A/N: It's been way too long since I updated this one, but life got in the way. Next up is the moment Garrett was referring to right before he burned down Jane's "boarding house". Since I began writing the Last Regulator, I always wondered how Jessie would have taken that one. Don't worry, I kept it clean, nothing graphic or explicit. Enjoy!

As always, I own nothing but my OC.

February 21, 1879, Puerte de Luna, New Mexico Territory

She hated casino, always had. That Garrett loved it only made matters worse. Billy had taken to playing all day sometimes, she suspected out of a need to keep his mind busy if nothing else. And he was good at it, she couldn't deny that. His skill came in handy when the coffers ran low.

Her back to the cantina wall, Jessie laid down a five and took another card from the deck. Give her a good hand of poker any day. She cast a glance around the smoky interior and located Billy sitting with his back to the opposite wall, Garrett on his left, both of them engrossed in their game. Jessie took a sip of her whiskey and pushed a couple chips into the middle. "Raise you ten." The men playing with her eyed each other, then their cards.

They knew who she was, and didn't care that she was a woman living in a man's world. Their respect had been earned at the poker table and a display of her shooting abilities out back of the cantina. She'd even managed to impress Billy that day, earning a low whistle and a smile.

"I'm out." One man laid down his cards, but the other one shook his head and pushed all of his chips into the middle.

"I do not think you have the cards, senorita. I call." She smiled and showed her hand. He groaned and muttered in Spanish as she collected her winnings. It wasn't much, but at least they wouldn't starve for the next few days.

"Another game, amigos? No stakes this time, only the game." They looked at each other and nodded. The darker one shuffled the deck and dealt another hand.

By the time two games had passed in friendly chatter, Jessie glanced up and her blood ran cold. Where the hell was he? She dropped her cards and scanned the room, her companions eyeing her nervously. "Donde esta el Chivato?" The men looked around and shrugged. She pushed back her chair and stalked across the cantina. She stopped at the bar and caught the bartender's attention. Jessie repeated her question, this time accompanied by the subtle shift of her hand onto the butt of her right-hand Colt. The man swallowed hard.

"They go upstairs."

"What for?" Why the hell had he taken off without at least telling her? For the love of Heaven there could be bounty hunters lurking around! Without giving the man a chance to reply, she shoved off the bar and stomped up the stairs. She was gonna kill Garrett this time, there was no way Billy was talking her out of it. He might pretend to be their friend, but she didn't buy it, had never bought it, not after seeing him almost draw on Billy down in Juarez that night.

If Garrett wanted Billy away from her, he had five hundred good reasons and they were all greenbacks.

Shadows drifted through the windows in the upstairs hall as she stormed down its length, trying doors. Startled shrieks and curses sounded in her wake. "Lo siento," she called over her shoulder, and kept going. The second to the last door on the right wouldn't budge, and she threw her shoulder against it. Giggles sounded from inside, accompanied by slightly drunken laughter that sounded like Garrett. She didn't hear a thing from Billy, if he was even in there at all. "Billy?" She jiggled the door knob. "Open the door, Billy, dammit! Garrett!" Oh, she was gonna kill that son of a bitch. "Billy, answer me, are you all right?" She tried the knob again. "Billy!"

Fine.

She drew her Colt and drew back the hammer. She pulled the trigger and the lock exploded. Jessie shot through the door and skidded to a halt in the middle of the small room, her mouth hanging open and her eyes bugging wide.

"William H. Bonney!"

She clapped a hand over her eyes to block out the sight of Garrett and Billy prancing around stark naked accompanied by Jane Greathouse in an equal state of undress, whiskey bottles in hand. Billy laughed and the redhead giggled.

"Hello, Jess."

"Jessie, honey, all you had to do was say you wanted to join us."

"No, thank you," she spit through gritted teeth and spun on her heel, stalking back out the door. She slammed it behind her and stared up at the ceiling. Movement caught her eye and she glanced to the top of the stairs.

The bartender hovered on the landing, wringing his hands nervously. Jessie held up one finger and he scurried over. "Bring me a bottle of whiskey, a glass, and a chair," she hissed in low Spanish. The man retreated and raced down the stairs, leaving her alone. He was back in less than two minutes with the requested items and she placed the chair against the wall next to the door, sat down, opened the bottle, and filled the glass, draining it in one gulp.

She'd prefer not to be this close, but with the other rooms occupied, she wasn't about to put her back to a stranger by sitting at the top of the stairs.

By the time the sun had risen the next morning, the bottle was empty and her patience was dangerously thin. Did he have any idea how vulnerable he'd made himself? Did he even care?

Billy might be twenty – or so he'd claimed at the end of December – but he still didn't act like it, and probably never would. She'd known that when she made her choice to follow him into Hell and back and she wouldn't change it now. He might irritate worse than burlap underwear, and be as reckless as a yearling colt, but Billy was all she had left, all the Ring would let her have.

The door creaked open and she glanced sideways. Jane Greathouse slipped into the hall, fully dressed this time, a nervous smile on her face. Jessie arched an eyebrow. The woman coughed lightly. "I just want you to know, he don't mean nothing to me. We were just having a little fun, that's all. Truth is, I like Garrett more than Billy."

"You're the only one." Jane flushed.

"I'm right sorry if I invaded your territory, Jessica."

"Jessie," she corrected automatically. "I haven't gone by Jessica in a long time. And Billy's not mine. If he wants to waste money on a woman, that's his business."

"You're not mad?" Jane's forehead creased. "Most women would be, even if it was only their brother."

"Not at you," Jessie said tartly, and Jane giggled.

"Lord have mercy. Maybe I ought to warn Garrett, Jesus will be upset enough about the busted lock, if he has to clean blood out of that room, he'll never forgive me."

"Do it, and I will be mad at you." A familiar cackle broke into the conversation and Billy sauntered out of the room, a grin plastered on his face.

"Hello, Jess. Sore?" She tilted her head and slowly rose from the chair. Billy swallowed and the grin slipped off his face. "Jess?" She drew back and clobbered him across the face with a hard punch that knocked him back against the opposite wall. He held his hands up in surrender, but she'd already turned on Garrett as he attempted to use her distraction to slip away. She drew her gun and blasted a hole in the wall two feet from his arm. He froze, shooting her a panicked glance.

"Jess, come on –"

"No, Billy! He could have been leading you into a trap, again! Or have you forgotten Juarez? We can't trust him, not now, not ever." Billy carefully approached and touched the gun. Their eyes met.

"Jess, he's all we've got. And we need friends." She drew in a sharp breath and holstered her gun, giving Garrett a harsh glare. She stabbed a finger in the air.

"You ever try and separate us again, and next time, I won't miss." Garrett swallowed hard and scurried down the stairs like the rat he was. Jane heaved a sigh and fanned herself.

"My, my, that man has a wonderful ass." Jessie slowly turned her head to stare at her in shock. The woman giggled, the sound becoming full-blown laughter accompanied by Billy's cackle. Jessie sat down hard in the chair, rubbing at her temples. She shook her head.

"No, he is an ass."