Can love bloom in a place of horror and fear?

Jim/Artemus

It was an evening like any other. Darkness hadnt quite fallen yet though. There was still a distant chirping of birds among the trees, but other than that, there was only the usual sound of wheels rolling against metallic railroad tracks. There really wasnt much else out there in the forest clad mountains except for them and their trusted train.

That was more than fine with Artemus. Traveling down this particular mountain path wouldnt take them anywhere important anytime soon anyway, which allowed them to relax for a bit. Artemus reached out to gently grab his cup of tea from the small table beside him. The drink had almost gone cold by now, but he sipped it anyway while his gaze traveled back to the book in his hand. For a moment, his thoughts went to his partner and he wondered what he was up to right now. He hadnt seen him in a while. Oh well..

The book he was reading was about guns. He wasnt really sure of why it had even crossed his mind to pick up such a book, but he had. Perhaps it was a way of trying to understand his trigger happy friend's love for the said weapons. He just couldnt see it though. Artemus had always thought of them as primitive and...well... uneccessary when a situation could be handled in a much more peaceful way. He of course could handle a gun if it happened to be called for. He was a U.S. marshal after all. He'd just rather not.

He yawned once as his gaze traveled over the various sketches of guns in the book, and then he turned the page. There was a sudden movement outside the window across the wagon and he looked up to focus on that instead. All he could see outside was bare trees passing by at a high speed. Perhaps he had imagined things... Must have been a bird, or a bat maybe. He started to take notice of how naked these trees were. Not a single leaf on any of them. Pale and.. hardly no branches. What kind of natural disaster could have caused this? Or was it a unnatural disaster caused by humans perhaps?

He was distracted from his thoughts when the door to the wagon swung open and in stepped his partner.

"Jim", he greeted him simply before putting his cup back down onto the table.

"What's up, Artie?" the younger man greeted him back and went straight to the bigger table at the other end of the wagon to grab himself a glass of water.

"Nothing much", Artemus replied and yet another yawn escaped him. Jim turned to face him while he was drinking, and his gaze went to the man's yawning mouth. It was with a hint of a teasing smirk on his lips that Jim lowered his glass and made eye contact wtih Artemus.

"You should go and get your beauty sleep", he commented and took another sip of his water. In return, Artemus raised an eyebrow at him.

"I dont need no such sleep", he replied. "I'm already quite handsome", he continued to look through the book. Jim smiled for a moment.

"I never said you werent", he replied and put his glass down before walking across the wagon and to the door.

"I'm going to check with Coleman", he swung it open. "see for how much longer we will be stuck on this train.", and with that said, he disappeared out the door. Artemus bit down on his lower lip for a thoughtful moment before he decided to stand and put the book aside. A couple of minutes had passed since he had last looked out the window. He did it again, and what do you know. Still pale, dead trees flashing by outside. He thought it a bit strange but decided not to dwell on it. He needed to focus on their oncoming mission. A league of bandits had apparently been causing a ruccus in a small village to the north, by stealing and burning down houses. Terrible really. It was obviously not one of their bigger missions to date, but it could be just as deadly.

He slowly stepped away from the window and walked down the hallway to the door. When he swung it open, he almost bumped into Jim and stopped dead in his tracks. The other man seemed just as surprised, but recovered quickly.

"We've got another two hours left", he informed and sighed.

"Right", Artemus replied and they stared at each other for a couple of more seconds before Jim stepped aside and gestured for him to go through the doorway.

"Why thank you, Jim", Artemus said as he passed him. "A true gentleman", he added with a short lasting smirk. He then continued down the new hallway towards the back of the train, thinking that he needed some fresh air.

"Always", Jim joked back and continued on his way into the wagon that Artemus had just left. He sighed again and decided on getting something stronger down his throat this time. Water just wouldnt do. Almost to the point of being irritated, he looked through the cabinet of various spirits. Patience wasnt on his side tonight. Hmm...Some whiskey would probably do. He grabbed the bottle and a glass and quickly proceeded with pouring the liquid into it. Then he brought the glass to his mouth just as quickly. He drank until it was empty, but he still didnt feel any sort of satisfaction. Damnit. Irritation stirred up within him again and he looked to the door where his partner had exited.

"Damnit", he sighed under his breath and put the glass down to go over to the couch. He sat and stared in front of him. His heart was throbbing faster than normal right now. He was quite used to it, but it never got comfortable. His gaze then moved to the door and he wondered if maybe he should see what Artie was up to. The thought alone made his heart speed up a bit more. What an idiot he was. He couldnt go and follow the other man around like a puppy dog all the time. No, he would have to entertain himself with something else for a while. Something that could distract him from the chaos that was currently going on inside him.

In the middle of his pondering, he noticed that the train was slowing down and he lowered his eyebrows in suspicion before standing. He knew that they had a long way to go before they would reach their destination, so why would they be stopping out here in the middle of nowhere? Especially when darkness was falling fast. He hurried down the hallway in the other direction this time. When he reached the cab of the train, he found an equally confused Coleman. Their eyes met and then they both scanned the area around them. Trees and trees yet again. Bare and pale.

"What's going on?" Jim asked him while he continously watched their surroundings cautiously.

"I dont know", the old man admitted, and he sounded slightly distressed. More so when the train was losing even more speed. Jim decided on trying a few levers, but nothing happened.

"It's no use", Coleman told him and gazed into the woods with a concerned look in his eyes.

"Damn..", Jim muttered in return. Must be something wrong with the engine. Or so he figured. He wasnt an expert. Far from it actually. They would have to fix this issue, and quickly! His mind automatically went to Artemus, as always when there were technical issues. But where was he? Jim hadnt passed him on the way to the cab. So then..maybe he was at the back. Without a word, he hurried through wagon number one, and then two. Then three. Still no sign of his partner. When he opened the door to the back and stepped out on the platform, he realized with fear creeping up on him, that Artemus wasnt on the train.

"Artie?!" he yelled into the darkness as the train came to a soft halt. No answer. Perhaps he had been wrong about the engine failing..Perhaps they were dealing with humans here... With a pounding heart, Jim pulled his gun from its holdster and gracefully jumped over the railing and onto the soft ground. As he sneaked around, he couldnt find any signs of people or any life at all actually. What in the hell was going on here?

He cautiously made his way back to the front of the train to warn Coleman of their situation, before taking off back down the railroad.

"Artemus?!" he called out for his friend again, but he still got no answer. He was starting to feel real anxious now. He decided to sneak into the forest to his left, thinking that maybe someone had come and taken Artemus away. The thought made him feel a bit sick to his stomach. He usually wasnt this anxious in the heat of danger, but tonight he was.

Artemus had come to mean a great deal to him since they had started working together and he wouldnt be able to forgive himself if something was to happen to him. A sudden crack of a branch made him freeze in place, and all that was still moving now were his eyes. He figured that it had either been an animal, or he was closing in on his enemies. He remained where he was for another minute, just listening. No more sounds came from anywhere around him and he decided to move on when he heard the sudden flapping of bird wings. Looking up, he caught the sight of birds flying by at a quick pace. They were coming from the direction he had come from and they seemed to have been scared off by something.

This made Jim decide on turning around to check the other side of the forest. Something or someone had definitely stirred something up in there. He hurried a bit more this time, but being careful not to make any sounds. His heart was beating so fast in his chest now. The longer he had to look for Artemus, the more anxious he got. If he didnt find him soon, there was a big chance that he was gone...abducted. That was better than being dead anyways.

It was getting harder and harder to see out there in the blackening forest. It seemed that it was getting darker by the minute. Something did stand out further up ahead though. Something that caught his eye. It made him stop once again and he focused on the slight movement in there. The next second he realized that it was actually a siluette of a person. Tense, but determined, he continued forward. As he got closer, he started to recognize the siluette as...

"Artemus?" still on his guard, Jim hurried over to towards the man. He was standing with his back to him and he didnt seem to react to his voice. When Jim reached him, he glanced at him and then around them to make sure that they really were alone.

"Hey!" he tugged at Artemus' arm but got no reaction whatsoever out of him. It seemed as if he was staring at something far off in the dark. Something that Jim couldnt see...and it made him slightly more nervous. Artemus didnt look distressed or anything though. He just had this empty, apathetic look in his eyes.

"Artie", Jim grabbed his shoulder this time and shook him roughly. Still nothing. Now Jim was getting really concerned and frustrated. Without a moment of hesitation, he brought his hand up and lightly slapped the man across the cheek. This time it seemed to have worked, because Artemus stumbled back a little and his gaze was suddenly focused again. Focused on Jim now. There was also apparent shock in his eyes.

"What the hell is going on?" Jim demanded to know, almost to the point of being angry now. It wasnt his friend he was angry with. He was just frustrated with the situation is all. Artemus thoughtfully brought a hand up to rub the sore area on his cheek, his brows furrowed in confusion.

"What was that for?" he demanded back and furrowed his brow even more before looking behind him. "and where are we?" Jim's eyebrows shot up in disbelief and he was actually speechless for a moment.

"Where are we? You tell me! I found you standing here like a dummy!" he blurted out in frustration. Artemus looked pretty confused in return, as well as irritated. "Dont go running off like that." Jim continued before the other man could reply.

"I didnt!" Artemus insisted on, equally as irritated as his partner. "...did I?" he added, much more softly this time. Well, that surely was concerning. How did he black out? Jim sighed and there was clearly concern in his eyes.

"I dont know, Artie", he replied. "Lets just head back to the train. now", he added and took the lead back through the forest. Still very confused, Artemus rubbed his cheek again and then followed Jim. The next couple of minutes were spent in silence as they were both pondering over the events that had just taken place.

When they eventually reached the train, Artemus stopped and checked his pockets, as well as the inside of his suits jacket. This earned him a questioning look from the younger man.

"Just making sure...", he started and then said no more. He just wanted to check ...that there werent any foreign objects on him. Or that anything was missing. Jim was still staring at him in that questioning way, but Artemus ignored him and stepped pass him to go and open the nearest door of the train. It was good to be back inside the warm and...very dark train? It seemed that the electricity had gone out. What had really happened during his blackout? He could hardly make anything out in the darkness and he almost stumbled over a small stool on his way inside the wagon. He cursed under his breath and felt Jim brushing pass him as if it was as light as day in there.

"Great", Jim said and sighed. He about to make his way to the front of the train when the door to wagon number two suddenly opened.

"Oh. Good. You boys are back", came Coleman's relieved voice from somewhere in the dark.

"Would anyone mind telling me what is happening?" Artemus asked with a hint of irritated expectance in his voice while he plucked some dead leaves off his jacket. All he could remember was going out for some fresh air and that the train was slowing down. Next thing he knew, he was in the middle of the forest, being slapped by Jim.

"Well. I think there is something wrong with the engine", Coleman answered him, which of course made Artemus realize that he was going be the one to fix this problem. He was the technician after all. A deep sigh escaped him and now that his eyes had gotten slightly used to the darkness, he could make his way towards the door.

"I'll take a look at it", he replied and then followed the old man through the train with Jim hot on his heels.

"You know", Coleman started as they walked. "These woods. I would be careful with wandering off in there alone", he continued as they reached the door to the cab. "Just some advice."

"Well..I didnt", Artemus answered, beginning to feel annoyed with their scolding. There wasnt much room for more words on the subject as they were now entering the cab. Just as Jim had done earlier, Artemus tried a few levers. He then crouched down a bit in a try to examine the machinery. It was...very difficult due to the darkness.

"Hang on", he heard Jim saying in the background suddenly. Then there was the sound of his fading footsteps. Artemus stood again and opened the door to step outside. He thought he should have a look at the boiler. He figured that Jim had probably gone to fetch a lantern. It would be greatly needed if they were going to solve this problem tonight.

"What were you indicating about the woods?" he asked Coleman who had followed him outside. He started to climb the small ladder up to the boiler and looked around for a handle of some sort.

"Well. They call it 'The dead forest'. It's supposedly haunted", he said and earned a strange look from Jim who was coming down the trail towards them. Artemus glanced down at Coleman at this, but he said nothing. He just proceeded with opening the lid to the boiler.

"There are no such things as ghosts", Jim spoke confidentally and went over to Artemus to hand him the lantern.

"Hmm...As long as they're kind ghosts", Artemus trailed off and then focused on checking the boiler.

"You dont need to worry about that, my friend", Jim promised him and looked over to Coleman. The man was currently looking into the forest with a slight nervousness in his expression. A moment later, the lantern was given back to Jim and he felt the cold skin of his partner's hand brushing against his own. It caused a tiny shock of excitement to rush through his body, but he quickly shook it off.

"The engine is probably overheated", Artemus informed them and stepped down the ladder. "We'd better wait for it to cool down and see if we can get it started later", he suggested, and Coleman nodded his head.

"If you boys would like to get some sleep, I will keep watch in the meantime", he offered and started his way back to the cab.

"Thank you", both agents expressed their gratitude in sync. They exchanged a glance and there was a hint of a smile on each of their lips. Without a word, they walked together to the door of their bed chamber wagon. Once inside, Jim placed the lantern on a small table at the back of the wagon.

"Uhm...Sorry about before", he started hesitatingly while walking back towards his bed to sit on it. It was positioned against the wall while Artemus' bed was across the room. "I was just...you know...worried", he swallowed and watched his partner removing his jacket.

Artemus suspected that Jim was talking about the incident in the forest. He had in fact noticed that his friend had been unusally protective lately. He had also become sort of scolding.

"Dont worry about it", he ensured him and started removing his bow tie. He neatly placed it on his bedside table and then proceeded with removing his shirt. He was well aware of the eyes watching him as he exposed his naked body, but he didnt really think much about it. When he was done, he sat on his bed and there was silence for a while.

Jim was currently laying down onto his back and Artemus decided on doing the same. It was really starting to bother him that he couldnt figure out why he had blacked out before. This was really serious. It could come to affect his job...and his life as well. He wouldnt jump to conclusions about his health just yet though. Getting worked up over possible deseases before having any facts was just stupid.

"You ok?" came Jim's caring voice suddenly, from the other side of the room. Artemus turned his head slightly to look at him. Had he looked so obviously concerned?

"yes..I'm ok", he replied and turned around to face the wall. "We should try and get some sleep so that we can fix the train first thing in the morning. Dont you think?" he didnt get any answer right away. Jim had just nodded to himself. Then he let out a soft hum as a reply before lookig out the window on his side of the room. Everything was now pitch black outside. He didnt think he would be able to sleep. He couldnt let his guard down enough to do so.

He turned his head to look over to Artemus. He had been painfully aware of his ...feelings for the man for a couple of weeks now. Once he had thought them over and stopped denying them, he had started to grow more anxious instead. He wanted something to happen. He wanted to act on his emotions. He just was really unsure of if it would be well recieved or not... Either way, it would be a problem for them at work.

This whole thing with keeping himself from being involved with women during missions...It didnt really matter anymore because his biggest distraction was laying right here next to him every night anyway. Unable to relax, Jim decided that he could as well get out of bed and do something productive, and so he left the room.

Please let me know if anyone is interested in reading more of this