Thanks to Green Day for their song "Good Riddance (Time of Your Life)."
A bullet struck the rocks overhead and scattered tiny shards and bits of stone around JD. He
reached up carefully and slid his bowler off his head, resting it on the rocks next to him. Settling
himself comfortably on his stomach, JD eased his right hand down slowly, to avoid it being shot
off and pulled his gun out of his holster. Cautiously and quietly, he checked the gun for bullets
before turning his attention back to the shooters.
There were two of them apparently. And it turned out that they were a couple of the cattle
rancher Stewart James' men. As far as JD could tell, they'd hidden themselves in the rocks up
ahead and decided to take care of himself and Buck once and for all. They had after all been
following the two men for two days now.
JD chanced a glance to his left, to where he knew Buck was taking cover. The big fella was
looking back at him grinning like a fool. JD gave him a look of disbelief and mouthed 'what?' back
to him.
Buck perked up at his young companion's question and another bullet hit the rocks right next to
him, causing Buck to sink lower towards the ground mumbling a curse under his breath.
JD looked at Buck and shook his head slightly, sighing, he reached out with his left hand
cautiously and started to draw something in the dirt.
Buck on the other hand began to think that JD was once again making a fool point and tried to
get him to focus on the problem they now had. "JD," he hissed.
The younger man pulled his hand back out of the dirt and brought it to his lips to shush Buck. He
glared at his friend fiercely, almost as he was willing him to be quiet.
Buck was caught off guard by JD's admonishing and looked down at the patterns he had drawn in
the dirt. It was a plan, an evidently very good plan drawn out on the sand between them. Buck
turned surprised but very pleased eyes to his companion and grinned once more. JD smiled back
and shook his head slightly.
Motioning with his hands and counting to three, JD pointed to his right. Making sure Buck
understood that it was time to put the plan in to work, the two of them nodded to one another
and JD silently eased himself away from his position.
Buck watched as JD moved stealthily along the rocks to circle the men on a slightly higher ridge
so that he could come up behind James' men.
Meanwhile, Buck engaged the two cowboys to keep them busy. "Sure ain't nice of you fella's to
start a party like that and leave so soon," Buck began, alluding to the fight outside the Saloon that
the two men had started, he fired a shot up to the left where he knew one of them had taken
shelter.
The cowboy on the right took a shot near JD's hat, obviously thinking JD was still there. Buck
smiled.
"Y'all are mistaken. What fight ya talking 'bout?" Buck heard the one on the right ask.
"Mr. James don't like it when we get in trouble, so I can tell ya right now, it tweren't us that
caused whatever you two are talkin' bout," said the one on the left.
Buck rolled his eyes and laughed softly to himself, "now boys, we all saw you there. You on the
right, ya got maybe a blue shirt on with a dark brown coat and red bandana around your neck."
James' cowboy looked down at himself and then at his colleague across from him and shrugged at
Buck's dead on description.
"The other one on the left," Buck began again, "Ya got a blue bandana and a gray coat with a red
shirt," he paused smiling. "Oh and you got a mustache that I might add don't look as good as
mine," Buck said grinning. Then, "Ya fella's did a pretty good job on my friend back there, that
gambler? You remember him, donchya? He tried to stop the both of ya from cheating off of some
of the townsfolk and you boys couldn't handle it. Took him down in an alleyway and left him for
dead, ain't right," Buck finished, readying his weapon.
"Shut yer trap!" the man on the left said. "Yer gambler friend's the one that conned US
remember?"
Buck snickered and began to move from his position. "Sure, but only after you fella's had worked
the farmers out of their money too," he added.
Fed up and wanting their little standoff to end, the man rose slightly to fire one more shot towards
Buck and JD's location.
"Ethan!" Dodd's partner yelled to encourage him back into hiding.
"Dodd, let's get this over with now," Ethan hissed back as he rose again to fire towards JD's
location. When he hit the hat behind the rocks, he expected a yelp but instead heard a click and
felt the cool of metal pressing into his cheek.
"That was my favorite hat mister," JD said calmly, relieving Ethan of his gun. "That was my only
hat," JD then added.
"Looks like you won't get a chance to buy a new one," Dodd said as he snuck up next to JD and
held a gun on him in turn.
"Oh I don't know," said Buck as he appeared next to Dodd with his gun barrel pushed into the
small of the cowboy's back. "I was beginning to think that hat sorta suits him. Guess you'll
have to get him a new one seein' how you ruined the other one," Buck said amiably as he smiled
at JD and took away Dodd's gun.
JD looked at his tall drifter friend and smiled back. "You gentleman did a bad thing back in town,"
he said addressing Ethan and Dodd, "y'all are just plain lucky Ezra's a strong one. Come on," he
said yanking Ethan towards his horse while Buck did the same with Dodd.
+ + + + + + +
Back in the Sheriff's office, JD slammed the door shut to the tiny cell that held Ethan and Dodd.
He was relieved that they had caught them, since Ezra seemed pretty banged up the last time he
saw him. Turning to hang the keys on the post next to his desk, he wasn't at all surprised to see
Buck stroll into the office.
"Mind if I have a word with you outside Sheriff?" Buck asked with a grin that stretched from ear
to ear.
JD eyed him warily and wondered at Buck's usage of 'Sheriff.' The label had managed to torment
him since he accepted the Judge's offer. He asked, "Buck? What's going on?"
Buck just grinned even wider and led JD out of the office. Once outside JD noticed that the other
men had gathered around too, aside from Chris, Nathan and Josiah, he hadn't known that Vin had
come back from his trip and he was surprised to see Ezra out of bed. "What's going on?" JD
asked again.
"Sit down," said Buck in a commanding tone.
JD looked at Buck bewilderingly and obeyed. Something in the bigger man's eyes told him not to
argue. He glanced around at his other friends and was equally puzzled at their presence. Deciding
that holding his tongue for once would probably save him some ribbing if not something more
serious such as bodily injury, he sat still and waited.
"Now," began Buck as he started to pace around in front of JD and the others. "I've gone over
this many times JD, over and over trying to figure out how all this happened. I've even talked to
Chris and Vin about it here." Buck looked over at the men he just mentioned and waited as they
nodded back in acknowledgment. "Josiah and Nathan here even suggested a few explanations for
it but I don't find them all that likely. And heck, Ezra thinks your just plain lucky." He watched as
JD arched an eyebrow in question.
The younger man still did not ask what was going on and sat listening intently for what was to
come next. It was taking all of Buck's willpower to hide his pride at JD's demeanor.
Buck stopped pacing and peered at JD before looking at their companions. "Boys," he boomed,
apparently not caring about who heard him, "there we were up in the hills. Sheltered by rocks
engaging in one heck of a gun fight and barely able to get the upper hand on them two cowpokes
in there," he said pointing at the jail, "when I start paying attention to what JD's doing next to
me." Buck placed a hand on his hip as though thinking about what he should say next, his head
bobbed up and down in contemplation. "I look over at him," he began again, gesturing towards
JD, "and there he was, sliding his stupid hat off his head and setting it down easily on a rock next
to him. Making it look like he was still there -- probably learned that trick from you Vin," Buck
said returning the Bounty Hunter's easy smile. "And then he starts easing out his gun, checking it
carefully so's not to get his hand or head shot off in the process, when the boy looks over at me
and starts drawing something in the sand." Buck looked over at their companions, "here I start
thinking JD's foolin' around again and when he tells me to 'shush', I got no choice but to listen. I
look down in the dirt and it's a plan! JD drew a plan out and let me tell you boys it was one of the
best plans I ever saw." Nodding emphatically, Buck added as he scratched his mustache, "well,
pretty good maybe, and it worked. JD starts easing out of his position to come up behind those
two and next thing you knew, we had them James boys cornered and hauled em' back here," Buck
paused to scan the impressed expressions of the others.
Turning his attention back to JD, he said, "ain't been so proud in my life," Buck beamed.
JD sat there stunned, his mind trying desperately to process all that Buck had just described. Had
Buck just admitted that JD did something right? And had he just told their colleagues? He looked
up at Buck and the faces of the men he tried so hard to constantly impress Chris, Vin, Ezra,
Josiah, and Nathan.
He almost passed out when they started to compliment him.
"You did good son," said Chris as he stepped forward and nodded.
"That was good thinking," said Vin with a wink.
"We'll have to buy you a drink," said Ezra as he shifted in the sling around his left arm. "And I do
believe I owe you some gratitude, Sheriff," he added smiling.
"You've found your patience," rumbled Josiah as he patted JD's shoulder briefly.
"Good job JD," said Nathan as he smiled. "Mighty glad you and Buck managed to come home
without any injuries."
Chris looked around at the others and said, "we'll be expecting you in the Saloon," and turned and
walked off as they all followed him except for Buck.
JD watched them leave and still had not uttered a word at the appreciation he just received from
his friends. Buck squatted down next to him and said, "I'm proud of you kid. More than you'll
ever know. You saved our hides out there."
The young man just looked at him blankly and then pinched himself. At Buck's hearty laughter
and warm smile, JD finally knew.
There was no way he was dreaming.
"Say something boy!" Buck exclaimed. "I've hardly heard a peep out of ya! Here I go, telling
everyone how smart you moved, how you did good and you go mute on me! Ya ain't dreaming
son so don't be pinching yourself again."
"Buck? You sure?" JD asked unbelievingly.
"When did you grow up JD? We've been here for only a coupla' days over a month," Buck smiled
and shook his head again. He slapped JD heartily on the back, "go on son! You ain't gonna get
another chance at getting a free drink off of Ezra," he said encouraging him to head to the Saloon
as JD finally stood.
JD considered Buck's words. He knew his friend meant no offense in saying that he had 'grown
up' and JD didn't take any. But it surprised him, for as he replayed his actions that afternoon, he
realized that he suddenly did know what he was doing. Standing in front of the Sheriff's office, he
realized with unanticipated clarity that all that he had learned from Buck and the others made
complete sense.
'Why' he needed to take his hat off. 'Why' he needed to do some things quietly. 'Why' it was
necessary sometimes to just listen. 'Why' it was better to look and think before doing anything. He
realized that he'd learned so much it could only mean that he had changed for the better and that
he was growing up. His mama would have been proud.
JD looked around him and at Buck. He glanced up and down the streets of Four Corners and
exhaled. Seemingly impressed and just as proud of himself, JD looked back at Buck who was now
seated in his vacated chair. He smiled at Buck.
"It's what you came out here for, isn't it?" Buck asked noting that JD had finally emerged from his
introspection.
"Sure is Buck," he answered.
"Is it worth it kid?" Buck asked back softly as JD started to walk away towards the Saloon.
JD turned and looked at Buck, "with you guys? This town? My job? Buck," JD said tilting his
head a little, as he straightened his damaged bowler on his head, "I'm having the time of my life,"
he said smiling as he turned back and headed for the saloon.
The End
