Kid Curry lay in his hotel bed, wide awake, legs drawn up slightly, hands hugging the pillow where his head rested. Had he checked his pocket watch he would have known it was nearly three in the morning. Sleep evaded him, just as it had been doing regularly for the past two weeks, ever since he'd been caught by two bounty hunters who, while not cruel, had pushed Kid close to the limits of such a description. Had it not been for his partner's successful attempt to free him and bind the bounty hunters, giving them time to escape, Kid knew he would likely be lying on a dingy cot in some jail now.

Kid, as well as his partner, had been caught, and had escaped the clutches of the law a few times during the past three years of their quest for the ever elusive amnesty. But for some reason that Kid had yet to determine, this time being caught shook him, irritated him, but most significantly, scared him. He silently chastised himself for having been caught, having let his guard down, having been outsmarted in his area of expertise. He had not discussed any of this with his partner, fearing Heyes would begin to doubt his ability to protect him, to watch his back. But at the same time, Kid himself was beginning to believe those doubts might be valid.

Hannibal Heyes was aware of the change in Kid's confidence and manner, aware of the insomnia, the internal withdrawal, and he knew it all began shortly after the capture, but Kid had not spoken of any of it, and had quickly rebuffed Heyes' attempts to draw Kid into conversation about it. Heyes had found himself being a bit more cautious and more attuned to his surroundings in an attempt to ease Kid's responsibilities.

Heyes lay in his own bed across the room and watched Kid feign sleep, shifting his legs often, but never stretching them out completely. Sighing heavily at fairly regular intervals, but always quiet, no soft snoring that Heyes was accustomed to hearing. Heyes knew that in the morning, Kid would be up at dawn, eyes bloodshot from another sleepless night.

"You sleep?" Heyes asked as the sun began to rise and he saw Kid sitting at the table, his gun, oil, and cloth resting on the table as Kid waited for enough light to begin a proper cleaning of his Colt.

"Some," Kid lied. "You?"

Heyes pulled back the blankets and swung his legs out of the bed. "Some," he replied, being more truthful than his partner. "You hungry, Kid?"

"S'pose."

Kid's response just furthered reinforced Heyes' concerns. Typically Kid was always hungry, but for the past two weeks, it was Heyes who suggested a meal. Heyes sighed and reached for his pants and shirt that lay at the foot of his bed.

"Kid," Heyes said almost cautiously.

But Kid instantly interrupted him by abruptly standing and heading for the door. "I'll be back in a minute Heyes. Gotta pee."

Heyes was dressed when Kid returned and he knew there was no point trying to prod his partner into a poignant conversation. So he merely strapped on his gun belt and put on his hat. "Wanna eat here in the hotel?" he asked.

Kid nodded and picked up his gun and slipped it into his holster. There would be time for cleaning it later. Kid's eyes slowly slowly moved to his partner. "Ready," he said flatly.

Heyes nodded and walked out of the room. Kid followed closely behind. In the dining room Heyes started toward a table in the middle of the room, but Kid tapped his shoulder and nodded to a table against the wall. Heyes nodded and Kid headed to the table and slid into the seat against the wall where he had full view of the dining room. Heyes watched as Kid carefully scrutinized each of the half a dozen diners.

The waitress came over with coffee and took their orders. As Heyes raised his coffee cup to his mouth, he saw Kid's hand slip down toward his gun and noted Kid's eyes focused on something or someone behind him. Heyes turned to see two neatly dressed, and unarmed businessmen standing in the entrance, deciding on a table.

"Kid," Heyes cautioned his partner. "They're not even wearing guns."

Embarrassed that Heyes had noticed his nervousness, Kid brought his hand back to the table.

"Sorry."

"Kid, we have to talk about this," Heyes said a gently as he could muster. "This ain't good for either one of us."

Kid's eyes stared at the table. He couldn't bring himself to look at his partner. But his head did slowly nod. "Not now," he said quietly.

"But today," Heyes said emphatically. Again Kid's head nodded almost imperceptibly.

Heyes ate breakfast while Kid picked at his food. After the meal they returned to their room and Kid sat down at the table and began cleaning his gun. Heyes sat at the foot of Kid's bed as it was nearer to the table than his own.

"So, what happened with them bounty hunters that's got you so spooked?" Heyes asked.

Kid rubbed the barrel of his gun with the cloth, his eyes focused on the movement of his hand.

"Just...how easy it was for em," he said quietly. "I'd let my guard down... I walked into it."

"Kid, everyone let's their guard down once in a while..."

"I don't," Kid interrupted.

Heyes' lips tightened and he sighed through his nose.

"Well Kid, so they caught you. It ain't the first time we've been caught. Why is this so different?"

"Always before, Heyes, I've had some option to run or to fight, or even to just give in to defeat. But they had hold of me before...before I even knew it."

"Kid, you've always said that as fast of a gun as you are, there always going to be someone out there who's faster. Well, the same holds true here. Those two bounty hunters were just... near perfect, just as you are with your gun."

Kid shook his head. "If that were true Heyes... How were you able to sneak up on em?"

"Maybe I got lucky and it just wasn't one of their better days, Kid. We've had days like that. Our last train heist was a day like that."

Kid looked up at Heyes with very troubled eyes. "Heyes, we quit robbing trains cause we could see their weren't no future in it. We couldn't do it successfully anymore... The same is true now... You and me both bring special talents to this partnership. I just proved I can't hold up my end of this anymore... not with any certainty."

Heyes could plainly see Kid's loss of confidence was not something he would be able to appease or resolve quickly or merely by use of his silver tongue. He'd have to come up with a better approach

"Kid, I am every bit as confident in you now as I was before that run in with the bounty hunters. I know you are always ready in the pinch for me. I know that, Kid. But right now, I think you're just so wired up, so overly cautious, that you're making a problem where there really ain't one."

Kid's eyes lowered and he resumed rubbing his gun with the cloth. He was done talking.

Heyes sighed with exasperation. He got up and headed for the door. "I'm going out. You coming?"

Kid didn't look up, didn't acknowledge his partner's question. Heyes walked out, slamming the door behind him. He walked outside into the morning air and stopped on the boardwalk. Placing his hands on his hips, Heyes sighed out of sheer frustration. He had no idea how to help his partner. He thought of setting up a situation where Kid could come to his aid, but quickly discounted the idea, knowing someone could possible get hurt. After the conversation this morning, he held serious doubt himself about the ability of his silver tongue to resolve Kid's sudden loss of confidence. He felt stymied.

Heyes walked the length of the boardwalk, crossed the street, and did the same on that side of the street. Then he did it all again, trying to burn off the frustration. When he found the effort was to no avail, Heyes headed to the saloon for a beer. Heyes slapped his nickle on the counter and when handed the beer, he swallowed half the drink in one large gulp and felt his throat tighten in protest of such a large quantity. He set the glass down and wiped his mouth with the back of his hand.

"Something troubling you. Mister?" the bartender asked, seeing how quickly Heyes downed his drink.

"Yep, but it ain't nothing you can help me with," Heyes grumbled.

"Try me,"

Heyes shook his head. "Just partner trouble."

"That blonde fellow I've seen you with?"

"Yep."

"Kind of a sullen sort, ain't he?"

"Not usually. Just lately."

"What's causing it?"

Heyes sighed. "Wish I knew," Heyes lied.

"Well, he looks like the sort that can handle himself."

"Use to be, anyway."

"Ah, that's it. Lost some confidence somehow, uh?"

"Yea, maybe."

"So you need a way to boost it back up again."

Heyes nodded. "Any ideas?"

"Maybe."

"I'm all ears."

"He's the gun and you're the poker player, right?"

Heyes chuckled. "Something like that, why?"

"Just thinking."

Heyes returned to the hotel an hour later. When he walked into the room, Kid was lying on his back on the bed and gave his partner a quick glance before looking away.

"Feeling any better?" Heyes asked.

"Been thinking."

"About what?"

"About maybe we should split up, Heyes."

Heyes sighed heavily and sat down on the edge of the bed. He had seen this conversation coming.

"And why's that, Kid?"

"You need somebody that can do his job, Heyes."

"So you'd just leave me high and dry till I found somebody?"

Kid hadn't thought beyond the leaving. "No, I...er..."

"Kid, let's go get a drink. A little liquor might be good for the both of us."

Heyes swung open the bat wing doors and ambled up to the bar. Kid was quick to stand beside him.

"Couple of whiskeys," Heyes said with a sharp edge to his voice.

The bartender brought the whiskeys and Heyes dropped his change on the counter.

"Might early for whiskey," the bartender said.

"Mind your own business," Heyes snorted.

"Joshua," Kid cautioned. "No call to talk to him like that."

"Yea, well you mind your own business too, Kid."

Kid looked at the bartender with apologetic eyes.

Kid reached for Heyes' shoulder. "Come on, lets get a table."

Heyes shrugged Kid's hand away. "Leave me be. I don't need some two bit bartender advising me about drinking."

"Let's just go," Kid said and took a couple of steps toward the door. "You coming?"

"No, I'm drinking. Give me another one," Heyes demanded

"Bar's closed to you, mister," the bartender said as his hand slowly lowered to the shelf under the bar.

Kid caught the bartender's movement in the corner of his eyes. In a instant, Kid's gun was drawn. "I wouldn't advise it," he said coldly, his eyes in a steeled lock with the bartender.

The bartender slowly brought his hand back to the bar.

"I thought you were done protecting me," Heyes sneered at his partner.

"Yea, well, I guess I was wrong. Obviously you didn't see what was coming."

"I still want him out of here," the bartender said to Kid.

Kid nodded his head. "Yea, me too. Let's go, Joshua."

Heyes looked at Kid and saw the iron clad confidence in his eyes. A smile spread cross Heyes' face.

"Looks like we got the partnership back," he said.

"Yea, well, maybe I've been a little premature in my thinking lately," Kid replied as he slowly holstered his gun. "Now let's go."

Heyes straightened himself up and followed Kid out of the bar. As he reached the bat doors, Heyes turned and winked at the bartender who smiled back at him.

"You're every bit as sharp as you've always been, Kid."

"Maybe," Kid replied, but Heyes could hear the confidence in Kid's voice.

That night Heyes lay awake in his bed just as he did most nights. Insomnia was his nighttime companion. But he felt content rather than worried as he listened to the soft, rhythmic snoring in the bed across the room.