Winter of Our Content

by Friscogirl

Two boys on the road are ill-suited for winter. Until the day they can't catch any fish.

"The Winter of Our Content"

Hannibal Heyes sat in the café, sipping contentedly at his coffee. Kid was making sure the horses were well tended; then they were to meet up for dinner at Susannah's Café. Heyes had checked them into the hotel; he expected Curry shortly.

His attention was drawn to a table across the room, where a young man about his age with flaming red hair was sitting in deep conversation with another man. It looked like business was being conducted; their voices were low but intense, and the other man at the table was frowning unhappily.

Heyes' put his coffee down while he considered. There was something about the red-haired man that rang a distant bell. It wasn't a bad feeling, but a feeling that he'd seen the man before.

He watched the conversation the young man was having with the other, older man across the table. He couldn't see the redhead's face clearly, but a memory was tugging at him.

A nice memory.

One of the few nice memories.

Hannibal Heyes frowned and tried to remember.

The river was running sluggishly, and no fish were biting. Maybe the sun was too high; maybe they'd dug up the wrong worms for the trout. Whatever the reason, Hannibal and Jed had been tossing out their fishing lines for more than an hour, and had nothing to show for their effort.

And they were hungry. They hadn't eaten anything since the previous evening, when they'd combined their pathetic 30 cents to buy one bowl of chili and two biscuits.

They'd been hearing some voices drifting over to them from a field beyond the copse of willows. Sounded like kids were playing at a game. It reminded them of happier times in Kansas, before that terrible day when the raiders came and their lives were changed forever. They'd been taken to the Valparaiso Home for Wayward Boys, and after two dismal years there- with terrible food, not enough clothing, and too many whippings- they'd run away. That was six months ago, in May. It was early November, and winter was coming on. They hadn't figured out quite what to do about that. Han was 13 and Jed 11. They didn't have much experiencing in surviving the elements, but they knew they had to head to warmer ground. South, somewhere.

They had reached southern Colorado and the small town of Henleyville. Han had found work sweeping out the stable, which gave them enough money for last night's dinner. Today was another matter.

"We ain't catchin' anything," Jed finally sighed. "I want to see what's going on over there."

"Be careful," Han said, his usual warning. He didn't like it when Jed was out of his sight. He heard Jed's boots moving through the dying grass, and decided he'd better join him.

They found a group of boys about their age, playing some kind of a game kicking a ball. They were divided into two teams, and were having a rowdy time of it. Heyes felt a pang of jealousy. He wondered what it would be like to feel to free and happy.

He leaned against a fence post and contented himself with watching. Jed's quick eyes were following the ball's movement, eager to join in the game, but too shy to ask. Suddenly a wild kick brought a ball over to him, and Jed slammed it back onto the field. The boys stopped, and looked at him curiously.

"Can I join in?" Jed asked.

"You look kinda scrawny," one older, slightly chubby boy sneered.

"But I'm real quick."

The other boys exchanged looks, and then shrugged. "Okay, then."

Jed tossed the knife he kept in his belt to Han, and ran to join the other boys on the pasture. Heyes squatted down next to the fence post, and watched, pleased that Jed could have a bit of fun. Lord knows there was few of that lately.

The rules seemed pretty easy; the boys tried to kick the ball down the field and then across an imaginary line marked by some hay bales. The other team tried to stop them. There seemed to be a lot of pushing and shoving as the boys careened into each other, but that seemed just a part of the game. Heyes was starting to doze in the warm sun when a chorus of shouts jerked him fully away. He stood as he saw what looked to be more than a friendly tussle happening mid-field. He spotted Jed looking on anxiously, and let out his breath in relief. But it looked like it was an uneven match; the bigger boy he'd seen before, and a smaller one about Jed's size, who was definitely having the worst of it.

Han ran over to them and pulled them apart. The small boy was bleeding from the nose, and was already sporting some red marks that would soon turn black and blue.

"Stop it!" Heyes ordered.

The larger boy glared at him. "Ain't your fight! Stick your nose out of it." He pushed Heyes on the chest. Heyes glared and let go with a well-practiced punch to the jaw. The boy folded with a yowl.

"I'm gonna git you!" he blubbered, then got heavily to his feet and ran off down the field. The other boys watched him go, and Heyes noticed no one offered him any sympathy. He turned to the smaller boy.

"You all right?"

The boy was wiping his nose, and nodded with a slight smile. He had a shock of red hair and a face covered with freckles. He and Jed were almost exactly the same size. "I'm good. Thanks." He stuck out a friendly hand. "Name's Jeremy."

Heyes blinked, then shook his hand. "Han. And this is Jed."

Hands were shaken all round.

"Say," Jeremy said to them, squinting up at the sun, "I need to head home for supper. Want to come with me? Least I can do to thank you for your troubles."

Han and Jed exchanged looks. Han could tell Jed was more than willing.

"Won't your Ma mind?" he asked. Jeremy shook his head.

"Nope. She's working. At the telegraph office. We have a cook."

"Well…."

"C'mon, Han," Jed nudged. "Sounds real nice."

"Let me get our stuff." Heyes trotted back to the riverbank and grabbed their shabby bag containing all their worldly goods: a change of trousers, some extra socks, a bar of soap, and two sets of underwear.

"Where you from?" Jeremy asked conversationally as they started down the dusty street into town.

"Kansas, originally," Jed answered.

"Your folks just come into town?"

Heyes' lips tightened. "No. We're sort of… passin' through."

Jeremy nodded, and Heyes noticed him eyeing their worn clothes and crumpled rucksack, but he politely said nothing.

"I'm eleven," he said instead.

"Me, too!" Jed said with a grin. "Han is older. He's thirteen. We're cousins."

"That's enough, Jed," Heyes hissed. Jed made an "oops" expression and shrugged.

They arrived shortly at a pleasant two-story brick home on a quiet neighborhood side street. It was flanked by oak trees and some flower bushes. Jeremy led them to the side door, where a vegetable garden adjoined the kitchen.

As they came inside, a plump woman with brown hair tied in a neat bun wearing an apron and rolled up sleeves turned from the stove to greet them. She looked surprised that Jeremy had company.

"Hi, Rose," Jeremy greeted. "These are my new friends, Han and Jed. They helped me out of a scrape."

Rose spotted the bruises on Jeremy's face, and came over with a concerned look. "Have you been fighting?" she asked with a soft Irish lilt. "You know I don't approve of that."

"Didn't have a choice," Jeremy said. "It was Lester again. He won't leave me alone."

Rose wetted a cloth and scrubbed Jeremy's face, and then she turned to Han and Jed, who were hovering nervously at the door, not quite sure if they should step fully inside. Rose took in their dirty condition and clothes, well worn and crudely patched. The curly haired boy was staying close to the side of the taller boy. The dark haired boy's pant legs were too short for him, and his shoes were only barely sticking to the leather soles. She saw him looking her over as carefully as she was assessing him; she thought she'd never seen such deep brown eyes, wary eyes that had left childhood behind. She hesitated a moment; Jeremy's happy face made the decision for her. He hadn't smiled much lately.

"Well boys, of course you're welcome for supper," she said to them.

"Thank you, ma'am," they chorused, and carefully closed the screen door behind them.

Rose motioned to the sink pump. "Now you just wash yourselves off real good and then supper is ready. Chicken and cornbread. How's that sound?"

Jed's stomach rumbled loud enough to be heard across the room, and Heyes poked him in the ribs in annoyance. "Smells real good, Han," Jed whispered as Heyes worked the pump and filled the washbasin with water. Jeremy had sat down on a stool, and was filling Rose in on the kickball game while she dabbed his nose with a little iodine. Jed needed to use a stool to reach into the water, and scrubbed himself energetically. A lot of dirt washed off onto the cloth, which he handed to Han when he'd finished.

Rose beamed at them as Heyes carefully rinsed out the washrag and laid it over the side of the bowl. "Now, don't you look better!" She pulled some more plates out of the cupboard and set them on the kitchen table. "Help yourselves. Plenty of it."

She sat at the head of the table and watched as the boys dug in. It was soon clear that the two visitors hadn't eaten in a long time. Jed went back for seconds, while Hannibal finished every last crumb from his plate, then politely sat back in his chair. Jeremy picked at his food, and left half of it uneaten. He clearly wasn't worrying about where he'd find his next meal.

"Is that all you want?" she asked the two stray boys. She had a feeling the dark-haired one could eat more, but didn't want to ask.

"I'm fine, ma'am," Han insisted. "It was wonderful."

Rose stood and took the plates away. "I've got some apple crumble."

Jed's mouth watered as he inhaled the smell of cinnamon and butter. "Oh!" he murmured reverently.

They were finishing their milk when they heard a rumble of thunder, and rain began slashing against the kitchen windows. Rose hurried to shut the kitchen door. The screen door started to bang softly against the doorjamb.

Heyes got reluctantly to his feet. "Thank you for the fine meal, ma'am. But we best be going."

Rose put her hands on her ample hips. "In THIS weather! I don't think so. You rest awhile." She turned to Jeremy. "You, young man, have homework to do. Why don't you go up to your room while I talk a bit with your new friends?'

"Sure, Rose!" Jeremy winked at Jed and clomped up the wooden stairs.

They heard a door shut and looked uneasily at the cook. "Ma'am?" asked Heyes, trying to keep suspicion out of his voice.

"I've seen a lot of folks at loose ends in the years since the war finally ended," she began softly. "Usually they aren't as young as you two. Are you runaways?"

"No ma'am," Heyes lied quickly, his eyes looking big and innocent.

"Your parents know where you are?" Rose pressed.

Heyes lowered his eyes and tugged at Jed's shirt. "We best be goin'," he said quietly, and turned to the screen door, scowling at the cold rain already causing puddles in the ground.

Rose sighed. "I'm sorry if I'm asking too many questions. It's just that you boys look like you're having a hard time. And if Jeremy wants to be your friend, I'd like to know you a little better."

"We do all right," Jed piped up. "We look out for each other."

"Our parents are dead," Heyes said after a moment. "We're all we got."

Rose sighed, and walked to the stove to light a fire under the teakettle. "Tell you what," she said as the boys watched her warily. "No more questions. You seem like smart young men. And I appreciate your stepping in to help out Jeremy. He seems to get pushed about a lot, Lord knows why."

"It's cuz he's little," Jed opined.

Rose smiled. She had a generous spirit, which reached out to the two bedraggled boys before her.. "So here's what we're going to do. I am going to fix up a nice hot bath for you two. I don't suppose you've had one for awhile, have you?" Jed and Han shook their heads. "And then I'm going to see if I can find some fresh clothes. Jeremy and Jed were about the same size, so Jed would be easy to fit, though he was awfully skinny. "Your trousers look worn to threads, Lord knows."

It wasn't too long before Han and Jed found themselves sharing a large copper tub, up to their necks in steaming bubbles. Han rested his head against the edge of the tub with a blissful smile while Rose scrubbed Jed's hair clean.

"Look here!" she said with a chuckle. "You're a blonde, not a brunette!"

She turned to Han. "I hope you're not a blonde under all that hair you have," she teased.

He allowed her to scrub him, only slightly embarrassed to be undressed in front of her. But she was relaxed and humming slightly as she squeezed the soap through his hair, and he gave in willingly to her ministrations. Once the dust from weeks on the road was finally washed off them, she wrapped them up in towels and had them sit by the stove to dry off.

She saw how thin they both were. The taller boy was nothing but skin and bones. "I'll be back in a minute with some trousers," she said. "You just stay put."

"That was sure luck we found that kick ball game," Jed said as he snuggled into the towel. "Ain't felt this good in a long time."

Han ran his fingers through his hair and squeezed out what water he could. "She's a nice lady. But we gotta move on."

"I suppose," Jed said quietly, and yawned.

Rose was soon back with a small pile of clothing folded in her arms. "Jed, I think you can fit in some of Jeremy's clothes. He's got more then enough for a lad his age." She handed him some brown trousers and a blue shirt, along with fresh underclothes. 'Jeremy had an older brother," she said to Heyes. "He died in the same flu epidemic that took his father last year." Her eyes misted slightly at the memory as she gave him blue jeans and a tan shirt to inspect. "These might be a bit large for you, but you'll grow into them quickly. You're at that age."

The boys stared at the gift of clothes; Rose turned back to the sink to give them privacy as they quickly dressed. Heyes liked the new suspenders and snapped them happily. Rose smiled. "Go on. Jeremy's upstairs on the left. I'm sure he'll be glad of company."

As Han and Jed headed upstairs, Rose watched them thoughtfully.

It was almost five o'clock when Jeremy's mother, Anna, returned from work. She came into the kitchen and unbuttoned her wet bonnet in relief, laying it on the counter. Rose hurried over to take it from her, and removed her soaking wrap. The cold fall rain continued to beat against the windows.

"Thank you, Rose," Anna said gratefully. For the hundredth time, she wondered how she would cope without this wonderful woman. "How is Jeremy?"

Rose smiled. "He's fine. He's been upstairs doing his homework."

Anna's eyebrows lifted in surprised. "He has?"

Rose smiled, and then wondered how to proceed. "You see ma'am, he had a bit of a scuffle this afternoon playing kick ball. Some bully wanted to rough him up. A young lad intervened and made things right."

Anna smiled. "A young lad?"

"Yes, Miss. Um…"

Anna reached her hand out to the woman who made her life bearable, manageable, and wonderful. "Yes?"

"They're upstairs, Ma'am," Rose ventured. "You see, two young boys came home with Jeremy. He asked them to supper. And…" she drew a breath. "I've let them stay out the storm."

Anna frowned slightly. "What kind of boys are they?"

Rose smiled softly. "I think they're good boys. But they're boys drifting with the wind, ever since the war ended. They told me their mum died." Rose sighed. "They seem like real nice boys. And…." She hesitated, watching Anna's eyes. "Jeremy seems real taken with them."

Anna rose quickly to her feet. "They're upstairs with Jeremy?" Rose nodded. "And you trust them?" Another nod.

Anna also trusted Rose…but also knew that the kind woman had a soft spot for strays of any kind. They'd already adopted a few kittens and a lost dog. And now, two boys!

Anna straightened her skirts and went quietly upstairs. She was about to tap at Jeremy's door when she heard a soft, unfamiliar voice.

"So ya see, you carry the ten…..and then ya add them…."

"Oh….! " she heard her son exclaim. "I see now!"

Anna tapped softly at the doorframe and peeked in to see her son huddled at his worktable with an unfamiliar boy. She glanced over to the bed and saw another unfamiliar boy sound asleep, his curly hair splayed out on the pillow.

"Jeremy?" she asked.

Jeremy jumped in startlement. "Mama!" He ran to her with a hug. "Hannibal here," he said, motioning to a skinny dark haired boy who got awkwardly to his feet, "has been explaining prime division to me."

Anna smiled. "Well! At least someone can!"

She looked at the boy, and her heart contracted. He was wearing Benjamin's trousers and shirt. She recognized them immediately. Thankfully, he looked nothing like her son. He was taller, thinner, with pronounced cheekbones and dark brown eyes. Eyes that looked anxiously, and at the same time hopefully, at hers.

"Ma'am," the young man said. "I'm pretty good at numbers."

The voices awakened the young blonde haired boy on the bed. Jed sat up in startlement, looking around for Hannibal. When their eyes met, Jed relaxed back against the pillow.

Anna looked at the trio; her son, happy and confident, something she hadn't seen for far too long; a young boy about her son's age, yawning and trying desperately to stay awake; the older boy, Benjamin's age, wary and cautious, but kind.

"I'm so glad to meet you," she finally said. She met Hannibal's cautious gaze. "I understand you helped my son out of a fight."

Hannibal nodded politely. "He could probably have taken care of things by hisself," he said. "But the other boy was a mite…heavier."

"A mite!" Jeremy exclaimed. "That Lester is a fat pig!"

The three boys giggled, and Anna felt a smile tugging at her lips.

"Well," she said. "I came up to introduce myself. And to let you know there is soup to be eaten downstairs. Come on with you!"

Anna, like Rose, couldn't think of turning the boys out in the cold rainy evening. It wouldn't hurt, she supposed, to let them stay the night. Rose had cleaned them up real well, and Jeremy seemed to be thriving on their company, especially that of Han's. Her son was still mourning the death of his older brother, and Han seemed to have stepped in as a role model.

The next morning the sun was peeking up as she came into the kitchen for a bit of breakfast before leaving for work.

"Good morning, Miss Anna!" Rose greeted, and poured her a cup of coffee from a pot on the stove. Anna heard the unexpected sound of chopping wood, and looked out the window to see Han and Jed industriously adding to the woodpile.

"They insisted," Rose explained. "They said they wanted to pay for their supper."

"Oh dear," Anna sighed. "I hope they don't feel they had to. They were Jeremy's guests."

"Oh," Rose smiled, "I think they just don't like owing people. I'm thinking they've had a lot of growing up to do these past months. I can't get much out of them as to what happened. But it's clear Han is taking care of Jed, no ifs ands or buts about it. Jed tells me they're cousins."

"I see."

"Morning, Mama!" came Jeremy's cheerful voice as he bounced into the kitchen. He spotted Jed and Han hard at work, and frowned.

"I should pitch in!" he announced, and hurried outdoors.

Rose shook her head. "Well, well. I haven't seen that much energy in a good while from the boy."

Anna watched as Jeremy took the axe from Han and began to do his best to chop up kindling. The three boys were laughing pushing at each other, as boys do.

"What are we going to do about them?" Anna asked, putting her thoughts to words. "They're so young. Should we call in the child welfare representatives?"

Rose pursed her lips. "From what I hear, the places for homeless children are little better than jails. There are too many lost children whose parents are either gone, or unable to care for them."

"You sure can swing that axe," Jeremy told Han in admiration.

Han smiled at the younger boy. "Too much practice. That was my job on the farm, and later at….." He shut his mouth. He didn't want to let on where he and Jed had been.

"I had a brother about your age," Jeremy said softly. Han nodded. "He's dead. Like your parents."

Not like my folks, Hannibal thought. His eyes pictured the terrible scene that summer morning, his mother staring wide eyed at the sky, her throat cut and her dress torn to pieces during an act of unspeakable violence. Han blinked. "I'm sorry," he said, shakikng the memory away.

Jeremy nodded.

"What was his name?" Jed asked curiously. Han shot him a warning look, and Jed bit his lip.

"Ben," Jeremy said. "Benjamin, actually."

"Han's name is really Hannibal," Jed informed him. Han gave him a scowl and a slight shove.

"Like Hannibal the warrior?" Jeremy's eyes shone.

Heyes feigned indifference. "I suppose. My dad was a great reader."

"Han reads a lot, too," Jed said. "He reads everything."

The boys looked up as the kitchen door opened and Anna called to them. "Jeremy! Boys! Come inside please."

Han and Jed shared an uneasy look, but trotted obediantly inside. The warm kitchen felt good after the crisp, heavy air out by the woodpile. Han spotted a lunch pail on the table. School. He'd almost forgotten that normal kids went to school. He looked at the floor so no one would spot his pang of jealousy.

"It's time for school, Son," Anna said. Jeremy nodded glumly and reached for the books and slate propped next to the lunch pail. Jed and Han hung back. It looked like it was time to leave.

Instead, Anna turned to them with a serious expression. "I have a proposition for you young men," she said.

The cousins exchanged a doubtful look.

"I cannot in good conscience send you out onto the open road. Not with winter coming on."

"We'll be all right, ma'am," Han said firmly. "We're heading south to New Mexico. It's warmer there." He hesitated, sounding more positive than he felt. "At least, that's what we was told." He suddenly realized she might be planning to turn them over to welfare workers, and he reached to grab Jed's arm, preparing to flee.

"I have another suggestion," Anna continued, exchanging a brief glance with Rose, who nodded encouragingly. "I'd like you to stay here awhile. At least over the winter."

Jed threw Han an imploring look. Clearly he'd like to stay. Han wasn't so sure. He liked Jeremy and his mother…and Rose…just fine. But….

"I warn you," Anna said in mock seriousness, "this will mean going back to school and doing chores, just like every member of this household."

School! Han's eyes lit up while Jed tried to hide an unhappy scowl. The two boys exchanged a silent communication. Every instinct told Han to keep on the move; he was always afraid if they stuck around a place too long someone would figure out that they were runaways, and force them to return to Valparaiso. He'd rather die than go back there again. But he knew Jed needed a place to rest for a while. He was still just a little boy; he needed better food and more schooling.

"Ma'am," he said hesitantly. "That's real nice of you. We accept."

The weeks passed with a comfortable predictability. Heyes was enrolled in middle school; Jed and Jeremy shared the same classroom. Heyes got his own card at the public library, and spent every free moment buried in a book. He proved to be a good influence on Jeremy, who discovered a mutual love of reading. Jed was teaching himself to draw and carve with wood.

Han started helping out Anna at the telegraph. He was fascinated by the rhythm of the keys, and quickly learned the Morse code. Soon he was helping Anna write down messages, and even took his turn sending them out over the wire. It made him feel useful and grown up. Maybe it was a skill he could earn some money from some day.

He learned Anna had taken the job over from her dead husband. The station manager was a generous man, who took pity on an intelligent woman who had lost not only her husband, but also her oldest son. Even though women weren't welcome in most workplaces, the manager realized he needed a trained key operator, and Anna had learned the business from her husband. He found Heyes could be useful as well; delivering messages and running errands, helping bring in supplies off the rail cars. The boy was a hard worker, and was eager to find ways to earn a bit of money.

Jed and Jeremy became fast friends. During the darkening days they'd amuse themselves with Jeremy's set of tin soldiers, and help Rose out in the kitchen chopping vegetables and peeling potatoes. Jed began to put some weight on, and his stomach no longer growled constantly in hunger.

It was cold, and smelled like snow was coming. Jed was buried under his blankets in the bed he shared with Jeremy; Han slept on his own bed near the potbelly stove in their bedroom. Jed was trying to decide if he wanted to leave his warm bed in order to pee, when he heard what sounded like a window breaking. He sat up and strained to listen. Footsteps! Quietly, he wiggled out from the covers and tiptoed over to his cousin.

"Han!" he whispered, shaking his shoulders.

"Hmmf?"

"Han!" He shook him harder. "I think someone's downstairs."

Hannibal's eyes opened sleepily. "Probably just Rose," he whispered, so as not to awaken Jeremy. "Go back to sleep."

Jed wasn't to be deterred. "Don't think so. Heard something break."

He grabbed the poker next to the stove and headed for the door. He was out on the landing and heading down the stairs before Han could grab him.

Jeremy sat up at the noise. "What is it?" he asked sleepily.

"Stay in bed," Han ordered. "Just stay there." He stepped lightly out to the landing, watching helplessly as Jed tiptoed towards the door of the sitting room. He was halfway down the stairs when he heard Jed's voice.

"Hold it there! What are you doing?"

Before Han could join him, Jeremy pushed by him at full speed, eager to be part of the night's adventure. Then everything seemed to be happening all at once. Han saw Jeremy kicking at what looked to be an intruder not much bigger than himself. Jed was swinging the poker at a taller figure. Han jumped on the man's back as the thief grabbed the poker from Jed's hands and tossed him across the room. Jed collided with the couch and rolled over onto his back with a yelp. Han heard Jeremy yelling something about "Lester", but he was too busy hitting the other man's neck with his fists to pay much attention. Suddenly the man lurched forward and swung around, and too late, Han saw he had a knife. The man thrust the weapon at him, and Han collapsed in terrible pain, feeling blood shooting down his nightshirt.

"What's going on in here?" came Rose's voice as she hurried in carrying an oil lamp.

The man took advantage of the confusion; Rose's startled eyes, Jed panting by the couch, Jeremy still pounding at Lester, Han moaning lightly on the floor….and pushed pass her and ran out through the kitchen.

Anna hurried in from the stairwell. "What…?" She saw Han clutching his stomach and brought her hand to her mouth.

"Rose! Han is bleeding."

Lester wriggled out of Jeremy's arm lock and followed the older man out of the house, as Rose knelt down beside Han.

Han looked up at her through squinted eyes, trying not to cry out like a baby. But it hurt! He could feel blood oozing through the fingers he held tightly over the opening in his shoulder.

"Han?" Jed appeared in his line of vision, looking frightened. Jeremy joined him.

"I'm all right," Han whispered, though he felt anything but.

Rose's competent hands were opening his nightshirt and easing his hands off the wound. "Miss Anna," she said. "I'll need some cloths. And I think Jeremy should fetch the doctor."

Anna nodded to her son. "Take your coat and boots!" she called before he could run outside barefoot into the cold.

Rose eased Han to a sitting position. "I'm going to help you stand," she said comfortingly. "Let's go into the kitchen where we can take care of this wound."

Jed reached a supporting arm behind his cousin as they slowly raised him off the floor. This time Han couldn't stop himself from crying out.

"Hurts," he grimaced.

He tried to walk, but felt Rose supporting most of his weight as he stumbled with her into the next room. Anna was busily heating water; she had no experience with knife wounds, but decided hot water was always a good thing to have on hand.

"It was Lester," Jed said, keeping a solicitous eye on Han, who was leaning against the chair with his eyes closed. "He was trying to steal from us."

Rose pulled off Han's shirt and pressed some cloths against the wound to try to stop the bleeding.

"Why would Lester do such a thing?" Anna asked no one in particular.

Jed shrugged. "He's always picking on Jeremy. Don't know why." A smile tugged at his lips. "But this time, Jeremy whacked him good. Han's been showing him how."

The door opened and Jeremy hurried in, followed by the panting town doctor. "There's been a knifing?" he asked, as he spotted Hannibal slumped against the chair.

"Someone broke into the house," Rose said. "The boys stopped them."

"I hit him good!" Jeremy said proudly, and then frowned as he looked at Han's pale face. "Will he be all right?"

The doctor asked Rose to clear off the kitchen table, and then laid Han down on it to examine the wound. "It's clean," he finally announced, "but it's deep. It's torn some muscles, but I don't think it's done too much damage." He opened his bag. "I'm going to have to sew this up. Rose, can you help me please? And Anna, best to put the younger ones back to bed. This isn't going to be something for young eyes to watch."

"Of course." Anna nudged Jed and Jeremy back to the stairs.

"I wanna be with him," Jed protested.

"Go to bed," Han ordered through clenched teeth. His shoulder was really throbbing now, and he didn't want his younger cousin to see him hurting.

Jed hesitated, then gave in to Anna's insistence, and walked heavily back to the bedroom.

Dr. Pierce brushed Han's hair off his forehead and gave him a reassuring smile. "I'm afraid this is going to hurt, young man." Han nodded, and closed his eyes.

It was two days before Christmas, and Hannibal was curled up in a chair next to the fire, reading a book about George Washington at Valley Forge. It had been two days since he was injured, and he was finally allowed out of bed. His left shoulder was wrapped in bandages, and his arm was restricted in a sling. Anna sat across from him, mending shirts.

Han set down the book and watched her work, admiring her dexterity with the needle. Now that he'd been on the receiving end of stitching, he had a greater appreciation for the skill involved.

"What's happening to Lester, do you know?" he asked.

Anna looked up from her work. "He'll have to go to a place for troubled boys, since he's too young for jail. His accomplice is being held for trial." She sighed. "I wish you had just let them take what they wanted," she said. "We don't really have much of value."

"It ain't right to steal from folks," Heyes said firmly.

"Isn't," Anna corrected gently.

"Isn't. Anyway, Jed and Jer were in the thick of it. I didn't really think it through."

"Well, I thank you, Hannibal. "This is twice now that you've come to the assistance of my son."

Heyes blushed. "He was handling things pretty good all on his own."

"Yes, thanks again to YOU."

Heyes looked worried. "Ma'am, he's got to learn to stand up for himself. It's the way things are."

Anna's answer was forestalled by Rose coming into the room with a plate of cookies. "The carolers should be here shortly," she said, and lit some extra candles on the mantle. She handed Hannibal a gingerbread man. "I know you wanted to be with them."

Heyes shrugged, then winced as his shoulder reminded him of the injury. "Just never did it before," as he bit in to the treat. He didn't want to admit that he enjoyed the songs and being part of the small group. He forced a grin. "This is great, Rose! Thank you!"

From outside they heard a lusty rendition of "Good King Wenceslas", and Rose opened the porch door to invite the choralers inside. They bustled in towards the warmth of the fire, chattering happily as Rose distributed apple cider and cookies. For a second Han's eyes misted up as he gave in to feeling a bit sorry for himself and wishing he were part of the excited group; but then Jed was at his side, accompanied by two of other boys.

"Can ya show'em your wound, Han?" he asked.

Heyes smiled at the looks of respect the other boys gave him. "Nah," he said. "It's all bandaged up."

"Still, " one boy said. "That was a fine thing you did, taking on that burglar!"

"I don't think I coulda done it," the other boy marveled. "I'd a been scared. Was you scared, Han?"

Han smiled modestly. "A bit. Didn't think much before I jumped him."

Rose was bustling the children back towards the door. "You have more houses to visit," she reminded them. "Merry Christmas."

Jed stayed by his cousin a moment. "This really has been a merry Christmas, hasn't it, Han."

Hannibal's eyes took in the cheerful room, the candles and fir branches, and the small stack of presents in the corner. "Yeah, Jed. It sure has."

Heyes left some money for the waitress, and stood up to leave. If there was something about the other man that was familiar, chances were the man knew him from somewhere, as well. And that could prove dangerous.

He caught up with the kid outside the livery.

"Horses settled in?"

"Yeah," Kid growled. "But the prices they're chargin' for feed! Robbery!"

Heyes laughed and clapped his cousin's shoulder. "Lucky we've got a few extra coins in our pockets."

Curry handed Heyes his saddlebag. "Let's drop our stuff off and then figure out supper."

Heyes nodded. They both looked up at the sound of a man shouting, and saw as the two men Heyes had seen in the café had walked out onto the street and were facing off to each other.

"That ain't a fair price for my land!" the older man was complaining. He shoved the red-haired younger man in the chest.

"It's the best my client can offer," Heyes and Curry heard the man reply as they drew closer.

The angry man shoved harder, and the red haired man fell against the hitching post. "You tell'em to make me a better offer."

"Mr. Stewart," the red haired man said in a calm voice, straightening himself carefully, "the market is what it is."

"To hell with the market! I want a fair deal!"

The man raised his fist with the clear intent of landing a blow, but he was stopped when Kid Curry grabbed the man's wrist and wrenched it behind him.

"I'd think twice about that," he said in his coldest voice.

Stewart was about to protest when he looked into the ice blue eyes of the young man standing before him. "It just ain't fair," he muttered. Curry released his arm, and Stewart contented himself with a glare before stomping away.

"Thank you, Mr….?" the red-haired man said, extending a hand.

"Jones. Thaddeus Jones."

"I'm Jeremy Graham. Attorney-at-Law."

Kid froze, his hand still holding Graham's. Heyes stared.

"Jeremy Graham?" he echoed. Suddenly the pieces fell together. He saw the man as a determined young boy hunched intently over his arithmetic tables.

Graham looked at Heyes in surprise, and then his eyes widened. "Hannibal Heyes?" he stammered. He looked back at the kid. "Jed?"

Both men nodded. "But we'd appreciate it if you didn't announce it to the whole town," Heyes said quietly. "I'm guessing you know what we've been up to."

Jeremy took in their trail clothes and guns tied firmly to their legs. "Yes," he said. "Mother and I were sad to read that you became wanted men."

"Well….." Heyes' silver tongue gave him no easy answer. How to explain the complicated years since they shared a winter together? Anna's sister-in-law had died in childbirth in the spring of that year, and her brother needed help raising his three children. So Anna saw no choice but to move to Cincinnati and do her sisterly duty. They'd talked it all out one afternoon in the big kitchen. She wanted Han and Jed to come with them. But the boys, after discussing it among themselves, decided to move on. They wanted to stay in the West, not move to some big city.

"I'm kinda the restless sort," Heyes had told her, putting on a brave smile as they said their good-byes at the railroad station. He felt older and stronger after the months they spent together. He knew he could take better care of Jed, who was now twelve, the age Hannibal had been when they had been sent to Valparaiso. Kisses were exchanged; Rose made sure they had a bag of food and extra clothes to make their journey more comfortable. The train pulled away, and the boys never saw each other again.

Now the three grown men eyed each other appraisingly. "I've got a train to catch," Jeremy said. "Walk with me?"

He filled them in as they made their way to the station. About how Anna was well and happy with her extended family; Jeremy had married two years ago and had a son, lovingly tended to by Rose. Jeremy had become an attorney specializing in real estate and land transfers; he was considering moving west to Colorado to be closer to his main clients.

"And you?" he asked the partners. "I've read the newspapers. Sounds like you've had a rough time of it."

They reached the station, and Heyes checked the schedule with professional interest. "Train's on time," he said, avoiding an immediate answer.

"Most of what they write ain't the truth," Curry said. "It's true, we did our share of hold-ups and the like. But we never killed anyone."

"It was hard to find steady work when we were so young," Heyes tried to explain. "We made some bad choices." He looked into Jeremy's solemn face. "But we've been honest for more'n a year now. The Governor of Wyoming is promising amnesty. We aim to get it."

Jeremy smiled. "Well, then that's wonderful news to take to mother and Rose."

"We were always grateful for that winter," Heyes said, turning to watch as the train slowly chugged towards the platform. "You probably saved our lives."

"Well," Jeremy said as his smile widened, "at least Rose did. From that first supper of chicken and apple crumble."

The train's passenger's disembarked, and the whistle announced it was time to depart. The three men shook hands, and Jeremy jumped aboard with a wave. The ex-outlaws watched until the train rounded the curve towards Rio Verde, and then turned back towards town.

"I do remember that apple crumble," Curry said appreciatively. "Oh yeah."

Heyes put his arm around his cousin's shoulder. "Well all right then, little cousin! Let's see if Samantha has something just as tasty on the menu!"

Laughing, they walked on.