Early the Next Morning

"Rise and shine little brother." Ash threw open the curtains, and sunlight flooded the room. Billy's hand flew up to shade his eyes as he blinked sleep from his eyes. His brother was wide awake, fully dressed and as eager as a racehorse to get started.

Ash grabbed a shirt from the back of a chair, and tossed it over to Billy. "Come on, get a move on." Billy sighed and threw off his covers. No words, protests or arguments were going to make Ash let go of the notion that calling Matt Dillon out, and killing him, was a good idea. Ash grabbed his gun-belt from a wall peg and smoothly strapped it on. It hung on his hips like part of his body. He ran his thumb across the top of the gun, then curled his fingers around the handle. As was his habit, he lightly moved the pistol up and down inside the holster several times. "Hmm." A slight frown touched his face.

Billy looked up from buttoning his shirt. "Something wrong Ash?"

"My gun - it don't feel 100%." He gripped the gun by the handle again, and moved it up and down a few more times. "Naw - it's perfect, like always. Must have been my imagination. Ready Billy? Dillon's probably in his office. Time for me to call him out and take him on." Ash opened the door and sped down the hotel stairs. Billy hurried after him, dreading what was to come.

San Francisco

The Cliff House had barely opened for breakfast when two women were quickly shown to a table. The waiter set a basket of sweet rolls in front of them and filled two mugs with steaming coffee." Joanne smiled weakly, "Thank you Jimmy." The waiter nodded and walked away. Kitty looked across the table at her friend. The dark circles under her eyes spoke of a sleepless night, but the spark missing from those eyes said something deeper and more troubling. "How about taking a drink from that cup you're staring into." Joanne nodded and slowly lifted the mug to her lips. Kitty watched her with concern. "Do you want to talk about it, Joanne, about him?"

Joanne took a ragged breath. "Now that Edward's gone, I realize how much I'd been hanging on to my feelings for him for all of these years. Fanning the flame in my heart, as if by some miracle a time would come when we could be together the way I wanted us to be, and be happy." Joanne shook her head. "I never let myself move on, or maybe that would have been impossible while he was still alive. I don't know, I …."

"Do you regret not marrying him, all those years ago"

"No," Joanne shook her head. "If I'd given up being a doctor for him, I would have lost such a big part of myself, that I would not have been the woman he fell in love with. We both would have come to resent that. It wouldn't have been a happy marriage."

Kitty leaned across the table and whispered. "I heard what Edward said to you, when he was dying. He loved you to the end. I think he had regrets about asking you to give you your career."

A tear rolled down Joanne's face. She brushed it away. "The kind of love I felt for Edward was a gift, despite what happened. It made me a better person, and even a better doctor." She took a big gulp of coffee. "Too much thinking about a road not taken does no one any good. And, at least Ursula is no longer hell bent on ruining me. I'm sure I have you to thank for that."

"Me? What do you mean?"

A genuine smile touched Joanne's lips. "You have your ways Kitty Russell, and I think you know it. In any event, after Eddie's funeral Ursula and her children are moving to Boston. She still has family there. I wish her well, I mean that."

"I wish her well too." Kitty sighed. "She thought she'd have a fairy tale life with Edward, and it didn't work out that way." What about you Joanne? In a way, Edward's death brings part of your life to a close."

"I'll continue being a doctor of course, but maybe I'll open my heart to new possibilities. I'll never love anyone the way I loved Edward, but love takes many forms."

"Do you think you'd ever marry?"

Joanne shrugged, "I can't say never, if it felt right I probably would." A smile crossed her lips, "But I'm like you Kitty. Even if you and your Matt marry some day and have kids, you'll never fit a traditional mold. Women like us are mold breakers."

They laughed out loud, long and hard. Joanne smiled at Kitty. "And what's next for you? You landed in quite a drama, on the first stop of your trip. I'd be delighted if you stayed a while longer, but understand if you're ready to move on."

"Actually, I've decided to go home to Dodge. There's a train leaving today that goes there. I don't have much time, but I hope to be on it." She squeezed Joanne's hand, "I'm glad I took this trip. After all, I met you and we'll be friends for life, but last night made me realize that if anything happens to Matt, I need and want to be by his side," Kitty grinned, "Besides, I miss him - a lot."

"I understand, Kitty, and from what you've told me, you have a good and full life to go back to."

"Yep, I just didn't think I'd be ready to go back this quickly." Kitty laughed, "And I've decided not to wire Matt that I'm coming. I want it to be a surprise. Now, all I have to do is make that train."

"Well, let's get going." Joanne dabbed a napkin across her lips and dropped it on the table. " I'll help you you pack, and drive you to the station. You'll be home in two days."

"Thank you, Joanne, that's perfect, but one more thing. Wouldn't you say we need a toast?" Kitty lifted her coffee. Joanne grinned and the women clinked cups. "To us, and all the other unconventional women."

Dodge City – The Marshal's Office

Sitting at a table in Matt's office, Doc's face grew sour as he rifled through the newspaper. "Everything in the news is foolishness, plain foolishness." He folded the paper and tossed it on the table. "Will you hurry up with that report, Matt, so we can go eat breakfast."

"Just about done." Matt scrawled his signature at the bottom of the page, folded it, and shoved it into an envelope. "Festus, right after breakfast, I need you to take this whole pile of mail to the post office."

"Sure thang, Matthew, an' I'll git your mail too. Thar jus' could be somethin' from Miss Kitty."

Doc shot dagger-eyes at Matt. "You still haven't heard a word, other than one measly telegram. Matt listen to me you should ..."

"DILLON I KNOW YOU'RE IN THERE. IT'S TIME COME OUT AND DRAW."

Ash Drake's voice echoed through the early morning streets. Doc and Festus froze with their eyes glued to Matt. The marshal pushed himself to his feet, and strode over to the window. "Drake, there's no need for this, no need for one of us to die right here this morning."

"Dillon come out and face me now, or you'll face me later when you're walking down the street or eating a meal. It's happening today, and now's your best chance."

Poker face firmly in place, Matt shoved on his hat and lifted his gun-belt from a peg on the wall. Doc grabbed his arm. "You can't be serious. There is no way on earth you can out-draw that man with your arm the way it is, and this may be the time I can't patch you up and save you. In fact I'm pretty darn sure of it." Doc stepped in front of the door to block the exit. Festus stood beside him, shoulder to shoulder. The two men looked at each other and nodded. "Matt you'll have to get through both of us to go out there."

"Doc, Festus - I appreciate what you're trying to do. You're the finest friends a man could ask for, but you heard Drake. I can face him now when I'm as ready as I can be, or later when he shows up with no warning." Matt reached between his two friends and gripped the doorknob. "Doc, if - if things don't go my way, tell Kitty there's a letter for her. Top drawer of the dresser in my room.

Matt Dillon stepped out of his office into the fresh morning air.

TBC