Hi! I know I haven't been on in months, but this story idea came to me two days ago and I can't get it out of my mind Hope you like!

Disclaimer: I do not own the Young Riders.

Emma's Boys

Colorado, 1890

"Tell me a story, grandma."

Emma Shannon-Cain turned to her grand-daughter, the wind wisping through her now-greying hair. Beth's face was pleading, her legs crossed under her as she sat on the porch. "What kind of story do you want to hear?" the older woman asked.

Beth shrugged. "I don't know." Then, her face brightened. "What about when you worked at the old Pony Express station in Sweetwater? Could you tell me about that?"

Emma laughed. "I suppose so, though I've told you 'bout a hundred times already. You know I started work there after my first husband left."

Beth nodded.

"Teaspoon Hunter was the stationmaster then. A tougher, more rascally fool you'd never meet, but he had a heart of gold, and he really cared about the boys that worked for him." Emma's voice took on a faraway quality and her eyes strayed towards the horizon, almost as though she could see the old station house in the distance. "There were six of them then: Kid, Lou, Jimmy, Cody, Buck, and Ike."

Beth's eyes lit up with interest and she leaned forward, hanging on her grandmother's every word. Though she had heard lots of stories about the boys' exploits, she had a feeling this story was going to be different.

"Kid was the sweet one. Everyone called him 'Kid', 'cause we never found out his real name. He was true and honest and stuck to his beliefs, even when it got him into trouble. He was from Virginia, so he fought for the South during the war."

"Did he die?"

Emma laughed softly. "No. He came back and lives in Wyoming now with his wife and kids.

"Then there was Lou. Small, skinny, and more stubborn than a rusted nail. She had a little brother and sister that she looked after before she joined the Pony Express disguised as a boy. Kid was the first one to find out her secret, and somehow, the two of them got close. Wasn't always easy; they were as different as night and day, but in the end it worked out for them."

Emma sighed, an unusual softness in her voice as she continued. "Jimmy Hickok was the oldest of the group. Had a hair-trigger temper, but a truer heart you could never meet. Folks that knew about his gunslinger reputation only ever knew stories, not the real him. Don't think very many people saw the real him." Her words trailed off, but Beth could've sworn she saw tears in her grandmother's eyes.

As if pulling herself out of a well, Emma sighed and straightened. "You know 'bout Cody of course. Loud-mouthed and cocky and always, always hungry. His antics certainly gave us some good times, and now he's gone and made himself famous, just like he always said."

"Go on, Grandma," Beth urged, leaning forward. "Tell me about Buck and Ike."

Emma smiled. "Buck was half-Kiowa, you know that? He left his tribe when he was still young and spent some time in a mission school before coming to the station. He was a brilliant rider and tracker; kinda quiet and thoughtful, though he wasn't above throwing a good punch sometimes. He was the one who stayed at the station the longest, until after the war. He lives on a reservation now in Montana with his wife and their two kids.

"Oh, and then there was Ike. He and Buck were friends from when they were together at the mission school. Ike was an orphan; he couldn't talk and wore a bandana most of the time because he didn't have any hair. Buck taught him sign language so that he could 'talk' to us. He was gentle and kind and always protected people, even when it put him in danger. He died protecting someone, but I don't think anyone's ever forgotten him."

Emma sighed. "My boys..." A fierce light came into her eyes as she turned to Beth. "They may be gone now, some of them famous, and some of them dead, but they'll always be my boys."

Beth smiled, tears pricking her own eyes. "I know, Grandma."

The Pony Express riders would never know the story Emma had told her grand-daughter, but no matter how far they went and whatever they did, they would always be the same people deep down inside: Emma's boys, now and forever.

A/N: The End! This made me cry a little bit myself, but I hope y'all enjoy it. Reviews are welcome!