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.
They were done with Tascosa.
With Vin cleared of all charges of Jesse Kincaid's murder, there was no reason to remain and in all honesty, none of the party from Four Corners wished to be in Tascosa any longer than they had to be. What happened in this town would be with them for a long time. Vin was liberated but none of them could honestly say that it was done cleanly. With Dunwill remaining in town a few more days to ensure that Ritter and Jamieson submitted the paperwork that would take the bounty off Vin's head now that the charges of murder were no more, Chris decided that it was time to go home. They had a life in Four Corners that awaited them and he knew that Vin wanted to leave immediately as well. However, the tracker's reason was mostly because of Alex.
The doctor had said very little to anyone about Amanda Kincaid or how she felt on the matter of the woman's death. After her initial display of grief, she had buried the rest of her pain inside herself as she did all things and maintained her demenaour of professional detachment. None of the seven thought her any less for her actions, Chris as a matter of record, thought she was the only one to keep her head and do what needed to be done, no matter what the personal cost was to herself. He had a feeling none of them would truly know what the price was, not even Vin. Alex kept her pain to herself; she was one of the most guarded people he knew which was why she and Vin were so good together.
They were so much alike in that respect.
Nettie Wells had already left on the stage for Four Corners, preferring the creature comforts of a Concord as to riding out in the open with a bunch of men. Alex on the other hand had no wish to trapped that way and had opted to travel with Vin. Considering what she had done to aid his release and how close she had come to losing him altogether, none of the seven could begrudge her for wishing to stay close to the sharpshooter. Nettie who frowned slightly in disapproval for as a respectable old matron, she could do nothing else but, kept her comments to herself appreciating that the couple had been through something of a trial during their stay in Tascosa.
As the seven readied their horses at the livery, Alex remained close by having lost all taste for Tascosa and could not wait to depart. Vin knew that there was a part of Alex that would never leave this place. It was trapped here as Amanda Kincaid was trapped in her loveless marriage to Jesse. As Vin saddled Peso and prepared the animal for two, he stared at Alex and for a long while, trying to imagine what it was she was going through at this moment and feeling somewhat guilty because it was for him, she had embarked upon her course. He wanted to help but he did not know how.
"She'll be okay Vin," Chris said suddenly, catching the tracker's concerned expression as he stared at his lady.
"I hope so," Vin said softly. "I never wanted her to put herself through this, not for me."
Chris who was in the process of saddling his own black gelding nodded in understanding. "She loves you Vin, sometimes it ain't a matter of wanting to do something but having no choice. If it were me, I would done it too. Just it was like Amanda Kincaid's choice to die."
Vin wished it was that easy to accept but it was not and he knew it. "She paid for the funeral, you know." He said turning away from Alex to meet Chris' eyes as he tightened a buckle on the saddle. "It seems Amanda's kin left town years ago and no one knew her well enough to make the offer. Said it was the least she could do since no one else gave a damn."
Chris was hardly surprised by that. It just seemed like the kind of thing Alex would do. "It wouldn't surprise me." Chris answered seeing the extent of Vin's worry and tried to offer some advice, not that he was the authority on such things but he did know something about guilt. "Vin, she's hurting but the best thing you can do for her right now is be there. There are some things that have to be taken care of alone. You can't do it for her. Alex is tougher than most men, she'll come through this."
"I know," Vin sighed looking at Alex again. The doctor was dressed in riding clothes, loitering about aimlessly as she waited to leave. "I just hate seeing her like this. I thought the day my name was cleared would be the best day of my life but I don't feel too much like celebrating if Alex is in pain."
"She ain't gonna be like this forever," Chris reminded. "The sooner we get out of Tascosa, the better off she'll be." He answered.
That much, Vin knew was certain.
"You ready to go pard?" Chris asked after a moment, securing the last straps on his saddle.
"Hell yeah," Vin answered voicing more enthusiasm than he had previously confessed. He wanted to leave this place once and for all and never think about it again. He only hope that when he and Alex rode away from Tascosa, she could do the same as well.
"Good," Chris nodded. "I'll so see about the others." The gunslinger remarked, not needing to tell Vin that it was time for him to go get Alex. Even though Chris did not say it out loud, he felt inordinately pleased that Vin was leaving this town with them. He shuddered to think what would have happened if things had not gone the way they had.
Vin left Peso and strode out of the stable, seeing Alex staring into the distance at something only she could see. He need not ask what exactly that was because he had a fair idea of what was occupying her thoughts. Walking up behind her, Vin announced his arrival by sliding his arms around her shoulders and rubbing his cheek against her ear.
"Hey darlin'." He greeted warmly and was encouraged when she leaned back into him and shifted her head slightly so that he could get at her neck. Her entire body seemed to melt against him and for a moment, it seemed that everything would be all right as he kissed the smooth skin tenderly and heard her sigh..
"Hey cowboy." She answered back, feeling so much better when his arm were around her. Vin was the only tonic she knew that could make sense of what had happened the last week in Tascosa. He was only person who could make her bear what she had done. Alex knew he was concerned about her but chose to be evasive any way. She was not certain when she would be ready to talk to him about Amanda but rest assured when the time came, Vin would be the only one to whom she could bare her soul.
"You out here for the scenery or did you want something?" She teased with enough warmth in her voice to convince him that she might come through this ordeal okay.
"Oh I thought I come out here and keep you company some." He nuzzled his cheeks against her hair, delighting in its silky texture. "Now that I'm respectable and all, I've got to keep a tighter rein on you." He winked at her and saw her chuckle slightly. It was good to see a smile on her face. Vin wondered how she would have taken it if he had told her that her eyes seemed as haunted as Amanda Kincaid's had been.
"You can dream..." Alex said sarcastically before her expression melted into that of warmth. "I love you Vin." She said quietly.
"I love you Doc," he said holding her tight and willing his strength into her body so that it might lessen the burden of her guilt. "We'll get through this," he slipped his arms from around her and made Alex look at him. "I promise you."
Alex wanted to cry as she stared into the depth of those clear blue eyes that until now had been able to drive away any terrible thing that might seek to harm her. How many times had she allowed herself to be drowned in those blue depths knowing that he would always be there for her? "I know we will," she swallowed, trying to keep the emotion from overhwhelming her. "Its just hard to think about...things." She could not even bring herself to say Amanda.
"Then don't." He ordered. "Let it go until you're ready and we'll deal with it together."
Alex embraced him hard, knowing at that instant that no matter how much pain and guilt she felt, he had been worth it. Every sliver of pain she had or would endure over this was a small price to pay in comparison to having this man in her life. Knowing that made it easier to accept and in time, she may even forget.
"Are we ready to go?" She asked finally, aware that the first step to recovery was to leave Tascosa behind forever.
"Yeah," Vin nodded, sensing her urgent desire to depart. "We're ready."
"Good," she broke away from him and started walking into the livery where Peso was waiting with the rest of the seven. "Let's get the hell out of here."
Buck Wilmington was happy to be home.
The others had kept going towards town and no doubt their number would lessen the closer they reached Four Corners with Vin and Alex most likely breaking off from the main group when they approached the ranch on their way to town. He was pleased things had turned out so well for the tracker but like every member of the seven, his thoughts had been filled with the woman whose sacrifice had cleared Vin Tanner's name.
Buck had not realised until he saw his home and stepped into the familiar smells of the evening meal, whose delicious scent still lingering in the air from hours ago and the fresh scent of cut flowers, how much he missed being here. It was late into the night and he assumed Inez would be asleep by now. As he acquainted himself with being home, he wondered how she had spent week without him. Finally, he decided to turn in and paused at the nursery on his way to the bedroom, moving quietly through with the stealth acquired from a good many years, sneaking out of homes when a husband made unexpected return home.
Elena lay in her crib, asleep and oblivious to her father's presence. He watched his daughter slumbering in her cot and reached for her small hand. No sooner than his finger had grazed her palm, she enclosed her tiny fist around it and pulled the digit to her soft lips, identifying it even in sleep that it was something worth suckling. Buck felt his heart leap in his chest as he saw his little girl nursing on his finger, unaware that a smile had stole across his face. He let Elena nibble on his finger tip a little while longer before withdrawing his hand and continuing to the bedroom.
Buck found Inez lying in her bed, comfortably on her side. She was wearing a sheer nightgown but the heat of the night had caused her to force the covers from her skin into a thick bundle at the foot of the bed. He watched her for a long time, thinking about Amanda Kincaid and how her husband had never given her a moment of happiness. Buck did not ever want Inez to feel that way. He stood at the foot of their bed and watched her for a while, basking in the rise and fall of her breasts under the sheer film of cotton covering her skin. He undressed quietly, discarding all his clothes except for his long johns before slipping into bed. As he settled beside her, she nuzzled closer to him and reacted to his warmth by rolling onto her back. Fluttering her heavy lidded eyes, Inez broke into a dreamy smile as he saw his face above hers.
"When did you get back?" She whispered, happy to see him.
"Just a few minutes ago," he spoke quietly. Both of them were adept enough at being new parents to know that silence was golden with a baby in the house.
"I missed you," she changed position once again so that she was now facing him.
"I missed you too," he said with a smile and covered her mouth with his to initiate his gratitude at being home with more succinct expression.
The kiss sparked the memory of their love making all those months ago which had eventually culminated in the precious bundle now lying asleep in her crib and reminded Inez how sensuous Buck could be and how easy it was for him to bring out so much desire in her. Deep inside, she needed him to touch her again, having longed for the closeness of that night more times than she could count. Inez recalled with warmth how he had made her feel beautiful and loved when they had conceived Elena Rose and despite all the fear and insecurity that followed later, Inez had known at that moment that she loved him and always would. Even though they had been married for almost two months, he had respected her need to recover from the pregnancy and not push her into a physical relationship, unaware that she loved him even more for it. While it was true, she did need the time, Inez could not deny that she had dreamed of being with him again, to run her fingers through his dark hair and feel his lips against her own.
Buck felt his heart quicken as she allowed him to continue. Sliding on top of her, he looked into her eyes and saw the naked lust for him that waited for him. A surge of excitement course through him and centred on his cock at the anticipation of sinking into her warmth depths. Even now, just the feel of her soft, warm body pressing against his hardened Buck beyond belief. He had dreamed so many nights of pleasuring her once again, that now moment was here, he wanted everything to be perfect for her.
Buck knew that the reason he had the success he did with women was mostly due to his determination to make them feel as if they were more to him then just a night's occupation. In his own way, Buck had tried to make every woman he bedded come away from the evening feeling loved. However, with Inez it was real and when he had made love to her that first time, the experience had been mind shattering for both of them.
Love mingled with desire, raw and feral was a deadly combination.
"You are beautiful," he whispered in her ear as he lowered his lips to her neck while his hands explored her body and felt Inez respond immediately to his touch. For a few minutes, Buck did nothing but glide his hands over her body, exploring every inch of dusky skin and heightening his pleasure knowing that she trusted him enough to let him love her this way. He nuzzled on the soft skin of her ear lobe, extracting a pleasured sigh from her lips as his tongue teased the tender flesh, until he could feel her pushing harder against him, until the full length of his erect cock was pressing into her belly. The sensation of that was enough to make Buck bite down harder, forcing him to remain focused on what he was doing.
Inez shuddered as he felt his teeth on her skin, alternating between gentle nips on her neck to moist laving by his tongue. Her fingers dug into his back as the sensation coursed throughout her body, sending shivery tendrils of tingly delight awakening every nerve in her body. Her palms ran over the smooth silk of his biceps, circling the curve of shoulder before sliding down the crest of his back and reaching the firm muscles of his rear. She squeezed the flesh in her hands and let out a slow, languid moan at the sensation of taut sinew and muscle.
Achieving mutual pleasure became a need so urgent after so many months apart, both Buck and Inez knew this display of passion could be no other way but savage. Snaking his hand through her luxurious hair, he forced himself to her mouth again and delivered to her a kiss of jarring intensity. No sooner than she had time to breathe, she felt his tongue slid past her teeth once more, searching the warm recess for her own while pulling at her nightdress. When it did not come away quickly enough, Buck ripped the fabric apart and saw her eyes become glassy with lust from that brutality of that action. Buck grinned, realising with perfect clarity how she wanted to be touched.
Inez raised felt his mouth leave hers and felt a surge of anticipation as his mouth started to move down her neck. He tasted the flesh so hungrily; she could almost feel teeth biting into her skin. The pain aroused her even more. Her nails raked across the powerful muscles of his back and she felt a surge of moisture between her legs as she felt the taut, firm flesh under her palms. Suddenly, she felt his lips discontinue its downward journey and from the pit of her stomach, Inez felt an emptiness that was desperate for more. She looked into his face and saw the animal hunger in his eyes and yet was amazed at how tender and mindful he was that her needs had to be met. Impatience however had forced him to shorten his progress downwards. When he fell down hungrily on her breasts, all other thoughts were pushed from her mind.
He nursed on her hard, not allowing her to become accustom to the sensation, since her soft cries of pleasure gave him all the incentive he needed to increase his pace. Buck continued to suck her nipples past his teeth and swirled his tongue around the erect flesh. Inez was unaware of anything but that tantalising mouth driving her insane with pleasure and unconsciously, her legs parted to give him a more comfortable position between them. Suddenly one hand left her breast, sliding past her stomach. Buck's fingers drifted over the hair of her mound, poised and ready to touch her swelling, erect centre. She arched her back languidly as she felt fingers spreading open her folds and probing her gently.
"Damn you feel good." Buck manage to whisper as his finger slid inside her.
In truth, she felt more than just good, she was wonderful. When he felt her tight inner muscles clench immediately around his finger upon penetration; he almost went dizzy from the sensation. His cock almost burst from the sheer anticipation of embedding itself into that hot, wet channel of heaven. He had to rein in his rampant desires because he wanted this first experience of lovemaking as a married couple to leave an indelible impression in her mind that all their nights would be like this. He wanted Inez never to regret choosing him. Buck could hear her groaning below him, her body moving in waves of undulation as she rode his hand, a slave to the pleasure he was giving her.
Suddenly, he withdrew and tore a sob of disappointment from her when he removed his hand. He was soon sliding down her body, tracing a wet line of kisses with his tongue before his hands wrapped reached her thighs. When the rough stubble of his cheek caressed her belly, he felt her shudder before she became very quiet and still, tensing in anticipation for the pleasure he was about to visit upon her. Buck looked at her for an instance as he was poised over her aching sex, a slow smile stealing across his face that promised her nothing but heart stopping ecstasy.
Inez felt her breath quicken and could only close her eyes when his mouth finally lowered. Her entire body tightened with pleasure as he burrowed into her quivering sex. His tongue quickly found her erect centre, his lips nipping at the tingling flesh while the stubble on his chin and moustache caressed her outer folds, causing her to groan louder and with more abandon. She felt his tongue probing her slowly, spearing its way inside her as it pressed hard against the hard nub of flesh that drove her insane with feeling each time that he sucked it past his teeth.
Buck's large hands held her hips firmly, forcing her to stay still even though she was squirmed in pure sensation. He continued to draw the tiny node of flesh into his mouth with hard suction. Teasing it between his teeth and laving its tip with the heat of his warm tongue, he could feel her metamorphosis from woman into a mass of tingling nerve endings. He relished the sounds of every moan and every incoherent plea. Just the taste of her hardened his cock and promised the most shattering climax of his vast experience. He could feel the tightening of his loins bracing itself for the pleasure of sinking deep inside her.
"Oh Buck!" She gasped as the full vent of her orgasm came upon her and swept her away helplessly. Her body tensed with such raw need Buck almost came himself when her taste started to fill him. He lapped her juices like a thirst that needed quenching, pleased to know that he had inspired her enough to bring her to this. Giving her little time to recover, he slid upward again covering her body with his. The throes of her passion had strained his control almost to breaking point. The need to satisfy himself was all consuming as he felt his cock slip through her legs and prod insistently at her slick opening. He braced his hands on either side of her and felt his mouth go dry with aching desire when her legs wrapped around his waist, inviting him to join with her. Inez looked at him, her eyes burning.
"Make love to me Buck." She sighed, her lips quivering with expectation.
Buck smiled, happy to oblige as he pulled her against him hard, impaling Inez with the full length of his hardness. She cried out softly when he penetrated her ruthlessly. Yet it was not pain she cried out for. It was more of him, as much as he could fill inside her. Buck rammed into her with all the force her could muster, until his full length of his cock was buried inside her throbbing folds and he could enter no more. He ground his teeth from crying out himself, from becoming overwhelmed by her heated insides, grabbing and teasing him as he started to thrust into her.
Buck did not think making love to her could get any better than it already had. Sliding into her was the most incredible sensation he had ever felt and he had enough experience to tell the difference. She paled the others in comparison but any further thought was swept away by the juggernaut of sensation she produced when he started pumping into her body. Until now, it had all been foreplay, shadowy facsimile dogged by doubt and insecurity. There was none of that any more. There were just them and the passion of a lifetime waiting to be extinguished in nights like this.
For Buck, this was not the consummation of his marriage; this was a new existence.
Each stroke into her was pure, unadulterated pleasure, the likes of which made his groan each time he slid in to her and ached each time he pulled back to thrust again. Buck became so hard that he was almost sorry for the muscles of melted honey and what they were enduring. He rammed harder, feeling her thighs tighten around his waist, until she was biting down from the force of him. Her nails clawing at his back and the pain created a rush of added pressure that ripped his control asunder. Buck grunted softly, but the constant rhythm of his cock pounding through her wet, oh so wet sex forced him to start gasping or else he would have exploded. The heat of their raw sexual power burned like fire as he pounded into her, harder and harder, until he could not think for the sheer pleasure of her body
"Oh Jesus!" He cried out, unaware that a cry had even passed his lips.
Her resolve disappeared hearing him. "Buck! Buck! Please don't stop!"
The plea sent him over the edge. Buck went tumbling gratefully, not caring when he had reached the point where he could endure it no more. Giving into the sensations that had taken him just as fiercely as it had taken her, no matter how desperately he tried to maintain his grip on the shredded remains of his restraint, Buck felt his defences give way. Finally, with an exhausted, almost guttural groan of pleasure, he let himself go.
Buck emptied his seed into the deepest centre of her being. His entire life and soul escaped as he released a torrent of heat into her body and continued to pump as he started descending from the tight plateau of pleasure they had both been carried away. Inez tensed beneath him and then shuddered, her nails sinking into his back and he felt warmth around him that was more than just him squeezing out the last of drop of his desire into her. He uttered a loud satisfied growl the moment he heard her soft moans became kittenish purrs of delight and collapsed on top of her.
The bones in his body felt as if they had disappeared when he lay against her breast, hearing the soft murmur of her heart beating under the skin. Both their bodies glistening with sweat despite the cool of the night. He could feel her soft breath against his neck while her hands caressed his back with contented satisfaction.
"I love you." She whispered in his ear with a smile.
"I love you Inez," he pushed himself onto his elbows so that he could look into her face. "I don't ever want you to think that I don't. I feel lucky to have you and our daughter."
She gazed at him curiously, wondering what had brought such sentiment on, even though the moment was profound for both them. Still, these were things he had said before and yet there was a deeper sense of meaning as he said them now. "We're lucky to have you." She said with a smile. "No," she corrected herself after a moment. "I'm lucky to have you. We've been married only a short time but I've come to realise just how lucky I am."
Buck rested her head against her chest once again. "I'm the lucky one." He whispered under his breath. "I'm the lucky one."
God, she felt sick.
There had to be some advantage to having delivered one child in a person's lifetime to make the next one a little easier to cope with. As Mary Larabee found herself seated at the kitchen table, trying to down a cup of tea in the strange hope that it would not make her violently ill, she wondered if the next seven months was going to be an ordeal of vomit and nausea. As it was, her nerves were shot to hell and her temperament was even worse. For the last three days, morning sickness as it was laughably called had made its arrival into the Larabee household. She supposed she ought to be mildly grateful that she did not have to endure this humiliating experience with Chris in the house as well.
Just one humorous remark made at her expense would have gotten him killed with his own guns.
As she sipped lightly at the steaming cup of team, which she had begrudgingly made without the benefit of either sugar or milk, since the taste only tipped the precarious balance her stomach was poised upon for the worst, she wondered when Chris would be home. The telegram she had received from him this morning had revealed good news at least; Vin had been cleared of all charges. While she burned with curiosity at the specifics of his freedom, Mary was more concerned about when Chris was getting home. She had not had the chance to tell him about the baby prior to his departure and now wished that she had. The last week had left Mary wondering how he would take the news of a new baby. After all, they had not been married for very long and it was a big step.
She swirled the teaspoon within her cup and wondered if there was anything left to eat, since her stomach was a minefield of nausea one moment and ravenous hunger the next. Since the cycle had her on hungry, she pushed herself away from the table and went to the pantry, rummaging through the shelves for anything that was fit to eat and found to her pleasure that there was still some marble cake left over from dinner two nights ago. It was a little stale but with copious amounts of jam, it could be edible. She then proceeded to collect anything that would make the confectionary taste better and withdrew from the larder with a cache of jars in her hands while supporting the plate of cake in her mouth.
Mary had not taken more than a step back towards the table again when she stopped short at the sight of Chris standing at the doorway to the kitchen, watching her progress with arms folded and an expression on his face she could only call indifferent.
"Ch.......!" She exclaimed through the plate in her mouth.
Chris who was carrying a non descript brown paper bag came forward and pulled the plate from her lips before putting it on the table. Without batting an eye, he leaned forward and kissed her gently. "Cravings started already?"
Mary met his eyes and exclaimed. "How did you know?"
"Alex let it slip," Chris admitted, wondering if she had any idea how much he wanted to frame this moment. "Don't be too hard on her, she's had a tough time." He said quickly so that Mary would not be upset.
"Its okay," Mary frowned as she motioned him to help her with her collection. "I wanted to tell you before you went but with everything that happened..."
"Its all right," he said casually, having come to terms with a lot of things in the last few days to know that a baby was not as frightening as he thought and as long as Mary was with him, he could handle anything. "Everything was little crazy with Vin's trouble and all."
Mary sat down and stared at him puzzled, expecting a different reaction from the one she was receiving. He appeared to be very at ease with it when she had expected all kinds of demons to emerge with this kind of news. Instead, he took his hat off and draped it at its familiar corner on one of the kitchen chairs before retrieving one of the cups in the cupboard and sitting down to join her, still holding that brow paper bag in his hand. Finally curiosity got the better of her and Mary had to ask.
"Chris, say something." She asked, feeling butterflies in her stomach at his answer.
"Ain't much to say." He replied as he continued to pour himself tea. He was glad it was not coffee. At this time of the night, he would never get to sleep and he needed a few good hours after riding in the saddle all day. "Baby's coming."
"Are you okay with it?" She started feeling nervous about his manner. Goddamn! She hated it when he got all enigmatic like this with her. Even after almost of year of marriage, Mary could never read that particular mask when he chose to wear it.
"You know when I was in Tascosa," he started to say. "I had to buy supplies for the trip home and I was listening to these two women talking."
"Chris!" Mary exclaimed exasperated, knowing that her frustration had much to do with her hormones as it had to do with his being completely evasive. She did not want to know about local gossip in Tascosa but rather his opinion on their new arrival in spring.
Chris seemed unperturbed by her outburst and continued speaking. However, now that he was finished with pouring his tea, he began picking up the jars in front of Mary and sliding them to the other side of the table idly, as if his hands were looking for something to do as he spoke. "They were mostly talking about women's stuff, you know dances, whose going with who, who got married and whose having kids. I didn't pay much attention to it."
"Then why are we talking about it?" She groaned. "I want to know how you feel about the baby!"
"Seems to me they all had these funny opinions on what was the best way to get through a pregnancy." He continued, as if he had not heard a word she had said.
"By not infuriating your wife." Mary glared at him with menace.
"I picked enough to know that these," he took the last bottle away from her and then to her horror the cake too, "are gonna make you so sick that you will be puking your guts for the next month." He said firmly and pushed the brown paper bag in her direction.
"What's this?" Mary frowned, hating the fact that he was right because she knew that piece of matronly advice herself from when she had been carrying Billy.
"Open it," he ordered and expected to be obeyed, no matter how temperamental she was.
She gave him a look through narrowed eyes and reached into the bag, before discovering that it was filled with plain biscuit crackers. "Crackers? You're making me eat crackers?"
"Get used to them." Chris smiled deviously. "You're going to be eating a lot of them for the next month."
"Now you are sure you've kept an eye on our clothes this time?" Alex looked at Vin sternly as they wallowed inside the cool water contained with the water tower at the ranch.
"Will you quit worrying?" Vin retorted. "I told you, they're safe." This time Vin had taken extreme precaution to let no one know that they were coming out here tonight although after Alex's revenge upon Buck, Ezra and JD, Vin seriously doubted they would be facing a repeat of that incident. Tonight, it was just the two of them under a clear sky with the stars out in force. Once again, they found themselves, naked and alone, which was a good thing to be when they were young and very much in love with nothing but time on their hands.
For the rest of the night at least.
"Okay," she relented, relaxing enough to enjoy being here with him, trying to get past the insecurities engendered by her last visit to this watery confines. "I trust you." She said with a smile and swam towards him. Vin enclosed her wet body with his hands as she neared him and for a few minutes, lost all sense of time as their mouths met in a playful dance of passion. His tongue darted past her lips, drawing warmth from the recess of her mouth, while his hands slid up and down her back caressing her smooth skin.
"So," he said when he was finally able to leave those wonderful lips to put forward the question that had been on his mind ever since they had returned from Tascosa. "Do you still want to marry me, now that I'm sort of respectable?" He was very careful to stay away from the subject of Amanda Kincaid, even though Alex was feeling better about it now that that she was home.
Chris had been right about that.
Alex had started to feel better once she returned to Four Corners. Being home had done a great to alleviate the pain she was feeling and allowed her to come to terms with what had happened in Tascosa, especially with her friends rallying around her and offering their support. Today was the first time in days, that Vin had seen her actually relaxed enough to suggest they have this little interlude alone. He wanted to discuss their future, now that they were in a position to finally do something about it.
"Hell yeah, cowboy." Alex chuckled, wondering how he could even imagine that would ever change, no matter what had happened in Tascosa.
"We're done courtin' long enough." He pointed out.
"True." Alex agreed with him on that point. "I'm sick of you creeping out my house. I want you legally obligated to be there." She teased and started kissing him again. For a few seconds, Vin indulged her passion as her mouth devoured his and felt himself stiffen in excitement.
"Aw hell, when you put it that way," he mumbled through the heavenly taste of her lips on his.
"It's all in the asking," Alex laughed and started nibbling on his ear when she suddenly asked. "By the way, where did you put our clothes?"
"Some place, no one will ever think to find it." He said proudly and fell silent abruptly as if he had made a most unpleasant discovery.
Alex tensed. "Where did you put them, Vin?"
Vin did not answer once again and prompted Alex to push herself away from him so that she could look him in the eye when she repeated her question. He looked back at her troubled.
"Where did you put it Vin?" Alex demanded, more insistent about knowing now.
"I forgot." He said reluctantly.
"You're kidding me, right?" She squeaked in horror.
"It will come to me in a minute." He assured her and wondered whether this water was deep enough for a drowning. He better pray it was not.
"In a minute! This from the man whose supposed to be the best tracker in the Territory!" She sputtered in fury. "Tanner, if you don't find my clothes in two minutes, you will not be finding anything ever again!"
"It will come to me...!"