A/N This is my first Justified fic. It will propably be a two-shot. Takes place a few months after Raylan's daughter is born. English isn't my native language and I have never been to Kentucky, so please forgive any geographical or cultural inaccuracies.

Boyd was on a hill by a waterfall, with Ava in his arms. They were having a picnic. A red- white towel with a basket was on the ground. The were laying under a tree and above them a woodpecker was opening a hole on the tree trunk. Ava laughed, as the woodpecker kept knocking and knocking...

Boyd woke up with a start. He realised he was on his bed, Ava naked beside him. She had just been released from prison. Ellen May had suprisingly defended her on trial and Ava had managed to serve only one year in jail and now she was on parole. The waterfall in his dream was simply the rain and the woodpecker was someone knocking on his front door. Careful not to wake Ava up, he put on his pants and shirt and walked barefoot to the door. As he approached, he saw the shadow of a very familiar hat. Just to be certain he asked. " Raylan, is that you?

"Yeah, Boyd."

"What in God's name are you doing here on this ungodly hour? Not that I am not happy to see you, but I am rather suprised that you decided to honor me with your presence at what time is it anyway?"

"Around 4 in the morning." Raylan mumbled.

"Holy shit. Well Raylan what can I do for you? "

"Have you considered the advantages of having a Deputy U.S. Marshal on your payroll?"

"Well, of course I have but I haven't found a willing candidate for the position so far. So whoever in your department is on the take, I am completely innocent and I swear that I had nothing to do with it.."

"Boyd, I didn't come here at this hour to help out Internal Affairs. I was offering you my resume for this job."

Boyd for the first time in his life was speechless. He just stared dumbly at Raylan.

"Well, this is a first. Boyd Crowder not talking." Raylan drawled.

"Are you wearing a wire? Get me to say yes then arrest me for bribing a federal officer?"

"Boyd, you know me. Would I ever play you like that?"

"Well it is either that or you are having a psychotic crisis. You appear sober, you don't do drugs, your speech is clear so you didn't suffer a stroke..."

"Fine, I will strip to prove that I ain't wearing a wire. Could I at least come in?"

Boyd moved aside and made room for Raylan, who was already unbuttoning his shirt. When he was stripped to his boxers, Boyd yelled "Ok, I believe you."

"But what the hell got into you?" Boyd asked curious

"Remember my last day at the mine? The explosion you grabbing me and running? Remember what I said when we got out? I said this is my last day on this godforsaken land. I am not going to die in here, I am going to do something more with my life." Raylan reminisced.

"Yeah and the next day you were gone and you came back twenty years later as a Marshal. The exact opposite of what you could have been."

"And what did I get out of it? I ain't a good Marshal. You were right. Sometimes I have to work really hard to persuade myself I am with the good guys. Maybe I am Arlo's son after all. And you know what's worse. Being a lousy Marshal is all I got. Winona left with Helen."

Boyd was silent. Then he motioned Raylan inside. "I need some coffee. I will make you some."

As Raylan leaned down to pick up his clothes. he felt dizzy. He hadn't slept for three days and his last meal was a donut in the morning. He collapsed on the floor with a loud thump.

"Well, hell" Boyd muttered.

"Boyd? What's going on?"