TBC: Anyone :)

It had been the day that Ida Mae dreaded more than anything. It was the day that Ida Mae had to buckle up and drive her wagon into town in order to purchase and order any needed supplies that would last her through the month. She didn't do this often as she wished to appear invisible to the world. Thus far she was doing a mighty fine job as keeping herself low and under the radar. Since running away to this small town Ida Mae had only had one dangerously close encounter to someone finding out her true identity. She only hoped the Marshal wouldn't pursue her any further less she be arrested, tried and then hung for her actions. The thought of dying for her crime always churned her stomach, making her face go pale. Nobody would listen or at least believe her side of the story. Nobody.

Now the day had rather turned out to be a pretty successful one. There had been only a few places she had needed to stop in on so Ida Mae had not left home until past lunch hour. It would have been smarter to hitch up her horse and ride into town during opening hours, but for some reason she had woken up way late. No one seemed to have taken notice of her however, as she finally made her way down the main road leading straight through the middle of town. It was the way she had wanted and wished that it would be. No longer did Ida Mae need human interaction or companionship like in her past life. In fact she near dreaded the thought of having to strike up a decent enough conversation with a complete stranger to appear less conspicuous.

After having paid for all that she needed and after loading it all up herself, Ida Mae allowed herself a few minutes to peek in through the window of a small tailor shop. The dresses were exquisite. The material looked fragile and smooth like the dresses which she use to wear back home. Now all she ever wore were cheap button up blouses and simple itchy skirts. No ruffles or lace or anything fancy for that matter. More than anything Ida Mae wished to walk into the store and at least touch the beautiful pieces, but instead she turned and walked away heading right for her buckboard.

Ida Mae got lost in her thoughts of home as she held the reins, leading Fuego back on down the dirt road. Had her horse not had any sense about him Ida Mae and her wagon would have ran over a man who was nearly passed out right there in front of them, but when she came to a dead halt Ida Mae looked up in wonder. Although she always tried to keep herself secluded from the rest of the world Ida Mae would never pass up to help someone in need - if there weren't others around to help instead that is and it appeared as if this was one of those times.

No one else was around and seemed to take notice of the man who was now hunched over. She hadn't been quick about it, but Ida Mae soon hiked up her skirt and hopped down from her wagon to help the poor man. When she knelt down beside him she gasped as she recognized the face. "Zay.." Ida Mae lightly shook him by the shoulder, "Zay, are you alright?" She didn't know the man very well, had only ran into him a few times in the past, but they at least knew each other by name. Now, she wasn't exactly an intelligent woman when it came to diagnosing what was wrong with a person, but from what she could see she figured he was at least thirsty. For only a moment did she leave his side in order to retrieve her canteen from under the bench of her wagon. "Here, drink this.." Ida Mae removed the lid and carefully poured a small amount of water to his overly dried lips, hoping that he would soon come to.

Was he breathing? For a moment there Ida Mae wasn't too sure of this, but as she looked him over it was easily seen that his chest was rising and falling, although not steadily. She appeared worried over the man's condition and had thought about calling out for someone to come and help, but then he moved suddenly. Ida Mae got spooked, which in turn caused her to spill a bit of the water, as she jerked back when Zay jolted and sat up rather quickly. Sitting back on the haunches of her legs Ida Mae looked him over. He said something then, something that had made no sense, at least to her. Perhaps he was too far gone.

Without a reply of any kind Ida Mae stood up and did her very best to pull him up by the arm. Then carefully, with a bit of a struggle, she helped him on over to a nearby bench if only to get him out of the road. "Drink more." She passed off the entire canteen this time figuring that he could now hold it all himself. While he took a sip Ida Mae looked on, curious about where he had been and how he had turned up suddently into town and in such poor health too.

Ida Mae gave him a minute before speaking back up. "Are you okay?" It was a rather amatuer question since obviously he wasn't.

ooc: OMGosh! Shortest post ever Dx I'm so sorry! It's so early.. I may try to add more if you don't reply to it soon.

With an intent stare Ida Mae watched as Zay used up as much of the water as he wanted, drinking some and then drenching himself in some as well. He looked hungry and tired, in desperate need of some food and rest. If she trusted the man she might have extended an invite for him to come and stay at her place, but Ida Mae still trusted nobody. He was the closest thing she had to a friend though, out here in the wild west away from the big city where she grew up, but still she could not put her life in danger in any way, shape or form.

After having gotten his fill of water Zay rambled on some more. His words confused Ida Mae only further, as they made no sense when paired up with what he had said before. "It wasn't a dream," and now, "I got away, I got away before they tried to execute me in cold blood." What was he talking about? Ida Mae knew he wasn't totally loony when his next sentence reached her ears. He'd been wandering around out in the wild, for days he had said. Ida Mae leaned forward and looked to where he had been pointing. Well that explained his current condition at least.

Ida Mae took a moment to look down the boardwalk, hoping to come up with some sort of solution of how to help Zay. "I'll be right back," she spoke softly while patting his shoulder, "don't go nowhere." She left him then and made her way down the boarded planks, heading straight for the saloon. It had been awhile since Ida Mae had last stepped inside any sort of establishment that served alcohol. After her deceased husband had started to drink heavily she made sure to stay plenty far away from the stuff.

After walking inside Ida Mae went straight for the counter and ordered up a plate of whatever they had available. While she waited Ida Mae felt more than one pair of eyes set upon her. It was hard not to leave then, but she kept herself waiting for Zay's sake. None too soon was she served with a plate of cooked beef and a side of vegetables. Then after paying and whispering a simple 'thanks' Ida Mae left and made her way back to where she had left Zay. Thankfully he had stayed put just as she had ordered.

"Eat this.."

Watching Zay eat made Ida Mae think of large filthy stuck hogs who stopped at nothing until their trough was emptied. She didn't judge him though, as she easily assumed he had not eaten in days. His stench was rather apparent as well, but out here in the west most everyone carried some sort of odor with them, at least Ida Mae thought so. In her past life she had been accustomed to having a bath ready at all times of the day if ever she felt like taking one. Expensive oils, salts and soap had also been available, jasmine and lily being her most favorite of scents, but out here owning a porcelain tub was something of a rarity. Ida Mae wondered if perhaps the mayor owned one. Her lack of wanting to socialize got the better of her though, keeping her from ever getting the notion to ask.

While he ate and even after Zay had finished all of that she had given him Ida Mae sat by silently. She wasn't one much for conversation less someone get curious and ask questions about her. Removing her hat Ida Mae leaned back against the bench and sighed heavily. Now what? Was she just to leave him sitting here on the bench? Surely once the water and food settled he'd be well enough to find shelter all on his own.

Her attention was caught back as Zay spoke up and asked a question which Ida Mae knew not how to answer. Biting down on her lip she still said not a word, although searched for some sort of answer which she could give him. Really, why had she helped him? He was a man after all and Ida Mae no longer trusted any of his kind. Going out of her way to help others had never been something she had done before. She had been a selfish being, but perhaps this town was changing that in her. "I uh.." Ida Mae looked down at her hands which were folded in her lap as she stumbled over her words still not exactly sure what to say. "I-I really don't know."

Early payback, he had said. For what exactly? Ida Mae didn't like the sound of that, whatever he had meant. She was beginning to wish to she hadn't stayed after leaving him on the bench. She knew better than to trust or help any man and up until now she had stuck to that principle. Lesson learned. The atmosphere between the two thickened greatly as Zay stood up and walked off by a few paces. She had cornered herself into an uncomfortable situation and what seemed like with no way out. He was better now with food and water in his system. If she were to try and walk Zay would no doubt try and stop her. This she assumed.

Frozen, glued to the bench Ida Mae said nothing nor moved an inch as he spoke up once more. He mentioned something about someone looking to collect a reward for turning her in. She sat there, eyebrows furrowed in confusion. How did this someone know where she was? Ida Mae had been doing her best to keep a low profile and thus far she had been doing alright. Only a marshal had hinted towards knowing who she was, but he had failed to pursue her since then therefore she figured he had either forgotten or given up. Ida Mae wished to ask exactly who it was, but before she found the courage to speak Zay continued.

Ida Mae's eyes grew large in fear at the sound of this man who Zay breify described. Rape and kill her. It all sounded so familiar to the last year she had spent being married to her now deceased husband. There had been times where he had beat on her so much that she had feared for her own life among other things. There was no way Ida Mae was going to go through anything remotely close to that again. Why she'd rather turn herself in and be hung by the neck until dead. It was a much more sound way to leave this earth behind, at least in her opinion.

Zay didn't seem to be finished yet as he went on to explain how he had gained such information. When he reached the end of his short story Ida Mae hung her head and closed her eyes. What was she to do now? Could she even believe that Zay's story was the truth or was he the one she should be looking out for? Ida Mae began to tear up, although she refused to let Zay see her in such a vulnerable state, just in case. Wiping the tears away before they spilled down her cheeks Ida Mae looked to the side and forced a smile. "I thank you for telling me. I'll definitely be keeping my eye open for any such man." Her voice had been a bit shaky, but Ida Mae didn't want to leave without saying a word less he come to find out she figured he was in on it too. "It's getting late. I really should be leaving now." Another forced smile made it's way onto her lips before she stood up, replaced her hat upon her head and walked off towards her buckboard.

Ida Mae had only one thing on her mind now that Zay had alarmed her. Whether she was to trust him or not she figured it wouldn't hurt to be prepared, just in case this so-called bounty hunter was real. Zay didn't go into much detail about what he looked like. Even just a brief description of the man would have been quite helpful. Either way she needed to get on home and stay there. For now it was the safest place on earth for her, but poor Ida Mae was beginning to feel like such a hermit. It was such a rare thing for her to go out and about past her own fence. Truth be told it was wearing her down. She was tired of hiding away, fearing for the safety of her own life, but there was not much she could do other than what she was doing now.

What Ida Mae was waiting for was a plan. Some sort of plan to get her off the country's wanted list. How did one go about doing that? Ida Mae had attended a great school and had learned much, but not much about how the law was run. For sure, she couldn't just walk right into the sheriff's office and explain her side of the story. Nobody would believe her. Her arms were no longer marked with the bruises he had left. All they had was her word and more than likely that wouldn't be enough. It was a scary thought to be thinking she'd have to live out the remainder of her years cowering in the opposite corner. Perhaps she could sell her small bit of land, take the money, buy some men's pants and a good horse and just ride. She could easily adorn a third identity, cut her hair and make herself look as different as possible. It was probable, but Ida Mae was already beginning to lose her true self.

With her shoulders weighing heavily upon her and her head hung low Ida Mae continued her way to the wagon. She was so lost in thought that she failed to look where she was going and collided with yet another man. Without thought her own hands grabbed onto the stranger's arms and had he not reached out himself, Ida Mae probably would have created a dust cloud in falling to the ground. At first she kept her gaze locked in on her feet, but as the man spoke up, his voice was deep and gentle, and apologized Ida Mae felt inclined to lift her eyes upward. The man was someone she had never seen before. This was not a good thing as some man out there was now looking for her, but for whatever reason Ida Mae didn't feel threatened by him. "Oh no, excuse me." A faint blush covered her cheeks as the man was rather handsome. "I wasn't looking where I was going." Ida Mae did not realize it, but she continued to stand there with her hands resting upon his own arms as she continued to stare up into his face.

Ida Mae was lost in a daze as her eyes danced over the man's rugged features. He appeared in desperate need of a shave and some clean clothes. It was safe to assume he had been out on the trail for quite sometime. He smelt and looked nothing like Zay though. For this her nose was thankful. She was also all out of playing the good samaritan. Therefore he would have to go without any help from her, not that he had asked for it.

For a moment Ida Mae danced backwards into the past, remembering her younger years of running around and doing nothing but having fun. It had been the life. No worries to dwell on or any of the like. Money had been of an abundance in her family and she could have any amount of it at any given time. It didn't matter what she wanted to spend it on. She had been a materialistic girl back then. Every new dress she saw and liked she bought, that went for shoes, hats and whatever else her eyes laid upon. Half of the items she purchased were worn only once, but that had mattered none to her. She just had to have it all.

A part of herself wished she could go back to those days, although now she had a different outlook on life. What she truly wished to go back to were the days she could walk around worry-free. Before having to hide or runaway in tears from an abusive husband after he came home with the stench of alcohol on his breath and another whiskey bottle in his hands, back to the days where she could go where she pleased and not have to worry about being arrested for a crime she did not commit. Well, not to the extend they made it out to seem anyways.

Ida Mae snapped back to the present as the man spoke up once more asking if she was okay. "Huh? .. Oh, I uh.. uh.." As she stumbled over her words Ida Mae realized she still had a grip on him. Quickly she let go and allowed her arms to fall down at her sides. "Oh yeah. I'm fine. Yeah. I'm fine." She seemed to be trying to reassure herself of that. Was she really fine? Well she was still alive and still free. So she really was truly fine, for now.

"Are you okay?"