Molly was standing in a parlor, in front of the fireplace with a book in her hands, reciting. She felt someone walk up behind her and stand very close to her. A pair of large hands came down on her shoulders and a mouth kissed the side of her face softly. She knew what would happen next.

"Stop, please," she begged, turning around. The man she was expecting was not standing behind her, instead, Josiah Sanchez was.

Molly sat straight up in the bed, sweating and out of breath. She hadn't had that dream in so long. She'd been hoping it was gone forever. Molly got out of the bed and wrapped the blanket around herself. She walked to the window and looked out. The moon this night was full and it cast a bright light on the landscape that surrounded the small town. She couldn't stop shaking. Silent tears fell down her face and she made no move to wipe them away.

Lily and Bryn were both missing. Lily hadn't been seen since the day before when she'd gone to see Chris Larabee. Bryn had been missing since that night. She'd left the saloon to go to the livery to check to see if Lily's horse was still there and hadn't been seen since.

Molly placed her head against the cool glass of the window. She wanted so desperately to do something. Her father and uncle had joined what seemed like most of the town in the search for the two women who'd become so important to the livelihood of the town. While she didn't know either woman exceptionally well, they were the closest things she had to friends here.

Traces of dawn were starting to lighten the night sky. A search party would start out again as soon as it got light enough. Knowing she wouldn't get anymore sleep this night, Molly quickly got dressed and pulled her hair back from her face. If she hurried she could get some biscuits made for the search party before they headed out. She'd bought the ingredients to start her baking again the day before. She needed something to do and if she let her mind be idle it kept wondering back to KC and Josiah. Molly lit a lamp, put on her apron and pulled the ingredients out to start her baking.

An hour later Molly was packing a basket with the biscuits just from the oven and butter along with a few knives. She needed something else. Going through one of the "kitchen" crates she found what she was looking for: the apple jam that her and Emily had put up the fall before. The grove of apple trees near Emily's house had produced more apples than anyone knew what to do with. Molly smiled at the memory. She wondered if any apple trees were near here. Molly wrapped kitchen towels around the basket, took her apron off, pulled her sweater on and walked out into the new morning.

The town was perfectly silent as Molly made her way to the saloon where she knew the group from the night before would be returning and the group for today would be leaving from. She slowed her pace as she neared the saloon. A few horses were in front of it. None of them belonged to her father or uncle meaning they were still gone with the others looking.

Maybe I shouldn't be doing this, she thought to herself. Maybe this isn't my place. Slowly, Molly made her way across the street to the entrance of the saloon. Several men were inside, some sorting through saddlebags, others drinking out of coffee cups. All seeming to be getting ready to head out to search for the two missing women.

"What are you doing here?" a deep voice behind Molly startled her. She whirled around to face Nathan Jackson.

"I brought biscuits," Molly answered softly. "I thought everyone might be hungry and? I needed to do something," she finished sheepishly. Nathan's response was a smile as he took the basket from her and led her inside.

"Molly brought biscuits," Nathan announced and every eye turned to the entrance where Molly stood awkwardly. She was greeted with smiles of appreciation as the men gathered around Nathan and the basket. He reached inside to get one for himself then turned to her, "Molly, they're still warm," he said looking at her. It wasn't even 5:00 in the morning yet. It would take a good hour if not more to bake the batch she had; there was more than enough for the men. He wondered if the girl had slept at all and decided probably not.

Before Molly could answer the sound of horses coming up the street signaled the return of the party that had been out the night before. Molly stepped back to allow for several men to go outside before she too went out. Her father and uncle along with Chris Larabee, Vin Tanner and JD were among them. Molly noticed that neither woman was with them and her heart sank.

"No luck?" came Josiah's voice from behind Molly. He was answered by Chris storming into the saloon, nearly colliding with Molly who backed herself into the wall to avoid being hit by the man. Molly looked to her father and uncle. They noticed her for the first time.

"What are do doing up and about so early?" her father scolded her from beside his horse.

"She brought fresh baked biscuits for us," Nathan answered for her before he too stepped back inside.

"She did, did she," her uncle answered. "If they're half as good as I remember Kathleen's being, we're all in for a real treat." He thanked her with a kiss to the top of her head as he went past her.

"What in the world are you doing up at such an hour baking biscuits of all things?" her father stopped himself in mid-sentence and sighed, then smiled looking at his daughter. He walked up to her and embraced her. "We'll find them," he whispered in her hair.

"I know you will," Molly said, her voice cracking. The two stood there for a moment before turning and walking into the saloon. The activity had increased since the group had come back. Everyone seemed involved in a conversation except for Chris who had gone to a table in the very back.

Suddenly there was a commotion on the street and JD came running in yelling for Nathan who ran out. KC had ridden up and Lily was with her!

Her dress was torn in several places, her face was streaked with dirt but it was Lily. Molly stood back as Nathan reached up and carried Lily from the horse into the saloon and upstairs. Molly turned back to KC who was getting ready to take both horses to the livery. She wanted to ask her if she was all right but the words wouldn't come out as the memory of what had happened the last time she was in KC's company flashed in her mind.

Instead she turned and went back inside the saloon. Josiah was standing just inside the doorway getting ready to head out to look for Bryn. Everyone wanted to stay and see how Lily was. "Is she all right?" Molly asked him.

"Nathan's with her now. She looked pretty beat up," he said to her.

"She's a tough lady though, she'll be fine," he said putting a reassuring hand on her shoulder. Molly caught her breath and flinched backward at the touch of his hand, her nightmare still fresh in her mind.

"I'm? um? I'm going to go check and see if Mr. Jackson needs anything," Molly said trying to get away from Josiah's concerned gaze. On her way to the stairs she told her father and uncle to go back to the house and get some sleep, that her uncle could use her bed.

"Banishing us to bed now are you?" her uncle teased her, trying to get a smile out of his niece. It worked.

"Yes I am," she said with a smile, extending her arm pointing at the door.

"Now off with the both of you." Each man kissed the girl before heading outside. Molly took in a breath and walked up the stairs to Lily's room.

Terrance was pacing outside with JD seeming to be standing guard at the door to keep the man from entering the room. "I don't understand how he can let that man inside to see her before me," he was saying. "I've known Lily a great deal longer than he has I'm entitled to be with her." He drew breath to say something else when the door opened and Nathan emerged.

"She's got a concussion, a sprained ankle, a few cracked ribs and a lot of bumps and bruises but she'll be okay," Nathan reported.

"I want to speak with her," Terrance demanded. "I want to know what the hell happened?"

"She's asleep and I don't want her disturbed," Nathan said in a tone that dared Terrance to challenge him.

"The second she wakes up I want to know it, is that clear?" Terrance ordered. Neither JD or Nathan said anything in response. Terrance turned and stomped away to his room.

"I need to be checking on Buck and Ezra," Nathan said. Both men were still recovering from their own injuries. "Chris is with her now and he needs rest himself but I don't want her left alone."

"I'll stay with her," a soft voice came from down the hallway. JD and Nathan turned to see Molly Gallagher standing a few feet away. "I don't mind."

"You sure," Nathan asked her. She simply nodded.

"You want me to stay with you," JD asked her. She shook her head.

"You go get some rest yourself. I'll be all right. Will I see you later?" she asked.

"Absolutely," JD said smiling at her enjoying it when she blushed. Her brown eyes sparkled whenever she blushed or smiled, here she was doing both. "I'll see you later," and with a tip of his hat he was gone down the stairs. Nathan watched the brief exchange with amusement. Usually JD was tripping over himself when it came to women but Molly seemed different. She boarded on that line between friendship and something more and he knew that the boy cared a great deal more for the girl then he'd ever admit.

Shaking his head and trying not chuckle in spite of everything he opened the door and ushered Molly inside. Chris was sitting on a chair in a corner of the room watching the bed that contained Lily. Worry mixed with something else Molly couldn't identify was written all over the man's face.

"Molly here's gonna sit with Lily while I check on Buck and Ezra. You go on now and get some sleep," Nathan whispered to the man. Chris didn't respond in any way. "Chris?" Nathan started again.

"I ain't leav'n," he responded harshly. Nathan glanced over at Molly.

"He gives you any trouble, you come get me, you hear?" Nathan said to Molly. She nodded. Molly stood awkwardly in the room not sure of what to do. From the bed Lily stirred and her eyes flittered open. Chris and Molly moved to opposite sides of the bed. Lily saw Chris but ignored him. Lily tried to smile at Molly but grimaced.

"Do you want some water?" Molly asked her. Lily nodded and tried to pull herself up. "Let me," Molly said. Putting her arm around her shoulders she gently helped the woman in a sitting position and helped her drink some water. Chris had made a move to help but Lily tried to pull out of his grasp. Molly noticed that Lily was still in her torn dress.

"Cher, would you help me get into something else?" Lily said to Molly.

"Of course," Molly answered, looking up at Chris silently asking him to leave the room. He turned and left.

"My nightgown is in the middle dresser drawer. Where's Bryn? I thought she'd be up here?" Lily cut off as soon as she saw Molly's face freeze. "What is it? What's happened?"

"She's missing," Molly answered.

"What do you mean 'she's missing'?"

"Nearly everyone is searching, taking turns going out in small groups," Molly said. "Lily, you're supposed to be resting." Resigned that she could do nothing from her current position and in too much pain, Lily allowed Molly to help her out of her dress and into her nightgown. It was a slow and pain-filled process and when it was done Lily slipped back into sleep. Molly took a damp cloth and wiped the woman's face being careful of the many cuts that covered it.

She heard creaking from the hallway and knew that Mr. Larabee was probably still out there. Molly stepped into the hallway and saw him still standing there. He moved to walk back into the room but Molly wouldn't move.

"Mr. Larabee she needs to sleep and so do you. I'm sure she didn't mean anything by?" she was cut off by him turning and walking down the stairs. Molly closed her eyes and sighed. She then made her way downstairs to clean up the bar from the food she'd brought and to make some tea for Lily. She did her best to ignore the few people in the saloon including Chris Larabee who was at the same table from earlier watching Molly's every move. She fixed a tray with tea and a few of the biscuits that were left over to see if she could get Lily to eat anything.

Walking up the stairs she could hear Mr. Sullivan's voice from inside KC's room. He sounded angry even though his words were unintelligible to her. Molly brought the tray into Lily's room where the woman was still sleeping. Molly didn't want to wake her so she sat back down in the same chair the Mr. Larabee had sat.

She'd done this before, sat in a room tending to another woman, gravely ill instead of injured. That woman had been Molly's mother. By day Molly had tended to her. Since she couldn't attend classes during the day at night her father took over so Molly could be tutored by one of her professors. She'd had such big dreams in school. She loved to teach and be with small children. She closed her eyes and saw the fireplace again, felt the hand on her shoulder. She shook the memories away. Surrendering to all that had happened in these few short hours she placed her face in her hands, and quietly so not to disturb Lily, began to cry.