INFO: The Bird Cage Theater is a real building located in Tombstone, Arizona. I wrote this story after going there and taking a tour through it. Because Tombstone was not even discovered until 1880, I put it in Tucson instead. This story is set after the episode 'The Lady from Balitmore' when Adam goes with Hoss to Tucson to escape Melinda and her mother. If you ever go to Tombstone, visit the Bird Cage - it's a fascinating look into the past. Caz

Adam and Hoss entered the Lucky Saloon, thirsty from their day viewing cattle. Adam always thought of this place as the first saloon he'd drunk in. Even if the drink had been in secret, up on the landing behind the stair banister. He glanced up there now, remembering that hot night he and Jessica had spent seeing the town.

He still remembered her sweet features and shining smile. He'd never told Hoss about her. It'd all happened when he was still a teenager, after all. She'd been a brave girl, and he wished again with regret that he could have prevented what happened to her. He'd grown up a lot during those few days. He walked to the bar and ordered a whiskey. Hoss looked at him, a little surprised.

"Whisky, brother? You plannin' on a big night?"

"No, I guess not. Give me a beer instead." The bar tender pulled the beers, which they picked up and took to one of the tables.

"This place hasn't changed over the years." Adam looked around the room. It seemed exactly as he remembered it.

"I don't remember ever being in this part of town before. How come you know it?" Hoss couldn't recall Adam telling him about it before.

"Oh, I came here once, years ago, before you were old enough to appreciate beer." He smiled at his brother and sipped the liquid.

"Boy, I don't remember back that far," Hoss joked and swallowed a good portion of his cold drink.

Adam sat back in the chair, remembering that night, when Jessica told him about the people in the saloon and their stories. He'd often wondered what happened to her, but after leaving Tucson, she had never contacted him again. At the time, he'd been shattered. He'd waited for her letters. Letters that never arrived. She'd been his first love. Not in the physical sense, but in the way teenagers imagined love to be. She'd been beautiful and untainted. He recalled their innocent kisses and talk of their futures. Then, everything went horribly wrong.

"Adam, you listening to me?" Hoss's voice suddenly broke his chain of thought.

"Sorry Hoss, I was thinking."

"Hmm, maybe you should do a little less of that sometimes. I think it affects your brain."

Adam smiled sarcastically at him. "Well, what did you say?"

"I said, how about we get all gussied up tonight and hit the town, proper. We haven't had a night out the whole trip. And I guess after that unpleasantness with that woman back home you might be ready for some fun." Hoss read his brother pretty well. He knew Adam took things too seriously a lot of the time. He personally took it as his job to ensure his brother got a balance in his life.

"Yeah, I guess we could. Let's get back to the hotel and get changed."

"Great." They both got up and moved to the door.

Adam turned as they left, taking one last look inside the Lucky Saloon. He had a feeling that tonight was going to be a night full of memories.

Adam looked out the window of his hotel room a while later. As luck would have it, it was the same room he'd occupied twelve years ago, when he traveled to Tucson with his father. The furniture was new and the walls were freshly painted, but he chuckled as the window shutter was still hard to open.

After a shove, he got it to open and looked out onto the street below. Some buildings were new, some looked a lot older, but down the street was still the most interesting building in the city. The Bird Cage Theater was alive with activity, even at this early hour. Adam watched with fascination, as he had all those years ago. Much wiser now, of course, he knew what the men wanted and enjoyed there.

He pulled a chair over to the window and sat. Watching the patrons gather outside, he was taken back to that time twelve years ago. It had been a remarkable couple of weeks. He'd been seventeen and naive about the world and it's realities. He allowed his mind to drift back, back to his youth; back to Jessica.