Just In Time

Just Kris

AU: Old West Crossover with the series Kung Fu: The Legend Continues starring David Carradine and Chris Potter.

Disclaimers: No body is here is mine, except maybe Jackie.

Thanks to Helen who beta read it.

Peter Caine was in his apartment lying on his back on his couch reading one of his great-grandfather's unfinished journals. He had been on leave from the for for several weeks. He was torn from between being a cop which he loved, and being a priest. He often wondered why he couldn't do both.

He was so enthralled in the journal that he didn't even know that his father, Kwai Chang Caine was staring down at him. He was flipping back and forth through some of the empty pages when he finally looked up and saw his father.

"Pop. It's been a while."

"Yes it has. You look troubled, son."

"What happened to them pop?"

"Who?"

"The Magnificent Seven."

The older Caine shrugged his shoulders.

"I do not know."

"Pop, we must go back and find out what happened to them. I know there a woman named Jack or Jackie that was involved with some of them. I checked the internet and no one has ever heard of them. The town they lived in became a ghost town. We gotta go back and find out what happened to them."

"You seemed intrigued."

"I am."

"You know how difficult it is to go back in time to change things. It won't be easy."

"I know, but we've done it before."

"Yes we have."

The younger Caine knelt down to the floor and pulled back a rug. Under it was a switch with a timer on. Peter turned it half way around and a flash of light lit up his apartment.

The Caine's were now on a town called Four Corner's in the year 1873. It was August and the air was so thick and dry you could barely breath it. It hadn't rained in weeks.

Peter and his father were standing in the middle of an empty street wearing 19th century clothes. Tumbleweeds blew against their feet. They both saw the batwing doors open without anyone going in.

"I think someone is trying to tell us something. The saloon is a good as a place as any to start looking for answers, hey pop?" quipped Peter.

"Yes I suppose it is."

They walked over to the saloon and went inside. It was empty and it looked like no one had been there for months. Most of the tables and chairs were falling apart, and the counter and some of the whiskey bottles had a couple inches of dust on them.

Peter went over to the steps that went up to the rooms of the saloon. He put his left foot on the first step and it went crashing through. Then an older man with a beard and a gun came in. He coughed several times. He hadn't been well for a while. The man kept his gun close to him since the sickness began. Undesirables would come into town unafraid and try to take over the town. But as justice would have it, they all died from the sickness.

Peter's father went over to him and grabbed his left arm. The man could barely stand up. He hadn't had anything to eat for several days because of the sickness. The older Caine helped him to a chair that wasn't falling apart. He sat down and looked at Caine.

"You shouldn't be here. It isn't safe."

Peter walked over to them. He asked, "What happened here? Where is everyone?"

Peter stared at the man for a moment. He recgonized Josiah from the decriptions that were given in the journal.

"You're Josiah Sanchez."

"Yes, Now please leave. I can't be responsible for you."

"You're not. We came here to help."

"You're too late."

Peter's father laid his left hand on his shoulder.

"It's never too late. What happened Josiah?"

Josiah realized they weren't going to leave.

"It started several months ago. People got sick, then they died right afterwards. It hit the young and the old."

"The rest of the Seven, Jack..." Peter couldn't bring himself to finish the rest of his sentence.

"No they didn't. The last time I saw them they were all fine."

Josiah half smiled.

"Chris, Buck, Vin, Ezra and Jack are at Chris's shack. But they're at each others throats. Buck thought it was a dream come true for him and Jack to be under one roof. Since we didn't know what causing this, it was suggested that some of the seven and others be put in quarantine. There's not enough room in Chris's shack to hold everyone, so JD is stayin' inside the jail and Nathan is stayin' at his place."

Peter wandered where the rest of the townfolk were. He asked Josiah, "The other people that live here, where are they?"

"Some are staying inside their homes protecting their families, others decided to leave town for good. Josiah coughed again.

Peter noticed that his father wasn't in the saloon anymore. He went over to the batwing doors looked out and saw his father talking to the Ancient, Lo Si.

"I should've known." he said softly.

"Is there a problem?" asked Josiah.

"No. It's something I should have expected."

Josiah walked over to Peter's left side. He looked out and saw Lo Si taking to Peter's father. He sighed. "That's my old friend Lo Si. He's been trying to help us out for the last few weeks."

"I should've suspected that." Peter said.

"You know Lo?"

"We go way back."

Peter's father came up to them.

"Peter we must leave now."

"Now?"

"Now."

Peter knew by the tone of his father's voice that something was up. He shook Josiah's hand and left with his father and Lo Si. Josiah watched them leave then he went to the church. He stayed there until the quarantine was lifted. The Caine's and Lo Si went to Chris's shack.

When they got there, two of the seven, Buck Wilmington and Ezra Standish were rolling around in the dirt. They were cooped up in the shack for way to long. Peter's father and Lo Si went inside the shack. The sky was becoming dark. Peter knew that his father and Lo Si could take care of whatever trouble was inside the shack.

He stayed outside and watched the magnificent two for a couple of seconds. Buck was on top of his green eyed friend with his hands around his throat. It began to pour rain like cats and dogs. The rain didn't bother to stop Buck and Ezra from trying to kill each other. Peter decided it was up to him to stop their fighting so he got a bucket of water and poured it on them.

"What the hell!" Buck said. "Who are you?" he asked.

Ezra rolled out from under him.

"I'm a friend." Peter said.

"A friend?" Buck asked. "I never saw you before in my life."

Ezra got his feet.

"Who ever he is, his timing is impeccable." the con man said.

"It usually is." Peter said.

Buck was still on the ground while Peter and Ezra shook hands.

"You're Ezra Standish." said Peter.

"And you must be Buck Wilmington."

"I'm afraid sir that you half the advantage." the Southerner said. "How do you know us?"

"I'll tell ya how he knows us. It's those damn dime store novels. They're gonna ruin us." the mustached man said as he was getting up on his feet.

"Don't mind him. He hasn't been himself. I sometimes wander why I stay friends with him." said Ezra.

"You stay friends with me you little weasel because if you didn't, you wouldn't have any friends!"

"You see what I mean? He also doesn't have any manners. I'm sorry. I didn't catch your name. What did you say it was again?"

"I didn't, but it's Peter Caine."

"How can we, I, be a service to you Mr. Caine?"

"I'm here to help."

"Help? We don't need your kind of help." a jealous Buck said.

"You're jealous." Ezra said smirking.

"Of him? Certainly not. Buck Wilmington does not get jealous."

"Then why did your have your hands around Ezra's throat?" Peter looked at Buck questioningly.

Buck glanced at his friend.

"Because he doesn't sweat."

"What?"

"I've known this scoundrel for years and I never seen him sweat. It ain't natural for a man not to sweat." the ladies' man said.

"I thought it was because of Jack." Peter said.

"Indeed." agreed Ezra. The gambler put his left hand on his throat. "That's what I thought it was."

"That's another problem you have, you think to much." sneered Buck.

"I think maybe we should go inside now." Peter said.

"No." said Ezra. "I can't go back in there."

"Neither can I." said Buck. "I've been cooped up with this weasel for the last 7 months. I've been punished enough."

All three were drenched. They all looked at Chris's shack wondering what was going on in there. A female friend of their's named Jack was inside the shack. She often rode with The Magnificent Seven. She didn't tell anyone that she wasn't feeling well.

Jack was having a fight with Vin about Buck and Ezra then she fainted. He wouldn't admit to her or perhaps to himself that he had a likeness for the woman. The Texan knew that the both those good for nothings also liked her, and she like them.

Jackie was lying on Chris's bed in a dreamlike state. Chris and Vin were at her side. The Ancient gave her his special green tea he had just made. But he wasn't sure it was going to work.

Peter's father and the Ancient came out of the shack. They were sure the people of Four Corners were hit with some kind of poison from a silver mine that was near by. The miners would come into the saloon to let some steam off. Peter looked at them to try to get a read on their faces.

Chris came out then Vin. Buck and Ezra thought the worst. Chris and Vin stepped aside then Jackie came out. The Ancient's tea worked. Minutes later after she drank the tea, she was feeling like her old self.

Their friend recovered from the sickness. Jackie walked straight over to Peter and then she wrapped her hands around his neck and kissed him passionately on the mouth. Buck and Ezra were aghast.

Vin and Chris were grinning from ear to ear. Peter saw his father and Lo Si were ready to leave. He reluctantly pulled back.

"Oh, Jack if this was another time or place."

"You have to leave now Peter?"

Peter was puzzled. He asked Jack, "How do you know my name?"

"I just know. Another time then?"

"Another time."

Peter acknowledged Chris and Vin. Then he said his goodbyes to Buck and Ezra. He took a couple of steps and started to walk away. But then, he suddenly turned around and went back to Jackie. He threw his arms around her waist and started kissing her again. From the corner of his eye, he saw his father and Lo Si start to walk down a dirt road with him. He let go of Jackie and caught up with them. Buck, Ezra and Jack went arm and arm back inside the shack and Chris and Vin went in after them. After Chris closed his door, The Caine's and Lo Si disappeared into a flash of light.

JD came out the jail the same time Josiah came out of the church, and Nathan came out of his place a minute later. The air was cooler. They each took a couple of deep breaths and let the rain pour on their faces. Some of the townfolk were headed back into town.

Because The Caine's and Lo Si were able to change history, Jackie, The Magnificent Seven and the townfolk lived out there natural lives in the town that was known as Four Corners.

The End

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