An Eye For An Eye

Usual Disclaimer: Just taking our friends out to play, will put them back when I'm done

ATC: Quiet Day In Dodge and also ATC: A Man A Day. This is a combination of the two, a look at what happens when Bessie Lee, is released 11 years later from prison, and what we didn't see when Kitty walked out of the Long Branch that night, disgusted with Matt for falling asleep on her.

Note: Once Again, a Thank You to Rhonda for the nudge of an Idea, to get this story on paper…WINK!

PT.1

"Miss Kitty, where you going?" Sam asked with deep concern.

"Why?" She asked huffing out a deep breath.

"Well it's late and you could be, ahhh… Molested." Sam answered.

Just letting out a huge, "HAAAA!" in disgust,then answering, "Really?" and just pushed through the batwing doors!

Sam's eyes shifted towards the upper level of the Saloon.

It was still quite warm out, but not that she'd noticed, walking at a hurried pace down front street, paying no mind to what Sam had said as she left the Long Branch. All she could think about, was that after being so upset with him for missing the picnic that she'd spent so much time planning, and waiting on him forever, and him not making it back in time for it, then forgiving him for it, after him asking her to give him YET another chance to start this again…

She'd planned yet another beautiful, quiet supper, and romantic night, for just the two of them. An uninterrupted night, or so she thought.

When the commotion began down stairs in the bar, she wasn't about to let him go handle it, so short of murder, she would handle it! And she did. After all, it was just the boys from earlier, celebrating the fact that they didn't destroy their lifelong friendship over a mail order bride, who tried to take them both for a ride.

Only she came back and found him passed out cold, in the bed! "Not that I minded him in my bed, but I just don't know what I'm gonna do with that man!"

As Kitty made her way towards the end of town, Doc was headed back from some rounds he was making. He had just come back from delivering yet another baby. "WHOA!, Hold up there, young lady. Just where in thunder are you going this time of night?"

"Oh Doc, please don't you start lecturing me now." She pleaded.

"Hey wait a minute," he said. "Don't go biting my head off, what did that over grown civil servant do now?"

Exhaling and dropping her head.

Doc could see the hurt in her face. "Come on, hop on in here and come with me. I got just what the Doctor ordered." He patted the seat beside him and she slowly climbed in.

"Oh, Curly!" Leaning her head on his shoulder as they rode towards his office.

Slowly Doc and Kitty walked the stairs to his office, not saying a word. He walked to his desk, pulling out a bottle and two glasses as she sat in the chair. He poured the dark liquid, handing her the glass. "Now, why don't you tell me what has you out walking the streets so late all alone?" As he lifted her chin with the tip of his fingers.

Back at the Long Branch, Sam wasn't sure what to make of his boss' comment and he was concerned. He knew she had planned a supper for the marshal and herself. He was aware she had been upset with him all week for not making it back for their picnic, but figured things were ok now.

He let the girls and the others continue to enjoy themselves and made his way up the stairs, just to make sure all was ok. Deep down, Sam would never admit he had a love for Kitty, but he Knew how much she loved Matt, and he had a great deal of respect for him. For both of them. He'd do anything for them.

Slowly he made his way across the landing, tapped lightly on the door. "Marshal? Marshal Dillon, it's Sam! Can I get you anything?" When he didn't get an answer, he opened the door to see Matt sound asleep across the bed, then noticed the soup tureen broken on the floor at the foot of the bed. It didn't take much to figure what had happened there!

Quickly he began cleaning it up, then he figured he would do his best to try and make Matt more comfortable. Removing his boots, and shifting him around to put his long legs up on the bed and throwing a cover up over him. Thinking to himself as he looked around the beautifully set room. "So this is what …." then he just shook his head.

Holding the glass tightly with both hands, her jaws clinched, shaking her head. "Curly he..,. he.."

Sitting down next to her rubbing her arm. "Okay now, honey. Just try to stay calm and tell me what happened, ok?"

She took a huge swallow of the whiskey. "He wanted to have supper, just the two of us. So I suggested I'd make supper at my place, that way there'd be no interruptions. HA!"

Swiping his mustache. "Go on."

"Well we got through most of supper, and I poured us a nice glass of brandy and I heard some noise down stairs in the bar. I just ignored it at first, then heard it again. Matt wanted to go see what it was …" shaking her head, she said, "Nah , no I wasn't letting him go. I told him short of a murder, I'd handle it."

Now Doc Laughed. "Ok, then what happened?" He asked.

"Well, when I went to see what it was, it was just some folks clowning around with the girls and the piano player, nothing really, so I let it go. And when I came back, I was laughing and started to tell him what was happening and when I didn't see him, I looked around."

Now Doc could see the anger build back up in her face. "Honey What?"

"Curly, he was passed out across my bed! Snoring!"

Doc started to laugh, and repeated, "Snoring?"

"Yes, Snoring. Like a Bear!" She yelled.

"Honey, what did you do?" he asked hesitantly.

"Well, I looked around the room, picked up a soup tureen and dropped it in front of him. He didn't budge! So I stormed out of there!"

"And you walked into the street?"

"Yes, why?"

"Oh, ahh, just wondered. If anyone … ahhh asked…" Doc murmured.

"Asked what? I'm a grown woman, Doc! And yes, Sam asked where I was going. He thought I might be molested. Just imagine that?" Then she laughed.

"Well, Honey, what are you gonna do?"

"I don't know, Curly! But I just can't talk to him right now. That man just makes me so damn mad!"

Tugging on his ear, "But you Love um."

"What?" She snapped back at him.

"You love um." Doc repeated.

Swatting at his arm. "What are you talking about? Right now I hate him!"

"You two love each other more than any two people I know. And you're just too stubborn to admit it! Well, he is anyway! And you can be too sometimes. But I guess that's from hanging out with that big lug!"

"Oh, is that a fact, Curly?" smirking at him.

With a stiff chin, "Yes, young lady, that is definitely a fact!"

Then she let out a deep barrel laugh.

TBC