Heyes and the Kid sat in one of the higher class saloons in Cheyenne, were about three quarters of the way through a bottle of decent rye. It was four days after a flashy reception, when they'd been officially and publicly declared free men. The last few years had been a revolving door of Governors, leading to one disappointment after another, so Lom's letter had come as a surprise to them both.
With it being less than a week, they were still very much at the point of simply enjoying the fact they had nowhere they had to be,and would have no need to run if anyone recognised them.
After a long gulp of the glass of whisky in his hand, the Kid glanced over at his partner, then looked down, to stare blearily at his friend's dusty worn hat placed in front of them. After a couple of moments of study, he said with the careful enunciation of someone who's had one or two drinks more than enough. “Now we got amnesty Heyes, we gotta make some changes. You know goodbye to our old life, hello to the new one!”
Heyes blinked at him warily, and with his own voice a little slurred said firmly. “Now I might agree in principle, but I ain't keen on the way you're looking at my hat.”
“Well that scruffy thing is 'bout the oldest thing you own.”
“You're getting older, Kid, and I ain't planning on exchanging you for a younger partner.”
The Kid snorted and shook his head. “I'd bet not, Heyes, I mean no one else would put up with ya like I do.”
Heyes humphed. “I'll have you know Kid, I'm highly sought after...”
“That's just cos they don't know ya. Now stop changin' the subject, we was talkin' bout your hat!”
Heyes grabbed his hat from the table, and hid it behind him protectively with a glare at his partner.
Before anything more could be said, two pretty woman came over. A red head and a blonde, nicely filling their not inexpensive dresses. The red haired girl smiled at them. “Me and my friend Ellie couldn't help but notice you sitting here. We saw you both in the paper yesterday and I wonder if you feel like celebrating still.”
The partners exchanged a glance and the Kid grinned widely as he said. “Be our pleasure ladies.”
Ellie sat next to Heyes with a grin as her friend settled next to the Kid, who turned to her. “Now your friend is Ellie, you know who we are...”
“Oh, I'm sorry, I always forget, I'm Laura.”
Before turning his attention fully to the girl, the Kid glanced over at Heyes, “This conversation ain't done.”
Heyes snorted and said softly as the Kid turned away. “I think you'll find it is.”
X
Heyes woke first and after a glance over at his still softly snoring partner, grinned as his mind lingered on last night and their two lovely companions, then his face dropped as he remembered something. He half leapt out of bed and shook his friend awake with some force. “You gave Ellie my hat!”
The Kid blinked, then closed his eyes again, unmoved. “I figured it'd be a good souvenir for her, and weren't like you was complainin' last night!”
“Of course I weren't complaining, I was busy!” Heyes' voice rose an octave in disgust as he added. “That was real sneaky, I ain't happy. Maybe I oughta consider a new partner...who don't give away other people's hats, just 'cos he feels like it.”
The Kid's eyes popped open as he sat up glaring. “Heyes, it's just a gad-damned hat! Ain't you makin' a fuss 'bout nothin'?”
Heyes pulled away to stand in the middle of the room with his hands on his hips. “What if it was your gun or somethin'?”
The Kid laughed. “You know how many guns I've bin through in the last two years!”
“But it ain't fair! I liked that hat!”
The Kid about to go back to sleep, tiring of his partner's complaining about something so unimportant, suddenly realised that there had been more than simple pique in his friend's voice. He had sounded both upset and a little hurt. Shaking the cobwebs out of his brain, he sat up to look at Heyes properly as he said really confused. “Heyes, why you so set on keepin' a dusty old hat?”
Heyes sighed and sat down on his bed, shaking his head. “You oughta know why, Kid and besides it's my decision as it's my hat!”
The Kid ready for this to be over, said as calmly as he was able, given his slightly pounding head and complete puzzlement. “If you're so insistent, I'm sure Ellie won't mind givin' it back.”
Heyes sighed at the calm tone, recognising it as his partner's attempt to humour him, and was perversely irritated by it. “You think I'm overreacting don't ya?”
The Kid shrugged. “Ain't like you bein' sentimental, but you always was a bit odd sometimes.”
Heyes' anger rose again and he glared, annoyed that his friend was just refusing to see his point of view.“That ain't fair. There's no talking to you sometimes.” He made as if to stand and dress, ready to stomp out of the room and go find breakfast, but then as his stomach protested the thought, simply stayed where he was, meeting his friend's exasperated glare.
The Kid sounding as exasperated as he looked and obviously not understanding his partner's mood, snapped a reply. “It's just a damn hat, Heyes! Ain't like we haven't lost more important stuff through the years.”
“That's just it, Kid! We've lost most everything at one time or another, that damn hat as you put it, was just about the only thing I managed to hang onto.”
The Kid was suddenly hit by a memory, not long after running from Valpo, they'd found work on a cattle drive. With only a single hat between them, Heyes had ended up giving it to the Kid, after he'd suffered a nasty bout of sunburn. One of the oldest drivers, Hank, had noticed and given Heyes one of his spares.
Hank, despite the needs of the drive, had always made time to teach them skills to keep them as safe as possible, unlike the other drivers, who had merely expected them to pull their weight with no thought of just how young they were. Heyes had spent more time with him, enjoying listening to the old man talk, while Kid still a little shy at thirteen, had kept his distance when they weren't working.
The old man had ended up dying in a stampede in a thunder storm, mere days after saving Heyes from drowning, as they'd crossed a swollen river. It was the same damn hat. The Kid suddenly feeling very guilty that he'd forgotten something so important to his friend, swallowed hard and said softly. “I'm sure Ellie won't mind if you ask her to return it.” Heyes shrugged and pushed a hand through his hair as Kid clambered out of bed to join his friend, and after a slightly awkward silence said softly. “I'm sorry Heyes, I just remembered Hank givin' it you. I shoulda listened to ya.”
Heyes looked at him and a slight smile appeared on his lips as he said “I bet neither of them girls would mind a second night with us. Think Ellie would take a pair of worn old gloves over a dusty worn hat?”
The Kid, relieved that Heyes was willing to let his gripe go, smiled and said. “With your silver tongue, Heyes, I figure you can persuade her.”
There was a comfortable silence between them, only broken when Heyes nudged him hard as he started to nod off. “I have to admit, your idea about in with the new and out with the old ain't a bad one. It just needs me to polish it and make it work right.”
The Kid nodded, happy that things were back to normal and stood. “While ya doin' that, Heyes, I'm goin' back to bed.”
Home 
Happy New Year! 
