Out of the Past by Marianne

PART 1

Josiah Sanchez sat on the roof of the church and worked away on the chimney. It wasn't quite in shape. Well that was being optimistic. To quote Ezra 'it was in a sorry and absolute state of degradation and was deteriorating with a most prolific haste'. Translation it was falling apart and fast.

Josiah's only option was to take it apart brick by brick and rebuild it.

He was in the middle of this task when he looked up and several horses riding towards town. They were still a distance off and only visible from his lofty perch so Josiah stopped his work to watch them.

He couldn't tell if they were dangerous or not at that point but he wasn't going to ignore them and go back to work, lest they turn out to actually be dangerous.

"Hey Josiah, Whatcha'll looking at up there?" Nathan Jackson's voice called out from below.

"I'm not sure." Josiah said absently.

Nathan's head popped up over the the edge of the roof where Josiah had left his ladder. "What'd ya mean?" He questioned climbing up to sit next to him. "Your birds trying to tell you something?"

Josiah half-smiled. "No my friend, not yet. But there is a sign on the horizon." He said and pointed at the group of riders.

"Hmm, now who do you s'pose that is?" Nathan questioned squinting, trying to discern any of the riders features.

"I don't know as of yet." Josiah said calmly. "But I expect we'll find out shortly."

Vin Tanner leaned against the wall of the sheriff's office and watched the town. He almost laughed aloud when he saw some of the townsfolk shoot him suspicious looks. The Seven had been in Four Corners for over a month now but the residents of the town were still wary of them. Well, some of them, Vin amended. There were no shortage of suckers for Ezra to swindle, and definetly no shortage of women for Buck to seduce. But for the majority of the group were still considered outsiders and treated like it.

Not that Vin especially cared. He had all the friends he needed in the men he rode with. Which were more friends then he'd had in a while. Bounty hunters weren't exactly the buddy-buddy type. That meant more ways to split the bounty and that wasn't good. Which was probably why none of the bounty hunters Vin had known in his career as one, had tried to help him clear his name. None had even offered. Although Vin hadn't stuck around long enough for them to.

Not like Chris. Of the seven Chris was probably Vin's best friend. They had a natural rapport. Most folks would think that they'd been friends for years like Chris and Buck, than only for a little over a month. Or really just shy of two months. They just blended naturally. There was no hesitation in Chris' acceptance of Vin and there was no hesitation in Vin's acceptance of Chris. What was the past was the past and neither one would dredge up the other's past. They waited until the other did. It was their way. The silence that sometimes existed betwen them wasn't strained. It was companionable. They trusted each other. And trust didn't need words.

"Hey VIN!" JD Dunne yelled walking up.

Vin winced slightly. JD was an enthusiastic young man. To say the least, but he was also a capable young man. He'd proved that more than once. He didn't hesitate in a gunfight. Not when one of his friends was in danger. And that loyalty was something that made Vin respect the younger man. And Vin didn't give his respect easily. It had to be earned. "Mornin' JD." He drawled adjusting his stance slightly.

"Josiah said there's some riders headed this way." JD reported gesturing to where Josiah and Nathan were perched atop of the church roof.

"That so?" Buck Wilmington spoke walking up to claim the chair next to the door.

"Mornin' Buck. Didn't expect you up so early." Vin commented to their resident ladies man. "Blossom's fella show up?"

Buck grinned." He does tend to pop in during the most inopportune times."

Vin nodded. Blossom was a lady of who's company Buck was a frequent partaker. Problem was she not a single lady and the other man in her life had the, in Buck's mind, most irritating habit of showing up just when things were starting to get interesting.

"Should we go tell Chris about the riders?" JD asked twirling a gun.

"STOP THAT!" Buck snapped irritably. "One of these days you're gonna drop that gun and shoot your foot off! Or worse!"

Vin shook his head. Buck was forever yelling at JD for something.

Josiah had once likened it to a mother hen and an errant member of her brood. And Vin had to admit, the analogy was pretty much right on.

"Yeah JD, go ahead." Vin spoke softly. Not bothering to raise his tone. He knew JD would understand what he'd said.

JD nodded and, putting his gun away under Buck's watchful glare, stepped down into the street and walked towards the hotel where Chris was staying.

Josiah climbed down the ladder to go inside the church. He'd been mixing some mortar inside and he needed it.

When he walked inside the church he bent over the mortar to pour some into a small bucket so that he could take it up onto the roof. As he did so he heard the almost imperceptable sound of a shoe scraping the wooden floor.

Instantly he spun, gun coming out of it's holster, pointing in the direction of the sound.

"Easy Josiah, it's me." A soft husky voice. A familiar voice.

"Al??" He questioned head tilting to oneside.

"Yeah."

When the group of riders rode into town they headed immediately for the sheriff's office where they were greeted by six of the seven.

"Gentlemen," Chris Larabee the leader of the group, stepped forward and looked up at the lead rider. "Is there something we can do for you?"

"You Chris Larabee?" The leader demanded.

Chris sized up the man before answering. He was as tall as Buck but built like Josiah. Not good. "Yeah,"

"We hear you and your boys are the law herebouts."

Chris nodded. "I suppose we are."

"Well we're looking for a murderer. A woman. You seen her?"

"Ain't that many women around here to see." Vin commented casually from where he leaned against a post.

"Yeah well this one is hard to miss. A breed. Dresses like a man. Calls herself a doctor."

Nathan and Chris shared a look. Somehow this story was starting to sound familiar.

"What'd she do?" Chris asked casually.

"Kilt m'brother," One of the other riders spoke up. He was a scrawny thing. With unkempt hair and, by the expression on Vin's face, breath bad enough to kill a man.

"How?" Josiah spoke from behind them. His face unreadable, the preacher turned gunslinger walked over to stand next to Chris.

"She let him die." The leader spoke again.

Nathan frowned. Yep, this story was definetly starting to sound familiar.

By the look in Chris' eyes he thought the same thing. "Well I haven't seen any woman like that. How 'bout you Josiah?"

"Nope." Was all the man said.

"Well we're gonna head out to the next town. We'll check back in a couple of days."

The men turned their horses away and rode out of town at a full gallop.

Chris looked over at Josiah. "You know who they were talking about don't you?" He said, it was a question but it was a question he already knew the answer to.

"Yep." Josiah said calmly and started walking towards the church.

Without hesitation the others followed.

Josiah opened the door to the church. "Al?" He called stepping inside. The rest of the men crowded in behind him and shut the door.

At first the church appeared empty but then there was a noise towards the front and someone stood up from behind the pulpit.

Behind him Vin heard Buck sigh with pleasure and at that moment Vin had to agree with his friend.

A petite young woman walked down to meet them.

Long dark brown hair hung down over her shoulders reaching nearly to her waist, wide dark brown eyes flicked warily over the men. Delicate features were drawn and pinched as if she were very worried.

Her tiny body was curvy and the deerskin jacket and matching pants did nothing to hide the curves. Around her waist was a gunbelt and her hand rested on the gun in the holster.

"Relax Ally, they're my friends." Josiah said calmly and glanced over his shoulder to make sure none of the men looked in anyway threatening. "The gang's gone."

Ally relaxed slightly and moved her hand away from her gun.

"Gentlemen this is an old friend of mine. Ally Dusalle. Ally this is Chris Larabee, JD Dunne, Ezra Standish, Nathan Jackson, Vin Tanner and Buck Wilmington."

Buck stepped forward. "Ma'am, might I say that it is a honor for a woman of your exquisite beauty to grace our sorry excuse for a town."

Ally shot him an amused look then looked over at Josiah. "Are you sure he's a friend of yours?" She questioned softly. Her husky voice drawing the attention of every man with sudden swiftness.

Josiah nodded.

"Ma'am..." Chris began only to be cut off.

"Ally." She said firmly.

Chris nodded. "Ally...you mind explaining to us what those men were doing, looking for you?"

"I suppose it wouldn't be possible for us to discuss this over a drink?" Ally said casually.

Chris grinned. He liked this woman. She didn't hide behind pretentions. She was honest and up front. "I think we could arrange something."

Ten minutes later they were sitting around a table in the saloon. Ally was nursing a glass of scotch. And the rest of them were all working on drinks of their own.

"So, Ally, where'd you meet our resident expert on all things of the more spiritual side of life?" Ezra inquired leaning back in his chair.

"Josiah spent several years studying with the shaman of my grandfather's tribe." Ally responded.

"And your grandfather is?" Buck asked staring into her eyes intently.

Ally rolled her eyes at his attention. But it was Josiah who answered his question.

"Grey Wolf."

Vin sat up in suprise. Grey Wolf was a Cheyenne chief who was famous for both his treaties with many powerful nations but his refusal to comply completely with the army's orders to stay on a reservation. If Grey Wolf wanted to take his tribe somewhere he did it. The army would rarely try and make trouble. Grey Wolf was an influential chief. One with a lot of allies. He kept close ties with some very powerful people in Washington. People who protected the tribe.

"Your grandfather is Grey Wolf?" Chris looked suprised.

Ally nodded. "Yep." She said simply. She offered no more information and the seven knew better than to ask.

"Getting back to the problem at hand..."Josiah leaned forward. "Mind telling us what all this is about, Ally?"

The young woman sighed softly. "A couple of weeks ago I treated a young man for a bullet wound to the chest." She frowned. "He was dyin' that much was obvious. There was nothing I could do to prevent it. All I could do was make it less painful. He understood that. Tried to tell his brother. Not that the fool would listen. No, it was much easier for him to blame me. Afterall I'm a woman and half-Cheyenne. And in his opinion there ain't no women doctors. Much less half-breed women. So they tried to kill me." She laughed softly. "Problem is they waited till they were to drunk to stand to try it. I could've shot every single one of them. But I knew better. They were white. I'm not entirely. I would've hung for it. And I'm in no hurry to die. So I decided to leave. I'd been planning to move on anyway. So I left."

"But they followed." Chris put in.

"Yeah, they followed." Ally said flatly.

"Well..." Ezra trailed off. "It would appear my dear, that you have landed yourself in quite the predicament."

"I suppose." Ally nodded, eyeing the southerner with suspicion. "And let me guess.." She continued after a moment's thought. "for a small fee you will be my bodyguard as it were."

"And what a body to guard." Buck murmured under his breath and was promptly rewarded by a sharp boot to the shin. "OUCH!!!" He yelped and glared across the table at Vin who leaned back in his chair and finished off his whiskey.

"Somethin' wrong Buck?" Chris inquired casually looking over at the man who was rubbing his leg under the table. His tone may have been casual but the look he shot his old friend was a definite warning.

"No nothin'" Buck responded standing. "I'm gonna get another drink."

Ally seemed unaware of the true meaning of their conversation but Ezra wasn't placing any bets on what was going on behind her unreadable expression. The southerner had to admit. She'd caught on to him pretty quickly and he certainly wouldn't be sitting down to a 'friendly' game of poker anytime soon.

"Doctor," Nathan spoke up.

"Like I said Nathan, it's Ally. I may have a medical degree but I never really did my internship."

"Why not?" JD inquired.

Ally smiled tolerantly at the younger man. She had a beautiful smile Vin noted. It seemed like her whole face came alive. "Simple JD, there ain't many hospitals that'll hire someone of my...'questionable' background."

"Fancy way of saying they don't hire half-breeds." Chris said flatly.

Ally nodded. "That'd be about it. Women they'll reluctantly hire. But only when they have to. A woman who happens to be half-Cheyenne? Forget it. I was lucky they even looked at my application." She shrugged. "It's not like I would have stayed there long anyway. To civilized for my tastes. I prefer somewhere that isn't crowded and you can breath."

Each man nodded. They could understand that. Chris, himself, had expressed the very same sentiment several times and it was a common thread amongst the seven. They didn't like civilization and civilization wasn't to fond of them. The west was somewhere a person's past was their own business and few would question that.

"So now what?" JD spoke up again. "We can't let these guys kill her."

"Never said we would." Chris responded calmly.

"So what are we going to do?" JD pressed.

"Same thing we always do..." Vin interrupted. "Fight."

"I can handle myself." Ally interrupted.

"Against twenty men?" Buck interrupted. "Lady, you may be good but there ain't no way in hell you can take down twenty men at once!"

"Al, he's right." Josiah spoke calmly and insistantly. "You're good but you aren't a miracle worker."

Ally smiled softly and eyed her empty glass. "No old friend, that's your department." She stood. "Well I guess I have no choice but to ask your help once again Josiah."

"And if you ask Josiah, you ask all of us." Nathan said calmly, standing to face her.

Ally's smile widened. "How can I say no then?"

"Good. Now I'd like to discuss something with you." Nathan continued. "A business proposition."

Ezra's ears perked up. "A business proposition?" He drawled.

"Not your kind of business proposition." Nathan said impatiently.

Before he could speak again Ally had turned to Buck.

"And certainly not your kind." She said with a warning look.

The rest of the group had to hide smiles at Buck's astonished look. "Wha....I...I....I wasn't...." He stammered as Ally turned back to Nathan.

"I'm listening." She said walking around the table to stand before him."However I have to check on Black, so if you'll join me..."

"Of course." Nathan smiled and followed her out of the saloon.

When they'd left Buck turned to Chris. "I wasn't thinkin' anything...."

Chris smiled wryly. "Sure you weren't Buck...."

Buck looked over at JD. "I wasn't!" He protested.

JD nodded tolerantly. "Yeah sure you weren't Buck." He laughed. "We all saw you. You haven't been able to take your eyes off her ever since you first saw her."

"She's not your kind of woman." Vin spoke up.

"Whaddya mean?" JD questioned. "She's breathin' and she walks all right."

The men laughed as they rose from the table and walked out leaving Buck sitting at the table. "All right...So maybe I was." He admitted finally. "But she sure is a pretty little thing."

Unfortunately there was no one there to listen.

Nathan showed Ally around the town then showed her his medical supplies and then explained his proposition.

Ally listened to him then considered his offer. She was hesitant. Afterall it did mean settling down. Something she wasn't really used to. She'd only stayed in Holland Creek for as long as she did because of an epidemic in a nearby Seminole camp. They'd asked for her help and she'd given it. That was the way of her grandfather's tribe and the neighboring tribes knew it. Grey Wolf offered help knowing that someday it would be repaid, not that he did it for the reward. It was just something he considered right. Something Ally considered right.

Nathan left Ally to herself for awhile to let her think. He knew that what he was asking was not a request she normally would get from anyone except maybe a tribe. He knew that despite the fact he was black he was still an outsider. It was not something the Cheyenne woman was used to....being asked for her help, especially from anyone who wasn't indian.

He was in the saloon when Ally strode in. Her eyes full of determination. She'd made a decision that was for sure. And there was no way she would be talked out of it. She strode up to the bar. Got a drink and turned to face him.

Nathan felt suddenly nervous. What if she said no and left? Josiah wouldn't be pleased to see his old friend suddenly up and leave. Especially when her life was in danger.

Ally looked at him quietly for a moment. "Well, Nathan..." She paused for a moment. Letting his nervousness build. Then a mischevious glint crept into her eyes and she held out a hand.

A huge smile broke out over his face. "Does this mean what I think it means?" He said shaking the proffered hand.

Ally laughed softly. "Yep. You gotta deal."

"What manner of deal would you two physicians be speaking of?" Ezra said curiously as he walked up.

Ally couldn't help smile. "Do you ever quit?" She asked shaking head obviously not expecting an answer.

"Nope." Josiah said leaning against the bar and finishing his drink. "But I am curious. What kind of deal?"

"I asked Ally to stay on awhile in town. I could use the help." Nathan explained.

"What a minute," Buck interrupted. "You're going to be helping Nathan?"

Ally nodded.

"She knows a few things about medicine I don't. Afterall she's had the proper training."

Ally let out an unladylike snort. "All the good it did me. There aren't many people who'll let themselves be treated by a woman."

Buck smiled his most charming smile at the beautiful Cheyenne."Now that has to be a crime. To be shunned in your profession simply because you happen to be a member of the fairer sex. Especially fairer in your case."

Ally rolled her eyes and tossed back her drink without flinching. "Let me guess," She said turning to Josiah. "He dosen't quit either?"

Josiah grinned and again said," Nope."

Ally shook her head and left the saloon muttering something about. "A scoundrel and a cheater...what the hell am I getting myself into?"

Buck watched her go. "I'm not sure which side of her is better to look at. The front or the back. She is...without a doubt....one of the most beautiful women I've ever seen."

"Yeah," JD spoke up. "But is that because she's gorgeous or because she has absolutely no interest in you whatsoever?"

Buck glared at the younger man. "Boy, one of these days I'm a gonna take that little top hat of yours and yank it clear down to your chin."

"It's a bowler hat," JD clarified. "And I'd love to see you try."

Buck frowned. "C'mere then. I'll try it right now..."

Nathan was about to intervene when a gunshot sounded from in the street. Then a scream.

"Sounds like Mrs.Travis!" JD said worriedly as the men rushed out into the street. "Someone's shooting at her!"

They stopped in their tracks when they saw Mary Travis standing in the street with a rifle shooting at a hawk that was flying away from her.

She was about to fire again when a bullet thudded into the ground right between her feet.

"What the hell do you think you're doing he'e?" Ally yelled running into the street, gun drawn.

"Excuse me!" Mary lowered the rifle and glared at the beautiful Cheyenne. Her glare turned venemous when Chris Larabee stepped up behind Ally. "What did you just call me?"

Josiah leaned against a post. "Forgive me Al, my Cheyenne's a little rusty. But I think, Mrs.Travis that Ally called you a woman."

"Mr.Sanchez, your friend just shot at me!" Mary snapped angrily.

"Well ma'am," Ally said through clenched teeth. "You were shooting at a friend of mine!"

"Excuse me?" Mary said again. "That was a..."

Ally ignored her. Instead she pulled a gauntlet off of her belt and pulled it on. "Aenohe!" She called softly.

"Aenohe?" Vin questioned.

"It means hawk." Josiah clarified.

With an indignant scream the hawk flew onto Ally's glove and she stroked it's feathers speaking softly to it in Cheyenne.

"Now, Mrs.Travis is it? Please explain to me why you were shooting at Aenohe." Ally said firmly.

"Anahe," Mary began.

"*Aenohe*," Ally corrected firmly.

"Aenohe, attacked me." Mary snapped.

"Mrs.Travis, Aenohe had no reason to attack you. You're a little bigger than the things he normally attacks." Ally said calmly.

"Well nevertheless he did attack me." Mrs.Travis clarified.

Suddenly Aenohe launched himself from Ally's hand and swooped down to snatch up a mouse that had wandered out of the Clarion's front door. The hawk then took his prize into the stable hayloft.

Ally watched him go and nodded. "He was attacking." She agreed.

Mary nodded, looking smug.

"But..." Ally wasn't done yet. "He was after that mouse not you. You just happened to walk out the door after it. The mouse probably ran back inside while you were going for the nearest rifle."

Mary looked past Ally into Chris' face. He was nodding. "Sounds reasonable." He agreed.

Mrs.Travis looked around and noticed that most of the Seven were nodding. At least the ones that understood the situation. "Well then, if that is the case," She said reluctantly. "Then I apologize. But please keep an eye on your hawk." She said and turned on her heel and walked back inside the Clarion office.

"E'kome'hahe'e." Ally muttered.

Vin looked over at Josiah for a translation. The tall man was laughing.

"What?" Buck said looking curious.

"Ally, that was mean." Josiah said still chuckling.

"She deserved it." Ally countered.

"What'd she say?" Chris questioned Josiah.

"E'kome'hahe'e. It means Oily voice woman." Josiah chucked."It seems Ally isn't to fond of Mrs.Travis."

"Hey! Behave yourself Ma'xehetane!" Ally said with a teasing grin.

"Ma'xeha-WHat?" JD questioned.

"Ma'xehetane," Ally repeated. "It means BigMan. It was the name Josiah was given when he came to my tribe. Well the one we used the most anyway."

"There were more?" Buck said with a grin. "Tell us a few."

"Yes, Doctor, enlighten us." Ezra said with a sly smile.

"Mo'e'ha...Magpie...Mo'ohno'kaestse...Lone Elk, Moma'xehahtahe...Big Foot, Nahkohe...Bear, Nahkoxhaaestse...Brave bear, Nestonevahtsestse ...Noisy walker... Names like that." Ally grinned at the men's obvious amusement and Josiah's obvious embarrasment.

"Nova'keso you are incorrigable."

"What's Nova'keso mean?" Vin inquired noticing Ally's blush.

"Slow growing woman." Josiah grinned. "Ally was a rather....petite teenager."

"I'm going to kill you Josiah Sanchez!" Ally said with a warning look on her face. " Nenaasestse!" She yelled running after him.

"Nenaasestse?" Buck said confused. "What's that mean?"

Vin thought for a moment. "I think I remember that one." He nodded. "I think it means come here."

"It would suit her current mood." Chris noted as Ally cornered Josiah and pushed him into a water trough.

The men burst into laughter watching the big man struggle to sit up. "Nohka'hehe!" He yelled. "I'm gonna kill you!"

"Josiah!" Ally scolded. "I'm not a contrary woman. Well...not today anyway...you however...look a little red in the face."

The men laughed and Nathan offered a hand to Josiah. The big man reached up and took it and Nathan helped pull him out.

"Ally..." Josiah said warningly. He looked over and saw Ally leaning against a post. She was laughing and her dark eyes were sparkling merrily. Josiah watched her for a moment. Thinking how she'd changed over the years.

"Sorry, Ho'evotse," Ally apologized. "But it was just to tempting to resist."

Josiah smiled and walked forward to give her a hug. "It's ok, Ve'kesoxhaahketa, I've missed you."

Ally grinned. "I'm wet."

"Not to much." Josiah said with a laugh. "Come. Let's go get something to eat. "

"You'd better change first. Grandfather would never forgive me if I let you catch your death of a cold." Ally scolded.

"He'd better or I'd haunt him." Josiah countered.

"You're obsessed with the afterlife," Ally accused playfully. "Already planning on being a seo'otse?"

"A what?" Came out of JD.

"A disembodied spirit." Josiah explained.

"Oh..." JD nodded wisely.

Ally leaned over to Josiah. "I can see we'll have to do a lot of translating."

Josiah nodded. "Unfortuneatly."

"So, Ally, how long have you known Josiah?" Chris asked finishing his third glass of whiskey.

"Since I was twelve. Josiah walked into our village one day and asked to speak to my grandfather." Ally laughed. "Grandfather decided that Josiah was either one of the most bravest men he'd ever met or the stupidest. A white man, one that no one knew. For all we knew he could be intending to kill someone. It had happened before. Anyway he marched up to one of the braves and asked in halting Cheyenne where he could find the chief. My mother thought he looked harmless enough. He carried no weapons. So she got grandfather he was impressed and Josiah stayed." Ally shrugged." End of story."

"What she is tactfully leaving out," Josiah said with a smile. "Is what followed."

"And what followed?" JD asked looking interested.

"I attempted to learn their language. With some rather humorous results." Josiah said calmly.

Ally almost choked on her whiskey laughing.

Nathan gave her a quick thump on the back and she sat up. "Thanks Nathan. And as I recall Josiah, they were more than humorous. I think you had almost all the tribe laughing hysterically more than once. Even some of the elders. And you nearly insulted them."

"Oh?" Vin sat up and leaned forward. "How?"

"Well he was trying to learn how to pronounce the word for elders which is tsehaa'ehahese. But instead..and I never did figure out how he managed to mix these two up....he called them tahtaenotovahe..."

Josiah blushed slightly and looked down at his whiskey.

"Which means?" Chris inquired a small smile playing around the edges of his mouth.

Ally grinned. "Killdeer."

The men chuckled.

"And that was one of his least funny mistakes. He once accidentally insulted several visiting chiefs. They were not amused. Grandfather, however, almost choked on his supper. I think that was one of the reasons he liked having Josiah around. His mistakes were hilarious."

"Thank you Ally. For that embarrassing experience." Josiah said with a wry smile.

Ally looked innocent. "Well...you brought it up." She said leaning back." I would never have mentioned it."

"Liar." Josiah countered.

Ally only smiled.

Before they parted ways that night Josiah saw to it that Ally had a room near Chris'. He wasn't placing any bets on her safety. He wanted her near someone he could trust just in case those cowboys figured out where she'd been hiding and came back.

As he headed back to the church he reflected on the woman who he practically considered a sister.

When he'd first started to spend time with the tribe, the majority of the Cheyenne were wary of him. They widely distrusted white men in general and his size only made him more intimidating to them.

Ally, however, had taken an instant liking to him.

Mo'e'hahkeso...Little Magpie. He'd stated calling her that shortly after he'd learned the word. She'd been like a shadow to him. The young girl had been fascinated with his blue eyes. Her own father, despite being a fair man in coloring, had eyes of the deepest brown. Almost as dark as his Cheyenne wife. And Ally had spent her entire life within the tribe. She'd never seen anyone with blue eyes before. She'd sit there for hours just staring at his eyes. She became his best friend.

Josiah chuckled. A deep rumble in his chest. Most men would have pushed her aside. Laughing at her childlike seriousness. But for some reason, he'd seen the wisdom that was hidden in her young eyes and had learned to trust her judgement. She'd also helped him learn the Cheyenne language. Despite knowing several other native languages Josiah'd had an impossibly hard time learning Cheyenne. He seemed daunted by the long words and stumbling syllables. Ally'd seemed bemused by his attempts to speak her language so she'd taken it upon herself to become his tutor. They'd spend hours wandering the woods. Ally testing him on his knowledge of the names of the plants and animals they encountered. She turned out to be an excellent teacher, grounding him in the basics before making him learn the more difficult aspects of the language. Thanks to her tutoring he'd become relatively fluent in the language and remained so.

Ally'd grown up beautiful. Josiah smiled. Just like her mother. Motse'eoo'e, Sweet Medicine woman, had taught him how to recognize certain herbs in the wild. And to know their medicinal value. A skill Josiah now highly valued. That knowledge had saved his life on more than one occasion. And had helped save a few others.

Walking into the church Josiah prepared to go to sleep. Unbeknowndest to Ally, he'd once promised her grandfather that he'd keep any eye on her. And that was exactly what he planned on doing.

Ally woke to Aneohe pulling at her hair.

"Hey!" She waved at him slightly.

The hawk flew from the bedpost to pitch on the back of her chair.

"Thanks for the wake up call but I was about to get up anyway." Ally said sitting up and yawning.

Aneohe tilted his head to one side and Ally swore the look in his little eyes was 'yeah right'.

"Are you a hawk or my mother in disguise?" Ally grumbled reaching for a hair brush. "Or perhaps Raven here to teach me a lesson?"

Aneohe screached slightly and flapped his wings.

Ally chuckled. "Or not. No need to get testy Aneohe, I was just teasing."

The hawk flew out the window.

"Contrary this morning aren't we?" She said softly.

Swiftly she dressed and headed down to the restaurant to get some breakfast.

On the way there she was nearly bowled over by a young boy.

"Woah!" Ally laughed. "Why the hurry young one? The day's just begun."

The boy smiled brightly. "I was following a hawk ma'am!"

"A hawk huh?" Ally smiled cheerfully spotting Aneohe perched on a nearby rail. "That hawk?" She inquired pointing.

"Yes ma'am."

Ally pulled her gauntlet on and held out her arm.

Aneohe flew to her hand and pitched.

The little boy's eyes were like saucers.

"He's yours?" He asked suprised.

Ally considered the question. "Not really. He's a friend, I think he just travels with me for the food. " She chuckled. "Would you like to touch him?"

The little boy nodded vigorously.

Ally gently took hold of one of the little boy's hands and brushed it lightly through Aneohe's feathers.

The hawk leaned against the touch enjoying it.

"He likes that!" The little boy said surprised.

Ally nodded. "I think it relaxes him. Either that or his feathers make him itch,"

The little boy laughed delightedly. "Does he have a name?"

"Aneohe...it means hawk in my language."

"You're indian?" He questioned.

"Half." Ally responded. "Cheyenne." She smiled and held out a free hand. "I'm Ally."

"I'm Matthew." He smiled and shook her proffered hand. "Pleasure to meet you ma'am. So what brings you to Four Corners?"

Ally smiled. "My friend Josiah lives here. He told me about this place and since I didn't like where I was living I decided to move here and see it this place needs a doctor." She glossed over the true reason there was no need to upset the boy.

"MATTHEW!!!!" A high voice shrilled. "Who are you talking to?"

A thin, wirey woman hurried up and snatched up one of Matthew's hands.

"Hi, Momma. This here's Dr.Ally she's a doctor."

"Matthew you know better than to talk to one of her kind!" The woman shrilled.

Ally stiffened. Uh oh. Her kind? She'd heard that kind of talk before. And nothing good ever came of it." Excuse me ma'am." She interruped. "But exactly what kind are you referring to?"

The woman turned cold eyes on the young woman. "You know full well what I mean breed," She snapped. "If you know what's good for you you'll leave town now. Your kind don't belong in a town with decent, civilized folk."

Across the street the doors of the saloon flew open and a drunk was thrown out into the street. He stood and shouted obscenities at the doors waving a bottle wildly.

Ally turned an ironic eye on the woman. "Oh yeah," She said dryly. "Real civilized folk you got around here."

"Ma!" Matthew spoke up. "She's nice. Mr.Sanchez's a friend of hers."

The woman raised a hand to smack her son. "That's enough out of you young man!" She snapped and began to bring her hand down....

But found it immobilized.

Ally held it bar tight and stepped forward enough so that she could whisper into the woman's ear without the young boy hearing. "You smack that child and I will show you what uncivilized means. Because Ma'am, if I ever hear of you harming that sweet little boy. Or trying to convince him that my kind are to be ignored or insulted...I'll kill you. And I promise you. You won't die pleasantly." She then released the woman and stepped back.

Matthew looked up at his mother who stood stock still staring in shock at the Cheyenne who stood before her. "Ma? Are you all right?"

Ally crouched before the young boy. "Matthew, I want you to listen carefully to me."

Matthew turned to look at her and nodded. He waited for her to continue his little face the picture of serious.

"If anyone...anyone tries to hurt you in any way...I want you to promise you'll come find me. I'll help you. Ok?"

He nodded.

"Anyone." Ally repeated. "Family or no you come find me. Promise?"

Matthew nodded again. "Promise." He said seriously.

"Good." Ally stood and watched him and his mother go.

"You scared her."

Ally turned and looked at Chris Larabee. He'd been standing in the shadows the entire time, watching.

Ally smiled but there was no laughter in it. "Good." She said again. "I wanted to."

"You handled that well." Chris said simply. "I'd have probably hit her. No one should ever harm a child." The venom in his voice made Ally realize something.

"How long?" She asked quietly.

Chris looked over at her surprised. "How long what?"

"Has your child been gone." Ally clarified her voice gentle.

"Too long." Chris said simply.

Ally inclined her head towards the restaurant and he nodded. Together they began moving. As they walked Chris found himself telling her the entire story. How he'd lost Sarah and Adam. How much it hurt.

Ally listened. That was all. She just listened. She offered no comments, no useless remarks of empathy, of understanding. She just listened. Like Vin. Chris knew that was probably one of the reasons he trusted the ex-bounty hunter so much. Vin neither demanded answers for questions that had nothing to do with him nor did he offer judgment on the answers. He just listened and let Chris volunteer what he wanted. And because of that Chris knew, he offered more than he would normally. And that was exactly what he was doing now.

Ally ordered breakfast for the both of them and when it came she managed to coax Chris into a decent breakfast. Something he hadn't had in a while. Except when he was travelling and one of the seven cooked. Most of the time he just had coffee...or whiskey. Whatever liquid was readily available. Lately that'd been coffee. He was being paid to protect the town. Drinking first thing in the morning wasn't the way to do that.

"Mornin'" Josiah said as he ambled into the restaurant.

Ally looked up from her coffee. "Mornin' Josiah."

Josiah looked surprised. "You mean I got it right?"

Ally chuckled. "You didn't drink that much last night."

"I didn't?" Josiah grinned. "I don't remember that."

"There's a surprise." Ally said into her cup.

Josiah eyed Chris' plate. "Why Chris Larabee...that's the first time I've seen you eat a decent breakfast in a long time."

Chris shrugged. "Ally was heading here anyway. And we were talking."

"So, I talked him into eating with me." Ally finished. "You know I hate to eat alone."

Josiah grinned at her. He knew when Ally was slipping into doctor-mode. And it was out in full force at that moment. "Hope ya'll don't mind watchin' me eat."' He said nodding to the matronly woman serving another customer.

"What else am I going to do. This isn't exactly a bustling metropolis you've got going round here." Ally teased playfully. " 'Sides, I'm not finished yet. After a couple of days eating food cooked over an open fire I've a mighty big desire to eat a good homecooked meal."

"Mornin' Josiah." The woman walked over and smiled down at them. "Enjoy your meal Mr.Larabee?"

Chris nodded.

"And you, Doctor Dusalle."

"It was delicious and please call me Ally. Doctor Dusalle is my father. And I don't look much like him."

Josiah shot a sneaky grin at the woman across the table, "Nope. He's taller."

Ally burst into laughter.

As did the woman standing next to her. "Now, Josiah!" She scolded laughing. "You shouldn 't be teasing her like that. Remember, she's the only certified doctor in town. And she's planning on working with Mr.Jackson. That doesn't leave many choices should you get yourself shot anytime soon."

Josiah laughed. "Don't worry Meg," He said with a grin. "Ally knows it's all in good fun."

Ally chuckled. "Can I get another cup of coffee and some more eggs please Meg."

Meg smiled. "No problem," She turned to Josiah. "And what do you want?" She listened as Josiah listed off the meal he wanted. "All right. Anything else Mr.Larabee?"

Chris considered his empty plate for a moment then considered the fact that his stomach was still growling. "Actually, another plate of eggs should do."

Meg nodded and hurried off. "Won't be but a moment."

"Interesting." Ally said leaning back in her chair.

"What is?" Josiah inquired.

"The kinds of people living in this town," Quickly she recounted her incident with the young boy Matthew and his mother. "It's interesting how two women living in the same town. Not that far from each other, could be so drastically different." Ally said thoughtfully. "That boy's mother would have probably tossed me out on my ear if she were the one running this place. But Meg merely escorted me and Chris to a table. Took our orders, chatted with us for awhile then left." Ally shook her head. "A true study in contrast."

"Hell..." She said finally. "The entire town is a study in contrast."

Josiah and Chris smiled ruefully.

"Ain't that the truth." Vin said sitting down. "Mornin'.." He drawled as Meg reappeared with their food. As if by magic she had an extra plate which she placed before Vin.

Vin smiled up at her, questioningly.

She smiled back. "I had a hunch you were coming."

Vin's smile turned grateful and without another word he dug into his food. Except, Ally noted, he waited for Josiah to bow his head and say a quick word of thanks before starting.

Ally knew that Josiah didn't have much of a use for the organized religions of his people. But he could no more turn his back on his God than her people could leave the land they loved. Josiah had shown the Cheyenne of her tribe what the white man's God was really like. And they admired him for it. He sowed seeds without even realizing it. For, unlike the missionaries with all their words and empty actions, Josiah put more stock in what he was doing than what he was saying. And that was something he did without thinking. Ally knew that if all white men who claimed to live by their Good Book behaved as Josiah did then the Cheyenne would except them as they had Josiah. But most spoke one way and behaved another. And so...the Cheyenne shunned them.

"Heavy thoughts?" Vin inquired startling Ally out of her reverie.

She looked at him blankly. Before she realized what he'd asked. She smiled cheerfully. "Not really. Just old memories."

Josiah shot Ally a scrutinizing look. He knew Ally's mixed heritage had caused her more problems than he liked to admit. When those folks who considered Ally's kind to be distasteful looked at her they saw a child of two worlds who was no better than the dogs that ran in the streets. Someone to be considered sub-human and to be shunned.

Josiah had never seen Ally that way. How could he? When he looked at her he saw a talented and beautiful young woman. Someone who's opinions should be respected and valued. Someone to count on. Someone to trust.

Resolutely he decided that no one was going to hurt her. He'd die first. With a small smile he realized if Ally could hear him thinking like that she might speed up the process. Ally was a very independant woman. She didn't want to be the protected but the protector. And she did it very well. "Ally, you're not old enough to have old memories." He teased.

Ally shot him another mock glare. "Josiah Sanchez I am not the child you knew."

Josiah chuckled. "If you were still the child I knew you'd have some serious explaining to do about the way you fill out those clothes." He countered his blue eyes twinkling.

Ally rolled her eyes as Vin and Chris nearly choked with laughter. It was apparent that neither Ally or Josiah cared about what was considered proper and their conversations were more than evidence of that fact.

"So what are the plans for today?" Vin asked leaning back.

Chris, finished, pushed his plate away and sat back to enjoy the remainder of his coffee. "I was thinking we'd ride out a ways and scout around. I don't want to run into these guys in the middle of the street. To dangerous."

Vin nodded. "Sounds 'bout right."

"I agree. I''ll get Nathan and we'll ready up some supplies, if we're going to be getting into a gunfight chances are someone's gonna get shot."

"Mr.Larabee!" Mary Travis' strident voice interrupted their conversation.

Ally groaned into her coffee cup. "Josiah, pray for a miracle."

Josiah looked over," What kind?"

"That the ground will open up and suck her in." Ally said flatly.

"Mrs.Travis," Chris leaned back and looked up at the beautiful blond.

"I just spoke with Agnes Murty." Mary shot a suspicious look at Ally. "Agnes says that Dr.Dusalle threatened her life!"

"I did." Ally said flatly.

"And why, praytell, would you do that?" Mary crossed her arms and looked defiantly at the beautiful Cheyenne.

Ally was not amused. "She was about to hit her son."

"And that was cause to threaten her?" Mary shot back.

Ally stood. She was not a tall woman but when she was angry, as she was at that moment, she could seem about twice her height. And most of that was anger. "Yes." She said flatly. "It was. The boy had done nothing wrong except defend me. And where I come from, we don't let our friends be hurt for helping us."

Mary stared angrily into Ally's dark eyes. The entire time she'd been speaking, Ally's voice had not wavered. Her tone had stayed even and calm. She wasn't about to be provoked into any sort of fight. She'd been in this situation many times before and it had always come out the same. A fight meant trouble. Even if it was verbal. And the town always sided with the one who had white skin. And a more respected background.

Mary turned to Chris. "Are you just going to stand there and let this woman run around threatening decent citizens."

Chris felt his temper start to boil. Ordinarily, he respected Mary Travis. She'd survived a lot and kept going. She had her bad points. But she was primarily a decent person. But right now she'd crossed the line.

"Mrs.Travis, that woman was anything but decent. And before you argue, realize something. I was there and I heard and saw everything that went on. If I were you I would direct my anger at the woman who is so full of prejudice that she nearly slapped her son for defending a woman who hadn't done anything wrong except be born of a mixed background. That woman should be the one punished. Not the woman who defended the child. You as a mother especially should understand what kind of treasure a child is. Especially one with a heart as pure as that little boy's."

Mary looked from Chris to Ally to Josiah and Vin and back to Chris again. Once again Ally Dusalle had won, without hardly lifting a finger.

She nodded stiffly and turned and left without another word.

"Well!" Ally said brightly. "That went well."

Chris half-smiled.

"I would give ten to one odds that this will appear in tomorrow's edition of the Clarion." Ezra said from the doorway. "Well, my dear doctor, it would appear that you are not Mrs.Travis' favorite person in Four Corners."

Ally shrugged before returning to her seat. "Fine with me. I couldn't be bothered with her." She sighed. "I have a feeling that primarily she is a decent person. Unfortunately her views towards indians and those of my background are questionable at best. At worst they are not that high."

"However, I must say," Ezra pressed. "You did handle her with admirable patience." "Admirable?" Ally laughed shortly. "I wanted to shoot her."

"And what kept you from doing it?" Josiah inquired.

"Well, if she lived, either Nathan or myself would have to patch her up. And if she died her father-in-law would hang me and the point of me coming to Four Corners was to survive not to get hanged."

"You know who Mary's father-in-law is?" Vin looked suprised.

Ally nodded. "I met him about a month back. He'd been shot and wanted me to take a look at the wound. The stagecoach trip had been very dirty and uncomfortable and he wanted me to check it just in case. While I did so he told me about where he'd gotten shot. And about his daughter-in-law and the seven men he'd hired to protect the town." She nodded at Josiah. "Which is how I figured out where you were."

Josiah smiled. "And I'm very glad you did."

Ally smiled back. "So am I old friend, so am I."

PART 2

Nathan and Ally worked side by side comparing notes as to what they'd need. Several times Ally mentioned an herb that Nathan didn't recognize and she'd calmly explain it's medicinal purposes then add it to her list. Once they started riding she'd collect them. At the time it was to dangerous for her to go riding out alone. She wouldn't risk it.

Finally they decided to ride out looking for the gang. As they rode Ally kept a sharp eye out for both the herbs she wanted and the gang that wanted her.

She often rode alongside Vin as the duo discussed tracking. She knew a few tricks he didn't and he likewise knew some tricks she didn't and they traded secrets. While, overhead, Aneohe kept a, pardon the pun, eagle eye out for the gang.

They rode for the majority of the day but, by dusk, were still some distance away from the gang.

Seeing that night was falling Chris decided to make camp. They chose a cave that was dry and, according to Ally and Vin, uninhabited by any animals. It was spacious with a wide opening that allowed a good view of the surrounding countryside and the nearby trail. It also gave them a good defensive position should the gang decide to double back early. Plus the small tunnel at the back of the cave provided an excellent escape route should they require a hasty exit.

With a practiced efficiency they broke into small pairs, each taking a particular duty. JD and Buck took first watch while Nathan and Ally prepared their supplies. Chris and Vin went about getting some meat for the meal as Josiah and Ezra took care of the horses and gathered up some firewood.

Ally worked with a quiet efficiency borne of practice as she ground up an herb she'd found that day. Glancing up she spotted Josiah and Ezra leading two horses back from a small stream. She watched them for a moment then shifted her gaze towards Buck and JD who sat in strategic points watching the road.

Finally she returned her attention to the man next to her. "You work well together." She noted calmly.

"Hmm?" Nathan looked up at her.

Ally nodded towards the men outside. "You seven. Its something to watch. Seven men of radically different backgrounds working together as if none of that matters."

"It doesn't." Nathan said simply. "First time I ever met Chris and Vin they risked their own lives to save me from being hung. Some Texans were in town driving cattle and their boss was injured. I told them I wasn't a doctor but they asked for my help anyway. He died after gangrene set in. There was nothing I could do. But because I was black..."

"They decided you'd killed him and because you were black they figured they could make you pay and no one would care." Ally put forward.

"And almost none did. Mrs. Travis came out with a shot gun and tried to scare them off. But they just knocked her aside."

Ally smiled. "I'd have shot first and let that do the scaring."

Nathan grinned. That he could see. "Anyway they just kept on going. They took me to the graveyard and hung a rope over the tree. Next thing I see, Chris and Vin come sauntering into the graveyard. Vin had a rifle tossed over his shoulder and Chris had his hand near his gun. Two of them as calm as could be. Chris just looked up at them and told them to let me go. They laughed of course. But, being drunk, they weren't as smart as they should have been."

"Let me guess. They'd been firing off their guns like crazy before they tried to hang you." Ally put in.

Nathan nodded. "Chris pointed this out. Next thing I know everyone's shooting. I was standing on the back of the wagon and all the shooting caused the horse to spook."

Ally winced.

"I nearly choked but Vin shot the rope out." Nathan chuckled. "It was a pretty interesting way to meet."

Ally laughed softly. "I'll bet. So where'd everyone else come in?"

Nathan quickly relayed the story to her. Ally listened intently.

Laughing as Nathan told her about JD's introduction to the group.

Eyes darkening in anger when she heard of Mary's newspaper article. She to knew a thing or two about 壮econd hand trash'.

Shaking her head at Nathan's description of Buck's behavior at the Seminole camp. Laughing at the antics he and JD had displayed.

Tearing up at the news of the loss of the chief's son.

"You had quite the adventure by the sound of things." Ally said with a smile after Nathan finished.

"You could say that." Nathan chuckled."Needless to say we learned real quick what each other's strengths were."

"And weaknesses." Ally added calmly.

Nathan nodded. "That too."

It was then that Chris and Vin returned. Both carrying rabbit.

"Looks like you two were successful." Ally said taking the rabbits Chris was carrying.

"Desert comes alive at night." Chris said casually sitting down next to Nathan.

Ally nodded. "True. Of course I'm more used to the forest than the desert." She pulled a knife out of her boot and set about cleaning the rabbits Chris had brought in while Vin tended to his.

"Montana?" Chris inquired.

Without looking up Ally nodded.

"Nice ways away from Four Corners." He continued.

Again Ally nodded speaking as well. "Not as far as some might think." She commented softly.

After the evening meal Nathan and Chris went out on watch while everyone else settled down.

Everyone but Ally herself.

The beautiful woman slipped away from the fire not to long after Chris and Nathan took their positions. Moving unnoticed through the night. She didn't go far. Just to the nearby stream. There she sat down on a massive gray rock and stared into the water.

Aneohe perched on a branch above her head and kept a watch. He squawked slightly when Vin approached the rock.

"Dangerous for you to be out here on your own like this." He commented to her calmly. "Anyone could sneak up on you." He added.

Ally didn't lift her gaze from the water. "Aneohe would've warned me before they got to close. He always does."

"Watches out for ya huh?" Vin asked leaning back against the tree.

Ally nodded simply then lifted her dark eyes to his. "He has ever since he found me."

"Ever since he found you?"

"Mmmmhmmm.." She held out her hand and Aneohe drifted down to perch lightly on it. "I was out riding one day and there he was. I stopped to get some water and he perched on a rock near me and just stared at me. It was like he could see into my soul. He never left me after that. Mama told me it was one of the spirits come down to keep me safe. That I was special. I didn't believe her."

Vin frowned. "Why not?"

"I knew I was different sure." Ally said stroking Aneohe's feathers. "But being a half-breed isn't what I'd equate to being special. Don't misunderstand me I know I'm not stupid and I know I'm pretty but when it comes to bein' special I don't see what would make Aneohe want to stay with me. I could understand him hanging around with me when I'm out riding but he follows me when I move. Stays in my room with me at night. Waits until I go riding to do any serious hunting. He watches over me all the time. And if anyone threatens me..." Ally trailed off meaningfully with a playful smile on her face. " If it was the spirits why on earth would I need to be protected?"

Vin chuckled. "Seems to me that you need Aneohe's protection right now. Having a friend in the skies when there's a posse huntin' you is, as Josiah would say, a God-send."

Ally laughed. "Josiah would say that wouldn't he?" She turned to face Vin. "How's he doing here? Is he happy?"

"Whaddya mean?" Vin asked sitting down across from her.

"Josiah's always been a troubled man. Even when I knew him. My father would say he's got the weight of the world on his shoulders and the moon to."

"Your father's an observant man." Vin noted.

Ally chuckled. "You don't know the half of it." She let Aneohe launch off her hand to go after a small animal rustling in the grass. "Josiah seems to be more relaxed. I haven't heard him laugh like that since he was learning Cheyenne with my tribe."

"He's fits in well in Four Corners. The church gives him somethin' to do and ridin' with us gives him..."

"A chance to get a little Old Testament?" Ally inquired with a sparkle in her eye.

Vin laughed. "He used to say that when he was with your tribe?"

Ally grinned. "All the time. And he used to put it to words to. He gave two of the boys quite the thrashing when he found out they pushed me in the river. Well, once he was done fussin' over me that is."

"He cares about you al'right," Vin noted quietly.

Ally smiled. "Yeah he does. I've always been able to go to him when I needed it." She pushed her dark hair back. "That's never been something I questioned. Josiah's one of the constants in my life. He's like the moon. You might not be able to see it all the time but you know its there. It's the same with our friendship. He may not always be with me but I know when I need him all I need to do is call." She shifted her position slightly and fixed her dark eyes on his face. "Ya'll seem pretty close to him to."

Vin lifted an eyebrow questioningly. "That obvious?"

"Well you're certainly not out here for the good of your health." Ally said serenely. "And you barely know me so it's not out of concern for my safety."

Vin surveyed her beautiful features then spoke quietly. "Don't be so sure."

Ally opened her mouth to say something but Vin suddenly grabbed her and yanked her into the bushes with him.

Outraged, Ally turned angry eyes on him but Vin laid a finger against her lips and shook his head. He tilted his head towards the direction of the camp. Ally nodded and listened.

Horses. But not the Sevens'. They were tied up within sight.

Moving noiselessly through the bush Ally and Vin managed to get closer to the trail and it took only a moment for them to spot the riders.

Ally frowned in apprehension. Sure enough it was the men that were after her. She and Vin shared a concerned look and as soon as they were out of earshot Ally turned to Vin.

"Go back to the others. They'll notice you're not there." Ally whispered in Vin's ear.

"I should sta..." Vin began but Ally shook her head.

"If they notice you're not there they'll start asking questions. And if they start asking questions they might start searchin' and if they start searchin' they could find me." Ally whispered her voice firm. "Now Go!" She hissed and gave him a little shove.

Vin shot one more look at her then moved back towards camp while Ally settled down in the bush.

When Chris spotted the riders he groaned and looked back at the camp. Luckily Ally seemed nowhere in sight. He hoped she stayed that way as he moved down to greet the men.

"Gentlemen...." He said calmly as they rode up. "What brings you back this way?"

"I could ask you the same thing." The leader promptly countered.

Chris shrugged. "We're just heading to Bitter Creek to do a little business. Nothing to concern yourself with." The last sentence was spoken in a casual tone but the men could clearly hear the threat behind it. Chris Larabee didn't like being questioned and, as big as he was, the leader was skating on thin ice even asking the question.

"What aboutcha'll?" Nathan called. "Awful late for you fellers to be out ridin ain't it?"

One shrugged. "We're lookin' for a killer. She's a breed and they know how to travel at night. To catch her we've gota think like her."

Ezra arched a skeptical eyebrow even as his mind thought. 選 doubt such a ignoramus such as yourself is capable of serious thought patterns' Aloud he said. "Well gentlemen if you believe such then you must be quite eager to be on your way as the young lady in question may elude you if you dally."

"HUH?" The leader said flatly.

"He means if you stick around here you might lose her." JD offered pleased that he for once was not the one asking for a translation. In fact he was the one that provided the answer.

The leader shrugged as his eyes flicked over the assembled group of men. "There's one of you missing."

"Our comrade is of a rather peaceful disposition. He enjoys the desert at night. He should return shortly." Ezra said calmly.

"Well per'aps we should go and look fer 粗m." The leader said and began to dismount. "There's all kinds of dangers in the desert at night. He could be hurt."

"I doubt it." Chris said firmly. "Vin's a big boy. He can take care of himself."

"Still....with a killer on the loose you never know." The leader said flatly. "Boys why dontcha take a li'l look around. See if ya can find 粗m."

"I'm right here." Vin called out as he walked into the camp.

"Nice night out?" Chris asked his friend calmly his words carrying a different meaning.

"Beautiful. Everything where it should be. Desert comes alive at night. I'm tellin' ya. There's animals everywhere. In the bushes...you can hear 粗m movin' if you listen quiet enough. I coulda had a dozen more rabbits if I'd minded to shoot 粗m." Vin said calmly.

Chris nodded. "We'll get some later. Could use the meat on the trip."

Vin nodded and walked back towards the fire to warm his hands.

"Ally all right?" Josiah asked in a whisper.

Vin nodded almost imperceptibly. "She's in the bushes near the horses." He replied in a voice lower than Josiah's.

Chris stood calmly, staring at the leader. Daring him to challenge them. Waiting for one of them to make a wrong move.

One did.

The leader. He pulled his gun and pointed it at Chris and said with a snarl. "WHERE IS SHE?"

Chris would've spoken but Ally's voice rang out. "RIGHT HERE!"

She stepped into the light and walked up to stand next to Chris.

"What are you doing Ally?" Chris murmured into her ear.

"I won't let you die for me." Ally said flatly. "I don't deserve that kind of an honor. Josiah maybe. Me no."

"Come on girl." The leader advanced on her but Ally side stepped him even as she held out a leg and tripped him.

He sprawled in the dirt.

"I'm not going anywhere with you." She said flatly. "And I didn't kill that man! He died from his wounds. No doctor on earth could have saved him!"

"You're lyin'!" He snarled up at her.

Ally shook her head. "No. I'm not. Now do yourselves a favor and be on your way. I'm not going to stand around and let you lynch me." She said glaring at him.

"And we ain't either!" JD called out. "Ally's stayin' with us. Now git!"

"She's comin' with us!" The leader yelled as he pushed himself to his feet and pointed his gun at her.

"No I'm NOT!" Ally yelled back her hand going to her gun.

"Either you go with us now or I shoot you where you stand." He hissed.

Ally laughed at him and said something in Cheyenne.

JD and Buck looked over at a smiling Josiah.

"What'd she say?" JD asked.

"Loosely translated?" Josiah began. "I'd love to see you try." He said it loud enough so that the other men could hear.

The rest of the Seven chuckled at the young woman's audacity even as their hands moved to their gunbelts.

"All right." The leader challenged. "We will." He pulled back the hammer on his gun and fired.

Ally and Chris dove out of the way and the bullet thudded harmlessly into the sand.

Behind them the rest of the Seven dove for cover behind rocks and trees and started shooting.

Ally grinned back at Josiah. "Why do I have the feeling this happens often!" She called to him.

"Unfortunately..." He called back with a smile. "IT DOES!"

Ally chuckled and shook her head. Just like Josiah. Always making a joke in the midst of danger.

The Seven were fierce and efficient fighters. Chris seemed not to care what chances he took. Only his instincts and inherent skills kept him from getting seriously injured or killed.

JD, though young, handled himself well in a gunfight. He kept his cover and conserved his bullets.

Buck, for all his cavalier flirting, was quite an intelligent fighter. He picked his shots well and stayed out of harms way.

Ezra, despite being the gambler, left nothing to chance. His eyes seemed to be looking everywhere at once and handled himself with an admirable skill.

Nathan seemed to be everyone's guardian angel. Watching all of the Seven, watching for any signs of being outnumbered or injured, all the while watching over himself.

Josiah, as usual, was watching over her and acting as an avenging angel, taking down a shooter before he could hit Ally or one of the Seven.

And then there was Vin. The Seven's sharpshooter it seemed. He kept a constant eye out for any hidden dangers meanwhile he was taking out the better shooters in their enemy's group.

Together they made an unbeatable team.

A bullet skimmed above Ally's head and the Cheyenne realized she'd better stop analyzing the Seven and start worrying about finding better cover.

Spying a nice wide tree, Ally flipped into a roll across the open space and landed on one knee then looked up.

Into the business end of a revolver.

"Bad move." He said flatly.

"Why?" Ally said softly. "Why kill me?" She looked into his eyes for a moment then realization dawned. "This has nothing to do with your friend's brother right? That was an excuse."

"You're quite right." He said evenly. "This is business." His gun didn't waver. "Remember Eliza O'Dell?"

Ally tried. She really did but she came up empty. "No. Should I?"

"Yes. Three months ago you passed through her hometown. Hayestown. Eliza was engaged to a young man Michael Halway."

Ally nodded. Now she remembered. Eliza had been a timid young woman she'd befriended. It had not taken long for Ally to realize that Eliza's fiancee was beating her.

Naturally Ally had refused to stand by and allow it to happen. She had sent Eliza to a friend in a nearby town. From there she'd left the territory for safety up north.

Of course Michael hadn't been pleased. Not that Ally'd cared. She made a lot of enemies. Another one wasn't going to make a major difference.

"Halway right?" She queried tiredly.

He nodded. "Two hundred dollars for your dead body."

"And you think he's actually going to pay you?" Ally sneered. "He knows you won't make it back alive. You kill me and my friends and family will hunt you down."

He considered that threat for a moment then smiled. "For two hundred dollars, I'll take that chance."

Ally tensed and eased to her feet. Her eyes watched his hand, her body ready to spring clear at the slightest twitch.

He half-smiled then steaded the gun.

Josiah looked over and spotted Ally.

"Vin!" He yelled to his friend.

The sharpshooter spun and sized up the situation in an instant.

"ALLY! GIT DOWN!" He yelled trying to get a clear shot. But the sounds from the gunfight drowned out his voice.

Vin shifted slightly, trying to find a clear shot. He didn't want to hit Ally.

Josiah found himself praying that Ally would realize the situation and move. Or something would move her.

As if in answer to his prayer a brown blur came hurtling down out of the sky. It slammed into Ally's shoulder, knocking her clear.

Not hesitating, Vin fired.

Everything was still for a moment.

Ally looked up to see Aneohe sitting on her shoulder.

"Always watching out for me aren't you?" She asked tiredly.

Seeing their leader dead, the others lost their nerve and bolted.

The threat gone, the Seven broke cover and ran over to Ally.

"You're bleeding!" JD announced.

Josiah helped Ally up into a sitting position as Aneohe launched himself onto a nearby branch.

Ally glanced at her shoulder then shot a wry smile at JD. "So I've noticed." She waved a hand in Aneohe's direction. "Relax, its just some cuts Aneohe's claws made when he knocked me over."

Nathan crouched down next to her and examined the wound. "We'd best get you over to the fire and clean them up. Those cuts are pretty deep. We don't want gangrene getting into them."

Ally nodded as Josiah lifted her to her feet.

Ally winced as she slipped back into her shirt.

"Stings huh?" Vin's voice said from behind.

Ally buttoned her shirt then turned to look at him. "Slightly."

"Guess you finally figured out why Aneohe stays with you." He commented, helping her with her coat.

"Hmmm?" Ally turned to look at him.

"Remember when you said you weren't sure why he stays with you? Well now you know."

Ally reached out and brushed her fingers against the hawk's chest feathers. "My self-appointed guardian angel?" She chuckled."Well he's got the wings part down huh?"

"Don't forget the guard part." Vin cautioned with a smile.

Ally laughed. "No. I can't forget that." She said softly.

Aneohe screeched and flew out the window.

"I think we embarrassed him." Ally said with a laugh.

Vin smiled. "I bet."

Ally shot him a cheeky grin. "Ain't that Ezra's job..." She coughed slightly. "Excuse me...I forgot...Ezra's vocation."

Vin grinned even as he shook his head. "You're trouble."

Ally laughed again. "Never said I wasn't."

"Nope." Vin nodded towards the door.

Ally nodded herself and walked over. "Saloon?"

Vin grinned. "Saloon."

Laughing the duo walked out.

END