He looked at his camp from the night before. She was right…He felt that he had to go back. He was tired of coming and going from town to town. He was sick of being on his own. It was nice at times, but for the most part it was lonely. And dangerous. He looked down at his right arm, just under his shoulder. Pushing his coat and shirt away, he could see that he wasn't bleeding through the bandage. That was a good thing.

Damn bandits. Always getting in the middle of things. Trying to take what isn't theirs…He hated bandits. They were another reason why he hated being out here alone.

His horse snorted and threw her head. She stomped on the ground.

He looked at the mare. "Fine. Come on." He took her saddle, bridle, and saddle blanket off and walked about thirty feet away to the creek. She followed him closely up to the water's edge. He turned and stared at her.

"Well?"

The white mare's coat was dirty once more. It was always dirty. She needed a bath, and he knew it.

"Come on," he coaxed.

The mare took a step into the water. She walked all the way in, until the water was about halfway up her legs. She turned to look at her owner. He didn't move for a few seconds, but then took his coat and shirt off, tossed them on the ground, and walked into the water after her. It was a little more than knee-deep near his horse, but he didn't mind.

He scooped up some water in his hands and brought it up to the horse's side, rubbing it in to get the dirt out. It left brown streaks in her coat, but when he guided her into even deeper waters, where it was up to his chest, it was easier to wash her. He didn't have soap for her, but water was enough to keep her clean.

When the mare was cleaned off, she splashed around in the water, throwing her front leg up and down, throwing her head around, too. He ignored her, and waded into deeper waters, where he couldn't touch the muddy, rocky bottom. It was a deep creek. She stopped splashing and simply stared at him, a second later following. Even she was swimming.

He dove under the water and came back up a moment later, his sandy hair darker from the water. His mare didn't like the fact that she couldn't touch bottom, and moved farther upstream to shallower waters. He watched her move, then disappeared underwater once more. Skimming the bottom of the deep creek, he picked up some mud. Most of it was lost by the time he came back up to the surface, but it was enough, and his aim was good.

The mare literally glared at him when the mud splattered on her neck. He simply laughed at her. He swam to shallower waters, where the water was just about four feet deep. He whistled for his horse, and she walked slowly, cautiously, through the water up to him. He rubbed her down with his hands, the water cleaning the mud from her coat, while she stood still, enjoying the massage.

"There. Now go." He gave her flank a slap and she trotted into even shallower water. He shook his head.


Dan sat there, trying to catch his breath. He looked up barely to see where Piper had shot into the tree, just above his head. His breathing was harsh and irregular, his heart out of control.

Piper was stunned. She couldn't believe what she had done. Her plan was to kill him! As she had whirled around, she had had a split second decision not to kill him. To make him suffer just a little more.

So she missed.

So she shot the tree.

...She wished she'd killed him...

Prue came running out with Phoebe after hearing the shot, both sisters with a biscuit in one hand. Prue took a bite out of hers. "Good going, Piper."

Piper's breathing was heavy. She turned around to walk toward the house. "Give 'im the biscuit," she ordered Prue as she went around to the front of the house.

Prue looked at her biscuit. She snatched Phoebe's and threw it at Dan. Phoebe protested, but Prue ignored her. Dan barely had enough slack from the ropes to grab it and eat it.


Piper walked quietly up to Dan Gordon. He was weak. He'd had enough, she decided. She knelt down in front of him. "Last chance."

Dan sighed. "You've ransacked my home, I know. It's not there." He closed his eyes. "I don't know where it is."

"What do you mean?" Piper asked quietly.

"My brother, he has it."

"Your brother," Piper echoed.

"Yes," Dan coughed.

"Where is he?"

"He left town…East."

"How far?"

"'Bout ten miles…"

"Take me there," Piper ordered, cutting Dan's ropes, though she was careful to leave the rope tying his hands together on.

For the first time in three weeks, he stood up, barely able to. Piper led him to a horse, already saddled. She held the reins of the horse as Dan struggled to get onto him. Piper then led the stallion out of the barn and up to Spade. She tied a rope to the stallion's reins, and tied the end of it to Spade's saddle. She climbed onto her horse. They slowly made their way riding out of town, never even trotting.


Dan nearly fainted on the ten mile ride to his brother's farm. He was falling forward on the horse, both of his hands clamped on the saddle horn.

Piper walked up to the door of Dan's brother's home. It was literally in the middle of nowhere. She pounded on the door. After a loud, tired groan from inside the house, it opened. The grungy man standing in the doorway was greeted by having to catch his brother as Piper shoved Dan into him.

The brothers fell back, Dan on top.

"Wakeup call!" Piper said as she walked over them into the house.

"Goddamn you, woman!"

Brian Gordon was well-known for his temper, but Piper wasn't at all afraid. She already had her gun out and had it pointing at the two brothers.

"Now…Where is my money?"

Brian grumbled something under his breath, and pushed his brother off of him. He struggled to get up. Piper allowed him to stand, and he faced her, towering over her, and glared.

"Mad--that's what you are, woman. Yer mad-crazy."

"Stupid--that's what you are if you don't tell me where my money is."

"I got lots of money," Brian muttered after a few seconds. "How'm I to know that yer not lyin' anyway?"

"Trust me," Piper growled.

"Well I don't."

"You'd better," Piper said as she raised her gun.


The white mare snorted and tossed her head. She went back to eating the grass. Soon, she wandered over in the grass and stuck her head in her owner's face. She snorted.

He had been half-asleep in the sun, his hat pushed down to cover his eyes, sprawled out in the tall grass. When the mare snorted at him, he jumped up and rolled over.

"Oh, God…" He looked up at the questioning eyes of the horse. "Bad horse. Go away," he said to her.

She didn't move.

He muttered something under his breath about shooting her, but he knew he never would. Simple threats. They never meant much, especially to the horse. She walked away eventually, and found a patch of grass to eat from.

He rolled onto his back again and adjusted his hat. He kept one eye on the mare for a moment, and when he decided it was safe, fell asleep in the sun.

When he woke up, it was still bright day. He looked at the sun and guessed that it was about three o'clock.

"Time to go."

The mare heard this and looked up, curious. Her owner was already up, packing up last night's camp. He rolled up the blanket and tied it. He put the small skillet and pot into a brown leather bag, along with a couple packs of matches.

He whistled for the mare and she looked up from the grass again. When he stood staring at her, waiting for her to come over, she stared back defiantly. He whistled again and reached into a bag. He pulled out a cube of sugar and held it out.

The mare trotted the fifty feet up to him without a second thought. She stood right in his face and waited. He gave her the sugar and scratched her ear. While she was chewing, he dropped her saddle on her back, then turned around and tied the bag with the pot and pan to it. He stuck the small bag of sugar cubes in there before tying it shut and fastening it to her saddle correctly. He tied the blanket to the back of the saddle, then another bag to the other side, that one with some cooked food. He slid the machete into the cloth sheath and tied it flat to one of the bags. He threw some water on the already smoldering fire and kicked some dirt on it.

He turned and slipped the mare's bridle onto her. She didn't fuss at all. He grabbed his pistol from his belt and quickly shot the nearest tree three times. The mare snorted and tossed her head.

He looked at her. "What?"

She didn't move.

"I still got it."

The horse looked at him, then looked away.

"You never lost it," a woman laughed.

He groaned and closed his eyes. He refused to make eye contact with her.

"Hello," she said quietly, standing in front of him, her hands clasped behind her back. "You are going back?"

He sighed. "…Yes."

"Good. You must leave. She needs you--now."

"…It will be two days before I get there."

"Then in two days, your…mission…begins. Hell, it's already started."

"I don't even know what I'm doing…"

"You're helping yourself, you're helping her…and you're avenging me."

He looked up, suddenly interested. "How?"

"Just wait. First, you must let me go."

"Right…" He snorted. "Let you go…"

She looked at his side. "You're still hurt."

"I'll live."

She was silent. That hurt both of them.

"Until next time?" she asked.

"I hope not."

"I love you, too." She smiled. He reached out, without thinking, and ran his hand through her soft blonde hair. She faded away.

He cursed under his breath. "God damn it…"

He wasn't sure lately if it was his mind (or heart…maybe they were conspiring against him) making her appear, or maybe it was her…her spirit? She was haunting him. Or maybe he was haunting himself with her…

He grabbed his shotgun where it had been propped up against a log and got on the horse roughly. He shoved the gun into the sheath and looked around the camp one last time. He gave the mare a sharp, short kick.

"Heeah!"

The mare galloped away, running in the opposite direction of the setting sun.


There. 5 pages long. I hope that makes up for the long wait.

Just so you all know, naming Dan's brother Brian wasn't a strike again't Brian Krause. I was out of names...I'm gonna need the Great Big Book of Baby Names soon... In a review, could you guys give me some names? Seriously, I'm completely at a loss for names. Especially last names. If any of you can think of some, please DO NOT hesitate to tell me!

Ooh, I wonder who the blonde woman is...Ooh...Why don't you find out in "Always"? It's in there...Ooh...

Review, please, and don't forget those names!