March 24, 1870

Colorado. 

This afternoon I walked over to Chet’s place and he invited me inside. “Hey there. Can we talk?” I asked, walking in. 

“Ya know we can, sister, or you’d not have come here. Have a seat.” 

“I have something to tell you that can’t ever leave these four walls,” I looked at him as we sat on the couch. 

“I reckon it is four walls. Let me guess… You a professor now?” he said with a laugh. “Go ahead, ya know I say nothin’ to nobody.” 

I looked at him with a serious expression, knowing what I had to tell him could get me shot. “Chet... My brother came to me this past week. He said he’d been going through Dad’s estate. He found there is Apache in our blood. Four generations back.” 

“Yer brother still in town is he? So it ain’t like yer found out your Booth’s daughter. No one’s business ‘bout yer family but yer own. Of course I now will call you by an Injun name. You’re now known as ‘sits on couch and worries’.” 

I glared at him, wondering why he wasn’t taking this seriously. “Chet, Adder all but threatened to arrest me for treason if I included an article about these people. Now I am these people. Now I have to hide a huge secret from the one man I’ve known here the longest.” 

“Did you tell him what ya had fer breakfast today when ya went to outhouse, what ya had for lunch?” he asked. “It makes no difference. Ya not hiding anything, yer just not sharing.” 

“I guess you’re right,” I nodded. “I just thought you should know. This information has greatly improved my relations with the Apache... I told the chief that I want to learn about my heritage…” 

“Of course I am right. I ain’t been wrong yet, have I?” 

“How’s negotiations with you and Standing Bear going?” I asked pointedly. 

“Well I just got back other day ’n so I haven’t seen anyone. Wasn’t even knowing I was supposed to. Law has some bad apples in it, is all. So does army, so does Injuns, So does every group. I thinking I gonna just get saloon open ’n kill who needs killing.” 

“Chet you do that and you completely go against everything I’ve been standing for,” I rolled my eyes. 

“I ain’t gonna do it to win no popularity contest. I talking ‘bout shooting cowards only,” he rubbed his chin. “Ya know if Tom got shot by law he respected doc. Whole town would rise up. All need is us to witness it while I shoot him ’n we say law did it,” he almost fell over laughing. “ am kidding. Tom like family.” 

I looked at him and stood with a sigh. “I’m goin out for a ride. I need some fresh air.” 

“Okay Trin. Ya behave. I hoping to open bar tomorrow.” 

“Well I’ll see ya around, Chet.” 

I walked out and found my horse, riding him up to the Apache village. I called to see if anyone was there but it was empty. We rode over to Kansas and looked around. I called for Sasha and Hawk and Sasha greeted me. 

“Good evening, Sasha... I come bearing news I think you and Hawk need to hear.” 

“Hawk is not here at the moment,” Sasha told me. 

“Okay... I can just show you…" I dug in my pocket and showed her the papers. “My brother was looking through our father’s estate... since our father was murdered..We discovered there is Apache in our blood... Four generations back.” 

“And that will matter to us.. why?” 

“Because of this, I’ll probably have to keep my distance from the local law and whatnot.... I hope to spend more time with the Apache... learn about my heritage... Everything is so much clearer now. Hawk was always telling me that I needed to follow the path that was chosen for me, remember?” 

“Well the Apache are in Colorado,” she said pointedly.

“My point is that he was right. I needed to find my path... And my path led me right back to the Native peoples, the ones where I had always felt safe with... aside from the Cherokee.” 

“Again I don’t see why it was important we know this.” 

“I just... Something has changed, Sasha... You said last time I was here that Hawk didn’t want me in the village and that broke my heart. I always felt like this place was family and I guess I just…” I got emotional and leaned against my horse for support. 

“That is something you need to take up with Hawk and as I said, he’s not here at the moment.” 

“I wanted to know if there was any way we could reconcile whatever it is that changed.. it’s been a long time since Hawk and I have talked and I… I understand,” I nodded. “Could you just.... tell him that I want to talk? To work things out? I was going through my journals the other day and came across Hawk and my first conversation… He told me not to let fear control me, to stand for what I believe in. He told me that fear can become a cage. I want him to know that I am not afraid anymore. I will do what I have to to tell the truth even if it means doing something that may seem unpopular.” 

“I’ll tell him you came.” 

“I miss you both... and Deedee... and the others…” I wiped my tears away. “And I just wish for there to be peace... with all peoples…” 

“As I said, I’ll tell him you came by.” 

“That’s all I wanted to say... Thank you for giving the message to Hawk.” 

“Be well Trin,” she nodded. 

I mounted my horses, not sure if I made an impression or not, but I knew I had done all I could. I rode off out of the village, back to Colorado. 

Colorado. 

I pet the horse and then a man walked over, saying his name was Doh. He said he was hurt and I noticed he was limping. Another man walked over and asked, “Good evening, woman.  demand to be taken to your Mayor...I am Deputy Governor Max, and I am not used to be kept waiting..” 

“Deputy Governor, huh?” I looked at him. 

“I must say I expected a greeting party of dignitaries… Where is your Mayor?” 

I looked over at Doh and then back at Max. “Bleeding here…” Doh complained. 

“Well I don’t know if our mayor’s available right now as it’s evening and she’s probably not in the office,” I told Max. “You might want to try back tomorrow.” 

“Shut up, BOY...I am speaking..” Max said to Doh. “Then she needs waking….Now…”

“Sorry Sir, I don’t even know where she lives to be honest.” 

“So you have not been honest to this point?” 

I sighed and looked to Doh, who was looking more and more pale. “I need to get this man to the clinic, Sir. You’ll have to find someone else to help you out with the mayor.” 

“No… you don’t seem to understand, so I shall speak SLOWLY and in low syllables...I am the Deputy Governor… I at LEAST need a room at your finest hotel…” 

“Well that I can help you with.” 

“Free, of course…” 

“One of the best hotels in the state is down at the end of the street, beside the church there.” 

“Hmmm..I shall be the judge of that…Although..” he looked me up and down. “I doubt you would understand luxury in a backwoods hole like this.. I also need to have a Press conference so my presence here is duly noted and catered for..” 

“Of course, Sir,” I said, knowing I couldn’t wait to hear Adder and Jake’s reaction to this guy. 

“I expect ALL of your Reporters here to attend...Who is the Newspaper mogul here?” 

“You’re looking at her,” I said. 

“You are Joking… A WOMAN??”

“No sir. Trin Paige, nice to meet you, I think,” I said with a look to Doh. 

“And...By the look of you...NOT of pure stock…” 

“I don’t quite appreciate your tone, Sir,” I looked at him firmly, having had enough of this. I was more concerned about Doh, and still felt like I’d met him somewhere before. “Now I’ll show you to the hotel but that’s the best I can do for you tonight.” 

Doh sat down on the ground with his head in his hands and a Native rode by, greeting us. This should be interesting, I thought to myself. 

“Good God...Another Savage!” Max exclaimed. “Have you no civic standards here?” 

“Sir, if you don’t mind I’d like to show you to that hotel and get this man to the clinic,” I looked at him and then looked at the native apologetically as Doh groaned. 

“And you allow them to be ARMED?” 

I went over to Doh and leaned down. “Sir... can you take my hand? We’ll get you to the clinic…” 

“Hmmmf!” Max humphed and went off without another word towards the hotel. 

“Guess you saw through me, Trin…” The man grinned, and then passed out. 

I swore and then called, “Someone get me a doctor!” 

“My sister is healer in our camp she may can help,” the native said. 

“Rick... Come on... Rick…” I tried to revive him, recognizing him now as my old friend from Georgetown. I looked over at the woman native and asked, “Where is your camp?” 

“Allegra... Rick.... He…” I looked at Allegra walking over. “He was limping and then he just fainted and…” 

“Our camp is in place called Iowa,” the native said. 

“What happened? Have you been shot Rick?” Allegra asked. 

“Is there pale face medicine man here? Little Skunk will run fast for help,” the native said. 

“I don’t think anyone’s at the clinic,” I shook my head. 

“I just got to town.... but I doubt there are any doctors here,” Allegra shook her head. 

“Come sister let’s take this man to camp,” Little Skunk said. 

“No,” I shook my head. 

“Ya’ll come too we take care of him and ya’ll can bring him back. We don’t mean no harm,” the other native woman walked over, who appeared to be Little Skunk’s sister. 

“We won’t be able to get him there. If your person who just ran comes back with a healer she can heal him here but I’m not taking him far.” I squeezed Rick’s hand and said, “Rick... Talk to me.” 

“I can ride...I think…” Rick grunted. 

“My sister and I both can heal but not here in pale face town,” LS said. 

“What should we do?” I looked at Allegra.

“Maybe we can try to get him to the clinic? Or if we can carry him upstairs, I have a place there,” she suggested. 

“So you don’t think we should take him to Iowa either?” 

“I think we need to try to stop that bleeding soon,” she said and I nodded with agreement. 

“Sister what can we do my mind is troubled for the pale face,” Little Skunk said. 

“Thank you for your help... But we don’t know what could happen between here and your home,” I looked between the two Native women.

Allegra ripped off her petty coat in a strip and knelt down to wrap it tightly around the wound. Rick staggered painfully to his feet and I couldn’t help but notice he was very pale and had broken into a cold sweat. “Think the bullet hit the bone...But I’ll be ok...Jess need rest…” 

“It’s safer for us to take care of him here,” I said. 

“I don’t know of anything. I can’t heal here, and he has lost too much blood,” said the other woman. 

“You both are so very kind,” Allegra nodded. 

“It is not that we don’t trust you. We don’t trust the lands between our home and yours,” I told the women. “Not to mention he could lose more blood if we tried to transport him there.” 

“Little Skunk understands,” she said. 

“We do thank you for your kindness. Let’s get him to the clinic, Allegra,” I said and reached for Rick’s arm. 

“Let’s go sister, and see if there is someone that can help them,” the other woman said. 

“And be mighty grateful…” Rick said. 

“But who, sister? Little Skunk only knows doctor Tom.” 

I smiled, hearing the name. “Tom is my boyfriend... I know he’s out of town at the moment. Rick, Allegra, we need to get inside,” I said and led Rick over to the woman. 

“At least if I Die...I already know what Angels looks like…” Rick looked between Allegra and me. 

“You remember Rick from Georgetown? The deputy?” I smiled and looked at Allegra. 

“Uh… Things ’ve changed a bit.,” Rick said. 

“Last I saw you we were sitting on my couch in my living room,” I looked at him. 

“Well...A lot of water has gone under the bridge since then…” 

“What’s been happening, Rick?” I asked and took off his coat, wrapping it around his wound as Allegra went out to find a doctor. 

“Ran foul of some Soldiers...Thought they could order me about...ONE aint gonna give orders no more…” 

“You killed a soldier?” I raised an eyebrow. 

Well...He drew first...But...I dunno if the Army will see it that way...Keep it quiet, will you darlin?” 

I swallowed, knowing I had enough secrets to keep lately. “Are you gonna be okay?” 

“I guess...Feel better already...You are a sight for sore eyes honey..” he said and fell asleep. 

I sighed, knowing that we only really ever danced and flirted with one another, but I wondered what would happen now that he was back.