Unshown Moments for Old Faces – Season 6

AN: CBloomer, DebbieW and Gunsmokefan and all others I couldn't PM, thank you!

This is for Lostcowgirl.

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"Sam, go get the Marshal, quick." Kitty ordered of her newly hired bartender. She didn't know the man that well yet but she could already tell that he was trustworthy. His quick "yes, Ma'am" and his immediately move to obey, even though he hadn't even started yet, was proof of that.

As Sam took off to find Matt, Kitty stood back and listened intently, hoping there wouldn't be blood-shed in her place that day. At first, when Tom Cook told Ed Ivers that he didn't want to fight as he found out the truth about his wife, Kitty breathed a sigh of relief, despite Tom's apparent attitude concerning his wife Tilda. At least he'd live long enough to figure out how to deal with it.

But that hope was quickly dashed as Ed Ivers and his partner started goading Tom and playing on his obvious anger at Tilda's deception. Looking at the expression on Tom's face, Kitty could tell they were getting to him and she decided it wouldn't be too bad an idea if she were to step behind the bar where the shotgun was concealed.

She had no sooner grabbed the weapon when things went horribly wrong and Tom squared off with Ivers, ultimately being the slower to the draw. Kitty hesitated a second when Tom went down with a bullet in his right shoulder, but that hesitation ended when she saw Ivers draw down a second time on the wounded man, knowing he was planning on firing again.

Without any further hesitation, she pointed the shotgun straight up, firing one of the barrels into the ceiling, heedless of the damage done, then pointed it straight at Ivers' chest. "Drop it, Ivers. That one went into the ceiling." She said stone faced. "The next one will blow your head off."

Kitty could tell she'd surprised the man and even unnerved him a little but he wasn't quite ready to give up when he threatened to put a bullet in her before she could pull the trigger. "You wouldn't even get to the door alive." She boasted. She'd just seen Matt at the doors.

"Who says I wouldn't?" Ivers asked. The woman was entirely too confident with that shotgun for his taste.

"I do." Matt answered as he pushed his way into the saloon, gun drawn. "Hold it right there. Put the gun up."

Reluctantly, Ivers obeyed and then tried to argue, not understanding why Matt would take Tom's side in the situation. He could tell his argument was falling on deaf ears.

After having Pete and Mike take Tom up to Doc's and sending Ivers and his partner scurrying away like the rats they were, Matt quickly made it over to the end of the bar where Kitty was shakily placing the shot gun on the countertop.

"Kitty, you did just fine." He smiled proudly at her. "How do you feel?"

"I… I'm alright." Kitty answered, though the slight trembling in her voice betrayed her.

"Fred, I think Miss Kitty here could use a drink." Matt nodded to the bartender.

After Fred had handed her a glass and left, Matt watched intently until Kitty had taken a couple of fortifying swallows of the amber liquid. 'That better?" He asked softly.

"Yeah." Kitty nodded. "I… I just…" She stopped trying to collect her thoughts. "I'm just glad you got here when you did. I don't know what I would've…"

"You handled it well, Kitty." Matt reached out and took her hand. "I'm proud of you."

Kitty swallowed the last of her whiskey and glanced around the now empty saloon. "I appreciate that, Matt, but I wasn't out to make you proud. I just didn't want to see that boy killed. I think I've had enough shootings in here for a while."

Involuntarily, her mind went back a few months to when she herself was shot right there in the bar room by a drunken thief with poor aim. She'd survived Bayloe's bullet and just hoped that Tom Cook would survive Ivers.

"I know, Kitty." Matt answered. He too remembered that horrible day. "But you handled that as good as anyone could. I meant what I said, I'm proud of you."

Kitty nodded then looked towards the doors, seeing Pete and Mike returning after taking Tom to Doc's office. "You think Tom will be alright?" She asked as she returned her troubled gaze to him.

"I know he will." Matt answered. "His guardian angel made sure of it."

Kitty tilted her head at his wording. "That how you see me?"

"Un, huh." Matt grinned. "You protected that boy just like you've protected me several times."

Kitty frowned. "Like I've protected you?"

"Un huh." Matt nodded seriously. "I can't count the number of times you've protected me from eating alone and drinking alone and…"

Kitty smiled finally and even laughed. "My, oh my, I have been good haven't I?"

"You sure have." Matt agreed. "Good for me anyway."

Kitty took another slow look aaround the saloon and then leaned in close so that her words could only be heard by him. "Well, I'll tell ya what, Cowboy. If you were to make it back here tonight, say after closing time, I just might manage to protect you from spending the night alone."

Matt grinned widely and stood back from the bar. "I've got to go make sure Ivers doesn't come back to town for a while." He told her. "But I'll be back, just about at closing time. I'll be here."

Kitty smiled happily as Matt tipped his hat to her and left the saloon while she replaced the shotgun under the bar. "You do that Marshal." She whispered. "And I'll make sure to protect you from all kinds of boredom tonight."

End