~11~

Will was headed for the stable when she left the Long Branch, but as she approached Doc's office she saw Festus coming down the stairs. She quickly walked over and stepped up on the boardwalk and stood at the end of stairs. "What are you doing?" Will asked.

"What's it look like I'm a do'n." He said matter-of-fact.

Will leaned against the stair rail. "Escaping."

"I'm a do'n no such a thang."

Will smirked. "Uh huh."

"Awe foot, I've had worse and been fine."

"How'd you get past Doc?"

"He's out on a call."

Will pressed her lips together to keep from laughing. "Well then, I best get you home before he gets back."

"Now yer talk'n."

Will quietly closed the back stairs private entrance so as not to wake Kitty. It was five in the morning and she was just getting back from Festus's. Will moved soundlessly down the hall towards her room. She was just even with Kitty's door when it opened and Will froze.

Matt looked up from closing Kitty's bedroom door and saw Will standing there with a surprised look on her face.

Will's eyes flicked from Matt to Kitty's door and then back. "Marshal." she said just above a whisper.

Matt watched Will carefully, "Will." he replied softly.

Those two words were all they spoke before parting company.

Will got back to her room and tired to get a few hours sleep before the day made itself known.

Kitty walked out of the back room with a tray of coffee and took it to a table next to the bar. She sat back down in front of the ledger she had open going over invoices. She poured a cup of coffee and about to take a drink when Doc came in, slamming the door behind him. "Where are they!?" He barked.

Kitty put the cup down and stood up. "What happened, Doc?" she said with concern.

Doc looked at Kitty. "He's up there with her isn't he?" He bellowed, as he pointed towards the upstairs.

"Doc, settle down, what are you going on about?" Kitty said, as she tried to calm him.

"I'm going up there and giving her a piece of my mind. Taking him out of my office like that!" He rattled on with anger as he started towards the stairs.

Kitty rushed over and stood on the first step blocking the stairs. "You're not going anywhere until you calm down." She told with authority.

"Get out of my way, Kitty." He said with anger.

"No! What has gotten into you?"

Doc spotted Will standing in the curtained doorway and pointed up at her. "Will! You had no right!"

Kitty looked up and saw Will. "Go back to your room, I'll handle this." She told Will.

Will saw how angry Doc was and stepped back through the doorway staying out of sight around the corner.

Kitty looked at Doc with fire in her eyes. "Now, have a seat." She ordered.

Doc swiped his chin, and narrowed his eyes. His fight was with Will not Kitty, so he did as she told him, taking a seat over where Kitty had been sitting as she joined him.

"You care to calmly explain what this is all about?" Kitty demanded.

"I was called out to Jeb Tanner's and when I got back here this morning Festus was gone from my office."

"Doc, this isn't the first time Festus has left your care when you didn't want him to. Why are you blaming Will?"

"He wouldn't be in my care if it weren't for her." He bit out.

"Galen Adams, you take that back!" Kitty scolded. "Will cares for Festus too much...to...to...good Lord, you're jealous that's why you're acting this way." Kitty stated with surprise.

"I am not jealous of that woman."

Kitty raised an eyebrow at him, giving him a look that said she didn't believe him. "Uh huh. As much as you don't want to admit it, you and Festus spend a lot of your time together. You're both confirmed bachelors, and that changed when Will arrived. She's not a bad person, Doc. She saved Festus and Matt's lives. Did you know that she had never taken a life before Grimes, and she is trying to come to terms with that."

Doc gave Kitty a remorseful look. "Point taken."

"Festus isn't up here."

Kitty and Doc looked up at the upstairs walkway and saw Will standing at the railing.

"I apologize for my behavior, Will." Doc called up to her.

"You were just protecting your friend." She replied, before disappearing into the hallway.

Doc stood up and Kitty grabbed his arm. "Let her be, Doc."

"I'll be in my office if… well I'll be in my office."

Kitty waited for Doc to leave before handing Sam her ledger to put behind the bar and heading upstairs. She was halfway across the upstairs landing when she met Will. "Where are you going?"

"I have some business to take care of."

"Hold on a minute. Doc had no right to say the things that he did and he knows it. I'm not trying to excuse his behavior. He doesn't take change well it takes him time to adjust to it. By the end of the day he'll realize how bad he just stepped in it with you and apologize to you."

"I appreciate you standing up for me like you did. You didn't have to do that."

"I stand up for my friends." Kitty smiled. "We are friends aren't we, Will?"

Will looked at the floor and then back up at Kitty. "I've never had a female friend before."

"Not much different than a male one, except we understand things far better than they do."

Will gave Kitty a small smile. "If you'll excuse me, I have some things that need tending to."

Kitty placed her hand on Will's arm. "Please don't make any hasty decisions."

"Kind, observant, smart, beautiful, successful business woman, who has keen hearing. The Marshal is one lucky man." Will stated moving past Kitty.

Kitty watched Will walk down the stairs and out the front door. "You're going to break his heart, Will."

Will only made it to the edge of the boardwalk when Matt called to her from across the street. "Hold up, Will."

Will waited for Matt as he crossed the street. "What's up, Marshal?"

"I need you to come to my office. You have reward money coming to you."

"Reward money?"

Matt pulled the collar of his coat tight around his neck. "Let's go down to my office where it's warm and I'll explain the whole thing."

When they got to Matt's office the sat down at the table. "It seems there were a few rewards out for Kasey Grimes from stagecoach and the railroad. They add up to five thousand dollars, and it's all yours."

"What?" Will said with shock.

"You were the one to stop Grimes so the money is yours. I just need you to sign some forms and I'll have the bank draft you a check today." Matt got up and took the forms out of his desk drawer and handed them to Will.

Will starred at the paperwork before looking up at Matt.

"Take the money, Will." Matt said softly.

Will picked up the pen and signed the paperwork. She stood up and left the office.

Later that day, Kitty was behind the bar serving drinks to the early evening customers when Lloyd came in and approached her. "Hello, Kitty, is Will here? I want to take her to supper."

"She's up in her room. Can I get you anything to drink before I get her for you?"

"A beer." Lloyd said putting a coin on the bar.

Kitty poured him a beer and then went to get Will. It wasn't long before she was back at the bar without Will. "Lloyd, she's a bit under the weather and said she'd meet you for breakfast in the morning."

"Does she need to see the doctor?"

"No, Lloyd, she just needs some time alone right now." Kitty explained.

"That's a relief. Thank you, Kitty."

It wasn't long before Festus came into the bar. He saw Kitty standing at the far end of the bar and went and joined her. "Howdy, Miz Kitty."

"Festus, if Doc sees you here, you're going to get an ear full." Kitty told him.

"Awe fiddle, that o'l quacky quack worries too much. I feel fine. Sides I heerd all the lectur'n I'm a gonna take from him so I left."

"Well, he was none too happy about it."

"Ya saw him, did ya?"

"Let's just say you owe me."

"Oh, speak'n of owin ya," Festus pulled Kitty's key out of his pocket and handed it to her. "Here's this back fer ya." Will had left the key on Festus's table when she had checked on him earlier and found him sleeping.

Kitty took the key and put it back in her handbag that was under the bar. "Can I buy you a beer?"

"Naw, thank ya though. I came by to check on Will. She came by my place when I was a sleep'n."

"How do you know that if you were sleeping/" Kitty wondered.

"Cuz she left your key fer me."

Kitty narrowed her eyes at Festus. "Why did Will have my key?"

Festus scratched behind his ear. "Well, she needed to use it to get in here this morning."

"What time this morning?" Kitty pushed, wondering if it was near the time that Matt had left.

"I reckon it was near five afore the sun was up. Did I do someth'n wrong, Miz Kitty?"

"Not a thing, Festus. Not a thing." She smiled at him.

"Say, Miz Kitty, would you mind going up and telling Will I'm here to see her."

"No, Festus, I don't mind."

Kitty went up to Will's room and knocked on the door. "Will, it's Kitty."

Will opened the door, "Don't tell me Lloyd made you come up here again?"

"Festus."

Will closed her eyes and walked away from the door. "When it rains it pours."

Kitty stepped into the room and closed the door. "He's came by to check on you. Seems he found your calling card when he woke up."

"What?" Will said with a confused look.

"My key. Festus just gave it back to me. He told me you used it to get in here this morning."

"I didn't want to wake you up."

"I appreciate that. So do you want me to bring Festus up?"

Will sat down on the bed and put her head in her hands. "No," she said with sadness.

Kitty walked over to Will and lifted face up with her hand. She looked at Will's tear-filled hazel eyes. "Be honest with him and let him down gently." She told her with compassion. Kitty watched as Will's tears fell down her cheeks. "I'll let him know you'll be by his place after breakfast tomorrow."

Will's throat was too tight with emotion to answer so she just nodded her head and watched Kitty leave the room.

TBC