by Karen

Author's Note: Thanks to Sameena for all her help with this story. You're the best!

Disclaimer: The characters of The Young Riders were created for television by Ed Spielman. The series aired on ABC TELEVISION from 1989 - 1992. This story is a sequel to my stories "Acceptance" and "Morning Sun" which took place six years after the Pony Express was disbanded.

Chapter Two

A few weeks later, Teresa was forced to tell Buck the truth about Nathan Jones and how a few years before Buck had arrived in Mole Hill he had possibly tried to attack her.
"He was just a strong-headed, fool, boy who took a fancy to the boss man's 'daughter'." She sighed and continued, "He thought he could improve his situation by impressing me. He didn't do either. He tried to court me. I wasn't interested. I was waiting for someone else - someone older, someone more interesting." She smiled as she placed her hand on Buck's arm.
"When he realized I was serious; that I didn't want to be with him, he got angry. He grabbed me and drug me to the barn. He was yelling and hitting the wall, demanding to know why." She moved away from Buck and looked out the window. "I told him I didn't want to marry a boy when I knew there were men available, and I started to leave. He grabbed me and threw me across the stall we were in; that's when Louise came in. She had the shotgun with her. She told him to mount up and leave. We'd forget the whole thing, but if she saw him near me again she'd cut him down herself."
Teresa turned back to face Buck. She watched him as he tried to bring his anger under control. "You see how angry you are?" Teresa Cross asked her husband. "This is why I didn't want to tell you. It's over. Nothing happened. He didn't hurt me. I'm not sure he would have if Louise hadn't walked in on us." She sighed.
"Buck, you can't protect me from the past. Don't try. This wasn't your fault. You weren't here. You didn't even know me - not really."
Buck stared at his wife. His anger at what she had just finished telling him slowly fading. "If he ever tries anything . . ."
"He won't," Teresa interrupted. "If he was planning something it would of happened by now. Just don't you go do anything that gives him cause to come after you. He don't like Indians. That's where he went - to go fight Indians. His family was killed in an Indian raid when he was young. He seen everything from his hiding place in the root cellar. He'll go after you that way before he tries anything with me. He'll try and stir up trouble with the folks in town for you if he can."
She stopped talking and crossed the room to where Buck sat. She stood behind him and placed her hand on his shoulder. "If you go and do something fool-headed, he'll get his wish. You'll be the one causing trouble for him. Just leave him be. Please, for me?"
Buck turned to where he was facing his wife. He put his hands on her waist and pulled her so she was sitting next to him on the bench at their kitchen table. He looked into her eyes and then dropped his gaze, "It may be too late for that," he said.
"Why?" What happened in town?" asked Teresa. "What made you come home and ask about him?"
Buck sighed. He took a deep breath to calm himself some more. "He's got a boy, Nick . . .
"Nicholas" Teresa supplied.
He's around 3, 4 years old."
Teresa nodded.
"They were in the store this morning. The little boy was staring at me. I figured coming from the city he'd never seen an Indian up close. I wished his father would tell him to quit staring at people, but I let it alone and did my best to stay away from him. He followed me wherever I went in the store. He was so busy watching me; he accidentally knocked over a display of some canned goods. Mr. Jones about sent him across the room with the slap he gave him." Buck paused to be sure he kept his composure.
After a few seconds, he continued, "I stopped him from hitting the boy a second time by getting in the way. He asked me something about who I thought I was interfering in his business. So I told him my name and also told him that most folks in town would interfere in his business if it involved beating little boys to death," Buck sighed.
"And?" prompted Teresa.
"When he heard my name, something about the way he was acting changed. He got a real cold look in his eyes and said, 'So, you're the low-life half-breed that stole Teresa McCloud from me while I was off protecting decent folks from your kind.' I told him I was your husband, and he let me know that that situation could be changed. Then he grabbed the boy and left."
"Who else was there?" asked Teresa.
"Just Kid and the shop keeper. I apologized to Mr. Preston for causing a scene, offered to pay for any damage done to his goods by the accident, settled up my bill and left."
"Then what happened? Why did you come home instead of going to work at the pens?"
"I decided to go by the sheriff's office and tell him and Jeremiah to keep an eye on the boy to make sure he didn't get beat too bad. Jeremiah told me the same thing you just did about him not liking Indians, but that don't make sense. That boy of his is part Indian. I can tell by looking at him." Buck shook his head.
"Anyway, Kid caught up with me at the sheriff's office where I was trying to get Jeremiah to explain about the comment Mr. Jones had made about you. Kid heard me and suggested that I come home and talk with you instead of going to work with him because he, Louise, and Jeremiah all felt that it was up to you how much of this story I was told. So I came home, and . . ." he let the sentence fade. He was a bit ashamed of the way he had barged into the house demanding to know exactly what the deal was with Mr. Nathan Jones.
Teresa put her hand on Buck's chin and lifted his face until his eyes met hers. "I'm sorry I didn't tell you about him. I just didn't think it was important. I never expected him to turn up back here, and then when he did a few weeks ago and nothing out of the ordinary happened I figured that he was going to let things be. I figured that he realized that I was happy with my life, and that it didn't include him; that it never really had."
Buck nodded. He took a deep breath before he spoke. "I understand and I'm sorry I let my anger get the best of me. It's just the thought of anyone having hurt you like that, it . . ." he let his voice fade.
"It makes you think of what happened to your mother, doesn't it?" finished Teresa.
Buck simply nodded. After a few seconds, he took Teresa's hands in his own. "I need you to do something for me and to make me a promise."
"What?" asked Teresa.
"I need you to let me teach you how to stop anyone from ever hurting you like that. I can teach you how to fight someone off." Teresa was about to refuse, but she looked at her husband's face and noticed the seriousness. She also noted the worry and fear in his eyes. This was as important to him as getting Mary Morning Sun baptized a few days ago had been to her. She smiled, "Alright. I can do that. What do I need to promise you?"
"That as soon as Mary Morning Sun is old enough I get to teach her the same thing. I need to know that no one will ever be able to hurt her like that -- at least not easily. I won't feel safe leaving the two of you here alone if I don't know you can take care of yourselves."
Teresa Cross leaned over and kissed her husband. "That's an easy promise to make as long as you make one in return. Mary Morning Sun needs to know that what you are teaching her is to be used only to defend herself. She must not feel like it's permissible to hurt others for no reason."
Buck nodded. "Of course," he replied.
He stood. "I'm going to go see if Louise would mind watching Mary Morning Sun so you can have your first lesson."

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