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:Language, references to violence and other unpleasantness. Original characters abound (if you've read SG-7 series, the character of Dawn Jackson has been translated into Aurora Hutchins). Also, Buck and Nathan are very, very bad boys. You have been warned. Special thanks to Cin, and she knows why.
These stories are set after Serpents, so you'll probably find references to all of the episodes, at one time or another.
Continues: Road to Hell : Reunion.
Author's Note: This is the final story in the trilogy, but not the end of the storyline. It picks up in the first story of the Family Business series, tentatively titled 'Paying the Piper.' At some point, you'll meet the puppet master behind all this (nope, he's not anyone we met in the series ... someone I've totally made up), as well as witness Gideon's reckoning. Keep hands and feet inside the wagon at all times, it's gonna be a bumpy ride.
Thanks to everyone who emailed me while I was writing this, to let me know you were enjoying it. I couldn't have done it without you. Thanks as ever to Elizabeth, for her archiving and coding, to Cin, for her support and encouragement.
"Hey ... sleepyhead. Time to wake up," a gentle voice murmured. Vin slowly drifted back to wakefulness as a pair of knuckles gently brushed against his hair. The voice repeated, "Come on back to us, Vin, it's dinner time. You accomplished a lot today ... you need to eat." Food. That sounded good. He finally opened his eyes to find Adriana at his side. She smiled when he looked at her and said, "Laertes and Ezra won't be back until tomorrow ... would it be a problem if Christopher and Josiah eat with us?"
Chris. Something important about Chris. What was it? He frowned, trying to remember. God, why couldn't he remember ... and why did he feel like shit? Actually, it felt like he had been in a fight. He ... Oh. Oh god. He began shaking as he remembered his confrontation with Nathan. He had lied to him. Said ... now Vin remembered. His hand closed over Adriana's and he whispered, "I need to talk to Chris ... is there time before dinner?"
"I'll make time. Will you be okay?" she asked softly and Vin gave a half nod. He had one helluva headache, and his gut hurt, but he would be fine. Adriana stared at him, looking worried, then she leaned forward and kissed his forehead gently. Vin remembered the first time she did that. After she was raped, and he was nearly beaten to death by the bandits. After she killed the bandits, then got him on her horse and walked back to town. How she done that, he still didn't know. Probably never would, neither.
He closed his eyes and lay his head back on the pillow. After only moments, he heard Chris ask softly, "Vin?" The sharpshooter opened his eyes and turned his head toward the door. That wasn't Chris. That was the first thing that occurred to Vin. It wasn't Chris, because he couldn't remember ever seeing Chris looking that uncertain. Except ... one time. Vin was embarrassed to remember this, embarrassed by his behavior during that time, period.
They had just left the settlers of the wagon train only a few hours earlier. One moment, Vin realized he was getting dizzy ... the next, he was staring up at eight very worried faces. He had fallen off his horse, unconscious before he hit the ground. Chris narrowly missed trampling him, and he had scared the hell out of both Chris and Billy. He was awake long enough to drink something for the unbearable pain in his head, then he passed out again.
The next time he awoke, it was later in the day, and a gentle hand was stroking his hair. It was coming from his right side, and Vin turned his aching head in that direction. He found six year old Billy sitting there, one hand stroking Vin's hair and his other hand curled around Vin's. He smiled and said, "Nathan said I was s'posed to take care 'a you. And let Chris know when you're awake. Mama does this for me when I'm not feeling good."
Billy frowned then as Chris approached, saying, "How come you didn't tell us you didn't feel good! You scared me! I thought you were dead, Vin!" Chris knelt on Vin's other side, lightly touching his shoulder, and Vin could see the worry in the other man's eyes. And all the time, despite his anger and despite his fear, Billy continued to caress Vin's hair, as if he was the adult and Vin was the child.
Vin was brought back to the present when Chris again said his name. Vin nodded, grimacing slightly at the remainder of his headache. Damn, he pushed himself when he confronted Nate earlier! He was likely to be paying the price for the next few days. But it had to be done. Chris walked into the room, taking the chair beside Vin's bed, the one near the window. He looked at Vin closely, then said softly, "You look like hell."
"Feel like it, too. I don't know what to say to ya, Chris. Nate ... he told me that he lied to me. Told me ... you didn't even know, 'bout them renegades. I don't know what to say, I don't even know what to feel," Vin admitted. He took a deep breath, muttering, "It ain't fair to ya, blamin' ya for somethin' ya didn't even know 'bout. It ain't fair and it ain't right, and dammit, I don't like this!"
"Vin," Chris said gently, "right now, it's enough for me that you've just accepted I wouldn't do this to you. If only in your mind. We hurt you, Vin. It's like Josiah said, in some way or another, we all hurt you. And it's gonna take time before you trust any of us again. Maybe a long time, and maybe you'll leave us. But until that time ... make getting well your first priority. There's one other thing."
His green eyes were now intent on Vin's face, and unease skipped through the tracker's chest. Chris said quietly, "Yes, you rattled me with what happened on the wagon train. No, don't look away, Vin. You're gonna stumble and you're gonna fall. It rattled me, like I said."
Vin looked back at the black-clad leader, who continued, "But no matter how upset I was with you ... you came back. You came back, you stayed, and you did everything in your power to atone. The day I turn my best friend over to a bunch of outlaws to keep the peace, least of all because he fell in love with the wrong woman ... is the day I end it. Do you understand me? There is nothing you have done, nothing you are capable of doing, which would ever allow me to justify selling you out like that."
"And what about what you said ... 'bout me not havin' a code?" Vin asked hoarsely. Chris started to reach out, then allowed his hand to drop to the bed. He was struggling, Vin could see that. He was struggling to do this on Vin's terms. What did he say, earlier today? God, was it really only today? It felt like a week ago that he and Chris argued in this very room. So much had been happening.
"Actually," Chris replied softly, "I said bounty hunters didn't have codes. I never said anything about you not having a code. You do. I know you do. But I was teasing you at the time, and I didn't think about the fact you might not be ready for that. I didn't think I needed to tell you that you're one of the most honorable men I've ever known. I thought you knew that. And then I realized, that everything you ever believed in has been turned upside down."
Hell, that was the truth. Chris continued, "Earlier, you told me that you wanted to trust me. Will you trust me to get you into the kitchen for dinner without falling? Will you trust me to not let you fall?" Vin thought back to the earlier confrontation, when JD told Chris he was ready to talk to him. For the first time, he realized that Adriana had help getting him back to bed. Chris helped her. He had been feeling so poorly at that point, it simply didn't register.
Vin gave a quick nod and Chris said with a faint smile, "All right, then." Vin carefully swung his legs over the edge of the bed, motioning Chris to stand back. Chris moved out of his chair, backing up a little. Vin carefully stood up, testing his legs for weakness as he took the first step forward. His knees gave way, but before he got far, Chris had a hold of him, his hands under Vin's arms. Blue eyes met green, and Chris whispered, "Told you I wouldn't let you fall."
"Reckon ya did," Vin acknowledged. Chris just smiled, draping Vin's arm across his shoulder, while keeping his free arm around Vin's waist. Together, the pair made their way slowly from his bedroom to the kitchen. The door was open ... a little gesture of kindness from someone. Through the open door, he saw Adriana, JD, Josiah, and Laura. Vin stopped for just a moment. JD was sitting at the table, telling Laura jokes. Three-legged dawgs, no doubt.
Adriana was at the potbellied stove, her back to Vin and Chris. Josiah was setting the table, and looked up with a smile as Chris and Vin approached the kitchen. He put his hand on JD's shoulder, observing in his deep voice, "Well now. This is a sight for sore eyes. Miss Adriana was kind enough to invite us to dinner, since Ezra and Laertes are asking questions about town. You all right with that, son?"
"Reckon I am," Vin answered a bit breathlessly. If Chris didn't get him to the table pretty damn quick, and into a chair, he'd fall flat on his face ... even with Larabee's support.
Chris seemed to understand this, for he moved Vin carefully into the kitchen, taking care to avoid the door frame. Adriana rose to her feet and turned. She looked at Vin, her eyes asking a question. He nodded his answer, and Adriana relaxed. She smiled and said, "Hope you boys are hungry. Got enough food to feed an army." Chris laughed, easing Vin into the chair opposite the stove, leaving the young tracker to wonder how he knew Vin usually sat there.
"John Dunne is a growing boy ... he's always hungry," Josiah replied, gently ruffling the boy's black hair. Vin smiled at JD's scowl, then bit his lip to keep from laughing when Laura, who was sitting on JD's lap, repeated the big man's gesture. JD made a face at the little girl, who made a face right back at him. Vin didn't know what would happen next ... but he did know that at this moment, things felt right to him for the first time since everything started.
It was the most relaxing night Chris could remember having in what seemed like years. He helped to teach Adriana how to cook when she was a youngster, but she had improved over the years. JD was heard to say that she wasn't as good as Miss Nettie, but the man she ultimately married would never go hungry. Adriana blushed and ducked her head, clearly pleased by the compliment. And no one brought it to JD's attention that at twenty-five, Adriana was considered an old maid.
After dinner, Vin once more allowed Chris to help him, this time heading into the front room, where the adults spent the next several hours, simply talking. Laura couldn't decide if she wanted to sit with Vin on the davenport, or curl up in Adriana's arms in the rocking chair. She spent the next several hours, bouncing back and forth between the two. Adam used to do that, too ... if he couldn't decide between his father and Uncle Buck.
Even before he, JD, and Josiah returned from Eagle Bend, to find Vin gone, Chris was on edge. He knew that for what it was now, and resolved never to ignore the niggling wrongness in his gut again. The price was entirely too high. While things weren't back to normal between himself and Vin yet, they were heading in that direction. That knot in his gut began to ease as the night wore on. And before too much longer, he noticed that Vin was getting sleepy. He wasn't the only one. Laura eased away from him and scampered over to Adriana once more.
"Reckon I oughta be headin' to bed. Kin I git some help here?" Vin murmured, his eyes at half-mast. Adriana started to rise to her feet, then realized she still had Laura on her lap. Chris rose from his seat, nodding to Josiah. Carefully, the leader and the preacher eased the still-wobbly tracker to his feet. Vin's hiss of pain was noted by both men, and Chris shared a grim look with Josiah over Vin's head. Neely was definitely a dead man. Chris would prefer to have that privilege himself, but he had to pay for what had been done to Vin. One way or another.
Once they reached Vin's room, the two men eased him into bed. Adriana followed them, Laura tucked on her hip. As Vin settled back against his pillows, Laura began squirming, and Adriana set her on the ground. Laura scampered to the bed, drawing the blanket up over Vin, as if she was a little mother herself. Adriana took the other side, and together, they tucked him in. Laura squirmed until she was on the bed beside him, and kissed his forehead.
Chris smiled at Josiah, who returned the grin with both his mouth and his eyes. Laura remained curled up on the bed beside Vin. JD, who came in behind them, whispered a quick good night, before slipping back into the front room. The three remaining adults followed suit. Adriana murmured that she would tuck Laura in properly later. Chris figured that meant she would put her in her own bed, so Vin didn't have to worry about being careful when he moved in his sleep.
They found JD putting his hat on, and Chris glanced at him questioningly. The boy explained, "I'm doing a perimeter check around the house. Like you said, Chris, those mercenaries might come back, and we don't know how much they know." Chris almost offered to go with him. Almost. And then he remembered how nervous Adriana was around Josiah. Evidently, he wasn't the only one, for JD said, inclining his head toward the door, "Wanna come along, preacher?"
"Believe I would, John Dunne, believe I would. Brother Chris, why don't you relax and let us take care of this?" Josiah replied. Chris eased himself into the chair he left only a few minutes earlier, and Josiah put his hand around the back of JD's neck, drawing the young man onto the porch. As the door closed behind them, Chris could hear Josiah offering suggestions of what they could do to the mercenaries when they caught up with 'em.
That left Chris and Adriana alone, and she eased herself into a rocking chair. Chris watched her for several moments, then said softly, "I'm not about to hurt you, little princess. It's like I said. You're one of mine." She rocked back into the chair, staring at him intently. Her arms wrapped around her legs as she rocked in the chair, and at that moment, she didn't look any older than fifteen or sixteen.
"I'm ... I suppose I just want to make sure I know this Chris Larabee. Are you the Chris Larabee who defended me against those worms when I was a kid? Or, are you the Chris Larabee who was too drunk to come for me? Are you the Chris Larabee whom I loved so much? That's the Chris I want back. I don't need to be rescued anymore ... I rescued myself. But if you're gonna be a part of my life, I wanna know who I'm dealing with. And make no mistake. If Vin decides to rejoin the peacekeepers, then I'll be at his side," Adriana answered.
"Didn't think you would be anywhere else, little princess. He needs you. You've been a rock for him, these last few weeks. I can't thank you enough for that. For that, and for going into that hellhole after him. Hell, I owe you thanks for so much, I ain't even sure where to start!" Chris replied. Adriana looked up at him, frowning, and Chris continued, "I let you down, baby girl. I let you down, and I hurt you. But I'll ask you the same thing I asked Vin. Do you want to trust me? Because that's all I'll ask for right now."
Adriana looked away, then left her seat. She walked to the window, arms wrapped tightly around her waist. Chris could only see her back as she said softly, "Do I want to trust you. There are two answers to that. Yes ... and no. A part of me says to never trust you again, to never think about trusting you again. Much less trusting you near Vin." She turned as she spoke, to look at Chris. She shifted as she moved, so her back was to the wall, instead of the window.
"There's another part of me, which wants to take that chance. The same part which wants to believe Bucklin when he says that he never stopped loving me, that ... " she began. But couldn't finish her sentence. She looked away, but that didn't prevent Chris from seeing how close she was to tears. He remained where he was. Knew better than to startle her. Or even go near her right now.
Her eyes cut back to him and she said softly, "I need time, Christopher. Time to know which part of my heart is telling me the truth. The part which tells me to take Vin and Laura and Laertes, and disappear into the night ... so none of you can ever find us, ever again. Then, there's the other part of me ... which says that everyone deserves second chances. I just don't know if I'm strong enough to take that kind of a chance, Christopher. With my soul ... with Vin's life. With Laura's well being."
She was on the point of saying more, when Josiah and JD returned. The big man reported grimly, "Perimeter's clear. But Buck and Nathan ain't around." What? Josiah continued, "I got a hunch. Remember when Ezra told us that he noticed Buck listenin' to our conversation earlier? I got a feelin' that they decided to ride to the asylum, git some answers." Adriana once more retreated into the shadows, as Chris considered what he had just learned.
Before he could speak, Adriana said softly within the shadows, "It's supposed to rain. I can feel it in the air. You two should sleep in here. One of you can take Laertes' bed. JD and I will sleep in our usual places." Chris looked at the young woman, who once more emerged from the protection of the darkness, and Adriana added without inflection, "It makes the most sense." Chris understood the tentative offer, and he accepted it.
"All right. Josiah, you want Laertes' bed? And I'll sleep in here?" Chris suggested. The big man nodded. JD ran outside to bring their equipment onto the front porch, while Adriana disappeared into Vin's room. She emerged a few minutes later, cradling a sleeping Laura in her arms. A hand squeezed Larabee's heart, as he remembered Sarah carrying a sleepy Adam to bed, in much the same way. Then the girl disappeared from his view.
Within moments, they were all inside. JD had retired to Vin's room, taking his usual place beside Vin's bed. Adriana would sleep beside his bed, as she always did. Chris was sleeping in the front room, his head resting on a cushion from the sofa and his pistol at his side. What the hell was Buck doing? No, that was a stupid question. Larabee had been barely able to tolerate the sight of the other man, over the last week. He should have seen this coming.
He didn't know why he believed Josiah was right. That Buck and Nathan hadn't just ridden away, although he could remember a time when he would have believed that.
Despite his own fury with Buck, Chris recognized that the other man loved his sister. DeeDee. Lord, Adriana always hated that nickname. So did Dulcie and the other working girls. They hated the butchery of a beautiful name. According to Dulcie, Katrien van Gesen gave her daughter that name, in memory of a French girl she had known in boarding school. Adrienne Beauchamp. 'Adriana' was the closest she could come in her native language. And most of the time, people assumed she was Italian or Mexican.
But she wasn't. She was half Dutch and half Irish. And all determination. Chris smiled, thinking of another determined woman. Two determined women, actually. He was looking forward to what would happen when Mary and Nettie got here ... how his little princess would interact with those two ladies. Still smiling to himself, he drifted into sleep ... facing the door all the while. He dreamed of Sarah and Adam ... and then he dreamed of the fire set by Cletus Fowler.
That fire turned into the fire which destroyed the prison camp, the fire which almost took Vin's life. But it was the smell of smoke which woke Chris. For a moment, he thought he was still dreaming ... until he started coughing. And then he woke up quickly. Fire surrounded him. No! Not again! Chris sat on his knees, staring in horror at the flames. Then reason asserted itself and he stumbled to his feet, heading for Vin's room. The door exploded outward, revealing JD.
He told the boy, "Get the others up, I'm findin' a way out for us!" The boy nodded and turned away, as Chris headed back into the nightmare. Common sense told him to try the door first. He didn't know if the fire was started deliberately, though that wouldn't surprise him. Common sense also told him that if it was deliberate, the door would be blocked. Chris reached out a hand, and hissed when it was burned. Try something else, then.
He took a step back and kicked at the door. It came off the hinges, but now they had a way out. He turned to find Josiah cradling Vin in his arms, and Chris yelled, "Get him out of here, then get the horses!" Josiah nodded and carried Vin from the burning house. JD, Adriana and Laura were still unaccounted for. At that moment, JD emerged from Laura's room, carrying the frightened little girl, and Chris rasped, "Where's Adriana?"
At the same time, there was a horrific crash from Laura's room and JD's expression told the story. Chris gave the youngster a little push, telling him, "Get her out of here, I'll get Adriana!" JD nodded his understanding and ran from the house, still clutching Laura in his arms. The fire was surrounding the door and for a moment, Chris saw not the little girl's room, but his home going up in flames.
And that pushed him forward. You won't get her, he vowed as he ducked into the room, you hear me? You ain't getting her! The room was full of smoke ... where was she? She had to be in here somewhere ... and then Chris almost literally tripped over his young surrogate sister. He reached down, felt the familiar curls. Yes! He knelt down and scooped her into his arms, cradling her lightly against his body. Hang on, little princess, hang on!
He swept from the room, to find a wall of fire between himself and the door. Chris would have taken a deep breath, to steady himself, but the air was smoky.
Keep it together, Larabee, keep it together, he told himself, you gotta move your legs, if you wanna get yourself and Adriana out of here. But even as he told himself that, a voice was whispering in the back of his mind. He only had to worry about saving Adriana. It wasn't a big deal if he died. Chris lost Sarah and Adam to the flames ... why not join them the same way? Rationally, Chris knew it was his own fear talking to him. But he wasn't feeling particularly rational at the moment. He was afraid. Deathly afraid.
He edged closer, swallowing hard. Adriana moaned, but remained unconscious in his arms. Through the tongues of flame, Chris could see the others. Vin, still lying in Josiah's arms. JD rocking a weeping Laura, back and forth. You only have to get Adriana out, the voice whispered again. But an angel saved him. On the porch in front of him, he saw Sarah. She wasn't alone. There was a young woman, about Adriana's age, with long red-gold hair and bright blue eyes. Sarah said, You have to go, Chris ... before the roof falls in. Go, my love!
You must go, Chris ... my boy still needs you, Sarah's companion said. My boy. Again he looked at her, and understood. This was Vin's mother. Vin. He had failed Vin once. He wouldn't fail his best friend a second time. Sarah and her companion both smiled at him, as Chris Larabee put down his young sister and took of his duster, wrapping it tightly around her. Then he scooped her into his arms once more, striding toward the door. You can't have her, he told the fire once again, you took Sarah and Adam from me ... you can't have Adriana! You ain't getting me, either. And then he braved his greatest fear.
He hissed as the flames licked at his clothes ... ducking his head over Adriana's protectively, keeping himself between her and the fire at all times. The wood groaned under his feet, leaving him uncertain how long the floor would hold him before finally collapsing. All the while, he kept his eyes on the door. On the door ... on the spot where Sarah was standing only a few minutes earlier ... on freedom ... on what remained of his family.
It seemed like hours, but only seconds passed as he crossed the threshold from the burning house outside. Adriana had been right ... as Chris left the porch, with the unconscious girl in his arms, he felt rain drops on his face. He took a quick glance down ... seeing for the first time, the patch of red along Adriana's hair line. She had been struck by whatever fell. She moaned again, relieving his mind that she would be all right.
Josiah hadn't retrieved the horses, but as Chris approached the others, he found he didn't have the energy to be angry. Not when all of his energy was focused on getting himself and Adriana to safety. He had just reached Josiah and JD, falling to his knees beside the men, when the house exploded. He didn't know what caused the explosion, and right now, he was shaking too badly to care. They would find out in the morning.
He turned his attention to Adriana, who moaned again, her eyes fluttering. Chris eased her onto the grass, still cradling her against his body, and said, "C'mon, little princess, open your eyes. Wake up, Drina." He wasn't aware that he used his best friend's nickname for her. He wasn't aware of the little girl sobbing in JD's arms. He wasn't aware of Vin's stricken blue eyes. He wasn't even aware of the three men approaching the house on horseback at a full-out run.
Chris freed one hand and cupped it along the side of Adriana's face. Once more, he whispered, "Wake up, little princess. Wake up and start yelling at me. Been waitin' on you to do that for the last four days. Open them pretty eyes of yours. Open them pretty green eyes and scowl at me that they're hazel." And slowly, the lashes began to move and the eyes slowly opened. Chris smiled, despite the obvious confusion he saw there, and he whispered, "Hey there, little princess. Welcome back."
Adriana stared at him, blinking in confusion, then she whispered, "Chris?" Not Larabee. Not Christopher. But Chris. He nodded, lightly stroking her cheek with his thumb. She murmured, "Fire ... everyone out? Laura? Vin?" When the little girl heard her name, JD released her and Laura was at Adriana's side immediately, still crying. Adriana heard the child, and Chris nodded that Vin was fine. Adriana swallowed hard, then she asked hoarsely, "You ... came for me?" She winced, though Chris wasn't sure if her head was causing the pain or her throat.
"Yeah, little princess ... I came for you. I wasn't too drunk to come for you this time," Chris replied. Adriana didn't say anything ... just looped her left arm around Larabee's neck, and the man in black returned the embrace. He looked up, to find Vin's bright eyes on him. A smile graced his best friend's features, and Chris understood. He faced that old nightmare, that old hell. He was getting his little sister back. And another part of the bridge had been built between himself and his best friend.
"Thanks, cowboy," Vin said hoarsely, slumping back into Josiah's arms. He shivered, then asked, "What the hell are the three a' ya starin' at?" Chris looked up, and for the first time, saw Buck and Nathan, along with a third man. He also noticed the bitterness in Vin's tone, but didn't say anything. His eyes narrowed as he looked at that third man. But before he could ask for an explanation, Vin added, "I 'member ya ... ya ... "
"I'm Julian Poplar ... a detective with the Pinkerton Agency ... also known as Thomas Burke. I'll explain everything, but right now, we've got to get out of here. This is Neely's handiwork, so there's a chance he's still around. Can you ride, Miss Wilmington?" the man asked. Adriana nodded, grimacing at the motion. She eased herself upright ... only to fall back into Larabee's arms again. Chris rolled his eyes and scooped Adriana back against his chest, rising to his feet at the same time.
"I've got Vin, brother Chris. Easy, son. John Dunne, get our horses. Miss Laura, why don't you stay with Chris and Miss Adriana," Josiah suggested. The little girl nodded and scampered over to Chris and his young surrogate sister. Laura hooked both arms around Larabee's right leg, leaning her head against his knee. Vin just raised an eyebrow, a familiar smirk, which Chris hadn't seen for entirely too long, appearing.
Damn smart-assed, no account bounty hunter, Chris thought affectionately. He didn't have Vin back, not completely, but his friend was showing some of his old spirit and humor. He had allowed Chris to help him earlier in the night. Progress was being made. But they still had another problem. Chris asked the Pinkerton agent, "You say this is Neely's handiwork ... is he the one who set the fire at the prison camp?" JD returned with the horses. Chris eased Adriana into the saddle ... now how in the hell?
JD smiled and said, "I had Laura in one arm and carried one of the saddles with the other, Josiah grabbed another on the way down, and Vin picked up the other. I left Laura with Josiah and Vin while you were still looking for Adriana, and got the saddles on the horses." Chris smiled at the boy, who continued as he put Laura on his own horse, "So, where do we head, aside from away from here?"
"Town. We can sleep in the loft of the livery ... almost no one goes up there anymore," Adriana answered hoarsely as Chris swung up behind her. Josiah was helping Vin into his own saddle, and Chris didn't miss the way Nathan was watching Vin for any sign of weakness or pain. Vin wouldn't show that weakness, not when there was a job to be done. She added, "And in the morning, we can hook up with the others."
That sounded like a good plan to Chris, and he headed his horse toward town, away from the inferno which had almost cost him his family. Again. He had said it before, but it bore repeating. Neely was a dead man. He pulled his horse up alongside Burke ... Poplar, and asked, "You said this was Neely's doing? How can you tell? And what exactly are you doing here?" Poplar didn't answer at first ... he was looking to the other side of Chris, where JD rode with Laura. And the man was smiling at Laura, drawing an answering smile from the child.
But it was what came next which truly shocked him. For Laura, who had been silent these last four days, who had been mute for as long as Adriana and Laertes had known her, piped up, "Neely's bad. He hurted Vin. Laura saw him make the fire start. He's a bad man. He hitted Vin in the belly ... he hitted him and hitted him and hitted him." Chris looked over at the child in astonishment, and Laura added, "He liked hitting Vin. He's a bad man."
"I'll explain everything when we get settled, Mr. Larabee. I owe all of you answers, at the very least," Poplar said quietly, drawing Larabee's attention away from the little girl. Chris nodded. Yeah. He needed answers. And then he needed to hurt Neely, for what he had done to Vin ... and for Laura, who saw the beatings. What had that done to that little girl? Watching a helpless man being beaten? Poplar added, "There's one other thing you need to know. All of the prisoners escaped. I set half of them free, and helped Laura with the other half."
Chris felt Adriana relax against them, and realized that was one less burden his young sister would have to carry. She hadn't set the fire. She hadn't left anyone to die. Chris pressed a gentle kiss to the top of her head, never looking back. There was too much work to do, too many questions to be answered, and too many plans to be made. Tomorrow morning, Chris Larabee would start taking the fight to their as-yet unknown enemy. Until tomorrow, then.
As the small group began its journey toward Pordios, a woman sat beside a lake, watching the events with interest. A slight shimmering in the air signaled that she was no longer alone. She raised her head as two young women, about her own age, joined her at the Lake of Remembrance. The de facto leader, a slim young woman with red hair, observed, "You should have been with us, Katrien ... we could have used your help."
The woman beside the pool smiled humorlessly, easing herself to her feet. She faced the two other women, her hazel eyes flickering from one to the other, as if assessing them. Both women returned the gaze steadily, with no attempt to look away. After several moments, the woman named 'Katrien' answered, looking down at the pool once more, "My help? Why would you need my help? You had yourself and Julia, Sarah. You had no need of me."
Sarah glared at her reprovingly, answering, "You could have told Chris that you knew he wouldn't let your daughter down. That he never let anyone down whom he loved. That he's a protector, too much for his own good sometimes. And you know he didn't let her down the first time. You know that even if he showed up there, even if he questioned her death, they would have never let him have her."
Katrien's head reared up, her eyes blazing as she hissed, "He would have found a way to rescue my child, if he had not been drinking himself into oblivion. But he was drunk when my child needed him most. He seeks to redeem himself for allowing my Adriana to remain in hell? He has redeemed himself. But he failed her, just as I did, just as her brother did. Just as Avery did, damn his black soul through eternity. The only person who has never failed my daughter is Julia's son, regardless of what the boy says."
"Then that's what ya shoulda said," Julia Tanner said very quietly. She had folded her arms over her chest, listening to the conversation between the other two women, and it occurred to Katrien just what a strange group they were. Julia from Texas, Sarah from the Midwest, and herself the European daughter of privilege. Julia continued, "Shoulda tol' him that. Make 'im mad. Challenge 'im. Like I done."
Katrien lowered her eyes, answering, "I was too concerned with my daughter. I wanted so much to go to her. To tell her I was sorry ... that I never stopped loving her. That she has never failed me ... that she is not lower than a working girl. But where she was, not even I could reach, no matter how hard I tried. Your son knows you love him, Julia ... just as your Christopher knows of your love, Sarah. But my Adriana still believes I stopped loving her when she was a child. And that is what kept me from my daughter's side."
"No, Katrien ... your fear kept you from your daughter's side," Sarah answered in an uncompromising tone. She folded her arms over her chest, staring at Katrien steadily. Katrien muttered a curse under her breath. When Sarah first arrived here, three mortal years earlier, Katrien didn't understand why the three women were placed together. Sarah learned during her journey that the three were linked. Through love, as she said. Julia, who had been Katrien's companion up until then, asked what she meant.
Katrien was the mother of Adriana ... Sarah, the wife of Christopher ... Julia, the mother of Kevin. When Sarah questioned how a Texan woman came to name her child 'Kevin,' which was Irish when Julia was not, the titian-haired woman explained that when she was a young girl, she was rescued by a young Irish soldier named Kevin McEvoy. Kevin seemed like the most beautiful, most romantic name she ever heard ... and she gave that name to her son when he was born. Because of that decision, a part of Kevin McEvoy lived on ... as he had died in the Mexican-American War, a member of the San Patricio unit.
Did Sarah speak the truth? Did Katrien's fear separate her from her child? She had never known Sarah to lie ... the young woman was brutally honest. But Sarah didn't know her heart. Not even Katrien knew her own heart. Julia said quietly into the silence that followed, "Don't rightly matter now. I imagine there will be other chances for you to talk to your Drina. How are they, 'Trien?" Where most people had called Katrien 'Kat' while she was alive as a nickname, Julia instead used 'Trien. Just as she shortened her son's name to 'Vin.
"They are heading for town. The child has finally spoken. Perhaps the first time in three years," Katrien replied as Sarah and Julia took their places beside the pool, on either side of Katrien. In that unnerving way they always had, Julia and Sarah had only to look at each other, in order to communicate their thoughts. It was an ability which Katrien never had. And, quite frankly, she was jealous of it.
"Laura spoke? When, how, what happened?" Sarah asked excitedly. Katrien was on the verge of answering her, when Adam skipped over to her.
"It was while you and Julia were on the porch. Laura screamed my daughter's name, while the old one was seeing to Julia's son," Katrien replied. She had little use for preachers, even for Josiah Sanchez. Julia responded with a reproving glance, one which Katrien ignored. She continued, "She spoke again a few seconds ago, when the detective made reference to that pig." She grimaced as she spoke of the mercenary Daniel Neely.
Julia's lovely face darkened and she hissed, "I will be there when Chris kills him, Sarah. No matter what ya say. I ain't gonna stand by and watch the pile a' manure who tried to kill my boy ... " She couldn't go on, and Katrien put her hand on the young woman's shoulder. She understood how Julia felt. She felt that way often in the last ten years. She managed to protect her child's inheritance ... but failed to protect Adriana from her father.
"And you will be, Julia ... I promise. It hurt me, too ... to watch him when he was hurting Vin. But we have done enough ... we have to trust our families now. Laura is our witness, she will tell Chris and the others everything, now that she can speak again. And Katrien, you know Buck would have taken Adriana from that place, if he knew she was alive," Sarah answered. Katrien nodded. She knew that. But ...
"Meantime, what do we do 'bout Mary? And Sarah, I thought ya was plannin' on tellin' that man a' yers to get his butt in gear," Julia replied with a pointed glare. In spite of herself, Katrien giggled. Sarah had, indeed, been fuming over her husband during the last six months. He had almost lost Mary Travis to that spineless Gerard Whitman, then he turned around and threw away all their progress when the likes of Ella Gaines returned.
"We were busy at the time, Julia, remember?" Sarah retorted with some exasperation. Julia merely raised her eyebrows with an innocent expression which fooled Katrien not at all. She was about as innocent as her son ... not at all. Sarah muttered something under her breath, which Katrien didn't understand, but it sounded somewhat uncomplimentary. After a moment, Sarah added, "After the crisis is over, then I will tell Chris to move on. As to Mary ... the plan stands. Browner makes any attempt to harm her or the boy ... and I'll deal with him. Personally."
It wasn't the first time Katrien heard Sarah say that. She heard that when Vin Tanner and Chris Larabee first met, preventing the lynching of Nathan Jackson. Sarah had been staring into the pool with an intensity most people associated with her husband ... and actually growled in rage when Mary Travis ended up the dust because she was trying to protect the dark healer. Sarah wasn't sure if Mary belonged with Chris ... none of them knew that. But she did know, in another time and another place, the two women would have been friends.
"I'll stand with ya," Julia said quietly. Katrien glanced at her friend. Mary Travis came under her protection when the blonde woman stood up for Julia's son. Just as Katrien's child came under her protection for defending young Kevin against those bandits. Sacrificing her virtue to save his life. Sarah looked at her friend and smiled, extending her hand to Julia. The Texan took the hand offered, then extended her own to Katrien ... and the circle was created once more.
Buck knew, as long as he lived, he would never forget the sight of the fire burning. He had lived with that nightmare for three years. Only this time, he stood to lose much more than Sarah and Adam. But his entire family. The trio on horseback all stared in mute horror at the burning ranch house ... then Buck heard himself screaming his sister's name. That was it. Then he spurred his horse forward, not even caring if Poplar or Nathan followed.
They all got out safely ... Buck released the breath he hadn't realized he was holding at first. There was Chris, cradling DeeDee against him. JD, sitting with Miss Laura in his lap. And Josiah, cradling Vin as Chris held DeeDee. They all got out safely. In that moment, Buck Wilmington made a decision. He realized when he saw the fire, just what he lost ... and what he still had. He would fight for what remained.
His sister was alive. The others were still alive. And if it took him the rest of his life to do so, he would make things right with DeeDee, and with Vin. Buck didn't know how. Especially not when Vin glared at him, demanding to know what he was looking at. But he would find a way to make things right, he would atone for the terrible, terrible mistake he made. He would win back his sister's love, Vin's trust, and Larabee's respect.
They were approaching the town now. Buck, Nathan, and Poplar in a cluster, while Josiah rode with Vin, Chris with DeeDee, and JD with Laura. They were all stunned when Laura spoke. Even more shocked to hear that she witnessed Neely beating Vin. That he liked hurting the tracker. Buck was still recovering from the matter of fact way she said that. As if she was used to brutality. But ... it would stand to reason. She spent all that time in a prison camp, this tiny girl with too large dark eyes. Eyes which saw way too much for a six year old.
Buck once more glanced at his sister. She reclined back against Chris. Every few minutes, his hand would leave his reins and cup the side of her face. She responded by putting her hand over his. Buck had learned during the ride that Chris sent JD ahead with Laura, when it became clear Adriana was still in the child's room. He carried her out of the burning house and to safety. It had gone a long way in repairing their battered relationship.
It had also gone a long way, Buck learned, in repairing his friendship with Vin. Buck also learned that before dinner, the pair finally talked things through. Vin still didn't fully trust Chris, but they were making progress. There was a time, not that long ago, when Buck would have been pleased by the chasm between Vin and Chris. But that was before a young white girl was murdered by her father, for the unforgivable sin of loving a red man. Before a young tracker, guided only by his instincts and his knowledge of those people, kept an Indian brave from hanging for a murder he didn't commit. Yessir, Claire Moseley's death had changed a lot of things. Buck included.
Now, despite his terrible error in judgment, he saw how important Chris and Vin were to each other. Hell, Vin was important to Buck. He was important to all of them, but Chris ... he could reach Chris in a way that Buck never could, even before the loss of Sarah and Adam. It hurt. And he was angry. But now, the anger was being directed in a different place. It was directed to Rupert Browner and whoever hired him.
As they reached the livery, Buck watched Chris dismount, then the leader eased Adriana from the saddle. The black duster was still wrapped around the slim body, and ever so often, Buck saw his sister shiver, despite the warm cover.
Josiah was next, easing himself from the saddle before he helped Vin down. Then the big man stood behind the still-shaky tracker when he started climbing up the ladder. Nathan started to protest, no doubt thinking that Vin wasn't strong enough to handle that climb. But Chris turned his head, and a hard stare, at Nathan, silencing the healer before he could voice his concern. Chris returned his attention to Vin, who had reached the top of the ladder, before collapsing in the straw.
Josiah followed him up into the loft before holding his arms out for Laura, who had been placed on the ground by JD. Buck began leading the horses into stalls, with the idea that he would take care of them. All the while, he watched as Laura giggled on her way up to the loft. Why had she started speaking when she did? It wasn't just to tell them that Neely had beaten Vin. It didn't matter now.
Adriana was the last to ascend the ladder. Like Vin, she climbed up herself, with Chris watching her carefully. He waited until she reached the top of the ladder before climbing. Buck released a sigh of relief. They were safe, at least for the moment. Mary and Billy would be on the stagecoach in the morning, along with Nettie and Casey. Poplar was probably now explaining everything to Chris and the others.
Buck didn't realize at first, but he wasn't alone in the stalls. Until he heard JD quietly talking to his horse, Courage. He had given the kid hell for that name, Buck remembered now. Damn kid, thinking the West was like one of them dime store novels. JD and Courage were in the stall beside Vin's horse Blaze, so named for the white star on his muzzle. Buck was currently taking care of Blaze. The only way he knew to help Vin at the moment.
"This doesn't mean I forgive you, Buck," JD said quietly. Buck just smiled faintly and kept working. The boy continued, "I don't think I'll ever forgive you. Not for that. But Judge Travis wants the team to stay together. Vin ain't sure if he's gonna stay with us, and really, I'm not either. If he decides to go to Tascosa with Adriana, Laura, and Laertes, I'm gonna turn in my badge, and ask him if I can go with him."
Still, Buck remained silent and JD went on, "Doesn't mean I'll forgive Nathan, neither. Think I'm even madder at him than I am at you. Shoulda never lied to Vin, and told him Chris wanted him to be sent away. It was bad enough, that you let them mercenaries take him. But to lie to him like that? I don't think he's ever gonna trust either of ya again. I know I can't. And to leave your sister in ... one of those places. I ain't gonna give you the chance to leave me, Buck."
I ain't gonna give you a chance to leave me. A conversation flitted through Buck's mind. Not long after Chris and the others arrived back in Four Corners, to find Vin gone. Before the telegraph came, that Vin was dead. Buck had tried to rationalize what he and Nathan did. Only to find himself pinned against the wall, Chris glaring daggers at him. He didn't have a razor this time. He didn't need one.
And what would you have done, Chris growled at him, if I done that to JD? Hmm? And don't you even try to fucking tell me it ain't the same thing, because it is. Buck had almost collapsed at that. What would have done to Chris, if his old friend did such a thing to JD? And Buck started to understand at that moment, the source of his friend's rage. Vin was quite capable of taking care of himself, and Chris wasn't as protective of Vin as Buck was of JD.
But it was the idea. It was the same idea, and Buck had slid down the wall when Chris released him, horrified. It was the same thing.
"I ain't expectin' ya to forgive me, kid," Buck finally said, "I don't expect to forgive myself. But I ain't leavin. No way, I can make things right if I ride out. If I leave y'all." There was silence from the other stall, and Buck continued, "I don't know how things are gonna play out. God knows, I want a shot at everyone involved in this. And, I can tell you that if need be, I'll spend the rest of my life making things right."
There was another long silence, then JD asked, "Think you got the patience for that?" Buck flinched, but it was a fair question. In order to win back the trust of his friend, it would take time. Maybe a long time. Buck thought back to when they first arrived at the homestead, how Chris asked him whatever he got out of giving up Vin was worth it. The answer then was 'no.' The answer now ... was it worth the time to create the patience, to win back Vin's trust, his respect? Vin was worth it. So was DeeDee.
"If I ain't, reckon it's time I learned. I'm not goin' nowhere, JD. You and Chris can give me the silent treatment now until the end of the time. But I'm not goin' nowhere," Buck replied. It wasn't a brag or a boast. Buck Wilmington had allowed his father to get the better of him, and his sister paid the price. He let a bunch of no-account mercenaries get the better of him, and Vin paid the price. No more. This time ... he was standing and fighting.
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