Disclaimers and other Info. in Part 1 - additional acknowledgements will be included in parts where needed.
Some het(love) in this part.
Part 12: Love
It is the afternoon and Chris is sitting in an armchair with his injured leg up on a coffee table. He is chatting to Vin who is sat near him in another arm chair. Nathan and JD are sitting at a table nearby playing chess. Lu is upstairs watching TV with Josiah. Ezra, Buck and Krys are sat on a sofa watching TV in the front room near where Chris is sat.
"I don't get how those guys tracked us here undetected," says Chris, puzzled.
"Maybe they've been following us undetected for a long time - we didn't think they'd follow us so we weren't watching out for them," suggests Vin.
"I'm glad the police have got them now."
"I hope they have enough evidence to keep hold of them otherwise they'll come after us again."
"Maybe we should leave tomorrow in case they do get loose and come after us; I still don't get how they managed to capture you so easily," says Chris.
"I went back ta bed after Buck woke me up too early for my likin'. I heard a noise and I opened my eyes - the window had been forced open from outside. There were masked figures in my room. One of them saw I was awake and very quickly jabbed a needle inta my arm. I lost consciousness and when I woke up I was tied to a chair in that house," explains Vin.
"We didn' hear anything," says Chris.
"This house has very thick walls, no-one could hear small noises outside that room," explains Vin.
"You can share with me tonight - I don't want them coming back and capturing you again," offers Chris.
"I think they know how close me and Krys are. That's why they got me."
"They must've been watching us before."
Krys comes over to Vin and kisses him on the cheek; "I was so worried about you when I couldn' find you this mornin'."
"You musta known these guys would get me back in one piece," says Vin with a grateful smile directed at the guys.
"I wasn't sure. My ex and his cronies have killed people before."
"I don' get why you was dating him."
"'Cause he offered me riches beyond my wildest dreams. I never loved him really," explains Krys.
Dorothy whispers into Buck's ear and he gets up from watching TV. He leaves the room with her. Dorothy and Buck go upstairs.
Vin and Chris look at each other with amused expressions on their faces. Ezra turns off the TV and sits down on the coffee table next to Chris's leg
"How is your leg, Mister Larabee?" asked Ezra, concerned for Chris's well-being.
"It's very painful, Ezra - It's hard to walk," answers Chris.
Jane and Billy come into the room to talk to Chris.
"Did a bad man shoot you in the leg?" asks Jane.
"Yes," answers Chris, nodding.
"Why?" asks Billy.
"Because he's a very bad man," answers Chris, failing to find a better reason.
"Is he gonna go to jail?" asks Jane.
"Hopefully, but for other things."
"What did he do?" asks Billy.
"I think it's time for you two to go to bed - you've asked enough questions for one day," says Shirley, coming into the room and approaching the children.
"Will you read us a story please, Uncle Chris?" asks Jane politely.
"Yes, I will if you help me get there," replies Chris.
Chris takes them up to bed and the kids help him walk.
He knocks on Buck's door.
"Who is it?" asks Buck.
Chris decides against pretending to be Dorothy's husband to upset Buck; "It's me, Chris. I'm putting Dorothy's kids to bed,"
"Just a minute," calls Dorothy.
About three minutes later Dorothy comes out and kisses the children goodnight. Freddy is already asleep in his room, as Dorothy put him to bed when she came upstairs with Buck.
Chris goes into Jane's bedroom where Jane and Billy get into the bed so he can read them a story together.
Meanwhile in Josiah's room, Lu is lying on the bed feeling a bit tired.
Josiah lies down next to her and Lu cuddles up to Josiah feeling a bit cold.
"What's wrong?" asks the man, concerned.
"I feel cold," says Lu.
"Would you like a blanket?"
"Yes, please."
Josiah covers them both with a blanket and they close their eyes with the TV still on. JD comes into the room and sees them sleeping. He smiles, walks out the room and nearly bumps into Buck coming out of their room. "Hey Buck, how's things with Dorothy?" asks JD.
"Great - it's gonna be a shame to leave her," answers Buck, with sadness in his voice.
"She's got a family to look after AND she's married," reminds JD.
Chris finishes reading to the kids and goes into his own room. Vin is moving a camp bed into the room.
"D'you need any help with that?" offers Chris.
"No, thanks - rest your leg," replies Vin.
Chris, who's now lying on the bed says, "We have to leave here tomorrow. It's not safe to stay here unless those men are put away for sure."
"D'you notice 'Siah keeps looking at Lu?" asks Vin.
"She ain't his type."
"Maybe that's the attraction."
"You think he likes her?" asks Chris.
"'Like' is an understatement," replies Vin.
"It's not good for the team if everyone's fallin' in love."
"Mus' be somethin' in the water. 'Side's we're on vacation so we're not the team fer now."
Shirley comes upstairs and knocks on Chris' door
"Who is it?" asks Vin.
"It's Shirley, can I talk to Chris?"
Chris answers the door to her.
"Hi, can you come out here? I want to ask you something," requests Shirley.
Chris goes out of the bedroom closing the door behind him. Vin creeps to the door and listens
"When you leave to go home, can I come and stay with you for a while?" asks Shirley nervously.
"No, you can't - we have to go back to work soon and it's not a good idea," answers Chris, not very gently.
Shirley, trying not to cry answers, "Okay," then rapidly walks away.
Chris walks back to his room not noticing that he's upset her.
Shirley passes Buck on the landing and he hears her crying. "What's wrong?" he asks her.
"Chris won't let me go home with you guys," she answers.
"I thought he'd say yes to that."
"Maybe getting that bullet in his leg changed his mind."
"If it were up to me, I'd let you come back," replies Buck.
"He can go to hell," fumes Shirley loudly and walks away. She goes into her room and slams the door behind her.
Buck goes to Chris's room and knocks on the door; "Chris, it's me, Buck."
Chris opens his door and steps outside limping slightly. "What is it?" he asks the man.
"You told Shirley she can't come back with us?" questions Buck, trying to stay calm.
"It's not practical," replies Chris without feeling in his voice.
"PRACTICAL?? I thought you loved her." Buck is growing angry with Chris for being so insensitive.
"I don't fall in love, Bucklin."
Buck goes back to his room, annoyed.
Everyone eventually goes to sleep, some happy and some not so happy.
To be continued…
Some het(love) in this part.
Part 12: Love
It is the afternoon and Chris is sitting in an armchair with his injured leg up on a coffee table. He is chatting to Vin who is sat near him in another arm chair. Nathan and JD are sitting at a table nearby playing chess. Lu is upstairs watching TV with Josiah. Ezra, Buck and Krys are sat on a sofa watching TV in the front room near where Chris is sat.
"I don't get how those guys tracked us here undetected," says Chris, puzzled.
"Maybe they've been following us undetected for a long time - we didn't think they'd follow us so we weren't watching out for them," suggests Vin.
"I'm glad the police have got them now."
"I hope they have enough evidence to keep hold of them otherwise they'll come after us again."
"Maybe we should leave tomorrow in case they do get loose and come after us; I still don't get how they managed to capture you so easily," says Chris.
"I went back ta bed after Buck woke me up too early for my likin'. I heard a noise and I opened my eyes - the window had been forced open from outside. There were masked figures in my room. One of them saw I was awake and very quickly jabbed a needle inta my arm. I lost consciousness and when I woke up I was tied to a chair in that house," explains Vin.
"We didn' hear anything," says Chris.
"This house has very thick walls, no-one could hear small noises outside that room," explains Vin.
"You can share with me tonight - I don't want them coming back and capturing you again," offers Chris.
"I think they know how close me and Krys are. That's why they got me."
"They must've been watching us before."
Krys comes over to Vin and kisses him on the cheek; "I was so worried about you when I couldn' find you this mornin'."
"You musta known these guys would get me back in one piece," says Vin with a grateful smile directed at the guys.
"I wasn't sure. My ex and his cronies have killed people before."
"I don' get why you was dating him."
"'Cause he offered me riches beyond my wildest dreams. I never loved him really," explains Krys.
Dorothy whispers into Buck's ear and he gets up from watching TV. He leaves the room with her. Dorothy and Buck go upstairs.
Vin and Chris look at each other with amused expressions on their faces. Ezra turns off the TV and sits down on the coffee table next to Chris's leg
"How is your leg, Mister Larabee?" asked Ezra, concerned for Chris's well-being.
"It's very painful, Ezra - It's hard to walk," answers Chris.
Jane and Billy come into the room to talk to Chris.
"Did a bad man shoot you in the leg?" asks Jane.
"Yes," answers Chris, nodding.
"Why?" asks Billy.
"Because he's a very bad man," answers Chris, failing to find a better reason.
"Is he gonna go to jail?" asks Jane.
"Hopefully, but for other things."
"What did he do?" asks Billy.
"I think it's time for you two to go to bed - you've asked enough questions for one day," says Shirley, coming into the room and approaching the children.
"Will you read us a story please, Uncle Chris?" asks Jane politely.
"Yes, I will if you help me get there," replies Chris.
Chris takes them up to bed and the kids help him walk.
He knocks on Buck's door.
"Who is it?" asks Buck.
Chris decides against pretending to be Dorothy's husband to upset Buck; "It's me, Chris. I'm putting Dorothy's kids to bed,"
"Just a minute," calls Dorothy.
About three minutes later Dorothy comes out and kisses the children goodnight. Freddy is already asleep in his room, as Dorothy put him to bed when she came upstairs with Buck.
Chris goes into Jane's bedroom where Jane and Billy get into the bed so he can read them a story together.
Meanwhile in Josiah's room, Lu is lying on the bed feeling a bit tired.
Josiah lies down next to her and Lu cuddles up to Josiah feeling a bit cold.
"What's wrong?" asks the man, concerned.
"I feel cold," says Lu.
"Would you like a blanket?"
"Yes, please."
Josiah covers them both with a blanket and they close their eyes with the TV still on. JD comes into the room and sees them sleeping. He smiles, walks out the room and nearly bumps into Buck coming out of their room. "Hey Buck, how's things with Dorothy?" asks JD.
"Great - it's gonna be a shame to leave her," answers Buck, with sadness in his voice.
"She's got a family to look after AND she's married," reminds JD.
Chris finishes reading to the kids and goes into his own room. Vin is moving a camp bed into the room.
"D'you need any help with that?" offers Chris.
"No, thanks - rest your leg," replies Vin.
Chris, who's now lying on the bed says, "We have to leave here tomorrow. It's not safe to stay here unless those men are put away for sure."
"D'you notice 'Siah keeps looking at Lu?" asks Vin.
"She ain't his type."
"Maybe that's the attraction."
"You think he likes her?" asks Chris.
"'Like' is an understatement," replies Vin.
"It's not good for the team if everyone's fallin' in love."
"Mus' be somethin' in the water. 'Side's we're on vacation so we're not the team fer now."
Shirley comes upstairs and knocks on Chris' door
"Who is it?" asks Vin.
"It's Shirley, can I talk to Chris?"
Chris answers the door to her.
"Hi, can you come out here? I want to ask you something," requests Shirley.
Chris goes out of the bedroom closing the door behind him. Vin creeps to the door and listens
"When you leave to go home, can I come and stay with you for a while?" asks Shirley nervously.
"No, you can't - we have to go back to work soon and it's not a good idea," answers Chris, not very gently.
Shirley, trying not to cry answers, "Okay," then rapidly walks away.
Chris walks back to his room not noticing that he's upset her.
Shirley passes Buck on the landing and he hears her crying. "What's wrong?" he asks her.
"Chris won't let me go home with you guys," she answers.
"I thought he'd say yes to that."
"Maybe getting that bullet in his leg changed his mind."
"If it were up to me, I'd let you come back," replies Buck.
"He can go to hell," fumes Shirley loudly and walks away. She goes into her room and slams the door behind her.
Buck goes to Chris's room and knocks on the door; "Chris, it's me, Buck."
Chris opens his door and steps outside limping slightly. "What is it?" he asks the man.
"You told Shirley she can't come back with us?" questions Buck, trying to stay calm.
"It's not practical," replies Chris without feeling in his voice.
"PRACTICAL?? I thought you loved her." Buck is growing angry with Chris for being so insensitive.
"I don't fall in love, Bucklin."
Buck goes back to his room, annoyed.
Everyone eventually goes to sleep, some happy and some not so happy.
To be continued…