Heyes stood from the poker game, stretching tight shoulders as he did so. He'd done well, but it had taken quite a lot of concentration and he'd had to work for what he'd won.

He smiled his thanks at the other players,. "Thank you gentlemen for a real good few games." It was meant sincerely and the men smiled in return.

"It's bin an education playing against Hannibal Heyes. I can see your reputation for playin' poker, ain't bin exaggerated none."

"Why thank you." Heyes just resisted puffing out his chest at the compliment from the second best player at the table and with another nod and smile,collected his winnings, leaving a few coins for them all to buy a drink.

He turned round to look for his partner, clicking his teeth in some frustration when he spotted him leant against the bar, a half empty bottle of whiskey behind him, with a girl on either arm, looking flushed and more than a little drunk. Heyes sighed, he didn't like this at all.

In the past few weeks, since leaving Fountain, the Kid had been quiet and a little withdrawn, when not talking about Emma or his daughter. Heyes had expected that after what he'd gone through, and so hadn't been overly concerned. But about a week ago, on their second night in this town, Heyes had woken before dawn, to find Kid gone, the mourning band discarded and a strong smell of whiskey in the room. When he'd returned, he'd refused to say anything about where he'd been and from that point on, he'd not worn the band at all. Though Heyes had seen him fingering it when he didn't think he was being observed, and it was rarely not in his pants or shirt pocket.

But after that night, the Kid had spent every evening following just like this. Drinking too much and taking a girl or two upstairs, usually not the same girls either, before stumbling back to their room in the early hours. Looked like tonight was going to be no different. Heyes bit down on his worried anger and walked over to his slightly drunken friend. He said calmly, but not really hiding his displeasure. "I'm gonna call it a night. It's after midnight." Yep, thought Heyes resigned, definitely two different girls than last night. He'd tried to talk to his friend a couple of times, but Kid had just shut him down and told him to stop worrying. Maybe he'd try again in the morning, once his partner surfaced.

Kid squinted at him. "Fair enough, Heyes, but I'm gonna stay and spend a bit more quality time with Margaret and Alice here. Don't wait up!"

Heyes sighed. "All right, Kid, but do try not to trip over your feet and wake me when you get back. I could do without picking you up off the floor. After a moment's thought, he handed some money over to his friend, knowing he'd not spent any time at the tables tonight. The Kid peered at the cash blearily, looked about to refuse it, before he stuffed the notes in his pocket with a mumbled thanks as he returned his attention to the two women.

Heyes sighed, looked at the three of them and then began to walk towards the door. Once there, he took a final worried glance at the Kid and the women. He knew that this was just the Kid trying to find a way of coping, but it was hardly healthy and he could see trouble ahead.

XXX

He woke a few hours later, a little surprised to find that the Kid hadn't returned, he wasn't usually quite this late. He was about to go look for him, when the door swung open and a bruised and cut Kid stumbled in. Blood dripping slightly from his nose and lip as well as from a cut over his right eye.

Heyes jumped quickly out of bed, as Kid threw his hat towards the side table by the bed, though he missed and it landed on the folded down quilt instead. "What the hell, Kid?"

The Kid sighed and started to get undressed slowly, just avoiding toppling over as he bent down to remove his boots. "Don't fuss, Heyes, I just gotta sleep."

"Sit down, before you fall down and lemme clean you up some. You'll get blood all over the sheets otherwise."

Heyes folded his arms, and as the Kid glared at him, he couldn't help thinking his partner looked an awful lot like the truculent seventeen year old he had been, the summer they'd split as young men. He sighed, before turning away to retrieve a cloth and soak it in the full pitcher of water. He was relieved when he turned back to the Kid, that he was sat on the edge of the bed, his gun placed on the bedstead and his hat placed on the bedside table.

The Kid winced when with a little more pressure than was really needed, Heyes began to clean the cuts. "Ouch, Heyes! Thought you was meant to help, not gimme more pain."

Heyes reigning back on his own temper, gentled his touch some, but said sharply. "What the hell happened to you? Don't figure the girls did this. Less you were really lousy or forgot to pay them."

The Kid laughed and added. "Weren't them, gave 'em a nice night, paid them well, then left them asleep. I just had a bit of a run in with some folks who wanted a fight, they weren't too happy I was takin' so much of the girl's attention this week. It seemed real rude not to oblige 'em."

Heyes sighed and asked. "I can't believe I'm saying this, but why didn't you just draw on them? Ain't like we gotta hide no more and it would've saved you bleeding all over the floor."

The Kid shrugged. "Ain't real sure, to be honest, Heyes."

"Just plain stupid if you ask me"

"Ain't askin' you." The Kid snapped then relaxed with a humph. "I guess you're right though, Heyes. When you go back to Denver, I won't have no one to fuss, so I'd better be more careful."

Heyes stopped what he was doing and looked over at his friend in some surprise. "Whatcha talking about, Kid? I ain't going back to Denver, less you want to go."

The Kid shrugged. "Well you got a life there, figured you'd be heading back. Now everythin' is sorted."

"What makes you think that, Kid?" Heyes was honestly puzzled, wondering what on earth had given his friend such a crazy notion.

"That train schedule you was lookin' at last week, I saw it got the trains to Denver all marked. Noticed it out on the side last week, when I woke needing to pee. Figured you were just waiting for the right time to tell me. I'll give you a couple of weeks to get settled again, then I'll come visit."

Heyes tried to think what his friend was talking about, then it came to him. "Weren't trains to Denver, Kid, was trains from. I used that schedule to plan my trip to Fountain. But in the end it was quicker to take a stage and ride the rest of the way."

"Oh." The Kid's voice was embarrassed. "Ain't you wantin' to get back there? Don't figure your boss is gonna be too happy with ya. But I bet you can talk him into keepin' ya on, with that silver-tongue of yours."

Heyes turned his attention to the Kid's knuckles as he laughed. "I told my boss to shove his job, as he weren't going to give me any time off when I read about you being arrested. I made sure he paid me what was owed and settled up with my landlady, so I ain't got nothing left in Denver to return to. I'm thinking we oughta head to Sacramento or something."

The Kid gently removed his hands from Heyes' grasp and looked at him. "Maybe we oughta drop in on Lom first. We ain't seen him since the day after we got amnestied. Ain't sure we ever thanked him proper. You can spend some time with the lovely Miss Porter if you fancy. I might be able to pick up a delivery job or somethin', so I got money of my own."

Heyes not sure why the Kid felt the need to have his own money, it wasn't like it had ever bothered either of them before. But deciding to leave it alone for now, simply stood, walked over to the side table and poured some of the water from the pitcher into the wash bowl. He soaked the bloody cloth and watched the water turn murky, glad that it hadn't been more serious and the Kid had made it back to the room unaided. Might have got a bit messy otherwise, for all of them.

When he turned back, the Kid was undressed, his clothes a bit carelessly discarded, and he was lying carefully down on the bed. Once he was settled, he glanced over with a slightly muffled. "Heyes, wake me when it's lunch time." Then he closed his eyes with a relieved sigh.

Heyes watched him for a few moments, before saying. "I'll check out the best way to get to Porterville and book us a couple of tickets on the next stage or train heading that way,"

The Kid gave him a mumbled acknowledgement and soon the room was filled with the Kid's heavy, even breathing.

Heyes hesitated for a minute, threw the Kid's clothes on the chair, before grabbing the room key and exiting. As he quietly locked the door and placed the key in his pocket, he hoped this meant the Kid was going to be sensible from now on. But he knew there was no guarantee and they might have to talk again.

XXX

Heyes sitting by the window waiting for his friend to finish getting ready, so they could go eat, watched as Kid dug into his pants pocket with a small sigh and drew something out. Heyes squinted at the small piece of material in the Kid's hand, realising what it was almost immediately.

The Kid straightened it out, staring at it for a few minutes, before placing it on his right sleeve. Heyes swallowed hard, but found a strange sense of relief sweep through him at it's reappearance, but choosing not to comment on it, only said. "Stage to Porterville leaves this evening, we'll be there by Wednesday. I telegrammed Lom to let him know. He replied and said he'd meet us at the stage depot."

The Kid turned to Heyes and asked. "He know 'bout Emma and the trial?"

Heyes nodded. "Yeah, he said what happened was in all the papers, sends his condolences. He's nearly as wordy as you in his telegrams."

The Kid put on his vest, studied himself in the mirror, gently touching the cuts and bruising on his face as he did so. "Probably charges the town or somethin'"

XXX

As the Kid and Heyes sat next to each other in the larger of the two restaurants in Whisper River, enjoying what was likely their final meal in the town, Heyes thought that though it was a pretty little town, the people mostly friendly, he was definitely ready to move on. Heyes glanced over at the band back on his friend's arm and his mind drifted to Emma, still wishing that he'd got to know her better, the regret that he'd not had that chance, had only deepened with everything he'd learnt about her in the last weeks .

The Kid seeing where his eyes were resting, shrugged and said. "Figured maybe it was time to try and move on some, especially when I thought you was leaving." He paused then added sombrely, after tugging gently on the material and studying his bare ring finger, "But I ain't ready Heyes and I was just makin' it worse by pretendin' I was. Bedding them girls, scratched an itch, can't deny that, but after, I just felt like I'd been unfaithful or somethin' and it left a bitter taste, even last night." He paused and laughed shortly. "Probably why I got into it with them two idiots."

Heyes chuckled. "All that alcohol swirling round you likely helped some too. But he sobered quickly, patting the Kid's hand nearest to him as he said gently. "It's gonna take a while, Kid, and there ain't no need to rush things. We got time enough."

XXX

Lom smiled as they got off the coach, "Guess you didn't run into no problems?"

"Nah, nice and smooth, well as smooth as these trips ever is. I got bruises on my ass, but we didn't meet no one wanting to rob us." Heyes laughed as Kid winced when the driver threw their bags quickly onto the ground, and watched as he swung round irritated and shouted. "Careful! I got some stuff I don't want breakin' in there."

The driver smiled a bit sheepishly. "Sorry, Mr Curry, just eager to see my wife and son. Bin a while."

The Kid grunted, but Heyes saw him relax a bit and give the driver a small smile before he turned away to pick the bags up.

While he was concentrating on that, Lom turned to Heyes, his face serious. "How's he doing?"

Heyes shrugged. "'Bout as well as you'd expect, but some days are better than others."

Lom nodded, then added. "Oh that reminds me, Heyes. I got a letter waiting for you, from some man called T Giles Esq. I figured it was someone the Kid knew from Fountain or a man you met out in Denver. Though it's addressed to you both."

Heyes shrugged. "He was Kid's lawyer, ain't sure why he'd be writing us. We'll check in, get cleaned up some, then come see you at your office."

Lom looked at him. "Miss Porter is sure keen to catch up with you two again. Think she can't quite get her head round the fact, that she employed Hannibal Heyes and Kid Curry to check bank security. She's engaged now, her Pa arranged the match."

Heyes caught by the slightly strained tone in the Sheriff's voice, realised with quickly hidden amusement, that the man was obviously not a disinterested observer. He made a note to mention it to his partner.

The Kid had rejoined them, a bag in either hand as he said. "Can't hear nothin' rattling, so guess everythin' is still in one piece. No thanks to him though." He nodded back at the driver, but there wasn't much heat in his tone.

Heyes nodded, took his bag from the Kid and said. "Lom's got a letter from Giles waiting in his office. Figure after we've eaten, we can go find out what he's got to say."

The Kid nodded thoughtfully, and with a "see you later" to Lom, Strode up towards the hotel. Heyes tipped his hat at Trevors, before quickly catching up with his partner. Once out of Lom's earshot, Heyes said in some amusement. "Think ole Lom is sweet on the delectable Miss Porter, but she's engaged to someone else." At the Kid's slightly concerned expression, he grinned. "Don't worry, Kid I ain't gonna worry none." He paused and added with a small smile. "But I'd like to find out if Miss Porter is struck on her beau, or just doing what her Pa wants. We owe Lom and it'd be good to see if we can help him out some."

The Kid slowed, grinned and peered at Heyes' back as if looking for something.

Heyes stared at him. "Whatcha doin'?"

"Lookin' for your bow and arrows. I think you'd look real cute in a pair of wings."

XXX

As Heyes sat down, the letter in his hand, Lom poured them all a whisky and Kid took two glasses, handing one to Heyes as he sipped his own. His partner took it absently as he started to read. The Kid peering over his shoulder felt his eyebrows rise as he too read.

Dear Mr Heyes and Mr Curry.

I was unsure of how to reach you, but Francis, (Soon to be Governor Warren again) mentioned Lom Trevors as the man he'd contacted when he'd needed to get in touch with you.

So in the absence of any better option, I decided to send this letter to him, in the hopes that it would in turn find its way to you.

My long term investigator, is retiring at the end of the year and I am in need of a replacement, which led me to think of you two.

I was impressed with Mr Heyes' investigative abilities, when I represented Mr Curry . I am very aware that I will not get one of you without the other. And while I may not approve of the area in which you honed your skills, I cannot ignore the fact that you make a hugely effective partnership.

And I believe this will be so in any joint endeavour and feel we could enter into a successful and mutually beneficial arrangement.

If you are interested, I would like you to come to Cheyenne to discuss terms. I will of course cover any expenses that you incur in your trip.

Hope to hear from you soon.

Thomas Giles.

Heyes looked up at the Kid with a smile as he finished reading. "Well I'll be...What do you think Kid?"

"Well it don't seem like we got much to lose going to visit and see what he's offering."

"Just what I was thinking, Kid. Lets stay here for a couple of days, then take a trip to Cheyenne, Be real nice seeing that town in daylight and not have to worry about getting caught and sent to prison for twenty years."

Lom was looking at them with some interest. "Guess you boys impressed this Mr Giles."

Heyes grinned folded up the letter and tucked it in his vest pocket. "Well, he did seem to be a real good judge of character. Ain't that right Kid?" This he directed at his partner who had sat down next to him, with a slightly stunned expression on his face.