Beware of Paybacks

Ace

Companion Stories

Note: Thanks to my beta again. This is just a little Halloween one that popped in my head, so thought I'd share. Feedback is welcome on it, whether you liked it or didn't please let me know.


An afternoon in Four Corners finds two of its youngest girls walking down the boardwalk to the general store.

"Two days till All Hallows Eve," Sam states with a sly grin, causing Casey to shoot her an annoyed look.

"The night when witches, warlocks, vampires, and ghosts walk about the Earth, just as normal as you and me," the girl continues, knowing she's getting the best of Casey.

"Yeah, laugh it up now Sam, just wait till Buck and JD start with their pranks," Casey tells her, shaking a finger at her friend.

"Buck and JD can't scare me," Sam says to her, confidently, as the two enter the general store.

+ + + + + + +

"So JD, you ready?" Buck asks the youngest peacekeeper, as he sits down at the table with him, Ezra, and Nathan.

"Ready for what?" he questions, confusion written on his face.

Buck laughs and leans back in his chair a little, sharing a glance with Ezra.

"I believe he's talking of All Hallow's Eve, the night when creatures of the night walk among us," the gambler replies with a grin, taking a sip of his beer.

"Oh, yeah, I guess," the young peacekeeper responds hesitantly.

"JD, don't let these two fool you," Nathan states, "it's just a bunch of tales that drunks make up to amuse themselves."

JD nods his head in agreement with Nathan, but still has a look of fear on his face.

"Oh Mr. Dunne, tell me you've heard of the vampire that seeks out and finds young townsfolk," the gambler states, with a slight grin, as Sam and Casey enter the saloon.

"Don't listen to him JD, it'll only give you nightmares," Sam states, walking over to the table.

"Come now, you mean to tell me you've never heard of the story either?" Ezra questions, raising an eyebrow.

"Well, I've heard the story about the young girl, who seemed normal every day, but by the light of the moon on All Hallow's Eve, turned into a real witch," Sam responds, with a sly grin.

Buck looks down, laughing a little as does Nathan. JD smiles to Ezra as if saying he had Sam on his side.

"Well, when the vampire seeks you out as its prey for this year, don't say I didn't warn you," the gambler responds.

"The only vampire I'm afraid of, would have to be Buck," she replies, with a grin, to the ladies man.

"I think you're all being a little childish in your pranks. I better not have to sew any of you up this year," the healer states.

"Come on JD, let's go fishing," Casey speaks up, ready to leave before she gets spooked anymore.

JD gets up and follows Casey out of the saloon, while Sam sits down in his chair.

"Y'all are really hard on them when it comes to pranks. From the looks of Casey, she won't sleep a wink the next few nights," Sam tells them, with a disappoving shake of her head.

"Just having a little bit of fun," Buck responds.

"Yeah, well remember it's all fun and games till someone gets hurt," the girl states.

The next night....

"Where's Casey? I haven't seen her all day," Sam asks JD, as he walks into the saloon.

"She refuses to come back into town, till after All Hallow's Eve," the young man remarks, with a look of disappointment.

"I'm sorry JD, guess you'll have to blame that one on Buck and Ezra," the girl tells him.

JD nods his head and leans up against the bar.

"Well, I'll see you in the morning," Sam states, turning to head up the stairs.

"Night," JD calls to her.

+ + + + + + +

Sam opens her door and walks into the dark interior, trying to remember why she had left her lamp unlit. She fumbles around in the dark for the lamp, when her door shuts behind her. She jumps up straight and gasps. She turns around, but in the darkness can see no one, although she can feel the presence of someone else. She then feels someone breathing down her neck, then feels an arm wrap around her head and tilt it to the side. Deciding she'd had enough, she pulls her foot up and kicks her intruder's feet from under him. She reaches over and lights a match, holding it to lamp, which quickly illuminates the room. She looks to her intruder lying on the floor with a playful grin on his face.

"You devil," she responds, pursing her lips together.

Her intruder only laughs a little and stands back up, regaining his composure.

"Of all the guys that would pull this, you, Ezra Standish, took me completely by surprise," she continues.

"Was rather good, wasn't it?" the southerner replies, with a grin.

"One of the better one's that has been pulled on me," the girl says, while opening her door to let him out.

"Well, at least I scared you," he remarks, walking to the door.

"A little bit," she responds.

Ezra grins, then walks on out the door letting Sam close it behind him.

The next morning...

Sam walks down the stairs, the early morning sun barely hitting the saloon floor and smiles as she sees five of the peacekeepers seated at a table. The two she didn't want in on this plan were still asleep, and that's exactly what she wanted.

"Boys," she greets, "I have a proposition for you."

The five men look up to the devilish grin on the girl's face.

"Well, that all depends on what this 'proposition' is," Josiah remarks.

"I know that y'all are getting your fill of Buck and Ezra's pranks, as I am and now they're even leaving JD out of them," she says.

All five nod their heads in agreement.

"They have recently pulled pranks on each one of you, so I've heard, and myself as well. So I propose that we retaliate with the resources we have," the girl states, with a grin.

"Sounds good, but what resources do we have?" JD questions.

"Our ingenious minds," she responds.

"What do you have in mind?" the black clad leader asks.

Sam smiles and sits down at the table.

+ + + + + + +

Buck and Ezra wake to the sound of gunshots. Both men race from their rooms to the source of the sound. Buck busts through the saloon doors just as Ezra reaches the bottom of the saloon stairs. Both widen their eyes in shock and fear at the sight before them.

JD is lying on the floor face down, Chris is leaned over the table, and both Nathan and Josiah are lying on the ground a little ways away from JD. The only people left standing are Vin and Sam. Ezra gasps at the sight. Vin has Sam held against him, holding her at the wrists.

"What's going on here?" Buck questions, with some anger in his voice.

"Buck, he's lost it. Vin, he's gone crazy, he just killed them for no reason," Sam sobs, as real tears course down her face.

"Vin, buddy, lay the gun down," Buck tells him speaking softly as to not spook the man.

"She's next, if you try anything, so don't come any closer," the Texan says, in a deadly whisper, pulling Sam between himself and the two men.

"Now Vin, think reasonably, you don't want to hurt Sam," Ezra tells him, knowing he can't do a thing, because Sam is being used as a shield.

"Oh, but I do," he responds, raising his gun to Sam's head.

"No Vin, don't," Buck states, eyes wide in fear.

Sam looks between Buck and Ezra, still showing her scared expression and sees the fear both of them have in their eyes.

"Vin," Sam cries out sofly, "please...please...tell me you see the looks on their faces."

She smiles a little then as does Vin, who lowers his gun.

"Yep, I do," he responds, as the other "dead" guys begin to stand up.

"What...?" Buck questions, thowing his hands up in the air

"This...this was all just a trick!" Ezra exclaims, with a scowl on his face.

"Yeah, was rather good wasn't it?" Sam asks, walking over to Ezra.

"Ha, ha, ha, very funny," the gambler remarks, putting his hands on his hips.

"Chris was even in on it?" Buck asks, with amazement in his voice.

"Yeah, well we decided y'all needed a taste of your own medicine, gettin' tired of all your jokes and pranks," Nathan puts in.

Buck looks at Ezra and gives him a smile and raises an eyebrow.

"Well, it appears you have gotten us," the gamber remarks, with a huge sigh.

"This time," both he and Buck say in unison.

"No more pranks till after today," Sam tells them. "All this talk about witches and ghosts has given me the willies," she says, with a visible shudder.

"All right, no more till after today," Buck agrees, with a nod of his head.

Sam holds out her hand and Buck shakes it.

"Now let's get something to eat," JD comments, with a smile.

They all help to put the tables upright and sit down at one of them.

"Nice acting, you had me convinced." Ezra comments to Sam.

"Thanks, I was proud of myself as well," she responds, with a grin.

"Now, maybe you should tell us of this witch story you mentioned the other day," Ezra states, as he sits down at the table.

"Well boys, it all started like this..." she begins to tell them the story, with a smile on her face and a sparkle in her eye.

The End

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