Disclaimer: Cassie and all other unfamiliar characters (except for Meg) belong to me! Everyone else does not. No infringement intended.

AN: All right enough messing about and making you all wait about for ages for me to update! I must finish this story! I just need to get over this difficult patch before I can get back the movie canon! I do actually have an end for this story… all I have to do is get there. Which may just prove to be the most difficult part.

Thank you so much readers for sticking with this story, you're all so kind!

Also…if you wish to place this into movie canon…throw this scene in before Cole tells Jesse about the trap, and this will be Cole's last visit to Cassie before Jesse gets captured! Also, this chappy is about two months from the last chapter and it also has a little angst. But its all happy in the end I promise!

Thanks again to cougar for lending me Meg, and helping me with this silly thing! I appreciate it greatly

Sorry for any colourful spelling and/or grammar mistakes!

Thanks again and Enjoy!

~*~

Cassie sat in the shade of the large tree on her property, pushing at the swing her Father had attached years ago when Becca was just four years old. Cassie sighed and pulled her knee's to her chest. It had been almost a week since her last letter from Cole. Over the weeks his letters had been getting shorter and more distant, until finally it seemed he didn't have anything to say to her at all.

Cassie sighed again, shoving the swing away indignantly. She couldn't help to feel angry, Cole had always managed to write, long letters despite where they were, but now…

Well, she thought darkly, maybe he's got what he's wanted. That didn't make her feel any better…in fact it made her feel worse. Cassie didn't want to dwell on the fact that she could have simply been a conquest, and now that he had 'won' he didn't want her any more.

Don't be stupid, she chastised herself, Cassie let out a frustrated growl and stood up, she turned and screamed.

"What's the matter with you Cole Younger?" She demanded—her heart pounding painfully in her chest.

"Didn't mean to scare you," he replied, "ain't you happy to see me?"

"A' course I am, what kinda stupid question is that," Cassie muttered.

"That's funny, you don't seem too happy to see me," Cassie looked at his face and found she couldn't discern if he was teasing her or not.

"I am, but if you don't stop asking I might not be."

"What the hell are we even fightin' about?"

"Damned if I know," Cassie pursed her lips to hide her smile.

"C'mere," Cole pulled her into a tight hug before kissing her firmly on the mouth.

"When did you get back?"

"A while ago," Cole settled his hands on the small of her back. "Listen…this is the last time I'm gonna be home for a long while."

"That's good, it ain't safe round here no more." Cassie cocked her head, "are you okay," she touched her hand to his face.

He let her go and she blinked.

"It's Jesse."

"Jesse? What're you talking about? Is he okay?"

"He's fine, maybe a little too fine."

"I don't understand."

Cole looked at Cassie, "what I'm saying is maybe I'm getting a little sick and tired of Jesse James getting all the credit."

"All the credit, for what?"

"For everything."

Cassie furrowed her brow, "but I don't understand, I thought you were both the leaders—"

"That's just it, I don't feel much like a leader."

"Well," Cassie took his hand, "lets go for a walk."

Cole shrugged her off, "I don't want to go for a walk."

Cassie blinked, then recovered, "all right fine," she pushed past him, "maybe you'd just like to go on home."

"Cassie—"

"If you're so angry I don't know why you bothered comin' around."

"Cassie—listen, I," Cole sighed, "I know, I know. I'm sorry."

"I didn't think it was supposed to about that," Cassie said after a moment of silence. "About who gets what credit, I thought it was supposed to be about stoppin' the rail road. You don't just throw away the friendship you and Jesse got over something so…so stupid." She stared out across the field, doing her best not to cry.

"Cassie," Cole sighed.

"You know, you've changed and I'm not sure I like it. I thought Jesse meant more to you than that," she paused, "I thought I meant more to you than that." She looked at Cole and a fat tear rolled down her cheek, "are you gonna tell me I'm wrong?"

Cole didn't reply but simply stared back at her, "I'd better go."

Cassie swallowed the painful lump in her throat, "I guess you'd better." She watched as he cut across to the barn and untethered his horse. Cassie didn't let herself cry until he rode around the corner then she dropped onto the front steps and burst into tears.

It'll all be happy, really it will! I finally updated!

Anyway, review and let me know what you think, but not flames please!