"Kid, what the hell do you think you're doin'?" Jimmy's voice was low. Generally, whenever someone pulled a gun on him, he shot first and asked questions later. But this was the Kid. His best friend, or from the looks of it, his FORMER best friend. He waited as patiently as he could for an answer, but Kid only shot him the damn near deadliest glare he thought he'd ever seen. Of course, patience wasn't a virtue that Jimmy was a master of.
"Damnit, Kid, I don't know what the hell your problem is, but I suggest you dr..." Jimmy halted his threat as something obscured his vision. Somethign about three feet in front of him. A very brunette something, "Lou! Get outta the way!"
"Kid, you put that gun down right now!" Lou's eyes were shining with tears and an unadulterated fear. She'd known Kid was angry, but she never would have expected him to do something so insane.
"You heard the man, Lou. Get out of the way," Kid flicked his glance to her for just a second. And the look in it was enough to make her realize he truly intended to shoot his best friend.
"Lou, I'm beggin' ya..." Jimmy's voice pleaded with her, his dark eyes full of fear. He never took his eyes off the barrel of Kid's gun. He'd never forgive himself if Lou got hurt.
"No, Jimmy. If he's gonna be shootin' anybody, he's gonna have to go through me. So go ahead, Kid. You wanna shoot someone? Well, here I am. Take your shot!" Her eyes burned with fury, and for the first time that day, Lou saw a flicker of doubt pass through the eyes of the man she thought she loved. A dead silence rippled through the station, and everyone stood stock still. Slowly, Kid lowered his arm and Lou could hear a collective release of the breath everyone had been holding. She never let go of the stare she held Kid down with, and it wasn't until Rachel was right next to him that she bothered to break her gaze.
"Kid, I cannot believe you! What seven kinds a fool are ya, pulling a gun on him like that?" Lou heard Rachel scolding him furiously, dragging him to the bunkhouse. But she didn't move. She couldn't. Her feet felt like lead. As though someone had nailed her to the dirt on which she stood. He had pointed that gun at Jimmy without a second thought. And worse, he'd pointed it at her. She didn't think she'd see the day when Kid could ever do something like that.
"Lou? You alright?" She inhaled suddenly, frightened by the sudden quiet voice behind her. She wasn't sure how long she'd been standing there, but she looked around and realized everyone else had gone inside. Yet here they both stood, unmoved since Rachel took Kid away. As much as Lou tried to fight it, she could feel the burning building up behind her eyes, and she brushed a renegade drop of fear and anger off her tanned cheek.
"I... I'm fine, Jimmy. Gotta finish peelin the potatoes," she muttered, trying desperately to escape the penetrating gaze she could feel boring into her back. She'd be damned if he was gonna have to watch her cry again. She took one step; maybe two; before she felt his firm grasp on her arm. He turned her to him, and she looked up at him in surprise. Before she could react, he pulled her to him in a tight embrace, enveloping her in his warmth. Her face found it's way to his shoulder, and Jimmy felt his heart being twisted into knots as she let out a heart wrenching sob. Damn Kid for hurting her like this. What was that damn fool thinkin' anyway?
"Lou," he began, catching himself, "Louise. What happened?" His baritone voice slid over her like a warm blanket on a cool October night.
"Nothin', Jimmy. Just.." She wasn't sure how she could tell Jimmy without him losing his temper. The fact was that The Kid had no right to be askin' the questions he had. And if she felt strongly about that, then lord knew how Jimmy would feel...
"Don't nothin' me. Ain't everyday I have my best friend pull a gun on me. What's eatin' at him?" he asked, pleading with her not only with his words, but his eyes. He pulled back slightly and dragged the tip of his thumb across her damp cheek.
Lou sucked in a breath and looked up at him. She owed him the truth. "We... Jimmy, we got in a fight this mornin',"
Jimmy shook his head, confusion clearly written on his dark features, "I don't think I follow," Why would a fight with Lou cause the Kid to draw on him like that? Unless...
"Jimmy, he asked me some things about ya, and I didn't like it. I told him it was none of his business. I don't think he liked that answer," Lou began, a slight tremor coursing through her body.
"Wait... he didn't hurt you, did he? Louise, I swear to god, you better tell me the truth. Did he do..." Jimmy's temper flared at the thought of anyone laying their hands on Lou.
"No, Jimmy! I swear. To be honest, I knocked the hell outta HIM. He had no right to be talkin' about ya like that," Lou shook her head emphatically, imploring Jimmy to believe her. She wanted to tell him that he should know the Kid better than that. That he'd never hurt her like that. But she couldn't. She had no idea WHAT Kid was capable of anymore.
"You.." Jimmy paused. He knew he was about to cross a line that he was pretty sure Lou didn't want to cross. He lowered his voice to a near whisper, "You didn't tell him, did ya, Lou? About Rock Creek? About what happened after Elias' hanging?"
Lou's eyes lit up with recognition. Recongnition, and something else. Something that Jimmy couldn't quite place. She backed up from him a step and shook her head. "I swear I didn't, Jimmy. We swore we wouldn't say nothin',"
Jimmy felt something inside him tear just a bit. His gaze went harder than a rock as he looked at her and he desperately tried to hide the hurt she had just delivered to him. "YOU swore, Lou. I didn't,"
Lou was taken aback by the bitterness behind his words. Taking another step back, she headed back towards the house, "I gotta finish the potatoes,"
Jimmy watched her go, cursing himself for being so hard on her. 'Ain't she been through enough, Hickok?' he thought to himself, eyes closed and head hung low. Slowly, he made his way over to Cheyenne; his prized Palomino, and lead her into the barn. As he rounded the corner, he heard Cody and Buck talking. "You boys talkin' bout me?" Jimmy challenged, as he stepped into their view. Both Buck and Cody, as well as Noah were taken by surprise and it took a few minutes and a bit of stammering before one of them could get a sentence out.
"Uh, no. No, Jimmy. We were, uh.. just talkin' about the weather," Buck told him haltingly, trying desperatly to convince his friend.
"Yep, that's right. Bad storm comin'," Cody supplied, not being able to keep the pun to himself. Jimmy's eyebrow raised in ire and shook his head as Buck popped his friend in the back of the head.
"That so? I guess we'll just have ta see about that," he told them, his voice holding a bit more than a promise, "Now if ya don't mind. I gotta take care of my horse," With that he made his way back to Cheyenne's stable and began to water her down.
