Ok- just so no one is confused, the first part of this chapter is the first half of the day of the last chapter, does that make sense? Anyway... when you get to the part about Kitty in this chapter then it is kind of picking up where the last chapter ended. I don't know why but it just seemed to work out that way. Also thank you for all the reviews, I greatly enjoy them and they inspire me to keep these chapters rollin' out.

Earlier that Day...

It seemed that day that when ever Matt thought he was going to get an opportunity to go and visit with Kitty some more about her accident that something happened that needed his immediate time and attention. It had started after a long night that was short on sleep due to the one of the first, very early cattle herds showing up. Usually Matt didn't mind the herds coming into Dodge and understood that they were a vital part of keeping the economic side of the town alive but there were also day's that Matt rued the day that the cowboys came. In fact he had three of the said cowboys locked up in jail at the moment for disturbing the peace and being unable to pay the fine. Then at breakfast, a bar keep from the Lady Gay came in to report a dead man and beaten girl there. Matt had had to leave his meager breakfast of bacon and eggs that Chester had cooked up to go over and check it out. He found a badly beaten girl and a dead gambler in the alley behind the bar. The bar keep had said he found the girl unconscious and the gambler dead when he had came in that morning to clean up and prepare for the afternoon and evening. Matt had called Doc in to check things out and take care of the girl before he went to take care of Kitty and whatever other patients he had.

After sending Chester to get Percy Crump, the undertaker, to come and take care of the dead gambler, Matt had gone to Doc's office to talk to the beaten saloon girl. "Can I talk to her yet Doc?" Matt asked.

The physician looked up at Matt over his spectacles, "Yes you can talk to her Matt, but I think you need to figure out what's going on and fast."

Matt looked at Doc and said, "Doc you don't think this is related to what happened to Kitty do you?"

"I can't say for sure, but Matt there sure has been a lot of funny things going on with the women around here lately." Doc said.

Matt shook his head, "But Doc, this girl doesn't even work at the Longbranch and I've never seen that gambler in there. Besides I was the only one with Kitty that night when she went up those stairs."

Doc shrugged his shoulders and continued to put things into his medical bag. "Have you talked to Kitty any more about what happened?"

Matt gave Doc a pointed look and said, "I plan on getting over there sometime today but right now I have three cowboys locked up and I have to deal with Ginger in there."

"Well then I suggest you get to dealing because I know another woman that is going to expect to be seeing you." Doc said before walking across the room and knocking on the door that lead into his patient recover room.

A weak "Come in." came from the other side.

Doc motioned for Matt to follow him and both men stepped into the room. The sight that greeted Matt made him sick. The young woman that sat up in the bed before him had bruises covering her face, two black eyes and Doc had told him earlier that she also had a broken nose. "How are you feeling Ginger?" Matt asked, pulling a chair to the bedside while Doc took the young woman's pulse.

"As well as one possibly can I guess Marshal?" Ginger said.

"Do you think you can tell me what happened?"

"I'll try Marshal." Ginger said. She closed her eyes and said, "James and I, James is the man you found dead, James and I went for a walk last night. Well on the way back we met up with one of the Longbranch girls on the way back, she ways crying and carrying on and I stopped to ask her what was wrong."

"Do you know who she was?" Matt asked.

"No, no I'd never met her before but she knew James." Ginger said. "That's what caused the trouble Marshal."

"What caused the problem Ginger?" Matt asked.

"Well this girl, from the Longbranch she started screamin' at James, stuff about how could he betray her trust like that, she thought that he loved her and was goin' to marry her."

Matt nodded, "Ok, so explain to me how he ended up dead and you ended up in your situation."

"Well she took into me first, hittin me in the face. I gave her as good as I got but then she hit me right between the eyes and kinda knocked me loopy I guess. I don't remember much else."

"Ok, well thank you Ginger. If you remember anything else you have Doc get a hold of me, alright."

"Yes Marshal." Ginger said.

Doc and Matt stepped back out into his main office, "That man died of a knife wound, Matt."

"I know." Matt said his face grim. "But the wound wasn't that large."

"No, that's what is so amazing, he was struck in the carotid artery and bled to death from a wound no bigger than a cut you would give yourself shaving in the morning." Doc said.

Matt went back to his office, took care of his now sober and not so disorderly cowboys and then sat down to write up the report on the dead gambler and beaten girl.

When Matt looked up again, the railroad clock on the wall said that it was after two o'clock in the afternoon. He signed the paper he was working on and then threw his pen down. Standing and stretching he moved to the door grabbed his hat and headed towards the Longbranch.

Kitty sat with Kate's words running circles in her head, like an annoying fly, buzzing in idle circles. Part of her wanted to go and confront Sally and the other part of her wanted to go to her bed, crawl under the covers and hide and yet another part of her wanted to go and tell Matt. She knew that two of the options were out of the question, because if she even attempted them, Doc would skin her alive. Kitty sighed, she knew that Matt would most likely show up sometime during the day, unless something happened, which Kitty figured was just as likely as Matt showing up. As for going and confronting Sally, Kitty had mixed emotions about that, what if Kate and Olive had only been trying to cause trouble? She knew that is was likely but she had also never seen Kate look like that before, so serious and so scared. Never before had Kitty seen fear in the other women's eyes, not even when they had, had their worst confrontations or when the cowboys that came in with the herds and shot up the town and each other. It was the fear in the other women's eyes that made Kitty believe what she said, not her words.

When Matt arrived at the Longbranch he walked into the empty bar room and only gave a slight nod to the barkeeper before heading up the heavy stair case that lead to the rooms above. The man barely even gave Matt a second glance. Because of his long legs it didn't take the man long to reach Kitty's room. He knocked and waited for her response.

Kitty heard the knock and was almost afraid to offer the person access. What if it was Sally, coming to try and finish her off? Cautiously, Kitty slowly stood to her feet and pulled her silk robe closer around her body. Then on cat like feet made her way to the door. "Who's there?" she asked cautiously.

Matt heard Kitty's voice on the other side of the door and smiled. "It's Matt, Kitty. I need to talk to you."

Shedding all her previous caution and insecurity, Kitty threw the door open and smiled. "Matt! It's so good to see you."

"It's good to see you too, Kitty. How are you feeling today?" Matt asked, removing his hat and stepping through the open door. He let his gaze roam over her body, taking in her long, silky hair flowing loosely around her shoulders and her blue silk robe that offset the color of her eyes.

Kitty shut the door behind Matt before she answered him. "I'm better Matt. Still terribly stiff and sore but I'm glad to be alive."

"Yeah, I'm sure you are." Matt said. "Kitty, do you remember much about what happened that night?"

"No, not much, why are you asking again? I thought that we discussed all that after the accident." Kitty said. "Have a seat."

Matt sat down in one of the chairs that Kitty kept in her room and then leaned forward, his elbows resting on his knees. "I know we did, Kitty, but well we've had another incident. I'm just trying to see if their somehow related."

Kitty took a seat as well and looked at Matt. "Anything you can tell me about Matt?" She asked.

Matt silently debated whether or not to mention the beaten saloon girl and dead gambler. He knew that Kitty wouldn't intentionally let word get out but at this point in time Matt knew that he couldn't be to careful so he decided to take a different angle. "Kitty, you know most of the gamblers that come into the Longbranch don't you?"

"A few, why do you ask?" Kitty asked confused how a gambler had anything to do with her situation.

"Do you know one by the name of Tolly, James Tolly?" Matt asked his expression serious.

"No, not that I recall, has he been in here recently?" Kitty asked, searching her memory for any new gamblers that had come in recently or in the past few months.

"Well he's been in town." Matt said carefully. He didn't want too much to get out, but he had a theory in mind and only time would tell if his theory was right.

"You know something don't you Matt?" Kitty asked, watching his face. She was amazed that in the little time that she had known Matt Dillon that she could read his face so easily.

Matt didn't say anything, just looked away. How did the woman do that? He thought to himself.

"Well it looks like your not going to tell me, but Matt I have something else to tell you."

Matt leaned a little closer and said, "Alright."

"Kate and Olive stopped by earlier this afternoon. Doc was here and well then he left but that's not the point." Kitty stared, reaching down to play with the belt on her robe. "Anyway, Kate told me something very disturbing."

"Go on." Matt said.

"She told me that, that Sally pulled a knife on her because she thought that Kate had stole Slim Harper from her. She said Sally would have most likely killed her if Slim hadn't shown up and put a stop to things." Kitty said.

"Is this the first that Kate has said anything about this?" Matt asked. He knew Kate and Olive both and he also knew how girls living and working in these conditions sometimes acted. He trusted that Kitty was telling him the truth but what about Kate? He didn't know her that well and frankly wasn't sure if she could be trusted.

"Well Olive knew and then she told me because of what happened." Kitty said.

"What else did Kate say?" Matt asked. He was having trouble figuring out how this all worked out.

"She said that she was afraid that Sally was trying to kill me." Kitty said.

"Why? I mean if Sally tried to kill Kate it had to do with her obliviously thinking that Kate was moving in on a man that she claimed as her own?" Matt questioned. While what Kitty was telling him made sense in the case of Ginger and Tolly it didn't fit the case involving Kitty, did it?

What is going through your head right now Matt Dillon? Kitty thought to herself. She had a good idea he was trying to see how Kate's situation and the one that Kitty had been in fit together. He was also probably trying to figure out if they were really a pair or if he was just a passing fancy for her. "Matt?" Kitty said. "What are you thinking?"

"How this all fits together." Matt said. "I'll see you later Kitty."

Ok so not the hottest ending for chapter 11 but I needed a good place to quit. I promise to get chapter 12 up soon since the creative juices are flowing right now. This chapter was really hard for me to write so any and all reviews will be most appreciated…thanks.