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.
Buck knew it would be a long time before things got back to normal ... but as he rode into town with JD and the prisoner, and spotted Chris on the porch of Mary's home with the judge and Nathan, he had the sense that things were starting to get better. He had that feeling coming back to town, as some of the reserve around JD had given way. In part, Buck knew, because of the anger JD was battling. Buck just wished he could find a similar way to his sister.
Unfortunately, part of the reason JD's reserve was shattering wasn't because of anything Buck had done ... but because they had another to worry about. Looking back, Buck realized the same thing happened, to a degree, in the hours before the final confrontation with Browner. There was no place for hostility or resentment, much less suspicion, when you were fighting a common enemy.
And there was no common enemy for Buck and his sister. Moreover, he didn't think that would work with his young sister. Until that day on Laertes Townsend's porch, Buck hadn't set eyes on his sister for ten years. There was a connection between Buck and JD which hadn't been severed, despite Buck's actions. A connection which had snapped, between Buck and his sister.
Then why had the bond between Chris and DeeDee been renewed? Because, at the time Chris was drinking heavily, and DeeDee knew that. But a telegram was sent to him anyhow, just in case. Most of her anger toward Chris had actually been on Vin's behalf, and when she was finally convinced that he was telling her the truth, that he never agreed to turn Vin over to the mercenaries ... her rage started dying. Especially the night the ranch burned to the ground, and Chris braved his worst fear to save her life. He saved her life again, when Neely tried to shoot her in the back. He and Buck together. But while he made a dent in her armor, when Buck shielded her with his own body, he still had a long way to go before he caught up with Chris.
No, he wouldn't be so lucky, because Adriana had believed in him. Had believed even if Chris would fail her, that Buck wouldn't. That he would be there for her, and take her out of that hellhole. Because she was his little sister, and he promised to always take care of her, to always look out for her, and he broke that promise. He broke her heart. No, he had a lot of work to do, if he wanted to regain his sister's love and trust. And he did want that. Very much.
Buck was jarred from his reverie as JD forced their prisoner from his horse, harshly pushing him ahead with a snapped, "Move it, asshole ... Mr. Larabee and Judge Travis have a few questions they want to ask you!" Buck dismounted as Chris, Nathan, and Judge Travis joined them in front of the jail. The prisoner looked first at Nathan, then at the judge, then finally at Chris ... and Buck saw a puddle form between his legs.
"Inside. Now," Chris said quietly. But Buck saw the rage in his eyes, and he followed the others into the jail. The man was pushed into a jail cell and down onto a bench, wet trousers and all. The four peacekeepers and the judge surrounded the prisoner, and Chris muttered, "I'll be damned. David McIntosh, of the Clan McIntosh. Well, that's one mystery solved, you worthless piece of shit."
McIntosh? Buck frowned. Why did that name sound so familiar? Chris explained after a minute, "A while back, I gave this piece of shit's kid brother enough money to get away from his family. So that's why you targeted my men ... because I didn't think your plans were as important as Marcus' freedom." The prisoner lunged for Chris, but was stopped by a rather wicked-looking knife in Nathan's hand.
The healer whispered very softly, "Ya best be sittin' down, mister. If ya think Chris is in a bad mood, ya ain't seen nothin' yet. I got a good friend who almost died 'cause of ya, and I don't like people who try to kill people important to me. So sit yer ass down, and ya answer our questions. ' Cause if ya don't ... " Nathan allowed the sentence to trail off, twirling the knife and glaring at McIntosh.
"I done tol' y'all. I didn't touch Tanner ... didn't do nothing to him," McIntosh retorted. Nathan just moved closer, his knife held at such an angle, he could do serious damage to the prisoner. McIntosh continued, "I ain't sayin' I didn't try to take the girl ... I did. Figgered I could use her. Didn't have no intention of hurtin' her. I know better than that. But I didn't do nothin' to Tanner ... he yelled at the girl to git Larabee."
Chris just moved in closer, his green eyes narrowing to slits. He whispered, "Then you tell me, asshole. You tell me how a knife ended up in my best friend's gut. You and Vin were the only ones in that stable, after Casey ran to get me." McIntosh swallowed hard, although with difficulty. Nathan's knife at his throat made it very, very difficult to breathe, much less swallow. And beside Buck, Judge Travis just watched impassively.
"Yer a judge," the prisoner pleaded, staring at Travis, "ya cain't let him do this to me!" Orrin left Buck's side and approached the prisoner. Buck glanced at the judge as he moved forward, and saw the coldness in the man's eyes.
"Now you listen to me, you piece of dirt. Casey Welles heard you talkin' to yourself in the stables, so we know all about your plan to take down the Seven. We know that you were hired by the same man who hired Rupert Browner. We know you tried to kidnap Casey Welles, and that Vin Tanner is lying in my daughter-in-law's house from a stab wound after a confrontation with you," Orrin growled.
Buck watched all the color drain from their prisoner's face as Travis detailed what they knew. The judge took another step forward, almost thrusting his face between the bars, and said, "You caused harm to one of my men. You would have kidnapped an innocent young girl to get what you wanted. And we know you were hired by the man who tried to destroy the Seven once before. Why shouldn't I let Mr. Larabee do what he thinks is right? The man isn't wearing a badge. He's not an officer of the court. That's young JD."
Buck glanced over at JD, who offered McIntosh a feral grin. Travis continued, "You should be grateful, Mr. McIntosh, that Mr. Larabee and Mr. Dunne are in here, rather than Nettie or Casey Welles. I heard from Casey what she did to get free ... now just imagine what she could do to you without being afraid, and just being angry. And her aunt, Nettie ... she's very fond of Vin Tanner. You should ask Mr. Jackson and Mr. Wilmington, what happens to people who harm that young man, once Nettie gets near them."
"Yup, that Nettie sure has a mean streak. Why, I remember what she threatened to do to Daniel Neely, when she found out he had beaten Vin, while Vin was sick no less. You remember that, don't you, Chris? That Nettie, she sure is something with her Spencer carbine," JD said cheerfully. What the hell? Then Buck saw a dawning smile appear on Chris Larabee's face, a smile just as feral as JD's, and the ladies' man understood.
He observed with a grin of his own, "Now, best as I recall, Nettie threatened to shove that Spencer carbine of hers ... well, into a dark, smelly, moist place ... and then pull the trigger. What kind of damage do ya think that would do, Nathan, to a body?" Buck cocked his head to one side, allowing his eyes to slide over to Nathan, who wore a scowl. But the scowl gave way to a smirk as the healer allowed himself to consider the possibilities.
Nathan rocked back on his heels, dropping the knife as he did so, and replied, "Well, reckon that would be doin' a fine amount a' damage. Cain't say I saw no injuries like that durin' the war, but I would think any body shot that way would be in a powerful amount a' pain before dyin.' What d'yall think? Should I go get Nettie?" He looked first at Judge Travis, then at Chris, patiently waiting to hear what he should do.
"Well, we could ... or I could get my little princess out here. Hell, Nathan, you saw how feral she was earlier! Just think of what she would do to this piece of shit. You've heard the stories, about what she did to those bandits who beat Vin, all those years ago. JD, didn't she say she cut the balls off one of 'em? While they was still alive?" Chris inquired. Judge Travis raised his eyebrows, but didn't say anything. For his own part, Buck was trying to remember if he heard anything about exactly what DeeDee had done to the bandits. Then he gave it up, concentrating instead on what he could contribute next.
And it wasn't necessary. McIntosh cracked. He begged, "No, please! I swear to you, I didn't do nothin' to Tanner. I didn't have no knife ... I lit out of there when the girl ran for Larabee!" Buck, in spite of himself, was starting to believe this piece of shit. They hadn't found a knife on him when JD took him down, and they had searched him after he opened his mouth, just before they got to town.
"Even if we accept that," Judge Travis snarled, "there's still the question of who hired you. Don't forget, we do know about that. I want answers, McIntosh, and I want 'em now. I know your father's reputation. I know that he has a code ... and I know that code involves leaving women alone. Oh yes, I know about your father, and I know how your mother died. What do you think would happen if he found out, what you planned to do to Casey Welles? Do you really think it would matter that you didn't plan to harm her?"
Buck looked at McIntosh, who folded in on himself. He whispered, "I don't know much. Just that one of his men approached our camp, while my father was away. He knew all about me. Knew Larabee messed with my family. Wanted to know if I would be interested in settling the score. He told me to come to Four Corners, 'cause Larabee wasn't back yet. I could do whatever I liked to him, just turn the residents against Larabee and his gang."
And again, the judge spoke, asking, "Your father ... did he have a grudge against Chris as well, for your brother's departure?" A hesitation, then McIntosh shook his head. Judge Travis went on, "I didn't think so. What can you tell about the man who met up with you? The one who recruited you? What did he look like? Did he tell you the name of his employer? Where he lived? Anything of the sort?"
"Don't remember much about him. It was a mite dark, and I couldn't get a good look at his face. Was about the same height as Tanner, but a lot heavier. Voice sounded like a young man, but I do remember he was a Yankee. Talks like yer fancy man, but with a Yank accent. That's all I can remember. He also told me not to fail, because people who failed his employer ended up with fates worse than death," McIntosh replied.
Buck thought back to Julian Poplar, and what he told them about Wallace Powell. Judge Travis said, "Boys ... finish locking up Mr. McIntosh, then meet me at Mary's house in fifteen minutes. We have some things to discuss." The judge left the jail, and Buck turned his attention to McIntosh. The prisoner pulled back, and Buck just offered him a feral smile. He wouldn't do anything to him. Not now. That could wait.
The six healthy members of the Seven reassembled in Mary's sitting room fifteen minutes later. They found Mary and Adriana in the kitchen with Nettie, and a quick conference with Mary informed Chris that Casey was upstairs with Vin. As the woman had suspected, Casey needed to do something to help. She felt guilty. Chris felt for the girl ... first, she was forced to kill in order to save Vin's life. And when she did, she was also forced to eliminate their best chance at finding whoever set this into motion.
In many ways, it wasn't so different from when he had to kill Eli Joe, in order to save Vin's life. And Vin was worth a million of that piece of shit, just as he was worth a million of Browner. But Chris still hurt for his friend, still hurt for Casey. He would talk to her later. Right now, he had a meeting to attend, and Casey was trying to atone for being in the wrong place at the wrong time. What happened wasn't her fault, but he didn't think she was ready to hear that.
Buck said as Chris joined the rest of the team, "There's somethin' ya gotta know. Just as we got to town, McIntosh tried somethin' funny ... don't matter what it was, it didn't work. The thing is, JD and me searched him. We didn't find no knife. Has anyone checked the stables over?" Josiah nodded, looking somber. Buck said softly, "I hate to bring this up ... but I'm startin' to think that McIntosh didn't stab Vin."
"Josiah?" Chris asked, glancing toward the preacher. Josiah was briefed on what happened once he got back to town. While he and Nathan were seeing to Vin, Josiah learned what was known from Nettie Welles and started a thorough search of the stables. By the time Nathan and Chris were finished, Buck and JD had returned with McIntosh, and Chris hadn't yet had a chance to find out what Josiah discovered ... if anything.
"No sign of a knife. I took Rafe Moseley with me, and Ezra joined the search when he got up," Josiah reported, nodding to the gambler, "we checked the area where the blood was found. Nothing. I talked to Casey, and while she said that McIntosh didn't run away first, she didn't see a knife. Apparently, he lunged for Vin, and it was then that Casey started looking for you, Chris." The leader nodded.
"So, what do we know about our mysterious antagonist?" Ezra asked, sitting up straight. Chris wondered a bit vaguely what time he got to sleep the previous night, then dismissed it from his mind. He really didn't care one way or the other. Chris himself had been asleep when McIntosh tried to take Casey ... he wasn't about to give Ezra a hard time, when Chris bore a large part of the responsibility.
"Not much," Buck admitted with a sigh, "we know that he's rich, but that ain't news. McIntosh was able to give a description of one of his lackeys. A young fella, he thinks, about as tall as Vin, but a lot wider." Chris grinned at that description, remembering McIntosh's words. Buck continued, "We also know that he's a Northerner ... McIntosh's comment was that he talks like you, Ez, only with a Northern accent."
"Are you sure about that?" an unexpected voice asked. Chris looked around and found Adriana standing just inside the entrance, arms folded. All eyes turned to the young woman, who continued, "I mean, are you sure that we're talking about a Northerner? JD, if I recall correctly, you're from New Jersey, and your mother worked for a wealthy family ... right? And sometimes, they had visitors from the city of New York?" The young sheriff nodded, and Adriana continued, "Did you ever meet anyone from England, people visiting that family? Or Wales, for that matter? Possibly from Scotland, or Ireland, or even Australia?"
JD frowned, and Chris asked, "Where are you going with this, little princess?" Adriana moved further into the room, her eyes flickering briefly to Buck and Nathan. Whether deliberately or unconsciously, Adriana shifted her weight, so that she was between the room where Vin rested and those two. A quick glance at Buck said that the big man also noticed the way his younger sister positioned her body. Chris repeated, drawing her attention back to him, "Little princess? What are you thinking?"
"Chris, I've done a lot of traveling in the last ten years, especially once I got free. I've met people from all over the world. And, as I might have mentioned to you, I had an English traveling companion for a time, after Vin and I had to split up. Athelstan," Adriana began. Chris nodded ... yes, and? What exactly was she trying to say, and how did it relate to what they had learned from McIntosh, what little that was?
Perhaps some of his impatience came through, for Adriana observed with a sigh, "What I'm getting at, Chris, is that someone who has been in one area all his life may not know the difference between a Northern accent and an English accent. I've traveled, and encountered different people ... and I can tell you, it can be very hard to tell the difference between a member of the New York aristocracy and someone from England, if you've never encountered either in the past."
"Not to demean your experiences, my dear girl, but I have encountered both in the past, and I can assure you, they sound nothin' alike," Ezra put in. And then, the last several words soaked in. The gambler said, his green eyes reflecting his understanding, "So ... what you're sayin' is that a lout such as our current prisoner would have no way of knowin' whether his mysterious visitor was a Northern aristocrat or an Englishman."
"Exactly. I don't mean to muddy the waters ... but I wanted to raise that possibility, so y'all didn't get locked into one notion. That's something that Vin taught me. If you focus too much on one possibility, you lose sight of what you're doing," Adriana explained. She paused, then cocked her head to one side. A half second later, a voice from the next room beckoned her, and she replied, "I'm on my way, Casey."
She left the room quietly, and the men looked at each other. Judge Travis said slowly, "She raises some good points. Especially about English accents. If you've never encountered someone from England, that accent may sound no different from that of an aristocrat from the East. I've encountered both Englishmen of high social rank, and Easterners of the same rank. But this still tells us nothing, nothing that we don't already know."
"I don't know about that, Judge. Remember what she told us? About Wales? Now, while my father was travelin,' spreadin' the Word, we encountered a Welshman and his family. Name of Powell. I'm wonderin' if Wallace Powell, who so enraged his former employer that he ended up in the insane asylum at Pordios as a doctor, is a bigger key to this mystery than what we originally thought," Josiah observed ... and an uneasy silence settled in the room.
Author's Note: 'Cymru' is the proper name for Wales and the Welsh, their name in their own language. In the nineteenth century, Welsh nationalism enjoyed a revival, and part of that included taking back the old Cymru names, rather than their English counterparts.
It seemed to be Josiah's fate, these days, to be out of town when one of his friends needed him. First, when the mercenaries were hired by their mysterious enemy took Vin ... and now. The big preacher was having a devil of a time, to keep from going Old Testament. Only his worry for Vin, and the knowledge that his young brother needed him to think clearly, kept him from taking out his rage on the prisoner.
Instead, he sat in the sitting room with his other brothers, listening intently as Buck's young sister explained an alternative possibility. It was when she mentioned Wales that things started to click into place for Josiah. He remembered meeting Evan Powell and his wife, some thirty-five years earlier, while he, his parents, and Hannah, were traveling in India. Wallace was a Scottish name, not a Welsh name. William Wallace, one of the greatest heroes ever produced by Scotland. Josiah's own mother had been Scottish, and when his father wasn't around, the two children heard stories of that great man.
So, given Josiah's own background, why was it so hard to believe that Wallace Powell wasn't the child of a Welshman and a Scottish woman? While he hated like hell to even mention the man's name to either Adriana or Laura, he had a feeling they needed more information about Wallace Powell. And he didn't think the judge would get the answers he wanted from the asylum. So, when Adriana returned, Josiah asked quietly, "I hate to bring up old memories, Adriana, but I was hopin' you could tell us a little more about Dr. Powell."
A grimace rippled across her face, but she replied, "I have to live with the memories, Mr. Sanchez, they never go away. What do you want to know?" Josiah inclined his head in acknowledgment of her response. She was right, of course. Her memories of those six months she spent in hell would never go away ... just as his guilt for being unable to protect Hannah would never go away.
"Was Dr. Powell ... an American?" he asked. He didn't know how else to put it. Adriana blinked, as if his question startled her, and Josiah continued, "Do you know if he was born in this country, or if he came over with his family?" Adriana took a deep breath, settling her weight more comfortably against the door. Before she answered, Josiah had another question, asking, "And is everything all right with Casey?"
She nodded almost absently, answering, "Yeah, she's fine. Just wanted to know if JD was all right. She heard his voice, and wanted to make sure nothing happened to him while they were tracking the toad who tried to grab her." Josiah nodded his understanding, glancing at JD at the same time. Much to his surprise, rage quickly flared in the boy's eyes, but Adriana continued, "Keeping in mind that we didn't exactly know each other socially, I don't know much about his family. But I do know that his mother came over from Scotland, and his father from Wales."
There was a brief pause, then she added, "I know that, because the bounty hunter I mentioned, the one who helped me escape ... Powell had him beaten for saying that he was Welsh. 'I am Cymru,' he kept saying." There was a disgusted sound which was half laughter and half something else, as she added, "The man was as crazy as we supposedly were. Especially me and Ike. What are you thinking, Mr. Sanchez?"
"That Powell was an associate of our unseen enemy, I daresay," Ezra observed, and Josiah nodded. The gambler continued after a moment, "Further, I suspect that the late and unlamented Dr. Powell knew our unseen enemy quite well. It has been my experience that one consigns an enemy to a prison of some kind, as a prisoner, not as someone who potentially has power. No ... no, I believe Mr. Powell had information which our unseen enemy wanted kept silent."
"I'd never thought of that ... unless, Powell went into this with the idea he could do some good. Again, keep in mind that by the time I reached the asylum, he had been there for a time. I barely escaped with my sanity after six months. He had been there much, much longer. So, what exactly are you thinking, Mr. Standish?" Adriana asked. Ezra didn't answer at first, and Adriana peeked into the kitchen ... evidently, checking to see if she was needed by the other two ladies. When she was satisfied that they had everything under control, at least for the moment, she returned her attention to Ezra.
"True. However, so far, the indications have been that our mysterious opponent could have found a far better way to punish a man, if that was, indeed, his intention. Remember, the late Dr. Powell had already served as a surgeon in the war," Ezra replied. Adriana responded with a 'yes, and?' expression. Ezra continued, "So, it could be argued that even before he ran afoul of his employer, Dr. Powell's sanity was unstable, at best."
"What Ezra is trying to say, in a very roundabout fashion, is that Powell was probably tottering on the edge of insanity, before he ended up in Bedlam as a doctor. And, if his employer truly wanted to punish him, then he would have sent him there as a patient ... where he had no chance at all of helping anyone else. Why would he do that with someone who ran afoul of him, unless there was information Powell had that he wanted kept silent?" Josiah asked.
"Powell was blackmailin' this fella, but instead a' gittin' what he wanted, his boss double-crossed him," Nathan observed, finally putting into words what Josiah had been trying to say all along. Now the preacher saw understanding dawn in the eyes of the other men, as they finally processed. The question was, was Powell's sin greed ... or something else? Had he, perhaps, stumbled across a secret? And what kind of a secret would lead a man to send another to those hells as a doctor, when he could do nothing to help those poor, tortured souls?
There was a long, unnerving silence in the room after that. Adriana looked around, then quietly slipped out, heading into Vin's room once more. Josiah looked at the faces of each of his brothers. Nathan, then Buck, then JD, then Ezra, then finally Chris. A quick glance at Orrin Travis told him that the judge's face was blank, but the wheels in his mind were spinning. With each answer they received, more questions popped up. It is, Josiah thought, remembering his lessons, a bit like the ancient Greek legend of the Hydra. Cut off a head belonging to the creature, and another grew in its place.
"JD, I want you to wire Chicago in the morning. See what Julian Poplar found out before he left Pordios," Chris said, breaking the silence. The boy nodded, and Chris looked at Nathan next, asking, "Nathan, do you remember when we found that body at my old ranch, while we were on Cletus Fowler's trail?" The healer nodded, and Chris continued, "We may need to start working under the assumption that McIntosh is telling the truth, and he didn't stab Vin. I want you to see what you can figure out, from the wound."
Nathan started to protest, then Chris asked very softly, "You gonna tell me that this is something you can't do, Nathan? You gonna tell me that you're gonna let Vin down again, because you ain't willing to take a chance?" Josiah watched as the remarks hit their target, and Nathan stiffened. Chris continued, "Now, you were right about Fowler ... you were right about Moseley's part in his daughter's death. See what you can figure out."
Everyone released the breath they hadn't realized they were holding when Nathan nodded, still looking gray at the accusation. And Josiah made no mistake ... that had been an accusation. Even Judge Travis looked stunned at the statements ... and he wasn't exactly happy with Nathan and Buck, either. Into the second silence which fell, Buck asked quietly, "What do you want Josiah, Ez, and me to do, Chris?"
"Buck, you and Ezra get whatever information you can out of the prisoner. I ain't willin' to just accept what McIntosh says. Josiah, spread the search out, see if McIntosh dropped the knife anywhere on his way out. Then start looking to see if there was anybody else in the stables, someone whom neither Casey nor that pi ... McIntosh saw. We know it wasn't a bounty hunter who attacked Vin," Chris replied.
"And what about you, Chris?" Orrin Travis asked, speaking for the first time since the beginning of the meeting. All eyes turned toward the leader, who was caught looking toward the bedroom where his best friend now rested. Orrin didn't wait for an answer. Instead, he said quietly, "I'm postponing my trip to Pordios, at least until we know that Vin will recover. In the meantime, I'm sending out inquiries about Dr. Powell."
The judge paused, and an unholy smile lit his face as he added, "And in the meantime, I'll be sending a wire to the town closest to the McIntosh camp. As I said, I know the reputation of the patriarch. And a father likes to know when his son has crossed the line, don't you agree?" It took a moment for Josiah to understand his meaning ... and then the preacher indulged in a malevolent smile of his own. Yes, he would agree with that!
"Vin? Wake up, Vin."
Vin groaned, slowly opening his eyes ... to find himself lying on his back in a field of flowers. Flowers? What the hell? The voice continued, almost scolding, "Not even close, and your mama would wash your mouth out with soap if she heard you talk like that! Now look at me and concentrate, we don't have much time." For the first time, Vin realized that the sun was in his eyes, and the voice was coming from his right side.
The voice seemed to belong to a little girl, even though she didn't talk like no little girl Vin had ever known. Unless you wanted to count Olivia or Laura ... and them two weren't no ordinary little girls. The voice said again, sounding impatient and oddly familiar somehow, "Of course I don't sound like an ordinary little girl ... I'm dead, and you aren't, now look at me!" Vin did as he was told, rolling his head to the right.
He found a little girl sitting beside him. She was about five or six, with red hair and blue eyes. She smiled and said, "You're awake now! Goody! Sarah told me that you were awful stubborn, and Julia said that you ... never mind. You're awake, so I can tell you why you're here." Vin just stared at her, trying to figure out what the hell she was saying. The little girl scowled at him, saying, "I told you, you're not there, and you're not going there!
"Especially not if you keep doing things like you're doing now. And you're not dead. You're not gonna die, neither. You just need to sleep a while. Sarah and Julia wanted to make sure you didn't do something really silly, like my daddy, so that's why I'm here, instead of them, or Katrien," the little girl said. She put her hand on his arm, and the memories flooded back. He put his hand to his gut, and the little girl said, "Your soul isn't hurt, silly, your body is."
Okay. That made sense. Sort of. The little girl continued, "Like I said, we knew that you needed to sleep for a while, because you weren't totally better again. Sarah says not to blame yourself ... she says ... " The little girl stopped, her brow furrowing, then recited, "That you can't blame Vin for being Vin. She says that you don't always do things the smart way if you think someone needs you ... and this time, you were right. If you hadn't gotten there when you did, that bad man would have taken Casey ... and she would have died."
Died??? The little girl nodded, seeing Vin's expression, and said, "The bad man doesn't know how to ... be nice to someone like Casey. That's what Sarah says at least. He's like my daddy in some ways. They both forget how to be nice. Only my daddy doesn't kill people. I'm still mad at him ... he forgot how to be nice for a long time. Anyhow, the bad man would have killed Casey, because she tried to run away, and he got mad. He didn't really mean to kill her, but he did, and everybody was really sad."
Now Vin's head was starting to hurt. The little girl said, sounding contrite, "I'm sorry, I didn't mean to make your head hurt. Sarah always says I talk a lot when I'm scared." Scared? Vin looked at the little girl, who nodded. She said, sounding like a child of her own age for the first time, "I been waiting a long time to talk to you, Vin, and I couldn't even do it when you were asleep. Not even when you were in that terrible, terrible place." Now she looked ready to cry as she mentioned 'that terrible place.'
"Ain't no need for ya to apologize, little lady, ya ain't the one who done wrong. 'Sides, a pretty little girl like ya should be smilin,' instead of frownin,' ya know that?" Vin asked. The little girl smiled, her whole face lighting up ... and took away Vin's breath. Because it was in that instant that he realized who she was. The little clues she had given him, whether she realized it or not. But he had seen that smile before, not that long ago, and then, it had belonged to a grown woman. He asked very slowly, "Allison?"
Now the child's smile was downright blinding as she answered happily, "Yeah! Allison Lily Richmond! I was named that, 'cause Mama's last name used to be Allison, 'fore she married my daddy. You made my mama smile again! That's why I wanted to talk to you, Vin, 'cause you made my mama smile again, when she had been so sad. She was sad, 'cause I came to live with Sarah and Julia and Katrien and Stephen, and because my daddy forgot how to be nice."
She scowled as she spoke, and Vin remembered what the little girl said only moments earlier about being angry with her father. He asked slowly, "Allison, is that why Sarah asked ya to take care a' me? Because I made yer ma smile again?" Allison settled herself in Vin's lap, snuggling close to him. Without even realizing he was doing it, the tracker put his arms around her, drawing a happy sigh from the child.
"Well, it's 'cause you made Mama smile again, and saved her life, and made Daddy realize he was being a jackass, like Stephen said," the child replied thoughtfully. Vin barely held in a laugh, though that was exactly what Will Richmond had been. Still, he shouldn't encourage this little girl to talk that way. Allison continued, "But Sarah was worried that if she, or Julia, or Katrien, or Stephen, came to take care of you until it was time for you to wake up, you'd think you were dead. And Sarah didn't want Katrien giving you a lot of messages to take back to Drina."
Katrien. Drina's ma. Of course. Sarah was Larabee's wife, and Stephen was Stephen Travis. He should have realized that sooner. Vin asked next, "And what about yer ma, Allison? Is she all right?" Allison pulled back to give him another blinding smile, and Vin caught himself thinking that the little girl in his arms would be a heartbreaker when she grew up. Until he realized she would never have a chance to grow up. And then, her smile turned sad ... because of what he was thinking?
No. He realized this when Allison said softly, "She's okay now, Vin. But Sarah thinks my daddy is gonna forget how to be nice again. Maybe even after my little sister is born. Did you know that, Vin? I'm gonna have a baby sister. I don't know her name yet ... Mama doesn't know her name yet, but she talks to her anyhow. She talks to me, too. That's the other reason Sarah wanted me to take care of you."
As JD would have said if he was here ... huh? Allison added, "Every night, when Mama says her prayers, after Daddy's asleep, she asks me to take care of you. 'Allison, baby,' she says, 'I know you can hear me. I gotta believe that you're my guardian angel now. So you be my guardian angel, and your daddy's, but I need you watch over Vin, too.' Julia said that somebody with as many guardian angels as you've got, is gonna be just fine."
Allison was taking care of him because her mother asked her to. Vin's throat tightened, though he wasn't sure why. Allison said softly, "Now I've made you sad. I'm sorry." He looked back at her and smiled, and the little girl added, "Mama was right, you know. In her prayers, when she told me about you. I knew anyhow, 'cause I'd been watching over her ever since I came to live with Julia and the others."
With that, she looped her arms around his neck and held on. Vin returned the embrace, closing his eyes against the threatening tears. He didn't know why her words touched him so deeply. Didn't know why tears burned the backs of his eyes. Didn't even fully understand why this child was sent to wait with him until it was time for him to regain consciousness, if he was meant to live.
He just knew that in this moment, old wounds which he had forced himself to bury began to heal. But the peace was shattered when Allison whispered, "They're right, you know. When they tell you that you gotta stay and protect the town. They need you, the people in the town. Mama needs you and the others ... not because of my daddy, but because of something that's about to happen. I can't tell you what it is ... I'm not allowed. But you can only help my mama if you're with the Seven. You can't do it alone. Stephen told me to tell you. You can't do it alone. He tried, and died for it."
Vin didn't answer, and Allison added softly, "It won't just be my mama who needs you. Drina and Laura, too. They'll be hurt." Vin tightened his arms around the child ... whether she knew it or not, she had played her trump card. And while there were times she did seem like a child of five or six, in other ways, she seemed much older. She knew exactly what she was doing. And she knew he knew. Just as she knew that he had failed too many people already in his life.
But it wasn't just about failing Chris and Adriana in the past. It was also, who could he trust? Josiah, JD, Ezra, and Chris weren't the problem. But while some of the anger toward Buck and Nathan was slowly dying, he had yet to truly forgive them ... or start trusting them. At the same time, he couldn't get Buck's words out of his head. About the people, outside the Seven, in Four Corners who needed him. Could he really turn his back on them? Was that who Vin Tanner had become? And if it was ... then was he letting someone win?
If he was dreaming, then they were peaceful dreams. Casey was glad for him. Too many times while he was recovering, Vin awakened, almost in a panic from his nightmares. He tried to hide how badly they scared him, but Casey saw any how. She wasn't sure why she never told him that she saw it. Maybe she was afraid that he would pull away from her? Casey had been devastated when they thought Vin was dead.
For a time, it looked like she would lose almost everyone she loved in the Seven. They believed at first that Chris, JD, and Josiah knew, and approved, of what Buck and Nathan had done. Casey feared that the guilt, of being unable to stop Buck and Nathan, would drive Ezra from town. They already believed they lost Vin. Maybe that was why Casey couldn't bring herself to leave Vin's side, even now, weeks after learning he was still alive.
She had almost lost several people she loved because of the stupidity of two. And Casey wasn't sure if she could ever forgive Nathan or Buck for that. Even if Vin forgave them, she didn't know that she could. Unlike Billy Travis and the Potter children, Casey knew that Nathan wouldn't give them away if they were sick. In her mind, she knew that Nathan made a terrible mistake, a mistake he would pay for ... for a long time.
Casey remembered those awful days after JD accidentally shot Annie. Remembered him asking what he could do to make things right with her, and her answer. "I don't know that you can. She was my friend." And here again, she found herself caught between, just as she had all those months ago. Caught between her friendship with Annie and her growing feelings for JD. Casey knew now that she should have been stronger for JD, that if she had been able to look past her own hurt and grief, she could have prevented JD from leaving town at all.
But this was different. This was ... it was just plain wrong. Vin moaned in his sleep, and Casey looked back at him. He sighed and settled once more, murmuring something she couldn't understand. But he didn't seem distressed. Not like JD, after that ... that ... that ... bitch ... Maddy Stokes shot him. Casey was glad her aunt couldn't hear what she was thinking, because while Maddy Stokes was long dead, Casey had never forgiven her for shooting JD.
It had taken her a long time to forgive herself for being so nasty to him before he left town with the posse. Casey shuddered, glancing back at Vin. What would she have done without him, in those first hours after JD was brought to town, slumped over his horse? Had she ever told him what he meant to her? Even after Mrs. Travis told them all that he was still alive, tears sparkling in her eyes, even after they journeyed to that awful little town ... had Casey ever told Vin how much she appreciated his strength during that time?
No ... she hadn't. Oh, she had made things right with him, later. When Buck was seeing Miss Kate Stokes out of town. When she apologized to him, and realized he blamed himself for not doing a better job of helping her. Casey turned in her chair, until she was facing Vin. She picked up one of his hands, which had been resting at his sides, and held it between hers. Casey whispered, "I don't know if you can hear me, Vin. But I hope so. Talkin' comes easy to me, like it does to JD. That's why I can't believe I've never told you this before. I shoulda. I don't know where my family would be without you."
The door opened and closed behind her, and the light footfall told her that Adriana had rejoined her. Casey didn't mind. If there was anyone in this town who understood how Casey felt about Vin, it was Adriana. Which was strange. She had only known Adriana for a very short time, but her new friend had provided her with the greatest amount of comfort since she had to kill Rupert Browner.
Casey continued, "You gotta know. I ain't sorry I killed that man. It's like they keep telling me. You're worth a lot more than that piece of dung. I never knew what it was like, to have an older brother ... until you came along. You're gonna hear this again and again, in the weeks to come. You've probably heard it too many times as it is. But I'm gonna tell you again. I almost lost you once, Vin Tanner ... I ain't lettin' you go again."
A gentle arm draped over Casey's shoulders, giving her a quick hug, and Adriana said softly, "Just keep tellin' him that, Case ... maybe eventually he'll believe us. Vin Tanner isn't a stupid man. But he's never had anyone to love him, not since his mother died. And we all say 'I love you' in different ways. Even Chris Larabee ... just don't tell him that I said that. Might ruin his reputation as the 'bad element,' after all."
Casey giggled at that, and Adriana gave her another one-armed hug, continuing, "But you know, just as well as I do, that men are like that. They can't tell each other how important they are, not directly. Not like we can. For that matter, they can't even tell us how important we are, to them, not directly. I bet you've seen that with JD. So they do it in other ways. We just have to keep reminding Vin that a lot of people love him, and a lot of people will be strong for him. That he can count on us, to do right by him."
Casey leaned her head against Adriana's shoulder, asking softly, "You think he should stay here, don't you?" She felt Adriana nod, and Casey asked, "Why? Most of the people in town, they stood by while Vin was taken. They let those ... those ... monsters take a man who has always protected, always done right by him. He deserves better than this town. He deserves better than Buck and Nathan."
There was a soft sigh, then Adriana replied, "But he belongs here, Casey, even if he doesn't realize yet. Even if he's not willing to admit it. For the first time in his life ... well, for the first time in twenty years ... he has people who love him. People who would die for him, who would kill for him. Why should he let my brother and Nathan win ... or for that matter, the man who set this into motion? Why should he throw away his family, because of those no'counts?"
"You love him, too, Adriana. Aunt Nettie told me that you would have never ridden into that hell if you didn't love him," Casey pointed out. The door opened again, and Casey jerked out of Adriana's arms ... because the tread was too heavy to belong to her aunt, or to Mrs. Travis. She was right ... it was Nathan. The young girl stepped closer to the bed where Vin slept, daring Nathan to try anything.
"I need to check his bandages ... and to check that wound again," Nathan said. Casey didn't budge. In the last two weeks, she had very little to do with Nathan, as she was usually helping to take care of the two children, or Vin, and sometimes, even Adriana. This was really the first time ... in a long time ... that she had come face to face with Nathan, and she didn't hide her contempt for him. A little voice reminded her that he had saved JD's life, after Maddy Stokes shot him. But JD was barely talking to him, either.
"He can't do anything to hurt Vin, Casey ... we're in the room," Adriana said softly, rising slowly, painfully, to her feet. Casey wavered, hating herself once more for her indecision. Did she allow this man, who had betrayed her trust, and the trust of everyone who had put their faith in him, anywhere near Vin? Or did she ... she couldn't do this alone, though. She didn't know what to look for. Adriana said softly, "We won't let him hurt Vin ever again, Casey."
Nathan actually flinched at Adriana's words, but he didn't move. Instead, he kept his eyes steadily on Casey. Vin's life was in her hands. Could she trust Nathan to do right by Vin this time? Could she afford not to? With a hissed out breath, Casey released Vin's hand and stepped away from the bed, snarling, "You best not try anything, Mr. Jackson. 'Cause if you do ... " Casey let her sentence trail off. She didn't think she needed to finish.
"I don't want to hurt him any more, Casey. I done that enough. I just want to make sure he gets better. And we're startin' to think McIntosh is tellin' the truth, that he didn't stab Vin. McIntosh ... the man who tried to take ya. But if it weren't him, we don't know who it was," Nathan explained as he moved to Vin's side. He undid the bandages around Vin's waist with gentle, sure hands. Casey watched suspiciously, but she was recreating events in her mind. She had been doing it ever since she saw JD and Judge Travis carrying Vin into the Travis house. But now, there was a difference. She was having a much easier time focusing. Before, she had no control over what she saw ... and now, she was controlling her mind.
She didn't remember seeing a knife in that man's hand. Casey was behind Vin, and that man ... McIntosh ... was on his knees. No. No, there wasn't a knife on his hand. At her side, Adriana murmured, "Casey, show me how McIntosh was positioned right before you ran to find Chris." Nathan looked over his shoulder as Casey lowered herself to the ground, so that she was down on one knee. Once she finished, she looked up at Adriana, who continued, "Now, come at me as if you have a knife."
What was she doing? Without really wanting to, Casey glanced at Nathan. He was watching them intently. Casey looked back at Adriana, who said softly, "Trust me, Casey." The girl swallowed hard, then propelled herself forward, hand raised as if for a strike. Nathan shook his head, and Adriana said, "Try it with an underhand strike this time." It took Casey a moment to figure out what her friend meant, then she repeated the motion, using the hand position Adriana mentioned. And again, the two looked at Nathan.
"The angle, no matter how ya do it, is wrong. McIntosh was already on one knee, so it would make more sense for him to have pulled a knife from his boot. Sure, he coulda pulled it out durin' a fight, but ... Buck and JD done said there weren't no knife on him when they brought him in, and we saw his boot was the only place for him to carry a knife, when we was puttin' him in the jail," Nathan said softly as he inspected the wound.
"So, the question remains ... who stabbed Vin? And why?" Adriana asked softly. Casey shivered. She didn't like the answer to that. Because she had noticed every few new faces in town during the last day, ever since they arrived. She and Vin were attacked early in the morning, and there were no new horses in the stables. Which meant ... which meant whoever attacked Vin, actually lived in town. One of the people whom Vin risked his life to protect.
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