February 5, 1901

Bisbee. 

Tonight I played piano softly, not sure if anyone was home. I needed to relax as I was still upset over Natalie’s memory loss. The music helped calm me, as it usually did, but when Thomas came downstairs, I jumped nervously. Looking over, I saw that his ear was bandaged and I stood, going over to him. 

“Hi love... I was just... What happened to you?” 

“Oh it’s nothing my love,” Thomas said as he groaned a bit, but smiled at me. “I just had a little run-in with yore pals Lot and Downy today.” 

I blinked and reached up to touch the bandage, but then touched just below on his neck. “What.. Talk to me,” I said, looking into his eyes with worry. 

“Well it seems Lot and and Downy want you quiet. They keep threatening harm to you and the kids, and well I had enough today. So Lot thanked me by putting a hole in my chest, and cutting off a piece of my ear.” 

“Baby!” I threw my arms around him gently. 

Thomas hugged me close and kissed my lips softly. “It’s okay. I don’t care if it takes everything I got, I am going to see them two hang before it’s over.” 

I nodded in agreement and asked, “Have you seen Natalie today?” 

“No… she and Jimmy I guess have been out roaming around. I am sorry that happened when I wasn’t there dear. I can’t imagine what you went through.” 

I shook my head and nudged against his neck. “It was so awful honey... she doesn’t remember a thing. I’m trying to talk with her and show her pictures but it.... I don’t know. I don’t know what to do. I think right now, Jimmy’s the best for her. Right now... I just need you... And normal... I want to go check out the office and see the repairs Joe did. Can you walk a bit, love?” 

“Sure love. Joe did a good job. If not for him, I would be five feet under right now. This is his handwork.” Thomas smiled and rubbed his chest. 

“We’ll have to find him and thank him properly. And I need to pay him for the repairs. Shall we?” I nodded and rubbed his back, taking his arm. 

“I am so glad you’re home Trin. It was awfully lonely here without you and the kids around.” 

“I bet it was love... I thought about you every day... I wish there was some way we could communicate to each other without telegrams... something more..... instant…” I sighed. 

“Yeah that would be nice. You know, I heard they have this thing called a telefon or telefone or something similar to the telegraph. It allows a person to talk to someone far away. But I don’t know nuttin about it.” 

“Hmm... maybe in time we’ll find out more about that. Would be really nice,” I said and we started to walk towards town. 

Tombstone. 

We went straight to the Pinkerton office and I went up to check on the repairs. There was a note in the mailbox and I took it out nervously. When I read it, I sighed with relief and looked over at Tom. “Mail from Joe. He finished work on the 28th.” I walked inside and looked around with a smile. “Looks just like before. He did a great job with it.” 

“Yeah he really did love. Joe does good work.” Tom looked around and nodded in agreement. 

I sat down at the desk and wrote a quick ‘thank you’ telegram to Joe and then sent it to him, heading back outside with Tom. 

We greeted Miss Sunset and Miss Soft and heard Downy and Shaun talking back and forth. “Mister Lot asked me ta deliver somethin’. Mister Lot asked me ta give you these,” Downy came over to Tom. “Mister Lot asked me ta deliver these flowers. They’re a get well thing.” 

“Oh he did? Why is that?” Tom asked as I rolled my eyes. 

“And also.. here’s this,” Downy said and handed him a wooden object. “He says he hopes you recover well soon.” 

“Well please tell Lot thank you, and for the roses…” Tom walked over and threw them in the horse trough. That’s what I think of them.” 

“If you two are done terrorizing my family, Thomas and I were just going to go get a drink,” I said to them. 

“Terrorizing?” Downy asked. “Flowers are mean? How?” 

“No gratitude. None at all.” Shaun shook his head.

“Mean in the tone they’re given after what Lot did to him,” I told her. 

“Ungrateful pair of louts.” Downy turned on her heel and walked off haughtily, with her nose high in the air. 

“You foul mouth creatures are the terror of Tombstone!! We came in peace to deliver something and you are so rude!” Shaun exclaimed. 

“Grateful?!” I blinked. “We should be grateful your boss shot him in the chest and tried to cut off his ear?” 

“I wouldn’t accept anything from Lot… he’s as low as they come,” Tom added. 

“Well why do ya think he sent the get well gifts… so he gets well and Mister Lot kin shoot him again,” Downy shouted as Shaun shook his head and muttered something while he continued to drink. 

“So forgive us for not being grateful for them then!” I called to her. 

“No offense to you Shaun, but you should pick better company to hang around,” Tom advised. 

“Then tell your foul mouth’d husband to watch his mouth!!” Shaun shouted back and I put a hand on Tom’s shoulder to steady myself more than him. “Come on over here soft, no need to be around the ignorance of them!!” 

“You can tell the Wild Bunch to kiss my white you know what Shaun...and I mean the whole Bunch!” Tom called. 

“Tell your foul mouth boss to leave my husband alone!” I shouted. 

“IT GOES BOTH WAYS ‘HOSS’!” Shaun shouted. 

“We’re doing everything we can to leave ya’ll alone. So do us the same favor!” I shouted to him. 

“From what i was told that happened, your husband is lucky Lot did not cut out his tongue,” Miss Soft told me. 

“I’m just done putting up with their nonsense.” I nodded to her. 

“Let’s go dear. They ain’t worth the trouble. Sorry sacks of horse poo they are.” 

“Is there away that all can come to some type of agreement right here right now?” Sunset shouted then. 

“Yeah, the Wild Bunch sticks their head between their legs, and kisses their own arse in front of all of Tombstone.” Thomas chuckled. 

Sunset snapped to Thomas and said, “One of these people you just called sorry sacks of horse poo is my daughter. I think you need to rethink what you just called and said Thomas.” 

“I am not calling your daughter anything Miss Sunset. I didn’t know she is in the bunch. As far as I am concerned, she is not a part of them,” Thomas said to her. “But when two or three of them come threatening my family, calling them names for no apparent reason, I get upset.” 

“All I asked that you and your wife try to come to agreement with the wild bunch. Is there a way that you both can if they are willing too?” Sunset asked. 

“ENOUGH!!!!” Shaun shouted then. “If we really wanted this all to end, these two would be swinging by morning!! All this rabble is nonsense! Obviously all they can do is run their mouths, and THAT is why people get shot!” 

“Yeah, it is enough. Hey! Shaun! Your bunch threatened me and my family. What do expect?” Thomas shouted back at him. 

“Yeah the blabbering one next to the pinky woman,” Ben muttered then nearby. 

“And who gives you the right to judge and call Ivy and Downy WHORES!” Shaun shouted. 

“Though several might qualify, the man next to Trin is Thomas,” Zan told Ben. “That’s Trin’s fella.” 

“Honey, let’s go. Let’s just go,” I told Thomas. “We don’t have to hear this.” 

“Ya damn lucky you only lost a damn ear!!” Shaun shouted. 

“Look, I am trying for you all to stop all this,” Sunset went on. “Someone has to step in and try to get an agreement to where either side is not bothering each other.” 

“I didn’t call Ivy a whore thank you very much! I called Downy one. What gives them the right to call my children ignorant and Trin a horse?” Thomas asked and I tried to pull him away. 

“Oh yea leave before everyone hears the truth of the so called Deputy good guy Law talking all the crap!” Shaun said. 

“Oh ya don't say… Ol Trin finally got herself a man?” Ben smirked nearby. 

“You say they are out to get you when your husband dares to call Miss Ivy and Miss Downy them words they are fine woman,” Soft said. 

“Umm, hell yes, if they see a red ball they call it red, they see a blue ball they call it blue,” Shaun said. “You don’t know Ivy or Downy for anything but what you will think. WHORES is not one of them!!” 

“Oriental, dear.” I pulled Thomas’ arm and led him down the street towards the saloon. We walked up to the bar and I took a few deep breaths, looking over at him. “Has it been like that since I left?” 

“Pretty much… the Wild Bunch has had it out for you, and now seems me since you left with the kids.” 

I sighed and leaned against his shoulder. “Don’t know why it’s now all of a sudden. Been doin’ the same work for two years.. why they startin’ this all now?” 

“I don’t know dear… I am just tired of their stupid antics towards you and Jimmy and Natalie.” 

“You and me both.. It’s not fair. We did nothing. Nothing, Thomas.” 

“No it’s not. We have the right to live in Tombstone in peace as much as they do. Though they are always causing the trouble.” 

“I won a court case that got one of their people hanged. That’s it. And he was gonna hang anyway.” 

“I know dear. They think they run this town because they outnumber us. Well they don’t run doodley squat.” 

I sighed and reached for a whiskey bottle from behind the counter and opened it, taking a sip straight from the bottle. Thomas hugged me around the waist and took the bottle, taking a big swig from it himself. “So much for a nice ’welcome home’,” I muttered. 

“I’m sorry baby. I was hoping you wouldn’t have to deal with this crap by the time you came back. But somehow they found out you was back in town.” 

“And was that Ben Stolen’s voice I heard?” I sighed and nuzzled against him. “Figures, he’d be back.” 

“Yeah. I think so. The bastard! I wish I could hang ’em all. Want to head home and get away from all these idiots. I really don’t want to get shot again tonight.” 

“I guess…” I nodded and wiped away the threatening tears. “So much for normal that I wanted.”

Tom kissed me softly and wiped away the tears. “It will be ok love. We cant let them get to us. We are better than they are.” 

“I missed you so much….” I leaned my forehead against his, nodding. 

Tom held me close and touched my cheek with his hand. “I missed you so much too Trin. Things will be ok. I know this may sound stupid, and may end up bad. But I am going down the street to try and make peace with the Wild Bunch.” 

I shook my head and clung to him. “Don’t you dare... Just... leave them be... I don’t want you more hurt.” 

“I am not going to get hurt dear. I ain’t wearing a gun, and I promise not to say one bad thing. But I want you to go home. I am not going to let you get shot tonight.” 

I sighed and nodded. “I’m going to go find Natalie and make sure she’s okay. You be careful.” I kissed him deeply, knowing I couldn’t change his mind. 

“Ok love. I will be home as soon as I am done down the street.”

I nodded and walked outside, heading towards home.