About Time, Sheriff!

lllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllll

"Ooh," Marlene gripped the bars, the only thing between her and her guards, and glared at them, "you have some nerve to come into town and disrupt our peace, Sir!"

One man swatted an imaginary fly and shifted in his chair, gnawing on a stalk of rye. "Hush you mouth, woman."

"I demand to be let out of this prison!" They ignored her and she rattled the chains angrily. "I am a lady, and I shall be treated like one!"

The second man shook his head and threw down a card. "Ain't nobody careth about it, Miss." He threw the rest of his cards down with a grin. "I win. Shuffle them deck, Jack." The other man grumbled as he gathered the cards and shuffled them.

She took a step back, still fired up from the treatment she had been receiving since they had literally dumped her here. Her dress was beyond repair from the time they had dragged her from one place to another, and she had to admit that part of it was her fault when she tried to jump from the horse and run. Not that it was any use, she was still caught and brought here. She didn't even know where 'here' was, since after her first escape attempt, they had blindfolded, gagged and tied her up. Good thing too, or she would have spouted things that a lady like herself shouldn't be saying.

"You're doing a big mistake here, mister. The Sheriff is a close associate of mine. He will not rest until he finds me." The subtle threat usually worked on the others, who scattered away like the plague was coming, which was what she was counting on.

She was mistaken when she saw a set of crooked teeth and a sly grin. "Precisely why he would want you here, Miss. Oh what good favor you'd done us."

"Yeah." Jack distributed the cards and placed the remainder on the table. "Soon, we'd be swimming in gold and your beloved Sheriff will be with the fishes." They laughed at her sudden discoloration and turned back to the cards in their hands.

The lady was frozen to the spot and it took her some time to breathe again. "No." She dropped to the ground in a daze, with the men's words still ringing in her ears. A tear dropped from her eye, which she wiped away quickly before her guards noticed and mocked her. "Oh Skipper..." She was still too shocked to hear the door push open, or the sound of chairs as her guards jumped to their feet and cleared the table. Nor did she hear the quiet snuffles of a child or crunch of boots on the rotting wood.

The Sheriff jumped down from the horse before she even stopped and hurried up to the lovely little ranch house. Ignoring the knocker, he barged in. "Miss Marlene, you forgot your parasol and hat!" He marched from room to room, calling her room and listening for any sounds of the lady, but he heard and saw none.

Blakely sighed and walked out, looking back at the ranch house as he hoisted himself back on the horse. "I'll just come back later."

"Sheriff! Sheriff Blakely!" He pulled on the reigns, slowing the horse down and turned to the pair of horses coming to a stop near him. Kowalski was on one, while Rico and another man occupied the other. "Oh thank goodness, we have managed to catch up to you." It was the unnamed man who had called.

"We came straight from the county jail." Kowalski spoke grimly, his knuckles turning white from the grip on the reins.

"I was about to head back." Blakely told him with a frown, turning from him to the man behind Rico. "Something the matter, Mason?"

"Sheriff Blakely, I have terrible news."

Blakely furrowed his eyebrows at the man as he turned the horse about to face him. "What is it, Mason?"

"A man." Rico growled lowly at this. "He came by the schoolhouse." The man paused, thinking something over as a feeling of dread overcame Blakely.

"Don't dilly dally with my time, schoolmaster!" Mason shrunk away with the glare he received but he swallowed and spoke.

"Your boy, Andrew, my good sir. The man took your boy."

"Who?" It was one word, but the menace in it sent chills down all three spines.

"I d-don't know. He just," he took his hat off and bowed his head, "I'm sorry, Sheriff Blakely."

Blakely narrowed his eyes at him. "Why didn't you stop him?" Mason looked up to answer, but Kowalski cut him to it.

"He was forced to hand Andrew over at gunpoint, sir. That didn't give him a choice."

Blakely snuffed and looked away, raising the reins to ready the horse into a run. "Then what are we still doing here?" Kowalski took hold of his reins, earning him a glare which he returned with the same grim look.

"That is not all." He dropped the reins and Blakely managed to see the worry and concern in his old friend's eyes. "We found a basket in the water trough of the horses by the county jail."

"Marlene."

"Miss Marlene!" A voice cried out and the brunette turned to see a little boy run up to her, still in the school clothes she last saw him in. The bars slammed shut behind him but she was more relieved to see the boy.

"Andrew." She gathered the boy into arms. "Oh Andrew. You're alright." The boy sniffled into her dress but the lady didn't mind as she sought to calm him down. With gentle hands on the sides of his face, she wiped away his tears with her thumbs and smiled at him. "Did they hurt you, dear?" He shook his head, still sobbing. "How dare you." Marlene looked up at the man who had brought the distraught boy in. He was watching them curiously, and she noticed that her guards were now nowhere in sight. Still, it did not stop her from speaking. "How dare you kidnap me and take an innocent child. What have you done to him?"

"I did not do anything to him, my lady. He merely burst out into tears." Her eyes narrowed in suspicion and she brought the boy closer to her. "I am terribly sorry for your current lodgings, my dear, but it is completely necessary."

"Who are you and why have you brought us here?"

"Oh," he placed a gloved hand on his coat with a cynical smile, "I'm sorry. I seem to have lost my manners. I am Hans Raffles the First. You are Miss Marlene Sullivan, and this would be the adorable," the man's eyes glinted as he gritted his teeth, "runt belonging to that Sheriff of yours."

"His name is Andrew."

"Yes, and the Sheriff isn't Sheriff Blakely Vanover at all." Marlene frowned even more at this and Hans continued in a clipped tone. "His name is Skipper, a fellow confederate of mine. Also a fellow bounty hunter."

Marlene gasped. "Bounty hunter? That's impossible."

"Well, now he's just an outlaw."

"Don't tell me lies!"

"Am I really the one telling you lies, my dear? Or did the Sheriff forgot to mention a few things to his beloved?"

Her cheeks flared up but she continued glaring at him. "Do not turn the tables, Mister Raffles. I would know Skipper. I would know that he would do what's best when the situation calls for it."

Hans tapped his fingers on the bars and nodded solemnly. "Quite true."

"Even so," she frowned at him, "you would do best and release us this instant."

"Not right now." He grinned at her and Marlene kept the shiver of fear at bay. "I still have some purpose for the two of you. Get them to the carriage." He called out and the guards came back in. Marlene fought against them, but was nevertheless led to the carriage. She caught Andrew just in time when the feisty boy was tossed in and glared at Hans as he tipped his hat to them. "Good day, Miss Marlene." He looked down at the boy, who glared back at him. "Andrew boy." The doors closed, and so did their freedom.

I know I said it was a two-shot, but I keep extending it. XD Don't worry, the next chapter is indeed the last chapter, so keep your eyes peeled!

In case you're confused, the Sheriff/Blakely is Skipper and Andrew is Private. :) Have a nice day, fanfictioners!