(GG) Chapter 27

Avery stepped out of the stable with his new horse, he knew that it was time to go back to Honeycomb. Not knowing what happened to Nick would always weigh on his heart, but he had a good guess considering that Paul and the others never returned. Putting on his hat, he mounted the dark brown gelding, and took one last look around in hopes that he would see Nicolette. She was no where to be seen, so he gave a deep sigh before beginning the long journey out of town.

"Avery!" A familiar voice called as he past by the tailoring shop, it was Nicole Maclean.

He smiled down at her, as she approached his horse. "Miss Maclean, how are you this fine day?"

"Are you leaving? To go back home?"

He nodded, "Yes, ma'am."

"What happened to Nicolette?" She seemed to be looking around the area for the mysterious woman.

Avery stared down at her for several long moments, hoping that she wouldn't question him further, but she continued to wait for his answer. "Nicolette won't be coming back with me."

Nicole nodded her head, "I'm sorry to hear that." She swallowed, "Well, good luck to you."

He gave a quick nod, before nudging his horse forward.

"Wait." Nicole ran up beside the horse as he came to a stop. "Didn't you say that Honeycomb needed a teacher?"

"I believe I said something like that."

Playing with her dark braid, she looked extremely nervous. "I told you that I wanted to be a teacher, didn't I?"

Avery grinned, "Believe so."

She nodded slowly then stepped away from the horse, figuring that he wasn't go to invite her along. "Goodbye, Mister Devlin."

"Goodbye, Miss Maclean." He bobbed his head down in respect before finishing his journey out of the large town.

Had he not been heartbroken he might of invited the pretty girl to come along with him. Honeycomb was in desperate need of a school teacher, but his heart wasn't in it. Whenever he dreamt of the future, Nicolette was always there. Even if she wasn't doing the things that the real Nicolette would do.

Avery stopped his horse to look back, Redrock was a black spot on the horizon now. He gave a deep sigh, as he contemplated these last few years. He and Nick had once been friends, before he decided not to accept her as she had come to be. Maybe there could have been more between them had he opened his arms instead of closing his mind. He couldn't believe that soft, delicate Nicolette could have enough hate in her to kill a man. Looking into her eyes, he saw headstrong determination, but no hate. Brody would never been given justice by anyone who wasn't willing to break the law. The richer a person was the more untouchable they became, he knew that well enough.

He wondered what he would tell everyone when he returned to Honeycomb. Something told him that he couldn't just say that Nicolette was planning to murder a man, though he could think of no other excuse. He mostly wondered what would happen to him now. All he really wanted was to marry and start a family, and though there were several girls in town that would be pleased to be his wife, they would never be Nicolette.

"Avery!" Nicole's voice cried out, and she came riding up on her horse. Dressed in a pair of dark brown pants and a white shirt, she smiled at him. She wore a brown hat with her hair pulled up in a bun. Her horse looked packed and ready for a long trip. "I spoke with my parents, and they think it would be best for me if I moved to Honeycomb."

"Why would they think that?"

She shrugged, "Most women here either marry a poor man or become a brothel woman. They don't want either for me. Being a teacher in a small town would be the best bet for me. They said I could go… well, if you took me."

He frowned for a moment, "I don't know about this, Miss Maclean."

She grinned, "Come now, Mister Devlin. I am asking you to escort me to your home town, not marry me."

Avery returned her grin, and felt his heart begin to thumb gently in his chest. Of course, they always did say that God may shut a door, but he opens a window. Avery would be damned if he shut the window too. "Alright, Miss Maclean, I'll take you."

They began to ride off towards Honeycomb, "They have an inn there? I didn't bring much money…"

"Don't worry none, I have a home, you can stay there until you start earning your own."

Nicole smiled, "Thank you." She looked ahead of them, "Maybe I'll stay longer then that too, you never know."

Avery looked over at the woman riding beside him, "You never know."

---***---

Two days past and Nick stood on the porch as Natalie and Penny rode up towards the cabin. Penny had begged Natalie to come along since Tate got hurt, and it seemed that today Natalie had finally given in. Her red hair up in a bun with curls falling down around her face, Penny didn't even bother to give Nick a greeting as she past her by. Went right up the stairs to visit with Tate.

"I hope you don't mind." Natalie said coming to stand at the end of the porch stairs, "She was starting to ask me when I was working with customer. Wouldn't be long before someone figured out that ya'all were here."

Nick shook her head, "No, I don't mind." She sighed.

"How's everything holding up?"

"With Rose gone feels wrong to just be living up here. What if her children come back and think we had something to do with her death?"

Natalie shrugged, "Never seen her children in all the years that I have lived here. I doubt that they would come now. Rather sad to be honest."

Nick looked out into the distance, and an uncomfortable silence fell between the two women. "Think it's time to make our move, Natalie. No more thinning the ranks, we will deal with burning down the last businesses the night we attack Glasses and Garters. It's time that Brody pays, before anyone gets hurt again."

She looked up at her with a deep frown on her face, "I was afraid you were going to say that, Nick." She swallowed, "When Tate and Rock get better though, right? You ain't going to go with just you and Andy. You need Tate, he knows how to…"

"Don't worry none, Natalie. I'll wait until they are healthy again, but this needs to end." Nick looked down at her, "Rock is upstairs, think you should go see him. He told me to send you up as soon as you got here."

"Alright."

They both walked into the cabin, as Natalie went up the stairs, Nick got some heated water out of the pot on the fire. Some of Tate's wounds had become infected, and she wanted to clean them out. He was going to fight with her on the matter, that she already knew. However, it would help him to heal faster, and she needed him to be ready as soon as possible.

Putting the water in a pitcher, she walked up the stairs to find Natalie standing in the hallway with her arms crossed.

"What are you doing?" Natalie asked.

"Going to wash out Tate's wounds. What are you doing out here?"

"You know, you should let him talk with Penny for a bit. Go put that water back on the fire, be best, I think."

Nick grinned, "What are you talking about? He can talk to Penny while I am doing this." Stepping forward, Nick was blocked by Natalie's body.

"Nick, he's hurt. Probably, don't know what he's doing."

"What… what are you talking about, Natalie?" Nick pushed her aside, and walked over to Tate's door. There was no sound coming from in the room, not even voices telling her of conversation. Placing her hand on the door, she gently pushed it open.

Penny straddled Tate, her clothes were off and his shirt was unbuttoned. Her lips were making their way to his chest and up to his mouth. Tate's arms were on her shoulders, and he immediately shoved her off when Nick entered the room.

"Don't you know how to knock?" Penny snapped.

Nick looked over at Tate, as if waiting for an answer.

"Nick, I swear this isn't what it looks like." Tate finally got the words out.

"Looks like the two of you were about to lay together. It looks like she was kissing you, and it looks like you just lost. You lying sonuva bitch!" With that, she spun around and slammed the door behind her.

"Nick, I…" Natalie began but silenced herself, she really didn't know what to say to make this better.

"How did you know?" Nick asked her.

"I was going to see him first, but when I peeked inside, she was taking off her clothes." Natalie looked down at the floor with her hands folded in front of her.

Walking down the stairs, Nick dumped the hot water back into the pot. Within moments, Penny was on her way down the stairs, still pulling on her clothes. She grinned at Nick, as she tried to button up her dress.

"Looks like he was interested in the real woman all along, doesn't it?" Penny chuckled.

Nick only glared at her out of the corner of her eye.

"Don't worry, I'll let you be a bride's maid at our weddin'." She then laughed, "What am I saying? Your kind don't wear dresses."

"Go home, Penny." Natalie snapped as she walked down the stairs behind her.

"I was just inviting Nick to my weddin'." Penny tried to defend herself.

"Go home, Penny." Natalie barked again.

Penny shot up her nose with a giggle and headed out to her horse that Andy had put in the barn.

"Nick, are you alright?" Natalie asked, placing her hand on her shoulder.

Nick stepped away from her compassionate grasp, "I'm fine, why wouldn't I be? This is the type of thing you would expect from a dog like Tate." She cleared her throat. "I have to go tend to the garden now. You should go see Rock, before he says that I didn't tell you."

Natalie watched as Nick disappeared through the front door, she sighed as the anger began to beat within her own heart. How dare Tate do something like this to such a sweet woman. Everything she ever believed in told her to go give him a piece of her mind, but she knew that it would do them no good. They had to work it out, though she doubted that Nick could ever forgive this transgression.

---***---

Natalie watched a week pass between Nick and Tate without a word being spoken from either side. They would pass each other like strangers, and meals were eerily silent. She didn't know how much more of this she could take, even with Rock telling her it was better to leave it as is. She couldn't stand by and watch Tate throw one of the only good things that he ever had aside.

He was sitting on the edge of the bed, when she gently shoved the door opened. Pulling on his boots, he was preparing for that nights outgoing, the final one. Andy and Rock had already left to prepare the last few buildings to be burned. They would set them on fire to distract everyone from their attack on Brody's estate. He lived within the Glasses and Garter's Saloon and Brothel, which was the last building on their list to burn. Nick wanted to be the one to kill him, and even though Tate had argued with her about it, the only time the two had talked, Nick won.

"Evenin'." Natalie stepped into the room and shut the door. When it was closed, she leaned against it and crossed her arms.

"I'll be careful, I am not in the mood for your speech, Natalie." Tate barked as he yanked on his boot.

"Not here about that." She waited for him to look at her, "Tonight might be the last time that you ever see her, Tate. Can you live with that?"

"Going to have to, aren't I? Lived with much worse."

Natalie pushed herself off the door with her shoulders. Her steps were short and caution as she came to sit next to her brother, "What happened Tate? I heard you tell her it wasn't what it looked like."

He shook his head, "Penny threw herself on me." His hair was undone, and he began to brush it up with his fingers, before tying a leather strap to hold it up.

"Why don't you tell Nick that?"

Placing the hat atop of his head, he turned his attention back to his sister. "Some things, no matter how true they are, won't be believed. Nick will believe what she wants, and honestly if I were in her shoes, I would believe it too."

"I don't agree. I think you should at least give her the option. It ain't fair to her." Natalie stood up from the bed and brushed down her dress. "I am going with Rock to California, Tate. We are going to get married and start a family together. I want you to come with us… you and Nick, together. I hardly ever ask you to do anything for me, but please just try to mend this."

He shook his head and looked towards the wooden flooring.

"Tate, if I believe you, then I think Nick can too. In all my life, I have never seen you look at someone with such purity, as you do Nick. There is no hidden agenda in your eyes, and I know that you don't believe that she can forgive you, but…"

"She told me that I only get one chance to break her heart, Natalie. I used it, besides it's better for her this way. I would be nothing but trouble."

Natalie folded her arms, "Tatius Norcliff, ya yella bellied coward, this is all a big misunderstanding, and you need to make it right. Don't let the woman you love go through the rest of her life thinking you did this to her."

Tate looked up at her out of the corner of his eyes, "I'll think about it. Now, leave me be. I have to clean my guns before we leave."

She gave a gentle nod, before turning her back on him and heading out into the hall. Down the stairs, she found Nick cleaning her rifle, her hands were shaking slightly. Natalie knew this nervous behavior all too well. Tate use to do it before he was sent out to kill someone for Brody, but over time he simply disassociated himself from the situation. The person he was killing was no longer a man with a life, a history, and a family, instead he was just an animal.

"Almost ready to go?" Natalie asked her, as she sat across the table from her.

Nick gave a slow nod, "Make sure you are ready when he get back. We might have people chasing us, if that happens then we won't come back for you for a couple days."

"I know, Rock explained everything to me." Natalie reached her hand across the table and felt the warm flesh of Nick's trembling hands. "Why are you doing this, Nick? You just don't seem like the type to be obsessed with killing a man like this."

"My family deserves justice, Natalie. Ain't nobody out there who can make sure that Brody gets what he deserves better then me." Nick pulled her hand away from Natalie's.

"This can make you into an entirely different person. I think you hurt Brody enough already, I don't see why you…"

"He is still sleeping in his own bed. That's enough right there to go through with this. Back home, my father slept in the bed that my mother gave birth to me on, and died on. My grandmother gave birth to her, and died on. My great grandmother gave birth to her, and died on." Nick swallowed as she finished putting her rifle together, and set it on the table. "It goes back for generations like that. He didn't just kill my family, he took away everything that I had to remember them by. Everything I have is in here." She pointed to her head.

Natalie nodded, "And here." She pointed to her heart, "By using the memories that you have locked away in your heart, do you think your pa would want this? I know that mine would have been infuriated to know that Tate went out and killed his murderer. He never wanted that for his children."

Nick stood up from the table and walked over to the stairs, "I'm going to lie down for a while."

"Yes, it's a big night tonight, you need all the rest you can get." Natalie folded her hands on the table, and sighed as she stared at the rifle that would take Brody's life.

---***---

Natalie sat at the table, reading the only book that Rose had in the house, a bible. She heard the sounds of a horse approaching the cabin, and stood up to see who it was. Rock and Andy shouldn't be returning until later in the evening. At the window, she watched Penny's horse come to a stop, and then the woman dismount. Taking the horse to the barn, Penny entered in through the front door.

"I thought I told you that you weren't welcomed here." Natalie set the bible down on the table.

Penny brushed her fingers through her red hair and smiled, "Not welcomed by you, but I think there is someone else here who wants to see me."

"No, I don't think so." She leaned back in her chair, "You are the most selfish, inconsideration little…"

"Now, now, Natalie, let's not go saying anything that we will regret later." She began to walk over to the stairs, but Natalie jumped from her seat and tried to block her way. Penny folded her arms and sighed.

"Do you love my brother?"

"Of course, I do, why do you think I've gone through all this?" Penny leaned against the table.

"No, do you deep love him and care for him?"

Penny rose an eyebrow, "I don't understand what you are trying to say, Natalie."

"If you truly loved him, then you would see how much he cares for Nick. You would also see how good she is for him. What you are doing shows that you only care about yourself." Natalie stood her ground in front of the stairs, "Tate's had a hard life, one that he probably brought on himself. This is the first good thing to come his way in a long time, and you stole it away from him."

Penny's lips tightened as if she were trying to stop herself from speaking.

Natalie loosened up her stance in front of the stairs, "You ruined this for him, and you need to help fix it. If you love Tate even a tiny bit, you'll tell Nick that Tate was trying to push you off."

"What and lie about it?"

She glared at the red head for a moment, "Lie about it? That's what really happened."

She began to laugh, "Tate told me that he was no good for Nick, and that she would be better off without him. He said that only a woman like me could survive with a man always on the run." With that she snorted and uncrossed her arms, "He asked me to come with him after this was all said and done."

"No, that's not what he told me." Natalie shook her head.

"Of course not, he didn't want you to know. You are so in love with Nick that you just wouldn't allow it." Penny grinned, "You'll just have to accept that I am going to be your sister and not her."

"That can't be true. Otherwise, Tate would of told Nick after she caught you. You're lying, Penny."

She chuckled, and tried to push past Natalie. She grabbed the red head's arm before she went up the stairs. "If you love him, then you should let him be happy with Nick."

"You aren't going to be the only whore that gets out of this hell, Natalie." Penny yanked her arm from Natalie's grasp, before heading up the stairs.

Nick passed the waving, smiling Penny on her way down the stairs. Sitting across the table from Natalie, she gave a sleepy grin. "Almost time to go."

Natalie frowned, "How do you do it?"

Nick rose an eyebrow, "Do what?"

"Pretend that nothing bothers you. I have heard all about what has happened to you from Rock, and I have to admit I would probably lock myself in my room and never come out again. I've never seen you cry, not once."

Nick folded her hands on the table, "I don't have time to cry, there are more important things that I need to do."

"Nick, I think you are making Brody out to be more then he is. It's almost as if you blame him for all of your problems…"

"He killed…"

"No, he sent someone to kill them. If he even knew at all! There are a lot of bad men that take care of his finances, you don't know that he was the one that gave the direct order."

"It doesn't matter, if it weren't for him, I wouldn't be here. I would be back home working on my family's ranch."

Natalie gave a deep sigh, realizing that she wouldn't be able to get through to her. Her eyes wandered towards the stairs where she knew Penny and her brother were. She wondered if Penny had spoken the truth about what Tate had done, but wasn't certain if she should speak to him about it. After all, tonight was a big night for them, and she didn't want to put anymore wedges between her brother and herself. With a sigh, she smiled at Nick, before changing the topic completely.

---***---

The moon was peeking over the horizon as if trying to ensure that the sun was long gone. Nick and Tate were in the barn preparing their horses for the last ride into Redrock they would ever take. There were no words spoken between them, the only noise that could be heard was Boss' whining. Natalie would keep him with her until it was time to ride out. She had tried to keep the dog in the house, but Boss wanted to be near Nick. He seemed to know that danger was in her immediate future.

"Ready?" Tate asked her, as he walked his horse out of the barn. He didn't even give Nick enough time to respond, not that she would have.

Leading Goliath outside, Natalie came out to pick up Boss. She smiled at Nick, as the dog whimpered in her arms. "I will see you in a few hours, then?" Natalie asked her.

Nick gave a nod, "Where is Tate going after this?"

She shrugged, "He hasn't told me, maybe you should ask him."

Giving a slow shake of her head, Nick mounted Goliath. "Goodbye, Natalie."

She looked down the road at her brother's shadowy figure, "Talk to him, please, Nick. I know you are angry, but you don't know that both of you will survive the night. At least come to peace with each other, please."

Nick rubbed her dog's head briefly, "Make sure everything is packed and ready to go." She ordered before she nudged her horse forward, and out of Natalie's sights.

Tate turned his horse to face the direction of Redrock, as Nick came riding up behind him. She slowed her horse so that she was following him, and not riding beside him. Though it hurt Tate's heart to see her do that, he knew that she had every right to. He remembered how shortly after they had grouped together with Andy and Rock, that she had wanted to ride beside him. She had looked hurt when he told her that she couldn't, and now it pained him to know that she no longer wanted to.

Remembering Natalie's words, Tate decided to test his new limits. Slowly his horse, he waited until Nick was riding beside him before nudging his horse forward again. She didn't look towards him, instead her eyes were fixated on the road ahead.

"Hope Andy and Rock have everything set up." Tate finally said after a moment.

Nick nodded her head in agreement.

He swallowed and tried to think of something else to say to her, "Natalie asked me to come to California with her. Would that bother you?"

She shook her head, before turning the back of her head to him.

Tate looked down at his hands, "She threw herself on top of me, Nick. I was trying to get her off me, but…"

"I don't want to hear it, Tate. Rock tried every excuse on me that he could think of." Nick's words shook as she spoke them.

Tate sighed, "It's no excuse, I know that I should of told you sooner. I just didn't think that you would believe me, and I was right. Better that I let you think I was a two timin' scoundrel, then a two timin' lyin' scoundrel."

She didn't respond.

The sky was slowly fading from a dark blue into black, the stars were bright as was the full moon. Tate looked up into them before turning his eyes back to Nick, "You know my mother use to tell me that the stars themselves made sure people found their way. One time, I asked her what they were finding their way to. She laughed and said to where they belong."

Nick turned her attention to him, "What does that have to do with anything?"

Tate looked into her eyes, "I've always lived my life that way. I thought the stars were my guides and they would make sure I was always where I needed to be. I was wrong."

She brought her brow together, believing he was about to tell her that he didn't belong here.

"They don't tell you where you need to be, they can only light your way. I realize now that they were trying to take me to you, but I refused to follow." He grinned, "Guess they managed without my help though, didn't they?"

Nick remained silent, and her face remained without any emotion.

"Once you are on the lighted path, you never want to leave it, and will never do anything to get yourself pushed off of it. Sometimes, another person will come along and throw you off though. That's what Penny did to me without my desire to."

"No matter how you try to disguise your words, Tate. You are just saying that it was all Penny's fault, and that's something that I won't believe."

Tate nodded his head, "I wish you would believe me, but I can't force you to."

Nick looked ahead of them as she swallowed down her heartbreak. Silence fell between them for some time, and when the lights of Redrock could be seen, Tate turned to her with a frown.

"I won't come with you to California, don't worry, Nick. Let's end this, so there will be nothing that holds us together."