It'd been three months and six days since Matherville, and even after Heyes had thought the Kid had finally agreed to shave the monstrosity off, it was still there taunting him.

Heyes had considered shaving it off while the Kid was asleep. He'd even gone as far as buying chloral hydrate at the last town they'd been through, while the Kid was booking the horses into the livery, but he'd ultimately dismissed the idea, because even with the aid of that and copious amounts of alcohol, there'd be consequences in the aftermath, that he wasn't prepared to face. So here they were riding into Bozeman, still an unwelcome trio.

Heyes turned to the Kid who was staring round at the town, with the bushy interloper squatting on his lip.

Feeling Heyes watching him, the Kid turned to him and on seeing his expression, frowned. "What's up Heyes?

"Nothing, Kid, 'cept for Maurice, there ain't nothing wrong."

"Maurice? The law here is Jack Dolan." The Kid nodded over to the Sheriff's office they'd just passed.

"Ain't meaning the law, Kid, its that thing on your face. I figured seeing as it ain't going nowhere I'd give it a name."

"I don't go on 'bout that hole in ya hat, Heyes..."

Heyes cautiously fingered the hole as he grinned. "Ahh, Henry, he just reminds me to duck!"

The Kid snorted, then shook his head. "You worry me sometimes, Heyes, ya know that." Then he paused and added more seriously. "Maur...this moustache serves a purpose too." And before his partner could reply, he rode on ahead, his shoulders tight as Heyes watched in concern.

XXX

"Two rooms, please."

The Kid looked over at Heyes in surprise as they went to check into the smaller of the two hotels. "Two?"

"Well I'm real keen to see that thing gone, and as you're awful attached to him, two rooms will be safer, as I ain't good at resisting temptation and you sleep real heavy sometimes."

The Kid looked at him wearily, then shrugged. "Suit yourself Heyes."

Heyes blew out a breath as the Kid took the key the desk clerk handed him and stomped towards the stairs, this was going to be even harder than he'd feared. He shook his head at the desk clerk, as he went to hand him a second key. "Cheaper to share."

The man nodded knowingly and said with some sympathy as he glanced down at Heyes' dusty worn clothing. "Yes, Sir."

Heyes carefully signed the register then followed the Kid up the stairs.

When he entered the room, he was a little surprised not to find a .45 aimed at him, but instead found his friend staring into the mirror on the back wall, stroking the moustache, his face drawn into a frown. "Ya know Heyes, I don't think it looks real bad, and Grace in Great Falls, told me she liked it."

Heyes tossed his stuff on the chair by the door as he said. "Course she did Kid, you were paying her."

The Kid glared over at him before adding. "Well it sure makes it harder to identify me from the wanted poster."

"Huh maybe, but its so damn ugly, it draws attention to us. I saw one of the women at the general store at that last town we stopped at staring at you funny."

"It ain't the moustache that drew her attention to me, Heyes."

"Well, mebbe not, but the guy in the saloon sure didn't like it much."

"I think he was more worried 'bout the money he was losing."

Heyes sighed and recognising the stubborn set of his partner's jaw decided it was best to let it lie for now and only said. "There's a cafe down at the end of the street, we can go eat." Despite his intention to leave it alone until later, he couldn't resist adding. "Maurice can save ya some for later."

The Kid's hand slipped down to his gun, before he shrugged and with an icy glare said through gritted teeth. "Heyes..."

Heyes knowing how close the Kid was to exploding, raised his hands in surrender and said mildly. "All right, Kid...but this discussion ain't done."

XXX

As they sat eating, Heyes looked up to find Kid staring at him. "I still ain't the same man that went into the desert Heyes."

Heyes laid down his fork, and met Kid's troubled gaze. "Yes, you are Kid, only thing that's different is you put a mad dog down."

The Kid sighed, looked down and played with his food for a moment, before meeting Heyes' eyes again. "I ain't sorry he's dead, Heyes, no use pretendin' I am, but I planned on killin' him, and that was the only thing I was aiming for when we went looking for him. I ain't never felt like since, well since we lost our folks."

Heyes found the words coming out low and fierce. "We were both so mad when he killed Seth and about ended us, that him being dead seemed to be the only way, but you were walking away, Kid, remember that. If he hadn't forced ya, he'd be still be breathing."

"When we were leaving Matherville, all I felt was relief that he was dead and we weren't."

"Well that makes two of us. Kid, but I know its bothered ya since."

The Kid's right hand went to smooth his moustache before settling down to rest on the table as he shrugged and said. "You really think I oughta shave it off?"

"I think its time you let it go." And both of them knew they weren't talking about the moustache anymore.

XXX

"I don't feel like going out tonight, Heyes."

Heyes looked over at his partner, who was lying on his side of the bed and sighed, but grabbed his hat and coat and headed out to the saloon.

A couple of hours later, he returned to find the Kid sitting on the side of the bed, his razor by his side, but Maurice still in evidence. He blew out a breath as his partner said. "I couldn't do it, Heyes. I stood staring into that damn mirror for at least ten minutes and I just couldn't."

Heyes opened his mouth to say something cutting, then closed it tightly, shrugged before saying mildly. "Maybe in the morning."

But the Kid gave an exasperated sigh, stood, strode over to Heyes, his expression determined as he handed him the razor. "No, you can do it tonight. So long as you're sober of course."

Heyes snorted as relief swept over him. " I don't never play poker drunk, Kid, you know that."

As they stood together in front of the mirror, Heyes swore he saw a faceless grin in the shadow of the room, but pushing the feeling of unease away, Heyes quickly turned his mind to the task at hand.

It took far longer than it should to get rid of the moustache. Heyes was somehow certain it was fighting him, but finally it was done, and he stepped back razor still in hand.

Heyes heard the Kid's soft sigh of relief as he stroked his now reassuringly bare upper lip. Their eyes met, and the Kid gave him a soft smile in reply to his own small grin, before turning away to undress.

Heyes cleaned the razor as he listened to the soft rustling behind him, and as he finished muttered quietly to the small clump of hair now swirling in the water. "Good riddance." He turned to his friend, who was now in bed, as an idea came to him, and he said quickly. "Be right back."

Before the Kid could reply, Heyes was out of the door, still carrying the full bowl, and once on the street he threw the water out, and gleefully wiped the last few hairs remaining on the sides away with his bandana, shook them off, then headed back to their room.

As he entered, the Kid looked over at him, a question clear in his face. "Just putting out the trash, Kid, just putting out the trash."