Title: The Story of Boston Bound, part 4 of 4

Author: Tipper

Disclaimer: See part one.

The Story of Boston Bound

Part Four

As requested, everyone gathered into the hotel's parlour, and the hotel manager shut the double doors to prevent eavesdroppers. The night manager, Sykes, sat in a corner in a red antique chair as representative of the hotel. His dark eyes surveyed the room slowly, drinking in the tableau with the air of a man apart. Wiping a bead of sweat from his temple, he ignored the growing heat in the room as he prepared to watch the scene unfold, feeling a bit like a voyeur.

Everyone had arranged themselves into groups. By the fire, BB sat in one of the large armchairs, with Nathan standing over her, his hands resting on her shoulders. Lacey and Wallace Milton took up position on the other side of them, with Lacey in the opposite arm chair. Standing nearby, but clearly off to one side, were the Streets. All together, they seemed to form one little enclave of support, and the glow of the fire between them embraced them as a whole.

Off to the side, Carl and Sarah Weathers sat on the couch under one of the two street facing windows, cast in the shadow of the arm chair that Lacey sat in. Ezra stood by the other window, leaning unconcernedly against the frame, watching the lights being lit in the saloon across the way. In some ways, he appeared to stand with the couple, but it was also clear that he was intentionally separating himself from them and from the rest of the room.

Of the lawmen, Josiah had made an effort to stand halfway between Nathan and Ezra, his hands behind his back, his head to the ground, and JD sat next to him in a hard backed chair, his chin resting on one hand. Buck and Vin each flanked the closed double doors, while Chris stood in front of them in the room's center, his hands behind his back. Slowly, he brought his hands forward, and the clank of the shackles he held in one hand instantly got everyone's attention. He placed them down on the coffee table.

"Thank you for coming," he intoned quietly. "You're here because we know who killed Charlie Weller, and we want you to understand how we came to that conclusion. That way we can avoid any confusion or nay-saying." He paused and looked behind him to Buck. The ladies man stepped forward and handed him the pad. The black-clad gunslinger thanked him, and flipped open some pages, ignoring the restlessness of his captives. When he looked up again, his eyes appeared even darker against his ruddy skin. "As you may have figured out from the cuffs, the murderer is one of you."

The ripple of fear that drifted through the people gathered was ignored by the peacekeepers, and Chris returned his gaze to his pad. Vin stepped forward, his thumbs hooked in his gunbelt, and prepared to speak.

"Because of all the snow and mud, its pretty easy to see who had come and gone since the murder. I was on patrol around the time the murder occurred, and, in the time it took me to do one circuit, there were no new discernable tracks leading from the back of the hotel. Therefore, whoever committed the murder probably remained in the building, or took a path already worn through." Finished, Vin nodded to Buck, who stepped up next to him.

"There are four possible suspects," the ladies man said, leaning over the back of an empty chair and resting one foot on a supporting leg. "Carl Weathers, Nathan Jackson, BB Weller, and Ezra Standish. Each had strong motive to kill Weller, motives which any of use could sympathize with…." he paused as another ripple went through the gathering, and everyone glanced at the four. Only Ezra didn't react, his eyes still trained on the glowing saloon like a lighthouse beacon.

"Carl Weathers was an obvious first choice, once we learned that Weller not only coveted his wife, but was the man responsible for their capture after a failed run…and for the loss of their only child," Buck continued. Lacey stood up straight in her chair, her eyes wide as she sought out the couple on the divan. Twisting around to see them behind her, the disbelief was clear on her face, but the Weathers were not interested in her. Carl had his head in his hands as Sarah hugged his back, her clear brown eyes focused intently on the ladies man.

"What are you saying?" BB hissed from her chair by the fire, her eyes shining. Buck sighed.

"Now, I don't like speaking ill of the dead, but in this case, we have a corroborating witness. I'm sorry, Mrs. Weller, but your husband was a double dealer. He sold back some of the slaves he liberated, and he attempted to steal Miss Sarah for himself." He looked at the old black couple, his lips pressed in a thin line. "Mr. and Mrs. Milton, can you deny that Weller was in love with Sarah?"

Lacey looked up at her husband, but Wallace looked away. When she looked back, her expression made her seem even older than her sixty years, and her slow head shake spoke volumes to the young woman sitting opposite her. With an anguished cry, BB put her head in her hands, and Nathan rubbed her shoulders.

"Now, we know that Carl threatened Weller the night he was murdered, but we also know that Weller was murdered in his hotel room, not in Carl and Sarah's apartment. In order for Carl to have murdered Weller, he would have had to leave his apartment sometime after Weller was escorted back to the hotel by Ezra Standish." He looked to the Weathers, seeing Sarah watching him carefully. "Luckily for the Weathers, Mrs. Potter was still awake down below. While she could not hear the argument going on two floors up, she could hear the stairs. After Weller and Ezra left, she claims no one else came down those stairs again before she fell asleep around midnight. Thus, Carl, we know it was not you."

Carl's head shot up, the relief in them obvious, and Sarah grinned through her tears. Buck tipped his hat to them and backed up to lean once more against the wall. In his place, Vin stepped forward and leaned heavily on one leg.

"Nathan," the tracker stated, calling the healer's attention away from the still crushed BB. Straightening, Nathan crossed his arms and stared back.

"According to what you and BB have told us, you left her hotel room sometime just after ten, after giving BB a sleeping powder. Then you said you went for a walk."

Nathan nodded, and Vin sighed. "Well, I went out to the fishing hole and found the fire pit this morning, still warm from your visit. I estimate it woulda taken you close to half an hour to walk out there, though it might of taken you longer since it was night, and, from the looks of the footprints I found, you walked in a sort of meandering fashion. Thus, you couldn't have gone out there and come back in time to kill Charlie at eleven." He frowned, then looked at the carpet as he scuffed his free foot over it.

"But, you could have killed him before you went out. Even moving slowly, you had enough time to wait for Ezra to bring Charlie back to the hotel at 10:30, kill him, then go for your walk. Plus, we all know your skill with a knife -- you would have known how to kill him quickly and without him ever making a sound."

"But I didn't…" Nathan said.

"Please, Nate," Vin asked, putting a hand up, "let me finish." He looked at the others, and licked his lips. "Nathan had a pretty strong motive for wanting Weller dead, as strong as any. He's in love with Weller's wife." Vin raised an eyebrow at the healer, and Nathan looked away.

"He met Miss Boston when she helped him escape his plantation back when he was still a kid, just before the war. Though they lost track of each other, you'd have to be blind not to see that they still feel for each other." He nodded at BB, who was staring disconsolately at the fire now. "And it couldn't help none for Nate, one of the most moral souls I know, to find out that Weller beat his wife."

"Oh, sweety," Annabel whispered, in a voice of someone who knew and had always felt guilty for her knowledge. BB glanced at her, then back at the fire. Nathan frowned at Vin, but kept his mouth shut.

"But, for all that, we know that, like Carl, Nathan couldn't have committed the murder." He smiled slightly. "Charlie Weller's murder was, to put it mildly, bloody. It would have been impossible for the murderer to escape without getting blood all over his clothes. The snow that marked Nathan's prints was spotless – as white as when it first fell. Any blood would have stuck out as obvious as a…a…"

"As a hailstorm on a sunny day," Buck supplied. Vin nodded at him.

"So, Nate, you're off the hook."

"Which takes us to Mrs. Weller," Chris stated coldly. Vin nodded.

"Her motives would be the same as Nathan's despite her swearing to us that she placed her husband on a higher pedestal," the tracker noted quietly, looking at the woman in the chair. "Difference is, she was the one being hit. Was Nathan's support and love enough to give her the gumption to face him?"

"Even if it was," Buck said, stepping forward and looking at Nathan, "we know that she couldn't have done this either. For one thing, as Nathan told us, he gave her a sleeping potion and watched as she drank it. Probably put her to bed too, eh Nate?" Buck smiled, and Nathan looked away.

"More to the point, whoever killed him had to be quick and strong, in order to have knifed him without him making a sound or putting up a fight. On her own, a woman like Mrs. Weller would have been unlikely to have been much of a match for Charlie Weller, a man twice her size," Vin said.

In her chair, BB slumped back slightly in her seat, and Nathan relaxed where he stood over her. He reached to touch her shoulder again, when his hand stopped. It suddenly occurred to him what their absolution meant, and his brown eyes locked on the gambler.

Still by the window, Ezra now had his eyes closed.

"An efficient process of elimination, gentlemen," he drawled, indicating for the first time that he had been listening. "However, may I suggest that you have somehow overlooked something? Since, under the circumstances, you appear to only have one suspect left…" he turned so that he faced the room, his face calm, "and I did not kill Mr. Weller."

"Sorry, Ezra, but that ain't the way it looks," Buck said, sighing.

"Your motive for his murder was as deep as the others, Ezra," Chris stated gruffly, his voice low, finally taking up the role that Vin and Buck had carried this far. His nearly black eyes remained on the fire lit gambler as he continued to address the room.

"Our resident gambler here was once, rather reluctantly, a part of Weller's underground railroad. Maude, his mother, owned a casino boat on the Mississippi…"

"Co-owned!" Ezra said angrily, unable to stop himself. "The Mississippi Glory was half mine!"

"The little Spencer boy?" Wallace suddenly said, earning him an incredulous look from Nathan. To say that the healer looked shell-shocked by the revelation that Ezra could ever have been part of the railroad would be an understatement.

"I thought I recognized those eyes," Lacey murmured. "How is your mother, child?"

"Oh, this is just great!" the gambler spat, throwing his hands in the air. He turned back to the window, refusing to look at anyone anymore, crossing his arms in front of him. If the situation hadn't been so serious, Buck would have laughed.

Chris tapped his pad with his hand, stilling the room. Once he was sure he had everyone's attention again, he continued his story. "She was your boat, Ezra, and, from what we can figure, the closest thing you've ever had to a home before coming here. The way you described it to us, we would have been blind not to see how much having that time with your mother meant to you." He paused, taking a deep breath. "Charlie Weller destroyed that when he gave you and your mother up to the authorities in Saint Louis, so that he could have Sarah for himself. You lost your money, your home, your dreams and your freedom, all because of one man. A strong motive for wanting to kill a man."

"Except that I did not kill him," Ezra stated firmly.

"You were the only one with both the means and the opportunity," Chris stated.

"Opportunity," Ezra shook his head, and looked up at the ceiling, "perhaps, but the means, no. I told you already…I gave the knife back to Mrs. Weller."

"Not according to her. She made no mention of your visit."

Ezra turned surprised eyes back to the man in black, then to the woman in question. "What?"

"Am I correct, Mrs. Weller?" Chris asked, also turning to look at her. BB watched them both for a moment, her mouth opening and closing. Then she nodded.

"I'm sorry, Mr. Standish," she muttered. "I never saw you…." Above her, Nathan stared at the top of her head, and his hands suddenly gripped the seat.

"She's lying, Chris!" Ezra stormed, standing up straight. "Damn it, can't you see that? Just look at her face, its as clear as day."

"No, Ezra, I don't." Chris bent over and picked up the shackles. "I'm sorry."

"Chris, are you sure about this?" Josiah asked, moving closer to the gambler as if to shield him. JD looked stunned, and he jumped off the chair to better see Ezra. The gambler swallowed and backed up against the window, debating his chances of running. As he looked from face to face, his eyes caught Nathan still standing by BB, seeing a mask of bewilderment on the healer's normally quiet face.

"Nathan?" Ezra pleaded. For a moment, the gambler thought he had seen something else fighting for control beneath that mask, and he latched on to it. Meanwhile, Chris took hold of Ezra's shoulders and spun him around. Josiah raised a hand to stop him, but was stilled by Buck shaking his head. Gently, Chris took each of Ezra's wrists and snapped the shackles on. All the while, bright green eyes remained focused on the healer, his friend, begging him to say whatever it was that was gripping him.

Nathan rocked backwards, loosing his grip on the chair, and looked away. Ezra dropped his eyes, and sighed.

"Fine," he muttered, his voice low. With a short laugh, he looked up again to glare at the lawmen, and sneered as he looked at Vin. "It wouldn't be the first time a man was accused of something he didn't do, eh, Mr. Tanner?" Vin looked away, and pursed his lips in irritation. Josiah gripped his hands into fists, clearly wanting to stop them but not sure how.

"C'mon, Ezra," Chris said, placing his hand on Ezra's shoulder to lead him out.

"No, wait!" Nathan's voice broke, and, when the others looked at him, they could see he was shaking slightly despite the heat in the room. He swallowed harshly, his face drawn.

"She did have the knife. He must've given to her, 'cause…'cause I saw it in her room."

The despair at betrayal in BB's expression was thick, her lips pressed in a thin line. For his part, Ezra's eyes looked up to the ceiling, thanking the powers that be.

"Doesn't change anything, Nathan," Chris said slowly, ignoring the stiffening of Ezra's shoulder beneath his hand.

"Chris?" Josiah begged plaintively. Chris shook his head at him and looked back at Nathan.

"You told us yourself, Nathan, that Mrs. Weller was distraught. She may have simply forgotten that Ezra visited her. Besides, she was asleep when Charlie was killed. The sleeping powder, remember? You said you saw her drink it. Said she would of been out cold."

Nathan frowned, and a bead of sweat trailed down the side of his face. He stepped away again from the chair and the fire, wiped the heat from his face, but didn't speak again. He could feel all their eyes drilling into him as he considered his options, all except Ezra's. Those he knew were still looking away, probably believing that Nathan would betray him.

"Keep moving, Ez," Chris said, gently pushing the gambler to the door.

"Chris!" The healer hissed abruptly, "I lied."

"Nathan?" JD's shocked cry and hurt expression spoke for all them, though the others had the presence of mind to hide it. Josiah, however, couldn't resist a small sigh of relief, and Ezra's shoulders fell a little. Chris didn't take his eyes off the healer.

"Lied?' he prompted, his expression neutral.

"I said I saw her drink it. I didn't."

"Nathan?" BB asked, her hands gripping at her skirt. Nathan tried not to hear her anguish as he locked stares with Chris.

"I mixed her drink, just as I said, and left a couple extra packets of powder should she wake up in the night unable to get back to sleep. But I never saw her actually drink it."

"And?" Chris said, not hiding the fact that he was baiting the healer now. His face was so cool and his voice so heavy in implication, that Nathan could only shut his eyes in defeat. It was clear that Chris already knew what was coming, probably figured it out by talking to Silace, but he still needed Nathan to say it out loud. When the healer spoke again, his voice was dull.

"And when I looked at Charlie's body, I noted that he was still bleeding, despite being dead for a while. The blood was draining too slow, and it was thin where it collected on the carpet, as opposed to black and thick as would have been normal. It could only mean that he'd had some kind of barbiturate in his system – the sleeping powder. Enough mixed with the whiskey I saw on the coffee table, it would have killed him."

BB's angry shriek made them all jump, and they all turned to look at her. But she only had eyes for Nathan, the accusation in them clear.

"How was I supposed to know that?" she cried suddenly, explosively. "I just wanted him to sleep, so that he wouldn't hit me again, and so I could get away." She was crying freely now, her shoulders heaving as her breathing grew increasingly ragged. Lacey was by her side in seconds, trying to take one of the girl's hands where they gripped the arms of the chair.

Nathan watched her crumble, his own eyes filling with tears. "It really was you? God, I was so hoping…"

"It was an accident, Nathan, you must believe me!"

"But I warned you not to mix it with alcohol," he whispered.

"I didn't think you meant it would be fatal….I just thought it would just make him sleep longer. Please, how was I supposed to know?" She reached for him, but Nathan stepped away. Lacey shut her eyes.

"So why'd you stab him?" Vin asked.

BB stood, shaking off Lacey and wiping furiously at her face with her hands to get rid of the tears. When she looked up again, she was still looking at the healer. "I had to cover it up, Nathan, don't you see? He was already dead, and I didn't want to hang. If people thought he'd died by stabbing, well then, I couldn't possibly have done it…."

"Boston, if it was an accident, like you said, we would of believed you," Nathan tried to reason with her.

BB just stared at him, mouth agape. "A black woman?" Her voice filled with rage at his ignorance, "You think what I say means anything? Even you would have been hard pressed, Nathan, to accept my explanation. The wrong color," she waved at the white men in the room, "and the wrong sex, remember?"

"Boston…."

"My name is BB, Nathan! BB Weller. Boston Bound is dead…. She died over ten years ago in the war. BB is all that is left."

Nathan couldn't bear it anymore. He backed to the door, his eyes filling with unshed tears, then turned and bolted out the doors. Josiah took a couple of steps in the same direction, but Vin placed a hand on his arm.

"Give him a few minutes," the tracker whispered.

Chris, meanwhile, unshackled Ezra, who in turn rubbed his wrists tiredly. The gunslinger looked to Mrs. Weller.

"Are you ready to tell us what happened now?" Chris asked quietly.

With Nathan's departure, BB's tears slackened, and she collapsed back down into the chair. When she gathered the will to look up at the man in black, her eyes were dead.

"I never drank the potion. I needed to think," she began dully. "At some point, I went over to the window in that ante room, thinking I wanted fresh air. Had I known what I would hear…" She trailed off, and looked over at the Weathers, who still sat on the divan. BB's eyes found Sarah, then looked away.

"With my window open, I could easily hear Charlie talking to someone in the building opposite. I looked out and saw the open window on the third floor, practically facing me. I heard everything…how Charlie got his money, how he still loved Sarah, what he did to Mr. Standish's boat, everything." She paused, and brought a hand to her head. Lacey had long since returned to her own chair, and was watching the fire, no longer wanting to listen.

BB took a deep breath and sniffed. "When Mr. Standish brought Charlie back, I was in the bedroom, waiting. I'd poured all the extra powder Nathan had given me into a glass of whiskey. Charlie stayed out in the ante room after Mr. Standish left, staring at the fire. When I walked out, he jumped, but didn't seem angry. I offered him the drink and told him to sit in front of the fire, promising him that everything would be better in the morning. My plan was to leave as soon as he was asleep and go to Nathan's to hide. Charlie fell asleep almost instantly. It wasn't until I tried to get him to move to the bed half an hour later that I realized I'd killed him." She sniffed again, and wiped her nose on the sleeve of her brown dress.

"I don't know. Maybe Nathan's right. I did know that I wasn't supposed to mix the powder with alcohol…maybe, subconsciously, I wanted him dead," she said sadly. "In any case, when I figured out that I'd killed him, all I could think about was that I had to cover it up. The knife Mr. Standish had given me was still on the mantle over the fireplace…." She shook slightly, remembering how she had only meant to slit his throat, but a sudden rage had overtaken her, and she had stabbed him over and over again. "Like a madwoman," she whispered out loud.

"Why'd you wait two hours before screaming?" Chris asked.

BB shrugged. "Nathan said the potion he gave me would only last a few hours. I had to pretend that I had drunk it and had been sleeping when Charlie was killed. Worked, didn't it." She buried her face in her hands. "Almost. Oh, Nathan," she moaned to the absent healer. "Nathan, I'm so sorry."

Chris exhaled slowly and placed the shackles in JD's hands. "Take her to the jail. Make sure she's comfortable."

"You want me to use these?" the kid asked, shaking the shackles. Chris shook his head.

"Not necessary."

JD nodded and went over to BB. Gently, he helped her to her feet and walked her out the door. Buck followed closely, planning on providing support.

"The rest of you may go now and get some sleep. Mr. and Mrs. Milton, Mr. and Mrs. Street, you are not required to stay unless you want to. The stage will be able to leave tomorrow." Chris said, watching the couples. They looked at each other, but didn't answer. With a sigh, Wallace took his wife's hand and led the way out of the room. The Streets followed.

Carl and Sarah, meanwhile, had gone up to Ezra, who was standing off by himself again. Upon reaching him, Carl offered the gambler his hand. Ezra stared at it a moment, then accepted it, shaking it firmly. Sarah smiled.

"I knew you were innocent," she said. Ezra nodded.

"So did I," he quipped.

The Weathers then left as well, leaving only the four peacekeepers. Together the four men walked outside and stood in the cold air outside the hotel, each turning unconsciously to look over at the jail. Nathan sat on the bench outside, his coat pulled tight around him. With a nod to the others, Josiah strode away to sit with his friend.

"You used me, Mr. Larabee," Ezra said quietly, his menacing tone not lost on the gunslinger.

"Had to Ezra, turned out to be the only way," Chris replied evenly. He barely glanced at the irritated face of the man next to him, more intent was he on Nathan's crushed appearance. Vin, on the other hand, could see Ezra's face, and wisely took a step back.

"Well, then, you must consider yourself to be quite clever. You out-conned the con man. Well done. For a moment there, you actually had me believing that you did not trust me – not a long stretch I grant you." The sarcasm was heavy in his tone.

The gunslinger gritted his teeth. "Frankly, Ezra, I could care less what you think about me right now. I'm more concerned with the well being of the more innocent member of this affair than you. Don't forget I know that you planned to extort money from Weller. I could lock you up for that alone."

Ezra's eyes flashed. "You wouldn't," he hissed.

"No, I wouldn't. But if you ever pull a stunt like that again…" Chris let the statement go unfinished, his glare quickly expressing his intent well enough. In some ways, the stand off reminded Vin of that moment at the Seminole Village, after Ezra'd run off. For a moment, neither man spoke, just stared at each other, then Ezra lowered his eyes in acknowledgement before walking away in the direction of the saloon. Chris sighed, and slumped his shoulders.

"Bit harsh on him, don't you think?" Vin asked. Chris fixed a black eyed stare on the tracker.

"He's gotta learn, Vin."

"He already has, Chris. He didn't go through with it." He shook his head. "Personally, I think he's been through enough today without you rubbing it in."

Chris looked over at the jail, then at the saloon, then back at Vin. Then he sighed again.

"Ezra!" he shouted at the departing figure. The gambler stopped, and turned.

"Mr. Larabee?"

Chris strode across the muddy road until he stood before the younger man, Vin right behind him.

"Would you feel better if I told you I never thought you did it?"

Ezra's eyes narrowed, and he shrugged. "Maybe. Why not?"

Chris smirked, "Are you kidding? All that blood? I know you care far too much for your clothes to kill someone in such a…messy fashion." The mocking tone was clear, but, instead of reacting negatively, Ezra relaxed, and even smiled.

"Buy you a drink, Chris?" he asked.

________________________________

The Judge arrived a few days later, and the trial of BB Weller had the whole town crushing into the saloon to watch. She was convicted of manslaughter, and sentenced to ten years at Yuma Prison. Most thought it a fair judgement, and the town wandered away content.

The Miltons and the Streets continued on to their ranch, mainly because they didn't know what else to do. A fresh start was all they could hang on to after this. As they left, Lacey and Annabel told BB that they would be waiting for her when she got out. She would always have a home with them. BB had hugged the two women close for several minutes before letting them go. They left just as the prison coach rolled into town.

All seven lawmen were on the boardwalk as BB waited for the prison coach. She'd apologized to Ezra and he'd accepted it, though only because of Nathan. Indeed, the only reason he was there to see her off at all was because he wanted to support the healer. Nonetheless, Ezra stood near the back of the group, his hat low on his face.

Vin stood next to the gambler, as close as he could get without touching the man. He hadn't left Ezra's side all week – the only way he knew to show Ezra that he was sorry for not trusting him from the start. The gambler had responded by good-naturedly winning all of Vin's money away in a series of poker games. Buck, meanwhile, had apologized for his part in the con by buying Ezra a new book – a French picture book. Ezra had promptly turned around and given it to Inez, telling her it was a gift to her from Buck. Watching the ladies man sprinting out of the saloon with an extremely irate Senorita chasing him with a broom had been recompense enough. Chris, of course, hadn't apologized for his role, but then, that was to be expected.

BB watched the black wagon approach, her eyes frozen on the macabre looking U.S. Marshal guiding it down the street. Nathan stood by her side, his hands behind his back. As it pulled to a stop, the Marshal jumped down and scanned the crowd of people. When his eyes alit on Chris Larabee, he stepped forward to get his instructions from this obvious leader.

BB turned to Nathan, and placed her hands on his arm. When he looked down at her, she smiled and drew her hands away and brought them up to her neck. In moments, she had untied the red ribbon and locket, revealing the slightly paler skin beneath.

"Could you keep this safe for me?" she asked, still smiling. "I know that we may no longer, ever, be able to be together, but I still want you to hold on to it." Reaching out, she pulled his arm out and opened his hand, palm up. Slowly, she loosed the ribbon into his hand, the gold of the locket glinting in the sun.

"I would be honored, BB," Nathan replied, his voice shaking slightly.

"You can…call me Boston, if you like."

Nathan nodded, and leaned over to kiss her on the cheek, to which she responded by throwing her arms around his neck in a tight hug.

"You keep yourself safe, Boston Bound," Nathan said into her ear, gripping her tight.

"You too, Nathan," she replied. "I want that locket back in one piece," she laughed.

Behind her, the Marshal cleared his throat, indicating it was time to leave. Slowly, BB let go of Nathan, and backed away. Chris had already told the Marshal that shackles were not necessary, so BB was helped up into the coach without suffering the indignity of being fettered. The whole time, she bit her lip, trying not to cry, and even smiled as the coach moved off. She waved once, then disappeared inside the carriage.

The others drifted to the side as Nathan turned and stepped up onto the boardwalk. He was looking at the locket in his hand, looking for the clasp that would open it. After a minute, he looked up, seeking out the gambler.

"Ez, can you open this?" he asked. Ezra smiled, and stepped forward. Looking closely at the locket, he reached forward and easily pressed the hidden latch, instantly popping it open on Nathan's palm. A tiny folded piece of cloth paper fell out, and the healer gently opened the delicate fabric. The other gathered tightly around him.

JD leaned forward and grinned, instantly recognizing the picture. "That's the State House in Boston," he said, "standing high over the Common. Pretty, isn't it?"

Nathan nodded and turned it over. On the back, words had been burnt into the cloth. Frowning, he realized he couldn't read them because they weren't in English. He looked at Ezra, who tilted his head to read it.

"Libertas omnibus rebus favorablilior est," Ezra recited, then looked up. "Liberty is more favored than all things…" he translated.

"Or Freedom over all," Josiah rephrased, placing a hand on Nathan's shoulder. The healer nodded, and refolded the paper inside the locket. Drawing it close to his chest, he looked at his friends.

"Thank you," he said huskily, before turning and walking away.

"Ironic," Ezra noted, settling himself against a convenient post to watch Nathan walk away. "Boston Bound spent her life trying to find freedom, and ended up in prison."

"No, son, it is not ironic. BB Weller is where she is because of her own actions. Choice is the essence of freedom, even if the choices we make are the wrong ones," Josiah replied, draping an arm across Ezra's shoulders. The gambler immediately ducked out the embrace and backed off, a dimpled smile of warning on his face. Josiah pretended not to notice the brush off.

"Hey!" JD called excitedly, holding his hand out from beneath the porch roof. The others looked, and both Vin and Chris couldn't suppress a groan. The kid grinned at them, and stepped out into the street to look up, his arms open wide, his brown eyes bright.

"It's snowing again!"

End