Jim, Sulu, Bones and Pavel all rose out of their seats. Uhura and Spock came running in from the kitchen and Scotty as well, popped out of the kitchen. Everyone was silent as they listened to the sound of horses whinnying outside.

"He's here…" Pavel muttered under his breath, though it was heard by everyone.

The group was silent. They had planned this and were so ready to jump into action, but as the moment came, the sudden realization of how dangerous this could be, sunk into their minds.

"Gather your bags." Jim said, almost hesitantly. The group rushed to their bags and silently held them, waiting for their cue. "Bones…you know you're up first. Don't make any stops…just go. Sneak if you have to." Jim ordered sternly. Bones nodded and began to walk away, but Pavel reached out and grabbed his hand, pulling him back.

"Pavel! We do not have time for you games. Let Bones go…" Jim scolded the young boy. Pavel's face fell and he gently let go of Bones' hand, dropping his own hand at his side. Bones turned back around and walked towards, the door, gripping the handle. This would be the last house he would have ever stayed in while in Enterprise.

As he turned the handle, the door was yanked open from the outside and Bones was thrown out the door and onto the porch from the sheer force of the person on the outside.

He landed hard on his shoulder, hitting the wooden planks hard enough to knock a small man out, but Bones was fine. The only thing he was worried about was who it was that opened the door.

"Mr. McCoy…you're still here. That's reassuring, considering the fact that I appointed you to my son." Sheriff Pike's poisonous drawl reached his ears, making Bones squirm internally. Plan ruined.

"At least I protected him this time." Bones growled as he rolled over and got up, brushing himself off. The Sheriff and him made eye contact that was highly unpleasant. Bones could see that this man was intent on running him out of town.

The Sheriff didn't comment on Bones' remark and walked through the doorway. Bones followed in, closing the door behind him. Sheriff Pike stopped and looked over the whole group with their bags.

"What's going on in here?" Pike asked, strutting around the room, glancing at the bags. Jim stepped forward. Pike's eyes brightened. "Ah, my favorite officer…Kirk, would you mind explaining the bags?"

Jim looked past Pike at Bones who wasn't sure what to say. Now it was up to someone to hurry up and take the initiative to save their asses.

"Aye! Uh, Uhura and I were askin' how to prepare a saddle bag for a ah… long trip. The officers here were teachin' us how to prepare them." Scotty stepped in and saved the day. Bones let out a sigh of relief.

"Ah…the barmaid and the bartender…shocking. " Pike looked over the rest of the group. "Then what are my son and McCoy doing in here?"

"They wanted to learn as well…" Scotty tried to control himself. Basically, the Sheriff had just insulted him and Uhura and Scotty would never stand for that, but he had to now.

"Hmm. Well…it's good to know that my son was in good hands." He walked over to Pavel who was standing meekly in the back, afraid that his father might come to him.

"Hello father." Pavel's head hung as he greeted his dad.

"Hello Pavel. Did Mr. McCoy take care of you well?" Pike asked, looking over the boy. Pavel smiled to himself.

"Yes he did. Wery good care." Pavel nodded. Pike looked at his son and grabbed his injured arm, making Pavel wince. Bones saw the action and flinched towards Pike, but Jim stopped him.

"Then what is this?" Pike asked, pointing to the injury that Pavel had acquired while facing certain death.

"Just a little scrape. I was teaching him how to shoot a gun and he scraped himself." Bones jumped in quickly. Pike quickly turned around, giving an intense glare towards Bones.

"You were teaching him how to shoot a gun?" He asked, stepping away from Pavel.

"Yes. Because he did not know how to use one." Bones stated strongly, not backing down what so ever.

"Hm…interesting. Yes, I guess that Pavel did need to be taught things." Pike glanced back at Pavel as the young boy looked up from his injury. Pavel instantly turned away from his father's glance. Pike returned to Bones. "Thank you…Mr. McCoy." He sighed heavily and looked around the room. "Would you all like to come over and eat dinner at my house?" He offered the group.

Jim glanced around at everyone and they looked at him, not sure how to respond. Bones didn't want to take any risks by answering and would let Jim do the leading from now on.

"We would love to." Jim accepted. Something inside of everyone twitched just a bit. None of them liked the Sheriff very much. He had just insulted Scotty and Uhura and wasn't very gentle with his son.

"Wonderful. Then let us be on our way then." The Sheriff gave a gracefully faux grin and turned, heading out the door. The group looked at each other, not sure who to be angry at; the Sheriff or Jim.

"What are we going to do?" Uhura asked, stepping forward, still holding her bag. "We can't leave now if he's counting on us to show up!" She panicked, dropping the bag heavily onto the floor, sitting on the couch.

"I'm sure we'll think of something. If we can't go now, then we'll go tomorrow." Jim suggested as if it was an easy transition.

"It'll take forever! Do you know how long the Sheriff will keep Pavel in his sights?" Uhura responded. She had slowly watched the family of two from her own house for a few years, wondering why the son was so sheltered.

"Eet ees true! He asks vhere I eem going everyday!" Pavel put in.

"I thought you said your dad didn't care?" Jim wondered.

"He doesn't, but he's just stern about zings like zat!" Pavel whined, becoming worried that he would never escape Enterprise and get married to Bones.

"Then you should be able to sneak out!" Jim retorted angrily. He had never been under so much stress. It was going to break him sooner or later.

"My father doesn't vant my happiness! He ees a cruel man." Pavel whimpered, dropping his bag in defeat. "I vill never leave!" He cried. Bones was instantly at Pavel's side, wrapping a protective arm around the young boy.

"It's okay, we'll get you out. I promise." Bones swore to Pavel. He held his hand tightly, spinning the ring on Pavel's finger around. Pavel placed his head into Bones' shoulder.

"What are we going to do?" Uhura asked again, still sitting on the couch.

"Well for starters, we can show up to this damn dinner and try to get on the Sheriff's good side if he even has one." Bones growled. He was highly upset with how the plan went and with the Sheriff.

"I think that's the best idea that we—" Jim started.

"No! You have no say in this. I am sick of your bullshit and your attitude, from now on, anyone but you is going to take the lead on this, okay?" Bones snapped at Jim, knowing that it wasn't his fault, but chose to blame him anyways.

"Bones, come on…" Jim faltered on his line of sadness and pity.

"No." Bones retorted, turning towards the door, hastily walking out. By his surprise, the whole rest of the group followed Bones. Jim was always trying to show how loyal and genius he was. He was doing it for his father who was rumoured to be a great person. He had strived to save lives and towns, but now, his charm and worn off and he was losing it inch by inch. He needed to save his group.

Stepping outside with the rest of the group, Jim huffed and tried to keep himself together for his father's sake. He followed Bones and the rest of them over to the Sheriff's house to see Pike standing there, gawking at the door. As he saw the group descending upon him, Pike seemed to burn a whole through each of them with his eyes. He walked off his porch and swooped down onto all of them.

"What the hell happened to my door?" He asked, glaring at Bones.

"While you were away, your son was being hunted and someone kicked open the door to get in and kill him. I stopped them." Bones growled. The tension in the air was static and dangerous. Sheriff Pike was silent for a moment before he began to speak again.

"Thank you." He responded through a clenched jaw. Bones nodded. The Sheriff turned back around and stepped over the door, entering his home. "What is this? I suppose it's from you trying to save me son as well?" Pike asked as he looked at the mess around him.

"Correct." Bones nodded his head.

"Jesus Christ…Every time I leave." The Sheriff muttered, shaking his head. Bones clenched his fists, wanting to just throw a punch at the man. "Well, pushing through that, I bought food from my trip and it should already be in the pantry."

Everyone was huddled in a tight group, following the Sheriff into the back, where the table sat. Quickly, everyone took their seat. Bones pulled out a chair for Pavel as Pavel came around and sat down in it, thanking Bones. Bones took a seat next to Pavel and Scotty, across from Spock, Jim and Uhura. Sulu was seated at the head of the table.

"Please, Leo, don't get angry so quickly." Pavel whispered to Bones. He was worried that Bones would become upset too quickly and blow the whole plan out of the water.

"I'm trying, but don't you see that your dad is…an asshole?" Bones was hesitant to say those words about Pavel's own father, but it was true and if Pavel didn't see that, then someone was going to have to show him.

"I know zat he ees. But…you don't understand. His rules are twisted so that I can't do anyzing vithout getting een trouble." Pavel muttered.

"That's why we're trying to sneak you out of here. Or at least I am." Bones whispered and glanced at Jim from across the table. Pavel put his hand on Bones' leg.

"Don't get angry at Jim…he hasn't done anyzing wrong. Trust me Leo." Pavel begged. Bones slid his hand under the table, grasping Pavel's finger, interlacing them with his own.

"Fine." He nodded.

Sheriff Pike walked in with a large leather bag, stuffed to the top with goods that he had bought from Austin. Suddenly, Bones could feel his stomach growling. He tightened his grip on Pavel's hand, covering his stomach with the other. Pavel smiled and giggled slightly. He had heard Bones' stomach rumble next to him. He couldn't blame him though. They were all hungry, barely eating with what they had.

"I've got a lot, so help yourselves." Pike shrugged as he plucked out the food from the bag, placing it on the table in front of everyone.

The dinner went relatively well. No one got in any fights, there was no bickering what so ever. Everyone had a calm and clear sense that everything was going to be okay. They trusted Bones and Jim with their lives now. Though those thoughts changed when Pavel reached to get something from in front of the Sheriff. He grabbed Pavel's hand and yanked it close into sight.

"Son, what is this?" The Sheriff asked in a slight growl, looking at the silver band on his finger. Everyone at the dinner table stopped moving. Bones let go of Pavel's hand underneath the dinner table.

"Eet…eet ees a uh…token of…friendship vith ze crew…" Pavel slowly let words he didn't know he was saying tumble out of his mouth.

"The crew?" Pike asked, tightening the grip on Pavel's hand.

"Us, sir." Jim spoke up. "Scotty, Uhura, Spock, Sulu, myself and Bo—Mr. McCoy." He pointed to each and every one of them. They all had their fingers crossed.

"I've never seen something like that…why is it on his wedding ring finger?" Pike interrogated further.

"Because, that finger is the only finger that has a vein that leads to your heart. It's symbolic." Bones spoke up, speaking truthfully and calmly. He had learned that form his wife when they were first married. Pavel looked at Bones and gave the shortest smile before returning to his father.

"Can you put it on any other finger. I don't people thinking that my son has married the whole lot of you." Pike grumbled. Pavel laughed nervously.

"Aha…yes fazzer. Of course." He stuttered, his hand shaking as he removed the wedding ring and placed it onto another finger. Bones quickly slid his ring off and into his pocket under the table.

"Better. It's good to see that my boy has friends." Pike nodded, resuming to eat. Pavel quickly retracted and stared straight at the table, not moving. He was still petrified. Bones gave a quick squeeze of Pavel's hand that had resumed its position under the table.

"He is a very good boy." Jim noted as he scooped something foreign into his mouth.

"Glad to hear. I hope nothing else tragic happened while I was out." Pike laughed. He obviously didn't take his son seriously, or the things that happened to him.

"Nothing else…" Bones shook his head.

"Good." Pike nodded and resumed eating and drinking. Pavel glanced worriedly at his father as he kept finishing glasses of wine and ale. Bones noticed the glances and wanted to desperately say something to Pavel and ask what was wrong.

Thirty minutes later, Pike's neck was red and his face was flushed. Bones knew that he was drunk.

"You all can leave now." Pike slurred as he gently rocked back and forth in the chair, grasping a whole bottle of wine. Jim looked at his crew and then back at Pike.

"Are you sure?" He asked.

"I am sure…leave." He mumbled, slamming is other hand down on the table. Everyone jumped in their seats. "Leave!" He snapped. The group scrambled up except Bones, who grasped Pavel's hand. Pike turned his eyes towards Bones and glared.

"That means you too…" He growled.

"What if I don't leave?" Bones retorted. He didn't want to leave Pavel in the hands of this drunk called his father.

Pike pulled out a gun and lazily pointed it at Bones, cocking it. "I'll shoot you in the head." He mumbled.

Jim took a step forward. "Bones…don't. Just leave it alone." He put his hand on Bones' shoulder and leaned forward. "You don't live here anymore." He whispered.

"Fine." Bones shoved himself and the chair out, getting up. He didn't want to leave, but then again, he didn't want to be shot in the head right there in front of his fiancée. He left with Jim and his group, wanting to turn back and retrieve Pavel, but he knew that wouldn't happen.

As they stepped outside, Jim stopped Bones. "I know you want to stay with him, but you can't. Not if you want to risk your life."

"He's drunk! Who knows what's going to happen in there…" Bones glared back at the house. He wanted to go back…to save Pavel from whatever his dad would to do him.

"I highly doubt Pike would hurt Pavel himself. He just doesn't care about what happens to Pavel when he leaves." Jim shrugged. "Come on, we all need to sleep." Jim lightly tugged on Bones' shoulder. Bones looked at the house one last time before walking ahead to his old shack of a home that he had only stayed in one day.

He parted with Jim in the group, saying goodbye. He sighed and pulled open the crap door and slid through the doorway, closing it behind him. He watched from his window at Pavel's home as the lights stayed on and shadows moved about. Bones knew that if he looked at it longer, it would just pain him further. So he stepped away from the window and headed up the stairs, stripping off his shirt and throwing it on the railing. He made it up the stair and pushed open a door, revealing the large king sized bed that barely fit in the room. He groaned and flopped onto the bed, closing his eyes. No matter what, he could not go to sleep. His mind kept drifting off to Pavel back at his house with his drunken father.

He knew how drunks worked. As a child, his town was full of them. His father would try to shield him from the truth and how dangerous those men were. Sadly, he couldn't do the same for Pavel. Worrying about Pavel, he got out of bed and went back to the railing, grabbing his shirt, taking the ring out from the pocket and slipped it back on. He let out a sigh of relief and went back upstairs.

It took Bones hours to fall asleep but he eventually did. The white blankets were thrown over his body loosely as he slept soundly, forgetting about his worries of Pavel and his father.

Pavel sat in the corner of the room, crying and sobbing, hiccupping all the while. His body shook and the tears stung his eyes. A sharp pain was throbbing in his chest and his face burned as a large cut brew blood and his tears fell into it. The bruise on his lip and forehead hurt whenever he tensed up. Pavel's ring was hidden in his pocket before the fight. He didn't was to risk losing it.

The fight had started when Pavel put the ring back on his wedding finger. His father had noticed and since he was drunk, had taken everything to the extremes. His father yelled and told him to change the finger, but Pavel protested. Then the physical abuse started. His father grabbed him and hit his face. Then he grabbed the empty wine bottle and broke it across the table, slashing Pavel's cheek. Pavel tried to hit back, but was too slow and his father just began the relentless beatings. His face and stomach had been beaten and Pavel was left cringing on the floor. His father mumbled something and then walked back to the back of the house as Pavel crawled up the stairs.

Pavel cried to himself, staring out at the window. It was open and he was about ready to slip out and run over to Bones' home and stay with him for the night. That's what Pavel did. Once his drunk father was in bed, he clambered out the window and climbed down the fire escape, watching where he put his feet. As he jumped down to the ground, he winced as the impact hit him. The blood was starting to dry, but the bruises were just getting started.

Pavel turned and looked up at the dark house, crying harder as he ran away, across the town square to Bones' house. He didn't bother knocking. He pushed through the door and quietly closed it behind him, wiping the tears from his face with his bruised hand.

"Okey...pull eet togezzer Pavel…you don't vant to vorry him." Pavel sternly ordered himself. He dug his hand into his pocket and slid the ring on. Once he was in check, he nodded to himself and quietly ran up the stairs, praying that Bones would either be asleep, or that it would be dark enough that he wouldn't see the marks on Pavel's body.

As he reached the top of the stairs, Pavel turned to the closest door and pushed it open. He saw the large bed and the moonlight shining through window, casting it's white color onto Bones' muscular body. The older man was sleeping, breathing steadily. It made Pavel shiver, even through his pain.

He snuck into the room and closed the door behind him. He quietly stripped off his shirt and pants, hurrying over to the bed, sliding in under the covers. He snuggled up to Bones' body, pressing his cheek to Bones' chest.

Like an automatic reflex, Bones wrapped his arms around Pavel, pulling the boy even closer. But something irked him. What was Pavel doing in his house? Bones was quickly woken and sat up in bed, looking down at the person before him.

"Pasha?" Bones asked wearily. Pavel looked up at Bones.

"Da…" He nodded, moving his head to the pillow.

"What are you doing in my house? Shouldn't you be over at your fathers?" Bones asked. He was happy to see Pavel, but worried what his father would think when he found out his son was gone.

"I had to…ah leave…" Pavel muttered.

"Why?" Bones asked, reaching for the bedlight. Pavel sat up and stopped him, grabbing his arm.

"No! I mean…I just…had to leave." He panicked. No one could see the marks on his skin.

"Why?" Bones asked suspiciously.

Pavel looked around. "Ah…because…vell…" He played with his ring. Bones reached for the light and turned it on, seeing the bruises and blood.