Summary: Nico and Maki are sharing a house now, as Nico heals and gets to know Ruby and Dia. But soon, Nico will have to confront the gang that nearly killed her.

Sleeping Maki felt the intensity. She was now used to Dia waking her up by standing in the doorway of her bedroom and staring.

"Good morning, Dia."

"Good morning, Mama." Dia could now come to the bed for a brief hug, according to the Dia rules. "Ruby's cooking."

Maki was out of the bed and racing for the kitchen. Ruby had no business being by the stove. Cereal was a fine breakfast. But as Maki was about to roar into the kitchen, she saw her patient, tiny, but not as tiny as Ruby, wrapped in Maki's worn flannel robe and standing next to the stove, one hand on Ruby's shoulder.

"Nico?"

"Oh, morning, Doctor Maki. I was just showing Ruby here how easy it is to make an apple pie." Nico raised an eyebrow, "she says you don't like sweets."

"No. The girls aren't allowed candy." Maki answered automatically. "Where did you get the apples?"

"Your cousin managed to find some Rome beauties, they're best for baking, and dropped off a half bushel. Nico's making a pie for dinner tonight. Ruby cut the butter and rolled out the pie dough."

As far as Maki knew, there was nothing in her pantry you could make pie dough out of. She had the ingredients for tonight's pot roast and the makings of lunch ham sandwiches, but that was all.

"I sent Rin off with a grocery list."

"We're fine."

"Nico wants to put up some preserves so the girls can have fruit with their winter breakfasts."

Maki rolled her eyes, "I can buy that."

"Nico's recipe is the best."

"Nico's going to show me how to do it, Mama, so I can cook for you and Dia." Ruby sounded more determined than shy.

Nico must be feeling better. But Maki was not going to turn her adopted daughters into child kitchen labor.

"That isn't necessary, Ruby. I can cook what we need. Or buy it at the general store. Or one of the restaurants in town. Is anything on the stove?" Maki asked, her patience thinning.

"No."

"Dia, take Ruby to wash up." Maki pushed Dia gently toward her sister, "Nico, I want to look at the wound."

"Nico is healing fast, Doc."

Maki pointed to the closest chair, "Sit down, Nico, and I will judge how you're doing."

"Yes, ma'am." Nico saluted with a spoon, eyes bright, smile brighter. Maki refused to be charmed.

Maki would certainly not be mentioning this, but the apple and cinnamon smells seasoning the kitchen air, hit delicious high notes that made Maki think apple pie would be an excellent, always breakfast.

###

Maki was nervous. Too many people would be in the house tonight. Ruby was fidgety. When Maki got restless, it seemed to impact Ruby. Maki cut another pound of potatoes into quarters, then laid them in the bottom of the roaster. Carefully settling the browned, seasoned meat on top of that, Maki put the roast in the oven. The girls would have some rewarmed chili when they were ready for their supper. It would be an early night for them. Maki didn't want them to overhear the conversations so she was letting them tire themselves out by playing outside. Nico was napping.

Maki heard the door.

"Mama?" Dia's voice, but with no worried notes to concern Maki.

"Be right there." Maki closed the oven door and washed her hands.

"Ruby's tired of playing."

"Okay. Come inside. I'm done here."

"Can we sing?" Dia asked, green eyes wide and hopeful.

Sunday afternoon with their songbook was a family tradition. This was just a regular day for the girls, no matter what having a dinner with law enforcement to discuss the bandit who had ended up in Maki's spare room was doing to the doctor's nerves.

"Sure." Maki sat, poised, at the upright, flexing her fingers, playing a few scales to warm up, while Dia decided which songbook to pick.

"Nico's a cowboy?" Dia asked.

Any word was better than bandit. "Cowgirl. Maybe cowpoke."

"Cowpoke." Ruby giggled.

"This one." Dia handed Maki Jack Thorp's Songs Of The Cowboys, open to the first song, "Ti Ri Youdy."

That was a fun one, the girls singing the chorus after each verse.

"Let's practice the chorus. Remember, it's Singin' Ti Ri Youdy I ea ea ea, singing Ti Ri Youdy I ea."

All three voices: "Singin' Ti Ri Youdy I ea ea ea, singing Ti Ri Youdy I ea."

Then Maki started the verse, "Well boys you see I'm back, on my old red roan And I find there's no place, like this old ranch home…"

After getting through most of the song, Maki skipped a couple of verses, finishing up with "Well I'll bid you adios for I got to mosey long And I hope you all enjoyed an old Cowpuncher song."

A new voice joined the family chorus, lively and bright, "Singin' Ti Ri Youdy I ea ea ea, singing Ti Ri Youdy I ea."

Maki paused, turning to where Nico was leaning in the doorframe, watching the scene.

"You're a CowPUNCHER." Ruby declared, pointing at Nico.

"Nope. Nico never started a fight with anything four legged. Nico had a chuck wagon. Cowpunchers would line up for her famous Range Riders Stew."

Dia was sitting next to Maki, "Can we have that?"

"Well, we have the apples. Just need beef and the regular stew stuff." Nico counted ingredients off on her fingers.

"Mama?"

"Give me a list; I'll pick it up in the morning."

Nico came over to the piano, leaning over Maki, brushing her shoulder as she flipped through the songbook, "What else is in here? Nico knows a bunch of songs. We should make camp some night and sing them around the campfire. Nico wants to see the Falls before she leaves. We'll have campfire chili and johnny cakes and roasted potatoes. "

"Put it on the list." Maki said.

"And pudding." Dia added.

"Nico can do pudding."

Ruby's eyes were so big Maki feared she'd never be satisfied with Maki's simple cooking now.

Nico bumped into Maki's back as she turned another page, humming, smelling like peppermint somehow, a refreshing and cool calm. Maki focused on that, not overheating from everyone crowding around the piano. No one mentioned that Nico said she was leaving.

###

Sheriff Umi Sonoda pushed back from the table. "Kotori will chide me for eating so much. I didn't know you could cook so well, Maki. Nozomi gave me the impression the girls only got hot meals when you brought them home from a restaurant."

Maki huffed. Nico grinned. Maki cringed, waiting for some comment about how the girls were so eager for "Nico's number one cooking" or something like that.

"Dia and Ruby love their Mama's cooking." Nico took another bite of roast, "And it's healing Nico up darn fast."

"Good to hear. You'll need your strength."

"Shall we move this to the parlor?" Maki asked. "I have some brandy a patient sent me."

Nico helped Maki put the dishes in the sink, but with the housekeeper coming tomorrow, they were just left there. Maki pulled four cut crystal snifters from the hutch.

With everyone settled in chairs, Maki poured. "How is Kotori?"

"Doing well. She has a wedding dress to make for a client in San Francisco. And her mother is coming for a visit next month."

"I am sorry she couldn't join us."

Umi shook her head at Maki, "It is best to just keep the discussion among those of us most involved."

Rin nodded. "Hanayo doesn't need to know details."

Nico sipped at the brandy, then put the glass down.

"Nico knows too many."

"So, Nico, how did you go from chuckwagon to robbing wagons." Umi needed reassurance that Nico could be trusted.

Nico's eyes darkened. "Someone heard I inherited my father's rifle and found out about Nico being the best shot in camp."

"Your father's rifle?"

"His Sharp's rifle and his sniper's eye. Tsubasa found out and made Nico her lookout." Nico fist was clenched, her knuckles white, remembering the threats to her family "Tsubasa makes it so no one says no." Nico glanced at Maki, "Nico never killed anyone. Tell them, Rin."

"No, Nico never killed anyone. Nico's not a killer."

"What did your father do?"

"Soldier, then miner. He died in a mine collapse."

Awkward silence.

"So tell us about this meeting you attended." Umi got everyone back on topic.

"Nico was the lookout. Big plans to head back to Colorado for a meetup at the end of the month, then back into the mountains to derail a train. Tsubasa had information that one of the big banks was sending gold west."

Umi unrolled a map. "Where's the meetup?"

Nico pointed.

Rin examined the map. "Where are they hitting the train?"

Nico moved her finger.

"It's our best chance to catch the whole gang."

"We need to get…" Umi stopped, awkward.

Rin sounded worried. "If she leaves before they all head out for the heist, they'll know. And call it off."

"They plan to ride fast. There's not much on this trail." Nico shuffled her finger. "But there is a bridge we could block to set up an ambush."

Rin sighed, "I don't know if we can get any other marshals there in time."

"Maybe someone could follow them from…"

Umi shook her head, "We can't afford any leaks of information. Her life is at stake."

Who was "her?" Maki wondered as she sat still, gathering as much information as she could.

"There's the three of us."

"You don't have to come, Nico." Umi said seriously, "It's not your job."

"She saved my life. Rin did too. I owe them." A quick look to Maki, "And Nico wants to prove Nico's one of the good guys."

Why did that involve Nico putting her life in danger again, making herself the target of more bullets, Maki's thoughts grumbled. Wasted effort saving someone who was just going to leave for more trouble.

"Oh, I brought your Dad's rifle along." Rin ran out of the room, Maki heard the door, then Rin was back, handing Nico a wrapped rifle. "You can get in some practice."

"Thanks, pal." Nico did a quick visual, handling the gun easily. "You took good care of it."

Maki had a sudden flash of Nico lining up a shot, kneeling behind a rock, bullets chipping off small stones, getting closer and closer.

"You can't have that in the house." Maki snapped.

"All right. Lock it in your gun safe."

"No." Maki prickled, suddenly tired of everyone, now that they were all staring at her.

"Nico will keep it in the stable then, somewhere no one can find it."

"The girls get everywhere. They're at that age."

"Nico knows what age they're at. Nico has siblings…"

"And are they going to be glad when they hear you're dead in a railway robbery shootout?" Maki spun and stomped out of the room, knowing her next sentence, whatever it was, would be shouted.

Nico winced, sitting and holding the gun across her lap.

"Perhaps it is time to say good night." Umi said.

"Yeah, I'll stop by and fill Nico in on the details when we figure 'em out." Rin yawned, eager to get back to the ranch.

"When do we have to leave?" Nico asked quietly, staring after Maki with a thoughtful expression.

"With those dates and distances….a week." Umi decided, "Will you be ready to ride?"

"Yeah, Maki really is a good doctor. And Nico heals fast."

"All right. Stay low. Rin will be in touch." Umi picked up her hat.

"We got this." Rin chirped as she bounced after Umi.

"We got this…" Nico echoed, adding a pained note.

###

"Lotta stars tonight." Nico said, as she walked to where Maki was leaning against a fence, staring up, infinite gems sparkling on sable stretching to the heavens.

"That's why I love it here." Maki blew out a puff of air, stretching out her arms. "Space and space."

Nico carefully propped the Sharps within Maki's reach, "Do whatever you want with it. I just need it a week from now." Nico stepped up on the rails, seating herself on the top of the fence. "Nico would never endanger your daughters."

"I know."

"It's why Nico has to leave."

Maki turned to stare at Nico, not hiding her surprise.

"Everyone has seen the poster. Here. Nico's hometown. All across the Plains. Nico Yazawa, bandit. Now if Nico…" Nico stared up, humming a tune Maki almost recognized, "comes back the hero who caught the A-Rise gang, Nico has a new story."

"You can get a new start without getting shot at. People reinvent themselves every day out here." Maki kicked her toe into the dirt, "It was a lousy picture anyway."

"Thanks for that." Nico laughed. "Maybe you can take a photograph so Nico can have a better one for fans."

"Maybe."

Silence and wind and bats and night in all its fluttery brushes of life. Across the sky, a meteor streaked.

"Make a wish?"

"Nope."

"You're a stubborn one. Should Nico make a wish?"

"Stop being silly. Make a plan. And make it a damn good one." Maki grabbed the rifle, stomping back to the house.

Nico laughed, startling an owl flying overhead. She would miss learning new things about the pretty, prickly doctor more than she wanted to admit.

A/N: Another Yeehawgust prompt as our Wild West tale continues