The next morning, Jim and the others had breakfast, and then he and Spock went to the Marshal's office. "Let me out of here!" Bones was yelling.

Marshal Bishop looked at them. "He's been yelling like that for two hours," he said.

They went into the cell block. Bones glared at them. "You can't keep me in here anymore!" he declared.

"Oh, I'm not," Bishop replied. "Your friends are here to collect you."

"Collect me?"

"Yeah."

The Marshal opened the cell door. Bones put his hat on and looked at Jim and Spock. "And just what are your plans for me?" Bones asked.

"We're going out to the home place," Jim said. "And you're going with us."

"Oh yeah?"

"Yeah!"

Bones just stared at him a moment. "I'm going to get my horse!"

"We've already got your horse."

They went outside, and Jim had the wagon out there since it had rained during the night and was now becoming sunny again. However, the weather had definitely cooled off quite a bit.

"Get in the wagon," Jim said.

"I'll ride my horse!" Bones replied.

"I said get in the wagon!"

"You can't make me!"

"Oh yeah?" Jim looked at Spock and shrugged.

Spock grabbed Bones by the shoulder and he was out instantly. They put him into the back of the wagon and then headed out. "He is going to be quite angry when he awakens," Spock said.

"I don't care," Jim replied. "He's not himself right now."

"I must admit, I have never seen the doctor in this condition."

"That's why we're taking this into our own hands. I won't let him make a bad reputation in town."

"Whether or not he drinks, he is a good doctor."

"He's drinking too much, Spock. He should know better, but he's depressed or something."

"Do you believe our current actions will stop that trend?"

"At least we can say we tried. I think he and I will probably fight it out."

"Captain?"

"You know how he is."

"Should I take action?"

"No. Not unless he punches you. Then you can punch him back. But don't use a Vulcan pinch."

"I tried to go light on this one so that he would not have the usual stiff neck and shoulder."

"Are you telling me he might wake up before we get there?"

"It is possible."

"What are we supposed to do with him if he starts trying to jump out of the wagon?"

"I do not believe he would be so foolish unless he is still very drunk."

"I don't know."

By the time they got to their property, Bones was waking up. When he remembered what had happened, he was furious to say the least. He stood up in the back of the wagon and realized where they were. Jim and Spock had gotten down from the wagon.

"Who do you think you are bringing me out here?" Bones demanded as he got down from the wagon. He went toward Jim. "I told you to stay out of my business!" He shoved him so hard, Jim fell down.

Spock simply stood beside the wagon. Bones glared at him. "And you helped him, pointy eared traitor!" He tried to shove Spock but he would not allow himself to be pushed around.

Bones went to his horse which was tied to the back of the wagon. "Bones!" Jim said as he came to him. "You're not going anywhere!"

"You're not my boss!"

"I'm your friend! And Spock is too! We want to know what's eating you!"

"I'll drink all I want! You can't stop me!" Bones grabbed one of the bottles of whiskey that he had bought that were still in his saddle bag.

"No, Bones!"

Jim tried to take the bottle from him, but Bones would not allow it. They struggled over the bottle, but Bones finally won that. "You leave me alone, Jim!" he said. "My problems are my own!"

"You're making a reputation for yourself in town!" Jim said. "You wanta be known as the town drunk!"

"I'm not a drunk!"

"Yes you are! You're killing yourself and don't know it! You've even spent a night in jail. Doesn't that concern you at all?"

"It's my life!"

"What about the life of my wife and baby? Who's gonna be there for her when she has that baby?"

Bones stopped a moment. "I'll be there for her, Jim," he said.

"No you won't! Not if you're gonna do this. I won't allow it!"

"Jim, I would never hurt Carol or your baby!"

"You're hurting yourself! I care about you too!"

Bones sat down on the ground. "I don't know what to do here!" he said.

"We're doing this together," Jim replied. "Drinking yourself to death is not helping!"

"I'm not…"

"Yes you are."

Bones looked at Jim then. "Look at yourself, Bones," Jim said.

"It's not that easy."

"We're all here too, and we're gonna dry you out."

"No. No…"

"Yes! I'm your captain, and that's an order."

Bones looked at Jim and could see the amusement in his eyes. "I can't do it," Bones said.

"Yes you can," Jim replied. "You just want to go the easy way and keep on the way you're going. Give me that bottle."

Bones hugged the bottle. "No. I didn't say I was going to do it."

Jim stood up. "Alright then. Let's get to work. We have a lot of building to do before snow covers this ground."

Bones stood up and put the bottle back into his saddle bag. "I thought we were taking the whole weekend off," he said.

"Well, since I had to come after you, we're gonna work," Jim replied.

They worked for a few hours and then sat down to take a break. Bones just sat there for a few minutes. "I'm sorry," he said. "You were right about everything. Sometimes I just feel like my life is upside down and I can't straighten it up. I think I'm never going to be actually happy again. I see you and Carol and Spock and Uhura and here I am…"

"Bones…"

"I'm not jealous. I just feel like…I don't know how to explain it to you. You know when you've been married and then suddenly, you're not, and you hear people talking about this and that around you and…you just feel left out. It's like you're suddenly in a different world and you don't remember leaving the one you were in."

Bones looked at them and could see that they were both listening intently to what he had to say. "I guess you were right. I am a little depressed."

Jim did not know what to say. He did not know how Bones felt. He had always called him Bones…his friend, but he was also Leonard McCoy. "You can be happy here, Bones," he said. "This place belongs to you too. Who knows, maybe one day you'll meet someone in town and…at least, I hope so."

"I don't know how to be happy, Jim. I know how to be a grouch."

Jim chuckled at that, and Spock even looked rather amused at that. "It doesn't matter," Jim said. "We like you just like you are. As a matter of fact, if you weren't so cynical, we wouldn't have near as much fun ribbing each other."

"That is true," Spock agreed. "Every person has their own personality and it simply enhances the group."

"Just stop feeling left out and like you don't belong, because we like having you here. You're our friend, and Carol wouldn't be near as comfortable with another doctor."

"Well, I'll try to be my old ornery self," Bones said.

"Don't dare try to change, but lay off the drinking."

Bones frowned. "I guess you're right about that. I have been going a little heavy on it."

"A little? You spent a night in jail."

"Alright. You don't have to rub it in. So I got carried away. At least I didn't get into a bar fight with four guys who hated my guts."

"Don't bring that up."

"Why not?"

"It's in the past, and we can leave everything else in the past too. Agreed?"

Bones looked at them, and then nodded. "Agreed." He looked at what they had built so far. "I have to admit, we're doing better on this than I thought we would."

"It is logical to believe that people who are used to working together can figure something as simple as this out," Spock said.

"Simple? You call this simple?"

"It is simple enough. One need only to know where to put the dimensions of the frame."

"Oh yeah. Even a child could do it," Bones said sarcastically.

"I don't think it's so simple, Spock," Jim said. "I guess it wasn't too hard to figure out but if you weren't cutting the pieces, I don't think we would have so much luck."

"You would simply have to build a log cabin," Spock replied. "If we could not figure out how to make the pieces fit. That concept would not be terribly wrong. However, I believe we would have a problem making enough rooms for everyone."

"You're probably right, unless we just built a massive house on the ground."

"It is possible that it would be more sturdy than what we are now building."

"Surely we can incorporate some future materials into this."

"It would be possible if we had the means to create it, Captain."

"There has to be a way."

"I believe it would be wise to build a tornado shelter after we have completed this house and the barn."

"That might be a good idea too."

"How on earth do you build a tornado shelter?" Bones asked. "That's…" He was not sure what he wanted to say. "That's really interesting." He looked at Spock. "Wouldn't it be more logical to build our house underground?"

"That would not be possible with the limited resources of this day and time."

"Yeah. We'd have to dig it by hand." Bones suddenly realized something. "We'll have to dig the storm shelter by hand." He looked at Jim. "That's a lot of digging."

"We'll work together," Jim said. "And speaking of work…"

They all stood up and looked at what they had accomplished so far. "It's actually starting to look like a house," Bones said.

"Let's work on this roof," Jim replied. "I can't wait to get this done."

After three more months, they had the house almost completed, and were already staying in it since it had walls, windows, doors, and a roof. It was very cold now but the fireplace was working as well as the stove. They had seen people sitting on the ridge watching them while they worked some of the time. Jim thought it was probably their neighbor who had visited before. He had not come back again, although he had seemed very interested in what they were doing there.

One day while Jim was working on the outside of the house, he saw a rider in the distance and he was definitely coming that way. He knocked on the window. "Someone coming out here!" he called.

Bones came outside and looked. "I hope it's not anyone with trouble," he said.

Soon, the rider got close enough that they could see who it was, and it was Artemus Gordon. He rode into the yard. "Hi, folks!" he called with a smile as he got down from his horse.

"Mister Gordon!" Jim said as he went over to him. "We sure weren't expecting to see you."

"I wanted to come and see how my friends are doing!" Artie looked at the house. "This is really good. I don't think I could have done this good myself!"

"Come on in out of this cold."

"I'll put your horse up," Bones said.

Artie went into the house. "This is really nice," he said as he looked around at the room.

"Have a seat," Jim replied.

They sat down at the dining table and Jim brought a coffee pot. "I didn't know you guys were anywhere around here," he said.

"Well, I'm here," Artie replied and sipped his coffee.

Jim was silent a moment. "Is there a problem?" he asked.

Artie sighed. "Yeah. I don't know where Jim West is."

"What do you mean?"

"I mean, he's missing. He boarded a stage coach for Omaha, and he never arrived. I've searched for him, and since I was coming through here…I thought I'd stop. You folks wouldn't happen to have seen him, would you?"

"No. Where did you last see him?"

"Fort Morgan in Colorado. He's been missing for three days now. He always sends a telegram to let me know when he passes through a town and changes stages. The last one I got from him said he was in North Platte. I thought he would pass through Grand Island and send me a telegram from here, but it never came."

"So he was in Grand Island?"

"He should have been."

Jim sipped his coffee. "Are you wanting our help?" he asked.

"I know you guys are busy but…I've worked with you before and I know you know Mister West. You guys are used to danger. You know, I heard about your gun fight with Curly Bill all the way over in Saint Louis?"

"I didn't choose to do that."

"You been practicing and keeping your reflexes fast?"

Jim sighed. "Yes, I have. My wife has coaxed me into it."

"I thought it best if he did," Carol said.

"How is the lovely Carol?" Artemus asked as he could see that she was expecting. "You folks didn't tell us about this."

"We've been busy," Jim said.

"We really must start keeping up with correspondence. Have you folks heard anything else from Q?"

"No. We've not seen him at all."

"That seems odd."

"I don't know what he's waiting on."

Artie considered that a moment as he looked at Carol and her growing belly. "Didn't he say he intended for you to make a difficult choice?" he asked.

"Something like that," Jim said. "Where do you think we should look for Mister West?"

"I believe he made it to Grand Island. He intended to come and visit you folks while he was here, but since he never came, I assume something happened to him while he was in the town, and before he could board the stage for Omaha."

"Did he arrive at night? Was he meeting someone?"

"He arrived during the day, but he was not meeting up with anyone."

"The Marshal didn't see him?"

"No. Or at least, he said he didn't."

Jim frowned. "I don't think Marshal Bishop would lie. He's a good man."

"I'm glad to know that, but if he didn't see him, something had to happen to him before he could even get very far from the stage."

"Would the Marshal know Mister West?"

"He's not hard to spot, and he most likely would have asked where your place here is."

"Right. What do you want us to do?"

"I'm not sure yet. I don't want to disrupt your lives, but I need help."

"You've got it."

"First, we should go into town and find out if anyone saw Mister West while he was there, and backtrack from there."

"Backtrack how far?" Bones asked.

"No further than North Platte."

"Wasn't there another area that was called Grand Island before what we now know was built?" Jim asked.

"Yes," Artie replied. "That place still stands too. It was actually on an island."

"Might be a good hideout for someone who doesn't want to be found."

"Why would they want Jim though?"

"He causes trouble for a lot of people, doesn't he?"

"Most of those are in prison…or dead."

"Most?"

"There are some who have escaped. We just have to figure out where he ended up."

"Do we start today or tomorrow?"

"I would like to start today if possible. It's been three days since I heard from him."

"You're sure he's not in Omaha and just not contacting you?" Bones asked.

"I'm sure. He never got on the stage for Omaha," Artie said. "Something's wrong. If I wasn't sure, I wouldn't be here."

Jim leaned on the table. "I don't want everyone to go," he said. "We've had some very curious people while we've been building the house, and started on the barn."

"Curious?"

"Yeah. That knoll over there? They sit up there and watch us."

"What for?"

"I don't know. We haven't bothered anybody, but I've seen them sitting up there."

"Indians?"

"No."

"Hmmm. They haven't seen your Vulcan friend, have they?"

"I wouldn't think so. He's been very discreet."

"Maybe they know about your money in the bank?"

"Not unless that loud mouthed banker told them," Bones said. "That guy really peeves me. Jim, I'll go with Mister Gordon. You stay here."

"I shouldn't need more than one person," Gordon said. "You folks can talk this over and meet me in town. It's sure good to see all of you and see that you're doing well."

Jim stood up and shook Gordon's hand. "It's good to see you too, Mister Gordon," he said. "One of us will be there to help you, if not two."

"Thanks."

Artie went back out to his horse. He looked toward the knoll but there was no one there. He figured whoever it was had nothing to do with Jim West being missing since they would not know that Kirk and the others were associated with them…unless Q was involved someway, but they had not heard from him. Then again, he did not know much about Q, and neither did Kirk and the others.

Later that day, Bones came riding into town. He looked much different now than he had before. He had grown a beard, but he kept it trimmed and he had given up drinking, and instead started talking to his friends. He had settled into working and had even started doctoring some people around the town as well. However, he had not stopped being pessimistic, although he had talked Jim into letting him help Artemus Gordon since Jim had a wife and a baby coming. Bones did not want him going out on some case where he might be in danger. He thought if anyone could kidnap Jim West and cause all this trouble, they had to be dangerous because from what he knew, West was dangerous himself.

As Bones came riding in, Gordon was waiting in front of the Marshal's office. Bones dismounted and tied his horse at the hitching rail. "Well, I see you won the debate," Gordon said.

"Yeah, I didn't think he should be out here doing all this," Bones replied. "You found out anything yet?"

"No, but I think I'm going to take a different route to find out."

"Like what?"

"Oh, I'm gonna become someone else."

Bones smiled slightly. "I'd like to see that."

"Then you shall, my friend."

They mounted up and rode out to the train where Artie applied one of his disguises. "I wouldn't know it was you," Bones said.

"That's the idea, my friend," Artie replied in his assumed voice.

Bones chuckled at that. "Where you going dressed like this?"

"Where else? The saloon."

"What do you want me to do while you're doing this?"

"I want you to go and talk to the Marshal some more and talk to some other people around town that you may know and I don't."

Bones nodded. "Alright. I'll let you know what I find out."

Bones put his hat on which had "stampede strings" on it. He just liked the look of it. He went out to his horse and rode over to the Marshal's office. He had not seen the Marshal in a while since he had been working most of his time out at the house except when he was doctoring someone.

Bones walked into the Marshal's office and Marshal Bishop was sitting at his desk. "Well, McCoy, what brings you here?" Bishop asked.

"I was wondering if you had seen anything strange in town," Bones said.

"Strange? Like what?"

"Have there been any strangers in town?"

"There are always strangers in this town. The stage comes through and the train. What do you think, McCoy?"

Bones thought he was asking all the wrong questions. "Well, nice to see you, Marshall," he said.

"McCoy, what are you doing here asking all these questions?" Bishop asked.

"Just curious."

Bishop watched McCoy walk out. He had not had any more trouble out of him, and he had proven himself a good doctor. He thought McCoy and his friends were rather strange but they mostly kept to themselves out there on that ranch they had bought. He had gone out there a time or two just to see what they were doing, and they were simply building a house and a barn.

Bones stood at his horse a moment wondering where he should go next, but then he decided to go to Henry Dowdy and see if he had seen anything. Dowdy was standing outside writing some figures when Bones arrived at the supply store. "Howdy," Bones said as he got down from his horse.

"Oh, hello, Doctor McCoy," Dowdy replied. "You folks needing more supplies already?"

"Uh, no. I was just wondering if you saw the stage when it came in day before yesterday."

Dowdy considered that. "I usually see it. What are you looking for?"

"How many people got off?"

"About four."

"What about a man who was about five-eight, light green eyes, brown hair, probably dressed in a fancy suit?"

Dowdy considered that. "Yeah, I think I did see a man like that."

"Did you get his name? James West?"

"Hey, I do remember someone calling him Mister West."

"Who did?"

"That Rawlings over there at the depot. He started working there a few days ago."

"A few days ago?"

"Yeah. He's kinda new in town."

"How did he know Mister West? Why did he say his name?"

"I don't know. I just heard it and Mister West went over to talk to him. I just happened to be over there to pick up some supply materials from the train."

"Did you see Mister West after that?"

"No. I don't remember seeing him. Why? Is he in trouble?"

"I think he could be, Mister Dowdy."

"Who is he? A friend of yours?"

"Yeah. Thanks. I gotta go."

Bones got back on his horse and rode over to the depot. He walked in and there was a woman behind the counter there. She looked at Bones when he came in and smiled. "Why, Doctor McCoy, what brings you here?" she asked. She had brown hair and blue eyes and she was very pretty. "I'm Marcy."

"Is there a man named Rawlings who works here?" Bones asked.

Marcy frowned. "Not anymore," she said. "What do you want him for?"

"I take it you don't like him very much?"

"Not at all. He's very rude."

"You say he's not working here anymore?"

"No."

"When did he quit?"

"Day before yesterday."

Bones just stood there dumbfounded for a moment. "Has he had any friends come by here to meet him or anything?" he asked.

"A few."

"Did you get any of their names?"

"No, and I didn't care to."

"What about a man named Jim West?"

"There was a man named West here one day after the stage came by. Rawlings was talking to him about something."

"Where did they go?"

"I don't know. I was too busy."

Bones frowned. "Thanks, Marcy," he said. He turned to leave.
"Doctor McCoy, wait," Marcy said. "Are you going to the dance this next Saturday?"

Bones just stood there a moment. "Well, I don't know. I'm kinda in the middle of something."

"I'm not going with anyone yet."

"Oh you're not?"

"No."

"Well, if I'm not busy and I'm going, then I would be delighted to take you."

Marcy smiled. "You would?"

"Why sure."

"I would be delighted to go with you."

Bones tipped his hat. "I'll see you around."

Bones went outside becoming serious again. He had to find Artemus Gordon fast. He might be in danger too. He got on his horse and went over to the saloon where Gordon said he was going. Everyone looked around when he walked into the saloon, but they just went back to their own business.

Bones saw Gordon on the other side of the saloon sitting at a table. Gordon knew he must have found out something or he would not have come there to find him. He shook his head slightly at Bones, so he went to the bar. He had not even been in a saloon since his confrontation with Jim. "A sarsaparilla," he said.

The bartender scowled at him but he poured it. Bones just stood there and soon Artie came over to the bar. "Pour me another, Bartender," he said as he leaned on the bar. "You find something?" he whispered when the bartender moved away.

"Mister West was in this town," Bones said quietly. "He got off that stage and met a man named Rawlings. He left the depot with him according to the woman who works over there. Rawlings had been working there only a few days and quit the day Mister West showed up here."

Gordon absorbed that. "So, it's likely that he had something to do with Jim's disappearance. Let's get out of here."

Gordon left the bar, and Bones left right behind him. "What are we going to do?" Bones asked.

"Let's go to the train," Gordon replied.

They went to the train and Gordon took off his disguise and changed into his usual attire. He sent a telegram and then sat waiting for a reply. "We have to figure out who took him and where they took him," he said.

"What was he going to Omaha for?" Bones asked.

"That, my friend, is confidential."

"Even to me?"

"Even to you. Obviously, Rawlings was planted in Grand Island to capture Jim when he arrived. It could have something to do with his mission in Omaha."

"How can I help you if I don't even know the circumstances?"

"Just a minute." Artie listened to the telegraph a moment, and then sent a reply that he had received the message. He looked at Bones. "I guess you've heard of the Omaha Stockyards, and the meat packing district. They're right on the Missouri River, and they deliver across it to Council Bluff, Iowa. It's a big business."

"Yeah…and?"

"Well, where there's a lot of money involved, someone's liable to get jealous and want to take over. Someone's been leaning on the people over there trying to take over that big business by buying up all the land and…you know."

"So you think whoever it is came over here to head West off at the pass?"

"Something like that. He could be in Omaha, but he didn't get there the way he intended to get there."

"Why would they be holding him there? And how would they know he was coming?"

"Must have found out that someone requested help from the Government, and they would hold him there because they're wanting to get some sort of activity completed before they arouse suspicion by killing him."

"What if they already killed him?"

Artie was visibly distressed by that question. "Let's just hope they haven't," he said.

"How do we get in there to get him out?" Bones asked.

"That, my friend, is going to be the hard part. I will go in first and become part of the fixtures there, and you'll come in later as though we don't know each other." Artie looked at Bones. "We may need the help of your captain as well."

"And the others?"

"A little scientific genius wouldn't hurt."

"Carol is in no condition to get into something like this," Bones pointed out. "And we wouldn't want to leave her out there alone."

"Oh, well, she and the captain can come into town like they're visiting. After all, Omaha is a grand city."

Bones smiled. "I get your point. I'll talk to them about it. There's no guarantee that they'll want to get involved. Spock is enjoying his lab…if that's what you want to call it. He's been working on creating some medical devices for me. I mean, I don't know how I would go about using them on a patient in this time, but I can use them on my friends. That just sounds so shallow, doesn't it?"

"There are times when we cannot help our situation, Doctor. Others would simply not understand."

Bones nodded. "I could use it on unconscious patients. No one would know." He looked at Artie. "So far, I've managed to keep anyone from knowing that I don't have a doctor's degree in this day and time. I told them I left it…"

"Are you suggesting that I help you get a license to practice medicine?"

"Well…"

"Say no more. I'll make it a point. President Grant was very impressed with the help you and your friends provided. I'm sure he will not find it a problem."

"Thanks. I'll get back and talk to Jim."

"Give me at least thirty-six hours. We don't want anyone over there to connect us."

"Right. I guess I'll see you in Omaha. Be careful. We wouldn't want to be looking for both of you."

"I don't think I would rather have anyone else on the trail."

Bones went out the door and headed back to the ranch. Marshal Bishop was standing outside his office wondering what he was up to. He had found McCoy and his friends very peculiar, but he had not seen anything unusual out at their place. He had not forgotten all the things that McCoy had said when he was drunk. Since then, McCoy had stayed as sober as the rest of his friends. He had tried to find out something about them, but the only thing he could find about Jim Kirk was that duel he had been in with Curly Bill. He seemed to not exist before that, except for the commendation he received for his help in a case with Jim West and Artemus Gordon. Gordon had come and questioned him in much the same way as McCoy did. They were definitely connected with the government. He supposed that was why they were so strange. Still, he had to wonder why they were here and what their mission was. He supposed he might do some investigating himself…starting with that stage depot. After all, he was the law in this town, and in a large part of this territory.