Heyes glanced over at his partner as they rode into Gilbert and internally winced at the dark, still nasty looking bruise on his jaw. He wondered now, if maybe he should have pulled his punch some, even if the Kid shouldn't have gone haring off into trouble. He didn't want to contemplate what might have happened if he hadn't caught up with him in time.

Being honest with himself though, he had to admit to not being completely certain that he'd have reacted much more sensibly in a similar circumstance. But with a glance at his friend eyeing the town with some interest, he decided he'd keep that thought safely here in his head and well away from the Kid.

Heyes turned away from studying his friend and let his own gaze sweep the bustling main street and dismissed what might have happened. He instead shifted to considering what was important now- finding Lowell and punishing him the right way, a way that wouldn't endanger their amnesty nor involve much personal risk.

After a few minutes of contemplation, he sensed the Kid looking at him and turned to face him as he asked. "Think Lowell is here?"

Heyes nodded, as he answered, making the Kid smile slightly in satisfaction, "Likely so, Kid. Less of course he's off hunting some other poor soul he used to ride with."

Kid grunted and with one eye back on the street sighed before replying. "Dunno know what the world coming to, Heyes. It were bad enough when it was just 'bout every lawman and bounty hunter west of the Mississippi huntin' us, but now we ain't even safe from one of our own."

Heyes snorted, "Well, there is a depression on, Kid, but you're right, it ain't real neighbourly of him." He paused then grinned as he added. "And I'm sure gonna enjoy showing him just how wrong that is."

XXX

Signing them both in, Heyes saw the name he was looking for, two above theirs. He grinned to himself and waved at the Kid, who read over his shoulder with a small grunt of satisfaction.

XXX

As they hid in shadow outside the saloon just after two am, Heyes felt the Kid nodding and nudged him hard. He woke with a startled humph and a mumbled apology.

A few minutes later, Lowell stumbled out of the saloon. He sensed something and looked round. "Damn." Heyes muttered, as he felt Kid tense next to him, but just as he prepared for a fight, the moon peeked out from behind the cloud and an idea came to him in a flash.

Ignoring Kid's tightly hissed, "Heyes," he stepped out with a low whistle and a husky. "Evening Curtis, I'm here to escort you to the other side. My partner ain't real happy that you killed me."

Lowell stared at him in stunned silence, as the Kid pounced and punched him hard in the jaw sending him down to the floor, before he sat on him, his gun drawn. "I ain't real happy at all." With a wolfish smile he cracked Lowell hard on the head and watched in some satisfaction as he lost consciousness, his eyes wide with fear.

XXX

"We better head out, Heyes, we wanna be safely outta here when he wakes up."

"Yeah, we don't want too many questions being asked."

They headed out of town, with Lowell secured safely over the saddle of a horse, which the Kid was leading.

About two hours later, the Kid grinned to himself as he heard Lowell groan as he started to come round. When he looked blearily at him, he said. "I sure hope your head hurts as much as I figure it does."

Lowell l said in some disbelief. "I ain't dead?" He groaned and went pale when the horse he was tied to stumbled slightly, but looked strangely relieved at the realisation he hurt.

Heyes rode into view, grinning. "No, you ain't dead, but your next seven years ain't looking real hopeful."

Lowell didn't seem to register what had been said and merely whispered to himself in some wonder. "I ain't dead."

Heyes laughed and glanced over at his partner who was smiling slightly. "Think you scrambled his brains, Kid."

Lowell glanced between them before closing his eyes tightly, as he said. "Weren't nothing personal, boys, just the money was too tempting. I figured you'd have done the same thing. I was right."

Heyes came up beside him, sensing that the Kid was about to let loose again and rested his hand gently but firmly on his arm, before turning to Lowell who was staring at him. "We'll stop and rest up some, then we'll offload you at Mesa when it's good and dark." He paused and added. "Don't go thinking turning you in is about the money, it ain't." He turned to look back at Kid before settling back to glare at Lowell as he said. "But it sure is personal!"

XXX

Easily picking the lock on the door to the nearest cell to the door, when the sheriff was out on his rounds, Heyes grinned as Kid laid their burden none too gently on the bunk, still tied securely. He left the wanted poster and a short note tucked in the man's clothing, before they slipped out into the dark.

Once a few miles out of town, they set up camp and as they sat watching the flickering light of the fire, sipping coffee, the Kid said softly. "Where we going next?"

Heyes turned to look at him, his eyes sparkling in the warm glow of the fire. "I figure we owe Lom a visit. Then I ain't real bothered, Kid, but maybe we oughta head to Colorado. Don't seem to get into so much trouble there as we do everywhere else."

The Kid snorted as he took another sip of his coffee. "If you say so, Heyes."

"Well, I know you can find trouble just about anywhere, Kid, but leastwise Colorado is pretty this time of year."

The Kid glared, then his face relaxed into a grin and he nodded in agreement. "It sure is, Heyes, it sure is."

And they lapsed into comfortable silence, the quiet peace only broken by the crackling of the fire and the distant sound of daytime animals settling down to sleep as their night time counterparts awoke.

Above them, the sky was briefly lit by a shooting star. Heyes smiled as he saw the Kid's kips move in what he figured was a wish. Warm affection for his friend swept over him as he too added his own wish just before the star faded. He knew that neither of them truly believed in such fancies, but they needed all the help they could get.

Epilogue

"Well boys, I'm real glad you didn't do nothing stupid." Lom's eyes rested firmly on the Kid, leaving them both in no doubt who he was talking about. Kid bristled slightly then shrugged with a slightly sheepish glance at Heyes who grinned at him, before turning to Lom.

"You got something to tell us, Lom?" Heyes asked as calmly as he could, despite the sudden surge of hope that swept through him at the sheriff's demeanour. But having been disappointed too many times before, he didn't quite dare to believe. He glanced over at his partner, seeing the same cautious hope in his expression.

They both turned to look at Lom who with a grin said. "I sure do, boys. Governor Moonlight has come to the conclusion that come November there ain't no way he's keeping his job, so he figured he might as well go out with a bang."

As he spoke he handed Heyes two envelopes. He opened the top one with suddenly shaky hands. Not quite believing, when he saw what was written on the top one, but a quick look over at Trevors confirmed he wasn't seeing things. He whooped softly and handed the second one to the Kid, who as he read it, hollered, but quietened quickly, his face creasing in worry as Heyes asked. "How do we know the new guy won't just turn round and tear these up?" He waved his own document at Lom who sighed slightly as he answered. "Now, don't be so suspicious Heyes."

Heyes shrugged at him and said calmly. "C'mon Lom, it's a fair question with what we've been through these last years."

Lom nodded and added. "I guess so, Heyes. But I don't think you need to worry on that score. It's going into all the papers tomorrow and he even got the railroads to remove their bounties. And just to top it all, he sent telegraphs to the surrounding Sheriff's telling them to burn their posters."

"Heyes, he's nearly as sneaky as you!" The Kid broke in, laughing, before he sobered and asked with wonder in his voice. "So we really done it?" Though he was asking Lom, he wasn't surprised when it was his partner who answered.

"We surely did, Kid, we surely did!"