I OWN NOTHING BUT THE ORIGINAL CHARACTER OF ERIN

Number One

Slam!

Buck and Ike jumped as they heard Emma slam the back door again. That was the third time in an hour. Following her across the yard with their eyes, they observed her walk to the clothesline and begin hanging the wash with jerky, angry motions. She also appeared to be grumbling. Every once in while she would stop and throw her hands up in the air, like she was fed up with an imaginary friend.

"Wonder what's gotten into her," Buck thought aloud.

*She's been this way all afternoon,* Ike added. *I would have thought she'd be happy. She got a letter from her brother and you know those always make her happy.*

"She got a letter from her brother? Erin's father?"

Ike nodded. *Why's that so important?*

"Well, I told Erin I wanted to write her father to ask for his blessing to ask Erin to marry me, but she said she wanted to write him first."

*His blessing to ask to marry her? A little late for that, isn't it?* Ike signed with laugh and a smile. *You got married a month ago!*

"I mean in the white way, Ike," Buck replied impatiently. He and Erin had married according to Kiowa custom three weeks earlier, but they had talked and agreed to have a long engagement in the white world. Buck loved his job and he knew the minute he married he would be fired. He and Erin were not in a rush to the altar; like Ike had said, they were already married. To the both of them it was as binding a marriage as one where they had said vows with a preacher. Erin had already asked Buck to marry her, but Buck still wanted to do things in the traditional way, including asking her father for his blessing.

SLAM!

It seemed impossible, but Emma had managed to close the back door even louder than before.

"I'm going to go see if Erin's father wrote her back."

*You're going in there with Emma madder than a wet hen?!*

"I'll avoid her, but if you hear me screaming please rescue me."

*No! You're on your own!*

With a chuckle, Buck headed toward the front door of the house. The last he knew, Erin sat in the front room, mending several of the riders' shirts. As he walked, he imagined what it would be like to walk up to his own house one day, with Erin—his wife—waiting for him. He sighed in contentment as he reached the door.

"Erin?" he whispered through the screen door, praying he wouldn't find Emma instead.

There was no answer, so he felt safe enough to gingerly open the screen door and peak around. Neither woman was to be found. Buck entered the house, walking as silently as possible and whispering Erin's name.

He found her in the kitchen, sitting at the table, weeping as Emma held her in her arms. The angry look was still on Emma's face and she looked ready to kill someone. Buck's first impulse was to turn tail and run, but when he heard Erin sob, had to know why his girl was crying and what he needed to do to fix it. I'm going to KILL whoever it was that made her cry, he thought.

It said a lot that he was able to sneak up on her-Erin always knew when he was coming, no matter how stealthy he fancied himself to be. Emma looked up at him as he came closer, and Buck could see the tears in her eyes, both of anger and heartbreak. Emma sighed. "Not now," she mouthed. Buck almost ignored her, but he remembered this was Erin's aunt and his surrogate mother. When Emma jerked her head toward the door, Buck decided to listen and tiptoed out of the house. Now he was really worried.

Two hours had passed and it was now time for supper. Buck had spent every minute of those two hours trying to figure out what made Erin cry. In the time he had known her, Buck had never seen her cry, not even when she spoke about her mother's death. As the group made their way to the house, Buck thought more about the situation. Emma obviously knew what was bothering her, but would she tell Buck if he asked?

Entering the kitchen, he and Ike immediately went to the seats close to Teaspoon, down the table from Emma and Erin. When he looked to Erin's seat, he it was empty. Concern must have shown on his face since Emma immediately spoke.

"Erin isn't feeling well tonight so she's going to eat supper in her room," she said, looking directly at Buck. Buck couldn't decide if she was trying to tell him to go to her or to stay exactly where he was. He decided it was the latter.

As they ate, Buck's mind flew. For the first time, he began to think Erin was upset over something he did. What could I have done? He went over and over the events of the past few days. He had brought her flowers, they had visited their shack, regular meals and visiting—no, there's nothing unusual, he thought. What could have upset her so much?

After the meal the other riders and Teaspoon trickled out, but Buck stayed behind. Taking his dishes to Emma, he prepared to bear the brunt of her anger, because he was not going anywhere until he spoke with his wife.

"Emma-" he began, just before she spoke.

"Go to her," Emma stated simply.

Buck nodded, needing no further encouragement. Spinning on his heel, he practically ran to Erin's room. He slid to a stop outside the door and took a deep breath. Knocking lightly, he called out to her.

"Erin? It's me. Can I come in?"

He was met with silence, but he could hear the bed creak as if someone had gotten up from it. The door slowly opened a few seconds later and Buck was met with the sight of an obviously distressed Erin, her eyes red and puffy. At least she wasn't crying anymore; instead, she had a quiet resignation about her.

"Come in," she said, opening the door all the way. Buck entered her room, careful to leave the door open. No one besides Ike knew they were married, so it wouldn't seem proper if the door wasn't open. Besides, Buck knew Emma would beat him with her big wooden spoon if she came upon the two of them in a closed room.

Buck held open his arms and Erin immediately went into them and wrapped her arms around his middle, her head resting on his chest.

"What's happened, love? Did I do something?"

"No!" Erin quickly breathed. Buck felt some relief at this.

"Then what's happened?"

Erin remained quiet. "Just hold me for now."

As he stood with Erin in his arms, Buck raked and raked his mind for what could have happened. Then, something clicked. "You heard back from your father didn't you?"

"Yes," Erin said tearfully, before a new wave of tears began.

Buck prayed to the spirits that his suspicions were wrong, but it wouldn't be the first time he had encountered this.

After a few moments Erin quieted. Buck decided to venture and figure out if his gut was right.

"Erin, what did he say?" Buck asked tentatively.

Erin took a deep breath. "That if I insist on being a dirty squaw then I can forget about being his daughter," she whispered.

Buck tightened his arms around her as his heart sunk to the ground. Why did this have to happen? He had assumed that since Erin and Emma had never blinked an eye at his Indian blood that Erin's father would be the same. Wrong assumption, Buck thought to himself. Now the woman he loved above all other people was suffering.

"I'm so sorry Erin," he whispered. "I never thought this would happen," he added.

"Me either," Erin replied.

After a few more seconds of silence, Buck worked up the courage to say what he felt he needed to.

"Erin, we don't have to get married in the white way. Ever. We..." Buck choked a little on the lump in his throat, "We don't even have to be married in the Kiowa way. We can just go our separate ways and no one will be the wiser."

Erin stiffened. She took a step back from his arms and looked him straight in the eye.

"Is this what you want?" she asked.

"No!" Buck quickly answered. "I want what's best for you. You love your father and you need him."

Erin's reply came out from her mouth before Buck could formulate his next thought. "I love you more, and I need you more," she said.

"But this is the way things are going to be! It will practically everyone you meet! They will all look down on you because I'm a half breed! You have no idea—"

"Buck," Erin interrupted. "Why do you think I asked Ike to teach me how to shoot?"

Buck thought back to when he found Ike and Erin in the barn a few weeks prior. She had been shooting at a target as Ike coached her. Buck was confused and a little hurt that she hadn't asked him to teach her, but then thought perhaps she was embarrassed or something. He stayed and watched the lesson, proud of her progress and talent. He'd never thought of why she felt the need to learn.

"Well, why?" she continued.

Buck combed his brain for a suitable answer. "Because it is a useful skill to have?"

Erin response was sharp. "No, it was because I do have an idea of how things are. Now, I know we've both been spat upon by some of the good citizens of Sweetwater, but out of the two of us I think I'm the only one who's been called an 'Injun whore' by two drunks who then tried to kiss me."

Buck felt his blood run cold, right before an anger he hadn't known he was capable of began to boil to the surface. He was going to hunt those bastards down and destroy them.

"Who were they?" he asked, his voice deadly calm.

"It doesn't matter."

"Like hell it doesn't! WHY DIDN'T YOU TELL ME?"

"BUCK!" Erin screamed. "It doesn't matter! Sam locked them up!"

Buck made himself take calming breaths. He had to be calm for Erin's sake, but he promised himself that he would find those men later. Ike and Sam had a lot of explaining to do.

Erin began to speak softly. "I know what it's like, and I made my choice a long time ago. I chose you and the life we could have together and I have never regretted it no matter what happened. I will never regret it. Please trust me. My father's words cut me more, but it is his loss of a daughter and a son. He is choosing to do this and you are not at fault for other people's ignorance."

She continued, "Please don't end us because you think it will make things easier for me." Erin stepped closer. "I need my husband."

Buck melted at her words. He would not try to convince her to abandon him. "I trust you," he said, before stepping forward and kissed her.

"It'll be ok, you'll see," Erin breathed.

Buck hoped so.