For disclaimers see part 1

Northern Peace and Perils, Part 7

By WolfDragon.

"That feels so good," Michelle said as she took the towel Alex had put beside her. "I never thought I was going to get that clean again." She dried her hair as best as she could then looked up at Alex who was walking back from the kitchen with a double serving of dessert. "I could have done that you know. Keshata said you should take it easy."

Alex chuckled as she gingerly sat down in front of the fireplace and put the plate on the floor. "He did a great job at stitching me but I don't think cutting two pieces of apple pie is considered hard labor." She smiled and patted the spot next to her. "C'mere and I'll help you dry your hair."

"Hmm, I won't say no to that." Michelle grinned and sat between Alex's outstretched legs then closed her eyes as her friend took the towel and began to dry the blonde locks. "That feels so nice. I didn't realize how tired I was until now."

"You should take it easy too." Alex said softly. "You just spent many hours tied up in a cold mine shaft, lying down in water and mud. I just hope that you won't get sick from it. Are you sure you're okay? It must have been a horrible experience for you."

"I'm fine, really." She smiled as she patted the muscled thigh. "I think that I was more scared for you than for my own safety. Especially the anger I felt at what he wanted to do to you. It kept me focused to find a way to escape. Besides, I'm not the one injured, remember?"

"Oh? What happened to your lip and cheek? What about your headache? Is it gone already?" she asked as she cut a piece of pie with her fork and lifted it to Michelle's mouth.

"Alright! All right! I get the message." Michelle chuckled and bit the offered piece of apple, "But I'll have to check on the dogs sometime soon."

"No need to," Alex said around a mouthful, "Lone Wolf said he was going to feed them. He also took care of Johnson's horse." She threw the damp towel near the fire to dry and grabbed the second one to continue drying Michelle's hair.

A comfortable silence stretched between the women as Alex continued feeding each other with the apple pie. "Will we really be able to keep the mare?" Michelle asked hopefully and smiled when Alex nodded, "Great!" she exclaimed, "We'll have to build a shelter and buy food and all kinds of supplies and…"

"Whoa there," she laughed and pushed the empty plate away from her. She wrapped her arms around Michelle's waist and made her lean against her chest. "One thing at a time. First, let's buy some food for her. We'll worry about the shelter later."

"This will be so much fun!" Michelle giggled excitedly, "Do you think we can go for a ride…" she started then stopped, remembering Alex's injury, "I mean, later when you're feeling better."

Alex smiled at her partner and gently kissed the still damp hair, "How about tomorrow afternoon?"

"But…"

"I need to get Mr. Cole's horse back and talk to the militia Captain about what happened with Johnson." She explained softly, "I thought that maybe we could go on a nice ride together, taking it slow and easy."

"Are you sure?"

"Yes, I'm sure." Alex nodded and kissed Mick's temple, "Just you…" then kissed her cheek, "…and I…" and pushed her long hair away to nibble at her ear lobe, "…alone together."

Michelle closed her eyes as Alex's tongue left a blazing trail behind it. She continued stroking the powerful thigh under her hand and she could feel Alex's breathing slowly pick up. "Hmmm, I like…that plan." she murmured and tilted her head and was met by Alex's soft lips. Strong hands crawled under her loose fitting shirt and slowly caressed her soft breasts. "I like that…better." She managed to say before she turned around and knelt before her lover. She slowly unbuttoned Alex's shirt and helped her out of it then gently pushed on the dark haired woman's shoulders to make her lie on the pallet.

"Michelle, I want to make lo…"

"Shh, just relax," she murmured and leaned down to kiss her lover, "Let me show you just how much I love you."

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Waking up slowly, Michelle became aware of the warm body she was sprawled against and smiled. 'Nope, it wasn't a dream. She's really here and she's okay.' She nestled herself more comfortably against Alex's shoulder and softly kissed the naked skin close to her lips. 'I am not moving from here, nuh uh, no way.'

She opened one eye and noticed that the fire had been brought back to life and was casting nice warmth into the room. A quick glance to the window showed that the sun was brightly shining which only meant that it had been up for some time. A low rumble went through Alex's chest as she chuckled and Michelle lifted her head to look at her lover who was smiling at her.

"Good morning, sleepy head. Slept well?"

"Wha…what time is it?" Michelle asked, confused. "It can’t be…"

"Yep, close to noon." Alex confirmed and heard the younger woman sigh. "You looked so peaceful I didn't have the heart to wake you up."

"But it's so late and we have so many things to do." Mick reasoned but refused to move even an inch from her position. "I have to feed the dogs, check your wound, make breakfast…well, I guess it's lunch now, get ready to go to Mansonville…"

"Will you relax, Michelle?" Alex laughed and brought the petite woman closer against her. "I've been awake for some time so I changed my bandage and everything looks good. Lone Wolf and Keshata fed the dogs and I even chatted with them before they left the relay this morning."

"Oh, they're gone already?" she said with a hint of disappointment in her voice. "I wanted to thank them again for all that they did, especially Keshata. That's one Medicine Man I wouldn't hesitate to recommend to people."

"Hmm, you're right. But they said that they would come back later on in the week so you'll have your chance then."

Michelle nodded and smiled as she lightly brushed her fingers across Alex's muscled body, "So, you woke up, got dressed and did all those things, then came back, undressed and joined me again in bed, without me waking up, huh?"

"That's almost it, yes."

"What do you mean, almost?" Michelle asked as her curiosity rose. "Don't tell me that you made breakfast too." She teased.

"You're lucky, I didn't." she chuckled, "What I did was bring that back with me for you to open whenever you woke up." Alex said as she pointed to one of the rocking chairs, which had a medium sized package on it.

"You mean I have to move from my comfortable spot?" she grinned.

"Only if you want your birthday gift." Alex watched as Michelle's expression went from a frown to realization at which day it was and ended up in a huge smile. "Happy birthday, my love."

"But you already gave me my gift. Just before you left, remember?"

"So you don't want this one? I can take it back if…"

"No! No, no, no." Michelle reached up to kiss Alex then quickly got out of bed to open the parcel. "Who am I to refuse a gift?"

Alex slowly stretched, put her hands behind her head and crossed her legs at the ankles, enjoying the sight of her naked lover as she tore the wrapping off. She smiled as Michelle's hands froze and a small squeak escaped her lips.

'My god! I can't believe what I'm seeing.' Michelle reached with shaking hands into the opened parcel and took a full-length dress out. "Oh Alex! It's…It's…" she looked at her friend as a single tear rolled down her cheek. "…I don't know what to say."

"You don't need to say anything. Why don't you put it on." Alex said softly.

Unable to speak, Michelle nodded while she gathered the dress in her arms. She went to the summer room and closed the door behind her.

Alex got out of bed and slowly began to dress, being careful not to brush against her stitches. She cursed at the location of her injury as she buttoned up her pants. 'Just a little more padding over the bandage and it won't hurt as much.' Alex thought and slipped into her shirt. At the sound of a door opening behind her, she turned to see Michelle who slowly entered the room. Her breath caught in her throat as she let her eyes wander over the blonde woman.

The dress was of a light green that brought out Mick's eyes in a beautiful way. It had a low neckline and trimmed waist that did wonders for Michelle's petite physique. "Well?" she asked her silent friend.

Alex's mouth went dry and she swallowed a few times, trying to get her senses back in proper working order. She couldn't believe the sight before her. She knew that Michelle would look beautiful in the dress, but she hadn't expected this. "You're…gorgeous!" she finally uttered, making the younger woman blush furiously.

Remembering the second gift she had purchased while in Sherbrooke, Alex took a small box out of her shirt's pocket. "I saw this just before I was about to come back and I just couldn't resist."

"Another gift? It's too much!" Michelle said as she walked to her friend and gently rested her hands against her partner's chest, "You shouldn't have…" and stopped as Alex pulled out a gold necklace with a green stone. "Oh Alex, it's…beautiful!"

"The merchant said the stone is called Jade and that it comes from China," she explained as she stepped behind Michelle, "The color reminded me of your eyes." Alex said softly and waited until Mick lifted her hair then clasped the necklace around her neck. "They were all…hmm, carved into little animals and when I saw this one, I thought that it looked like a little fox and…well…"

Michelle turned around and faced the taller woman, tears now falling freely down her cheeks. "This is so…incredible. I don't know how to thank you." She wrapped her arms tightly around Alex's waist and leaned her head against her chest.

"Seeing you happy is enough of a thank you, Michelle." She returned the embrace and smiled, "I told you birthdays should be special days. From now on, no more lonely birthdays for you."

"For both of us." Michelle corrected with a smile, "Thank you so much," and reached up to kiss Alex, letting her hands crawl up the broad back.

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

Michelle stopped chopping wood for a moment, planted the axe in the log and stretched her back. She smiled as she remembered the past few hours. Her birthday gifts had been a total surprise to her and she couldn't believe that Alex had spent so much money. She fingered her Jade fox and grinned. 'I never thought Alex would do something like this,' she thought.

Waking up around noon and the fact that both women had gone back to bed soon after the gifts were unwrapped had caused the planned schedule to be postponed until the next day. Alex had then decided to go hunting instead of going to town while Michelle started preparing a stew for the evening's dinner.

She watched as her dogs, 'Our dogs.' Michelle corrected herself, play amongst each other. "You love her as much as you love me, don't you?" she asked one of the Malamutes who was sitting near and watching her. Her heart tightened again at the thought of her dead dog. She sure was going to miss Nushka. Mick gently scratched behind the dog's ear and then picked up a few logs to carry them into the kitchen for the oven.

A distant honking sound made Michelle look up at the sky as she walked out of the cabin. A flock of Canada geese were flying back from the south in a V formation, indicating that spring was just around the corner. With a smile, she watched them fly by for a moment, listening to their calls until she couldn't see them anymore.

She picked up her axe again and as she was about to bring it down to chop another log, the dogs started barking, announcing that someone was approaching. The few growls coming from the Malamutes told Michelle that it wasn't Alex and she turned around and saw a man riding a horse heading toward the relay. He wore a long overcoat and his hat was low over his eyes. The butt of a rifle could be seen hooked on the saddle's right side and the rider had his coat slightly pulled backwards to allow him to quickly reach his revolver.

"Not again," Michelle mumbled, feeling a bit nervous. "I wonder if he's here to see Alex." She started walking to meet the man halfway, still clutching the sharp axe by her side. "Can I help you?" she called out, not waiting for the rider to introduce himself.

He touched the brim of his hat with a gloved hand and slightly tilted his head. "Good afternoon, Ma'am. Maybe you can help me. I'm looking for a Miss Alex Carmichael. By any chance, have you seen her?"

"She's not here, "Michelle answered truthfully, "Can I ask what you want with her?" she asked roughly, not in the mood to deal with another man looking for any kind of revenge.

He studied the small woman with a curious look. The axe she was holding was tightly held in her hand, not because it seemed heavy but more seemingly out of anger. 'I wonder why is she so protective of Alex?' he silently asked himself. "She has something that I want."

"What is it with you people?" She suddenly blew up, her anger out of control. "Why can't you just leave her alone!"

"But Miss…" the rider started and stopped as the woman took a few steps toward him, now holding the axe with both hands.

"Don't 'But Miss' me. You know, I'm really getting tired of this. All we want is to live in peace but we won't be able to do that if you keep chasing her down." Michelle took a deep breath and was about to continue when another horse was heard coming up the road. "Now what?" she exclaimed, exasperated.

The young man riding the horse waved his hand as soon as he spotted the blonde. "Hi Michelle," he smiled and stopped his horse a few paces away from them. "Sorry to show up unannounced like this."

Michelle looked at Mr. Cole's assistant and frowned, "What's going on, Christopher?" she asked and glanced at the man who was quietly sitting on his horse then back at the young man. "Do you know him?"

"Yep, I do." Christopher nodded as he climbed off his horse. "Sorry about that, Captain."

'Captain?' Michelle repeated and looked at the rider as he turned slightly on his saddle to climb off the horse. 'Captain of what?' Something caught her attention and she noticed that his left sleeve was flapping slightly in the wind. She suddenly remembered hearing about the officer Alex had talked to in Newport Vermont and the fact that he had lost an arm during the war.

"No problem, son." He smiled and joined Christopher on the ground. He took the walking cane that was attached to his saddle and leaned on it.

"Are you…" Michelle started to ask but was cut off by a low chuckle coming from behind her.

"Captain Clayton!" Alex greeted him and gently put an arm across Michelle's shoulders, "So good to see you again," and shook the officer's hand as soon as he put his walking cane under his left arm to free his hand.

"I'm glad to see that you made it, Alex." He smiled and looked at the smaller woman with a twinkle in his eyes. "Miss Laberge mentioned that some people have already given you a hard time?"

"Oh, I am so embarrassed!" Michelle mumbled into Alex's shoulder. She felt her lover chuckle and sighed. "You heard it, didn't you? The whole thing?"

"Yep."

"Oh god!"

"So I guess it's safe for me to walk closer?" the Captain asked as he pointed to the axe, biting off a grin. "You know, you're lucky to have a friend like her, Alex. She was just about ready to chop me to pieces."

"Let's just say that we've had our share of nasty visitors within a short time." Alex said as she took the axe away from Michelle's nerveless fingers, "For a while, strangers won't be as easily welcome as before I guess," and then made the expected introductions.

"I'm sorry I acted the way I did, Captain." Michelle smiled shyly, "I thought that you were after Alex."

"In a way, I am." He smiled, "But I came here because of Alex's invitation."

"Alex's invi…" Mick hesitated and she looked up at her friend, "What invitation?"

"Why don't we all go inside and I'll explain everything?" Alex said and planted the axe in the log as they walked past it. "You coming too, Christopher?" she asked and bent down to pick up the two wild hares she had caught while hunting along with her short bowstring.

The young man shook his head with a grin, "No. I mean, not right away. I have something to do first then I'll come back. If that's okay with you guys?"

"Sure, no problem." Michelle said and caught the wink the Captain gave the boy. 'I wonder what that was for?' "There'll be some stew if you want some."

"Thanks, I'd like that! I won't be long."

Alex followed the limping officer and Michelle inside the cabin and closed the door behind her. She put the skinned rabbits on the counter and hooked the bow back on its rack "I wasn't expecting you to come all the way here," she said as she helped the Captain out of his long coat and took his belt and sword. The man was dressed in his blue Union uniform, his left sleeve neatly sown closed at the elbow. "Please, sit down."

"Thanks. Well, I didn't expect to come here either. I went to the general store like you mentioned on your note and met Christopher." The officer explained as he sat at the kitchen table and put his cane out of everybody's way. "He volunteered to escort me."

Michelle took her coat off and hung it on a peg next to the door then headed for the counter in the kitchen to start preparing the meat for the stew. She quietly listened as both Alex and the Captain talked as they exchanged news coming from the war front. She gave her lover a smile as Alex sat down at the table and started cutting the vegetables.

She knew that Alex and the officer had started to talk the day everything started to go wrong for her friend and she hoped that he had made the trip from Vermont only to continue that talk and not for something else. As far as she knew, the war in the States wasn't over and with Alex having spent more than four years with a Confederate partisan unit, the sight of a Union officer in her cabin was making her a bit edgy. "Would either one of you mind telling me what that note was about?" Michelle asked, trying to hide the sudden nervousness as it began to rise.

Alex looked up at her lover and saw the worried frown on her face. She winked at Mick and gave her a lopsided grin to help her relax. It worked. Michelle chuckled slightly as she lifted the coffeepot and poured three coffees. "After I faced Parker in Mansonville," Alex started, "I decided to do something that would stop any more of them trying to hunt me down." She looked at Michelle as she approached and put the mugs on the table. "I didn't want you to go through that again."

Michelle rested her hand on her friend's back and lightly patted it. "I guess that was before Johnson came to town, huh?" she said and stole a bit of carrot Alex was cutting.

"Yeah, it was." she nodded, "After talking with Captain Clayton…"

"Please, call me Hunter." The officer told Alex and looked up at Michelle, "Thanks for the coffee."

"You're welcome." Mick smiled and walked back to the counter to continue preparing the rabbits.

"Well, after the mess with Parker," Alex continued, "I remembered the talk I had with Hunter and just before I left for Sherbrooke, I had Christopher bring a personal message to the Captain, telling him where he could find me."

The officer took a sip of the hot beverage and continued the explication. "I would've been here earlier but I was in Washington. I almost didn't get the message though. The young man was about to leave when I arrived home."

"I'm glad that you did, because I don't think going back to the States is a wise thing for me to do right now." 'At least, not before the end of the war and God knows how long that will still go on.' Alex silently added.

"Why was it so important to let the Captain know where you were, Alex?" Michelle asked and walked back to the table to sit with them.

Alex stood up and walked to the small library. She pulled a book out, opened it and took a few papers out. "This is the list I told you about, Michelle. Hopefully, it will help Hunter with his investigation and find the people responsible for the gold thefts."

"The ones your unit did?" Michelle frowned, "But won't the list cause you trouble?" she asked Alex, "I mean, you were part of the raids and all."

"Alex has nothing to worry about," Hunter reassured the young blonde, "What I want is to find the Union officer who gave the gold shipment routes to his Confederate counterpart." He took the papers Alex handed him and began to study them silently.

"I was part of those raids." Alex confirmed, "But remember when I told you that in the beginning of the war, the gold and supplies we, well…stole, went for the war effort under Captain Beauregard's command?"

"Yes, but that quickly changed when he died." Michelle continued, "You also told me that you believed somebody was making themselves a personal fortune out of the raids."

Alex nodded as she sat next to her friend at the table and looked at the officer, "Even though my name isn't on that list, I'm still guilty of some of those thefts and more."

Hunter looked up from the papers, "If you think this way Alex, I'm as guilty as you are." He smiled at the surprised expression on Michelle's face and Alex's raised eyebrow. He put the papers on the table and rested his forearm on them. "I don't know how many times we raided Confederate munitions depots and supply trains. But I would have stopped or said something if I knew it was done for an officer's personal gain," he said and held Alex's stare, "And that's exactly what you did."

Michelle slowly moved her hand under the table and rested it on top of Alex's thigh, giving it a light squeeze. She looked up and saw a pair of blue eyes smiling back at her and felt her lover's strong hand cover hers and gently entwine their fingers. She felt a lot more comfortable now with the Captain, especially since she now knew he wasn't at the relay to bring Alex back with him to stand trial.

Hunter caught the slight wink Alex gave Michelle and was amazed at how different she was compared to when they first met that day in the barn. Alex had been such an angry woman, with only revenge on her mind. He couldn't forget the coldness in her eyes as she stared at him soon after killing that Sergeant. Now, she seemed much calmer and peaceful, almost like she had found something she had been looking for, for the longest time.

He looked at Alex then at Michelle and the smiles they exchanged between them made him feel like he was intruding on a very personal moment. Then he remembered how fierce the smaller woman had been when he had asked her where Alex was and the gentle moment they had shared before walking back to the relay. He softly cleared his throat, "I'll…hmm, return in a moment. I forgot something in my saddlebag." He smiled and stood up with the help of his cane.

Both women watched him leave and close the door behind him, unaware of his blushing face. "So, what do you think?" Michelle asked as she got up and stood behind Alex. She brushed her hands across the dark woman's broad shoulders and let them wander down her chest. "Will the list you gave be useful to him?" she asked and lightly kissed her cheek.

Alex smiled and lifted the smaller hands up to her lips and kissed them. "Maybe, but I don't know if he'll be able to do anything about the Confederate officers until the end of the war." She stood up and brought Michelle closer to her. "All I know is that I have done all I can to help catch those guys, short of finding them myself that is…"

"Which you won't!" Michelle quickly added and closed her eyes as Alex's hands gently cupped her face and let her thumbs lightly caress her cheeks.

"Which I won't." she confirmed softly and let her lips brush lightly against Mick's. "That kind of life is behind me now, Michelle. From now on, it's you and I doing things together."

"And where you go, I go, right?"

"That's right." Alex whispered in the blonde's ear and they kissed once more.

A light knock on the door made them step back from each other and sighed, both wishing that they could be alone and in each other's arms.

Michelle grinned at Alex and whispered, "Later," and walked to the door to open it. The Captain stood outside and smiled. "You don't have to knock you know." Michelle laughed as she let the man walk in.

"I just didn't want to…well, intrude..." He explained and stopped when he saw the look Alex was giving him. "Hey, I don't know what happened to you in the past month, but I have to say that it agrees with you, Alex." To his surprise, the tall woman started to laugh and he turned to look at Michelle who was blushing furiously. He sat down at the table and watched as both women looked at each other and smiled, neither confirming nor denying the comment. 'Well, I'll be damned. I think they're in love!'

"Let's just say that I have my life exactly like I wanted." Alex said as she brought the cut vegetables to Michelle and winked at her.

"Our lives like we wanted." Michelle corrected and poured the carrots and potatoes into the boiling water.

Hunter looked down at the small bag he was holding and gently put it in front of him on the table. "Well, I hope that this will help you both in making your life a little easier." He then tapped the papers with his finger, "This list is exactly what I was looking for, Alex. The other papers are signed orders written by the officer we suspected of being a traitor. This is the proof we were looking for."

Alex slowly approached the table and frowned at the officer. "I'm glad that you'll be able to do something with them, but what's that for?" she asked, pointing to the small leather pouch.

"Your reward."

She raised an eyebrow at him, not believing a word. "I don't take charities, Hunter."

"No, I don't think you do. You're not the type." Captain Clayton smiled and leaned back in his chair, "But I'm telling you the truth, Alex."

Alex crossed her arms over her chest and stared at him. "Why is it that I don't believe you?"

Hunter laughed and shook his head. "What will I have to do to convince her, Michelle?" he asked the young blonde who was now standing next to Alex. "There is a reward that…" he started then remembered something in his pocket. "Hmm, just hold on." He undid the first two buttons of his uniform, reached into his jacket and pulled a folded piece of paper out of the inner pocket. "See for yourself." He grinned.

Seeing that Alex wasn't moving, Michelle took the offered note and read it. "He's telling the truth, Alex. See for yourself." She smiled.

The dark haired woman sighed when she saw the smirk on the officer's face and read the paper over Michelle's shoulder. "But it says the reward is for information leading to the arrest of the traitor. As far as I know, you haven't caught him yet." Alex smirked back.

"Just take the damn money, Alex!" Hunter blurted out and quickly looked at Michelle and was relieved to see her smiling. "Sorry about that. You know as much as I do that it's just a matter of time until we arrest the Major and everybody else."

The sound of horses caught Michelle's attention and she walked to the window to see who was approaching. "Christopher's back." She informed the group and opened the door. "Oh no! He's got somebody else with him."

Alex looked at the officer who winked at her and indicated the door with his head.

"I think that somebody's for you, Alex."

"For me?" she frowned and walked to stand beside Michelle. She briefly thought of getting her Colts, but the smile on Hunter's face made her reconsider. Curiosity got the best of her and she walked out of the relay and saw Christopher standing beside his horse with a big grin on his face. A man stood next to him facing one of the two other horses they had with them.

There was something familiar about those horses, Alex thought as she walked closer. One was a Quarter Horse, the other, "That's…" she hesitated and spotted the scars on the chest of the Kentucky Saddler, "That's my horse!" she exclaimed and practically ran to the animal. She let her hands brush at the mare's nose and laughed as she was gently nudged.

"'Bout time you two got together again." The man said with a rough, scratchy voice as he slowly turned around and grinned at Alex.

"Wha…" She blinked at him, trying to remember where she had seen him before. The man was bald and clean shaved. A nasty scar could be seen at his throat, probably the cause of his uneven voice. But what made Alex realize who the man was, were his eyes. They were similar to Michelle's green eyes, only paler but as mischievous looking. "Gordy?" Alex asked with a shaking voice.

"I'm so happy to see you made it, kid." Gordon smiled and wrapped his right arm around the taller woman's neck.

"You…you're alive!" she stammered and hugged her old friend. "I can't believe it! I thought that…I thought…"

"Thought I was dead?" Gordon smiled and shrugged his shoulder, "The Lord didn't want me yet." He grinned and tousled Alex's hair a bit, remembering damn well that she hated that. "And who might that be?" he asked as he looked at the young blonde who had quietly walked up to them.

"Oh! Gordy, this is Michelle." Alex introduced them, "If it wasn't for her, I'd still be lying in the snow somewhere in the mountains."

"You'd be dead by now, Alex." Gordon teased his friend and reached for the younger woman's hand. He gently lifted it to his lips and kissed her knuckles. "Very nice to meet you, Michelle," he said and winked at Alex, "Just a friend of yours?"

"Gordon…" Alex warned him but she couldn't hold the smile that threatened to break out.

"No, a very good friend." Michelle replied with a wink of her own, making the older man laugh out loud.

"I like her!" Gordon grinned, "So, are we going to stand here all afternoon or what? I'm thirsty!"

Alex shook her head and sighed, "Still the same Gordy." She smiled and took hold of her horse's bridle, "Go on inside. I guess you know the Captain?"

"Know him? Damnit, he saved my life!" Gordon chuckled and pointed to his scared throat. "Got a few scratches and things don't work as well as they used to, but…" he shrugged, "Some people got it worse than I did."

Michelle gently patted Alex's back and smiled at the bald man, "Why don't you and Christopher go inside? We'll be with you in a moment."

"Great! Now you can take care of that horse of yours, Alex. She missed you a lot." His face became more serious as he looked at his friend, "And so did I."

"I missed you too." Alex replied, and watched her old friend head toward the relay with Christopher walking beside him. She looked down as Michelle wrapped her arms around her waist and smiled. "What a surprise that was! I honestly didn't believe he made it."

"I'm glad he did. He looks like he's a lot of fun," she said as she rested her head against Alex's chest. "And you got your horse back too."

"Yeah," Alex smiled and hugged her lover. "I guess I'll really have to build that shelter now that we both have our own horses."

"The reward money will be very useful now, won't it?" she asked and heard Alex sigh softly. "Come on, Alex," she looked up at the blue eyes peering down at her and raised a golden eyebrow, "Don't tell me that even after seeing that official notice about the reward, you still don't believe the Captain!"

"I believe him." Alex stated, "But I don't feel comfortable in taking it. I didn't do it for the money, Michelle. I just wanted to do something that would make them leave us alone."

"You did! And we got a bonus out of it." Mick smiled and cradled Alex's face in her small hands. "The horses will thank you for it."

Alex chuckled and turned her head to kiss Michelle's palm. "I know we could use the extra money, but I wish…" she paused and closed her eyes for a moment then continued, "I just wish that things could have been different and some lives not lost…"

"It was war, Alex. People die, it's unavoidable…"

"It stops being war when you kill out of revenge." Alex sighed, "I know that I can't do anything to bring those men back, but maybe there's something…maybe I could go…"

"Hold on there one moment!" Michelle suddenly grabbed Alex's arms and glared at her, "I've never done anything selfish in my life but there's a first time for everything. If you're thinking of going to the law with this, I won't let you, Alex!"

"But…"

"No 'buts'! Alex, for once, I'm as happy as I can be and I don't want to lose that. I don't want to lose you either." She took a deep breath to calm her racing heart and silently cursed as she felt tears begin to form in her eyes. "I know you feel guilty about what you did, but going to jail won't help."

Alex stared at Michelle, surprised at the fierceness in her voice. The last statement was true and finding herself in jail would not only do nothing for those men, but it would also cause Michelle a lot of pain. She brought the angry woman closer to her and gently let her hand brush the long, blonde hair. "That's not what I was thinking, Michelle." She said softly.

"It wasn't?"

"No." Alex smiled and kissed the top of her head, "What I was thinking is maybe I could try and find their families and see if I could do something for them."

"Oh!" she murmured and hugged Alex tighter, "I guess I over reacted, huh?" She knew that she had but it couldn't be helped. The thought of losing Alex was unacceptable and she wasn't thrilled with the idea of her lover leaving on a wild goose chase either.

"No, you didn't," she lied with a smile, "You just didn't agree with what you thought I was going to do and you let me know."

"Did I ever!" Michelle chuckled and lifted her head to look into sparkling blue eyes. "I don't want you to ever leave me, Alex."

"I'm not going anywhere without you, my love. I already told you that."

"Say it again." Michelle smiled.

"I'm not going anywhere?" Alex repeated with a grin.

"No, not that…well yes, that's nice to hear too but…you know what I mean." The young woman playfully slapped the muscled arm.

"Ah, you mean…" Alex said as she lowered her head to whisper in her ear with a seductive voice, "My love."

"Hmm," Mick smiled and felt goose bumps all over, "I love it when you say it like that."

"You're going to love it more when everybody leaves." She winked at her lover and smiled at the nice blush crawling up her neck. "We'd better go back to our guests before they come looking for us." She tied the reins around the post and turned when Michelle rested a small hand on her arm. "What is it?"

"I've been thinking about what you said, you know, about wishing you could do something to help those families?"

"Like?"

"Well, I have an idea. What would you say if we…" Michelle started explaining while Alex listened intently.

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

"Anyway," Gordon continued with his story, enjoying his attentive audience, "Next thing I know, Alex crashes through the roof and lands directly among the chickens." He started to laugh, remembering the total look of surprise on the tall woman's face. "I never heard so much noise…"

Alex walked into the room and sighed, "I should have known better than to leave you alone with an audience." she said to her smiling friend and watched as Christopher and the Captain tried not to laugh. A small hand gently rested against her back and she looked down at Michelle.

"Sounds like I missed a very interesting story." She grinned and closed the door behind her.  

"It nearly got us killed." Alex replied.

"Killed? Hell, Alex! The woman had a broom in her hands and was running after you." Gordon laughed. "I don't think the owner appreciated you falling into her chicken coop."

Alex let it go. Everybody seemed to be having fun, even Michelle. It was useless to ruin the good atmosphere by telling them that a platoon of Union soldiers had almost captured them that day because of the noise the chickens had made. They had barely escaped by the time the soldiers arrived. She listened as Gordon finished the story. When she really thought about it, it was funny and she tried her best not to smile, not wanting to give her smirking friend the satisfaction of making her laugh.

Seeing that Gordon had everybody's attention, Hunter gently reached for Michelle's hand and gave her the small bag with the reward that Alex had left on the table. "She isn't going to take it, is she?"

She looked at the money pouch and smiled. "I think we figured what to do with it." Michelle replied simply and went to stand beside Alex. She took a few coins out and handed the bag to her partner. "Your decision." Mick whispered with a wink and softly touched Alex's cheek.

"Your idea." Alex whispered back but took the pouch anyway and came close to give her lover a kiss but stopped as everybody looked at them with a knowing smile. "I…hum, there's something I'd like you to do for me, Captain." She fidgeted with the bag and glanced at Michelle who encouraged her with a nod. "A couple of years ago, two soldiers we made prisoner died for the wrong reasons. If I hadn't been so set in getting revenge, they might still be alive today."

Gordon looked at Alex in surprise. Throughout the years he had known her, this was the closest she came to apologize for something she had done. He could see her hands shaking as they played with the leather thong holding the bag closed, the only visible sign that she was nervous. Michelle slowly wrapped her arm around Alex's waist and gently leaned against her. The smile on the tall woman's face told him that she was finally happy and at peace. 'It's about time, my friend.'

He remembered the soldiers Alex was talking about. Both had been shot in the head as they stood in line, waiting to be brought to a prison camp. He could still see in his mind the pain and rage as she watched the bodies collapse to the ground at her feet. He still wasn't sure what the men had done to deserve such a fate, only that a good friend of Alex was involved.

Alex looked at Gordon and slowly shook her head. "They weren't responsible for her murder." She told him softly as if reading his mind.

The older man glanced down at his hands then slowly looked up again and took a deep breath. "How do you know?"

"Before I found Sergeant Archer, I always believed that there were five men responsible for my friend's death and those two soldiers were the first I found. Unfortunately, Archer told me that he was the one that beat Jodie to death."

"And you believed him?" Gordon asked softly.

She nodded, "He cursed the other four and called them cowards when they wouldn't participate in the beating. All they were guilty of was, that they didn't do anything to help." Alex felt Michelle's hand gently scratch at her back, calming her. She looked down and saw green eyes filled with love gazing back at her, giving her the strength to continue. "Those soldiers were telling the truth, they even begged for their lives before I shot them. They didn't kill Jodie."

Captain Clayton looked at a silent Alex then at Michelle who was murmuring softly to her friend. Gordon seemed lost in thought and young Christopher, who had been sitting quietly at the table, was now staring at Alex with wide eyes. Hunter glanced back at Alex as she leaned her arm across the blonde's shoulders and softly kissed her head. "You said you wanted me to do something for you, Alex." The officer said with a smile, "What is it?"

"I'd like…" Alex started then looked at Michelle, "I mean, we'd like for you to take the reward money and give it to the men's families. I know it won't bring them back, but…" she shrugged and looked back at Hunter, "Maybe it'll help them a little."

The officer took the bag that Michelle handed him. "You know their names?" he asked Alex.

"And units they belonged to," she confirmed, "Thank you, Hunter."

Hunter nodded and looked at Michelle and motioned to the coins she had taken out of the bag for themselves. "Are you sure that is enough?"

"Plenty, it will help build a small stable for the horses." She smiled and put the money in a box. "Anybody hungry here? We made rabbit stew." Michelle asked and a chorus of men replied enthusiastically. As she headed for the stove, she stopped in front of Alex and whispered, "I'm so proud of you." She reached up and gave her lover a kiss, neither caring that everybody was watching.

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

Dinner had been a joyful affair and lots of stories had been shared during that time. As the men prepared to go back to Mansonville, Gordon stood in front of Alex and smiled at his friend. "I guess you won't be coming home, huh?" he asked and glanced at the young blonde who had her hands firmly wrapped around Alex's arm.

"I am home, Gordy." She smiled. "But we might go to Carson Pass sometime and visit you."

"Oh! That reminds me." The older man exclaimed and turned to Christopher. "We forgot the telegram."

"What telegram?" Alex asked as Gordon took the folded paper from the young man.

"I'm sorry, Alex." Christopher apologized, "With all the talk and fun we had, I completely forgot to give it to you."

"Don't worry about it." She took the message from Gordon and unfolded it, reading it in a way so Michelle could do the same.

Alex smiled and folded the paper again and put it into her pocket. "I think we're in trouble. Mom wants to see you."

"If she's anything like you, I'm looking forward to meet her." Michelle grinned and looked at Gordon and the Captain. "It was nice to meet you, Hunter."

The officer took the young blonde's hand and gently kissed her knuckles. "Take care of yourself, Michelle." Then shook Alex's hand and winked at her, "And you, stay out of trouble."

Alex laughed, "I'll do my best. Take care Hunter and good luck." She watched as the officer turned around and limped toward his horse. He tied his walking cane to his saddle and easily climbed up.

"I heard so much about you, Gordon." Michelle said softly as the man approached her, "I'm glad that you're going back home safely. It's nice that I got the chance to see you."

"The pleasure's all mine, little one." Gordon smiled and bent to whisper in her ear. "Don't tell Alex, but she's like a daughter to me. You take care of her, okay? She can be hard headed sometimes."

Michelle laughed and gave the older man a kiss on the cheek. "I will, don't worry. She's in good hands."

He then stood in front of Alex and gently wrapped his arms around her, "I'm going to miss you, kid." He said and smiled when she hugged him back. "You have a good thing going, Alex. Michelle's a very special woman. She loves you a lot, you know that?"

Alex did her best to keep her emotions in control but a single tear slowly made its way down her cheek. "I know. I honestly don't know what I did to deserve her." She looked at her friend and smiled as he used his thumb to wipe her cheek. "Be careful going home. Say hi to Mom and tell her we'll try to see them soon."

"Don't wait too long. I'm not getting any younger, you know." Gordon smiled and patted her back before climbing on his horse.

"You'll live to be one hundred, you old pirate." Alex teased him affectionately and waved as the three men headed down the road. Alex absently scratched under her horse's jaw as they watched until they couldn't see the riders anymore. She smiled as the mare gently nudged her with her nose.

"What's her name?" Michelle asked softly.

"Huh?"

"Your horse, what's her name?" she asked again and watched as a small frown played across the dark haired woman's face.

"I…she doesn't have one." Alex replied. She had never felt the need to name her, especially since horses in time of war never lived too long. Looking down at her friend, Alex leaned her arm across Mick's shoulders, "Well, I bet you already have a name for her?" she said, guessing it would be along the names she gave her dogs.

"How about…Jewel?"

Alex couldn't keep the shocked expression off her face. "What did you say?"

"Jewel," Michelle repeated a little hesitantly, "I thought of, like, Jewel-in-the-Rough, but that's a little long."

"But why that name?"

The small smile Alex gave Michelle made her relax just a bit. Her lover had the strangest expression and she couldn't figure out why she had reacted this way to the name. "Well, you have a beautiful horse but the scars on her chest and sides gives her a look like an uncut gem. You know, beautiful but not perfect?"

The words hit Alex like a physical blow. That exact phrase had not been uttered for so long.

"Alex?" Michelle asked softly, "Are you okay? What are you thinking about?"

"I'm fine," she smiled and looked down at the smaller woman. "You know, I'd like to keep the full Jewel-in-the-Rough for the mare's name." she said as she wrapped her arms around Michelle, bringing her close against her. "And you are the Jewel." She murmured into her lover's ear and then kissed her passionately.

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On April 9, 1865 after four years of Civil War, there were approximately 630,000 deaths and over 1 million casualties. General Robert E. Lee surrendered the Confederate Army of Northern Virginia to Lieutenant General Ulysses S. Grant, at the home of Wilmer and Virginia McLean in the town of Appomattox Court House, Virginia.

General Lee arrived at the McLean home shortly after 1:00 p.m. followed a half-hour later by General Grant. The meeting lasted approximately an hour and a half. The surrender of the Army of Northern Virginia allowed the Federal Government to bring increased pressure to bear in other parts of the south and would result in the surrender of the remaining field armies of the Confederacy over the next few months.

For more information concerning Fort Wagner, I recommend the movie Glory, starring Denzel Washington and Matthew Broderick

Other research information was taken from:

- Confederate Report from Battery Wagner, July 18, 1863 by General William Booth Taliaferro, C.S.A

- Newspaper letter of Pvt. John Gooding, 54th. Massachusetts.

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