Outlaws to the End (HotCider & heartofcourage)

[heartofcourage]

The sound of a voice as rough as sandpaper made Elizabeth jump. She glanced towards Ian, noticing for the first time that he was showing signs of life. He had lifted his face from the door, glancing towards something in the darkness that she could barely see.

Gently she pressed down on the break, pulling them to a stop at the entrance to the dirt road that lead towards a farm house. Just like Ian had said, an old bloodhound stood barking on the porch, waiting for them to turn down his property. Glancing towards Ian one more time, she had to trust that her knew what he was talking about.

Turning the wheel, she carefully started down the tiny stretch of dirt road. The car bumped and jostled along, no doubt disturbing Ian as they got closer to the quant little farm house in the middle of nowhere.

Parking the car, she turned off the engine and sat in the darkness for a long moment, watching as the dog hurried off the porch in a rush of gangly legs and flapping skin. He was sniffing around the car before she knew it, the subtle snuffling sounds of the dog filling the air as Elizabeth reached over to touch Ian’s cheek.

“How are you feeling?” She asked softly, sighing in relief as she didn’t feel any hint of fever.

 

[HotCider]

"Like shit..." came Ian's frank reply. He had closed his eyes again to rest them.

The bloodhound had made its way around to Ian's side, sniffing and snorting at the door as a few whines began to leave its maw. The creature's tone changed as it began to woof and yowl, its tail a-waggin'. The corners of Ian's mouth curled slightly.

A man emerged in the doorway of the house with a rifle clutched in his hand. The shadow of the weapon was seen clearly and his gaze followed the shiny carpet that was laid out for him as the interior lights reflected off the chassis of the mysterious vehicle on his lawn.

An old woman soon walked over to stand next to him. She wore a simple teal, long sleeved blouse with a white, flowery collar. Her skirts were designed with various flowers, draping down to some comfy, pink slippers.

"We got guests Jesse. We ain't got guests in a long'un," the old woman said.

Jesse was no older than Ian with short blonde hair, blue eyes, and a boyish face that guarded his actual age. He gave the vehicle a suspicious scowl, unable to see its occupants in the dark and lifted the rifle into both hands.

"Ain't no guests come around here. That car ain't nothin' I recognize. Stay here, I'll go check it out," he told his mother.

The old woman clutched her dress in worry as her son descended the steps.

"Be careful, Jesse."

The man in a white shirt and blue overalls approached the vehicle with the rifle directed at the cab though he didn't take aim. He shooed the dog, "Get Pap! Go on!"

The bloodhound regarded his master with pathetic eyes as it remained by the door and continued to whine.

Once Jesse was near the vehicle, he gazed at the woman inside and the back of the head of the man who he thought was sleeping against the door. The lady had him speechless for a moment. What was a pretty thing like that doing around these parts? She was absolutely divine and he was curious who the lucky man was that was with her.

Putting his stern face back on, he motioned with the end of the rifle at Elizabeth. "Keep your hands where I can see'em."

He then reached for the door and yanked it open. Ian's weight shifted, causing the safety belt to stretch as he near tumbled out of the vehicle. The belt went taught, causing Ian to dangle out the door with his head a foot from the ground. Being stretched out caused the muscles of his abdomen to extend and the hole in his body to send such a painful and unbearable jolt throughout his body.

"Agh! Jesse you meat head!" Ian cried.

Pap immediately pressed his slobbery jowls to Ian's face, coating it in hot doggy drool as he struggled to right himself.

Jesse's eyes were wide as though he were seeing a ghost, and with how white Ian was, he would believe it. "Go~llee....Ian Darcy..."

He then looked toward his mother. "Ma! It's Ian Darcy! Devil gone thrown him back!"

"Ian Darcy? My word!"

"Jesus!" Jesse exclaimed in his excitement. "We thought you gone bit it when we reads you gone drove a car into a canyon."

Setting his rifle against the car, he reached down to grasp the bankrobber beneath his arms and assisted in righting him in his chair. "Get Pap!"

The bloodhound moaned its protest as it remained where it stood with its tail whipping like a weed.

"Pap, sure missed you. Ian Darcy, wow..." Jesse then took a moment to examine Ian's current condition. Realization finally struck, "Holy moly! You've been shot! Ma!"

Jesse regarded his mother again, "Ian gone got himself shot again."

It was a good thing they were in the middle of nowhere, otherwise Ian would have punched Jesse square in his baby face for screaming his name and business to all of Kansas. He had forgotten about that annoying quirk he had.

"Shot? Dear lord, bring'em inside before the devil take him back!"

Jesse was about to help Ian out of the vehicle when he remembered the red head seated behind the wheel. He hadn't seen her before.

"Who's your friend?" Jesse asked him.

"My wife," Ian lied.

"Really? You lucky dog. If she ain't the prettiest gal I ever seen."

"Jesse, hurry!" his mother called.

Jesse finally spoke to Elizabeth, "Don't you worry. We've gone dealt with this situation before. Ian had holes in'im then like he do now. We'll have him good as new. But yes, let me help ya."

Jesse looped Ian's good arm over the back of his shoulders and leaned him out of the car until the thief weakly found his feet. Groaning, Ian couldn't believe how slack he had become. Then again, he could. It had been so long since he was last shot that he had already forgotten what it was like. As Jesse walked him toward the house, Ian wanted to tell Elizabeth not bring the sack inside. Jesse's family were only acquaintances and he would never trust them with money. If they saw the stash, they would take it in a heartbeat and perhaps shoot them both.

"Stop," Ian rasped.

Jesse stopped and looked at him curiously to see him motioning off to the field.

"Need to piss," Ian informed.

The blonde snorted and laughed, "I bet. Lyin' there and unable to move on your own. Be right back Ma, takin' Ian to go piss!"

Ian's brows knitted together irritably. He was too sick to make the comment he was dreaming of to Jesse's broadcasting skills.

Ian's beatin' the meat, Ma! Ian thought. Holy hell...

Once they were in the field some ways from the house but not too far, the two men stood there, Ian with an expecting look on his face.

"So..." Jesse said to break the silence. "You goin' do it?"

"Why doncha' give me a hand?"

Jesse glanced at Ian's other arm and noticed there was a wound in that one too. He was thankful to have grabbed the right arm. He gave Ian a disgusted look. "I ain't grabbin' another man's peeshooter!"

Ian's jaw clenched within his mouth. When he found the strength to walk on his own, he was going to sock the numbskull in the lip. It was a promise. "No time."

"You gonna hafta piss your pants. It's all right. We can have you cleaned up after and your clothes washed."

"I ain't pissin' my pants," Ian growled.

"I ain't touchin' your dick!"

The mother could barely hear what the two were bickering about in the field, but it had reminded her of old times.

 

[heartofcourage]

Elizabeth couldn’t help the soft laughter that bubbled from her lips at Ian’s reply. It didn’t really matter how he felt. She was just incredibly happy that he was awake and replying to her in a conscious manner. It was so much better then the listless being that had been hanging in his seatbelt as she drove the long distance from St. Louis.

The opening of the front door took her attention from Ian and she was surprised to see a man coming at them with a rifle. Why did she turn off the engine? Why had she listened to Ian? He was about to get them killed!

She nodded her head slightly as the man shouted at her to get her hands where he could see him. Slowly she straightened up in her seat and put her hands over her head, her heart racing a mile a minute as she watched him slowly circling around to Ian’s side of the car. Please don’t shoot him, please don’t shoot him!

As the baby faced blonde man reached for the handle of Ian’s door, Elizabeth slowly started to lower her hands. If something horrible happened, she would start the car and get the hell out of there. It was her only choice. She wasn’t about to come this far and be stopped by a man with an itchy trigger finger.

A loud gasp left her lips as the door was jerked open and Ian’s body tumbled from the car and towards the dirt of the farmyard outside. He was held in place by the seat belt, hovering above the dirt as the old hound dog immediately attacked his face with a slobbery tongue.

She was panting for air, her head spinning from the adrenaline that coursed through her veins. She’d never been more frightened in her life and with her nerves stretched thin after the stunt that Ian had already pulled that morning, Elizabeth felt like bursting into tears.

The two men talked to one another like they knew each other, the dog baying every so often as the words kept swirling around her dazed head. The scene was incredibly surreal and she wondered if it were happening or if she’d fallen asleep behind the wheel on the drive.

As the blonde turned towards her, finally regarding her, she lowered her hands from above her head, watching him with wide blue eyes. Ian referred to her was his wife. She would remember that and continue with that story. She also knew enough to not give them her real name.

As Ian was pulled from the car, Elizabeth opened her door and slid into the cool night air. An elderly woman stood in the doorway of the house, watching them all carefully. That must have been Ma. Sucking in a deep breath, she cast a glance towards the car one more time before she pocketed the keys and moved towards the house. The bag of money was safely hidden beneath her coat, tucked beneath the backseat of the car.

“Hi.” Elizabeth murmured to the woman who was listening to the two men bicker as Ian declared that he had to pee. “I’m Hope. Hope Darcy.”

She extended her hand to the woman to shake it, surprised as she was swept up in a strong tight hug, the woman cradling her against her floral scented bosom. Elizabeth’s eyes went wide, her arms hanging limply at her sides in shock as she struggled to think about what she should do next.

“You ain’t got nothing to worry about.” The woman crooned, pulling Elizabeth away from her body to look down into her sky blue eyes. “We gonna get Ian all patched up. First we need to get some food in your belly. You’re much too skinny!”

With that, Elizabeth found herself pulled into the warm interior of the woman, seated at a table as the woman dished up a hearty meal. What sort of strange place had Ian brought her to?

 

[HotCider]

Just as Elizabeth sat down, coming in from the outside was Ian and Jesse.

"Augh! I think I got some of yer piss on my hand," Jesse complained.

Ian smiled in sadistic triumphant before he noticed Elizabeth seated at Granny's table. Jesse called her "Ma" and he called her "Granny."

"She gonna make you pop," Ian warned.

Jesse ducked under Ian's arm and carefully set him on the couch. He was kind enough to adjust the pillows before he went to stand by the dinner table across from Elizabeth. His blue eyes inspected her, observing the contours of her face. Ian's wife, huh? He smiled before he commented happily on Ian's warning. He rested his hands on the backs of the chairs and leaned forward as he whispered, Just say yer full before ya are. There's always leftovers. You can always get more later. If ya don't, you gonna be lookin' like my Pa. He went to pick up some of our relatives. Gonna be a full house tonight.

He straightened and glanced at Ian, "We got the family comin' by. They won't be able to believe their eyes."

Granny turned from the oven with comfy mitts she was sliding onto her hands. "I don't mind feedin' the dears early. They been a travelin' all day I'm sure. Ian, hunny, you must be feelin' too ill to eat."

Ian was silent. He had fallen asleep again or into that half-dead state Elizabeth hadn't liked.

Jesse just stared at him before he crossed his arms upon the back of the chair he stood before and watched him for a few moments, gazing at the two patches where bullets had ripped through his body. They hadn't been the first and apparently not the last with how he was hanging on.

"You a lucky gal and he a lucky guy. You ain't got nothin' to worry. Even if our medicine didn't do a thing, Ian would live. He been shot before we even knew him. When he came to us, it had been his second time. You can see it. I counted his scars then and if he ain't been shot until now, he been shot 7 times. It's why everyone call him The Devil. He don't know how to stay dead. Church stop talkin' about him but back in the day, he was all they talked about trynna' keep the kids from followin' in his steps. Kinda hard not to now with The Depression an all. But you hear anythin' about stealin' in church, they'll mention The Devil and they don't mean Satan. They mean Ian," Jesse explained.

Granny walked over to the table with a steaming plate of seasoned cabbage, mashed potatoes, and baked salt and pepper chicken. "Hush now Jesse, you talkin' too much. Hope be worried sick about her husband. She don't need to be reminded of his reputation." She set down the plate before Elizabeth. "You eat up now and keep your strength. You gonna need it. Just don't lose faith. We'll be workin' on him as soon as Pa get here."

 

[heartofcourage]

The smell of a hot, homemade meal filled Elizabeth’s senses and she let out a little sigh as she looked down at the full plate before her. Despite everyone’s warnings, she was actually famished. She hadn’t eaten since the night before and after the day that she’d had, it was certainly a welcome sight.

“Thank you.” Elizabeth said softly, picking up her fork as Jesse and his mother argued back and forth about what would happen when the man of the house got home. “Please don’t make too much of a fuss over Ian and I. If you would show me how, I can take care of him.”

She would have done anything to get Ian back to his old self. Part of her was still livid at the way he’d simply run off that morning and part of her ached to see him in the state that he was in now. Maybe part of that was her fault…Maybe if he hadn’t been getting the money for her none of this would have happened.

Stabbing her fork through some of the cabbage and chicken, she brought it to her lips and took a bite under the watchful eyes of the old woman. She didn't want to disappoint someone and her cooking was delicious. It made her want to weep at the thought that she wasn't alone in this frightening journey with Ian.

 

[HotCider]

I'll be!

The heavy bellow stirred Ian from his nap. He jolted awake with eyes wide in startle to see nothing but a big pot-belly and two eyes peering down at him.

If it isn't Ian Darcy! Pigs got ya again I see. What this be...

The stout man furrowed his bushy, brown brows in thought as he stared up at the ceiling as though the answers were written there.

Jesse answered, "He been shot 7 times, Pa. I counted."

The big ol' Pa's brows raised in surprise. "7 times? Ya kiddin'. Woowee, lucky number there boy. I wouldn't try gettin' 8."

His brown eyes wondered over to the young woman that was treating him. Unashamed, he inspected Elizabeth's rich, red hair, face, breasts, legs and bottom. "Hm...who is this fine maid?"

If Pa thought Ian hadn't noticed him checking out Elizabeth, he had another thing coming. Ian in his weak state raised his unwounded arm and grasped the back of the couch before he started to sit up. Granny and Jesse raced over to stop him, and forced him back down.

"Ian don't be crazy!" Jesse exclaimed.

"Calm down, Pa just bein' Pa," Granny defended.

Pa raised his meaty hands. "Excuse me, I hadn't a clue she was yours. I was thinkin' muh boy got lucky."

"She Ian's wife, Pa."

"Wife? How a thief get one of those?"

Ian smirked and answered weakly, "He steals one."

Pa guffawed, while Granny rested the back of her hand against Ian's forehead.

"Goodness, yer on fire. Hope, come help me run Ian a cold bath. Pa, we been waitin' for you to get back so you kill his infection with your tonic."

"Sure. I'll go an fetch it from the back. Jesse, come with me boy."

"Yes, Pa."

Father and son both left the house to head toward the shed where some cousins were unloading a truck. They mirrored each other in appearance. Both wore blue overalls except Pa filled his to bursting. One strap was broken and dangled down his back.

"You know, I was just in the city the other day, and I just so happened to be thinkin' about that Darcy fella'. Police still don't know he alive. The case is still open but dry. Can ya believe his reward still goin' up?"

"Really? How much he worth now?"

"He worth 5 million dollars."

"5 million!?"

Pa gave Jesse a fishy look that made the blonde stop. He stared at his father fearfully. "You...you ain't gonna turn him in are ya? He trust us and Ma loves Ian...and he a good man, Pa. He ain't hurt nobody."

"Hush. He got us thinkin' that. He been lyin' to us. I was in the city, and in the paper it read about some mysterious robber who robbed a Collingwood bank of all its bread. He shot five innocent people and three died in the hospital. He a killer boy. He gone too far."

Jesse shook his head. "It ain't true. He ain't ever kill anyone."

"Don't be an idiot. He gonna say what he wanna say to get us to help him, and he gonna drag that girl into it too. He said he stole that girl and I wouldn't put it past him. He probably promised the world to that girl and she followin' him like a foolish woman."

Jesse was silent. He couldn't believe his father's claims for he looked up to Ian and his resiliency. He was the victim of the world and it's evils. He and Ma had seen his kindness. He had even given them money once.

"Listen boy; this is what we're gonna do. He already hurt and he a foot away from Death's door. I'm gonna switch these labels on these jugs here. Fool Ma into thinkin' we're gonna give him our tonic, but we gonna give him some weed killer in small doses. It'll get him sick quick, and it'll make it seem like the infection is winnin'. When he dies, his girl gonna be stuck with us. How would you like 'er for yourself, boy? You get the girl, we turn in his body for the five million, our lives will be better."

Jesse was shaking. He couldn't believe his ears. His own father was plotting evil against Ian.

Pa frowned. "You chicken shit. You watch your Pa then and you better not tell anyone or I'm gonna give you a lickin'. You just watch me and start gettin' acquainted with that woman. Try to make her forget all about Ian and get to likin' ya. She gonna be yers soon."

Jesse watched his father venture the rest of the way to the shed alone.

 

[heartofcourage]

Elizabeth was helping the old woman to treat Ian’s wounds after she’d eaten her fill and then some at the kitchen table. She followed the woman’s lead, treating each of the bullet wounds with a healthy dose of a foul smelling salve that made his body tense each time she slathered it over his wounds.

Thankfully, Ian was asleep, peacefully unaware of the work that the three had been doing on him. Jesse would scurry off to get what they needed when he was asked. Ma was a calming influence. Elizabeth just prayed. It was all that she had for the love of her life…a lot of prayer.

The entire mood of the house changed when the large, gruff looking man of the house finally returned home. He was loud, surprised to see Ian on his sofa, and looked at her in the most inappropriate way. Elizabeth kept her head down, ignoring his comment even as Ian woke and was ready for a fight.

“Stay down, Ian. You don’t want to pull your wounds.” She said softly, her hand resting on his shoulder as the old woman and Jesse moved to help her.

Focusing on Ian as the conversation focused on her, she did her best to keep calm. She didn’t like the way the older man looked at her or the way he talked to Ian. As she watched Ma press the back of her hand against Ian’s forehead, she closed her eyes against the declaration that he had a fever.

“I’ll get his clothes off and help him into the bathroom.” She said softly, watching as the woman stood and nodded, moving into another part of the house.

When Jesse left with his father, Elizabeth looked down at Ian and sucked in a deep breath. “I don’t feel safe here, Ian.” She whispered softly. “I don’t like that man.”

 

[HotCider]

Ian weakly reached a hand over and laid it over Elizabeth's. His grip was so weak and she could feel the heat exuding from his palm into her skin. His eyes were closed as they usually were when he was too tired to keep them open.

"As soon as I can walk on my own, we'll get out of here," he reassured her.

By the time Pa and Jesse returned, Granny and Elizabeth had Ian stripped and lounging comfortably in the tub. Pa with Jesse dragging behind went to the end of the hall where the bathroom door was open. He stood in the doorway wearing an amused smile, seeing Ian naked with the women surrounding him.

"Ain't sick enough for the gals, huh?" Pa jested.

Ian smirked before wandering into the bathroom with his wrinkly face came Gramps curious to see why his family was crowded in one place. He sniffed around, sweeping the floor and then the side of the tub. Granny patted the bloodhound's head before his tongue lapped inspectingly at the water. He wandered around Elizabeth sniffing her legs before his cold nose went up her dress to goose her bottom. He then reached Ian and once again began dousing his face in doggy drool.

"Gramps, you stop that! Don't go pokin' your nose in anyone's business! You leave Ian alone; when he well, he'll play with you."

"Come on, Gramps! Get on outta there!" Jesse ordered.

Gramps retracted his tongue and clicked his way out towards the door. He paused next to Pa, sniffing the jug in his hand before he bellowed at it. Wooo!

Pa kicked the dog and with a yelp Gramps stole away from the family. "We said get!"

Jesse followed the fleeing bloodhound. "Pa! Why you kick'im?"

The young man went to chase after his best friend and give him some comfort.

Shaking his head, Pa raised the jug and said, "I got it here. All he need is a swig, and he should be able to sleep it off. He'll be good as new in the mornin'. This cure been past down in our family for generations. It ain't ever spoil and it ain't ever run out. Stuffs powerful. I'm sure you remember it Ian."

"How can I forget?"

Last time he drank that stuff he thought he was going to cough to death. It was like liquid pepper and it had done the trick.

Popping the cork on it, he squeezed in next to Elizabeth and lowered the jug before Ian's lips. Ian immediately frowned at the smell that wafted into his face. It wasn't what he remembered. It smelled very...sharp, chemically rather than vinegary. He opened his eyes to regard the jug. It was the same one. Figuring that it had been a long time since he tasted it, he pressed his lips to the jug and Pa tilted it so the chemical could wash into his mouth. As soon as it stroked his tongue, Ian frowned in what looked like horror and disgust. The liquid was very sour, chemically, and he didn't think he could swallow it. When it struck the back of his throat, he was in a coughing fit. Pa retracted the jug to watch Ian spit some of the liquid up in his retches. He dunked his head underwater, preferring to wash his mouth out with his own bathwater if it was to purge it of the awful taste.

Granny laughed, "That's just about the same reaction he had last time."

Pa joined in the mirth and smiled proudly, "You just let me know if he gets any worse. We'll giv'em some more. In the meantime, we should let'em rest. Mrs. Darcy, you're welcome to join us in the shed outback once Ian is rested. There will be music and dancing..."

Granny smiled. "We'll even have some more of my cookin'."

"When Ian gets better, we'll have another party."

 

[heartofcourage]

Elizabeth watched as Ian took a swig of the liquid that was in the mysterious little bottle. The violent reaction that he had to it made her incredibly scared. She watched him start to cough, his head dunking beneath the bathwater to rid himself of the obviously foul tasting brew.

Granny was there insisting that the reaction was the same as he’d had last time. She wasn’t sure that she believed that though. Reaching into the water, she helped Ian right himself, his skin burning as she settled him against the back of the bathtub. He had a raging fever and she noticed how a few of the bullet holes were an angry red in color.

“Oh…thank you for the offer, but I think I’ll stay with Ian tonight.” She said as they insisted that she come join them for the party that was about to happen. “And if you’ll leave that brew with me, I’ll make sure that he takes it if he needs to.”

 

[HotCider]

Ian sat back against the tub, head eased back and mouth agape as he panted with difficulty.

"Not...like...I remember," he rasped before he hung his head. It made him nauseous to keep his head tilted back in the manner he had it. With an arm outstretched across the edge of the tub, he rested his cheek against his deltoid and closed his eyes. That stuff had him feeling shitty all of sudden, but he didn't wish to worry Elizabeth. He knew it would cure him like it had last time.

Granny giggled at Ian and stepped out of the bathroom. She slapped Pa's hip and the portly, Kansas man regarded her with a frown. He glanced at his jug and then at Elizabeth.

She has no idea, he thought. He smiled and offered the jug to her. "Take care of that. It's a family 'eirloom. I'm trustin' ya with it. You two take care now, if you're ever hungry, you know where to go."

He pointed with a thumb over his shoulder at the kitchen before he turned to follow Ma out, leaving the two lovers alone. Jesse was about to return to the bathroom when he saw Ma and Pa passing through the hallway.

"Don't you go messin' with them Jesse. They been waitin' for some alone time for awhile now," Ma said.

Pa rested his heavy hand upon his son's shoulder and gripped it firm enough to get his point through. "Leave'em be boy. Come to the shed."

Jesse peered at the lit room, only dreading if his father had succeeded in poisoning Ian. He would have to warn them somehow. As he was being dragged out the door, he grasped a pen from the counter and secretly pocketed it. He then called Gramps, "Gramps! Come'on boy. Don't want you messin' with'em neither!"

The old bloodhound followed after his master.



"Why'd you do that?" Ian asked. "You coulda' had yourself a good time. I ain't goin' nowhere."

He shuddered as a sudden chill shot down his spine. Sitting back again in the tub, Ian was looking pale. His face wasn't flushed with fever and his mouth had gone dry. He couldn't even keep a cool attitude as he had managed to for so long.

"I think...I don't know...I take it back...I'm feelin' terrible. This...this fever may be gettin' to me. I don't think they gave me enough of that stuff."



Jesse raced ahead of his parents to the shed where the cousins were setting up musical instruments. Gramps chased after him with his big, ears flopping, causing Ma and Pa to smile.

"He sure is an excitable boy."

"Sure is."

Racing over to the table, where a small spread of snacks was laid out, he grabbed a napkin and drew the pen from his pocket. Gramps padded up to his side and sniffed at a plate of meat, cheese, and crackers. Jesse scribbled a big, fat warning on the napkin. One simply word: POISON! He then rolled it and looped it about Gramps's collar. Scratching his best friend behind his floppy ears, he looked the old faithful in the eyes and ordered, "Go find Ian, Gramps. You know where he is. Go to 'im. I'll give you a treat boy. Go!"

Gramps whirled immediately and bolted out the shed past Ma and Pa. Jesse faced the table, pretending to mind his business and eat crackers. All he could think about was if Gramps would get to Ian, and if Mrs. Darcy would get his message in time. He hadn't been able to see if his father had succeeded with the poisoning, but he had to make sure.

Gramps darted back to the house and pushed open the screen door with his snout. Scampering down the hall to the bathroom, the furry fella' barged in and his tail whipped about in delight to have found Ian. He sounded a happy howl before pressing his wet snout to the thief's cheek and began showering his face.

"This damn dog..." Ian growled as he tilted his head away but Gramp's long, pink tongue still managed to lap up and down his neck and face.

Just at his collar was the napkin coiled around it.

 

[heartofcourage]

Elizabeth waited for them to leave her in peace with Ian before she slowly start to relax. Listening to the fading footsteps, she glanced down at the jug in her hand, frowning as she brought the bottle to her nose and took a sniff.

The smell was acrid, burning her nose as she jerked the bottle away from her face and glanced down towards her lover as he shivered in the tub. He asked why she didn’t go and have a good time. She couldn’t really explain it to him except that she didn’t want him alone in this house.

“I can’t have a good time with you back here shaking and shivering.” She said softly, pressing the back of her hand to his forehead as he hung onto the side of the tub. “You’re still burning up, Ian. How can you be so cold?”

She placed the bottle onto the counter, grabbing a fresh washcloth. Wetting it in the sink with cool water, she wringed out the excess and then turned back to Ian, pressing it against his forehead and praying that his fever went down.

It was a few moments later that she heard the sound of the bloodhound racing back into the bathroom. He howled, his tail whipping back and forth before he started to slobber and lick Ian yet again. Elizabeth smiled slightly, loving the way the dog seemed so loyal to Ian.

“I’ll put him in the hallway and close the door.” She said softly, catching the dog by the collar and pulling him towards the door.

A flash of white against his dark fur caught her attention. She frowned and pulled free the fragile napkin, unrolling it to spy the word POISON! Scrawled in thick black letters. Her eyes widened and she glanced towards the bottle on the ink. They were poisoning Ian? Why would they poison him?

“Ian, whatever you do…don’t drink anything they try to give you.” She said in a soft whisper, unsure if there were ears listening. Letting go of the dog, she moved to the sink and dumped the contents of the jar into the sink, washing it down with a quick turn from the faucet.

 

[HotCider]

"What?" Ian questioned. He didn't understand her warning. What had made her say it? He cracked open his eyes to watch Elizabeth quickly storm back into the room and snatch up the jug. She removed the cork, the bottle uttering a dull pop before Ian began to hear the emptying of its contents. What was she doing!? His eyes opened wider and he turned his head to see her dumping his only hope down the drain.

"What are you doin'? Stop!" he exclaimed.

He grasped the side of the tub with his good arm and rose some ways to his feet until a wave of nausea and dizziness stopped him. Ian leaned against the side of the tub and tried to focus his wandering vision. Suddenly, a wave of vomit welled in his mouth and he turned his head to puke over the edge of the tub between it and the wall. He emptied his stomach twice, tasting the sour and harsh liquid that he had ingested on his tongue. He then understood Elizabeth's warning. Poison...they were trying to poison him? But why? Ian weakly sank to his knees and leaned against the tub wall. His body was shaking from the toxicity and he was growing weaker and weaker until he could soon hear and react to nothing for he no longer was alert to his surroundings. Ian was dying.


Jesse was pretending to participate in the socializing. Every now and then he would say hello to his aunt and uncle and their sons and daughter, but he was determined to find the jug with Pa's family tonic in it. He had to be careful that Pa didn't notice or he would never find it. Pa would find it and take it, and he would never see it again.

"Whacha' lookin' for boy?" Pa called.

Jesse froze in fright and regarded his father, "I'm lookin' for Gramps."

"He went flyin' out the door earlier and hadn't come back. Come on over here boy and say hello to your cousin Cheryl."

Jesse sighed and postponed his search. With his arms hanging at his sides hopelessly, he walked over to join his relatives as they circled around. He came before the blonde. She was rather pretty with long, blonde hair, sugar-brown eyes and freckles speckling her nose and cheeks. She was wearing a long, white gown that stopped two inches above her ankles where a pair of brown leather boots started. Her hair was braided into two braids that draped her shoulders and as Jesse approached she greeted him with a soft smile. Jesse just gazed at his cousin unenthusiastically before his brows shot upwards with an idea.

"You gonna say hi Jesse?" Ma asked.

Jesse snatched Cheryl's wrist and said quickly, "Come on Cheryl!"

"Okay," Cheryl said quickly. Her eyes were wide when suddenly she was yanked across the shed and out the door. Jesse ran with her through tall, cold grass until they were no longer bathed in the lights of the shed but the shadows of the night sky.

Releasing her hand, Jesse faced her and said, "Cheryl, I need your help more than anythin' right now."

Cheryl rested her hands on her hips and tipped her hip. "Oh?"

"Ian, you remember him right?"

Her eyes widened and brows raised. "Ian Darcy? Sure do."

"Well, he's here and Pa trynna' poison him."

"What? What for? Ian a good man."

"He wants the money on his head. Ian worth 5 million dollars now."

"Go~ll~y...but why Uncle Pa gonna kill a good man for it? He can't do that."

"Cheryl, do you know where Pa keeps his tonic? He went into the shed earlier and I ain't follow him." Grasping his hair angrily, Jesse cursed himself, "Damn it, I should have followed him."

Cheryl parted her pink lips to answer, but before she exhaled a breath, she asked, "What's in it for me?"

"What?"

"I'm gonna get the tonic, but not free. You gotta give me somethin'."

"Cheryl, Ian's probably dyin'. Stop bein' dumb."

"I ain't bein' dumb. How 'bout you give me Ian?"

"Ian married Cheryl. His wife's Hope. She a good woman."

"Married? Who would marry a thief?"

"She did. Cheryl, please."

"If I can't have Ian, then nobody's gettin' him," she declared.

Jesse, anxiously, grabbed her by her arms and demanded, "Cheryl, if you don't show me where that tonic is and Ian dies, I'm gonna hurt you. I'm gonna hurt you real bad and nobody will be able to protect you from me. This ain't a game. Tell me where the tonic is."

Cherly gazed down at Jesse's hands as they clenched her arms painfully tight. "Da!"

"Ssh! Okay, okay!" Jesse yelled as he released her. "You can't have Ian but...a kiss. How about he give you a kiss, and I don't mean a plain-old kiss, but the best kiss in Kansas!"

"The world," Cheryl said.

"The world, sure. What do you think?"

Cheryl glanced down at the grass beneath her feet for a few seconds before she blushed - just imagining the kiss. "Fine. I'll show you, but it better be a good kiss or I'm gonna keep askin' until I think it’s the best. Come."

She raced for the back of the shed with Jesse right on her heels. Once there, she knelt and knocked quietly on the wall boards until one sounded hollow. Grasping the loose board, she peeled it back and just on the other side was a shelf of chemicals. She reached in and grabbed a bottle of weed killer that she aimlessly set aside. She was looking for a bottle that actually read tonic to no avail.

"Hey, I don't see it in-"

Jesse was gone. He had taken the bottle of weed killer and sprinted for the house. Barging through the screen door, Jesse raced to the bathroom and held out the jug, "Hope!" He gasped and panted, "Here. This is the medicine, I promise. Pa switched the labels. You must get Ian to drink this. If he doesn't soon, he will die. Trust me please. I don't want Ian to die anymore than you do."

 

[heartofcourage]

The sound of water sloshing as the tap was turned off caught Elizabeth’s attention. Turning towards the tub, she watched Ian slump over the side of the porcelain tub and vomit over the edge onto the wall. The way he shook at the violent motion made her fearful. She didn’t like how pale he looked or the way that his eyes rolled about in his head.

“Stay with me, Ian.” She said softly, picking up the wash cloth to clean his mouth. “Please stay with me, baby. You’re going to be fine. I promise you that, but you just have to hold on.”

The murmur of gentle words continued as she bathed his face, taking special care to cool his burning skin as he practically hung over the side of the bathtub. She prayed that he hadn’t ingested enough to do any damage. If it was…well, she wasn’t sure what she’d do with herself.

“Besides, you promised me a nice little house with a fence and a dog in the yard.” She murmured, pressing her cheek against his as she held him tightly. “And a few little children running around in the sunshine. You’re not going to leave me without giving me that.”

The silence in the bathroom was eerie. With her cheek pressed against his, she could feel his breath on her skin. It was about the only way that she could tell that Ian was still with her. Each puff of air that stirred her red locks…it gave her hope.

The quiet of the room was shattered when Jesse ran in like a bat out of hell. In his hand was another dark bottle and Elizabeth instantly pushed herself away from Ian and put her body between him and Jesse. She wasn’t going to let him give Ian anything. It didn’t matter if he was the one that had sent her the warning. She didn’t trust anyone in this family.

“You drink it first. You’re not giving Ian anything that you don’t try first.” She insisted, narrowing her bright blue eyes at him.

 

[HotCider]

Jesse didn't hesitate to pop the cork on the bottle and take a swig of the tonic that was in it. He was certain that it had been his father's tonic, and if it wasn't, then it was best that it killed him for letting his father poison Ian. He tipped his head back, taking three large gulps before he could handle no more. He turned his head as a raspy cough left his throat and he trembled from the acrid taste.

"This..." he tried to speak. He turned his head to cough again before he forced, "is it."

After taking a few moments to catch his breath and clear his throat, Jesse straightened and looked at Ian. He was in worse shape than before. He was actually scared that he was already dead and Hope was just clinging to the delusion that he was still alive.

"Lemme help him, Hope. I betrayed you both lettin' my father poison him. I didn't even try to warn ya. I...I don't know why I let it happen, really I don't, but I need to make it right. You must lemme make it right, please."

He stepped a little toward her and Ian. "He ain't gonna like this, but he gotta drink it. We gotta get it in him before Pa finds out I'm here and takes it from me."

 

[heartofcourage]

Elizabeth watched as Jesse popped the cork to the bottle and slung it back against his lips. He took a deep swig of the tonic, followed by another, and then a third before he finally pulled it back and coughed at the acrid taste. It seemed that he was telling the truth when he said that this was the tonic that would help Ian. Still, she couldn’t help but be leery of the man that had stayed silent while his father tried to poison her man.

Turning towards Ian, she noticed how pale he was. If they didn’t give him the tonic, then he might not make it. Her choice was incredibly difficult. If the situation were reversed, she was sure that Ian would have cared for her to the best of his abilities.

“I’m going to tip him back against the tub and help you give him the drink.” She said, already turning Ian to lean back against the slick surface of the tub. “When we’re finished, you’re going to help me get him out of here and we’re staying in your bed for the night. Your father comes no where near him. Understand?”

Her blue eyes were full of an unnamed emotion that told Jesse that she wasn’t messing around. She didn’t care what he had to say about the situation…it was her way or nothing at all.

 

[HotCider]

Jesse nodded frantically. "I'll get the shotgun and keep guard. If you need anythin', I'm sure Ma will help. She loves Ian, and when she finds out what Pa gone and done, she gonna raise Hell."

As Elizabeth eased Ian back, Jesse crept close and tilted Ian's head back and pulled down on his chin to part his lips. He rested the jug against them and slowly began tipping it. The horrible liquid dumped into Ian's mouth, hitting the back of his throat and causing him to cough and sputter. Ian's face scrunched up at the taste of the tonic and he turned his head away.

"Ian, you need to drink it. This isn't poison Ian. It's the real tonic. I gone and got it for you. If you don't drink this you'll die," Jesse explained. "Sorry Hope."

Jesse desperate to save his friend snagged Ian by the jaw and straightened his head so he couldn't turn away. Wedging his thumb between Ian's back molars like a dog, he began dumping the tonic in his mouth. Ian struggled, the water splashing as his one good arm tried to claw up from the water and grab Jesse's arm.

"Hold'im!" Jesse yelled at Hope. "Drink it Ian! Drink as much as you can!"

Jesse felt Ian cease struggling and actually start to drink. He removed his thumb from his mouth as tears began to roll from the thief's eyes. The tonic was horribly strong just as he remembered and it took everything in him to take more than a swallow. He forced himself to gulp almost a quarter of the jug down. Jesse smiled when Ian finally started cooperating. The tonic was going to fix him up good. While Jesse and Hope were occupied with helping Ian, Pa suddenly entered the bathroom. Jesse peered over his shoulder only to have his father's knuckles collide with the side of his face. The blonde went down with the tonic dumping across the floor. Pa swung his other arm out to knock Hope aside as he grasped Ian by the back of his neck and shoved his head under the water.

"You dumb shit! You'd betray your own family for this killer and thief!" Pa roared.

Jesse shook the daze from his eyes and quickly righted the jug before the remaining remnants dumped out. He then looked up at his father to see him holding Ian under water. "Pa stop! Let Ian go!"

Jesse lunged at his father and Pa released Ian to shove his son back. Ian raised his head, inhaling sharply as he coughed up the water he had ingested. After shoving his son aside, Pa's hand went back to Ian's head, shoving it underwater again.

"5 million dollars! Send this devil to hell, boy! God's given us our reward!"

 

[heartofcourage]

The way Ian struggled broke her heart. His dark hair tossed back and forth as he sputtered on the burning liquid and she reached out to touch his arm gently. She watched as Jesse worked and she prayed more then she’d ever prayed in her life that he would drink the tonic and get stronger. She hated seeing him like this and she didn’t know how much more her soul could bear.

When Jesse cried out to hold Ian, she did as she was told, taking his head and holding him tight so that Jesse could get him to drink. She didn’t care how he did it. She just knew that he had to do it. When she saw Ian start to drink the acrid liquid, she let out a long breath, slumping as she realized that she’d been holding her breath the entire time. Relief flooded through her and she felt that maybe things were starting to look up.

It was then that she heard someone else enter the room and when she turned her blue eyes to the door, she saw a very angry looking Pa staring down at his son. She had never seen a man full of such rage and she felt her heart plummet to her feet. He slugged Jesse and she scrambled out of the way. She wasn’t fast enough for the man as he reached out and pushed her hard into the sink.

Elizabeth yelped in pain as her right side collided hard with the white porcelain. Her hands grabbed the edges of the sink, holding herself upright and sending the items on the surface skittering across the tile floor. The scene beside her played out in slow motion, Ian’s head dipping beneath the water as Pa’s meaty hand forced it down.

“No.” SHe said softly, her eyes wide as Jesse lunged at Pa, the son no match for his father as Ian rose to the surface and coughed against the water he’d sucked into his lungs.

Her eyes were frantic as she turned her attention to the sink and the things that had ended up on the floor. The bottle of poison lay empty in the sink itself and on the floor beside her, glinting in the light, was a silver straight blade. Grabbing both, she flicked open the blade and turned back towards the hulking man.

The moment she brought the brown glass bottle down on the man’s head, it felt like the world had stopped. There was no sound but the shattering of glass as it splintered over his dark hair and tinkled across the bathroom floor. He seemed just as shocked as she was that she’d actually done such a thing. It wasn’t enough for him to release his hold on Ian though. That’s when she took drastic action.

The silver of the straight blade flashed in the light of the bathroom as she swung her right arm down towards him. She wasn’t aiming at anything in particular, but when blood spurted across the broken glass on the floor, she knew she’d made contact. A dark line of red appeared across the man’s cheek and her blue eyes were as surprised as his as she raised the blade again in a menacing gesture.

“I’ll cut you to ribbons.” She threatened, hissing at him like a hell cat through clenched teeth. “Back away! Get!” She screamed, a woman possessed as she slashed down again, opening up the worn cotton of his shirt just at the shoulder, drawing more blood.

 

[HotCider]

Pa cried out and fled from Hope when she cut him twice with the razor. He stumbled into the hallway holding his hands up in surrender. Behind him came the loud cock of a gun and he peered over his shoulder to see Ma holding a shotgun.

"The crazy bitch cut me!" Pa said, expecting Ma to be on his side.

The older woman pointed the shotgun at Pa and his face instantly went pale. "Sit down and hush up!"

Ma then looked to Cheryl, the girl had been the one to tell her what had happened. "Go get Ian a towel."

Cheryl nodded and ran over to the hall closet to fetch a towel.

Ma approached the bathroom to see Jesse checking on Ian. He fortunately hadn't drowned. That one gasp of air he had managed to steal before his head was submerged again had bought him some extra time. Ma glanced at Hope and the razor in her hand. She gave her a stern look but spoke soft and reassuringly, "Put the razor down, honey. No one's gonna be hurtin' Ian no more. Go on, put it down."

Cheryl entered the bathroom and stopped before the tub to just stare at Ian. She had never seen him in such a state. He looked almost dead and not as handsome as she remembered. Jesse snatched the towel from her and carefully hauled Ian out the tub. He sat him on the edge and wrapped his waist in the towel before he dragged the rest of him out to the floor. Carrying Ian had been different from when he had arrived. It felt like dead weight and no matter how dead Ian may have seemed, he had faith he would make it. The tonic was in his system and he was such a strong soul.

"Take'im to your room Jesse," Ma ordered.

"Ma, what you doin'? 5 million dollars!" Pa roared.

"Pa, if I hear you scream about 5 million dollars one more time, I'm gonna shoot you in yer pig face! Ya disappoint me, Pa. I been on this earth long enough to know a good man from an evil one, and Ian a good man. No woman like, sweet Hope, would be with such a man. Evil has put 5 million dollars on that man and I'm ashamed to realize that I married evil. What happened to you, Pa? You were Ian's friend and now you gone betrayed him, trynna' kill the boy for no reason."

Pa had a hand covering the slash on his cheek as he scowled bitterly. "He a killer Ma. I read it in the paper."

"Ain't you the pot callin' the kettle black?"

Pa fell silent. He didn't feel bad for trying to kill Ian, but he got her reference. If he killed Ian, he wouldn't be any better.

Jesse with Cheryl's help had got Ian into his room and tucked comfortably beneath the blankets.

Ma could smell the tonic and glanced at the bathroom floor. It was everywhere. "Jesse, did Ian get enough tonic?"

"Yeah, Ma. He almost drank the whole bottle," Jesse said happily.

Ma smiled in relief and said again, reassuringly to Hope, "There now. Ian should be somewhat better by tomorrow. That tonic never fails dear. I've seen it's miracles. It ain't gonna close them holes. We still gotta keep those clean, but it'll stop his fever and kill his infection. That's the best we can do."

 

[heartofcourage]

Elizabeth trembled with a mixture of adrenaline and anxiety. The silver razor in her hand wavered but she didn’t release it. She would stick to her word and cut the man to ribbons if he tried to come near Ian again. The thought that she’d already cut him made her slightly sick to her stomach, but she’d done what she had to in order to protect the man that she loved.

Even when Ma entered the scene, telling her to put the razor down, she had a hard time making her fingers follow her brain. It took a great effort on her part, but the razor soon clattered into the sink and she slumped back against the tile wall as Jesse hauled Ian from the tub.

The sight of him pale and limp made her fear for the worst. No, she told herself. She wouldn’t allow that to happen. Bending down, she looked Ian’s bad arm around her shoulders, helping Jesse to pull him to his feet. Staggering out into the hallway, she paused as she saw the hulking man she’d attacked standing down the hall, Ma’s gun trained on him.

“I’ll tell you this once and just once. You come near him again and I’ll make sure to cut something of yours that you’ll truly miss.” She said, her blue eyes full of fire as they narrowed on him.

Turning with Jesse, she helped get Ian settled into the bed, the blankets pulled up to his shoulders. She sat on the edge of the bed and gently stroked his cheek, hoping that he knew she was there.

“I’ll take care of Ian. Don’t you worry.” Elizabeth said softly as the old woman assured her that he’d be alright.

 

[HotCider]

Jesse tapped Cheryl on the shoulder to snap her out of her trance. She had been staring so hard at Ian that he suspected seeing someone so ill was a new experience for her. She blinked her blue eyes and followed Jesse out of the bedroom, leaving Hope and Ian alone. As soon as Jesse had closed the door, the world outside of it was unknown to them. They were alone in a dark bedroom with nothing but the sound of their breath.

Beyond the door, Ma was "raising Hell" as Jesse had called it. She was screaming at Pa and Pa screamed back. However, he wouldn't win. Jesse's father was banished to the barn to sleep and live with the cousins until Ian was well. Jesse sat outside his bedroom door, guarding it as he said he would. The only difference was that he didn't have the shotgun. Gramps padded over and sniffed at the door and raised his paw to rake his nails across the door. Jesse suspected that Gramps could smell Ian.

"Leave'em be boy," Jesse said quietly. He scratched the bloodhound behind his floppy ears and Gramps settled down to lay with his head in his master's lap, waiting just as patient.

Jesse felt embarrassed and ashamed of his family - mostly his father. He didn't know who that man was anymore. To think he would kill for money. For it being the time of the Great Depression, he felt that he and Ma were all doing just fine. She managed to have enough money to feed everyone, most of the food coming from a well-tended garden. The only one that didn't seem content was Pa. He stroked Gramps's head thoughtfully, wondering what Ian would think of them once he recovered; and would he ever visit them again?

Cheryl walked over to join him and Gramps. She brushed Gramps's head and gazed at her cousin. "Do you think Ian gonna be mad at us?"

She had been thinking the same thing. "I don't know."

"That woman cut Pa good."

"He deserved it."

"She could have killed him if she cut'im right."

Jesse hesitated before he said, "I don't care. He shouldn't have been trying to kill Ian."

"But he your Pa."

Jesse frowned. "He ain't my Pa. Ain't ya bored? What you hangin' 'round here askin' all these questions for?"

"I dunno. Ain't much for me to do. House gone quiet."

"It's because everyone asleep. Why don't you go onto bed too? Yer annoyin' me."

"Jack ass," Cheryl cursed before she rose to her feet. "You ain't the only one that cares about Ian."

"Ian's married Cheryl. You can't be with him."

Cheryl's eyes widened in startle. Why would he suspect such a thing? How did he know she liked him so? Jesse glanced up at her with a look that told her that he wasn't stupid. She frowned. "I ain't see no ring on either fingers."

"Maybe they can't afford one."

"How a bank thief can't afford one?"

"It's none of our business and none of yers."

Cheryl gave Jesse a dirty look and stormed away from him. He made her angry with how so protective he was over him, and how Hope was the only one allowed to be near him. She wasn't his wife. She was just some girl he happened to fall in love with. As soon as Ian got better, she was going to show him who the better wife was.


Just past noon the next day


Ian was never one to wake in the morning unless he had a schedule to keep. Even when recovering from poisoning, he still only managed to stir roughly after 12. The smell of chicken was on the air. Ma was cooking lunch for the family and for Hope, knowing that she wouldn't leave Ian's side. The thief's eyes cracked open and didn't get any wider than that as he stared at the wall, catching the bright rays of the sun pouring in through the curtains in his peripherals. He couldn't remember anything after he had tried to stop Elizabeth from dumping out the tonic. How was he still alive? He was no longer feeling sick, though his muscles felt stiff and in need of a good stretch. Elizabeth must have not poured all of the tonic out for he could taste the flavor, lingering on his tongue and causing a soft groan to escape his lips. That wasn't something he wanted to wake up to.

 

[heartofcourage]

The curtains of the bedroom were pulled tight against the sunlight. Elizabeth had kept vigil over Ian most of the night and into the early dawn. She could hear the occasional voice from outside the door and the whimpering of a dog, but for the most part it was quiet.

Her nerves were stretched thin, but she gave her all to tending to Ian. She checked his wounds, made sure that his fever wasn’t rising, and tried to make his sleep as peaceful as possible. Most of all at his bedside, she prayed. It was funny all that she’d seen and done in that past week that she still felt she had the right, but if there was one person in the world that could use all the help they could get, it was Ian Darcy.

She didn’t know when she’d finally fallen asleep, but she’d pulled an extra blanket off the foot of the bed and nestled down on the floor beside the bed. If anyone entered the room, they would have to go through her to get to Ian.

The sound of a groan woke her. She glanced around the darkened room and frowned, rubbing at her sleepy eyes. For a moment she didn’t know where she was. Then the night before came back to her in startling reality. She gasped and threw the blanket off her body, glancing first towards the closed door and then at the bed.

“Ian Darcy, I swear to God if you do this to me again, I’ll personally kill you.” She gasped, pulling herself to her knees and kissing him soundly to show him just how grateful she was that he was alive.

 

[HotCider]

Ian's eyes widened a little the more he began to wake, and especially, after hearing Elizabeth's declaration. As she lavished his face with kisses, he smiled pleased to see that she had stayed with him.

"I didn't mean to scare you," he said.

He raised his hand and rested it against her cheek. She looked stressed and he could only imagine the scare he had given her.

"I said I wasn't gonna leave you. God woulda' hadta' come get me himself to take me from you."

He then had to be realistic. He didn't know what could have happened. His life felt as though it had been out of his hands for a moment.

"Thanks for stayin' with me. I'm good now, Sweetheart. I'm gonna heal and everything's gonna be normal again."

There was a scratching and howling at the door. Gramps could hear Ian's voice and his tail was whipping about happily. Jesse glanced at the old bloodhound and then went to his knees and pressed his ear to the door.

Ian turned his head to peer over at the door. "That dog..."

"Ian!" Jesse exclaimed.

He grasped the doorknob, rose to his feet, and barged through the door. As he passed the threshold, his eyes immediately darted to the floppy-eared Gramps that galloped ahead of him. Ian's eyes widened in dread, watching the bloodhound take flight. His long ears splayed like airplane wings and his legs stretched out like a super dog. The hound landed on the bed next to Ian and soon the thief was drowning in licks and floppy jowls.

"This again!" Ian exclaimed.

Gramps whined happily even as Ian tried to push the dog off. Jesse snagged Gramps by his collar and dragged him off the bed.

"Ian, thank God. We were all worried sick. Hope most of all."

Ian closed his eyes. "Sorry about that."

Jesse looked the thief over. "You feelin' any better? You drank a lot of tonic."

"I think I will in a moment." Ian's stomach muscles tightened and then the most loud, long, and foul flatulence Jesse had ever heard left him.

"Watch out," Ian warned playfully.

Even Ma had heard it. The old woman froze in the kitchen and called, "Is Pa in the house?"

Jesse was in a fit of laughter and tears. "It's Ian, Ma!"

"Feels like an oven under here," Ian crudely joked. "I don't think I'm finished."

He leaned to one side and fired off another one. "Whew, that tonic is awful."

The thief then wickedly flipped the blanket in Jesse's direction, repelling him from the room. Both Jesse and Gramps fled from he rancid smell, coughing and fanning his face. "Sick! Run Hope."

Ian smirked. "She ain't goin' nowhere. She loves me too much."

 

[heartofcourage]

Elizabeth rolled her eyes as the two men traded jokes about farting. She shook her head, giving Ian a grin as he declared that she loved him too much to leave the room.

“I don’t love you that much, Ian Darcy.” She said, winking at him as she turned to leave the room.

Walking down the hallway and into the kitchen, she stood a respectable distance away from the stove as she watched Ma cooking. She knew from the cook at her own house that she had no business being near a stove and there would be hell to pay if she even attempted. Still, watching the woman work made everything seem so…quaint…

“If I could have a plate for Ian and I, I would gladly get out of your hair.” She said softly finally, listening to the old woman laugh at the suggestion.

“You ain’t no trouble, Hope.” She commented even as she turned to fill the plate that had been asked for. “I know just how much Ian likes my cooking. Maybe I’ll even teach you a thing or two.”

“Oh…no…I don’t know the last thing about cooking.” Elizabeth commented, blushing under the surprised gaze that she was given. “My mother wasn’t the type that spent her time in the kitchen. No one ever taught me how. It’s okay though. With Ian and I traveling, there’s not a lot of call for any cooking knowledge.”

Ma stayed quiet as she turned and placed the plate piled high with food into her hands. Elizabeth wondered just what the old woman would have said if Jesse hadn’t come bounding into the room, followed by the woman that had also been in the bathroom the night before. This new woman was beautiful in her own right with her long blonde hair and brown eyes. It made Elizabeth miss her own blonde hair very much.

“Well, I’ll just be taking care of Ian. I’ll have him up and about in no time.” She made her excuses and left the kitchen in the hurry, making her way back into the room and shutting the door behind her.

“Think you can behave yourself long enough to eat some lunch?” Her blue eyes took in Ian, the first feeling of relief trickling through her as she noticed the healthy color back in his skin.

 

[HotCider]

Ian grinned at Elizabeth as she walked out. Jesse followed her into the kitchen too eager to eat. Ian was looking lively and that had been enough assurance that he was going to recover just fine. Right after Elizabeth had left with a plate stacked so high, he couldn't help but feel jealous of, Cheryl entered the house from the screen door. Jesse couldn't help but notice the woman. Her hair was down, parted in a way that one of her eyes was covered. Her breasts were tied up by the tails of her shirt, her creamy swells just peeking slightly and a pair of cut-up male-trousers cut short to show off her thighs and emphasize the curves of her bottom. Matter of fact, he recognized those pants. When he was a boy, his favorite trousers had gone missing.

Cheryl clapped over to the kitchen in her sandals and asked, "Is Ian awake?"

Jesse frowned. "Why do you care?"

Ma was busy at the stove to look Cheryl over. She replied simply, "Yes, dear. I just whipped him up a plate. He in the bedroom with Hope."

Cheryl frowned a little before she asked Ma, "Can I make the next one?"

"Sure, dear. Add some rolls to it."

Jesse rested his chin in his hand as he watched his cousin cook. He didn't know what she was hoping to achieve dressing like that. With Hope around, she wasn't going to get anywhere near Ian.


When Elizabeth entered the room, Ian glanced at the plate she had in her hands.

Think you can behave yourself long enough to eat some lunch?

"I'd normally be afraid of a plate that size, but I'm so hungry it's lookin' like a side dish. It's been awhile since I've had cookin' from a Southern-born woman," Ian said.

He then slowly sat up, gritting his teeth a little in pain mostly from his shoulder. Once he was upright, he was good.

"You takin' notes?" Ian teased.

Elizabeth may have been hoping to share the plate with Ian, but as soon as she let him get his hands on it, the plate was cleaned. For most of their time spent together, traveling and running, she had never seen Ian eat as much as he did then. It was as though the food they had eaten previously was made of cardboard for he had picked at it or not eaten enough of it. Those weeks he spent writing loans to his stomach were getting paid back right then...and he wasn't finished...

Ian held the back of his hand up to his mouth to hold back the food that nearly gushed from it. He had crammed so much food in his mouth that he could barely contain it. After chewing it down to a size he could swallow, he gulped it down and sighed in relief. A tear of bliss almost came to his eye.

"That was worth the trip here," Ian said pleasantly. "Ma's cookin' and a hot, red-headed gal deliverin' it to me, this is paradise."

He then heard Ma's voice calling from the kitchen. Of course she would be wondering if he wanted seconds. You all right in there, Ian dear? I ain't give you too much, did I?

"That plate was about big enough for Jesse! When you gonna feed me like a man?" Ian shouted back.

Jesse narrowed his eyes. I coulda' eaten that and eaten two more.

He then glanced down at his plate. He was still on his first and not near halfway finished.

Ma smiled. "There you go Cheryl, hope you ready."

Cheryl smiled and walked her plate over to the counter to be picked up. It was stacked like last time with butter rolls on it.

 

[heartofcourage]

A silly little smile crossed Elizabeth’s lips as Ian spoke of being hungry. She gladly handed over the plate, pleased that he was back to normal. It didn’t matter to her that he ate the entire thing. She had Ian back and that was all that mattered to her in the long run.

“Taking notes?” She asked him as she sat on the edge of the bed. “Why would I do that?” She teased back.

“Until there’s a pretty little ring on this finger, you won’t catch me anywhere near a kitchen.” She murmured, pressing her lips against his cheek as he shoveled food in his mouth like a hungry animal.

She couldn’t help but laugh at the look on his face as he stuffed his mouth full and struggled to chew and swallow. “Slow down. There’s way more where that came from.”

The sound of the older woman calling in to Ian spoke of the relationship that he shared with her. Jesse chiming in almost sounded like a brotherly response and she could see just how much the two meant to Ian. He might have tried to play it cool earlier, but she was getting a peek into his soul.

And then trouble walked through the door. Maybe she hadn’t paid much attention to what the blonde was wearing earlier, but Elizabeth’s eyes nearly bugged from their sockets. She wanted to jump up and usher the girl out of the room, but she didn’t want to be rude in a strangers home. Glancing at Ian, she just hoped that he didn’t say the wrong things.