I know, I'm a terrible person for making you all wait so long! But here is the next chapter!

Sleep evaded her that night. She lay in bed looking at the ceiling, thinking about the saloon, about all the good and bad things that had happened there over the last few years. She remembered her horror when she first saw the place, the feeling of nausea that had risen in her throat when she saw the girls lounging at the door. Then she thought about being with Hank, standing by his side, mistress of the saloon. The sound of it made her want to laugh out loud, but instead she smiled wistfully. They couldn't lose it, they just couldn't!

As dawn broke, Hank rolled over and eyed her sleepily, "Hey."

"Hey."

"Ya been awake all night?" She nodded mutely, "Ya must be exhausted." He reached out and ran his fingers lightly down her bare arm.

She looked over at him, "You didn't seem to have much trouble sleeping, considering."

He removed his hand, "Yeah well, spent enough sleepless nights lately. Ya want to be part of this place so much, ya take on some of the worry."

"Great, Hank, that's really helpful!" Emma Jane threw the covers off and climbed out of bed, "In case you've forgotten, it's because of what you did that we're in this mess!" She threw open the wardrobe and pulled out a dress. "If you hadn't taken out that loan…" She pulled it on.

He glared at her back, "If ya hadn't gone all the way to New York…"

"If you hadn't given me no other choice…!" she stopped herself before saying any more and sighed heavily. "This is pointless." She sank down on the end of the bed, "The worse thing we can do is fight. We have to stay strong together if we're going to survive this."

Hank paused and then crawled across the bed, wrapped his arms around her and rested his chin on her shoulder, "Yer right."

She smiled, "I'm always right."

"I weren't gonna say that."

She turned and kissed him, "We're going to get through this. We're going to come up with a plan and we're going to save the saloon."

"How ya reckon we're gonna do that?"

"Are you asking my opinion? Me? A lowly woman?"

He squeezed her tight, "Yer my girl. If anyone can do it, I reckon you can."

She wriggled out of his embrace and turned to face him as the mother of all good ideas came into her head, "Exactly, and that's exactly what I'm going to do." Leaving him in bed, she headed for the door. "Can you see to the children for me?" she called over her shoulder.

"What?" he called after her, "Hey! Got a saloon to run...!"

"Thanks Hank!"

"Emma!" he heard her footsteps going down the stairs towards the bar and then disappear. Groaning, he rolled over onto his back and looked at the ceiling for a moment until Will started to cry. "Don't ya ever shut up?" he demanded, rolling off of the bed and walking over to the basket. He stood looking at his son, his face growing red as he screamed, then he bent and picked Will up and held him in front of his face. At this, Will stopped crying and eyed his father, eyes brimming with tears. "Yeah well…" he said, "guess yer gonna have to rely on yer Ma to get us out of this mess. Fraid yer Pa ain't been much use." He held the baby to his chest, "Ain't much use for anything right now."

SSSS

The air was crisp and cool, a perfect February morning and when Emma Jane stepped outside, she took in a lungful of air. Then she stepped off of the porch and into the street, turning briefly to look up at the sign.

"Someone's up early." She turned to see Michaela climbing off of her horse.

"Too nice a morning to waste."

"Yes it is good weather for February," Michaela commented as she walked over. She followed Emma Jane's gaze. "Something wrong with the sign?"

"Oh…no," Emma Jane broke her gaze away and smiled, "I was just looking, that's all." She saw Michaela eye her speculatively, "What?"

"Was everything all right last night?"

"How do you mean?"

"Well…when we were coming back from the church and Hank…"

"Oh, that!" Emma Jane waved her hand, "That was nothing, just Hank being Hank."

"You know," Michaela said carefully, "I'm not one to pry into other people's business…"

"Then don't," Emma Jane stopped her, politely but firmly. The last thing she wanted was to talk about their money troubles.

"Of…of course," Michaela caught herself. "I…I was wondering…would you like to have lunch this afternoon?"

Emma Jane paused, "Of course, I'd love to."

"Great," Michaela smiled, "Shall we say Grace's at twelve?"

"I'll see you there." Emma Jane watched as Michaela walked back over to the clinic then hurried over to the Gazette office and banged on the door. At first, there was no response, so she banged louder until Dorothy appeared at the door.

"Emma Jane!" she declared through the glass, "What on earth…?"

"Can you open up?" Emma Jane called to her.

Dorothy unlocked the door and opened it, "It's barely morning!"

"Why waste a single moment of the day?"

"Well, I…"

"I was hoping you could help me?"

Dorothy pushed back a wisp of her hair, "If I can, I suppose…"

"I want to put an advert in the paper. A big advert." Emma Jane grinned, "The biggest."

Dorothy frowned, "All right. Hold on a second." She turned and lifted a notebook from the counter next to the door, "What do you want to say in this advert?"

"Next Friday, first drink free at the saloon."

Dorothy eyed her suspiciously, "Free drink?"

"First drink only," Emma Jane reminded her. "And exciting new entertainment." Dorothy raised her eyebrows. "Not that sort of entertainment. I mean, entertainment like…" she struggled to explain, "Entertainment."

"All right," Dorothy nodded slowly, "I think I understand what you mean. It'll go in the paper today."

"I also need flyers."

"Flyers?"

"Yes, you know, to hand out to people."

"I know what flyers are, Emma Jane."

"Oh," Emma Jane felt her face turn red, "No, I mean, I wasn't implying that you didn't…" she coughed, "anyway, I need flyers advertising the evening itself. Something along the same lines as the advert: Free drink, new entertainment, raffle and other exciting things."

"Raffle?"

"Yes it's a…" she broke off on Dorothy's look and merely smiled.

"All right, I'll have them for you by this evening."

"Thanks, Dorothy. I'll pay you later." Emma Jane turned away from the newspaper office and hurried along the street to where Horace was just opening up. "Horace!" she shouted, startling him so much that he stepped back and crashed into the door of the office. "Oh Lord!" she rushed forward to him, "Are you all right?"

"Fine thank you," he replied, pulling himself up with as much dignity as he could muster, "What can I do for you?"

"I'd like to send a telegram to New York," she told him, "To Mrs Isabella Hyatt, Park Avenue, New York City." It was a gamble she hoped would pay off.

SSSS

Isabella was sitting down to lunch when her butler brought in the telegram. As soon as she saw it had come from Colorado Springs she tore it open excitedly. "It must be from Emma Jane," she told her slightly stunned husband, "Oh yes it is." She scanned the few lines quickly and frowned, "Oh, now…now I'm not sure…"

"Not sure about what?" Mr Hyatt asked across the table.

"Nothing dear," Isabella folded up the page and tucked it under her dinner plate, "Nothing for you to worry about."

SSSS

It was just after twelve when Emma Jane hurried into Grace's Café and saw Michaela waiting for her. "Sorry I'm late," she said, flopping down into one of the chairs.

"That's all right," Michaela laughed, "You look as though you've been running all over town!"

"I might as well have been."

"Have you left Hank to cope with the saloon and the children by himself?"

Emma Jane nodded, "It'll do him good." She looked up as Grace came over.

"Hello you two, what can I get you?" she asked.

"I'll have the meatloaf please," Michaela replied.

"Me too," Emma Jane echoed, "and…something else perhaps?"

Grace frowned, "Such as?"

"I was wondering if the two of you would like to donate something to a raffle."

"A raffle?" Grace looked confused, "What's a raffle?"

"It's where you pay money and get a numbered ticket. Then a draw is made for a prize and if your number comes up, you win," Emma Jane explained, "It's quite simple really."

"What sort of things did you have in mind?" Michaela asked.

"Well, I thought about perhaps a free meal here," Emma Jane nodded at Grace, "and…oh I don't know, a free check up at the clinic?"

Michaela laughed, "I'm not so sure that's the sort of prize someone would want to win."

"Can you think of anything else then?"

Michaela paused, "I'm sure I could come up with something."

"Great," Emma Jane grinned, "the draw will be made in the saloon next Friday. It's going to be a special evening."

"Special how?" Grace looked sceptical.

"Free first drink, new entertainment, not the biblical kind," she added quickly, "the raffle and…well I'm currently trying to think of other things!"

"Is it for a charitable cause?" Michaela asked.

"Um…" Emma Jane floundered, "Not exactly…"

Grace and Michaela exchanged looks, "Not exactly how?" the former asked.

Emma Jane sighed, "If I tell you, you must promise not to breathe a word to anyone, and especially not to anyone who would say anything to Hank."

Both women leaned in closer, "We promise," they replied in unison.

"Ok," Emma Jane nodded, "It all happened about six months ago…"

SSSS

By two o'clock, Hank was grumpy as hell. The baby had been fussing all day, Victoria had been playing up, Mandy had been too busy with customers to do anything and Emma Jane was nowhere to be seen.

"Gonna take the back of my hand to her when she gits back here," he hurrumphed to Jake who was standing at the bar.

"Don't understand why ya let her walk all over ya like that," Jake replied, "Yer a man, she's a woman, put her in her place."

Hank shook his head, "Ain't nobody can put Emma Jane in her place, not even me."

"Maybe yer just gettin' soft," Jake winked at him.

"What do ya mean?"

"I mean, yer just so grateful she came back from New York with ya, ya too scared to say nothin' case she runs off again." He shook his head, "Ain't never gonna have any authority in yer marriage if ya go on like that."

Hank glared at him, "Cause yer the expert of course, Mayor Slicker."

Jake opened his mouth to reply when the door of the saloon burst open and Emma Jane came breezing in.

"Sorry," she said, hurrying behind the bar, "I didn't realise it had been so long. I'll just go and check on the children and then I'll come and give you a hand." She made for the stairs, but Hank grabbed her arm.

"Where ya bin?"

"Sorting things out," she replied.

"What things?"

"Things to help us hang on to this place," she said coolly, pulling her arm free, "now if you don't mind…" with that, she hurried upstairs. Mandy was just coming out of their bedroom.

"I just checked on Will," she told her, "he's sleeping…well…like a baby."

"Thanks Mandy," Emma Jane crept into the room and over to the cot where her son was indeed napping peacefully. She watched him for a few moments and then went into Victoria's room where her daughter was just waking up from her nap. As she climbed into her mother's lap, Emma Jane held her close and kissed the top of her head. Part of her would be glad to see the back of the saloon. It really was no place to raise children. But the other part of her wanted so badly to hold onto it, to save it. It was, after all, their home.

"Emma Jane!" Hank's voice bellowed up the stairs. "Git yer butt down here and serve, will ya?"

Emma Jane put Victoria down onto the floor, gave her some toys and then left the room, leaving the door slightly ajar. When she got downstairs, she immediately went behind the bar and started to serve.

"Afternoon, Emma Jane," Loren said, "Usual please."

"No problem, Loren," she replied, pouring him a whisky.

"I put aside those things you asked me for," he told her.

"What things?" Hank asked, coming up behind her.

"Just some things we needed," she replied quickly, cutting Loren off before he could speak, "Isn't that right, Loren?" she glared at him meaningfully.

"Oh…oh yes, that's right," he replied, mindful of her earlier warning that the evening was supposed to be kept a secret from Hank. "Quite right."

Hank looked between them suspiciously, but then wandered off to serve another customer.

"Loren!" Emma Jane hissed.

"I'm sorry!" he replied, "I always was bad at keepin' secrets." He glanced over at Hank, "He don't suspect nothin'?"

"No, and I don't want him to until I decide to tell him about it."

"What's the big secret for anyhow? Ain't like he's not going to find out once the paper comes out tomorrow."

"I'm going to tell him later on tonight in my own good time," she replied, "I want to do it where there's going to be no-one else around."

SSSS

"Ya done what?" Hank bellowed at her later that evening.

"Organised a special evening at the saloon," she repeated herself as she got undressed.

"Without tellin' me?"

"What would you have said if I'd told you?" she replied.

"That we ain't holdin' no special events."

"And why not?" she turned to face him.

"Because…" he stuttered, "we just ain't!"

"Well we are," she replied, "it's all arranged. Advert in the paper, flyers, raffle prizes…I've even wired Isabella in New York to see about having the Bluebirds come."

"The who?"

"The Bluebirds," she replied, "they're a dance troupe."

"And how much is that gonna cost?"

"I asked Isabella if they could come for free."

"Free? Ya bin sayin' we need charity!"

"No, of course not!" Emma Jane was growing angry, "but we haven't got much choice. I've had to pay Dorothy for the advert and the flyers," she gestured to the papers sitting on the dressing table, "but apart from that…" she sighed, "in case you hadn't forgotten we have a heck of a lot of money to find by next weekend or we're going to be begging for real."

Hank sighed heavily and sat down on the edge of the bed, "Is this gonna work?"

"Yes," she replied confidently, "Yes it damn well is!"