By Suzy
Copyright 1999
'How in God's name did you get involved in a bank robbery?' he spoke a little annoyed at Jimmy for letting Lou get caught up in a hold up when he was supposed to be looking after her.
'It wasn't Jimmy's fault Kid, he was in town picking up supplies, he left me at the Station but while he was gone, a gang of bank robbers stopped here to steal fresh horses.' she shuddered at the thought of the big rough men who had treated her so poorly.
'What happened?' he prompted her as she paused.
'I was sitting on the porch, I can't even remember what I was doing, and I don't know how I knew but I could feel someone watching me, when I looked up there were six men on horses in front of the house.' she gripped Kid closer as she vividly recalled the fear she had felt, not for herself but for her unborn child and the fleeting thought that neither child nor father would have the opportunity to know each other. She had stood hiding her gun in her skirts and faced them boldly, her actions belying her shattered nerves. As they dismounted and approached her she had raised a steady hand and aimed at the man closest to her, screaming at him to stop and not come any closer. He had conintued to proceed forward and Lou had not hesitated but had pulled the trigger.
'Lou honey, I need to know,' Kid spoke softly, he had watched with apprehension as Lou travelled back in time, every emotion she had felt that day was reflected in her velvet eyes as she recalled it.
'I shot one of them,' she paused, 'But he kept coming at me, so I shot him again. When he fell, I don't know how, but somehow he knocked me down the stairs. That was the last thing I remember.' she explained to Kid, not telling him the whole truth to try and save him a little pain. The last thing she clearly remembered, was trying to protect her precious cargo from the fall and thinking that she had killed their child before Kid had even had the chance to know about it.
'Do you know what else happened?' he frowned knowing that there must be more to this whole story.
'The next thing I knew I woke up in this bed, Jimmy was sittiing beside the bed waiting for me to wake,' she spoke.
'Where is Jimmy now?' Kid was still irritated at Jimmy for leaving her alone, especially if she was unconscious and unable to defend herself
'He didn't want to go, but he was the only one with sense enough to be appointed marshall until they can appoint a new one,' at Kid's blank stare she continued, 'The marshall and his deputy were killed trying to stop the robbery.' Kid pulled her tightly against him, realizing just how lucky he was to still have her with him.
'Somebody with a little sense had to lead the posse, Jimmy wouldn't leave until he knew I was awake. He had to go Kid, I couldn't live with knowing that the Marshall's killers maybe could have been captured and it was my fault that they weren't,' her velvet brown eyes liquid as she explained. 'I was fine anyway, I just had a feirce headache, nothing that some sleep wouldn't cure,' she murmured as she pressed her face back against his chest.
'None of it would have happened at all if I hadn't sent you away,' he was filled with self loathing for sending her into danger.
'Don't be stupid,' she pushed herself up to look into his face. 'You weren't to know what would happen. It's nobody's fault, it just happened.' she placed a gentle kiss on his upturned lips. 'I'm just glad that I have you back,' she frowned remembering his condition. 'How did you get here?' she asked.
'Katy,' Kid spoke unable to hide the trace of pride in his voice.
'You rode,' she smiled as the realisation that maybe her Kid was returning to normal.
Buck sat on the porch and watched as a horse approached, apart from the fact that he knew there was a gang of bank robbers on the loose, he felt certain that they were safe there, but he drew his pistol and laid it across his lap anyway, it never hurt to be safe.
He realised as the horse drew closer it was Sundancer. Knowing that he owed Jimmy an apology, so he rose and walked down the steps to meet his friend.
'What happened?' he asked Jimmy, seeing his dishevelled appearance.
'We caught them, all but one of them are dead,' he paused, 'Two of the posse were killed as well,' Jimmy spoke wary of Buck after there last conversations.
'How's Lou?' he asked puzzled as to why Buck was there.
'She's asleep, Kid's up there with her,' Buck spoke quietly
'How is he?' Jimmy asked knowing that he would be furious with him for letting Lou step into danger.
'He's walking again, just barely, but I think they've made up,' Buck finished with a smile, but then his expression turned sombre as he began to apologise to his friend, trying to mend some of the fences he knew his temper had broken, 'I owe you an apology Jimmy,' Buck spoke always ready to confess when he was wrong.
'No you don't Buck,' Jimmy stated as he dismounted, 'Everything you said was true.
Ten Weeks Later
Kid paced the porch, his face creased in a deep frown, each sound that carried down from his bedroom window causing the frown to deepen and his pacing to increase. He had thought that it was difficult learning how to walk again, that was nothing compared with listening the sounds he that drifted down to him from the upstairs window and his tiny wife endured the pain of childbirth.
The other boys, all equally concerned, but also somewhat amused all assumed positions around the porch, wanting to be there if they were needed but not wanting to get in anyone else's way. Buck watched Kid, proud of the progress he had made since he and Lou had returned to Rock Creek ten weeks ago. Kid was almost as mobile as he had been prior to the accident, but occasionally mainly when he was tired had trouble telling his legs what to do, but nothing would be able to stop him walking for Lou and their child. The fact that he could pace so furiously was testimony to that.
All the boys looked towards the door, when they heard a particularly loud and guttural scream from Lou upstairs. Kid his crystal blue eyes pained and full of tears, could no longer restrain himself, he turned towards the door. Jimmy and Teaspoon who leaned against either side of the door anticipating just such an occurrence, held him back as he would have pushed his way through.
'Let me in, this is killing her,' he raged as he fought to get inside
'You're going to do what Kid?' Teaspoon asked sagely, 'Have the baby for her?' he asked with a smile understanding just what Kid was going through.
'I would if I could, you know I would spare her this if I could,' he spoke as if to himself, 'she's so tiny,' he finished lamely.
'You know she's tough Kid, let Rachel and the Doctor help her,' Jimmy tried to reason with him, himself torn between staying here and going to her side.
At that moment Doc Barnes appeared at the door. 'Kid I think you might like to come upstairs,' Kid almost knocked him over in his rush to get inside and to the side of his family.
'Teaspoon, you and the boys might like to wait a couple of minutes and then come up, Lou has asked for you all to visit.' Doc Barnes wiped his forehead with a neckerchief.
'How are they Doc?' Jimmy asked almost reluctantly.
'I don't know why anything that should happen with you express riders should surprise me anymore,' he smiled and turned back to the stairs.
'What the hell did that mean teaspoon?' Cody asked as he stood from the post he had maintained sitting on the top step
'I don't know son,' Teaspoon answered pondering the Doctor's remarks, 'I guess we'll find out when we get upstairs.'
Kid walked into the room almost afraid of what he would see, almost breathing a sigh of relief when Lou turned her face towards him. Her hair matted and hanging in damp sweating locks around her pale face, she smiled a smile more serene than he had ever seen at him an lightly patted the bed beside her. He moved to the side of the bed and sat down gently, a frown crossing his face as she winced in pain as the bed moved underneath her.
'I'm sorry Lou,' he apologised to her, not sure if he meant for the bed moving or for being the cause of her pregnancy.
'What for Kid?' she frowned her voice little more than a tired murmur, 'For giving me the two most precious beings I could ever imagine.' she smiled that serene smile once more as he took her hands in his. she watched amused as she waited for her words to sink in.
'Two?' he murmured confused, noticing for the first time that a smiling Rachel sat in the rocker in the corner cradling two swaddled bundles in her arms. Only having eyes for his beloved wife as he entered the room he hadn't even thought to ask after his baby when he entered, his concern for Lou's well being overriding everything else in his mind.
'You two never do anything by halves, I don't know why we didn't just expect this,' she spoke with a smile as she rose to place one of the babies in his arms and placed the other in the outstretched arms of its mother.
'Daddy's going to need two shotguns.' she spoke as she stroked the forehead of the baby in Kid's arms 'One to teach his son how to shoot,' she paused and Lou continued for her. 'And one to chase away all the suitors from his daughter, the most beautiful girl in the territory.' Lou yawned.
Rachel saw her weariness and moved to the door to go downstairs and urge the others to make a quick visit and let the new mother get some sleep.
'Thank you Lou,' Kid spoke as he cradled his son gently to his chest almost afraid he might break him, watching him closely. His son apparently making a similar appraisal of his daddy.
'What do you want to name our babies?' Lou asked gently tears in her eyes as she watched the interaction between the two most important men in her life.
'I thought we might name her for your mother like we had planned and Jimmy, if that's alright with you,' he spoke looking into her teary velvet eyes.
Lou was almost in tears when the door opened and the others sheepishly entered the room, all eyes widening in surprise as they noticed the two bundles of joy.
'Should have known,' Cody shook his head.
'Everybody let me introduce Mary Louise and James Noah McLoud,' Kid spoke looking into his friends faces, his eyes lingering on Jimmy's hoping that Jimmy understood his gratitude and his feelings for him in the naming of his son. In his own mind he couldn't think of any better way to thank him for all he had done for Lou and himself and continued to do.
Lou watched her family as she drifted off to sleep knowing that she was truly content and happy, her children had the benefit and two parents and a large extended family that loved them. Something that none of them had ever had, and she knew that all of them were determined to raise these children as part of that loving environment. Closing her eyes she realised that her life had started with little promise but she had moulded it into something that she could be proud of.
Jimmy watched Kid and Lou cradling their children and knew that he had made the right choice, he could never give Lou the life she deserved and while it pained him to watch their loving relationship, he took solace in the fact that they were his two best friends in the world and there was nothing that he wouldn't do to ensure the happiness of both of them. His eyes briefly met those of Buck who watched him with a sadness and smiled sadly. They both knew that his continued silence about his true feelings for Lou was the best and only way to handle the situation. Someday he would move on and make a life for himself somewhere else, but he knew that he would never find another woman he loved as much as he did the tiny woman dozing in the bed before him.
