Disclaimer: All the characters from the "Magnificent Seven" T.V. series are property of Trilogy Entertainment, The Mirisch Group, MGM Worldwide. Please note that the character of Amanda in this story draws its inspiration from the short story written by SuLu of the same name.
The mood had been set.
In her nursery, Elena was fast asleep and would be (hopefully) for at least the next three hours. The anticipation Buck felt after Inez had whispered gently in his ear, with soft tones of seduction oozing from every word was enough to make him pass out from the sheer expectation of it. Intimacy had been impossible following the birth of the baby, and Buck had not been so forward as to impress his desires upon his wife before she was ready. After all, though they were married and had conceived a child together, they had only made love once during all that time. Their marriage had come so quickly upon them, there was little time to familiarize themselves with the physical intimacy that came with long standing relationships.
It appeared she was quite willing to accommodate him tonight, and for a man who until a few months ago was accustomed to spending almost every night with a woman, the fast had been long and painful. Still, he had been determined to prove to Inez that he could be faithful to her throughout the length of her pregnancy and was equally careful not to rush her after the baby had been born. Besides the physical after effects of birth, which she had to recover from, Buck knew that it was a big step to move into this phase of their relationship, so he had been determined not to rush.
However, as he imagined her waiting for him in their bedroom, dusky skin bare, recalling that blissful night together where she had taken charge and led him into the most searing sexual experience of his life, Buck felt his heart pounding with anticipation. He pictured her smooth skin under his hands again, the curve of her breast in his palms and the mind numbing pleasure of her incredible lips delivering ecstasy. Letting out a deep sigh as he went to join her inside the bedroom, he could see the crack of amber light emanating from the door that was slightly ajar. Swallowing deeply and praying to God if he was up there to let his little Rose sleep peacefully in her crib for at least an hour, Buck entered the room and scented the slight whiff of something sweet in the air.
Inez, was waiting for him in bed, not dressed and only partially covered by a thin sheet of cotton that exposed enough for him to take a deep breath at the sight of her glorious curves. While he could not see all of her, he saw enough to remind himself why he was such a lucky man. The pregnancy had affected her figure only slightly, with very few stretch marks, but to Buck they were hardly noticeable and he envisioned tracing the outline of each one with his fingertips when he finally was allowed to explore her.
"Are you sure?" he asked breathlessly, not wishing to sound overly eager, even though she was killing him with anticipation.
"Its time Buck," she whispered with a look of yearning in her eyes that almost brought him undone.
"You ain't hearing any argument from me," he grinned as he closed the door behind him and made another silent prayer that he was willing to do anything for the Amighty tomorrow.
Just as long as he was not interrupted tonight.
"This has never happened to me before." Ezra Standish said dumbfounded as he sat up in bed, looking mystified by the most embarrassing situation to ever befall him in his adult life.
"Ezra, its not a big deal." Julia said sympathetically, never knowing what to say to a man in situations like this. Not that it had happened to her that many times in the past. It was so hard...oh wrong choice of words...so difficult to know how to assuage an ego after such an undignified moment. Inwardly, Julia would not have minded an early night anyway, which was probably why she was in such good humor about this instead of being offended. However, she had to admit a certain amount of wicked amusement in how desponded he looked as he sat up in bed, legs folded, without a stitch on, trying to work out why he had not...well had felt...damn, she was not good at this!
"It is to me." he grumbled, not wishing to be unkind, but his nerves were rather frayed at the moment. Here was the woman he loved, naked before him, luminous skin waiting for his touch, with that fiery colored hair and those amazing eyes staring at him without a hint of reproach at his inability to...oh this was so humiliating! What was wrong with him? He felt the desire for her that he always did, wanted more than anything to make love him and yet as he looked down, nothing was happening! Not even the slightest reaction!
"Look," she sidled up to him and wrapped her arms around his shoulders and kissed the tender skin behind his neck which usually produced the results lacking at the moment and the cause of so much embarrassment. "Sometimes these things just happen, maybe you are a little tired."
"I do not recall having a problem like this before." he said, folding his arms and curling his lips into the slightest hint of a pout as if he were a little boy preparing to throw a tantrum. "I am at the prime of my life! This is the sort of thing that happens to older men not me!" he declared with exasperation.
Julia rolled her eyes, wondering if it was best to just give up on this whole idea of trying to make him feel better. "Maybe you were trying too hard..."
He winced at her choice of words and gave her a look that spoke volumes.
"Oh boy." she swore under her breath. "I meant to say that maybe you should relax and we'll try again later. I'm sure things will be alright once you get your mind off it." Julia let out a sigh of relief at being able to deliver that sentence without invoking any mental picture that would only make things worse.
"I just do not comprehend why this would happen. I am not under any extraordinary pressure, in fact events at present are transpiring as I always wanted. I just do not understand how this could happen." He continued to ramble, "I have never had any trouble in that area in my entire life. I mean its not like I have not managed to perform prior to this, and you are certainly not ugly or undesirable."
"Thanks." Julia said unamused, but reminding herself that this was a sensitive issue and involuntarily found herself thinking with a sadistic smile, apparently not sensitive enough, that he was going through something difficult and she should be more supportive. "Well I think we should just get some sleep, we can try again in the morning and I'm sure you'll be up to your old self again."
Damn! She groaned at the use of the word up and saw him stiffen with annoyance at that word. She was just no good at this! "I mean not up but back, that's what I meant, back to your old self again." Julia tried to recover but could see him starting to climb out of bed in reaction to those words. Despite the absurdity of the whole situation, she knew that this was indeed a humiliating experience for him and her making light of things was probably not going to help. "Ezra, I'm sorry. Just come back to bed, please?" She implored. "I didn't mean to embarrass you!"
Unfortunately, Ezra was not listening and was already striding out of the room, bundle of clothes in hand, with his chin raised high, since nothing else was going to be doing that tonight. "I'll see you tomorrow." he replied as he paused at the door.
"Okay," she conceded, understanding his need for some time alone. "Just don't worry too much about it please, I'm sure this is just temporary. You're just having a bad spell. It happens to everybody at some point, I mean men that is. Women are lucky, we can fake it..."
At this point, she decided to just shut up and let him go.
He could not believe this was happening.
JD and Casey were sitting by the creek near the Well's place. She had snuck out of her bedroom and they were both dipping their feet in cool water as they talked about all manner of things familiar to young love as they watched the moonlit sky high above their heads. She was wearing a dress for a change with her hair loose, and Casey never looked prettier than when she wore her hair down. Waves of mahogany crowned her smooth skin and JD wanted nothing more than to bury his hands in those silky strands.
He had been behaving like the perfect gentleman when suddenly Casey had leaned over and kissed him, which was completely out of character for her. He felt his head swim as she kissed him gently, as unsure about initiating contact as he was about receiving it. He closed his eyes and felt her tongue probe nervously past his teeth, tasting him as her lips parted wider and she delivered to him a soul searching kiss of passion. JD thought he might just die from the pleasure of her mouth exploring his so delicately. Instinctively, his hand reached up to cup her breast and was even further surprised when she did not slap him or worse yet, push him into the creek. Through the rough fabric of her dress, he could feel the curve of her breast and instinctively squeezed gently.
"Oh JD." She moaned in his mouth and a surge of passion flared from his finger tips which burned with sensation of her softness in his hand and traveled up his arms before centering in that part of him below the waist where there could be no doubt of his arousal.
Except nothing happened.
JD was a healthy young man with all the urges and predilections that came of having raging hormones. Until now and he was even certain that his circumstance was about to change, he had been the only one present at his sexual awakening and he knew enough about his responses to pleasure to be certain that everything was working. However, at a time when he really needed to have everything performing as usual, nothing was happening!
He was so shocked that he broke the kiss between himself and Casey and glanced at his groin, confused and bewildered why he was not suffering a raging erection by now. How many times had he sat up and dreamed about touching Casey this way. There were times when just the idea of making love to her was enough to make his body react. He could not fathom why his body was acting this way.
"Is something wrong JD?" Casey stared at him anxiously, worried that she might have done something wrong. She was so aroused by his mouth against hers that she was actually considering going further tonight than just a kiss. After all, she was certainly old enough and as she had once said to Vin Tanner, prior to reducing the man to a gibbering wreck, she had wild oats of her own to sow. She was intent on sowing them tonight.
"No," JD shook his head, having no idea how he was going to explain it to her. "I'm just fine." He smiled nervously and resumed kissing her, this time taking the initiative in an attempt to engender more of a response from himself. His tongue slipped past her teeth and he devoured her lips in a clumsy attempt to inflame his passion. His fingers snaked past the fabric of her dress and waited for Casey to say stop, but she did not. Eventually, he touched skin and managed to slip most of his fingers past the neck line of her dress until his finger tips grazed the tight bud of her nipple. She arched into his hand upon contact and JD could not believe she was letting him go as far as this and possibly further, when he could do nothing about it.
It was not fair!
"Casey!" He quickly withdrew and jumped to his feet on the wooden platform upon which they were sitting. "We can't do this!" He replied, absolutely hating that he had to say these words.
"What is it JD?" she asked equally confused and not wanting him to stop when they were poised on the edge of something wonderful. "Don't you want to?" she asked, more than a little hurt.
"Oh God do I want to but I can't!" He exclaimed in frustration. "I don't know what's wrong with me but I can't!"
Casey, proving quite spectacularly the adage of hell hath no fury like a woman scorned, rose to her feet in a huff and adjusted her dress back into respectability. "Maybe you just don't want to!" She cried out, trying to hide her embarrassment and her tears. "Maybe, I'm not what you want!"
"Oh no Casey," JD cried horrified. "That ain't it at all. Its just..." He suddenly broke off in his explanation because he just could not tell her what was wrong.
"Oooh!" Casey fumed at his abrupt silence and took it completely opposite. Enraged, she stormed past him but not before she shoved him into the water.
The last thing JD Dunne saw of Casey as he plunged head first into the creek was Casey's skirt flouncing behind her as she walked into the night. As the water enveloped him beneath its dark surface, JD had only thing to say on this entire situation.
At least he did not need a cold shower.
Nathan Jackson was having a very amusing day.
Buck Wilmington was pacing the floor of his infirmary, looking as if he were about to jump out of his skin at the slightest sound. Even though he had been in Nathan's infirmary for the last ten minutes, pacing and fast threatening to wear a hole in the floorboards under his feet, Buck had yet to bring up the subject of his visit. Nathan who was at his desk, pouring over the books that he had been given to study for his accreditation examinations that were some months away, finally snapped the book closed in smug expectation of what Buck would tell him when the man finally worked up the nerve.
"Will you just tell me what's wrong?" Nathan asked finally, his patience at waiting, even though he knew why Buck was here, had finally run its course. "It there something wrong with Elena?" He prompted, hoping that would get things rolling.
"No." Buck snapped and struggled to reveal the specifics of his humiliation the night before. "The baby is fine and so Inez. It's me." he said reluctantly.
Nathan had to bite the inside of his cheek to keep from laughing because he was perfectly aware of why Buck was here, just as he had been prepared when JD Dunne had made his appearance this morning. The boy had been beside himself with panic at the possibility that some terrible affliction had befallen him after his experience last night with Casey. Nathan had been forced to keep a straight face throughout the entire interview, because he could not give himself away at least until Buck and Ezra had shown up. Strangely enough, Nathan had expected to see Buck here before Ezra considering what an inflated perception Buck had about his libido and his so called 'animal magnetism'. The gambler had an even worse time articulating his problem, which for Ezra, was saying something.
"What's wrong?" Nathan asked. "You feeling poorly?"
"Not exactly." Buck said uncomfortably and then knew he had no choice but to tell the healer if he wanted to help on this subject, no matter how unpleasant the idea of revealing such a thing might be. "I had a little trouble last night."
Nathan showed no reaction. "What kind trouble?" He pursed his lips in a fierce desire to remain sober in his expression.
"Well," Buck hid his face behind his hand as he explained. "I was all set to get to know my wife, you know, in the biblical way and nothing happened."
"She changed her mind?" Nathan asked innocently.
"No, she didn't change her mind!" he snapped. "Nothing happened with me!" he said, frustrated that he had to go into detail even further. Was this not humiliating enough as it was?
"Oh...you mean nothing happened?" Nathan said pretending to understand even though he had been aware of the situation since Alexandra Styles had dropped in on him yesterday afternoon and told him he might be getting these visits today.
"Yes," Buck rolled his eyes in exasperation. "Nothing happened? I mean I've never had a problem like that before. Ever! I mean what it if it's permanent? Inez was mighty disappointed! She actually thought that I might have been fooling around on her!"
It was getting too hard. Nathan's stomach muscles were starting to hurt from trying to keep himself composed. He took a deep breath in an effort to control the riotous laughter threatening to overflow from him at any moment. "It guess it was pretty embarrassing huh?" he managed to say in a calm voice.
"You damn right it is!" He growled back at the header. "I spent the rest of the night trying to convince Inez that I was faithful and that I hadn't lost interest because she had the baby!" Buck looked like he was in genuine distress and to that extent Nathan had to confess to feeling a little sorry for him. He supposed it was time to put the man out of his misery.
"Such things can be pretty humiliating," Nathan agreed and then raised his eyes with a hint of the devil in the smile that stole across his lips. "Almost as humiliating as being caught in a water tower without a stitch of clothing and being spied upon while having sex with someone."
Buck stared at him for a frozen moment as it started to dawn upon him what had happened. "Wait a minute..."
"Buck," Nathan eased into his chair with a widening grin on his face. "Never, ever mess with a doctor whose nurse also happens to be the bartender at the place you drink."
"You mean Rain slipped something in my beer?" Buck exclaimed, almost brought to the edge of stupefaction with this bit of information.
"Yep," the healer nodded. "You, Ezra and JD got a good dose of potassium nitrate."
"What the hell is that?" Buck almost squeaked.
"Its called salt peter and aside from being used as fertilizer," Nathan was reveling in the expression on Buck's face and almost wished he could be present when Buck finally brought the news to JD and Ezra. "It tends to kill a man's ability to ... rise to the occasion."
"Oh my god!" The big man gasped in plain horror that such a terrible substance could exist in nature. "It ain't permanent is it?" he asked, almost afraid to hear the answer.
"No," Nathan chuckled. "It should wear off by tonight." The healer started to cave into the absurdity of the situation. "I promised Miss Alex I wouldn't tell any of you what it was until I saw all of you. You think you had it bad, I think JD will be crying into his beer for the next year." Nathan laughed out loud, unrestrained in his complete enjoyment of his friends' discomfiture. Still, having heard what Buck, Ezra and JD had done to Vin and Alex a few nights ago, it was just punishment.
"I'm going to kill her." Buck fumed as he strode towards the door. "I swear to God, lady or not, I'm going to kill her!"
Five strangers entered the town of Four Corners in the late morning, dust trailing them in a small cloud as they made their way up the main street. There was a time when their arrival would have sparked interest by everyone in the locality of Four Corners. These days however, with the railway just beyond the horizon and new people moving in and out of the area on a daily basis, their arrival was just one of many groups moving in an out of town. The leader of this contingent, a heavyset man, stocky and well muscled from years of riding across one end of the west to the other, surveyed the town and saw a thriving community.
When he had been given the order to bring the criminal in, he had taken the liberty of investigating the man to be arrested. It always gave him a better sense of the prey when he knew something about them. What he learned did not make him happy to accept the assignment, but unfortunately his was not to question the decision of his superiors, no matter how it might make him feel personally. The person he was required to bring in was a young tracker who had been accused of murder. Such men usually went to ground and seldom limited themselves to one death. Someone who could kill a perfect stranger in exchange for a bounty that was hardly worth the price of a death sentence, was usually a habitual offender.
Vin Tanner did not seem that way.
What made the issue even more clouded was that Tanner had been cooling his heels in this community, acting as one of seven lawmen hired to protect the town from the bad element. Hardly the kind of behavior to support criminal tendencies. Federal Marshal Buford T Jamieson had seen enough strange circumstances to know that an innocent man could be blamed for a crime he did not commit, and by the same token, he had seen guilty men act as if they were responsible for nothing. It did not matter whether he believed Vin Tanner to be guilty or innocent, it was only his responsibility to make certain the man faced his judges in a courtroom.
The law could make its judgment then.
"Where do you think Tanner will be?" Langstrom, his Deputy Marshal inquired as he rode by Jamieson's gray mare. Unlike Jamieson, who had rough skin, was in his late fifties and moved surprisingly quick for a man his size, Langstrom, who was not a native of this country, had the fair look of his foreign origins.
"Well he is one of the lawmen in this town," Jamieson drawled and adjusted the wide brimmed hat on his head as he continued studying the town, taking note of where everything was. Even though he had doubts to Tanner's guilt in this matter, he anticipated trouble from the men with whom he rode, especially when the number of them was seven. "I'd say he would not be too much out of sight. We won't move in on him immediately, I want to make sure that we don't get a fight from his friends."
"You think they'll interfere?" Langstrom asked.
"Yeah, I think they will." Jamieson nodded. Men who rode together for no other reason than friendship had deep loyalties for one another, and Jamieson had no doubt that if they tried to take Tanner from here by force, he and his men would have a fight on their hands.
"But they're the law." Langstrom pointed out, aware of Tanner's companions from what Jamieson had told him and the others.
"Doesn't mean they won't stick up for their friend." the Marshal replied. "Besides, from all accounts, when he was legal, Tanner was one of the best bounty hunters around. They say he used to live with the Indians and learnt their ways, including tracking. If he makes it out of town and goes to ground, we may never find him."
"I don't like this," the younger man grumbled. "This entire thing smells bad. Why would you kill a man and disappear, only to resurface in a town like this to act as the law? It don't make sense."
"I don't know," Jamieson shook his head. "Maybe some places are worth defending."
"Enough to leave yourself wide open for anyone who wants to claim a bounty on your head?" Langstrom said dubiously. "I wish that Sheriff would have just left this alone." he confessed as they directed their horses to the livery.
"He's an appointed official," Jamieson said speaking in the man's defense. "Besides, I get the impression that someone in Tascosa wants this thing settled once and for all."
"Someone with influence I bet." the Deputy remarked, but could not shake the feeling that this arrest was going to be anything but simple.
A short time after Marshal Jamieson and his deputies had arrived in Four Corners, Alex was taking a stroll down the boardwalk, with Vin Tanner in attendance. It was one of her quieter days and she was taking the afternoon to run some errands, an undertaking Vin was happy to accompany her on since he got to spend time with the love of his life. Of course, as co-conspirator to the plan of getting their vengeance on Buck, Ezra and JD for their intrusion on their evening a few nights ago, Vin was just as eager to see the reaction from the trio when they finally learnt who was responsible for their 'embarrassing' condition.
Vin was quite the prankster himself, and thus he was delighted to know that when Alex was properly motivated, she could be equally as devious in her own right. Normally, she tended to stay out of the lunacy that was generated by the boys and their pranks, but the invasion of a few nights ago had inspired her outrage and thus she had come up with this perfect revenge upon those who had wounded her dignity. Enlisting Rain in their scheme, it was Vin who delivered the debilitating substance to the young woman yesterday prior to the arrival of the seven in the Standish Tavern. They had been playing escort to a shipment of munitions being transported to the army garrison located between Four Corners and Sweetwater, so Vin knew that the first place the lawmen would head after that taxing day was straight to the tavern for a drink.
Rain had played her part of the ruse to perfection, putting just enough of the powdery substance in the drinks of Buck Wilmington, Ezra Standish and JD Dunne respectively, without them suspecting a thing. Vin could wished he could have seen their faces when the salt peter did its work and hoped that the experience was just as embarrassing as his having to run after them in the dark, buck naked, chasing his and Alex's clothes. Each time he thought about that experience, it only reaffirmed Vin's belief that Alex's revenge thought sweet, might have been served better if he could have strung them up by their toes at the same time.
"You think they've been to see Nathan yet?" Alex asked after they had emerged from Gloria Potter's store.
"Well speaking as a man, if I had their troubles? That's the first place I'd go." Vin said with a boyish grin of smug satisfaction.
"I'll bet." she said with a suggestive gleam in her eyes.
People were used to seeing them together, even though many often commented that they made a strange couple. Although Alex was not exactly white, it was difficult to consider her anything else because she was so refined and had proven herself to be an exceptional healer. Although she was educated abroad and her voice had that unusual accent that faintly resembled rich city folk from the East, Alex had proven herself to be something of a paradox, almost as much as Vin himself. It was hard to imagine that someone so rough and tumble had the heart of poet, and though he was shy, everyone in Four Corners knew that in Chris Larabee's absence, Vin Tanner kept things under control.
While there were rumors of their relationship being somewhat scandalous, people only had to look at Vin Tanner and Alexandra Styles to know that they were very much in love.
"Alex," Vin approached a more important subject, wondering whether or not this was wise but the issue had remained in limbo for too long and it was time to discuss it seriously. "Maybe we ought to think about getting married."
Of all the thing he could have said, that was the one she least expected. She stopped walking and turned to him. Alex looked in his blue eyes and saw that he was serious. Her surprise showed and for a moment, she did not know how to answer.
"You're making me nervous," Vin said taking note of the silence after he made that declaration even though it did not worry him.
"I thought you wanted to wait." she finally overcame her surprise long enough to speak.
"I do," he answered honestly. "I would like to get this price off my head, but I don't know how long that's gonna be and we've waited long enough."
"I agree." she nodded slowly, her heart pounding with anticipation even though she always knew that he was always going to be the only man in the world she would want as her husband. Hearing Vin speak of it now as more than just a vague idea that they might some day indulge had taken her breath away. Never in her life had she loved anyone the way she loved him. It was quite something to know that there was someone in the world for whom she was willing die for, and equally wonderful to know that the intensity of that love was returned. They had been passionate, romantic fools from the day they met, even though they were not certain that they loved each other then.
"Good," Vin said with a smile, pleased when he was able to shake her equilibrium because she always managed to do the same to him with seemingly no effort whatsoever. "Cause I want to be with you, not just a few hours a night or whenever we get a chance, always."
"I want that too." Alex whispered, unable to keep the emotion from her voice.
"I know I ain't got much in the ways of money and marrying a man with a price on his head ain't exactly the most proper thing in the world..."
"Will you just shut up and kiss me?" Alex sighed.
Vin broke into a wide smile and leaned over to press his lips against Alex's, not caring who saw it when suddenly a voice boomed loudly.
"Oh I'm glad you two are having so much fun!" Buck Wilmington's angry voice shattered the moment before their lips could make contact.
Alex rolled her eyes while Vin just shook his head in resignation before they composed themselves in light of the momentous decision that they had just reached in their relationship, before straightening up to face Buck and by the looks of it, Ezra and JD as well. No doubt the last of them to see Nathan had probably been informed of how they had happened to suffer their 'condition' and now wanted retribution.
"Why hello Mr. Wilmington, Mr. Standish, Mr. Dunne?" Alex said with perfect professional detachment. "How are things today."
"Yeah," Vin added under his breath, straining not to laugh as he said his next words. "What's up?"
All three faces turned crimson with embarrassment.
"Oh I forgot," Vin rebuked himself and snapped his fingers. "Nothing, I hear."
"You two ought to be ashamed of yourself!" Buck bellowed. "Do you know what we've been through?"
"Do tell." Alex remarked sarcastically, staring at them through narrowed eyes as she folded her arms and dared them to say it.
"Poisoning a man ain't funny!" Buck declared. "Ain't that right Ezra, JD?"
"Yeah," JD nodded more embarrassed then he was angry. At the moment, he was so relieved that there was no permanent damage that he was not about to complain and in truth, there was a kernel of guilt inside him that could not deny that they had deserved what had been done to them.
"Alexandra," Ezra looked at her reproachfully. "I pride myself on being a gentlemen and I am certain there is some code of honor that doctors are meant to swear to as well, that prevents them from making use of their knowledge in such heinous and cruel acts of illusion?"
"Ezra I wouldn't..." Vin started to warn the gambler from going down that particular track.
However, Ezra was not listening and continued his tirade. "You have abused your power as a healer by perpetrating this terrible act of vandalism on our persons."
A storm cloud formed in Alex's eyes with Vin taking a cautionary step backwards and muttering. "I warned you Ezra." He almost felt sorry for the gambler because he knew how fiery Alex could get when her morality as a doctor was questioned.
"Now you listen to me you three jerks," Alex said in a low voice that was little more than a hiss. "What you men did was unforgivable, humiliating and downright rotten so do not quote to me Mr. Standish on a code of honor which incidentally, for us doctors is called the Hippocratic oath. Just be grateful that the potassium nitrate is temporary. Vin wanted to string all of you up by the toes and leave you to the buzzards. Now, I suggest that if you men have plans with the opposite sex tonight, start drinking lots of water. That might put a little lift into things and get you guys up to speed." She made that last remark with a smile of satisfaction on her face, before turning on her heels and walking off in the other direction.
"You gotta love her," Vin said with an equally satisfied smirk on his face before hurrying to join her.
The trio watched Vin and Alex disappear up the boardwalk, saying nothing even though all of them had been put properly in their place by the tracker and his lovely doctor. Finally, it was Ezra who broke the silence because being Ezra, he could never be quiet for very long. In this, he could only be rivaled by possibly JD whose youthful exuberance often made the young man unaware when he should be quiet.
"Mr. Wilmington," Ezra said with a frown because he was not amused no matter how justified Alex and Vin had been in their revenge. "The next time you have an idea for a little bit of levity at the expense of one of our comrades and their ladies? Count me out."
A few discreet inquiries made around Four Corners soon told Marshall Jamieson everything he needed to know about Vin Tanner's present whereabouts. To his surprise, most people spoke about the outlaw not as if he were a criminal or anyone to fear but as a rather affable young man, shy but honest and always willing to help. Hardly the kind of man one would think to be a murderer. Jamieson discovered that while the gunslinger Chris Larabee was the undisputed leader of the seven lawmen in town, Tanner was his trusted second and in his absence usually gave the orders. Despite his growing trepidation that perhaps a miscarriage of justice was being perpetrated here because his gut instinct told him that Tanner simply did not sound like a criminal, Jamieson had no choice but to carry out the arrest. He was after all, a creature of duty and despite his personal reservations, he had could not ignore that personal programming, no matter how much he may wish to.
As the sun set over the horizon of Four Corners, Jamieson had learnt everything he needed to know about the probable location of Vin Tanner at this point. It appeared that Tanner had been in the company of a local doctor, surprisingly enough, a woman. It was reported that they were engaged to be married and were extremely passionate about each other, bordering on the scandalous. People had seen them together in town today and if he was to be anywhere at this moment, it was probably with her at her home, where her clinic was situated.
It was difficult to tell for certain if Tanner was at the place when Jamieson, Langstrom and the rest of the deputies converged on the premises. With the clinic occupying the lower half of the structure and the doctor's residence above ground, it was impossible to gauge just how many people were in the building. Jamieson preferred to take Tanner alive because he honestly believed that if Tanner was innocent, then a trial might be the only way of sorting this mess out if there was some kind of injustice taking place. Fortunately, there was no horse hitched to the post in front of the home and if Tanner did manage to elude them, he would be on foot, which meant he could not get far.
Jamieson wanted this to be as non-confrontational as possible, hoping that Tanner would come quietly, unwilling to risk his lady in any kind of gunfight in a fruitless attempt to escape. Nevertheless, Jamieson still positioned his men around the building as he and Langstrom made their way up the steps that led up the side of the house to the residence itself. While neither man had their guns drawn, both were poised for an escape if one was forthcoming. Tanner had managed to remain elusive from justice for almost three years, there was every reason to assume that he would object strenuously to the end of that period of freedom.
Jamieson was here to see that it did.
"Did you see their faces?" Alex giggled as she continued the stir the casserole that was boiling quite briskly on the stove.
"I know I ain't forgetting it for awhile." Vin said with a smile as he sat at the head of the kitchen table, taking a deep breath of the aromatic scent of spices and herbs that wafted through the room as she cooked. It made him wonder how soon dinner would be ready, as his stomach rumbled in anticipation of the meal. Although he often teased her that she could not cook, Alex was quite adept at the art but seldom had time to do it as she was often too busy with doctoring and all the other chores women found compelled to do around the house.
"I think we'll be left alone the next time we decide to go to the water tower." Alex winked at him with a perfectly wicked look of suggestion.
"I don't know whether I want be marrying a wild thing like you." He teased, drawing her away from the stove with that remark and bringing Alex to him.
"Liar." She whispered as she sat on his lap and wrapped her arms around his neck. Vin's hand slid up her back as Alex lowered her head and he captured her mouth in a deep searching kiss. It never ceased to surprise him how enthralling the scent of her skin could be to him. When he was with her like this, he never felt more alive or aware of anything, which seemed to further convince him that he could not bear his existence without her. His mouth slid down her smooth neck, his hands running up and down the rough fabric of her dress, suddenly forgetting all about dinner and remembering with a surge of arousal, that it had been on this very table that he had first taken her...
Suddenly there was a knock at the door.
"Damn." he muttered in her ear as Alex let out a disappointed sigh.
"It's always at dinner," she grumbled as she pushed herself reluctantly off him. "In the history of the world, I don't think there's ever been a doctor who has made it to the first act of a play or been early for dinner."
Vin adjusted himself, glad they had not become more passionate than that because it was so difficult to explain to company, not to mention embarrassing. Besides, he'd had just about enough people seeing his exposed body parts during the last few days.
Alex went to answer the door and twisted the doorknob to find herself standing before two men she did not recognize. The stern expression on both their faces put her on guard immediately and she was suddenly glad that Vin was here. "Yes, can I help you?"
"Good evening ma'am," the older of the two tipped his hat politely. "Sorry to bother you at supper time but I believe a Vin Tanner might be here."
Alex froze. She had no idea where the instinct came from but the minute he had asked for Vin, she just knew. She knew that everything they had just dreamed of had come to a crashing halt with the appearance of this man at her doorstep. "No I'm sorry," she said with perfect calm, showing no expression on her face. "I haven't seen him today." She started to close the door hoping that was enough. It was not.
A hand stopped her from shutting it completely. "Ma'am, can we talk inside?"
"Alex, what is it?" Vin rose to his feet, his hand instinctively moving towards his gun.
"Its nothing," she hissed, aware that his voice had now given him away to the men outside that she was not alone in here. "I'll handle it."
"Ma'am, if Tanner is in there, you're harboring a criminal!" The loud voice boomed through the door and told Vin exactly what the situation was.
"Get out of here Vin!" she cried out. "Please!"
Vin remained where he was, refusing to just run out and leave her like some coward. For the last three years, he knew this day would come and finally it was here. Unlike the marshal who came here just before Alex's arrival in town under the paid instruction of Ely Joe, Vin had could tell by the authority in that voice that this was no deception. If they knew about Alex then it was likely the place was surrounded and he was not leaving her here to face the consequences of protecting him or aiding in his escape. Chris was right. He could not keep running forever and sooner or later, he would have to stop and face the charge of murder over his head. If the man behind the door was forcing him to make that decision instead of lingering in the illusion that all was right in his world, then perhaps it was time Vin did. In any case, this was not the place or time for him to flee because it would not be himself he would hurt, it would be Alex and Vin could not live with that in any shape or form. He was not going to endanger Alex for anything, not even his life.
"Alex open the door." he said quietly.
"No!" She stared at him, eyes filled with terror at the possibility of what he was suggesting. "You have to go!" she cried out. "You can't let them take you! I couldn't stand it! Please Vin for me go!" There were tears in her eyes as she made this plea which cut his heart to ribbons seeing the pain in her eyes but he could not leave.
"Tanner!" the man behind the door declared, having heard enough of the exchange and guessing by Alex's behavior that the quarry was close. "We have the house surrounded!" he continued firmly. "Come out without a fuss and we'll see to it that you get a fair trial. I promise you son, you'll have your day in court."
"Vin!" Alex started to cry. "Please leave!"
Vin let out a deep breath because her sorrow was a knife piercing his heart and he would have done anything to make that anguish disappear from her eyes but he could not oblige, not this time. "I'm sorry darling," he shook his head and walked towards her. "I ain't gonna let them hurt you because I got away from them."
"I don't care about me!" She sobbed. "I care about you!" Her tears were coming freely because she was filled with anger and frustration at being able to do nothing while they just came into her house and took him away. She could not even think beyond their taking him, if she were to even begin contemplating her existence without him in her life she would go completely to pieces. As it was, Alex was not far from that when Vin pulled her gently from the door and allowed it to part wide, giving the duo standing by the doorway entry into her home.
"Alex," Vin said gently taking her hand in his. "I have to go."
"I won't let you!" Alex exclaimed and embraced him hard, believing illogically that if she held onto him, he would not be taken away from her like this.
Vin had to control his emotions because he knew they had reached a crossroads in their time together. At this point it could go any way. If he asked her to abandon everything that she knew to come away with him, he knew she would do so, but Vin would not have her live in fear of someone always stepping out of the shadows in pursuit. He loved her too much for that. Breaking away from her, Vin pressed his mouth to hers in a kiss of passion, suddenly aware of how much he would lose when he walked through that door in the company of the men before him. He did not want it to be the last time because just as vital as he was to her existence, Alex had become a part of his. If he could not be with her, he would rather die, and there was apart of him that was unwilling to give her up, even now.
"I have to go." he repeated and turned away because if he kept looking at her, his courage would give out and he would end up doing something stupid they would both regret. Taking a deep breath, he reached for the Winchester in his holster and handed it to the man before them.
"That's a wise choice." the man replied, taking the weapon from him. "I'm Federal Marshall Buford Jamieson. This here is my Deputy Keith Langstrom. We are charged by the State of Texas to arrest you and bring you back to the town of Tascosa to stand trial for the death of one Jesse Kincaid."
Vin merely nodded, casting a glance at Alex who was trying to control her tears but losing the battle. "Vin, I'll be there with you." she said after a moment. "We'll get you help. If its trial you're facing, we can fight this thing."
"Listen to the lady," Jamieson responded. "She's right. If you ain't done this crime, then we'll get things sorted out in Tascosa. I promise you there won't be no lynching on my watch."
Vin looked up at the man, surprised by the compassion he saw there. It was not often that kindness came without some form of price and a plan began to form in Vin's mind at that moment, even though he felt ashamed of himself for even considering it. He had no choice. In the last few seconds, he realized that he could not leave it to chance that he might be freed in Tascosa. The idea of never knowing what it was like to be with Alex again was even more terrifying to him then the dying that came with a sentence of guilt.
Langstrom stepped forward with handcuffs but Jamieson spoke up. "We ain't gonna need that are we son?" The older man stared at him.
"No," Vin shook his head and felt ashamed because Jamieson really did need it.
"Alex," Vin looked at her as Jamieson nudged him toward the door. "I love you and we will get through this. I promise you."
"I know," she said a little more composed now but not by much. She wiped the tears from her reddened cheeks, the color visible through her golden coloring. "I love you Vin." she whispered and watched as they led him out of the house. She stood rooted to the spot, unable to think or move until the sounds of their footsteps became distant. She tried not to let it overwhelm her and knew that she was fighting a losing battle. When it came to Vin Tanner, all the calm and professional detachment she thought she had attained with such practiced control, could not stem the feelings she had for him. Alex lingered there a few more seconds, trying to pull herself together before she realized there was only one thing left to do.
Get Chris.
Mary had meant to tell Chris about the baby, but with Inez's visit and his subsequent evening spent with the rest of the seven in the saloon, she never quite managed to give him the news. The next morning, he and the others had left town to escort some army shipment and Mary did not want him saddled with the news when he was going into a life-threatening situation. The last thing he needed to know when he might be called on to fight was that he was soon to be a father. Besides, her news was not something that was to be blurted out while he was preparing to ride off into God only knew what danger, it had to be delivered with occasion and finesse.
Thus Julia had taken Billy for the evening and Mary had prepared a special dinner and Chris was operating under the assumption that all this preparation was foreplay to an exciting night of lovemaking. Well, he was a man after all, Mary sighed. He could not be faulted for succumbing to the basest of his instincts, and after she told him the news, that part of his assumption could be acted upon. Mary certainly did not mind. After all, she enjoyed their intimacies just as much as he and in truth, missed him dearly when he did not share her bed.
"This smells great." Chris remarked, enjoying watching her prepare the table for dinner. "Can I help?" He inquired, not subscribing to the belief that such things were exclusively women's work.
"No," she said always delighted when he asked even though she rarely took him up on the offer. It was just nice that he asked. "I'm almost done." she answered, laying the plates over the place mats.
"Okay," Chris said as he lifted the lid of the dish to see what culinary masterpiece she had concocted for him tonight. It certainly smelt good and after a day on the trail, eating Buck's cooking, this was just heavenly. Hot steam escaped form under the lid, bringing with it a wonderful aroma that made him look forward to the eating almost as much as the evening alone with her.
He was about to dip his finger into the stew when suddenly Mary paused what she was doing and gave him a stern look. "Use...a...spoon."
"Right," he frowned wishing women were not so civilized.
Reaching for the utensil in question, he was about to enclose his palm around it when suddenly, he heard a loud frantic pounding against the door. Immediately, he exchanged a concerned glance with Mary and forgot all about the meal, expending enough time to put down the lid before he strode across the room towards the door with Mary following him closely. He reached the door first and pulled it open to see a very distraught Alexandra Styles standing at the porch. Her face was red with tears and frankly, the sheer panic in her eyes shocked him. Chris had never seen her so distressed.
"Chris! You gotta come! They've got Vin!" She said this without any pause. "They're talking him away!"
"Alex calm down," he stepped forward and placed his hands on her arms to make her draw breath so that he could get some sense out of her string of disjointed words. "Who is talking Vin?"
"A Federal Marshall...." she stuttered. "He said his name is Jamieson."
"Buford T Jamieson?" Mary asked, having heard of the name and the reputation. If Jamieson was here then Vin was in a lot of trouble.
"That's him!" Alex nodded. "He just came up to my door and took Vin!" Alex started to lose control again, her tears coming once more.
"Jamieson's a good man." Chris declared, aware of the same information that Mary had. If they had sent Jamieson after Vin then it was no ruse like the last federal marshal that had come searching for the tracker. This was a genuine attempt to bring him back to Tascosa. Still, if Vin were to reach Tascosa, it was likely he would hang long before he ever got to trial.
"How can you say that?" Alex gasped. "He's taking Vin back to hang for God's sake!"
"Mary," Chris looked at his wife in an unspoken plea to handle the doctor while he went and rounded the others up. Fortunately, Buck was the only one out of town. The rest of the seven were still here and Chris had to act quickly. He could do that better without having to contend with Alex's state of mind at the moment.
"Go," Mary ordered not even needing to hear any instructions, guessing instinctively what he needed to say. "I'll take of Alex."
"I don't need taken care of!" Alex gushed and Mary waved Chris to get moving, signaling she would deal with this. There was little time to waste as it was.
Chris nodded, giving her a look of warm affection before hurrying past them both into the night.
"I didn't do it, you know." Vin replied as he was marched towards the jailhouse by Jamieson and his men. As anticipated, it was too late in the day for them to start towards Tascosa and the journey to the Texas Panhandles could not begin until first light. He had guessed that these men were newly arrived in town for if they had been here any length of time, word would have reached Vin before it had come to them reaching Alex's door.
"It ain't my place to say whether you did nor not." Jamieson replied stiffly. "My only concern is to get you back to Tascosa and see you stand trial. If you didn't do it, the law will prove it."
"How?" Vin snorted derisively. "Only man who can prove I was set up is dead."
"You mean Ely Joe." Langstrom guessed.
"He was the one who killed Kincaid. He framed me cause he knew I was getting close." The sharpshooter pleaded his case as they crossed the street and the jailhouse came into view. By now, people were starting to notice that something was wrong, pausing long enough to look at the unfamiliar group of men escorting one of their guardians with guns. Vin tried not to feel like a criminal as their eyes looked at him but he could not help feeling like everything Jamieson and the people of Tascosa thought him to be, he could not help feeling like an outlaw.
"Tell it to the judge." Langstrom replied. "It does not make any difference to us."
The ripple of agreement from the other deputies seem to indicate the same of them as well and Vin knew he did not have any time. While he felt that Jamieson was a man of his word, he was not so sure about Langstrom and the others.
"Say that gal of yours really a doctor?" The deputy inquired.
"Yes." Vin retorted, not liking that Alex's name was brought up. The pain of leaving her was still too fresh and he hated that she had been forced to watch him being led away like an outlaw. Was it only this morning, he had talked about marrying her? The irony of it left a sour taste in his belly.
"She's mighty pretty," Langstrom remarked. "I wouldn't mind getting me a piece of that. What's she like?"
"Keith!" Jamieson barked trying to shut the man up but it was too late.
With lightning reflexes, Vin slammed his elbow into Langstrom's face and kicked the vulnerable side of Jamieson's knees, dropping the man to his feet as he snatched the deputy's gun from his hand and locked his arm around the man's neck before the others were even aware of what had happened. Pressing the barrel of his gun into Langstrom's forehead, he pulled the man upright and cocked the gun just to make his point.
"Follow me and I'll blow his head off." Vin warned.
"Tanner don't be a fool!" Jamieson shouted, struggling to his feet. "You ain't helping yourself by doing this."
"I'm sorry Marshall," Vin apologized, genuinely sorry for taking advantage of the man's kindness. "You seem like a decent man and I believe you when you said I'd not be lynched in your hands but I didn't kill Kincaid and I ain't waiting for no judge to say that I did because I can't prove otherwise."
"This ain't over Tanner," Jamieson warned. "Even if you make it out of town, I'll find you and I'll bring you in. Make no mistake on that."
"I don't Sir," Vin replied in understanding. "But you have to find me first and that's gonna be a problem."
As he withdrew into the darkness, taking advantage of the hostage he had in his grip, Jamieson had a feeling the tracker was right about that.
By the time Chris had rounded up the rest of the seven, Jamieson and his men were already waiting for him in the jailhouse. With him was Langstrom, who was nursing a nasty gash on the back of his head where Vin had cold cocked him with the butt of his own gun just before taking Peso and riding out of Four Corners. Apparently, the tracker had only required his hostage as far as it took for him to get to his horse and had discarded the deputy soon after. As Nathan tended to the man's wound, Chris Larabee found himself in the unenviable position of upholding the law in Four Corners and helping his friend. Although he did not voice it to the formidable Marshall Jamieson, Chris knew that his loyalty to Vin would outstrip any devotion to the law.
"You're the law in town," Jamieson glowered, feeling especially foolish for trusting the young man and not cuffing him when he should have. "Are you going to help us find him?"
Chris stared at the man from the chair he was seated behind the sheriff's desk. "Maybe."
"There ain't no maybe about it!" Langstrom declared. "The man's a fugitive! You're the law around here, you required to help us!"
"Shut up you idiot!" Jamieson glared at him angrily, mindful of the fact that it was Langstrom's big mouth that had landed them in this situation. Anyone could clearly see by the way the tracker had left his lady that she was more than just another tumble in the hay and he might take great exception to any insult delivered upon her reputation or her name. Turning back to Chris, he tried to be more reasonable than his younger colleague.
"I know he's your friend," Jamieson replied, trying to appeal to Larabee's concern for Tanner. In fact, the concern felt by every member of the group that had been guardians to Four Corners. From the healer who was patching up Langstrom's head to the kid that was wearing a sheriff's badge, even though the man in black before him was the one who ran things here. "But you know as well as I do what happens now. If it ain't me, it will be the Texas Rangers next and God help him when they get their hands on him. They'll bring him in dead or alive and as good a tracker as he is, he can't run forever. You know that."
"Vin will stay ahead of you!" JD declared, unwilling to believe that anyone could capture Vin Tanner if he did not want to be caught.
"Mr. Tanner has proven to be most elusive when he wishes to be." Ezra added his own voice, liking about as much as Chris did the idea of letting these men take Vin to Tascosa or for that matter, helping them hunt him.
"There ain't no way you are taking that boy to hang." Josiah stated in his deep and authoritarian voice, seldom used but thoroughly felt. "A finer man there has never been. He would not harm anyone the way you think and what you are not saying Sir, but is the truth that must be acknowledge, is that justice is blind and the law can be wrong." The preacher replied, defying anyone to say otherwise and meeting Jamieson's eyes to drive his point home. When Silas Poplar had almost convinced everyone even those in this room that he was the murderer of women, Vin Tanner had stood up for him and refused to believe it. Vin had been his staunchest supporter during that dark time and Josiah would do the same for him now.
A long silence followed until Chris spoke.
"But he's still right." Chris said after a moment, to the astonishment of everyone around him.
"You cannot be siding with Mr. Jamieson, surely?" Ezra asked.
"I am not siding with anyone but Vin," Chris replied and met the Marshall's gaze. "You want my help, here is how it will be. We alone will bring Vin to Tascosa. That way, we can be sure that he won't have any accidents on his way there." Instinctively, Chris glanced at Langstrom as he spoke. "Most of us have lives here we can't walk away from so you know we ain't gonna go back on our word. I give you my word, we'll bring him in but just you stay in Tascosa because the six of us alone ain't enough to keep them from lynching him if the town gets into their mind to see that happening. With your men and mine, we have a chance of keeping him alive to see a court of law."
Jamieson let his gaze sweep over the faces in the room, at the men who would gladly die, every one of them, to do the right thing by Tanner, in particular this notorious gunslinger who was reputed to be one of the fastest in the Territory. He stared at Chris Larabee's face and knew that his word was not given lightly if at all and that Larabee had a wife and child in this town. He had much to lose if he became a fugitive protecting Tanner.
"All right," the Marshall nodded. "I have your word that you will deliver Tanner to Tascosa?"
"My word." Chris said shortly.
"Buford you can't be serious!" Langstrom started to object.
"I ain't gonna tell you to shut up again Keith." Jamieson looked over his shoulder and silenced him with a venomous glare before turning back to Chris.
"See to it." Jamieson replied coolly and added just in case Larabee was intending to take advantage of his compassion as Tanner had. "But you double cross me, any of you and I'll run you into the ground before I'm through."
"Understood," Chris nodded and believed it.