I've been working on this chapter for awhile and I'm not sure what anyone will think about it. Lotte had requested a story featuring Buck when I started my first M7 story and I finally was hit with an idea. Fingers crossed this finds a home here with some readers. :)

Chapter 1

"Will you stop it already?!" Buck Wilmington was about ready to pull his hair out. "You're not coming with us. That's final."

His younger sister raised an eyebrow. "I'm already with you," she pointed out.

Buck let out a huff of breath. "Fine," he conceded. "That's just fine, Morgan. But you ain't comin' into the saloon."

Morgan didn't acknowledge his declaration and he got the feeling she was going to walk right past the limit he set, just like she did every other time.

He slanted a look toward Chris. Chris was staring straight ahead, pretending he didn't hear. But Buck knew full well, he would lay down the law with Morgan when the time came. And Morgan may actually be inclined to listen to him. At least, Buck hoped she would.

The saloon was no place for a young lady. Not that the words that came from Morgan's mouth half the time were the words of a young lady.

Buck had done his best by her, but raising a girl on his own after their ma died had thrown him in out of his depth.

He and Chris pushed their way into the saloon and he turned his focus to their task. They needed to get Nathan, Vin and Ezra so they could head over to the jail and meet the judge. Another meeting Morgan shouldn't be tagging along for, but she was bound and determined to hear the sordid details that Buck's job as peacekeeper entailed, claiming it was more interesting than doing embroidery.

Not that Morgan had ever even tried to embroider a thing in her nineteen years.

Josiah moved to flank Morgan's other side, something Buck appreciated as they stepped into the crowded establishment.

"Ezra," Chris called.

"Ezra," JD echoed, trying on Chris' business-like tone.

The gambler looked up.

"Let's go," Chris said. "Got something."

Ezra looked over his hand of cards before putting another bill into the center of the table. He laid his cards on the table and judging by the expressions of the other players, it wasn't the first hand Ezra had won from them.

Buck looked toward the bar and saw Nathan there. He motioned him over with a jerk of his chin. Thankfully the healer saw him and came right over. If Ezra would just get moving, Buck could get his sister out of this saloon. It didn't matter that she had been born in the upstairs room of a saloon much like this one—they both had—she had no business in there with as pretty as she had grown up to be—

With a low growl, Buck headed for the man who was leaning in far too close to talk to Morgan. He grabbed him by the back of the neck and bought his face close to the man's.
"Do you know who she is?" Buck asked.

The man shook his head. "That's my sister. My baby sister." Buck squeezed harder on the man's neck. "You think you should be talkin' to her?"

The man shook his head.

"Good answer," Buck said before pushing the man away from his sister.

Morgan gave Buck an unimpressed look. "Real nice, Buck," she said.

"Ezra!" Buck said. "How would you feel 'bout joining us some time this century?"

Ezra didn't seem inclined to pick up the pace, continuing to pocket his winnings. Paper money and coins sufficiently stowed into his boot, he picked up the last item on the table.

The stone, a color Buck had never seen before in any sort of jewel, a mix of blues and greens, was set in a delicate silver setting at the end of a chain. Ezra handed it off to Morgan when he saw her looking at it.

"You will have more use for this than I do for now. Keep it safe until I can venture to a jeweler's for appraisal."

Morgan held the necklace up, studying the way the light hit the smooth stone. Then she gave Ezra a smile. "Thanks," she said. "It'll look better on me, anyway."

"Undoubtedly," Ezra said with the hint of a smile.

"Let's go," Buck said, ushering his sister from the saloon and out into the afternoon light.

At the roll of her eyes, Buck clenched his jaw.

"Morgan," Chris said in a quiet voice. No warning, just a reminder.

Morgan pursed her lips for a second, but then murmured an apology to Buck.

Buck had no idea how Chris did it, but he seemed to be able to wrangle Morgan's ornery ways without batting an eye, always had been.

Buck looked at the six men with him, making sure they were all out of the saloon, plus Morgan.

"You gonna get your sister a gun, Buck?" JD asked.

Buck fixed JD with a look.

"Just asking," JD muttered, holding his hands up in a sign of surrender.

Morgan perked up and before she could open her mouth, Buck pointed a finger at her. "No."

He felt like he had already ridden out on the posse the judge was putting together for a prison break that had occurred just north of them, chased the varmint, wrestled them, then rode home after a walk across town with Morgan. He didn't have the fight left in him to tell Morgan to go home.

He dropped into the first chair he came to and ignored Morgan going to the wall to study the wanted posters, wishing she didn't look so damn intrigued by a bunch of criminals.

"I swear, Chris," Buck said in low tones, "if I knew of any better place for that girl to be, she would be there tomorrow." He had never been certain about the job he was doing raising her, but once she hit sixteen, he was decidedly convinced she would be better off with anyone but him. A fact that ate at him every time she made a decision that showed how much he had let her down.

Morgan stilled with her back to him. She turned to look at him over her shoulder and that's when Buck saw it. She had heard. But she hadn't understood.

"Morgan," he started. "Darlin'…"

He had never seen the look in Morgan's eyes before and he would sooner die than see it ever again.

Morgan shook her head, setting her jaw. Buck stood, intending to go to her, but the necklace at her neck grabbed his attention.

"What's that?" he asked. The stone glittered, reflecting more light than was in the dim jail.

Morgan followed Buck's eyes to the jewel.

It shown brighter and that's when Buck realized it wasn't reflecting light.

"Morgan!" he said, moving quickly to her. "Take that thing off!"

Morgan reached for the chain, pulling at it with frantic fingers. "It's cold!" she shouted, jerking her hand away before she tried again, her fingers fumbling at the chain.

Buck moved more quickly, intending to pull the thing from his sister's neck and that's when the sound started. Something like a train coming down the track, building as the necklace lifted from Morgan's chest, throwing off a blinding light.

Behind the light, Morgan's terrified eyes met Buck's.

"Buck!" she screamed as the stone moved, pulling her forward.

But Buck couldn't get to her. The light was pulling them all forward, blinding them, deafening them, tossing them into an abyss.

#

"I'm leaving," Cheyenne Dawson said.

Her boyfriend moved and stood in front of the door.

"Move," Cheyenne said, ignoring the smell of beer on him. Ignoring the trapped feeling.

When Hunter didn't move out of the way—instead he gave her a push away from the door— Cheyenne looked over toward her brother, lounging on the couch in the run down house he shared with Hunter. That push was the first step toward Hunter losing his temper with her.

Eli glanced toward his sister. "C'mon Cheyenne," he said. "Give him a break."

"I've got to go," Cheyenne said, ducking around Hunter before he got a hold of her. Before she ended up being shoved back into the house and forced to stay the night.

She was fast enough to get away as Hunter's fingers brushed her loose, flowy tank top, but couldn't get a hold of her.

She picked up speed, her sandals hitting the sidewalk with rhythmic slaps, but she didn't dare look back.

The sun was low on the horizon, the afternoon fading into a softer evening.

But there wasn't much gentle about the evening. Not for her. She glanced over her shoulder, making sure she didn't see her brother or his friends, and picked up her pace.

She ground her teeth together, wishing she could forget everything about her day. Everything about the past three years.

She heard Hunter yell after her and glanced back. Eli and Hunter were following her. And she knew it wasn't because they actually wanted her company. They wouldn't tolerate her walking out on them, disrespecting them.

She decided to cut through the field that would open at the other end into the hardscrabble neighborhood where her apartment building was.

One foot hit the overgrown grass and the earth shuddered. Cheyenne jolted, looking around. She saw Eli and Hunter stop and stumble back a step. The earth shook more violently and Cheyenne staggered with the movement.

This was Wyoming. No earthquakes here. But the trembling of the ground proved that wrong. She pitched to the side, nothing to grab hold of in the empty field, unless she counted the rusted out abandoned car off in the distance. She saw Eli and Hunter back up, then turn and sprint without looking back to see how she fared. But then she couldn't see them, a blinding light splitting the air in front of her and Cheyenne was thrown backwards, hitting her head against the ground.

With a wheeze the air left her lungs. She blinked, trying to see after the light that had seared her retinas.

And then it was completely still. Nothing moved. No lights, no sounds.

Cheyenne lifted a shaky hand to rub at her eyes.

It was silent around her and she pushed up to sitting.

Well, not completely silent. She heard a couple of groans that didn't come from her. And then a man's voice broke the sudden stillness that had followed.

"Everyone alright? Buck? Ezra?"

"Yeah, I'm good, Chris," came an answer.

"Morgan?"

A quiet moan was his answer followed by a woman's voice letting out a curse.

"She's fine."

Cheyenne's brow wrinkled and she tried to drag in a breath, her lungs not wanting the full amount of air after getting knocked down. The field had been empty, she couldn't figure out where the voices were coming from.

She made it up to her knees, rocking slightly as her head swam, before dusting the dirt from her palms and trying to see where the voices were coming from. She squinted in the direction her brother and boyfriend had run, trying to see if they were coming back to check on her, but she didn't see them. But she couldn't acknowledge the hurt of them leaving her alone in the earthquake right now. She needed to make sure no one else had been hurt in the earthquake. Or whatever the hell that was.

"Josiah? Vin? Nathan? JD?" the first voice kept checking, making sure his group was alright.

Cheyenne heard four answering voices and some of the worry in her gut eased. It sounded like this group was alright.

She slowly stood, trying to ignore the pain in her head, the same time the group fifty feet from her was making their way to their feet and she froze.

Seven men and a woman stood shakily, looking around with stunned expressions. Seven armed men. She couldn't see much past their guns. She quickly took a couple steps away, hoping she could gain some distance before they saw her. But then the girl with the group—dressed in some sort of costume from the past with long skirts— stumbled and pitched forward and Cheyenne saw one of the men, the one who looked to be the leader, catch her.

"Whoa there. You sure you're ok?" he asked.

The girl shook her head like trying to clear a fog.

"Nathan," he called to one of the men. A mustached man moved forward with the man who answered to the name Nathan. And that's when the mustached man looked over and saw Cheyenne.

Cheyenne took a step back, preparing to run. She knew she couldn't outrun a bullet, but the group looked like they were getting their bearings, not concerned with reaching for their guns, so she was willing to risk it. She made it two steps before the world started tilting, black dots floating in front of her eyes, and the ground slanted up to slam into her.

Her last thought before the haze rolled over her and turned everything dark was that she hoped her brother would find her before these armed men did.

#

"Who is she?" JD asked.

Buck gave him a look an impatient look. "I don't know, JD. None of us even know where we are, so I don't really think we're gonna know the locals."

"What happened?"

Buck had no idea, but also no time to figure out how they had all been struck by lightning, or whatever had happened in the jail, and tossed into this field. Right now, his priority was this girl who had collapsed after turning to run from him.

He looked back toward Chris, getting Morgan upright on her feet, Nathan tending to her as she insisted she was fine.

Ignoring JD's question, he knelt down next to the girl.

Not a girl. A woman. A pretty young woman. Buck leaned down closer to see if she was breathing, worry knotting with the overwhelming confusion about what had just happened to them. Again, he forced his thoughts to the problem immediately in front of him. Like this girl who had swooned.

He patted her cheek lightly and she stirred.

"Miss," he said. "Miss, can ya open your eyes?"

Her long eyelashes fluttered against golden skin. They slowly opened and she blinked like she couldn't focus.

"Are you alright?" he asked.

As soon as she saw his face above her, her eyes flew open and she started to scramble away.

Buck tried to give her space, but was also worried she'd collapse again.

"Stay away from me," she said, her ferocious tone betrayed by the fear in her eyes.

Buck rocked back on his heels, staying down at her level and held his hands out at his sides, trying for non threatening.

"It's ok, Miss," JD piped up. "We ain't gonna hurt you."

Her eyes flew to JD and he took a step toward her. She scrambled further away.

Buck closed his eyes and prayed for patience with the kid. "JD," he said, his voice nice and easy. "Go see if Chris needs anything."

Thankfully the kid listened, and Buck turned his attention back to the young woman.

"You alright?" he asked again.

She eyed him warily and didn't give him an answer. She looked a little more steady, her dark eyes keeping an eye on him.

Buck looked back towards Morgan, his lips pulling in concern. She was insisting she was fine, but even from this distance Buck could see how unsteady she was on her feet.

He looked around the field they were in. There were some shoddy looking buildings in the distance and he wondered if they were some sort of textile factories like the ones back east. He didn't know of any factories near Four Corners.

"Where are we?" he burst out, looking to the woman for answers.

She looked at him suspiciously, eying the bandana around his neck, his hat, and finally his gun.

"We know every inch of land around Four Corners and this ain't there," he said, his voice rising slightly with the panic he was trying to keep away. How in the blazes did they end up here? And where in the blazes was 'here'?

The woman's expression softened slightly when he couldn't hold back his panic, then she looked toward Morgan, the way Nathan was holding her up.

"Is she ok?" she asked with concern.

Buck looked back at his sister, looking as wobbly as a newborn foal. "I don't know," he answered, his worry only adding to the alarm he was feeling. "Think she knocked her head."

The woman frowned, watching Morgan leaning heavily against Nathan.

"My house is right over there," the woman finally said, jerking her chin across the field, then wincing at the movement. "I can take her there, let her get her feet under her."

Buck started shaking his head. It didn't matter how pretty this woman was, he wasn't about to let Morgan out of his sight. Not after what had just happened. Whatever it was that had just happened.

"Nathan can take care of her," Buck said. That much he felt confident about, at least. "Can we take her to your place and get her out of the sun while tends her?" he asked.

The woman frowned and Buck started reaching into his pocket. "We can pay you for the trouble. Just need a place to let my sister regroup," he said.

And then the stranger nodded slightly, though she waved away his offer of money.

She started to stand and Buck saw this lady wasn't much steadier on her feet than Morgan was. He moved to take her elbow and give her assistance, but she pulled away, shooting him a warning look.

Buck didn't think he had ever seen a saloon girl as touchy as this one. At least, that's what he assumed she was, with the way her shoulders were bare and the men's trousers she was wearing that fit in a way that showed more curves than any barmaid he had ever seen show off outside the bedroom. And her trousers were even cut off, showing a length of leg that would have distracted Buck if he wasn't so worried about Morgan and their current situation. It was a strange get-up she had on, even for a working girl.

"You just finishin' up work for the day," he said, trying to put her more at ease with an easy question.

She shook her head.

Poor thing. Buck made a mental note to leave her some money before they left. No doubt it would cut into her profits if she was taking them to her crib and keeping her clientele away.

"Chris!" Buck called.

Chris looked away from Morgan, deep lines on his face from concern. His eyes went from Buck to the girl at arms' length walking with him.

"Got a place to take Morgan, check everyone out. Figure things out."

Chris nodded once. He spoke to Ezra and Vin and they all fell in step with the girl. She didn't look like she enjoyed their presence, but she didn't change her mind. Buck saw her squinting a couple times like her head was aching as bad as Morgan's and shifted his position so he could keep an eye on her.

She led them to the edge of the field, where it backed up to a two story house. She climbed the narrow wooden staircase to the upper level and pulled a key from her pocket, unlocking the door, then stepping back to allow Nathan and Morgan in, following after them and leaving the door open for the rest of them to file in.

Buck stepped into her home, but before he could look around, Morgan's eyes were fluttering and she was slumping against Nathan's side.

#