A heavy snow fell on the small house overlooking the frozen lake in Nebraska Territory. The little house stood nestled in a stand of trees, the branches preventing all but a little of the snow from landing on the roof, making it a snug place where the occupants could feel safe. To anyone passing by the house might have appeared abandoned except for the movements from within, and the shadows that danced across the windows. From within the flakes a figure smiled, he knew who lived here and knew that she’d enjoy some company, although he wasn’t who she longed to have return.

Nudging his palomino along the rider approached the house and swung down. Bedding his mount down, the man headed through the snow toward the front door. Stepping onto the porch he smiled as he heard the peal of babyish laughter and the sound of other voices joining in.

Knocking swiftly before he entered he grinned at the young woman who stood watching him with a grin. "Evening ma’am." he teased the young woman with a grin.

"Jimmy!" Theresa laughed at the man and ran to him, unmindful of the snow and the cold that he’d brought in with him.

Hugging his adopted niece he glanced over her shoulder to see the hopeful look on the dark haired woman’s face who stood holding a young baby. He’d been here when the little girl had been born no more than a year before. Briefly he wondered about the man she was waiting for, he had no idea that he had a little girl unless she’d written to let him know, but he doubted that.

"Hi." Lou’s soft voice was filled with a world of pain as she realized he was alone. Smiling at him she offered coffee and headed for the kitchen to make it. Settling her daughter down, she quickly made coffee, and stirred the stew she’d put on.

"Hey." Jimmy leaned against the door jam. "I’ve had warmer receptions."

"I’m sorry Jimmy. I was just hoping.." Lou started and tried to stem the tears she could feel building.

"You were just hoping that I was him." Jimmy whispered as he walked over to give her a hug. He loved her so much, they’d been through hell and back in the time they’d known each other. She had always loved his best friend more than him, something that was reflected in the reception he’d gotten when he’d arrived. Feeling a moment of hurt he pushed it aside, it had been too long since they’d been this close. Jealousy, hurt and anger didn’t belong between them.

"Yes. But he’ll be home soon." Lou whispered and wondered briefly who she was trying to convince, Jimmy or herself.

"I’m sure he will." Jimmy replied letting Lou move away from him. The past months had been hard on all of them, but Lou had taken it harder than anyone of them. She’d had to raise her daughter alone cause Kid had gone to fight, now though word had come down he’d been wounded somewhere in Missouri and they’d all hoped he’d come home. "Don’t give up hope Louise, it is after all nearly Christmas. Miracles can happen."

Lou smiled for the first time with genuine emotion, "That’s what I keep praying for." She replied and shrugged pushing aside her fears and unease. Jimmy was home, and soon Buck and Jenny would be here to help celebrate the season. Maybe this year she’d have her entire family about her to rejoice in the birth of the Lord’s son.

"So you make a profit on those horses you bought?"

"Sure did. Next spring we’ll have twice the herd, and Buck said he’d build another room on the house." Lou said excited about seeing Kid’s dream coming true. "Katy and Lightening are in the barn, and that new stallion Kid bought is in the corral. Hopefully we can get the other horses we want from a breeder in Kentucky."

"Can I have something to eat yet Lou?" Jeremiah asked walking into the room. He had grown taller since they’d come to this little ranch.

"Yes you may, after you wash up and help your sister set the table." Lou admonished. "Dinner’s ready."

Shaking his head Jeremiah quickly did as he’d been instructed as Lou set the pot on the table and went to open the back door. She grinned at Jenny who was obviously pregnant and Buck who was carrying an armful of wood. "Hey you two. I was beginning to get worried."

"I would have been here earlier except my wife needed a back rub." Buck teased Jenny as he set the wood down. He grinned at Jimmy who stood watching them with his habitual bad expression and walked over to him to pull him into a hug. "It’s good to see you." He said.

"It’s good to be here." Jimmy replied hugging him back. "Cody should be arriving tomorrow."

"You’ve seen him then?" Lou demanded hopefully.

"Sure. Last time I saw him he was trying to make time with a dark haired woman in Sweetwater." Jimmy stated with a laugh. "Looked like he was going to be successful to."

"Sweetwater’s only five hours away! Why doesn’t he just ride through?" Lou asked.

"He didn’t say." Jimmy replied as they sat down to the evening meal. Soon laughter echoed within the walls as the snow continued to fall. After dinner the dishes were washed, put away and the children were put to bed. The four adults sat up watching the fire play it’s glow upon the walls in the room.

Jimmy glanced at Buck as he sat watching Lou who’d curled into her chair and fallen asleep. "She should be in bed."

"She sleeps there most nights. Can’t recall the number of times I came in to find her sleeping in that chair. It was Kid’s favorite." Buck replied holding his wife gently.

"Sure wish he was here. Wonder what’s keeping him?" Jimmy mused aloud.

"Maybe his wound prevented him from traveling." Jenny suggested. "I imagine they wouldn’t send him home half dead."

"I don’t know. But he should be here." Jimmy could feel the anger simmering.

"Jimmy it ain’t right to get mad at him for doing what he felt was right." Buck muttered.

"What he should have done was stay at home with his wife and child." Jimmy muttered taking a long pull on his whiskey.

"Don’t get all high and mighty Jimmy. If you’ve forgotten you walked away after little Rachel was born without a backward glance, no letter, no nothing. At least Kid was up front with her."

"I couldn’t stay." Jimmy muttered. He figured Buck knew why he’d left but knew the other man wouldn’t say a word.

"Enough out of both of you. Kid’s your best friend Jimmy same as Lou and she don’t need to be thinking you don’t care about him." Jenny yawned as she snuggled into Buck’s arms.

"She’s right." Jimmy looked at Buck with a sardonic grin. "I sure miss him."

"We all do." Buck replied as he settled in with his wife. After a few minutes of silence they glanced up as the door opened and Cody came in covered in snow.

"Evening guys." Cody shook off the snow and shucked his wet clothes, boots and hat off before approaching the fire. He glanced at a sleeping Lou who was curled into a large, overstuffed chair. "Shouldn’t you wake her. Send her on up to bed?"

"That is her bed." Buck replied softly.

"I sure hope she’s in a good mood tomorrow." Cody muttered. "Danny’s coming out as soon as the snow stops."

"Who’s Danny?" Jimmy asked.

"My wife." Cody yawned. "The dark haired woman in town."

"You got married!" Buck laughed. "I can’t wait to meet this amazing woman."

"She’s something else that’s for sure. Used to be a gunslinger." Cody replied settling down on the floor. "Where am I bunking?"

"Upstairs. She’s got the rooms all ready said that they had to be when her family came home." Jenny replied smiling at the boys. A lot of changes had happened in the time the express family had been apart, some where good and some weren’t but even the bad ones weren’t the worst that could happen.

After bunking down for the night, Jimmy sighed. A lot had changed in the eighteen months that Kid’d been gone he wondered briefly if they’d even recognize the man if he showed up. Shaking off the thoughts he closed his eyes and settled into an uneasy slumber.

~*~*~*~*~*~

From atop the rise Kid stared at his home and smiled. His body ached from all the walking he’d done in the last few days but his heart was light and that was all that mattered. He could see a tiny light in one window that reflected off the snow, but other than that the house looked dark and empty.

Sighing he glanced to his right at the small horse loaded down with his personal affects and the gifts he’d brought for everyone. He wondered why he hadn’t come home sooner, guilt he guessed. After all how could he return to Lou with a part of him was missing?

He’d stopped off in a small town in Missouri a month ago and ran into an old friend of theirs. He’d known when he’d seen Sam Cain that no matter what, Lou loved him as much as much he loved her, she wouldn’t mind him being partially blind.

"Come on old boy, it’s time to go wake everyone." He said to the horse and started down the path to the house, wading through the snow. He brushed ineffectively at the nuisance on his face and swore under his breath as he remembered it was the eye patch the surgeon had given him when they realized he would loose more than his sight. The surgeon had removed the eye itself and sewn the lid shut after the shrapnel he had removed had infected it.

Shrugging nervously he slogged on through the snow in the pre dawn light and stopped next to the barn, his breath coming in wheezing gasps. Too many hours spent in the cold had left him with a badly infected chest cold, and he could barely breathe at times. Smiling as he studied the house that he’d built for Lou before he’d left to go to war he leaned against the wall of the barn and remembered the day he’d brought her here.

He’d been so proud to be able to carry her across the threshold of their new home. They had only been married a few months when he’d brought her here and they’d spent the rest of the day making love in the large four-poster bed he’d made and put in their bedroom.

"Well old horse, I don’t know about you but I’m anxious to see everyone." Kid croaked as he led the bay into the barn. Noting Jimmy’s palomino and the familiar brown of Cody’s horse he smiled. An unfamiliar sorrel stood in one stall next to a bay and he guessed it had to be Buck and Jenny’s horses. He’d known what was happening from the letters Lou had written.

After taking care of his horse he stopped next to Katy’s stall and patted the paint mare on the neck. She looked trim and healthy as she nuzzled at his shirt, smiling he pushed her away and glanced around. After quickly feeding the stock he sighed, he couldn’t put it off any longer.

Lifting the full saddlebags, he headed for the barn doors and stepped into the grey light on the snowy path that led to the house. Walking carefully he made his way slowly to the front stoop of the house and stopped. He needed a minute to catch his breathe before he opened the door and went inside.

Stepping into the warmth of the interior of his home, Kid felt the worries and anxieties he’d had the past month fade away as he glanced around. The furniture he’d built still sat in prominence in the house, with the little nicknacks that Lou had collected decorating it.

Running a hand over the top of a table next to the door he set the saddle bags down, removed his coat and boots and started walking through the house. A slight movement had him turning to stare at the cradle he’d given Lou before he’d left.

Smiling he approached the hand carved cradle and stared down at the little baby sleeping within the folds of a crocheted blanket. Tucking the corner back around the babe he glanced up and noted the fire was dying as well, Lou sat in his chair her head leaning against the arm sound asleep. He studied the way her chest rose and fell and smiled, he loved her so much.

Moving silently he grabbed some wood and stocked the fire before heading for the kitchen, he’d let everyone sleep for a while. Making a pot of coffee was a bit interesting considering he had a hard time keeping track of everything his hands were doing when he turned his a head to the left but he just gritted his teeth and soundlessly finished making coffee.

Lou shifted in the chair and opened her eyes. The fire was going again and the odor of fresh coffee drifted to her in her chair. Certain Theresa was up she headed out of the living room only to freeze, sitting next to the door was a pile of clothing, and several saddlebags. Feeling a moment of fear she grabbed the gun she kept near the door and followed the slight sound of movements into the kitchen.

She froze as she entered the room. Standing looking out the window was the familiar figure of the man who’d came home to her in her dreams so many times she briefly wondered if she was seeing things. Sucking in a deep breathe she cocked the gun, better to be safe the sorry.

"How’d you get in?" Lou croaked wondering why Jimmy or Buck wasn’t down stairs. She frowned when she realized their dog hadn’t even barked once.

"Through the front door." The familiar timbre of that voice had Lou dropping the gun on the counter as she walked further into the room.

"Kid?" She whispered shakily, hope filling her.

Kid lowered his head as he felt her walk up behind him, suddenly conscious of the patch he wore and the paler he had on his face. "Lou." Kid turned to her and closed his eye when she froze a few steps away from him. His shoulder’s hunched when she stepped back.

"Oh God Kid!" Lou gasped at his appearance. He was thin, thinner than when they’d met nearly three years before. His sandy hair hung in greasy strings past his shoulders, darkening with the paler on his face. The most obvious thing though was the black leather eye patch he wore that hid his eye but didn’t cover the scars that streaked out from under it.

She noted the way he tensed when she took a step back and shook her head, "How do I know it’s you? How do I know I’m not dreaming?" She whispered.

"It’s me Lou." Kid whispered setting his coffee down on the table. "I’m sorry." He whispered as he made to step around her.

"You came back." Lou whispered grabbing him as he made to move past her. "Please don’t. You can’t leave me again, please!"

Kid froze at her quiet plea and looked at her, seeing only hope and love in her eyes he smiled shakily. "I brought some things for everyone."

"Oh Kid! You’re the best Christmas present I’ve ever had." Lou flung herself into his arms and buried her head in his shoulder. "I’ve never been so worried, when they wrote and said you’d been wounded I thought for sure they’d send you home. When you didn’t come I thought.."

"Shh." Kid whispered putting a shaky finger over her lips. "I was scared to come home."

"Of what?" Lou asked tracing his features with shaky hands and her eyes tracing his body anxiously.

"Look at me Lou." Kid stated quickly. "I’m partially blind. I wasn’t sure if I could handle the disappointment you might feel, and the pity I felt about it myself."

"I don’t care. You’re alive, you’re whole and you’re home." Lou replied wiping at the tears streaking down her face. "That’s all I care about Kid. I’ve missed you so much!"

"I’ve missed you." Kid said pulling her close to squeeze her as hard as his weakened body would allow. "I saw the horses in the barn. Is everyone here?"

"Everyone except Cody, Rachel and Teaspoon." Lou grinned happily. "Jimmy, Buck, and Jenny are still sleeping."

Kid smiled, "Cody’s here, at least his horse it. I’m so glad the family is together. We may not be blood but it don’t matter. I love you Lou, I wanted so many times to come home, you were the only thing I could think of to keep me going."

"I love you Kid so much. I was so scared when you’re letters stopped." Lou whispered as Kid picked her up and kissed her hard. "Promise you won’t leave again."

"I promise. I won’t leave you ever again." Kid replied leaning against her. "So how old is my child?"

"A year. I knew I was pregnant a couple of days before you left, I just couldn’t bring myself to tell you. We have a beautiful little girl." Lou whispered.

"I knew. I caught you in the mirror the day I left with your hand on your stomach, I wanted you to tell me so badly. But when you didn’t I realized you wouldn’t want me to stay because of that. I had to fight for the cause I believed in Lou. I had to fight for us."

"You’re home now and that’s all that matters." Lou replied laughing as Rachel started to whimper. Rushing to pick up the little girl she brought her back to Kid who took her gently, "Her name’s Rachel Emma McCloud."

"Thank you." Kid leaned forward to kiss her softly before he headed for the living room with the tiny bundle. He felt Lou follow him quickly, he dreaded leaving her side again for any reason.

 

Buck frowned as he realized someone was awake downstairs as the faint odor of coffee reach him. Jenny moaned at the smell and buried her face in her pillow as Buck slid from the bed as a knock sounded softly on the door.

"Buck?" The sound of Jimmy’s voice had tensing.

"Yeah Jimmy?"

"Someone’s here. Who ever it is left the barn door open." Jimmy said poking his head into the room.

"Lou’s up. Probably out feeding the stock." Buck replied.

"There’s a trail coming from up the way. I can see it from the window in my room."

"I’ll be right there." Buck said quickly donning his clothes and following Jimmy downstairs. Pausing at the foot of the steps they stared at the pile of leather and cotton that lay next to the front door. Buck glanced at Jimmy and glanced at the nook where Lou kept her gun. The space was empty.

"Damn, wonder who it is?" Jimmy whispered as the sound of laughter reach their ears. Turning they headed for the living room only to freeze. Lou was kneeling next to a chair filled with the familiar form of a man they’d feared dead.

"Kid?" Jimmy stepped forward a moment before Buck.

Kid glanced up at Jimmy and Buck, "Hi!" He whispered turning his attention to his daughter. Careful to keep the right side of his face in the partial shadows.

"When did you get in?" Jimmy asked as Kid only glanced at them from the corner of his eye.

"This morning early. Fed the stock before I came in." Kid explained as Lou stood quickly and offered to get coffee.

"We can get our own coffee." Buck said with a smile. "Jimmy wake Cody up and tell him to get down here." Buck watched Jimmy dart off a grin splitting his face.

"It’s good to have you home again." Cody called racing into the room in his pants, his shirt in his hand a grin on his face.

"It’s good to be home." Kid grinned as he played with the little girl in his lap. "I couldn’t wait to get here." He coughed harshly his chest burning as he reacted to the exertion playing with the child caused.

"It’s been too long since we saw you, how are you feeling?" Buck asked noting the leather thong around Kid’s head, and the harsh grating cough the man curled around.

"I’ve got a bit of a cough." Kid admitted. "And I lost an eye but other than that, can’t complain."

"Damn this is the best Christmas ever!" Cody said happily. "Glad that you’re alive."

"No more than I am." Lou put in tearfully. "No more than I am."

Kid grinned at Lou and watched the other three men glance at him with only friendship in their eyes. Cody was right, this was the best Christmas he could remember. He was home with his friends and his family and that was all he could have ever wished for, for Christmas!