On This Lonely Road

Bottom of your Grave

Raylan's phone went off in the early am hours.

"Tell Art to go away," Raven's voice came floating through the dark.

Raylan blindly reaches for the phone until he finally located it. He blinked trying to read the screen through his sleepy eyes and gave up answering.

"Givens," he answered.

He finished the phone call and got up without another word. Raven sat up wondering what was up. Last time it was marshal buisness, but this time she could tell was different.

"Raylan," she called.

He didnt answer her as he got dressed.

"Raylan Givens!" She snapped.

He looked over at her finally and she could see he was distraught.

"What happened?" She asked softly.

"Someone shot and killed my Aunt Helen last night," he said.

"Raylan," she crawled out of bed and walked over to him.

She placed a hand on his cheek feeling all sorts of sympathy for him. Raylan always wore the tough guy persona but she could see his soft side peaking through. She knew how close he and his Aunt Helen had been.

"Do you need me to go with you?" She asked.

"No..." he hesitated to say, "I want to go alone."

"Call me if you need anything," she kissed his cheek then got back in bed.

She laid there watching him as he put on his badge and holster. He grabbed his side arm and Stetson then looked back at her. She shot him smile and he nodded then headed out. Once the door closed she reached over and pulled out her phone. She dialed up Liz.

"Raven do you know what time it is?" Liz's sleepy voice came through the phone.

"Raylans Aunt Helen was shot last night," Raven informed her.

"What?!" Liz's voice came across a lot more away then before.

"He just left," Raven said.

"Thanks for telling me Raven," Liz said.

"Welcome."

They both hung up and Liz got up and got dressed intending on meeting Raylan in Harlan.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

She pulled up to the Givens house seeing Raylan standing in the yard talking to KSP. She watched as the coroner rolled a gurney with a body bag out of the house and into the awaiting Hearse. Liz got out of the car and walked over to Raylan. He looked at her a little surprised to see her.

"Raven?" He asked.

She nodded confirming his suspicions.

"What's the plan?" Sbe asked.

"Find the bastard that did this," Raylan replied.

"Any idea on where to start?" She asked.

"Ya," Raylan walked to his car, "with my father."

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Raylan went to the jail why Liz went back to the Marshal's office. This was Raylan's fight, not hers. Hers association with Harlan ended when she pulled the trigger on Coover. Her job for now was to keep Art from realizing what Raylan was up to.

She sat at her desk filling out reports and logging information when her phone rang. She looked down to see it was Raven.

"Hey," she answered.