Lou's heart hammered in her chest; this conversation had her boiling over with anger but she felt elated at the same time, finally getting to unleash everything she had locked up inside for so long. For a moment, they just stood there staring at each other, matching each other's quickened breaths.

The conversation had turned too serious too fast and Lou was not coping as well as she had thought in all this. She was barely prepared to let the Kid back into her heart – if he would still have her after this - let alone for her feelings on dredging up the past. Especially not when the Kid looked at her the way he did. He had misery written all over his face; his eyes turned dark, exposing how conflicted and tormented he must have felt. He couldn't appear more forlorn if he tried. 'This is ridiculous,' she thought.

Lou felt laughter bubble up at the notion and immediately clasped a hand over her mouth. "Hmphhnnnhh…" She snorted and felt her cheeks burn with misplaced amusement.

Kid's face hardened and she could not fault his reaction. It was Lou's turn to feel horrible; she knew she had upset him – with her words and now by laughing - but reckoned the comedy of their situation was not lost on him either.

"I'm so sorry," she said, still smiling and shaking her head. "I'm not laughing at you, it's just… this… "

As she pointed a finger between them Kid chuckled uncertainly and shrugged, briefly looking sideways. She was glad he did, they both needed to regain some level of composure.

"I suppose it's better to laugh than to cry. It's good to see you smilin' after everything that's said." His voice sounded soft and fragile.

Lou involuntary took a step closer to him. While the Kid wore his heart on his sleeve most the time, he rarely showed the more vulnerable side of him. In that moment, he was more vulnerable than ever and it acted like a giant invisible magnet; pulling her towards him with a force she had no defenses for. The anger she felt earlier subsided completely and a familiar calm descended upon her. A feeling of intense comfort and safety, like in those few seconds before you drift off into a deep sleep. She tried to shake it off, needed her guard up. At least partly, until she knew where she stood with him.

"Well, that takes care of the first and third one on the list." She reached out and gently squeezed Kid's left upper arm with her right hand.

Lou let it linger for a moment longer than she intended and they locked eyes again. All the air seemed to have left the room and without thinking, she gently brushed her hand down his arm. His blue eyes mesmerized her all over again, only amplifying the magnetic pull toward him and Lou did nothing to fight the feeling. She felt herself giving in, completely. Whatever guard she had hoped to keep up, had crumbled to nothing and left her defenseless.

"Yeah…" Kid muttered absentmindedly yet fiercely held her gaze.

The space between them closed with every breath; Lou's hand had nearly brushed down far enough to reach his. When the fabric of his sleeve ended and she could feel the warmth of his skin meet the tips of her fingers, her breath faltered and her heart skipped a beat. She could feel Kid's hand turning into hers and gently touch the palm of her hand. The feeling was utterly exhilarating and Lou savored every second the moment lasted. It was clear the Kid was enjoying this as much as she was, if not more. His breathing had become more laborious and he started to close his eyes, their lips mere inches away from touching. As Lou's eyelids fluttered to a close, she heard Jimmy's booming voice come from what had to be right outside the bunkhouse door.

They both jumped out of their skin when that very door flew open and Jimmy came barging in, finishing a sentence directed at whoever must have been following not too far behind.

"…and that's final!" Jimmy decisively held his hands up as he walked in.

Jesse's high-pitched voice carried into the bunkhouse, but he did not come in after Jimmy. "I don't care what you think! I ain't doin' it!"

In a split reaction, Lou sat down at the table; her hands firmly pressed against her flushed cheeks, breathing erratically. She didn't have the courage to look at the Kid but she imagined he was in much a similar state. She blinked a few times, hard, and tried to steady her breathing. The intensity of what just transpired had her blood coursing through her veins and her skin still tingled from where his hand touched hers.

"That boy is gonn' get himself killed someday soon. By my hand that is, if he keeps this up." Jimmy stabbed a finger towards the door.

Still trying to wrap her head round everything Lou watched Jimmy place his belongings where he kept them safe in the bunkhouse before taking a seat opposite her at the table. He looked at her, and then looked at the Kid who still stood rooted to the floor where she left him before returning his gaze back to her.

"What's goin' on?" He cut straight to the point.

Lou took a moment before answering, not quite trusting her voice. "Nothin'. Kid and I were just talkin'."

Jimmy raised an eyebrow at her and then eyed the Kid with a look of suspicion. Lou realized she still had her hands pressed firmly against her cheeks, which probably gave away how tense the situation was he unsuspectingly walked in on. 'If only you knew,' she thought to herself. She gave him a sheepish grin and gently closed her eyes at him; it was her signature move to signal things were ok really.

Jimmy nodded and tapped the table surface with both hands. "Well, don't mind me; I just need long enough for Jesse to take his moanin' somewhere else." He chuckled.

The Kid gently cleared his throat and started for his coat and hat. "I think it's time I got to my chores."

She felt his eyes on her but Lou did not dare look up to meet them, not yet anyway. She moved her hands from her cheeks, folded them together in front of her mouth and took in a deep breath. The tension in the room was almost palpable, and she could see Jimmy had noticed it too. And by the furrow in his brow, she knew he jumped to the wrong conclusion, or was just about to.

"Now hang on a moment, don't leave on account of me." Jimmy held up one hand at Lou but directed the statement at the Kid.

"Jimmy, it's alright." Lou nodded at him.

"So, somethin' is going on."

Lou heard the accusation in Jimmy's voice but was unsure at who it was directed to. Not that it mattered anyway; she needed Jimmy to back off before he blew things out of proportion. To her surprise, the Kid beat her to the punch.

"I asked Lou to help me with somethin' personal and it got us talkin' about the past."

Glancing over her shoulder Lou finally turned to look at the Kid; he had his back to her now and was busy pulling on his coat. His voice sounded calm, like he didn't have a care in the world and the dissipated anger from before reignited within her. How was it possible she practically came apart at the seams and he just acted as if nothing had happened! Maybe Kid welcomed Jimmy's interruption. Maybe it saved him from doing something he would later regret. Lou felt her stomach churn at the thought.

Jimmy scoffed in response and disapprovingly shook his head. "Two words in the same sentence that will always spell trouble; personal and past."

"What's that supposed to mean?" Kid turned around and took a few steps closer towards the table.

"Just sayin' that some things are better left alone."

Kid rubbed his chin in irritation. Lou noticed his whole stance changed; his shoulders squared and his face clearly showed building frustration. It was a reaction she had seen very often when it came to Jimmy. Just as she was about to interject to diffuse the situation the Kid took a seat at the table next to her, placed an elbow on the surface and pointed a finger right at their longhaired friend.

"Is there somethin' in particular you're thinkin' of, Jimmy?"

Jimmy licked his lips and smiled, trying to hide his annoyance but failed miserably. The way his eyes bore into the Kid with a look only Jimmy could give him made it abundantly clear how he felt about the situation.

"What are you gettin' at, Kid."

Lou's eyes darted from Kid, to Jimmy back to the Kid. "Maybe it's time we all went about our chores."

Kid slightly titled his head. "No, I think I'll wait to hear what Jimmy has to say."

Hickock sat unmoving for a moment until he broke eye contact and made his way to gather some things from his bunk. His movements made it clear he was not going to hang round any longer than necessary.

"I don't know what it is you want, but I do know that I ain't getting' roped into whatever it is you're about to string me up for."

"Jimmy… " Lou cautioned, and threw Kid a knowing look.

"I mean it, Lou. Whatever is or ain't goin' on between you two, it's nothin' to do with me," Jimmy cursed under his breath and walked towards the door as he placed his hat on his head and swung his gun belt over his shoulder.

Lou felt torn. Part of her wanted Jimmy to leave so she could confront the Kid on what had happened; the intimate moment they shared, how blaze he appeared at being interrupted and to tell him off for going after Jimmy. Again. The other part wanted to leave with him so she could explain what had happened and maybe ask him for advice. Only the way things were now she didn't think he would be too keen to hear her out. Nor did she think the Kid would take too kindly on her sharing anything he probably told her in confidence.

"Look, Hickock…" Lou started, but he quickly brushed her off.

"It's fine, don't worry about nothin'," He forced a smile at her. "If Kid wants to call me out on somethin', he best man up and give to me straight. I ain't got time for childish games, that's what I came in here to avoid in the first place."

Jimmy reached for the door to leave the bunkhouse when Kid's voice cut through the air like a knife.

"I know you kissed her. When we were escorting Mills to the gallows."

Lou felt all the blood drain from her face and her eyes go wide like saucers. Jimmy stood nailed to the ground, his hand still holding onto the doorknob but not moving a muscle.

"Now where did you hear a thing like that?"

"Elias told me." Kid's voice sounded cold and distant. "When you and Lou went to check on the horses just before we rode out to Fort Kearney, he wondered out loud why you two let someone else stand in your way. Then just before we reached town he told me what happened between you two and only realized when he was done talkin' I was 'the someone else'."

Lou stifled a sob and hid her face in her hands in shame and humiliation. She could hear the Kid get up from his seat and make his way toward Jimmy. Looking through her fingers, she saw him shove their friend out of the way and disappeared out of the bunkhouse without another word.