Okay, so I guess it's been forever since I updated this. And it's my fault, the chapter sat in my inbox for a week. But I'm sure several of you will forgive the wait once you see it's updated.

Thank you to Smacky 30 and her awesome beta skills. Red huh? But you're right, the ammount is going down. And I have to thank Jersey. So about that new idea…


The Other Side

Sara woke alone. She felt the other side of the bed where Gil had been sleeping only to find it cold. Pushing the top cover back and climbing out of bed, Sara noticed the cabin was empty. It was the hoof beats she heard outside that made her heart beat faster. She peeked through the small window and saw Gil riding his yellow horse in the small pen while the bay followed them around. Sara carelessly covered herself up with the blanket and walked outside into the morning sun.

Gil didn't notice he had an audience until Sara spoke up. "Having fun?"

He reined the horse to a stop. "Did I wake you?"

Sara grinned and shook her head, "No. Would you like some breakfast?"

Gil raised an eyebrow and dismounted. He approached Sara and tied the reins around the rail. "I'm getting short on time. Al's asked me to take a hundred head to the north today."

"I can help." Sara blurted out. She watched as he chewed on her offer. "I can ride and I'm not afraid to get dirty." Her mouth acted faster than her brain as she hoped for approval.

He pursed his lips and made her an offer. "Make you a deal, I'll saddle the other horse, but if I'm done before you're dressed, I'm leaving without you."

Sara spun and rushed back into the house. She quickly dressed and pulled her hair back into a messy pony tail, tossed on her boots and ran back out. Gil had only just put the saddle on the other horse when Sara eagerly joined him. "All done."

Gil turned and smiled. "That was fast." He continued to pull the cinch tight, before hooking the back cinch. "You can ride him, he's very reliable."

Sara looked at the two patiently waiting horses. "Do they have names?"

"Why would they need names?" Gil asked puzzled.

She shrugged her shoulders. "I don't know, but I think they should have names."

Gil stepped away from Sara's horse and untied his. "So name them." He grabbed the saddle horn and with a quick swing was sitting on top of the palomino.

"Okay." Sara took the reins in her hand and mounted the bay. She cleared her throat as he looked at her surprised. "I told you I could ride."

Gil shook his head and they headed in the direction of the main corals. On the way they talked. Actually, Sara threw out ideas for names and Gil shot them down.

"What about Spot?"

"What, for him?" Gil scoffed and pointed down at the horse he was riding. Sara nodded. "Just because he's got big white spots on his sides?" She nodded again. "No, and don't even think of Yeller."

Sara laughed. "Okay, how about Zeke? Zeke and Whiskey?"

Gil looked at the two horses as they walked along. "Zeke and Whiskey? Where on earth did you get those?"

She shrugged. "I don't know." Sara watched as for the first time Gil didn't start off with a protest.

"Zeke and Whiskey."

"Zeke and Whiskey." Sara smiled at her spontaneous idea.

Gil gave her a smug look and nodded. "Okay."

Sara was shocked. "Really, you like those names?"

"Better than anything you've come up with so far. Besides, we're almost at Al's and you were running out of time." When Sara glanced forward to see the house and barns, Gil spurred his horse into a lope quickly moving away from her. She growled and gave Whiskey and slight kick and the bay took off after Gil.

They were passing the main house at a jog when Al's voice stopped them. "Gil." He hobbled onto the porch and greeted them. "Is this Sara?"

Gil smiled as they slowed their horses in front of the porch. "Yes, this is Sara. Sara, I'd like you to meet Al Robbins." He introduced them as they rode up to stand alongside the railing.

"Pleased to meet you, Sara…" He stuttered for the lack of her last name.

"Sidle, Sara Sidle."

"A beautiful name. Too bad Gil doesn't have any manners." Al placed a kiss on the top of Sara's hand instead of shaking it. Gil rolled his eyes at Al's comment. "So, to what do I owe the pleasure of your company?"

Gil cleared his throat. "She wanted to help."

"A woman working in the hot dust? Not around here. It's unheard of." Al quickly protested. "It's a man's job to work the stock. Besides, if you were to fall from your horse…" Sara frowned at Al, spun Whiskey around and kicked him. The horse grunted as he ran several hundred feet away from the house.

"Sara!" Gil called out. He was about to ride after her when she raised a hand to stop him.

Both Al and Gil watched as she slid the horse to a stop, turned him around and came back at a dead run. She swung her legs out of the saddle and let her feet hit the ground as the horse ran. The momentum bounced her back up and she changed to the horse's other side as he continued to run. Just before it seemed Whiskey wasn't going to stop, Sara remounted and sat back in the saddle as she pulled back on the reins. The horse planted his back feet in the ground as he slid to a stop.

Once the dust caused by the commotion cleared, Al began to slowly clap. "Very impressive." Sara only smiled. "I can't pay you any more than what I'm paying the other hands."

"I didn't ask for money." Sara huffed out of breath from the show.

Al shook his head. "I don't care; someone who can ride like that is worth something." He gave them both a slight wave and headed back into the house.

Gil smiled and took Sara over to where the cowboys were huddled around their morning campfire and coffee. "Mornin' boys." They all acknowledged Gil as they stared at Sara. "This is Sara."

"Morning." Sara waved a friendly hand to the group, but got no response.

Gil was not pleased with the welcome Sara was offered, but it didn't surprise him either. "Mount up."

The guys tossed their coffee on the fire and went for their horses. Gil knew Sara was tough and could handle herself, but he still feared for her safety. The five made it to the herd within the hour. As they began to group the cattle together, Gil noticed Sara was becoming a great aid. He was thoroughly impressed with how she rode, and how she read the movement of the cattle.

Once the group gathered all of the cattle, they began pushing them north. Gil and Sara rode in front of the herd as the other three followed behind keeping the group moving. It took a majority of the moring to get to the north pastures. Since Gil had taken care of the problem with rustlers, Al felt comfortable putting cattle back up there to graze.

Gil assigned two men to stay in the north cabin for several nights to make sure there was indeed no threat of a problem. They had just started back towards the main homestead when a shot rang out. The bullet passed right in front of Sara, striking the dirt cliffs they were passing. She fell from her horse as he reared up unseating her.

"Sara!" Gil jumped off of his horse, gun drawn as he went for Sara. She was lying on the ground when he got to her. "Sara." He began to feel over her body for any sign of injury.

She sat up. "I'm fine."

Gil put himself between her and where the gunfire was coming from. He watched as the other cowboy, crouched behind a large rock, began firing in the direction the shots had come from. He took Sara's hand and dragged her to a safer location. Just as they were getting behind another boulder, they heard a grunt accompanied by another shot impacting something softer than rock.

Gil looked at Sara as he withdrew his second gun. "Take this, and stay down." He remained low as he made his way over to where the other man lay lifeless. Gil peered over the rock and saw the figure that was firing upon them. He took aim and fired.

The man stumbled and began to flee. Gil knew he had hit the man and took off after him, but by the time he reached the other side; all he could do was watch the dust as the assailant rode off. Gil re-holstered his gun and went to check on Sara.

She was still behind the rock, but to Gil's surprise, she wasn't afraid. "Did you get him?" Sara jumped up waving the gun around.

"Hey!" Gil ducked as he grabbed the gun from Sara. "Watch it will ya." He put the gun away and shook his head. "No, he got away."

"Wow! I think you shot him! We should go after him." Sara's words came fast and furious, her eyes sparkling with excitement.

"What the hell is wrong with you?!" Gil snapped at Sara. "We could have been killed. Look Sara!" he pointed over to where the young man's body lay. "This isn't something to get excited over." He reached over and brushed some dust from her shoulder.

Sara looked towards the young man. "I'm sorry." She mumbled before she looked back at Gil.

He didn't say anything else and went to retrieve the horses. Sara sat down and thought about the initial shot that started it all. As they were riding she noticed Gil was slightly ahead of her until he had shifted back in his saddle. That bullet was meant for him she deducted. Patiently she waited and watched as he placed the dead man over his horse, and secured him.

Gil mounted his and looked at Sara. "You coming?" She looked up and as the realization of near death finally hit her, a lone tear escaped. It wasn't lost on Gil, but at the moment he chose to say nothing.

Sara stood and climbed on Whiskey. She took up the reins, but never steered as the horse followed alongside Zeke willingly. The rest of the way back to Al's, Sara didn't say a word to Gil. She wanted to, but every time she glanced at him, he kept his stare forward and emotionless.

Finally they arrived at the main house. Sara remained seated on Whiskey while Gil dismounted and walked the body over towards the barn. Al's voice stopped him. "What the hell happened?"

Gil explained how they were ambushed while riding back, and how the shooter got away. Jose came out of the barn and Gil handed him the reins and stepped onto the porch with Al.

"Do you know who it was?" Al questioned keeping his voice low hoping not to alarm Sara.

Gil shook his head. "I'm not sure, but I think it was Travis."

"Why him?" Al gave a slight shake of head in confusion.

"He knows I was involved with his brother's disappearance." Gil looked over his shoulder. "He almost shot Sara."

Al glanced in her direction. "I think Sam's behind all of this. He's the one who sent Roger, and now I think he's put the idea in Travis' head that you killed his brother."

"I did." Gil growled.

"Calm down." Al patted Gil's shoulder. "I'll take care of things. You get Sara back home, and get some sleep."

Gil swallowed the remainder of his anger and headed back toward his horse. Without a word he stepped on and spurred Zeke south to the cabin, leaving Sara in her place. She glanced at Al, a blush coloring her cheeks, before taking off after Gil.

All Sara had to go on was the dust trail left by Gil as he rode. By the time she reached the cabin he had already unsaddled Zeke and carelessly thrown the saddle on the fence. She glanced around, but couldn't locate him. With a shrug she dismounted and took care of the horses before heading inside.

The cabin was dimly lit by the setting sun. She stoked a fire and decided to make something to eat. Sara combined several potatoes, carrots, and cut up beef to make a stew. While she waited for the meal to heat, she decided to look for Gil once again. Sara stepped out of the cabin and glanced over the horizon. There was still no visible sign of him. Suddenly, several shots echoed, followed by several more. She debated on trying to find out where they were coming from. The shots were evenly spaced and she counted twelve in all before the air grew silent. Sara decided he was shooting off stress and went back inside. She ate by herself, hung her dusty clothes over a chair, and climbed into the bed. Her eyes locked on the fire as it became the only light source as darkness came.

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Gil sat on a rock several hundred feet from the cabin. The anger inside him had to come out, so he decided to empty his guns. He sat thinking about the danger he was putting Sara in by having her live with him. In the past, when things became too heated it was easy to deal with, he would just leave. Only this time, he didn't have that option. He had Sara to think about, and after the past few days he had spent with her, Gil knew there was no way he could ever leave her behind. If he felt the need to run, he would take her with him.

After darkness settled in, he decided he needed rest. Gil walked in and instantly noticed the empty bowl on the table. Suddenly he felt guilty about not explaining things to Sara. As he shut the door, Gil noticed Sara lying in bed. He sighed as he began to walk towards her.

"Dinner's next to the fire. I already ate." Her back was to him as she spoke.

Gil stopped. "Uh…thanks." He was conflicted but headed towards the warm stew.

As he ate he watched Sara as she rested. He knew she wasn't asleep and was convinced he even heard her sob several times. Gil added another piece of wood to the fire before joining Sara in the bed. He wrapped his arms around her and kissed the back of her bare shoulders.

She turned her head to glance at him. "You don't have to tell me anything you don't want to."

He sighed. "Sara, I've put your life in danger."

"Gil…" She turned in his arms letting her breasts contact his bare chest. "I love you, and there is nothing that will affect that. Not even flying bullets." She kissed his lips to seal her promise.

Gil returned her kiss. "I just want to keep you safe."

"Gil, do you love me?"

He quickly sucked in a breath and held it. Sara tried to turn in his grasp fearing his answer, but he held her. "Sara, I've never been in love before. I don't have a clue as to what it feels like, all I know is that when I'm with you, I…I'm able to forget about the rest of the world. I only focus on you. Tonight I considered leaving, but I couldn't do it without you."

"Why would you leave?" She interrupted thoroughly confused.

Gil kissed her forehead. "The man that shot at us today, he was after me." Sara's mouth tightened as her suspicions were confirmed. "Do you remember Roger?"

"Unfourtunatly."

"Well, that night…"

"I thought you just broke his nose."

Gil placed his finger over Sara's lips. "Shhh, let me talk, please." Before he removed his finger, Sara kissed it. "I did break his nose, and spent a night in jail for it."

"My hero."

"Would you…"

"I'll shut up now." Sara giggled and Gil encouraged it by trying to tickle her. She laughed louder. "Stop…stop! I'll shut up…I promise!"

Gil smiled and waited until she calmed down before continuing. "I'm trying to be serious here. Well the next day, I caught Roger and three other men rustling cattle from Al. They drew on me, and I killed them." Sara's mouth fell open at his confession. "After that I went to you, and the next morning Roger's brother was causing chaos with Brass. I think Jim suspected that I had something to do with it all, and since Travis also works for Sam Braun…" He paused to swallow hard. "I think I've helped start a war."

"Between Al and Sam?" Gil nodded. "But wouldn't it just be between you and Travis?"

"I wish it was that easy." He pushed several stray hairs away from her face. "But it's not, and now we're in the middle."

Sara smiled and kissed him once again. "Well, maybe you could teach me how to shoot."

"A gun? Sara…"

"I'm serious. Believe it or not, I'm fair with a rifle. It's handguns I don't know anything about, and since you seem to be the best…" Sara began teasing him by running a finger along his jaw line.

Gil smiled at her slight hints. "The best you say?" He pushed her back rolling on top of her. "Let's test that theory…shall we?"

Sara held him close as he began kissing her neck. She always loved the way he kissed her. But it was when he whispered the words she had been waiting for in her ear, she couldn't stop the tears from forming.

Gil knew his words struck her, and when he entered her, hoped it would help enforce his commitment towards her.

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Morning came all too soon for the lovers and they pried themselves from their bed and headed for the day's duties. Sara was helping move yearlings around, while Gil roped their horns and another rider roped their legs. She would then jump off of her horse, and rush to the calf as it lay on its side. Sara marked the head with a red mark indicating she had doctored that animal.

The three worked through lunch, and when the day was done, Al invited Gil and Sara to dinner. Sara was concerned that she was too filthy, but Al insisted.

While enjoying coffee after dinner, Al let the question slip that had been weighing on his mind. "So, when are you two going to get married?" Both Sara and Gil nearly choked on their coffee. Al smiled as he caught them off guard. "I think it would be wonderful."

Gil cleared his throat. "Umm…" He looked over to Sara for any help with the uncomfortable situation, but all she offered was a raised eyebrow.

Al held up his hand. "I'm sure the time will come." He took another sip of his beverage and decided to change the subject. "Gil, we'll need more help to clear up the problem we have, and I'm not talking about hired hands."

Gil set his cup down. "I don't know if I'll be able to get a hold of Nick, but I can send out several telegrams tomorrow. It's been several days since he left, but I'm sure by now he's near New Mexico."

"Do what you can." He stretched and stood. "Well, I have business in town tomorrow; I'll see you two later." Al left them sitting at the table.

Gil quickly downed the remainder of his coffee. "Come on, let's get home." Sara followed him.

They kept a brisk pace as they rode through the darkness until an orange glow ahead of them caught their attention. Gil and Sara pushed their horses as hard as they could until the fire was before them. They stopped and watched in disbelief as the small cabin they called home was engulfed in flames. Even the small fenced corrals were on fire.

Sara's mouth fell open as she helplessly watched the cabin burn. "Who could do this?"

Gil clenched his jaw. "The same people that want nothing more than to see me dead." He spurred Zeke around. "Come on. There's nothing more we can do." Sara remained still, watching the blaze burn out of control. "Sara?" He called back to her.

She shook her head and joined Gil. They rode back towards Al's homestead. It took them several minutes to reach the main house at the pace they rode. Gil left Sara outside while he went in and explained things to Al who graciously offered them a place to stay. He returned and helped Sara dismount. She stayed at the house while he put up the horses in the barn.

Sara wondered what her future would hold now. Before, it seemed she had found safety in Gil, but now someone was determined to tear it all apart. She had fought and struggled to get this far in life, and like Gil, she was not going to let it go without a fight.

"Coming?" Gil's words tore her from her thoughts and she took his hand as he led her into the house.


Oh 'beep'! Now what are they going to do? I'm sure they 'might' get married.

TDCSI