Chapter 1

Disclaimer- Stephenie still owns the usual suspects.
I own my original characters and original story.

Unbeta-ed and Drabble-ish. Need to get this out of my system.
No heavy angst.

Thank you to Cared for the beautiful banner.

Song rec- 'My Father's Gun' – Elton John.

************************WYiMA*****************

-From this day on I own my father's gun-
-We dug his shallow grave beneath the sun-
-I laid his broken body down below the southern land-
-It wouldn't do to bury him where any Yankee stands-

April 1867

Edward POV

The wind still had the bite a winter in it, even though March was over and done, and we was now fixin' to enter the second week of April.

I stood by my parents' grave, hat in hand, lettin' the words flow that I'd been holdin' in my heart.

Once I left outta here, I knew there'd be no comin' back to this place, not durin' my lifetime anyways.

"Pa, I'm sad to the core ya ain't comin' with me like we planned. I never knowed what a selfish man I truly was 'til now, 'cause I'm missin' ya somethin' fierce." I lifted my arm and wiped at the tears with the sleeve of my jacket. "I know for certain and for sure that you're happy 'cause you're in heaven with Ma, but I ain't askin' your forgiveness for sheddin' tears like a newborn, 'cause it ain't every day that a man is forced to say goodbye to his Pa."

I touched the stone marker on my parents' grave as I thought back to the last time I seened my Pa alive and drew in a deep breath, the cold mornin' air makin' me cough a little.

Once I'd stood there longer than a workin' man had a right to, I put my hat back on my head.

"I reckon I'll be on my way now. Take care a each other 'til I see ya again."

I looked at the freshly turned earth coverin' my Pa's grave afore glancin' one last time at the grave beside his that hadn't been disturbed in over ten years. For the second time in my life, I said a silent goodbye to my Ma and my baby sister, who left this world without ever takin' a breath, and I walked away.

Chapter 2

"Ya off?" Jake Black asked as he followed me out of the mercantile store he ran with his Pa.

I stowed the last of the goods I'd purchased in the back of my wagon and nodded. There was nothin' to keep me here now.

"Texas?"

I nodded again. "My brother has a place near where they're buildin' a new Fort. He reckons it'll be easy to find work."

Jake looked at me then, his expression both sad and serious, "Lemme buy ya a beer afore ya go," he said. I nodded 'cause now that it comed down to it, I was that reluctant to leave.

Jake stuck his head back in the store, sayin' somethin' to his Pa, then he slapped me on the back with a smile, as we made our way to the tavern on the corner.

Chapter 3

"I'm sorry to see ya go, Ed. But there's no gettin' around it. Ya ain't been happy since ya got back from the war."

I nodded, not wantin' to give voice to how right Jake was. He was three years younger than me, so he didn't have his chance to fight, and he'd never know how lucky he was for that favor granted him by Almighty God. He was the only friend I had left in this world, next to my brother, and I couldn't help but wonder if, maybe, I owed him more of an explanation.

After takin' a swallow of my beer, I started. "Ya know every minute that I was away, all I could think about was gettin' back here to help my Pa on the farm." I shrugged. "Maybe get married..." I looked up at him, watchin' his face for any change of expression. There warn't one.

"What I'm fixin' to tell ya now Jake, only one other person knows, so ya cain't go repeatin' it once I'm done the tellin'."

Jake nodded and frowned, "Sure, Ed."

I blew out a gust of air. "Ya know Ellie Larkin?" I frowned. "Well, I guess it's Ellie Hatcher now."

"Yeah, she comes into the store every fortnight or so."

"What ya don't know is that, afore I left for the war, I was sweet on Ellie." I cleared my throat and took another swallow of beer. "We was sweet on each other, and she promised to wait for me."

"But she married old man Hatcher a few months after ya left…" his confusion showin' on his face.

I nodded, still frownin'.

"Damn." Jake huffed out a breath afore sittin' back in his chair, causin' it to squeak from the weight.

"I guess she got a better offer." I telled him. Everyone knowed that old man Hatcher was well off. He'd been a widower for a few years so…

It was the same all over. A lot of the older fellers, what didn't go away to war, ended up marryin' the single gals afore the war was over. A lot of soldiers survived the war, only to come home and have their hearts broken.

"If things had been different, then I'd a never felt the need to leave, but as it is now…"

Jake nodded. I was happy I didn't have to say no more. "I reckon it's a good thing ya didn't marry her afore ya left."

"Why's that?" I asked, not followin' his line of thinkin'.

"Ed, if she's the kind of girl that can forget about ya that easy, then you're well shed of her."

I pondered his words and then grinned at my friend. "Well, now I know it's time I get the hell outta here, 'cause ya is actually makin' sense for once in your damn life."

Jake guffawed and tapped his glass to mine. "I'm gonna pretend I didn't hear that, seein' as you're leavin' and all." He took a quick look around the room afore leanin' in close. "And all this time, I thought ya was havin' the time of your life with Miss Sally. I had no idea ya was nursin' a broken heart."

He snickered, so I kicked him under the table. After a gander around the room, I seened the 'lady' in question watchin' us from behind the bar. "Well, since ya asked, Miss Sally is one of the reasons I'm anxious to get outta town." I whispered so as she wouldn't hear.

Jake kept grinnin'. I wanted to punch him.

"So have ya or haven't ya been with her?" He asked, pressin' for an answer.

I took a peek in Miss Sally's direction only to find her starin' at me. I swallowed hard. There was no doubt in my mind that what she wanted most was to take me upstairs, strip me nekked and have me shoutin' her name so's everyone could hear.

I knowed it for truth, 'cause she'd said it to me herself. More than once.