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Disclaimer: Ain't mine, except for the friend's I'm torturing (I mean
borrowing!)
Warnings: This is a little diddy to cheer up my pal Penny.
feedback welcome! eagleimaggs_7@yahoo.com
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"Anybody seen J.D.?" Buck Wilmington walked into the saloon directing
his inquiry to the five men gathered
at the back table.
"Not since this morning, why?" Vin Tanner raised his eyes from the cards
in his hand and gave the gunslinger
a concerned look.
"He was suppose to meet me at the livery 30 minutes ago to go out to
Ms. Nettie's. I've checked the jail
and the boardinghouse and theres no sign of him." Buck was a major
worry wart over the kid.
"I'm sure he's just sidetracked with something, Buck. Don't worry."
Chris Larabee threw down his hand of cards
and gave the gambler a deadly glare.
"Please refrain from the evil glares, Mr. Larabee. It isn't my fault
your such a bad player of the game of chance." Ezra Standish
raised his glass in a mock salute trying to hold back the smile threatening
to overtake him.
"He's cheatin again." Nathan Jackson sighed heavily as he too sat the
cards back on the table. "Thats the only explanation
for his cockiness.
"I believe you are correct, Brother Nate." Josiah Sanchez glanced longingly
at he full house he held, but didn't trust the gleam
in the gambler's eyes, so yielded his cards as well.
"Your defamation of my character is appalling. To think I would pull such treachery on those nearest and dearest is ridiculous."
Tanner snorted. "Yep, that cinches it. He's cheatin' us."
Standish attempted to make a rebuttal but the sudden slamming of the
batwing doors against the saloon walls had each man
reaching for their weapons. Luckily, years of experience taught them
to assess a situation before firing and therefore saved
the life of J.D. Dunne.
"Damnit to hell, kid! How many times have I told you not to surprise
us like that. You almost got your dern fool head blown
off." Wilmington's hand trembled slightly as he stuck his gun back
in the holster.
"Uh, sorry, Buck." J.D. looked around and was happy to find all the boys gathered. "Great your all here. I need your help."
"Somebody after you, kid?" Vin stood and went to stand near the entrance scanning the streets for any threat.
"No, it not me in trouble. Its Penny." The six gunslingers' gave the boy a quizzical look.
"Are you referring to that fanfic lady, Mr. Dunne?" Ezra also stood to join the others now surrounding J.D.
"Well, yeah. You guys remember her, right?"
"Yep, she's one of them women I'm afraid of." Chris grimaced slightly
as his mind conjured up the hated female persuasion
that had taken over their lives.
"So, whats the problem, kid?" Buck placed a comforting hand on the boy's shoulder and felt the quiver of muscle.
"She's been working on this story and I've been watching her down by
the pond. She likes to sit there and write. I went by
this morning because I knew real life been a bitch to her lately and
I saw these three guys grab her and take off with her." J.D. stopped as
the horrible scene came back to him. "I followed them as long as I could,
but lost them near Beggar's Canyon. Thats
when I knew I had to come back for help."
"You did good, son. That canyon's real tricky. Ain't that right, Vin?" Josiah gave the tracker a questioning glance.
"Sure is. If they've taken her in there, we may never find 'em." Tanner regretted the news as he saw the crest fallen face of the youngest. "But don't worry, kid. We'll do our best."
J.D. nodded and smiled softly. "Yeah, I know you will."
The seven men rushed from the tavern to retrieve their mounts each wondering what had befallen the writer.
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"I thought you said you knew where you were going?" The low southern drawl echoed off the canyon walls as it attacked the blond woman.
"I do. So, stop giving me that look." Cassie glared at Maggie as they stood toe to toe in the entrance of a cave.
"This doesn't look like the Cave I've seen before Cass. Its got no dancefloor
and is definitely lacking in the music department.
Don't get me wrong, I love the sounds of nature, but it just doesn't
have the right groove." Maggs plopped down on a nearby boulder and pondered
what in the world had possessed them to be in this mess. And then her eyes
fell on Penny.
The distraught look pulled at the maniacle one's heart. She hated for any of her friend's to be sad, so she had made the mistake of suggesting to Cassie they take Pen out to the new club The Cave for some dancing and major mellowing.
Her next mistake was to let Cass lead the way.
"When I said take a right, you went left, didn't you?" The dark haired woman raised a knowing eyebrow to the blond.
"You should have said up, not right." Cassie threw her hands up in the air.
"Its okay, Cass. I wasn't in much of a mood for dancing anyway." Penny sighed and slid to the floor of the cave.
"Now look at what you've done." Maggs gave her best friend a glare.
"I'm sorry. Its not like I did it on purpose." The blond turned her back on the others and twirled a finger in her hair.
"Its okay Penny. I'm sure we can find something fun to do around here."
Mog sat down beside the distraught girl and tried to
think of something to cheer her up.
"Its no use. We best get back." The brunette started to get up from her sitting position, but the sound of hoofbeats made her pause. "What is that?" Penny gave Maggs a quizzical look.
"Did anybody happen to grab Pen's pencil and paper?" Maggie turned a knowing look to Cassie.
"What?" The blond gave the girl an indignant glare over her shoulder.
"Well, that explains that. Looks like our 'dance' partners have arrived."
Penny and Mog exchanged a puzzled look. "Who?" The exclaimed simultaneously.
"Ladies, may we join your humble party?" Ezra stepped through the entrance and bowed slightly to Maria.
"Anytime you want." Mog bounced lightly on her toes as she met the green eyed gambler.
"I should have known you would be behind this. You had poor J.D. plumb scared!" Buck stomped into the room and glared at Cassie, then Maggie.
"Hey, we were just trying to cheer up Penny." Maggs glared right back at the gunslinger.
"Miss Penny, you alright? I thought you were in trouble." The teen slowly walked to the brunettes side.
"I'm better now your here J.D. Thanks for caring." Penny batted her lashes at the younger man.
"Well, I know we haven't been exactly friends but I don't want anything bad to happen to ya." J.D. swallowed as the woman placed her arm through the boy's left one.
"It looks like all is well, so lets get back boys." Chris had stayed in the shadows with Vin as soon as the enemy had been identified.
"Ah, come on you guys. We came here to dance, won't you join us?" Cassie turned on her charm and soon Buck was folding.
"Well now, I can't let a pretty gal like you dance alone. But I'm afraid we're lacking music." Wilmington slid his arm across the blond's shoulders and winked.
"Oh, I can fix that."
"I'm sure she can." Larabee rolled his eyes and locked gazes with the tracker. Nathan and Josiah had watched the exchange with growing amusement.
"We are the peacemakers, brothers'." Sanchez patted the gunslinger on the back and went to join the party.
"He's right. We suppose to set a good example for the youth." Jackson grinned slyly and also sauntered over to Ezra, who was trying to extract Mog's death grip on his jacket.
"Only problem with that, is I don't see no youth." Vin snorted as he looked at the men bowing to the women's innocent smiles.
"Are you calling us old?" Maggie had snuck up behind the two.
"Well, they do say a woman just past he age of 25 and not married is an old maid." Chris grinned broadly at the evil gleam in the girl's eyes.
But before she could threaten, I mean respond, the boot scootin' boogie reverberated around the men. Maggie, who loves to line dance, curbed her maniacle thoughts and walked off to dance.
"Well, lets see if you can keep up with this, old man." Maggs stuck her tongue out at the gunslinger and then winked at the tracker.
Penny had missed the exchange due to the most excellent dancing she was induring with J.D. "You know, I do feel better." She giggled loudly as the teen swung her around and then dipped her.
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Hope ya feel better, Pen!
Continued by Mog....Next
