The Promise of a Lifetime

by Rackuhn

Even though his life is changed forever, he keeps the promise that he made to his best friend.

The Promise of a Lifetime

By Rackuhn

Summary: Even though his life is changed forever, he keeps the promise that he made to his best friend.

Warning: Character Death but kind of different so please don't give up on this story already. I hesitated to post this story for I know how people don't like death fics but this story shows that friendships can last a lifetime if not an eternity. Not the kind of story that I normally write, but this one wanted to be written. I did not write this to offend anyone's beliefs, so if you are, I'm sorry. I hope you enjoy it anyway.

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The night was clear, the breeze was cool, and the stars seemed to be shining brighter than they usually did. The lone figure stood there with his back against the blazing fire with a cup of coffee in his hand, staring out at the darkness and listening to the sounds that surrounded him on his ranch. He patted off some more of the dust that had collected on him from the long ride he had that day checking on his herd of horses. The sheepskin coat, a replica of the one he use to wear hung open, giving him a feeling of security that he always felt when he wore it. He threw his tan hat, similar to the one of his younger years, next to his saddle that sat on the ground and absentmindedly finger his revolver, the one he had used when he was on the run, feeling it strapped securely to his leg, still as clean and shiny as the day he bought it.

His once long, curly hair was now short with more flecks of gray and silver running through it than blonde, and his face that still held those boyish good looks, now also showed the lines from the years of tears and happiness that he had dealt with over his lifetime. His blue eyes that used to make women dream of him for days and stop his opponents in their tracks, still held their sharpness and allure. Taking a sip from the cup in his hand, he grimaced at the taste and turned to throw the dregs of the cup into the fire. He stopped to think how many times he had done that before and chuckled to himself realizing that this time it was his coffee and not his cousin's. He gave a sigh, as he stood there lost in memories from the earlier years of his life, a life that seemed so long ago.

Sitting down and leaning against his saddle, he grabbed his saddlebag and pulled out the book that was in there.

"Life on the Mississippi"

By Mark Twain

He carefully fingered the book, as he looked at it in the dim light. The book itself wasn't anything spectacular. The binding was creased and broken in several spots, the pages themselves were yellowed with age, some torn and some dog-eared from where the reader stopped and marked his place. No the book itself wasn't the reason he still had it after all these years, in fact, he had probably only read it once or twice himself. It was the memory of his cousin who had read and reread it so many times that he kept it. This was his book, the book he found in a hotel room while helping out their friend, Jim Stokely, from being charged with a murder he didn't commit. It was this book that gave his cousin the idea of using fingerprints as a method of proving who actually did do the killing. It was this book that almost got them both killed when the murderer wanted to destroy the shotgun that he used so that there wouldn't be any trace of evidence.

He gently ran his fingers over the aged cover, his eyes glistening in the dim light of the fire as he held the book in his hands, remembering how his friend would always ignore him as he read it. But to him, this book seemed to keep his cousin close to his heart, making him feel that he was still here with him. After all these years, he still felt the sadness and anger that he had over this senseless loss, all because an uninformed bounty hunter wanted to claim the reward on the great Hannibal Heyes.

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It was only after the man had brought in the injured Heyes that he found out that the wanted man was no longer wanted but had been granted amnesty. Kid Curry was devastated at the news about his cousin. He had been out of town at the time doing some research on a case they were helping Sheriff Lom Trevors with, when he received the telegram about Heyes being shot and seriously injured. At that time, Heyes was still alive but the doctor didn't give much hope about his survival. Kid rode all night and most of the next day to arrive back to find his cousin sleeping and his chest heavily bandaged. His breathing was ragged and his normally tan complexion was pale, almost an unnatural gray. Kid sat on the bed next to him taking his partner's hand in his own, tears forming in his own eyes.

Heyes must have known who it was that was beside him as his eyes slowly opened and focused on his partner. "Hey Kid," he whispered.

"Hey yourself," Kid smiled back. "I see you got yourself into trouble while I was gone."

"Yeah," Heyes gasped. "U…usually it's you…that's in trouble." The smile that was on Heyes' face didn't quite reach his eyes, but it managed to stir Kid's heart knowing that it was sincere.

"Always because of a pretty girl too," Kid replied with a sad smile of his own.

Heyes nodded his agreement. "Kid…I need…I need you to…promise me that…you won't do anything stupid…after I'm gone."

"Who says you're goin' anywhere?" Kid asked as he squeezed Heyes' hand tighter.

Heyes closed his eyes and swallowed. "Sorry Partner. I don't think I'll be making…the trip back this time." Kid looked away for a moment as he tried to control his emotions. "Had some real…good times didn't we?"

"Yeah, we sure did," Kid smiled back.

"That's why I want…want you to never give up," Heyes panted. "Find a good woman…get married…have kids…be the best at…whatever you decide to do."

"Heyes…"

"No! Promise me!" Heyes ordered, raising his other hand to grasp Kid's arm.

Tears welled up in Kid's eyes as he reached over grabbing Heyes' hand. He saw the look that Heyes was giving him, the look that he used when ordering his men when he was still the leader of the Devil's Hole gang. "All right Heyes," Kid whispered back, swallowing hard, trying to hold back the flood of emotions that were overwhelming him.

Heyes lay back in bed, a smile on his face. "Thanks Kid. Take care…of yourself. Remember, you're the best…partner a guy…could have asked for. I love you Jed."

Kid was taken aback by what Heyes just admitted, not because he said it, but because he knew that Heyes was fading. "Love you too, Han," Kid said as he bent over and kissed his cousin's forehead. As he pulled back, he noticed Heyes' eyes were closed and his breathing was shuttering. Kid pushed a stray strand of hair off of Heyes' forehead and watched his best friend take his last breath. The tears that Kid was holding back came flooding out.

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The funeral had ended over an hour ago and all the mourners had left except for Kid, who just stood there in the rain, solely focused on the gravesite in front of him. His whole being was broken as his tears mingled with the rain that landed on his face. He wanted desperately to turn back time to when his friend was alive, to change the fact that he wasn't there to protect his cousin, to somehow inform that bounty hunter that they were both free men. He stood there just staring, as if in a trance, and jumped slightly when he felt a hand on his shoulder.

"Come on Kid," Lom ordered as he turned the younger man away from the grave. "Let's get you home." Lom felt Kid resist him at first but was finally allowed to lead his friend to the small, covered surrey that was standing nearby. The ride back to Lom's house was quiet with Kid just staring straight ahead but not seeing anything.

Kid finally stirred when he realized that they stopped in front of Lom's own house instead of the house that he and Heyes had bought. Looking up he turned to Lom. "I thought that you were taking me home?"

Lom cringed slightly at the flat, monotone voice that Kid used. "Thought it would be better if you weren't by yourself tonight," Lom replied with a shrug. "Come on inside. I got a bottle ready for the occasion. We'll drink a toast to Heyes." Kid just nodded, got out of the surrey and headed inside the house, closely followed by Lom. "Here," Lom said as he handed Kid a small canvas bag. "Went and got you some extra clothes when I picked you up earlier. Go and get out of that wet suit while I take care of the horses."

Kid did as he was told, heading to the guest room that he and Heyes had used when they would come to visit Lom before the amnesty came through. He had just come out of the room as Lom came back in from tending the horses. "Can you do me a favor Kid and get the fire going again in the fireplace?" Once again, Kid just nodded and never said a word, but did as he was told. Lom sighed as he watched his young friend knowing that the man's spirit was broken and nothing he could say or do would ease that pain that he was feeling at the moment. Turning, Lom headed to his own room to change into some dry clothes.

When he finished, he found Kid standing in front of the fireplace, a fire blazing brightly, staring at one of the few pictures that the boys had allowed to be taken since the amnesty. This one was actually from the day when Heyes and Kid had just received their amnesty from the Governor and the three friends posed for the picture in remembrance of the day. The smiles on each of their faces had been the brightest he had ever seen on the two men. Now Lom stood there and wondered if Kid would ever smile again.

Kid looked up when he heard the clink from the glasses that Lom was carrying. Carefully putting the picture back down, Kid headed over to one of the chairs that was facing the fireplace and sat down. Accepting the glass and watching as Lom filled it, he sat back and patiently waited for his friend to fill his own glass and sit down.

"Why don't you start, Kid," Lom said as he motioned for the young man to begin.

"Uh," Kid started, his voice shaking slightly. "To Hannibal Heyes. The best friend, cousin, and partner a man could ask for. He will be sorely missed." Kid held his glass aloft as Lom followed his lead, then both drank down the amber liquid. Grabbing the bottle, Lom filled both glasses again.

"To Hannibal Heyes," Lom began. "A man who could do anything that he put his mind to and successfully pull it off. There will never be anyone like him." Once again both lifted their glasses in toast and drank back the contents in the glasses.

They both sat there quietly for quite awhile until Kid broke the silence. "Lom, I want to thank you for all that you're doing for me. It's nice of you to invite me here tonight but it wasn't necessary."

"I know," Lom replied. "But I figured that you shouldn't be alone tonight no matter what you think. I know that you probably would prefer to be alone, but that's not what you really need."

"It isn't?"

"Nope. You need someone here with you so when you finished that bottle, that someone can put you in a nice, comfortable bed and not leave you sitting in a hard chair." A small smile formed on Kid's face at Lom's comment, truly appreciating what the man was doing for him.

"Thanks Lom."

"Anytime Kid, anytime."

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It was about two weeks after Heyes' death that Lom became worried about his friend when he didn't show up for work at his usual time. Lom quickly headed over to Kid's house only to receive no answer when he knocked on the door. Finding it unlocked, he let himself in and quickly started searching room by room until he found Kid curled up in the corner of Heyes' bedroom sobbing uncontrollably, his gun firmly gripped in one hand and holding on tightly to what appeared to be a book in the other. Not wanting to scare the man, he quietly went over and knelt down beside his friend, carefully removing the cocked gun from Kid's hand and placing it behind him on a small table. Turning back, Lom wrapped his arms around Kid in a comforting gesture.

After a couple more minutes, Kid finally took a shuttering breath and looked up at the Sheriff, not even concerned at how embarrassing this moment might look. "It hurts, Lom, it really hurts and I can't do anything about it," Kid cried out as he pulled away and leaned against the wall, tears still flowing.

"What are you talking about?" Lom questioned, not sure what his friend was getting at.

"This whole thing with Heyes. I don't think I can go on without him. I don't want to go on without him." Lom sat there stunned, finally realizing what Kid meant. "We've been together for so long, had to rely on each other for so long, been each other's only family for so long that I don't want to go on without him."

"So what do you intend to do?" Lom held his breath as he watched Kid try to gain control on his emotions.

"Nothing," Kid said flatly as he looked down at the book he was holding, gently caressing the cover with his fingers.

"Nothing?" Lom asked, relieved at his answer.

"It tried to do it, Lom, I really did, but I can't do what I want to do," Kid replied, swiping his arm across his eyes. "Heyes…he made me promise to never give up and I can't break that promise, I just can't." Kid propped his head against the wall. "I won't break that promise."

Lom looked at the solemn face of his young friend. "Well Kid," he replied as he cleared his throat, "I for one am glad that he made you promise that. I would have hated to lose two good friends." Kid turned to face Lom and gave him a watery smile. "I know that this seems like the end of the world for you, but you'll get through this. It won't be easy and you'll be hurtin' for awhile, but I'll make sure that you do." Kid turned away and closed his eyes, sighing as he nodded his head.

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Kid shook his head from the thirty-seven year old memory of losing his cousin. For some reason, today was bringing back a torrent of other memories that he hadn't thought about in a very long time. Even though they still hurt, he found the memories comforting for some reason and he sighed as he looked around with a feeling of contentment that sleeping under the stars always gave him. He was always more at peace outside under the stars than Heyes, who preferred the warm, comfortable bed of a hotel room. Perhaps it was due to the fact that he and Heyes were forced to spend so much time outside under the stars when they were on the run, but even his wife Catherine had told him that he had "trail blood" in him. She told him he always was in a better mood when he returned after riding the ranch for several days and sleeping on the trail. Catherine. What a beautiful women she is. Even all these years later, she still takes his breath away every time he lays eyes on her. That was the second part of the promise that Kid had kept to Heyes. He smiled as the memories continued.

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The loneliness of losing his only family was devastating to Kid and it had brought back the memories of twenty years ago when both he and Heyes were the only two of their families to survive the raids on their farms. Kid had never felt so alone in his life and he just wasn't sure what to do or where he should go. He always had Heyes' nimble mind to rely on, to guide him, and now that he was gone…

Against Lom's insistence that he wait and think it over, Kid sold the house that he and Heyes had bought in Porterville when they received their amnesty, and put all of his belongings into storage in Lom's barn. He then set out on the road again. About two years after losing his cousin and being miserable the whole time, Kid still found himself wandering around like he had before the amnesty, only this time he wasn't being chased and he was all alone. He just happened to be riding into a town when he saw a man trying his hardest to have his way with a young, beautiful woman, who did everything she could to get away. Kid saw the distress that he was causing her as she tried to load her wagon with the supplies she had just purchased.

"Don't get involved, Kid," a voice in his mind called out. Kid quickly looked around for his partner as he recognized the familiar warning. He shook his head and turned his attention back to the scene in front of him.

The man was large, unclean, and disrespectful and doing his best to make a nuisance out of himself. As Kid got closer, he watched the man as he pawed at the smaller women and even though there was a small crowd watching, he fumed when he saw no one was willing to help her. It was then that Kid intervened. Getting off of his horse, he unhooked his gun, and quickly made his way over to where the two were arguing.

"I think the lady would like you to leave her alone," Kid warned as he removed his glove from his gun hand. The man stopped what he was doing and stared at the smaller man. He noticed Kid's stance was threatening, and that his gun was tied down, but he paid no heed to him figuring him to be of no consequence.

"This ain't your concern," the man sneered as he turned his attention back to the woman.

"I'm makin' it my concern," Kid said, his blue eyes turning colder. "Leave her alone and you won't get hurt."

The man laughed back at Kid and pushed the woman to the side. "I guess you just have to be taught a lesson." Kid knew that even in a fair one-on-one fistfight that he probably wouldn't have stood a chance, but he knew that in a gunfight, he had the advantage. The bitterness and pain of the last two years hadn't slowed his reflexes at all; in fact they only seemed to improve. The man turned toward him and stood there, feeling Kid's eyes boring into his. He twitched just enough for Kid to pull his weapon and fire causing the man's holster to be blown clean off the belt. The man just stood there in disbelief staring down where his gun used to be. He looked back up at Kid, whose gun was still pointing at him, and quickly turned and ran away.

The small crowd went wild as they watched the man run off, many of them stepping over to slap Kid on the back. Ignoring the others, Kid turned to see the woman standing there with a scared look on her face, so he holstered his gun and moved up to the woman. She was shorter than he was, only about five foot four, very beautiful, with long flowing brown hair and dark brown eyes that made Kid feel like he was being pulled into them. "Are you all right Ma'am?" he asked as he gently placed his hand on her shoulder and felt her trembling from the encounter. Without a second thought, he pulled her into his arms and held her as the tears flowed for several minutes. Finally pulling away from him, she saw the sincere look of concern on his face and instantly fell in love.

"I want to thank ya for savin' me from that man," the woman sniffed as she continued to cling to him. "I don't want to even think what he would have done if…"

"Now don't you fret none, Ma'am," Kid smiled back. She was instantly taken in by that smile and by the concern in his blue eyes. "I don't think he'll be comin' back anytime soon."

Suddenly she realized that she was still clinging to him and pulled away. "I…I'm sorry," she stuttered in embarrassment. "Here I am holdin' onto ya and I don't even know your name."

He hesitated his answer just slightly, just enough though that she caught the hesitation. "My name's Jed Curry, Ma'am." A murmur of Kid Curry went through the crowd that was still standing there. The shock of being helped by an ex-outlaw that he expected to see in her eyes never materialized, which in turn, shocked him.

"You're Kid Curry?" she asked, surprised at herself for not being afraid of being held by someone who used to rob banks and trains and was known for his shooting.

"Yes Ma'am, I am," he smiled back, still trying to comfort her.

"Well Mr. Curry, my name is Catherine MacIntyre, Miss Catherine MacIntyre," she responded with a smile of her own. "It is an honor to meet someone who is willin' to defend someone else."

Kid couldn't help but chuckle at her response. "It was my pleasure, Miss MacIntyre."

"Catie, are you all right? Heard someone shooting out here," a voice from behind them asked. Turning, both of them saw the Sheriff heading over.

"Everythin' is fine now, Sheriff Billings," Catherine answered as she turned back to look at the man who helped her. "I was just rescued from the clutches of Harold McGee by none other than Kid Curry."

Kid saw the look of recognition hit the Sheriff's face and it was one of the few times since the amnesty that it truly didn't worry him. "Sheriff," Kid said as he nodded to the man.

"You really Kid Curry?" Billings asked as he stood in front of them.

"Not anymore, Sheriff," Kid responded as a shadow crossed his face. "Not since my partner was killed two years ago."

The Sheriff noticed the look of sadness come over the young man's face. "Uh, yeah, I'm sorry about that," the Sheriff said as he scratched his head. Quickly he turned his attention back to Catherine. "You sure you're all right then, Catie?"

Catherine also noticed the look of grief that crossed the man's face but turned her attention back to the Sheriff. "Yes Sheriff, I'm fine. Really."

With a nod, Sheriff Billings turned to the crowd. "Okay folks, show's over. Everyone go on now." He stood and watched the crowd disperse and then headed back to his office.

Catherine then turned back to the man that saved her. "I'm sorry ta hear about your partner," she said as she reached out for his hand. "I take it he was Hannibal Heyes? He was family, wasn't he?"

"Uh, yes Ma'am," Kid answered, swallowing hard. "If you'll excuse me Ma'am, I'll be on my way." He went to free his hand from her grip but she wouldn't let go.

"Please wait," she cried out, wondering to herself how quickly this man had taken her heart. "I'm sorry if I upset ya, but I am just so grateful for what ya did for me. There must be something that I can do ta repay ya?" She stood there staring at the man, who looked so sad and thin. "I know, ya must come ta my place tonight for dinner so that I can prepare ya a nice, home cooked meal."

Kid smiled at her. "Thank you Ma'am. That's real nice of you but I really should be going."

"Goin'? Goin' where? I am not about ta let ya just run off without properly thankin' ya for savin' my life," she said as her Irish brogue started coming out stronger. "You, Mr. Curry, will come ta my house and ya will have dinner with me tonight. I refuse ta take no for an answer."

"Yes Ma'am," Kid chuckled back at her, giving in to her demands.

"And another thing, you will stop callin' me Ma'am and start callin' me Catherine or Catie."

Once again Kid found himself laughing. "Yes Ma…I mean, yes Catherine, as long as you call me Jed."

"It's a deal," she said nodding her head in approval. "Now if I can impose upon ya once more, Jed, I could use some help loadin' up my wagon." Kid nodded with a smile and immediately went to work.

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She turned out to be the saving grace in his life, the Godsend that helped fill the void that was there in his broken heart. She seemed to ground him and allow him to care for someone once again, something that he hadn't been able to do since Heyes' death. But he did fight it though. In his heart and mind it seemed that everyone he ever cared about had been taken away from him, so he figured it was best just not to care about anyone, but it felt like something or someone was making that impossible, like he was being led to her. He stayed in town working odd jobs and calling on her almost everyday, amazed that she would even consider seeing a man with a past like his, knowing who he really was. Everyday she would tell him that he was not the man he claimed to be and after many months of trying to break through to him, a crack appeared in the wall he had built up around himself, and Catherine kept chiseling at it until he finally gave in, giving her his heart and soul. A few months later they were married.

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It was after he married her that his life seemed to have taken a turn for the better. That same year, Lom Trevors had given up his job as Sheriff of Porterville to become a Marshal for the Territory of Wyoming and offered Kid the opportunity to be one of his deputies. Because of their backgrounds, both men had frustrated many criminal attempts against the railroads, banks, and many other businesses, a fact that wasn't missed by the Governor. It was because of their success rate that the Governor of Wyoming telegrammed the Marshal asking for his and Kid's assistance to find the men who were threatening not only the Governor himself, but also some of the territory's top executives. Between the two of them, they had resolved the matter in less than a month and so impressed was the Governor, that he offered the two men positions on his security team. Lom refused, sighting his age as a handicap, but Kid accepted and it was soon discovered by the rest of the Governor's staff that this man was very good at what he did even though he was a former outlaw…or maybe because of it.

Seeming to have some kind of sixth sense, Kid had managed to uncover many different conspiracies to overthrow the fledgling State of Wyoming Government and also showed the other security agents, some of them being seasoned veterans, many ways to uncover the plots before they got too far. Within a year, the Kid was quickly promoted to Chief of Security and it wasn't until he was seriously wounded a year later, while saving three of his men, that he finally retired from that position, not because the injury was career ending, but because Catherine didn't want to lose the man she loved.

With the money that he earned, he bought a large portion of land a few miles from Porterville and started his own horse ranch. With the help of some of the old gang members, who had since retired from outlawing themselves, the ranch quickly took off and prospered. It was a short year later that one of the biggest surprises of Kid's life happened. At 2:30 in the morning, Catherine went into labor, while a very nervous Kid Curry practically tore the house apart, yelling out orders, and waking up everyone up in his path. Finally, Kyle Murtry, one of the calmer minds of that night, sent someone to get the doctor for he was more concerned about Kid shooting someone than he was about Catherine delivering a baby. After about six hours of hard labor, and with Kid practically wearing a hole in the floor from pacing, a small but healthy baby boy had arrived. Kid entered the room to find his wife and son lying on the bed bonding. The smile on his face was the largest she had ever seen. He finally managed to walk over to the side of the bed and sat down, taking his first peek at his son.

"Jed, meet your son, Joshua Hannibal," Catherine smiled back tiredly.

Kid froze for a moment when she held out the baby for him to take. Slowly and carefully, he took the small bundle and his heart just melted as he looked at the tiny face. "Well hello there, Joshua," Kid quietly spoke and smiled as the baby cooed back. "You've got some big shoes to fill with that name. You're Uncle would have been a might proud of you." Catherine looked on smiling as she watched the father and son getting to know each other, until another pain suddenly hit her hard. Crying out, she curled up onto herself as Kid looked up in concern. "Doc!" Doctor Morris was immediately back in the room and by her side as she rode out the pain. "Doc, what it is? What's going on?" Kid asked as he sat there not knowing what to do.

"It seems your wife is not quite done having babies," Doc smiled back.

"What?"

"Catherine, it looks like you're hiding someone else in there."

"Twins?" Catherine panted back while riding out another contraction. "Did ya hear that Jed? Twins."

Kid sat there with a stunned look on his face trying to comprehend the meaning of what was just said. Seeing the confused look upon his friend's face, Doctor Morris took little Joshua and placed him in the nearby bassinet and pushed his friend out the door. Kyle and Lobo who were standing nearby saw the look on Kid's face and suddenly became concerned. "Kid is everything all right?" Kyle asked while making his friend sit down.

"Twins," was all Kid could say.

"Twins?" Lobo asked. "Catie's havin' twins?"

"Y…yeah," Kid mumbled.

"Well that's great!" Kyle said while thumping Kid on the back. "Catie is all right isn't she?" he asked suddenly concerned by Kid's reaction.

"Uh…yeah she's…she's fine," Kid stuttered. "Just wasn't expectin' twins, that's all." The other two smiled as they saw the lopsided grin form on Kid's face. "Wow, twins!"

A short time later Kid was introduced to his second son. "Well you sure are a surprise," Kid said as he held onto the baby. "What do you think we should call him?" he asked as he looked up at Catherine, who was holding Joshua.

"Well, I was thinkin' that Jedediah Thaddeus would be nice," Catherine said as she smiled back at the surprised look on her husband's face. "After all, ya got to name Joshua, it's only fittin' that I get to name that little guy."

"You do realize the mess of trouble these two are gonna get into don't you?" Kid asked as he smiled back down at little Jed.

"Just like ya and your cousin did when ya were little, I imagine," Catherine laughed.

"Oh no, it wasn't me that got us into trouble," Kid responded with an innocent look on his face. "That was usually Heyes' department. I just got caught in the flow and went for the ride."

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Kid smiled at the memory of his two boys being born as he sat closer to the fire and looked at the stars. He looked up as he heard his horse moving in the shadows scrounging around for something else to eat. He got up and pulled out a couple of apples from the saddlebag. Taking a large bite out of one, he walked over and offered the second to his horse. "Hey, take it easy there ol' timer," Kid said softly as the horse bit off a large portion and chewed his treat. "There's plenty more." Kid smiled as the horse finished its apple and then went after his own. "All right, here ya go." He stopped to pet the horse's neck. "Ya know boy, we've sure been through a lot together too and we've definitely grown old together. Come to think about it, I can't believe that we've been together over thirty years and you've save my life once or twice if I remember correctly."

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It was about a year after the boys were born that trouble started. One of the neighboring ranchers decided that he needed the water that was on Kid's property more than Kid did. Kid would have been more than willing to share if he was asked, but he knew that Lee Burditt, a cattle rancher who owned most of the land surrounding his property, had already decided to take illegal claim to the water rights, giving Kid no choice but to defend his property.

"There's gotta be something that you can do, Lom?" Kid asked as he placed a cup of coffee in front of his friend and sat down with his own cup at the kitchen table.

"Sorry Kid," Lom answered. "It's his word against yours. With nobody seeing anything unusual going on, I can't do anything. My hands are tied. What you need is proof that Burditt is doing the things that you say."

Kid sat back angrily. "What more do you need? My guys are getting shot at every time they ride out to the river to check the herd. Fortunately, whoever is doing the shooting is a lousy shot, but it's only a matter a time before someone gets hurt."

"And I've told you that I've checked it out and couldn't find anyone out there," Lom said as he held his hands up in surrender. "That's not saying I don't believe you, all I'm saying is that there is a lot of land out there to check and I'm only one man and without proof that Burditt is behind the shootings..."

"Then I guess it's up to me to find the proof that you need," Kid sighed.

"Just don't go and do anything that will get you in trouble," Lom warned.

"Man's got a right to protect his land," Kid replied.

"True, but what you're thinking of doing could also get you hurt. Remember, you got a family to take care of."

"I know that Lom, but all I want to do is find the proof I need to get Burditt." Kid looked directly at the man and smiled. "Don't worry, it's not like I'm gonna take him on myself. If that was the case, I wouldn't have called you."

"Glad to hear it," Lom grinned as he lifted his cup in salute. "Glad to see that you're still leaving your outlaw days behind you."

"Those days died a long time ago, Lom." Lom saw the sad look that passed over Kid's face and knew exactly what he meant.

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A few days later, one of ranch hands came riding up, jumping off of his horse in search of Kid. "Whoa, Jacob, what's going on?" Kid asked as the young man found him.

"It's the river, Mr. Curry. It's not there anymore," Jacob exclaimed excitedly.

"Not there? What are you talkin' about?"

"It's just that. I went to check on the herd and found the riverbed is dry. There's no water flowing there anymore."

"What could cause that?" Lobo asked as he listened to the conversation.

"Well since it's been raining regularly, it's definitely not a drought," Kid said thinking of the possibilities. "I would have to say that it's being diverted."

"Diverted? How? Who would want to divert a river?"

"Sounds like something Burditt would do," Kid answered as he headed over to the stables to get his horse. "Lobo, round up a few of the boys and have them head out to the river. I want to see what's going on. Also Jacob, go get Lom. He might be interested in this." Lobo quickly went to get some of the other men while Jacob ran to go tell Lom. Kid's horse was soon saddled and he headed over to the house to let Catherine know what was going on.

"Please be careful," she implored as she watched him ready his gun.

"Just going to check to see what's happened to the water that's all. I don't think that Burditt will do anything that might prove his hand."

"I don't trust that man," Catherine said as she picked up Joshua. "I wouldn't put it passed him ta be behind all of this."

"Neither do I," Kid agreed. "That's why I sent for Lom. If Burditt is behind this, this should be proof enough for him." Turning, he picked up little Jed and gave both his sons a quick peck on the top of his head and then turned and kissed Catherine. "I'll be careful." He handed her Little Jed and headed out the door.

"Please see that ya are," she whispered as she watched him leave.

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Kid and his men rode out to the sight where the latest problem was occurring only to find out that the water was somehow being diverted just like Jacob said. Splitting his men up, he sent them to check out the other areas where the water entered his land. Riding alone, Kid went to scout one of the bigger sources, only to find that the water had been dammed up and completely diverted away from his property and towards Burditt's. The only good news about the whole situation was that the land on where the dam was built was government owned, and he knew for a fact that the government had no plans on building a dam in that area, at least not without him being properly notified and not without a fight.

With this knowledge in mind, he spurred his chestnut into action and headed back to where he told the rest of his men to meet him. As he was riding he suddenly heard a voice telling him to duck, and it wasn't until he felt the searing pain of the bullet in his back that he realized that someone had hidden in the rock formations waiting for him or one of his men to arrive. He held on to his horse with all of his remaining strength, leaning heavily on its neck, trying to remain conscious, allowing his horse to take him back to the campsite. In his pained filled mind, he thought he felt strong arms around him keeping him from falling off his horse as he rode towards his men, and he thought heard the familiar voice once again. "Hang on Kid, you're almost to your men."

A few minutes later, his men spotted his return and carefully pulled him off. "Kid can you hear me?"

Kid slowly opened his eyes and found that Lom was holding onto him. "Lom…" Kid swallowed. "River…diverted…government land." Kid fell into unconsciousness before Lom could ask him any more questions.

"Take it easy Kid," Lom said as he turned to the rest of the men. "Go get help," he ordered as he held friend tightly. Seeing how bad off he was, two of the men rode back to the main ranch, one to get the doctor and one to get a wagon to bring him back. It took most of the day for them to get him back home and settled into his bed.

Doctor Morris hadn't expected him to make it back to the ranch alive but was pleased that his friend did. However, as the night wore on, Kid's condition deteriorated. A high fever had spiked and his breathing became labored as he fought for every breath. Catherine sat at his side, crying, praying, singing to him while holding him, whatever she needed to do to keep him with her.

It was in that feverish state that Kid felt himself "drift" from his body. He looked around and saw Catherine holding onto him tightly as he struggled to breathe. In his confusion of seeing himself lying there with Catherine, he turned around and saw Josh and Jed quietly playing with Kyle and Lobo in another room, while Lom stood by watching them. All three men were doing their best to keep the small boys occupied, while their thoughts were on the man who had been their friend for many years now. Turning in confusion once more, he saw the one person who he never thought he would see again.

"Heyes?"

"Yeah Kid, it's me," Heyes quietly said while smiling. He hadn't changed. He was still wearing the black shirt with the brown vest, and the tan pants with the legs tucked in the boots. He had on the familiar black hat with the silver markings complete with the hole in the top. His brown piercing eyes shining with mischief and that dimpled smile blazing. Kid stood there trying to figure out what was happening. Seeing his confusion, Heyes slowly walked up to him and grabbed him in a big bear hug. "I've missed ya cousin."

"Oh God Heyes, it really is you," Kid cried out as he returned the embraced. "H…how is this possible?" Kid asked as he pulled back to look at his friend.

"Well ya see it's like this," Heyes started as he pushed his hat up further on his head. Kid couldn't help but groan at the familiar action, which only caused Heyes to laugh. "No, really it's okay Kid. You see I'm only here to help ya."

"Help me?"

"Uh yeah. It's kinda complicated, but you see, even though I'm still dead, you aren't."

"Then how come I see you?" Kid asked in confusion.

"Well, you're sort of in an in-between state, not quite dead but not quite living. I'm just here to keep you from making a mistake," Heyes grinned back.

"What kind of mistake?"

"Well," Heyes said while scratching the side of his head, "yesterday you were shot in the back by one of Burditt's men, who was hiding in the rock formations by that newly constructed dam, which of course was illegally built by the way…"

"Heyes I already know that," Kid sighed in frustration. "What does that have to do with all of this?"

"I'm getting to it," Heyes complained. "Geez, I see you still haven't developed any patience yet. Hope Josh and Jed take after their mother in that respect."

"You know about Catherine, Josh, and Jed?"

"Of course I do. Who do you think helped you and Catherine get together?" Heyes asked, sincerity written all over his face. "The moment I saw her I knew she was the one for you."

"You got Catherine and me together?" Kid asked in amazement. "I thought it was that big, ugly drunk that did it."

"Well who do you think coerced him to do what he did?"

"You did that?" Kid screamed, his eyes blazing in anger. "Heyes, if you weren't dead, I'd flatten you for letting him touch her like that."

"Take it easy Kid, take it easy. I was only trying to help," Heyes said in explanation while holding his arms up in surrender. "You were so down and miserable after I left and seeing you living like that, well, I just couldn't stand it anymore. But once I saw Catie, I knew that she was perfect for you and I knew you couldn't pass up a chance to help a lady in distress, so I used a little reverse psychology on you to make you go and help her and the rest, they say, is history."

"A little what?"

"Reverse psychology. You know where I make you do the opposite of what I tell you to do?" Kid just stood there with a blank look on his face. "Remember how I would always tell you not to get involved but you would anyway? Reverse psychology."

The look on Kid's face slowly turned into a sly grin. "I thought you always told me that comin' to a lady's aid always got me into trouble?"

"Yeah, it usually does, doesn't it?" Heyes grinned back. "Well, since I was the one orchestrating this little saga, I figured you would be okay. Took ya long enough to ask her to marry ya though."

"Ya know me, Heyes. Never did like to rush into things. Like to think things out," Kid said with a grin. Heyes didn't miss the sarcasm in his voice and he went to clip him on the side of the head with his hand but Kid merely ducked.

"All right, all kidding aside," continued Heyes, "I'm here to help you make a decision."

"What kind of decision?"

"Whether or not you want stay here with your family…or to come with me." Heyes' serious look stopped Kid from making another sarcastic comment.

"You mean I really could go with you if I wanted to?"

"That's right, Kid," Heyes answered. "We could ride the trails again just like we use to with the exception of someone trying to kill us for the reward money."

Kid was stunned. "What about Catherine and the boys?"

"They'll be okay but things would most likely be hard for them."

"Oh God Heyes, why is this happening to me?" Kid asked with a lost look in his eyes. As much as he wanted to be with his cousin again, he didn't want to leave his family behind either. Heyes placed a comforting hand on his shoulder in his show of support. "What should I do?"

"I think you already know my answer Kid."

"You want me to go with you?" Kid asked as he turned to look at his cousin.

This time Heyes did managed to clip Kid on the side of the head. "No you idiot!" he yelled back. "I mean, yeah I would love it if you came with me so that we could be together again, but I already told you years ago what I wanted you to do and I made you promise me you would too."

"Find a good woman, get married, have kids, and be the best at whatever I decide to do," Kid said quietly.

"That's right," Heyes grinned. "So far, you've done a pretty good job of keeping that promise and as much as I would like it if you came with me, I think it would be best for you to go and raise that family of yours. Besides, someone has to teach Josh and little Jed how to shoot, play poker, ride a horse, you know, all of the fun things we use to do."

"Maybe I should skip the parts about how to rob trains and banks," Kid grinned back.

"You've got a point there," Heyes chuckled. "Oh and tell Kyle and Lobo to quit telling them stories about when we were the leaders of the Devil's Hole Gang. They're getting them all wrong."

"Be glad to," Kid laughed and suddenly the smile that was on his face disappeared. "Will I ever see you again?"

"Sure you will," Heyes answered with a grin. "You're sorta stuck with me."

"What do you mean?"

"I've been assigned to be your guardian angel," Heyes said giving him a cocky grin.

"My guardian angel?"

"Yeah. So ya see, I'm still watchin' your back after all. Have been since I… you know."

"Well you're not doing a real good job now are ya?" Kid said with annoyance in his voice.

"What do you mean by that?

"Look at me Heyes," Kid said while pointing to his body lying on the bed. "This makes the second time I've been shot since you died. If you're suppose to be protecting me, than why do I keep getting shot so much?"

"I am protecting you, you're not dead now are ya?" Heyes argued back. "Besides, you're not the easiest person to protect ya know? In fact, I'm the one who told you to duck, but did you listen to me?"

"Well how was I to know that was you?" Kid asked, throwing his arms up in frustration. "It's not like you ever showed yourself to me before."

"I wasn't allowed to, until now."

"Well than how do you explain all of this?" Kid questioned loudly while pointing around him. "You keep telling me that I'm not dead yet I'm lying there on that bed and I'm here with you!"

"You're not dead!" Heyes yelled back, his arms flailing. "Like I told you, you're just sort of caught in between livin' and dyin', trying to make a decision of whether or not you should stay or go, that's all." Kid stood there watching his cousin yell at him when a grin suddenly formed on his face. "What?" Heyes asked with annoyance in his voice.

"Just like old times."

Heyes stood there and stared back at Kid, anger turning into laughter. "I guess some things never change."

"As much as I want to go with you Heyes, I think it would be best to stay here a while longer and take care of my family." Tears started forming in Kid's eyes.

"I'm glad to hear ya say that. Anyway, I don't think the afterlife is ready for the both of us to be there yet. They wouldn't know how to handle us together." Heyes' own eyes were misting over. "You take care of that family for me you hear?"

"I will Heyes. I promise." The two of them stood there awkwardly for a few moments before they embraced in another bear hug. "I love ya Heyes and I still miss ya."

"I love you too, Kid. You may not always be able to see me but I'll be there for you no matter what," Heyes replied as the hug broke and Kid nodded in response. "Make sure you tell those boys of yours about their "Uncle", oh and make sure when Jennifer comes along that you spoil her rotten for me."

"I sure wi…Jennifer? Who's Jennifer?"

"Don't you worry about her now," Heyes smiled back mischievously. "You'll know her when you see her. Now get back to your family." Heyes literally pushed a gawking Kid back to where he was lying. "Go on, git!" Before he could say anything else Kid felt himself being pulled back toward his own body.

Catherine leaned closer to him when he started blinking his eyes open and tried to talk. "Heyes?"

"Jed?" Catherine asked as she watched her husband wake up. "Jed, can ya hear me?"

"Catherine?" Kid asked, confused at seeing her in front of him and not his cousin.

"Welcome back sweetheart," she said with tears in her eyes while stroking his face. "I thought that I had lost ya there for awhile. You've been unconscious for the past three days."

"Sorry," he whispered and swallowed hard. "Talking with Heyes. Never shuts up." Before Catherine could ask what he meant by that, Kid had drifted off into a peaceful, healing sleep.

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The nudging from his horse caused him to come back to the present. It had been years since the last time he thought about that time he first dreamt about Heyes. It wasn't until a little over a year later, the night that Jennifer was born, that the dream suddenly came back to him. It took him a long time to get over it, realizing that it was more than just a dream.

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Kid quietly stepped inside the doorway looking at Catherine holding their new baby. He paused as he remembered the first time that they went through this. "There's not gonna be anymore surprises tonight are there?" he asked smiling as he walked up towards the bed.

"No, not this time," Catherine chuckled. "Come and meet your daughter." Kid carefully picked up the precious little bundle and smiled at her tiny little features. "Well Dad, how do ya like holding little Rebecca?"

"No," Kid said absentmindedly as he caressed the tiny face with his finger.

"What? Ya don't like her?" Catherine asked in astonishment.

Kid looked up in confusion at what she just said and then suddenly smiled. "Oh, I didn't mean I didn't like her. I just meant that her name should be Jennifer."

"Jennifer? Why?"

"I don't know…" he trailed off as if a memory was coming back to him. "This may sound strange, but remember when I was shot just over a year ago?"

"How could I forget," she shuttered. "I almost lost ya."

"When I was unconscious, I remember seein' and talkin' to Heyes. I don't know, it could have just been a very vivid dream, but it seemed so real. Anyway, just before I woke up, I remember him tellin' me to make sure that I spoil Jennifer rotten for him. I asked him who Jennifer was and all he told me was that I would know her when I saw her."

"And you're seeing her now, aren't ya?" Catherine asked shaking slightly at the thought of what he just told her.

"I sure am," he smiled back happily as he rub the baby's chin. His smile faded as he looked back at his wife. "Catherine, are you all right?"

"I…I'm fine, Jed," she answered back quietly. "It's just that story of ya talkin' ta Heyes, it sort of scared me."

"Why? It was just a dream."

"I don't think so. Jed, when ya first woke up after ya were shot ya apologized ta me for bein' unconscious for so long because ya were talkin' ta Heyes and that he never shuts up."

"I said that?"

"Yes ya did and ya fell right back ta sleep before I could ask ya about it."

Kid sat down on the bed beside Catherine staring at nothing. Slowly his memory of what he thought was a dream came back to him. "I remember. He was there to help me make a decision of whether or not I should go with him or stay here with you and the boys. But he told me he wanted me to live up to my promise to him when he died."

"Promise?"

"Yeah. To meet a wonderful woman, get married, have kids, and be the best at whatever I decided to do. He told me that I have done a pretty good job so far and that he was the one that helped us get together."

"Heyes got us together? How?"

"The day that I saved you from that drunken cowboy."

Catherine sat there for a moment as she recalled their first meeting. "Well, I would tell ya that the next time ya see him ta thank him for me, but…"

"That's not an option, I know, especially the circumstances it took for me to see him," he smiled back. "But maybe you should say thank you yourself."

"Me?"

"Well accordin' to him, he's supposed to be my guardian angel."

"Think he'll do a better job so that ya won't get hurt anymore?" she asked with a smile on her face.

"That's what I told him." The two of them sat there for a few moments longer. Suddenly Kid stood up and handed Jennifer back to her. "I better let the boys in here before they figure a way to take the hinges off of the door…again."

"That's a wonderful idea. Bring in the boys ta meet their new baby sister, Jennifer." Kid's smile lit up the room.

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Kid stood there smiling as he watched Josh, Jed, and Jennifer playing outside with each other. The boys, now three years old, were trying to teach their one-year-old sister how to walk on her own. Their bright blue eyes twinkled with excitement and their laughter rang out as their blond, curly hair was whipped in the wind. Jennifer, who took after her mother with her brown hair and big brown eyes, giggled as her older brothers would pull her back up to her feet.

"Boy they sure are cute. Are you sure they're yours?"

Kid nearly jumped out of his skin at the sound of the familiar voice. Turning he immediately recognized the man standing beside him. "Heyes?" he asked in disbelief.

"Yeah it's me Kid," Heyes smiled back.

"But you're…you're…"

"Dead?" Heyes answered with a smile. "Yep, still dead. Just came for a visit. Wanted to see how you and the family were doing." Kid felt his heart pounding in his chest and for a minute, thought that he was losing his mind. "Relax Kid, before you fall over. It's really me. Don't you remember me telling you that you may not always be able to see me but I'll be there for you no matter what?" Kid just nodded his head not knowing what to say. "Well here I am."

"H…how?" Kid choked out.

"Guardian angel, remember?" Heyes reminded his cousin. "We can get special permission to come for a visit."

Kid was finally getting his breathing back under control. "I can't believe this? You're really here?" Kid asked staring at his partner.

"I'm here Kid. Where else would you expect me to be?" Heyes asked, smiling brightly.

Suddenly little Joshua was by his father's side. "Daddy, who's that?" the small boy asked as he pointed to Heyes.

"You can see him?" Kid asked. Josh just nodded.

"Yeah, Daddy, who is that?" Little Jed asked as he came over, followed by the crawling Jennifer.

"They can see you?" Kid asked in surprise.

Heyes stood there pushing his hat back on his head. "Well all be," he said, also surprised that they could see him. "Huh, wasn't expectin' that."

"Who is he Daddy?" Joshua asked again.

"Uh this is Hannibal Heyes, your Uncle," Kid answered, unsure of how much to tell them.

"You're Uncle Heyes?" Little Jed asked as he looked at the man.

"Yep," Heyes smiled back.

"You got my name," Joshua said excitedly.

"That's right," Heyes grinned again as he knelt down before them. "My real name is Hannibal, but I was also known as Joshua for a time."

"I'm named after Daddy," Little Jed said proudly.

"I know you are," Heyes laughed at the boy. "I bet you're just like him too."

"Uh uh," Little Jed nodded.

"That's Jennifer," Joshua said as he pointed to his baby sister. "Daddy said we named her that because he was told that was her name."

"I know, I'm the one who told him," Heyes grinned.

"How come they can see you too?" Kid asked as he picked up Jennifer, only to have her reach out to Heyes.

"I don't know, Kid," Heyes shrugged as he stood. "I've never been dead before. This is all new to me too."

"You're dead?" Little Jed asked as if that was a normal thing.

"Uh, I'm afraid so," Heyes answered honesty.

"Then how come we can see you? We had a mouse once and it died but we can't see him?"

"I don't know?" Heyes replied. "Maybe it's because you're special and you're allowed to see me."

"Are you going to stay the night?" Joshua asked excitedly. "If you are you can sleep with me and Jed."

Heyes laughed again, enjoying the energy of the twins. "I'm afraid that I'm only going to be here for a little while longer, then I have to go back."

"Go back where?" Little Jed asked. "Can I come too?"

"No!" Kid yelled out louder than he intended and with a slightly horrified look on his face. "Uh, I mean, you can't go with Uncle Heyes, but he will come back and visit some more right?" Kid asked as he turned to face his cousin.

"As much as I can," Heyes said with a genuine smile as he looked back at Kid.

"Yea! So when can you come back, Uncle Heyes?" Joshua asked, liking the idea of having his Uncle over again.

"I'm not sure, but I'll get back here as soon as I can," Heyes promised.

"That would be great Heyes," Kid smiled. "I've missed having you around."

"I know you have Kid, but you've been doing fine without me. You've been keeping good on that promise," Heyes said as he looked at the three kids. "Real good."

"Thanks Heyes. Thanks for making me agree to that promise," Kid answered as he hugged Jennifer.

"Jed, is everythin' all right?" the group heard Catherine ask as she headed towards them.

Turning, Kid smiled at her. "Everything is fine."

"What are ya smilin' about?" she asked as she stood in front of the small group.

He sensed that she couldn't see Heyes. "Oh, just playing with the kids and thanking a friend for making me keep a promise," Kid smiled as he surreptitiously looked at Heyes. He carefully put Jennifer back down on the ground and the group watched as she stood up and took her first steps towards Heyes.

"Jed!" Catherine cried out. "She's walkin'!"

"I see that," Kid laughed out as Jennifer collapsed back onto her bottom.

"She's tryin' to catch Uncle Heyes," Little Jed yelled out.

"Uncle Heyes?" Catherine asked as she scooped up a giggling Jennifer and kissed her.

"Yeah Mama, she was walkin' towards Uncle Heyes," Joshua said smiling.

"Jed, what are they talkin' about?"

"Uh, I was telling them stories about Heyes and now they are pretending that they can see him," Kid said with a wink towards the boys.

"Oh, okay," said Catherine as she tickled her daughter. "Why don't we go in the house and celebrate Jenny's first steps with some milk and cookies?"

"Yea! Come on Uncle Heyes," Little Jed cried out as he started for the house.

"Yeah, come on Uncle Heyes," Joshua agreed as he followed his brother. Kid stood there watching his family head to the house.

"You did real good, Kid," Heyes grinned as he watched the small family enter the house. "Real good."

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Kid smiled at the memory of Josh and Jed meeting their new sister and how the boys encouraged their baby sister to take another step towards them. How as she got older and started getting into their toys, they would start yelling for their mother to take her away only to have them playing with her again a few minutes later. The three of them were inseparable, always going off exploring with each other. Kid found out the hard way just how inseparable they were when he decided to take the boys with him to a horse auction.

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"But I wanna come too," five year old Jennifer cried out as she clung to her father's leg.

"I know you do honey," Kid consoled as he bent and picked her up. "But there's going to be a lot of people there and I won't be able to keep an eye on you like I should. I just don't want you to get hurt."

"But Josh and Jeddie are going."

"But they're older than you, Jennifer, besides, they're helping me to pick out new horses for our farm."

"I wanna help too," Jennifer cried out, fresh tears streaming down her face.

Kid was doomed. If there was anything that could change his mind, it was the tear-streaked face of his daughter. He groaned when he saw he had no choice. "All right, you can come too." The large, choking hug he received in answer told him he had made the right choice.

"Are ya sure ya can handle all three of them?" Catherine asked as she pulled Jennifer out of her father's arms.

"I guess I'll take Kyle with me, he should be able to help me keep an eye on them," Kid smiled back.

"Kyle? You're takin' Kyle?"

"Well, I'm going to need help with the horses too. Besides, he needs the practice in helping take care of kids since he's going to be a father himself in a few months." Kid shivered at that prospect. "Still don't know how he got Lorraine to marry him."

"Well they say that love is blind…"

"Yeah, but deaf and dumb too?" Kid asked in astonishment. "Let's just hope that his kids take after their mother."

"Jed, you're awful," Catherine yelled as she slapped his arm. "Now go get the boys things packed up while I get Jennifer's things ready." Grabbing a quick kiss from his wife, Kid went and did what he was told.

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The next day found Kid, Kyle, and the children in the next town at the horse auction that was being held that day. Seven-year-old twins, Jed and Josh, proudly walk along with their Dad and their "Uncle Kyle" checking out the horses and giving their opinions on each horse they saw. Jennifer, who was content to ride on Kyle's shoulders felt obligated to give her opinion also, mostly just pointing at the horse and saying how pretty it was.

There were several horses Kid had his eyes on and found himself talking to the seller of one of the more sought after mares. As he was getting information on the animal, Jed and Josh headed over to another stall that held a very young, scrawny horse. The young horse boldly made her way over to the boys as they stood on the gate to get a better look. Sniffing both of them, she then nosed their hands, wanting them to scratch her nose and ears, nuzzling them both in return. Both boys could see that the horse was in need of some good food, a good cleaning, and lots of loving. They both turned and looked at each other, a conversation taking place between them without either of them saying a word, nodded, and quickly ran back to their father who had just finished talking to the man that was selling the mare. "Dad, come here," begged Josh as he grabbed Kid by the hand.

"Yeah, come here, Dad," Little Jed said as he grabbed Kid's other hand and helped pull him along.

"What is it guys?" Kid asked as he allowed himself to be taken.

"You gotta see this horse," Josh answered as they arrived in front of the stall.

"This horse?" Kid asked as he looked at the scrawny creature.

"Yeah, this horse," Little Jed answered as he excitedly stood on the gate's crossbeam. The horse quickly came back over to them for more attention.

"What about her?" Kid asked confused as to why the boys were showing him this horse.

"She needs us, Dad!" Josh said exasperated at the fact that his father couldn't see that fact.

"Needs us?"

"Yeah Dad," Jed took over. "Can't you see that see likes us and that she needs us to take care of her?"

"I can see that she needs help," Kid answered, sure that he didn't want to spend money on this horse. "But she might need more than we can give her."

"Oh Dad, please?" Josh begged.

"Yeah Kid, can't they have the little horse?"

Kid jumped at the voice behind him and turned to see Heyes grinning at him. "Heyes, will you stop doing that!" Kid yelled at his friend's sudden appearance.

"Uncle Heyes!" the boys yelled out together.

"Hey fellas," Heyes smiled back at the twins.

"Uncle Heyes, can you help us?" Little Jed asked with a pleading look in his eyes.

"Help you with what?" Heyes answered, already knowing what the boys wanted.

"Help us to convince Dad to buy this horse," Joshua said as he started bouncing on his feet.

"That horse there?" Heyes pointed to the small animal.

"Heyes…" Kid said with a warning tone.

"Now why would you want this horse? Heyes asked, ignoring his partner.

"She needs us," Little Jed replied.

"Yeah, she needs us," Josh answered.

Heyes turned to face his partner with an evil grin on his face. "Oh, come on Kid, and buy the boys the horse. She needs them."

Kid sighed, knowing he was going to regret giving in, but for some reason the boys really wanted this horse. "Okay, okay. Let's see if we can find the guy selling her." Both boys yelled out happily as they as they followed their father.

"That's the spirit Kid," Heyes smiled.

"Just be glad that I can't flatten you like I want to Heyes," Kid grumbled back.

A few minutes later, the four of them found the man, a Mr. Carson, who was selling the young horse. Kid stood there, arms crossed, eyeing the older man up as he told them a story about the horse. Kid, seeing the con from a mile away, surreptitiously looked over at Heyes and smiled as they listened to the man tell a sad story about how the horse's mother was killed and that he had no money to feed the creature properly. The boys, seeing their father and uncle's reaction to the man, suddenly became suspicious of him themselves.

Kid told the man to take the horse out of the stall so that he could inspect the animal, but as soon as the man entered the stall, the young horse became quite agitated. She started rearing and bucking; doing anything she could to get away from the man. The horse became so violent, that the man had to leave the stall before he got hurt.

"Let me try Dad," Josh said as he grabbed the rope from the man. Kid tried to stop the boy, but Josh had already entered the stall and easily looped the rope around the young horse's neck. Bringing her out, she stood quietly by as Kid, Josh, and Jed all looked her over. Kid's anger grew as he saw that the horse was very malnourished, her ribs sticking out way too far, that at one time she had been whipped, the scars still visible in spots, but he could also see a spark of life in her eyes that told him she had a lot of spirit and she that she was eager to please.

"So how much you askin' for her?" Kid said as he turned to face the man, who was smart enough to stand back at a distance.

"Fifty bucks," Carson answered.

"Fifty bucks for her?" Kid couldn't believe that the man was serious in asking that much for the abused animal.

The man was about to respond when Little Jed spoke up. "You know Dad, it seems a horse like this is worth a lot more." Kid just stared at the boy as the horse's owner smiled as he saw the dollar signs flashing before his eyes. "That is if she wasn't stolen." Carson's face suddenly went pale.

"You're right Jed," Josh spoke up. "Not too many horses like this around these parts. She does look like those horses we saw in that picture book, you know the one that showed all those thoroughbreds?"

Jed just nodded. "But there ain't any of those around here. But say, what if she and her mother was stolen? You know, I think that the Sheriff would be real interested in seeing this horse. Some of those horses are worth a lot of money." Kid could hear Heyes laughing behind him.

"I think you're right, Jed," Josh smiled back. "Hey Dad, maybe we should have the Sheriff check this out after all. He might want to know about this horse."

Kid stood there with his arms crossed, desperately hiding the smile that was trying to break out on his face as he watched his two sons out-con the con man. "You know something boys, I think you're absolutely right. Why don't you two go and find the Sheriff, while I wait here with Mr. Carson."

Carson suddenly jumped towards them. "No!" he yelled out and then caught himself. "No need to bring the Sheriff here boys. S…she's not stolen, honest. L…like I said, she's an orphan. J…just needs someone to take care of her since I can't."

"Tell you what, Mr. Carson," Kid said rubbing his chin in thought. "I'll give you five dollars for her."

"Deal!" Carson quickly agreed as he went to pet her nose. "You've got yourself one fine animal," he said pulling his hand back as the young horse quickly took offense and tried to bite him. "Real fine horse," he said through gritted teeth. Eagerly he took the money from Kid.

Thanking the man, the three of them took their new purchase and walked away. "Boys," Heyes said as the two of them looked up at him, "you did your Uncle proud," he said with a large smile. The boys just grinned back at the man.

Kid handed the small horse to the boys. "Heyes could you and the boys find Kyle while I take care of some business?"

"Sure Kid," Heyes smiled back, knowing what his cousin was up to. "Come on boys." The two boys started walking along with their uncle but turned to watch their father head straight for the auction officials, one of them being the Sheriff. Kid quickly explained the situation that had just occurred and both men headed over to see the small horse that Kid had just purchased. The Sheriff then thanked Kid for the information and went in search of the man who had sold them the horse.

"What's going on Dad?" Josh asked, taking in what just happened.

"Oh, I just let the Sheriff know that we just bought a possible stolen horse, not to mention an abused one," Kid smiled with a proud look on his face. The two boys just smiled back knowing that they just helped save their new horse.

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The Sheriff arrested the man that sold Kid the horse but the rightful owner was never located so the judge presiding over the case gave the horse to Kid and his family. Three years later, Kid stood outside the corral as he watched the spirited three-year old filly as she pranced along the fence line as if showing off for him. Her sleek, black coat shining brightly in the sunshine, as she threw her head back as if dancing with the wind. He smiled at her when she came close to him and then quickly took off as he went to reach for her, playing the familiar game that the two had developed over the years.

"She sure turned out quite fine, didn't she?"

Kid turned and smiled at his cousin, finally used to the idea that he would show up at any time with out warning. "She sure did. The kids did a good job of taking care of her. Hard to believe that she was the scrawny little horse that nobody seemed to want."

"Makes Ralph Hanley's horse look down right poor, doesn't she?" Heyes smiled at the memory of the horse that Kid guarded at one time before he was falsely accused of killing the man.

"I'll tell you, Mrs. Hanley has been great in helping me find someone to train her. I think we have a real champion on our hands."

"Do you have her entered in a race yet?"

"As a matter of fact, Diamond Jim should be here on the 2:30 train. With his help, we're gonna enter her in a couple of small races first and see how she does. If she good enough, he wants to take her to Kentucky."

"Kentucky? Why Kentucky?"

"There's that big Derby race out there next month. If all goes well, she'll be entered as a long shot, but at least that race will prove how good she is."

"That's great Kid," Heyes smiled. "You sure have put everything you know into this business, haven't you?"

"It hasn't been easy and I've made a lot of mistakes over the years, but it's been good and the boys and Jennifer really enjoy working with the horses."

"I'm glad for ya Kid. I really am. I guess that's another part of the promise kept."

"Yep, it sure is," Kid smiled back.

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Lady is an Outlaw, the official name of the Curry's horse, although known to the family as just Lady, danced with excitement along with the other horses that were there for the big Derby race. Post time was in a half hour and Kid nervously watched as the Lady was given her final preparations.

"Kid you've got to relax a little," Diamond Jim said as he eyed his young friend.

"Can't help it, Jim. This is Lady's biggest race yet. Just worried that she won't perform like she should."

"How many times do I have to tell you that you and kids have done a great job in training her?" Jim questioned, trying to get Kid to settle down. "She's fast Kid, one of the fastest I've ever seen and with Billy there jockeying her, the other horses don't stand a chance."

Kid sighed as he watched his horse. "This is more nerve racking than watching Heyes pour Nitro into a safe." He turned and faced his friend. "You really think she's gotta a chance?"

"Odds are against her but then again, the odds makers don't know her like we do," Jim replied with a smile. "I'd say she'll be in the top five for sure, maybe top three."

"I sure hope you're right," Kid answered as he pulled at the starched collar of his dress shirt. In the background, Kid and Jim could here the trumpets sounding for the horses to start entering the field for line up. "Well, that's our cue." Kid and Jim stepped back as the horses were being taken out to the track. Kid watched in pride as Lady entered into the sunlight, her black coat gleaming, dancing more as the excitement grew.

"Let's get back to our box," Jim suggested, knowing that there wasn't much else they could do but wait for the race.

"You go ahead. I'll be there in a few minutes. There's someone I need to talk to," Kid answered back as he spotted someone down on the other end of the stalls.

"All right, but don't be late," Jim replied. "Catie and the kids would be very disappointed if you weren't there for the race." Jim turned and headed for the owner's box that was reserved for him and his friends.

Kid headed in the opposite direction and stopped long enough to look for the person he wanted to talk to. He found her just where he thought she would be. Walking over, he quietly cleared his throat so as not to scare the woman. Turning around, blue eyes opened wide in recognition. "Thaddeus!"

"Mrs. Hanley," Kid smiled back. "It's good to see you."

"Oh it's wonderful to see you too, Thaddeus," Mrs. Hanley said with a smile as she hugged the man. "Oh, I suppose I should be calling you Mr. Curry," she chuckled as she pulled back from him.

"Jed will do just fine, Ma'am."

"Please, call me Elaine." Her smiled dropped slightly as she looked at him. "Jed, I was so sorry to hear about what happened to your partner, Josh…I mean Hannibal. He was truly a wonderful man."

"Yes he sure was," Kid smiled back sadly.

"It was a shock when I heard the news but I am glad to see that you are doing so well. What brings you here, Jed?"

"Lady is an Outlaw," Kid grinned.

"Lady is your horse?" she asked in surprise. "Oh I should have realized that when I saw the name. She is a beautiful horse. I saw her when she arrived. I was quite impressed with her and slightly jealous."

"Jealous?"

"I took a good look at her, Jed. She's nicely formed, obviously well taken care of, and very spirited. I do believe that she is even better than my horse. Who did you get to take care of her?"

"Well Elaine, I would like to say it was all my doing but I have to give all the credit to my children."

"Your children? You have children?"

"Yes Ma'am, ten year old twin boys, and a eight year old daughter. In fact, it was the boys that found Lady when she was just a foal, all skin and bones and just a plain terrible sight."

"Your young children raised that beautiful creature?" she asked in awe. "I'll tell you something right now, Jed, if your children can raise an animal like that, I'll be sending my business your way."

"Why thank you, Elaine. My family is here with me today," Kid beamed with pride. "Would you like to meet them?"

"I most certainly would," Mrs. Hanley smiled as she took Kid's proffered arm. "Let's go meet that wonderful family of yours."

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When Catherine first saw Kid arm in arm with another woman, her Irish temper began to flare and it wasn't until Kid explained how he knew Elaine Hanley that she settled down and began to like the woman after all. Mrs. Hanley took and instant liking to Kid's whole family and told the children how impressed she was at the wonderful job they did raising Lady. Soon the trumpets were sounding for the beginning of the race and Mrs. Hanley left for her own owner's box.

The race itself was truly exciting as the family and Jim watched as Lady seemed to race effortlessly on the track, pacing herself for her big move. To them, it looked like Lady was holding herself back until she got to the last turn when she suddenly burst forward, passing the horses in front of her. Coming down to the wire, she was neck and neck with the favorite, giving everything she had. Kid and his family were screaming at the top of their lungs, encouraging their horse to victory. The two horses crossed the finish line with Lady is an Outlaw just being edged out by a nose.

"She did it, Kid, just like I told you, the top three," Jim grinned back as he patted his young friend's shoulder.

"She sure did," Kid smiled back. His smile faded as he turned to see the gloomy faces of his children. "Hey, why so sad?" he asked as he picked up Jennifer, who had tears streaming down her cheeks.

"She didn't win, Daddy," Jennifer tearfully said as she clung to her father.

"It's all right, honey," Kid consoled. "Lady coming in second is still a good thing."

"You're not sad that she didn't win?" Little Jed asked confused.

"Just a little disappointed maybe, but not sad," Kid replied. "You three should be proud of yourselves."

"But she didn't win," Josh said straining to keep from crying himself.

"I know, but she still ran a great race. Listen, remember how she looked when we first got her? All scrawny, dirty, and hungry." The kids nodded. "You three took real good care of her and she turned out to be one of the most beautiful horses I have ever seen. She would never have had this chance if you three hadn't cared for her like you did."

"Besides," Jim said taking over, "coming in second at a race like this is still a great accomplishment. You three must remember that the horses that are here today are some of the best in the country, including Lady."

"And you three are the reason she made it here," Kid said smiling at them. He got three large smiles in return.

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Kid stared at the fire and smiled as he remembered how proud he was of his three children that day and how the business of rearing horses suddenly took off. Offers for Kid to breed champion, quality thoroughbreds took off and Kid was in his glory watching the children raise and tame the new horses. He stood there and thought back at how fast everything started changing for not only him but also his family.

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The boys grew and matured in to fine young men, both the spitting image of their father. Between the two of them, they had the ranch running smoothly with each of them handling the different aspects of the business. Kid gradually gave it all over to the both of them as he sat back and watched them become even more successful with it, and just like their father, each found a special woman to share his life with. Kid was ecstatic when his first grandchild came along and was stunned when Joshua and his wife Sandy introduced their son, Hannibal Heyes Curry, to his Grandpa. Kid had tears in his eyes as he looked at the small bundle, remembering the day that his boys were born, and hoping to be as great a grandpa to his grandchildren as his Grandpa Curry was to Heyes and him.

Little Jed, who wasn't little anymore, married a wonderful girl named Mary and just a little over a year later, Jed's own set of twins arrived, a girl named Elizabeth after Uncle Heyes' Mother, and a boy named Shawn, after Kid's own Father. Kid couldn't have been anymore thrilled as his family continued to grow.

The one person in his life who was truly worrying him though was Jennifer. She had grown up to look just like her Mother, long brown hair, dark piercing eyes, and a beautiful smile. It seemed that every eligible boy in town had dated her or at least tried to, much to Kid's displeasure. Taking the role as the typical, overprotective father seriously, Kid made sure that each boy that even went near his daughter understood that if they laid a finger on her, he would personally take him out to the south end of his property and show him how fast he could still draw his gun.

There were some spectacular fights between him and Jennifer as she was growing up and dating any of the boys that would ask her. Kid did his best to keep an eye on her, but later found out that he didn't have to worry as much as he thought he did. It seemed that Josh and Jed also took an interest in who was dating their sister and also made it perfectly clear that they would defend her honor to the end if any boy touched her.

It was when Jennifer turned nineteen that one of the boys in town came to call on her but she flat out refused to even see him, but that didn't stop him from continuing to try. Kid had to give the boy credit for at least being as stubborn as she was. About six months later he finally wore her down and she agreed to go out with him. From that day on, love blossomed between them.

It was a year after that that the boy came to the Curry house, to ask Kid for his daughter's hand in marriage. "So what did you say your name was again boy?" Kid asked as the two of them stood in Kid's den, Heyes standing there off to the side watching in amusement.

"Samuel Jones, Sir," the young man said, never taking his eyes off of the older man.

Kid studied the boy to see if he was really telling the truth. "You're kidding? Your name is really Jones?"

"Y…yes Sir, it is," Sam stuttered.

Kid heard Heyes laugh out loud but chose to ignore him. He could see that the boy was nervous but was doing his best to hide it. "And what is it that you want?" Kid questioned as he purposely removed his gun out of the holster that he was wearing.

Heyes straightened when he saw Kid pull his gun. "Take it easy on him Kid," Heyes warned. Kid gave him a look telling him to mind his own business. Even though he knew Kid couldn't hurt him, Heyes still backed down. Kid carefully started examining the gun, checking the load, making sure that it was functioning properly, all in front of Sam who stood there watching every movement that Kid made.

Sam straightened and looked Kid directly in the eye. "I've come to ask your permission to marry your daughter, Sir."

Kid stopped what he was doing, holstering his gun with a series of twirls, and returned the young man's stare; Sam never flinched. It was then that Kid made his decision about Sam's intentions. "You promise to take care of her?"

"Yes Sir."

"You promise to treat her with the respect she deserves?"

"Yes Sir."

"You promise to love her 'til your last breath?

"Yes Sir."

Kid stood there looking the man over and nodding his head in approval. "I then, Sir, give you permission to marry Jennifer," Kid said with smile. "Welcome to the family."

Both Heyes and Sam sagged in relief and Sam warmly shook Kid's hand. "Thank you Sir. You don't know how happy this makes me."

"Oh, I believe I have an idea on that," Kid grinned. "Just remember one thing."

Sam stood up straight again in worry. "What's that Sir?"

"Just a little advice from the voice of experience. Jennifer has a tendency to work her way into a man's heart that just makes you want you to do anything for her. Do yourself a favor and run anytime she starts crying. It's gotten me in a whole mess of trouble at times."

"Uh, it's already too late for that, Sir. She's used that trick on me a few times already," Sam said shaking his head sadly.

"Then I guess there's no man alive that's immune to that girls evil charms," Kid sighed.

"Maybe it only works on the men that love her," Sam replied in thought.

"You may be right about that," Kid grinned back.

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The wedding was a big affair with folks from all over town coming for the celebration. Kid stood there off to the side at the reception just watching Jennifer and Sam as they danced together, looking lovingly into each other's eyes.

"She sure did turn out beautiful."

"Glad you could make it Heyes," Kid smiled as he welcomed his friend.

"You kidding? I wouldn't have missed this for the world," Heyes grinned back. "Besides, I was there when the boys got married, it's only fair that I'm here for Jennifer's big day."

"I'll tell ya, Heyes, this was one of the hardest days of my life, walking my baby down that aisle and "giving" her away to another man. I didn't have this much trouble when the boys got married."

"It's only natural that you want to protect her, Kid. That's what being a Dad is all about. Besides, now you and Catherine can enjoy yourselves again since all of the kids have moved out."

"I don't know about that," Kid sighed. "Catherine is havin' a harder time than me."

Heyes couldn't help but chuckle. "You gotta let 'em go sometime, Kid. You two did a great job in raising them and now that you're a Grandpa…I still can't believe that one," Heyes smiled as Han, Elizabeth, and Shawn ran by chasing each other.

"That's the best thing about the kids getting married," Kid laughed. Suddenly, someone else on the dance floor caught Kid's attention. "Oh Heyes, will you get a look at Kyle?"

"That man never did have an lick of coordination in him did he?" Heyes laughed as he watched Kyle try and dance with his wife. "I still don't understand what Lorraine sees in that man. Such a pretty thing too."

"I know what you mean. I've been askin' myself that question for many a year now. Just be glad that the kids take after their mother."

"True, very true," Heyes replied.

Suddenly Jennifer ran up to her Father and took his arm. "Uncle Heyes, you came!" she exclaimed happily.

"You bet, sweetheart," Heyes smiled back at the young lady. "Nothing would have kept me away from your big day. You look beautiful."

"Thank you Uncle Heyes," Jennifer said as she tilted her head down at the compliment. "Daddy, come on, you must dance with me."

"Be glad to honey," Kid smiled back. "Talk to you in a little bit Heyes."

"You two go ahead," Heyes said shooing them away with his hands. "I'm gonna go see the boys while you two dance." Heyes stood there for a few minutes as he watched his Partner and his niece dancing, smiling as he saw how happy they were.

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Kid added more wood to the fire as he thought back to the day that Jennifer got married, about how happy and beautiful she was on that wonderful day. Sam had turned out to be a hard working young man, who devoted his life to making his family happy. He then grinned to himself as he remembered the way Sam was acting when Jennifer was giving birth to their firstborn. Kid remembered watching him pace the floor of his living room, waiting for news about his wife and child, the same thing he did when the twins were born, well maybe Sam was a little calmer than he was. It was only a few hours later when they learned that Jennifer had given birth to a healthy baby boy. It was shortly after everything had calmed down, that Kid got to meet his newest Grandson.

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Kid quietly knocked on the door and entered to see his daughter holding a small bundle. Catherine turned and smiled as she watched her husband come over to see the newest addition to the family. Jennifer held him up for Kid to hold, which he gladly accepted. Kid smiled as he looked at the small face and laughed when the baby yawned.

"He sure is a handsome little fella you got here, Jennifer. Does the little guy have a name yet?" Kid asked as he rubbed his finger against the baby's soft cheek.

Jennifer turned to look at Sam, who nodded at her unspoken question. "Well Daddy, we thought we would call him…Thaddeus."

Kid looked up from the baby with a stunned look on his face. "You're kidding me, right?" Kid asked waiting for them to tell him it was a joke but he could tell by their faces that it wasn't. "You're really gonna name him Thaddeus Jones?"

Jennifer nodded her head. "It's no joke Daddy," she smiled back. "Sam and I talked about this for a long time and we want to name him Thaddeus."

"Why?" It was all that Kid could think of to say.

"Remember when Josh, Jed, and I were growing up, how we would sit and listen for hours about how you and Uncle Heyes were once the most successful outlaws in the history of the West?" Kid just nodded. "Well, I also remember hearing the stories about how you two decided to go for the amnesty and that you both had to change your names to Joshua Smith and Thaddeus Jones."

"And that's why you want to name this little guy Thaddeus?" Kid asked confused.

"That's part of it," Jennifer answered. "The main reason I want to name him Thaddeus is because out of all the stories I heard about you and Uncle Heyes, the ones I'm most proud of are the ones where you two called yourself Joshua Smith and Thaddeus Jones."

"But those weren't our real names," Kid protested.

"I know, and I know that you didn't like using those names, but because of them, you and Uncle Heyes made a change in your lives, a change for the better. It's that reason that I want to name the baby Thaddeus, because he has made a change in mine and Sam's life for the better."

Kid could feel the moisture in he eyes as he listened to Jennifer's explanation. "Well," Kid said as he cleared his throat, "just remember that I seemed to have always gotten into a lot of trouble with that name, so I can only imagine what this little guy is gonna get into."

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Kid's prediction came true. Thaddeus turned out to be a mischievous little boy, who, sometimes with the help of his older cousins, loved to play tricks on the rest of the family. No one was excluded from his little escapades.

"Thaddeus Jones, you stop right there," Jennifer yelled out to her seven year old son. Kid, who, along with Heyes, had been walking over to her house, stopped dead in his tracks and shook his head when he realized that it wasn't him who was in trouble.

"You think that I would be used to hearing that name and not flinch anymore," Kid grumbled to his partner.

"Old habits die hard, don't they," Heyes grinned back.

Heyes and Kid started walking again but while rounding the corner Kid felt the impact of a seven-year-old boy as he ran into his legs. "Whoa there Son, where you off to in such a hurry?" Kid asked as he caught the boy from falling, his eyes twinkling with amusement.

"Oh, sorry Grandpa. I didn't see you there," Thaddeus said in explanation. "Hey ya Uncle Heyes!"

"Hey Kid," Heyes smiled back.

"Thaddeus, hold it right there young man," Jennifer yelled out as she finally caught up with the boy. Kid noticed that she was covered in flour, not just her hands and arms, but her head, face, shoulders, and basically the rest of her. "You march yourself right back into that house and clean up the mess you just made." Thaddeus turned to his Grandpa and Uncle with a pleading look in his eyes.

"Sorry Kid," his Grandpa replied, using the boy's favorite nickname. "You heard your Mother. Now go on and clean up your mess."

"Yes Sir," Thaddeus said as he turned and walked slowly back to the house to do what he was told. He suddenly stopped and turned back. "Have you come to give me another lesson shootin' your gun?" he asked excitedly.

"Not until you clean up that mess you made," Kid answered. "And it better be done right or I won't give you your lesson."

"Yes sir," Thaddeus agreed and headed back to the house.

"Thanks Daddy," Jennifer said as she gave him a kiss then quickly brushed the flour smudge from off of his face. "Hi Uncle Heyes."

"Hi Jennifer. You sure do look lovely," Heyes grinned back.

"Yeah, for someone who looks like the start of a loaf of bread," she grimaced back.

"What did he do now?" Kid asked as the three of them headed towards the house.

"Another flour bomb in the pantry," she sighed as she tried her best to clean herself off before going back inside.

"I warned you," Kid smiled.

"Yes you did," Jennifer said, still cleaning herself off. "Of course he wouldn't get these ideas in his head if someone wouldn't tell him stories about when he was growing up."

"Don't look at me," Kid said with a look of mock innocence on his face. "I had nothing to do with this. It must be Uncle Heyes here."

"Hey, don't look at me," Heyes said holding his hands up in surrender.

"Somehow I don't think it's you, Uncle Heyes," Jennifer grinned back. "If that was one of your plans, Thaddeus would have had the whole kitchen rigged to go off at the same time."

Kid threw his head back in laughter. "You are so right about that one."

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Kid sat by the fire laughing, as he thought about what Thaddeus would get himself into. How he would put frogs in his cousin Elizabeth's and his little sister Rebecca's dresser drawers, just to hear them scream when they found them. How he, Hannibal, and Shawn would go fishing together, only to have him put the worms down the other boy's shirts. Kid loved it when all of his family would get together so that he could just sit back and enjoy them; thanking Heyes for making him keep that promise. He thought back to just three weeks ago when the family got together to celebrate his and Catherine's thirty-fifth wedding anniversary.

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Jennifer carefully carried the cake out amongst the throng of children who were impatiently waiting for it to be cut. Setting it down she gave both her parents a hug and a kiss for their special day.

"Jennifer, that cake looks wonderful," Catherine said proudly.

"It looks good enough to eat," Kid joked, only to receive an elbow in his ribs from Catherine.

"Can we cut it now?" Thaddeus asked impatiently as he hovered nearby.

"Nope," Josh said to the disappointment of the children. "First Grandma and Grandpa have to say a few words first."

Kid turned to Catherine smiling as he nudged her to go first. "Jed, the first time we met, ya literally saved my life and that is when I fell in love with ya. Not because ya did save me, but because ya cared enough to save me. Ya were kind and sincere and ya quickly became my world. As the years passed, ya never stopped carin' and our love only seemed ta grow with each passin' day. Jed, I love ya more now than I did thirty-five years ago." Catherine leaned over and gave him a kiss. Pulling back she nodded for him to take his turn.

"Catherine, I can say the same thing. The first time we met, you literally saved my life that day, even though I didn't fall in love with you at that time. I was still having a hard time over losing my partner, but you stuck with me, showed me that I was allowed to care for someone else, even though I was afraid that I would lose you like I lost everyone else I ever cared for. You worked on me, broke me down so that I could give my heart to you and my life has never been the same; it's been wonderful. I've enjoyed every minute of our time together, the good, the bad, the laughter, the tears, and even those times I nearly gave up, you were there to strengthen me. Thank you for the last thirty-five years." This time Kid leaned over and kissed his wife as a cheer went up through the room.

"Now can we cut the cake?" Thaddeus asked, patience most definitely gone.

"Yes, we can cut the cake now," Kid laughed back at the boy.

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Kid yawned and shook his head to clear some of the cobwebs that had seemed to form. Seeing that it was getting late and knowing that he wanted to get an early start in the morning, he threw a couple more of logs onto the fire and then he settled himself down on his bedroll for another peaceful night's sleep. It was just before dawn that he found himself standing there watching the sun begin its climb up into the sky. It was a breathtaking sight and he was so caught up in the moment that he never heard the man come up behind him.

"Beautiful, isn't it, Kid?" Startled, Kid quickly turned around with his gun in his hand pointing it at the man who had snuck up on him. "I see you're just as fast as ever," Heyes smiled back at him.

"Heyes don't do that!" Kid complained as he holstered his gun.

"Sorry, didn't mean to frighten ya," Heyes smiled back.

"So what brings ya by this morning? Haven't seen you in awhile."

Heyes looked past his partner at the ground and then back at Kid. "It's time."

"Time? Time for what?"

"Time for you to join me."

Kid stood there stunned for a moment as the realization of what Heyes meant hit him. "Join you? W…what about my family?"

"They'll be fine," Heyes assured him. "You kept your promise. You were a great husband and father and did a right fine job of raising those kids. You should be proud of yourself for that, I know I am."

"I am," Kid smiled back. "But what about Catherine?"

"She's gonna be all right," Heyes replied. "I know she'll miss you, but she'll be fine with the rest of the family taking care of her for a change."

Kid stood there looking at his cousin with a lost expression on his face. "It really is time?"

"Uh huh. Look." Kid looked over to where Heyes was pointing and saw that he was still lying in his bedroll by the fire.

"That really is me," Kid quietly said.

"Yep, and believe it or not it was from natural causes and not getting shot in the back like you always thought would happen. Although you almost came close the first time I talked to you."

"But what about…" Kid trailed off as he pointed to the figure on the ground.

"Already taken care of," Heyes explained. "They'll find you in a couple of hours when you don't return home when you said you would."

"I don't get a choice this time do I?"

"Not this time, but don't worry, you can come back anytime you like to check up on your family. We both will. Plus, you've got a lot of other people waiting to see you. I know for a fact that Grandpa Curry is chompin' at the bit to compare stories with you about raising grandkids, and your folks are waiting for you too."

"My folks?" Kid asked as tears started forming in his eyes. "It's been so long…"

"I know Kid, even my family can't wait to see ya and don't forget your brothers and sister. Come on let's go see everyone. You've got a whole mess of people waiting to hug you again. Our horses are behind those trees."

The two walked in unison over to where the horses were and Kid allowed a smile to form on his face. Kid did his normal hop-jump into the saddle and as he seated himself, he suddenly felt thirty years younger. He stopped when he noticed his hands weren't the ones he was use to seeing for the last few years. Gone were the aged fingers only to be replaced by the hands he used to have. Throwing Heyes a questioning look, his cousin just laughed. "Ya don't age here Kid," Heyes smiled back. "In fact you look like how I remember ya while we were still together. Everyone looks younger here, even Grandpa, but don't worry, you'll know exactly who he is." The smile on Heyes' face calmed Kid's confusion. "Come on Partner, let's ride!"

Looking at each other for a moment, both men broke into grins and each gave a yell as they spurred their horses on, riding hard as if being chased by a posse.

The End.

July, 2006