Disclaimer: I didn't come up with them and I'm just taking them out to play for a while. Watson, Densham, Lewis, Mirisch, CBS, MGM, and Trilogy created The Magnificent Seven. And thank goodness MOG made the sandbox for us to play in.

Rating: PG for angsty smarm songfic.

Warnings: I got to thinking about Buck and whether or not this renowned ladies' man had any regrets...maybe about the one that got away? This was inspired by Garth Brooks' song "I Don't Have To Wonder." This is basically smarm, so please, my apologies in advance.

Author's Notes: Okay, Buck is not the character I usually focus on. Hey, I'm easily distracted by a certain pair of green eyes. But I got to thinking about our lady's man and whether or not he'd ever pondered the "one that got away." Oh, and the song is "I Don't Have To Wonder" from Garth Brooks.

Acknowledgements: Thank you to all of you wonderful writers. And I promise to actually write stuff.

Feedback: Yes. Anytime. Anywhere.

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Anymore

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"Where ya' going, Buck?" Asked J.D., watching as the renowned ladies' man finished knotting his silk tie and stepped back from the mirror to check his image.

Buck glanced at his roommate lounging in the doorway. "A wedding, kid," was the brusque reply.

J.D.'s eyes widened. "Well, I know it ain't yours..." he began, laughter tickling his words.

The look that Buck shot him stopped J.D. cold. He'd never seen the ladies' man look so...empty. He swallowed, wishing he could take back his words. "When'll you be back?" The words sounded hollow to J.D. as they seemed to echo in the apartment.

Buck pulled on the suit jacket and ran his fingers through his dark hair. He sighed and glanced down at his polished shoes. "I don't know," he whispered as he palmed his keys and started for the door.

J.D. followed, unnerved by the pained look he had seen on his best friend's face. "Um, Buck?"Buck turned in the doorway, his hand on the door. "Yeah, J.D.?"

"Are you gonna be okay?" Asked the younger man.

Buck thought about it for a moment and left without an answer.

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Buck's hand rested on the truck door handle--he just couldn't bring himself to open the door. Settling his hand back on his lap, he turned his eyes to the front of the church. The wedding had been scheduled to start over twenty minutes before...long after Buck had actually arrived. Instead of going inside and finding a seat on the bride's side, though, he'd just sat in the driver's seat of his truck and thought.

When the limo had pulled up with the bride and her entourage, Buck's chest had tightened. The sight of the auburn-maned woman laughing with her friends and carefully maneuvering the white satin confection of her wedding dress filled Buck with memories. He saw the way her lips curled into that gentle smile he still remembered and the way her father whispered in her ear, earning a throaty chuckle that managed to tighten other parts of Buck's anatomy. As the bride entered the church, Buck slid down lower in his seat, suddenly wishing that he could leave.

He didn't have to be inside the church to know what was happening. He could imagine the beautiful Catherine striding down the aisle, her hand resting on her father's arm as he gave her away. For a moment Buck imagined that it was he who stood at the altar, he who tasted those delectable lips again, he who promised his life, his worldly possessions, and his all to this one woman. Then he shook himself out of his dream, his fingers rising to rub his eyes.

He turned his attention back to the church, knowing now that this had degenerated into masochism. Only an idiot would stay when the woman he still loved, shimmering in the glow of candles and framed by stained glass windows, was marrying another man. The chauffeur, a beefy guy in a well-fitted tux, stood beside the white limo, a cigarette hanging from between his lips as he leafed through the Denver paper. Buck glanced at his watch and saw that the wedding was probably almost over. Almost on cue, the bells of the church began to ring.

The doors burst open and Buck caught a glimpse of the bride and her new husband, both their faces wreathed with happiness. The flowers in her hair caught the sun and Buck wondered how a woman so beautiful could be so adept at tearing out his heart. He watched as she tossed the bouquet and climbed into the limo.

He could have followed--but instead he took off in the opposite direction, the red taillights of his truck the only hint that he had ever been there.

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The bridge was quiet under the stars as Buck stood at the edge. Below him, the river eddied and roiled, pushing on towards point unknown. Buck swallowed and looked up at the stars.

"I know that I ain't been perfect, Lord, but..." He didn't finish the thought, instead fishing into the pocket of his suit jacket. His fingers pulled out the royal blue velvet box and he slowly opened it, his throat tightening.

Resting inside the box was the ring that he had always meant to give the girl he'd fallen in love with. He'd fought his feelings for her...done everything to try and drive her away--even as she tried to get closer. And, in the end, he'd succeeded. It had been his Catherine who'd walked out on him.

He stared down at the diamond ring for a moment and then drew back his arm. In a moment the box and the ring were flying through the air, landing in the middle of the river with a quiet splash.

One moment it was there.

The next it was gone.

Buck swallowed and let his head drop into his hands as he allowed his thoughts to drift.

Straightening, he stared out at the river for a moment longer.

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J.D. was waiting for Buck when he walked in, the light of dawn creeping through the blinds.

Buck met the younger man's eyes and offered a quiet smile before heading towards his room. "I'm gonna be okay."

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The End