A/N: And here's number two, I promise this one has a happy ending although not all of them do as evidenced by the first chapter. I own nothing but my OC and altered plots. This prompt is "what if Billy hadn't waited to join her at Fort Sumner?"

Fort Sumner, New Mexico Territory, April 29, 1881

"Where is he, Beaver?"

"Word is he's hiding out at a sheep camp, won't come in." Jessie slung her hat on the table in the empty cantina.

"He was supposed to come straight here, I left him a note on the damn tobacco papers!" She dropped into a chair and rubbed at her forehead. "Get me a whiskey."

"Glass –"

"Just give me the whole damn bottle." Why couldn't he stop with the blasted games? Billy was clear stupid if he couldn't see what Garrett was. They had to get out of the territory before the rat found the guts to leave Lincoln. Beaver held out the bottle and she snatched it in a fit of pique, threw back half of it in one go. She hissed at the burn and slammed it down on the table. "I'll ride out and get him myself."

"Garrett thinks you're in California! Jessie, you just got to accept Billy ain't always your responsibility."

"He's all I've got left," she said stiffly. She'd lost everything else long ago and there was no turning back, as Beaver knew well, but was too smart to mention. A gun cocked behind her and she dove under the table, the whiskey overturning and splashing on the floor. Jessie rolled, bringing her gun up to bear on – "Damn it, Billy Bonney!" She surged off the floor. "I ought to shoot you anyway for being stupid!" She let the hammer down slowly and holstered her Colt.

"Hello, Jess. You miss me?" Then his familiar cackle burst loose and he scooped her up. "Hot damn he believed every word!"

"Put me down, right now!" He finally set her on her feet after a few spins around the room and looked around.

"Where's the boys? We got to head north." She bit her lip. "What?"

"I sent them away before we broke you out." He sat down slowly in the closest chair.

"They left?"

"I ordered them to go, there was no other choice unless we all wanted to die in the manhunt Garrett is preparing. We may not stop the Ring, but as long as we live, they still lose because they couldn't kill us, you've got to see that." Billy swallowed hard and looked up at her with tortured eyes.

"I do see it," he said hoarsely. "It's why I didn't wait any longer to come in. Beaver, can you give us a minute, please?" The pain in his voice stunned her and she stood there staring as Beaver closed the door behind him.

"What's wrong?" He drew in a shaky breath and scraped a hand over his face.

"I could have lost you," he said finally. "If Charlie hadn't stopped you from walking out that door at Stinking Springs …" His voice shook. "I spent every night in jail reliving that moment, and I watched you die, Jess."

"It didn't happen that way."

"But it could have." He stared down at his worn boots. "I think I knew it then. You remember back at White Oaks? I'd have given anything for you to say yes." She blinked slowly several times, forcing Isabella Martinez's observations to the back of her mind.

"Just what are you saying?" He looked up slowly.

"I love you, Jess." He wrapped his arms around his middle and stared down at the floor again when she didn't say anything. "I think I have since the fire, but I didn't realize it until I almost lost you." He wiped his face on his sleeve. "The game's not worth it if I lose the only real friend I ever had. Don't you see? No one else understands because they didn't lose everything like we did." He drew in a sharp breath. "You're the only one who took my shit and slung it right back."

"Obviously not hard enough," she quipped, not quite sure what else to say, and he choked on a laugh.

"I was gonna wait longer, I didn't want to high tail it here and lead him right to you again. But every time I thought about waiting, I'd remember what you said back in Juarez. I couldn't risk him picking tomorrow to start doing instead of thinking." He swallowed again. "Please say something, Jess."

"I don't know what to make of it," she said at last. "Susan and … others … said I must love you or I wouldn't fight so hard to get you out. I said we were pals, that you would do the same for me." She sat down across from him. "But … when Garrett said any escape attempt would mean you were the first one shot …" Billy reached across the table and took her hand.

"That's why we're clearing the territory tonight."

"You thought I was a spy."

"And you don't like me." He stood up, pulling her with him. "Let's ride."

"What about Garrett? He's just going to get away with turning on us?"

"They'll kill him when he fails," Billy said shortly. "Maybe not right now, but they will. He's just as much a loose end as we are."

"Maybe sitting in jail for four months did you a favor."

"John wouldn't want us to throw our lives away for nothing. He knew he was gonna die that day, and he didn't care, because he knew Dick would get us out of that mess alive. I ruined a lot, Jess, and I can't change it, but if we can get away now … I think he'd be happy." His eyes were red.

Jessie wasn't sure what to make of the sudden change. She'd expected one thing, and something completely different stood there instead. "I thought you just wanted me like you wanted Jane."

"You're a hell of a lot more than that," he said hoarsely. "There's only one person in this world I trust with my life and I'm looking at her." He pulled her against him, his heart slamming against her ribs, his arms around her back. "So even if you believe that love is just another word for trust, I still love you, Jess. And that's more important than revenge."

"God, you're a slow learner," she said into his shoulder, and he forced a laugh.

"At least I learned." He drew in a shaky breath. "Let's go find us a piece of country where no one knows us and figure out where we go from here." Jessie hugged him back, her own eyes stinging.

"Right behind you, Billy Bonney."