Charlotte was about to take a sip of tea when she heard a gentle knock on her hotel room door. She put the cup down and rose from her seat. The person on the other side of the door knocked again this time a little harder. Charlotte felt the panic rise in her. Nobody knew she was here. She opened the door a crack and looked to see who wanted to see her.

She opened the door a little wider unable to believe who she saw in front of her. Maybe it was a sign.

"May I help you?" Charlotte asked.

"Oh, I'm sorry. I must have the wrong room," a nun answered. She looked at Charlotte curiously and saw the emotional pain written all over her face. "Maybe I don't have the wrong room at all. Are you all right, Miss?

"No, I'm not, but please don't let me keep you," she said meekly.

"My errand is not pressing, but if you don't mind my saying, you look like you could use a friend," the nun offered. "My name is Sister Mary Thaddaeus."

"I guess I could, but I'm really not the religious type," Charlotte said.

"Well, we don't have to talk about God," the Sister said. "We can talk about you and what has you so troubled."

"I don't know if you could understand, Sister," she said.

"I wasn't always a nun," Sister Thaddaeus said smiling.

"Come in then," Charlotte said. She opened the door and let the sister in.

Sister Mary Thaddaeus was about thirty years old and had a mischievous twinkle in her eye. Her strawberry blonde hair poked out a black veil she wore with a black habit. She seemed much worldlier than Charlotte would have thought. The sister walked in and appraised the room taking note of the teapot and the aroma of the tea. She didn't say anything about it and Charlotte was happy about that.

"What is your name, Child?" Sister Thaddaeus asked her.

"Amy, Amy Bonner," Charlotte lied. She didn't feel safe giving out her real name anymore not with Charles lurking around. Who knows how low he would stoop in getting information about her.

"Well, come over here, Amy," Sister Thaddaeus said patting the bed, "And tell me all your troubles. We'll see if we can't get to the bottom of whatever is causing you such distress."

Charlotte hesitated for a second. "I'm not sure you want hear all my troubles, Sister," she cautioned, "Some of them might curl your hair."

The sister giggled and pulled out a strand of curly hair from her coif. "You're too late, my dear," she said, "Like I said, I haven't always been a nun."

Charlotte felt strangely comfortable with Sister Mary Thaddaeus and started telling her, her whole life story up to her current situation. It was easy to tell a complete stranger. The sister listened intently and comforted her when she needed it. She was careful with her and seemed to know how fragile she was right now. She didn't judge her or try to force anything on her. Charlotte appreciated that very much.

"My order, The Sisters of Mercy, is starting a school and shelter for young mothers who have fallen on hard times in Omaha," she said. "I would like to help you. You can stay there until you get back on your feet."

"Oh, I don't know," Charlotte waffled.

"I'm not asking you to join the order," she clarified. "I just want to help you and your baby."

"I still haven't decided what I want to do about the baby yet," Charlotte said.

"Yes, you have, Amy," Sister Thaddaeus said with a gentle smile, "Otherwise you wouldn't have answered the door."

Charlotte looked her with a look of stunned realization. She was right. Charlotte felt almost relieved when she heard the knock on the door. It was like fate was making a choice for her.

The nun walked over to the table and pointed to the tea set. "Shall I empty this for you?" she asked gently.

Charlotte nodded and curled up on the bed hugging a pillow. When the sister returned she tucked Charlotte in.

"I'll see you in the morning," she said. "There's a stage bound for Omaha coming through tomorrow. I can pay for your passage and write you a letter of introduction to The Sisters."

"I don't know how I could ever repay you," Charlotte said.

"You getting your life together is all the repayment required," Sister Thaddaeus answered her. "Sleep well, Amy."


Bill Tompkins closed the door on the oven. The roast he was preparing was in good shape. His guests would be here in about fifteen minutes. He was happy to see his daughter and he was really starting to become comfortable with their weekly dinners. This one was different though. She was bringing a boy to meet him. Of course he had met this particular boy before many times. As a rider for the Pony Express, Buck was in his store all the time, despite his efforts to ban him from it. It wasn't that the boy had done anything wrong, but it was his heritage that made Bill angry and hostile towards the young man. His wife and daughter had been held for years by a Lakota tribe and even though Buck had found them and returned them to him he still couldn't see past the Indian in him. It wasn't fair, but it was how he felt. There were times that Bill really wanted to hate Buck for every wrong that every Indian had ever done to him and to the town he lived in.

He knew why Jenny was bringing him to dinner with her tonight. He knew Buck wanted to ask permission to court her. If he was being honest, he liked the fact that a boy was coming to ask permission to court his daughter. It meant that he and Jenny were making progress towards being a real family. He still just wished she was bringing a different boy.

Tompkins started to set the table in his dining area. Since there were only three of them he would have to sit next to Buck no matter what. Why couldn't Jenny have picked another boy? If she was partial to the Pony Express boys, that Cody boy would have been a better choice. He was going places. Jenny would be well taken care of. He knew it. The only thing he could see with her on Buck's arm was hardship and pain. He didn't want that for his little girl. She had been through so much already. Buck's heritage would always be a stumbling block between the two men. He didn't want to be constantly reminded that Jenny had been raised by Indians. He wanted her to forget and he wanted to forget too. Bill just didn't want to see his Jenny end up with a heathen. He wanted a normal life for her. He wanted her to marry a white man and a good provider. He wanted her to marry someone like himself.

The trouble was that Buck was a good man. If Buck had white skin, he would have been proud to welcome him into his daughter's life. But Buck didn't have white skin. He was a half-breed which meant his life and the lives of anyone connected to him would be hard no matter which world they chose to live in. He heard how the Indians treated half-breeds and it wasn't much better than they were treated here. He didn't want that life for his daughter. It wasn't that he didn't like Buck. It was that he didn't want to like him.

Buck and Jenny arrived at his house promptly at seven o'clock. They were right on time. Bill smiled as he greeted them. Jenny hugged him and he shook Buck's hand. The boy was nervous and wouldn't stop fidgeting. He knew why he made the boy nervous. Tompkins had thrown him out of his store more times than he could count and he yelled at him a lot. If he was having a bad day he would be harder on the boy, but there were days where he was nice to him. He really appreciated that no matter how badly he treated Buck, the boy was always decent to him. He even made a point to thank him for helping him clean up when his store was ransacked by Van Dorn's men.

Bill couldn't help but observe Buck during dinner. He had good table manners. He guessed between Emma Cain and Rachel they could teach the boy that sort of thing. He didn't eat a lot, but Bill had chalked that up to his nerves. They got through dinner with only mild awkwardness mostly because nobody said much of anything. Jenny excused herself to make some coffee and serve dessert, so that he and Buck could talk alone.

"Mr. Tompkins…" Buck started to say.

"Buck, first off, I know why you're here tonight," Bill said.

Buck started to look visibly nervous.

"I know we haven't seen eye to eye on a lot of things," Bill continued, "And I've given you hell for many things that weren't your fault, but I'm uncomfortable about you and my daughter seeing each other. You're not good enough for her."

He watched as Buck frowned and his eyes hardened. Bill could tell Buck felt frustrated and hurt by him saying that.

"I'm not sure there is a man around I would consider good enough for her," he said with a nervous smile. "I just got her back into my life and I don't like having to share her."

He thought he saw Buck start to relax a little.

"That's understandable, Sir," Buck said.

"I am grateful to you though, Buck," Bill said without letting Buck talk. "Without you, she wouldn't be here at all."

"You're welcome," Buck said trying to get a word in edgewise. "Sir, I would like your permission to court your daughter."

Bill thought he was going to ask that and on the one side he was happy that the young man thought enough of him and his daughter to ask. Bill really hadn't earned the right to be her father yet. On the other hand, he wasn't prepared to see her walking hand in hand with this particular boy down the streets of Sweetwater.

"Oh, hell," Tompkins replied in a raised voice, "Like I said before I'm not comfortable with you seeing her much less courting her, but she's different than other people and I'm trying to respect that."

"She's special, Sir," Buck iterated.

"Yes, she is," Tompkins agreed. "I want her to have an easy time of things, because her life has been hard and I don't think you can give her an easy life."

"I can try," Buck said defensively, "All I need is a chance."

"What if nobody gives you one?" Bill asked pointedly. "What'll you do then?"

Buck looked slightly defeated and then a spark of defiance spread from his eyes to the rest of his face. Not many people gave the boy a chance, but then it seemed to Bill that the ones who did became family to the boy.

"As long as we're near the people we consider family," Buck said, "We'll always have a chance."

"Honestly, you've got me over a barrel, Boy," Bill said with a pained smile, "If I say no, Jenny'll never speak to me again, but if I say yes, I may never get a good night's sleep in this lifetime. I see how the two of you look at each other. I used to look that way at Sally. Do me a favor though will ya?"

Buck looked over and arched an eyebrow at him.

"Please, don't be coming back for dinner with the intent of asking things of me in the near future," he said smiling somewhat more painfully. "I'm not sure my heart could take you asking for her hand anytime soon."

Buck smiled, "I'll see what I can do."

Bill watched Buck start to walk back into the house.

"Oh, Buck?"

Buck turned and looked at him.

"Thanks for asking," Bill said. "It means a lot to me that you and Jenny want to include me in her life."

"You're her father," Buck said quietly, "And she loves you."

Bill stood outside for a few seconds trying to come to terms with his decision to let Buck court Jenny with his blessing. It would take some getting used to, but he would do it for her. He knew he had to broach one more subject before the night was over. Jenny needed to either move in with him or somewhere else. It wasn't proper even with Rachel around for those two to live in the same place. He hoped his talk with Jenny would go alright. He knew she wasn't as concerned about propriety as he was, but if things didn't work out with the half-breed, her reputation would be unsalvageable. It wasn't really going to be in great shape now with him courting her. He would see if there was a good time to bring it up. If not he would bring it up to her later. He hesitated a few seconds more and walked into his house to share dessert and coffee with his daughter and the boy she loved.


Buck helped Jenny onto the buckboard. Jenny was a little steamed, but she could see her father's point. She knew with her officially being courted by Buck people would talk about them as if they were living in sin. The good people of Sweetwater were already talking about her staying out at the station. With Emma and Sam gone the volume of the talk increased. She was thinking intently about what she should do. For Buck's sake, she thought maybe it was best if she moved in with her father, but she also knew Buck was still having nightmares and she wanted to be around for him too. She thought it was too soon for them to be talking about marriage, but that is where she saw this relationship going. She knew he was the man for her. It shouldn't matter where she lived, but it did to other people. She didn't want to risk something happening to Buck because he was dishonoring a white woman. She wouldn't be able to live with herself if he was hurt because of her.

"Buck, I think my father may have a point about me moving into town with him," she said broaching the subject.

"I think he's right too," Buck said back to her. "As much as I want to see you each and every day, I think it would be wise if we acted more like we were courting and less like we were married."

"Yes, I want you to take me riding and on picnics and to dances and I want you to kiss me goodnight on porches," She said laughing.

"I can do all those things," he said putting his arm around her.

Jenny rested her head on his shoulder as they returned to the station. It was starting to get late and Buck wanted to give her a nice long goodnight kiss on the porch.


Sister Mary Thaddaeus knocked softly on the girl she knew as Amy Bonner's door late in the morning. She had purchased a ticket for the afternoon stage to Omaha for the young woman. She could hear through the door that the young woman was having a difficult morning. Sister Thaddaeus slowly turned the knob of the door and found the room to be unlocked. She slipped in and started rubbing Amy's back to help ease her morning sickness.

Charlotte was having trouble remembering to answer to the name Amy. It wasn't a name she had ever used before. The sister had helped he pack her things which barely took up any space in her coat pockets. They then went to a restaurant where Sister Mary Thaddaeus treated her to breakfast. The sister ordered toast and sarsaparilla for her and she was grateful. The ingredients of the drink seemed to calm her stomach a bit.

The two women sat and talked some more until the stage pulled up. Charlotte started to feel nervous as there were already passengers on the stage. She didn't want to be sick on them. The stage was stopped for a layover for twenty minutes and the passengers hopped off the stage to stretch their legs. There was a man and a woman, both looked familiar to Charlotte, but she couldn't place them.

Sister Mary Thaddaeus pulled the woman aside to speak with her while her husband bought some sandwiches and sarsaparilla from a café.

"I was wondering if I might impose on you?" The sister asked the woman.

"What can I do for you, Sister?" the woman asked.

"I was wondering if you would look after my little lamb, there," she said referring to Charlotte. "She is in a fragile state and will be traveling alone to Omaha."

"Well that's where we're headed too," the woman said. "I'd be glad to help. Please call me Emma."

"God bless you, Emma," she said. "I'm Sister Mary Thaddaeus. Come, let me introduce you to my ward."

The two women walked over to where Charlotte was sitting.

"Miss Amy Bonner," Sister Thaddaeus said, "This is Ms. Emma….I'm sorry, I didn't ask your last name."

"Mrs. Emma Cain," Emma said. "Hello, Amy, it looks like we're all going to Omaha."

Charlotte looked at Emma and thought she must know her from somewhere, but the name Emma did not sound familiar at all.

"This is my husband, Sam," she said as Sam came back with the provisions for the trip.

"All aboard now," the stage coach driver announced.

Sam helped both Emma and Charlotte into the coach and then hopped aboard himself. He was again glad that Emma had another woman to talk to on the ride back to Omaha.

Charlotte noticed the glow on Emma's face and how she patted her belly. She figured the woman must be expecting. Maybe she could find a friend and confidant in Emma.

"So what is bringing you all the way to Omaha, Amy?" Emma asked.

"I need a fresh start," Charlotte answered. "Things aren't going so good for me and I think a change of towns is just what I need."

"Well Omaha is a pretty big town," Sam said. "You could get lost there."

"I'm kind of hoping that I do," Charlotte said.

Emma noted the look of sadness in Amy's eyes and looked over at Sam. Sam recognized the look in Emma's eyes. He could tell they were taking in another stray.

"I lost my love, but I carry a piece of him with me," Charlotte revealed and placed a protective hand on her belly just like Emma was.

Emma hopped over to the other side of the stage coach and comforted Charlotte as she started to tear up.

"Oh, sweetheart," Emma said, "Everything is going to work out, you'll see."

"I hope so, Emma," Charlotte said. "I'm not sure what I'm going to do. I ran into Sister Thaddaeus at the hotel and she offered to set me up at the Sisters of Mercy convent in Omaha."

"Amy, how did your husband die?" Emma asked carefully.

Charlotte looked at Emma intently. She wasn't sure if she should tell her the truth. The truth wasn't really Charlotte's strong suit.

"Emma, I know you'll think less of me, but I was never married and my lover isn't dead," Charlotte revealed.

"Couldn't you ask him for help?" Emma suggested gently.

"No, I couldn't," she said sadly. "I couldn't do that to him. I love him too much."

"I'm afraid I don't understand," Emma said.

Charlotte looked over at Emma's concerned face. This Emma Cain was a rare woman and so was her husband. There wasn't an ounce of judgment on their faces, just concern.

"My brother is a terrible man," Charlotte began. "He found us together and he hurt my lover leaving him for dead. He kidnapped me and I barely escaped with my life."

"How awful," Emma commented.

"It was a quite a while before I could see my love again and when I had he'd already moved on," Charlotte said. "My brother made it look like I'd betrayed my love. I guess he believed it."

"What's the name of this brother of yours?" Sam asked. "I'm the territorial marshal in these parts and if you're scared of this man I can protect you."

Charlotte tried not to show her alarm as she looked at the couple and it suddenly dawned on her. This was the couple that was staying at the Pony Express station with Buck and the other riders. She would need to be careful what she said around them from now on. She couldn't reveal the name or heritage of the baby's father. They would figure out who she was, if they hadn't already.


Got distracted by theatre tech. Almost done with this show but I am into another soon. Hopefully I will be able to squeak a few chapters in before the new year.