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.
"Miss Wilmington," Judge Travis said quietly. DeeDee fell silent, glaring at Buck, and the judge continued, "All right. This is what I'll be doing. As I said, I'll be heading to Pordios. Miss Wilmington, when I return, I'd like to ask you questions about your father. It seems to me that a man who takes the actions he did, in order to get his daughter's inheritance, is in need of money. Perhaps for illegal purposes. May I count on your cooperation?"
A feral smile lit DeeDee's face and she nodded. The judge continued, "Very well. Now. I have yet to meet your daughter, and while I understand she's not your child, legally speaking, you two have adopted each other. I'd like to draw up papers giving sole custody of her to you. Would you and Laura care to dine with me at the restaurant? Or perhaps join my daughter-in-law, grandson, and myself for dinner?"
The second option brought a true smile to DeeDee's face and she nodded. Judge Travis inclined his head gravely, and said, "Then, gentlemen, if you will excuse me, I have business to discuss with this young lady and her daughter. I want the six of you to work this out. From what I've been hearing, this wound has been festering for the last several weeks. As long as it festers, there can be no healing. Chris, perhaps you and Vin would like to join us tonight?"
Chris nodded, saying, "I'll ask Vin after we're finished here, Judge. Thanks." He slid from the desk, shaking the judge's hand, and said, "Sorry about losing my cool earlier. Guess I ain't fully under control yet." Orrin Travis just nodded sadly and Chris turned Adriana to face him, saying softly, "I'll see ya in a bit, little princess. I got somethin' of a mess to clean up here." She nodded and Chris lightly kissed her forehead.
Judge Travis offered his arm to her, and escorted her from the jail. Buck watched his sister go, seeing some of the protective wall crumbling as she took the judge's proffered arm. And for the first time, Buck realized that the progress he had made with his sister was purely superficial. She still didn't trust him. Still didn't believe him when he told her that he loved her, that he had never stopped loving her. Then he looked back at Chris and asked very softly, "What do you want from us, Chris? What's it gonna take to make things right? You wanna use us as punching bags, get it out that way? What's it gonna take?"
"I wish I knew, Buck. I ain't got the energy to pound either a' you into dust, much as I'd like to. Hell, I ain't even got the energy to deck either of you. Not even enough energy for one good punch. What I'd like to do, is go back to the beginning of this entire mess, and leave JD and Josiah here, since I obviously can't trust the two of you. But that's not gonna happen. You made reference to Charlotte Richmond a moment ago, old friend. You're gonna go back to the beginning, Buck, you and Nathan both. And you're gonna have to earn back our trust. Each an' every one of us, including your sister," Chris answered.
"Ya ain't lettin' us do that, Chris. We tell ya that we wanna make things right, but we don't know how to do that. We don't know how to tell Vin that him gittin' sick ain't his fault. He ain't stupid, he ain't an embarrassment, he ain't a wild animal. Powell lied to him. Tol' him that we was laughin' at him behind his back. But that ain't true," Nathan said quietly. Chris looked away from him.
"Chris, Nathan's tellin' the truth. Powell lied. Vin ain't the embarrassment. We embarrassed ourselves, by gittin' caught with our pants down. But he ain't letting us tell him that," Buck said. Josiah pushed off the wall from his position, his blue-gray eyes now slate gray with a quiet fury. Buck turned to face the other man, saying, "I know we gotta earn your trust all over again. But you gotta meet us halfway. Or part of the way, 'cause we can't do this alone."
"Do my ears deceive me, or is Mr. Wilmington asking for help?" Ezra asked in a slow drawl. The ice in his voice had melted away, and now Buck saw a glint of humor in the green eyes. Ezra looked around the room and said, "I do believe that's the case ... I do believe the man who kept telling me that he and Mr. Jackson had it under control when Vin was fighting for his life, is now asking for our help."
Could it really be that simple? Why not? Buck ... and Nathan ... their pride had led to this mess. Their pride had gone before a fall, just like the proverb said, and it had taken Vin with it. Was that part of the lesson? To swallow their pride and admit that they needed help? Something Buck remembered from his childhood was his mother telling him once that part of self-sufficiency was knowing when to ask for help.
And he was drowning right now ... he and Nathan both. He said, keeping his eyes steady on Ezra, on this man who had been his partner in crime so many times, "Yes. That's exactly what I'm askin.' I can't do this alone. I've made progress with both my little sister and with Vin, but it ain't enough, and I ain't sure what to do. Neither of us are." He looked at Nathan, who nodded reluctantly. Nate was even more proud than Buck, as he received little help in his fight for freedom. But here was help, if they were just man enough to ask for it.
"Bible says that he who asks for forgiveness, who honestly repents, will be forgiven. If you two are man enough to repent of what you did to Vin, to Adriana, to this strange little family, then there's nothin' we can do but forgive you. It ain't gonna be easy, earnin' back our trust. Forgiveness is given, but trust is earned, and you shattered our trust. Ya hurt all of us, not just Vin, not just Adriana. But all of us. Do you got the patience to give us the time we need to heal? To do what has to be done?" Josiah asked.
The gauntlet had been thrown down, and Buck immediately picked it up. He said, "JD asked me that back in Pordios. The answer is the same as it was then. I'll find the patience. We both will. Like I told him. The battle is worth it, 'cause what we get out of it is worth it. Worth it all. I know it ain't ever gonna be like it was before. It cain't be. But we'll do what we can to make things right, with all of you." Buck was vaguely aware that his words were creating a new covenant. Two, aside from himself, had committed to the covenant. Ezra and Josiah.
Who would be next? Chris remained silent, his green eyes flickering around the room. Nathan said softly, breaking the silence, "I don't know what I'm supposed to do. I ain't never hurt nobody like this before. Ain't never ... betrayed a friend. Much less a brother. Tell me what I gotta do to make this right?" He looked beseeching first at Josiah, then at Ezra, as if they could give him some secret magic spell which he could perform, and make everything right again. But there was nothing.
JD said, "There ain't no special formula. You gotta earn back trust, day by day. Just like I did, after I accidentally shot Annie. Just like Chris did, after Ella Gaines, just like Vin did, after Charlotte. Just like Josiah. Chris said, 'fore I came back to town with y'all, that if I was perfect, I wouldn't be one of y'all. I think that holds true for all of us. It was never just about what you done to Vin, though that was part of it. But you didn't seem sorry. And like Josiah said, you can't be forgiven, if you're not sorry."
Another had joined the covenant. Leaving, at least for the moment, Chris. Buck's oldest friend said very softly, "I don't know that I can forgive either of you. Much less trust you. You two lied. You told Vin, you told this entire town, I supported what you were doing. You turned the town against us. You left the door wide open for more trouble to come. I can't make any promises. The only thing I can offer is my word that I'll stand with the team."
It wasn't agreement to the covenant, but Buck hadn't really expected it. Chris went on, "But I want one thing clear. No more lies. No more half-truths. You kept a lot from us, things we needed to know in order to catch this son of a bitch. I ever catch either of you in another lie, and there will be hell to pay. That understood?" Buck nodded. He understood perfectly. The demon was still caged. The wound still festered. But progress had been made. For now, that was all he could ask.
A soft moan from the bed alerted Rafe that his companion was waking up. The young man pushed himself into a sitting position ... practically flying to the bed when Vin tried to sit up, only to collapse back against the pillows, a hand pressed against his still-healing ribs. Rafe sat down beside him, keeping supportive hands on his shoulders as Vin fought to breathe properly. The tracker whispered, "Goddammit."
"Take it easy ... ain't no rush. You're still healin,' and I heard about what y'all done when you faced off with Browner," Rafe said softly. Vin smiled faintly, closing his eyes. Rafe continued as the door flew open, "You didn't have no more nightmares, didja?" Vin shook his head, and Rafe continued, "Well, that's a good thing. Mahlon, this is Vin Tanner, one of our peacekeepers. Vin, this is Mahlon Conklin. He's here visiting his uncle."
"Nice try, but not this time," came the amused voice of Chris Larabee. Rafe felt his face burning with embarrassment, but he turned to face the peacekeeper as he entered the hotel room. Mr. Larabee continued, grinning, "First rule, Rafe ... always look behind you, especially when the door flies open like that." If Rafe didn't know better, he would have sworn the usually solemn leader of the Seven was teasing him.
He didn't know better. Vin rasped out, "Quit harassin' the kid, Larabee, and tell me why the hell ya decided to wake me up!" Rafe had been right? Mr. Larabee had been teasing him? Rafe looked from the tracker to the leader, and Mr. Larabee's broad grin and twinkling eyes told him that was, indeed, the case. Mr. Larabee's eyes softened as he looked at the tracker, and Rafe moved away from the bed.
"Oh, you know me, Vin ... I just gotta come over and bother ya," Mr. Larabee replied as he sat down on the bed beside Vin. From his position, Rafe could see the tracker rolling his eyes. Rafe had never had an older brother, only an older sister ... and his relationship with Claire had been very, very different. Mr. Larabee added, all the teasing gone from his voice, "You feelin' all right? Get much rest?" The change in demeanor took Rafe by surprise, but it seemed perfectly normal to Vin.
"Had me a few bad dreams, but nothin' I couldn't handle. Ya didn't scare that poor kid out front, dressed all in black, now didja?" Vin asked. The smile returned to the leader's face, and Rafe marveled at the change. Mr. Larabee shook his head, and Vin continued, his blue eyes twinkling with laughter, "Ya sure 'bout that, cowboy? Ya know how these little kids are, don't wanna admit when they're scared."
"We talkin' about little kids here, Tanner, or about you?" Mr. Larabee fired back, his voice filled with laughter. Rafe glanced over his shoulder as Mahlon crept into the room. The young man smiled and held out his hand to the child, putting his arm around Mahlon's shoulders as the boy carefully entered the room. Mr. Larabee turned to Mahlon with a broad grin, saying, "I didn't scare ya, did I, son?"
Mahlon shook his head wildly, answering, "Oh no, Mr. Larabee, not at all." Rafe covered his mouth with his free hand, seeing the way Vin's eyes were twinkling with mischief. Mahlon looked at the tracker, saying shyly, "Hi, Mr. Tanner ... I'm Mahlon. I been watching out for ya. Making sure nobody comes in who don't belong." Vin reached his hand out to the child, solemnly shaking Mahlon's hand.
"Thanks, Mahlon, I do appreciate it. How long have ya been in Four Corners?" Vin asked, his voice made all the more raspy from sleep. He indicated that the boy should sit on the bed, which Mahlon did ... after getting a confirming nod from Chris. Missing the annoyed scowl which Vin gave the leader, but not the grin which Mr. Larabee wore. At least until Mahlon settled himself on the bed carefully beside Vin, then the smile disappeared, and Rafe realized Mr. Larabee was worried ... or upset ... about something.
"Not that long. Pa's been havin' a real hard time since Mama died, so he sent me out here to stay with Uncle Arthur. He told me that he would miss me, but it was time someone took care of me, instead of me takin' care of him all the time. Don't think Pa would be real happy if he knew that Uncle wasn't takin' care of me at all ... at least I got Judge Travis and Chanu. Pa would like them," Mahlon replied. Having heard about Zach Conklin from both the man's older brother and the man's son, Rafe agreed with that. Zach Conklin was the absolute opposite of his much older brother.
Mahlon would have said more, but Rafe said, "Speakin' of the judge, why don't you go get some dinner? Mr. Larabee's here now, and he can watch the room." Mahlon, while young, was most definitely not stupid. Rafe had been learning during the last year just how smart, and perceptive, children could be. Mahlon Conklin was no exception. It was too bad his uncle didn't have some of those brains.
The boy nodded and gave Vin's hand a squeeze, saluted Mr. Larabee, then bounded from the room. Rafe looked back at the two members of the Seven. Vin had a grin the size of Texas on his face, and Mr. Larabee just looked ... stunned. He muttered, "Been a long time since someone saluted me ... wonder where he learned that? Tanner, get that grin off your face, before I wipe it off!"
The grin remained in place as Rafe explained, "His pa served in the war ... I imagine that's where he learned it. Do you want me to go, Mr. Larabee?" Now the leader's green eyes reflected puzzlement, and Rafe went on, "I know there's somethin' you wanted to tell Vin, and thought you might want me to leave, so you can talk in private." Vin's smile broadened, and Larabee looked first at him, then at Rafe.
"Face it, cowboy," Vin snickered, "yer gittin' predictable." He gave a mock yelp as Mr. Larabee swatted his shoulder, but kept grinning. He continued, "Rafe, stay a bit. Larabee ain't said ya oughta leave, so just close the door and have a seat." The young man did so, and Vin asked, "Okay, Chris, what's on yer mind? I know Judge Travis was callin' a meetin' at the jail, so I reckon that's part of what's botherin' ya."
"You'd be right. I'm hearing two different things, Vin, and I'm not even sure if you remember this," Chris Larabee began. Vin cocked a brow questioningly, and Mr. Larabee continued, "According to Buck and Nathan, you had been shot when you returned to town, and it was the gunshot wound getting infected which caused you to get sick. That was part of it, at least. But Adriana just told us in the jail that it was just a scratch."
Vin had been shot? Apparently so, because Vin's hand went to his right thigh, a small frown crossing his face. But Mr. Larabee hadn't specified where he had been shot, much less which leg. Vin said softly, "I 'member m' leg hurtin.' And ... three men. I'm startin' to 'member now, Chris. Hog-tied me in the rain, damn them!" His voice dropped to a growl, a sure sign that Vin Tanner's patience was almost at an end.
It was for that reason, among others, that Rafe didn't speak, didn't even breathe, as Vin whispered, "They was real disappointed when they saw they just grazed me. One of 'em had a dirty knife. Put it in the ... I 'member now, Chris. They said they had to git the bullet out. They was laughin' about it. Backhanded me when they figgered out that the bullet grazed m' leg. I 'member, Chris!" The quiet fury had Rafe backing away from the pair.
"We think them three were part of the bigger plot, Vin. D'ya remember enough, maybe to give a description?" Mr. Larabee asked softly, intensely. Rafe watched as Vin closed his eyes tightly, as if trying to bring the faces of the men who had tortured him into focus.
He heard the frustrated growl, and Mr. Larabee put his hand on his friend's shoulder, saying softly, "Don't push it, Vin. You'll remember when you're ready. So Adriana was right, it was a graze?" Vin nodded, and Mr. Larabee said softly, "All right. So we know you gettin' sick was no accident. We just don't know if Browner knew about it. Do you want to try to get more sleep, or do you feel up to going to Mary's for dinner?"
Rafe watched in amazement as Vin's eyes popped open once more, and a big grin crossed his face. Mr. Larabee chuckled, then said, "Then let's get you out of bed, pard. I know a certain little boy and little girl who will be very, very happy to see you." He moved back a little, allowing Vin to ease himself to his feet. Over Vin's head, Mr. Larabee smiled and winked at Rafe, making the young man feel as if he and the solemn man were sharing a joke.
"Keep it up, Larabee, and I'll eat my portion and yers," Vin threatened. He started to sway on his feet, but Mr. Larabee grabbed him quickly. He didn't let go ... just held onto Vin. The tracker took several deep breaths, then muttered, "Damn. Cain't wait until this ends." Mr. Larabee just nodded, easing his hand around the back of Vin's neck, under the long, light brown hair. Over Vin's head, Rafe's eyes met Mr. Larabee's once more, and the worry he saw there took his breath away. The revelations of the last few minutes finally caught up with Rafe, and he finally understood. His friend was still at risk from an unseen enemy.
Chris supported Vin's weight as they headed over to Mary's house for dinner, after Vin got a bath and changed clothes. Vin was grateful for the support, as his mind was spinning. This puzzle just kept gettin' more and more inside out. Until Chris questioned him, Vin hadn't even remembered the wound to his leg. He reckoned he had been too busy with ... other things. But now he was back in Four Corners, back in the town which had begun the true start of his life.
And even if he couldn't trust Nathan or Buck, he still had the others ... and Drina. Vin asked slowly, "What does the judge think a' Drina, Chris? Has he met her, formal-like?" He glanced at his best friend as they slowly made their way down Main Street, Vin somehow managing to tip his hat at those townspeople who called out a greeting, smiling when someone said they were glad to see him.
"He went over to the general store to introduce himself to her, then asked her to come over to the jail during the meeting. He was talkin' about drawin' up papers to make sure no one would ever take Laura from Adriana when they left together earlier. And he wants to take down Judge Wilmington," Chris replied in a low voice. He kept an arm secure around Vin's waist, and the tracker turned his head to regard Chris with a feral grin.
"Reckon ya'll be helpin' him form up that posse?" Vin asked and Chris nodded with a feral smile of his own. Vin thought as much. He knew how Chris felt about anyone who hurt children. Whether she thought of herself that way or not, Drina had been a child when her father sold her to them white slavers. And she belonged to Chris Larabee, not as his woman, but as a member of his family. Vin continued after a moment, worrying aloud, "Ya think the judge can git those papers?"
With Drina in that hellhole, he added with his eyes. Chris regarded him thoughtfully, then answered out loud, "I think anyone who tries to take that little girl away from Adriana oughta be ready to come through us, what do you think?" Vin just smiled. He thought that sounded about right. Chris continued, "Don't worry about that, Vin. JD told me what Adriana said, about the difference between an asylum and a sanitarium. She's got people who care about her, who will fight for her. I ain't about to let anyone hurt her ever again."
Chris verbalized exactly what was in Vin's mind. He would probably never truly forgive himself for letting her down, any more than Chris would. While they both bore some responsibility for not protecting Drina better, Vin wouldn't allow himself to forget that Avery Wilmington was the man ultimately responsible for Drina's time in hell. He, and he alone, had decided that Katrien's inheritance was worth more than his daughter's love.
Chris added after a moment, "I just wish I could make myself forget that it was her bein' in that hellhole which saved your life. Where do you think she woulda gone, if them mercenaries hadn't taken her there?" Vin knew what he was getting at. The last time he had seen Drina, before waking up a few weeks earlier, she told him that she was heading back to Ohio, to see if the rest of her family was still alive.
"She woulda tried to see the working girls back home, in Ohio. She was headed that way, when we split up after Tascosa," Vin replied. Chris nodded grimly, confirming that his mind and Vin's was once more traveling the same road. Vin continued, "He'll come for her, ya know. Her pa. He'll come for her, when he figgers out where she is. And m' gut tells me that Julian Poplar sent word to her family 'cross the sea."
"Same here," Chris agreed, "we might wanna tell the judge that, too. See if we can't use that to our favor. Hell, knowing my little princess, she might even come up with a way to do that herself." This was said with a shake of his head. Vin just smiled, and Chris said softly, "Kills me, thinkin' about what that girl had to do, just to survive. I loved her, Vin, just like she was my own sister. Never stopped, neither. And if I ... "
"It ain't just what ya done, Chris. I coulda done more to protect her. And Judge Travis would say we're takin' blame away from the man who done all this. Her own pa. Yeah, maybe if I coulda read, if I didn't have that damn bounty on m' head, and if you hadn't been drunk all the time, maybe we coulda saved Drina from that hellhole. But I couldn't, I do, and you were. Not a damn thin' we can do about that now," Vin interrupted. Chris knew he was right, the tracker could see that. But it was as hard going down for the gunslinger as it was for the sharpshooter. Chris Larabee lived and died by his reputation, by his own code. And when he failed to protect his young sister, that code was shattered.
They were almost to Mary's porch when Chris said almost conversationally, "You know, Tanner, for such a quiet man, you should do talk a lot when you want." Vin gave his friend a sideways look, drawing a grin from Chris. As they stepped onto the porch, the door flew open, revealing Laura and Billy. The two children grabbed for the men, Laura latching onto Vin, and Billy (naturally) grabbing Chris.
They found Mary and Adriana setting the table, quietly talking about things which neither men could hear, while the children hauled them into the parlor, where Judge Travis waited. Once the men were seated, Billy and Laura commenced one of their favorite games ... musical laps. As Vin relaxed into the chair where he was settled, he grinned as Laura and Billy rotated among the three men. It was good to see Laura, who trusted precious few adults, so at ease with Judge Travis. And, much to his surprise (though he didn't say anything about it), Laura didn't refer to herself in the third person once (Ezra had informed him that when Laura referred to herself as 'Laura' durin' a conversation, that was referrin' to herself in the third person).
From the pre-dinner conversation, Vin learned more about the confrontation in the jail (including the fact that Drina's relationship with Buck continued to be shaky. Dammit, Drina, he thought with more than a hint of exasperation, quit doin' this to yerself! But he knew he couldn't criticize her for her caution, not when he was struggling with his own relationships with both Buck and Nathan. Still ... )
Eventually, the two children were told to wash up for dinner, and they scooted from the room, heading for the pump in the back yard. Once it was just the three men, Judge Travis confirmed that he was setting the wheels in motion, to make sure Laura was never taken from Adriana. He wasn't entirely sure what he would be able to do, but he heard the story from Ezra, about how Laura was left in the prison camp when she was hardly more than a baby.
Vin heard the quiet fury building in the judge's voice, could see that same fury in the dark eyes, and he understood that it was the same fury which was driving Orrin Travis to seek justice for a violated fifteen year old girl who was sold to white slavers by her father. Orrin then told them of his suspicion regarding Avery Wilmington. Judges tended to be men of means ... if not wealthy, then well off. Why did Judge Wilmington find it necessary to sell his daughter, in order to get her money? Why did he need the money?
There was simple greed, yes, and the knowledge that women were considered property. But Orrin Travis felt sure that there was something more, something in addition to those two facts. He wanted to know what those things were. He wanted to know what would make a father turn his child over to white slavers, what kind of a man would sentence his child to the hell on earth known as an insane asylum.
Silence fell in the room after that announcement, and it was into that silence that the dinner bell was rung. The trio went into the dining room, Vin finding himself supported on either side by the judge and Chris ... and nearly getting himself bowled over by the two youngsters. Adriana was sitting at the table as they entered the dining room, and she smiled as Laura ran into the room with Billy. She said with a hint of laughter in her voice, "Slow down, Laura!"
The gentle reprimand was there, as was the loving tone which Vin remembered from his own childhood. Laura responded with an apologetic smile, at the same time Billy was being reprimanded by his own mother. The two children made up for tearing into the room by pulling Vin's chair out for him. The tracker eased himself down, smiling as Mary began serving dinner. His eyes met Drina's across the table, and just as easily as he could read Chris, he could read the message in the dark hazel eyes.
Welcome home, Vin Tanner, he read, and he just smiled. That remained to be seen, and Drina just grinned back at him knowingly. He would have glared at her, but Mary placed his plate in front of him. For tonight, he would enjoy the good meal, and the company of several people very important to him. He would enjoy tonight, because he knew better than to expect the next few days to be easy.
The following morning dawned drizzly, and JD Dunne eyed the storm clouds with dismay. Well, so much for his plans to go fishing with Casey! She and her aunt had stayed overnight in town, and would be returning the following day, while Vin acclimated to the town once more. Well, he would just have to find something else to do. The first thing he wanted to do was go down the hall and check on Vin.
He knew he was being overprotective of Vin, but damn, they almost lost him. And JD knew he was with the judge, Mary, Chris, Adriana, and the kids the night before. He heard Chris helping Vin back to his hotel room the night before, heard Vin groan a few times. Was it normal for him to be healing this slowly? It seemed slow to JD. Once upon a time, he would have asked Nathan, but things were still tentative between himself and the healer.
While Chris and Vin were at the Travis house, JD, Buck, Nathan, Josiah, and Ezra gathered in the saloon. It was an uneasy gathering, the five men. Until the morning JD and Josiah had returned with Chris, everyone stayed out of each other's friendships and relationships. They were all adults, they didn't need anyone else jumping in to save them. But Vin being turned over to the mercenaries knocked that off-balance.
They had to find a new line, because Josiah admitted outright, there were some things which weren't no one else's concern. Nathan quietly offered that they could still keep that old line, so to speak. Because though the consequences had serious repercussions on everyone's relationships, his decision and Buck's hadn't been based on their respective relationships with Vin. There was a big difference between selling out your friend and clashing. He clashed with Ezra ... but he had sold out Vin.
On that, everyone agreed. None of them really wanted to be treated like a group of five year olds, who couldn't be trusted to work out their own problems in their own ways. They left that for Billy Travis, Laura, and the Potter children. It wasn't seemly for a group of grown men to be lectured on the proper way to treat colleagues. No one even wanted to intervene in the strained relationship between the Wilmington siblings.
Nor would such interference be welcome, from either sibling. Adriana had had enough of interference in her young life, and Buck would listen to suggestions, but that was about it. And that was how it was supposed to be. The men accepted that people had to find their own path, in their own way. But Buck and Nathan had to understand that what they had done would not be tolerated ... not now, not never.
And, it seemed, they did understand. Talk continued quietly ... each sharing a memory of the last year, as if trying to shore up this covenant which Buck had mentioned. This new promise not to let something like this happen again. Ezra in a purple dress ... in a tablecloth. Buck tumbling off the roof of the hotel at Chris' feet, Buck fighting Don Paulo for Inez. JD's formal introduction to the boys, before the departure for the Seminole village ... later, standing up to the phony marshals who took Vin from Four Corners the first time.
Josiah's reaction when Emma Dubonet came to town ... his horrible mangling of Chinese while they were helping the workers being killed by Browner's men. This memory brought up Browner as well. There was a long silence, as everyone thought about that man. Then JD found the courage to ask very softly, "Does anyone find themselves wanting to dig Browner back up, and bring him back to life ... just so we can have the pleasure of killin' him again?"
The most immediate response came back from the last person JD had expected. A hissed, drawn-out, yes, came from Nathan, and JD flickered his eyes over toward the healer. Rage, hot and dangerous, burned in his brown eyes, and his face was contorted with that same rage. Nathan repeated, "Yes, I do. More than I can say. I spent better part of m' life, burying what I'm feelin' right now. And I ain't got the strength to bury it any more."
And now, JD saw tears in Nathan's eyes, as the healer continued, "Because of that man, I almost destroyed ... ever'thin.' I want to kill that man, for what he done, for what I done, for what I started to become. Because of that man, I sold out one a' the first white men who ever thought I was worth any thin,' who didn't give a damn 'bout the color a' my skin. The man who saved my life. Do you know what he said, after him and Chris dealt with them no'counts? Tol' the barkeep, 'one for the doc here.' Didn't make no never mind to him, that I was colored."
Nathan shook his head, growling, "And how did I repay him? By sellin' him out, 'cause I didn't use the sense God gave me. Y'all were right. We coulda found other ways to protect the town. Buildings can be rebuilt. Ain't so easy to rebuild a friendship. Especially not when you're still pickin' up the pieces ... much less tryin' to figger out how they all go together. Vin let me inside, without any reservation. He done that for all of us. Total acceptance, without question. From a man who ain't used to someone watching his back. From a man who ain't used to trust, period. And now, ever' time he looks at me ... "
"There's only wariness ... suspicion," Josiah completed, and Nathan bobbed his head, his shoulders slumping. There was another long silence at the table, then Josiah said softly, "I can't tell you how to make things right with Vin, Nathan. You have to find that way yourself, just as Chris had to, once Vin finally accepted that Chris never knew about the situation here in town. But Brother Buck said it best. You can't make any progress if you run away."
At the time, JD hadn't understood what Josiah meant. Nathan and Buck were here, they weren't planning to go anywhere. Eventually, the impromptu meeting broke up, and the men went their separate ways ... to bed. Although, with Buck, it was questionable whether or not he was alone. It seemed the saloon girls had forgiven him when they found out Vin was alive, and while Vin would never be Buck, he was still a favorite with the women.
What JD hadn't seen by night, he did see by light of day. Josiah wasn't talking about physically running away ... but distance of another kind. The sort of distance he saw between Buck and his sister. JD frowned, turning away from his window, thinking about Adriana. Before the end of the meeting the previous night, JD had explained to the other men why Adriana had lashed out at Buck when he mentioned Charlotte Richmond.
JD and Adriana were the only ones who knew this ... Vin didn't think it was important for the others to know. He and Chris were finally getting things back onto an even keel, and that wagon train was the first time Vin was ever less than honest with Chris. Worse, he couldn't explain why he hadn't leveled with Chris. JD remembered Buck asking him what he meant ... and the silence which fell when JD explained himself.
Vin never had any intention of leaving the wagon train. Originally, his plan was to let Richmond think he had won ... but in actuality, he was scouting ahead for trouble. He didn't tell Chris, because he didn't want to put Chris in the position of having to lie to someone, for any reason. The leader of the Seven was nothing if not brutally honest. That was the intention, why he asked Chris not to leave until he knew everyone was safe. But everything ... his sense ... went right out the window when Charlotte decided she was going with him.
Silence fell in the wake of this revelation, and Buck breathed, "My God." JD had nodded. Vin had told him he was wrong ... wrong not to tell Chris, wrong to leave with Charlotte. Just wrong. But he had never intended to leave his friends. Buck continued numbly, "It don't take no genius to figure out why DeeDee was so furious with me. Like Nathan said. There's a world of difference between what Chris did with Ella, and Vin with Charlotte ... and what I did to my sister. How in the hell do I ... ?"
He shook his head, unable to finish what he was thinking. But it wasn't necessary, for Josiah said softly, "The same way you make things right with Vin. You make it clear that no matter what she says to you, no matter what she does ... you ain't goin' nowheres. You do the exact same thing Laertes done, when he first found her and took her in. He coulda abandoned her. The girl's got a sharp tongue on her. But he saw through the pain and the fury, to the girl inside. That's what you gotta do, Buck, if you want your little sister DeeDee back." Buck had listened intently, nodding his understanding of Josiah's words.
JD had never heard about that ... about some of the ugly things Adriana had said to Laertes. But it was Nathan who put it into perspective, saying, "He took it, 'cause she weren't lashin' out at him. She was lashing out at the man who hurt her. This Gideon. And because if she kept it inside ... she wouldn't heal at all. The poison had to be drawn out of her, just like a poison has to be drawn out of a bite. Not just anyone can do that. Ya gotta know how, and ya gotta have the strength. It ain't a strength everyone has."
"To Laertes, then, and his own special strength," Josiah said, and all the men drank to that. JD had to wonder now, as he stared out into the rain, at the dirt turning to mud. Did he have that strength? Chris had scared him when Buck and JD went to Purgatorio, when Ella Gaines arrived in town. But that was nothing compared to what Josiah was telling him now. Would he have the strength Laertes showed? Or would he turn tail and run?
Casey Welles faced questions of her own. She knew that Mr. Larabee and the others would deal with that man she overheard the previous day. The possibility that they might not, never even crossed her mind. She knew these men ... had complete and total faith in them. Most of them, at least. No, the man she overheard the day before wasn't bothering her. At least, not much, though she still bristled at the way he had spoken of her town and her friends.
No, she was troubled by her conscience. She couldn't regret saving Vin's life. Rupert Browner would have killed him, had tried to kill him repeatedly. But she couldn't ignore the fact that his death left them without any knowledge of who was pulling his strings. Who was trying to destroy the Seven, why, and when would he strike next? They already knew about the latest attempt, by that man she heard the previous day.
And she wondered, as she sat up on her bed and watched the sun come up, if this was how Chris felt after shooting that awful Eli Joe earlier in the year. She didn't really want to ask him. JD told her that Chris had never truly forgiven himself for taking that shot, even though it saved Vin's life. And Vin was worth more than a hundred, a thousand, a million, of Eli Joe. That was what she kept telling herself ... Vin was worth more than Browner. So much more.
"What's weighin' on your mind, Casey girl?" Aunt Nettie asked softly, and the girl looked over her shoulder at her aunt. She hadn't wanted to wake up Aunt Nettie ... the last few weeks had taken its toll on her aunt, between her rage toward Nathan and Buck, mourning for Vin, worrying about him when they found out he was still alive. And everything else which had happened. Aunt Nettie left her bed and came over to Casey's, putting her arms around the girl from behind.
"Am I a bad person, Aunt Nettie?" Casey asked, giving voice to the question which had bothered her ever since she overheard the conversation between JD and Vin about forgiving Buck and Nathan. Oh, she knew that Vin's words were meant for JD, but ever since overhearing that conversation, she hadn't been able to stop thinking about it. Her aunt turned her more fully toward her, frowning, and Casey went on, "I can't forgive Buck or Nathan. I heard what Vin said to JD, about forgivin' them, and I can't do that. But they didn't hurt me."
"You're wrong, child ... they did hurt you. They hurt all of us. 'Cause they weren't willin' to stand up to them varmints. 'Cause they wouldn't ask for help, those prideful, stubborn jackasses. They hurt every last one of us in this town, whether that fool Conklin is willin' to admit it or not. Mary Travis said it best, when she said that if they was willin' to sell out one a' their own, they'd sell out the rest of us. Buildings can be replaced ... they can be rebuilt. People are much more important," Nettie replied.
She clasped Casey's hands tightly, continuing, "I can't tell you to forgive them, Casey. Because I can't, not yet. They hurt me, too. They hurt Mary ... and Billy. Gloria and her children. What they done, it didn't just affect Vin, or the Seven, but all of us. You ain't gonna see it right away, but payin' the piper has only just started for them two. Trouble is, because nobody trusts them two no more, people might get hurt."
Casey frowned, and Nettie explained, "People do foolish things, if they think they can't rely on no one else. Now, people in this town, they know now that they can trust Mr. Larabee, along with Josiah, JD, and Ezra ... and Vin, though he ain't back at full strength yet. But Buck and Nathan ... they ain't gonna trust them to do the right thing by the town. So, they'll take a chance they ought not take ... and likely get themselves killed."
The young girl followed her aunt's line of logic, and had to admit she saw the wisdom in her aunt's words. Hadn't she done the same thing, in the past? Hadn't she taken a foolish chance, 'cause she was desperate and angry and scared? Casey said slowly, "So ... I can't make myself forgive them? What I done ... when I killed Rupert Browner ... " She couldn't finish, even before Aunt Nettie placed each palm along side her face. This woman, who had raised her, who had been her mother in every way that counted, looked hard at her.
"Now you listen to me, Casey Anne Welles. You killed that man while protectin' someone else. I know it hurts, sweeting. I know you'll have nightmares for a long time to come. And I know that as long as you feel that, you'll be okay. Remember what JD told you, what Adriana told you? About killin' someone, as opposed to bein' a murderer? Don't ever forget that. You ... done ... what ... you ... had ... to," Nettie replied firmly.
Casey was no longer comfortable with the subject, so she asked, "Do you think Adriana will ever trust us? All of us?" Her aunt sighed deeply, drawing Casey's head to rest on her shoulder. Casey didn't shy away from the contact ... rather, she leaned into it. The topic of Adriana was safer, at least for her. It was strange for the girl to be viewed with such wariness, but after some of the things she heard ... well, it made Casey all the more grateful that she had Nettie while she was growing up.
"You need to give her time, Casey. Her father hurt her bad ... the man supposed to love, and protect her ... hurt her in a way that no child should ever be hurt. And Buck hurt her, too. It's gonna take time, child. But I think she'll finally trust us. That don't stop me from wishing I could use my Spencer carbine on that man. He ain't a man though, any more than Guy Royal is a man," Nettie answered.
Casey giggled in spite of herself ... she could just see Aunt Nettie confronting Buck and Adriana's pa with her Spencer carbine! The girl asked, "Can I watch when you fill his britches with buckshot?" Her aunt chuckled in response, especially when Casey went on, "Cuz you know, any many who hurts a child ain't nothin' more than a low-down, yella-bellied coward, so of course he's gonna be runnin' away from someone who can stand up to him!"
"That's my Casey! Now, run along ... you never visited with Mary last night, like you promised," Nettie reminded her. Casey winced ... that's right, she didn't. She leaned over and kissed her aunt's cheek, then scrambled from the bed. It took her just a few moments to dress, then she was flying down the stairs, then out the building. It was early, most folks weren't up yet. Which was why she didn't see the man lurking to the side of the building until it was too late.
By then, his hand was already over her mouth, and his free arm around her waist, lifting her feet from the ground. He growled in her ear (she knew that voice), "You behave yourself, little miss, and you'll live through this!" That stopped her struggles, but only for a moment. Then, Casey's anger rose once more, and she fought with renewed fury, kicking at him and squirming in his arms, trying to bite him, but his hand was pressed against her mouth too firmly.
You stupid, stupid little ninny, she thought furiously, you knew this pile a' manure was still around, and you come flyin' out of there without lookin.' You deserve to get your stupid self kidnapped. And it's early yet, too early for any of the Seven to be up. Which meant Casey was on her own, at least until he got her on a horse, since they were heading in the general direction of the livery. Assumin' he didn't tie her up, but the girl realized from his accent that he wasn't from around here ... she was. Casey remembered what Vin told her about a person fightin' on their own territory. Like they done at Miss Aurora's.
Her kidnapper pulled her into the livery, and it was then that Casey managed to get a lucky kick in, between the man's legs. He dropped her and doubled over, before falling to his knees. When he could finally breathe, Casey could hear him moaning, "Damn girl ... no girl is supposed to be this much trouble." Casey started to back away, then bumped into something very solid. She spun around, a scream on her lips ... only to find Vin Tanner glowering at the man who had attacked her. Vin? What was Vin doing up, and alone?
No time for that right now. She just hoped some of the others were up. Vin looked better than he had, but Casey couldn't help feeling protective of him. Despite the fact that he was still healing, Vin pushed her behind him, growling, "We don't take kindly to strangers goin' after innocent girls, mister." Casey held fast to his hand, not holding him back, but holding onto him. Without even turning his head away from the man, Vin asked, "Casey, ya okay? Seen ya flyin' out of the hotel ... figgered ya might need some help."
"I'm fine, Vin, just stupid, is all," Casey replied with a trace of bitterness. She watched her unknown attacker warily, not liking the way he was eyeing her or Vin. Apparently, neither did the tracker, for he gently squeezed Casey's hand, before releasing it. Casey whispered, "Please, Vin, don't. I don't want you to get hurt." She should have known better than to think that Vin would start the fight.
From his kneeling position, the man rushed them. Vin met him halfway, yelling at the top of his lungs, "Casey, get Chris!" Casey didn't even think about disobeying him ... she turned and ran from the livery, heading straight for the saloon. Casey knew that if she didn't find Chris there, he would be in his hotel room. It never even crossed her mind that Chris might be at the Clarion, speaking with Mary. She would come to regret that lapse.
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