Betrayal

by Just Kris

Warnings: Little language. This is not a death fic, even though it sounds like it is. I can't explain it any other way. Just be careful when you read it.

Beta: Karen Thanks for your help.

Summary: Mary betrays the seven.


On a late Friday afternoon in the fall, Buck and Ezra sat in the saloon, celebrating an anniversary with a woman friend of theirs.

It was 2 and 1/2 years to the day since Dusty Marlar came riding into town. She was a bounty hunter who was looking for Vin.

It didn't take Dusty long to realize that Vin was innocent, and soon, she became the seven's good and trusted friend. She especially grew close to Buck, Ezra, Chris and Vin.

She would ride with them often and on some occasions save their behinds when the time called for it.

Mary, standing outside the saloon, peers through a window. The three friends do not see her.

There had always been tension Mary and Dusty since the first they met., mainly because of the friendship of Dusty and Chris.

Mary became jealous whenever she saw them together. She always hoped that she and Chris would end up togther.

Mary spoke softly to herself, "What do they possibly see in her? She's not beautiful. Not even pretty. At least Chris isn't here." she said before leaving.

Unaware of Mary, Buck and Ezra get cold chills running down the back of their spines.

Dusty is tired and she wants to go to her room that is next to Ezra's. She kisses Buck and Ezra's on their mouths. Dusty starts to leave when suddenly, Buck grabs her arm. He asks her, "Darlin' where are you going in such a hurry? The night is still young."

Dusty smiles at him and says, "I'm tired Bucklin'. I want to go to bed."

"By yourself?" questions Ezra.

"Yes." she answers.

Buck is still holding onto her arm.

Dusty says to him, "Buck."

"Yeah."

"You can let go of my arm now."

Buck reluctantly let's go of Dusty's arm.

The two men watch her as she goes up the stairs to her room.

Buck says to Ezra, "I think we should go with her."

"Perhaps. But not this time." the gambler says as he sits down in a chair.

Opening her door, Dusty is hit on the head from behind by Mary.

Dusty falls to the floor is unconscious.

Still holding the weapon in her hand, Mary turns around. She wants to run but can't because Ella Gaines is in front of her. Ella has been watching Mary for sometime, waiting to see if she was going to do something with Dusty.

Ella pushed Mary asside to see Dusty lying on the floor. She goes to her, kneels down, then she looks back at Mary. She asks her, "Well, what are you going to do with her now?"

Mary stutters. "I... I don't know. I... I didn't mean to do this."

"Sure you didn't," Ella says grabbing the blanket off the bed and covers Dusty's body with it.

"Ella what are you doing?" asks Mary.

"Finishing what you started."

"Why do you hate her so much?" asks Mary.

"The same reason you do."

Ella picks Dusty up and throws her over her shoulder.

The two women take a look in the hallway to see if anyone is there. They leave and go down the back steps of the saloon to where Ella's wagon is. Ella drops Dusty in it like a sack of potatoes. Mary throws in her weapon. Ella gets in the drivers seat and rides away to her nearby house, with Dusty's motionless body.

Mary stood there watching Ella untill she wasn't in plain view anymore. The blonde decided to go back to the saloon.

Meanwhile, Chris and Vin woke from having nightmares about Dusty. They headed for the saloon and ended up there at the same time.

Buck sees them first over at the saloon doors. He knows something is up and he kicks his chair out from under him and rushes up to Dusty's room. When he gets there, the door is open and he sees signs of a fight. He screams and Chris, Ezra and Vin run up the stairs to Dusty's room.

"I knew it! I knew it!" Buck shouts.

Vin goes to Buck to try to calm him down.

Buck turns his head and sees Mary standing in the doorway.

"What the hell are you doing here?!" he asks angrily.

"Go home," Chris says to Mary. "You're not welcome here."

"But Chris..." Mary says, "I know what happened to Dusty."

"What?!" snaps Buck.

The ladies man walks straight over to Mary and begins shaking her arms.

"Well woman? What the hell happened?"

"I saw Ella take Dusty."

"You did nothing to stop her?" asks Buck.

"I couldn't. I think she's dead."

Buck stops shaking Mary's arms. He leaves with Ezra and Vin and they go back downstairs.

Chris tries to leave but Mary is stopping him.

"Get out of my way," he says.

Mary begs, "Chris, please. There is a chance for us now."

"Like hell there is."

"My God. You're in love with her!"

Chris pushes Mary out of his way and she falls to the floor, crying.

She shouts to him as he is leaving, "You're not the only one who's in love with her!"

Chris storms downstairs and sees JD, Nathan and Josiah there as well.

"I know where Ella is," JD says to Chris. "She has a house nearby."

The seven leave the saloon, climb on their horses and head for Ella's.

Arriving at Ella's a short time later, they separate and start searching for Dusty.

JD is looking out in the backyard.

He notices something in the ground.

He shouts, "Hey guys! I think I found something."

His friends come out of the house to join him.

"What is it?" he asks.

Josiah bends down. "It's a grave."

Vin picks up the shovel that is lying next to the grave. He starts to dig and stops when he hits something. He drops the shovel down and starts brushing the dirst away. When some of the dirt is gone, he sees Dusty's face. Vin carefully picks her up in his arms.

As he is doing this, wildflowers start to fall from the sky.

"Oh wow," exclaims JD.

"I can't say it better myself." Buck replies.

"It's amazing." Nathan says.

"I never would have believed this, if I wasn't seeing it with my own eyes," says Ezra.

Vin kisses Dusty's forehead and she opens her eyes and groans.

"Darlin'!" Buck says happily. "I thought I lost you."

"No chance of that happening." she says coughing a little.

"Ella did this," Chris says to her.

"No. It was Mary...The both of them."

"Shhh." Nathan says to her. "We need to get you back..."

"No," says Vin.

"I'm not, we're not going back there anytime soon," he says as he is putting Dusty on his horse. He gets on behind her.

The other six men climb on their horses.

"Where do you suggest we go?" asks Chris.

"Anywhere," Vin answers.

"Fine by me," Buck says.

"I'm all for some peace and quiet,." Ezra says.

"Me too," agrees JD.

"Can't argue with that," says Josiah.

"This should be interesting," says Nathan.

The sun is set and seven ride off to parts unknown.

THE END

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