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Disclaimer: Ain't mine.
Rating: PG13
Author's Notes: This is for my friend Kelly. She's in the dumps today
and I hope this lightens her mood.
feedback welcome! eagleimaggs_7@yahoo.com
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"How many times do I have to tell ya, kid? Get rid of that damn hat."
Buck Wilmington reached up and grabbed the piece of apparel in question
throwing it to the ground outside the saloon.
"Buck! I like my hat, besides its just like.." The gunslinger threw
up
his hand to ward off the words he had heard a million times.
"I know, I know. Its just like Bat's. But your not Bat, hell your
nothing like Bat. Get your own identity kid and quit trying to be
somebody your not." Wilmington slapped the boy on the back and went
inside the saloon to join their friends.
JD stood somberly twirling his hat between his hands. "I have my own
identity and I'll prove it." The teen stuck the bowler back on his
head
and took off toward the livery. He knew exactly who he could go to
help
him, he just hoped he wasn't glutton for punishment.
*************************
"No, no, no. We can't do that. Its so inhumane, so cruel, so done."
Maggie shook her head at Penny as the two women discussed the next
torturous act they were going to inflict on the seven.
"But Maggs. It would be so much fun." Penn looked at her friend
expectantly as she watched the girl roll the idea over in her head.
"Well, there is that. Okay, maybe we could put a new twist on it." The
dark haired woman grabbed her paper and began to write furiously as
she
listened to the giggles and music echoeing around her. The Rowdy Bunch
along with Shawn and Kelly had decided to have a get together near
the
Four Corners swimming hole. They figured the boys' could use a little
break.
As Penny leaned back on her blanket to daydream, hoofbeats entered her
train of thought. At first she thought her ears were playing tricks,
but
as she glanced around she caught the dust swirl caused from a horse.
"Uh, Maggs. We got company."
Maggie gave the inturder a puzzled look knowing the seven wouldn't dare
come near them unless it were life or death, namely theirs'.
"Its JD." Pen's excited voice made the other girl groan.
"Great." Maggs rolled her eyes and went back to her writing.
"Hi JD." The brunette jumped to her feet as the kid slid Seven to a
stop
about a foot from the girls'.
The teen immediately grabbed his hat off his head and nodded a greeting.
"Miss Penny." Dunne cleared his throat suddenly as his gaze finally
settled on the women and their clothing or rather, lack of. "UH," He
quickly shut his eyes.
"Whats the matter, kid. Never seen girls' in swimming suits before."
Maggie hid an evil grin knowing the bathing suits of that time period
consisted of pantaloons and long sleeved shirts.
"No-no, mam." He stuttered trying to keep his face averted so as to
not
'accidently' see anything he wasn't suppose too.
"Its okay, JD. Theres nothing wrong with the way we're dressed, I
promise." Penny walked up and placed a gently hand on the boy's leg,
which almost sent him over the side in shock.
He recovered swiftly and dismounted away from the brunette clad in a
one
piece Kathy Ireland original. "Well if you say so, but if you don't
mind
I'll just stay over here."
The disappointment was apparent on the girl's face, but she was still
satisfied the youth had graced them with his presense.
"What brings ya by, kid?" Maggs stood and faced the teen. Although she
was also wearing an original, it wasn't quite Kathy Ireland, more Maggie
Comfort or Else one of a kind.
"I kinda need your help." The two women exchanged puzzled glances before
returning their attention back to the teen. "You see, Buck says I need
an identity of my own." Dunne's voice dropped as he recalled how much
that statement had hurt his feelings.
"Your kidding, right?" Pen was a bit surprised when JD shook his head
no. "Buck would never be that mean."
Maggs ignored the other two as she began thinking of a way to help the
boy. "You know, now that I think about it, he's right. You don't have
anything that is specifically your own." The dark haired girl noticed
the slight confusion on the other's face so continued. "I mean, look
at
you JD. You wear a bowler hat, just like Bat. You dress like some
politicians I know and your guns are custom made replicas of a dime
store hero. Theres nothing you."
Dunne thought about the girl's observations and hung his head even
lower. Wilmington had been right. He had no idea who he was, or what
made him special.
"But don't worry, JD, we'll help ya." Penny became exited once again
and
the prospect of making her favorite character even better.
"Yeah, the only problem is its gonna take all of us." Maggie strode
away
from Pen and JD to go elicit the help of the other seven women enjoying
the summer break.
**************************
"Can you sing?" Kim stood with arms crossed glaring at the kid.
"No."
"Dance?" Diana asked happily.
"Nope."
"Whittle." Cassie smiled encouragingly but stopped at the negative shake
of the boy's head.
"What about whistle?" Kelly raised a questioning eyebrow but her
response was a long sigh.
"Naw, theres nothing. I haven't got no special talents to give me an
identity. You girls' might as well give up." JD turned to leave the
camp
but a hand on his arm stopped him.
"Its okay, JD. We'll find something. You just gotta have a little
faith." Judy gave the boy a slow grin which seemed to ease the youth's
tension.
"Yeah, your right. I know you guys will help me." Dunne returned the
smile and once again gave the women his undivided attention.
"Okay, so we've ruled out whistling, whittling, dancing, and singing.
I'm stumped. Thats the only things I can think of men of the old west
could do." Mog sighed heavily as she dropped to the ground and grabbed
her drink.
"Well its definitely gotta be something different. If its like what
someone else is famous for, he's still back to square one." Shawna
jerked her drink away from Kim as she attempted to drink it.
"I have an idea." Maggs began smiling as she gave each girl a knowing
look before settling on the boy. "Never fear, kid. Your about to become
a new man." A laugh erupted from the woman which caused JD to flinch.
Penny saw the grimace and walked over to reassure him. "Its okay, don't
worry. She's already killed you off, so anything else is gonna be a
walk
in the park."
Dunne tried to give the brunette a smile but failed miserably.
***********************
"Anybody seen the kid?" Buck had just returned to the saloon after
searching the town for his missing friend.
"Not since this morning. Why?" Vin threw down his cards as he answered
Wilmington, giving Ezra a drop dead glare.
"Mr. Tanner is correct. We haven't had the pleasure of Mr. Dunne's
company since your conversation with him in the early hours." Standish
grinned innocently as he raked in the pot.
"It was after noon, Ezra." Nathan shook his head at the gambler's
nocturnal habits.
"Something wrong, Brother Buck?" Josiah lit a cigar and settled back
in
his chair as he eyed the worried gunman.
"Naw. I just said some things I'm afraid the kid mighta misunderstood
is
all." Buck pulled out a vacant chair and flopped into it.
"I'm sure he's use to your rude comments by now, Buck." Chris leaned
forward grabbing the whisky bottle and throwing a mischievious glance
at
his old friend.
"Funny." Wilmington couldn't hide the smile as he figured Larabee was
right. The kid had never taken his agitation to heart before now.
The six men settled down to endure another hand of Ezra's dealing when
they heard a commotion at the far end of town. Being the peacekeepers,
they immediately began to investigate. What they found stopped them
dead
in their tracks with stunned expressions.
JD Dunne was riding through town as he normally would, but what had
them
flabbergasted was the hairy, black chimp perched in front of him.
The boy pulled Seven to a stop near the protectors'. "Hey guys, look
what I got."
"What the hell is that, kid?" Buck looked first at the monkey then at
his best friend.
"Its a chimpanzee. He's real friendly. His name is Paco." As if to prove
the boy's words, the chimp grinned widely before launching himself
at
Wilmington. "Paco, No!" JD grabbed for the frisky animal but wasn't
in
time to put a halt to the impending tragedy.
Buck had been standing in front of a horse trough, so when the monkey
hit the gunslinger he went toppling into the water. Wilmington came
up
gasping for air and soaking wet.
"Sorry, Buck." JD quickly dismounted and reached for Paco who was
bouncing and laughing happily at the soaked man.
"Kid, what are you doing with that thing?" Chris had thought this was
another joke the boy was playing on his elders', but the seriousness
of
the situation hit the leader at the teen's distraught look.
"Well, Buck mentioned earlier I didn't have an identity of my own. So,
I
went out and asked for help from some friends and they said Paco was
the
trick. He could be like my sidekick. Save my life, the whole nine
yards." Dunne smiled proudly at his revelation but the masks of
disbelief surrounding him had him rethinking the plan.
"That thing ain't no dog or horse, JD. How's it gonna save your life,
much less give you an identity?" Nathan looked skeptically at the youth.
"Hey, Maggie told me that monkeys' had been many famous heroes sidekicks
before." JD instantly regretted his slip of tongue as the masks turned
to anger.
"You mean that writer gal?" Larabee hated the meer thought of the evil
one, much less the out right mention of her name.
"Yeah. I asked her and the others for help."
"That explains that." Tanner shook his head sadly at the kid's
gullibility.
"They were just messing with you, son." Josiah hated to be the bearer
of
bad news, but it seemed the boy needed to be told the truth.
"What do you mean?" Dunne glanced blankly from one man to another.
"What Mr. Sanchez is trying to inform you of, JD, is those ladies, and
I
do use that term loosely, have played you for a fool. Just look around
you, you are the laughing stock of this town." Ezra got some pleasure
from the boy's predicament but the crestfallen look now adorning his
youthful face changed his mind.
"I can't believe they would do that to me." The teen slumped his
shoulders.
"Thats because WE didn't." Maggs stepped out of the shadows along with
nine other women. "Paco isn't a joke, kid. I was sincere when I
suggested him. He's faithful, friendly, and doesn't talk back which
is a
huge improvement over your other aquaintances." The dark haired girl
snorted as she looked over the dripping form of Buck.
"She's right, JD. Paco is a great asset and nobody in this time period
can say they have a chimp as a sidekick." Kelly smiled reassuringly
at
the boy.
"Yeah. Thats true, and I kinda like him." Dunne gave the men around
him
confindant glances. "I'm gonna keep him, besides," JD paused as he
noticed Paco sneaking behind Ezra. "I think he'll be fun to have
around."
Just as the boy finished, the monkey pushed the gambler head first into
the trough Wilmington had just recently vacated.
The women laughed heartily as Paco jumped protectively into his new
friend's arms and out of reach of a disgruntled and very wet southerner.
***********************
The End.
