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.
She was, for lack of a better word, kicked out of the sickroom after Vin regained consciousness. Not that she really needed a lot of convincing, if she was totally honest with herself. She was tired, hadn't slept well the previous night, and she was no longer one of two people who could take care of Vin. Now, there were three other women, plus Chris. Buck had left the house after giving one of his infamous hugs, one which threatened to break her ribs.
It seemed he wanted to spread the word ... Vin would be all right. Which left Adriana to shuffle off to the sitting room, where she found Nettie entertaining the children. Casey had gone off to give JD what for, and Nettie encouraged her niece to do just that. Chris was currently with Vin, relaxing for the first time all day. Adriana said in a husky voice, "Looks like you have everything under control ... is Mary in the kitchen?"
"She is for the moment. Why don't you go lay down, honey?" Nettie suggested gently. Adriana nodded with a tired smile. That sounded like an excellent idea. Laura flew from the davenport, to throw her arms around Adriana's legs. The young woman scooped the little girl into her arms, and shook her head as Nettie started to protest. Still holding Laura tight, Adriana carried her into the room she used the previous night and settled down on the bed.
Laura snuggled close to her, and Adriana realized she hadn't spent any time with the little girl today. Not since she woke up, to find out Vin was attacked, at least. Adriana sighed, realizing she was already turning into her mother. She couldn't figure out why Laura would still want her as her mother, after all the times she had failed the child. Adriana whispered, "I'm sorry, baby girl. I'm pretty new at this mother thing ... you sure you want me?" Laura's response was to tighten her grip, and Adriana just stroked her hair, trying to breathe without letting Laura know she was making it difficult to do just that.
"Laura's sure. Laura doesn't want nobody else as her mama. Just you," came the muffled voice. There was a long silence, then Laura said, "Why do you say you're not a good mama? My first mama, she made Laura stay ... in the bad place. You wouldn't make Laura stay there. You're a good mama." Adriana didn't ask which bad place she meant. It was the prison camp, where she and Laertes originally found her.
"I'm new at being a mama, sweetheart. Before you came home with us, the only people I had ever taken care of were grown-ups. I didn't take care of little ones. So ... I don't always know what to do," Adriana replied. She remembered Aunt Dulcie telling her once that she would know what to do when the time came. While Adriana had no doubt that was true of Aunt Dulcie, it wasn't true of Adriana. And she had to face facts. She just wasn't mother material.
But Laura had chosen her, and the little girl had been betrayed too many times by adults. Adriana would just have to do the best she could, and ask for help when she needed it. Which would be often. Laura said softly, "But you won't make Laura stay in a bad place? The people at the bad place, where Vin was, they said Laura's first mama probably didn't know how to take care of Laura ... but she should have been left somewhere else."
Now that, Adriana couldn't argue with. She was drifting off to sleep, but the last thing she heard was Laura whisper, "Don't worry, Adriana. You're a good mama. You take care of Laura, you take care of Vin. We'll be alright." She tried to answer Laura, but she found her muscles had preceded her into sleep. When she awoke, a few hours later, it was to find herself alone. A quick search of the house told her that Nettie was playing with both children.
Mary was in the kitchen, quietly humming to herself, and she smiled as Adriana appeared in the doorway. She said, "I came back here to make sure you got some sleep, and you were already resting. Don't worry about a thing, if you want to go back to bed. Vin woke up a bit ago, again, and Nettie's with the children. Chris and Ezra are over at the saloon, trying to make a decision about what to do about the McIntosh clan."
"Then I think I'll head over to the saloon ... is anyone with Vin?" Adriana asked. Mary nodded, checking on whatever she was baking, then motioned Adriana to sit with her at the table. Adriana eased herself into the chair opposite Mary's, then realized she was thinking of the editor by her first name. When the hell had 'Mrs. Travis' given way to 'Mary,' and was she overstepping her bounds? She still wasn't comfortable, interacting with respectable people.
"JD is with Vin ... he came over a few hours ago, after Casey gave him a swift kick in the pants. She stayed at the saloon, to wash her face, and update Inez. In all the excitement, I totally forgot about the poor woman, telling her that Vin would be all right. She told me she would send some food over for us later. Her way of helping out," Mary explained. Inez? The name sounded familiar to Adriana, but she couldn't place it.
Mary added, "Inez is Inez Rescillos, the manager of our local saloon. Vin is a favorite of hers, and she tends to take it personally when something happens to him." Which means, Adriana thought, she really wasn't happy with my brother and Mr. Jackson.
Mary verified this, explaining, "After Vin was turned over to the mercenaries, Inez caught Buck with one of the working girls. She lost her temper, and after the girl went upstairs to get the room ready for them, Inez dumped a pot of scalding coffee in Buck's lap." Adriana winced, able to envision her brother's reaction quite easily. Mary continued, "When we got word from Chris, that Vin was alive, Inez was one of the first people I told."
The blonde editor shook her head, smiling, as she explained, "I had never seen Inez cry before. Not even when Don Paulo was here. But she and I wept together, and she lit her candles. To thank the Lord for Vin's life." Adriana listened, suddenly feeling terribly cold inside. She and Laertes had decided together that only Aurora should know that Vin was alive ... that the rest of the town should believe all of the inmates died in the fire.
Her desire, and Laertes, was to protect Vin. So long as people believed Vin was dead, he would be safe. But she never stopped to consider there might be people who cared about Vin. True, she was relying on her experience ... that respectable people didn't want her kind, or Vin's, in town. But she was wrong. There were people in this town who cared about Vin. Nettie and Casey Welles. Mary and Billy Travis. Gloria Potter and her two children.
A gentle hand covering her own brought Adriana's attention back to her companion, and she found Mary's compassionate green eyes focused on her. The editor asked softly, "What is it, Adriana? What were you thinking just now? You looked so sad ... and so very guilty. Why?" The brunette looked down at their hands, swallowed hard, and looked up again, still finding only compassion in the direct gaze.
"I was just thinking," she replied hoarsely. Mary's eyes never left her face, and Adriana continued, "I was thinking about ... well, about how selfish I've been. When Laertes and I rescued Vin, we made a decision together. We would let the town, except for Aurora, and Reverend Hurst, believe everyone had died in the fire. We were trying to protect Vin, from whoever put him in the prison camp. The bounty hunters, I mean. But ... I never thought anyone else cared about him."
"You saved Vin's life, Adriana. Not just when you rescued him, but when you made people believe that he had died with the other inmates. You bought enough time for Chris and the others to arrive, to help you and Laertes protect Vin," Mary answered fiercely. Adriana looked at the other woman in surprise, as Mary continued with the same ferocity, "If you hadn't done that, the bounty hunters ... the mercenaries ... would have come back, they would have killed you, Vin, Laura, and Laertes."
She took a deep breath, then continued, "You were not being selfish. You were looking out for him. You didn't turn him over to those ... those ... those ... bastards in the first place." Adriana felt her jaw drop at hearing Mary Travis, a respectable lady, use that word. It was one thing for her to say it. She wasn't a lady ... but Mary was. The lady in question continued, "So don't you tell me that you were selfish for not realizing Vin had people who cared about him. You had no way of knowing that ... for that matter, Vin had no way of knowing that. And why are you staring at me like that?"
"You ... you said ... you called Browner's men 'bastards.' And you didn't mean it the way Buck and I are bastards," Adriana replied, only now making her voice box work. Mary blinked in astonishment, then began blushing fiercely, from the very roots of her blonde hair. Adriana started to giggle, though she couldn't have said why, and repeated, "You called them 'bastards.' You're a lady, Mary!"
"When I was growing up, I was quite a hoyden. My father despaired of ever finding a suitable husband for me," Mary replied, still blushing, and continued, "I suppose the more time I spend out here in the West, the more my own, true personality emerges. When I was twelve or thirteen, I wouldn't have thought twice about calling those men 'bastards,' even if I did get my mouth washed out with soap."
"That makes two of us, though I only got my mouth washed out with soap if someone heard me. And I was very careful to make sure no one heard me ... except Chris and Bucklin. Aunt Dulcie and the other working girls were very proud, you see. Very determined that their children would be just as good as everyone else, and that included our language. Mary, forgive me for asking ... but you said your father? What about your mother?" Adriana asked hesitantly.
Mary dipped her head and replied softly, "My mother died when I was small. I was the youngest of five children. The doctor told her that she shouldn't have any more children after the youngest boy. My father had his sons, his heirs, so he agreed. But my mother wanted a daughter ... my father had his sons, and my mother wanted her daughter. My birth severely weakened her. She never fully recovered from it ... she died when I was four."
Mary sighed deeply, looking at the table, and whispered, "I don't remember her very well. I do know that I looked like her, with blonde hair and green eyes. One of my older brothers gave me a picture of her, when I turned eighteen and married Stephen. I was given her name ... in a way. My mother's name was 'Marie.' She was half-French ... she grew up in New Orleans. The story goes my father fell in love with her the first time he saw her. I never had a hard time believing that. Losing her almost killed him. He always blamed me for her death."
Now that, Adriana couldn't let go. She held Mary's hand tightly and said softly, "Seems to me that if your father wanted to blame anyone, he could have started by looking in the mirror. You don't blame a four year old child for something she had no control over. Your mother decided that you were worth the risk to her life. And quite frankly, that's a terrible thing to say, or do, to the child who was your mother's last gift to your father."
Adriana paused, remembering something which had taken place when she was still a child, before she met Chris. She told Mary, "When I was about nine, the year after my mother's murder ... one of the other working girls gave birth to a little girl. It was only a few months later that Tempy died. And believe me, Mary ... from that moment on, there was never a child who was more cherished than that little girl.
"You see, when you grow up as Buck and I did ... all the children are brothers and sisters. You become a family, because there's no one else," Adriana explained. She paused, remembering the night she followed her father from the cathouse where she grew up, and said softly, "More than once, in the last ten years, I've thought about Tempy's daughter. She'd be about fifteen or sixteen now. But if they were told I was dead ... "
"You should contact them, Adriana. They'd be so happy to hear from you," Mary replied. She paused, wiped away her tears with her free hand, and said, "You mentioned something about finding Ezra and Chris. This would be a wonderful time to introduce yourself to Inez." Adriana gave her a questioning look and Mary added, "I'll be fine. I'm sorry to go all teary-eyed on you. It's been a long time since I talked about my mother."
"Never apologize for that," Adriana said seriously, rising to her feet, "And I'm on my way." She gave Mary's hand another squeeze, then quietly left the kitchen. A quick glance outside reassured her that Billy and Laura weren't getting the better of Nettie, then she glanced inside Vin's room, to find JD at his side. Adriana slipped from the house, not wanting to intrude on JD's time with Vin. She had a feeling the young sheriff had a lot he wanted to say.
She made her way down to the saloon, relaxing once she was inside. Restaurants made her uncomfortable, but she was used to saloons. While she was pretending to be a boy, she spent more time in saloons than anywhere else. She nodded to Chris and Ezra, spotting them immediately, then went to the bar. The lovely young woman behind the bar was obviously Inez, and Adriana smiled, asking in Spanish for a brandy.
The other woman's dark eyes lit up and she responded excitedly as she poured Adriana's brandy. Whiskey always made her sick. For the next several moments, the pair spoke in Spanish. At least, until Ezra approached from behind and asked once she faced him, "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?"
Adriana glanced first at Chris, then at Ezra, asking, "What ... sort ... of playacting did you have in mind, Mr. Standish?" She looked over her shoulder at Inez, who gave a tiny shrug, then looked back at her surrogate brother and new friend. She winced, realizing when she turned, she put too much weight on her bad knee, which was still protesting all the exertion of the past few weeks. Damn thing seemed to have a mind of its own sometimes.
"Well, m'dear, I was just noticin' how many mannerisms of yours which I've observed in our dear Mr. Tanner. I'm sure you're aware, a rather unpleasant clan of miscreants is on their way to our humble little town, with nothing good in mind ... and we're down a man. Now, I think you'll agree that perception is often more important than reality, so I was wondering if you would aid us in some subterfuge," Ezra replied.
Adriana wasn't a stupid woman by any means, but even so, she needed a few minutes to work through that minefield of words. When she did, she sighed, "Ezra. What exactly do you want me to do? I've figured out that you want me to do some acting ... but what sort of role?"
"WewantyoutobeMrTanner," Ezra answered in a rush. In fact, he said it so fast, Adriana needed another few minutes to sort out exactly what he said. When she did sort it out, she stared at him in disbelief. They wanted her to pretend she was Vin? Hello? Had they missed the fact that she was a woman? Then again, she had always been told that her body was more like a boy's than a woman's, so maybe this shouldn't have surprised her so much.
However, her pride demanded some answers. She swallowed the last of her brandy, staring steadily at Ezra all along, then asked, "Are you insane? Ezra, I realize I'm not beautiful like Mary Travis, but in case you hadn't noticed, I'm a woman! I'm also nearly a foot shorter than Vin, and oh yes, let's not forget, I am not a sharpshooter! I have to aim at something else, in order to hit what I want to hit, for heaven's sake!"
"We ain't asking you to be a sharpshooter, little princess," Chris interposed, "and trust me, there ain't a man who hasn't noticed that you're a woman. But, if we can fake these outlaws out, fool 'em into thinkin' you're Vin, then we have an advantage over 'em. You'd be on high ground. They wouldn't even know you're a woman until the shooting's all over. And Vin told me once, while we were at Aurora's, that your shooting gets better the higher up you get."
That was true enough, and Lord help her, the arguments were starting to make sense to her. That was scary enough by itself. What was even scarier was she was actually starting to consider it. Chris continued, "Besides, I know you, Adriana. We're outnumbered almost four to one, and you have never been one to stand aside and let someone else defend you, not when you can help. This way, you can help, and I can protect you at the same time."
Adriana scowled at Chris, but couldn't argue with his logic. Damn him. She hated it when he outmaneuvered her. She asked, "You gonna explain all this to Bucklin, too?" Chris nodded, just smiling very faintly, and his eyes never left her face. Damn. They really had thought of everything. Or ... just about everything. She asked, smirking, "And, just where are you gonna find buckskins to fit me, dear brother?"
If she thought she had stymied Chris, she was dead wrong. He replied, "I thought I might have a little talk with Chanu, since he's camping just outside town." Damn! Just when she thought she might have outthought him, he came up with an answer! As if reading her mind, Chris said with a laugh, "Don't be too down on yourself, little princess ... you've gotten a lot more sneaky in the last ten years."
"Then," Adriana replied with a resigned sigh, "It looks like you got yourselves a substitute sharpshooter. I just hope I don't give Vin a bad name." Chris just put his arm around her shoulders and gave her a gentle squeeze. She leaned into the embrace, her eyes meeting the Mexican manager's. Inez just gave her an encouraging smile, but Adriana couldn't help but feel this was a really, really bad idea.
"You want her to do what????"
Buck Wilmington's voice rose to a roar, and it surprised just about everyone assembled that the jail windows didn't rattle. Chris Larabee simply stared at the big man calmly. Josiah had ever-so-considerately gagged David McIntosh moments earlier, when everyone congregated in the jail ... everyone except JD. The young sheriff was still over at the Travis house, choosing to stay with Vin while the others learned the plan for the following morning.
Ezra had figured that the McIntosh clan would arrive in town around nine am, at the earliest. Josiah would keep watch in the belltower of the church, and signal Chris when the outlaw family approached. Chris, in turn, would signal the rest of the group to find their places. That part was established after Adriana agreed to their proposal, though it was quite clear from her facial expression that she wasn't totally convinced.
Chris hadn't realized he was holding his breath, after he and Ezra made their suggestion to Adriana, until he released it. At that point, he told Ezra to meet him and Adriana at the jail in an hour. He needed to meet with Chanu about a buckskin jacket. They could figure out something to do about pants. On his way to the stable, trying to forget that his best friend was stabbed in that building only that morning, Chris encountered Josiah, and just asked the preacher to meet him in the jail in an hour.
The only people in the jailhouse who knew of the plan, up until Chris announced it, were Chris himself, Ezra, and Adriana ... the ones who had chosen it. And Buck, true to form, was not quiet in his objections. Once he blurted out his initial reaction, there was a moment of silence, then Buck continued, "Chris, you're askin' DeeDee to go into a hostile situation! Hell, this ain't like Aurora's cabin!"
"Actually, Buck, it is like Aurora's cabin ... because I have people here to protect. I'll ask Mary if she'll look after Laura when the McIntosh clan hits town. I'll be up high, where they are less likely to see me ... much less see that I'm not Vin Tanner. I'll be safer on the rooftops than I would be on the street. Chris is right. In any gunfight, if there's something I can do to help, I will. This happens to be a little different," Adriana replied evenly.
It was obvious that she didn't like the idea. But when all was said and done, Adriana was as sensible as Vin himself. She saw the merits of Ezra's idea, and she saw that she was a better choice than anyone else in town. Thanks to her years of riding with him, she had picked up a number of Vin's habits. The sticking points remained her gender and her ability with a rifle, but the McIntosh clan didn't have to know she was a woman until the end.
And she did seem to do better with the rifle when she was higher up. Vin's theory was, there was less clutter in her line of sight. Chris knew Adriana was concerned about accidentally hitting one of the Seven, but they knew about her difficulties with a rifle, they could work around it. As Ezra said, it was the perception which was the key in this situation, the illusion that all Seven were present and accounted for. If the McIntosh clan saw the town was protected by the Seven, they might think twice about carrying out their plan.
Chris also knew that even with Adriana's explanation, Buck still wasn't happy about the situation. Hell, neither was Chris, but unless Buck had a better idea, this was their battle plan. He said as much, pointing out, "Buck, if you have a better idea, I'm dyin' to hear it. We're a man down, something which they don't know yet. I fully intend on keepin' it that way. You got another idea, someone else who can fill in for Vin, point 'im out."
Chris could see the man going through the residents of the town in his mind ... could see Buck slowly, reluctantly, accepting this. Chris accepted that, and continued, "Now, to be honest with ya, I'm not really happy with this plan either, big fella. That's why I'm putting you closest to where Adriana's gonna be. If things get ugly, take out anyone who tries for her ... and if she goes down, you'll be there to catch her."
Buck gave a grudging nod, and Josiah asked, "Does Judge Travis know about the plan?" Chris nodded. After riding out of town to talk to Chanu, Chris chose to talk to the judge about the plan for the following day before he did anything else. He found Orrin in a singularly unpleasant mood, though after having to deal with Arthur Conklin, that was understandable. As Mahlon feared, his uncle tried to blame Vin for what happened in the stables.
The judge didn't want to talk about the conversation with Conklin. Simply snarled that the man knew of his nephew's mistake, and of the punishment. Mahlon apologized to Casey, for not doing something sooner ... it would be a long time before the boy forgave himself. Just as, Chris thought bleakly, it took JD a long time to forgive himself. He thought about asking JD to talk to Mahlon. Some time.
Seeing the judge's mood, Chris was hesitant to explain the plan ... but Orrin insisted. To Larabee's surprise, the other man thought it was a fine idea. He, like Adriana herself, was leery about her ability with a rifle, but if they could head trouble off at the pass ... it might not even be necessary for her to fire a shot. There was something else which had not occurred to Chris. The judge was also concerned about Adriana's standing in the town. Orrin knew that Mary, Gloria Potter, and Nettie Welles would speak up for the newcomer.
But he also knew that Mary's own standing was affected by her friendships with each of the Seven. Not the way it would be back east, but Orrin could see the truth in the eyes of many townspeople. Because of her willingness to do what had to be done, Adriana would likely be ostracized by those who considered themselves 'polite society.' That was something Chris hadn't even considered ... maybe because he was so used to Adriana being outside society, as the daughter of a working girl.
However, here in this town, people didn't necessarily know that. Nor did they need to know that, and Chris wondered if he was taking a chance away from his little sister, a chance to be respectable, by asking her to do this for him ... for them. But in the very next breath, Orrin added, "Then again, Miss Wilmington almost seems to take pleasure in being outside society. Just ... look out for her, Chris? She doesn't need protection ... not now. But it wouldn't hurt to let it be known she's one of yours." How the old man figured things out between them so quickly, Chris didn't know, but he didn't argue with the judge.
With the judge's understanding of the plan settled, Nathan asked, "Where do ya want the rest 'a us?" Chris leaned over the table, his green eyes assessing the layout. The idea was very simple, as he began explaining what they would do. Except for Adriana, who would be atop Virgil Watson's store, each of the others would be visible once McIntosh and his boys got into town. Buck would be alongside the store, with Josiah directly opposite him.
Nathan would be at the stairs of the clinic, with Ezra across the street. While JD would flank Chris, who would be in the center of the town. In effect, they would be surrounding the McIntosh clan. If everything worked, it would only be necessary for Adriana to fire a single shot. Then again, with this group, things almost never worked exactly according to plan, so Chris explained the second half of the plan.
If it became necessary to fight, then each of them were responsible for taking out at least three men. But the McIntosh patriarch, it was understood, belonged to Chris. If they could settle this peacefully, they would. Chris had his doubts, and there was a part of him which hoped the McIntosh clan wouldn't back down. He said none of this to his men, or Adriana, however. Instead, he concluded, "Any questions?"
Everyone shook their respective heads, and Chris said, "Good. Little princess, you're with me for the next hour. Chanu told me he was riding to his village, to see about a buckskin jacket you could wear. Do you have any clothes which are similar in color to what Vin wears?" Adriana nodded, and Chris continued, "Good. Then before we meet Chanu, I want to take you over to meet Mr. Watson ... just so you don't frighten him half to death tomorrow!"
After the meeting broke up, Nathan headed back toward the Travis house, wanting to check on Vin, only to be turned away by Nettie Welles, who told him quite firmly they had everything under control. With that possibility removed, Nathan retreated to his clinic, trying to figure out what the hell he would do next. It was a difficult night, and he got little sleep. But lately, that was to be expected.
Early the following morning, around the same time Vin had been stabbed the previous day, Nathan headed back over to the Travis house, to see about Vin. And this time, he wouldn't let anyone stop him from checking on his friend. How could he start to make things right with Vin, if he never got a chance to take care of him? That would change, starting now. It was early, most people weren't even awake yet. But even that plan was met with resistance. Nathan didn't even get to the top step leading to the porch, before being confronted with a pair of tiny but determined guardians ... Billy and Laura.
Laura was giving him a glare worthy of Chris Larabee himself, but it was Billy who growled, "We ain't lettin' ya hurt Vin again!" The door was open behind the youngsters, and Mary stepped onto the porch, looking concerned. But she held her peace. Nathan realized he had not yet made his peace with the children of this town. Further, he would have to make his peace with the children, before the adults would even consider bringing the young'uns to him again.
"No one's gonna hurt Vin, Billy, ya got ... " Nathan began. He was on the point of saying his word, until he realized that it would have absolutely no meaning to this boy ... or this girl. Nathan's word was now meaningless. All right. Then he backed up and tried something else. He asked, "If I let y'all come with me ... watch me while I make sure Vin's all right ... would that be okay? I know I hurt him ... and I know I hurt ya. I'm tryin' to make things right with him."
"Laura thinks you're bad. Laura heard what the bad doctor said. He repeated what you said about Vin. You shouldn't have called Vin bad names!" the little girl hissed, her eyes flashing. What the bad doctor said? Nathan said? What bad names? And then it hit Nathan. She meant Powell. Powell with his lies about the medicine, about Nathan, about too many things to count. Damn that bastard! And then Nathan damned himself as well for being so stupid.
He settled himself on the top step with a sigh, saying, "Miss Laura, ya ain't got no reason in the world to trust me. Neither 'a ya do. But I swear on my mama's grave ... if it takes me the rest of my life, to make things up to Vin, I will. To Vin, to the two a' ya, to the town. I know I hurt him ... but there's one thin' that ain't true. I ain't never said them thin's about Vin. Dr. Powell made that all up. Vin Tanner is one of the finest men I ever knew."
"But you let those men take him ... and he was sick. I think you'll let anyone who's sick be taken," Billy replied. Nathan started to reply, then realized he didn't know what to say. How exactly did he explain to this child that what he did to Vin would never happen again? That Nathan would never let it happen again, for any reason? He could, of course ... but that didn't mean Billy would believe him.
And anything else he might have said was chased away as Josiah cried out, "Riders!" Riders? Oh God ... it was the McIntosh clan. This was confirmed a moment later, when Josiah continued, "I'm counting at least twenty men!" Definitely the McIntosh family. A moment later, Nathan saw Chris emerge from the restaurant, with Ezra and Judge Travis accompanying him. The two children scurried inside, and Nathan heard Mary calling to Adriana. For once, he was the last of the Seven awake?
Adriana and JD exploded from the house at almost the same time, with Adriana racing slightly ahead and across the street to Watson's Hardware. At the same time, Buck emerged from the store and positioned himself directly underneath his sister. Nathan glanced behind him as the judge closed the door behind himself and his daughter in law, then set out for the clinic, to assume his own position.
Jacob McIntosh was a worried man. According to the last information he received, his son was spotted in this area ... three days earlier. David had missed the time when he was supposed to contact his father. And while the Seven supposedly no longer protected Four Corners, Jacob couldn't help remember the last time he and his boys tangled with Chris Larabee. He already lost two sons ... he didn't want to lose any more.
Jacob mulled over his information as they drew closer to Four Corners. According to what he was told, about two months earlier-give or take-the darkie healer who rode with the Seven and the rogue turned over Tanner to a crew of bounty hunters. Tanner later died in a fire at a prison camp, already weak from the fever which had prompted Jackson to betray the man who saved his sorry ass. Leave it to a darkie to turn on someone who treated him with kindness.
The loss shattered what remained of the Seven. The last he heard, Larabee was drinking himself into oblivion. Tanner hadn't just been his second in command ... he was also Larabee's best friend. Jacob McIntosh was an outlaw, but he sympathized with Larabee. He lost his best friend when his wife was murdered by a rival. And unlike his eldest son, Jacob never blamed Larabee for Marcus leaving them after Clayton ambushed the judge and the tracker.
Clayton had been a fool and a bully. Jacob often kept him on a short leash, but that was one time when his son was free of his grasp. The tracker, and the judge, almost died because of that. While David never knew the truth, Jacob had one final conversation with Marcus before the boy left for the East. A conversation in which his youngest detailed every cruelty visited upon the federal judge and the young man who nearly died protecting him. When Marcus was finished, he was weeping ... and Jacob knew this was no place for his son.
Jacob McIntosh knew of Vin Tanner. While they were almost always on opposite sides of the law, Jacob had respected the young bounty hunter. He was damn good at what he did, and wasn't afraid to play dirty, if that became necessary. He was a man whom McIntosh would have wanted within his own clan, and even as he began plotting how to rob the bank in Four Corners, now bereft of its protectors, he had mourned Tanner.
They were just entering the town when McIntosh felt a chill run down his spine. David? Even from this distance, the outlaw patriarch could recognize his son's posture and stance. What was David doing in Four Corners, in the town itself? Jacob had an overwhelming sense that this was a really, really bad idea. David's presence in town was the first unpleasant surprise. The second came only seconds later, as he and the other men advanced into town. David wasn't alone. Standing beside him, with a pistol aimed at David's head, was Chris Larabee.
He looked neither drunk nor ravaged with grief. He did, however, look supremely pissed off. Jacob glanced around the town, troubled by the silence. Nothing. No one in sight. Almost as if they had known they were coming ... and had planned accordingly. Jacob looked back at Larabee, and the man said, "That's far enough! Boys!" There was the distinct sound of guns cocking, as the McIntosh clan was surrounded. A figure atop one of the stores stood, raising a rifle high in an obvious warning. Larabee continued, his voice clear and firm, "Tell your boys to throw down their weapons. No one has to get hurt."
McIntosh regarded the black-clad leader of the Seven thoughtfully. He knew of Larabee as well. Knew the man lost his wife and child in a fire more than three years earlier. And he knew, just as sure as he knew his own name, that if his men didn't do as they were told, his son would die very shortly. He nodded to his men, saying, "Do as he says, boys. I heard you didn't protect this dustbowl no more. Heard about Tanner. I know you won't believe me, but I am sorry. He was a good kid."
"Oh, we're still here ... and Vin is very much alive, but thanks for your condolences. Vin!" Larabee called. The figure atop the store responded with a single shot, which took off the hat of one of his men. Larabee smiled, a feral expression which made most men shudder, and said, "Now, you know Vin Tanner's reputation as a sharpshooter. That was just a warning, because some of your men are still armed."
Looking around, Jacob could tell this was the case. He angrily motioned them to drop their weapons ... didn't they realize they were playing with his son's life here? Hadn't he lost enough? He didn't turn back to Larabee until his men were disarmed. McIntosh glanced overhead, finding Tanner still aiming that damn sawed-off at him, before returning his attention to Larabee. He asked softly, "What do you want from me? We'll ride outta your town, and not come back ... but I want my son."
"Pa, it's a trap ... ugh!" David cried out. He didn't get much further because Larabee rammed his knee up into David's gut, still holding a gun on him. Well, Jacob could see it was a trap. They were effectively surrounded, Tanner was very much alive, and could still shoot like the devil himself. He ignored his son, and turned his attention to Larabee, who was holding all the cards. And Jacob's son.
"I want answers. I want to know more about the man who hired your son to destroy my men and me," Larabee answered. Now Jacob frowned. What the hell was Larabee talkin' about? Larabee murmured, almost to himself, "Then you really didn't know anythin' about it. Somebody hired your son to destroy my team ... the same someone responsible for Vin almost dyin.' He can't tell us much about him ... we were hopin' you might know."
"I had no idea. Larabee, I ain't never held Marcus leavin' against ya. You was protecting yours, just as I protect mine. And after what Marcus told me about what Clayton done to Tanner and tried to do to Travis ... there are just some things ya don't do. He crossed that line," McIntosh replied. Larabee's green eyes never left the outlaw leader ... then slowly, the other man nodded. He jerked his chin, and McIntosh understood the unspoken command.
He dismounted, slowly moving forward. One of the other Seven, the boy, yelled, "You just move real easy, Mister. Vin's got ya covered." A quick glance told McIntosh that Tanner was indeed tracking his movement with his rifle. A second glance told him that one of the traitors, the rogue Wilmington, was aiming his own rifle at McIntosh ... along with ferocious glower. Ferocious and protective. Tryin' to make up for screwin' over Tanner? Hell, if Tanner forgave him, then McIntosh knew he was the better man ... cause if anyone had done that to him, he woulda skinned 'em alive!
"That's far enough. Now, Mr. McIntosh, I'll let you take your boy home ... with the understanding that if he ever comes near this town again, we'll deal with him the way we deal with any kidnapper," Chris Larabee snarled, releasing David and shoving him toward McIntosh. Jacob grabbed his son's shoulders, steadying him. But he was confused. What was Larabee talking about, a kidnapping?
"You see, Mr. McIntosh ... your son made a fatal error. An error which might have cost two people their lives. He made the very foolish mistake of attempting to kidnap a young lady of the town. Mr. Tanner stopped the kidnapping in time, and managed to dissuade your son of that plan," the gambler said from his position, also aiming a rifle at them. McIntosh just stared at Standish, incredulous.
One of his boys would never touch a woman like that, for any reason! They knew better! Even before his wife was murdered, God rest her soul, Jacob always taught his sons that you didn't go after a woman to bring her menfolk in line. It wasn't only cowardly, it was pure stupidity. But as David hung his head, McIntosh realized that the gambler was telling the truth. He asked, "David? What did you do?"
"Wasn't plannin' on hurtin' her, Pa!" David whined. Jacob felt his heart start to sink. It was true. His son had intended to abduct a young girl, presumably to aid him in destroying the Seven. He felt a hollowness within his soul, a hollowness he hadn't felt since his wife died. He just stared at his eldest son, willing him to tell him why he would do such a thing ... after everything, why would David do something so stupid?
But there were no answers. Just ... 'I wasn't planning on hurting her.' As if that was an explanation? A reason, a rationale? The boy had no idea what he had done! He looked at Larabee, unable to stand the sight of his son, and asked hoarsely, "Tell me? Tell me what he done to this girl. Did Tanner stop him before ... ?" He didn't finish the sentence. He couldn't. Too many memories were bound up in his vow to never harm a woman. Memories which now crowded to the surface, and McIntosh didn't think he could ever forgive his son for that.
"He never had a chance. Vin stopped him. Her name is Casey Welles ... she's seventeen years old, and she's still healing from having to take a life. She's JD's girl," Larabee answered. McIntosh closed his eyes, almost feeling the world fall away. Seventeen. The sheriff's girl. Oh God, how could this get any worse? Larabee continued, his voice almost gentle, "She'll be all right. She overheard him plotting the day before, that's part of the reason we were able to stop him ... we were on the lookout for trouble."
McIntosh ignored the last part of Larabee's statement and asked softly, "Has anyone ever told you, Mr. Larabee, why that's a rule of mine? You leave the womenfolk alone." Larabee shook his head, and McIntosh continued, "Because when I was seventeen, the same age that young girl is now, my nine year old sister was used as a pawn by rivals of my father, to coerce him into doing what they wanted. He was a businessman. They said they had no intention of hurting her ... but when she was returned to us, she was no longer my sweet, laughing little sister. She was a stranger with empty eyes and no smile. No laughter. Nothing."
He swallowed hard, trying to remain focused. And after a moment, he continued, "It took us three years to get her back, Mr. Larabee. Three years to bring my little sister back from that terrible place in her mind. She was nine years old when she was kidnapped, and whatever they did to her almost destroyed her mind. I swore then and there ... no matter what I did, I would never attack a female to get to her menfolk. It was cowardly and it was wrong."
Now McIntosh looked at his son, feeling his face twist into a terrible parody of a smile. He snarled, "And you shattered everything your mother and I ever taught you. Everything! I'm tempted to just leave you here, and let Larabee deal with you! Marcus saw all of this ... he saw what we were becoming. Knew he couldn't change it, so he left. Your little brother, whom you always scorned, is more of a man than you could ever hope to be."
Again, McIntosh looked around the town. This time, he saw people coming onto the porches, watching the drama unfold. He looked back at his son, whispering, "Maybe I should leave you here. Make you pay the piper, and face the consequences of what you did." For the rest of his days, McIntosh would never know totally what happened next. There was a stirring behind him, then a shot. McIntosh turned to see one of his men, a recent recruit, fall from the saddle. He was quite dead.
Larabee called, "Good shot, Vin ... think it's safe for you to come down now." McIntosh looked from his dead man ... who had a gun in his hand ... to Larabee. There was a scraping sound, as Tanner made his way down the side of the store. Jacob turned around, to find Wilmington walking side by side with Tanner. But ... there was something terribly wrong with this picture. Something which had nothing to do with the dead man lying on the ground.
No ... no, this had more to do with the fact that Tanner seemed terribly ... small ... next to Wilmington. And since when did a man sashay like that? McIntosh looked at Larabee, then back again. Holy shit. Was it possible that Vin Tanner was actually a woman? But when he looked back at Tanner once more, the sashay was gone, replaced by a regular ambling stride. McIntosh blinked. Larabee said softly, "I think it's time you met ... "
Then the cavalry hat was removed from the approaching sharpshooter's head ... revealing a petite young woman. She was dressed as Tanner often did, but while he was slender and wiry, she was just ... petite. Buck Wilmington said, draping his arm around the girl's thin shoulders, "Mr. McIntosh, I'd like you to meet Miss Adriana Wilmington ... my baby sister, and our substitute sharpshooter." The girl offered her hand to McIntosh as she approached, and the man took it.
"Which reminds me, little princess," Larabee asked in unfeigned amazement, slipping his arm around her waist as she released Jacob's hand, "just how in the hell did you make those shots?" The young woman smiled, blushing, and looked down at her feet. Larabee just chuckled, kissed the top of her head, and said, "I think we'll have to keep an eye on you in the future. I think you've been holding back on us."
"No, I just used my normal trick. Except, instead of aiming at something else, I ... oh, never mind! I hit the target, no one else got hurt, stop bothering me about it!" the girl scowled.
Jacob McIntosh just stared at the little team. He wasn't sure if he should be angry or amused. He had come to this town, thinking the danger to himself and his men were minimal. Thinking that the Larabee gang no longer protected this town. He was wrong. Instead, he learned his son was the same kind of coward which had cost him both his sister and his wife. And, that this town remained defended by the Magnificent Seven.
Which reminded him ... McIntosh looked at Larabee, asking curiously, "Mr. Larabee, if Mr. Tanner is alive, where is he?" The girl, Adriana, looked away from him, toward the building beside the Clarion News. He found a young woman there ... the judge's daughter-in-law, more than likely ... and she was flanked by two small children. Right behind her were two other women, a young girl and an old woman ... flanking a young man. Vin Tanner.
"Vin was stabbed ... he shouldn't even be out of bed, but there's no stopping him when he's determined," the girl sighed, "There was an accident after he scared your son off. He's getting wobbly ... look." As they headed back inside, McIntosh saw there were three people aiding the sharpshooter ... Judge Travis himself was supporting Tanner from behind. McIntosh just shook his head in amazement, at the sight of the judge aiding the bounty hunter. He wondered if he was in the wrong business. Should he be a lawman?
It was the final irony. A sharpshooter who turned out to be a girl in disguise, who obviously needed help shooting straight. An undefended town that turned out to be protected after all. And now, he was thinking about going straight himself ... about becoming a lawman. Jacob McIntosh threw his head back and laughed as Judge Travis returned from the house and joined them. Become a lawman? And why not?
But he would think on that later ... for now, he had work to do. He pushed his son to his second in command, the man who had been with him for forty years. His best friend, his brother-in-law. The only man he should have trusted, after losing his wife. He tipped his hat to Judge Travis and Chris Larabee, receiving the same courtesy in return. There was some grumbling among the men, but not a lot ... Chris Larabee had a reputation, after all.
As he brought up the rear of his clan, on the way out of town, he turned in his saddle. The healthy members of the Seven, plus Judge Travis and Adriana Wilmington, had gathered on the steps of the house beside the Clarion. Maybe he wouldn't become a lawman after all. Maybe he would turn things over to his brother in law, and find Marcus. He was an old man, after all. It was time for him to rest.
But there was time for him to decide that. He was an old man ... but not yet too tired. He knew Larabee could have cut them all down as soon as they entered the town. He didn't. That meant Jacob McIntosh owed a debt he could never repay. If there ever came a time when Chris Larabee and his Seven needed help, Jacob McIntosh would be there. His word was his bond, and Jacob McIntosh gave his word that he would be there. No matter what the cost.
"I come to a decision, Judge."
Orrin Travis looked up as he settled the tray in front of the young man still recovering in the home of his daughter-in-law. Orrin had no doubt that his wife would laugh herself silly, to see him carrying a serving tray back and forth, but Vin was injured while protecting the town. While David McIntosh-who died mysteriously on the way back to his father's camp-didn't stab the tracker, his actions had resulted in injury to the second in command of the Seven.
A young man who was still healing from his ordeal at the prison camp, no less. Besides. Orrin had realized, in the weeks before the return, that the entire town was affected by almost losing a member of the Seven. He was affected as well. Somewhere along the line, he had allowed himself to care about these men. Had allowed himself to look at them as his own children, as much as Stephen was. Just as Mary was his daughter, though not by blood.
And now, this young man, this son whom Fate had given him, had decided what he would do. Orrin rapped on the bedpost, a signal for the other six men to come into the room. They had been waiting outside for the last few minutes. Chris, naturally, was the first one in the room, followed by JD, Ezra, and Josiah, then finally Buck and Nathan. The ostracization of the pair continued to a degree.
In the last three days, since the anticlimactic confrontation with the McIntosh clan, things had started returning to normal in town. The Seven were back, at least for the moment. The town had been unusually quiet, while the boys were away, and the main targets for the pent-up aggression were the last pair in the room. There had been nine fights involving Buck and Nathan in the last three days. Someone finally trashed Nathan's clinic, which the judge had been expecting for weeks now.
But that seemed to be on no one's mind at the moment. Vin said slowly, as the other six formed a semicircle around the bed, with Chris at his side, "I been thinkin' a lot these last few days. Ever since I woke up and find out Drina was actin' as a sharpshooter for this here outfit." He glared at Ezra, who flushed and looked at his feet. Orrin suppressed a smile. The young tracker was highly perturbed, finding out that his old friend had risked her life that way.
Adriana silenced him-and her brother-rather effectively when she reminded both men that her life had been at risk countless time over the last ten years ... and too many of those times, she was fighting for her own life. This time, she was fighting for someone else's life, and you know something, she would do it again. No one strong-armed her into doing this, no one coerced her. This was her choice, and she would thank him to remember that.
Orrin was certain there would be an argument between the pair, but Vin fell silent after that. At least, until now, and he continued, "I ain't gonna say what Nathan and Buck done, when they turned me over to them mercenaries, didn't hurt. It did. And I ain't sure if I can ever trust either of 'em again. Y'all know that ... that ain't changed none. I may be able to forgive 'em, but I ain't so sure I can trust 'em."
He shifted on the bed, his face tightening as the stitches in his abdomen pulled. The day before, Nathan had finally decided the wound was clean and stitched it up. Chris put his hand on Vin's shoulder, offering his silent support as the tracker rode out the wave of pain. Orrin simply grimaced in sympathy. After a moment, Vin opened his eyes, his face still ashen with pain, and continued, "I just couldn't figger out ... the rest a' it.
"If I leave, then Chris and JD have already said they'll go with me. To Tascosa. Adriana and Laura, too. That leaves just Ezra and Josiah the only two in town, who are still trusted. And that ain't good. There's somethin' else. I keep feelin' like I'm lettin' Browner and his boss win. That I'm punishin' four, for the sins a' two, and that ain't right," the tracker explained. The boy still hadn't said that he would stay, Orrin noticed.
"And then I think ... why should that matter? If Chris and JD come with me, to Tascosa, then how am I punishin' em? How am I punishin' Ez and J'siah, when they're free to come with me? And how in the hell do I find a way to trust them two?" Vin asked hoarsely, indicating Buck and Nathan. Both men looked away, guilt written clearly on both faces. The trouble was just beginning for those two. The fights would continue, regardless. Because the fights weren't about what they had done to Vin ... but because they separated themselves from the rest of the Seven, and therefore made themselves vulnerable. They were starting to realize that now.
"But somethin' Buck tol' JD, back in Pordios ... it kept goin' around in my head. Especially after JD come here a few days ago. 'Cause it was also somethin' JD said, about ya cain't make thin's right if ya ain't there. If ya run 'way, it ain't never gonna git no better. It's just gonna git worse. And I reckon the same holds true for me, just like it done for Mary. It ain't fair for me to walk away ... cause that makes me just as bad as them two. I just cain't tell y'all that it's gonna be easy," Vin said.
"We ain't expectin' easy, son," Josiah said softly. He moved closer to the bed, putting his hand on Vin's knee gently, and continued, "Ever since we met up that day, there ain't nothin' that's been easy. 'Bout this town, 'bout each other. And ain't nothin' in this life, that's worth havin,' that is easy. You're worth it, Vin. You always have been. If you're askin' us to be patient with ya, reckon you're asking the wrong question, of the wrong people. You should be asking you to be patient with yourself."
"Josiah's right, pard. Ain't a one of us who would blame ya for walkin' away. 'Cept maybe you," Chris put in. Orrin flashed the leader a small smile, understanding at once. Chris knew, just as well as Orrin had come to know, that Vin held himself to a higher standard. He always had. Something Orrin learned about the young man while they were captives of Clayton McIntosh the previous year.
"Then ... I reckon I'll stay. Because no matter what two done ... we're still the Seven. And y'all are worth it," Vin said softly. It took a moment for his words to penetrate the minds of the men gathered in the room. And when it did ... a light which had been missing for too long in Chris Larabee's eyes appeared. A broad grin crossed Josiah Sanchez's face. And an overjoyed whoop exploded from JD. Josiah grabbed the young sheriff into a bear hug, and the sound which their pounding feet made on the floor reminded Orrin of a herd of stampeding buffalo.
Buck and Nathan simply exchanged relieved, determined expressions. Relieved that they were indeed getting a second chance, and determined that they would not throw that chance away. For once, there was no mask in place on Ezra's face, just a smile which came from his heart. From what Orrin had come to know of Maude Standish, she would be appalled at her son's obvious pleasure at Vin's decision. But Orrin understood the progress which was made.
A noise in the doorway attracted Orrin's attention, and he discovered the daughter of his heart standing side by side with Adriana Wilmington, their arms linked and twin smiles on their faces. Something told Orrin that as the younger Wilmington's defenses came down, and she grew to trust Mary, those two young women would become a force to be reckoned with. Adriana had said she would stay in town with Laura if Vin decided to remain here.
Which reminded Orrin. He had another job to do. It was time to make his journey to Pordios, to make sure Avery Wilmington paid the piper for his crimes. But he would leave, knowing that his family, and the town, would be in good hands. The Seven were back ... and once the price for betrayal had been paid, once the trust returned ... the men would be stronger than ever. Their mysterious opponent had lost now three times. As the small band of brothers crowded around their seventh, Orrin swore that he would make sure the final victory as well belonged to the Seven.
The End ... at least for now
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