Thank you to Chlollierockz for reviewing Bear Thorough Witness! I couldn't stay away from using Witness as inspiration and so the following takes place at the end of that episode.

Disclaimer: No profit is being made from this story and the characters are not mine.

"Billy!"

Mary ran through the thick of night to her son, lungs burning from exertion. When she reached him she nearly fell to the ground and bound her arms around his tiny body with no intention of letting go.

"It's all right, sweetheart. You're safe now. It's alright, Billy."

Unlike Mary, who was blurry eyed with emotion, Billy did not wet any tears on her shoulders. Like Mary, Billy felt a wave of exhausting relief that their ordeal was finally over. The culprits were taken care of. Although it seemed impossible, they were finally safe.

After a few short moments in his mother's embrace, Billy turned and got up. He walked a few steps forward, looking on Mr. Wheeler's accomplice who was still on the ground. The young boy slowly raised an accusing, determined finger to the man's face.

"He killed my father." He said in a cold and unforgiving tone, even for a boy of six. The man stared up at Billy, eyes gleaming with ripe hatred. Billy held his accusatory gaze.

"It's over, Billy. He'll pay for what he did." Mary heard Chris' strained voice next to her, reaching out to her son. The boy lowered his hand but did not move until Buck arrived and took the man away.

As Billy watched the men go, Mary regained her vision through her tears and looked over at Chris to thank him for helping her. He had risked his life to help Billy face the demons inside him so that he might finally heal. Mary knew she would never be able to sufficiently repay the gunslinger for that gift. She wiped her moist eyes with the back of her hand. Disheveled was hardly the way she wanted to present herself, most of all to Chris. Yet her appearance was the last thing on her mind when turned to see Nathan kneeling beside him.

"Oh my God." She breathed in horror as she realized he was wounded. "You were shot." The sentence was more like a confirmation of her disbelief. Before Chris could reply, a tearful voice rose.

"Are you gonna die?" Mary turned to see Billy a few feet from Chris. His innocent eyes shimmered in the moonlight at the sight of his hero on the ground, clutching his bleeding arm.

"Naw, Billy. I ain't beat yet." Chris offered Billy a small smile and a wink, even as he grimaced as Nathan carefully checked the bullet wound in his arm. The healer's brow furrowed deeper and he shook his head lightly.

"Chris, we gotta get this bullet out. The sooner this thing is out the sooner you'll be usin' this arm again. I don't like chancing it and waiting till we get back to town." The former slave released a deep breath and turned to Mary as he shifted his weight to stand on his knees. "Miz Travis, you mind if I use that old homestead to do some quick fixin'?"

Marry nodded her head fervently. "Yes, whatever you need."

Nathan gave a tight nod. "Will you get my bag from my saddle?"

"Of course."

Mary's gaze lingered on Billy, still entranced with Chris, before she stood. Reassuring herself he was out of danger, especially with the seven gunfighters in the area, she continued with her task. As she walked to Nathan's horse, she finally noticed the five other men rounding up the three perpetrators. Vin and Josiah each led a henchman to their horses. Both criminals' hands were tied up with some thick rope to ensure their captivity. Buck already had Wheeler's accomplice on his saddled horse and was patiently waiting for the others to transport them back to town. Upon seeing the coldhearted man alive, a chill sped through Mary's body.

She suddenly wanted to be back with her son.

Mary hastened to the homestead and entered the main front room which was lit by some leftover candles. A small table remained but not much else. The place looked as barren as the day she moved to town. Nathan stood by the window as he rolled his sleeves up in preparation for work. Chris sat on the table on the other end of the room, tapping his feet impatiently on the floor as he examined his injured arm. Billy sat against the opposite wall, his eyes silently fixed on Chris in a worried stare.

"Nathan," Mary announced herself as she walked in, "I have your bag. Where do you need me to set it?"

Nathan whirled his head around. "Just set it next to Chris Miz Travis, thank you."

Mary approached the table, the scattered candles casting her figure against the wall in a soft glow. She noticed Chris had forgotten about his arm in lieu of her approaching form. Despite her silent urges to herself to avoid his eyes, they drifted up from the floor to his. And what she saw sent a thrill through her. He was staring at her with a mixture of unexpected warmth and curiosity. By the time she reached the table their gazes were intertwined and she could have sworn Chris' mouth was beginning to turn upwards.

"Mary?" Nathan's voice broke Mary from whatever was passing between her and the man in black. Her shoes scraped on the dirty wooden floor as she turned to the sound of the healer's voice. "Where can I get some water for my hands?"

"There should be a bucket still in the barn. And there's a pump out the back door. I'll go get some for you."

"Would you mind staying here and unpacking my bag?" Nathan's voice halted her. "I need to talk to Vin anyway. I'll be right back." She nodded.

Nathan walked toward Billy on his way to the door. "Hey Billy, you mind coming and helping me find that pump?" He kneeled over to get to the boy's eye level. "I shor' could use somebody as smart as you." Billy smiled at the compliment, apparently forgetting his worry over Chris for the opportunity of an important job. "Yeah Nathan, I can show you where to find all that stuff." He jumped up and headed out the door, followed by the healer.

Smiling, Mary turned back to the table. She caught Chris' eyes and became keenly aware of their isolation from the rest of the group. As she looked on, Mary realized the same feelings that arose outside The Clarion that morning were creeping back into her mind. She suddenly felt naked in his presence and a finger of desire melted into her body.

"You alright, Mary?" A small crease was now in Chris' forehead as he regarded her. Her body flashed hot and then went cold.

"Yes, absolutely." She rubbed the back of her hand on her forehead and began to sift through Nathan's bag, pulling out the appropriate utensils. "Forgive me, it's been a long day." Chris' forehead softened.

"Yeah it has. You think Billy is okay?"

She sighed. "I can't tell. He seems to be getting by, but…" She trailed off, thinking about the last hour. "I'm worried all this will just keep the memories of Stephen's death fresh in his mind." She looked at him directly in the eyes. "I know he's worried about you, Chris. He looks up to you." Chris shrugged his shoulder and she lowered her head again.

"If it weren't for him, I'd probably be dead." Mary could feel Chris' stare on her as she pretended to concentrate on the medical bag. "He's a good kid, Mary." He paused then added, "I'm sorry I didn't talk to him earlier. We could have avoided all this."

"Don't blame yourself." She said, looking back up at him. "You don't know how it could have turned out. It might have been worse." She tucked a stray golden tendril behind her ear. "Thank you for finding him and bringing him here. There's no way I can repay you for that, but if there's anything I can do for you please let me know."

Chris looked to the floor, thinking for a minute. He smirked. "There is something." Mary eagerly awaited his next sentence. "I'd like to take Billy out fishing sometime before he leaves."

Mary frowned. "That hardly seems like proper repayment, Chris."

"It's more than enough. You know you don't owe me anything." The sincerity in his voice touched Mary.

She eyed his wound. "Just let me know when you're up to it, with that arm." Chris chuckled and Mary mirrored his smile. She began to organize the rest of Nathan's tools on the table. Crickets chirped just outside the walls.

"Mary?" Chris' solemn voice startled her from her task and made her look back up at him. "Are you alright?"

Mary could have easily passed off an answer in the affirmative, as she would have anyone else. But she knew the man standing before her was a different case. She felt a strange ease at being completely open and honest with him, something she rarely allowed herself to be with others.

She took a deep breath and let it out slowly. "I just need some time for all this to catch up to me. I haven't had a chance to really think about it." A sudden clench overcame her chest, making her voice tighten. "I'm sorry you saw me this morning when I was in shambles." She said honestly. "I wasn't able to control myself."

Chris kneaded his forehead. "I would have been worried if you hadn't been like that." He openly looked into her eyes, "I don't want you to pretend with me."

"Well I wasn't this morning." She laughed without humor. "Thank God you and the others were there to help." Chris' stare stayed on her face but he didn't say anything right away. The intensity in his countenance began to disquiet her and she wondered what exactly was going on in his mind.

"Mary, if you or Billy ever need anything you let me know alright?" She didn't know what to say.

"Chris we're fine."

"It doesn't matter." He waited for her reply.

"Of course I will." She responded, noting the odd turn in their conversation. As she looked at Chris, she felt those feelings from earlier stir up again like flames in a fire. He was protecting her and Billy. In fact, he was going out of his way to do so – a blind man could see that.

In some ways Mary felt it was wrong to rely so much on a man who was not her husband. In other ways, Mary was delighted that he would do anything for her and her son. But she wasn't ready to acknowledge those feelings completely and let them stay as quiet utterances in the back of her mind. She continued to ready Nathan's tools as the moments slipped between the two. They fell back into friendly conversation, talking about the town, the seven men and anything else. Soon Nathan and Billy returned, and Mary and Billy stepped outside to give Chris privacy.

As Mary sat on the porch with her son in her arms, she regarded the stars in a different way that night. She was thankful for her child and reaffirmed her commitment to do anything for his safety. But as Billy drifted to sleep in her arms and the low voices from inside the homestead drifted to her ears, Mary also said silent thanks for one particular gunslinger that had come into her life.

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