A/N: Hello, again, lovely readers. Melly and I certainly didn't mean to upset anyone with the title of this chapter, but, somehow, it really fits. We certainly hope you like it. Total kudos go to Melly for writing this chapter, too. I know, it was supposed to be mine, but I've been killed with Real Life, and she had such a great idea for it, so she wrote the bulk of this one too and let me add my stuff to it.
As always, our awesome beta, SweetThunder added her special touch and made the chapter just that much more awesome.
Yes, Stephenie Meyer still owns the Twilight characters, but WE OWN WESTWARD! He belongs to us and we like to play with him. We hope you will join us in our sandbox.
So now, please enjoy….
Westward
… … …
The Marksman
Chapter 12 – The Death of Ward Masen
The sun was sitting low in the sky casting every shade of purple, pink, and orange over the dusty town as the small train of horses, led by Ward, filed into the livery stable yard. The stable hand quickly untethered the Valentine's horses and helped Bella down from her perch in front of Ward.
She cradled her injured arm gently against her chest as she waited for Ward to descend. They were quite a site, both covered in dirt and blood, looking as beat down as a stray dog. One could only imagine what the livery boy thought.
"Hey son, can you go'n fetch the Sheriff and have him bring the doctor too?" Ward asked gruffly, tossing the boy a shiny gold nugget. He winced sharply as he hobbled over to a bale of hay to sit down. As his seat landed on the hay he grunted in pain, his body hurting all over.
The young man's eyes grew wide in disbelief as they traveled slowly from the piece of metal in his hand up to Ward's face. "Yessir!" he nodded emphatically as he scrambled down the road on his errand. He let out a large whoop once he'd cleared the stable doors causing Edward to smile a bit at the boy's enthusiasm.
Bella went to the water pump, filling a bucket full of fresh water and using her one arm, mostly dragging it over to where Ward was sitting. Silently they both drank their fill. Ward used his bandanna to wash some of the grit and grime from his face while Bella tore away a few strips of her skirt from the hole she had blasted in it and after washing her face, started to tend to Ward's wounds.
"Lemme take a look at your shoulder," he said softly, reaching over to gently take Bella's arm in his hands. The blood had dried, causing the torn fabric to stick to the wound. She hissed as he tried to peel away the edges of the fabric of her dress. "Here, why don't we soak it a bit; get some of that dried blood softened up."
Bella nodded and held the wet cloth against the wound. She was just now starting to notice the faint metallic smell of the blood and was feeling a bit sickened by it. She leaned on to Ward's shoulder and closed her eyes, willing herself to remain conscious even though she could feel the black swirls that were covering her vision as she continued to smell her own blood.
Ward began humming a soft tune, weakening Bella's resolve to stay awake. She slowly drifted down to where her head lay in his lap as he hummed and stroked her tangled hair. It felt like hours, but in reality, was just a few minutes later, when a gaggle of people burst into the livery barn and began fluttering and fussing over the weary pair.
Alice and Jasper were at the forefront of the group that also included the doctor, the sheriff, as well as Emmett. They were all looking grim and concerned as they took in Bella and Ward's state of being.
"Isabella!" Alice cried, as she flung her arms around her best friend. "We were so worried, and you were gone, just gone! And your house, and I thought you were dead! But you're not! Don't you ever go and die on me again!" She finally paused to take a breath, and saw the grimace of pain marring Bella's face. "Oh, forgive me," she said as she released her death grip on Bella, in favor of a more tender embrace. "I didn't mean to get carried away. Doc's here and he's gonna check you over once we get you to my place." Alice cringed a little as she looked over the state of Bella's clothes.
"I'm sorry Alice, the skirt got tore up something awful…" Bella said.
"Don't you worry one bit. Who cares about this old rag anyways? It's just an opportunity to get something new and fancy!" Alice replied as her hands fluttered over Bella, not knowing how to help but wanting to.
"Ward's foot," Bella responded weakly as she allowed Alice and Ward to help her up to a sitting position.
"The doc will check both of you. I'm just so glad you're safe. What happened?" Alice looked back and forth between Bella and Ward, trying to determine who would be more likely to answer. Jasper had emptied out the bucket and brought it over freshly filled. Ward was chugging back more water when someone spoke up from the back of the group.
"I'd like to know that myself," drawled Sheriff Cheney, looking pointedly at Ward. "Where've you two been for the last few days?" he asked, nodding his 10-gallon towards the both of them.
"Where to start?" Ward mused dryly.
"Beginning's usually a good place," smirked Cheney.
Ever the voice of reason, Jasper spoke up. "How about we get them cleaned up and settled in at our place and see to their injuries and then start in on the particulars?"
Ward nodded and gratefully accepted Emmett's help to stand, while Jasper scooped Bella into his arms and headed out the door.
Several hours later, both Bella and Ward were settled comfortably in a spare room at Alice and Jasper's home, clean and presentable. Bella felt a bit self-conscious in the night gown that Alice had put her in, but she didn't have the heart to argue; it was comfortable after all. And Ward was just as handsome as ever in a fresh shirt and britches, his hair combed back. They'd strung a sheet down the middle of the room for when privacy was needed, but for now it was pulled back and the sheriff was concluding his interview.
"So where are the bodies now?"
Ward was about to start giving directions when Bella held up her hand. "I'm sorry, but I need to know something first. Can you send for Jasper?" Sheriff Cheney gave her a speculative look but nodded and stepped out of the room for a moment.
Jasper came in, hands in his pockets, looking both concerned and relieved that both Bella and Ward were in better spirits after a good wash and a meal. "You wanted to see me Isabella?"
"It's just Bella now. I'd forgotten how much more I preferred that to my full name."
"Bella, it is then." He smiled flashing a sliver of his gold tooth. "So how can I be of service?"
"When Arrow confronted us, he said something about having bought my note on the ranch from the bank. Is that true? Did he buy it?"
A wide grin spread over Jasper's face showing off fully his shiny tooth. "He didn't buy squat. Once a person is officially declared dead, which you were not, by the way, the bank requires a thirty day waiting period on any land transaction. And it usually gets auctioned, when that happens."
"So it's still mine? I m...mean...it's still ours?" Bella gaze swung to Ward and she gave him a small smile.
"Ours?" Jasper questioned.
"Ward's pa went in on the property with my pa. So it's half his too."
"Well, then I guess that means you'll be stickin' around, won't it Masen?"
Ward nodded slowly, "That is my plan. I don't think I'd be able to leave this pretty lady." And while it was his hearts desire to stay, Arrow's comments about his true identity left him with a ball of nerves in the pit of his stomach.
The sheriff cleared his throat and asked again, "So now that we've got that sorted out, where are the bodies?"
Bella drew a map to the location of the mine and asked Cheney to destroy it as soon as he returned to town. The last thing she needed was more opportunistic scoundrels after her land again.
"Consider it done. I'll go out with one of my deputies at first light and take care of the bodies."
"Oh and Sheriff?" Cheney turned his head as Ward spoke. "You'd do well to ride out to the Valle Verde. The Valentine's took several of the Hualapai Elders hostage when they burned out the village."
"They did what? Durned, blast it! I'll be sure get right on that. Thanks for the tip."
Alice came bustling in with a bowl full of some strong smelling goo and a length of bandage. "If you boys are all done, I'm going to put this liniment on Ward's foot and change the dressing on Bella's wound. So if you'd be so kind as to skeedaddle?" She raised an eyebrow that brooked no dispute and shooed Jasper and Sheriff Cheney in the direction of the main portion of the house. The front door closed and Bella breathed a long sigh of relief.
It had taken a fair amount of pulling and had caused an even greater amount of cussing to get the boot off of Ward's swollen foot and ankle. The doc didn't think it was broken either, but with all the swelling, it was hard to tell. He had ordered Ward to stay in bed for the next few days with his foot elevated and wrapped up.
"Well, let's see how your foot's lookin' after a few hours." Alice began to carefully unwind the bandage, but still managed to elicit a few grunts from Ward.
"Careful woman!" His grimace relaxing slightly as Bella reached her hand across the small space between their beds and stroked his fingers. He gripped her hand gently in his and closed his eyes.
"Well, it's still ugly to look at, but the swelling has gone down some. Hopefully this'll help." Alice began liberally applying the salve in the bowl to Ward's injury."
"Good Lord, Alice, what is that? It smells terrible!" Ward turned his head away and scrunched up his face in disgust.
Alice paid him no mind as she continued to apply the balm. "It's horse liniment. Rosalita says it's the best."
"She would," Ward grumbled under his breath. The woman was probably a professional torturer in her spare time, he thought, remembering the delight she had teasing James with her whip. She'd certainly left her mark on him. Ward's guess was that she left her mark on every man that crossed her path, one way or another.
Ah James, Ward thought. He wondered what happened to the man that he'd almost considered a friend. He was either dead or had high-tailed it out of town when everything went down with the Valentines. His thoughts continued to drift through the different possibilities as Alice wrapped his foot back up, replacing it onto the pillows that had it elevated.
Ward looked back over at Bella, only to see that she'd fallen asleep. Finally she looked peaceful. The lines of worry that creased her forehead were smoothed as she rested and the frown that tugged her beautiful lips down was relaxed into a soft pout. Her chest rose and fell in a calm, slow rhythm. She looked like an angel in the white cotton nightgown that Alice had loaned her.
He squeezed her hand gently before placing it back on the bed. "Mmm. Edward," she sighed in her sleep and then turned her head into the pillow, sinking even deeper into sleep.
Ward rested his arm across his eyes and for the first time in as long as he could remember, he offered up a sincere prayer that nothing would take this angel out of his life again.
"You can't go up there!" shouted Alice. "They need to rest!"
"I've got a warrant and I certainly will not be deterred by the likes of you girly girl!" bellowed an unfamiliar voice, as heavy footfalls tromped up the stairs. The door burst open and a sweaty, flushed-faced, surly man pushed his way into the room past a disheveled Alice who had braced herself in the doorway.
The man was dressed in black trousers and a dark blue shirt, topped with a brown leather vest and a shiny gold star pinned to his chest. He looked over Ward Masen and scrunched his eyes a bit, trying to imagine the injured man with a full beard and longer hair. He puffed up his chest and hooked his thumbs onto his gun belt and nodded.
"Well, well," he gave a self-satisfied snort. "If it ain't Ed Cullen, in the flesh. Never thought we'd catch up with you. Guess you have good ol' Rufus Crane to thank for that."
Sheriff Cheney pressed into the small, quickly-filling, room and looked between Ward and the visiting Sheriff. "Ed Cullen the gun-slinger? Is it true?"
"Course it's true. You ain't callin' me a liar, are you Cheney?" bristled the stranger.
Sheriff Cheney narrowed his eyes at the visitor and responded, "Crowley, this is my jurisdiction. I won't have you come in here, guns ablazing, and removing citizens of my town with no cause. Now step back and let me handle this." Cheney stepped in front of Tyler Crowley, honorable Sheriff of Phoenix, and looked at Ward.
Bella tried to hide the panic in her face as the two sheriffs stared down her man. Ward on the other hand was resigned. If he didn't stand up and somehow clear his name, he'd always be on the run. That was no way to live a life and for the first time, he had a life worth living. It twisted him up inside to know that he was leaving Bella, but when faced with the facts of the matter, there was really nothing to be done. Slowly he hefted himself upright in bed and took a deep breath. His ribs were still sore from the beating he'd taken before being left for dead.
"Yes. It's true. My name is Edward Cullen. Masen was my mother's maiden name."
"Eddie no," Bella's strangled whisper just about broke his heart into a thousand pieces, but the words couldn't be taken back.
Sheriff Cheney looked grim and disappointed. He shook his head and asked, "Did you kill Michael Newton?"
"In self-defense. Yes." His answer was short and clipped, but true. He'd had nothing to gain by killing the boy beside the preservation of his own life.
"That's a load of hogwash if I ever heard one. But it don't matter one way or the other. I got a warrant for his arrest. He's to stand trial in Phoenix," Crowley announced, muttering under his breath, "if he makes it to Phoenix."
Cheney got right in Crowly's face. "I'll send my deputy just to make sure everything's square. I don't like you, Crowley, and I don't trust you any further than I could throw you. I don't know what kind of show you run down in Phoenix, but Mas...Cullen better get a fair trial."
Crowley sneered and nodded grimly as he exited the room. "He'll get what's coming to him. I want to leave in one hour. My posse will be waiting at the saloon." He stomped loudly down the stairs and let the screen door whack loudly against the outside of the house as he stormed away.
"Well Ed, looks like you're up a creek. Hope you've got a plan," said Sheriff Cheney as he regarded the man who he now felt justified in being suspicious about. "Don't make me hunt you down. Be over at the saloon on time alright?" Ward nodded his head as the lawman tipped his hat and exited the room.
"Do y'all need anything?" Alice asked as she looked between Ward and Bella. "I'll bring up some breakfast in a jiff. I'm so...I'll just leave you two be." She bustled out of the room, casting a sympathetic glance over her shoulder in Bella's direction.
The room was quiet and blanketed in a thick layer of tension. It seemed as though Bella's worst nightmare was coming true, just when she'd started to feel safe again. Just when she had someone to care about; someone who cared about her. She tried to stifle the sob that was working its way up her throat, but it became impossible to stop. Just as the broken sound left her mouth, strong arms encircled her and Edward was whispering in her ear.
"Don't cry, darlin'. Things will work out. You'll see."
"What's going to happen?" she asked, not really wanting to know, but needing to all the same.
"Everything's going to be fine, sweetheart. This ain't nothing but a little detour." He pressed a kiss to her head and squeezed his arms a little tighter, being mindful of her injured shoulder. She squirmed slightly and shook her head. Bella leaned back to look into his eyes; those sparkling green eyes she loved so much.
"Don't do that. Don't tell me pretty things and say everything's gonna be fine. Everything is most certainly not fine, if they're taking you away from me." The dam burst open and her tears flowed freely down her cheeks as her body shook with grief.
His anger toward that stupid, arrogant boy flared like a brush fire. How dare Mike Newton bring down this kind of trouble on him, all for his pride. But he couldn't help thinking that if it weren't for all the mess with Newton, he may not have ended up in Devil's Fork. He rubbed Bella's back and slowly brought her chin up.
"I don't know what's going to happen down in Phoenix. I do know that there's never been a scrape I haven't been able to git out of yet. I don't intend for this to be the first." His fingers moved to softly stoke her jaw line as he continued, "I do intend to come back here when all's said and done. I'm gonna come back here, and marry you, do you hear? And make lots of brown-haired, green-eyed babies with you, and make our ranch the most prosperous one in the whole territory. I love you, Isabella Swan. And I will come back for you. Don't you ever doubt that."
Bella gasped at his declaration and felt her heart beat jump. "Promise?" she asked, wiping the tears from her cheeks and clinging more tightly to him, ignoring the pain in her shoulder, that couldn't match the pain in her heart at the thought of him leaving.
"I cross my heart," he whispered as he lowered his head and captured her lips in a soft and longing kiss. She clutched desperately at the shirt Jasper had given him, clinging with all her strength as their lips danced together, pressing her lips more firmly against his and savoring every sensation that coursed through her.
"I love you too, Edward." She reached up with her good arm and stroked his clean-shaven face, brushing her thumb across his reddened lips. He kissed her thumb and then brought her palm to his lips and kissed again.
With their time running short, Bella helped Ward unbind his foot. It was badly bruised, and still swollen, but not nearly as bad as it had been the day before. He stifled a grunt of pain as he stuffed it into his boot and stood up bearing most of the weight on his other leg.
Bella offered her good shoulder to him but he stubbornly refused, insisting on hobbling down the stairs on his own, Bella by his side. Ward held his head up proud though; he had nothing to be ashamed of. Jasper and Alice followed them solemnly to Emmett's saloon where a group of three men, including Sheriff Crowley, waited by the hitching post.
Emmett stood on the top step of the boardwalk, just behind Rosalita, who was glowering at the unwelcome party from Phoenix. She fingered the edge of her whip and caught the eye of one of the posse. He raised a brow ever so slightly, eliciting a sharp hiss from the Spanish viper.
A large enough crowd had begun to gather and watch what was going on in front of the saloon. As Ward and Bella's group closed in on the saloon, Sheriff Cheney and a man with his hat pulled low came in from the opposite direction.
"Well, looks like the gang's all here," sneered Sheriff Crowley in Ward's general direction. "Why, ain't it sweet; you've got yer own send-off party and everything."
"Shut it, Crowley. This is my deputy; he'll be escorting Mr...ah...Cullen, and seeing to it that he has his day in court."
The man stepped forward and lifted the brim of his hat only slightly. Bella gasped and Ward simply raised his eyebrow in curiosity. "Howdy folks. Ed?" The man had a mischievous smile playing on his lips as he tipped forward in a slight bow.
Ward nodded and felt a great sense of peace wash over him. Maybe things weren't quite as desperate as they had been an hour ago. "How'do, James? Seems like this area is awash in miraculous resurrections, wouldn't you say?"
"Can't say I'm too familiar with what you're speakin' about." He winked at Bella and then walked toward Sheriff Crowley with an outstretched hand. He skirted widely around Rosalita, avoiding her gaze entirely, though the light cluck of her tongue rang in his ears.
"Será mejor que lo mantienen seguro o que se me han de tratar, mi amor," breathed Rosalita in a low and menacing voice. James looked up but not quite into her eyes, nodded once and returned to making nice with the posse.
"Well boys," Crowley growled, "let's put him in irons and saddle up. I'm done wastin' my time in this two bit town." The Phoenix sheriff lifted his chin toward the burlier of his deputies who hurried to do his bidding and quickly retrieved a pair of rusty shackles.
The finality of the situation came crashing down on Bella. She clung to the front of Ward's shirt and looked up into his relaxed face. "You come back, you hear me? I can't...I..." she paused as her voice failed her. "You keep your word Eddie. Don't leave me alone again."
He dipped his head low and whispered against her lips. "I promise my sweet honey. I love you." He pressed his mouth to her trembling lips and closed his eyes, drinking in the softness of her embrace. The warm tears flowed uninhibited down Bella's cheeks, leaving a faint salty taste on Ward's lips as the couple was roughly pulled apart.
Bella was braced on either side by Jasper and Alice as she watched helplessly while Ward's hands were shackled together and James helped him up on to his horse. He gave a stoic nod to James and took the reins in his hands and kicked his faithful horse into motion.
As much as he wanted to, he couldn't look back at his love. Her agonized wail of "NO!" sliced through the otherwise silent Main Street. He clenched his jaw tightly and took several deep breaths before settling in for the long and arduous ride back to Phoenix.
Behind him, Jasper helped ease Bella to the ground as she crumpled to her knees. Alice knelt next to the anguish-filled woman and pulled her close, giving her a strong shoulder on which to sob. It would be the first of many such episodes over the next couple of weeks. The crowd began to dissipate and not even one person dared to call her Crazy Izzy anymore.
It wasn't more than a few minutes after the group bound for Phoenix had fallen out of sight that Jacob came riding up to the front of Emmett's saloon, taking in the small contingent of people still gathered there.
"Bella! What's going on?" he yelled, as he leapt from his pinto. "I just came from your ranch. What happened?"
She looked up at the young man who had been her friend through thick and thin. They'd both experienced tremendous losses over the last few years and Bella found a small measure of comfort in Jacob's presence.
"That doesn't matter now," she cried. "They took him Jake. They took Edward back to Phoenix. He's being tried for murder."
"Oh Bells. I'm so sorry. What happened?
Jasper quickly gave Jake the short version of what had transpired in the last day, culminating in Ward's arrest.
"What can I do?" Jake said as he looked down gently at Bella.
"Nothing. Unless you have some kind of magic that can get him out of these charges, there's nothing."
"I'll follow them. You never know what could happen."
"You would really go?"
"For you Dizzybells, I would do anything. Let me talk to Sheriff Cheney about the Elders, and then I'll leave right away."
Jacob followed Cheney back to the jail, where the Elders were recuperating from their mistreatment by the Valentines. The cell doors were all unlocked and opened, making it clear that the Hualapai leadership were merely using the facilities to recover and were free to go when they were ready. Jacob looked upon his father's haggard appearance, saddened by the gauntness of his cheeks and the slump of his burdened shoulders. They conversed briefly in their native tongue, and with a brief embrace and firm handshake, Jacob hopped on his painted pony and followed the trail left by the departing posse.
It was hard for Bella to find the desire to eat, let alone get up and do anything. After Ward had been hauled away, she remained curled up in bed, nibbling at toast and sipping the weak chamomile tea that Alice would bring her.
Alice was more than worried about her friend. Even after her Pa died, Bella had never been quite this disconnected. After four days, she'd had enough and all but forced Bella to come down to her shop. Bella floated through the space like a sleepwalker, sweeping the porch, folding and unfolding handkerchiefs, and straightening rows of hats and shoes that were already straight, without really seeing anything. She hardly spoke, wearing a blank expression on her face.
Days blended together, and the group of friends shuttled Bella between their respective establishments in an effort to keep her occupied and functioning. But she was just barely doing that. She could only stand one day at Rosalita's, though she finally learned why James was so skittish around her.
Emmett's saloon was probably her second favorite place to be after Alice's shop. The jovial atmosphere helped in a small measure to numb her emotions. She would sit and listen to the piano as she mindlessly wiped glasses with a rag. Em tried a few times to coax her on to the dance floor, but her demeanor would instantly darken, and her eyes would fill with moisture.
Almost two weeks after Ward had been taken away, Bella was working in the bank with Jasper. He had her filing some papers when a message came in over the telegraph line. It had only been a few months since Devil's Fork had been on the line, so any incoming message was still a big deal.
"Jasper there's something coming in on the telegraph," Bella called out.
He hurried over to the small desk and quickly tapped in the answering code, before taking up the pen and dipping it in the ink well as he waited for the incoming message. The new device began to click and Jasper listened carefully to the taps before transferring the message to the waiting paper. Scratching quickly, he jotted down the incoming words, slamming the pen down at the conclusion of the transmission.
Bella jumped a bit at the unusually loud noise; the bank was generally one of the quietest places in the town. "What is it Jasper?"
"It's...uh...news. About Ward." He looked over at Bella who had put a hand out on the counter to steady herself.
"What's the news? When's he coming ho..." Her voice broke when she saw the expression Jasper wore. All of the blood had drained away from his face and it left a heavy, crushing feeling in the pit of Bella's stomach. "No. No," she began shaking her head.
"I'm so sorry Bella. He-,"
"NO!" interrupted Bella. "He promised," she sobbed.
"It's not his fault, Bella," Jasper whispered as he pulled her into his chest. Taking a deep breath, he continued, "He's been sentenced to hang tomorrow at noon."
… … …
Melly: Hey, Belly…
Belly: Yes , Melly?
Melly: Can I get a "dun dun dun"?
Belly: Oh, yes. And I'll hide with you when our readers come to lynch us for wanting to string up our sexy gunslinger.
Melly: So remember last chapter how you were gloating that you got to nurse Ward's wounds and assist him in his convalescence?
Belly: I know, I know. I got in over my head in real life and you had to step out and take the lead on that nursing job. I'm so glad you found the fortitude to soldier on and nurse that ... hot, sweaty, sexy gunslinger.
Melly: I'll just keep the sponge bath scene to myself then...
Belly: I'll just bet you will! hehe. By the way, do you think I should tell our readers about my kissing adventure this weekend?
Melly: Oh by all means. Shout it from the rooftops Sweet Honey! (which is what my 4 ½ year old calls me)
Belly: Oh, that is so precious! Sweet Honey. I'll have to remember that. I went to Charlotte to the Twilight Convention this weekend and, yes, I kissed my darling PFach again. This time I got a picture of it.
Melly: So now we get to pray for our Sexy gunslinger and sigh over real life smoochin' on Pfach.
Belly & Melly: Amen! * sigh *