Northern Peace and Perils, Part 4
June 1864
Virginia
For two reasons, Alex was glad to have received the mission she was on. First, she was far away from Lieutenant Perry and his boys. The thought of ambushing more gold carrying stagecoaches didn't appeal to her. Second, she finally got what she wanted, the names and location of the soldiers she was looking for. At least one of them anyway. The two other names would be given to her once the mission was completed.
Alex didn't like the sound of that, but she had no other choice. The original list had been burnt by Lieutenant Perry, the names committed to memory, but Alex knew that Perry must have re-written the information for fear of forgetting it, and avoid losing his best chance to blackmail her. An evening visit to Perry's tent, while he was partying with his buddies proved to be unfruitful in finding the list.
The search revealed almost nothing of value to her. About to leave, Alex's eye caught the Lieutenant's saddlebag and she decided to have one last look. Inside was a ledger filled with copies of the orders for the missions the unit had completed. Another paper attracted her attention and she peered at it the best way she could in the darkness.
On it were names, but not the ones she had been looking for. The paper contained names of Confederate as well as Union officers. Alex recognized Perry's superior officer, Major Benjamin Taylor as well as Lieutenant Perry and his boys. She didn't know any of the names on the Union side, the only information she could figure out without a light was that the Union Major was working for the treasury department. Was there a link between the U.S. Major and the gold stealing missions the unit was working on lately? She always thought that it was too much a mere coincidence that they always managed to find themselves in the path of a gold carrying shipment.
Another search inside the saddlebag produced a bag the size of a large hand and filled with coins. Alex smiled at the find and grabbed the bag, along with the papers she found, not knowing if they were worth something. If Perry could manipulate her with the names she wanted, maybe she could do the same with the ones she now had. Gathering a few other items to make believe that the tent had been robbed, Alex left quietly without being seen and disappeared into the darkness.
An approaching figure caused her to break out of her reverie and she looked up in time to see Gordon sit down next to her. She was glad that Perry had assigned the older man as her back up. But she knew that the only reason he was there with her was that the Lieutenant wanted to get rid of him. "Any movement yet?" she asked her friend.
"Something will happen soon. I heard Yankee scouts say that they spotted a group of the Confederate cavalry approaching fast."
Alex nodded silently and checked her sharpshooter's rifle again, making sure that it was ready to fire.
The mission that they were on seemed simple enough but would take a long time to accomplish. Before leaving Charleston, Lieutenant Perry had given her a list with three names on it, two Union Lieutenants and one Captain. The goal was to get rid of the officers anyway she chose as long as they ended up dead. 'Start as a soldier, continue as a thief and end up doing assassinations. What a way to live a war,' she grumbled once she received the orders.
Neither she or Gordon knew why those particular officers had to be killed and not higher, more important ones instead. But they had their orders and all she wanted was what had been promised her once the mission was over. Her first target had been found and all she had to do was find a way to eliminate him without having the whole regiment the Lieutenant was with, chasing her.
Her decision had been made for her when rumors of an impending attack by some Confederate troops upon the unsuspecting Union army reached her ears. What better way to start her mission than by eliminating her target during an attack?
"Here they come!" Gordon said as the thundering sound of approaching horses was heard. He stood up and untied their horses and held them ready for a hasty retreat.
Alex lay flat on her stomach and rested her rifle against her shoulder. Leveling her weapon at her target, Alex followed the unsuspecting officer in her sight until the first sounds of shots being fired were heard. One bullet was all it took to kill the Lieutenant. Even from the distance she was at, she knew that he was dead. The shot had hit him square in the head, the bullet ripping a section apart.
Getting up from the ground, Alex jumped on her horse and both she and Gordon left the scene, leaving the battle behind. The second target was reported to be north from where they were all the way in Piedmont, Virginia. That was also where one of the soldiers she was looking for was located.
July 1864
Piedmont, Virginia
The Union troops were on a constant move and on a high state of alert, which made finding their targets more difficult than anticipated. They had wasted a lot of time trying to find them and in frustration, Alex and Gordon had decided to split their effort and each go after a target. Gordon chose to continue with the mission and go after the second officer on their list while Alex concentrated on the soldier named Sergeant Samuel Archer.
After so many years of dreaming about getting her revenge, Alex could hardly contain her excitement at the prospect of finally doing the same thing to him as he did to her lover. Give him a beating, the kind he never had before. But first she had to find him. The last information she succeeded in getting indicated that Sergeant Archer's infantry division was back near Piedmont and that the man himself was on a short leave, recuperating from injuries suffered from an earlier battle.
From where she was hiding, Alex looked around and spotted a few civilians walking about, men and women alike, the soldiers apparently leaving them alone now. But things hadn't been so quiet a week ago when the civilians had decided to stay and fight to protect their properties when a battle between Confederate and Federal armies had begun. With a Union victory, the combative civilians had been punished for their actions and saw their properties burn to the ground. Officers used the few undamaged houses, while the half-crumbling barns and cabins that were still standing helped shelter what remained of the civilian population.
There were simply too many Union soldiers, Alex thought as she hid for the fourth time. Looking down at the boots, pants and shirt she was wearing, she realized that she would attract too much attention if she stayed dressed this way. She needed something else if she wanted to approach the soldiers and find the Sergeant; dress in a way that would make her blend among the few civilians walking about the camp.
A long search through deserted and destroyed houses gave Alex one single choice of something else to wear. The item was a long dress, unfortunately not long enough for her, that had once been a light blue. But the dress was now dirty and ripped in some places. Alex hid her own clothes in a barn nearby and hoped that she would get a chance to get them later. There was absolutely no way that she would continue with her mission dressed this way.
Thinking of her as a prostitute, the soldiers were very eager to help her find Sergeant Archer, only after they had gotten a promise from Alex to come and see them after she was done with him. 'Pigs.' She grumbled to herself and continued on her way. The soldier escorting her pointed to a man sitting at a table as he played cards with a few soldiers, the stripes on his sleeves indicating him as a Sergeant.
Cat calls and whistles greeted her arrival and Archer looked up from his cards to see what was going on. He smiled when he saw the woman standing close to them. "Well, ain't this a sight fo' sore eyes. Is there somethin' that you want, woman?"
'If I have to look at those rotten teeth any longer, I'm gonna lose it!' Alex silently complained but kept a charming smile on her face. "Well, yes. A good friend of mine told me that if I was ever in this area to be sure to drop by and visit you boys." She drawled in a fake Southern accent. "How about you, big boy, wanna play?" she asked Archer.
"I wouldn't mind havin' myself a nice piece of Southern ass!" he laughed and stood up. "Continue without me, boys. I'll be kind o' busy fo' awhile."
Guiding the Sergeant toward the secluded barn she had chosen, Alex made sure to always be out of his reach as if teasing him, but the truth was that she couldn't stand the thought of him touching her. Her temper was beginning to rise as she imagined the bastard touching Jodie. Alex bet he didn't remember her, but she would do her best to remind him, just before she killed him.
Hurrying as she stepped into the barn, Alex walked to the only dark corner available and turned around to wait for the Sergeant. "Come on, big boy. Don't keep me waiting like this." She teased in a girlish voice.
"I'm walkin' as fast as a can, honey! This bummed leg isn't helpin' matters." Archer grumbled as he limped toward the woman. "What's the hurry anyhow?"
"I'm just looking forward to giving you my very best." She replied truthfully. 'If he only knew what my very best is!'
"Well then, let's git to it!" he smiled and rubbed his hands together, his mouth watering as the tall, dark haired beauty started lifting her dress.
"Come and get it." Alex growled as she reached under her dress and grabbed the Bowie knife that she had attached to her thigh.
The Sergeant stopped dead in his tracks and stared at the woman. "What the hell you think your doin', woman?"
"Exactly what I told you before, pig. I want to play with you for a while." Alex grinned evilly while she circled the stunned soldier and started to slowly back him into a corner. She held the sharp knife tight in her hand, trying hard not to simply throw it and kill him instantly. She wanted him to suffer.
"You nuts, lady! What did I ever do to you?"
"Not to me personally, but it's more what you did to a friend of mine."
"What the fuck are you talkin' about?" he exclaimed, studying the crazed woman. She was tall, had a solid muscular body and was moving gracefully as she handled the knife, but that was the only weapon she had. Archer smiled as he slowly reached for his sidearm.
Alex saw the Sergeant's slow move toward his revolver but didn't do anything, just yet. "What I'm talking about is a woman you and your thugs beat to death in the Kansas Territory. I don't think you remember the town, but I'll tell you anyway. It was Carson Pass."
Archer froze for a moment, trying to remember. The last time that he had been in that area had been in the beginning of the war, nearly three years ago. "Oh yeah, now I remember." The Sergeant grinned, feeling a lot more powerful now that he had his hand resting on the grip of his weapon. "She was a nice piece, that woman was. Too bad she didn't want to play."
"Maybe she didn't, but I want to now." Alex growled, "Come on, draw that gun, bastard."
As he was about to pull his revolver out, Archer thought other wise and took a fighting stance instead, lifting both fists up before him. "I'll do better than that, woman. I'll give you the same thin' as I gave the other bitch."
"You mean you're going to beat me all by yourself?" Alex taunted, "How come you're so brave now without your buddies to help you?" She moved in closer to him and threw her Bowie knife away from them.
"I don't need those stinkin' cowards. All they did was watch. I'm the one who did all the work." He stated and smiled at the surprised expression on his opponent's face. "Oh, you didn't know that, didn't you?" he laughed, "And what a fun time I had."
All this time Alex had thought that it was the five men that had beat Jodie to death. Now it seemed that only the man standing before her was responsible. She thought about the two soldiers she had killed as they begged for their lives and hadn't believed them when they said they didn't do it.
Archer lost his smile when he saw that the woman was paying less attention and swung his right fist hitting her on the jaw. But it didn't take long for Alex to respond and she quickly threw a right hook herself. The soldier went sprawling on the ground and he rubbed at the painful spot, surprised at the woman's strength.
Archer scrambled to his feet and rushed the woman. He tried to ram her with his shoulders but she was waiting for him and delivered a knee kick to his stomach. Bending over in pain, the Sergeant didn't have time to react as a powerful elbow went crashing behind his head and as he was about to fall on the ground again, a round house kick sent him spinning and away from her. A low-throated chuckle coming from the woman made him angrier and he climbed back to his feet again. Another swing at Alex's head was made, but this time it was easily blocked.
Alex directed a powerful punch to his stomach again and he dropped to one knee. Grabbing his hair, she started to pound him with her fist so many times that she lost count. She knew that her hand was broken but she didn't care. All she thought about was Jodie as that man beat her. With all of her frustration out of her system, Alex let the soldier limply drop to the ground. "That's for Jodie," she said as she looked at the immobile body at her feet.
The bastard was a mess and that was fine with her. His eyes and jaw had begun to swell and both his lips and nose were bleeding profusely. Turning back to retrieve her saddlebags and her own clothes, Alex missed seeing the Sergeant slowly stir and stand up, blindly reaching for his revolver. All she heard was the faint click of the hammer and she quickly bent down and grabbed her knife. In one swift motion, the Bowie left Alex's hand and landed in Sergeant Archer's chest. The soldier tittered for a while before finally crashing down on the ground still holding his unfired weapon.
"Idiot." Alex grumbled and for the first time started to be painfully aware of her injuries. She winced as she moved her hand and lightly rubbed her sore jaw with her good hand. Touching her lips softly, she frowned at the pain and looked down at her bloody fingers. "Great, I hate split lips." Swinging her saddlebags over her shoulder, Alex grabbed her clothes and started walking out of the barn.
"What's going on here?" a voice said from behind her.
'Oh shit!' Alex cursed and slowly turned around. Standing in the doorway was a Union Captain, both his fists resting on his hips. The man was very handsome, probably about forty years old. A thick mustache continued past his lips and down his strong jaw. The uniform he was wearing was well pressed and spotless. His knee high boots gleamed in the sun and when he started walking toward the dead soldier, Alex could hear the soft metallic jingle his saber made.
The Captain bent down to look at the body then at Alex. "I guess he finally met his match," the officer said as he stood up. "What happened?"
"That man beat a friend of mine to death. He got what he deserved." Alex replied truthfully. If she was going to get arrested, it might as well be for the real reason.
"I see." The officer nodded and slowly approached the woman. The dress she was wearing was ripped and dirty and didn't really fit too well either, almost like what she was wearing belonged to a smaller sister. Even with her swollen jaw and bloody lip, the Captain saw that the woman was of a stunning beauty. "And so you decided to take the law into your hands and pass judgement?"
Alex merely shrugged.
"I've never seen you around here. Somehow I don't think your meeting with that dead thug over there was a coincidence," the Captain said and motioned at her saddlebags. "Drop it carefully so that I can look inside."
Alex did as she was told and let the leather bags drop at his feet along with the bundle of clothes.
"Now, get back a few steps." He ordered, keeping his eyes on the woman. As she did so, he opened each bag and pulled a pair of Colt revolvers out. "Are these yours?"
"Yes, they are." She crossed her arms over her chest and sucked a breath of air as she hit her broken fist.
The gesture wasn't lost on the Captain and he noticed the swollen and colorful hand. Without a word, he put the guns back into the saddlebags and tied them shut. Taking the clothes in his hand, he walked slowly toward the woman and handed everything back to her. "You'd better get that hand looked at. Maybe one of our doctors can help?"
Surprised that the officer wasn't confiscating her weapons, Alex took her belongings back. "Is that an order?" she asked expecting to be arrested.
"Not at all. You can do whatever you wish but I strongly suggest that you do, eventually." He smiled and looked briefly at the Sergeant lying on the ground. "You know, if it was anybody but him, I would have you arrested and hanged for murder," the Captain said and looked back at her. "But we've had nothing but trouble from that man. You kind of did us a service."
Alex listened silently to what the officer was saying, not daring to hope that what she was hearing was true.
"I don't know who you are or if this murder is the only reason why you're here, but I want you to leave this place before I sound the alarm I'd say in about…" he pulled his pocket watch out and looked at the time, "…one hour."
'I can't believe he's letting me go!' "Not that I'm not grateful, but why are you doing this?"
"To tell you the truth, I don't know. Maybe it's because I'm tired of the fighting and destruction," he sighed, "Your death at the end of a rope would serve nothing, especially not at bringing an end to this stupid war." He took his hat off and brushed his fingers through his short, sandy brown hair. "Maybe one day you'll do something that will save somebody else's life. Think of me when you do."
"I will." Alex said softly, suddenly seeing past the Union uniform and straight to the man underneath. "Thank you."
The Captain nodded and turned around to leave. He stopped at the door and said over his shoulder, "Maybe you'd better change into your real clothes. You'll be more comfortable getting away." And with that, he left without looking back.
*****************************
Two figures walked silently down the street, each lost in thought. The sun had set one hour ago and the road was practically deserted. Only a few couples walked slowly, enjoying the peace and quiet of the early evening.
"You've only known her for a few weeks and you're certain that she's telling the truth?" Lone Wolf finally asked Michelle as they made their way toward the general store. He kept thinking about what Alex had told them at the inn.
"I know she is, Wolfie," Michelle said and smiled at her friend. "But I don't know why I trust her so easily. I mean, would you say half the things she said tonight knowing it wasn't true?"
The Indian looked at the small woman and cocked his head slightly, "Okay, let's say she's telling the truth. It doesn't bother you that she killed so easily? What's telling you that she won't turn on you if something happens?"
Michelle stopped walking and looked at the tall man. "I can't say that it doesn't bother me, Lone Wolf," she sighed, "I can't explain why but somehow, I know she won't hurt me," she shrugged and continued walking. "It's just a gut feeling I guess. But I really like her, you know? She's very nice."
Lone Wolf laughed and guided the smaller woman up the steps leading to Mr. Cole's apartments, which were right above the general store. "You've always been right with those feelings of yours. I'm glad that you found a good friend."
"Yeah, me too." She smiled and looked at Mr. Cole's business. "That's funny, I thought the store was closed but there's still light in there."
"No wonder all hell has broken loose," a drunken voice called from behind them, "That Injun is back in town. There's trouble everytime he's here. Go back to the woods, you…savage."
Michelle slowly turned around and looked at the two men watching both Lone Wolf and herself. One of them was beyond drunk while the other tried his best to keep his friend standing up. Michelle walked back down the stairs and faced the drunkard.
"What did you say?" Mick asked, her anger slowly rising. "Lone Wolf belongs here as much as you and I do."
"Come Little Fox, he's not himself tonight. Let him be." The Indian gently tugged on Michelle's coat's sleeve but the small woman wouldn't budge.
"Any respecting woman would never dare be seen with any of their kind." The drunk continued, "I know he's responsible for what happened. You'll see, you're next, woman!" he yelled as he lost his balance and fell into the snow. "Living alone in the woods, that's not normal. Women should be married and have kids." He slurred as he tried to get up again and fell for the second time.
"I'm sorry, Miss Laberge. He drank a little too much. Don't pay any attention to what he says." The drunk's companion apologized.
But Michelle was too angry to let go. She faced the man sitting in the snow and stabbed her finger in the drunk's chest. "You have no idea what normal is, Robinson. I pity your poor wife. I'd rather live in the woods than have to deal with a close minded drunk like you." The smaller woman quickly turned around and angrily made her way up the stairs.
Lone Wolf watched her go with a smile on his face then started after her. "Little Fox sure can bite."
Michelle knocked on the door and saw Mr. Cole wave at them to come in. Stepping inside the store, Michelle saw a few men sitting and several standing near the counter. All conversation stopped when they spotted Lone Wolf behind the young blonde.
"What is he doing here?" one of the men mumbled. "I thought Indians hated cities."
"Okay, that's enough!" Michelle exclaimed and stared at the men. "What's wrong with you? First it's Robinson that insults us, now you?"
"I didn't mean to upset you, Miss Laberge," the man said.
"You insult my friends, Frank, you insult me." Michelle replied and looked at the store's owner. "May I speak with you for a moment?"
"Of course, Michelle. There's something I'd like to ask you too."
"I'll go check on the dogs, Little Fox. I'll wait for you there." Lone Wolf murmured in the small woman's ear.
"You don't have to leave."
"I know. I just want to make sure your dogs are okay." He smiled and quietly left the room.
Michelle watched him leave and sighed. "What's going on? Everybody acts so weird tonight."
"We had bad news earlier, Michelle." Mr. Cole explained, "Roger McFurland was found dead in his cabin. Jean-Francois found him."
"Oh no!" Michelle breathed, "What happened?"
"He was shot in the head. I'm sure that damn Indian friend of yours did it." Another man sitting at the end of the counter said.
"That damn Indian friend of mine saved your sorry ass once, Kurt." Mick shot back, now totally frustrated by the people's attitude toward her friend. She stared at the assembled men who looked at her completely shocked at her language. Nobody had ever seen Michelle so upset before.
"Well, it's just bizarre that your friend shows up and one of ours ends up dead." Kurt replied.
"Lone Wolf isn't a murderer and he couldn't have shot Roger." Michelle explained, "He doesn't touch any kind of firearm, he's a traditionalist."
"That doesn't mean a thing, Michelle." Another man said.
"I know that, but I also know Lone Wolf. He wouldn't kill anybody." She turned her attention back to the storeowner. "I need a favor. Could you shelter my dogs with your horses tonight? Something came up and Alex and I are staying in town."
"I'm glad to hear that, Michelle. Of course I'll take care of them." Mr. Cole said, "That's what I wanted to talk to you about. Until that murderer is found, it would be safer for you in town."
"That's not the reason why we're staying here." Michelle said softly, "It's because of the man looking for Alex. He wants to kill her," she explained, feeling tears start to form in her eyes.
"Who wants to kill her?" Kurt asked as he stood up from his stool.
"Some kind of nut. He's been chasing Alex for a while now." Michelle sat down on a chair and rubbed her eyes. "He won't stop until he gets her."
"Who's Alex?" one of the men asked.
"Is it the woman who saved little Bobby's life?" another asked.
Michelle quietly nodded suddenly feeling very tired. All she wanted to do was get back to Alex.
"Anybody willing to risk her life to save a child is worth helping. Maybe we can help?" Kurt asked and looked at his friends surrounding the smaller woman.
"It's the least we can do, Mick." Mr. Cole said and gently patted her shoulder. "We'll think of something."
******************************
Alex walked about the room Mama Tucker had given them like a mountain lion in a cage. Michelle had said that she would be back soon and that had been nearly one hour ago. Cursing the fact that she had agreed to let Michelle go, Alex grabbed her long fur coat and slipped an arm in a sleeve, preparing to go out and look for her friend.
Footsteps coming closer to the room sounded in the corridor and stopped in front of their door. Quietly, Alex leaned her back against the wall, the coat forgotten as it trailed half way on the floor. She reached for the knife that was tied to her boot and slid it out of its sheath, then prepared to stab at the intruder as soon as he showed himself. Parker had never been one for a stealth entrance and she fully expected the door to slam open at any moment as per his style.
Seconds passed as Alex waited beside the door with nothing happening. She knew that somebody was still out there. A light sound of feet shuffling on the floor was heard, a small sniffle then a soft knock on the door. "Alex? It's me, Mick." She heard her friend call out. The voice sounded a bit shaken as if she had cried and Alex thought that maybe Parker was holding her hostage.
If that were the case, Alex would make sure that the idiot would suffer greatly. Grabbing the hilt of her knife tighter, Alex slowly opened the door and saw Mick standing alone in the doorway. A quick look at the corridor showed no one else. "Michelle! Are you okay? What's wrong?" Alex asked as she saw the tear eyed blonde. She took her hand and gently guided Mick into the room and closed the door behind them.
"I'm okay, I guess." Michelle said softly as she stood in the middle of the room, still wearing her coat and boots. "I'm sorry it took so long."
"I'm just glad that you're okay. Where's Lone Wolf?" the dark haired woman asked as she put the knife back into its sheath and helped Michelle out of her coat. "What happened?"
"A friend of ours was found murdered in his cabin." Michelle explained, feeling the tears threatening to fall all over again. "He lived close to the relay. I can't believe that somebody would do such a thing. They even stole the clothes he was wearing, Alex!"
Putting Mick's coat on a chair and letting her own fall to the ground, Alex wrapped her arms around the petite woman and held her close. She could feel Michelle's body shake as she softly cried. "I'm sorry." Alex soothed and slowly let her hand brush the blonde hair. "Do they have any idea on who might have done it?"
Michelle shook her head no and kept her eyes closed. She felt safe standing like this in Alex's embrace. Leaning her head against the taller woman's chest, she could hear the strong heartbeat and wrapped her arms tighter around Alex's waist, not wanting to let go. "No, but some of them accused Lone Wolf. He would never do such a thing."
Alex didn't know what to say. She didn't know the man but she didn't think of him as a possible killer. From the conversation she had with him at dinnertime, Alex got the impression that he simply hated violence. She just hoped that Michelle was right. Letting go of the smaller woman, Alex reached a hand to lift Mick's chin so that she could look at her. "You look tired. Why don't we go to bed, okay?" she smiled. She wiped the tears away with her thumbs and kissed Michelle's forehead softly. "Things will get better tomorrow."
"How can it get better? We still have Parker to worry about. I don't want anything to happen to you too, Alex." She said softly as she looked into incredible blue eyes.
"I'll be careful, Michelle, but I need to take care of him. I can't go on living on the run."
"I know."
Alex could feel her heart beat faster as Michelle looked into her eyes while her small hands lightly rubbed her back. 'Do you even know the effect you have on me, Michelle?' Alex silently asked, wanting nothing more than to kiss the soft lips that were so close to her.
"But we'll find a way to deal with him. You'll see. Something is bound to happen." Michelle raised herself on tiptoes and hesitated briefly before she gently kissed Alex's cheek. "And you're right, I am tired. Let's go to bed." 'Why did I hesitate? I almost kissed her!'
Looking at the bed with some level of alarm, Alex didn't know if sleeping so close to Michelle right now was a wise thing to do. Her feelings for the younger woman were clearly different from Michelle's toward her. Maybe all she wanted was a friend and nothing more. Alex would need to keep her emotions under tight control if that was the case.
"Are you going to spend the night standing in the middle of the room?" Michelle asked with a smile and sat down on the bed. She took her boots off and proceeded to get ready for the night. Mama Tucker had been kind enough to supply sleeping shirts for both her and Alex.
"Huh, no." Alex mumbled and started to undress then put the lamps out.
Lying under the heavy blankets, Alex lay on her back wide awake. She could feel the heat coming from Michelle's body and longed to be able to hold her against her like they had done once before. The younger woman's irregular breathing showed that she wasn't sleeping either.
Expecting an offer to cuddle against the muscular body, Michelle was disappointed when it never came. Trying to find a way to get what she wanted without asking directly, Michelle leaned on her elbow and looked down at Alex who was staring at the ceiling. "Can't sleep?"
"Nuh uh. You?"
'Think fast, Mick, think!' "I'm just too cold."
Alex looked at the innocent green eyes and raised an eyebrow. With those heavy covers, it was anything but too cold. A hint of a smile tugged at Alex's lips and she looked seriously at the smaller woman. "Well, we can't have that now, can we? Would you like for me to get another blanket?"
"No!" she quickly said, already finding the ones they were lying under too warm. "I mean, huh, oh, forget it." Michelle let a frustrated sigh escape her lips and leaned back down. A small chuckle was heard from Alex and she looked at her companion with a frown on her face. "What?"
"Why don't you just ask, Michelle?" Alex smiled, "It's the same as if you want to know something."
"I guess my ruse wasn't the best one, huh?"
Alex slowly shook her head and smiled. "Nope." She opened her arms and beckoned Michelle in. "Come on."
"Thanks!" With a smile, Michelle quickly cuddled against Alex's body and leaned her head on a strong shoulder. "I hope you don't mind, but I kind of like sleeping like this."
"I like it too." Alex said softly.
Michelle lifted her head again and looked at her friend. "Do you really?" she asked and watched as she nodded yes. "I mean, I wouldn't want you to do something you didn't like." She continued as she looked at the blue eyes looking back and let her gaze slowly wander to the soft lips so close to her. "Because I wouldn't want to ruin our friendship if…"
Reaching a hand behind Michelle's head, Alex slowly brought the woman closer to her and gently kissed her on the lips. It was a quick kiss but long enough to show her that she knew exactly what she was doing. "Good night, Michelle." Alex smiled when the stunned look was soon replaced by a beautiful smile.
"Good night." Michelle managed to say and leaned back down against Alex's body. She closed her eyes as she felt a strong arm wrap itself around her waist and leaned her own across Alex's stomach. 'This definitely is the best way to sleep!' Soon, Alex and Michelle were fast asleep.
A chance had been taken that night in trying to figure out how the other felt. Both had gambled and it looked like both had won. A good friendship had developed between them in the past three weeks and it seemed like another powerful emotion had slowly woven its way into their relationship; love.
*******************************
Morning came too fast and Alex knew that she had to get up and start her search for Parker, but she didn't want to leave Michelle's side. The smaller woman was still cuddled against her, leaning on her side with her head resting just below Alex's chin. With a smile, she planted a kiss on the sleeping woman's head, the action causing the small hand to stretch a little and gently brush against the breasts it was resting in between. The gesture caused Alex to suck in a breath and she took the small hand into hers and brought it to rest on her stomach where it was less arousing.
She wished that she had more time to spend with Michelle before she had to leave. She really wanted to know how Mick felt toward her, but now wasn't the time to get intimate. Closing her eyes to calm her racing heart and control her rising arousal, Alex tried to think of less pleasant thoughts than about the small woman sleeping cuddled against her.
What was she going to do about Parker? Three weeks ago, she would have shot the man and left him in the woods to rot. Now, things were a little more complicated. In a certain way, Alex had told Michelle that she wouldn't resort to violence to resolve this problem. So if she couldn't shoot him, what could she do to get rid of him?
To pay him off so he would leave her alone wasn't an option to Alex, it simply wasn't her style. Besides, men like him always came back when the money ran out.
The militia couldn't do anything either. The murder Parker had committed had been in the United States and not Canada. She could always provoke him enough so that he would shoot her and hope that the bullet wouldn't kill her. That way the militia would have reason enough to do something. But Alex wasn't too thrilled about the idea and she knew that Michelle wouldn't be either.
Frustrated, she let out a sigh and looked down at her still sleeping companion. She had no choice but to deal with the man in a violent manner and just hoped that Michelle would understand. She could challenge Parker in a duel if those were legal in the area. That way Alex would get a fighting chance of making it.
"What are you thinking about?" a sleepy voice asked.
Alex mentally shook her head and smiled at Michelle. "Good morning." She greeted the younger woman and chose not to answer for fear of worrying Michelle. "Sleep well?"
"Umm-hmm, very." Michelle stretched slowly and squeezed the muscled body beside her. "Alex?"
"Hmm?"
"Can I ask you a question?"
"Sure."
"Last night when you kissed me, was it an in-between friends kiss or did it mean something more?" Michelle asked and held her breath, waiting for an answer.
'You did tell her to just ask if she wanted to know something, Alex.' The dark haired woman smiled and gently turned Michelle on her back. "Last night was a friendly kiss." Reaching to brush a strand of blonde hair away from her face, Alex looked into green eyes that seemed to be disappointed and hopeful at the same time. Letting her fingers slowly glide across Michelle's lips, Alex gave her all the time she could to allow the younger woman a chance to stop what both knew was about to happen.
Letting her hand slowly caress the soft cheek, Alex slowly bent down and gently kissed the soft lips that seemed to invite her. Tentative at first, Alex kissed her more passionately when she felt Michelle respond to her touch. She let her tongue slowly glide along the smaller woman's lips and gently asked to be let in.
Michelle sighed in satisfaction when Alex kissed her. Opening her mouth slightly, she moaned when Alex let her tongue slowly explore her lips and entered her mouth. She had never been kissed this way before and found that she liked the experience.
Too quickly, the contact was broken and both women looked at each other, out of breath. "This was more than just a friendly kiss." Alex smiled as she continued to caress Michelle's cheek.
"Really?" Michelle asked with a smile, "Could you show me again so I can be sure of the difference?"
Alex laughed and kissed the smaller woman again. "Which one did you prefer?"
"The last one was much better."
A soft knock sounded on the door. "Girls? Are you awake?" Mama Tucker called out.
A sigh. "Yes, we are." Michelle answered as she kept her hands wandering all over Alex's broad back. In a whisper, Mick complained, "Great timing."
"Lone Wolf is here. He wants to know if you want him to go check on your dogs."
"We'll be right down."
"Okay."
Alex turned on her back and looked at the ceiling. The last thing she wanted to do was get out of bed and leave Michelle's side. But she needed to go and find Parker so that she could put an end to her life on the run. She just hoped that it would turn out all right, especially since she knew for certain that Michelle shared similar feelings towards her. She knew first hand how it felt to lose somebody you loved. Alex didn't want for Michelle to go through that too.
It didn't take long before the younger woman cuddled against her side again. "I guess this means we have to get up, huh?"
"Argh!" Mick groaned and trailed her hand over Alex's flat stomach. She watched with interest as the taller woman closed her eyes and smiled. "Could we stay here just a little longer?"
"I honestly wish we could, Michelle." Alex said softly, "But I promise you that once this mess with Parker is over, we'll pick up where we left off."
"You promise?" Mick asked as she leaned halfway on top of Alex and looked into twinkling blue eyes.
Wrapping her arms around Michelle's waist, Alex smiled and nodded, "Promise."
"Good," she said and gave the older woman a kiss before she reluctantly got out of bed. "Because I kind of like where our relationship is heading."
"I totally agree with you."
Lone Wolf was sitting at the table drinking coffee when both women entered the dining room. As much as Michelle looked relaxed and smiled as she greeted the few regular customers having their breakfast, Alex looked tense and on guard. She did relax somewhat after Michelle lightly rubbed her back. As they headed toward his table, Lone Wolf stood up. "Good morning."
"Morning, Wolfie." Mick smiled and sat down, followed by Alex who nodded her greeting.
"You seem to be in a good mood this morning. Are you always this chipper, Little Fox?" Lone Wolf asked and watched as Michelle blushed slightly.
"Let's just say that's it's a nice morning and that I'm looking forward to going back home." She replied, giving Alex a little sideways glance.
"Little Fox?" Alex repeated and looked at Michelle with a raised eyebrow.
Mick shrugged, "It's just a name Lone Wolf's people gave me."
"You earned it too." The Indian smiled, "That is one cunning little lady, Alex. She outsmarted some government agent who wanted to expel us from our land. Little Fox found something in a treaty that was signed a long time ago and he couldn't do anything."
"I just happened to be at the right time and place, that's all." Mick said, "No big deal."
"It is to us, Little Fox. We still have our land." The man smiled and taking the carafe of coffee poured two cups for the women. "One thing is for sure, when she wants something, she'll do anything to get it. She can be very creative sometimes."
"Oh really?" Alex said with a grin, "Now why do I know this to be true? Was what happened planned?"
"You wanted it too!" Michelle said defensively, feeling her blush deepen.
"I never said that I didn't want it." Alex teased and gave the smaller woman's thigh a light squeeze.
Not understanding what was going on, Lone Wolf watched the two women tease each other and smiled. It was good to see Michelle have fun finally and Alex seemed to bring out the best in her.
They ate their breakfast while keeping the conversation light and staying away from discussing the event that would happen sometime during the day. Even if they wanted to talk about it, Alex still had no idea what she was going to do. All she was certain about was to keep Michelle away from her and keep her safe with Lone Wolf watching over her.
Watching the tall Indian walk out of the inn by the kitchen door, Alex turned her attention to Michelle and helped her button her fur coat. "So you'll stay with Lone Wolf until this is over, okay? I want to know that you're safe."
"I'm not happy about leaving you to face him alone but I said I would listen to you." Michelle said as she put her hat on.
"Thank you."
"You be careful, okay? I want for the two of us to go back home as soon as possible."
"And what Little Fox wants, Little Fox gets, right?"
"You bet!" Michelle tried to smile but she could feel what little control she had of her emotions slowly break apart. Her eyes stung as tears began to form. She bit the inside of her lips, not wanting to cry in front of Alex.
"Hey, everything will be okay." Alex softly said and lifted Michelle's chin to kiss her lightly on the lips.
Closing her eyes to keep the tears from falling, Michelle wrapped her arms around her friend's body and held on tight. "I don't want to lose you, Alex."
"You won't lose me, now that I have a reason for wanting to stay alive." Green eyes looked up at her and Alex tucked a loose strand of blonde hair under the hat. "You're my reason."
Michelle didn't know how to reply. There were so many things that she wanted to say, just in case something bad would happen to Alex, but she stubbornly refused to even think of the possibility. Alex would come out of this uninjured, she had to. Once again, Mick gave her a long and tight hug and smiled as she felt Alex's fingers gently scratch her neck.
The door to the kitchen opened and Mama Tucker walked in. Stopping briefly to look at the embracing friends, she smiled and continued on her way toward her stove to prepare more meals. "I hope you won't get Michelle's habit of visiting me only once a month Alex. It was nice seeing you again."
The tall, dark haired woman looked at the innkeeper and smiled. "We'll try to visit more often."
"Good. Now you two have a safe way back home."
"We will. Thanks for everything." Michelle said and walked out of the inn with Alex right behind.
Giving the Indian a small nod, Alex looked down at Michelle and lightly tapped her nose. "Go check your dogs. I'm sure they miss you," she smiled and buttoned her own coat.
"I will." Michelle replied softly and gave Alex's arm a squeeze. "Please, be careful."
Alex nodded and watched as her friend walked away along with Lone Wolf. She kept her eyes on Michelle until she couldn't see her anymore and sighed. Now what the hell was she going to do about Parker? She reached for her boot and took her Bowie knife out of its sheath then slipped it inside her sleeve, blade first. Maybe she didn't have her revolvers, but at least she had something that could still do a lot of damage.
Walking the streets of Mansonville, Alex noticed that there were not many people walking about and that the roads looked practically deserted. Men Alex had never seen before smiled at her and wished her a good day before continuing on their way. She watched as they walked by, surprised by their kindness, especially since she wasn't used to being treated as a fellow citizen anymore. 'That was nice,' she thought. Another thing Alex noticed was that so far, she hadn't seen one single woman. All the people she met were men. Frowning at the discovery, she looked around and spotted a few men talking among themselves and looking at her. "You're getting paranoid, old girl," she mumbled and continued her search for Parker.
Starting to get frustrated by her lack of success, Alex let her mind wander a little and thought about Michelle. The last thing she expected to do was to find somebody to care for and possibly fall in love with. 'Who am I kidding? I am in love with her.' Four years ago, Alex hadn't understood Jodie when her lover had made her promise that she would go and find somebody else to love if something ever happened. The thought of loving somebody else was unthinkable to Alex. Jodie was the only person she wanted to spend the rest of her life with.
Even after her death, Alex still believed that it was impossible for her to love again. She always felt like she would betray Jodie's memory if she did. But meeting Michelle had slowly changed her mind. Not that she didn't love Jodie anymore, she'd never stop doing that. But ever since she had met the young blonde, Alex had thought a lot about what Jodie had said and made her promise. It also felt like her deceased lover was guiding her, pointing her toward another chance at love and happiness.
"You're losin' your edge, Carmichael."
A voice sounded behind Alex and she spun to come face to face with Parker who grinned like an idiot. She grabbed the hilt of her hidden knife tighter in her hand, ready to strike at a moment's notice.
"I could have killed you easily." Parker continued, "Not too long ago, you would have heard me approach you."
"Why didn't you kill me, then?" Alex asked as she studied the man before her. Parker had a revolver in a holster and a knife strapped to his thigh. "You had the means to do it."
"I didn't do it because I have my reasons." Parker replied and crossed his arms over his chest. "So, what does a mean, tough bitch like you doin' in a nice town like this?"
"None of your damn business," she growled, "What do you want, Parker? Let's get it over with."
"Me?" he pointed a finger at his chest, "Nothin'. I'm just visitin' here. I don't know what you're talkin' about." He grinned.
Alex snorted, "Yeah, right." There was something weird about Parker and she couldn't put her finger on it. Not that he wasn't weird to begin with, but something wasn't quite right. A more detailed look at her enemy and Alex finally noticed what was bugging her. She started laughing, causing Parker to frown at her in puzzlement.
"What the hell's wrong with you?"
"What are you supposed to be? An Indian wannabe?" she asked as she pointed to the clothes he was wearing. The buckskin pants and jacket he was wearing were too large for him. If it wasn't for the gun belt around his waist, Alex was sure that he would lose his pants. "You look stupid dressed this way, Parker."
"Shut up, you bitch!" he screamed, losing what little control he had. If it weren't for the strict order of not to kill her that he had received, he would take great pleasure in ripping her apart.
"Is there a problem here?" a new voice sounded to Alex's right and she turned to see a bearded man approach them with a younger one walking beside him. He smiled at her and then turned to stare at Parker. "Nobody ever tell you that it ain't nice to call ladies that way?"
"Mind your fuckin' business!"
"I think that boy has an attitude problem. Don't you think so, Kurt?" the man asked his companion.
Surprised at the latest development, Alex looked around and spotted more men approach them, some of them carrying rifles. She saw the men that had been looking at her earlier and realized that among them were the ones who had said hello previously. All were standing behind Parker and sideways, keeping him from running away. "What's going on?" Alex asked the man who had been called Kurt.
"We heard that this guy is bad news. We're just giving a hand in helping keep this boy from doing anything stupid."
"Where did you hear that?" Alex asked, keeping an eye on Parker who looked like he wanted to bolt as more people joined the group.
Kurt smiled and tilted his head sideways, "From somebody who cares a lot about you." He said and pointed a thumb to her left.
Alex looked at where Kurt was pointing and saw Michelle walk toward them with a determined step. Lone Wolf was walking beside her while Mr. Cole followed behind with more men. Alex didn't know if she should be angry as hell to see Michelle be part of this or hug her for it.
"That's it!" One of the men exclaimed, "I'd recognize that sheath from any distance," he pointed to the knife Parker had strapped at his thigh. "That's Roger's knife!" he yelled and tried to push his way to get to the man.
"Are you sure, Jean-Francois?" Mr. Cole asked as he did his best to keep the furious man from attacking Parker, who was quickly getting nervous.
"How can I be wrong? I made that knife sheath for Roger's birthday. I recognize my own work, Jeffrey!" Jean-Francois yelled and tried again to shake loose from the hands holding his arms.
"What's going on?" Alex asked as Mick stood beside her. "I told you to stay…"
"You told me to stay with Lone Wolf and that's exactly what I did. He's here, isn't he?"
"Michelle…" Alex warned.
"Let me explain, Alex," the younger woman quickly said, "When I walked into the general store, the men were discussing Roger's murder. I couldn't help but find it a strange coincidence that a murder was committed at the same time that a raving lunatic chasing you shows up in town."
"Shut up, you dumb blonde!" Parker spat in Michelle's direction and took one step toward her. "Who are you? Carmichael's little play mate?" There was a sudden move and he looked down, seeing that Alex had the tip of her knife painfully pressing against his throat. "Now the real Carmichael shows up. I thought that you had gone soft on me." Parker chuckled and held Alex's glare. "Come on, do it! I know you're achin' to shove that blade in my throat. Show those people what you can really do!"
Mick pointed a finger at Parker and glared at him, "You shut up! And I'll let you know that I'm anything but dumb," she replied, not bothering to affirm or deny his allegations concerning Alex and turned her attention to the taller woman. "Don't do it, Alex, please," she said softly as she watched her furious friend.
"When Michelle told us about this, I remembered I found something familiar with that man when I first saw him." Mr. Cole said, "It wasn't him personally but more what he was wearing. I always teased Roger about his lack of sewing skills. You see, the buckskin jacket he always wore had a rip in it and he did a poor job at fixing it. It's the same tear as the one he's got."
"When I heard that," Michelle continued, "I asked the men to help me in finding him. We walked all over town trying to find you."
Kurt chuckled and patted the small woman's back. "You mean had us running all over town. We couldn't move fast enough for her."
Refusing to look at anything but Parker, Alex listened to what everybody was saying, the tip of her knife still pressing painfully against the man's throat.
"Yeah, well," Mick shrugged, "I figured that if Parker was responsible for Roger's death, we had the perfect way to put him away for good." She looked at Alex and smiled shyly, "This way, you didn't have to do anything that would have landed you in jail too."
'But it would be so satisfying to push my blade in, to see him writhe in pain.' Alex silently told herself and then, mentally shook her head. She knew Michelle was right. What good would it do if she landed in jail for the murder of that pitiful excuse for a man? Wanting so much to do things Mick's way, Alex slowly pulled her knife away from Parker's throat and started to bring her hand down.
"You think you're so smart, don't you?" Parker said and suddenly pulled his revolver out of its holster. He didn't get very far as Alex was once again at his throat with her Bowie and the people surrounding them pointed a dozen rifles and handguns and aimed everything directly at his head.
Kurt took Parker's weapon away and stepped back, keeping his eyes on both Alex and the suspected murderer.
"Don't listen to him, Alex. He's not worth it." Michelle softly said, "We all know that he's going to hang for those three murders he did."
"What are you talkin' about?" Parker exclaimed, "I only killed that dumb trapper…" he started to say but stopped. It was already too late as he realized that the young blonde had duped him. "You bitch!"
Michelle smirked at the furious man and wrapped her hand around Alex's arm when the taller woman took her knife away from Parker's throat.
"Little Fox strikes again." Lone Wolf grinned and winked at Alex.
A man made his way through the crowd and nodded at Michelle. "That's all I needed to hear. Thank you Ma'am," the Captain of the militia said and grabbed Parker's arm.
"You are something else, you know that?" Alex smiled at Michelle and put her knife back into its sheath at her boot. She watched as the men took Parker away and tried her best to block the obscenities he was yelling at both women. "What am I going to do with you?" she laughed.
"Anything you want," was Michelle's easy answer. "I'm just glad that everything's over."
"You're wrong, Michelle," Alex whispered in her ear, "Things have just begun."
******************************
Alex led the team of dogs through the forest as if she had done it many times before. Surprised by the offer, Alex readily accepted when Michelle offered to teach her the basics of how to handle the sled and Malamutes. Looking down at the smaller woman sitting comfortably on the sled, she saw Michelle's head slightly leaning against the backrest and knew that she had fallen asleep.
They had been riding for almost three hours and the sun had almost set behind the mountains. Darkness would soon make their way home more difficult and Alex helped the dogs as the team started to climb the last hill leading to the relay. Coming up at a fork in the trail, she slowed the sled as she guided the dogs to take the left path and spotted the secluded cabin up the hill.
Letting out a soft grunt, Michelle slowly stretched as best as she could without kicking off the materials they were bringing back from town. Looking around to get her bearings, she noticed with amazement that they were practically home. "Alex?" Michelle said as she turned slightly to look up at the dark haired woman standing behind her. "Why didn't you wake me up?"
"Because I didn't need to ask directions." Alex replied simply.
"Well, I can see that. How did you know which path to take?"
Alex shrugged and started to slow the dogs as they neared the cabin. "Everytime I went out to hunt, I made sure to study the area carefully. Riding to town yesterday, I spotted a few things that helped me find our way back here."
"Oh, you mean the old bridge and the abandoned mine shaft?" Michelle asked and climbed off the sled.
"Hmm, that and the two maple trees twisted together as if it was only one tree."
"Where did you see that?" she asked as she started to take the harness off of her dogs.
"At the fork. That's how I knew I needed to take the left path." Alex said and helped Mick with the Malamutes. "I'll show you next time we go by."
"I'd like that." Michelle smiled and walked into the dog pen. Lighting a lamp, she hung it on a peg beside the door and started feeding the animals. "Now that we're home, will you finally tell me what took so much space on the sled?"
"Take care of them and join me outside. You'll see." Alex said and walked back to the covered sled.
"Alex!"
The tall woman smiled at the frustrated tone of her friend's voice. Ever since seeing the well packed sled, Michelle had tried to find out what lay under the tarp, especially since there wasn't that much to buy this month. Untying the cords that held everything secure, Alex peeked under the cover and sucked in a breath in surprise.
"I'm all done. Now will you let me know?" Michelle said from behind Alex and rested her hand on the broad back. "You really know how to get my curiosity going, you know that?"
"Well, right now, I think that Mr. Cole's got my curiosity going." Alex said and smiled at Mick, "Ready?"
"Yes!"
In one swift motion, Alex pulled the cover off the sled and heard Michelle gasp at what she was seeing. The sled had been packed with brand new metal containers for the maple syrup production. What surprised Alex the most was that there were a lot more than what she had originally asked for.
"Wha…who…" Michelle hesitated and took a few steps forward and reached for a bundle of containers that were piled one into the other. "You bought these?" she asked as she looked up at Alex.
Not sure how to take the young blonde's expression, Alex shrugged and shoved both hands into her pant pockets. "You said that you wished you had more of those for your production. I thought that it might help you a little." She watched as Michelle silently put the containers back on the sled.
"Alex…"
"You're upset, aren't you? I guess I should have talked to you before I bought them. I just wanted to surprise you, that's all."
"Alex…"
"I'm sorry. All I wanted to do was give you a gift…"
Turning to face the taller woman, "Alex!" Michelle said and grabbed both of her friend's arms, "Will you let me say something here?" she watched as Alex blinked in surprise a couple of times and then nodded. "Good," she smiled, "What you did was wonderful, Alex. You just caught me by surprise. I never had anybody do something quite like this for me before."
"So you're not upset?"
Michelle slowly shook her head. "No." She closed the gap between them and wrapped her arms around Alex's waist. "I'm not upset. You just had me speechless for a while."
"Oh, that's good then." Alex smiled and gave her young friend a hug.
"Good that you had me speechless?" Michelle grinned and stretched to give the taller woman a kiss.
"That you're not mad at me," she explained.
Leaning the side of her head against Alex's chest, Michelle smiled as a thought crossed her mind. "I really appreciate what you did, Alex, but do you know what would be even better?"
"Hmm?"
"I know those containers are a gift, but it would be real nice if we considered them as an investment." She explained and looked up to see a confused expression on Alex's face. "You and I, we could be partners. The maple production will start soon and there's lots of work ahead. Since we'll be working together, why not make it a business deal?"
"Are you sure?" Alex asked and smiled when Michelle nodded vigorously. "Business partners, huh? I don't know much about it though. You'll have to teach me."
"With the speed at which you learn? You'll know as much as I do in no time. Then maybe sometime, you'll be the one teaching me."
"Teaching you what?"
Michelle shrugged with a grin, "I don't know yet, but we'll think of something."
Alex laughed and gave the smaller woman a hug before stepping back. "Come on, let's get this sled unloaded so we can get inside."
"Alex?"
"Yes?"
"Would you tell me why Parker was chasing you?"
Alex stopped what she was doing and thought about the request. She nodded and smiled at Michelle. "Let's get this unloaded and have dinner first. Then once we're comfortable in front of the fireplace, I'll tell you the whole story, okay?"
"Great!"
******************************
Having changed into her nightshirt, Michelle brought the oil lamp with her from the small bedroom and walked toward Alex. The older woman looked pensive and hadn't said much since their meal an hour ago. She was already settled for the night on her pallet, the blankets she was under slightly pushed aside for Michelle. Staring at the fire before her, Alex gently nibbled at her lip, not noticing Mick standing not too far away and watching her.
Blowing the flame out, Michelle put the oil lamp on the table, "Penny for your thoughts," she smiled and slipped under the blankets beside Alex.
"Hmm?"
"You seem so far away. You okay?" she asked, looking at her friend.
Gently rubbing the smaller woman's back, Alex nodded, "I was thinking about my last conversation with Mr. Cole before we left today. He wants to know if I would like to go on a supply run for him next week."
"Next week? Weren't you supposed to go sometime in April only?"
"That's the run to Quebec City. This one would be to Sherbrooke. I have no idea where it is, but Mr. Cole says it's a one week trip both ways."
Michelle excitedly patted the dark haired woman's stomach, "But that's great! I guess he really wants you to work for him, huh?"
"Hmm,"
"You don't look like you're looking forward to it, Alex."
Alex shrugged as she kept staring at the fire, "I am, but it means I'll be on the road for a week and you'll be here alone. Until Parker is put away for good one way or another, I'll worry."
Michelle smiled and turned on her stomach so that she could look at Alex, "He's in jail right now and it looks like they'll hang him for the murder." Reaching to touch the older woman's cheek, Mick softly let her hand caress the soft skin, "And as for being alone, I've been doing that for many years, Alex." Then added as an afterthought, "You'll be coming back here, right?"
"But I'll miss you." Alex murmured and blinked in surprise at the sound of her own voice. She hadn't meant to express her feelings out loud, but the expression on Michelle's face was worth the slip up.
The young blonde cuddled closer against the long, muscular body, "Really?"
"Yeah, I will." Alex smiled and brought the smaller woman up to lie on her chest, then wrapped both arms around the slim waist. "How about you?"
"I never thought that I could get attached to someone so fast." Michelle explained as she rested her chin on the top of her hands. "I've never felt this way with anybody before."
Feeling her heart beat start to thump loudly against her chest, Alex closed her eyes as she leaned her cheek against Michelle's head. "And how do you feel?"
Taking a deep breath and letting it go slowly, Mick smiled, "Very good." Lifting her head, she ended up looking deep into blue eyes. 'How do I really feel? Protected? Comfortable? In love? Definitely!' "You mean a lot to me, Alex. I mean, you've become a good friend in the past three weeks and…I…huh, what I'm trying to say is…" Michelle closed her eyes, trying to get her thoughts in order. "I really feel good with you."
Alex gently kissed the lips that were so close to her. "I'm glad you feel this way," she said softly, "But what I'd like to know is, do you just feel good or is there something more that you feel?"
Pleasantly surprised by the soft kiss, Michelle opened her eyes and slowly let them linger on the moist, full lips beckoning her. Swallowing nervously, all Mick could do was nod silently, unable to voice her desires.
Trailing her hands across Michelle's back, Alex watched as the green eyes looking at her slowly closed and a smile started to form on the smaller woman's lips. "Does this feel good too?" she asked with a smile and was answered with another nod. Bringing her hands up on either side of Michelle's body, Alex let her thumbs slowly brush against the sides of the firm breasts and heard Mick moan softly. "How about this? Do you feel comfortable when I do that?"
"Yesss," Michelle replied and slowly lifted herself off of Alex to allow the older woman's roving hands a better access to her breasts. Why did Alex's touch excite her so much while just the thought of a man doing the same did the complete opposite? Hoping that the gentle caresses she was receiving would lead to what she only dreamed about, Michelle suddenly felt the need to explain, "Alex…I…ah,…I've never…" she swallowed again, "…been with anyone before." she finished in a whisper.
Turning the smaller woman gently on her back, Alex smiled as she brushed a strand of blonde hair behind one ear. "Tell me what you want, Michelle." she asked softly, "The last thing I want to do is make you uncomfortable."
"I don't…want…" Michelle started and closed her eyes again, trying to get her nervousness under control. Alex's slowly moving hand suddenly stopped and Mick quickly opened her eyes to see a shocked expression on the taller woman's face.
"I'm sorry. I thought that you wanted…"
"I don't want you to stop, Alex." Michelle quickly said and brushed her fingers in the raven hair. "But I'm nervous. I don't know what to do or…"
Breathing a sigh of relief, Alex relaxed and smiled. "There's no need to be nervous, Michelle. I won't hurt you. I…love you."
"You too?"
"You love you too?" Alex asked with a grin, feeling the younger woman visibly relax from under her.
"You know what I mean!" Mick laughed and turned serious, "I was afraid to say anything. The first time I saw you, I thought that you were the most beautiful woman I had ever seen."
"I was a mess, Michelle."
"But a beautiful mess." She smiled and glided her hand through the dark hair, lightly scratching at Alex's neck. "I love you so much."
"I never thought that I could love again." Alex said seriously, "You make me feel so alive, Michelle." Lowering her head, Alex gently kissed the blonde and felt her heart skip a beat when Michelle tightly wrapped her arms around her and felt her soft tongue tentatively explore her lips. Opening her mouth, she allowed Michelle entry and kissed her more passionately.
The only sounds Mick heard were the noises her blood made as it rushed through her veins and the loud thumping of her heart against her chest. This was much better than the dreams that had visited her since Alex's arrival. A slow, gentle motion of the strong hand against her flesh made Michelle close her eyes in pure contentment and she couldn't stop the moan that escaped her lips as that same hand slowly made its way under the nightshirt and up to her breast. "Oh, Alex…"
"You let me know if I do anything that makes you uncomfortable, okay?" Alex said softly as she trailed small kisses on Mick's face and neck.
"I honestly think there's nothing you can do to make me uncomfortable."
Smiling, Alex gently pulled Michelle's sleep shirt up and with the smaller woman's help, took it off completely. Her lips soon found their way to an erect nipple and began sucking gently at the excited bud, letting her tongue slowly circle the sensitive tip.
"Hmmm, don't stop now." Michelle breathed.
"I don't intend to."
******************************
Alex was the first to wake up the next morning. Having successfully slipped out of the solid hold Michelle had on her without waking her, Alex stoked the fire again and added more wood. Looking back at her still sleeping lover, she smiled and joined the young blonde once again under the blankets. It didn't take very long before Michelle rested her head back against Alex's shoulder and wrapped an arm and a leg across the long muscular body under her.
For the first time in many years, Alex's first conscious thought of the day hadn't been for Jodie but for Michelle. She remembered seeing her deceased lover briefly in her dream, her words still echoing in her mind. "You have a life to live, Alex. Be happy and love her as much as you loved me." The words left a warm feeling within Alex and she smiled. Could it be possible that somehow, Jodie was responsible for Alex meeting Michelle?
Looking down at the sleeping woman in her arms, Alex gently kissed the blonde head and felt Michelle tighten her grip around her waist. She didn't know who to thank for their being together but Alex was grateful. Not only did she get a good friend, but now she had a woman she wanted to spend the rest of her life with, if her enemies would leave them alone.
With Parker behind bars and waiting for his trial, Alex wondered if there was anybody else who figured out where she was. The best possibility was Johnson. She didn't know where the man was or if Parker had been in communication with him, but Alex suddenly wished that she had spent some time with Parker before the militia Captain had taken him away.
The warm body she was holding in her arms stirred and Alex looked down, seeing green eyes look back at her.
"What are you worried about?" Michelle asked sleepily.
"And good morning to you too." Alex smiled and gently kissed Mick's forehead. "What makes you think I'm worried about something?"
"You're chewing your lip," she replied and positioned herself to get a better view at Alex. "Were you thinking about last night?"
Seeing the concerned look on Michelle's face, Alex smiled, "I was thinking about last night alright but that's not what I was worried about. How do you feel?"
Stretching slightly, she reached up and kissed Alex, "I feel great," she smiled, "Last night was amazing."
"Yes, it was."
Silence stretched for a while as both women stared at the fire. "So, what are you thinking about?" Michelle finally asked.
Taking a deep breath, Alex let it go slowly and let her fingers slowly glide along Michelle's naked back. "Now's not the time to talk about it, Mick, there're better things to do than that," she said and moved her hand lower to caress the smaller woman's round and firm buttocks.
"Ah, ah, ah," Mick warned and slightly moved out of the way, "Something's bothering you and I want to know what it is. You know me, Alex, I won't be able to relax if I know that you're worried about something."
"You'd rather hear about some silly thoughts than making love?" Alex teased.
Giving Alex a playful slap on the chest, Michelle laughed, "I didn't say that. It's just that if something's bothering you, it can't be silly."
She sighed, "I was just thinking about Parker. I wonder if he told anyone about where I am. If he did, we might have more trouble heading our way. I only wish I had spent some time alone with him to find out."
Michelle stretched out and lay down on top of her lover's naked body. "I feel he wouldn't tell you anything, Alex, unless you beat the information out of him. But the cycle of violence has to stop sometime, you know? Whatever happens next, we'll face it together, just like we did with Parker."
"I still can't believe you had so many people involved, Michelle," she shook her head with a smile, "Nobody ever did anything like this for me before. Thank you."
"My pleasure. So, what's Parker's story? Why was he chasing you?" she smiled, "Or did you think I forgot about the promise you made last evening?"
Alex laughed and hugged Michelle, "You won't let it go, will you?"
"Nope but I'll make you a deal. You tell me the whole story and we'll pick up where we left off very early this morning."
"And what will happen if I don't tell you what happened?" Alex grinned.
"Then you'll sleep alone." She threatened as she bit back a laugh.
"Are you blackmailing me, Miss Laberge?"
"Is it working?"
"Get comfortable to listen to a story." Alex laughed and wrapped her arms tighter around the smaller woman's waist.