Main character: Buck
Secondary character: Sister
Setting: Train Station/On a Train
The problem: Envy

A crowd of citizens are standing on the arrival platform of the Rock Creek Train Station waiting patiently for family and friends to arrive on today's train. The crowd suddenly notices the sky and they are stunned at how the skies were clear and sunny just a moment ago, but the skies are now clouded over with puffs of black smoke that have blown into town from what the citizens of Rock Creek believes to be is a nearby fire.

Buck and Teaspoon pushed their horses to gallop faster toward the smoke that has filled the sky about five miles outside of Rock Creek. Buck had sent a messenger to the ranch to inform Jimmy that the train that is bringing his long lost sister Ellie to Rock Creek had jumped the tracks and that there was no word on the severity of the train wreck.

On the ride out to the train wreck all Buck can think about is how Jimmy had been both excited and nervous about meeting his sister. A sister that Jimmy had been separated from when he was five years old and Ellie was only three. That was twenty years ago. Buck comes out of his thoughts as he and Teaspoon approach the train wreck. In Buck's view as he and Teaspoon approach the wreck there is a thick cloud of smoke hovering overhead. Buck glances around quickly to take a mental note of people that are bruised, bleeding, simply dirty from the smoke, crying and screaming for help. The passengers that Buck can see don't appear to be badly injured only frightened from their recent nightmarish experience.

At the sight of the wreck, Buck immediately starts searching for Jimmy's sister. He has no idea what Ellie looks like, but he is sure that given Jimmy's looks that chances are that Ellie has dark hair and that she is a beautiful young woman. As Buck searches relentlessly through the twisted metal and broken glass he hears in the distance the sound of horses and a wagon approaching the wreck in a rapid fashion.

The long dark tresses belonging to a young woman that Buck spies underneath a train seat draws his attention away from the fast approaching wagon and who the occupant might be. He quickly makes his way to the young woman trapped underneath the train seat and pulls the wreckage away from her. He kneels down to her and immediately notices that she is breathing, and he also takes notice to the fact that she is a very beautiful young woman that resembles Jimmy!

Jimmy pulled the wagon to a halt near the engine of the train. He quickly gets down from the wagon and starts to make a desperate search through the metal carnage that was once a part of the train. With every step that he takes forward Jimmy can hear the crunching of shattered glass from the windows of the dismal train. His mind starts to wonder with the thought that his life with Ellie could be over with before he even gets the chance to meet her again after all these years.

They grew up apart from one another, but that never stopped him from remembering the fact that he had a little sister somewhere out there in the vast new territories. Whenever he would go on his mail runs with the Pony Express, he would secretly search every town that he went through in hopes of finding Ellie. It took twenty years and in the end Ellie had found him.

Jimmy is surprised with his own strength as he lifts up heavy sections of the train that is now scattered on the ground hoping that no one including Ellie is buried underneath the large metal wreckage of train compartments, doors and seats.

"Jimmy, over here," Buck shouted through the black smoke and the crowd of passengers that are making their way over to Jimmy's wagon with the hope of Jimmy transporting them to Rock Creek.

Jimmy searches through the thick smoke for Buck's voice. He finally sees Buck and Teaspoon walking out of a thick layer of smoke slowly toward him with Buck caring a young woman that Jimmy is sure is Ellie. He struggles to get his feet free from the wreckage that he had stepped into, but once he does his legs swiftly have him at Ellie's side wishing to take her from Buck.

Ellie awakens and looks into Buck's caring eyes and then to Jimmy. She knows Jimmy immediately and smiles weakly at him. "I'm fine Jimmy," Ellie mumbles weakly as she tightly closes her arms around Buck's neck and draws her body close to his!

Buck senses that Jimmy is a little upset by Ellie's actions to want to stay in his arms and not go to Jimmy. "She's not really heavy Jimmy. I can carry her to the wagon," Buck stated calmly hoping that Jimmy will relax about the fact that Ellie seems to have taken a liking to him, and in Buck's mind he admits that the thought of Ellie liking him pleases him immensely.

"I know she's not heavy Buck. I can see that Ellie is quite…quite a young woman," Jimmy spoke as he stumbled over his words. "We just need to get her to the doctor as quickly as possible."

As Buck is placing Ellie onto the back of the wagon, men from Rock Creek are arriving at the wreckage with wagons to help with the rest of the injured and uninjured train passengers.

"Why don't the two of you take Ellie into town and I'll stay here and help with the rest of the injured," Teaspoon spoke calmly wondering if an ensuing right of ownership of Ellie is already starting to develop between Jimmy and Buck. He can already sense that Buck is starting to develop an interest in Ellie romantically, and he isn't quite sure what interest Jimmy has with Ellie, but he senses it is more than brotherly love.

Later that evening when the emotions of the train wreck are more composed and everyone is thinking better Teaspoon wonders where Ellie will be spending the night. Jimmy only lives in the old bunkhouse while Buck lives in a house that he and Buck built about half a mile away from the old Pony Express Station. He runs a small farm of mostly milking cows, hens and pigs along with a few horses for his own enjoyment and to keep busy, but his job is being Teaspoon's deputy.

Jimmy and Buck are gathered at Teaspoon's home which is the old Pony Express Stationhouse. Ellie is sitting on the couch sipping on a cup of hot tea. As she sips on her tea she senses the over protectiveness that is coming from Jimmy and the romantic notions that are coming from Buck. She gazes at Buck and decides that his romantic notions are much more to her liking!

"Teaspoon, why can't Ellie just stay here with you? That way I would be close to her if she should need me," Jimmy exclaimed pleading with Teaspoon because he doesn't want Ellie staying with Buck.

Jimmy, I'll be fine at Buck's house," Ellie spoke insisting that Jimmy stop acting like a parent and act more like a brother.

"There's plenty of room at my house Jimmy. Don't forget the bedrooms here are torn apart from Teaspoon's remodeling efforts," Buck spoke pleased that Ellie will be staying with him.

"Well Teaspoon, if Ellie can't stay here then I insist that she stay with me over at the bunkhouse," Jimmy stated his voice overflowing with a protective tone.

"I'm not sleeping in that filthy bunkhouse," Ellie exclaimed letting Jimmy know that she doesn't wish to sleep in a bunkhouse.

"Ellie, I slept in that bunkhouse with five other people at one time. There is plenty of room for the two of us and it's not filthy," Jimmy stated his voice sounding more like that of a father then a brother.

"I have just been through a terrible ordeal. I need to sleep in a comfortable bed at least for tonight," Ellie spoke her voice filled with distress.

Buck senses that Ellie is playing games with Jimmy and he's simply enjoying the fun. He decides to play along with Ellie. "Jimmy, it's just for one night. If Ellie's feeling better tomorrow I'm sure she would like to stay at the bunkhouse with you so the two of you can catch up with each other's lives," Buck spoke defending Ellie.

Teaspoon takes Ellie's tea cup from her as the young woman stands up from the couch. Teaspoon immediately notices that Buck is placing Ellie's wrap around her shoulders which brings a smile to Ellie's beautiful facial features, but brings an annoying frown to Jimmy's. "The two of you should get going before the night air gets too cold," Teaspoon spoke with a smile and thrilled that Ellie has taken a liking to Buck.

Buck and Ellie leave the old Pony Express Stationhouse with Buck's arm around Ellie's waist. Jimmy starts to make a gesture toward them, but Teaspoon forces Jimmy back when he places his hand on the young man's chest. Teaspoon waits to speak with Jimmy after Buck and Ellie are gone and can't hear what he wants to talk to Jimmy about.

"What is wrong with you?" Teaspoon asked annoyed with Jimmy's behavior.

"There's nothing wrong with me. I just don't like the idea of Ellie being alone with Buck. I mean Ellie doesn't even know me very well and I'm her brother, but yet she's willing to go with Buck who is a complete stranger to her," Jimmy spoke a hint of jealously in his voice.

"The thing about that Jimmy is that Buck rescued her from underneath that train," Teaspoon stated thinking that love will soon be in the air.

"And what, so she has to thank Buck by spending the night with him," Jimmy spoke angry at Teaspoon for allowing Ellie to leave with Buck.

"Jimmy, you know that Buck isn't going to spend the night with Ellie. She's simply staying at his house," Teaspoon replied thinking that Jimmy has become an over protective father in the last twenty-four hours instead of being a brother.

"I just pray that I don't have to say I told you so," Jimmy stated as he walks out the front door.

Early the next morning Jimmy who can't stop his mind from wondering about what went on last evening inside Buck's home, shows up at the front door of Buck's home knocking loudly on the door. It takes a few moments, but soon Ellie is answering the door in her nightdress and robe.

Jimmy walks in his face red with anger. "What are you doing waltzing around Buck's house in your nightdress?"

Ellie shuts the front door and gestures for Jimmy to come into the kitchen. "I just thought I would surprise Buck with a good breakfast before he goes into town. Would you care to join us?" Ellie asked with a matter of fact tone as she sets a coffee mug in front of Jimmy and pours him a cup of strong black coffee.

Jimmy takes a sip of the hot liquid and his expression tells Ellie that her coffee is the best he's ever tasted and it has also taken his mind off the fact that she is dressed only in her nightdress. "Where did you learn how to make coffee like that?" Jimmy asked as he watches Ellie closely while she begins to make bacon and eggs for the three of them.

"When I was about sixteen I was a cook for a diner in the small town that I lived in. Every morning just about everyone in the town would come to the diner for breakfast. I guess no one liked to cook breakfast."

"Perhaps once they tasted your cooking they just decided every morning to come back for more," Buck spoke as he entered the kitchen and sat down at the table.

"Good morning Buck," Ellie exclaimed happily as she pours him a cup of coffee and gazes at him with the eyes of a young wife in love.

Buck tastes the warm liquid that Ellie has just poured for him. "This is the best coffee I've tasted in a very long time. Ellie, perhaps you should just move in here with me," Buck spoke as he tries to avoid watching the reaction that will be forthcoming from Jimmy.

"Perhaps I will stay here with you for awhile Buck, that is just until I can find a place to live in town and set up my dress shop," Ellie spoke clearly as she starts to prepare breakfast.

"Do either one of you care about how I feel about this arrangement you are making to just set up house together," Jimmy questioned his stunned expression visible to both Buck and Ellie.

Buck glances at Ellie fixing breakfast, and then tries to whisper softly to Jimmy so that Ellie won't hear his words. "Jimmy, if you had a woman that was more than willing to make coffee every morning for you that tastes like this coffee and make breakfast each morning before you would go to work, wouldn't you want to keep her around?" Buck asked with a grin on his face.

Jimmy stands up from the table. "Buck, are you forgetting that this is my sister that you are talking about?"

"Jimmy, you need to calm down," Ellie scolds Jimmy as she walks toward him.

Buck tries to calm the situation down between the three of them before it gets out of control. "Ellie, I'll take you in to town with me this morning so you can start working on your dress shop if you'd like," Buck spoke trying to simply be a good friend.

Jimmy decides to jump right back into Buck and Ellie's conversation. "That's ok Buck, I can take Ellie into town and help her with the dress shop this morning. I really don't have any other plans today," Jimmy spoke in a demanding tone.

"I'd rather Buck help me with my dress shop Jimmy," Ellie spoke adamantly mostly ignoring Jimmy and paying complete attention to Buck as she serves Buck and then Jimmy their breakfast.

"Buck, don't you have work around the farm and at the marshal's office today?" Jimmy asked agonizing over the fact that Ellie would rather spend time with Buck than with him.

"Actually Jimmy, Teaspoon gave me the next couple of days off so that I could escort Ellie around town and get her dress shop fixed up so she can open up for business by the end of next week," Buck proclaimed as he and Ellie eat their breakfast.

"I've suddenly lost my appetite," Jimmy pushes himself away from the table. "I can't listen to anymore talk between the two of you moving in and playing house and fixing up the dress shop together. The two of you just met," Jimmy spoke as he walks out the front door of Buck's home slamming the door behind him.

Both Buck and Ellie are shocked over Jimmy's behavior, but Ellie is content to be spending time with Buck while enjoying breakfast with him instead of going after Jimmy and Buck is content to have Ellie in his kitchen!

Jimmy walks into the marshal's office slamming the door after he enters.

Teaspoon glances up from his paperwork and notices the rage written all over Jimmy's face. He looks over at the door to make sure it is still in one piece. "That door would cost you a small fortune if you were to bust out the glass," Teaspoon remarked somberly as he watches Jimmy pacing back and forth. "Something I can do for you Jimmy."

Jimmy stops pacing for a brief moment. "What?"

"I said you're going to wear a large hole in the floor where you keep pacing back and forth. Is there something troubling you?" Teaspoon asked getting agitated with Jimmy.

Jimmy stops in front of Teaspoon's desk. "What does Buck have that I don't have?" Jimmy asked in a confused tone.

"I really don't know what you're talking about. You'll have to explain yourself better," Teaspoon spoke as he watches with interest the despair on Jimmy's face.

Ellie is spending the entire day with Buck and I understand you're the one that gave Buck time away from this office for a couple of days so he can spend time with Ellie," Jimmy spoke angrily.

"I think love is in the air with those two," Teaspoon spoke happily.

"That's not what I want to hear," Jimmy replied with even more anger.

"Jimmy, what are your intentions with Ellie? I mean Ellie is your sister. You're not feeling romantic toward Ellie are you? Cause it sure sounds like you're a whole lot envious of Buck because Ellie wants to spend more time with him than she does with you."

"Of course I'm not having romantic feelings for Ellie and I'm not envious that Buck is spending…well perhaps I am a little envious that Buck… it sure is bugging me that she's spending all her time with Buck! Teaspoon, Ellie came here to start a life as a dress shopkeeper, but I thought she also came here to get to know me. I mean we haven't been in one another's life for twenty years. She's my family and yet she acts like she doesn't want to get to know me," Jimmy moaned loudly over his disapproval for the way Ellie has been treating him.

Teaspoon gets up from his chair when he spies Buck and Ellie walking into the dress shop that Ellie now owns located across the street from the marshal's office. "Oh Lord," Teaspoon mumbled as he watches Buck and Ellie kissing passionately in front of the shop while half the citizens of Rock Creek stop to watch the young couple.

Jimmy lightly shoves Teaspoon out of the way so he can see what is going on between Buck and his sister. "They can't even control their emotions until they get inside the shop," Jimmy spoke disgusted with the way Buck is treating his sister. "I need to go over and have a little chat with Buck," Jimmy spoke as he tries to get out the front door, but Teaspoon holds him back.

I think you need to calm down before someone, probably Buck, gets hurt," Teaspoon spoke as he shoves Jimmy down into a chair. "Now sit there and listen to me."

Once inside the dress shop with their arms around one another, Buck and Ellie continue their onslaught of passionately kissing one another. Buck finally manages to get control of his feelings for Ellie and stops their kissing.

"Being with you is amazing, but being together and falling in love wasn't exactly a part of our plan," Buck stated waiting for a reaction from Ellie hoping that she has the same feelings for him as he does for her.

"I know our plan didn't really include us actually falling in love, but I can't say that I'm sorry that feelings of a romantic nature are developing between us," Ellie spoke as she tightened her hold on Buck.

"I'm not sorry either," Buck replied as he turns Ellie around to look at the dress shop that she owns which is in need of a severe cleaning up. "Perhaps we should put our feelings on hold until this evening because right now your shop needs our attention."

Ellie turns around to look up into Buck's deep brown eyes. "I don't know if I can even compare cleaning up this dirty shop to kissing you senseless, but I know which one I'd rather be doing," Ellie spoke as she resumes her passionate kissing of Buck.

As Buck and Ellie can't seem to stop kissing one another, they neglect to hear the front door open until Jimmy clears his throat. "Perhaps the two of you need to get a room over at the Rock Creek Hotel," Jimmy stated loud and clear with an authoritative tone.

Jimmy's voice startles both Buck and Ellie almost right out of their clothes and they definitely end up closer into one another's arms.

"Jimmy, perhaps you should stop spying on the two of us," Ellie spoke upset that she can't get time alone with Buck now that she is developing strong feelings for him.

Teaspoon walks into the dress shop hoping to be able to keep peace between the three sensible adults. He stands in the background just waiting for there to be an explosion with a proud grin on his face.

"Stop spying on the two of you! The two of you were kissing uncontrollably outside the shop just a few minutes ago while most of Rock Creek was gawking at the two of you hoping they was going to see more," Jimmy hollered his emotions out of control.

Buck walks toward Jimmy with Ellie wrapped in his arms. "Jimmy you need to calm down," Buck stated as he gestures to Ellie that they need to tell Jimmy exactly what they have been up to.

"I need to calm down!" Jimmy hollered as he approaches Buck and Ellie.

"Buck, I think you and Ellie need to let Jimmy in on your little secret," Teaspoon spoke quietly not wishing to agitate Jimmy any further.

Jimmy glances back at Teaspoon and then back at Buck to Ellie both of whom have grins on their faces. "What secret?" Jimmy asked demandingly.

"Jimmy, Ellie and I have been playing house," Buck stated with a teasing grin.

"I'm aware of that Buck. Why do you think I've been in a bad mood the last couple of days? I think it's a little soon for the two of you to be…involved" Jimmy spoke his mood escalating toward a very bad mood again.

"What I mean is that Ellie and I have been pretending to play house as a couple," Buck spoke quietly hoping that Jimmy won't explode.

Ellie and Buck hold onto one another tightly as they both watch Jimmy trying to figure out their confession. "Why would the two of you pretend to be playing house?" Jimmy asked as he becomes more annoyed with the both of them.

"We pretended to play house because from the very first moment that I laid eyes on you at the train wreck, I knew that you were going to treat me like I am your daughter instead of treating me like an independent woman who happens to be your sister," Ellie spoke adamantly still clinging to Buck.

"I went along with Ellie's plan because from the very first moment at the train wreck when she looked up into my eyes I was starting to fall in love with her and this was my way of being close to her," Buck confessed holding Ellie tightly to his body not wanting to ever let her go now that he has found the woman he wants to spend the rest of his life with!

"Let me get this straight," Jimmy said as Buck and Ellie are pulled away from looking lovingly at one another to pay full attention to what Jimmy has to say. "The two of you pretended to be playing house so that I wouldn't have any say on what you do with your life now that you will be living in Rock Creek," Jimmy stated quizzically.

"I didn't want a protective brother hovering over me every minute of every day for the rest of my life," Ellie stated hoping that Jimmy understands and that the two of them will be able to spend time getting to know one another now that she has made her intentions clear about his part in her life..

Jimmy looks from Buck to Ellie and then at Teaspoon. "Teaspoon, you were in on this scheme?"

"Yes, I was. You've been behaving rather badly Jimmy and so I guess Buck and Ellie's plan proved that you can be quiet annoying when you want to be," Teaspoon spoke with a grin.

Jimmy realizes that he has been acting a bit like a fool. "Maybe I have been acting over protective, but it was only because I wanted the two of us to spend some time together catching up on what we have been doing separately the past twenty years and right away all you wanted to do was to spend time with Buck."

"Jimmy, you have to understand that Ellie sensed that you were going to smother her and not allow her to live her own life," Buck stated defending Ellie.

"I understand Ellie's part of the plan Buck, but I'm not sure I quiet understand your part of the plan," Jimmy replied wondering if Buck really does want to play house with his sister.

Buck doesn't even hesitate. Looking deeply into Ellie's eyes he touches her face softly with his hand and brushes back the locks of her dark hair that have fallen toward her face. "My part of the plan is really quite clear. I want to play house with your sister for real."

"I think that is the best plan I've heard all day," Ellie replied as the two walk away from Jimmy and Teaspoon toward the front door of Ellie's dress shop.

Jimmy turns to watch Buck and Ellie leave. "What about the shop and getting it ready to open for business?"

"The shop can wait until tomorrow," Buck replied as he opens the door for Ellie.

"Ellie, what about our spending some time together?" Jimmy asked in a whining tone.

"Tomorrow Jimmy. Come by and we can work on the shop and have lunch," Ellie replied as she walks out of the shop kissing Buck.

"You promise?" Jimmy asked waiting for Ellie to reply as Teaspoon smacks him lightly on the back.

"You're welcome to have dinner with me," Teaspoon replied as Jimmy watches Buck and Ellie ride off toward Buck's farm in the wagon.

THE END

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