Michelle and Samantha had been taking turns riding out of town and riding in a big circle a few miles out of town, if anything was coming they wanted to have the upper hand. Shelly, Loria and Teresa patrolled the town. Walking around and making sure everything was all right. Liz was usually with Cort talking about the town and what they could do for it. Peaches was usually never found. She did her thing, what ever that was. No one really ever knew what Peaches did, but they always knew she was there when they needed her.

Liz and Cort were sitting outside of the sheriff's office one day talking. "So what is it about lawmen she don't like?" Cort asked as he watched Peaches ride up to the Saloon. "Not sure really, she never really talks about herself, I just know she doesn't like them." Liz said as she watch Peaches walk into the Saloon. "Well, I take it she isn't a talkative person, have you ever asked her?" Cort said as he turned back to her. "Tried to, but she wouldn't talk about it, she said that it was none of my business then walked away from me." Liz said still looking at the Saloon. "What about Shelly?" Cort asked as he hurriedly changed the subject. "Well, Shelly is a pretty good kid, she's someone you would always want on your side." Liz said as she turned and smiled at him. They sat there and talked about all the women. Though Liz didn't know anything about Samantha, Michelle, Teresa or Loria, she liked them, they handled the situation with Adams very good.

"So you in?" Shelly asked Loria, they were playing poker and Teresa was winning. "Yeah I guess, might as well lose all my money." She said as she pushed her money to the middle of the table. "How about you?" Shelly asked Teresa who was concentrating on her cards. "Sure." Teresa said as she put her money in the middle. "All right time to show your cards!" Shelly said as she looked at Teresa. Teresa put her cards down showing a full house, a pair of 10's and three Queen's. Shelly threw her cards down. "Damn!" I never win at this stupid game!" Shelly said as she looked at Teresa's cards. They turned to Loria and waited for her to lay her hand down. When she did Teresa's mouth gapped open. "How did you do that?" Teresa asked as she shook her head in disbelief. "Don't know, lucky I guess." Loria smiled at the two of them. Loria had a royal flush of hearts. Michelle and Samantha were in the stables cleaning up their horses. "So what do you think?" Michelle asked as she brushed her horse. "Don't know, think it will work?" Samantha asked as she finished with her horse. Michelle looked at Samantha and grinned. "I think it will." She said as she started laughing. "Well, let's hope, this will be good if we can pull it off!" Samantha said as she walked over to Michelle. The town was having a celebration, the two ladies decided the celebration needed a little something special. "All right then, shall we start getting it ready?" Michelle said as she put the brush she was using away. Samantha smiled at her then said "Let the fun begin!"

Cort had asked all his Deputies to meet him in his office there was something that he needed to discuss with them. "So pard what's up?" Michelle asked as she sat down on the corner of his desk. "With the celebration festival we might get some unwelcome guest, I want everyone to be prepared." Cort said with a serious look on his face. "We'll be ready for any situation that comes." Loria said as she smiled at him. "I know you will, but I want to make sure everyone will be ready." Cort said smiling back at her. "Any special places you want us to be?" Teresa asked as she played with her riffle. " I just want everyone to spread out and keep an eye out for any trouble." Cort said as he looked at her. After they finished talking about the arrangements they all headed out of the office. "Peaches, can you stay a minute I want to talk to you." Cort asked as he step up in front of her. "What?" She asked coldly as she glared at him. He sat on the corner of his desk. "I need to know that I can count on everyone, I don't know why you hate lawmen and I know you won't tell me why, but I need to know I can count on you, not because your here because of Liz and Shelly, I need know that your here to help me." Cort said with a serious voice. "I'm here ain't I." She said coldly with a cold stare to match. "That isn't good enough, I need your word that your here for me." Cort said starring at her. He knew he was pushing it, but he needed to know.

"Look your working for me now and there is a problem with you and lawmen, I don't care about that, but I don't want you out there if your not going to do your job!" Cort said now getting angry at the female gunfighter. Peaches starred at him with intense anger. She knew Cort was a good man, but she didn't know if she could trust him. "If your not going to do your job then you might as well leave." Cort said as he pointed to the door. Peaches glared at him then said "That's fine by me!" And stormed out of his office. "What the hell did you say to her?" Liz asked as she came storming into the office. "That's none of your business." Cort said as he walked out of the office. Liz watched him walk away. She didn't know what was going on but she knew it was bad.

Peaches headed out of town as quickly as she could. She couldn't stand that man, she couldn't stand that lawman. That man made her blood boil. Peaches was about two hours away from town when she decided to turn back. She knew her past would eventually catch up with her and if did she would need all the friends she could get. When she got back to town, it was late. There really wasn't anyone out on the streets. She rode to the stables. After she set her horse up for the night, she headed for the Saloon.

Cort was sitting at a table having a drink when Peaches walked in. He about fell out of his chair when he saw her. She walked over to him and sat down across from him, taking the whiskey bottle from in front of him and taking a drink. "Ya wanna know why I hate lawmen, I'll tell you, but if you ever tell anyone, I will kill you, without hesitation." Peaches said as she glared at him. "All right, if you feel you need to tell me." Cort said as he glared back at her. "When my mother died, I was sent to an orphanage, my father isn't dead, well not physically, he left my mother for another woman, which broke my mother's heart and killed her." Peaches paused and watched Cort's expressions.

"I left the orphanage when I was 14, only spent two years there. Up till I was about 17 I spent my life alone. I had to learn how to shoot and defend myself. One day I came across a small town in west Texas, and found the one person I thought I'd never see, my father. He had married the woman he was cheating with, but she died not to long after they married. They had a daughter, she was 15 when I met her. My father really didn't acknowledge me, but he invited me to stay with them." Peaches paused again taking a drink of whiskey.

"About a year after I came, he was killed by some guy. Leaving me and my sister alone, something I was use too. We only had one problem, the sheriff. He wanted my sister but she didn't want him. One day I came home from town and found her on the floor in the house, she had been beaten and raped an hour later she died, in my arms." Peaches stopped again taking a bigger drink of whiskey, then continued. "After I buried her, I went to town and killed the sheriff. I now have a $500 dollar bounty on my head. The day I met up with Liz and Shelly, I was being chased by his Deputies. One bastard actually got lucky and shot me, that was his last one." Peaches stop. Cort's expression went from angry to shocked.

"I know I done wrong killing that sheriff, but I had to, and no one will tell me different. Now you know why I don't like lawmen, there no good, at least the ones I've known." Peaches said as she downed some more whiskey. "Just because you met one lawman who was bad, don't mean we're all bad." Cort said as he watched her. "It ain't just one lawman, my father was one, and so was the man that killed him, it wasn't the same sheriff I killed it was a different one and don't you tell me how I should feel, lawman." Peaches said as she stood up and walked outside. Cort got up and followed her.

"I'm sorry, I didn't mean to upset you more. I know that was hard for you to tell me." Cort said as he walked up to her. Peaches turned to him and met his eyes. "Listen I ain't like the rest of those men, besides I was a gunfighter way before I was the law." Cort smiled at her. Peaches couldn't help but grin at that. Cort reached up and pushed some of her brown hair out of her face. Peaches stepped back. "Sorry, but you look better without having that hair in you face." Cort said as he smiled. Their eyes held each other's gaze. Cort started leaning into kiss her, but she backed away. Then turned and walked off, leaving Cort standing there watching her.

Liz spotted Peaches coming out of the stables and climbing on her horse. "PEACHES!" Liz yelled but Peaches didn't turn around, instead she took off, heading out of town. Liz decided she would get her horse and follow. When she got the stables she saw a man laying on the ground. Liz walked up to him, but he was dead. "Oh no." Liz said as she stepped back. This wasn't good, not good at all, she thought. Liz ran out of the stables and headed for the Sheriff's Office. When she got inside she saw Cort sitting at his desk. "You better come quick." Liz said as she ran back out of the Office. Cort quickly caught up with her. "What's going on?" Cort asked as they headed back to the stables. "There's a man dead in the stables." Liz said as she glanced back at Cort. When they walked in, Cort saw the man on the ground. He walked over to him and looked at him. "I've never seen him before, I don't think he's one of the towns people." Cort said as he looked up at Liz. "Did you see anyone around here?" Cort asked looking in her eyes he could tell that she did. "Who?" Cort asked standing up and facing her. "Peaches, I saw her ride out, but that doesn't mean she did it." Liz said as she looked down at the dead guy. "Where did she go?" Cort asked as he walked up to her. "I don't know, she headed west though, Cort you don't think she did it, do you." Liz said as she watched Cort walk away. "I don't know, but right now she's all the lead I got." Cort said as he grabbed his horse and started to saddle it. Liz watched Cort head out of town after Peaches. She knew that any confrontation that happened would get one of them killed.

Cort spotted Peaches down by a stream, watering her horse and filling her canteen. He slowly approached her. Peaches swung around with her gun drawn. "That's close enough, lawman." Peaches said with great warning in her eyes. "Did you do it?" Cort asked as he slowly got down off his horse. "Don't matter, you wouldn't believe me if I said no." Peaches said as she stood up and looked him straight in the eyes. "It matters, did you do it?" Cort asked again taking a few steps towards her. "Yeah I did, don't make no difference." Peaches said as she backed away from him. "It does make a difference, you killed a man I want to know why." Cort said as he took a couple more steps. "I'm warning you, one more step and I'll shot you down where you stand, lawman!" Peaches said as anger moved through her eyes like lightening. Cort stopped walking and starred at her. He knew she would if she had to, she was a desperate woman, and nothing was going to stop her.

Cort jumped on his horse and followed her. Peaches rode through a canyon that led to a hide away ranch. Its where most outlaws go when being pursued by lawmen. Cort stayed back far enough so she wouldn't see him. When Peaches reached the old ranch house she climbed down off her horse and looked around. The place looked empty, she didn't feel like running into anyone, especially no other outlaws. Peaches tied her horse up and walked into the house. There wasn't much left to the house. It was a two story but every room was pretty much empty. There was an old broken table in the kitchen, an old bed in one of the rooms and a few broken dishes. Peaches heard something outside the door. She quickly ran for the back door with both guns drawn.

"That wouldn't be wise." Peaches said as she came around the corner to the front of the house. "He's law!" A man said as he held his gun on Cort. "Yeah well if anyone kills him, it will be me." Peaches said as her anger rose through her voice. The man turned around and fired at her. She got a shot off that killed him, before she fell to the ground. "Damnit!" Peaches swore as she held her hand to the gun shot hole in her stomach. "Let me look at that." Cort said as he ran up to her. "Looks bad, we better get you to a doctor." Cort said as he saw all the blood pouring out from her wound. "No, get me inside, then you leave." Peaches said glaring at him. "You need a doctor." Cort said as he helped her to her feet. "Head north out of this canyon, that way, go about 20 or 30 miles you'll find a small Indian village there, ask for Little Feathers, show him this." Peaches said as she pointed the way then handed him a beaded necklace. "I can't leave you here alone." Cort said as he helped her down on the bed. "Go, before I'm not the only one who'll need a doctor!" Peaches said as she glared at him.

Cort headed out of the canyon, in the direction she told him about. He rode for about 26 miles, when he came across an Indian village. He slowly rode in. Some of the male Indians had guns drawn on him, while other's starred. Cort climbed down off of his horse. "What do you want?" One asked while watching Cort. "I'm looking for a man called Little Feathers, I was told to give him this." Cort said as he brought out the necklace. "I am Little Feathers, where is she?" Little Feathers asked as he walked up from behind the crowd. "She's in a house about 20 or 30 miles from her, she's been shot." Cort said as he watched the older man. A young Indian boy brought Little Feathers his horse. Little Feathers walked into his teepee and grabbed some of his stuff. "Let's go." Little Feathers said as he climbed on his horse and took off, with Cort following.

"Wonder where he is?" Shelly asked as she looked at the stables. "I don't know, but people are starting to ask a lot of questions." Michelle said as she looked at her. "Well we need to keep things under control till he comes back." Liz said as she watched the people walk past and stare. "That ain't gonna be easy." Samantha said as she walked up. "Their already talkin about getting a posse together and going after her." Loria said as she walked up next to Michelle. "We can't let them do this, She had to of had her reason's for doing this." Teresa said as she looked at Liz. "I don't know what her reasons are, we need to find out where they are." Liz said as she walked into the stables and saddled her horse. "I'm coming." Michelle said as she started saddling her horse. Liz, Samantha and Michelle headed out of town. Loria, Teresa and Shelly stayed behind to keep and eye on things. "Why is it we always get left behind." Shelly asked as she watched her friends ride off. "Well you can look at it this way, we're the more responsible ones." Loria said as she giggled. "Oh yeah that's a positive way to look at it." Teresa said as she laughed.

"Looks like they came this way." Samantha said as she pointed at some tracks. "Well lets go." Liz said as she kicked her horse and took off. Liz was concerned not only for Peaches but Cort. She knew that Peaches would not let anyone stand in her way. Cort too in his own way was stubborn when it comes to getting the truth or helping someone out. Chasing after Peaches probably was the stupidest thing he's ever done. "We got tracks heading into that canyon!" Michelle yelled. "Hey that's the old hide away ranch!" Samantha said as she looked at Liz. "Let's go, hopefully Peaches didn't kill Cort yet." Liz said as she and the two girls headed into the canyon.

"Yeah, I don't get it either." Cort said as he looked at her. "Well we gotta get her to a doctor then." Liz said as she reached for the door. "No, there's someone in there helping her." Cort said as he grabbed her hand. "Who?" Liz asked starring at him. "A man called Little Feathers, guess their friends." Cort said as he sat down on the porch, leaning up against the house. "I've never heard of him." Liz said as she watched Cort. "She sent me to get him." Cort said starring out at the canyon. Just then the door opened and Little Feathers walked out. "I was able to stop the bleeding, but she has lost a lot of blood, it is all up to her now." Little Feathers said as he looked at the group. "Can I go in and see her?" Liz asked as she watched Little Feathers. "Sure, but she is not conscious." Little Feathers said as he looked at her. "Try not to excite her if she wakes up." Little Feathers added as Liz opened the door and walked in.

When Liz reached the room Peaches was in her mouth fell open. Peaches looked like she was already dead. Liz noticed all the blood around Peaches. Liz walked up and sat beside her. "Why didn't you trust me enough?" Liz asked in a whisper. "Trust doesn't come easy with her." Little Feathers said as he slowly walked up to her. "Well I would think saving her life, she would know that she could trust me." Liz said as looked upon Peaches' face. "She's been hurt pretty bad through out her life. When people get hurt as much as she has, they do not trust people." Little Feathers said as he watched Liz. "How did you meet her?" Liz asked looking up at him. "Well when she was about 19 she wondered near my village. She had been wounded in a gun fight." Little Feathers said as he sat down on the edge of the bed, next to her. "She seems to get wounded a lot." Liz said looking at him. "Well when your a gun fighter you usually do. Peaches stayed in our village for about a year. She learned what she could then left." Little Feathers said touching Peaches' hand. Little Feathers and Liz talked for quite some time before they came back outside. "How is she?" Michelle asked looking at the two. "She is still very weak." Little Feathers said as he walked out. "Do you think she will make it?" Cort asked his eyes showed fear and sadness. "I do not know." Little Feathers answered.

The day had fallen to night, no one could sleep. Everyone did their own little thing to keep the fear of loss out of their minds. "So what are we going to do about that dead man, back in town?" Liz asked Cort as she sat next to him on the porch. "Don't know." Cort answered dully. "Well we can't let Peaches hang for this, she had her reasons and I think you know what they are." Liz said as she starred at him. "Yes I do, but." Cort said as he was cut off by Liz. "But nothing. She is our friend, she helped us all out when we needed, a cold blooded killer wouldn't do that." Liz said as she glared at him. "I don't know what to do, this is something for a judge to decide." Cort said as he stood up. "She saved you ass and your gonna let her swing!" Liz said as she stood up meeting him face to face. "She has to answer to what she did." Cort said glaring at her. "Well I can tell you this, I will not let her hang!" Liz snapped as she walked away. "You don't make friends very easily do ya?" Samantha said looking at him.

Cort went inside and sat beside Peaches. "You sure do got some good friends." Cort whispered as he brushed aside some hair that had fallen in her face. "Do I?" Peaches whispered back in her weakened state. "Yes." Cort whispered back smiling at her. "So...you..one of...them?" Peaches asked trying to stay conscious. Cort looked away from her. He didn't know the answer to that. He wanted to say yes, but he was the sheriff in a town she committed murder in, if he didn't bring her in, the town's people would not trust him. Cort ran his hands through his hair. "Guess...that..answers my.....question." Peaches softly whispered before she drifted off to sleep. "You could have said yes." Michelle said as she entered the room. "No I couldn't have." Cort said as he stood up. "If you weren't her friend then you wouldn't have followed her and you wouldn't have gotten Little Feathers." Michelle said starring at him. "I don't know why I did it." Cort said as he walked past her. "Cause your her friend and you care." Michelle said as she watched him walk out.

"If you help her escape, you will swing with her, if it comes to that." Cort said as he entered the room. "You'll have to catch us first." Liz said as she steady her hand by her guns. "Come on, Liz you don't want to do this." Cort said as he starred at her. "Your not getting her." Liz said as she glared at him. "It would be a wise decision to back off." Michelle said as she walked up behind Cort, her gun drawn. "Michelle." Cort said as he turned around. "Liz is right, your not getting her." Michelle said as she pushed Cort further into the room. "You can't be serious, you won't get away." Cort said as she and Liz looked at each other. "NO!" Peaches yelled out. Everyone turned around and looked at her. "This isn't your problem, I know you want to help, but nothing can help me now." Peaches said as she glared at them from the bed. She had manage to sit up. She didn't have much strength left in her, but she didn't want Liz and Michelle getting involved in something that could get them killed.

"Peaches, we can't." Liz started to say but was quickly cut off by Peaches. "Liz, this is not your fight, this was something I started along time ago, so just leave it alone!" Peaches said glaring at Liz. Liz just starred at her for a moment then turned and walked out. Michelle looked at Cort then to Peaches, who was now standing, then turned and walked out. "You better get back in bed." Cort said as he started walking towards her. "I don't think so, lawman." Peaches said as she whipped her gun out. Cort jumped back. "Peaches, you wouldn't make it out that door." Cort said starring at her. Peaches stood straight up and smiled. "Come on Cort, ya really didn't think I was shot that bad, you of all people should have known that it wasn't too serious, but then again how could you with all that blood." Peaches said as she grinned at him.

"I don't understand." Cort said as he starred at her. "Its one of the tricks of the trade kind of thing. I get a little extra blood from some poor little animal, get shot just enough to make you think I'm hurt bad, I add that blood to mine and you always fall for it." Peaches said as she grabbed her gun belt. "But I looked at your wound." Cort said as he watched her. "Hell gettin shot ain't a pretty sight, anything's gonna look bad." Peaches said as she walked around him. "I don't understand, why did I go get Little Feathers for." Cort asked as she got closer to the door. "Little Feathers, well he's a hell of a friend, what you didn't know, is he was followed about 30 or 40 of his men, so lawman, I wouldn't try anything." Peaches said as she walked out of the room.

Peaches came out of the front door. Liz, Michelle, Samantha and Little Feathers were all on their horses. "You three make sure he doesn't follow, get him back to town, where he belongs." Peaches said to Liz and Michelle. "What about you, where are you heading?" Liz asked as she watched as somewhat sore woman climb on her horse. "I'm out of here,don't plan on seeing me again." Peaches said as she kicked the side of her horse and took off.

"Cort, come on, you know what its like out there, outlaws stick together." Michelle said giggling at him. "I don't get it, what's with the show, why didn't you just get her out of here?" Cort asked looking at them. "They were waiting for us." Shelly said as she and Teresa walked in. "That still doesn't explain anything!" Cort said looking at them all. "Its simple really, like I said we owe her, she needs our help with you, we have to make sure you stay out of her hair." Teresa said as she stepped closer to him. "We all have our demons, Cort. Peaches, well she's just fighting them." Liz said as she glared at him.

"All right since no of this seems to be getting through to ya, why don't I tell you a little story." Loria said as she sat down on the bed. Michelle pushed Cort back onto the bed. "Ok, now where to begin, oh yes. When Peaches was about 6 years old, she was on a wagon train with her parents, of course they were heading west, like most people do. They were attacked by Indians. Peaches managed to run away. A couple of days later, Little Feathers found her. Most of her life she grew up in his village, Little Feathers taught her everything he knew. Being quick on the draw, well some say she's just a natural. Through out the years, she's ran across us, or rather we've run across her, she of course saving our asses. So we owe her, but even though we have these debts we must pay back, we do them because we're her friends, and we would do anything for her." Loria said as she glared at him.

"So you see, Cort, even though we're friends, I'm loyal to her." Liz said grinning at him. "So what do you plan on doing with me?" Cort asked as he looked around the room at the women. "Oh, well, we're just gonna make sure you get back to Redemption, and you leave her alone." Liz said glaring at him. "I still don't understand one thing, why did you come to Redemption?" Cort asked starring at her. "Well we heard Adams was heading there, Peaches has had some problems with him before, and she decided it was time to get rid of him. So when you sent me the telegram, well it was the perfect reason to go, I mean come on, if 7 outlaw women came riding into town, wouldn't ya just be a little suspicious." Liz said grinning at him. Cort looked at them all. They weren't who he thought they were. He couldn't believe that Liz, of all people, was betraying their friendship, or at least a friendship he thought they had.

Liz, Michelle, Shelly, Samantha, Teresa, and Loria took Cort back to Redemption. They decided it would be best if they stuck around for a while, they didn't want him trying anything. Liz doubted he would, besides the fact that they were there watching him, Liz knew he was still confused about the situation, which made her laugh. Liz watched as Cort sat in the Saloon and drank whiskey one shot after another. "Better take it easy cowboy, you might drown yourself." Liz said as she laughed. "That's my problem then, ain't it!" Cort snapped back at her then throwing the shot glass at her.