After walking Maria back home and settling her into a chair by a comfortably warm fire Ella made a quick meal for all of them and they sat in silence eating as Maria continued to gaze ahead, unseeing and lost in her own thoughts.

"I do not understand him" she said finally. "I do not understand why he killed that man."

Ella glanced at Teresa who had reached out for her mother's hand, offering solace. Maria patted her daughter's arm tenderly.

"That Texan was out of place Maria" Ella said quietly. "I'm not sayin' he deserved to die, I'm just sayin' I could understand someone havin' enough of his type." She hesitated, "Joey has a temper and that man rubbed him the wrong way."

Maria studied her. "Do not make excuses for my son!" she said, her words heated. "If the hard Sheriff comes and feels like blaming the whole village we will pay, Joey knows this!" She paused, trying to rein her anger back. "I did not ask for his help, the man was leaving, words cannot hurt me: I have been called worse, Joey should not have killed him."

Ella covered her eyes lightly with her hand. "I know," she said, "I just wanted to try and make things seem a bit better is all, I guess there isn't a way to do that is there?"

Maria slowly shook her head.

"Well, I best be goin'." She paused, "Do you mind if I take some food back, he's probably hungry if he's there." She avoided looking at Teresa, knowing that the young girl would not be able to understand why Ella was with her older brother, a brother who often teased and hit her…

"Si, you can take what you like" Maria said, rising from the table.

"Ella?" Teresa's small voice caught Ella's attention as she began to spoon some of the food into a spare bowl, she turned.

"Yeah Tessie?" Ella tried to sound light but her heart felt heavy.

"I miss you being here" the young girl said and Ella felt her heart tug unpleasantly. "Do you really want to be with my brother?" She took in a small breath, "He is bad."

Ella walked quickly over to Teresa and wrapped her arms around her shoulders laying a soft kiss on her cheek.

"I miss you too Honey." She glanced over at Rafael, giving him a warm smile. "But things ain't always as simple as good and bad." She sighed and patted her absently on her upper arm before resuming her task.

---

Ella entered the old shack and bolted the door behind her before placing the food on the table. She paused, listening for a moment to the noise coming from the room behind the curtain. She walked over with slow, uneasy steps, unknowing as to what mood she would find him in and fully aware it was best to handle the situation with some care. She moved aside the curtain and slipped under it. Joey was bent over a large leather saddle bag packing away various items of clothing and personal items.

"I brought you some food," Ella said calmly, "thought you might be hungry."

Joey did not pause or even acknowledge he had heard her. She shifted, feeling uncomfortable with his silence as it seemed to close in around her like a foreboding shadow.

"I took your Ma home…" Her words drifted to a whisper as he continued to act like she wasn't in the room. Ella narrowed her eyes in annoyance. "You shouldn't have killed him Joey."

This statement fully caught Joey's attention and he turned. His face was a smooth, calm mask but his eyes blazed with fiery frustration and anger.

"Do not tell me what I should do" he said darkly. "That gringo was here to cause trouble." He paused, his eyes catching hers, "You said so yourself."

"Don't you even dare to try and put any of this on me!" Ella said trying to rein in the tone of her voice. "You killed him because he insulted your Ma; I understand you were mad but…"

Joey rushed forward before she could finish and grabbed her arm, pushing her harshly against the wall his eyes now holding a dangerous warning. "I did not kill him for her" he hissed through bubbling anger.

Ella studied him, trying to control the frightened beating of her heart at his sudden movement and the coldness in his eyes.

"Then why did you?" Her voice wavered as she asked the question.

"Because he was just like all her other men." He paused, releasing his grip on her. "I hate them all" he stated, as if this was all that needed to be said on the matter. He turned from her and returned to packing the bag.

Ella bit back the words that wanted to fall from the tip of her tongue, telling him that the man had not been any of the men from his past, that he had been about to leave and Joey had had no right to shoot him down in cold blood. She forced the lecture back, knowing that it would do no good and would only enrage him further. What was done was done and Ella knew better than most that the past could not be undone, what mattered now was that happened next…

"Are you leavin'?" she asked, her mind fully focusing upon his task.

He paused a moment, his face registering a small hint of impatience at her questioning.

"Yes," he said simply, "Call will be here in a few weeks."

Ella's eyes widened slightly, "How do you know?"

"I listen" he said with a shrug, as if the question had been stupid.

"Where will you go?" Ella asked, trying hard to stop the panic that threatened to engulf her at the prospect he was really leaving.

"I do not know yet," he said calmly, "away from here, I am tired of this village."

They both fell silent and Ella continued to watch him packing his life – their life – away in that accursed leather bag.

"Will you come back?" she finally asked, her voice no more than a small whisper.

"Perhaps."

The silence once again descended over their conversation and Ella could think of no more to say, she eyed him for a moment longer before returning to the other room and fetching the bowl. She returned and placed it down with a small wooden spoon on the chair near where he worked. She gave him one last glance before leaving him fully alone to his task. Ella opened the door and left the house; she knew she was strong enough to withstand many hardships and had survived numerous hard times in her young life but seeing this man walk out of it was not something she wished to witness.

---

The sun was still high in the sky; Ella guessed it was not yet past five o'clock. She wandered aimlessly, the village seemed to still be in panic and confusion over the day's events, many people stood huddled together speaking animatedly and knowingly. Their looks were not friendly if they caught sight of her, she supposed they considered her to be part of the problem if she freely choose to spend time with someone such as Joey Garza.

She tried to ignore it as best she could, just as she tried to ignore the dull thudding ache that had begun to make its presence known in her chest. She had had disappointment before; she'd been left by men before. This would not be a new occurrence and yet she could not fully grasp why, but it did feel different this time, almost as if everything was slowly slipping away, her hands grasping fruitlessly, trying to onto hold running water.

The wind gave a sharp blow, sending a cloud of grit into her eyes and she closed them tightly shut, protecting her eyes until the gust had passed. When she again reopened them she saw Maria standing near the small path that lead up to her house. Ella suddenly felt great relief at the sight of her and seeing Maria smile in her direction Ella began to walk over, realizing that she had a good excuse to talk to her.

Maria gave her a small nod of greeting. "Was Joey there?"

Ella looked back the way she had just come. "Yeah he is, he's leaving."

"Leaving?" Maria said, "Why now?" Her brow furrowed, "I did not think he would listen to me."

Ella gave a small shrug. "He says Call will be here in a few weeks."

Maria gave a small nod, "I see." She paused, "At least he is finally leaving." Her tone was relieved but her expression remained stony.

Ella avoided her gaze and looked back towards Maria's house. "Yeah, I guess so" she said, trying to sound casual but the young girl's forlorn look did not pass Maria by, still she remained silent for what seemed a long time.

"It is for the best" Maria said finally said. "I…" Her words dried upon her tongue, drawing Ella's eyes to what had caught her attention. Joey was walking towards them with his usual steady, determined stride. The two women stood lost for words and moved quickly aside as he walked casually past them as if they were not in his path at all.

He went to his horse and began to make ready for his departure, fitting the saddle and securing his bags, rifle and blankets. Without even glancing in their direction he put his foot into a stirrup and swung himself gracefully into his seat. Gathering the reins he pulled the horse to the right, turning the animal around and pushed gently into its sides. Slowly he again came level to where they both stood, his horse walked forward a few paces before he came to a stop. He guided the horse once again until the animal's side was facing them. Ella waited, half cursing herself for coming this way now she would have to watch him ride away, she glanced at Maria and her thoughts softened, at least she was not completely alone yet…

Joey did not deem either of them worthy of a look but with a nonchalant manner he bent in the saddle and stretched out his arm offering his hand. Ella stared at it, her brow furrowing, before her eyes flicked to him. Slowly he turned to her, his blue eyes coolly telling her he would not wait long for her answer to his unspoken question.

Ella hesitated, her mind whirring with confusion and uncertainty.

"No!" Maria said before Ella could do anything, stepping in front of Joey and herself. "She cannot go with you."

Joey closed his eyes slowly, his eyes rolling a little as he tried to contain his anger. "Step aside Mama" he said with an air of dangerous threat.

Maria turned to face Ella. "Do not go," she said bluntly, "you will be welcome back in my home once he is gone, do not leave with him" she said in a hissed, warning whisper.

Ella's gaze flicked between the two people before her. She looked back at her friend feeling her heart tear a little at the new betrayal she was about to cause her.

"I'm sorry" she said in a small voice, and with head bowed she walked around Maria's barrier and looked up at Joey who wore a scant smirk. She slid her hand into his, feeling the soft warmth of his palm. Joey slipped one of his feet out of a stirrup and Ella placed her own foot into it. With a clumsy swing she pulled herself up behind him and wrapped her arms tightly around his waist. She gave a last glance to Maria as Joey kicked the horse gently and they began to move down the path at a trot. Maria threw her hands up in defeat, her expression saying that she had lost more than her son on this day.

---

They rode for many hours and Ella found that she was more than happy she had her shawl with her; she wrapped it over her head creating a head scarf to shield her from the sun's hot rays. Joey remained silent and Ella found she had nothing to say. Her mind raced as she tried to understand her thoughts, she had always been a woman that followed her gut but for once in her life she thought it was plainly not her gut that had landed her in this position. The village may not have been the greatest place to live, especially since the mood had turned dark against her but surely it was better than sitting behind a man she didn't even know cared about her, following him to the lord knew what ends… The whole situation just felt like a big pile of trouble and they hadn't even reached their destination.

It was only after they had been riding for over an hour that it hit Ella hard she had no clothing, no packed belongings carefully stowed like Joey. She did not know what she would do when she needed to wash her current clothes or have any other luxuries that she would be in dire need of along the way. Her regrets deepened and her remorse tugged sharply at her as she tried to ignore it, trying instead to concentrate on the rhythm of the horse's movements, the feel of Joey's small adjustments to the reins as he guided them onwards.

Finally the hot day and thinking in circles made Ella's eyes begin to close as a slow drowsiness took over her. She gently rested her head against Joey's back, feeling the steady breaths he took, the rustle of material as he shifted position in the saddle and she let herself doze a little, knowing that when they stopped to make camp her questions and fears would have to be addressed and she found she already dreaded it. But right now in this small moment huddled against him in the stillness of the plains she could pretend that she was contented.

---

Bit of a quick update :)

Hope you enjoyed!