Violet spent the rest of the night in the corner of her bed with her knees pulled to her chest trying to sort her feelings out. What seemed all she could want or desire in her dream scared the daylights out of her once awake. A kiss might be nice, she conceded to herself but she knew that kissing eventually led to frightening things she wasn't sure if she could ever go through with. And the fact that she even felt that way in the dream surely meant horrible things about her own character. What kind of girl went through what she went through and then began to long for a man's kiss? A woman of low moral standards; that was what kind. She wasn't even sure she could share this with Carrie. Carrie would never understand. Tears stabbed at her eyes as she thought of how alone she was, more alone that she had been at any time since what had happened. She didn't even want to pretend that any of Jimmy's friends were there. She would not be able to face them even if they weren't real. They were men and there was no way she could even pretend to talk to them about something this horrible. There was absolutely no one.

Her heart began to pound in panic as she remembered Jimmy's promise to come visit the next day. There was no way she could even think of facing him. Somehow he would know her shameful thoughts. She couldn't even think of how he would react if he heard of this. She thought of two possible responses that he might have and neither was anything she wanted to face. He could find the idea appealing and she still wasn't sold on having a man's hands on her with those thoughts driving him, even if those hands belonged to someone who'd been as tender to her as Jimmy had. The other option was that he would be disgusted with her. Just because the Jimmy she dreamed up when she was alone was so understanding of her, she wondered if the real Jimmy could ever think of her that way and especially knowing she was thinking such things so soon after her attack that her face was still purple and swollen.

"Violet you are just terrible," she whispered to herself, "You get one taste of a man's touch and a disgusting and vile man at that and now you just want to give it away to anyone who's nice to you."

She sighed and knew that wasn't quite true, for in that moment, she really didn't want to give it to anyone at all and if she did there was only one she'd consider. Oh Violet knew all the reasons that she shouldn't be with Jimmy. There was such talk about his reputation as a pistoleer and some claimed him to be the fastest of anyone. No one in Rock Creek had witnessed it yet but the stories spread anyway about things he had done other places. She had heard that once a man called him out in the street and a woman had walked out in front of his shot and he'd killed her, an innocent woman, right there in the middle of a street. Violet hated to believe such things but she knew there had to be an explanation and a reason that Jimmy couldn't keep the woman from being hurt. She had heard and even read stories of the men he had killed. He was rumored to have killed more than twenty men already though she wasn't sure if all that was true. Still, there was a danger being near him and yet, strangely she felt safer next to him than any other place she could be.

Violet looked around her room and wished that she could have one of her new friends with her right then but it just didn't seem honest to conjure any of them with the terrible thoughts going through her mind. But then she saw him and that broad and accepting smile.

'You're not a bad person,' he signed to her, 'Maybe confused and scared but not bad at all. It'll be fine, you'll see.'

"Do you really think so, Ike?" she whispered to him.

'I know it.'


Rachel woke sometime before the sun and had to stifle a giggle at the sight surrounding her. Next to her, on a bunk pulled tight against hers was Buck who had finally allowed himself some sleep even though he still held his knife in one hand and his gun was right by his head. At the head of her bed another bunk was pulled up tight with Ike sleeping soundly hugging his pistol to his chest and at her feet was Noah's bunk containing the young man clutching his whip tightly in his fist even in sleep. Rachel's half silenced giggle was enough to wake Buck who looked around cautiously at first and then allowed a smile for her.

"Good morning," Buck smiled at her, "Are you okay?"

"I would say I'm safe as a kitten," she told him but then looked worriedly at the still empty bunks in the room.

"They'll be fine," Buck assured her, "You know, we need you as much as you need us."

He knew his words confused her a little but he had to say something in response to the quiet prayer he heard her whispering the night before. She wasn't the only one who had nothing in the world but this family.


It was still just shy of dawn when Kid, Cody and Jimmy made it to the town. Kid immediately steered Katy toward the hotel.

"Are you sure that's the way you want to do this?" Cody asked him.

"If she's here, she'd be in there," Kid explained not that he was relishing knocking on a hotel room and waking her with his presence.

"I have an idea that will be better for your health and the sleep of everyone in that hotel," Cody said and nodded toward the stables at the far end of the street. "If she's here, Lightning will be in there. And Lightning won't yell at you."

Kid allowed a smile at Cody's logic and the three made their way to the stables where they found not only Lightning but Lou saddling the horse.

"Morning Lou," Jimmy said amiably as if the three of them hadn't been worried sick and riding all night just to find her.

"I can't believe you're here, Kid," Lou snapped at him, "I thought things were changing for us but I was wrong!"

Jimmy dismounted and walked over to Lou who was about to turn to him for someone to back her up in her argument.

"Calm down, Lou," he said to her, "This wasn't Kid's idea. It was mine. And whether you believe it or not I would go after any one of us that wasn't where he was supposed to be when he was supposed to be there right now."

Lou glared at him and he was certain that she didn't believe him at all. He sort of shrugged it off knowing she'd get over it.

"I would have expected better of you, Jimmy," she growled.

"Lou, if this had to do with you being a girl, I would've come alone," he reasoned, "None of us should be travelling alone right now, especially at night. Why else do you think I brought that loudmouth if not for that rifle?" he asked indicating Cody.

"Hey," said Cody feeling slightly offended.

"I'm going to guess you maybe had a response for us about our little problem?" Jimmy asked completely ignoring Cody's indignation and shamelessly trying to distract Lou from her anger.

"Yes," she said tersely, "I have a note for Teaspoon."

She mounted Lightning and the four of them rode off.

"I'm still mad at you, Jimmy," she said.

"I know you are," he replied thinking it was better she be mad at him than at Kid. He knew that Kid would have eventually talked himself into going after Lou on his own and it was very true that Jimmy was also worried and true also that none of them should be travelling alone at night with all that was going on but mostly Jimmy suggested they all go to take the focus off of Kid and not allow Lou's venom to be directed only at poor Kid. Somehow these two were supposed to be together and even if they both were sometimes too stubborn to see it or do what needed to be done for it to happen, Jimmy was going to try to save them from themselves even if it meant that Lou yelled at him or Kid punched him from time to time.

They rode as hard as the horses could take on the way back. And even Cody felt lighter coming home knowing that Lou was safe. Each of them wanted nothing more than to get back home, grab whatever might be left of breakfast and catch some sleep. Well, except for Lou who had slept comfortably in the hotel the night before. She hated to admit it but she had been glad to see the guys and Jimmy was probably right that none of them should be travelling alone at night but then she still didn't feel they needed to send a three man search party for her either.

Finally home came into view and never was a sight as welcome as that of Rachel carrying laundry out to the line and nothing had sounded sweeter to any of them than her call of "Riders coming!"

Rachel spotted her missing ducklings as she was trying to distract herself with chores to no real success. Four horses rode toward her; four familiar horses bearing familiar postured riders. These were her babies whether they knew it or not. Rachel could not stop the tears from flowing down her cheeks in relief. She tried to wipe them away with her apron before the kids got close enough to see but she didn't think she managed that. By the time they arrived, Buck, Ike and Noah had joined her in the yard and were waiting to take their horses from them.

Lou jumped down from the saddle and Rachel was on her embracing her tightly. Lou hugged her back grateful for the warm embrace even if she hadn't needed the worry everyone wanted to shower on her.

"Rachel," Lou said at last, "I really need to get this message to Teaspoon."

"I should go with you," Jimmy said though he was nearly dead on his feet and really didn't want to go farther than the bunkhouse. "I probably need to see what it says."

"Nonsense," admonished Rachel, "You're going to get something to eat and get some sleep."

"I'll go with her and see what it says," Buck offered, "You all need some sleep."

Jimmy yawned and nodded and then remembered something.

"Lou, would you do me a favor?" he asked quietly and out of earshot of the rest.

"Sure Jimmy," she answered, "What is it?"

"I promised Violet I'd stop out and visit her today," he told her, "I will too. I just don't want her thinking the worst. Could you go on out there and let her know that I'll be running late? I don't want her to think I forgot my promise. She has enough worries."

Whatever anger Lou was still harboring against Jimmy was nearly entirely melted away by the warmth with which he spoke of the girl.

"Sure thing," she said patting his arm.

Jimmy yawned again and nodded his thanks. He was so tired he wasn't even sure he could eat before falling asleep.

Cody, Kid and Jimmy stood in the doorway of the bunkhouse looking at the new arrangement of beds curiously.

"It's a long story," Noah said, "Get some sleep and I'll tell you when you're rested."

Noah knew that if any of them heard of the threat against Rachel or the possible visitor in the night, they would refuse to sleep and frankly they weren't going to do anyone any good at all in the shape they were in. There would be plenty of time in the afternoon once their friends were rested to talk about the new developments and what they should do about them.


Lou nearly ran to Teaspoon's office with the note. She didn't know what it said but if it helped their situation at all then she wanted him to have it as fast as possible. It was true that Rock Creek hadn't exactly welcomed them with open arms and that their group of odd sorts was still largely outcast but even still, Lou didn't want to see anyone harmed the way these women had been harmed and besides, if they stopped the killings and caught the man responsible it would go a long way to earning them acceptance in their new home. Not to mention, she didn't think she could take another day of her dear brothers living with the weight of what they had seen. Lou had not actually been to any of the places where bodies were found. She hadn't even laid eyes on the Markham girl since her attack. She was grateful for that as seeing what it was doing to Jimmy and Buck was tearing her up inside. Just seeing Delilah's body was enough to set sadness and torment to growing in Kid and Ike and Noah and even typically jovial Cody.

Entering the office she saw Teaspoon lost in thought, but really lost in thought, not just dozing at his desk and claiming to be thinking. Lou saw such hurt in that man that she wanted to run and hug him. He'd been just like a father to her even when he thought her a son rather than a daughter. Even once he knew, he still treated her like his own although he could have reacted in anger over having been deceived. Of course she could not run and embrace him because she still had to keep the ruse in place for a while longer.

"Morning Teaspoon," Lou called and tried for cheerful but it just wasn't in her that day and whatever of that feeling might have been there evaporated once she'd seen the look on the older man's face.

"Well, it's good to see you Lou," Teaspoon said and his smile was genuine. Lou could tell she'd been one of the worries tumbling in his troubled mind.

"I have something for you."

Lou handed over the note and watched as Teaspoon read it.

"What does it say?" asked Buck who had been standing close by.

"Apparently they've had a little crime wave of a different sort. I think he's grateful we got the end of it we did and they got this one. But someone is breaking in places and stealing near to anything that ain't nailed down."

"Breaking in where?" Buck asked.

"Barns, stores," Teaspoon elaborated, "Seems to be mostly looking for food and a few necessities such as blankets and the like. Now it might not be related but then we haven't seen him here and no one else has reported having anyone work for them that matches our description so it just might be how he's getting along."

"Do they have any idea who's doing it?" Buck asked.

"No they don't," Teaspoon sighed knowing it was folly to even hope for it to be that easy.


So, yeah...not much to add as far as the story is concerned except that I think Violet is being too hard on herself.

So since this past Friday morning my husband who has been desperately searching for a job for over two years now has had interviews with three different companies. We are cautiously optimistic. Honestly we really need something good to happen and this would be better than anything else could be right now.

I have so much more to write but then I didn't sleep for anything last night so I am nearly dozing off writing this. Let me know what you think...I think this chapter is much less intense than the last couple. Don't worry...it'll get to a fever pitch and even higher eventually.-J