Disclaimer: All the characters from the "Magnificent Seven" T.V. series are property of Trilogy Entertainment, The Mirisch Group, MGM Worldwide.
"How long are you going to be hiding out in here for?" Buck Wilmington asked Chris Larabee as the two men sipped coffee on the front porch of Chris' shack.
With the arrangements for his wedding to Mary Travis currently being the main occupation of almost everyone he knew in Four Corners, Chris Larabee had fled the town in hopes of escaping the chaos of those preparations. Instead, he had chosen to take refuge in the familiar surroundings of the small house situated on the plot of land he had bought not long after his arrival in Four Corners.
The strange thing of it was, Chris had never intended on staying in the dusty town that he had more or less happened upon by chance during one hot day in summer on his way from some place he no longer remembered to somewhere else that mattered as much. He could not understand why he had bothered to stop at all, save perhaps needing a drink because the day had been hot and dry and he was in need of a shot of whisky which he never ended drinking. At least not least until after the gun battle that would changed the course of his whole life from that point on, had concluded.
"I'll ride in there sometime today." Chris remarked as he eased back into the chair, admiring the day beyond his porch and deciding with a secret smile that he had not picked a bad spot to build. It was late fall and the leaves had turned golden and the beams of sunshine that peered through the cracks of the foliage had bathed the place in a warm amber glow. Besides it aesthetic value, the land was also fertile as evidenced by the trees that surrounded the main house and the waist length blades of grass that covered most of the property. He supposed that one of these days he ought to think about doing something with the land since the soil was good for growing. Still, Chris had never fancied himself a farmer, nor could he bring himself to ruin the inordinate beauty of the place by trying to tame it.
"That's right," Buck nodded as he remembered what day it was today. "Billy gets in today doesn't he?"
"Yeah." Chris nodded, feeling some pleasure at the eminent arrival of Mary's son. With the new school house being erected in readiness for the semester next year, Mary finally had reason to bring Billy home permanently to Four Corners. She had been wrestling with the decision for quite some time now and Chris knew that it was hard to be separated from her young son for such long periods of time. In some way, his pleasure at seeing Billy return home permanently had as much to do with how happy it would make Mary as well his own joy to see Billy again.
"For good." Chris added after a moment. Despite his usual laconic manner, he was unable to keep the pleasure from his voice at the boy's homecoming. Although it had been extremely difficult to admit it to himself in the beginning, Billy reminded him so much of Adam that it ached just as much as it did for Mary whenever Billy had to return to school in Eagle Bend.
"So will you be keeping this place once you and Mary have tied the knot?" Buck asked, his gaze sweeping over the landscape before him and could understand if Chris was reluctant to move into town and leave this all behind.
There was a serenity in the stillness of the woods around them that tended to offer peace of mind. Chris had certainly needed it. When he had first arrived in Four Corners, the gunslinger was a notch or two above savage. Buck had understood the reason for it of course and they remained friends, no matter how sullen and dark Chris had become in the wake of Sarah and Adam's death. He knew that much of Chris' decision to live again had to do with the fellowship that had formed between the seven men who acted as the law in Four Corners as well as the arrival of Mary Travis into his life.
Buck Wilmington knew people.
While his behaviour bordered on the buffoon at times, there was more going on behind his sea coloured eyes than most people suspected. His easy going manner masked a personality that was prone to watch and study human responses. It was his insight that allowed him to be the most approachable of the seven. It was also the reason why he was such a success with the ladies.
From the moment Mary Travis had asked him about Chris Larabee, Buck had known the inquiry was motivated by more than just journalistic curiosity. Perhaps the prim and proper Mrs Travis might have been merely interested but the beautiful creature beneath, whose blue grey eyes flared with hidden fire and ice desired something further. The sorrow in her eyes as Buck told her about Sarah and Adam had given away to a deep affection. Following that day, they were always skirting on the edge of something that was obvious to everyone but themselves.
Buck wondered if either had suspected how inevitable their relationship was.
Nevertheless, as far as Buck was concerned, Mary had done the impossible. Against all odds, she had been the only person in years to penetrate the hard shell of Chris Larabee's grief. With Mary, Buck had seen Chris come alive the way nothing had since Sarah and Adam's death. It was easy enough to understand how one woman could change a man's life so drastically if that woman was Mary Travis.
Even Buck had to recognise that Mary was one of those rare women who could heal a man with nothing more than a breezy smile and a toss of her golden hair. Buck loved her as all the seven loved her. She was their friend and in the beginning of their tenure here, their most ardent supporter. She accepted all of them without question or doubt, knowing that they all had a past but concerning herself with none of it because she had faith in them. At a time, when most of them had spent their years as exiles from life, Mary Travis had welcome them with open arms.
Mary had made them a family and that was why everyone of the seven would die for her if need be.
"I thought I might have Vin stay at the house." Chris announced, answering Buck's earlier question about the fate of this place once he and Mary were married. Chris had no difficulty staying in town with Mary at her house since it made sense to do so with Mary's role as editor of the Clarion News and Chris' responsibilities as one of the town's lawmen. The gunslinger also knew that it was pointless making the offer to Buck because his old friend was a social creature who liked having people around him all the time and would soon tire of this place and its solitary existence.
"He'd like that." Buck agreed, knowing that the choice was a good one. Vin preferred the quiet and was accustomed to taking off in his wagon just to escape the noise of urban living, if a town like Four Corners could be perceived as such. While these forays into the wilderness had lessened in frequency since Alexandra Styles had entered his life, Buck knew that Vin would appreciate a place far away from the hustle and bustle of town living.
"Where is he anyway?" Buck inquired, aware only that Vin had left town but knowing little else. "Don't tell me he's off pining somewhere for Alex because she's gone to Sweet Water for a few days."
Chris threw Buck a look that told him to take another guess.
"Well I'll be... " Buck laughed as it finally dawned on him what Chris was alluding to. "I never thought Vin had it in him to be so sneaky."
"I'm guessing they're probably together somewhere out of the way." Chris glanced at Buck with a wolfish grin as he thought of what Alex and Vin were probably doing at this moment.
"No doubt signing the hotel register as Mr and Mrs Smith." Buck added.
"Something like that." Chris answered. "I think Alex is still a little skittish after all that trouble with Serfonteine."
"The lady does have to think about her reputation." Buck agreed wholeheartedly with the couple's reasoning. They were no doubt enjoying some heated quality time together inside the confines of an out of the way hotel in a town none of them probably never heard of. Buck found himself sighing with envy. "Well at least they had the sense to get engaged."
"Yep, it does stop tongues wagging for some reason." Chris replied, remembering how much simpler things became when Mary and Chris had made their relationship public with news of their engagement. Although it was a mixed blessing considering what was happening in town at this moment. Inez was organising the wedding with Julia Pemberton in assistance since Mary was simply bursting with excitement at the very notion of having Billy home, to give any thought to such arrangements.
Chris who hated fanfare of any kind was starting to have this terrible suspicion that his wedding was going to be about as low key as a three ringed circus. When he had told Mary to do what she had wished, he had assumed that there would be a quiet ceremony with close friends and a tasteful gathering following it. With so much do, what with the paper and Billy coming home, Mary had unwisely given over the organisation of the wedding to Inez who was more than thrilled to do this thing for her best friend.
Unfortunately, it did not take very long before they soon discovered the scope of Inez's vision for the day and suddenly, Chris decided that Mary had made a mistake of biblical proportions. Still, without offending just about everyone Inez had dragged into this putting together this affair by telling Inez that she was off the coordination duties, Chris had decided that the safest place for him to be at this time was right here away of the line of fire. He could almost understand why Alexandra Styles had decided to take this sudden trip out of town in order to avoid being recruited as one of Inez's wedding entourage.
"Inez is driving Ezra crazy planning this thing for you." Buck said with a smile, remembering the gambler's state of mind this morning when he had learnt that he was required to take over the bartending duties for the day while Inez ran errands for the forthcoming nuptials.
"All I'm doing is turning up for the thing." Chris said firmly, having no wish to become embroiled in the preparations. As it was, he was shuddering at what a debacle the actual event was turning into and kept telling himself that it would be worth all this trouble if at the end of the day, Mary was his bride. Fortunately, keeping that thought firmly in his mind was all that was the only thing that had so far prevented Chris from riding very far out of town. He had no wish to become a part of a community or to be considered respectable for that matter. Chris still saw himself at the town's bad element even though it was somewhat difficult to maintain that image when his fiancee was a pillar of the community and his wedding was turning out to be the social event of the year.
Perhaps there was time to make it to Mexico.
"Well, I got an interesting bachelor party planned for you." Buck grinned with just enough mischief on his face to give Chris cause for concern.
Chris looked at him and was perfectly aware of what kind of parties Buck was inclined to throw. His head was starting to throb just remembering how he had felt the morning after the stag party Buck had thrown him when he married Sarah. If Buck had anything like that planned for him then Chris had good reason to be very afraid. "Buck, I want to be able to walk down the aisle not be carried down it, so whatever you're planning, it better not be like it was the last time you threw me a stag party."
"Aw come on Chris," Buck exclaimed, throwing Chris a look of mock hurt. "You had a great time at your bachelor party." He reminded.
"A great time?" Chris stared at him. "I woke up in the middle of a field on Hank Conner's place, with a bell tied around my neck and not much else! The man was already gunning for me for marrying his daughter!"
"Yeah," Buck smiled completely unrepentant and wished there had been a way to frame the moment, especially when Chris had to sneak into town wearing little more than his boots. "But trust me, you had a fun."
"I'll take your word for it," Chris retorted. "I still don't remember a thing."
"This time, I promise it will be different."
Chris gave him a stern look and said in no uncertain terms, using a voice he reserved for manic Confederate generals and errant ranch owners with delusions of grandeur. "If I wake up anywhere strange with less than I got on when I came into this world, I will hunt you down and kill you Buck. Wedding day or not."
"Would I let anything to happen you pard, especially on your big day?" His old friend asked innocently.
Chris did not even bother to answer.
Her son was coming home.
Beyond that, Mary Travis had let nothing else permeate her psyche today as she made preparations for the arrival of Billy on the next stage. Although Billy had returned home on numerous occasions before this, today was special because he was coming home for good and with her impending marriage less than a week away, Mary had a lot of reason to be happy. The past year had seen much changes in her life. Mary had never suspected when she had first cast her eyes on that black garbed stranger who rode into town with an air of mystery in his brooding blue eyes, how much chaos he would bring into her own existence.
Not that she would have traded one moment of it for anything.
However, with Billy coming home, Mary looked upon the future with a sense of expectation with what tomorrow would bring. The nature of who she was and the man she loved had more or less written it in stone somewhere that her life would never be quiet or normal. The only thing that had marred an otherwise exciting existence was the absence of her son and as of today all that would change.
Mary had risen early this morning and immediately aired out Billy's room, spending an hour changing the linen on his bed and ensuring that everything was perfect for him when he finally arrived. She dusted and cleaned, performing all the domestic duties a mother was supposed to do for her only son, blissfully happy to know that she would be doing these things on a permanent basis. She took note of the carved horse on his bureau and recalled with a smile when he had received the tiny figurine carved of wood.
Billy had received upon his first meeting with Chris Larabee and Mary recalled with fondness of Chris had managed to draw a smile out of Billy where none had been for so long. At the time, Billy had been hiding the secret regarding his father's death, a burden which manifested itself as terrible nightmares that left Mary no choice but to send him away to Eagle Bend, just to protect his sanity. Thanks to Chris and the seven, Billy was able to reveal the true identify of Steven's killers and bring the men responsible to justice. However, more importantly then that, the boy had started the first tentative steps to healing from the wounds of that terrible experience.
After that, Mary became accustomed to sharing Billy's attention whenever he was home from school and it was time she gave up willingly when she saw how much her son adored Chris, even before they became lovers. Man and boy had been able to fill a void within each other that had been vacant for far too long. Chris had been the only person Billy had truly connected with since Steven had died and Mary liked to think that her son touched a part of Chris Larabee that still grieved for his own child.
Mary had spent most of the morning, preparing Billy's room for his return until she was changing the linen twice and three times because of her determination to have everything perfect when he finally stepped through the door. She wanted nothing to mar this day and was adamant that everything was ready and waiting by the time the stagecoach brought Billy into Four Corners. Following her ministrations in his bedroom, Mary started thinking that he would be hungry and thus found herself in the kitchen where she was soon preparing a dozen different dishes she knew were Billy's favourite.
She was in the middle of slicing apples for a pie when she heard a knock on her kitchen door. With a knife and bowl of apples in hand, Mary made her way to the door and saw Julia Pemberton waiting outside the front step. Since her miscarriage some time ago, Julia's relationship with Mary had improved after the turbulence of the Emporium owner's first few days in Four Corners. Unlike Alex who was a fiery tempered with a sardonic wit and Inez who was a storm waiting released within earthy nature, Julia was vain, egocentric but capable of surprising everyone with a streak of warmth she detested anyone seeing. Slowly but surely, Mary had come to realise that despite her manner, Julia considered her, Alex and Inez as good friends.
"You look busy." Julia pointed out as the red head walked into the kitchen after Mary had opened the door for her.
Mary Travis' kitchen appeared to be a work in progress with pots and pans covering the counter tops and ingredients awaiting preparation on the kitchen table. Julia was not much of a cook but she knew when a feast was being prepared.
"Billy is coming home today." Mary smiled, unashamed of how happy she felt at this moment. The joy of knowing her son was coming home to her was making her positively giddy and she radiated delight from every pore on her body.
"I know," Julia said with a straight face. "You've been telling us this at least three times a day for the past week. I take it from the look of this kitchen that you're planning to cook all his meals for the next week today?"
"He's a growing boy." Mary pouted but could not deny that there was enough food on the table to feed the entire Union Army.
"What do you want him to grow into, a horse?" Julia looked at her.
"Are you here for a reason?" Mary scowled at the woman sarcastically, unwilling to hear any rebuke today because her son was coming home. Besides, she huffed silently; it was a mother's prerogative to see that her son had a decent home cooked meal with as wide a variety of dishes from which to choose.
Julia chuckled; knowing Mary did not mean any real offence by her remark. "Actually, I'm here for Inez. She wants you to pick which flower you would like for the reception."
"Flowers?" Mary wrinkled her brow in exasperation, telling herself yet again that Inez was only trying to make things perfect for her with this escalation of her simple tasteful wedding to a full blown social event.
"Yes," Julia reached into the basket she had brought with her and produced two small bundles of local flowers. Mary could not remember what they were called but one was a pale lavender shade and the other was a vibrant red. "Pick." The Emporium owner said holding them both up for Mary's scrutiny.
Mary studied both bundles for a moment and decided to go with the lavender shade since the red on its own might be pretty but as an arrangement in volume, would appear quite garish indeed. The burst of colour on the day would probably kill the groom whose sole appreciation of a colour was a grim black. "Tell her the lavender." Mary said after a moment.
"Good choice." Julia nodded with approval and then secreted the flowers into her basket once more. "Incidentally, you do realise that you have created a monster, do you not?"
"I know, I know," Mary groaned as she went back to peeling her apples. "I had no idea that Inez's idea of a wedding could be so grandiose. Yesterday, she had me picking up the kind of napkins we would like at the reception."
"Considering that half the guests are barely house broken, it does seem to be a redundant gesture." Julia agreed perfectly aware of how maniacal Inez was getting since most of the linen for the wedding was coming from her Emporium. Julia had not forgotten how comforting Mary had been when she had lost her baby and had all linen for the reception her wedding gift to the couple. "Why do you think Alex got out of town so fast?"
"Because she wanted a sordid weekend with Vin?" Mary looked at Julia with a raised brow and an evil smile.
"Why Mrs Travis," Julia laughed with mock reproach in her voice. "I thought a respectable journalist like yourself would be above such tawdry gossip."
"I know, I know, " Mary replied showing no sign of guilt. "I feel sick absolutely sick about it."
"Are you and Chris planning some sort of honeymoon after the wedding?" Julia asked since no mention had been made about the subject, at least from Inez.
"I don't know," Mary replied. Honestly, the thought of such a thing had never occurred to her. What with the wedding and Billy coming home, the idea of a honeymoon had completely slipped her mind. "I don't really want to leave Billy with strangers. He's going to have a hard enough time fitting back into life at Four Corners on a permanent basis. Not to mention, he doesn't know any of the local children."
"Well he'll get to know them when school opens." Julia pointed out. "Have you acquired a school teacher yet?"
"Yes as a matter of fact," Mary said brightly, glad that she was prepared for at least one thing. Mary had sent letters of inquiry across the state in search of someone who would be willing to accept a teaching post in such rugged surroundings. Despite the fact that Four Corners had reached some modicum of civilisation, apparently the news had yet to reach the rest of American and finding someone to fill the post had been quite an effort. Still, Mary was pleased that she had found someone who was suitably qualified.
"Her name is Audrey King and she's been teaching for fifteen years. Apparently, her husband passed on recently and she wants to get a new start somewhere with her twelve-year-old daughter. Her references were quite impressive. She'll be here sometime this week, apparently to get settled in before the school year begins."
"This is the place for beginnings." Julia replied, being able to attest to that fact personally. "Well, I've got to get going." she sighed as she remembered she had a dozen other errands to run for Inez today. If she had known how determined Inez was to make this wedding nothing less than perfect, Julia might have reconsidered her offer to lend the woman a hand. Secretly however, Julia felt somewhat privileged to be asked to help. Back in Philadelphia, her female relations had never liked her enough to ask her assistance in such matters and it felt good to be finally included in such preparations. Looking at the list that Inez had given her with the instruction of what she was required to do, Julia met Mary's gaze and respond. "I apparently have to go find Gloria Potter and put the wind up her about getting a three layered cake ready for the ceremony with a dozen icing roses on each section."
"Oh god." Mary exclaimed, having enough expertise at cake making to know how much of an accomplishment that was going to be. "A dozen roses?"
"I told you," Julia said as she started to leave, "you've created a monster."
"You're telling me," Mary groaned.
"Mary," Juliia paused as she was about to walk out the door. "Want a piece of advice?"
"Conditionally," she responded with a little bit of a smirk.
"I think Billy is going to be so happy to be home with his mother, he's not going to care what he has for dinner." Julia gave her a little wink and swept out of her kitchen.
Mary knew Julia was right but in the meantime, she still had pie to bake.
It was afternoon and Vin Tanner had not remembered ever spending such a prolonged period indoors or in bed for that matter. He peeked out the window and saw that morning was almost over as the sun reached apex in the sky. Outside, the main street of this quiet town showed as no more activity then when he and Alex had first arrived here. It was Alex who suggested that they pick this particular place for their sojourn from Four Corners. Not only was it half deserted and off the main travelling routes but it was also the town she had liberated him from bounty hunters when he had been delivered into their hands by Randall Mason.
He liked her sense of irony.
The hotel that they had registered was one of those places Vin knew to be a favourite of those who did not wish to be found, which was exactly what they were. It was by no means lavish but had a door with a lock on it and nice big bed which was all Vin and Alex wanted or needed. For the past two days, neither had come up for air as they indulged their desires in this vacation away from their lives. For once, Vin had the thrill of waking up next to her and sharing and entire night in her bed without having to sneak away in the morning, for fear of inciting gossip.
After the business with Serfonteine, it was Vin who decided that they needed to take caution with their intimate encounters and this rendezvous had been born of that wish. As far as Four Corners knew, the doctor was going to Sweet Water and people were more than accustomed to seeing him fade into the background. They knew that he often spent time in the wilderness, soaking up the solitude that was denied him in the lively atmosphere of town. She had left first and Vin had let a day pass before they met up at pre-arranged place so they could continue the journey together.
He watched her sleep, basking in the loveliness of her as she dreamed about things wonderful he hoped. It was still a source of astonishment to him to know that he was engaged to a woman like her. Alexandra Styles was a true lady in every sense of the word and yet contradictory enough to accept him for what he was, even though he had no fortune to speak of and a price on his head. He knew that before any question of marriage could ever come into the equation, he would have to deal with his ongoing situation on Tascosa.
Still it was nice to know that she was his.
Alex was lying in the sheets next to him, oblivious to his observations of him and Vin felt the familiar tingle of arousal as he took in the sight of her body, separated from his touch by a thin layer of cotton. She was lying on her stomach, dark hair covering most of her face when Vin nuzzled closer to her as another wave of desire took control of his baser desires. Vin brushed aside her tousled dark hair, seeking through the strands of jet for the soft skin of her neck.
She pushed up against him in her sleep, not at all minding his weight on top of her as she slumbered. Letting out a pleasured sigh when Vin found her neck, the tracker smiled as he lowered his mouth and started teasing her skin her by tracing circles against it with his tongue. She was still asleep but he could feel her body responding immediately to the gentle nips he made along the length of her neck before he sucked insistently in the curve where it met her shoulder.
Alex moaned languidly, pressing her body further into his as he continued this seductive assault, still asleep but aware of his tender ministrations by her dreamy responses to him. Vin hand slid in the space between her breast and the soft mattress, slipping through the crease of sheets as he searched for the nipple pressing hard against the linen. He enjoyed the journey there, savouring the soft round warmth under his touch, the supple curve of her breast and the texture of skin pulling taut against muscle. He felt her sharp intake of breath as his palms kneaded the ripe flesh, searching for the ever tightening nub of erect tissue that could send ripples of pleasure throughout her, even in this dreamy state. Unconsciously, her back arched slightly into him so that he could take up her whole breast in his palm.
Vin grunted softly at the feel of her in his hand. The sensation was strong enough to send waves of heat rippling through his arms and continuing all the way to his cock. He felt himself stiffen with growing need as he continued caressing her this way, thrilling in the soft sounds she made each time he did something that touched her in just the right way. He kneaded it gently, drawing pleasured groans from her as she started to come out of her sleep, long enough to respond.
When he finally touched the taut contraction of her nipple, he immediately enclosed the plateau with his finger tips, teasing it mercilessly as she started moving beneath him, trying to force more of herself into his wonderful hand. Vin closed his eyes, feeling the arousal build in his ever hardening cock as he felt Alex writhe under him, the firm flesh of her bottom pushing into the hard ridge of his manhood. It strained for stimulation and before he even knew it, he was rubbing himself against her, relishing the feel of her skin against him while the swollen head of his erection started pulsing against the inside of her thighs.
"Can I do something for you cowboy?" She mumbled, coming out of her sleep almost purring.
"Whatever you want darlin'," he smiled as continued kissing her neck, moving to her shoulders now and showering her bronzed skin with light kisses that made her purr with delight as his other hand explored the curve than ran from her side down to her hip. Vin loved the feel of her skin under his hands, almost as much as he craved hearing the sounds of delight that escaped her .
"I could take this for a few more hours." Alex smiled as she pushed herself against into him, feeling a wicked gush of moisture between her legs at the sensation of his chest against her bare back. She could feel his cock pressing into her, demanding entry as his hips involuntarily thrust itself against her. His kisses had become more fervent now as his desire built steadily in the erection that was making itself felt so prolifically between her legs. Alex parted her thighs slightly, immediately allowing him to run the shaft of his throbbing member against the heat of her own sex.
The sudden slickness against the length of his cock made Vin pause a moment as the pleasure of it forced a small gasp for him. "Jesus." He whispered and felt his hips moving of their accord as he pushed against the velvet folds but not far enough to penetrate. As he slid up and down, he could feel her moistening with each delicious stroke, until she had gone very silent and her breaths were little more than shallow gasps of bliss. He positioned himself so that his cock would make contact with her erect centre and pushed again.
"Oh Vin." She whispered as she felt him tease that tiny pearl of flesh as he ran his shaft against it. The sensation made her buck against him and his fingers worked the flesh of her nipple with renewed intensity as his own desires grip him with similar abandon.
Vin was covered in her juices now and the need to enter her was so overwhelming that he could barely stand it. He left her breast and moved both hands to her hips, sliding down her sides with a firm, descent so that she could feel every inch of his journey in the rough calluses of his palms. When he reached the curve of her waist, he slid his hand underneath her belly until he reached the thatch of dark hair that would lead him inside her. Sliding past her wet thighs, he relished the musk of her arousal in his nostrils as his fingers started probing to the crevasse between them. Gently, he nudged past the folds and inserted a finger, groaning immediately at the feel of wet and tight muscle that enveloped him upon entry.
"God." She whimpered, her hips pushing into his hand as he strained to plunge his fingers as deeply into her as he could. Quivering flesh enveloped his insistent digits, promising him all kinds of pleasure as he pressed his fingers within the passage that his cock would soon invade. Her hips started to lift slightly off the bed, attempting to give him more access to her until the texture of her round bottom grinding against his own pelvis was enough to drive him insane with hunger.
"Get on your knees," he whispered huskily, his blue eyes almost dark with feral need.
"Yes." She said completely subservient and moaned when he drew away from her to allow the movement. She did not wish for his hand to stop what it was doing to her body but knew that that what he intended to do now would eclipse the pleasure he had made her endure until this point. Besides, Alex wanted to feel him inside her, perfectly aware of how wonderful he would be when he started fucking her hard and savagely.
Vin felt his cock impossibly harden when he drew back and saw her raising herself upon her hands and knees, offering him a full view of her sex as she did so. He wanted to be inside her so badly he could not even wait before he was up against her, forcing himself through the silky folds. As the head of his cock penetrated the tight ring of wet flesh, Vin had to hold onto her hips or else he could have completely lost control and force himself into her brutally. His need was such now that it was driving all sense from his world.
"Jesus, you feel so good." He groaned as he pushed into her, enjoying every inch of flesh that coaxed him further and further inside.
Alex was moaning slowly as he made his invasion, parting her legs wider, feeling as if he could never be deep enough inside her as she pushed down hard, until what care he was taking was washed away in the totality of complete penetration. She heard him gasp as he was embedded inside her, until his hips was pressed hard against her bottom and she could feel the weight of his semen engorged sacs bouncing against her flesh. His hands dug into her hips with such force she was almost aroused by the pain. Their lust had become almost animalistic in its intensity.
"Hard Vin," she gasped. "Do me hard."
Her plea was so raw and full of need that it almost had the effect of a physical sensation upon him. He felt a gush of fluid escape him with the arousal from those three words. He was more than happy to oblige her because the sensation of her all around him was beyond belief. He was somewhat amazed he had not begun a frantic fit of furious thrusting because his cock was so hard and bursting that he did not know how much longer he could have maintained his control. Pulling her hips forcefully into his throbbing member, he began pumping her hard, his own gyrations making this melding of flesh into a dance of brutal pleasure.
Sweet Jesus, Vin thought inwardly as the pleasure washed over him. The intense pressure of her inner muscles was crushing his cock into submission with each hard thrust into her body. He pounded into her with such relentless force that before he even knew what was happening, Vin was crying out her name. He could only hold on and let his manhood do the work for him, dragging him along on this tidal wave of sensation that coursed through every pore in his body until all he could do to keep from whimpering in beatific surrender was to bite down hard.
"Oh God Vin, don't stop!" She whimpered and threw her head back, her dark hair splaying across her back, intermingling with the sweat of her skin.
Vin saw the cascade of jet before him, a stark contrast against golden coloured skin and immediately felt himself pumping even harder, until the pleasure of her was so unbelievable that all he could do in response was to hold on and enjoy the ride. He rode her hard and fast, knowing that despite her lady like manner, she liked to be handled with ruthless desire. Without ever knowing how he had managed to be so fortunate, Vin knew that he had a wildcat in his bed.
He slammed into her again, his cock reaching such heights of ecstasy that neither it nor him was going to recover for a good while after this incredible encounter. Judging with Alex's whimpers, he could tell that she was very close and rammed into her with continued force that he could feel himself impacting the hard barrier of flesh that signalled the end of her tight passage. The sensation that came from that collision was more than he could stand and all he could do to keep in control was to bury his face in the sheen of her jet coloured hair.
Suddenly, he felt her stiffen under him. Her back straightening like an animal that had awoken from a deep sleep and feeling the need to stretch out. All sense left his mind when her wet insides contracted around his cock in a powerful display of orgasmic pre-eminence. She cried out his name like it was mantra, as if the word chanted would make her plunge over the abyss of pleasure all the more powerful. He felt her warmth sweep over him and knew that it would take whatever stamina he had with it.
"Oh Christ!" He groaned, feeling himself explode inside her until all he could see before him were stars amidst a canvas of jet. His body spasmed as he continued pumping into her, forcing Alex to accept every last drop of seed until finally he collapsed onto her body, bathing them both in each other's perspiration. For a moment, he could do nothing but remained draped over her, trying to catch his breath from yet another affirmation of why he could not ever be without her. He rubbed the rough stubble of his cheek against the smooth skin of her back and felt her wriggle at little.
"Stop it." She tried to suppress a laugh. "That tickles."
Vin repeated the action again and drew another sharp giggle. "I hadn't noticed." He smiled.
"Stop it," she laughed again and squirmed from under him. "That drives me crazy."
"Well then," he said with a devilishly grin. "I'll just have to keep doing it." With that, he covered his body with hers and filled the room with their playful laughter.
"Is the stage here yet?" Chris asked when he met Mary in front of the Clarion office later that day. His fiancee was pacing the boardwalk in front of the premises, looking every bit as impatient as he knew she was feeling. Chris tried not to smile as he saw Mary attempting to look normal even though she was bursting with excitement over the impending arrival of her son. This was something he had become accustomed to seeing over the past months of their courtship. Billy's arrival was the only thing that could make Mary Travis heady to such an extent.
"No," she glanced at the small watch she had been keeping in her pocket. "Its ten minutes late." She said unhappily as she glanced up the main street once more, to see if the stagecoach had appeared on the horizon since she had looked 30 seconds ago. "This tardiness is most unacceptable." She grumbled with her hands on her hips as she continued pacing. People were starting to look at her curiously as they passed by and reacted only by throwing Chris a sympathetic glance as they continued on their way.
"Mary you're going to wear a hole in the floor." Chris pointed out. "Relax."
"I can't relax!" She exclaimed, knowing that he could not possibly understand how she was feeling at this moment. There were butterflies in her stomach at the thought of having her son home permanently, not just for a few days or weeks but forever! She was so happy she could barely form words but this wait was driving her insane! Where was that damn stage! "I want my son!"
Chris raised a brow at her tantrum and found himself unable to contain the smile that sneaked past his lips almost involuntarily. Mary noticed it and narrowed her eyes, realising that he was having some amusement at her expense. She was about to open her mouth and reply when the timely arrival of Ezra, Josiah, Buck and JD saved him from any bloodshed. Mary was in that kind of mood right now but she tended to keep her temper from public view unless absolutely necessary.
"I take it young William has yet to arrive." Ezra remarked as they approached.
"Good to see you out from behind the bar." Chris responded, unable to hide the amusement in his voice.
Ezra gave him a smirk and retorted. "Inez has finally liberated me from that tiresome chore. Apparently, the wedding of the century can take a break for the rest of the day."
"Thank goodness," Mary sighed, glad that for today anyway, she would not have any flower arrangements to preside over, any dinner plate patterns to select and furthermore, any talk of the bridal shower Inez intended on throwing her. All she was interested in today was her son.
"The hard work is just too much for him." Josiah retorted, giving Ezra a reproachful look.
"I told you once and I shall it again reiterate again, a gentlemen does not perform menial labour." Ezra pointed out in the dignified way that only Ezra could manage in making that statement sound completely reasonable. "I just hope you and Mrs Travis appreciate the sacrifice that some of us have been forced to make for your coming nuptials.
"I'll keep you in mind when I write the thank you cards." Mary said rolling her eyes in resignation wondering how Julia put up with the man sometimes. Still, Julia's personality lent well to Ezra's southern gentlemen facade and Mary was sure the woman humoured him most times.
"Don't worry Ezra," Buck grinned. "It will be all worth it when I throw the bachelor party."
"Bachelor party?" Mary turned slowly to Chris with an expression on her face that showed she was not at all enthusiastic about his having a stag party. She had heard what commonly went on with those things to know that she did not want Chris hung over on the day of their wedding.
"Nice going Buck." Chris grimaced, noting the frown that had suddenly developed on his future wife's face.
"Don't worry Mary," Buck stepped forward, quick to defend his friend and his stag night. "It will be perfectly respectable, even my mother would be proud to attend." He replied, oozing charm as he tried to convince her that nothing sleazy would be taking place even though it was an outright lie that neither Mary nor any of the seven present believed.
"I'll believe that when I see it." Josiah remarked, giving Chris and Ezra a knowing look. If Buck could do anything with complete expertise, it was to organise celebrations that included plenty of libations and all the vices that would make it an evening to remember. Of course, such parties would give any potential groom much cause for consternation with all the temptations that would undoubtedly be present on the night.
"Stage is here!" JD announced and immediately moved everyone's attention from what was possibly a provocative subject.
As they made their way to the stage depot, Mary easily outdistanced them as she hurried forward, raising her skirts so that it would not hamper her swift approach. The stage rumbled into town, trailing a small cloud of dust as it travelled through the outskirts of town and meandered into the main street. Mary felt her heart pounding with excitement, oblivious to the men who were attempting to keep up with her as she strode purposefully along the boardwalk.
By the time she reached the depot, the stage had already pulled up and the driver had alighted and was preparing to open the door for the passengers. Unsurprisingly, it was Billy who bundled out of the carriage first, even before the driver could swing the door completely open. The long confinement during the journey had strained his youthful patience to such an extent that he was extremely grateful to be free of it as he hurried out of the Concord in search of the mother who was no doubt waiting for him as she always did.
"Billy!" Mary called out happily and the boy ran straight into her arms as mother and son exchanged a warm and happy embrace of greeting.
"Let me look at you," Mary said trying not to let her emotions get the better of her as she spoke. Every time she saw him, it just felt as if it had been years since he had been gone. Upon observation, she noted that he had grown a little taller and he was in need of a haircut but other than that he was still her little boy and that alone was enough to make Mary forget everything else.
"Is it true ma?" Billy asked enthusiastically. "Am I home to stay?"
"Yes," she said delighted that he was happy about this. "You don't have to go back." There had been a moment of darkness when Mary considered the possibility that Billy may not want to leave his friends and grand parents in Eagle Bend. After all, Eagle Bend had so many things that Four Corners did not and she worried that bringing him home would just make him miserable.
"And I can go to school here?" He questioned further.
"When school opens." Mary nodded and her response was rewarded with another warm hug from her son that just about broke her resolve to keep from crying. She looked up to see Chris approach with a smile on his face that he rarely offered anyone. It was not one of his faint and shadowy smiles that he reserved only for the others. This one was a real and was mostly reserved for those occasions when Billy was home.
"Hey pardner." Chris greeted the boy as Mary disengaged herself from him and ran towards the gunslinger.
"Hi Chris!" Billy grinned, staring at the tall man in black with nothing less than adoration as he ran to Chris and hugged him which just as much intensity as he had done with his mother. Immediately, Chris dropped to his knees and hugged the boy back, showing his comrades a side of him rarely displayed except when in the presence of this child.
The next few minutes were a chorus of greetings and ruffled hair as Billy was offered warm salutations from all the lawmen present who were just as enamoured with Mary's young son as Chris Larabee himself. In a way, though none would admit it, they had always felt warmly towards the boy and felt some measure of responsibility for the child as they did for his mother. Ever since they had arrived in Four Corners, each one of them had adopted Billy in one fashion or another and the young Master Travis could always be counted to be in their company whenever he was home from school.
It was Ezra who noticed the other passenger that alighted from the stage.
"Oh my god." He said with open eyes, watching the young woman who climbed out of the stagecoach with nothing more than a wrapped bundle as her luggage. He recognised her immediately of course. After all, the part she had played in their lives during those turbulent days on the trail had left an impression in all their minds that time could not dispel no matter how much of it hurtled by. "Mrs Travis, is that who I think it is?" Ezra asked, calling their attention to the new arrival's presence.
"What?" Mary asked as she followed Ezra's gaze and looked over her shoulder. Her mind was still wrapped in euphoria over her son's arrival so she did not realise immediately what had captured his attention completely until she concentrated. When she did, it made her stop short in astonishment at the sight of the familiar face.
The woman let her hazel eyed gaze sweep over the area, taking in her new surroundings while at the same time, collecting herself after her long journey. She brushed a strand of red hair out of her eyes as she adjusted her straw hat on her head before her line of sight shifted in their direction. It took an instant longer before those eyes came to rest upon then and their faces registered in her memory. Recognition flooded her face immediately and she broke into a wide smile as she made her way towards them.
"Mary, its me Charlotte, Charlotte Richmond." She announced upon reaching them, as if any introductions was necessary when it came to her.
"I remember," Mary smiled politely, still somewhat surprised at seeing this face from their recent past. "How are you Charlotte?"
It was difficult to not remember Charlotte Richmond after her illicit affair with Vin Tanner during the time when the seven was required to escort a wagon train further west. Vin who until that point had very little experience with women had fallen head over heels in love with Charlotte whose relations with her husband had been strained. While Mary had thought Charlotte had been merely using Vin, the tracker had taken the relationship very seriously and was prepared to throw everything away just to be with her. The subsequent affair had damaged Chris and Vin's relationship significantly and strained relations between the seven as nothing had done before.
Fortunately, Vin had come to his senses eventually and dissolved the relationship by sending Charlotte home to her husband after a brief flight and neutralised a situation that was on the fast track to becoming explosive. The affair had left the tracker sullen withdrawn for quite some time as he came to grips with losing the first love he had ever had even though both Chris and Mary were of the firm belief that Charlotte had merely taken advantage of Vin's inexperience for her own gratification.
"I'm fine," Charlotte said breathlessly completely unaware that Mary did not think much of her for the injury she had caused to Vin. Instead, her eyes searching the faces of the men behind Mary, seeking one in particular only to find that he was not present. "I'm in town for a few days. I thought I would catch up with Vin while I'm here. Is he in town?" She asked, forcing her voice to sound as nonchalant as possible even though Mary saw through the ruse easy enough. Mary had the insight that Charlotte had come to Four Corners specifically for Vin and nothing else.
"Chris?" Mary looked to her fiancee' with some help as to what she ought to say to Charlotte considering Vin's situation at present. She wanted to blurt out that Vin was not her toy any longer and that Charlotte should leave the young man alone considering there was someone else in his life but it was not her place to make that decision. It was Vin's.
The gunslinger fidgeted uncomfortably, gripped with the same emotions running through Mary's head at this moment. Like Mary, he was wrestling with whether or not it was his business to tell Charlotte that not only Vin was only attached to someone else but he was also engaged. Chris cleared his throat and finally made the safest response that he could think of at the moment since he was unwilling to do anything until he spoke to Vin and heard it from the tracker how he wished to handle things.
"He's out of town." He said abruptly, revealing in no uncertain terms that he was not happy to see her. Charlotte had brought Vin a great deal of pain by playing with his affections they way she had and he knew as well as Mary that Charlotte had a specific agenda for coming to Four Corners that involved his best friend.
"Oh." Charlotte said with clear disappointment before she was aware of the eyes that were watching her closely. She knew that Chris Larabee had not approved of her relationship with Vin and the lack of his understanding had contributed to Vin making the decision that she ought to return to her husband. She returned his piercing gaze with a hard look of her own, unwilling to let his imposing manner keep her from what she wanted.
Vin was no one's creature and he loved her. The choice was always his to make, not Chris almightly Larabee's. Recovering quickly, Charlotte shrugged off the stares of the men before her and decided that there was nothing to be done until Vin returned to Four Corners and she was certain that they would be no help to her.
"Well, could you please tell him that I'm in town when he does get back? I'll be staying at the hotel for awhile." She gestured to establishment as she spoke. Deciding that there was no further reason to linger, Charlotte decided that it was wiser to depart. "I guess I'll be seeing you around town." She said with a small smile before sweeping out of their presence as suddenly as she had stepped into it.
For a few seconds after her departure, no one spoke.
Finally it was Billy who broke the silence. Youth spared him from knowing the history of the woman who had just appeared before them. "Can we go home now ma?" He asked looking up at Mary and oblivious to the surprise that was currently running across the faces of his older companions.
"Absolutely," Mary nodded, still staring after Charlotte who was continuing down the boardwalk towards the Four Corners hotel. It took a further second for her to free herself from the distraction before she remembered her son once again. "Are you hungry Billy?" She asked as she started to lead him away from the stage back to the house.
"Grandma gave me sandwiches," he informed her dutifully. "But I didn't like them much."
"Nevermind," Mary said brushing a strand of blond hair out of his face. "I got some afternoon lunch ready for you." She smiled and then regarded the men who had been very silent following their encounter with Charlotte. "If you gentlemen would like to join us, I have plenty." It was more or less a forgone conclusion that Chris would accept but Mary knew that home cooked meals were somewhat of a luxury for the others.
"Much obliged Madam." Ezra finally responded, shaking thoughts of Charlotte Richmond out of his face as he looked at her.
"You go on ahead," Chris replied. "We'll join you shortly."
Mary nodded and continued towards home with Billy at her side. Chris could not help but let a jaded smile steal across his face as he saw the mother and son walking down the boardwalk, hand in hand as they spoke in the language that outsiders could never grasp. Chris recalled how he used to watch Sarah and Adam do the same thing, lost in their own world and felt a profound feeling of gratitude at having them back again in Mary and Billy.
After a moment, he turned to his companions who were still rather silent in light of Charlotte's arrival at Four Corners. In their eyes, he saw the same thing that he was feeling at the woman's unexpected presence in town. Even though it was none of his business really, he immediately felt concern that Charlotte's presence in Four Corners was going to complicate things considerably for Vin Tanner when he finally did return from his little vacation with Alex.
"You know something?" Buck asked no one in particular.
"What?" JD responded since no one else did.
"Vin is in for a world of trouble." Buck stated firmly capped the whole situation in that one sentence with everyone else in complete agreement.