When Adam appeared on the steps again, his pristine white shirt and the exaggerated shine of his black hair once again cut a sharp figure. Ben grunted in approval as he tried to hide his residual amusement and Evangeline gazed up in appreciation, watching the handsome stranger stride down the stairs with his usual confidence. Only when he reached the bottom did she feel something was amiss with his manner.

Glancing around quickly, she observed that she seemed the only one who had noticed. Hoss was making some snide remark to his brother, Ben was ignoring his sons from behind his paper and Katherine...well, she was much to enamored with the sight of Adam then she should have been for propriety's sake. Evangline frowned, wanting to wipe that dreamy smile from the young girl's face and stuff it in that pretty mouth. Dismissing that uncharitable thought, she stopped her musing and resumed fleeting analysis of her love. The strain in the handsome face, the worry lines standing out on his forehead, the halt in his step but it was his eyes catching hers that told the story. Something had happened upstairs and it hadn't been good. Usually deep and open with intelligence, his hazel pools held a shimmering glaze across their surface, a flash of ice that was shielding his heart from anyone's discernment.

Wanting to touch him, she patted the seat next to herself and he moved quietly around the back of the couch to be with her. Much to her surprise, instead of sitting by her side, he knelt and sat on the floor, leaning up against her leg and touching the side of his head to her knee. She was unaccustomed to this vulnerable position as she reached out and ran the back of her hand down the back of his neck. He turned at the light touch, smiling up at her and gripping her hand tightly from over his shoulder. Ben addressed him and directed his attention onto a brief ranch matter of which she heard nothing about, only able to savor this moment and its components...the nod of his dark head as he spoke, the rich tones of his voice, the fiery heat emanating from his body as it warmed up at last and the flex of his muscles as he accepted a cup of cocoa from Hop Sing. She couldn't help but observe the fine, soft lips too as he took a sip from the steaming cup. She smiled, thinking of kisses past and the many more in the future she would receive. The forbidden subject of their wedding night entered her mind and she felt a spark of delicious terror. She had to admit that she was scared but also exhilarated at the prospect to have him all to herself, alone and undisturbed at last. What that all entailed was unknown to her for the most part though and that was the scary part. All she knew was that she wanted to hold him close and never let him go...she would trust him with the rest...

"Evangeline? Did you hear me?" asked Ben, a queer smile on his face as he observed her fingers stroking his son's shoulder with a blissful, faraway look on her face.

Evangeline jumped and looked up with wide eyes and a blush on her cheeks. She'd been caught. "I'm sorry, Ben...I didn't catch that."

A chuckle from Ben's direction came to her ears. "I was just asking if you wanted to maybe go over the final arrangements for the wedding a last time tomorrow. Have another person look at it. You've already made the cake order and Frank said that he would take care of having your mother's dress pressed in time for the wedding."

She nodded. "Yes, all that is left to do is decide on food, pick my bridesmaids...set up the ceremony on our clifftop, transport the furniture out there and, oh my...I fear there is much more than I realized to do! Thank you for your offer and I would be so glad of it. Poppa is quite helpless with such things having to do with romantic occasions, I'm afraid. As for this one right here," she said, nudging Adam slightly, "I want the wedding to be a surprise without him having to lift a finger. That's alright with both of you, isn't it?"

"Fine by me. I'm always glad to help my daughter-in-law," Ben said with a wink at Adam who sniffed with a chuckle as well.

"Adam, do you have any ideas about the food? Is there anything special you'd like me to make sure happens for our wedding meal?" Evangeline addressed to the man at her feet and smiled.

Despite the heaviness wearing at him, Adam smirked naughtily to himself because he knew on THAT day he would really only be hungry for her in every way possible. Lately, their wedding night was more and more on his mind and even being near her for too long would drive him crazy now. He was desperate to have her with him at last, at their very own ranch that his brothers were going to help him set up this next week. He wanted to start a new life with someone that he could shelter, nurture and be loved by...someone that he wouldn't have to worry about leaving him, not if he had breath in his body at least. His thoughts wandered to his plans and gifts for that most special of nights before he replied in the most proper way a man could respond to his future wife.

"Whatever you want will be fine with me, I'm sure. Just make sure that YOU get there, right?"

Light laughter tinkled among the eaves of the pinehouse and then conversation seemed lost in the crackling of the fireplace and the peace of those congregated. A beam creaked somewhere in the walls, as if the house was contented to have those it sheltered all there together. The family sat in pleasant silence for awhile until Adam realized someone was missing and he inquired, "Hasn't Jody come back from the barn yet?"

Ben glanced at the clock and his mouth moved into a grimace but shrugged. "He could just be engrossed with his friend out there but perhaps you should go out and check up on him after all."

"I'll go get him, Pa," Hoss offered, moving to get out of his seat, the grin of moments before falling from his face.

"No need, Hoss, it would probably be best if I go...I won't be long, Angie,"Adam said to the respective recipients and pushed himself to his feet, striding to the door with quick steps and a mission on his mind.

Evangeline rose to follow and caught up to him, placing a hand on his forearm."I'll come with you. I could use a walk."

He glanced at her with a quirk of his eyebrow but then smiled wanly, turning from the door to instead retrieve the green cloak from the hat rack. He carefully wrapped it around her shoulders and tied the velvet cord at her throat. His callused fingers brushed her cheek from behind before they drifted away. Shrugging into his black coat, he then grabbed his hat, held the door open for her and they left together, out into the damp, breezy night. The rain had at least stopped when they stepped outside and paused under the porch roof. Adam adjusted his hat lower on his head and raised the hood of the cloak over hers. She tried catching his eye and smiling but he didn't seem to see her, absorbed in his little task to keep her from the elements.

"What's wrong, my love? Are you in pain still?" Evangeline asked gently, also concerned that his injuries were acting up yet again.

He received a stroke on his cheek, her eyes gazing into his for any lies he might tell. He stared at her blankly then took her hand from his face and kissed it long and hard, as if he never would let it go. Looking back at her, he sighed and played with a lock of her hair blowing in the wind like he so often did when he was in thought.

"Time moves so quickly...moments that you think you'll have just...aren't there anymore." he muttered.

Evangeline cocked her head. "What's troubling you? Do you want to talk about it?"

"Not yet...not tonight," Adam responded sadly. He pulled her towards him into a hug, his arms wrapping around her protectively. He whispered, "I just want to enjoy having you with me, my darling. I used to think I needed so much to be happy but this, right now, right here...is sheer perfection..."

Evangeline nodded dreamily and pulled away just enough to kiss him. First a peck, then another until a desperation seemed to come over him judging by the hungry kiss he gave her next, squeezing her tight to himself. His lips, soft only moments before, hardened into gifted tools which greedily sought to devour the sweetness of her willing desire for him. She finally had to pull free to catch her breath, her skin rosy from the attentions given her. Her hand settled on his ribs, warming a scar that marred the skin under his shirt. Without the words to express her abiding love for him, she touched her forehead to his and there they remained for what was mere seconds but enough time to let their hearts move into unison.

Adam turned her then, pulled her tight against himself and they began their journey across the sloppy yard although the cold breeze persisted, pulling strands of Evangeline's coiffure free to blow about her face. She huddled close to Adam as they ran for the barn, reaching the door and he pulled it closed behind them.

"What a night out there!" Evangeline laughed a mite breathlessly as she tucked the loose hair behind her ear. Watching his love's busy hands winding the tempting strands back up and into her bun, Adam nearly smirked but he was too distracted to act on the impulse to help her. The barn was as dark as pitch in there which was all wrong to start with if someone else, only the light from the moon shined through any cracks in the old slabs of wood. Taking a lantern from a rafter, he lit the instrument, blew out the match and raised the light high in order to see. A panic drove him onward as he had an awful feeling that something had gone terribly wrong.

"Jody, you in here? Answer me, boy, where are you? Jody!" Adam called as he hastened to Coal's stall first but finding no sign of the child, only a startled foal, he began checking each pen. Evangeline began her own search, daring to climb up the short ladder to the loft but that too yielded nothing except for her to find what appeared to be a pleasant nook by the window. There were a few books lined up on the sill, some sheet music on top, one small stool in the straw and a single lantern with dust crusting its glass. Curious that it might have something to do with the child, she was about to investigate when Adam called out that he had already found Jody. She hiked her skirts and shimmied back down the ladder as fast as she could.

Upon reaching the ground floor, she didn't see either man or boy at first and fear filled her until she calmed down and followed the dim lantern light to the stall at the end of the line. Chubb snorted and backed away warily as she flew into the small space and found Adam holding the limp body of the little boy in his grasp. She couldn't help a small gasp escaping her lips as she sank down to join the rescue. Ever being the nurse, she began to check Jody's vitals while Adam felt the boy's bones and checked for suspicious knots or scrapes. Nothing wrong was found at first yet Jody still remained unresponsive, his eyes closed and mouth slack as he floated in the void that gripped him.

Adam scowled as his fingers worked their way through Jody's dark hair until they came across a patch of wetness. Deep red came away and glistened on the edge of his fingernails. The frown grew darker as he looked up at Evangeline and showed her.

"Blood!" he exclaimed angrily, parting the hair to see better.

"Oh, Adam..." Evangeline murmured as she looked closer.

A deep, jagged gash glared up at them, evidence of considerable force needed to inflict it and not the result of a freak accident since there was no remnants of such apparent. The straw was totally undisturbed so Chubb hadn't perhaps kicked at a fly and accidentally hit the boy. There was no blood on the stall walls meaning that Jody hadn't fallen against one of those. No, this work of cruelty had a human hand behind it. Without even thinking, Adam knew with a sinking heart that someone had meant the boy harm. He froze, his blood pounding with sudden hatred. Biting his lip, he could feel tears of rage prick his eyes and that only served to fuel his anger to new heights.

Evangeline watched him carefully, moving next to him and putting her arm around his shoulders. "Adam...it will be alright...come, let's get him inside the house to rest and bandage that up," she saw a bedroll on a saddle and ran to grab it. "We can use this blanket to support his neck and it mustn't be moved if at all possible," she said with a calmness she didn't feel as she assisted Adam in gathering the boy up into his arms. "That's it, easy does it. I'll support him while we walk."Adam didn't comment as they rushed Jody across the yard and to the house.

From the shadows, a figure emerged from the overgrowth and approached the house. A smile gleamed in the darkness until the large man disappeared into the night, leaving only the faint rustle of bushes to describe any passage. He joined his companion and the two quietly led their horses away from the scene. Their mission had been a success and now on to phase two of the master plan.