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 : Recovery.
Special thanks to Cin, for betaing for me and for her unflagging support.
At the same time Chris was explaining to Josiah about his first meeting with Adriana, JD and Ezra were quietly following that young woman through the house. She took the lead as soon as the door was closed behind them and the rifle set beside the door. JD took the time to study the surroundings. He was curious about this woman. She was Buck's sister, JD knew that. She didn't look much like him ... didn't act much like him. But from what he was told by the others, she was Vin's friend, long before any of them knew him.
It was a warm home. Not just physical temperature, but anyone who walked in could tell that there was love in this house. Not like the cold, formal houses he had known in Trenton, when he was growing up. He found himself relaxing because of that. But as they neared Vin's room, he noticed Adriana's slim shoulders stiffening. Her head went up, like she was bracing for an attack.
However, she said nothing and stepped to one side, allowing JD and Ezra into the room. She hadn't said a word to either of them since they had entered the house. They were inside because Vin wanted them to be there. Not because the lady of the house wanted them to be there. And JD was getting ready to thank her for that, when he saw the big man leaning over Vin from the other side of the bed.
That wasn't all he saw. Vin was unconscious again ... he passed out on the porch. The blanket was gone, and for the first time, JD saw the bruises covering his friend's torso. As well as the white bandage around his midsection. JD saw no blood, which meant he had broken ribs. However, it was Ezra who asked slowly, "How did he get those bruises?" The girl glared at him, as if he asked a stupid question.
However, she took a deep breath and JD lowered his eyes, looking at Vin. He couldn't face the rage and bitterness in her eyes. She replied, "He was beaten, Mr. Standish. More than once. That's what happens to people in a place like that. I thought you knew that, after Jericho happened. Isn't that why my ... why Vin was turned over those bastards? Because you six were ashamed that he existed?" JD's head snapped up at the bitterness in her voice. He wanted to protest ... what did that have to do with the prison camp? However, he found he couldn't speak.
"Mr. Larabee never agreed to Vin's incarceration in that place. Never. Mr. Jackson talked himself into believing that he couldn't help Vin anymore, that he had done all he could. When the truth was, he was just looking for a reason to give up on him. Then when those bounty hunters showed up, your brother and Mr. Jackson had a reason to abandon him. That is the truth, Miss Wilmington," Ezra replied. JD looked back at Vin. He had been beaten. More than once.
Already sick, already half out of his head from the peyote-laced medicine. Taken from his home, betrayed by those whom he trusted. JD began trembling, and Vin groaned, rolling his head on the pillows as he struggled to wake up. The girl standing to the side moved forward quickly, sitting down on the bed beside him. Her hand caressed his cheek, and JD heard her whisper, "Hey. Welcome back. You pushed yourself a little too hard."
"Reckon I did," came Vin's raspy agreement. JD found himself relaxing and the girl on the bed moved slightly, allowing JD and Ezra to see their friend. Vin managed a weak smile and whispered, "Good to see ya, Ez ... kid." That was all JD needed. He flew to his friend's side, sinking to his knees beside Vin. Closer now, he could see the bruises on Vin's face, the split lip. Someone hurt his friend. If they hadn't already, that someone would pay.
"Good to see you, Vin," JD replied simply. He couldn't say anything else at first. He didn't know what to say. He looked up to find Ezra on Vin's other side. The black man, Laertes, stepped away from the bed, watching the reunion in silence. He looked to his right, and found Adriana watching in silence. JD turned his attention back to Vin. He had to be careful about what to say. JD was impulsive often, but he wasn't stupid.
So, he said, "I'm so sorry, Vin. I'm so sorry I wasn't in town, and I couldn't protect you. I just had to go with the others to Eagle Bend, 'cause it sounded like fun. I should have been in town, I should have been taking care of you." The words came out in a rush. Chris had taken him aside this morning. They couldn't tell him yet that Chris hadn't agreed to the demands of the bounty hunters. Whatever else Vin thought of Nathan, he probably still thought he was honest, and Vin wouldn't be able to accept that Nathan had lied.
"Ain't yer fault, kid. Ain't yer fault, neither, Ez. I 'member now. Ya tried to stop 'em," Vin answered hoarsely. JD blinked back tears. Damn, he felt like a stupid twelve year old, bawling like this. But the last few weeks were hell. Worrying about Vin, realizing that his best friend and mentor could no longer be trusted. Realizing that the man they once trusted to take care of them could no longer be trusted. But now, Vin was okay. He was still sick, and still shaky, but he was alive.
Not that it meant JD forgave Buck or Nathan. No, that would never happen. They had sold out a sick friend. They gave up on him, and lied to him ... told him that Chris didn't think he was worth fighting for. JD's silent battle with his grief and rage was interrupted when Vin muttered, "Aw hell. I done pushed too hard. Be here ... when I wake up?" JD blinked his tears back and whispered that he wouldn't be anywhere else. Ezra agreed. Vin was still fighting off his exhaustion, there was one more thing he wanted to do. He mumbled, "Drina?" Adriana left the foot of the bed, coming to stand at JD's side.
"It's okay, Vin. I've got your back. Get some rest now. There'll be time for this later," she replied quietly. Vin's eyes closed, but still, his hand reached up from his side, and Adriana took it, holding it between her own two. She gently kissed his knuckles, and Vin sighed,finally drifting off to sleep. The four still awake stayed like that for several moments. Then Adriana gently put Vin's hand back on the bed, and asked, "Laertes, where is Laura? We have some things to discuss."
A dark head peeked out from behind the curtain, and for the first time, JD saw the woman smile. It changed her appearance dramatically. The little girl behind the curtain giggled, and Adriana stalked toward the curtain, growling, "I'm gonna git me a Laura!" She waggled her fingers threateningly, and the little girl dashed out of her hiding place ... right into Adriana's waiting arms. JD exchanged a look with Ezra, who was watching in bemused silence.
"We can go into the kitchen, Adriana. It'll be more comfortable for all of us, I think," Laertes said. Adriana nodded, looking over her shoulder at Vin, and for a moment, that smile disappeared. Then Laura patted her cheeks, and the smile returned as she looked at the little girl. The adults and the child left the room, allowing Vin to sleep and heal. JD looked at Vin one last time, still afraid his friend might disappear for good this time.
They were led into a bright, warm kitchen. Laura sat in Adriana's lap, and the young woman asked without preamble, "Chris said before that he didn't give his permission for Vin to be given up. Is that true?" Ezra nodded and Adriana continued, "Why didn't you say so just now, in the bedroom? Why didn't Vin mention it, if he was already awake when Laertes got there?" JD looked at Ezra. That was a real good point.
"More to the point, how did you know he would be awake when I went in there for him, Adriana?" Laertes asked, puzzled. A second look passed between JD and Ezra, acknowledgment that a second good point was made. She was out on the front porch, facing them with the rifle, when Laertes helped Vin outside. JD shuddered, remembering that first sight of Vin, in just trousers and a blanket. No shirt, no socks, no boots, no hat.
He seemed terribly fragile to the young Easterner. Almost breakable. Especially when, at the end, his strength gave out, and Laertes carried him back into the house. Adriana smiled faintly, answering, "The shot which Larabee fired would have awakened him, even if he was dead to the world. Vin's background wouldn't allow him to do anything else. That's how I knew he would be awake when I asked you to get him. And you two never answered my question. I don't trust Larabee. Why should I believe any of you that he didn't agree to giving Vin up? And why didn't you mention it just now?"
"Because, Miss Adriana, Chris told me not to. Nathan lied to Vin, that's true. I was with Chris when he got the wire that Vin was getting sicker. All he said was, do whatever you have to for Vin. He never even knew about the bounty hunters, otherwise, we would have come home immediately. The worst mistake Chris made was to trust Nathan to look out for Vin," JD replied. He paused, then continued when she didn't interrupt him, "The thing is, Vin thinks Nathan is totally honest and would never lie to him. He ain't ready to hear everything yet."
"And what about the two of you?" she asked, looking from one to the other. JD didn't understand what she meant. Adriana elaborated after a moment, "Are you ready to hear everything that happened to him in that place? I live through it every night, when he falls asleep. He doesn't talk about it while he's awake. He won't talk about it when he's awake. But he can't silence the nightmares."
And now, JD understood. Part of their shared penance would be to find out what sorts of things Vin endured before this woman rescued him from the prison camp. Was he strong enough to find that out? Was he ready to hear just how badly Vin was betrayed? He looked at the dark-haired young woman who watched him. This woman already survived it. She survived a similar betrayal, and countless others. He nodded.
Ezra said quietly, "There are too many of us to fit inside your house. Would you be adverse to two of us, JD and myself, remaining inside with you, while the others stay outside?" The young woman thought it over, then shook her head. No. No, that was something she could live with. Ezra continued, "There is one more thing. I wanted to thank you, Miss Adriana, for rescuing Vin that night. I couldn't save him in Four Corners. I'm grateful you could."
A surprised smile touched her face as she replied, "You're welcome. Now. I think you should confer with your leader. Let him know what my terms are." Ezra inclined his head, and they all rose to their feet. As Adriana led them to the door, she added offhandedly, "Let me know which of you wants to stay in Vin's bedroom tonight. The other four can sleep under his window. There's an awning, which protects that area from weather. Laura often plays there."
Ezra tipped his hat to the girl, then he and JD were outside the house. The others were back at the border of her property, in the treeline. As Ezra and JD headed toward them, Chris rose to his feet, brushing himself off. Presumably out of respect for Adriana, however, all four remained where they were. As JD and Ezra approached, JD said, "We got a lot to tell you guys. Those monsters beat Vin. Damn you, Nathan!"
"What do you think?" Laertes asked as JD Dunne and Ezra Standish reached the edge of the property. The house actually belonged to Laertes. As he won Adriana's trust, and she began to feel more comfortable, she started giving it a woman's touch. The result was a home in every sense of the word. Laertes noticed the black-clad gunslinger coming close to the property during the last few days. Sizing it up, for lack of a better word. He could have easily taken them today. Adriana was still exhausted. He was just one old man, and Vin was still weak. Larabee could have taken them ... if he wanted to.
"I don't know what to think yet, Laertes. The boy was obviously ... I don't know. Larabee is making it very hard for me to stay angry with him for Vin's sake. If the kid was telling the truth, and Larabee didn't abandon Vin ... I don't know what to think. It was easier being angry, because I knew what to do then. Protect Vin. Now, I don't know who or what is the threat. Is it Larabee? He abandoned me, too. I don't know what to think," she replied.
The bitterness was still there. He could hear it in her voice. The bitterness was still there, along with the anger, and the hurt. But Adriana was still a reasonable woman. She added, looking up at him, "They could have run us right over and taken Vin. Why didn't they? Why did they leave it up to us?" She seemed genuinely confused, and Laertes couldn't blame her. He put his hand on her shoulder, murmuring an apology when she tensed at the contact.
"You're right, Adriana. They could have done just that. Maybe Larabee is telling the truth. Maybe that's how you know he's telling the truth. That doesn't mean we have to trust him. That doesn't mean he's not still a threat to Vin. You can acknowledge that he's not lying to you about giving up on Vin, and still not trust him. What does your gut tell you?" Laertes asked. She shook her head distractedly.
"I got so many things going on inside of my head, I can't tell. I remember when I was a girl, and Chris took care of me. But then I remember that he didn't come when I needed him. And now, they're telling me that Chris didn't abandon Vin. Am I the problem, Laertes? Am I expecting too much from Chris Larabee?" she asked, running her hand through her dark hair. Laertes listened in silence.
She was at war within herself. That was nothing new. Adriana Wilmington had been fighting herself from the day he had met her. A desire to forgive two men whom she once loved very much warred with bitterness. A desire to be reasonable warred with hatred. And whether he knew it or not, the young man now sleeping in the other room held the key to which side of her would win that battle.
Part of the battle was already won. She agreed to listen to the gambler and the boy. Did they know the stakes? Ezra Standish was a gambler, he knew about high stakes. But did he realize that there was far more at stake here than just the future of the so-called Magnificent Seven? Did he realize that the future, that the very soul, of a young woman whom Laertes loved as a daughter, was also at stake?
Probably not. Probably not. But Laertes did know. And while Adriana was battling for Vin, carrying on the battle when he didn't have the strength, Laertes would carry on the fight for her. Making sure she saw the contact coming this time, Laertes put his arm around Adriana's shoulders, drawing her back into the house. Laura was waiting for them in the kitchen. The child had an unbelievable knack for knowing what Adriana needed.
This was no exception. She jumped down from her chair and held her arms out to Adriana. With a muffled sob, the girl scooped the child up into her arms, holding her close. Laertes looked away, not wanting to intrude on whatever grief Laura inadvertently stirred up.
Instead, he walked out of the house, taking his rifle with him. He sat on the porch, the rifle balanced across his knees, and stared out at the treeline. Larabee and his gang were one problem. More bounty hunters were another problem. And then there was one other thing which was weighing on Laertes' mind. As he told Aurora, it seemed to him that peyote had caused Vin's hallucinations. But how did he get it?
Laertes shook his head. Still a lot of unanswered questions. Including what exactly was going on with the six remaining members of the peacekeepers from Four Corners. At the moment, there seemed to be an argument going on, particularly between that so-called healer, Nathan Jackson, and the boy and the gambler. Laertes shook his head again, as his mind drifted to Miss Victoria.
Laertes left the plantation when he was twenty-two years old, several years before the war started, and gone West. But when the war started, he returned. Not to fight for his home, but to be there for Miss Victoria. His own mother died in childbirth, and his father was sold off to another plantation by the time he was three. Maybe that was why Miss Victoria took him under her wing. He didn't know for certain ... she never told him.
By the time she died, in the early months of 1865, she was sixty years old. She was only fifteen years older than Laertes, now that he thought about it. But that sixty year old woman defied the Yankee deserters who thought to take that which wasn't theirs, and she paid for it with her life. Miss Victoria died in his arms, and he buried her beside her eldest son, Grayson, who died earlier in the war.
Laertes returned to the New Mexico Territory, devastated by the loss of the only mother he ever knew. It was Miss Victoria who gave him the name Laertes when he was ten, changing it from Lester. And out of respect for that lady, Laertes took her maiden name as his last name. The little boy who was born Lester Mayfield was now Laertes Townsend. He never married. And until he found a young girl, more dead than alive, he hadn't really understood why Miss Victoria cared about him. However, he did know why he cared about Adriana.
In terms of physical appearance, they looked nothing alike. Miss Victoria had been blonde-haired and green-eyed, while Adriana was dark-haired and dark-eyed. They were both pale in complexion and both petite, but Adriana's hands were rough and calloused from the various work she had done through the years. One similarity between them wasn't even physical. But both women had immense strength, born of extreme hardship.
Movement from the treeline caught his attention and Laertes jerked his head up. A figure in black was coming his way. Chris Larabee. His hands were open and out to his sides, raised in the air as he approached Laertes. The question was, did he want to talk to Laertes or to Adriana? Laertes rose to his full height, propping the rifle up against the pillar on the front porch. A sign of good will, but close enough for him to reach the weapon if need be.
"You come to talk to me, or to Miss Adriana?" Laertes asked, remembering what Aurora said in town, about white people thinking he was uppity because of the way he talked.
He doubted if Chris Larabee was such a person. After all, he had a colored man riding with him. Sort of. However, Laertes hadn't survived years of slavery, followed by years of bigotry, by being stupid. Larabee answered, "I came to talk to you. How is she? How are they both?" Laertes looked over his shoulder. Adriana was now working in the kitchen, and Laertes motioned Larabee to sit down beside him on the porch.
"Vin was in bad shape when we found him. Don't know if that so-called healer of yours told you, but he was burning up with fever when he got to the prison camp. He was burning up with fever when we rescued him. For a while, I was afraid he would die. Never said so to her. She wouldn't accept it. Damnedest thing I ever saw. It was like she was willing her own strength to him. Way I hear it, Larabee, you know a thing or two about strong women," Laertes said.
A wry grin lifted the corners of the other man's mouth as he replied, "I know a thing or two. But I didn't know about Vin having a fever again. I'll have to have a little talk with Nathan about that. JD told us about Vin being beaten in that place. Damn, this is a mess." This was said with a sigh as the gunfighter leaned back against the opposite pillar. Laertes nodded and the other man went on, "What about Adriana?"
"She's exhausted. She knows you could have taken us today, no trouble. And I think she's confused. That's a good sign, though. I've watched hatred and bitterness tear that girl for the last year. 'Til we came across Laura, I wasn't even sure if there was anything else in her. She wants to forgive you, Larabee, both of you. But I don't know if she can trust you. You know forgiveness and trust aren't the same thing," Laertes said. Larabee nodded soberly.
"We may have another problem. Josiah thinks that Vin was poisoned on purpose. Medicine he got to bring down his fever was laced with peyote. Four people got that medicine. He was the only one who survived. If Josiah is right, the ones responsible may still be around. If they are ... " the man began. Laertes nodded his understanding. They had more than just bounty hunters to worry about now. Unless, the earlier bounty hunters were part of the problem?
"I take it you want to call a truce? Help me protect Vin, Adriana, and Laura?" Laertes asked and Larabee inclined his head, his green eyes serious. Laertes continued, "Understand, I won't tolerate you, or any of your men, giving my girls a hard time. That especially applies to your healer." Laertes spat the word out. Larabee frowned in puzzlement and Laertes added, "She won't take kindly to him trying to take over Vin's care."
"No worries there. Nathan ain't gonna git nowhere near Vin," Larabee growled. Laertes heard JD Dunne and Ezra Standish reiterate what Larabee said earlier ... about how he didn't agree to the demands of the bounty hunters. Until now, he hadn't believed them. Any of them. But in that moment, Laertes realized that Larabee was monumentally pissed at Jackson. Larabee added, "See, Jackson and Wilmington ain't ridin' with us. They're just here."
Laertes actually did understand. He said, "Well, then, Mr. Larabee. Looks like we got ourselves a truce." He offered his hand to the slim white man sitting next to him. Chris Larabee smiled for the first time, and accepted that hand. Laertes now had an ally in protecting his girls.
Through the window of her kitchen, Adriana could hear the conversation between Laertes and Chris. A part of her felt betrayed by the conversation ... or, at least, wanted to feel betrayed. But another part of her acknowledged it was necessary. If Larabee was right, the ones who created this situation in the first place could still be out there. If that was the case, then she and Laertes needed all the help they could get.
A lot of 'ifs,' but that was necessary to be prepared. She still didn't know what to think about Chris and his abandonment of Vin. Adriana heard the venom in Larabee's voice when he assured Laertes that Jackson wouldn't get anywhere near Vin. That may not have meant anything, but the Chris Larabee she knew was an honest man. She didn't see that part of his personality changing. She could believe he spun out of control after the deaths of his wife and son, three years earlier. But for him to suddenly turn into a liar?
It didn't make sense. But then, it didn't make sense when Buck abandoned her at the asylum, either. Buck. This was the first time she had seen her brother in ten years. She didn't see him at the asylum, but she heard his voice. Time changed him very little. And he was shocked to see her. She smiled bitterly, her fingers digging into the bread dough. Yeah, she was sure he was shocked to see her.
Several strands of hair kept pulling loose and tickling her face. Adriana brushed them back with her knuckles, then frowned to see moisture on her skin. Where did that come from? She looked to the ceiling, wondering if it was leaking again. Damn roof had a bad habit of leaking, even when it wasn't raining. And every time she turned over the dough in the floor, a huge flour cloud hit her in the face and got her eyes to watering. What other reason would there be for the moisture in her eyes now?
Adriana distracted herself by thinking once more about the conversation she just overheard. She noticed a change in Laertes over the last few days. In the beginning, he was just as ready to rip Chris Larabee and the others apart as she was. The remainder of the Seven arrived in town four days earlier, and Laertes told her that Aurora was keeping an eye on him. Finding out what they were made of. While Larabee, Dunne, Standish, and Sanchez were gathering information on Laertes and Adriana, Laertes and Aurora were gathering information on them.
It would have amused Adriana, under normal circumstances. As the days passed, and Aurora shared what she learned with Laertes, Adriana's companion demonstrated a slow shift in his attitude. He made it very clear that his loyalty was to Adriana ... but he wanted to hear the other side of the story. Especially after Aurora told him that Adriana's brother and the erstwhile healer weren't included in the daily report meetings, information she received from Standish.
Adriana sighed, wiping her hands on her apron, and stared at the dough. Why was she even thinking like this? All right, so Larabee hadn't agreed to Vin's incarceration. So what? Did that mean she could trust him not to hurt Vin a second time? She couldn't even trust him not to hurt her a second time, and Vin always came first with her. Right now, it was actually a balancing act, of who came first with her between Vin and Laura.
Still, even if she couldn't trust Larabee to do right by Vin, there was still the matter of the poisoners. Adriana hadn't missed that part of the conversation, either. And at this point, even if she couldn't trust Larabee, she did trust Laertes. The last year had been difficult, learning to trust him. She despised the weakness in her that made her wary of anyone who even looked like Gideon. It wasn't fair to Laertes, or to Aurora. It wasn't even fair to her.
But it was there, nonetheless. The memory of that last night, of finding herself one of the stakes in a high stakes card game ... the long journey after her father lost her to the buyer for the white slavers, Gideon. Adriana gritted her teeth, remembering her father telling her that Buck knew about the card game, and approved. She hadn't believed him then. She still didn't believe him. Back then, she was only fifteen, still an innocent child. But by the time Gideon and the white slavers were finished with her, nothing of that innocent child remained.
Which was why Buck left her in that place. He was too ashamed of what she became. She was lower than any prostitute ... she knew this. And Chris just never bothered to come for her, because he was more interested in his bottle of whiskey. Vin was fighting for his very life, trying to keep other bounty hunters and the law off his trail. Which left only one person to save Adriana Wilmington ... herself. And she did it. She escaped, although it nearly killed her.
But she escaped, and eventually, Laertes found her. Took care of her, set her on the road to healing. She had traveled the road to hell, more than once. Vin healed as many of the scars as she would let him see, and she let him see most of them. Even if she never told him outright, it was a pretty good bet he knew the truth, the whole truth. Holding her at night, when the dreams became confused with reality. And he was never disgusted with what she was. Sometimes, a person had to do terrible things, in order to survive in this terrible, beautiful land. Ladies and gentlemen be damned. Vin knew this. Accepted it. Accepted her.
Voices on the porch drew her attention back to the present, and Adriana again swiped at her face with her knuckles. She had work to do yet. A half second after that, she heard JD Dunne snarl, "I don't care, Ezra! Chris says we gotta wait until Vin's ready to hear it! 'Sides, you remember what he said. He doesn't think Miss Adriana trusts him yet, either." Adriana smiled in spite of herself at the impatience in the boy's voice.
"Of course she has yet to trust our illustrious leader ... you are not understanding me, Mr. Dunne. I did not say we should tell Vin immediately. I said ... oh, greetings, Miss Adriana," the gambler said. Adriana folded her arms over her chest, trying not to laugh at the pair. Especially since she was sure that she was just as amusing to behold, with the flour covering at least part of her face. Ezra Standish continued, "I apologize, I hope we did not awaken Vin?"
"Doubtful. I would imagine he'll sleep for another few hours. Since you're back, I'll assume Mr. Larabee has agreed to my terms?" she asked. JD Dunne bobbed his head, and it made Adriana's head hurt just to watch him. She actually knew that already, but they didn't know that. She continued, "Well, one of you can sit with Vin, and the other can help me ... which will it be, boys?" She looked from one to the other expectantly.
"Mr. Dunne, you may sit with Mr. Tanner ... I will help the lady," Standish replied. Adriana once more struggled with a smile. However, she motioned Ezra into the kitchen, not missing his sudden, horrified expression as he realized what she wanted him to help with. As she turned back to JD, she winked at the boy. If she could forget about everything else, she might actually have fun with these two.
It was decided that the four men remaining outside the house would do periodic sweeps around the perimeter of the house. Josiah was heading back into Pordios, for the purpose of updating the Judge. Hopefully, he would also have information about the poisoners. Judge Travis knew about Koje's findings, and Mary started asking questions around town about strangers showing undue interest in the Seven.
The last time they heard from Four Corners, the town was holding together. Mary, with her spine of pure steel, organized the other residents until the Seven returned. Mary was being optimistic. Chris still wasn't sure there was a Seven. He wasn't sure about a lot of things right now. He asked quietly of the two men now occupying the camp with him, "So. Was it worth it? Whatever you two got out of this?" As he spoke, he looked over at the other two men. Nathan still had yet to admit he made a mistake. Buck admitted it, but kept trying to say they thought they were doing the right thing.
"We got nothin' out of this, Chris. Why don't you understand that? We didn't want Vin to be hurt. We didn't want no one else to get hurt. But dammit, there were three of us! What if we made a different decision, and Mary or Billy was hurt when the bounty hunters burned down the town! Huh? You woulda had our asses, and so would the Judge. We made a mistake, Chris. Don't try to turn this into somethin' it ain't!" Buck retorted.
He paused, then added, "And do you really think Vin would have wanted anyone else to be hurt, on account of him? You think he could have handled that guilt? Dammit, I am sorry about the hell he went through! I'm sorry about the beatings, about everything! But there were only three able-bodied men out of us Seven, and all them bounty hunters! Nathan was afraid Vin was dying anyhow! And Conklin was breathin' down our necks ... "
"Conklin?" Chris roared. The other two men flinched back, and Chris quieted his voice a little, aware that he had to be more careful. But there was still fury in his voice when he continued, "That little rat bastard has had it in for Vin from day one, and you let him in on your decision making? Christ, Buck! It was bad enough that you let your kid sister rot in that place in the first place, but you let that rat-faced weasel tell you what to do?"
"That is not fair! You left DeeDee there, too, Chris, and don't you forget it!" Buck spat, his dark blue eyes shooting fire. Chris didn't back down. He had never truly forgiven himself for burying himself in a bottle after the fire which killed Sarah and Adam. And he couldn't forgive himself for failing to be there for someone else he loved. But he knew he failed her. Just like he failed Vin, just like he failed Sarah and Adam.
"I've never forgotten that, Buck," Chris answered icily, "never. In case you've forgotten, I loved her, too. I still love her, but I let her down. And I have to live with that for the rest of my life. How do you live with yourself? Knowing that you let down your baby sister, the little girl who was the only person, other than your mother, while you were growing up who loved you unconditionally? No strings attached, no demands ... she just loved you. She never wanted anything from you, but love. How do you live with that?"
"The same way I live with what I did to Vin. You drown your hurt and guilt and rage in a bottle, Chris, and I find my comfort in the arms of a woman. You and JD, you think that what Inez saw was me forgetting that I had just handed over one of my best friends, knowing full well he would probably be dead before he reached Tascosa? I wish I could forget! I wish I could forget the look in his eyes, when he realized what we were doing! It was the first time he had been lucid in days, but he was lucid then. He knew, Chris. He knew," Buck hissed, raking his hand through his hair.
He took a deep breath, dropping his hand to his side, and asked, "What did you think? That we celebrated that day? Okay, Vin's gone, now we can go about our merry way and forget he ever existed? You ain't even close, Larabee. I felt like I was cuttin' out my own heart. And things just got worse, 'cause suddenly, everyone in the town was against us. Mary wouldn't even look at us, it was like we didn't exist no more." Chris just shook his head. What had Buck expected to happen? Hadn't he thought about the consequences? Hadn't Nathan?
"I didn't know what else to do. Vin's fever was going back up. The hallucinations were gettin' worse. And I was so tired. I didn't know what else to do, Chris. I was sure he was dyin.' I couldn't stand to watch him die. Not someone like Vin, who has always been so strong. I couldn't face watching Vin die ... and I couldn't face you when you came back, and telling you that he was dead. I didn't know what to do. And then the bounty hunters came, and I didn't have nothin' left in me," Nathan said quietly, speaking for the first time in days.
"Mary would have helped you, Nathan. Mrs. Potter, Miss Nettie, Casey ... Inez. They would have helped you. They wanted to help you, but you wanted to do it all on your own. And you didn't have to defend the town alone, neither. All ya had to do was wire me, and I woulda come back," Chris said tiredly. Nathan hung his head again, and Chris asked, "How in the hell am I supposed to trust you? Either of you? And Vin ... how do you think Vin felt when he saw the two of you today? He can barely tolerate to look at the rest of us."
Both Buck and Nathan were silent, and Chris said, "You know, I don't expect Buck to think about the consequences of his actions. But you, Nathan ... I expected better of you." The rage of the last few days was gone, leaving only numbing exhaustion. Chris shook his head again, muttering, "I don't know what the hell to do. The Judge wants us all to be a team again, and I don't know if I can trust you ... don't even know if Vin can ever trust any of us again."
"I would have never willingly hurt him, Chris," Nathan said, looking up again. Chris looked away, and Nathan continued, "Never. Hell, this is Vin we're talkin' about. Do you think I don't know what I owe him? Do you think it didn't kill me, when the news came about the fire? You think it didn't kill me, knowin' he wouldn't live to see Tascosa? You're right. I shoulda asked Mary to help me. I shoulda done a lot of things. But I can't take none of that back now."
"All of this is well and good," Chris replied, looking at the two men, "but they're words. Just words." He sat down again, the exhaustion now settling into his bones. He leaned against the tree, staring at the ranch where his best friend now rested. At the moment, he wasn't worried about Vin's well being. Chris had found himself a guest at the brothel where Buck and Adriana grew up after being sick. He knew Adriana would take care of Vin.
What worried him was the other thing. The poisoning. Who was it this time, trying to shatter the world Chris had so carefully built over the last six months? He had a number of enemies. He was a gunfighter, he lived by his weapon. But this was different. He couldn't quite put his finger on it. This just felt different somehow. It wasn't just Chris who was affected, but the entire group. Which meant it was an enemy they made, as a group.
There were enough of those. It wasn't Dickie O'Shea ... Chris killed him. The remaining Nichols brothers were all in jail, with their mother. Wickes was dead. Reverend Moseley was hung for murdering his daughter Claire. Although, if he was still alive, it would have made sense. He had special reason to hate Vin. Maybe what was left of Colonel Anderson's men? Possibly. The last he heard, Francis Riley moved on after helping the Seminoles put the pieces of their lives back together. But Riley fought alongside the Seven in that first battle ... of his own volition. No, if it was any of the remaining Ghosts, it was someone other than Riley.
Guy Royal? Stuart James? Those two were far too direct for this kind of an attack. Achilles Thompson was dead, and Kate Stokes had moved on. Jessie Quince? That was a possibility, since her son died at Jericho. Still, he figured that like Royal and James, she would have taken a more direct route. Ella? Chris felt his blood turn to ice as he turned that possibility over in his mind. It would make sense. Ella vowed not to let anything come between her and Chris. The greatest obstacle in her path, aside from Mary and Billy, was Vin.
The judge was in town, along with the army, and Four Corners was protected. But could the army protect Mary and Billy from that crazy bitch? Chris didn't know. All he knew right now was, whoever had planned this, whoever set things in motion succeeded beyond their wildest dreams. The Magnificent Seven were now down to three, and Chris didn't know if he could ever put them all back together again.
They're just words, Chris said. That was all they had right now. Just words. Not for the first time, Buck wondered if he should have told Chris about what Nathan told him when he admitted he didn't know what else to do. Then he shook his head. No. Because it went back to the same thing. It wasn't just the decision they made, it was the complete misjudgment of what was happening to Vin. And their decision to handle the bounty hunters alone.
Something which Nathan wouldn't have missed, if he wasn't so exhausted. He became exhausted because he wouldn't let anyone else help. He forgot that he wasn't the only one who cared about Vin. Looking back now, Buck could see the signs they had missed. Peyote of all things. Equally devastating to Nathan was the knowledge he gave that medicine to Vin. Nathan trusted the wrong person, and Vin was the one to pay the price.
They had made one helluva error in judgment. Nathan kept remembering another time and place, when someone who seemed to be as weak as Vin killed his entire family. It was left to the former slave to pick up the pieces, and bury all three. Nathan said softly, as if he heard what Buck was thinking, "I was livin' in the past, Buck. All I could see were those two little kids and their mama, dead after their daddy got done with 'em. But I done forgot somethin' important. That man was already plumb mean, even 'fore he got sick. Vin ... he ain't."
"We were both wrong, Nathan. We both made the mistake. And if I could, I would take the consequences for myself. But Vin's the one payin' for my mistake," Buck replied. He paused, then added, "You trusted the wrong person. It happens. Hell, I made the same damn mistake with the Moseley situation last year. You don't think I didn't have nightmares, wonderin' if I coulda saved that girl?"
Nathan didn't respond ... just leaned his head against the tree trunk. The healer hadn't just lost a friend from this bad decision. He lost the respect of the entire town ... the respect of most of the men he rode with ... and he lost his self-confidence. This wasn't about his skills not being adequate to the task. This was a series of bad judgment calls, beginning with trusting that quack. But Vin was so ill, and desperation was starting to set in. Things just snowballed.
Buck hadn't allowed himself to think about what he lost. Chris no longer trusted him. JD couldn't stand the sight of him. Vin loathed him. And he lost his baby sister. Buck leaned back against his own tree, trying to block out the image of his sister on that porch, glowering at him as if he was the devil himself. Chris was right ... aside from Buck's own mother, DeeDee was the only person who ever loved him without question. She asked for very little in return. Just his love. And the one time she did ask something of him ... he failed her.
Buck couldn't have said which hurt him more. Knowing how much his sister hated him or knowing how badly he failed her. No, there was a reason Buck didn't allow himself to think about what he lost. If he did ... if he did, he wouldn't be able to make it through the day. So, he concentrated on taking care of Nathan, since Chris and JD were shutting him out, since Vin wouldn't even look at him, and since his sister despised him.
There was a rustling in the trees and Buck reached for his gun, but it was Josiah. Buck relaxed back against the tree trunk. He still didn't know what to think about Josiah. He was in the middle, between Chris and JD, and Nathan and Buck. The preacher said quietly as he took his place beside Chris, "Judge says everything is fine in town. Mary and Mrs. Potter think they're onto something. They're talking about coming out here, to see Vin. Judge also says we're to take care of that boy."
"That's what JD and Ezra are doing now. Anything else, Josiah?" Chris asked. The man shook his head, and Chris continued, "I had a talk with Laertes before JD and Ezra went back inside, and while you were heading back to the horses. He knows about the peyote now, and what we think happened. He'll be keeping an eye open. Told me something else. Vin was burning up with fever when he got to that place. When the bounty hunters took him."
Josiah wheeled around to look at Nathan and Buck, then looked at Chris again. The blond man nodded heavily, saying, "It's true. The fever finally broke a few days ago, right around the time we got to Pordios. And on top of that, he was beaten. He should have died, Josiah. If not in that fire, then since. Laertes thinks the medicine might have been something to dampen the fever ... his former master was a doctor. Often talked shop while Laertes was around, and Laertes learned a few things that way."
"I imagine the only thing that kept that boy alive this long was bein' pissed off," Josiah said, casting a dark look toward Nathan and Buck. Chris nodded his agreement. Unfortunately, Buck couldn't argue. Knowing Vin, that was exactly what kept him alive. Josiah eased himself to the ground, murmuring, "Judge also wanted to give us a heads-up. Seems there's an outstanding warrant for Adriana's arrest, dating back about ten years. Charge is theft, but I ain't buyin' it. It was right around the time she disappeared."
Theft? Never! Buck's sister didn't steal! And if she did, it was because she was hungry and couldn't get food any other way. Chris was silent for several moments, then said, "Ten years ago. I wonder. Ten years ago was right before the war. It was 1860. Did the judge say what Adriana supposedly stole?" Josiah shook his head, and Chris muttered, "I figured as much. I'm betting though, someone tried to make her look guilty."
"That was what I told him in my wire. Told him about what we found out about her disappearance. He's gonna look into it a little more. Wanted me to give you his word that he would allow no harm to come to her, because of this investigation," Josiah added. Chris nodded, looking distracted. Josiah said gently, "Chris. The judge won't let anyone hurt her. And because she risked her life to save Vin, there are a number of ladies in Four Corners ready to protect her, Miss Mary and Miss Nettie among them."
Chris smiled faintly, murmuring, "I hadn't thought of that. Adriana took care of Nettie's boy, so she would be willing to fight for her. Sight unseen. And Mary ... Mary looks on Vin like her little brother." As did Chris, though he didn't say the words. Chris turned back toward the house, saying, "There's a place where we can sleep, beside the house. I get the feeling my little princess wants to teach us all a lesson."
Little princess. Buck swallowed hard at his friend's old nickname for DeeDee. Chris had joked once after seeing Buck's mother and DeeDee together that DeeDee was the little princess in Dulcie's heart. And she was. Katrien was long dead ... she was murdered when DeeDee was eight. Buck's mother always loved DeeDee, from the moment Katrien gave birth to the little girl. As far as Dulcie was concerned, DeeDee was just as much her daughter as she was Katrien's.
The 'little princess' nickname stuck, spreading to Dulcie and other working girls. But no one ever forgot that it was Chris Larabee who gave her that nickname. Buck pushed himself to his feet, thinking about what else Chris had said. She wanted to teach them a lesson. Evidently, Josiah was wondering the same thing, for Chris added with a heavy sigh, "According to JD, it's right under Vin's room."
"She wants us to hear his nightmares. The girl's got a mean streak in her, Brother Chris," Josiah observed and Chris nodded. Buck shuddered as Josiah's meaning dawned on him. Killing them would have been too easy. No. No, his sister wanted them to understand exactly what they had done to Vin. Wanted them to know about every cruelty, every sorrow, every pain he endured because of them.
This land was a brutal one, and it took a strong person to survive. What exactly was his little sister forced to do, to survive? How did she get from Ohio to here? And why did those people at the asylum lie to him? Tell him that his sister was dead when she obviously was not? That was something Buck didn't understand. He told them that Adriana was his sister, gave a description. Why did they lie to him?
The house was overflowing with light, and as they made camp under Vin's window, Buck could hear his sister laugh. Chris stopped what he was doing and stared at the window.
Maybe there was still laughter in her after all. Maybe there was still hope. A moment later, DeeDee giggled, "Vin, I think I should tell them about some of the situations you found yourself in, when we were riding together! Mind you, I was dressed as a boy, and went by the name of Andrew Wilkins, to keep people from getting suspicious. At the time, it was ridiculously easy to fool people, since we were just a pair of drifters ... "
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