An ordinary day leads to words in anger...
It was just an ordinary day in town or looked to be that way. The stagecoach was due, Ezra knew there was a poker tournament headed this way and he was looking forward to pitting his wits against fellow cardsharps as they passed through. Once, he would have just taken off and joined the merry go round, but now he had responsibilities in the town. Besides Mr Larabee would no doubt think it frivolous, unless he had his own devious reasons for Ezra wanting to attend. One could find out all manner of information about people or places by listening carefully. Nevertheless, Ezra was glad to see Mr Larabee back in his usual place in the saloon, slightly sore and still in need of several good solid meals and in a fretful mood if Ezra had judged him right.
By late afternoon a heavy heat smothered the town. Most of the peace keepers were in the saloon after lunch. Vin had long gone probably hiding in the shade somewhere trying to forget about his toothache, Chris reckoned. For the last three days Vin had refused to let Nathan look at it, preferring no treatment to someone poking at it and hoping it would clear up on its own.
A party of riders came in, and settled in the bar, some played cards with Ezra and lost. They left the table good natured enough but Chris and Buck could feel something was up. They just didn't know what. Until the men started to drink and argue with each other and the keepers waded in to protect the barkeep and other patrons. Chris sat up in his chair, itching, ready for a fight, a tussle, an argument- anything.
Meanwhile outside a prosperous looking gentleman came out of the bank with a small leather satchel. A rider came through town at the same time. He drew parallel and bent down and grabbed the bag. The man yelled and tried to run after the horse but only Vin was there outside on the spot. The fellow passed right under the roof he was sitting on and without thinking about it he leapt into the air.
The dust up in the saloon was being dealt with when Chris heard shouting outside; he made it to the boardwalk just in time to see Vin fly off the roof and onto the rider and his horse, knocking the rider off. They rolled on the ground and straight into the path of the incoming stagecoach. The driver hurriedly pulled the horses over and Vin and the thief landed out of the way by the skin of their teeth.
Chris, put his gun back in his holster already reeling from the fight in the bar having been punched in the stomach, seeing Vin fly off he roof and then almost get squashed by the coach made his gorge rise and he quickly ducked into an alley. He spat and wiped his mouth and looked up to see Vin staring back. Chris flushed with embarrassment suddenly and stood up quickly, wincing at the twinge in his gut. He could always blame it on his sore stomach still not recovered from the prison food.
"You okay?" Vin called.
"Fine, "he snapped. Chris stared at Vin for damage, a bit dusty but alive. Damn but that had been close. Vin didn't seem bothered at all.
"Let's go clean up the mess and sort everything out," he ordered. Vin followed him over to the jail, pulling the robber with him. The dapper gent followed them, talking nineteen to the dozen in his profuse thanks.
It was some time before they had the verbal and written statements squared away and the dust settled once more. Chris was glad he could escape on patrol and do something about his tormented thoughts. He headed for the livery to saddle up and get gone, ignoring the startled looks as he swept past townsfolk with a dark scowl and flap of black duster.
With years of practice, Chris swung the saddle onto Pony's back with a grunt and buckled up tight. He flipped the stirrups down, tugged and checked them automatically. Anything rather than think about Vin's airborne leap onto the thief's horse. He flinched as he remembered leaping onto the guard's horse in the prison yard the moment he arrived. He'd almost made it too, before some brute knocked him out and off the horse.
Why did it bother him so much how Vin had stopped the robber? Would he rather he shot him? But the man had been riding away, and Tanner wouldn't shoot a man in the back…
And then the stagecoach roaring in like that…a little like when he'd rescued Billy. But that had been different. But Vin was okay, for all his worrying about him.
Maybe that was the problem; he was beginning to care again. He got into trouble and they'd come looking for him. What if they hadn't? Would he be dead? Nathan wouldn't have got shot. Hell, they could all have died…and all because of him being stupid.
He should just get out while everybody was still alive and breathing and not broken and bloody under coach wheels or smouldering remains in a burnt out house….
"Want company?" deep in his thoughts Chris hadn't heard Vin come into the livery. Annoyed, he snapped
"No."
"Sure? " Vin sounded hopeful. Chris didn't do hopeful. Not today. And maybe not ever again.
"Just get out of my way."
"You alright?"
"Of course."
"Well, somethin' bothered you earlier, 'cause I saw…"
"You didn't see nothing, keep your mouth shut and let me go!" snarled Chris, finally tying his bedroll the way he liked it onto his saddle.
"Hey, excuse me for asking! Buck said…."
Ire ignited in Chris.
"Buck should keep his opinions about me to himself!" he yelled.
"Why the hell do you think it's about you anyways? Why the hell should I bother what's got you in a knot?" replied Vin angrily. He was short on sleep because his tooth hurt all the time.
"Tell you what's got me riled. You."
"Me? What the heck did I do? I just came in to ask if'n ya wanted company on patrol!"
"Leapin' off that roof! I saw you. Coulda got yourself killed! And the stagecoach missed you by a whisker! That's what!"
"Never bothered you before. I was there, you guys weren't."
"Well maybe we shoulda been…"
"I looked out for myself for a long time before you showed up, Larabee. Leave me to do what I gotta do!"
"No."
"Dammit you ain't my pa, alright? Get out of my face."
"I got rights…"
"The hell you do cowboy. "
"Shut up! Don't want ya dead! Gotta sort out Tascosa…"
"You can't save everybody- me included. I did fine on my own, long before I met you! So get off your damn, no good drunken high horse!"
"Hey! It's not just you and me here, Vin. There are five other people and the town as well. I'm only thinking of you."
"I ain't a kid you can just order about."
"Fine. You want to be treated like a child..."
"What? You gonna beat me; stop me from sittin' on the roofs? Saved your sorry asses when you didn't know it! Gonna take my bullets away too while you're at it? You can't stop me! Jus' how much longer are you goin' ta wear them black duds? Hell, you must have been some ornery, miserable kind of a pa you know that? No wonder you were off drinkin' and horse tradin'"
As soon as he said it, Vin wished the words back. Chris' face stilled, tightened and blanked.
"I give up. Do what the hell you like Tanner, you usually do," and Chris turned back to Pony.
"Chris," Vin caught his arm, but it was shrugged violently off.
"Larabee!" said Vin." I'm sor…"
"You ain't! You said it, you meant it. It's over."
"No!"
Chris whipped round, fist flying and Vin toppled from a hard punch, sending him crashing first into the wall, and then slide to the floor.
Semi conscious and bleeding Vin could only watch as Chris rode out on Pony and into the early evening haze.
Swearing silently to himself he lay back down until the world stopped spinning. Vin got up slowly brushing off bits of hay and earth, "What're you lookin' at?" he muttered to Peso, who then huffed and turned his back on him. Vin wiped his bloody nose and mouth with the back of his hand.
"Yeah okay, tell me something I don't already know." He didn't want to go outside and get asked all sorts of questions just yet so he fed and brushed Peso. He stood there trying to work out how things got so complicated and how long it would take for Chris to forgive him or at least come to some sort of truce.
Chris might disappear again. But if he followed Chris, he would just slug him again Vin reckoned. He fingered his sore tooth and spat out blood when JD came in
"Hey Vin. Wow look at you! Peso head butt you?" Vin didn't answer but JD seemed to take it as a yes.
"Chris gone on patrol?"
"Yeah- "it was a relatively safe answer Vin thought.
"Something up?"
"Nope"
"Oh."
Vin walked out and left JD talking to himself, he knew it was rude; he had a lot of time for JD but not right now. He washed his face in a trough and winced as his tooth throbbed nastily. He deserved it he told himself as he headed for the saloon.
By the time he waited for a drink, JD had come back in. When Vin sat down to eat some soup JD had already mentioned about Peso so they didn't ask any further about his hurt face or the blood splotches on his shirt and hand –just teased him mercilessly about his horse.
Vin didn't like lying, and he hadn't exactly, it was just that he didn't correct JD's story and the longer it went on, the deeper in truth it lodged until even Vin began to think that's what happened. He had a drink, swilling the whiskey round his mouth hoping it might help his dammed toothache; Chris hitting him like that hadn't helped any. He needed to ponder on things but was finding it difficult with his tooth and head throbbing so.