Of Swaggers, Saloons, And Star Badges - Chapter 26 (final chapter)
Title: Of Swaggers, Saloons, And Star Badges - Chapter 26(final chapter)
Character/Pairing: Jae/Min/Chun and variations of, YooSu bffery, and ninja!pairings
Genre: drama/angst, romance, and a bit of comedy and action, Korean Wild West AU!
Rating: PG-13
Word Count: 1,621
Disclaimer: I have a what?
Previous parts: Prologue , Chapter 1 , Chapter 2 , Chapter 3 , Chapter 4 , Chapter 5 , Chapter 6 , Chapter 7 , Chapter 8 , Chapter 9 , Chapter 10 , Chapter 11 , Chapter 12 , Chapter 13 , Chapter 14 , Chapter 15 , Chapter 16 , Chapter 17 , Chapter 18 , Chapter 19, Chapter 20 , Chapter 21 , Chapter 22 , Chapter 23 , Chapter 24 , Chapter 25
A/N: Thank you to everyone who has continued to read this story regardless of my horribly late updates.
The aftermath of Younghwa’s escape had left the town in shambles, but not broken. The spirits of the townspeople remained high with the news of the death of all the Jung men. Their Sheriff and his deputies were heroes and their town would one day be the thing of legends.
As a result of the fire the Sheriff’s station needed to be rebuilt, along with a good chunk of the town. The buildings on both sides of the Sheriff’s office needed extensive repair, but the townspeople had been more than willing and able to chip in and aid in the re-building of the town.
It took over a month for all three buildings to be back in operational condition. During the construction period, Doctor Han returned and left again; deciding he was too old for all of the excitement and handed the clinic and the health of the town over to his young doctor apprentice. Jungsu had then promptly volunteered the clinic as a makeshift post office - since the Sheriff and his deputies seemed to be his only in-patients at any given time. The Kims offered their Saloon to be used as an interim general store - and saw their business triple.
However, during this time, Changmin, Jaejoong and Yoochun had been collectively holding their breaths; waiting for the someone to come and take revenge for the death of the Jungs. It never happened, but the three men remained uneasy.
When all the buildings had been finished, the townspeople decided to celebrate; inviting the surrounding towns to join in their happy affair. The Jung brother had been defeated; their town had risen from the ashes and now they could move on.
To commemorate the re-opening of the Sheriff’s station, the Mayor held a special ceremony in which Changmin and his deputies Jaejoong, Siwon and Youngwoon were honored. Yoochun, Jungsu and the Kim twins were also given medals for their involvement in the victory over the Jungs. Junho accepted the award for both himself and his brother so that Junsu could say at the Saloon.
When the ceremony concluded a man dressed in a black leather duster jacket approached Changmin and his lovers with a bouquet of three dozen roses. The bunch of flowers was so large that the man’s face was hidden.
“Sheriff Shim Changmin, Deputy Kim Jaejoong, Park Yoochun-shii, these are a gift from Jung-shii” The man’s scratchy voice could barely be heard. As he handed the bouquet to Changmin the three men were able to see the messenger’s weathered face. Most interesting was the large scar across his throat - that looked like the imprints of a piece of rope - either from being dragged by a horse or hung with a noose.
The mysterious man turned and walked away without offering an explanation.
“There’s a note.” Jaejoong said, but none of the men made a move to read it just then.
After several heartbeats, Yoochun reached out with a shaky hand to pick the note out of the bouquet and read aloud:
I would like to thank you for ridding me of such inconveniences. Now I may take my rightful place as the true Jung heir.
Best Regards,
Jung Hae Rim
“There is a daughter.” Changmin concluded, stunned. Jaejoong swallow hard at the lump in his throat and Yoochun wiped at the beads of sweat forming on his brow in panic. Around them people were cheering, laughing and celebrating the rebirth of their town but the young men wondered how long the peace and joy would last.
With all the visitors in town for the fair, Junsu had been stuck behind the Saloon bar serving drinks and food all day; evening missing the ceremony honoring the Sheriff and Deputies - and himself! However, it hadn’t turned out to be such a bad thing since the handsome stranger in the dark grey Stetson had walked in and sat down at the bar right across from him.
The new comer was older looking than Jaejoong hyung and had a shadow of a mustache ghosting his upper lip. He was tall and broad shouldered like Changmin hyung but with more muscle bulk.
“You’re an awfully attractive bar tender.” The man had told him before even ordering a drink.
“You’d be surprised how often I get that.” Junsu said coolly. “But thank you.” The words came out more softly this time.
“Pleasure.” The man replied; his voice a rich timbre and smile wide making Junsu blush.
The two men proceeded to exchange flirty looks across the bar..
“So, where did you ride in from?” Junsu asked as he wiped down the clean bar around the man, not caring how very indiscreet he was being.
“The capital. I wanted to see the place of legend for myself; the town that killed the infamous Jungs.” He reached out to take hold of Junsu’s hand on the counter and stilled it. “Seems I found me something much better.”
Junsu was about to giggle insanely like a school girl until Jaejoong, Changmin and Yoochun sat themselves at the bar with a heap of roses.
“Three beers please, Junsu” Changmin asked distractedly. “and a vase.”
Jaejoong sat staring at the note in his hand. “She wrote thank you, do you think that means she won’t come after us?”
Junsu placed a beer in front of each of his three hyungs and watched them curiously as he placed the slightly crumpled flowers in a glass vase on the bar.
“Is it even possible for a Jung to be grateful or kind?” Changmin questioned.
“Maybe she’ll leave our town for last on her path of destruction.” Yoochun offered rather morbidly as he took a large gulp of his beer.
“What in the hell are you three on about?” Junsu asked in a huff when none of his hyungs bothered to bring him into their conversation.
Jaejoong slid the note across the bar to the younger man. “And another round for all when you can.” He asked as he set down an empty glass.
“Huh.” Junsu simply stated before he served out another three beers.
“Hey tall, dark and handsome.” Junsu called over to the attractive stranger he had been flirting with.
“Darlin’” the man replied causing another blush to spread across Junsu’s face.
Junsu cleared his throat in an attempt to clear away the sudden flustered feeling rising from his core and making him hot all over. “Have you ever heard of a Jung Hae Rim?”
The man raised an eyebrow and stood, sauntering over to join the men in their conversation. “And why would such upstanding looking gentlemen like yourselves want to know about Jung Hae Rim?”
“Is she really that bad?” Yoochun asked over Changmin’s shoulder.
“Depends on what your business is with her.” He shrugged and the four men waited for him to explain further. “They say that she is the daughter of Appa Jung and one of his many mistresses and the eldest of his children. But since she is of the female kind, Appa Jung has kept her out of the family business. These days she has been moving in on her father and brothers’ territory and businesses with her own gang.”
“So there is no love lost between her and the Jungs?” Jaejoong asked.
“Not as far as the gossip is concerned.” The man took another sip of his drink and winked at Junsu over the rim of his glass.
“Well, sounds like she is in our debt really. Maybe it is really over.” Jaejoong said hopefully as he turned to his two mates.
Changmin nodded, still in thought. “And who are you, exactly?” He asked the stranger.
The stranger smiled slowly and then answered, looking at Junsu. “My name is Lee Yong Woo.” He lifted his hat in salutations and then turned to the other three men at the bar. “And you must be the Sheriff and his lovers; the heroes of the town.”
“We are.” Changmin didn’t offer to supply any other information, instead he eyed the man carefully. “Kim Junsu is not just a bartender, he is our good friend. And these heroes don’t take kindly to men who mess around with their friends.” Changmin said without a hint of humor.
Jaejoong just stared at Yong Woo, sharing Changmin’s protective sentiments, while Yoochun shared an annoyed look with Junsu.
“Fair enough.” Yong Woo said, holding the icy gazes without a hint of offense. “But I don’t intend on messing around now I’ve found what I’ve always wanted.” He voice was filled with sincerity and even Changmin found it hard not to believe the stranger.
“You all do know I am standing right here.” Junsu said, hands on his hips and completely not amused.
Jaejoong, Changmin and Yong Woo looked over to Junsu with guilty smiles in apology. Yoochun rolled his eyes and Junsu pouted adorably.
“Alright, time for these cowboys to head on home,” Yoochun sighed as he stood. “We’ve all had an exciting day and two some bodies need a good rest before they start work in a brand new station tomorrow morning.” He smiled at his lovers. “And I know just what we can do to tucker you both out.” Yoochun gave a slight wiggle of his eyebrows and a dimpled smile before he headed out of the Saloon ahead of his lovers. Jaejoong and Changmin were hot on his heels.
“Nosey bastards didn’t even pay their tab. “ Junsu huffed as he cleared away their empty glasses.
“So what time do you get off of work, Kim Junsu.” Young Woo said after a moment, tasting the name on his tongue.
“Any time you want.” Junsu said, dropping the glasses uncaringly to the side. Finally, it was time for his romance.
Character/Pairing: Jae/Min/Chun and variations of, YooSu bffery, and ninja!pairings
Genre: drama/angst, romance, and a bit of comedy and action, Korean Wild West AU!
Rating: PG-13
Word Count: 1,621
Disclaimer: I have a what?
Previous parts: Prologue , Chapter 1 , Chapter 2 , Chapter 3 , Chapter 4 , Chapter 5 , Chapter 6 , Chapter 7 , Chapter 8 , Chapter 9 , Chapter 10 , Chapter 11 , Chapter 12 , Chapter 13 , Chapter 14 , Chapter 15 , Chapter 16 , Chapter 17 , Chapter 18 , Chapter 19, Chapter 20 , Chapter 21 , Chapter 22 , Chapter 23 , Chapter 24 , Chapter 25
A/N: Thank you to everyone who has continued to read this story regardless of my horribly late updates.
The aftermath of Younghwa’s escape had left the town in shambles, but not broken. The spirits of the townspeople remained high with the news of the death of all the Jung men. Their Sheriff and his deputies were heroes and their town would one day be the thing of legends.
As a result of the fire the Sheriff’s station needed to be rebuilt, along with a good chunk of the town. The buildings on both sides of the Sheriff’s office needed extensive repair, but the townspeople had been more than willing and able to chip in and aid in the re-building of the town.
It took over a month for all three buildings to be back in operational condition. During the construction period, Doctor Han returned and left again; deciding he was too old for all of the excitement and handed the clinic and the health of the town over to his young doctor apprentice. Jungsu had then promptly volunteered the clinic as a makeshift post office - since the Sheriff and his deputies seemed to be his only in-patients at any given time. The Kims offered their Saloon to be used as an interim general store - and saw their business triple.
However, during this time, Changmin, Jaejoong and Yoochun had been collectively holding their breaths; waiting for the someone to come and take revenge for the death of the Jungs. It never happened, but the three men remained uneasy.
When all the buildings had been finished, the townspeople decided to celebrate; inviting the surrounding towns to join in their happy affair. The Jung brother had been defeated; their town had risen from the ashes and now they could move on.
To commemorate the re-opening of the Sheriff’s station, the Mayor held a special ceremony in which Changmin and his deputies Jaejoong, Siwon and Youngwoon were honored. Yoochun, Jungsu and the Kim twins were also given medals for their involvement in the victory over the Jungs. Junho accepted the award for both himself and his brother so that Junsu could say at the Saloon.
When the ceremony concluded a man dressed in a black leather duster jacket approached Changmin and his lovers with a bouquet of three dozen roses. The bunch of flowers was so large that the man’s face was hidden.
“Sheriff Shim Changmin, Deputy Kim Jaejoong, Park Yoochun-shii, these are a gift from Jung-shii” The man’s scratchy voice could barely be heard. As he handed the bouquet to Changmin the three men were able to see the messenger’s weathered face. Most interesting was the large scar across his throat - that looked like the imprints of a piece of rope - either from being dragged by a horse or hung with a noose.
The mysterious man turned and walked away without offering an explanation.
“There’s a note.” Jaejoong said, but none of the men made a move to read it just then.
After several heartbeats, Yoochun reached out with a shaky hand to pick the note out of the bouquet and read aloud:
I would like to thank you for ridding me of such inconveniences. Now I may take my rightful place as the true Jung heir.
Best Regards,
Jung Hae Rim
“There is a daughter.” Changmin concluded, stunned. Jaejoong swallow hard at the lump in his throat and Yoochun wiped at the beads of sweat forming on his brow in panic. Around them people were cheering, laughing and celebrating the rebirth of their town but the young men wondered how long the peace and joy would last.
With all the visitors in town for the fair, Junsu had been stuck behind the Saloon bar serving drinks and food all day; evening missing the ceremony honoring the Sheriff and Deputies - and himself! However, it hadn’t turned out to be such a bad thing since the handsome stranger in the dark grey Stetson had walked in and sat down at the bar right across from him.
The new comer was older looking than Jaejoong hyung and had a shadow of a mustache ghosting his upper lip. He was tall and broad shouldered like Changmin hyung but with more muscle bulk.
“You’re an awfully attractive bar tender.” The man had told him before even ordering a drink.
“You’d be surprised how often I get that.” Junsu said coolly. “But thank you.” The words came out more softly this time.
“Pleasure.” The man replied; his voice a rich timbre and smile wide making Junsu blush.
The two men proceeded to exchange flirty looks across the bar..
“So, where did you ride in from?” Junsu asked as he wiped down the clean bar around the man, not caring how very indiscreet he was being.
“The capital. I wanted to see the place of legend for myself; the town that killed the infamous Jungs.” He reached out to take hold of Junsu’s hand on the counter and stilled it. “Seems I found me something much better.”
Junsu was about to giggle insanely like a school girl until Jaejoong, Changmin and Yoochun sat themselves at the bar with a heap of roses.
“Three beers please, Junsu” Changmin asked distractedly. “and a vase.”
Jaejoong sat staring at the note in his hand. “She wrote thank you, do you think that means she won’t come after us?”
Junsu placed a beer in front of each of his three hyungs and watched them curiously as he placed the slightly crumpled flowers in a glass vase on the bar.
“Is it even possible for a Jung to be grateful or kind?” Changmin questioned.
“Maybe she’ll leave our town for last on her path of destruction.” Yoochun offered rather morbidly as he took a large gulp of his beer.
“What in the hell are you three on about?” Junsu asked in a huff when none of his hyungs bothered to bring him into their conversation.
Jaejoong slid the note across the bar to the younger man. “And another round for all when you can.” He asked as he set down an empty glass.
“Huh.” Junsu simply stated before he served out another three beers.
“Hey tall, dark and handsome.” Junsu called over to the attractive stranger he had been flirting with.
“Darlin’” the man replied causing another blush to spread across Junsu’s face.
Junsu cleared his throat in an attempt to clear away the sudden flustered feeling rising from his core and making him hot all over. “Have you ever heard of a Jung Hae Rim?”
The man raised an eyebrow and stood, sauntering over to join the men in their conversation. “And why would such upstanding looking gentlemen like yourselves want to know about Jung Hae Rim?”
“Is she really that bad?” Yoochun asked over Changmin’s shoulder.
“Depends on what your business is with her.” He shrugged and the four men waited for him to explain further. “They say that she is the daughter of Appa Jung and one of his many mistresses and the eldest of his children. But since she is of the female kind, Appa Jung has kept her out of the family business. These days she has been moving in on her father and brothers’ territory and businesses with her own gang.”
“So there is no love lost between her and the Jungs?” Jaejoong asked.
“Not as far as the gossip is concerned.” The man took another sip of his drink and winked at Junsu over the rim of his glass.
“Well, sounds like she is in our debt really. Maybe it is really over.” Jaejoong said hopefully as he turned to his two mates.
Changmin nodded, still in thought. “And who are you, exactly?” He asked the stranger.
The stranger smiled slowly and then answered, looking at Junsu. “My name is Lee Yong Woo.” He lifted his hat in salutations and then turned to the other three men at the bar. “And you must be the Sheriff and his lovers; the heroes of the town.”
“We are.” Changmin didn’t offer to supply any other information, instead he eyed the man carefully. “Kim Junsu is not just a bartender, he is our good friend. And these heroes don’t take kindly to men who mess around with their friends.” Changmin said without a hint of humor.
Jaejoong just stared at Yong Woo, sharing Changmin’s protective sentiments, while Yoochun shared an annoyed look with Junsu.
“Fair enough.” Yong Woo said, holding the icy gazes without a hint of offense. “But I don’t intend on messing around now I’ve found what I’ve always wanted.” He voice was filled with sincerity and even Changmin found it hard not to believe the stranger.
“You all do know I am standing right here.” Junsu said, hands on his hips and completely not amused.
Jaejoong, Changmin and Yong Woo looked over to Junsu with guilty smiles in apology. Yoochun rolled his eyes and Junsu pouted adorably.
“Alright, time for these cowboys to head on home,” Yoochun sighed as he stood. “We’ve all had an exciting day and two some bodies need a good rest before they start work in a brand new station tomorrow morning.” He smiled at his lovers. “And I know just what we can do to tucker you both out.” Yoochun gave a slight wiggle of his eyebrows and a dimpled smile before he headed out of the Saloon ahead of his lovers. Jaejoong and Changmin were hot on his heels.
“Nosey bastards didn’t even pay their tab. “ Junsu huffed as he cleared away their empty glasses.
“So what time do you get off of work, Kim Junsu.” Young Woo said after a moment, tasting the name on his tongue.
“Any time you want.” Junsu said, dropping the glasses uncaringly to the side. Finally, it was time for his romance.