Author's Note: This is a one shot with the Magnificent Seven. Why is Casey mad at JD, the question was raised by several readers after my last story, and this is the explanation. Follows behind Ya Never Know Until Ya Check.

Warning: The warning is placed here for vinsmouse, who wanted a spew warning here, claiming it might be a bad idea to drink while reading the funnier parts. So please keep in mind that drinking any kind of beverage while reading this, might be hazzard'ous to the health of your screen.

Disclaimer: I do not own Magnificent Seven, I do not make any money on this. If I did, I would be working my way towards owning them… No harm will ever come to them in my care, that not some of Nathan's skunk juice can't fix….


A Piece Of Cake, Or Pie

"Wanna go fishing?" JD asked as he walked up to Casey on the board walk outside the general store.

"Why should I?" she demanded, folding her arms over her chest.

"It's a nice day for it, I thought you might be interested," he shrugged, wondering if it had been a good idea. Casey was still mad at him, and he still didn't know why. He had contemplated asking her, but it didn't seem like a very good idea at the moment. The worst thing was that Vin was a witness to it all. He had been helping Mrs. Potter with something, and the widow had pushed a candy stick on him once he was done. She usually did that, Vin loved the peppermint candy sticks and whenever Vin did something for her she wouldn't give up until he relented and accepted one. He had been sitting enjoying it, but now the long haired tracker seemed to be more interested in his argument with Casey.

"You're so daft JD," she snorted. "And I don't see why I should want to go fishing with you even if it's a nice day."

"You wanted to a couple of weeks ago," he pointed out.

"Well, I don't want to now," she decided.

"Why not?" he tried to match her stubbornness but he knew he wouldn't make it.

"Because," was all she was willing to say.

"Oh come on, that's not a reason," he shot back. "You've been mad at me the whole time since me and Vin were at Nettie's, now will ya tell me why?"

"If you can't figure it out, then you don't deserve for me to tell you," she snapped. "Now leave me alone."

She stalked away and he threw his hands up in exasperation.

"Girls," he snorted as he walked over to stand beside Vin who was still grinning. "What's a man supposed to do huh? There ain't no way to understand them when they're like that."

"Well, she's purty mad," Vin grinned, taking his stick of candy out of his mouth for a moment. "Kinda reminds me of a riled up bob cat. Ya got yer work cut out fer ya kid, if yer gonna get back on her good side again."

"Why the hell should I? She'll just get mad again," he complained. "Girls," he snorted again.

"Well, reckon ya can't blame her," decided Vin. "Hell, after what ya did to her, I'm surprised she hasn't shot ya yet. Given Nettie raised her I wouldn't be surprised if she came gunning after ya with that old Spencer carbine."

"But I didn't do anything," JD objected. "I was nice to her when we were there."

"But ya weren't so nice when we left," Vin's words were a little more unclear now as he was talking around the candy stick.

"I was too," JD informed him. "But she's as ornery as I don't know what. It's impossible I tell you, impossible."

"If'n I was to tell ya why she's so all fired up an' mad at ya, reckon ya would be willing to listen?" asked Vin, and JD could tell by his tone of voice that he was really serious. He wasn't looking down on him or anything either.

"Yeah, sure," he decided. "But I don't see how you can know when I don't. She told ya?"

"Hell, she didn't have to tell me," Vin smiled amused. "Too damn obvious what it is."

"Go on then, tell me," JD urged.

"Gonna tell ya something else first," Vin smiled softly, putting what was left of his peppermint stick away. "Was out at Nettie's place again, just the other day. Damn, that woman is ornery as a rattlesnake when she gets her dander up, but she's a mighty fine cook. Feeds ya till yer fit to burst."

"I know, I've been there and eaten several times," pointed out JD with a dramatic sigh. The good thing about Vin was that he never made you feel young or stupid as he explained something or taught you something. The bad thing with Vin was that for as quiet as he normally was, it could take him an eternity to get to the point. He would start by telling you something that wasn't even related.

"Ya know I spent some time with the Comanche when I was buffalo hunting?" he asked and JD nodded.

"Yeah, I know all that," he sighed. "What has it got to do with Casey?"

"Was a girl there, young Comanche girl, real purty little thing, but with one heck of a temper," Vin grinned. "Ya got her mad and you'd know it. Kinda reminds me of Casey at times. She took a shine to me though, don't know why. Had all them handsome Comanche warriors there but she kinda took to me anyway. We'd sit up look at the moon at times, share a blanket," he added with a smile that made JD wonder if he was implying something. He dismissed that thought, everyone knew Vin was shy when it came to girls.

"Well, the wives and the girls will cook for the men, so while I was there someone would always get me something to eat," Vin went on. "This day she comes with a bowl, and damn, it looked bad enough put ya right off eating then an' there. I reckon I generally like the food, an' heck, I'll eat anything if I'm hungry enough. This though, whooe, ya wouldn't believe it."

"They eat skunk," JD pointed out. "What's worse than that?"

"Ya just don't know their ways," he snorted. "Ain't nothing wrong with eating polecat, good meat. But what she brung me, was the worst God awful mess I'd ever eaten. Half raw, I swear some bits of it was trying to crawl right out of the bowl. Thought I'd be sick after the first bite."

"So you didn't eat it," JD decided. "What's the point?"

"Point is I ate it kid, every last bit of it," he smiled. "An' I made damn sure to tell her how good it was an' how kind it was of her to bring it too me. Ain't that right cowboy?" he added and JD spun around. He hadn't noticed Chris walking up to them but sure enough he was standing there now.

"Sounds about right to me pard," he grinned.

"Sounds kinda stupid to me," JD frowned. Why would someone eat something that bad?

"Just after Sarah and I was married she made a rhubarb pie," Chris grinned. "It was the first time she made a pie, and she forgot to put any sugar in it. It was terrible, so sour I thought I'd never be able to swallow. But I ate that whole damn pie, never told her she forgot the sugar."

"An' that kid, is why that girl is so riled at ya," Vin grinned.

"What? I don't get it?" he shook his head. "Casey's mad because you ate some disgusting Comanche skunk or because Chris' wife forgot to put sugar in the pie?"

"He's a bit daft," Vin decided with a look to Chris.

"Seems like it," Chris nodded in return.

"I ate that stuff because that girl had made it, fer me," Vin informed him. "Likely as not it was the first time she did it, because she was trying ta show me she'd make me a good squaw. Didn't matter if it wasn't any good at all, I knew she'd made it fer me an' I'd rather shoot myself then insult her by telling her it was no good."

"Just like I'd never have told Sarah she forgot the sugar," Chris agreed. "I could never do that to her."

"But what does that have to do with Casey?" JD pushed and Vin groaned while Chris gave him a sympathetic look.

"JD, Kid," Vin sighed. "Ya know how Nettie makes a pie, she wouldn't have never made a pie looked like that. Hell, if she ever did it was just after she met her husband. But she wouldn't do it now, an' she sure as hell wouldn't be giving ya no pie didn't turn out any good."

"But if she didn't make that pie," JD broke off.

"Then Casey did it," Chris stated in that voice that JD hated because he made it sound so obvious, and well, he to be honest he hated the fact that it probably was that obvious more.

"An' if she made that pie, an' she made it fer ya, an then saying ya didn't want it would be kinda insulting, wouldn't ya say cowboy?" Vin fished out his candy again and put it back in his mouth.

"I would say it probably was," Chris nodded.

"And then I reckon that maybe Casey would be a bit mad at ya," went on Vin.

"With good reason," Chris added.

"Reckon at that," Vin grinned and JD just really wished they'd stop doing that.

"So what do I do now?" he asked.

"Ya tell her yer a dang old fool," suggested Vin. "An' the next time that girl tries to give ya something ta eat, no matter how it looks or how it tastes…"

"You finish every damned crumb of it," Chris finished.

JD groaned, but he understood the two men decided as they exchanged smiles. Nettie would straighten Casey out, and likely help her to make a new pie. Hopefully then JD would know what he was supposed to do…

The End.

Please review, the cricket is hungry….