Rip found himself slightly more respectable accommodations in a small flat above the apothecary. Rip had given into the temptation of supplying the poor country doctor with medicine from the future to better help his patients. During one of his visits to the Waverider for medicine; Gideon gave him a warning. His actions in Calvert were altering the timeline. Rip asked to see what had changed. In the world where Rip never stayed in Calvert and allied himself with Jonah Hex; the town was destroyed by a gang of pillagers known as the Turnbull Gang. But word had spread about Hex and Hunter. Their partnership was the thing keeping the bad guys at bay.

"I worked on the converters today." Rip replied at an attempt to change the subject with Gideon. "I calculate that after a few more adjustments, we'll be ready to fly back home."

"The last time you made a repair was 3 months ago." Gideon reminded him. "I fear you will be caught in a time drift and unable to return."

"I just need to figure out a way to keep Calvert safe in my absence." Rip bargained with Gideon. "There must be a version of the timeline where Calvert survives without me. They've got Jonah."

"My records do not indicate any other possible outcome, Captain." Gideon explained.

"No, there has to be something I can do." Rip stormed out of the Waverider determined to prove Gideon wrong but he didn't know how. Rip's dampened spirits were lifted back in town as watched a little girl recover from consumption thanks to his medicine. Her name was Lydia and she was a sweet little thing about 5 years old. Her and Rip got on rather well. Being six feet tall; Rip had to sit on the floor to be at eye level with her while he listened intently at Lydia's rules for her dolly's extravagant tea party. A knock at the door interrupted their talk.

"Someone here to see you, Mr. Hunter." Lydia's mother announced as Hex entered the room. Rip stood with a dolly in his hand. Jonah smiled at the sight. But poor Lydia became frightened at the sight of Hex and she hid behind Rip's leg.

"It's alright, Lydia. This is my friend, Jonah." Rip explained.

"Sorry to interupt but it's nearly sundown and I'd like to get home before the blizzard hits." Jonah finished his sentence and quickly walked out the door.

"Looks like I've got to go." Rip handed Lydia her dolly back.

Lydia tugged at Rip's shirt sleeve forcing him to lean in and listen as she whispered, "Why is his face broken?"

"That's impolite, Lydia." Lydia's mother scolded her as she overheard.

Rip said it was no trouble and Lydia meant no harm by the question. She was just a child; after all. Rip met Jonah outside and began walking back to his flat. Jonah seemed more at home outdoors than he did inside but with the winter winds coming in as strong as they were; Jonah had been spending most of his nights on the couch at Rip's place.

They quickly got a fire going and Rip put the kettle on. He shivered and put his hands over the fire. Jonah noticed the holes in Rip's jacket. "The hell you wearing that for?" Jonah scoffed. He reached into his satchel and pulled out a long brown coat. "Put this on." He tossed the coat at Rip; who caught it mostly with his face.

Rip put the coat on and looked in the mirror on the opposite end of the flat. He turned up the collar and did a little half spin. "I quite like this jacket."

"Keep it." Jonah replied. "It suits you." He smiled but quickly changed his tune as if realizing he'd been acting far too sweet for his image. "It's too small on me anyway and you're so scrawny that I figured it would look better on you."

Rip chuckled, noticing Jonah's attempt to hide a genuine compliment with a jab. "So you think I look good?" Rip asked. "Am I still as pretty as the day you met me?" He added with a smirk.

"You're never going to let that one go, are ya?" Jonah rolled his eyes. The kettle whistled and Rip went to pour the tea. Rip handed Jonah his drink. "This tea could use a little more sugar." Hex noted as he took a sip. "And bourbon."

"Cupboard on the left." Rip shook his head as he watched Jonah pour a healthy helping of bourbon into his drink.

Jonah sat down on the edge of Rip's bed and Rip sat down beside him. They finished their spiked tea in silence. Hex stood to rinse out the mugs when they'd finished He spoke to Rip with his back turned. "So.. um... Lydia's mother was saying you seem really good with kids." He turned back around face Rip. "You ever think you might want to have kids one day?"

"I never knew my parents. So what do I know about being a father?" Rip shrugged. "What about you; did have a family before the Apache took you in?"

Hex sat down beside Rip on the edge of his bed again and took a deep breath. "I did have a family and I wish I'd never known them." Hex had never opened up to anyone before but he knew his vulnerabilities would be safe in Rip's hands. "My father, Woodson Hex was an alcoholic, wife beating ,good for nothing, sorry excuse of a man. When my momma saw her chance to run away; she never looked back. But she left me behind with him. He'd come home drunk and start wailing on me and I didn't know what I'd done to deserve it."

Rip took Jonah's hands in his. "I'm so sorry, Jonah."

"You know, I've gotten used to people staring at me like I'm some kind of monster." Jonah replied. "But something about today really got to me. I saw the way Lydia hid at the sight of me; it's the way I used to hide from him..."

"Don't you ever think that." Rip put a gentle hand over Hex's scared face. "Do not even for one second entertain the notion that you have anything in common with the likes of your father. He was the monster; not you."

Jonah looked at Rip and saw the most caring eyes that had ever stared back at him. Hex couldn't remember the last time anyone dared to caress his face. He didn't stop Rip when he leaned in to kiss him. He didn't want him to stop.