Jason Burton casually leaned on the long dark wooden bar; slightly facing the table where Kitty and Doc sat. From a distance, he studied the doctor while his sipped on his drink, and when Doc or the red-head seemed to look in his direction he'd change his position, hoping not to draw attention to himself. He continued to work out the details on how he wanted to deal with the old man.

Doc of course, didn't notice the younger man, as he and Kitty were deep in conversation about Sissy. "Well, I'm surprised that she hasn't found someone by now," Doc scoffed.

"Oh, don't worry about her," Kitty said coyly. "She's been around a lot of men and she could have picked anyone of them," she half smiled. "I think the problem is that no of them wanted to pick her – she too much of a handful and it would take a strong man to keep her on the straight and narrow of marriage," she chuckled.

Doc ticked his head, "She certainly seems sure of herself," he mused over his drink.

Kitty nodded at the doctor's comment, "That is an understatement," she said lifting her glass to her lips. Her eyes caught the man at the bar – again he seemed to be watching the two.

Burton nonchalantly shifted and turned away; Kitty thought nothing more of him and continued on with what she was saying. "For as long as I've known Sissy, she's been tough and strong-headed," the saloon owner stated.

"Well, there's nothing wrong with that," Doc said. "Some men need to be lead, sometimes," he commented and as if on cue, Festus Haggen appeared at the saloon swing doors.

"Like him?" Kitty smirked as she watched the hill man cross the floor toward them.

Doc looked over his shoulder, "Lord! He'd need three of them!" the doctor laughed out loud, causing a few heads to turn and Kitty to playfully swat him across the shoulder. Doc pretended to wince.

The deputy stopped short of the table, "Matthew said yer friend has finally arrived in Dodge," he smiled broadly as he hoped to met Sissy Mitchell.

Kitty shifted her eyes from the hill man to Doc and back again. Doc remained watching Kitty. "Yes, Sissy is in town, but she's gone upstairs to rest for a little while. It was a long trip," she smiled back.

"Oh," Festus said with a tinge of disappointment in his voice. "I was jist passing by the Long Branch and thought I'd stop in and welcome her to Dodge," the hill man loosely flailed his right hand around.

"Is that all?" Doc quipped.

"What's that supposed to mean?" Festus scrunched up his right eye and glared at Doc.

Kitty laughed, "Festus would you like a drink? I mean seeing how you went out of your way to come in and say hello to Sissy and all and she isn't here at the moment."

Festus pondered the question for a brief second, "Wall, considering that I was on my way up the street, and am in no real hurry…" the deputy said as he slowly lowered himself onto a chair.

"Story of your life," Doc quipped.

Festus made a face at the physician, "Wall you orta know! You've been doing it fer a hundred years!" he countered.

Doc's jaw slowly dropped open, "I'm not that old!" he practically shouted at the hill man as he banged his fist down onto the green felt covered table. Kitty jumped slightly from the doctor's outburst and reaction.

"Now, Doc. Festus only funning with you like you were with him," Kitty intervened. Festus sharply nodded his head as if to say 'so there'.

Doc twisted his mouth and grunted. As his only course of self defence, he plucked his gold pocket watch from his vest pocket and tilted it toward the available light, "Well, I have to go anyway," he stated as he stood up, pushing his watch back into his vest pocket. "I have a few things to attend to," he stated looking down at the hill man who seemed content on waiting for his drink.

Kitty tried to hide her smile as he looked up at the doctor, "Are you coming back later?"

Doc drew his right hand over his moustache, "I might," he said casting his eyes from Kitty to Festus and back again.

"Then I'll see you then," Kitty smiled slightly.

Doc nodded and then turned to leave. Kitty watched for a second, before Sam unintentionally interrupted her with the drink for Festus.

Doc walked toward the bar and brushed past Jason Burton, who turned and glared at the doctor –his eyes where blackened with hate. He stiffened and held himself back from following the doctor as he promised himself that what he was going to do was going to be done right and on his terms. Once Doc had left the saloon, Burton relaxed again, and then hoped that no one noticed the ridged look on his face as he stared toward the door, however, the room was too busy for anyone to take notice of Burton's abhorrent look. Burton turned back to the bar and ordered another drink.

Doc stood outside of the Long Branch and ticked his head. With a slight chuckle, he thought about having a coffee with Matt down at the jail house. Again the doctor check his watch and felt he had time, considering he only made up his "appointment" to get away from Festus. A sly smile curled under his moustache as he slid the watch back into his pocket and began to walk toward the jail house.

Matt sat at his desk looking at several wanted posters – he didn't recognize any of the men, but none-the-less he studied their faces just in case they passed through Dodge. His head lifted when he heard the latch of the door. Doc stepped down into the room, "Matt," he greeted the marshal.

"Oh, hiya, Doc. What's up?" the marshal asked.

Doc ticked his head and chuckled, "You were right about Sissy," the doctor half laughed as he ran his right index finger around his shirt collar, next to his throat.

Matt dropped the posters down onto his desk, "She's something else," he laughed.

Doc said nothing more as he walked over to the coffee pot on the small wood stove. He picked up a cloth and a mug, and then poured some hours old coffee from the hot pot. Setting the pot and cloth back down he turned to Matt, "Guess who just showed up to welcome her," he said sipping the steaming black liquid.

Matt made a face, "From your tone, I don't have to guess," the marshal shook his head as he stood up from his desk and joined the doctor with a coffee. "I assume he's still at the Long Branch," he said as he poured himself a cup.

"Oh, heavens yes," Doc snorted. "By now he's finished the drink Kitty offered him and is likely charming his way to another one," the doctor added, "that is unless Sissy has returned."

Matt rocked on his heels, "I wish Festus luck!" he chuckled and drank his coffee.