Disclaimer: I Do not own the Young Riders.


Chapter 1

Oct 1861

"Rider comin!... Jimmy you're up!" Louise McCloud called. Jimmy nodded her direction and made his way to his Palomino, he was still talking close with Rosemary as he saddled up. Lou had to admit they made a pretty picture. Jimmy had the appearance to match his reputation. He looked half wild, tall and lean with long, brown hair under his low slung hat. If she didn't known him so well she could almost see why people might be afraid of him. He would be handsome if his face wasn't so very hard. Most people didn't see the smiles or the twinkle in his eye when he was up to mischief, they just saw what they wanted to see; "Wild Bill" Hickok, not Jimmy.

Lou wrinkled up her nose, then there was the beautiful Rosemary, she was as tall and curvy as Lou was slight and thin. She had long black hair given to curl. Lou's brown hair was still growing out after years of wearing it short like a boy. Lou disliked the woman, maybe partly from petty jealousy, but Lou usually didn't have time for such nonsense, the far stronger reason was the gut feeling that Rosemary was just no good for her friend.

Rosemary grabbed Jimmy's hand and held it, then leaned in till her lips brushed the back of his knuckles. Jimmy looked sotted over the woman and it was all Lou could do to not lose her breakfast. Instead she just rolled her eyes and made her way closer to watch the exchange.

"Take care Lou, Rosemary, see you both tomorrow if all goes well... and Lou" he dropped his voice a little and looked her right in the eye. "You'll look out for Rosemary for me..." It was more of a statement than a question. A sarcastic denial started to form on her lips, but she caught his eye and stopped.

"Sure Jimmy... for you"

"Hah! Hay Jimmy have a good ride!" Buck Cross galloped in, the mochilla was passed and Jimmy was gone with a wave. Buck rode past the two women and into the barn.

"Don't worry about me Louise, I really can take care of myself, contrary to what you may have heard"

"Oh believe me, I think you can take care of yourself just fine".

"Oh. well good. I'll just make my way back to my hotel now".

"And how long do you plan to spend in that hotel; it's already been several weeks, hasn't it?"

Lou was trying to make her voice sound sweet and was failing.

"Umm well I guess that depends". Rosemary's voice trailed off.

"Depends on what". Lou took a step closer to the other woman.

Rosemary's head shot up and her back straightened.

"It depends on how long it takes for James to realize he needs to leave with me"

And there were the words Lou had dreaded to hear, but knew were always under the surface.

"Just why should he go with you?" She dropped all pretense of niceness.

"Louise I know you're married to a man who is going to fight for the So..."

"Leave that out of this!"

"Ok, but I just don't think you understand how important someone like James is for our Cause! His father rode with us; his brother in law, his sister supports us. It's in his blood. "

"He has family here too!"

"Yes and what do you have for him, a job that ends day after next? Where are you going to be next week, Louise, traveling to Virginia? And you..." She noticed Buck had walked up behind Lou after stabling his horse. Rosemary paused. If anyone could make Rosemary nervous it was Buck. He may wear the dress of a white man but his skin was dark, he had the face of a warrior, he sometimes carried a bow and arrow as well as a huge knife strapped to his boot. He wore a medicine pouch around his neck, and he had an earring in one of his ears. His black hair was longer than Jimmy's. She was not familiar with his world or his ways, but more unsettling was how he'd look at her with those dark eyes of his, it made her feel like he could see through her into her soul.

He was glaring at her now, and was close enough to feel like he was looming over her. She snapped out of it and continued on

"Buck, are you going to stay in Rock Creek? Go to the Indians? What do you have to offer James?" They both looked like they were going to interrupt so she forged ahead.

"You may find this hard to believe but I care for James deeply... I may even be falling in love with him, but more important to me is this cause. The Cause needs James even more than I do". She looked almost satisfied with her argument.

"Or his Colts"

Buck looked for some kind of reaction in her and thought he might have seen a flicker of guilt, even fear pass briefly in her eyes.

"His guns and his reputation as "Wild Bill"? Would be a pretty good recruitment tool. To have Wild Bill Hickok and his matching six shooters riding with you. Putting fear into those who oppose you... I'd say that's pretty important to you."

Rosemary looked at Buck and then at Lou, and pressed her lips into a thin line.

"I don't think there is anything more left to say... I'll see you when James gets back"

She walked off stiffly in the direction of her hotel. Lou was about to open her mouth and shout that there was plenty left to say, but Buck squeezed her shoulder.

"Let her go Lou. It won't help none and I don't want to be around her anymore than you do"

"Ugh!" Lou kicked the dirt with her boot. Right now she was wearing a riding skirt but she wished she was wearing pants and had her gun... if she had her gun she could shoot that smug look right off her face.

"Well, maybe you shouldn't shoot her" Buck smiled at Lou's shocked and reddening face.

"I said that out loud?"

"Mm-hm, maybe you could use a frying pan instead. Worked pretty good on Tompkins, he had bruises for a month!"

Lou let out a loud laugh that surprised even her. " He had it coming, how he treated you in his store... hay and maybe it even helped a little... you two almost get a long nowadays!"

"Oh his face!" she was really starting to laugh "That frying pan was heavy, if I hadn't hit him swinging that thing, I would've fallen over!" Now Buck was laughing right along with her.

"Don't tell no one that last part, I'll deny it; say it was light as a feather!" She poked him in the stomach for good measure.

"You're secret is safe with me"

Buck took in the sight of Lou's smiling face, her eyes were shining from laughter. She looked beautiful, like she was lit within. Buck swallowed, thought of Kid and looked away, a well conditioned response when it came to Lou. They walked towards the barn.

"Since you're in such a good mood, maybe you can help me feed and brush down Warrior, while I wash up" He emphasized his point by patting his clothes. Dust flew everywhere.

"I don't mind at all. Warrior's such a good horse and he never argues".

Buck was about to let that last comment go, but couldn't.

"Where is Kid today, Lou?"

She grunted. "Out riding somewhere, least ways I think he is, left our room at the boarding house before I woke up. I came over here looking for him and Katy was gone. Thought I would help out Teaspoon and Rachel today, then I saw Jimmy gettin ready for his ride, now you know the rest".
There was a long moment of silence. A moment of shared frustration and pain. The youthful light he had seen in Lou's eyes a moment before was gone. He sighed.

"Thank you Lou, for the frying pan, and for wanting to shoot Rosemary between the eyes" He said with a smile.

Lou gave a little smile back.

"Well you and Jimmy are family, you're dear to me and I protect what's mine"

"I know". He reached over to give her a hug, but stopped and chuckled. "Bath first" and with that he walked out of the barn.

Lou went through the motions caring for Buck's horse as she heard his footsteps fade. The few moments of friendship and levity almost made it more painful as her feelings of grief and uncertainty returned. Her future was on shifting sand and there was little she could do to make the ground under her feet solid again. She missed Kid. Where had he gone anyway?


A/N: So this is where my story gets going. I wrote the prologue mainly for the benefit of several "betas", my friends and family who have been reading my chapters for the last month or so. They never watched the show so I had to get them up to speed. The last time I wrote any fiction was in middle school, so yeah... there has been several years in between. I would love to hear what you think! I have much more written so I will update frequently.