Gifts of the Heart

A/N: This is also before Season 1 and takes place just a few months after the end of The Other Half

And thank you, all of you, who have encouraged me and stuck by me.

I don't own these characters; I just like to spend time with them. No other profit to be had.

KMKMKMKMKMKMKMKMKMKMKMKMKMKMKMKM

Kitty wrapped her cape tightly about her thin shoulders as she hurriedly made her way down the boardwalk to Mr. Jonas' store in the early morning light. The bitter winter wind was whipping her cape and dress unmercifully about her and she was afraid if she didn't make it into the store quickly, she might expose more of herself to the citizens of Dodge than she did normally.

Finally reaching the door, she was practically pushed inside by the blast of cold wind that tried to enter with her. After barely getting the door closed she turned to see Mr. Jonas looking up at her curiously. Seldom did she get up early, and on the few occasions she was roused out of bed before nine or ten o'clock, she never left the confines of the saloon.

"Good morning, Mr. Jonas." She put on her brightest smile.

"Morning, Miss Kitty." He nodded a little uncertainly. As a business owner, he accepted that not all of his customers would be what he, and others around town, thought of as 'proper', but still the inhabitants of the saloons usually saved their visits for much later in the day. "Can I… uh… help you?"

Kitty blushed slightly, not quite certain how to begin. She had come for a Christmas present for Matt. Only she didn't know what to get him. Although he had very little, he, by the same token, needed very little. And what he did need, he probably wouldn't tell her about.

And of course there was the matter of money. She had very little. Saloon girls didn't make a great deal and what little she did make was divided between her savings and trying to keep a roof over her head and food in her mouth. If Bill didn't have hard boiled eggs and pretzels on the bar most of the time, she knew, she'd most likely go without food many days. Add to that, gifts for Doc, Chester, Bill and of course Matt. She wasn't sure what she could afford.

"Well?" Jonas prompted when she didn't immediately respond.

"Uh, well, yes." Kitty finally answered. "I need… well… I…" Kitty Russell was not a woman easily intimidated or struck speechless but for some reason, Mr. Jonas was doing just that to her as he stood and stared at her over the little round spectacles perched at the end of his nose.

Finally swallowing hard, Kitty approached the counter, looking around as she did so to make sure no one else was about. She wasn't overly fond of the thought of any one overhearing her. Her relationship with Matt was new and exciting and the best thing that had ever happened to her, but it was also secret.

"I… uh, need a present for a friend of mine for Christmas." She said quietly, eyes continuously darting about the store.

"Oh." Jonas sounded a little disappointed. "Well, the ladies things are over there." He waved her off to the right.

Kitty glanced in that direction but remained rooted to the spot in front of the counter. "Umm…, no, Mr. Jonas. It's actually a male friend."

"Ohhh." Jonas exclaimed with a sly grin. "I see. Well, what exactly were you wanting to get for this 'male' friend?" He asked. He had an idea of course, he wasn't blind after all. He saw the way the young Marshal looked at her as he sometimes squired her about town. And he certainly hadn't missed the way she looked at him.

Kitty pensively bit her lip as she looked around and then back at Jonas. "I don't know." She confessed. "He… he doesn't exactly need too much, and well…"

Never the most astute of men, Jonas did occasionally have a flash of insight when it came to his customer's needs and it suddenly dawned on him what might be ailing the saloon girl in front of him. An acute case of being poor. Glancing about him, Jonas looked at the many items he had for sale trying to pick out something nice but not too expensive. Suddenly his eyes landed on his display of leather goods. "What about leather goods?" He asked leading her over to the display table. "I have some very nice things here."

Kitty looked at what was lying there on the table and her eye landed a knife sheath lying prominently in the center of the table. Made of hand embossed leather with a wide belt loop and a short fringe along the edge. If such things could be considered pretty, she thought that was probably the prettiest.

"Uhm, Mr. Jonas. What about that knife sheath you have there? How much is it?" She thought about the big buck knife that Matt had, a gift from a friend, he had told her. That bone handled knife would fit perfectly in there, she thought.

Jonas glanced at the two sheaths he had on display and picked up the cheapest and plainest of the two. It wasn't too impressive in looks but it was serviceable. "Uh, this would one dollar and twenty five cents. " He told her as he extended the belt towards her.

But Kitty shook her head. "Uh, no, Mr. Jonas. The other one." She pointed to the only other and most expensive of the two on the table.

Jonas laid the cheap one down that he had picked up in error and seized upon the other one holding it up to show her. "This is a nice piece, alright." He smiled. "But of course, it's a more than the other one." He started to hand it to her, but stopped. "It's a great deal more."

Kitty carefully hid her anxiety at that news behind a neutral expression and reached for the sheath. "That's fine, may I see it?"

With a shrug, Jonas handed it over to her.

Kitty was dazzled by it. It was brand new soft leather with embossing on its front. Kitty could just see Matt wearing it on the belt around his narrow hips. "I'll take it." She said, afraid to give it too much thought, praying she'd have the money to pay for it.

As Jonas led the way back over to his counter, she idly wondered if he'd trade the sheath for the promise of company for the night. Not hers of course, but she was sure she might get Lucy to do it. But as soon as she thought it, she dismissed it. Mr. Jonas was married, and although that might not bother Lucy, it would her. Besides, surely the sheath couldn't be that much.

A few minutes later, Kitty walked out of the store with the nicely wrapped package and a lump in her throat. The sheath had cost that much. She was now broke for the rest of the month, not to mention part of January and she still had nothing to give to Doc, Chester or Bill.

She could, of course, dip into her savings but she was loath to do that. That money was her only means of escaping her current circumstances, and she wasn't about to jeopardize that for anything. With a long sigh, she realized just how hard things were going to be for her for the next month.

Then she remembered her jewelry. It was mostly fake but she did have that one real gold necklace and more than once Lucy had remarked on how much she liked it. If she worked it just right, she might be able to sell it to her co-worker for enough to pay her rent and finish buying Christmas.

She'd probably still have nothing left for food but cradling the package close to her chest, she didn't care. Somehow she'd make it. Matt deserved the sheath and it would look so nice hanging on his hip with bone handled knife nestled into it. Smiling at that thought, she made her way back to the saloon, broke but happy.

TBC