Heyes looked carefully through the documents they'd acquired from the safe and placed them into two piles. Heyes ideally would have loved to get them all copied and sink Matlock so deep he'd never get his head above water as payment for all the pain he'd inflicted on his partner. However he knew that their primary concern was for the Kid to get full custody of Lizzie. Given the time constraints of copying and returning the papers without being caught, he was very aware that they'd simply have to use whatever gave them the greatest chance of achieving that and accept Matlock would get away with some of his behaviour. That didn't sit well with Heyes, but realistically he knew they had to pick the battles they could win.

Finally Heyes was happy with what he'd selected to have copied. He stretched and glanced at the clock on the wall, surprised to find it was already after 3.30am. Heyes briefly considered simply staying up until his partner woke, but dismissed that thought quickly as he yawned and his head started to throb. He found two blank pieces of paper. On one he wrote 'Useful' and on the other 'Not Useful' before placing them on the correct stack of documentation. He figured doing that would save time if the Kid woke up first as the final decision on what they used would need his input.

Satisfied he blew out the lamps and walked towards his bedroom. As he passed his partner's room he looked through the slightly ajar door and sighed. Not only had the Kid fallen asleep fully clothed and uncovered, the curtains were wide open too. Heyes hesitated briefly before continuing onto his own room. He knelt by the door and dug out a spare quilt from the small blanket box. He returned to his partner and gently placed it over him before walking quietly over to the window and closing the curtains. The Kid didn't stir except for a low mumble. Heyes returned to his room, stripped to his union suit and snuggled under his quilt. As his eyes closed his mind as usual started in with too many questions, but being so tired it took only a little effort to still them and he was soon asleep.

When Heyes woke he knew from the hustle and bustle of the street below that it was quite late. He dressed slowly and headed out into the living area. The Kid was already up and dressed. He was looking out onto the street below but turned as Heyes entered. "Coffee's hot, Heyes. I looked through them piles and I agree with what you chose. Though still ain't quite clear on how we goin' to copy 'em."

"Emory says his staff will type set and copy for us. When that lawyer of yours gets here he can notarise them as true replicas."

"Ain't that gonna take a while? No guarantee that Matlock won't be peering into that safe before we return 'em. Not gonna take too much guessin' for him to figure out who took 'em."

"Well I don't think he'll be gloating over them anytime soon. Besides I didn't take it all and bulked up what was left with papers covered in random writing and numbers. If he just glances inside he'll be fooled easy."

"You sure planned this out real well, Heyes."

The hint of admiration in the Kid's voice and his slight grin made Heyes smile. There was still something very satisfying about impressing his partner, who knew more than anyone that not every Heyes plan was foolproof. "I do my best, Kid, I do my best."

"I saw Matlock get the stage out of town earlier. Looks like he'll be gone a few days. Probably lookin' to fleece another poor farmer."

Heyes hoped that meant luck was going to be on their side for a change and said with some relief. "Well, that's good Kid. Gives us more time." Curry was silent for a few moments before he turned back to look out of the window. Heyes knew there was something bothering him. He wasn't sure Curry would tell him but he asked anyway. "What you thinkin' Kid?"

There was more silence then with a sigh Curry began to speak still gazing out of the window. "When we first settled here people looked at me all scared like. Some folk would even back away like I was poison, or was about to blow their heads off. It stung a bit. Guess I'd got so used to bein' Thaddeus Jones, it was a bit of a shock suddenly bein' Kid Curry again." He stopped and turned halfway to face Heyes, who could see a small ,slightly sad reminiscent smile on his face. "It never bothered Lily, but when we started courting proper I stopped wearin' my gun, less I was workin' or practicin'. I still didn't feel exactly comfortable with the way people in town sometimes looked at me, which is why I built the house where I did, but they got a bit less obvious about it." He glanced down at his side where his weapon sat and shrugged. "It took me a bit of time, but I got used to not always wearin it and it seemed worth it when eventually most people stopped lookin at me careful like. Now, thanks to Matlock, seems like I'm back where I started, feelin' naked without it."

Heyes own experiences had been far less difficult. People had mostly seemed to be reluctantly impressed on hearing his name. He felt a little ashamed that he'd never noticed the way people had been reacting to the Kid and wished Curry had told him. As if reading his mind his partner laughed and turned to face him fully."Now Heyes don't you get to frettin'. They weren't fool enough to do it when we were together and besides how would it have helped if you'd known? It'd only got you riled up and weren't no point in that and it did get better."

Heyes could see his point but couldn't quite fully shake the niggling feeling he really should have noticed. "I'm still sorry, Kid."

Curry shrugged. "I shoulda expected it with my reputation. 'Specially with those damn fool dime novels." He paused then and added his face turning hard. "But I tell you Heyes, whatever bad we've done. I don't deserve what Matlock's doin' to me. Lizzie don't deserve it neither. He robs people just like we did, but how he does it ain't even illegal. Seems wrong somehow."

Heyes was again struck at how often their minds travelled on similar tracks and he said. "It's not illegal, Kid, but it sure ain't moral and I doubt his reputation is going to stay intact once what he's been doing gets out."

Heyes watched as the Kid moved away from the window and shook himself as if willing his melancholy away. But Heyes knew he hadn't quite succeeded because although his tone was light, there was still a tightness round his eyes as he said. "Well I'm gonna go out and get me a bath. Robbin' safes sure ain't as easy as I remember!" He rubbed his chin. "Might even stretch to a shave. I gotta see if Brubaker's on his way yet. Said he'd telegram when he was."

"I'll wake up a bit more, then I'll get over to the newspaper and get the printing started. Meet you for lunch?"

Curry laughed and looked at him with some amusement."I tell you Heyes, I never thought I'd see the day when you're more concerned about me eatin' than I am."

Heyes was slightly embarrassed that he'd been caught out in his attempt to fuss, but met his partner's gaze steadily refusing to admit to anything. "Well that makes us 'bout even then, as I never figured there'd be a time I'd need to be."

Curry's smile widened as he shrugged. "Well, I guess you have a point there. Meet you at the restaurant by the saloon at one?" Without waiting for an answer he headed down the stairs and Heyes heard the door shut.

Twenty minutes later, Heyes was out on the street and walking towards the newspaper printers, the useful pile of documents in his pockets.

After brief introductions he handed over the documents and watched fascinated as Bill, the editor and his typesetter Willie prepared the fonts. The first couple were ready pretty quickly and Heyes nodded in some excitement when Bill asked if he wanted to run the printer press.

When it was time to leave to meet the Kid he was well satisfied with the progress made. He was sat outside, enjoying the sun when he saw his partner walking over. In the middle of the street a vaguely familiar man stopped the Kid. With their conversation that morning still fresh in his head, Heyes' muscles tensed and he was suddenly on full alert, ready to help his partner if needed. He soon relaxed when it appeared that the exchange was a friendly one. The man clapped the Kid on the shoulder after a few minutes and went on his way. Curry with a small wave continued towards the restaurant. Heyes saw as he came close that there was a smile on his face.

Heyes raised his eyebrow as his partner came over to him. Curry recognising it as a question replied."That was Hans Fischer, don't you remember him and his eldest? They were real good when I was building the house. And Greta and his girls helped out with getting everything inside set up."

That was why he'd looked so familiar! The family had indeed been wonderful. He couldn't help teasing his partner, remembering his early attempts at building very well. "Good thing they did, or you and Lily would have spent your first weeks of married life without furniture, not to mention a leaking roof and no windows. Crazy notion you had, thinking you could build something in three months."

Heyes could see that the Kid was trying to come up with a rebuttal and couldn't help the grin that escaped him when he saw the exact moment his partner gave up the attempt. Curry instead simply shrugged instead and said. "He's invited us for supper tomorrow night. Says Greta's been nagging him for a few days now. But this is the first chance he's had to come into town." The Kid slung his arm round Heyes' shoulder and steered him into the restaurant. "I said yes for both of us."

Heyes noticed how the invitation seemed to have lifted the Kid's spirits and it was easy to agree. "Well from what I remember of Greta's cooking don't see any reason to say no!"

As they sat waiting for their food, Curry sipped his coffee as he said. "Brubaker's telegram says he's on his way. Likely be here tomorrow or Saturday at the latest. Ran into Robert Billings as I was coming out of the bath house, he's the foreman up at the Running K. He offered me a delivery job for Monday. How'd you get on at the newspaper?"

Heyes was pleased that support was coming from more than one source and felt an increasing optimism that they'd be successful. He happily launched into a description of what he'd been doing all morning.