Ella returned back into the gloom of the musty house. The three women were cleaning Joey's used dishes but they had set her aside a bowl of food and she gratefully accepted it when it was offered to her. She placed the cloth back in its place, mumbling an apology to them for her gruff attitude earlier as she sat down at the table and began to eat.

"You okay?" Beulah asked. "You were out for a good while; we thought maybe you were sick."

"No, I'm okay" Ella said tiredly. "Just didn't get much sleep."

Beulah sat herself down at the table as the other two women began to style each other's hair to pass the time. Beulah's eyes found Ella's, her gaze stating that she had a good idea of exactly what was wrong. "I saw you take the cloth… and bring it all back…"

Ella looked away suddenly feeling her voice dry out upon her tongue.

"Do you know or, do you just think you might be…"

"I ain't sure yet, I've been late before."Ella cut off her question not wanting her to say anymore, feeling sick at the mere prospect of hearing those words spoken out loud.

Beulah nodded. "There is someone in Crow Town that can help but…" She hesitated. "Last girl that went to her bled to death, most of us are too scared to go now… if it ever happens…"

Ella nodded, wiping at her brow absently wanting any distraction to interrupt the conversation, Maria's face swam into her mind's eye and for a moment she had an over whelming urge to burst into tears at the comforting sight of her friend. She struggled with her emotions regaining them under her own control once again before her mind settled, she'd go back to Maria, Maria would know what to do… she would help. Ella glanced around the room slowly her eyes taking in the squalid place, she stared disbelieving that she had let it get this far. It was true that she could not stop herself loving Joey, but she could stop herself being in misery, she could love him back in comfort, back at Maria's home, it would hurt but being here would do her more harm. Perhaps the time apart would help heal both her and Joey and make it easier to see where their paths lay.

After she had finished eating she rose from the table.

"He's still asleep" Beulah warned.

"It's okay, I ain't gonna wake him."

"You're leavin'?" Beulah asked with wide eyes reading the young woman's determined air.

Ella nodded, "I'm goin' home."

---

Ella quietly crept back into the bedroom and spread out a spare blanket upon the table. Being as silent as she could, she began to place her belongings into it, meaning to tie all four corners and use it as a make-shift bag. It was true that the clothing she now packed was not her own, but borrowed from the women, she felt slightly guilty for taking what was really theirs but she knew if she needed to cross the river near Ojinaga she would need fresh clothes to keep her from freezing once she reached the other side. She'd have to find a horse to leave but she felt sure she could at least find some means of transport and if the worse came to pass she would walk and just have to be careful of the sun and cold nights. She'd survived before under such harsh conditions, she could do it now and battle through two days to get back to Maria, the dangers were there but if she was cautious she felt confident she'd make it. A small shiver ascended her spine, it was fear. She'd not travelled alone since all those years ago when Johnny Duke had found her…

"What are you doing?" Joey's groggy voice stopped her task as quickly as it had begun and interrupted her thoughts of the past.

She turned to face him and saw he was propped up on one elbow watching her with his cool blue eyes.

Ella took in a deep breath. "I'm leavin'" she said casually. "I don't like this town and right now I don't think much of you neither." She turned back to her clothing and continued folding a blouse, focusing all her attention on it as if by doing so she could block out any harsh words he would soon send her way.

Joey frowned at her. "You will not leave" he said as if this was a widely known fact.

"I will leave" Ella said, not turning to face him.

She heard him moving and glanced over her shoulder; he had thrown back the covers in anger and now stood a few feet from her his eyes gleaming with icy wrath. His small frame could not hide the power and confidence that oozed from him in this moment nor the anger that fuelled both of those traits, the more he was provoked the greater his presence seemed to be, grasping and growing over the room like a dark shadowed hand.

"I said you will not."

Ella turned to face him fully; his gaze bore down upon her making her very limbs feel heavy and for the first time since they had become involved Ella felt a tingle of true fear descend her spine.

"I have to leave." She breathed, her voice fully revealing how intimidated she felt in this moment.

Joey sneered, his anger burning brighter by the second, cloying the surroundings with its weight, like heavy mist hanging in the air about them.

"I can't stay Joey" she said finally, realizing she could no longer just leave without an explanation. "I thought if I just kept tryin' I could make this work, but it ain't workin'… an' I'm tired of tryin'." She paused for a moment and silence fell deafeningly over them. "I feel lost when you hold me, the reasons why I'm stayin' an' holdin' on to you are… they're just not enough." She finished trying to voice her emotions, but the words were jumbled and stunted.

Joey stared at her, his jaw set in foul temper.

"Maybe if we have time away from each other we can find out what we want, but right now we're just hurtin' each other." She paused again knowing she couldn't stop now, the words flowed like water. "I don't like who I am with you… I need to go back to Maria."

"My mother?!" Joey interrupted with a low laugh of contempt, his eyes narrowing as if the young woman before him was stupid for even uttering such an idea.

Ella nodded.

"You want to stay with my mother more than you want to stay with me?" he hissed dangerously.

"No, I need Maria." Ella said feeling that the situation had suddenly darkened further just with the mere mention of Maria's name.

"Why would you need a whore?! There are whores here!" Joey said, gesturing to the doorway.

Ella shook her head at him, not knowing what else to say. She didn't feel any anger at his words towards his mother, she supposed she expected no better from him, it had become routine. "I have to go." She turned from him, wanting to be from here quickly, the situation was becoming threatening for both of them.

Joey strode forward, his steps forceful and almost violent; he made her turn to face him once again.

"I said you will not leave."

Ella looked up at him, her heart and mind tugging her two ways, the result was painful. "Joey, I'm sorry…" She found that looking up into his face, seeing the slight glint in his eyes that could be hurt that she was leaving made her almost regret her decision. "I don't want to leave." She offered what she thought would perhaps be comforting words. "I know what you said last night… An' I understand and I know you have a good soul." She pressed her hand against his cheek but he angrily shook off her touch.

He narrowed his eyes at her as if her words had somehow wounded him. "You will not leave." His tone was verging upon being dangerous.

Ella gave an exasperated sigh, tired of the circles they seemed to be going around in. "I think…" she hesitated, knowing she had one last card to play to try and convince him it was all for the best. "I might be carryin' your child… that's why I need your Ma."

Joey's lips parted as the news hit him; his eyes lost their rage for a moment becoming a deep blue like the sea after a storm. He turned from her, his mind trying to find some way of coping with the verbal blow he had just been dealt. Ella watched him, waiting for his reaction and not knowing exactly what it would be.

"Do you understand?" she asked, her voice a whisper.

Finally he whirled around, the blazing fire of anger back in his eyes with a vengeance, he walked towards her and Ella backed up a few steps until she bumped into the table and could go no further. She stared up at him unable to keep the tinge of fear from her gaze.

"If you have a child" he hissed lowly, his eyes glinting cruelly, "I will drown it!"

Ella stared at him in open mouthed shock, unable to believe the words he had just spoken, they dripped with venom, hate and meaning, it didn't matter that she didn't want the child, that wasn't the point. Before she could regain her senses her gut instincts kicked in and her hand flew, this time it was no slap that connected with Joey's jaw but a tightly closed fist. Ella's hand began to throb after the impact, she glanced down noticing that a little skin was missing from her knuckles - she had hit him hard, enough to send him stumbling a few steps backwards. Joey jerked his head up his eyes now dancing in a dreadful cold blue flame. Ella didn't have chance to move or defend herself as an open handed blow was landed harshly upon her cheek, the impact was savage and the shock it left in its wake made her legs buckle, she managed to keep her footing by gripping onto the table behind her. She stared at Joey, her hand flying to her quickly reddening cheek that had already begun to sting with a burning sensation.

Ella's eyes were drawn to a small trickle of blood upon Joey's bottom lip and she felt a small sense of satisfaction ripple through her at the knowledge that she had landed a good blow herself. They stared at each other for a long moment icy blue flames meeting warm brown defiance.

Finally Ella broke the connection and without taking her hand from her swollen feeling cheek she turned and renewed her packing. She had not finished folding the blouse she had previously been concentrating upon before Joey strode confidently up to the table and quickly grabbed all the clothes and with one violent movement he had thrown them upon the dirt ground.

Ella glared at him. "Stop it!" she hissed, "You're only acting like a goddamn child because of last night, just go back to bed."

She soon wished she had said nothing as another blow was landed upon her cheek; it was lighter than the last, a glancing blow. She shook her head a little regaining her senses.

"You think what I spoke of has any meaning!" Joey said, the depths of his eyes blazing with a look verging upon madness. "It means nothing!" he hissed through gritted teeth.

Ella looked up at him, her gaze flicking quickly to each of his eyes. "Yes it did," she whispered, "I'm glad you told me…" She paused, "I know why, now… why you can't stop bein' so angry."

Joey stared down at her, his anger not abating. "You think you are my angel, my salvadora?" he sneered as if the mere idea were idiotic. "To you my soul is good, si?" He reached out and grabbed her hand pressing it harshly against his chest. Joey leaned in closer to her so his smooth cheek brushed softly against hers. "Usted es un tonto." His voice was a deep whisper. "There is nada." He gritted his teeth as he spoke as if pushing back a great wave of anger.

Ella tried to pull her hand away, her own anger beginning to boil over. "Get your hands off me!" she cried, trying to wrench herself free and push back the flow of unwanted tears that his heartless words had caused to brim within her. Joey's grip tightened. "I don't want you touchin' me!" Ella's voice was peaked with emotion. "Let go so I can leave!!"

Without another word escaping his lips just one last look of exploding anger Joey forced her to turn from him. It took Ella a moment to realize what was happening but as his hands began to push her down, forcing her to lean over the table her eyes widened as the freezing clarity clutched at her. He was going to show his domination over her just as others had done in the past when she had over stepped her mark. She forced her body up with all her strength, trying to struggle from his grip but he had already clamped a hand at the nape of her neck and easily forced her back down until her cheek was pressed against the cool surface of the table top.

"No!" she cried, trying once more to fight but Joey again pushed her back down with a violent shove, knocking the wind out of her lungs for a moment.

Ella scrabbled at the table trying to find anything that would help her but there was nothing to aid her, she knew if she screamed the women in the other room would do nothing and it did not matter how much she fought the only thing she would achieve was exhaustion and perhaps the brunt of his anger once again. Still her mind refused to let her give in so easily, she gritted her teeth and struggled against his grip but he held her fast, her actions seeming to not even faze him. He again forced her down and Ella relented, her breaths coming in low huffs from the effort.

"Don't." She managed through trembling lips as her heart beat hard and fast seeming to make her whole body shudder under its rapid, fearful pace.

She tightly closed her eyes as she felt his free hand lifting her skirts over her hips, her pantaloons were pulled harshly down her legs in one quick movement and Ella knew she'd lost this fight. The sound of his belt buckle clinking reached her hearing and she turned her head to face the wall, she did not want to look at him while he did this, she felt the dig of his fingers in the back of her neck as she shifted her position. His feet shoved apart her legs and after a short moment of fumbling he entered her with one swift, brutal thrust. Ella managed to catch the cry that threatened to burst from her lips and pressed them together tightly preventing any further sounds emitting from her, but tears of anger and distress pricked at her eyes and she allowed them to fall, focusing upon them as her way of venting her emotion in this moment. Her fingers found the edge of the table and she curled them around it, clutching at it for support against the situation as his hand pressed into the small of her back adding more pressure so that any struggles would be quickly dealt with. His other hand moved from her neck and wrapped roughly and painfully over her hip bone, his fingers squeezing, crushing and bruising. Joey did not take time in his task it was quick and pitiless, his breaths coming in heavy pants but not from enjoyment, from anger and disgust… at her or himself Ella could not tell. Ella bit down upon her bottom lip her hands now balling into fists as he continued. It was some small relief that it was over quickly, he roughly pulled away from her and fastened up his belt before roughly pulling her skirts back down.

Ella slowly rose, her whole body shaking, she tried to stop the tremor that ran through her making even her lips seem to quiver. She hung her head, glad that her hair was loose and it could hide her emotions from him, she quickly became acutely aware of her harsh breathing.

Joey pulled on a shirt and quickly buttoned it up before proceeding to dress in his waistcoat and jacket. He placed his hat upon his head and adjusted it for a moment in the mirror before looking at her, his eyes had lost their anger becoming once again like the sea after a thunder storm.

"Do you still think you can save me?" he asked in a low voice, darkness lurking somewhere deep within, daring her to contradict him.

Ella let out two more harsh breaths, the effort moving a few hairs that hung before her face, she remained silent. Finally Joey walked towards the door and then stopped just before exiting the room. He did not look at her as he began to speak. "You will stay until I tell you to leave… if you leave before that I will find you."

Ella glanced at him from beneath her curtain of protective hair her eyes flashing with hatred.

He continued on his way leaving Ella alone with the chaos that had just been created. She finally willed her body to move and forced herself to take unsteady steps over to the bed. Her mind began to flash up teasing, taunting images of herself and Joey in times past, in the throes of passion, the memories only tormented her now, knowing that this time there had been no tenderness, no desire apart from the wild need to have power over her. She let out a stifled sob and knowing she was alone she let her tears fall, her body began to shake once again as the shock took over her. She brought her knees up to her chest and rested her head upon them, letting harsh sobs rack her body and the regrets close around her.