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Patience was not Charlie's strong suit. Nine times out of ten he'd be apt to shoot first and ask questions later. When Ben died and that son-of-a-bitch wannabe lawman Dan Evans got away on the 3:10, Charlie snapped, sure; he shot and killed every last yellow-bellied bastard in Ben's gang for not saving the Boss' life. Not only that, but he rode through town and shot anyone who dared to step outside. When most of the rage had ripped through him, Charlie went back and got Ben's body. For half a day's ride, he carried it across his lap despite the stink and the maggots and the creatures sniffing after him. Charlie didn't know where to go now that Ben wasn't in the lead; all he knew was that he had to avenge his death.In the end, Charlie buried Ben not far off the Evans' property. He wanted to keep him close for what was to happen next.**The Evans boy arrived back on the ranch alone. Charlie picked up stories in town about how Dan hadn't come back yet and maybe he never was gonna or maybe he was setting up house farther west or maybe he was dead. A few days of shadowing the missus proved that Dan was indeed alive and well and sending letters back home. Charlie figured he had to come back eventually for his family and that's when he'd kill all of 'em, one at a time as Dan watched. It would be all the sweeter if the whole family was on his side first. Corrupted heart, mind and maybe even body by Charlie.So he traded in his beloved clothes for plain denim and cotton, shaved off his facial hair, and practiced a more neutral way of speaking. After about a week, he heard the Evans family was looking for a hand around the ranch and he made sure he was the first one to take them up on it. Alice seemed wary of him at first, but he played up the young kid just looking to make an honest wage part until she gave in.She set him up in the barn. Or at least what was left of it. The boy, William, said they'd get it back in shape right quick so Charlie wouldn't freeze to death. Being around the boy made Charlie twitch as he was sure that any second William would realize where he'd seen his face before. If he did, the kid never let on. They raised the barn back up together, working long, hard hours in the sun. Most afternoons, Alice would bring them out something to eat and they'd spread out on the grass shirtless, he and the boy, and talk about nothing in particular.**Once the barn was back up, they went about trying to get the rest of the ranch in order. Most days, Charlie and William herded what little cattle were left, looking for some patch of green for them to graze on. Alice didn't like them camping out on the trail, not after what had happened to her husband, but Charlie reassured her that he could take care of the boy and the cattle. So she let them camp off about a day's ride away for a night or two at a time.Charlie liked those nights best. He could pretend he was out on the trail with Ben again, shadowing the Pinkertons or just riding around looking for what might come next. William even started talking to him about more than just repairing fences and baling hay. There were shy mentions of a girl in town and worried frowns over his younger brother's health. Honestly, Charlie didn't know much about respectable women, but he tried to play the pseudo-older brother and give some advice. It was all too easy to fall into this role. To live this normal life, but then Charlie would think of Ben rotting in his sandy tomb and his thirst for vengeance would start anew.He owed everything to Ben, after all.**Charlie could tell when Alice had gotten a letter from Dan just by the way her eyes lit up. At first, he had to sneak in through the window at night and steal them away to the barn to read them under lamplight, but eventually Alice just started telling him bits and pieces over supper. Dan had gone to San Francisco and was making good money. That's how the Evans family had afforded to hire him and rebuild. Of course, he was going to come back before winter, Alice kept on saying. Sometimes, Charlie had his doubts.His patience was in fact wearing thin. By now he could've been a damn millionaire for all the stagecoaches he could've robbed. But when he became frustrated, he thought of how often Ben had looked upon him fondly and went back to the ruse.It was working well at any rate. Alice had moved him from the barn to the kitchen floor despite fears that people in town wouldn't see it as proper. Charlie appreciated it although he hardly ever slept through a whole night. Instead, he'd stare out the window toward where he had buried Ben. Every day, he pulled the Evans family tighter against him and he kept telling himself it would make the killing all that more satisfying but still his trigger finger itched something fierce in the dead of the night.**The harvest moon was in the sky the night William came into the kitchen looking for Charlie to help him with something he had forgotten out in the barn and couldn't sleep for it. Charlie shrugged and followed him on out there. He hadn't undressed for bed and still had his boots on. The kid led him on up into the hayloft and then stood there in the center looking sheepish."I suspect you figured out I didn't forget anything," William said quietly."Maybe," Charlie responded in a neutral tone. He didn't remember William even going up here today.William sat down heavily on a bale of hay and sighed. A few seconds passed and Charlie hunkered down next to him figuring this was about that McFedries girl in town or maybe the little kid hacking his lungs up back at the house."There's something about you that doesn't set right with me," William finally came out with it.Automatically, Charlie reached down into his boot for his knife. He wasn't going to let this kid yell to high hell if he had figured out that James King was in fact Charlie Prince, right-hand man to one Ben Wade."What's that?" Charlie kept his eyes on the kid even as his fingers wrapped around the hilt."Well," William started slowly. "You hardly ever go into town and I ain't ever seen you in the… saloons.""What's it to you?" Charlie narrowed his eyes a bit."You ain't after my mother, are you?"Charlie laughed long and hard over that one before finally giving the kid some reassurance. "No, Will, I definitely ain't."William nodded. "My dad is coming back. I know he is.""Of course he is, Will. Of course," Charlie agreed and patted him on the shoulder.The kid smiled at him and Charlie offered one in return. They sat in silence for a moment longer and then Charlie stood up and held out his hand to William."Better get back to bed before your momma starts to wonder."William's hand wrapped around his own and Charlie pulled him to his feet. The kid ended up flush against him and Charlie inhaled a sharp breath. He hadn't had that much human contact since before Ben died. Hot breath graced his cheek before soft lips brushed against skin. He couldn't stop the groan that escaped his throat."I'm sorry," William muttered as he jumped back. His face was afire.Charlie opened his mouth to say something, but William ran off before he could think of anything. He shook his head and then grinned as his mind took William's kiss and twisted it into some new kind of revenge.**William was especially shy around Charlie for the next week. Charlie pretended like nothing had happened as he figured the kid would be grateful and thus be pulled in even closer. He was right to some extent. The kid went back to confiding in him about the family, but hardly ever about girls. Charlie figured it was about time for the kid to move from talking to doing anyway.One night, Charlie snuck the kid out into town and took him to the saloon. It was obvious that William wasn't sure about this adventure, but he went along with it. Even let Charlie buy him a drink, though the kid choked on it, and a dance with one of the whores. Through it all, Charlie just watched. He only drank when Ben ordered it and that sure as shit wasn't likely to happen now.Eventually the kid took the money Charlie offered and went upstairs with some brunette. Wasn't gone long, but it did give Charlie time to ruminate. What was he doing playing house with this family? Never mind that bastard Dan Evans, he should've shot the lot up long ago and let him come home to their rotting corpses.The kid came back down not long after that. He looked more embarrassed than satisfied and the whore smirked at Charlie as she came down after him. Charlie shook his head. He didn't like the look she was giving him. Like she knew something he ought to have.He and the kid headed on back to the ranch in silence and it wasn't until they were putting the horses away that William finally said something."You didn't have to do that.""Ain't no trouble," Charlie shrugged as he threw up the tack.At that point, the kid shoved him up against the wall and bared his teeth. "Would've rather paid to have you."The words sparked memories of being called "Charlie Princess" that made him furious, but at the same time, that low voice reminded him of Ben drunk on whiskey and ordering Charlie to his knees."You better watch your tongue, boy," Charlie said as evenly as he could muster, but he didn't try to move away."Yeah? What're you gonna do about it?" William slurred.Charlie pushed him against the opposite wall and shoved his thigh up between the kid's legs. He leaned in and growled out, "Make your momma wonder why you can't sit down proper."William shook a bit at that and Charlie bit down on his neck. "You fuck that whore?""N-no," William stammered."Weren't man enough?" Charlie hissed as he cupped William's dick through his pants."Didn't want her, like I said," William gasped.Charlie let go of the kid and stepped back. "Well," he smirked. "You ain't getting me neither."The kid's eyes flashed and he came after Charlie, but Charlie grabbed him around the neck and squeezed. "Wouldn't try nothing if I were you."Despite the warning, the kid reached out and pressed his palm against Charlie's dick. "Why not? Ain't like you don't want it.""Last warning," Charlie snarled as the thin thread of patience he was holding onto was about ready to snap.William's hand didn't move and Charlie shook his head before shoving the kid to the floor. His heart was bursting over the mere thought of laying with man who wasn't Ben. With laying with anyone who wasn't Ben. But if it was necessary, he would do it. So he covered the kid's body with his own and pushed his hips into the pliant body beneath him. They pushed against each other until they were both gasping. William's fingers dug into Charlie's back as he arched up and came. Charlie rolled off him and laid there, still aroused. He told himself he wouldn't go that far; that part of him was for Ben alone. Thankfully the kid was too wrung out to notice anyway.**Once was never enough for something like that. Especially not for some horny kid stuck out in the middle of nowhere with no other way for release other than his own hand, so Charlie let the kid rut against him in the barn, while out herding the cattle, even on the kitchen floor while Alice was sleeping. After the kid left, Charlie would usually get himself off thinking of Ben and blood and revenge. He would shake and cry afterward to his own shame; he missed Ben something fierce and feared that grief was starting to cool down the hot fires of vengeance boiling in his blood.A few nights of this and he decided he would just slaughter the family and be done with it. He could take the train to San Francisco from there and hunt down Dan himself. Have the pleasure of whispering into his ear about how he fucked his son before he slit his pretty little throat. That would do, wouldn't it?That's what Ben would want, right?Trouble was, Charlie wasn't so sure anymore. With time to think, he remembered the way Ben looked at Dan and how he didn't kill the rancher when he could've. So Charlie kept on in this purgatory of waiting. Waiting for Dan to come home, waiting for a sign, waiting for things that might never happen. Night after night, he stood vigil over Ben's grave from the Evans' window and willed him to rise from the dead to lead Charlie once again to the promised land.