ELISHA'S STORY.

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They take refuge under the first thing they can find, which just so happens to be the eaves of the closest house. Casey still has his muddy coat under his arm, but he wrings it out, his mouth curling in mild disgust as the mud rubs against his hands. 

"Well, Jesse," he mutters. "I hope you got what you came for."

"Just more questions," Jesse answers in a sigh, leaning against the wall of the house as he shakes his hat out. A thought occurs to him. "What d'you think Buck's going to do?"

Casey pauses. "Best be on our guard," he murmurs, his hands continuing to squeeze out the coat.

Jesse gives him a sideways glance. He can't help but note the little details about Casey - the flushed pink cheeks, the fullness of his lips, the scrapes on his face from the whip-thin branches in the woods.

"You're bleeding," he says quietly, and before he can stop himself, he reaches out and uses his thumb to brush away a drop of blood from Casey's cheekbone. He doesn't remove his hand; instead, he cups Casey's cheek gently.

Casey freezes, and the two of them stare at each other for a moment. Jesse's pulse thuds in his ears, his breathing unsteady.

What is he doing? What is he doing? What is he doing?

Slowly, Casey reaches up and touches Jesse's hand. His lips part, and he -

A shout from right around the corner distracts both of them. Jesse's hand falls to his side as both of them come alert, and he can't help but notice how Casey's hand goes to his side instantly, looking for a gun that isn't there.

A dim feeling of satisfaction spreads through him; it looks like six months away isn't enough to erase all of Casey's old instincts.

But it's only Nicolas, Barnaby, and Elisha in the late evening light. The three of them spill around the corner, pressing against the wall to stay out of the rain as they talk and laugh with each other.

Nicolas stops short as he catches sight of Jesse and Casey, who have moved to put a more respectable distance between them. Elisha and Barnaby bump into his back.

"Nicolas, what -" Elisha begins, but sticks his head out from behind Nicolas and sees Jesse and Casey. "Oh."

Jesse laughs at how he pales. "Elisha Radmakker, are you sneaking around behind your grandmother's back?"

"Mr. Foster, please, don't tell her." Barnaby peeks out from behind Elisha and Nicolas, his large, dark eyes imploring. "Or she'll keep Elisha home and we'll never get to see him again."

"Oh, don't worry, I won't." Jesse leans forward slightly, frowning as he inspects Elisha. "What are y'all doin' out here in the rain anyways?"

"We could ask you the same thing," Nicolas says, a slight edge to his voice as Barnaby and Elisha shift uncomfortably.

Jesse and Nicolas stare at each other for a long moment. "Fair enough," Jesse says finally, twisting his ring. "You mind your business and we'll mind ours."

"Elisha, I don't think that running around in the rain is doin' any wonders for your..." Casey begins, frowning. "...accident."

As he says the last word, both Nicolas and Barnaby suck in a breath. Elisha's eyes flash as he steps forward.

"C'mon, Elisha, let it go -" Nicolas begins to say, but Elisha cuts right across him.
"That wasn't no accident, Mr. Hawkes," he spits hotly. Barnaby reaches out to take his shoulder, but Elisha shrugs him off. Jesse and Casey exchange a glance.

"What do you mean?" Casey asks slowly. Jesse shifts his weight uncomfortably to his other foot. Barnaby is biting his lip, and Nicolas is playing with the edge of his shirt. Neither boy looks thrilled.

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