"LARABEE'S LADY: FOR BETTER OR WORSE" – CHAPTER TWENTY-FIVE

Title: "Larabee's Lady: For Better or Worse"

Author: Michelle Heath

Rating: MA for adult language and situations

Summary: Part III of "Larabee's Lady" focuses on Catherine and Chris settling into married life and a new romance developing between Mary and Vin. Oh, and hopefully, a surprise or two!

Date Written: October 17, 2010

Disclaimer: Chris Larabee, Vin Tanner, J.D. Dunne, Buck Wilmington, Josiah Sanchez, Ezra Standish, Nathan Jackson, Casey Wells, Mary Travis, Nettie Wells, Inez, Ella Gaines, Jack Averell, and The Magnificent Seven are the property of TM CBS, The Mirisch Group, MGM and Triology Entertainment. Other characters, i.e., Catherine Stewart, Jonathan Stewart, Eloise Stewart, Henrietta Wilkes, Miles Kettering, etc. are the sole property of the author. The author makes no profit from this work of fan fiction and no copyright infringement is intended.

(As it turns out, the two abandoned houses where the Seven and their ladies were being kept were not all that far from Four Corners and Farley and the ranch hands were out looking for everyone when they heard the gunshots. By the time they arrive, Ella and Miles are dead and so are most of their men. The ones who aren't dead are locked up in the cellar of the other house not far away. Catherine, Mary, Inez, and Casey leave the cleaning up to the Seven, Farley, and Catherine's hands, and head back to the ranch where Farley has told them Mrs. Wilkes and Nettie are waiting with Mrs. Tyson. As soon as the four young women get to the ranch, the three older women are out on the porch to greet them and ask numerous questions. The younger women try their best to answer their questions, but they are coming so fast it's hard to keep up;. Once they are in the entry hall, Catherine asks Mrs. Tyson to have hot baths made ready for her, Mary, Inez, and Casey and the four younger ladies make quick work of getting themselves clean. Once they are all clean and dressed in some of Catherine's clothes, Mrs. Tyson insists they sit down and eat a decent meal. Catherine suddenly doesn't feel well and excuses herself from the table. She has taken just a few steps when she doubles over grabbing her abdomen, crying out in pain, and tears filling her eyes. The other ladies rush to help her and get her upstairs to the master bedroom. . .

It takes quite some time to get the bodies and prisoners sorted out and into town. By the time the Seven, Farley, and the hands have the wagons loaded and gotten into town, Judge Travis has arrived and is waiting at the Sheriff's Office. He gazes at the bodies of Miles Kettering and Ella Gaines and shakes his head.)

Judge Travis: "I'm sorry, Boys, I should have hung her when I had the chance."

Chris: "You did what you had to Judge."

Judge Travis: "If I'd not spared her life, none of this would have happened."

Vin: "Don't know that, Judge. Miles Kettering would have caused trouble with or without Ella's help."

Judge Travis: "Still . . .Ah, well, it's too late to second guess myself now."

Chris: "Give us a few minutes to get cleaned up, Judge, and ride out to the ranch with us. I'm sure you want to see Mary and Catherine, and Mrs. Tyson's probably got breakfast waiting on us."

(The Seven hurry once the mention of one of Mrs. Tyson's meals is made, and soon they, and Judge Travis ride out to the ranch. When they dismount in the yard, Casey walks out onto the front porch with tears in her eyes. Chris is immediately on edge and looks at her questioningly, but all she can do is shake her head. Chris runs up the steps and into the house as J.D. tries to comfort Casey. When they all crowd into the entry hall, Mrs. Tyson is coming down the stairs carrying a basin. She, too, is crying.)

Chris: "Mrs. Tyson?"

Mrs. Tyson: "I'm so sorry, Chris."

(Fear clenches in Chris' gut like a cold fist. He turns to go up the stairs and sees Mrs. Wilkes at the top starting down. She has been crying and sorrow is deeply etched on her face.)

Chris: "What's going on, Mrs. Wilkes? Where's Catherine?"

Mrs. Wilkes: "Upstairs. I'm so sorry, dear boy."

Chris: (shouting in frustration) "Why the Hell is everyone sorry?"

Mrs. Wilkes: "You didn't know . . ."

Chris: (on the verge of shaking Mrs. Wilkes) "Didn't know what? Will someone please tell me what's going on around here? Is something wrong? Is Catherine hurt?"

Mrs. Wilkes: "Catherine will be fine. . . Unfortunately, she lost the baby she was carrying."

(Thunderstruck, Chris slumps against the staircase wall; tears in his eyes. In the hallway below, the others take this news almost as badly as does Chris. Josiah closes his eyes and offers up a silent prayer. Without another word, Chris flies up the stairs and into their bedroom where Mary and Inez are straightening up. By silent agreement, the two women leave the room touching Chris on the shoulder and hand as they pass him. As the door closes softly behind them, he walks over to the bed where Catherine, looking pale and drawn, lies sleeping. The white nightgown she is wearing only serves to heighten her paleness. Her gold wedding band stands out against the whiteness of her cool hand that Chris gently takes into the warmth of his. The moment he touches her, her eyes flutter open and fill with tears. Unable to stand the pain he sees in Catherine's eyes, Chris pulls her into his arms and holds her tightly as they both cry out their sorrow at their loss. . .

Downstairs, the mood is very somber. Mrs. Wilkes insists that the men sit down and eat something after their ordeal, but no one has much of an appetite. Nevertheless, between Mrs. Wilkes, Mrs. Tyson, Nettie, Mary, and Inez, they manage to get a little food into Vin, Ezra, Buck, J.D., Nathan, Josiah, and Judge Travis. Knowing full well that Chris will not come downstairs to eat, Mrs. Wilkes asks Mrs. Tyson to prepare a tray for him. When it is ready, the ever-wise Mrs. Wilkes asks Buck to take it up to Chris in the hope he can convince Chris to eat something. When Buck eases open the door to Catherine's and Chris' bedroom, Chris has crawled into the bed beside Catherine and is holding her tightly Mercifully, they are both asleep. Leaving the tray by the bed, Buck goes back downstairs to join the others. . .

Ezra and Inez, both restless, take a walk around the small lake not far from the house. Ezra's arm is around her waist and her offers her his handkerchief as tears begin to fall from her beautiful brown eyes.)

Inez: "Catherine and Chris have lost their baby because of a mad woman! It is not fair, Ezra!"

Ezra: "Not much in life is, Inez."

Inez: "But this . .This is so tragic, no?"

Ezra: "Indeed. Hopefully, Catherine and Chris will be able to have other children one day."

Inez: "Mrs. Wilkes believes this is so, but it does not diminish the pain of losing this child."

Ezra: "No, it doesn't. Further proof that life is fleeting and one never knows what is around the next corner. . . I am very grateful that you were not harmed. That is a loss from which I am not sure I would recover."

Inez: "I, too, am happy that you were not injured. I have come to care a great deal for you, Ezra, and it would be painful to me had you been hurt in any way."

(Ezra stops walking and turns Inez to face him. Reaching up, he gently cups her face in one hand.)

Ezra: "When I learned Kettering's men had you in their vile clutches, I wanted to kill them. I'm in love with you, Inez. I believe you have strong feelings for me, as well. If you do not, then tell me now and I won't bother you ever again."

Inez: ""I cannot tell you that, Ezra. You see, I am in love with you, too."

(Mary and Vin have decided to remain at the ranch for a while; Mary to help Mrs. Tyson and Mrs. Wilkes, who has also elected to remain, with Catherine, and Vin to help with Chris. After being assured that they will be kept abreast of Catherine's recovery, everyone else departs the ranch later that afternoon. Mary, Vin, Mrs. Wilkes, and Mrs. Tyson are having coffee in the huge kitchen and discussing how to best work through this.)

Mrs. Wilkes: "I'm sure that young man was just as exhausted as everyone else, but he needs to eat something. He simply cannot sit up there twenty-four hours a day."

Vin: "You tell him that, Mrs. Wilkes. Where Catherine's concerned, Chris is gonna' do what he thinks best and everybody else be damned. Right now he wants to be with his wife. Reckon I'd do the same thing."

Mary: "But Mrs. Wilkes is right, Vin. He has to eat."

Vin: "Tell you what. I'll see what I can do about getting' some supper in him if it'll set you ladies' minds at ease."

Mrs. Wilkes: "Thank you, dear, it would make me feel much better."

AUTHOR'S NOTE: There's still a few chapters in this story coming, please be patient. Also, I've received a couple of emails expressing interest in an A/U ATF story involving Catherine. I'm thinking about it, but would like to know there's some solid interest out there as I'd planned another installment of "Larabee's Lady" to get ALL our guys with the right lady. Michelle