Hannibal Heyes and Kid Curry had been on the trail for just over a week and they had been looking forward to resting up for a few days in the town of Red Butte. Both men were in good moods after getting cleaned up, eating a steak supper at the diner and getting a good nights' sleep in their room at the hotel. That had quickly changed the next evening when they'd left town in the pouring rain. Now two days later the rain had finally decided to let up but the two men were soaking wet, as were all their belongings and were barely speaking to each other. Dismounting they silently setting up some sort of camp, the tension almost unbearable. Kid threw his saddlebags on the ground.

"I'm so damn tired of bein' wet," he growled shooting an icy glare at his partner. "We could be stayin' in that nice dry hotel…"

"Yeah Kid I know," Heyes responded glumly. "But they were cheatin' Kid…I just couldn't figure out how."

"Anybody else woulda walked away, but not you. You couldn't bring yourself to walk away until you lost all our money."

"Well it's a change from havin' to leave town cos you couldn't keep your gun in your holster," Heyes snapped.

His anger back in full force, the Kid wheeled on his partner, his hand dropping to rest on the gun on his hip as his eyes narrowed dangerously.

"Why is it everything always has to be my fault? Always gotta blame everything on somebody else. Why can't you admit when it's you that's wrong? I swear Heyes one of these days you're gonna push me too far and I'm gonna end up shootin' ya."

The Kid shook his head disgustedly and turned his back on his partner. Heyes opened his mouth to snap back at him, but his sense of self preservation kicked in so instead he walked away giving his cousin time to hopefully settle down. He walked through the trees, his partners' words still echoing in his head, not really paying attention to where he was walking when he slipped barely able to stop himself from falling. Looking down he saw that he'd almost walked right into a huge patch of mud. He was already wet so decided sitting on the fallen tree a few feet away wasn't going to make him any wetter. He sat staring at the mud, his mind drifting back to a distant memory.

XXX

It was Saturday and eight year old Hannibal Heyes and his five year old cousin Jed Curry walked into the kitchen where their mothers were talking and laughing as they cleaned up the lunch dishes after their husbands had left to return to work in the fields. With their morning chores done the boys had been told they could do what they wanted this afternoon.

"Jimmy and Frank are waitin' for me down by the river."

"Can I come?" Jed asked hopefully.

"NO!" Hannibal snapped.

Jed's face fell. "But…"

"You can help us Jed," his mother said gently.

"Hannibal it won't hurt you to take him along."

"Aw ma, why does he have to come, he's just a baby."

"I am not."

"Y'are so." He glanced up at his mother. Seeing her stern look as well as her hands on her hips, his shoulders slumped in defeat.

"All right," he mumbled.

"And keep an eye on him." Hannibal didn't answer. "Do you hear me young man?"

"Yes ma'am."

"Don't get yourself too dirty Jed we're going to town as soon as your pa gets home."

"All right ma."

And with that the two boys went outside and headed to meet Jimmy and Frank, Jed having to jog along behind his cousin to keep up.

"Wait up Hannibal."

"You wanted to come so you have to keep up, I ain't waitin' for ya."

It didn't take long for them to get to the river where the other two boys were waiting.

"Why'd ya bring the baby?"

"My ma made me."

"I ain't a baby."

"No? Ya sure look like one?"

"Acts like one too most of the time."

"I do not and I'm gonna be six tomorrow."

"Six…still a baby."

"Leave him be Jimmy," Hannibal finally said.

"Why? Will baby Jed run home cryin' to his mama?" Jimmy asked giving Jed a little push. Jed staggered back a couple of steps and bumped into Frank.

"Hey watch where you're goin'," he said pushing him towards Hannibal, who grinned and pushed him back to Jimmy. They continued this for a few minutes all three boys laughing when Jed lost his temper and launched himself at his cousin who easily caught his arms to stop him from hitting him.

"Stop it."

Jed continued to struggle until Hannibal gave him a solid shove backwards. Jed tripped and went down in a large patch of mud that had formed from all the rain they'd had in the past few days. He sat up a small trickle of blood visible on the side of his face from a small cut. He glared at his cousin, hearing the laughter of the other two boys.

"Great now I'll be in trouble for that. You're always gettin' me in trouble Jed. Why can't ya leave me alone!"

He saw the hurt in Jed's eyes but shook his head rolling his eyes as he reached his hand out to help him up…which Jed ignored. Slipping and sliding, he struggled to his feet, saying nothing as he turned heading in the direction of home.

The three boys watched him walk away, two of them still laughing, the third knowing he was going to be in trouble.

"Ya ain't really gonna be in trouble are ya Hannibal?"

"I was supposed to keep an eye on him. Guess I better head home too."

Heyes headed to his house knowing that Jed's ma would still be there and sighed when he saw Katherine Curry exit the house and go to her mud covered son. He saw Jed hang his head as Anna Heyes came out to see what had happened. Thinking he might as well get it over with he headed over to the small group just in time to hear his mother.

"Jed, did Hannibal have anything to do with this?"

Jed could hear his cousins' voice in his head saying 'you're always gettin' me into trouble'. Without looking up Jed just shook his head. "No ma'am I…I fell." His lower lip quivered slightly.

Jed's mother grabbed his arm, dragging him off to get cleaned up. "I told you not to get too dirty young man. I think bed without supper tonight might teach you a lesson."

"Yes ma'am," he sniffed.

Once he was out of earshot, Hannibals' mother turned to him.

"Well, is it like he said? Did he fall?"

"Yes."

"And you had nothing to do with it?"

His head dropped as he scuffed his boot on the ground, not answering right away.

His mother squatted down in front of her son and putting her hand under his chin, made him look at her.

"He looks up to you son, that's why he wants to be with you."

She got back to her feet and looked down at him with a smile. "It wouldn't surprise me at all if you two boys end up being best friends…inseparable and always looking out for each other."

"Don't see that happenin' ma."

XXX

Heyes had no idea how long he had been sitting on the fallen tree lost in that childhood memory, a slight smile on his face. He was startled back to the present when a cup appeared in front of him.

"Found enough dry stuff to get a small fire goin'. What were you thinkin' about, you looked like you were a thousand miles away."

Heyes smiled before answering. "Just thinkin' about my ma and how smart she was." He sighed and looked at his best friend. "I'm sorry Kid…"

"Me too Heyes. But next time, don't lose all the money."