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.
"Casey! Casey girl!"
Her aunt's voice distracted Casey from the game she was playing with the two children, and from her own dark thoughts. Ever since they had brought Vin to the house, several hours earlier, Casey had been struggling with her emotions ... with her rage, and with her guilt. She was desperately afraid for Vin. Ever since Nathan began his first examination, the bounty hunter had been unconscious.
Why was he still unconscious? Had he hit his head, when he collapsed after being stabbed? Why wouldn't he wake up? Casey had tried to shake off her fear, but that was proving to be next to impossible. And then her aunt called her. Casey turned to face Aunt Nettie, barely aware of the two children drawing to either side of her, barely aware of both Billy and Laura slipping their hands into hers.
Aunt Nettie smiled at her broadly, cupping her face in her hands, and said tenderly, "He woke up, honey. Vin woke up. He wanted to know about you, and we promised you would be there the next time he woke up." Casey stared at her aunt for several minutes. Vin was awake? He would be all right? Aunt Nettie, seeing the question in her eyes, just smiled and nodded. Casey found herself in her aunt's arms a moment after that, clinging to Aunt Nettie for dear life.
She wept without really understanding why, and Aunt Nettie whispered, "He ain't okay. Not yet. But he's awake, and he's fightin,' and you know our boy ain't gonna give up without a fight." Casey knew that. She knew Vin Tanner. And she laughed as she registered Billy and Laura dancing around and giggling. Aunt Nettie laughed, too, saying, "C'mon. Vin wants to see you the next time he wakes up, and I fully intend to see that he gets what he wants."
They went inside, the old woman and the girl, the two children, all of whom loved Vin Tanner. And Casey realized once they entered the house, and memories swept through her. Something was wrong. She asked as they entered the sitting room, "Aunt Nettie, have you seen JD at all? 'Fore the others left, to check things out, all of 'em came into Vin's room, to see about him, and check on me. But JD never did."
Aunt Nettie looked away, replying, "No, honey ... JD ... this ain't your fault. None of it. But JD's havin' a real hard time with this. He ain't been to see Vin once." Casey stared at her aunt in shock. What? That couldn't be right! Even Buck and Nathan, who had caused everything, even they had been in to see Vin. JD ... Vin was just as important to him, as he was to Casey. What in tarnation was he doing?
Astonishment and shock gave way to anger. She wiped the tears away with the back of her hand, and asked softly, "Aunt Nettie, how long do you think Vin is gonna sleep?" He had been unconscious for several hours ... nothing had awakened him. But now, he was just asleep, and they could wake him up for dinner, or ... Never mind that now. Casey was starting to remember other things now. And she was getting mad.
"He'll sleep for a while ... you plannin' to have things out with JD?" Aunt Nettie asked and Casey nodded determinedly. She was fixin' on givin' JD Dunne an attitude adjustment he wouldn't never forget! Why, he hadn't even asked once if Casey or Vin were alright, and that just plain made her mad! She could have forgiven him for not asking about her, 'cause this was partly her fault, but not asking about Vin? Well, that couldn't be allowed! Aunt Nettie looked at her for several moments, then smiled and said, "Then go get him, Casey girl!"
Casey grinned and leaned over to kiss Aunt Nettie's cheek. What would she do without Aunt Nettie? Casey didn't want to think about that. As she straightened up, Chris Larabee came into the room, looking much more relaxed. He asked, "What's this I hear about you havin' things out with JD?" He didn't look mad ... if anything, he looked amused. Casey didn't mind. She got mad if JD laughed at her, but not Mr. Larabee. He didn't laugh enough, so Casey figured he could laugh at her.
She hugged him, much to his surprise, but she was gratified when he hugged her back. She whispered, "Vin's awake, and he's gonna be okay." The leader of the Seven tightened his arms around her, and then Casey pulled back to look at him. She said very seriously, "JD ain't asked once if I was alright, or about Vin, and I aim to straighten him out. You ain't got a problem with that, do you?" Chris cupped her face in his hands, as Aunt Nettie had, and shook his head very slowly, his green eyes never leaving her face. She had never been afraid of Chris Larabee, not even when he was angry. After today, she never would be.
"No, Casey, I don't. In fact, I think that's exactly what he needs from time to time. A swift kick in the backside from a young lady. I know I need it sometimes," Chris replied, winking at her. Casey just laughed, feeling better than she had in a long time. Chris released her and said, "Go on. Give that boy what-for, and don't let him give you no lip. And if he does, tell 'im I gave you my permission."
Casey nodded and darted from the house. Now. Let's see, where would JD be? The same place he was after he accidentally shot Annie. The saloon. The girl stalked determinedly toward the building. From what she could remember, Ezra was with the prisoner, and Judge Travis had wired the prisoner's pa. She didn't know where Buck was ... where Nathan and Josiah were, for that matter. Not that she really cared about Buck or Nathan.
She went into the saloon and Inez came over, asking softly, "Senorita Casey ... how is Vin?" The young girl looked into the Mexican lady's eyes, seeing the very real worry there. Casey felt ashamed of herself, forgetting that Inez cared about Vin, too. She offered Inez a shy smile, and the Mexican lady murmured, "Gracias a Dios ... he is awake? He will be all right?" Casey nodded and was rewarded with a quick, fierce hug.
Casey clung to Inez, whispering, "He just woke up a few minutes ago. He's asleep again, but he's gonna be okay." There was no way anything else would happen. Casey didn't know how she would prevent anything else from happening, but Casey wouldn't let go. Inez hugged her again, then pulled back, and Casey asked softly, "Is JD here?" Inez's lovely face darkened and Casey said, "Mr. Larabee told me I was to give JD what-for. He ain't been over to ask about Vin once, and that ain't right."
"He is getting drunk. Senor Chris asked him to wire Chicago manana, but he said nothing about today. So, JD is getting drunk. If you wish, I will help you ... give him what-for," Inez offered. Casey thought about turning her down, until she thought about the last few hours. Being unable to help Vin, and instead, taking care of Laura while Laura's mama did what had to be done. And she realized this was Inez's way of helping, of no longer being so helpless. She nodded and Inez spoke in Spanish to someone who was helping her behind the bar.
Then, the two women marched over to where JD was getting drunk. He sat alone at a table, slouched down in a chair, and trying to affect a Chris Larabee type 'git-the-hell-away' look. Casey had never seen him drunk, but she wasn't naive enough to think he hadn't gotten drunk after Annie. Well. She had failed him then, but she wouldn't fail now. With Inez's reassuring presence at her back, Casey slammed her hands down on the table, getting his attention immediately. JD looked up at her, a bit blearily, then growled, "Go away, Casey."
"I will not, JD Dunne, and you cain't make me. Chris told me I could come over here and give you a kick in the pants, and I'm gonna do just that," Casey retorted, placing both hands on her hips and glaring at him for all she was worth. She knew she wasn't as scary as Chris Larabee, but JD hadn't even asked her how Vin was. Casey said so, adding with a growing sense of anger, "Ain't ya even gonna ask me how Vin is? If he's okay? Or are ya just gonna sit there and git drunk for no good reason?"
Something flickered in JD's eyes, then he replied, "If you're here, then he is." Casey just stared at him in shock. He was acting as if he didn't even care about Vin! Just assuming that he was all right! For all he knew, she could have come over here to tell him that Vin was dead! JD's eyes shifted to Inez, and he asked with a very un-JD sneer, "You gonna throw me out, Inez? What, the kid can't take care of himself?"
"No, JD, the kid cannot. If the kid were a man, instead of a boy, he would have been comforting his chica, instead of coming in here and making an idioto of himself. If he were a man, he would have checked on his friend, before drowning his self-pity in whiskey," Inez fired back, her hand still on Casey's shoulders. JD slammed down his bottle on the table and Inez released Casey, slamming both hands on the table as she hissed, "You whine about not being treated like a man, when you do not act like a man! You are coming with us now, JD!"
"There ain't a damn thing I can do to help Vin! He don't need me! He's got Nathan, and Chris, he's got Mary and Adriana! So why the hell shouldn't I have a few drinks?" JD spat. Casey and Inez held their ground, as Inez signaled another man. He came over and loomed over JD. That was the only way Casey could think to explain it. He was a big man, at least as tall as Buck, and wider than Buck and Josiah put together.
"Because, JD, you have had more than 'a few drinks.' Senor Chris wants you to wire Chicago in the morning. Will you be able to do that with a clear head?" Inez challenged. She nodded to the big man who stood beside the table ... and Casey's jaw dropped as JD was physically lifted from his chair. Inez put her arm around Casey's shoulders, and together, the four left the saloon through the back door.
JD Dunne was furious. He was a member of the Seven, and he was being manhandled by that overgrown ... Dammit, Inez couldn't do this to him! But the more he squirmed in the hands of the huge man, the more he seemed to be held. And JD got even angrier. When he had come into the saloon, only a short time ago, he had thought he could finally get some peace. Peace from the sight of Vin collapsing in Potter's Store. Peace from the memory of his friend's ashen face. Peace from the rage which continued to strangle him.
He had realized, after the meeting at the Travis house, that there was little for him to do until the morning. Nothing he could do to help Vin. And in truth, JD was afraid to ask. He couldn't get that picture out of his head. Couldn't help remembering how limp Vin was in his arms ... and how afraid JD was to watch his friend die. That was the other reason he came in here. Because he was a coward. And he hated anyone for making him face that.
And then, Casey had to come in and ruin it all! Casey with her flashing eyes and hands on her hips, acting like she was his ma! Where had she been while JD was tracking down the bastard who tried to take her? As the big man released him just outside the saloon, JD knew exactly what Casey had been doing, and it made him even angrier. She had been helping to take care of Vin, along with Mrs. Travis, Miss Nettie, and Adriana.
It made him angrier, because she was almost kidnapped. She should have been resting. Should have been ... he didn't know. But it was his job to take care of her, and he had failed. Because he failed, Vin almost died. Never mind who actually stabbed Vin ... his friend almost died because JD wasn't doing his job properly. He had no right to take things out on Casey. He knew that, and again, that made him even angrier.
He snarled at the trio, allowing words he didn't mean to come to his lips, hurtful words. Words that weren't true, words that were as false as the false preacher Moseley. But they came out nonetheless as he spat, "You got no right sitting in judgment on me, Casey Welles. If it weren't for you, Vin woulda never been stabbed. It's all your fault! If you hadn't been so stupid, none of this woulda never happened ... "
He started to say more, but the enraged young girl punched him as hard as she could in the ribs. Not one of her playful punches, but the kind of blow which meant Casey meant business. The enraged girl grabbed him by the shoulders, slamming him into the wall. JD was so stunned by her initial punch, he didn't put up much of a fight. She hissed at him, "Now you listen to me, JD Dunne! I been puttin' up with your nonsense all day now, and I had about enough of it!"
JD just blinked at her in surprise, noting with further surprise that there were now two Caseys. Lord help him. He had enough trouble with just one Casey. The two Caseys went on, "Now I know what happened to Vin is my fault. If I had been payin' attention to what was goin' on, I woulda seen that no'count. And Vin wouldn't had no need to be in the stables, and he never woulda been stabbed."
She shook him again, and now JD realized with some relief that the two Caseys had become one. Good. Or ... maybe not. She was giving him a glare about as deadly as the infamous Larabee glare. Maybe he was in deep shit after all. Casey went on, her voice cracking, "But you got no call to be mad at Vin! He saved my life, JD! How could you? How could you not even ask about Vin! He's your friend!"
With that, she shook him again, and now JD started to get angry again. He grabbed her forearms and started to shove her away from him. Just who the hell did Casey think she was anyhow? He didn't need some stupid girl tellin' him how to behave with his friends! But a solid hand in the middle of his chest not only stopped him from shoving Casey away, it also kept him from going anywhere.
Again, JD glared at the giant who half-carried him out here in the first place, but received only an implacable gaze in return. Which, in a way, was just as scary as Chris Larabee's glare. Especially when you considered that the guy was starting to remind him of Tophat Bob Spikes.
"I don't need this from you, Casey! Not from any a' ya! If somethin' happened to Vin, someone woulda come and told me!" JD fired back, turning his attention back to Casey briefly. He spat at the giant currently holding him in place. The big man simply wiped away the moisture with the back of his free hand, glaring at JD. The kid could have sworn he was as big as Yosemite or Tiny. When had Inez hired him, anyhow?
But then, the giant was the least of his worries, because Casey had gotten in his face once more, her eyes blazing like a pair of dark suns. And the first signs of fear began to wind their way into JD Dunne's heart. For the first time since Casey stormed over to his table, JD began to realize that there might well be something terribly, terribly wrong. Something he hadn't wanted to believe earlier.
"How can you be sure?" Casey all but screamed at him. She stared at him, her eyes filling with tears as she whispered this time, "How can you be sure? You sit at that table, growling at anyone who comes too close. How do you know I ain't comin' to tell ya that Vin's dyin,' or already dead? How do you know whether or not he's gonna wake up? How do you know, JD? How do you know that?"
JD stared back at her, as it slowly sank in. How would he know? Had Casey been trying to tell JD for the last several minutes ... that Vin was gone? JD's mouth suddenly went dry. No. No, that couldn't be! After everything they had gone through, they couldn't ... he looked at her pleadingly. But Casey didn't speak. Just stared at him accusingly. JD asked, in a weak voice he didn't recognize as his own, "Casey? Tell me that he's alive? Please, tell me Vin's alive?"
"He's alive. He woke up a few minutes ago. I ain't expectin' ya to sit and hold his hand. That's what we're there for. But the others at least checked on him. Buck was with Adriana when Vin woke up. How could you do that, JD? Vin needed ya, and you weren't there," Casey whispered. It took JD a minute to process what she had said. Vin was alive. He woke up. The relief came first. Then the rage.
"Then what the hell are you yellin' at me for!" JD yelled right back. He was spinning out of control so quickly, he didn't know which way was up, and what was going on inside of his gut. Was he angry, was he relieved? And why was he so goddamned scared? Casey just said that Vin would be all right, that he woke up, and that was always the best sign that one of them would be all right. If he woke up.
"Cause you weren't there, JD! Why didn't ya come and see him?" Casey repeated. She pushed him again, tears now running down her face, as she said, "Why didn't you come see him? I know you're mad at me, 'cause Vin got hurt on my account. But why were you mad at Vin? Cause he got hurt?" Oh Lord no. No, no, no ... he hated it when she cried. Especially since she didn't cry just to cry.
Guilt washed over him then ... he knew she had to be worried about Vin. He knew Casey, after all, and knew that she would feel guilty about Vin being hurt. And that knowledge caused another flash of anger.
This time, the rage was directed at himself as he said, "Because it was my fault! Vin was hurt because of me, and every time I looked at him, every time I looked at you, I remembered that! I remembered how limp he was when I helped to carry him across the street, and how pale he was! And it was my fault, because I wasn't doin' my job! My friend, one of my best friends, my brother, was hurt 'cause he was protectin' my girl, and that's my job!"
Casey stared at him, her eyes narrowing, then she whispered, "JD. You are not the only one in this town who loves Vin. I love him, too!" JD started to deny what she had just said. And then he just stared at her. His mind suddenly seemed to stop working. Casey said again, "I love him too. And so do a lot of other people ... and you know somethin,' JD? A lot of 'em were in that room at some point today."
She punched his shoulder, adding, "So don't you talk to me about feelin' guilty, 'cause you ain't the only one!" JD closed his eyes. Not from pain, but from suddenly feeling dizzy. She was right. JD had tracked down Casey's might-have-been kidnapper. And right, he wasn't the one who stabbed Vin, but he had done something about the attack. What right did he have to feel sorry for himself, when there were others who had been totally helpless?
He opened his eyes and whispered, "I'm sorry. I'm so sorry." He put his hands on Casey's shoulders, gently squeezing them, and the giant released him. JD drew his girl into his arms and held her tightly, gently stroking her back as she wept. Over Casey's shoulder, he mouthed again, "I'm sorry," this time to Inez. 'I'm sorry' didn't seem enough. Not for failing to protect Casey, and not for failing to be there for Vin ... again. But it was all he had.
And as he held Casey, he remembered something which Chris had said ... a conversation which Josiah told him about. Chris had told Buck, at the beginning, when they first saw Vin with their own eyes, that Buck's apologies were just words. And now, JD was starting to realize that was all Buck had at the time. Just words. Just as that was all he had now. So, maybe one betrayal was large, and the other small. But a betrayal was a betrayal.
Vin was awake. Oh, not at the moment, no. But he had awakened earlier ... in fact, Chris had his gun out and primed when Buck let loose a whoop that would have scared the kids half to death if they had been inside, instead of outside, playing with Casey. Reacting purely by instinct, Chris had pushed Mary behind him protectively ... it didn't occur to him until he actually saw Buck that the godawful noise came from Vin's room. One other thing occurred to him ... the noise was celebratory. Like Buck Wilmington when he was really ... really ... really excited. Only thing that could have made Buck that excited was Vin waking up.
And for scaring him like that alone, Chris could have cheerfully shot Buck. At least until Buck told him that Vin was awake. Chris had just enough time to put his pistol away, before he raced Buck back to the room. That had been two hours earlier. The word was quickly spread that Vin woke up for a few minutes. Things in town were under control ... though from what he had been told, it sounded like Ezra was ready to kill David McIntosh. They were still trying to figure out who had stabbed Vin, since Josiah still hadn't found the knife ... not even knowing that it was a dull knife which had almost ended their friend's life.
So Chris sat at Vin's bedside, relaxing for the first time since Casey came for him that morning. Two hours after that first awakening, a soft groan brought the leader's attention back to his best friend, and Chris sat up straight in his chair, turning to face Vin more fully. There was a second groan as Vin slowly opened his eyes. He blinked a few times and his lips formed a word. Chris didn't bother asking ... he knew exactly what Vin needed.
He slipped a hand around the back of Vin's head and eased a few drops of water down his friend's throat, murmuring, "Not too much ... pukin' with broke ribs is bad enough. Pukin' with broke ribs and a hole in your gut ain't something I recommend." Vin almost choked and laughed at the same time. Chris eased him back, replacing the tin cup of water at the same time. He gently squeezed his friend's shoulder as Vin struggled to breathe.
"Aw hell, Larabee ... ya sure ya ain't tryin' to kill me? That hurt like hell, ya know," Vin wheezed, the laughter in his eyes taking any sting out of the words. Chris just squeezed Vin's shoulder again, grinning down at him. Vin was awake and alert, and that damn sense of humor of his was coming through. Chris had been stabbed before ... as well as shot, thrown from a horse, and beaten. To name just a few. And he knew how much Vin was hurting right now.
"Hell, Tanner, if I wanted to kill you, I woulda chosen a different way to do it!" Chris fired back, grinning. Vin just smiled wearily, already running out of energy. Chris said softly, "Ya scared the hell out of us, pard." Vin mouthed 'sorry,' his blue eyes reflecting his guilt at frightening his friends, before sliding shut. Chris added, dropping his voice, even though he knew Vin wasn't asleep, "Ain't no call for ya to apologize."
"That's where yer wrong, Chris," Vin answered in a voice just as hushed. His eyes opened once more, and filled with a hurt that had nothing to do with the wound in his gut. Vin continued, "I do gotta apologize. I shoulda never believed them lies of Nathan's ... shoulda never believed ya tol' them to turn me over to them mercenaries. And I'm sorry for that, Chris. So sorry for losing faith in ya."
He closed his eyes once more, taking shallow breaths. Chris didn't know what to say, not at first. Words usually got in the way, especially where Vin was concerned. He had only to remember the few times when a wedge was driven between them ... before a few weeks earlier at least. Or, to put it more simply, the times when the wedge between them was the result of a woman. But this was a time when he needed words, and he needed to reassure his friend that everything was okay. Although, trust Vin Tanner to take all the blame on himself. Especially in a situation like this.
And everything was okay. Chris said softly, "Vin, listen to me." The blue eyes opened once more, to regard Chris solemnly, and the blond man continued, "You got nothin' to apologize for. Not a damn thing. You were out of your head with fever and pain. Nothin' was makin' sense to you, and Nathan had never lied to you before. You got nothin' to apologize for. Least of all for this."
Chris paused, took a deep breath, then said, "Long as you know now, that I wouldn't do that to you, for any reason. You know that, right? You know this wasn't about Charlotte or Ella, or anyone else? That this was Buck and Nathan with one helluva fuckup?" Especially not Ella ... if he had listened to Buck and Vin in the first place, his men wouldn't have been in danger.
A lopsided grin appeared, and Vin retorted, "Reckon that's one way a' lookin' at it." Chris laughed and Vin continued a bit more seriously, "I know that now. But I shoulda never doubted ya. Ya ain't never given me no reason to doubt ya ... not like me. I was wrong, Chris. Shoulda believed in ya. Least I didn't turn Drina against ya." Chris dipped his head. No, actually, Chris had done that quite well himself.
There was another silence between the friends, then Vin asked softly, sounding as if he was fighting to hold onto consciousness, "Was it my 'magination earlier, or was Buck in here?" Chris raised his head to look at Vin. Yup, he was definitely trying to keep from falling asleep. But his body needed the rest. Vin continued, not ready yet to give up that particular battle. Not for the first time, Chris thought about Laertes and Josiah's assertion that being pissed off helped to keep Vin alive, in as bad a shape as he was.
When he stopped and thought about it, it made sense. You used that rage, that fury at betrayal. 'Ya ain't gonna git the best of me,' Chris could almost hear Vin thinking, 'I'm gonna git well, n' then I gotta decide what I'm gonna do 'bout y'all.' Chris felt a wave of nausea. What if he hadn't decided to go to Pordios, first to retrieve his friend's body, then to see if Vin was actually alive, once the doubts started creeping in? He didn't want to think about that. And Vin repeated, "Chris? Was Buck in here earlier, or was that part of the dream, too?" Chris chose to answer the part of the question he understood.
"Buck was in here. Making amends with Adriana," Chris replied. A faint smile appeared at that, and Vin mouthed something that looked like 'well, it's about goddamn time.' The leader of the Seven added, "Now that's enough talk. Get some rest. You can see Casey the next time you wake up. She's been over at the saloon, givin' JD hell." Vin's broad grin appeared, as his eyes slid shut. The door opened, admitting a worried-looking Mary. Chris rose to his feet, glancing over to make sure Vin was asleep, and whispered, "What is it?"
He moved carefully around the bed until he could speak with Mary properly. The editor replied softly, "I just talked to Billy. One of the little boys in town saw something. He's the son of a new working girl, and he wasn't sure what he was seeing. He was up early, and in the stables. His mother gave her permission, since it would keep him away from the ugliness ... just in case. He saw who stabbed Vin."
Chris felt his blood pressure rise. Mary swallowed hard, but a soft voice from the bed interrupted them both, "Reckon I coulda tol' ya that, if ya asked." Chris and Mary turned to face Vin, who was very much awake, and the tracker wore no smile. In fact, his eyes were totally serious. He went on, "Then again, cain't rightly blame ya, not when I wasn't even thinkin' 'bout it 'til just now."
Chris exchanged a glance with Mary, and Vin added, "Was Mahlon Conklin." Ma ... did he say Mahlon Conklin? The same boy who had been watching over Vin only the previous day? Vin continued, once more struggling to stay awake, "Think it was an accident. Kid looked scared. Be nice, Larabee. Just a kid." The last word was sighed as Vin finally gave up and fell asleep. Chris looked at Mary, who nodded, as if knowing what he was asking. Vin would be fine for a few minutes. They would find the judge first ... and then they would find Mahlon Conklin.
At the same time Chris and Mary were learning who had stabbed Vin, Judge Orrin W Travis was hearing the confession of the child in question. Orrin had gone with Nathan to the clinic, so the judge could explain what he wanted Nathan to do about Laertes' deathbed revelation. For now, he was to say nothing to Buck. Orrin knew Nathan and Buck had become close after the mercenaries took Vin ... no one else in town would speak to them.
And, he knew the healer would have a difficult time with keeping this particular secret for too much longer. But until Vin was on the road to recovery (again), and the McIntosh family was dealt with, Orrin didn't want anything more to be said about the telegram Laertes had sent. Nathan agreed, and Orrin was on his way back to the house to check on Vin when he heard soft weeping under the stairs of the clinic.
Concerned, Orrin turned to see Mahlon Conklin under the stairs, his small body wracked with sobs. At a loss ... not knowing if he should comfort the boy, or just leave him his pride, Orrin settled on a compromise. The judge made his way back to the stairs and sat down with a deep sigh. There was a soft sniffle, and Orrin said, "You know ... when I was a boy, I grew up in a territory much like this one. Oh, it wasn't a desert ... but it was the frontier."
He reached inside his pocket, opened the watch which had been a wedding gift from his grandfather, and continued, "There was a boy my own age ... and we were about twelve at the time, too ... he was killed. He was one of my best friends. We were out walking one day, after a bad storm, and a limb fell on him. It wasn't a little tree at all ... it was a very large tree, with very large branches and limbs. Sturdy enough to hold both of us when we went climbing. When that limb fell on him, it killed him instantly."
The soft sobs had given way to silence, and Orrin continued, taking a deep breath, "I blamed myself. If we hadn't been out walking, if I hadn't talked him into going to that particular area, he would still be alive. It didn't matter that it was just a terrible, tragic accident ... it didn't matter that his parents didn't blame me. I blamed myself. I don't know what's wrong, Mahlon. But I don't think if you did something wrong, it's unforgivable. And if you're upset about Mr. Tanner being hurt ... you need to have faith."
"You don't understand," came the soft, anguished response, "ain't nobody's ever gonna forgive me for this. They can't. I can't!" Orrin wisely held his tongue, understanding that to the young, whatever had hurt them was important ... and that it didn't really matter whether it would still be important in a year or in a hundred years. Remembering some of Stephen's reactions when he or Evie tried to comfort him by telling him that something eventually wouldn't matter, Orrin now took a different approach.
He said softly, "Then tell me what you did wrong, Mahlon, and I'll do the best I can to help. You shouldn't have to carry this burden alone. That's why your father sent you out here. Because he knew that he couldn't help you through losing your mother, and it was time for someone to take care of you, instead of you taking care of your father. Let me help." There was another sob under the stairs.
Then, the boy whispered, "I can't do that. You'll put me in jail. I done somethin' wrong, so you gotta put me in jail. You're a judge, that's your job." Orrin frowned, the hairs on the back of his neck raising. If Mahlon was five or six years old, the judge would have found it easy to dismiss that statement. But ... the boy was twelve years old, old enough to understand that he wouldn't be put into jail for not minding his uncle or getting into a fight.
No, this was big. And Mahlon Conklin was a sensible young boy. Mary had said he was prone to romanticize the bad element, but for all that, he was still sensible. Only one terrible act had been committed in this town during the last day. Orrin swallowed hard, but forced himself to ask the question, "Mahlon? What did you do?" Another sob, then the boy clearing his throat, as if trying to speak. Then another sob.
Orrin steadied his voice with a concentrated effort, then asked as gently as he could, "Did you ... was it you in the stables when David McIntosh tried to kidnap Casey Welles?" There was a strangled 'yes,' and Orrin looked up as his daughter-in-law approached with Chris Larabee. Orrin waved at them both to stop, then continued, "It was an accident, wasn't it, Mahlon? You were trying to help Mr. Tanner protect Casey, weren't you?"
"Y ... yes. I saw, I saw that man drag Casey in, her fightin' him every step of the way. She's always been real nice to me, so I was real quiet. I ... I thought maybe I could help her. Then Mr. Tanner came in, and he made Casey go for Mr. Larabee. Then the man charged at Mr. Tanner, and he ... I mean Mr. Tanner, moved out of the way. The man ... Mr. McIntosh ... he looked funny. He landed in the straw, and that made him mad. His face was all brown, so I think his face landed in horse droppings," the boy replied.
Orrin glanced at Chris, whose face was utterly expressionless. Mary's left hand covered her mouth, her green eyes reflecting compassion for the pain in the boy's voice. A pain which Orrin remembered all too well, when his long-ago friend Stephen died. There was another hitching sob, then Mahlon went on, "I found a knife. I was gonna help Mr. Tanner. But when I went for Mr. McIntosh, he moved out of the way ... ran out of the stables ... and ... and I stabbed Mr. Tanner instead!"
Now Mahlon was crying in earnest once more, saying, "I didn't mean to hurt him! Honest! I was trying to help him, but ... And then I got scared. 'Cause I knew that Mr. Tanner was Mr. Larabee's best friend, and I knew he'd be real mad at me." Chris dropped his head at this, a grimace of pain crossing his face before the brim of his hat obscured Orrin's vision. At the same time, movement to his left, from behind the clinic, drew Orrin's attention.
It was Ezra Standish, his eyes filled with a pain similar to Chris. The gambler said very gently, "That's true, son. But Chris gives second chances. He gave me one." Orrin heard the boy under the stairs gasp, but Ezra was blocking Mahlon's exit. The gambler continued, "I ran out on him once. First to investigate a gold mine, and then when our enemies attacked. I came back. But Chris and the other men ... the children in the Indian village ... and many others ... they all could have died, because I ran out on them."
There was another long silence, then Ezra said, "But he gave me a second chance. Told me to never run out on him again. He could have killed me, Mahlon. He would have been well within his rights, because he had trusted me to watch his back ... and I didn't do it. But he didn't kill me. Now. If he gave me a second chance ... when I could have gotten him, and so many others, killed, because of something I did deliberately ... do you really think he would do any less for a twelve year old boy whose crime is purely accidental?"
Now Chris did speak, saying, "Mahlon, you said that you hurt Vin by accident. And I believe you. You were tryin' to help, and things went bad. Then you got scared. But you would have told us ... because you're an honest boy. I ain't mad at you, son. I'm mad that my friend got hurt, yes. But I ain't mad at you." Orrin smiled at Chris, who tipped his hat, then continued, "Why don't you come out of there, son? You got my word, I ain't gonna hurt you."
Mary spoke up for the first time, saying, "Mahlon, I've never heard Mr. Larabee give his word, and then go back on it. You can believe in him ... you can have faith in him." Ezra backed up, and there were soft scuffling sounds under the stairs, then Mahlon made his way out from his hiding place. His face was tearstained and dirty, and Mary whispered, "Oh, Mahlon." She held out her arms to the child, and he flung himself against her, sobbing helplessly.
Mary just held him, and Chris put his hand on the boy's head. Ezra and Orrin joined them, Orrin feeling exhausted. After a moment, Mahlon pulled away, sniffling, "I'm sorry, ma'am, I'm getting your dress dirty and wet." Mary cupped his face in her hands, staring at him intently, and for the first time, Orrin saw that Mary's dress was indeed dirtier and wetter, though it had accumulated dust while she and Chris waited.
"That is not important. I have some very good news for you. Mr. Tanner woke up, and we think he's going to be all right. He told Mr. Larabee to take it easy on you, so he knows it was an accident," Mary told the boy. Mahlon wiped at his eyes with the back of his hand, not fully believing what she had said, and Mary just nodded, repeating, "He'll be fine, Mahlon. Mr. Tanner has survived much worse."
"But he's gonna need time to heal, Mahlon. And you're right, you do gotta be punished. But if Judge Travis is willing, I think I got an idea," Chris said. Orrin looked at him questioningly, and Chris continued, "Like I said, Vin's gonna need time to heal. And Miss Nettie still needs help with her place. Vin ain't gonna be able to do it. So ... I think since Vin can't help her, maybe you should?"
Now Orrin understood and he smiled at Chris, saying, "I think that's an excellent idea. For now, your uncle needs to know about this, and what we decided to about it. I'll go with you. I believe Mr. Larabee and Mr. Standish have town business they need to deal with." The McIntosh clan, for one thing. Mahlon wiped away his tears again and nodded, then hugged Mary a second time, an embrace which was returned in full. Then he looked at Chris.
"I'm sorry, Mr. Larabee. I'll apologize to Mr. Tanner, too. My ma and pa raised me right," the boy said, lifting his chin. Chris just smiled and put his hand on Mahlon's shoulder, giving it a gentle squeeze. Mahlon looked back at Mary, saying, "Miz Travis, will you come with us? Uncle doesn't like Mr. Tanner. I don't think he'll believe that Mr. Tanner didn't attack me first." Which was something Orrin hadn't considered, but it made sense.
"Actually, Mahlon, I think it would be a better idea if Casey went with you. She was there, after all," Mary said softly. Orrin looked at his daughter-in-law ... Casey would tear into Conklin if he pulled something like that! Which, of course, Mary knew. She gave him an unholy smile, and Orrin just sighed. Lord help them all. Mary was becoming more and more like the little hoyden he remembered, and less like the lady she became when she and Stephen were first married. This looked to get interesting!
According to Chris, Casey had flounced off to give JD a swift kick in the pants. JD had last been seen in the saloon, so the Judge told them they would look there first. Mary returned to the house to check on Vin and see if she would have to bully Adriana into getting some rest. Ezra snickered to himself as he and Chris followed the Judge into the saloon. Mahlon would wait outside while the Judge located Casey. He actually hoped he could be around if Mary did try to bully Adriana into getting some rest.
Adriana had been very quiet these last few days. Like Vin, she wasn't comfortable in towns, and she was still mourning the loss of her foster father. But she was still stubborn and independent ... just as stubborn and independent as Mary herself. And when those two clashed, it promised to be as entertaining as ... well ... anything Ezra could imagine. He snickered again, and Chris muttered, "I don't want to know."
"No, Chris, I don't believe you do ... but I'll educate you anyhow. I was just thinking about how entertaining it would be to see Mrs. Travis and Adriana after Mrs. Travis tries to force the other young lady to rest," Ezra replied. Chris almost missed the chair he had chosen, and it took all of Ezra's self-control to keep from laughing aloud. Chris glared at him anyhow, and settled himself into the chair.
"I think that qualifies as those scary ladies I was tellin' Tophat Bob about," Chris answered, shaking his head. Ezra almost laughed aloud at that, and Chris continued, shaking his head, "But Adriana ain't stupid. She was pushing herself the last time, 'cause she still wasn't sure about us, if she could trust us to take care of Vin. Things are different now." Ezra acknowledged this with a nod.
Yes, many things were different now. Adriana was slowly letting down her guard with all of them, though she continued to shut out Mr. Jackson. That would continue to be the case, however. Odd. Knowing Adriana had significantly changed Ezra's view of those early quarrels with Mr. Jackson. Because her remaining scars as a result of her years as a slave, and her interactions with Gideon, forced Ezra to see things from Nathan's point of view, in a way he never had before.
Not that Ezra had forgiven Nathan yet for what he had done to Vin. He wasn't ready to do that. But it did give them a common ground, and that was where forgiveness began. Chris said softly, "So, now we gotta figure out what to do about the McIntosh family. Hell, after what that brother done to Vin and the judge, I shoulda done more than just give Marcus the money to get away ... shoulda wiped 'em all out."
"Yes, well, they say hindsight is twenty-twenty, and at the time, we were more concerned with getting Vin healthy again," Ezra replied. Chris nodded grimly, and Ezra continued, "According to the wire I received from young Deputy McCall, the McIntosh clan are still in Eagle Bend, still gathering up supplies. If they remain there tonight, they will be arriving tomorrow. Which gives us some time to formulate a plan."
Again, Chris nodded. Ezra started to speak, but it was then that the gambler saw what had captured his leader's attention. The man's young foster sister had entered the saloon quietly, and headed for the bar. Inez had returned to her work, and she smiled at the newcomer. If she was surprised to see Adriana in here, she gave no indication. Ezra murmured, "Now that's something I wasn't expectin' to see. Your sister is full of surprises, is she not?"
Chris laughed softly, pouring whiskey into his glass, and replied, "She is that ... always has been. Hell, Ezra, I could tell ya stories 'bout her that you'd never believe."
Of that, Ezra had no doubt. On the other hand, he had learned during the last several weeks that where this girl was concerned, just about anything was believable. Chris continued, his voice growing soft with remembrance, "The things she would get into. Actually, Buck and I would get into trouble ... Adriana would try to get us out ... never mind that she was just a kid herself. What kind of odds are we lookin' at, Ez? With the McIntosh family?"
Ezra wasn't startled by the sudden change of subject. Instead, he replied, "From what the young deputy told me, it seems likely that the entire clan is headed our way. That includes the remaining sons, all cousins, and the men who have been hired by the elder Mr. McIntosh. In other words, at least twenty men. Which, under ordinary circumstances, wouldn't bother me. However, these are far from ordinary circumstances."
Chris grunted, replying, "Nope. Vin's awake, but he'll be outta commission for a while. That means we're out a sharpshooter. We're still divided. I still ain't sure if I can trust Buck and Nathan in a fight. We gotta figure out how to use all this to our advantage, but damn if I can do it." He tossed back another gulp of whiskey. Ezra was silent for several moments, watching the young woman now talking animatedly with Inez.
Turning things ... turning disadvantages into advantages. The McIntosh clan was riding to Four Corners, because they thought it would be an easy target. Why, then, should they not use that to their advantage? Turn it around on their approaching enemies? There was still the matter of their sharpshooter ... Buck was a damn good shot, but not as good as Vin. But what if they could make the clan believe that Vin was present in the gunfight?
How would they do that? Again, Ezra's eyes strayed to Adriana. Watching her, there were so many similarities between her and Vin, most of which could be explained by the years she spent with him on the trail. He wasn't entirely sure where he was going with this. Chris said, unwittingly expressing what Ezra was thinking, "If I could find someone in town who was about the same height and build as Vin, who could shoot half decent ... "
"Yes, that's the key ... Someone whom the McIntosh clan would believe is Vin. I fear, Mr. Larabee, that his skill with a rifle is well known. It will not be easy," Ezra acknowledged. Chris just grunted again. Once again, Ezra's attention was drawn to Adriana. To her posture, the way she seemed to put more weight on one leg. Ezra asked slowly, "Mr. Larabee, do tell me why your sister seems to put more weight on one leg than on the other?"
"An old injury. When she was thirteen, she was climbing a tree. I guess she had made it about halfway up, when Buck startled her. She lost her grip and her footing, and fell. Hurt her knee pretty good. It took some time to heal, and sometimes when she does too much, it gets to hurting her," Chris replied. Ezra nodded, and Chris looked at his sister. Then he looked at Ezra, asking, "Ez? Where are you goin' with this?"
As soon as the question was asked, the idea coalesced in Ezra's brain, and he knew exactly what he was thinking. The trouble was, he wasn't sure if it was possible, or if Chris and Buck would shoot him for even thinking about it.
"I'm not certain, Mr. Larabee," Ezra admitted. But the glare from Chris told him the leader of the Seven knew that for the lie it was, and Ezra sighed, "It's a foolish idea. It's foolish, and it's dangerous." Chris just raised his brows, and Ezra quietly explained what he had been thinking during the last few moments. Chris was silent for several moments, and Ezra wondered if he would have any opportunity to make an escape before Chris shot him.
"Talk to her. If she's game, we'll do it," Chris said finally. Ezra gaped at the leader, who explained patiently, "If she's on the rooftops, she's safer than she would be anywhere else. I know my little princess. There's a gunfight, and we seem like we're outgunned, she'll grab her pistol. This way, I know where she is, what she's doing, and I can protect her. Now, go ahead and ask her."
Ezra swallowed hard and approached Adriana. She was still talking with Inez, switching into flawless Spanish with ease. Inez smiled as he approached, and Adriana turned to face him, still speaking in Spanish. She frowned, looking a bit startled to see him, and Ezra gave her his best smile, saying, "Miss Adriana. Mr. Larabee and I were just discussing the current plight of the town ... and I was wondering. Might I interest you in playacting?"
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