my walls are crumblin' down --- (Roxi)

[Chase]

[atrb=border,0,true][atrb=style, width: 440px; height: 600px; background-image: url(http://i44.tinypic.com/4lj137.gif); -moz-border-radius: 250px; border-radius:100px 100px 100px 100px; border: 3px solid #ffffff;] I'LL MAKE IT HURT MORE... Footsteps made their clear way through the poorly cared streets; blue eyes took the sight with easy eyes. After feeling many cracks in his usual icy emotions, the tall figure was not surprised that he felt empathy. Dirty soles scurried across the dry cracks in the ground in all ways, crowded and quick. Thieving hands snuck carefully into scuffed bags, prying for something worth a bite while dangerous men made their way through the ghetto of Texas. Laredo. The land of the low and middle class; a home to those that lived in poverty. The boy that currently held the sight of the crumbling walls felt somewhat at home in the torn up place. Unlike past situations, the brunette was not the so called temporary leader of the gang strolling consistently through the streets. Being the youngest at nineteen this time, the boy was put easily in the lower parts of the totem pole alongside the buff members of Pistoleros. Listening carefully for instructions and ways to do sins to the poor victims of the town, the boy gave his half attention to the large man standing ahead of them. A small pack of three this time, they were all still dangerous as usual and Chase was having trouble concentrating on his current goals. He had gotten used to frustration of it however and amazingly accepted it in his last encounter with Fox. Chase freely allowed the woman’s beautiful smile to radiate off in his mind, letting the thought of her fill him with the emotions he had earlier feared. After all, he had decided to learn how to care alongside her. It made him feel a tidbit better at the fact she was somewhat in the same situation as him. Being shorter this time in the days he saw her, his mind already reeled with excitement of the thought of holding her body in his arms again. The thought of her clearly showed through his blue eyes, no longer icy but now made a perceptive person able to see exactly what he was feeling. A weakness in some ways yes, but it made him more human and less of a sinner. Still not sure about if that one was something beneficial or not, at that moment it proved not. A voice snapped through the air coming from the older man ahead of the two younglings. ”Oo la la… Chasey’s in love? The chuckle went up, with another following along and finally the somewhat forced laugh of the boy’s. ”Of course. I love myself, especially today. I mean, look at those muscles.” the words were humorous enough to distract the man’s suspicion and he laughed along as well. Seeing the neighborhood of houses, he grinned with devious delight. ”Alright pretty boy, let’s go put those muscles to work. We can have some fun with these houses, looks like there’s no lock either.” Another laugh pierced the air and Chase nodded with false excitement. Honestly, he was unable to be excited about much of anything but seeing Fox again. Seeing the tiny houses, a better idea fell over him. ”Hey Jimbo, think we could split? There’s so many tiny houses, I think we’ll get more loot if we all go into one house.” he said with an intelligent grin. The man raised a brow at the suggestion but thought over it, figuring whether if he was actually right or not. Deciding the idea was not half bad, the man nodded, ”Alright… But he’s coming with me. You go by yourself.” he said picking the other boy, a very new addition to the gang. With a nod and grin, Chase made his way quickly and quietly to the rusty knob of a very abandoned looking house. The floorboards creaked under his weight, causing a wince to be heard. The boy’s hand twisted the knob slowly; finding no jam caused by a lock, he quickly let his tall figure in. Currently, the two other men had walked quite loudly to other side with somewhat of another approach. Crashing open the door, Chase winced as he could hear them even inside the different house. A shout went up and he heard floorboards crack as well. Shrugging, the boy figured he would pretend he didn’t hear it till they were really desperate for help. Jimbo’s voice made it clear across the road, ”Damn floorboards. Where the hells Chase? Just stay still, we’ll get outta this hell hole and kill the person that dared make this shit floor.” The anger in his voice was not disguised one bit and the boy couldn’t help but let a chuckle out of his mouth. Relaxing against the couch, he figured he would let them sit in there till he wanted to help them out. Revenge was sweet. At least harmless, fun revenge was. WORDS - 804 MUSE - Good NOTES - Sorry it took soooo long!! D: Oh and made it a bit easier for her to kill all of them ^^ there can be only one mikey! of caution 2.0

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[Roxi Kapolla]

Roxi had been running on her own lately but along the way, had picked up word that the gang who she suspected to have killed her family all those years ago was making their way to Laredo. The news spread fast because it was also said that the few people who were living in the dumps of the town were leaving until the gang cleared out. Apparently everyone really was terrified of the band of hooligans and she was determined to take the wretched men down a few notches. Kicking her dun stallion into a gallop, it was easy to arrive at the town before the ruthless men did and sure enough, when she got there, not a soul was in sight. So sad and pathetic that it came to this.

Scanning the town, she made her way to one of the larger, nicer and more well kept houses on the main street before tying up Taz out back. She was a very intelligent woman and knew that once the men got into town they would loot as many houses as they could, taking all the valuables they could find. That's what had happened to her house and her family had been unfortunate enough to be home when they had arrived. Forming a new understanding for the fear the townspeople felt, she pushed those thoughts aside quickly, knowing that even though the gang wouldn't arrive for a bit, she had lots to do to prepare for their arrival.

Heading inside the abandoned house, she thought carefully about how she would be able to catch these men and then kill them, possibly find out who the exact man was that had taken the lives of her loved ones. Thinking it over, she quickly came up with a plan. Pulling her gun out of it's holster, she stood just inside the front door before aiming the barrel of the gun straight down at the floor. Pulling the trigger quite a few times, she sent bullets into the floor in a wide circle around her body. Perfect. Now the floorboards were weakened enough that when a man or two stepped foot onto them, they would surely give way and trap them in the floor long enough for Fox to gain and keep the upper hand against them.

Carefully stepping out of the dangerous ring, she letting her light blue eyes raise up to check out the ceiling. She would need a place to hide while she waited for them to fall into her trap. It didn't take long for her to hoist herself up into the thick beamed rafters of the ceiling that would give her the perfect view of the front door and the men without being seen until she jumped down from her perch. Getting comfortable, she reloaded her gun just as the sound of horse hooves could be heard pounding into town. A sly smirk spread across the young woman's face as she remained still, waiting.

She listened carefully and could hear the muffled voices of men speaking outside the house she was in. Waiting patiently, she heard the sound of two pairs of boots coming up front steps of the house. Her mind flipped through the images of her family laying dead in her house while she had been the lone survivor and her jaw clenched and fury began to pulse through her veins. Coming closer and closer, she stayed still, her blood already boiling by the time they reached the front door and swung it open. Counting their steps, she already had her gun in her hand and loaded, just waiting to send a bullet into their skulls.

A few more steps and the cracking of wood could be heard as the two men fell a foot or two into the floor. A sly grin was still on her face and a moment later, Roxi leapt gracefully out of the rafters before bending her knees and letting a hand catch the ground before she slowly rose up to her feet, looking down at the men now. A devilish smirk remained on her face and she tilted her head to the side a bit before lifting her gun even with the men's heads.

"Pistoleros. Now you will play for the innocent blood you have spilled." she said simply, her voice harsh before she pulled the trigger once, hitting the younger of the two square in between the eyes with her first bullet and then sending the second one into the larger man's skull as well.

[Chase]

[atrb=border,0,true][atrb=style, width: 440px; height: 600px; background-image: url(http://i44.tinypic.com/4lj137.gif); -moz-border-radius: 250px; border-radius:100px 100px 100px 100px; border: 3px solid #ffffff;] I'LL MAKE IT HURT MORE... Making no obvious noise in his temporary sanctuary for the moment, the brunette finally felt somewhat at peace. Some place to think, to slow down and take a breather from life. At many difficult points in the boy’s short life, he had felt the need to just dig a hole and bury himself in it. Chase had stopped feeling this way soon enough after he deprived himself of all emotions, but the boy was slowly starting to realize the good emotions were well worth the bad ones. While bottling up feelings made the brunt of them go away, it was not something that really benefitted his life in the end. Feeling wiser by the minute, Chase let a well deserved grin grow on his egoistic face. He was somewhat experienced in life now, not the same innocent, sparkling two blue eyes nine years ago. He felt morale for once in his life, like he had possibly done something right in his life. Instead of feeling afraid of the change, Chase felt surprisingly proud of it. Perhaps that was the fact that scared him a little. Maybe it scared him a bit more than a little. The boy knew it scared him more than he would let himself admit it. Just because he had met a very interesting young woman didn’t mean he was going to change the way he felt about fear. A loud shout erupted from the house across the dirt road, causing the boy’s orbs to roll nearly on instinct. Idiots seemed to be the best fit word for the two men that apparently did not the word concealed. Letting a soft sigh of ridicule escape his lips, Chase waited a few moments letting his hearing strain for the next shouts. Figuring quite quickly, the boy realized they had fallen through the floorboards and now appeared stuck in them. Chase couldn’t help but let a silent chuckle out of his mouth. The amusement of the situation overwhelmed him and the boy just could not bear to go out and help them immediately. He just had to savor the sight first. After all it was uncommon to see the people that took pleasure in bossing him around all day be the lower ones; literally. Now letting a real chuckle slide out of him mouth, Chase watched them from behind the shaky walls and windows of his sanctuary. Life definitely had its good points. Letting his fellow gang members “relax” in the wooden trap, Chase finally decided to pull his tall body to a stand to go rescue them. Stepping carefully toward the window, he watched as a very familiar figure leap ever so gracefully out of the rafters above. Shaking his head in order to clear the unbelievable fact before him, he wondered if he was drunk. A hand slapped his face, but still the woman was now standing before the two men. Curious as to what she was going to do, the boy stayed paralyzed in his window view watching Fox single handedly murder his fellow gang members. A shiver rippled through the boy’s body, and only then was he able to make his muscles move. Somewhere, somehow, Chase had an idea the woman was not going to kill him. Well he hoped not. At the current moment, he was completely, utterly, totally confused as to what the hell just happened. Drawing his gun out of its place on his jeans, he held it not in a cautious way but in a way that said he wasn’t going to use it. Inside him, the boy knew he would never be able to hurt Fox. Even if she shot had shot him and stabbed him multiple times, Chase would never lay a hand on her. Shakily holding the gun in large fingers, the boy moved outside of the rickety house toward his once alive co members and possible the one thing he cared about other than his horse. Her voice brought the sense of fear fall over his large figure. What did she mean by that? He was a Pistoleros member too… Was she planning to kill him as well? A dozen questions flitted into his mind fast and furiously. Chase quickly scanned his eyes over the bodies, wincing at the bullets in both bloody heads. Finally, the boy said the only thing he was able to muster in his mind. ”What the hell Fox?” WORDS - 713 MUSE - Good NOTES - LOL there can be only one mikey! of caution 2.0

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[Roxi Kapolla]

A smirk of satisfaction spread across her face as she saw the last flickers of life leave the mens' faces as they each fell over, dead at her feet. Lowering her gun slowly, she was just about to put it in it's holster and go to retreive Taz from where she had left him tied up behind the house when she caught a flicker of motion out of the corner of her eye. Her finger coming instinctively to rest on the trigger of her gun once more while the other went to her waist to hover over the blade she had sheathed there as well. Her light blue eyes shifted quickly to look over at a small house just across the way from the porch of the house she currently stood on.

At first she about raised her gun to shoot this other man who was most likely part of the gang as well but just as her arm was about to raise to point the gun at this new man, she froze, her eyes widening just a bit and confusion beginning to spread across her face. Chase? What in the hell was he doing here? Could he have come with the other two men? But he couldn't be a part of the Pistoleros. . . could he? A bit of hurt shone in her eyes as she lowered her gun once more when she saw him start to approach her. While she knew that lowering her gun wasn't the best thing to do, especially if he decided to shoot her for killing his buddies, she didn't care.

And as he got closer, it was clear by the way he showed her his gun and held it out that he wasn't about to use it on her. Putting her gun back in it's holster for the moment, she let her tensed muscles relax just a bit though a thousand questions were now running through her head and she couldn't even think of which one to ask first to get her the answers she so desperately wanted right now. Her lips parted a bit as if she were going to speak but no words came out and instead he spoke up with confusion clear on his face as well. When his question reached her ears, she felt a bit ashamed for killing the men though that feeling didn't last very long as she remembered what they did to her family. Though maybe it wasn't these two men in particular, the Pistoleros gang had done it and they were a part of that gang which meant their hands weren't clean in any of it either.

Glancing down at the two bodies with the clean single shots to the head, she shifted her gaze from them and then back up to Chase before she was finally able to muster up her voice and come up with a reasonable response.

"They were Pistoleros. The Pistoleros killed my family. They deserved to die." she replied, her sentences short and to the point though her eyes searched his face to see what his reaction to her words would be kind of like a little kid that was scared she was about to get in trouble if she didn't word her response just right.

[Chase]

[atrb=border,0,true][atrb=style, width: 440px; height: 600px; background-image: url(http://i44.tinypic.com/4lj137.gif); -moz-border-radius: 250px; border-radius:100px 100px 100px 100px; border: 3px solid #ffffff;] I'LL MAKE IT HURT MORE... The squeak of leather boots was nearly nonexistent as the brunette approached the very familiar figure. Confusion splashed amongst his face, making the situation seem almost frightening. The boy’s blue orbs grew cautious, but still managed to hold the protective edge they always had as he inched closer to the woman. Shaky hands held tightly onto the shiny gun, far from threatening but as a mere sign of peace. "Pistoleros. Now you will play for the innocent blood you have spilled." The words echoed ominously through his confused mind, repeating over and over again, growing deeper and lighter with each second. They continued on consistently for a few more moments before a brilliant number of questions popped into his mind, digging through his skull. At the first sight of Fox, the boy had never felt a murderous vibe radiate off her. There was most definitely her sleekness and sneakiness, though killing and merciless did not match her description to him in his mind. Otherwise, Chase would not have found himself caring for her as much as he did now. Perhaps that was the reason he liked her so much, because he seemed to be able to relate her to himself. Like himself, Fox was another one of life’s horrific victims. Having no knowledge of her history, the way she acted easily told him she didn’t have it easy either. Really, Chase wondered if anyone actually did. Everyone had their issues, some more of an impact than others, but everyone had their problems. Unfortunately, the boy was one of the ones that had been quite victimized by it, starting with his first day of life in the world. Being abandoned by your parents into a home that really didn’t want you put you at a very feeble mental state as a child. Though as your mind healed, it sometimes healed the wrong path; it twisted and turned, making you as hard as a rock. This was a good description of the negative effects Chase’s childhood held. After the day he killed a man, the man that even if he made it torturous for the boy still took him in, Chase somewhat lost his sense of connection to his metaphorical heart. His body hardened against physical impacts as well as mental ones; which proved a weakness due to the fact he couldn’t feel love either. The boy would’ve lost his emotions all together if it had not been for Sand. The trusty mare had been the one thing the brunette cared deeply about. Observing the tense woman before him, Chase noticed she had been about to harm him. It quickly changed however into a sense of care when she lowered her caution as she realized it was him. That meant she cared. Though Fox had admitted she did care for him earlier, the boy could not bring it to his mind that she actually did. It seemed ridiculous; unbelievable someone could love his icy demeanor. Perhaps he wasn’t as icy as he was before. Chase knew he was changing, and as much as he hated change, he liked becoming a somewhat better person. His personality lift was one of the many beneficial things of meeting Fox. The boy knew it quite well; and somewhere deep in his soul was thankful for it. At the moment however, he was unsure what to think. Everything he had preconceived and everything he had thought about the woman was changing through his very own eyes. What was she up to? Was she using him, making plans to only kill him later? Letting the idea off as incredulous, Chase felt semi relieved as Fox confirmed she didn’t know he had been in the Pistoleros. "They were Pistoleros. The Pistoleros killed my family. They deserved to die." A brow rose at this as the boy felt the realization seep into his bones. She was out for revenge. Not just any revenge, but revenge against his gang that seemed to have coincidently decided to kill her family. Figuring she was somewhat correct with her idea, Chase thought a moment before letting out his own thoughts on the matter. No anger was held in his thoughts, though a soft sense of craziness took over his blue eyes. He wanted her to figure out then and there, that he was a Pistoleros too. Not about to run or attack, Chase tossed his gun down and stared up at her ”You spilled innocent blood too. They probably were not part of the gang when they killed your family.” the words were somewhat informative, not scolding. "Now, my question is: do I deserve to die too then?” Chase let the words sink in, he wanted her to figure out he was a Pistoleros herself. WORDS - 793 MUSE - Terrible NOTES - So sorry... Muse died like half way through... there can be only one mikey! of caution 2.0

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[Roxi Kapolla]

So many questions were buzzing around in Roxi's head that she couldn't even think straight when Chase came over to where she stood, the blood of two men spilled at her feet. Spilled by her hand. She slowly began to feel guilty as she stood their with her smoking gun pointed at the two men that Chase seemed to have known. She knew that she wasn't originally planning on killing them right away. In fact she had been hoping to get some information out of them about who the men were that had been involved in her family's murder but her rage for her family and the need for revenge had proved to be too strong for her to handle. And now, she had blood on her hands.

Of course these weren't the first two men she had killed. No, she had her fair share of murders but most of them had been in self defense. That is, except for these two. As Chase came closer and saw exactly what she had done, she felt a bit of regret begin to make it's way through her veins as his icy blue eyes shifted from the bodies to her and then back again. Letting her own eyes follow the same trail, she remained silent and unmoving with her gun in her hand still as she searched Chase's face for some sort of hint as to what he was feeling about all of this right then.

When he finally came close enough and his gun slipped from his hand, his eyes came to meet hers and she felt herself melt a bit as he looked at her. Glancing away for a moment, his voice pulled her light blue eyes back up to his face once more as he spoke, informing her that those two men most likely had not been involved in the gang when the gang had killed her parents. This information hit her brain and while she knew she should feel more regret than she was for killing innocent men, she knew that she had done the world a favor. After all, even if they hadn't killed her family who knew how many people they had killed that were part of other people's families. And they had been going into that house to steal the family's belongings. So in her eyes they were far from innocent. And being a part of the Pistoleros gang had been their death sentence.

When he spoke once more, asking if he too deserved to die her heart stopped inside her chest. Chase was a Pistoleros memeber? He was also aligned with these two men who had probably raped, killed, raided and plundered countless villages and houses and people? The idea seemed impossible and she probably wouldn't have believed it if it hadn't been coming from Chase himself. How could he work with such ruthless and murderous men? Her thoughts went back to when she had first met him and she realized that when she had first met him, he had seemed ruthless and sly. But now? Now he seemed different. He didn't seem at all like these other two men. And yet he was working with them. How could that be? Suddenly, a terrible thought occurred to her. What if Chase had been involved in the murder of her family? But before she could freak herself out anymore, she reasoned with herself by saying that he would have been a young teenager, probably only fourteen or fifteen when it had happened. Surely the Pistoleros would never let a young child join their gang. Not at that age at least. However as much as she tried to push that thought out of her head, it somehow seemed to remain planted in the back of her mind.

"No. . . of course not. . ." she finally was able to reply though her voice was a bit softer now as she let her gaze fall to the ground for the moment. Putting her gun away, she felt utterly defeated. Her she had been living her entire life with the mission to kill any Pistoleros members she came across and bring reveng to her family's deaths and yet she couldn't kill him. She almost wished she could because then she would have nothing to tie her to this mortal world and nothing to fear, especially not death. But now that he stood in front of her, utterly defenseless, she knew she couldn't pull the trigger, even if her life depended on it. Stumbling backwards a few steps, she felt her back come in contact with the wood of the front of the house and she was glad it had been there to catch her. Letting her head rest against the smooth surface, she closed her eyes for a long moment before finally opening them again and letting them rest on him, her light blue eyes filled with all sorts of conflicting emotions even she didn't know what she was feeling right at that moment.

[Chase]

[atrb=border,0,true][atrb=style, width: 440px; height: 600px; background-image: url(http://i44.tinypic.com/4lj137.gif); -moz-border-radius: 250px; border-radius:100px 100px 100px 100px; border: 3px solid #ffffff;] I'LL MAKE IT HURT MORE... The face held no sign of embarrassment or shame, he was a Pistoleros and that was who he was. The brunette had joined with intentions of his own and he was not planning to get out of it. They were somewhat his family, the only thing he had in relations with. Even if he had not cared about them too much, it still gave him a bit of emotion to see two of them dead at his feet. However it was nothing in comparison if the situation had been flipped and Fox had been lying dead at his feet. Driven over the edge when deciding to be protective of something, the boy did not take easily to letting something he cared about get even a little scratch. He was confused however in the current situation as to Fox killing two men from his very own gang. The nineteen year old trusted the woman before him, and this did not change that though he felt a sense of lunacy erupt in him. Thing were changing far too fast for him to handle, first with him and the whole starting to care and now murder. Death. Things he was very capable of delivering but could not have imagined Fox doing. Obviously she was dangerous, but Chase had not seen that side before. "No. . . of course not. . ." At her soft words in reply to his mere question, a sense of relief shivered down Chase’s back. What did she want to do to him then? He had not been part of the gang when they killed Fox’s family and he doubted some of them would remember with the amount of family slaughters they did a year. He had never actually killed a child before, as even though a merciless creature of doom, Chase was not a creature of hatred toward the whole world. It was mainly toward the adults, the things that made the world it was today. Children were simply pawns, dependent on the decisions of adults. It wasn’t their bloody fault if someone managed to piss Chase off. This was the simple logic behind his thoughts on killing. Surprisingly, Chase had been pretty clean with his record the past few months. It had been slow, non exciting; if that was possible within a gang. There was not much to do, other than steal and prank unsuspecting civilians. Unsure as to what to do next, Chase observed Fox with curious thoughts. He wondered how she was taking it all, and he wondered whether he should’ve told her he hadn’t killed her family. The idea passed through his head however as a distant shout rose through street. The sheriff had awakened with the gun shots. Cursing the poor town over and over again for having some sort of security, the boy moved adamantly to the woman standing peacefully against the wall. Whether she had heard the running hooves or not, he had no idea; all that he managed to concoct was, she must not get hurt. Oblivious to the fact he had left his gun tossed to side, Chase realized that it was too late to run. The sheriff bolted into the street, gun out and pointing at anything moving. Jumping in front of Fox, nearly subconsciously, Chase gritted his teeth. One sound pierced the dark sky, a single bullet shot through the summer air. It took him half a second to realize where the bullet was headed and the other half of the second to realize the bullet was aiming right for the side of his torso. Quick enough as he had seen, the murderous metal torpedoed into the boy’s torso causing a dead silence after wards. Immense pain shot through his body, causing his lips to pull back in pure agony as he stood like a knight guarding his princess. Slowly, Chase struggled to stay in conscious even with the pain. Though his body disagreed completely, slumping down quickly, the boy toppled near into Fox. Eyes starting to well tears looked up at the beautiful face above. Apology flitted over his face as he slumped to the ground and managed to whisper out one last word before he finally passed out. ”Run.” WORDS - 705 MUSE - Bleh NOTES - Sorry that took a while... there can be only one mikey! of caution 2.0

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[Roxi Kapolla]

If one thing was certain, it was that Roxi knew she wouldn't be able to kill this young man. Not now and probably not ever. She wasn't stupid and knew that there was most likely no way he could have been in the gang let alone involved in the deaths of her family but she still felt like she should hold him slightly responsible for what had happened to them just because he was affiliated with the Pistoleros. However, she knew full well that wasn't fair at all and even though she tried to conjure up some sort of hate and anger towards him. . . she couldn't. Finally giving up and feeling defeated at the inability to control her emotions, she leaned back against the outside wall of the house as he came to stand up on the porch.

After she had spoke her reply, the sudden sound of running boots could be heard coming their way. It sounded like only one man but she didn't see him until he had emerged from around the side of the house. Just as the man came into her sights, Chase's body stepped in front of her, blocking her view for a few moments before the sound of a gunshot rang out and Chase's body slowly sank to the wooden floorboards of the porch. Horrified and confused at what had just taken place, Roxi felt rage but her rage came too late to bring any action that would do her any good. She didn't care if she got shot, instead she dropped to her knees at his side and frantically searched his body to try and find where he had been hurt.

Hands were suddenly on her and at first it was just one man which she was able to fight off long enough for her to crouch over Chase and hear his single word, run before another pair of hands and then another grabbed a hold of her from behind, restraining her and dragging her away from Chase. Screaming with anger and resentment, Roxi thrashed and tried to reach for her gun and knife but was unable to break through the strong grip of the four men who had come to join the fight against the 'criminals' that were attacking their town. After fighting all she could, her strength finally left her as she was thrown into a jail cell of a single room jail.

Fuming and exhausted, Roxi fell in and out of conciousness throughout the rest of the day and only awoke again when the moon was high in the sky and the sound of crickets and coyotes could be heard in the distance. Gathering her bearings, she rose up from the uncomfortable cot she had been laying on and her light blue eyes scanned the jail. She was the only prisoner there which was no surprise and the only guard on duty was asleep leaning back in his chair at a desk, his boots propped up on the furniture and his hat pulled down over his eyes.

Looking about, she was able to spot her gun, belt and knife hanging from a peg not far away. Thinking quickly, she looked up and noticed that the metal bars that were holding her in the cell stopped a few feet from the ceiling leaving barely enough space for her to squeeze through. Be incredibly quiet, her lithe form was able to climb up the bars and slip over the top before landing soundlessly on the other side. Light blue eyes quickly searching for sounds of anyone coming to arrest her again, she relaxed a bit when no noises reached her ears. Creeping up behind the sleeping man, she felt a wicked grin make it's way across her face before she quickly placed her hands on either side of his head and gave his head a sharp jerk to one side, snapping his neck with ease.

Rage still pulsing through her veins, she made her way to her personal items before collecting them and pulling her hat up onto her head and low over her eyes. Poking her head out the door of the jail, she saw that the town seemed pretty lifeless with a few lights scattered about and the only real commotion coming from a tavern a few houses down from where she was. Casually stepping out of the jail, she made her way down the street, walking like she lived there as well and was simply on her way home. Glancing about once more, she let out a whistle before pausing for a moment and listening. A smile spread across her face as she heard the familiar hoofbeats coming towards her and turned around to stand face to face with her dun stallion, Taz.

Praising the horse and stroking his nose, she swung up onto his back gracefully before heading towards the edge of town. Once there, she would have a straight shot towards the open range and would easily be able to disappear there. A sudden thought made her pull Taz to a stop and he snorted in surprise at their sudden halt. Chase. She couldn't just leave him if he was by any chance still alive. After all, he had tried to save her. Thinking long and hard, she let her light blue eyes scan her surroundings before finally spinning Taz back around and kicking him into a gallop towards the house she had left Chase at. She could only hope he was there and still alive at that.

When she finally reached the building, she pulled Taz to a sliding halt before leaping off and taking the porch stairs two at a time. A sigh of relief rushed through her when she found him still laying there on the wooden boards but they weren't safe yet. Putting a hand to his chest she felt him breathing though it was shallow and far too spread out. Worry was clear on her face but she knew she couldn't stay there. Moving him could very well kill him as well however if they stayed there, they were as good as dead too.

Deciding to take him with her, she had to use all of her strength to get him to the edge of the porch before giving Taz's reins a tug downward, signaling for him to lay down. Once the dun was laying down, she was able to get him into the saddle as best she could and climb up behind him. Giving Taz a nudge with her heels once she had her arms on either side of him to hold him up, they headed out of town at a much slower pace than she had originally wanted to be going. When they were a safe distance from the town, Roxi found a cool stream where they could camp out with a few trees growing near it.

Unsaddling Taz, the young woman used the horse's saddle blanket to lay Chase on next to the stream before she unbuttoned his shirt that was still damp with blood. Once she had a clear view of the wound, she could see what needed to be done. First she needed to get the bullet out but luckily it hadn't penetrated that deep and she could see the faint metal sheen of it in the light of the small fire she had prepared for them. Carefully maneauvering her fingers about, she was able to fish the bullet out before tossing it aside. Cupping some water in her hands, she let it pour into the wound to clean out the dirt and grime that may cause him to get an infection.

Once it was clean to her expectations, she stripped off her tank top before pulling her button down shirt back on and tore her tank top into strips before fashioning them into a bandage she securely wrapped around his bare torso. Completely finished tending to him, she knew she needed to sleep and laid down next to him, curling up at his side before pulling a blanket up over the two of them. With her head resting against his shoulder and her hand on his bare chest, she had no trouble falling asleep with the sounds of crickets and coyotes singing her a lullaby.

[Chase]

[atrb=border,0,true][atrb=style, width: 440px; height: 600px; background-image: url(http://i44.tinypic.com/4lj137.gif); -moz-border-radius: 250px; border-radius:100px 100px 100px 100px; border: 3px solid #ffffff;] I'LL MAKE IT HURT MORE... Pain. It was the only thing that managed to hold the boy into consciousness in the last few minutes of Fox’s presence. Pain rattled throughout his body, spreading from the spot in his torso where the shiny metal had pierced his skin. Pain filled his senses as he watched, helpless, as Fox was stripped away from him. Her screams filled his ears, washing over everything he had believed or known in his whole life. At that exact moment, the boy realized something very important. He realized he loved the woman that had been dragged away from him and that it was also too late to tell her. His mouth was clamped shut by a dizziness that consumed his body in tormented waves spreading through his stomach and chest. Everything inside him felt numb, everything felt like ice. His heart was struggling, fighting to keep his brain and eyes concentrated. It was a nightmare coming to life; watching along the sidelines frozen to the spot while the most important thing in the universe was taken unwillingly away from you. Never had he felt such emotion. Karma. The word lit through his mind with a devilish look, causing a burning anger to grow through his body. Even after all the sins he done throughout his life, did he really deserve this? Quicker than he had realized, the screams had gotten quieter until finally they were too far away from him to locate. Grief spilled into his eyes, tears threatening to let loose. He did not cry. Not even this could make him cry; Chase refused to let his possibly last few moments in the world crying. Attempting to keep his thoughts from disappearing into the dark, Chase gritted his teeth and tried to think about where Fox would be. They had, without a doubt, dragged her into the jail. Sadness engulfed the boy’s body as he envisioned her sitting in a dark, cold cell. She was smart though. That much Chase could count on. He knew she was smart, and he knew there was a chance she could escape. Whether she would come back to him suddenly didn’t matter so much anymore; as long as she made it out alive. The boy drifted in and out of consciousness over the few hours, he didn’t move so much as a muscle, expect to blink his eyes from time to time or wince at the throbbing pain in his side. Physically, his wounds hurt like hell. A shot had that effect on people; and suddenly Chase felt a bit of pity toward the people he had ever shot at. Thinking about the pain was nothing compared to experiencing it and the boy found himself begging for it to stop. The “I’ll do this and that… I’ll do whatever…” promises indulged his mind; all he wanted to do was to get Fox out from wherever she was. Mentally, the wounds were more prominent and evil. They circled his mind like vultures, pricking into his soul and heart. The fact he had been shot, and had seen his Fox taken away, screaming, fighting and then he was helpless was nearly killing him. Chase wanted to slam his head into something or the other, to just fall unconscious again. He didn’t want to face the reality of his life at this moment. It was a cowardly thought, though at this time Chase could not help himself. He felt helpless, without hope and stuck in one spot till anyone found him. Whether they would be nice or not, he did not know; all he hoped was for Fox to get out. Then, he would make it, he would find a way. His wish was taken up as he slipped slowly back into unconsciousness. A black cloud covered his mind and he did not wake up till much later. Slowly, blue eyes flickered open. A body curled up at his side, and something warm covered his body. Confusion spread over the boy’s face, looking down at his bare torso. When had he taken his shirt off? A white medical looking thing covered up his wound and he realized the pain of it had reduced considerably. Only then did Chase look down at the beautiful body curled up next to him. The woman was a face he could pull out of a swarming crowd, the face he saw in his head so many times. She looked peaceful nearly as she slumbered, a sigh of relief emitting out of his lips. Slowly, hoping to stir her too much, Chase pressed his lips upon hers. One hand moved to stroke her cheek, and then he turned his attention back to the sky. He did not know where they were or what had happened, though at the moment he felt happy. It had been a long time since he had felt so happy, and he knew it wasn’t going to last long. It was lasting right now though and he was going to accept it and live it till it died. WORDS - 838 MUSE - Okayish NOTES - Sorry that took soooo long!! there can be only one mikey! of caution 2.0

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[Roxi Kapolla]

Roxi would not allow herself to fall asleep until he was breathing regularly and his wound had stopped bleeding as well. When she was sure he was finally okay, she relaxed a bit, knowing that she could rest for awhile and not have to worry about waking up next to him and finding him dead the next morning. Once she had bandaged his wound, it quickly stopped bleeding and she pulled the blanket up over both of the them as the hot day quickly turned into a cooler night and the moon and stars filled the sky above their heads.

The fire beside them was slowly burning itself out now and she welcomed the warmth from the glowing coals as well as his body. Curling up against him, she easily fell asleep. A soft brush of lips against her own lips had her blinking the sleep from her eyes and looking up at Chase who was awake and seemed to be doing much better. A soft smile spread across her face a bit before she remembered the events of earlier that night and her smile slipped away a bit. He was a Pistoleros. He was a member of the gang that killed her family and she had risked her life to save his and come back for him and most likely saved his life as well since there was no telling what another person would have done if they would have found him in his condition.

Letting her gaze fall a bit, she didn't want to look him in the eyes. Didn't want to feel the feelings she knew she had for him but didn't want to admit to. She was beginning to think that she just might be falling in love with him. But Roxi hadn't felt love since she had lost her family. That had been the last time she had ever felt love. Now here she was possibly in love with the enemy and there didn't seem to be much she could do about it. She was arguing with herself on the inside and just wished she could fall back asleep and not have to think about any of it.