Chapter 29

It had been one month since Buck had married Lou and during that time, things had been strange around the ranch. Buck felt like they were being watched constantly but he could never catch anybody. He didn't feel his family was safe in their own house but he couldn't prove anything was amiss. Teaspoon told Buck he was just being paranoid, there had been no evidence of anybody hanging around since their wedding night, but Buck knew they were being watched. He had tried changing up his routine some to see if he could catch whoever off guard but so far there had been no luck. And Buck was tired of it, he was tired of watching over his shoulder, he was tired of being on constant edge at night while the family slept. He had not had a good night sleep in a month. It was causing a strain between him and Lou as well. They had not really been intimate, since their wedding … how could they when they felt they were being watched. Buck had had enough, he was going to have Sam help him track down who was watching him, who he was certain was Kathleen. He had sent Teaspoon into town to fetch Sam. He had tried to send Lou as well, but she wasn't about to leave him out there by himself, Rachel and the children were at the schoolhouse.

"What is your plan Buck?" Lou asked after Teaspoon had left, as they sat at the kitchen table, Lou nursing baby Rider.

"I'm going to make myself vulnerable … if I'm right and it's Kathleen, I suspect she's been waiting until I'm alone." Buck told his wife, brushing a stand of hair behind her ear.

"And how are you going to do that? Say she comes for you, you won't lay a hand on her, she's a woman. How do you stop her from doing whatever she is planning?" Lou asked, clearly worried.

Buck smiled his little half smirk, "That's where you come in, honey. I may not be able to hit a woman, but I married a little spitfire."

Lou grinned, "Oh so I get to come to the rescue of the damsel in distress so to speak."

"I can be a damsel in distress for you to rescue." Buck teased.

"So how do we do this?" Lou asked as she passed the baby to Buck to burp while she buttoned her shirt back up.

"Carefully… you'll have to be watching from inside, but not make it obvious. Timing is going to be everything." Buck told her, standing to take Rider to the nursery to change his diaper.

Lou followed behind Buck, "I don't like this Buck… if she's as unstable as Sam thinks she is, she could be dangerous."

"She is dangerous, honey. That's why we have to take care of this now." Buck said as he pinned the clean diaper closed and pulled Rider's shirt down.

"Alright … I trust you Buck. We'll try this your way." Lou agreed taking the baby to lay him down in his crib for a nap.

Buck pulled Lou to his chest, "I need this to be over, yesterday. I miss you."

Lou wrapped her arms around behind Buck, laying her head on his chest over his heart, "I know… it's been too long."

"Soon, love. This will all be over and then you will have to beat me away with a stick." Buck teased, nipping at her ear.

"Promises, promises." Lou teased back, running her nails down his back, earning a deep groan from Buck.

Buck pulled away reluctantly. "Keep an eye out."

Lou nodded as Buck walked away from her. She watched quietly from the kitchen as Buck left out the kitchen door, a towel slung over his arm as he headed around to the side of the house to where the shower was. She watched as much of the yard as she could, waiting. After about five minutes she saw movement from in the barn. And then there she was, sneaking out of the barn and heading towards the shower where Lou knew Buck would be naked and under the water by now. She waited a few seconds before she slipped out of the house, walking silently as Kathleen disappeared around the side of the house. Lou tiptoed to the corner of the house and peered around the corner to where she could see Buck, his back to her and to Kathleen as he washed his hair. Kathleen stood just outside the shower, slowly undressing herself. Lou waited until the she-devil was in just her bloomers and chemise before she made her presence known.

She let out a roar as she rushed Kathleen, "What the hell are you doing here?!"

Kathleen let out a screech as Lou hit her, shoulder right to Kathleen's stomach, knocking her to the ground. Lou was on top of her, holding her down. "Get off me you bitch!" Kathleen screamed, kicking her legs off the ground.

"That ain't happening you crazy whore." Lou spat out, "You've been stalking us for a month if not longer!"

"I don't give a fig about you! It's Buck I want, he's mine!" Kathleen yelled, using her entire body to throw Lou off her, catching her hard in the stomach, causing Lou to double over as the air was knocked out of her.

Lou reared back and punched Kathleen right in the nose, causing it to instantly gush blood, "You are completely insane! Buck isn't yours, he never was. And the whole town is going to know just what kinda woman you are."

Kathleen launched herself at Lou, scratching and pulling at Lou's face and hair. Lou threw another punch knocking Kathleen flat on her behind. Kathleen flung her foot out catching Lou in the stomach again. Buck had had enough, he didn't care if Kathleen was a woman or not, nobody hurt his Lou. As Kathleen went at Lou again, Buck came up behind her and pinned her arms to her side, locking his hands around her upper arms in a vise grip as Lou punched her again. Kathleen crumpled, Buck the only thing holding her up just as the sound of horses came into the yard.

"Buck! Lou!" Teaspoon called out.

"Around here Teaspoon!" Lou called back, wiping away blood from the corner of her lip with the back of her hand.

Teaspoon and Sam walked around the corner of the house and saw the scene before them, Lou obviously a little rumpled, her lip busted, scratches on her face, her hair a mess and then Kathleen in just her bloomers and chemise, knocked out cold being held up by her arms by Buck, he only had on his pants, his hair dripping water down his back.

"What in the Hell is going on here?" Sam asked, looking between Buck and Lou.

"This hussy has been spying on us for a month or more. She tried to slip into the shower with Buck while he was washing his hair. I caught her and there might have been a few fists thrown." Lou told him.

"So trespassing and assault charges are in order then?" Sam asked, a grin spreading across his face.

"You should take her in right away Sam." Teaspoon said an evil grin on his face.

It wasn't until Sam walked over to Buck and took the girl from him and hauled her up over his shoulder carrying her to his horse that Lou and Buck began to understand. Sam slung Kathleen over the back of his horse, still only dressed in bloomers and chemise as he mounted up. "You'll have to come in and make a statement Lou." Sam said laughing.

"You two can take my horse." Teaspoon said to Buck and Lou. "I'll keep an eye on Rider."

Buck quickly put on his shirt and shoes and then helped Lou up onto Teaspoon's horse before mounting up behind her. They rode beside Sam as he rode back to town. Kathleen was just beginning to regain consciousness as they entered town, going right down main street. Kathleen's screams of protest just brought more and more attention to the group. As they arrived at the jail a large group had gathered to see what was going on. Sam slid off his horse and hauled the girl down, marching her straight into the jail, with Buck and Lou following.

"What the hell is going on?" Tompkins asked when he pushed through the crowd.

"That Devlin woman, has been trespassing on our land for over a month now, spying on us, sleeping in the barn, then when Lou caught her, they fought." Buck told Tompkins loudly so all those gathered could hear.

The crowd looked over at Lou, who looked like she'd been in a fight. "She's crazy." Lou mumbled.

"Lou… ain't it true she got thrown out of that fancy boarding school for doing something similar." Tompkins asked, giving Lou the opportunity to let Kathleen's secret be known.

"Something like that … but it don't matter no more." Lou said, deciding to be the bigger person. Kathleen was already ruined from her stunt today, there was no reason to bring up anymore about her past.

Tompkins just nodded his head as Sam poked his head back outside, "Lou, Buck, I need y'all to come in and make a statement."

Buck and Lou left the crowd standing around and went into the Marshall's office, closing the door behind them. Kathleen sat with her head in her hands on a cot inside the jail cell, her shoulder's shaking as she wept. "What's going to happen to her?" Lou asked almost feeling sorry for the she-devil.

"I'm going to send a wire to an asylum. Not sure if they will be able to help her, those places aren't the greatest, but she can't be left to her own devices. Next time she could seriously hurt someone or get herself into serious trouble." Sam said.

"I almost feel sorry for her." Buck said quietly.

"Me too." Lou agreed.

"Her father did her no favors by giving her everything she wanted and to teach her she's better than everybody else. She doesn't know how to take no or rejection. I hope the asylum can help her." Sam told them quietly. "Alright so what exactly happened today?"

After Lou and Buck explained everything to Sam, they left and returned home. Knowing they were finally free of Kathleen. They rode back to the ranch in silence but instead of returning to the house, they went straight to the swimming hole. As soon as Buck brought the horse to a stop, Lou slipped from its back and began slipping out of her clothes as Buck tied the horse to a branch. He watched her as she let her petticoat drop to the ground, leaving her in just her bloomers and chemise. Lou began wading into the cool water, looking over her shoulder at Buck, "You coming?"

Buck grinned as he quickly shed his clothes and rushed after her, causing Lou to let out a little shriek and giggle as she tried to run from him. She didn't get far before Buck had captured her in his arms, spinning her around to face him, his mouth capturing hers in a heated kiss. Lou began walking backwards, pulling Buck along with her as they went deeper into the water until he felt the water from the waterfall rush over him and then they were in their cave. Buck's fingers went to the ties of Lou's chemise and undid it, letting it fall into the water. His mouth descended along her neck and shoulders, nipping lightly. Buck lifted Lou into his arms, encouraging her to wrap her legs around his back. He rubbed himself against her core through their thin undergarments, causing Lou to moan loudly.

"Say you want me." Buck whispered huskily against her hot skin.

"Always Buck. Don't make me wait any longer." Lou breathed out, her core aching in need.

Buck lowered himself to the little shelf that ran along the edge of the cave, so that Lou was straddling him, her core pressed against his hardness. "Take what you want Louise." Buck said leaning back, his arms spread out to the side of him, opening himself up to her.

Lou bit her lower lip as she leaned forward and freed Buck from the confines of his long john bottoms, she moved so she could shove her bloomers down and off before she straddled Buck again. Her hand stroking him, lining him up with her entrance as she sank down onto him, moaning. Lou took Buck's hands, placing one on her breast and the other on her hip, her hands going to his chest to help her balance and keep her rhythm as she began to ride him. "That's it, Louise, take what you want from me." Buck groaned out thrusting his hips in time with her own.

"Everything I want everything." Lou said huskily as she could feel herself tightening around him. "Give me everything."

Buck thrust harder into her as her walls clenched around him, milking him. "It's yours Lou, all yours." Buck told her as his own climax was pulled from him, spilling his seed deep inside of her core.

Lou collapsed panting hard against Buck's chest as she came down from her high, her lips attacking his throat and shoulders. "God, I missed this." she breathed out.

Buck grinned as he felt himself harden inside her, he slipped out and moved so that Lou had her hands on the ledge, her back to him as he entered her from behind, his hand on her back. "Not as much as I missed this… I love being able to watch myself make love to you."

Lou could feel herself grow even wetter at Buck's words, the imagery it caused. "Tell me what you want Buck." Lou ordered, her voice sultry sounding.

"I want to be buried in you for the rest of my life, to fill you with my seed. I want to make you mine in every way possible." Buck told her his words matching each thrust.

Lou was panting under him, "I'm all yours Buck, only yours."

Buck bent over Lou's back, his chest pressing against her, his hand going around to rub her little bundle of nerves, "God I wanted to be buried inside of you so bad when you were fighting that devil woman. My little spitfire." Buck growled in Lou's ear.

Lou whimpered, she was so close. "Oh God Buck … right there."

Buck ground his hips against Lou's backside, nipping at her ear, "I want to hear you scream my name."

"Oh … oh God …. oh …. BUCK!" Lou screamed as Buck pounding into her from behind, his fingers rubbing fast at her bundle of nerves, pulling her climax from her hard.

"Oh Hell … LOU!" Buck called as his own climax was milked from him by her pulsating walls.

Buck pulled out of Lou collapsing against the wall, Lou turned so that she was cuddled against him as they came down from their highs. After several minutes of heavy breathing and hammering heartbeats, Buck looked down at the woman resting against his chest. "You are so beautiful … I don't know how I got so lucky."

Lou raised her head up to look Buck in the eyes, a soft smile on her face. "I'm the lucky one. I love you Buck Cross."

Buck leaned forward and captured Lou's lips in a soft kiss, pulling back after a few seconds. "I love you Louise Cross."

The two disentangled and pulled their undergarments back on after they had to search for them for a few minutes in the water. Wading back to the shore, they squeezed as much of the water out of their undergarments as they could before they dressed and returned to the house, just in time for Rider's afternoon feeding.

That night as they laid in bed, Lou put her hand to her stomach. She was hurting from the fight with Kathleen, she had a large bruise across her abdomen. As she laid there in Buck's arms she moaned as a sharp pain hit her. "Lou, honey you alright?" Buck asked, raising himself up on his elbow to look at her.

Lou's face was ghost white, her forehead beading with sweat, a grimace of pain on her face. "Buck … something is wrong."

"What is it?" Buck asked sitting up allowing Lou to roll to her back.

Lou's hands were on her stomach, as she moaned again. Buck turned to light the lamp on their bedside table so he could see her better, it was then that he saw the blood staining Lou's nightgown. "Lou! you're bleeding!" Buck cried throwing the sheets back to reveal a large puddle of blood under Lou.

Lou cried out in pain, double over. "Buck help me!"

Buck jumped out of bed, "RACHEL!" He yelled.

Several seconds later Rachel burst into the room, her eyes wide. "What! What's wrong?"

"Lou needs help. She's bleeding bad." Buck cried pointing to the bed where Lou was openly crying in pain.

Rachel rushed over to the bed and took in the sight of the blood and Lou's face. "Oh … oh no." Rachel whispered, tears springing to her eyes.

"Buck go fetch the doctor." Rachel told him.

"Why? What's wrong?" Buck asked panicking.

"Lou's having a miscarriage." Rachel whispered brokenly.

Lou let out a loud wail at her words and Buck felt his whole world stop spinning as he looked at his wife at the evidence of the life they had created together and lost. Tears fell from his eyes as he rushed out of the room and the house, going directly to the barn to mount his horse, not even bothering with a saddle. He rode like hell itself was after him as he went for the doctor. But there was nothing the doctor could do, by the time he had arrived, Lou had lost the baby. All he could do was give her something for the pain, and offer his sympathy.

A/N: Thanks Shauna for the beta. Hope everybody enjoyed this chapter, sorry it ended on such a sad note. Let me know what you think.