CHAPTER 6

- a short one -

She heard activity coming up the stairs and into the hallway. Eyes fixed on the door, gun raised, she did her best to steady herself. The trembling wouldn't cease. She just hoped that she would be able to shoot straight. Things outside seemed to be settling down, but she didn't know who was winning. It could be Indians or Wicks's men. Footsteps stopped outside the door and then a loud thump as the door was kicked open. "I'll shoot!" she screamed.

"Lou? It's Cody, don't shoot, dammit!" The blonde rider popped his head through the open doorway. "Jesus, Lou," he murmured, seeing the state she was in. "Here," he yelled into the hallway. Teaspoon and Jimmy rushed in behind him.

The gun and knife fell from her hands just before she fell to her knees. Jimmy was quickly at her side, looking her over. Her right hand was covered in drying blood and her left was sticky, still bleeding from a fresh wound. Lou's eyes grew wide as she took in Jimmy's bruised face and swollen eye. She looked at the door, expecting to see the others with them. "Kid?" she asked, on the verge of tears.

"He's gonna be okay, Lou. He's with the doctor." Jimmy took a handkerchief from his pocket and began tying it around her hand. She brought her good hand up and lightly traced the purple mark along his cheek.

"Jimmy," she whispered as fresh tears escaped her round eyes.

"I'm okay. We're all okay." Jimmy's eyes darted to Wicks's body lying just a couple feet away from where she'd collapsed. He had about fifty questions for her, but knew she was in no state to answer any of them. "Let's get the hell outta here." Teaspoon draped his coat over her bare shoulders and Cody scooped her into his arms. She made no argument. She could barely keep her eyes open, let alone stand. But at least she'd stopped shaking.

Outside the Pawnee were collecting scalps and reuniting with their women. Buck and the others ran towards the house when they saw Cody come out, Lou's small body lying limply in his arms.

"Is she?" Buck looked at Cody, dark brown eyes full of fear.

"She's alright. Can you find her a blanket or something?" Buck ran to do as Cody asked.

"Wicks?" Noah asked, eyes on Jimmy.

"Dead. I think Lou killed him."

"We all have a lot of questions," Teaspoon acknowledged. "Right now, we need to get to the nearest town. Lou needs a doctor and the law needs to know about what happened here."

"Shelton's closest," Buck told them.

"Then that's where we're going."

They were losing the light but they rode as hard as they possibly could. Cody held Lou tightly in his arms as they made their way to Shelton. Jimmy kept pace with them, cursing his damn broken ribs.

It was late when they got to town. Teaspoon found the doctor first and left Jimmy and Lou in his care before going to see the marshal. Lou was awake and collected enough to tell them what had happened. Jimmy nearly cried with relief when she told him that Wicks had not gotten his chance to rape her liked he'd planned. They came in the nick of time. His mistake had been trying to pin her to the wall with his hunting knife.

The doctor stitched up and wrapped her hand. He cleaned her cuts and bruises, applying ointment to her chafed wrists. He even gave her a dressing gown to wear. Once they were left alone, he looked her over. Her face was bruising and she had rope marks around her wrists, her hand was the worst of it. Mostly, she looked alright, just shaken. She'd been trapped in that house for a night and a day, just waiting for that monster to take his revenge. And the second he slipped up, she'd been able to take him down.

"I'm okay really, Jimmy," she said when he'd been staring at her for a while. "But I gotta tell ya, you don't look so good." She offered a small smile. He only shook his head, glowering. "I'm sorry for what they did to you and Kid. I didn't think he knew…"

"Don't you fucking apologize for that piece of shit. Damn, Lou!" He pulled her against him and held tight. She argued about hurting his ribs. "Will you just let me hold you, finally?"

She let him. She buried her face in his solid chest, wrapped her arms around him, and everything she'd been holding inside since Charlotte, no, since that night with Wicks years ago, was released as she cried against him.