Original: Special Delivery (Part One)
Title: Special Delivery (Part One)
Author: Erin (erinm_4600)
Characters, Pairing: Clem, Louis and Cordy
Rating: G
Summary: Clem arrives at the station to pick up supplies, and finds Joe's niece.
Warning: *Written for Round 52 of prompt_in_a_box. Prompt May 2010: "We cannot direct the wind, but we can adjust the sails." (Bertha Calloway)
Disclaimer: For the first time, I can say that EVERYTHING about this one is MINE, ALL MINE. Mwahaha!! Inspiration comes from tvrealm, Team Chiller and the Team TV Show challenge, with thanks.
Clem moved up the steps of the station house and pulled his hat off. He had a quick glance of the young, well-dressed girl sitting on the bench, but thought nothing of it as he held the door for a woman coming out. Once the woman was past him, Clem stepped into the building and nodded to Louis, the postmaster and Wells Fargo agent.
"Lou," Clem said as he moved to the counter, "tell me the crates came off the boat in one piece. Liquor's gettin' more expensive every day."
The shorter, mustached man moved away from the telegraph desk and leaned against the counter. "Checked 'em myself. All in one piece. Though I wouldn't mind having one of those bottles for myself," he added with a wink. He turned the ledge around and pointed to a blank line. "Tommy," he called to one of the dockhands, "load up Clem's packages. And be careful!" he yelled after the young man. As Clem signed his name, receiving the shipment, Louis leaned to one side and spotted the young girl from that morning still sitting there.
"You seen Joe, today?" he asked, pulling the ledger back and replacing it on the shelf.
"Not since last night. But he'll be in tonight, I reckon. You got trouble?" the gruff cowboy asked.
Louis shook his head and nodded toward the window. "See that girl?" When Clem turned to look, Louis continued: "came in on the stage this morning. Ticket issued in Chicago." When Clem looked back, Louis raised an eyebrow. "Said she's expected by Mister Joseph Bennett," he said, with an air of propriety. "Now," Louis raised a hand, "I'm not sayin' she’s tellin' a tale, but if Joe's expectin' her... Why isn't he here?"
Clem looked at the window again and frowned. He may not like Joe, on principle, but he knew the man was more honorable than most of the judges in the territory. "Lou," he said, turning back, "Get on that damn thing," he ordered, pointing to the telegraph machine. "There ain't no way a girl that young, dressed like that, didn't have warning sent on ahead. 'specially from Chicago. Figure out what's goin' on and one of those bottle is yours."
As Louis moved to complete the task, Clem moved to the door and watched for a moment as young Tommy loaded the crates onto the back of his wagon. With a heavy sigh, he turned and looked at Cordelia. "You waitin' on Joe?" Cordy didn't look up at first, as this man was a stranger, but as he hadn't moved away, she looked up at him. He looked filthy and angry, but she noticed his eyes were caring. "Joe Bennett?" Clem asked again.
"Yes, sir," she answered with a small nod.
"How do you know him?" Clem asked, a bit gruffer than he needed to.
"I don't, Sir. He's my uncle," she replied with a bite. "And, as of last week, my guardian." Normally, she wouldn't share personal information with a stranger, but she was tired, hungry and scared. Not of this man, but of the general situation. She had decided almost an hour before that no one was coming for her.
"Well," Clem said, moving toward the steps, "come on." He waved for her to follow. "Unless you're likin' the view." Cordy wasn't sure what to make of the man, and leaned slightly as Louis came outside and pulled Clem back.
"There was a message sent, Clem. They found it in Denver, sent a week ago." He passed a slip of paper to Clem and glanced at the girl again. Clem looked at the note and let out a deep breath. Joe's brother was dead and the niece was now his responsibility.
That should make things real interesting around Del's place.
Author: Erin (erinm_4600)
Characters, Pairing: Clem, Louis and Cordy
Rating: G
Summary: Clem arrives at the station to pick up supplies, and finds Joe's niece.
Warning: *Written for Round 52 of prompt_in_a_box. Prompt May 2010: "We cannot direct the wind, but we can adjust the sails." (Bertha Calloway)
Disclaimer: For the first time, I can say that EVERYTHING about this one is MINE, ALL MINE. Mwahaha!! Inspiration comes from tvrealm, Team Chiller and the Team TV Show challenge, with thanks.
Clem moved up the steps of the station house and pulled his hat off. He had a quick glance of the young, well-dressed girl sitting on the bench, but thought nothing of it as he held the door for a woman coming out. Once the woman was past him, Clem stepped into the building and nodded to Louis, the postmaster and Wells Fargo agent.
"Lou," Clem said as he moved to the counter, "tell me the crates came off the boat in one piece. Liquor's gettin' more expensive every day."
The shorter, mustached man moved away from the telegraph desk and leaned against the counter. "Checked 'em myself. All in one piece. Though I wouldn't mind having one of those bottles for myself," he added with a wink. He turned the ledge around and pointed to a blank line. "Tommy," he called to one of the dockhands, "load up Clem's packages. And be careful!" he yelled after the young man. As Clem signed his name, receiving the shipment, Louis leaned to one side and spotted the young girl from that morning still sitting there.
"You seen Joe, today?" he asked, pulling the ledger back and replacing it on the shelf.
"Not since last night. But he'll be in tonight, I reckon. You got trouble?" the gruff cowboy asked.
Louis shook his head and nodded toward the window. "See that girl?" When Clem turned to look, Louis continued: "came in on the stage this morning. Ticket issued in Chicago." When Clem looked back, Louis raised an eyebrow. "Said she's expected by Mister Joseph Bennett," he said, with an air of propriety. "Now," Louis raised a hand, "I'm not sayin' she’s tellin' a tale, but if Joe's expectin' her... Why isn't he here?"
Clem looked at the window again and frowned. He may not like Joe, on principle, but he knew the man was more honorable than most of the judges in the territory. "Lou," he said, turning back, "Get on that damn thing," he ordered, pointing to the telegraph machine. "There ain't no way a girl that young, dressed like that, didn't have warning sent on ahead. 'specially from Chicago. Figure out what's goin' on and one of those bottle is yours."
As Louis moved to complete the task, Clem moved to the door and watched for a moment as young Tommy loaded the crates onto the back of his wagon. With a heavy sigh, he turned and looked at Cordelia. "You waitin' on Joe?" Cordy didn't look up at first, as this man was a stranger, but as he hadn't moved away, she looked up at him. He looked filthy and angry, but she noticed his eyes were caring. "Joe Bennett?" Clem asked again.
"Yes, sir," she answered with a small nod.
"How do you know him?" Clem asked, a bit gruffer than he needed to.
"I don't, Sir. He's my uncle," she replied with a bite. "And, as of last week, my guardian." Normally, she wouldn't share personal information with a stranger, but she was tired, hungry and scared. Not of this man, but of the general situation. She had decided almost an hour before that no one was coming for her.
"Well," Clem said, moving toward the steps, "come on." He waved for her to follow. "Unless you're likin' the view." Cordy wasn't sure what to make of the man, and leaned slightly as Louis came outside and pulled Clem back.
"There was a message sent, Clem. They found it in Denver, sent a week ago." He passed a slip of paper to Clem and glanced at the girl again. Clem looked at the note and let out a deep breath. Joe's brother was dead and the niece was now his responsibility.
That should make things real interesting around Del's place.