Author's note: This story is the 3rd installment of the Coming Together: The Journey Home series and picks up the morning after the Founder's Day Ball. I had always wondered how Kid and Lou got back together in the series since it never seemed clear when they decided to give their relationship another try and how they moved from that point to a marriage proposal and wedding in only a few episodes. This series is my attempt to fill in some of those blanks. I have tried to stick to the canon story as much as possible, weaving my stories into the last few episodes of the show (beginning with Spies). My last story in the series is still in progress, so in the meantime, I will be posting chapters to this story and then it's sequel upon its completion here. Lou & the Sioux is probably my favorite out of the series and I hope you enjoy reading it as much as I enjoyed writing it. I will post updates starting Friday and then on Tuesdays and Fridays after that until it is finished. Thanks for reading!

Chapter 1

July 28, 1861

Rock Creek, Nebraska Territory

Daylight slowly broke through the thin gap between the curtains ushering in the new day. Lou peered one eye open as she shifted slowly in her small, private bunk. Since moving to Rock Creek almost four months ago, she was forever grateful for the small sleeping alcove Kid had seen fit to erect in the corner of the bunkhouse just for her use. While he was initially only thinking of her comfort and need for privacy away from the boys, since they had made their way back together after those miserable months spent apart, the new found need for privacy took on a new meaning. After dancing around each other since their move to the Nebraska town and deciding to try their relationship again following the deaths of Kid's childhood friends, everything came rushing out that night more than two weeks ago in Fort Kearney. Lou had posed as Margaret with disastrous results, making her realize she could no longer stand the distance that kept them mostly apart. Late that night, alone in her hotel room, she confessed everything to him and he did the same. They ended up clearing many of the misunderstandings that kept them apart and brought about their fated reunion. Since that night, they had been inseparable. Things were similar to how they had been when they were together the first time, yet it was different. This time they understood each other more and most importantly, listened to what the other was really saying. She understood his fierce need to protect her and he learned to trust her more. In the end, things were better than they were back before they broke up.

Last night they had spent the most glorious night dancing at the founder's day ball followed by a different kind of dancing under the stars down by the pond. After sneaking back in the darkness of a summer storm, Lou found herself sound asleep in her bunk, curled up next to the man who made her pulse speed up with just a look. As she lay half asleep snuggled up against the man who lay pressed behind her, she glanced out towards the small window that cast the first rays of sunlight onto her bed. Cursing herself for not closing the curtains tighter last night, she slowly tried to ease herself from the bed. Feeling a strong arm tighten around her torso, she decided to abandon her mission, instead turning into the warmth of Kid's arms.

"Good morning," she whispered huskily. She closed her eyes and lay her head onto his shoulder after peering up at his sleep-softened face.

"Where you goin'?" Kid asked sleepily.

"Nowhere now," she commented, pulling herself closer to the man beside her.

"What time is it?" Kid asked, opening his blue eyes to gaze down into her brown ones. "I have that run to Liberty Farm this morning."

"I think you still got some time, but Rachel should be here soon to start breakfast."

"I can't get caught in here, Lou," he reminded her, pressing a kiss to her forehead. He tried easing himself from her arms so he could make it back to his own bunk to at least make it look like he spent the night there. Having her only a few feet away in this small alcove was proving to be his undoing. With the small room closed off from the rest of the bunk house, it was getting harder and harder to find his way back to his own bunk at night. While they still spent the occasional night in the hayloft, both Kid and Lou were finding it more comfortable, not to mention easier, to spend their nights in her bunk. Kid was always careful to sneak back to his own bed each morning, but even the threat of being caught in bed with her was not the deterrent it once was. The closer they got to each other, the less he cared if Teaspoon or Rachel, or even the boys, discovered them together. Kid knew he wanted to marry her someday, but he had also decided he had to wait until she was ready. Two weeks ago in Fort Kearney, she had told him she was nearly there. She had confessed how much she wanted him in her life, words that made him want to sing with joy. She still wanted him and he still had a chance with her. No, more than a chance, since she had confessed everything that was in her heart. She would be his if he was just brave enough to accept her as she was. Last night, she had pretty much confirmed his suspicions that she was only waiting for him to ask her again. Knowing how she felt now, Kid wasn't sure he could wait too much longer to propose to her, hopefully for the last time.

"I'm sure Rachel won't come in here unless she has a really good reason. And as for the boys, well, they can wonder all they want," Lou said, pressing her lips against his, urging him to stay just a little while longer. He held her close to his chest, deepening the kiss, not wanting to leave her this morning. Running his hands along her spine, he was reminded she had never changed into her long johns before bed, instead spending the night in the translucent shift she wore beneath her gown the previous night. Feeling her softness in his arms was proving to be quite the challenge this morning. Groaning against her plush mouth, Kid hesitantly pushed her away from him. Pulling back the sheet, he tried to extract himself from her welcoming bed. Rolling over so she was pinned beneath him, he dropped a final kiss on her waiting lips before he lifted himself off her. Standing beside her bed, he pulled the sheet back over her barely covered body before checking around the curtain to see if any of the boys were awake yet. Satisfied that he had awakened in time, Kid cast one last longing look her way, bent down to kiss her again, and crept from her bunk in search of his own.

Crossing the short distance to his bunk, Kid noticed his clothes from last night dumped on the bunk above his. Peeking out from the saddlebags resting there, he noticed the soft blue silk of Lou's gown. The boys would certainly make any number of inappropriate comments about his activities with Lou if they found her dress in his possession. Pulling the swath of fabric from the bag, he quickly tossed the dress behind her curtain, ignoring her stockings, corset, gloves, and hairpins scattering over the top bunk in his haste. Returning to his own cold bed, Kid quickly pulled back the untouched bedding and threw himself beneath. Immediately, he missed the warmth of the bed he just vacated, and felt Lou's absence keenly. Rolling to his side to face the wall, he lay there for a few minutes berating himself for his weakness for staying with her all night and then cursing himself for leaving her side this morning. He wasn't sure how much longer he could go on like this. Loving her with all his heart when they were alone and pretending to be nothing more than her friend during the day while they were in public. Despite her still maintaining her masculine disguise in order to keep her job with the express, it was getting harder for him to keep his feelings for her hidden when they were around other people.

Rolling over to his other side, Kid was surprised to see Jimmy staring at him from across the room. Narrowing his eyes at his best friend, Kid grew increasingly uncomfortable seeing Jimmy grin knowingly at him. He had a sneaking suspicion that Jimmy had seen him creeping from Lou's bed this morning. Heaving a sigh, Kid knew he would have to talk to Jimmy about what he witnessed this morning once he got back from his run today. Hopefully, Lou would be here waiting for him when he got back, but lately with Teaspoon, the riders never knew where they would be headed next. When anyone had time off between rides, the station master was likely to send them off on other runs for other reasons.

Knowing it was getting late and he had a run to prepare for, Kid heaved himself from his lonely bunk and started pulling on his brown trousers and blue shirt. He had just sat down on his bunk to pull on his socks and boots when Jimmy whispered, "Late night there, Kid?"

Kid paused his movements momentarily to glance at Jimmy before he shoved his feet into his boots. Deciding to ignore his friend's accusatory comment, Kid moved closer to the table after taking his gun and holster off his bunk post where all the riders hung their weapons while at home. Rachel refused to allow guns at mealtime and so the riders all got in the habit of removing their gun belts as soon as they entered the bunkhouse for the night. He sat at the table, checking his weapon to make sure it was loaded and ready for his run in case he should need to use it. Engrossed in his task and his thoughts of Lou, he jumped when Jimmy sat down next to him. "You alright there, Kid?" he asked his friend.

"Yeah. I gotta get ready for my run, Jimmy. Did you want something?"

Jimmy paused a moment before he leaned closer, softly saying, "You know I'm rooting for you two, right? And you know I won't tell Teaspoon or the others what time you finally arrived back to your own bunk this morning?" He understood how difficult it had been for Kid and Lou when they were together the first time with all the boys making comments or trying to catch them together. Jimmy was determined to help them this time by keeping his mouth shut when it came to any of their activities he might be privy to. He watched as the color rose in Kid's face as he realized he had, in fact, been caught sneaking out of Lou's bunk this morning.

Turning to look at his friend, Kid whispered, "Thanks, Jimmy. You know we're trying to keep things private this time around, so thank you for not telling anyone."

"You know, I'm kinda surprised you managed to find your own bunk this morning. It seems to take you longer and longer to get back there when you've spent the night with her," Jimmy whispered back conspiratorially. While he wouldn't go sharing the details of his friends' relationship, he wasn't against a little ribbing as payment for keeping his mouth shut.

In a rare moment of complete honesty, Kid explained, "It's getting harder and harder to leave her, Jimmy. I don't want to leave and she doesn't want me to go. You know she doesn't make it very easy on me some mornings."

"I can imagine, my friend," Jimmy replied, clapping a hand on the sandy-haired rider's back. He was about to stand to head back to his own bunk when they heard footsteps on the porch, signalling the arrival of Rachel and some much needed breakfast.

The bunkhouse door opened with a groan, announcing Rachel's entrance into the room the six riders called home. In her hands, she carried a platter of freshly baked biscuits and a pot of steaming oatmeal. Placing the food on the table, she directed Jimmy to set the table with bowls and spoons. Placing the folded long johns she had draped over her arm on the back of a chair, Rachel watched as Kid stood nervously in the room. "Kid, why don't you go get Katy saddled. Breakfast'll be ready in a minute," she said, encouraging the young man to get everything ready for his run. The incoming rider could be here at any time, so it was best Kid was ready to go before sitting down to eat. Nodding to the station mistress, Kid quickly exited the small house.

Once he was out of earshot, Rachel sidled up to Jimmy, asking, "So, I assume he made it back to his bunk this morning before the others woke up?" Jimmy's smile was all the response she needed to know where the southerner had spent the night once again. "He's cutting it a little close, isn't he?" she asked, not really expecting an answer.

"I'm not sure it's all his fault, Rachel," the long-haired rider tried to explain. Having watched the romance blossom between her riders, Rachel was all too aware of the pull they each felt for the other. She just hoped they came to some sort of agreement before circumstances forced them to. The way they were carrying on, she wouldn't be surprised to hear Lou announce she was expecting sooner rather than later. Sighing as she remembered her early days with Henry, Rachel set about brewing coffee and finishing breakfast.

She had just set the butter and syrup on the table when Kid returned to the bunkhouse, having seen to his horse. Peering through the window, she could spy the paint mare standing by the hitching post off the porch, awaiting her rider. "Did you have a good time last night, Kid?" Rachel asked as the young man sat down to eat before he had to leave. "You and Lou seemed to disappear after you left the ball last night. We missed you back at the station afterwards," she said, hinting that she knew more about his whereabouts last night than she would admit.

"It was so hot in the hotel, Rachel, we decided to go for a swim out at the pond afterwards," Kid admitted sheepishly. He hated having to share anything about his relationship with Lou, even if it was only with Rachel.

Pulling out the chair at the end of the table, she cast a knowing look in Kid's direction before she asked, "Oh, Kid before you eat, can you bring Lou her long johns? She left them up at the house yesterday before the dance." Seeing the crimson travel up his face, Rachel turned to her breakfast and started eating. She watched Kid take the folded garments in his hands and slowly walk over to the small alcove where he knew Lou was already awake and probably listening to this whole uncomfortable conversation.

Slipping behind her closed curtain, he came face to face with a barely dressed Lou. Sunlight streamed through the now open window, casting an ethereal glow over her softly clad body. Still wearing the sheer silk chemise from the night before, Kid nearly choked at the beautiful display before him.

Turning from where she had been bent over her trunk searching for something appropriate to wear, she noticed her long johns in Kid's outstretched hand. "Oh, Kid, you brought my long johns," she announced quietly. "Did Rachel bring them with her this morning?" When he didn't respond to her questions, Lou moved closer to the man standing in her small room, taking in his distracted look. "Kid," she whispered, "Is something wrong?" She watched as his eyes raked over her barely covered body, admiring all the curves beneath the silky, sheer material. Seeing that her attire was rendering him speechless, Lou took the boyish undergarments from Kid and began pulling the bottoms on under her chemise. "I guess this means you'd like it if I wore this again," she mentioned, picking at the shoulder of the diaphanous silk.

Kid could barely muster a nod of his head at her suggestive comment, his distracted mind thinking he would like to see her out of it again too. His palms itched to feel all her softness and he imagined taking her in his arms and holding her tightly against him. Shoving his hands into his pockets to hide his growing desire, Kid watched as she quickly pulled on the long john bottoms before turning away from him to pull the chemise over her head and off her body. With nothing separating them but the humid air in the room, Kid closed his eyes, trying to force the image of her bare skin from his mind. By the time he had opened them again, Lou had slipped the long sleeved top over her head, essentially hiding her feminine curves from his lustful view. Taking a deep breath, Kid turned and left the room, afraid if he didn't, he would never leave on his run this morning.

Lou was quickly dressed, hanging her ball gown on one of the hooks on her wall before leaving the comfort of her small bunk in search of sustenance. Sliding onto the bench beside Kid she was surprised to see only Jimmy also seated at the table. Glancing around the room she noticed the rest of the boys were just rousing from sleep. Happy that for once she might share a meal without the annoying comments from her fellow riders, Lou poured some maple syrup onto her bowl of oatmeal before scooping the hot cereal into her mouth. Between bites, she watched Kid sitting next to her and Jimmy across the table as the latter sent curious glances in her direction. "Something on your mind, Jimmy," she asked, spooning more oatmeal into her mouth.

"Nope," Jimmy replied, not willing to start anything with her this morning. Right now it was enough to have had his chance to tease Kid about his late-night adventures. Having experienced Lou's mighty temper first hand, he was not eager to be on the receiving end ever again.

Satisfied she had managed to shut him up before he even opened his mouth, Lou turned to Kid to say, "Have a good ride today, Kid. I'll see you when you get back, alright?" She watched as the man next to her nodded to her as he finished up his breakfast. Draining the rest of his coffee from the mug, he reached for her thigh under the table, giving it a firm squeeze before he carried his breakfast dishes to the wash basin. Casting a furtive glance at Lou, he tipped his head towards the door, indicating that he wanted her to follow him outside. She nodded her understanding before he slipped from the bunkhouse.

Quickly finishing her oatmeal, Lou skipped the biscuits and sipped her coffee, wrinkling her nose at the strange flavor of the dark brew. "Is this coffee different, Rachel?" she asked as she carried the mug with her to the door.

"No, it's the same coffee Tomkins has always been selling, why?" the station mistress asked curiously.

"No reason, it just tastes different this morning," Lou replied as she closed the door behind her. Once on the porch, her eyes swept the surrounding landscape for the one she sought. Seeing Kid coming around the corner from the barn, she walked over to where he would eventually end up, standing next to his beloved paint mare. Taking another sip of the coffee, her face grimaced at the awful taste and aroma, causing her to stop drinking the noxious brew this morning. Pouring the remains of her coffee onto the dirt below, she balanced the empty mug on the edge of the porch before finally turning her attention to the man who was about to ride off without her. "Be careful out there," she gently reminded, turning her soft brown eyes to look up at him. She reached her hand over to brush some imaginary dirt off his shoulder, trying to maintain their carefully crafted facade of just being good friends when out in the public eye but wanting desperately to feel him one more time before he left.

"I will," he promised, hearing the approaching hoofbeats that could only mean his ride was about to start. Without thinking, Kid quickly pressed a kiss to her soft cheek before swinging up onto Katy's back.

Lou handed him the reins, her hand briefly pausing to rest on his knee before she backed up, crossing her arms over her chest. As he took the mochila from the incoming rider, she stood beneath the eaves watching him gallop off in the direction of Liberty Farm. "Bye, Kid,"she whispered to herself before turning and heading back into the station house.

Back inside, Lou was met with all the faces of her fellow riders who had finally woken up enough to join Rachel at the breakfast table. She filled her empty coffee mug with water, drinking it down to quench her thirst. Placing her now empty mug into the basin with the rest of the dishes to be washed, she fixed the disheveled bedding on Kid's bunk before settling herself onto the soft mattress. Leaning back against the solid wall, she closed her eyes, allowing the sounds of early morning around the bunkhouse to settle around her. She was just drifting off to sleep when Teaspoon entered the bunkhouse with a slam of the door, causing her to jump.

"Good morning, boys," he boomed, before adding, "and girl," once he noticed a drowsy Lou resting on Kid's bunk. He cast a worried glance in Rachel's direction but at the shake of her head he decided to ask her about it later. "I see everyone's up and at 'em this morning," he added noting the sleepy faces on all of his remaining riders. "Did Kid get off alright this morning?" he asked.

"You just missed him, Teaspoon," Rachel commented, "He rode out of here a few minutes ago."

"Well, at least one of you got up and ready despite the late night last night," the station master admonished. Helping himself to some breakfast, Teaspoon accepted the cup of coffee Rachel handed him. He had eaten about half his breakfast before he announced, "Looks like I got a special run for two of you boys today."

"Yeah, Teaspoon? Where to?" Noah asked.

"Fort Laramie to deliver some documents for the army."

"Ugh, it's too early for this, Teaspoon," Cody whined. While the blonde rider enjoyed the special runs as much as the rest of them, when they were announced this early following a town social, he tended to greet the news with disdain.

"Just so's you know, Mr. Cody, you happen to be next up," Teaspoon informed the young man. The blonde rider groaned in annoyance over his bad luck.

"Who's going with him then, Teaspoon?" Buck asked. "Jimmy and I got runs coming up soon. So does Noah."

From the bunk behind them, the riders turned to hear Lou say, "I am. It's my turn and I don't have any runs scheduled for the next few days."

"Cody, Lou, get packed up and ready to go as soon as you can. Rachel, can you get them some jerky and hardtack for their trip? You'll need to get started as soon as possible seein' as how it'll take you almost a week to get there. Buck, I'll need you to come into town with me to retrieve the package as soon as breakfast is finished," Teaspoon instructed. "As for the rest of you, you have chores that need to be done and with two riders gone, you'll have to do theirs as well."

Noah, Buck, and Jimmy wrinkled their faces at the thought of having to double up on chores and runs for the next two weeks in the absence of Cody and Lou. Meanwhile, Lou left Kid's bunk and disappeared into her alcove to ready her bedroll and gather a few things she would need for the extended run. Pulling the long muslin strip from her dresser, she pulled her shirt off and lifted her long john top and started wrapping the bindings around her breasts. Since they had become more comfortable in Rock Creek, she hadn't really been wearing them as much, preferring to add the extra layer of a vest to hide her small feminine curves. Now as she pressed her breasts into submission, she winced slightly as the tender flesh was flattened beneath the fabric. Once she was finished, Lou redressed as the reality of her new assignment registered in her mind. She was about to close the drawer that hid her bindings when she glanced down at the small paper calendar Rachel had given her to keep track of her courses. Noticing that it had been more than four weeks since she had last been afflicted, she counted the days and realized she was late. She hadn't been late in all her time riding with the express. Closing the drawer, she bent down to the bottom drawer to grab some of her cloths to pack into her saddlebags, just in case. Satisfied that she was as prepared as she could be, she thought about the blue eyed man who had just ridden out of here. She was going to miss him while she was gone. Thankful for the privacy of her bunk, she slumped on the bed and allowed a tear to slide down her cheek. Two weeks away from Kid was going to be tough on them both. She hated to leave without letting him know what was going on, so grabbing a sheet of paper from her dresser, she started writing a letter to the man she would miss most of all.

She was deep in thought as she poured her heart out into Kid's letter, so much so that she barely noticed the boys finishing breakfast and heading in various directions to start their chores for the day. Startling her out of her reverie, Rachel entered the girl's small corner of the room and sat beside her on her bunk. "Writing to Kid?" she asked.

"Yeah. I didn't want to leave without letting him know where I was headed. Although I know the boys or Teaspoon would tell him, I would rather he heard it from me than from them," Lou said wistfully.

"You two have finally figured things out, haven't you?"

"I think so. Things are so different than they were the first time around. Sure there are things that are the same, but I think we're both different this time."

"How do you mean?" Rachel asked the young woman beside her.

"I think we both realized how miserable we were when we were apart, so we really want things to work this time," she confessed, her eyes fixed on the folded letter in her hands. "Rachel, I can't lose him again. I don't think I could survive that."

Placing her hand on Lou's, Rachel surmised, "You love him, Louise. There's nothing better than that feeling when you both realize you feel the same way." Looking at the letter, she asked, "Do you want me to hold onto that until he gets home?"

Lou nodded as she handed the letter over to the station mistress's outstretched hand. "I'll see that he gets it as soon as he gets back, alright?" Rachel assured the girl. "Now, why don't you go get ready to leave. The sooner you leave, the sooner you'll be back."

Grabbing her bedroll and saddle bags, Lou said, "Thanks, Rachel," before she disappeared from her bunk and hurried out the door to the barn. Rachel sat for a moment, sliding the letter into her skirt pocket. Looking around the tiny room, she took note of the pale blue ball gown hanging from the wall near the young woman's bed. Thinking wistfully about her own younger days, Rachel smiled and, pausing to run her hand along the silken garment, returned to her task of cleaning up from breakfast.

In the barn, Lou soon found Cody who was busy saddling one of the express horses. Seeing how he was leaving his favorite mount, Soda, behind for this run, Lou decided to do likewise, deliberately passing Lightning's stall to select one of the other horses for today. From previous runs she knew that Lightning would end up spending the next two weeks at a smaller station. He would be better off here at home where Kid could tend to him in her absence. Grabbing a saddle from the tack room, Lou soon set to readying her mount for the first leg of their journey.

"Hey, Lou," Cody said as he fastened the strap on his saddle. "You ready for all this?"

"Not particularly, but what choice do we have?" she replied, dejectedly, already missing Kid.

"Well, at least you get to spend the next two weeks with me," he beamed, half teasing her.

Shaking her head in mild amusement, Lou stated, "That's what worries me, Cody."

Cody led his mount out of the barn. As he passed her stall, he added rather astutely, "Well, we can't all be Kid, now can we?" He disappeared into the station yard before she could respond.

Grumbling at her luck of having to spend the next fourteen days alone in Cody's company, Lou finished saddling her horse. She tied her bedroll onto the back and tossed her bag over the sides. Satisfied that she was as ready as she would ever be, Lou mounted up on the mare and left the barn. Once outside, she met Cody and the two of them, having received the parcel from Buck who had just returned with it from town, kicked their mounts into a gallop and headed out of town.