TASCOSA: PART ONE

DISCLAIMER: All the characters from the "Magnificent Seven" T.V. series are property of Trilogy Entertainment, The Mirisch Group, MGM Worldwide. Please note that the character of Amanda in this story draws its inspiration from the short story written by SuLu of the same name.

TASCOSA

Prologue:

Amanda

She had been seventeen years old when she married him.

She had not much choice in the matter, really. Her father had passed away leaving her mother with three others mouths to feed. In his death, he left them virtually penniless and they had been faced with destitution if a solution was not found. For a time, she tried to find work, taking in sewing after she had given up any hope of an education, which was an expense her mother could not afford. School had become too much of a luxury and she was made increasingly aware of the burden she posed to her struggling family by wishing to remain. To some extent, her attempts to produce revenue after abandoning her education had been partially successful. She generated enough of an income to help her mother, but the struggle was soon taking a toll on her.

She did not know whether he had been aware of her circumstances when he first approached her, and later she would wonder whether or not he had chosen her because he knew she could not blithely refuse him or because he actually liked her. All she knew for certain was that in the beginning, she had not liked him very much upon sighting him for the first time. For starters, he that was to be her husband was much older than she, with almost a twenty years difference in age. He smelled strongly of tobacco and liquor, and her first instinct was to run and never stop running. However, in his proposal, he had promised to take care of her, that she would never want for anything and he would help her family. Wishing to share the burden of responsibility with someone whose shoulder was broader and more up to the task than she, she had accepted his offer of marriage.

They married early in the spring, the season that people often associate with hope. Certainly, when she married him, she had felt all those things and more. She resolved herself to the knowledge that though she did not love this man with the passion spoken of in the romance books she used to indulge herself with when Pa was still alive, she would be a good wife and learn to love him as time went by. After all, he had accepted her with the burden of her family following closely behind and promised that he would cherish them all as his own kin.

He had not lied about that when he had made that promise, but there was much that he had omitted to tell her about himself that might have had a bearing on her decision to marry him had she known about it. She learnt that he had spent much of his life chasing gold and had come away from a lifetime of dedication and dreaming with nothing more than a paltry sum that allowed him to buy a farm in the outskirts of town. Until her, his contact with the opposite sex had been limited to the working girls that frequented the gold rush towns, whom he had paid for. He expected the same from his wife and was disappointed when she was not so accommodating or as sure of herself in what he required from her in their marriage bed.

Her wedding night had been the stuff of nightmares.

After it was all said and done, she had lain broken and bleeding with wounds so deep that they did not leave marks on the skin but instead upon the soul. She had fled home, hoping that she would be offered solace and comfort from her ordeal. Begging sanctuary in the home which she had known all her life, she was soon made aware of the reality of her new situation. There was no room for her at home and the money provided by her husband for their expenditure was too valuable to refuse or to lose by offering shelter to his estranged wife. As she heard the words from her mother’s lips, a part of her felt betrayed and they had not spoken since that day, even though her mother had tried to make conciliatory gestures. She had gone home seeking compassion and discovered that it was far easier for her family to see her prostituted then to offer her the help she had so desperately needed.

She returned to her new home with nowhere else to go, aware in her desolation that she had willingly placed herself in a hell from which there was no escape. As she trudged back in broken silence, her mother’s voice resonated in her head as she made her way back to the farm house. It was not a wife’s place to question her husband, her mother had quoted before telling her to go home. With no choice left to her, she returned to the husband who had not been pleased at her departure and decided that a disciplining was required. The cycle of violence would become familiar to her for the rest of her marriage.

She bore it all stoically, weeping into her pillow after he was done with her, lamenting her fate even though she was not brave enough to escape it. Her tears always came in the dark, when she was certain he could not hear her because that was one dignity she would keep for herself. He in turn, showed little remorse, believing a wife was property, as livestock was something to be owned, except a wife had far more use as a beast of burden than cattle or sheep. After a time, it became almost second nature the life she led, until the pain and the abuse became so common place that she accepted it with almost no question.

Of course, the situation was not improved with the lack of children a decade after their marriage. She was not entirely certain that the fault lay with her, although it served his ego to have her believe that. In truth, she was pleased that offspring had not been forthcoming for she firmly believed that a man who would use his fists on his wife would have little restraint in doing so with children and she would allow no child of hers to suffer such abuse. He was a bitter man and he attributed the failures of his life to everyone else, never where it had always been, himself. He blamed her for their lack of children and although she could not be saddled with the guilt of his failed aspirations as a prospector, she could certainly bear the brunt of his anger and disillusionment.

Ten years after that first night, she had eased into a begrudging acceptance of her existence and was content that it could get no worse. Although he still blamed her for everything that went wrong in his life, his enmity had dwindled into a sour dislike that would on occasion surface when he was drunk or simply needed a reason to get mean. The beatings and the degradations were so much a part of her now that she merely accepted the punishment, then waited for the storm to pass before cleaning up the next day and moving on.

On occasion she had momentary flights of fancy where she dreamed she would escape him and disappear without a trace. To that effect she had even accumulated a stipend by saving up a tiny portion of the money she earned from taking in sewing. Still it was never quite enough to make good her departure but she felt comforted knowing it was there, even though it was likely that she would never make use of it.

The last year in the decade of their marriage, brought new troubles that had little to do with children or his failed dreams. This time, their problems became more tangible and steeped in reality. The farm upon which he made his livelihood had never been produced the kind of prosperity he had dreamed of finding for himself in a gold mine but as parcels of land went, it was quite capable of supporting both arable and pastoral farming to moderate success. Much of this had to do with the waterway that ran through the property and was much coveted by their neighbors who were required to deal with him before they could to irrigate their crops or water their animals.

It did not take him long to find that there was a way to cultivate a tidy profit from being the sole owner of this water way and very soon, those wishing to make use of it were required to pay for the privilege. Though most did not mind at first, with his increasing demands, resentment was soon fuelled, particularly from a rancher named Caleb Patterson. Patterson whose extensive spread was brought to a stranglehold by the wells drying up on his own property, was forced to rely on the plentiful waters of their farm to provide water for his livestock. He disliked the idea of buying permission and attempted to buy the place outright for quite a handsome amount.

Of course her husband liked the power he wielded over his friends and neighbors and refused most strenuously, almost with a measure of sadistic pleasure. His attitude infuriated Patterson who saw his entire livelihood on the brink of destruction because of one lone farmer. It was not long after that the attacks started to take place. Animals were killed, the well was poisoned, someone had burned down the barn and through all this, Patterson continued to press for the sale of the property.

She offered no opinion on the matter because ten years of marriage had taught her that her opinion was neither warranted nor required by her husband. She allowed him to continue his battles with Patterson, once again accepting things as being out of her control, remaining in the background as always. To him, her spirit was well and truly broken and that brought some measure of satisfaction, knowing that she was the one thing over which he had absolute control. He liked that feeling a great deal. With everything else slipping out of his sphere of influence, it gave him great pleasure to know that there was one realm in which he reigned supreme.

The harassment by Patterson continued for months until one night a stranger arrived on their doorstep. His horse had thrown a shoe and he needed a place for the night. At first, her husband had been cautious about allowing any stranger a roof for the night, particularly after what they had been subject to under the ministrations of Patterson’s attempts to get them to vacate their land. However, the stranger had offered to pay and did not sound as if he was native to these parts, assuaging whatever suspicions her husband had felt that he might have been Patterson’s agent. Once again, she had no opinion on the matter even though the stranger intrigued her somewhat with his steely gaze and his kind words during supper and the evening that followed. He seemed to be something of a drifter and she noticed that he carried a gun no matter what he did. He was armed even as he sat at the dinner table.

The next morning, he had bid her farewell as she made preparation to go to town to do run some errands. Although he was not an attractive man, she had found that he had his good qualities and wished him well on his journey, for he was to be gone by the time she returned. Before she had departed, he had remarked that he would see her again.

She sincerely hoped not.

She spent most of the day shopping for household items, taking some measure of enjoyment in the fleeting moment of being away from the oppressive thumb of her husband. She kept thinking how wonderful it would be when he was finally gone and she would be free to enjoy more than just a few hours of respite. The sun was beginning its descent into evening when she was finally ready to return home, when the town became alive with news of a bounty hunter that had come to town bringing with him the dead body of a notorious outlaw by the name of Ely Joe. While she had never heard of Ely Joe, she knew instantly that he was the stranger that they had given shelter the night before and immediately went to the jailhouse in order to inform the sheriff of this fact.

The moment she arrived at the jailhouse, she knew something was wrong. The bounty hunter named Vin Tanner had been taken into custody and Sheriff Ritter was hesitant to meet her gaze when she walked into the premises. Reluctantly, she was told that her husband had been murdered by Tanner who had attempted to claim the reward for Ely Joe’s head by substituting his body for that of the outlaw. Ritter was more than surprised when she asked to view the body and upon being allowed to do so, had confirmation that her husband Jesse Kincaid was really dead. She did not reveal that the clothes worn by him at the time of the death were the same as those worn by the stranger who visited the farm house the night before, nor did she make any mention that she even knew Ely Joe at all.

A number of days after Jesse’s death, Tanner had managed to escape his cell and disappeared for parts unknown. A posse had been sent in pursuit but she was to learn through the grapevine that the man had been an expert tracker and knew how to vanish without a trace. Although the warrant for the murder was outstanding, no one had attempted to claim it and finally Sheriff Ritter was forced to turn the matter over the purview of the Federal authorities.

For Amanda Kincaid, it mattered little whether or not Tanner was caught. The only thing that mattered to her was the fact that after ten years of marriage, she was finally free of his abuse and humiliation. She sold the farm promptly to Caleb Patterson, who was good enough to give her a generous price for the place. Buying herself a small house in town, Amanda began life a new, supporting herself by taking up dress making and trying to forget she had even been married to Jesse Kincaid.

She heard later on that Ely Joe had been killed in a small New Mexican town called Four Corners and felt some measure of sorrow at his passing, not knowing why because their encounter had been fleeting, even though they had left profound marks upon each other’s existence. Tanner was still at large and Ritter was determined not to let the tracker get away with his crime. As far as Sheriff Ritter was concerned, Tanner had killed an innocent man and should be made to see justice.

Only Amanda knew that Jesse was far from innocent but those were her secrets and she had many.

Part One

Domestic Bliss

Buck Wilmington never ceased to surprise Chris Larabee, particularly when the gunslinger was least expecting it. After so many years of their friendship, through some of the most difficulties any two friends had ever faced, his oldest friend managed to throw him off balance with some startling new aspect to his personality that Chris had not suspected prior this point. In truth, the last year had been an eye opening experience in regard to what Buck Wilmington was of, capable given the chance. Not only had the confirmed and longstanding bachelor abstained from the company of the fair sex to win his lady love, he was now married and playing the role of doting father to his new daughter, Elena Rose.

Chris had to admit to feeling some skepticism at Buck’s ability to be a family man, after all for as long as Chris had known him, Buck had been chasing tail with the fanaticism of a religious quest. Chris knew of no man who could find female company faster than Buck Wilmington, but to everyone’s surprise, Buck was determined to make it work and launched himself into the endeavor of marriage and fatherhood with earnest effort. He was still the same happy go lucky rogue that he had always been but now he seemed happier, if such a thing could be. Buck had always had strong sensibilities when it came to family, possibly because he had lacked one most of his life. Chris knew it had hit his old friend just as hard when he had lost Sarah and Adam and felt equally reinvigorated by the introduction of Mary and Billy into Chris’ life.

Today, with the opening of business for the horse ranching venture he, Vin and Buck had poured their time and effort into these past months, Chris had another reason to be pleasantly surprised. Neither Chris nor Vin was sociable creatures. People tended to annoy Chris and he liked having little to do with them, while Vin was painfully shy at the best of times. Being with Alex had drawn the younger man out a little but not much and in the running of a business, it was absolutely essential that at least one of them had people skills. Buck was always comfortable around people and he had a manner that was approachable as well as extremely likeable.

As the first customers began showing up from across the region to inspect this latest enterprise coming to life in their midst, Chris and Vin had found themselves withdrawing into the background to let Buck contend with these new arrivals. They had a number of good horses ready for the selling and both Chris and Vin preferred the more physical work of breaking the animals rather than the buying and selling process that came when it was all said and done. While Buck was equally skilled as they were in this, Buck was a better salesman and when combined with Ezra, who could never stay out of it when there was any trading to be done, made quite a formidable pair when it came to driving the hard bargain.

People had drifted in from all over the region. Some came from Four Corners and Bitter Creek, while others rode in even farther from Sweet Water and Vesta City. Word had a way of getting around, especially when the horse ranch in question was owned by three of the seven men who guarded the town of Four Corners. Chris had a feeling that most of the buyers that turned up the first day were merely curious to see how they would fare as respectable horse ranchers rather than some genuine need to buy a horse. Nevertheless when the day finally came to an end, they had sold four horses and made themselves close to a thousand dollars, not a bad day’s work as far as Chris was concerned.

"Mr. Wilmington I am impressed," Ezra Standish commented when the day was done and they were all sitting around the front porch of Vin’s shack, enjoying a drink before they headed back to town. "I had no idea that your powers with the ladies could transfer so well to another gender. I do believe you had those people positively eating out of your hand."

Buck smiled faintly and remarked. "Well it’s what I do." Despite himself, the newly wed was somewhat surprised at how easily it all came back to him. It had been years since he and Chris had been horse ranching and so much of it had been lost in the hard living of the recent years.

"You did it well." Chris found himself commenting and raised his cup of coffee in the gesture of a toast.

"Yeah Buck," Vin agreed. "I’m glad it was you not me." Vin could not imagine anything worse than having to sell a product. He had enough trouble just talking to the people he knew, let alone having lengthy conversations with strangers about buying and selling. Although he had not voiced it to either Chris or Buck, Vin had dreaded that part of the enterprise. While he enjoyed working with the horses, Vin preferred to remain in the background where no one would notice him. It was not as if he was afraid of dealing with people, he liked his anonymity and considering that he was still a wanted man, it seemed a logical course of action. "I gotta stay low. You never know when someone might want to come looking for me."

"I seriously doubt anyone is still in mind to apprehend you Mr. Tanner," Ezra said confidently, leaning his chair on its legs up against the wall. "Other than that unfortunate incident with Ely Joe, the law has been more or less indifferent to the crime. After all, Texas is hardly the place where murders are rare."

"That don’t mean nothing." Chris retorted, unprepared to dismiss Vin’s situation so easily. "Just because they ain’t here don’t mean they forgotten you."

"Way to be optimistic Chris," Buck frowned, seeing the worry lines appear in Vin’s face at that remark. The young man tried hard not to show people that he was concerned about the price on his head at most times but the fact was, Vin had the same dreams and aspirations as they all did. He wanted to marry the woman he loved just like they had and build a future of himself and her None of which he could achieve for himself until he was no longer wanted for murder.

"It’s okay Buck," Vin shrugged, preferring honesty rather than veiled attempts to hide the truth. He tended to agree with Chris on this matter anyway, that the price on his head was not gone or forgotten. Eventually it would catch up to him and if he had the slightest idea how to deal with it he would have already done something about the situation. Unfortunately, the solution was far from over, and Vin knew that time would soon catch up with him. "Chris is just saying it like it is."

"Perhaps, we ought to make inquiries into the matter." Ezra suggested. "Surely, we could prevail upon Judge Travis to make some preliminary investigation into how Texas law intends to deal with Mr. Tanner’s unfortunate circumstances."

"The Judge is a territorial judge," Chris confessed agreeing with the gambler that some inquiries ought to be made though not in the method he had suggested. "He’s got no jurisdiction in Texas and I ain’t too eager to wake any sleeping dogs."

"Unfortunately, what is required here is a criminal trial lawyer." Ezra understood what Chris was getting at. By definition, murder was a state crime and thus any punitive outcome would be dispensed by the state, in this case Texas. It was beyond the reach of Judge Travis to aid Vin in any way because his influence only extended as far as the jurisdiction to which he was appointed.

"That ain’t gonna happen any time soon." Vin drawled, uncertain what the difference between a regular lawyer and criminal trial lawyer even was, let alone being able to acquire the services of one.

"Look," Buck said hating the mood to dampen with such gloomy talk. "We’re making money. We got off to a fine start today. All we got to do is wait a little while longer and we can get the kind of fancy lawyer that Ezra is talking about."

"Sounds like a plan." Chris muttered taking a sip of his coffee and wishing that they could do more than that. Although he remained silent, not wishing to dampen the mood with talk of doom and gloom, Chris was becoming increasingly mindful of Vin’s situation even if the younger man barely brought up the subject. The truth was, the longer it took for them to clear his name the more difficult it would be. Of course, all Vin had to do to get the lawyer that he needed quickly was to ask Alex. While Chris was uncertain as to the exact nature of the lady’s finances, he had the impression that she was very well off. Vin would never ask Alex for that kind of help though, even Chris was realistic enough to know that. The tracker was too proud and Chris was aware of how sensitive he was about the issue of Alex’s income.

Ezra feeling that a change of subject was definitely in order turned to Buck. "And how long will it take the fair Mrs. Wilmington to complete her maternity leave and return to work? Or does the darling Elena Rose still require her full time attention?"

An involuntary smile stole across Buck’s face at the mention of both his daughter and wife. "Not for awhile yet. She might come into the saloon in a few weeks when Rain starts babysitting for her."

"How is that little girl of yours Buck?" Vin inquired.

"Well she’s just fine." Buck grinned even wider, the happy emotions engendered by his idyllic domestic situation reflecting in his eyes as he spoke about his little girl. "Drove me and Inez crazy for the first few weeks, damn kid couldn’t stop crying. The late night feeding’s just about drove me to drink."

"Every three hours during the night," Chris replied, remembering with a little sadness how he and Sarah had experienced the same thing with Adam. It was becoming easier to think about his wife and child. Sometimes, it amazed him how he was able to cope with the knowledge that they were gone and no wish to be dead along side them as he once had. Mary and his friends had been largely responsible for this change of heart and he was glad that Buck could enjoy the experience of these early years as much as he had when Adam was a baby. He supposed in the end, every moment he had spent with Adam was all the more precious because of just how young his son had been when he was taken. "Best time that Sarah and I ever had was the first night Adam decided to sleep the whole night through."

"Only way we could do it and still get some sleep is take turns." Buck explained, recalling how the arrangement had allowed both Inez and Buck to get more than three hours sleep without being woken up. Buck was determined not to be one of those fathers that left everything in his wife’s hands. Just as he was eager to participate in the child’s life prior to its birth, Buck was equally determined to play an active role now that Elena was born. However, the late nights, the diaper changing and the crying was not enough to sour the pleasure he got when his little rose looked up at him from her crib and rewarded him with a smile of recognition.

"The customers are complaining and missing the delights of her culinary expertise in Mexican cuisine. While Miss Rain is quite adept in the kitchen, amazingly enough they do miss your wife’s brand of bar tendering."

"You’re just saying that cause you own the place now, Ezra." Vin pointed out.

"I cannot tell a lie," a satisfied smile crossed the gambler’s face at the knowledge that the Standish Tavern was back in his hands as it should have always been and not in his mother’s possession. Even though he was grateful that Julia Pemberton, his lover, had purchased the establishment from Maude to make a gift of it to him, Ezra still wanted to earn enough profit so that he could pay her for her investment. Once upon a time, it would have been unimaginable for him to front his own money when it was possible for someone else to do so, however, Ezra’s feeling for Julia would not allow him to take advantage of her. She had bought the place from Maude because she loved him and knew that it had hurt when Maude had humiliated him by buying the Tavern out from under him. He was going to pay Julia back every cent she paid for the place because he loved her too. "There is a great deal of satisfaction knowing that I am now Inez’s employer."

"I’ll bet." Chris gave him a look knowing perfectly well just how deep that sentiment ran. If there was one person who could see through Ezra’s facade without any difficulty whatsoever, it was Chris Larabee. Some might say that marriage had mellowed the man, but any who did were making a fatal mistake. The gunslinger may not be as sullen and bad tempered as he used to be but his wit was sharp, if not sharper because his judgment was no longer clouded or impaired by grief or anger.

"Don’t even think about giving her a hard time when she does get back to work Ezra." Buck warned good naturedly even though he could become deadly serious in a moment if he thought that Ezra was going to cause any distress to his wife.

"Now I take umbrage at that remark," Ezra retorted, seemingly crushed by the mere suggestion that he might behave in anything less than a gentlemanly manner. Inez was after all his friend far longer than she had been Buck’s wife. "I’ll have you know that I only want her back because she is an integral part of the business."

"And because you ain’t no good at running the place like she is." Vin ventured a guess.

"Exactly." Ezra let out a sigh. "The woman does know how to make that place run like clockwork." While Rain was more than adequate at seeing to it that the drinks were served and that the kitchen facilities were managed quite adequately during Inez’s absence, Ezra could not fill the role of manager that Inez had performed so superbly. If he wanted to maintain the profit margin he needed to pay Julia back for her purchase of the saloon for him, he needed Inez. Perhaps the offer of a partnership she had once suggested to him was not so outlandish in retrospect.

"Well she ain’t planning on coming to work for awhile yet." Buck offered, sympathetic to Ezra’s position but mindful that Inez was thoroughly enjoying her time with her daughter. "She’s too happy being a mom at the moment. Can’t say I mind it though. It’s good to have them both waiting for me when I get home at nights. Except tonight of course, she wanted to get out of the house a bit so she’s heading in town with the baby to do some visiting. She’ll probably drop in and say hi to Mary, Chris. You know how women are when they get together."

"That means I’m heading to the saloon." Chris remarked, deciding he had no intention of intruding on any heated gossip session the ladies might be having. "Want to join me?" He looked at the men around him.

"I probably will." Buck replied, not wishing to admit that he hated going to the homestead when neither Inez or the baby were there. He had never believed that he could miss the sounds of Elena cooing in her crib or that wonderful baby smell of milk and powder that lingered in her room. Then there was also Inez’s cooking, the warmth of her arms around him as she offered him greetings upon his arrival. Buck had never thought he could be so lost to anything so domestic.

"I suppose I can bestow upon you my company for the evening." Ezra replied, completing the triumvirate of agreement over their evening plans. Instinctively, they gazed upon the only one of them who had yet to voice his intention to make the threesome into a quartet.

"Sorry, I got plans." Vin declined to join them. "I promised Alex we’d go riding tonight."

"Riding huh?" Buck said skeptically, not believing it for a second, causing Vin to dip his hand into what was left of his coffee and flicking the drops on his fingertips at the new father.

"You got a mind like a gutter." Vin remarked with a frown, disliking the innuendo even if Buck was right. He seriously doubted that there would be any riding being indulged in tonight, horse back that is.

"Yeah but he’s right." Chris grinned, taking the rare opportunity to indulge the devil in him,

"Now gentlemen," Ezra spoke up coming to Vin’s defense. "Is that anyway to support out shy comrade here. After all, I am certain that Mr. Tanner has only the purest intentions for dear Doctor Styles, especially in this lone, deserted place where they will be the only two souls within hair breath’s of each other. I am certain that this is completely innocent." The gleam in his eyes indicated anything but that."

"Ezra," Vin rolled his eyes. "Don’t help me."

"Okay, enough." Chris spoke up putting an end to the gentle teasing when he saw Vin starting to become crimson with embarrassment. The tracker did not like speaking about his feelings for Alex even though they had been together for more than a year now and every one of the seven knew they were on intimate terms. "Leave the poor man alone. We’ve all been a little less than proper with our relationships."

"Agreed." Ezra had to concede that point. They all had the fortune of meeting women who were not at all conventional in their existence, who believed the affairs of the heart took precedence over the customs and traditions of polite society. Thankfully that meant giving their love to men most women of their caliber would hardly give the time of day. "To Doctor Styles," Ezra raised his cup. "A more generous woman there has never been."

It was a toast that Vin was happy to raise a cup to. "To Miss Julia, who seems to be the only one who can take you down a peg or two Ezra." The tracker eyed him with a glint of mischief in his eyes, determined to pay Ezra back for some of his earlier remarks, since Ezra and he were more or less in the same position when it came to their conduct with the women they loved.

"To Mary Travis Larabee," Buck grinned, following the flow taken by the toast. "The woman to whom we owe everything. Without her, we would still be a bunch of gunfighters and not much else."

Chris could not disagree to that and then raised his cup to complete the circle. "To Inez Rosillos Wilmington, who has finally made it safe for fathers in at least three counties to let their daughters out of the house now that she’s married Buck and made an honest man out of him." The gunslinger joked and elicited a series of chuckles from the other two men present who agreed with that statement most wholeheartedly.

"Very funny," Buck threw him a look of mock offence before they all clicked their cups and completed the toast.

Perhaps they were a little more settled because of the women in their lives, but considering what it had been prior to Four Corners, there was not a man present who could honestly say they regretted the turn of their fortunes or the women they shared it with.

**********

Mary Travis Larabee had a secret.

In truth, she had carried it with her for almost a month, feeling as if she would burst from the sheer anticipation of what she suspected, even though she not absolutely certain and knew she should be prior to becoming so excited about the possibility. After how it had transpired the last time she found herself in this position, Mary had been too afraid to imagine or hope that she might have another chance at what was so cruelly taken from her more than a year ago. Even though she rarely spoke about the anguish of that loss, Mary still carried it inside her and though she had learnt to live with the pain, she had not forgotten it.

The first time she had faced this, it had been a dilemma and justifiably so. She and Chris were new into their relationship and were just learning what it was like to be together after so many years being alone. Even though the tragedy that followed was not one she had wished for anything in the world, Mary could not deny that in the end, it might have been for the best. Rushing into things was not the way to start marriage or to bring a child into the world, which was what would have happened, if not for the intervention of fate and a mechanical monster from the future. She had lost their baby then and it stung still whenever she thought about what that child might have been.

Yet there was a part of her that accepted why it was not meant to be. Things had been too new between her and Chris and their discovery of each other could not stand up to the onslaught of such a weighty responsibility upon their fledgling relationship. Of course, this was hardly the case now. Things had changed as they usually did with the seasons that passed.

When she had first found out she was pregnant with Chris’ child more than year ago, Alexandra Styles was newly arrived in Four Corners and only just beginning her relationship with Ezra Standish. Julia Pemberton was not even in town at that point and Inez was still recovering from her brutal rape at the hands of Saul Willis and his men. Everything back then had been in a state of flux, with players still finding their places on the chessboard. Time had forged their friendship and camaraderie with chains of affection so thick that they were almost unbreakable and Mary found all the reservations that had dogged her before about Chris’ child had now evaporated into nothingness.

She had gone to Alex’s clinic this morning, full of anticipation over what she was certain to be a reality and yet hesitant in case she was mistaken and the growing life inside of her was nothing more than wishful thinking. Mary almost wanted to live with the illusion instead of the truth as she found herself inside Alex’s examination room. The doctor as always was silent and not forthcoming about her opinion until it was all said and done and Mary was almost ready to strangle her for not being more vocal. However, she knew that Alex was a complete professional when it came to these matters. Alex would not say anything that might engender false hope and so she had left Mary on pins and needles throughout the entire examination, limiting their conversation to polite chatter even though their relationship was a great deal more personal than that.

Finally when Mary was getting dressed, Alex disappeared into her office to carry out her final analysis while leaving the editor of the Clarion News so full of anticipation that Mary thought she might burst before ever hearing the news for herself. When Mary was finally clothed, she had emerged out of the sterile examination room and found Alex seated behind her desk, waiting patiently for her to appear.

"Okay tell me." Mary gushed, unable to stand it any more. "Am I pregnant?"

Alex said nothing as she scribbled in the note pad on her desk before looking up at Mary, with the faintest hint of a smile on her face. "Congratulations Mrs. Larabee, you are approximately five weeks into term." Alex said and was rewarded with the most dazzling smile of happiness that she had ever seen from the blond woman.

"I knew it!" Mary exclaimed jumping to her feet with almost euphoric joy. It was infectious to say the least and drew Alex out of from behind her desk long enough for both women to exchange a warm embrace.

"I just knew it!" Mary gushed once she had disengaged herself from Alex. "I’ve been keeping my fingers crossed all this week because I haven’t been feeling all that well and the only time I recall being off my food the way I’ve been is when I’ve been pregnant with Billy and there was that other time." Her exuberance dampened a little upon touching that subject and Alex offered her a look of empathy before Mary shook the sadness from her. This was too happy a day for her to be mired in the sorrows of things she could not change when there was so much to look forward to.

"How are you feeling?" Alex asked and not referring to her physical state of health. The mind was just an important as the body in a situation like this and her recollection of Mary’s last pregnancy and how it had ended made the question a very necessary one.

"I’m thrilled!" Mary found herself grinning from ear to ear. "Oh Alex," she tried to contain her emotions but it was terribly hard when she was so overjoyed. All she wanted to do was rejoice in the exhilaration at the life growing inside of her, of the baby that she and Chris had created. "I’ve wanted another chance at this for so long. I mean the last time, so many things went wrong."

"Yes," Alex nodded somberly, recalling those events well. "How many people can claim to having a mechanical monster travel through time to murder you?" Alex still had difficulty believing any of that had happened but it was no more difficult to believe that out in the New Mexican desert was a gateway that took human beings from planet to planet, like one would step through a door.

The world was full of mysteries.

"Not many," Mary remarked with a loud exhale before falling back into her chair as Alex leaned against the side of her desk. "Fortunately, this time things might progress with a little less insanity." Mary said hopefully.

"I doubt it," the doctor said with a faint smile. "Normal is not a word that seems to revolve around us or our men. Hell, I had a patient who gave birth in a prairie while exchanging her marriage vows during labor, how sane is that?"

"Don’t rain on my parade." Mary said with a mock frown. "I am extremely delighted that I am going to have a baby!" She giggled with almost schoolgirl delight and was soon reduced to girlish tittering.

"Okay, now you’re making me want to prescribe something for those mood swings." Alex teased as she chuckled, pleased to see Mary so delighted about this wonderful news. The last time she had told Mary she was pregnant, the woman had almost passed out from the shock of it. Alex supposed that if she were to find out that she was having Chris Larabee’s baby, her reaction would not be all that different.

"I can’t wait to tell Chris." Mary sighed, certain that he was going to be just as deliriously happy about her news as she was to hear it. Not to mention Billy, who had been complaining for as long as she and Chris had been married that it was time for another child to be in the house. He had been perfectly serious when he had sat at the breakfast table on morning not long after they had been married and announced very calmly that he wanted a brother or a sister. While Billy had claimed to have no particular preference, he did cite that the new child was going to have to be able to fish and go hunting, so Mary assume that she was either going to have a boy or Annie Oakley.

"Please," Alex looked at her and said with a completely straight face. "When you have the baby, I’ll donate a thousand dollars to its college fund if you just let me be there with a photographer when its time for Chris to change a diaper."

Mary rolled her eyes. "You have an utterly wicked sense of humor, Doctor Styles." The editor of the Clarion News said with a hint of mock reproach.

"I’m starting to feel like there’s a trend going with all these pregnancies," Alex sighed as she stood up from the table’s end and rounded her desk to return to her chair once again. "Between you and Inez, I think I should just give up general practice and just go into gynecology."

"Well I would prefer no one else to be attending physician." Mary said graciously, aware of how comforting Alex had been as a doctor to Inez during her pregnancy. While Mary had complete faith in Nathan, she felt a little intimidated, as Inez certainly had to be examined by a man for such a purely feminine condition. Having a lady doctor around, especially during times like this was extremely comforting. "Oh I just pity Chris for what I am going to put him through. Steven said he was almost tempted to run off and live with the Indians during those nine months. Apparently, I was quite the harridan."

"Can’t imagine that," Alex said sweetly. "You’re such a calm and passive personality."

"This from the woman who calls chocolate ice cream a medical prescription." Mary looked at her with a brow of accusation.

"Hey," Alex defended herself. "I didn’t hear you complaining. Besides, it was either that or sedate you. I don’t think I’ve ever seen you so ropable."

Alex was referring to one of the more spectacular arguments Mary and Chris had indulged in during their early days of marriage. Apparently Chris had a little difficult remembering he was married again and had been admirably doing his own laundry, which Mary would not have minded so much if she had not walked into her bedroom and found wet socks drying on her window sill for the entire town to see. The argument that followed from that simple faux pas had everyone running for cover until Alex and Julia had dragged Mary off to the Emporium and salved her rage with chocolate ice cream. When Mary took home a quart of the stuff later that evening, Alex had this feeling that it was not for her to eat by herself. The mental picture that drew in the doctor’s head suddenly made Alex wonder what Vin was doing tonight.

"Oh apparently I’m worse than that." Mary confessed with a genuine sympathy for Chris who had no idea what he was going to endure during the next few months. "Maybe you better give me something for Chris."

"Once again, chocolate ice cream comes to mind." Alex grinned mischievously and made Mary smile devilishly at the suggestion.

"Well," the blond said with a twinkle in her blue gray eyes. "I suppose it’s too late to worry about family planning at this point."

"You’re not kidding." Alex replied sarcastically. "So, does Chris have any idea, or like every other male in the universe, has he been simply walking around without a clue that you might be making him a father again?"

"He has no idea." Mary sighed, feeling something akin to reservation seeping into her bones now that the euphoria of knowing definitely that she was pregnant had passed. "I hope he is happy about it, I know that I am."

"Any reason why he might not be?" Alex asked seriously, all humor draining from her voice as she reverted to type as a doctor, listening to the troubles and concerns of her patient in order to help.

"Yes," Mary nodded, meeting her gaze. "After how he lost Adam and Sarah. Maybe he won’t be happy to go through raising a child again."

"Don’t sell him short," The doctor said quickly, earnest in her belief of Chris’ reaction in this matter. "Chris Larabee is a grim, brooding, arrogant, pain in the ass, but he’s a good man and he loves you more than anything in the world. You just have to see how he looks at you to know that. I think that there will always be a little fear inside of him. After losing a family the way he had, there is no way you can entirely expect him to escape that fear, even in the slightest degree. I do know for certain, however that you have made him happier than anyone has ever seen him and I don’t think that he could ever be disappointed in anything you do."

Alex’s words had a profound effect on Mary. The former widow was not certain for a few seconds if the tears filling her eyes were from the truth of the doctor’s claim about Chris, or just the symptom of the mood swings that would make themselves felt most prolifically over the new few months. In any case, warm tears streamed down her cheeks and Alex found herself going to Mary and embracing her once again.

"I’m sorry, I didn’t mean to make you cry." Alex apologized unable to stand seeing anyone in tears because it made her weepy too and that did nothing for her professional detachment as a physician.

"No," Mary shook her head and tried to make the doctor understand that her tears were not because of sorrow but because of happiness at the realization that Alex was right about how Chris felt about her. It was quite something to know that one was loved so deeply. "I’m just happy Alex." She swallowed. "I never thought I would have this again. After Steven died, I thought my days of having a family were over and now I not only have Chris and Billy but I have you and all the others as well."

"Oh those hormones are really kicking in aren’t they?" Alex remarked in her usual flippant manner, which Mary knew to be her way of coping with overt sentimentalism. It was not meant in malice or cynicism. It was just the way Alex dealt with her emotions when they became even too much for her precise control.

"Yes they are," Mary laughed wiping her eyes. "Well," she let out a deep breath as if she was about to go off and face the lions in the arena. "I have to get home and tell Chris the good news."

"Remember," Alex called out as Mary started to withdraw out of the room. "Thousand dollars for the first look at him changing a diaper."

Mary shook her head in disbelief and retorted. "You have no shame."

**********

The ranch was called the Lucky Seven.

The intruders moved stealthily in the darkness, closing in on their prey like a wolf pack hunting in the dead of night. They knew the terrain well, both in the twilight and in the day when they closed in on the prey who was still unknowing of their presence. They could hear the sounds of life that drew them like animals catching the scent of blood and preparing for the kill. By night, the ranch was silent and devoid of the hustle and bustle that had been its ilk during the day. The three intruders, varying in age and disposition moved silently forward, confident that there was no danger in the undertaking that would transpire tonight although they were perfectly prepared for a confrontation if it came to that.

Although open for business and had done brisk trade during the day, there was not much else built upon the land owned by Chris Larabee upon which his horse ranch was located. Aside from a house, which was no more than a shack really, there was little on the property that made for comfortable living. There were of course the necessary structures that were required when one was entering a trade revolving around horseflesh or any livestock for that matter. There was a large barn that was a new addition to the site, several holding pens and corrals for horses to be kept and for breaking purposes. Not to forget a large water tower that collected precious rainwater when it did decide to rain in this dry, temperate climate. Although there was a creek located on the property, it was always wise out here to take precautions, especially when it came to water.

The three shadows had left their horses far enough away to ensure that their arrival would remain unheard by the prey who was awaiting their ministrations. They could see evidence of the target’s presence by the horses that were hitched to the post in front of the house and the sounds of voices, one male and female being carried through the cool night air to their receptive ears. With a smile, the leader looked at his companions and signal that it was time to proceed with their plan.

Time for a little game of acquisition.

**********

Oh they were being bad and they knew it.

Above them, the moon gazed upon their late night tryst, offering no judgment as they delighted in the privacy of a moonlight swim in the self contained environment of the water tank located high above the ranch. It was well past nine o’clock, with Chris and Buck departed long ago for their respective homes. Now that the ranch was well and truly open for business, it became doubly important for one of them to remain at the premises when the sun went down. Since Vin Tanner had been residing at the shack that had been Chris Larabee’s home during his early days in Four Corners, it was more or less his responsibility to keep guard on the place. Tonight however, he had company as Alex had joined him for a little opening celebration of their own.

"If anyone find us in here," Alex whispered as her lips moved over Vin’s neck, as they stood up their shoulders in cool water, delicious against the skin especially on a warm summer night like this. "I am never going to forgive you."

"Ain’t no one here except us." He grinned, his head drooping back slightly as he enjoyed the feel of her lips against his wet skin, especially the contrasting sensation of her warm breath and the cool water inside the tank all at once. He felt himself hardening beneath the surface of the water at the feel of her body against his. The intense arousal prompted his palms to glide up the curve of her bare back.

"Besides who would be out at this hour of the night?" He said with a hint of school boy mischief in his cobalt colored blue eyes.

"I hope you’re right," she smiled, aware that he was very hard to resist when his eyes twinkled this way and parted her lips slightly just as he leaned over and took charge of her mouth. She closed her eyes dreamily, feeling his tongue probe past her teeth, exploring the warmth recess with that same sweet tenderness she had come to love and would surely die without. His hard muscled body pressing against her breast created a surge of passion within her and instinctively, one of her hands raked the dark length of his hair, luxuriating in the wet strands. Her other hand found that particular curvature of spine that was extra sensitive to touch and caressed it with slow circles of her finger tips, generating a swirling sensation that expressed its pleasure by the hardening cock pressing into her thigh.

"You make me crazy Doc," he whispered as he looked at her with heavy lids, shuddering with pleasure at the jolts of electricity she sent through his skin by how she was manipulating his body.

"Oh good," she giggled and removed her hand from his hair and it disappeared beneath the surface of the water to satisfy the hunger of the cock that was demanding attention by its insistent nudging against her belly. Her palm molded around the shaft and she ran her soft hand over the slippery skin to feel him disengage from her lips momentarily as the wave of ecstasy gripped him and he fought for control as his fingers dug into her skin.

"You’re evil." He grunted, closing his eyes as the pleasure of her ministrations tugged at him and reduced him to a heavy pant. Vin felt her increase the tempo of her smooth palm running along his throbbing shaft, carefully avoiding the head as she tortured him with perfect understanding after so long together, what it took to make him cry surrender from the sheer pleasure of her touch.

Vin could sense the familiar stirrings that brought him closer and closer to orgasm and knew that he wanted to be inside her when he finally crested. Forcing himself tortuously to ignore the swell of ecstasy delivered by her touch, he snapped back to coherence and pressed his lip against her once more, hot and demanding as he wrestled control away from her. She was taken back by his forcefulness and decided very quickly that she did not mind the shift. Alex liked Vin being in control and delighted in the sensation of his hands slipping under the curves of her buttocks to lift her up gently, aided by the buoyancy of the water. Pushing her back against the wood of the tank, Alex hardly noticed the obstruction as his mouth slid past her lips and began devouring her neck, alternating between gentle nips and the more insistent swirling of his tongue against the tender skin. The pleasure wrought from that beautiful mouth made her head swim and she was barely aware when his hand hooked her thigh around his waist and the hard tip of his cock began searching her folds for entry.

The water had made lubrication minimal but Alex could hardly care less when she felt him slide inside her. The friction of water generated its own pleasure and she felt every inch of him entering her with an awareness that had been absent before. It was not any better or any worse from their previous love making, just very different and the difference made the arousal all the more potent. His entry was not quick and smooth but the extended plunging of his throbbing cock deep inside her pulled a sound from her lips before she even knew it had escaped.

"Oh God, Vin!" Her nails dug into the wet skin of his back as he grabbed her other leg and slid it around his waist, the bounce of the water keeping her afloat and creating a steady rhythm of sensations that was beginning to overwhelm him too.

Vin heard her cry out but he was in no better condition than she, even if he was more restrained about his vocals. The ecstasy of making love to her was, as always, all encompassing, filling him with sensations he could feel starting from his fingertips and coalescing in his gut as his body climbed steadily toward apogee. His fingers dug into her rounded cheeks, holding her firm as he continued pushing into her, equally inflamed by the friction of water instead of juices. It was so new and so different that he could do nothing but become lost as he pumped harder into warm inner passage, biting down as the pleasure of her became a scalding heat that would have sizzled the water if allowed to become something real and tangible.

Lord, Lord, Lord. The word repeated his mind over and over again in his head as he continued thrusting harder and harder, starting to groan as he felt the barrier of flesh. She felt so damn good! The tight pressure of her contracting inner walls against him as he pushed past was driving the sense from his world as the pleasure created by that friction resonated throughout his body. She was cradling his head in her arms, pulling him against her breasts as he pounded harder into her, until he felt his cheek tingle at the gentle brush over the tip of a hardened rosebud nipple. Wanting to savor her taste, he opened his mouth instinctively and took one hard bud into his mouth.

"Vin!" She moaned as the insistent suckling of his mouth against her nipple forced her over the threshold and felt herself plunge headlong into a kaleidoscope of color. He felt her arch in his grasp, her body curving in taut ecstasy to allow him for a few seconds, ever further penetration until he felt himself hit a hard ridge of flesh that permitted him no deeper. The pleasure from the collision of his cock against that innermost barrier, coupled with the powerful contraction of muscles as her orgasm came over her, ripped any self restraint that still lingered inside him. He felt her crush him on all sides and the excruciating pleasure that was afforded him upon her release shattered his soul until he felt himself groaning out loud, feeling it torn from him like rage from the soul.

"God, Alex!" He moaned, unabashed and not caring for anything except this vision of ecstasy he could see before his eyes. He continued pumping until every drop of him was warming them both inside her. Their hot fluids created an erotic blend of heat that drew them closer to each other in an effort to evade the chill that came from water against the skin. Alex’s head dropped into his neck, breathing hard as she came down from the plateau he was descending himself. Vin felt her trembling in his arms and confessed to feeling the same shudder in the wake of their powerful expression of physical love. He felt her rubbing her cheek against the flesh as he slid his hands up her sides once he had set her down again and took a deep breath of her wet, perfume like hair.

They remained unspeaking for a few minutes as they held each other, recovering their senses inside their private playground. Alex gazed into the stars above, feeling extremely happy at how perfect her life was since she had found him and Four Corners. She wanted none of it to change and would be thoroughly content if things remained like this forever.

"I suppose we should be more careful about doing this," she purred in his ear. "Now that you are a respectable rancher and all." There was slight hint of teasing in her voice.

"Respectable?" He said perfectly happy to stay where he was in her arms. "I ain’t respectable and ain’t ever going to be until I get this damn price off my head."

"Oh I don’t know," she kissed showered his neck in gentle kisses. "I kind like having an elicit affair with a dangerous outlaw."

He laughed softly and drew back far enough to deliver her a lingering kiss before remarking. "You’re crazy Doc."

"You ought to know cowboy," she winked at him when suddenly her eye caught sight of something amiss and she became very serious as she met his gaze again. "Vin, where are our clothes?"

Vin immediately looked up, his eyes moving to the spot where they had draped their clothes over the edge of the water tank. Unfortunately, there was no signs of any kind of garment, except for his gun belt, which was probably the most useless apparel left at this time. "It was here!" He stated, knowing that it was impossible for clothes to have just vanished. Splashing across the length of the tank, Vin pulled himself out of the water over the edge far enough to see that the missing items had not fallen over the side to the ground either. As he peered into the night below, he suddenly heard sounds of muffled giggling.

"Goddamn it you bastards!" Vin called out certain that one of those voices belonged to Buck Wilmington and guessing that if it were pranks that the man was indulging in, then his co-conspirator was mostly likely JD Dunne and Ezra Standish. "Give us back our clothes!"

"I’m sorry Vin," Buck’s loud guffaw returned through the darkness and Vin knew exactly where the man was hiding in the trees below. "I can’t hear too well, can you come down here and say that?"

"I am gonna get you for this!" Vin cried out impotently, aware that he was going to have to emerge from the tank as he was because his friends were going to enjoy his discomfiture too much for them to mercifully give him back their garments.

"What was that Mr. Tanner?" Ezra returned with just enough lilt in his voice to convince Vin that all three were probably drunk as coots.

"What’s going on?" Alex demanded as she climbed up next to him, investigating the cause of all this shouting.

"We have a problem," Vin cleared his throat, uncertain how to tell her.

"No, no," she shook her head with a sarcastic smile. "You have a problem. They’re your friends and you’re going to look awful silly when you have to go down there and get my clothes."

"I ain’t going out there buck naked!" Vin fairly squealed. His idea of being undressed was not wearing his hat let alone, walking out in the open completely nude. Oh, he was going to make them pay. He did not know how but he was going to do it! "When I get my hands on you, I’m gonna kick all your asses from here to kingdom come!" Vin roared angrily.

"Just as long as we get to see yours first!" Buck sang out in response and further caused Vin to smolder where he stood poised at edge of the tank.

"No one out here at this time of night huh?" Alex looked at him, trying not to get angry because it was hardly his fault that his friends were a bunch of juvenile pranksters. "Good call cowboy." She replied.

"This ain’t my fault!" He said exasperated, trying to make her believe him while not becoming more enraged by the sound of laughter drifting up from below.

"Well one of us is going down there and I can tell you Vin Tanner, that it is NOT going to be me." She stared at him folding her arms and feeling decidedly vulnerable at this time. "I mean I could go if you like but I’m sure you’d rather those idiots down there to see your ass rather than mine."

Well, she got him there.

"I’m going to kill them." Vin grumbled as he took a deep breath and steeled himself inwardly for the embarrassment. "I am going to fucking kill them."

On that note, Alex remembered something even more disturbing that exposure at the lack of clothing. She leaned over the edge and barked at their tormentors. "Just how long have you morons been down there?"

"Long enough to know that you’re quite the stud Vin!" JD giggled and Alex knew the kid had to be blind stinking drunk to be so forward. Her cheeks flushed with embarrassment and she suddenly felt a headache coming on in the midst of a diabolic plan of vengeance forming inside her head. She discarded the plan to have them stripped naked, covered in honey and tied to an anthill because of the logistical problems and the location of so much honey.

"You have no shame!" She barked back at them, feeling the same ire that Vin was experiencing at the moment.

"At least give Alex back her clothes!" Vin snapped, horrified that their privacy had been breached and fuming that their passionate exchange a short time ago had been overhead. He renewed his vow to have them all die a terrible death when he caught up to them and then smoldered realizing that he would have to do it wearing nothing.

"Only if you come down and get it yourself." JD retorted.

"Don’t worry," Alex kissed him on the lips and then decided against doing that too much because on top of his having to wander out in the open without a stitch on, this was not the time for him to rise to the occasion. "We’ll get them back.." She glared into the darkness and frowned deeper hearing the chortles and drunken laughter of Buck, Ezra and JD.

"Damn straight, we will." He grumbled, preparing himself to leave the safety of the tank to make the humiliating trip to retrieve their clothes. "You hear that, I’m going to kill you guys when I get down there!" Vin shouted again, feeling some need to reinforce that threat because of his vulnerable and not to mention somewhat chilly perspective at the moment.

"You still got to come down here to get your clothes, Vin!" JD retorted and reaffirmed Vin’s desire to have them all skinned alive when he got to them.

"First things first," Alex replied, "Get our clothes and then, " she looked at him with a slow smile stealing across her face when she realized how their revenge was to be delivered. "Then I’m going to show those jerks what can be done with a little potassium nitrate."

He looked at her blankly. "A little what?" He asked not recognizing the substance of which she was speaking.

"Salt peter, my love." She met his gaze with a perfectly vengeful smile. "Salt peter."

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