Promises To Keep

There were days that just seemed to be made for kicking off your shoes and walking barefoot through the cool grass. Days when the sun shined warm on your skin and the breeze playfully kissed your face. Days that called for you to cast off responsibilities and troubles, caution and restraint. Vin Tanner recalled many such days in his life…today wasn't one of them.

Vin spared a glance for the bright blue sky littered with sparse clouds as he took off his beat up cavalry hat with one hand and used his other arm to wipe the perspiration from his forehead. He sighed softly as he returned the hat to his head then unwrapped the reins from around the saddle pommel and took a firm hold of them. The searing West Texas heat was starting to get to him. He had gotten soft in the years since he had fled his home state two jumps ahead of a posse that wanted his neck in a noose. He had forgotten just how hot Texas could get in the height of summer.

Vin carefully surveyed his surroundings before kicking his horse's flanks lightly with his heels, setting the large black horse into motion again. It wouldn't do to come so close and then lose everything by being careless now. After almost three and a half years of running and hiding, he was about to reclaim his future…reclaim his honor. The one dream his heart had held for all that time was about to be realized. The name his parents had passed down to him so proudly was about to have the last blotch washed away. Vin knew he couldn't afford to let down his guard. The tracker threw another glance over his shoulder to check for dangers from behind then urged his mount to a faster pace. He kept his right hand on the weapon strapped on his side, eyes constantly scanning the horizon.

The sun had already started its downward slide when he reached the top of the hill that looked over his destination. Tascosa. Not much to look at, he supposed. It was nothing but a dry dustbowl in the middle of nowhere, but it was there that the pot of gold at the end of his rainbow was found. There that he would clear his name of the murder charge that had made him a wanted man for so long and forced him to make do without so many things that should have been his by right. Things like a home, a family, and the simple ability to walk down the street without being worried that someone was there to collect on the bounty hanging over his head.

Vin stood in the shade of an overhang of rock watching the town as the night drew darkness down on the town sitting quietly in the valley below and prayed to every spirit he could recall that tomorrow would go the way he hoped it would. So much was riding on it.

Vin unsaddled his horse and rubbed him down before he made camp, building a small fire with the kindling he'd managed to scrounge from the barren landscape. He busied himself with making a meal as his mind went over the long weeks of his journey. The tracker couldn't help the slight smile that flashed across his face as the thought of how Larabee must have reacted when he found out Vin had slipped out of town without him. The town would be lucky if it survived the blast when Chris exploded.

He knew this best friend was planning to accompany him -- had, in fact, promised it-- but Vin knew this was something he had to do for himself. He knew there were still risks involved in his endeavor -- risks he refused to let his friends take with him. He wouldn't be responsible for getting them killed, and that was just what would happen if things went sour. For his life it was worth taking the risk, for theirs it was not.

He knew his friends would disagree. It was a given. In the two years since the group had gathered to protect that Indian village, the six men had become more than just co-workers, more than friends. They had become brothers bound together by spilled blood, shared experiences, and trust; knit tighter than most blood kin. They were a source of comfort, understanding and acceptance…as well as a source of frustration, and irritation. Yep, they were family -- one he missed already. He knew there'd be hell to pay when he got back to Four Corners, if he managed to pull this off that is. It was a price he'd gladly pay. He just hoped they wouldn't make their revenge last too long. That the men might turn from him over this never once crossed his mind.

Vin tossed out the remaining sip of coffee in his cup and set it on top of his saddlebags. He pulled his bedroll over and spread it close to the fire. He lay down, resting his head on his saddle. His eyes stared, unseeing, at the star-filled sky as his mind ran through the plan over and over, searching for possible snags, trying to plan for every contingency. Too much was at stake to leave anything to chance. Like Ezra, Vin grinned to himself at the thought of the gambler, and a lonely feeling swept over the tracker as his thoughts returned to his friends. Soon, he promised himself. Soon you can start back for home and others. Soon.

Sheriff Buford Waters yawned sleepily as he shuffled through the early morning mist toward the jail. He was getting too old for this, he decided as the old bullet wound in his left shoulder gave a painful twinge in the coolness of the morning. He should hang up his guns and buy a ranch someplace like his wife had been after him to do for the last few years. Find him a piece of land, buy a few head of cattle and live the quiet life. Yep, that's just what he should do. Only he'd miss the excitement of a good gun battle. Miss the feeling of purpose he had with making the streets safe for decent folks. Miss sitting in his chair in front of the jail, looking like he was busy watching out for danger when he was really just thinking-one of his favorite past times. Ranchers didn't get near as much time for thinking he mused. Hmm, maybe he'd better give the ranching idea more thought before he did anything rash.

The man's thoughts were brought up short as he climbed up the steps in front of the jail and saw the man sitting in the sheriff's chair by the locked jail door. The slim man had his legs stretched out in front of him, casually crossed at the ankles. His head rested on the chair back with his battered hat pulled over his face, for all appearances snoozing comfortably. The dusty jacket the man wore covered equally dusty clothes. Curious, but not sensing any danger from the man, the sheriff cleared his throat to get the other's attention.

“Something I can do for you?” Waters started to ask and almost bit his own tongue in surprise as the stranger reached up and pushed his hat back to reveal his alert face. The sheriff just stood staring in shock for a second before he went to draw his gun. “Tanner! You're under arrest!”

Despite appearances, Vin had been completely awake and aware of everything and everyone moving about in the hour that had passed since he slipped quietly into the sleeping town of Tascosa. He had known the exact moment the sheriff and set foot from his house and made his morning walk to the jail. He had played his part of harmlessness well, using the masquerade as a way of keeping his face covered without arousing too much suspicion. He knew his only chance of getting out of this alive was to take his case straight to those in authority. It was the only way to avoid a lynching by the enraged townspeople. Vin remembered Buford Waters from his short visits to the area all those years ago. He was a good man, straight-laced but fair. No prisoners were ever roughed up in his jail just for the fun of it like happened with so many other of the 'lawmen' he had come across in his bounty hunting days.

Vin forced himself to stay seated as the sheriff pointed a very large gun at his chest.

“Take it easy there, Sheriff,” Vin spoke quietly and slowly raised his right hand that was holding a folded piece of paper out to the other man. “I ain't gonna try anything. I come too far to do anything stupid. I just brought this to you. It's proof that I didn't kill Jess Kincaid.”

“Sheriff, do you really think I would risk my neck this way on a lie? I tried to tell you then that I was innocent, but no one would listen. I got a paper from Territorial Judge Orin Travis that says the man that really did it confessed to the murder to his gang, and they told everything they heard to the judge. Here,” Vin shoved the paper a little closer to Waters, “See for yourself.”

When the other man made no move to take the missive, Vin slowly rose from the chair and placed the letter in the seat and turned to face the jailhouse wall. He laid his hands, stretched out wide, on the wooden walls and leaned forward to rest his cheek on the wall too, leaving himself a perfect target to the other man. Waters kept his gun pointed on the former bountyhunter as he reached with one hand and swiped up the folded paper.

He shook the letter open and began to read, stopping every few seconds to keep an eye on Vin. Buford Waters heaved a sigh when he reached the end of the letter that was exactly what Tanner had claimed. Slowly he holstered his gun and refolded the note.

Vin complied still being careful to keep his hands away from his gun… just in case.

Vin nodded. “Yeah. He was setting me up. I was getting too close to his trail. He decided to get rid of me once and for all without risking me getting close enough to catch him. Ole Eli musta chosen Jess Kincaid because he looked something like him. He killed him, dressed him up in some of Eli's clothes and left him for me to find. I assumed he was Eli Joe. I had been after him for a long time, but I'd never actually seen him face ta face before. Jess Kincaid looked pretty close to the picture on the wanted poster.” Vin shrugged, “I didn't know it wasn't Eli Joe until I brought him into town to collect the bounty. The rest you know already.”

“Damn!” Waters mumbled. “This is sure a poor kettle of fish. There's gonna be trouble. It ain't gonna matter to Seth Kincaid whether you killed Jess or someone else did. That man is all muscle and no brains. You was the one that brought Jess' body back and Seth is still gonna blame you for his death.”

Waters sighed again and said, “We gotta talk to the Judge. He's the only one that can throw out the verdict form your murder trial and rescind the bounty on your head.”

Waters looked around the town that was growing busier as the morning sun rose higher in the sky.

“We'd better get you straight over to the Judge's house before someone sees you and decides to organize a hanging party,” the sheriff said and started leading Vin down the street. “Best pull that hat down a bit lower.”

Vin took the advice and followed after the other man. Waters led him quickly through the streets to the largest house in the town. The sheriff knocked loudly on the door and the two men stood listening as sounds could be heard coming from the back of the spacious home. The door was swung open by a small black-haired pixie of a girl who stood grinning at the visitors, one front tooth missing from the smile.

“Good morning, Betsy. I need to speak to your father. Could you tell him for me,” the man said, smiling down on the child.

Vin and Waters entered the home and started to follow the girl when she suddenly stopped at the foot of the large staircase that ended in the foyer and yelled, “PAPA! THE SHERIFF IS HERE TO SEE YOU.”

“Elizabeth Margaretta Monroe! What have I told you about yelling in the house,” said a stern voice from the head of the stairs. Vin looked up to watch a slim, well-dressed man descend the steps. The man was in his mid-forties if he was a day, judging by the deep lines on his face and the liberal sprinkling of grey in his brown hair.

Unrepentant, the little imp shrugged and gave him a snaggle-tooth grin then replied, “Young ladies should be quiet and demure.”

“I would not call your current behavior either quiet or demure. Perhaps you should join your mother in the kitchen for further instruction on proper ladylike behavior.”

“Yes, Papa,” the girl stated unhappily as she turned and dragged her feet toward the back of the house. All three men watched the child's progress for a moment before the judge turned to stare at Vin.

“Vin Tanner. Now this is unexpected. When you escaped from the jail so long ago I didn't expect to ever see you again…alive anyway. Why are you here? And why are you not in irons?” The judge raised a questioning eyebrow at the Sheriff.

Waters rushed to explain as he handed the judge the letter Vin had given him, “He brought a letter from a territorial judge that says somebody named Eli Joe was the real killer of Jess Kincaid.”

Judge Monroe read the letter carefully, paying special attention to the embossed seal in one corner.

“I would appear that Sheriff Waters is correct. Appears.” The judge held up a finger interrupting the words the sheriff was about to speak. “But appearances can be deceptive. The information will need to be verified before the verdict can be overturned.”

Vin spoke for the first time. “Judge Travis can tell you anything you need to know. He usually makes it to Eagle Bend right around this time, but if he got caught up in a trial he might be running a bit late. I can give you the towns on his circuit if you want to send telegrams.”

The Judge acquiesced with a nod. “This says you have spent the last two years as a peacekeeper, a very good one if this is to be believed.”

The judge wagged his head again in acknowledgement. “Well, Mr. Tanner. I'm wondering if it might be in everyone's interest if you remained in the jail until this matter can be resolved.”

Vin stiffened and looked at the man squarely. “I ain't about to take off. I come to clear my name, and I ain't going anywhere until that's done!”

“Be that as it may, there are certain citizens who might not be pleased to see you wandering the streets freely.”

“I didn't kill Jess Kincaid! I won't be jailed for somethin' I didn't do!” Vin stated heatedly. “Would you like to be stuck in a stuffy jail cell when you were innocent? An innocent man don't belong in no jail!”

“I ain't asking you to. I been takin' care of myself for a long time now. I can manage just fine on my own,” Vin told him.

“I think you underestimate the emotional response your presence in town will engender from the townspeople,” The judge informed him seriously. “Jess Kincaid was well liked in this town. A lot of people took it very hard when you escaped custody. They will be out for your blood now that you are back, innocence not withstanding. I am afraid they may decide to act first and think latter.”

“I'll take my chances,” Vin said firmly. The idea of being trapped in that tiny jail cell again caused long buried fears to creep up on him. There was no way he would voluntarily consent to being put there again. Once had been more than enough.

“Very well,” the judge gave in, “on your own head be it. Sheriff, it would perhaps be best if we began circulating the news about this new development as soon as possible. Perhaps we can stall for time.” The judge tugged on his chin with one hand as he appeared lost in thought. “Gentlemen, I believe this action calls for an expert's touch. If you will follow me.”

This said, the judge led the men to the back of the house and into the kitchen where a pretty brown-haired woman was busy at the wood-burning stove. The smell of frying bacon filled the room, and the sight of the golden brown biscuits she was taking from the pan she had just removed from the oven and was placing in a napkin lined basket, caused Vin's stomach to growl in appreciation. The woman looked up in question as her husband and the men entered the room.

“Why good morning, Sheriff,” she said warmly. “Betsy said we had visitors this morning. Would you gentlemen care to join us for breakfast? We have plenty to…” The words dropped off as she got a good look at the longhaired man in the brown jacket. She stared in disbelief for a second before her eyes flew to meet her husband's. The woman's manners took over and she tried to smile at the man. “If you gentlemen would take a seat at the table I will bring you some coffee.”

“Please don't go to any trouble, ma'am,” Vin said, trying to put the woman more at ease.

“Nonsense. It's no trouble,” She said more firmly as she studied the quiet man standing in her kitchen. Somehow she just didn't feel threatened by this man. His blue eyes met hers squarely, leaving it to her to make her own decisions about him, but her sharp mother's eyes could see that hint of hurt lurking in the back of his expression that nearly broke her heart. Instincts older than time kicked in and the woman reached out to take him by the arm and lead him to the table. She pulled a chair out for him and almost pushed him down onto it. “I would be insulted if you turned down my cooking. I make a mean biscuit, even if I do say so myself. You just sit yourself there and enjoy.”

Vin looked up to see The Judge grinning back at him. “Might as well give in gracefully. Nobody can stop the woman once she gets a bee in her bonnet. If she's decided to feed you, then eat you will.”

“Don't you listen to a word he says,” the judge's wife smacked at her husband with a towel then proceeded to gather cups, plates and silverware for her unexpected breakfast guests.

“Actually my dear, I believe we need your assistance with a situation that has developed.”

“Why certainly, dear,” she answered as she gracefully poured coffee for each man from the large blue-speckled coffee pot that she then slipped back on to the stovetop. “How can I help?”

“Well, my dear, it is like this,” The judge replied and began filling his wife in.

“Oh my! You poor man!” she exclaimed when the tale was finished. “How perfectly dreadful it must have been for you.”

Embarrassed, Vin tried to downplay the whole ordeal, “I managed. I just want to get my name cleared. That's pretty much all I've thought about for a long time now.”

“Oh yes, I can see where it would be. Well let me assure you, you will have my full assistance. Hmm, I do believe I'm running short of flour this morning.”

“What happened to that fifty pound bag of it I unloaded for you last week?” The judge asked in astonishment.

“Murphy's General Store is a hotbed of gossip, Martin,” she explained, looking at him as though he were a particularly dense child.

“I see,” the man struggled to contain his smile. “We will leave it in your more than capable hands to get the news out then.”

The men left the kitchen and retreated to the Judge's study. The man composed several telegrams and had his son run over to the telegraph office to send them to all the places Vin said Judge Travis had on his circuit.

“Well, gentlemen. I believe it would be best to give the good people of this town time to circulate the news before Mr. Tanner ventures out onto its streets. Could I perhaps interest you in a game of cards while we wait?”

So for the rest of the morning and half the afternoon, Vin Tanner remained in the home of the Judge and whiled away several pleasant hours gleefully practicing all the lessons in poker that Ezra had given him.

“Whoa there, little Pard,” Vin said as he reached down to help up the little boy that had just run around the corner and bumped into his legs. The impact had caused the boy to fall on his backside in the dust at Vin's feet.

Vin halfway expected the child to start bawling any second, so was caught off guard when laughing blue eyes were raised to stare at him. The boy's black hair fell over his forehead and hung down into his eyes and he kept pushing it back with a chubby little hand as he cheerfully watched the man standing over him. Vin could find no trace of the fear he expected from the child at being knocked down by a stranger. If the boy's wide smile was any indication he was neither hurt nor scared. Vin squatted to bring himself down to the child's level, and returned the smile.

The boy giggled and reached over to grab Vin's arm and used it to pull himself back to his feet.

“Is she now?” Vin felt his own face muscles stretch even more as his grin widened at the undiluted delight radiating from the boy.

The little head nodded vigorously, causing the long bangs to fall into his eyes again. Vin laughed and pushed the hair back again.

The child threw a look over his shoulder and started jumping up and down in excitement before throwing himself into Vin's arms and wrapping both tiny arms around the man's neck.

“Bucklin James Wilmington!” A woman's harried voice preceded her. Vin looked up and watched as a rather pretty, dark-haired woman approached. She stopped before the man still kneeling on the ground with her son's arms locked on to him, and stood with her hands on her very shapely hips. “I told you play time was over. It's time for your bath.”

“Don't wanna bath,” Buck said turning his head to grin at his mother, enjoying this new game and feeling safe from maternal wrath in the blond man's arms.

“You may not want a bath, but you're going to have one,” his mother informed him.

“Thank you for catching him for me,” She answered with a smile, “He usually loves baths but for some strange reason he's been resisting having to take one. This is the third time I've had to chase him down. I don't quite know what to do with him.” The woman said the last with exasperation. Vin could hear the deep love this woman bore for the boy behind the surface irritation and had to smile at her

“Well, sometimes little fellers just got to be contrary. Don't got to have a reason for it. Just is. Can only hope they outgrow it,” Vin told her.

“I'll let you know when it happens,” he joked and the woman broke down and joined him.

Vin tugged at his hat respectfully in acknowledgment and said, “Vin Tanner. Pleased to meet ya.”

“And I you Mr. Tanner. If you hadn't come along I would still be chasing this scamp all over town,” She said reaching down to tousle the boy's hair and smiling affectionately.

“Happy to help,” Vin assured her and stood up with the boy still clinging to his neck determinedly.

Pleading, blue baby-eyes stared straight into Vin's and the man felt his heart melt as the child begged, “Please?”

Unable to resist the boy, Vin looked at the child's mother and said, “I could help you give him a bath if it'd make it easier for ya.”

Emma Wilmington weighed this for moment, watching the man in front of her and how he reacted to her son and made a decision.

“No trouble at all, ma'am,” Vin assured her. “I don't have much to do right now but wait. It would help me pass the time, in fact.”

Vin was more than a little surprised when the woman led him around to the back of one of the local saloons and climbed the stairs on the outside of the building to the small porch leading to the rooms on the second floor. She took a key from her pocket and unlocked the door and led him inside. They made their way down a dimly lit hall to the last door which Emma unlocked too. Vin took note of the tidy, well-kept room. He didn't say anything about the frilly red and black satin dress that had been hung on a hook beside the dressing table. Apparently he didn't have to because Emma turned to face him, her hands once more on her hips as she faced him down.

“I work as a singer in the saloon downstairs,” She informed him with defiant pride.

Vin took his time answering the woman, trying to choose words that would show her he didn't judge her choice of professions.

“I take care of Bucklin just fine,” She said defensively. “I'm a good mother!”

“Yes, ma'am!” Vin hurriedly spoke, “I can see that. He's a real good kid. You done a good job raisin' him. I didn't mean to make it sound like you didn't. I just meant…”

“I'm sorry, Vin,” Emma said as she came close enough to touch his arm in regret. “I shouldn't have jumped on you with both feet like that I get so much disapproval from the people around here that I guess I'm a little gun-shy. I just automatically assume that other people are judging me. I apologize. I hate it when people jump to conclusions about me and here I did the same thing to you. I'm so ashamed of myself.”

“I imagine you do,” Emma said quietly, at last acknowledging that she knew who he was and had heard the story being circulated.

Vin, eager to change the topic, turned to look at he boy watching the adults with smiling patience. “Well how about that bath, little Buck?”

Vin reined in his smile and looked at the child seriously. “So you are. Sorry about that, Bucklin. So, are you ready for your bath?”

Vin carefully set the child on his feet and watched as the boy went to the dresser and tugged open the bottom drawer. He pulled out a long white sleeping gown and a clean set of drawers, then sat on the floor and used both feet to close the dresser drawer again. The child jumped up and hurried back to his new friend.

The little group left the room -Vin once more carrying Buck- and Emma led the procession down another set of stairs to the kitchen area that was set behind the saloon's main hall. Raucous music and increasingly loud voices could be heard emanating from the saloon as the early evening crowd started to grow. On reaching the kitchen, they were greeted by a graying, stooped-shouldered old woman who was shuffling around the large kitchen in her bare feet.

"So you finally found the rascal, did you?" the woman's asked gruffly. Despite the tone of voice, Vin could see the twinkle of affection in the woman's eyes as she looked at the little boy.

"I'm gonna take a bath now, Miz Molly," Buck informed the woman with his usual exuberant smile. "Mr. Vin is gonna help. He likes me."

Vin felt like he was standing naked as the shrewd old eyes looked him up and down. He evidently passed muster.

"Heard you was back in town," the woman informed him, before turning to the stove and reaching for a kettle of water that had been heating there and took it over to the hip bath that had been waiting for Buck. She poured some of the hot water into the tub, mixing it with the cool water that she had already poured in and then reached down to stir the water with one wrinkled hand as she looked up at Vin and continued.

"I r'member you from when you use to stop here on your way to other places. Never seemed the type to me to kill a man in cold blood. Can't say I was real surprised when I heard you was innocent."

Vin was gratified to receive the vote of confidence and smiled gratefully at the old woman saying, "Thank ya kindly, ma'am. I surely do appreciate you saying that."

The woman gave a snort and replied, "Don't need no thanks for telling the truth." Apparently deciding the subject had been exhausted the woman turned her attention to the little boy bouncing happily in the tracker's arms.

For a minute it looked like Buck was giving serous consideration to remaining right where he was, so Vin pretended to drop him, setting off a peal of delighted laughter from Buck. Vin set the child's feet on the floor.

"Man's gotta do, what a man's gotta do, right pard?" Vin grinned at the child and held out a hand. Buck quickly slipped his own into it.

Under the watchful eyes of the two women, Vin helped the boy unbutton and remove his tiny clothes and step into the hip bath. Vin was quick to forestall Buck's attempted jump into the filled tub with a hand on the boy's shoulder.

Buck stood looking up at him in question for a moment and Vin said, with a grin to take the sting out of the reprimand, “Take it easy there, Buck. Let's try to keep the water in the tub. It don't do you much good on the floor.”

“ 'Kay Mr. Vin,” Buck said with a shrug. He didn't see the point since the water all wound up on the floor by the time he was done with his bath anyway, but if his new friend wanted it that way he would oblige him…this time anyway.

“Make sure ya wash behind them ears good,” the old woman called out to the boy as she approached with a wash cloth and towel that she handed to the man kneeling on the floor beside the tub. “Last time you had enough dirt back there to grow your own taters.”

Vin thanked Molly for the towel and cloth with a smile before returning his attention to the boy in the tub. For all that Buck had tried to postpone his bath time, he seemed to be enjoying himself immensely. As the tracker dipped the wash cloth into the water and starting rubbing a bar of soap with it, Buck threw his little hands down in the warm water with glee, repeatedly causing the water to splash onto his face and chest and making him giggle. Vin was unprepared when the boy suddenly jumped up and stood in the bath, his arms held out wide, a huge grin splitting his face as he twisted from the waist giving everyone a good view of his unclothed body.

“Look, Mr. Vin! I'm naked! BUCK-naked!” the little boy dissolved into laughter, delighted by his own joke.

Vin couldn't contain his snort of amusement as he watched the child so innocently enjoying his own nudity. A very clear groan sounded from the boy's mother.

“I swear if I ever get my hands on the one that taught you that, I'm going to wring their neck but good!” Emma said shaking her head in motherly exasperation.

“You got no shame, boy,” Molly told the child with a crooked smile that showed several missing teeth. “You'd walk around all day without a stitch on if your mother would let you, wouldn't you?”

“Please! Don't give him any ideas,” Emma teased. “He comes up with enough on his own.”

Vin took advantage of Buck's position and began washing the boy's back with the cloth. Buck wiggled playfully and Vin had to smile at the giggles that continued to tumble from the child. Buck obligingly turned whenever Vin asked him, or lifted arms and legs so crevices, toes, and pits could be properly washed. The ears were a little more difficult as the tiny body just couldn't seem to stand still long enough for Vin to do more than swipe at them.

The all-too-often serious tracker was enjoying the bath as much as the boy. Vin had never been around too many children Buck’s age. He had always believed a child didn't really start to get interesting until they were old enough to ride and start hunting and fishing. Small children had always been things to shuffle off back to their parents as soon as possible, but little Bucklin Wilmington was shattering all his prior reservations on being around little kids. The boy had a joy of life and a wide-eyed sense of fun that Vin found himself drawn to.

The shaman of the tribe Vin had lived with for a while when he was younger had once told him that every man had a soul and each soul had a light that shone from it that helped to light the universe. He told him that the night stars were souls of others that had gone ahead to light the way for The People still making their journey in the world. Some souls were bright with goodness and love. Some were dim with misery and evil. Looking at the boy who was staring back at him so trustingly- inviting him to share in the simple joy taken from the everyday pastime- Vin knew that Buck's young soul must have been able to light up half of that universe all by itself.

Young Buck was beginning to shiver as he stood in the tub and Vin reluctantly knew the very pleasant interlude was coming to an end. He reached for the towel and wrapped it around the boy. He rubbed the little body dry and assisted him from the hip bath. He watched fondly as the boy wiggled his way into his drawers and nightgown then stood in front of the tracker with his arms stretched wide waiting for Vin to pick him up once more. Vin was more than happy to oblige.

“That wasn't so bad, was it, son?” Vin asked and gently pinched the boy's chin.

Sharp pain flashed through Vin as he thought about how uncertain his tomorrow was likely to be, but he pushed the sad thought away not wanting to let it spoil the moment.

Buck thought this statement over with a frown for a moment then threw his arms around Vin's neck in a tight hug. The child drew back and pressed his nose against Vin's saying, “But if you're here can we do it again?”

Vin was saved from answering by Emma who stepped up and lifted the boy from the tracker's arms.

“That's enough, Buck. It's time for you to go to bed. Say thank you to Mr. Tanner then say goodnight.”

“Thank you Mr. Vin,” Buck said dutifully, leaning over and planting a big, smacking kiss on the man's lips. “Goodnight... but can we?”

Vin grinned at the boy's determination and laughed out loud as Emma began to scold the unrepentant child.

“I'm afraid you'll have to excuse us, Mr. Tanner. It's time for Buck to get to bed and me to get to work. Thank you for all your help,” Emma told him when she eventually wound down enough to remember her own manners.

“It was my pleasure, ma'am,” Vin assured her with a smile, aware of exactly how true the words were. “Night, Buck.”

Buck waved to Vin over his mother's shoulder as she walked away. The room seemed to get smaller and dimmer with the child's departure. Vin didn't hear the sigh that unconsciously escaped him as he watched the mother and son leave.

“Hard not to like that pair, ain't it,” Molly's rough voice drew his attention from the now empty doorway.

“She's a good woman in spite of what you might hear from some folks around here.” The old woman looked at him, her eyes filled with protectiveness for the absent woman and child. “She ain't that kind of woman.”

Vin blushed slightly and quickly shook his head in denial of the unspoken accusation.

An amused look filled the woman's face as she watched him blithering. Taking pity on him she said, “Alright then. Just thought it was best to clear that up from the start. That woman's had it rough and she don't need you comin' along and makin' it harder for her. She got her hands full as it is. There's plenty in this town that'd like to see her fall on her face. She's balancin' on the edge of trouble all the time and she don't need you to give her a push over it.”

“I ain't lookin for trouble or lookin' to cause trouble for nobody,” Vin told her seriously.

“Thing about trouble is it don't matter if you're lookin' for it or not. It can still find ya,” Molly warned.

Vin watched the street below his rented room from his perch on the roof and waited patiently. He'd already spent the last half hour stretched out on his belly on the rooftop. He was prepared to wait all night if need be. He had been sitting at the table, quietly finishing the dinner Molly had served him in the kitchen of the busy saloon when Emma had flown in through the door.

Vin immediately stood up and reached for her, placing a gentle hand on each of her arms, and held her steady. In the two days that had passed since Vin had arrived in the town, the tracker had become good friends with the lovely saloon singer and her little boy. Vin and Buck hit it off right away. Buck had taken to following the man around like a puppy. Vin had been spending all his time at the saloon as a result of this, afraid the boy might get hurt if someone took a notion to extract a little justice for Vin's believed past deeds before Judge Monroe cleared him. He'd even struck up a loose kind of friendship with the saloon's crotchety cook.

“What is it?” Vin asked with concern. “Are you alright? Somebody botherin' you?”

“No, no!” She hastened to reassure him. “I'm fine. It's you that's in danger!”

Grateful the woman was unharmed; the tracker led her to the table and pulled out a chair for her. “Take your time and tell me what's got you so riled up,” Vin told her as he knelt on one knee by her chair and took her hands in his own.

“I was heading up to check on Buck, when I heard Seth Kincaid and his friends talking. They're going to break into your room tonight when you go to sleep and hang you! Vin, you have to leave. You have to go right now!”

It was inevitable that Seth would hear the news of his return. The only surprising thing about it was that it had taken this long for it to reach him. Vin sighed and gave her hands a squeeze before rising to his feet to pace.

“I can't leave, Emma,” Vin told her. “I have to stay until Judge Monroe hears from Judge Travis. I told the man I would. I gave him my word. I can't break it.”

Vin smiled at the worried woman and returned to kneel by her side again. “When I was little my Ma got sick… real sick…putrid fever. Before she died she called me to her bedside to tell me to always remember that I was a Tanner. She always told me stories when I was just a pup about all the brave and noble things my Pa, and grandpappy and his grandpappy had done. She was always real proud to be a Tanner, and she made me proud to be one too. After I got that bounty put on my head the only thing I had left was my name. That made it even more special for me than before. I can't dishonor that name by going back on my word. I'm sorry, but I just can't.”

Vin grinned at her and replied, “Improvise. My friend Ezra taught me that fancy word. That means you make it up as you go along.”

“I know, Emma,” he tried to assure her. “It ain't the first time I been in a situation like this.”

“I appreciate that. And I owe you for the warning...and a Tanner always pays his debts. If you ever need my help, all you got to do is send word and I'll come. My word as a Tanner,” he told her seriously.

Touched, the woman reached out and ran her palm over his stubbly jaw and said, “And a Tanner always keeps his word.”

“You learn quick,” said Vin as he smiled and grasped her hand in his, pressing it tightly against his face for a moment then letting go.

“I'd best go get ready for Seth's surprise party,” he told her right before he picked up his hat from the table and jammed it back on his head. “Wouldn't want to disappoint 'em by not having the guest o' honor show up.”

Molly, who had been silently listening to them talk, spoke up. "I'm makin' hotcakes for breakfast in the mornin'," she told him with a glare, "I don't wanna be wastin' any so you best make sure you show up on time in the mornin'."

Vin tugged at the brim of his hat, touched at the woman's concern even though it had been cloaked in her usual brusque and gruff manner.

He had slipped out the back door of the saloon into the alley that ran behind it and disappeared into the darkness. The urge was strong to stand up to the men who wanted to hang him, but he knew that was just plain foolishness. Pride may have wanted him to confront the men on his own, but Vin had lived as long a he had by knowing when to give pride its head an when to rein it in. As much as it might gall him to do it, he knew he needed to ask for help with this one. He really wished his friends were there to back him up. He'd gotten used to having five men standing beside him when trouble came calling, but at the same time he was glad they weren't. He'd never forgive himself if one of them were injured because of his past.

The way he saw things, the odds were against him. There was no way to tell just how many friends Seth Kincaid had corralled to help him lynch Vin. He knew he was good in a fight but there was a limit to the number of men he could take on by himself. Then either the men would manage to overpower him and he'd wind up with his neck stretched or he'd have to kill one or more of his attackers in order to save himself. That wouldn't go over very well with the rest of the townsfolk. Most of the town's citizens were still watching him with cautious eyes; not yet knowing if the stories they had been hearing were true but willing to hold off on deciding about him until they heard from the Judge. Vin knew it wouldn't take much to have the whole town screaming for his blood again. With his prize so close Vin couldn't take the risk. So he did the only thing he could do: he went to see the Sheriff.

Sheriff Waters had not been too pleased with him, but the man knew his duty and always performed it to the best of his ability. The sheriff had ordered Vin to let him handle it and the tracker had reluctantly agreed. Waters had taken the key for Vin's room from him and sent Vin back to the saloon to wait for him. Vin was prepared to let the Sheriff handle things his way, but he wasn't prepared to let the man face a bunch of drunks looking to lynch a man by himself. So Vin had pretended to go along with the sheriff until the man was out of sight and then slipped in to the stable to gather a few of his things before he hurried behind his rooming house and shimmied up onto the roof. The sheriff might not want his help, but Vin was going to cover his back anyway. That's how he came to be laying on the rooftop.

Vin stilled as he heard a clang from the dark yard below followed by a loud “Ummph”. A lowly growled “Quiet!” immediately followed.

Listening closely, Vin could hear the shuffling, stumbling footsteps of several men although he couldn't make out their shapes in the deep darkness of the shadows that ran along the side of the rooming house. A barely muffled “Damn!” and “Watch where you're stepping!” gave testament to the fact that the not-so-stealthy group below was having just as much difficulty seeing in the gloom. The sudden sound of someone retching and a slurred “Damn it, Red! That's my boot you're puking on!” let the hidden listener know that at least some in the group were indeed drunk.

Vin heard the sound of boots on the wooden porch of the building below him and several rather loud “Shhh”s followed by the strident sound of the front door creaking open. This set off another round of shushes. If the situation hadn't been so serious, Vin thought he might laugh himself right off the roof.

The group stepped inside and Vin's hearing was not able to track them well. He strained to listen for any sound coming from the room directly below his position and it wasn't long before he heard the door as it crashed open under the force of someone's boot and smacked into the wall with a loud bang. Vin could hear the rumble of footsteps running into the room toward what he would guess was his bed.

“Hey! Nobody's here!” one man yelled in frustration on finding the bed empty.

“Not quite,” Sheriff Water's voice could be heard and a light suddenly filled the room.

Vin silently slipped off the roof onto the balcony right outside his room and looked inside, careful to keep hidden. He saw a group of about 6 men standing with their hands in the air. Vin turned his head to find the sheriff across the room from them by the empty wardrobe where he had apparently hidden a lighted kerosene lamp. He must have opened the door of the wardrobe, spilling the light out into the eyes of the startled lynch mob. The sheriff was holding his six shooter in his right hand and a sawed off double barreled shotgun in his left, and both where pointed at the suddenly quiet group of men.

“You boys are in a heap of trouble,” Waters growled. “You all know better than this. We're a law abiding town here, remember. We don't do around lynching a man…especially one that may be innocent.”

“That's a load of manure,” a large set, brunette man bite out angrily. “Tanner ain't innocent! He's guilty! Guilty of killin' my brother, and you're just gonna let him walk away. Well, I won't. He killed Jess and he's gonna pay for that!”

“You're gonna do nothing, Seth,” Waters replied, his voice low but his tone letting the man know he meant business. “It's up to the Judge to decide whether this new evidence is true or not, not you. Until the Judge decides differently, Tanner is off limits. Do you hear me, Seth? I hear of you just THINKIN' about going after him, and I'll you lock up.”

“Lock ME up! Lock ME up!” Seth Kincaid's angry voice shouted at the sheriff. “If that don't beat all. You let a known murderer walk the streets free and you'd lock me up? Nu-uh. No way! Tanner had a trial and he was found guilty and sentenced to hang. If you won't do your duty then it's up to the rest of us to do it for ya.”

Water's gave a tired sigh and said, “You always was dumber than dirt, Seth Kincaid. Alright then, you won't listen to reason then you and the boys get to spend the night in jail thinking about it. Move.” The sheriff nodded toward the door starting off a ring of protest from the rest of the group which the man ignored motioning toward the door with the shot gun this time.

Vin could follow the progress of the group by the loud protests still being called out as they made their way down the stairs and outside. Vin had gotten ready, knowing that at least some of the men might decide to try and make a run for it in the darkness. As the group emerged from the building, Vin could almost read the exact instant it dawned on two of the prisoners that escape might be possible. Just has they started their move to dash into the dark, Vin rose and threw one of the blankets from his bedroll out wide and then the other. He watched with a grin as the blankets fell and landed over the heads of the two trying to run. The men yelled in startled fear as something seemed to drop on them out of a clear sky and entangle them. Both started furiously trying to fight off their attacker. Vin saw the quick glance Sheriff Waters gave him before turning his attention back to his prisoners.

“I don't know where you thought you were going, Red, or you either, Sam. I know where you two live. I'd have just gone to your houses and drug you back to jail if you'd gotten away,” the sheriff told the two men now sitting on the ground after falling down in their struggles to release themselves from the blankets. “Get up and let's go.”

Vin remained where he was as the sheriff marched the men to the jail and disappeared inside. He lowered himself from the balcony and lithely dropped into the street then sauntered over to retrieve his blankets. He shook them vigorously to remove the dirt sticking to them and laid them over his left arm He stood for a moment surveying the town. Assured that all was quiet again he slipped inside the stable and returned his blankets to his trail gear them made his way back to the saloon.

His quiet knock on the back door was answered with Molly's usual gruff, “It ain't locked, and I ain't no maid,” so Vin pushed the door open and entered the fragrant kitchen.

Vin smiled at the well camouflaged concern and reassured her, “Yep. I'm a hard one to kill.”

Molly's amused snort was followed by, “Well I'd say you proved that one, right enough. I got a peach pie just outta the oven. You wanna piece?”

Vin's smile lit up the room, “Yes ma'am! I ain't never found anything that could come close to your peach pie.”

Flattered and desperately trying not to show it, Molly scoffed, “Peach pie is peach pie. You best go put somebody's mind at ease while I cut you a piece.” Molly nodded over her shoulder at the door leading into the saloon hall and said, “She's been worryin' herself half to death about you.”

“She had no call to,” Vin said, touched that his new friend would care so much for his safety. “I'll go let her know I'm fine…then I'll be back for that pie.” Vin tipped his hat at the woman with a smile and made his way out front.

He stood in the shadowed hall for a moment watching the crowd of happy revelers, gauging possible danger before slipping out just enough to be seen by anyone looking that way. Across the room, Emma was standing beside an upright piano singing to the piano player's accompaniment. Vin looked appreciatively on the vision she made standing there in her scarlet dress with just a hint of her black lace petticoats showing. Her alabaster skin seemed to glow against the background of the strongly colored dress. Her jet black hair had been piled on her head, leaving only a few small ringlets to fall on either side of her face. Vin could see the relief in her crystal blue eyes all the way from across the room when she spotted him standing there watching her. The professional smile on her lips gave way to a beautifully sincere one as she looked at him. Vin tugged on his hat brim and nodded to let her know he was alright. Emma nodded in acknowledgement then resumed her role and returned her attention to her audience. Vin slipped back into the kitchen…and his waiting piece of pie.

He was just finishing up --trying to keep himself from picking up his dish and licking the last of the pie filling off-- when Emma walked in.

“Quite a crowd tonight,” she said tiredly. She motioned Vin back down when he started to rise, and she pulled a chair out from under the table and sat down. She slipped her feet into one of the other chairs and sat back, glad to be off her feet for a little while. “So you made it back in one piece?”

“I'm glad,” Emma returned the smile. “I don't have enough friends that I can afford to lose one.”

“I hope your troubles get resolved soon, Vin,” she told him. “You're a good man. You deserve to have your life back.”

Vin gazed into the troubled blue eyes watching him and decided the time was right to broach the subject that had been plaguing him since he had met the lovely woman.

“I'm not one to go stickin' my nose where it don't belong, but…” Vin began then broke off, not sure if he wanted to possibly risk this woman's friendship by continuing with his questions.

Emma watched knowingly as he struggled with himself and then told him, “Go ahead, Vin. Ask. I know you want to. I don't mind telling you, but I ask that it go no farther.”

He watched as Emma's gaze dropped to the table, and he reached out to clasp one of her hands with his.

Emma sighed then looked straight at him and answered, “One of the men that he foreclosed on shot him.”

She nodded in acceptance of his condolences then continued, “I met Beau Chesterton when I was only seventeen years old. He was twenty five; rich, handsome, charming. He was everything a young girl's dreams were made of, and he wanted me. I was nowhere near his level socially. My parents only owned a dry goods store. His father owed the bank, the hotel and half the county. He was sent away to school in London. I went to the one room school house in town. We were so completely opposite but I couldn't see that as a deterrent at that age. I could hardly believe it when he started courting me.

Then his father found out about it. To say he was less than pleased was an understatement. He had big plans for his son, and they didn't include making a marriage to a girl with no social connections and no dowry. He threatened to disinherit Beau if he continued to see me. In an act of pure rebellion, Beau swept me away and we were married, but secretly. Beau may have wanted to thumb his nose at his father but he didn't want to lose his inheritance either. That's when I should have realized how weak Beau actually was, but I thought it was sweet and romantic. We were two star crossed lovers just like Romeo and Juliet, only we were going to have our happy ending. I was so naïve. Beau moved me to a neighboring town and bought us a house. I stayed there and he pretended that he had buckled under to his father's demands. We continued like that for about six months when I found out I was expecting Buck.”

Vin watched as Emma's smile turned tender and her hand unconsciously rested on her flat stomach as she reminisced.

“I was so excited, and I knew Beau would be too. I caught the next stage back home and rushed to the bank where Beau worked to tell him our good news. I didn't realize his father was in his office when I rushed in and practically threw the announcement at him. Well of course his father assumed I was his mistress and was trying to trap him into marriage. The man made it crystal clear that there was no way he would allow his son to marry someone like me just to give my “bastard” a name. He…he said if Beau wanted to continue sleeping with me on the side after he was married that was one thing, but I had better not expect anything else ever. I stood there looking at Beau, waiting for him to tell his father the truth, to defend me…but he didn't. He just stood staring out the window as if he didn't see either me or his father and couldn't hear all the horrible things his father was saying to me. I was so angry by this time that I simply turned and walked away. I caught the next stage back home.

It was a week before Beau showed up, full of apologies and ranting about how his father couldn't tell him what to do. He was more than a little surprised when I refused to forgive him. We got into a horrible fight and he left. That was the last time I ever saw him.”

Emma swallowed back tears and continued, “He continued to send money for the bills, and wrote letters asking for me to take him back. I wrote back that he wasn't welcome until he was man enough to tell his father about us. I should have realized that he was never going to be man enough to stand up to his father.

I sent him a letter when Buck was born. He sent me one back saying he wanted to come see him. We made plans for him to come one Sunday for dinner. We were going to discuss names for the baby, among other things, since I hadn't named him yet. Beau insisted on having a say in choosing his name and I knew as his father that was only fair. But the Friday before Beau was supposed to come he was killed. When he didn't show up I thought he'd changed his mind. I didn't find out until later. It wasn't until I got a visit from his brother that I found out the truth.

Charles was Beau's younger brother. He came to see me one night. He told me Beau had left a will in which he declared our marriage, claimed his son, and left all his estate to his son. Charles wasn't…happy… with this news. He had imaged himself his father's only heir now that Beau was gone and he wanted to keep it that way. He knew Beau had always been their father's favorite and that the man would want Beau's son- as the only piece of Beau still living- to replace what he had lost. Charles wouldn't allow that. He…he tried to kill Buck! He was reaching into Buck's cradle to strangle him when I struck him on the back of his head with the poker. I tied him up and gagged him.

I knew there was no way I could win if I went up against the Chesterton family. They had too much money, and too much power. Beau's father would surely take Buck away from me. He would try to force him into the mold he fashioned for him. I had seen what kind of men he molded and I didn't want my son to become one. I also knew Buck would never be safe from Charles either. The man would keep trying to kill him until he succeeded…so I ran.

I packed up as much as I could, sold what I could, and then I took the money and ran. I've been running ever since. I know the Chestertons are still looking for us. Three times in the last year I've had to slip out of towns because their investigators had tracked me. I know it's only a matter of time before they find me again and I'll have to take Buck and run.”

Emma looked at Vin and the sadness in her eyes made him want to smash the men hounding her. Vin interlaced his fingers with hers.

“I suppose so, although I've used so many different ones that it's hard to remember that sometimes,” was her rueful answer.

“How long have you been in Tascosa?” he asked, tilting his head to one side and looking at her in curiosity.

“Four months now,” was the sad reply. “That's the longest time I've gotten to stay in one place in over two years. I know I'll have to move on soon. I really hate it that I have to do that to Buck. He's made a lot of friends here. He's always so upset when he has to leave them. It's just not FAIR,” she cried. “He should have a stable home, not be forced to keep running for his life. He's only a little boy! It just isn't right that someone should want to hurt him!”

Vin watched helplessly as tears began to flow from the woman's eyes. Keeping hold of her hand and he pulled her around the table and stood to take her into his arms. Her soft sobs tore at his heart as she cried against his chest. He wrapped his arms around Emma and held her, giving her what comfort he could, but knowing it would never be enough.

The pair stood quietly in the middle of the kitchen. Eventually the storm of weeping subsided and Emma pulled back, swiping at her eyes with her hands.

“I'm sorry,” she whispered, “I shouldn't have burdened you with all that. You have enough trouble on your own plate right now without me heaping mine onto it.”

Vin gave her a little shake and answered, “Now don't go spoiling it. You gave me your friendship and a friend don't ever have to apologize for telling a friend their troubles.”

Emma gave a hiccupping little smile and replied, “You make a good friend, Vin. I'm glad you're one of mine.”

“And I'm glad I met you, too. I never thought coming back to this place would be one of the best things I ever did in my life, but that's what it turned out to be what with meetin' you and little Buck and all.”

The two stood looking at each other in emotion-filled silence for several long moments. The pitty-pat of little feet on the wooden steps leading from the rooms above finally broke the spell and the two pulled away from each other as a spiked-haired Buck entered the kitchen rubbing his sleepy eyes with one fist. His other arm was wrapped tightly around the rag doll his mother had made for him for his third birthday. Vin couldn't help the smile that broke out at the sight of the little one standing there in his nightgown looking absolutely adorable.

“Hey, pard,” Vin said gently as he moved toward the child and picked him up, “What are you doin' outta bed at this time of night?”

Buck wrapped his arm around Vin's neck and held on tight. “The bad mans woked me up.”

“The bad mans in the ward'obe,” Buck answered sleepily. “They woked me up. Tell the bad mans to go 'way, Mr. Vin.”

Vin shared a glance with the worried mother. Before he had heard the woman's story he would have dismissed it as just a child's dream, but now he couldn't. Vin handed the child back to his mother.

He made his way up the stairs and down the hall using all the stealth he had learned in his years as a tracker to remain silent. Vin carefully turned the door knob and pushed the door open just enough to look inside. He slowly opened it bit by bit as he surveyed the room's interior, but saw nothing. The room was empty. Vin finally entered the bedroom and checked the small wardrobe finding nothing out of the ordinary. He wandered around the rest of the room but could find nothing to suggest anyone had been in the room except the sleeping boy.

Vin still had a bad feeling. He didn't know if it was something real or because Emma had just finished telling him her story, but he was uneasy. Those tiny hairs on the back of his neck that always warned him when danger was near were stirring. Vin told himself he would have to keep an eye on Emma and Bucklin. Like Emma, he didn't have so many friends that he could afford to lose any.

The closer Chris Larabee got to Tascosa the higher the pressure of his temper built. Anyone would think that after several weeks on the trail that temper would have subsided but that wasn't Chris Larabee's way. He had managed to bank his anger on the trip --for which his trail partner, Ezra Standish, was fully appreciative -- but the knowledge that the man they had chased halfway across the western territories was getting nearer caused that temper to rise from the slow simmer it had been kept at on the journey to a its current raging boil. Tanner was a dead man when he got a hold of him…if he wasn't already Chris thought to himself. That was the fuel feeding his anger: the fear that Vin was already dead. And he hadn't been there to help him. He hadn't been ALLOWED to help him. Chris' temper burned a shade hotter with the thought. Damn independent Texan.

Ezra, peacekeeper and resident gambler of Four Corners, had wisely kept his own thoughts to himself for the last day as he watched his leader's temper build to what he considered to be dangerous levels. Ezra enjoyed baiting his leader, and had been known to take it so far as to have the man throwing punches at him, but even he knew not to provoke the man when he got like this unless he was willing to risk life and limb. Ezra was many things but a fool wasn't one of them. Conversation for the past day had been practically nil. Ezra had kept silent and answered only when Chris spoke first, being very careful to keep his answers simple and to the point. When Larabee finally blew he didn't want to be in the way. No, he wanted all that anger to find its true target. After all Mr. Tanner deserved everything he had coming for pulling his disappearing act.

The dust swirled around the horse's feet with every step as the two rode into Tascosa. By unspoken agreement the two men headed for the building with the sign out front proclaiming it to be the jail. They drew their horses to a stop and dismounted, tying up the reins on the hitching post in front of the jail. They stepped up onto the covered porch, Ezra slapping ineffectually at the dust covering his jacket, and entered the jailhouse. Both men stood just inside the doorway letting their eyes adjust to the change in brightness.

“Can I help you boys?” A voice called from their right and they turned to face it. The sheriff was sitting behind a large wooden desk staring at them.

“Name's Chris Larabee. This is Ezra Standish. We're looking for a friend of ours. Vin Tanner's his name.”

Sheriff Waters studied both men carefully before answering, “How do I know you're friends and not somebody looking to collect the bounty on his head?”

“ ' Cause we know he was coming here with proof to clear his name. Proof that Eli Joe shot Jess Kincaid,” Chris told him.

“Well, a lot of people have heard that by now,” Waters informed him. “That ain't exactly proof.”

“Then he made it here? He was able to give you the letter from Judge Travis?” Chris asked sharply. “What happened to him? I swear if you let them hang him I'll…” Chris stepped forward threateningly and Ezra reached out to place a cautioning hand on the man's shoulder.

“Mr. Larabee. Perhaps it might be best if you allow the good Sheriff to explain before you beat the hell out of him? It might save time in the long run.”

Waters had not missed the look that came over the black-clad gunman as he mentioned Vin's hanging. Satisfied that they were indeed friends of Vin, the man informed them, “Judge Monroe is waiting for verification from the territorial judge before deciding to overturn the guilty verdict, but Tanner is fine. He's not even in jail. This time of day you can probably find him having lunch with Miss Emma and her son over at the saloon. Come on and I'll walk you over.”

The sheriff grabbed his hat from the rack and jammed it on his head then led the two men across the street and down the boardwalk to the saloon. There were only a few men playing poker at a table in the corner of saloon hall when the men entered through the swinging doors. A fact that immediately got the gambler's attention.

“Not now, Standish,” Chris said without even looking back at the man.

“Mr. Larabee, I assure you the thought never even crossed my mind,” Ezra tried to say indignantly.

The trio headed straight to the back of the saloon and the sheriff swung open the kitchen door. There, sitting pretty-as-you-please, was the missing tracker stuffing his face with what looked to be mashed potatoes and fried chicken. Their entrance caused all the kitchen's occupants to look around in surprise.

Vin hastily swallowed and started to rise from his chair saying, “Chris! Ezra! Ah…when did you boys get here? I'm sure…”

The rest of his sentence was interrupted by the fist Chris smashed into his face. Vin stumbled backward with the force of the blow but kept on his feet.

“Angry! Angry! I'll show you angry; you low down, independent son of bit…” Chris started toward him again with clenched fists.

“No! You leave Mr. Vin alone!” A shrill little voice bellowed out taking Chris by surprise, and a little body streaked around the table and threw itself at his knees. Chris watched in astonishment as a small, black haired boy that couldn't have been anymore than three or four started beating on his knees and thighs with tiny fists. “I won't let you hurt, Mr. Vin!”

Vin swiftly grabbed the child and swept him up in his arms, capturing one still flying fist in his hand.

“Hey, Buck! It's okay! He didn't really hurt me,” Vin tried to calm the child. “He was just mad at something I did. That's just his way of letting me know about it. This here's my friend Chris, and that's my friend Ezra. They're here to take care of me, not hurt me, I promise.”

“Are you sure?” Buck threw a glare at the astonished gunslinger, still ready to defend his new friend.

“Yeah, pard. I'm sure. Come say hello,” Vin said and approached his friends again. “Chris, I'd like you to meet Buck Wilmington. Say hello to Chris, Buck.”

Chris took a deep breath and reined in his temper. He pasted a small smile on his face and answered, “Hello, Buck. I'm sorry if I frightened you.”

Buck seemed to gauge his sincerity for a moment then asked, “You won't hurt Mr. Vin no more?”

“No, Buck,” Chris said and threw a sharp look at the grinning Texan. “I won't hurt Vin anymore…even though he deserves it!”

Satisfied, Buck said, “Alright,” then surprised the unsuspecting gunslinger by suddenly leaning forward out of Vin's arms and attaching himself to Chris' neck.

Chris hurriedly fumbled for a second and then caught the child, resting him on one arm. The position allowed the boy to look him straight in the eyes. Tipping his head to one side and smiling Buck asked, “Did you come to play with me too?”

Charmed in spite of himself, Chris gave a more genuine smile and said, “I came to make sure Vin stayed out of trouble. Maybe you can tell me exactly what kind of trouble he's been getting himself into?”

Buck giggled, “Are you his daddy?”

“Sometimes it feels that way,” Chris replied and threw a glare at Vin.

“You're not gonna tattle on me are you, pard?” Vin teased. “You wouldn't want me to get in trouble.”

“Oh definitely,” Chris interrupted. “A hard one. One that would make him stop and think twice about what he's doing before he takes off all by himself into dangerous situations again.”

Buck turned around in Chris' arms to shake a finger at Vin and scold, “You not supposed to do bad things, Mr. Vin. You gonna get a spankin'.” Buck shook his head sorrowfully. “I sorry you gonna get a spankin'. I'll let you hold my dolly if you gotta cry, Mr. Vin.”

“That's right nice of you, Buck. I may take you up on that,” Vin said as he grinned at his friends. “How about saying hello to Mr. Ezra.”

Chris turned around as Ezra approached. The gambler's easy going smile stretched wide enough for his gold tooth to show.

“Hello, Buck,” Ezra said reaching out a hand to push the dark hair out of the boy's eyes.

Buck grinned in return, “Hello Mr. Ezra. You got something in your mouth. It's all shiny.”

“So I do, my young lad. How very observant of you.” Ezra replied with a laugh.

“Mama won't let me put things in my mouth…'cept food. How come your mama let you put that in your mouth?”

“Well,” Ezra laughed, “she wasn't there at the time to tell me I couldn't.”

“You didn't get in trouble when she saw it later?” was Buck's puzzled question.

“Buck, that's enough,” Emma interrupted. “I'm sure the gentlemen are tired and just want to rest for a while.”

Vin reached out for her arm and drew Emma closer. “Boys this here's Buck's mother, Emma Wilmington. Emma these are my friends, Chris Larabee, and Ezra Standish.”

“Gentlemen,” Emma nodded in acknowledgment, “A pleasure to meet you. Vin has told me a lot about you.”

“Has he now?” Ezra looked at his smiling friend, “How interesting. Usually you have to wring any conversation from our Mr. Tanner. If he says more than two words in a day he's practically babbling.”

“I ain't that bad,” Vin mumbled, suddenly uncomfortable with being the topic of conversation.

“Oh I beg to differ, my friend,” Ezra teased. “You have elevated the grunt to a whole new level of communication.”

“This is Miss Molly,” Vin continued the introductions. “She makes the best peach pie that has ever been.”

“I imagine your belly's probably stickin' to our backbone by now. You two can wash up there in the wash bowl and pull up a chair. There's plenty here for everybody,” Molly ordered. “You too, Sheriff.”

“Thank you kindly, Molly, but my wife has my lunch waiting on me,” Waters told her then turned to Larabee. “If you boys are settled I'll be leaving. Don't want any trouble outta you while you're here,” he warned.

“If there's trouble it won't be because we started it,” Chris assured him. His intention to stand solidly behind Vin if trouble did come looking for him remained unspoken but was there for the other man to read in the blonde's level gaze.

The next hour was spent around the table. Chris and Ezra especially enjoyed their first home-cooked meal in almost a week. Buck spent the whole time going from lap to lap. He slowly devoured the drumstick he carried in his little fist, stopping periodically to ask the owner of the lap he was currently sitting in whatever question popped into his head. The meal passed with much laughter at the boy's antics and watching the child allowed Chris time to relax and let go of his anger. It was a much calmer Larabee that expressed his appreciation for the fine meal and followed his friends from the saloon.

"You still mad, Cowboy?" Vin asked quietly, looking over at the man sitting with him at one of the tables in the quiet saloon. They were sitting across from each other, each one nursing a beer.

"Hell yeah," was the grumbled reply. "You know better than to pull that kind of stupid stunt. You could have been killed anywhere along the trail without someone watching your back. How do you think I like knowing you didn't trust me enough to watch it for you?"

"It weren't like that, Chris, and you know it," Vin answered. "This was my trouble, and it was up to me to get out of it. It wouldn't have been right to ask you to put your neck on the line for this."

"What's it going to take to get it through that stubborn head of yours that you're not alone any more? For whatever reason it started, you got a family in me and the rest of the boys now. And family sticks together. That includes when you have troubles...especially when you have troubles. It's our right to stand beside you, you ornery cuss!"

"Chris, I know you're family. That's why I couldn't let ya come with me. I just couldn't take it if one of you got hurt or killed because of me. I couldn't live with that on my shoulders," Vin told him earnestly.

"You'd rather make us live with your death instead? Live the rest of our lives wondering if things would have turned out differently if only we'd been there with you? That's real selfish of you, Vin."

"There's no way for either one of us to win this argument," Vin sighed. “I reckon we'd better just stick a fork in it, and agree we're done.”

"I guess it doesn't really matter at this point anyway since you made it safely, and Ezra and I are here now to watch your back. But just so you know," his hazel eyes hardened as he put his elbows on the table and leaned closer to the tracker, "If you ever do anything that stupid again I'll not only shoot you, but I'll hang you myself!" Chris growled.

"At least ya didn't threaten to spank me," Vin grinned impudently at the other man, not at all intimidated.

"Don't tempt me," Chris answered with one of his infamous glares, causing Vin to laugh.

A comfortable silence spread between the two friends as they sipped their drinks, both men just glad to have the other close again. They had said all that needed to be said and, like a hand into a well worn glove, had slipped back into the easy friendship that had been established with that first look across a dusty street over two years ago.

"You think we should go rescue Ezra from Buck?” Vin mused looking over his shoulder to the kitchen where peals of laughter could be clearly heard. “I know he was wantin' to get into that poker game over yonder."

"Nope," Chris replied firmly. "Maybe Buck can keep him out of trouble. It'd be nice if just once I got to finish a beer without having some trail bum lose his shirt and accuse Ez of cheating."

"It ain't Ez's fault that them fellers can't play as good as he can," Vin said in defense of the gambler. "Besides, all anybody has to do is look at the man to know he makes his living as a gambler. It's not like he tries to hide it what with them fancy duds he wears and all. Man wears his colors for all to see. Not his fault if they're too dumb to pay attention. Shouldn't go blamin' Ezra 'cause some men are sore losers."

“If it were just some I wouldn't be complaining. Seems like every other man he plays with winds up trying to put a bullet or a knife in him," the blonde replied sourly.

"Well, we ARE talkin' about Ezra," Vin said with a smirk. "Somebody or other is always wantin' to take a piece of his hide. You been threatenin' to put a bullet in him yourself since we met him. Don't necessarily have nothin' to do with playin' cards."

Chris gave a little snort of a laugh and raised his beer mug to the tracker. Another loud peal of Buck's laughter could be heard coming from the kitchen area and Larabee watched as the sound drew an involuntary smile from his friend.

"He really got to you, didn't he?" Chris asked.

Vin raised an eyebrow in question. Chris motioned toward the kitchen with a jerk of his chin and said, “The boy.”

Vin shrugged a little self-consciously. “Hard not to like 'em. He's a great boy. He and his ma have been through a lot, but he's still so full of …well… goodness. I never seen anybody with a lovin' heart as big as the one he's got. He's just spillin' over with it.

And smart! That boy's so sharp he could he could cut himself,” Vin sat up a little straighter as he warmed to his topic. “I was out back of the saloon with him only yesterday teaching him how to tell the difference between a cat's tracks and a dog's and he picked it up right away. Only had to show him once. Then he goes looking around and figures out what a horse's tracks are like all on his lonesome. Before I knew it he was picking out the different horse's tracks. I've known grown men that cain't do that. And that boy's got a head full of questions. He's always gotta know why. Why do cats have ears that stick up and hound dogs have ears that flop over? Or why cain't horses talk? Or why are wagon wheels round. Ya just never know what he's gonna come up with next.”

Chris watched with amusement as the normally taciturn man continued to enthuse over the little boy. It wasn't difficult to see that little Bucklin Wilmington had won the younger man's heart in the short time Vin had been in Tascosa. From the little he'd seen of the child, the feelings were mutual when it came to the long-haired tracker.

“You sure there's nothing you want to tell me, Vin?” Chris teased, finally getting a chance to speak when Vin paused to take a sip of his beer. “The way you've been going on about Buck might make somebody believe he's really your boy. He's what? Three? Four? And you been on the run for over Three years now? Yeah the timing is about right. Have you been holding out on me, Tanner?”

Vin blushed in embarrassment and threw his friend a withering look. “Ya ain't funny, Cowboy,” he grumbled.

“No! He ain't. But I could almost wish he was. Any man would be proud to have him as a son, let me tell you.”

“I can see that,” Chris agreed to pacify his friend. “So where is his father?”

Vin looked at his friend squarely and answered, “It ain't my place to say. I gave my word.”

Knowing Vin would die before deliberately betraying his word, Chris nodded and changed the subject.

“You mean before or after Seth Kincaid and his friends tried to ambush me in my room?” Vin asked smirking.

“Damn independent Texan,” Chris sighed and drained his mug then raised it to let the bartender know he wanted another. “I should have hit you harder when I had the chance.”

“Now, Cowboy. Don't go getting ideas about repeatin' the experience or I'll have to tell Buck on you,” Vin laughed.

While the men had been talking, Ezra had been having a delightful time with Buck. It would have been hard to say which one was being entertained the most. After lunch, Ezra, along with the other two regulators, had walked to Vin's rooming house where they had acquired two more rooms. Each traveler had stored his belongings and, by mutual consent, the men had once again headed to the saloon.

Ezra had been on his way over to engage the few men still playing poker in a game when he had been waylaid by Buck who had been peeping out the kitchen door waiting for their return. The child had flown out the door and run as straight as an arrow towards his new friends. Ezra had intercepted him before he could take more than a dozen steps from the kitchen.

"There now, son," Ezra said as he hauled the child up and rested him on one hip. "I can not believe your mother would approve of you being out here. Let us make haste to return to a more suitable locale."

"I simply meant that your mother would not like you being in the saloon so we had best return you to the kitchen," Ezra explained patiently.

"My dear boy, the English language is a beautiful thing. It is truly a shame not to take advantage of it whenever possible. I believe it is my personal duty to acquaint the general population with its wonders."

"Well then, they have but to ask and I'll explain it to them, just as I did with you."

Buck thought on that then replied, "Wouldn't it be easier to just say it so they could unnerstand the first time?"

Ezra laughed and answered, "Perhaps, but it wouldn't be near as much fun, and it does help to educate them. For example, the next time you hear the word locale you will know that it means a place, won't you?"

"Thanks Mr. Ezra," Buck told the man as he threw his arms around Ezra's neck and hugged him.

“It was my pleasure, Master Wilmington,” Ezra laughed and carried the child back into the kitchen.

"There you are, you rascal," Molly said, turning from the basin where she was washing the luncheon dishes and shook a scolding spoon at the boy as Ezra carried him back into the kitchen. "You know your ma don't hold with you bein' out front. You're gonna get your backside warmed if she catches you out there."

"But Mr. Vin, Mr. Chris and Mr. Ezra was back," Buck tried to explain. "I had ta go and see 'em."

"That ain't gonna carry much weight with your ma" Molly said frowning at the child. "You don't got no business out there."

"I have to agree with the lady," Ezra told the child when he turned to the man holding him for assistance. "A saloon is no place for a little boy."

Buck's face immediately screwed up in a scowl and he crossed his tiny arms over his chest. The child's lower lip poked out slightly as he declared, "I'm NOT little. I'm a BIG boy now. Mama said I was!"

Completely charmed at the picture the child made, Ezra nodded solemnly and said, "My apologies. I misspoke. I meant to say that the saloon was not a place for big boys."

"If you would allow me, perhaps I might be able to provide a bit of entertainment while Mr. Tanner converses with Mr. Larabee," Ezra offered.

"Oh. Okay, Mr. Ezra," Buck agreed reluctantly. “Is Mr. Vin gonna converz with Mr. Chris long?”

“Conversssse,” Ezra corrected. “I really couldn't say how long Mr. Tanner will take, Buck. While we are waiting perhaps you could tell me how you do it?”

“How you make pennies grow in your ears,” Ezra answered smiling, holding the coin up for Buck to see.

Buck's hand immediately went to his ear and his eyes got round in amazement. His awe filled voice asked, “That was in MY ear?”

Ezra's eyebrows high lifted over his twinkling eyes and answered, “So it would appear.”

Buck looked at the amused man and suddenly laughed out loud. “Do it again, Mr. Ezra!” he pleaded.

“I am always happy to oblige an appreciate audience,” Ezra chuckled as he reached for Buck's other ear and, much to the boy's delight, another coin seemed to jump into his hand. Ezra handed the penny to Buck who clutched it tightly in his little fist and his merry laugh rang out. Ezra listened to the laughter of the child and felt like the sun had suddenly dawned in his world-wearied heart.

“Perhaps we'd best determine if there is anything else in there,” Ezra said mock-seriously. He pulled the child closer and pretended to peer into the boy's ear. “My, my. What have we here,” he said reaching again and seemingly pulled a peppermint candy out.”

Buck's eager hands reached for the candy as he started giggling again. “Again! Again!” he yelled, little body bouncing in excitement.

Completely delighted, Ezra snatched him up and spun him around a few times then settled the boy on his hip. He reached into his vest pocket and removed his favorite deck of cards which he fanned with his right hand.

“Perhaps I can interest you in some slightly different sleight of hand?” Ezra offered.

“Ahh, It will be my pleasure to show you,” Ezra told him. The gambler set the child on the floor and pulled out a chair from under the kitchen table and sat down. Buck stood in front of him eagerly watching. “Now watch closely, my boy.”

That's how Vin found them when he slipped into the kitchen later. He had been drawn to the kitchen by the sound of Buck's laughter. While sitting in the saloon out front, the man's gaze had continually flitted to the closed door separating the main room from the kitchen with every peal of the happy noise until eventually he had mumbled an excuse about checking to see if Molly had anymore pie left and strolled into the other room.

He felt something very strange as he walked in and saw the laughing little boy having a good time with the gambler. His muscles tensed, and his eyes narrowed and for some reason unknown to himself he felt a little upset. As he stood silently just inside the door trying to figure out what was going on with himself, Buck looked up and noticed him.

Vin was more than just a little gratified when the boy immediately turned from Ezra to him. Buck ran to Vin who squatted down and opened his arms for the child. Buck threw himself into Vin's waiting arms and crossed his own arms behind Vin's neck to hold on when the man straightened up again. If Ezra noticed the shade of triumph that colored Vin's grin or the way his arms tightened possessively around the excited child he was too much of a gentleman to mention it.

“Mr. Vin, Mr. Ezra was showing me all kinds of tricks. Did you know he can pull pennies out of your ear?” Buck held up his prize to show Vin, “See? He pulled this one from my ear. He also did a peppermint,” a second tiny fist was opened to show his prize, uncaring of the sticky mess the candy had become in a sweaty palm.

“Now ain't that somethin',” Vin replied acting properly impressed. “I guess that's some real good magic.”

Buck energetically shook his head and informed him, “Mr. Ezra said it wasn't magic. Magic is the sun risin' in the morning or a boy like me. I didn't know I was magic but Mr. Ezra said I was even though I can't make things appear anywhere. He said this was sight a hand. That means his hands is faster than my eyes,” Buck had to stop his recitation to giggle.

“Why of course you can make things appear, Buck,” Ezra told him in pretended surprise. “For example, look at the smile you just made appear on Mr. Tanner's face.”

Buck gazed at Vin and his own smile increased. “I did that?” he asked. “That's magic?”

“Sure is, pard,” Vin confirmed. “It's not everybody that can make people happy just by being themselves like you do. That's the best kind of magic there is.”

Vin stood in front of the jail gathering his thoughts for a moment before he pushed the door open. He wasn't looking forward to this but it needed to be done. There were some things an honorable man had to do to keep his self respect and this was one of them, so he steeled himself for the coming ordeal and entered the jail.

“I'd like a word with Seth Kincaid before you release him, Sheriff,” Vin said looking at the man levelly. “I figure the best chance of getting him to stand still long enough without going for his gun is while he's still locked up.”

The other man nodded in agreement then said, “You're welcome to talk, but I got to warn you that it probably won't do a bit of good. The good Lord never made a man as stupidly stubborn as Seth Kincaid. Once he gets an idea into his head it would take the entire Heavenly Host to knock it out again. You're probably just wasting your breath.”

Vin shrugged and answered, “Then I guess I waste my breath. All I can do is say my piece. At least that way I know I tried my best.”

“Come on then,” the sheriff said, drawing a ring of keys from his desk and rising to lead Vin to the back of the jail. The three cells were occupied by the six men that had tried to lynch Vin. Heads shot up in surprise when Vin and the sheriff walked in. Seth Kincaid rushed the bars and reached out a long arm toward Vin, growling in rage when his reach fell short.

“Tanner! You got some nerve showing up here again. When I get outta here you and me are gonna finally end this,” Kincaid snapped.

“Seth, I didn't kill your brother,” Vin said looking the man straight in the eye and not flinching at the obscenities the man threw back at him at this statement. “I'm real sorry Josh was murdered. I never woulda wanted that to happen. If I coulda prevented it I would have, but there was nothing I coulda done. He was already dead when I found him. The only thing I did wrong was mistake his dead body for Eli Joe's, and bring him in for the bounty. It was Eli Joe that killed Josh, Seth, not me. I give you my word as a Tanner.”

“Then take the word of a territorial judge. Eli Joe's gang told the Judge all about him confessin' to them how he killed Josh to set me up for his murder,” Vin told him evenly, not showing any of the anger that filled him at having his word questioned.

His statement brought a fresh round of vitriol from Kincaid. Vin stood his ground and watched as the other man cursed him but didn't back down or try to break eye contact. While Vin watched Kincaid, Sheriff Waters watched the expressions on the other men in the jail. He could see that most of them had started looking at Tanner with new eyes. Waters had to admit that the man standing so staunchly in front of his accuser didn't look like the type of man that would murder someone in cold blood just to collect a bounty. Waters could see belief in his story and respect growing in the other men as Tanner silently absorbed Seth's hatred filled words and still stood tall.

When Kincaid finally ran down, Vin tugged on his hat, settling it more comfortably on his head and replied, “I done all I can to make peace with ya. It's up to you to accept or not. I been on the run for three years because of what happened. I figure I already paid more than enough for my mistakes. I ain't runnin' no more.” Vin turned away and started walking for the exit.

“Peace!” Kincaid screamed, “There won't be any peace until you're swingin' from a tall tree, Tanner! You hear me, Tanner! You're gonna hang for what you did. You're gonna hang, Tanner!”

Buford Waters shook his head and looked at Seth in disgust as he said, “I said it once and I'll say it again. You are dumber than dirt, Seth Kincaid. You wouldn't know the truth if it walked up and belted you in the face. If you're gonna be like that then you can just sit in that cell for a while longer. The rest of you boys,” his gaze swept the cell's other occupant “You got any more ideas about going after, Tanner?”

Much to Seth Kincaid's disgust the other men immediately denied any such intent and the sheriff let them out. A simmering Kincaid watched as his buddies filed out of the cells while he remained behind.

“Red! Sam! Bob! You fellers got to help me. You got to take care of Tanner for me since I can't. We can't let that murdering bastard get away with killing Jess!”

Looking uncomfortable, Red stood forward and told him, “Maybe the sheriff's right. Maybe we should leave it to the Judge to decide. Besides, I got a field of hay that I gotta get in. I can't be sitting in a jail cell. My wife is already gonna skin me alive.”

Rueful nods of commensuration were given by his former cellmates. “And I got to fix the leak in the cabin roof, before it rains again.” one said, causing a round of excuses from the other men for why they wouldn't be getting involved anymore.

“Sounds like you boy's have come to your senses,” Waters told them. “Stay way from the saloon for a while if you can't control your drinking though,” he warned. “I don't want to hear of you boys bothering, Tanner again, you hear me?”

Hurried agreements were spoken as the men left and Kincaid threw himself down on the cells bunk in disgust.

“I reckon we'll keep you until we decide if we're gonna charge you with attempted murder or not,” Waters threw back.

Waters gave a cocky grin and answered, “Probably about two days after Tanner leaves town.”

Seth Kincaid's screamed obscenities and Sheriff Water's laughter could be heard all the way out to the street in front of the jail.

He was walking on clouds. That was what Vin Tanner felt like two days after his futile attempt to make peace with Seth Kincaid. His step was light, his head halfway dizzy with relief and joy, and surprised wonder. If he hadn't had his two friends…his two brothers…walking down the boardwalk beside him he might have been afraid that he would just float away, so light did he feel with the tremendous burden of that bounty off his shoulders.

Vin had been called to the Judge's house that morning as the three men were still sipping coffee right after breakfast. Chris and Ezra had risen with him from the table and walked, one on either side of him, to the Monroe's. They silently let him know that he had their support no matter what the outcome might be. Vin drew strength from their closeness and wondered how he ever thought he could have faced this by himself.

The threesome stood on the Judge's front porch and Vin knocked. The door was opened moments later by Mrs. Monroe. The woman latched onto Vin's arm and pulled him inside.

“Mr. Tanner, how wonderful to see you again. Please come in, and your friends as well. How do you do, I'm Margaret Monroe,” the woman said, not giving Vin a chance to make introductions. “Welcome to our home. You must be Mr. Larabee and Mr. Standish. The town is just buzzing with the news of your arrival. I'm so glad Mr. Tanner has friends to help him through this ghastly time. But where are my manners? Please, come in and have some breakfast.”

“Thank you kindly, Ma'am,” Vin finally got a word in. “But we've already had breakfast this morning. The judge sent a message over saying he wanted to see me.”

“Yes, of course,” She smiled at him, “And you must be anxious to hear what he has to say. I understand perfectly. If you'll follow me I'll take you to Martin.”

“Much obliged Miz Monroe,” Vin answered and the three men followed the lady down a wide hall to a closed door that she knocked on then opened. “Martin, Mr. Tanner and his friends are here.” She stepped back and allowed the men to enter then pulled the door closed again remarking, “I'll just leave you gentlemen to your business.”

Vin stood tensely right inside the door watching the man that held his fate in his hands. Judge Monroe looked up from the papers he was working on to find the tracker standing tall before him, his two friends flanking him. The man pushed back his chair and rose. He gestured to the chairs arranged in front of his desk and said, “Won't you gentlemen please have a seat?”

When everyone was seated he came straight to the point. “I received a reply to my telegram from Judge Travis.” He stared at Vin as he continued, watching the man's face closely for any hint of emotion but finding none on the blank mask Vin had slipped on when he entered the room. “He confirmed the validity of the letter you brought with you and verified again the Eli Joe was the man that confessed to killing Jess Kincaid. On the basis of this new evidence I am overturning the guilty verdict against you and revoking the bounty placed on your head. Congratulations, Mr. Tanner…Vin. You are a free man.”

Vin slumped in relief as the tension suddenly left his body. He remained sitting quietly for a moment, looking at his friends who were smiling and calling out their joy at the news. Chris slapped him on the shoulder and Ezra offered to buy him a drink in celebration while Vin sat trying to absorb it all, almost afraid to believe the news he had waited so long to hear.

A tiny grin pulled at one corner of the Vin's mouth and his friends watched as it slowly grew to become nearly ear-splitting.

“I'm free, Cowboy,” He said shaking his head at the wonder of those words. “I'm FREE!” The man jumped from his chair and grabbed onto Chris, lifting him up, and in an uncharacteristic display of emotion spun him around. “Free, Chris! After three long years, I'm finally free!”

Ezra stood to one side laughing as a red faced Larabee struggled to break Vin's enthusiastic hold. “Damn it, Tanner! Put me down,” Chris complained, irritation and laughter vying for dominance in his voice. A laughing Vin complied after giving the man a final spin. Ezra stepped forward to shake hands with Vin, careful to keep a wary eye on the tracker to make sure Vin didn't try the same thing with him.

“This is wonderful news, Vin!” Ezra told him as Tanner pumped his hand a few times.

Vin turned to the Judge watching the three men with amusement and reached out to shake the Judge's hand too.

“My pleasure, Vin. I'm more than happy to have had a hand in correcting his miscarriage of justice. Justice is supposed to be blind, but sometimes that blindness extends a bit too far. I'm just glad we were able to get it back on track before a tragedy occurred.”

Putting a hand to his neck at the thought of how uncomfortably close he had come to having it stretched, Vin nodded his agreement. “Not any more glad than I am,” he said with feeling.

Picking up the documents he had been finishing when the men entered his office, the judge handed them to Vin and told him, “I have drawn up a paper that I suggest you carry with you until the news that the bounty has been revoked has a chance to spread. It is an official document stating your sentence has been overturned. The other is a statement that the bounty on your head has been voided. I will have the Sheriff send out the proper notices at once to let everyone know the bounty has been removed but it may take some time for the news to get around. The editor of the local newspaper as agreed to run an article stating your innocence so that should go a long way to helping. These papers will be your proof until then.”

Vin accepted the papers with emotional tears gathering in his eyes as he looked on the documents. He held the sheets of paper as though fearful they would shatter. Knowing that he held something more precious than gold or diamonds in his hands: he held his future. The enormity of that overcame him. He couldn't speak over the lump growing in his throat so he nodded his thanks to the judge and remained silent. The rest of the visit with the Judge passed in something of a daze for the tracker. He was never able to remember what transpired after he was handed those papers until he found himself walking between his friends on the boardwalk. He thought he remembered getting a congratulatory hug and kiss on the cheek from Mrs. Monroe but he wasn't certain.

“You sure you're alright, Vin?” Chris' worried voice finally broke through the fog and captured his attention.

“Yeah,” Vin smiled at the frowning man, “I'm fine. A little shook up maybe, but fine.”

“I thought you were expecting exactly this outcome.” Ezra said in puzzlement.

“Hopin',” Vin corrected. “I was hopin' it would turn out like this. I guess I been hopin' for so long it was kind of a shock when it actually happened.”

“Shall we go celebrate your new found status as a free man?” Ezra asked. “It would be my honor to buy your first drink.”

Vin smirked, “It's only right after breakfast, Ez. Don't you think that's a little early?”

“My friend, it is never too early for such jubilation as this,” Ezra informed him. “Our brother has succeeded in clearing his family name, and removing a dire threat to his very existence. What better cause could anyone have for celebration at whatever time of day it maybe.”

“I appreciate the thought behind the offer, Ez,” Vin assured him. “If ya don't mind, I'll take you up on it later. I wanted to let Emma know the good news. She's been real worried about it, and I want to take that worry off her shoulders.”

“By all means, Vin. I quite understand. It would be ungentlemanly not to relieve the good lady's fears as soon as possible,” Ezra assured him with a dip of his hat.

The three men made their way to the saloon and straight back to the kitchen where Molly was busy washing and peeling the vegetables she was intending to cook up for lunch.

Molly looked over one shoulder at the man and replied, “She took Buck down to the pond to play for awhile. Somethin' wrong?”

“Thanks, Molly,” he replied smiling at her, “No, nothin's wrong. I just wanted to tell her the good news.”

Molly turned from the basin and wiped her hands on her apron as she looked at him closely. “Things musta worked out with the Judge,” she said knowingly.

“Yes ma'am,” Vin said. “Judge said I was free. There won't be a bounty hanging over my head anymore.”

The woman nodded and replied, “Good thing that's done. What are you aiming to do now?”

“I got a job and folks waiting for me back in Four Corners,” he told her. “Reckon I'll be makin' my way back there.”

“Some folks are gonna miss you around here,” she said turning back to her work.

“I'm gonna miss some folks,” Vin told her walking up behind her and giving the tense shoulders a hug.

“Oh, go on with you and let me get back to work,” was her gruff reply. “I got people to feed.”

Smiling at the woman behind her back, Vin kissed the top of the grey head then let go and stepped back.

“I'll be back,” he told her. “I'm just gonna go tell Miss Emma and Buck the good news.”

A snort was his only answer. Laughing, Vin led the others back out into the saloon.

“Not alone, you're not,” Larabee insisted. “You may have a piece of paper in your pocket that says you're a free man but that fact hasn't spread yet. You'll still be in danger until it does, so Ezra and I will be covering your back for the time being.”

Sighing at the unwelcome reminder but knowing his friend was right, Vin nodded his agreement and the three men headed for the stables.

The men rode out, drawing the attention of the townsfolk out and about that morning and causing speculation to rise once again. The telegraph operator's wife had already been to the general store with the news that Judge Monroe had been contacted by a territorial judge stating Tanner's claims of innocence were true and the sheriff had just that morning sent off a bunch of telegraphs letting different lawmen know the bounty on Tanner's head had been removed. The scandal of an innocent man almost getting hung in their town had tongues wagging and opinions flying all over Tascosa. Two of the men riding out remained unaware of the scrutiny. Ezra took note of the watching eyes and gossiping going on behind hands and took an educated guess as to the cause. He shrugged it off, knowing the sooner the word spread of his friend's innocence the better off Vin would be.

Vin led the men three miles to the pond that Emma had shown him a few days before. It was hidden away and no one ever seemed to go there but Emma and Buck, but it had become one of their favorite spots. It wasn't much as scenic views went. A small, trickling spring fed the tiny body of water found in a natural depression between two jagged hills. The hill sides were littered with loose shale and several large boulders. On the back wall of one of the hills was an opening to a shallow cave that Buck loved to explore. A few twisted bushes obstinately grew from the hills, and seared blades of grass could be seen growing in sporadic bunches. Down by the pond the grass was greener and grew in more abundance, and one large mesquite tree grew tall, casting shade for the woman and child busy skipping rocks underneath its spreading limbs.

The sound of horses' hooves striking the packed dirt surrounding the pond drew Buck's immediate attention and the child screamed with joyful glee, “MR. VIN!” and took off running toward the men. “You came to play with me! And Mr. Ezra and Mr. Chris, too,” he said as if he couldn't believe his luck.

Vin kept a firm rein on his horse as the boy raced to his side, and bent down almost double to grasp a little hand raised to his and lift the boy up to sit in front of him.

“You should know better than to run at a horse that way, Buck,” Vin got after him gently. “You could scare him and he could hurt ya. Promise me you won't do that ever again.”

Buck bowed his head and bit his lower lip. “I'm sorry, Mr. Vin. I didn't mean to be bad.”

Vin hugged the child closer and reassured him, “I know ya didn't, rascal, but ya need to be careful. I'd be awful sad if something bad happened to you.”

Emma had walked to the mounted group and greeted them with smiles. “What brings you boys out here on such a fine morning?” she asked as the men and boy dismounted and tied up their horses.

The woman took one look at the long-haired blonde's face and jumped into his arms, wrapping her own around him. “You did it, didn't you?” She squealed, delighted for him. “You cleared your name! Oh, Vin, you're finally free!”

“That's wonderful news! Oh, I'm so happy for you,” she said as tears began to flow down her cheeks. “I can't tell you how much.”

The woman swiped at her wet cheeks then grabbed Vin's hand. She led him over to the blanket she had spread underneath the tree and sank down on her knees pulling him down with her. “Tell me everything!” she insisted.

The four adults and one child settled on the blanket as Vin told the story with the occasional comment and teasing remark thrown in by his fellow peacekeepers. Buck soon grew tired of the talk and wandered away when it became apparent that the grown ups were not ready to play with him. He headed back to the pond's edge, under the watchful eye of his mother, and picked up another rock which he tried to skim like his mother was teaching him.

“So what now?” Emma asked him, keeping her voice down so Buck wouldn't hear. “Are you staying in Texas, or going back to Four Corners?”

“Goin' back,” he told her. “Four Corners is my home, for now anyway. I got friends…family…there. A job where I'm needed. Without that bounty on my head I can think about settling in one place for a spell without putting myself or my friends in danger.”

“I meant what I said, Emma.” Vin took her hand and held it between both of his, speaking to her seriously. “If you ever need me, I'm there. If you need a place to run to, you can run to me. Don't matter when or where.”

“I know,” she squeezed his hand and smiled at him sweetly. “You're good man, Vin Tanner. I don't know how anybody could have ever thought you were guilty of murdering a man in cold blood.”

Vin shrugged it off, “Don't reckon it matters too much now. It's over and that's all that counts. If I…”

Vin's next words were broken off by the sound of a gunshot and a child's frightened scream as the rocks only a foot from Buck's feet exploded with the impact of a bullet.

“Buck!” Emma screamed and scrambled madly to her feet, flying to her endangered child.

The three men drew their weapons and scanned the surrounding area for the threat. Vin headed toward Emma and Buck as he looked around. Vin raised his weapon reflexively and fired as a man with at rifle popped out from behind a boulder and took another shot then returned to his cover.

The man made the deadly mistake of leaving cover to try for another shot and was slammed backwards with the force of three bullets hitting him almost simultaneously. As Chris and Ezra cautiously approached the fallen man and searched the area for any hidden accomplices, Vin turned to run to Emma. The man froze in horror for a moment as he took in sight of Emma lying still over a struggling, screaming Buck, a huge crimson stain growing larger on her back even as he watched.

“Emma!” he whispered, taking a step forward and hastily holstering his gun then starting to run. “Emma! No!” He screamed. His scream alerted the other men who spun around with weapons pointed, ready to face a new threat only to watch helplessly as Vin ran to the motionless woman. Ezra glanced at Chris who jerked his head toward the others. The gambler hurried towards the tracker and the fallen woman while Chris headed for the gunman.

Vin threw himself down beside the pair and gently pulled Emma into his arms, freeing Buck at the same time. The little boy sat up rubbing the dirt and pebbles from the cheek that had been pressed onto the ground by the weight of his mother's body.

Vin ran a trembling hand over the unconscious woman's face calling her name, and then he fumbled for the kerchief around his neck and pressed it hard against the wound on her back. The pain this caused pulled her back to consciousness with a groan.

“Buck!” she whispered to him and tried to rise from his arms to find her child, obviously still terrified for his safety. “Where's Buck!”

“Shh, Emma,” Vin soothed. “Lie still. He's right here. He's fine, Emma. You saved him. You saved him, Emma.”

The woman relaxed again as Buck crawled over to her and knelt beside her, “You knocked me down, Mama!” The little boy said indignantly.

Ezra knelt on the ground beside Buck and wrapped an arm around the boy's small shoulders. He looked on the woman with sorrow, knowing with one look at the blood spilling freely on the ground in spite of Vin's efforts to staunch it that she was not going to make it.

“ 'S okay, mama,” Buck reassured her. “Why is Mr. Vin holding ya like that? Are you sleepy?”

“Yes, Buck I'm a little tired. Could you be a good boy and go play with Mr. Ezra for a while?”

“That's my good boy,” she told him. Ezra started to pull the child away when her voice called them back, “Buck!”

“Remember that I love you. I'll love you forever and one day longer. Don't ever forget that.”

Buck giggled and replied with an innocent smile, “I know that. I love you too, Mama. Come on Mr. Ezra. Can you show me some more sight a hand?”

Nodding his head in agreement, Ezra took the child by the hand and led him away.

“Vin,” Emma reached up and grasped a handful of Vin's shirt, “You made me a promise to help if I needed you. I'm going to hold you to that promise. I need you to take Buck away from here. Take him a way and keep him safe. Please, Vin. Watch over him for me. Don't let the Chestertons get their hands on him. Promise me, Vin!”

“I will, Emma. I will. I promise you,” Vin said brokenly as tears started flowing from his eyes. “But you hold on, and we'll get ya to a doctor. I'll stay and watch out for both of you and when you're all better I'll take you both away from here.”

Emma smiled sadly and lifted the hand that had been holding his shirt to wipe at the tears falling down his cheek. “You're a fine man, Vin. I couldn't have found a better man to entrust with my son. Love him for me, Vin. Love him enough for the both of us.”

“Vin…” she said one last time then her body relaxed and went limp in his arms.

“No! Emma, no!” he moaned as he held her now lifeless body in his arms and rocked them both in his grief and sorrow. He bent his head to hers and wept.

An unknown amount of time passed for Vin before he was brought back from the place his wracked emotions had deposited him. He had been propelled to the top of an emotional high with the clearing of his name, and then in the blink of an eye, had been slammed into the depths of sorrow with the death of Emma. He'd been through too much in the space of one short morning. He had reached a point where he simply shut down and couldn't feel at all.

“Vin?” a soft voice called from what seemed like a great distance to the tracker. The Texan looked up as Chris knelt in front of him and placed a hand on his shoulder. “You've got to let her go now, Vin.”

Vin's arms tightened around the Emma's body in automatic denial. Chris ran the hand he had on the man's shoulder down to his hand and pressed gently. “I'm sorry, Vin. I know she was special to you, but she's gone. You have to let us help you now. We need to take her and Buck back to town to make arrangements,” Chris told him kindly.

Vin's head flew up and he looked around desperately at the mention of Buck. Chris forestalled his question by saying, “He's fine. Ezra got him down for a nap a few minutes ago. He doesn't understand what happened. He thinks his mother is just sleeping.”

Vin reluctantly let Chris pull Emma's body from him and lay her on the blanket she had spread under the tree. He almost broke down again when Chris pulled the blanket over her face to cover it.

“You have my sincerest condolences, Vin,” Ezra said as he stood by the man's other side.

“We'll take them back and send the sheriff out for the shooter's body,” Chris told him.

“He's dead?” Vin asked as sudden anger flooded him and he came alive once more.

“Yeah, no question about it,” Chris assured him. “I guess he hadn't heard that the bounty wasn't any good any more.”

Vin shook his head firmly. “No. He wasn't after me. He was after Buck,” he said grimly.

“Vin, he probably rushed the shot and it just went wide the first time,” Chris tried to tell him.

“You saw where that first shot went just as well as I did. It wasn't anywhere near me. No, it was meant for Buck,” Vin was absolutely sure of that.

“That doesn't make any sense, Vin,” Chris argued. “Why would anyone want to kill him? WHO would want to kill him?”

Vin drew in a heavy breath and released it, trying to rein in his anger before beginning, “Buck's father was from a rich family. He was his father's favorite son. Now that Buck's father is dead, his grandfather wants Buck to raise. Buck's uncle doesn't want to share the grandfather's money with Buck. He wants to inherit it all for himself. The best way to ensure that is if Buck is dead. Emma told me he's already tried once to kill him. Emma has been on the run since Buck was just a baby, with detectives hounding her all the way looking for him. The grandfather would take him away and twist him into something Emma didn't want him to become, and the uncle would have him killed on the spot if he found him.

Emma said she'd already been in Tascosa longer than she'd ever been in one place since she started runnin'. I guess maybe that gave them time to find her. Buck mentioned a few nights ago that someone had been in his room snooping and woke him up, but we never found anything to show that anybody had been there and decided it must have been a dream. We should have taken it more seriously. Emma might still be alive if we had,” Vin finished sadly. “They must not have been sure it was the right person then or they probably would have killed him in his sleep.”

“It had to have been the Uncle's man that tried to kill Buck today,” Vin informed them. “We can't take Buck back to town 'cause we don't know if this one was working alone or not. There could be somebody else waitin' there to take over the job if this one didn't manage it.”

“I made a promise to Emma that I'd look after Buck and keep him safe. That's what I mean to do,” Vin told them.

“Alright,” Larabee agreed sickened at the thought of anyone trying to hurt the little boy that had come to mean so much to them, “We can't take them back to town. I guess that means we got to bury them ourselves. We can talk about what to do as we work.”

“We can put Emma in the cave back yonder,” Vin told them, and the others nodded in agreement. That decided, the three men began the heartbreaking task of preparing a place of final rest for a friend…and a shallow grave for the bastard that had made it necessary. Even Ezra pitched in without his customary complaints about doing manual labor, taking off his red jacket and laying it gently over the boy sleeping so peacefully under the tree before rolling up his sleeves.

"So you're saying you don't believe we should go back to Tascosa," Chris said as he drew an arm across his brow to remove the sweat that accumulated there. The three men had stripped down to the waist to labor in the searing West Texas heat, but the lack of clothes didn't provide as much relief as they would have wished. Each was dust-covered and sweaty.

Once the decision to place Emma's body in the cave was made the three men had rushed to inter her before Buck woke from his nap. The men had placed her in the cave, taken a moment to say a few heartfelt words, then began working to get one of the large boulders resting on the hillside above the cave to seal it. They had dug trenches in front and around the sides of the large rock to undermine it. Now, with the help of a large branch that Ezra had found to use as a lever and shoulders applied to it by Chris and Vin, they had managed to loosen the stone enough to have it rock. Encouraged, they applied their combined strength against the rock with renewed vigor. As Chris had suggested, the men had discussed plans and options as they worked.

"I am saying that…besides the possibility of another assassin… waiting in Tascosa," Ezra huffed as he strained at his lever, "I don't believe riding into that town with another dead…body would be in Mr. Tanner's best interest. If you will remember correctly it was a…similar scenario that caused his previous travail. The good citizens of Tascosa…might find it a bit too much of a coincidence if he were to repeat it so soon after persuading them…that he was innocent of the first crime."

"He's got a point, Cowboy," Vin agreed, as he pushed at the boulder. "For all the talk about me being innocent…there's still gonna be some that'll have doubts. It wouldn't take much to get…'em up riled up again. Hell, Seth Kincaid could probably… stir up a hornet's nest of trouble all by himself."

"The townspeople saw all of us leave this morning. They have no way of knowing that we were planning to come back this afternoon. As far as anyone in the town knows we are currently on the way back from whence we came. I'm suggesting we continue to let them think that."

'Yeah. Emma said she told her because she helped look after Buck sometimes and she needed to be aware of the danger."

"Excellent!" Ezra informed him. "She will be in a perfect position to help with our little charade."

"Certainly, Mr. Tanner,” Ezra stopped his battle with the rock long enough to pull his handkerchief from his trouser pocket and wipe his brow as he spoke. “I propose that I slip into town under cover of darkness and retrieve our remaining possessions. Then I will contact Miss Molly and inform her of the tragic news and enlist her aid to empty The Wilmingtons' room as well.

With Molly's help we will make the town believe that Mrs. Wilmington took her son and fled for parts unknown. Miss Molly can spread the story of how Emma had been fearful that someone in her past that she was afraid of had found her again and so she ran away. When all her possessions are found to be missing it will give credence to the tale.

The fact that the whole town saw us take our leave will work in our favor. There will be many witnesses to swear that Emma and Buck were not with us when we left. If Miss Molly can be convinced to inform anyone asking that the Wilmingtons left sometime in the dead of night, then it will go even father to belay their suspicions. If anyone should come to this town looking for the deceased gunman that is all the information that they will be able to give them. They might have their suspicions about the fate of the hired gun but will have no proof and no way to obtain any.

While I set up things in town, I suggest you gentlemen take Buck away. I will catch up with you later and the four of us will make our way home to Four Corners.”

Chris was silent while he considered the idea. “It might work, but only if this shooter was working alone. If he did have a partner in town then the partner would probably know it for a lie." Chris fell silent as the thought of a moment. "How many people know you've been living in Four Corners?"

Vin shrugged and said, "The judge and the sheriff. I didn't want to mention it to anybody in case I had to run again," he finished with a self-conscious little grin.

Chris nodded thoughtfully and announced, "Alright, it sounds possible. If there is a partner he'll more than likely be looking for a woman and child traveling either alone or with three men. If we stay away from towns as much as possible and take care on the trail back to make sure we aren't followed then it should be safe enough. Where should we meet up?”

Vin answered with, “There's a little town about ten miles from here. It's off in the middle of nowhere and don't get many visitors cause neither the stage or the railroad stop there. There's an old abandoned cabin tucked into the hills above the town…or least there used to be when I was last in these parts. I used to use it sometimes when I was hunting. It'd be a good place to meet up. There's nobody around for miles, and it's a roof for our heads and with good source of water close by. When we're done, I'll draw ya a map Ez.”

Suddenly the boulder they had been working so diligently to move gave way, crashing down the hillside and causing a landslide of shale and debris to follow in its wake.

Vin had been exerting so much pressure against the stone that it caught him off balance when it gave way. Chris had to grab the tracker's arm to keep him from falling with the stone. The men watched as the boulder fell, and landed with thundering 'whump' on the floor of the little valley so that it covered three quarters of the cave entrance.

Vin automatically checked on Buck and found the child stirring, having been awakened by the loud noise. He hurriedly half walked, half slid down the hillside to the child. He didn't want the boy to wake up alone and be frightened.

“Hey, Buck,” Vin smiled down into sleepy eyes as he sat down on the grass beside the boy. “Did you have a good nap?”

Buck's mouth stretched wide in a yawn and he nodded as he rubbed the sleep from his eyes with his little fists. Buck looked at Vin and then around. “Where's mama? Did she wake up from her nap too?” he asked.

Vin looked at the innocent face staring at him so trustingly and felt as though a hand clenched around his heart. “She had to go, son," he finally managed to say. "But she told me to take care of you. I'll do my best to do that,” Vin said with a smile for the boy. Inwardly he took the words as a vow. “I imagine after being out in this heat for so long you're probably thirsty, hmm?”

Buck nodded eagerly and Vin rose and led him to where he had left his horse. Vin unhooked his canteen from the saddle and pulled the cork from the opening. He squatted in front of the little boy and held the canteen out. Buck grabbed it on either side and, with help from Vin, brought it to his mouth and drank. When the boy had drunk his fill, Vin took a swig and swished it around inside his mouth to wash out the dust that had accumulated there from the afternoon's work. He turned his head and spat the water out on the ground then took long drink. Buck had been watching the tracker intently through all this and when Vin offered him more, he reached out for the canteen again and took a drink. Vin watched in amusement as the boy's cheeks puffed out as he tried to swish the water in his mouth like Vin had. Buck turned to spit his on the ground, but managed to dribble most of it down his chin onto his chest instead, although enough of it made it onto the ground to please the boy.

“What's Mr. Chris and Mr. Ezra doin'?” Buck asked curiously, wiping at his wet chin as he watched the two men struggling to roll the rock farther over the cave entrance.

“But why?” Buck sounded upset at the thought of losing access to one of his favorite playgrounds.

“It needed doin,” was all Vin could say. “I need you to sit right here while I go help the boys finish up with it. Can you do that for me, pard? Will you stay right here?”

Vin reached out and ruffled his black hair but shook his head no and replied, “Not with this, but if you promise to be real good and stay here like I told you then maybe I can let you help with somethin' in a little bit.”

Vin smiled at the boy standing there so disappointed and suggested, "Tell you what. Why don't you see if you can find some firewood and kindlin' around here. That way when Chris, Ezra and I are finished up we can start a fire and cook us up something to eat? Can you do that for us?"

Happy to have a job to do just like the grownups, Buck bounced up and grinned at Vin. "Sure I can!" he told him. "I bet I can find lots and lots."

"Okay then, "Vin told him, "You look around, but stay away from the water and the horses."

Vin stood back up and turned away. He walked back to the now partially closed cave entrance where his two companions were hard a work.

"You would appear to have a real admirer in the boy," Ezra told him with a grin as he approached.

Vn raised a questioning eyebrow and Ezra motioned with his head toward Buck. Vin turned just in time see Buck pull off his shirt and place it on a low bush right beside where Vin had left his.

Vin laughed in amusement at the sight, but a warm feeling flooded him at the boy's mimicry.

It took another thirty minutes of straining but they eventually managed to move the boulder so it was completely blocking the cave. It might have taken less time if the men had not been so conscious of Buck. All three kept a close eye on the boy as they worked to make sure he didn't get into trouble.

When they were finally satisfied that they had done the best they could, Vin climbed the hillside again. He stood right over the cave and carefully sent another shower of debris down so anyone looking at the sight would believe it was a naturally occurring landslide that had sealed the cave. Then he carefully erased all their tracks before joining his friends

"Look it, Mr. Vin, Buck called proudly as he tried to drag a fallen tree limb that was half again larger than he was to the small pile of tinder he had gathered and deposited in the middle of the clearing. “I gots a bunch! You want me to find ya some more?"

"No, pard I reckon you found us plenty. You did a good job," Vin told him as he ruffled the boy's hair affectionately.

Buck's chest puffed out with pride and he grinned so wide Vin was surprised his ears didn't fall off.

"Excellent work, Buck," Ezra told the boy with a smile as he walked by on his way to the pond to wash up. "I commend you for a job well done.

Buck turned expectantly to Chris, which amused the man to no end but he obligingly commented, "Ya did good, kid."

"Well, I guess I better see about getting us a fire started then," Vin replied seriously, although his eyes were shining with humor at the thought of how a lunch prepared by the boy would turn out like. "I'll get this started, then while it gets gonin' good we'll go wash up. Why don't you go on over with Ezra and get started. I'll be right there."

“Kay, Mr. Vin,” Buck said agreeably and ran over to where Ezra was sitting on the bank of the pond pulling off his boots. “Mr. Ezra, Mr. Vin told me to come wash up with you.”

“Are you goin' swimmin'?” Buck asked as he watched the gambler place his expensive leather boots side by side on the bank and waited to see what else he planned to take off.

“No, I simply did not want to lay waste to such exceptional footwear by immersing it,” Ezra explained.

Ezra laughed and said, “I didn't want to ruin my good boots by getting them wet.”

“I unnerstand,” he told the grinning man. “You gots to take care of your clothes and shoes 'cause they costs money and money doesn't grow in the garden like cabbage,” he said knowledgably. “That's what Mama always tells me.”

“A wise woman to be sure,” Ezra answered softly, deeply affected by the child's innocent quoting of the mother he would never see again. He reached out and ran a gentle hand over the black curls of the boy, wishing with all his heart that Buck could be spared the pain and trauma that were sure to visit him when he eventually learned that his mother was never coming back. If it were in his power to turn back time he'd make sure things worked out much differently. Unfortunately he couldn't alter the past, so he made a promise to himself that he would be there in the future for the little boy that had stolen a piece of his carefully guarded heart.

Buck plopped down on the ground beside Ezra and stuck one booted foot out. Ezra laughed and obliged by tugging first one and then the other off for the boy. Ezra rolled Buck's pants legs up then his own. The man climbed to his feet and reached a hand down to help the child up. Ezra grabbed the towel and bar of soap he'd retrieved earlier from his saddlebag, and then hand in hand the two waded into the shallow pond.

Vin watched the byplay between the man and the child and had never felt more conflicted in his life. On the one hand his heart was grieving. Grieving for the special friend who had lost her life that day. Grieving for the child that would never again feel the loving arms of his mother enfold him. Grieving for lost chances and what-might-have-beens. But on the other hand it was impossible for him to be around the bright, happy child without feeling good. Buck just pulled the feeling out of him like a coyote pulling a prairie dog from its burrow. When Buck as happy, Vin was happy. It was as inevitable as the sun rising in the east of a morning. He had a feeling the converse was also true and the dread of having to tell the boy he would never see his mother again increased.

“You alright, Vin?” Chris asked sitting down opposite the tracker as Vin busied himself with starting the fire.

“I will be,” Vin assured him. “Might take some time, but now that the bounty's gone I figure I can afford to take it. Haven't had that luxury in quite awhile.”

“The truth,” Vin said as he looked at him squarely across the space dividing them. “Reckon everybody deserves the truth when it comes to that. It would only be more hurtful later if we…if I… told him a lie.”

Vin shook his head and said, “No, I'm the one that promised Emma to look after him. He's my responsibility now. I might as well start as I mean to go on. I'll tell him.”

Vin sighed and dropped his eyes, “Reckon I'll tell him once we're out on the trail. We'll have plenty of time to talk then.”

“Alright then,” Chris agreed. “Why don't you go on and wash up. I'll start lunch. You go spend some time with Buck.”

“Thanks, Chris,” Vin smiled gratefully at his friend then rose and walked to the pond.

“You've chosen a hard road to ride, pard,” Chris whispered as he watched a laughing Buck surge out of the pond to leap at the tracker and pull him to the water's edge. “I hope it takes you where you need to go.”

Vin meant to tell Buck about his mother. He really did. He figured he would have plenty of time on the trail to bring up the subject to the boy, but the rest of day had passed without him once having tried to broach the subject. He just hadn't found the right time or the right words was all, he told himself. He was gonna get to it…just as soon he could bring himself to dim the happiness that was overflowing from Buck as a result of his adventure with his new friends. The boy was near to bustin' his buttons with his excitement.

The trip to El Caldero, the town that Vin had chosen for their meeting place, was one long laugh fest for the tracker and gunslinger. Little Bucklin kept them entertained with his questions and comments on the things he saw in passing. Never had a day in the saddle passed so pleasurably for either man.

Vin stopped his horse and waited for Chris to ride up beside him. "El Caldero is right over that ridge," Vin said and pointed. "There's a pass that will take you around and bring you in from the South side of town." It had been agreed that Chris would head into town by himself to pick up some supplies for their journey since they had left town ill-prepared for traveling any great distance. Vin would take Buck and meet Chris on the other side of the town then they would all travel on to the spot Vin had picked out to spend the night. "If you leave by the north side then go straight for a half a mile you'll find a washed out gully where you can double back without being seen. Buck and I'll be waiting for you where the gully ends."

"Fine. Watch your back. That bounty is still too fresh in everyone's minds around here," Chris warned.

"I always do. I got even more reason to now," Vin said with a nod to the boy sitting in front of him on the saddle. "You watch yours."

Chris pulled on the brim of his hat then looked at the boy watching them both with interest, "You take care of Vin now, Buck," Chris told him with a smile.

"I will, Mr. Chris," was his earnest little reply. "Bye, bye!" The little one gave him a funny little wave.

"When's Mr. Chris coming back?" Buck asked when the gunslinger had ridden out of sight.

"Soon," Vin assured him. "He's just goin' into town to pick up some food and things we're gonna need on the trail. We've got to get around the town and then we'll wait for him to catch up with us."

" 'Kay," Buck said agreeably, leaning back against the man's chest and settling himself more comfortably. "Will Mr. Ezra be there?"

Buck nodded, content for the moment and Vin nudged his horse with his heels to start the horse forward again.

"Well, he had to go pick up our things from where we left 'em at the rooming house, and make sure the landlady would find her money. Then he had to go pick up your things and say goodbye to Miss Molly."

"I didn't say goodbye to Miss Molly," Buck said worrying his bottom lip with his teeth. "Maybe I shoulda gone back with him. I didn't say goodbye to Mama either."

Vin froze for one second as his mind went blank for how to answer that. Blowing out a deep breath Vin decided he couldn't put off the inevitable any longer since Buck had presented him with the perfect opening.

"Buck, you know I promised your Mama that I would always take care of you, right?"

Buck twisted his head back to look up at Vin and grin. "Right! We's having a 'venture, and you're gonna watch out for me."

"That's right," Vin tightened the arm he had wrapped around the boy's middle for a moment in a hug. "Well, there's a reason your Mama wanted me to look after you." Vin had to stop and clear the lump from his throat before he could continue. "She knew she had to go away and she wanted to make sure you were safe."

"The bad mans are always chasin' us. That's why we gotta move all the time. Did the bad mans come back?"

"Yes, Buck. The bad men came back and they found you and your Mama. They killed her Buck. Do you know what that means?"

"No," Buck said with tears beginning to form in his eyes. He knew from the look on the man's face that it was something bad.

Vin stopped the horse with a pull on the reins then wrapped them securely around the pommel so he had both hands free to reach under Buck's arms and turn him around so he was facing Vin.

"It means your Mama's gone to heaven and she can't ever come back," Vin told him softly.

"NO! I don't want Mama to go to heaven. She's supposed to stay wif me!" Buck cried out.

Vin wrapped both arms around the little boy and hugged him close. "I know, buddy. I didn't want her to go either, but she didn't have a choice. If she could have stayed believe me she would have. She loved you more that anything else in the world. That's why she gave you to me when she knew she had to go. She wanted to make sure you had someone to watch over you and keep you safe."

"Aww, Buck," Vin laid his head against Buck's as the boy cried on his chest. "I would if I could, but no one can come back from Heaven."

"I want Mama!" the little boy sobbed, "I don't wanna go on a 'venture no more! I wanna go home!"

Vin thought his heart would shatter on the spot as the child cried. He pulled him even closer and whispered soothing sounds that had no meaning other than offering comfort to the distraught child. Buck's continued calling for his mother through his tears ripped at Vin, and the tracker whose emotional control had been toughened by hard living found himself having a difficult time keeping his own emotions in check while he did his best to soothe the boy.

The child's emotional storm was violent but short lived. The day of excitement followed by the long trip on horseback, and finally the bout of weeping had exhausted the child and he slipped into an uneasy sleep as Vin held him. Vin freed his left hand long enough to brush at his own eyes. The child's distress had affected him deeply and had forced tears from him.

The tracker carefully turned the sleeping Buck so he was riding across his lap and resting on his left arm. With his right, Vin took up the reins again and urged the horse forward once more. He kept throwing worried glances at the boy in his arms, wishing all the while that he'd handled that differently. Maybe he should have taken Chris up on his offer. Perhaps Chris could have found a better way to tell the child. It was too late now to second guess himself. What was done was done. He just hoped one day Buck could forgive him for letting his Mama get killed. Lord knew Vin would never forgive himself for it.

The man and boy rode around to the spot they were to meet Chris, and Vin slowly and carefully stepped down from the horse with the sleeping little boy held against his chest with one arm. They had stopped at a small stream where several large trees grew and Vin tied his horse to a branch then eased himself and his small passenger down to the ground where he could sit with his back to a tree trunk. When the child stirred Vin rubbed his back and soothed him back to sleep. They were still sitting there some time later when Chris joined them.

The gunslinger had slipped into and out of town without any troubles. He'd picked up more than enough supplies to last them until their next planned stop, even going so far as to have the storekeeper fill a paper cone with lemon drops as a surprise for Buck. It only took one look at the distress still showing on the tracker's face to know something had happened while he was gone. Chris climbed from his horse and tied him near Vin's then went to squat in front of the tracker.

"What's happened?" he asked tersely reaching out to stroke Buck's head in concern, somehow knowing that whatever had upset Vin had to do with the boy.

Chris was silent as he absorbed that. "He didn't take it well," he stated, already knowing the answer.

"It almost broke my heart just watching him," Vin whispered, eyes going damp again at the memory. "I wanted to kill that son of a bitch all over again when I listened to Buck cry for his Mama. It ain't right, Chris. It just ain't right that he's gonna have to live without her. He's too little to deserve something like that happenin' to him." Vin's arms tightened around the sleeping child and he cuddled him closer.

"No," Chris agreed quietly. "It ain't. But at least he's got you to see him through this. That's more than a lot of orphans have. You'll see that he's taken care of properly. It won't be the same for him, but it won't be as bad as it could be."

Chris remained silent knowing from personal experience that there was nothing he could say to ease his friend's pain right now. The wound was still too new and only time would dull the pain and allow some measure of healing.

"It's gonna start getting dark in a couple of hours," Chris changed the subject. "If we're gonna get to this cabin with time to get settled in for the night we need to hurry." The blonde looked from Vin to the boy laying in his arms and asked, "You want me to take him for awhile?"

Vin tightened his arms around the child, not willing to surrender the him just yet -- needing the comfort of the child's closeness at the moment-- and shook his head replying "I got him."

The tracker silently rose and lifted Buck higher onto his shoulder as he turned and remounted his horse. Chris followed and soon they where on the overgrown trail leading away from the town and up into the surrounding hills. Neither man felt like talking - Vin because he was worried about Buck, and Chris because he was worried about both of them - so the trip was made in silence. It wasn't long before Vin pulled his horse to a stop again.

Chris automatically took stock of his surroundings. The cabin looked to be in fair shape and the sound of swiftly flowing water could be heard clearly. The cabin sat within a natural clearing in the hills. The long untended yard surrounding the building was overgrown with tall grass and shrubs. Large shade trees encircled the back of the cabin and a ramshackle lean-to would provide adequate shelter for the horses should the weather turn ugly. It would do until Ezra rejoined them, he decided.

The men dismounted and cautiously approached the cabin. Chris motioned the man carrying the sleeping child to stay back, not wanting to put the child at risk in case the old building had any unforeseen occupants. He pushed open the door and walked inside and was gratified to find only a few scurrying rodents in attendance. He used the fading light from outside to guide him to the windows that had been built on either side of the cabin and wrestled them open to allow the long shut-up place to air and give them a little extra light to see by until they could make a proper fire in the old fireplace. Chris carefully checked the chimney, gratified that he only had to remove one small bird's nest to clear it. Chris carried the displaced nest to the door and threw it out.

"It's not in too bad a shape," Chris assured the tracker. "A little dusty and smells stale, but should be fine for tonight. Give me a minute to find a branch and sweep out some of this mess on the floor and then you can bring him in."

Vin nodded and wandered back to his horse to remove his bedroll. He shook the roll open with one hand then wrapped the blankets around the sleeping child he held. Although the day had been scorching hot while the sun was shining, as was normal for that part of the state the temperature had begun to drop along with the sun. Vin himself was starting to be glad for the jacket he wore and was concerned that Buck, who wasn't wearing a coat, might catch a chill in the twilight coolness. While he busied himself seeing to Buck, Chris did his best to rid the cabin of the thick layer of dust that had accumulated on the floor. When he was satisfied that he had gotten all that he could out, he went to the door and softly called to Vin to bring the sleeping boy inside.

Vin entered with Buck on his shoulder and carried him to a spot near the hearth of the old fireplace. Vin stripped one of the blankets off and Chris helped him spread it on the floor. Then Vin placed the boy on the blanket, laid the second blanket across him, and then carefully tucked the edges around the child. Finally he stood up and moved back a step to stand staring down at him.

Buck looked so peaceful laying there that it hurt Vin to compare the sleeping figure to the child that had been crying for his mother such a short time ago. Vin just wanted to bundle the little boy up and keep him safe from everything bad thing that life could throw at him.

"We need to gather firewood and bring up some water while there's still light enough," Chris' voice pulled him from his thoughts.

Vin nodded and asked hesitantly, "You think he'll be alright by himself for a little bit?"

The gunslinger assured him that Buck would be fine while they were out and they would stay within hearing range in case the boy needed them.

"I'll go get the water," he said reluctantly. He hurried to a corner where he knew there had been an old wooden bucket the last time he had used the place. He picked it up and rushed from the house toward the stream. He knew Chris was right about them needing to get ready for the night while there was still light but didn't like leaving Buck alone even though the child was sleeping and he wouldn't be gone for long. He was determined to get the job done in the shortest amount of time possible and get back to the boy. Vin reached the water's edge and emptied the dust that had accumulated in the bottom of the pail with a shake, then squatted beside the stream and washed it as best he could. He filled it several times then dumped the contents on the shore to rinse it before finally being satisfied it was clean enough.

Vin was hurrying back toward the cabin with the filled bucket when the hairs on the back of his neck stood up as a child's frightened wail broke the quietness of the evening. He dropped his burden and took off running for the cabin. He was almost there when Buck came flying out the door screaming his name. Vin heard Chris' running footsteps coming from around the side of the cabin.

"Buck!" Vin yelled as he threw himself to his knees in front of the child and grabbed him up. He wrapped both arms around the crying boy and hugged him close. Buck grasped big handfuls of the man's jacket and held on for dear life.

"You was gone!" Buck sobbed. "I woked up and it was dark, and nobody was there, and I was all alone, and I thought you'd gone away like Mama, and I was scared!" he cried in one long, frightened breath.

"It's alright, Buck," the tracker crooned, laying his cheek on top of the little head as he soothed him. "I'm right here. I wouldn't go off and leave ya. I just had to go get some water, that's all. And Mr. Chris was getting wood so we could build a fire. I'm sorry you woke up by yourself and got scared, but I promise you I'm not going anywhere without you."

Chris knelt beside the pair and stroked his hand down Buck's back. "Hey buddy, you alright?"

The child pushed closer to the comfort of Vin's chest. "I was scared," he answered with a hiccupping sniffle.

"Yeah, waking up in a strange place all alone can be really scary," Chris said softly as he continued to stroke the child's back. The former father was mentally kicking himself for not realizing how Buck might react on waking up alone after the trauma he'd been through that day. He blamed himself completely for the boy's scare since he had been the one to tell Vin the child would be alright alone for a while.

"Sometimes. Everybody does every once in a while. It's okay to be scared, Buck, but I want you to know that neither Vin or I will let thing happen to you. You're safe, little one."

"I'm NOT little," Buck informed him grumpily with his face buried in Vin's chest, "I'm a BIG boy."

The adults couldn't help but laugh as the child's customary response to being called little broke the tension.

Distracted from his earlier upset, Buck thought about that for awhile as he stood in the safety of Vin's arms. "I'm a little man," he said out loud to test it and decided he liked the sound of that even better.

"Absolutely," Chris smiled and gave him a pat on the back before rising to his feet once more. "Why don't you come with me little man and help me gather some wood for the fire while Vin goes back for more water?" the man suggested.

"NO!" Buck instantly tightened his hold on the tracker as his fear surged back, afraid to let him out of sight again just in case he disappeared.

Vin hugged him close and reassured him, "That's okay. You can come help me with the water, alright?"

Buck agreed and Vin rose to his feet with the boy still in his arms. Vin turned back to the trail and walked down to where he had dropped the bucket. With Buck clinging tightly making it awkward to bend over, he bent his knees to get low enough to reach the bucket then continued on to the stream. Once by the water's edge he carefully set Buck on his feet a few paces from the bank and warned him to stay right there. While Buck watched anxiously from his spot, Vin refilled the bucket then reached for Buck's hand. Together the two returned to their shelter.

Chris had already returned with more than enough wood to keep a fire going through out the night, and had taken the time to bring in the supplies he'd gotten in town, their saddle bags, and his own bedroll. He was starting a fire in the hearth when the pair walked in.

Vin set the water down near the fireplace, crossed his legs and sat Indian style on the floor. He settled Buck in his lap, his crossed legs and chest making a perfect seat for the boy. His arms crossed protectively over the child, making his whole body a cocoon of love and security for Buck. He could feel little muscles relax as Buck leaned back against his chest.

"I'll get this started and then go unsaddle the horses and get them settled for the night," Chris told them. "Why don't you two see if you can rustle up some grub."

"Thanks, Chris," Vin looked up at his friend, grateful for Chris' understanding his need to stay with Buck right now.

Chris nodded silently in reassurance then bent over to where Buck was sitting securely in Vin's encircling arms and gently pinched him on his chin. "I hope you make a lot 'cause I'm really hungry. How 'bout you, Buck?"

The little shoulders shrugged but a tiny smile touched his face as the man in black smiled at him.

"I'm counting on you to make sure he doesn't burn supper," Chris teased the boy.

"Now he's just being insultin'," Vin pretended to be outraged at the remark. The tracker lifted Buck up and set him on his feet and climbed to his own. Larabee rose with them. "Come on, Buck. Let's show the old man what we can do."

The child held both hands over his mouth to contain his sudden giggles at the by-play. The familiar sound was very welcome to the two men watching the child. It gave them hope that although the boy had suffered a tragic blow with the loss of his mother, the happy spirit of the child hadn't been completely smothered by the recent events as so easily could have been the case. Hopefully his age and the help his new guardians were willing to give him would help him retain it despite the tragedy he had suffered.

"We best get busy, pard," Vin told the child, hoping to keep Buck from thinking about his loss to much by keeping him busy, "He only gets crankier iffen ya don't feed him."

Chris pretended to shake his fist threateningly at the pair before he left to take care of the horses, his smile very much in evidence. When the gunslinger walked back in the door sometime later -after finishing his chore and taking a moment to walk to the stream to wash off the odor of sweaty horse he had acquired- the smell of food made his stomach growl. He stopped right inside the door, taking in the sight of Vin on his knees beside the fireplace, one arm around Buck as he stirred a pan of beans and bacon with the other. The sound of his friend's laughter at something Buck had said brought a smile to the taciturn face. Vin sounded so happy it made Chris' heart ache in remembrance of similar times spent with his own son. Determined not to be the specter-at-the-feast for his friend, Chris put a firm clamp on his thoughts and emotions.

"Smells good," the blond remarked as he made sure the door was secure then joined the pair at the fireplace. "Looks like you did a good job of making sure he didn't burn anything, Buck. Thanks, kid," Chris said ruffling Buck's black hair.

"I helped!" Buck told him enthusiastically. "Mr. Vin let me pour the beans outta the can into the pan, and I got to help stir the…the…,"

"Yeah, that's it! I got to help stir the camp bread. I got ta fill the pot with water, but Mr. Vin wouldn't let me put the coffee in," he pouted.

"Ya had to leave something for me to do," Vin drew the child closer for a hug and a tickle. The pout was replaced by giggles as Buck squirmed away from the man's tickling fingers. "If you'll bring the plates over, we'll dish this up 'cause it's ready."

Buck hurried to the pile of things Chris had dumped on the floor earlier and pulled out the canvas bag that held the tin plates, cups and eating utensils and lugged it back to the waiting men. Vin dished out a plate for Buck then settled the boy on the floor with it along with a cup of water before he piled food on plates for himself and Chris and poured each a cup of coffee.

The men sat on the floor with the boy and Buck scooted closer to Vin, almost upsetting his cup of water in the move but was saved when the tracker grabbed it before it could spill more than a couple of drops. The meal was consumed in near silence by the light of the fire in the fireplace. Vin was glad to see the boy eating well. He had worried that the child's appetite might suffer but was relieved he had been wrong.

After cleaning up, the men spread their bedrolls out and sat watching the fire and relaxing after the long day. Buck was once again seated in Vin's lap resting against the man's chest as he listened with drooping eyelids to their desultory conversation. When Vin felt the boy slumping lower and lower against him he knew it was time to put him to bed.

"Bedtime, Buck," he said softly and he lifted the child and turned him to lie on his shoulder. Vin made his way to the blankets he had spread out. Since they had left without being prepared that morning, Buck would be sharing Vin's bedroll. The tracker gently laid the child down and listened to sleepy protestations from the boy that he wasn't tired even as the little eyes closed and Buck's breath became even with sleep. Smiling down at the boy for minute, Vin affectionately brushed a lock of hair off the little face and whispered, "Sweet dreams, little man."

"Have you decided what you're going to do with him," Chris asked quietly when the tracker had returned to his spot by the fire.

"See that he gets raised right," Vin answered back staring into the leaping flames.

"I meant where you're going to take him. Who are you going to leave him with," Chris said staring at the man's face.

Vin's head snapped around and his eyes blazed at the question. "I'm not leaving him. You heard me promise him that. He's staying with me!"

"How are you going to take care of him, Vin? I know what you make as a peacekeeper, remember? It's enough for a man on his own, but you can't raise a boy on it. Kids need things, Vin. They grow outta stuff before you can spit."

"I got plans," Vin informed him. "I been doin' a lot of thinkin'. I got some money in a bank in El Paso that I saved from when I was bounty huntin'. I never tried to go after it because it was too dangerous with the bounty and all, but now that I don't have to worry 'bout that no more I can go get it. There should be more than enough there to buy some land and a few good horses. I'm pretty good with horses. I learned a lot about breakin' and trainin' 'em from the Comanche. I figure I can make a go of a horse ranch. I'll still be helping watch the town, and I can do a little trackin' on the side if I need extra money. With that and what I can make ranchin' we should do just fine, and Buck and I'll both finally have a home."

"That's a lot of responsibility for a man to take on," Chris said, "Especially one that's been used to drifting on his own the way you have. You sure about this? Because I'm not completely sure that would be the best thing for you or the boy."

"Well luckily for me and Buck it ain't your decision to make." Vin's hard gaze drilled into the older man. "Buck is staying with me. I made a promise to his mother, and I mean to keep it. If you got a problem with that, Cowboy, then say so now and we'll find ourselves somewhere else to settle."

Chris returned the man's warning look evenly as he replied quietly, "I don't have a problem with it as long as you know what you're doing."

Knowing that Vin would never budge on the issue of a promise and he would be losing a friend if he continued, Chris chose to let it drop. He raised his arms over his head as he tried to stretch tired muscles. "I think I'll turn in. Got a long day tomorrow."

Vin nodded and bid him a quiet goodnight but remained by the fire long enough to toss some more wood on it in preparation for the night. Then the tracker slid in between his own blankets, careful not to wake the sleeping Buck. He wrapped his arms around the child and pulled him close before closing his eyes.

Although he tried to relax, sleep wouldn't come. Memories of the day's events kept running through his mind over and over. He relived every moment of the shoot out that had claimed Emma's life. He searched for something -anything- that he could have done differently to have prevented her death. He went over breaking the news to Buck and the boy's reaction. Vin hugged the sleeping boy a little tighter as the memory of Buck's voice crying out for his mother so plaintively played out in his head.

The guilt he heaped on his own shoulders for everything that had gone wrong that day left him lying awake and brooding long after Chris' soft snores filled the room. So the tracker was still awake when Buck began to thrash about in his sleep and whimper softly. Vin shook the child gently to wake him from the nightmare. Buck came awake with jerk and immediately started fighting Vin's hold.

Vin held the boy tighter and tried to keep him from hurting himself in his panic.

"Shh, Buck, it's okay," Vin hastened to reassure him, "It's just me, just Vin. I got ya. You're safe. It was just a bad dream, son. Just a bad dream. I'm watching out for ya."

Buck grabbed at Vin when he finally recognized his voice and buried his face in Vin's shirt, his little body trembling with residual fear from of the nightmare.

"He alright?" Chris called and Vin raised his head to see the other man sitting up on his bedroll watching them.

Buck's sniffles and hitching sobs could be heard clearly by the blond gunman in the quiet of the cabin as could Vin's continued soothing of the boy. Buck was eventually calmed enough to fall back to sleep.

"Poor kid,' Vin murmured softly stroking the child's hair. "I could almost wish Emma hadn't been such a good mother. Maybe he'd have an easier time of dealin' with her bein' gone."

"If Emma had been different, then Buck would have been different too. He wouldn't be the sweet and happy child that he is," Chris' low voice reached him across the cabin.

"Yeah, you're probably, right," Vin sighed. "I'd rather deal with things the way they are than have him be anything but what he is. I just hope his mother's death don't change him too much."

"It'll be up to us to see that it doesn't," Chris replied laying back down on his blankets.

Vin smiled in the dimness of the firelight and stated, "I'm not the only one he got to, am I?"

"Go to sleep, Tanner," was the gruff reply and the blond pointedly turned his back on the tracker and pulled the blanket up around his shoulders.

The long and emotionally trying day finally caught up with the tracker and he drifted off to sleep, his arms wrapped securely around Buck and one ear cocked for signs of any further nightmares.

The sun was just peeping over the horizon the next morning when Vin was jarred from a sound sleep by little hands shaking his shoulder.

"Please, Mr. Vin! I really gotta go!" Buck wailed as he frantically clutched at the front of his pants and hopped from foot to foot.

"Oh!" Vin said coming awake all at once as he watched the boy squirming. The man jumped up from the bedroll and grabbed Buck then hustled outside with the little boy hanging over one hip like a sack of flour. He hurried to the back of the clearing some distance from the cabin before depositing the child on his feet in front of a large tree. Buck fumbled with his clothes for a minute then managed to free himself with a relieved sigh.

Vin stood there yawning and scrubbing a hand through his tousled hair, feeling the dampness of the morning dew covering the grass soaking into his socks with an unpleasant chilliness, as Buck took care of his morning business.

Although usually an early riser, the hours he'd lain awake in guilty reflection and dealing with the nightmares Buck had suffered periodically through out the night had taken their toll, leaving him longing for the bedroll from which he'd been so unceremoniously roused. Vin looked down and saw no shadow of the nightmares that had visited during the night on the little face. The bright, much too awake face, he noticed. The tired man almost groaned as he saw his dream of crawling back into his warm nests of blankets dying an untimely death.

Vin helped the child resettle his clothing then picked him up and sat him on his hip. "You ready to go back to bed now?" Vin asked hopefully, not quite willing to give up his bed without at least a token resistance.

"I'm not sleepy anymore, Mr. Vin," was the too chipper answer he received from Buck.

"Might as well gather us some more wood while we're out here," Vin told him. At least Chris could sleep a little longer that way the tracker decided. Vin carried the child back to the cabin and put him down right beside the front door.

"Wait here a minute while I get our boots," he ordered and Buck obediently remained where Vin had placed him.

Vin entered the shelter quietly and retrieved their footwear, being careful not to disturb the sleeping gunman. He helped Buck on with his boots then pulled on his own before taking the boy by the hand and leading him away from the cabin again.

Vin had managed to gather enough firewood to last them for a while and had taken Buck down to the stream for a quick wash before finally re-entering the cabin. Chris was still slumbering peacefully, his blankets pulled up until only the very top of his blond head could be seen.

Vin stared enviously at his friend for a moment before an unholy grin appeared on his face. Dropping down to one knee, he pulled Buck close enough to whisper in his ear. Buck giggled and Vin slipped a hand over his mouth to muffle the sound. Buck nodded back at the tracker over the top of his hand then tip-toed over to stand behind the sleeping man's head. Vin meanwhile snuck over to the hearth where they had stacked the cooking pans last night and picked up a pan and the coffee pot. He held them at arm's length in front of him and then looked at the waiting Buck.

At Vin's nod, the boy drew a deep breath and yelled, "Time to get up Mr. Chris!" at the same time that Vin clanked the two vessels he held together then dropped them onto the floor where they made a considerable din in the quiet cabin.

The effect on Larabee was instantaneous. Startled from his deep sleep, the blond gunman tried to jump up and go for his gun at the same time, his sleep-fogged mind completely forgetting he had removed his gunbelt the previous evening and laid it by his head. He also failed to remember he was wrapped in several blankets as he lay on the floor, so when he tried to jump to his feet , scrabbling at his empty hip for his weapon, he got his legs tangled in the blankets and fell backward to land with a thud on his backside.

Vin was laughing so hard he was clutching his sides. Buck was giggling and clapping his hands in glee. Chris stared around with a confused look for a moment, but as sleep faded it was replaced by a fierce glare.

"We played a joke on you, Mr. Chris," Buck crowed, running over to hug the man around his knees. "It was real funny!"

Chris hauled the boy up and sat him on one arm, bringing the child's face even with his own.

Buck's head bobbed rapidly as he nodded and replied, "Yeah. He said it was time to wake you up and it would be fun to do it this way, and he was right 'cause it was really, really fun."

Chris grinned at the boy's uncomplicated enjoyment of the prank and grabbed Buck's chin gently and shook the boy's head with it. "I'll have to think of something just as funny to repay him with then, won’t I?" he asked smiling at Buck but throwing a threatening glance at the tracker.

"Why don't we go check the horses while the funny man over there fixes breakfast?" Chris asked, seeing a way to get a little of his own back by sticking the tracker with the breakfast chores.

Buck immediately started squirming his way out of the blonde's arms and his sharp, "No!" rang out, leaving no doubt about his feelings for the idea.

Chris hastily put the struggling child on the floor to keep from dropping him. Buck immediately ran to Vin and grabbed a handful of the fabric of Vin's pants. The child pressed his body close to the tracker's leg as he stood by the surprised man.

The men exchanged concerned glances. They had thought the boy was handling his mother's death well, but it was becoming apparent to both of them that Buck was suffering through more than just nightmares. The boy was clinging to Vin as thought frightened by the mere thought of stepping out of sight of the long haired tracker.

Vin knelt down and wrapped an arm around the boy's shoulders. Speaking softly, Vin told him, "It's alright if you want to go with him to see the horses. I promise I'm not going anywhere and I'll be right here when you get back."

"I'd rather help you!" Buck replied and tightened his hold on Vin.

Knowing he would have to deal with the problem sometime, but deciding it would better not to push the child just yet, Vin agreed. "Okay. We'll stay here and fix breakfast and let Mr. Chris take care of the horses."

"Sure, buddy," Chris smiled at the child and reassured him, "We'll do it another time. Maybe when Vin doesn't have chores and can come with us."

With the small crisis past, the three went about their morning chores. It was mid-morning before Ezra joined them.

The gambler rode into the clearing to find the two men and the little boy out under the trees behind the cabin. The men were seated comfortably on the ground, backs against two tree trunks, enjoying the fine day and laughing as Buck ran around the yard chasing butterflies and grasshoppers. Buck waved enthusiastically when the gambler called out a greeting.

“Mr. Ezra's here,” The child yelled to his guardians excitedly as if they couldn't see for themselves. Buck took two steps toward the gambler then stopped to throw a look over his shoulder to check on Vin's position before continuing on to meet the new arrival, a move that didn't escape any of the men.

“Ah, Master Wilmington,” Ezra bent down to gather the child up in his arms then straightened. “How very good to see you again. I do believe I missed your smiling face.”

Buck threw his arms around Ezra's neck and hugged. He drew back and grinned, saying, “I'm glad you're back.”

“If that is the welcome I can expect to receive when I return from my travels I shall have to find excuses to leave more often,” the man teased and skimmed quick fingers over the boy's ribs.

Buck giggled and squirmed at the tickling. Buck wiggled to be let down and Ezra obliged. Buck took hold of his hand and pulled him over to the other men.

“Very well, Mr. Larabee. I was able to get in and out of town without anyone except Miss Molly being the wiser. She has agreed to cooperate and will disseminate the tale as requested. By this time tomorrow the town will believe Mrs. Wilmington took her son and fled for places unknown. Miss Molly sends her condolences to Buck…and her regards to Vin. Her last words to me were to tell you to take care of yourself and the boy, and if you need anything, anything at all, to let her know.”

Vin smiled fondly to himself as he thought on the curmudgeonly older woman that had become such a good friend in such a short time.

“I didn't get to say bye to Miz Molly,” Buck said sadly as he looked up at the gambler.

Ezra knelt in front of the boy and used the little hand he still held in his own to pull him closer. “I took care of that for you, Buck. Miss Molly said to tell you goodbye…and, for some strange reason, to remember to keep your clothes on.”

Vin laughed out loud at this reminder of the first time he'd ever met the little boy and his mother.

Buck tugged at Ezra's jacket to get his attention again and the man turned to oblige.

“Mama goed to Heaven,” the little boy said sadly. “I didn't get to say goodbye to her either.”

Ezra raised his other hand to stoke the boy's cheek tenderly and replied, “I know, Buck. I am deeply sorry for your loss. She was an exceptional woman and I for one will miss her terribly.”

Buck nodded in agreement and said, “I miss her too. I didn't want her to goed away. Mr. Vin said she didn't want to goed away but she had to. I wanted her to come back, but Mr. Vin said nobody comes back from Heaven.”

“Mr. Tanner is correct,” Ezra answered softly. “I'm sure your mother would have chosen to stay right by your side if it were possible. She loved you very much.”

Buck nodded again whispered, “Forever and one day more, that's what she always told me.”

Buck looked over at Vin with tears gathering in his eyes and silently the tracker held his arms out to the boy. Buck pulled his hand from Ezra's and ran to Vin who enfolded him and pulled him down on his lap. The heartbroken sobs that racked the boy tore at the three men watching helplessly.

Ezra stood quickly and went to his horse where he undid one of the large canvas sacks that hung from his saddle and rummaged around in it for a moment before pulling out an object. The man then returned to the others and stopped in front of the tracker to hand him the rag doll that Buck's mother had made for him. Vin took it gratefully from the gambler and nudged Buck's chin up from his chest with the side of his hand then showed the weeping boy the toy.

“Mr. Ezra brought him for you,” Vin told the child gently and Buck looked at the gambler waiting before him patiently.

“My pleasure, Buck. I think he was rather lonely without you,” Ezra said with a smile. “I believe a few of his friends decided to come along as well.”

“His friends?” Buck asked wiping his streaming nose on his sleeve, much to Ezra's dismay.

“I believe I saw what looked like a horse and perhaps a bear and a pig in the bag with your companion,” Ezra mused.

“I believe they are indeed your property, but perhaps you should examine them to make sure.”

Buck looked from his cherished doll to Ezra then pressed back against Vin and shook his head. The gambler looked knowingly on the tracker and nodded his understanding.

“I suppose you are correct. They are more than likely tired from their journey and would, no doubt, relish a chance to rest before reacquainting themselves with you. Plenty of time for that, I'm sure.”

“I do not believe so. I took a rather circuitous route and doubled back several times which is the reason for my late arrival,” the gambler reassured him.

Chris nodded, satisfied they had escaped detection, and informed them, “We'll spend another night here so you can rest up and then we'll start back to Four Corners in the morning.”

“It'll be good to be back home,” Vin said.

“Which brings up the question,” Ezra said looking straight at Vin seriously, “of exactly what you plan to tell the good citizens of our small municipality about the new addition to our little group.”

Vin shrugged and tightened his arms slightly around the quietly watching Buck. “I hadn't thought about it much. I was more concerned with how I was gonna keep us fed, to tell ya the truth.”

“While an important consideration to be sure, I must point out that our little charade will be for naught if we do not present a plausible fabrication to explain Buck's presence in our midst,” Ezra reminded them. “If by chance the wrong person should hear of this child mysteriously appearing in your company on your return from Tascosa, then…” Ezra trailed off looking at the other men meaningfully.

Vin sighed, realizing the gambler was right and he had another problem so solve.

Chris watched his friend stewing over the problem, then said, “Well I already told you once the timing was right and you sound just like his father…” he broke off raising one eyebrow at the tracker suggestively.

Ezra followed his logic and immediately agreed, “Just so. They have already established a familial bond of sorts. It should take very little to convince the general populace that their ersatz relationship was in fact a natural one".

Ezra stroked his chin absently as he concentrated on his train of thought. "The bounty on his head would very nicely explain why he never mentioned Buck to anyone in Four Corners. He would most naturally have felt a father's need to protect his son from unscrupulous bounty hunters that might try to use the boy to trap him, thus the need for secrecy. He would of course seek to be reunited with said son as soon as possible once the bounty, and thus the danger, had been removed. It's simple, logical, and will no doubt be completely believable to the common masses. An excellent idea Mr. Larabee."

“How about it, Buck?” Vin asked smiling down at the boy, “Would you like to be my son?”

“Really?” Buck's eyes grew big with excited wonder at the thought, “You'd be my papa?”

Buck dropped the doll he still clutched and threw his arms around Vin, hugging as hard as his little arms could.

“You think you can get used to calling him Papa?” Chris asked the child with a smile.

Buck looked up at Vin. Vin looked down at Buck. The child shyly opened his mouth and whispered, “Papa?”

Vin felt that one, tiny word reverberate down to the deepest part of his being. More moved than he had ever been in his life, Vin hauled Buck up and had to force himself not to crush the breath from the child as his emotions overwhelmed him for moment.

“That sounds good, real good,” Vin huskily assured the child once he was able to squeeze the words over the lump in his throat.

“You're squashing me, Papa!” Buck complained causing the men to laugh and Vin to loosen his arms to let Buck rest comfortably in his lap again.

“What say you and me go check on those friends of yours?” Vin asked setting Buck on his feet then climbing to his own.

Hand in hand the new father and son walked from under the shade of the trees into the sunshine in search of Buck's toys.

Vin looked down at the child staring up at him in question and had to smile. Although it had been over a week since the first time Buck had called him that, he still got a little thrill every time he heard it. Vin tugged on his reins and brought his horse to a stop allowing his two companions to move along side. The little group and been traveling steadily for the last nine days. He and Buck had gotten more comfortable in their new roles during that time. Vin was starting to forget what it had ever been like to be without Buck. The boy had slipped into his life like a piece that he had always been missing but never realized was gone. Buck was becoming Vin's whole world, and he knew the reverse was also true for the child.

“Yep, that's it,” Vin assured the boy sitting in front of him in the saddle. Buck was in his customary position for riding with the man: his back leaning comfortably against the tracker's chest and hands resting on Vin's thighs for balance. This left Vin free to use both hands if necessary.

The three men and the little boy, after more than a week of traveling, had finally reached the outskirts of El Paso. This was not the same trail the men had followed on their journey to Tascosa. Vin had wanted to detour to the city in order to withdraw the money he had in one of the city's banks. Knowing how important the money was to the plans the tracker had made for himself and his new dependent, the other men had been agreeable to the stop even though it would add several days to their journey, for which the tracker was very appreciative.

“I, for one, am looking forward to a bath and a night spent in a proper bed,” Ezra told them as he wiped the perspiration and dust from his forehead with his handkerchief.

“I have to admit a bath sounds real good right about now,” the black clad gunslinger agreed wiping at his own face with the sleeve of his shirt.

“And a fine meal served on china instead of tin,” Ezra drawled, “No insult to Mr. Tanner's culinary efforts intended.”

Vin dipped his hat to the gambler and grinned, “No offense taken. I wouldn't mind none of them things either. How about it, Buck? That sound good to you?”

Buck grinned back and nodded, “Can we get some more lemon drops, Papa?” The boy had shown an uncommon fondness for the treat Chris had brought him back from El Caldero when the gunman had gone into the town for supplies. Vin had carefully rationed the sweets but Buck had finished the last of them three days ago and was eager for more.

“I reckon,” Vin assured him. “After we get done takin' care of the other things, you and me can go see if somebody in this town sells lemon drops for little boys.” Vin reached over and ruffled the boy's hair fondly.

“So our first order of business is to locate lodgings for the night, then the bathhouse, followed lastly by the restaurant,” Ezra said and waited for their agreement.

“No, first stop is the sheriff's office,” Larabee said, looking at them seriously. “We make sure he knows there is no more bounty first. It might save a lot of gunplay later. We can make sure he passes the word around if it hasn't already made it this far.”

All in agreement, the group rode into the bustling desert city and headed for the jail. The three men kept a sharp eye on their surroundings and the people scurrying about doing their business. It didn't escape any of the men that several people stopped to stare at the long haired tracker as they passed. Each man instinctively rested a hand on his weapon, but no one tried to stop their progress.

Vin, who was the only one familiar with the city having been there several times in the past, led the others farther into town and finally stopped in front of a large building that indicated it was the office of the sheriff. Vin swung down from his horse and reached up to lift the waiting Buck down, taking a good hold on the child's hand as he set him on his feet. Buck was busy looking around. His head swiveled back and forth as he tried to take everything in at once.

As they walked toward the building a large, brown haired man wearing a shiny metal star on his chest and a brace of six-shooters on his hips stepped out of the doorway and met them.

“Something I can do for you?” the man's deep voice sounded as he carefully sized up each man. As he looked at Vin his shoulders stiffened and he stood up straighter.

“Sheriff,” Tanner hastened to say, digging the documents Judge Monroe had given him from his pocket and holding them out to the sheriff. “My name's Vin Tanner. I wanted to bring these by and show them to you so we could avoid a whole wagon load of trouble later.”

“So the bounty on your head's been rescinded, huh?” the sheriff said as he handed the papers back to Vin. “That's got to be a big relief for you.”

“Yep, it's a load off that's for sure,” Vin told the man with a smile. “I ain't lookin' for no trouble, but I reckon it might come lookin' for me until the word gets out about the bounty being gone, so figured it'd be best to come to you first.”

The sheriff reached out a hand, and the two men shook. “Name's Walter Astin. I appreciate the warning. I'll see what I can do to let my deputies and the folks around here know there's no bounty on you anymore. I'd still be real careful while you're here though,” the man warned.

The sheriff nodded to the two silently waiting men then smiled down at the little boy looking up at him curiously from the tracker's side.

“And who's this?” the sheriff asked going down on one knee to put himself on the child's level.

The man's eyebrows shot up in surprise as he looked at the boy then reached out and shook Buck's hand too, making the boy giggle.

“Hello,” Buck answered boldly, feeling safe with one hand clinching a handful of Vin's trousers, then asked. “Do you have lemon drops here?”

Vin laughed and the others chuckled at the boy's one track mind. Even the sheriff smiled as he replied, “If I remember correctly Smith's Emporium carries lemon drops along with licorice whips and peppermint sticks. I take it you like lemon drops?”

The little head bobbed enthusiastically. “Papa said we could go look for some after we gets the other things done. Papa's gonna get me some more. I had some but they're all gone,” the little mouth pouted for a second before the child's natural good humor rebounded. “He's gonna get me lots and lots! Like this,” Buck stretched his arms out wide on either side of him.

“You're gonna have to remember to leave some room for us on the horse, son,” Vin teased with a grin and Buck giggled again.

"How long you planning to be here," the man asked as he looked up at Vin. Vin didn't take offense to the questioning, knowing the sheriff was just concerned about keeping the peace in his town. Vin would have done the same in his shoes -- had done the same several times, in fact.

"Not long, a day of so. Got some business to take care of and have to pick up some supplies, then we plan to head out again," Vin informed him.

The man nodded and suggested, “Sadie's Hotel is a pretty good place to stay. The beds are clean and the price is fairly reasonable. Food’s real good, too. It's only two streets over and four blocks up if you're interested.”

The men thanked the sheriff and remounted their horses. An hour later the men were basking in the feel of warm water as they soaked the dirt and grime off themselves in a bathhouse across the street from their hotel. The men had taken the sheriff's advice and acquired rooms at Sadie's Hotel. They'd found a livery and stabled their horses for the night, stowed their belongings in their rooms and were now relaxing together and laughing as Buck cheerfully splashed in the tub he shared with Vin. Vin was diligently scrubbing at the layers of dirt the child had acquired over the past few days while Buck giggled and squirmed and splashed water at him.

The door to the bath house was thrown open suddenly and two men ran in with guns drawn and pointing unwaveringly at the tracker, both yelling, “Freeze Tanner!”

Buck, startled by the loud noise of the men's shouts and the door slamming against the side of the building, threw himself into Vin's arms and started wailing. Chris and Ezra had drawn the guns they had hung from the low wall hooks by their tubs and were pointing them back at the intruders.

“Now look what you done,” Vin said angrily as he drew the frightened Buck closer and cuddled him under his chin. He wrapped himself around the child as best he could, trying to shield the boy with his body from any bullets that might start flying. He didn't try for his own gun, but trusted Chris an Ezra to keep the men at bay.

“You're coming with us, Tanner." One of the men said, a squeak in his voice betraying his nervousness.

Vin could almost hear Larabee growl low in his throat before the blond gunslinger's cold voice addressed the unwelcome visitors saying, "The only place Tanner is going is to lunch, and he'll be going there with us. You'll back off if you know what's good for you."

The intruder swallowed hard but held his ground as thoughts of the $500 reward flew through his head. "I don't want no trouble with you mister, but this man is wanted. We're gonna collect that $500 on his head, and he's gonna hang for murder.”

“Ain't got $500 on my head no more,” Vin grumbled as he tried to sooth the frightened child clinging to him and face down the two attackers at the same time. “Look in my pocket there,” he jerked his head toward his clothes that were hung on one of the numerous hooks on the wall. “I got papers saying there's no more bounty.”

“You'd better believe it because it's the truth,” A voice spoke from behind the two.

The gunmen spun around quickly and found themselves on the wrong end of a gun held by man wearing the star of a deputy sheriff. The deputy gestured with his gun and the two slowly lowered their own and then holstered them.

“Tanner is a free man. The bounty on his head is gone. The judge in Tascosa has declared him innocent and rescinded the bounty. If you'd killed him, y'all would be the ones hanging for murder right now,” The deputy told them grimly. "Y'all might want to pass that on.”

The men exchanged a worried look before turning to face the man they had tried to apprehend. “Uh… sorry…uh…didn't mean to…” one tried to stammer out an apology.

“Bad mans!” Buck said loudly, staring at them balefully from the safety of Vin's arms.

Chagrinned, the two would-be-bounty hunters turned and scurried out with their tails between their legs. The deputy stepped farther into the room.

“Thanks,” Vin said gratefully. “I appreciate your help. It's a good thing you came along when you did.”

“Sheriff Astin sent me to keep an eye out for you. My name's Dusty Robbins,” The deputy tipped his hat brim with one finger with the introduction. “It'll take a little time for the news to spread about the bounty. There's a lot of people around these parts that could use $500 and wouldn't mind taking it out of your hide. The sheriff figured you could use someone around to keep the more eager beavers at bay until word spreads. Someone to be your guardian angel for a little while.” The last was said with a grin.

“Well then, you can tell the sheriff I said thank you too,” Vin replied. “My friends Chris Larabee, and Ezra Standish,” the tracker told him with a jerk of his head toward the two men who were re-holstering their weapons.

Buck still clung to the sharpshooter as he stared at the remaining man. Vin hugged him and told him, “It's okay, Buck. The bad men are gone.”

“No, he's a deputy. He's here to help make sure the bad men don't come back and bother us.”

Buck watched the deputy for another second then relaxed and slowly pushed out of Vin's arms.

"I'll leave y'all to your baths" Deputy Robbins said with a smile. "I'll be close if you need me."

"My, that certainly was exciting," Ezra drawled sarcastically as he reached for a brush to scrub his back"

"It's over," Chris reassured him with a smile. "No one was hurt and everything is fine now, so you don't have to be scared."

"Let us hope the news spreads quickly," Ezra said. The gambler grinned and said, "I believe we can all do with a little less excitement. Too much excitement is bad for one's constitution once one reaches a certain age," Ezra threw a sly look in Chris's direction, "Or so I hear."

Chris scowled at the younger man. "I got to be this age by knowing when to keep my mouth shut," the blonde shot back. "It's too bad you're not likely to be able to say the same. In fact, your chances of making it through to tomorrow are getting slimmer every time you open your mouth."

"Then I'd best make good use of the time I have left," Ezra grinned. "The condemned man demands a good meal and a night of recreation before his demise."

"Recreation,” Chris snorted as he grabbed a towel and rose from his tub, “As in relieving a few cowhands of their hard earned money, no doubt."

"Well, if a few gentlemen choose to contribute to my savings who am I to stop them?" the gambler smirked.

"I'm cold, Papa." Buck said suddenly, gaining the men's attention. Vin realized that the water in their tub had grown cool while the little drama had unfolded. While the water temperature felt good to the tracker in the steamy heat of the bathhouse, Buck's smaller body was starting to shiver a bit so Vin lifted him out of the tub and wrapped him in one of the towels he had left sitting by their tub. The tracker rubbed the towel vigorously over the child's wet body to dry and warm it at the same time. Buck jumped and squirmed through the whole procedure. Satisfied the boy was dry; Vin sat back and searched the tub for the soap that had slipped, forgotten, from his hands when the two men had burst in.

Buck, meanwhile, was sitting on the floor industriously trying to button the shirt he had slipped on. Vin had to stifle a laugh at the sight of the child sitting there in just his shirt, his little tongue peeping out of his mouth in concentration as he worked to manipulate the buttons into the holes...the wrong holes. Vin could see the little eyes gleam with satisfaction and pride with every button that he managed to slip into place. Vin didn't have the heart to take away that pride by correcting him, so he continued his bath and remained silent.

When he found the bar of soap, Vin began using it on his own body, enjoying the feel of cool water and clean skin after the long, hot days in the saddle with out either luxury. He slipped down into the tub and wet his long blond hair then rubbed the bar of soap through it a few times until he'd managed to lather it up. He began working the lathered hair around, combing his fingers through it occasionally to keep it from developing too many tangles.

Chris had finished pulling his own pants and shirt over his long underwear and was tucking his shirttails into his pants as he approached the child who was struggling to get the rest of his clothing on correctly.

Buck looked at him indignantly and said, “I can do it,” even as, off balance, he tilted to one side as he worked to get his leg in them.

“Sure you can. Why don't you put 'em on and I'll keep you upright,” Chris replied, grabbing one little shoulder to steady the boy and leaning closer to whisper in the child's ear. The boy's eyes began to glow with laughter and the peacekeeper nonchalantly slipped around until he was between the boy and the tracker, blocking Vin's view of the proceedings. The blond put a finger to his lips to signal the boy to remain quiet and Buck slapped his hands over his mouth to stifle his giggles and nodded. While Vin and Ezra continued their baths, Chris slipped his boots on and then helped Buck with his. Chris stood up and winked at the boy who could barely contain himself by this point.

Chris nodded to the lad who moved back and began his appointed task as the man moved to stand between the two men and the rest of the room, blocking their view of Buck.

When Vin was satisfied his hair was sufficiently clean, he slipped back down into the water, completely submerging, to rinse the soap out. He sat up again and ran his hands over this head squeezing the water out, paying no attention to the boy or the man that had been helping him finish dressing.

“Might have to look into a laundry while we're here,” Chris told the men as he combed his wet hair back from his forehead, hoping to distract them from what the child was doing. “Clothes are starting to get a might rank.”

“An excellent idea, Mr. Larabee,” Ezra agreed readily. “Although one must occasionally make adjustments for circumstances when one is on the trail, one should take advantage of the first opportunity to…”

“I got 'em, Mr. Chris,” Buck said gleefully and the blond turned to find the boy by his side, his arms loaded with clothing.

“Good,” Chris grinned and swept up the boy, clothes and all, and started out the door.

“Wait! Those are my clothes!” Ezra yelled as he started to rise from the tub.

“Just thought they could use a good washing,” Chris quipped. “We'll just take these to the laundry for you. Wouldn't want you wearing dirty ones around town. Appearances, after all,” the blond quoted with a smugly satisfied smile.

“Mr. Larabee, I believe young Buck has absconded with the clothing I was preparing to don in a few minutes,” Ezra replied urgently.

“That'll teach ya to call him old,” Vin laughed at the scrambling gambler as Larabee slipped out.

“I fail to see why you are so amused,” Ezra snapped. “If I am not mistaken, that was your shirt and trousers lying on top of my jacket.”

“What!” Vin looked toward the now empty hooks where he had left his clothing and surged from the tub, grabbing a towel and wrapping it around his waist. “Larabee! Come back here with my clothes!” Vin yelled. “Buck! Chris! Get back in here! This ain't funny, Larabee!”

Outside, a laughing Chris hurried across the street with Buck and the purloined clothing. The man stopped under the porch of a dry goods store where he could see the door of the bath house and looked down at his co-conspirator. Buck was staring back at the bath house. Chris felt the little boy tense as the realization that Vin was no longer where he could see him dawned on the child.

“It's alright, Buck,” Chris assured the boy and gave him a hug. “Vin is right there inside where we left him. He's not going anywhere.” Especially without his clothes the man silently finished. “We're not going anywhere either. We're just going to stand here and enjoy the show.” The blond laughed again as the sounds of the two furious men could be heard above the din of the busy street.

Buck nervously plucked at his bottom lip with one hand and grabbed on to Chris' shirt tightly with the other. Chris patted the little back soothingly as he watched the doorway to the bathhouse expectantly. Inside, two very disgruntled peacekeepers were arguing with each other.

"This is all your fault," Vin snarled. "If you hadn't gotten him all riled up by callin' him old this wouldn't have happened."

"I beg to differ," Ezra snapped back. "If memory serves me correctly, you were the one that began this with a certain prank played on our illustrious leader while he was sleeping. And enlisted an innocent child to help you do it, I might add. I believe the blame for our current situation rests squarely on your shoulders."

Unable to deny the accusation but not willing to concede the argument, Vin changed the subject.

"Obviously, one of us will have to go outside and retrieve our apparel. And since this was YOUR fault, that some one should be YOU!" Ezra drove his point home with finger poke to Vin's chest.

The tracker took a step back from the man, shaking his head and waving both hands in front of him in negation, then had to make a hasty grab for his towel as it tried to head south on him.

"Nuh-uh! No way," Vin said quickly. I ain't goin' out there like this. You're the one used to runnin' around in your birthday suit and a tablecloth. You do it."

"Exactly so," Ezra sniped, "Since I have already had the experience, it would only be fair to allow you a like opportunity."

The volume of the argument had been steadily increasing and could be heard clearly across the street where Chris was enjoying the show immensely. That ought to teach those two a well deserved lesson he thought, and he congratulated himself for pulling it off without them suspecting a thing. His grin stretched from ear to ear, and deep chuckles shook his frame and the young child in his arms. His blue eyes were shining with mirth…until he heard the low whimper that escaped the increasingly anxious Buck.

“It's alright, buddy,” Chris tried to reassure him. “Vin is fine. He's right there in the bathhouse. See, you can hear him. He's not leaving you.”

Chris wasn't about to let the boy run out into the busy street and tightened his arms to stop the boy's descent. An act that only increased Buck's agitation.

“No, Buck.” Chris was having a hard time controlling the determined boy. “You can't go back on your own. It's too dangerous. I'll take you back. Just quiet down.”

Buck was having none of it. He didn't understand that Chris was trying to protect him. He just knew wanted his Papa and he wanted him now, and the blond man was stopping him from reaching Vin. It was a situation not to be tolerated. Desperate, Buck began to scream, “No! I want my Papa! Papaaaaaa! Papaaaaaaa!” Buck began fighting in earnest, his little fists and boot-covered feet flying at the man trying to hold on to him.

Suddenly Vin - his mare's leg held in one hand and dressed only in a towel he held together with the other- came flying out of the bathhouse. His blue eyes were blazing with dangerous intent as he swept the area in search of the screaming Buck. He began dodging the heavily loaded wagons clogging the street, completely ignoring the shocked exclamations and laughter that followed him. His attention was solely on the child crying so desperately for him.

In his lifetime, Chris had stood tall against many challengers wanting to take him down. He had faced certain death too many times to remember-had almost welcomed it in the dark times after his wife and son had been killed. Death was not something he feared much anymore. But looking into those icy-blue eyes that were heading toward him so indomitably Chris couldn't help but remember a conversation he'd had with Vin about the tracker living with the Comanche for a time. The look on the tracker's face made him think that death might be a blessing to anyone who actually hurt the man's newly adopted son.

Chris didn't quite shove Buck into Vin's arms when the man approached…but he did make the exchange in the least amount of time possible. Buck helped by leaping from his arms into the tracker's. Vin was momentarily diverted with having to try to hold onto the child, his gun, and the towel all at the same time.

“I'm sorry, Vin,” Chris hastened to apologize, truly sorry his joke had backfired and frightened the boy. “I didn't think he'd react like that. I never would have involved him if I had even guessed he would get this upset.”

The tracker glared knives at his leader before settling in to the task of soothing the tightly clinging Buck.

An amused crowd had started to gather, though neither man paid any particular attention to them. Both were more concerned with the child than the citizens of the city. Deputy Robbins stepped through an opening in the wall of people that were surrounding the three visitors and began dispersing the crowd before turning to Vin with a grin.

“We do have a few laws about public indecency in this town. Am I gonna have to cart you off to jail or do you reckon you could put some clothes back on.”

Vin threw Larabee a smoldering glare and growled, “I would if the dirty, low-down, thievin' snake that stole my clothes will give 'em back.”

The deputy started laughing and looked at Chris, shaking his head he said, “Why do I get the feeling that things are gonna be pretty lively around here for awhile? Do you fellers always get into this much trouble this quickly, or did you just save it up for us?”

“No,” Chris told him with a resigned sigh, “this is pretty much normal for us.”

"I sincerely hope you gentlemen have learned your lesson about involving innocent children in your hooliganism," Ezra said with a stern look and equally stern voice.

The two men sitting across the table from him in the hotel dining room listened, shamefaced, as the gambler concluded a rather lengthy lecture on the incident that occurred in the bathhouse earlier that day.

Vin had not been the only one upset by Buck's reaction to Larabee's prank. Ezra had verbally torn into both men, who he blamed completely for the child's upset.

Both men had silently endured his remarks from the time they left the bath house and all through the well-prepared lunch that only Buck seemed to actually enjoy -- the boy quickly bouncing back from the whole episode with a child's natural resiliency once Vin had claimed him again.

Neither man tried to interrupt, both feeling too guilty to try and defend what they now realized was poor judgment on their parts.

"I will extract retribution for your prank when you least expect it, Mr. Larabee," Ezra warned the blond gunman, "But you can be assured that I will not involve the child in such an unconscionable way."

"Yeah," Vin seconded, throwing a glance at the boy sitting in the chair beside him eating a bowl of peach cobbler and ignoring the adults as he concentrated on his treat. "We messed up and we know it. It's not something that'll happen again."

Ezra told him seriously, “I will hold you to that promise, Mr. Tanner. The sound of that child's frightened screams will haunt my dreams for some time to come. I don't care to have the experience repeated.”

“Very well. We will consider the subject closed,” Ezra said as he forked up the last piece of the steak cooling on his plate and lifted it to his mouth.

“I'm done, Papa,” Buck informed Vin and the man looked down at the boy. The little face was smeared with filling and crumbs but the blue eyes were happy and satisfied.

Vin took the napkin that had been tied around the boy's neck to act as a bib, and wiped the mess off the little face, grinning down at the child.

“Looks like you got almost as much on the outside as you did on the inside,” Vin teased.

“It was good,” Buck said as he tried to squirm away from Vin's determined assault with the napkin.

“I reckon we can get supplies this afternoon,” Chris informed them as he pushed his plate away and picked up his coffee cup and took a sip. “We'll get everything we can done today, so we'll be ready to leave first thing in the morning.

“I'd rather leave going' to the bank until right before we go, Chris,” Vin said as he looked up from his clean up job and addressed his leader. “I don't like the idea of carrying all that money around with me for too long.”

Ezra smirked at said, “I'm sure your money will be perfectly safe, Mr. Tanner. No one would want to risk their necks trying to take it from you when you are armed so well and are accompanied by myself and Mr. Larabee.”

Vin shook his head in denial, “You already seen what people was willing to do to collect the five hundred that's on my head. People find out I'm carrying a bunch of money and they'll be all over us.”

Still skeptical, Ezra asked, “Just how much money are you talking about, Mr. Tanner?”

Vin grinned self-consciously and replied, “Well you got to remember that I was bounty hunting for several years and it can pay real well if you pick the right bounties and know what you're doing.”

Intrigued, Ezra forgot himself enough to lean forward and place his crossed forearms on the table. He stared at the tracker. “And we all know just how good you are at tracking down miscreants.”

“There's not too many expenses involved neither: bullets, food, and coffee mostly…with a bit paid out for information sometimes. I never was one for fancy things and I didn't really need too much for myself, so I was just putting most of what I collected into the bank,” Vin finished with a shrug.

Vin scratched his chin for a moment as he thought back and answered, “Don't know exactly. Last I remember, it was $5300.00, or there abouts.”

Vin watched in amusement as the gambler's mouth dropped open in stunned surprise.

“Gonna start catching flies there, Ezra,” the tracker told the frozen man with a grin.

“Five thousand… five THOUSAND,” Ezra whispered in disbelief as he started at Vin as if he had just sprouted horns.

“Yeah, figured it would be enough to buy some land with good water and grazin' and a couple of stallions and a few brood mares to start my ranch with,” Vin told him.

“A few,” Ezra agreed sarcastically as the gambler reflected on the understatement. Five thousand dollars was a veritable fortune. Vin would be able to set up his ranch in style and still have a financial cushion against hard times.

“You have a point,” Chris told the tracker with his own smile as he watched the gambler absorb the fact that the scruffy tracker they'd known for the last two years was actually pretty well off financially. “That much money would tempt quite a few men into taking a chance. We'll be loaded up and ready to head out of town before we stop at the bank for your money. Then we'll make tracks out of here as fast as possible and make doubly sure we're not followed.”

"Five thousand," Ezra muttered under his breath. "The man dresses like an impoverished immigrant straight off the boat, and he has money growing out of his ears."

"Weren't like I could just walk into the bank and take it out anytime, Ezra," Vin explained patiently. "Not with the bounty and all. I'da been walking right in ta a noose. Besides, what difference does what I wear make anyway? I ain't a fancy kind of man so what do I need fancy clothes for? My clothes suit me just fine."

"And my clothes tell people that I'm not interested in impressing nobody," Vin told him firmly.

Ezra threw his hands up in exasperation and said, "I give up. I should have known better than to cast pearls before swine."

"If the mud fits, my friend," Ezra huffed in exasperated frustration at the sharpshooter's attitude.

Vin laughed and spoke, "Speaking of fitting, I need to see about getting some new britches for Buck. He's outgrowing his. They're starting to get a little short on him." Vin looked down at the child watching them curiously.

"Miz Molly says little boys grow outta their clothes faster than scared jackrabbits can run," Buck told him wisely.

"Miss Molly is absolutely right about that," Chris told the boy with a smile that was a tinge nostalgic. "Seems like you give them a new pair of pants in the morning and they're too small by the afternoon."

"We'll have to add a couple of pairs of new britches to the list of supplies we need to get this afternoon," Vin replied.

"It might not hurt to see about a new pair of shoes too," Chris said musingly looking at the small boy. "He'll probably be needing them pretty soon. Might as well see to it while we're here. You should be able to get a better selection in a large town like this than in Four Corners.

Actually, you might want to buy a couple of pairs that are larger than he needs right now. That way you can be sure you have some he can wear when he outgrows the new ones. Same goes for any other clothes. Mrs. Potter is pretty good about keeping her stock up, but there is never a guarantee that she's going to have what you need when you need it."

"I don't know that I have enough money to do it that way right now," Vin admitted.

"Excuse me?" Ezra interrupted with disbelief. "Did I just hear correctly? The man that has recently confessed to having a king's ransom in a bank in this very town is saying he does not have enough money to clothe one small boy?"

Vin sighed and answered, “I ain't got the money with me, Ez. And I can't go to the bank until tomorrow, remember? Even if I only went to the bank to take a little bit out, it could draw attention that I don't need.

If word slipped out about how much is in there before we get ready to leave, there could be trouble that none of us need right now. El Paso may be a lot bigger than Four Corners but people here still love to talk. That includes the people working at the bank. When you consider that I'm already sure to be the thing most people are gabbing' about right now, anything that has to do with me is gonna be news and that includes the money I have in the bank."

"Very well then," the gambler told him, "I will be more than happy to lend you any sum you may need to outfit the boy properly and you can reimburse me once you have claimed your funds."

Ezra threw him an insulted look and replied cooly, "Fortunately for you my 'interest' is in Buck's welfare."

Realizing his joking words had inadvertently hurt the conman's feelings, Vin told him sincerely, "I know that, Ezra. I was just kidding' with ya. I appreciate your offer and I think I'll take you up on it. Thanks."

"We're burning daylight," Chris brought them back on track as he took a last sip of coffee and set his cup back on its saucer. "Those supplies won't buy themselves. We'd best be getting to it."

The group rose from the table, each man tossing down money to pay for his share of the meal. Vin swung Buck up into his arms and carried the child out of the hotel after his friends.

"Soon," he assured him and the little mouth pouted. "Now don't go giving' me that look," the tracker admonished. "I promised you we'd get you some more, and we will. I also told you it would wait until after our other business was done, didn't I?"

"I wouldn't be concerned, young Buck," the gambler assured him with a smile. "In my experience, your papa always keeps his promises. I have no doubt you will have your confections before much more time passes."

"Besides, "Chris told the child, "We're going to get you some new clothes and shoes too. Wouldn't you like that?"

Buck thought for a second then replied honestly, "I'd rather have more lemon drops."

All three men laughed and Vin pretended to pinch off the little boy's nose as he told him "Well, you'll be getting' both. Come on then. The sooner we get to it, the sooner we'll get it done."

Normally the three men would have divided the list between them and each would have taken off on his own to secure the needed items as soon as possible, but due to the possible danger to Vin if he traveled around the city unaccompanied, the men stayed together.

Within a few minutes, Chris and Vin were occupied buying the food supplies for their trip at the general store they had found. The two men were discussing such practical matters as how much of everything they would need to make it to the next town and how much they should allow as a safety margin in case something unexpected occurred, while trying to keep Buck amused as they waited in line for their turn to give their order to the busy shopkeeper.

Ezra left the pragmatic pair to their discussion and occupied himself by wandering through the establishment, browsing through the various shelves and bins. He paused before a bin that caught his eye and reached in to pull out one of its contents. Ezra smiled as he turned the object over in his hand inspecting it. It was a long, hollow tube of tin painted in bright shades of blue, red, and yellow. It had a small loop attached to a plunger that slid up and down inside the tube. The opposite end was shaped into a mouthpiece with an angular slice removed about an inch down on the barrel of the tube. Ezra stared at the whistle, imagining all the fun Buck could have with such a device, and decided it would make an excellent addition to Buck's small collection of toys.

The gambler swung around and hurried toward the others to show his prize to his friends with a triumphant grin. Chris was the first to look at the gambler as he approached the group patiently waiting in line. The man in black took one look at what Ezra was holding and immediately stepped between the gambler and the others, blocking Buck's view of the approaching man.

“You heard me,” Chris growled softly, stepping closer to the other man and glaring. “I…SAID…NO.”

"Really, Mr. Larabee," `Ezra replied as he scowled at the other man. "If I choose to buy a gift for Buck, it is between me and the child, and possibly Mr. Tanner as his guardian. It has nothing to do with you!"

The hand that was lightening fast drawing a gun proved to be just as fast in snatching the toy from the gambler's grasp as the gunslinger said, "There's is NO WAY IN HELL I'm riding all the way back to Four Corners listening to that thing. It'd drive me crazy in a week and then I'd have to shoot somebody...probably you for giving the thing to him," Chris threatened.

"Surely you exaggerate," Ezra said, watching as Chris hid the toy in a barrel of dried beans.

"I brought home a penny whistle for Adam once as a surprise when I was gone on a trip to deliver some horses to a buyer," Chris told him grudgingly, gazing over the other man's shoulder at a scene only he could see. "I thought he'd love it. He did. He loved it so much he blew it morning, noon and, night. He even slept with it. It got to where I'd hear the damn thing in my dreams. I thought Sarah was going to kill me for giving it to him. I was never so happy in my life as the day he lost the damn thing in the creek."

Ezra stood still and silent as he watched a cloud of sorrow cross the man's face as he stood lost in the memories of another time and another little boy. It lasted for only a moment, then the gambler could almost see his leader shake off his melancholia and push the thoughts and memories back into whatever recess of his mind they normally resided. The hazel eyes sharpened as their focus returned to the present and the man watching him so closely.

"I learned my lesson, believe me," Chris told the gambler. "I refuse to spend the next few weeks listening to that thing and trying to pretend to Buck that I like the sound. There are plenty of other toys in this town--quiet toys. Find one!" The last was said with a burning glare.

Ezra stared at Chris for a moment, reading the man's eyes, and realized the reason Chris had given him for not wanting Buck to have the whistle --while genuine and definitely something to be considered for future purchases -- was only part of the whole truth. Looking into the blazing hazel eyes, the professional observer had no trouble reading the hint of pain that the blond had been unable to completely hide behind the irritation.

"Very well," the gambler replied, pretending to take the argument at face value, "If you object that strongly, I shall find another amusement for the lad."

Larabee nodded once then walked back to rejoin Vin and Buck. Ezra watched the man in black walk away and realized he hadn't really considered just how much Vin's guardianship of Buck was going to affect their leader. It was no secret to anyone in the group of regulators that behind the cold, uncaring façade the gunman showed the world, the man still grieved for his murdered family. The gambler could see a lot of painful memories being stirred up for the man by Buck's presence in Vin's life, both now and in the future. He only hoped the friendship the two men had forged was strong enough to weather it. The two men were as close as or closer than some brothers he knew. Although they might not admit it even to themselves, those two men needed each other. And Buck needed a family, which would, by default, include the leader as long as the man remained a peacekeeper.

So far, Larabee had seemed to be handling it fine, but his actions just then had proven to the gambler that the blond man was fighting with his personal demons. Ezra only hoped the man was as good at slaying those demons as he was at everything else. Three lives…no, seven lives actually… depended on it. For if the man couldn't come to terms with having another child around he'd probably be forced to walk away. And if Chris Larabee left Four Corners, Ezra knew their group -- the small family they had laboriously knitted together with their sweat, and blood, and the hard-won trust of shared experience -- would slowly disintegrate.

The group was made up of some truly individualistic men whose wildly divergent backgrounds, experiences, and beliefs would normally have made working together for very long difficult, if not completely impossible, if Larabee had not been there to bind them into a cohesive unit. Chris was the leader of their group; the one that gave them direction and defined their purpose. Without the gunslinger, their unity would be no more. Without him, their direction would be gone…and they'd be lost. Ezra had come to cherish his makeshift family too much to ever want to see that happen.

Ezra had stood by Chris in gunfights many times; had watched his back faithfully on more occasions than he could remember. He was prepared to do so again whenever the blond man needed him. Unfortunately, the gambler had never been in a situation like the gunman's. He had never lost anyone that meant that much to him. He didn't know how to help the man in this most personal of skirmishes. For all the extent of his much-maligned vocabulary, the gambler found he had no words to offer his friend that might guide him from the self-imposed emotional prison the he inhabited. As much as he might wish differently, Ezra knew that this was one battle that Larabee would have to fight without him. He only hoped the man was up to the challenge. So much was riding on it.

Vin glanced up at the gunslinger as the man rejoined the tracker and his foster son. It only took one look at the closed face to know that something had happened to upset his best friend. Something that he didn't want to share, Vin decided when the older man ignored the eyebrow Vin raised in question.

The tracker looked over Larabee's shoulder toward Ezra to find the gambler watching the gunslinger with concern and something that looked very close to pity. Vin's eyebrow arched again, this time at Ezra who silently shook his head and mouthed "Later."

Vin acknowledged the promise with a nod before turning his attention back to Buck.

"What's that, Papa?" Buck asked for what had to be the twelfth time since they had entered the store, his little finger pointing to the newest curiosity to catch his eye."

"It takes the kernels of corn off the cob," Vin explained, trying to hold onto his patience under the barrage of questions he had already endured from the curious boy. "You put an ear of corn in this end," Vin pointed to the round opening on one end of the device, "And turn this handle and it strips the kernels off and spits them out here."

Buck scrutinized it carefully then his nose wrinkled in boyish disgust as he stated, "I don't like mushy corn!"

Vin smiled and reassured him, "It doesn't come out mushy. You put in dried corn, not fresh."

"May I help you gentlemen?" the plump, grey haired storekeeper drew Vin's attention when she asked her question with a polite smile as their turn came.

Vin and Chris answered the woman politely and stepped up to the counter to place their order. Ezra made his way over to stand beside the other two. Buck continued to scope out the wonders to be found in the store.

The three men were involved in their purchases - Ezra having started a debate about how much coffee they should buy - and didn't notice when a man entered the store quietly when one of the store's previous customers exited. The lone cowboy slipped down one of the narrow aisles to come up behind them, one hand resting on the butt of his gun. Buck had watched the man enter and not really paid him too much attention, more interested in the bright and shiny objects around him than the ordinary looking man...that was until he caught the cowboy's eye for a moment before the man's gaze returned to his foster father. Buck took another look at the cowboy watching his papa so closely as the man tried to sneak nearer, and saw the hand on the gun.

The earlier scene in the bathhouse still fresh in the back of his little mind, his instincts kicked in and the little one pointed a finger at the cowpoke and yelled "Bad man! Bad man!"

The reaction he got was instantaneous. The unwary cowboy cum bounty hunter suddenly found himself facing two guns that had seemed to appear in the hands of the black clad blond and the fancy dressed dandy as if by magic as they spun around to face him before he even had time to blink much less pull his weapon.

The storekeeper ducked behind the wooden counter as the man slowly let go of his gun and then raised both hands.

"What kind of a damn fool idiot are you?" Vin ground out angrily, "Don't you know better than to try and take somebody where there are women and children around? What if I had decided not to give up without a fight? You could have gotten somebody killed pulling a stupid stunt like that!"

"I do detest an amateur," Ezra drawled out as he kept his eye and his gun on the unlucky gentleman.

"I just... I was..." the man sputtered before falling silent under the blazing fury in the other men's eyes.

"I'm only gonna tell you this once," Larabee said in a voice that shot icicles at the cowering cowpoke, "So listen up. There is no more bounty on Vin Tanner's head. He is a free man. You can verify that with the town sheriff. I suggest you go do that and leave us alone, before I decide your head could use a little ventilation."

"Y...y...yes sir!" the man stuttered as he hurried to leave, stumbling over his own feet in his anxious haste to escape.

"The sooner we get out of this place, the better I'll feel," Vin said, settling Buck a little higher on his hip.

"As much as I enjoy the pleasures of metropolitan life, I find I must agree with you in this instance," Ezra told him as he re-holstered his gun.

"We should have been paying better attention," Chris said with a scowl, angry at himself for letting his friend down so badly. "He got too close and he shouldn't have. If Buck hadn't yelled he could have gotten the drop on all of us."

"I would say that makes Buck the hero of the day,” Ezra said while ruffling the child's black hair affectionately.

"That's right," Chris deliberately softened his voice and his expression as he turned to the boy. "Good job, Buck."

“Thanks, Buck,” Vin hugged the boy closer. “You saved me from the bad man. I'm so proud of you.”

The little boy's blue eyes gleamed and his chest puffed up with pride at the men's praise. The smile on his face lit up the whole room.

“I would say such fine vigilance and bravery deserves an equally fine reward,” Ezra smiled at the preening child. “It would be my honor to purchase a small token in recognition of such gallantry…with Mr. Tanner's permission of course?” the gambler stated giving the sharpshooter a questioning look.

Vin shook his head and chucked with indulgent humor as two pair of eyes, one crystal blue and the other emerald green, watched him with equal anticipation.

"Don't doubt your judgment, Ez," Vin told him smiling knowingly. "Just your ability to say no when a little one smiles at you and asks you for somethin'."

Ezra's expression remained tranquil, but his face flushed a bit at the other man's accurate reading of his character. Taking Buck from Vin's arms without meeting the tracker's eyes, the gambler didn't even try to come up with a retort, but walked away with the boy trying to ignore the laughing eyes that watched him retreat.

Vin gave a smile and a wave to Buck as the child looked over the gambler's shoulder to check on Vin's location before turning back to Ezra.

The tracker turned his own attention to the storekeeper who was cautiously rising from her hiding place behind the wooden counter. Her faded blue eyes were still widened with residual shock from the violent drama that just unfolded in her normally quiet little establishment.

The old woman, one hand over her still racing heart, replied, "Lordy! These old bones haven't seen that much excitement in more years than you can shake a stick at."

Concerned, Vin leaned closer to the counter and said, "Are you sure you're alright, ma'am?"

"Laws yes!" the old woman reassured him. "Reminds me of my younger years when me and my late husband Henry first come out here from back East," she told him with a sudden smile and twinkling eyes. "They were wild and wooly times. Took grit and backbone to survive back then. It may have been a long time since I been around men facing off against each other with guns, but I still remember where my backbone's at. Besides, can't rightly hold you responsible for somebody else's doings."

The sharpshooter laughed and answered, "Thanks for being so understanding. A lot of people would be kickin' us out right about now."

"A lot of people do a lot of things they have no call to. Lucky for you I'm not like a lot of people," the old lady replied and grinned.

"Give me a few minutes and I'll get your order together for you," she said getting back to business.

Vin raised his hand to tug at his hat brim in a respectful salute as the woman turned away and then disappeared into her storeroom.

Vin turned to lean his back against the counter, resting his elbows on the countertop. The tracker's glance swept the store and found Buck and Ezra busily examining the store's merchandise looking for the child's promised reward. Vin smiled at the two heads bent close to each other as they looked over the myriad of potential treasures lining the bulging shelves of the establishment.

Seeing that the two were happily entertained, he turned his attention to the black-clad man standing silently by his side looking out the store's front window. Looking closer at the gunslinger's eyes, Vin could easily tell he was still troubled. Although whether Chris was troubled by the nearly disastrous confrontation of a few minutes ago or from whatever had upset him during his earlier conversation with Ezra the sharpshooter couldn't quite decide.

Shrugging, the sharpshooter aimed straight for the heart of the matter and asked, “What's bothering you, Chris?”

Larabee stiffened and his face shut down, all expression wiped from his eyes as he threw the younger man a glance.

Undeterred, Vin shook his head in negation of the remark and told him, “You know you can't get away with that, Larabee. Not with me. I know you better than that, and you ought to know me well enough to know I'm not gonna leave it alone. I can see you being upset because that feller almost managed to sneak up on us like that, but something was eating at you even before that feller came in.”

“Uh-uh,” Vin replied. “Can't leave it. Something's going on inside that head of yours and I got a feeling' it ain't very good. I'm your friend, Larabee, and in my book, a friend don't leave a friend alone when he's in trouble or hurtin'.”

“But you're the one hurtin',” Vin interrupted, certain that he had hit on the truth. “What's paining you, Chris?”

The blond sighed and rubbed a hand across his forehead where a tension headache was starting to gather.

Chris continued to gaze out on the street but Tanner got the impression he wasn't seeing any of the busy pedestrians hurrying down the boardwalk, or the wagons being hauled down the street. Tanner as about to ask again when the older man began talking.

“I…just remembered something, that's all. Ezra picked up a …whistle and it reminded me of one I'd gotten for Adam. I hadn't thought of that in years and it…just sort of…came at me out of nowhere. It stirred up other memories…and…I was too busy dealing with them to watch your back properly. You could have been killed…Buck could have been killed…all because I couldn't…” Chris' hands clenched into fists at his sides, the knuckles going white as he fought back his emotions.

“You know, Larabee,” Vin said as he pushed off from the counter and took a step closer to his friend. “The last time I looked you weren't made of stone. You were just flesh and blood like the rest of us.

You're a good man, Chris, but you're still just a man, and a man don't have to be perfect. He don't have to always be in control of everything. He's allowed to have weaknesses. He's allowed to have feelin's…you're allowed, Chris.”

“Not if it's going to get someone killed!' Chris told him through gritted teeth.

“You know, you've tried for so long to hide from your memories; all the things, both good and bad, that happened in your past. You tried to push everything all into a dark corner and chain it there where it couldn't hurt you anymore, and where you could pretend it didn't affect you now. Then you thought you could just walk away and leave it there in the dark.

What you never seemed to realize is that dark place is part of you. You didn't lock your memories and hurt away so much as you chained yourself to them. Now you can't get away no matter where you go because you're dragging it all right along behind you by that chain. You shouldn't be so surprised when you yank on the chain a bit too hard and everything comes rushing forward to flatten you.”

The tracker stepped around until he was standing in front of the gunslinger, forcing the man to look at him as he said, “If you don't want the past intruding in the present, Chris, then you have to unchain it and let it go.”

“I don't know if I can do that,” Chris whispered as his friend's words struck him with the force of bullets.

“I think you can. I think you can do just about anything you make up your mind to. I don't think you can afford not to at least try,” Vin said seriously. “We both know that Buck's being around is going to stir things up for you, and he's going to be around until he's grown. I gave my word to Emma that I'd always watch out for him, and I will. I won't go back on that… couldn't go back on it even if I wanted to. But I also gave you my word that I'd stand beside you as long as you needed me to. I'd never go back on that either.

You're my friend, Chris. My best friend. I never had nobody like you in my life before--nobody that knows me like you do; who just accepts me for what and who I am. You've always been there for me when I needed you, even if it was just to kick some sense into me when no one else could.

I never had a brother for real, but I image this is what it must feel like. I don't want to lose that, lose you. And I'll fight to keep ya here where you belong.”

Compassionate blue eyes stared into harrowed hazel ones as the two men faced each other in silence.

“Ya don't have to do it alone, Cowboy,” Tanner told him quietly. “I got your back, just like always.”

A whisper of a smile flitted across the gunman's face as he nodded, “Never doubted it.”

“Then don't doubt that we can do this,” Vin told him staunchly. “We never failed at anything we ever tried to do together before. I don't aim to start now.”

“Name me one thing in life that's really worth having that ain't,” Vin countered.

Chris's lips twitched in response and he shook his head, “I swear you're getting to sound more and more like Ezra everyday. Whatever happened to the man that could go the better part of a week without saying more than three words?”

“He joined a gang of regulators, found a place to call home, and somebody worth talking to,” Vin grinned.

“Papa! Papa!” Buck's excited voice interrupted the men's conversation and a small streak came flying around the corner of one of the shelves dragging a large canvas bag behind him. The child launched himself at the startled tracker who quickly reached out to grab the boy's shoulders to stop the little body from crashing into him. Buck held up the bag that was almost as long as he was tall for his papa to view.

“Look, Papa, look! Uncle Ezra's gonna buy me these! They're blocks. And they gots letters and numbers on 'em. See?” The child thrust one arm inside the bag and pulled out a wooden block that had been painted with bright shades, a different color on each of its six sides. He shoved the block toward the tracker for his inspection. “And Uncle Ezra's gonna tell me what they mean and show me how to make words outta them! There's lots and lots of them, Papa! Uncle Ezra says you need lots and lots to make all the best words.”

“This is your idea of keeping it within reason?” Vin arched a sardonic eyebrow at the completely unrepentant gambler.

“I look on it as an educational investment,” Ezra drawled smoothly. “I merely thought to give the boy a head start on the path of knowledge. Who could put a price on so great, so valuable, a thing as a good education?”

“I'm gonna be four soon, Papa,” Buck chimed in helpfully, catching his foster father's attention.

“Is that right?” Vin said squatting down to the child's level. “Do you know when?”

Buck nodded enthusiastically and answered, “Mama said we was gonna have my birthday next month…on the fifth.” Buck stopped to giggle then continued with a grin, “Mama said I'm gonna be four on five in six!” and the child started laughing again.

“June 5^th, huh?” Vin mused and the little head began bobbing up and down once more.

“There! Think of the blocks as a reward for bravery AND an early birthday present,” Ezra said quickly, taking the unexpected news and crafting it to his advantage, quickly using it as another argument to persuade the tracker to let Buck accept his gift. “Two gifts in one…what could be more economical?”

“Fine,” Vin gave in to the gambler's wheedling, “But YOU get to cart them back to Four Corners!”

“With pleasure, I assure you,” Ezra said with a pleased smile while giving a sweeping little bow.

“Well if it's time to buy birthday presents, then I guess I better get busy,” Chris said looking down at the child and resolutely shoving his fears and pain aside, not wanting to let it taint the boy's current happiness. For whatever pain the boy might cause for the gunman, he knew the child was innocent and didn't deserve to have that bright light that shined from his eyes dimmed by someone else's grief. He wouldn't allow his demons to touch the child if he could possibly help it

He glanced up once at the tracker and tried to convey silently that he wasn't trying to fall back onto old habits, but was only tabling their discussion for now, and they would continue it later. Vin nodded his understanding of the unspoken message.

The gunslinger looked down at Buck again. “Hmm, what would I like if I was a three year old boy about to turn four?” Chris pretended to muse as he rubbed his chin thoughtfully.

“I'll show ya!” Buck told him with gleeful, three-year-old greed. The child grabbed the man in black's hand and tried to drag him up one of the aisles. Chris obligingly followed the child. He threw an amused look over his shoulder at the other men, for the moment allowing the boy's innocent enthusiasm and joyfulness to flow around him and soothe his still abraded emotions a bit.

“Happy Hunting!” Ezra said with a glib wave as the man was led away. “And please, do try to get something that isn't too loud,” the gambler knew he was playing with fire but just couldn't help teasing satirically. “We wouldn't want to waste any ammunition on our trip back, now would we?”

The blond man glared hotly over his shoulder at the grinning gambler. “That's a good idea…seeing as how you'll probably be making enough noise when I take those blocks and shove 'em up your…” Chris' growled words broke off as he remembered where he was and the little one raptly listening to the exchange. “Nose.” He finally ground out.

Looking into the glaring hazel eyes, Ezra decided that this was one time when discretion was indeed the better part of valor, and allowed the leader to have the last word.

The sun was starting its steady climb in the sky as the trio of regulators and the little boy stopped outside the bank where Vin had his money the next morning. The group had finished a big breakfast then the men had saddled their horses and loaded up the supplies they had purchased the day before onto the pack horse Chris and Vin had decided they needed to haul Buck's possessions and the extra provisions required with the addition of the little boy to their group. They just needed to withdraw Vin's money and they would be ready to leave El Paso behind.

The three men tied the horses to the hitching post and climbed the steps to the boardwalk in front of the bank. Buck walked by Vin who kept a firm hold on his little hand. Chris opened the door to the bank and entered with the rest of the group following behind him.

There was only one other customer in the bank who was being waited on by one of two tellers that sat behind a grilled counter. The unoccupied teller straightened and smiled at the group as they entered and asked, "Good morning gentlemen, how may I help you?"

"Stay with Chris while I take care of some business," Vin told Buck with a smile as he released the child's hand and stepped toward the counter.

Buck walked over to the man in black obediently and grabbed on to the gunslinger's trouser leg with one hand, but his eyes stayed locked on his foster father as the man greeted the teller. Chris rested a hand on the boy's shoulder and drew him closer.

"Howdy," Vin told the teller as he stopped in front of the iron grill that separated the tellers from the rest of the bank and laid an empty saddle bag down on the counter. "I want to take out my money, please."

Vin handed him his bank book. The teller took the book and causally opened it then blanched as he read the amount listed as the total.

"Umm, I...You'll h..have to speak to the bank president , Mr. Simmons, about a w...withdrawal of this size," the man stuttered, his eyes wide with surprise as he stared at the rough looking man in front of him. "If you'll excuse me one moment."

The teller hurried through a heavy oak door leading into the back of the bank, leaving Vin leaning casually against the counter. Only a few minutes had passed when the teller returned followed by a large, balding man wearing a brown suit that was straining to contain the man's bulging stomach,

"I am Jacob Simmons, president of the bank," the obese man informed him pompously.

"Yes, so Michael informed me. I'm afraid we are unable to honor your request," Simmons told him coldly.

Vin straightened from his relaxed posture abruptly as the other man stared down his nose at him.

Jacob Simmons had taken over the bank right before Vin had bolted from the state two skips ahead of a posse. The very rotund gentleman had cheated the former bank owner out of his business in a card game that owed its outcome less to luck than to deceit.

The card table was not the only place Mr. Simmons was less than honest. Cheating was a way of life for him. He cheated on his wife. He routinely skimmed interest from his depositor's accounts. For those unfortunate souls who made the mistake of coming to him for loans, he set outrageous rates and foreclosed on their mortgages at the first late payment. He wasn't above stealing from them outright when he could get away with it.

He was always most careful in picking his victims, most often choosing those he believed couldn't fight back or were illiterate or poorly educated since this made it easier to fool them into believing that his thievery was perfectly legal and their own ignorance of the law was at fault for their loss. All this he did without remorse or conscience. His only allegiance in life was to himself and his own fortunes.

He had seen Vin's legal troubles as the perfect opportunity to fatten his coffers by confiscating the contents of his bank account. He had never in his wildest dreams believed the man would one day return to lay claim to what was rightfully his. Judging by the man's less than sophisticated appearance, Simmons still believed he would be able to convince the man his money was his no more.

"What do you mean? I put money in this bank and now it want it back. Sounds simple enough to me," Vin spoke with equal coldness.

"Seized!" Vin snapped out, “What do you mean, seized? By who? What are you trying to pull? You can't just take my money!"

"You were convicted of murder and sentenced to hang," the banker informed him. "Your assets were forfeit."

"I DIDN'T KILL NOBODY!" Vin told him leaning forward to glare right into the other man's face. "The judge in Tascosa said so. I got papers to prove it!"

The tracker reached into his jacket pocket and pulled out the documents Judge Monroe had given him. He tried to hand them to the banker but the man refused to take them.

"The money is no longer yours," the banker reiterated harshly, still determined to play it out.

Vin reached a hand through the iron grill and wrapped it in the man's starched cravat. The angry tracker jerked him closer until the man's face pressed against the grillwork and he was able to look at the suddenly perspiring fat man from no more than an inch away. The banker had an excellent view of the angry fire burning in the tracker's eyes.

"You're a crook! You can't just take somebody's hard earned money like that. It's stealing, you damn thief! I don't know how you thought you could get away with it but you picked the wrong man to try and cheat. I'm only gonna say this once, I...Want ...What's...Mine!" Vin angrily twisted his hold a little tighter with each enunciated word causing the man's complexion to grow redder and redder as his oxygen supply was restricted, "And I want it Now!"

"Vin! Chris said sharply. “Let him go." Chris had to grab at Buck who started to run to his foster father. The little boy raised a distressed face to the gunslinger who shook his head and pulled the boy back against his leg, keeping one hand on the boy's shoulder to make sure he stayed out of the altercation. “You're scaring Buck.”

The tracker stood looking at the banker for another tension-filled minute before he loosened his grip and shoved the man away roughly as he stepped back.

"I'll have you arrested for that," the man threatened with a shaken and obviously frightened voice as he rubbed at his abused throat.

Vin growled low in his throat and took a threatening step forward, looking as though he was prepared to climb right over the counter and attack the banker again before Larabee stopped him once more by calling his name sharply.

While the tense drama had been unfolding, Ezra had been observing the banker closely. Something in the man's eyes as he looked at the tracker caused the gambler's well-honed instincts to stir. Maude had always stressed how easy it was to con a greedy man, and had taken great pains to educate her son on the habits of the species. Years of training at his mother's knee had taught him to recognize the type on sight, and all those signs pointed to Jacob Simmons being a phenomenally greedy man.

Ezra was almost certain that Mr. Simmons was being less than truthful about Vin's money. He was fairly sure the man was trying to scam his friend, and Ezra was not going to stand for it. The man was not even being particularly clever about it at that, the gambler critiqued as he curled his lip in disdain at the lack of imagination and professional finesse the man showed in his con. That was rather insulting.

"If you would allow me, Mr. Tanner," Ezra said smoothly as he stepped between the still enraged sharpshooter and the banker. "After all, you did retain my services to help you in dealing with the legal difficulties that ensued from the bounty on your head."

Ezra stood facing Vin with his back to Simmons so the banker never saw the broad wink the gambler gave the tracker, or the slight nod the tracker gave him in return. Ezra immediately turned to face the irate and, to the sharp-eyed gambler, very nervous gentleman that was trying to back away from the group. Ezra stopped the man's attempted retreat by stepping forward and giving him the honest, trustworthy smile that had lured better men than Simmons into trusting him.

"Ezra Standish, Attorney at Law," he told the other man confidently. "Please forgive my client's outburst. He's been under something of a strain due to the terrible miscarriage of justice that had him running for his life from this very state. It has been a very trying time for him. I'm sure you understand.”

“You're his lawyer?” The rotund man asked roughly and the gambler could see the man's uneasiness kick up another notch.

Now completely sure that the banker really was trying to cheat his friend out of his savings, Ezra allowed his tone to get even more blandly reasonable as he said. “That is correct. Mr. Tanner hired me to assist him in clearing up the legal difficulties that had befallen him.

I'm am very pleased to say that we have just returned from a most successful sojourn in Tascosa where the judicial officiate of the county has overturned Mr. Tanner's previous murder conviction -- making any prior claims on his estate null and void…as I am sure you realize. Mr. Tanner is an innocent man, and one that is free to conduct business as any freeman would.”

Simmons raised one hand to pull at the collar that still seemed to be choking him as he listened to the well-dressed man's monologue. Not only had the scruffy Texan returned but he had brought a whole mess of trouble in the form of the man claiming to be his attorney. Simmons could feel the cold sweat start to run down his back as he stared into the green eyes watching him closely. The banker swallowed twice as he tried to talk through his suddenly dry mouth.

“The money was forfeited…” he tried to say only to be interrupted by Ezra.

“Which could only be accomplished with the proper Writ of Seizure by a duly appointed representative of the court… as I am sure you are aware,” the con-man slipped in as deadly smooth as a blade through warm butter. “If you would be so kind as to produce this Writ for my perusal?”

“Come now, my good Sir! Surely you don't mean to tell me you would be so careless of such an important document as to misplace it! It would, after all, be your only proof that you had acted in good faith on orders of the court and had not merely absconded with the funds for your own personal gain.” Ezra twisted the knife a little by subtly threatening him with his next words as he watched the perspiration growing on the banker's forehead. “Without that document there would be nothing stopping my client from marching over to the Sheriff's office and swearing out a charge of Larceny against you. I know so professional a gentleman as yourself would have to be aware of this.

Perhaps we could help you search your office?” Ezra offered softly. “I'm sure we could find EVERYTHING…” he subtly emphasized, “that we would need to clear up this...business.”

The double meaning in the last sentence was not lost on the banker. Simmons kept seeing his whole life crashing around him as he stared in horror-filled silence at the supposed attorney while he thought of exactly what this sharp-eyed man might find if he started looking into the bank's business.

“NO!” He yelped when he could force the words out. “No, no, that's quite alright.” The man manically waved away the offer and started backing away. “I'm sure that won't be necessary. If Mr. Tanner has indeed been found innocent of the charges against him then of course we will be more than happy to return his funds to him. It's the least we can do. Really, it's no trouble, no trouble at all. Michael here will see to it. Happy to help in any way. My apologies for any inconvenience,” The words were starting to come so fast it was hard to make them out. “If you'll excuse me, I have some business to attend to. Urgent business. Must see to it immediately. Really must go,” The man managed to squeak out as he finally made it to his office door and hurriedly squeezed his bulk through it. The sound of the lock turning was easy to hear in the silence that filled the bank in the wake of the man's retreat.

The two bank tellers stared from the closed door of their boss' office to the chestnut haired man standing in the middle of the bank with an evilly satisfied smirk on his handsome face, not sure what had just happened to turn their usually arrogant, overbearing employer into the babbling poltroon that had just scurried from the bank lobby.

“There, you see,” Ezra drawled with sarcastic humor as he turned to face his grinning friends. “Once again we see how reason wins out where brute strength fails.”

“Thanks, Ez,” Vin told him gratefully. "I can't believe how fast he folded. I was almost sure we was gonna hafta sick the sheriff on him,” the sharpshooter said as he approached the gambler and thumped him affectionately on the arm with a fist.

“My pleasure, Mr. Tanner,” Ezra grinned wide enough to show his gold tooth. “That's why I'm here.”

“Then you freely admit you were wrong to leave Four Corner's without us?” Ezra asked archly and received a rueful grin in return.

“I'll admit I would have had a hard time making it this far without your help,” Vin countered.

"You think he does that kind of thing a lot?" Chris asked about the banker as he led Buck toward the other men.

Buck pulled away from Chris and ran to wrap his arms around one of Vin's legs. The tracker laid one hand on top of the boy's head and stroked the black hair with a comforting touch.

"Maybe the route we take outta town should be the one that goes by the sheriff's office,” Vin said casting a baleful eye at the oak door of the banker's office.

"Sounds like a plan to me," Chris agreed with his own hard glance at the door, still feeling angry at the banker's blatant attempt to rob his friend.

"Your earlier concerns about safety are still very much valid," the gambler told them softly, looking from one man to the other “I would suggest we adhere to the original plan and leave this locale without further delay. A telegram to the proper authorities would suffice in alerting the constabulary without compromising our security. Although it might be more spiritually satisfying to extract justice more personally, I believe in this instance it would be more prudent to depart quietly and not risk..." Ezra's head nodded meaningfully toward Buck.

"It really galls me to leave it like this," Chris answered gruffly, "But you're right. It's not worth the risk."

"Might I suggest you complete your business, Mr. Tanner, so we can be on our way?" Ezra prodded. "Before something else befalls you. Lady Luck has smiled upon you until now, but we all know how fickle the lady can be. It might be wisest to not tempt her overly much by remaining in the confines of this city for much longer."

"I hear ya," Vin agreed. "And the sooner we're gone, the sooner we get home. I'll be right back."

The tracker reached down and hauled the little boy into his arms for a hug and then peeled him off and handed him to Standish who set the protesting child on one hip. Vin stilled the boy's protests with an eyebrow-raised look and a quiet “Be good for Ezra”. Buck subsided with a few sniffles and an unhappy pout but remained quiet as Vin turned away.

Vin once again stepped up to the counter and informed the teller, "I want to take it all out."

"Yes, Sir!" The man answered respectfully as he snapped to attention. "I'll just get it from the vault."

Twenty minutes later, the group of regulators exited the bank, Vin's saddlebags bulging with the bundles of cash. He secured the bags behind his saddle then climbed on his horse. When he was settled, Ezra handed Buck up to him. The others mounted their own horses. Vin looked down at the child now happily leaning back against his chest in their customary riding position. Buck tipped his head back to look up at his papa. Both grinned at one another.

“You ready to ride?” Vin asked him.“

”Yep!” Buck assured him and eagerly waved him forward with a pointed finger. “Let's go!”

“You got it, pard,” Vin laughed and turned his horse around with a touch of his knee and a gentle pull on the reins.

“Well, you heard him,” Chris addressed Ezra as he grinned in amusement at the boy. “Let's get going,” and the man in black tugged on the leading rein for the packhorse and followed.

“Lead on, McDuff.” Ezra replied with his own amused smile and a graceful sweep of his arm.

The group rode out of town at a pace that was meant to get them from the town quickly but without garnering too much attention from the few citizens out on the streets as the town began to wake up. Vin threw one last look over his shoulder as they reached the city limits and headed down the road that would take them home, checking for anyone who might have taken it into his head to follow but finding no one. After all the trouble they had encountered in the town, he decided he would definitely not miss the place. He turned his face forward and gently kicked his horse into a ground-eating canter. Chris and Ezra followed suit and soon El Paso faded out of sight.

The men had been traveling for an hour when they were confronted with the first snag in their peaceful trip. With the bulging saddlebags of money that Vin now sported behind his saddle, the need to take precautions against being followed had multiplied. It was time to check their back trail and Vin was faced with a quandary.

Each of the regulators knew Vin had uncanny ability when it came to tracking and hunting. Larabee and Standish were both good, their lives having many times depended on their trail skills, but Tanner was the best. He could usually move so stealthily that no one would ever be aware he was there if he didn't wish them to know and he could spot tracks that were invisible to most other men. It stood to reason that he should be the one to circle around and check for any unwanted pursuers. It was what he would normally have done without giving it two thoughts. The problem rose in the form of Buck.

Vin needed to move quietly and fast if he was going to backtrack, and no matter how quiet he was, there was always the rare chance that he might be spotted and attacked. Vin couldn't risk Buck's safety by taking him along, and he knew the boy would be hysterically distressed if he left him behind since the child still refused to let him out of his sight for longer than a few minutes at a time.

The trip from Tascosa had not required the kind of vigilance they now had to practice with the fortune in cash they were toting around. Vin knew it wouldn't be very long before word of the money reached the general populace in El Paso. After bearing witness to the episode with the bank manager, the tellers would, no doubt, find the entire affair a delicious tidbit to feed the hungry appetite of the town's gossips. It was almost a guarantee that that gossip would include the sizeable withdrawal he had made.

Their safety now rested on their ability to avoid any followers intent on relieving him of his savings. As the most skilled in the group, it made sense that Vin should be the one to watch their backs…but he couldn't without frightening the little boy that had already suffered more than his share of frightening events in the past couple of weeks. Vin was on the horns of a dilemma and didn't know what to do.

The tracker caught the black clad gunslinger's eye and said quietly, “About time to check behind us.”

Vin could tell his friend had gotten his silent message as the group leader glanced at Buck, then nodded at the tracker. “Ezra,” he called out, “Time to check the back trail.”

Ezra looked at the other two men and then Buck. Understanding flooded his eyes and he gave a tip of his hat before he whirled his horse around and rode back the way they had come.

“You're going to have to do something about that,” Chris said seriously as he reached into his pocket and withdrew one of the cheroots he had purchased the day before. He stuck the cigar between his lips then dug in a pocket for a box of matches. He struck a match and lit the end of the slim cigar. He puffed a few times then blew out the match, tossed it away and then shoved the matchbox back into his pocket before continuing. “You can't always be there. There are going to be times he's got to stay with someone else.”

Vin sighed and looked down at the boy watching them curiously, obviously not understanding that they were speaking of him. Vin smiled at the boy before he turned back to the other man. “I know. I been thinkin' on it some. I have an idea, but I may need some help from you and Ezra.”

Vin turned a much too innocent expression toward his best friend as he replied, “I need to think on it some more and we'd better wait until Ezra comes back to discuss it. I don't want to have to explain it twice.”

“Tanner!” Chris' eyes narrowed as he growled out a warning. Vin ignored the implied threat and started talking with Buck.

The rest of the ride that day continued in the same fashion, with Ezra and Chris assuming the duty that should have been Vin's, the two men taking turns at the backtracking. Vin watched silently every time one of the other men left and felt guilty. He grew more determined to solve the problem of Buck's need to cling to him with every hour that passed.

There was still about a good hour's sunlight left when Vin stopped the group at the clearing he had picked as a campsite for the night. The men began the familiar routine of settling in for the evening. Even Buck began his chore of looking for firewood (under the watchful eyes of the men) without prompting. Within half an hour the horses had been taken care of, the fire and been started and the evening meal was cooking. The three men were comfortably seated by the fire. Vin was keeping an eye on the iron skillet's contents and periodically turning the pan of biscuits he'd stirred up so they would cook evenly.

While the tracker was occupied cooking, Buck was seated by Ezra's side busily playing with the cast iron train set Chris had purchased for him and piling his new blocks on top of each other. The gambler recited the letters on the sides of the blocks for the child, but for the moment, the boy seemed to be more interested in seeing how high he could stack the blocks than he did in learning his alphabet.

Vin had to smile at the rumbling belly laugh Buck gave as his tower fell over. The little boy clapped his hands and looked over at Vin with a grin of such simple, innocent delight that it had the tracker's heart swelling with mirrored joy before the boy returned to his building. It continually amazed the tracker how one small boy could have claimed such a huge chunk of his heart in such a short period of time.

Buck may not have been his son by blood, but he was his son none the less. That part of Vin that held a father's instincts claimed the boy as his own, and Vin would give his life to keep the boy safe just as he would have a child of his own filiation. He would sacrifice anything he had to insure the boy had whatever he needed to grow up into the kind of man Vin knew he could be.

The tracker knew it wasn't just for Buck's sake either. After living most of his life alone, without the benefit of family to protect or ground him, Vin had come to cherish the idea of a family of his own. He had found the beginnings of that with the group of regulators he had joined and completion with the addition of the small black-haired child with a smile that could light up the world and a heart as big and beautiful as the night sky.

Vin never wanted to see the goodness in this child's heart or the wonder in his eyes fade. The tracker was determined to see the boy's life turn out better than his own. He never wanted Buck to experience the things he had gone through. He had been forced to learn early that sometimes life didn't play fair when he had lost his own mother at a young age (although he had been several years older than Buck when it happened) and had been left pretty much to fend for himself.

When he was only ten years old he had run away from the horrible conditions of the orphanage he had been sent to at his mother's death. He had managed to survive on his own for awhile until he had been taken in by a band of Comanche. He had been treated well but never really fit into the tribe, his blond hair a continual reminder to everyone of his true heritage.

He had left the tribe when he was fifteen and used the skills he had learned from them to become first a buffalo hunter, and then a tracker for the Army. His job with the Army had lasted only six weeks before he quit. He found the Army's harsh and, more often than not, unfair policies for dealing with Indians went so far against his deeply ingrained sense of honor that he couldn't in all good conscience continue working for them.

He had led a nomadic lifestyle after leaving the Army; wandering wherever the wind blew him, taking any job he could find while looking for a place to fit in, to put down some roots. Never finding that one place he could call home. He had eventually settled on bounty hunting as an occupation and had been very successful at it until that ill-fated day that Eli Joe had set him up and he had to go on the run or hang.

His dreams of a home and family had seemed farther away than ever with the bounty hanging over his head, but they had never died. Now after so many years of fruitless searching, Vin had found the place he belonged, that one place he fit in.

He had found his family in the five men he called his brothers, and the little boy that was now the light of his life. With the threat of the bounty removed, Vin finally had the chance to stop wandering, to plant his roots and let them grow deep. He could make a home for himself and the son of his heart.

With all his dreams laid out in front of him like a winning hand on a poker table, the tracker was sometimes amazed that his body could hold so much happiness and joy without it bursting out at the seams.

Vin saw Buck's nose twitch a bit as he inhaled the savory aroma of biscuits and stew that had permeated the area while the tracker was staring at his son.

“It's almost ready,” Vin said in anticipation of the child as Buck looked up at him. “Why don't you put away your toys and hand me the plates so I can dish this up when it's done.”

Buck obediently started stuffing the blocks back into the canvas bag that Ezra held open for him, then scooted around the fire to Vin's side and grabbed the stack of tin plates, that had been taken from the saddle bags and set on the ground near the fire and pushed the stack closer to Vin.

Feeling important by having been given a job to do, Buck held out a plate and confidently said, “Here, Papa.”

Vin took the plate with a smile, scooped up some of the stew he'd prepared and piled a couple of biscuits on it. He looked at the waiting child with a smile and asked, “You think you can take that to Chris without spillin' it?”

“Okay then,” Vin said and handed him the plate. He made sure the boy's hands had a good grip on it before he removed his own. “There you go.”

Buck slowly turned to the gunslinger, his little tongue slipping out of his mouth as he concentrated intensely on not spilling a drop of the man's dinner, and carefully walked over to Chris. The blond man reached out and took the plate from the child when he came to a stop in front of him and ruffled the boy's hair affectionately.

Buck beamed and returned to his father's side. Vin had filled another plate and had it waiting for the boy to take to Ezra.

“You make an excellent waiter, Buck,” Ezra praised as he took his own plate from the child. “Thank you most kindly.”

The child grinned proudly at the gambler then returned to Vin who had the child's dinner waiting. Buck plopped down beside Vin and sat patiently while the man tied a kerchief around his neck for a bib. The boy eagerly accepted the plate and spoon the man held out to him, and wasted no time digging in to the tasty stew. Vin watched him affectionately, pleased to see the boy eating so well. Vin dished up his own food and settled back beside Buck to eat.

The meal was consumed with a desultory conversation whose topics ranged from how far they had traveled that day and how far they could expect to travel the next day to the possible weather they might run into to the kind of horses Vin planned to raise on his ranch. A companionable peace soon settled over the tired group gathered around the glowing campfire. The darkness of the coming night steadily grew around them as the sun set.

The long day finally caught up with the small child and Buck sat with his nearly empty plate in his lap, swaying slightly as he tried to fight off sleep. Vin gently took the plate from him and set it aside. He untied the bib and wiped the little face clean with it then tossed it aside. Vin stood and picked Buck up, the little boy wrapping his arms around the man's neck and laying his tired head on Vin's shoulder.

“I was talkin' about me,” Vin teased him but Buck was already asleep and didn't hear.

The tracker carried the child to the bedroll he'd already prepared for the two of them and laid the boy down gently. He pulled off the boy's tiny boots and stripped off his socks, stuffing the socks in the boots and setting them where the child could find them in the morning. He reached down and dragged the blankets over the boy and up to his chin. He patted the little back until Buck settled in comfortably and slipped into a deeper sleep. Then he rose and returned to sit by the fire with his friends.

“The sleep of the innocent. Sometimes I envy the boy because he can fall asleep so quickly and sleep so well,” Ezra sighed as he watched the dozing child for a minute. “It is one of the curses of age that we lose that ability.”

“Buck disproves your supposition,” Ezra argued. “If that were truly the case, then the boy would have as much difficulty sleeping as you or I because he has suffered much already in his short life.”

The blonde gunman merely shrugged, not wanting to shatter the peace of the evening with a pointless argument, and turned his head to look at the tracker who was silently watching the flames of the campfire dance.

“You about ready to discuss this idea you had for getting Buck over being scared when he can't see you?” Larabee asked.

“I been givin' it a lot of thought,” Vin answered him seriously. “He's so little, and so much has happened to him lately, real scary stuff for a three year old. He ain't old enough to understand what's been happenin'. All he's had to guide him through everything is his feelin' that he's safe with me, so right now I can't talk him outta his fear without confusin' him and maybe even takin' away that sense of safety. And I can't just ignore what he's feelin' and go off and leave him with someone 'cause it would just make his fears grow and he'd be worse when I got back.

The way I see it, I got to wean him away like a mama cow weans a calf, a little bit at a time. I figure if I start out being gone for just a few minutes then increase the time bit by bit he'll get used to it. When he sees that just because he can't see me for awhile doesn't mean I'm gonna leave him… well then, he won't be afraid no more. Least ways, I hope that's what'll happen.”

Chris nodded in agreement as he followed the man's logic then asked, “How are you planning to do it and how does it involve me and Ezra?”

Vin grinned a bit warily as he replied, “Well, I figured the best way to start him off was by doing something he'd enjoy and wouldn't recognize as a trick to get me outta his sight for a while.”

“Umm,” Vin cleared his throat, stalling for a moment before continuing his explanation.

Ezra listened to his friend with a slowly dawning grin, trying to image their severely disciplined leader participating in such an event. “You really expect Mr. Lara…umm…us to consent to this?”

“It's for Buck,” Vin wheedled. The tracker threw a look at the silent man in black. “We all want him back to normal, don't we? This is all I can think of to help him get there. If you got a better idea then say so.”

Larabee studied his friend and Vin could see the man working through his idea, looking for advantages and defects of the plan. Tanner couldn't stop himself from sighing in relief as the other man nodded his assent.

Ezra stared at him as the realization struck that the typically dour man had just voiced his agreement to the plan.

Chris looked seriously at the man watching him in disbelief, “If it will help Buck and Vin…then, yes, I will.”

“I'm glad I didn't have money riding on that outcome because I would have just lost it all,” Ezra mumbled under his breath at the unexpected response of the gunfighter. Shrugging it off, the gambler faced the other two men and said, “Then how could I be so crass as to withhold my assistance? You have my help as well. How shall we proceed?”

While they cleaned up the plates and pans used at supper, they discussed Vin's idea for curing Buck of his fear. When the men finally retired for the night - Chris remaining by the fire to take first watch- they had decided on what they considered to be a workable plan and agreed to put it into motion the following day.

Part Thirteen

Rise and shine,” Vin said as he shook the gambler, careful to keep behind the sleeping man's head until he was awake just in case he came up swinging or pulled a pistol as he had been known to do in the past.

Ezra opened one bleary eye to stare balefully at the tracker grinning down at him. “Go 'way,” he mumbled and pulled his blanket back up over his shoulder.

“Got to get up, Ezra. Time to start working on our plan,” the tracker answered cheerfully. “You promised to help, remember?”

“I hate you,” the chestnut-haired man grumbled as he reluctantly sat up and rubbed his hands over his face. “No one should greet the dawn with that cheery a mien. There is something quintessentially wrong in that…and if I were more awake I am sure I could pinpoint exactly what it is.”

Vin chuckled and fed more wood to the fire they had kept going through the night. He had drawn the last watch the night before and was completely awake and alert as dawn kept over the horizon. He watched in amusement as the night owl that was the gambler yawned and looked longingly at his bedroll one last time before climbing to his feet and dragging himself toward the bushes surrounding the camp to take care of nature's call.

A startled “Oof” and a gruff, “Watch where you're going!” gave testament to the fact that the still half-asleep gambler had unwittingly stumbled into Larabee who had already headed in the same direction for the same purpose. The mumbled apology and rustling of the bushes as Ezra sought his own privacy choked a laugh out of Vin as he imagined the scene.

Within minutes the two men had returned to the fire and the cups of coffee the tracker had waiting for them. Ezra cradled his cup in his hands as though it held the most precious of substances and deeply inhaled its aroma before taking a grateful sip.

Ezra shot him a withering glare that would have had the long-haired tracker writhing on the ground if looks could actually hurt. Vin just chuckled.

“Of course,” Ezra grumbled. “It is not that difficult a business to remember…even at this godforsaken hour.”

Ezra had to stop for a moment to remind himself he was a gentleman, and gentlemen did not lower themselves by making obscene gestures no matter what the provocation or how much they might really, really want to. He settled for a haughty glare that bounced off his companions with no effect. Ezra had to content himself with the mental image of both of his early morning tormentors staked out over anthills.

“When you get in place I'll wake Buck,” Vin said casting a look at the still sleeping child.

Chris took a final sip of his coffee and set the cup down by the fire before rising to his feet. “We need to get started so we can get out on the trail. We can't spend all day on this.”

Nodding in reluctant agreement, Ezra took another large sip of his own coffee then set it down and joined the gunfighter. The two men turned and disappeared into the brush around the camp. Vin gave them several minutes to get ready before he reached over and gently shook Buck awake.

The little boy came awake slowly, his sleepy eyes staring at Vin in confusion for a moment before full wakefulness came and he sat up with a grin while he rubbed the sleep from his eyes with a tiny fist.

“Morning, Papa,” Buck replied before jumping up and hurrying into the bushes. He returned minutes later looking around curiously.

“Where's Mr. Chris and Uncle Ezra?” he asked as he sat down and pulled on his socks and boots.

“They're playing the game,” Vin answered nonchalantly as he began to prepare breakfast.

“Find the Horse Thief,” Vin replied watching the boy from the corner of his eye.

“I don't know about that,” Vin shook his head slowly and pretended to think about it. “Find the Horse Thief is a big boy game. I don't know if you're old enough to play it yet.”

“You know how to play, don't you? You could teach me, couldn't you, Papa?” Buck stood before the tracker and stared at him with such sweetly longing eyes that the tracker's heart felt like it was melting. Vin knew if this had been a different situation he would have had in big trouble facing down that look.

Buck jumped up and down and clapped his hands together. His whole body seemed to vibrate with excitement at this father's agreement.

“Alrighty then,” Vin said as if he'd just come to a decision. “This is how you play Find the Horse Thief. You need one person to be the Sheriff and the rest are the horse thieves. The horse thieves are on the run 'cause they've stolen somebody's horses and the sheriff has to track them down.

Now the horse thieves don't want to be caught cause then they'd have to go to jail and that's no fun 'cause you can't do nothing in jail but sit there 'til the game's over. So the horse thieves hide as best they can and if the sheriff does find them, then they have to try and reach their hideout before the sheriff catches 'em. If they make it to the hideout first, then the sheriff can't arrest them and they get to go hide again when the sheriff ain't lookin'. When you're playing with more than two people, the last horse thief to get caught is the winner and gets to be the sheriff next time.”

Buck listened attentively as Vin explained then asked, “What's the hideout?”

“It changes depending on where you're playing , but Ezra and Chris decided that was gonna be the hideout,” Vin pointed to a tree close to the campsite then pointed to a rock sticking out of the ground on the opposite side of camp, “And that's the jail.”

“I don't know,” Vin told him, “You got to be real quiet and sneaky, and you have to look real hard when you're the sheriff.”

“You think so, hmm? Okay then,” Vin told him before shouting over his shoulder, “Hey, Chris, Ezra! Buck wants to play with y'all and be the sheriff. Is that alright with y'all?”

“Certainly,” Ezra voice floated to them on the morning air. “The more the merrier.”

Vin smiled at the boy and told him, “Go on then. I'll be right here making breakfast while you fellers play. I'll call ya when it's ready.”

Bouncing with enthusiasm and forgetting everything else in his excitement at getting to play a grownup game, Buck took off toward the bushes at a run. Vin crossed his fingers for good luck, hoping that their plan would work.

Chris quietly shadowed the child as Buck wandered through the brush looking for the men. They wanted to cure the child of his fears but didn't want to risk him getting lost or injured so it had been agreed that one man would act as the 'bait' while the other watched out for Buck as he searched. Ezra was currently 'it'.

The gambler had made a circuit of the camp, shaking branches and making other noises to draw the child's attention while being careful to take a path that would allow Buck to catch glimpses of Vin as he sat by the campfire making breakfast and thereby allaying any fears the boy might have. After awhile Chris took over and allowed Ezra to watch over Buck then they switched again.

“You find 'em yet, Buck?” Vin yelled. The tracker had periodically called out encouragement to Buck or taunts at the two men during the game as a way of subtly reassuring the child that he was still there even though he was out of sight.

“Not yet,” the little boy yelled back and then giggled as he ran toward the sound of Ezra whistling off to his left.

When the time they had allotted for the game was up, Ezra (wanting to keep it fun for the boy) finally allowed the child to see him. Buck immediately took off running after him with a gleeful whoop. Ezra made a show of running away from the laughing boy, allowing him to almost catch him a couple of times before pulling away again. After a few minutes, the gambler pretended to stumble and Buck triumphantly tagged him on his leg.

“So you did, my boy. So you did,” Ezra huffed out as he smiled down at the child. “You are very good at this game.”

“You's arrested! You gotta go to jail now,” Buck told him as he grabbed the man's hand and started dragging him toward the rock.

The gambler gave a sigh and made a resigned face, saying, “Ah, such is the destiny of a horse thief. C'est la vie.”

Ezra laughed and picked up the child to spin around with him a few times before plunking him back on his feet.

Buck shrugged and let it pass, more interested in continuing the game and finding Chris than in being educated by the gambler. The child was just about to head back into the bushes when Vin called him back.

Vin shook his head, “Nope. Game's over for right now. Y'all can play later, little man. We need to eat and get back on the trail. You can call Mr. Chris and tell him breakfast is ready though.”

Disappointed at the postponing of the game but trying hard not to pout for fear Vin might not allow him to play later if he did, Buck leaned his head back and bellowed, “Mr. Chris! Papa said it's time to come back for breakfast!”

An amused chuckle drew the boy's attention to the black clad man who stepped out of the bushes not three feet from where he stood. Buck grinned and ran to him.

“You hided real good, Mr. Chris! I couldn't finded you,” Buck said looking up at the man cheerfully.

Larabee went down on one knee beside the boy and returned the smile. “You almost had me once or twice,” the man assured him. “Maybe next time.”

“Sure,” Chris assured him. “We never finished the game, remember? We'll take up where we left off the next time we play. Maybe Vin can play with us, too.”

Buck swung his head to look at his father questioningly and Vin nodded and replied, “That sounds like fun to me. Now get on over here and eat your breakfast. We need to make some tracks toward home today.”

And so Buck's homespun therapy began. Vin had joined the others in the game, and the men took to playing with the boy every chance they got. Whenever the group stopped to rest or water the horses, they played. After lunch or dinner, they played. The little boy loved the game and never tired of playing it with the men who, in spite of the serious reason behind the starting of the game, began to enjoy the playtime with the little boy as much the child did. And, under Vin's tutelage, Buck got increasingly better at tracking them thus increasing the challenge for the men.

Gradually, Vin began increasing the time he spent apart from the child and, ever so slowly, Buck began showing signs that his fear was beginning to fade a bit.

Being the kind of men they were, a bit of competitiveness eventually crept into the game. The primary object of the game continued to be keeping out of Buck's sight, but a secondary objective soon developed.

The “bait” men began trying to sneak up on each other while avoiding Buck. It became something of a contest for the men to see who could surprise the others into the most embarrassing situations. It had all started when Ezra finally decided to take his revenge for the bathhouse prank Larabee had pulled on him while they were in El Paso.

The group had camped for the evening in an open area at the base of a range of craggy hills. The spot was surrounded by large trees and thick, heavy brush.

Vin had chosen the site because of the underground spring that broke through the surface of the rocky hillside to cascade over the rocks before it gathered into a small, crystal clear pool. The pool in turn overflowed into the remains of what had once been a deep river. A severe drought in the area surrounding the source of the river had reduced it to a sluggishly running stream. The water in the stream wasn't fit to drink or bathe in, being covered in scummy, smelly algae. The pool however, provided plenty of clean water for the men and the horses.

There was a four foot drop from the top of the steeply sloped bank to the shallow stagnant water below, and Vin had already had to warn Buck twice about straying too close to the edge. The child had been fascinated with the green slime on the water. Despite Vin's warnings, Buck had kept creeping closer and closer to the edge as he crouched on the bank, eagerly throwing stones and twigs into the water and watching the rippling patterns that they produced in the floating algae.

Chris had suggested they play the game as a way of distracting the child and the others had readily agreed, Vin electing to watch after Buck while Chris and Ezra hid.

The game of hide and seek began normally enough with Chris and Ezra heading in different directions and Vin quickly disappearing and circling around to get into position behind Buck.

Ezra and been skulking down an animal trail that ran between the stream bed and the hillside when he had found a place to hide between the rock wall of the hill and a large bush. The bush provided excellent cover for him, the shadow cast by the plant helping to hide him from anyone walking on the path, but allowed him to peer through the branches and spot anyone who approached from either direction. He decided it made an excellent place to rest for a few minutes before venturing forth again.

While he was resting, Larabee silently started backing down the same path the gambler had been following, looking back up the trail for any trace of Buck, who had learned since the first game that being quiet was an advantage if he wanted to win and could no longer be kept track of by following his giggles.

Ezra had watched the gunman softly treading upon the track and grinned as he thought about how he had promised the man he would extract revenge when Larabee least expected it. Well he obviously wasn't expecting it now Ezra decided with an evil grin and quickly devised an impromptu plan to get even.

As the blond gunman made his way nearer, still turned in the direction he had just come from, Ezra carefully, quietly, grabbed one of the bush's larger limbs on the side that faced the trail and pulled it back. Then he waited for the right moment to spring his surprise. His quarry continued to slip up the trail silently, completely unaware of the gambler's presence. When the gunslinger came even with his hiding place, Ezra let go of the branch and watched in satisfaction as it sprang forward and slapped into the other man right on his unsuspecting posterior.

Completely startled by the surprise attack, Larabee instinctively tried to get away from his unseen attacker. Unfortunately for him he was still off balance from the force of the blow he had received from the branch and instead of throwing himself farther up the track he wound up taking an unscheduled dive into the stream.

The gambler froze in shock as his leader disappeared from view. This had not been in the scenario he had planned. He had meant to startle the man, not injure him.

A loud stream of angry curses brought the gambler out of his shock and he rushed from his hiding place to the edge of the stream and stood looking down in concern for a moment before he was overcome with laughter at the sight that greeted him.

Larabee was sitting up to his chest in the brackish water, long strings of green scum clinging to his hair and dripping from his face. His black shirt now looked like it had bright green polka dots as bits of algae adhered to it.

Chris looked up at the laughing gambler. His hazel eyes were so full of heated temper that the water around the gunslinger should have begun boiling. Chris tried to stand up but his boots couldn't get any traction on the muddy bottom of the stream and slipped out from under him. He plunged back into the mucky water, setting Ezra off into more gales of hilarity, and Chris into another round of profanity as soon as his head broke the surface of the water.

Buck and Vin had followed the noise and found the two like that. Vin quickly covered Buck's ears as the blond continued to cuss the gambler, his curses getting increasing more creative as the man continued to laugh. Buck began giggling uncontrollably. Vin tried to hold it back but eventually he had to chuckle at the sight his best friend made in the algae-riddled water. His chuckles soon graduated to full out belly laughs.

“You better start running, Standish” Chris growled at the grinning gambler, “Because when I get out of here…”

“Come now, Mr. Larabee,” Ezra replied as he managed to control his mirth. “I informed you, as any gentleman would, that I intended to seek retribution for the theft of my clothes at the bathhouse in EL Paso. I believe the scales are balanced now.”

The blond man glared at the gambler and slowly began shaking his head. “Ooooh, no,” Chris informed him in an icily quiet tone. “I don't think so.”

“Then you refuse the olive branch that I am extending?” Ezra questioned with an arched brow and a smirk. The blond stared back at him in unforgiving silence. “I'll take that as a yes. Very well then. The gauntlet has been thrown. Let the war begin.”

And so it had. Chris had retaliated the next afternoon by climbing a tree and waiting until the other man walked underneath his perch then bombing the unsuspecting gambler with some rotten birds eggs he had found in an abandoned nest. Ezra had stood in shock for a moment, with literal egg on his face, and stared down at the ruination of his clothes. Shock had quickly turned into ire. The curses the gambler heaped on Chris' unrepentant head were as creative as those the gunslinger had thrown at him the day before even if couched in more polysyllabic words.

Although he enjoyed the tricks the two men pulled on each other, Vin had stayed out of it - at first. As the one that usually chose to be Buck's watcher during the game, the tracker was considered off limits as the subject of their prankish attacks on each other. It wasn't until he had stumbled across a trap Chris had set for Ezra and tripped head first into a cow pie that Vin had gotten involved, although still on a limited basis.

It had escalated from there, the pranks becoming more frequent and increasingly complex. It might have gone on indefinitely if Buck hadn't unwittingly called a halt to it.

Vin had allowed himself to be caught and 'jailed' in order to start supper one evening, leaving Chris and Ezra to watch after the boy. Buck had led the tracker by the hand to the large stump that had been designated as the jail then turned to leave only to stop and turn back to face his papa again.

“I don't know if we should play the game no more,” the little boy said seriously as he looked at Vin.

Surprised, the man stared back at Buck then asked, “How come? I thought you liked playing.”

The little boy shook his head sadly and replied, “Mr. Chris and Uncle Ezra are always getting into stuff, or falling down, or somethin'. And then they yell and say stuff and you gotta cover my ears so I know they's saying bad words." The little boy signed heavily. "I don't think Mr. Chris or Uncle Ezra's big enough to play the game yet.”

“Out of the mouths of babes,” Ezra mumbled as he stepped from behind the bushes he had used as cover while he watched Buck lead Vin back to camp. Buck started towards the man and Ezra waved him off gently.

“I believe I have had enough of the game for today, Buck. Perhaps we can play again tomorrow.”

Buck nodded and looked toward the bushes, hesitating for a moment as he tried to decide if he wanted to play anymore either. Chris appeared in the clearing before he reached a decision and the man joined the others near the campfire Vin was building.

Vin had only to look at his friend's chagrinned expression to know the man in black had been close enough to hear the boy's words as well.

"Gentlemen," the gambler said, looking at each of the other men with a rueful smile, "I believe a truce is in order. I will agree to cry pax if you will."

"Sometimes it takes getting kicked in the ass to knock some sense into a man," Larabee grimaced. "Getting lessons in maturity from a three year old counts as an ass kicking in my book. Truce."

And so a cease-fire was declared and the game settled back into a peaceful and fun time for all.

It was only a little over two weeks from the day they had begun the game that Vin was able to ride his horse from their camp to check their back trail, leaving Buck playing blocks with Ezra under the watchful eye of Larabee. Although the child wasn't very happy about Vin going, he didn't have another panic attack when the tracker climbed on his mount and rode away.

Vin rode from camp with mixed feelings. On the one hand, he was glad Buck was getting over his fear and thus allowing the tracker to resume his responsibilities.

On the other hand, he felt a pang of loss since this was the first time he had actually been separated from the child since the shooting that had claimed the boy's mother three and a half weeks ago. Something inside of him railed possessively at the thought of someone else assuming responsibility for the boy's wellbeing, even temporarily. Buck was his, damn it! The tracker had to apply all his hard-learned control to resist the urge to gallop back to camp and snatch the boy back.

Nobody had ever warned him about how much this parenting business could play hell on a man's emotions, but given the choice between dealing with those emotions or going back to his life before Buck? Vin knew there was no contest.

Josh Herman’s eyes constantly surveyed the terrain around him as he rode down the road. He had come from Marble Springs, a small but growing town that lay on the route from El Paso to San Francisco. He had received a telegram from his brother John two weeks ago in the secret code they’d developed. A telegram that had sent him riding out of the pretty little town with the hope of increasing his fortunes.

The Herman brothers had been robbing travelers on that route for the last 6 years, and had been very successful at it. Josh had made his base in Marble Springs and John in El Paso. When either man learned of someone well off or carrying anything valuable was traveling in the other’s direction he would fire off a telegram to his brother to let him know. The other brother would then intercept the traveler and relieve him of his property. The two had managed to conduct their business for six years without once getting caught because they made it a policy of not leaving any witnesses behind to identify them later.

Knowing about how long it took for someone to reach this area from El Paso, Josh had left Marble Springs yesterday in order to intercept the men his brother had told him were coming his way. The bandit was currently on the look out for the group carrying a wad of money that Josh intended to relieve them of as soon as possible. The brothers had never had so much money fall into their hands at one time and Josh’s mouth was almost watering at the thought of what he would do with his share. He was determined to find them.

John had said to be looking for three men and a little boy, one man all in black, one dressed in a fancy red coat, and one in brown. Josh had been scrutinizing every group he passed but had found no one that matched the descriptions. He was almost convinced the men had taken another route when luck seemed to come calling on him.

The bandit had stopped to water his horse at a stream when the sound of a child’s laughter had gotten his attention. The man tied his horse to a tree and crept closer to the noise. He hid behind a tree as he spied on the group he found a hundred yards downstream from where he’d left his mount. Two men, one in black and one in red, were seated under the trees, and a small child with them. The boy was spinning around in circles until he got dizzy and fell on the ground, and the men were watching in amusement. Josh didn’t see a third man, and only counted two saddled horses and a pack horse tied to the trees near the group.

Josh was sure John had said three men and a child, but there was no evidence that the other man was still traveling with this group. Perhaps he had left them and gone his own way somewhere on the trail, the bandit reasoned. If there was a third man, he could come riding up at an inopportune moment and ruin Josh’s plans. If the other man had left he might have taken the money with him and Josh would have come all this way for nothing. Should he take a chance and go ahead or ride away and play it safe? Josh was unsure what to do. Eventually his greed drove him forward.

The bandit drew his guns from their holsters and stepped out from behind his tree.

The regulators had stopped at the stream a midmorning to rest the horses and give Vin a chance to check behind them. Chris and Ezra had been relaxing under the shady trees watching Buck being silly. Neither man had suspected they were not alone until they had heard the man’s voice and seen him step into the clearing.

Chris and Ezra froze as they stared at the man standing so confidently in front of them with guns drawn. Buck, startled by the sudden appearance of the man, stood still for moment before turning and throwing himself at Ezra who was the closest to him. The gambler enfolded the boy in his arms, wrapping his own body around the child and twisting away from the gunman in an attempt to shield as much of the child as possible from potential harm.

“I said don’t move!” Josh screamed out and fired a bullet at the ground right by the gambler’s boot to show he meant business.

Chris sat glaring up at the man, cursing himself all the while for not keeping better watch, then growled out, “What do you want?”

Josh grinned, showing the tobacco stains on his teeth, and replied, “I want the money, of course.”

“What money? We don’t have any money,” Chris informed him. That was the literal truth as Vin still had the money in his saddlebags.

The bandit gave an evil chuckle and answered, “Now don’t go thinkin’ you can lie to me, mister. I know you left El Paso with more than five thousand dollars and I aim to take it. Now we can either do it easy like and you can hand it over, or we can take the hard route and I’ll shoot ya in the knees or the gut and let ya suffer some until you tell me where it is. The choice is yours. Maybe I’ll start with the kid.”

The threat to Buck aroused the man in black’s protective instincts even higher than they already were. “You leave him alone,” Chris’ voice lowered to a cold, deadly pitch as he glared fiercely at the man. “You even look like you want to hurt him and I swear you’ll die screaming.”

A shiver ran down Josh’s spine as he looked at the lethal promise in the stone-cold eyes as the man spoke. He had to tighten his grip on his guns to reassure himself that he was the one in control of the situation.

“We don’t have any money,” Chris repeated. “You can check everything if you want, but you won’t find anything.”

“Nuh-uh,” the bandit replied shaking his head, “Telegram said a man in black, man in a red coat, and a child. That’s you alright. Couldn’t be more on the trail that comes close to that.”

Josh drew himself up straight and squinted his eyes in the way John had told him made him look mean and frightening and said sharply, “I’m through talkin’,” then pointed his gun at Ezra’s head and slowly started to pull the trigger.

Vin had been checking their back trail again. He was very pleased that they seemed to have gotten out of El Paso without being followed. He was starting to breathe a little easier. The threat of someone following them had been weighing on him heavily. He hadn’t liked the risk he was putting on his family by carrying such a large amount of cash, but hadn’t had much choice. If he was to take care of Buck properly he needed that money to set him and Buck up on a place of their own. He would be glad to get back home not only because he missed his friends, and the townspeople, but because he could put the money back into the bank where if wouldn’t pose such a risk to his loved ones.

Vin was almost back to the spot he’d left Buck and his friends when he heard a shot ring out and his blood ran cold. The tracker jerked his horse to a stop and leapt off, dropping the reins to ground tie the horse. He drew his maresleg and began quickly making his way toward their camp, dreading what he would find.

Vn slowed and began being extra careful to make no sound as he heard a stranger’s voice saying “I want the money of course.” He crept closer until he was finally able to see what was going on. His worried eyes searched for and found Buck, apparently alright and wrapped in Ezra’s arms. He searched for any signs of injury on his son and his friends and gave a silent sigh of relief when he found none.

As Vin assessed the situation he listened to the man speak and mentally kicked himself. He had been focusing so much on the possible threat of someone following them that it had never even occurred to him that a threat might also come at them from the front. The possibility of anybody using the telegraph to alert someone to their coming had escaped him completely. Now his son and friends were in danger as a result of his lack of foresight.

Vin tensed as he heard the man announce he was through talking and point his weapon at Ezra. Vin didn’t wait any longer but took aim and fired. The gun in the bandit’s hand exploded in burst of metal fragments, some of which drove deeply into the man’s hand and foreman. The man stared at his ruined appendage in shock for moment before the pain hit and he started screaming, dropping his other gun and using his good hand to grab at the other.

Chris jumped up and drew his own gun, then walked over to kick the dropped gun away from the man who fallen to his knees in the dirt. Ezra turned Buck’s face into his shoulder and held it there, not wanting the boy to witness the gory mess. He struggled to his feet. Vin shoved his gun back into its holster while he hastened over and snatched Buck from the gambler.

“Buck! Are you alright?” Vin said as he pulled the boy into his arms. Buck wrapped his arms and legs around the tracker and clung tightly.

“Are you alright? Are you hurt?” Vin asked again, and sighed when the boy shook his head no. Vin looked at Ezra with gratitude and said, “I owe ya one, Ez. Thanks.”

Ezra smiled and tipped his hat with one finger before stepping closer to run a gentle hand down Buck’s back. “I only did what anyone of us would have done for him. He’s much too special, too precious, to risk.”

Vin turned to Chris who was standing guard over the now moaning man and said, “You too, Cowboy. I heard what you told him. Thanks for watching out for my boy.”

Chris shook his head and replied, “No, don’t thank me. If I’d been paying proper attention he never would have gotten the drop on us like that. I let my guard down. I’m sorry, Vin.”

Vin shook his head in affectionate amusement at his friend’s predictability as the gunman assumed responsibility for the episode.

“Can’t fault you for doing the same thing I did,” Vin informed him. “I assumed any threat would be from someone comin’ up from behind us. I didn’t see the need to watch up front neither. Now we know better.”

“Is he okay?” Chris asked tipping his head toward the boy still wrapped like a monkey around his friend.

Vin nodded and pulled Buck’s head back until he could look down at the boy’s face. “He’s fine, aren’t you, Bucklin?”

Buck, who was calming now that Vin had him again, answered, “Yes, Papa. Are you gonna make the bad man go away now?”

Vin hugged the boy closer and shot his friend and leader a look before replying, “We’ll have to take him with us to Marble Springs and turn him in to the sheriff there.”

Chris nodded his agreement while keeping watch on their new prisoner. “I’ll watch him while you go round up your horse and see if you can find his. Might as well spend the night in Marble Springs since we have to go into town anyway.”

While Vin took Buck and rounded up his horse and followed Josh Herman’s tracks back to his own horse, Ezra did a quick bandage job on the failed thief using the man’s own bandana while Chris kept him covered. Soon the group was back on the road; Josh tied to his saddle, with Ezra holding the reins of the man’s horse to lead him. The others rode behind keeping a careful eye on the prisoner and the terrain around them for any other threats.

The dusty group rode into town four hours later and stopped in front of the sheriff’s office. The men dismounted and Chris dragged the robber from his horse and pushed him ahead of him up the stairs and into the building. The others followed. The sheriff had insisted they repeat their story to the judge before they had finally been allowed to go about their business again. From the sound of it, the man would be swinging soon, not only because of what he’d tried to do to them but for several murders of other travelers over the years.

“Since we’re here, we might as well see about refreshing the supplies. Ezra, you go see about getting us rooms over at the hotel and Vin and I’ll take care of the horses and head to the General Store. We’ll meet you at that restaurant,” the leader told the gambler as he pointed at the eating establishment that sat on the corner.

The gambler gave his familiar two finger salute then stepped off the porch and headed for the hotel.

Vin tossed Buck on the back of his horse and grinned as the boy hooted with delight at being allowed to ride the horse on his own, and grabbed on to the pommel tightly with both hands while the tracker grabbed the reins of his horse with one hand the pack horse’s with the other. Chris took his horse and Ezra’s and the two men led the horses to the town’s livery stable.

An hour later the two men and little boy entered the restaurant and joined a smugly smiling Ezra. Vin pulled out a chair at the gambler’s table and sat Buck in it before taking his own seat. Chris pulled out the final chair and sat down.

The tracker grinned back at the gambler and asked, “What’s got you grinnin’ like a cat that just stole a whole bucket of cream, Ez?”

“I am merely basking in the glow of righteousness, my friend,” Ezra crooned.

“Uh-huh,” Vin said with amusement. “That mean’s you musta pulled a good one on somebody.”

Ezra pretended to be hurt as he looked at the other man, “You wrong me, Sir! I have taken it upon myself to see that justice is served on the head of that larcenist that attempted to pilfer your hard earned funds in El Paso.”

“So you wired the sheriff in El Paso about the banker,” Chris with a satisfied tone. He had intended to do that himself since they were in town. He was pleased the gambler had already taken care of it.

Ezra cleared his throat lightly before looking at this friends and saying, “I’m afraid I don’t share your steadfast belief in the criminal justice system, gentleman. I find it often convicts the innocent man - our dear friend, Mr. Tanner, a case in point - while allowing the guilty to escape far too leniently. I decided this particular offense needed a somewhat more…Old Testament… approach to justice.”

The gambler shrugged and tried hard to control his expression, but a little hint of satisfied smirk still managed to escape. “I sent a telegram to my mother informing her of the man and his nature.”

“You sent a telegram to Maude,” Vin said and then the implications of that started to dawn on him and a grin began to grow on his face. “You sent a telegram to Maude,” he repeated as he began to laugh and was joined by the other two men.

“I thought it fitting,” Ezra told him between chuckles. “I’m sure my mother will be on the first stage to El Paso. The man will never know what hit him. I believe the punishment she will mete out to him will exactly fit his crime. What better justice could there be?”

“I’ve said it before and I’ll say it again, I’m sure glad you’re on our side, Ezra,” Vin said and the men broke down laughing again.

After nearly two months of being away, the band of travelers was now only two days ride from their destination. The mood of the men, who were trail weary and eager for home, seemed to lighten with every mile that they covered.

The little boy easily picked up on their elevated spirits and had become increasingly excited with the prospect of arriving at his new home. Vin had been telling him stories of the life they would lead on their new horse ranch and the boy could hardly contain his anticipation. Consequently, Vin had been having an increasingly hard time getting the child to sleep at night because he was too wound up to give in to sleep easily. All his questions for the past few days had centered on the town, its occupants and his new living arrangements.

“What's our new name gonna be?” Buck asked curiously as he leaned his head back and looked at Vin upside down.

“What's our new name gonna be?” Buck repeated matter-of-factly. “When me and mama go-ed to a new place we always gots a new name. So what's our new name gonna be in this place?”

Vin flinched slightly as this unexpected reminder of the kind of life the boy and his mother had been forced to live before Vin had met them. Vin had always had a hard time of it when he was growing up but at least he's always had his name. It was a touchstone to his mother and a better time. It was so deeply ingrained in his sense of identity that he had trouble imagining what it must be like to change names as easily as other people changed soiled clothes. That Buck could accept the necessity of it so easily made him sad.

“Tanner,” Vin answered him firmly. “Our names are Vin and Buck Tanner. For now and for always.”

“Tanner. Tanner. Tanner,” Buck parroted as he tried to memorize it as his mother had taught him. “Buck Tanner.”

“That's right,” Vin told him. “You're Buck Tanner, son of Vin Tanner. And nobody better ever say different.”

“Speaking of names,” Chris' voice suddenly interrupted the two as he spurred his horse to come even with the tracker's. “Tell me something, Buck. Why do you call me Mr. Chris but you call Ez there Uncle Ezra?” Chris pretended to look hurt and he asked, “Don't you like me too?”

The gunslinger had noticed the difference in the appellations many times on the trail back from Tascosa and wondered at it. He had been afraid that, even though he had tried his best not to let his dark feelings from the loss of his own family spill over into his relationship with Vin's new son, the boy had picked up on something that made him wary of the gunslinger.

Over the course of the trip, the man in black had come to care deeply for his friends' new son. He was such a bright and happy child that it would have been hard not to. Little Buck had slowly opened the doors to the heart that had been locked up tight in sorrow for so long, and crept inside.

The funny thing was, as the little boy shone his loving light around he lit up all the dark corners in that heart and allowed Chris to reclaim so many of the precious memories that had been bundled away there to avoid the pain that remembering them brought.

Vin had helped him a great deal as well by encouraging him to talk of Sarah and especially Adam during their trip. It had been so very hard at first. Buck would do something that reminded him of Adam and another memory would surface unbidden and along with it came the pain.

He had wanted to run away from that pain so many times, but the tracker's compassionate blue eyes watching so closely during those times had always stopped him cold. The gunslinger had found strength in the man who always seemed to have an unlimited supply of it when Chris needed it, and gradually it started to get easier to recall the good in the past instead of only the tragedy.

Where once his dreams had been filled with nothing but the nightmare images of the burned bodies of his family as he had found them in the smoldering shell of what had been their home, now they began replaying happy days spent at work and at play with his wife and son. For the first time since their deaths, sleep wasn't something to be dreaded or avoided through the artificial oblivion of alcohol.

There were still moments when he felt overcome with dark feelings. He had suffered too much for too long to simply change overnight, but now he had hope. Hope that there could be light where there had been only darkness. Hope that life still had something left to offer him besides suffering and death and a fast track to hell.

And he owed all that hope to one tiny, black haired child who somehow managed to sow love everywhere he went like a farmer sowed seeds. The tiny seed that had fallen on what should have been the barren soil of the gunslinger's soul had taken root and dug deep. He couldn't honestly say he loved the boy as much as he had, and still did, love his own son but he came close.

That the boy might not feel the same way preyed on his mind whenever he heard Buck refer to Ezra as his uncle, but not him. He tried not to let it bother him. He told himself it didn't matter, but it still ate at him sometimes. The conversation Buck had started with his papa just now about names had seemed to be the perfect opportunity to get his questions answered once and for all.

At the first hint of hurt in the blond man's voice, the tenderhearted Buck immediately reached out for the gunslinger and Chris lifted the boy from his father's lap and onto the saddle in front of him. Buck squirmed around until he was kneeling on the man's thighs and wrapped both arms around Chris' neck.

“I like you Mr. Chris. Really!” Buck told the man in black with feeling. “I like you just as much as Uncle Ezra.”

“Then why do you still call me Mister and him Uncle?” Chris asked curiously.

“Ahh,” the gunman drawled out, amused at so simple an explanation but still feeling eminently better knowing his fears had been unfounded. “Well, how about if I say you can call me that too? Your papa's like a brother to me so that makes me something like your uncle. Do you think that would be okay with you?”

Vin grinned at the pair and reached over to ruffle the boy's black hair as he said, “Our family just keeps getting bigger and bigger, don't it, Buck?”

Buck giggled at him and replied, “We're gonna need a bigger house!” which made the men laugh.

The sun was high overhead when the group stopped to rest in a grove of shade trees near a rapidly flowing stream. While the men took care of the horses, Buck began exploring.

Although he loved playing with the men, he was a child used to amusing himself. Emma had been a good mother, always trying to be there for her son during the day, but since her job depended on her keeping late hours there were times when she was sleeping while Buck was up. The fact that he was the son of a saloon singer -- who was seen as only one step above a prostitute by most townspeople, and therefore not the kind of child most 'decent' folk would allow their children to associate with -- meant the little boy had learned early how to find his own entertainment without benefit of playmates. That ability stood him in good stead now that he was in the middle of nowhere with only the three busy men around.

Buck roamed under the trees, stopping to watch a trail of ants climbing up a tree, then unsuccessfully trying to catch a grasshopper that hopped on and then off his boot. He lost interest in the chase when a pretty rock caught his eye and he had to stop and pick it up for close examination before shoving it into his pocket.

Looking around he spied a long stick that was lying on the ground under one of the trees and picked it up to study it then swung a leg across it and grabbed the top of it with both hands. The child started a hopping skip around the clearing, as he imagined he was riding his very own horse.

“Giddy up, boy,” he called out and took one hand off the stick to slap his own thigh as he urged his “horse” to go faster. He rode his stick horse over to where Vin was standing beside his horse at the stream making sure the thirsty animal didn't drink too much and founder.

“Papa? “the boy asked as he continued to 'ride' around in circles drawing amused grins from the men watching him.

Vin pulled his hat off and wiped the sweat from his brow as he replied, “Not for a few more years yet.”

“Is that this many?” Buck stopped as he raised a little hand and used his other to fold back his little finger and thumb then held up three fingers.

“Nope,” Vin shook his head. “It's this many,” and the tracker held up three fingers on one hand and five on the other.

“Could I get a horsie sooner if I growed really tall?” Buck with his head tilted to one side in contemplation as he asked his question.

“I guess it would depend,” Vin answered absently as his attention was diverted by his horse as it tried to step it the stream and he pulled it back.

“A splashy-colored one. You know the kind that gots white and black all mixed together like the horse me and mama rented when you took us riding?”

Vin searched his memory and suddenly recalled the horse the boy referred to. “You mean a paint?”

Buck was silent for a few moments as he thought about their conversation, then picked up his stick and began to skip around astride his pretend horse once again. After a time the boy grew bored with his makeshift toy and sank down under a shady tree. He lay back resting his head on his cupped hands and watched the light winking and dancing through the leaves of the tree. The wind rushing through the tree limbs got his attention and his eyes narrowed in thought for a few minutes before he jumped up again.

The three men finished caring for the horses and turned to the grove to find their little one jumping determinedly in the air. The men had to smile as they approached.

Buck pointed to a limb growing from the tree overhead. Smiling in understanding, the gunslinger hoisted the child up by his waist and lifted him until Buck was able to grab the branch with both hands and hang there.

“Don't you want me to give you a boost all the way up?” The man asked in puzzlement as he had assumed the boy had wanted to sit on the branch.

“No, Uncle Chris,” Buck assured him with a grin, “this is what I wanted.”

Shrugging the man stood back and let the boy hang where he was but stood close enough to catch him if he fell.

Vin tossed the saddlebag he'd brought with him down and then he and Ezra found places on the ground and sat watching the boy curiously. The child didn't try to swing, or lift his feet over the branch like they would have expected. He seemed perfectly content just to hang there.

Finally Ezra could stand it no longer and asked, “Buck, what exactly are you doing?”

“I'm growin', Uncle Ezra,” the child explained with excitement filling his voice.

Ezra had to bite the inside of his cheek to keep from laughing. He nodded wisely at the child and said, “I see. And how long do you suppose you will have to remain there before you have grown enough?”

The little boy frowned as he considered the question. He finally tried to shrug his shoulders and wound up losing his grip on the branch overhead. Chris quickly stepped up to catch him. The gunman set the child on his feet and then folded his legs to sit on the ground across from the gambler and the tracker, Buck remaining in the center of the group of men.

Vin fought back his own amusement as he held out an arm in invitation and the child crawled into his lap. Vin drew a deep breath and waited until he could speak without laughing then said, “You can't grow faster by hanging from a tree, Buck.”

“It just don't work that way,” Vin explained. “You grow a little bit at a time and nothin' you do will make you grow any faster than you're suppose ta.”

“Not even if you pulled on my feet real hard whiles I was hangin'?” the determined little boy asked.

Buck huffed out a breath in frustration. “But I don't want to wait to get my own horsie.”

“I'm sorry, Buck,” Vin hugged the child closer, “but you're still too litt…” Vin broke off remembering how much Buck hated to be told he was little and quickly rephrased, “Uh, you're just not big enough yet and you won't be for quite a spell.”

“Couldn't I have a little horsie?” Buck tried wheedling. He held his thumb and index finger close together and looked at Vin through the small space in between them. “I'm big enough for a little horsie.”

Vin could hear the strangled sounds coming from beside him as Ezra desperately tried to keep from laughing out loud. The tracker glanced at Chris and found the man's hazel eyes sparkling with merriment, and his mouth twitching as he tried to contain his grin. Deciding they were no help, the blond sharpshooter sighed and shook his head no.

“I'll let you know when you're big enough for your own horse, Bucklin. You'll have to be satisfied with riding with me and your uncles for a time.”

“I, for one, certainly enjoy your company during a ride,” Ezra told the child. “I would be most distressed to lose out on an opportunity to share it if you were to acquire your own steed now. I do believe I would be very sad.”

Once again the gambler proved himself to be an excellent judge of character as the little boy jumped from his father's lap and ran to hug the green eyed man watching him with a pitiful look on his handsome face. The child threw his arms around the man and held on tight.

“Don't be sad, Uncle Ezra! I'll still ride with you! I don't gots to have a horsie right now, honest. It's okay!” the child told the man earnestly.

“Thank you, Buck. I feel much better now. I appreciate the sacrifice you're making, I assure you,” Ezra hugged the boy back and winked at Vin.

Glad to have the matter resolved for the moment, Vin reached for his saddlebag and began drawing out the biscuits leftover from breakfast and some beef jerky, and passing them out.

When the alfresco meal was finished the men remained settled under the tree but Buck resumed his exploration of the clearing. Vin kept a close eye on the boy as he roamed.

“Buck, come away from the horses,” Vin called when the boy wandered too close for the tracker's peace of mind.

“You're too close to the horses, Buck,” Vin warned again. “You could get hurt. Come back over here to play and stay away from them.”

Buck turned and started to walk away from the animals and Vin turned back to his conversation with Ezra and Chris believing the boy was minding.

Buck really didn’t mean to disobey Vin's orders, but he stopped after only a few steps when he discovered a small hole in the ground that captured his attention. The little boy picked up a stick and curiously started poking it into the hole. He suddenly sat back in surprise as a small brown snake slid from the hole and started slithering away. Forgetting his father's warning and everything else in his excitement of finding the creature and determined to catch it, Buck took off after the snake, hands stretched out in front of him eagerly as he gave chase.

Vin, who had glanced over to check on him, jumped to his feet and he yelled out in alarm, “Buck no!” as the boy followed the rapidly moving reptile toward where the horses where tethered. Vin started running. He flew across the clearing as the horses, not liking the snake slithering at their feet, started raring up and bucking in fright. He just managed to grab Buck by the waist and snatch him back as the pack horse came down with both front legs in the exact spot the boy had been.

Vin hugged the little boy to his chest and hurried away from the frightened beasts, leaving Ezra and Chris to bring them back under control. Vin knelt on the ground and set the child on his feet. The tracker anxiously searched the child for any injuries but didn't find so much as a scratch.

"You could have been killed! I told you to stay away from the horses. What were you thinking!"

“I’m sorry, Papa,” Buck hung his head as he stood in front of the tracker.

Vin blew out a breath sharply as he tried to calm down from the adrenaline spike he’d just had. When he was more composed he told the child, “You were told to come away from the horses, and you didn’t. Instead you did exactly what I told you not to do. What do I hafta to do to get you to realize that when I tell you not to do something I mean it? What did your mother do when you disobeyed?”

Buck immediately covered his backside with both hands and tried to back away, giving the tracker the answer to his question without saying a word. Vin sighed heavily, not liking what he was about to do, but determined to carry out what he saw as one of his new parental duties by disciplining the boy. If this is what Emma had done, then he could do no less.

Vin sat down on the ground and pulled the child down on his lap, flipping him over so his bottom was accessible.

“I'm sorry, Papa!” Buck began wailing, “I'm sorry! I won't do it again! I'm sorry! ” and tears started dripping down his cheeks before Vin even started.

Vin reluctantly brought a hand down on the boy's bottom and felt the slight sting of the contact down to his soul. Buck howled, more from the thought of the spanking than the weak swat Vin had just given him. Vin determinedly brought his now shaking hand back for another smack and forced himself to carry through with it as Buck cried. A third saw the sharpshooter at the end of his endurance and the man set the bawling child back on his feet then stood up and walked away, trusting in his two friends to watch after Buck. Vin was shaking so hard he could hardly walk and the boy's pitiful cries cut through him clear to the bone.

Larabee and Standish had been watching the small drama after they had managed to calm the horses down. As the tracker walked away, Chris looked at the gambler and jerked his head toward Buck saying, “You take care of the little one and I'll take care of the big one.”

Ezra nodded and turned to go to the child. Chris headed into the woods after the tracker. He found the man sitting on a stump with his elbows resting on his knees and his head buried in his hands. Chris could see the deep shudders that shook the long haired blond so hard the gunslinger wondered how his bones managed to stay together.

Larabee approached the distraught man and placed a hand on his shoulder and squeezed. Vin looked up at him with shattered eyes.

“It's over,” Chris told him as he squatted in front on him. “The first time's always the hardest.”

“Never again!” Vin exclaimed. “I never want to ever, EVER do that again.”

Chris rubbed the other man's shoulder as he told him. “You did what you had to do, Vin, and no matter what you think now, you know it had to be done. It's never an easy thing for a man to do, not one that loves his children as much as you obviously love Buck, but just image what might happen if you didn't discipline him and he did it again. He might not be so lucky next time. You'd be feeling a thousand times worse if that happened.”

“No, you didn't. You mostly hurt his pride, Vin,” Chris assured him. “I was there, remember. You barely touched him, and you were shaking too hard to have any force behind any of the swats you gave him. I'd be surprised if he even felt it much through his britches and his drawers. It was mostly the thought of you being mad at him that got him carrying on so.

Look, Vin. I know it's a hard thing to do, but you better believe it's something that will happen again. There's no getting around it. He's a boy and boys get into trouble. That’s just the way of things. It’s up their parents to set them back on the right road again. You took on the responsibility of being his pa and this is a very serious part of it. I’ll give ya that it’s also one of the hardest.

We both know there are plenty of dangers out here for kids in this territory, some of them real close to home. Look at that Jenkins boy the fell out of their apple tree and broke his leg. Or Sukie Parker when she fell outta the hay loft. Or Hector Winslow getting his foot caught in the stirrup and getting dragged like he did. That’s just the normal, everyday things. I could go on and on,” Chris said watching his friend closely. “There’s enough out there for you to watch out for without him going off and finding the really bad stuff because he didn’t believe you were prepared to back up what you were saying when you forbid him to do something or go somewhere. Buck could have been killed today because he disobeyed you, Vin. Now he knows you mean business when you tell him something. Next time, maybe he'll remember today and think twice about disobeying.”

“Sometimes yes, sometimes no. It’s a judgment thing,” Chris told him quietly. “You’ll have to work it out for yourself. As you get to know Buck better, you’ll find out what works best and when. If it makes you feel any better, if I had been in your shoes I would have done exactly what you did…except…maybe without all the shaking,” the gunman teased and wrung an unwilling smile from his friend.

The two men sat in silence as the new father considered the gunman's words. Vin gradually began to calm down.

"What? Scare ten years off my life, and then look at me with such frightened innocence I didn't know whether to hug him close, or spank him 'til he couldn't sit down?" The black clad gunman grinned.

"Come on Cowboy," the long haired tracker groaned, "You're supposed to be my friend. So be a friend and tell me it'll get better...lie if you have to!"

Vin sighed and climbed to his feet. He felt the need to see for himself that Buck was alright. He left the laughing gunslinger behind and returned to camp.

Ezra was seated under the tree they had lunched under with his arms wrapped around Buck who was seated on his lap. Buck immediately crawled from the gambler’s lap when he saw the tracker and ran to him. The boy threw both arms around Vin’s legs and held on tight.

“I’m sorry, Papa!” Buck raised a tear-streaked face and told the tracker. “I didn’t mean to be bad. Please don’t be mad at me no more. I’ll be good!”

“I’m not mad at you anymore, son,” Vin assured him. “I was more scared than anything. I don’t want anything bad to happen to you. It’s my job to protect you remember? When I tell you to do or not do somethin’ it’s because I want to make sure you don’t get hurt. That means you have to listen to what I tell you and mind me.”

“I will, Papa. I promise,” Buck sniffled and laid his head on Vin’s shoulder, wrapping his arms around his neck.

“Now tell me, are you alright? Did I hurt you?” Vin just had to hear it from the boy himself before he would believe it even though Larabee had already assured him that he hadn’t.

“Good,” Vin sighed out in relief. “Please don’t make me do that again, Buck. I don’t like it.”

“Me neither!” Buck said with feeling as he burrowed his head under Vin’s chin.

At peace with each other once more, the pair held tight to one another as they drew comfort from each other’s touch.

“What do you say to you and me seein’ if we can pick up the trail of that ole snake, hmm?” Vin asked drawing his head back to look down the boy and receiving an smiling nod from the child.

Vin threw a grateful look at Ezra who smiled and nodded back in acceptance of the unspoken thanks, and then watched as the man and boy wandered away.

Josiah was drawn to the door of the church by the sound of someone yelling at the top of his lungs. The ex-preacher, in his role as peacekeeper, went to investigate the commotion. He stepped outside and saw Gloria Potter’s boy, George, riding hell for leather up the street. The boy was bellowing “They’re back! They’re back!” as he rode.

Josiah hurried over to the boy who had pulled his horse to a stop outside his family’s store and started inside. The big man stopped the excited boy from entering with a gentle hand on his shoulder.

“They’re back, Mr. Sanchez,” the words practically flew form the child’s mouth in his excitement. “I was coming back from the fishin’ hole and I saw ‘em!”

“Mr. Larabee and Mr. Standish and Mr. Tanner! I saw ‘em with my own eyes. They’ll be here any minute! I gotta go tell Ma!” the boy yelled as he pulled away from the man and ran inside.

Josiah’s face split with a wide grin and he started walking toward the edge of town to meet his returning friends. The men had telegraphed from El Paso that Vin’s troubles had been taken care of and they were headed home. The whole town had been eagerly awaiting their arrival. Now it seemed their wait was finally at an end.

“Josiah!” Nathan called as he hurried across the street to join his friend. He too had heard the commotion and dropped everything to find out what was going on.

“George Potter just came back from the fishin’ hole and said he saw Chris and the boys riding in,” Josiah told him happily.

Nathan gave him an answering grin, “Now’s that’s some good news if I ever heard it!”

“Hey fellas,” JD said as he dropped into step with the other two regulators. “What’s up?”

JD’s face lit up and he turned to stare up the street. “It’s about time!” he said and took off running ahead of the other two men, eager to welcome the missing members of his family back home.

The word of the travelers’ return had spread quickly. Shopkeepers put up closed signs, and even the banker locked his bank up and followed. It seemed like the whole town wanted to be present to welcome their missing peacekeepers. A mighty cheer went up as the group rode into view.

The men were greeted with smiling faces and shouted welcomes as they rode into town. Their reception was almost overwhelming to the men grinning back at the enthusiastic crowd. Quite a few surprised eyebrows were raised when the townspeople got a good look at the little boy riding in front of the tracker.

Buck was madly waving at the people in his new home. “Hi! Hi!” he cheerfully called out as they rode down the street. He had heard so many stories about the people in this town that was to be his home that he was excited about meeting them. In his child’s mind he thought the people were cheering and waving to him because they were just as excited to have him coming to live with them. He could hardly contain his happiness and bounced around his papa’s lap as he tried to give everyone he saw a wave.

Vin was overcome at the good will pouring from the townspeople. He knew in that exact instant with absolute conviction that he had chosen the right place to make his home, to make Buck’s home. And damn if it wasn’t good to be home!

The crowd fell in behind the three men as they rode up the street and brought their horses to a stop outside the livery. Tiny stepped forward to gather the reins for them so they could dismount. “Y’all go on ahead and I’ll take care of the horses and bring your things over to the boardinghouse for ya,” the livery owner told them and the weary travelers gratefully accepted the offer.

“Welcome home, guys!” JD stepped forward to greet them. “Congratulations, Vin! I was sure glad to hear everything went alright for you in Tascosa. We’re gonna have to celebrate!”

“Thanks, JD,” Vin said warmly as he climbed down from his horse then reached back to untie the saddle bags holding his savings and sling them over his shoulder.

“Welcome back, Brothers,” Josiah intoned and he stepped forward to wrap Vin in a bear hug. “It’s good to see your smilin’ faces again.”

“And who is this,” the big man smiled at the little boy who was grinning and looking up at him with curiosity.

“I didn’t know you had a son!” JD squeaked as he looked at the tracker in shock.

Vin’s face got serious and, knowing the whole town was listening, gave him the answer that he, Chris, and Ezra had decided on to cover Buck’s appearance.

“Nobody knew, JD. I couldn’t tell anybody about him or his ma while the bounty was hanging over my head. It would have been too dangerous for ‘em. Somebody could have tried to use ’em to get to me. The only way I could protect ‘em was to keep anybody from knowin’ about ‘em. Now that the bounty’s gone…” The tracker hugged the little boy close, “Now I can finally claim my son.”

“So where’s his ma?” JD asked curiously before Nathan grabbed his shoulder and shook it. “What?” JD asked looking at the exasperated healer in confusion.

“Mama go-ed to heaven,” Buck answered sadly, drawing everyone’s attention to him.

Suddenly JD felt two inches tall. “I’m real sorry, Vin,” he began, but the tracker smiled sadly and waved him off.

“Hi, Mr. JD,” Buck grinned and leaned forward to wrap his arms around the young sheriff’s neck for a hug then drew back and placed as smacking kiss on his cheek.

Vin shook his head and said firmly, “Uh-uh. Uncle JD is alright, but not just JD. He needs to learn respect for his elders.”

JD grinned at being referred to as an elder. Usually he was the one being called a kid. Having Buck around was going to have its advantages as far as the young man was concerned.

“Howdy, Buck. I’m Uncle Josiah. I’m sure glad to meet you,” the big man said and received his own hug and kiss from the child. The preacher lifted the boy from his father and sat him on one arm so the boy was eye to eye with him. “I’m real glad you came to live here with us. Maybe you and me can sit down together and trade stories sometime. You like stories?”

Buck’s black hair danced around wildly as he nodded enthusiastically and replied, “I love stories! Mama used ta tell me stories and Uncle Ezra tells real good ones too. He tole me one about a man named Dise-es who go-ed on a loooong trip and fighted with giants and hung under sheeps and all kinda stuffs!”

“My, that does sound like a wonderful story. Maybe you can tell all of it later, hmm?” Josiah said.

“Now quit hogging the boy, Josiah. Let some of the rest of us have a chance to say hello,” teased Nathan, stepping up with a smile and reaching to take the child from his friend. “Hello, Buck. I’m Uncle Nathan.”

Buck repeated his greeting for Nathan. “Hello, Uncle Nathan. Papa says you make people feel better.”

“That’s right,” the healer answered. “If you ever get to feelin’ puny or sick, you just tell you pa to bring you over to see me.”

“Uncle Ezra says you ‘lights in making people drink ‘voltin’ swill that tastes like exca’ment,” the boy told him seriously. “I don’t know what that is but Uncle Ezra says it’s not good.”

“Oh, does he now?” healer glared over at the gambler who was busy accepting the good wishes of the townspeople. “Well since he seems to be fond enough of it as to go around tellin’ folks about it, then I guess I should make sure the next time he’s in my clinic that he gets a really strong batch of it.”

Laughing, Vin reached over and pulled the child from Nathan and set him across his hip again. “I’m afraid Ez is gonna learn the hard way about saying things in front of you, isn’t he little man?”

“Oh don’t stop him now,” Nathan smirked, “It was just gettin’ interestin’,”

Vin shook his head with a grin and answered, “I think we better go get settled in at the boardinghouse before Buck gets Ezra into any more trouble.”

Vin stepped onto the boardwalk while Nathan joined JD and Josiah who had gone to greet the other two travelers.

The trip to the boardinghouse took much longer than normal as the tracker and his son were continually stopped by townsfolk wanting to personally greet and welcome them home. Eventually Vin was able to close the door on the rest of the world and sink down onto his bed wearily. He let Buck slide to the floor gently and tossed his saddle bags back on the bed. He watched fondly as the boy made a thorough inspection of his new living quarters, even standing on his tip toes to look out of the window.

“Yep. And in a couple of days, after we rest up and see what’s been happening in town, we’ll start looking for our own place. What do ya say to that?” the tracker asked smiling down at the boy.

“And it’ll be our own house, on our own land, with our own horsies, and we won’t never, ever, ever have to move again right, Papa?” Buck replied brightly.

“You got it, little man,” Vin answered softly and hugged the boy close. The child wrapped both arms around the tracker’s neck and hugged back. “We’re gonna make us a home, Buck. One of the forever kind.”

As they sat in the quiet room holding one another, both agreed they liked the sound of that.