Long Branch Lady Blues 
 
	Kitty Russell bared her soul and as if she'd just picked 
out a bonnet, turned and walked out of the office.  Matt 
Dillon and Doc Adams stood in her wake.  Doc sniffed, 
"That Yankton was a fool."
	Dillon looked over at the body of Cole Yankton as it grew colder by 
the minute and replied, "Yeah."
	"She should have stayed with her," Doc decided.  Matt agreed, and 
with a half smile said, "Yep. She's all right isn't she Doc?" 
The physician didn't say anything as Dillon passed him and headed 
down the stairs.  Kitty was already out of sight, but as Matt got to the 
boardwalk he could see her heading into Percy Crump's parlor.  Debating 
whether or not he wanted to talk to her there or later, he chose later.  She 
was fairly upset.  Her lips had quivered when she'd spoken of the 
relationship between her and Cole Yankton.  Kitty didn't rattle that easy. 
Fairly certain she'd be all right, he went back to the jail.  
 
	The Long Branch wasn't full up, and it wasn't going full steam, but 
Kitty wasn't in any humor to put up with any of it at all.  Pushing herself 
back from the table, she headed over to Bill Pence who was minding the bar, 
	"Bill, I've got a headache, do you think you can handle it for the rest of the 
night?" 
	"It's not too wild tonight.  Go ahead," he said and went back to 
tending bar.  Kitty'd been awfully quiet and he figured she'd call it a night 
early, but it wasn't any of his business what ailed her.  
Later Matt Dillon appeared at the batwing doors looking for Kitty. It 
was only nine o'clock, but she wasn't anywhere in sight.  She was probably 
in the office working on the books or something.  Stepping in to go over to 
the bar, he nodded at Pence, "Bill, how's things tonight?"
	"Fairly slow.  Kitty's already headed up to bed," he provided to speed 
the questions up.  He knew who Dillon was really there to see.  
	"Well, I'll be seein' ya," Dillon said and headed back out to the street.  
It was earlier than usual to check doorknobs, but if he got that over with, 
he'd have the evening free.  
 
	Kitty sat next to the window.  She had the only room that had a decent 
view of something other than the back alley.  She had a clear view of the 
night sky, and it was crystal clear.  The moon that shone so big and bright 
reminded her of the moon the night she'd given in to Cole Yankton.  He'd 
been gentle with her and treated her like a lady. A knock at her door 
annoyed her.  Pence knew she'd gone to bed.  She considered not answering, 
but another soft knock and Matt's voice changed her mind, "Kitty?"
Getting up to cross the room and open the door, she blinked at the 
brighter light in the hall.  "Matt?" 
	"Pence said you were sick?" he asked a little concerned. 
	She shook her head, "No, not sick, just a headache."
	She'd given it as a hint but Dillon stood there like he expected her to 
let him in.  Deciding it wasn't worth tussling over, she moved out of the 
door, "Come on in."
	Kitty stepped aside and went to light one of the bedside lamps, "Quiet 
night tonight?"
	"Yeah, real quiet," Dillon answered as he shut the door.  Kitty nodded 
and turned down the sheets on the bed.  Dillon had come to her before on 
quiet nights.  It wasn't that she was ungrateful for the attention or didn't 
want him tonight, but she just wasn't in any humor for sex.  Matt realized 
what she must have thought, "No wait.  I didn't mean it that way.  I was just 
worried about you.  You seemed pretty shook up."
	"I guess," she answered and leaned against the bed frame.  He could 
tell she was more troubled than she was willing to let on, but he knew that if 
she wanted to talk to him about it she would eventually.  He'd learned not to 
press her for information just as she'd learned to let him work his thoughts 
out in silence at times.  Running her hand along the brass headboard she said 
softly, "My life is such a mess." 
	"I wouldn't say that.  You've got a good business, friends, a nice 
place to live," he pointed out.  
	With a choked laugh she replied, "Oh yeah, a real nice place.  Every 
night someone's either shooting holes in the ceiling or the floor, and I have 
to wait till dawn to go to sleep, if I get any sleep."
	"You know what I mean," Matt said and stood up from where he was 
leaning to go over to take her by the shoulders.  "What's really the matter? 
I've never seen you get this down before."
	"I am more than you think.  You're just not around most of the time," 
she quipped.  
	He couldn't disagree with that.  He was out of town a lot.  Moving to 
break his grasp, she walked over to the window and hugged herself from a 
sudden chill, "I thought I loved him."  
	Now he was getting somewhere.  "You're not sure now?"
	"I was just a kid, just sixteen when Cole took me.  I thought he was 
the only man in the world, and I wanted to be the only girl for him.  But, he 
had other ideas.  When he left I wasn't fit for any man, any respectable man 
anyway.  I never really blamed Cole for that.   After all I could have said 
no."
	"Sure you could Kitty," Matt supported.  
She turned to face him, the misery very evident in her eyes, haunted 
by years of regret, "I could have.  I should have.  But, I didn't.  My mother 
always said I had itchy feet, couldn't sit still or be happy for very long.  I 
know I worried her a lot.  She probably died years before her time worrying 
over me.  If I'd been good...I guess you can add her death to the list of 
people I've influenced over the years."
	Dillon had had enough.  He had to stop her before she destroyed 
herself in front of him, "Hey, stop it!"
	Coming around the bed to pull her into his arms, he held her close, 
"You're not the reason Cole Yankton died.  You're right.  He could have 
stayed on the right side of the law, could have done right by you, but he 
didn't."
	"I guess," she said with a sniff and pressed close to the badge, the cool 
metal soothing her warm face.  
	"And, I don't know about your mother, but I do know that when it's 
time there's not much anyone can do to keep someone from dying.  You 
don't make the world go round you know," he teased trying to get her to do 
anything but feel sorry for herself.  
	"Uh-huh," she mumbled.  
	Pushing her away from him, he pulled her chin up to look at him, 
	"Hey, where's that red haired temper I like to see?"
	"I don't know," she sobbed and buried her head in his vest.  Wrapping 
her arms around him tight, he thought she was going to break a rib, but he 
didn't say anything.  She hadn't needed a pep talk. She'd needed a good 
honest cry.  He let her soak the vest full before guiding her over to the bed.  
Pulling out a bandana he wiped the tears from her eyes, smiling at her as he 
did.  "Blow your nose," he coddled and she did so.  "See, you are a good 
girl. You know, you're even pretty when you're crying."
	"Oh Matt," she chuckled half-heartedly realizing he was trying to help 
cheer her up.  "I know I'm better off now than I was then or probably would 
have been even if I'd been more 'respectable', but sometimes it gets so hard 
to go forward without looking back.  And there are a lot of things I'd rather 
not look at in my past."
	"I don't think anyone has a past they're completely proud of.  I've 
done some stuff I'd rather wipe clean too.  Remember Cara?"
	"Oh yeah she was a doozy," Kitty recalled the time Matt got her out 
of bed to help him with his little ex-girlfriend.  A flare of jealousy played 
across her, "How many ex-girls did you say you had?"
	He laughed, she was on the mend, "If I were you I'd pay more 
attention to the girl I have right now."
	Hugging her close and not letting go, he could feel her body loosen up 
from the tension of a few minutes earlier.  Resting his chin on the top of her 
head, Dillon couldn't resist a little prod, "It's a real quiet night tonight."
	She poked him, "You...you..." 
	"Cad?" he replied playfully.  
	"Yeah, cad," she answered seriously.  "But, you know I like big tall 
cads like you.  I like them a lot."
	Dillon grinned, "You know, I should have thanked that Yankton for 
leaving you.  If he hadn't I wouldn't have you. And for that, I am eternally 
grateful." 
	Her smile lit the room, her kiss exploded on his lips, and her bed 
wouldn't be empty for a long time.