DISCLAIMER: This story is AU… I do not own Mag 7 or any of its characters. This story will contain the spanking of a minor so if that bothers you please do not read.

Just a short story I wrote at the request of a very nice fan who has stuck by me even when I have not updated for a long time. Thank you Millie from Germany Will probably only be 2 chapters but I hope you like it!

YOUNG BUCK

"It's hot enough to fry and egg outside" JD half whined as he and Chris were walking back to the jail house. They had been helping Josiah work on the church building until it just got too hot for any of them to stand. Chris was looking across the street at the newspaper office wondering to himself if Mary might have some ice cold tea available when he was run into full force by something half his size. Looking down as he took just one step backwards to keep his balance he saw the surprised expression of ten year old Buck Wilmington.

"Whoa there partner" Chris chided as Buck tried to circle around him, mumbling what he assumed was an apology. Grabbing the back of his collar Chris hauled the kid back in front of him and JD. "Where the heck you goin so fast? You know darn well you ain't supposed to be runnin on the boardwalk" Chris scolded. "No sir…I mean, Yes Sir, Mr. Larabee – I'm sorry I was runnin'" Buck said stumbling over his words as he stared up at an unhappy man. "This is the second time I caught ya runnin' full speed ahead – yous gonna hurt somebody Buck! Mind tellin' me what's got you in an all fired hurry?"

"Nothing Sir- I was just heading home is all"

Chris had a feeling there was more to it than that considering how the kid kept looking over his shoulder, but if that was the only reason the kid was going give then that's what he would accept…at least for now. "Well then, why don't I see ya back home – have a little chat with your Ma about you not heeding my first warning".

"AWWW come on Mr. Larabee, there ain't no need to go botherin' my Ma with this – I promise I ain't gonna run no more…you got my word on it!" Buck tried to speak convincingly but it was clear from the one eyebrow raised look he was getting in return that Chris was not buying it at all. "uh huh…I had 'your word' on it last time too partner and that lasted all of three days. Come on let's go" Chris signed as he turned Buck around and headed for the Saloon keeping his hand on the kids shirt collar. He didn't think the kid was dumb enough to run from him but it was too hot outside to even take the chance of having to chase him down.

Calling back over his shoulder to JD "You go on back to the jail and make sure things are ok – I'll just be a bit and then I'll meet ya back there." Chris could see the smirk on JD's face as he nodded in understanding at Chris' instructions. Chris figured JD was probably just happy it was someone besides him whose backside was in jeopardy at the moment.

"So you sure you ain't got nothin else to tell me about why it is you was runnin so fast you didn't even see me fore you run into me? Seemed to me you mighta been runnin from something or someone."

Buck looked up at Chris like he wanted to tell him something but then looked back down and slumped his shoulders. "No Sir. I was jist runnin where I wasn't supposed to is all – but I am real sorry Mr. Larabee, I swear it!" Buck pleaded with his eyes hoping Chris would just let it be. He really didn't want to have to deal with his Ma right now. Lately all they had done was fight – she kept getting on him about his grades, his manners and his chores and it was making him nuts. Buck didn't see no use in more school learnin so he usually just skipped school altogether and doing chores was boring when a boy could better spend his time fishing or playin cards for money – although that particular activity was what had gotten him into hot water this time. Some old guys passing through town turned out to be easy to trick out of a whole $5 in an alley poker game but then got real sore when they lost to a kid. That's why he was runnin when he ran smack into the mountain that is Chris Larabee. In fact now that he thought about it – it was something similar that had him runnin a few days ago when he ran into Chris the first time. Buck sighed angrily to himself when he thought about how many people there were in town but just his luck the only one he kept running into was an angry Larabee! He couldn't tell Chris why he was running from those guys because Chris had already caught him playing poker in the alley once and told him if he caught him again he would make sure Buck had to eat his next few meals standing up! Although Chris had threatened to tan him a time or two when he got in trouble with Billy he had never actually done it and Buck was determined to keep it that. Getting an occasional licking from his Ma hurt bad enough - he didn't even want to think about what Chris could do to his poor backside…

Chris looked down again at the squirming boy in his grasp. He could tell there was more to this story but Buck wasn't giving it up yet. Chris knew the kid had had a hard life in his short ten years. His Ma, Myra, worked at the Saloon in town and although she was one of the sweetest gals he had ever met he also knew it must be hard on a boy knowing that your ma was a 'working girl'. Chris had seen her with Buck though and knew that she loved her son very much. He also knew how hard it was for a single lady, much less a single mother, to make enough money to take care of her family so he never held it against anyone for doing what they felt they had to do to take care of their own. Chris had been meaning to stop in and check on her and Buck – see how things were going for them now that Buck was getting a little older and more prone to mischief. He'd caught him in a prank or two over the last year, mostly with Billy or one of the other kids, but it was obvious Buck was usually the one who had the idea and he had a way of talking the others into stuff that made Chris shake his head. Chris also knew that young Buck was good at using that same charm on his Ma and often managed to get himself out of trouble when he should have been getting his britches dusted. Boys sometimes needed a firm hand…he knew that from experience, and he figured it was probably hard for Myra to stay firm with her young son. As they were stepping into the back door of the Saloon Chris wondered if maybe it was time he offered to help Myra with Buck when a man was needed for something. He didn't want to step on her toes but he also knew that when he was that age he would have walked all over his Ma if his Pa hadn't been there to make sure he didn't.

Stepping in the back door they found Myra sitting at the kitchen table fixing a sandwich. She quickly took in the look on Chris' face and the way he had her son's collar fisted and knew her Buck had been up to something again. It seemed like every time she turned around lately that boy was in trouble. He had always been the sweetest child – always wanting to please her and the other ladies but lately he back talked her all the time or just simply ignored her when she told him to do things. She wasn't sure what was going on with her sweet boy or how to help him.

Buck saw his Ma's expression go from happy to see him to sad in the few seconds it took her to realize that he was likely in trouble again. Buck hated to see his mom sad but if she would just realize he was almost grown and didn't need her to be nagging at him all the time then they would be fine.

"Mr. Larabee, what a nice surprise. Thank you for walking Buck home. Can I offer you a glass of water or tea?" Myra asked, hoping she was wrong in her assumption that Buck was in trouble again.

"I'd be mighty grateful for a glass of tea ma'am" Chris answered letting go of Buck's collar and firmly pushing him to sit in a chair at the table.