Hello everyone, I am back with a new chapter! I am trying to update regularly, but I am currently working on college apps as I am preparing to graduate in June, so that cuts into my writing time. But no matter what, I want to reassure all of you I do not plan on abandoning this story. I have been writing it since middle school, which is about four years. I have come so far with this story and do not plan on giving up, especially now. I hold this story near and dear to my heart and enjoy writing it.

That being said, I want to take a moment to thank all of you who are still following my story and putting up with my lengthy absences. I genuinely appreciate your support. Sorry for the spelling/grammar errors, I am writing this on my computer because my phone is acting like it is on crack. I also realize I have been neglecting the ninjas' POV on this story and I am very sorry for that. I am typing this portion of the story on one large doc so it's easier for me to go back, and I am currently working on the ninjas' POV, so that will come in the next chapter or after next depending on length.

In this chapter, we learn more about the incident that happened nine years ago that is being mentioned in the story. f you made it this far you deserve a cookie (::) Enjoy!

*TRIGGER WARNING: CONTAIN GRAPHIC DETAILS ABOUT BLOOD*

(Flashback beginning)

"Just walk around the pasture with him for right now." Samuel said to her. "I always warm up Gunsmoke before taking him out."

"Okay." She said cheerfully. Ranger nickered, and Hailey turned to him. "What did you say?"

Ranger looked at her. She stared back.

"Oh. Okay." She said, and looked at Samuel. "He said he wants an apple."

Samuel chuckled. "Did he now?"

"Yes," Hailey insisted. "Yes he did."

Samuel laughed again and decided to humor her. "Oh, all right." He crouched down and ruffled Hailey's hair. "I get an apple for Ranger, and you walk him around, deal?"

Hailey giggled. "Deal."

"Alright, then." Samuel got up.

"Come on, Ranger." She said, gently tugging on the halter. "Let's go for a walk."

"Remember to walk between his neck and shoulder!" Samuel called, walking towards the house. He was really nervous as he went inside, leaving Hailey alone like that. But he could see her outside the window. She was smiling ear to ear, talking to Ranger.

But as Samuel walked into the kitchen, he couldn't help but getting the feeling that he-or Hailey-was being watched.

He cast another glance out of the window. Ranger's tail just disappeared at the edge of the pane.

Samuel went into the fridge and rummaged around for the apple that was the brightest of red. He found what he was looking for and began to polish it on his shirt when he heard a scream and frightened neighing.

"Stop! Stop, he's not yours! Let go! Le-STOP! YOUR'E HURTING HIM, YOU'RE HURTING HIM!"

Samuel's heart leapt in his throat as he rushed to the window. What he saw terrified him.

A man who appeared out of nowhere wearing a black cowboy hat and a bandana had Ranger by two fistfuls of mane, pulling, and Hailey trying to drag him back by pulling hard as she could. She was red in the face from screaming at the thief. And poor Ranger was being yanked back and forth like a rope in Tug-o-War.

Samuel couldn't believe it. It was El Picazo, the leader of the biggest horse thieving ring in Mt. Horn.

And it was when El Picazo reached for a gun in his holster that Samuel bolted for the rifle under his bed and sprinted outside.

"STOP!" He yelled, running to the pasture, rifle loaded and instinctively aimed for the man's heart.

El Picazo froze and stared at Samuel before he drew his own revolver. But Samuel wasn't worried about himself right now, he was scared straight about Hailey getting hurt, or worse.

"Hands off the horse." Samuel demanded.

Much to his surprise, Picazo backed away from Ranger and walked briskly past him and put his revolver away, Samuel keeping the rifle pointed at his chest the whole way.

"Nice horse you have there," he said, whipping out his revolver again and pointing it at his head, turning back around. "It'd make a great remount for one that lost his in a shootout." He smiled at Samuel grimly, revealing a silver tooth. Samuel looked back and saw out of the corner of his eye, Hailey hugging Ranger's head and watching with big round eyes.

"Let's make a deal. Hand him over, and I'll leave peacefully."

Samuel shook his head and gripped his rifle tighter. "No."

The thief sighed. "Very well." He cocked his revolver. "Your loss."

"It's just the two of us." Samuel growled. "Plus, if you shoot me, someone's ought to hear and get you back."

Samuel backed away a couple steps.

"Not if the rest beat them to it."

"The rest?" Samuel echoed. He raised an eyebrow.

Picazo smiled even more. "Oh, yes. I ain't stupid enough as to to this dirty work by myself. It's nice to have a few sets of hands when you need them."

Then he shouted something indistinguishable and three others came slinking out of the woods skirting the edge of the house, guns drawn. Samuel eyed them nervously. Four to one. He was bound to go down in a heartbeat.

"Hailey! Get behind me!" He said, not turning around. Samuel didn't want Hailey being a target. If there was anyone to go down first than that man, it would be him.

Hailey was about to protest about Ranger, but reconsidered and bolted behind Samuel. He could feel her shaking with fear.

Picazo leaned over to get a better look at her. "Not very worthy of ransom." He observed. "A little scrawny, it seems to me."

The three others laughed. Hailey cowered behind Samuel even more.

"Leave her alone." Samuel growled.

"Oh, I wasn't gonna hurt her, she ain't worth the trouble." He straightened back up, still smiling. "But I don't know about them…" he looked to the trees behind them.

Then a shrill cry of fear from Hailey made Samuel look behind him over his shoulder. He cursed.

Five other armed men came around the back of the pasture, all guns on him. Samuel tugged Hailey closer as the thieves closed in.

"If anything happens to me, you run and get help, understand?" He said to her.

Hailey could only whimper in response.

Samuel and Hailey were completely surrounded.

"Stay behind me. I don't want you getting hurt."

Hailey pressed really close to Samuel. He made sure she would be protected by him before meeting the eyes of the horse thief and his backups. He still grinned coldly.

"When I'm done with you…" He paused a moment to spit. "There won't be enough of you left to snore."

Two men behind Samuel began to seize Ranger, so he fired a shot into the air that made the horse twist out of their grip and bolt into the forest. The black and white horse neighed in fright as he ran.

Picazo watched as Ranger galloped away.

"Well, don't just stand there!" He roared. "GET THAT HORSE!"

About three people ran back into the forest and emerged a few seconds later mounted and with lassos. They ran after where Ranger had gone.

Now the grin on the thief's face was gone, and he was staring daggers into Samuel's eyes.

"You're gonna regret that." He snarled.

Picazo began to pull back the trigger.

Samuel reached behind him to make sure Hailey was still there. He felt her trembling arm. The thief noticed it, and a steely glint showed in his eyes.

"On second thought…" He aimed his revolver for Hailey's head. She screamed.

"NO!" Roared Samuel. Then, instinctively, before El Picazo did Hailey any harm, Samuel pulled back on the trigger of his rifle and sent a bullet through his leg.

The thief yelled in pain as a bloody hole appeared on his leg and it twisted beneath him, making him fall. Samuel heard two bullets whizz past his ear.

The shootout had begun.

"GET DOWN!" Samuel yelled as he chambered a round into his rifle.

Samuel's first instinct was to protect Hailey, so he threw himself on top of her as he shot. He could hear her screaming beneath him because she was scared. He couldn't blame her. He was scared too, that something might happen to her. Eventually, Samuel was afraid that he would eventually smother Hailey, so he lied on his side, shooting, so Hailey could use him as a barricade. Nothing hit the both of them, but there were too many close calls.

The air became foggy with gunsmoke and dust as Samuel slowly picked off each of the thief's accomplices, while some others fled. Samuel earned being a rifle sharpshooter in the Mountain Guard, so it was no wonder some of the newer bandits were scared of his aim.

Eventually, there were only three people left, and Samuel got up to take them on.

"Stay here." He said to Hailey. She was too scared to speak. She stared at him with wide eyes.

"It's going to be okay, Hailey." He said as calmly as he could manage. He stared into her eyes. "It's going to be okay. I won't let them hurt you."

He looked around. The last three had dropped back to reload. He was about to get up when a red splotch on Hailey's arm caught his eye.

"Oh no." Samuel breathed. He quickly but carefully grabbed Hailey's arm and saw where a bullet grazed her skin. It wasn't too deep, but it was bleeding.

I can't keep her out here. He thought quickly. All these gunmen...if I go down...

"Go hide somewhere." Samuel said quickly. "Somewhere they can't find you. I'll come looking for you when this is all over, okay?"

Hailey nodded, although she was beyond scared and her lower lip was trembling.

"Alright." He said, wiping a tear from her face. He looked back up the hill, where the three men were back and taking aim.

"Go!" He yelled, shoving Hailey away. "Go now!"

Hailey looked at her uncle one more time before running off, none of the gunmen took interest in her and let her run past. Samuel could only sigh in relief.

She's safe. He thought as he watched her run out of sight behind the tack shed. She's safe now, and that's all tha-

Suddenly searing pain flared in Samuel's wrist. He cried out and almost lost hold on his rifle.

As he fumbled to get the rifle straight, he looked up and saw the three men all aiming at him. He rolled to avoid their shots, which went whizzing past him and lodging in the dirt.

Samuel was on his stomach when he picked off yet another one of the ringleader's accomplices. The second one fired back at him, and he grunted in pain as a bullet nicked his ear.

Samuel clapped a hand to the bleeding ear to keep the blood from flowing into it, using the other one to shoot, which was the one that had been grazed. Every time he pulled the trigger, it sent a stab of pain through his whole arm.

Samuel aimed for the second man and shot him in the leg, which brought him down. Then he was about to take out the last one, as he was reloading.

Samuel quickly loaded and aimed.

The last cocked his pistol.

Samuel pulled the trigger.

Click.

"Wha-?" He tried pulling it again.

Click click.

Samuel cursed. His rifle had jammed. He looked up and saw the last man, who was smiling. He knew that Samuel's rifle was no good.

He fired a shot, straight for Samuel's chest. Samuel dove out of the way, but not before the bullet scraped all along the top of his back.

"AAAH!" He screamed. A tortuous wave of pain racked Samuel's body as he stumbled to the ground. He collapsed face down, making him inhale a lungful of dust.

For a moment Samuel couldn't even move. All he could do was lay there and hack his lungs out. He even coughed up a little blood.

Then he heard the sound of someone, the thief's accomplice, coming up behind him. Quickly, Samuel tried to get up and look for his rifle, but the combined pain from his back and wrist wouldn't let him. He grunted in agony as he fell back down. He felt something trickle down his neck. He reached gingerly to wipe it away and saw that it was blood. Samuel tenderly felt along his shoulder, where more was dripping down.

Samuel wiped it away and was about to try and get up again, but then someone seized him by the shoulders and turned him over. Samuel cried out a little as his eyes were blinded by the sun. He tried to shield his eyes but the last accomplice shoved his hand away and grabbed him by the front of his jacket.

"Get up." He growled, roughly hauling Samuel to his feet. Samuel gasped in pain as his jacket chafed the bullet wound across his back. The pain made him dizzy, and one of his legs twisted awkwardly, making him fall.

"I said get up, dammit!" He yelled. He grabbed Samuel again, by the collar this time, and yanked him up again. The accomplice tightened up on his grip around the jacket collar, making it harder to breathe. Samuel flinched as he heard a gun cocking and when the muzzle of a pistol was pressed to the bottom of his chin.

"Now," he said in a low threatening tone. "I ain't suggesting that you try anything smart, understand?" When he said 'smart', he jabbed the muzzle harder into Samuel's chin, making the foresight nick into his skin. The accomplice made enough room for Samuel to nod weakly. Samuel had no other choice, he couldn't escape this now.

"Good." He said bitterly. He pressed the pistol to Samuel's chin again. The accomplice looked to the treeline. "Come on." He said after awhile, dragging Samuel behind him by the collar of his jacket. Samuel stumbled, tripping a few times, only to be met with a vicious yank around his neck to get him back up. Meanwhile, as they went into the forest that bordered their house, Samuel heard the bandit muttering to himself. He couldn't hear everything, but he caught a word or two here and there.

"Worthy of ransom…ask him later...where's a good...tie him up…"

Samuel's heart sunk, because now he knew he was most likely going to be used for ransom and was to be tied to a tree in the meantime. But his heart didn't sink for himself. It sunk for his niece, who he had no where she was, if she was hiding somewhere or if she had fallen into the clutches of one to the bandits, who might've broken off from the shootout to get her. Even if nothing happened to her, who would take care of her if something happened to him? The thought of that made Samuel shiver.

"Ah," said the bandit, startling Samuel out of his thinking. "There's one."

The bandit roughly yanked Samuel behind him, which made him trip over a rock.

"Come on, get up!" The bandit barked. Samuel began to get up, slowly. He was thoroughly miserable, because he was sure this where it was all gonna end.

But then something shining caught Samuel's eye. He immediately recognized it as a revolver. It was just laying there, as if someone dropped it while fleeing.

The bandit wasn't looking, and the gun was just in arms reach.

Samuel grabbed it as inconspicuously as he could, but almost dropped it as the bandit roughly jerked his collar again. Samuel stuck it in his pocket, even though as much as he wanted to use it right then and there, it wasn't the time.

Not yet.

The bandit led Samuel to the trunk of a thick tree.

"Like I said," he said as he shoved Samuel up the side of the trunk. The revolver bounced in his pocket, and it almost slipped out. The bandit pointed his pistol at Samuel's face and kept an elbow on his chest. "Don't do anything stupid. Try one thing, and I'll have you down in a heartbeat."

Samuel nodded again, and the man put his gun back in the holster to take out a piece of rope he had.

Just the moment Samuel had been waiting for.

While he had begun to sort out the knots, Samuel's hand darted into his pocket and pulled out the revolver.

The bandit's eyes lit up with alarm and he quickly drew his pistol.

But not quickly enough.

With a loud BANG!, Samuel had shot the bandit in the hip. He yelled and staggered back. Samuel dashed for it, but he tripped over a log after two steps, the impact aggravating the pain in his back. Black splotches formed in Samuel's vision, and for a moment he could only writhe.

The bandit took advantage of Samuel's distraction. Despite the throbbing in his hip, he quickly army crawled to Samuel. Just as Samuel was starting to get up, the bandit seized his ankle, making him fall again, pulled a switchblade knife from his pocket and stabbed Samuel's calf.

Samuel shrieked in agony as the blade sank into his leg. The bandit grabbed firmer hold on Samuel, who was still struggling to get away and began pulling him in. Samuel tried, but no matter how much he struggled, the bandit seemed to have a handle on him.

The bandit soon got hold of Samuel's hood, and he pulled him so they were level with each other.

"YOU THOUGHT THAT WAS SMART?!" The bandit roared in Samuel's face.

When Samuel kicked the bandit in the shin for an answer, he decided to teach him a lesson.

"Oh," he hissed venomously. "I'll show you smart."

He grabbed Samuel by the neck and hauled him to the nearest tree. Using that one for support, the bandit threw Samuel against the next trunk. He staggered over and smashed the handle of his pistol across Samuel's forehead just as he was getting up before pressing the gun forcefully to his chest.

The bandit, triumphant, crouched to a beaten up Samuel's eye level.

"You know," he said mockingly. "I was hoping to use you for ransom, you would've fetched us quite a lot of actual." He smiled cruelly as he cocked his pistol. "But now, from what I've seen, doing this ought to sa-"

The bandit didn't get to finish because Samuel punched him in the face. The bandit doubled over and landed sprawled on the ground, blood gushing from his nose.

Samuel staggered up and fell from the agony in his calf. His vision went fuzzy and he felt lightheaded.

Don't pass out. Samuel kept thinking. Don't pass out, whatever you do, don't pass out.

Samuel scrabbled over to the bandit, punched him again and chucked his pistol into the trees. As Samuel tried to scramble away, the bandit lunged for his arm with the switchblade, but Samuel saw it coming and kicked him in the face.

The bandit cried out and dropped the knife.

This is my chance. Samuel thought in a split second.

And without a moment's hesitation, Samuel staggered back up and ran before falling back down from the searing pain in his leg. But even though it was as excruciating as it was, that didn't stop him.

He stumbled through the forest, tripping, falling and almost passing out from the pain a few times. He kept pushing on and on and on until, finally, he burst past the treeline and onto the dirt bordering the pasture.

It was only then that he let himself fall to his knees and he collapsed onto the ground, sweat pouring down his face, chest heaving, and in an agony which he never felt before.

Samuel laid there, for how long, he didn't know. It seemed to take hours to stop his heart from racing and many hours more for his raging headache to calm down. It did, but then he went into a coughing fit from the combination of a scratchy throat from the dust and being really thirsty. He used his good leg to turn himself on his back only to be blinded by the sun. He groaned and covered his eyes with a shaking hand.

And then he had that feeling that he was forgetting something.

But what?

Samuel racked his brain. The revolver? No. He lost track of it with the scuffle with the bandit, but it wasn't really important. Dealing with the ringleader?

Samuel painfully turned himself onto his stomach and looked around. El Picazo lay passed out a few yards away from him. He observed that there were three shots he had taken, one of the two on his leg being his, but the the other two, where did those come from? Poor aim from the others maybe?

Samuel shook his head, and grabbed it when the headache flared back up, a stabbing pain in his skull. He writhed until it went away.

Was it Ranger? The horse thieves would've probably got him by now. If they did, there was almost no possible chance of getting him back. How Hailey would-

When Samuel finally remembered, he wanted to punch himself for forgetting. It hit him like a brick to the head.

"Haile-AH!" Samuel tried to get up, but landed on his sliced calf, which sent a horrible, tearing pain through his leg. He fell back down to the ground with a thud.

"Hailey!" He tried again.

Nobody came. No little five year old running to him, not even the sound of a voice.

"Hailey!"

Samuel was becoming nervous, as if he wasn't already. Knowing her, Hailey would've come by now. She always did.

"HAILEY!" He bellowed.

Still no answer.

Samuel couldn't help but get this really sick feeling in his stomach. As much as he wanted to deny it though, it was too much to ignore.

"HAILEY! PLEASE! ANSWER ME!" He was basically pleading now.

Please let me be wrong. Samuel begged. Please, please let me be wrong.

Samuel waited for several excruciating minutes, and no one still came.

"HAILEY!" He screamed. "PLEASE! ANSWER ME! PLEASE!" Tears were forming in Samuel's eyes as he waited.

"Please...j-just please…"

When nobody came still, Samuel had to face the ugly truth. Hailey was gone.

Samuel dropped his face in his hands and started sobbing. The bandits took both Hailey and Ranger, and he let it happen. He should've fought against the bandit as soon as he pulled him away, he should've done it with all the will in the world. Or maybe he should've ran with Hailey until he could know for himself that she would be safe and beyond the bandits' clutches.

But, either way, he should've stayed with her to defend her.

And to make things even more miserable, tomorrow was the end of the regulation period, which from there would determine if Samuel was fit to care for Hailey as a guardian.

Then a memory came to him, at the courthouse where the regulation period was being set up. The official had said that the period would be two months, and then dismissed the meeting.

Samuel had just stepped outside when someone grabbed him by the sleeve and pulled him off to the side. He spun around to meet the brown eyes of Laura. She was scowling.

"If anything happens to my daughter," she growled, jabbing him in the chest. "You will be fully responsible, understand?"

Samuel nodded.

"Tell me you promise."

"I do."

"You what?"

"I promise."

"If anything happens to her I will never trust you with anybody ever again. Even now I don't trust you."

"Why?"

Laura gave Samuel a hard look. "Don't play stupid with me."

Then he knew what she was talking about.

"It was so bad they went as far as to go to Ninjago to get away from you after the divorce." She said bitterly, seeing the flicker of recognition in his eyes.

"Please," Samuel winced. "Don't remind me. I've changed, Laura. I really have."

"Well, I hope so." Laura spat. "Because last time I saw you, it wasn't the Samuel I always knew and loved."

Those last words cut deeper than any knife. His own sister didn't trust him wholly anymore.

As the flashback ended, Samuel couldn't help but think of Laura's fury when she found out about this. He had hoped, along with not being lonely in life anymore, to gain some, just a little, trust back which he lost with her seven years ago by doing this.

And apparently, it wasn't going to happen. He wouldn't gain anything back from Laura. She was more likely to just shut him out of her life entirely.

That just made Samuel bawl. He had been through enough being lonesome in his life, from his former wife and possibly his son, a little bit of his own mother, and now Laura, unless a miracle happened. He just couldn't handle being alone anymore.

Samuel's body was racking with his crying.

"W-wh-where did it all g-go wrong?" He asked himself between sobs.

"Where…?"

Samuel cried and cried and cried. He couldn't do anything else. He couldn't move; his leg was slashing bright zigzags of pain in his vision and it was stiffening up, along with the other bullet wounds he suffered. He couldn't call for help, his voice was scratchy and hoarse. He couldn't look up, because the headache when the bandit cracked the pistol handle across his head came back.

When Samuel heard the sound of yet another person coming behind him, he was almost glad.

"Go ahead." Samuel said mournfully. "You win. Shoot me." He put his face to the ground and shut his eyes with defeat. "I have nothing to lose…"

And then-

"Unkie Sammy!"

Samuel's eyes snapped open with surprise. Did he just hear what he thought he just heard?

Samuel shook his head.

I'm just imagining it. He thought. All in my head.

Then he heard it again.

"Unkie Sammy!"

Then Samuel realized that the footsteps he heard weren't the slow, menacing steps of a horse thief about to shoot him in the head, but they were quick, energetic.

Just like a five year old kid.

"Unkie Sammy!" This time the voice seemed much closer.

Samuel made the absolutely excruciating effort to lift his head some inches and look in the direction in the voice. His vision was blurred from the pain, but he saw who was running toward him, and his eyes went wide.

Samuel righted himself to a kneel, all pain and sadness forgotten as Hailey threw herself into his arms.

"Hailey! Oh thank god!" Samuel cried as he hugged her harder than he ever did to anyone. He buried his face into her shoulder and cried.

"Oh, you don't know how glad I am to see you." He said. It was true. He couldn't be more relieved. He let go of her for just a moment to look at her. Her face was covered in dust and there were trails that tears left behind.

Then he noticed that her lip was shaking and she looked like on the verge of crying.

Samuel suddenly became worried.

"What's wrong?" He asked quickly. He looked over her quickly. "Did they hurt you?"

Hailey looked at him. "Who?"

"The bandits. They took you...when I called...I thought they did..." Samuel's voice trailed off. He was baffled.

"If they didn't get you, why didn't you come when I called? I was practically screaming your name!"

"I ran like you told me. I ran into the town, I tried finding your friend, but I forgot where he lived and got lost." Hailey said slowly. She looked at Samuel.

"Then how did you find your way back?"

"I wandered until things looked familiar. I saw you on the ground."

Samuel sighed with relief. Then he saw the look on Hailey's face, which still looked like she was about to cry.

"But you don't look so good. Are you hurt?" Samuel asked as he wiped a tear away with his thumb.

Hailey shook her head.

"Then why?"

"Because," Hailey whispered. "You are."

"Wha-" Samuel watched as Hailey took his wrist gently and turned it over, revealing the bloody, gaping scratch that a bullet left behind. Samuel had completely forgotten about it, but now that he remembered-

Samuel gasped and clutched his wrist as a searing pain flashed through his whole arm.

"Are you okay?!" He heard Hailey half ask, half yell.

For a moment Samuel couldn't speak.

"Yes." He strained. "It just hurts really bad."

"Then you're not okay." Samuel felt Hailey take his wrist again. "Here."

"What are...what are you doing?"

"The same thing you do when I get hurt." Hailey said before kissing his wrist where it wasn't bloody. "Better?"

Samuel forced a pained grin. "Better." He repeated. Strangely, it actually did feel just a bit less painful. Just a bit.

"Oh, I'm just so glad you're safe." Samuel said, pulling Hailey back into a hug. "I thought I'd never see you again! Praise the Four Legends." He added under his breath.

"Why?"

"Because, I thought that if they couldn't get Ranger, they would take you instead."

"But why would they take me?" She asked, pulling away from Samuel to look at him. "You heard what he said. I'm not worth a pile of beans!"

"Because thieves are desperate like that. And don't listen to what they say." Samuel paused and wrapped Hailey back into a strong embrace.

"Why?"

"Because," he answered, closing his eyes. "You're worth all the world to me." And it couldn't be more true.

Then a feeling welled up in Samuel's chest. He couldn't explain it. It was like happiness. It was like a fierce will to protect Hailey at all costs, even at the expense of his own life. It was like the missing piece of a puzzle of his life had been finally fitted into place.

Then Samuel realized it.

It was an undying love rediscovered. Something that he had lacked in his life for far too long. Sure, he loved his horse, he loved his home, but this was different.

"Hailey." He said. "I need to tell you something."

"What?"

Samuel paused to stare deep into Hailey's brown eyes.

"I love you."

Three words. Three words he hadn't said in a long year of being alone.

"I love you too, Unkie Sammy." Hailey said, hugging him this time. "You're the best uncle in the world."

That shocked Samuel a bit. To hear that from someone, it was...well...wonderful.

Samuel returned Hailey's embrace and rested his head on her shoulder. He closed his eyes and sighed with content. They didn't let go for a long time.

Finally. Samuel thought. Finally. Someone who I could love. Someone who could love me.

Samuel didn't let go of Hailey. He had no desire to.

"Hailey, I promise you. I'll never leave you like that again." He whispered. It was true. From that moment on, he would never, never leave Hailey alone like that in a dangerous time and place.

"You can bet your life on that."

Samuel held on to Hailey, the feeling of happiness and strangely, peace of mind warming his heart.

Click.

Samuel didn't pay attention to the noise much, but opened an eye out of curiosity.

And he locked eyes with El Picazo.

His steely blue eyes were swathing with a cold, dark look and he was smiling a bitter grin.

And Samuel saw that he was aiming his revolver straight at them.

The Picazo's finger twitched, and Samuel gasped and shoved Hailey out of the way just before a bullet tore through his shoulder, where her heart had been a split second before.

Samuel screamed with pain and fell to the ground, his vision going black and white, dark red blood splattering on the dirt. He heard Hailey scream beside him and rush to his side.

"H-Ha-Hailey…" Samuel gasped, clutching his bleeding shoulder. "Go get help. N-now."

"But Unkie Sammy! You're hurt bad!" She bawled. "You're bleeding!"

"Do-don't worry about m-me." He strained again. "Go." He tried getting up, but just twitching his arm just made it feel like his skull was about to split open. He cried out and fell hard on his injured side.

"Go. Don't worry about…about me." Samuel muttered. He was slipping out. "I-I'll be...I'll be fine." He hated the thought of Hailey running away again just when he promised that he'll never let her out of her sight again, but with this heartless thief, it was either that or watch Hailey be shot down in front of him.

Hailey looked at him, tears clearly in her eyes, before taking off for the village again. Then Samuel heard yet again another click, and saw Picazo's eyes following Hailey, revolver lifted and aimed at her. He was sneering.

Then he saw his finger twitch.

"NO!" Samuel bellowed. A sudden rush of adrenaline raged through him, a fierce instinct to protect, like a dragon protecting its hatchling, fueling him as he bolted up and threw himself between Hailey and the bullet meant for her.

Samuel felt the unbearable pain of an inch of lead push through his skin, tear through flesh, and shatter his femur.

The second Samuel hit the ground, his vision went black and he was senseless.

. . .

Knockknockknockknock!

Christopher and Tony were at Tony's house, sitting at the table. Christopher was staying a few nights while his own house was being sprayed for termites.

"Did you hear that?" The red-blonde asked as Tony handed him a plate of food. "Thanks."

"You're welcome." Tony said. "It's probably a salesman. They've been dropping by my house for the past few months." He shook his head, sitting down with Christopher and his own plate of food. "Absolutely annoying."

"And Samuel's teaching Hailey to ride today, isn't he?" Christopher asked.

Tony nodded as he took a bite into his sandwich-

"Tony!" Came a high pitched voice from the outside of the front door. "Chris! Open the door! Hurry!" This was followed by the sound of someone pounding their fist on the door.

The two men suddenly looked at each other in confusion, looking from themselves to the door.

"I'll get it." Tony said finally. He got up from his chair and went to the door, where there was another fit of pounding.

The man opened the door and was very surprised to see what was there.

It was Hailey. She was covered in dirt, the rotten-egg smell of gunpowder clung to her clothes, trails from the tears left behind in her dirty face.

Tony was shocked, but then he saw the bloody graze on her arm and the look that she was going to cry.

"Oh lord…" Christopher said, who had gotten up to see what was going on, also in shock as well. He pushed Tony aside and dropped to a knee.

"Hailey," he breathed, wondering how in the world she could've gotten like this. He looked her over. "What the hell happened?! Where's your Uncle Sam?"

Then he shook his head.

"Come on, come inside." He said to her. "Tell is what happened."

"Unkie Sammy's hurt!" She bawled, pointing back. "Bandits with guns came and tried to steal Ranger but Unkie Sammy came and scared them off but one shot him and now he's hurt and bleeding!"

"WHAT?!" The two men said at the same time.

"Samuel's been shot?!" Tony cried.

"Yes!" She sobbed.

"Okay, Hailey. Calm down." Christopher said. "Here…" He picked her up and set her down on the counter.

"Tony, there's a first aid kit under the bathroom sink down here. Get it quick!"

Tony nodded quickly before rushing down the hall. Christopher watched him go before turning back to Hailey. He took his hand under her chin to look her in the eye.

"Hailey, please. I need you to calm down, otherwise I won't be able to understand you, okay?" Christopher was trying to look calm on the outside, but on the inside he was just as scared as she was.

Hailey sniffed and nodded.

"I-I'll try.…" she sniffed.

Tony came back with a white case and set it down before opening it.

"Lemme see that." The red blonde said, pointing to a roll of gauze. Tony nodded and handed it to him. As he got a cotton ball wet with hydrogen peroxide and began cleaning her graze (she whimpered as the peroxide stung badly, but she didn't scream), Christopher began unwrapping the roll.

"Where's Unkie Sammy now, Hailey?" He asked her. He began dressing her wound.

"I-I ain't sure…" she sniffed.

"Where did you see him last?" Tony chimed in.

Hailey gasped a breath.

"It was by the stable…" she began. "Unkie Sammy and I were hugging when one of the bandits shot him and he yelled at me to run away…h-he told me to get help."

Christopher grunted. Tony finished binding the bandage with medical tape.

"Do y'all know if he's still there?" He asked her.

"I-I don't know…" she sniffed. "The bad guys may have taken him…"

With that, Christopher's eyes suddenly grew hard as he abruptly stood up.

"Wait here." He said gruffly as he practically ran down the hall to his bedroom, the clack clack clack of his prosthetic leg in a boot following him. He came back with a Winchester Model 71 rifle and Remington 870 EC shotgun in his arms.

He tossed Tony the shotgun and helped Hailey off the counter. Then he took some bullets from the pocket in his jacket and loaded the gun, flipping the safety off.

"What about her?" Tony asked, both looking down at the terrified child practically clinging to the man's (fake) leg.

"She's coming with us." He answered bluntly. He stooped over and wrapped his arm around the five year old before hoisting her up. "We can't just leave her behind. We need her."

Tony opened his mouth to argue, but saw the look and his eyes and shut it. He nodded.

The two sprinted out the door, Christopher carrying his gun in one hand and holding Hailey tightly with the other. She had started to cry, from the pain of the graze and being scared. She rested her head on the man's shoulder and began to sob.

"I…I'm scared!" She bawled.

Despite running a marathon on a prosthetic and holding a gun with a 75 pound child at the same time, Christopher found the strength to tighten his grip around her waist as he held her closer.

"It's okay, Hailey!" He said over his panting. "It's gonna be fine. You're okay! The bad guys won't hurt you ever again! Unkie Sammy's okay! He'll be okay!"

Christopher heaved a gasp of air. His good leg was cramping and his lungs already felt overworked. His heart was racing from exhaustion and fear. He was already thinking the worst case scenarios and hoping one of them wasn't going to meet their eyes when they got there.

"At least I hope he will…" He gasped. "Dear god, let him be okay…the man's been through enough…show him some damn mercy!"

But mercy was to elude them, and they found that out when they reached the top of the hill and rounded the line of trees that bordered the stable. There they saw the forms of two men laying crumpled on the ground. The one wearing a black Stetson hat near the fence line was beginning to stir. The other near the trees with the tan jacket lay unmoving, facedown, red splotches of blood all over.

Christopher's heart almost stopped and Tony's face went pale as he gasped. Horror and fear suddenly seized both of their throats.

"SAMUEL!" They both cried.

The two men ran over to their friend. Christopher handed Hailey to Tony before he dropped down to Samuel's side.

Christopher grabbed his shoulder and turned him over onto his back. Blood was beginning to ooze from the corner of his mouth and his shoulder was soaked in dark red, more blood beginning to puddle around it.

The red-blonde took Samuel's limp head into his hand and gently slapped the injured man's face.

"Samuel." He said. He did it again. "Samuel!" He repeated, firmer this time. Then he shook his good shoulder. "Samuel!"

"Unkie Sammy!" Hailey yelled, twisting from Tony's hold and started running over.

"Stay back, Hailey!" Christopher said to her, putting up a hand and gesturing her to back up. "He needs some room!"

"But he's hurt!" Hailey argued, tears running down her face. "He needs help!"

"I know! You can help him and me by staying back, okay?" Christopher shook Samuel again and pinched him. "If there's too many people around him, he won't have much space to breathe!"

"O-okay…" she sniffed, and let Tony scoop her up again.

Christopher shook his head, muttering something under his breath as he began to feel down Samuel's neck for a pulse.

"He's alive." Christopher said as he felt something beating under Samuel's skin. He pointed to Tony. "Hurry, call 911 and tell them we need an ambulance!"

Tony set Hailey down and pulled out his phone. While he was dialing, Christopher started peeling off Samuel's Carhartt. Chucking the bloodstained jacket away, the man then got up and started pressing the hands over his shoulder wound, blood seeping past his fingers.

"Samuel!" Christopher shouted. He shook the man hard. "Wake up, goddammit! SAMUEL!"

Suddenly there was a sharp, gurgling gasp as Samuel's eyes suddenly shot open. His face immediately contorted into one of agony and started coughing, also letting out a sharp cry of pain. More blood spattered onto his cheek and chin. His breathing was shallow, ragged, and quick, each breath raspy as blood began to trickle down his throat.

"Thank god…" Christopher muttered under his breath. "Samuel!" He said, shaking him. "Look at me!"

Christopher tilted Samuel's head toward him. Through his dirty and cracked glasses he saw that the wounded man's eyes were glassy and his face was becoming rapidly pale.

'He's losing too much blood.' Christopher thought.

Samuel groaned in agony.

"Samuel, look at me!" He said again. "Talk to me! What happened?!"

The wounded man groaned and his head lolled.

"Goddammit Samuel!" Christopher yelled. He turned his face toward him again. "Talk to me!"

"It…it hurts…" Samuel said, his voice nothing more than a gasping croak. "My leg…"

"Your what?" Christopher craned his neck and saw that part Samuel's pant leg was ripped and also red, blood dripping onto the dirt. He cursed, looking between his shoulder and leg.

"Tony! Get me cobwebs from the trees!" Christopher barked.

Tony nodded and sprinted to the pines, reaching up into the branches for webs.

Samuel's eyelids began to droop, groaning softly as his neck and face started to go limp once again.

"Stay with me, Samuel!" Christopher said. He shook him again. He was finding it harder to keep pressure on his shoulder wound and keep his head off the ground at the same time. Christopher's hand and the fabric around the wound was completely covered in dark red. Samuel's face was as pale as a ghost. "No, nonono…"

What about me?" Hailey asked, her voice quaking as she saw her uncle in pain.

Christopher looked up at her.

"Come here Hailey!" He said. She ran over and knelt down opposite to him.

"I need you to keep him awake." He said. "Talk to him, pinch him, slap him, whatever you need to do. Don't let him close his eyes, okay?"

Hailey nodded quickly. She took Samuel's hand into hers and shook it.

"Unkie Sammy, wake up!" She said. "Wake up! Wake up or I'll pinch you!"

Then she reached over and pinched Samuel hard on his cheek. He groaned as his eyes began to open again.

Christopher nodded quickly as he started applying more pressure onto Samuel's shoulder wound. "Just like that…"

Tony came racing back with a few fistfuls of cobwebs.

"Here," he said breathlessly, handing them to Christopher. "Quickly!"

Christopher snatched them away and began stuffing his shoulder wound with them. Samuel gasped in pain.

"His eyes are closing!" Hailey cried. "I can't keep him awake!"

"Here!" Christopher said. "It's okay, Hailey! Just back up!"

There was a gurgling sound as blood burbled up from Samuel's throat. He coughed, a lump of dark, sticky blood coming up from his mouth and spilling onto the dirt, choking a little.

Tony gasped, took Hailey into his arms and held her close, turning her away, shielding her eyes from the gruesome sight.

"Samuel!" Christopher shouted. He shook him. "Samuel! SAMUEL! STAY WITH ME!"

Christopher began pounding Samuel's back with his fist, trying to force the blood that was strangling him out.

More and more blood started to gush, not only from his mouth but his shoulder as well. His skin was practically white and started to get an unsettling ashy tinge to it. He was gasping for breath, wheezing, going limp. Christopher, who was starting to panic, felt his pulse. It was becoming more rapid and weaker. He was dying.

"WHERE'S THAT DAMNED AMBULANCE?!" Christopher roared.

Suddenly the keening wail of sirens and the sound of a vehicle speeding up the road was heard. Before long,the ambulance, lights flashing, came speeding through the roundabout and skidded to a halt next to the stables. Five paramedics jumped out, three with gear bags, the other two with a stretcher. They rushed over to Christopher, who was starting to do CPR on Samuel. He looked up at them.

"He's lost a lot of blood and his pulse is weak!" He said as they set down their bags and unzipped them.

"Is he responsive?" One of them asked. Christopher shook his head violently.

"No!"

The other two brought the stretcher over. One of them shone a flashlight in Samuel's glazed eyes while another started cutting part of his shirt off, while the fifth was talking to the operator over his radio.

"We've got a victim, he's a white male with blue eyes, approximately in his late thirties or early forties." He said quickly. "He has heavy blood coming from his left shoulder and right calf. One is a bullet wound and the other appears to be a stab wound. We're requesting an immediate trauma crew at the ER…"

One of the paramedics got an oxygen mask and gently put it on Samuel. Meanwhile the other three had started dressing his wounds to stanch the bleeding. Then they all took hold of him.

"On three." One of them said. "One, two, three!"

They heaved Samuel on the stretcher and began strapping him down before they wheeled him and lifted him into the back of the ambulance. One of them slammed the doors shut before joining the driver. Then they quickly backed out and sped off.

"SAMUEL!" Christopher cried. "WAIT!"

Christopher took off for Samuel's house, rushing inside. He came running back out with a set of keys. He ran to Samuel's truck and unlocked it before climbing inside. The engine came roaring to life as he backed out of the driveway and went tearing down the road, following the ambulance. Within seconds both had vanished from sight, leaving just Tony alone with Hailey, trying to absorb everything that just taken place. It all happened so fast.

"Where did Chris and Unkie Sammy go, Tony?" Hailey asked.

"They…they went to the hospital, mijha…" he said, a lump starting to form in the back of his throat.

"When will they be back?" She asked again.

"I-I don't know…" he muttered.

'Maybe never…' he thought, his gut wrenching at the thought that was very possible of becoming reality.

Unsure of what to do, Tony turned and began walking back in the direction of his house, skin going pale as he saw all of Samuel's blood on the ground.

Then he remembered the other man with the black Stetson. Tony looked back at where he saw him last, but nothing was to be seen. He must've fled while Christopher and him were trying to help Samuel.

Tony heaved a shaky sigh, trying to calm his racing heart and ease the tightness in his throat.

Samuel couldn't die. He couldn't. Not like this. He had already been through so much. Hailey would be devastated, and maybe even scarred. He tried to convince himself that his brother-in-arms that he would pull through, but every time he saw the blood, he wasn't so sure.

"Will he be okay?" Hailey asked.

Tony found it hard to lie. "I…I'm not sure…"

"I miss Unkie Sammy…" Hailey said, starting to cry.

Tony held the girl closer. "I do to, mijha." He said, tears starting to blur his vision as they began walking into the house.

"I do too…"

(Flashback end)

Another silence stretched for a time. Tony rubbed his face and sniffed. Christopher hung his head.

"He was never the same after that…" He said, his voice shaky. "He barely lived…couldn't remember who any of us were for a while…all that progress he made, for nothing…"

He wiped his nose, sounding like he was on the verge of crying. Tony was silent.

Zane was in shock. He couldn't think of anything to say. They continued to ride in silence.

Now he understood why Hailey was so angry. Picazo had tried to kill Samuel! In the most cowardly of ways! If they didn't succeed killing him then, they almost certainly would now. But why wait and take him captive? Would they want to torture Hailey by having her watch them blast his brains out? Wring his neck? Flayed? Or worse?

The same anger Zane had seen on Hailey's face hours earlier coursed through him.

He couldn't let them get away with this. He wouldn't. Samuel had done too much for him to just stand idly by.

Zane, taking a firm hold on Gale's reins, sped ahead and then turned around to face Tony and Christopher.

"I'm not letting Samuel die at their hands." He declared. "I'm indebted for what he has done for me, and even without that circumstance, I would be just as determined. These criminals almost took his life and are seeking to do so again. From this moment forward, ensuring that Samuel is safely rescued is my top priority. And these sorry cowards will meet the consequences of their actions to the fullest degree of the law. Mark my words, they will not get away with any of this. Nothing will stand in my way, not even Picazo's full force of men with guns drawn."

"You're not doing this alone," Christopher said, riding up to him. "Samuel's our friend too."

"Nuestro hermano de armas." Tony added.

Zane cocked his head. "I apologize, but I do not know what that means, as I'm unfamiliar to your people's language."

"Brother in arms," Tony repeated, in the common language this time. "We all fought together during our times of service."

"Got each other out of a lot of shit…" Christopher said. "We never left anyone behind. If one couldn't go, none of us did."

"Then let it be the same with us then. I may not have fought your battles, or originate from where you have, but I have fought alongside with brothers of my own and I know the bond you share."

"Then let us be then," Tony said. "Become brothers to save another."

Christopher and Zane nodded in agreement. "Well said."

Tony rode past the other two and gestured. "Vamanos!"

Christopher and Zane spurred their horses and the three galloped off, heading north.

I hope you enjoyed this chapter. Please feel free to leave a review below, as seeing your love, support, and opinions is what makees me keep this story going. Goodnight y'all. RealtreeGal signing off.