Hi guys so this is the last chapter for this story, sorry it's taken so long, forced myself to do lots of revision but here it is, I hope you enjoy and look forward to seeing you again in my next story (hopefully!).

"Oh jeez Ezra, every single time…"

J.D muttered scowling lightly as he threw his cards down on the table. The gambler grinned in response, revealing his gold tooth with a glint, and swept his arms across the table collecting the discarded cards and re-adding them to the deck.

"Perhaps if we were to enclose a pecuniary element to our frivolities here, my providence might falter Mr Dunne?"

J.D. shook his head violently, a protesting look on his face,

"Oh no, I'm not fallin' for that one again Ez….."

Ezra chuckled aloud to himself and continued to shuffle the cards in his hands, occasionally flipping the top card between shuffles,

"How about your fine self, Mr Tanner?"

"…Huh?"

Vin had been staring attentively at his tumbler, and started at Ezra's address. The gambler rolled his eyes in a humorous motion, and lifted the cards towards Vin,

"Fancy an endeavour of chance?"

Vin shook his head, still clutching his beaker carefully. Ezra shrugged at the dismissal,

"Solitaire it is…" he muttered as he began to deal out the cards in front of him, monitoring Vin out of the corner of his eye as he did, Vin regained his position of glowering at his beaker, which Ezra noticed his hand was still firmly grasping, even though it had been empty of any liquid for quite some time. He knew that Vin was one to keep to himself, but even for him this behaviour seemed strange. Something was obviously playing on the tracker's mind, although Ezra knew better than to simply ask his friend what was troubling him. If there was anything he had learnt about Vin Tanner whilst accompanying the other six men, it was that you could go a lifetime not knowing anything about him unless he wanted you to.

Buck slapped the hide of his horse gently in a thankful gesture, they'd been riding hard over the last few days and Beavis hadn't let him down at all. Grabbing the saddle and reins, he hoisted them up onto a few spare hooks and walked out of the livery. Chris was stood silently leaning against the wooden doors of the livery, the trademark 'Larabee scowl' just visible in the darkness. Buck took his place beside his friend noiselessly, and racked his brain for something to say. Chris had not said a word during their ride back, not since the incident at the site of Ella's ranch even, and Buck had known better than to press the gunslinger.

"It's okay Buck, I'm not gonna' destroy the town or anythin"

The unexpected sentence interrupted Buck's search for something to say, causing him to involuntarily turn to face his friend. Although he suspected there was a joking element in Chris' voice, the delivery of his words had been emotionless, and as Buck watched Chris' face, there was no hint of sentiment to be found their either. Realising that he was staring at Chris and had still said nothing Buck cleared this throat with a gentle cough,

"Ain't expectin' ya to Chris," he paused for a second, wondering whether to add words of comfort, but decided it would be better to not mention the events that had recently passed, "You comin' in for a few drinks?"

"After a smoke," Chris grumbled reaching into his duster pocket and withdrawing a cigar, "You go ahead"

Buck tipped his hat towards his friend and made his way over to saloon. Chris watched him go before lighting his cigar. Striding slowly in the direction of the saloon, he stopped at the base of the stairs. Chris inhaled deeply on the cigar, before dropping the used butt to the ground, twisting it with his foot, and looked up. The bright light beaming from the windows of the saloon glared at him, causing him to squint slightly, and the normally friendly bar seemed alien to him tonight. He turned to make his way back to the livery when a voice cut through the darkness,

"Not so fast, ya' think ya' can just sneak off in tha' dark?"

Chris slowed to a halt, rolling his eyes the process.

"Can't you ever leave a man ta' ponder in peace?"

Turning round he saw the cheeky grin spreading across Vin's face. He was leaning at an angle, resting his shoulder on the saloon wall with one foot crossed on top of the other.

"Now pard ya' know tha' just ain't my style,"

As he spoke he tipped his hat to Chris in a mock gesture and pushed himself up from against the wall so he was standing normally. He began walking towards Chris, ascending the steps slowly, swinging his feet and testing the air before his approach.

"Fancy comin' in for a drink? The fellas are all inside, an' I'm mighty sure tha' they'd like ta' see you"

"Everyone okay?" Chris asked with a frown of concern shadowing his face.

"Everyone's fine, believe it or not we can survive without you for a few days cowboy," the smirk was present again on Vin's face.

"Pretty sure you can survive another evening without me then," the words had come out a little more abrupt than Chris had planned, and he cursed silently in his head as he saw Vin momentarily wince at the cutting edge to his tone.

"Only meant that we hadn't seen ya' in a while Chris," frowning he stared down at the toe of his boot, absentmindedly twisting it from side to side, "you think I wouldn' wanna know what happened?" Vin hadn't even lifted his head as he had added the last sentence, but Chris could feel the hurt in his words. Sighing heavily he shifted his weight onto on foot, brushing his duster back to place his hands on his hips.

"I'm sorry Vin," Chris focused his gaze onto the window of the saloon and fixed it there, only noticing Vin lift his head out of the corner of his eye, "It didn't go well. The bitch burnt the whole place ta' the ground." Chris ground his teeth on the words as the left his mouth, and even though he heard the gasp from Vin, he continued to stare ahead at the window. He knew that Vin would want to know more details, and wouldn't drop the subject until he had gained sufficient information about what had happened, but he couldn't face it; at least not tonight. Frowning he turned back to face Vin, who's mouth was open ready to ask a thousand questions,

"I'm gonna head back to the ranch," he shook his head as he muttered the words. Vin closed his mouth slowly, a look forming on his face that Chris couldn't quite place, before nodding.

"Take care cowboy" Vin outstretched his arm and Chris did the same. Both men grabbed one another's forearms and gave them a slight shake. As they let go, Chris gave a silent nod of thanks to his friend and turned to gather his horse, turning back at the doors to stare down the street. A light flickered on in one of the hotel windows, and a familiar whirlwind of golden red swept past. Chris watched, as if in a trance as Amy opened her window wide, unawares to his gaze. From what he could make out she appeared to be wearing a white shirt that was at least four sizes too large for her small frame, and as she leant out of the window, her golden waves draped across the white linen, forming a hypnotising combination of colour. Amy jolted up, almost hitting her head on the window frame as something below her caught her sight and made her jump. Recovering, she quickly altered her behaviour and waved down at whatever it was that she had seen. Intrigued as to what had captured Amy's attention, Chris drew his gaze back down to street level, and met eyes with Mary Travis. She was dressed in a navy blue dress, her platinum blonde curls pinned back in an intricate bun. She appeared to be alone, and gave Chris a fleeting look before disappearing behind the door she was holding open. Chris watched her go, and looked back up to see Amy, but she too had disappeared, leaving Chris with only the company of Buck's words ringing around in his head;

You musta' had some thoughts 'bout life after an' wha' you want?...Or who ya' want…?"