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.
Adriana Wilmington shuddered a little, as she moved silently along the corridor. Stay focused, she told herself, stay calm. You won't help Vin if you get lost in the past. But these walls had contained her for six months. No ... no, not these walls. Another set of walls. But still, six months of being a prisoner. Six months of orderlies feeling her up. Six months of hearing screams of despair ... six months of silence. A year passed since her escape, but the memories were as fresh as her wounds. Vin would have similar memories now, and similar scars.
They were approaching the infirmary, where he was chained to the bed, according to Laura. The child told her, in her own version of language, that no one ever went in there. He was just left alone. They were afraid whatever was wrong with him was contagious. She didn't know if it was, but it was a risk she was willing to take. A guard appeared as they reached the door to the infirmary. She raised her pistol to fire, but Laertes lunged for the man.
A big hand was clamped over the guard's mouth as Laertes searched for the keys. He tossed them to Adriana, who immediately began the next order of business. If she was right, the keys to the manacles would also be with the door keys. She didn't look up as she heard a snapping sound ... her concentration was solely on getting Vin out safely. The door was open, and with it, opened the door to Adriana's memories.
She spent time in this room. In chains. No, not in this room ... goddammit, stay focused! She wasn't in the asylum, she was in the infirmary of the prison camp! Get it straight! This never happened to her before ... why were the memories coming back now? She shook herself, trying to remain focused. She took a deep breath and looked into the room. Only to find her memories staring back at her once more. But only for a moment.
Then her vision cleared, and Vin was chained to the bed, his head facing her. She looked over her shoulder as Laertes slowly allowed the guard to drop to the ground, his neck broken. Adriana realized for the first time what a chance Laertes was taking, in helping her.
The orderly was white. No ... he wasn't an orderly, he was a guard. But he was still white. And Laertes was still colored. If he was caught here, he would hang. Then make sure he doesn't get caught, Adriana thought. He's not responsible for what Gideon did. Move your ass, and stop with the memories, before you get yourself, Laertes, and Vin killed! She squared her shoulders and took a deep breath, clearing her mind.
She moved swiftly to Vin's side, mentally measuring the keyhole on the manacles and calculating which key would fit. There. That would work. His eyes opened and she whispered, "It's okay, Vin. We're friends, we're here to get you out." The bright eyes just stared at her, uncomprehendingly. There was even some fear in his eyes. It was then that she noticed the bruises on his mostly naked body. They hadn't even bothered to cover him up!
Adriana was further devastated to realize that he didn't recognize her. Of course he doesn't, she chastised herself, you ninny! He's sick, he's been abandoned by the people he trusted, he hasn't received the care he needs, of course he doesn't recognize you. Now get your ass in gear, and get him to safety before you have more trouble! She unlocked the manacles, speaking to him in a soothing voice all the while.
As she freed his ankles, grimacing at the wounds on both his ankles and wrists from the manacles, Laertes came into the room, murmuring, "I got him, Adriana ... we got a clear window, and I aim on using it." He swung Vin into his arms, as if Vin was Laura's age, and the former bounty hunter moaned, shaking his head. Laertes cradled him against his chest, murmuring, "Rest easy, son, you're safe. No one's ever gonna hurt you again."
The infirmary was on the second floor of the barracks, where the inmates slept. From her previous trips to the prison camp, Adriana knew that most of the inmates were on the first floor. The quarters of the staff was also on the second floor.
Seeing that Laertes had Vin, Adriana moved swiftly to the door. Sooner they were out of here, the happier she would be. She quickly glanced down the hall, both ways. All clear. She motioned Laertes out, and he eased Vin from the room, carefully avoiding the doorway. As Adriana turned back to face the other way, drawing her pistol to cover their exit, she came face to face with a small child. Laura.
The six year old held her arms out to Adriana, and the young woman didn't hesitate. She scooped the child into her arms, settling Laura on the opposite hip of her gun hand. She headed after Laertes and Vin, wishing she could cover their escape and be in front of them, in case they ran into trouble from the opposite direction. Just as she thought that, the first shot was fired. Adriana wheeled around after glancing behind her, to make sure they weren't being followed.
Laertes ducked into an alcove, cradling Vin in his arms. Adriana moved swiftly to the shelter of the alcove, returning fire. Dammit! She supposed it was asking too much, for their luck to hold just a few more minutes. Laertes eased Vin to the ground and Laura sat beside him, gently patting his cheeks. Adriana would have smiled, if she hadn't been so distracted ... they were coming from both sides now.
She took one direction and Laertes the other, returning fire. They had been conducting these rescues for the last year, and before tonight, they never found it necessary to defend themselves. Their luck had to run out eventually, as this was a prison camp, with guards ... she just didn't see why it had to run out tonight, of all nights. She concentrated on taking down her targets. Perhaps if she hadn't spent six months at the mercy of these people, she would have been more inclined to be merciful herself.
But she did spend those six months here, and she did have the scars to prove it. Dammit, she had to stop thinking that! She wasn't here ... she was imprisoned at the asylum. But the kind of people in charge were the same. And tonight, she wasn't rescuing strangers, but two people who were very important to her. She wasn't inclined to show compassion to people who had none. She was concentrating so heavily on the protection of hers, she didn't notice Laura slipping away from Vin's side. She was vaguely aware of motion against her leg, but it was then that disaster struck.
"FIRE!" someone called. A half second later, Adriana smelled it, the faintest hint of smoke. Her blood ran cold, trying to figure out how she would get all these people out of here before the fire got out of control, and save Vin at the same time. She couldn't just leave the inmates here to die, she didn't know how many of them actually did anything wrong. She heard of the prison camp in Jericho ... what if this was the same way?
That thought was driven out of her head, along with the air from her lungs, with the next thing to cross her mind. The smoke was coming from the direction she was firing. This was an old building, it was far too possible that the heat from one of her bullets started the fire. She swallowed hard. That wasn't the worst of it, either. They still had to get downstairs, and go toward the fire to get out.
Laertes fired off one last shot, then swung Vin into his arms again. Adriana heard him grunting, "Boy's skinny as you are, but still damn heavy." Adriana didn't answer, firing another few shots toward their attackers. She seemed to be operating on pure instinct. Her heart was screaming at her to at least try to free the other inmates in the prison camp, but her body had other ideas as she and Laertes moved from their hiding place.
She had to get Vin out of here, but she couldn't let the other inmates die! However, her legs continued moving in the opposite direction, covering Laertes as he carried Vin toward the stairs. There were no more shots, just shouts. Shouts ... screams, screams of pain, of terror, of horror, of despair, as the fire overwhelmed one room after another. As they reached the stairwell, Laertes stopped and indicated she should go first. The orderlies ... guards ... would be busy up here, they should only encounter resistance from the opposite direction down stairs.
Where was Laura? Still, her legs continued moving forward, training her pistol on what was in front of her. Two more orderlies ... guards ... spotted them, and their eyes narrowed, seeing the precious bundle in Laertes' arms. Adriana didn't stop to think about what that might mean, why they would care whether or not it was Vin they were taking out of here. She just fired a bullet into each man, stepping over their dying bodies.
As she continued forward, the smoke became worse and she seemed to see people rushing past her. None of them paid any attention to her. She didn't pay attention to them. Then something caught her leg. A pair of arms encircled her knee, small arms, and a small body went with the small arms. Laura! She swept the child into her arms once more, and felt the little girl bury her face against her shoulder.
Behind her, she heard Vin coughing and moaning. Almost there. Why would the guards care if they were taking Vin, rather than any other inmate? Adriana continued to move forward, her brain and heart seemingly disengaged from her body. And then a familiar face was in front of her. She began shuddering, the pistol shaking in her hand. She remembered this man. Remembered ... oh god. What was he doing here? Unless he served both here and at the asylum.
Laura squirmed loose with an animal growl of rage, and she rushed the doctor. Doctor. Healer. Liar. He raised his arm, to backhand the child. The swing down toward Laura was never completed as Adriana fired bullet after bullet, driving him backward. Red splotches appeared on his clothes. Laura ran to her again, and the paralysis was gone. She would think about it later. Right now, she had to get Vin out of here.
But how would she ever atone? Leaving so many to die, in order to save two? They didn't deserve to die, those inmates whom she was unable to rescue. She didn't know if they were guilty or not. For all she knew, they could have been just victims who needed someone to take care of them. Maybe they were people whom not even the neighboring asylum would take. Although, that was a hellhole, not a place for healing.
For all she knew, the other inmates may have only committed the same crime she and Vin committed. Trusting someone who didn't deserve their trust. In Vin's case, six someones. She heard of the Magnificent Seven, even before Laertes told her about Vin being in the prison camp, before she learned her friend was turned over to the bounty hunters in Four Corners by her brother. They were practically legendary in this part of the country. The stories she heard reminded Adriana of a story she read a few years earlier, 'The Three Musketeers.' All for one, and one for all.
But that wasn't true. They betrayed one of their own, they abandoned him because he wasn't perfect. Because they were ashamed that he existed. The same reason she was abandoned. Adriana Wilmington didn't abandon those she cared about. Only a few more steps. That was why she couldn't stop, couldn't free those other inmates. If she did that, then she would be abandoning Vin as well. She couldn't do that to him. That was why her legs wouldn't stop moving toward freedom.
And then they were free, in the night air. The memories of the asylum finally faded, and she could think clearly once more. It didn't even look like the asylum, why did she react like that? And why did she react like that now? Adriana could hear both Laertes and Vin coughing behind her. Adriana slipped to one side, allowing Laertes to put Vin in their wagon, keeping an eye out for anyone else who might decide to take a few shots at them. Laertes plucked Laura from her arms, settling her beside Vin, then jumped down. Adriana would be riding in the back with the pair, watching their backs.
As they rode away, Adriana was vaguely aware of wetness on her cheeks. She stared at the burning compound. It occurred to her that she sacrificed her soul to save Vin's life. He was worth it, there was no question. The question now became, was she strong enough to live with the consequences of the choice she made tonight? Only time would tell. For now, she had to make sure tonight's sacrifice wasn't in vain. Vin wasn't out of the woods yet.
None of the four men outside the house spoke as Adriana Wilmington finished the story of the night she and Laertes rescued Vin. Nathan had retreated to a place, deep in his mind, when the young woman spoke of the manacles on Vin's wrists and ankles, when she found him in the infirmary. Manacles. Oh God, what had he done? Why hadn't he seen it before? He didn't want to. Didn't want to remember Jericho, didn't want to remember seeing Chris in manacles.
He wasn't sure he could handle any more shocks tonight. Not after everything that happened today. Ever since Chanu told them of the deaths in his village, deaths which Nathan caused by passing the peyote-laced medicine to them, he locked everything away. He couldn't deal with the guilt, or the rage. If he acknowledged what he had done, he knew it would shatter him beyond all repair. It would shatter him, as he and Buck shattered Vin's trust in them. Lord God, what had they done???
And from the beginning, as soon as the bounty hunters left with Vin, Nathan knew his decision was the wrong one. He tried to tell himself that Vin was dying, that he couldn't tell Chris that Nathan was unable to save his best friend. He told himself that he was doing his job as a protector of this town. He told himself that this was best for Four Corners, best for the Seven. Lies. All lies. Just like the lie he told Vin, that Chris agreed the bounty hunters should have him. That he wasn't worth fighting for.
Nathan was forced to confront the truth. He hadn't been thinking of Vin at all. He hid behind his duties as a protector of this town, to avoid the truth. The years of slavery left its mark on his soul, and here, he condemned Vin to the same chains and manacles which kept Nathan down for so many years. He had become what he hated most. How could he blame Chris and the others for no longer trusting him? How could he blame Mary and those who loved Vin for turning against him ... when he had done the exact same thing, to the man who saved his life?
Nathan didn't mention the encounter he had with Aurora Hutchins in town. He went into her store while they were still in Pordios, because he was running low on bandages and other supplies. Old habits died hard. She was cold to him, and at first, he didn't understand why. She quickly educated him. It was hard enough, being colored and a woman. It was hard enough, trying to make a living when she was barely considered human, despite her white blood.
But he had to make her life harder. Word spread from one small town to another. People knew about Nathan Jackson's betrayal. A white man risked his own life to save Nathan from a hanging, and Nathan repaid him with betrayal. Around these parts, it didn't matter that Vin Tanner seemed to be an Indian lover, or a former bounty hunter, or a man with a price on his head. He was white, and Nathan was colored, and Nathan betrayed him. He gave up a sick, helpless man under his care to a posse of no-good bounty hunters. That was all people saw, that was all they cared about.
It wasn't right, Lord knew. But it was the way things were. It was then that Nathan began to understand the true consequences of his actions. His decision, his decision and Buck's, didn't just affect Vin, and the rest of the Seven. It affected Four Corners. It affected Chanu's tribe. It even affected this young woman, who lived more than a day's ride from Four Corners. It would continue to affect his people, both white and colored. Nathan's action set a series of events into motion, and no one knew how things would end up.
Even so, he continued to tell himself that he did what was best for everyone, that he couldn't justify sacrificing an entire town for just one man ... no matter who that man was. He had to tell himself, because if he stopped and accepted his part in this near-tragedy, the guilt would have destroyed him. As it was now destroying him. He thought of a fifteen year old girl sold into slavery. Not just any fifteen year old girl, but the fifteen year old sister of Buck Wilmington. He wouldn't wish slavery on anyone, except maybe those who kept him and his people in bondage. But the young sister of a friend? Never.
He cringed, remembering Vin's nightmare, and the way he cursed them all for abandoning him. In the very next breath, once he was awake, asking why? Did he deserve to be abandoned? Nathan's heart broke at those words, and a glance at Buck told him the other man felt the same. What had they done to Vin? Vin, who seemed so strong, even when he was hurt? Even when he was choked into unconsciousness, then fell ill from a combination of the night they spent in the rain and sheer exhaustion?
Even after being blown down a hill ... his injuries were more severe than they realized at first. It wasn't until after they left the settlers that they realized he was hurt far worse. It wasn't Vin being foolish. He was preoccupied, until the job was done, and he was on his way home. To the place he truly belonged. In Four Corners, with the rest of them. It was only then that he collapsed, falling from his horse in a dead faint. Scared the hell out of both Billy and Chris. Scared the hell out of all of them.
The point was, Nathan could count on one hand the times he had seen Vin hurt. Even when he was in pain, he always seemed so strong. Until he heard the young man sobbing in the arms of his rescuer, until he heard him cursing all six of them for abandoning him, for leaving him. Until he heard Vin wondering what he did wrong, for them to turn their backs on him as they had. What had he done wrong? Absolutely nothing.
And now, Nathan was hearing about the night Vin could have died, in the fire. A part of him recognized something didn't sound right with that fire. Even with old, dry wood, it would have still taken longer than just a few minutes for the fire to start with the heat of a bullet burning across it. His mind, however, was still unfocused. But he wasn't the only one who noticed.
Josiah said quietly, several moments after Adriana Wilmington finished her narrative, "That don't sound right to me, Chris. The way that fire started. She's blamin' herself, but somethin' tells me there's more to that fire than what she knows. If ya don't mind, I'll take a pass at what's left of the prison camp when I ride into town tomorrow. Lot of things don't add up, and I ain't talkin' about how that girl kept confusing the prison camp with the asylum."
"Was thinkin' the same thing, Josiah. Somethin' stinks here. Back when Ezra first told us about Aurora Hutchins, he mentioned that she said half the inmates escaped the fire," Chris answered quietly. Nathan looked up. That's right. She told him the same thing. Chris continued, frowning thoughtfully, "So the question is ... how? Adriana said she couldn't save Vin, and the inmates. So how did they escape?"
"Laura?" Buck suggested, speaking in a hoarse voice. He continued, ignoring the glare from Larabee, "it makes sense. That was why she slipped away from DeeDee. And she lived in that place for three years, she would know all the ways in and out. I bet that little girl set everyone she could free. She don't know that DeeDee blames herself, so she ain't never said anything about letting those half go." Nathan turned the words over in his head. It made sense. But just how the hell did a small girl manage to free half the inmates, with big manacles on their hands and legs? How did they find out the truth?
"It makes sense, Brother Chris. I'm gonna do some research tomorrow, into that prison camp. I got a bad feeling in my gut. 'Bout that fire, 'bout that whole damn place. It smells like someone tryin' to cover their tracks ... what better way than to git rid of the evidence? We saw that in Jericho, remember?" Josiah asked. But evidence of what? What sort of hell had he condemned Vin to? Nathan didn't know. Didn't know if he could ever make it right. But now he knew, he had to try. No matter what Adriana Wilmington said. He had to try.
It took them all a long time to get back to sleep, after Adriana finished her story. Vin quietly reassured her in a sleepy voice that she done all she could, she wasn't to blame for the fire. Looking at her tearstained face, JD wasn't so sure she believed him, but she didn't argue with him, and Vin finally asleep once more, still cradled in her arms. JD fell asleep a short time later, his dreams filled with fire and death. A guard with Buck's face restraining Vin with manacles. Another, wearing Nathan's face, trying to kill his friend.
When he awoke the following morning, Ezra and Adriana were both awake and gone from the room. JD shifted in the chair as Vin slowly awakened. His tears had dried on his face, and JD leaned forward, wanting only to take his friend's pain away. He wished he could wipe Vin's memory clean of everything that happened to him during the last month. Wished he could take away the memory of Nathan and Buck's betrayal.
Vin sighed and slowly opened his eyes. He smiled faintly, seeing JD, who smiled back. The young sheriff said softly, "Miss Drina said this morning that she thought you might be up to walking to the kitchen for breakfast. What do you think?" A genuine smile blossomed this time, the first real smile he had seen from Vin yet. JD said, "C'mon. I'll help you get dressed. Laertes said Laura never even woke up last night."
He could have kicked himself for his thoughtless words, because Vin paled. You jackass, JD scolded himself, you didn't have to throw that in his face! Because with the memory of his nightmare came the memory of sobbing in Adriana's arms, as JD and Ezra watched. JD knew this. He could see it in Vin's eyes. Suddenly angry, and not knowing why, JD seized his friend's arms and hissed, "You listen to me, Vin Tanner. Nothing can make me think less of you, do you understand me? As far as I'm concerned, you're the same man you've always been. I always knew you were one of the strongest, most capable men I'd ever met ... and you proved me right again last night. You should have died, Vin. But you're alive."
"I'm alive because Adriana and Laertes rescued me," Vin corrected. JD sighed. He knew that was true. But that wasn't the whole truth.
Yes, they rescued him, but Vin made the decision to keep fighting ... he made the decision to live, that wasn't a decision they made for him. That was what he told his friend now, saying, "You're right. You do owe your life to them. But you kept fighting after they rescued you. You didn't give up, Vin! That's what makes you strong! You didn't give up then, and you could have. I won't let you give up now."
"Can ya still say that, JD ... after what ya heard last night? After what ya saw? Me bawlin' like a kid in Drina's arms?" Vin asked, fresh tears sparkling in his eyes. JD resisted the temptation to pull Vin into his arms, understanding and accepting that such an action would only humiliate his friend, instead of comforting him. Instead, JD reached his hand out, slipping it around the back of Vin's neck.
"Yes," he said simply, his hazel eyes meeting Vin's blue eyes, "yes, I can. Because I think about what you must have gone through, and I know ... I know, Vin, that I'm not as strong as you are. We hurt you, Vin. Buck and Nathan may have made the decision to hand you over to those bounty hunters, but we all hurt you. We weren't there when you needed us, and you're the one who paid the price for our betrayal. You didn't deserve any of this, Vin."
He took a deep breath, then said, "What do you say, we finish this? If last night's dinner is any indication, Miss Drina is a fine cook." A familiar, crooked smile lit the tired face, and Vin nodded as JD helped him into his shirt. Fully dressed, he looked a little less vulnerable, a little less fragile, and more like the Vin who aided him when Conklin and the other men in town would have tried to set Lucas James free.
"She's a purty good cook, but stay outta her way when she uses that rifle. She's gotta be the worst shot I ever saw when it comes to that thin.' Ya know, she's gotta fire at somethin' nearby if she wants to hit her target?" Vin replied, shaking his head. JD grinned as he laced one of Vin's arms over the back of his shoulders. He was glad he knew that now. Things would have really gotten ugly the previous day.
Vin added with a smirk, "Reckon it's even worse, 'cause I done taught her how to shoot a rifle. Cain't for the life of me figger out what I done wrong when I's teachin' her." He shook his head, shutting his eyes when the pain cracked through his skull. He faltered in his step, and JD caught him easily. He held Vin as his friend regained his balance. When Vin opened his eyes, all the laughter was gone and he whispered, "Tell me true, JD. Did Chris tell Buck and Nathan to turn me over to them bounty hunters, 'cause a' Charlotte and what I done?"
Vin still thought Chris let him be taken. JD had been told that he couldn't tell Vin the truth, not yet. But with those words, his friend made it that much harder for JD to keep the secret. Vin wasn't ready, he was told. But he continued to think he was abandoned and betrayed because of something he did. Could JD let Vin continue believing that? Should he allow Chris to continue to take responsibility for something he hadn't done?
JD didn't know. All he knew at that moment was, Vin's blue eyes were locked on his own hazel eyes, pleading with him to make him understand.
JD said softly, "No, Vin. None of us hold that against you. You came back for us, Vin. And you left with us. That's what matters. None of us did this to punish you. And if I had stayed in Four Corners, like Chris wanted me to, I could have protected you. You're my friend, Vin, my brother. And families take care of each other. Drina said last night that you and she became family in those years you rode together. Well, you're my family now."
Vin nodded his understanding slowly, whispering, "Thanks, kid." JD smiled weakly, then helped Vin the rest of the way into the kitchen. They found Laertes, Adriana, and Laura already there with Ezra. Laura was seated on Ezra's lap as the gambler told a story of his days in New Orleans ... edited, no doubt, for little ears. Adriana was just sitting down, and she looked up with a smile as the pair entered the room.
She looked better this morning as well. Less tired. Maybe even less burdened? JD didn't think the fire was her fault. And she probably didn't know that half the inmates escaped the fire. Ezra blew that last possibility to hell when he told the young woman, "I must say, Miss Adriana, you do look better. If I had known sooner that you blamed yourself for the deaths of those unfortunates, I would have told you what Miss Aurora told me."
"It's not your fault, Ezra ... I've been distracted lately, and Aurora probably told me, but I wasn't paying attention. I've got a bad habit of doing that. Thank you for telling me. Even though they escaped, the fire is still my fault. Morning JD, morning Vin ... you look better this morning, Kevin," Adriana said, grinning impishly as JD settled Vin into a chair. JD looked from the lady of the house to his friend, and caught Vin scowling at her.
"So, you gonna explain why you call him 'Kevin,' or do we have to guess?" Laertes asked as JD sat down beside Vin. The young sheriff grinned, since he was thinking the same thing. Laertes passed a plate of biscuits to JD, who accepted it eagerly. He loved biscuits, and while no one cooked as good as Miss Nettie, JD knew that Miss Drina's cooking wouldn't make him sick.
The lady of the house smiled serenely and replied, "That's his name. Kevin Tanner." JD looked up ... how in the hell did someone from Texas end up with an Irish first name? Perhaps seeing his confusion, Adriana explained, "You ever hear of the San Patricios?" JD shook his head, frowning thoughtfully, and Adriana continued, licking honey from her fingers, "I heard about them while I was in Mexico. The San Patricios was a unit of Irish soldiers who fought for Santa Ana during the war back in the '40's. Seems one of 'em saved the life of one Julia Tanner, before he joined up with the San Patricios. She repaid him by naming her only son after him."
"Your name is Kevin, Mr. Tanner? Not Vincent?" Ezra asked in amazement. Vin nodded, scowling at his long time friend. Ezra sat back, frowning, then said, "In a curious way, it does make sense. A child may find it difficult to pronounce his name, and an abbreviated form is used instead. You call Miss Adriana 'Drina,' a corruption of her given name." JD rolled his eyes. Buck had it right, at least one thing. Ezra was a windbag. JD stifled that thought, not wanting to think about Buck at all this morning. The morning was going well, and he didn't want to spoil a perfectly good day.
He tuned the others out as Ezra began teasing Vin about his real name. Although, JD couldn't quite tune out Ezra's yelp of pain when someone kicked him under the table. However, he focused on the problem at hand. Something had to be done about Vin and Chris, and soon. Vin could not continue thinking that Chris abandoned him, or that he had done something wrong, something to deserve this. A meeting had to be arranged. The question was, how?
Four days after first riding onto the property of Laertes Townsend and Adriana Wilmington, Chris Larabee was pumping water for Laertes. He asked the big man if there was anything he could do to help around the house. Cut firewood, anything. He had to do something, to deal with this guilt and rage, after everything that he had been hearing lately. His little princess confirming what he feared ... that she was sold to white slavers when she disappeared. But that wasn't all. Vin's nightmares, then the details of his rescue. The details of his imprisonment. The suspicion that the fire at the prison camp was deliberately set.
The physical labor gave him a chance to think it through. The more he thought about it, the more it seemed likely that the prison camp fire was another part of someone's greater plan. The fire would have happened, regardless of the rescue. He told Laertes that, told him that Josiah was conducting an investigation. Yes. This was looking more and more likely that this was part of a larger plan ... and somehow, destroying the Seven from the inside out played into that.
But why? Revenge? Was Four Corners more valuable than they realized? No ... no, that didn't feel right. If this was about Four Corners, someone would have already made their move. This was about revenge. As he pumped, he continued to sort through the past year in his mind. Eli Joe was dead. Yates was in prison. Coltrane was dead. Guy Royal was still at large, but this was a bit grand, even for him. Even if he did have as much reason to hate Vin as the late and unlamented Reverend Moseley did.
Rupert Browner. The former railroad boss. He was in prison, the last Chris heard. But that proved absolutely nothing. It was still possible. And trying to figure this all out was giving Chris Larabee a huge headache. That, and trying to gauge Adriana's reaction. Just how long would it take before she would break down and start talking to him? He wasn't good at talking. Especially not when it came to trying to apologize to someone he loved. But he didn't like things as they were. Something had to give.
During the last few days, he caught her watching him in confusion, as if she was trying to figure things out. Trying to ... Chris didn't know. He did know that she had to approach him on her terms, or they would never get anywhere.
The same held true with Vin. He knew the tracker well enough to know that if Vin wanted to talk to Chris, he would do so, no matter what Adriana said. And she told him that Vin's wishes came first. Regardless of how she felt about him and the others, Vin's wishes came first. The tracker wasn't ready to talk to him. Chris was sure of that. If he was, then either Adriana or Laertes would have said something to him. They had not.
Which meant for the moment, Chris Larabee was totally helpless. He could still investigate the fire, and look into who was behind this. But he couldn't repair his relationship with his best friend or his little sister. That put him in a very, very bad mood. And not even the strenuous activity of pumping water could alleviate his mood. The harder he pumped, the more he thought. And the more he thought, the angrier he became.
He was angry with himself, for not asking more questions. He was angry with Nathan and Buck for the decisions they made and for lying to Vin. He was angry with Ezra for not trying harder to stop them. He was angry with the majority of the town for failing to stand up for someone who risked his life to protect them. He was angry with Vin for thinking somehow this was his fault. He was angry with Adriana for not accepting that he would never hurt Vin, not deliberately. And then he became angry with himself all over again for being angry with Adriana for that reason.
What reason did she have to trust him? Ezra and JD told him that she knew he didn't agree to Vin's abandonment. Laertes confirmed that, telling him that she did know, but was having a hard time accepting it. Chris abandoned her, why shouldn't she believe that he abandoned Vin? Especially when he did. He should have forgotten about the wire and just come straight here, as soon as he found out that Vin was gone. Fuck that, he should have taken Vin with him in the first place to Eagle Bend, then none of this would have happened!
"Goddammit!" he screamed, releasing the pump and staggering back several steps. He fell to his knees, trembling. He wanted the last few weeks to be nothing more than a bad dream. He wanted to be back at Four Corners, drinking in the saloon, listening to Vin's wry remarks and sparring with Mary over her independent nature. Damn woman seemed to have a death wish sometimes, and wouldn't let him protect her.
He wanted to take Billy fishing, he wanted to watch JD's attempts to court Casey. Goddammit, he just wanted things to go back the way they were! There was a part of Chris which wanted to drown himself in drink. Wanted to drink away the anguish and rage and guilt he had been feeling for the last week. But he had been down that road once before, and he knew it wouldn't help. It wouldn't help him, and it wouldn't help Vin.
Because even as some of the fury receded, it was replaced by guilt. Vin was still weak, it would take him probably a few months to fully regain his strength. According to Laertes, he and Adriana were talking about heading to Tascosa once Vin had his strength back. Adriana was riding with Vin at the time, and she could clear his name once and for all. She was with him the night Jess Kincaid was killed.
Which was something Chris hadn't known, but it didn't really surprise him that Vin never told him. Regardless of his own reputation, Vin had no intention of allowing anyone else to sacrifice himself or herself to save him. Chris knew that from experience.
Vin didn't want her to tell anyone in the first place, because he feared for her reputation. Laertes sighed that after what she went through in the last four years, she didn't care about her reputation any more. And her offer healed Vin's wounded spirit ... after the betrayal of the others, Adriana's offer was just what Vin needed. Someone who would put his well-being and freedom before her own reputation.
"Chris? You okay?" a soft voice asked. Chris looked up, trying to blink back the tears, to find JD standing at his side. The boy said softly, "It's real easy to get dirt in your eyes." Chris smiled faintly at the boy, appreciating JD's attempt, even though it wasn't necessary.
"I came out to get you ... Vin's ready to talk," the young sheriff continued after a moment. He kept his eyes fixed on Chris as he said, "We were talkin' earlier, and Vin said that the longer you went without talking, the worse it would be. He still ain't real strong, so he's back in his room." Back in his room? JD explained, "He's starting to eat with us at the breakfast table, starting a few mornings ago. It always wears him out. He goes back to his room and sleeps after breakfast. He just woke up a bit ago. He says Drina does that, lets him push himself a little, so he can build his strength back up gradually."
Vin was ready to talk. The words which Chris had been wanting to hear for the last few days. Had it only been four days? It seemed more like four weeks to the gunslinger, or more. JD's eyes never left his, and it occurred to Chris that maybe the boy was lying. And yet ... and yet, it sounded like Vin. He didn't dance around painful subjects ... he either met them head on, or told someone to mind their own business.
He had only to remember the two times they truly clashed ... Charlotte and Ella. Funny, they never clashed over Mary, or any other women. Then again, Mary would do just about anything for Vin. And he would do anything for her. Maybe knowing that, Chris should have seen the mess with the wagon train coming. But while Chris felt sorry for Charlotte's plight, he was ultimately more worried about Vin. His worst fear came true, when Vin realized that Charlotte still loved her husband. Chris didn't doubt that Charlotte had cared for Vin. But her place was ultimately at her husband's side, while Vin's place was with them.
His place is still with us, Chris thought, and I have to figure out how to convince him of that. He knew it was entirely likely that Vin would still choose to ride away from them all. That he would go with Adriana, Laertes, and Laura to Tascosa, no matter what Chris said. That was what made this meeting so terribly urgent. The leader of the Seven had the sense that time was running out. And Chris had to keep what little remained of the Seven intact. Moreover, as selfish as he was being, he knew he needed Vin.
But what if JD is lying? The boy was meeting his eyes steadily, and JD had never lied to him before. In the end, however, it was Larabee's own need to talk to his best friend that won out. He nodded to JD and headed for the house. A quick glance around told him that Adriana was hanging out laundry ... when she wasn't chasing Laura around, much to that little girl's delight. Yeah, that was Vin ... he'd make sure they wouldn't be disturbed. And Adriana was beginning to remind him as much of a mama bear as anything else.
That wasn't an insult. There were far worse things to call a woman, including 'bitch.' And Adriana was no Ella Gaines. She was trying to take care of Vin. She hadn't even shut them all out. She allowed JD and Ezra in to see Vin, on Vin's say-so. But she still reminded him of a mama bear protecting her cubs. Just like Mary when there was some sort of threat to Billy, whether real or perceived.
He slipped into the house. There. The door was open. Chris debated about whether or not he should make his presence known to Vin. He had no way of knowing if his friend had his mare's leg nearby, and Vin was a sharpshooter ... at this distance, there was no way he would miss. He slowly approached the door and looked inside, to find Vin lying on his side. The earlier, niggling doubts returned. Vin was asleep. And after the nightmares Chris heard over the last few nights, Vin needed all the sleep he could get. Chris moved back ... and Vin's eyes flew open.
The two men stared at each other for several, breathless moments. It was the first time Chris had seen Vin from a short distance. They were only a few feet apart. He was right ... there were circles under his eyes. With the nightmares he'd been having, it was no wonder. There were fresh lines of pain around his mouth. Fresh pain shadowing his eyes. After several moments, Vin whispered, "Chris?"
For several moments, for several heartbeats, there were no other words spoke as Chris and Vin stared at each other. For those moments, Chris could almost believe that everything would be all right ... that Vin could forgive him for failing to protect him. Until the familiar blue eyes hardened with an unfamiliar fury, and Vin growled, "Come to finish me off, Larabee?" Chris took a step back, shocked by the waves of fury coming from the other man.
JD had lied. The question was, why? If Vin wasn't ready to talk to him ... and he wasn't, Chris could see the shock in Vin's eyes at first ... then why did JD say he was? Chris swallowed hard, answering, "JD told me you were ready to talk. Looks like he set me up ... set us both up. I'm sorry, Vin. I didn't mean to disturb you." Now there was an understatement. Disturb him? Apparently, Vin thought so as well.
He sat up in the bed, one hand going to his injured ribs, and hissed, "Ya ain't gettin' off that easy, Larabee. Ya never answered my question. Why'd y'all come here? What do ya want from me?" Vin pushed himself to his feet, pain flashing across his face. Chris would have gone to his side, to help him, but the glare he received from the young tracker could have frozen lava. Hell, it could beat his Larabee glare any day of the week. But how did he answer Vin? What exactly did he want? He wanted his best friend back. And Chris had no idea how to do that. Talking wasn't his strong point, which was why he now found himself fumbling with words.
"We wanted to ... hell, Vin. When we got back from Eagle Bend, and found out that you had been taken ... I should have left straightaway. Forget the wire, just go. I let you down. When they told me that you were dead ... I should have ... there are so many things I should have done. I should have never told Nathan that I trusted him to do right by you. Should have come back to town as soon as I knew you were sick ... should have never left without you in the first place," Chris said.
He couldn't get a handle on his thoughts, things were being said before he had a chance to check them. Vin asked harshly, "What the hell are ya talkin' 'bout, Larabee? I don't 'member much else, but I do 'member Nathan tellin' me that ya said ta turn me over to them bounty hunters. Hell, Larabee, if I was that worthless to y'all, maybe ya shoulda told 'im to leave me out in the woods to die."
Vin shook his head, an obscene parody of a smile crossing his face as he added, "God knows, that woulda been a helluva kinder. Reckon I'd rather die under the stars than find m'self shackled down like some animal caught in a trap. Damn you, Larabee." The last three words were hissed. Chris recoiled, not just at the hatred in his best friend's voice, but at the suggestion that they should have let Vin die and at the imagery created in his mind, of Vin caught in a steel trap. And yet ... wasn't that exactly what happened? Wasn't that what he went through in Jericho?
Chris said softly, very softly, "I don't know how to tell you this, pard. Nathan lied to you back in town. I never told him to hand you over to them bounty hunters. I made a mistake, yes, one helluva mistake, when I told him that I trusted him to do right by you. But I never even knew that the bounty hunters were in town. Would never tell him to do that. And you're worth a helluva lot, Vin Tanner, a lot more than five hundred measly dollars and that entire town put together. Buck and Nathan, they don't ride with us no more. I just let them come along, so they could see what they did to you."
"That right? What about Charlotte? What about Eli Joe, what about Chanu? What about me missin' Ella Gaines? I ain't like you, Larabee, I got no problem with shootin' someone in the back. Ain't that an embarrassment? Goddammit, Chris! I thought I could depend on you. I thought ... " Vin began. Another flash of pain crossed his face, but Vin stood his ground. And Chris didn't move.
"What the ... Larabee, what the hell are you doing in here? Vin ... " Adriana exclaimed from behind them. Chris turned as she entered the room, twin spots of fury blazing on her cheeks. She quickly circled around Chris, her eyes wary, as if he was a rabid dog who might bite her, then went to Vin's side. He held out his hand, shaking his head at the same time, and she stopped where she stood, looking from him to Chris and back again. She breathed, "So this is why JD tried to keep me out of the house."
"I got it under control, Drina," Vin said softly. Adriana looked at him for several moments, barely breathing. And then she nodded. She trusted him enough to let him take care of this, even thought he was still shaky, even though he was still weak. Total trust. Total respect. Not unlike the relationship Chris had enjoyed with Vin, up until six weeks ago. For the first time since learning of Vin's past with Adriana, Chris wondered exactly what their relationship had been like, during those two years they rode together.
But that wasn't his business. Chris said softly, "You are no embarrassment to me. To any of us. We should be the ones to be embarrassed, not you. Yeah, you've made mistakes, but so have we. So have I." Ella Gaines came immediately to mind. He added, trying to tease his friend, "Besides, everybody knows that bounty hunters don't have codes."
Wrong thing to say. He realized it as soon as the words were out of his mouth. Even before the blue eyes widened, even before he heard a sharp intake of breath, even before the remaining color left Vin's face. But the young tracker answered in an icy voice, "Ya 'xpect me to believe ya didn't tell Nathan to turn me over to them bounty hunters? All this time, this is what ya really thought a' me? And ya 'xpect me to believe ya now? Go ta hell, Larabee!"
Chris started to speak, started to deny it, and Vin asked hoarsely, "That why ya really come back, Larabee? Y'all heard about the fire, and ya figgered it was an easy way to git that five hundred dollars? Just finish what the bounty hunters started?" He wasn't talking sense ... but Chris realized with a start that to Vin, nothing made sense any more. Why should it? And for Chris to say that Vin had no code, even as a joke ... that had been pure stupidity on his part.
Chris was paralyzed with self-hatred and guilt. God, why had he said something so stupid? Vin slowly shook his head, pain twisting his face, and he whispered, "Long time ago, Chris, ya laid a choice out fer me. 'Member that? 'Member what ya said to me?" Chris remembered. Remembered the choice Vin made. And the young tracker hissed, "I need ta know I kin depend on ya, Chris. Lemme know when I kin."
Chris wondered a bit dazedly if his own words had hurt Vin as much as the return volley did. Let me know when I can. Chris understood what Vin was telling him. I need to know I can depend on you ... let me know when I can. Chris had to earn Vin's trust. And that didn't mean telling him that Nathan and Buck were the ones who made the decision to hand Vin over to the bounty hunters. Chris had failed Vin, too.
"Drina," Vin choked out, his face ashen. Chris looked up as his friend started wobbling. Adriana was at his side in a moment, arms slipping around his waist. Vin leaned heavily against her, whispering, "I ain't feelin' so good. Reckon ya kin help me back to bed?" She whispered something Chris couldn't hear, and eased Vin's arm over the back of her own shoulders.
Let me know when I can depend on you. Well, Chris thought, there's no time like the present. Adriana was supporting the majority of Vin's weight, even though he tried to keep himself upright. She was a small woman, several inches shorter than Vin and lighter. She would make one helluva effort, but she needed help. She had been carrying the burden of Vin's care ever since the rescue.
It was time the leader of the Seven started acting instead of talking. Vin needed to know he could trust Chris? Then Chris would prove it to him ... one action at a time. With that decided, Chris took several steps forward and put his arm around Vin's waist, taking some of the weight from Adriana. He was careful not to touch Vin's broken ribs, and he caught Adriana staring at him around Vin, her expression confused.
But they moved forward, tenderly easing Vin back into bed. Adriana quickly covered him up, then warming him with her own body. Larabee's work was done for the moment here. Vin trusted Adriana, he needed her. And Chris needed to have a little talk with JD. He caught Adriana's eye and mouthed, 'take care of him.'
She nodded, and Chris swept from the room, trying to dampen the anger which was now being directed toward JD. The gunslinger was quietly fuming, and when Laertes approached him, Chris growled, "Not now. I have some accounts to settle with one of my men. Make sure Vin's okay." He steamed right past Laertes, his eyes sweeping around to locate JD. It wasn't necessary. JD found him.
The boy approached him, his hazel eyes unusually bright, and asked, "Did you guys talk, get everything settled, Chris?" Larabee simply glowered at him. He was trying to keep his temper. Oh, how he was trying! From the corner of his eye, he saw Buck approaching, a worried expression on his face. Go ahead, he thought, go ahead and say something, Buck! I'm just dying to rip you a new asshole!
He said evenly, "You lied to me, JD. You told me that Vin was ready to talk. He's lying in bed right now, shaking, because you set both of us up. He wasn't ready, JD! He has had shit from the last month to deal with, and then you pushed him into a confrontation before he was ready for it! Not only that, but you managed to blow your credibility with Adriana! She knows you set this up ... and she ain't gonna trust you again any time soon, I know!"
Buck was now standing just a few feet away, looking from one to another. He said, "JD didn't mean no harm ... " His words trailed off as both Chris and JD looked at him, twin expressions of contempt in both sets of eyes. And then Buck's expression hardened as he hissed, "Dammit, that does it! I've had it with being treated like shit ... I done told you I was sorry for what I done to Vin! We were wrong, we coulda found another way to protect the town!"
"No shit, Buck," JD fired back scathingly, "I coulda told ya that a long time ago! In fact, if I remember correctly, I did tell you!" Buck's dark blue eyes flashed with hurt and anger. JD turned his attention back to Chris, saying, "He asked me earlier, if you let Buck and Nathan turn him over to the bounty hunters, 'cause a' what happened with Charlotte. You guys had to talk! I couldn't let him keep thinking that you had anything to do with this, and I couldn't let him think that he deserved to be hurt like this."
"Yes, we had to talk ... but it had to be on his terms, JD! Not yours, not mine ... his! You took that away from him! You pushed him into a confrontation, before he was ready for it. Hell, he can't even stand up without someone helping him, did you really think he was ready to deal with everything else? He had to do this on his terms!" Chris retorted. He saw comprehension starting to dawn in the eyes of the boy, and Chris sighed, "This ain't just your fault, kid. It's mine, too. My gut told me that you were lying to me, but I went ahead, 'cause it was what I wanted to believe, too. That Vin was ready."
"I'm sorry, Chris. I just couldn't stand to see Vin hurting so bad, and not be able to help him," JD murmured. Chris sighed, nodding his understanding. They both heard the creaking of the wood, and they looked up as Adriana came out onto the porch. Her eyes were cold as ice as she looked at all three of them. Chris braced himself for the tirade which he knew to be imminent. JD looked at her, swallowing hard as he said, "I'm so sorry, Miss Adriana. This is my fault. I lied to Chris, I told him that Vin was ready to talk to him. I didn't think about how hard it would be for Vin. I didn't think, period."
Adriana simply nodded. She looked from Chris and JD to Buck, and her face tightened. For the first time, she spoke to him, asking, "What are you still doing here? You've seen that Vin is still alive ... what else do you want from him? Forgiveness?" She laughed bitterly, shaking her head, and said, "You know, I really have to hand it to you, Buck. Only you would abandon someone because they embarrassed you, then come back expecting to be forgiven. Not asking. Expecting." Buck jerked back, as if she struck him. And at the same time, it hit Chris. Vin said something similar, about him embarrassing them ... being an embarrassment to them. Was it possible that he picked that up from Adriana?
But he replied, "I ain't expectin' nothin,' DeeDee. I'm here because I done wrong by Vin, and I gotta fix that. Just like Mama taught us both." He licked his lips, swallowed hard, then added, "I done wrong by you, too, DeeDee." Chris wasn't entirely sure why, but he had a terrible feeling Buck just said the wrong thing when he called her by that old nickname. Adriana's hands tightened into fists at her sides as she swept down the porch stairs, until she stood on the last step.
"Don't call me that. DeeDee no longer exists. She died in that hellhole a year and a half ago. She died, because her brother didn't think she was worth saving. There is nothing of DeeDee left," Adriana snarled. That wasn't true. Chris knew that wasn't true, he saw that little girl the previous night. Heard her laughter. But this confrontation had been coming for a long time. He and Buck failed Adriana, not just eighteen months earlier, but when they allowed her to be sold to white slavers. They failed to protect her then, as well.
"You will always be DeeDee to me, little sister. And that ain't true. I didn't know you were alive ... they told me that you were dead. I came for you, baby girl, and they told me that you were gone. I should have asked to take your body home with me, I should have gotten you out of there," Buck answered. Now Chris felt as if he was the one intruding. This wasn't the time or the place for this conversation between the siblings. Once again, Buck was trying to do this on his terms, instead of the terms of the person he hurt.
"And you just believed them. Never stopped to think that maybe they were lying to you? I was in the next room, Buck! I heard your voice! And I heard you walk away ... I heard you say that they could keep me!" Adriana hissed. Chris looked away, unable to bear the anguish in her eyes. Adriana shook her head, choking out, "I knew I couldn't count on Chris. I knew he was drowning in liquor, 'cause of Sarah and Adam's deaths. I knew that. But I thought you loved me, at least a little bit, Buck!"
And that was what it came down to, wasn't it? The name varied. Chris raised his eyes to look at the girl whom he loved as a little sister. Tears that she didn't seem aware of were running down her cheeks. He didn't call attention to those tears, because he knew an old wound was finally being lanced. Buck answered softly, "I do love you, baby girl. I've always loved you. I couldn't bear to think of seein' you dead, and that's why I left. Not because I didn't love you. It was because I loved you too much."
"It doesn't matter any more," Adriana rasped out, "it doesn't matter any more, because I don't care. I don't care. I won't ever let you hurt me again, Buck, and I'll kill you before I let you hurt Vin again. Vin's asleep now. Laertes is with him. He knows what happened. He won't let any of you near him. Vin asked him to keep you away. I have to go."
With that, she brushed past all three of them, her attention focused solely on the horses. Chris understood what she planned to do. She needed to get away, needed to clear her head. Vin did the same thing when he felt like he couldn't breathe. But he didn't think that was the trouble with Adriana right now. He waited until she was on one of the horses, then told JD, "You stay here. I'm going to make sure she's all right. No one is goin' in to see Vin until he's ready, is that clear? You do what Laertes says."
JD nodded, then Chris strode toward his own horse. The last few days had been topsy-turvy, to say the least. A pair of tumultuous reunions, with his best friend and his baby sister. And Chris still didn't know who poisoned Vin, and set these events into motion. But he would find out. He catapulted onto his horse, then guided the animal in the direction he saw Adriana take. This wasn't over. Not by a long shot. No one tried to take Chris Larabee's family from him without some sort of consequences. No one.
To be continued in the final story of this trilogy, Road to Hell : Reconciliation
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