A/N Remember, this is Fantasy/Romance, not drama. Well, none including any bad guys. I should say...I don't plan on it.

Chapter Six

The next morning Heath stood in the line shack reading a note that Eugene had left for him.

Please, forgive me Heath. I overheard what you said about tracking me down and I took my patient and left. I know this will make you curious; it would me. However, I'm asking you to leave things alone. Tell the family; I'm fine and will be home as soon as I can. My patient needs help and does not need anyone else around. Love, Eugene.

Heath folded the note as he contemplated on what to do. He had almost decided to do as his baby brother asked and go home, simply telling the family that Gene was fine and to just wait until he returned home. Only he couldn't. How could he when he got the strongest impression to continue tracking Eugene? That is after he, Heath, ate something. He sighed, that wouldn't take long as he only had apples and jerky on him. After all, it's not like he'd planned on being gone a long time. After thinking a few more minutes, he knew he'd have to go home, get a few supplies and get back to tracking his dear baby brother, only not before assuring the family that Eugene was fine, but simply needed the help of one person. Heath prayed he'd be forgiven for making that assumption only what else he could think? The impression he kept getting told him that his help would be needed; not why it would be needed, or that anyone else should be with him.

"What have you gotten yourself into, Gene?" Heath asked silently to himself as he turned around and walked out of the line shack.

~oOo~

"You didn't!" Dawn, who was sitting the floor of the cave, her legs bent at the knees and tucked to the left of her, stared at Eugene. He sat a few feet away, as he told her about a time, when he was eleven years old. He and some of his friends had set a trap inside Jarrod's law office one night; Jarrod had found himself hanging upside down the next morning.

A sheepish, somewhat embarrassed smile appeared on Eugene's face. "I was eleven years old and upset that Jarrod had disciplined me. After all, as I told him he wasn't my father." He then shook his head as a bit of sadness passed through his eyes. "It took me a few years, before I could see what a huge responsibility had fallen on that man's shoulders when our father was killed. I promised myself after that to never do anything that would add to his burden. Though," Eugene's eyes started laughing as he said, "that promise didn't stop me from pulling more than one harmless prank on him and the rest of the family…and they were harmless. I made sure of that." He then tilted his head ever so slightly and smirked, "Don't tell me you never pulled any pranks over on any one."

A not so innocent smile quickly spread across Dawn's face and she started laughing. "I don't suppose you'd be stupid enough to believe me if I claimed to be innocent on that account."

"No, I wouldn't." Eugene answered as he joined in her laughter. When he could get control of his laughter, he asked her to tell him about one of her tricks.

Dawn, who had grown quiet, didn't answer. At first Eugene couldn't help but wonder if her pranks hadn't turned out so well, but then she gave him a smile and said, "My oldest brother has had much the same responsibility, but not because our father was murdered, but because he gave up his wings and left my mother for another…one who lives under the sea."

When Eugene's eyes widened and uttered 'a mermaid' in a questioning tone of voice, Dawn started laughing again. "They are called mermaids only by your people, but yes, they have a tail instead of legs."

"Do they lure sailors to their deaths, as the stories say?" Eugene didn't even know why he asked such a question, he didn't believe in mythology. Then again, he was talking to a woman with wings; it made him question what he thought he'd always knew.

"Some I suppose," Dawn sighed as she looked towards the cave's blocked entrance. "I mean, there's good and bad among them a well. Though, if you ask me, they get a lot more blame than is rightly theirs."

The two then continued to talk about their families, their interests and their hopes for the future. Gene was pleasantly surprised to hear that Dawn actually cared for many of the animals up in the mountains, though most of her work was with the animals higher up in the mountains. "I want to help the ones closer to the base, but I only dare check on them at night…and most of the time I'm sleeping at that time." By the time she was finished speaking she was looking directly at Eugene, as if she was trying to figure something out.

"What is it? Is something wrong?" Eugene leaned forward and asked, sincere concern in his eyes.

"I…" Dawn chastised herself as she started to turn her head away; she couldn't believe the thoughts that had started to enter her head as she and Eugene Barkley laughed and talked. Actually, she had to admit, the thoughts had been trying to come ever since he led his horse away from the Barkley's barn. Still, they'd only just met and…no, it was impossible!

"Dawn?" Eugene quickly reached out and turned her head back towards him. He would have asked again what was wrong, only he saw the look in her eyes. He might be the youngest in his family, but it didn't make him naïve either. 'She's hurt, and you're both crazy' sounded in his ears as he took a hold of the sides of her face and lowered his head. By the time he pulled away, he once again vowed to protect her no matter what.