A/N: I felt bad about the short chapter and the long time between uploads so here's another chapter for you all

CHAPTER TWENTY-SIX

All hell broke loose.

The Seven sprang out from all directions just as Aggie screamed in terror and the house exploded into flames like sagebrush in a lightening strike.

Vin and Ezra both fell down to the ground as shots rang out all around them. At least one of the Bartholomew Gang was shot dead immediately but Ezra didn't know which one it was; another Josiah picked up in a huge bear hug from behind and squeezed until he was nearly lifeless before dropping him into the dirt.

"Ezra! The house!" Chris shouted, trying to get a clear shot at Frank, who had dived for cover behind a fallen log.

From inside they could all hear Aggie screaming and the heat from the flames grew more intense each second.

"The house!" Chris repeated, "Get her out!"

But the front porch was already a wall of fire and the front door was inaccesible. Running around the east side he saw that it was alight as well. Suddenly, he remembered the loose boards that made up the wall on the other side and rushed to see if they were any better. They were smoldering and smoke billowed from between the cracks but they hadn't caught - yet.

"Ezra! Help!" he could hear from inside, broken by the sound of frantic coughing and a thumping noise he guessed was her trying to escape her bindings. "Please, get me out of here!" she shrieked.

"Chris!" Ezra screamed, motioning at the wall.

Chris knew immediately what he meant and ran towards it full force; bracing himself for impact Ezra leapt forward at the exact same moment as Chris and together they ploughed into the rickety wall, crashing through on the other side. Both were momentarily stunned but Aggie's desperate cries brought them around. Hauling back on the arms of the chair they dragged it back out through the broken wall without bothering to cut her loose. When they were far enough away from the fire Chris cut through the ropes securing her hands and feet and she collapsed onto the ground, panting, sooty and terrified - but alive.

"Don't go!" she shouted hoarsely as Ezra made to turn back to the fire.

"Stay here," Chris ordered, "I'll handle it."

Falling down on the ground next to Aggie, Ezra pulled her into his arms and cried tears of joy and relief that she was unharmed. Aggie clung to him and felt the familiar smoothness of his jacket against her hot skin and did the same. She had escaped a fiery death twice and twice Ezra had been the reason for it.

"Thank god for you," she cried into his shoulder, wrapping her arms around him tighter.

Ezra felt an intense stab of guilt, he may have saved her once before but she couldn't possibly think he had saved her this time when the entire ordeal came down to him and his job.

"Aggie, I have to go back. Stay here," he said, trying to regain his composure. He extricated himself from her embrace and stood, patting her shoulder.

"I'm not staying!" she cried, struggling to her feet.

Before he could say another word she was moving back into the fray.

The fire was still burning, there was really no point in trying to put it out if it meant the Bartholomew Gang would escape; and besides, the house was only good for burning down anyway.

Buck came back just as they approached, pulling one man behind him with his lariat and forcing another along before him with JD's help.

"Where is Mr. Larabee?" Ezra asked, "and the others?"

"There's one more," Buck said. "They're looking for him."

Ezra looked around and counted, yes there were only 4 men here.

Just then they could all hear Chris' voice and the belligerent voice of the gang's ring leader. Chris thumped the man on the back of the head with his pistol and brought him to his knees, announcing his presence and the fact that he had caught Frank.

Nobody made a move to stop Ezra as he followed the sound of Chris' voice, Aggie following close behind. JD could see that the hem of her dress was scorched and thought with shock how quickly she had almost been killed again. He wondered how he would cope if he nearly lost Casey twice, or worse yet, what if he did lose her? It was too painful to think about. He suddenly had a whole new hatred for the Bartholomew Gang.

Frank sighed when he saw Aggie. "I see you've been saved. And I was so close to sending you up in smoke."

"You son of a bitch," Chris said, hitting him in the back of the head again.

"Stop that!" Frank said viciously, whipping his head around to face Chris. "Or I'll kill you."

"No, you won't," Ezra said in a dangerously quiet voice.

"Oh?" Frank asked, amused.

Aggie wondered what could be so terribly wrong with a man inside that he would want to kill a woman he'd never met to get revenge on a man who hadn't really harmed him. One of his men had been shot dead but he didn't seem concerned by it and didn't bother to ask about the others.

"No, because I'm going to kill you," Ezra replied.

"Ezra," Chris said, a warning note in his voice.

"You're going to kill me?" Frank asked, chuckling. "Even if you had the guts, you don't even have a gun. Just go home with your burnt whore and I won't have to kill you."

Ezra seethed with rage, his face flushed red and he grit his teeth. "This animal needs to be put down," he said.

In a split second Ezra had sprung the derringer from his sleeve and into the palm of his hand, "Say adios," he intoned violently.

Aggie screamed and turned away as a single shot echoed through the air; Frank still had a look of arrogant amusement on his face as the bullet pierced a perfect, vibrant red hole between his eyes. He fell over backwards at Chris' feet and Chris swore vehemently.

"How are you going to explain that to the Judge, Ezra!" he demanded.

"The Poster said 'Dead or Alive'," he answered.

Aggie was shaking and her screaming had subsided to utter silence. Ezra turned her around and shielded her with his arms, propelling her away from the carnage.

"I'll take you home with me, Agatha. Is that suitable to you?"

She nodded, covering her face with her trembling hands.

Vin was moving towards them, leading the horses. He passed a set of reins off to Ezra and looked Aggie over. "You alright?" he asked.

She nodded again, not entirely sure how "all right" she was, but at least she was still standing. Of course, Vin didn't know that Ezra had just removed the better part of Frank's skull while she'd stood by, either.

"I'm taking Miss Campbell back to town," Ezra explained. "Mr. Larabee may need your help, bringing the corpses in and those remaining animals to justice."

"Sure thing," Vin answered, touching two fingers to the brim of his hat and nodding at Aggie.

"Let's go, my dear," Ezra said softly, helping her up into the saddle before climbing up behind her. Taking the reins in both hands his arms created a cradle around her waist, supporting her. Aggie leaned back against him, realizing how much they both smelled like soot and smoke now that they were further away from the fire. There was another smell she couldn't quite make out that clung to Ezra's coat, as he nudged Chaucer forward towards town she realized that it was gunsmoke and powder.

"You shot that man," she said, quietly, when they were about halfway to town. Her head rested in the hollow of his shoulder and she finally felt able to speak again.

Ezra remained silent a moment and Aggie could tell that he was thinking. "I'm sorry. Not sorry that I shot him, but sorry that you were there to witness it. It was insensitive, to say the least. I have never before in my life," he leaned down and rested his cheek against her head so that she could feel his warm breath on her, "been so angry with anyone. I'm a peaceable man, I hope you know that, and I am not inclined to violence, but if I'd let that man live after what he tried to do to you... I don't think I ever would have forgiven myself for it. I know I'd never sleep soundly if he were still alive. You do understand that, don't you?"

"I understand. I've just never seen a man killed before," she said, her voice trembling. "I'd nearly burned to death once, but I'd never seen a man killed."

Ezra took the reins in one hand and used his free hand to hold Aggie's. His hand was blissfully cool on her skin and his touch calmed her, but it didn't erase what she had seen.