Until I Find You

by kouklitsa

Co-authored with Lisa W back in 2008-ish - somewhere out there is a Jimmy ending to this story as well :) This one however, is all about Kid saving the day and getting the girl. Or does he? *If you're sensitive to formatting, spelling or POV's changing etc this fic prob isn't for you... If you're willing to look past that it's a decent story. I promise next uploads will be better

Kid didn't know what to do with himself anymore. If he didn't say something soon or find another way to vent, he'd burst. Three days, three whole agonizing days had he managed not to say anything, left the table unannounced more times than he could count and bit his tongue every time she'd rub her shoulder with a painful grimace on her face.

Almost a week ago she rode in looking like absolute hell with a dislocated shoulder after she took a fall when she was ambushed by a group of bandits on one of the most dangerous parts of the trail. The ride Kid never wanted her to take in the first place but never said anything about as he had made a promise to her and to himself never to make her feel incapable ever again. But it took al the force he could muster to stick to that promise.

And then there was Jimmy. Oh how he hated when he saw him talk to Lou and praised her for biting down, proud that she'd not let a dislocated shoulder put her down. And at the same time there was this overwhelming feel of jealousy when he saw her flash his best friend a stunning smile that up until a few months ago was only reserved for him.

They had been broken up for some time now and a lot had happened since then, but one thing Kid had learnt was that he would never ever be able to stop loving her. With each passing day he'd learn something new about her that made him want her more than ever before. Determined to be what she needed and his mindset to giving her what she deserved he kept his overprotective and jealous nature deeply buried and gave her the space and freedom she longed for.

Jimmy didn't know what to do with himself anymore. He didn't know whether he was coming or going these days. While Kid pushed himself to his own limits and no longer gave into his jealousy fits he got to spend a lot more time with Lou, and in that time his feelings towards her had become stronger up to a point where he had to restrain himself whenever she stood too close to him.

Almost a week ago she rode in looking like absolute hell with a dislocated shoulder after she took a fall when she was ambushed by a group of bandits on one of the most dangerous parts of the trail. He'd been scared out of his wits when he saw her appearance but smiled when he heard her grunt she'd be fine and threw a warning look at Kid. Jimmy knew and had always known she could hold her own just fine and made sure she knew how he felt. The smile she gave him sent shivers down his spine and his heart almost skipped a beat when she grabbed his hand and whispered she was glad to be back home.

But then there was Kid. Oh how he hated how Kid, even when not saying a single word, had the uncanny ability to overcrowd and judge her just by the way he looked at her. At the same time, he felt an overwhelming sense of jealousy over the determination and conviction his sandy-haired friend had when it came to this young woman, knowing he too would lay down his life for her if she'd ask him to.

They had been broken up for some time now and a lot had happened since then. As much as Jimmy tried to ignore how he felt about her, it had become harder with every day that passed. Even he started to believe that he was able to give her what he thought she deserved; a home and a family without her ever having to lose her true self. Determined to let her make her own decision as he knew she cared about both him, as well as the Kid, he tried his best and gave her everything she longer for.

"Lou! Let me carry that for you" Kid said as he took over the sack of feed she was carrying.

"Kid, I'm fine, if I weren't, Rachel wouldn't have let me do my chores" she sighed.

"I know, but the doc said you should take it easy for a week or so. Haulin' heavy sacks of feed ain't takin' things easy Lou and you know it"

Rolling her eyes she followed Kid to the storage and watched him throw the bag down onto the pile where it landed with a loud thud.

"If you don't think I should be carryin' heavy stuff, you can take my chores and I'll do yours" she finally said as Kid made a start to get a second bag.

Kid guiltily looked from the pile of bags that needed moving to the pile of wood that he was chopping before he decided she was taking on too much too soon.

"I see, you were choppin' wood, and that's heavy work as well ain't it? So I can't do that neither I suppose." she breathed sarcastically "What other chores are there left to do for someone who dislocated her shoulder almost a week ago, hmm?"

Kid stared at his boots and dug his hands deep in his pockets when he realized he'd done it again. He made her mad with his incisive over protectiveness and he knew she had every right to be, so he let her rant.

"Oh! I know, I could start mendin' those pants you tore yesterday!" she continued dramatically throwing one hand in the air.

"Lou.." Kid tried, but she was on a roll.

"No, no, you're probably right, 'cause when it comes to me you always know what's best don't ya Kid?! She bellowed while she dug a finger in his chest.

He lifted his eyes from the boots he stared at and looked at her full of remorse. All week he had been biting his tongue and managed to keep his worrying to himself but when he saw the painful look on her face as she swung the heavy bag over her shoulder something snapped in him and again acted without thinking.

They had not been together for several months and a lot had happened since, but no matter how hard Kid tried to push his feelings aside there was no denying he was still in love with her. He tried to give her the freedom and space she longed for and truthfully, it had been easier than Kid expected it would be, but hiding how he felt about her had proven to be the hardest thing he ever had to do. And her standing only mere inches away from him only made matters worse.

"What's all this yellin' about?" Jimmy's voice rang out as he came around the barn dragging a shovel behind him.

Kid's frustration had him so upset; he looked over at Jimmy with pleading eyes. "Maybe you can get her to use some common sense!"

Lou's eyes narrowed as she looked from Kid to Jimmy, just daring him to get on her case.

"Common sense about what?" Jimmy asked, still unsure of what was going on between the two.

Kid pointed a finger Lou's way then gestured to the sacks of feed. "Her and the way she's overdoing it, tryin' to lift those sacks of feed!"

Jimmy rolled his eyes, wishing he'd taken longer digging that hole for Teaspoon near the well. 'How did I get in the middle of these two?' he wondered.

With a sigh, Jimmy admitted grudgingly, "He's right Lou. You're supposed to be taking it easy. If Rachel saw you lifting those, she'd skin all of us alive."

Lou's chest puffed up in disbelief. She couldn't believe it! Jimmy was taking Kid's side, against her!

She clenched her jaw, seeing red. "You two are driving me crazy! You're smothering me do you know that? You," she pointed a finger at Kid who looked sheepishly. "You by the way you think I'm not capable of doing my job, of taking care of myself. When are you going to get it through that thick skull of yours, I'M A BIG GIRL. I CAN TAKE CARE OF MYSELF!"

When Kid opened his mouth to protest, she shushed him loudly. "Not… another… word from you."

Jimmy snickered at the way Lou was able to silence Kid with just a look.

Hearing Jimmy's snicker, Lou whirled on him, finger raised in anger. "And you James Hickok. I thought I could count on your support! But oh, no! You agree with Kid! The two of you think that I'm some shrinking violet, needin' to be taken care of. Well I'm sick and tired of it!"

Lou paused to catch her breath, tears in her eyes from Kid's overbearing treatment and Jimmy's sudden lack of confidence in her ability to do what was right for her.

Jimmy scowled, eyes turning steely as his temper began to boil. Trying to keep a reign on his anger, he stated as calmly as he could, "I ain't like that at all, Lou and you know it! I've never doubted your ability to do your job. I am concerned over your well being seeing hows you got hurt just last week. Since the doc said you're not too overdue it, I agree with Kid. If you don't like that, it's just to damn bad."

Lou bit back the tears that prickled her eyes as she met Jimmy's defensive stare. She hated when he looked at her like that.

"I'm sorry; I know that was uncalled for." she finally said to him, her anger abating.

Jimmy wasn't quite sure if he was ready to stop being angry. She knew exactly how to push his buttons and get under his skin, but he didn't like it when she'd use him to get to Kid. From the way she only apologized to him it seemed that was just what she was out to do. What bothered him even more was he was fool enough to take the bait.

"Just think before you say somethin' like that to me again," Jimmy answered flatly.

Kid wasted no time stating that he clearly took Jimmy's comment as a personal attack and made sure Lou knew exactly how he felt for being discarded like he had committed a mortal sin for showing he cared for her wellbeing.

"There ain't no winning, with either of ya…!" he almost spat out the words. "Just forget I said anything"

That was the last straw for Lou. She knew she had been unfair to both of them when she had thrown a tantrum only minutes ago, but the way they pulled everything she said or did completely out of context had driven her over the edge. She had to get away, from both of them or she'd end up being responsible for the death of two young men in the prime of their lives.

She needed to get away from Kid's sweet and protective nature that made her want to jump him when he wasn't looking, yet made her skin curl when he'd convey his concern for her in such a way she felt she more like a little girl than a grown capable woman.

She wanted to get as far away as possible from Jimmy, who made her feel she was bigger than life but was so damn hard to reach, never really letting anyone get close enough to let them in.

Pushing herself past Jimmy and Kid she stomped off to the barn and saddled Lightning. Teaspoon had mentioned a trip to Tucson that he still needed a volunteer for and right now that ride had her name written all over it.

"You just couldn't let it go, could ya Kid" Jimmy sneered staring in the direction of the barn.

"What is that supposed to mean? You said so yourself she was takin' on too much too soon!" Kid rebutted fiercely.

"There's more ways than one tellin' someone they should take it easy Kid, and your way always end up in people feelin' they ain't fit to make a decision for themselves even if their lives depended on it," he growled, digging the shovel he was holding deep into the ground.

Kid clenched his teeth together and with all the restraint he could muster he fought the urge to slam his fist in Jimmy's face.

"I ain't gonna apologize for bein' concerned about her," he hissed. "If she wants me to accept who she is, she's gonna have to do the same in return. You makin' her think she can take on the whole world single-handedly ain't doin' her any good either. Remember that the next time she rides in with somethin' worse than a dislocated shoulder."

"Now hold on just a minute Kid! I know Lou can take of herself, but she's like the rest of us. We all need help sometimes. I just know when she needs that help and am there for her then. You on the other hand, seem to think she can't make a move without your permission!" Jimmy snarled throwing the shovel down as Kid whirled on him.

Jimmy had anticipated Kid's fist, moving to the left in time for it to catch his shoulder. As fists began to fly, Lou barreled out of the barn on Lightning. She gave the two men fighting a disgusted look and headed out to find Teaspoon.

"Lou? Lou!" Rachel yelled, running into the yard upon hearing all the commotion watching the young woman ride as if the devil were nipping at her heels.

Standing hands on hips, Rachel eyed the two young men who had stopped their fighting when Lou flew past them. "What have you two done now? Why is Lou racing out of here like that?"

Jimmy knew that the tapping of Rachel's foot and her stance boded no good for the two of them and he stood up taller, in a defensive position, ready to argue with her.

"It ain't us Rachel. Honest…" he added at her look. "Lou was tryin' to do too much and we wanted her to take it easy. Ain't that right Kid?" He looked over at Kid who looked like he wished the ground would open and swallow him up.

"Uh, yeah. That's right Rachel. Lou was trying to stack the feed and the doc told her to take it easy." His face lightened as he referred to the doctor's orders thinking that made everything right.

Narrowing her eyes, Rachel demanded to know, "How do you explain the two of you fighting again?"

"Well, you know…" Jimmy let his voice trail off as Kid offered, "It was all a misunderstanding…"

Pointing a finger towards the bunkhouse, Rachel ordered, "Both of you, inside right now! I think it's time we had a little talk, the three of us."

Thinking he could get out of the scolding they were about to get, Jimmy protested weakly, "But Rachel, I got to get that hole dug for Teaspoon."

"To bad. You should have thought about that before you upset Lou. Now march!"

Lou found Teaspoon in his usual spot. Sitting behind his desk, feet up, hat tilted over his face napping.

Without knocking, Lou barged into the office, with a loud, "I'll do it Teaspoon."

Casually lifting his hat up from his face, Teaspoon peeked out at her with one eye.

"You'll do what, Lou?" he asked, mildly curious as to what had his female rider so bent out of shape and ready to do whatever 'it' was.

"I'll volunteer to go to Tucson. When do I leave?" she asked, ready to take off right then and there.

Sitting up in his chair, Teaspoon's face showed his surprise at her wanting to take the long trip. "And why, might I ask, have you changed your mind all of a sudden? You and the boys were against having to go just this morning when I asked for a volunteer."

Agitated at his questions and itching to be on her way, Lou grumbled, "You still need someone or not?"

Teaspoon's eyebrows shot up at the curt tone. This wasn't like Lou. "Well, yes I do need someone to go but are you sure you're up to it, with your shoulder healing 'n all?"

The way Lou's eyes shot fire and she let out a deep annoyed breath told Teaspoon everything he needed to know. He was sure a certain someone had mentioned her shoulder to her some time earlier that day and that was probably the reason she decided to take on the run. Sensing it was not his place to ask for the real reason she volunteered and not in the mood to be poking his nose where he knew she didn't think it belonged, he hastily agreed.

"Alright, if that's what you want. You leave at dawn." Teaspoon answered with a dismissive tone.

The two boys took their sweet time getting themselves in the bunkhouse as Rachel had ordered them to, neither of them anxious to have that 'little' talk. Kid rubbed his painful jaw uncomfortably while he sat down opposite Jimmy at the bunkhouse table.

"Now…" Rachel started with a menacing tone. "You're gonna listen, and your gonna listen good. This breakin' out into fist fights has gotta stop!"

"Rachel, we already said it was…"Jimmy started but wasn't allowed to finish.

"What part of 'listen' was not clear to you?" Rachel barked dragging out the words while she leaned over the table towards Jimmy.

Jimmy adjusted his position to cover up he felt uncomfortable at the way he was being spoken to.

"I think it's time we get to the bottom of why you two end up at each others throats all the time, and don't give me any excuses 'cause I can tell you now that I ain't buyin' any of 'em"

Kid momentarily stopped picking a dent in the table to look at Rachel "Seems to me you already know why, so what's the point in makin' us talk about it"?

Rachel threw him a withering glance that made Kid shamefully go back to his picking and then pulled up a chair to sit at the head of the table.

"Kid, since you said it was all a misunderstandin' why don't you start by tellin' what Jimmy so blatantly misunderstood this time?" she asked in her sweetest voice.

Kid shifted uncomfortably in his chair, did his best to avoid Rachel's eyes while he feverishly thought of a white lie he could tell her that would let him off the hook.

Anything not to have to say that he had been bending over backwards in hopes Lou would give him another chance and that it drove him insane Jimmy countered everything he did which made his efforts seem worthless. But try as he might, from the moment he opened his mouth all the things he tried so hard not to say came tumbling out.

"Lou took on too much too soon, and when I went up to tell her that she got mad at me. I didn't mean to make her mad; I just care about her and don't like to see her hurt. That's when Jimmy showed up," he said pointing a finger at Jimmy. "So I asked him if he could talk some sense into her. I know I shouldn't have, but I couldn't think of anything else to do at the time"

Jimmy nodded, confirming that Kid so far had told the story exactly as it happened.

Rachel shifted her eyes from Jimmy back to Kid and wondered how in heavens name one moment they wholeheartedly agreed with one another, while a second later they'd be at each others throats.

The answer to that question came soon enough.

"I try. I really try to not to be as I used to be around her and I think I've been doing alright with that but now…" Kid continued but wasn't sure he wanted to say the rest of the sentence out loud.

"But what?" Rachel gently urged, feeling Kid was about to spit out the root cause of all his troubles.

Kid sighed and scolded himself inwardly for the inability to say something other than the truth. Looking up to face Jimmy, who's face told him he was prepared for what would come next, he swallowed hard before he said out loud what he had been thinking for weeks.

"I just can't do no good with her… with Jimmy…" Kid stammered. "With Jimmy… there all the time… doin' exactly the opposite of everythin' I do. I mean, tellin' her to step up when I just told her it's alright to step down, treatin' her like she's one of the boys…"

Jimmy burst out of his chair pounding his fists on the table scaring the living daylights out of Rachel. "She IS just like one of us! When are you gonna get that through that thick skull of yours!

"NO SHE AIN'T!" Kid yelled back at him tipping over the chair as he rocketed out of it. "And she should know there ain't NOTHIN' wrong with that!"

"Who said there was anything wrong with Lou? All I said is she IS one of us, whether you like it or not," Jimmy retorted, ready to start throwing punches again.

Rachel could see that the situation was getting out of hand and stood up, one hand on each of the young men's chest, holding them back.

"Kid, Jimmy sit down! Right now!" she demanded trying to keep an eye on both of them.

Once the two hot heads were seated, she clasped her hands in front of her, with a sigh she spoke bluntly to them.

"The way I see it, Kid, you keep trying to treat Lou like the female you know she is. Jimmy you treat her as an equal. In my opinion, neither of you are in the wrong. You both care for Lou a great deal," she stopped and raised a hand before either could protest.

"The life Lou's living is a hard one. She's a female living as a male just to survive. With you all knowing she's a girl, it makes it all that much harder at times. She feels like she has to prove her worth to you all. Now I know she can do the same as you but Lou don't always feel like you all allow her to do her job."

"But Rachel," Kid protested, "There are just some things she shouldn't be doin'…"

Sitting back in his chair with a smug look, Jimmy let out a little laugh. "See Rachel! That's what I'm talkin' about. He keeps tellin' her what she should and shouldn't be doin'. Not me. I know Lou can judge for herself what she's able to do and what she can't."

Rachel rolled her eyes as Kid snarled, "You let her do what she wants so she won't get mad at you, hoping that she'll like you if she gets mad enough at me!"

Jimmy's eye narrowed. "Them there is fightin' words," he said with a telling calm in his voice.

Kid knew he'd crossed the line and looked nervously at Rachel. Slamming her palm on the table, Rachel bellowed, "That's enough! There isn't going to be any more fighting! Do you hear me, Jimmy?" she looked over him, staring until he nodded grudgingly, then at Kid, who nodded immediately.

"Now both of you need to find a way to live with each other or so help me! Lou don't need this. You'll both drive her away if you keep on like this. Let her make her own decisions from now on. If she can't do something, she will ask for help. She's not like one of you boys who think they can do it all!"

Kid and Jimmy sat quietly at the table, not daring to say a word. Rachel stood looking from one to the other waiting to see if there was going to be any more trouble when the door opened and Lou can walking in.

She stopped in her tracks when she seen them all turn and look at her. Tension could be felt and it made her uneasy. She didn't have to ask to know that they'd been talking about her.

"Uh, what's going on?" She asked looking to Rachel for an answer.

Giving her a smile, Rachel tried to reassure her, "Oh, me and the boys were just having a little talk, weren't we?"

Both boys didn't meet either of them in the eye but nodded in agreement.

Lou went to her bunk and started gathering some of her belongings for her trip the next day.

Kid looked questioningly at the others, wondering what was going on. Jimmy shrugged.

Wanting to know herself, Rachel asked, "Going somewhere Lou?"

Without looking up, Lou answered, "Tucson."

Kid's whole body stiffened when he heard where she was going, the fact that she volunteered to take on such a dangerous ride almost felt like a slap in the face. Jimmy merely frowned and shifted his eyes uneasily from Lou to Kid.

"You're takin' the ride to Tucson?" Jimmy repeated.

"That's right." she answered evenly still packing for the trip.

The ride back from Teaspoon to the station had made her realize something, that the decision to volunteer to ride out to Tucson had been the only right thing to do. She realized she was confused, about everything and everyone at the moment and needed some time and distance to figure things out for herself. Some time a distance between the two men who almost had her split in two.

Since she and Kid had broken up she found herself spending more time with Jimmy and actually enjoying herself in a way that she never felt possible before. He'd treat her as an equal and everything they did together; from talking to doing fun things to relax seemed to have a natural flow to it. But since a couple of weeks she had gotten closer to Kid again as well. Whenever they were together and alone, he'd be the perfect gentleman making her feel more special than anyone could ever make her feel just by smiling at her. With him she could wind down and briefly be the woman she longed to be and without feeling uncomfortable for letting her guard down.

All of this made her head spin and caused her to lash out to either of them when both men would be together trying so hard to outdo the other. So she had to get away for a while and do some serious thinking about what was she really wanted.

"Well, I have dinner to tend to," Rachel suddenly spoke up feeling it was time to leave the boys and Lou alone. "Lou, if there's anythin' you need, come see me at the house"

Lou turned around rolling up a shirt she intended to bring along, nodded and silently watched Rachel leave. When the door closed she noticed the bewildered looks on both Jimmy and Kid's faces.

"Somethin' either of you gotta say?" she snapped unwillingly.

Jimmy was the first to pull himself together and spoke up "Nope, you're free to take whatever ride you want."

She nodded at him with a faint smile. His tone told her they were okay again and he understood she needed to take this ride. The old Jimmy was back and she was grateful. With slight trepidation she turned to look at Kid hoping for a similar sign.

"Kid?"

His blue eyes betrayed that he was shook up and had a hard time keeping himself composed. Without having said a single word he got up from his seat and bolted out the bunkhouse. Jimmy groaned and ran an annoyed hand through his long hair.

Throwing the shirt on the table she tried running after him, but was instantly held back by Jimmy.

"He can't keep doin' this to you…" he breathed angrily.

"I know…" she whispered staring into his brown eyes.

"Then why do you keep runnin' after him?" Jimmy asked in a slightly raised voice.

"For the same reason I keep runnin' to you…" she answered, shaking his arm from hers and left him alone in the bunkhouse.

She walked in the barn and found Kid checking a saddle that looked an awful lot like her own. Slowly walking up to him but making sure she kept her distance she waited for him to make the first move.

"I'm sorry…" He muttered after what seemed like minutes, not taking his eyes off the task at hand.

She took another step towards him "Kid…"

"About everythin'. About the sacks of feed, about stormin' out the bunkhouse. I shouldn't have done that; I shouldn't have done a lot of things"

Lou folded her arms around her waist and waited for him to continue.

"I know this ride to Tucson is somethin' you need to do and I understand… We ain't exactly made things easy for ya these couple weeks," he carried on.

Lou's face went white as paper, shocked at Kid's sudden openheartedness, always thinking he'd be the last person to confront her on her tangled up feelings for the both of them.

"What do you mean 'we'?" she asked with a shaky voice.

Leaving the saddle for what it was he finally turned around to face her.

"Jimmy and me…" he answered softly, but being straight to the point. "The both of us tryin' so hard can't be easy on you."

"I…. I don't… You got things all…" she stammered but couldn't find the right words to say in response.

"Just promise you'll be careful out there," Kid said starting at the floor.

Unable to find anything to say Lou backed out of the barn, her eyes never leaving him and almost tripping over her own feet. When she managed to get out she felt hot tears prickling her eyes and her anger flare like it had never before in her life.

How dare they! How dare they play with her mind like that, making her feel the way she felt! More determined than ever she went back to the bunkhouse, relieved to find Jimmy already gone, to finish packing her things for the trip. Wishing out loud it was morning already so she could finally get away from everything and even more, from everyone.

Dinner that evening was a somber affair. Kid and Jimmy sat brooding, pushing their food around their plates not paying attention to the conversation going on around them. They were too preoccupied with their own thoughts, both worrying about Lou's intended trip.

Lou was anxious to be on her way and picked at her food. The other's didn't notice with Cody telling her all the great things she would be seeing on her trip until Buck asked him, "How do you know what she's gonna see? You ever been to Tucson and we don't know about it?"

Teaspoon rolled his eyes as Cody started to bluster on about all that he has seen that the others hadn't. The lecture from the blond rider continued for several minutes until Rachel declared she had a headache and he'd best be quite before he got stuck with the dishes.

Knowing how he hated being stuck with that job, Rachel had hit on the ideal way to make him be quiet.

Lou pushed her plate away stating to no one in particular, "I think I'll get some shut eye," and proceeded to walk to her bunk and climbed in. She turned her back towards everyone still at the table and pulled her blanket up to her chin and shut her eyes.

A hushed course of "'Night Lou" sounded as she drifted off.

As the new dawn broke over the mountains in the distance, Lou dressed quietly, so as not to awaken any of the other riders; she didn't feel like dealing with Kid or Jimmy so early.

Going to Teaspoon's for the package he needed delivered as he had told her to do the night before, Lou was anxious to be on her way.

After tucking the package into her saddlebags, she turned to go saddle her horse, only to be surprised by the other riders, standing with her horse waiting to see her off.

Mildly annoyed at seeing them all there, waiting for her with smiles, Lou took a deep breath and asked, "What are you all doin' up so early?"

"Couldn't let you go without telling you to have a safe trip," Buck mentioned as he took her saddlebags from her and put them on her saddle.

"Yeah, we wanted to tell you to have a nice time," Kid said a bit uneasily, not sure how she would take his comment.

Not wanting to start the day off with an argument, Lou just murmured, "Thank you," to all of them with a slight smile.

Ike walked up to her and gave her a hug, telling her, *Come back soon. We'll miss you*

Hugging him back, Lou told him, "I'll miss you too, Ike."

Cody was the next to hug her and wish her a safe trip.

Buck and Kid followed suit, though Kid squeezed a bit harder than the others.

Jimmy was the only one who hadn't said a word to her yet and she turned towards him. He stood next to Lightning, stroking her horse's nose and speaking quietly.

When he'd looked up, he was embarrassed to have been caught talking to the horse, but didn't enlighten Lou as to what he'd told Lightning.

Jimmy gave her his trademark lop-sided grin and opened his arms to give her a hug. She accepted it as she had the others, glad that she was going to have time away from them all to think things through.

Jimmy held Lightning's reins while Lou climbed into the saddle. When she tipped her hat at him, he handed her the reins and gave Lightning's rump a slap, sending them on their way.

Lou waved without looking back as the others called out, "Ride safe!"

Taking a deep breath of cool morning air, Lou felt relieved to be on her way.

Lou was far to preoccupied to take in the wonderful scenery as she rode Lightning like she never had before in her life. The wide-open space and the snowcapped mountains in the distance did nothing for her. Impressive and commanding as they normally would have been, today it was as if they weren't there at all as she only had one thing on her mind.

She was worried. Worried that the time spent away from the station would not be enough for her to finally make up her mind. Worried that she would end up making the wrong decision and most of all, worried she had to break the heart of someone she had come to care a great deal about over time.

Taking breaks only when she or Lightning really needed to, she made it to semi-secluded spot just before nightfall where she would rest for the night.

"You've done good girl," Lou cooed as she patted Lightning's neck before building herself a fire.

She felt dead tired and her shoulder bothered her more than she was willing to admit, but her constantly reeling mind wouldn't let her rest.

She remembered Kid's strong and protective embrace just before she left, his unique smell and the caring look in her eyes that made her stomach flutter. It was getting harder by the day to ignore the feelings they had once shared had ever actually disappeared. Kid never failing to pick up her demeanor and blatantly showing her he felt exactly the same way essentially didn't make matters easier.

When she replayed the scene in her head it would unwillingly carry on to the moment she caught Jimmy whispering something to Lightning of which she was sure had something to do with demanding a safe return of her owner. Try as she might, denying being wrapped in Jimmy's arms didn't have the same effect as when she was in Kid's would have been a cold, hard lie. Because it did, it frustrated her beyond belief.

"Oh! Get a grip on yourself Louise!" she chastised herself and reached for her saddlebag to grab the map she had packed along with her, not that she needed one. Taking the express route was always the safest, but wanting to take her mind off the torment it was currently putting her through, she hoped it would provide some distraction. At this point, any distraction was more than welcome.

Glancing over at the unfolded piece of paper, she could hardly read it. In the pitch-black night, only one place stood out, Salt Lake City.

Immediately forgetting all the doubt and insecurities, she decided there would be no harm in making a short stopover in Salt Lake City. She would pass through the town in Utah anyway and she had made good time so far. A night on the town would probably do her wonders, she thought. It would be the perfect place to wind down before she reached her final destination.

Content with her decision-making, she snuggled deeper into her coat and soon drifted off into a dream-filled sleep. Dreams of pretty gowns, romantic walks under the stars and waltzing on the street….

Fresh horses at each relay station made the trip go by quickly. On the morning of the fifth day, Lou rode into Salt Lake City with anticipation. It had been a long while since she had been able to dress as a girl and she was looking forward to a nice long, hot bath after being on the trail.

Lou left her horse at the livery, promising to be back for it in the morning. Whistling a happy tune, she threw her saddlebags over her shoulder and headed towards the hotel.

A sign halfway down the street caught her eye, drawing her closer to look at the goods inside the window on display. A pretty, light blue dress with dainty flowers made her catch her breath.

Eyes glowing, Lou stared at the dress longingly. A woman inside noticed her looking at the dress and tapped on the window and motioned her inside.

With a big smile, the woman greeted Lou. "Good morning. I couldn't help but notice you looking at that pretty blue dress in the window. Would you like to try it on?"

Lou looked at the woman in surprise. "How did you know?" she asked confused.

"That you are a girl?" the shopkeeper laughed. "I've seen many girls dressed as you are coming through Salt Lake City lately. I've gotten pretty good at picking them out."

Lou smiled as the woman brought the dress out of the window for her to look closer at. She fingered it, loving the softness of the fabric compared to the trousers and vest she was wearing.

"Hmm, I think it may be about your size," the dressmaker told her holding it up in front of Lou.

"Why don't you leave your bag on this chair while you go try it on behind the curtain," she mentioned showing Lou where she could change.

A large smile lighted up Lou's face as she declared, "I think I will!"

A few moments later, Lou stepped out of the changing room to stand before a mirror next to the chair with her saddlebags on it. "Oh, my!" she uttered in delight. The transformation was amazing. She had come into the shop looking like a boy and was suddenly a pretty girl once more.

The dressmaker gave her a knowing looking, sure that the dress had just sold itself to the young woman entranced with herself in the mirror.

Coming to stand next to Lou, the woman mentioned, "The cuff looks a bit big. I could take it in for you if you like. Maybe a little in the waist also."

Lou looked to the cuff and waist, deciding that it looked fine to her. "I think I'll just take it as it is. Could you wrap it for me?"

"That would be no problem. Just hand it to me once you have it off and I'll get it ready."

Thrilled at her purchase, Lou looked around the shop while the dress was wrapped up. A chip hat sat saucily upon a counter with blue ribbons down the back that matched the dress perfectly. Trying it on, Lou liked the way it showed off her big, brown eyes and framed her petite face.

Laying it on the counter next to the wrapped dress, she smiled. "I'll take this also." Thanking the woman for her purchases, Lou headed towards the hotel once more.

Carefully hiding the parcel she walked up to the desk clerk, rented a room and ordered herself a nice hot bath. The clerk, who was very pre-occupied with two young ladies that had just walked in behind Lou, muttered something that sounded like he would send someone up as soon as possible. Lou tried to hide a smile as she watched the two girls giggle while being stared at by the young desk clerk. She'd have her turn, right after her bath, she thought happily.

Lucky for Lou the desk clerk wasn't too mesmerized by the two young ladies as a few minutes later after she went up to her room the bath she ordered was brought up. With a smile that didn't quite reached her ears she indulged herself by using the little bit of lavender scented soap she had managed to sneak along with her. It was a luxury item she had permitted herself to buy a long time ago, only using it on very special occasions. Today, she had decided, would be one of them just because she could and she loved it.

When the bath had started to turn cold, she got out, dressed herself and tried to make the most of her hair. It was still too short to actually allow her to pull it up in a neat bun, but she managed to get it somewhat to resemble a fashionable hairdo. Content with her appearance, she set out for a walk around town. She wasn't hungry yet, so she would figure out what to do for dinner later.

With her head in the clouds, and her spirits soaring after having felt so blue and torn between Kid and Jimmy, she stepped out of the hotel and paraded around town immensely enjoying the attention she was given. Not looking where she was going Lou found herself walking into someone's suitcases standing just outside of one of the many hotels that Salt Lake City had to offer.

Tumbling over the suitcases Lou let out a loud shriek before landing with a painful thud upon the ground.

"Oh my! I am so sorry; I should have left these suitcases inside! Are you hurt? Do you need me to call the doctor?" The voice of a young woman rambled from the hotel entrance.

Scrambling to her feet and muttering a curse to herself, Lou straightened out her dress putting her newly bought hat back on her head before looking up to whoever was profusely apologizing.

"No harm done, I'm fine," Lou assured the young lady.

When Lou was sure everything was indeed intact she let her glance linger on the owner of the suitcases. All previous anger and annoyance vanished into thin air as she recognized the person standing in front of her.

"Vicky?!" She suddenly cried out. "Victoria Abigail Wentworth?! Is that really you?"

Victoria furrowed her brow as she eyed the young lady who had called her by her full name. Here was this woman who knew who she was, yet she had no recollection of ever having seen her before in her life.

Lou instantly picked up on Victoria's demeanor and hastily introduced herself.

"It's Louise. Louise McCloud!"

The expression on Victoria's face went from apprehensive and uncertain to one of recognition and happiness. Opening her arms to Louise, she let out a high-pitched squeal.

"Louise! I hardly recognized you!" Victoria cried. "You certainly look nothing like the scrawny little grey mouse you used to be!"

Still in a euphoric state, Lou didn't catch the slightly insulting comment her old friend had made. She was immensely happy she had found someone from her past that didn't bring back bad memories for her.

"What are you doin' all the way out here?" Lou asked, surprised to find Victoria way out West, seeing how she had always been a prim and proper young lady, never one to venture far from home.

A tight smile crossed Victoria's face as she explained, "Oh, that! I have to take care of some of my late husband's business."

Lou's eyebrows shot up. She was surprised to hear that Victoria had been married seeing how they were both seventeen. "You were married?" she said in a funny voice.

Flashing her wedding ring, Victoria bragged, "For over a year. My poor Samuel passed away just recently…"

Sadness flashed in Lou's eyes at the thought of her friend's husband dying. "I'm sorry to hear that."

"Don't be," Victoria said flippantly. "Turns out he wasn't the man I thought he was, but lets not talk about that. Come, you can tell me what you're doing way out here in the middle of nowhere."

Linking her arm through Lou's, Victoria turned to a young boy near the hotel's doorway.

"Take these in and tell the man that Mrs. Cohen will be staying another day." The boy picked up her suitcases and did as he was bid without a word.

Sighing, Victoria told Lou, "Now, let's go find that tea!"

Once they were served a pot of tea with a wide array of tempting pastries, Victoria again asked, "So, what brings little Louise McCloud way out here?"

Lou bristled at the 'little' but let it pass without comment. She was to busy coming up with a story that she could tell her old playmate without telling her secret of being a female Pony Express rider.

Stirring a spoonful of sugar into her delicate teacup, Lou came up with a plausible story. "Believe it or not, I recently hired on as a cook for the Pony Express."

Victoria was taken back. "You mean you work?"

Sitting up straighter, Lou said proudly, "Well, yes I do. It's a good job and the pay is better than most."

Her eyes narrowed as the wheels began turning in her head, Victoria asked pointedly, "Where exactly is this place you work for?"

A fond look came over Lou as she mentioned, "In Rock Creek, back in Nebraska. I love it there."

"Really? What's so great about being a cook?" Victoria asked with mild distaste at the thought of actually doing work.

"Well, first of all I work with a really nice group of people. There's Teaspoon Hunter, the stationmaster and all around father to the riders. Rachel Dunne is the station mother who helps take care of the station and the riders. Then there are the riders themselves; Cody, Ike, Buck, Noah, the Kid and Jimmy. They have all been so nice to me ever since I started working there."

"If you work back in Nebraska, what are you doing way out here in Salt Lake City?"

Sitting back in her chair, Victoria smiled sweetly, a plan having formed in her mind on how to get out the her sticky situation she found herself in when Lou told her, "I am going to Tucson on business."

Clapping her hands, Victoria was thrilled. "Why so am I. What do you say we travel together! Oh, do Louise! It will be so much fun!"

Louise swallowed hard, while trying her best to hide how uncomfortable she was. Traveling with Victoria meant she would have to keep her dress on all the way to Tucson and find a way to sneak along her express outfit without arousing suspicion. A pang of guilt tugged at her heart as she also realized she would also have to leave Lightning at the livery, if she was going to stick with the lie she told Victoria she could never tell her she rode a horse all the way from Nebraska to Salt Lake City, Nevada.

Groaning inwardly she flashed Victoria a fake smile. "That sounds wonderful! Just how exactly did you want to travel to Tucson?"

Victoria gave Lou an odd look "Why with the stagecoach of course, silly," She stated matter of factly.

Lou was afraid that would be the answer and her heart sunk at the thought of the little money she had left. It would have been barely enough for another overnight stay at a hotel in Tucson and one on the way back. The stagecoach was a more expensive form of travel. The fair even from Salt Lake City to Tucson would take at least one third of the money she had left.

Victoria saw the expression on her old friends face and wondered why Louise would be so worried about going by stage if she had traveled on it to Salt Lake City.

"How else would a proper lady get to Tucson, other than with the stagecoach?" She asked curiously.

Lou's cheeks burned fiercely of anger and shame; of course a real lady would travel by stagecoach but she wasn't a real lady. She was an express rider who wore pants, rode a horse and slept on the cold, dirty ground. That's how she would have gotten to Tucson had she not run into her childhood friend.

"I traveled with someone from Rock Creek." She continued her lie. "But they ain't… I mean… they're not travellin' any further. They're stayin' here. To be honest I haven't thought about how I'd to get to Tucson until you mentioned it," she answered sheepishly.

"Oh Louise, how careless of me to just assume you would have enough money to pay for the stagecoach fair! I should have realized when you mentioned you only recently started to work, "Victoria heavily emphasized the last word, "that money would be an issue."

Anger flared within Louise. The belittling tone in Victoria's voice was almost too much to bear, but she clenched her teeth together sensing Victoria hadn't said all she wanted to say. She had lied about who she really was, pretended to be someone she wasn't, so she had no other choice but to sit through it.

Leaning over to gently patting Louise's hand, Victoria gave Lou an empathizing look.

"You have nothing to be ashamed of Louise. Don't you worry about the fare; it will be my pleasure to pay for the both of us. Be generous to those less fortunate, my dear daddy always says," she quipped.

Utterly amazed at how her childhood friend had changed from a sweet and caring young girl into a conceited, disdaining snob all Lou could do was silently nod, which Victoria mistook for gratefulness for making the offer to pay.

Victoria herself however, would have done anything to get Louise to join her. Lou would be her ticket to freedom and Rock Creek sounded like the perfect place to execute the second part of her plan to regain the wealth she had grown accustomed to. Things were finally looking up for her, Victoria thought maliciously, giving Louise another one of her sugar sweet smiles.

The two finished their tea when Lou called it an early night. She wasn't hungry anymore, the lies she had told having rid her of her appetite. She excused herself, saying she was tired and wanted to be well rested for their trip the next morning. Victoria was secretly relieved, not aware both had their own agenda, which made making conversation a strenuous affair. Other than talking about their childhood days neither mentioned much of their lives today, afraid of saying something that would give away their secrets.

The two agreed to meet up in front of Victoria's hotel in the morning in time for the stagecoach to arrive. Lou had carefully packed her express clothes in the wrapping her dress came in, not having the money or the time to buy a travel bag or suitcase, while having stored the rest of her belongings at the livery where she had to leave Lightning.

With Victoria not being much of a morning person Lou was grateful she didn't mention anything about how light she was traveling and why she kept a parcel with her in the stagecoach. Soon the two girls were on their way to Tucson, old lives left behind while a maze of lies and deceit lie ahead.

"He at it again?" Cody asked sarcastically glancing over at Kid, who was working his fingers to the bone.

"Yup…" Noah answered evenly, "And we still have about a week to go before she'll be back."

She probably hasn't even reached Tucson yet and he's losin' his marbles already!" Cody stated incredulously.

"He said somethin' don't feel right to him," Buck mentioned.

"Well, if ya ask me, he's the one that ain't right when it comes to Lou…" Cody said shaking his head. "You'd think with them not bein' together anymore he'd loosen up a bit."

Noah shrugged, thinking it would be better if he kept his thoughts to himself.

"I don't know Cody; I don't think it works that way. Breakin' up don't mean you don't care anymore. 'Sides, I think she still has him wrapped around her little finger like she had when they were still together," Buck said with a little grin.

Cody and Noah chuckled at Buck's last remark when Jimmy came walking up to them.

"Don't you know it ain't polite talkin' 'bout people behind their back?" He barked at the trio.

"Since when do you care what anyone says about the Kid?" Cody retorted.

Jimmy threw Cody a warning look, which was impressive enough to keep him from saying more.

"Come on Jimmy, ever since this mornin' he's been in one of his strange moods. Sayin' things don't feel right and such," Noah said in attempt to justify their conversation earlier.

Jimmy glanced over at Kid, slaving away over by the woodpile then turned his attention back to the boys.

"Sometimes if things don't feel right, they just don't feel right," he commented with a shrug.

Like Kid, Jimmy had had a niggling feeling that something wasn't right but couldn't put his finger on what.

He'd woken with the feeling and it had been with him all day. First he made sure everything was right at the station, then he went to visit Teaspoon down at the jail, but things were quiet there too.

Now, knowing that Kid had been feeling the same thing, his worry doubled.

"What's eating you?" Noah asked, not liking that Jimmy was out of sorts also.

"Just a feeling," he grumbled and walked over to where Kid was stacking wood.

Tossing his coat on the bunkhouse porch, Jimmy started picking up wood along side of Kid.

"You feel it to, don't you?" he asked as Kid paused what he was doing to look at him.

"That something ain't right? Yeah I do. Why?" he questioned, surprised that Jimmy was on the same wavelength as he was.

Putting the last of the chopped wood in the pile, Jimmy brushed off his hands before answering.

"I been feelin' it all day too. Even went to check on Teaspoon but everything's fine in town."

Kid wiped his brow with his shirtsleeve. "Same here. Do you think its Lou?" he asked somewhat pensively.

Jimmy tilted his hat back upon his head, standing with his hands upon his hips. "Can't say. If it is, nothin' you and I can do way back here in Rock Creek."

Ike had joined Noah and Cody who stood watching Jimmy and Kid deep in conversation.

*What's going on? They look serious* Ike signed.

"Not sure," Noah told him, his arms crossed and with a frown upon his face. "They both been saying somethin's wrong but can't figure out what."

*Did you ask what?* Ike questioned Buck who was deep in thought.

"Hmm? Oh, yeah, we did. They don't know. It's just a feelin' they said," Buck told him as Jimmy and Kid came their way.

"Maybe we should talk to Teaspoon and Rachel about it. They might know what to do." Kid was suggesting as they came to stand with the others.

"Know what to do about what?" Cody asked perplexed. "I thought you didn't know what was wrong."

Giving him a frown, Kid told him, "I don't. We both think it might have to do with Lou…"

That got all of the rider's attention. They knew Lou was on a special run for Teaspoon to Tucson and it had everyone worried. All of them had been on special runs before and it seemed like every time one of them went on one, something bad happened.

"I hope you're wrong," Buck told them as they went to find Rachel.

They found her in the kitchen preparing biscuits for dinner. Smoothing a loose strand of hair back from her face, she gave the riders a smile. "Dinner isn't for another hour," she said cutting out the biscuits and putting them on a pan.

"We need to talk to you Rachel," Jimmy said with such a serious tone, Rachel was taken aback for a moment.

"Oh? What about?" she asked, going to wash her hands at the sink.

"We think Lou's in trouble," Kid stated matter of factly.

The others nodded in agreement, concern on all of their faces.

"Why don't you all sit down and start at the beginning and tell me why you all think Lou's in trouble."

Lou hated being cooped up but she hated being jostled around like a rag doll while being cooped up even more, she decided as the stage coach raced across the land with a nauseating tempo. Victoria had not said a word to her since they'd left, brazenly flirting with the gentleman that sat across them. He didn't seem to mind the attention he was given but Lou wanted to strangle her. Hurt her so she would stop her dreadful exaggerated behavior and would start acting like a normal human being for once.

"My word! That indeed is a wonderful story Mr. Haines!" Victoria squealed like a little schoolgirl while wildly clapping her hands together.

Lou groaned and rolled her eyes.

This man must be either very lonely or very stupid, she thought to herself. The man called Haines had started to make conversation with Victoria and Lou, telling them stories from his journey that had led him to Salt Lake City.

To be truthful, traveling by stagecoach was a somewhat dangerous affair but was nothing compared to one of even the easiest rides she rode for the express. Right now she wanted nothing more than for the two to stop talking all together. No such luck as the man turned his attention to Lou.

"Miss McCloud, you've been very quite since we left Salt Lake City. Is anything the matter?" he inquired.

Lou wasn't allowed the time to respond when Victoria decided she knew exactly why she had been so quiet.

"Oh don't worry Mr. Haines; Louise is probably just overwhelmed at the luxury of traveling with the stage coach. She came all the way from Nebraska and is probably exhausted. She told me she traveled along with friends." Victoria blabbed in a high pitched voice. "In fact, I do believe this is her first time on the stage!"

Lou's eyes narrowed and she threw Victoria a withering glance. "I just don't care much for conversation with people I hardly know…. Not tryin' to be rude or anythin', but you, Mr. Haines, I don't know."

The gentleman swallowed and for a moment looked slightly uncomfortable, but managed to compose himself soon enough. Victoria however, took Lou's comment quite personal.

"Louise that was uncalled for, Mr. Haines has been nothing but polite ever since we left Salt Lake City!" She replied sternly without taken her eyes off their fellow traveler.

Louise sighed, she knew she had been quite harsh but she had her belly full of Victoria.

Since the two had been re-acquainted, Lou had wriggled herself into a web of lies she desperately wanted to free herself from and focus on the task at hand; deliver the package in Tucson as she was meant to and figure out what, or who it was she really wanted to be with. Now, being stuck with Victoria on tow she hardly could hear herself think and pretending to be someone you're not only made matters worse. That's when Lou realized she had just found the perfect excuse for which she wouldn't have to tell a lie.

"I'm sorry; I'm just not quite myself lately. I have a lot on my mind" She finally answered meekly.

Mr. Haines face lit up, and Victoria's harsh and annoyed expression turned into a more empathizing one.

"That is quite alright Miss McCloud, my apologies for prying," Mr. Haines offered.

Lou smiled faintly and nodded she accepted his apology. What she was not prepared for was the waterfall of questions that poured for Victoria's mouth.

"Louise! You aren't in any kind of trouble are you? Is that why you're traveling to Tucson? Are you meeting anyone there?" Victoria fired the questions one after another; afraid her little plan would fall through after all.

Completely taken aback by the overwhelming concern in Victoria's voice Lou tried to answer all the questions as best as she could.

"No, I ain't in any kind of trouble! I just have… a package to deliver, which… which I wanted to do in person's all," she stammered. "And I figured I could use the time away… to… to figure out some things for myself."

Lou felt her cheeks burn, grateful she didn't spit out that she actually was a rider for the express and everything else she had kept a secret. But Mr. Haines interpreted her embarrassment for something else than almost blowing her cover.

"What is his name?" The gentleman asked.

Lou gave the man a bewildered look. Didn't she just say she didn't care for talking about her personal life with strangers? Despite every instinct telling her to stay quiet she opened her mouth before she even realized she had, the emotional battle she had going on inside took over, in desperate search of seeking anyone to use impartial sounding board.

"Kid… Jimmy" Her voice sounded like it was someone else's.

Victoria frowned, clearly not remembering the names from their earlier conversation "Is 'Kid' a nickname for this Jimmy you mentioned?"

Lou looked from Victoria back to Mr. Haines and decided there was no harm in telling the truth about her feelings for the Kid and Jimmy.

"No, Jimmy's just… Jimmy and Kid…" She started "Well, he's just called the Kid."

"Why Louise, you have been holding out on me!" Victoria said gleefully as she looped her arm around Lou's.

Feelings somewhat more at ease, and the way Victoria had started to behave more like the person she was when they were little, Lou opened up and started telling bits and pieces about the two men that troubled her so.

Of course she kept in mind she said she worked there as a cook and had only just started there but managed to voice her concerns without raising any suspicions about her imaginary occupation at the station.

To Lou's surprise, both Victoria and Mr. Haines had proven to be very good listeners and were able to provide her with some valuable advise. Victoria had told her that everything would work out one way or the other, when the opportunity would arise, she'd know what do to.

Little did Lou know Victoria's advice was actually voicing her own answer to her prayer.

Victoria tried to hide a wicked smile, as the second part of regaining her accustomed wealth started to fall into place, a plan in which this Jimmy and Kid would fit in perfectly from what Lou had told her. Especially Jimmy and his reputation would come in quite handy as she remembered his last name. Hickok…

Yes, she would have no problems convincing her father a man with Hickok's reputation held her hostage. She knew he would do anything to protect their family name or even better, that he would pay any amount to make sure no living soul would know how his daughter had been forced to do manual labor or worse at the will of a very dangerous man.

Jimmy fidgeted in his seat, not sure how to explain to Rachel how he and Kid just 'knew' Lou was in trouble. He looked at Kid with pleading eyes, hoping that he would speak up first.

Kid sat sullenly, knowing that the housekeeper wouldn't understand what he'd been feeling all day. He noticed the look Jimmy sent his way and lowered his eyes to the table, remaining silent.

Rachel drummed her fingers on the table in front of her. "Well?" she said sternly, letting them know she expected an answer and she expected it now.

"Aw, heck Rachel," Jimmy began leaning back in his chair. "We can't rightly explain it. WE just know Lou's in trouble."

"Do you now?" she gave them both a piercing look, anger in her voice. "Is that all you can say? You just know?" Slamming her palm on the table she let loose on them. "You two had better pray Lou's not in any trouble because if she is, it's on your heads! If it wasn't for your incessant fightin' over her and pullin' her every which way, she'd be here with her family, not hundreds of miles away!"

Neither young man looked up; knowing that what Rachel said was true. If it weren't for them constantly hounding Lou, vying for her attention and affection she never would have taken the run. They both knew she hated the stretch from Fort Bridger to the Antelope Spring Station. With the steep mountain trails and Indian trouble that other riders down the line had been experiencing throughout that area, all of them were reluctant to go that way and Lou had volunteered.

Buck, Cody, Noah and Ike had remained silent while Rachel lectured the two riders next to her. All of them were worried about Lou but no one knew what they could do about it being so far away.

Finally, Buck spoke, breaking the silence. "Maybe I should go, see if I can find out where she is and if she's alright?" He was dreading the long ride but would go if they really felt Lou might be in danger. She was like a sister to him and he'd lay down his life for her if need be.

Closing her eyes, Rachel nodded in thanks. "That's mighty good of you to offer Buck. I just don't see any reason at this point for any of you to go runnin' off, riding to Lou's rescue when we don't rightly know that anything's wrong. I'm sure Teaspoon will agree with me when he returns later."

Amid the grumbles from the boys, she sighed. "I promise you all that I will talk to him as soon as he gets back. If he feels that one of you should go after her, he will let you know. Now, I suggest you all get those chores done or there won't be any dinner on the table later."

Six worried and sullen young men filed out the door of the bunkhouse, heading for various chores left undone.

Watching them leave, Rachel was suddenly filled with an uneasy thought. 'What if they are right and Lou is in trouble?'

Shaking her head she told herself not to go borrowing trouble and promised to speak with Teaspoon the moment she seen him about the feelings they were all having about Lou.

Lou stepped out of the stagecoach, with a little help from Mr. Haines. Sore to the bone and dead tired she put a hand on the small of her back and stretched some of the muscles. Not very lady like she realized in hindsight, but she didn't care, she was aching and would do anything to relieve some of the pain in her sore body.

Victoria didn't leave Lou with much time to compose herself and adjust to standing up after so many hours of being tossed around and being seated in the exact same position before she dragged her to one of the fanciest hotels Lou had ever seen in her life.

"Come on Louise, let's get ourselves settled in," Victoria urged excitedly.

Lou bit her lip as he stared at the towering hotel. This was a luxury she never in her life would ever be able to afford. The building was four stories high. She could see a chandelier hanging in the entryway that was surly as big as the bunkhouse back home. Just the gilded doors being held open by a man in some kind of uniform made her gulp.

Never had she seen anything like it. The glass in it had flowers of some sort in white on it and the trim was in gold. It looked to be at least two inches thick and wide enough for several of the riders to walk through at once. Looking up at the front of the building again, she noticed there had to be at least forty rooms facing the street alone by the sheer number of windows she saw.

For a brief moment Lou thought Victoria was joking, that any second she would turn around smiling, telling her she was just pulling her leg. But another firm tug at Lou's arm and reality hit like a brick wall.

"I ain't goin' in there!" Lou exclaimed in shock.

Momentarily easing her grip around Lou's arm Victoria gave her a quizzical look. "I beg your pardon?"

"You heard me, I ain't goin' in there. I ain't got the money to stay at a place like this!" she repeated curtly.

Victoria moved to stand right in front of Lou looked her straight in the eyes while she firmly placed her arms on her shoulders, "I'll take care of the room, don't you worry about a thing."

Lou took in a deep breath and took a moment to choose the right words, for she was fuming mad.

"Vicky, I don't want to stay in this hotel, and I don't want you to pay for me again. I really appreciate you paying for me for the coach, but I've been on my own for a while now and perfectly capable of handlin' things on my own. That includes findin' a hotel I can afford," she said as calmly as she could freeing herself from Victoria's grasp.

She took time away from the station because people, two in particular, tried to run her life for her. Here she was, running into an old childhood friend who was doing exactly the same.

Victoria was not impressed with Louise's speech, but tried her best not to show for it. She couldn't understand how Louise could turn down such a wonderful offer, and even worse, take pride in doing so. To her, Louise was the type of woman Victoria would normally avoid like the plague, but because of their past together and how she would need Lou to get out of one of he stickiest situations she had ever found herself in she tolerated such rudeness.

Instantly putting on one of her warmest smiles Victoria took a few steps away from the hotel.

"I understand, forgive me for being so forward. We'll go to a hotel more to your… ehm… liking. Really, I don't mind," she lied.

"That's alright," Lou responded, thinking of the parcel she still had to deliver "You check in here and I'll find another hotel. I have some things I need to tend to anyway."

"I remember you mentioning you have some business here," Victoria stated matter of factly. "Will you be long?

"I suppose I won't," Lou answered truthfully, finding a hotel and delivering the parcel wouldn't take too long.

"Wonderful!" Victoria answered happily "Then you'll meet me here at the hotel after you're done. I have someone I want you to meet."

Lou wasn't too sure she wanted to spend another evening pretending and lying. She had enough of the dress she was wearing and hadn't spent any time at all on the whole reason she took on this ride in the first place. The very thought of finally having to make a very difficult decision made her stomach churn and before she knew it, she agreed.

Victoria let out a breath she didn't know she was holding. This was it, her ticket to freedom in the form of an ignorant little girl that didn't have a clue of what lie ahead.

"You sure it's alright if I come along?" Lou asked insecurely.

"Of course it will be silly! Abraham Salazar is truly to die for… You'll see when I take you to meet him," Victoria promised.

Lou felt a cold shiver run down her spine at the mention of the name Salazar. For a brief moment she found herself wishing she declined the offer to meet up with Victoria again, but quickly dismissed it. Victoria was different from most people she knew, that was probably the reason for this feeling of uneasiness, she decided.

It didn't take Lou long to find a hotel more within her means. Having taken care of her accommodations, she grabbed Teaspoon's package and headed out the door of her room. In the lobby, she asked the man at the desk if he could send her in the right direction of where she had to go. He eagerly offered to take her there in person, if she would be able to wait another twenty minutes when he got off duty.

Smiling prettily, Lou declined. "I must meet with friends shortly and really need to get this package delivered. Thank you for your offer though."

Saddened by her refusal, the man dejectedly gave her directions, watching her as she left.

Within minutes, Lou had found the address on the package. Knocking on the door, she was finally let in by a maid. Explaining her reason for being there, Lou was informed that Mr. Farthington was not at home but that she could leave the package and it would be given to him upon his return.

"Oh," she said not sure what to do. She didn't know if a reply was expected or not so she told the maid, "If Mr. Farthington has anything he would like me to take back to Mr. Hunter; I will be leaving in four days. I am staying over at the Whitcom Hotel if he has a reply."

Having completed her task, Lou have nothing else to do but return to the hotel where Vicky was staying. Dread filled her for some unknown reason, making her wish she had refused her friends invitation to join her and her gentleman friend.

"Oh, good! You're back," Rachel said breathlessly as she rushed into the barn and nearly ran over Teaspoon who was just coming out the door.

"Whoa! Slow down. Where's the fire?" he asked laughing, grabbing Rachel's arms to keep her from falling.

Taking a deep breath, Rachel told him what had transpired during her talk with the riders earlier that day.

"I don't know, Teaspoon. Maybe it's just their worrying that's got me feeling worried, but I can't help thinking that maybe they're right. Maybe something is wrong and Lou's in trouble…"

Teaspoon noted that Rachel seemed genuinely upset. Putting an arm around her shoulder he turned her towards the bunkhouse and slowly started walking her that way. "Now don't you go letting them boys upset you none, darlin'. They's just feelin' guilty about chasin' Lou away and it's startin' to eat at 'em. Lou can handle herself you know that. If she's in need of our help, she'll send word. Then them boy's can go ridin' to her rescue like they do for each other all the time."

Rachel nodded and tried her best to shake off this gnawing feeling of impending danger. Surely Teaspoon was right, she was getting all upset over nothing and letting these boys get to her the way they did wasn't something she often allowed. But Teaspoon was right he had to be.

Slowly regaining her composure she let out a deep sigh and went about her business, but not before thanking Teaspoon for taking the time to listen and ease her mind.

Lou found herself standing in the same spot in front of the hotel as she had before when they had just arrive in Tucson, staring at the same impressive hotel entrance. 'I could turn back,' she thought to herself, this was a big town. If she didn't want to be found she would have no problem doing so without even having to make an effort. But what would she do here for another four days?

With returning early not being an option in Lou's opinion, not up to facing her demons quite yet, she quickly made up her mind. Mulling over what she wanted could always be done tomorrow or the next day even.

Maybe, she silently hoped, she would wake up the next morning after a nice evening out and know exactly what to do.

With renewed confidence and feeling semi-content with the lies she told herself to get out of dealing with her emotional issues, Lou walked through the hotel's entrance and politely asked the desk clerk for Miss Wentworth's room number.

"I'm sorry ma'am, but there is no Miss Wentworth registered here" He informed her flatly.

Lou looked puzzled, she was sure Victoria had said she would check in here. Or at least meet up here, but they hadn't agreed to a time or anything. With a confused look on her face Lou thought long and hard where else Victoria might have gone when the clerk spoke up again.

"You sure you're looking in the right place ma'am?" He asked in a belittling tone while he eyed her from top to bottom.

Lou clenched her teeth together and was ready to give the man an earful of what she thought of his idea of service when Victoria's high-pitched voice caught her attention.

"Isn't this a coincidence?!" She exclaimed "The both of us being here at the same time!"

The clerk tipped the brim of his uniform hat and greeted Victoria politely by her married name.

Lou threw the rude clerk a triumphant smile as she let Victoria linked her arm with hers and left the hotel to meet Abraham Salazar as planned.

The dazed look on the man's face made the anger she felt rising moments earlier vanish into thin air and made her feel like she was on top of the world, which lasted until the two were outside.

"Louise, you're still wearing the same dress you wore in back in Salt Lake City," Victoria commented with a slight wrinkle in her nose.

Victoria's straightforwardness took Lou by surprise, leaving her at a complete loss of words.

Realizing she had said out loud what she was only meant to think Victoria immediately tried to correct her error, but what she said next wasn't much better.

"Forget I just said that. Sometimes I don't think before I open my mouth. You look fine. Honest." Victoria continued waving one hand dismissively.

Lou decided to let the matter drop and remained silent. After all, Victoria had sort of apologized and Lou wasn't in the mood to defend herself, again.

She had to do too much of that at around the boys to begin with and wasn't planning on making it a habit around others. Besides, the only real way she would be able to retaliate was to tell the truth and that was not going to happen. Not to Victoria who couldn't even keep a straight face when she had told her she worked as a cook to earn an honest living. Lou could just imagine the look she'd get if Victoria found out she was an Express rider who dressed in men's clothing.

The two walked further in silence, when suddenly, Victoria came to a halt and turned to look at Lou.

"Louise, when we get to Mr. Salazar, I need to speak to him privately for a moment. I hope you don't mind I have to leave you alone for a while."

"I'll be fine on my own until you come back," Lou shrugged. "Why exactly are you seein' him, if you don't mind my askin'?

Victoria's stance changed instantly at Lou's inquiry about the nature of the visit.

"I have a business proposal to make him. Something to do with my late husband…" she answered curtly.

Lou felt embarrassed for having asked the question when she noticed the change in her old friends behavior.

"I'm sorry; I shouldn't have asked…I had no right pryin' into your personal business." Lou apologized looking down at the ground.

"Don't be, it's just something that needs to be settled and now that you're here…" She replied in a sugar sweet voice, "I have something to look forward to again."

Lou missed the coy, calculated smile that Victoria gave her, her eyes still to the ground.

"Now, let's get going, shall we?" Victoria asked happily, linking her arm through her unknowing pawns, wanting to get things squared away with Salazar so that she could be on her way, setting into motion the second part of her scheme.

They continued to walk through town another five minutes before Lou asked curiously, "Where is this Mr. Salazar? Seems like we've been walking forever."

Victoria's eyes shifted from Lou to the building they were approaching. Oh, how she had dreaded making this visit before she came across naïve, little Louise. Now, she looked forward to having her freedom once again.

"We've arrived, my dear," Victoria told her lifting her skirts as she climbed the stairs up to the Silver Spur Saloon.

Lou looked confused as she realized where they were about to go into. "A saloon?" she questioned, watching her friend heading for the front door.

"Of course, silly. This is his place of 'business', so we must go in to talk to him." Victoria stood on the top step, waiting impatiently for Lou to follow her.

"Oh, come on!" she ordered, anger tingeing her voice. Her freedom was so close she could taste it. There was no way she was going to let the little mouse of a girl ruin it now by refusing to go into a saloon.

Sullenly, Lou went slowly up the steps. She had a bad feeling before about going to see this Mr. Salazar and now she was sure that it was going to spell trouble.

"I think I should wait out here for you, Victoria," Lou said quietly. "I don't feel comfortable going into places like this…"

Victoria's eyes narrowed. Lou's behavior made her want to scream. "When are you going to grow up Louise?" she said snidely. "You promised you'd come with to meet Mr. Salazar. Are you backing out now?" she knew that Lou had always hated being thought a coward so she prodded her, knowing that she'd go in for sure.

Lou's head shot up at Victoria's insinuation that she was afraid of going in. Squaring her shoulders, sparks showed in her eyes, and her anger simmering. "Fine! Just don't take to long. I have things to do this evening."

Pushing past a grinning Victoria, Lou opened the door to the saloon and walked in. She stopped a few feet from the door, looking around the room. It was worse than she had imagined. There were women, scantily dressed, hanging off men's laps, and their arms around some patron's necks as they whispered in their ear. Several were either leading men to the upper rooms or descending from them.

This wasn't only a saloon, it was a whorehouse. Lou's heart sank. She had vowed to never return to one after her narrow escape not that long ago.

Victoria greeted a man, dressed in black that was standing near the entryway. "Please tell Mr. Salazar that Mrs. Cohen is here to see him."

They stood looking around the room until the man in black returned, motioning them to follow him.

The two women were ushered into an opulent room off the main room of the bar. The only occupant was a lone man, lounging comfortably in a wing chair set off to the right of the fireplace, a glass of sherry in his hand.

The man stood, setting his glass on the table by the chair. Coming towards them, he greeted Victoria with more warmth than Lou thought was acceptable.

Abraham Salazar was a man of means; Lou could tell by the way he dressed. Even to her untrained eye, the embroidered red vest with a snowy white shirt, and the black suit he wore screamed money. His hair was expertly coiffed, not a hair out of place, though it was showing signs of thinning. He wore a red-jeweled ring on his right hand, which gleamed when it caught the light in the room.

Though the man turned and greeted Lou in a friendly manner, she felt a shiver go down her spine as his eyes perused her openly. She couldn't help be think that something about the man reminded her of a ferret.

"Mrs. Cohen, Miss McCloud, please… do make yourselves comfortable" He offered gesturing at two chairs while he reached for his glass of sherry he had placed on the table.

Another shiver ran down Lou's spine as the words almost oozed from the man's lips. The eerie tone in his voice and the way he queerly tilted his head while he held out his hand offering them to take a seat made her stomach churn.

Never in her life had she ever seen a man as revolting and yet so intriguing at the same time as Abraham Salazar.

Carefully having placed herself somewhat behind Victoria she silently wished she had stayed behind in the main room, no matter how disgusting the surroundings.

"I'm fine where I am thank you," Victoria answered in a confident business like tone that surprised both Lou and Salazar. "And now that we've gotten the niceties out of the way I suggest we get down to business."

Salazar was visibly annoyed with Victoria and the way she spoke to him as Lou noticed a nervous twitch in his left eye. Slowly taking a seat back in the wing chair he crossed one leg over the other and took a nip of his sherry.

"Have it your way. I trust you came to pay your dues, or should I say… your late husbands'?" He said sarcastically without further ado.

Victoria immediately held up her hand to stop him from saying more in Lou's presence "Not in front of the girl. We discuss matters in private."

Lou was fuming mad at the way Victoria had referred to her as a 'girl', but angrily bit her tongue thinking that causing a scene right then and there could very well lead her into trouble she wasn't at all prepared for.

Salazar by no means looked like someone who you would want to mess with if you wanted to live to see another day.

Regrettably she knew first hand how business usually was conducted in whorehouses such as this one. She had no intention of attracting any form of attention her way if that's what it took to stay out of harms way. She just wanted to get out of there. Had she known Victoria had business to settle in this kind of establishment, she would never have agreed to come along in the first place. But now was not the time to think about what she would or could have done as she saw Salazar's anger building with each second that passed.

"I don't think you're really in a position to be making demands Mrs. Cohen," Salazar sneered in a raised voice.

Lou, still standing behind her, couldn't see a devilish smile appeared on Victoria's face.

"Oh, I assure you I am, and the only way for you to find out why is to do as I asked."

Setting down the glass in such a hard manner Lou thought the glass would break; Salazar rose to his feet and snapped his fingers at the man in the black suit who had stood silently guarding the door since the two had entered the room. He immediately responded by pulling his gun, cocking it and holding it to Lou's back while he grabbed her by the arm.

"Make sure that one stays put until I find out why Mrs. Cohen doesn't want to discuss matters in her presence," he irately ordered the man holding Lou.

Shocked at the sudden turn of events, Lou had no choice but to let the man holding a cocked gun at her back usher her out of the room, realizing that if she made one wrong move he'd shoot her without hesitation.

The last thing she saw before leaving the room was Victoria looking over her shoulder with a triumphant smile on her face. Not knowing what would happen next, one thing Lou was absolutely certain of; Victoria would be the only one walking out of this place unharmed.

"I have a proposition to make," Victoria stated bluntly as soon as the door had closed behind her.

"I am not interested in anything other than the money I'm owed," Salazar replied coldly. "If you came here empty handed….I'm afraid you'll have to find other ways to repay me what you and your husband are indebted to me."

"Your henchmen have been very explicit on what you mean by that," Victoria shot back sharply.

Abraham slowly walked up to Victoria. When he came to a standstill there was no more than a few inches between the two of them.

"Really?" he breathed, the sickening smell of alcohol almost made her gag. "I'll have to complement them on a job well done. Now… pray tell. What is this proposition of yours you are so confident about to be worth my while?"

Trying to stand her ground Victoria did her best not to back away from him, but his rodent like eyes piercing hers and the nauseating smell that emanated from his mouth made her take a few steps back.

"It recently came to my attention that Samuel has more outstanding debt than just the money he owes you and the fact that he was your main man doesn't sit well with anyone. I hear you're losing business because of that. You're investors no longer invest…" She started coyly.

Abraham chuckled a nervous laugh. "My dear, if you are deliberately trying to make a bad situation worse, I have to hand it to you, you're doing a marvelous job so far"

Trying her best to ignore him Victoria continued, "These… investors, like to break in the new ones don't they?"

Salazar frowned, not quite understanding where she was heading.

"My proposition is you take Louise in my place. Offer her to one of your men you are losing your business to so you can start rebuilding a business relationship"

"Now why would I have a young woman who owes me NOTHING take the place of a woman who owes me a WHOLE LOT?!" Salazar barked furiously. "Who do you take me for woman?! Some kind of FOOL?!" He shouted out the last word and slammed his fist on the back of a chair.

Victoria flinched at the violent outburst but carried on nonetheless. "Louise will take care of one of the men you lost your business to. That means there are three left. I can get each one of them a girl of their own, down to their personal preferences. Give me a month and I'll get all three down here, all I want is the debt cleared once I have."

Salazar was visibly interested.

He had men scouting for 'new recruits' all over the territory but in these times, women as young and naïve as they might be, were getting weary of strange men offering new glamorous lives and pickings were slim these days.

The thought of a woman recruiting woman was almost too good to be true. Victoria would hardly have any trouble approaching these women with no hopes to a bright future and in great need to earn a penny or two.

Making a great show of pretending to think her proposal over, Salazar went to his desk and took a cigar from an expensive looking humidor. Clipping one end, he clenched the cigar in his teeth as he lit it. After several deep puffs on it to get it burning, he walked over to where Victoria stood. With a sinister smile, he took a deep puff and blew it in her face.

Victoria's eyes narrowed as the smoke drifted away from the hand she waved in front of her face.

"You have one month. I will send a note over with specifics on the girls you are to find within the hour. You're little friend will remain as my 'guest'. But if you fail, I will have you hunted down and the penalty for crossing me will be severe! You, my dear," his voice went all silky, causing Victoria to flinch with disgust as he trailed a finger down her neck and across the lace covering her chest, "you will suffer a worse fate than that little friend of yours."

Fear filled her soul at his words. He was not one to make idle threats. Standing up taller, Victoria said haughtily, "It shall not come to that Salazar. I have struck a deal with you and I shall keep my end of it."

With that, she turned and marched out the door. Out of the corner of her eye, she saw Louise being held by the arm tightly, standing in the hall. Not even looking her way, she rushed past her old friend, determined to get away from Tucson before sundown.

Louise's heart sank as Victoria came sailing out of the room. She had started to call out to her but the pain Salazar's henchman inflicted to her arm as her mouth opened made her bite her tongue.

A terror she had long buried deep within came rushing up; causing her to start shaking. Her heart wildly raced underneath her chest and her knees gave out as Salazar demanded that she be brought in to him.

The man guarding her half-dragged, half-carried her in to where his boss stood waiting.

Louise was unable to speak as his gaze traveled down and back up her body. "Yes. You'll do nicely for Olson."

His words caused her to panic; fighting against her capture who's grip never slackened. Seeing the fear in her eyes and the desperation in her face, Salazar laughed. When Lou's eyes rolled back in her head in a dead faint, he motioned to his man to lift her ordering,

"Take her to upstairs and lock her in the back guest room. Once her spirits broken, we shall contact Olson."

Victoria felt numb to the core, the face of her childhood friend she had abandoned there in that forsaken place had been marked with fear and desperation and it was all because of her. One turn around another corner and Louise wouldn't have bumped into Victoria, a few more minutes staring through a window store and she would still have her freedom and in a few days would have been back with the people she claimed had offered her a new home.

But as numb and empty as Victoria felt, she also knew that in these days it was to eat or be eaten. A woman needed to be able to take care of her own affairs, needed to be strong and sacrifice whatever means to get what she felt she deserved. Even if that meant sacrificing the life of another to do so.

Having reached her hotel Victoria didn't bother greeting the desk clerk; instead she marched straight up to her room, threw herself on the bed and cried herself to sleep.

The room was pitch black when Victoria was rudely awakened by a hand covering her mouth and pulled off the bed with her back against the attackers chest.

"You scream, you die," A raspy voice hissed in her ear.

Heavily breathing from the shock she nodded compliantly. Slowly the man removed his gloved hand from her mouth but kept a firm grasp around her middle, while squeezing the blood from the arm he was holding to keep her in place.

Her mind racing, she tried to figure out how on earth this man had gained entrance to her room and wondering what in heavens name he wanted with her when it suddenly occurred to her. The note with the specifics Salazar had promised to have delivered.

It turned out she was correct, with the hand the man had removed from her lips to keep her from screaming he reached in his pocket and held out a piece of paper in front of her with very detailed descriptions of what she was expected to 'recruit' in order to regain her freedom and have the debt cleared. The note didn't say much, but it said more than enough to make Victoria sick to her stomach.

One month. No delays, no compromise. I'll know where to find you if you do not keep to your end of our arrangement.

Don't disappoint me.

Abraham Salazar.

The specifics further down on Salazar's list were so graphic Victoria would never have to read the note again as the words were permanently engraved in her mind. Literally every aspect of the female body had been carefully described into the greatest and most disgusting detail of what the three investors had said to be their preferences. She wanted to throw up; such content was not meant for a lady of her status

When the man gathered Salazar's point had come across loud and clear he released Victoria's arm, disappearing from the room as quickly as he had entered. But not before harshly shoving Victoria back onto the bed like a rag doll along with the list he had been given by his boss.

Once the door closed a dazed Victoria sat up on the bed and took a good look around the dark room and then let out a heart wrenching sob which she tried to smother with the back of her hand. She grabbed hold of the list and crumbled it into a tight ball and threw it into a far corner of the room.

Though any outsider would have thought Victoria cried because she was responsible for the innocent woman that was held captive in a whorehouse or for the three woman who were still blissfully unaware she was about to rob of their freedom to do and go as they please. Anyone who thought that was the reason for all that tears shed would sadly be mistaken. The real reason for each tear that trickled down her cheeks was the fact she would have to leave her expensive dresses behind. That she would have to do without all the comfort and luxury she had grown so accustomed to. That she would have to do actual work for a monthly salary that she normally spent on a pair of gloves alone.

Most of all, Victoria cried because she didn't think it was fair all of this had to happen to her, everyone else be damned, people of her origin simply shouldn't have to go through what she was going through.

Realizing that there was no way she could start out for Rock Creek in the middle of the night, Victoria packed the few belongings she would be taking with her so that come first light, she would be out of this godforsaken town.

After a troubled nights sleep, Victoria was up at the crack of dawn, dressed in a hideous dress that was far below her social status, waiting for the next stagecoach heading back to Salt Lake City.

Refusing to allow thoughts of what Louise might be having to endure at the hands of Salazar and his friends, Victoria simply put her old friend out of her mind and tried to enjoy the ride as much as public travel would allow.

Once in Salt Lake City, she paid a couple traveling east to visit family to allow her to ride with them until they reached Rock Creek. Though she had vast experience with travel abroad, she seldom had to make her own way to such little out of the way towns of no consequence.

It was a burden to her having to make small talk with the woman as her husband drove their wagon, which they would leave in St. Joe where they would travel the rest of the way by train. The woman discussed in minute detail the mundane daily life that they lead on a small farm that they owned out in California.

At first, Victoria let the words go in one ear and out the other, nodding and smiling occasionally when the woman paused for a moment. It wasn't until she described how she had to learn to make do with so little when cooking meals that Victoria's ears perked up. 'Why, I might just learn a thing or two from this little mouse after all,' she told herself thinking it may be to her advantage to listen closely, giving her an advantage when going to ask for Louise's old job as a cook.

The trails were well marked and without hindrance, the trip was accomplished in a relatively short time. Victoria had only lost one of her four weeks that Salazar was allowing her in which to find young women to settle her debt with him.

The couple sadly left Victoria out in front of the only hotel in Rock Creek, waving as they continued their journey to St. Joe. Once they were out of sight, Victoria mumbled under her breath, "Thank god I'm rid of them! Now, on to more important things."

Looking around at the little town, she was unable to keep the dismay from her face. Why, Rock Creek was not much more than a few wooden buildings down a main street and that was all. 'You've got to be kidding,' she thought shaking her head. 'Leave it to Louise to come from some place not worth my time.'

A little ways down the street, she noticed several young men loading a wagon with supplies. Thinking that they might know where the Pony Express station was, she picked up her satchel, making her way towards them.

Her eyes took in all the details about them. First thing she noticed was that they all were wearing six shooters. One man even had an ivory handled Colt, which was unusual. She doubted that many men would own one like that. All of the men seemed to be near her age. One had short wavy hair and blue eyes. Not being able to make out his words, she was able to tell that he was soft spoken with a barely noticeable Southern accent.

The man with the ivory handled Colt, sported longer hair, just brushing past his shoulders. She glimpsed something in his brown eyes that made her shiver, afraid of what they hid. He was not a man she would want to make angry.

The last man loading boxes with them was a black man. He was dressed in light trousers and a white hat. For being her inferior (in her mind), she had a feeling that he was a very intelligent man. She would have to watch what she said around him.

The last box had just been loaded when she spoke. "Excuse me gentleman, would any of you happen to know where I could find the Pony Express station?"

At the sound of a very feminine voice speaking to them, all three men turned around to see whom it belonged to.

Standing on the boardwalk was a young woman with auburn locks, dressed in a simple green dress. She was looking at all three of them expectedly, waiting for one of them to answer her question.

"Ma'am." Noah was the first to answer politely tipping the brim of his hat. "We all ride for the express." He continued, flashing his white teeth in a devastatingly handsome smile.

Victoria returned a wide seductive smile grateful her luck was about to change "Well then, this must be my lucky day," she quipped.

"We're about to finish up here and ride out to the station. We'd be more than happy to give you a ride… Miss…." Noah started.

"Victoria, Victoria Wentworth. But please, call me Vicky," she answered in her sweetest voice.

"Well, please to meet your acquaintance Miss Vicky. I'm Noah Dixon," he introduced himself. "This here's Jimmy Hickok," Noah continued while he placed a hand on his friends shoulder.

"Ma'am," Jimmy greeted her politely.

"And this is the Kid," Noah said patting him on the back and Kid gave her a courtly nod.

Victoria's eyes went wide at hearing the two names and she could feel her cheeks burn from excitement. She had found them; everything was going to be all right from now on because she had actually found them. Forgetting all prejudice towards the common folk, she immediately saw why Louise was so torn between the two young men and decided that maybe staying out here for a while would not have to be such a terrible ordeal. Even Noah, for the black man that he was, had a certain finesse that appealed to Victoria.

"Let's get you up on the buckboard," Jimmy suddenly broke her reverie, taking her by the hand.

Settling herself on the wagon she studied the three men as they secured their supplies and mounted their horses when they were done. Noah placed himself next to her on the buckboard and Kid and Jimmy proceeded on horse in front of them as they made their way to the station. Noah tried to make small talk but didn't get much out of Victoria, the journey from Arizona to Nebraska having taken its toll on her.

Once arrived at the station Rachel came out to greet the three, surprised to find a young lady sitting next to Noah.

"Rachel, this is Miss Vicky, she was lookin' to get to the express station when we were in town," Noah explained.

Rachel smiled at him. "Offering' her a ride was mighty kind of you Noah. Did she come here to see someone in particular?"

Noah shrugged. "She's tired to the bone and didn't talk much. All I know is she traveled all the way from Tucson so she can start a new life here."

Rachel frowned; Lou had ridden out to Tucson. For a brief moment she was worried the boys had been right all along and something did happen to Lou, but quickly dismissed the thought. If something had happened, they would have gotten word by now and Lou was due back any day. Surely there was another explanation why this young woman was here from Tucson, of all places.

"Let's have the poor thing rest up. She can tell us why she's here over supper," she commented to Noah.

Being the caring person she was, Rachel offered her to take a bath and rest a bit until suppertime and showed her around the house. When Victoria saw where she would be staying she shuddered. Everything was so simple and plain here, it made the hairs in her neck stand on end. One thing troubled Victoria, there was only one guest room in Rachel's house and it seemed unoccupied. Silently wondering where Lou stayed when she was working here, she took her bath before lying down on the bed and falling into a dream filled sleep.

Rachel had woken Victoria just in time for supper. To her surprise, they ate in the bunkhouse, which was completely new to her, but so far things had been better than she had originally expected.

Sitting down she took a good look around the table. She was hungry, and didn't mind that what Rachel served was way below her normal standards. After everyone had been served, Rachel sat down next to Victoria and handed her a piece of corn bread

"Vicky, why don't you tell us what brings you all the way to Rock Creek?" Rachel started.

Victoria swallowed hard and noticed everyone at the table was staring at her. It was now or never, she thought to herself.

"I came here looking for work actually," she said answering Rachel's question.

"I see. Why did you ask for the express station, if you don't mind my askin'?" Rachel ventured carefully.

"A friend of mine told me about this place," she smiled never realizing the effect her next words would have on the people sitting around the table. "She was out on business in Tucson and told me she wasn't going back. I had nothing to keep me there, so I asked her if I could take her place."

Rachel looked puzzled and so did the boys. So far, nothing Victoria had said made sense to any of them.

"I'm a good cook, I hope you haven't hired anyone yet to fill her place," Victoria continued.

"Hired anyone… to fill her place?" Jimmy echoed.

"Yes, to replace Louise as the house cook…" Victoria replied somewhat uncertain.

Kid nearly chocked on his food as he heard Victoria mention Lou's name. "You saw Lou in Tucson?!"

The sudden change in the atmosphere made Victoria very uncomfortable. Kid's reaction scared her as his eyes shot fire and the other boys at the table looked at her with a menacing look on their faces.

"Lou?" She stammered "I…I don't understand…"

"LOUISE!" Kid bellowed pounding his fists on the table "You saw her in Tucson?! What do you mean she ain't comin' back?! What happened to her?!"

"And what do you mean you wanted to take her place as house cook?" Jimmy demanded, getting a bad feeling about Miss Vicky Wentworth.

Victoria jumped at the gruffness of his voice. She was unused to anyone speaking to her in such a manner, let alone a mere hired hand.

"Would you mind answerin' the boys' questions, Miss?" Teaspoon said in a calm voice that belied his true feelings. As soon as the words were out of the woman's mouth, the hairs on the back of his neck stood out straight. 'A sure sign that something ain't plum,' he thought watching the woman suspiciously.

Victoria's eyes were wide now in fright. 'Maybe this wasn't such a good idea after all,' she told herself. It was too late now though. She knew she would have to keep up the charade since she had already told several lies to these people.

Sitting up straight, she called on her social upbringing get her through this unpleasantness. "Why, yes. I did meet Louise McCloud when I was in Tucson. During a conversation, she mentioned that she worked here as your house cook and that she was sorry that she would not be returning. I was looking for employment and told her I would come to Rock Creek and cook for you all."

"Did she say why she wasn't coming back to Rock Creek?" Kid asked tersely.

"No, no she didn't. She only mentioned that she decided to stay in Tucson. I didn't see it as any of my business to ask her why," Victoria lied, giving herself a mental pat on the back for coming up with these lies so quickly.

Jimmy's eyes narrowed as he watched her. She was lying and he knew it. Standing up, he reached over the table and grabbed her wrist tightly in his hand, demanding, "What have you done with Lou? No more of your lies either!"

Rachel gasped when Jimmy grabbed the woman, but refused to chide him about manhandling her. There was something about Vicky that didn't sit well with her and if he and Kid were determined to get to the bottom of it quickly, she was all for it.

Vicky tried pulling her arm away from the angry gunslinger, but he was far too strong for her. "I say, let go of me sir!" she demanded in her most condescending voice. When that didn't loosen his grip, she tried tears.

With tears welling in her eyes, she lifted her head to look up at him. "Please," she begged, "You're hurting me…"

"Not near as much as I'm gonna if you don't tell me what you did with Lou!" he growled shoving Vicky back onto her seat.

Crying in earnest now, she looked around the table for a sympathetic face. Finding none, she sat silently, trying to think of a way out of her current situation.

Jimmy's fist slammed down on the table making her jump but it was the man named Kid who spoke.

"I think it best you tell us where Louise is. Right now… or so help me." Kid's anger was getting close to the boiling point but he restrained it better than Jimmy.

"Why won't you believe me?" she cried. "I swear Louise said she wasn't coming back and I could have her job as house cook!"

It was Teaspoon's answer that made her realize that her whole plan was over. "Because Louise ain't our house cook, that's why!"

Victoria's heart sank at his words. Her eyes narrowed when it dawned on her that little mousy Louise lied to her! 'Why that little…' she thought. Anger flew from her eyes as she looked at the angry riders.

"How was I supposed to know that little witch would lie to me?! Damn her!" Her outburst had all the riders rising from their seats.

Teaspoon's tense voice stopped them from grabbing Victoria and demanding to know where Lou was.

"I think you've got some explainin' to do Miss Wentworth. Boys," he nodded to Buck and Noah, "Take our guest down to the jailhouse. The rest of our talk with her will be better off done there."

Victoria gasped in outrage at the mention of being taken to jail. "Why you can't arrest me! You have no proof of anything!" she yelled as Buck and Noah each took one of her arms and lead her from the room.

Watching her struggle against her guards, Teaspoon frowned. "Jimmy, Kid go get your horses saddled and meet me down at the jail. Once we get the whole story from her, you'll both be on your way to Tucson."

As Victoria was walked to the jail, she tried desperately to free herself from Buck and Noah but it was useless. They were too strong for her and by the angry looks on their face, she wouldn't put it past either of them to shoot her if she did get loose.

"Please," she begged looking at Noah. "Please help me leave. I have money. Lots of it! I can pay you. Both of you!" she cried looking to include Buck in her offer.

"Lady," Noah said through clenched teeth, "no amount of money would get us to help you. If one hair is harmed on Lou's head, I swear….well you just better hope nothings happened to her or else!"

She turned to see if she may be able to sway Buck, but the wicked grin he gave her filled her soul with fear. She had heard what those heathens did to women they captured. A shudder went through her as she took in his medicine bag and the large knife in his boot.

"Oh, god! What have I gotten myself into?" She whispered.

By the time Teaspoon, Buck and Noah had made it to the jailhouse where they would try to get the whole story from Victoria, they found a pacing Kid and a teeth-grinding Jimmy awaiting them on the front porch.

"Boys, get Miss Wentworth settled inside," he ordered Buck and Noah. "I'll be just a minute"

Buck and Noah complied and ushered a squirming Victoria in the jailhouse and locked her in one of the three cells it had to offer. With cheeks damp from all the tears she had shed and a red, runny nose she clasped her hands around the bars and looked Buck, who had been the one to lock the door behind her, straight in the eyes.

"You have no idea what you've done," she hissed at him. "He'll come for me, and when he does, you'll be sorry you didn't just let me go. He'll make damn sure of that, I promise you!"

Buck was not at all impressed with her threats. He merely returned the cold stare she gave him before treating her to one of his mysterious grins that yet again sent a chilling shiver down her spine.

Knowing she was finally defeated, she let go of the bars and sunk down onto the floor. She gave in to the panic and despair that she had been able to fight off until then. She let out deep, heart wrenching sobs; no longer worried about being the proper lady she thought she was. Like a little child she just sat there, crying till her eyes turned red and she felt dizzy from a lack of breathing.

"Kid, Jimmy, you two are to stay here until we find out more about what happened to Lou," Teaspoon ordered the two young men. "And I do mean… stay right here, on this here porch, until I say you can leave"

Jimmy's anger had already reached boiling point before they left the station and he had to fight the urge to ride out to Tucson on his own. Teaspoon's asking him to wait any longer was killing him. He needed to get out of there. He needed to find Lou!

"We already know she's in Tucson Teaspoon! Lou's in trouble. You know it and I know it. I sure as heck ain't waitin' to hear what this fruitcake of a woman has to say!" He barked at Teaspoon.

Teaspoon didn't care about Jimmy's objections. He had to keep his boys safe and the only way to do so was to wait for the full story before he would allow two of them to ride out after Lou.

"Jimmy, so help me, I'll lock you up next to the fruitcake if that's what needs doin' to keep you from runnin' off thinkin' with your guns instead of that brain of yours!" Teaspoon threatened. "You don't know what ye're up against and you ain't leavin' 'till ya do! Have I Made Myself Clear?!

Jimmy banged a fist against the side of the building in attempt to release some of the anger that consumed him, but stayed put nonetheless. Teaspoon turned his attention to Kid, who had been awful quiet since they had left the station and stood staring through the window of the jailhouse.

"Kid, the same goes for you, ya hear?" Teaspoon demanded.

"No," Kid answered stubbornly. "I want to talk to her."

"Kid…." Teaspoon started, but was interrupted by Kid.

"Teaspoon, you let me talk to her. If I'm gonna ride out to Tucson I need to know what's goin' on first hand."

Teaspoon groaned, not quite sure if what Kid asked was such a good idea. He reluctantly agreed with a promise that he would haul his Southern behind out of the jailhouse should he misbehave.

Noah and Buck soon joined Jimmy, while Teaspoon and Kid went in to get the full story from Victoria and what had transpired over in Tucson. To Teaspoon's relief, having Kid doing the talking had turned out to be the right choice, for she responded well to his calm and polite nature. Teaspoon was certain it took all the willpower in the world to stay calm and collected and he felt a great sense of pride that Kid had managed to do so.

At first Victoria turned her back to Kid, not at all interested in talking to anyone about the huge mess she had gotten herself and Lou into. Especially not after being treated the way she was. With the way Louise had betrayed her, Victoria felt the little liar deserved to be exactly where she was. But the way Kid spoke to her, how he promised to help her if she was in any kind of trouble made her re-think her decision.

"If you're in any kind of trouble, you can tell me. We'll help you any way we can. I promise. But you gotta tell me what happened to Lou… Louise," he pleaded.

Slowly she turned around to look at him. "He'll kill me or do even worse if I tell anyone. There's nothing you or anyone can do stop him."

"Who will kill you? And what does that have to do with Lou?" Kid insisted.

When she didn't answer any of his questions Kid reverted to a different manner to try and make her talk. One way or the other, he was going to find out what happened.

"I'm offerin' you a choice." Kid continued hoping it would finally break Victoria. "Either you tell us everythin' you know and we'll find a way to keep you safe, or we find out what happened on our own meaning you'll be on your own to face whoever it is you're afraid of facin'."

Kid could see he had gotten through to her as she scrambled to her feet and wiped away the tears from her wet cheeks.

"Fine. I'll talk. But only if you promise to keep me safe," she said in a shaky voice.

Victoria started talking, not leaving out a single detail of the truth. Kid found himself having trouble breathing when she came towards the end of her story. The thought of Lou being in a place that has caused her so much pain and suffering in the past made him sick to his stomach. Though he hated what Victoria had done to Lou, he couldn't help but felt sorry for the young woman locked up in the jail cell at the same time.

She was forced into a situation like this because of a lousy, good-for-nothing, gambling husband and did what she thought she had to do in order to survive. Kid tried his best to understand why she had chosen this path instead of going to the law. When had asked her why, she told him about her father, the money and the reputation she wanted to uphold.

Disgusted with Victoria's morals and standards, Kid barely managed to thank her for her cooperation. With a plan already forming in his head he walked out to meet Jimmy and the boys, followed quickly by Teaspoon.

"Very good son, I'm proud of you for what you did in there," Teaspoon said while patting Kid on the back.

As soon as Jimmy saw Kid he was in the highest state of alert. His friends face foretold that Lou was in bigger trouble than he had dared to imagine.

Kid quickly filled everyone in on what Victoria had told him, leaving out some important details that he would leave to discuss with Jimmy once they would be on their way. The other boys would find out what happened when they'd bring Lou back safe and sound, and it would be up to her to tell the rest of what really happened out there in Tucson.

"So, what now?" Buck asked to no one in particular.

"We kill Victoria," Kid stated in all earnest.

Four heavily shocked faced stared at him, wondering if Kid had finally lost his mind.

"She's got one month to complete the demands on the list. Well, we make sure she can't and be sure to deliver the message to this man Salazar. We'll stage her death, that way she's off the hook and it'll put a real dent in Salazar's plans," Kid explained.

"What's on that list anyway? And why is this Salazar fella' keepin' Lou in a saloon?" Noah asked.

"The list ain't important and I don't know why a saloon. Victoria wasn't able to tell me." Kid lied. "The only way we'll find out is when me and Jimmy get there," Kid answered with a meaningful look towards Jimmy.

"Then what do we do? We just ride in, tellin' this gentleman we killed his crazy woman with the list, and politely ask he give us Lou back?" Jimmy sneered, realizing Kid wasn't telling all he knew about Lou's situation.

"Let's just ride out and we'll talk about what to do on the way," Kid answered annoyed.

Noah, Buck and Teaspoon could feel the tension rise between their two friends but no one dared to say a single word.

"Now you boys don't go takin' any unnecessary risks! I want all three of ya to come back alive and well. You just go find Lou and bring her back. While Kid was talkin' to Miss Wentworth I wrote you both a note in case you find yourself in any trouble with the law. I'm givin' ya each one, incase ya get separated rescuing our girl."

He handed each man a letter, which they each tucked safely into their coats. Buck and Noah wished them a speedy journey and luck in getting Lou safely back home.

"Tell her we're all waiting for her to be back with her family," Buck said quietly. He had become fond of Lou over the last year that they worked together. He thought of her as a younger sister and it was killing him not to be going along to save her.

"We will," Kid promised him solemnly as he swung up into his saddle. Jimmy was already waiting on Sundance.

"Keep her locked up until we get Teaspoon. If anything has happened to Lou, she'll be safer behind bars then having me looking for her," Jimmy stated matter of fact.

"Don't you worry 'bout that none, son. She ain't goin' nowhere's until we find out from Lou what happened," Teaspoon promised.

The three men standing on the jailhouse boardwalk watched as Jimmy and Kid headed out of town going west. There were only a few hours left until dark, but knowing how the two men felt about Lou, it was a safe bet that they wouldn't be stopping any time soon.

"Ride safe," Teaspoon yelled, and then offered up a silent prayer for their safety and that of his girl.

"Well, let's get back to work," Teaspoon said clasping a hand on Noah's shoulder. "Who wants first watch tonight?"

"Cody," Buck stated firmly with a big grin.

The other men laughed. "Sounds good to me!" Teaspoon replied.

Kid and Jimmy rode in silence for miles before Jimmy reined his horse in, stopping in the middle of the trail.

"I want to know what you left out back there. I figured it wasn't good if you didn't want the other's to hear it," he demanded of Kid who was scowling.

"No, I didn't want them to hear it and neither would Lou. I know she's told you about her past. We're the only two that I know of so let's keep it that way."

"What's that got to do with anything?" Jimmy asked, not liking the direction this was heading. Lou had told him in confidence about Wicks and what had happened to her. It had killed him to see her cry like that, to know that she had been hurt so horribly and that there was nothing he could have done to have saved her.

'That's all changed now,' he told himself as he waited for Kid to spill the beans. 'This time, I will find a way to keep her safe. If it's the last thing I do,' he promised both Lou and himself.

Kid went on to explain the rest of what he'd left out that Victoria had done to Lou and where she really was being held captive.

Jimmy closed his eyes and could feel the blood draining from his face when Kid mentioned how Salazar planned on 'giving her' to one of his cronies.

Looking at Kid, he stated, "He'll never get a chance. I'll kill him before anyone lays a hand on her."

"You and me both," Kid muttered, urging his horse forward.

The men were lost in thought as night fell over the flat plains. Neither mentioned stopping, both preferring to ride as long as their horses held out. The light of a full moon provided them with ample light to see the trail before them and they made good time.

As soon as their horses began to tire, they knew they would have to stop for a few hours rest. No sense riding their horses into the ground, if they did that, Lou would be in even more trouble without their help.

Deciding that it would be wise to change mounts at the first relay station that they came upon the next morning, the two were in a hurry to be on their way.

By changing mounts regularly at the stations as if they were on a run, they made good time, reaching Salt Lake City in two days time.

"I don't know about you Jimmy, but I gotta get some shut-eye," Kid said with a wide yawn as they left the livery stable where they'd just put of their horses.

Jimmy looked just as worn out as he did. So many hours in the saddle coupled with worry for Lou was taking its toll on both of them.

"Shut-eye sounds good. Think I'll get a bite to eat first though. You comin' or you want me to bring you somethin?" Jimmy asked as they stopped walking outside one of Salt Lake City's hotels.

"If you don't mind bringing me somethin' I'd appreciate it. I think I'd fall asleep sittin' at the table right now," Kid admitted, hardly able to keep his eyes open as they were talking.

"You go in and get us both a room and I'll bring ya somethin' in a little while," Jimmy told him handing over his saddlebag, which Kid threw over his shoulder.

"Thanks. The man at the desk can give you your key when you get back."

Jimmy nodded and went in search of a warm meal while Kid checked them into the hotel and headed up to get some sleep.

Kid was sound asleep as soon as his head hit the pillow. It seemed like no time at all had passed when there was loud pounding at the door to his room and Jimmy was calling out his name.

He thought about ignoring his friend's voice and putting a pillow over his head so he could sleep a little while longer, but he knew Jimmy and it wouldn't be long before he'd bust down the door if he didn't answer it.

"Ya could have given me my dinner when I woke up," Kid grumbled as Jimmy barged into the room once he'd opened the door for him.

"Yeah, well you're awake now. Enjoy." Jimmy answered sarcastically as he tossed some wrapped sandwiches his way.

While Kid stared at what was supposed to be his dinner Jimmy sat down on the rumpled bed, anxious to tell his friend about his idea to save Lou.

"While you been sleepin' I've been thinkin' about what we should do when we get to Tucson," he explained.

Kid stood with arms crossed, still holding on to the wrapped sandwiches and listened intently as his friend began to speak.

"I think I should go into the Silver Spur Saloon when we get there. I can make up a story on how Victoria was killed and try to find out if Lou's being held there or not. Then I'll come out and tell you what I found out. That way, we will know what this Salazar is like and be able to come up with a plan on how to get Lou out of there."

Jimmy sat waiting for Kid to say something. He'd been racking his brain about how to save Lou from this monster that was holding her captive. Frowning, he could tell by Kid's movements that he didn't like his plan.

Running a hand through his already tousled hair, Kid turned to look at his friend. He knew Jimmy wasn't going to like what he was going to say, but he felt it would be better if he was the one to see Salazar.

"It's a fine plan, Jimmy but I think I should be the one to go in. They see your gun slung low like you wear it, they're gonna think you're lookin' for trouble. If I go, they shouldn't have any doubt about my story when I tell them Victoria was killed. I can sit in the saloon and listen to see what I can find out."

Jimmy's temper was starting to rise the longer Kid talked. "Ha! They see you sittin' in the saloon looking like a 'good boy' they ain't gonna believe you for a minute! I look more the type to frequent a saloon than you do!"

"And just what's that suppose to mean?" Kid asked taking umbrage at Jimmy's remark.

"Oh come off your high horse!" Jimmy said snidely. "You know you always think you're better then me. Hell, then the rest of us even!"

"That ain't fair and you know it! With your temper and reputation you'd probably end up in a gunfight before you even set foot in that saloon!" Kid declared as Jimmy stood up.

Walking over to where Kid stood, Jimmy stopped toe-to-toe with him. Seething with anger, he barked, "Well, you can just go by yourself because I ain't riding with you anymore. I'll save Lou myself!"

Kid was fuming as Jimmy turned to leave. "Fine! Get yourself killed! I'll be the last one to stop ya!"

Both men looked each other in the eye and nodded. Neither said another word as Jimmy left the room.

Kid took a deep breath and let it out, upset that he and Jimmy had fought. He knew that the other man cared for Lou, possibly as much as he did and they only wanted to get her out of danger.

Sitting down on the bed, he unwrapped the sandwiches that Jimmy had brought for him and began to eat while a plan started forming in his head on how he'd save Lou by himself.

Salazar looked up from his desk as his man came into the room, first having cleared his throat to announce himself.

"How's our guest doing today?" he inquired.

"Same as yesterday. I've sent Dory in to lend a hand with certain necessities since we aren't untying her hands. Figured with her not being able to talk your guest wouldn't be able to enlist her help in escaping. Especially since she was taught a lesson already with that tongue of hers," the man laughed, remembering the pleasure he had taken in cutting out the trollops tongue when she had displeased Salazar a few months back.

"Well, keep her locked up at all times. I may need to employ some kind of incentive for her cooperation if she doesn't break soon."

The man just nodded, knowing that anything Salazar was to come up with would not be pleasant for the young woman.

Kid's stomach felt terribly unsettled. Even though he had eaten the sandwiches Jimmy had brought him, an overwhelming wave of nausea hit him like a tidal wave. The fight he had with Jimmy weighed heavy on him and he was absolutely worried sick about Lou.

In an attempt to take his mind off everything that had him worried to a point where he felt physically ill, he went and checked on his supplies and packed his belongings along with a few items Jimmy had left behind in his hurry to save Lou. Once he felt everything was in order, he quickly headed down to get Katy.

"Leavin' so soon, are ya?" the desk clerk shouted after him as he thanked the man for the hospitality.

Standing in the doorway Kid turned around. "Gotta get to Tucson as soon as possible."

"Well, just make sure you steer clear from the main passage over on Mogollon's Plateau." The clerk commented. "Last I heard there's a gang of robbers hidin' out there. Marshal rode out a couple hours ago to bring them in.

Kid was immediately in the highest state of alert. "How many men?"

"Can't rightly say… heard it could be as many as twenty."

Kid swore under his breath, certain Jimmy had not been given the same information by the way he stormed out of the hotel room.

"Do you remember who I was with when I checked in?" he asked the desk clerk, moving closer to the check-in.

"Sure do," the clerk answered with a firm nod. "Bolted out here like there'd be no tomorrow."

"He rode out to Tucson before me and is probably gonna end up takin' the main route if he ain't been told about that gang of robbers"

"Then your friend is about to ride into a heck of a lot of trouble son," he answered Kid with a meaningful look on his face.

"That's just great…"Kid muttered as he ran his fingers through his hair in frustration.

Torn between riding out after Jimmy to make sure he was alright and taking the man's advice to take the longer route to Tucson, Kid offered the clerk a humble word of thanks before making up his mind. As he reached the livery where he had stabled Katy he had come to the conclusion that Jimmy was very capable of taking care of himself.

If Jimmy for once had taken the time to listen first before acting on his instincts, they'd still be riding out together instead of each heading their own way. This was about saving Lou, not about who got to her first. Feeling himself getting angry again, he mounted Katy and rode out.

Kid rode almost throughout the night, needing as much time in the saddle to make up for the time lost taking an alternative route around Mogollon's Plateau. He had pushed Katy much harder than he ordinarily would have liked to, but the closer he got to Tucson, the more anxious he got about Lou's safety.

Taking breaks only when he knew his mare needed to, he simply ignored his own fatigue as he feverishly thought of a way to get to her without getting himself or Lou killed. He had seen the terror in Victoria's eyes when she mentioned Salazar's name, and knew from everything else she had told him that it was not going to be easy to get to the man that held Lou captive.

Victoria's words kept echoing in his mind, how Lou was meant to be some sort of 'compensation' for one of Salazar's investors. A rush of sheer panic overcame him every time the thought of the man putting his filthy hands on Lou entered his mind and prayed to the heavenly skies above that it hadn't come to that yet.

By the time he reached his destination, it was well past midnight. Tucson, even at this time of night, bustled with activities, but Kid soon found out that the crowd that showed themselves at this hour were everything but helpful. After several attempts, he managed to get a straight - yet heavily slurred - answer as to where he could find the town Marshal.

On his last bit of strength he had left in his overtired body, he made it to where he was told he could find the Marshal. Upon entering the building, he reached in his pocket to make sure he was still carrying the note Teaspoon had given him and sincerely hoped the law would be on his side. He had realized from the moment Jimmy had left he was not able to do this on his own, reaching out to people he prayed were not on Salazar's pay slip was his only chance to get Lou out unharmed.

"I need to see the Marshal," Kid demanded in a hoarse voice to a man, guessing he was just a couple of years older than himself, reading a book behind a desk was.

The man did not as much as look up to Kid to acknowledge his presence. "Marshal Phelps ain't here. What can I do for ya?"

"What time is he comin' back? It's real urgent I see him as soon as possible." Kid urged in a desperate tone.

Casting an annoyed look at the highly frustrated boy in front of him, the man slowly put down the book he was reading, patiently rested his elbows on the piece of furniture and cocked his head a little. "If you're willin' to wait on the Marshal, it can't be that important, now can it?"

At this point Kid couldn't deal with any more resistance to provide a normal answer to a very simple question. From the moment he left Rock Creek, everything and everyone seemed to work against him and this just was the last straw. His already dangerously short fuse had just now become even shorter and before Kid knew it, he had leaped up to the man and savagely grabbed him by the collar by which he almost hauled him over the desktop. With their faces no more than a few inches apart, Kid's firm grip caused the man to almost choke from the sudden lack of air.

"Someone I care deeply for is in a whole lot of trouble and I've had enough of people standin' in my way to get her out of it. Now answer the damn question!"

Heavily shocked by the sudden turn of events, the man struggled to free himself from Kid's tight grip around his collar. The menacing tone and the violent outburst had taken him completely by surprise.

"He's in the Silver Spur Saloon!" he wheezed. "Marshal Phelps's never here! I run things when he ain't around!

Shocked at the panic in the man's voice Kid immediately let go of his shirt, feeling immensely guilty for losing his temper like he had. As soon as his hands slipped from the collar of the shirt, the man jumped back and immediately drew his gun on Kid.

"Put your gun on the table," he ordered Kid in a hoarse voice. "And then put your hands were I can see 'em. Nice and slowly."

Kid did as he was asked and awaited further instruction.

"Now… get in that cell over there."

With a cocked gun pointing him straight in the face Kid knew better then to resist. After his violent outburst, he couldn't blame the man for wanting him safely locked up behind bars, but the timing couldn't have been any worse. As the door to the tiny cell closed behind him Kid turned around and feverishly thought of a way out of this sticky situation and how to get the help he needed to save Lou.

"You're makin' a big mistake," Kid growled desperately.

"From where I'm standing I think I did quite the opposite," the man answered rubbing his sore throat.

Wrapping his fists around the bars Kid felt his despair turn into anger. "I already told you, someone I care about is in a lot of trouble. I need help getting' her out! You the deputy around here?"

Casting a distrustful look at Kid, the man remained silent and merely leaned against the desk while he holstered his gun.

Kid felt a painful knot form in his stomach. He had known right from the start that getting help from the law might be impossible as Salazar was a powerful and wealthy man. A saloon like Victoria had described could only stay open for business if it had a Marshall or at least a deputy on its pay roll, to look the other way every time something occurred that was against the law. It seemed in this case Salazar had his filthy hands on both.

"How much does he pay you?" Kid asked defiantly, straightening himself against the bars.

"What are you talkin' about?" the man demanded furiously at the accusation.

"You know damn well what I'm talking about," Kid said in a low voice. "Salazar's probably got you lookin' the other way and bein' quite generous on you for doin' so"

"I don't know who you are, where you came from and what it is you're doin' here but I ain't got nothin' to do with that scum Salazar! The man bellowed at Kid. "Now I don't know who sent you, but you can go and tell whoever's after getting Salazar or his followers that I ain't one of 'em!"

Now Kid was the one to be confused, whatever the man was talking about it didn't make any sense at all.

"I already told you," Kid stated for the third time. "I'm here because someone's in a whole lot of trouble and I need help!"

"And I'm just supposed to take your word for it, is that right?" the man stated incredulously. "I ain't no fool son, you sure as hell ain't the first to come here to find out more about that lowlife Salazar. But you came to the wrong place, accusing the wrong person."

A little hope restored that he might be able to find the help he needed, judging by the bitter response he had received upon accusing the man of being a hired gun for Salazar.

"Maybe this'll help convince you I ain't here for anythin' else," Kid answered as he reached in his coat to grab the note from Teaspoon.

As soon as Kid had reached his hand inside his coat the man had pulled out his gun once more and aimed it straight at the Kid's heart.

"You best leave whatever is inside that coat of yours if you want to live to see another day," the man threatened in a menacing tone.

Kid froze on the spot, realizing that if he made one false move he'd get shot without hesitation. "Easy now, I just want to show you a note that was written by the Marshall back in Rock Creek."

Moments passed in silence as the man holding the gun trained on Kid tried to decide what he wanted to do. Something told Kid that something like this had transpired on more than one occasion and Salazar had caused more than his fair share of trouble for the locals he couldn't buy off with his blood money.

"Try anythin' funny and I'll make sure it'll be the last thing you do," the man reluctantly agreed.

Kid reached for the note and slowly pulled it from his coat. He could have sworn he heard the man let out a soft sigh of relief when he saw it indeed was a note and not some other weapon secretly stashed away in his pocket.

Pushing the note through the bars, the man snatched it from Kid's hands but not for one moment considered lowering the gun he had aimed at him, clearly not at all comfortable that it was safe to do so. Though the note Teaspoon had written was short, it was straight to the point and mentioned all the details that were necessary to aid the boys in case they were in need for it.

"You come all the way from Rock Creek?"

Kid nodded. "Rode day and night for four days to get here."

"What's your name son?" the man continued asking questions.

"Kid"

"Now how do I know this ain't a fake?" he asked Kid waving the note in front of him.

Kid let out an exasperated breath. "You're gonna have to take my word for it."

Scrutinizing Kid for one last time, the man finally lowered his gun and returned the note to Kid. "The name's Brent Cooper, but folks call me Coop. I'm guessing 'Kid' is somethin' short for a last name as well?

Kid shook his head. "Nope, it's just Kid."

"Alright Kid, start talking. You got my attention. That don't mean I trust you, or believe what's in this here note is true but I'm willin' to give you a chance."

Kid explained everything the best he could, being as burned out as he was from the journey from Rock Creek all the way to Tucson made it hard not to jump from one event to the other while all the while still making sense. He explained how he was supposed to deliver a message to Salazar so Victoria could live her life without having to look over her shoulder all the time and get Louise out of that hellhole where Salazar had held her captive.

"I need help, Coop, and the longer you keep me locked up in here the more chance there is they'll hurt her," Kid said as he finished his story.

Coop sighed while his face took on a look of concern. "You don't know what you're getting' yourself into boy. Salazar ain't anyone to be messin' with."

"I ain't gonna leave her there!" Kid spat out the words. "I need help, please; I need to get Lou outta there. I just got to her outta there," he begged?

Coop looked visibly burdened by Kid's request. He briefly turned away from Kid as he took a moment to clear his mind. With his back still facing Kid he spoke up again.

"If I agree to help you, you're gonna have to do somethin' for me in return."

Kid waited patiently outside the saloon for Coop to return. He had agreed to the request for a favor in return for Coop's help, making Lou's rescue even more dangerous than it already was. However, Kid also knew that he would never be able to get Lou out all by himself. As grim as things had looked when he decided to set foot in the Marshall's office, Kid now felt he couldn't have made a better choice as Coop would prove to be the best ally he could have in this matter.

Upon until a few years ago, Cooper had been the Marshall of Tucson. That was until Salazar decided to make the town his headquarters and had him replaced by one of his henchmen, the man called Phelps. Though Salazar would have gladly seen Cooper 'permanently ' leave town he soon realized he was going to have to keep him happy as it turned out the old Marshall had some friends in very high places. It did not take Salazar long to find Coop's weak spot when it became apparent he took quite a fancy to Dory, one of his newest recruits at the time.

At one point, Coop had tried to rescue her - finding no reason to stay in Tucson any longer with Dory trapped under Salazar's reign of terror - but had failed miserably in the attempt. There was just no getting through the barrier of hired guns and was nearly killed in a heavy gunfight.

Barely conscious for more than a couple of hours after he was dangerously injured one of Salazar's men paid him a visit and made sure Coop witnessed with his own two eyes what the ramifications of his actions were. If at any time Coop would try to turn one of Salazar's girls against him again or leave town without his consent, she would end up losing more than just her ability to speak. The message came through loud and clear.

Since that dreadful day, Coop continued to see Dory as an exclusive for keeping the town folk satisfied that justice would be served in case anything happened that did not involve anything that had to do with Salazar. Everything else that happened around town, Phelps dealt with representing his employer and anything to do with interference of the business.

Kid was getting nervous by now; Coop had been in the saloon for over an hour when he said that he would not be more than thirty minutes. When Kid was about to forget about Cooper and everything they had planned he finally saw him step out of the saloon.

He rushed up to Kid and pulled him into a nearby ally. "Dory told me she knows where your girl is, but one of his top men is permanently guarding her door."

Before Coop was able to continue Kid fired one question after the other. "Is she alright? Did he hurt her?! What'd they do to her?!"

"She's pretty banged up, but she's hangin' in there. They're tryin' to break her but so far they haven't been very successful," Coop answered while placing a reassuring hand on Kid's shoulder.

Shrugging off Coops hand Kid tried to push himself past his accomplice. "I gotta get to her!"

Grabbing Kid firmly by the shoulders Coop pushed him forcefully against the side of a building and looked him straight in the face. "And do what exactly?! You don't know what it's like in there and I already asked Dory to help you. If you go stormin' in there like a wild buffalo on a stampede you're gonna get her, your girl and yourself killed!"

The urgency in Coops voice seemed to calm him down a little. Panting with anxiety and fighting the urge to mindlessly barge into the saloon, he let Coop know that he had his emotions under control once more.

"Now listen up very carefully. When you go in there, you tell Salazar about Victoria's death. When he asks you why you came to tell him in person, you tell him Hodges sent you, he's one of Phelps's men in Nebraska. Just make sure Phelps ain't in there with you when you tell him that."

"Right, Hodges," Kid repeated the name.

"A lady called Taffy will be waiting for you at the bar; she's a close friend of Dory's and has agreed to help."

"Why don't Dory come down to take me to wherever they're holdin' Lou?" Kid asked, wondering why so many people were involved.

Cooper took a good look around to make sure nobody saw him talking to the Kid.

"Because Dory's the one takin' care of her, and she don't do 'tricks' with no strangers. I've told you before, I'm the only one allowed near her and it needs to stay that way or else they'll know somethin's up and I got somethin' to do with it."

"Alright, I go with Taffy and then what?" Kid asked, wanting to know the rest of the plan.

"Taffy's room is right next to the one where they keep Louise. Now mind you, one of Salazar's best men guards the door. You will have to take him out, quietly."

Kid let out a deep troubled sigh. So far, the plan Coop had told him did not seem too complicated but taking out a hired gun that could see him coming from a mile away was practically impossible. One sound or wrong move and they would all be dead, of that he was certain.

"How am I supposed to take out the guard? I can't exactly take him by surprise," Kid voiced his concerns.

"With Taffy there I'm sure you can come up with a good distraction," was all Coop said. "Once you get in, get Louise and Dory and make a run for it. I'll have horses ready for you at the backside of the saloon."

"Salazar will know you had something to do with it as soon as he finds out that Dory's missin'," Kid stated seriously.

Coop shook his head. "No he won't 'cause I'll still be here when he comes lookin' for me. I'll pretend I don't know anythin' and offer to lead a search party in order to get her back. I'll lead us down the main route to Nebraska while you take the long route through New Mexico. Don't worry about taking Dory; she's stayin' here in Tucson. I'll meet up with her after I get back."

Kid briefly paused in front of the building that harbored all that was considered a sin and earned you a ticket straight to the depths of hell. As much as he hated stepping into a saloon, never had he felt as much loathing for a place as he did facing the Silver Spur Saloon. Even at this hour, there were enough potential 'customers' for the working girls to entice as they boastfully flaunted their assets to every passer-by. The girls made no exception for Kid, who felt highly uncomfortable with the fabricated attention he was receiving.

Politely declining every offer, he stepped into the saloon and half expected to find the pits of perdition behind the doors. He was mildly surprised when he found that the Silver Spur Saloon was nothing different from the other saloons he had ever seen from within. His mind had taken him to the far corners of his own imagination, painting a picture that had him rattled to his very core. When the cold, hard reality thankfully eradicated these absurd images Kid set about finding Salazar and finally getting this dreadful episode behind him.

With a determined pace he marched up to the bar, nothing else but Lou and Coop's plan on his mind and told the bartender he was sent by one of Phelps's men called Hodges to deliver a message to Salazar. The bartender gave him a barely noticeable nod and looked over sideways to a man dressed in a black suit who wore a stoic look on his face. Kid assumed he was to walk over to the man in the suit who would then bring him over to see Salazar.

It turned out his assumptions were correct, as the man proceeded in front of him and lead him to a room off the main room of the bar. The man knocked on the door three times before opening it and stepped in, leaving Kid waiting alone in front of a closed door.

Within moments the man returned and muttered something that sounded like Salazar was ready to see him. With slight trepidation Kid moved past the man wearing the black suit and stood still in the middle of the room, facing the man that had plans to give his beautiful Louise to a man as if she were a thing, a mere object that would enable him to make even more money than he already owned. The man dressed in the black suit never left the room while loosely resting his hand on his gun.

Salazar's beady eyes scanned Kid from head to toe before he spoke up. "Who are you and why are you here?"

I took a moment for Kid to find his voice, as pure anger and hate briefly consumed every fiber of his being. After clearing his throat and several inward encouragements did he feel it was safe to speak up.

"I was sent here with a message. I was told is of much importance to you," he answered as he took off his hat.

Salazar irked at the neglect to answer one of his previously asked questions and made sure Kid knew exactly how he felt.

"I asked you two questions and not only do you omit to answer the first one, you also assume that what you have to tell me would be of importance to me."

A nonplussed Kid tried to make sense of Salazar's response but was not granted the time to regain composure.

"Oh get on with it boy!" Salazar said exasperatedly while waving one hand dismissively. "Stop wasting my time."

Grinding his teeth to a point where he was inflicting pain on himself Kid continued as he was told and kept reminding himself that whatever he was going through was nothing compared to what Lou had had to endure.

"I've been sent here with the message that Victoria Wentworth-Cohen has been killed in an armed robbery on the stage on her way through Nebraska."

At the mention of Victoria's name Salazar's interest peaked, and leaned forward in his chair running his index finger and thumb from his nose down to his chin while pursing his thin lips.

"And how exactly, may I ask, did you learn of Mrs. Cohen's unfortunate demise?"

"I was sent by Hodges, who heard about the accident from the Marshall over in Rock Creek, where she was headed. Told me that Phelps had sent word to all of his men to keep a look out for Mrs. Cohen to make sure she'd honor her end of the deal," Kid lied. "Hodges figured you'd need to know as soon as possible"

Salazar suddenly rose from his seat and poured himself a glass of sherry to hide his discontent. Kid gathered it was because that little witch had found a way to get out of the deal after all. Salazar took a sip of his drink and put doen the glass.

"I had been counting on her to deliver within the terms she agreed to, before doing something stupid as getting herself killed. Oh well," Salazar sighed and waved one hand dramatically. "No point in shooting the messenger for delivering me bad news."

Kid's whole body stiffened at the last remark, having learnt in such a small amount of time that Salazar was not just dangerous, but a man with an absolute sick and twisted mind. For a moment he thought it would all end right there and then for him, until the man dressed in black opened the door once more and signaled to Kid to follow.

Once outside Kid let go of the breath he had been holding ever since he had entered the room and scoured the room for Taffy. Now that the first part of the plan had been set in motion, it was time for the hardest part - to get Lou out of there as fast as he could without getting her or himself killed in the process.

Kid carefully looked at the girls hanging around the bar, when a petite blonde caught his eye. She winked at him and seductively beckoned him to come over. He silently prayed it was Taffy, for he had no idea what she actually looked like. Coop had failed to mention what she looked like when they had discussed the plan, but then again he never asked him either.

Walking up to the delicate young woman, he hesitantly allowed her to wrap his arms around his neck. "I'm Taffy. What's your name handsome?"

Unsure how to handle himself Kid took in a deep breath and awkwardly looked around the room in attempt to avoid her piercing green eyes. "Coop told me you're here to help me," he spoke softly.

Treating him to her sauciest look, she stood on her toes, hands trailing down from his neck only to rest on his broad shoulders, until she reached his ear. "If Coop had told me you were this good lookin' I wouldn't have asked him to pay me," she whispered flirtatiously and winked as she lowered back on her feet.

Blushing fiercely, he let her to grab him by the hand following her as she led him up the stairs while she playfully placed his hands firmly around her tiny middle as they ascended. When the duo reached the floor where they held Lou captive, Taffy suddenly turned around and wrapped her arms around his neck once more.

"What now blue-eyes? That thug over there ain't gonna be as impressed with you as I am," she purred audaciously. "You're gonna have to do a whole lot more than just look pretty for him to go down."

As soon as the words had left Taffy's mouth the guard turned to look at the couple and Kid was forced to act on instinct. He immediately started nuzzling Taffy's neck and pulled her closer to him with one hand while the other slowly moved down to her thigh.

Taffy let out a giddy giggle followed by a loud moan that seemed to come right from her toes. Stumbling across the corridor, Kid tried his best to keep Taffy from pulling his head up from her neck to kiss her fully on the mouth but eventually they reached her room, which was only a few feet away from the brute that stood watch guarding Lou's door.

As they came to a standstill, Kid continued to nuzzle Taffy's neck and tried to think of a way to get rid of the man without causing a scene. Suddenly it came to him, but he was going to need Taffy's help to do it.

"Taffy," he breathed into her hair. "I need you to open the door to your room and then moan as loud as you can when I let go of you."

"Oh you naughty boy!" Taffy squealed while running her hands through his hair. "No need to tell me how you like it!" she exaggerated.

"On the count of three," he panted. "One… two… three!"

With a force Kid didn't know he had in him he slammed his first against the guard's throat, causing the man to almost choke on his own breath, dropping to his knees in a desperate attempt to be able to inhale some much needed air. While Kid grabbed the struggling guard and removed his gun, Taffy opened the door to her room and started moaning like there would be no tomorrow.

Kid dragged the incapacitated man into Taffy's room and whacked him hard over the head with the butt of his own gun, immediately rendering the man unconscious. Even though everything happened in matter of seconds, the man falling to his knees and the struggle before he was knocked unconscious caused a ruckus which, thankfully was masked somewhat by Taffy's throaty moans.

As expected, doors opened along the corridor to see what all the turmoil was about but by then Kid had quickly placed himself into Taffy's flailing arms again, pretending to be the source of the clamor.

With a genuine look of shame, Kid pushed Taffy into the room and asked her for one last favor.

"Taffy, I need you to tie him up to the bed and make sure he can't talk. I'll have to tie you up too; else they'll know you were in on helpin' me get Dory and Lou out."

She nodded, but reached for his hand when he wanted to get started on finding something that would hold the man once he would regain consciousness.

"I wanted you to know how much it means to me you're willin' to risk your life for your lady and get Dory out at the same time. There ain't many men like you out there Kid and I hope Louise realizes that," she said in sincere voice.

Kid looked at the young woman, and suddenly realized that underneath all the heavy make-up she was actually quite beautiful. He felt bad for having to leave her behind in a place like this.

"I'm so sorry," he murmured but Taffy's small finger silenced his lips.

"Don't be. You've given this girl hope that someone will come and do the same for me one day," she whispered. "Now go, before he wakes up."

Ensuring he hadn't tied Taffy up too tight while making sure the guard wasn't able to move a muscle, Kid left the two in the room with the promise that Taffy wouldn't start screaming until at least ten minutes had past.

Opening the door to the room where he was told he would find his Lou, Kid braced himself for what he was about to find. Coop's words about how banged up she was kept echoing in his mind and he feared she was in very bad shape.

Taking two hesitant steps in the room, Kid rested his eyes on the two young women huddled closely together in the far corner of the room.

"Lou!" Kid cried and rushed over to her side.

Lou wept great heaving sobs, releasing all the fear, anger and confusion she had experienced since she had left Rock Creek. Taking her into his arms Kid let her cry, grateful she was alive and he was able to hold her after all this time apart.

The moment did not last long when Dory urgently tapped both Kid and Lou's shoulder and pointed out the window at Katy and two other horses that were ready for their escape. Opening the window Dory threw out a knapsack she had packed which landed on the ground with a muffled thud. She then proceeded to climb out the window and let herself fall onto the ground.

Kid watched Lou go out the window and made sure she made it to the ground all right before climbing out the window himself. Once the trio was safe, they mounted their horses and rode out into the dark night.

They rode like the wind, each of them eager to put as many miles as possible between them and Salazar, until Dory pulled her horse to a halt and waited for Kid and Lou to do the same. In silence, Dory pointed towards a dim light that glimmered in the darkness.

"That where you're meetin' Coop?" Kid asked, already knowing the answer.

Dory nodded with smile, then pointed at Kid and placed a hand over her heart. It did not matter that she couldn't speak, Kid knew what she meant by it and returned the smile. Dory then turned her attention to Lou. A mischievous smile appeared on her face as she wagged her eyebrows up and down while again pointing at Kid. Lou chuckled and rubbed the back of her hands along her cheeks in attempt to fight the pink blush that she knew colored her cheeks.

Dory took in a deep breath before turning her horse around and kicking it into a gallop in the direction of where she was to meet the man she had waited her so long to be with.

Kid and Lou watched Dory disappear into the night before riding on to New Mexico themselves, until they both felt they had covered enough ground between themselves and the Silver Spur Saloon to take a well-deserved rest.

Having found a semi-secluded spot that provided just enough cover from the chilly nocturnal wind, Kid started to set up camp while Lou tried to get a fire going. Kid smiled when he noticed Coop had been true to his word and made sure that they had sufficient supplies for their long journey home.

Lou had been watching Kid intently ever since they had stopped to make camp and she knew he was waiting on her to make the first move. She had told him long ago that being forced to talk was something she hated and it seemed he had listened to her for once. However, right now she wanted nothing more than for him to make her talk, for she had no idea where to begin.

"Kid?" Lou started hesitantly. "You haven't said a word to me since we left Tucson."

Turning around Kid did not dare meet her eyes. "I wanted to wait 'til you were ready to talk. Figured you could do with the time alone with your thoughts."

"My head ain't a pleasant place to be in right now" she answered him truthfully.

Kid grew concerned, realizing this ordeal must have affected her even more than he thought.

"Lou… I… I'm so sorry. We tried to get to you as soon as we could," he stammered as he knelt down in front of her. "We rode day and night but then we got-"

"We? Who else was with you? What happened Kid?" Lou cut him off in mid-sentence.

"Jimmy," Kid answered.

"Jimmy?!" Lou cried. "Is he alright? Why ain't he here?"

Kid's heart broke at hearing the concern for Jimmy and decided to tell her the whole story. "Jimmy and I rode out together when Victoria came to town makin' up all kinds of stories. We were worried sick about you and rode almost day and night until we reached Salt Lake City. That's when me and Jimmy split up."

The look on Kid's face indicated they hadn't exactly parted on good terms, but Lou decided not to press the matter any further.

"You think he's alright?" she asked in a concerned voice.

Kid rose to his feet and shrugged, feeling hurt that Lou's mind was more with Jimmy than it was with him. "I don't know, it's Jimmy. He can take care of himself."

Sitting down a few feet away from Lou, Kid took a stick and absentmindedly started poking the fire they had going. He knew she was staring at him, but refused to meet her eyes not trusting his emotions if he did. Moments of silence passed when Lou spoke up again.

"You're mad at me"

"What?! No! What would I be mad at you for?!" he cried out, shocked at the accusing words that came from her mouth.

"Then talk to me!" she blurted out.

Kid started to feel desperate now. There were so many things he wanted to say to her but none of them seemed appropriate at a time like this. His mind reeling and his heart overflowing with the strongest emotions he had ever felt in his life, he jumped to his feet and leaned his head against the nearest tree.

"Kid, please…" she pleaded one last time.

"Dammit Lou, I can't!" he cried desperately. "I can't talk to you, because all I want to tell you is how much I still love you and how scared I was the whole time you were gone. I can't talk to you because I can't deal with losin' you again, not to some maniac who tries to sell you off like you're some kind of prize horse or to Jimmy, no matter how close we are!"

Slowly rising to her feet Lou walked up to where Kid leaned against the tree and reached for one of his hands.

"That's mighty sweet of you Kid, but-"

"But its Jimmy you want to be with," Kid finished her sentence for her in a dejected tone.

Slightly tilting her head she looked into his blue eyes and playfully bit her lower lip. "No. What I was goin' to say, before you decided cut me off, is that I've heard enough of you talkin'"

Puzzled by what she meant by that Kid patiently waited for her to finish making her point. She slowly moved closer to him, placing his hand she was holding around her waist and affectionately traced the back of her hand along his cheek. As her lips met his, all pain, suffering and confusion was easily forgotten while they re-acquainted themselves with one another. What had started out as a tentative kiss soon grew into a long, passionate, all forgiving kiss that signaled the start of a new beginning.

Breaking off the kiss that put everything back into place as it should be, Kid stared into her deep brown eyes.

"I love you Lou," he whispered.

"I love you too Kid, I just never realized how much until now."

FIN