Backup Plan

by Allie

Related to "Jailbreak at Junction City."

"Heyes."

"What?"

"What was your backup plan? If the judge hadn't come through?"

They were sleeping under the stars again. Not a cent to their names, and grateful just to be free and away from towns for awhile.

"My backup plan? What makes you think I had one? That was the whole point. Shooting it all, on this one guy. I knew in my gut he'd come through."

"But if he hadn't," persisted the Kid. "You always have plans. Come on. You can tell me."

"Well... It wasn't so much a plan as-a determination. Yep. A determination."

"Well? What was your determination?"

"I determined...if he let us get extradited...then we were gonna escape again. Somehow. And then we'd come back here and make this town sorry they ever betrayed us."

"The 62,000 dollars?" asked Kid.

"The 62,000 dollars." He sighed, shifted a little. "And, after that, I figured we'd hook up with the boys at Devil's Hole again, and maybe go around and rob anybody else who treated us poorly in our time of need-the way we were planning to get even with Lom, when we thought he betrayed us. And after that-the Denver Mint." He glanced over at the Kid. "Disappointed?"

"Reassured," promised the Kid. "Nice to know you always have a plan." Silence a moment. "But I am glad we didn't give up on amnesty, Heyes. Even if it did take thirty years off my life, standing in front of that judge." Hesitation a moment. "You-you know, Heyes..."

"What, Kid?" Heyes turned to look at him, smiling a little.

"I like us better when we're being good. Trying for amnesty." He looked at Heyes, earnest and a little embarrassed. Reached up and scratched at his curls. "That sheriff-he was a pretty good judge of character, after all. We aren't the same two men who robbed all those banks and trains. We delivered those prisoners, even though it could've cost us everything. Hell, it did cost us everything, Heyes-and we did it anyway. I always know I can trust you, but now-I think the rest of the world is starting to be able to trust you, too. Trust us both."

Heyes grinned at him. "Getting soppy in your old age, Kid?"

The Kid looked aside, quickly.

"Hey." Heyes' voice quieted. "I know what you mean. We're... well, we've already earned our amnesty nine times over, if you ask me. But while we're doing this...we're changing."

"Yeah," agreed Curry quietly. "That's what I meant. We're changing."

Heyes nodded. "It's sure not easy, though."

"Nope. Not easy," agreed the Kid. He rolled over and pulled his blanket over him. "Night Heyes."

"Night Kid. I'll sure be glad if I don't dream about jail..."

"If you do, just break out again." Curry yawned, and pulled his blanket over his head.