so different from William Styles in that he was a spirit that could not be confined in much the same way. There was nothing more wonderful than riding with Vin across the open plains, holding him close while they roamed the sparse landscape together. She could think of nothing more awful than trying to rein him to something so mundane as farming the land. Alex loved him because he was what he was, free. She would never want him to be anything else.
She needed no light as she moved through the clinic, gathering what she needed in her momentous decision before slipping out of the building into the night.
The jail house was empty and she could not say how she knew he was here. Perhaps in her slumber she might have heard Chris giving Vin a report on the man's welfare or maybe she even heard Nathan speak of him when the healer had reluctantly been forced to tend the man's injuries. Alex did not know and she did not care. As she made her way across town, allowing the night to hide her journey while fighting the pain that was becoming almost unbearable, she had only one thing in mind. It burned through her mind and gave her drive when the agony of her injury threatened to overwhelm her.
The door was unlocked into the building, there was no reason for it to be when the one person inside was locked behind bars. She entered the dimly room and noted that Chris had not posted any guards. On reflection, she guessed there would be little need for it. Alex had seen what Chris' bullet had done to his knee. That kind of injury did not allow for any mobility unless Randall found himself a crutch and even then, he would not be able to make use of the leg for some time yet. A gush of warmth ran down her back, plastering the sheer material of her nightgown to her skin. Alex knew one of the sutures had split and hoped Nathan would not be too angry with her.
Randall Mason was lying on the bunk inside the cell when Alex pulled up a chair against the bars. She made enough sound so that he stirred and sat up quickly, wincing in pain at the exertion to his knee. She watched him become aware of her with little or no emotion whatsoever. His face was covered in a multitude of bruises and wondered who had inflicted them. Whoever it was deserved a medal.
"Alexandra?" he said in surprise. He had not expected to see her again for no one would tell him if he had killed her or not. Judging by the quality of care he had received from his jailers since he had been returned to Four Corners, Randall assumed she had died for he had not seen Tanner since the brutal assault inflicted upon him by the primitive.
"Yes Randall." she replied coolly, forcing the pain away because she would not give him the satisfaction of knowing that he had hurt her.
"I thought you were dead." he said moving gingerly towards the bar by sliding across the bed.
"I almost was." Alex answered. "You don't look much better, yourself." She indicated the bruises on his face which was almost contorted out of shape from the intense swelling.
"You can blame this on your tracker." Randall sneered. "Such a charming man you chose to bestow your affections on. A true gentlemen who attacked an injured man."
"Was this before or after you put a bullet in my back?"she retorted in disgust.
"You are mine, you always will be." he said with a smile. "This temporary setback changes nothing. My family will extricate me from this current predicament and I will come back for you. I apologize for the injury but you were running from me and you are to never to do that."
"Of course," she nodded, not surprised by his answer. "I forgive you Randall." she said after a moment. "What you did is unforgivable but I can forgive you because I know you did it because you loved me."
"I have always loved you Alexandra," Randall said quickly, somewhat taken back by her forgiveness. He had expected this audience to be laced with angry barbs but instead she was strangely accommodating. "I loved you from the moment I saw you. I always knew that you would be mine. That is why I can never give you up. I will chase you forever Alexandra, from this barren hole to the gates of heaven itself if need be but I will have you in the end and not even Tanner can stop me."
Alex saw his hands around the bars, peering at her like an animal in a cage. He was not an animal but he was rabid and such a condition needed to be ended out of sheer mercy for everyone involved. "You may try Randall," she said reaching for his hand through the bar. She saw his eyes widen as her fingers gently took hold of his. There was confusion in his face as he tried to decipher the meaning of this gesture. There was a moment of resistance when their skin made contact but the possibilities that he saw in her eyes left uncertainty in its wake.
"You were always my friend, Randall." She intertwined her fingers in between his own. "I chose you as my first lover because you meant a great deal to me. I am sorry I could not love the way you wished but I always felt a great deal for you which is why it pains me to do this."
Before he could understand what she meant, Alex yanked his arm through the bar with lightening reflexes she did not know she possessed. The needle in her other hand sank deep into his wrist all the way to the hilt as she forced the clear liquid into his body. Randall cried out in pain and tried to pull back but Alex had saved her reserve strength for this particular purpose. She held fast and ensured that every drop of fluid was injected inside his skin. When the syringe was empty, she pulled it away and released him.
"What have you done to me?" he growled as he clutched his hand and stared at the pinprick of blood that oozed from the tiny fissure left by the needle.
"I forgive you for everything," she said as she leaned against the wall, waiting for the inevitable to follow. "But I don't forgive you for my father."
His eyes widened in realization. Suddenly, he started to feel sluggish and had difficulty focussing. focusing. She watched his reactions impassively, as his head lopped against the bars while all the strength rapidly oozed out of his body. "What have you given me?" he demanded but his speech was starting to slur and his tongue felt useless inside his mouth.
With the men in the cantina, the drug she had administered in their food took time to react, but anything injected would take far less time than that to work. "When I drug those men, I told them that it was curare. Of course I had none on me at the time so all they had been given was a strong dose of sedative. However, I keep a good supply in my clinic so what you have squirreling away in your blood stream is the genuine product."
"You can't do this..." he struggled to speak. "You're not a killer."
"I am not killing you Randall, I am dispensing justice." Alex replied. "It's probably a lame excuse that will not stand up against scrutiny but I will have the next forty or fifty years to debate the question. Everything that I am Randall, my father made me. He gave me a dream of being more than what this face could give me. You will never understand how much he meant to me or how much I want you dead because you took him from me." She glared at him as she watched his eyes starting to glaze over. She had pumped enough curare into him to kill a dozen men because she was taking no chances. "Do you honestly think I was going to let you leave here knowing that you would hunt me down for the rest of my life? It just shows how little you really know me Randall. How little you ever knew about me."
She stood up to leave as he fought the effects of the drug in futile desperation. Within minutes he could barely move and the only thing she could see in his eyes was the intense fear of the dying to come. Well, she had little surprise for him there too. "By the way, I do not know how long it takes to die from the dose I gave you. Rest assured, you will be completely immobilized and you won't even register a heartbeat. I wish you a speedy end Randall because I would not want to be you if you're still alive when they choose to do an autopsy. Trust me, you will not enjoy the Y incision."
Alex saw the horror of understanding in his eyes and allowed herself a smile before she walked out and left him to die.
Vin woke up and found Alex gone. At first, he was struck with the impossibility that Mason might have escaped the jail and come after her. However, he could not see how Mason could even walk upright let alone have broken into the house without his hearing. Vin noticed that her robe was gone and there appeared to be no signs of forced entry through the front door. Where was she? He wondered as he started searching the house. He supposed she could have left on her own steam even though she was badly injured.
Nathan had worked hours on Alex at the Seminole village, frantically stemming the flow of blood while at the same time removing the bullet that had almost ended her life. She was in and out of consciousness the whole time and Vin was at her side through most of her delirium. Yesterday, she was in stable enough condition for Nathan to agree that she be transported back to Four Corners in a wagon. Rain had accompanied them back on that trip assisting Nathan as he kept a close eye on Alex's condition all the way back. All that stood between Vin killing Randall Mason during that same journey was Chris Larabee. Chris had kept them apart because he understood all too well how it felt to lose someone that way.
Vin walked into the clinic on the off chance that she might be there when he saw the open door leading to her back porch. He found Alex curled up on the wooden bench, fast asleep. Her dark hair cascaded over the edge of the seat, while her arms were folded under her head. For a moment, she looked almost childlike and utterly breathtaking. Vin knelt down and slipped his arms under her, preparing to carry her back to bed when Alex stirred and looked up at him in a sleepy daze.
"Hey cowboy," she smiled, seeing his face above hers.
"Now what are you doing out here?" Vin asked tenderly, leaning down to plant a soft kiss against her forehead.
"I thought I'd take a walk." She sighed. "It felt like I'd been asleep forever."
"Just two days," he replied, carrying her back into the clinic. "You were hurt bad."
"It feels it." She allowed her head to rest against his chest, savouring the comfort his presence afforded. "Have you been here all that time?"
"I couldn't leave you alone. No telling what kind of trouble you could get yourself into." Vin said with a hint of teasing as he ascended the stairs. Vin never knew how happy he could be just to be speaking to her like this. He doubted he would ever forget the cold terror in his heart when he thought he might have lost Alex for good.
"Well you know us mean ol' spinster women." She chuckled slightly as she allowed herself to drift away.
"Yeah." He"Yeah" he said shortly. "Ain't never a dull moment with you around."
As she finally slipped back to sleep she could only mutter in response. "You're such a sweet talker cowboy."
They found Randall Mason the next morning.
Chris Larabee who had arrived to check on the prisoner as they prepared him for transport to Eagle Bend, discovered the man slumped against the bars of his cell, his eyes wide open in terror during his final moments on this earth. The gunslinger could not say that he was terribly sorry to see Mason dead although it did surprise him that the man had died without a mark ofon him other than a tiny spot of blood on his wrist. For a moment, Chris was struck with a dark possibility that the death may have been assisted but brushed away the idea as quickly as he cleaned the trace of blood from the man's skin Other than that, there was no sign of any violence visited upon the body.
Upon examination by Nathan a short time later, the healer deduced that the man had died of a heart attack. He was certainly the age to warrant such a diagnosis and no one cared enough for the man to raise any further questions. Chris turned the body over to the undertaker and the solution of formaldehyde and embalming fluids soon destroyed any evidence that might allude to the possibility of foul play.
Neither Nathan nor Chris made any mention of the small pinprick on the man's wrist.
It was almost two weeks after the tumultuous events left in the wake of Randall Mason's arrival that Alex finally saw the light of day outside her house. It felt like everyone was present in Mary Travis' back porch as the widow held court over a small gathering for her closest friends. She had even relented and allowed Julia Pemberton to attend although the woman was given strict instructions to keep her distance between herself and Alexandra Styles. Rain, who had been helping Alex during those periods when Vin was unavailable had been staying with Mary during this period, since Mary knew how Alex guarded her privacy.
It was one of those lazy afternoons where there was just enough heat left over from the summer to make this autumn day warm as opposed to the cold that would soon set in when winter made its arrival. The delicious heat had made them all drowsy after the picnic meal that Mary had laid out was consumed. The group was laid out in the garden on top of blankets and chairs, relaxing away in the afternoon sun while Four Corners was enjoying a quiet spell of trouble free days for a change.
"Josiah did you ever get to give that sermon?" Alex asked the preacher as she and Vin lay nestled against each other on the picnic blanket. They were all stretched out across the garden in similar positions of carefree intimacy. Ezra and Julia were sitting on Mary's comfortable garden furniture, looking more like a couple who should have been in a boat somewhere on the Charleston River. Meanwhile Mary was sitting upright on her own blanket with Chris resting his head on her lap as he chewed on a blade of grass, enjoying the sunshine on his face.
"Unfortunately no." Josiah replied as he looked up at the pretty doctor from the food he was picking at on his plate. "By the time we got back from Wickestown, it was too late for me to hold the service. The reverend from Sweetwater was kind enough to do the honours." The preacher said sounding a little disappointed, even though he was secretly relieved that he had been delivered from the ordeal of a public oratory.
"Well you did give it up for a good cause." Julia said, throwing the man a look of appreciation. She shuddered to think what would have happened to her and Inez if Josiah, Ezra, Buck and JD had not found them in Wickestown.
"That's a matter of opinion." Alex added, unable to resist the opportunity while giving the woman a sarcastic smirk. She found that she was better able tolerate Julia Pemberton's presence now, even though theirs would never really be a warm relationship. However for the sake of Vin's friendship with Ezra and the bond shared by the seven, Alex was prepared to let bygones be bygones. Besides, she had enough on her conscience without adding her prolonged enmity towards Julia to the list.
"You are so kind." Julia returned the look and frowned at Ezra when she heard him stifling a laugh.
"Ladies," Ezra interrupted, unable to deny that he was enjoying the caustic remarks being traded between the two women all day. "Do I have to separate you?"
"I'd like to see you try." Buck Wilmington added with a grin wondering if Ezra was actually stupid enough to get entangled in that particular quarrel, since he wasalready the cause of it. "Ezra, you have so little experience with fiery women." The man sighed as he stretched out languidly on the steps of the porch, with a bottle of whisky in his hand. Buck was enjoying this gathering immensely and wondered why they had not indulged in this before. He marvelled at how relaxed Chris looked and was secretly reminded of the summers he used to share with Chris when Sarah and Adam waswere alive.
"As opposed to what?" Inez looked over her shoulder as she put another serving of food on JD's plate. Like all young men, his appetite made him perennially ravenous. Of them all, it was JD who was enjoying this afternoon together most of all. most. It reminded him of the family atmosphere he longed for since his mother had passed away.
"Why darling," he said looking at her with those eyes filled of mischief. "I have you to draw from experience."
"Well that is all the experience you're going to get from me Senor Wilmington." SheWilmington" she said sweetly.
"I live in hope." He grinned, holding his hand to his chest and Inez could only shake her head and laugh in a gaze that said she could do nothing with him.
"Speaking of sermons," Mary chuckled, moving the conversation past Inez and Buck's latest attempts to get at each other. "Josiah, I arranged it so that you can do the Christmas sermon this year. Normally we have to get the reverend but it would be so nice if we could have someone locally."
"Christmas?" Thethe preacher looked at the pretty widow blankly.
"Yeah Josiah," Nathan sniggered, knowing that Josiah was not as comfortable about delivering a speech to so many as the others were led to believe. "It will be you in front of all those people. I think the entire town turns up for that, don't they Miss Travis?" He looked to Mary.
"Just about Nathan." Mary replied, not understanding the grin the healer was wearing on his face or for that matter, why the others were trying to hide their own amusement. Even Chris seemed unable to keep a faint smile from crossing his lips. "People just seemed to come out of nowhere."
"Think of it Josiah," Nathan was laughing now, taking note of the ashen look on Josiah's face. "You'll be standing there in front of the entire congregation."
"I shall look forward to hearing that sermon," Ezra chuckled, joining in this playful torture of the preacher. "Perhaps you could favour us with an excerpt since you were unable to deliver it because of our excursion to Wickestown."
"May you need last rites some day." Josiah grumbled elicited a louder series of laugher.
"I'm sure Josiah wrote a nice sermon." JD spoke up in the preacher's defence. "I'll bet he'd be happy to recite it for you."
Josiah stared at JD in a mixture of astonishment and horror. "JD, that's not necessary." he said hastily.
"Sure it is, Josiah." JD said enthusiastically unable to understand why his older companions were laughing harder. "We'd all love to hear it."
"Yeah Josiah," Buck prompted. "We'd be hanging on every word."
"Leave the preacher alone." Chris finally spoke up, feeling some measure of pity for Josiah at this point.
"Thank you." Josiah said with a loud exhale, not wishing to explain to those who had no idea that he had not even penned the first word of the alleged document.
"When do you and Rain head back., Nathan?" Vin asked, taking Chris' lead, deciding that a change of subject was definitely in order since it appeared that Josiah was already having enough anxieties with his future performance before the Christian flock of Four Corners.
"Tomorrow." Nathan said, offering a smile at the tawny haired young woman with the wild, dark hair. "Rain's gotta get back to the village."
"The harvest is almost here." she replied. "Nathan is staying with us for a few days to help out."
"You be up to it on your own Miss Alex?" Nathan asked, knowing that she would be the sole medical authority in Four Corners once he departed. He felt a responsibility to her as her physician but Nathan also had obligations to Rain and she was needed back with her people.
"I should be all right." Alex saidright" Alex said, not wanting him to cancel any plans because of her. He so rarely got to spend any time with Rain and Alex knew he wanted very much to accompany her back to the Seminole village. Although, Alex was still sore from her injuries, she was capable of moving around and taking on some light cases. "Mind you I'm still going to take it easy."
"I'll just have to keep her in line if she misbehaves." Vin drawled, and received a sharp jab in the ribs from her.
"Like you can, cowboy." she laughed.
"Just as long it ain't in the kitchen." Chris replied enigmatically and drew a furious blush from Alex and a slight chuckle from Vin. The others merely looked confused but did not press, deciding something were better left unknown
"Yeah pard," Vin muttered just loud enough so Chris and Mary could hear. "Or anywhere on the way to Sweetwater."
"Touché." Mary giggled, knowing precisely what Vin was alluding to, and it was something even Buck was well aware of because the big man almost choked on his whisky, when he started to guffaw.
"I have no idea what you people are talking about." JD confessed looking at them in confusion.
"Never mind kid," Chris laughed himself, conceding defeat in Vin's direction. "It ain't that important."
Chris Larabee lay his head back on Mary's lap, suddenly deciding that it was not so bad being considered almost respectable these days. There was plenty of bad in him still, and heaven help the man who forgot that, but when he was surrounded like this with the friends he rode with and the women they loved, it almost felt like he was apart of a family again.
A strange family, but nevertheless family.
THE END