DISCLAIMER: I do NOT own the copyrights to The Big Valley. This is written for pure enjoyment. The name of Captain Robert Waterman is also borrowed from the episode 'Barbary Red'.

Thank you to those who reviewed Long Road Home (whether on the board over through email). I hope you enjoy this story as well.

Overdue Justice

Chapter Eight

Scene Fourteen

The sun had set and the streets were bare as Nick walked the streets of Stockton. Heath and Jarrod kept an eye on him from a distance. He'd been walking the streets for almost an hour. Would it work? Tired of walking, Nick sat on the steps in front of the one of the many buildings in town.

He looked up at the stars shining in the night sky. With the wind that was starting to blow Nick couldn't help but remember the many nights he'd spent out on 'that blasted ocean'. He had to chuckle, it wasn't so much seeing the ocean that angered him. After all, it was always great to see new things. It was the way he'd seen it that made his blood boil.

Finally he stood up figuring the plan would have to be tried again the following night only to hear the cocking of a pistol. He would have started grinning but that would only be tip them off. "Hold it there, Mr. Barkley," a voice spoke up from behind him and reached out to slip his gun out of its holster, " my boss wants to talk to you. Start walking."

Nick hesitated for a moment then started walking. He could tell by the steps behind him there had to be two men behind him; maybe three. He'd always heard money talked; guess that four thousand dollars had pretty much done some loud yelling. "Whose your boss?" Nick was grinning on the inside as he asked the question as if he was more than annoyed.

"Ya will meet him soon enough. All ya have ta do is keep walkin'!" another voice spoke up.

Nick had to bite his tongue hard. 'Billy Campton! I might have known you'd wind up in the company of men like Thatcher.' That man had been nothing but trouble since the day the Nick had had to fire him two years before.

Heath, and Jarrod moved as quietly as any man could. They'd been relieved to see the three men show up. They'd begun to think they were only wasting time. When Jarrod accidentally kicked a can they all froze. When Nick started to turn around the first man put his gun up against his back, "Just stay there," he looked at Billy, "Go check it out!"

Billy ran down the streets but by the time he got to where the sound had come from there was neither human or animal around. "Must have been a stray animal!" He hurried back to join the others, "There's nothing there." Not knowing what, or who, had made the noise made the men nervous.

Jabbing Nick in the back with the pistol Jake scowled, "Get moving!" He wasn't going to stick around to find out any details concerning the matter.

"Yes, sir." Nick couldn't help but chuckling on the inside as he answered and headed towards the docks.

SCENE FIFTEEN

Nick stood on the ship's deck with Thatcher and Billy. The other two men were standing on the dock. Nick had never thought of himself as much of an actor but he must have done okay at making himself look pale when he 'first saw the 'good' captain' appeared before them. After all, if he hadn't, why would Mr. Thatcher bust up laughing?

"Didn't expect to see your friend, did you?" Billy pushed Nick forward. He didn't push him that hard but Nick let him think he had as he 'fell' to his knees.

"I kept my end of the deal now where's the rest of my money?" Mr. Thatcher put his hands on his hips and looked at Jim.

"In my quarters, I will go get it." Jim turned and headed for the captain's quarters.

While Jim was going for the money Heath and Jarrod had made their way up to the crates the other two men had chosen to sit on. "I wouldn't move my friends," Jarrod's voice; along with the sound of his pistol being cocked, made both men stiffen, " put your guns on the ground QUIETLY, stand up without doing anything to draw attention to yourselves and start walking down the alley." Slowly the men did as they were told.

"I will stay here," Heath said after making sure McCall was indeed waiting at the other end of the alley. Jim and Nick might need the extra help."

Making his way back to the dock Heath about jumped out of his skin when he bumped into the sheriff. "What are you doing here?" Heath kept his voice low as he knelt .

"A little bird told me what you were up to," Steve shot him a friendly glare, "I have a couple of men making their way to the other side of the dock just in case. I don't really get the feeling we'll need them but better safe than sorry you know."

Just then they heard Billy swear loudly; the two men bolted out from behind their hiding place as two more of Thatcher's men ran up the ramp to help their boss. However they found themselves to busy fighting with Heath and the sheriff to be of any help to him.

Jim laid Billy down after hitting him more than a dozen times; Heath and Steve soon had their men pinned to the deck. When Thatcher broke away from Nick and ran he didn't get far...Anna's rope had flown straight and true. Before he knew it Mr. Thatcher found himself on the ground and Nick securing

his arms behind him.

"You do not listen very well." He looked up at Anna.

She only laughed and replied, "I have had many people tell me that."

Soon the jail cells had more guests. "What you guys did was foolish," Steve walked out of the sheriff's office and looked at Heath, Jarrod and Nick, "What would have happened if Anna had not come and got me?"

Nick grinned and put his arm around Anna's shoulders, "Don't rightly know and don't really care to think about it. The rest of you do what you want but Anna and I are headin' back to the ranch.

EPILOGUE

Heath, Audra and Victoria watched from a distance as Nick and Anna took turns breaking in some horses. "I can't believe it took the law six months to hang Mr. Thatcher but then again," Heath nodded towards the correl, "if they had done it sooner Anna might have disappeared out of our lives."

"I think I need to see a doctor." Jarrod said as he and Elizabeth walked up beside them.

Instant concern shown on Victoria's face, "Why?"

"Because," he watched as Anna said something to Nick as he was thrown off the horse. Instead of getting back on the horse the man took off chasing Anna, "I keep hearing wedding bells going off in my ears."

"If that's the case, brother, forget it," Heath gave everyone one of his rare huge grins, "Doc can't do anything. Nick's already gone!" That brought laughter from the whole group.

"

"