CHRIS
Even before he saw the amber glow in the sky from the distance, Chris Larabee could smell the smoke. It ashy stench drifted through the trees, snaking across the land like tendrils of foreboding, the nearer he reached home. It was not unlike the smell that would beckon him the next day when the fire had died and all hope had disappeared with it. As Chris and Buck continued at breakneck speed for the homestead where Sarah and Adam awaited rescue, he could feel his heart pounding in his chest because he knew that if he made it at all, it was going to be by the narrowest margin of time.
The night was beautiful and clear and as Chris and Buck reached the final leg of their journey, the splendour of twilight only seemed to mock them in its amplification of the violence taking place in the beyond that was close enough to see. Chris could see the glow of the house amidst the trees surrounding the perimeter of the main house. Like a pyre, the flames stretched into the night, illuminating the indigo sky with amber waves of heat and embers that drifted with the wind like fireflies dancing. The house sat at the bottom of the hill and as Chris and Buck looked down at the fire raging against the canvas of iridescent blue, it could almost have been considered beautiful.
If not for the screaming.
"Sarah!" Chris almost screamed back when he heard it and dug his spurs into his horse, sending the animal into a bray of pain before it rushed forward, leaving Buck behind.
"Chris wait!" Buck shouted after his friend, understanding how much that terrified scream would wrench his senses if it was his wife too but in his desperation to reach Sarah, Chris had forgotten about the men who were responsible for this, men who were still in the area. Unfortunately, Chris was beyond hearing as he and his horse thundered through forward determined to reach the property at any costs.
"Shit!" Buck swore and had little choice but to follow him, praying that whatever that lay waiting once they reached the flaming house was within their ability to handle. However, even Buck had to confess that the terror in those screams growing louder they nearer they reached the house was enough to drive any man insane. He felt his insides clench with fury, aware as Chris must have surely known the moment he had heard them, that those were Sarah's screams. Even Buck started to feel his own restraint slip as he followed Chris through the winding darkness of the track, feeling darkness permeate his soul as unspeakable evil ran its course through the depths of this night.
"Chris!" He tried to stop his friend's rapid advance but Chris was still riding hard ahead of him. The distance between the house and the track was shortening, they would be on top of the homestead in a matter of seconds and there was nothing to mask their approach. The fire had sent every living thing, other than human, scurrying away for fear of the oldest and most powerful elemental in nature's arsenal. The only sound that could be heard from the forest was the crackling of wood, their eminent approach and the screaming that had become so loud that nothing else seemed to penetrate.
Chris could hear nothing else. He could not hear Buck, trying desperately to warn him of what was waiting, trying to force him to tread on the side of caution. All Chris could hear was Sarah's cries and what frightened him more than hearing his wife was the fact that his son's voice was strangely silent.
Chris broke through the ring of trees that surrounded the house and the barn. Sarah's screams had descended into shrieks of pure terror as Chris gazed upon the house that she was trapped within, he finally had one of the many questions he had regarding this night as to what her last hours had been.
The roof of the house was completely ablaze. The mere fact that it had not collapsed upon itself was more of a testament to the structure's construction then the intensity of the fire. Inside the glass windows he had specially ordered from town so that Sarah could have her view, he saw her. She was pounding against it, soot covering her terrified face, one fist smashing against the clear glass, begging and pleading for her life. Her eyes widened as she caught sight of him and that centred her thoughts somewhat.
"CHRIS!" She pleaded. "Help us!"
Chris dismounted the house, thinking of nothing else but to get to her in time. The fire had taken the awning on the front porch of the house, snaking down beams and consuming its path to the front door. Despite his urgency to reach Sarah, Chris knew he had to do this right because there was only one chance to save her. The roof was burning away steadily and a minor miracle had taken place because it had yet to crumble upon itself in final destruction. When that happened, it would take his family with it. He ran to the pipe that was in front of the house and immediately started pumping to produce the water needed to fill the bucket before it. The seconds it took for the frothy liquid to emerge seemed like an eternity and Chris scanned the area in the interim, trying to find Fowler and his men who should be still in the area.
The bucket was filled to the brim when Buck Wilmington made his appearance and Chris paid little attention to his best friend because he had other things to deal with. Besides, with Buck here, the man could watch his back in case Fowler and his men decided to come back. The window that Sarah was standing before was surrounded by flames and to get her through it, he would have to put some of it out. Crossing the space between the house and the pump, Chris saw Sarah was holding Adam in her arms as she stared at him, relief flooding into his face at his presence. The smoke inside the house was so thick that it would have been difficult to see her if she had not been standing at the window. With his mind completely focused on reaching Sarah, it never occurred to him why she had been pinned in that one section of the house.
Flinging the content of the bucket as soon as he stepped under the awning, Chris immediately felt his eyes water from the sting of the thick smoke. With horror, he was unable to imagine how Sarah had not succumbed to it when it was must have been so much thicker inside the house. The water sizzled as it killed the flames around the windowsill and Chris approached the glass, relieved that he was able to save her, as he had not done so before. Sarah pressed her hand against the glass as he came up to it, with tears running down her face that could not even begin to explain how happy she was to see him. He pressed his own palm against hers, unable to stop staring at her even like this. Then his eyes shifted to Adam whom Sarah was cradling and the smile on his face dissolved immediately.
Sarah had not noticed yet mostly because she had been so intent on letting him know they were here. Adam was lying limp in her arms; his head lolled back and his eyes closed. He was probably still warm from the heat of the fire so Sarah could have been forgiven for the mistake. Chris felt a well of anguish rise from his heart as he realized that for Adam, it was too late. The smoke had claimed him long ago. Chris raised his eyes to meet Sarah's, seeing her face so full of hope drove the need to tell her away for the moment. He had to save her first, then he could tell her about their son.
Chris was about to smash the window when suddenly he heard the sound of a rifle being fired. Immediately, he swung around to the direction of the loud booming noise. Buck who had been filling up another bucket of water to aid him was staring at him with a look of surprise on his face. The big man glanced downwards as the crimson stain in the centre of his chest started extending outwards, creating a wet patch of red across his light coloured shirt. He met Chris' gaze briefly before everything that was Buck drained out of his eyes forever. Chris knew he was dead before he even hit the ground.
"BUCK!" Chris ran forward as Buck collapsed in the dirt. He was no more than two steps away from his friend when he remembered Sarah and cursed himself for a fool. Not caring whether or not Fowler was watching, Chris ran back towards the house. When Buck had been shot, the sound of gunfire had torn through Chris's mind like an echo that would not fade. However, it was nothing in comparison to the sound made when the roof of the Larabee home finally gave in.
There was a final moment after it tore through the air when Sarah stared at him with pure terror in her eyes, knowing that there would be no last-minute rescue, no final reprieve or anything for that matter when time seemed to freeze for Chris. He watched almost unwillingly, as the spine of the main ceiling beam snapped with a loud crack that seemed to fill his mind with nothing else than its resounding waves. He watched in muted horror as the roof caved in, bringing with it death in a descending wall of fire. Her last scream was one of hopelessness and anger at the life that was snatched away within inches of her reach.
"SARAH!" Chris screamed with her before their voices were both drowned out by the roar of the fire that did not just kill her but a part of him as well. He dropped to his knees, feeling his heart shatter into a thousand pieces when she screamed no more and he was left with nothing more than the knowledge that he had failed her again. It wrenched his insides with pain so unbearable that for a few seconds following Sarah's end, he could do nothing but weep in inconsolable sorrow at the loss of her. Losing her the first time had been more than Chris could stand and he never believed that could be any pain worse but now he knew was no limits to what pain could make a man endure.
He almost lunged into the fire after her. For what he had failed to prevent, he should have died too. He staggered to his feet, ready to make the journey into the fire when suddenly, he remembered something else. Chris paused in mid-step. Inside himself, the man who remembered marrying Mary Travis slipped away quietly into the mists, disappearing as if he had never been. In his place was a creature that Chris had kept locked up all his life, terrified of releasing for the evil it could do in its berserker rage.
Chris hardly noticed when that door was opened.
Trancelike, he walked past Buck, seeing his friend but the death registered no more than that. He looked into the darkness and he saw the faces just skimming the edge of the trees. He knew why Fowler had not attacked him because Ella had not given him leave to do so. Shooting Buck had been a tactic for delay nothing else. His friend had died so that Chris would be prevented from entering the house and being killed when the room finally caved in as it had just done and sealed the fate of his wife and son.
"Fowler!" Chris shouted loudly because he needed to get the man's attention. "I know you're out there, Fowler You can't hide away this time, I know who you are and I'm coming for you!" Chris said these words as if he were reading them from a book. It too did not register in his mind as anything that he ought to care about, it just needed doing.
Until now, there had been nothing to prove to the law that Cletus Fowler was responsible for the deaths of Sarah and Larabee. All that had led him to the man previously, was one outlaw's word and that had not been enough. Fowler had killed the man to assure his anonymity and Chris was certain that he would do the same to Chris to protect himself, client or not. Chris went to his horse and waited for the imminent arrival of Fowler and his men from under the protection of the trees. He could almost imagine what Fowler was thinking at this moment, that he was easy prey. Grief had made him weak and easy to overcome.
When Fowler and his men finally did emerge, Chris made no move to approach them. He remained by his horse so that they would not have a clear shot to do to him what they had done to Buck. Whoever had shot Buck had done it from a distance and Chris scoured the faces and decided it did not matter which one of them had pulled the trigger on his friend. Nothing mattered any more. There was a numbness inside him that was indescribable and his rage was a singularity in his soul awaiting release at the right moment.
"You were not meant to be here Mr Larabee." Cletus Fowler said, his men surrounding Chris while he stared at them dispassionately. "It is unfortunate that you were. Give up your guns." The assassin ordered as he stared at Chris from on top of his horse.
Chris tossed both his peacemakers into the dirt, several feet from himself, without hesitation. He was not afraid of anything that happened to him now. Not with Sarah and Adam gone and now Buck as well. Mary was out of his reach and for what he was about to do, it was best that way.
"Step away from the horse," Fowler ordered, seeing something in the gunslinger's eyes that made him nervous. In fact, they all did. Perhaps it was the lack of feeling in those steel coloured eyes, he could not say for certain but the others riding with him were starting to get apprehensive. "Slowly," he added the warning, expecting something but unsure what that might be.
Chris stepped out in front of them and pulled the shotgun he had loaded before their arrival and had kept hidden discreetly. With speed he had always possessed but seldom used, he emptied both shells into the men next to Fowler without so much as batting an eye. The loud roar of the weapon coupled with the frightened reaction of the horses as both men caught the brunt of the discharges in the chest, caused Fowler's mount to buck with a similar fear. The assassin fell to the ground as Chris rushed forward and tore the last unseated rider from his horse. The chaos taking place around the man had distracted him from the flurry of movement that had become Chris Larabee. Chris dragged him out of the saddle and paused long enough for Fowler to notice that he had snaked an arm around the man's throat and was waiting for an audience.
Before Chris snapped his neck with one abrupt movement.
The man went limp in Chris' arm following the sickening squelch of muscle and bone. Chris let him drop to the ground and turned his attention to Fowler with eyes that were black like onyx. The assassin who knew little about fear saw something in the gunslinger's eyes that made him shudder. Chris took a step forward, oblivious to the fact that he was unarmed and Fowler was but still confident that it was Fowler who was about to die. Even the assassin began to understand this as Chris walked forward with such casual ease in his manner that he looked like death itself, wearing a black duster and gazing at Fowler with empty eyes.
"Think of this way," Chris said listlessly as he approached. "You'll die quick. Ella won't."
*********
MARY
"This is really getting out of hand," Steven complained as he checked on Mary and Billy whom he had instructed to remain hidden inside their house. He had thought moving his family into town would make things safer for them. However, after today, he decided that there was no safe haven for a man to keep his family. The gunfire had resumed an hour ago and had not stopped. Like any sane person, he had instructed Mary and his son to remain indoors while the drunken Texan's responsible for this siege got the liquor out of their system, hopefully without doing too much damage. Unfortunately, this did not appear to be a scenario that would take place anywhere in the immediate future since the group was still riding through town causing untold damage as they discharged their weapons, destroying property and sanity. Steven supposed they ought to be grateful that none of these men had turned their attention to any one person yet.
"It will end soon enough Steven," Mary advised, knowing that a short time from now, Chris Larabee and Vin Tanner would intervene and this reign of terror would end in a blaze of gunfire that would herald the formation of the seven.
"I hope so," Steven frowned, walking up to the front widow to see the progression of the violence. "We need a real sheriff." He declared unhappily. "This town seems to be attracting all kinds of bad elements lately and now Chris Larabee too, God knows what the wind is going to blow into town next."
"Who's Chris Larabee." Billy asked as he remained in Mary's arms at the corner of the room.
"A notorious gunslinger." Steven answered offhandedly, still staring out the window at the goings-on taking place outside.
"Really Steven," Mary frowned, feeling the need to come to Chris's defence. "We don't know anything about the man. All we have are third-hand reports from questionable people regarding his so-called reputation as a ruthless killer."
Steven looked over his shoulder and her, clearly unimpressed by her appraisal of Chris' character. "He must have left quite an impression on you." He said without hiding the jealousy in his voice or the dislike.
Mary suddenly felt embarrassed by the intensity of his glare in her direction and she forced herself to remember that this was Steven whom she had loved and for whom she had pined for so long after his death. Why did she now feel like he was a stranger? She loved him once and in her heart, she loved him still but her thoughts were filled with Chris. Seeing the gunslinger this morning had only driven home just how much she wanted back the life where she was his wife.
"Don't be silly," she said trying to sound convincing. "I just don't think its right to judge a man solely on what people say about him. He seemed perfectly nice when I spoke to him."
"Considering how you spoke to him, that was hardly surprising." Steven retorted, the malice in his voice was unconcealed, so was the implication.
Mary felt her cheeks flush with anger. "Steven, I did nothing objectionable. I was merely having a conversation."
"Did you talk to him ma?" Billy asked, oblivious to the nature of the conversation being carried out by his parents and were only aware of the fact that his mother had spoken to a famous gunslinger, like he read about in books.
"Yes," Steven said turning back to the window again. "Your mother had quite a friendly conversation with Mr Larabee."
"Steven," Mary started to get angry. Even if she had spoken to Chris with more familiarity than she should have, he had no right to discuss it in front of Billy. "I merely spoke to the man to be polite, if you read anything more into it, then that's your business."
Steven turned around to say something further when suddenly, something else caught his attention. The town had been in chaos up to this point. The Texans were running riot through town, shooting at anything that moved, although gratefully no one had yet to be hurt. However, with the sudden pause in the gunfire, that was all about to change. Mary knew what that was and she left Billy behind and hurried next to him, all thoughts about their previous argument fading from memory.
"What is it?" She asked quietly as he looked across the street at the drama unfolding on the upper floor of the building.
"Damn!" Steven swore. "I knew when they asked Nathan to fix up their trail boss there was going to be trouble."
Mary followed his gaze and saw the Texans ragging Nathan out of the set of rooms that the healer used as his infirmary. The scene played out was one she was terribly familiar with even though this was the first time, she had viewed it from this perspective. Nathan was bound by the hands, struggling to break free of at least three men who were part of a larger group intent on lynching him for the death of their friend.
"They're going to hang him." She whispered, taking note of the rope that was around the healer's neck ready for the purpose.
"Not a chance!" Steven declared firmly and hurried away from the window. Mary stared at him in shock, wondering what he thought he was going to do. She knew how events had played out, that after a rather pointless attempt by her to stop the Texans from carrying out their lynching, Chris and Vin would step in her place and save Nathan from that terrible fate.
"Steven!" Mary ran after him as he disappeared into the office.
"What's daddy going to do?" Billy asked as she followed Steve out.
"Stay where you are," she ordered in that no-nonsense tone that made Billy freeze in his place and remain silent.
When she reached the room, she saw him loading up the double-barrel shotgun that he kept in the office. In the reality she remembered, Mary had kept it in pretty much the same place. Periodically, he would look out the window to keep abreast of what was taking place outside. By this point, Nathan had been brought to street level, giving everyone in town a rough idea of what was going to take place. A wagon being driven by one of the Texans had pulled up at the front of the building where the infirmary was and Nathan was bundled roughly into the back at gunpoint.
"Steven, you're not going out there," Mary exclaimed.
"Of course I am." Steven retorted, giving her a look that seemed surprised that she could even ask such a thing. "I can't let them hang Nathan."
Mary swallowed hard, suddenly remembering why she loved this man so much and how good and courageous truly be. This was the husband that she remembered and pined for after his death, not the jealous man who had angered her a short time ago.
For a moment, Mary felt inordinately proud of him, like she always did when he was at his most determined to defend someone who needed defending because no one else gave a damn. "Steven," she smiled, her hand touching his face tenderly as he paused and looked into her eyes. "I love you."
"I'll be fine," he said confidently and kissed the hand against his cheek, happier than all was well between them again. He hated it when he and Mary argued because he loved her so much and knew that part of the reason he had been so jealous was that the thought of her looking at someone with the same look she reserved for him was more than he could stand. "You stay here with Billy." He said gently before he took the gun and hurried out of the office into the street.
Mary watched him go, knowing that he would not get hurt. After all, she had done the same thing and the only she had suffered was to her pride. They had brushed her aside like an annoyance because she was just a woman. Suddenly, Mary felt her breath catch. Dear God! They had not hurt her because she was a woman but Steven…
Mary was running out the door before the thought could coalesce completely in her mind. She prayed she was wrong. She prayed that the reason they had not shot her that day was out of some sense of belief that there was a world of difference from hurting a white man and lynching a Negro, not because she was a woman. As she ran up the street, she saw Chris Larabee watching at the front of the saloon, his eyes immediately shifted from the unfolding drama to her as she approached, her skirts raised in a desperate attempt to reach Steven before it was too late.
Gangrene was the last word she heard Steven say before the sound gunfire tore through the air. She froze in the middle of the street as she saw him fall. The shotgun fell out of his hand after the bullets had done their work. There were cries of shock and horror throughout the town from those watching as they saw one of their most prominent citizens gunned down in front of his wife. Mary watched in slow motion as he landed in the dirt and the men who had killed him, continue on their way. The alcohol has so blinded their senses that they felt little remorse over what they had done and would not likely to do so until the liquor had worn off.
When she could finally move again, she found her limbs heavy as she approached him. Even as she neared him, she knew he was dead. He lay there on the street, his blood seeping from under him like a crimson pool that reflected the colour of her world as she came to understand that she had lost him again. Although some of the townsfolk had converged around his body, all stepped aside when Mary finally reached him. The world ceased to exist around her as she knelt down beside him and tried not to cry. It was easier to do than she might have imagined, after all, she had wept these tears for him once before. The sorrow of his passing was nothing new to her. The circumstances had just changed.
Mary dropped to her knees and brushed his cheek once again with her fingertips again, as she had done only a short time ago. The bullets that killed him were plain to see on his ruined torso. The killing wound was where his heart was situated and Mary was able to take some comfort in the knowledge that the death for him had come quickly. She had wished him alive for so long, to have him back again and now as she held him in her arms, having lost him a second time, did she finally understand why that was always such an impossible dream.
Steven Travis believed in standing up for what he believed in, no matter what the price to himself. He had avoided death once because this wish of hers had allowed it, however, everything that he was ensured that he would willingly put himself in danger if he believed the cause was right, time after time. She had wished he had not been killed that night when she should have wished him to be someone else because the only way he was going to stay alive was by not being the man he was.
Chris Larabee watched the woman with eyes like a dove hold her husband in her arms, shedding not one tear as she cradled his dead form even though the full measure of her grief was an open book to Chris. He knew precisely what was taking place inside her and he could share her sorrow with as much intimacy as he wanted to share her heart. When she had looked at him earlier that morning, Chris had been able to think of nothing else. Even though it was a wedding ring he had seen on her finger, thoughts of golden hair plagued him so badly he had more or less, neglected to notice what was taking place in town. Perhaps if he had, her husband would still be alive.
He watched her grief and felt it stab in his own heart, filling the emptiness that had lived there since Sarah and Adam had died, with the first semblance of feeling in almost three years. Chris wanted to hold her, he wanted to tell her that her world had not ended with the death of her husband, that someday, someone would breeze into her life and bring with it a reason to live as she had done for him. Chris took a deep breath and made a decision at the same time he noticed that the store clerk who had been watching the proceedings in the shop across the street, emerging with a rifle after appearing to have come to the same conclusion he had. The younger man met his gaze and the secret message conveyed between prompted Chris into moving.
It was time to do something.
*********
VIN
The sun was almost up.
If he did not act soon, they would be on the move again and he would have to spend another day tracking them. While patience was virtue in this game, Vin wanted to be done with Eli Joe so he could get back to his life or begin living it again. Even in the reality he remembered, Vin had to admit the desire to catch Eli Joe had almost become obsession. He had trailed the outlaw longer and further than any other bounty he had set himself to collect. Only when he had found Kincaid's body and returned with it to Tascosa, did Vin realize just how single-minded he had been about Eli Joe's capture. He had been so single-minded that he had missed the obvious signs of the deception and led to his becoming a fugitive.
Vin remained in the darkness, watching his prey as they remained huddled around the fire, passing the bottle of whisky that was making them drunk but doing nothing to hasten their descent into a stupor where they could be easily handled. He did not recognize the other men with Eli Joe but Vin decided he was not in the mood to take all of them on. He only wanted Eli Joe. Once he had the outlaw in his custody, Vin had every intention of abandoning the bounty hunting game. If necessary, he would seek out Chris Larabee and wait for the gunslinger in Four Corners. Eventually, things would fall into place as they had been and Alex would not far behind those events.
This time, however, he was beating Ezra to her.
In truth, Vin had no idea how he was going to stand waiting for her arrival when she was such a large part of his life. In fact, they all were, from Chris to J.D., Vin knew that in the past two years, they had filled a void in his life he had never suspected was there. He spent so much time alone in his life that the need for people had been a secondary consideration. Even when he lived with the Indians, he was always set apart. Although they treated him as one of their own, he was not and while nothing was said, Vin could feel the underlying sentiment held by them all that as much as he tried to understand their ways, he was still a white man and in some respects, the enemy. Only when he had come to Four Corners and met Chris and the others, did Vin recognize the long-buried need to belong somewhere and to someone.
Chris had understood and extended a hand of friendship towards him, a hand seldom offered to anyone. However, Vin was certain the gunslinger saw in him something that had been lost in himself since the death of the wife and child that left Chris Larabee so terribly marked. Chris' friendship, guarded though it may have been at first had taught Vin a great deal about letting people into his life. If it had not been for Chris, he would still be the loner that he was, not a member of the seven and certainly without Alex in his life. If he could just deal with Eli Joe this time, then when she came into his life again, he would not have to worry about never being able to marry her because of this damn bounty on his head.
Vin blinked and stared into the campsite where the outlaw was camped and noticed that the voices were silent. It appeared that the liquor and the late hour had finally taken its toll on the group and they were fast asleep in their bedrolls. Even Eli Joe was down for the count, having collapsed next to the fire, being too drunk to crawl into bed. It was just as well. Vin wanted to take the man with the least amount of fuss.
After watching the campsite a little while longer to ensure that no trick was being played on him, Vin finally moved out of his hiding place. Covering the distance between himself and Eli Joe in a matter of minutes, Vin moved across the darkened landscape almost soundlessly, his footsteps giving no warning in their advance. The horses stirred slightly at his approach but not enough to give him away. He paused as they neighed and stamped their feet, their animal senses detecting him with far more accuracy than he himself was capable of tracking. Vin paused for a moment, making certain that the unheard warning remained just that and continued forward only when he saw no movement from the prone figures lying asleep next to the gentle illumination of amber light.
Vin removed his gun slowly, knowing precisely where Eli Joe was situated from his observations earlier. He crept past the others, who were as he suspected too drowned in liquor to be coherent of anything but each others snoring, which was he might add rather loud. Eli Joe was lying directly in front of the fire, lying on his back in the dirt, clutching an empty bottle of Red Eye as he snored loudly in his stupor. Vin looked over his shoulder and made sure they others remained where they were, unstirred and silent.
No sooner than had done that, he heard the audible click of a gun.
"I knew you weren't stupid enough to take the bait." Eli Joe was looking at him with a gun pointed at his face, fully awake. The man had been waiting for the arrival of the tracker all evening, expecting company even though the others had anticipated the bounty hunter would have taken Kincaid's body back to Tuscosa by now. However, Eli Joe knew that man who was pursuing him, knew that any bounty hunter that would be so determined to maintain the hunt no matter what the outlaw had done to throw him off the trail would not be fooled so easily by such a simple ruse.
Vin swore under his breath, cursing himself for a fool in his eagerness to get his hands on the man. Now Eli Joe had the drop on him and he was in for a world of trouble.
"I should have taken care of this the old fashioned way," Eli Joe replied, his eyes narrowing with such intense hatred that Vin suddenly realized that when Alexandra Styles finally arrived in Four Corners, he was not going to be there to meet her.
The last thing he knew of anything was Eli Joe pulling the trigger.
*********
ALEX
When the stage rumbled into Four Corners, Alexandra Styles knew at last that she was at home.
The knot that had formed in her insides ever since she had woken up in that strange office in Boston had started unravelling as soon as she entered the town limits. Alex was practically leaning out the window as the Concord rumbled into Four Corners, eagerly breathing in the familiar air of home, even though it was hardly what one would call scented. Still, the smell of leather and horses and all the things that made the Territory so distinctive was captured in that one breath of air. For the first time in days since she had woken to this strange dream where her deepest wishes were fulfilled, Alex felt somewhat at ease. The effect on her was so noticeable that even her father could not help but be astonished by the sudden change in her manner upon entering this dusty town in the middle of nowhere. Whoever this young man was with whom his daughter was so enamoured, he must have been something quite extraordinary for William Styles had never seen Alex so passionate about anyone. There were times when it concerned him just how clinical she could be. He realized that much of this was his fault, that he had raised her without any consideration to her gender, just her mind and so she tended to rely upon it more stringently than most women to do her thinking for her.
"I know this is impossible," Styles asked since Alex's pleasure at being in this town was so apparent on her face that he actually wondered if she had ever been here before. "You did not leave Boston for a few weeks without my knowing and actually visited this place have you?" He looked at her suspiciously.
"Vin described it pretty accurately," Alex lied, not about to explain to him just how she knew Four Corners. Despite her happiness to be here, Alex was also thrilled that she had made this journey with her beloved father. It was like they had never been apart and everything she remembered about him was as it was for most of her youth, where they travelled the globe like a pair of nomads with no fixed home. Having him meeting Vin was the sweetest conclusion she could think of to this whole crazy dream.
"I see," He said sceptically, with every indication that he did not for a second believe a word she was saying.
Alex offered him a vague smile and sat up as the stage finally pulled up next to the Four Corners hotel. She knew her father had many questions and were she able to explain to him how any of this was possible without his thinking her stark raving mad, then she would do so happily for she disliked keeping secrets from him. As it was, she had no idea how she was going to explain this to Vin but she knew she had little choice in the matter. She loved him and not even this strange reality she had somehow stumbled into would change that. Alex knew that he felt the same for her and even when he looked at her and saw a stranger, she was convinced she could convince him that in another place and time, they were meant everything to each other.
Alex disembarked from the carriage and looked over the town. Nothing much had changed. In fact, from the Emporium located at the end of the street to the Clarion News office across the street from the saloon, the place was as she exactly remembered it the night before she had gone to sleep and awoke in Boston. Familiar faces she had treated during her time in Four Corners, walked up and down the street, showing no recognition in their eyes when they happened past her. Some of the men looked at her in interest, their eyes moving over her form the way men did whenever they caught sight of something they liked.
"Daddy," Alex turned to her father who was seeing to their bags as it was being unloaded from the top of the Concord. "Why don't you check us in the hotel. I'm going for a little walk, I need to stretch my legs a little after all that."
"Certainly Lex," Styles answered, his attention more focused on his discussion with the stagecoach driver and where their luggage was to be deposited then anything Alex had said.
Alex left him to it and tried to think where Vin would be at this time of the day if he were indeed in town. God, she hoped he was. Alex did not think she could stand to go without seeing him for another minute. The last few days had been hell. She never thought she could miss him so much in her life. She missed the dinners they shared, the moonlight rides, not to mention the passionate lovemaking. She missed that a lot. Strolling through town, she re-acquainted herself with Four Corners, realizing that she missed the town even if it was rustic and primitive by the standards of Boston. She was almost tempted to see what had become of the house that had become her clinic when she found herself walking past the saloon.
There he was.
Vin Tanner was playing checkers with Ezra Standish in the walkway that ran past the saloon, enjoying the summer heat rather than wasting the day away inside the dim confines of the establishment. Chris Larabee was also present but the gunslinger's nose was in a book. Who would have thought that the sombre son of a bitch was such a literary buff, Alex thought for the hundredth time. Vin looked no different than the last time she saw him, wearing that damn buckskin jacket she was certain he would be buried in one day, with a look she knew to be one of utter boredom. It must have been a slow day if he was reduced to playing checkers with Ezra, particularly since the gambler's sleight of hand allowed him to cheat at that too.
It was a slow day for Vin Tanner but as he looked up and saw her coming towards their direction, all thoughts regarding the game he was playing with Ezra seemed to fade from his mind. He stared for a moment, feeling something stop working in his chest as she crossed the street. Vin basked in the sight of her, wondering who she was, with her golden skin and a smile that seemed meant for only him.
With waves of jet black hair bouncing off her shoulders as she moved, Vin had never in his life been so utterly captured by any female. Not even Charlotte had paralyzed him with such desire.
"Mr Tanner," Ezra who had been waiting for Vin to make a move on the board, said impatiently. "The move is yours."
"What?" Vin turned his attention back to the game, which he had absolutely no interest in at this point.
"What has captured your attention so…oh my," Ezra stopped short as he saw the woman who had crossed the street and seemed to be proceeding in their direction. "My compliments on your taste."
Chris Larabee looked up at this point much to Vin's embarrassment. He had no wish to be caught gawking like a teenager but his annoyance lasted for only a second because the object of his affections was soon heading directly for them. Immediately, the three lawmen rose to their feet for the woman, who despite her colouring was dressed very much like a lady and should have been afforded the proper respect.
Alex saw Vin's eyes the moment he saw her and knew that she was not a stranger to him, well in heart anyway. Her effect upon her was evident in the depths of the cobalt coloured pools of his eyes, which Alex knew were incapable of hiding how he felt from her. She swelled inside knowing that her intense feelings for him were not one-sided, that even now, though she appeared to be a complete stranger, the passion of their love still existed on some level. It was also nice to know that Vin had been telling Alex the truth when he said that he had loved her from the first. The instant she laid eyes upon him, Alex knew that her plan of getting to know him gradually before rekindling their love affair without actually going into detail of how they had first met, was going straight out the window.
Her arms were around him even before she knew she was making a public spectacle of herself. Alex pulled him close, pressing her lips against his in a kiss of steamy passion. After so many days without him, she felt starved and even though there was some measure of resistance as she kissed him, it lasted for no more than a second before his tongue was probing past her teeth, joining hers in their passionate exchange.
Vin had no idea what was happening but when he felt her arms around him, he knew he wanted nothing else. She tasted like nothing he had ever known in his life and the scent of her skin made him dizzy from sheer craving. When Vin finally regained enough sense to push away from her, he was almost breathless as he stared at her with wonder, not to mention a great deal of puzzlement. She flashed him a radiant smile and Vin found his heart beating heavily in his chest as she looked at him with eyes that held the secret to a mystery he was not privy.
"I'm guessing you've met." Chris Larabee said, trying to hide the amusement at the expression of absolute bewilderment on Vin Tanner's face.
Alex saw Vin's face turn a shade of crimson and decided to spare him the embarrassment of trying to explain. "I'm Alexandra Styles," she introduced herself to the gunslinger and the gambler. Ezra was also trying hard to hide the snigger that was threatening to steal across his features. "I'm thinking of setting up a medical practice here in Four Corners, I'm a doctor."
"A doctor?" Vin exclaimed staring at her in astonishment. "But you're..."
Alex gave him a wicked smile and remarked. "A woman." She replied. "I thought we cleared that up a second ago." She teased and garnered a rather dark look from him in response.
"And how did you and Mr Tanner get acquainted?" Ezra found himself asking because like Chris, that question was burning foremost in his mind. Vin was not the most social of creatures and had a habit of being painfully shy, particularly when it came to the opposite sex. How Vin could have had the opportunity to charm this incredibly beautiful woman was beyond Ezra especially since none of them had laid eyes upon her before or was aware of when Vin might have had the opportunity to meet her in the first place.
"That's our secret." She said evasively before turning to Vin. "If you want to escort me to the hotel Vin, I think we need to talk."
"Now you want to talk?" Vin stared at her, his confusion escalating by the moment. Something very strange was going on and felt like he had to run after her to keep up. It did not help that when he gazed at her, he felt such a rush of desire, he had no sense of anything but wanting her lips against his in a repeat of that devastating kiss she had delivered to him a short time ago.
"Until next time Mr Larabee, Mr Standish." Alex smiled, not waiting for Vin to follow as she started walking.
"Go on Mr Tanner," Ezra urged, giving Vin a gentle push as the tracker stood there looking at them helplessly. Neither Chris nor the gambler had ever seen the younger man so far removed from his usually unflappable self. "I believe I can sacrifice our game just to know that you are not keeping your lady friend waiting."
"I have no idea who she is!" Vin stammered, gravitating between complete panic and the desire to run after her like a schoolboy.
"Yeah," Chris grinned. "I could tell by the way you were kissing her pard."
"You ain't helping!" Vin barked in irritation.
"And you ought to be going so she can explain it to you," Ezra prompted, "because I want to hear how this came about as much as you." The gambler taunted.
Vin let out a groan of exasperation but nevertheless departed from his friends before they started laughing and he was forced to shoot both of them.
It took a few long strides for Vin to fall in step with the woman called Alexandra Styles. She reacted at his presence beside her with little more than a sidelong glance. "Relax Vin, it's not that bad."
"Not that bad?" He looked at her. "You just come out of nowhere kiss me and tell me that it ain't that bad. I don't even know who you are!"
She paused and looked at him with a faint smile. "I told you, my name is Alex Styles. I'm a doctor."
"I know that bit." He said sarcastically. "I mean why did you kiss me?"
"Because I love you." She answered as if it were the most natural thing in the world.
"You don't even know me!" Vin was very confused by this point.
"I know enough to let you in on a couple of things." She motioned him forward and whispered quietly in his ear. Vin listened to her words and then recoiled as if she had let him in on something completely horrifying.
"How do you know about that scar?" He hissed mortified that she should have such personal information about himself and his body.
"The same way I know that kisses on your lower back make you absolutely insane." She grinned and continued walking, enjoying this a little. She did so love playing with his head.
If Vin had been drinking, he would have choked. Instead, he just opted to turn a deeper shade of crimson because her revelations, embarrassing as they might be for him to admit, were utterly correct. Vin just could not understand how she knew. "Are you crazy?" He asked, feeling like he had walked in at the middle of a play.
"Nope." She said casually.
"Well, you're driving me crazy." He grumbled.
"I guess I am," Alex looked at him with a twinkle in her eyes. "But you're going to love me."
*********
WARNING: Adult Scene Ahead
JULIA
It took little under a week for Julia to arrive in Four Corners and that journey was fraught with the same considerations that had plagued her when she first fled into the night from her father's home in the reality she remembered. Like before, she slipped away quietly, leaving only a note to say to those who would be bothered by her disappearance that she was going away on a short trip and would not be home for at least a month. Of course, she left no clue as to where she was headed and travelled under the alias that had become more real to her then the name Avery. When she boarded the train for the West, she did so as Julia Pemberton.
Travelling under the name of Pemberton had ensured that Roderick Packard would not follow her in pursuit. She knew that until she was married, there would be no end to the man's determination to make her his bride. Although she did not hate him as much as she did, having come to know him in the past few days, Julia was unprepared to pave his way into Philadelphia society by being his wife.
Still, Roderick was just the most acute symptom of the problem she had been facing ever since she had come into her father's money. It was ironic that upon inheriting her father's estate, she was no happier than she had been when she was hiding in Four Corners.
In fact, she truly missed the place and the friends she had made there, not to mention Ezra, whose thoughts preyed on her mind almost hourly. Amazingly enough, even though in this time and place, he had no idea of her existence, she found that she could not be unfaithful to him. However, she was not about to waste time with coy attempts to get him to know her and rekindling their romance.
Julia was not a patient woman and if she was not in his life at this point, then there was only one other thing that held more sway over his existence than what she might have meant to him.
She arrived in town inconspicuously, hiding out in the same suite of rooms she had taken when she had first come to Four Corners. However, instead of seeking him out immediately, she paid a nice gratuity to the bellboy to find out if Ezra was indeed in Four Corners. Julia soon learnt that apart from her absence, everything else was as she remembered. He was indeed one of the seven guardians of Four Corners who was also part owner of the Standish Tavern. She ruminated on how she would approach him and decided that it might be simpler if she have him come to her. Besides, if Ezra thought there was a quick buck in it, he would follow her to the moon.
God, she missed him.
So now she found herself here, pacing the floor of her room, waiting for him to come, feeling like a schoolgirl in her giddy desire to see him. Her pulse was racing and she was dressed in the most alluring thing she could find in her wardrobe, wondering when was the last time she had actually felt the need to dress for any man. Julia checked her look in the mirror for the hundredth time when she heard the inevitable knock on the door of her suite. The sudden sound made her jump and she realized how anxious she really was to see him. Taking a deep breath, she steadied her nerves and slid into the charming manner that was capable of reducing most men to panting teenagers before answering the door.
Ezra Standish stood before her, appearing just as dapper as she remembered and Julia felt her breast swell at just the sight of him. She wanted to hold him and tell him how much she missed him these past few days but when he looked back at her, Julia knew he had no idea who she was, even though he reacted to her like all men reacted to her. His sea-coloured eyes met her emerald own and for a few seconds, they just stared at each other. Julia gazed at him, hoping that there was something in Ezra that knew who she was while Ezra tried hard to maintain the cool image of the perfect southern gentlemen before what was undoubtedly the most breathtaking creature he had ever seen in his life.
"Mr Standish, please come in," she said after a moment, remembering that she had a plan already laid out and she needed to follow it. Ezra was no fool and he had the distinction of being the one person she could not lie to with any measure of success. It was God's way of paying her back, she had decided long ago, that the one man she would love beyond anything was the only one who could see straight through her.
Ezra walked into the room, puzzled by this whole invitation. As it was, he was somewhat amazed that such a beautiful woman had made her arrival in town without anyone being aware of it. Usually, Buck Wilmington could smell an eligible female before she even broke town limits, let alone go unnoticed for days.
"I'm afraid you have me at a disadvantage, Madam. Your note did not tell me your name." Ezra replied as she motioned him to sit. Judging by the steaming pot of tea on the table, she had prepared the setting for this meeting quite fastidiously. For the life of him, Ezra could not understand what this was about although he was not one to deny himself a moment in such charming company.
"My name is Julia Avery." Julia introduced herself deciding that for her purposes, her real name would have to be disclosed. "I have a business proposition for you."
"I am intrigued." He said wondering what she had in mind.
Unfortunately, she was not about to launch into what that might be just yet. Instead, she went through the motions of serving tea and making some small talk regarding her journey to Four Corners, some personal inquiries about himself and other inanities. He took the time to observe her, deciding that nothing about her was very conventional and guessing very quickly that whatever she intended to tell him was not something she could put on the table with any ease. Ezra hated to think that he could be the cause of so much consternation when every time he looked into her eyes, he saw something that he could not explain but knew to be kindred.
"Here is the thing," Julia sighed, deciding there was no point delaying what she needed to say. Once she gauged how he felt about her proposition she could do the rest. "I recently came into a great deal of money."
He tried to remain calm when she mentioned the subject of money but Julia could see his eyes flicker with instinctive interest. Choosing not to leave him in suspense, Julia continued. "The problem is, I have every fortune hunter in a hundred-mile radius of where I live attempting to charm or marry me, I can abide either but I'm under a great deal of pressure to pick someone and soon."
"If you do not mind my inquiring Miss Avery, just how money have you acquired?" He asked, trying to sound delicate but Julia was perfectly aware that he was burning with curiosity to know. He was, after all, her Ezra. Until she came into his life, his first love had been money. Although, sometimes she wondered whether she had actually supplanted that love or was he just telling her that so she would not kill him.
"Two million dollars." She answered with a faint smile.
He swallowed visibly and she wondered if he needed smelling salts because he looked somewhat faint.
"That's a great deal of money," he said after a moment, trying to remain cool as ever.
"Yes, it is." Julia tried not to smile. "You see my dilemma."
"I am surprised you managed to get away alone," he remarked with genuine surprise. "If I were after a fortune like that I would never let you out of my sight." The idea of fortune hunters chasing after her with no thought about the woman herself seemed somewhat scandalous. True, the money was inviting, actually more than inviting, damn near intoxicating but this was no wallflower. She was an exceedingly beautiful woman; the money would be incidental next to actually having her. True, he had no idea what she might be like but something told him that she was special in a way most women could never aspire.
"Which brings me to my proposition," Julia said pleased because she had seen the genuine concern in his eyes as he had asked the question, beyond the taste for the money. "I need to be married Mr Standish and I need to be married soon. Now I'm not particular about where I live and this town seems charming indeed if you wish to remain here. I am willing to sign equal control of the fortune to you provided that you are willing to sign an agreement that ensures we stay married for at least ten years."
Ezra merely stared at her in astonishment. "Miss Avery, are you proposing that I marry you?"
"Of course," Julia nodded, wondering how he could think anything else. "Is that so surprising?"
"Aside from the fact that you and I are complete strangers and you wish to enter a marriage of convenience with me, yes I must confess, I do find it a little unusual." He exclaimed.
"What makes you think it’s going to be a marriage of convenience." She looked at him with a suggestive gleam in her eyes.
Whatever he was going to say next froze in his throat as she leaned over and kissed him. For a moment, he could do nothing but lose himself to the power of those silky lips, devouring his mouth with increasing passion. Ezra wanted to protest but as he felt her hands brace herself against his chest, her tongue probing into his mouth with such seduction and desire, he felt his resistance melt and he was kissing her back. His hands immediately circled her and he reached for the copper coloured hair that he had been longing to run his fingers through ever since he walked into the room.
Julia felt dizzy from the pressure of his mouth against hers. Now that his initial surprise had faded, he was taking control again and she felt that familiar fire of anticipation burning inside of her whenever they made love.
Ezra had made sex something she could enjoy not merely use as a means to an end. He was the first man who ever wanted more than just to have her. He had shown her what pleasure could be and for that, Julia knew she would love him to the day she died, whether or not it was in this reality or any other.
Julia broke the kiss long enough to sit back and release her hair, dishevelled from his hands running through it. It swept down her cream coloured neck in waves of red that made his breath catch as he stared at her, his arousal apparent in the way his eyes move up and down her body, envisioning what was behind the layers of fabric covering her skin. Julia stood up and in her eyes, beckoned him to follow. She saw him swallow as if what was happening at this moment had caught him completely by surprise and all he could do in action was to be carried away helplessly.
"Miss Avery," he managed to say when she led him towards the bed at the far end of the room and he realized just how far she was willing to satisfy both their desires. "Do you always move so fast?"
"Only when I see what I want." She remarked when she reached the bed and turned around to face him again. Her hand slid around his neck and she started kissing his neck, feeling his body react to the feel of her tongue laving the sensitive skin. "Then I do things painfully slow." To illustrate the point, she traced a wet line from his neck to his earlobe and heard him groan slightly.
"Well," Ezra sighed as he started taking control once again, now that he was clear on what she expected of him. "I am never one to refuse a lady's attention."
When Ezra lifted her chin to him again, their mouths with fierce intensity. He slid the wet heat of his tongue past her teeth while savouring the softness of her lips. He had no idea what he was doing and for once in his life, he hardly cared. This incredibly desirable creature had just offered him more money than he could ever dream of and even if she came without a cent to her name, he still wanted her. There had been women before but none that could make him throw caution to the wind as he was doing so now.
Ezra felt her hands pulling at his coat, desperately needing to divest him of his clothes. His jacket fell to the carpeted floor in her feverish desire and Ezra helped her with the buttons of his waistcoat when he saw the lust burning in her eyes and in the shape of her slightly parted lips. Any remaining doubt he might have had against the prudence of what he was doing was washed away when his vest and shirt were finally discarded and her hands slid across the bare skin of his back, paralyzing him with the incredible sensation of her touch. He felt her breasts heaving against his chest and could feel the points of her nipples through the fabric of her dress.
Julia did not resist when Ezra started pulling at her dress, moving through the layers of her clothes with such ease that very soon, she found herself standing before him completely naked. The sight of her bare completely was enough to make his cock stiffen with such rigid desire that he could feel it pressing uncomfortably against his trousers. He felt his heart pound at the absolute magnificence of her and still felt overwhelmed that she had chosen him over all others. Ezra had no idea why she had decided to bestow her affections upon him in such a pleasurable way but he was going to never give her reason to regret it.
He tortured Julia's mouth mercilessly with warm, seductive kisses while at the same time caressing the swollen breasts before him. He groaned softly as he felt the erect nipples under his palm, hardening each time he moved over the sensitive buds. Julia released a pleasured sigh into his mouth when she felt his fingertips brush against the tight nubs of flesh, taunting them into further contraction. Her moan of pleasure reached down his throat and tantalized his growing erection with every soft whimper.
While engaging her attention in this way, Ezra had manoeuvred her towards the bed that was only inches away from them. Gently, he lowered her onto the soft mattress, hating to leave her mouth but knowing he must for a brief moment. Julia eased back into the bed, watching him strip off the last of his clothes with nothing less than pure lust. How she had missed being with him in the past she remembered and hoped it would be as wonderful for him as it had always been for her. Julia felt another gush of moisture between her legs as she saw him completely naked and licked her lips in anticipation at how beautiful he was.
"I'm impressed Mr Standish." she smiled at him seductively.
Despite his control of the situation, she saw an involuntary twinge of red seep into his face as he smiled. "As am I." He returned huskily and came towards her. However, before Ezra could lower himself down on the bed, Julia stopped him as he stood in front of her. She gazed at his raging erection and found herself meeting his eyes with a leer of salacious desire. She saw the shudder of anticipation running through him as he realized what she was about to do and dropped his hand onto her shoulders as if bracing himself for the torture she was about to make him endure. Julia teased him a little, working her warm tongue over her lower lip, her movements slow and full of promise. Ezra was mesmerized by those soft lips and suddenly found himself leaning closer to her, his cock brushing her face gently. The tip that touched her cheek made him groan softly.
Julia liked the sound he made as he struggled to restrain himself from forcing his way into her mouth. She decided she liked making him suffer a little and continued rubbing the swollen head of his cock against her skin before parting her lips ever so slightly in an invitation for him enter. Her tongue slipped past her teeth, seductively, beckoning him with tantalizing movements across her upper lip. Ezra felt his cock spasm at the thought of burying himself in that warm, moist mouth.
"I am going to make you scream, Mr. Standish." She whispered and saw the restraint snap inside him as he thrust his hips at her mouth and she was able to delight in the sensation of his engorged cock sliding down her throat before closing her lips close around it with tight wet pressure.
"Oh God." He whispered.
The hunger in which she swallowed his throbbing member deep into her mouth was more than Ezra could stand. All he could do as she ran her tongue over his shaft was to groan incoherently. With a start, he realized that he was being very vocal when he thrust his hips forward, his cock determined to bury itself as far down her throat as possible. The pleasure of what her tongue was doing to him was beyond description. He could hardly believe that under the facade of the prim and proper heiress, was a siren capable of producing such mind-numbing pleasure. No woman he had ever been with had managed to match this sweet delight.
His hands were running through her hair as he pulled her face forward while thrusting into the taut ring of her lips. She increased the pressure even more until all he could feel was that surge of crushing weight as her lips slid over his shaft. Ezra could feel the sudden tightening in his groin when his cock hardened beyond the point of endurance and whatever resolve he had left threaten to crumble with complete surrender. He had to stop her or else he would come in her mouth. As much as he wanted to feel that ecstasy, Ezra wanted to be inside her when the time came and so he managed a strangled gasp.
"Not yet." He said feeling anguished when he forced himself out of her mouth. Ezra climbed onto the bed, lowering her flat on her back in his descent. Once they were nestled together, Ezra started kissing her again, unable to get enough of her wonderful taste. His kisses were harder and more intense where they had been warm and gentle earlier. The desire to explore her mouth was gone; she had pushed him so far over the brink he could think of nothing but taking complete possession of her. His tongue plundered hers with passion until the ferocity of it took her breath away and she was left gasping for air.
After a while, he slipped away from her mouth, sliding further down her naked body, until his mouth found her nipples and took one into her mouth. He started sucking it insistently, sending exquisite waves of pleasure rippling through her body each time he chose to swirl his warm tongue over the erect tip. Julia had started to moan, feeling that pleasure while at the same time aware that Ezra's hands were sliding down her thigh. She felt his skilful fingers slip past her throbbing folds, prying them apart as he buried one finger deep into her warm recess. The muscles within gripped the finger with such hard suction that Ezra felt all the blood rush to his cock in a single gush of desire at the anticipation of what those muscles would do to his manhood.
Her cries were almost incoherent now as she was treated to the ministrations of his sensuous mouth as he nibbled gently on her while his hand kneaded her other breast. Ezra's lips were everywhere at once and she knew he delighted in her reaction. The way her body shuddered in sighs of ecstasy each time he ran his hands over her skin or laved its silky texture with his tongue in long strokes, made him so aroused he could hardly believe it.
Suddenly, Ezra withdrew his fingers and started sliding downward; eliciting a ragged sob from her when both hands and mouth stopped what they were doing. She looked down at him with glassy eyes and swallowed hard when she realized what he was about to do. Ezra trailed hot kisses down her abdomen as he made his downward journey. Finally, he arrived at his destination and gently coaxed her legs apart before lowering himself into the mound of dark hair. If she felt so good around his fingers, Ezra wanted to know if she tasted just as delicious. As he nuzzled into the cleft between her legs, Ezra was rewarded with a groan of utter ecstasy.
"Oh!" She cried out. Her body had become a tight knot of pleasure. Oh God, Ezra. " She could hardly form the words as she felt his mouth searching for that sensitive place hidden in the folds of her pulsing flesh. All she could stand was that wet tongue probing deeper into her until he found the pearl of flesh that would shatter every bit of self-control with one flick of hot, moist pleasure.
Ezra did not speak but continued what he was doing, feeling his own desire mount at her vocal expression of his seductive ministrations. His tongue darted into her deepest crevices, moving to a rhythm that only he could know. He swirled around that tiny node of skin until it was so hard; he could feel his own cock straining with excitement. Julia dug her fingers into his hair as Ezra proceeded to fuck her with his tongue, sliding in and out of her with long, smooth strokes until she was moaning incoherently with mindless pleasure.
His tongue started to tingle as he felt Julia reaching the peak of her climax. He loved the sensation against the tip of his tongue when a woman was about to orgasm. He swirled around that erect nub of tissue, sucking it hard between his teeth before laving its tiny tip with his hot tongue. She was whimpering now and Ezra knew she was not long from filling him with her warm salty taste. It rushed into his mouth no sooner than the thought had crossed his mind and he lapped her up with relish, satisfied in the knowledge that it was he who made her feel this way.
Seeing the dreamy expression on her face as she came down from her shattering climax only made Ezra want to plunge into her sensitive flesh. He did not want her to have time to regain her composure because more than anything at this moment, he wanted to feel those powerful muscles grab his cock and crush it helplessly in a surge of pressure that would make him scream with absolute surrender. Ezra looked at Julia whose expression was starting to fill with hungry need at the sight of him. She met his gaze and smiled. "Make love to me Ezra, make love to me hard."
Ezra was so hot and ready that he could barely stand to wait for another second, as he remained poised at her slick opening. Spreading her legs apart with his knee, Ezra did not offer her warning as he entwined his fingers between her own and rammed his cock deep inside her, pushing it as far it would go inside her warm and moist inner passage. Her back arched in response to the brutal penetration and she cried out. However, Ezra was there to capture her mouth again, stifling the sound before it could escape her lips. Julia started to moan into his mouth and Ezra started pumping into her, falling over the abyss of his own control into a vortex of sensation.
Good God, she felt so good!
Ezra's mind clouded over with sensation as he felt her tight muscles contracting around him each time he pounded into her body. Her legs were wrapped around his and her fingers dug into his back, raking across the skin and driving him insane with the arousal of pain. He could do nothing in reaction but to drop one hand to her thigh and hook it around his waist so that he could impale her with even more force. She began to whimper the faster he thrust into her until the sounds she made just about drove him completely over the edge. Ezra fought for control, closing his eyes while his body became utterly subservient to the immense climax that was building inside him.
Ezra felt himself explode inside of her when the pressure of those incredibly tight muscles gripped him with such pressure that it forced all sense from his world and he came crashing down, in the wake of his own release. A final shudder ran through them as their hot fluids melded in an erotic mix of heat warmed them both.
"God! Julia!" He groaned as he emptied his seed deep into her body, filling her with his warmth before finally surrendering to the exhaustion wrought by this incredible experience.
He collapsed on top of her, still panting as he felt all energy drain from him with the intense climax she made him experience. Julia smiled, enjoying his weight on her body as she felt his shallow breathing in her ear. After a moment, Ezra slid off her and nestled beside her so that he could cradle her in his arms.
It was a while before he could answer his mind and body reeling from one of the most incredible sexual experiences of his life. "After due consideration, I think," he said looking at her with a faint smile, "that I shall accept your proposal."
*********
EZRA
Ezra had to go home.
He did not have much of a choice really. After spending most of the day hiding in his office, playing the facade of the respectable lawyer, Ezra knew he could not remain there indefinitely even though no questions were asked of him when all his staff of law clerks had departed for the day. He gathered that it must have been routine for him to stay late since no one had raised an eyebrow at the sight of his being in his office when all of them were hell-bent on leaving.
Ezra was glad when they were finally gone and let out a sigh of relief when he had regained some measure of solitude.
The exchange with Mrs Washington this morning had preyed heavily upon him when he realized just what kind of man he was in this reality, beyond the devoted family man and husband. Ezra could not imagine anything worse than the fact that underneath what he deemed to be his idyllic existence, was a man who thought another should be subjugated because of colour. He remembered Nicholas Serfonteine and what he suffered under the man's ministrations as well as the dangerous philosophy that prompted such treatment. Nathan Jackson was his friend and that was one of the few things in his life that Ezra was genuinely proud of, that he had overcome the barrier of his own beliefs to learn something truly precious when he realized that Nathan was a better man than he.
To know that dream of his perfect existence would mean sacrificing the man he had become was more than he could stand. Serfonteine had shown Ezra just how ugly it was to be so intolerant. What the Klan stood for and was willing to commit in the name of racial purity still sickened him and there were nights he woke up in a cold sweat to the sound of a cracking whip. As he finally left his office, with no alternative but to go home to the wife and child he had wanted so long ago, Ezra wondered if Annabelle shared the same beliefs. Had he raised his children to be that way as well? Was Olive only allowed in his home if she was a subservient supplicant who knew her place?
Although he had no wish to return home and wanted to disappear into the mists where no one would find him where he could again, take up the reins of the life he knew, Ezra was compelled to return to the townhouse. The woman in that happy home deserved an explanation before he walked out of her life and the lives of his children. Now more than ever, he wanted to find Julia and the others. He needed to find her because he could not stand this cloistered existence where he was a pillar of the community with a dark secret that made him no less than a human monster.
As soon as first light came, he was going to Four Corners. He had no idea if his friends were there or not, whether Julia Pemberton's life had gone on without him as always. He missed her acerbic wit, he missed how she would gaze at him with those emerald coloured eyes and tell him that he was not fooling her for one moment with his practised southern charm. He missed Josiah giving him that look which more or less said that he was unredeemable and he missed watching Inez and Buck sparring, just as much he longed to cheat J.D. out of all his money and have Vin shake it out of him later. He even missed Chris Larabee staring at him with a twinge of doubt as to whether he was going to be around the next day or would he sneak away like a thief in the night before the morning came. The worst part of needing every one of them was the fact that he was at a point in his life where he was not about to endure the loneliness that had plagued him before arriving at Four Corners.
Sooner than he would have liked, Ezra found himself at the townhouse once and took a deep breath as he proceeded to the front door of his home. He did not feel like it was his home and the people within it were strangers even though he knew that there was every reason in the world for him to accept them.
Stepping in through the front door, he saw Annabelle standing on the steps of the main staircase, speaking with two men that he did not recognize. Both were well-dressed examples of respectable gentlemen and they turned in his direction when he entered the doorway. Annabelle immediately broke into a smile, as did the men with her. Judging by her manner towards them, these two strangers were not strangers at all but appeared to be quite familiar with the Standish family.
"There you are Ezra," The first man with the dark curly hair exclaimed. "We are going to be late for our business meeting."
Ezra wondered what new torture this was and decided he had no further patience for any more surprises. Putting to good use the thespian skills that made him one of the better con men in the West, Ezra quickly responded with a weary tinge to his voice. "Perhaps, you ought to go on without me. I feel the inclination to spend some time with my lovely wife." He flashed Annabelle a smile.
"Nonsense!" She exclaimed and swept down the stairs, planting a soft kiss on his cheek when she reached him. "The thought is sweet darling but business is business and Cousin Charles and Cousin Jacob are waiting."
Ezra groaned inwardly, thinking to himself that Julia would have seen through that excuse immediately and backed him up. Once again, the gambler found himself missing her. He met the gaze of the men before him and wondered which was Charles and Jacob and decided readily it was not important since there would be plenty of time to learn that later, since his wife had inadvertently condemned him to their company for the rest of the evening.
"It appears that I am in your hands this evening, gentlemen." Ezra sighed, wishing that fact was anything but true. He needed a game of cards badly. He needed to be someplace that served rotgut whisky and reeked of smoke and leather. As attractive as these opulent surroundings might have been, Ezra felt out of place here.
"Don't worry," the man with the dark curls said with a grin as he prompted Ezra to follow them. "Our business won't take very long."
A trio of horses was waiting for them when they emerged from the house and while it was impossible for him to discern where they were going without giving himself away, Ezra was able to keep up with most of the conversation. It took him a while to realize that that Cousin Charles was Charles Hollander. Cousin was about a close a description as one could get on their familial connections.
Ezra remembered that the Hollanders were distant relatives and he had spent one summer in their company. Charles had been an arrogant boor for most of that stay and following that visit, Maude took pity on Ezra and decided it was time he went on the road with her to learn the trade.
Wherever their business was being conducted, Ezra soon learned that it was nowhere in town. Their journey took them out of Charleston. They were some distance away from the city with the lights twinkling in the distance behind them, when Charles directed them off the cobbled path leading to town onto a dirt track. Ezra wanted to ask where they were going but was prevented from doing so because of this facade of familiarity he was forced to maintain.
However, they did not travel very far along the track when Charles brought his steed to a gradual halt.
"What are you doing?" Ezra found himself compelled to ask as Charles reached into his saddlebag.
"What do you think?" Jacob looked at him strangely and did the same thing. It took no more than a second for Ezra to realize what they were doing and somehow, seeing it did not surprise him in the least. After everything he had discovered today, this was just the icing on top of the cake. Ezra watched with well-concealed disgust as Charles and Jacob slipped on the white robes and the pointed hats that left no doubt as to the nature of the 'business' he was required to participate. It took him a further second to realize that he had to don on the same costume because the Ezra Standish that they believed him to be was a card-carrying member of the Ku Klux Klan. He hated the idea of putting on such clothing and he did not even want to imagine what specifically they intended to do tonight but for the moment, he had little choice. This was serious business and these men very particular about protecting themselves from what they perceived to be weak-willed traitors.
After a moment of silent debate, Ezra decided he had no choice but to acquiesced to the wishes of the fold. Searching through the bags on his own saddle, he realized that there was a gun in a holster amongst the dreaded robes he was required to wear. Feeling the need to be armed now that he had some idea of what the rest of the night held in store for him, Ezra slipped on the gun belt and still felt dirty about wearing these robes over his normal clothes. It was even worse when he had to wear the hat, thinking to himself that he was glad that Nathan did not know him in this reality because Ezra could not look him in the eye after wearing this embodiment of racial hatred.
"I'm ready for the evening's entertainment," Ezra said trying to sound natural when he loathed the idea of going along with this twisted charade. Though the material of the robes was thin, it still felt insufferable for reasons that were more than just physical. He felt the sweat forming in rivulets, plastering his clothes to his skin. As it was, he could not understand how they could see out of the narrow eye slits that came with these pointed hats. If anything fortified his resolve to leave this life behind him and head for the hills, it was this final nail in the coffin. He was never going to accept being apart of this kind of world where men rode around in white robes spreading terror in the name of white supremacy.
"Good," Charles responded, although it was difficult to tell who was talking now that they were dressed like ghouls. "The others should be there by now."
Ezra did not want to ask what was being planned for the evening but a terrible foreboding had started to fill his heart as they thundered up the dirt track to a destination that he understood as not being very far away. He knew the violence committed by men like these and he knew that if it came down to the crunch, large numbers or not, he refused to sit by and let them harm anyone.
After a few minutes down the dirt road, Charles broke the line of trees that flanked the track and continued riding into the bush. They had not travelled very far along into the night when Ezra looked up to see the smoke billowing through the canopy of trees. He swore inwardly at the implications of what that meant and he prayed that it was a bonfire in celebration of something as he had witnessed after Serfonteine had conducted his campaign of terror on Four Corners.
When he heard the screams of a woman in the distance, Ezra knew it was anything but that.
As they neared the source of the fire and the screaming, Ezra could hear more horses and voices amidst the woman's terrified wail. "What's going on?" He asked Charles as the trees began to thin, the nearer they reached the heart of the property.
"We're taking care of this Washington business once and for all." Charles said as they emerged into the clearing of the Washington property.
There were at least a dozen riders, moving through the place. The sky was emblazoned with amber light from the flaming pyre of the main house. Ezra could hear the screeching fear of animals inside the barn. The roof of the structure was also in flames and it was obvious that the building could collapse at any moment. However, it was not the chaos that had Ezra searching the scene frantically. It was the woman's scream.
When he found her, he could only stare. Suddenly, Ezra was faced with what would have happened to Alex that night if he had not been present to help her escape from Lamont. Mrs. Washington was on the ground before the house, screaming and sobbing with horror at what was being done to her. Her children were weeping as they watched their mother being violated by two men in robes who had not the decency to show their faces as they took pleasure in the sadistic urges.
"God." He whispered softly, his voice drowned by the noises around him. Ezra came to the first decent decision he had made since he stepped into this nightmare. Whatever the consequences to himself, he was not letting this atrocity continue. He could not more let it happen then than he could allow it to take place now.
With everything to lose and only a life to gain, Ezra kicked his heels into his horse and sent it racing towards Mrs. Washington.
*********
BUCK
Buck Wilmington thought he would never live to see the day when he could admit that perhaps his animal magnetism was not all that it was cracked up to be. He had barely escaped from Alexandra Styles' clinic with his hide intact, well his hide would have been fine but his virtue would not. The memory of her lips against his was still fresh in his mind and he had no idea that the mercurial doctor was capable of such passion. It was no wonder Vin was walking around with a perpetual smile on his face. God, the woman was incredible and that was just a kiss. He wondered what she was like on an even more intimate level.
Don't go there Buck, he warned himself and decided after a moment that it was very sound advice. He had fled from her clinic, hurrying through the streets while trying to avoid every woman in town who seemed to be watching his move like he was the tastiest thing on the table. Suddenly, he had some idea of what a woman must go through and could appreciate what Inez endured on a daily basis at the saloon with men pawing all over her even though her heart lay elsewhere and she had a reputation to maintain. Not that it would matter very soon since he had every intention of marrying her, once this crazy pheromone thing was taken care of.
Deciding that it was best that he lay low for the time being, Buck chose to return to his lodgings, perfectly content to lock himself away for the duration while he figured what he was going to do. However, when he reached the main entrance of the lodging house, Buck saw a group of women pacing the floorboards under the awning, as if waiting in expectation for something. When they looked up and saw him, eyes widening, lustful gazes apparent by their parted lips and the relief at seeing him, he realized his problem was far greater than he had ever imagined.
"BUCK!" They squealed almost in unison. Buck saw them taking a step towards him and decided he was not sticking around for this. Before they could get too close to get a bead on him, he ran back up the way he came and threw the pursuing horde off his trail by ducking into the woodshed behind the lodging house. He was certain that they had not seen him make his unceremonious entry into the small shack and Buck found himself peering through the cracks of the walls to see where the group was going. They hurried past in a cloud of girlish giggles and almost manic chanting of his name before disappearing up the path he had just taken when he fled from Alex. Buck remained in the shadows, taking a deep breath and steadying his racing pulse as he tried to work out his next move.
When he deemed it to be safe to emerge, the big man stepped into the light once more, looking around furtively to ensure that no other female was in the vicinity. The backstreet behind the lodging house was for the moment, devoid of the opposite sex and the lawman raced into the building before anything else happened. Fortunately, the lodgers who resided here were predominantly male so he would not have to worry about running into any lustful women on his way to his room. Buck hurried up the stairs at breakneck speed, wondering if Vin would not mind putting him up a few days in Chris' shack. He certainly could not stay here with the entire female population of Four Corners including the loves of his best friends, volunteering to be his personal harem.
Reaching the floor where his room was situated, Buck was grateful to see that all was quiet in the hallway. There was not the sight of one flounced skirt or a whiff of intoxicating perfume that could entice him to throw caution to the winds. As Buck slipped into the familiar surroundings of his room, he let out a sigh of relief at the temporary respite. He had always dreamed of this happening to him, not that he had any trouble gaining companionship. His animal magnetism was strong enough to ensure that he seldom spent his nights alone. Of course, it never worked with Inez and Alex had until this point seen him as nothing more than a friend. In fact, preceding her attachments with Ezra and Vin, the doctor had been quite amused by his attempts to flirt with her. Now, she was throwing herself at him, like they were all throwing were as if God was playing some horrible joke on him since he had made his mind up to settle down with Inez and their child.
Their child.
Despite his present predicament, Buck really liked the sound of that. He looked forward to the birth of a son or a daughter. He would like a son because Buck felt he had more to teach a boy and it was too much work protecting a girl from men like him. After a few seconds, he realized it would just serve him right to have a daughter as if some cosmic force for justice had deemed it the appropriate punishment for all the hell he had given to the fathers of the women he pursued. Buck locked the door behind him and dropped the key onto a nearby table before advancing further into the room. He had not taken more than a few steps when suddenly, he heard a voice speak in warm, seductive tones.
"Hello, Buck."
Buck looked up with wide-eyed surprise to find Julia Pemberton on his bed. It took a few more seconds for him to survey the situation to know that she was not dressed. Indeed, as he made this discovery, he noticed her clothes were draped neatly across the chair beside the bed. Her copper coloured haired was loose against her creamy coloured shoulders and Buck could see the curves of her body beneath the thin layer of the cotton sheet that covered her body. She gazed at him with those incredible eyes and left him no doubt as to what she wanted of him, although her being naked in his room seemed to be a dead giveaway of her intentions.
He had died and gone to hell.
"Julia?" He stammered never believing he could be so afraid in his entire life. "What are you doing in here?" He almost squeaked.
"What do you think?" She smiled and pulled the sheet aside. "I paid your landlady a bribe to get me in here. I needed to see you alone, Buck."
Buck felt his insides melt like butter when he saw her lying on his bed, absolutely naked as the day she came into the world, from every perfect curve of her pale skin to the plum coloured shade of her erect nipples, taut with arousal waiting for him. Buck was unable to keep his eyes from moving over the length of her, admiring the splendour of her flesh as she climbed out of his bed, with the slender grace of some feline creature.
"What about Ezra?" He spoke up because he felt himself faltering. He hoped mentioning Ezra's name would knock some sense into her before she made him do something he would regret after he had satisfied this insane craving that was rising from his gut and threatening to drive all good sense from his mind in a fit of total lust.
"What about Ezra?" She asked as she sauntered towards him, sex oozing from every seductive move in her approach towards him. She paused inches from him and Buck took the opportunity to admire her magnificent form in even closer proximity. Her hand snaked around his neck, painfully slow as she coiled her arm around him and pulled herself against his mouth. Instinctively, Buck reacted as he felt her tongue probing past his teeth, drawing him into a kiss of such intense desire that he could do nothing but savour her mouth plundering his for everything it was worth.
When she pulled away from him, Buck felt himself gasping for air, having become dizzy for the effects of that devastating kiss. However, Julia was far from ending this torture. She pulled open his shirt and started planting soft kisses down his chest in a descent that he felt every inch of the way. Her mouth laved his skin she slid down his body, teasing the velvet skin of his stomach before her hands started working the buttons of his pants.
As he felt each button pop under her seductive ministrations, Buck felt his heart pounding with a mixture of terror and forbidden desire. By the time, her lips stood poised over his cock, ready to take it into his mouth, Buck knew that if he did not pull away now, he was never going to. Ezra like Vin was his friend and like Vin, Ezra would kill him if Buck allowed Julia to do what she was doing now because God, he wanted to let her to so much.
"Julia!" He said bending over and pulling her away from his aching manhood that practically screamed in protest at him when he made his withdrawal. "This ain't what you want honey." He said hastily as he did the buttons on his pants and stepped further away from her, his eyes trying very hard not to notice that she was naked. "It's my animal magnetism," he tried to explain as he searched for the key he had tossed onto the table when he first entered the room. "It's making you crazy! I mean don't get me wrong," he stuttered. "You're a very beautiful woman and the next time I see you, I'm never going to be able to look at your face without imagining the rest of you but this ain't right."
"Of course it is Buck," she said trying to envelop him in her arms again. "I want you. I've always wanted you. You're an animal Buck," she gushed as he scrambled for the key and ran to the door, desperate to get out of the room. "I need an animal," she said lustily. "I need you."
Buck did not wait to hear any more. No sooner than the door opened, he was running for dear life down the hallway, trying to ignore the raging erection caused by the arousal of Julia Pemberton's naked form. However, he was willing to suffer a little discomfort to escape the insanity of what had almost happened in his room. He had thought that walking away from Alex had been difficult but Julia was pure seduction and what she did with her lips was a gift that ought to be shared with the rest of mankind for the good of humanity. At least he had managed to walk away from her albeit a little later than he should have but he was human after all. Still, he was pleased with himself that he had not succumbed and knew that there was nothing more they could throw at him to shake his iron-clad resolve. Pheromone or not, he was not falling prey to any more women, Buck did not care how beautiful they were.
Rounding the corner of the hallway, he ran into another familiar face and knew that God was out to get him killed today.
"Why Buck, I was just looking for you." Mary Larabee said with a smile.
*********
JD
For all his brave talk, they could smell his fear.
J.D. tried his hardest to wear the same mask of indifference Chris Larabee wore with such mastery that it intimidated most men to look at the gunslinger let alone be foolish enough to draw a weapon against him. Jonah Carlisle's friend, whatever their names were, glared back at him, waiting for the first man to draw his gun and begin the shooting. J.D. knew that he would be facing these men alone, that he would not have Buck or the others to cover his back. However, there was something in him that had surfaced since learning that somehow, through the impossibility of all things real, he had woken up in a nightmare that claimed he had murdered everyone who meant anything to him. Those he had not killed had turned away in revulsion of what he had become. The irony of it all was, this was exactly what J.D. had travelled to the Territory to become.
The best.
Inwardly, he knew he no longer cared whether he lived or died because all that made him J.D. Dunne was as dead as the bearer of the pocket watch he had no right to wear in his jacket. They flashed in front of his eyes, the friends whose lives he had somehow taken. It was not so much that he remembered nothing about killing or causing their deaths by his actions, it was the shame of knowing that he had that ambition inside him, so raw and naked that it would allow him to cast aside their friendship in the name of glory. His mother would have been sickened to know that she sweat and cried tears of blood to give him everything just so he could carry so much darkness inside him.
Across the main street of Four Corners where the jailhouse sat in attendance over the town, people were getting off the street, scattering into the nooks and crannies of their homes and any structure that might offer sufficient shelter until the shooting was done. It was a ritual that they were well aware of and had practised with almost weary routine since J.D. Dunne had taken up the Silver Star that made him the law in this town. He was vaguely aware of them disappearing and felt some measure of relief knowing that they would be safe from the crossfire. Even the men who sought his head understood that it was only right that they allow the innocent bystanders time to put some distance between them and the coming gunfight.
All the while as the scene for their imminent confrontation moved its props into place so the setting would be just perfect for their final performance, the gunfighters stared at each other. Those watching, likened the scene to that of a pack of wolves defending against a lone rogue, all hungry with the same streak of primal rage about to be unleashed. J.D.'s hands remained poised over both his guns as his eyes surveyed the odds against him. There were four, no five he counted again, five men waiting to take his head for the death of the man called Carlisle, whom J.D. had no memory of killing, just as he had no memory of gunning down Chris Larabee or handing Vin Tanner to a bounty hunter.
He remembered what Buck taught him and knew that he was vulnerable because he was out in the open. The jailhouse was still the nearest structure he could reach when the firefight broke and he needed cover. The water through for the horses would offer him protection for maybe one or two bullets. If these men had any skill, the third would finish him. Immediately, J.D. started searching for places that would provide him with alternate cover should the need arise. He saw a few places just as he saw where the men who were before him could go for similar shelter. Chris had once said that to get out alive one had to pay attention to the details. Most people did not know that when Chris was quietly staring down a man, he was not merely sizing up his opponent, he was seeing where the man could run and hide so Chris could stop him before he got there.
A hot wind blew across his cheek, carrying grains of sand as it swept through town, J.D. showed no reaction. His eyes were fixed on the leader, knowing the others would take their cue from him when the shooting finally started. If there was anyone on the street now, they were making themselves might quiet for J.D. could hear nothing and behind him except that harsh wind that had probably blown in from the desert.
"You killed Carlisle." The leader said again, breaking the silence that was all-consuming.
"If you say so," J.D. replied, seeing no reason to deny it. He probably had killed this person. His memory was not what it used to be in this time and place.
"He was my brother." The man glared at him, his teeth bared like an animal about to lunge.
"I'm sorry about that. I did what I had to." J.D. lied. In truth, he had no idea what circumstances had prompted him to kill this man's brother but an apology seemed appropriate even though he knew things had progressed beyond that. Apologies did not carry much weight in the west and the only way to settle a slight of this magnitude was an apology of the gun.
"You murdered him!" The man hissed and went for his gun.
J.D. reacted just as swiftly, knowing he had nothing to lose had given him an edge he had never believed could make him so fast. His gun was drawn before his opponent could pull the trigger. J.D. pulled the trigger after taking careful aim and lunged towards the water trough as the other with him opened fire. He did not see where his bullet went as he scrambled behind the rectangular length of wood. He heard the bullet from Carlisle's gun explode and whiz past his arm but it was never close enough to do any damage.
He had thirty seconds maybe to utilized the cover offered by the trough. With both guns drawn, he rolled onto his knee as he landed and pulled the trigger with equal speed in the direction of the other four men. They had run for cover as he had expected, taking refuge behind all the places he had scouted earlier.
J.D. quickly studied the path to the jailhouse where he would have to relocate and check the positioning of the men who were close enough to stop him from getting there. One man was running for the nearby hardware store and J.D. trained both guns on him, unwilling to let him drag a civilian into his mess by taking the fight there.
As he pulled the trigger, he heard a bullet impact against the wood of the trough and quickly scrambled out of its path, knowing another would soon follow in its place when the shooter adjusted his aim. Chris had never liked shooting a man in the back and neither did J.D. He had almost jeopardized his entire relationship with Chris Larabee before it could even begin when J.D. had tried to put a bullet in a man's back during their first meeting. Instead of shooting his present opponent down in that dishonourable way, both bullets from his gun slammed into the man's legs, in particular, his knees. He uttered a wail of pain because a shattered knee was indeed a painful injury, before he collapsed on the steps leading to the store, his guns falling from his hands as he went down.
Another bullet entered the trough, splinters of wood exploded outwards from the exit point, only inches away from him. His time was up, he had to move. Firing both guns to offer himself cover as he emerged from the impotent protection of the water trough, he laid down a hail of suppressing fire as he ran towards the jailhouse at breakneck speed. Ezra had always told him to keep a close eye on his bullets because there was nothing worse or more fatal than firing without knowing what was left in the chamber. He knew his ammunition was low and would have to last him until he reached cover.
He trained his guns at specific targets, firing at the man who was taking cover behind horses and appeared to be his last obstacle to reaching the jailhouse. Taking careful aim, J.D. squeezed off a round and caused the animals the man was using as a shield to pull away frantically from the danger. As it was they were quite skittish, trying desperately to untether themselves and flee but the final bullet so close to their ears, pushed them over the edge. They broke up their close gathering and gave enough gap in the man's protection to allow J.D. a clear shot. Knowing he had only a finite amount of bullets, J.D. put him down quickly.
The bullet tore through the man's skull and dropped him where he was standing. The back of his head exploded as the bullet made its exit, grey matter scattering in all directions as he fell backwards. J.D. heard someone scream his name and swung around to the direction of the voice. Without even looking, J.D. kept fired again and the voice was cut short abruptly. Suddenly, a bullet slammed into his shoulder. He felt the pain flare in his arm and uttered a soft grunt of pain. He almost released his grip on his weapon but with resolve he did not know he possessed, J.D. swung around hard and emptied what was left in his guns at the man who had fired. The last man had been hiding behind some crates and J.D. finished during the narrow margin of time during his emergence to fire shoot again.
The two bullets tore into his chest, tearing through fabric and spurting blood from the wounds as he fell slumped forward once the dying was done. J.D. wasted no time because he was unsure of anything at this point and he was unwilling to risk facing it with empty guns. Ignoring the pain in his shoulder, he quickly reloaded both guns, lest the enemy was not as dead as he might believe and decided upon an encore performance, in which case he would be severely disadvantaged if he his guns were empty. J.D. could feel the slick warmth of blood running down his arm, not to mention the pain of hot lead in his flesh.
Suddenly, he heard a sound behind him. Without thinking, he swung around and fired once.
The shot followed a scream.
"JOSIAH!" He recognized the scream as Casey's.
J.D. blinked and swung around. The preacher was standing only a few meters away from him, Josiah was staring at him with no signs of anger or fear, just resignation. The bullet had hit him in the chest and as the blood pulsed out of him with each beat of his dying heart, he merely looked at J.D. "I thought you could use the help." The man said quietly and then dropped to his knees before falling face down in the dirt.
"What did you do!" Casey ran out of nowhere, her face covered in tears. "I begged him to come to help you!" She wept as she ran to Josiah side. She looked no different than she did the last time he had seen her, when they had gone fishing at Nettie's. She turned Josiah over and saw the fatal wound to his chest that was draining his life away. His eyes were still open, staring listlessly into the skies, no doubt searching for the crows that he always claimed would come for him someday.
"I loved you!" She said fiercely, speaking through her tears as her hand became soaked in Josiah's blood. "I loved you even after what you did to Vin, even after Chris! Aunt Nettie threw me out because I believed there was something inside you that was still J.D.!" She looked at Josiah and stared at him with anguish in her eyes. "He said you were different this morning, that you were actually sorry. When the Carlisles came into town, I convinced him that you needed help! Now I have to wear his blood on my hands because of you!"
J.D. Dunne hardly heard a word Casey was saying. All he could do was stare at Josiah. Dead Josiah. Murdered Josiah. Not even Josiah who committed a crime. Josiah who had tried to help him. Josiah who had against his better judgement, followed his heart by believing J.D.'s story only to have J.D. put a bullet through it. There was no point in saying that he had not meant for this to happen because it was a deed done, Josiah was dead and J.D. Dunne had killed him. Like he killed all the others.
"No more J.D.!" Casey ran after him. "I'm through with you!" She hissed as she stood in front of him.
J.D. looked into her eyes and saw the tears running down her cheeks, looking as desolate as she no doubt felt. He almost felt sorry for her. Almost. Leaning down, he planted a kiss on her lips, a soft lingering kiss. Her anger melted from her face, replaced by confusion.
"You should have been done with me long before this." He said softly and kept walking.
*********
NATHAN
It was cold but they had to keep moving.
He could see Rebecca shivering but he could not let her rest, nor could they leave the river they were using to mask their scent from the dogs. They had left the main hunting party behind now, although the barking of dogs could still be heard in the far distance. Taking Zeus' earlier advice, they had kept to the river and tried to cover as much distance as possible on their exodus from Georgia. So far, they had gone unseen by anyone as the dark and the uncertain terrain of the river made it difficult for them to be tracked by animal or man. However, they could hear their hunters and had seen the burning torches of slavers as they continued up the river.
Serfonteine was an experienced enough slaver to know that the easiest way for a runaway slave to escape to the north would be by making an attempt to reach the railway lines that would take them quickly to the north. Nathan had no intention of being that predictable, thus he was taking this route, which would mean the expenditure of more time and a harder journey to the north but at least it might throw Serfonteine off the track long enough for Nathan and Rebecca to get out of Georgia.
"Nathan I'm so cold." Rebecca shivered as they stayed close to the reeds and foliage that flanked the river as they progressed up its meandering length.
Nathan had tried to keep his eyes open, hoping they could spot a boat or something that might make the journey easier but so far nothing like that had come into sight and he was starting to get worried. While the river route was unquestionably the best way to proceed, he could see she was starting to get really tired. They had been travelling this way for some hours now and even his own toes were starting to get numb. Only the iciness of the water had kept the ache from fully penetrating in his mind. He knew they could not keep this up indefinitely because eventually, they would be in danger of getting sick and that was the one thing that neither of them could afford at the moment. It was still a long way to Kentucky and they had to find Josiah yet and convince him to take them across the border to the north. He had no idea what had prompted the preacher to help him that night but he prayed that Josiah would not hesitate to do so again. The man Josiah had been in those days was not so different from the one whose path he had crossed again in Four Corners.
"I know Becky," he swallowed, trying to keep his teeth from chattering and watched her clutching herself as she tried not to tremble from the chill of icy water. "But we gotta keep moving like this. The dogs can't pick us if we move by water, remember? Besides, it will all be worth it when we get to the north." He said, continuing to speak so that she could concentrate on the sound of his voice and not the cold that biting into both their skins.
"I wonder what it's like up there?" She mused, daring to hope that there might be something better beyond this existence of theirs. She had always believed it and until today had often found herself being the one who was always trying to convince her sombre brother about it.
"No different from here." He said, seeing no reason to lie to her. "People still hate us but at least we're free to do what we will. This man we're meeting will take care of us for a spell until I can join the army and take care of us both."
"Who is he, Nathan?" She asked. In private, they always called each other by the names given to them by their father. Fortunately, the master had liked her name and allowed her to keep it, unlike Nathan, which was apparently too Christian a name for nigger slave.
"His name is Josiah," Nathan answered. His eyes moving across the shore, trying to see any evidence of bright torches that were indicative of the slave hunters that had dogged them earlier and just about anyone else who might catch enough of a glimpse of them and alert others to their presence. Their survival depended on their making it out of Georgia. Once they were out of the state, Serfonteine's resources to recapture them would dwindle significantly. He could not afford to have his overseer away from the plantation for an indefinite period of time. Eventually, if Rebecca and Nathan could stay at large long enough, Serfonteine would have to turn over the duties for their retrieval to professional slave hunters. Hopefully, by the time that happened, they would be in the north and the war would have started.
"How did you meet him?" Rebecca inquired, knowing that there was something that Nathan was not telling her. Her brother's ability to lie to her had never been good and each time they discussed this escape, she knew there was something he was holding back. If she did not know any better, Rebecca could almost believe that he was afraid of telling her.
"I just did that's all." He said evasively. Nathan hated lying to her but he did not think the truth would be any better received then the fabrication he was attempting to pass off in its place.
"Nathan," she swallowed, remembering what she had heard him say earlier. Although there was an unreality about the argument he had used to sway Zeus in the wagon, Rebecca knew enough about her brother to realize that he had honestly believed what he was saying, in particular about her death at the master's hands. Only then had she understood why he was willing to risk both their lives in such a daring escape. "Please, I need to know the truth."
She was fourteen years old and Nathan loved her more than anything in the world during their time in slavery. When he had lost her, his world had turned grey and nothing made sense until he walked into that hospital room and discovered the gift that made him whole again. He supposed if there was anyone person in the world who would believe what he was about to say, it would be Rebecca because, in this time and place, she was still the only thing that meant more to him than his life.
"If I told you a fairy story would you believe it?" He asked, swallowing hard and trying not to let himself be overcome with the memories of what should be happening tonight, flood his mind. By all rights, she should be dead by now and he should be getting whipped by the master for daring to want revenge for her murder.
"I believe anything you tell me, Nathan," Rebecca said with a smile. "You're my brother."
Nathan could not help smiling at that remark because, for her, it was that simple. He was her brother and that made his word completely believable, no matter how far fetched a story he was about to tell her. "I dreamt that something very bad was going to happen tonight." He began, telling her as much of the truth as he deemed fit. "The master was gonna come for you and he was going to hurt you real bad. I know it's going to happen, I know it like I know nothing else in my life. I believe it so much, I am willing to risk everything getting us north so that it doesn't happen. Do you understand?"
Her brow knotted with acceptance, believing him because Nathan would never risk her life on a whim. If he truly believed her life was at stake then she trusted him to steer her safe. "And this man Josiah?"
"He's a preacher," Nathan replied after a moment. "He's a good man and in my dream," the healer spoke with a bittersweet smile of the way Josiah had taken a seventeen-year-old boy so filled with hate and taught him that not all men were bad and some were even worth dying for. "In my dream, he takes us north and he looks after us until the war comes and I become a soldier. I learn how to fix people when they're hurt."
"You mean like a doctor?" She smiled.
"Yeah," he whispered, overcome with emotion because it was future she had never seen, a future where her life would end tonight. "Like a doctor."
"It will happen, Nathan," she said in that way of hers that made him believe everything was going to be all right, no matter what the cost.
Suddenly, his eyes shifted past her and the reeds behind amongst which they were taking refuge. Rebecca followed his gaze and saw what had captured his attention so abruptly. The boat was not very big and it seemed rickety but it had oars and would move quietly through the night, cloaked in the sounds of crickets and bullfrogs croaking their nocturnal songs. It would also get them out of the water. The boat was pulled up against the mud of the shore and seemed to belong to whoever dwelt in the log residence situated some a short distance inland.
"Stay here." He instructed as he waded past her.
Rebecca held her breath as Nathan emerged from the shadows of the long reeds that had kept them concealed for much of the day. His eyes studied the area cautiously, knowing how much rode on their spiriting the vessel away undetected. Even though he was seventeen years old, Nathan had the experience and the memories of a man who been in a war and had spent a great deal longer fighting to stay alive in one calamity after another. Reaching the boat, he pulled it back through the mud, making no sound except the soft slap of water against its side as he stepped back into the watery depths. Wood against the slick earth beneath it, brought no attention as Nathan pulled the boat farther from the shore until it was floating of its own volition above the dark waters of the river. Nathan climbed into easily and immediately set the oars to the water and started rowing towards her.
"Becky!" He hissed. "Come on!"
Rebecca looked at the shore and made certain no one was in sight before she started moving towards the boat that Nathan was rowing in her direction. She could not swim very well and was grateful that Nathan was meeting her part of the way. However, by the time he reached her she was standing on her tiptoes trying to keep her head over the water and was most grateful at his timely arrival. Grabbing the side of the boat to keep herself afloat, she waited until Nathan had set the oars aside and leaned over to help before she heaved herself over the side.
After a few seconds of awkwardness, Nathan pulled his sister into the boat resumed his position at the head of the vessel so that he could continue rowing again. Rebecca let out a sigh of relief as she found herself back on somewhat dry land. Perhaps now, she could feel her toes again. Suddenly, the quiet of the night was broken by a rather excited cry.
"Hey, you! Bring that boat back here!" The man was screaming at them, waving his rifle at them in a warning to shoot.
"Damn!" Nathan swore and rowed faster, trying to escape the reach of that gun as he saw the man raise the weapon and taken aim. Nathan never moved so fast in his life. His muscles groaned as he put more speed into his rowing. He looked at the shore and saw the man had beckoned others to come to aid him in capturing those responsible for the theft as he stood on the edge, his gun poised to fire.
"Becky get down!" Nathan ordered.
She nodded frantically and was about to do as ordered when the gun went off and she uttered a little cry of pain.
"Rebecca!" Nathan fairly screamed as he saw her fall forward, her body slumping over his as the boat drifted further and further away from its owners. The power behind Nathan's constant rowing propelled the boat forward on its own inertia, giving them the gap they needed if not too late. Nathan dropped the oars and took hold of his sister, his stomach hollowing at the sight of the wound on her body. She was bleeding profusely but she was still alive.
At least that was something.
*********
INEZ
It was a beautiful day for a ride and as Inez left her village behind her with Raphael next to her as their horses rode into the warm afternoon sun, she found herself enjoying the company of the man more than she had ever expected. Of course, she had never seen him from this perspective before and was mildly surprised by his manner, which was not as silent or sombre, as he was when he had ridden into Four Corners at the side of Don Paulo's son. Nevertheless, she had to remember that those events never happened and he was at this point, still a loyal member of the household not the hunted fugitive that he would be following the defence of his honour. He was of the old school, Inez decided, who believed that a man's honour should be his code. It was the kind of philosophy her father had adhered to, her mother had often said.
"I think you are not as happy to be here as you might admit." He remarked, taking note of her far away expression as they journeyed across the dry landscape that held a beauty of its own to those who knew how to appreciate it.
"I am sorry," she apologized, aware that she was quiet. "I am thinking whether or not it is time to see what is beyond this village."
"An adventurer," he said with a faint smile, suspecting that a streak of non-convention had always existed in Inez Rosillios veins. "Where would you go if you leave this place?"
"I don't know," she lied, knowing precisely where she would go when she finally left the village. In fact, that day was nearer than he knew. "Anywhere. A friend of mine once said that the world is more than just towns and farms. There are hills that run so far into the distance; they looked like oceans of green and mountains so tall that you could reach the ice in just a day." That was Vin Tanner described everything, Inez decided but he was not wrong. The world was wonderful.
"Your friend is correct." Raphael agreed almost as if he heard the thought in her head. "It is beautiful out there but it is also dangerous and it is not for the weak or the cowardly. To journey into it is one thing, to survive in it, is another." There was a sadness in his eyes as he said those words and she wondered why he was here in this small town, playing lackey to Don Paulo when a man of his honour could do anything.
"Whey do you stay Raphael?" She asked, genuinely interested. She did not know where this curiosity was coming from but Inez could not deny that he was showing her facets of himself that were intriguing and she could not help but feel compelled to understand him. "You are an educated man, you used to be an officer. Is there nothing more for you than the life of a gunman?"
He met her gaze and she saw his eyes softening over that question as if no one had ever actually asked him that before even though he had spent much time in contemplation over that very issue. "I have nothing left out there. My family does not exist and honour is a fading into the dust, to be forgotten with all the old ways of our people. I fear I am past my time."
"That is foolishness," she declared, not believing such nonsense for a second. "It is a sad world that has no use for a man of honour. You are a good and kind man Raphael, there is much out there you can do."
"Perhaps I consider the village my home," he confessed. "I may be a pistolero in service to Paolo but I know everyone and they know me. I am accustomed to the place and I do not wish to wander alone. I have done that before and I do not recommend it."
Inez who knew what it was like to be alone, to flee in the night with men chasing her, could appreciate that sentiment all too well. The irony of it was, it would be Raphael who was one of her pursuers. Now here she was, talking to him with such intimacy, it surprised her and she had a feeling it surprised him too. Despite her initial fear of him because of what he had been in her mind, Inez had not believed she could care for him. However, he was a good man and his honour was nothing he took lightly, he would risk everything for it and such men were rare. It saddened her to think that the loneliness he loathed so much would be exactly what he would suffer because he had chosen to help her and Buck when the time had come for him to choose sides.
"Loneliness does not last forever if you find your place in the world," Inez commented, knowing that in her reality she had found that special place that had she longed to return once again. She wanted to be home in Four Corners, fighting off drunks, telling Ezra to get off his behind and help her with the saloon and most of all; she wanted the baby that Buck Wilmington had helped her conceived. She wanted that child so much and it gnawed at her that an errant wish, motivated by fear and insecurity had taken it away from her.
"Then this is my place." He answered.
"I do not believe that." Inez looked at him. "I do not think you are happy here."
"I am content." Raphael said looking away in the sun-soaked horizon. "That is enough."
There was a slight pause when neither spoke for a moment. She noticed that there was something in his manner that told her that he was wrestling with something unspoken as his eyes met hers with a tinge of anxiety. It was not something that she was used to seeing in his face for his equilibrium always appeared so centred as if there was never any doubt or uncertainty in his life. Inez had to admire him for that. She wished her own existence were so focused.
"Inez," he finally responded. "Under normal circumstances, I would consult your father on this matter but since Senor Rosillios is no longer with us, I am unable to do this. Despite the matter of honour, I believe that is unnecessary that I speak to anyone else since it concerns you directly."
"That would be wise," Inez looked at him puzzled, wondering what on earth he was trying to say.
"I would like permission to court you."
*********
JOSIAH
Finding Audrey King had not been easy.
Fortunately, Pastor Sanchez had quite a good reputation in town and was able to utilize the contacts he had made with the local sheriff and newspaper editor, to find the woman. Three days after he had awoken in this topsy turvy world where his life was nothing that he recognized, Josiah Sanchez found himself rolling into the Wallace property, the family home of the Audrey and Lilith King. The town was called Cherrybrook and it was like all small towns, a homely place where everyone knew everyone. Josiah had set out as soon as he had been given the information, convinced that Lilith had the key to explaining how he had wound up in this strange reality where he was a preacher during all the years, he should have been in the wilderness.
Although he liked the notion of living a life where he had not strayed from the path he had dreamed of all his life, Josiah knew that he could not live a lie and this was a lie. The man he was could not continue as the man he was supposed to be and there was a deeper sense of obligation to the friends who might be trapped in the same conundrum that he was. His dreams were relatively docile in their intensity but he knew something of the friends he rode with and could not say that their fantasies might be as pleasant. He had no idea whether or not that within the walls of their prison, they were making similar efforts to break free but while he was in his, Josiah was going to do everything to see to it that he escape.
It was not difficult to find the King property, a few well-placed questions and he was riding towards the place, located on the outskirts of town. The gossip he had garnered during his inquiries after the Kings spoke of a recent bereavement. He recalled Mary saying something about the late Mr King and assumed that things had gone pretty much the same way for the schoolmistress in this reality as well. Josiah himself had never met the woman even though she had been town for some weeks now. He supposed that it was not hard to do when his role as lawman often had him and his companions riding from one place to another to deal with the multitude of problems that seemed to tumble into Four Corners' stead on a regular basis.
The house reminded him of one of those homesteads he had seen during his time up north. It looked very much like the proper New England home with the large attics and Imperial influenced architecture. Josiah wondered what he would say to the woman and decided anything that did not get the door slammed in his face was a good beginning. As he made his way past the white picket fence and stepped onto the cobbled walk leading to the house, he noticed that the wagon was half-filled with belongings and it had all the signs of someone making an imminent departure.
Josiah knocked on the door once and upon hearing the clattering and banging on the other side of it, chose to repeat it just in case he was not heard over that loud din. He felt extremely grateful that he had caught the Kings now because it appeared as if they were moving away fairly soon. After a few seconds, the door swung open and Josiah found himself facing a woman in her early forties with dark auburn hair and almost crystal coloured blue eyes. For a second, he could say nothing for he had been expecting an old battleaxe with a ruler in hand rapping knuckles at a moment's notice. Instead, she wore a lovely smile on her face and Josiah found himself wondering what she must have looked like as a girl, if she was this handsome now.
"Yes?" She stared at him.
"Mrs King?" He ventured a guess.
"Yes, I am Audrey King. What can I do for you, Pastor?"
"Josiah Sanchez," he introduced himself, not all feeling like a man of the cloth at the moment. "I need to speak with you privately."
"This isn't really a good time," she confessed, opening the door wide enough to show him the chaos taking place inside the house. People were moving about, packing boxes and moving furniture from its usual place. It looked as if a mass exodus was taking place and she was trying to organize all of it.
"I know it's an inconvenience." He urged. "Believe me, I've come a long way to see you and you're the only one who can help me."
She raised her brow at that, somewhat intrigued despite her preoccupation with what was going on in her house. With a sigh, she stepped further out the door and shut it behind her. "Well, packing up is such a tedious chore anyway, I ought to be grateful you breezed in and liberated me from this ordeal." She flashed him a smile which Josiah thought was nothing less than radiant but kept it to himself for the moment, besides, he had more important things to discuss with her and no guarantee she would not call him a mad man.
"Well what I'm about to say to you might sound insane and I would not blame you if you said so but I'm not crazy and I know I'm right." He replied earnestly.
"Josiah, you have definitely inspired my utmost curiosity and so I do love a mystery. Take a turn with me would you? I'm going to be leaving this place forever and I might as well take the opportunity to take a final look at the place, while I have the time."
It had been a while since someone asked him to take a turn with him and reminded himself that she was asking him to take a walk with her. "Certainly." He said gratefu she was willing to listen. "You lead the way."
There was a creek not far from the house she informed him and they were soon strolling towards it. Once they were a suitable distance into their walk, Josiah finally decided to come out with what he had travelled so far to tell her. "I guess there is no way to say this, so I'm just going to come out and say it."
"Surprise me, Josiah." She smiled as if nothing could faze her. Josiah hoped that was true.
"I woke up three days ago and had no idea where I was. I remember being a lawman in Four Corners, a small town in the Territory with friends and a life. Now I find out that I'm a preacher and have been for some time. I know I'm not crazy because being a preacher is what I always wanted but knew I could never be that. It's just the man I am."
"But now it's happened?" She looked at him, trying to hide her scepticism.
Josiah could see the disbelief in her eyes and knew that he was not convincing her of anything, even though he had half expected as much anyway. "I know how it sounds but in that other life, I remember a conversation with a young boy named Billy Travis. He comes from Four Corners and a day or so before this all happened, he was asking me about magic spells, whether or not any of it was real."
"You think a magic spell caused this sudden change?" She exclaimed as they walked past a row of cherry trees. The disbelief in her eyes was quite evident even though she still appeared amused by the whole notion.
"I know it did," Josiah said firmly. "You have a daughter named Lilith, do you not?"
"Yes, I do," Audrey replied, wondering what he was getting at.
"I know she dabbles in the supernatural arts. Billy told me." Josiah announced.
Audrey stopped walking as if he had made a revelation of great significance. She stared at him, her eyes narrowed in concentration, as if she was trying to decided whether or not he was mad and she ought to discontinue this encounter or hear him out and face learning something incredible. "No one is supposed to know that." She said softly.
"Billy told me that Lilith believes in witches." He continued, hoping to say the words that would make her believe him because he needed her help. Josiah knew he could not do this alone. As it was, everything that he was saying to her was based on assumption, he had no real proof that Lilith was behind this sudden shift in reality. "Is that true?"
Audrey shrugged and tried to understand how any of this could be happening. "You must understand that I indulge my daughter because I believe that knowledge is never evil, just the application of it. She has dreams my Lily and even though they are not conventional or Christian for that matter, I have never felt the need to suppress her desire to learn. I know that those afraid of change or the possibility of things beyond their own sphere of influence writes convention, so I swore I would never raise Lily that way. When she confessed this interest in the supernatural, I did not discourage it but I did warn her to keep it a secret and for most part, I am certain she has."
Josiah knew that the admission had been a difficult one to make so he was not about to rebuke her for allowing her daughter the freedom to learn, even if that knowledge might have inadvertently caused this.
"Billy told me that he was using the magic for good," Josiah explained further, hoping what scant information he had might be able to prompt her own ideas into being. "I believe he was trying to grant a wish. I always wished to be a preacher that could do God's work without questioning the need to turn the other cheek and it's precisely what I got."
"I still don't believe any of this," she said as they reached the banks of the creek that meandered past them. The setting was idyllic and Josiah took in the sight of the flowers in bloom and the landscape of lush green fields. "But Lily has been hiding in the attic ever since she found that damn book."
Audrey was not superstitious but this man knew things about her daughter that no one could have known. When Audrey had given Lily the warning about her new hobby, her daughter had already understood the need to conceal her fascination from others. While Audrey was still unwilling to believe that Lily's dabbling could be the cause of Josiah's trouble, she was not so obtuse to deny him her help. The book had been locked away for a reason and while she was a schoolteacher who dealt in fact, she was astute enough to believe that she did not know everything.
Josiah looked at her. "Book?"
"Yes," Audrey nodded. "It's been in my family for generations, sitting in a locked trunk in the attic. If we had not decided to move, we would never have investigated its contents and found it. Ever since we discovered it, Lily has been fascinated with it."
"It would help if I saw it," Josiah suggested.
"I can do more than that," Audrey replied meeting his gaze. "I don't know whether you're insane or I am for helping you but there's an old woman who lives further down the road. Lily has been spending a lot of time with her lately. More than me anyway. I think she's a witch. If my daughter has twisted your life in some way, Morag would be the one to find out."
They returned to the house where Audrey discreetly told the relative that was helping her move that she had some business with the pastor. Her daughter was at school, which was just as well because Audrey did not want a scene when she retrieved the book that Lily had hidden in the attic. Upon entry into the girl's private bastion, the evidence of her amateur sorcery was evidenced inside the trunk where the book was kept. There were jars with all kinds of strange powders and what looked like animal parts along with fragrant herbs and trinkets.
"Oh my God." Audrey groaned as she discovered the contents. "I'm raising a sorceress."
Josiah had to admit it did look bad and thank the Lord that he was not a more pious man than he tried to be or else, his faith would have him demanding the child be burned at the stake. "Let's just get the book and find this Morag, you're talking about." He said gently, knowing that as much as she wanted to indulge her daughter, this was beyond acceptable even for her flamboyant manner.
"I am so glad you're not really a preacher," Audrey said with a wry smile.
With that smile beaming in his direction, so was Josiah.
Morag Bellingham lived in an old house not far from the Wallace property. She was an eccentric old woman who had lived in these parts for the better part of fifty years and remained reclusive even though she was one of the more colourful characters in town. People whispered about her being a witch even though no one actually dared to say it to her face in the rare occasions she turned up in town. For the most part, Morag kept to herself even though she always donated pie to the church socials and was a regular participant in the congregation.
Although Josiah felt that it was probably wise to have Lily present when they went to see the old woman, Audrey was adamant that her daughter not be involved in any more than she might have already done. Realistically, the child had done nothing in this reality but in the one that Josiah remembered, she had been responsible for a great deal. Yet he could understand Audrey's reasoning and had to respect the decision.
Morag was not what Josiah expected of a witch. In fact, he did not know what to expect. He always thought of witches as wizened old crones, riding brooms.
However Morag was nothing of the sort, she seemed like any respectable woman and she was most cordial about inviting them in when they appeared on her doorstep. However, as she led them into the house, she kept staring at Josiah as if there was something about him that was compelling.
"Morag," Audrey spoke once they had sat down and the old woman had fixed them a pot of tea. It was all so civilized and completely beyond his expectations. "Josiah believes that Lilith might be responsible for casting some kind of reality-bending spell. I don't know what to believe Morag and after what I found in the trunk today, I don't think I know my daughter that well either."
Morag met his gaze and nodded slowly. "I can sense it you know." She looked at him. "The enchantment."
"You believe me then?" He said surprised that it would take so little effort to convince her. He had expected disbelief like he had received from Audrey.
"Of course I do." She answered firmly. "I do not often speak of my perceptions but I felt it the moment I saw you. What exactly has happened?"
Josiah explained to her what had happened since he woke up three days ago, from the displacement of his life to the conversation he had shared with Billy that eventually led him to Audrey and her daughter. Morag listened carefully, taking note of everything said as if it would play a great part in her ruminations later on. When Josiah was finally done, the woman let out a long-held sigh as if she were decided what to do.
"When she showed me the book," Morag began, "I warned her about using it. Of course in this sphere, she has done nothing but in the world, you remember, she dabbled in an incantation that is very old and very powerful. She has potential your daughter and in her youthful innocence, such power is raw and untamed. It can shape the world or tear it apart."
Audrey sucked in her breath as if the knowledge was too much to bear. She had no idea what she had unleashed when she allowed her daughter access to the book. "All this because of a book?" She whispered.
"You must understand that it is not merely a book," Morag emphasized. "It is a grimoire, a book of shadows. It is written by those who practise the arcane arts with more skill than I will ever know."
"Can you help me?" Josiah asked, far more interested in results than portents of a faith that was so far removed from his own.
"I can open the door for you." Morag replied meeting his eyes. "You will have to walk the mists."
"We," Audrey said without hesitation. "We will walk the mists."
"I can't ask you to do that." Josiah looked at her. "This is my problem, not yours."
She was trying to hide her fear but it was apparent in her eyes. "If Lily is the cause of all this then I have to go. As her mother, I don't have a choice."
Josiah was not about to argue with her because he was afraid himself and for once, the company of someone other than God would be good in the journey he was about to take.
Into the mists.
CHRIS
Chris Larabee felt disconnected.
He did not hear when Fowler shouted his warning to stay back and he certainly did not care when he heard the gun went off. He paid enough attention to get out of its way, unwilling to die before he paid Sarah and Adam's killers in kind.
Ignoring the feeling of hot lead slamming into his arm, Chris hardly registered the injury or the pain that accompanied it. When he heard Sarah scream her last, whatever it was inside him that still felt and wept for her demise simply detached itself from the rest of him. He was on top of Fowler before the assassin had the chance to pull the trigger again. The pain in his arm did not exist, nothing did but this intense need for vengeance that would be far from satisfied, even after Fowler was dead.
Chris ripped the gun away from the man and tossed it aside before Fowler had a chance to fire again or run for that matter. The weapon fell away into the darkness and Chris paid little attention as to where it landed. Fowler prepared to attach but no sooner than he made the attempt, Chris' swatted his hand out of the way and grabbed the man by the throat. As his fingers enclosed around the assassin's neck, Chris tightened his fist into a ball with as much power as he could channel to his vice-like grip. He closed his eyes and took a deep breath, allowing himself to slip over the edge of the maw and fall headlong into the dark sea of his rage. Everything that he was, went with him. Sarah, Adam, Buck and now his life. They were all that kept him bound to what he had been, kept him secure on the edge of darkness. Everything that was Chris Larabee died with the family and friend that he loved so much. What was left wanted vengeance and would be satisfied with nothing less.
He was aware of gurgling sounds that might have been choking but he did not listen closely. There were instances when he felt hands other than his own trying to prise his fingers away from the flesh but the attempts did not last long because Chris did not intend to let go, not for anything. After a few minutes, when the rasping and the strangled cries reached apogee, they withered away altogether and all he could hear in the wake of that silence, was the crackling of the fire as it destroyed what was left of the Larabee home.
Chris opened his eyes then and saw Fowler dead in his grip. His hand was slick from the regurgitated fluids of Fowler's final gasps. The blood ran down his hand from the man's open mouth, soiling the sleeve of his duster and seeping into the grass as it fell to earth in pregnant drops of dark crimson. Chris let him go then, allowing Fowler to collapse on the ground, feeling no satisfaction whatsoever in taking his life. This man had destroyed everyone who had ever meant anything to Chris Larabee. Chris knew he should have been feeling something but he did not. If it could be called an emotion, then what he felt was emptiness. It was a most curious sensation for he could feel nothing. No anger, no rage, no pain, just that overwhelming emptiness. Its depth was so penetrating that nothing could fill it while Ella Gaines, the real architect of this entire nightmare still breathed.
He walked away from Fowler and returned to this horse. His blue eyes, almost obsidian in its coloured, searched the hills surrounding his property and tried to guess which would be the most advantageous point from which she could view the contracted murder of his wife and child. He had remembered from that other life, the one that was as lost to him as this one, that she had wanted to watch because later, she would collect her souvenirs for the event.
He climbed on his horse and rode away, knowing that she was somewhere in the woods and he had to find her. She had boasted that she had stayed for the entire thing until the house was nothing but cinders and she was able to sift through the ash and find her mementoes. It did not take him long to find her. He was single-minded in his purpose and he was guided by something far more accurate that instinct. He was no longer thinking about Sarah and Adam and how he had failed them both. It was a testament to just how numb he felt because Buck's death was similarly distant.
There was one way up and down the ridge that Ella was using as her private viewing gallery while she watched the death of his family and friends. Once Chris caught sight of the tracks in the ground leading to the peak, he knew without a doubt that it was she who had made them. Dismounting from his own horse, he made the rest of the journey on foot. There was no way he was allowing her to escape . Chris moved through the trees, moving with stealth that would make Vin Tanner proud. He could hear her horse neighing and stamping its feet whenever the need took it and immediately closed in on that sound.
When he finally reached the top of the ridge and broke through the line of bushes and shrubs, he had his shotgun poised and ready to fire. He knew that the moment he stepped out from the cover of vegetation, that rustle of branches and leaves would give him away. Chris cocked the trigger and stepped out, making the very sounds he knew would alert her to his presence. Ella turned around the instant she heard the sound but Chris was ready for her. Pulling the trigger the moment she discovered he was there, her startled face was eclipsed by the roar of a shotgun blast.
Ella let out a short scream as her horse buckled underneath her, mortally wounded as Chris had intended. Unable to remain as the blast had injured its leg, the animal crumpled to the ground, throwing its rider off as it vainly attempted to remain on its feet before an agonized bray of pain signalled the futility of it. Chris watched without emotion as the creature landed heavily on the woman, pinning her under the weight of its body. Ella struggled to crawl from under the body, crying out in pain at the weight pressing down on her. He continued watching as her cries of frustration grew more frantic as was her attempts to pull herself free. Eventually, he stepped out and into the moonlight, where she could see him. The sound of his boots against the gravel brought Ella's gaze to bear on him.
"Chris!" She gasped and then saw his eyes and understood at that moment just how far she had pushed him. "Chris," she swallowed trying to reach through that fog in his mind, to penetrate the rage that was aching to hurt her. "You don't understand, I did for you. For us! She was in the way."
"Was Adam in the way too?" He asked, his voice was just as dark as the rest of him.
"He would have held you down. We didn't need a child! When this is all over, you'll see that I am right." She implored, dirt covering her cheeks as she grovelled in the dirt, trying desperately to escape because she was aware now that she had awakened something inside him that was not even Ella in all her obsession had believed existed.
Chris said nothing for her words bounced off him and had little power over him. He strode forward and sank his hand into her blond hair before yanking her back viciously. She screamed in pain as he pulled her from under her trapped position by the hair, keeping as firm a grip upon her as he had done on Fowler a short while ago. Ella struggled to break free, frightened now at what had been unleashed but Chris was not about to let her go. He dragged her to her feet and made him face her.
"Chris I love you." She begged as he maintained a clenched fist over her hair. "I did it for you."
"I'm sure you did." He said quietly and hauled her to the edge of the ridge. Beneath them, there was a panoramic view of the house, still burning into the night. The sky was emblazoned with rich colours of amber and crimson, almost mesmerizing in its reflection against the indigo sky. He could not see the bodies of Buck or Fowler for that matter but he knew there were there. Looking down, Chris ruminated for a brief moment and then turned his attention back to Ella who was staring down at the drop with widening eyes.
"I told Fowler I was going to make it slow for you." Chris met her eyes for the first time. "I don't need to waste that much time. I don't have to make it slow for you Ella, I just need to make it hurt," he said with a perfectly humourless smile. "I want to hear you scream like you made Sarah scream."
Without another word, he threw her off the edge.
She did scream to begin with and he watched every second of her descent, from the time her arms flayed desperately trying to find something to hold as she felt nothing but air around her, until her body slammed into the first protrusion of rock on her downward journey. The scream was cut short then, replaced by the sound of snapping bone and flesh. It was almost melodic in his ears as he stood at the edge, straining to hear every tune in Ella's musical demise. When it was over, when she lay sprawled somewhere below him in the black, Chris finally turned away.
He stepped away from the edge, knowing that Ella was not alone when she fell.
Chris Larabee had gone with her gratefully, plunging himself over the periphery where he would never stop falling...
*********
ALEX
Vin Tanner followed Alexandra Styles back to her hotel, with no idea why he was following her; aware only that he had no choice but to do so. As much as she confused him, he could not deny that when she had first kissed him, the part of him that acted on impulse did not care that she was a perfect stranger, did not even care that she was insane, he knew he was lost. He watched her as they journeyed back to the hotel, trying not to stare but found himself unable to do nothing but that. He watched her hair worn loose, bouncing off her shoulders, admiring the lustre of her skin and the eyes that drowned him in its depths. When she said she loved him, Vin knew it was the truth. He just could not say how he knew it so perfectly.
"Where did you come from?" He found himself asking, still sounding very confused.
She linked her arm through his, not caring how it looked. In her mind, they were engaged and even though it was for a short time, it had been the happiest days of her life. Before she woke up from this dream, there was one thing Alex needed to do and that introduced him to her father. If this wasn't a dream and it was more or less a foregone conclusion that it was not since it was in her reckoning the longest such experience in her life if it were, and she was stuck with this, then it was best that her father met Vin anyway.
"Boston," Alex answered his questions and noticed that he did not pull away when her arm slipped through his. In fact, he was starting to feel a little more at ease even though the confusion in his face was still very apparent.
"How can you love me, we ain't never met." He looked at her, defying her to answer him because he really needed an explanation to this insanity as well as a reason for why he felt the way he did. Not even Charlotte had effected him this way and when Alex had kissed him, when he had felt her lips against his, Vin had never felt anything in his life to be so right. It was almost like the day he and Chris had looked at each other across the street and decided that it was the right thing to help Nathan. Such moments of clarity had always proceeded the best times in his life and although this beautiful woman and her claims puzzled him, he could not deny how she made him feel. Vin seldom felt so passionately for anyone, even with Charlotte it had taken a little time especially when he found out that she was married. However, with Alex there was none of the doubt that made him pause or hesitate, no matter confused he may now feel.
"I know." She replied as matter of factly. "But I do love you."
"This is crazy." Vin replied, thinking he needed a stiff drink to make some sense out of what was happening. "I know I ain't never met you and you say you love me? What makes it even crazier is well, look at you!"
Alex paused and examined herself feeling rather self-conscious at his remark. "What do you mean look at me?" She asked, hands on her hips as she stared at him with a hint of indignation.
"Well you're a lady and all, you got linen and lace hanging off you, I ain't got no business having anything to do with someone like you!" He retorted as if it should have been perfectly obvious to her although he did admit that when she was riled up, she was actually even prettier. He wondered what she must be like when she was truly infuriated. Magnificent, Vin was certain.
"Oh for God's sake!" Alex rolled her eyes in exasperation "What has that got to do with anything?" She demanded annoyed that even in this reality, he could still use that for an excuse. Hadn't she been through all this nonsense with Charlotte? "I love you. I don't care if you got a bounty on your head and you only a dollar a day! That never mattered to me! I love you because you showed me some of the most beautiful things I have ever seen. You've shown me sunsets and stars, you've shown me how easy is to become lost in the quiet and have a whole world open up when I shut up long enough to look. Those are things money or position can never buy Vin. When I'm with you, nothing else matters. It’s like there's only the two of us and I love being with you so much. When I woke up three days ago and found out that everything was different, that you weren't in my life any more, I thought I was going to die and I knew I had to find you. One way or another."
Nothing she said was making any sense but her words did penetrate, just like the feeling of intense pleasure at knowing that someone cared for him that much. Not like Charlotte to whom he was second best. Vin started to smile because, despite the impossibility of it all, he believed her when she said he had shown her all the things he had. With no more doubt in his mind, he placed a hand on her cheek and drew her to him. Alex did not resist when he leaned down and kissed her. Her lips against his tasted heavenly and he felt confusion burning away along with all the other reservations that lingered in his mind because the truth was, none of it mattered. Not one bit of it.
All Vin Tanner was conscious of was how he felt about her and the moment he had seen Alexandra Styles only a short time ago, Vin knew that she was right, he would love her if he did not already. Their mouths melted together in a kiss of lustful desire with neither caring who was watching their passionate exchange. When he pulled away, it felt almost painful.
"I gotta be crazy." Vin said shaking his head as he grinned with his arms still around her.
"Well save it for now," she replied she disengaged herself from him and resumed walking towards the hotel. "My father's waiting."
"What?" Vin grumbled as he took her hand in his and let Alex led him where she wanted. "I just met you and I now I gotta meet your pa too...?"
*********
EZRA
"Ezra, what are you doing!" He heard Cousin Charles shouted in astonishment as his horse pulled away from the duo and made for Mrs Washington at breakneck speed. Ezra knew he would have only one shot at this, so it had to be done right or not only would he doom the woman and her children to certain death but himself as well. Pulling out the gun from his holster, Ezra took careful aim at the men standing over Mrs Washington, taking their pleasures from the atrocity they were inflicting upon her body. He wondered if the respectable Mr Standish had the same marksman skills and decided that in less than a second, he was going to find out.
Squeezing the trigger of the gun, he fired one shot at the man who was presently hunched over the helpless woman, brutalizing her as he grunted his way to ecstasy, oblivious to the repellent nature of the act he was committing. The bullet struck the man in the rump, making him pull away from her abruptly in pain. He felt on his side, screaming as he clutched his bleeding rear while the other man looked around to see where the shot had come from. Ezra did not give the chance to find out and fired again just as swiftly, the bullet slamming into his knee and dropping the man where he stood.
"Madam," Ezra said quickly when he reached Mrs Washington who though shocked by her sudden deliverance, had the presence of mind to compose herself quickly. He snatched the hood from his head and tossed it aside, feeling grateful to be rid of this symbol of violence. "I am sorry I was not here sooner." He apologized.
She stared at him with tear-streaked cheeks and eyes that were filled with amazement. "But why?"
"I do not believe we have time to discuss it," Ezra retorted, seeing the others starting to converge on him. Leading them was dear Cousin Charles and Cousin Jacob who had recovered from their own astonishment at this sudden turn of events to know they had serious problem on their hands. "I would suggest you take your children and start running. I have no idea how long I shall be able to hold off these pointed head cretins before they resume their efforts to retrieve you."
At that statement, she looked around and saw precisely what he meant. The other ghouls were taken by surprise at this betrayal by one of their own but they were recovering quickly and the confusion that was hampering their progress would not last for long. She nodded wildly and immediately started towards her children, the oldest being no more than five he estimated. Ezra looked at the men approaching and fired once into the air, gaining their attention and hopefully buying himself a few minutes.
"This has gone far enough gentlemen!" He shouted. Most of these men were confident that their anonymity would protect them but in this instance, it was one of their own who was standing up to them, who knew the faces behind the masks.
"Ezra, what the hell are you doing?" Cousin Charles demanded as their horses came to a stop at the sound of his warning shot.
Ezra was still holding his gun; ready to fire at the first man to make a move against him. By now, Mrs Washington had gathered her children and was wisely fleeing into the woods, where the darkness would keep them safe until they could reach help. "What I should have done long before now. I have no idea what possessed me to wear this costume," he regarded the robes over his clothes distastefully, "but I wear it no more and neither will I allow you to vent your sick philosophy on a helpless woman and her children. You have killed her husband, I do believe that it is enough of a lesson for her to vacate the premises without resorting to the vile actions I was happy to put an end to a moment ago."
"You do not walk away from the Klan, Ezra!" Charles swore angrily. The fury in his voice was unmistakable and Ezra could tell by the cold edge to his tone that it was time for him to make a hasty departure. Casting a sidelong glance, he could see no sign of Mrs. Washington and hoped that the narrow window of opportunity he had allowed for her escape would be enough.
"I am walking away now." He said firmly, his gun still aimed firmly in their direction as he nudged his horse to make a slow retreat backwards. The gambler never took his eyes off the enemy even for a second and took full advantage of their confusion. He was one of their own and this sudden bout face had left them uncertain over what they should do. Under normal circumstances, they would have killed him already, like Serfonteine had been so eager to do when Ezra had taken the same stand when he freed Alex from their ministrations. However, he and Charles were kin and judging by the authority that Charles represented, he was probably the leader of the local chapter.
"Ezra, think of Annabelle and your children." Jacob implored. "You're not just endangering yourself, you're endangering them too."
"They know nothing about this and I am certain you know that." Ezra retaliated confidently as the horse started to move into the trees. He could hear the rustle of leaves behind them just as he was aware of them closing in on him with just as much stealth in their advance. "Harming them does not serve any purpose and would raise uncomfortable questions, would it not?"
"This isn't over," Charles hissed and with that posturing statement, Ezra decided that it actually was. Unless they got their hands on his person, there was very little they could do to him and for the moment, Ezra had no intention of falling into that position.
"I think it is." Ezra grinned and dug his heels into the side of his horse and took off through the trees. He kept his head low and galloped hard and fast through the foliage, completely aware that they were following as he heard the loud rustling of branches and leaves as they broke through the line of trees in pursuit. Ezra who had more practice at evading large gatherings hell-bent on tar and feathering him that they would ever know had little difficulty keeping ahead of the group and he had just enough tricks up his sleeve to throw them off when necessary.
Ezra had no idea how much time had passed until he no longer heard the hoof beats or angry voices screaming out for his hide but eventually the sounds faded away with the coming of dawn. Most of the men in the group were undoubtedly family men like he was meant to be and could not afford to spend too much of the evening with their extracurricular activities. Ezra knew that if he could just keep ahead of them long enough, their own domestic concerns would bring an end to their pursuit. Besides, Cousin Charles was of the belief that when Ezra stopped running, he would return home to Annabelle and his children.
As much as Ezra had wanted to give his wife a face to face explanation for what he was about to do, his Klan involvement now made that impossible. He felt somewhat remorseful that he had to deliver such news to her over correspondence but Ezra was certain he had the necessary skills to compose the letter that would make her understand that he was not the man she believed him to be. Once upon a time, he had wanted a life like the one he had experienced today and it was a monument to his own stupidity that he had longed for it even after he found the friends in Four Corners and Julia Pemberton.
When Ezra finally returned to the road that connected Charleston to the rest of the south, he gazed into the city for a moment and wondered how it was possible to have everything that he had always wanted and realized that it was less than what he had. Questions for philosophers, he decided and started down the road taking him from Charleston. The sun was starting to peek over the horizon and Ezra wondered how long it would take him to get Four Corners.
He did not know if the people he cared about would even remember him when he arrived but one thing was for certain, they would not forget Ezra Standish once he was there.
*********
JULIA
Julia Pemberton was extremely content.
She found herself lying against Ezra's chest, listening to his heart beating next to her ear and wondered how it was possible for one man to have so much power over her when once upon a time, she had power over so many of them. Even though all of this had taken him by surprise, Julia was certain that he was quite pleased with the turn of events, even to the point where she actually meant something more to him than just the money. When she had first met him, she had no idea what made him tick underneath the cool facade of the southern gentlemen. Although he confessed to an insatiable love of money, Julia knew that Ezra Standish was not just about that. No self-serving human being intent on making himself a fortune would remain in a town where death could come with a bullet at any time for a dollar a day and room and board. Oh, he said it was because he had business interests in town but Julia knew better. Ezra stayed because he was part of the fellowship.
The six men he rode with were more than comrades in arms; even she could see that. It was an unspoken understanding between all of the women in their lives, Mary, Alex and even Inez though the barmaid would loathe to admit it that the bond between the seven was a chain that could not be broken. They survived the things they did because they were together and Julia had this sense, as she believed the other women did that alone; their men would come to harm.
They had married yesterday, much to the surprise of the others and even more so when Ezra had announced his attention to remain in Four Corners. Julia was glad of that because he liked this little town more than he would prefer to admit and for that matter so did she. Before she woke up and found her life resembling nothing of what it had been then the day before, Julia had liked her existence in Four Corners. She had enjoyed running her Emporium and playing the part of a businesswoman. It had allowed her to discover that she could be more than just a face.
Neither had any idea of what they would do in the long-term future but for the moment, it was universally agreed that they ought to stay where they were. With the premarital contracts signed and Ezra having access to half her fortune with no strings attached, he would never have to worry about her gaining the upper hand with money. Julia had wanted him to love her without the fear of worrying whether his efforts to please her would have any financial implications. And it had given her great relish to send the telegram home informing her relatives that she was indeed married and had no immediate plans to return home. Julia almost wished she could see their faces and knew that they were probably about as pleased as she was. As long as she continued to fulfil her obligations to them, Julia wanted nothing more to do with the Averys. In her mind, she still considered herself to be Julia Pemberton although really her name was now Standish. Still, either was a more realistic depiction than which she had been when she was living as Julia Avery.
Outside, it appeared to be late morning and it had been their habit to sleep in unless Chris required something of Ezra in their duties as the town lawmen. The gunslinger cared little for Ezra's change in fortune and treated her new husband as always, like one of his men. Still, even Julia could not deny that Chris Larabee's presence would always make him the leader, even if everyone around him were a billionaire.
She was hungry and shifted slightly to see if there were any scraps left from the dinner they shared last night on the table not far from the bed. Ezra was sleeping soundless and Julia saw no reason to wake him as she gently climbed out of bed and reached for the robe draped over the bedpost. Slipping it on, she went to ring for some room service, having come to the conclusion that she was getting hungry. However before she could proceed to do that, there was a sudden knock on the door.
Ezra was starting to stir and Julia frowned, hating to see him roused from such a fitful sleep and hoped that there was not some new trouble in town that required his presence. As much as she understood his need to be one of Four Corners' defenders, she could not help worrying for his life whenever he went to face such threats. She opened the door expecting to see Chris or one of the others when to her absolute surprise, she found herself faced with neither.
"Roderick," Julia exclaimed.
Roderick Packard stared at her coldly, his eyes travelling up and down the length of her and deducing immediately that she was not alone. "Julia, may I come in?"
"Roderick, what are you doing here?" She asked, throwing a nervous look over her shoulder at Ezra's direction as she stood by the doorway.
"I've come a long way to see you, my dear," Roderick pushed his way in with Julia doing little to stop him because she was still so stunned by his sudden appearance. He looked as if he had been travelling and knew instinctively he must have come off the stage since this was one of its scheduled days in Four Corners.
"Roderick please," Julia said doing up all the buttons of her robe as he strode into the room. Everything in his manner indicated that he knew all about her marriage and she guessed he had come to see for himself, what man she had selected over him.
"Let me congratulate you on your marriage." He turned to her after Julia had shut the door. "I am somewhat surprised that you came all this way to do so but when I heard the news, I was simply compelled to bring my salutations in person."
It required no clairvoyance to see that he was furious and Julia stared past him at Ezra who was starting to become aware of some problem, even though to the casual observer he still appeared to be fast asleep. "What do you want Roderick?" Julia asked trying not to show that he was intimidating her. "I'm married now, I am sorry that things did not transpire the way you wished but I am a grown woman free to make my own decisions."
"You are nothing but a wanton tramp and you should have been grateful that you were privileged enough for me to consider making you my bride!" He lashed out viciously, his fist doing the talking as he swatted her aside like she was a badly behaved child.
Julia felt her cheek flare as she felt to the floor, furious that he had struck her and was prepared to kill him for that insult. However, when she looked up, she saw that she had need not have bothered.
Ezra was standing next to Roderick, holding his derringer against the back of the man's head, while his other hand clung onto the sheet that was hiding his naked form. "I have not had the pleasure, Sir," Ezra said with an even colder voice than Roderick had managed. "Although I would prefer an apology made to my wife first before formal introductions are made."
"Your wife?" Roderick snorted. "I know all about you Mr Standish, I know that your mother is a swindler and that you are nothing more than a con man, so let's not pretend this marriage is anything more than a sham. Besides, your wife is the biggest trollop in Philadelphia. I have reports from a dozen of her lovers who will happily verify that she is nothing less than a wanton!"
"And still she rejected you," Ezra said hardly fazed by the man's vicious revelations. "I was perfectly aware that Julia was hardly virginal and I might add that had you sampled the goods, you would not be so particular about where she acquired the skill. In any case, we are married so if you would kindly depart quietly, I will resist the urge to shoot you dead for laying your hands on my wife."
"Fine," Roderick hissed, unprepared by to argue with the gun barrel that was pressed against his skull. "Have her then," he glared at Julia as he started walking towards the door. "You both deserved each other."
"I assume then you will not be needing the name of our bridal registry?" Ezra quipped as Roderick strode past Julia and reached the door. The former suitor reacted with a stormy glare before he departed the room, slamming the door shut behind him. As soon as he was gone, Ezra lowered the gun and turned to Julia, his hand outstretched to help her up.
"Are you all right?" He asked gently.
"I'm fine," Julia grumbled, flinching when she touched the corner of her lips where Roderick had struck her. "I'm sorry about that, I had no idea he was that persistent."
"I am sure we can deal with him if he chooses to slither back for a second round," Ezra said confidently. "Although he may decide such a scandalous wanton may no longer be worthy of his time now that she has attached herself to a con man."
Julia frowned as she wrapped her arms around him and brought her lips to his.
"Pity," she sighed. "He has no idea what he's missing."
*********
BUCK
Buck Wilmington saw Mary Larabee before him and knew that he was in trouble. The wife of his oldest friend stared at him with those incredible eyes of hers, the ones that were capable of reducing anyone to a slobbering mess, Chris included, and wanting only one thing from him he was certain. Buck had no idea what to do and wondered how he could escape with his hide intact. Deciding that under no circumstances was he even going to remotely fall into the same situation as he had with Julia or Alex, Buck was going to going to nip this in the bud right now.
"Listen Mary, I know that you think I'm irresistible and you ain't wrong, it's because of my animal magnetism but this ain't right and you know it. You love Chris, hell you've married Chris and he is my oldest friend, I ain't never going to betray that."
Mary Travis Larabee said nothing for a few seconds as she stared at him following his earnest statement. She nodded as if absorbing his words and Buck hoped he had not hurt her feelings too much. Women like men had their pride and rejection was not any easier for them to endure.
He never finished the thought because Mary struck him across the jaw.
Buck fell backwards into the opposite wall looking at her with astonishment at her novel approach to seduction. "Mary. .?"
"How dare you Mr Wilmington assume that I was here for it!" She could not even bring herself to say it as she sputtered in fury. "I assure you that you are the last man in this town, no, on this planet that I would even presume to have a dalliance with! I came here to see what the hell was going on, there are women running around town screaming your name as if you were the Second Coming!"
Buck swore under his breath at his mistaken and supposed he was grateful that she was not affected yet, although Alex had been completely composed initially before she too had succumbed to his overpowering allure. "It's my animal magnetism," he tried to explain as he rubbed his throbbing jaw. The woman had a great right hook. "It's driving the women in this town crazy. You have no idea what I've been through the last few hours."
Somehow Mary did not believe him. "Really?" She stared at him with arms folded in contemptuous disbelief. "Somehow I find that extremely difficult to believe."
"Buck, what the hell is going on?" Vin suddenly appeared as he and Ezra coming walking up the staircase toward them. Buck was almost grateful to see the tracker since Vin would be in a position to keep Mary back when this craziness started to affect her too. "I just came from Alex's and she said that it was all over between us because she wants to run off with you!"
"What?" Buck exclaimed horrified, staring at his friend with dismay. "Vin, I swear to you something is happening to the women in this town!" He looked frantically at Mary. "Ask her!"
"Its true," Mary was forced to concede on this point as she met the tracker's gaze ."I've been coming across women all day who have been doing nothing but saying that Buck Wilmington was the man for them."
"Am I to understand that you are completely innocent of all these unwanted affections?" Ezra asked, with almost as much scepticism that Mary had displayed earlier.
"It's my animal magnetism!" Buck shouted exasperated, feeling like a man drowning. "Before she went nuts and try to tear my clothes off me, Alex told me it was something to do with pheromones."
"Tear...your...clothes...off...you?" Vin glared at him dangerously.
"Take it easy Mr Tanner," Ezra put a restraining arm on the tracker ."Let's hear the man out. As much success that Mr Wilmington has with the ladies, there is no way that he could turn Alexandra's head unless reality as we know it has gone completely insane. We both know the lady in question, she has always behaved in the most proper. ..Julia?"
Julia Pemberton picked that exact moment to emerge from Buck's room, adjusting clothes as if she had been only a moment in a state of undress. The gambler's words died in his throat as Julia came in their direction with Buck groaning in frustration at the woman's impeccable timing.
"You were saying Ezra?" Vin turned to Ezra with an almost smug smile on his face.
"Start explaining, Buck," Ezra replied calmly. "And perhaps, we may not have to do to you what we do to geldings."
*********
NATHAN
It was starting to rain and Josiah Sanchez inched further beneath his wagon to take refuge from the teeming rain. Across the landscape, he had could see the traces of civilization in the flares of lights through the window of the occasional farmhouse. He had seen much of Kentucky during his travels up north and like all places, it had its own charm even if the stink of slavery was more than Josiah had been able to tolerate. He had found it difficult to stomach the sight of the plantations and their main crop, which was not cotton at all but rather a more human stock. This cross country journey from California to the east was more than he had bargained for and Josiah looked forward to getting out of the southern states.
The fire was battling to stay alive under the light rain that was sprinkling across the land and the cold in the air made Josiah hope that it would win the day since he did not relish the chill of wet clothes during the rest of the night. He had yet to make his mind up about what he wanted to do now that he had walked away forever from the constraints of having a parish. He knew he wanted to conduct the Lord's work but he had no idea what shape that service would take. He just knew he could no longer sit by and watch other people stand up for what was right where doing the same would violate the vows he had taken. A choice had to be made and he had done so but Josiah was still uncertain whether or not it was the correct decision.
"I could use some help with an answer Lord," he looked up into the cloudless sky, trying to see past the cumulus into the stars he was certain were a conduit to the almighty. "I have never been good drifting on my own and I need some kind of sign that I'm not making a mistake."
Unfortunately, only silence followed his divine entreaty.
"I guess that means you expect me to handle this myself." He frowned, disliking that notion considerably.
"Josiah, he never answers you the way you expect him too." A voice broke through the hiss of rain.
Josiah swung around and saw a boy, no more than seventeen years old, staring at him with familiarity, even though the wet on his face was not just from the rain. In his arms, he was carrying a girl and the manner in which her arms dangled as he held her, immediately told Josiah that her state of health was not exactly the best.
"Please Josiah," the boy pleaded as he took a step forward into the campsite. "I need help. She's hurt, my Becky's hurt."
The sorrow in that youthful voice was enough to pull Josiah from his warm and comfortable position and send him hurrying to the young man. He did not need to ask if they were runaway slaves for in the south that was all a black man could be if he was not in the presence of a white man. Josiah did not know how the boy knew his name but he had asked God for a sign and this was as good as any. The young man dropped to his knees in front of the warm glow of the fire and as he laid her down on the ground, could Josiah see the terrible dark stain on her side. The wound had been bandaged with some amount of skill but not enough.
"I tried doing what I can for her," Nathan stammered, trying to keep the tears from coming but knowing from experience that he could do nothing more for. "But she's lost too much blood."
He had tried desperately to tend the injury she had received but with their being on the run from the master, there was no hope of getting the kind of supplies he would need to help her. Rebecca for her part had tried to say focused but Nathan could see it was a battle she could not win. With each passing day, she grew weaker and the gaps where she needed to rest began more extended.
"You did the best you could son," Josiah placed a comforting hand on the youth's shoulder, trying to ease the pain of his sorrow even though he knew that nothing he said could change what would soon happen. "It's in the Lord's hands."
"The Lord can go to hell!" Nathan swore with uncharacteristic fury because the unfairness of it all was beyond his ability to stomach. How could he be sent back in time to this place and still fail to save his sister? "Where was the Lord when we were in the plantation? Where was the Lord when they were working us to death?"
Josiah could not answer, nor was he going to patronize the boy with platitudes about God's will and how there was some grand design that they were not privy to. He had seen the plantations himself and even Josiah wanted to know what possible good could there be in placing an entire race under the yoke of nearly barbaric servitude. "I can't rightly tell you, son," Josiah said honestly. "I can only tell you that you did your best and sometimes that ain't enough."
Nathan brushed his cheek against Rebecca's cold skin and knew that although she still breathed, the sands of her life were running out fast. She reacted to the warmth of his skin and she looked up at him, her eyes cloudy and not quite able to focus. "Did we make it Nathan? Did we find Josiah?" She asked, her lips barely moving as her voice escaped her.
"Yes," he swallowed, trying to sound brave but not quite managing it as the tears came harder. "We found him. He's here and he's going to get us north."
"We're free then," she almost smiled, her eyes lighting up just for an instant. "I told you we would be." She closed her eyes as if the effort was too much for her.
"You did," Nathan nodded, unable to prevent the sob that escaped him. "You were always right about that."
"Of course," she said finally, her voice starting to drift. "I'm smarter than you."
She disappeared before him at that moment, slipping into the shadows of life as the spark inside of her breathed its last and her hand went limp in his. Nathan closed his eyes, knowing the precise moment when the light of her existence was finally extinguished, almost as if he could feel a part of himself go with her.
He knew that he should not feel the grief he did because he had lost her before but this time it felt worse somehow because life had been within reach and still it had been taken away at the last moment. Maybe this was a lesson about the immutability of Fate and some other cosmic factors he could not even begin to fathom. All Nathan Jackson knew at this moment was the one question he had wanted answering all his life was finally delivered to him and he now wished to God that it had not.
Some things were better left unknown.
*********
INEZ
"Court me?" Inez stared at him in perfect astonishment.
Of all the things he could have said to her, that was the one statement that could leave her perfectly tongue-tied without a word in response. It was only today that she had managed to see Raphael as something more than Don Paulo's hired gun, she had no idea that he had seen her as much more than just another servant in the Don's enormous mansion. While apart of her was flattered that such a man would take interest in her and knew immediately that her sister Calla would be fuming with jealously since Calla like the rest of the village deemed Raphael as quite the catch, the rest of her was just flabbergasted.
"Is that so strange?" He asked, uncertain of how he should take her surprised reply.
"Yes," she found herself admitting. "We've hardly spoken two words to each other in all the time that we've lived in this village."
Raphael could not disagree and had to admit that was partly his fault. He did not have the kind of manner that was approachable even though he had been aware of Inez for quite some time now. Fear had kept him away because the depth of his feelings for her was no passing affection but a something that could grow into a deep abiding love that could be paralyzing. "By courting you, we will change that." He countered.
"Raphael," Inez struggled to put across what she felt. He was a good and honourable man and she ought to be a fool for refusing him but she was not the person he imagined her to be. Through some quirk of fate, the last two years of her life had been erased but not the memories of the people she had met and the relationships that had been formed. Buck Wilmington was an irresponsible, half-witted child with no more sense than a jackrabbit on heat and God help her for saying this, Inez loved him. She did not know why she loved him and rather hated that she did but it as the unfortunate truth.
"Raphael, I don't know how I feel." Inez finally managed to say; hoping that sounded even partially sincere. She knew that it was no easy thing for him to reach out like this. This was not a man who was accustomed to exposing his feelings and she truly did not want to hurt him by an outright refusal, even though in the long run she would have to make that rejection eventually.
"I ask for only the chance to allow you to learn who I am. I am in no rush and we appear to have the time." He said earnestly.
If only he knew! Inez had every intention of leaving the village in the next day or so in order to return to Four Corners, there would be no time for her to gain the familiarity with him he would like. In truth, Inez had no wish to lead him on when she knew in her heart she could never feel anything for him, yet Inez had no idea how to tell him this. She had meant to depart in secret, not even letting her mother Paloma know her intentions. No doubt, her mother and Calla combined would have a dozen reasons why she ought to stay and Inez had no way of telling them the truth at the reasons why she could not.
"I suppose." Inez smiled faintly angered that she could have allowed herself to stumble into this situation. "Allow me to think about this." She said finally, not knowing what other answers would suffice at the moment and hope he understood when she disappeared from the village the next day.
After this, she had no choice but to leave.
*********
JOSIAH
The room reeked of musty herbs and old books.
In the darkened recess of what passed for Morag Bellingham's cellar, Josiah found himself surrounded by volumes of a book so old, written in languages that were ancient even when Latin was first scribed by the Romans. He examined their leather-bound spines with fascination wondering what secret knowledge was contained in its pages of parchment and paper and whether or not the answer to his dilemma was similarly locked within them. As his eyes scoured over the ancient texts, attempting to decipher the origins of the strange writings before him, Josiah found that most of them were beyond his understanding. Even Audrey, who confessed to being somewhat scholarly, could make little head or tail of what was before her.
Meanwhile, Morag was conducting examinations of her own, studying the book that had been the cause of so much discourse. From Josiah's description, she was able to discern what had happened to him and in that sense, had some clue to seeking out the particular enchantment that had turned his existence upside down.
Although Josiah was somewhat sceptical about just what the old woman was able to do, he could not deny that he was experiencing some extraordinary things which only lend proof to the fact that not everything in the world was as explainable as he might like to believe. The very fact that he was here proved that somehow, the world of mists as she called it did exist. It had existed enough to shape his entire existence into something it was not.
"I have always tried to be a nurturing educator to Lily," Audrey grimaced as they waited for Morag to give them some news. "I never wanted to say no to her about what she wanted to learn. When she found the book, I thought it was just a collection of old wives tales, how much harm could she do?"
"Well most of the time, it would be harmless," Josiah said trying to sympathize with her. "You just had the bad luck to let her get her hands on the genuine product."
"Now I'm raising a witch." Audrey groaned, proving that Josiah's words of comfort were having very little effect upon her. "A hundred and fifty years ago, she would have been burned at the stake and me with her for allowing to practice. Frank was so much better at putting his foot down with her." She said starting to become more disconsolate. "Now he's gone and I'm letting her run wild! How can I teach a school full of children if I can't even be responsible for my own daughter?"
Josiah was about to say something to make her feel better because he could see just how upset she was about Lilith's activities when suddenly, Morag spoke up.
"Here it is." The woman exclaimed. She had been at her old walnut desk, studying the book closely, trying to sift through all the invocations, incantations and spells that were contained in its yellowed pages trying to find the one used by Lilith. "It's called the Spell of Desire."
"The spell of desire?" Josiah and Audrey left the small library and joined her at the table.
"Yes, it is meant to grant a person their fondest wish," Morag explained. "It can grant any wish the heart desires like physical objects, the return of loved ones, even the shape our lives takes. It is a spell of great complexity, usually cast as a gift of love."
"That would make sense," Josiah had to agree even if it all seemed a little surreal. "Billy thought he was doing something good for all of us."
"He's a child," Audrey agreed. "Children probably think our wishes are like theirs, simple and straightforward. Adult wishes and dreams are more complex because of all the experiences of age."
"He thought he was doing the right thing," Josiah sighed. "Except he did the exact opposite." The preacher let out a deep breath, not feeling better even though he now knew the how and why of the matter.
"So what can we do to change it?" Josiah looked at Morag, praying she had an answer.
The old woman leaned back into her chair and took a deep breath, considering the question before her. "As I told you before, I can only open the door but you must walk through it. You are enchanted Josiah Sanchez, it reeks off you like the smell of death. I can use that to find the place where you began but you must go through and find Lilith. She invoked the spell, only she is able to unbind it. To cast the original enchantment, she required objects of yours and your friends. The objects must be sanctified and the casting upon them removed. Only then, will what you knew as real will return to what is."
"I'll do what I have to," he said without hesitation. "I don't have any other choice."
Upon agreeing to undertake the quest set before him, Morag wasted no time in beginning her preparations. Although she said nothing to prove otherwise, Josiah could sense the fear in Audrey. He could not blame her really for he felt the same chill himself over all the talk of spells and enchantment. As someone who believed in God and everything else that went with it, what Morag practised was nothing less than paganism but there was nothing in the Bible that could explain what had happened to him and Josiah knew he was not mad. His world had changed and he was certain that God had no part in this.
When Morag was finally ready, she beckoned the duo to step into the circle that was painted into the floor. Josiah and Audrey stepped within the painted boundaries as Morag began a highly elaborate ritual where she chanted and spoke ancient words with an odd-looking object that Josiah did not recognize but could not deny the atmosphere of enchantment they brought to the occasion. Thick, long candles that gave off a sweet scent as they burned in the darkness illuminated the room. Josiah tried to place the aroma but could not describe it; aware only that it filtered through his nostrils and made him breathed it in deeper. There was almost an intoxicating flavour to it and when Josiah breathed it in a few more times; he started to feel a little lightheaded.
He turned to Audrey, wondering if that overpowering scent had effected her and notice there was a thin layer of mist on the floor. It resembled the fog in his mind as Morag chanted her strange words, her gnarled hands holding his as she spoke and Josiah wondered what she was saying but the question had difficulty leaving his mouth. Eventually, he forgot it all together as the mist grew thicker underfoot and the chanting more feverish.
"Josiah," Audrey whispered. "What's happening?"
Josiah wanted to answer but he could not. His eyes were playing tricks on him he was sure because the room was starting to spin. His head throbbed with a mild headache as the walls began to move around him, slowly at first for he was able to count the number of times Morag past by him. However, it soon increased speed the louder the words she was speaking became in his ears. As the room spun with such intensity that everything was soon a blur of colour and sound, he found he could not tell where he began and where the room ended. Even Morag's words began to fade until suddenly, he saw something flash with almost white light.
In the few seconds of intense brightness, it seemed to Josiah for a brief moment, that the walls had suddenly disappeared. When the flash appeared again, the preacher was certain he caught sight of a flash of colour that might have been sky. Josiah blinked but the spinning was making him increasingly disorientated and he knew not what he was seeing was merely an illusion or some hallucination caused by the sickly sweet smell of the candles.
The interval between flashes became more and more frequent until finally, the walls dissolved altogether and Josiah found that he was able to recognize where he was. Once that realization was made, once he knew where he was meant to be, the spinning began to slow and the haze over his mind lifted, with clarity returning to him with only a slight headache left in its wake. Josiah dropped to his knees, feeling not wooden floorboards when he felt but the grainy substance of gravel under him. It took a few seconds for him to take regain his equilibrium but Audrey's voice bursting into his consciousness tore him back form the cloud of uncertainty with much more speed.
"Josiah!" She cried out and immediately forced him to look for her.
She was standing exactly the gap of space, as she had been when they had embarked upon this ritual, except they were no longer within Morag Bellingham's cellar. Josiah looked around at his surroundings and knew exactly where he was.
"Where are we?" Audrey asked, unafraid to show her fear. She was looking about her with a mixture of fright and fascination, Josiah could not tell which had more supremacy.
"Four Corners," Josiah said as he found himself standing in front of the boarded-up shop front that should have belonged to the Clarion News. Lengths of wood covered the door to the building and the neatly painted sign on the glass was worn and chipping. Even the glass itself was covered in dirt, giving all the indications that the Clarion News had not been in business for some time.
The town itself was nothing like what Josiah remembered. It was not the prosperous little town that was booming with the imminent arrival of the railroad, far from it in fact. Tumbleweeds were being pursued by dusty winds across the quiet streets. People were about but their manner seemed to be cautious and wary. This scene was familiar and as Josiah started walking up the street, he could not shake this feeling of deja vu.
"I moved to a town like this?" Audrey asked unimpressed as she saw the grim atmosphere that was as prevailing as the dust storms tearing through the main street.
"It did not look like this." Josiah retorted. "That there," he pointed to the Clarion News. "Was open the last time I remembered. I haven't seen this place so dead since. ."
And then it came to him.
Audrey saw the answer in his face and quickly demanded. "Since?"
"Since before Chris got here." Josiah mused.
"Chris?" Audrey did not recognize the name. Why should she? Where she had been, she had never come to Four Corners and thus she would have no reason to know the name, Chris Larabee.
"When Billy gave everyone his wish," Josiah continued speaking as if hearing himself say it would make it any easier to understand. "He changed how things were here. Chris Larabee lost his wife and child, he would have wanted to have them back. If he had them back, then his gunslinging days would be behind him and there would be no reason to come to Four Corners and he wouldn't have met Vin and the rest of us."
"One man changed this entire town?" She looked at this community that resembled a ghost time.
"He was the right man," Josiah met her gaze. "He pulled us together, I don't know why. Some men have that power over others and Chris Larabee was like that. In this case, I don't think it's just him. One event can unravel everything. If I know my tracker, then Vin would have wanted that price off his head. He would have gone after Eli Joe and got him, not the body that Eli Joe tricked him with but the real man. There would be no price on his head, no reason to be looking for work in Four Corners, no reason to meet Chris. Nathan would have died because neither Chris and Vin were here to stop them from lynching him. J.D. would have had no reason to get off the stage and is probably alive somewhere else, same with Buck. Ezra would have kept going once he had cleaned out everyone in town. It all changes once the key players are out of the picture, do you see?"
Audrey understood but it was still very confusing.
"So how do we fix it then?" Audrey asked instead. "Where is my daughter in all this?"
A very good question, Josiah decided and tried to remember which house that Audrey King would reside in once she arrived in Four Corners. There were probably flaws in his reasoning that someone with better sense than he could poke a stick at but at the moment, he understood that when Billy had granted them their wishes, he had removed all of them from this reality and supplanted them in another. Everything they had ever done in this existence was gone. He had a feeling that at the centre of this vortex was Lily, who knew that she was responsible even if she had no idea what she had done by granting a friend a simple request.
"I think you bought that old Wainwright place," Josiah remarked as he started walking up the street to the house that would in his reality be occupied by Audrey and her daughter. Moving through Four Corners, sent a shiver up his spine because the place looked positively eerie. He had no idea how much their lives had impacted the town and what would have happened if they had never banded together to save the Seminole village. This did not at all look like the home he remembered but resembled one of those places where people were just waiting for things to die out before they could move out.
It did not take long to reach the house and to Josiah's relief, it was not boarded up. It had all the signs of being lived in but had that some grim lustre about it that was ailing the rest of the town. He glanced at Audrey and remarked. "This is it.".
"Well," Audrey looked it over and found that it was not so impossible that she would choose this quaint little home with its picket fence and a small garden as a place to raise her daughter, particularly if the town was in better shape than it presently appeared to be. "It's not so bad."
"Mary said you fixed it up real nice," Josiah commented as he went to the door, uncertain of what he would find when he knocked.
"Mary?" Audrey asked confused.
"Never mind," Josiah replied, deciding that such explanations could wait or might be redundant if Lily could fix what she had done to them all. Knocking on the door, he waited impatiently for an answer, hoping this was not a wild goose chase. Morag had been certain that Lily was here and if she was, could be the only one who could change everything back. No one answered the door but Josiah saw the slight part of curtains that almost went unnoticed had he not let his gaze wander.
Suddenly, the door swung open and a young girl stepped forward and ran straight into Audrey's arms.
"Momma, you're alive!" She gushed happily as she hugged Audrey. "I thought those men killed you!"
Audrey looked at Josiah helplessly, unaware of what the child was talking about but was certain that this little blond waif who looked so much like Frank was undoubtedly her daughter. Audrey knelt down to face the child whose face was covered in dirt, like she had not washed for a while and whose tears were clearly visible against her skin. "Lily, baby, what's happened to you?"
"You were dead Momma," she sobbed. "It was all my fault. You brought us here and I made Billy and everybody disappear! When those bad men came, there was no one to stop them and they killed you!"
"Lily, listen to me." Audrey said taking a firm hand of her daughter, absolutely convinced now that everything that had been said about her child was now correct. This was the proof she could not deny, the evidence that was irrefutable. "Josiah is here, look. You didn't make him go away."
Lily wiped her tears and looked around at Josiah with wide eyes. "You came back. When I made all the others disappear, no one remembered but me. They said Billy and his Momma had gone a long time ago before we came here and all of Billy's friends, Miss Pemberton too, they never came here at all."
It fit with what Josiah had already deduced. "I know Lilith," he met the girl's gaze, trying not to be unkind even though she had caused more grief than any child her age had business doing. "But you can bring them all back, including Billy."
"How?" She asked, looking at her mother as if Audrey's say-so alone would make it more true than anything Josiah could say.
"You took things from us to make the spell work didn't you?" He inquired."Yes," Lilith nodded tearfully. "Billy collected them so I could do the spell. All I wanted to do was make him happy. He wanted to get something really nice for everyone for Christmas and I told him I could help him get the best gift for Miss Pemberton."
Well that would be enough to convince Billy, Josiah sighed, perfectly aware of the young boy's feelings for Julia. What would have seemed like a harmless bit of magic what become something powerful and dark, he hoped that there was enough strength left in Lilith to return things to normal. "Do you still have them?"
"They're in my room," she said taking hold of Audrey's hand as she entered the house once again. Audrey felt her heart constrict in her chest as she entered the home and saw that it was immaculate inside, almost as if Lilith had tried to keep going for as long as she could without her mother. Knowing what her daughter endured made her cast a teary glance at Josiah who saw the same things when he followed them in.
The personal items that had allowed Lilith to cast her spell were kept in a small wooden box at the foot of the child's bed. As she opened up the chest and presented the cache to Josiah and Audrey, he sighted one of the books that he had lent Billy Travis, along with other objects that were familiar only because he knew them to belong to the rest of the seven.
"Lilith," Josiah said to the girl, knowing that she had been through an ordeal herself with the shift in reality because of what she had unknowingly done. "I know you were trying to help and no blames you for anything but you have to set things right again. What's happened not just to me but to Billy and the others has to be put right again. You're the only one who can do it."
"I'm scared." She whispered, casting a fearful glance at Audrey as she spoke. Fresh tears were running down her cheeks and Josiah honestly believed that her spell casting days would soon be left behind her following this experience.
"I know you are baby," Audrey took her daughter's hand and squeezed it with encouragement. "But you have to do this. You're our only hope."
"What if I make you and Josiah disappear again?" She cried out. "I don't want to be alone again."
"That won't happen," Josiah said trying to sound confident as possible, even though he was lying. He had no idea what would happen when Lilith attempted to undo the spell of desire. All he knew for certain was that it had to be tried because the consequences could not be any worse than what they already were. "You can do it Lilith, I believe you can and your mother believe it too."
"That's right, Lily," Audrey added her voice with Josiah's in support. "You're my special girl and you can do anything you set your mind to, baby. You prove that by what you've already done."
Lilith looked at her mother, her lips quivering as she contemplated what her mother had said. Josiah could see Audrey having more effect on her daughter than anything he had said and knew that if the girl could be swayed into cooperating, she would do so only for her mother.
Finally, after what seemed an eternity, Lilith answered. "Okay," she swallowed. "I'll do it again."
This time, there was no need to step into the circle.
On the floor of her bedroom, Josiah saw Lilith placing the belongings of his friends into the centre of the outline traced in a powder that smelled like brimstone but knew to be sulphur. He marvelled at how intricately she had observed the ritual and had to admit that even if it was a pagan rite she was indulging in, she approached it with a maturity that was far beyond her years. Even Audrey was somewhat surprised by the manner in which her ten year old carried out the requirements of the spell she was about to cast.
"What will happen if it works?" Audrey asked Lilith.
"I don't know," she said in a small voice, still overwhelmed by what she had wrought. Josiah was quite certain that Lilith's concept of magic and full-blown sorcery were worlds apart. She had believed that she was conjuring little tricks, not shapeshifting events to suit her desire. Like the discovery of all things new, she had underestimated it as so many had done in the ages before her. "I think everyone will just come back."
Josiah hoped it was that simple.
"I'm ready." Lilith announced quietly and both Josiah and Audrey fell very still as she stepped into the circle and sprinkled salt from container she had brought from the kitchen over all the personal effects she had used in the original spell.
"What's the salt for?" Josiah had to ask.
"Magic doesn't like salt." She answered meekly. "You have to be quiet now." She instructed. "I have to say the words."
Josiah did as he was told and went very quiet as Lilith closed her eyes and began her chant. The language she spoke was nothing that either Josiah or Audrey recognized. There were aspects of it that sounded like Latin but she recited it with inflections that did not seem common to that ancient language. Her soft child's voice was almost melodious to hear as she continued speaking the words from a race Josiah was certain was now extinct. She was no longer looking at the book opened in her hand and Josiah realized she was reciting the words from memory.
Suddenly the window shutters slammed shut as did all the doors. What light was shining through the glass was immediately shut out and the whole house became dark with shadows. Josiah did not jump but the sound had startled him as surely as it startled Audrey. Lilith was oblivious to it, she continued reading into the darkness until the sound of her voice drowned out the noises of everything else. The girl's blond hair was swaying in the air as if a gust of wind had come in from some unseen opening and was blowing its breeze at her alone. The words grew louder still until they bounced off the walls and fell like something tangible as they coiled around Josiah and Audrey in the room. There was no light in the room, no candle to taunt them with aromatic smells, just the silhouette of Lilith in the black, like her namesake in the Old Testament.
Lilith, wife of Adam who was cast out of Eden for having a mind of her own and went out into the world to create a race of monsters. What would this child do when she was finally going out into the world? Josiah shuddered to think. Through the cracks of the shutters, what little light sneaked into the darkness of the house suddenly disappeared and the warm sunshine out of the day outside soon evaporated into the chillness of night. Josiah had not seen the sun disappear behind the horizon but with a sixth sense he knew not he possessed, he was certain that it was no longer daylight outside. Lilith's words continued, reaching a crescendo of power in a voice that was not hers and belonged to something beyond their understanding. Even Audrey could see that her daughter was no longer speaking and something else that worked its will through her body was inside the room with them.
The doors and window shutters started rattling, shaking the house with their clattering sound as the forces that were capable of shaping reality like a sculptors clay worked its magic in the walls and beams of the house. Audrey was holding Josiah's hand, terrified by what was happening and resisting the urge to run to her daughter and spiriting her away from this madness. With the same abrupt action, the doors and shutters burst open and the clear beams of moonlight poured into the house as the final words were spoken and the unbinding began.
The gust of wind that had been circling Lilith swept across the entire room, blowing away anything that was not held down. Dolls, hairbrushes, sheets, pillows and even small pieces of furniture became airborne as the vortex whirled around them. Josiah and Audrey dropped to their feet, grabbing hold of the child's bed for it seemed the only thing that was too heavy to be borne away. In the eye of the storm, Lilith remained unaffected by the calamity taking place around her.
"What's happening?" Audrey shouted over the roar of the gale.
"I don't know!" Josiah replied and it was the truth. He was as much out of his depth as she was. Only Lilith seemed unfazed by what was happening and Josiah had a feeling that interrupting her at this point would be a mistake.
His gaze shifted to the personal effects in front of Lilith and observed that something was happening there as well. Every tiny grain of salt that the child had scattered upon it earlier had become illuminated like embers of red flame. The effect of the shimmering layer of colour was almost beautiful and Lilith's chant had become fever pitch the brighter the sparkle until its amber light was radiating against the child's skin. The glow expanded outwards, sending tendrils of crimson and amber to penetrate the vortex that was creating the chaos around them until it could expand no more.
In that final instant when vortex and radiating energy had finally merged, Josiah shielded his eyes as the conflagration that exploded outward from that union, spewed a wave of fire that drove all thought from his mind and plunged him into the cool depths of complete darkness.
*********
Cold.
Vin Tanner woke up thinking he felt cold. He opened his eyes and felt a shiver run down his spine because for a moment while he was lost in the dreamscape, he dreamed that he was dead. He remembered vague images of Eli Joe, of walking away from Jess Kincaid but the rest of it was obscure and then was only one moment of clarity, which sliced away all other recollections. The sound of a gunshot and the overwhelming iciness he felt in his bones he knew was not a result of the winter outside.
The only warmth he could feel was Alex's arm draped over his chest. He tried to move her arm away gently as he sat up but she was already starting to awake and Vin felt slightly dismayed that he had awakened her. For a moment, he felt like he was still asleep as his eyes moved across the room and he realized that he was in Alex's room in her house, exactly where he was supposed to be. Not somewhere out there, chasing ghosts with the grand notions of what might be, instead of what was ahead.
"You okay cowboy?" He heard Alex asked once awareness had seeped into her waking mind.
"Yeah," Vin answered, rubbing his arm with his palm, trying to generate heat with the friction. Damn, why did he feel so cold? "Cold just woke me up, that's all." He explained, hoping it did not sound as weak an excuse as it felt.
"Lie back down," she urged, tugging his arm gently back into the warmth of their bed. "I'll warm you up."
Vin found himself smiling at the suggestive tone of her voice and slipped back into her arms. "What you got in mind Doc?" He whispered as he pressed his body against hers.
"Whatever you like," she answered holding him close and grateful that he was in her life.
"That sounds good to me." He had to admit.
"You know something, Vin," she said suddenly. "I think my father would have liked you."
"I don't know why," Vin responded. "I ain't nothing but a drifter."
Alex felt a wave of emotion overcome her then as she whispered quietly, "So was daddy."
*********
Julia woke up to the sound of someone opening her bedroom door.
It was not as if it was bad enough that waking up had told Julia that the events she had just experienced were nothing more than a rather extended vision in the dreamscape but now there appeared to be a prowler roaming around her house. Staggering out of bed, she slipped on a robe since it would be unwise to greet the man in her present state of undress and grabbed a bronzed ornament that sat on her bedside.
Edging stealthily to the door, she heard the footsteps coming to her bedroom and raised the ornament to the proper position to attack when her intruder. She saw his shadow cross the doorway and raised her arm to bring down the object when the figure passing through the doorway, suddenly announced himself.
"Julia."
"Ezra!" Julia exclaimed. "What are you doing here this time of night?"
"What are you doing behind the door with that?" He asked once she had emerged from her hiding place and they stared at each other.
"I almost took your head off!" She said letting out a sigh of relief that he had made some sound before she had brained him.
"You did give me a key." Ezra retorted with exasperation, holding it up for her to see.
"You don't normally come sneaking in here like this." She countered. "I thought you were a thief."
"Well, I had this strange urge to see you," Ezra said sarcastically. After waking up from the dream he had just experienced, the gambler felt the insatiable need to see the love of his life and ensure that she was still in the life he remembered, not some parody of it.
Julia put down the ornament and slipped into his embrace. "I'm glad you came. I had this really weird dream." She commented and debated a moment upon whether or not she should tell him about its content. "I dreamt that we were married."
"Is that a hint?" He looked at her with a smug smirk across his handsome features.
Julia rolled her eyes. "Don't flatter yourself."
"You are correct," Ezra agreed with a grin. "What on earth would I want with a wanton like you? I am a con man, after all, I could do better."
"In your dreams." She retorted as she parted her lips to kiss him. "In your dreams."
*********
The first thing that Buck Wilmington did when he woke up was to check under the covers and make sure he was not gelded.
Then he looked around and discovered that unlike his vivid dreams had made out; he was not defending some rather vital body parts in the hallway of his rooming house but in the bedroom of Judith Winton. The lady was oblivious to his midnight ruminations, which was just as well because he had no wish to explain to her what he had been dreaming of tonight. Unlike most of his dreams, which faded upon waking, this one remained firmly in his mind. Who would have thought that animal magnetism could be such a pain? At least everything was back to normal.
And Inez was not pregnant.
*********
Inez woke up in the middle of the night and felt nausea, irritable and unable to keep from throwing up. She endured these things quite happily because, for a brief moment, she understood what it was she had almost lost and knew she would not make the mistake of wishing it gone ever again. It would be hard, the next few months, she had no illusions about that, but she had friends who would help her and a man who would probably drive her insane when she told him and after what she had experienced in her dream, she had to tell him. When her stomach finally settled enough for her to resume her slumber, Inez slipped into the sheets with one satisfying thought regarding her peculiar dream.
Thank God, she was still pregnant.
*********
J.D. did not go back to sleep again.
He woke up from his nightmare so abruptly that sleep was driven out of his mind when he fell out of his bed. When he realized where he was, the young man was almost driven to tears of happiness, knowing that what he had seen while he was dreaming was just that, a dream, inspired by the discussion he, Josiah and Ezra had shared earlier on that evening. The relief escaped him like the hot gases of a volcano, almost overwhelming in their potency because what he had seen was too terrible to imagine.
The young man spent the rest of his night, scouring through his collection of dime-store novels, throwing out the ones having to do with gunslingers, pistoleers or anything that could ever inspire him to desire becoming the best gunfighter in the West. That dream was behind him now, not after he had seen what necessary to accomplish it. J.D. had been forced to look through a dark mirror and the reflection that stared back at him was one he could not stomach under any circumstances.
Knowing that he could be the best was enough. Being it was another thing entirely.
*********
Nathan sobbed quietly inside the darkness of his room, allowing himself to become lost in the sorrow of losing Rebecca again. He had dreamt about her for years after her death, trying to imagine what he could have done to change things, it was possible to change it at all. After tonight, he knew that Fate and God had decided hand in hand that it was Rebecca's time and no matter how Nathan might wish otherwise, he had to accept it.
He always wanted to know if he had been aware of Serfonteine's plans for Rebecca, could he have changed things and give her the chance for life. For years, that question had plagued him following his escape from Avalon. He lay awake at night replaying the day in his head, asking himself how it would have transpired if he had just known what was going to happen. After all those years of wondering, Nathan finally had his answer.
It would not have changed a damn thing.
Rebecca would still be dead and he would still have to go on without her. At least he was luckier than most people. He had friends, the love of a good woman and a future that would allow him to do the things that he loved. Even if she was not here, Nathan had to be content with knowing that Rebecca would have been pleased.
*********
He was back.
Josiah stumbled out of the room inside the church that had become his permanent address since he started his restoration work, with a great gasp of pleasure. Still clad in his longjohns, the preacher found himself smiling from ear to ear as stepped into his church and saw it to be the same one he had been pouring his blood and sweat into for the past two years. It did not look pristine or completed but appeared just as it did when he had gone to bed before the insanity of magic and reality-bending spells had him in its grip.
He knew what he had experienced was no dream. He knew it as surely as he knew the sun would peek over the horizon some hours for now. Josiah remembered clearly everything that had taken place and knew that Lilith's spell of unbinding had worked, that the young girl had set things right and returned every one to their rightful places. Did that also apply to Audrey, he wondered?
Audrey was from that fantasy world, would she not disappear with it once it was vanquished back into the mists? Josiah could not answer this question but he supposed going to the widow's house at this hour and pounding on her door to find out would not be the done thing either. If she did not remember what they had experienced together, Josiah did not mind either.
He was home and for right now, that everything else would take care of itself tomorrow.
*********
CHRISTMAS
As suspected, when Josiah finally met Audrey King at the Christmas party held at the Larabees, the woman looked at him with no idea who he was. He could not say that he was disappointed since he had guessed this possibility might exist which was one of the reasons, why he had not approached her in the days leading to the event. With Audrey knowing very few people in town other than Mary, Chris' new wife thought it would only be right to invite the woman to the small gathering she was having on Christmas Day. Besides, Lilith and Billy seemed to be spending a great deal of time together and Josiah suspected that the invitation was also made so that the boy would have company during the festivities when adults surrounded him.
While Audrey did not recognize him, Lilith was another story entirely. He had no idea how the spell worked so that reality was twisted back into place to return them to where they were but when Josiah appeared before the young girl, her eyes widened in recognition. Lilith remained silent in careful observations as he regarded Audrey, who looked exactly as he had beheld her in the dream world where he had been a preacher and they had walked through the mist between realities.
"Please to meet you, Mr Sanchez," Audrey replied graciously as Mary went off to deal with more guests once the introductions were made, confident that Josiah would be able to entertain Audrey while she was indisposed. Josiah had this strange suspicion that Mary might also be taking an opportunity to do a little matchmaking if the grimace on Chris's face was anything to go by before Mary dragged him off. Although the gathering was small, the house was filling up with the sounds of seven and their companions and the atmosphere was thick with the feeling of family, even to an outsider like Audrey.
"You're the one doing the fine work on the church, are you not?" She asked politely, oblivious to Lilith staring him down with wide eyes.
"Yes I am," Josiah answered, unable to feel very formal around her, particularly after what they went through together. "Please call me Josiah."
"Thank goodness," she said with a sigh. "I hate being called Mrs King, it makes me feel terribly old." Audrey joked, breaking into that familiar smile that he had grown accustomed to from their previous encounter, even if that encounter had been discarded once things had righted themselves.
"You certainly don't look it," Josiah complimented graciously before asking. "I am going to get myself some eggnog, would you like me to bring you some?" He inquired politely because he wanted a chance to speak to Lilith.
"If you don't mind," Audrey remarked appreciatively. Although Mary Larabee had been most gracious with this invitation, Audrey had not as yet felt comfortable wandering around the lady's home searching for things and while she knew about the seven men who protected the town, she had not come across Josiah before this. He was not what she expected, for a lawman or a former preacher. In fact, he looked more comfortable around books and libraries than he did with guns and pulpit. In any case, Audrey found herself warming to him for reasons she could not explain.
"Lilith," Josiah shifted his gaze to the girl, who appeared as if she wanted to speak to him but was held back by her mother's presence. "Why don't you come with me? I'm sure Billy is around here waiting to see you."
"Can I momma?" She glanced at Audrey, seeking permission to take her leave, as any well-mannered child was required to do.
"Of course darling," Audrey replied without hesitation, flashing a smile of encouragement at her daughter to accompany her consent. "I am certain Josiah won't allow me to languish on my own for too long." She met his gaze with an expression of mischief and Josiah found himself reminded of that eccentric woman with whom he had taken a turn with to the creek in Cherrybrook.
"I would not dream of it Audrey," Josiah chuckled, somewhat pleased that he had not been mistaken about her easy-going manner or their instant liking for one another while he had been trapped in that world of fiction. "Come along Lilith," Josiah urged. "I don't plan on leaving your mother alone for too great a time."
As they left Audrey behind in the parlour and moved towards the kitchen, Josiah waited until they were sure not to be overheard before finally turned his attention to Lilith. "I take it you remember what happened?" He asked, trying not to sound reproachful but could not help keeping the stern tone from his voice, considering what havoc the child had wrought with her amateur dabbling in what was very serious magic.
"Yes Mr Sanchez," Lilith nodded slowly. "I woke up and everything was like it was before."
That was more or less what had happened to Josiah when he had woken up that night and found himself thrust back into the world he knew. What had taken place in that picture-perfect existence soon faded away like the final vestiges of the dream in the waking world. While all of it now took on the translucent feel of unreality, Josiah knew that it had been anything but that. He had spent three days in a place where everything he had ever wanted to be had come to fruition. It was ironic to realize that it had no more substance than the fiction of dreams and the life where nothing had gone as he had anticipated, was the life he could not do without.
"Its powerful stuff you played around with Lilith and I don't think you're ready to do it again, not for a long while." He continued staring at her with hard eyes.
"I was only trying to help Billy," she said defensively, her lips curling into a little girl pout. "He wanted to get Miss Pemberton something nice."
Lilith really had not intended on harming anyone when she performed the spell. As it was, Billy was under the impression that it did not work and decided that he would prefer to present Miss Pemberton with a nice box of chocolates that Mrs Potter helped him pick at her store. In the end, Billy had thought the chocolates were a better gift anyway. Boys could be so fickle, Lilith had decided after that.
"I know you did what you thought would help Billy," Josiah quickly spoke up, deciding not to be overly hard on her since nothing that had transpired was done out of malice. "But that book ain't for you to use until you're ready and I think you got a long way to go before you are. Do you understand what I'm saying?"
"You don't want me to use it any more, do you?" She asked the question with a soft and decidedly contrite voice, even though she knew his answer already.
"Not for a while yet." Josiah nodded, giving the girl a smile so she would not think that he was angry with her. In truth, she had opened his eyes somewhat with her spell. For the first time in too long, Josiah was no longer preoccupied with how his life had not gone according to plan, neither was he distressed at the lack of good he had accomplished when he walked away from the faith. Just seeing Four Corners the way it had been if not for the arrival of the seven had driven home to Josiah how much importance they held in the life of this community. The memory of that town, dying slowly with each day that passed because the life was draining out of it thanks to the stranglehold of lawlessness, had left a lasting impression on Josiah.
"I wasn't going to." Lilith confessed readily. She was only a child but even she knew that something very bad had occurred when she had cast her spell. The least of which was the loss of her mother. Lilith had enough sense to know that she never wanted a recurrence of those terrible days, knowing her mother was dead because of something she had done. "I don't want to do anything that can make Billy disappear or make momma die again." The culmination of regret and fear in her eyes revealed to Josiah without doubt, precisely how determined she was on this point.
Josiah was glad. He could do without having to worry about waking up one morning and finding that his entire world had changed due to further castings made by this little blond waif. Anything he was about to say was interrupted by a robust cry from Billy Travis as he came bounding down the stairs from the upper floor of the house.
"Lily!" The young boy called out as he approached them both dressed in his best clothes or what was normally referred to church clothes by anyone who dressed for the occasion.
"Go on," Josiah smiled as Lilith shifted her eyes towards Billy with the desire to join him but held back by good manners which dictated that she finish her conversation with Josiah. "Don't get into any trouble please?" He teased as he gave her a conspiratory wink.
"Sure Mr Sanchez," she beamed and Josiah suddenly had this sixth sense that he was going to be seeing a lot of more of this girl in the future, not simply because Josiah intended to cultivate a friendship with her mother.
"Oh," Lilith paused as she drew away from Josiah in her journey to meet Billy halfway down the hall. "I think momma likes you."
Predictably, she ran off before she could elaborate on that.
Josiah bristled slightly in annoyance, thinking it was just like a female to make that announcement and then run out of you. He wondered if the entire sex were given lessons for this particular trait. Still, he had decided that he liked Lilith even if she did have some very strange ideas. Unconsciously, Josiah made a secret vow to keep an eye on Lilith because she appeared to need it and the less Audrey did not know about Lilith's true potential as Morag Bellingham had announced, the better.
Audrey believed in nurturing her child and Josiah did not want to shatter that idealism by telling her about what he and Audrey had discovered during their journey through the mists. Apart of him would always see her as that woman he accompanied to the creek in Cherrybrook even though that meeting now never took place. Still, she was the same person who was waiting for him to bring her eggnog and Josiah decided he looked forward to getting to know Audrey King all over again.
*********
As the time for Christmas dinner approached, Chris Larabee could not imagine a time when so many people had surrounded him during this festive season. Last Christmas, he and the rest of the seven had spent it in the saloon, engaging in a friendly competition to see who could pass out first from overindulgence in Red Eye whisky. If he recalled correctly, J.D. had won that particular contest. It still felt strange to him to be surrounded by so many people, who were sober no less and knowing the warm environment in which they were revelling was his home and the woman playing host to it all was his wife. Chris had not spoken to anyone about his dreams and he knew secretly, he would never reveal its content to Mary, even if they both lived to be a hundred.
He knew it was only a dream and that was the only consolation he was able to find in the entire experience. Chris had spent most of his life suppressing the demons that made him what he was but not even he had suspected what those dark feelings inside of him were capable of turning him into when properly inspired.
There was no doubt in his mind that had he been present the night Sarah and Adam had died and been unable to save them, Fowler and Ella would be similarly disadvantaged. He kept a tight rein on the rage inside of him because he knew that when he crossed the line that unleashed it, there was no going back.
During those black days after their demise, Chris had been so close to slipping over the precipice into the dark abyss of his soul and knew that once he began that fall; it would be the end of him. Perhaps not in body, although he suspected it would come sooner or later he would have ended his life prematurely but certainly in the loss of his soul. Only one thing had prevented him from going over the edge even though it would cost him dearly and things would never be the same for either again.
He saw Buck talking to Ezra, Julia and J.D., keeping a safe distance from Inez who was in the company of Nathan and Rain who had arrived yesterday for the holidays. Nathan seemed very pleased to have the young woman in town and Chris could not blame him for that. The holidays always seemed to make separations from loved ones all the more acute. During his first Christmas alone after the fire, Chris had spent the entire time so drunk that it was three days after the event when he finally sobered up. Until his arrival in Four Corners, that was the only way Chris could handle occasions like that.
You're putting it off, Larabee.
Chris frowned as he heard that inner voice make itself heard inside his house. Ever since that nightmare had impressed itself upon his mind with such terrifying clarity, Chris had made the decision to do something he should have done a long time ago and could no longer put off, not after what he had seen in his dream. He broke away from Vin and Alex and made his way through the room before reaching Buck.
As usual, Buck was his charming self, although, for some strange reason, Chris noticed that his old friend was maintaining eye contact with Julia as if his life depended on it. To say Buck had a roving eye was an understatement, the man had one-yard stick for every woman he met and it was measured by three words S-E-X.
It took a long time for Buck to be able to see past the cut of a woman's figure to actually know the personality beneath; Inez and Mary fell into that category. Alex and Julia had yet to reach that level of familiarity for Buck and this was the first time Chris had ever seen him regard Julia without taking note of how attractive the woman was.
"I'm telling you, I'm gonna get to the bottom of this." Buck was telling Ezra. No doubt, he was outlining the next phase in his campaign to induce Inez to speak to him again, Chris decided. "She's gonna talk to me if it's the last thing I do."
"Mr Wilmington, the odds favour that it will be the last thing you do." Ezra retorted, proving once again that no situation was sacred from the lure of gambling.
"You didn't?" Julia rolled her eyes although she was unsurprised that he could stoop so low. God, she loved him.
"I better be getting some of that money," Buck teased knowing that his chances of prising cash from Ezra was as likely as his joining a monastery.
"Why certainly," Ezra said smugly. "Posthumously of course."
"You're all heart," Chris added. "At least we can use the cash for the funeral." He threw Buck a faint smile.
"Now you're insulting me," Buck said with mock hurt. "I'll have you know that filly will be mine before the night is done."
"And I'm sure it will be very nice." Julia could resist saying. Ezra and Chris had to bite down to keep themselves from sniggering as Buck's glared at her with narrowed eyes.
"That was cold." He muttered, hating to be reminded just how much he hated that word.
"But you were kind of asking for it," Chris added. "Come on big fella," he took Buck's arm. "I need a word with you."
Buck looked after Chris puzzled as they drew away from the main floor of the party and proceeded down the hallway before Chris stepped onto the porch outside. Although the air was heavy with winter chill, it was nonetheless a glorious night with all the stars in attendance across the sky. There was an almost Biblical beauty about it.
"What's up, Chris?" Buck asked once they were alone.
Chris said nothing for a moment, busying himself by lighting a cigarette as if he was stalling for him. Buck knew Chris long enough to know that usually meant he was gearing himself to reveal something important and for the life of him, Buck could not imagine what that might be. Buck also knew that it was never wise to push Chris further than he was willing to go in such instances for the gunslinger would instinctively withdraw into himself and Buck would never find out what was on his mind.
"I've been thinking about Sarah and Adam for the last few days." Chris finally broke the silence.
"It’s Christmas," Buck said shrugging his broad shoulders. "That's only natural. You've moved on with the rest of your life but these are the days when those old memories come back."
Chris met Buck's gaze and wondered how such wisdom could exist in mind so juvenile and completely lacking in responsibility at times. "I know," Chris agreed. "But that wasn't what I was thinking about." Taking a deep breath, he forced the words out even though they were hard to articulate in his throat. "I was thinking about the fire and afterwards."
Buck swallowed hard because he liked thinking about that as much as Chris did. Part of the reason he had forced himself to remain at Chris' side, refusing to let the man give up on himself in the wake of his loss was that Buck felt partly responsible for what had happened. If he had only let Chris come home that night instead of insisting that they stay the night, perhaps Sarah and Adam would still be alive.
"What about it?" He asked, wondering where Chris was going with this.
"I never got a chance to thank you, Buck, for staying with me. I can't have been too easy to be around after what happened and I want you to know I appreciate what you did." Chris met his gaze
Buck did not know what to say. It was one of the few times such a thing had ever happened to him. "Aw hell Chris," Buck managed to reply after a few seconds. "I was guilty as all hell. If I hadn't made you stay in Mexico. ."
"It might wound up worse than it already was." Chris cut him off before he could finish that sentence. "For a long time, I kept thinking that if I had gotten home maybe, it would have wound up different. Lately, I wonder if that's true. It would have been a hard ride to get back that night as it was and Fowler and his men were waiting for us to leave before he went after Sarah. They had their orders not to hurt me so they'd moved in fast."
Frankly, Buck was amazed to find Chris talking about this so freely. Normally Chris tended to seize up whenever the subject was brought up. He knew that the action was a reflex Chris had developed not to deal with his pain. However, things had changed lately for his friend, with a new wife and a son to care for. Buck almost started to feel the pang of guilt he had been carrying around himself diminish slightly.
"Maybe," Buck swallowed. "I guess we'll never know really."
"No, we won't." Chris agreed and continued. "I just want to say thank you, Buck. I could have gone either way after I lost my family. You kept me sane and you kept me from putting a bullet in my head. If it weren't for you, none of this," he glanced at the house and referred to everything inside of it. "None of this would have been possible for me. You've been a good friend, Buck, through everything."
"Why thank you, Chris," Buck replied quietly, uncertain how to take this show of gratitude. He knew it existed even though it was never spoken about openly but hearing it from the man's lips touched Buck deeper than anything had in a long time. It was the first time, since the fire, their friendship even remotely felt like it used to be.
Chris was about to say something else when suddenly the door opened and Inez made her appearance. "Am I interrupting?" She asked, having left the others in order to talk to Buck.
"We're done," Chris said first, even though his gaze was still locked with Buck's.
Inez suddenly had the impression that she had walked in on something exceedingly important and wished she had waited until after the party to speak to Buck. She had been watching him all night, trying to sum the courage to speak to him the baby before finally coming to the decision that she could not delay any longer.
"Yeah," Buck nodded in agreement. "I guess we are." He remarked before turning to Inez. "See Chris, I told you she couldn't stay away from me for too long." He grinned, reverting back to type for her benefit.
Chris met Inez's gaze and the same thought crossed their mind at the same time.
"He's all yours," Chris said shaking his head. "Such as it is."
"Which isn't much." Inez frowned.
"Dinners gonna be ready soon," Chris reminded as he started to leave. "I'll have just enough time to see Ezra about some money..." he grinned before disappearing through the door and leaving them alone.
"Well, this is a surprise," Buck said staring at her with folded arms, with a hint of smug satisfaction that she had finally broken the deadlock between them. "To what do I owe the pleasure?" He took a step forward and noticed her doing the same. This was turning out to be an evening of miracles all right.
"We need to talk." She said seriously. After that curious dream where her entire life in Four Corners had vanished, Inez had come to some firm decisions about her future. Decisions, which Buck had a right to know before she went any further.
"About what?" Buck asked, unwilling to make this any easier on her than he had to. After all, it was she who had brushed him off like something to be scrapped off her boot, not he. "Seems to me like you made yourself pretty clear these past two months."
"Buck, it's not that simple." Inez bristled, starting to get irritated by his manner. Did he have any idea what she had been through these past few weeks? "I am sorry that I hurt you but it's become a little more than just your feelings now."
"What do you mean?" Buck demanded. "Since when was it ever about my feelings? Inez, I know what I am and I ain't ashamed to admit that I love more women than I should but you know perfectly well that it has never been that way when it came to you. I loved you from the first moment I saw you and I was willing to play it your way cause I knew I wasn't exactly what you were looking for in a husband but what you did after that night was not right and you know it. I gave you my heart woman and you trampled all over it. I ain't prepared to do it again."
"Well, I don't want it!" Inez hissed, feeling hormones and ire bubbling into a mix that sent her temper spiralling out of control. "I am here to tell you because you have a right to know!"
"Know what?" He demanded, riding this wave of anger with her.
"I AM PREGNANT YOU IMBECILE!"
Buck stared at her blankly. "With a baby?"
"No with a ten-pound calf!" Inez snarled. "Of course with a baby!" She shouted in erupting fury, unable to believe the man could be so thick sometimes. With that statement behind her, Inez descended into a litany of rather colour Mexican expletives all aimed at him. "Why do I even bother?" She fumed as she spun on her heels and went through the door again. "It's like talking to a child!"
"But…but. ." Buck stammered as he hurried after her. God, his nightmare was coming true. All he needed was for Julia to start undressing and he would be set. Inez was already halfway down the hall when Buck entered the house again, refusing to let her walk away this time "Inez! Wait up! We gotta talk about this!"
"We don't have to talk about anything Senor Wilmington!" Inez roared, capturing the attention of just about everybody in the house as she passed by the dining room where everyone was assembling for Christmas dinner, with her outburst. "I have told you, that is enough! You don't need to know anything else!"
"Enough!" Buck exclaimed unable to comprehend how stubborn this woman could be. She had literally dropped dynamite in his lap and expected him to go away quietly and deal with it. "You tell me you're pregnant and as far as you're concerned is the end of it?"
"Buck!" Inez gushed in mortification for revealing to everyone such an intimate matter. The entire room fell silent from that revelation and all eyes turned to them, transfixed by the unfolding drama. Even Chris was wearing an expression of astonishment on his face as he regarded them both.
"We're just having a little discussion," Buck cleared his throat and faced his friends, trying to down play things as being not as bad as they looked. "Nothing to worry about." He swallowed visibly proving to them all that it was anything but that.
"Obviously," a smug voice entered the fray and Buck knew it just had to be Ezra. Buck glared at the gambler and turned back to Inez. "Darling if there's a child coming, then we ought to do the right thing."
Their conversation had the undivided attention of every person in the room as they watched this sudden development in the ongoing opera that was becoming Buck Wilmington and Inez Rosillios' relationship.
"Like what?" She stared at him in puzzlement; not at all liking what he was proposing and that would seem to be the appropriate word to describe it.
"Like getting married." He gushed exasperated as if there could be any question about it at all.
Her eyes widened at the notion before she said very firmly. "Nunca!"
"Nunca?" Buck groaned, perfectly aware of what that meant. "What the hell do you mean, Nunca!"
"I can translate for you if you like." Nathan offered with a smile before Rain elbowed him in the stomach and shot him a glare that forced the healer back into silent observation.
"NEVER!" Inez replied. "Even if you're the last man on this Earth!" She shouted and then disappeared out of sight with Buck following her closely, their voices trailing through the house, indicating this issue was going to be with everyone for quite some time.
"Well," Mary said following their departure, knowing anything she said at this point would be anti-climatic. "Who wants more punch?"
Suffice to say, the next year was going to be interesting.