There was a prolonged silence before Ben finally found his voice again. "What?" he asked, not believe the words the Sheriff had said.

"Your daughter has been accused of horse thieving," Sheriff Coffee repeated.

"Roy, that can't be!" exclaimed Ben, not believing that anyone would have accused his daughter of anything of the sort.

"Its impossible!" scoffed Joe.

"Uh... Roy, just when did this alleged theft happen?" Adam asked, keeping a level head.

"October 19th," Roy said matter of factly.

"That's the day we found her," said Ben.

"Then it couldn't have been her," said Joe, as if the case were now closed.

"Except... we found her in the evening..." said Adam, though his voice was still filled with doubt.

"Precisely. And the horse's owner said he'd managed to wing her as she rode off," said Roy.

"Who was it? He's got to be mistaken," said Ben, his voice filled with conviction.

"A stranger by the name of Bill Yager. He said he was just breaking up camp when a woman snuck up on him and stole his horse."

"Roy, are you really going to take the word of a drifter?" Ben asked, still refusing to believe a word his friend was saying. "I know Eleanor, she would never do a thing like that."

"Yeah, Eleanor's no horse thief!" Hoss chimed in.

"And there wasn't even a horse in sight when we found her," Joe added.

"I know you boys want to believe the best about Eleanor-" Roy started.

"Want to!? We know she wouldn't-" Ben interrupted.

"But-" Roy tried again but was cut off.

"My daughter isn't a horse thief!" Ben said, raising his voice.

"Look Ben, all I'm saying is, how much do you really know this girl?"

"And what do you know about Bill Yager?" growled Joe.

"I know I have a signed complaint from him against Eleanor," Roy said, pulling a paper from his pocket. Ben studied it and then passed it over to Adam.

"Why did he wait until now to report this horse theft then?" Ben questioned.

"He thought her and the horse were long gone until he saw Eleanor in town this morning, he said he didn't find it worth reporting until now," Roy said. "Now Ben, listen to me. What do you really know about Eleanor? You've said she never talks about her past or where she's been all these years. For all you know, she could be an imposter."

"But she wouldn't have anything to gain by that!" Ben scoffed.

"Oh wouldn't she? If her past was as rough as it seems, she has everything to gain. Food, shelter, a loving family, everything a young woman like her would want and everything she probably missed out on."

"Oh come on Roy, we found a paper identifying her. Are you saying she forged my dead wife's signature?"

"No, but she could have stolen it from someone."

"I'm neither a thief nor a body snatcher," Eleanor's voice came from the top of the staircase. She made her way down the stairs and towards her family her expression was guarded and her voice was cold as she continued, "My entire life story is permanently etched into my skin and you accuse me of being a liar and a thief. Like I don't deserve to be trusted or respected or cared for. Like I would steal a horse for no other reason than for my own personal gain."

Everyone stared at Eleanor, momentarily speechless. They'd had no idea she had been listening to the whole thing.

Roy shifted uncomfortably, "Are you denying you stole a horse?"

Eleanor looked down at her feet. "No," she said quietly.

"So you did steal a horse?" Roy questioned.

"Yes..." Eleanor said, now lifting her gaze up to look the sheriff in the eyes. Ben and Adam raised their eyebrows. Hoss's jaw dropped and Joe looked shocked. Eleanor glanced at her family, "but it's more complicated than simply stealing a horse," she said defensively.

"Uh huh," Roy said skeptically, "then perhaps you would care to explain it."

"Don't suppose I have any other choice now," Eleanor said, glancing around at her family. The shock of the revelation was beginning to wear off and they were wearing looks of concern. "You all know about the scars on my back," Eleanor began slowly, glancing at each person to confirm that they knew what she was talking about. "Those aren't earned from a one time beating."

"Eleanor," Ben cut in, "you don't have to do this." He placed a hand on his daughter's shoulder.

"I do, Pa. Or everyone will always have doubts about me."

"We won't," Hoss said, ready to stand behind his sister fully and unquestioningly.

Eleanor smiled softly, "Thanks, Hoss. But I'll explain." Eleanor glanced at Sheriff Coffee and smirked. "It's better than going to jail and I figure Adam and Joe would appreciate an explanation." Eleanor glanced at her other two half brothers who were still wearing mildly skeptical looks. "As I was saying, scars like those are gotten over time and the person who left them was the person I was running from when I took that horse. If I hadn't ran, I would still be stuck. Or dead. So yes, I stole the horse. It was my only opportunity."

"Why didn't you say something sooner?" Joe asked, a tinge of anger, or perhaps frustration, in his voice.

Eleanor shot a glare at her brother. "When you're bleeding out in the dirt, a stolen horse is the last thing on your mind."

Joe immediately looked guilty. "Sorry, Ellie," he mumbled.

"Well, this was clearly a matter of life or death. Surely you can't jail a woman for that, Roy!" Ben said.

"I dunno, Ben. I'm afraid its not that open and shut. There's no proof backing up Eleanor's story."

Eleanor sighed. "Would it help if I told you Bill Yager also happens to be the man who kept me captive all those years? He doesn't care about the horse, he just wants to see me swing."

"That might help but there's no proof of that either."

"What proof do you need? To see him whip in hand trying to beat me to death!?"

"Eleanor, hold on," Adam said, warning her against speaking too rashly. "Roy, Eleanor must know what this man looks like. Would it help prove her case if she identified him?"

"I suppose it wouldn't hurt."

"Bill Yager is about 6 foot 3 with blonde hair and brown eyes and a hideous scar down his left cheek where someone once hit him with a whiskey bottle. He's fat from years of making others do his work for him and his manners are becoming of a wild boar," Eleanor said, a biting edge in her voice.

"I can't speak on his personality but that description does fit," Roy said. "I'll see what I can do."

With that Roy left but the tension in the room lingered. Eleanor could feel the eyes of her family upon her. She had hoped she would never have had to share any part of that story with them. She had hoped Bill Yager was in the past, thinking that she was dead.

'Maybe if I hadn't gone into town, he would still think me dead,' Eleanor thought to herself. She knew that wasn't true though. He would have found out eventually. Word spreads like wildfire when the daughter of a wealthy rancher magically rises from the grave.

Eleanor turned towards her family. She could see the concern in their faces, but no one said a word. She preferred it that way. She unclenched her fist and felt something sticky, more than just the usual perspiration. She looked down at her hand, it was covered in brown, a small solid lump still remaining in her palm. The chocolate. It had melted.

"Guess no ones going to be impressed with this anymore," Eleanor muttered.

"Ellie..." Ben said, his voice cracking. He took a couple steps towards her and pulled her into a comforting embrace.