Prue ran into Piper's room and shook her shoulders to wake her up. It was still dark, but she didn't bother to light a candle or a lantern.

"Prue, what's wrong?"

"Dan just left here with the money. All of it. Even what was in the safe."

"What?" Piper leapt up from her bed and threw on a shirt and pants. She followed Prue outside to see Dan riding away, Phoebe, Jacob, and Jack already following. She yelled at them to stop. "Get my horse."

Despite the darkness, Piper knew the way through town, and caught up to Dan before she even knew it. They were riding down the road threw the town, Piper leaning forward on her horse to make her go faster. She could see the bag, full, hanging from Daniel's hand. A few people came out of their houses, yelling at Piper and Dan to go to sleep like the rest of the town.

Piper didn't catch Dan that night.

But Daniel made a stupid move. Piper paid a visit to the saloon the next day to see if he had left anything there. She wasn't about to go to the sheriff and get the law involved. It was her problem, not the law's.

As soon as she walked into the saloon, her eyed narrowed onto one person. Still she walked quietly up to Dan, who was talking to the bartender. Lee stopped the conversation as he looked up at her slowly. Dan turned around on the stool as Piper's fist connected to his face.

"Where is it?" she demanded. "Where is my money? The Armstrong's money!"

"It's mine, Piper," Dan said calmly. "As you said, when we got married, it meant we shared the profits. You technically make that money, and because I'm married to you, I have the right to every cent of it."

"You have no right! You never worked for any of it."

"I had every right!"

"Thief!"

As Dan opened his mouth to speak, Piper's fist met his jaw, nearly breaking it. He stumbled and she kicked him in the kneecap, making him fall to the floor. She jumped on him and pinned him, sitting with one knee on either side of his body. She held her hand high on his neck, preparing to choke him.

"Bring it back to the Armstrongs."

"Screw you."

She was through with him. That was it. She slammed the bottom of her fist into his nose and broke it. The bartender was standing up to watch the fight, as was everyone else.

"Bring it back personally."

Dan didn't answer.

Piper pulled out her gun and shoved the barrel under his jaw. "Bring it back! And bring your horse and the twins, too. Leave them on my front porch."

"Never, Piper."

Piper pushed the barrel further under Dan's jaw.

"Whoa, Piper, calm down there," Charlie said, reaching one hand out at her.

"Stay out!" Piper shouted, whipping around to point the gun at Charlie. That's when Dan sat up and was able to punch Piper in the side of the jaw, knocking her down from her knees to the floor. He struggled up.

"Never."

Dan headed for the door and Piper, from the ground, aimed from between her legs and at him. She fired and missed. He had already run out the door. She stood up and moved her jaw around, making sure it wasn't broken.

"Get the Sheriff." Piper ran out the door to see the Sheriff already there.

"What's the problem here, Miss?"

"I need you to put out a warrant for Daniel Gordon's arrest," Piper said simply.

"What for? Daniel is a good man. He watches my cattle for me when I need."

"He stole my money. All of it. More'n a hundred fifty, maybe two."

"Why, Dan Gordon couldn't hurt a fly."

"Maybe, not, but you see my busted lip? I didn't do that to myself! Now if you don't put a warrant out for that thief, you're gonna have t' put one out for my murderin' him."

"Now you can't go around killin' people over money, Piper, you know as much," Sheriff Weller said.

"If I don't get that money back, I go under. If I go under, I lose two hundred plus horses, and the Armstrongs go unemployed."

"They can find jobs."

"Not as good as I can give them! How is it fair to them? What will we do, let him get away?"

"You need proof, Piper. Evidence."

"I got statements! And witnesses!"

"Okay, then, now we've got something."

"No, Piper, I'm telling you, we've got nothing."

"What do you mean nothing?"

"I mean no one will speak against Dan. No one knows anything."

"The hell they don't! They knew it was stolen! They saw me… us fighting in the saloon. How do they not know?"

"I'm sorry, Piper. I can't help you."

Piper stood on her front porch as the Sheriff rode away. She sighed. Someone walked up from behind her and a hand fell on her shoulder. She turned to see Joanne standing behind her.

Piper stared at the woman who had been her mother her entire life as the tears came down her face, slowly creeping out of her eyes and down her cheeks. Joanne reached out and grabbed Piper into a tight hug, silently telling her that everything would be okay and that they would all be fine, though the young woman knew she wasn't sure.

A/N: I know you guys want Leo. I know, I really do. I wanna bring him in, too, but I gotta set up the playing field first, so it'll take a couple chapters. I'll skip some time in the next chapter, but there are some things I need to write before that. And when I bring Leo in (not if--when), you gotta keep in mind that Piper hates all men, so he's got his work cut out for him.

By the way, I know two hundred dollars sounds low for a high-profile ranch that's brinin' in the dough, but in 1832, that was mucho mula. It cost pennies to keep a horse in a boarding place for like five days back then, so keep that in mind. Fifteen hundred dollars was the most any outlaw was worth on WANTED posters, and that's the equivilant of buying a huge TV from Wal-Mart or Best Buy. Just a little perspective for ya...