Vanessa was busy sweeping the floor of the barbershop, lost in her own thoughts and humming a happy tune, when Buck walked in. He had only stopped by to pick up his things before heading back to the waystation when he remembered that he also had to let Vanessa know that her and Corey were going to return to their regular jobs. Over the past couple of weeks, he and Vanessa had formed a close friendship and had both confided in each other, and Buck knew that she wouldn�t be happy hearing the news.

Buck cleared his throat and shuffled into the room. "Hey there."

Vanessa turned around, her eyes wide with surprise. "Oh my, Buck!" She giggled. "I must have been so lost in my thoughts that I didn�t even hear you come in."

Buck laughed. "I tried to make as much noise as possible. I didn�t want to startle you."

Vanessa laughed. "You? Loud? Somehow I find that impossible to believe darlin�. Sometimes I have to listen real close just to make sure you�re still breathin�."

Buck playfully swatted her arm. He was going to miss being around her. He knew that their friendship would be hard to keep once she returned to the bordello. Anjanette was really stingy when it came to time off, and he wasn�t about to frequent the bordello just to talk.

"So wha�cha doin� back here so early? I thought you were gonna check up on Meg and see how she was feelin�?" Vanessa asked.

"I came to pick up my things." Buck answered.

Vanessa arched a perfect eyebrow. "Oh?"

Buck nodded. "Meg paid to switch me and Luke back."

"Oh my...is it that time already?" Vanessa asked, a small pout on her lips. "Well, hopefully no one will want to pay to switch me and Corey back. I could actually get used to workin� here...even with Luke."

"Um, that�s what I needed to talk to you about." Buck paced nervously. He knew that Vanessa dreaded going back to the bordello, and it was going to kill her to find out that it was he who was sending her back there.

"Buck, just spit it out." Vanessa said her hands on her hips. "You know I don�t play games."

"Nessie, I just came back from Caller Bob�s. I�" Buck�s words were cut off by Vanessa�s hurt voice.

"You paid to switch me and Corey back, didn�t you?"

Buck wanted to crawl inside a shell. The pain was evident in her eyes, and he knew that it would take a lot of begging and pleading to make her understand his reasons. "Yes."

Vanessa�s eyes widened and filled with tears. "Why Buck? You know how much I despise that place! Why would you of all people send me back there? I thought you were my friend. I thought we understood each other?"

"Vanessa, I�"

"Oh wait," Vanessa said as she quickly wiped a stray tear away. "I know why. You couldn�t bear to have your dear sweet Corey spend another second in that hellhole, could you?"

Buck hung his head in defeat. "Vanessa, Meg was distraught over knowing that her best friend was working in a brothel. In her condition I didn�t want her to be so upset."

"So you just had to be the valiant knight, didn�t you?" Vanessa shook her head. "I thought you were different. I thought you cared about me."

Buck walked forward and tried to take her hand but she snatched it away. "I am your friend."

"No Buck. I must have been kidding myself to think you saw me as anything other than a filthy whore."

Buck felt as if he had been slapped. This was not how he had hoped things would go. He knew she would be upset, but he didn�t think he was going to lose her friendship over it.

"Tell me Buck, why couldn�t Luke pay to get Corey out? After all, he is Meg�s husband. If anyone should be concerned with her health, it should be him."

"I didn�t think�"

"Exactly. You didn�t think about anything except how to get Corey one step closer to your bed." Vanessa�s words were harsh and she knew it, but she couldn't keep the venom from flying. "Thanks for nothing Buck. Thanks for proving to me the one thing I knew all along � I was never destined to have friends."

She turned on her heel and began gathering what few belongings she had with her. Buck stood back and tried to think of something to say that would make things better, but nothing sounded right. Vanessa turned around to Buck, her bag in her hands and shook her head.

"Goodbye Buck."

She stormed past him and was about to open the door to the shop when it was opened for her.

"Hi Vanessa, how are you?" Corey�s smiling face was the last things Vanessa wanted to see at that moment.

"Get out of my way." Vanessa pushed past Corey and walked furiously down the street.

Corey turned and looked at Buck, a confused look on her face. "What did I miss?"

Buck sank into the barber�s chair and let his head drop into his hands. "I just hurt one of my closest friends."

Corey walked over and put her arms around Buck in a comforting hug. "Do you want to talk about it?"

Buck shook his head. "Not now. I think I just want to go home."

"Okay." Corey watched as Buck picked up his things and walked out of the shop. She had come back here happy to be home and ready to thank Buck profusely for getting her out of the bordello, but for some reason she realized that she wasn�t happy. For days she had prayed that someone would get her out of there, and now that she was finally free she realized that she missed being there. Well, not the bordello, but someone.

"Dean." Corey practically whispered his name, amazed at the feelings she felt as she thought about the tall, handsome, muscular man. He had befriended her during her stay at the bordello, and she could have sworn that he felt more than friendship for her, but he never said anything.

"Well, I always knew my fate was destined to be a lonely old spinster woman with fifty cats." Corey muttered out loud as she sank back into the still warm chair that Buck had recently occupied and realized a remarkable thing.