September 1863

When Lou saw the Old Rock Creek Station coming in to view she spurred Lightening to a full gallop. She'd tried to take it easy on this trip, she and Lightening could ride all day, the faster the better and probably could have made it home in four days but with Jamie bundled up in her coat it had taken six. Lou was worried that she wouldn't make it in time, that Teaspoon would be gone before she had a chance to say goodbye, to tell him how much he meant to her. Just thinking about it brought tears to her eyes.

Lou galloped into the yard as Buck ran out to meet her "How is he?" Lou asked handing him the baby and dismounting

"Well, see…"

Before he could answer she had taken Jamie back "Never mind I'll go check on him, tell Emily I will be by later to see her and the baby" Lou ran towards the house. Buck let out a troubled breath 'this is not going to go well' he said to himself.

As Lou approached the house Jimmy came out on the porch "Oh" She said "You're here too? Is it bad? How is he? Oh Jimmy the look on your face am I too late?" a few tears started to run down her face.

"Here" she said as she practically threw Jamie at him "Where's Rachel?" she asked running into the house.

Jimmy held Jamie away from him "Ummm Hi there. She'll be right back…..your Ma."

Jimmy looked at Jamie as she looked at him "So how ya doing? Long trip?" Jamie just looked at him and poked him in the cheek and reached out and took a handful of his long hair. As voices from inside the house got louder and louder.

About that time the front door flew open and Cody came running out "Don't go in there, she is on the war path."

"Do ya blamer her"

"Well hello there beautiful." Cody said realizing that Jimmy was holding Jamie "Jimmy that ain't how you hold a baby, put her on your hip"

"What?"

"You know, stick your hip out and set her on it" Cody tries to help him situate the baby first one way and then another, Jaime is smiling at them, thinking this is a new game she reached out for Cody.

"…no no not like that, here giver' to me. Like this" Cody sticks his hip out to the side and sets Jamie on it and puts his arm around her to hold her in place. Jamie starts giggling.

"Cody I ain't standing like that" Jimmy says with a very serious look on his face "I'll just hold her like my father used to hold my sisters" Jimmy takes the giggling baby and tosses her over his shoulder "There how's that?"

"I don't know. I wouldn't let Lou see you carrying her around like a sack of potatoes"

"Well then how about this?" Jimmy up-ends the giggling girl and sets her on his shoulders, her eyes get big and she immediately grabs his hair to hold on.

Cody nods "That's probably better but be careful going in the door"

"No worries, I'm not going in there"

Lou's voice could be clearly heard yelling "What the hell is wrong with you Teaspoon?"

"Now Lou, I had the best of intentions and I was doing what I thought was best" Teaspoon said

"Six days! Six days on the trail with an 18 month old baby. Six Days! Are you crazy?!"

"And you! Rachel, how could you? How could you go along with it, with his crazy scheme?"

"Do you have ANY idea how worried I was?"

The shouting continued as Jimmy and Cody calmly waited on the porch and they shook their heads 'No' and waved Buck away as he started in the direction of the house. Buck made the smart decision to stay in the barn.

After a few minutes Lou came storming out of the house and looked at Jimmy and yelled "What the hell is my baby doing up there. Get her down!" Lou turns towards Cody and grabs the front of his coat "Was you in on this, don't you lie ta me Cody"

"No Ma'am I wasn't, I just got here a few days ago, I got a telegram about cobbler" Both Jimmy and Lou looked at him.

"What?" they said

"Nothing, but when I got here and I found out what their plan was I told them they were crazy and I was going to ride out to meet you but well, Teaspoon can be convincing and then Jimmy showed up, so we all just waited. I'm sorry Lou."

Jimmy would have sworn there was smoke coming from her ears as she turned on him "You, what'd he tell you ta get you here? And get her down from there!"

"Same as you Lou, Rachel sent me word the Teaspoon was dying, 'bout killed myself trying to get here and I don't know if Amanda is ever going to speak to him again. She took the stage the day after me and I got word to her yesterday in Topeka and she turned around, at least I hope she did, I hate ta think of her riding all this way for nothing like we did."

"Well I'm going home in the morning, soon as Lightening is rested, watch Jamie for me I gotta get outta here for a while" Lou heads for the stables.

Cody looked at Jimmy "I thought this was home?"

"Buck" Lou hollers storming into the stables "Buck I need a horse" Lou says through her teeth "which one is your fastest?"

"Lou you just rode in you need to rest" Buck said.

"What I NEED Buck is a fast horse! Now you can tell me which is your fastest or I'll pick one of the un-broke ones you got in the coral, I really don't care" Lou yells.

"Here" Buck leads a beautiful pinto to her "Let me saddle him for you."

Lou takes the reins "No need." Lou swings onto the back of the horse as Jimmy is comes in

"Lou what ya think you're doing you need to calm down, that temper of yours is going to get you in trouble."

Lou just looks at him "Damn it Jimmy get her down from there" and kicks the pinto into a run.

Buck and Jimmy watch as she runs the horse flat out with no signs of stopping.

"Think that horse can handle Lou in one of her moods?" Jimmy says trying to untangle Jamie's hands from his hair.

"Pretty sure" Buck said "Lightening is one that can take it best though. He's used to it I guess." Buck started helping Jimmy get the baby's hands out of his hair "Sometimes I think she has a death wish..…. Riding with demons."

"What?"

"Something she told me once. When we were first riding for the express, even before we know Lou was a girl and he'd take off like that, Ike used to say that Lou rode like demons were chasing him, we asked her about it once, she just shrugged and said that it was more like she was riding with them. She'd take off like that, and Ike and I would just say she was riding with demons."

Buck took Jamie from him "Go after her Jimmy, it's not safe her riding hell bent bareback, on a horse she doesn't know. I haven't had a chance to unsaddle Sundancer. Go after her"

"Thanks" Jimmy leaps on his horse and rides after her.

…

Jimmy knew where she'd go or at least where she'd stop on her way back so he waited by the pond and after about half an hour Lou came in riding like the hounds of hell were after her, her face covered in sweat and dirt, her horse foaming and panting. Lou was so unaware of anything but her own pain that she didn't see Jimmy. She stopped the horse by the water and slide off his back and landed on her hands and knees, trying to catch her breath and get her bearings.

"You, ok?" Came a voice from behind her.

Lou was startled and turned over from her hands and knees to her rump and drew her side arm, pointing it right at Jimmy's chest.

"Damn it woman! Why do you always draw on me!"

"Ya startled me!" she yelled.

"Well are you ok?" Jimmy reached his hand out to her and Lou slapped it away turning back onto her hands and knees

"Damn it Lou I'm not the enemy."

She sat back on her heels, with her back to him, trying to control her raging thoughts and emotions "I know Jimmy" She couldn't bring herself to look at him.

"Why would he do that? Don't he know how much he means to us?" Lou was still panting from her ride and talking fast, barely able to catch her breath "Six days I fretted and worried that I wouldn't get here in time, don't he know what he put me through." Lou suddenly stopped talking and turned onto her hands and knees again and started throwing up.

"Oh geeze Lou you've gone and made yourself sick carrying on like that and riding like the devil was after you, here" Jimmy offered her his canteen and she took a few big gulps "Whoa, slow down it'll just come back up too." Jimmy reached down and helped her up and over to a log by the water and they sat down. Jimmy put his arms around her and let her cry.

"I was so scared Jimmy, scared I wouldn't make it back. I couldn't stand to lose anyone else."

"I know I was worried too and when I found out what his plan I was just as mad, 'course I didn't go trying to kill myself, I just punched a hole in the stable wall, well I tried to." Jimmy held up his bruised knuckles for Lou to see.

"Oh Jimmy, I bet that hurt. We're a pair aren't we?" Lou looked up at Jimmy.

"Difference between us is I don't have a death wish. Lou" Jimmy looked at her "When you ride like that it's like you don't care if you were to get hurt."

Lou shrugged and looked away "I know. There was a time when I didn't care whether I died or not. And if I was going to die well I'd rather die riding. But now I have Jamie to live for, so while I guess it looks bad it really ain't. Riding like that calms me down."

Jimmy looked at her and frowned "That was calm I saw, you riding in and falling to the ground?"

Lou smiled a little and wiped her face on her sleeve "Calmer than when I rode out."

Lou stood up "I guess we'd better get back. You should try to find out if Amanda made it back alright, I'm sure you're worried about her."

Jimmy shook his head "No not really."

"Well I'm sure you're anxious to get back to Abilene and to her" Lou walked to the water to get her horse.

"Lou what are you talking about? There ain't 'nothing between Amanda and me, why would you think that?" Jimmy followed her to the edge of the pond.

Lou turned her face tightening, Jimmy could see the rage building in her again and she was pointing and shaking her finger in the direction of the station "'Cause that old man back there sent me letters, telling about how good you got it in Abilele and how sweet it was that Amanda was taking such good care of you and that you were staying with her. And judging now….by the expression on your face….. I can see that none of that is true….. Stop laughing Jimmy it's not funny."

"Oh yea it is. You were jealous" Jimmy was smirking "You were jealous of Amanda."

"I wasn't jealous of no body. Stop saying that!" Lou yelled stomping her foot.

"Lou I'm tellin' you, that temper of yours it's gonna get you in trouble one of these days." Still laughing a little Jimmy reached out to take Lou's arm and said "Come on Lou I was only playing."

But Lou just yelled "leave me alone" and reached for her horse as she shoved Jimmy out of the way, causing him to lose his footing and fall backwards into the pond.

"Oh Jimmy Oh No….. are you alright? I'm so sorry" Lou says trying to stifle her laughter but not doing a very good job.

Jimmy bobbed to the surface and was able to get his footing and stood soaking wet in about three feet of water. Jimmy looked at Lou and starting making his way to the edge of the water.

"Jimmy, I'm sorry, it was an accident" Lou says, mirth still showing in her eyes but backing away from the water and reaching for the horse's reins.

"Don't you dare get on that horse Lou" Jimmy sputters through the water running down his face as he climbs out of the pond.

"Jimmy now calm down, I said it was an accident" Lou is still struggling to keep from laughing as she takes the horse and starts to mount up and just as she gives her horse a sharp kick she feels hands grab the back of her coat and pull her down "Jimmmyyyy" she yells as they both fall back on the ground and the horse, his own best interest at heart, runs away.

Lou untangles herself from Jimmy's grasp and tries to scramble away.

"Oh no you don't Louise McCloud" Jimmy yells pulling her up by her coat and setting her on her feet.

"This is going to stop right now" Jimmy, pushes his wet hair out of his face "You getting all upset and taking it out on everyone else. You weren't the only one they tricked and you ain't the only one mad as hell!" Jimmy stopped to catch his breath so he could calm down himself "Look Lou, I know what Teaspoon and Rachel done was wrong, but yelling at me and the boys that ain't right and then losing your temper like that practically making yourself sick." Jimmy reached for Lou but she backed away.

Jimmy stood up and reached out to her and pulled her into his arms "Also you thinking I'd have anything to do with Amanda, you know she ain't my type. Oh I admit we saw a lot of each other in Abilene but only cause her place is the best for poker and drinking and I probably did too much of both. So Teaspoon thought that would be funny to try to make us jealous?"

Jimmy chuckled "I guess it worked, I like that you were jealous. So does that mean there ain't nothing going on between you and Fred Clayton?"

Lou pushed away from Jimmy her temper flaring "What the hell is that supposed to mean?"

Jimmy grinned "Temper Lou."

"Me and Fred? Lord he's almost 40! Got one foot in the grave and he's married! Did Teaspoon say there was something going on between us?"

"Yea in a letter to Amanda and then when I got home he said something."

"Did you get jealous jimmy?" Lou asked sarcastically.

"Oh, well no of course not, I saw through that right away and I told him so" Jimmy sat back down on the log and pulled Lou next to him.

"Lou look at me please" Jimmy reached over and pushed her hair behind her ears looking at her pretty face "I don't think you have anything going on and I promise there ain't nothing going on with me. But I wish there was, I wish there was something going on between me and you. I miss you Lou, I miss you so much it hurts."

Lou looked into Jimmy eyes and saw the truth of what he said and that truth began to put holes in the wall she'd so carefully built since she left Fort Kearny and as he wrapped his arms around her and held her, she let her arms slip around his neck and all of her defenses began to fail.

Lou stood up between his legs holding him tight "Oh Jimmy, I sure have missed you too. I'm lonely out there without you." Lou paused and sniffled a little.

"Jimmy?" she whispered against his neck.

"Yes" Afraid to say too much or even move, afraid it could be another one of his dreams.

"Kiss me, Love me Jimmy" Lou pushed away from his neck and slowly licked her lips.

"Oh Lou" was all he could say as he crushed her to him and began to devour her with his mouth. Lou cried against his mouth but didn't stop kissing him as Jimmy lowered them both to the ground, covering her body with his. Jimmy kissed her until she broke free tilting her head up just to take a breath Jimmy let his tongue carve a path along her neck and to her throat as he began to unbutton her shirt with one hand and tugged it out of her trousers with the other.

Jimmy's wet hair fell forward, cool water dripping on to her skin. The weight of his body pressing her to the ground was heavy but comforting, his clothes still wet were clinging to him and Lou began to unbutton his coat and shirt, pulling at them, Jimmy sat up and tore off his coat and shirt and pulled Lou up to sitting just long enough to relieve her of her shirt. Lou no longer had any control over her hands as they roamed across the familiar territory of Jimmy's body, she played with the nipples, tugged at the hair on his chest and lightly drew her fingernails down his belly and began to undo the buckles holding his guns and they fell away. Jimmy moved them out of the way as Lou continued her exploration, letting her fingers run underneath the waist band of his pants and slowly moving her hand to the front of his trousers, gently cupping the evidence of his excitement, massaging the front of his pants she felt him grow harder and harder knowing she had this kind of power over him thrilled her and her hand slide between his thighs, her fingertips find his balls and softly squeeze them. Jimmy quickly grabbed her arms and pinned them over head His breath sharp and ragged "Not so fast, it's been to long since I've had you and I want this to last" Jimmy straddling her body, began kiss her, letting his tongue slip in and out of her mouth, he ran his tongue over her lips alone her jaw line to her ears. Taking time to discover each ear lobe teasing her with his tongue and teeth, taking his cues from each the sounds she made and from the feeling of her move under him, he pressed on moving lower he slowly licked each nipple until they were hard, erect and exquisite. He felt her hips rocking up and down rubbing against him letting him know what she wanted. That he could have this effect on her was intoxicating and he began to nibble her breasts, tasting and testing and each time he stopped to look down at her beautiful body she arched her chest up towards him clearly asking for more, he obliged sucking the right nipple in and slowly circling it with his tongue causing her at gasp, still holding her arms he move to the other side and sucked a little harder drawing the nipple in between his teeth and gently biting.

Lou tried to pull her arms free "God Jimmy let go of my arms I want to touch you."

Lou reached for the buttons on his pants and chuckled "Jimmy your pants are wet I can't get the buttons undone"

Jimmy sat up on his knees unbuttoned his pants and pushed them down to his knees, Jimmy started to move between Lou's legs but she stopped him, with a hand on his chest Lou said "No, Stop Jimmy."

"What?" she couldn't possibly be stopping him now.

Lou smiled sweetly "take them all the way off, take off your pants."

Lou rose up on her elbows for a better view and Jimmy smiled, he sat down next to Lou and took off his boots and socks and stood up and very slowly pushed his pants to his ankles and stepped out of them, and stood over her.

"Oh Jimmy you're beautiful"

Jimmy got his bedroll off of Sundancer and laid it on the ground, Lou started to move, but Jimmy just picked her up and laid her on the blanket and then he leaned down and began removing her boots and then her socks and slowly ran his hands along her legs, playing with her inner thighs and taking a moment to palm her mound and to gently rub his thumb over her clit through her britches causing her to groan and move her hips against his hand. He released her belts and let her gun fall to the ground and slowly peeled her pants down her legs and only when she was completely naked did he take a moment to savor how beautiful she was.

Once again he straddled her on his hands and knees and began kissing her but Lou had other plans, slowly she nibbled her way down his throat, each time her teeth connected with his skin she was testing the waters, seeing how far he would let her go. Each little bite taking his breath, making him gasp but never telling her to stop.

Making her way to his chest taking time to suck and gently bite each nipple before scooting farther down, letting her tongue tickle his belly as her hands held his ribs, and then holding his hips and pulling herself even farther down she let her tongue lead the way to his inner thigh and tickling his balls with her tongue as she made her way to the other thigh, then a little higher as her mouth discovered the treasure she was looking for. She slowly licked the length of his member several times before finally running her tongue around the tip, guiding it slowing to her mouth.

Jimmy stopped trying to contain his emotions and he was doing his best to hold on but he was unable to stop his hips, slowly in and out of Lou's mouth he moved, this was a ride he'd never imagined, each time he dove deeper she would moan or groan and the vibrations almost put him over the edge, but he couldn't stop, the sensations were amazing. Lou sensing he was close slowly moved back up back between his arms and Jimmy looked into her eyes, so black, her breath coming sharply as Jimmy crawled between her legs and quickly entered her, causing Lou to gasp and cry out his name, he couldn't wait, he couldn't stop, this was where he'd wanted to be for so long. She lifted her legs and wrapped them around his waist and as he moved inside her it only took a moment for Lou to reach her peak and moan his name again as he felt her contract around him, taking him to his breaking point and pulling his seed from him. Jimmy yelled as he came, completely out of control until he fell on top of her, spent, satiated and tears falling from his eyes.

They lay like that, Jimmy didn't know how long, his body completely covering her smaller one and the feel of her skin under him was everything he remembered it to be and more. He didn't want to move until he felt a quiet shaking coming from the soft body under him and he looked and saw tears on her face. Jimmy rolled on his side and pulled Lou as close as he could, bundled her in his arms and wrapped his leg over her.

"Lou honey what is it? Did I hurt you? I just couldn't …. You made me want you so much…Tell me"

Lou sniffed and sighed "I'm just real happy Jimmy. God I'd forgotten how good we are together, how wonderful it feels to have your arms around me and to have you inside of me."

"Well I intend to always remind you and often, hell every damn day if you'll let"

Lou rolled Jimmy on to his back and laid her body on his "Always Jimmy?"

"Forever Lou" Jimmy said as a tear escaped and he pulled her face close to his so he could remind her again.

….

HI there if you had already read chapter 15 I am sure you noticed the change...I had written a bit of fluff that was written on a dare... a bet if you well, and like some of you I didnt think it went with the story or the characters ect ect and ever since I wrote it I've been stuck...STUCK! So I re-wrote that bit and lost the bet but I have my integrity and just as soon as I re-wrote it the rest of the story just wrote its self...Ain't that always the way.

Stay true to your path and the path won't lead you astray.

Sigh… hang on while I get a tissue and a cigarette (and I don't smoke)

And while that could be the end, well it's not….bounty hunters still have brothers…..