(GG) Chapter 26

Walking down to the creek, Nick watched Andy fishing. Tate was across the creek from him and a good distance away. Remembering what they had agreed upon earlier, Nick took a seat next to Andy and smiled.

"Catch anything yet?"

Andy shook his head, "Water is pr-pretty cold."

She smiled, "You even sure there are fish in there."

"T-tate caught one. Sm-mall one."

She looked into the water, as clear as it was, she didn't see any fish. When she brought her eyes up to look further down the creek, she found Tate watching her. He immediately jerked his eyes back to his wooden pole when their eyes met.

Andy sighed, "I don't li-like this."

She looked to her friend, "What?"

"You two st-staring at each other, it makes me n-nervous. I th-thought we discussed this."

Nick rolled her eyes, she wasn't about to argue with both Rock and Andy within a one hour period about the same thing.

"Well, j-just go over th-there." Andy yanked his pole trying to get the hook off some of the creek plants.

"What?"

He turned to look her in the eyes, "Nick, you are my s-sister. I love ya. I'll try to protect ya from d-danger from the outside wor-rld and yourself. But, I would rather know you are getting y-yourself in da-danger and be able to watch you, then h-have you do it behind my back. I told you that Tate would be a risk, and you w-would very well get hurt. You w-want to ignore me, then do it. Just d-don't hide it from me."

Nick grinned, "I love ya, Andy." She kissed his cheek.

"Yeah, yeah."

Standing up, she walked over to Tate, using some rocks that protruded above the water level to get to him. She smiled when he looked at her approach, but he did not return the gesture. When she reached him, she turned to look at Andy, but he was walking away from them, deciding to try another spot.

"What?" Tate asked. He was sitting down on the creek bed, leaned up against a tree.

"What do you mean, what?" She sat down beside him.

"You kissing Andy now too?"

Nick looked at him out of the corner of her eye with a grin on her face, "Why? Are you jealous?"

Tate snorted.

"He's my brother, Tate. Get a hold of yourself." She cleared her throat, "Guess what?"

He tried not to grin at her request. No one had told him to guess what since he was a child. "What?"

"I think that Rock is going to be your brother-in-law."

"Don't joke about things like that." Tate scowled.

Nick turned her head to look at him dead in the eyes, "I'm not joking."

"You better be." He jerked his fishing pole, and then checked it. Nothing was at the end, and so he sent it back.

Nick leaned against him, resting her head on his shoulder. She could feel Tate stiffen under her touch, and she wondered if he was going to push her off.

"I thought we were forgetting." Tate mumbled.

"Forgetting what?" Nick asked, and he didn't return with an answer. "It's getting cold now. Winter is a terrible time to travel. We might have to hole ourselves up in a town for a while before we head out west."

"No, that would be too dangerous. We have to get as far away from my wanted posters as possible." He felt her head move so that her forehead was touching his neck.

"Sounds strange to hear you talk about the future like this."

"Why?"

She shrugged, "You just don't seem like the man, who thinks past tomorrow is all."

"It's easy to think about forever when you are in it." Tate wanted to groan at himself, had he actually said those words.

Nick smiled, "Thank you."

"You're welcome."

There was a moment of silence, "Natalie Rockwell." Nick mumbled the words, "Has a certain charm, don't you think?"

Tate reached his hand over the fishing pole and grabbed a handful of flesh on Nick's stomach. She let out a loud laugh and fell backwards. Tate was smiling at her, as she fell back onto her elbows.

"Don't do that! I hate that!" Nick yelled playfully.

Tate rose an eyebrow and gave her a devilish grin, "Oh, do you know?" He dropped the fishing pole and reached for her.

"No!" Nick laughed as she jumped to her feet, and began running from tree to tree. "Stop, Tate!" She cried out in laughter.

"It'll only hurt for a little while." Tate mocked her as he reached around the tree and grabbed her wrist.

"No, please, I hate it!" Nick tried to yank away but he kept a tight hold of her arm. When she was pulled in front of him, she decided to fight fire with fire. Reaching out her free hand, she tried to tickle his stomach.

Tate didn't flinch only grinned down at her, "I'm not ticklish."

Nick let out a nervous laugh, as he stared down at her. Before she could react, he was tickling her, and Nick was laughing loudly and trying to escape his grasp. When she finally slipped her hand free, he charged her and threw her over his shoulder.

"Put me down, you brute!" Nick yelled jestfully and smacked her hand on his back just above his rear.

"I'm going to throw you in the water." He headed towards the cold creek water.

"No, it's cold! Tate, that's not funny! Tate, don't!" She began to kick as they got closer, "I swear I will be so mad at you!"

He lifted her up, rather high, and Nick thought he was going to throw her in. Instead, she landed on her feet in front of him and laughed. "You didn't think I would really throw you in, did you?" He asked, seeing the fear in her eyes turn to nervousness, then laughter.

"Yes, I really did." Nick looked at the water. Tate had his hands on her upper arms, "After all, you are the same man that lead me through that dangerous pass. There is no telling what you will do."

"It's going to be a while before I live that one down, isn't it?"

"Live it down? That's never going to happen. You'll have to make it up to me, a thousand times over!" Nick said a little over zealous then she had wanted to be.

Tate chuckled, "I'll think of something."

"It still won't be enough." Nick teased, and tried to step back out of his reach.

He pulled her closer and into his arms. Nick's cheek was smashed against his chest, and she could hear his heart beating quickly from their run. "I'll try, even if it takes me forever."

Nick grinned, "Aren't you just the romantic today." She was trying to keep their conversation light hearted, but knew that Tate was trying to take it elsewhere.

"Yeah, must be the left over stew I had this morning." He said with a swallow.

"Must be."

It was quiet for a moment, and Nick wondered if he was going to let her go. She turned her head slightly to look up at him, and Tate was looking out over the creek.

"What are you thinking about?" Nick asked, seeing the worried curiosity in his eyes.

Tate looked down to her, "Would your father approve?"

She rose an eyebrow, "What a strange question. Approve of what?"

"Me. I mean you are doing all this for him, to avenge his death. So, obviously he was a very important person in your life. Would he approve of me?"

Nick pushed against him and took a couple steps back. Cupping his face in her hands, she made him look at her. "My father wanted me to fall in love like he did with my mother. He was a nobody, until my grandfather hired him on at the ranch. My mother made him into the man that he always wanted to be, and he knew that it was because they honestly loved each other."

Tate stared into her sincere eyes.

"Do you understand?"

He didn't respond as he wasn't sure he fully understood what she was saying.

"Yes, my father would approve. He approved of Rock, when I thought…" She cleared her throat, "Even though Rock was less then perfect."

"I'm a lot less then perfect, Nick. I've done some things that no one could ever forgive me for." Reaching up, he pulled her hands from his face. "Anyway, we said we would forget and this is not forgetting."

"Alright, Tate. I'm sorry."

"Don't be sorry, I am the one that asked the question." He looked around for his fishing pole.

Nick picked it up from behind her, and offered it to him. It took Tate a moment to realize that she was holding it, and when he took it he placed his hand around hers. Something that he did on purpose. She waited for him to take the pole, but he didn't, only kept his hand on hers. She looked up at him, and could see another question in his eyes.

"What, Tate?"

He looked down at the ground and then back up at her, "This is all pretty new to me. Do you… do you think I'll be able to prove myself to you?"

Nick smiled, "This isn't about proving yourself to me. This is about proving it to yourself. Don't you think?"

He nodded, "Yeah, think you hit the nail on the head."

She bobbed her head up and down for a moment, "When you are done, I'll be waiting." Nick pulled her hand from underneath his, before he got he idea to kiss her. She saw the familiar look in his eyes, and didn't want to give him another scare. In her heart, she knew that he wasn't ready, but what was the reason? What exactly did he have to prove? He said that he wanted to prove he was a good man, but she knew there had to be more.

She walked around him to head across the creek, there were chores that needed to be done.

"I love you." Tate spoke the words clearly as Nick passed him.

Nick smiled, "I know, you told me already."

"You were suppose to forget." He said, their backs still turned to each other.

"I meant for you to forget. I could never forget."

He nodded his head even though she couldn't see him, "Neither can I, so let's stop pretending that we did."

Nick grinned, "That didn't even last an hour."

Tate smiled to himself.

"I have chores to finish, I'll see you later."

"See you at dinner then."

"I love you too." Nick said as she began across the rocks.

Tate looked over his shoulder and watched her hop across. He smiled again to himself before sitting back down on the creek bed. He tossed out his line in hopes that they would be eating something other then stew tonight.

As Nick turned around the cabin, she saw a lone horseman in the distance. He was heading towards the cabin at a steady pace. Deciding to wait for him, she walked over to the dust rode. When he came into view, she recognized him immediately.

"Avery, what are you doing here?"

He dismounting, "I've come to change your mind. I tried to leave, but I can't, knowing what you are planning. It will get you killed, Brody is a heartless man and…"

"What the hell are you doing back here?" Rock yelled from the porch, and ran out to stand beside Nick.

"I am taking Nicolette back to Honeycomb, Rock. And don't think ya can intimidate me." Avery snapped, then looked back at Nick, "This is dangerous, and I can't let you do it. Your father was a friend to everyone in Honeycomb, and I'll be damned if I let myself dishonor him by leaving you here."

"I told you, I am not going back to Honeycomb!" Nick snapped, she knew it had been too easy to get rid of him last night.

"Get on your horse and get out of here, Devlin." Rock ordered, but Avery ignored him.

Reaching out, he wrapped his hands around Nick's upper arms, holding her tightly. He shook her gently, just enough that he thought it might knock some sense into her. "Nick, listen to me. This is going to end badly, and you don't want to be there to see it. Please, I am begging you, if we were ever friends at all, come with me now."

She shook her head, "No, Avery, I am staying. You can't make me go with you."

"Who the hell did you bring with you?" Rock barked, when he saw three more horsemen approaching.

"Damnit, they followed me!" Avery turned to look back at Nick, "This is your last chance, Nicolette. When those men get here they are going to kill everyone, even you, unless you say that you were kidnapped."

"I am not going to abandon my friends, what kind of person do you think I am?" She yanked herself from his arms.

The three horsemen approached with their guns drawn and pointed at Rock and Nick.

"Well, well, Sheriff Devlin. Looks like you found what you were looking for. Take it and get out." Paul said.

"Come on, Nick." Avery grabbed her wrist, and yanked her towards his horse.

"No!" She screeched.

"Leave her alone!" Rock ordered, and went to step forward but heard Gil's gun cock.

Paul rose an eyebrow and looked at his men, who all nodded in agreement. "She must be delusional with fear, just knock her out with the back of your pistol, Devlin."

Avery looked up at him with a look of shock in his eyes, "Do what?"

Dale jumped off his horse, and before Avery could react, plummeted the handle of his gun into the back of Nick's head. She fell to the ground, limp and unconscious.

Paul winked at Avery, "Pick her up, and get her out of here. It's going to get real ugly."

Avery did as he was ordered, and when Paul was certain he was out of ear range he turned to Rock, "Where is Norcliff and how many people are in the cabin?"

Rock stood silent, he didn't like Tate, but he wasn't about to give him over to these men.

"If you are no use to us, then we will just shoot you here and now." Dale warned.

A gun shot was fired from the house, and Dale's horse fell to the ground with him atop of it. His leg was stuck underneath it, and Rock took the opportunity to make a run for it. Gil noticed the large man running for the house, and fired his pistol. Rock was at the porch when the bullet hit him, and he fell to his knees.

"Rock!" Natalie's voice called out from the house, as his head hit the porch.

"Get it off me!" Dale yelped, when Paul jumped off his horse to help his partner get his foot out from under the dead animal.

Gun shots started ringing out across the land from the house and barn. The three lawmen found safety behind the dead horse, as well as Paul's horse that dead moments later. Gil's horse was smart enough to run away, leaving the three of them stranded. They began to shoot towards the cabin, and Paul got an idea to see if there was a back door.

"I gotta go near the barn, keep watch."

Andy was kneeled down in the barn, and watched as the old sheriff made his way towards him. He fired several times, but missed. Finally, the sheriff shot back and caught him in the right arm. Andy knew he would be dead if the man came in here, but instead Paul continued to the back of the house.

Tate ran out of the woods as Paul turned the corner, they both pointed their guns at each other. Paul smiled before he began to chuckle. The sounds of gun fire still echoed in the distance.

"Well, Norcliff, I think this is the third time in twelve years that I've been able to get this close. It will also be the last." Paul looked at him with disgust.

"Where is Nick?"

"The girl? She went back with the sheriff from her own town. You didn't know that she was setting you up for a fall, Tate? Come on, think about it. Breaking you out of jail so easy, bringing you here. We promised her a good sum to get you out of that jail so we could deal with you ourselves."

"I don't believe you." Tate growled.

Paul snorted, "Believe us or not. Why do you think there were no wanted posters of her? Only you and the boys. She was working for us, Norcliff. Now, she is going back to Honeycomb with her husband to be. Richer then her wildest dreams."

Tate grinded his teeth. Why hadn't there been wanted posters of Nick? He asked himself. And thinking back on it now, they did escape Honeycomb rather easily. What kind of sheriff would chase children for fifteen minutes straight?

Paul saw the doubt forming in Tate's eyes, "I've been waiting a long time for this, Norcliff. Let's put down our weapons and settle this like men."

"Deal." They both put their pistols away.

Paul threw the first punch before Tate even had time to think about his strategy. Tate stumbled backwards and then charged him, his shoulder leading him.

---***---

Nick shook her head gently before realizing she was hanging over the side of the horse. She remembered someone had hit her… Tate, Andy, Rock… they were in trouble. Nick went to jump off the horse, but Avery caught her by the back of her shirt. She struggled with him, until she finally fell backwards landing on her rear end. Avery jumped off his horse, and tried to help her onto her feet, but Nick crawled away before standing up.

She started to run away from him, and Avery chased after her. He leapt atop of her, and she fell to the ground beneath him. Struggling to be set free, Avery wrapped his arms around her chest, before helping them both to their feet.

"Stop it, Nicolette! You are being foolish."

"Let me go!" Nick kicked the air in front of her.

Avery kept a tight hold of her, "Nicolette, you running back there and getting yourself killed ain't good for nobody. Just let it go. Let's head back to Honeycomb."

"Avery, you coward! I'm going back, let me go, now!" She stepped on his foot as hard as she could, but he dealt with the pain, still keeping his arms around her.

"This is ridiculous. You've gone crazy, Nicolette."

She could hear the sounds of gun fire in the distance, and her mind kept flashing with images of her dead father laying in the stable. Then she thought of what could be, Andy and Rock both laying dead like her father. Tate, nothing more then a reward to those crooks, those dirty sheriffs.

Her knees fell weak and Nick began to allow the tears to stream down her cheeks. Avery held her up, as she watched the distance where she knew she gun fire was coming from. "It'll be alright, Nick." He started to pull her back towards the horse. Her tears made him softer, and he thought that Nick had finally given up.

Letting her go, he started to mount the horse, but Nick spun him around and hit him as hard as she could. When he stumbled back, Nick lurched for the horse, and mounted it as quickly as possibly. She left Avery alone in the middle of no where, as she rode back to the cabin.

Avery rubbed his cheek as he watched Nick ride away, and kicked the dirt before he began to cuss. Throwing his hat into the dirt, he ran his fingers through his hair and turned around trying to decide where to go.

---***---

The gun fire stopped before Nick rode up, her heart beat wildly as she wondered if it would be the sheriffs or her friend's victory. She found two of the sheriff's dead behind their horses, and dismounted next to them to ensure they had died. Looking up, she scanned the area, and saw Rock laying on the stairs of the cabin.

Immediately, she jumped to her feet and ran towards him as quickly as her feet would take her. She kneeled down beside him, and touched his still warm back.

"Rock? Rock?" She gently shook his shoulders, "Please, don't be dead, Rock." The tears in her eyes refused to be held back, as she checked his body for wounds. The only bullet hole she found was in his upper left thigh. "Rock, you aren't going to die." She snorted, her worry vanished. "You big baby." Standing up, she ran into the house and found Natalie sitting over Rose.

Nick sat down beside her and looked at the bullet hole on Rose's forehead. Natalie sniffled, "Those bastards, they killed an old woman."

Nick rubbed her back, and wiped the tears from her face.

"Is everyone alright?" Natalie asked after several moments of silence past between them.

"Rock is knocked out, but he doesn't have any lethal wounds." Nick stood up, "I'll go check on the others, you take care of him."

Natalie nodded, and they both stepped out onto the porch together.

Nick remembered leaving Andy and Tate by the creek, and began to run towards the barn. "Andy! Tate!" She cried out.

"In here!" Andy's voice yelled, and he stepped out of the barn. Blooding dripping down his shirt and into little droplets beneath his right hand.

"Andy, are you alright?" She ran over to him.

"I'm fine, flesh wound." He told her, his words clear. "Where were you, Nick?" His voice was filled with worry.

"Avery kidnapped me, I'm sorry, Andy. I didn't want to leave, but he forced me. Knocked me…"

"It's alright, Nick. Everyone else alright?" Andy asked, as they walked towards the cabin.

"Rose didn't make it." She told him, "I haven't found Tate."

"Saw a sheriff go around back to where Tate, and he hasn't been back around, but neither has Tate." Andy told her.

"Alright." Nick quickly turned around and headed around the back of the house.

Her eyes immediately fell on the sheriff, she had seen before. Well, his back side was facing her, as he was bent over the house. Nick then noticed that Tate's arms were sticking out from beneath him. Running over to him, she kneeled down and pushed the dead lawman off of him.

Tate's bottom lip was split open, and he had several cuts on his face. A gun in his right hand told of the sheriff's fate, but the sheriff also had a gun in his own hand.

"Tate?" Nick gently cupped his face, and tried to turn him to look at her.

His eyes weren't open, but Nick didn't see any bullet wounds. Though his shirt was covered in blood, Nick assumed it belonged to the sheriff. When he didn't respond, she lifted his shirt to check to make sure he hadn't been shot. Running her hands gently over his crimson stains stomach, she found no wounds.

Tate's hand grabbed her own and he lifted it off of his skin, Nick dropped his shirt and looked up at him. His teeth were covered in blood, and he looked worse then his fight with Rock.

"Tate, are you alright?" She asked, cupping his face again.

He nodded his head.

"Think you can walk? Let's get you inside, alright?" Standing up, she helped him to stand, and threw his arm over her shoulders.

They began their slow journey to the cabin with Tate's moaning in pain almost every step he took. Andy was waiting on the porch, and ran down to help her bring Tate inside.

---***---

Tate was sleeping in Rose's room, and Rock got the other room. They had decided to keep the two injured men separated, mostly because it was easier to care for their wounds when they both laid on the edge of the bed. Natalie had convinced a doctor to visit them secretly, and Nick paid him well to keep his mouth shut.

The two woman buried Rose the same afternoon she died, down by the creek next to her husband's grave. Nick remembered the story of how to two of them meant, and somehow found comfort in the fact that Rose was finally with him again.

Sitting down beside the shirtless Tate, she ran a rag over his bloodied chest. Trying to clean him up as the doctor had ordered her to do. Tate said nothing to her, just looked towards the wall as she wiped him down. She had wanted Natalie to do it, but his sister had refused saying she couldn't stand to see both Rock and Tate injured.

"Got yourself beat up again." Nick said with a smile, as she dunked her rag back into the water.

Tate didn't responded.

"Something the matter?" Nick asked running the rag over his chest one last time, before she was going to work on the wounds on his face.

Tate remained silent.

"Embarrassed that you got beat up again? At least it wasn't by Rock." Nick chuckled, and then sat on the edge of the bed next to him. "Getting beat up by the same man twice, that's the only time you should be ashamed. Besides, you won in the end, even if you don't look like it."

"Why are there no wanted posters of you?" Tate asked, jerking his head away from Nick's touch.

"What?"

He looked at her out of the corner of his eye, "You heard me. There are no wanted posters of you, when you are the one that broke me out."

"You heard Avery, he told them that you kidnapped me. Remember?"

"Where were you doing the shoot out?"

Nick rose an eyebrow, "Are you trying to accuse me of something, Tate? Cause if you are come right out and say it."

"Yeah, I think you have been playing me for a fool this whole time. I think you broke me out so that you could have a large chunk of that reward on my head."

She dropped the rag into the water basin and folded her arms, "If I wanted the damn reward, I could of told Avery who you were…"

"No, you did it so that the sheriffs could get a piece. Didn't work out like you planned though, did it? They are dead." He tried to sit up, but it hurt to bend his back and chest.

She sat silent for a moment, and Tate watched as she carefully thought over his accusation, "That is the dumbest… why would I want to split it with them, when I could have all of it."

"Because Avery wouldn't be able to take it, cause he's a lawman, and he is the one that caught me." Tate folded his arms too fast, and crushed his own chest.

Nick smiled, "You are a silly, irrational man sometimes, Tate." Reaching her hand back into the basin, she pulled out the rag. "Let me clean your wounds." She said with a chuckle, and took his chin in her other hand, forcing him to look at her.

Gently she rubbed the rag over his lip, and then on the cuts above his eye.

"Don't deny it, Nick." He snapped.

She smiled, "You know, if that made any sense at all, I would be upset with you. How dare you think that I would do all this just to get your reward. Do you know how many chances I had to kill you in your sleep? Or steal your guns to turn them in?"

"Something ain't right here."

"Yeah, your story. It makes no sense. None, Tate."

He snorted.

"I was really worried about you and the others. They hit me on my head and Avery took me. I thought for sure when I got back that you would all be dead."

"You hoped anyway." He snapped, and then saw the tears in Nick's eyes.

"Andy is like a brother to me, and Rock is my closest friend, I would even go as far as to call him a brother too." She stood up throwing the rag back into the basic, "How dare you even think that I would let someone come in here and kill them. How dare you, Tate."

Spinning around, she walked towards the door in a huff, before she left she turned back to him. "I told you that I loved you and I meant it. I don't say that to just anyone, and even now that you are being an irrational idiot, I still love you. I'll be back later when you've had time to think about when you are accusing me of!" With that, she slammed the door shut.