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Title: Bandit's Moon (1/?)
Author(s): Ash and Connie, Soul Sisters and potential sociopaths.
E-Mail: ash_j66@hotmail.com and Ace1Angel@aol.com
Rating: NC-17, eventually.
Disclaimer: We don't own Willow, Spike or any of the others.
Incidentally, we don't own the West either.
Feedback: Adored, appreciated and sought after.
Summary: An alternate universe fic, set in the Wild West. Willow
and Spike, more or less. *g*

Part One

She walked towards the bar in long strides with a steely glint in her
emerald eyes. Something about her screamed "Watch out!" Maybe it was
the fire of her hair. Maybe it was the sardonic curve of her full
lips. Probably it was the pair of six-guns that she wore with the
ease of long acquaintance.

"The usual Red?" said the tall dark man behind the bar setting up a
round of firewater. He noticed her cold gaze as she nodded, picked up
the shot glass, and slung back the contents with a long familiarity.

Leaning back against the bar, she crossed one slim leather clad leg
over the other as she surveyed the other customers. One by one, the
eyes of the hardened desert rats fell before the searching onslaught
of her cool stare. Pretty she might be, but there was something about
her that made lewd comments seem less obligatory and more suicidal.

Frowning, she scanned the room. One pair of ice blue eyes, floating
in the shadow of the staircase dared to meet hers. She read his
implicit challenge and dismissed it. It had been a long dusty ride.
What she wanted was a room, a bath and another drink. Red reached back
to the bar and grabbed the now full shot glass and savored the rot gut
as it burned its way down her throat. To her annoyance, the one with
the cold eyes approached.

His hair was burned almost to white by the harsh desert sun, and he
walked with the easy grace of a man who had supreme confidence in
himself and his abilities. His face was like a sculpture carved from
marble, too perfect to be real. The only thing that marred the
perfection was the small smirk tugging at his lower lip and the jagged
scar that spit his eyebrow. Beauty and arrogance. It was a dangerous
combination, and one she had no interest in. She'd learned long ago
that thinking too much of yourself only led to trouble.

Looking away from him, Red turned to the bar, ignoring the itch of
unease that came whenever she had her back to a room.

The blonde stranger sidled up to the bar and leaned casually against
it, resting his elbows on the rail. "Posters don't do you justice,
pet. You going to come along nice, or do you want to play?" His voice
complimented his looks, beautiful and arrogant.

Red smirked as another round appeared before her. She picked up the
glass and eyed the murky contents before turning her head towards him.
This just might be a fun night after all. She had noticed the
blonde's backup sitting at the card table pretending not to watch
their exchange

With a sardonic twist to her lips, she looked him up and down. She
could see a little of his self-confidence evaporating under her bold
appraisal. Being careful not to look at the dark-haired figure
apparently absorbed in the card game, she returned her gaze slowly to
his face. Mockery adding a sting to the words, she drawled "I always
want to..." her voice trailing off as she leaned towards him, lips
curving in invitation. Without thinking, he moved closer. In one
smooth move, she hooked his feet out from under him and drew her gun
to cover his partner.

Hitting the ground with an audible thud, the blonde was stunned for
just a moment. It was long enough for him to find himself disarmed
and covered. She looked down at him and smiled without humor as she
finished her sentence. "...play."

She froze as she heard the cocking of a pistol from behind the bar.
Only the quick reflexes of the blonde as he knocked her feet out from
under her saved her. She rolled as she hit the floor making sure that
her elbow went into the blonde's gut, hard.

"Thanks." She muttered as she stood and fired. The glass behind the
bar shattered as the bar tender flew into it from the impact and the
patrons ducked under their tables.

Leaping onto the poker table, she kicked the dark-haired stranger in
the face as she went for the doors, and her horse. She hated being
chased out of town. Clutching a stick of Dynamite in her teeth, she
leaped into the saddle, lit the fuse, and hurled it towards the jail
on her way out of town

Flames licked at a poster bearing her likeness. "Reward: Dead or
Alive: $10,000"

The steady pounding of her horse's hooves calmed her as she raced away
from the town. Sometimes she really got sick of bounty hunters.
Though, she had to admit that this was the best looking pair that had
ever come after her.

Looking behind her, she could see the cloud of dust stirred up by her
pursuers and grimaced. She really should have shot their horses.
Spurring the chestnut mare on, she concentrated on speed.

Red led them down several draws and through some rocks, no one knew
this area like she did. She had a decent lead on them, and was
thinking of circling back to her cold camp, when her horse went down.

Tucking herself into a ball, she rolled as she hit the ground. Damn
this wasn't her night. She liked that horse, now she'd have to steal
one from her pursuers - though that could be fun too.

Hiding herself in the rocks, she waited. She could hear the pursuit
draw closer and frowned. Only two? She only rated two? Damn she must
be slipping, half the town should have been after her by now! Growling
her rage at the disrespect she launched herself onto the back of the
horse knocking the rider from the saddle.

Hard fingers grasped at her arms, seeking purchase. The blonde man
hung on to the side of the horse, feet tangled in the stirrups. As he
attempted to pull himself back up, her booted foot lashed out and
caught him squarely in the chest. With an oath, he fell backwards,
hands dangling uselessly as his entangled feet kept him attached to
the saddle.

Settling herself firmly atop the horse, she yanked on the reins,
pulling it around. Glancing behind her, she could see the other rider
continuing on, oblivious to his partner's plight. That wouldn't last
long. All the blonde had to do was holler, and...

She glanced down at her inadvertent captive as he bounced and cursed.
Green eyes met icy blue and she could see the same thoughts forming
in his mind. He was about to shout. Drawing her gun, she aimed
between his eyes. Even now, no fear showed in them.

The two stayed frozen for a long moment. She sighed. Muttering a
soft curse, she tucked the gun away and drew her knife. The sharp
blade easily parted the leather stirrups, sending him tumbling to the
ground. Rolling aside, he barely avoided her horse's hooves.

"I'm getting soft." Her low voiced comment went unheard as she
thundered away.

The blonde swore violently as he examined the damage to his duster,
it had saved him but at a price, at least he didn't have to shoot it.
He saw his partner coming along and caught his hand swinging up into
the saddle behind him. "She fell for it, all we have to do now, is
follow the tracks to her camp."

The dark-haired bounty hunter made a non-committal grunt. He'd seen
the blonde get caught in the stirrups and dragged. What a stupid time
to get hung up on a lady. "Look you know we need her if we're going to
pull that job off in Silver Springs, that bank is just waiting to be
taken."

The dark one shrugged. She had certainly had proven herself. All
they had to do now was catch up to her and make the offer.

The blonde signaled and the horse slowed to a walk. With sinewy grace
he slid from the horse into the shadows and followed a faint trail
leading off between the rocks.

Part Two

Reaching her camp, red pulled the stolen horse to a halt and
dismounted easily. Patting the black gelding reassuringly on the nose,
she smiled at him with a warmth few two-legged creatures ever got from
her. "It's all right. I'll treat you good."

Leading him over to where she stashed her emergency supply of food,
she dug out an apple. He took it from her hand, nickering softly.
Her face softened into unguarded warmth. Smothering a yawn, she sat
down on the rock beside her fire circle. Glancing upwards at the
gathering darkness, she pondered whether or not to light the fire.
Might lead those bounty hunters right to her.

The blonde followed the faint trail left by the marked shoes on his
horse. He'd have to remember to have those shoes changed once they had
that intoxicating red head in their gang. He listened to the night and
heard a soft whicker just ahead. "Good boy, extra oats for you later."

He slid from shadow to shadow blending with the sounds of the
evening. His dark-haired companion joined him and they split up to
come at her camp from different sides.

The blonde frowned, she had been quick on the draw at the bar,
quicker than he had seen anyone else; save perhaps, himself. He
watched her as she stared into the empty fire pit. The wind ruffled
her hair and it was like watching flames dance. He sighed.

Sunk in her thoughts, Red stared blankly at the cinders. There had
to be something more. Life was getting monotonous, and for someone
like her that was the next best thing to being dead. She needed...
something. A challenge, a fresh game to play. Unbidden, the vision
of the blonde bounty hunter formed before her eyes, asking if she
wanted to play. Too bad the game had to end so soon.

A faint crunch came from the shadows beyond the campfire. Red
remained perfectly still, keeping her eyes down as her mind raced.
The bounty hunters? How had they... Of course. She cast a sidelong
glance at the horse, regretting her kindness. Nothing but an equine
traitor. Now that she knew who and how, there was only one question
remaining: where. She stretched with unconscious grace, her eyes
searching the shadows from behind half-closed lids.

She spotted movement by the rocks and drew her gun and took aim.
"Come on pretty boy, a stampede makes less noise than you do." The
dark-haired one walked out of the shadows, hands casually at his
sides. She met his stare as his deep brown eyes tried to penetrate her
shields. Ha! Like that's gonna happen. Keeping her gun trained on him,
she motioned for him to take a seat on the ground. "We got one, now
where's the other one? Did you leave him to walk, after I took his
treacherous horse?"

He stared at her, waiting for the slightest flicker of her eyes to
grab for the gun. His hand flashed out and he caught her hand and
pulled her roughly against him and leered down at her.

"Enough, disarm her, and let her go." The blonde said coming out of
the shadows.

The dark-haired one turned his head and grinned. "Just not your day,
Bandit. Lost your guns, your horse, and now the girl."

Bandit just grinned back at his companion. If the fire in eyes of
'the girl' were any indication, his friend didn't have her either.

The girl? The girl! If they didn't shoot her now, they'd better
sleep with one eye open for the rest of their lives. Red stood in
seething silence as the dark one disarmed her. The blonde leaned
against a rock and watched, that irritating smile still curving his
lips.

It took all of her self-control not to smile back when she met his
eye. There were two reasons for that. One, he had a very nice smile.
His blue eyes sparkled in invitation and there was something in his
smile that reminded her of what it was like to feel safe. Enough to
make even a seasoned veteran like her go a little weak at the knees.

The second reason was a tad more practical. Thanks to the dark one's
flapping lip, she now knew that he was the only one armed.

Taking care to appear sullen and defeated, she waited until the one
holding her had removed her guns and tossed them aside. Out of the
corner of her eye she watched to see if the blonde would pick them up.

He didn't. Mistake.

Her arms were pinioned to her sides, but her hands were still free.
Edging them carefully downwards, she moved past her waist and slid
them around to the small of her back.

Moments later the man holding her inhaled deeply and froze. She
allowed the hidden smile to creep over her face. In pleasant tones
she told the blonde "What your friend is feeling is a very sharp knife
in a very sensitive place. Now, unless he throws down his guns and
you lie face down on the ground, he'll never have 'a girl' again."

The blonde one, met her gaze smiling, he shrugged and laughed.
"Doesn't matter to me, Red." He straightened up and walked slowly
towards her.

Red sneered as he appeared to stumble over a twig in his path. She
saw him glance down to see what he had tripped over and before she
could blink he had a small derringer pointed under her chin. "Now, be
nice and I'll let you play a game with us." He saw the guarded look
in her eye and his smile grew.

How she was beginning to hate his insufferable, arrogant smile.

"No, Red, not that I wouldn't mind a tumble with you, but I rather
enjoy my parts where they are. The game is called pulling a heist at
the Silver Springs Bank."

Willow's eyebrows shot up, she just might have to reassess this one.
Playing against him had been fun. Playing with him might be even
better.

Part Three

Bandit stared hard into her eyes, when he was satisfied that he had her full
attention he slowly eased back, keeping the derringer trained on her until
he was out of reach. He flashed her a knowing smile as he slid the gun back
up his sleeve.

"Now then, I happen to know that the army is going to be using that bank to
hold their gold overnight. It's a stopping station on their way to
California. We only have one shot at it, and we've got to make it good."

Red stood still as she weighed his words. She noticed that he had left his
companion at her mercy and that he hadn't put up his gun till he was out of
reach. That meant he was cautious and respected her enough to stay back,
points for him. He'd left his partner in her 'care' which meant he wanted
her willing cooperation, another point for him, no one forced her to do
anything she didn't want to.

"And where do I come in?" She drawled the words with no more than casual
interest, apparently oblivious to the faint trembling of the man under her
knife as he fought to remain absolutely still.

"Why, we want you to join up of course." His eyes skimmed her body
appraisingly before returning to her face. "Get you cleaned up and into
some civvies, and you'd fool any clerk west of Abilene into thinking that
you were as harmless as the day is long."

She frowned contemplatively. It certainly wouldn't be the first time her
wide green eyes and innocent face had fooled some rube and left him a mite
wiser, a lot poorer, and in some cases in worse health then when she'd found
him. But she'd never been much for working with others...

"What's the matter, Red?" His voice was a goad. "Afraid you won't be able
to keep up with us?"

Her head snapping up with rattlesnake quickness, she stared at him with
anger plainly showing on her face.

She tightened her grip on the knife. Behind her, Hunter let out a strangled
moan as the knife pressed a little deeper. Over Red's head, he mouthed
silent threats on Bandit's life if he kept riling the girl while she had him
in such a... delicate position.

Bandit's smile grew, "Yeah, I bet that's it, isn't it? See, the way I figure
it, we tracked you down, I saved your arse in the bar, we followed you to
your camp. You know Hunter, I'm not so sure she's the one we need. We need
someone with a little pluck, someone worth the price on their head."

Red's lips pulled back in a silent snarl, her knuckles white as they gripped
the knife. With a smooth motion she turned and flung the knife at Bandit
and elbowed Hunter in the gut. She spun behind him and drew her own
derringer leveling it at Bandit as she pinned Hunter to the ground with one
booted foot. "Go ahead, try and find someone else." She smiled, there was no
one else, not against the odds he was talking. "Just..."

"Oh MY Darlin' *hic*, Oh My DARlin', oh my DarLING *hic* Pal o' MInE!"
Horrid singing broke the natural sounds of the night as a disheveled blonde
woman staggered into camp cradling a bottle.

Red rolled her eyes, just what she needed to make this day complete.

Bandit stared amused at the sight that staggered into camp. "Friend of
yours?"

"Not exactly..." Red sighed. Keeping her eyes and gun trained on Bandit,
she called over to the woman. "Jugs! Not a good time right now, okay? Why
don't you go and..." She thought for a moment. "Go and feed the horse, will
you?" Staggering slightly, Buffy meandered over to the horse, leaning
against its side as she continued her drunken singing.

"And hush up!" Putting a finger to her lips in an exaggerated motion, Jugs
slumped against the horse in silence.

"Funny..." Bandit's eyes had narrowed as he observed the pair. "Nobody ever
mentioned you having a partner... And I certainly wouldn't have thought
that you'd hook up with a lush like that."

The bullet passed by his cheek with a whir of red-hot metal before burying
itself in the rock by his head. Cooly, he turned his head to examine the
mark before meeting her gaze again.

"That *lush* used to be the best sharpshooter in this county." Her voice
was low and deadly. "And if you ever take a breath to bad mouth her again,
I suggest you make it count, 'cause it'll be your last."

Bandit couldn't help himself, he loved seeing her raging with fury, she
burned so bright. He sauntered up to her, his eyes boring into hers and
grabbed the derringer from her hand. "Going soft there, Red? I didn't think
you were one for handing out warnings. Careful, I might think you fancy
me." His voice had the deep rumbling purr of a mountain lion. He stood
towering over her looking down into her flashing eyes.

Red was furious, how dare he touch her. "Just because I let you live,
doesn't mean I'm ready to tie the knot. I let a lot of people live, most
aren't worth the bullets." She noticed that he still held her hand and was
unconsciously rubbing his thumb over the back of it. "You want someone on
the inside that no one would suspect, fine. I'm good for that, but she's my
back up, I'm not going in without her.

Bandit frowned as she failed to respond to his nearness and caress. Damn,
but she was stubborn, he liked that too.

Hunter sighed deeply from his prone position. "Damn it all Bandit, stop
makin' it with the lady, I'm tired of watching the drunk share her booze
with your horse.

Red shifted her position so that her foot was now resting lightly on
Hunter's windpipe. "The what?"

He grinned up at her, repeated his words distinctly. "That. Drunk. Awk!"
His smile disappeared as she shifted her weight, cutting into his air
supply. Her voice rang sweetly into the cold night air. "That what?"

Glaring up at her, he muttered "That good woman."

"Good boy." Stepping off him, she allowed him to rise to his feet.

Coughing slightly, he glared at Bandit. "Lot of help you were."

Bandit's blue gaze was innocent. "What? I thought you handled yourself very
well... Really showed her who's boss, eh?"

"Oh, shut up."

Rolling her eyes, Red strode away from the still bickering men and walked
over to where Jugs was attempting to get the horse soused. Taking the
bottle gently from her hands, Red helped her friend sit down. "I think the
both of you have had enough."

The blonde looked up at her through red-rimmed eyes. She sniffed once before
pitching forward to bury her face in Red's leather vest and sob. "You're
so... meAN! Why "sniff" do you" sniff " hate me?"

Long accustomed to these histrionics, Red only sighed and patted Jugs' head.
Looking over at the two men, she saw that they were both watching. Bandit
said something she couldn't quite hear, a wry smile creasing his face. The
other one laughed uproariously before Red's cold glare cut him off. Shaking
her head, she surveyed the crying blonde and the two laughing men.

It was going to be nearly impossible to pull this off. And that was
assuming that she didn't shoot them all just for irritating her.

A slow smile blossomed on her lips. Finally, a challenge.

Part Four

"But why can't we go straight there?" Jugs' irritated tones grated on the
nerves of the other three members of the riding party. Wincing slightly,
Red and Hunter slumped down in their saddles, conveying the clear message
that it was Bandit's turn to answer the question - again.

"Like I *told* you..."The words were gritted out from between Bandit's
clenched teeth. "...If we go into the town we're going to *rob* looking
like gunslingers, and then buy our disguises there... Well, it sort of
defeats the purpose of disguises, doesn't it?"

When drunk, Jugs would believe anything. When sober, she would believe only
Red. When she was teetering on the fine line between sobriety and
inebriation, the only way to get facts into her skull would be with a pick
axe and a lot of spare time.

"But I don't *want* to go to Jonestown!"

Hunter and Bandit, in a moment of solitude, had already made the hurried
agreement to find her some alcohol as soon as humanly possible, despite
Red's warning.

Bandit's patience was non- existent after hours of listening to her whining.
His knuckles ached from the strain of keeping them on the reigns of his
stolen horse and not reaching for his guns.

That was another thing that pissed him off. Red had refused to give him back
his horse. She looked so smug sitting there on his saddle like she owned it.
First chance he got, he was stealing his horse and gear back.

"Baaanddittt." Jugs complained, "I said I don't want to go to Jonestown. Ow!
My head hurts!"

"Fine, Jugs. You can wait outside of town and we'll go in and get the things
we'll need." He hissed. His hand slipped lower towards his guns. "I've got
a cure for your headache, lush." He muttered under his breath.

A warning growl from Red stayed his hand. "That hand moves another inch and
I'll blow it off."

Hunter turned towards them. "Cut it out, we still have a full days ride
ahead. Red she's your friend, you talk to her."

Red bared her teeth at Hunter in a parody of a smile. "Make me."

Hunter reined his horse around and started to reach for her. "Gladly."

The loud sound of a pistol being cocked startled the three of them.

Red, Bandit and Hunter turned towards the source of the sound. Their
movements slow. Jugs' gun was trained on Hunter's head, her eyes suddenly
clear and alert. "Stay away from her." She motioned with her gun for Red to
move away from the dark man, but the slight redhead remained motionless.

"Oh, for the love of God." Hunter rolled his eyes, not noticing the shift
in Jugs' demeanor. "Put down the gun before you accidentally shoot yourself
in the foot."

"Hunter..." Bandit hissed a warning, more sensitive than his friend to the
changed atmosphere.

Red sat stiffly upright, gazing at her friend with mingled irritation, and
pride. "It's all right, Jugs. Put the gun away."

Jug's eyes never left Hunter, who was beginning to notice, nervously, that
her aim was steady. "Are you sure, Red? He looks like he could be a
problem. Why don't we just 'dispose' of him now?"

Bandit shot a razor sharp glance at Red, who appeared to be seriously
considering the idea. "Red..."

The corner of Red's mouth twisted in a hidden smile. Pretending to be
mildly piqued at having to let Hunter live, she shook her head. "No, Jugs.
We need him. Sort of, for now."

Hunter sighed in relief as Jugs holstered her pistol. He glared at Bandit
again, damning him for his crazy idea of involving Red, and going along with
bringing Jugs. He and Bandit were going to have a long 'talk' tonight when
they made camp.

Bandit eyed Jugs with new appreciation. He spurred his horse closer to her
mule as they began to ride again. "Easy there friend, just want to talk a
bit. If that's all right with you?"

He took her silence as agreement. "Still have a steady hand I see."

Jugs grunted and massaged her temples as she rode; wishing her mule had a
smoother gait. "What do you want, Blondie?" She sighed. She hated
conversations. All those damn words never expressed herself as clearly as
her gun did.

"I had no idea you were that quick, it's very impressive." Bandit
reconsidered his earlier plans. If she could shoot as quick as she drew her
gun - and her steady hand indicated. The odds just might not be so bad
after all.

Red seethed in her saddle. How dare Bandit try and sidle up to Jugs, take
advantage of her, in her state. She frowned. Talking to a guy was like
trying to teach a pig how to sing. It frustrates you and annoys the pig.

Bandit wasn't unaware of the irritated glances Red was sending his way. He
could almost feel her mentally urging him to get away from Jugs.

Perversely, he drew his horse a little closer and favored Jugs with his most
rakishly charming smile. It had no noticeable effect on its target; other
than to make her look at him strangely, but he noted with satisfaction that
Red was looking even more venomous. [Red's the jealous type, is she?
That's the most encouraging sign yet.]

Deciding not to push his luck, he reined it in slightly, moving farther away
and returning his attention to the trail, at least ostensibly. In actual
fact, he was keeping a close eye on Red with his peripheral vision, while
his mind whirled with a strange combination of renewed lust and cold
calculation.

The clap of hoof beats sounded on the packed dirt as Hunter drew even with
him. His friend spoke out of the corner of his mouth in a low tone.
"Again, a lot of help *you* were."

Bandit tried not to grin at the memory of Hunter's face. "Well, if you will
keep going where you're not wanted..."

"Ha! We'll see about that. I'll get her sooner or later." Hunter's tone
was purposeful, an overt challenge.

"Yeah?" Bandit's expression was studiously casual; trying not to show his
sudden anger at Hunter's casual presumption that Red could be "gotten".

"Yeah."

The sky spun for a sickening moment as Bandit launched himself at Hunter,
knocking him from his horse.

They hit the ground hard, Bandit landing on Hunter, winding him. "Let's get
one thing straight, Hunter. Hands. Off. The lady will tell you if she's
interested, otherwise, reign it in." He growled. "We are going to be pulling
off the largest job in America, if you fuck it up, I'll kill you. Got it?"

Hunter shoved Bandit off and crouched ready. "Yeah I got it. You want her
for yourself, you think you can charm her pants off, well I got news for
you, brother... she's on to you." He swung catching Bandit hard across the
jaw.

Bandit turned his head with the punch and spun lashing out with a backhand.

The dust was kicked up as a bullet lodged in the earth between them. Red
glared down at them. "Next one to say anything, dies. I'm not in the mood
for this boyish behavior."

She gave Bandit a strange look before her eyes hardened. "I'll fight my own
battles, thank you. I don't need you sticking up for me." She spurred her
horse into a canter and didn't look back.

Part 5

Bandit cursed under his breath, as he vaulted back into the saddle, and
spurred his horse after Red and Jugs. Just what made her think they were
fighting over *her* anyway? They had been, but what made her so sure of it?

Red settled into the easy loping gait of her horse, determined to put some
distance between her and the two oafs. If knocking over the bank didn't seem
like such a wild time, she'd have shot them both and been done with it.

Jugs swayed in her saddle as she up ended the bottle she was
finishing off. She giggled as she threw the bottle high into the air and
shot it. The glass shattered and rained down on her.

Red swore and almost drew down on her friend as her horse jumped at the
noise. This was going to be one of those lives. Her hand itched to be
wrapped around her side iron. She glanced back as the sound of Bandit's and
Hunter's horses drew closer.

Bandit was torn out of his simultaneous murderous and lecherous
thoughts by the sound of a gunshot. His head jerked up, narrowed eyes
surveying the situation. Neither of the two figures up ahead seemed to be
hit, and there was no sign of any attackers. Red's relaxed posture in the
saddle was the final sign that nothing big was happening. Slouching back
down in the saddle, he resolved to ask her about it when- his thoughts were
interrupted by a quick moving flash of bay that swept by him on his left side
as Hunter raced towards the girls, bent on protecting them….From nothing.

Bandit swore under his breath before following his friend at a slightly more
practical pace.
crazy man. If we don't start showing a little more cool, I wouldn't be
surprised if we wake up tomorrow and find that Red's taken the plans to the
bank and all of the horses.


Red sighed, wrapped her long legs around her horse and dug in
with her spurs. If everyone kept annoying her, she just might take the bank
by herself. She hated to do it, but she could look sweet and innocent when
she put her mind to it. She could probably hit the bank before they knew
what was happening. She glanced back and saw Hunter bearing down on her
Why did it have to be him? Why was he always underfoot?

Red smiled as she angled her horse so that Jugs was between her and Hunter.
Unfortunately that put her closer to that insufferable grin of Bandit's.
What kind of name was Bandit anyway? How many people had their occupation as
their name?


Jugs leaned precariously in her saddle as she turned to gaze
blearily at Hunter, all three of him. Damn, they were cute!

She smiled, not sure of which one to focus on. She liked the way he had
ridden up. He looked so good sitting tall in the saddle. Taller, really
tall.

Jugs managed to grab onto the saddle horn before she slipped off the saddle
entirely. She dangled momentarily hanging off the side of her horse until
Hunter helped shove her back into the saddle.

Hunter rolled his eyes, she was cute, bot not too bright- or sober.

He glanced over at Red. Now there was a woman who needed a good man to
settle her down. He let his gaze wander up her long legs to her hard set
face. He shuddered, what had made her so cold?


Since Hunter took the view that the phrase "independent woman" was
an oxymoron (Or would have, if he'd known what an oxymoron was.) he jumped
to the conclusion that it'd been some man that'd let her down. Following
inevitably on the heels of that thought, was the deep belief that *he* could
change all that. When she glanced up at him, irritated by the length of his
stare, he smiled at her with the crooked smirk that the ladies all said made
him look "dangerous".

Red looked at the practiced smile and had to stop herself from laughing.
There was always someone who felt that they could "get her", and they always
tried the same things. A few smiles, a few polished compliments, and maybe
even some gifts. Real gents, all of them.

That is, until they found out that some cheap scent and a few smoldering
looks didn't give them any call to be thinking they could give her a tumble.
Sometimes she thought that the only reason God had made her so handy with
a gun was so that she could fend off idiot men.

Other times, she thought it was so she could shoot them.

Against her will her eyes sought out Bandit. He seemed to be
ignoring the interaction as he scanned the area. She spotted the circling
buzzards at the same time he did and in concert their horses moved off to
see what had died.

Bandit pulled up his mount near Red's and sighed. He hated seeing
things like this. A covered wagon, goods scattered about, everyone dead -
the entire family.

If there was one thing that pissed him off, it was bad guys trying to pass
their carnage off as an Indian attack.

He shook his head, as he dismounted. The badly fletched arrows wouldn't have
flown straight if god had shot them.

Under the silent gaze of Red he pulled a shovel from his pack and began
digging.

Red watched for a moment, then dismounted and grabbed her own shovel. She
didn't see the point in burying them, the desert took care of it's dead, but
something about this seemed important to Bandit. She didn't ask, she didn't
want to know, but the sooner this task was done. The sooner they could get
back on the trail.

Jugs and Hunter approached and sat silently, watching. Hunter
grabbed the bottle from Jugs and took a long swig of the vile rot gut. He
shuddered.

Jugs accepted the bottle back and took a long swig. She watched the
expression of pain on Hunter's face, and then glanced at Bandit. There was
something about their expressions, how similar they were, so grim.

Bandit paused to wipe the sweat from his brow and glanced up
meeting Hunter's eyes.

Hunter glared back for a moment, before turning his horse and spurring it on.

Jugs looked from Hunter to Bandit to Red. "Wha...?"

Red shook her head and went back to digging. Some things just couldn't be
answered.

Jugs turned her horse and rode after Hunter.

Bandit watched them go as he continued digging.
He wondered if there was a shred of decency left in Hunter, or would he use
this as an excuse to talk Jugs into bedding him.

He sighed. "Better get your friend, make sure she's alright."

Red glanced at him, and