Author: Merula

Pairings: 1x2

Rating: PG-13

Warnings: Yaoi, AU

Disclaimer: Gundam Wing is not mine.

Wild West Part 1

"Sheriff Yuy?" The young girl paused at the doorway and peered into the dimly lit office. She pushed her blonde hair out of her face impatiently and tried to catch her breath. She'd run all the way down to the jailhouse.

"Sylvia?" The deep voice of the sheriff answered her from the shadows behind his desk. "What's wrong?"

"A new guy is causing trouble down at the saloon. Sis sent me down to get ya."

Heero got to his feet with a sigh and grabbed his hat.

"What kind of guy?"

"Traveler I think. He's holding a gun on Quatre- making him play the same song over and over again." Ah that explained why the piano player hadn't already beaten the crap out of this guy and tossed him out of the bar.

Heero followed Sylvia at a quick pace down the street. Not running- just quick. No need to upset the townsfolk after all. Still, they got to the bar in a remarkably short amount of time.

"Wait out here," Heero told Sylvia and ducked inside. It took a moment for his eyes to adjust to the dimmer light inside the bar.

Beethoven's Moonlight Sonata echoed through the dimly lit bar. Quatre, Catherine's part time bouncer and full time piano player, was seated at his instrument in the corner.

At the table next to him was a man with dark brown hair hanging in his face, his gun pointed steadily at the piano player.

Quatre's face was serene, eyes half-closed. He could stay calm in a room full of drunken card players. Heero wasn't surprised to see that he was acting like the gun wasn't there.

Heero caught a movement out of the corner of his eye. He glanced towards the bar and nodded reassuringly to the woman behind the counter. She gave him a half-worried half-hopeful glance in return. Catherine kept a 12-gauge shotgun under the bar, but she wasn't fast with it. Heero would have to deal with this problem on his own.

There was another person sitting in another corner of the bar, hat tilted over his face, but Heero dismissed him. The problem customer was obviously the one next to Quatre. Heero approached the man carefully, not wanting to startle or upset him.

"Hey there stranger," Heero said, a bit flatly. He hated having to make chitchat. "Why are you holding a gun on the piano man? I didn't think Quatre was that bad a player." Quatre's lips lifted in a faint smirk.

"He wouldn't play it," the stranger muttered.

"What, the song he's playing?" The stranger blinked his visible green eye, confused. "Since he's playing your song mister, you should put the gun down."

"Don't want to," the stranger muttered. "Don't want to die."

"I promise you, no one will hurt you if you put the gun away." Heero took a few steps closer. The gun never even wavered. Quatre closed his eyes all the way, focusing on the music and not on the fact that he might get blown away any minute.

"Not that," the stranger slurred and Heero wondered how much he'd had to drink. He shot a look at Catherine and made a quick hand movement. She shook her head back.

He hadn't had anything? What the hell was wrong with him then? Had he been drunk when he came in?

The brown haired man continued to talk: "Las' time I put the gun down- they died. They all died."

"Who died?" Heero asked cautiously.

"M' family. They killed 'em. I wasn't gone long. Cam' back and they were all dead..." Heero sensed a flicker of movement from the figure in the corner. "This was her song. She used to play it all the time..."

"Who did?" Quatre's voice was soft.

"My mother's... she'd play it for me and my sisters... Marie, Maia... they're dead. Did they go to heaven?"

"Of course they did," the new voice was a light tenor. Heero turned slightly to see the figure in the corner get to his feet.

"How do you know?" The stranger turned the gun away from Quatre, who let out a faint sigh of relief, and towards the person walking softly across the floor. Heero tensed a bit more. He didn't recognize the voice but he didn't want strangers getting killed in his town either.

"It's a matter of faith," the figure stepped into the light cast by the windows. The man was dressed as a preacher, black clothes, a white collar, a gold cross at his throat. A round black hat shaded his face. He had a well-worn bible in one hand. "For does he not say that those who believe in him shall never die?" His voice had a bit of an evangelical lilt, but there was a tone underneath it that puzzled Heero.

"But they died," the stranger put the gun down and put his hands over his eyes. "They died."

"Only the mortal part," the preacher sat down next to the distraught man and placed a comforting hand on his shoulder. "Their souls are free." The stranger turned his head against the black clad shoulder next to him and started to sob. Heero picked up the gun and tucked it safely out of sight. Quatre reached the end of the sonata and started a different tune, just as soft.

The preacher looked up at the sheriff and gave him a quick wink. Heero sat down on the other side of the crying stranger and made a gesture to Catherine.

She was at their table seconds later, a bottle of whiskey and three glasses in her hands. Heero uncapped the bottle and poured the golden liquid into the glasses. The preacher took one and offered it to the stranger.

They drank in silence for a moment; the only sound the soft music that Quatre was coaxing from the keys.

"Can you tell us what happened?" Heero asked when the stranger seemed to calm. He had removed himself from the preacher's shoulder and was staring into his whiskey glass.

"I don't really know. I had gone hunting- the others were supposed to be watching the caravan. There wasn't supposed to be any savages around..."

"Where was this?" The preacher asked and Heero frowned. He was the one who was supposed to be asking the questions. The preacher gave him a sardonic half-smile, as if he had sensed Heero's resentment.

"A mile or two out of this town- down the coast a ways."

"No savages there," Heero stated. He wondered what trouble was coming to his town.

"I came back and the..." the man took a deep breath. "The camp was destroyed. The tents were ripped- there was... blood everywhere..."

"Everyone was dead?" Heero frowned more.

"Yes..."

"How? Stab wounds? Arrows? Gunshots?" He stopped himself. Heero knew he wasn't great at being sympathetic but questioning someone who had just lost their whole family like this was a bit callous.

"It.. it looked like something ripped them apart."

"God damn." Heero heard the preacher swear softly. Were men of god supposed to do that? He glanced that way again and caught a glimpse of violet glancing back at him.

"Ooops," the preacher muttered.

"I buried them all..." the stranger continued. "Left everything else- couldn't salvage anything..."

"I'll go look into it for you," It sounded like a wild animal attack to Heero, but it wouldn't hurt to go look. The man blinked up at him. "I'm Heero Yuy, sheriff."

"Trowa Barton," the stranger offered and shook his hand. "I'm really sorry..." he looked at Quatre who merely smiled back at him and then at Catherine. "I didn't mean to cause any trouble."

"It's no trouble," Catherine assured him. "Do you have a place to stay, Mr. Barton?" When he shook his head no, she gave him a warm smile. "Well then, you can stay with us. Quatre has a spare bed in his room." Heero hid a smile. Catherine had evidently taken pity on the poor young man. Her 'mothering' instincts were in full force.

"Thank you." Trowa turned to the preacher sitting next to him. "And thank you..."

"Duo Maxwell," the preacher took the offered hand. "And like the lady said, it's no trouble. It's my calling to help those in need." Quatre got to his feet.

"Come along Mr. Barton. You look like you need some rest." Trowa followed the piano player out of the room.

"I'd offer you a place too," Catherine told the preacher, "but it's a saloon, not a hotel."

"Is there a hotel in this fine city- or someplace else to get a room?" The preacher asked her with a charming smile.

"Not unless you want to go down to Miss Relena's- and considering your calling, it might not be the place for you. Or maybe it is- I hear not all preachers are above the temptations of the flesh," Catherine grinned.

"On second thought, a tent sounds good," Duo laughed.

"You can stay with me," Heero offered and then wondered why he did. "I've got an extra room." Catherine raised her eyebrows slightly at him. Heero wasn't known for his friendliness. The townsfolk were used to him, but he usually frightened strangers.

"As long as you don't mean the jail cell, Sheriff, that would be very kind of you." The preacher looked up, his violet eyes dancing with mirth.

"Not unless you cause trouble. Speaking of which, I left Sylvia outside, Cathy." Heero got to his feet. "Coming Mr. Maxwell?"

"Yes, thank you," the preacher got to his feet as well. He turned to Cathy and gave her a sweet smile. "I'll see you on Sunday, dear lady?"

"Are you preaching at the church?" She asked.

"Your minister has kindly given me permission to speak at the morning service," he replied. Heero snorted as Cathy chuckled.

"Don't feel too honored, Mr. Maxwell. Reverend Peacecraft doesn't like to do the Sunday services anymore. He tries to get out of them any way he can these days, usually by roping in traveling parsons like yourself."

"And why is that?"

"I'll let Heero tell you. It's not a fit subject for a lady." That made Heero chuckle. "You're welcome here anytime, Mr. Maxwell, as long as you don't preach about the evils of alcohol to my customers."

"That's not one of my duties, Miss." The preacher took off his hat and bowed to her, a heavy-looking rope of hair falling over his shoulder. "I'll see you soon then." He put his hat back on, picked up a black carpetbag, and followed Heero out into the sunlight.

"You're an odd one for a preacher," Heero looked at the young man walking next to him. "Kinda young."

"Like you should talk," Duo grinned back. "I don't think you're much older than me Sheriff. What 20- 21 or so?"

"About that," Heero agreed.

"So," the preacher swung his heavy braid over his shoulder. "Tell me what I got myself into? Why doesn't your minister like to preach? Was he forced into a vocation?"

"Oh, the Reverend is a good man. Too good in some ways I think. He came here about three years ago when our old reverend was killed. Brought his sister with him. His very young, very pretty sister." Heero paused, waiting.

"And?" Duo rolled his eyes at the sheriff.

"She didn't like it here much. We didn't have a lot of women here back then- Cathy and Sylvie at the bar, a few wives and a... flock of soiled doves- you know." Duo's grin indicated that he understood. "The town's grown a lot since then- we have more women now."

"I see that." Duo made a show of scanning the passer-by. "So...?"

"Well, the minister's sister became good friends with one of our doves." Duo whistled.

"Whew! Bet your Reverend didn't like that."

"Hated it. Locked his sister up in her room for weeks when he found out. We heard a lot of sermons on knowing your place and avoiding evil influences after that." Heero grinned slightly. "One night she managed to get out. Went right to her friend's place and decided to stay."

"Stay?" Duo blinked. "You don't mean?"

"You heard Cathy mention Miss Relena's place?"

"Yeah. Was Miss Relena the friend of the minister's sister?"

"Nope. She is the minister's sister." The preacher stopped walking for a moment, his eyes wide.

"You're kidding."

"Nope." Heero grinned inwardly.

"No wonder he doesn't want to preach. Good Lord." Duo shook his head. "Well, that explains that. He's embarrassed as all hell still, I'll bet."

"Don't mention it to him," Heero warned. "He still gets a bit- touchy about it."

"I can understand that." Duo tilted his hat back on his head and grinned at the man walking next to him. "So- she any good at her new job?" Heero sputtered.

"What kind of preacher are you?!"

"A human one," Duo retorted with a smile. "I didn't say I was gonna go try her out for goodness sakes. Just wondered- idle curiosity. Thought you might know." His smile got a bit more sly.

"I don't want to know." Heero shuddered. "The reverend's a friend of mine. I couldn't face him again..." Not to mention that Milliardo would kill him if he found out!

Heero gestured Duo into the sheriff's office, which also doubled as the town's lockup. "I live here, right behind the jail so if there's any trouble I can get out quickly." He opened the door in the back wall of the jailhouse and ushered Duo into his tiny rooms. "Extra room is over there- on the other side of the kitchen. Make yourself at home."

"Thanks," Duo went to put his things away in the room. Heero went back out to the jailhouse and sat at his desk, propping his feet up on the flat clean surface. His mind was still going over Trowa Barton's story. What kind of animal could've attacked that caravan? That didn't sound like any kind of animal Heero had ever heard of- taking out a whole caravan? That was just odd.

"Thinking about that man's story?" Duo asked. Heero nearly jumped. He must've been woolgathering to miss the preacher's entrance. Duo perched himself on the edge of the desk and grinned at Heero's discomfort.

"What kind of animal could do that?" Heero asked, not truly expecting an answer. "We don't have any big or mean animals around like that. I've heard of that kind of thing- but that's in Africa or India- someplace with the big cats. We don't have those here. Maybe someone was trying to simulate an animal attack, but that seems like a waste of time. It's got to be some kind of beast."

"Maybe it's not exactly an animal." Duo leaned back on his hands, face shaded by his hat.

"What do you mean?"

"I've been traveling a long time. Seen some weird things. Mind if I go with you to look at that campsite?"

"That's fine. I'll probably head out there tomorrow in the morning. Didn't sound too far. You got a ride?"

"Yeah, left him at the stables on the west side." They sat there in silence for a bit.

"It's almost dinnertime," Heero observed, noting the shadows. "You know how to cook, Mr. Maxwell?"

"It so happens that I do," Duo responded with a slight grin. "Are you asking me to, Sheriff?"

"I burn water," Heero admitted.

"How do you survive?"

"The same way every other bachelor sheriff survives. I rely on other people to feed me."

"Like the young female population, perchance?" Duo teased. "Well, it doesn't look like any are showing up tonight, so I'll just go poke around your kitchen."

The preacher got to his feet and paused. A moment later, Heero heard it too- footsteps pounding up the sidewalk outside.

"SHERIFF!" A familiar voice was hollering.

"Miss Noin?" Heero was out the door in a second, the preacher a step behind him.

"There's trouble. Bad trouble! Miss said to hurry!" The young lady gasped out. "Guy tearing up the place..." Heero ran down the sidewalk towards the end of town. When these ladies said to hurry it was generally pretty damn serious. He dodged around townsfolk who hadn't yet had the brains to get out of his way.

"Where are we going?" Duo was running beside him, easily keeping pace.

"Relena's. Noin is one of hers."

"Doesn't she have a bouncer?"

"Of course she does! Several. If she's calling for me, it's serious trouble."

It was in fact, serious trouble. An irate Chinese man with a huge sword was standing in the center of the 'reception room' at Miss Relena's.

"ONE LAST TIME- WHERE IS SHE?!?" Relena was matching the man's glare easily; disdain wrapping itself around her like a mantle.

"If you'd tell me who she is, I might be able to help you." Relena glanced towards the door. "Oh Sheriff, thank goodness. This man is tearing up my salon!" The Chinese man swung around suddenly, his blade resting on Heero's throat before anyone else could move.

"Who are you, dog that comes to a woman's order?"

"I'm the Sheriff. And who are you that threatens harmless women?" The Chinese man growled.

"My name does not deserve to be uttered by the likes of..." He paused. Heero glanced a bit to his left, where the Chinese man's eyes had wandered. The preacher was standing next to him, a knife poised between his fingers.

"Maxwell?" The name was snarled.

"Chang. We meet again." Duo grinned ferally. "You know, these ladies would be much nicer if you paid them, instead of threatening them. But maybe that's the only way..."

"Shut up Maxwell. I'm looking for Meiran."

"And you think she's here?" Duo's eyes widened. "I always knew she was a lady of many talents!" Chang growled at the preacher. "Hey don't look at me! You married her!"

"I find it odd that Meiran is missing and you show up." The katana swung away from Heero's neck and towards Duo's.

"Now, now, Chang. I'm a man of God." Duo replied, casually parrying the katana away from his throat with the knife.

"When it pleases you." How the heck did these two odd characters know each other? Heero tightened his grip on his gun.

"No offense, Chang, but your wife is not my type." Duo bared his teeth in a grin. "And maybe you heard about the caravan that was attacked outside of town. Some large animal they say." Heero wondered what the heck that would have to do with a missing wife. But the Chinese man suddenly sheathed his sword.

"Which way?"

"Northeast." Duo's knife vanished.

"I came from the South."

"But she might have gone northeast."

"Don't slander my wife, Maxwell!"

"The only thing she deserves to be slandered for is marrying you Chang. Why in God's name did you think she'd be here? Did you two have a fight again?"

The Chinese man flushed red, much to Heero's surprise.

"None of your business Maxwell!"

"If you two don't mind," Heero interjected, "I think this conversation should be held outside. I'm sure Miss Relena would like the use of her salon back."

"Yes I would," that lady snapped. "If you gentlemen aren't here for business, I don't need you frightening the ones who are." She gestured to the corner where a few men had huddled up out of the way.

"After you Chang," Duo gestured to the door.

"Like I'd trust you at my back, Maxwell!"

"Fine," the preacher sighed and walked out the door, the Chinese man a step behind him. Heero was going to follow to make sure that they didn't kill each other, when Relena caught at his arm.

"Sheriff, there's something you should know," she hissed delicately in his ear.

"What?" he lowered his voice as well.

"That man's wife is here." Heero blinked at her.

"For god's sake, keep her under wraps and don't put her to work! I'll be right back!"

Heero stepped outside and blinked at the scene before him. Well, here was something a small town sheriff didn't see everyday.

TBC...

 

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