It was four tired dusty men who rode into Four Corners after a week and a half of chasing cattle rustlers. The rustlers were in jail and the cattle back where they belonged. All the four wanted to do now was get cleaned up, eat a decent meal and find out from their three friends how things had gone in town while they were gone.

As they rode up to the livery Buck was joking about how much trouble JD had no doubt given Josiah and Nathan while the rest of them had been out of town.

"Dang kid needs someone watching over him all the time" Buck said.

"Buck, when ya going to admit ya like looking out for JD. It makes you feel good to know he looks up to ya." Chris said with a seldom seen smile.

He waited until Chris had finished talking to Tiny, the liveryman, then he cleared his throat. Buck was the first to turn and spot JD standing there.

"Hey kid, see you managed to stay alive while I was gone." Buck joked as he slapped JD on the back.

"I can take care of myself Buck, I don't need you watching out for me all the time. "JD snapped.

At this all four men looked closer at JD.

"Something wrong kid?" Vin asked.

"You could say that, while you fellas was gone we had a little trouble here, well not the town just Josiah had a little trouble. Nathan said he'd tell yawl about it at his place. He wants you to come there as soon as you can." JD told the men.

So it was that five men rushed to the little room Nathan used as his medical clinic. Once inside they found Nathan sitting beside a bed watching over their friend Josiah.

"Nathan, ya wanna tell us what the hell happened to Josiah?" Chris barked out.

"Yea, lets talk outside." Nathan said. "A day after y'all left three youn'uns rode into town, boys couldn't been more seventeen or so. One of em, big with dark hair and blue eyes was asking round bout Josiah. Well most folks told him where he could find Josiah but the boy never came to the church. That night when me and Josiah went to the saloon those three youn'uns was they're drinking. This kid sees Josiah enter the place gets up and starts mouthing off to Josiah. Kid never touched Josiah just keep callin' em names and talking bout how Josiah thought since he was a man of God he was better then everyone else and how Josiah used people then never gave a damn bout what happened to the people after he was gone. I tell ya Chris I ain't never heard no one talk like that to Josiah. "Nathan told his friends.

"Hell Chris, this kid, must be 4 or 5 years younger then me and he used language I ain't heard from any of us before." JD piped in to add to Nathan's telling of what happened.

"So.'s anyway Josiah he tried to get the kid to calm down but he can see the kid just ain't gonna stop. So Josiah he leaves the saloon, the kid then starts telling everyone in the saloon that Josiah Sanchez is a low down woman user and how we'd all be sorry we let him stay in our town someday. Finally his friends dragged him out of the saloon. For two days this kid ran his mouth and every chance he got he would get into Josiah's face. Why Josiah didn't do somethin' I'll never know. Then two days ago while Josiah is fixin' the roof of Miz Travis office this kid shoots him. Hit him in the arm, but Josiah fell off the roof and hit his head. Creaked it real good. I had to put stitches in, thing is Josiah hasn't woken up since" Nathan finished with a deep frown on his face.

"What ya think is wrong with him Nathan?' Vin asked.

"I don't rightly know, I read in that their book Miz Travis gave me that sometimes a person who cracks their head real hard can stay Unconscious for days." Nathan explained.

"Why shoot Nathan, then what y'all worried bout, Josiah will sleep for a few days then he'll wake up and be fine." Buck said.

"Sometimes a person who is unconscious never wakes up, they just sleep then one night they just die.' Nathan went on to say.

"Is there anythin' we could do Nathan, maybe try and wake him or Somethin'? Vin asked.

"Won't do no good Vin, JD and I done tried that today. He just won't wake up," Nathan sadly replied.

"The boy, what happened to him and his friends?" Chris wanted to know.

"Got him in jail Chris, his friends are stayin' outside town. They sent a telegram that first day and we ain't seen them since." JD told Chris.

"Either of you know why this kid was after Josiah?" Buck asked.

"Kid ain't said a word, but his friends told me and JD that his name is JJ Park, his family comes from Santa Fe where they own a ranch. Those boys with him said he asked them to ride along with him while he went an looked up an old friend of his ma's." Nathan explained.

'This just does not make any sense Mr. Jackson. why a boy would want to harm Mr. Sanchez." Ezra spoke for the first time since they had arrived back into town.

"I don't know any more then I done told ya Ezra." Nathan said.

"Well boys ain't much we can do until Josiah wakes up. Lets go get cleaned up and have a meal, then I might go on over to the jail and see what this boy has to say to me." Chris said in a deadly voice.

"I think I'll stick around here for a spell, if'n that's alright with Nathan." Vin said.

"Fine with me, I need to go eat, so I'll do that then be back as soon as I can." Nathan said.

When Vin finally found himself alone with the preacher, he sat down near the bed and spoke to his friend.

" Josiah, it's me Vin. Never thought I'd find ya like this, ya always manage to talk yourself out of most things. I know ya can hear me, don't know how I know that just that I do know. Y'all wake up soon I know, but in the meantime you're causing all of us to worry."

Vin got no reply from the man on the bed, but he sat and every now and then would speak to the preacher hoping that the preacher could some how hear him talkin'.

An hour passed when Vin heard the sound of someone coming up the stairs. He watched as Buck entered the room. "Vin, I'll sit with him for awhile, ya might want to go to the jail and make sure Chris don't kill that kid when he questions him."

"Alright Buck, guess someone should keep Chris from doing somethin' He'll regret." Vin said.

"Why I didn't go with em, cause I just might try and do the kid some hurt myself for doing this to Josiah." Buck growled.

Vin left and went to the jail; he entered to find Chris and JD talkin' to a big kid with dark hair and bright blue eyes. Kid reminded Vin of someone, but he couldn't tell who.

"You wanna tell me why the hell you shot the preacher?" Chris screamed into the kid's face.

The kid said nothing and even when Chris begin to shake him the kid wouldn't open his mouth. Chris finally realized he wasn't going to get anything out of the kid so he tossed him back onto the bunk and slammed the cell shut.

"I'm going to go clean up JD, I'll be back later." Chris said.

"Me too JD, ya need anything let me know." Vin told the younger member of the seven.

Chris, Vin and Buck had all gotten cleaned up and were in the hotel dining room eating when a fancy carriage came up the street and stopped at the hotel. They watched as a woman climbed out of the carriage and entered the hotel. She went to the desk and after a few seconds they saw her turn and look over to them. She walked toward them with a Confidence that spoke of someone who had been dealing with life on her own for a long time.

"Gentlemen, I was told you might be of some help to me. My name is Sammy Jo Park and I believe you have my son JJ in jail." she said to them when she reached the table.

"Yes ma'am we do have him in jail, and he'll stay there till the man he shot gets better or dies." Chris said.

"Now Chris that ain't no way to talk to a lady." Buck told his friend.

Sammy Jo Park looked over at the charming young man who had just spoken, she smiled at him but then said "Oh don't worry young man, I have been spoken to far worse. so why did my son shoot someone, did they deserve It." she said.

"No ma'am I don't reckon Josiah deserved to be shot." Vin spoke.

At the name Josiah, the fellas watched as Sammy Jo Park paled and stepped back as if she might fall. Buck jumped up and helped her sit at a chair at the table across from his table.

"Woa ma'am be careful there. Wouldn't want ya to hurt yourself." he said.

"Did you say Josiah? As in Josiah Sanchez?" She asked Chris.

"Yes ma'am, that's his name. Why do ya know em?" Vin asked Sammy.

"I did once a long time ago." Sammy Jo said with a far away look on her face.

"Do ya know why your son would want to kill Josiah?" Buck wanted to know.

"I have an idea, I had hoped he wouldn't be so foolish." Sammy said.

"You want me to walk ya over to the jail ma'am?" Vin asked.

"Yes, that would be nice." Sammy turned toward Buck and asked. Could you take my bags and put them in my room here at the hotel?"

"Yes ma'am I'll see to that right away." Buck grabbed his hat and headed for the carriage outside.

Chris watched his two friends fall under a spell from this woman. and he thought how they all should hate this woman for havin' a son who would go round shootin' people.

Chris got up and went to the saloon to have a couple of drinks. he was surprised that Ezra wasn't at the saloon. He didn't ask Inez where Ezra was cause he figured she wouldn't know anyway. But as he sat down she walked over with a bottle and told him Ezra had gone to Nathan's. Chris shook his head at this news, he didn't think Ezra cared one way or another about any of them, but the gambler had surprised Chris allot these past few months.

Sammy Jo Park could be one tough woman to deal with when she got mad. And right now she was mad, her son could tell when she walked in the door that this was one time he wished he'd have listened to his friends Mike and Larry. Sammy asked Vin to allow her to enter the cell and Vin could tell this was the one thing the kid didn't want him to allow. He told JD to open the cell and then the two of them walked outside the door of the jail. It didn't stop them from hearing the sound of a slap and then the sound of Sammy Jo giving her son hell.

"WHAT THE HECK DID YOU THINK YOU WERE GOING TO DO HERE! HOW THE HELL AM I SUPPOSE TO HELP YOU GET OUT OF THIS, YOU SHOT SOMEONE AND NOT JUST SOME STRANGER BUT YOUR..."

At this her voice dropped so Vin and JD couldn't hear what she said. The kid didn't seem to want to answer her anymore then he had wanted to answer Chris that morning. After a few minutes Sammy walked out and asked Vin to take her to see Josiah.

Vin and Miz Park entered Nathan's room to find Nathan and Ezra sitting at Josiah's bedside.

"Any change?" Vin asked.

"Nope." Nathan said.

Vin introduced Sammy Jo Park to them and then told them he'd be at the saloon if they needed him. Ezra too decided to go on to the saloon as he felt his presence wasn't needed in this small clinic.

"Mr Jackson, do let us know if there is any change in Mr. Sanchez's condition." Ezra said in a soft voice.

Nathan soon found himself alone with this woman from Josiah's past. She seemed to be studying the figure on the bed with interest.

"He hasn't changed much in 17 years, a little gray in his hair and more lines on his face but otherwise the same big strong handsome man I knew back then." Sammy said more to herself then to Nathan.

"So you knew Josiah awhile back?" Nathan asked.

"Yes, I've known Josiah Sanchez and his family since I was a small child. Josiah and I grew up together, he's a few years older then I am, but him, his sister and I shared a common bond. "

"Both our fathers did missionary work and we saw each other fairly often. You know it's not easy being the child of a missionary, sometimes their work comes before their own families."

Sammy seemed to need to explain to someone. And Nathan figured he might find out something that would help him to understand why this woman's son would be so angry with Josiah. But Sammy must have realized she was talking to a stranger and she said no more. She went to the chair beside the bed and sat down. Nathan watched as she reached over and ran her hand through Josiah's hair. The look on her face as she stared at the man in the bed told Nathan that at one time she had been very much in love with his friend.

"Ma'am I'll just step outside for a spell while you sit with Josiah." Nathan said.

He knew Chris wouldn't like leaving Josiah alone with this woman they knew nothing about but Nathan was sure she wouldn't do any harm to Josiah.

Once alone with Josiah, Sammy Jo Park leaned forward and placed her lips upon his cheek as she let the tears fall. Sammy Jo hadn't cried for almost 17 years and she hated the fact that seeing this man after all that time made her weak enough to cry.

"Good Lord Josiah, what a mess we made of our lives. If we had to meet again, why did it have to be this way? 17 years I have kept something from you and now it's all about to blow up in my face". She whispered to him.

She thought back to the last time she had seen Josiah, he'd been so pissed off at his father and so outraged at the way his father had been treating his sister. The two of them had talked for what seemed like hours then Josiah had told her that he was leaving again. He said he needed to find himself and then maybe he'd find God again. She hadn't told him she needed him to stay, that one of the times they had spent together in each others arms when one of their fathers had done something to upset one of them. Had given her more then comfort, it had given her a child.

She hadn't wanted to be a burden to him, he had enough of that with his father and sister. So she had let him walk out of her life and never tried to find him again. He wouldn't understand that she had done it for him, Sammy Jo knew Josiah well enough to know that when he woke up and found out just who JJ was he was going to be one very angry preacher. She kissed him once more then went out to speak with Nathan.

"Mr Jackson, I believe there is something you and your friends should know, but I'm tired and need to sleep, If you would be so kind as to ask your friends to join me tomorrow at noon in the hotel I would be happy to explain what I know about why JJ came looking for Josiah."

Nathan assured her he and his friends would be there, then promised to send word if Josiah woke anytime before that.

Chris had decided to find out what he could about Sammy Jo Park and her son JJ. he sent a couple of telegrams to Santa Fe. Then he joined Ezra, Buck and Vin at the saloon. Soon JD came in and the five men sat and talked until Buck and Vin had to go out to patrol the town for the night. Chris offered to stay at the jail while JD got some sleep that night. He entered the jail and told Sam the man who watched the jail while JD was busy with other things, to go on home and get some rest. They would need him to keep an eye on the jail tomorrow.

The night proved to be sleepless for six men, one woman and one young boy. JJ Park was laying on the cot in his jail cell wondering just how he could have been so stupid. He hadn't meant to hurt Josiah Sanchez, he had only come to this town to see the man he had heard his mother speak of a few times and who he had learned only a few short months ago had been more then his mother's friend. But when Sanchez had come into the saloon and looked at him then turned away something had snapped inside JJ's chest. Maybe he had thought Sanchez would recognize him or see something in him that would strike a cord in his heart. When Sanchez had only looked JJ and his friends over then went on to order a beer and sit with that dark fella, JJ had got to his feet and then let his emotions rule his head and his mouth.

For 3 days he had picked and pushed Josiah Sanchez until even his friends Mike and Larry had had enough, they had told him they were returning home and if he didn't go with them they would wire his ma to come get him before he got himself killed. So the next day when he saw Sanchez on that roof he didn't think he just reacted to his anger and before he even knew what he was doing he had shot the man.

He watched in horror and shock as Sanchez fell from the roof, then thinking he might have killed the preacher he had let that young sheriff take him to jail. Now he might hang and he had never even given Josiah Sanchez a chance to tell his side of the story of what had happened between him and JJ's ma.

Chris Larabee sit in the chair at the jail and thought about how he hated this newfound worry he was dealing with. Since he had met six men who would gladly give up their lives for someone who needed their help he had discovered he too wanted to help people. But now he worried each time he had to send one of those men out on a dangerous job or when he himself had to leave town and leave one or more of them behind.

That day a week and a half ago he hadn't worried that on his return any of the three men he was leaving in town would be hurt or killed. Things had been quiet and calm around town for the past few weeks and he knew Nathan and Josiah were both good at staying out of trouble. And JD would be watched over by those two men while he and Buck were gone. To return to this made Chris mad as hell, he hadn't thought he'd even come back to find the preacher layin' at deaths door. But trouble had a way of finding him and his friends no matter what. If the preacher died Chris Larabee would gladly hang the young boy in that cell, he didn't care how young the boy was ,if he was old enough to shoot and kill a man then he was old enough to hang.

Chris got to the saloon at the same time as Buck did, they found Vin,Ezra, and JD already inside eating breakfast. Nathan joined them half an hour later. He explained that Miz Park wanted them all to join her at noon as she wanted to try and explain what she could of why her son had done what he did. As they were talking Chris was handed a message from the telegraph office. he read it then throw it onto the table. JD picked it up and read it.

"Chris , you sent a telegraph to Santa Fe, why didn't ya tell us," JD said.

"You boys didn't seem to think Miz Park or her son was worth investigating so I did what I thought was best" he told them.

"And what did you find out Mr. Larabee, do we have some notorious mother and son killer gang on our hands?" asked Ezra with a slight smile.

"No, but we had no way of knowing that did we, but y'all seemed to fall under some spell once ya met this woman and I didn't want anyone else getting hurt by her son or her." Chris growled.

"Chris, now she seems like a nice woman, and as for the kid, well we don't know what caused him to go after Josiah and until he talks we can only wait. No sense in being rude to his ma just cause the kid was an Ass." Buck said.

"Well Miz Park said she thinks she knows why her son did what he did, and once we all talk to her we'll know more." Nathan told them all.

They had all finished breakfast and were thinking of going to check on Josiah when the batwing doors flew open to reveal an angry Sammy Jo Park. She walked up to Chris Larabee and stood looking at him as if he was some low down vermin she wanted to step on? Then in a voice that told everyone listening that she was use to being in charge she spoke.

"Mr Larabee, if you had questions about me or my son you might have come and asked me. There was no need for you to wire Santa Fe."

"Well now ma'am as you didn't offer me any information other then your name and that you once knew Josiah, I didn't know if you would be willing to tell me anything did I?" Chris snapped back.

"Well since you seem to have this need to know all about me, I'll tell you. I own a ranch some miles outside Santa Fe, it was left to me by my mother's brother Joe Wright. I went to live with him when I was 19 . He's been dead for six years and I have been running the ranch with the help of his old Forman Jake Ten Bears. The ranch does well and I don't owe nobody anything. I keep to myself unless someone needs help and I have tried to raise my son to be a good person. I have a fairly decent education and a great deal of faith in God. I attend church as often as the ranch duties allow and so does my son. My father was a missionary like Josiah's father and we met each other in our childhood days. When Josiah returned to visit his family at the age of 25, he and I spent some time together, then he left again and I never saw him again until yesterday. At 19 I moved away from my father and stayed with my uncle, been there ever since. And up until 6 months ago I had no idea where Josiah Sanchez was. My father paid me and my son a little visit and shared a dime novel with my son about seven men who were thought of as hero's. What I hadn't knew until 2 weeks ago was that my father had decided it was time my son learned just how he came about. Reverend Park thought it was time his grandson learned the awful truth about his mother and her great sin. He told JJ all he needed to know about Sammy Jo Park and about the Sanchez family. So my son become interested in finding out what his father was like and why his father never came to visit him. Too bad my father didn't bother to tell JJ that his father had no idea he had a son, then maybe none of this would have happened. "

"Are you by chance telling us that Mr. Sanchez was shot by his own son?" Ezra asked.

"Yes, that's what I'm telling you." Sammy said.

"I knew that kid reminded me of someone." Vin said

"And Josiah never even knew he had a son right, ma'am, why did ya never contact him and tell him this?" Nathan wanted to know.

" Josiah Sanchez was dealing with enough pain and burdens of his own at the time, I felt it best to let him go and deal with things in his own way without having to worry bout a wife or child. He was dealing with so much that I thought adding another might just push him over the Edge. . My father was all for tracking Josiah down and shooting him or making him do right by me. I finally talked him out of both those ideas, but he felt someone should suffer for what he considered a great sin, he made my life a hell until I finally went to my uncle in Santa Fe. I hadn't seen my father for almost 17 years when he come for a visit 6 months ago. Guess he thought it was time to make someone pay for all his troubles and since I was doing alright and had a nice ranch he felt it only fair he get something out of me for his silence all those years. But I wouldn't give him anything and he found a way to make me suffer, he told my son everything. And if you gentleman don't mind I'd like to be the one who informs Josiah about JJ. Right now I plan on going to see my son then I plan on going back to my hotel room until later this afternoon"

And with that Sammy Jo left six stunned and silent peacekeepers sitting at a table in the saloon.

"Whooeee that woman sure has a temper." Buck said finally.

"Buck, does this mean Josiah has a kid?" JD asked.

"That's what it means, I wonder what old Josiah is a gone to have to Say bout that." Buck said.

"I don't rightly know, but I for one plan on keeping my mouth shut to him bout It..Let Miz Park tell him I say." Nathan told the others.

All of them agreed to let Miss Park tell Josiah he was a father. As they were all getting ready to leave they heard the sound of a wagon and many horses.

They walked out to see a small company of 20 army men pulled a wagon up to the bank. The senior officer rode toward Chris.

"Would you be Larabee?" He asked.

"Yep, I'm Larabee." Chris replied.

"I'm Captain Williams, me and my men are in charge of a gold shipment on it's way to Denver and we need to leave it here for a couple days. We spotted Big Al Fisher and his gang in Eagle Bend. The army's been after him for months now, I figure me and my men can get him if we hurry back there. Thing is we need you and your boys to keep an eye on this shipment for us." the captain explained.

"Me and the boys will look after the shipment or we could go after Big All if'n you want us too" Chris offered.

"Thank you sir, but my men and I would rather you stayed with the gold." Captain Williams said.

The arrangements were made and the company left Four Corners at a gallop. Nathan went to his clinic to relieve Mrs. Potter who was sitting with Josiah. He entered to find Josiah tossing his head and moaning.

"Josiah, Josiah, come on wake up!" Nathan instructed

Josiah only moaned more.

"Come on now Josiah! Ya been sleeping for almost 4 days now, it's time ya got awake." Nathan snapped.

"Danm Nathan, what was I a drinking last nigh, whatever it was don't let me have anymore of it." Josiah said without opening his eyes.

"It weren't nothing you drank, you split your head open when you fell off the roof four days ago." Nathan explained.

At this Josiah's eyes popped open and he let out a roar.

"Damn kid shot me!"

"Yep, but he just winged your shoulder you'll be fine with that. It was your head that put the scare in all us." Nathan said with a grin.