Series/Universe: Family Business
Disclaimers: M7 characters belong to Trilogy, et al. Original characters are all mine ... don't mind if you borrow them, just ask first, give them back intact and give credit where credit is due.
Warnings: The usual ... violence, language, and references to ugliness. Oh yeah, and the original characters. Can't forget them.
Spoilers: All twenty-one episodes, my Road to Hell trilogy, (Recovery, Reunion and Reconciliation) and the stories in my Facets series will probably be alluded to.
Author's Note: Thanks to everyone who emailed me while I was writing the Road to Hell trilogy ... I couldn't have done it without your support. Extra special thanks, as ever, to Elizabeth and Cin.
It was the most exciting thing to happen to Mahlon Conklin, since he came west. Given everything he had seen and experienced in the last month, that was saying a lot. He had heard about Chris Larabee from Judge Travis, about Vin Tanner, Josiah Sanchez, JD Dunne, and Ezra Standish, about Nathan Jackson and Buck Wilmington. But now, he was actually seeing them! It was the most exciting day which the twelve year old had ever known.
Chris Larabee was scary, like the dime store novels said, all dressed in black. Scary, until Mahlon saw his gentleness when Mr. Larabee helped Mr. Tanner from the wagon. Him and Rafe Moseley. Mahlon also liked Rafe,who told him stories about how Mr. Tanner helped to save Chanu from being hung, when he didn't kill Rafe's sister Claire. Rafe said he thought at first Chanu killed his older sister ... when it was really Rafe's father, 'cause Claire married Chanu.
In the years since his father had come home from the war, Mahlon had been afraid of his father, but never 'cause he thought he was gonna hurt Mahlon or his mother. No ... no, Mahlon had been frightened because of the anguished screams coming from his parents' bedroom every night, as his father relived the war in his nightmares. And he had been frightened by the strained expression on his father's face each and every morning.
He had been afraid when he heard his father's heartbreaking sobs after the death of Mahlon's mother, nearly six months earlier. Afraid when he saw the emptiness in his father's eyes, after the funeral. But he had never been afraid that his father would hurt him ... much less kill him. What was it like, to know that your father had killed your sister? His own mother had died of putrid fever, she wasn't murdered, much less by Mahlon's father. No ... no, if anything, Zachary Conklin would have sacrificed himself to save his wife. Which made what Owen Moseley did to his daughter all the more horrible.
Mahlon returned his attention to the men heading for the hotel, Mr. Tanner leaning heavily against Mr. Larabee. Right up until the time Uncle confronted them. Mahlon frowned. For some reason, Uncle didn't like Mr. Tanner and Mr. Larabee. He didn't understand. Why was it okay for Papa to fight in the war, but it wasn't okay for Mr. Tanner and Mr. Larabee to protect the town? What did he mean when Uncle said they didn't need Mr. Tanner's kind in town?
Rafe Moseley released Mr. Tanner and approached Uncle, his body stiff. At least, until Uncle said something, and Rafe's hands began moving with cutting gestures. Mahlon was tempted to get closer, to find out what was going on, but he remained in place when he saw Judge Travis approach, along with the rest of the Seven and several ladies. After several moments, Mr. Larabee gently pulled Mr. Tanner forward, leaving Judge Travis and Rafe with Uncle.
Uncle was afraid of Judge Travis. Mahlon had heard Mrs. Potter say that, and while he didn't understand at first, Mahlon was told that most of what Mr. Tanner learned, he learned by watching other people. So, if Mr. Tanner could learn that way, so could Mahlon. The boy watched his uncle ... and much to his surprise, he realized Mrs. Potter was right. Uncle was afraid of Judge Travis. He was afraid of Chanu, too. Mahlon wasn't any more.
In fact, when he was supposed to be doing his chores, Mahlon often snuck away to talk to Chanu, while he was watching over the town. Chanu referred to Uncle as a frightened little rabbit of a man. Mahlon was a little afraid of Chanu at first, because Chanu was an Indian. But Judge Travis liked him, so that had to mean he was all right for Mahlon to talk to. And as the weeks passed, Mahlon realized he liked Chanu as well.
According to more than one person, Uncle didn't like someone who would stand up to what Mrs. Travis called 'the bad element.' Men like Lucas James and his uncle, Stuart, who had tried to kill Judge Travis. Who actually did kill Jamie and Elizabeth Potter's father. Here again, Mahlon was confused. Why was it okay for his father to fight in the war, and it wasn't alright for Mr. Tanner and Mr. Larabee to stand up to those men?
It made absolutely no sense to the boy, so he went to someone he trusted. Judge Travis answered slowly, as if he wasn't sure he was saying what he meant, "Son, I want you to listen to me. And if you forget everything else you see here, I want you to remember this. Your uncle despises men like Tanner and Larabee, while enjoying the peace they bring. Believe me when I tell you, those men are needed. And whether your uncle will admit it or not, they always will be."
Mahlon understood that, sort of. His father once told him that there would always be a necessity for men who weren't afraid of getting their hands dirty. At the time, Mahlon thought he meant cleaning out stables. But after overhearing Uncle dismissing Mr. Tanner as having hands soiled with blood, Mahlon began to understand that wasn't what his father meant at all. And here was the judge, telling him the very same thing.
Mahlon turned his attention back to the judge, who was telling Uncle something. Mr. Larabee and Rafe had moved ahead with Mr. Tanner. Mahlon thought back to what Mrs. Travis told him, when everyone in town found out that Mr. Tanner was alive.
He had been hurt bad, she said. And for a moment, he saw worry clouding her green eyes. Hurt real bad. He was still recovering, and it would likely be a long time before he was back at full strength. She wasn't sure if he would decide to stay in town, after what happened to him. Mahlon didn't understand, but he pretended he did. He still didn't know exactly what happened to Mr. Tanner, or why there was some confusion if the Seven would come back.
They were here now, however. Two of the men seemed separate from the others, Mr. Jackson and Mr. Wilmington, but all seven were here. And Mahlon looked back at his uncle and the judge. Whatever Judge Travis said, made Uncle furious, for he stormed off. In the month since coming to live here in Four Corners, that was something Mahlon had come to expect. The boy looked in the opposite direction, to see Chanu heading behind the buildings.
Mahlon didn't want to talk to his uncle right now ... he would be fuming about Mr. Tanner and Mr. Larabee again. And even if he wasn't, Uncle didn't have a lot of patience with curious, mischievous boys. So instead, Mahlon followed Chanu. Only to a point, because Mahlon realized his friend was climbing up the building and crawling into the hotel. Now what was he doing? The boy chewed on his lower lip for several moments, then decided to stay put. He was glad about that decision only moments later, when Mr. Larabee appeared. Now what was happening?
Chris Larabee had been ... surprised ... to find out that Rafe Moseley and Chanu had watched over the town in their absence. And 'surprised' really wasn't the right word. Sure, Rafe had started trying to make things up to Vin after his collapse in front of the saloon, when Claire's murderer was revealed. And the kid was always there when they needed an extra pair of hands. But somehow, it never occurred to Chris that the young man might actually take on the responsibilities of a peacekeeper.
It didn't surprise him when Rafe helped him get Vin to his room. That, he expected. Just as he wasn't surprised when Rafe got in Conklin's face. Or when he noticed Chanu heading for the hotel, going around the back way. But the idea of those two working together ... Chris had a hard time wrapping his mind around that. He was still trying to wrap his mind around it when Chanu began descending from Vin's room.
Chris leaned back against the wall as Chanu hit the ground, asking, "Have a good visit?" The young brave looked at him in shock, and Chris bit back a smile. The expression was similar to Buck's after he was caught coming out of a lady's bedroom. Only without the somewhat sheepish look, the 'well, you know me, pard' expression which never failed to send Chris into convulsive laughter when they were younger. But he immediately backed away from that thought, because it would take him to places he didn't want to go.
Instead, Chris decided to put Chanu out of his misery, explaining, "I caught sight of you when I went back out to ... talk ... to Mr. Conklin. But the judge settled that for me, so ... " Which was a mild way of putting it. When Chris got back outside, after leaving Rafe guarding Vin's room, Conklin had stormed off, and the judge was muttering obscenities under his breath about the man, clueing Chris into how the confrontation went.
Judge Travis was in no mood to talk about the confrontation, and Mary promised to tell him everything later, so Chris decided to circle around the building when he saw Chanu. He knew there was a better than even chance that the brave would sneak into Vin's room. The warrior had visited often when Vin was laid up in the past, and each time, Vin stayed in his rented room. Chanu had been deeply affected when they thought they lost Vin. It was just a question when the warrior would visit his 'brother,' once they got back to town.
Chanu said now of the tracker, "He is still very tired. But our brother is returning." Chris smirked ... yes, he was. It was still a slow process, but Vin was returning. He was gaining more of his old spirit, and more of his strength, every day. Chanu went on, his brown eyes hardening, "I see the two traitors are still with you. Why?" Chris glanced up at the window to Vin's room, and Chanu asked, disbelief evident in his voice, "He forgave them? He trusts them?"
"Somewhat, and no," Chris replied. Chanu's blank expression informed him that he needed to further explain himself, and Chris wished Josiah was here to explain things. All Chris wanted was to check on Adriana, get something to eat ... and then hear what happened between Judge Travis and Conklin. And that was in no particular order, since Adriana and Laura seemed to be in good hands with Nettie and Gloria Potter taking care of them.
However, Josiah was otherwise occupied, and Chris went on, "He's starting to forgive Buck, I think. And I would imagine that's because Buck apologized to him properly the first time, instead of an 'I'm sorry, but ... ,' trying to put conditions on Vin's forgiveness. Didn't try to make excuses for himself. But Vin doesn't trust either of them. He hasn't made up his mind, about whether he's staying in town or not."
Chanu snorted, observing, "He has agreed to return to this town. He has made his decision, he has not yet admitted it to himself. Or maybe he has, and he simply wishes to torment the traitors." Not that Chris necessarily disagreed, but ... how did he come to that conclusion? Chanu explained, "He will stay, Larabee. In his heart of hearts, he knows this is his place. He knows he belongs with you and the other three, if not with the two traitors."
"He may be afraid to admit it, even to himself," Chris murmured, thinking out loud. He noticed Chanu's 'you've got to be kidding me' expression, and explained, "He's not a coward. Hell, Vin Tanner is one of the bravest men I've ever known. But if you tell him I said that, I'll shoot you myself. Either that, or I'll let JD tell Adriana about you choking Vin into unconsciousness."
Chris paused and thought about the possible consequences of doing just that. At absolute minimum, Adriana would deck Chanu. At worst ... Errr, maybe he wouldn't. For the moment, he continued, "Two things scare Vin Tanner. Letting down someone who is important to him ... and coming to need someone, then being shut out."
Chanu looked up at the window, falling silent for several moments. Chris settled his back against the wall, watching the warrior. Then Chanu turned back and said softly, "There is nothing we can do to help him through this, is there, Chris Larabee? No way we can make things better for him?" There was a sadness ... a sorrow ... in his voice which Chris didn't fully understand. Until he looked at it from Chanu's perspective.
Against all the odds, and despite Chanu's attack in the jail, Vin had learned the truth behind Claire Moseley's 'abduction,' then her death. Chanu owed Vin, more than he believed he could ever repay. Chris understood that. He also understood, then, Chanu's sorrow at being unable to help Vin. But where Chanu felt sorrow for that lack, Chris responded with anger, which was much easier for him to deal with.
With that understanding, Chris said, "There are things he's still working through, Chanu. Still things he needs to accept and make his peace with. Buck and Nathan are among them, but there are other things. He feels as if he let down Adriana, years ago. Feels as if he's partially responsible for her ending up in the insane asylum." Chanu's brown eyes narrowed, and Chris remembered what Vin told him once, about many of the People, as he called them. Among many of the Nations, those who were 'touched in the head' were considered touched by the spirits, and were regarded with great honor.
Thus, the very idea of an insane asylum would be repugnant to the young warrior. Even without knowing the things Chris knew about those places. The idea that such a person would be shut away, lost forever. It was for that reason that Chris continued, "Her father was trying to get his hands on her mother's money. She was there six months before finally escaping. It happened about two years after Vin made Adriana leave. He was afraid if she kept riding with him, she would die. Instead ... "
"But he did not put her in that place?" Chanu questioned and Chris shook his head. The brave said with exasperation, "I should expect such foolishness from him! He blames himself for things which he cannot control! Would the girl have died if she remained with him?" Chris sighed. That was a really good question. There was a possibility she would have, and it was hard for Chris to blame Vin for trying to protect the girl.
"That's a question I can't answer, Chanu. It's possible. But that ain't the point. Point is, Vin thinks he's partially responsible for Adriana spending six months in hell on earth," Chris replied. Never mind he would have come for her, if he had known. Never mind that she didn't hold it against him, not when he was trying just to survive. That wasn't the point, either. The point was, he believed he failed a friend.
Chris said after a moment, "Bad stuff happened to him while he was in the prison camp." Chanu's eyes flickered back to him, narrowing, and Chris said, "We still don't know everything. Just that ... he went through hell in the two weeks he was there. What we do know is from his nightmares." A muscle clenched in Chanu's jaw, and Chris was now glad that he hadn't told Chanu about Buck's part in Adriana's imprisonment. True, he thought she was dead, but Chanu would not forgive that easily. In fact, the young warrior might consider it more of a betrayal.
While Chanu had slowly let down his guard with the other members of Seven during the last year, he continued to regard both Ezra and Buck with suspicion. Buck's actions in the last month and a half had only made that worse. Nathan ... Chris stopped. Nathan had helped Vin prove that Chanu was innocent of wrongdoing. So when Nathan betrayed Vin, it hit Chanu hard as well ... because it shattered his trust in a man who helped to save his life.
Damn. He would have to keep an eye on that situation. Ever since he had left the burned out remains of his ranch, after they had buried Laertes beside Sarah and Adam, Chris had thought about the reunification of the Seven. Buck and Nathan had a long way to go before they regained the trust of the other men, as well as the town. As he and Chanu headed back around the building, Chanu leading his horse, Chris reflected once more that he really was gonna regret taking on the leadership of the Seven. Now, more than ever, he just wanted a bottle of whiskey and to forget ... everything. But he couldn't do that. Not now. He had work to do.
"Does this place feel any different to you?"
Funny, Buck Wilmington had been thinking that very thing as they rode into town. In the last several moments, while watching the confrontations, the tall gunslinger had been trying to figure out if the town was different, or if he was. So when Nathan Jackson asked softly if things felt any different, Buck honestly replied, "I ain't sure yet, Nate. I ain't sure if it's me, or if it's the town." Glancing over at his companion, he saw Nathan nodding in understanding.
The ladies' man produced a weak smile, adding, "But hell, it was fun, watchin' Judge Travis light into Conklin! Good thing he got there before my baby sister did. Lord, if she heard some of the things Conklin said about Vin ... " Buck's voice trailed off as he once remembered Conklin spouting off about Vin, after the bounty hunters arrived in town with their threat to burn down the town if the tracker wasn't turned over to them.
He wasn't the only one. Nathan whispered, "He said they didn't need Vin's kind in town. Said what he'd been sayin' all along, that Vin brought nothin' but trouble, and here he was, bein' proved right. Vin was too sick to defend hisself ... it was up to us, Buck. And we let him down." Buck nodded. They let him down bad. Nathan shook his head, murmuring, "Were just as much my fault. And now I don't know how to make things right with him."
Vin had slowly begun forgiving Buck. The ladies' man had been a fool once before, when he let those bastards take his friend, his 'little brother,' from town. But he wasn't a fool now, and he knew it would be a long time before Vin trusted him again. Nathan, he remained very wary of.
It wasn't just that Vin no longer trusted Nathan, though that was sure as hell part of it. No, there was something else. And Nathan didn't know how to reach out to Vin. That was the sticking point. Nathan didn't know how to reach out to Vin, and the Texan wasn't willing to take the first step. Vin was a forgiving man, often more forgiving than Buck, and far more forgiving than Chris. Look at how quickly, how easily, he had forgiven Buck and Ezra after the Moseley situation.
But Vin Tanner had his limits. They had not only reached those limits, they dynamited 'em. At first, Buck had thought they were back at the beginning, when the Seven first became protectors of the town. He was wrong. Vin had retreated behind what DeeDee called his shield. The protective shell he used to keep people from taking too much from him, the one he had tentatively lowered in those early days with most of the team, including Buck.
Nathan was given the honor of never having to breach that shield. After Vin had saved his life, the healer had never held back from Vin, and received the same consideration in return. And under different circumstances, Vin probably could have forgiven Nathan for handing him over to the bounty hunters. He could forgive the action. But Nathan had lied to him, a lie which nearly destroyed his friendship with Chris.
That was what was so hard for Vin to forgive. That was what caused the shoulders to go back, the chin to lift, the eyes to turn to ice chips whenever he looked at them, and no one else was looking. While Nathan had actually lied to him, Buck knew that Vin held him just as responsible. And while progress was being made ... one baby step at a time ... Buck knew they had a long way to go.
Not just with Vin. He still had a lot of work to make things right with his sister. With JD. That was actually going a little better now, though JD was still wary of him. A little more of the wall around the boy's heart had chipped off during the funeral they held for Laertes, with Josiah's words about how short life was. And the truth was, Buck hadn't hurt JD, not directly. Further, Buck overheard a conversation between the two youngest, shortly after the funeral, and heard Vin urging JD to repair his friendship with Buck. Life was too short.
JD pointed out that Vin was still holding back, then immediately apologized. Vin was silent for several moments as JD rode beside the wagon, then Buck heard the Texan answer softly, "I cain't make m'self do this no faster, JD. But I watch ya, kid. Yer holdin' back, 'cause ya think yer betrayin' me if ya let yerself become friends with Buck again. Ya ain't, JD. I don't want no more people hurtin' on account a' me."
"I already betrayed you once, Vin, when I pushed you into a confrontation with Chris before you were ready for it," JD fired back. Buck flinched at the memory of the confrontation between Chris and JD that resulted from that, as well as the confrontation with his sister. DeeDee no longer existed, she claimed, she died in that hellhole. Truth was, she didn't. She was still there, buried under her grief and rage and bitterness. Buck still had no idea how to bring his little sister back. But it did seem that DeeDee was most like the child he once knew when she was playing with Billy and Laura, or when she was talking with Casey. That was the only time when her defenses, her shields, completely dropped.
"Aw hell, JD! It ain't the same thin' at all! I damn near lost m' best friend. I just don't want that for ya," Vin answered with a sigh. It wasn't the words which got Buck's attention. It was Vin's tone as he spoke. Almost as if ... almost as if Vin blamed himself for the rift with Chris. But why? Yes, he believed Nathan's lie, but he was half out of his head with fever and feeling the effects of the peyote-laced medication.
That wasn't even taking into account the pain he was in, from being so sick. How could he expect to think straight under those conditions? Then Buck had almost laughed aloud. This was Vin, after all. He thought he had to be damn near perfect. Nathan said softly, bringing him back to the present, "Don't reckon ya got any ideas, do ya?" Buck shook his head, his eyes never leaving the hotel where Chris, Vin, and Rafe had disappeared only moments earlier.
"Got no ideas at all, Nate. Can't even seem to make things right with my sister, much less with Vin. She ain't shuttin' me out really. But she's terrified of givin' me another chance to break her heart," Buck replied. He finally tore his eyes away from the hotel and looked toward the restaurant. Mary, Gloria Potter, and Nettie were drawing DeeDee and Laura into the building, away from the still-fuming Conklin.
Nathan followed his gaze, laughing softly, "I know yer protective of yer sister, Buck, but reckon it mighta been fun to see her rip into Conklin." Buck snorted, trying not to laugh. The trouble was, he could easily imagine it. And Nathan was right, it would have been fun to watch that confrontation. Nathan went on, his voice still very soft, "I don't know 'bout ya, Buck, but I was a mite surprised when Chris didn't rip into her and Vin after the gunfight."
He wasn't the only one. Buck had been sure Chris would have made his displeasure with his young surrogate sister and his injured friend obvious. But he hadn't. Maybe because he realized that Vin was starting to get his old spirit back, and with it, came his need to protect and defend. Maybe because he knew it wouldn't do any good. And he hadn't done it alone. Adriana had been at his side, watching his back.
Of course, Nathan had something to do with it as well, lifting Adriana into the wagon beside Vin, and then pushing the wagon into the middle of the firefight. The damn girl actually planned to push the wagon herself! How she planned to do that, Buck didn't even want to know. But his sister was stubborn, had been even when she was a girl, and the last ten years had made her even more stubborn ... even more determined ... even more strong-willed.
Buck said softly, "Reckon Chris was just happy to have them both back. Safe. It ain't like they done somethin' stupid, like rushing into the middle of the gunfight like a pair of kids." As JD had been known to do. Vin had used that trick once before, as Nathan well knew. Buck continued, "You ready to do this, Nate?" He didn't elaborate. He didn't have to. Nathan understood, and the healer sighed deeply.
"Sooner we get this over with ... " Nathan replied. Buck nodded his understanding. Taking a deep breath, the healer headed to his clinic, Buck hard on his heels. They made their way up the stairs, Buck watching Nathan's back all the while. Both men knew the odds were good that the clinic had been trashed in their absence, and some of the troublemakers might take it into their heads to attack Nathan. That was the rationale which Nathan had used, when he asked Buck to come with him, and it was a perfectly reasonable one.
But Buck knew the truth. He knew that Nathan didn't want to be alone right now. Neither did Buck. As Nathan cautiously eased the door to his clinic open, Buck heard the breath rush out of the other man's lungs. Buck asked softly, "Is it bad?" In answer, Nathan stepped to one side, allowing Buck to see. The clinic was untouched. No one had been here since they left. Nothing was ... everything was just as they left it when ...
When Vin was taken. Nathan whispered, "I almost expect to see him, lyin' there, Buck. In that bed. 'Fore we carried him down to them outlaws. Everythin' is the same. Just the same as I left it. Just the same as when he was here." Buck nodded, and Nathan went on, his voice cracking, "What the hell was wrong with me? What the fuck was I thinkin,' to just turn a sick friend over to them bandits?"
"It wasn't just you, Nate. I'm just as guilty. He's saved my life a time or two, remember?" Buck asked softly. Trouble was, that was only part of it. He put his hand on the healer's shoulder, saying in a low voice, "You need to sit down, Nate." He gently pushed Nathan onto the bed before Nathan's trembling legs could give out on him, then sat down beside him, as Nathan's own grief finally gave way. As Nathan shook with suppressed sobs, Buck just kept his hand on his friend's shoulder, fighting back tears of his own.
In a way, leaving the clinic unscathed was the cruelest thing to have done. In the weeks after their abandonment of Vin, and before Chris returned with the others, there were no more patients. Everything was exactly as it was on that terrible day when Buck and Nathan shattered the Seven. Nothing had changed. Not ... a ... damn ... thing.
A restaurant. When was the last time she ate in a goddamn restaurant? Adriana swallowed hard, not minding the death grip Laura maintained. The child was as terrified as she was. The young woman held the child tightly, her eyes darting around the restaurant, before lighting on the green eyes of Mary Travis. The blonde editor said softly, "You're not used to a public place ... c'mon, we'll take you somewhere else."
"Gloria, you have something in the store, don't you?" Nettie Welles asked. The third member of the small group who had hauled Adriana toward the restaurant after the confrontation looked at Adriana's face and nodded. Adriana didn't want to think about what her expression looked like. She wasn't afraid of enclosed areas. She just wasn't comfortable around people. Much less a lot of people. Nettie put her arm around Adriana's waist and gently led her outside, saying, "Come on, girl. We need to put some meat on your bones, and we can't do that here."
Laura whispered, "Adriana, Laura doesn't like it in there. People were staring!" Adriana nodded, tightening her hold on the child. She knew exactly what Laura meant. While she spent little time in towns, Adriana knew people. She knew how they were, and how they often reacted to a new presence in town. Mary and Nettie had wired ahead, to let Judge Travis know they would soon be there. So these people would know who she was.
There were people like that ... that ... that ... fool, Conklin. Adriana expected that. She expected the people who were staring at her and Laura in the restaurant. What she hadn't anticipated was the kindness of Gloria Potter. It disarmed her, and to protect herself, she pulled her defenses up even higher. Mary said softly, "I'm sorry, it never even occurred to me that you hadn't been in a restaurant before."
Adriana shrugged. It wasn't that important. Mary Travis was a woman of the town, there was no reason for her to think about what Adriana's life had been like during the last ten years. She was a respectable woman, and Adriana wasn't a working girl, so there was no reason for Mary not to consider Adriana respectable. She didn't regard those three years of Adriana's life when she was at the mercy of the white slavers as ... well, she didn't hold it against her.
As if hearing her thoughts, Mary said irritably, "It does matter! You saved the life of someone the three of us hold dear, both of you did! And it was poor manners on our part to put you in a situation where you would be uncomfortable." As Adriana was pulled into a store, she looked at Mary in astonishment. The editor went on, putting her hand on Adriana's shoulder, "Haven't you realized it yet, Adriana? We're trying to thank you for taking care of Vin."
Thank her? Why? Mary had helped to defend Aurora's ranch, just as Adriana herself did. Why did Mary think she had to thank her? Again? Gloria Potter elaborated, leading Adriana into the kitchen in the back of the store, "What Mary means is, you were able to do something none of us had the chance to do. We all love Vin ... many of us in town do. We were denied the chance to take care of him when he was sick, to defend him."
"As he's defended us, so many times. He's risked his life for each and every one of us. You listen to them, Adriana Wilmington. And you tell us if we start comin' on too strong. I imagine because all three of us are mothers, in some form or another, we start treatin' you like you're a child, and you ain't. You ain't been a child for a long, long time ... but I imagine it would be nice to have someone to take care of you," Nettie said quietly as Adriana sat down.
Adriana didn't answer at first, because for several moments, she wasn't in Four Corners, New Mexico Territory. Rather, she was in the kitchen of the brothel where she grew up. Aunt Dulcie was making dinner, and Adriana was helping her. She was ten years old in this memory, it was two years after her mother's death. It had seemed so natural for Aunt Dulcie to step in as her mother, when she had been fulfilling that role for so many years already.
Buck was away, a strapping twenty-two year old finding work in the outside world. The war wouldn't start for another five years, but already, they were hearing about the growing tension between the North and the South. Not surprisingly, at least not to the adult Adriana, Aunt Dulcie was vehemently opposed to slavery. She had never met any colored people, but they were people. And working girls ... soiled doves ... they were slaves in a way.
Adriana's mama had wanted something better for her. She didn't want to send Adriana back to Holland, to the gilded slavery which Katrien had escaped.
But nor did she want her daughter to be a working girl. And, the only way Katrien van Gesen knew to keep her daughter safe from those who visited the brothel, seeking gratification from a child, was to deny her own child. From the time Adriana was four or five, she couldn't remember exactly, until Katrien's death when Adriana was eight, Katrien behaved as if she no longer loved her daughter.
But of course, her daughter became far worse than a working girl. That was years ahead, and on this Sunday, Adriana was helping Aunt Dulcie. She was so proud to be helping like a big girl. And she had loved Aunt Dulcie so much. That kitchen smelled like this one. And as Adriana returned to the present, she found herself blinking back tears. She hadn't allowed herself to think of Aunt Dulcie in years, though she never took off the cameo which Aunt Dulcie had given her. Laertes used to tease her about that.
She was glad now she never took it off, always wore it with whatever she was wearing, because that was what saved it from the fire. It occurred to her that she didn't know if Aunt Dulcie was alive or dead, and she didn't know how much these women knew about ... well, about Buck's formative years. No, she couldn't ask them. Chris would be looking after Vin right now. Which meant she would have to find the courage to talk to her brother.
As Gloria Potter put a plate in front of her, and Adriana began eating almost absently, she thought about what she would say to her brother. She couldn't help maintaining her guard around Buck, it was the only way she could protect herself if he decided to listen to what Nathan Jackson said, and send her back to hell. Although ... Chris might have a few things to say about that, but still, Buck was still her closest blood relative.
Damn her brother and that healer. She had to stay close, to watch Vin's back. She couldn't run away if Buck got it into his head that she really was crazy, and that she really did belong in that place. Well, she would just see to it that she limited her time with Buck. Because there was no way she would leave Vin's side now, and there was no way in hell she was going back. Not now. Not ever. She would have to figure out some way to protect both herself and Vin.
"No one is ever taking you back there," a quiet, firm voice told her. Adriana blinked and looked up to find a determined expression in Mary's green eyes. What? Mary continued, "No one is taking you back there. If they try ... it won't happen. I won't let it happen." Adriana realized with a shock that she had spoken aloud. And Mary's determination was an equal shock. The blonde widow added after a moment, "Buck would never try to take you back there. But even if he did ... I wouldn't let him. Nor would Chris. Or Vin. Vin would kill him first."
"I'm not worth that. Vin already has a bounty on his head, for a murder he didn't commit. I won't allow him to add to that, by killing a lawman," Adriana answered hoarsely. Mary nodded her understanding, and the brunette continued after a moment, "I know you mean what you say. But Buck is my closest blood relative, my closest male blood relative. If he decides Mr. Jackson is right, that I should have stayed in the asylum, then nothing can stop him from sending me there."
"Reckon he can't send you away, if he can't find you," Nettie put in. Startled, Adriana looked up, to find the fiery woman leaning over her. Nettie continued, "Now, I don't know if Nathan said that, about you going back to that place, during an argument. But I do know that Mary's right. Not a one of us is gonna allow him to send you back to that place, not when you plainly ain't crazy."
"You couldn't stop him from turning Vin over to the bounty hunters ... you won't be able to stop him from turning me over to that place," Adriana pointed out. She wasn't trying to be nasty. Her voice was soft, matter of fact. She was stating the truth as she saw it. But she also wasn't blind. She saw that her words hurt all three women. Adriana added, "I don't mean to hurt you. That's not my intention."
"You didn't, child. You didn't. Truth hurts sometimes. But things are different now. We won't let no one hurt you, girl. Not even your brother, not even your father. Eat up now. Vin's gonna have need of you," Nettie replied. And those were the magic words. Adriana smiled and returned her attention to her food, actually tasting it for the first time. She smiled at Gloria Potter, receiving a smile in return. And for the first time since leaving Aurora's cabin, Adriana began to feel some hope that things would work out.
Damn, this put one helluva damper on his plans! The man shook his head, glaring at the newcomers in town. Except they weren't really newcomers, but the protectors of Four Corners. They had left several weeks earlier, to retrieve a lost member. And that lost member was supposed to be dead, but the watcher's employer had been failed by the last man hired to deal with the Seven. Even more humiliating, Rupert Browner had died at the hands of a girl.
Well, he had no intention of failing. He would kill that damn tracker, and watch the Seven unravel. According to his employer, Tanner was close to Larabee. After seeing the hard gunslinger tend to the injured tracker with the tenderness of an older brother, he could believe that. If he hadn't seen it, he never would have believed it. But that gentleness of Larabee's toward the tracker was a weakness, and one he fully intended to exploit.
The man's name was David McIntosh, and while he had never met Vin Tanner, that was unimportant. Tanner was a means to an end, and Chris Larabee was that end. Larabee had helped his younger brother escape from his family. For that, Larabee had to die. Marcus was the youngest McIntosh brother, and it was his obligation to follow the others into the family business. He was supposed to marry Priscilla, a young widow with a blind daughter. Marcus had turned his back on his family ... never mind that his family's back had been turned on him years earlier. Never mind that David loved Priscilla himself.
No, Chris Larabee had interfered in McIntosh business, and shattered the family for all time. It wasn't important that David and Priscilla were now married. The entire family had fallen apart, and it was the fault of Marcus. But Marcus could have never escaped, if not for Larabee.
That was why he was hired. Because Larabee wronged him, and David wanted revenge. He could never reach Marcus ... he didn't know where Marcus was. But he knew where Larabee was. And until this afternoon, the plan to make Larabee pay had been very simple. Dress in Larabee's signature black and rob the bank. But that had to be trashed. Larabee was back as protector of the town, and no one would believe that Larabee could be in two different places at once. He was good, but he wasn't that good.
On the other hand, he noticed that there were divisions within the Seven. Larabee had taken Tanner to the hotel. While two others had headed to the clinic. And the other three stood in a small group outside the saloon, watching over the town. It would be a good idea to find out what caused this division within the peacekeepers, and see if it was another weakness which he could exploit.
He still didn't have a plan, of course. Tanner was a weakness for Larabee, as was Mary Travis. And he knew better than to even touch the blonde editor of the Clarion. Mary Travis was a beautiful woman, but she was also the daughter in law of a federal judge. And there was NO way he would bring down the wrath of a federal judge on his head. For that alone, his father would kill him. Taking down Larabee was fine. Taking down Tanner was fine. But Mary Travis, as well as the other women in town ... the women were off-limits.
He could hear his father in his head as he slipped deeper into the livery, telling him, "We're a lot of things, Davey. Murderers, thieves. But we ain't rapists. We don't use women. That ain't our way. You touch a woman, tryin' to get to her pa or to her husband, and I'll gut you ... son or not. Ya understand me?" David understood. His own mother had died because the leader of a rival outlaw gang decided to use her to get to his father.
He didn't know who the little brunette was, the one carrying the child. But he wasn't willing to touch her. You never knew when a woman had ties to unexpected men, and there was no way he was taking that chance. Men out here tended to be real protective of their property. Even more so than back east, maybe because it was so dangerous out here, in a way it wasn't back east. And an idea began to form in his head. He had no intention of harming any woman in town, but there wasn't no reason their men had to know that.
Yes, that was a good plan. That way, he could do what had to be done, within the letter of his father's instructions. David, the oldest of the family, was an expert at finding ways around his father's rules and regulations. His father followed his own code of honor, believing there had to be honor, even among thieves and murderers.
But his father was getting old, and soon, it would be David's turn to take his place at the head of the family. He wouldn't harm women ... he could remember his anguish when his mother had died at the hands of his father's enemy ... but he would use them to get to their men. The question which became important now was, which of the women in town would best serve his purposes, without causing too much in the way of consequences to David himself.
The little brunette probably wasn't connected to anyone important. She had a child, and men didn't want someone else's child. 'Sides, she wasn't very pretty. David couldn't imagine a man who wanted a woman who looked like that. She had no value. His Priscilla was the most beautiful woman in the territory ... she was worth a helluva lot more for ransom. Mary Travis was off-limits, 'cause her kin was too powerful. Who else could he use? He needed to find out more about the Seven.
Find out the names of their women. Especially that kid. The one who was supposedly a sheriff or something. Find out if he had a lady. That should be enough to get the attention of the Seven, and the kid wasn't dangerous enough to really cause problems for the McIntosh clan. Satisfied with his plan, David finished saddling his horse, then headed out of the livery, then out of town. He had a lot of work to do. He never saw the slender figure in the loft.
Casey Welles had always liked going to the loft of the livery to think. That was where Vin Tanner found her weeping after she discovered JD with Maddie Stokes. That was where she tried to seduce the handsome, shy tracker ... emphasis on 'tried.' Even now, months later, Casey still found herself blushing when she remembered that embarassing situation. She was lucky ... Vin was still her friend. But she made a fool out of herself.
This time, however, she knew she wasn't a fool. The man didn't realize he was talking to himself. Didn't realize she heard every word he said, his plan to go after one of the women in town, once he found out which of the women were ... with a member of the Seven. And she was angry. But Casey had grown up a lot in the last few months, even more in the last few weeks. She had taken a life, and that had changed her.
Once the man was gone, Casey left her hiding place. She had to find Chris, had to warn him about what she heard. Should she check the hotel first, or the saloon? That question was removed when she saw him talking to Chanu. Casey swallowed hard, then walked determinedly toward Chris and Chanu. The young brave looked up as she approached, drawing Chris' attention. He asked softly, "Casey, what is it?"
"I heard somethin' while I was in the stables ... somethin' ya need to hear, Chris," she replied. 'Mr. Larabee' had given way to 'Chris' a long time ago. The green eyes focused on her only, and Casey explained what she had been doing in the stables, in the loft, and then what she heard. She didn't know the man's name, but she knew what he had planned to do, and what he planned to do now.
Chris was silent for a long time, his eyes growing distant, when she finished. Chanu, however, had questions. He asked, "Did this man say why he wanted revenge?" Casey thought hard, trying to remember. There were times when the stranger mumbled, when she couldn't hear him. And, she hadn't really been paying attention all the time. She was still struggling to come to terms with killing Rupert Browner. While her conversation with Adriana had helped, there were still too many nights when Casey woke up in a cold sweat, with tears pouring down her face.
"Doesn't matter. It would help, but don't worry about it, Casey. Would you recognize him if you saw him again?" Chris asked. Casey bobbed her head furiously. He couldn't talk that way about her, or JD, or Adriana ... or anyone else she cared about ... and get away with it. That wasn't allowed. Chris continued, "Good. Get with someone who can draw, and we'll pass it around to the rest of the town."
Chris smiled then, adding, "Done real good, Casey." He emphasized his words by gently squeezing her shoulders. Casey felt her face light up with a face, drawing an even broader smile from the gunslinger. She had never stopped hating Guy Royal for what he had tried to do to her and her aunt ... but in a way, Casey felt like she should thank him. Because if it hadn't been for his threats, Casey would have never had the Seven in her life.
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