Deadly Obsession
By Brate
Val issued a challenge way back in June: My challenge is for us to do the same with the M7 eps. How would you have written Wagon Train without Charlotte? Would you rather have seen Buck as Inmate 78? Or seen Vin and Ezra as Inmate 78 & 79? You don't have to rewrite the entire ep if you don't want too. Keep what you liked of the original, just 'fix' what you didn't. If an ep had an A, B and/or C story, just rewrite the 'A' story or the 'B' etc. If you liked the first half of the story but thought the last half stunk, just rewrite that much of it.
So here is my fix, just redoing the last little bit of the episode, "Obsession." Everything up to the "dress up" party stays the same. No one else's storyline is affected save Chris' and Vin's.
Big thanks to Zen's site for the episode's transcript and to Val for coming up with the challenge.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
At the celebratory party, Chris Larabee was pouring himself a drink when Vin Tanner strode in through the rear entrance of Ella Gaines' house. He turned and asked, "Where you been?"
Vin sighed. He hated to be the bearer of bad news. "Ain't no way to make this sound good, so I'll just spill it. Ella owns Culpepper Minin'."
Chris snorted. "Where'd you get that?"
"County clerk over in Red Fork," Vin answered. "Which means Handsome Jack works for her."
"Who told you to go diggin' into her business?" His anger was unmistakable.
"She lied to you... up and down the line." Vin tried to convince his friend. "The woman's no good, Chris."
Chris was indignant by Vin's attempt to undermine his renewed relationship. He lashed out. "I'm gonna forget you said that."
"Well, come sunrise, then... I'll be goin'."
Vin's matter-of-fact statement hit Larabee like a punch in the gut. Would he leave for good? "Wait," he called softly. The younger man stopped but didn't turn, the anger evident in his rigid posture. Chris moved over to stand before him. "I'm sorry."
Only then did Vin raise his head to meet the blond's eyes. Chris could've said more, like Vin was the person he most trusted or that he knew the sharpshooter would never purposely hurt him. But he didn't. He merely repeated, "I'm sorry." And Vin understood as always. Hell, he'd just apologized more to Vin than he had to anyone since Sarah!
"Something's wrong here, cowboy," the buckskin-clad figure whispered, looking meaningfully around the room.
"I know," Chris relented. He thought for a moment, coming up with a quick plan. "Why don't you ride out tonight and wait outside the ranch; keep watch for trouble. I'll stay here and have a closer look."
Vin nodded, touched the brim of his slouch hat, and retreated out the back.
Returning to the party, Chris pasted on a cheerful expression, making sure to keep up appearances while observing everything and everyone with a sharp eye.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Chris felt Ella rise off the bed and remained still, feigning sleep. He waited until she left the room before grabbing his pants and following.
Chris sat on the bed's edge, nursing his drink, watching Ella as she slept. He glanced over and saw her key ring. This could be the moment he'd been waiting for. He slowly picked them up, careful not to disturb the sleeping woman, and lit a lamp. He stalked down the hallway and entered the small room, filled with numerous objects: his picture, the newspaper article of his family's death, the razor he'd used. Quickly bypassing most of the collection, Chris was drawn forward and picked up a familiar piece of jewelry, his wife's broken locket.
The curtains split open and Ella explained in a soft voice, "I've always loved you, Chris. And now you know just how much."
Chris turned, confusion lining his face. "What are you doin' with my wife's locket?" He held up the jewelry. "Where'd you get my wife's locket?" he asked again.
She waved the question away as if unimportant. "Fowler brought it to me after the fire," she said without emotion.
"Fowler?" The man who'd set the fire that killed his wife and son. "I-- I don't understand."
"Well, I couldn't let her take you away from me." Ella's smile remained.
"You hired him?"
"I did what I had to do so that we could be together."
Chris was taken aback at the admission. Vin had been right.
Ella continued her explanation, eager for her love to see the reasons for her duplicity. "Jack... was just an excuse to get you here."
Flashes invaded his mind: Sarah smiling, Adam giving him a goodbye hug, their graves, the burning house. Chris grabbed his head, trying to block the visions out. He cursed. "Bitch!" He attacked her, throwing her up against the wall, hands around her neck.
Gunshots could be heard from outside. He shoved her away. "What'd you do?" he growled.
She shouted back, "I'll kill anyone who comes between us!"
He raced down the hall; anxious to help his men, people he'd blithely let walk straight into a trap.
Ella yelled after him, "Chris! Chris!"
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Vin rode toward the attacking men, raising his gun and taking out as many as he could. He jumped off his horse and got behind a wagon, still picking off gunmen.
The rest of the Seven burst from the root cellar, joining the fray.
Chris walked, shirtless and rifle in hand along the porch, taking no precautions for his own safety. When he ran out of ammo with the rifle, he brought out his revolver and continued his perilous trek.
Tanner jumped over the railing onto the porch, determined to watch his friend's back "Get down, Larabee!" The gunslinger ignored his second, continuing to fire his weapon and release his rage.
Ella rode up on a horse. "Chris!"
He whipped around and pointed his gun at her. Tense moments passed as he fought with himself over shooting her. The decision was snatched from his hands by Handsome Jack who shot Chris. He fell to the ground, clutching his side.
"No!" Vin yelled as he stepped forward and gunned down Handsome Jack.
Ella took one last look at Chris and rode away.
The last of the gunmen gave up and ran away. Tanner made sure it was safe before running over to where his friend lay. He saw Ella Gaines riding away, lifted his Mare's Leg, and took a shot.
"Did you get her?" Chris asked, pulling back a groan.
"Nope," Vin unhappily reported. "Missed her." Tanner looked, saw the blood flow freely from gunshot wound, and screamed for Nathan.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Back in town, Chris sat, wrapped in a blanket, in front of the newspaper office. Mary Travis walked up and announced, "There's a letter for you." She held out an envelope.
Chris slowly reached for it, seeing Mary's disapproving expression. He opened it up and a photo fell out.
The newspaperwoman saw the two figures, Ella and Chris, and turned away in disgust.
Chris called out to her but when she turned he realized he couldn't say what she needed to hear. He lowered his head and focused his attention on the letter.
Dear Chris,
I forgive you for not appreciating what I did for you -- for us. But I cannot allow the jealous and the weak of heart to destroy the great love we share.
If we have the courage of our true hearts, we will do whatever is needed to find our way back to each other, and the rest of the world be damned.
Until that day, I remain faithfully, lovingly yours,
Ella Gaines Larabee
Damn her, he thought. She'd stolen my life and still wanted more.
"Chris."
At his name, Larabee looked up to see his sharpshooter standing before him shaking his head.
"She leaked out of the landscape. We covered every town 'tween here and Red Fork." Vin shrugged. "Sorry you didn't shoot her when you had the chance."
"Next time," he vowed.
The End
P.S. Ella came riding into town a month later and Chris emptied his gun into her, leaving her dead... the end, again. ;)
