(This is a reprint from TFS y'all
Thought we'd share it over here and also be able to work on it if TFS goes down again. Hope you enjoy!)
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Patches swam up from the depths of a deep, peaceful sleep, the world slowly coming into focus. Her ears opened to listen before her eyes registered the still Texas darkness.
Thump, thumpthump, thump.
She smiled and sighed with contentment. There was her favorite sound. The sound of Bill's beating heart and his rythmic breathing.
They had worked well into the night yesterday, making more of his "toys". She could still smell the acrid scent of some of the chemicals they had been using and she was sure she was still covered with charcoal smudges.
She slowly unwound herself from Bill's arms, stood, stretched, and tugged at the rumpled hem of her shirt. The "nap" they were going to take had apparently lasted through the night. She supposed it was just too natural, too comfortable, for both of them to curl up on the cot in the corner of the lab. She certainly slept better with him than alone in the telegraph office....
Bill stirred. "Patty?" His voiced still blurred with sleep. She smiled, bent and kissed his forehead. The only time he called her by her given name was when he was half asleep.
"Shhhh, darlin," she whispered. "Go back to sleep. I'll put coffee on."
He nodded slowly, rolled over and within seconds was snoring softly. She shook her head and made her way in the dark to the stove. She built up the fire and put on coffee--the smell would wake him in an hour or so--then slipped silently out of the lab.
She made her way to the telegraph office, the chill of the pre-dawn air waking her up as she went. Once inside she built up her own fire, put on more coffee, and went to clean up and change clothes.
Today was Monday, the start of another weeks work. Generally Monday's and Wednesdays were "town run" days where she would ride out early and pick up mail and supply if there was any. She always left just before dawn, not because she particularly wanted to be back early, but the sun rising on the way was a beautiful sight. It was, after all, a pleasant ride to El Paso and sometimes the sun coming up painted the land the most incredible colors. One of the perks of the job she supposed, seeing as she was pretty much the official courior of Marshal Tensleep's posse.
She smiled as she poured herself a re-heated cup of coffee left over from the night before and sipped. Maybe she'd see if Scarlet was around. She'd been getting up early and working the horses lately. It'd been some weeks since Scarlet went on a supply run with her anyhow.
Quickly she picked out a simple yet practical riding skirt outfit and got dressed. She left a note on Ella's desk telling her where she was going and when she'd be back.
She grabbed a folder of paperwork--reports mostly, stuff that needed to be sent by mail rather than telegraphed--tucked it under her arm, jammed her hat on her head and made her way to the barn.
"Dang!" she said softly to herself as she lit the lamp by the big double door. Looking in she noticed immediately who's horses where there and who's were not. Lucky was not in his stall and neither was Fritz's horse. Tensleep's Buck was gone still too. Tensleep had ridden out with Johnny on Friday to the Fort to gather some intel on someone, they must not be back yet, cuz Velvet ears was gone still too.
Scarlet and Fritz had gone into town for a party at the Ace, also on friday. Apparently they weren't back yet.
"Musta been one hellova party," Patches murmered as she passed both stalls on her way to Thunder, stopping only to spoil Falstaff with an apple real quick. She'd find Scarlet and Fritz while she was there and see if they wanted to ride back with her.
Thunder nickered as she approached.
"Mornin boy," she said as she patted his nose. "Ready to go to town?"
Thunder stamped his foot, Patches smiled. Thunder may not be the fastest horse in the stable but he was always eager. She hummed a bit as she saddled the big roan, then simply mounted up and headed out.
The ride was as pleasant as usual. The sun came up about half way to El Paso and Thunder was feeling frisky, preferring to trot or canter a bit on the way. Patches rode smiling, comfortable in the saddle and watching the world wake up bit by bit, with more than a touch of child-like wonder.
"Howdy Miz Weatherby," Patches said cheerily as she tipped her hat to the school teacher--usually the first person she saw on her way into town. "Off to school already?"
"Hello Miz Patches," Mis Weatherby said with a friendly wave. "Yes off to school. You're out early this morning!"
"Early bird catches the worm, Ma'am," Patches laughed. "Have good day!"
"I will," Miz Weatherby said with a chuckle. "You too!"
Patches nodded and continued on. The land wasn't the only thing that woke up with sun, El Paso did too. On her way down the main street she waved and called out to several people she knew. The Mercantile owner, the banker, the barber, the black smith.
Soon she was at the Ace, riding right into the barn. No sense in paying the stable to board Thunder for a few hours while she made her rounds when Becca and Hank kindly offered to let them all keep their horses there.
She rode Thunder into the nearest open stall, dismounted, shelled out some hay and water for him and grabbed the folder out of her saddle bags. She went out, closed the stall door, turned around and---stopped.
Something wasn't right. Lucky was not in his stall and the door stood ajar a bit.
"Now that's funny," Patches whispered to herself as she approached the stall. Scarlet had been up early lately working the horses and she knew she'd not been sleeping the best lately but....after a probable two day party? She knew Scarlet very well and Scarlet would hardly get up to ride with a hangover. At least not THIS early and not before coffee.
As her hand reached out to open the door further, something fell on the ground with a small thump. Curious Patches stepped in and looked down. There glinting in the hay lay Scarlets badge.
"What the...." Patches muttered now beginning to get concerned. Maybe in the heat of the party she had dropped it or lost it and someone placed it here for her to find later?
She bent to pick up the badge, and then spotted something else. A yellow scrap of paper, wadded up. She picked up the badge then retrieved the paper. It was a yellow flimsy. A telegraph message? Quickly she un-wadded the paper and read it.
"Identities wrong. Cut e r loose."
E.R.? Patches mind raced. Who's ER? She remembered a villian named Eric Rottworth from some months ago. A dandified bank robber they had chased prit near into Mexico, but Tensleep had shot him while he tried to escape.
A warning went off in her head, bright red, like one of Dr. Bill's flairs. She didn't hesitate, she ran into the Ace using the side door.
Becca was just coming down the stairs to start the day, still wrapped in her shawl, camisole and yawning.
"Becca!" She called as she reached the bottom of the stairs.
"Well howdy Patches!" Becca smiled. "I ain't got coffee on yet but you're welcome to stay for some when its made. How are you? You missed one great party you know!"
"Aint come for coffee or to hear about parties," Patches said. "Where's Scarlet?"
"Why I reckon she's still sleepin' hon," she said as she joined the other woman. She winked mischeviously. "With Mr. Fritz no doubt."
"Nuh-uh," Patches said. "Lucky's gone and I found these." She held out the badge and the paper. "Do you know who E. R. is?"
Becca's eyebrows came together as she looked at the badge and then the paper. Then her face went completely pale and all ammenities dropped.
"Oh my god," she whispered. She was visibly starting to shake, her hand clutching at the shawl bringing it closer about her chest.
"Becca? Whats goin' on?' Patches had never seen Becca react this way to anything. She was just as tough as Scarlet or herself.
"Ummm..." she tore her eyes away from the paper and looked at Patches. "I....uh....don't think thats E. R. Patches. I thinks thats "Cutter"."
Patches was confused. "Cutter...?" she started but then a memory came crashing back. Scarlet had mentioned someone named Cutter once when they were sharing stories in the loft of the barn. She wasn't sure of the story but she was sure that that was something so horrible that Scarlet never wanted to really talk about it.
"Cutter, oh god," Becca said mostly to herself. "It can't be....." she had turned around putting her hand to her forhead and paced a bit.
"Becca!" Patches called back to her. Becca turned around, attempting to calm the tornado in her gut. Patches took her by the shoulders. "Where's Fritz?" Was his horse gone too? She couldn't remember.
"Ummm....upstairs," she said shaking her head as if to clear it. "Second door on the right."
Patches pelted up the stairs, prit near slid past the door, cought herself and pounded on it.
"Fritz! Fritz you in there?" No answer. She tried the nob, the door came open. The bed had been slept in, the sun shone through the window...but there was no one there. "Damn!" Patches ran back down the stairs.
Becca was standing by the bar with Hank, a worried look on her face.
"He's not there," she said starting to feel some frustration. Where the hell could they be?
"Patches," Becca said after swallowing hard. "If this is who I think it is, Scarlet is long gone and I don't think she'd take Fritz with her."
Now that was REALLY odd. Fritz and Scarlet were like herself and Bill--salt and pepper, you didn't get one without the other anymore.
"Alright," Patches said taking a deep breath. "I'm goin over to the telegraph to find out about this message. When you see Fritz tell him to high-tail it back to the Southern Star IMMEDIATELY! Tell him its urgent. Can you do that?"
Becca nodded.
"Alright then, if you see or hear from Scarlet before I do have Tink send a message to the Star."
"Oh," Becca snapped back as if she'd just woken from a particularly disturbing dream. "Tinker is not in town, honey. He went to visit his sister. She's having a baby."
Well, that would explain why she didn't recognise the handwriting on the flimsy. Either way though she needed to ask whoever was there about this message.
"Crap! Ok. I'll be back as soon as I can." She said as she headed for the door.
"Patches!" Becca called. Patches turned in mid-stride. "Be VERY careful out there!"
Patches stopped. That was odd. She looked at Becca her face set in an expression of curiosity. "It might be best if you let Scarlet handle this on her own." Becca finished.
Patches eyebrows rose at that but she didn't say anything. Another one of those warning flares went off in her head, this time errupting in a huge explosion. She hurried to the telegraph office.
TO BE CONTINUED