Chapter Three-Old Friends and Adversaries

Hell Bent for Leather

By tk421beth

Chapter Summary: Jessie and Aubrey just found out that Hitler had bombed London.

Author's Notes: There were questions regarding about the Jewish people from WWII. Now, remember…the United States in 1940 was not involved in WWII, and had no idea about the real goings on in the Concentration Camps until the war ended in 1945.

As of November 21, 2005, no one is allowed to do 'Review Responses' within story chapters. If you do review, I'll send you a reply!

Thanks to Sue, my Beta, friend and co-worker! Thanks also to Tom, my husband, friend, and talented writer!

I hope all of you have a very Merry Christmas and a Happy Hanukkah! (I'm Jewish!) Keep on reading, my ever faithful readers! We'll get to 1879 soon enough…

7 September, 1940

The War had progressed bitterly since that worrisome day in Aunt Jessica's kitchen. But like anything, no matter how big or how important, the separation of direct contact keeps the realization of the matter somewhat distant.

The periodic communication with my family overseas helped to ease my mind. It seemed both Father and Mother were safe for the time being, and volunteered their time at the local military hospital. They were doing their part for the war effort as best as they could.

As for me…I could not help but feel the guilt of not being with my family in their horrific time of need.

Aunt Jessica was more of a realist and would half heartedly scold me when she discovered me sulking. It was on such an occasion that she gave me some sound advice. "Aubrey," she said in her forceful, but caring manner, "You will find something to busy yourself with. I will not allow you to simply mope around. I know things are hard for you right now, but it is adversity that determines one's character. I know you are of stronger stock then you are portraying at the moment." Before I could say anything in my defense, Aunt Jessica leaned over and gave me a big hug. "Cole and I are preparing to go to Roswell to attend a cattle auction today. I think it would benefit your mood if you accompanied us." She started to walk away.

"Aunt Jessica!" I called after her. She stopped and turned towards me.

"Yes, dear?"

"Thank you…and I do apologize."

She smiled at me. "Nonsense, my dear…there are no apologies necessary. Now, go find Cole and tell him you'll be joining us." She turned and walked away. I set off to find Cole with a new attitude.

I found Cole behind one of the many out buildings on the ranch. He and a few other men where practicing with their side arms. Carlos, a young Mexican gentleman just finished setting up six tin cans on the top rail of the corral, and quickly moved away.

Cole stood before the targets in a fighter's stance; his hand spread open inches above his holstered weapon. His face was chiseled stone, his blue eyes radiant. In one fluid motion, quicker than I thought humanly possible, Cole drew and fired his handgun. It seemed like magic…all the cans jumped into the air one after the other and before the last one hit the ground, Cole had holstered his gun once again.

"Bravo!" I applauded. Cole spun around in surprise, and then smiled at me.

"Aubrey!"

I don't know why, but until that moment, I had never realized how handsome Cole actually was. I stood there frozen, looking into his deep soothing blue eyes.

"So…Aubrey, are you up for a challenge?" He asked, walking up to me.

"I…umm…excuse me?"

"Would you like to slap some leather?"

My mind reeled for just a moment. Who did he think he was? "Well…I never!" My hand flew to my chest, shocked at Cole's sudden innuendo.

The smile ran away from Cole's face as the men behind him started to laugh. A look of embarrassment replaced his smile for an instant. "My apologies…I was simply asking if you would like to try your hand at some target shooting."

My ears got hot and my face turned beet red, as Cole turned to the laughing men behind him. "Cayate la voca!" Shut you mouth! I understood at least that much Spanish. The men quickly quieted down.

Cole then removed his gun belt and before I could protest, he slipped it around my waist and buckled it. I could feel my knees go weak as his hands touched my body ever so gently. Cole yelled over to Carlos to set the cans back up. Carlos obeyed, as we made our way to stand before the newly placed targets.

Cole removed the gun from the holster and reloaded it. He slid it back into his resting place and stood behind me. "Relax." I could feel his breath on the back of my neck as he spoke to me in low tones. I was totally aware of Cole's body against my back. "Okay…pull and shoot when you are ready." He told me, steadying my hand.

I snapped back to reality and pulled the gun and fired it. I actually managed to hit two out of the six cans! I holstered the weapon and noticed that Aunt Jessica was now standing next to me. "Well, dear…it looks like you have found something to busy yourself with after all!" She smiled, as I felt my face turn red again.

"Indeed." That was all I could mutter.

We arrived at the auction in Roswell and already there were a flurry of people. There was a steady flow of perspective buyers and spectators making their way in through the main entrance of the arena. I followed Aunt Jessica, Chavez and Cole to a side entrance.

There was a fairly large man standing at the door, and he greeted us with a friendly smile. "Welcome Ms. Tunstall. It's nice to see you again!"

"Thank you, Billy Bob!" My Aunt greeted him back, as he opened the door, and we walked through.

Immediately we ascended a flight of stairs, leading us to a huge spectator box. It was more like a private lounge, overlooking the crowd and the whole arena. You could see everything going on below.

"My family's had a private seat at this auction as long as I can remember!" Cole smiled at me. There were a few other people seated in overstuffed chairs in various parts of the lounge.

We had just seated ourselves, when a raspy voice suddenly hissed, "Tunstall! If I knew you were going to be here, we have sat somewhere else!" I turned to see a short old man with short gray hair, accompanied by two well dressed younger men, standing behind him.

Aunt Jessica turned to meet the old man's glare. "Peppin!" She spat. "I would have thought you had the good sense to die by now! But good sense has never been one of your better qualities, has it?"

So, this was George Peppin! No wonder why Aunt Jessica despised him! Peppin's face turned red with anger. As he turned, I could hear him muttering obscenities under his breath as he walked away. He and the two young men took a seat at the far corner of the private lounge, far away from us.

"Grandmother," Cole said, as he leaned over me to speak. "I'm glad that you are able to demonstrate some decorum when needed. The war has been over a long time; don't you think that it just may be time to let bygones be bygones?"

Before Aunt Jessica could respond, a loud air horn sounded to announce the start of the auction.

I glanced over at my Aunt. I could see her face getting paler by the moment. She grabbed Cole by his vest and pulled him close to her. Although I was seated right next to her, I could barely hear what she was saying.

She retained a firm grasp on Cole's garment. "Decorum, boy?" She spat between gritted teeth. "That bastard didn't use any decorum when he had us pinned up in the McSween house." I could see the fire that burned down the McSween home reflected in her eyes as she continued to talk to Cole in hushed tones. "The river between me and Peppin runs too fast and deep to ever be bridged." She then relaxed her grip on Cole's vest, as the tension on her face subsided. "I'm tired, boy," She whispered. "I'm too tired to deal with this nonsense. I need you to stay here and make a few purchases for the Ranch."

I didn't notice until now, that Chavez standing behind Aunt Jessica, his right hand firmly resting on the hilt of his knife.

Cole nodded his acknowledgment, as my Aunt slowly relaxed in her chair. She took a deep breath and looked over to me. At that moment she looked more her age than I have ever seen her before.

"Aubrey dear, I wish for you to accompany me home…I'm feeling a bit fatigued."

Chavez was standing right next to her, ready to lend a hand if needed. Aunt Jessica and I headed towards the exit.

"Ah…the great Sweetheart Shooter, making another one of her stunning exits."

Aunt Jessica stopped and turned. "Peppin, I really think Billy should have been aiming for you instead of Charlie Crawford. Billy could have saved New Mexico from the worst Sheriff it has ever known!"

I watched as Peppin rose to his feet; visibly shaken from the verbal onslaught from my Aunt. I'm sure she touched a nerve, commenting on his lack of civic ability to uphold the law. "You God damned menacing bitch!" He shouted. "You and your God damned half breed Mexican-Indian parading around like you own Roswell-"

Before another word could leave his mouth, there was a blade at his throat. Within three steps, Chavez was across the room, holding Peppin's life in his hands.

The two young men that were with Peppin were suddenly up on their feet, as was Cole. I then noticed Cole had his gun drawn on the two men. "This has gone far enough!" He exclaimed.

Much to my surprise, I could feel a chill of excitement run up my spine. What was wrong with me?

"Chavez, No!" Aunt Jessica shouted. "His life is not yours to take." Her tone had gone soft. "The spirits have determined that Peppin here should die old and miserable."

At this, Chavez leans over and whispers something into Peppin's ear. The color suddenly drains from Peppin, as does his bladder, creating a puddle at his feet. His knees grow weak, as he slumps heavily back into his chair.

Chaves sheathes his knife, and walks slowly away. "The Spirit Horse wouldn't have to travel far for this one." I hear him mutter.

Cole quickly takes charge of the situation and holsters his weapon. "Whew! Nothing like a little excitement to help keep the blood pumping, hey boys?" Cole laughs as the two young men scramble over to where Peppin is seated.

Aunt Jessica, Chavez and I head towards the door. I take her arm, concerned about Cole. "Will Cole be all right alone here, with…them?"

Aunt Jessica looks over at me with a smile. "No need to worry about Cole, dear. He has everything in hand."

The ride home was quiet. A million questions ran through my head, but I did not have the refinement or the courage to ask my Aunt about them.

It was Chavez who broke the silence. "That would not have been the first time that I thought of ending Peppin's miserable existence."

Aunt Jessica chuckled, much to my surprise. "It would have made for a great afternoon, huh, old friend?"

They both laughed, as they noticed the quizzical expression on my face. I could not quell my curiosity any longer. "Aunt Jessica…what is the situation with you and George Peppin?"

"There is no situation. I just hate him!" This brought on another bought of laughter.

"Did Billy really have the opportunity to kill George Peppin over Charlie Crawford?"

A somber look came over my Aunt's face at the mention of Billy's name. She sighed heavily, and then continued. "It was that bastard Peppin who had us pinned down at the McSween house."

I could see her eyes go vacant, as if she was in a different place…and a different time as she spoke.

"Bonney!" Peppin's voice calls from outside. "We got ya up there, Kid…you and the Sweetheart Shooter! You both take a real good look at the firepower down here! Now, all you come out real slow!"

I drop to my knees, shotgun still in hand. Whoever bestowed that name on me, I will get my revenge later. I look over at Billy who is smiling.

"You there, Bonney?" Peppin calls out again. "Tunstall?"

Billy is flat against the wall beside the window, not daring to look out. I glance up at him, wondering what he was going to do. I sure in hell wasn't going to respond to Peppin.

"Yeah, we hear ya Peppin-!" His words barely come out of his mouth, as they open fire, blasting all the windows in. I drop my shotgun, and lay flat on the floor, hands over my head, as shards of glass fall all around me. I close my eyes, hoping this attack would end soon.

The firing suddenly stops. I open my eyes, to see the windows at Doc and Chavez's side of the house were also blown out. Billy starts to chuckle, and then laughs loudly. I look up at him, thinking that he's gone mad. He takes my hand in his. "I'll get us out of here, Jessie…I promise you that. I always keep my promises."

I look into his eyes and notice his features were dead serious as he stared back. "You better!" I replied with a small smile.

Billy chuckles, and gives me a quick kiss on the cheek. I sit up and gingerly brush off the remaining glass that is sticking to me. Billy now is sitting against the wall again, guns in each hand. I know Billy will get me out of here alive. He promised that he would take care of me. I know we'll get out of this alive…

"What the hell are we gonna do now?" Doc wonders.

"We gotta show them that they met their match." Billy answers with a grin. "Hey! Peppin!"

"I'm hearin' ya, Bonney!" He yells back.

"I see that you have Charlie Crawford down there!"

"Yeah, we got him, Kid. We got a whole lot of-" Peppin doesn't get a chance to finish. Billy all of a sudden springs up into the window, and fires a single shot. He then takes his place back against the wall. Biting my lip, I slowly get up, glancing out of the window, to see that Billy shot Crawford right between the eyes. I watch him fall to the ground, dead. Gasping, I quickly duck down under the window again. "Good shot!" I tell him.

Billy winks at me. "Hey! Peppin! Charlie Crawford ain't with you no more!" He shouts with glee, glancing out of the window.

"Bastard!" I hear Peppin's voice. "FIRE!"

Chavez laughs loudly as he remembers that fateful day that Aunt Jessica just relived. "That was sure a hoot!" He continues to laugh.

She starts to chuckle, then all of a sudden her face contorts with pain, as she grabs her chest.

"Aunt Jessica!" I gasp in horror, as Chavez suddenly pulls over, turns the truck around, and heads back into town. "It'll be all right." I take her hand, as she continues to gasp for air. Tears spring to my eyes, as Chavez races into the hospital parking lot.

I open my eyes to see Chavez and Cole and a blonde haired young woman talking to the staff doctor.

I quickly get up, causing Chavez to walk over to me. "How is she?" I ask him.

The striking young blonde haired woman walks up to us. She looks directly at me. "Your Aunt has suffered a massive coronary."

"I'm sorry?" I ask, not believing what I was told. "And you are?" I asked quizzically.

Cole walks up and puts his arm around her, kissing her lightly on the cheek. "Aubrey, this is Kathryn Peppin…my fiancée."

"Oh!" My eyes widen, as my mind races, as if refusing to acknowledge this information that Cole just told me. "How is Aunt Jessica?"

"These next twelve hours are very critical for your Aunt. The doctors have done everything they can. It's really up to her now."

"Who the bloody hell are you, to tell me this?" I declared. I then look over at Cole. "I demand to know what in the bloody hell is going on!" I spat, ignoring the shocked expression on his face.

I feel a hand on my shoulder. "Aubrey…this is a time to be calm. Your Aunt is a strong woman." Chavez said in a soothing tone. The lines on his old weathered face seemed deeper and more distinctive and extenuated the tracks of his tears. I felt my self starting to tear up again, not for my own loss, but for this soft spoken man who was in danger of losing his last and most genuine friend. I felt selfish and ashamed for my earlier outburst.

"Aubrey…she's in good hands here…she will get the best care." Cole calmly informed me. "Kathryn is in her fourth year as a medical student in Albuquerque. She has assured me that the doctors have done all they can at this point."

My soul felt heavy. Tears ran down my face, So much has happened in this past year, it all felt so overwhelming. How was I to deal with it all? I know I had to be strong for my Aunt Jessica's sake.

My mind was racing. The War in Europe had escalated; I had a constant worry for my parent's well being; Aunt Jessica was now in the hospital fighting for her life….what did Cole just say? His bloody fiancée!