Unshown Moments for Matt for Murder Season 4

This is for LadyBrit.

"Why, it's Bill Hickok!" Kitty reached out a hand, genuinely glad to see him. "What are you doing in Dodge?"

"Oh, just a little business. How have you been?"

"I'm just fine. You oughta come and see us more often, Bill."

"Yeah, I should."

After telling Matt that she didn't know where Jim Huggins was but would keep trying to find out, it suddenly dawned on Kitty just why Bill Hickok was in town. He and Matt didn't say it outright, but she knew and her stomach soured at the thought.

Matt encouraged her to join him and Bill for a drink at the Long Branch later but she wasn't sure she wanted to do that. She genuinely liked Bill and she knew if he took Matt away, that like would turn into something else entirely.

"Well, I have some shopping to do, Matt. I'll be back." Kitty offered him an encouraging smile.

"See ya later, Kitty." Bill offered as she moved to take her leave.

"Sure, Bill." Kitty's smile had grown sadder in the just a few seconds as she turned and walked away.

Bill Hickok watched her for several moments before finally turning back to hear what Matt was talking to the drunk Ed about. It seemed that the man knew the whereabouts of someone Matt was looking for wanted to trade that info for a bottle of whiskey.

Once Matt gave him the money, he turned back to Bill. "Let's go back to the office. I've got an idea."

Following Matt over to the jail, Bill studied his friend. "Kitty didn't know, did she?" He asked.

"Nope." Matt answered as they entered the jail. Neither man said more on the subject until after Matt revealed his plans to Bill and Chester had been dispatched to fill Doc in on their plans and to buy whiskey.

After Chester left, Matt went over to the stove. "Since we can't get whiskey right now would you like some coffee?"

"Sure, Matt." Bill nodded. "And I'd like to know more about you and Kitty." He watched Matt's face redden slightly and he knew he was right. "Thought so."

"Thought what?" Matt turned to look at him.

"You and Kitty." Bill smiled. "I saw something between you two when I was here a couple of years ago, just before I became Sherriff in Abilene. I wasn't sure of it then, but I am now. You two will be good together, Matt."

"Oh, now, wait a minute, Bill." Matt sat a cup of coffee down on the table for Bill, with a shake of his head. "Kitty and I..."

"Oh, come on, Matt." Bill picked up the coffee sniffing of the contents before tasting it. It didn't smell burnt but it sure looked it. He glanced back up at Matt. "I saw how she looked at you out there. You can't tell me there's nothing. I'm not blind."

"Kitty is a friend of mine." Matt sighed. "Same as she is yours or..."

"Oh, ho, don't go there, Pal." Bill shook his head. "Kitty's a friend of mine, that's true, but not the same as she is yours. Not at all."

"Then how?" Matt asked. "Exactly how are you friends?"

Bill shook his head with a smile. "Not like that either. Or at least not completely." Looking over at Matt he saw a growing scowl and put the coffee down. "Kitty was a working girl in Abilene, Matt. You know that."

Matt nodded glumly. He did know that but he didn't like it. "Yeah, I know it. So that's how you two became friends?"

Bill shook his head. "Nope. I mean, I did pay for her time on a couple of occasions, but that was strictly business. She made sure I knew that too. She wasn't going to give her heart and her time to no man. At least, no man up there." He grinned at Matt but saw no echoing smile. "Relax, Matt. Like I said, it was business, and it was only twice."

"So how did you become friends then." Matt asked.

Bill laughed, remembering it all. "It was one night, right after I got there." He answered as he took a sip of the coffee and gagged. "Wh... ack... Who made this?" The grimace on his face showed his feelings towards the coffee. "That's hot enough to fry eggs with."

Matt finally relaxed a little. "Chester. He puts cayenne pepper in it."

"Tell him to stop, would ya." Bill hastily sat the cup down.

Matt laughed but he wasn't willing to change the subject. "You were going to tell me how you and Kitty became friends."

"Oh, yeah." Bill nodded. "Well, like I said, it was right after I got there. She was working the floor of the Oasis, serving drinks, sitting with lonely cowboys, you know the drill."

Matt nodded. He'd seen her do the same too many times over the Long Branch.

"Well, anyway," Bill went on. "I went in there one night for a drink and maybe a hand or two of poker and the place was packed. There was only one seat available and it was facing the wall. Well, you know how I feel about that. I wasn't going to sit there for anyone's money. So I went to the end of the bar got me a bottle and decided I'd go some where's else. But I'd no sooner asked for the bottle when I heard someone yelling at the top of her lungs and I looked up to see this grizzly bear tackling this tiny little girl, attempting to drag her up stairs."

"And you just naturally stepped forward to rescue the damsel in distress and became her friend." Matt thought he'd finished the story.

"Nope." Bill grinned. "I mean, I stepped forward, that's true. But it was a damsel that saved me."

"Huh?" Matt frowned. "How?"

"Well," Bill shook his head ruefully. "Right before I went to the saloon, I had dropped my gun off at the blacksmith's shop to repair the firing pin. And as I don't like to go without a gun, I got him to loan me one until mine was fixed. I didn't know that the one he loaned me was worse than the one I left with him so I called that big old buffalo of a man out and told him to let go of the girl and leave her alone."

"Did he?" Matt was getting interested.

"Nope." Bill answered. "He just held on tighter to the girl and threatened to kill me and her and anyone else that tried to stop him. Well, you know me. I wasn't about to stand for that, so I pulled that borrowed gun and cocked the trigger. I told him if he didn't let the girl go, I'd blow him to kingdom come."

"He let her go then?"

"Nope. He just laughed when the cylinder suddenly fell out of the thing and hit the floor." Bill started laughing, remembering the sight. "You know, it's funny now, but back then, I was afraid, I'll tell ya. I'd never been without a gun before and to have one just fall apart in my hands like that, right after I called a man out, well, it was more than just a little embarrassing."

"I can imagine." Matt joined him in the chuckle. "So what did happen then?"

"Well," Bill went on. "Here I am, with a useless pistol in my hand a bear of a man in front of me and this helpless little girl thinking she's about to be eaten by that bear when suddenly that big galoot got this startled look on his face. You know real surprised like. He didn't say anything but he suddenly let go of the girl and fell face first to the floor. Now, I don't mind telling you, that sight alone was pretty shocking in and of itself. But what I saw right after he fell was even more so."

"What'd you see?" Matt was completely drawn into the tale and he was having trouble figuring out how Kitty could've save Bill when she was being held by a bear.

"Kitty." Bill laughed again. "You see, she saw what was happening from across the room and when she saw my gun fall apart, she grabbed one of the other cowboy's guns and snuck up behind this big guy and hit him in the back of the head with it."

Matt stared at him for a moment. "You... you mean it wasn't Kitty that man had?"

"Nope." Bill laughed even louder. "It was tiny little mouse of a girl called Sarah that worked with Kitty. And as soon as she was released, she tucked tail and scurried upstairs as fast as she could go. Kitty just watched her for a moment than hollered at the bar tender to get someone to take out the trash. I've liked that lady ever since."

Matt dropped his head with a smile. The events, as described by Bill, didn't surprise him at all. It'd be like Kitty to do something like that. He'd more than once seen her face down people that scared most men. "Kitty never told me that story, but it sounds like something she'd do. When she takes a liking to someone, she's a real bear about em. And I know she liked Sarah. She's mentioned her before."

"Yeah, Kitty will definitely fight for someone she cares about." Bill paused a second and stared hard at Matt, "Especially you."

"Yeah, well..." Matt, suddenly uncomfortable, got up and headed for the door. "Guess Chester's got the whiskey and all by now and is up at Doc's. What you say we go an get Mr. Huggins so Kitty won't have to fight for me, huh?"

"Alright, Matt." Bill agreed. "But keep in mind, my gun's been fixed and my back's against the wall."

Matt nodded at the subtle threat but didn't reply. "Come on. Let's go." He answered gruffly. He had no intentions of fighting Bill Hickok. If it went against him, he'd face up to it and let him take him in. Still, although he knew it, he was still glad to hear that his Kitty would fight for him if he needed it. He just didn't intend to need it.

END