These Men: Nathan Jackson

Thanks to Eagle-Eye Cherry for his song "Save Tonight."

Josiah Sanchez shook off the slight drizzle and walked into the Saloon looking for his usual companions. When he spotted Buck Wilmington and Ezra Standish taking in a game of cards, he decided to join them.

"Hey there Josiah," Buck greeted the ex-preacher amiably.

"Buck, Ezra," Josiah nodded back.

"Pray tell, why the long face sir?" asked Ezra as he gathered the cards.

"Ah, it's the church roof. Thought maybe Nathan and I got most of it patched up but, in this recent rain, it looks like I've got a couple of leaks," he explained hoping that the others would get the hint and decide to help.

Buck just chuckled softly nodding his head as Ezra went back to shuffling his cards. "And where is our fine practitioner of the healing arts?" he inquired.

Josiah sighed as his subtle offer went unanswered, "probably went back to the Seminole village, it has been a month," he informed.

"Went to see Rain, did he?" Buck said with a knowing smile.

Josiah smiled and nodded back. Deciding to be blunt he said, "should stop raining soon, you boys have some time to help me work on the roof?" he asked rather rhetorically.

Buck and Ezra sighed acquiescing, as Josiah's smile became a grin.

+ + + + + + +

Nathan Jackson approached the Seminole village at a slow trot, his horses' hooves squishing in the mud formed from the recent rain. Everyone in the village seemed to look well and healthy. He'd noticed that they'd even managed to rebuild two adobe homes. A few of the children ran up to him recognizing him as one of the seven brave men that came to help them a month ago. The Seminole chief waved in greeting to him. Nathan dismounted and smiled at the older man as he passed through the children.

"You look well," said Nathan smiling.

The old man chuckled and gave Nathan a friendly slap on the back. "I am much drier than you too," he said with a grin. "Some of us," he continued, "are a lot better now that you are here," he said as he looked towards one of the homes.

Nathan followed his gaze and was not at all surprised to see that it was Rain that the older man had been looking at. She stood in front of her little adobe home looking as beautiful as the first time Nathan had seen her, albeit this time he was right side up. Nathan had come to the conclusion that he'd never seen a more welcome sight before in his whole life.

She smiled at him and he returned her smile, noting how she just radiated and beamed happiness at his presence. Nathan felt a gentle nudge at his shoulder and realized that the chief was pushing him forward. He let out a hearty laugh and shook his head as he made his way over to Rain a large smile playing upon his lips. She met him halfway and threw her arms around him.

"I've missed you," she breathed as Nathan's arms came up around her waist to embrace her.

"I guess you have," he said as he watched her eyes twinkle.

"Come, help me with dinner, we have some catching up to do," Rain said as she led Nathan into her little home.

Once inside they worked together, Nathan began cutting vegetables and cooking the meat over the fire. He watched as Rain kneaded some dough for some bread, both impressed with her strength in doing so and by her movements. She was so fluid, so graceful, so entrancing; he didn't notice when she stopped. It wasn't until he felt the soft, powdery smack of bread dough hitting him in the face that he awoke from his reverie. He glanced at the beautiful culprit and suppressed a laugh at her mildly indignant look, her eyes, though at once fiery started to glimmer with humor and before long, both were laughing.

Rain giggled as she said, "you look good Nathan, with all that white powder all over you."

Nathan grinned mischievously, "oh, you think so huh?" He asked picking up the malleable piece of dough and playing with it. He casually walked over to where Rain stood over her kneading board. Rolling the dough to pick up more flour he looked at Rain.

She glared at him in humorously, daring him to do what she believed he was thinking. Crossing her arms in front of her, she watched him defiantly. "You wouldn't Nathan," she said in a serious tone.

"Wouldn't I? Been a month since you've seen me, I could've changed," he said slightly smiling.

"And so could have I," Rain added softly as she watched him handle the dough.

Nathan silently considered her words, remembering her father and put the dough back down.

Rain smiled triumphantly. Nathan shrugged and then suddenly reached up and smeared flour over her nose. He grinned as she started to laugh, picking up some flour she sprinkled it in his hair. Nathan put his hands in the flour and embraced her face to pull her close. Rain shrieked with laughter as Nathan chuckled.

"Is cooking with you always like this?" he asked.

"Yes!" Rain exclaimed.

Nathan laughed even harder. He let go of her face and pulled her close to hold her. Rain rested her head on his shoulder as they caught their breaths. They slowly and reluctantly broke apart. Picking up a kitchen cloth, Nathan gently removed the flour from Rain's face. As he did so, she reached up and lightly brushed at his hair and the two found that they couldn't help but smile at each other.

"I better turn that meat before it burns," informed Nathan.

Rain nodded and smiled, "I'll start the bread," she added as she returned to her kneading board.

+ + + + + + +

Buck and Josiah worked for sometime on the church roof in the late afternoon sun. Mostly in silence that was occasionally broken by Buck's cussing at his misfortune of hitting himself with the hammer. But Josiah made it a point to express his gratitude.

"Buck," said Josiah getting his attention from the other side of the roof, "I really do appreciate all your help."

"Ah, don't mention it Josiah," said Buck with a grin. Then he asked, "I wonder where Ezra's at? He said he'd be here."

Josiah smiled back. "So'right Buck, I'm betting that card game he got into's got him pretty busy," he said.

Buck laughed lightly as he pounded in another nail. "Guess you gotta' offer the right kinda 'remuneration' to get that gambler to take on such a 'trivial' task," he said with a wily grin as he waggled his eyebrows.

Josiah arched his eyebrows at Buck.

"Guess I've been hanging around Ezra too much huh?" Buck grinned again.

Josiah gave the tall drifter a slight smirk and turned his attention back to the loose shingles.

The pounding continued until Buck managed to hit himself again. "Damn! Josiah," said Buck, "if I were to hit my thumb one more time -- " Buck was suddenly cut off by shouting.

"Josiah! Josiah!" yelled the young Sheriff JD Dunne. He came to halt seeing Buck on the church roof with the ex-preacher.

"What is it JD?" asked Josiah, he was concerned about the urgency in the young man's voice.

"Any of you seen Nathan? Chris sent me to find him, Ezra's been hurt bad," he blurted in a rush of words.

"Kid?" Buck questioned rising from his spot. "What happened to Ezra?" Buck asked as he began to descend the ladder, followed closely by Josiah.

"Mrs. Travis and I were out walking back from the Potter's when we see Ezra come tumbling out from north alley of the Saloon. He's been beaten pretty badly, looks like he may have even hurt his arm pretty bad," explained JD.

"How'd it happen?" asked Josiah as they hurried away from the Church to the Sheriff's office.

"Don't know for sure, Chris brought him up to Nathan's room, Mrs. Travis is with him. He's barely conscious but he did say something about a card game he just played with some men," JD supplied.

+ + + + + + +

Josiah leaned against the wall in the Sheriff's office to rub a hand across his face.

"Apparently, Ezra was trying to get some money back from two fella's who were cheating on some of the townsfolk," supplied Chris.

Buck looked at Josiah and then said, "did Ezra happen to say that they were two cowboys? Chaps and all?"

Chris nodded, "yeah, why?"

"Josiah and me saw them in the Saloon earlier," clarified Buck. "M' pretty sure I know what they look like," he said.

"What do we do?" asked JD.

Chris' eyes went to the three men before him. "Well, since Vin is out, Buck, you and JD get going after those two. Watch your backs. Josiah?"

The larger man nodded slightly. "I'll stay with Ezra, Nathan's at the Seminole Village," he said.

The gunfighter in black nodded. "I'll go and get Nathan," he said as he led the way out the door.

+ + + + + + +

The air was still slightly damp from the recent drizzle as Nathan and Rain sat in comfortable silence on a rock overlooking her village. The sun peeked through gray clouds and was slowly setting over the desert, casting brilliant hues of oranges, reds and purples over the rocks around them. Rain sighed and Nathan looked over at her.

"Something on your mind?" he asked.

She shook her head and smiled back at him.

"How have you, have you gotten along since your father..." Nathan let it trail off as Rain turned a slightly pained expression away from him. He decided to wait until she was ready to talk about it.

Rain reached out and grasped his hand. "You will not stay, will you Nathan?"

The frank and open question surprised him. "No," he answered quietly, giving her the same candidness as her question.

"You have many things to do?" she asked rather sadly.

Nathan gulped visibly and nodded.

"Before my father died," Rain began, "we talked of you."

She smiled slightly as he arched an eyebrow in question.

"Father believed you were a good man, wanting to do many good things for many people," she said.

Nathan nodded at her statement realizing that just wanting to do right often made him appear to be good. He didn't especially have a problem with that.

"Even the white men," Rain added softly. "Especially the white men who are your friends."

She watched as he nodded again.

"I understand that you need to go again. I will wait Nathan. There is so much you still need to do with the men who helped us," she gazed out at the desert. "There are things my father still teaches me. Even though he is gone," she said with more wisdom and understanding than he had anticipated.

He smiled slightly then, overwhelmed at her generosity. "Rain, you know what you mean to me?" he asked, feeling extremely blessed by her intelligence and support.

She nodded as she reached up to cup his face, "yes."

"You are so beautiful," he said, addressing both her physical features as well as the openness of her heart.

Rain smiled in response, but her stomach began to growl. They both laughed.

"Hungry?" he asked smiling as he pulled her hands together in his and held them.

Rain took one last look and the fading sunset and then at Nathan and nodded.

+ + + + + + +

Nathan stretched out in the chair and yawned. "That was wonderful Rain," he said smiling.

"You do not eat in Four Corners?" she asked teasingly.

"Not home cooked meals like yours," he responded smiling.

"No, I suppose not," she said. "Perhaps you will you come to visit often?"

"As often as I can," he replied.

Rain was about to say something when rapid hoof beats began to be heard. They heard the leader and children outside talking excitedly and decided to check on the situation.

"Chris?" Nathan asked stepping out of the cabin.

"Nathan," Chris said.

"What's wrong?" Nathan asked, suddenly worried. "The fella's all right?"

Chris shook his head and smiled. "Seems that Ezra got himself into a spot of trouble. He's been beaten pretty badly," explained Chris.

"Let me guess, from cheatin' at a card game?" Nathan said with a smirk. "Serves him right maybe," he added.

Chris looked at Nathan carefully and smiled slightly.

"What?" asked Nathan.

"Seems he was cheatin' some cheaters," Chris said. "Least that's what he told me and I think I believe him."

Nathan ducked his head slightly and licked his lips considering what Chris just told him. He nodded slightly. "How bad is it?"

"Pretty bad. His right arm looks broken, he was beaten fairly badly," described Chris. He watched as Nathan shifted from foot to foot and then glance behind him. It was then that Chris noticed Rain.

"Guess we should get going now huh?" said Nathan as he made a move to start preparing to leave.

"Hold on now Nathan," said Chris. "My horse needs some rest," he said as he looked at the black healer.

Nathan shook his head in surprise. He turned to look at Rain who gave him a small supportive smile.

Nathan looked back at Chris, "how long?"

Chris gave Nathan a smile that caught the black healer off guard. "Half an hour should do, you think?"

Nathan returned Chris' smile with gratefulness. "Half an hour should do fine," Nathan said. "Thanks Chris," he added.

+ + + + + + +

Nathan re-entered the small home where Rain waited for him. She stood at the fire, stoking it to make sure it would not burn out. Nathan closed the door behind him, and then moved to draw the curtains on the windows. Walking over to where Rain sat, he pulled a blanket with him and gently wrapped it around her shoulders and his own as he joined her.

"I was hoping to stay longer," he said softly.

"Some things can not wait Nathan," she said as she held his hand. "Let's enjoy this for now. You will come back when you've finished all that you need to do."

He watched as her eyes glistened with unshed tears and pulled her close for a hug. They sat for sometime like that until a knock brought them from their cuddling. Wordlessly, they stood and Rain helped Nathan gather his things for his trip home. Before stepping out into the light drizzle that had started once again, Nathan slipped an arm around Rain's waist and pulled her close. Gently and ever so sweetly, he gave her a tender kiss. He hoped that he could convey to her all the love and hope that he had for her. When he moved away, the tenderness in her smile told him so. With a heavy heart, Nathan took his leave, closing the door quietly.

+ + + + + + +

Nathan entered his quarters dripping wet. He and Chris made good time, despite the darkness and the rain starting again. He surprised himself at his concern over Ezra's well being and was glad that he was home. He glanced over at Chris and noticed that though the older man tried to hide his own interest, he seemed all too happy to back in Four Corners too.

They were met by Josiah. The tall ex-preacher sighed in relief at the sight of Nathan. The black healer grinned at the bigger man and noted that Josiah looked so ruffled.

"Nathan," began Josiah.

"Now, ain't no call in apologizing Josiah," said Nathan already sensing the guilt radiating off of the ex-preacher. He stopped to dry off a little bit. "How is he?" he asked.

"I got him cleaned up pretty well, Mrs. Travis is getting some soup for him. But he's been slipping in and out of consciousness a lot. And I wasn't able to do so well with his arm," Josiah gestured towards the sleeping form of Ezra on the cot in the tiny room. "He may get a fever," Josiah added.

"He in any pain?" asked Chris.

"Some," answered Josiah.

Nathan looked at Chris quickly. "Chris, you best get dry and drink something warm or you're gonna catch your death," admonished Nathan.

Chris smiled wanly.

"And I don't mean no whiskey, you hear?" Nathan asked as Chris made a move to exit the tiny room.

Chris turned back to Nathan and the glanced at Josiah who smiled toothily at him. "Yes Sir," he replied with a nod before exiting.

Nathan shook his head and began looking through his medicine chest, briefly stopping to watch the rainfall outside his tiny window. Glancing back at Josiah and the sleeping form of Ezra, he sighed and returned to his rummaging, a slight smile tugging at his lips.

The End