The Visit: By Carla Mae West

by ultraknight

Used by Permission by a good friend Holly F. A Bravestarr adventure. A woman from Earth in the 23 century arrives on the Planet New Texas. She's a reporter and wants to do a story on one person there. The meanest outlaw in the galaxy! Tex Hex! So begins an adventure that will change his life and hers.

2. Chapter 2 At The Hexagon and Settling In

The Visit Chapter II

By the way the sky rapidly began to darken, I could tell that we were approaching the area known as, "The Badlands." The further we rode, the more the desert began to flatten out, revealing nothing but a and dry cracked landscape for miles. That is, with one exception. Far off in the distance, I began to make out the features of a mysterious structure. But it wasn't until we drew closer that I realized I was actually staring at the front part of the Hexagon! Before I had a chance to speak, I felt us slow down until we gradually came to a stop. "Well, this is it," Tex replied, looking sideways at me. "This is my home . . .If ya want ta call it that."

"Wow. . ." I said simply amazed. "It's fantastic. I didn't think it was so big,"

"Well of course it is. . .You forget that Stampede lives here too?" For a minute, it felt as though I couldn't catch my breath.

I had completely forgotten about Stampede, a huge monster that was said to be half bronco, and half dinosaur! And now here I was actually about to step into his territory! Just the thought of that caused me to break out into a cold sweat. I must've gotten pale,because Tex leaned back and studied me rather intensely. "Hey. . .Are you alright?"

"No. Not really," I gasped, suddenly getting very weak. "Up until now it never even occurred to me that I would be meeting him too. And after the horrible things I've heard,
I'm not sure I want to."

"What are you talking about?" Tex asked, rather curiously.

"About him being carnivorous. Is that true?"

Gaping at me with disbelief, Tex quickly looked away, and then cleared his throat. After some brief hesitation, I watched as he gazed back at me with a very grave
expression on his face.

"Ohhhh, yeah. He just loves ta eat people. Especially visitors. Didn't you know that?" Feeling my jaw drop, I swallowed hard then asked,
"Are you serious?!"

In an almost reticent manner, Tex leaned closer then muttered, "No. . ."

By the huge grin that crept over his face, I suddenly realized that he'd been pulling my leg! Completely embarrassed all I could do was fold my arms, watching as he began to snicker loudly under his breath. "You know you're cold hearted, right?" I snapped, as he laughed even harder. Clutching his stomach Tex quickly shook his head, then giggled out. "Hey. . .I'm sorry. But I just couldn't resist it. Besides. . .That'll teach ya not to believe everything ya read!"

Well, aside from that humiliation, my anxiety slowly turned into fascination as we drifted into the massive opening of the Hexagon. From what I saw, front of this place looked more like a huge garage, with dozens of turbo mules and vehicles parked from one end to the other. As we came to a complete stop, I watched as several figures emerged from the side and slowly began to heading towards us. As they drew closer, I began to recognize who they were. Especially the woman of the bunch, whose unmistakable snakelike features caught my attention. I knew she had to be Vipra. Then there was a tall skinny robot dressed in a trench coat and cowboy hat, which I assumed to be Thunderstick. But there was one in particular that caught my eye. Being a prairie person like deputy Fuzz, this little fellow wore a worn out top hat, and had a crimped up cigar hanging out of his mouth. Right away, I knew this had to be Scuzz, Tex's little sidekick!

I watched as he ran up to us, puffing and coughing all at the same time. "Boss. . .Hey boss! Is she reporter?"

"Yup. . ." he answered, jumping off the skullwalker. Turning back around, Tex held out his hand, waiting for me to step down. Timorously I reached down and grabbed him by the forearm. Once I was off, Tex peered from me to Vipra in a coy manner. "Vipra, come check out Miss Carla and make sure she doesn't have any bugs on her."

"Will do, boss," she cooed, quickly signaling me to turn around and face the wall.

Like a convict I stood there feeling as she roughly frisked me from top to bottom. Thereafter I heard her say, "She clean." Mortified, I turned back around and gave Tex a look of aggravation.

"I told you I was!"

"And I told you I wasn't takin any chances!" he smugly answered. "Scuzz. . ."

"Yeah, boss?" he coughed out. Rolling his eyes, Tex snapped,

"First I want you ta throw that stupid cigar away! And then I want you ta take Miss Carla and show her to her room." Glancing sideways at me he muttered, "I'll be there in a minute."

"Come Miss. . ." Scuzz said, as he ashed his cigar out on the cement floor. Sliding it behind his ear he pointed, "This way. . ."

Walking out of the garage, we headed through the side door. From there I found myself walking through a huge spacious corridor, with rooms on each side.

"Geeze!" My voice echoed with fascination. "I can't believe how big this place really is!"

"Well. . .Stampede big. So place has to be big too." Swallowing down a lump in my throat I wheedled, "Yeah. . .I've been told that already. Just how big is he?" I asked, as we approached one of the doors. "He big. . ." Scuzz said with a chuckle. "Make you look like a bug!"

"Great. . ." I hissed, breaking out into another cold sweat.

Smiling up at me, Scuzz said, "No worry, Miss. He stay down in hole most of time." Now he reached out and began to punch a code into the door. "In meantime. . .check out room."

Slowly the doors slid open to reveal a spacious ensemble that was more like an apartment instead of a bedroom. Besides a bed next to a huge window there was some furniture, and a bathroom. But what really caught my attention was the huge computer that sat in the corner of the room. "Wow!" I said, still standing in the doorway.

"What do you think?" Scuzz asked as we walked inside.

"I think it's awesome! This is nothing like I expected!"

"So I assume you like it?" Now we turned to find Tex standing in the doorway. Full of gratitude, I shook my head. "Oh, I love it Tex. Especially the computer!" I said sitting down in front of it.

Proudly he got on the side of me, watching as I turned it on. "Well, bein's you're a reporter and all, I figured you could use the extra back up."

"Well, I have a laptop in my trunk, but I know it's nothing compared to this baby. It looks awfully powerful."

"Yup. . .The best stolen money can buy," he boasted, watching as I gaped up toward him with surprise. Knowing that I caught on, he smirked down at me and said, "Seriously though. I designed the parts and put it together myself."

"Really?" I asked, rather surprised.

"Yup. That, along with every computer in here. And they're all runnin ta my program."

"Wow. . ." I said, very impressed. "I need to get all this down." Suddenly I remembered something that caused me to snap my fingers. "Oh. But first, I need to do one thing."

"What?"

"Call my boss. . ."

"Why?" Tex asked, rather confused. Smugly I looked at him and replied,

"Cause he didn't think I'd have the guts to meet you. And he said if I could prove it, he'd pay for my trip!" Rather taken back, Tex gaped down at me and folded his arms. "Oh? Is that so?"

"Yeah. And I 'd love nothing more than to rub his nose in it, by letting him see you in person!" Peering down at me, Tex slowly nodded with a crafty grin on his face.
"Call him!"

After about five minutes I had typed in numbers of my workplace, and the page was already blinking. At that moment Tex stepped out of sight, just as my bosses face popped up on the screen. Right away he was stunned to see me.

"Well hello there, young lady!"

"Hey, Richard,"

"I'm surprised to be hearing from you this soon. How was the trip?"

"Oh, it was bumpy, but fun. I got here yesterday evening around five, and Bravestarr met me at the port and escorted me into town."

"Fantastic!" Richard said leaning a little closer to the screen.

"But tell me. How are they treating you out there?"

"Oh, they're treating me just fine. Especially the Marshal. He's a nice person, and very protective too." I said, watching as Tex rolled his eyes with disgust. Trying not to laugh, I cleared my throat then said. "But that's not why I'm here. I'm here because I want you to meet somebody."

"Who?" he asked with curiosity. "The Marshall?"

"Nope. I'm not at Fort Kerium." I said, giving him a crafty grin. "I'm at the Hexagon." Slowly Richard's eyes began to widen with disbelief.

"What?! No way! Now I know you're pulling my leg!" Glancing sideways at Tex, I raised an eyebrow then nodded,

"Oh, I am, huh?! Well, alright then buster! You asked for it!"

Quickly I waved a hand out, signaling Tex to come forward. Before Richard knew what was happening, he had emerged out of nowhere and was sitting right on the side of me. Mouth falling open, he could only gape at Tex, watching as he folded his arms in a sarcastic manner.

"Is this proof enough for ya?!"

As Richards head slowly shook, I grinned content and satisfied. "Richard, this is Tex Hex. One of the baddest outlaws in the galaxy. And Tex. . .this is my skeptical boss, Richard Pierson." I said, watching as he slowly began to come to his senses.

Mouth closing, his head began to shake. "Holy smoke, Carla! I never thought you'd pull this off!" Leaning forward a bit, I said,

"Well I have, Richard. And you owe me for a trip!" Grinning, he threw a hand up in the air and replied, "Say no more, Hun. It's on the way. You've earned every dime!"

Shooting me a mocking glance, Tex suddenly challenged. "Oh yeah? Well somebody oughta be payin me for having to put up with her!"

"Uh. . .Excuse me?" I scoffed, watching as Richard grinned at him with amusement.

"Don't worry, sir. You will be compensated. . .Well compensated." Rolling his eyes, Tex nodded. "Yeah, right! Now I know you're pullin my leg!"

"No, he's not!" I said, very seriously. Peering at Richard, I added, "Just send him some kerium and a voucher. He'll believe it when he gets it." I said, watching as Tex still shook his head with skepticism.

"Well. . .If I put it on a freighter tomorrow, it should be there in about a week."

"Oh, that's perfect Richard. Thanks. I know could use the extra cash."

"No problem, Hun. You take care. . .And Tex . . .it's been real." He mocked, giving him a playful salute. As I chuckled under my breath, Tex shook his head and muttered,
"Yeah. . .I'll say it has,"

"You take care Carla. . .and keep in touch."

"I will. . .Bye. . ." Just when I went to flick the screen off, Richard threw a hand out and shouted.

"Oh wait. . .Don't hang up yet. There's one more thing I forgot to tell you."

"What?" I asked rather curiously. I watched as he hesitated, as though trying to figure out what to say. "Uh. . .Eric called over here looking for you." Now I felt a knot form in the pit of my stomach. Getting myself together, I muttered, "Oh he did, huh?"

"Yeah. He said he hasn't heard from you in three days. So I assume you didn't tell him you were leaving?" Stiffing up, I folded my arms with defiance and whispered,

"Nope. . ." Giving me a disapproving peer, Richard replied,

"He seemed pretty worried about you, Carla." Suddenly I felt the resentment overwhelm me, causing me to defensively snap out,

"Well that's just too bad, isn't it?! He should've thought about that before I left! And besides, with the attitude he's got I 'm surprised he's not happy that I'm gone!"

Out the corner of my eye, I noticed how Tex's tentative gaze slowly began to widen, as though shocked by my unexpected outburst. Realizing I was exposing a little more than what was necessary, I blew out a long breath. Trying to calm down, I replied, "Look. Just tell him that I went away on an extended vacation, and that I'll come back when I'm good and ready!" Cocking his head at me, Richard shrugged.

"Ok. If that's what you want." Feeling myself beginning to get upset, I glared at him and sharply replied,

"That's the way it gotta be. . .Goodbye!"

As I quickly flicked off the screen, I could feel the weight of Tex's stare fall heavily on my shoulders. This caused me to look ahead for a minute, then turn around to confront the solemn expression on his face. Clearing my throat, I timidly muttered, "I'm uh- having some issues right now."

"I can see that," he mouthed, continuing to gaze into my eyes. Clearing his throat, he awkwardly stood up from his chair. "Look. . .Um. I know you still got some unpacking to do. So I'll leave ya alone ta freshen up a little." Knowing good and well that he was trying to give me some time to myself, I looked up at him with gratitude. "Thanks." I whispered, watching as he turned and began to walk out the room. "And Tex?"

"Yeah?" he asked, looking over his shoulder. Hesitating, I then shook my head and said, "I'm sorry you had to see that." Slowly he turned around and faced me with a tender expression on his face. Sighing, he peered at me and said,

"Hey. . .It ain't none of my business anyhow. Just take your time, and when you're done come on out, because I still got some things I need ta show ya. Ok?"

"Ok. . ."

After about an hour of unpacking and taking a shower, I was feeling a little better and decided that wasn't going to let this little setback stop me from missing all the action! Grabbing my mini recorder, I walked out of the room to find myself suddenly overwhelmed by the delectable smell of something cooking. Before I had a chance to get curious, I spotted Tex waving a hand out from across the corridor, standing in front a pair of double doors. As I walked up to him, he mocked,

"For a minute I didn't think you were ever gonna come out of there. What ya do? Get Lost?"
"No. Not quite." I muttered, suddenly surprised to find myself standing in the doorway of a huge kitchen. "But I can get lost in here,"

"Yeah, I know it is a little big. But, it has the most traffic." He said walking up to a huge metal icebox. "And beins you're new, I have ta give you a rundown on the rules, round here." Flinging the door open, he continued, "First there's the food situation," he said, pointing to the well-stocked shelves. "Everything in here is initialed with good reason! Trust me. You don't want to chow down on any of Vipra or Scuzz's stuff. It'll make you gag!"

Biting my bottom lip, I grinned and watched as he pointed to a certain spot on the bottom. "All this stuff down here with "TX" on it, belongs to me. And bein's you're well, my guest here, then I'll go on ahead and split my rations with ya. Starting with this," he said, now turning towards the stove. Quickly he lifted the lid off a pot to reveal some steaming hot chili. Inhaling a whiff, I asked, "Oh, man. Did you cook this?"
"You'd better believe it. Nobody cooks for me, but me. And today,
well. I thought I'd fix a little extra." Touched by his gesture, I grinned and said,
"Aww Tex. That's sweet. Thank you."
Rolling his eyes Tex looked around rather embarrassed, then hissed, "If you don't mind keep that to yourself, will ya?"
"Oh, yeah. Right." I whispered in a secretive manner. Smirking he cleared his throat, then pointed to the cabinets. "Anyhow, the same goes with the rations and the canned goods. If ya happen ta come across anything unmarked, don't touch it! Otherwise, ya might wind up chompin on Scuzz's dried roots, or worse yet. . .Vipra's bugs!"
Completely repulsed I said, "You're kidding, right?"
"No, I ain't. One time I made the mistake of opening the wrong pouch, and winded up pulling out one of her dried beetles!"
"No way!"

"Oh, yeah. And let me tell you, I went looking for her!" Giggling now, I saw the way he noticed how the mic was clipped to my shirt pocket, "Oh, wait a minute. Are you recording this?"

Feeling a little awkward, I answered, "Uh. . .Yeah. Do you mind?"

"No. Not at all," he said, waving at me. "In fact, I want everybody to know what kind of a slob she really is!" Struck funny by his malicious remark, I began to cackle so hard that I could barely catch my breath. "Oh, you are so wrong! You ought to be ashamed! Picking on her like that!" Although he tried to keep a straight face, Tex couldn't help but chuckle at my giddy state. "Well, it's true. .

."
"Well, you still need to stop it anyway!" I gasped out, trying very hard to compose myself.

"Stop what?" Another voice suddenly asked out of the blue. Tex and I both turned around, startled to find Scuzz standing at the kitchen door! Puffing away on his cigar, he began walking up to the two of us rather perplexed. "We can hear you laughing all the way from outside. What so funny?" Out the corner of my eye, I caught Tex peering at me with a big smirk on his face. This caused a hand to fly over my mouth, muffling up a loud grunt. As I spun away, Tex giggled out,

"Nothin. Just showin her the food, that's all. Why ya hungry?"

"Maybe," Scuzz answered, standing on his tiptoes to get a better look.

"It sure smells good." Through his constant coughing, Tex shook his head with aggravation. "I dunno how you can smell anything with all that smoke going up your nose! And what I told you about bringing that in this kitchen!"

"Sorry. . ." he replied, still puffing away. "Eh. . .boss. Cn Scuzz have a bowl?" Rolling his eyes, Tex then said, "You want my chili, then you do my dishes! Understood?"

More than eager, Scuzz quickly nodded. "Sure thing, boss," he said, as he stood up on a stool and grabbed a bowl. Grinning at me, Tex folded his arms and mocked, "Works every time. That way I never have ta clean up!"

Within the hour the whole gang had basically gathered around the kitchen table with a bowl of Tex's chili. . .That is except for Tex, himself. He was at the icebox pouring him self what looked to be a tall glass of sweet water. " Hey Tex, aren't you going to eat something?" Looking over his shoulder, he quickly muttered,

"Nah. I ain't hungry. . .But go on, and help yerself. . ." Now I felt a light poke from Scuzz, who signaled me to lean a little closer. "Boss never eat in front of us," he whispered. "But why?" I asked, rather curiously. Giving me a serious peer, Scuzz asked,

"You never look at mouth? He have no choppers." The bluntness of his statement shocked me so much, it caused my mouth to fall open with surprise. At the same time, Scuzz added, "Me thinks he embarrassed. That's why he take food up to room. He not want anyone to see him eat. When he eats at all. . ."
For a minute, I actually felt sorry for Tex beginning to realize just how normal he really was!

Day Two

Early the next morning I was sitting at the computer when a hard knock was heard. Grabbing a little remote off the counter, I pressed the unlock button. "Come in," I answered, as the door slid open.

Now I watched as Tex walked inside with Scuzz right on his heels. And this time, without the cigar! Hmph! I guess Tex must've warned him ahead of time.

"Well, good morning to ya."

"Morning Tex. Hello Scuzz," I cooed, as he sat down in a chair right across from me.
"Mornin ma'am," he replied, giving me a toothy grin. "How'd ya sleep?"
"I didn't. . ." I answered, muffling up a loud yawn.
"You didn't?" Tex asked rather surprised.

"Nope. I was up all night working on this article. . ." Trailing off, I noticed the way Tex began to deeply inhale. Peering at me, he asked, "Wait a minute. Is that coffee I smell?" Slowly he looked around the room until he spotted my percolator on the counter. Rolling his eyes he shook his head, "It is! And it ain't that freeze dried stuff, either!"

"Nope. It's the real thing, alright." Now I watched as he gave me a hintful glance.
"Ya know how long it's been since I've tasted real coffee?"

Smirking at him, I asked, "Would you like a cup, Tex?"

"Well. . .I wouldn't mind." Looking towards Scuzz, I winked, then threw a
hand on my hip. "Well if you want some of my coffee, then you're gonna have to clean my dishes, understood?"

Right away Scuzz began to giggle uncontrollably. Slapping a hand on one knee he cackled, "Ohh, boss. Looks like she got ya good that time!" Knowing good and well that I put him on the spot, Tex cocked his head at me and asked,
"Are ya tryin ta be funny?"

Laughing at him, I said, "Who me? Nah. Go on and help yourself." I said, handing him an extra cup. Grasping it from me, Tex made a quick dash for the counter.

"There's some cream and sugar there, if you use it."

"No thanks. I take it black," Tex muttered as he began to pour himself a tall cup. Shaking my head I replied, "So what's on the agenda for today, boss?"

Suddenly a loud bang was heard from outside, nearly causing me to jump out of my skin.

"What was that?" I asked, as he took a long sip. Hesitating over how good it tasted, Tex shook his head, then answered,

"Their target practicing outside. . .And don't call me boss!" he peevishly added. Feeling rather hurt over the way he snapped at me, I asked,

"Why not?" Now I watched as his irritable look toward me began to soften, growing very serious. "Cause I wouldn't treat you the same. . .That's why."

For a minute, I was stunned when I realized just what he meant by that. It was like he was saying that he wanted to treat me differently than anybody else because I was special to him, and not one of the gang. Through my silence, all I could do was stare at him in a daze, then say, "Oh. . ." Aware that I had caught on to what he meant, Tex began to feel rather embarrassed in front of Scuzz. Glancing down at him, he ordered,

"Go set all my targets up."

Right away Scuzz perked up, then asked, "Then after can me fires your weapon?"

"Yeah, if ya do it right."

"Oh boy!" he said, quickly jumping off the chair and running out the door. As Tex watched with amusement, I asked, "What weapon is he talking about?"

"This one," he answered, patting a huge gun that was attached to a holster on the side of his belt. "It's a Hex Maker."

"A Hex Maker?"

"Yeah. I designed it myself. It's more than just a gun. It has certain spells and hexes I sorta added in."

Giving him a playful grin, I nodded then said, "Oh, I see. So it's a weapon that matches your personality. . ." By the proud grin that crossed over his face, I could tell Tex was impressed over the way I knew him so well.

"Right! Now you're gettin it!" he cooed, in a wily manner. "Come on. Lets go."

After about five minutes, Tex and I found the rest of the gang waiting for us in the back of the Hexagon. From where I stood, the cracked and barren desert stretched
out for miles with no end in sight.

About 150 ft in the distance, I noticed a long hill of sand and rock that was shaped in the form of a levy. There to my surprise, these little stuffed mannequins quickly popped up out of nowhere, and sat there for about three seconds. During this time, the entire group including Vipra, Sandstorm, Thunderstick and about ten dingos, all went into a frenzy and began shooting at them until they quickly sank back into the mound. Standing off to the side, Tex and I watched as the dummies popped up again, and they all began to fire, maybe hitting one target out of ten! Rolling his eyes, Tex sighed with frustration.

"Man! You guys are pathetic!" he fussed, loud enough to get their attention. "No wonder we lose half the blasted robberies out here! Ya'll don't know how ta shoot!"

Now I watched as Thunderstick raised his gun-arm up, then slowly turned
towards Tex in an almost challenging manner. "And you-you do?" he asked in a mechanical voice. Slowly Tex's eyes narrowed with defiance.

"Watch me, tin head!" Facing the levy, I watched as Tex's hand slowly fell on his gun and waited.

"Watch and learn!" Within seconds it sprung up, and he drew, then quickly fired, shooting a bright laser that blasted a hole right through the dummy's eyes!

With my mouth hanging open, I watched as he spun the gun around and slipped it back in his holster. Giving Thunderstick a snide expression, he asked, "You were sayin?"

"Whoa! Check you out! And left handed, too!" I hollered, watching as he proudly smiled at me.

"Where'd you learn to shoot like that?"

"Lots of practice. . ." Tex said, watching as Scuzz ran up to us.

"Boss! Boss! Cn me shoots now?" Peering down at him for a second, Tex said.

"Tell you what, Scuzz. Forget my gun. Hows about grabbin that cannon over there," he said, pointing towards a weapon that looked more like a bazooka.

"That'll be even better!" Scuzz hollered, as he ran to it with excitement. Right away the others loudly began to chuckle among themselves. "Awe come on, boss. That cannon's bigger than he is." Cactushead wheedled, as Scuzz slowly drug it across the ground.

"Yeah. . .He'll never fires it," Vipra mocked, as he peevishly glared in her direction. Glancing sideways towards me, Tex muttered, "Watch this. . ."

Bending on one knee, Scuzz heavily propped the entire cannon on one shoulder. Looking through the peephole, he waited patiently for one of the targets to pop up. Within that second it emerged, and Scuzz fired, literally falling over backwards from the hard kick of the gun. But the laser blast made its way to the target, blowing it completely off the mound! Wideyed, the startled group could only gape down at him with their mouths hanging open. Trying not to laugh, Tex shook his head then said,
"Now ya know that's sad when he's gonna outdue all of you!"

"Scuzz, that was outstanding!"

"Well, it should be," Tex said, with a proud grin. "I taught him everything I know!"

As I continued to hang around with them throughout the day, I began to notice a playful side of Tex that I think people rarely got to see. He had loosened up alot around me, and began to joke around quite a bit. Another example of this was when we all had gathered up in the balcony part of the Hexagon, and began to play some three-dimensional space games that he had downloaded onto the master computer!

Watching Tex play, was like watching a little kid in action. It was so fun to see him enjoy himself that much. That is until I started playing and beat the socks off him! Though he tried to hide it, I could tell he was humiliated to be whipped in front of the others. So I quickly reminded Tex of who could shoot the best out of the bunch,
and that made him feel much better!

Before I knew it, nightfall had arrived, causing sleep deprivation from the night before to hit me like a ton of bricks. By then I had quit participating in the games and was comfortably nestled on a huge lounger not too far away from them. As they continued to aimlessly compete, I felt my eyelids getting heavier and heavier until eventually I couldn't keep them open at all. The next thing I knew, I had fallen fast asleep.

Day Three
I don't know how long I'd been out, but I woke up surprised to find myself still seated in the recliner with a blanket tucked under my chin. The only light in the room shined from the monitor of the computer. There in the darkness, I could make out the features of Tex lying on a couch not too far away from me. By the way his hat covered his eyes, I could tell that he too was fast asleep. Although I was rather perplexed by this unexpected sight, the drowsiness took over me causing me to aimlessly drift off again.

Only this time when I woke up, daylight poured in through the huge balcony windows, causing a hand to cover my eyes. Through the cracks of my fingers, I watched as Tex walked in the room carrying my coffee pot

. "Mornin," he mumbled, setting it on the counter. "I hope ya don't mind me going in your room, but I figured you'd be wantin your coffee."

Rather taken back, I replied, "No, I don't mind. I'll make us some,"
"No, don't get up. I got everything here. Just tell me how ya make it. . ."

"Uh, ok." I said, mind rather cloudy. "Two scoops. . .to five cups of water." Now I peered at him rather confused. "Uh, Tex. . .Why didn't you wake me up last night?" By the way he hesitated, I could tell Tex was trying to come up with a good explanation. "Well, you were sleepin so good. . .I didn't want to disturb ya."

"Yeah, I know. But you could've gone to bed. . ." Turning the coffee pot on, he then turned around, giving me a serious glance. "And leave you here by yourself? I don't think so!" Flattered by his protective behavior, I smiled up at him then replied,

"Well regardless of what you think, I still say that's very sweet of you."

Now in an almost deliberate manner, he peered down at me then slowly folded his arms. "Sweet, huh? Did anyone ever tell ya that ya snore?" Mouth falling open, I watched as an amused grin crossed his lips. Scoffing I answered, "No! But thank you for bringing that to my attention!"

"Anytime. . ." he said, trying not to laugh at me.

"And for your information, I only snore when I'm tired!"

"Hmph! Well then you must've been exhausted!" he mocked, now beginning to laugh at the embarrassed expression on my face. Before I had a chance to retaliate, the buzzer sounded on the monitor, indicating an incoming call. Walking up to it, he flicked on the switch shocked to find Bravestarr staring back at him.

"Marshall?!" Suddenly he stopped, then rolled his eyes with annoyance. Turning toward me he muttered, "It's for you."

"Well hello, Bravestarr. . ." I said, quickly sitting down in front of the screen.

"Howdy, Miss Carla. And how are you feeling this morning?"

"Tired, actually. I just woke up."

"Really?"

"I've been busy ever since I've gotten here, taking down information. Talking to everybody. . ." Now I watched as the Marshall leaned a little closer in an almost secretive manner. "Has Tex been treatin ya alright?" Having overheard what Bravestarr asked, Tex bent toward the monitor and shouted out,

"No, Marshall. Me and the gang took turns torturin her last night!"

Glancing sideways at him, I threw a finger to my lips and hissed, "Shhh, Tex! Will you behave!" I said, choking back a giggle. Shaking my head at the way Bravestarr glared at him, I said, "Actually Marshall, Tex has been kind to me. Really kind. But. . .he doesn't want you to know that." I whispered in a playful manner.

Shaking his head, Bravestarr muttered, "Well, I still find all of this hard to believe," Getting aggravated, Tex snapped, "Well it'll never happen to you, Marshall! I guarantee it! And what are ya doin callin here anyway? Ya bored?"

"No! I called because Miss Carla just received a package off one of the freighters with a security tag on it. I assume it's some kinda compensation?"

Stunned, I nodded,
"Yes! That's my severance pay! But my boss told me two days ago that it would be
here in a week."

"Well. Chances are if he put it on the freighter that day, that's why you got it sooner."

"Alright!" I said, jumping up full of excitement.

Amused by my giddy state, Bravestarr then asked, "So how do you want to arrange the pickup?"
"Well, we can do like we did before and meet at. . .where is it?" I asked, looking toward Tex. "You mean Ambush Canyon?" he asked.

"Yeah. . .That's it." Hesitating, Bravestarr looked from me to Tex then said,

"Are you sure you don't want to just leave it here until you're finished with your visit?"

"No. . .because honestly I don't know how long I'm going to be here. And I really need the money now. It's that important. Besides," I added, warmly looking in Tex's direction. "I trust him,"

Shaking his head, Bravestarr could only look at me and smile. " I never thought I'd see the day. . .But, if that's what you really want, then we'll be there in about thirty minutes. Sounds good?"

Looking over at Tex, I saw him nod,
"Yeah. We'll meet you there."

Our meeting was short and very brief. At first Tex had planned on staying back on the skullwalker, while I went ahead and got the package. That is, until he saw I could barely lift it off the back of Thirties mount. From where he sat, Tex intently fixed his gaze on the box until his eyes began to gleam a bright red. The next thing I knew the box shot up in the air, and quickly flew passed me until it was seated on the back of his skullwalker! Immediately I could feel the hair stand up on the back of my neck. No matter how many times Tex would do that, I'd never get used to it! It simply gave me the creeps! Grinning at the dumbfounded expression on my face, he pointed towards the back and muttered,
"I'll wager anything there's kerium in that box. . ."

Peering from Bravestarr to him, I replied, "And I'll wager you anything that you're
probably right. But you won't know till we get back, so let's go!"

"Oooh!" he cooed, surprised by my aggressive attitude. "Ya startin ta sound like me, now!"

"Yeah," Bravestarr muttered, as I jumped back up on Tex's Scullwalker.
"That's what I'm afraid of!"

Although the box was extremely heavy, Tex still managed to tuck it under his arm in a secretive manner. Together the two of us quietly headed for my room, almost getting away with not being seen. That is until we ran into Scuzz, of course! Right away he noticed the package and shouted, "Hey boss. What in box?!"

"Shhhh! Big mouth!" Tex peevishly hissed. "It's for Carla. Go away!" Coughing on his cigar, he choked out, "Awww, come on. Let's me see! I wanna see, please!"

Grinning over cute way he begged, I said, "He can come in." Giving me a skeptical look, Tex asked, "Are ya sure about that?"

Cocking my head at him, I raised an eyebrow and replied, "Well if you're here of all people, then why can't he be too?"

Knowing I had a good point, Tex shot me a look then said, "Alright. You cn come in. . .but without the cigar!"

"Oh, no problem!" Scuzz said, quickly popping it out of his mouth and ashing it right there on the floor! Shaking his head with disgust, Tex snapped,

"Boy. . .you're gonna get it!"

"Will you two come on!" I demanded, already in the room.

"Alright, alright! Don't get pushy!" he snapped, setting the box down on my desk with a heavy thud. "I'm sorry. I just want to see how much I got!" I said, beginning to type my password into the digital lock. As I did, Tex asked,

"Scuzz, did ya lock the door?"

"Sure did, boss," he replied, as the light on the box turned green. Simultaneously Tex and I looked at each other and smiled. Shakily my hands grasped the sides of the lid, and flipped it upwards. Right away the radiant glow from the kerium, brightly shined off our faces. Speechless at first, all we could do was stare down at it with awe. Shakily my hand went out, picking up what looked like a leather bag that had been set neatly on
top of the nuggets.

Unzipping it, I reached in and pulled out a huge wad of hundred dollar bills! In a daze I ran my thumb through the pile, watching as it gracefully fanned back into its neat little stack. By then excitement was just too much for me to contain! Unable to keep it back anymore, I yelped and began to jump up and down in a frenzy. Before I realized what I was doing, I lunged at Tex and threw my arms around his neck with such force that it knocked his hat off.

"I'm rich! I'm rich! I'm rich! Whah-hoo!"

By then he was laughing at me, rather startled by my unexpected outburst. "And loud too! Ya this keep up and everyone's gonna know!"
"You're right. . .you're right." I quickly said, tryin to calm myself down. "It's just that I've never been paid this much at one time. Never! It's like hitting a jackpot!"

Chuckling, Tex nodded. "Yeah. I know what ya mean. I can't tell you the last time I've seen this much earth money," he said, putting his hat back on.

Shakily I continued to dig around in the bag until I found what I was looking for.

"Ahh. . .here we go." I muttered, pulling out a slip of paper.
As I scanned through it, I noticed out the corner of my eye the way Tex ogled down at the kerium, as though under a spell.

"Ya know. . .Judgin by the weight, I'd say that's a cool twenty grand ya got there." Unable to help it, a big smile crossed my lips. Before I said anything, I took about fifteen nuggets and put them to the side. Thereafter, I looked up at him and said,

"No. According to the voucher it's approximately twenty-five k, if it's left the way it is. But if it's cashed anywhere else besides New Texas, it'll triple in value." I said, slamming the paper down in front of him. "But I'll leave that for you to decide, since it's your money."

Oh. . .if I could've only captured the staggered expression that fixed itself over his face. Wideyed, his mouth literally hit the floor. Swallowing hard, he asked, "What? What did ya say?"
"I said, this is all for you."

"No way!" He said, shaking his head with disbelief.

"Yes, Tex! I told you Richard was going to pay you." "B-b-but why?!" he stammered out, weakly flopping in my chair.

Now I found myself sitting next to him, until I was looking him in the eyes.

"Why not, Tex? Just because you're an outlaw, doesn't mean you shouldn't be entitled to get compensated. In your case even more so because of who you are, and the danger I'm facing by being here in the first place. You're considered to be a high risk. And Richard doesn't want you to rob, or hurt me in any way." Slowly Tex's eyes found mine until he was giving me an earnest expression. "I would never hurt you, Carla."

The freak compassion of his words surprised me so much, that I couldn't say anything at first. As I gazed into his eyes, I began to pick up on certain signals that caused my stomach nervously twist up on the inside. I think Tex felt it too, because he looked away from me with a mortified expression across his face.

"Hey boss. . ." Scuzz quickly interrupted, getting on the side of us. "Looks ta me like you have the makins of a good birthday, hmm?"

Rolling his eyes, Tex sighed but didn't say anything. Not me. Right away I was overwhelmed with curiosity. "Birthday? When do you mean? Today?" Before Tex had a chance to reply, Scuzz quickly answered, "Nope. . .Tomorrow."

Glaring at him, he snapped with aggravation, "Cn your mouth get any bigger?! I told ya I didn't want ya blabbin ta everyone about that!"

"Well, I'm glad he did." I said smiling down at Tex. "Because now you can consider this a present from me."

At first, all he could do was gape at me with a stunned expression on his face. Then as I watched his stare toward me turned very somber. Looking down at the kerium, his head slowly began to shake. Blowing out a heavy sigh, he muttered,

"No. . .I can't take this. . ."

"What?!" Both Scuzz and I said at the same time.

"Uh, boss. . .Have you lost yer mind?!" Looking over at Scuzz, Tex actually began to chuckle.

"Maybe. But, I still can't except it."

"Why not?" I asked, getting on the side of him.

"I dunno. . ." Tex answered, in a daze. "I guess it sourta goes against my principles. That's all."

"You mean. . .because it was given, and not stolen?"

"No. . ." Tex replied, rather crossly. "Because. . .you're tryin ta reward me for bein rotten. And it ain't right. . ." he said with a shrug. "It just ain't right." Rather awkwardly, he looked away and stared at the floor. "You. . .You go on and keep it. You deserve it a whole lot more than I ever could."

By then I was so overwhelmed by Tex's gesture that I just couldn't resist the urge to show him gratitude in my own special kind of way. Before he realized what I was doing, I leaned forward and gently kissed him on the cheek.

"Thank you," I whispered, staring at the dumbfounded expression on his face. "And for the record. . .I'm very proud of you."

For a minute, Tex looked as though he were hypnotized by what I'd said and done. As I watched, he inhaled deeply and a proud grin slowly crossed his lips. "Well then. . .that's better than all the kerium in the world," he said, winking at me. "Cause ain't gonna last."

To be continued. . .