KC sat in the saloon, as the sun fought for control over the sky, beating back the night with it's orangish red hues. The bottle sitting before him half empty as he poured a shot glass of the liquid. Events from the night playing over in his head as if trapped in some warped reality. He had no reason to think about what had happened nor to even wish the dark haired gunslinger with the thick bushy moustache well. But he did. The man had only been an innocent bystander. Still he got hit, and now lay in the darkie's room with his life hanging in the balance. Shot in the gut by two drunks shooting at fireflies.

Closing his eyes he swallowed the shot of hot liquid, wincing as it burned down the back of his throat to warm his belly. He stared straight into his own reflection behind the bar. Wondering just who he was.

The baby wailed loudly by morning, sitting in the basket on the front porch of the small farm house. Kass watched hidden in the trees as the front door opened, and a man looked down and saw the small child that sat on his porch. He looked around for a moment before picking up the small basket with the child and brought it inside. She knew that the boy would be well taken care of. Had watched the family for the past few days, even knew that the man's wife had lost their own child during birth.

Kass watched the family off and on over the next two years. Watching as Bradley grew. The boy was a spitting image of his father. Wheaten color hair and blue eyes. She wondered why there wasn't a piece of her in him as she watched him. Always keeping her distance.

"What are ya doing down here drinking alone, cher," Lily asked as she leaned on the bar in front of KC.

He only shrugged, looking at her. "You worried about Vin? Nathan says he'll be alright, just got himself a scrape on his head from that bullet."

The night flashed with gunfire as Vin approached the smaller man, and Josiah approached the larger man. They both pounced on the two drunks and ensued a struggle for the weapons. The night moved in slow motion, as Vin struggled with the man for the revolver, forcing the barrel into the air. With the sound of the gun going off and the flash of fire from it next to Vin's head, brought all to a halt, as if frozen somewhere in time. Stunned by the proceeding. The calm gunfighters eyes opened wide as he fell backward.

KC shrugged again as if he didn't care, trying to forget about what had happened. Lily noticed that the boy was still in the same clothes he had on the night before. She wondered if he had even left the saloon, but realized there was no getting any information out of him. Sighing she headed for the door. "Where ya heading off to, Ms. Patterson," KC asked her.

"Just thought I'd take a ride."

KC watched as she walked out of the saloon and headed to the livery. KC groaned when he thought about Terrence but the thought of going out and taking a nice long ride set well with him. Quickly he went to catch up to Lily who was in the barn already, with the livery owner.

"Mind if I ride along," KC asked Lily.

"I was kind of hoping for some privacy, but if you want to," Lily said hoping that KC wouldn't take the invitation. KC smiled and walked out of the livery, giving Lily the space she wanted.

Sitting next to the saloon KC watched as Terrence strolled down the street. KC watched as Terrence entered the general store and then looked out at the road that Lily had used before heading to the livery and obtaining himself a horse. He rode the filly hard, out of the town. Following the tracks that Lily had left on her way out of town. He reined his horse in at the top of the hill under a growth of trees, and looked down at the house that sat nestled in the small valley, a corral holding four horses sat off to the right. The horse Lily had taken tied to the wagon next to the corral. KC dismounted and tied the filly to the tree behind him and leaned back against it to watch the house.

Hours had passed before, Lily emerged from the house with the brooding gunslinger. KC watched as the man in black helped Lily to mount her horse. The man watched her leave. Waiting for the man to go back inside KC paid attention to where Lily rode off to, and mounted when the man at the house went inside. Figuring the road that Lily took, KC urged his horse into a gallop heading out in an arch to meet up with Lily up the road a piece.

Turning to find the road ahead, KC noticed a farm out in his field, slapping a whip mercilessly against the back of the plow horse hitched to a large boulder. The horse, reared in its efforts to pull the big rock for the man, digging its hind legs into the soft dirt, sinking up to his hocks. Dull coat caked in mud, looking at the road which was in site KC knew he should get to the road to meet Lily, but the sight of the poor horse tore at him.

The mud covered horse slipped in the marshy field. In his scurry to regain his feet tangled himself into the harness, as the farmer beat him. Urging the filly into the mud KC rode her at a slow trot over to the horse, flying from her before she even came to a stop. KC dove onto the farmer, knocking them both into the mud. KC struggled for the whip, slamming his fist into the mans face. KC could feel the cold steel barrel of a gun fit into his rib cage as he struggled against the farmer.

Lily rode back to town at a leisurely pace, enjoying the cool breeze that wafted through the afternoon air, warding off the heat of the sun. A sound breaking through the silence like that of thunder. Lily quickly looked in the direction of the sound. Curiosity reaching its peek as to what the sound was, Lily coaxed the old mare into a trot heading for the sound. In the distance in a marshy field she could see a man beating another man with a whip, as a horse stood by in the distance and another lay on the ground struggling to regain its footing.

"How do you like it," KC yelled at the man, beating him with the whip.

As the man cowered beneath the whip, KC stopped the beating, throwing the whip as far as he could away from them. Quietly, he approached the tangled horse, gently cooing to it as he touched the velvety soft nose. The horses pink nostrils flaring as it blew wind through its nose. Slowly KC ran his fingers up to the horses forelock, rubbing away some of the mud that covered his face, pulling out his ankle revolver he used the blade attachment to cut through the harness. When the horse finally was free of the harness and stood, KC looked at his body, the cuts and sores that covered his coat. The horse nuzzled KC, affectionately.

"Lucky," he whispered to the horse looking at it with horror.

There was no warning from him as he lunged at the retreating farmer. "Whar'd ya git the horse," KC demanded after knocking the man back into the mud and using his foot strategically held at the mans neck to hold him in place. Wide eyed the farmer tried to struggle to get free. Pulling the colt .45 from its holster, KC aimed it at the mans head, causing the stranger to hold still.

"Whar'd ya git the horse," KC asked again through clenched teeth pulling back the trigger of the gun slowly.

"Casey don't," Lily called over to the boy as he held the farmer in the mud with his gun cocked and pointed at the mans head. "Tell me you-"

The man squirmed below KC saying, "I can't he'll kill me."

"I'll kill you," KC said evenly.

"Casey you kill him now you'll never find out where he got your horse from," Lily said trying to keep KC from killing the farmer, "You'll be hung for murder."

KC's eyes shot up to Lily catching her in a cold stare that showed dark thunderclouds, "Murder of a mangy no good yellow bellied, coward. Be well worth it."

KC turned back on the man leaning more weight on the foot that was across the mans neck. "Mr. Sullivan he sold it to me for 40 dollars," the man suddenly told KC as fear trembled throughout the man's body. Even with the information Lily watched as KC's finger started to tighten on the trigger.

"Casey, what about your horse," Lily asked in a last desperate attempt to quell the boys want for revenge.

Lily heaved a sigh of relief when KC turned to look at the poor animal that stood with its back hunched trying to lessen the weight on its feet. Easing the hammer back into place KC released the man. Walking over to the filly he took the rope that was tied to the saddle and made a halter out of it, placing it on the Appaloosa stallion. "He's mine I bought and paid for him," the farmer tried sounding firm as he rubbed his neck and stood up covered in mud.

"He wasn't for sale," KC stated plainly, knowing he didn't have the money to buy the horse back. Taking the length of rope KC mounted the filly and guided the malnourished bay slowly giving the animal time to take his painful steps at his own pace.

Lily rode back during the slow journey back to town in silence, she watched as KC dismounted the filly and handed the reins over to the livery owner. KC quietly, and methodically ran his hands over the stallion feeling ribs where there once was hard muscles. Checking the horses legs KC knew that the horse had foundered, the poignant smell reaching his nostrils even before his head went past the knee. Scars riddled the horses body where the ill fitting harness had rubbed the rich bay coat off and left soars on the skin. Looking the horse in the eyes KC sighed and rested his forehead against the stallions.

"No one gonna hurt ya ‘gain," Lily heard the boy promise.

It didn't take much convincing from Lily to allow her to pay for the horses boarding and care. Lily smiled at the boy's determination to work for the horse's keep. Deciding to leave the boy alone to care for his horse, Lily went to the saloon.

An hour later KC walked in, his eyes clouded over with rage. Lily half wondered if the worry and concern that the boy had shown in the barn was still there.

"There you are," Terrence called to Lily as he came down the stairs.

He hadn't seen the boy, until KC had him pinned against the wall, the nickel finished revolver pointing in his gut. "I'm gonna kill ya," KC informed Terrence in a low throaty voice that hung in the air like thick smoke.

KC's anger clouded his judgement, Terrence smiled down at the young boy, "I think you have that wrong."

A muffled report sounded causing KC to lurch his eyes open wide as pain seared through his body. Lily watched not sure what had happened until she saw KC fall to the floor. Terrence stared down at the boy quietly. Slowly pulling his sidearm and aiming it at the boy. "You tried to kill-"

"Enough," Lily exclaimed to Terrence, causing the man to look at her.

"He tried to kill me," He told her plainly, calling his plea of self defense.

Quickly Lily went to the boy's side, kneeling down she started to undo his shirt so she could stop the bleeding but instead the boy fought her. "Terrence, get Nathan."

"No," KC said suddenly scared.

Lily finally winning out, opened up KC's shirt. She gasped at the sight that greeted her. Terrence's grin going unnoticed. Shaking herself back to the problem at hand Lily used one of the bar rags to stop the bleeding in the boy's... the girl's side, she corrected herself. Tying off the rags with a scarf she stood up looking at Terrence.

"Take," she thought for a moment about the new information that had presented itself, "Casey up to hi. . . her room. I'll get Nathan."

Lily ignored KC's pleas for her not to get Nathan, and headed out. As Terrence grabbed her arms and drug KC up the stairs.

In the bed KC fought against sleep, she had managed to button her shirt again. Nathan entered and KC stared up at him, her face set resolutely in the fact that he wasn't going to touch her. Terrence watched as the girl kept the healer at bay, and as Lily tried to convince KC to allow Nathan to have a look.

"No slave is gonna hep a rebel," KC informed them.

"Alrigh' but if ya don't get that taken care of your gonna die," Nathan said plainly his big brown eyes showing true concern. Concern which didn't breakdown KC's resolve.

Hours later Lily watched as KC lay in the bed, her eyes fluttering between sleep and awareness. Placing a damp cloth on her forehead Lily asked softly, "Why wouldn't you let him help you, cher?"

KC swallowed hard, as her eyes tried to find something to focus on, "Don't nee' no hep. I pay m' de'ts."

Lily sighed as KC's eyes drifted closed, even with her fighting to stay awake. Quietly, Lily stood and walked the short distance to the door looking back at the sleeping form, "I'll keep your secret for now, cher."

Lily let herself out of the room and headed down to the lively crowd of the saloon.