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CHAPTER 13 (I'm so sorry I'm late I haven't been on Tumblr in a while]

The Runt - Billy the Kid

Warnings: gunshots, Jesse Evans existing is his own trigger warning

Chapter Thirteen

The next morning Laurie was sitting on the fence of the small horse pen, watching a few of the guys play baseball as Artax stood by her, gently nuzzling her with a nicker. His brown eyes were still the softest and kindest looking things Laurie had ever laid her eyes on, she believed that this horse truly understood her, knew how she was feeling. Her arm was feeling better, it just hurt a lot whenever she moved it a certain way and she needed to change the bandage every now and then, but she was okay, mostly.

A gunshot sounded from the top of the hill, catching everyone’s attention and causing Laurie to jump and fall backwards, falling right in front of Artax with a grunt as all the guys rushed over to the fence, grabbing their own rifles before taking aim at a few riders trotting down the hill. Billy made sure he was deliberately standing in front of Laurie to make sure she was shielded from any crossfire if this was an attack.

“Jesse, it’s me, Baker!,” one of the riders called as he and his buddy came trotting over on their horses, Laurie immediately identified both of the horses as mustangs. 

“Hold your fire, hold your fire!,” Jesse demanded, making everyone lower their guns as Laurie climbed back over the fence. She was curious as to what was going on but she was also wary, she didn’t know these unfamiliar men. Jesse walked over to the man as he and his friends pulled their horses to a stop. “Fellas, allow me to introduce you to a very old friend of mine, Frank Baker.”

Artax pinned his ears as he snorted, pawing at the ground from the pn, he clearly didn’t like this Frank Baker guy, and if Artax didn’t trust somebody, Laurie didn’t either. The teenager stuck close to Billy, eying Frank like a spooked doe.

“Sure am happy to see all of you. Me and Jesse go back a while,” Frank said, “Always talked about going into business together. That’s why I’m here.” His eyes landed on Laurie. “Didn’t know you guys were accepting runt girls now, too.”

Laurie looked at the ground. Great, another person in my life to call me that, the young teenager thought. Billy shot Frank a look, oh, if only looks could kill. Frank seemed to completely ignore Billy’s glare and he continued to speak, “We have an opportunity for you boys, and girl, opportunity to make a great deal of money, as well as have some fun.” 

Frank sat up from his horse as his little business offer continued. “You know, I know you need to quit this place. I read the papers. And I also think that you need the money to put some meat on that kid’s bones, too.” His gaze averted to Billy, who was standing next to Laurie and often looking at her to check in and see if she was okay. “I understand that you’ve got William Bonney here with you.”

“Yeah, I’m here,” Billy confirmed, looking back at Frank. “And that ‘runt’ as you call her has a name, it’s Laurie.”

Frank tied his reins to his saddle horn and dismounted, removing his riding gloves as he slowly approached Billy, who instinctively tucked Laurie behind him, keeping his blue eyes trained on Frank. 

“It sure is a real pleasure to meet you,” Frank said as he shook hands with Billy, “We’ve all heard a lot about you. It’s my understanding that the kid behind you has been your travel buddy.”

Billy didn’t say anything as Jesse glanced over at the interaction and Laurie could tell he wasn’t really happy. But she couldn’t figure out why exactly he seemed upset. Her train of thought was interrupted, however, after Jesse suggested that they go inside. However, Laurie didn’t follow, instead, she turned back to where Artax stood. The young stud seemed antsy, snorting and pawing at the ground, pretty much chomping at the non-existent bit in his mouth. Something was really bothering the quarter horse, Laurie wasn’t sure what it was, but whatever it was, it was something bad. 

A/N:

Super short chapter, sorry!

I haven't updated in a while omfg

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HAPPY BIRTHDAY BAE ❤️❤️❤️

IK IVE ONLY KNOWN YOU FOR A SHORT PERIOD OF TIME BUT ILYSM 😭❤️

I SRSLY HOPE YOU HAVE AN AMAZING DAY, YOU DESERVE IT!!

AHHHH TYSM ILYT ❤️❤️ ITS GOING WELL ALREADY IVE GOT MORE PERCY JACKSON BOOKS

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IM 19 GUYS WHOOOO

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RAHHHH FINALLY FINISHED ONE

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IM

SAD

CHAPTER 11

The Runt - Billy the Kid

Warnings for this chapter: child abandonment mention, Laurie's mommy issues, Jesse Evans existance is it's own trigger warning, swearing, violence, underaged drinking, angst, sad Laurie

Chapter Eleven

Early the next morning, Laurie saddled up Artax, mounting him with a small smile as she looked around at the rest of the gang, thanks to Billy, Laurie was able to accompany them on this little trip. Once everyone was ready, they took off on their horses in a gallop. 

Laurie didn’t keep track of how long it took for them to round up the chosen cattle that they were going to steal, cantered alongside Billy, making sure none of the cattle tried to escape through the side as Artax snorted, enjoying this little adventure. It was a beautiful day, the sun was up and shining bright, the sky was a bright blue and the rolling hills looked especially gorgeous today. Once the cattle were all rounded and had calmed down, the gang walked along the trail, Jesse and a few guys trotted ahead while Laurie trailed at the very back, helping make sure none of the cattle strayed behind. She pulled Artax to a stop when they got to the army base that the stolen cattle had been sold to, allowing Bob and John to herd the cows into the corral. Once the cows were inside the pen, the gang quickly left, a lot of the men were very rowdy and cheery about the successful round up.

ⅠⅠⅠⅠ

Later that night, when the sun had left the sky and the world was becoming dark, Jesse returned to camp in a wagon pulled by two black Friesans, tossing booze to the excited gang-members as women exited the wagon, greeting the men with smiles. The young teenager watched from her spot in a tree branch, drawing a picture of Artax.

Laurie wasn’t stupid, she knew what these women were – prostitutes. She never really knew how to feel about them, but all she knew was that when she saw them coming to the camp, she would be in for a very sleepless night listening to the guys have their fun with them. The girl rolled her eyes, however just before she was about to turn her attention back to her drawing, one of the women caught her eye. Laurie recognized hat voice and face and it felt like time froze. 

It was Jennifer.

It was her Ma.

She immediately climbed down from the tree, pushing through the crowd of overexcited men to get to the woman. It had been almost 4 years since she had last seen her mama. And it was so surreal to finally see her again.

“Mama?,” the young teenager asked, following the crowd into the house. The older woman froze upon hearing the child’s voice and she turned around with a shocked look. 

What are the odds of seeing the daughter you abandoned at the camp you were going to be having sex with pretty much every guy there? 

“Lauren?,” Jennifer questioned, looking at the teenager up and down. “You’ve grown.” She did not sound as happy to see Laurie as Laurie was to see her. Laurie was stunned for a moment, trying to figure out why her Ma didn’t sound happy to see her.

“It’s been years,” Laurie said, the happiness in her voice faltering into sadness and disappointment, maybe a little bit of anger, even. “Where have you been all this time, Ma?”

“I’ve been around,” Jennifer replied awkwardly, her tone was somewhat dismissive as she tried to go into the house but Laurie grabbed her arm.

“That’s it? That’s all you’re going to say?,” Laure pleaded, her voice breaking. “Why did you leave me? Why? I just need to know why? Was I not enough for you?”

Jennifer didn’t answer, she went stiff, staring at her daughter. She had left because she felt like Laurie was nothing but a burden to her. 

“I left because you were doing nothing but cause me unneeded stress,” the woman snapped, yanking her arm away from Laurie. “You’re nothing but a burden to me and everyone else in this camp, Lauren. I don’t know how you even survived this long, but I want nothing to do with you.”

Laurie was frozen to say the least. Tears spilled down her face, poor Laurie didn’t know whether to be angry or heartbroken. She simply left, crying as she climbed her tree again, she sat in the thickest branch, quietly sobbing as she hugged her knees to her chest and rested the back of her head against the trunk of the tree, cursing herself for thinking her reunion with her mama would have been this heartwarming thing filled with happiness and strong emotions.

She hated herself for thinking that that was how the world works. 

Later that night, a few men were outside drinking and having a good time. Laurie hadn’t left the tree since interacting with her Ma. How could she have just left her alone like that? She was only 9 when she left. She wiped her face, turning her attention when she heard the sound of Billy snapping at Bob.

“Shut the fuck up, Olinger,” Billy snarled, fixing his hat as she stood up.

“You don’t tell me what to do, boy,” Bob shot back, taking a swig of his beer. “Now everyone thinks that you’re something special. You ain’t special. And neither is that runt you seem to have made friends with. I ain’t never seen anything special about you, and there ain’t nothing special about the runt either. She’s just another body to bury.”

That last comment really pissed Billy off, especially because he knew how much those kinds of comments affected Laurie, she wasn’t just another body to bury. “All right, then let’s fight it out.” Billy drew his gun from the holster at his waist and Bob groaned, shaking his head.

“I ain’t fighting you with a gun,” Bob said simply, taking another sip of his drink. Billy glared at the man, undoing his gun belt and tossing it to the side. Laurie could tell he was drunk as a skunk right now, which was probably why he was acting more defensive and impulsive than usual.

“Then lets fight with our fucking fists like men,” Billy replied.

Bob smirked as he stood up, also tossing his gun belt to the side as he approached Billy. “I’ll beat your ass any day.”

Jesse and the few other guys that were still awake started cheering for Billy after Bob threw the first punch, decking Billy square in the nose. Laurie slid down from the tree and approached the fight, the tear stains on her face were all too visible but she didn’t care. Billy grabbed Bob, slamming him into a wooden pole a few times before throwing him over the table. Laurie knew better than to intervene in fights like this, so all she could do was watch as the men all cheered in Billy’s favor. The fight continued as they fell into the empty barn where the rest of the guys were going at it with the girls.

Billy had Bob pinned as he threw a few more punches into the man’s face, hitting him hard, making sure he felt the pain nice and clear.

“Get the fuck up, Olinger, get the fuck up. You wanna talk shit and bully a child behind her back?,” Billy hissed, hitting Bob one more time before Jesse went over, breaking up the fight as he held Billy’s arm into the air, smiling as he announced Billy the winner of the fight. Everyone cheered and clapped, all except for Laurie, of course she was happy someone had stood up for her, but when she caught sight of her Ma in bed with one of the guys, she just shook her head and left. 

Billy noticed this ad pulled his arm away and followed the upset teenager outside. He watched as Laurie picked up a random bottle of whiskey, chugging the rest of the contents before throwing it at a tree, smashing it into tiny pieces as she yelled in frustration. The outlaw felt his heart break for the girl, he had never seen her upset like this before. He walked over to her, gently grabbing her shoulders in a firm grip and making her face him, his face was soft and full of worry.

“Laurie, kid, what’s got you so upset?,” he asked, wiping the fresh tears from the young girl’s face.

“Because it turns out my mama left because I'm nothing but a burden to her,” Laurie snapped, hiccuping as tears dripped down her face. “How could I have been so fucking stupid to think she would actually be happy to see me? I mean, who am I kidding? She chose to leave me, and yet I still fucking believed we would have a reunion and…”

Laurie was a mess, she was rambling by now, not making much sense but Billy got the gist of what she was saying and it broke him upon hearing that Laurie found out her Ma wanted nothing to do with her. The outlaw pulled her into a hug, rubbing her back as he tried to soothe the sobbing child in his arms.

God she really is just a kid, a scared and lonely child, he thought to himself as he allowed her to cry on his shoulder. 

Laurie didn’t deserve this, and he knew that.

But did Laurie know that? 

A/N:

I am a part of the Laurie's mother hate club

Laurie deserves better, but will she get that better she deserves? Prolly not idk

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writers block is honestly a bitch. what can help is just writing different things that aren’t related to the fic. like what was the weather today? or what is the plot of your favorite show but in your own words? another thing that can help is finding new music to listen to and playing a new heart wrenching song. i also love to just gain inspiration by watching kdramas tbh lol

I've tied and it ain't working 🥲 I think I've just run out if writing juice and need some kind of inspiration to kick start me into overdrive again

Hopefully it comes back when my gf comes home next week (Thursday)

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PLS READ IMPORTANT

Guys... I am so so fucking sorry. I've been trying write but I just can't. I've been trying but every time I open my drafts, my mind blanks. I can't get to peoples asks or even write a 4th paragraph for His Sunflower. I'm sorry guys :(

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RAAHHHH CHAPTER 10 AND ARTAX BEING A MOOD

The Runt - Billy the Kid

Warnings for this chapter: Jesse Evans, swearing, slight misogyny?, mentions of abuse, PTSD

Chapter Ten

The next day, Laurie, Billy and Pat galloped through the plains in the direction of where Jesse and his gang were apparently now residing. Artax whinnied with glee upon feeling the wind in his mane, tossing his head around like an energetic colt with a snort. This caused Laurie to smile a little bit, she was feeling incredibly nervous about reuniting with Jesse, so it felt nice to have her best friend distract her for a moment, but she couldn’t help but let her mind wonder back to how Jesse might react to seeing her after all these months.

Would he be mad at her?

Would he hate her more than he already did before she left?

As they approached the ranch, a man stood up with a shotgun, he seemed ready to shoot them dead until he recognized Pat and called out to his buddies, letting them know that their comrade had returned with guests. Artax skidded to a stop as Laurie turned to Billy, she was visibly nervous and Billy could tell right away. The outlaw gave her a reassuring smile and nod, letting her know that it’ll be okay. It helped a little bit but it did not completely calm her nerves.

“Jesse, you may wanna come out here,” a man that Laurie immediately recognized as Bob called out into the house, taking a drag of his tobacco filled cigarette as he did so. Laurie took a deep breath, stroking her horse's fur as she waited for Jesse to come out. Her heart was pounding and she felt like her blood vessels were going to burst due to the adrenaline. 

Jesse walked out of the house, a cigar in his mouth. It was hard to tell what he was thinking when he saw Laurie and Billy on their horses, standing side-by-side. Laurie took another deep breath before she spoke.

“Hi, Jesse,” she said, adjusting Artax’s reins in her hands. Jesse didn’t say anything as he took a drag of his cigarette, Laurie recognized the gaze that was plastered on Jesse’s face.

And it was safe to say that the blond son of a bitch was beyond pissed at her. 

“We met Pat Garret here out on the road, minding our own business,” Billy jumped in, trying to take Jesse’s glare away from the already nervous teenager. Jesse just hummed in response as Billy looked around at the small ranch. “It’s a neat little hideout.”

“Oh, I like it. Real private,” Jesse answered, throwing away his cigarette, shoving his hands into his pockets as he walked over. “You remember the boys?”

“Sure do,” Billy answered, his horse subtly taking a step forward, almost acting like a shield for Laurie. “This okay, Jesse?”

Jesse simply smiled at Billy, nodding his head. “Sure it is, Kid. I’m really glad to see you, Billy. And I’m even more happy to know that Lauren is safe.”

“She prefers Laurie,” Billy said to Jesse, who simply nodded with a shrug.

“Surely fate’s brought us back together again,” Jesse continued, “You gonna ride with us this time?” Jesse looked over at Laurie. “And actually stay with us?”

“Depends, you gonna treat Laurie like a human bein’ now?,” Billy asked, glancing at Laurie and then at the cow that was in the process of being prepared for food. “Also depends on what you’re cookin’.”

“Rustling John Chisum’s cattle. You’ve heard of John Chisum? They call him the Cattle King of America. He’s got cattle here in Texas, in New Mexico, all over Lincoln County. He is one rich son of a bitch, and we’re making good money selling his cattle to the army,” Jesse replied, “And as I’ve said before. I am gonna make it my life’s mission to make it up to Lauren for how I treated her. It was wrong.” He paused for a moment. “You two back in?” 

Laurie immediately called bullshit, she knew he didn’t regret a single thing when it came to how he treated her. Men like that never feel bad for what they do to the people who trusted them. But she nodded, saying yes for Billy’s sake. Because either it was to stay with the gang or go to some shitty orphanage. 

The red headed girl dismounted Artax, stroking the stallion’s neck before gently leading him to the water trough where she began to untack him. She gently tugged the bridle off of his face, giving him a mint before hanging it up on the fence post when she heard someone behind her. Laurie had memorized footsteps long enough to recognize it was Jesse who was approaching her. The young teenager whipped her head around to face him, she was still like a jumpy doe because of him.

“Runt,” Jesse said.

“Jesse,” Laurie sighed, hearing the all too familiar nickname never got any easier. Artax pinned his ears upon seeing Jesse, the stud never liked Jesse and the feeling was mutual on Jesse’s end as well.

“The hell were you thinkin’, running off like that?,” he hissed. Laurie took a slight step back, afraid that he would hit her again.

No, he wouldn’t do that.

Not when there were so many witnesses.

“I’m sorry, okay?,” Laurie responded, swallowing as she turned back around, undoing the cinch on Artax’s saddle. Jesse would’ve said more if Billy didn’t walk over to them, leaning on the fence as he tilted his head to the side.

“Just getting reacquainted,” Jesse reassured, seeing the look of suspicion on Billy’s face. Billy nodded, the look on his face screamed ‘better be.’ 

Laurie removed Artax’s saddle and rested it on the fence before gently putting a rope over the horse’s neck and leading him into the small pasture, but Artax didn’t leave Jesse unharmed. The stud purposefully stood on his foot and once that was done, he swished his tail, directly hitting Jesse in the face, whinnying in amusement. Laurie giggled quietly, secretly giving him a treat for that as she let him go into the pasture. 

ⅠⅠⅠⅠ

Later that night, Laurie sat at a table with Billy, eating her dinner quietly while the two friends engaged in conversation. She wasn’t really contributing anything but she knew that the two older men knew that she was there and that she was also listening. 

“What happened to Barbara?,” Billy suddenly asked, Laurie lifted her head upon the name. Even though Barbara did little to nothing to stop the ongoing abuse that Laurie would receive from Jesse, she also couldn’t help but wonder what happened to her, especially because she hadn’t seen her around. 

“Oh, you know, she, uh… moved on,” Jesse explained, “She left not long after Lauren ran off.”

“Moved on to where?,” Billy asked, wanting to know more as Laurie reached over, taking his whiskey and drinking it. 

“If you must know, she got herself a job as a schoolteacher,” Jesse sighed, getting a little annoyed at the constant stream of questions about his ex. “Can you imagine that? Miss Jones.”

Laurie shrugged, putting the bottle down and sharply inhaling. Her head becoming fuzzy as the alcohol clouded her mind, she shook her head, feeling rattled. SHe really needed to stop stealing drinks.

“Actually, I can,” Billy chuckled, smiling a little bit at the thought.

“Is that right?,” Jesse responded, “You didn’t think for a second that she was too beautiful just to waste her life as a teacher in school?”

“It ain’t a waste, Jesse,” Billy countered, adjusting his posture in his seat. “There are plenty of kids out there who would kill to be able to learn how to do stuff like readin’. Besides, Barbara was always a teacher. Shit, I think she taught me and you more than we could ever know.” 

“Jesus Christ,” Jesse scoffed, “What do you figure you can learn from a teacher in school you can’t find out for yourself?”

“Reading,” Laurie suddenly said, the alcohol she had just consumed making her a lot more confident now.

Jesse just shrugged once more, not really wanting to hear anymore of this as he got up. Billy looked over at Laurie, confused at her newfound confidence but when his eyes landed on the whiskey bottle he shook his head.

“Lightweight,” he sighed, standing up and helping the drunk teenager to her feet, taking her to where she would be sleeping that night. 

A/N:

LAURIE IS MY BABY

Artax's beef with Jesse is my new favorite thing ever

Will Laurie find her Mama? Or is she gonna remain motherless?

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Just made one of the most heart wrenching edits of Billy and Laurie 😭💔

YOU GOTTA STOP PULLING MY HEART LIKE THIS MAN 😭

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RAHHHH FINALLY FINISHED ONE

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SOMEONE PLEASE WRITE BILLY WITH A PISS KINK (gorlic, GK, if you guys see this I AM SO SORRY)

see i’m under the opinion of the fact that coryo hates messes and especially hates bodily functions because he’s a germaphobe. billy though? MANS LIKES TO GET DIRTY. he’s out all day. he’s working on the dirt. he’s around dirty men all day. like i think he does not mind piss at all. he loves seeing you piss yourself. or he loves holding in his own pee until he’s jerking himself off and ends up relieving himself. billy has a HUGE PISS KINK 100%

god you’re so right too dnsjdndjsj that probably makes more sense thank you for making me realize that (I’ll still write piss kink coryo ofc) but I think if it’s truly canon coryo he wouldn’t because of what you said.

me at your description for billy 😵‍💫 but yes I agree so much, he’d probably be so nonchalant about it that it’s not, you know?

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CHAPTER 9 RAHHHHHH

The Runt - Billy the Kid

Warnings for this chapter: mention of physical abuse

Chapter Nine

It was pouring with rain when Billy and Laurie arrived in a small town, they stopped outside of a building and dismounted their horses. Laurie was still shivering from the cold despite the fact Billy had given her his jacket in order to try and warm her up. The duo entered the saloon, Billy went over to the bar to order a drink while Laurie went and sat at a table. Her hair was stuck to her head as water dripped down her face, she shivered, slowly feeling the slight warmth of the saloon warm her up a little bit.

Laurie noticed a man in the corner of the saloon, he was reading the newspaper but eying Billy like a hawk as well as showing the same interest in Laurie. Billy took notice of this, noticing the man staring at both him and Laurie as well as how tense Laurie seemed under the man’s gaze. So, he took his final whiskey shot and walked over to the staring man, leaning on the wall as he stared out of the window for a moment before he spoke.

“Why are you staring at me and the kid?,” Billy demanded.

“Thought I recognized you is all, and I just wanted to make sure that she’s okay. She’s shaking harder than a hunted rabbit,” the man replied calmly.

“And did you?,” Billy asked, sending a piercing glare towards the man. He was already really on edge because of what happened back at the old camp, and he really didn’t need any kind of unwanted attention towards him or Laurie.

“I don’t know,” the other man told him, reaching into his jacket. Billy reached for his gun, the safety clicking off as he was handed a folded piece of paper. “Depends if this is you.” Laurie stayed where she was, watching the scene from afar as her leg bounced. Billy took the paper and unfolded it, reading the wanted poster made in his name.

“Now, I’m not saying that it’s a great likeness,” the other man said, “But  it’s pretty like, wouldn’t you say? And if it is you, I highly doubt that the kid over there is with you by her own will. She looks underfed to me.”

Laurie tensed as she listened to the conversation, realizing that they had probably just been caught. Billy was no kidnapper, though. Billy looked over at Laurie before he looked back at the man and set the paper down.

“I’d like to know why you’re holding onto that,” Billy demanded, keeping calm despite the fact that he had probably just been caught by a bounty hunter who could add kidnapping onto his list of supposed crimes.

“I’m ridin’ with a good friend of yours,” the man simply said as he took back the poster, folding it. Laurie froze at that sentence, realizing that this guy was probably a friend of Jesse’s. The young girl stood up, getting ready to run if she had to. “He talks about you all the time, and to me, he seems awful worried about Little Red over there.”

“Who might that be?,” Billy asked as Laurie slowly made her way over to Billy, her steps were tense and nervous. Like a fawn stepping out into the open meadow for the first time.

“Jesse Evans. We’re holded up not too far from here,” the man said simply. Laurie’s heart dropped upon hearing that name. The name of the man she had prayed to never see again. The name of the man who had struck her across the face. The name of the man who destroyed her sense of self. Billy pulled up a chair, sitting down as he pulled one out for Laurie.

“You know Jesse?,” Laurie asked hesitantly.

“Sure, I do, kid,” the man responded with a nod, “He’s worried about you, ya know. Ever since the night you took off without reason.” He paused for a moment. “Where are you two headed?”

Neither Billy nor Laurie answered as they exchanged looks, Laurie’s nerves were palpable as she fidgeted with the hem of her sopping wet blouse. 

“Maybe the three of us could ride over together, say hello to Jesse again. Show him that the kid is alive and well,” the unnamed man suggested, “I’m sure he’d appreciate that.”

“Last time I saw Jesse, things weren’t too good between us,” Billy told him, “And he was bein’ a major ass towards Laurie.”

“I don’t think Jesse harbors any grudges. Not towards you, anyway,” the man began, “And as for how he treated the kid, I’ve lost count of how many times he’s told me that the way he treated Lauren is his life’s biggest regret.”

“She prefers Laurie,” Billy jumped in, looking at the man.

“What’s your name?,” Laurie inquired, still fidgeting as she looked up at the man. 

“I’m Pat Garret,” the man introduced.

Laurie wasn't sure how she felt about seeing Jesse again, the bruise on her face from which he had given to her when he struck her had long since faded away. She hadn’t seen him since that night, but part of her couldn’t help but wonder if he truly meant it when Pat said that treating her like shit was his life’s biggest regret.

It couldn’t hurt to see if that was true, right?

A/N:

Super duper short chapter but that's okay!

Laurie is gonna go THROUGH IT

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CHAPTER 8 RAAHHHHHH

The Runt - Billy the Kid

Warnings for this chapter: trauma response, violence, gunshots, guns, death, sad Laurie, mentions of drowning

Chapter Eight

Billy returned to the room at the inn after yet another successful night of gambling, he quietly creaked open the door and closed it. His eyes landed on the 13-year-old who was fast asleep on her bed, cuddling her stuffed animal while she slept. The outlaw couldn’t help but smile at her as he took off his hat and placed it on the dresser, the only light being the small lantern on Laurie’s bedside table. Laurie refused to sleep without a light on. She hated the dark.

Just as Billy kicked off his boots, Laurie began to toss and turn in her bed. Her face was scrunched up and she was clearly in distress, muttering things under her breath as she took in short, deep breaths. Cold beads of sweat dripped down her forehead and Billy immediately became concerned as he walked over to the younger girl, kneeling beside her as she began sobbing in her sleep. He gently shook her by the shoulders, waking her up.

Laurie yelped in terror as she shot up from the bed, looking around frantically as tears dripped down her face as another small sob left her lips. Billy didn’t hesitate to pull the crying child into his arms, rubbing circles on her back as he tried to soothe her. Laurie sobbed as she clung to Billy, burying her face into his shoulder. Laurie often had nightmares like this, nightmares that took her back to the day they found Dale’s body in the river after he had drowned – but she’d never had one in front of Billy. And right now, she just wanted to be held.

Billy kept rubbing the young teenager’s back, trying his best to calm her down when he suddenly got an idea. He started singing to her.

“Oh, bury me not on the lone prairie,” he quietly hummed as he felt Laurie’s tears soaking his shirt as he sang. Laurie inhaled shakily, trying to keep her focus on the outlaws soft, yet comforting singing.

“Those words came low… and mournfully.” Laurie could feel herself beginning to calm down as the song continued, Billy still hugging her like that of a loving brother bear.

“From the pallid lips of the youth that lay.”

Laurie took another deep breath, her soft sobs slowly fading as a wave of sleepiness overtook her once more, her breathing slowly beginning to even out as she began to relax more and more. 

“On his dyin’ bed at the close of day,” Billy continued, smiling to himself as he felt the kid slowly beginning to calm down and relax, making him continue his soft singing.

“I wish to lie… where a mother’s prayers.”

Laurie’s eyes grew heavier as her tight grip slightly loosened on Billy as sleep began to take over her body, her breathing began to even out. 

“And a sister’s tears will linger here.”

“Where friends can come and weep over me.”

“Oh, bury me not… in the lone prairie.”

Billy smiled to himself when he heard Laurie’s soft, evened out breath as he slowly laid her on the bed again. The teenager was asleep once more, despite her panicked state a few minutes before, and the fact her face was stained with fresh tears, she was able to sleep again. He gently removed a few stray hair strands from the girl’s face. She reminded him so much of Joe, even the way he was able to calm her down from a bad dream was like Joe. 

ⅠⅠⅠⅠ

The next day, Laurie, Billy and Melquiades were all riding through a large field, Billy singing the same song he had sung to Laurie to help her with her bad dream. Laurie was on the back of Artax, not saying much as she looked around her, every so often patting the young stallion on the neck.

“Where are you two planning on going next?,” Melquiades asked as they halted their horses, enjoying the absolutely gorgeous view of the valley below them. A gentle breeze swept by as Artax shook his neck to shoo away some of the flies.

“Don’t know,” Billy replied with a shrug, “There was a time I thought that I had a plan. I came down to Mexico looking for a fresh start… make things right. And then I met little red, over here. Turns out she is just as clueless about the world as me.”

“Well, I gotta go back to New Mexico and take care of some family business,” Melquiades told the duo.

“Yeah, me and Laurie gotta stay clear of New Mexico for a while,” Billy joked, causing Mel to laugh a little bit and a small smile formed on Laurie’s face as she heard the joke, still staring out at the valley.

“Well, then, I guess this is it,” Mel sighed, looking at the outlaw and teenager next to him. “This trail here takes me to where I need to go.”

“What about that way?,” Laurie asked, gesturing to the east.

“Oh, that’s Texas,” Mel answered, turning to Laurie with a smile. “The people there would eat a kid like you alive.” 

Laurie couldn’t tell if that was meant to be a joke or an insult.

“Maybe it’s time Laurie and I took a look around Texas. I’ve heard of this little town called El Paso. Sounds about as good of a place as any,” Billy stated as he looked over at Laurie. “Who knows, kid? Maybe that’s where your ma is.”

“I hope you find what you’re looking for, Billy, Laurie. Eh?,” Melquiades said to the younger people he had run with for some time now. Laurie couldn’t help but smile a little bit at this as she stroked her horse’s neck, watching as Mel spurred his horse down the trail towards New Mexico.

Laurie and Billy stood there on their horses for a while, watching their friend leave before getting their horses moving down the trail to Texas. Even though Laurie and no luck in finding her ma here in Chihuahua, maybe she will have better luck in Texas.

ⅠⅠⅠⅠ

That night, Laurie laid a few feet away from Billy at their makeshift camp. She was fast asleep by the fire, holding Goosey close to her chest just like always. However, her sleep was interrupted by the sound of a gunshot. Laurie shot up, grabbing her pistol as Billy quickly shot a round and knocked their water over the campfire, putting it out instantly and leaving them in the dark. Billy quickly grabbed Laurie and tucked her behind him with his gun at the ready as him and the girl ducked behind a fallen tree log.

Billy fired a few more rounds, it was hard to see where and who the shooters were. Laurie was terrified as she ducked behind the log, covering her ears as she watched Billy. 

“That’s my money, gringos,” a man’s voice said in the distance. Laurie was in a panic, she didn’t understand what this meant.

“Billy, what is he talking about?,” Laurie hissed as Billy shot another bullet.

“I won a poker game. The guy’s who lost don’t seem like good losers,” Billy whispered back. 

More gunshots rang out and Billy ducked, taking off his jacket and covering Laurie with it in order to give her a better way of hiding before he quickly reached over the log, grabbing a long stick that was still burning and throwing it to where the gunshots were coming from before he grabbed Laurie and ran a few feet away before he ducked down in a ditch, pulling the petrified teenager down with him as he covered her. 

Artax and Billy’s horse were beginning to get agitated, nickering as they beckoned their riders to untie them so that they could book it and find a safer spot to camp. Laurie ran over to the horses, untying them so that they could find a safer place. Billy’s horse ran but Artax didn’t. Despite the stallion’s raw terror, he wasn’t leaving his girl behind.

Laurie yelped in terror when a guy tried to come at her from the side and she fired her gun, killing him. Laurie froze as her blood ran cold, watching the guy fall to the floor lifelessly.

She had just experienced her first kill, and due to the fact she was still in shock, she didn’t see the other guy that was coming at her and Billy until Billy was the one to have shot him. 

“Laurie, stay down,” Billy growled, he didn’t mean to sound mean. But he was scared of the girl’s safety. Billy saw Don trying to make a run for it and he ran after the guy, yelling at him to stop. Despite being told not to, Laurie followed, grabbing Artax’s reins and leading him with her. The safety on her gun was now unlocked as she went around to a spot where she wouldn’t be spotted by Don.

“You’re a smart kid,” Don said to Billy, “If you get rid of that runt that’s always following you around we could make good money.” Don stopped speaking when he saw the cold glare on Billy’s face, and once he realized Billy wasn’t going to drop the weapon, the gambler dropped to his knees, begging for Billy not to kill him. But Billy didn’t drop the act. Instead he pulled the trigger. 

Billy didn’t just kill Don because he had tried to kill him, oh no, Billy had killed Don because he almost killed Laurie as well. A child. A child who had no part in this. A child who just wanted to see her mama again.

He looked over to where Laurie stood with Artax, she was visibly shaken as she clutched Goosey and her sketchbook in one hand and the reins attached to Artax’s bridle in the other. 

Both of them were shaken up.

A/N:

Billy and Laurie are my Roman Empire

Tag:

@slutforsnow

[slutforsnow]

IVE MISSED YOU TOO- IM SLOWLY LOSING WRITERS BLOCK

imagine Coryo or Billy dating a theatre kid and them seeing the unholy hours their theatre kid s/o spends at rehearsals

(like one time i was at a rehearsal that started at 10:30am and only left the building at 7:00pm)

Gonna start answering my asks now cause I'm tired af (I have 11 asks and I wanna reopen my inbox) also THIS IS SO REAL. In high school, I was apart of tech in my senior year. I WAS GETTING TO SCHOOL AT 7:45AM AND LEAVING AT 10:30PM WITH HOMEWORK 😭 my actual dismissal was at 2:25pm instead of 2:55pm cause I didn't have 7th period

-Coryo-

THIS MANS JAW HAS HIT THE BOTTOM OF THE MARIANNA TRENCH.

"WHAT DO YOU MEAN YOU HAVE TO WORK THESE HOURS?? This is unhealthy, and I KNOW unhealthy. Do they even let you eat? Rest? Get dinner or anything?!" Question after question that man is PARANOID ABOUT YOU 😭

-Billy-

Billy is joining you to make sure you don't suffer alone and when you guys get home, PRINCESS TREATMENT. He won't rest until you're comfortable, sleeping, and WELL👏🏼FUCKING👏🏼FED👏🏼 (also may fight the director for making you work so much 🤺)

[slutforsnow]

129 days and 75 years 💔

[slutforsnow]

And people DARE TO HATE ON HIM!?

WTF is wrong with them smh

Josh Andrés Rivera