DISCLAIMER: The Young Riders is the creation of Ed Spielman, and the property of Ogiens/Kane productions in association with MGM/UA television. This Story is created for entertainment purposes only, no infringement intended. Not to be copied without permission from the author.
As sunrise crested the distant mountains, Buck stood on the bunkhouse porch, a frown creasing his handsome face. The beautiful pinks and reds reflecting the fiery ball of the sun against the distant silvery clouds couldn't even lighten his mood. Something was terribly wrong, he could feel it with every fibre of his being, he just couldn't work out what it was.
Kid and Lou stood wrapped in each others arms at the bedroom window in a daily ritual that had started a month ago when they moved into the house the night of their wedding. Each morning they would rise shortly before sunrise and watch as the sun rose across the mountains, content to watch this simple beauty until it was time to wake the bunkhouse occupants and prepare breakfast. Lou knew that the only way she could be happier was if Ike and Noah were still alive. She still missed both of them dearly, but she was learning to cope by not thinking about them every day. She couldn't help them any longer, and had turned her attention to the remaining members of the family. With gentle persuasion, she had coaxed Jimmy and Kid into a speaking relationship once again, granted not as close as it had been but at least they were talking, both content not to mention the War within each others hearing. Her only concern at the moment was Buck. She and Rachel had spent a lot of time talking about how to draw the young Indian out of the shell he had drawn himself into after Noah's death.
Buck had barely started to recover from the death of his best friend Ike, when Noah had been killed, whilst his death had openly hurt all of the inhabitants of the Way Station and even the town, Buck had seemed to take his death more to heart. He had withdrawn from everyone, almost as if he was afraid to love anyone lest they be taken from him.
Lou turned to watch Buck standing on the Bunkhouse porch also watching the sunrise as she had watched him do for the past three mornings. Her eyes filled with tears as she watched him standing alone clad only in his trousers, his chest and feet bare against the predawn chill. He seemed so alone, so desolate and she had no idea how to help him.
'He'll be alright Lou, he just needs some time.' Kid as always was perfectly attuned to her feelings.
'Can't you talk to him, please?' she turned in his arms and cuddled him tightly
'Lou, he won't talk about it' he answered feeling decidedly uncomfortable with his wife's request.
'He's probably closest to you of all the boys, can't you please try?' she turned her soulful brown eyes on him and he knew that there was no way he could refuse her.
'Okay.' he bent his head to nuzzle the side of her neck, but she pulled out of his embrace and bent to lift his trousers from where they sat on the rocker under the window. He looked at her with a stunned expression on his face as he accepted his trousers from her.
'What now?!?" he spluttered. Lou smiled and nodded her head eagerly
'No time like the present darling.' she kissed him softly on the lips and held out his shirt for him to take as he started to leave the room, knowing that he would get no peace until he went.
Kid walked briskly from the house to the bunkhouse, the ground and the air still chill despite the fact that it was early spring. He walked on to the porch and slowly crossed to where Buck stood. He stood for a time beside him, then realising that Buck had not heard him approach, he cleared his throat.
'You should be upstairs with your wife.' Buck spoke gently
'She's worried about you Buck, she sent me to check on you.' Kid thought it was best to be truthful.
'No need to worry about me.' Buck shrugged his shoulders and went back to watching the morning sky.
'Could have fooled me, I made enough noise to wake the dead coming onto the porch but you never heard me, so you tell me what's wrong?' Kid stated the facts as he knew them.
Buck spoke without looking at Kid his gaze still fixed on the horizon. 'Something's wrong Kid' he turned back to Kid his eyes full of concern
'I thought you just told me not to worry about you.' he replied a frown marring his handsome face.
'I'm fine.' he paused trying to find the words to explain to his friend 'You were a farmer in Virginia weren't you.' he asked
'My family was. But what does that have to do with this?' Kid's frown deepened
'Can't you feel, something is not right. I thought you might feel it too.' Buck searched Kid's face. 'I thought I might be able to see something, but it all just looks the same.' Buck lamented
'There is something in the air all right Buck.' Teaspoon spoke from behind them.
'So I'm not crazy' Buck looked at Teaspoon hopefully as Teaspoon walked closer and put an arm around both of his boys.
'Last time the air felt this way, I was still with the Rangers and I was almost caught in a tornado.' Teaspoons words hung in the air between the three of them, the mere thought of a tornado enough to terrify all of them.
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