Disclaimer: I do not own Young Riders or any of the characters. Just taking them for a ride for my amusement.
A/N: I always thought it funny that in the show that Buck, the guy who could look at a blade of grass and could tell you how many horses had been through there, couldn't look at Lou and tell she was a girl. So here is my take on how things could have gone a little differently. I will be switching back and forth between POV's and into 3rd person some. I hope I don't confuse everybody. I let you know the different POV's when I switch to them.
Chapter 1 – Lou's POV
You've gone and done it now Lou. What were you thinking? There is no way you're going to be able to pull this off. You're half the size of these other guys. They'll know right away you're a girl. The guy who signed me on didn't. Yeah but you're going to be living and working with these guys. How are you going to bathe without them seeing you or change clothes for that matter? I'm telling you, ya got to get out of here before it's too late. No! I need this job Jeremiah and Teresa are counting on me. I can do this. Besides how hard can it be?
Teaspoon's POV
What a bunch of strays. I'm supposed to teach these boys? Let's see what we've got here, A half breed probably Kiowa, a wanna be gunfighter, that one is too quiet, the blonde looks too sure of himself, gees how old is that kid he's too puny, and the one on the end he looks like he's lost. Yup Teaspoon you got your work cut out for you.
Lou's POV
Teaspoon sure ain't what I expected. I think he must have a screw loose somewhere, why else would he bathe in a horse troth and use bear grease afterwards, that is just gross. I hope the other guys have better hygiene than that, because it they don't I really am in trouble. But if Teaspoon is a little loco it probably won't be too hard to fool him, now the others might be a different story.
The one next to me introduced himself as the Kid. Kid? What kind of name is that? He seems nice enough and he's naïve. He shouldn't be a problem. Now the other guy I'm next to introduced himself as Cody, William F. Cody. He strikes me as one of those guys who's too damn sure of himself. He also is easily distracted by anything in a skirt. Since I'm not in a skirt he doesn't look to close. As long as it stays that way I should be fine. Now the other three guys, I don't know. The one called Jimmy, he's the type to go looking for trouble, and as long as I stay out of his way maybe he'll just ignore me. It's the last two I have to worry about.
We have Ike McSwain, since Ike is a mute he's used to being ignored which means he does a lot of observing. I'm going to have to watch myself around him and his friend Buck. Buck is half Kiowa. Anyone who can look at a blade of grass and can tell you how many horses had gone through there is going to be hard to fool for long. Why did I have to get stationed around those two?
Buck's POV
Huh. How about that someone who doesn't care I'm a half breed. Teaspoon actually thinks I'm useful. I can't believe he thought he would be able to trick me with that arrow. At least I impressed him. He sure isn't impressed by the guy next to me, Jimmy. I don't blame him; Jimmy looks like he's just asking for trouble. Oh no Teaspoon's messing with Ike. "He can hear but he can't talk, his name is Ike McSwain, he's real good with horses." I tell Teaspoon. "Well guess it don't matter if he can talk as long as he can ride." Teaspoon said moving on. At last some place where they don't care that Ike's a mute. Looks like we will be able to stay on then.
Cody seems too sure of himself, but damn is he a good shot with that rifle. Wait a minute, you can't tell me that Teaspoon and the others are fooled by Lou. This is too funny, Teaspoon just thinks 'he's' puny. Wow they are really unobservant if they really can't tell Lou is a girl. Well I'm not going to enlighten them, its obvious to me she can ride, besides she doesn't have many job options does she. Kid? What kind of name is Kid? Well at least he looks like he's willing to work.
Chapter 2 - Lou's POV
I've been working for the Express for two weeks now. So far nobody seems to notice anything different about me. It's been hard but I've been getting up before the others and going to bed later so I can change or bathe without their eyes on me. But now I've got another problem, why had I not thought about this before now. Now that my monthly has started, how am I going to keep it hidden? God my stomach hurts.
Buck's POV
"What is it Ike?" I ask my friend as he tries to pull me towards the barn. "You've got to come with me Buck, Now." Ike signed. "Fine" I say knowing something must be wrong for Ike to be acting this way. I follow Ike around the back of the barn where I spot Lou sitting with her head on her knees, arms around her stomach. She was pale and looked to be in pain. "Buck I'm telling you something is wrong with her" Ike signed after we rounded the corner. "Her? You knew?" I signed back not wanting Lou to realize we were there yet. "You're not the only observant one Buck" Ike signed back with a grin. "Come on, she may need help." I signed back walking towards Lou.
Lou's POV
"Lou? Are you ok?" Buck asked squatting down in front of me. I looked up to meet his worried eyes and those of Ike's. Great just the two who needed to see me. "I'm fine" I lied. I could tell Buck was thinking. He looked at Ike for a minute and indicated for Ike to leave with a nod of his head. After Ike left Buck looked back at me and said, "Lou I have some herbs I can mix together to make in a tea. It will help with your monthly cramps." I felt the blood drain from my face as his words sank in. "My what?' I asked trying to deny it. Buck just smirked. "Lou I know what you are, have from the very first day. I also know that right now you are having cramps from your monthly. That's why I sent Ike away, he knows you're a girl too, but I didn't think you would want him to know what is wrong with you."
I could feel my cheeks burning, was there nothing I could keep hidden from this man. "I'm sorry Lou, I didn't mean to embarrass you; I just wanted to help." Buck said before getting to his feet and started to leave, but I stopped him. "Buck, wait please. You said you had some herbs that will help?" Buck smiled, "Yeah, I'll go make you some tea with them. I'll be back in a few minutes." Buck said then left to go fix my tea.
About ten minutes later Buck was back with the herbal tea. "It's bitter, but it will help," Buck says as he hands me the little cup. "Thanks Buck," I say as I take it from him. "Why don't you join me for a little while?" I ask indicating the spot on the ground next to me. Buck smiled as he sat down next to me, As I took a sip of the tea. "Ugghh" I said with a grimace, Buck laughed out right. "I warned you it was bitter." "You couldn't put sugar in it?" I asked still making a face. Buck grinned as he produced two sugar cubes. I gave him an annoyed look. "Sorry, I just wanted to see your face after you drank that." He said laughing as I stirred the sugar in the tea. With the sugar in it, it wasn't so bad.
I was curious about this unusual man beside me. Other than the fact that Buck is a half breed, I knew next to nothing about him. I wanted to know more, there was just something about him that drew me to him. "So tell me Buck, how did you and Ike become friends?" I asked thinking that was a good place to start. "After I left the Kiowa, I went to live in this mission school. The other kids all teased me about the half breed thing but I wasn't the only one that was different. Ike was there. The other kids were afraid of him. They thought if they touched him their hair and tongues would fall out." Buck said with a small laugh.
"That's horrible." I say putting my hand on his arm. "Anyway one day in town about six guys picked a fight with me over the half breed thing. Well suddenly there was Ike fighting alongside me." Buck said grinning at the memory. "What happened?" I asked wondering if two kids could stand a chance against those odds. "We got our butts kicked, but we've been friends and brothers since that day. We would drive the nuns crazy with all the pranks we would pull." Buck actually laughed as he thought about it.
I would never have figured Buck to be one to pull pranks; he was always so serious now. I was seeing a side of him that none of the others had seen. "What kind of pranks did you two pull on those poor nuns?" I asked. "Oh the usual ones boys pull; snakes and frogs in beds or desk drawers, among other things." I just shake my head as I laughed.
Buck's POV
Lou was the first person besides Ike that I could really talk to. She saw me, not the color of my skin, but now I wanted to know more. What would possess a woman to go around pretending to be a boy, and to take such a dangerous job? "Now that you know my story, tell me about you Lou." I say taking her now empty tea cup from her. I could see a muscle twitch in her jaw; it was obvious she wasn't comfortable talking about herself. "Like what?" she asked. "Your name for example, where are you from, any family, why you're working here? That kind of thing." I say truly wanting to get to know this woman better.
Lou gave me a soft smile, "My name is Louise. I've got a kid brother and sister in an orphanage. After I save up enough money I'm going to buy my own place and get them out. I pretend to be a boy because it's safer and as a boy I had better job opportunities." Her face suddenly got a far-off sad look, "after I left the orphanage I got hired to do laundry. There were a bunch of other girls in the house I was working in so I thought it was a safe place to work. I was such an idiot by the time I figured out what kind of place it really was it was too late. The owner… he uh… he raped me." Lou looked down not meeting my eyes; I could see the tears roll down her face.
I put my arm around her shoulder and with my other hand I raised her chin so she would look at me. "That wasn't your fault Lou. Men like that deserve to be shot. My mother was raped by a white man. I was the result of that." I tell her, not to get sympathy but so she would know I understood what she had been through. "Oh Buck, I'm so sorry. I assumed your father was married to your mother." Lou said softly. "It's not your fault Lou; it wasn't my mother's fault. The fault lies with men that take things that don't belong to them. Now what happened after that?" I asked knowing she needed to finish her story. "One of the girls took pity on me and helped me escape. That's when I cut my hair off and started dressing like a boy. I haven't had any problems since then." She smiles at me, I return it. "You know Lou you've got spunk. I like that."
Lou's POV
I can't believe I just told Buck all of that. I swore I'd never tell anyone about what happened. Buck just has a way about him that puts me at ease or maybe its the tea. What is in this stuff? I wish he would stop looking at me like that. It's doing funny things to my heart. Wow, Buck has beautiful eyes and that smile. I wonder what he meant when he said he like that I had spunk? Wait was he always sitting this close? No he wasn't. Buck leaned in closer and brushed his lips across mine. My breath caught in my throat. I pulled back slightly, my eyes searching his before I leaned back in and pressed my lips to his.
Buck's hands went to the sides of my face as he deepens the kiss. A loud bang on the side of the barn caused us to spring apart just before Ike and the others came around the corner. Ike shot us a wink. I had to remember to thank him for the warning later. The guys told us Teaspoon needed to see all of us in the bunkhouse. "And it took all of you to come tell us that?" Buck said a hint of annoyance in his voice. "Nope, we just thought you two were trying to hide something from us." Cody said with a strange look on his face. "Like what Cody? You think we had some women out here keeping them from you?" I asked trying to make a joke out of it. "Thought did cross my mind" Cody said with a shrug. We were headed back to the bunkhouse by this time. "What were ya'll doing?' Kid asked. "Just talking" we said at the same time.
Back in the bunkhouse we found out that Teaspoon needed two riders to go on an overnight run to Ft. Laramie. Since no one volunteered we had to draw straws. I drew on of the short straws. Since only Buck, Jimmy, and Kid were left to draw Buck volunteered to go with me. I was glad that he was coming instead of Jimmy or Kid. I noticed that strange look on Cody's face again after Buck volunteered. I tried not to think about it as I got my gear together. We mounted our horses, then Teaspoon handed the package we had to deliver to Buck and with a final ride safe we rode out.
"I'm telling you Jimmy there is something weird going on with Buck and Lou. Didn't you see their faces when we found them behind the barn earlier? And don't you think it strange that Buck volunteered to go on that run only after Lou drew the small straw?" Cody said to Jimmy, as they were repairing the corral. "You're imagining things Cody. They were just talking." Jimmy said thinking Cody was losing it, Buck and Lou were both guys what could they possibly have been doing. "Yeah but if Ike hadn't have 'accidently' kicked the barn wall, what would have they been doing." Cody said with a smirk. 'Oh so now you think Ike is in on it too?" Jimmy said standing up from his stoop position to glare at Cody. "He's in the barn let's go ask him." Cody said pointing to the barn. "Fine, if it will get you to leave me alone and actually work." Jimmy said making his way to the barn.
They found Ike mucking out a stale. "Hey Ike we want a word with you." Cody said coming up beside him. 'What is it Cody' Ike signed. "Just what exactly is going on between Buck and Lou?" Cody asked the silent man. "What are you talking about?" Ike signed trying to play it dumb. "Look Ike I know you kicked the barn wall earlier on purpose to warn them we were coming. Now what was it you thought they were doing that they needed a warning." Cody said getting irritated. 'They were just talking." Ike signed amused. 'Damn it Cody, I told you were imagining things." Jimmy said annoyed. 'No, I'm not! And if they were doing what I think they were, I don't want to bunk with them. It's just weird. Two men, ugh." Cody said with a shudder. Ike couldn't help it; he doubled over in silent laughter.
"Just what is so damn funny?' Jimmy asked watching Ike's shoulders shake in laughter. "Cody! He thinks Buck likes men." Ike signed with a huge grin on his face. "He likes Lou doesn't he?" Cody said getting angry at Ike for laughing at him. "I'm telling you Cody, Buck likes women and I'm pretty sure Lou likes the opposite sex too." Ike signed grinning like an idiot. Jimmy's mouth started twitching, "I can't believe I didn't see it sooner." 'See what Jimmy?" Cody asked still not catching on. "You still don't get it Cody." Jimmy said with a laugh. "Get what?" Cody said just before Ike's words sank in, "Wait Ike are you saying Lou's a girl?" Ike looked innocent. "How did I not see that? Who all knows Ike?" Cody asked. "Just Buck, me, and now you two. She could get fired if Teaspoon found out." Ike signed. "Better not tell the Kid then, he might rat her out.' Jimmy said.
They all agreed to keep Lou's gender a secret, but they were going to have a word with Buck about him not sharing that little detail with them from the start. If they had known she was a girl sooner, well things might have gotten pretty interesting trying to win her before the others. But it looks like Buck beat them all to the punch.