Title: JD's Nightmare, Part Two
Author: Kathy
Email: [email protected]
Disclaimer: The Magnificent Seven and its characters are the property
of MGM, Trilogy Entertainment, and the Mirisch Corporation.
Summary: The cause of JD's nightmares comes to town.
Universe: OW
Rating/Warnings: PG-13, Mature subject matter
JD lay in the dark, his heart pounding. Another nightmare. Why was he still being haunted by the ghost of his past? He was hundreds of miles from the place where he grew up, but after a nightmare, he still felt trapped there. Even now he could remember lying awake in the dark, listening for the heavy tread of Henry Ross, his former master.
The man was drunk often as not, and would come to JD's room in the stable late at night. At first, JD had been too young to understand what was happening. If the other grooms knew what was going on, and JD was certain at least some of them did, they were too frightened of losing their positions to speak up. Then one day, his outrage overcame his fear and he fought back, kicking and swinging his fists.
But all he won was a heavy handed slap across his face, a whip taken to his back and continued abuse.
Buck, worried about the intensity of the nightmares, had eventually wrung a confession from JD. He thought talking about it would help, but JD had his doubts. The nightmares had come more frequently for a while. JD didn't know which was worse, the night terrors, or hearing himself cry out like a child, followed by Buck coming in to soothe and reassure him. In spite of his embarrassment, JD found comfort in Buck's protective presence. It made him laugh; who would have thought the big oaf had it in him? Eventually, the nightmares had subsided.
Until the day the overland stage stopped in Four Corners and deposited a well-dressed man in front of the station.
Ezra noticed him first, sizing him up as a possible mark. The man was dark-haired and built rather like Josiah, large and hard-muscled. His frock coat, pristine shirt with lace at the collar and cuffs, brocade vest and tophat signified at least a certain degree of wealth, although Ezra knew better than most that appearances could be deceiving. However, this man had an air of haughtiness that signified he was used to being obeyed.
Ezra approached the newcomer with an offer to show him the hotel and what passed for the town's entertainments, perhaps engaging him in a game once he had settled in. The man appraised Ezra with a smile that did nothing to dispel the meanness about his eyes. "Perhaps you can be of service, Mr�Standish, was it?"
Ezra nodded, bristling at the man's superior tone; `be of service' indeed.
"I'm Henry Ross. I have come to this�place�all the way from New York looking for a young scoundrel who left my employment somewhat prematurely. I had no idea where he had gone until I found this tawdry bit of derring-do one of my footmen was reading." Ezra was grateful for the schooling which allowed him to betray no expression.
The man was holding that accursed dime novel Jock Steele had written about them, "The Magnificent Seven."
The stranger continued, "The stupid boy wasn't even clever enough to change his name. But surely you know JD. Would you be the same Mr. Standish in this tome?" Distractedly, Ezra thought the man rivaled Maude for the sarcasm dripping from that last word.
"Mr...Ross, was it?" Ezra couldn't help himself. "You are obviously a man of sophistication. Give no credence to the drivel concocted by that hackneyed wordsmith. I, myself, am considering suing the man for libel. Perhaps if I knew your business with this JD, it would facilitate matters."
"Whatever it is, it is my business. However, his having fallen in with what passes for the law in this wilderness does complicate the situation. Would there be a judge or some other impartial authority in this cowtown?"
"You have most fortuitive timing, sir," Ezra bandied. "The judge is indeed in town. If you would allow me to direct you to the hotel, Judge Travis should be dining there this very evening."
Once Ezra had seen Ross to the hotel, he headed to the sheriff's office and JD. Over the months, Ezra had tried valiantly but in vain to teach JD how to maintain a poker face. As Ezra relayed his meeting with the stranger, he saw disbelief, fear, anger and despair all cross the boy's features. Gone was JD's cocksure, defiant attitude.
Disturbed, Ezra handed over his flask. "Fortify yourself, lad."
Downing a healthy slug, JD asked urgently "Where is he now?"
"Ensconced over in the hotel, I should imagine. He wants to see the judge."
JD tried to think as a wave of nausea crested over him. "I have to leave."
"Whatever for, JD? Why would this gentleman follow you all the way out here? Did you steal something from him?"
"No!" JD was hurt Ezra would think him a thief. "He�he wants�" JD couldn't finish. "I have to leave," he repeated. He bolted from the sheriff's office, leaving a puzzled Ezra in his wake.
Ezra headed towards the saloon. Perhaps Buck could shed some light on this intriguing situation.
"Mr. Wilmington, I have just had a most disturbing encounter with our young cohort."
Buck turned an irritated glance towards the gambler. "Ezra, what is it you're tryin' to say?"
Oh, for the company of an educated man. Sighing, Ezra explained, "A distinguished gentleman got off the stage this afternoon looking for JD. Apparently, our little novel has become quite popular back East, enabling him to locate the lad. When I informed JD about his visitor, he became most upset and said he had to vacate the premises."
Buck paled, "Where was he headed?"
"He did not choose to inform me�" Ezra began as Buck hurried from the saloon.
"Well, that was not quite as enlightening as I had hoped."
Undaunted, Ezra decided he would introduce Mr. Ross to Judge Travis that evening, and therefore be present when the mystery was revealed.
Buck stopped by the livery first. Milagro was still in his stall.
Relieved, he headed toward the boarding house, where he found JD in his room, throwing his meager possessions into an open valise on the bed.
Leaning against the doorway, Buck feigned a casual pose. "Goin' somewhere?"
"Buck," JD had finished packing, but couldn't stand still. He started pacing. "I won't go back with him."
"Nobody's gonna send you back, boy. Sit down," he said, reaching out to touch JD's shoulder. "I told you I wouldn't let that happen, and I meant it. You don't have to leave, JD, you got friends here. Now, c'mon, let's go find Ezra and get to the bottom of this."
They found Ezra with Ross in the hotel, scouting the dining room for
the Judge. Buck trailed behind Ezra, keeping one eye on a distraught
JD. Josiah and Nathan had seen them heading towards the hotel and
decided to follow.
Spotting JD, Ross leered, sending a chill up Ezra's spine.
"JD, it's been a long time, son. You can't imagine the trouble you've put me through, running away like you did. I've come to take you home."
It broke Buck's heart to see JD shrink behind him. "Mister, you got no business with this boy. You'll be going home without him if you know what's good for you."
"We'll see what the judge has to say about that," Ross snapped, eyeing the tall stranger who stood between him and JD. "And which one of the regulators would you be? Never mind, it doesn't matter. I'm sorry to be depriving you of your little companion, but he was mine first. Although JD always did prefer the uncouth element."
Buck lunged at Ross, and only Josiah's quick intervention prevented a fight.
Hoping to cool things down, Ezra guided Ross to the Judge's table.
"Judge Travis? May I present Mr. Henry Ross. He has an interesting claim regarding young Mr. Dunne and seeks your advice on the problem."
"Does he now?" the Judge barely glanced up. "Have him come by the grain exchange tomorrow. I'm about to have supper."
"Judge," Ross interrupted, seating himself at the Judge's table, "it's not your advice I'm seeking, but your enforcement of the law. And that, I'm afraid, cannot wait until tomorrow."
Judge Travis sighed. "Well, you may as well join me, then."
Though he had only been addressing Ross, the others seated themselves around the table as well. "What is this matter that cannot wait, Mr. Ross?"
Handing the Judge a folded document, Ross stated, "I've come a long way to collect my boy, Judge. He belongs to me and I don't intend leaving town without him."
"You're sayin' you're the boy's father?" Buck asked incredulously.
"Actually, I meant he is indentured to me until he turns 21. But his mother was in my employ and it is possible the boy is my bastard."
"Liar!" JD screamed, vaulting at Ross.
Buck caught him by the shoulder and forced him back down in his chair. Keeping an iron grip on JD, he faced the man he had sworn to kill if he ever met him this side of hell.
"You the one that put those stripes on the boy's back?" Buck growled.
"A boy needs discipline, any father knows that," the man smirked.
"No boy needs a buggy whip taken to him, any man knows that," Buck retorted. "Mister, I'll see you dead before you lay a hand on this boy."
Nathan looked ill. He had seen the scars on JD's back but had never asked about them. It grieved him to know he and the boy had that in common.
Judge Travis had by now looked over the document Ross had given him. "I'm afraid he has every right to take the boy, Buck. This contract does indeed bind JD to him until he turns 21."
"Thank you, Judge." Ross turned to JD. "Get your things, Dunne. Since you obviously can't be trusted to fulfill your obligations, you'll stay with me until the stage leaves."
"You can rot in hell," JD spat back. Grabbing his bowler hat, he left the dining room.
Ross turned back to the judge. "I trust your men will see that the boy is apprehended and turned over to my custody?"
Buck was stunned. "Judge, you can't allow this. He's not taking JD."
"Like it or not, Buck, I have to allow it. If you men refuse to return JD to Mr. Ross, I'll have to charge you with contempt. I'm sorry, but unless JD can come up with the money to buy the rest of his contract, he'll have to go back."
Buck recalled a conversation they had with the boy when he had first joined their band:
"How old are you, JD?"
"Twenty-one."
Vin's scoff told him they weren't buying that.
"Eighteen�come July."
Even if that had been true, JD still had a couple of years left to serve. There was no way they could raise that kind of money by tomorrow.
Buck left the hotel. Before he handed JD back over to that devil, he would take the boy and run.
Josiah returned to his church to find JD in front of the flickering votives. The boy was ashen, and jumped when Josiah called his name.
Shaking his head, JD addressed the preacher, "Josiah, that man can't be my father. He just can't be. What he did to me�"
JD's voice trailed off. Josiah didn't know the details of JD's past, but he did know about enmity between a father and son, the pain of betrayal.
Putting his arm across the trembling boy's shoulder, Josiah said, "JD, we may never know what the good Lord had in mind when he saddled us with the parents he did; what matters is what we become because of those experiences."
A single tear rolled down JD's cheek. "I can't go through any more of those experiences." He held out his hand to Josiah, "Goodbye, preacher." After he had gone, Josiah sank into the nearest pew.
He had a feeling he would never see JD again.
When Buck returned to the boarding house the rooms he shared with JD
were dark. Striking a lucifer to light the lamp, he heard JD hiss.
"Put it out, Buck." JD stood before him, his saddlebag slung over his shoulder.
"If the Judge asks, you haven't seen me." JD extended his hand to the man who had become his friend, his brother. "I guess this is goodbye."
Buck asked, "You're just gonna take off without me? Where will you go?"
"Texas, San Francisco, it doesn't matter. I have to leave, Buck. If I stay, the judge'll make me go back. You can't stop that and I don't want to get you in trouble."
"Hell, JD, trouble's my middle name," Buck retorted. At least that made the kid smile, if only for a second. "I promised I wouldn't let him hurt you again, and I aim to keep my promise."
"What am I gonna do, Buck? I'll shoot him before I let him touch me. I swear I will."
"Calm down, JD. We can go to Mexico. The Judge has no say down there."
"But, Buck, what if Ross comes after me?"
"Let him come. Once he crosses that border, he's fair game. In fact, I'd like nothin' better than for him to follow us, just so I can take care of the bastard myself. Now I'll finish packing up here, you go saddle the horses. I'll be right behind you. Go on."
JD hastened to the livery. After making sure Yosemite was gone, he climbed up to the hayloft for one last ration of alfalfa. He was startled by a throaty chuckle from the shadows.
"You're so predictable, boy," Ross sneered. "I knew you would run. Well, we're going to get reacquainted before I take you home."
JD felt himself go cold all over. He couldn't move. It was just like his nightmares. Ross loomed over him, his large, stubby-fingered hands gripping JD's arms, bruising him. Ross pushed JD back into a corner. He freed one arm and cuffed the boy, dazing him. Grabbing JD's hair, he pulled his head back, his hot, whiskey-laden breath gagging the boy.
"JD?" Buck's idea of a whisper filled the stable. Both
horses were
still in their stalls, unsaddled.
Up in the loft, Ross covered JD's nose and mouth with a sweaty hand. Fighting for breath, JD kicked out and knocked over a pitchfork. Ross cursed as the noise drew Buck's attention.
"JD?" Buck called out, heading for the ladder.
Ross grabbed the pitchfork and leaned out over the edge of the loft. He threw it straight at Buck. It caught in the saddlebag Buck had slung over his shoulder, throwing him off balance, and he fell to the floor. Ridding himself of the bag, Buck headed back up the ladder. Reaching the loft, he threw himself at Ross with a roar.
JD, still dazed, watched the two men struggle. They were so close to the edge. He had to help Buck. JD staggered over to the pair and grabbed Ross just as Buck shoved him over the edge of the loft.
"JD! No!" Buck yelled as he watched them plunge to the floor. Scrambling back down the ladder, he could see that Ross' neck was twisted at an improbable angle. The man had to be dead. JD had fallen on top of him.
"C'mon, JD, don't do this to me, boy," Buck mumbled, as he rolled JD off of Ross. The boy was so pale and Buck couldn't tell if he was breathing.
"JD? JD!" Buck couldn't rouse him. Picking him up, he hurried to Nathan's.
Nathan would have preferred to work without Buck hovering over him
but, when JD was hurt, Buck was harder to dislodge than a burr under a
saddle. "He's got some broken ribs and he knocked his head
pretty hard. It worries me that he hasn't woken up yet.
We'll just
have to wait and see."
Buck sat by JD all that night and into the following day. He only left when Judge Travis threatened to throw him in jail if he didn't show up for the deposition. Although the Judge had his own ideas about what had happened, the fact that JD lay injured did much to convince him that Buck had acted in self-defense on JD's behalf.
Since it was the fall that had killed the man, Henry Ross' death was ultimately ruled an accident and Buck was free to return to his vigil.
It had been almost 24 hours and JD still lay unconscious. Buck held JD's hand in one of his, and stroked his hair with the other.
"C'mon, JD, wake up, boy. You're safe now. Ross is gone, he can't ever hurt you again. Come on back to me."
When Josiah came by that evening to see how JD was doing, he found Buck asleep in the chair with his head on JD's bed. After hearing Nathan's worried assessment, Josiah thought God did indeed possess an ironic sense of humor if he were to take JD from them at the moment of his delivery from Henry Ross. But God wasn't through teasing Josiah. As the preacher stared down at the pale boy, he saw JD's hand twitch, and then reach for Buck's head. Translucent lids fluttered open over a pair of dark hazel eyes. Josiah smiled and saw a response in those eyes. Thank the lord. JD's hand twitched again and patted Buck's head.
The man woke with a snort, his expression dazed. It took him a moment to realize where he was, and that JD was awake and looking at him.
"JD? Hey, kid, welcome back. How you feelin'? You hungry?"
"No, `s alright, I'm going to sleep now," JD's drowsy voice croaked as he closed his eyes again.
Buck tried to wake him, but Nathan, greatly relieved that JD had regained consciousness, however briefly, stopped him. "Buck, it's alright. There's no fever and he's breathin' easy. His body's just been workin' on healin' itself and now it needs to rest. And I think we both need some food. I'll be back in a while."
Buck sat back in the chair, his neck aching, and laughed softly in relief. By the time Josiah poured him a cup of coffee, tears were gathering in the corners of his eyes.
"JD's lucky to have you to fight for him, Buck."
"We're lucky to have each other, Josiah," Buck whispered.
Sometime later, there was a knock on the door and two girls from the saloon entered. The first was Lou, a honey-haired lass with a sweet voice. She was followed by Sally, a tall brunette who sidled over to Buck. "C'mon, Buck, Lou is gonna sit with JD while you and I go have a drink and a hot meal."
"I appreciate the offer, darlin', I really do," Buck smiled up at the women. "But I can't leave JD. He might wake up again and need me."
"Now, Buck, you been moonin' over that boy ever since you brought him in here. Nathan just told us he's gonna be fine. But you need a bath, some food, and a little fun. Otherwise, when JD wakes up, you won't have the energy to keep him in line. Now c'mon, Lou will watch over him til you get back."
"Go on, Buck," Josiah prodded. "You really could use a bath. You smell like the livery."
Vin and Chris were sitting at a table in the corner when Buck walked
in with his arm around Sally.
"Poor JD," Vin mumbled as he organized his hand. Catching the questioning look Chris threw him, he explained, "He finally gets to spend the night with a sportin' gal, and he's gonna sleep through the whole thing."
Chris snorted a laugh as he looked back down at his cards.
When JD learned what had happened to Ross, he felt as if a great
weight he didn't even know he had been carrying fell away. The
ghost of his nightmares might never be completely put to rest, but JD
was no longer afraid.
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