A/N: So this chapter is going to be mostly filler and some fluff now that they're finally together. With Candy's leg they really can't begin searching just yet, so this is them making plans and it's the shortest one yet. As always, entertainment only, I think I forgot that a time or two in the most recent chapters, but we all know it's implied, right?

"Nevada gripped by manhunt for deadly fugitives," Candy recited with a sound of disgust and tossed the paper aside. "How can they print those lies?" Annie rubbed her forehead and laid aside her own paper.

"To hear them tell it, we're no better than Jesse James and Belle Starr."

"I've seen pictures, you're prettier."

"Than Jesse James?" She snorted. "I'd hope so." She picked up the coffee pot and refilled his cup, her heart skipping a beat at the crooked grin he gave her. Then, it slipped away and he grabbed her hand.

"I wish you hadn't done it. They catch us, they'll kill you, too."

"Believe it or not, I did think that through, and I knew what I was doing. A life without you isn't a life I wanted to live." That crooked grin briefly reappeared as he rubbed his thumb over the back of her hand.

"Well, it is kind of too late to change your mind, Mrs. Canaday."

"Who said I wanted to?" Their eyes met and Annie lost herself in those cool blue depths. If she hadn't acted, she'd have lost him forever, would have never known he shared her hidden feelings. Their lips met in an achingly sweet kiss that she wished could stop time.

"While I am glad you two are making up for lost time, have you given any thought as to how you are going to prove he is innocent?" They jumped apart as Padre Javier wandered into the tiny kitchen and collected his plate from the back of the stove. "Thank you for supper, Annie."

"It's the least I could do. You are hiding two 'deadly fugitives,'" she quoted from the paper. "The things they'll say just to sell these."

"They end up with comments from certain sheriffs, the picture they paint of you is only going to get worse," Candy noted with a grimace.

"Can't be worse than yours," she said with a shrug. "It's only words, we know the truth. If I'm tarred and feathered for saving the man I love when I know he's innocent, so be it." Anger stirred.

The man who'd really committed those crimes was out there somewhere. She cast a quick glance at Candy's leg. They'd need longer than two days for it to heal enough they could start tracking. But they couldn't stay in Los Robles forever, either. Sooner or later, someone would wander in and notice them.

As though he knew what she was thinking, Candy squeezed her hand. "Don't worry, sweetheart. I'm damn good at surviving, and between the two of us, we could track an ant across the desert. We'll make it, I promise." She swallowed hard. He'd said that in Postley's mine and he'd been right; she wasn't about to stop believing him now. His eyes darkened. "It won't be easy, though. Without the Ponderosa at our backs, all we can rely on is each other, can't even trust people who claim to be your friends, they'd sell you out faster than you could blink if it gave them a few dollars or their name in the paper." He sighed. "I wish it wasn't like that, but there's no use pretending otherwise." He gave her a wistful smile. "Your days of intimidating sheriffs might be over, I'm afraid." A short bark of laughter escaped. "Pity, you're beautiful when you get mad."

"How you did not see this when it was right under your noses, I will never know." The padre sat down and began to eat.

"I'm a drifter, Padre, not exactly the sort of man someone like Ben Cartwright would want marrying his only daughter."

"He won't care. He already considered you another son."

"The man I met would not care, this is true. All he would care about is how much you love his daughter." The padre looked between them. "And it is clear you love her very much. Indeed, I would not have been surprised to find you on my doorstep after breaking her out of jail."

"I thought about it," Candy said quietly. "Before we came to Los Robles, there was an incident at home and she was accused of murder. All we had was a long-shot attempt at proving her innocent and if it hadn't worked … I …" Annie touched his arm and he drew in a shaky breath. "I can't be upset she broke me out of jail when I would have done the same for her. I just wish they didn't know she was involved."

"It doesn't matter." She leaned her head against his shoulder. "I don't regret anything." Lies rang in her head and her blood boiled. "Except shooting that lying bitch." The padre crossed himself.

"Anne, you must allow Him to act. Vengeance is mine –"

"I know the verse," she said heatedly. "But she knew her lies would see him hanged, and for what? Spite? I hate that woman, and I'll never forgive her, I don't care if she groveled in the dirt at my feet. I wouldn't spit on her if she was on fire."

"Anne, Anne." Padre Javier dropped his fork and clutched at her hand, murmuring frantically in Spanish. "You must –"

"Turn the other cheek? I read that, too, and I don't feel like doing it right now. I would say I'm sorry, but I'm not. Candy would have died if she had her way."

"Because of your love he did not," the padre said softly. "The Father is not finished with His plans for either one of you. Trust Him, my children. He will see you through this wilderness and bring you safely home." Silence descended and nothing was said for several minutes. The padre finished his supper and carried his plate to the sink, then turned around, leaning against the weathered wood.

"What are your plans?"

"We find the fella wearing my face," Candy said. "Of course finding him is liable to be easier than proving he did it."

"We'll need to lay low until Candy's leg heals, then we can start tracking in earnest. Is there any way you could feed us information? Do you write other churches in other towns or anything? Someone has to have seen this man. We could swing back through every couple of months or so and pick up anything you've been able to find."

"I can certainly do my best, though I do not know how much help it will be."

Candy was right: they didn't have anyone else in their corner, no way to gather information that a Cartwright could collect with just a few wires to the right people. So they'd have to make their own. And they knew someone who somehow knew just about everything.

"Candy, think we can spare the money for a horse?"

"Why do we need another horse?" He frowned and raised the coffee cup to his mouth, then froze. She could almost see the wheels turning. "Oh, no. Chances are he's somewhere back in Nevada."

"And they probably assume we're at least halfway to Mexico by now, so Nevada may actually be the safest place at the moment. Besides, who'd suspect it?"

"Jocova, that's who." Candy laughed without amusement. "He's probably waiting on us already. You better buy the best horse we can find."