Note: I haven't seen many of the episodes, *sob*, so anything that I have wrong that was mentioned in one the eps, I apologize. I'm trying. Also, since there has been no mention of Chris' parents, I have made up my own.
Nathan walked into the Saloon just before night fell. He had been gone all day taking care of business and tending to patients. All he wanted to do now was have a strong drink. Pushing open the doors, he was greeted with the usual sites. Men were at the tables, some playing cards, some drinking and talking. Without pausing, he walked directly toward the table in the far corner. Behind him, a man from one of the poker tables groaned loudly. *Ezra strikes again* Nathan grinned as he pulled up a chair at the table. The four men at the table greeted him with nods of hello.
"Well hey there! Haven't seen ya today. Busy?" Vin had a grin on his face that looked mischievous.
"Just takin' care of some thing's. I miss anything?"
"Nuthin much. Pretty slow day."
Just then, Ezra walked up to the table and sat down next to JD
"So, how much money did you get out of that poor man, Ezra?" Nathan asked the notorious gambler.
"A small pot, I must say. Hardly worth the effort." Ezra seemed disappointed.
"Well, look who decided to join us." Buck pointed with a tilt of his head towards the door.
The six men at the table turned and saw Chris Larabee walk into the saloon. His hat covered his face but he still had a look on his face that only meant trouble. Noise in the room became a low hum as everyone watched Chris stride up to the bar and get a bottle of whiskey.
Retrieving the bottle from the bartender, Chris turned to face the crowd with an icy stare. Heads turned quickly back to their own business and the noise got a little louder, but not by much. The men at the table in the corner were surprised by the look Chris had just given the people in the saloon, but decided it best not to question Chris' actions. That could give one a headache.
Chris walked over to the table where the six other men sat. He set the bottle down on the table hard and sat down heavily. No one spoke as he pulled the top off the bottle and took a swig directly from it. Not bothering to use a glass.
"Easy, pard." Buck watched his friend incredulously. "Rough day?"
The others at the table kept their laughter inside as Buck received an icy stare from Chris. Buck and Chris stared at each other for a few seconds, with Chris almost drilling holes into his soul. The look was cold, and getting colder by the minute.
Without a word, Chris picked up the whiskey bottle and took another swig, this one longer than the first. JD grimaced. He knew it wasn't good to drink whiskey like that. The others knew it too, but they figured that Chris had spent his life lately in the bottle, and probably knew how to handle himself.
Setting the bottle back on the table, Chris looked at the other 5 men. They all stared at him, but turned away when he looked at them. Except Vin who stared him right in the eyes.
"You alright, pard?"
"What are yah…my paw?" Chris' voice echoed the look in his eyes. Vin flinched at the tone in his voice. Chris had never been one to open up, but this was too much.
"Just wonderin'."
Chris lifted the bottle again up to his lips. Out of the corner of his eye, he saw Buck giving him a worried look.
After downing another mouth full of the liquor, Chris slammed the bottle on the table, shattering it into a hundred pieces as glass and the whiskey sprayed the seven men. They pushed their chairs back in a futile attempt to escape the barrage, but to no avail.
The silence was deafening. Buck, JD, Ezra, Vin, Josiah, and Nathan all stood around the table. Chris was still seated as if nothing had happened, the six men looking down at him. Every soul in the saloon stood silently still, watching the seven men. Chris got up roughly, causing JD to take another involuntary step back. Chris turned and walked out of the saloon, as he went past the customers, he didn't look at any of them. Pushing his way through the doors he had come in only 10 minutes ago, he disappeared into the night air.
JD Dunne couldn't sleep. He had been staring at the same spot on the ceiling of his room for the last hour. Sighing, he threw the blankets off of his body and got out of bed. He pulled on an old pair of trousers, and old shirt, his boots, and walked out of the building.
J.D. had no clue what he was doing out this late. It had to be at least 2 in the morning. There was not a soul on the streets. The cold night air blew around him, and he looked up at the moon. It was a crescent and it lit up the sky enough to see where he was going, not much more.
He wandered through the streets of Four Corners, looking at the buildings in town. Things had really improved in this town since the Seven had come into town. He passed the Sheriff's office when he heard the voice.
"Isn't it a little late for you?"
JD felt as if his heart had just jumped into his throat. Turning, he saw that it was only Chris, leaning back in an old chair on the porch. The older man had bags under his already dark eyes, telling JD that this was not the first night he had spent here.
"Couldn't sleep. What you doin' out here?" J.D. knew his voice was shaking.
"Watchin things." Chris' voice was slurred and the younger man knew that he was drunk. After the incident at the saloon that night, there was no telling how much liquor the gunfighter had drunken.
"I'm gonna go back to my room." The chill night air was getting to him…or was it the company? A man like Chris Larabee had his reputation for a reason, and no amount of months together could make a man forget that.
"'Kay."
"You gonna be okay out here by yourself?" JD knew he shouldn't be worried about a man like Chris', but it was the fact that they were friends to ask.
"Yah."
JD nodded as he watched Chris take a bottle from behind his back and take a long swig. The green eyes drifted back to the street, where they remained even after JD had climbed back into bed.
Bright and early the next morning, Vin strode down to the Saloon. The sun shone brightly, but there was still an occasional chill breeze. As he made his way up to the bar, he pushed aside the thought of a warm brandy, and settled on a coffee. Taking a sip of the hot liquid, he turned and walked towards the usual table. Buck and JD were there, and Ezra was just walking through the door.
Vin sat down and put his hat on the table beside him. Ezra walked up and sat down beside Vin.
"You alright there, JD" Ezra noticed that the young man's eyes had dark bags under them.
"I didn't get much sleep last night." JD rubbed his right eye absently. "I'm okay."
Then JD looked up and his face froze. The other men turned and saw Chris walk into the saloon. He looked at the four men looking right back at him. Walking slowly over, he sat down next to Ezra with Buck to his left. He sat down heavily, and leaned far back into his chair. Reaching into the inside pocket of his dark duster, he pulled out a full bottle of whiskey.
The men's faces fell, and waited for Buck to say something. Which they knew he would. They'd rather have Buck get on Chris' bad side than them.
"Come on Chris. It's a little early."
Chris shot Buck a look of pure anger, and put the bottle back in his duster. He leaned back into his chair and looked at the four men. Chris' glance went over to JD, whom he had seen last night.
"You finally get back to bed?"
J.D. was taken aback at Chris' concern for him. "Yeah. Guess I just needed that walk."
Ezra smiled. He knew that no matter how much Chris was cold to them, he still cared. But of course, he'd never admit it to them. Nathan and Josiah walked in then laughing.
"What are you two so worked up over?" Ezra felt a twinge of disappointment. He always liked a good laugh.
"You should see this old drunk man that just walked into the boarding house. What a character!! As funny as they get!" Nathan laughed again, apparently remembering something the man had said to them.
"Who is he?" J.D. asked.
"Said his name was James. He said he was just passing through. He looks pretty old, but oh man, he's hilarious!" Josiah and Nathan sat down with the other five. The two men shared a joke James had told them, and soon the whole table erupted into loud laughter that startled the other morning customers. Buck looked over at where Chris sat and saw that the man was gone.
"Hey, where'd Chris go?" Genuine concern shone through Buck's voice. He didn't like the way the gunfighter was acting lately.
"I dunno. What's his problem anyhow?" Vin wasn't the least bit worried.
"Yeah, really. He's worse than usual, and that, my friends, is saying a lot!" The men laughed, but Buck was still worried.
"I ran into him this morning at 2 when I was out. Sat in front of the Sheriff's office all night. Drunk as a horse. He looked completely out of it. Almost scared me. He looked like he wanted to kill someone." JD told the five other men at the table.
"Doesn't he always?" Ezra's laughter was cut short when the sound of gunfire filled the air. The men all pushed their chairs back from the table and ran outside the saloon, guns drawn.
The air outside was filled with dust, but they still heard the sounds.
"See you in hell, Larabee!!!!" *Jesus, what did he do now?!* Buck wondered.
Just then, another shot rang out, and through the dust, the six men on the Saloon steps saw a man in Black fall. The six men ran down to the street and pointed their guns to where the shots had come from. The sound of horses hooves on the dirt quickly became faint, until they disappeared. Unable to see through the dust, the men split up, Josiah, Vin, and Ezra running off to see what they could find. Buck and JD turned and saw Nathan kneeling in the street, in front of the man who lay on the ground.
As they approached, they saw that it was Chris. Nathan yelled to JD, "Help me get him to the clinic!" The people in the streets watched in shock as the four men headed off to the clinic.
