San Francisco

Heyes followed the sound of bullets, breaking glass and clashing metal to find his partner. He watched in silence for a few minutes, and while he'd not admit it out loud, he was silently impressed at just how quickly the Kid's skill had returned to it's pre prison level.

They'd been in San Francisco for just over a week and it'd only been two days since the Kid had been able to start practising again. He was still wearing a support on his wrist, but it didn't seem to be affecting his speed or accuracy much, if at all, least from what Heyes could see.

While his partner reloaded, Heyes gathered up the spare bottles and tin cans from behind him and began to set them up on the wall. "Not too shabby, Kid. Told ya."

The Kid merely grunted as Heyes lined up the new row of targets. He finished and turned back to the Kid just as he shrugged. "Well, it don't take much , when you've been doing it for as long as me. It's just a matter of practise and memory. You know that, Heyes. If you had the patience you'd likely be a better shot than you are and you ain't exactly bad now."

Although The Kid's talent with a gun, his eagerness to draw on idiots and the reputation that it brought, had sometimes been a source of tension between them over the years. Heyes knew though that his fast draw and accuracy, had also saved them both, more times than he could count. He recognised excellence in other people, the same way he saw it in himself. The amount of dedication and skill needed to be so proficient, as to rarely even seriously wound was impressive. The Kid had generally been well aware of that himself and this new dismissive attitude to his ability was discomforting. "Who are you and what have you done with my partner?" Heyes hid his unease behind a joke.

Kid shrugged. "Nothin' big has changed Heyes. I know I'm good and I'm gonna keep on practising same as I always did, to make sure it's a while until I meet someone better. Especially now." Before Heyes could ask exactly what he meant, given that as free men they might hopefully expect to be to be drawn on less, the Kid had turned away to continue his target practice.

Heyes watching as his partner skilfully hit every target dead centre, was aware that a slight chill had settled over him. At first he wasn't sure where it had come from, until he replayed his and Kid's conversation.

There'd been a hard edge to his partner's manner, that now he thought about it, was sending a warning bell through his head. Of course the Kid could be dangerous, they both relied on that fact sometimes, but seeing the wall, that was usually only ever up around other people in full evidence, when it was just them, left him unnerved and concerned. He recognised that it was probably because the Kid was hiding something and his next thought was that if he didn't find out exactly what it was, they were both heading into trouble.

Heyes realised that Kid had stopped shooting and was talking to him. "You had breakfast yet, Heyes? I ain't and I'm real hungry." He smiled, but Heyes noticed that it didn't quite reach his eyes which were still a little clouded. Yes, thought Heyes, they desperately needed to talk. He didn't try and start that conversation, merely nodded in agreement. "I ain't eaten neither, figured we could go to that cafe just on the corner of sixth street then go get a bath at one of those places next block over. Soapy will likely appreciate having the house to himself for a morning."

"Well leastwise, Charles will be glad to get us out from under his feet! I swear, Heyes, I thought he was going to sweep me up yesterday morning and toss me out with the trash. He's close to lethal when he's cleaning."

Heyes laughed in agreement, relieved to hear genuine amusement in his partner's tone, as they crossed the street towards the cafe he'd mentioned. Soapy's quite elderly British born housekeeper come valet, really did seem to find them a major inconvenience. Never out and out rude, he still managed to convey his annoyance at their very presence in his domain.

The Kid ordered his now almost customary oatmeal, but with ham and eggs too. Heyes studied him, as he tucked into the steaming bowl when it arrived. He was still too thin, but his appetite was improving daily, though he still didn't eat anywhere near as much as Heyes remembered.

XXX

After a leisurely breakfast they walked to the bath house in easy conversation. They sat down on a vacant bench just inside the building as they waited for a space.

After a few minutes they were waved into a damp, gloomily lit tiled area with raised seating, from where they could see the curtained off bathing area and hear echoey splashing. There were a couple of other men already waiting, wrapped in towels reading the publications provided.

"Not long, here!" The young Chinese man handed Heyes an armful of warm towels before moving on to the help the other waiting men down the steps to the baths.

Heyes sat down and started to take off his boots. With his mind already half on how he was going to broach the conversation he needed to have with the Kid, he failed to notice his partner's discomfort straight off.

But a slight hitch in the Kid breathing drew his gaze to him. What he saw gave him an unpleasant jolt. He was making no attempt to undress and his eyes were flicking round them as his hand rested on his gun. He had gone ashen and his brow was crinkled in some distress. "Kid?" Heyes didn't bother to keep the worry out of his voice and when Kid didn't even seem to hear him he simply repeated himself. "Kid?" The sharper, louder tone reached his partner who turned to look at him and gave a rapid shake of his head, before finally forcing out a croaky. "Can't."

The Kid didn't exactly run headlong, but it was the closest Heyes had ever seen him come to it. Heyes followed with a smile of apology at the young man who'd come to assist them as they brushed heavily past him.

The Kid sank down onto a low wall just down from the building with a slight groan, as Heyes sat down next to him. "Kid?" He gently touched his friend's shoulder, feeling the tightly bunched muscles under his hand that were just slowly beginning to loosen. Heyes with his heart thudding in his ears asked softly. "What happened in there?"

"I'm sorry, Heyes." His breathing was still ragged, but some of his colour had returned. "Just couldn't. The smell, that sound, the dripping, the tiles. I was right back there." He folded his arms across his chest and hunched his shoulders and seemed reluctant to go on. But after a few minutes he shook himself and managed to meet Heyes' eyes. "I'm pathetic, Heyes. What use am I gonna be to you, if I panic in some stupid bath house?"

"You want to tell me why?" Heyes hoped his tone didn't reveal just how shaken he was at the Kid's reaction.

If it did, the Kid was obviously too wrapped up in his own misery to notice and merely shrugged as he said quietly. "Guess I oughta, because you need to know what you're facin' when your partner's a coward."

The self directed scorn in Curry's tone made Heyes flinch and he realised that this was the root of the problem he'd sensed earlier. "You ain't never been a coward, Kid."

The Kid didn't respond directly, merely took a deep breath and said. "After I stopped them men killing that guard, the next bath day most of my block just about beat me to death in the wash rooms. And that weren't the only thing, a lot of my worst memories from there, start and end with a damn bath." He stopped again and Heyes feared that was all he was going to say, but after several minutes in which Heyes resisted trying to prompt his friend he continued haltingly. "More than that though, I let 'em walk all over me, Heyes. I realised on that first day I was out, with them guards, that the only thing that makes me feel safe is my gun." He looked over at his partner whose heart clenched at the bleak expression on his face.

Heyes felt cold all over at his friend's words, not for the reason Kid would have believed, but at the sheer cruelty and inhumanity of the system Kid had found himself in. "They tried to beat you to death for saving a man's life and the guards allowed it?" He'd known of course about the beating, but hadn't realised just how badly injured the Kid had been. He was sure that even now, Kid wasn't telling him everything.

"I ain't sure they exactly set out to kill me, but they weren't too fussed if I didn't wake up after they were done. I ain't sure how I got there, but I spent a week or maybe two in the infirmary, dosed up on laudanum. Then it was just your letters that kept me going." Heyes shook his head as the anger coursed through him and whatever was in his gaze caused the Kid to smile without humour. "I didn't cause much trouble after that and I couldn't even save Jake. I'm broke Heyes. Only thing I'm good for is facing someone down in a gunfight."

Heyes grateful that the Kid had finally talked some and unwilling to risk him clamming up, managed with some effort to force the anger out of his voice, thinking it might be misconstrued. "Kid, I ain't sure what you could have done different. You're being too hard on yourself. You did what you had to, so you could survive and I'm mighty glad for that." He'd attempted what he hoped was an even tone and thought with some satisfaction, when a little of the tension in the Kid's face eased, that he'd pretty much succeeded in achieving one. Heyes admitted to himself that he was beginning to feel a little overwhelmed. There was no alternative to setting things right, but he wasn't quite sure where to even start at the moment. But resolve to do what was needed came easily to him as he met the Kid's troubled gaze.

XXX

A couple of days later, Heyes came down to breakfast to find Kid already there. He was studying something that looked like an advert. Heyes curious came up behind him to read it over his shoulder.

Hinata Bath House

Huntington Park

Satisfaction Assured.

Heyes patted the Kid gently and said. "You ain't go nothing to prove, Kid."

The Kid looked up and snapped a little in annoyance . "I do, Heyes! I got everything to prove. You know it."

Heyes glanced at him startled, and pulled his hand off his friend's shoulder a little stung at what he took as a criticism. But almost immediately he realised that the Kid was talking about himself and gently squeezed his partner's shoulder again which earnt him an apologetic half smile and a slightly embarrassed shrug.

"We can go after breakfast, Kid and if it doesn't suit you, we don't need to stay."

As Heyes spoke, Soapy came into the dining room and cocking his head to one side asked in some interest. "Go where?"

The Kid looked up from his coffee and said firmly. "Hinata Bath House. It isn't far from here."

Soapy's face broke into a smile. "Ahh, yes, wonderful place! Charles even approves of it and that's a rarity in itself."

XXX

The bath house was a large ornate red building, that dominated the corner it was on. As Heyes entered with the Kid on his shoulder, he was struck by the intimate splendour of the reception. Soft tapestries in delicate colours adorned the walls and the carpet felt thick under his boots.

The man behind the counter looked up them with a smile. Heyes looked over at the price list behind him, which detailed several different levels of service and while none of them were exactly cheap, the prices didn't make his eyes water either. "What do you recommend?" they could afford whatever he suggested and Heyes was eager to make this a treat for them both.

The man also studied the price list and took in their appearance without judgement. "First time, Sirs?" At Heyes's nod his smiled broadened and he nodded to himself before saying. "I would suggest our silver experience. It is a favourite among our regulars with many repeat customers."

Heyes looked at the offer carefully and glanced back at the Kid who looked a little tense, but seemed as genuinely impressed with the surroundings as Heyes himself. "What do you think Kid?"

At the Kid's nod, he handed over the money taking the two tokens the man handed him, before looking back at his friend whose attention had been drawn to the stairs leading down to what Heyes supposed was the bathing area, but he was showing no sign of feeling the need to flee.

The man behind the desk discreetly rang a small bell and another man appeared with a bow. As they were escorted down well lit stairs, Heyes' nostrils were tickled by a strong but pleasant smell of sandalwood and pine.

The wet area was also well illuminated with lamps hanging from the ceiling giving off a bright warm yellow glow. The scent here was a mix of cinnamon and jasmine. Heyes thought this place was as far removed from prison wash rooms as he could have hoped and judging by his friend's unworried expression, he was seeing no ghosts.

A wizened Japanese man came over to them with a smile and handed them both heated, scented towels as Heyes handed over the disks he was holding.

They undressed and wrapped the thick towels round themselves and were soon escorted down to the baths. The curtains were pulled shut in front of them as Heyes sank into the warm delicately scented water with a contented sigh and heard Kid do the same.

A couple of minutes later two men came to wash their hair. Heyes looked over at his partner and couldn't help but smile at the blissful expression on his friend's face. One of the men had begun to gently pour water over his head and was carefully untangling the knots that had formed in his hair. Heyes turned away content and let his eyes drift shut, letting himself relax under the gentle ministrations to his own head.