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.
A few minutes after Adriana asked her question, the one preying on all three minds, Nathan left the room with Casey in tow. He wanted to tell Chris what had happened, what the evidence suggested. Adriana remained behind, and Casey promised that she would look after Laura once she finished telling Chris about what they had done. And now, Adriana sat alone in the room, with only her memories and the unconscious man to keep her company. But she welcomed the solitude ... needed it. After so much time around so many people, she needed it.
She had no idea how long she sat there, sifting through the memories of Vin Tanner and Chris Larabee. Of the tall, blond haired young man coming to her defense when she was only thirteen years old ... of the nineteen year old bounty hunter who turned his back on a bounty which could have lasted him a long time, in order to protect a young girl. She remembered the night Vin almost died from the beating, the night she was raped.
Detaching herself was something she learned from Aunt Dulcie, from the other working girls, too. She detached herself that night, too. Even before she removed her own hat, revealing her feminine features and long dark hair. She detached herself when she saw the men beating Vin, pounding their fists into his face and body. By the time Adriana called the bandits' attention to herself and removed her hat, Vin was already unconscious, just hanging between his two captors.
She remained detached through the rape and the men she killed afterward. And then, when she arrived in town with her unconscious friend, and began tending to his injuries, the detachment shattered. She had seen the punches thrown ... the punches which impacted with flesh and bone. And she had seen beatings before. But as that young girl began a long night, trying desperately to save her friend's life, grief and rage overwhelmed her. And Adriana Wilmington swore on her own life that she would not let Vin Tanner die.
Five years removed from that night, Adriana whispered, "I was so angry with you, Tanner. Not for the beating ... I knew that wasn't your fault. You were trying to distract them from me. And it succeeded. Almost too well. But for insisting that somehow, you were less important than me, less deserving of life. That I couldn't make my own choices. I made my choice that night. I had nothing left to lose, when I took off my hat. When I revealed myself as a woman. Nothing, but my friend, and you were the only friend I had left. I wasn't about to lose you."
Adriana drew a deep shuddering breath, asking in a rush, "How dare you tell me that you weren't worth it? How dare you take all that burden on yourself? Leavin' me only with guilt, that I couldn't protect you? They were hittin' you, Vin, but they were hurtin' me, too. Even before I took off that hat, and distracted them from beatin' you to death, they were hurtin' me. Every time they hit you, I winced."
Every punch had caused her to flinch, every moan torn from her friend had broken her heart, because he was taking each of those punches to protect her. Because one of the men noticed something odd about Adriana, and Vin reacted. Pushing him away from her, growling, "That ain't none 'a yer bizness." He had paid for that. With broken ribs and bruises all over his body. Lord, she was so afraid he would be bleeding in his belly!
As it was, they remained in that town for six weeks while Vin recovered, first from the beating, then from the knowledge that Adriana sacrificed herself to save him. Adriana needed time to heal as well, but she was actually more concerned about Vin than she was for herself. After all, she knew what to do to make sure the men hadn't hurt her worse. But Vin was a proud young man, and it sat poorly with him. He thanked her for his life, after she finished chewing him out for trying to take that choice from her ... but Adriana knew he wished his life hadn't come at the price of her soul.
Pieces of her soul, at least. And even as Vin struggled to forgive himself, for not protecting her better, Adriana had struggles of her own. The same struggles which young Casey now faced. Tripled, as she had taken three lives to save one. Two, a voice inside her head reminded her, two lives. Yours and Vin's, because you know they would have killed you after they finished with Vin.
Yes, she knew that. She couldn't argue with that logic, but it shattered her, nonetheless. One day, long after that night, Adriana broached the subject with her friend ... asking what Vin would have done to those men. If he had been able. By this time, Vin knew what Adriana did to the men who almost killed him, and who had raped her. He looked at her, with those eyes of his, and said in his raspy voice, "Done what ya did ... and then some. I done tol' ya. I lived with the Kiowa and the Comanche for a spell."
That he had, and Vin Tanner showed no mercy to those who were themselves merciless. For the men who had beaten him, who had raped her, he would have no mercy. Adriana, at this time, knew little of the Indians in the area, but Vin told her stories about what they could do. Stories about what he could do, given the right circumstances. It was gruesome, certainly, but after the years of slavery, it took a great deal to shock her. Much less make her think less of the Indians, or Vin Tanner.
Adriana said softly, "There's nothing you can do, Vin, to make me turn away from you. You tried sometimes. Once we were sure the mercenaries were off my trail, and I could get to a town. You tried to drive me away then. Do you remember the arguments we had? I think you were trying to convince yourself, as well as me, that it was the best thing for me, to stay in town." She stopped and thought about that, then said in wonderment, "I'll be damned. You were afraid of me, weren't you? I scared the hell out of you?"
Now, things started to make sense, and Adriana laughed in surprise, saying, "That's it. I frightened you ... because you didn't know what to make of me, once we had bought me some time. I could talk like a lady, if I wanted to, if I felt like it ... but I could make you blush with my language. Oh, Vin, everything makes sense now. Especially the look on your face after I kissed you, that last time."
She fell silent, remembering that kiss. It was the one time ... just before they parted ways, four years earlier. Andrew Wilkins had given way to Adriana Wilmington, and when she arrived in the next town, she met Athelstan within a matter of days. She remembered staring into Vin's eyes, wanting to memorize every detail, for fear that, like Chris and Buck, she would never see Vin Tanner again. The beautiful eyes, the fine features, the high cheekbones. And yes, that smile.
The kiss had been sheer impulse ... but no less passionate. And even now, she could feel Vin's arMiss going around her waist, to steady them both. Just as she remembered the heat which flowed through her from that impulsive kiss. Before they released each other, and she whispered, "Never forget me, Kevin." For once, he hadn't glared at her for using his real name. And that was that. She would see him again, four years later ... and the first time he set eyes on her, he didn't recognize her ... he was lost in fever and pain.
She said softly, "Well. It will take more than just that worthless piece of shit, Eli Joe, to get rid of me this time, Vin Tanner ... and remind me to thank Chris for choosing you over that bastard. Oh no, Kevin. This time ... you're stuck with me." And in that moment, her decision was made. She would stay in the town this time. Because every time she left Vin Tanner, something bad happened to both of them. No ... more.
All through the second interrogation of the prisoner, Buck found his mind drifting to his younger sister repeatedly. In the second hour, Ezra finally suggested, with a slight tinge of irritation, "Ah suggest you leave this interrogation to me, Mistah Wilmington. Ah believe your mind is elsewhere." But the softening in his eyes told Buck that Ezra had a good idea what was on Buck's mind.
"Thanks, Ez, I think I will. Oh, and McIntosh? Just remember one thing. If your brother hadn't gone after Judge Travis and Vin, your baby brother would probably have never left your family," Buck said. David McIntosh glowered at him, and Buck just smiled faintly. It was the first time anyone had mentioned the previous encounter with the McIntosh clan, just a few weeks after they were hired by Judge Travis.
Vin was asked to escort Judge Travis to the neighboring town of Eagle Bend, back before Stains took over as sheriff. On the way there, they were ambushed by the second-oldest McIntosh brother, who had taken his youngest brother Marcus with him. Vin was seriously injured in the ambush, and it was his elder brother's brutality toward the injured man and the judge which ultimately drove the youngest McIntosh away. Marcus helped to save Vin's life, and in response, Chris gave him the money to go East, away from the brutality of his family.
Perhaps remembering this as well, Ezra added, "Quite so. Perhaps you yourself should have remembered that, before you chose to ally yourself with our enemy. Go along, Mr. Wilmington ... Mr. McIntosh and I shall get along quite famously." Buck tipped his hat to his friend, then left the jail. He looked down the street to the Travis house, and once more found Chris and Nathan on the porch talking.
Without truly realizing what he was doing, Buck headed toward the pair. Chris looked up as he approached, and said quietly, "Adriana's with Vin right now, and Casey is looking after Laura. They went through what happened in the barn, to figure out how Vin got stabbed. Nathan says they don't think McIntosh stabbed Vin. Someone in town did." Buck tried to remember if he had seen any new faces, anyone who looked suspicious to him, but none came to mind. Chris added quietly, "No, Buck ... one of the residents."
What??? Buck shook his head. He couldn't have heard that right ... no. No, he could have sworn he heard Chris say it was one of the people, one of the people whom the Seven protected here in town, who had stabbed Vin. He looked at his old friend, saw an answering fury in the green eyes, and realized that he had, indeed, heard correctly. Buck asked, his throat suddenly dry, "What do we do now?"
"I don't know, Buck," Chris answered, removing his hat and running his hand through his hair, "I just don't know. Just when everything seeMiss to be quietin' down, and gettin' somewhat back to normal ... " He shrugged helplessly, looking totally lost. Buck was so stunned by seeing Chris Larabee at a loss, he almost missed the other man's next words, as Chris went on, "Until Vin wakes up, we got no way of knowin' who stabbed him, and I don't think the judge wants us questionin' every person in town."
"We may have to, Chris. Vin may not be the only one in danger," Buck replied, even though he knew he was pointing out the obvious. And then something occurred to him. He tilted his head to one side, thinking it through. He asked slowly, "What if we don't have to question anyone, Chris?" The blond man looked at him questioningly, and Buck continued, "What if we let it be known that someone in town was the one who stabbed Vin?"
"You mean, like we done when we caught them murderers, the one who killed Stephen Travis and threatened Billy?" Nathan asked and Buck nodded. The healer was silent for several moments, asking next, "What are we expectin,' then? Are we settin' a trap for whoever really done it?" Buck shook his head. That wasn't exactly what he had in mind, no, though he would have a devil of a time explaining it.
"Naw ... more like ... we throw this out, muddy the waters, like my baby sister said, and see what happens from there. That'll get folks talkin,' and maybe we can figure it out from there. See if anyone saw any other folks goin' in or out of the livery, aside from Miss Casey," Buck suggested. He glanced at Chris as he spoke, gauging his old friend's reaction. Chris didn't respond immediately as he thought through Buck's plan.
"I only see one flaw in the plan," Judge Travis said, joining them on the porch. Buck had no idea how long the judge had been listening, since the last Buck heard, he was heading to the telegraph office to notify old man McIntosh, but it didn't matter. The judge continued, "One, there are certain elements within this town who would probably try to blame Miss Welles for the stabbing. Secondly, if we make it known that we know McIntosh didn't stab Mr. Tanner, there is a possibility we'll have another problem on our hands ... the real attacker may bolt."
Buck acknowledged both points with a nod of his head. He hadn't thought of either possibility, but couldn't deny their validity. Since they didn't know who actually attacked Vin, if the real attacker did bolt, they would have no way of ever finding him ... or her ... again. Travis continued, "But it's better than no plan at all. Chris, I just sent a wire to McIntosh's father. He's not where he's supposed to be, and that concerns me. Especially since I received a wire from the sheriff of the town near the McIntosh camp. Sheriff Masters questioned your presence here ... not just yours, but the presence of the Seven."
"In other words, we may have trouble comin' in," Chris growled and Judge Travis inclined his head. Which meant Buck's idea probably wasn't a good plan, but at least it got ideas out in front of them. He quietly slipped away from the men and into the house. He wanted to see his sister. He should have done this a long time ago. Why hadn't he done it before? He could have gone to see her before the meeting in the jail, the previous day, if he really wanted to.
As he quietly entered the room where Vin now lay, he realized that Adriana didn't even notice his arrival ... in part because she was asleep, her head resting on the pillow beside Vin's. Buck had only to remember the wake up call she had to have gotten, and decided not to wake her. She was still catching up on her sleep, after all those weeks of looking after Vin, as well as dealing more recently with losing Laertes, who was like a father to her.
And Vin was still unconscious. Buck wondered about that. Maybe, like DeeDee, he needed more time to rest and heal. DeeDee. The ladies man looked back at his little sister, remembering the morning she was born. Eleven year old Bucklin had known that his biological father was Judge Avery Wilmington, even though it wasn't discussed ... that man's visits to the brothel. But everyone knew it. Just as everyone knew he was the father of the child which Katrien van Gesen was carrying.
The child now coming into the world, her screaMiss mingling with those of her mother's. Buck had been running back and forth between the birthing room and the kitchen, carrying a basin of soiled rags or clean, as the case may be. But he stopped what he was doing when he heard the baby crying. It wasn't the first time a baby was born in the cathouse since Buck was old enough to understand about babies.
But this baby was special. His ma had told him this baby would be his brother or sister, that Buck would be a big brother, and that the new baby would be under his protection. The eleven year old had puffed up with pride at this new responsibility, never once resenting it. He was a big boy now, and while he wasn't quite big enough to help Giovanni, a young Italian immigrant who protected the girls in the cathouse from certain customers (like Buck's father), he was big enough to protect the new baby.
Buck ran to the birthing room, just in time to see the midwife, Giovanni's older sister Caterina, hand the baby to Buck's mother. Dulcie cradled the new child in her arms, tears appearing in her dark blue eyes. She smiled as Buck appeared in the doorway and said softly, "Come see your new baby sister, Bucklin." He had a sister? He had a sister! Buck bounced happily over to his mother, conveniently forgetting his wish to have a little brother to play with. He could play with a little sister, too, just differently.
And, after hearing the stories of the girls in the cathouse, he could make sure his new sister wouldn't ever be hurt, like the girls were hurt. No man would ever treat his new baby sister that way ... Bucklin Wilmington would see to that. Katrien said softly, her Dutch accent becoming more pronounced with her exhaustion, "Her name is Adriana. For my old school friend, Adrienne. Dulcie, you are Irish, as is the father of your child. What is Irish for 'Caterina,' so I might give my daughter that name?"
"Kathleen ... it was my mother's name, too. Kathleen. Adriana Kathleen. Are you sure that's what you want to call her, Kat? She's already got a rough row to hoe, as the daughter of one of us, and such an unusual name ... " Dulcie began. Buck didn't understand at the time what his mother was talking about ... and he wouldn't for another few years, when he learned that there were some sick people who wanted children as their whores.
"I made an oath, Dulcie. That I would name my child after the girl who helped me in that awful place. I keep my oaths, just as you do," Katrien replied. And Buck's mother had been right. As beautiful as the name was, it was exotic, and by the time Adriana was ten years old, the madame of the brothel, Serena, had informed Giovanni that any man who requested a child was to be immediately escorted out the door. She didn't run that kind of place, and if anyone tried to harm Adriana ... well, Giovanni had her permission to do what was necessary. Customer or not.
He had Buck's help in that. Even at eleven, Buck was tall for his age, and by the time he was twenty-one ... well, the bullies around the brothel quickly learned that if you harmed Adriana, you risked incurring the wrath of both Buck and Giovanni. For the first fifteen years of her life, Adriana had worshipped Buck. They never fought, as other siblings did, because of the difference in their ages. He also found that the way he took care of Adriana ... DeeDee ... only endeared him further to the other working girls. Adriana worshipped him, and he adored her.
Chris was welcomed into that circle when he met Buck, but where Buck was the adored older brother, Chris became her friend as well as her brother. He had only just learned, in the last few weeks, of their first meeting ... when Chris went to her aid. It was just as well Buck hadn't known it. He would have killed the boys in question. To Buck, Adriana gave her unconditional love ... to Chris, she gave her secrets.
How did he get that back? How could he reach out to his sister, how did he break down her walls? How could he ... talk to her? He didn't know how, and Buck's gut told him that she probably didn't know how to talk to him, either. How could they meet in the middle, when both were afraid to take the first step? Until that day, when he saw his younger sister on the front porch of the ranch house, aiming a rifle and a glower at him, he had never allowed himself to miss her. Never allowed himself to mourn her loss.
That was when it hit him, and he gasped, as if from a blow. The sound startled Adriana, and she jerked awake. She sat up straight and stared at him, whispering his name. Buck answered softly, "I'm sorry, baby girl, I didn't mean to wake you. How is he doing?" Adriana looked away from him with a sigh, her shoulders slumping. Nor did Buck miss the cringe of pain as her body protested its unnatural position in the chair.
"Still the same. It ... it's like his body has shut down. Needs to rest and heal. I dunno. I'm not a doctor, or anything like that. But when I was in Mexico, I saw things like this happen. Someone would lose a lot of blood, and it took time and rest before they could come back. And he's already been through so much in the last few months. Getting so sick, the beatings, almost dying in the fire, now this ... " Adriana answered with a sigh.
Buck ignored what wasn't said ... the peyote poisoning and the recurring fever. The betrayal of two people he thought were his friends, which was just as devastating as the physical problems. But she was right. Given everything that had happened to him during the last few months, ever since he was shot and left out in the rain by those bastards, maybe they shouldn't wonder at how long he had been unconscious.
Instead, he asked quietly, "You ever gonna tell me about Mexico?" Adriana looked away from Vin, looked at Buck, obviously startled by the question. She frowned, and it was as if a window opened up into her mind. He could almost hear what she was thinking ... what's his angle? Buck continued, "Got no angle, baby girl ... no ulterior motive. I just want to know if you'll ever tell me about what happened to you there."
"I don't want to talk about it, Buck. I've spent the last year trying to accept that I didn't deserve what our father did. I'm ... I can't talk about it. Not yet. I don't know if I ever will. I never told Vin, not directly, but he knew anyhow. Knew about ... " Adriana began, then her voice trailed off. Taking a chance, Buck moved closer to his younger sister, but didn't cross any lines with her. He didn't want her to feel threatened.
And right now, as her eyes darkened, that was exactly what would have happened. He asked softly, "They turned ya into a sex slave, didn't they? Into a working girl, only you done it to keep yourself alive. For food. Not for money." It was a statement of fact, not a question, and Adriana jerked in her chair, her eyes widening. Thus answering his question. Buck continued, shaking his head with a mixture of self-disgust and quiet rage, "Shoulda seen it sooner. What did he tell ya, baby girl? Our father? When he turned ya over to that bastard, Gideon."
"He told me that you knew," came the answer in a very small voice, "he told me that you knew about the poker game, and that you approved. I didn't believe him. I knew you didn't know, and that you wouldn't have approved if you did know. I knew, because I was still innocent then, and I knew that I didn't deserve it. Not like later. After Mexico. At the asylum. When I really was an embarrassment. I went with him that night, because no one ever told me about my father, you know. I was curious. And he acted like he loved me. No one ever told me what ... what he was like."
Buck groaned and dropped his head into his hands. That was something none of them had thought about. They had been so busy protecting her from the truth, it never occurred to them that she might be curious about the man who had helped to create her. How could they have been so stupid? How many more times would he fail to protect his baby sister from that bastard? Never again. It ended here. He looked up again, looked at his sister, and said softly, "You were right about one thing, baby girl. I never knew, and if I had ... I woulda stopped it."
There was no answer from his sister, and Buck continued, his voice rising with suppressed rage, "And it ain't your fault, what he done to you. Hell, you were fifteen, baby girl! And you're right, we shoulda told ya about him, but we were so concerned with protecting ya, we blew it." And then, his sister's words repeated in his head. He told me that you knew about the poker game and that you approved. Oh dear God. Where else had he heard that recently?
For the second time in less than an hour, insight struck Buck Wilmington hard. He couldn't have been the only one who saw the parallels between Adriana being lost in a poker game, and them turning Vin over to the mercenaries, telling him that Chris knew and approved. He looked back at his sister, who was staring at Vin Tanner. She said softly, oblivious to what Buck was thinking, "I've been sitting here thinking, you know. About the night those bandits almost killed him, about what happened between us. And I made my decision."
She looked back at Buck, her eyes almost defiant as she said, "I'm not leaving. Vin's gonna realize, he belongs here. And when he does, I'll be staying at his side, because every time I leave him, something bad happens. To both of us. I'm not leaving him this time. And no one is ever takin' me back to that hell on earth." It took Buck a moment to realize that she meant the asylum. And when he did, he was out of his chair in a split second.
Looking back much later, he realized how lucky he was that Adriana was too stunned to be rattled. He dropped to his knees in front of his sister, growling, "Anyone who ever tries to take you back there is gonna have to come through me, baby girl! I screwed up but good, when I walked away from that place the first time. And you paid the price for it, the way Vin done when Nate and I screwed up. But Buck Wilmington don't make the same mistakes twice, much less when it involves his baby sister. Ya got my word on that."
Adriana tilted her head to one side, regarding him thoughtfully. After a moment, she said softly, "I want to believe you, Bucklin. But I believed in you once before. I heard you, Bucklin. I heard you tell those people that they could keep me. And I don't know how to make that stop hurting. You saved my life, back at Aurora's ranch, and I know that. You're asking me to trust you, and I don't know how to do that."
"I don't know how to teach you how to trust me again, either, baby girl," Buck admitted, putting his hand over hers. She didn't jerk away from the contact, much to his surprise. She just stared at him. Encouraged by this, Buck continued, "I ain't gonna ask you to trust me. I ain't got that right, not now. I hurt you so bad, and it's gonna take me a long time to make things up for that. But ... can I ask you to believe that I love you?"
Again, Adriana was silent as she regarded him with those dark hazel eyes which she had inherited from her mother. Funny, now that he stopped to think about it. Buck had inherited his dark hair and dark blue eyes from his mother, and his height from the father he shared with Adriana ... while Adriana inherited her mother's dark hair and eyes, and nothing from their father. At least, nothing physically. At last, she said softly, in wonderment, "I do believe you love me, Bucklin. I just don't understand."
She meant, of course, that she didn't understand why he had left her there, when he had known his mother and the other girls would want to say good-bye to the girl they loved as much as he had. She didn't understand why he didn't ask to hold his sister one last time. Why he had just accepted their father's lies and walked away. She understood why Chris had failed her. She expected that, after all. But Buck ... she didn't understand why Buck, her beloved older brother, had failed her. The trouble was ... Buck didn't know the answer to that, either.
But, you can't win back someone's trust by lying to them. And so, he said honestly, "I don't know, baby girl. It is still okay for me to call you that, ain't it?" As opposed to 'DeeDee,' which, if he remembered correctly, both she and the girls had hated. A faint smile lifted the corners of her mouth and she nodded. Yes, she would allow him to call her 'baby girl.' Buck smiled at her, saying softly, "All right then. I ain't got an answer for you, baby girl. 'Cause ever'thin' I come up with, sounds lamer than a horse with a bad shoe."
"Okay," Adriana replied, nodding her understanding, her acceptance, "then what do we do now?" Her dark eyes searched his face. Buck didn't know what to do at first. He was terrified of breaking this fragile truce with his baby sister, so recently forged. But his hand still lay over hers, in her lap, and Buck thought about the day in Aurora's barn, when Chris had finished kicking Daniel Neely's ass. And he knew what he wanted.
"Now? Now ... I ask if I can hold you, baby girl. I have missed my little sister so much. But I ain't about to take anything from you that you can't give," he replied. Again, his sister cocked her head to one side, considering his request. Buck held his breath. He couldn't believe he had made the progress he had today ... maybe because his sister was still tired, and her guard was down because she was worried about Vin?
Buck didn't know. He just knew that his heart jumped when Adriana gave a short, quick bob of her head, that reminded him powerfully of Vin. Buck rose to his feet, pulling his sister with him, then sat down in her chair, pulling her into his arms. Tentatively, as if she had fallen out of practice, and couldn't remember if she was doing it right, Adriana looped her arMiss around his neck, before putting her head on his shoulder.
And then she relaxed slowly against him, her feet tucking themselves between his legs, in an embrace that Buck remembered from when she was a little girl. If he closed his eyes, he could make himself believe that they were back in the cathouse where they were raised, that his sister was again thirteen years old, and that none of the ugliness of the last ten years had happened. Almost. But it had happened, and he could never allow himself to forget that.
But for now, he simply reveled in the sensation of holding his baby sister once again, as they both watched over someone who was so terribly important to them both. Buck didn't know what would happen in the future. How long it would take him to win back Vin and Adriana's trust, as well as the trust of the others. He just knew that for now, the only thing that would make his life better was if Vin woke up. And that would be one helluva fine start to the rest of his life.
After the conversation on the porch, Nathan returned to his clinic, with Judge Travis, to retrieve some more supplies. Just in case. Chris didn't bother asking why the judge was going with him. He didn't think he wanted to know. Instead, the leader of the Seven went back into the house, and found Casey playing with Billy and Laura in the backyard, successfully diverting them, if not herself.
Mary and Nettie were in the kitchen, talking in low tones. Nettie patted Mary's hand, then shooed her from the kitchen, telling her, "You need to take a break, young lady. Remember, we're takin' care of my Vin this time around, there ain't no need for any of us to collapse from exhaustion. You look out for her, Mr. Larabee." Chris tipped his hat to the old woman, smiling at her in spite of himself, and Mary went to his side with a rueful expression.
The pair left the room together, Mary saying softly, "Heaven help us all when Matchmaker Nettie gets a bee in her bonnet about something." Chris almost chuckled aloud, until he saw the closed door. Mary followed his line of sight, saying softly, "He's still unconscious, Chris. Nettie thinks his body is just shutting down. He hasn't been getting the rest he's needed, during the last few weeks, and this attack was the final straw."
Chris nodded, sighing, and Mary continued, "And in the meantime, he has four very determined women looking out for him. Which means you and the others can find out who did this to him. Do you have any more leads?" Chris shook his head, easing himself into a chair in Mary's sitting room. The editor and owner of the Clarion sat down on the davenport beside the chair, not speaking as Chris rubbed his temples. If he had been younger and more inexperienced, he would have been wondering what else could go wrong.
"Nathan, Casey, and Adriana figured out that McIntosh was tellin' the truth. Trouble is, when they figured that out, they also realized there weren't anybody comin' into town that we didn't know. Which means whoever attacked Vin, it was someone here in town. One of the people whom Vin protects ... somebody we all protect, Mary. Someone who ... and now, we gotta figure out who that somebody is," Chris answered.
Mary looked at her hands and said softly, "I can't believe it. I'm not doubting you, Chris, but ... I just ... " She shook her head. Chris didn't answer. He was still struggling with the revelation himself. Mary took a deep breath and raised her head, her green eyes flashing with determination as she said, "All right, then. We'll start figuring out who would be up at that time of the day, and work from there."
Chris looked at the reporter in amazement as she leaned over and pulled a pad of paper from the table sitting in front of her. She continued, pulling her pen from its secure position between her ear and the side of her head, "Now, from what Casey told me, it was early morning. The sun was up, though just barely. But not enough for most people to be awake, including yourself, and you get up fairly early."
Chris blinked, but nodded. Yeah, that was about right. Mary continued, "So. That means the people who would have been getting up early would have been shopkeepers and farmers. Gloria once told me that she's up very early every morning, so she can open when she does. I think it's a fair assumption that Gloria isn't the one who stabbed Vin. She would have run for one of us, if that was the case."
Chris couldn't argue with that, and Mary continued, "Besides, there's no reason for her to attack Vin. She would only hurt someone else, if they were trying to hurt her, or one of her children. Jamie and Elizabeth weren't in sight, and she knows that Vin would die himself before he would hurt either of them. So, then there's Virgil Watson. He tends to get up a little later, especially on wet mornings like this morning. There was no reason for him to even be in the livery, and no reason to attack Vin."
Mary stopped, took a deep breath, then said, "The thing is, the only person in town who fits the criteria in my notes ... is Mr. Conklin. He's younger than Virgil, and he still gets up early in the morning. He's never forgiven Vin for making a fool out of him, never mind that he does that quite well on his own. So, the question which remains is ... why would he have been in the stables at that time of the morning? He has no business out of town, and when he does go out of town, he takes the stagecoach to wherever he's going. His only family is young Mahlon, and Mahlon's father."
"Especially since he has a young nephew to look out for, even though he don't seem real interested in looking out for Mahlon. And let's face it, Conklin ain't one to stand up for nobody else. He thinks if he pretends there ain't a problem, it'll go away," Chris replied, and Mary nodded with a sigh. He wouldn't have done anything to help Casey ... wait a minute. Chris looked back at the editor, asking slowly, "Mary, Casey was in the loft of the stables when she overheard McIntosh plotting against us ... is that a popular play area for children?"
He remembered with painful clarity, how much Adam had loved playing in the loft of their barn. Mary's hand stilled and she looked at him, green eyes narrowing. She said slowly, "Yes. But Chris ... you should know. No matter what the adults think, the children in this town love Vin. Just as we do. I mean ... you do know that you're not the only one ... you do know that many of us love him, too."
Chris pulled away from that remark. Love wasn't something a man like him was comfortable talking about, especially not when discussing another man. Never mind he wasn't one of them funny cowboys, and never mind that Vin was like his own little brother. You just didn't use words like that. Even if they happened to be true. Chris said, ignoring that, "We gotta figure out who mighta been in the stables at that time of the day. A kid is more impulsive than an adult ... may not have realized that Casey wasn't in danger no more."
"Then you think this might have been an accident," Mary said. Chris shrugged. He didn't know. That was the bitch of it. And he still had to worry about the rest of the McIntosh clan hitting town. He was down a man. Didn't trust two others. Whether this was an accident or not, Chris had to find out what happened in the stables. Vin was unconscious, and would probably remain that way until his body was ready to wake up. That left it up to Chris. And he was determined not to fail Vin again.
Gawdammit, cowboy, ya didn't fail me! This was just as much my fault as anybody else's. I shoulda known ya wouldna never tol' Nate to turn me over to them lowlifes! Vin shook his head, not quite understanding how he could hear his best friend's thoughts, but not questioning it either. He was alive, with a dead child sitting in his lap, playing with his fingers, and hearing Chris Larabee's thoughts, even though Chris and Mary were in the other room.
"It's not your fault, either, Vin. Sarah wants you to stop blaming yourself for what happened," Allison said, looking up from whatever game she was now playing with his hands. They had done very little talking after she told him that Charlotte asked her to look out for him. Vin dozed in the sun, while Allison played 'tic tac toe' on his belly. He was still figuring out how she done that, but in this place, some questions shouldn't be asked.
Like what she meant when she said Sarah wanted him to stop blaming himself ... that none of this was his fault. Well, he had chosen not to believe Chris when he said that Nathan lied to him. Wasn't that his fault? He didn't ask that. Instead, he asked lightly, "Ya havin' fun there, Miss Allison?" The little girl looked up from her new game, looking far older than her years, and Vin was once more reminded that this was no ordinary place, and this was no ordinary girl.
"You're ignorin' me. You didn't have no way of knowing that Nathan was lyin' to you. He had never lied to you, either. Sarah knows that, and so does Chris. She says that you gotta stop blaming yourself for what those no'counts did. Wasn't your fault. You didn't do nothin' wrong, and if she's gotta, she'll come down here and tell you that herself. And she'll bring your mama with her," Allison replied, frowning at him.
Vin sighed and folded his arMiss around her, saying, "Allison, honey, I know yer ma asked ya to look out for me, and I do 'preciate it. But ... thin' is, Chris is my best friend. He and Drina are the best friends I ever had, and I shoulda never believed that he would do that. I shoulda believed him when he said that Nate lied to me. But I was too angry, and too hurt, and too stupid. Too proud."
"Don't you never call yourself stupid again!" Allison cried out, turning in his arMiss to glare at him. Vin was taken aback by this, but before he could speak, Allison continued, "They hurt you, Vin! Just like my daddy hurt my mama, and I'm still mad at him for that! And Sarah says that when somebody hurts you like that, it ain't easy to stop hurtin.' And you're still hurtin,' but now you're talkin' to Chris again."
She put her hands on either side of his face, looking into his eyes, and whispered, "Sarah says if you wanna, you can 'pologize to Chris when you wake up, but he's gonna tell you the same thin.' She says that you gotta take your time trustin' them two no'counts, 'cause they hurt you the worst. She's real mad at them, and so's Adam. She says that forgivin' is easier than trustin'. My daddy's findin' that out, too."
Oh? Allison shrugged, her hands still cupping his face, and said, "Sarah says that Mama still loves him, and she forgives him for hurtin' her, but she don't trust him no more. She says Daddy's gotta grovel for a while. Then she said that she hopes Mama makes him grovel for a long time. I don't think Sarah likes my daddy very much." This was confided with a frown, which said Allison understood why Sarah didn't like Will ... but it still bothered her.
Since she had finally wound down, Vin told her softly, "Little lady, I ain't sure if I can ever trust them two again. They lied to me. They told me that Chris ... well, I don't gotta tell ya, 'cause ya know all that. But I shoulda never lost faith in Chris. He ain't never let me down. Didn't believe me a time or two, but I don't reckon I coulda blamed him that much. I let him down, though."
"Oh, pshaw!" Allison snorted, and Vin gaped at her. The little girl grumbled something he couldn't hear, then said, "Sarah, he ain't listenin' to me! He still thinks what happened with Mama is all his fault, he thinks he oughta know when somebody who's supposed to be his friend is lyin' to him about another ... when he's outta his head with a fever! How come he says somethin' is his fault, when it ain't, and my daddy says somethin' ain't his fault, when it is!"
"Because, sweet child, that's the difference between your father and Vin. Hello, Vin," a soft voice said as a form materialized in front of himself and Allison. The little girl started to leave Vin's lap reluctantly, but the young woman said, "No, Allison, your work isn't done yet."
"But he's not listenin' to me!" the little girl wailed. Vin flinched at the hurt in her voice. He hadn't meant to hurt her. But he knew the truth ... knew in his heart that Chris would never lie to him, and he ignored that truth. Too locked up in his own pain and rage and betrayal. Unthinking, he hugged Allison a little tighter, and the little girl buried her face against his shoulder, whispering, "I wanna make him feel better, Sarah."
Sarah Connelly Larabee reached out and placed her hand against the back of Allison's head, saying softly, "And you have, honey. But right now, you can make Vin better, just by loving him. And I'll talk to him. Okay?" Allison nodded, and tightened her arMiss around Vin's neck. Sarah looked at him and said softly, "I know you never meant to hurt her, Vin. She's just worried about her mother, and frustrated that her father has never apologized properly."
Vin started to answer, then realized anything he had to say would only upset Allison further. He just hugged the child again, and Sarah continued, "She's right, though. You had no way of knowin' that Nathan was lyin' to you. You were burnin' up with fever, with only moments of bein' able to think clear. Nate had never lied to you before ... and he and Buck had just betrayed you. You're expectin' too much of yourself."
Logically, rationally, Vin knew Sarah was right. But ... he looked at her and said softly, "I ain't sayin' that yer wrong, Sarah. But I need to hear that from Chris." She just smiled and put her hand on his shoulder, giving it a gentle squeeze. At the same time, Vin felt a...twinge...in his gut. The twinge grew into something more. He felt Allison releasing him, as she and Sarah lowered him to the ground.
"It's time for you to go back, Vin. Don't fight it ... I know it hurts. Just hold onto us, and we'll get you to where you need to be," Sarah whispered. Vin could barely see her, though he felt her hand gripping his. The twinge had grown to a fire burning in his gut, and Vin moaned in spite of himself. Sarah gripped his hand even more tightly, and he heard her whisper, "It's time for him to go, Allison."
Vin felt a feather soft kiss on his forehead, then Allison whispered, "I'm glad to meetcha, Vin. Thank you for savin' my mama's life, and makin' her smile again. Your mama says she's real proud of you, and loves ya a lot." There was another flash of pain ... a bottomless pit of blackness surrounding him on all sides, a place without pain ... and then Vin's eyes flew open. He immediately wished he was still unconscious, as the pain threatened to overwhelm him. He gasped aloud, trying desperately to breathe.
"Vin!"
It took him a moment to recognize the voice, then he focused on it, and allowed it to draw him back to consciousness. There was a face that went with the voice, and he focused on the face as well. Someone he knew ... someone he trusted ... who had never let him down or betrayed him. He heard the voice say next, as gentle fingers stroked his hair back from his forehead, "Get Chris, tell him that Vin's awake! Stay with me, Vin ... I won't let you go." Behind the figure, he saw Sarah and Allison, watching with broad smiles.
And then Chris Larabee burst into the room, followed by Mary Travis and one other person. Buck? What was Buck doing in here? Didn't matter. Vin looked back at the owner of the hands that comforted him, and gasped out, "Drina?" She smiled at him, tears appearing in her eyes as she gently hushed him. Chris was at her side only seconds later, his green eyes filled with worry and rage and ...
But his voice was gentle when he said, "Welcome back, pard. Shhh, don't try to talk. Just rest. Just rest. We've got your back." Chris lay a gentle hand on Vin's forearm. Nettie came into the room behind Buck, and Vin tried to ask about Casey. She was in trouble, wasn't she? Chris read the question in his eyes, saying softly, "Casey is fine. She'll be here the next time you wake up. Get some sleep."
Satisfied that the people whom he did trust would watch his back, that it was safe, Vin fell asleep naturally. As he drifted off, he was aware of Chris and Drina at his side, and he knew that he wouldn't lose faith in either of them again. As the comforting darkness settled over him once again, Vin saw Sarah and Allison smiling and waving at him. And as long as them two watched over him, nothing could hurt him.
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