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The story below contains what I would call a "What If" clause.  I was thinking (scary I know) "What if Chris's wife and child had not died in a fire, and what if he had a daughter instead of a son. And what if……………"  And that is where this story picks up.  I know that certain events in my book are not consistent with the show, (ie. The daughter idea instead of the son, and the name of Chris' wife.  At this time, I do not know her real name for the episode dealing with Chris and his family has not aired yet) and I only hope you allow me some "Artistic Slack" and just have fun with it………. I know I did.   Any and all feedback would be GREATLY appreciated.  BeckyMcat@aol.com

"Please come with us Daddy." Little Christine's eyes were filled with tears as Chris knelt down in front of her. "You and Uncle Buck come too."

" I would if I could, but I have to stay here and do my job. After that I promise that I will meet you and your Mother in Minnesota and we can come home together." Chris Larabee told his little six year old daughter as he stroked her honey colored hair and brushed away the tear that slid down her cheek. "Your Uncle Buck and I will be just fine, you just think of all the fun you will have with your Grandma."

"Not without you." She assured him. "Please come too Daddy, I never rode in a stage coach before, what if I get scared."

"Come on Baby Sister." Buck Wilmington said, calling her by his pet name for her and giving her a wink that had been known to make grown women swoon. "You will have your Mother with you all the way, and you have little Molly here if things get scary. You remember what I told you when I gave her to you? That every time you give her a squeeze, it will be me giving you a hug back."

"I remember." Christine assured him, holding on to her love worn rag doll.

Chris stood up and looked at his wife who stood behind their daughter, trying her best to be brave. But in her eyes he could see the fear and sadness. He wanted to say something, anything that might bring a smile to her lips, but no words would come. Instead he just took her in his arms and held on to her as if he would never let go. The last thing in the world he wanted to do was be parted from Christine and Alesha, but with the danger threatening him and in turn his family, he could see no other way to keep them safe.

Horace Fry was one of the meanest, most dangerous men to have troubled the small town of Four Corners, and he had made it his life's work to see that any law and order was done away with so he could run the town. And since Chris was the law, Horace decided he had to die. Chris, never being one to run from a fight had not considered backing down an option. But when he threatened his wife and child, things became serious. He would put his life on the line to stand up for what was right, but he refused to risk the lives of his precious family. So after many hours of desperate convincing, he was able to talk Alesha into taking Christine to Minnesota for a visit with her Mother. But now as the morning dawned, the pain that had settled in his chest was almost more than he could stand. And as he looked from his wife to his daughter, he wondered how he would bear the separation.

"Promise that you will take care. You don't always have to be the hero, Chris. Don't take any chances." Alesha begged.

"I have to stop him, Lesha. I can't let him get away with the crimes he has committed. The town is depending on me." He said, repeating the words he had used to convince her earlier.

"We are counting on you too, Chris. Counting on you coming back to us safe and sound." She then looked over to Buck Wilmington. "That goes for you too, Buck."

"Yes Ma'am." Buck said, tipping his hat to her.

"You and Christine go to Minnesota and have a wonderful visit with your Mother and I will be there in no time to fetch you, I promise." Christ told her, running his hand down her cheek and tipping her chin up as he leaned down to kiss her.

Alesha encircled him with her arms and pulled him to her, desperately clinging to him as she let her tears fall. She had known what she was in for when she had married him, but no matter how many times he faced danger, it still paralyzed her with fear.

Their tender moment was interrupted by the voice of the coach driver announcing it was time to leave.

"You better get on board, or they will leave without you." Chris said, trying his best to smile.

He then leaned down and picked up his daughter, swinging her into his arms as he hugged her to him fiercely. He had never imagined a child could touch a man's soul as much as his little girl had. It made him laugh when he remembered how he had wanted a son when Alesha had told him they were going to have a baby. But from the second they had placed his small delicate daughter in his arms, his heart had been lost forever. And it soon became clear that she had her father completely wrapped around her finger, but Chris wouldn't have had it any other way. She had the sweetest disposition, the mildest of temper and a smile that would melt your heart. Although with each passing year it was becoming more and more evident that she was acquiring Chris' spirit of adventure and love for the wild west. Christine was indeed Daddy's little girl. But as much as she took after her father in spirit, there was no mistaking that she was Alesha's child too. The resemblance between mother and daughter was extraordinary, from the color of their hair to the delicate features they shared. The only difference between the two was Christine's eyes. For when Chris looked at his precious little girl, it was not his wife's eyes that looked back at him, but his own. Where Alesha's were a rich chocolate brwon, Christine's were a hazel gray like his own. And as he lifted her up into the stage coach, he felt as if he were cutting off his own right arm and sending it away. They had never been parted for long, not in the six short years of her life, so this was indeed a difficult farewell.

But it was a parting that must be, he reminded himself once again, as he assisted Alesha up into the coach beside Christine and shut the door. She leaned out the window and he gave her one last parting kiss as they whispered a final 'I love you' to each other. Then with a yell and a flick of the reins, the stage sprang forward as it began to take his family away from him. He saw Alesha sit back in the seat, not wanting him to see her cry, but Christine leaned far out the window as she waved to him.

"I will be brave." She assured him in her trembling voice. "I love you, Daddy."

But before he could force a smile on his face and wave back, they turned the corner at the end of the street and disappeared from his sight. Chris was left standing next to Buck with his hand half raised and a deep pain in his heart.

"You did the right thing, Chris." Buck said, putting his hand on his shoulder. "They will be safe in Minnesota until we can get rid of Horace."

"Knowing that doesn't make it any easier." Chris answered through clenched teeth. He then turned to look at his long time friend. "Lets go get him so all this can be over and done with." For the sooner he dealt with Horace, the sooner he could be reunited with his family.

Christine was true to her word, she did her very best to smile for her Mommy and not let her know how much the stage coach ride scared her. The horses hooves made noise like thunder and the coach swayed and rocked so fiercely that she was afraid it would come apart. But each time she thought she might start to panic, she would hug Molly tightly to her, close her eyes and remember how much she wanted to make her Daddy proud of her. Her Mommy said they would have to ride the coach for two days before they would reach the train station that would take them to Grandma's house in Minnesota, and Christine hoped that it would be a short two days.

It was late in the evening when they stopped to switch horses at a rest stop, giving the passengers time to climb out and stretch their legs. Christine was very happy when she learned that they would be picking up another passenger there, and even more so when she found out it was a little girl about her own age. But when they loaded up the coach once more and were on their way, she noticed something different about the new little girl. She was pretty, with long blond hair just like Christine and was only a year younger at the most. But no matter how many questions Christine asked or how friendly she tried to be, the new girl wouldn't say a word to her. It was then that her Mommy told her that the new girl Heather was deaf and couldn't speak. That she had lost her Mommy and Daddy in a fire and was now heading for a special school that could help her.

This made Christine very sad for Heather. She knew how it felt to leave her Daddy, even for just a short time, she couldn't imagine how this little girl felt having to leave both her parents forever. And since she didn't know of any other way to make the little girl feel better, she did the only thing she could. She offered her Molly to hold. Heather at first only looked at the rag doll Christine had placed in her lap, not knowing exactly what to do. But seeing Christine's smile and understanding her gently urging, she soon was rocking the doll in her arms like a baby, smiling down at her with all the love of a doting mother. Christine knew she would miss Molly, that she would never find a better doll than the one her Uncle Buck had bought for her in Gadsden, but just seeing the look of happiness on Heather's face made it all worth while.

As the dawn came over the hill the next morning Christine awoke to the sound of shouting men and gun shots. At first she thought she was dreaming, that the sound of the horses hooves had startled her out of her dream too fast and some of it lingered on. But the look of fear on her Mommy's face told her that it was no dream. She leaned forward to see out the window, watching as five men wearing bandannas over their mouths came riding up alongside the coach aiming guns at them. Alesha pulled her back just as a bullet came whizzing past her head and struck the panel right beside her causing splinters to fly as it split the wood.

"Stay down!" Her Mother shouted, pushing the two girls onto the floor.

Christine lay huddled on the floor, listening to the men outside and the shouts of the driver as he urged the horses to go faster. But then with one deafening shot, the driver went silent, and she couldn't hear him anymore. It was then that the coach seemed to begin to swerve and twist around much more than it had been, throwing the three of them up against one side of the coach and then the other.

"Mommy, what's happening?" Christine cried, trying her best to hang on to the seat in front of her.

Alesha pushed herself up off the floor, holding on to the sides of the coach as it swayed back and forth and leaned out the side window in order to see the driver. But the driver was gone! The reins hung loose and were dragging on the ground by the horses feet and no one was sitting up where the driver had once been. But that was not what scared her the most. For in the distance directly ahead of them lay a cliff, and the horses gave no indication of slowing down or turning.

"Something has happened to the driver and the coach is out of control. We'll have to jump." Alesha tried to sound reassuring, as if it would be a piece of cake. But venturing a glance outside the speeding coach she knew their choices were slim. If they jumped they ran the risk of injury or possible death at such speeds, but if they stayed with the coach they would surely die. So choosing the only option available, she kicked open the door of the coach on the opposite side of where the men were bearing down on them.

"I can't Mommy!" Christine cried, holding on to the seat.

"You have to. I will be right behind you." She told her, giving her an encouraging smile. "Be a brave girl like you promised Daddy."

And although Christine was more frightened at that moment than she had ever been in her life, just the thought of her Daddy, and her promise to him, gave her the strength to get up off the floor and go to the door.

"Now jump as far as you can Christine and stay lying down in the grass and hide. I will jump right after you and come back to get you." She told her, giving her a quick hug and a kiss. "Now get ready. Jump now!"

Christine leapt forward with all the might her little legs would muster, feeling the wheels whiz by her as she cleared them and plunged towards the ground outside. When she hit the hard earth she could feel all the wind being knocked out of her as she rolled through the tall grass unseen by the men on the horses. But as she came to a stop, her head struck something hard causing a white fire of pain to explode before her eyes, then everything went black.

Alesha saw that her daughter had made it clear of the coach, and assumed that she was now hiding in the grass like she had been told. So she turned to Heather, who was now curled up under the seat clutching onto Molly with all her might. Her little eyes betrayed her fear as clear as any words could have and Alesha's heart went out to her. She had to somehow explain to her that they had to jump, but every time she tried to pull the girl out from under the seat, she would kick at Alesha and crawl further under. She knew time was running out, that the cliff was fast approaching, but she refused to abandon this helpless child. She tried again and again to free her grip on the seat but terror had given Heather a power beyond her years and she would not budge. Alesha had just reached towards her for a final try when she heard a loud crack and saw the horses break free from the coach as they veered off to the side. The horses were smart enough to turn away from the cliff, unfortunately the coach had no such instincts of survival as the wheels left the ground and plunged towards the valley below. Alesha's last thought were of her darling Christine and her beloved Chris as she braced herself for the inevitable.

Christine awoke some time later to silence. There was no shooting, no horses running and no one shouting. In fact there was nothing. Her head hurt with a pain she had never known before, causing her vision to blur as she stood up on shaky legs. She looked around in all directions, but all she could see was tall grass and mountains. Where had everyone gone? She had remembered the stage coach going very fast, and her Mommy telling her she had to jump, but what had happened next? Her head was throbbing now and it was becoming harder and harder to think straight. She reached up and touched the spot that was hurting, and her eyes widened, seeing blood on her hand when she pulled it back. She was hurt, alone and scared. And for a little girl of six, that was a lot to deal with. But before she let herself sink back down in tears, she thought of her promise to her Daddy to be a brave girl, and fought her sobs back down. Christine didn't know where she was or how to get home, but if only she could find her Daddy, she knew he would make everything right again. But which way should she go? How far was it back to her home? She didn't know the answers to any of this, but she was determined to try. So holding her chin high like she envisioned a truly brave person would, she started walking towards the nearest hill. And as a chant to keep her mind focused against the foggy haze threatening to take over, she repeated 'I'm coming Daddy. I'm coming Daddy. I'm coming Daddy……'

'I'm coming Daddy……I'm coming Daddy……' Those words seemed to echo someplace deep inside Victoria's mind as she looked out the window of the bouncing stage coach. Over the years she had had many such whispers from what could be her forgotten past, but none so strong as the one taking place right now. The feeling of complete aloneness was overwhelming and she found herself actually shivering even though it was mid summer outside.

"Victoria?" A childish voice said, breaking her out of her trance and bringing her back to reality. "It is your turn to read the next page."

Victoria looked down at little Daniel Blake sitting next to her and smiled. She had been so absorbed with her thoughts that she had forgotten they were taking turns reading out of his book. She had grown very attached to him on their long ride out and she could see why his parents, Beth and Michael, were so proud of him. They were a nice family, having sold everything they owned to finance the trip west in order to buy a small farm next to his brother. They were young and full of dreams, just like Victoria was, but her goals were not as clear as theirs were.

She had wanted to make this trip ever since she could remember, but now that it was actually here she was surprised at how nervous she was. She had always known that Joshua and Emily Ashford were not her real parents, they had never made a secret of it, but she had come to love them just as if they were. They had taken her in, given her a home and love when she had no one to turn to, and supported her in every way as she grew up. They had even taken her to several reputable doctors in hopes of her regaining her lost memory, but the doctors had told them that the chances of her ever remembering were very slim. She had either experienced a very traumatic event that she wouldn't allow herself to remember, or her head injury had permanently erased it. Either way, Victoria was left with a past that started when she was six years old and went back no further.

Joshua and Emily had told her many times how they had found her, a half starved child walking alone on the vast prairie, hardly strong enough to stand on her feet. They had been part of a wagon train heading back to the city after their dreams of life in the west had been less than fulfilling, when she had stumbled into their camp that night so many years ago. They had been married for over twenty years but had never been able to have children of their own. So when Victoria had been placed in Emily's care, she had felt as if Victoria had been a gift from heaven. She had been so dazed and delirious that she had slept for the first few days, causing them to wonder if she was going to make it or not. But by the third day she was sitting up and eating on her own and doing much better. However, it became evident early on that there was something wrong with her memory, especially when she was unable to tell them the simplest things such as her name. She was extremely bright, very articulate and showed no other effects from her mysterious head injury other than memory loss. And although they knew it would break their heart to ever have to give their new little girl up, both Emily and Joshua agreed that they had to do their best to find out who she was and where she had come from. So they left the wagon train, stopping at the next town, and spent a month searching in every newspaper, mailed out letters of inquiry to neighboring towns and asked questions of every law man around until they had given up hope. No one it seemed was missing a six year old girl. So with no hesitation, they took her home with them to Illinois, adopted her as their own and raised her as Victoria Ashford.

And Victoria had to admit that her life had been a good one. Although Emily and Joshua were much older than all the other children's parents she had gone to school with, they had always been a family she could be proud of. Joshua had returned to banking once he had come back from the west and provided a very comfortable living for the three of them, which included sending Victoria to the best of schools. They had encouraged her to follow her dreams, to be whatever she wanted to be in life, and were the proudest of parents when she graduated from teaching collage. But their happiness had been short lived, for not six months later the two had succumbed to an epidemic of cholera that had swept through their quiet little town.

Again Victoria was alone in the world, left once more with the question of who she was and where she belonged. So with her teaching certificate in hand and a little money in her pocket she decided to head west in search of her missing past and hopefully some answers.

"It is your turn to read, Victoria." Daniel reminded her again, handing the book over to her.

"You're right Daniel. I am sorry for not paying attention. It is just that the scenery is so beautiful that I couldn't keep my eyes off of it." She lied, not wishing to go into the truth of her inattention.

"Have you ever been out west, Victoria?" Beth asked, looking out the window of the coach herself.

"When I was very young, but I don't remember much of it." At least that was the truth, she thought to herself. "How about you?"

"I grew up out here." Michael told her with a smile. "The best years of my life, that is until I met Beth here." He reached out and gave his wife's hand a squeeze. "I moved to the city to be near her and to put a nest egg away for us so we could buy some land out here close to my brothers ranch for our son to grow up on. Being raised on a farm taught me so much as a child, and I wanted Daniel to experience the same joy as I had."

"That sounds wonderful, Michael. And making it possible for Daniel to grow up with lots of family around him is admirable too. Family means a lot when you are young." Or at least it had meant a lot to Victoria at Daniel's age.

"What about you? You said you were going out west to teach. Any idea about where you will settle?" Beth asked.

"No, not yet. I have no set plans, just to keep traveling till I find a place that suits me that is looking for a teacher."

"Well we wish you the best of luck, Victoria. It is easy to see that you are very good at your job since this is the most interest we have ever seen Daniel show in books." Michael said, leaning forward to rumple his son's hair affectionately.

Just then the four passengers noticed that the coach was beginning to slow down unexpectedly.

"What are we stopping for?" Beth asked, leaning out to see ahead of them.

"It looks like we might be taking on passengers." Michael told her, apparently seeing more out his window than she was hers. "There are a few men on horseback up ahead. I hope it won't take long, we have to meet the train in Bitter Creek tomorrow."

But as the coach came to a stop and they got a better view of the men, the realized that the train at Bitter Creek was the least of their concerns.

"Afternoon Ladies and Gents, I am afraid this is a stick up." The tall masked man on the horse said, pointing his pistol directly at them inside the coach. "Now why don't you all just relax while we have a small chat with your driver." He then nudged his horse over to the front of the coach and signaled for the driver to get down.

Once he had climbed down one of the other bandits jumped up on top of the coach and began to throw down all the luggage as if looking for something.

"Where is it old man?" The leader asked, pointing his gun at the driver.

"Where is what? We are not carrying anything of value. This is a passenger coach." The driver tried to explain.

"Don't lie to me. I know you have to be carrying the payroll, I got a tip it was on this stage. Now are you going to hand it over or are we going to have to start killing people till we find it?" The bandit was now getting angry.

Just then the man on top of the coach hollered down to the leader.

"I think I found something boss. It ain't the payroll, but it is worth some money." He then threw down a small trunk and another of the bandits opened it to reveal some expensive looking jewelry and some gold coins.

Recognizing it as their life savings meant for the ranch, Michael leapt out of his seat towards the door of the coach. But his sudden movement startled the bandits and mistaking his actions for hostile ones, the leader fired his pistol. The bullet struck Michael in the right shoulder, sending him flying back onto the seat and into Beth's arms. The coach lurched forward as the startled horses began to prance around.

"Michael!" She screamed, her eyes filled with terror as her husband slid to the coach floor.

"Daddy!" Daniel cried, rushing to his side as well.

"Now that is a warning to you. Don't any one move or next time I will shoot to kill." And turning to his men he shouted. "Keep those horses still, they are beginning to spook."

"Please no, take whatever you want, just leave us alone." Beth begged, holding Michael's head in her lap as he fought to stay conscious.

"Beth, give me your shawl. And Daniel, hand me your handkerchief." Victoria said, kneeling down on the floor beside them as she inspected the wound. "We need to stop the bleeding."

Victoria quickly covered the seeping wound with the handkerchief and wound Beth's shawl tightly around his shoulder hoping it would help.

"Now search the rest of the luggage and lets get out of here." The leader said, waving his gun as he directed his men.

Less than a mile away, four men were riding back from Los Fortuna where they had been sent to pick up some land deeds for the bank.

"We have been riding for two days looking over our shoulders the whole way, and so far this trip has been less interesting than a quilting bee." Nathan Jackson told the other three, taking off his hat and wiping his brow as they slowed the horses down to a slow trot.

"Would you rather we have to fight our way back to town?" Chris Larabee asked, turning back to look at the town's resident doctor. "Business been too slow for you Doc, figure you need to drum up some new patients?"

"No, of course not. I just figured when the bank asked for an escort of four men that we would be transporting something more important than a case full of papers." Nathan was quick to explain. "What makes these papers so valuable that it needs this much protection?"

"Land, my friend. Pure and simple. These deeds represent land and land means money." Josiah Sanchez answered back. "We might as well be guarding a bag of gold. And if you ever decide on settling down and buying a piece of it yourself, it might start taking on a whole new meaning for you as well."

"No, not me. I've done enough farming in my time to know it ain't what I want to do with the rest of my life. I'm not too fond of doctoring either, but I would rather be doing that than farming." Nathan shook his head. "How about you Vin, ever do any farming?"

"Spent a little time on a farm once, before I took up buffalo hunting. Can't say I was much good at it though." Vin Tanner answered, taking a piece of jerky out of his pack and ripping off a piece with his teeth. "Tried a lot of things in my time, but with farming you never have full control over things. You are always up against time, the weather or just nature in general. One bad hail storm and your crop could be lost and you are left with nothing. Not the kind of odds I like to be up against."

"Well I would say you are in the wrong business now if you don't like to fight the odds." Chris pointed out, reaching over for the piece of jerky Vin was now offering.

"Yeah, well I never said I didn't like a challenge." Vin laughed, knowing exactly what Chris was getting at. They had gone up against some pretty daunting odds since the seven of them had teamed up. And although from the looks of them you would never think they would make a good team, it was amazing how much they had come to trust and rely on each other. Vin credited most of that to Chris though, he was the stabilizing force of the group, all of them looking to him for orders and guidance. Chris was a tall man, lean and hard when he needed to be. But under all that, there were times when his humor would show through and he seemed a different person, not so haunted or troubled by whatever secrets his past held.

Vin had just leaned back to pass the bag of jerky to Nathan when the sound of a gun shot rang out, bouncing off the hills and echoing back at them.

"Did anyone else hear that?" Nathan asked rhetorically, reining his horse to a halt.

"Sounded like a gunshot to me." Josiah agreed, straining to determine which way it had come from.

"It could just be someone out hunting." Vin suggested, not sounding very convinced at his own words. He looked over at Chris waiting for him to decide what to do.

"Question is though, what they are hunting, or should I say who?" Chris asked, his voice low and serious. "What say we take a ride and see just what is going on." And not waiting for the rest to respond, he kicked his horse ,Nero, into a gallop and headed over the next ridge. The other three didn't hesitate more than a second before they followed after him.

When they came to the top of the hill they halted, looking down at the valley below. Vin took out his spyglass and made a quick assessment of the situation.

"Looks like a stage hold up. I can see three of them. One on a horse, one walking around and another on top of the coach. They have the driver on the ground, but I can't tell if there are any passengers from this angle." Vin reported, handing the glass over to Chris.

"Well boys, looks like this trip just got interesting." Chris said, giving Nathan a wink. And with a look of determination mixed with a devil may care glint in his eye, he headed down off the ridge, the other three only a heartbeat behind him.

The leader of the bandits saw the riders bearing down on them fast and shouted for his men to grab the chest and mount up. But seeing that they would need a diversion to ensure they got a big enough head start, he aimed his gun over the heads of the already uneasy horses and fired off a few shots. The horses bolted taking off at a dead run across the valley, pulling the coach and the unwilling passengers with it. The bandits then took off in the opposite direction, leaving the stage driver who had now dived down among the pile of luggage, as they fired back at the advancing men.

"Vin!" Chris called as they rode after the men, dodging their bullets as they fired their own. "You go after the coach." He yelled, signaling to the younger man.

Vin nodded back as he pulled his horse ,Sire, around and raced off in the direction the coach had gone.

Vin Tanner had always been his own boss, never taking orders from any man. But Chris Larabee was a different story. From the first time he had seen him across the street the day Nathan was about to be lynched, he had sensed a kinship, a deep admiration for the man. He suspected that there was a lot of history behind Chris's eyes, eyes that betrayed deep convictions and pain, but that revealed nothing. But whatever ghosts Chris had, whatever devils were chasing him, they didn't matter to Vin for he knew that deep down he valued honor above everything else. Chris had been the only person Vin had ever told about the price he carried on his head. A five hundred dollar bounty for a crime he didn't commit and how he had been running from it for a year. He was the only man he had ever told, because he was the only one he ever felt he could trust. And it was that trust and admiration that had kept Vin in Four Corners when he should instead be heading back to Tuscosa to clear his name. But that would have to wait for later, for right now there was a runaway stage coach that needed his attention more.

Beth let out a scream and held on to Michael tighter as the coach struck a rock and sent them all flying up in the air before they came back down with a jarring thud.

"We have to stop the coach before it turns over!" Michael shouted through clenched teeth. He tried to pull himself up into a sitting position but another jolt forced him back to the floor as he grabbed his shoulder in pain.

"You are not going to do anything." Victoria said, putting her hand on his chest to force him back down as he tried to rise again. "You keep moving around and you will just bleed more."

"But if we don't do something this coach will flip over and we will all die." Michael argued.

"Then I will stop the horses, you just lay quiet." She ordered, pulling herself up from the floor and grabbing onto the side door.

"You can't climb out there, you will fall and kill yourself." Beth gasped, grabbing on to Victoria's skirt in an attempt to stop her.

"What we have here is a case of being caught between a rock and a hard place. If I go, I die. If I stay we all die. I think the odds are better if I go." She gave the three pairs of worried eyes looking at her a quick wink of assurance. "Besides, I was starting to feel a little cooped up in here anyway, I could use some fresh air."

But as Victoria reached for the door handle, she was overcome by a sudden and paralyzing fear. This entire scene seemed all to familiar to Victoria, yet she didn't know how or why. Her heart began to beat faster than it already was, her breath coming out in labored gasps as she fought to regain control of herself.

"Victoria?" Beth's voice said from what seemed a million miles away. But it was enough to break her from her trance like state, and she was able to force a halfhearted smile on her face before she turned to look at the worried woman.

"I'm all right." She assured her, nodding stiffly as she willed her body to respond once again.

And with that she opened the door of the coach and grabbing on to the luggage rail on top she began to edge her way along the side towards the front. She lost her footing a few times, the coach bouncing up and down making it near impossible to stay steady. But with each inch she gained, so did her confidence. She became worried once she reached the front wheel, for it was turning at such an alarming rate that if she were to catch her dress or foot in the spokes it would surely pull her down under it. But after closing her eyes and taking a deep breath she continued on.

Vin was beginning to gain on the coach, it having quite a lead on him, when he saw the girl climb out. At first he thought she had fallen out and was trying to hold on for dear life. But as she made her way along the side he saw that her intentions were to gain access to the reins and stop the horses. He held his breath as several times it looked as if she would be thrown off when the coach lurched violently from one side to the other, but each time she righted herself and continued on. This was one gutsy girl, Vin thought to himself as he spurred Sire on.

Victoria had only a few more steps to go before she felt she could pull herself up into the drivers seat when she looked back and saw the man on the horse behind them. At first she thought it was one of the bandits, but at a second glance she saw he was not wearing a bandanna across his face as they had been. She wanted to shout out to him for help, but her voice seemed to have frozen in her throat since the moment she had stepped outside the speeding coach. But even if he did catch up with them, she still needed to get herself up into the drivers seat, so she turned her attention back to her original goal. With a deep breath and strength brought on by sheer panic she grabbed hold of the rail and pulled herself up on to the driver's chair, leaning over it for support as she caught her breath. When she was able to force her eyes back open she searched quickly for the reins for the horses, only to find that they were far below, having fallen down between the tongue of the coach and the speeding horses. All her effort had been for nothing, nothing that is unless she planned on climbing down to get them. But before she had to make that decision, the stranger on the horse rode up beside them.

She could see him much better now, even though her vision was obscured with each bump the wheels hit.. He rode the horse as if he were born to it, with an easy stride that looked effortless even at such speeds as he kept pace with the coach. He looked over at her, his eyes assessing the situation.

"The reins have fallen down and I can't reach them." She called out to him, pointing down to the leather straps where they lay.

The man only gave a nod to Victoria as he leaned lower in the saddle, urging his horse to move forward until it was even with the head team. He bent over, reaching out so far that she thought he would surely fall, until he was able to catch hold of the horses bridle. With a mighty jerk that could have easily pulled his arm from its socket he forced the team to begin to slow down. The horses were still wild with fear, and fought against his determined hold, but Victoria let out a pent-up breath as she saw them begin to comply. The man spoke soothingly to the horses as they at last came to a halt, each one breathing hard from their fiery race as they stamped their hooves and shook their heads in defiance. He then leapt off his own horse and came over to the side of the coach, looking up at Victoria as he extended his hand to assist her.

"Are you all right, Ma'am?" He asked, his voice husky and rich with deep tones.

"I am now that this thing has stopped." She confessed, her hand shaking somewhat as she took his offered one. But her legs refused to hold her and as she went to step down they buckled, landing her directly in the man's strong embrace as he lowered her gently to the ground. "I guess I am a little more shaken than I thought." She admitted, her eyes locking with his as he held her there, his face only a few inches from hers. He was a rugged looking man, lean and confident wearing a long thigh length, rawhide coat. His hat was like those worn by the Confederates from the war, but it too, showed much wear and tear. His eyes were a gray blue, like the sky after a storm, and although it appeared as if he had not bothered to shave for at least a day, it somehow looked very appealing on him. His hair was longer than she was used to seeing, especially on the clean cut men from the city, but this too she found, seemed right for a man such as he. He was indeed a very rare specimen of frontier culture, the quintessential man of the west.

"That is understandable after the chance you just took climbing out like that. You took a mighty big risk." Vin had meant his tone to sound scolding, but all thoughts seemed to have left his head, as the nearness of this lady began to cloud his mind.

"Well believe me, I wouldn't have if I had known there was a knight on a white steed coming to the rescue." She laughed. He was still holding her very close to him, and she knew that as a proper lady she should step back out of his no longer necessary embrace. But for some reason, all her upbringing and mother's teaching were forgotten.

"But my horse is black." The man pointed out, a smile tugging at his lips.

"Mere details." She whispered back.

A silence followed that lasted only seconds, but it was long enough for the two to sense that the moment had past and reality had once again set in. He released her and she stepped back from him, but their eyes never left each other. It was then however that Victoria remembered the other passengers inside the coach and she spun around, anxious to see how they had fared during the harrowing ride.

"Beth, Michael. Are you all right?" She called, opening the door and climbing up inside beside her friends as the stranger came up behind them.

The three were still on the floor of the coach, Beth still looking worriedly at Michael as he lay in her arms.

"How bad is it?" Vin asked, seeing the red stain on Michael's jacket.

"Hurts like the devil." Michael said trying to smile over the pain. "But I think it looks worse than it is."

"We have to get him to a doctor." Victoria said, turning to look back at the stranger. "Where is the nearest town?"

"Nearest town is Four Corners, but that is still at least an hours ride away. But you are in luck, because I think I see someone who can help riding up now." Vin shaded his eyes against the sun as he saw two riders approaching. He recognized the figures as Chris and Nathan.

"Nathan, we need you, there is a wounded man here." Vin called out when they came into range.

Nathan rode forward and was off his horse almost before it stopped, ready to offer assistance.

"Nathan here is the closest thing we got to a doctor around these parts." Vin said, introducing his friend.

Victoria turned to Daniel, who was sitting next to his mother, holding on tightly to her free hand.

"Come on Daniel, lets hop out of the coach and give this man some room to look at your father." She reached over and took his hand to help him to his feet then moved him towards the door as Vin reached up and lifted the boy down to the ground. He then turned back to Victoria and assisted her as she stepped out, letting Nathan by as he climbed inside.

Chris had come to a halt beside the coach as well and watched as Vin helped the lady out of the stage. But when she stepped to the ground and looked up at him he felt as if someone had just punched him in the stomach, knocking all the wind out of him. The world could have came to a screeching halt at that moment and Chris would not have been more shocked by what he saw before him. For there, looking just as beautiful as she had the day he had met her, was his wife Alesha. It had to be her, there was no mistaking it. The hair was the same rich honey color, her movements were identical to hers and her soft silk like skin was just as perfect as he remembered. But wait, her eyes were different. Her eyes were not the deep brown that he expected to see when she turned to look at him, but instead they were hazel gray. They were not Alesha's eyes, but still ones that sent him spinning back into the past, back to the fateful day when he had put his wife and child on the stage coach and said good bye. For before him now stood the spitting image of his daughter Christine, all grown up and looking as much like her mother as he had always envisioned she would. But how could this be? How could she be alive?

"Chris?" Vin said, shaking him out of his trance.

"What? What did you say?"

"I asked if you caught the men." Vin repeated, puzzled at Chris' dazed look.

"Oh, yes. Josiah and the driver should have them trussed up by now." Chris knew he was still staring at the girl, but he couldn't stop himself.

Victoria noticed that the man on the horse was acting strangely. That he seemed to be looking through her and not at her, as if he were seeing something more than was truly there. This made her feel a bit odd, but it was not an uneasy feeling as much as a confusing one. There was something almost familiar about this man, yet she was unable to put her finger on what it was. Maybe she was just still shaken up from the ordeal.

Nathan poked his head out from the stage coach and looked at Chris.

"We need to get this man back to town where I can get the bullet out. The bleeding has stopped for now and it should be safe enough for him to travel, but we don't want to wait too long or it will get infected."

"Ok, lets get this thing turned around and headed back to town. Nathan you ride inside and keep an eye on him." Chris instructed.

"Give you a hand back in, Miss?" Vin asked, offering to assist Victoria into the coach.

"If it is all the same to you, I would rather not. I have spent enough time inside, and outside, of stage coaches to last me a life time. I had an uneasy feeling when I boarded the thing in Passerville, and I realize now I should have listened to that little voice inside me." She looked up at Nathan. "Would it be all right with you if I rode your horse, Doctor?"

"Name's Nathan Jackson, ma'am." He smiled, giving her an understanding nod. "And you are more than welcome to ride Smoky back to town, he is a very gentle horse and won't give you any trouble."

"Can I ride with you, Victoria?" Daniel asked, excitement in his eyes.

"I don't see why not." She looked at Beth and Michael for permission and they nodded gratefully, glad of anything to keep Daniel from panicking in the situation.

"Then lets be on our way, we still have at least an hour before we make it to Four Corners. Vin, you grab the team and lead them back to where we left the driver." Chris told them as he turned his horse back the way they had come.

Victoria walked over to the horse Nathan had called Smoky and rubbed his nose gently so that he could get her scent and not be afraid. Vin came up beside them and lifted Daniel up into the saddle then turned to give Victoria a hand.

"It seems that you are always there to assist me, Mr.….?" She said, fishing for his name.

"Vin Tanner." He answered, tipping the brim of his hat with his fingers.

"I am Victoria Ashford, and I am grateful for your coming to our rescue." She then looked from Nathan to Chris. "I don't know what would have happened if you men had not come along."

"Glad we could be of assistance, Miss Ashford." Chris nodded, uneasy when it came to praise.

So after Vin had helped Victoria up on to the horse and taken hold of the team of horses they started back to where Josiah and the driver were waiting.

Chris spent the ride struggling with his thoughts, wondering how a girl could look so much like his wife and child and yet not be her. She could have easily been Alesha's twin if it were not for her different eyes and the fact that she called herself Victoria Ashford. Alesha had been an only child and to the best of his knowledge did not have any close relatives, at least none that would favor her so much in appearance. Yet riding behind him was her double. His mind was a whirl with questions, ones that he wanted to know the answers to, yet was afraid to ask. Could she somehow be his daughter? And if so, how?

It had taken Chris a long time to come to terms with the loss of both Alesha and Christine all those years ago. And there were still days that he felt the pain like a knife in his heart. They had been his world, his life, his reason for going on, and when they died he wanted to die with them. And if Buck had not stepped in and stopped him, he may have done just that. With them had gone all his plans and hopes for the future. Plans of watching Christine grow into a beautiful woman, marrying and having children of her own. And there had been the possibility of he and Alesha having more children themselves, of someday giving Christine a baby brother or sister. But those were only dreams, dreams that had died along side his wife and child at the bottom of the ravine fifteen years ago. And yet the mystery of Victoria Ashford remained, a mystery that Chris knew he must solve soon or go crazy from thinking about.

When they reached the spot where the coach had been held up they saw that Josiah and the driver had the three bandits tied to their horses, ready to be led to the jail house at Four Corners.

"They give you any trouble, Josiah?" Chris asked as they rode up.

"A little at first, but after I explained the evil of their ways they cooperated real nice."

"I am sure they did, preacher." Chris laughed, noticing that one of the bandits was now sporting a black eye.

Victoria leaned over to Vin who had rode up beside her.

"He is a preacher?" She whispered.

"Of sorts." Vin answered back, realizing how little Josiah resembled a man of the cloth. He was a tall man, with a strong build but humorous eyes and a quick smile. His shortly cut hair was more salt than pepper these days, but he looked far from old. To Vin he had always been the quiet and thoughtful type, but from the few things he had picked up about Josiah, he knew there was more to him than met the eye.

"Well toss the luggage on top of the coach and let's get moving again, we have an injured man inside and Nathan needs to get him back to town as fast as possible." Chris told him.

The driver scrambled up onto the coach and caught the bags when Josiah tossed them up. They didn't bother tying them back down and were off again in no time.

The sun was just going down behind the mountains when the tired band of travelers made their way into Four Corners. Chris led the way up to the old tailor shop that Nathan had converted into a make shift clinic. He saw Buck and Ezra come out of the saloon across the street and begin to walk over, curious as to what sort of trouble their friends had found this time. JD and Mrs. Travis came out of the newspaper office up the street when they heard the commotion.

"What happened?" Mary Travis asked, hurrying over to the stage coach.

"They got held up an hour out of town and one of the passengers has been shot. We happened by just in time to get in on the action." Chris informed her as he dismounted and tied Nero to the hitching post.

Nathan opened the door just then and signaled for JD to give him a hand getting Michael out of the coach. Once he was out, both Nathan and Josiah lead him inside. JD turned back and assisted Beth out next as she hurried to follow her husband.

"I will head down to the livery and get these horses taken care of. I will have them store the luggage there too." The driver told the men. "Thanks again for all your help."

"Vin, you take this bunch down to the jail house and get them locked up." Chris said, waving his hand towards the three sorry looking men. "And then you best get those Land Deeds over to the bank before they think we skipped out with them."

Vin nodded to Chris, as he tugged on the reins leading the three horses they sat on.

Victoria had stopped Smoky beside the others and was holding on to Daniel's arm as he slid down to the ground. But before she could dismount herself, JD was right there, hat in his hand and a big smile on his face as he offered to help her down.

"Allow me Miss." He said, his eyes showing his eagerness to please. "Name's JD Dunn, and if there is ever anything I can do for you, all you need is to ask."

"Thank you Mr. Dunn. It seems that this town is just full of gallant men." She praised, giving him a grateful smile once she was on the ground. "But right now I would like to take Daniel in so he can be with his parents." She explained, taking the boy by the hand and leading him up on to the sidewalk.

Victoria had just stepped up when she almost collided with one of the two men who had come from across the street. One was dressed very elegantly, wearing a tailored suit with a gentleman's hat, while the other was dressed much like the other men were, in comfortable clothes to fit any occasion. But where the fine dressed man stepped aside with a respectful tip of his hat, the other stood there blocking her way. At first she thought he might be trying to impede her progress, but when she looked up at his face she saw that he was looking at her as if he had seen a ghost.

"Excuse me sir." She prompted, trying to get his attention.

The man almost jumped at her words, taking his hat off as he stepped aside.

"My apologies Ma'am, I was just taken aback by your loveliness." He answered, fumbling over his words in a manner that the other man had never seen Buck do.

Victoria nodded, flattered if not confused by his actions, as she took Daniel inside where Nathan and the others had gone.

Once she was inside, Buck turned to Chris who had just stepped up on the sidewalk and grabbed his coat sleeve and pulled him close as he whispered to him.

"Chris, did you see that girl? She looks exactly like……" He began, but Chris cut him off.

"I know Buck. I know." His voice a cross between a growl and a whisper, telling Buck that the subject was best left dropped.

But Mary Travis, who had been standing close enough to have heard Buck's excited whisper, looked at them with interest. She was a reporter, a profession that made her naturally curious for news. But the fact that this girl was making both Chris and Buck uneasy was enough to catch her interest on it's own. Something was definitely up, and Mary was determined to find out what it was. So when Buck and Chris too went inside the building, Mary followed.

Nathan and Beth had gone inside the small room where Michael lay on the table and closed the door, leaving Victoria, Daniel, Mary and the other three men out in the waiting room. Daniel had seen how weak his father had looked as they practically carried him in and he was now crying quietly in Victoria's arms as she rocked him back and forth.

"Don't worry Daniel, Mr. Jackson said that your Daddy would be just fine. He is a strong man and one little old bullet can't keep him down for long." She told him, pulling him back and wiping away the tears on his cheek.

"She is right, young man." Josiah agreed, coming over and kneeling down by them as he spoke to the boy. "Nathan there is a miracle worker when it comes to doctoring. In fact he patched me up not too long ago when I got shot and look at me now, as good as new." He gave the boy's hair a playful tussle.

"Then my Daddy isn't going to die?" He sniffed, trying to stop his tears.

"Of course not. He will be just fine." Victoria assured him.

"But you told me that your Mommy and Daddy died. If it happened to yours, who is to say it can't happen to mine?" His childish fears bringing back a new batch of tears.

Buck and Chris, who had been standing in the corner talking quietly, looked up at the boys question, waiting to hear what the girl had to say in response.

"Oh Daniel, that was a totally different circumstance. My parents were much older than your Daddy, and they died from cholera, not a gun shot. My parents got very sick and just couldn't get well, but your Daddy is strong and healthy. You just wait and see, he will be up and around in no time and you will all be on your way to your Uncle's ranch before you know it."

This seemed to make the boy feel better, but he still held on to Victoria tightly as she continued to rock him back and forth in her arms.

"Can I get you or the boy anything?" Mary asked, her heart going out to the lad. "Something to eat or drink perhaps?"

"Thank you, but I think he just needs some sleep. This has been one big day for him." Victoria told her, nodding her gratitude for the offer.

Chris, still over in the corner, took off his hat and ran his hands through his hair in frustration. His mind and heart kept telling him one thing, while all the evidence kept saying another. Who was this girl?

"I can't believe it, Chris." Buck said, keeping his voice low. "There is no way she can be anyone else, but how?" He looked from the girl then back to Chris. "It is like looking at a ghost or something, I just can't believe it."

"How do you think I feel?" Chris asked, his voice turning harsh again. He didn't need Buck to state the obvious for him.

"Man, I am sorry Chris. I can't imagine what you must be going through right now." Buck put his hand on his friend's shoulder in an apologetic gesture. "We will get to the bottom of this, I promise."

Chris nodded at his friend, seeing the sincere concern in his eyes. He then looked back over at the girl who resembled Christie so much, watching her as she continued to comfort the worried boy. But what he heard next almost caused his knees to buckle. Victoria began to hum a song softly to the boy as she rocked him, a tune that Chris knew as well as he knew his own name. Buck too recognized the song and his eyes grew as wide as saucers. This was too much for Chris, he had to get out of the room before he went mad. Pushing his way past Mary he threw open the door and hurried out. Buck followed after him, making his excuses and apologizing for Chris' abruptness before closing the door behind him.

"What was that all about?" Josiah asked, looking puzzled.

"I am not sure, but I intend on finding out." Mary answered. She turned to Victoria and gave her a friendly smile. "I will be back a little later, if you need anything, Josiah knows how to get a hold of me." And with that she headed after Chris.

Chris walked out on to the side walk and braced his arms against the railing as he took several deep breaths, trying to regain control. Buck came up behind him and put his hand on his shoulder, not knowing exactly what to say.

"That song, Buck. She knew that song." Chris said, turning his head to look at his friend. "How?"

"I don't know. There has to be some explanation though, some logical reason. Why don't we go back in and just ask her. No sense killing yourself over questions when all you need to do is ask." Buck suggested.

"No." Chris ordered, grabbing on to Buck's arm to get his full attention. "And don't you go asking either. I need some time to sort this through. She isn't going anywhere, and I need to work this out myself, is that clear?"

"Yeah Chris, I hear you. I won't butt in unless you want me to." Buck promised, nodding his understanding.

Just then JD and Ezra came up beside them as Mary exited the building.

"How is the guy doing?" JD asked.

"No word yet, but Nathan seemed hopeful when they went in." Buck explained, trying to act as calm as he could under the stressful situation.

"And the boy?" JD continued, looking at Mrs. Travis.

"He is shaken up, but that is understandable." She told JD, but her attention was focused on Chris who had turned back towards the street and was leaning on the railing.

"And how is the young lady? I mean is she all right too?" JD was trying his best to find out anything he could about this girl without seeming too obvious, and was failing miserably.

"JD, it is quite obvious that your interests have fallen upon that vision of loveliness, so you might as well just come out and ask." Ezra told the younger man with a humorous smile on his face. "It is quite natural for a lad such as yourself to be smitten when in the presence of such a lady."

"I am not smitten!" JD argued, his face turning red as he tried to deny it.

Mary watched as Chris seemed to stiffen at the mention of JD's apparent interest in Victoria.

"I was just being polite, showing some natural concern for her after such an ordeal." He hemmed and hawed a little before he looked over at Ezra questioningly. "But do you think she would agree to have dinner with me sometime, or would it be too soon to ask?"

Mary could tell that what JD had just said had been the wrong thing in the presence of Chris. For he spun around and crossed the sidewalk in two steps, taking JD by the collar and slamming him up against the wall behind him.

"You stay away from her, do you hear me. I don't even want to see you looking at her!" Chris said, his threatening tone causing JD's eyes to grow large with fear. Chris looked as if he were ready to kill JD, and he had no idea why.

"Chris, ease up. He was just talking, no harm done." Buck said, pulling Chris back as he let JD go. "Why don't you take a walk and get some fresh air, it will do you some good. Cool down a little."

Chris looked at Buck and then back to JD, who was still bug eyed and speechless. He then became aware of both Ezra and Mary staring at him in confusion and concern.

"Yeah, a walk." Chris said, more grateful for the intervention than the suggestion. He then looked back to JD, and tried to smile. "Sorry kid, I am just a little wound up right now." And then he turned and walked down the sidewalk.

"What did I say?" JD asked, his voice coming out as almost a squeak as he straightened his collar that Chris had just rumpled.

"Nothing kid. Chris is just a little keyed up after the hold up today. Don't mind him, he didn't mean it." Buck assured him, slapping him on the back with a smile.

"Why don't you and I proceed to the local establishment and procure ourselves some libations." Ezra suggested, putting his arm around JD's shoulder and steering him towards the street.

"Do what?" JD asked, never understanding Ezra's fancy talk.

"Get us a drink." Ezra explained in an exasperated tone.

The two of them went off, leaving Buck alone with Mary.

"What is going on Buck. I can see that something is eating at Chris and I know it has something to do with that girl in there. Tell me what it is." She pleaded.

"You are not getting anything out of me, Ma'am. I learned my lesson when it comes to Chris and his past the hard way. If you want to know the story, you best go ask him yourself." Buck said, holding up his hands in defense.

"But you admit that there is a story here." She prodded, her journalistic instinct coming out.

"Not one I would recommend you putting in your paper if you know what is good for you." Buck warned, his eyes deadly serious.

Just then Vin walked up, he had finished locking up the three prisoners and had just come from the Bank.

"How is he doing?" He asked. "Nathan say if he will be all right?"

"Not yet. But why don't you go inside and see if they need anything. I have an errand to take care of." Mary said, as she walked off in the direction Chris had gone.

"Where is she going?" Vin asked, knowing there was more going on than met the eye.

"Straight into a heap of trouble if she is not careful." Buck said, more to himself than to the now more confused Vin.

Mary climbed the stairs that led to Chris' room that he rented and knocked softly. When there was no answer after her second knock, she tried the knob and opened it slowly when it turned. She saw Chris sitting on the bed, his back to her as he looked at something he held in his hands. He apparently was lost in his thoughts for she was able to get all the way over to where he sat before he noticed her. He looked up suddenly, his eyes narrowing with anger.

"What are you doing here?" He almost growled, taking the object he had been looking at and laying it face down on the desk beside the bed.

"You seemed upset and I was worried about you." She told him, trying to sound calm in the face of his harsh tone.

"Well you needn't be." He said, turning away from her once more.

"But I am. And after the way you attacked JD back there, I know something is bothering you."

"I didn't mean to come down so hard on the boy. He didn't deserve it." Chris' voice was softened a little with regret.

"He was a little frightened by your actions, but I don't think he will hold it against you. He looks up to you Chris, you will have to do a lot worse than that to turn him against you." She assured him. "But I am more concerned by what is making you so upset. I am not blind Chris, I know is has something to do with Miss Ashford."

Chris turned back to look at her, his mouth open ready to deny it, but he found he couldn't. Instead he looked down at his hands.

"Did Buck tell you that?" He asked, wondering if his friend needed a refresher course in keeping his mouth shut.

"No, he said if I wanted to know what was going on I would have to ask you. And I know how closed mouthed you are about your past, how careful you are to keep your secrets close to you. But I honestly want to help you Chris, and I can't do that if you won't trust me. So I am asking you, as a friend, tell me what is bothering you." She came over and sat down on the bed beside him, her eyes pleading for understanding.

Chris was silent for a long time, his eyes closed as if trying to block out something painful. Then he turned and looked up at Mary, a sad and tired smile flashing across his face for the briefest second.

"I honestly don't have a clue myself and you expect me to try and explain it to you?" He gave a slight laugh and shook his head as he reached over and picked up the object he had been looking at earlier. He held it in his hand for a few seconds more before he was able to bring himself to hand it over to Mary.

Mary could tell that sharing this information was a tough thing for Chris to do, he had spent so many years keeping things bottled up inside him that it scared him to let anyone in. She felt truly privileged that he would trust her with something from his past and she was determined to be worthy of it. She looked down at the intricately designed iron picture frame that he had given her. Inside there was an old photograph that was a little faded and worn from much travel. She could tell immediately that the man standing in the back was Chris, though he looked much younger than he did now. But possibly not from the passing of time as much as the pain and cares that seemed to weigh so heavy on him now. But as Mary scanned the rest of the picture, her eyes passed over the child standing to one side and came to rest on the woman sitting in the chair. Her heart started to beat faster as her breath caught in her throat. For the woman seemed to be the very image of the Victoria Ashford. And yet it couldn't be, for from the looks of the picture it was taken some time ago and she would be much older by now. Mary looked from the photo back to Chris is confusion.

"I don't understand." Mary said, searching his eyes for answers.

"Join the club." He laughed sadly.

"So you know Victoria?"

"Know her?" He sounded as if it were the hardest question in the world. "I recognized her the instant she stepped off the stage coach. I knew exactly how she would sound even before she spoke. And when I close my eyes I have her image etched in my mind. But until today, I have never heard the name Victoria Ashford in my life."

"And yet, here you are in a picture with her, or someone who looks exactly like her. Who is this woman?" She asked, pointing to the lady in the chair.

"That is Alesha, my wife. And the little girl is my daughter Christine. Fifteen years ago they were both killed." The pain in his voice as he said this almost brought Mary to tears.

"How did they die?"

"I killed them. I put them on the stage coach, so sure that it was the best thing, the only way they would be safe. But instead my sending them away was what killed them." Chris clenched his fists against the guilt that had been eating away at him. "Lesha didn't want to go, and Christine begged me to go with them, and maybe if I had they might be alive today. But I wouldn't listen, I put them on the stage coach, it got robbed and they died."

"Chris you can't think like that. You had no control over what happened." Mary was quick to point out. "No more than I could have stopped my husband from getting killed. It was just something that happened, and punishing yourself with guilt will not bring them back."

"You sound like Buck." Chris said, remembering the words his friend has said so many years ago.

"Then he was right." And although Buck was one of the least serious men she had ever met, she was grateful that he had been there for Chris when he needed him. She had done enough digging in Chris' past to know that he was once the sheriff of Four Corners, long before it was even big enough to have a name. And she knew that Buck had been his friend even back then, and that he had lost his family in an accident, but what she didn't know was why. "Where were they going when the stage was robbed?"

"To visit her mother in Minnesota. But that was not the real reason for the trip. I decided that it was too dangerous for her and Christine in town because of some threats a man named Horace Fry was making then in order to get me to leave town. Well I was not going to let him scare me out of this town, so I sent them away instead thinking it would be safer that way. Can you believe it, I put them on that stage to protect them."

"The point is that you did what you thought was the best thing. You had no way of knowing. And who is to say that things wouldn't have turned out just the same if they had stayed." Mary pointed out.

"I guess I will never know. But when I got back from chasing down the man who had threatened them and learned that they had been killed, I would have traded my life for a second chance."

"I am sure you would have. I remember thinking the same thing myself when my husband was killed. You can tear yourself up inside with 'what-ifs' Chris. But they don't help."

"Buck and I came back into town figuring that all our troubles were over now that Horace was behind bars. But I will never forget the look on the crowds face when we rode up that day…….."

"Looks like something is going on up by the post office." Buck said, pointing to where a crowd had gathered.

"Well we don't have time to stop and hear the latest gossip." Chris told him as they rode up the street. "We have a prisoner that needs tending to."

But as they came up alongside the group they all turned and looked at the two men with such sad expressions that they were forced to stop. Chris remembered the sinking feeling that came over him as he looked at the faces of the townspeople. It was as if they were all staring directly at him.

"What is going on?" Buck asked.

One of the men stepped forward and looked up at Chris.

"I am so sorry to have to tell you this Chris. But something terrible has happened."

"What is it Ike?" Chris asked as he and Buck dismounted and walked over to where the man stood.

"We just got news that there was a stage coach hold up."

Chris could feel his heart begin to pound as fear gripped him like a vice.

"What stage coach?"

"The stage that left out of here last week. The one that your wife and kid were on. I am sorry, Chris. There were no survivors."

Chris felt as if everything around him was moving in slow motion, that he was somehow cut off from everyone else and standing alone.

"No, that can't be. They would be almost to Minnesota by now. It must be some other stage, it can't be them." He argued, wanting to punch Ike in the gut for such a cruel lie.

"There is no mistake Chris. This man over here," He signaled for a man Chris had never seen before to step forward. "he found the coach at the bottom of Razors Bluff where it had gone over. He described your wife and daughter exactly…… it was them."

Chris looked from Ike to the man beside him. Who was he to say it was Alesha and Christine? He had never seen them, how could he possibly say it was them.

"I wish I were wrong, Mister. I truly do. But I can only tell you what I saw. I came across the body of a man on the trail early yesterday morning, he had been shot. I later figured he was the driver of the coach, for after I buried him, I followed the tracks to where I saw the wreckage. There were bags and such flung everywhere, as if it had been searched through, so I figured that it had either been a robbery or someone had happened by afterwards and just picked through things. I also found two bodies. A woman and child. If it helps, I am sure they didn't suffer, it was quick and painless." The man looked as if he wished he were anywhere but facing this man before him.

"What did they look like, the woman and child?" Chris's voice was hardly above a whisper.

"The woman was in her mid twenties I would say, with blond hair and was wearing a flowered dress. The little girl was blond too, about five or six." The man reached into his jacket pocket and pulled out a cream colored shawl and unwrapped it for Chris to see. "The woman was wearing this."

Chris stared at the shawl, the one he had bought for Alesha a few years ago on their anniversary. It had been her favorite and she insisted on wearing it everywhere. But what the man showed him next left no doubt in his mind as to the fate of his family. For as he unwound the shawl, Chris saw the familiar rag doll named Molly that was Christine's most prized possession. He reached out and took the two items in his hands, touching them as gently as if they were made of glass.

"I gave them a proper burial, and made some markers for them out of the broken stage coach, but I didn't know what names to put on them. Again, I am very sorry Mr." The man turned away and faded back into the crowd.

"Chris……?" Buck started, his own voice heavy with emotion.

But there were no words that he wanted to hear right now, no offers of condolences, no words of wisdom to help him through. Instead he turned and jumped back on his horse and rode like hell out of the town.

He rode for eight hours straight, taking every shortcut he knew, every path a horse could go that a stage could not in order to get there sooner. He slowed down only enough to rest his horse for fear he would die beneath him if he didn't, until at last he was standing on top of Razor's Bluff. It took him a long time to muster the courage to look down, and when he did he wished he hadn't. For up till then he could deny it, convince himself that it was all a mistake. But as he saw the broken coach, the luggage scattered and blowing in the wind and the two dirt mounds at the bottom of the cliff, he had to accept that it was all true.

He didn't remember how he made his way down the cliff, he wouldn't have been surprised at all if someone told him he flew. But the next thing he knew he was kneeling between the two graves marked 'Lady' and 'Child'. He reached out and touched the fresh dirt on top, trying to make sense of it all. Less than a week ago he had been holding them in his arms, kissing his wife and laughing with them. Now he was alone. Why? Why?

"WHY!?" He cried out loud, not expecting an answer, or even believing there was one. He reached to his side and took out his pistol. He looked at it as he slowly turned it over and over in his hand. He then looked from one grave to the next then back at the gun. There was no reason for him to go on. No place he wanted to be other than lying beside them. Anything to end the pain he now felt. So lifting the gun to his head he closed his eyes and thought of Alesha and Christine.

But seconds before he pulled the trigger he felt the gun being knocked out of his hand as someone jumped forward, shoving him on his back to the ground.

"What the hell do you think you are doing?" Buck yelled, his face more full of fear than Chris had ever seen it.

"Stay out of this Buck, this does not concern you." Chris hollered back, reaching for the gun that lay a few feet away from him.

But Buck was on him in a second, getting Chris in a stranglehold from behind, refusing to let him get anywhere near his gun.

"I won't let you do this, I won't let your throw you life away."

"What life. I have no life without them." Chris cried, struggling against Buck with what little strength he had left. "Let me go, Buck. You don't understand."

"I understand that I loved them too. I understand that I will miss them every day of my life from now on, but I know I will go on. And so will you."

"I don't want to go on without them." Chris argued. "How can you expect me to try."

"Because that is what they would want you to do. You owe it to them to try, Chris, don't let the memeory of the love you had for them die along with them. They deserve better than that. The last thing Christine said was that she would be brave. Now you have to be brave too and go on."

Buck could feel the fight go out of Chris as he went limp and he released his grip from around his neck. Buck could feel the tears running down his own face as he sat there doing his best to comfort his grieving friend.

"Why,Buck? Why did they have to die?"

"Why…….? I have asked myself that question every day since, and I still have not come up with an answer." Chris said, shaking himself out of the past memory. "Buck and I rode back to town, not talking once. I turned in my badge, packed a few thing, told Buck to sell the place and left this town and all the memories behind me. I wanted to get as far away from here as I could, hoping it would help. It never did. So I came back, to see if I could end it once and for all."

"But all it has brought you is new pain" Mary deduced, wiping away the tears that had begun to fall during his story. "Victoria has stirred it all up again. But how could she look so much like you wife. It is uncanny."

"I know. I have gone over it and over it in my mind and still nothing makes sense. My wife and daughter died that day at the bottom of Razors Bluff. Yet today I see a girl who under any other circumstances I would have mistaken for my daughter Christine."

"Could the man have been lying to you? Could Christine still be alive?" She was grasping at straws she knew.

"I have thought of that. But what reason would he have had?"

"Then what if this is just a huge coincidence. It is possible that there is a person in the world that just looks like Christine. And why would she be calling herself Victoria Ashford if that was not her name. And she mentioned her parents, that they died of cholera. Why would she make that up?"

"I don't know." Chris answered, shaking his head. "But there is something else. That song she was humming to the little boy back there. That was the very song Alesha would sing to Christine every night before she would go to sleep. I would know it anywhere, Mary, it was the same song. How could she know it unless……." He left the rest unsaid, still unable to bring himself to somehow believe it.

"Well Chris, all I can say is that we are going to have to keep asking questions till we find out." She put her hand on his shoulder, letting him know that he was not in this alone.

"We?" He asked, looking up at her once again.

"I will do whatever I can to help you, but I won't interfere if you would rather I stay out of it." She promised.

"No, I would like it very much if you would help. You can get closer to her than I can, get her to tell you things she might not confide in anyone else."

"You can count on me, Chris." Mary assured him.

"I know I can."

Vin went inside the clinic, entering quietly, trying not to awaken the boy who now slept in Victoria's arms. She looked up and smiled at him as he walked over to where Josiah sat.

"What is going on?" Vin asked in a low voice.

"Nothing at the moment. Nathan is still in there. The little boy, Daniel finally fell asleep. Poor kid." Josiah informed him, shaking his head sadly.

"Yeah, it is tough to have to deal with the cruelty of life at such a young age." Vin agreed, his voice thick with compassion.

Josiah looked over at Vin's face and saw more there than just concern for the boy's situation. It was then that the ex-priest realized that he knew very little about the man beside him. They had rode, fought and drank together, having teamed up almost a month ago, but he didn't really know him. What had Vin lived through as a boy to make him feel a kinship with little Daniel?

Nathan came back inside the room just then, breaking both men out of their thoughts. They rose to their feet, anxious looks on their faces.

"He is going to be just fine." Nathan informed them in a satisfied tone as he dried his hands on a towel. "The bullet came out just fine and he isn't showing any signs of fever or infection. I would say he will be up and around in a day or two, possibly sooner."

"That is wonderful news." Victoria said, a wave of relief washing over her. "Could Daniel go in and see him, just for a minute, he has been so worried."

"Sure. I think the visit will do both of them a world of good." Nathan nodded.

Victoria gently shook the boy until his eyes came open and he sat up on her lap.

"Your Daddy is going to be just fine, Daniel. Would you like to go in and see him now?"

The smile that spread over his face was answer enough as he jumped to his feet and took Nathan's offered hand and followed him inside.

Mary came in just as the two of them left and looked at the three remaining in the room for news.

"He is going to be all right, Mrs. Travis." Josiah said with a nod.

"Thank goodness." Mary placed her hand over her heart and closed her eyes. She had seen too much death in this town to last her a life time, she was glad that Nathan had been able to pull this man through. "That is wonderful news."

"Yes it is." Victoria agreed, giving a deep sigh. "But they were supposed to catch the train in Bitter Creek tomorrow and meet up with his brother the day after. Would it be possible for me to wire his brother somehow and tell him of their delay?"

"You can do that at the post office tomorrow morning." Mary assured her. She then tried to word her next question carefully so as not to arouse suspicion. "And will you be catching the train with them, or are you headed for other parts, Miss Ashford?"

"Please call me Victoria. Only my students call me Miss Ashford." She laughed.

"Your students?" Mary questioned. "Are you a teacher?"

"Yes. I came west to teach, but as of yet I do not have an assigned position. I had planned on doing some traveling around these parts before I settled down and resumed teaching again. But after today, I am beginning to miss the safety of the class room."

"I don't blame you, Victoria. After what you have been through I am surprised that you aren't thinking of packing up and heading back to…… where did you say you came from?" Mary asked, knowing very well that she had never said.

"Decatur, Illinois. My father was a banker there until he and my mother died not long ago. After that I packed up and headed out west in search of adventure, but I have to say that this was not quite what I had in mind." She laughed good naturedly.

"Well if this town has not made too bad of an impression on you, perhaps we might be able to persuade you to stay a while." Mary asked hopefully. "Our town is in desperate need of a teacher, but there have not been any willing to come out this far to a still growing town. And though I can not speak for the entire town, we might be able to offer you a position here. You just might be the answer to our prayers, Victoria." And she hoped she was the answer to Chris' prayers as well.

"I assure you that I harbor no ill feelings for this town, or its residents." Victoria told Mary, but her eyes were on Vin when she said it. "And since I have no immediate plans, I would be more than happy to remain here until we have had more time to discuss the matter."

"Wonderful. It is settled then." Mary was very pleased with the way she had maneuvered Victoria into staying on so that they could get to the bottom of this mystery. But she had to admit that the prospect of gaining a teacher for the town excited her just as much. She had been very reluctant to send her son Billy back to his Grandfather's

but she knew the boy needed an education. With a teacher in Four Corners, she would be able to have Billy come back and live with her again permanently.

Nathan returned to the room once again, his face still showing everything was fine inside.

"I am going to set up some extra cots in there for Daniel and his mother so they can stay together. But I am afraid the only place left here for you Miss Ashford would be the bench, and I assure you that it is more uncomfortable than it looks, and it looks pretty hard." Nathan apologized. "But I am sure we could get you a very nice room at the hotel across the way."

"Nonsense Nathan. Victoria can stay with me." Again, Mary marveled at her quick thinking. "I have the room and I would very much enjoy the company. It has been a long time since I had anyone to share girl talk with."

"I would hate to impose." Victoria objected.

"No imposition at all, I assure you. In fact my feelings will be hurt if you don't."

"Well I certainly don't want to offend anyone, especially on my first day in your town." Victoria laughed. "So I accept your generous offer."

"Wonderful." She then turned to Josiah and Vin. "Would the two of you be so kind as to fetch the luggage from the stables. The coach driver said he would keep it there, and I am sure that these people would appreciate some of their belongings as much as Victoria would. You can drop hers off at my place, we will meet you there."

The two men nodded to the ladies as they filed out of the room on their mission.

Victoria walked over and retrieved her shawl from the bench and then stopped in front of Nathan.

"Thank you Mr. Jackson for what you did for Michael. They are good folks and they surely didn't deserve all this. You are indeed a miracle man." She told him, taking his hand and giving it a squeeze.

Nathan felt a warm blush of embarrassment come over him at her praise. He was not used to people being so kind to him, especially pretty ladies. There were still a lot of people in the town who saw him only as a black man, and not as a man. He could save the life of every man, woman and child in the town twice over and still be met with prejudice. But that was the way things were, the way things have always been. Still, with the light of acceptance and appreciation shining in Victoria's eye, Nathan dared to believe things might someday change.

"Good night, Nathan." Mary said, noticing how this young girl seemed to have a disarming effect on all men she met. "I will come by with some breakfast in the morning for you and your patients. Sleep well, you deserve it." And with a wave, the two women departed.

They made their way to Mary's newspaper office and went inside.

"I run The Clarion, the town's newspaper." Mary explained, seeing the look of confusion on Victoria's face as they entered. "There are rooms attached behind the office and some storage rooms up above. It isn't much, but it is home for now." She led her new guest to the back and lit a few lanterns so that she could get a look around.

The first room was a very cheery looking parlor, complete with a fireplace and a small spinet in the corner. She then led Victoria to the bed room where she would be staying, bringing one of the lanterns with her to illuminate the room.

"This is my son Billy's room, but he is in Boston with his grandparents right now, so it is all yours." Mary walked over and began to rearrange some of the drawers to give her some room for her things. "He took most of his stuff with him, so there should be plenty of room for your clothes."

"Thank you, this will be just fine." Victoria told her. "Are you sure you don't mind putting me up. I could just as easily go to the hotel."

"Do not give it another thought. I will enjoy having you here, please be assured." She told her, leading her back out the bedroom door towards the kitchen. "Would you like a cup of tea before you turn in?"

"That sounds heavenly."

"And come to think of it, I am sure you must be hungry as well. When was the last time you ate something?"

"We had lunch around noon at one of the rest stops before the coach got held up." Victoria said, thinking back.

"Well that will not do at all. You can't go to sleep on an empty stomach." Mary began to pull items from the cupboards.

"Please do not go to a lot of trouble. My nerves have my stomach in such knots still that I couldn't eat much." She held up her hands in polite protest.

"At least a biscuit then with your tea. Then by morning you should have your appetite back." Mary nodded, setting the kettle on to boil.

A knock on the back door alerted them to the arrival of Victoria's luggage and they hurried to answer it. Vin stood there with three bags balanced firmly in his arms as Mary stepped aside to allow him in. He put one of them down, freeing his hand so that he could remove his hat.

"Where would you like them, Miss Ashford?" He asked.

"If you would set them inside the room over there I would appreciate it, Mr. Tanner. And back at the clinic I asked to be called Victoria, and I did mean everyone."

"It would be my pleasure, Miss Victoria." Vin was honored to be on such familiar terms with this beautiful lady, but his manners refused to let him go too far. "And in turn, my name is Vin."

"Well thank you, Vin, for getting my bags. I am sure that you have better things to do with your time than play bell hop for me."

"I can't think of a nicer job." He contradicted, giving her a winning smile.

"Then for the second time today I am in your debt." Victoria laughed, leading the way to the room.

The tea kettle began to whistle and Mary went back into the kitchen to tend to it as the two went to put the luggage away.

"You sure didn't bring much with you for a person planning on doing a lot of traveling." Vin told her, remembering the amount of bags the last lady had who got off the stage in Four Corners. He laid the three small leather cases on the bed.

"The less I bring the less I will have to lug from place to place." She reasoned.

"Besides, what does one really need to get by? The true treasures we keep in our hearts and in our memories, and they never need to be packed up or unpacked."

They stood there looking at each other for a few seconds before Vin began to shuffle uncomfortably. He looked down at his hat, still in his hands, and gave her a nervous smile.

"I best be going and I am sure you would like to get some sleep after today. What you did was very brave, crawling out onto the stage like that." He complimented as he walked back out to the door.

"Foolish was more like it, and it didn't do a lot of good. If you had not come along, I never would have been able to reach the reins and stop the horses."

"But at least you tried. Not too many women would have had the nerve." He shook his head and gave a slight laugh. "Not many men either for that matter." Vin put his hat back on and pulled the brim down quickly as a sign of respect. "Good night, Miss Victoria. I hope our town will look more appealing to you in the morning." And with another nod towards Mrs. Travis who was standing in the kitchen door, he left.

Victoria went over to the window, pulling aside the curtains as she watched him walk down the street.

"Not to worry, Mr. Tanner. I find certain aspects of this town quite appealing already." She said quietly to herself as he disappeared from view.

Her thoughts were broken as Mary called from the other room, telling her that the biscuits would take a few more minutes to heat up and suggested that Victoria do a little unpacking and get ready for bed until then. So she headed back in the room and began to put some of her things away in the drawers Mary had emptied.

She had just slipped into her nightgown and was brushing her hair when Mary knocked on the door. She entered carrying a tray of biscuits, some jam and the tea. But as she set it on the night stand she noticed the vivid mark just above Victoria's right ear as she brushed her hair to one side.

"That is a nasty looking scar." She said, sitting in the chair facing the bed and began to pour the tea.

"I know, and I am glad it is far enough up into my hair line to hide it, unless I wear my hair up." Victoria agreed, accepting the cup she offered.

"How did you get it, if you don't mind my prying. It is my reporter's instincts coming out I am afraid."

"I don't consider it prying at all. But I am afraid I am not very newsworthy, a very plain Jane to be sure. And as for the scar, I can't remember how I got it. I just know I have always had it." Victoria changed the subject after that by telling Mary what fine tea she had made.

"And are these your parents?" Mary asked, picking up the picture frame that she had placed on the night stand by the bed.

"Yes. It was taken only a few months before they died, before the cholera hit our town." She said quietly, looking sadly at the picture.

"I am so sorry, Victoria. I know how hard it is to lose loved ones so suddenly like that." She remembered how hard it had been when her husband had died.

"I arrived home in time to say goodbye, but it was still a shock. I had been away in the next town on my first teaching assignment when the epidemic started. They had not contacted me at first, for fear I would rush home and become infected as well. I only learned of it when word was sent to neighboring towns that they needed medical assistance. And even then I was not allowed back in the town until they felt that there was no more danger of anyone being contagious. But it had just been too much on them, it had weakened them beyond recovery and there was nothing anyone could do."

"Did you have any other family to be with you through it all?" Mary asked, putting her hand comfortingly on Victoria's.

"No. It had always been just the three of us. You see my parents wanted a very large family when they got married, but after twenty years had passed with no children they had pretty much given up hope. I was a late gift in life they said, and so I never had any brother's or sisters. I have a couple distant relatives scattered here and there, but I could count the times I have seen them on one hand, so I wouldn't call us close." She sat up straight, as if pushing the memories back down where they belonged. "But they left me with a small adventure fund, as they called it, and told me to take some time to explore my options before I settled down. It was their final wish, so here I am."

"And I for one, am very pleased that you are. I can't tell you how many letters I have mailed out to prospective teachers only to be told that no one wanted to brave the frontier to teach for us. But I plan on holding on to you with both hands. I don't intend on letting the one teacher to pass through these parts in ages slip away without a fight." Mary laughed, more serious than not.

"Well you needn't have to bolt the doors to keep me in. I have no intentions of leaving at the present time. My parents told me to explore my options, and that is just what I see here in this town. Options."

"I am glad, most people see trouble. But we are working on changing that. And Mr. Larabee and his friends have gotten us off to a good start."

"Are they lawmen then?" She asked, eating one of the biscuits.

"Not exactly." Mary said, a humorous smile coming to her face. "My father-in-law is the Circuit Judge and he hired them to look after the town and keep the peace until he came back around on his next trip. Until then we didn't have much law and order and things were getting pretty bad. But now that they have become a known fixture around here, people have began to have hopes of a civilized town."

"Well I find that very admirable. I know that we would have been in serious trouble had Mr. Larabee and the others not come by when they did." Victoria nodded.

"But does he ever smile? Ever since we met, I don't think he has done anything but frown, where as the other men I've met seem very easy going and pleasant. Not to imply that I think Mr. Larabee is unpleasant, just very ……serious."

"That is just the way Chris is. But once you get to know him you will see that he is a very kind man." Mary was quick to point out his good qualities. "He has a bigger heart than a lot of men I have ever known, he is just very careful as to who he lets see it."

"I can understand that. If you don't let too many people in, you lessen your chances of getting hurt. But you miss out on a lot of joy that way too."

Mary looked at the young girl with curious eyes. She had an insight beyond her tender years, something that would serve her well throughout her life.

"Enough of this deep talk for tonight, I should let you get some sleep." Mary got to her feet and took the now empty tray with her to the door. "Good night Victoria."

"Good night Mary, and thank you again for putting me up."

And with a nod she left the room.

Vin made his way up to Chris' room and knocked on the door. When it was yanked opened, Vin could immediately see from the tired expression and deep set of his brows that something was bothering Chris. But theirs was a friendship based on mutual respect and knowing when not to pry into matters they didn't want to discuss, so he didn't ask.

"I thought I would find out what you wanted to do about the men in the jail before I turned in." Vin said, stepping inside.

"Not much to do with them till the judge gets back." Chris shrugged, sitting down at the small table in his room and pouring Vin a drink of what he had been having.

"Set up a watch on the jail with the guys and just make sure they stay put." He lifted a full shot glass up to his lips and downed it in one gulp. "What is the word on the wounded guy?"

"He will be all right, Nathan fixed him up like he usually does." Vin said, admiration for his friend showing in his voice. "He had the family staying at the clinic tonight and Mrs. Travis put Miss Ashford up at her place."

Chris raised an eyebrow as a smile teased at the corner of his lips.

"Oh she did, did she?" He thought, she was taking her job as spy seriously.

"I just dropped her luggage off at her place and the two of them seemed to be getting along pretty well."

Chris was quiet for a while, staring at his drink in front of him lost in thought. Vin sipped at the glass Chris had handed him and watched his somber friend. After a few minutes Vin finished the rest of it and sat the glass down, the sound of it hitting the table startling Chris out of his trance.

"Well I best go find where everyone else has gone and see who will be taking first watch." He rose to his feet and made it to the door before Chris stopped him.

"Vin." He called, not looking up at him, but keeping his eyes aimed straight ahead. "Thanks."

Vin just nodded, knowing exactly what he meant. It was an unspoken sort of language, one who's meaning was conveyed more in the tone of the voice than words. Something was bothering Chris, and this was his way of telling Vin thanks for not interfering while still showing his support.

After Vin had left Chris took the bottle of whiskey and headed over to the bed. If he was going to drink till he passed out, he might as well do it in a comfortable spot.

Four Corners Chronicle

'Wanted' page