Author's Note: "Choices In Time" is a sequel to "A Time For Love". It is recommended if the reader is not familiar with the storyline and characters therein it would be beneficial to read the first installment. This piece has been renamed from it's former title "Choices". Please let me know what you think. I enjoy any feedback from you readers!

Choices In Time

by Jeanette © 2001

CHAPTER XV

"MMMmmm! Breakfast was wonderful!" Lewis complimented as he wiped his mouth with the cloth napkin.

"Thanks for joining us."

"Thanks for picking up the tab Jimmy," he winked.

Kid reclined on the chair adding, "And some things never change."

A wave of chuckling laughter bounced around the table as all sat there having enjoyed a very lavishly presented breakfast. The morning sun filtered through the drawn lace curtains that fluttered lazily due a slight breeze wafting from the Mississippi just outside the window. The wonderful smell of brewed coffee still lingered in the air as friends reminisced about old times.

"Would anyone like more coffee?" asked Victoria.

"Please," indicated Lewis with a raised finger.

Victoria's bright eyes turned to Jimmy. "Honey?"

"None thanks," he smiled to her as Lewis sat there still not believing his eyes.

"Kid? Lou?"

"I'll have some thank you." A cup for Kid but none for Lou as she sat content, feeling stuffed as it was.

Victoria nodded and rising, fetched the silver coffee pot and brought it to the table, refilling the requests as well as her own.

The morning had been spent in idle chat, catching up on the latest news: Rachel's new job at the school, Teaspoon's heavier responsibilities as Marshall, Lewis' exploits always brought awed reactions from the boys while Lou could only stare in disbelief, offering a reprimand in between which was always met with a 'nothing happened!' excuse. When asked about Buck, the news was very welcomed.

"Why that old rascal! Got the girl did he?" Lewis chimed. The last time he'd seen Buck, he remembered he was quite taken by the new Mayor's beautiful daughter. "Uhhh...Charlotte right?" he recollected. He remembered telling Buck he had no chance in Hades of getting to her. "Glad to see I was proved wrong for once," he added with an air of arrogance the boys had come to learn was more jesting than not.

Louise cut in. "And obviously NOT the last time."

"True, I leave town for a few months and look at you all! Tamed like little kittens!"

Of course once inquiries were made as to Jimmy and Victoria's relationship, the tale was told as Lewis sat attentively each person offering a piece of the story. In the end he was glad that everything turned out so well and here sat Jimmy Hickok, Wild Bill as happy as a jaybird. Lewis had never dreamt this life for Jimmy. A life without a gun? Could it possibly be?

"I still can't believe it. You of all people Hickok!"

"What's so hard to believe?" Jimmy grinned.

"That you found a fine lady as Miss Sutton to actually court...and that she would actually say yes!" He could tell that Jimmy had definitely hit the jackpot with this one. She was nothing like his other interests past. Definitely nothing like Mrs. Burke. This one was lively and cheery, not so tired looking and drab. Lewis could see she was good for Hickok. Jimmy seemed more relaxed, not so edgy and tense. Her manner didn't go unnoticed. She was city bred. Her clothing, the way she sat so upright, the way she ate, so proper, Lewis smelled money which explained this lifestyle they now enjoyed. Yet regardless of the trivialities, Jimmy looked truly happy.

Jimmy chuckled. "I am damn lucky that's for sure."

"Oh luck had nothing to do with it honey," Victoria smiled as she sat back at the table next to Jimmy. "It was your rugged good looks I couldn't resist." Victoria leaned over and gave him a soft, unassuming kiss.

"Awwww...now isn't that wonderful?" Lewis asked wryly. "Now my question is, is how come I'm still single? I live in a great city, beautiful women flocking all over, I've got a decent reputation..." raised brows were shot his way, "okay scratch that; but it isn't any worst than Jimmy's..."

"Watch it Lewis," Jimmy warned.

"I'm kiiiidding Hickok. But still I can't figure it. I'm a sensitive man. Yet Louise here won't run away with me and marry me."

A slap met his arm. "Oh shut up Lewis!"

"Smart woman I'd say," Kid grinned, taking her hand and kissing it.

"Maybe you're not looking hard enough," Victoria noted. Lewis was indeed handsome, seemed quite a gentleman and had a swooning smile to go along with his good looks.

"Maybe it's your job Lewis," Louise frowned, her voice firm. "No woman wants to be married to a gambler."

"Excuse me. But I would like you to know that gambling is an art...not a job."

"Oh pleeease...here we go again," Louise rolled her eyes.

"It's true...tell her boys."

Jimmy and Kid just laughed. "I'm not going there Lewis," Kid said. "I like my head on exactly where it is."

Lewis shook his head. Whatever happened to the days of brotherhood bonding?

He decided to change the subject, a more serious matter coming to mind. "Speaking of gambling since we're on the subject, you did pretty well at the tables there last night Jimmy."

"All in a night's work," he shrugged.

"You know I was thinking, with this big tournament coming up, and with your talents," he noted, "you could probably win yourself a seat at Mr. Moore's personal table."

Jimmy's brow crinkled in confusion. "What do you mean? He runs his own game?"

"Exclusively. Only high betters of course. If you win enough, he'll look for an opportunity to win his money back."

"And why're you telling me this?"

"I've seen you at the tables Jimmy." Lewis leaned forward, his eyes a bit narrowed and dark. "You have that look in your eye, that killer instinct. If I didn't know what a pussy cat you'd turned into, I'd be shaking in my boots if I sat across your view."

Jimmy snickered and shook his head while Kid and Lou joined in the same manner. Victoria had never seen this side of her Jimmy. But in a way she was glad she hadn't. Wild Bill's reputation was not foreign to her but those days were over for Jimmy. They looked forward to a new life together. Wild Bill would be soon dead and burried.

Of course Jimmy would never deny his talents at the poker tables. He was damn good at what he did, almost as good as shooting...almost. Lewis though had triggered an interest. It was a great opportunity and one they couldn't pass on Jimmy knew as much.

"So what's the catch?"

"The catch is that you could come out the big winner. We're talking hundreds of dollars on a hand! How can you pass that up?"

"So why don't you play? You're ten times better than me."

"Cause...I can't. Employees can't gamble on the premises. Concerns about stealing from the house or something to that effect. Besides, people get suspicious when your employees start winning too much. They start thinking you're fixing games and that's never good for business."

Lewis paused.

"Of course I'd be lying if I didn't have an alterior motive."

"Figures," noted Lou, crossing her arms over her chest. Ironically, this foursome had alterior motives of their own...a coin to retrieve, one step closer to the gold.

"Look, I have dreams too. I want to open my own place one day. I need money to do that. Jimmy, I can tell you which tables to play. Which ones have the weak gamblers, the big spenders with little brains. The ones you can outwit with just a twinge of an eyebrow. I can guide you through the entire process! It's a walk in the park if we do this right."

"Oh you mean cheat."

"Oooohhhh...that is such a nasty word Hickok. It's not cheating. It's strategizing."

"Mmmhmm," Jimmy smirked. "And how much will this cost me?"

"Half your winnings."

"Half?!" cried Kid. "You gotta be kiddin' me."

"I'm putting my neck on the line too you know. Come on! Trust me on this. We could both come out big winners!"

"Now why should Jimmy get involved in your scheme Lewis?" Lou frowned. "I thought you said you were working for Moore on some biiig, secret project. Isn't the payoff on that big enough for you?"

"It's good enough but I can't depend solely on that. Like everything else, nothing in this life is guaranteed."

"And what exactly is this payoff you're keeping from us?" Kid dared to ask.

Lewis laughed. "Ahhh I don't know..." he hesitated.

"Come on Lewis. It's only fair," Kid egged. "You want Jimmy to risk his neck to help you but you won't come clean?"

"I'm sorry honey, it just sounds too risky," Victoria added, discerning exactly where this was going. They were so close to getting the information from Lewis. So close. Did he know about the gold or not?

"I want the truth Lewis. All of it...or no deal. I have to know what I'm gettin' into. It ain't like the old days. I got more than myself to think about," Jimmy stated, taking hold of Victoria's hand.

"Alright, alright! I'll tell you. But this doesn't leave this room. We're in this all the way. No turning back," Lewis stated directly, his brow set.

"Carson Moore is offering me $5,000 dollars to help him find some hidden gold from an old nemesis of his...McBride; Jonas McBride. Well this McBride fella is said to have hidden a massive treasure in gold buillion. There's a piece of a map..."

Each one at the table felt his heart nearly stop beating. It was the hardest thing to hold one's tongue at a moment like this but there was no other choice. Jimmy felt Victoria's grip tighten around his fingers, pooling the blood in his digits. He settled his other soothingly on top in order to calm her. His hand was very grateful afterwards.

They'd decided not to let Lewis in on any knowledge of their real reason for being in New Orleans. It was dangerous enough and with Lewis working for Carson Moore, the stakes were even higher now. For their friend's sake, it was best to keep him in the dark for now.

Lewis related all in its entirety; the gold, the piece in Carson's possession and his own efforts to track down the other two pieces. As of this point in time he'd come to a dead end so his light of hope wasn't shining as brightly as it did in the beginning.

Lewis looked at their eyes with a frightful intensity. "That is a hell of alot of money. But to tell you the truth, I don't think he's going to find that money. I don't think it exists. As far as I'm concerned I'm along for the ride. If this money's real, well I'll be made a fool for doubting it, but I'm not taking any chances. I have a sure plan to get just as much from this tournament without busting my butt chasing after some fool's gold and I'd be a bigger fool not to take it."

"Hi Buck!"

"'Morning Buck!"

"Hello Buck!"

"See ya in school Buck!"

"Gotta run...Miss Dunne will kill me if I'm late again!"

Buck walked slowly into the yard of Rachel's small school. There she stood so regal, so proud. The smell of new wood still permeated from her, the paint as red as a shiny new apple picked straight from the tree. The building itself was nothing magnificent. Same one room space filled with desks and benches. The same flag stood in the corner claiming its mark on this open territory. The same row of alphabet letters, the words of the white man strung above the blackboard spelling nothing in particular yet as unimportant as they seemed in their order, placed in an organized form, they could spell either "Welcome" or "Trespassing".

Rachel had made him feel welcomed opening her doors to a man like him. It was unheard of. Might as well invite a gambler if you're going to invite an Indian through your doors. Why not a bounty hunter or best yet, one of Sally's girls down at the Wild Horse? An Indian was categorized among them...vile, foul, doomed to the fiery pit but a citizen? No, never that. Their opinions meant little, not that many of them cared much. They were happy enough being lawless and as many saw fit to tag them, "unrighteous souls doomed to hell". But even though Buck understood all of this somehow today he didn't care.

He stood for a while, his dark hands stuffed in his pockets. The air was a bit chillier today but it brought no bother. He eyed the building as children scurried, seeing the schoolmarm at the bell. The clanging sound made him chuckle. Rachel waved from the distance and he returned the silent greeting. True, there was nothing special about the structure but amidst the new books, and new floor, new flag in the corner and alphabet border strummed above the blackboard, there was a new attitude, new young minds ready to learn. Young minds readied to be fed something besides hate and discontent. He could have a hand in this "new order", him...an Indian. It made his heart swell a bit, a tinge of pride trickling through his veins though he was reserved not to be overly optimistic either. He didn't know how long this would last. How long before he was deemed as "Trespassing" on sacred ground. He knew his time had started ticking from the minute he set foot inside that school. The fuse was already lit, now he only waited for the explosion he knew would soon come.

"You coming to school today Buck?"

Buck looked towards the voice, one he'd already become so familiar with. He smiled down at Charlie Simmons, "Wish I could but not today Charlie. I got a run."

Disappointment marred the young one's face. "Well how long will you be gone? Aren't we supposed to start learning some real Indian sign?"

The corner of Buck's mouth raised as if to hide a smile. "I'll be gone a couple of days. I promise when I get back we can learn some real Indian sign."

"Chaaarles!"

As if the commanding voice of an army officer called his name, Charlie stiffened, spectacled eyes darting over his shoulder to his teacher. "Miss Dunne's calling. I better go."

"I'll see you when I get back all right?"

"'Kay Buck! Ride safe!" the young boy cried out, his body twisted as he waved to his friend all at the same time running toward the one room school.

Buck's wide grin slowly faded as if an apparition of sorts had appeared through the door of Rachel's school house.

"'Morning Charlie," came a giggling greeting as Charlie scuttled, nearly bumping into Miss Wilson who had unwittingly blocked the entrance as she exited.

"Sorry Miss Wilson, 'Mornin'...uhmmm...'Mornin' Miss Dunne." The greetings were given rather swiftly for tardiness was a no-no in Miss Dunne's class. Rachel smiled not being able to return the good morning with one of her own for in the blink of an eye Charlie Simmons had disappeared inside.

"Thank you for letting me impose on you Rachel. I know you're busy."

"No thanks needed. That's what friends are for."

"And I'm lucky to have you. I don't know if the girls would understand if they were here."

"I'm sure they would. They love you as much as they love B..."

The sudden halt in Rachel's sentence made Charlotte follow the woman's gaze. There in the schoolyard. There he was.

"I...I better go." An uneasiness crept over Charlotte. She fumbled with the black gloves she held in her hand, seeking to find their opening in a rather rushed manner. Not much got Charlotte flustered, but seeing Buck for the first time since their fight was enough to send her nerves jittering in every direction.

Buck could see her body language. She was uneasy, her eyes barely had given him one look to soon dash towards those gloves in her hands as she struggled to slip them on. He wasn't sure what to do. He stood there like a frozen statue in time watching the goings on before him but being unable to utter a sound or make a move. Should he approach? Should he apologize? Seek her forgiveness again?

"I'll be sure to bring the quilting squares tomorrow Rachel."

"Charlotte don't you think..."

Charlotte chose not to hear it. She snapped at Rachel, "No." She knew what Rachel would say. But she wasn't ready. They had just been speaking of it before school began. How to best deal with this situation. Charlotte feared that as more whites moved into the territory it would only drive a deeper wedge between herself and Buck. Buck had every right to be concerned about his people. She understood it perfectly. She had seen with her own eyes what whites had done to them. Corrupted their land, spread their diseases, slaughtered their buffalo, stole their land. She had heard of the many massacres, innocent women and children, lives snuffed out like a burning flame no longer in need. The rapes were worst...savage, inhuman. She was ashamed. These were her people. They were a cancer, spreading quicker than it could be stopped, multiplying overnight like deadly cells bent on conquest of a defenseless organ. Those were her people. How could she look Buck in the eye and say she loved him? How could she expect him to stand by and allow greed and malice to devour his people, all that he held sacred? She was one of THEM...part of the white man's world. He was one of THEM...the opposition. There was a definite line that divided them. Was it merely race? No it wasn't race. Was it lack of understanding? Perhaps. Had she been naive? There was no denying it. Immunity was nowhere to be found, not in these difficult times. And that is what she thought they had; a foolish girl's idea of the perfect world. Nothing would get between them. Their love was strong enough to survive it all! But young girls soon awake from their dreams to a world not remotely close to that perfect picture.

"Alright...but I think you should still talk to him."

Charlotte merely looked into Rachel's concerned eyes. She wiggled her fingers to fit inside the tight spaces of her gloves, pulling each one tight on her wrist. "I'll bring them by tomorrow."

Buck felt his heart drop like a clay brick on a hard surface, breaking in half. She walked. Not one word, not even a second glance in his direction. His amber eyes followed her every move and something primal told him to run...run after her! You can't let her get away...not like this!

Buck must've moved before his thought was complete for once he came to, her arm was in his hand. Charlotte's eyes went wide, the startling hold on her making her gasp. Her eyes shot up to Buck. They were dark and deep. His figure towered over hers and she had to look away, finding anything but his eyes to focus on.

"Buck...let me go," she asked softly. She couldn't be angry with him, not even after his insinuations the other day, accusations that had cut her to the heart. He didn't let go. She looked at his dark hand around her slender arm. "Please."

"Not until I have a word with you."

"There's nothing to discuss Buck."

She wouldn't look at him. He set a finger to turn her chin towards him but she just as quickly moved her face, avoiding further contact. His touch still had that same ardent affect. Her heart responded to the love that was still fresh in her heart as the day she felt it for the first time. There were floods of emotions that rushed through her. Fear, anger, love, desperation, hope.

"Of course there's something to discuss Charlotte. I'm sorry about the other day. I was angry. I didn't mean anything by it."

"Stop it Buck!" she spat, stifling a cry. "Just stop it!" She managed to snatch her arm from his grip, stepping a couple footsteps back to distance herself. Emotions began to pour forth, making her breath short, and the tears which had pooled, threatening to fall.

"Charlotte!"

"You were right to be angry with me. Who-Who am I...Who am I to be so presumptuous to fight your battles for you? I...I'm no...nobody. I'm one of them! And I can't change what I am...just as you can't change who you are Buck."

"I don't want you to change what you are!"

"That's not true Buck." Her eyes lifted to his, a trail of tears ran down her cheeks swiftly falling to disappear against the backdrop of her blouse.

"Of course it is. You know the way I feel about you."

"Do I?"

"I love you."

Those words struck her with more pain than happiness. Charlotte sniffled, her eyes reddened by her agony. "Buck...how can you love me when everything I stand for is making you miserable?"

"It's not you Charlotte. It's everything around us that makes me miserable."

"And where is it to lead Buck? My world adds to your pain; your misery. Will you go back to your people and leave me behind when things get out of control? Will you come to me one night and say your goodbyes or any at all?"

"I don't know where things are going. I'm torn Charlotte. I see my people suffering and a part of me wants to run to them. But then I have my family here...I have you. It would kill me to leave you."

"But you would...if you had to."

His eyes danced away from hers. He couldn't tell her the truth. Not to her face. But the answer was clear to him. He would leave her to defend his own.

"I hope for the best Charlotte. That's all I can hope for."

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