Chapter Nine

There was something suspicious in the way Jesse looked to Buck. He was upset to be sure, but Buck couldn't shake the feeling that his anger wasn't placed on what happened to Cricket, but on Cricket herself. Buck suddenly wondered about everything that had been going on with Jesse and Cricket to this point. Jesse was often tired and moody lately and Buck found Cricket one morning asleep on the bunkhouse porch. Something was going on. He and Jimmy had suspected that Frank was around last week. Maybe he was still around and maybe he had something to do with what happened to Cricket.

Teaspoon came back a moment later and Buck was puzzled.

"She don't want to talk about it," Teaspoon said frustrated. "I think she's protecting someone, but I don't understand why. I'm hoping maybe Lou or Rachel will have better luck later."

"Is Cricket alright," Buck asked.

"She's resting," Teaspoon answered.

Buck watched Teaspoon walk back toward his office and when he was out of sight, Buck headed for the barn and saddled his horse and rode out after Jesse. He was already a safe distance back and Jesse wasn't trying to hide his trail.

It wasn't very long before Buck came upon Jesse's horse just outside a hidden cabin. There were raised voices inside. Buck staked his horse a ways off in the trees and stalked up to the house. He found a nice place to hide behind the house near a window. He wanted to know who Jesse was arguing with, if the argument had anything to do with Cricket, and if Jesse was in any immediate danger.

"So did little miss nosy tell you I was here?" Frank asked.

"Yeah she did," Jesse answered defensively. "She looked a little roughed up. Did you do that?"

"Did she tell you I did?" Frank asked.

"Yeah, so did you?" Jesse pressed.

"I just wanted to scare her," Frank lied, "She's trouble Jesse. She will distract you from what's important."

Buck felt his anger rise. Not only was Frank back in town trying to corrupt Jesse, he had also attacked Cricket. It took everything in him not to break the door down and take Frank out with his bare hands. He couldn't do that to Jesse though. Buck knew what it was like to have an older brother. He didn't always agree with Red Bear now, but when he was a boy he idolized his older brother and no one could have told him that Red Bear was ever wrong. He would wait until Jesse left and then he and Frank would have a little talk.

"Damn it, Frank, she's my friend!" Jesse yelled. "You did a hell of lot more than scare her."

"Don't tell me you've gone soft, Jesse," Frank commented seriously. "There are people that matter in this world and people who don't. Family is the only thing that matters. She ain't family."

"You leave Cricket alone," Jesse said menacingly.

"There's only one thing a little tart like that is good for," Frank retorted. "She ain't worth protecting. I just showed you that."

"I'm warning you, Frank," Jesse said angrily.

"Fine, I'll leave her alone. All you have to do is come with me, right now."

"I can't," Jesse lamented. "I ain't ready yet."

"Ma would be ashamed, you know that?" Frank warned.

"That may be so, but I still ain't ready," Jesse said defiantly. "You should make yourself scarce around here for a while."

Jesse turned and walked out the door.

"And if I don't?" Frank asked.

"I'll tell Jimmy and Buck you're here," Jesse threatened.

"You do that and you ain't my brother no more," Frank countered.

Jesse's face contorted into a pained look he tried very hard, but unsuccessfully to hide. He left the cabin and rode off on his horse.

Violet hurried over to the station at the beginning of school. Rachel excused her and sent her to talk to Lou. Violet gasped and started to tear up when Lou relayed the story of how Buck found Cricket this morning. She almost felt like she was reliving the day when Buck and Jimmy found her half dead in the woods.

Violet gently knocked on the door and peered inside. Cricket was sitting up on the bed hugging her knees to her chest.

"Hey, do you want some company?" Violet asked quietly.

Cricket looked up and nodded. Violet sat on the edge of the bed and gave Cricket a comforting hug. Cricket relaxed a little and let herself cry a little.

"Do you know who hurt you?" Violet asked. "I mean do you remember his face?"

Cricket dried her eyes on the cuffs of Buck's shirt. "I could never forget his face, Violet," she said. "It was someone I knew."

Violet's jaw dropped a little. She had been under the impression from Lou that Cricket didn't know her attacker.

"Cricket, you have to tell the marshal," Violet said amazed. "He could hurt others. I couldn't see or remember the man who attacked me and more girls were hurt…actually everyone else he attacked, he killed."

"I can't tell," Cricket said sadly. "It would hurt someone if I did. Besides, I don't think he'd kill anyone."

"Does this have anything to do with Jesse," Violet asked astutely. "He wasn't in school this morning either."

"Oh, Violet, you can't tell Teaspoon," Cricket begged. "Please promise me."

"Did Jesse do this to you?" Violet asked horrified.

"No."

"Then, who?" Violet asked.

Cricket started to clam up.

"Alright, I promise not to tell Marshal Hunter," Violet vowed.

"It was Jesse's brother, Frank," Cricket revealed. Violet listened intently as Cricket tearfully recounted all the details she could remember about Frank and the attack.

"Oh, I'm so sorry, Cricket."

"I don't know if Jesse's going to be my friend anymore," Cricket said sniffling.

"Why wouldn't he?" Violet asked.

"He's angry with me," Cricket said tearing up again. "It's my fault."

"Cricket, if there is one thing I have learned, what happened to you is not your fault."

"I went with him," Cricket said. "If I hadn't gone with him, none of this would have happened."

"All the things I've heard Jimmy say about Frank James leads me to believe that it wouldn't have mattered if you left with him or not. If he wanted to hurt you, he would have and he did."

"I don't think Jesse believes that," Cricket said.

"If he takes his brother's side, then he isn't worth being friends with," Violet said adamantly. "I mean it. He can't blame you for his brother's bad behavior."

"I'm glad you're my friend, Violet," Cricket said.

Cricket moved over and Violet moved closer to her on the bed. Cricket settled into the bed and was soon sleeping. Violet quietly slipped out of the room. When she had the chance she would tell Jimmy or Buck. She only promised not to tell the marshal. Cricket would forgive her, she hoped.

Violet looked all over the station for Buck and finally found Jimmy in the bunkhouse. After Violet relayed the news, Jimmy jumped up from the table and quickly headed out for the barn to get his horse. He was sure Buck went after Jesse and didn't like the thought of Buck dealing with Frank and Jesse alone.

Buck waited until Frank was relaxed and settled. He found his moment when Frank took his gun belt off and hung it on a peg by the front door. Frank wandered over near the back door where Buck was waiting for him. Frank opened the door to a seething Buck. Buck grabbed him by the lapels of his vest and slammed him against the outer wall of the cabin.

"You and I are going to come to an understanding, Frank," Buck said with a violent calm.

"Figures you'd come and defend that brat's honor," Frank said with a smile on his face. "You know she came with me willingly?"

"I didn't say you could talk," Buck said menacingly.

Frank smiled.

"You will never touch Cricket again, are we clear?" Buck demanded.

"I didn't do anything to your little friend that she didn't want done," Frank taunted.

Buck punched Frank hard in the stomach. The move came suddenly and Buck didn't take the time to even consider any other options. Frank fell to his knees and let out a small laugh.

"Jesse said she was in love with you," Frank choked out. "He didn't tell me you felt the same about her."

"That's enough out of you," Buck warned as he pulled Frank back up to his feet and threw him up against the wall again.

"Do you want to know what she tastes like?" Frank teased, "Or maybe you already know. Hell, I probably saved her reputation. Better to be taken by a white man than to give herself willingly to an Indian. Yep, I bet her parents are sighing in relief as we speak."

"Shut up!" Buck threatened. "Or I'll forget that you're Jesse's brother."

"I could have taken all of her," Frank continued. "Maybe I will the next time I see her. I already know she's a lot of fun."

Buck slammed Frank against the wall again knocking the wind out of him.

"Are you jealous, half-breed?" Frank asked between coughs, "That I'm the first man to see her naked."

Buck's restraint left him and he started hitting Frank with reckless abandon. Frank fell to the ground and Buck kept pounding his fists into Frank's face until he suddenly felt himself being pulled away from him.

"Buck, he ain't worth it," Jimmy said as he peeled his friend off of Frank.

"Let me go, Jimmy, this isn't your fight."

"Maybe not, but I'm not letting you ruin your life on this piece of filth," Jimmy said restraining Buck. "We're taking him in to jail."

"No you ain't," Jesse said as he pulled the hammer back on Frank's gun. "Frank's riding out of here and not coming back."

"Jesse, I thought you left," Buck said unhappily.

"It didn't feel right how I left things with him," Jesse said.

"Jesse, Frank committed a crime and he's gonna pay for it," Jimmy said.

"Looks like he already did," Jesse observed. Jesse walked over to a bloody and quickly swelling Frank and helped him up. Frank spit out a mouth full of blood and hobbled around to the front of the cabin while Jesse kept Frank's gun trained on Jimmy and Buck.

"Jesse, how can you let him get away with what he did to Cricket?" Buck challenged.

"He's my brother," Jesse said. "I can't let you arrest him."

"Jesse, he broke the law," Jimmy reminded him.

"And I suppose you ain't ever done nothing wrong?" Jesse asked sarcastically.

Jimmy let Buck go as they and Jesse heard the sound of a horse galloping away. Frank was gone.

"Jesse this is different," Buck argued.

"Frank's gone," Jesse said, "He ain't coming back. That should satisfy everyone."