EPILOGUE

The minute Vin returned with Mary, Chris knew what had happened.

There was a finality to the single gunshot fired in the distance, that resonated through all of them. James and his men were tied up at the waystation, their prison for the Judge and Mary becoming their temporary cell. Once that bit of business was carried out, they fanned out in search of Mary until the rifle blast froze them all in their tracks.

Vin and Mary emerged from the darkness, drawn to light of the campfires. The surge of relief that flooded Chris when he saw Mary was stronger than he liked and for the first time, he was forced to concede he might have some feeling for the widow. It was unformed and vague but there was no denying the spark she seemed to ignite whenever he was in her presence.

But that was a long way off yet, he was still too filled with Sarah and Adam.

Right now, Chris was more concerned about Vin.

When they first return to the others, Vin and Mary's appearance was met with gratitude. Mary ran straight into the Judge's embrace and when the old man held his daughter in law, his stony demeanour wavered enough for everyone to know how just how much it meant to him to have her back safely. Travis was not an overtly sentimental man but his eyes spoke volumes as he hugged Mary back.

When she parted from the Judge, Mary's gaze sought out Chris and though nothing was said, their eyes remained locked for a few seconds. In that moment, Mary understood they had reached a watershed moment and things may never be the same between them again.

"Glad to see you're safe and sound Mary," Buck Wilmington declared with a grin, bringing them both back to the now.

"Thanks to all of you," Mary smiled and Chris noticed that she did not look at Vin when she said that.

"What about Jenny?" JD asked. "Where is she?"

Vin looked away for a moment and his blue eyes, often reflections of his soul and his mood, turned black as he answered. "Dead."

"Mr. Tanner I'm sorry." Ezra stared at the tracker with a concerned expression on his usually unreadable face.

"What happened?" Travis asked.

"She was going to kill me," Mary spoke up and spared Vin the anguish of saying it himself. "If it wasn't for Vin she would have. She was insane. Even when Vin pointed his gun at her and told her to stop, she wouldn't. I don't think anything would have made a difference. She wanted me to die."

Chris had a feeling despite Mary's efforts, Vin was not feeling so easily absolved. Walking past them once Mary had explained, no one was in the mind to stop him. Chris' jaw tightened watching the young man leave, his pain following him like red trails of blood. The gunslinger would have preferred to be the one to pull the trigger on Jenny Miller, to spare Vin that agony but fate was a capricious thing. It was seldom kind.

"Chris," Buck stared him straight in the eye. "You need to go after him."

Chris sucked in his breath and nodded. Buck was right. Someone had to say the words to make this situation mildly tolerable for Vin and it had fallen to him. Buck knew people and if he felt Chris needed to do this, then he wasn't going to question it.

In affairs of the heart, Buck knew his stuff.

Chris gave Buck a little smile to which his old friend returned. For a few seconds, unspoken words passed between them and whatever rift there had been between them melted away. Their friendship may never be what it once was, but it would survive.

"Buck, can you and Nathan go see about finding her body? I don't want Vin to have to deal with it any more than he has to. Mary, you think you can show them where it is?"

Mary understood what he was going to do and why. "Of course."

Chris gave her a look of gratitude. "The rest of you hitch that wagon and get James and his men ready to travel. The sooner we get the hell out of here, the better."

To that no one could disagree.

He found Vin preparing Peso for travel at the campsite where they'd left their horse.

The tracker had heard him coming and paused what he was doing until Chris reached him. Truth be told, there was no way anyone was sneaking up on Vin. Chris had learnt this much about the man in the short time they had ridden together. The tracker had an almost uncanny sense of hearing and smell, traits probably necessary during his days as a buffalo hunter.

"I don't want to talk about it." Vin said before Chris could speak.

"Fair enough," Chris nodded in understanding as he paused behind Vin. The tracker made no effort to face him and Chris was not about to press the issue on that point. "You don't have to talk, just listen."

He saw Vin stiffened as if he was going to protest before thinking better of it and then abandoning the idea.

"You did what you to Vin. You didn't kill out of anger, or spite or any of the resentment you felt for her because of what she did. You pulled the trigger to save a life."

"You don't know that," Vin returned. "I don't even know that."

"I know you," Chris replied, "and that's enough for me."

"You don't know how angry I was," Vin confessed turning around to face him. "She played me for a fool Chris!"

"I know," Chris said sympathetically. "I wanted her dead too Vin. I wanted to do it myself because of what she did to you. The only reason you fired on her is because she gave you no choice. If you want to blame someone for her death, blame her. Don't blame yourself."

Vin resumed what he was doing, unable to look at him.

"Vin, I blame myself every day for what happened to my wife and son Vin. I know if I had been home that night, they would still be alive. It's a guilt that's torn me up inside, that's changed more than just my life. It's changed me. I know the man who was husband to Sarah and father to Adam is dead. My guilt killed him. I'll never be that man again and I sometimes I miss him. Don't let the same thing happen to you, not for someone like Jenny. Trust me Vin, you don't want the horror of looking into a mirror one day and having no idea who's staring back you."

Vin didn't speak but the words penetrated. Yeah, his heart was broke alright, but he had no wish to lose himself because of it. Chris' life was a cautionary tale to that effect.

"I think I could have loved her Chris. As crazy as she turned out to be, I really think I could have fallen in love with her."

"Maybe you could have and someday you will, don't eat yourself up because she was twisted to know how precious that was. Look Vin, I ain't gonna lie. Its gonna hurt like hell but tonight I realised, it doesn't hurt forever."

Vin nodded, his back to Chris because he didn't trust himself to meet the Man in Black's gaze.

"I'm gonna head out on the trail for a couple of days. I need to be alone for a while."

"Alright," Chris nodded in understanding. Vin was raw right now and if the best way for him to heal was to spend some time alone, so be it. Chris would not intrude on that.

"Sure," the gunslinger smiled faintly. "You go on and do what you have to do, we'll take care of this."

"Thanks," Vin tipped his hat at Chris and mounted Peso.

Chris watched the tracker disappear into the night. Chris knew Vin would be back among them soon enough because he was part of the seven and more importantly, because Vin was a part of him.

"I can't believe it," Josiah Sanchez said as he downed his glass of Red Eye.

"Believe it," Chris frowned as he eased back into his chair at their usual watering hole and signalled a passing barmaid to bring him another drink.

It had been two weeks since Stuart James was brought in for the attempted murder of Mary Travis and Chris had honestly believed that would be the end to the rancher and his delusions of grandeur. Unfortunately, a whole bunch of fancy lawyers had seen to it James walked free, citing psychological stress and a whole bunch of incomprehensible medical terms that impressed the judge and the jury. Nor did it help that James was brought in by seven gunmen with less than stellar reputation.

As a result, the man's sentence was suspended and Stuart James was a free man.

"You think he'll stay away from the Judge and Mary?" JD asked, unable to believe how the law could allow this to happen.

"I don't think he'd be foolish enough to come after them again," Nathan retorted. "Not after Judge Cahill had to say about him being the prime suspect if any harm came to the Judge and Miss Mary."

"Gentlemen," Ezra Standish lowered the paper he was reading. "I think it's safe to say that one who is rich can get away with anything. Take this fellow here," the gambler glanced at his paper once more. "Donald Avery, real estate tycoon worth millions, according to this article has been accused of numerous crimes that miraculously seem to evaporate. Men like this make criminal charges disappear and unfortunately, that is a fact of life."

"Great," JD frowned. "So, you're saying if we're rich we can do anything and not answer for it?"

"Most of the time," Ezra sighed. "Mr. Avery here has rather made an art of it, no doubt like so many others before and after him."

"Stop reading that," Nathan remarked grabbing the paper away from him. "You're only torturing yourself over that guy's money."

Ezra smiled faintly at Nathan, somewhat aware over the past two weeks that the healer had taken it upon himself to rehabilitate Ezra into a somewhat tolerable human being with scruples. It amused Ezra to let Nathan think that he could succeed. "I am merely gaining intelligence regarding the man and his fortune, who knows he might have a daughter who seeks her thrills with charming professional gamblers."

Josiah rolled his eyes. "Dream on Ezra."

"How come we never see Vin anymore?" JD inquired, missing the presence of the tracker around them.

"He's around," Chris drawled. "Just needs some quiet time on his own occasionally."

"Can't say I blame him," Buck remarked. "Boy definitely got his heart cut out because of that girl. I keep convincing to come to this place I found but no, he won't hear anything of it. I mean he's only a little older than JD, he's gotta have needs."

"Jeez Buck," Chris winced. "Let the man alone. If he needs company he'll take care of it himself."

"Mr. Tanner is not the kind who partakes in the company of ladies of the night Mr. Wilmington," Ezra nodded in agreement.

"Well what about the rest of you?" Buck looked around the table.

Nathan raised a brown and stated. "And this is where I decide I'm going to my infirmary."

"And me to my church." Josiah retorted.

"This wouldn't be Wickestown would it?" Chris asked.

"You know it?" Buck stared at him, his face lighting up.

"I've been there a couple of times." The gunslinger drawled. What he didn't say was he knew a rather charming working girl there who went by the name of Lydia.

"Well I'm taking JD there," Buck announced and JD just about choked on his whiskey.

"You are?" The young man gaped at Buck with the expression of a doe caught in a hunter's sights.

"Sure," Buck grinned. "It will make a man out you."

"I'm already a man," JD protested.

"Trust me, you'll be a grown man after this."

"Mr. Wilmington, you are the basest creature that has ever lived, you know this don't you?"

"So, you'll be joining us?" the big man treated Ezra to a mischievous grin.

"I think not," Ezra retorted haughtily. "I prefer to find company with women that won't require me to get poutltices from a doctor after the event. Besides, it's too much trouble."

"Trouble?" Buck snorted. "How much trouble could you have with a working girl? It's not like she was a wife or anything."

"If I seemed to recall you having no problem getting in over your head in places like that Buck," Chris gave him a look. "In fact, I remember pulling your ass out of the fire quite a few times."

"Well I can assure you that I'm not gonna get into any trouble at all," Buck said empathetically. 'I'm taking JD to Wickestown and that's all there is to it. You're welcome to come along if you want Chris."

"I might just do that," Chris smiled.

"I mean honestly," Buck frowned, wondering if his friends considered him rowdy buffoon. "How much trouble could I possibly get to in Wickestown?"

THE END