AN: Hello all, It's my first foray into the wonderful world of Justified and while nervous I am also super excited!

I am completely addicted to the show - but I am admittedly really new to the series as well. If there are any errors please feel free to point them out so I can correct them and get better.

This is a sort of a tester chapter, to see if there's any interest so let me know what you think (I'm always up for mixing things up a bit).

And remember: I do not own any part of Justified or it's contents...

Thanks for reading!

~Voi


"Well that's the last of it!"

Valentine eased herself into the couch with a sigh, hands falling limply at her sides as she leaned back in pleasure, "All moved in, thank goodness."

It had been a crazy few months.

Looking around, Valentine struggled to hold on to the pleasant ache of her muscles, forced herself to avoid recalling the memories that would have her muscles tensing in panicked anticipation. It would have been all too easy to fall back into the panic, the fear.

She had spent nearly a year in Witness Protection before she had been called to testify before a court in Portland. One year of being pregnant and terrified, another year spent afterwards trying to forget she had ever lived through that awful crime and the trial that followed. Justice had been served, but the scars, both physical and otherwise, would remain for much longer.

She had done her best in the last six months since moving to Lexington to return to the woman she had once been. It hadn't quite worked, but she was happier now, steadier, than she had been in a long while.

And though some months were better than other, at least for now, life had returned to normal. Valentine would never again take such a small thing for granted, not when there was so much she had to live for.

Getting to her feet with a heavy groan, the young woman stepped over play-blocks and soft knit dolls on her way to the well-lit alcove where her daughter was currently playing, engrossed in a game of what looked like hide-the-dolly-under-the-teacups.

Curly hair and winsome smile, Sophie-Ann was everyone's darling, and the center of Valentine's entire world. The only spot of happiness in what had been a bleak two years in hiding; it was a blessing that her baby showed none of the unhappy emotions that had plagued her mother for so long.

"You having fun, sweetie?"

Kneeling down so that she could look at Sophie's sweet round face, Valentine smiled before pressing a kiss to the top of her daughter's head, "Hmm, my little Peach? Are you playing with your dolls?"

A melodic little giggle was her answer, followed by the soft smacking sound of kisses as Sophie sent her little present through the air.

"I caught them!"

Closing her hand around the invisible but still very real baby-kisses, Valentine grinned all the wider as she picked up her daughter and gently cuddled her. Every day Sophie was getting bigger, but she still had that sweet baby smell, and Valentine inhaled deeply as she held her daughter close.

"What a smart girl you are." Cooing high praise and peppering the little girl with enough baby-size kisses to elicit yet another giggle, they were on their way to the kitchen when the doorbell chimed.

Settling her daughter on her hip, Valentine had nearly made it to the door when she thought better of it. Depositing the little girl into the large play-pen that stood just beyond the living room entry, Valentine made sure her daughter was settled with her favorite Bo-peep doll before she turned back to the door, arriving just in time to hear the muffled voice from the other side.

"Val, it's me Leslie!"

Valentine had the door open a moment later, fingers dancing across the three locks as she swung the door open.

"Leslie!"

The woman's presence was a welcome one, and one Valentine had come to rely on quite heavily since their arrival in Lexington. An accomplished wife of an equally successful US Marshal, Leslie Mullen was a formidable woman, and the staunchest supporter Valentine had ever had.

A one-woman cleaning machine and all-round domestic goddess, Leslie had taken one look at Valentine's rather sad predicament and had set about getting both mother and child comfortable in their new home.

Valentine was not sure she would ever be able to repay the weeks of food Leslie supplied her, or the time she spent looking after Sophie while Valentine looked for a job. But while she certainly meant to do so, and said as much, Leslie would not hear of it.

At least until now.

"How is my favorite mother-daughter pair doing?" Leslie's smile was as bright as the Kentucky sun, as she wrapped her arms around the young woman, "You're looking well."

Valentine returned the gesture with equal warmth, "We actually just finished unpacking the last box, so we are officially all moved in."

"Oh I see," Eyes sparkling, the older woman brushed her blond hair behind an ear and looked around, "I take it your little darling did all of the hard work."

Leslie gestured to the new bookshelves and table that Valentine had put together herself. Both items had been chosen for their inoffensive design and inexpensive nature, but Valentine knew it would take more than a few pieces of furniture to turn a house into a home.

"Oh you know Sophie is all about getting her hands on power tools." Valentine replied with a small smile as she invited her guest in. Passing by the play-pen, both women stopped as Sophie began to babble, loudly.

"I do believe she knows we're talking about her." Leslie sounded absolutely thrilled with the idea, and Valentine was quick to feel the same.

"Smart little Peach," she cooed at her baby as she lifted the baby out and then offered her to the always-willing Leslie. Leading the two into the kitchen, Valentine paused as she pulled a tall glass from her shelf.

"Would you like some coffee, Leslie? Or maybe iced tea?"

It said a lot that she offered the woman coffee in the middle of the day, marked her as a native to the West Coast if just because the people there had coffee instead of blood in their veins. Even now Valentine couldn't quite bring herself to break the habit, though tea was quickly becoming one of her dietary staples as well.

"I'll have some tea, dear."

The older woman settled at the modest breakfast bar with the baby on her lap. And as her mother went about pouring drinks, Sophie-Ann did her best to entertain with all manner of talking and giggling. Indeed, the little girl did such a good job, that it was well after the drinks were finished that Leslie remembered why she had come over in the first place. To say that her young neighbor was merely surprised would have been to ignore the hundred small details that only the wife of Lexington's Marshal Chief could have picked up on.

Hesitation, wariness made the younger woman pale with such swiftness that Leslie wondered if she might faint.

"Now, I know crowds make you nervous dear, but this would be just a small gathering of friends and neighbors."

Valentine remained silent but when she seemed to regain a little of her lost color, Leslie pressed on, "You would know several of them at least, and the Hoopers are coming with their little boy too, so Sophie wouldn't be alone."

She tried to appeal to the maternal instinct she knew the younger woman had in spades, tried to cajole and tempt the mother into a night of relaxation, of reprieve. It was something she suspected the poor woman had not had in quite some time. Valentine had been very cautious with what she shared, and it had taken Leslie's over protective husband to finally break the news.

Art had run a background check on her within the first week of her arrival, and what he had found had surprised them all.

Taking a good look at the chubby baby in her arms, the older woman felt her chest ache for them both. Truly some people had very bad luck thrust upon them.

But Valentine and Sophie were under her protection now, and she would be damned if she didn't do everything she could to show them that Lexington was a place they could call home. It was full of kind people, caring people. And, Leslie's lips curled into a smile, Lexington was full of people who knew how to shoot the bad guys.

The city was home to a group of Marshals that she knew well, men and women who she could count on. Leslie wasn't above mentioning that all of her husband's friends were, by virtue of his job, all US Marshals as well, but she was saving that as her trump card. She hardly wanted to force the young mother to take a break, but she would if she really had to.

However, Valentine proved to be amenable to the idea after another long moment of silent deliberation.

"I can bring Sophie along?"

She echoed as she rinsed the glasses, and turned back to where the older woman was still entertaining her daughter. Joining Leslie for a night among friends sounded heavenly, and Valentine knew she would be a fool to turn her friend down. But there still lingered that insecurity, the fear of coming under fire when so much was finally going right.

For a moment the anxiety was all consuming, like a great wave crashing over her and threatening to swallow her whole. But then she breathed, inhaled deeply and looked at her daughter. She deserved a normal life, they both did.

And so, mustering all the courage she could, Valentine nodded.

Sophie seemed to share her same mindset and her ensuing tinkle of laughter was answer enough. Eyes twinkling, Leslie kissed Sophie's fawn colored curls before handing her back to her doting mother.

"I'll see you both tomorrow at two, dearie."


The day of the party dawned with a perfection that only Leslie could have planned. Windows and sliding doors were opened to make the most of the smooth breeze, but the sun was pleasant in its warmth. Merciful for an early Kentucky summer, it warmed rather than burned.

Leaning half out the kitchen window where she had spent most of the morning, Leslie Mullen dusted her hands off her well-floured apron before waving at the guests that had started to arrive.

And though she was busy cooking three kinds of pies and putting the finishing touches on half a dozen other dishes, she took the time to yell for Art to mind the coolers and make sure the beer was well and truly chilled for their guests.

"Well, I guess that explains why Art is so good at bossing us around, setting a proper example of things here at home, Les?"

A hat, long since made familiar to the Mullen kitchen swung into view a moment later, and from beneath its wide brim, the roguish Marshal from Harlan greeted his hostess with a polite nod of his head.

"Afternoon, Ma'am."

Grinning, Leslie patted the boy's cheek as he bent over to give her a hug. She swatted him a second later as he tried to steal a bite of her fried chicken, "You behave yourself, Raylan Givens; I'm too old to fall for your antics."

"But not too old to marry me," Raylan responded with a mournful look towards the tray of freshly fried drumsticks, "Why don't you leave Art and come cook for me?"

"In your motel?" Leslie challenged as she raised her brow, exaggerated her point with a spatula that gestured to the industrial friar she had had installed last year, "Even I have standards young man. You just wouldn't be able to afford me."

Raylan's smile grew all the wider as he turned towards the window, "And speaking of things I can't afford…"

Leslie followed his gaze, and found herself watching an attractive if somewhat aloof young man enter through her garden gate. Dark blond hair and a face that was at once both boyish and masculine, Tim Gutterson could have been the most popular man in Lexington if he was not so very self-contained. Hands tucked into his pockets, the young Marshal seemed almost lost but made his way to the beer cooler eventually.

"You managed to convince Marshal Gutterson to stop by?"

Leslie was pleased at the new arrival, and she didn't mind offering a chicken wing to Raylan as just reward. The man snatched it up before she could change her mind.

"I told him there was free beer and pretty girls." The Harlan native paused before tearing into his prize, "I also bet him fifty dollars that he wouldn't show. Not sure which one made the better case, but here he is."

And though he was not nearly done with his chicken, Raylan set his piece down and made for the door. Disappearing with a quick wave, Raylan appeared not a moment later carrying a very generous serving contained piled high with potato salad. Behind him trailed an anxious looking Valentine and an ecstatic Sophie-Ann.

"Good gracious girl, I told you not to bring anything!"

Smiling widely, Leslie noted that both had dressed up for the occasion and that while Sophie looked lovely in her robin-blue frock, it was her mother who had made a most startling transformation. Gone was the well-worn jeans and too-large sweatshirt, instead Valentine looked sweetly soft in a pair of jean shorts and a loose linen shirt. But so too did it emphasize how very young she was, and Leslie felt a pang of sympathy as she went to give both mother and baby a hug.

"I am so glad you were able to make it!"

Then, going over to take a look at the food Leslie smiled appreciatively, "It looks lovely."

"And big enough to feed the whole city of Lexington." Raylan grinned as he tipped his hat at both mother and daughter, "Pleasure to meet you, my name is Raylan Givens."

And Leslie watched as the Marshal worked his charms, thankful just this once that Raylan had the natural instincts to put her new guest at ease.

"Nice to meet you," A smile, hesitant but genuine made its way on Valentine's face, "I'm Valentine, this here is Sophie-Ann."

But instead of her usually bubbly collection of sounds, of giggles and high-pitched baby chirps, Valentine found her daughter suddenly very quiet. Big blue eyes wide and unblinking, Sophie seemed completely entranced by the Marshal, rooted to her spot.

"Oh my!" Leslie laughed as both women grinned at the suddenly quiet baby, "I think Sophie has a crush on you, Raylan. I've never seen her so quiet."

"You ok, Sophie?" Amusement colored Valentine's voice, had her gently smoothing the little head of hair she tried to get her daughter's attention.

But instead of answering, Sophie took off, little legs suddenly in motion as she propelled herself from the kitchen, disappearing on a string of laughter.

"Oh! Pardon me!"

Valentine vanished from the kitchen in the next second, taking after her spirited daughter.

"Sophie!"

"She's a nice girl." Raylan said after a long minute, watching as she chased her daughter through the yard.

"One of the sweetest I've ever met." Leslie agreed, "A tad shy though."

The Marshal snorted, "Yeah, I got that Les."

"Think you could keep an eye out for her whenever you're in the area?"

"I can try," Raylan sighed with mock pain, "Art doesn't exactly give me the easy jobs."

Leslie didn't give an inch, though her eyes sparkled in amusement, "He does. You're just a walking disaster. You attract trouble like a magnet."

"You wound me, Les. I think you hurt my man-feelings."

Valentine had meant to be a good house guest, but running after her energetic two year old meant very little in the way of being dignified. Her baby was far faster now that she had a large house and yard to play in, and had the unique advantage of her height, allowing her to weave around tables and people alike.

"Sophie!"

Screeching in laughter, the little girl only toddled on faster, eyes sparkling, hair swinging around as she crossed from the house to back deck. Oblivious to all else but the thrill of the chase, her daughter never saw the steps from porch to yard.

"Sophie!"

Heart in her throat, Valentine tried to catch up as her mind went terrifyingly blank of everything but her daughter. One more step and…

A pair of hands caught her daughter before she could tumble down the steps, "Easy going there, kiddo."

His drawl was easily made out as he gently chastised her daughter, "What's a little thing like you doing out here by yourself? It's dangerous."

It was hard to make out what he looked like what with his back turned towards her, but Sophie seemed to find him as entrancing as she had Marshal Givens. Eyes fixed on her daughter, Valentine swallowed down her mortification and the fear that made her heart pound in her ears.

"I am so sorry."

She stopped just behind him, shielding her eyes from the sun as he turned around, little Sophie sitting pretty in his arms.

"No harm done."

The helpful stranger passed her daughter into her waiting arms, had only just begun to pull away when they both froze in realization.

Blond-brown hair, dark blue eyes, she had seen those features every day she had looked at her daughter's sweet face, but as she looked up at this man, she felt her brain spark in recognition.

She had never thought she would see him again.

"Val?" His eyes widened as he recognized her in turn, "What are you doing here?"

And though she knew this man had hurt her, had abandoned her, she couldn't help the small smile on her lips as he shared her mutual surprise.

"Hi Tim, it's been a while."