A/N: Finally fixed up this chapter. Enjoy!

Chapter 6: An Informational Ride

Jessie scowled when she caught sight of her bandaged wound. It didn't look bad, but Jessie could feel, at times, blood loss from the open tear on her arm. She knew she would have to change it eventually, but she didn't know when she'd have a chance to be away from her hostage... and, on that train of thought, Jessie couldn't help but feel just a tiny bit accomplished about her conversations with Buzz. She was beginning to believe that maybe, just maybe, past the blind faith in the Alliance, past the high-tech space suit and impressively-sized pectoral muscles... maybe Buzz was warming up to her.

She glanced back at her partner and was sightly surprised when she caught him staring at her. He looked away quickly, cringing a bit... at what, Jessie didn't know. She hid the disappointment in her face, and turned away. Fortunately, the rain slowed to a soft drizzle, and, though it took some coaxing to get Buttercup out of the cave, Jessie and Buzz were back on their horses, ready to ride.

"Outlaw," Buzz called to her. She face him as he steered his horse over to hers. "I have a proposition."

She quirked an eyebrow, interested, but cautious. "A proposition?"

He gave a brusque nod. "If you keep me alive... I promise you I will not try any sort of escape maneuver until we get to the Sheriff's."

Jessie's mouth almost fell open, but she managed to spit out, "No kiddin?"

Determined to be the upstanding Officer she assumed he was, Buzz extended his hand to her, calling for an official shake. "Deal?"

Even though she probably looked like an idiot, Jessie grinned and took his hand excitedly. "You got it, partner!"

x*x*x*x

Buzz had continued to ask her questions every once in a while, and Jessie knew it was because he was trying to get information. She didn't tell him anything important, as far as the Outlaws were concerned, but every now and again, she'd accidentally let something personal slip. Some tidbits about her life that she wasn't sure she was comfortable with Buzz knowing. On the other hand, she had to admit that she found out some interesting information about Buzz as well.

He had no idea who his mother was. Well, he knew that she was of Spanish heritage, but that's about it. She had left him and his father when he was just a boy, so Buzz's memories of his mother were scarce and faint. His father didn't talk about her a lot, but sometimes he'd say that she ran away with a Mariachi. Buzz had no idea if it was all a bitter joke or the truth. Jessie tried to picture him in a Mariachi get-up, with a big black sombrero and a rose in between his teeth as he tamed a bull. The thought made her giggle uncontrollably for about ten minutes.

He asked her about Bullseye and about her old home, on the ranch she used to occupy. She told him about picking all sorts of wild flowers with Milly, randomly, whenever they felt like it. She asked about his father, noticing that Buzz's mood seemed to change when she did so. His father didn't exactly sound like the caring type. He was either always at work, or always busy with work. If work wasn't occupying his time, then he was constantly pushing Buzz to be absolutely flawless in every imaginable way. Apparently Buzz had to take care of himself for most years of his life. Said life of his sounded very detail-oriented and structured. It made her shiver, and her heart swelled with empathy.

Which she was not a fan of, for the record.

She was glad for the distraction that a nearby rattlesnake provided. She hollered, the operation of drawing her gun and firing cranking like clockwork. Buttercup and Buzz jumped, and her partner had to work in order to control the frightened pony. Having hit her target, Jess steered Bullseye around and reached to hold Buttercup's nuzzle in her hands.

"Shh," she cooed, patting his neck. "I'm sorry, boy, I'm sorry." Buttercup snorted and glared at her. She glared back. "Would you rather be bitten by the snake? You wouldn't even make it to the Sheriff's, much less back to Slink." Buttercup quieted, and Jessie kissed his forehead. "Good boy."

Bullseye hit a hoof to the ground, feeling neglected, and Jessie laughed. "What? Afraid Buttercup's becomin' my main man?" He whinnied. "Oh hush, Bullseye. You've been my favorite since I was sixteen, you know that."

"You've had him since you were sixteen?" Buzz asked, surprised.

Jessie beamed, hugging her best friend close. "We bred his parents when I was sixteen, an' I had never been more excited for a colt in my life. Nigh on a year later, Bullseye came out. I've been his and he's been mine ever since." Bullseye turned his head and licked her face. Jessie patted his neck affectionately. Buzz looked at her like she was certifiably insane.

Silence fell upon them, but it wasn't necessarily awkward. The sun was almost fully set, and the sky was turning a dark, deep azule. Due to their shortcut, the travelers had two options. They could set up at the predetermined pit stop, a small cabin, that was about an hour away, or push on for a little longer to reach a second pit stop, the next town over, which would put them halfway to the Sheriff's. They decided on the latter and continued on, riding into the night. The moon provided enough light for them to ride moderately safely, but Jessie kept her eyes pealed for dangers such as snakes or wolves.

At one point, Buzz asked her how she understood animals. She told him that she honestly had no idea; that it had always been that way. She asked him why his undercover name was Larry. He said that he had no choice in the matter. He had wanted something nicer like James, or Jonathan, or maybe even William. She said that if she ever went undercover, she'd want her name to be Joanne or Jenny. Though Bazooka Jane was still pretty damn good.

Buzz said that he didn't have much time to relax at home, but when he did, he liked to brew a hot cup of tea and read the newspaper. She said that she liked to soak her feet in hot water and, with the right book, she could read for hours. He managed to find out that she was an Austen fan, which made him smirk. She found out that he was fond of Tolstoy. Neither of them seemed to pay attention to the fact that both authors were on the Alliance List of Prohibited Media. He told her in passing that she reminded him of someone. Though, when Jessie asked who, he didn't reply.

Sooner or later, Buzz looked up at the sky and gasped. She glanced back at him and saw him staring upwards. She smiled knowingly.

"How do you get used to it?" He wondered, amazed. "I've never seen so many stars in my entire life."

"You never get used to it," she replied. "Why d'ya think I'm a country girl?" Buzz was still awestruck. Jessie realized that city folk probably didn't see very many stars. Perhaps it was the philosophical atmosphere the stars provided, or maybe it was simple curiosity, but, without thinking, Jessie asked, "Buzz? What's one thing you want to do before you die?"

He tore his eyes away from the stars and looked at her, surprised. "Uh... I... don't know, really."

"You got nothin' you want to do before you die?" she asked, incredulous.

He shrugged. "I never really thought about it before... Why do you ask? What about you?"

Jessie inhaled deeply. "Aside from seeking revenge on a murderous bastard? I reckon I wanna fall in love."

Buzz's face paled and he practically choked on hit own spit. "Eh-excuse me?"

Luckily enough, Jessie spotted the outline of the small town on the horizon. Despite herself, she smiled and yodeled, and she and Buzz hurried their horses. There were still some people out and about the little village, mostly drunkards and poor bastards down on their luck. Jessie was relieved to see that a certain hole-in-the-wall karaoke bar was still open. She brought her horse around back, not even bothering to dismount when she knocked on the door.

"Who is it?" A squeaky, timid voice asked.

"It's Jessie, Wheezy," she said.

"What do you want?" the voice asked, not sounding very friendly.

Expecting this, she replied, "To get away from the things of man."

Immediately, bolts unlocked and the door swung open. She was greeted by a short man with slicked-back black hair and a tuxedo with a bright red bow-tie. "Jessie, it is you!"

"Of course it's me, slick!" She said, getting off Bullseye and hugging him.

"Sorry," he squeaked. "The Alliance have been stepping up security. I can never be too careful anymore."

She forced a small laugh and nodded, hoping that she hadn't just endangered Wheezey with her present company. She motioned to her partner. "This Buzz, he's a... friend of mine." She ignored how strange the previous sentence sounded. "We need a place to stay for the night. Got any rooms open?"

Wheezy smiled and stood aside. "For you, Miss Jessie, there is always a vacancy."

x*x*x*x

While Jess and Buzz headed upstairs from the rowdy bar below, Wheezy took care of the horses and had a nice dinner sent to them. As they dropped their belongings in the room, Buzz stretched, cracking a few bones in his neck. Jessie did the same with her neck, and he looked at her. He then shifted his weight to produce a loud popping sound from his knees. In retaliation, she pushed her knuckles together, cracking every finger. He nodded at her efforts, then paused and twisted his torso sharply, a tick escaping from numerous vertebrae.

"Ok, ok!" she laughed, slightly more at ease. "You win!"

For a fleeting moment, he seemed to smile at her. "It comes from running an enforcement unit." He paused, catching sight of the single bed in the room. Despite everything, she thought it was kind of endearing how red his cheeks became. "Uhh..."

"Go ahead and take the bed, ranger," she said, reading his mind. "I won't be sleeping much tonight."

He didn't seem too keen with the idea, but realized she had no other choice if she ultimately wanted to remain dominant in the situation. He laid down on the mattress as Jess turned off the overhead light and lit a small oil lamp on the desk in the room. She sat down in the accompanying chair and took out her three revolvers.

"Outlaw," Buzz's voice was quiet but stern. "When this is all done... When I'm in custody at the Sheriff's... you should get some rest. It's not healthy to avoid sleep."

Jessie was too surprised to speak. She didn't say anything for fear her voice would quiver, and then he'd look over and notice she was blushing something awful. After a few minutes, a soft snore filled the silence, and she knew her partner was asleep. She leaned back in her chair, watching the young man laying motionless before her, questions clouding her senses. What was his game? What was his angle? Exactly how loyal to the Alliance was he? Why was he being even the slightest bit concerned with her well being? Was he letting his guard down or was this all a ploy?

Jess was not pleased with all her questions being unanswered, but she knew she didn't really have a say in the matter. What bothered her more than anything, though, was the fact that she cared so damn much.

x*x*x*x

She stayed up, sipping coffee and cleaning her guns. Though she did doze off in her chair every now and then, she still managed to wake up at dawn, her neck stiff and her bones weary. After an hour or so of no movement from her companion, she decided it would be safe to go to the bathroom. As she washed her face and brushed her hair, she looked at herself in the mirror. She turned to the side and touched her stomach, wondering if her fat made a bulge in her wife-beater. She made a few faces, then let out a grunt. What was she preening in the mirror for anyway? It wasn't like she had anyone to look nice for.

Well... he didn't count. He couldn't count.

Jessie palmed her forehead, scolding herself for thinking of such foolish things. Just because he was warming up to her didn't mean that she could trust him. She knew that as soon as they reached the Sheriff's, he'd be back to his cold self, stopping at nothing to escape. She leaned her head on the cool glass, wondering if she was going insane for fretting over an Alliance Official.

She slowly made her way back to her room, looking down the dim hallway. For a moment, everything seemed normal, but Jessie froze, hearing something. There were a few creaks and a thudding, then a strained grunt. Noiselessly and on guard, she crept along. She pulled out her gun as she drew closer, noting that her door was slightly ajar, but the wood had been splintered as if someone had broken in. Jessie could have kicked herself. Why didn't she hear that from the bathroom! A muffled yell broke her from her thoughts. Jess took a deep breath and pounced, kicking back the door and holding up her weapon.

"Freeze, girl!"

Jessie felt her stomach drop.

Standing in her room were two of the worst people in the entire world. There was a woman holding a semi-automatic to Buzz, and a man holding two Rugers, one to her and one to her partner. Buzz was tied in chains, handcuffed, and gagged, sporting a few cuts and bruises Jess knew weren't there before. The mustached man cocked his firearms, but she stood her ground.

"You two Potato-Heads mind tellin' me what the hell you're doing here?"

"Why do you always call us that?" the woman snapped, angry.

"Let her call us whatever she wants," the man said. "Get the car ready."

"Don't move, Betty!" Jessie yelled when the woman moved.

The man took a step closer to Buzz, pressing the nuzzle of one of his Rugers to his bloodied temple. "You're a good shot, Jane," he stated harshly. "But you can still only kill one of us. Even if you manage it, your friend will be dead before a body hits the ground."

Jessie held Buzz's gaze for a second, then looked back at the man. Pained, she smiled bitterly before dropping her gun and putting her hands up. "How'd you find me, Bart?"

He smirked. "I was actually just in town, and I saw you, so I wanted to sop by and say hello." As Betty exited the room, Bart directed Jessie to sit in a chair, which he then proceeded to handcuff her to. "Don't want you following us," he told her as he then tied a chain to the chair, then nailed the chain to the ground.

"Wait, you're not taking me?" Jessie asked, confused.

Bart scoffed. "No, princess, not this time." He made his way over to Buzz, and Jessie's worst fears were confirmed.

"What'dya want with him, Bart?" she asked, referring to her partner. "He ain't got nothin' to do with Bounty Hunting."

"He'll fetch a far better price on the market than you," he replied smugly. "You think we're stupid, Jane? We recognize an AER Official when we see one."

Jessie gulped. "You can't take him to market." Bart quirked an eyebrow, and she pushed, "You can't! They'll rip him apart! They'll sell an ear, a hand, hell even a leg before they give him up!"

"That doesn't concern me," he said simply. "I'm in it for the cash. Whatever happens to him after he's sold is out of my hands."

"You son of a bitch," she hissed before he slapped duct tape over her mouth.

"I'd love to stay and chat, Jane, but we must be going." He walked over to Buzz, who was staring at her, petrified. Bart placed a black sack over his head, and Buzz began to struggle like a madman. Bart sighed in annoyance and pulled out a baton. Jessie yelled and pulled in her chair, but the baton came down on Buzz's head, knocking him unconscious with a sickening thud. It was getting hard for Jessie to breathe as she watched Bart drag Buzz's limp body past her. She tugged at her restraints until she felt the metal cut into her wrists.

"Wow, Jane," Bart laughed sinisterly. "If I had known you were so attached to him, I would have brought an extra bag for you. I'll tell you what... After we sell him, we'll come back for you, how's that?"

It didn't matter how hard Jessie fought, or how much she screamed. Bart left, taking Buzz with him, and she was left completely useless.