It Ain't Easy Having Pals

A/N: This story is in the process of being re-written to make it flow better. I'd love to get your feedback, good, bad or otherwise. Enjoy.

Adios.

...

Cries of "Chivato! Chivato!" greeted us as we made our way through the gates of Juarez. To my annoyance "Gatito!" could be heard every now and then.

I looked at Chavez and narrowed my eyes. "It seems the nickname you gave me has spread."

"It is hardly my fault," he said with a smile.

"Jesus Christ," Doc said as he dismounted next to me. "You'd think he won the lottery instead of killing people."

"Hey Doc," Billy said coming over. "I want you to do something for me."

Doc looked concerned but followed Billy down the street.

"What are you looking at Charlie?" I asked when I saw him staring across the street. I glanced in the same direction and saw a pretty young girl. "Go over there and say hello, she ain't gonna bite," I smiled and nudged his shoulder.

"You sure I should?" he asked nervously.

"Of course, what harm can it do?" I pushed him a bit and he made his way across the street.

I turned back to Chavez. "Want to seek out a drink with me?" I asked as I tethered my horse alongside his.

He shook his head. '"I have something to discuss with Steve."

I decided to go get a drink on my own and soon found a saloon. I bought a bottle of whiskey and sought out a place I could sit and drink in peace; I found it under a tree in the middle of town. I saw Charlie sitting with the girl he'd been admiring and smiled when he put his coat over her shoulders. I dozed off after a while and was unimpressed when someone nudged me awake with their boot. "What?" I growled, cracking an eye open to find Steve standing above me.

"Charlie's gettin' married!" he announced.

"He's what? To who?" I asked gingerly getting to my feet.

"Some little Mexican girl," Steve replied.

…

I smiled as I watched Charlie dancing with his bride. She was quite a few years younger than him but it didn't seem to matter. I noticed Doc sitting to the side reading. Steve was somewhere in the middle dancing with an older lady and I had to laugh at the figure they cut. Billy was a few feet away talking to a little boy.

"Now," he said placing his hat on the boys' head. "If anybody asks you where you got that hat, tell 'em Billy the Kid gave it to ya." The boy ran off and Billy came over to me, snaking a hand around my waist. "I saw the way you were looking at that kid, want to make one of your own?"

"Hold your horses Billy, there's no need to rush," I exclaimed as my face turned red. I ignored the widening grin on his face and turned back to the party. "If we survive this war then maybe, for now there's someone who looks like he wants to talk to you." I nodded my head at the man standing nearby and Billy turned his head to greet the stranger.

"Pat Garrett? What are you doing in here?" Billy asked taking his gun out.

"Goin' back to Louisiana for family business," Pat said. "Wanted to see the boy who'd become such a sensation."

"How did ya find me here?" Billy asked.

"I'm a tracker, goin' to be hell as a Sheriff if they let me." Pat replied.

"What are you saying, Pat?"

"The officials have asked me to run."

"Well I'm asking you to run too, that way," Billy indicated to his right. "Or I'll take your scalp like I did Brady's."

"Billy, I ain't the law yet and I ain't here to get your ass-hairs up," Pat said. "Come to tell you some bad news about a friend we share. McSween, Tunstall's lawyer."

"What about Alex?"

"He's gonna die, tomorrow; he and his wife, at his house. Murphy knows he's coming back to Lincoln tomorrow; they're gonna wait till he's home and then go pay a visit."

"What time are they expecting him?" Billy asked.

"Suppertime; I figured you were the only fella with the pluck to get up some McSween partisans and go give the man and his wife a rightful escort across the border." Pat turned away. "I'll see ya Billy."

After Pat had disappeared into the crowd Billy turned back to me "well, the party's over." He gently placed a kiss on my lips before moving away and firing a shot from his gun. "Regulators! let's saddle up!" he yelled as the music came to a halt.

Billy and I mounted up and waited for the boys. I could see Charlie talking urgently to his wife.

"I think he's trying to say goodbye to her," I whispered in Billy's ear.

"Hey Charlie maybe you should stay," Billy said avoiding Charlie's shocked gaze. "You can't shoot worth a piss anyhow; besides your girl's crying and she's giving me a headache."

"Charlie you've got a wife now, you should stay," Doc added.

Charlie kissed his wife, handed her to her mother and walked over to us.

"What are you doing?" I asked as he mounted his horse.

"It ain't easy having pals," he replied.