For disclaimers see part 1

By WolfDragon.

The blizzard had been going on for three days now. There was nothing much either woman could do but try to keep the door clear of snow in case of emergency. Going out to feed the dogs proved to be an arduous task all by itself. It was a good thing that their pen was close to the cabin and not a few feet away. The blowing snow would have made it difficult for any of them to find their way back.

Helping Alex to clear the table after their dinner, Michelle smiled as she watched her friend take her new carving knives and whetstone and sit down in the rocking chair. "You've done a wonderful job repairing the furniture, Alex. You're quite handy with those tools."

The tall, dark haired woman looked up from the sharpening she was doing. "Thank you. I guess I had a lot of practice fixing the chairs and tables at my father's saloon."

"Are you a carpenter?"

Alex shook her head with a small smile. "No, not really. It's just something that I like to do. Why buy new furniture when the old one can be repaired?"

Sitting down in the chair beside Alex, Michelle pulled her shawl closer around her and nodded. "That's true. But I bet you can build new things too, right?" she asked as she listened to the rhythmic sound of the whetstone on the knives. Strangely, it sounded comforting.

"A table here, a chair there," Alex replied, "I was planning to build a nice cabin back in Kansas before…everything started."

"You mean a cabin for you and Jodie, right?" Michelle said softly and watched as Alex slowly nodded, her blue eyes locked on the flames before them. "She was a very lucky woman. You still think about her, don't you?"

"I don't think I'll ever stop doing so." She said and saw, from the corner of her eyes, Michelle's shoulders slump ever so slightly. "But I realize that I have to let her go, if I want to start a brand new life." She turned her head to look at the blonde woman. Was it hope she saw in the emerald eyes that were locked with hers?

Mick took a long breath and, hesitating slightly, asked. "May I…ask…a personal question?"

"You know you can, Michelle."

"Do you think you'll find somebody to love again?" she quickly asked before she changed her mind. 'Oh, please say yes.'

Alex searched her companion's face, trying to see the real meaning behind the words. Was it just a question like any other or did Michelle want to know if she could be that somebody someday? 'Do I answer with my usual wise ass comments or do I say the truth and tell her that I already have?' She gave the younger woman a smile and slightly cocked her head. "Why? Do you have somebody in mind to introduce me to?" she said instead, not knowing how Michelle would react to the truth.

'Yes! Me!' Mick silently exclaimed and blushed at her answer. She could almost swear that Alex read her mind by the small laugh that escaped the taller woman's lips.

"You look lovely when you blush, Michelle." She gave the younger woman's arm a light pat then continued sharpening her knives. "To answer your question, I know it'll happen." She said simply.

"I'm glad."

Alex watched as Mick stood up and put another log in the fire. She seemed pensive as she crouched by the flames and warmed her hands. "Is something wrong, Mick?"

'Yeah. How do I tell you that I'm falling in love with you?' Michelle shrugged lightly and rubbed her hands together to warm them. "I'm just a little cold, that's all," she said and heard Alex get up and walk away. 'What did you expect she would answer? How she did find somebody and that person is you?' a little voice in her head sounded. She closed her eyes and sighed. Soft footsteps approached her and she found herself gently covered by a warm blanket.

"You'll be warmer with this than with your shawl." Alex smiled and gave the shoulders under her hands a squeeze.

"Thanks, Alex." Both women sat back down in their respective chairs and silently watched the wood burn each lost in their own thoughts.

With mutual consent, Alex and Michelle retired to their beds for the night. The howling wind and the banging of the storm shutters kept waking up the women until Alex decided to go outside and secure everything as best as she could. What kept her awake after that were the nightmares that continued their assaults on Alex. The whistling wind and the cracking sounds the cabin was making were soon replaced, in Alex's mind, with the sounds of whistling shells as they pounded their location, destroying everything in sight.

Moaning woke Michelle up in the middle of the night. She sat in her bed to look down at Alex who was trashing on her pallet, the blankets halfway pulled off of her. Getting out of her bed, Mick quickly knelt beside the taller woman making sure to stay away from the swinging fists. "It's okay, Alex. You're safe here. It's just a nightmare." She whispered softly, trying to wake her up.

"Trapped…" Alex moaned, still in sleep, "No way…get out…"

"We're not trapped, Alex." Mick soothed as she bent closer to the dreaming woman. "The storm will end soon. Please wake up."

"No…dead…Lewis…Jackson…" Alex continued as she kicked her blankets completely off and barely missed hitting Michelle as she swung her arm. "Look out!" she suddenly yelled and sat up, now fully awake.

"It's okay, Alex. It was just a dream. It's okay, shhh." Michelle tentatively reached for the older woman's arm and gently caressed it.

"Mick?" Alex called out, her eyes still wide in fear. She tried to relax but the nightmare had seemed so real, it was almost like they were being bombarded again. "I'm sorry…I…" she closed her eyes to keep her emotions under control and found herself wrapped in Michelle's arms. The sudden embrace was too much for Alex and tears slowly began to fall down her cheek. She let herself be held this way, taking comfort in the human contact that she had longed for, for such a long time.

"Oh Alex, how I wish that I could do something to ease your mind." Michelle said softly as she brushed her hand through the long, black hair. "To be able to take those memories away from you and keep them so they won't hurt you anymore."

"No! Don't say that." Alex exclaimed as she impatiently brushed her tears away. "I deserve those nightmares. You don't."

"Nobody deserves that, Alex. Not even you."

"But you don't know what I've…" the older woman started as she broke away from Michelle's embrace.

"I don't care what you did, Alex or the reasons why you did it." Michelle exclaimed, "I want you to get your life back and live normally." She finished in a softer voice. Reaching up a hand to Alex's chin, she turned the dark head so that the older woman could look at her. "All I care about is you." Blue eyes blinked back at her and Michelle smiled as she felt her friend relax.

"How can I have a normal life when my dreams are filled with the horrors of war?" Alex asked softly.

"You can start by talking about it." Michelle rubbed the older woman's arm lightly and stood up. "I'll make us something hot to drink. Why don't you add some more wood in the fireplace? With that wind, I don't think we'll be able to get back to sleep." She waited until Alex silently nodded and walked to the kitchen.

Alex scrubbed her face with her hands and took a deep breath. 'What's gotten into me?' she chastised herself and added more wood to the slowly burning embers, 'I haven't cried since…since Jodie died,' she realized. After all the horror and death she had seen, she hadn't shed a single tear even for her fallen comrades, not even for the Captain who had hired her. She remembered leaving the dead officer in the woods after the battle of Brandy Station and the only thing on her mind was to find the damn list he had promised her, not the pain of having lost a man she had come to think of as a friend.

"Are you okay?"

A soft voice asked, causing Alex to break out of her reverie. "Wha…" she blinked a couple of times, "Oh! Yes, I'm fine."

"You looked so far away." Michelle handed her friend a cup of coffee and sat on the pallet next to her. "I know you have nightmares, but this is the first time I heard you scream this much."

"I'm sorry I woke you up." She murmured and took a small sip, warming her cold hands on the cup.

"Don't apologize, Alex." Mick said softly and rubbed the taller woman's back lightly. "What happened to you?"

Staring at the flames in front of her, Alex took a deep breath and let it out slowly, trying to calm her still racing heart. A loud thump sounded against the cabin, which made Alex jump. The wind was blowing harder and the tree branches close to the relay were banging noisily against the walls.

Ever since the event that had caused her the nightmares, Alex had done her best in controlling her jumpy reactions. Even two years after, she still remembered the cannon blasts with every loud noise that sounded near her. She closed her eyes and relaxed at the younger woman's gentle touch next to her.

"After Captain Beauregard was killed, the unit made its way from Virginia to South Carolina. But our original mission was quickly forgotten when the new commander took over." Alex started and gave her companion a small smile as a blanket was put across her shoulders. "Thanks."

"By original mission, you mean sabotage behind enemy lines, right?"

Alex nodded, "That and steal as many supplies as possible. But Lieutenant Perry had another kind of stealing in mind. For one month while we made our way to South Carolina, all we did was to ambush Yankee carriers that somehow only carried gold with them. It seemed like somebody knew exactly when and where the soldiers would be. We'd just wait for them and attack."

"But you once told me that you did that before. That the gold went straight to the Confederate treasury. What was different about those missions?" Michelle asked then thought about it for a moment, "Oh, I think I know. The gold never made it to the treasury."

Looking down at Michelle, Alex smiled and gently patted the blonde's thigh. "You figured it out, Mick. But we only found out much later that a Confederate officer was the recipient of that gold."

"Is that what's giving you nightmares?" Mick asked, "I don't see…"

Alex shook her head, "No, of course not. It bothered me that all we had become were common thieves, making a few men very rich in the process, but I have to say that I never lost any sleep over that, let alone having nightmares." She said and took another swallow of her coffee, "No, what's giving me nightmares is what happened after."

Michelle listened intently. She knew that whatever was troubling Alex would surely horrify her, but she was determined to listen and not judge. Mick remembered when she was younger the nightmares she sometimes had, and the simple fact of talking about it with her mother had helped a great deal. She only hoped that by asking Alex to do the same thing, that it would help her friend too.

"We arrived in South Carolina on July 8^th, 1863." Alex continued. "We were exhausted and hungry and the unit stopped at Fort Wagner to get some rest while our new commander, Lieutenant Perry had his meeting with his superior. Nobody knew of the horror that waited for us later."

"What happened?" Mick asked, pulling her own blanket tighter around herself.

"In the early morning hours of July 10, Brigadier General George C. Strong's brigade launched a surprise amphibious landing on the southern end of the island. By late afternoon, the Yankees had routed our troops back to our strongholds at Fort Wagner and Battery Gregg, not too far away. Nobody knows why they didn't continue with their attack, but the break gave us enough time to prepare for the assault that followed the next day and the garrison was able to repulse the Union forces."

"How big was the Fort? Was it very difficult to protect?"

Alex smiled at the young woman's curiosity. She asked so many questions and was so eager to learn. But she knew that the battle she was about to describe would stop Michelle from asking for more. And so Alex continued recounting the event that had started her nightmares. "Wagner measured about 250 by 100 yards and its huge bombshelter, its beamed ceiling topped with ten feet of sand, was capable of sheltering nearly 1000 of the fort's 1700-man garrison. But what helped in protecting it was the impassable swamp on the west. Its sloping sand and earthen parapets rose 30 feet above the level beach and were bolstered by palmetto logs and sandbags. We had fourteen cannons, the largest a ten-inch Columbiad that fired a 128-pound shell."

"Oh, my god!" Michelle exclaimed, "I can't imagine the damage those shells must have done when they fell down among people."

"A lot of damage." Alex confirmed.

"From the way you describe the Fort, it looks like it was very difficult to attack."

"Yes, it was. The enemy could only attack at the fort's land face, which was screened by a water-filled ditch, ten feet wide and five feet deep. We also had buried land mines and razor-sharp palmetto stakes that provided additional obstacles to an attacking force." Reaching for a piece of wood, Alex put another log in the fire and watched it burn for a while. The images in her mind were so clear, it almost seemed like everything had happened the day before.

"The first Union attack was made without the support of their artillery. They learned from their mistake and the shelling started on the morning of July 18^th. Four Federal land batteries opened fire and eleven ships of the Dahlgren's fleet were adding their salvos to the massive bombardment. Everything exploded around us. The earth shook under our feet like it was about to split open. We all thought we had arrived in hell."

"But I guess you all left the fort soon after the attack started, right?" Michelle said and watched her friend's stoic face. "There's no way you could have stayed while those things…shells…exploded all around you! I mean…"

"It was our duty to stay there and fight, Michelle." Alex explained gently as if to a child, "But the fort's officers did their best in telling me that I should leave. They stopped when the first shells fell around us and they saw that I could fight as well as the best of them."

Michelle didn't know what to say. With everything that Alex had said, it was a wonder that the older woman hadn't gone half crazy. Mick didn't know which part of the story she found more distressful; all the death and suffering Alex had seen or the fact that she had lived for nearly two months under constant bombardments.

Alex sat silently on the pallet, staring at the fire. She didn't know what to expect from Michelle. People found wars a horrible thing to go through and she knew that the younger woman was no different with her ideas. She looked down at her hands and found them shaking. Michelle's silence was unnerving her. Was she upset or disgusted at what she had done? Alex couldn't blame her if she was. Most people thought it was normal for a man to go to war and kill, but what shocked them the most was to learn that a woman was able to kill as well and with very little regrets.

Silence dragged on for a while and Michelle saw her friend's hands shake nervously. Was Alex thinking that she was going to judge her for what she had done at Fort Wagner? Who was she to judge somebody on their past actions? Alex wasn't a murderer. She was a soldier that participated in a war because of her own reasons. Everybody did the same, whether it was for politics, to preserve a way of life, or even for a Country.

Mick reached out and lay her hand on the larger one, giving it a squeeze. Blue eyes looked up at her in surprise at the contact and Michelle smiled, trying to make Alex relax a little bit. "I'm glad you were able to tell me," she said softly, "I know it wasn't easy for you, but I'm thankful that you feel comfortable enough with me to share what you went through."

The young woman's words felt like a heavy weight had been lifted off Alex's shoulders. She let go of the breath she was holding and squeezed Michelle's hand back. "Thank you for listening. You can't imagine what it did for me."

"I told you before, Alex. Anytime you want to talk, I'm here for you." Michelle smiled and shivered slightly.

"You want another blanket?" Alex asked as she started taking her own off of her shoulders.

Michelle shook her head. "No, it's okay, keep it. It's too cold to go without. Maybe we should just go back to sleep." She said but didn't move from Alex's pallet.

Alex took one look at Michelle's bed, which was further away from the fireplace than where they were sitting, and an idea crossed her mind. "Ah…it is cold in here. Why don't you sleep on the pallet closer to the fire and I'll take your bed?"

"You're as cold as I am, Alex. Besides, the night is almost over. I'll be fine." Michelle replied, still sitting beside Alex, neither one moving.

"Okay, how about if we both sleep here? It's wide enough and we'll both be warmer."

'The both of us, sleeping side by side. How will I be able to get any sleep with her so close to me?' Michelle thought and before she could stop herself, "I'd love to." She said, surprising the both of them.

"Good." Alex nodded with a smile and put one last log into the fire. Taking all of the blankets and small pillow, Alex let Michelle lay down on the pallet close to the fire then doing the same, she settled beside Mick.

Each laying on their right side, both women stared at the flames, unable to sleep. Trying not to move so that Michelle would have enough room, Alex smiled as she felt the smaller woman ever so slowly move until her back was leaning against Alex's chest. 'Well, here I am trying my best not to touch her so I won't scare her…' she silently thought. Deciding to take a chance, Alex softly wrapped her arm around Michelle's waist and heard the smaller woman sigh in satisfaction.

"Alex?"

"Hmm?"

"What happened to Toby's brother?"

Alex closed her eyes at the memory and smiled. What she had done for the two brothers was the best thing that ever happened since the beginning of the war. "After the battle, I found Ricky injured but still alive. I made sure to get rid of everything he wore that would identify him as a Union soldier and brought him back with me. I patched him up as best as I could and in the middle of the night, Gordon and I helped Toby leave the fort with his brother."

"Did they make it?" Michelle asked softly.

"Yes, they did." She replied simply. She and Gordon had found Toby in Charleston by pure chance after they had abandoned Fort Wagner two months later and learned the news.

"It was a wonderful thing you did, Alex."

The older woman smiled. "Good night, Michelle."

Comfortable leaning against each other, both women were fast asleep and for Alex, nightmare free for the first time in years.

******************************

He was fed up of the mountains and snow. The freezing temperature wasn't something he was used to and he only wished that he could go home. But Montgomery Alabama was a long way from where he was at the moment, wherever that was. To be truthful, he was lost. He had been chasing that damn bitch, Carmichael for nearly three weeks now and he couldn't find any traces of her anymore. The snowstorms had done their best to cover everything. If only he could find his way to the nearest town and figure out exactly where the hell he was!

The only luck Parker had ever since going on this futile search, was to find the small cabin he had spent the last few days in. The owner was absent but he sure was well stocked for the winter. There was plenty of food and wood had been piled neatly beside the fireplace. It didn't matter to Parker where the owner might be. He was finally warm and well fed. He would just have to deal with the man if he ever showed up.

At first, he thought that his mission would be an easy one. Finding Alex Carmichael and bring her back alive to his boss, Nathaniel Johnson. A small fortune was promised for her capture, and a slow and painful death if he didn't find her or worst, if he killed her. But Parker needed that money, even if the risk of failing the mission was high. He knew that the war was lost for the South and that times were going to be hard back home. They had been for the past few years.

The door to the cabin suddenly opened and a man dressed in furs walked in. Parker froze for a moment at the unexpected visitor. Trying to remain calm, he gave the man a smile and lifted both hands to show that he was unarmed.

The man closed the door behind him and took a few menacing steps toward the intruder, "Who are you? What are you doing in my cabin?" he growled.

"I'm sorry that I invited myself without your consent, sir, but there was a storm and I needed shelter." He quickly explained, "I was goin' to pay you for the food of course."

The owner of the cabin took a quick look around his place and frowned. "You've been here longer than just a day." He stated as he noticed that his food supply had diminished considerably. "The storm has been over for two days. Get your things and be on your way. Be sure to pay me for the food before you leave."

"Yes, of course." Parker replied agreeably, "I was wonderin' if you could help me one more time, sir. I'm lost. Could you tell me the route to the nearest town?" he asked as he purposefully searched through his bag.

Glad that the scrawny looking man wasn't going to be any trouble, the trapper relaxed his guard and began to take his coat off. "Just follow the river downstream and it'll bring you to Mansonville not too far away."

Parker looked up at the man, "Thank you for the direction, sir." He grinned, "And thank you for the use of your cabin. But I just have one small problem. You see, the only money I have, I need. So here's what I'll give you instead." Parker said as he pulled his hand out of his bag holding a revolver and shot the man dead center in his head.

Surprised by the deception, the trapper didn't have the time to react and defend himself. He was dead before he hit the floor of the cabin.

Poking at the body with his boot, Parker smiled and put his weapon back into the bag. "Since you won't be needin' these anymore," he laughed as he looked around the cabin, "I'll just help myself and be on my way."

******************************

"They what?" Alex asked as she stretched her back and looked down at Michelle next to her. She wasn't used to walking with snowshoes. The large ashwood rackets, its center laced with rawhide and leather bindings for the boots, were difficult to deal with, at least for her. Michelle, on the other hand, seemed very comfortable walking with them. She spared a quick glance at the small sleigh she was pulling behind her to make sure that the contents were still there.

"The Indians would pierce the tree trunk with a tomahawk, place a wood chip under the hole to channel the maple water into a bark receptacle." Mick repeated as she tried to explain the way maple syrup was gathered and made. "They would then boil the sap in clay containers to obtain maple sugar."

"So, that's what we're about to do now? Where's your tomahawk?" Alex grinned at the smaller woman.

Mick playfully elbowed her friend and shook her head. "That's not the way we do it anymore." She reached into the bag she was carrying and pulled a small flute made of wood out to show Alex. "We use these now, they're called spiles. We drill a hole into the tree about two inches deep by half an inch wide and drive a spile into the hole. The spout directs the maple sap into the bucket we fix right under. Ah, here we are."

Both women had walked a short distance away from the cabin and were now standing among maple trees that were already fixed with metal and wooden containers. Each bucket had a small lid that protected the sap from dirt and foreign objects.

Alex curiously peered into the container closest to her. "Why are you changing them? These look fine to me."

"I'm not changing them. Each spring, I buy a couple more buckets to add to the ones I already have. My maple production grows every year this way." Michelle picked up a brand new container and studied it. "I only wish that I could afford to spend extra money buying more of those."

"But with everything that you have already, I'm sure that you make a lot of syrup, right." Alex asked as she made her way back to the sled containing the new buckets.

"Not really. It takes a lot of sap to make syrup. I barely make enough maple products to make a very small profit." She sighed softly. "I would need at least twenty more buckets and spiles to start being really worthwhile."

'Those spiles look easy enough to do. And twenty buckets…' Alex silently thought as she saw Michelle take her brace and bit and walk to a large maple tree. Maybe she could arrange for a deal with Mr. Cole at the general store in Mansonville. "Show me how you do this." She asked Michelle and watched the younger woman intently as she tapped the first tree.

"Sure! I could really use the extra help." Mick smiled, "Don't drill more than two inches deep. Once that is done," she said and took a wooden spout out of the bag along with a small hammer, "You tap it solidly into the tree and that's it. Now this tree is big enough that we can put a total of three spiles."

"What about this one?" Alex asked, leaning her hand on a tree.

"It's too small. The maple tree needs to be at least ten inches wide."

Understanding the concept, Alex nodded and took the brace from Michelle. She made another hole, then inserted the wooden spout into the tree. "Like this?"

"You've got it!" Michelle smiled and took one of the new containers and attached it with a rope under the spile.

"So what happens next?" Alex asked as she continued drilling and tapping the trees.

"Well, the alternate freezing and thawing weather changes the pressure inside the tree and starts the sap flowing."

"Oh, so I guess it takes some time before we collect the sap."

Michelle nodded and looked up at the blue sky and shinning sun. "By the end of March or early April, we should be able to start production."

Alex continued to work in silence. She was amazed at the way Michelle handled her everyday life. All this work done and without anybody to help her. At least with herself being there, Alex could give a helping hand with whatever Mick needed to be done. With the last spout and bucket installed, both women made their way back to the cabin, walking close to a small, dilapidated cabin.

"This here is where I boil the sap and make it into syrup. We call it the sugar shack." Michelle explained at Alex's curious inspection of the cabin. "I know it looks about ready to collapse, but what's important is inside. It's the last thing my parents bought before they died. The evaporator is as old as I am but it works just fine."

Studying the cabin closely, Alex saw that a lot of work needed to be done to make it safe but it wasn't an impossible thing to do. "I could fix this if you want." She said as she carefully entered the shack. A big boiler sat in the middle of the place, its metal finish dulled by time but was otherwise in very good shape. Obviously, Michelle had taken very good care of it. "The main beams look solid. All that I would need to do is fix the roof and walls."

"You'd do that?" Michelle said, stepping inside the shack, "But I don't have much money to pay you for…"

"Did I ask to be paid, Michelle?" Alex replied, giving the younger woman a stern look, "I told you before, don't count on me to do the cooking but this," she said, indicating the cabin they were standing in, "This is something I can do. How 'bout it?"

"I'd be very happy if you did, Alex. Thank you." She smiled and gently patted the taller woman's back. "I had a man stay at the relay for a few days some time ago and in exchange for his meals and shelter, he gave me a good amount of wood. I wanted to make the cabin bigger then. Maybe we can use that wood for the sugar shack?"

"Are you sure that you don't want to keep it for the relay? There's plenty of trees around, I'm sure I can manage something."

"And cut the trees with what? We don't have a sawmill, Alex, and the closest one is between here and Mansonville."

'The mill is even closer than I hoped!' Alex smiled to herself. 'A good, strong horse is all that I need to help me bring the trees there.' Alex nodded and approached the evaporator. "Alright, we'll take the wood you already have. 'And I'll see what I can do to make the relay bigger next.' "This is what you use to boil the sap?"

"Yes. After we empty all the buckets into a large barrel, we bring it back to the sugar shack on a sleigh pulled by the dogs. The sap is then poured into the large pan of the evaporator. About three quarter of the water evaporates during this process, leaving concentrated maple syrup."

"I can't wait to see this, Mick." Alex said and realized with a smile that she was actually looking forward to the future and making plans for it.

"I'll make you taste things you probably never had before." Michelle said and stopped when she repeated the words in her mind. 'That sure sounded interesting,' she chuckled. "Talking about tasting, I'm hungry. How about if we head back to the relay and get some lunch?"

"Lead the way!" Alex said and grinned at what Michelle had just said. 'That was a nice way of phrasing that!'

******************************

The weather was getting better every day. The snowstorms seemed to be a thing of the past, at least for the moment and the days were getting warmer. In seventeen days, spring would officially arrive. There was a lot of work ahead, especially with the maple production, but at least Michelle wasn't alone anymore. Alex had been present for almost three weeks and had been a great help in fixing the relay and sugar shack, which she quickly started to do right after inspecting it.

Michelle wasn't due yet for her monthly supply trip to Mansonville, but Alex needed to go and send a telegraph to her parents in Kansas. It had been nearly two years since the last one, and she wanted to see how they were doing. As per her habit, Michelle brought the dog team and sled behind the general store.

"Are you sure that you don't want me to wait here for you?" Michelle asked as she took off her fur mittens.

Alex nodded as she got off the sled, "I'm sure. I have a few things I want to check out after I send my message. I'll join you at Mama Tucker's, okay?"

Mick scratched behind the ears of her dogs and smiled up at her friend. "Sure. See you later."

Surprised by the lack of curiosity Michelle usually showed, Alex was happy that what she was planning would stay a secret. "Okay." She smiled and started walking toward the street but not before sparing one last glance at the younger woman that was still playing with her dogs.

From the corner of her eyes, Michelle watched Alex walk away and saw her look back briefly. She wanted to know what 'the few things' her friend wanted to check out were, but if Alex wanted to share the information, she would have. 'Besides, we both have our own lives to live. We don't need to say everything that we do, right? Why do I have to be so curious?' she sighed and made her way into the general store.

"You're a little early for your supplies, aren't you?" Mr. Cole asked from behind Michelle, making her jump in surprise.

"Oh, hi!" she smiled, "Well, my friend had a few things to do in town, so I thought I'd get what I need as well."

"No problem. Same thing as usual?" the owner asked as he walked toward the counter and gave a polite nod to the few customers in the store.

"All except the dried meats. With Alex hunting on a regular basis, we have everything we need."

Mr. Cole looked up in surprise at the information, "She hunts?"

The blonde nodded with a smile, "And she's very good at it too. I never had so much fresh meat. She's also very handy in carpentry."

The elderly man watched as Michelle walked among the delicate figurines on the shelf, inspecting them with an attentive eye. Maybe the tall, dark haired woman was the solution to his present problem. "How long does she plan on staying here?"

Mick looked up from a glass eagle she held in her hands, "Why so many questions about Alex, Mr. Cole? Something wrong?"

"Oh, no!" he quickly replied, "It's just that I was wondering if she was looking for a job."

"Why don't you ask her yourself?" Mick said with a smile and took a quick look around the store, "But I don't think working at selling things is something Alex would like to do. No offense, of course."

"None taken." He replied with a smile of his own, "But that's not what I had in mind for her. I need somebody to go get supplies in Quebec City once in a while. The man who did it before is leaving for Montreal. I figured that maybe Alex was able to drive a team of horses."

"It would surprise me a lot if she didn't." she replied and put the glass figurine back on the shelf. "I'll tell her you want to talk to her."

"Thank you, Michelle. I'll have everything you need ready for when you leave."

"That's great. We'll be at Mama Tucker's." Michelle said. She waved good bye and nearly walked into a scrawny looking man who was slightly taller than she was. "I'm sorry. I didn't know you were behind me."

"My apologies, Miss. It was my fault." The man replied with a thick accent. "I shouldn't have been standin' too close to you like that."

Mick gave him a nervous smile, not knowing why the man made her feel this way. "No harm done," and looked again at the general store owner. "See you later, Mr. Cole."

"Have a nice meal, Michelle."

Parker watched the young blonde leave the store and briefly thought of following her. It had been a while since he had such a lovely lady in his bed. But he had a job to do and for this time, business had to be first before pleasure. He approached the man the blonde had called Mr. Cole and was about to ask him a question when a younger man that was wearing an apron walked in the room.

"I think I solved my problem, Christopher. I'll talk to Alex concerning getting supplies in Quebec for the store." Mr. Cole smiled and patted his employee on the back. "I think she'll do just great."

"You mean Michelle's tall, blue eyed friend?" Christopher asked.

"That's Miss Laberge to you, young man. And yes, I mean her."

Parker stopped advancing at the description of the woman they were talking about. Her name was Alex, she was tall and had blue eyes. 'My luck can't be that good!' he silently thought and assumed to be interested in the first item he grabbed; a frilly light blue lady's hat.

"Wow," Christopher's eyes sparkled, "Now I really want to go on those supply trips."

"I told you before, I need you here at the store. Now get those supplies ready for Miss Laberge."

"Yes, sir." The young man sighed, disappointed to know that he wouldn't spend some time with the mysterious dark haired woman.

Mr. Cole watched the young man for a moment as he started gathering the items and then turned to face the stranger standing near him. "And what can I do for you, sir?"

Parker looked at the elderly man and put the hat back on the shelf. "I'm terribly sorry that I heard your conversation with the young lady, but I would like to know if the woman you called Alex is the same as Alex Carmichael."

The storeowner scratched his jaw for a moment, deep in thought, "When I think of it, she never said what her family name was. Why do you ask?"

"I'm a good friend of hers. Would this Alex be at least six feet tall, long dark hair and incredible blue eyes?" Parker asked with a charming smile.

Mr. Cole looked at the stranger for a while. He was dressed like a trapper but the man didn't look the type. The beaded buckskin jacket he was wearing looked familiar somehow but the storeowner couldn't say where he had seen it. He knew that Alex wasn't from this region, he only knew that she came from out west. From the light accent she had, Alex probably was an American but it didn't matter much to him where she came from. But somehow Mr. Cole didn't trust the man before him. He remembered Michelle telling him that she was Alex's only friend. "She has blue eyes." He finally answered, suddenly feeling unwilling to say too much.

"Do you think that she'll be comin' by here anytime soon?" Parker pressed on, excited that his search was finally over.

"I haven't seen her today." Mr. Cole answered truthfully. "If you tell me your name, I'll make sure she gets the message."

"No," Parker said a bit too quickly, "I mean, I would like our meetin' to be a surprise, you see." He smiled again, "I'll be comin' by again, soon. Thank you, sir," then turned to leave.

"No problem." Mr. Cole frowned at the departing man. Something didn't quite felt right, but he shrugged and went back to his work.

'All I have to do now is wait for the bitch to show up here.' Parker thought then remembered something the young blonde had said earlier, 'They'll be at Mama Tucker's!' His luck was getting better by the moment! He was one telegraph away from accomplishing his mission and after that, he would finally be going home. 'Now, where the hell is the telegraph office in this stupid town?'

Alex wished that she could stay at the office to wait for a reply from her parents, but she knew that the message had to be delivered by a messenger from Kansas City to Carson Pass. At least now, it was easier to reach her since she wasn't on the move all the time anymore. Stepping outside the telegraph office, Alex pulled her fur hat down closer around her ears, glad that she had listened to Michelle and wore the damn thing. It was a beautiful day but the wind that kept blowing made the weather seem colder.

She shoved both hands into her coat pockets and started walking down the street toward the general store, being careful to stay out of the horse-driven sleighs' way. Lost in thought, she completely missed seeing the man that had been chasing her as he walked the other way across the street from her.

"Good afternoon, Mr. Cole." Alex said pleasantly as she closed the door behind her.

"Miss Alex, what a nice surprise. Michelle told you already that I wanted to speak to you?"

"Ah, no. I haven't seen her since we left the dogs behind your store. What is it?"

"Well, I was wondering if you wanted a job." Mr. Cole smiled, "I need somebody who could go to Quebec City for me once in a while to get supplies at the docks. I often get expensive items from Europe that arrives by ship. I need somebody that I can trust."

"You barely know me." Alex said with a half smile. "What makes you think you can trust me?"

Mr. Cole laughed and shook his head, "Michelle only has good things to say about you and that's enough for me. What do you say?"

Alex pulled her hat off of her head and scratched it. No matter what, she couldn't get used to wearing those itchy hats. "How long do I have before I decide?"

"Until the ice breaks on the St-Lawrence river. That's one month minimum, maybe two depending on the weather."

"It sounds interesting. I'll think about it, thank you."

"Since you didn't see Michelle yet, is there something I can do for you then?" Mr. Cole asked as he walked around his counter to stand beside Alex.

"Yes, there is. I wanted to know if you could add a couple of buckets to Michelle's supplies." Alex said as she took one of them in her hands to examine it closely.

"Buckets for her maple syrup production, right?" he asked and saw the tall woman nod. "Of course, how many would you like?" he asked as he watched Alex inspect the metal container. "Those are the latest on the market. Not heavy and they easily stack one into another for storage."

"How much would twenty cost?"

Mr. Cole smiled and took two piles of buckets aside. "I'll make you a deal. You say yes to working for me and consider these as a small thank you for saving my boy's life last week."

"That's very generous of you, Mr. Cole, but…"

"No buts, Miss Alex. Please say you'll accept."

Alex took a deep breath and let it go slowly. She wasn't used to people giving her something for free. But then again, it wasn't for her but for Michelle. "Okay, thank you. But if I can't take the job for one reason or another, I'll pay you for those."

"That's good. I'll have them packed along with everything else. It's a surprise, isn't it?"

Alex lifted an eyebrow at the man and stood a little straighter. "Why do you say that?"

"Well, I know that Michelle would love to have a bigger production, but she can't…well, you know." He knew more than anybody else that Mick didn't have the extra money to spend on containers. "I just got the impression that you wanted to help her a little bit."

"You guessed right." Alex smiled and put her hat back on. She took her small money pouch out of her pocket and took two coins out and gave them to the storeowner. "Here, add more to the lot."

"No problem. Michelle will be happy when she sees this."

"I just hope she won't mind." At least, she hoped that Mick wasn't as reluctant to receive gifts as much as she was. She started making her way toward the door.

"It'll be a nice surprise, trust me." Mr. Cole said with a smile. "Oh! Talking about surprise, a friend of yours was here earlier."

"What?!" Alex exclaimed and turned around to face the elderly man.

"A man came here asking about you. He said he was a good friend of yours."

Alex's jaw tensed at the information and growled, "I don't have any male friends. What did he look like?" she asked but knew that it was Parker.

Mr. Cole swallowed nervously at Alex's tone. "Ah, he's about my height, very thin, brown hair and eyes. He also has a very thick accent."

'That could be just about anybody.' She thought, no longer sure of herself.

"He also has this nasty scar on his cheek." Mr. Cole continued, "I saw him speak to Michelle before she left here earlier."

"Damn!" Alex hissed, "Did he say where he was going?"

The storeowner shook his head.

"Alright, listen to me. That man is no friend of mine. In fact, he's a murderer. I've seen some of the things he did." She took a calming breath and rubbed her eyes with her fists. "Who's the law in this town?"

"The militia. You want me to go and get them?"

"Not yet. Let me deal with him first." Alex gruffly said, "Beware of him and don't tell him where I am. It could put Michelle in danger."

"Oh! Yes, of course. I'll do whatever you say. But why is he…"

Alex held a hand up, "Just…just do what I say, okay?" and quickly left the store to join Michelle at Mama Tucker's.

******************************

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"Don't ruin your life like I did. There are better things in life than getting revenge. Let it go." Captain Beauregard had once told her. Only now she was starting to understand what he meant. Maybe it was time that she started to think about going home. Too many people were dying and Alex realized that her revenge quest wasn't worth all the pain and suffering.

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Jean-Francois grumbled in his native tongue as he made his way toward his friend's cabin. The both of them were supposed to be ice fishing on the lake right now, but with the sun close to setting, it would have to be the next morning. J-F guided his horse through the trees and sighed when he caught the light smell of wood burning nearby. Maybe Roger decided not to go after all.

Climbing off of his horse, Jean-Francois tied the reins around a post and then knocked on the wooden door. He frowned after the third knock, wondering how come his friend hadn't answered yet. He opened the door and peered inside. "Roger?" he called out but the cabin was silent. The only light inside came from the dying embers in the fireplace. No oil lamps had been lit and the curtains from the only window were closed tight.

Stepping inside, Jean-Francois caught his foot on something and looked down to see clothes littering the floor. A quick look around showed the once tidy cabin in total chaos. Shelves had been emptied of their contents, while the pantry that used to be filled with food was now practically bare. Chairs and table had been thrown against the walls and the small bed's mattress had been split open by a knife.

Even though the room was a mess, J-F could see that a few things had disappeared. He had spent so much time at the cabin it was almost his second home. The furs that both men had worked on all season were gone, along with Roger's rifle. The small box where their money was usually hidden was now empty.

"Roger?" Jean-Francois yelled again, now worried that something bad had happened to his friend. Something caught his attention and he made his way to the far side of the cabin where blankets had been thrown. He hoped that what he saw was only his imagination. Kneeling down to look more closely, J-F swallowed nervously when he saw a hand stick out from under the covers. Pulling the blanket away, Jean-Francois cursed when he saw the body of his friend lying on the ground, dead from a bullet in his head.

Once the shock of finding the body diminished somewhat, Jean-Francois noticed something peculiar. The thief / murderer had even stolen the trapper's clothes. Standing up shakily, J-F stepped back and walked out of the cabin to inform the militia of the crime that had been committed.

******************************

More alert of her surroundings, Alex made her way toward the inn where Michelle was waiting for her. She had no way of knowing if Parker had spotted her already and quickly looked around her but saw nobody following close. Alex cursed her decision to leave her weapons at the relay. This way, she had no way of protecting her young friend. "Live a few weeks in peace and quiet then you're sure something will happen to screw everything up!" she grumbled and pulled her hat lower over her eyes.

Not wanting to take a chance at being seen, Alex walked around the inn and climbed the stairs two at a time. Not bothering to knock, she opened the door and walked into the kitchen area, surprising Mama Tucker.

"Dear Lord, child. You nearly scared me half to death!" the older woman breathed.

Alex quickly brought her finger to her lips for silence, "I'm sorry I scared you. Is Michelle here?" she asked softly.

"Well, yes, she's in the dinning area. Why did you come in by the kitchen door?"

"Can you tell her to come here, please?"

"Is something wrong?"

Alex tried to keep her temper in check. Now was not the time to panic but her being questioned, first by Mr. Cole now her, didn't help at all. "Please, Mrs. Tucker, I need to speak with Michelle," she said patiently. "I also need to know if there's a certain man sitting in the room. He'll be easy to find if he's there, he's got a scar that runs from the right side of his forehead and down across his cheek."

"Yes, of course, I'll do that." Mama Tucker nodded and wiped her hands on her apron then left the kitchen.

Alex took her hat off and sat down heavily on a stool. Why did she ever think that she could lead a normal life? Now her past was putting Michelle in danger. She closed her eyes for a moment to figure out what to do. The first thing she needed was her weapons, then she'd find a way to eliminate Parker before he killed anybody. One thing was for sure, until he was dead or locked up, Alex had to keep an eye on Michelle. The last thing she wanted was for anything to happen to her.

The door burst open and Michelle walked into the kitchen, worry etched across her face. "What's wrong, Alex? Are you okay?"

"I'm fine, Michelle, but we have a problem." Alex explained softly as she gently touched Mick's arms, "When you found me three weeks ago, I was on the run from a killer. Now that man is in Mansonville and somehow he's learned that I'm here."

"But…" Michelle seemed at a lost for words for a moment. If Alex hadn't done anything wrong, all they had to do was go to the militia, right? "What are we going to do, Alex?"

'We?' Alex repeated, liking the sound of it, but she sadly shook her head. She didn't want Michelle involved in this. "What we're going to do is go back to the cabin so that I can get my revolvers and then I'll come back here to take care of Parker. You'll stay at the relay."

"What?! No way! I want to help you, Alex."

Alex tried to reason with the younger woman, "Michelle, he's a psychotic killer. I don't want you to get hurt." She rubbed her temples, feeling a headache coming. "I know you want to help, but…"

"Alex, listen to me. I'm more than capable of taking care of myself. What can he do in broad daylight anyway?"

"That won't stop him, I know it." She sighed and looked up as Mama Tucker walked back into the kitchen.

"He's not in there. Most of the customers I have are regulars."

Alex nodded and relaxed a little bit. Her stomach growled at the wonderful smells coming from the pots and she looked at them with an appreciative eye. She wished that she could sit down with Michelle and eat something, but she didn't want to risk showing herself in public just in case Parker decided to enter the inn.

"None of you have eaten yet," Mama Tucker said, "Why don't the both of you sit here at the table and eat. I'll let you know if the man you're looking for arrives."

"That's a great idea, Mama, thanks!" Michelle replied before Alex said anything. "I'll go pick up my things and bring them here." She gently touched her friend's cheek and gave her a small smile. "We'll figure something out, Alex, you'll see," and quickly left the kitchen to get her coat.

Alex could feel Mama Tucker staring at her even though she had closed her eyes. The older woman acted like a wolf protecting her cub as far as Mick was concerned. Alex understood the feeling because that's exactly how she felt toward Michelle, the only difference was that Mick felt more like a mate than offspring.

She took a long breath and let it out slowly before opening her eyes to look at Mama Tucker. She had guessed right. The rotund woman was frowning at her, her arms crossed over her ample bosom. "I won't let anything happen to Michelle, don't worry. I won't hurt her," she said and finally took her coat off.

"Oh, I know you won't hurt her, Alex. I can feel those things. In the short time that I talked to you, I saw that you care for Micky." Mrs. Tucker said and sat across from Alex, "But how can you say nothing will happen to her? Who's the man you're looking for? Are you on the run from the law?"

"I'll do my best, a killer and no I'm not." Alex answered all of Mama Tucker's questions in one phrase. The door opened again and Michelle walked in, carrying her coat.

"I have an idea, Alex." Michelle said as she pulled another stool and sat beside her friend, "I'll go to the general store and make arrangements for the dogs and sled, then come back here so that we can spend the night. I'm sure if he doesn't see you, he'll think you're not here anymore and he'll leave."

"I'm not letting you go alone, Michelle, not with this nut loose out there." Alex said, determined to protect her as best as she could. "And I won't hide from him."

"Huh," Mama Tucker hesitated and stood up, "I'll leave you two alone for a while and go check on my customers, okay?" she said and quickly walked out of the kitchen.

"But Alex, that guy doesn't know me. He's looking for you."

"Yes, he knows you, Michelle. Mr. Cole told me he talked to you at the store."

"He talked to…" Mick started and frowned as she tried to remember.

"Thin guy, brown hair, big scar on his cheek?"

"That was him?" Michelle exclaimed, "But we didn't talk, he was standing behind me when I turned around and…" a shiver went through her body. If the man was a psychotic killer, she had him standing right behind her. Anything could have happened.

"Parker knows you're with me. He listened while you were talking to Mr. Cole." Alex stated, "And I need to face him. I don't want to hide until he goes away. If I don't take care of him, I'll be on the run for the rest of my life and I'm tired of running."

"And what are you going to do?" she exclaimed as she stood up, "Go out there and shoot him in broad daylight or are you going to wait until it's night time and kill him while he sleeps?" Michelle blurted out and was instantly sorry she had said that. "Alex, I'm so sorry! I didn't mean for it to sound like that."

The words stung like a slap. Alex closed her eyes and tried to stop the words from repeating themselves over and over again. What Michelle had said was the truth, and that hurt the most. 'That's exactly what you wanted to do, isn't it, Alex?' a little voice in her head said mockingly. She spent the last four years killing people, what difference did one more do?

"Alex? Please, say something. I didn't mean to hurt you." Michelle implored and tentatively reached for her friend's arm, half-expecting Alex to pull away. "I just don't want to see you in trouble with the law. I care too much about you." Her heart skipped a beat when she saw one single tear fall down Alex's tan cheek. She slowly reached up and wiped the salty drop away with her thumb. "I'm so sorry," she murmured.

Alex slowly opened her eyes to look directly into a pair of pained green eyes. Michelle was close to tears herself and she could see that the younger woman hadn't meant to hurt her. What had been said was the truth; she was a killer, but one that wanted to change her ways. "I know you're sorry." Alex whispered.

Michelle let her thumb slowly linger on the warm flesh and gently touched Alex's lips. "Please forgive me?" she asked softly.

The gentle touch made it difficult for Alex to think. How could she not forgive her for telling the truth? For the first time in her life, Alex had found somebody who dared say what they thought. Even Jodie had never done that completely. Unable to speak, Alex simply nodded and did the only thing that crossed her mind. She opened her arms and wrapped them around Michelle's waist, giving her friend a heartfelt hug.

The unsuspected gesture caused Michelle to finally break down and cry. She had been so worried that her slip had caused her to lose her new friend. Finding herself engulfed by two strong arms, Michelle held on tight to Alex, not wanting to let go.

The kitchen door opened and Mama Tucker walked back in. "There's someone who wants…" she started but stopped as she saw the two women hug. "Huh, sorry…"

"It's okay, Mama." Michelle smiled shyly at Alex and regretfully stepped back. "Who is it?" she asked as she wiped her eyes.

"Lone Wolf is here." Mrs. Tucker smiled and held the door open.

Alex stood up and put a protective hand across Michelle's shoulders.

A tall man slowly walked into the kitchen. A few strands of leather and beads were woven into the long hair, which was black as the night that also held two hawk feathers, letting them hang on the side of his head. Eyes the color of coal sparkled when he spotted Michelle. The Indian smiled at his friend and glanced curiously at the tall woman standing beside her.

"Hi! What a surprise!" Michelle smiled, "Alex, this is a friend of mine, Lone Wolf. Wolfie, this is Alex."

The Indian shook his head in amusement at the diminutive Michelle had given him. "Nice to meet you," he said with a thick accent, "I don't remember ever seeing you."

"I'm not from around here." Alex replied and sat down when she didn't feel any threat from the man.

"But I'm working hard so that she'll stay." Michelle smiled at Alex and sat down also. She chuckled when her friend looked at her with a raised eyebrow, trying hard not to smile. "What brings you here?"

"Okay, people." Mama Tucker said, "I want everybody to sit at that table in the corner and give me some space. I've got a business to run, you know," she smiled and pointed a finger at Michelle. "You worked here before, you know where things are. Move your butt and give your friends something to eat."

"Yes, Ma'am." Michelle stood up and gently put a hand on Alex's shoulder when the older woman began to rise to help. "It's okay, thanks."

"The reason I'm here is because I saw your dogs behind the general store. Mr. Cole told me you were here." Lone Wolf said as they moved to the indicated table. "I don't know what's going on, but a few people at the store looked upset." He took his buckskin coat off and put it over the two fur coats already lying on the fourth chair.

Michelle wondered if it was because of the killer that was now in town. Maybe Mr. Cole had talked to a few people already. An idea formed in Michelle's mind as she looked at the Indian. Filling a small basket with slices of fresh baked bread, Mick took a bowl of butter and brought it along with the bread to the table. "Alex, I know that you don't want me walking alone with Parker near, but I need to go check on my dogs. How about if I have Lone Wolf go with me?"

About to reach for some bread, Alex stopped in mid motion and looked at Michelle's hopeful eyes, then at the man sitting at the table. He looked like he could take care of himself and if he was half like the natives Alex knew, Michelle would be well protected. She also knew that her dogs were very important to Michelle. Seeing no better way, Alex smiled and nodded. "I can live with that."

"Thanks!" Michelle gave Alex a quick kiss on the cheek, surprising the woman and walked back to the huge stove to prepared three bowls of stew. "I'll make it quick, you'll see. We can figure out what we'll do with Parker once I come back. Maybe Lone Wolf can help us?"

"Parker?" Lone Wolf repeated as he chewed on his bread and looked at both women.

Alex sighed. If the Indian was a friend of Michelle and she trusted him enough, what harm could it do to have more people aware of the problem and help? She took a slice of bread and buttered it before answering. "It's a long story."

"But we have plenty of time, at least while we all eat." Michelle said as she walked back to the table, carrying a tray with the bowls and other goodies and sat down.

Continues in Part 4

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