They didn´t spend much time in the throbbing city on the bank of the Great Lake – Chicago – they just bought another tickets and boarded not that long, but comfortable train to the south. First, they had to cross the State of Indiana, with the main stop at Indianapolis, before the train continued to the east – to the State of Ohio.
The moving scenery behind the windows changed significantly along the way. Once they moved away from the northeast part with its many rivers and small lakes, they could see the fields drawing far to the horizon, not cultivated yet, but obviously fertile. Soon, it changed into flat hostile lands and swamps. Dark clouds were hanging above them, showering the state with cold rain. Despite this gloomy view, Oswald told them that Indiana was very important transportation crossroads and convenient for industrial companies, which were dragging more and more immigrants to settle in the inhospitable lands.
After the stop in the capital city, their train advanced to the borders with Ohio. Many pastures behind them proved that the state was rich with breeding cattle. Their goal was Hamilton, the small city just twenty miles in front of the final station in Cincinnati. There was no regular stop in the small town yet, but Oswald negotiated with the train driver to make an exception and stop there for them.
The older man literally had to shake with the young gangsters to bring all of them to their senses, once the train started to brake with screech of the iron wheels on the rails; the long travel started to wear them all down heavily.
They had to jump down from the tiny stairs to the rail bank, as there was no platform at all, which made all of them staggering heavily, causing Koki almost fall. It was really about time for some proper moving; their legs felt like jelly after all that sitting.
At the first sight, it seemed that the train driver made fun of them and let them get off in the middle of nowhere, but as soon as the last wagon moved away, toward its final destination, they realized they just stood on the wrong side of the rails.
Hamilton was not a big city with something over 1 500 inhabitants, located on the bank of Great Miami River and its first houses were just one hundred yards from the rails. With quite a relief that they finally arrived, they collected all their stuff and Oswald led the way of their small group into the middle of the town.
Naturally, they aroused quite a fuss as they went through the main street; it was probably not so usual for any travelers to pass by. Even though the gang seemed to ignore all the curious looks during their walk, they were more than aware of every single person on the street. After the incident with the bounty hunter, they were all tense and much less full of humor. All of them were cautious about not showing their faces much, and Kame kept scanning the walls of all the buildings for any wanted posters. Just Oswald kept walking forward with his head straight, in the well-known direction.
Jin was restless. He didn´t like them being so exposed in the imitation of city, which seemed as a dirty hole to him and he kept one of his palm resting on the stock of the revolver under his coat. Moreover, after all those hours without sleep or drifting in almost unconsciousness none of them was exactly on the full alert. If anything happened now, he was quite worried it could end up pretty ugly. He had a feeling anything trivial could make him unsheathe his guns…
Jin flinched under the light touch on his elbow, releasing his grip on the revolver only when he made sure it was just Kazuya approaching him closer. The younger one pointed at the notice in front of the local sheriff´s shady office inconspicuously.
"There´s no poster about Leo," he noted quietly.
"At least some good news," Jin murmured. "Thank God, he doesn´t spread his fame so far."
Oswald, walking a few steps in front of them, suddenly stopped at the local store, discussed something with Leo quickly, and then he entered the building together with Ryo.
"What is it?" Jin asked once they reached his brother and Koki, who remained outside.
"Oswald´s sister lives alone, and we all need to eat something. We cannot just ambush her like that," Leo explained, with his face still half-covered by the bandage.
Therefore, they set off for the final mile of their journey laden not only with their stuff, but also with a few heavy bags of food supplies.
*
Mrs. Olivia Barlett lived in a house, which was located apart from the city center, on the hill above the river. It was a beautiful place to build a home, with a nice view and still enough shadows from the trees around; also with a small yard for the garden, and plenty of space for fields, if somebody would have grown there anything. But it was more than clear that absolutely nothing came out of the soil for quite a long time.
Oswald was already standing in the door, talking with a small girl, when the rest of them finally dragged their legs up the hill. There was a small summer-house, or rather two benches and one table under a small roof just at the edge of a steep hill, which led to the bank of the singing river and they headed there as one man. All gunmen dropped the bags to the ground and most of them settled on the benches as if there was a ten-mile-long march behind them.
"I don´t know about you, but I´d really appreciate a tankard of beer and soft bed," Koki exhaled, stretching his back.
"Same for me," Ryo sighed, with his chin resting in his palm, as he supported his elbow over the table.
"You kept talking about the train being so awesomely fast, but it seemed long as hell to me," Jin, leaning over one of the pillars, which held the roof above them, joined the others´ complaining.
Kame was checking out the content of the bags from the city store, somewhat ignoring them, but Leo, who sat with his back turned to the house and with an obvious relief he had already pulled the bandage off his face, burnt all of them with a strict look.
"I didn´t know I was travelling with kindergarten-aged kids," he snorted.
"Oh, come on, Chief, don´t tell me you´re not tired!" Koki complained immediately.
"Of course I am, but I don´t need to whine about it as a little girl."
Kame covered an amused smile, while both Ryo and Koki sulked in insulted silence, and Jin fished something out of his bag.
"You can insult us whatever you like, little Bro… The more will be left for us," he announced gleefully, placing the small bottle of whiskey at the table in front of Ryo. "Sorry, it´s not a beer, guys."
It seemed that both brothers had the very same idea at the beginning of their journey.
"Man, who cares about beer!" Koki exclaimed excited, and grabbed for the bottle, snitching it of Ryo´s hand. "Cheers!"
A long gulp disappeared in the blonde´s throat in no time. Ryo took the bottle back before the greedy man could take more.
"It´s great!!" Koki gushed over the satisfying drink. "Thanks, Akanishi!"
"To our successful arrival," Ryo raised the bottle as well, before handing it over to Kame, who didn´t have any objections against the alcohol either. Jin smirked at his younger brother, when he received the whiskey back, to take a gulp as the last one.
"Continue like this and you´ll end up as drunkards," Leo evaluated the overall enthusiasm over the alcohol.
"You´re just envious," Koki grinned at him satisfied.
Leo rolled his eyes, probably wondering why he even bothered with any remarks.
The little girl finished her conversation with Oswald and rushed away, avoiding the occupied shelter with a wide arch, and the man disappeared inside the house.
While they were waiting, the sky got darker than before and it looked like it would start raining soon. Jin offered his bottle for the second round, which was accepted by stiff indifference from Leo and very cheerfully by the others.
When Oswald finally came out again, he was very pale and the worried wrinkles around his eyes and mouth deepened so much the man seemed to be sick himself…
*
The pity was the very first feeling that flooded Jin, when he saw Oswald´s sister for the first time. Even though, just a little more than half an hour was enough for that feeling to turn into admiration.
According to what Oswald told them during the journey, his sister was diagnosed with cancer one year ago. Her doctor didn´t recommend arranging the operation on the tumor, because the woman was heavily anemic and there was a high possibility of her death in the process. Oswald tried to contact many doctors and specialists in the state, but once they read Olivia´s diagnosis, everybody refused to take the responsibility, not even for the money. Until her personal doctor proposed to arrange the operation in Europe, where they had much better possibilities for those situations and he even knew one good colleague, who would be willing to do it.
But the time was not merciful towards the sick woman and the disease gradually stole more and more of her energy and body itself, as they could see with their own eyes now.
Oswald jumped up on his feet as soon as a weak voice, which greeted all of them, was heard from the door of the spacious kitchen, where they settled down, to hide from the rain and to discuss their next actions.
"Olivia! You should stay in your bed!" upset Oswald marched to his sister, while the others observed the woman surprised.
Olivia was very pale, in an almost frightening way, so skinny it looked that even a little stronger blow would have snapped her in two halves, her hair lacked any shine and her cheekbones were clearly showing under the thin skin. Still, this wispy woman observed them with kind and lively eyes, when she spoke: "What sort of a host I would have been not to welcome so many guests?" she asked her brother softly, remaining standing in the door, though she leant onto the cane heavily.
"Olivia, you need to rest…!"
"Don´t be rude, my dear Brother," the woman interrupted him and avoided his hand, with which he wanted to support her, proceeding toward them. "Oh, so many young men… It´s been a while since I had such a handsome company," to the surprise of all of them that weak woman giggled and then nodded her head slowly. "Olivia Barlett," she introduced herself. "Nice to meet the friends of my stubborn brother."
The Riders looked at each other and then at Leo a little hopelessly. The young leader took a breath and also the responsibility, and started their introduction one after another with their real names. Their female host gave to each of them a weak smile and then she proceeded to the kitchen shelves, leaving her worried brother behind.
"I´m really sorry, but I don´t eat much, I have almost nothing to offer you," she sounded unhappy now, leaving her cane leaning over the wall.
"It´s all right, Madame," Leo assured her hastily. "We´ve brought along enough food. No need to worry."
"Oh, that´s great, but still… At least I´ll make you some tea and… there are cookies. Sara, that good girl brought them."
"Sister, I need you to go back to your bed," Oswald seemed really upset about his sister behavior, as he grabbed the cane again, ready to push it back to her hand.
"Do not command me," Olivia opposed him suddenly firmly. "I´m sick, not helpless," she took the tin kettle from the shelf roughly.
The kettle almost slipped away from her weak fingers, but then someone´s else hand kept it safely in her grip.
"Let me help you, Madame," it was Kame, who appeared on the woman´s side suddenly and politely took the kettle from her hand to pour water into it.
"Oh, thank you," Olivia smiled at him pleased. "See? This boy has some manners, not like you."
Oswald seemed a little stunned by his sister´s attitude, not able to summon any other objections.
"Oswald…" Ryo approached the man quietly. "Just sit down, we´re right here, if anything…"
Still so lost for words, Oswald fell down in the chair, while his sister guided Kame where to find some mugs, tea bags and sugar and in the end, they prepared the hot liquid for everyone together. Almost everything was arranged by Kame, who handily took anything even a little difficult from the woman over, but Olivia still seemed to be satisfied.
Jin, sitting next to his brother, was observing Kame´s ´dancing´ around the woman quite proudly. Kazuya was amazing, figuring out how to deal with the poor woman, that even Oswald couldn´t object.
The others were also quite relieved and grateful that Kame was able to calm the situation down so quickly. It didn´t feel well to listen to the siblings´ arguing, especially when the woman seemed to be so fragile. Koki even raised both his thumbs up toward the younger one inconspicuously. Though, at one moment, Jin noticed a very sad expression at Kame´s face and he realized that the younger one had probably remembered his mother, with whom he certainly had to go through very similar ´arguments´ and situations. That only made his behavior more admirable…
Oswald still had nothing to say, when Kame placed the kettle and mugs on the table, offering Olivia his chair. The woman smiled at him so happily, it really amazed the others, as that expression made her face so much younger.
She surprised all of them again, when she asked them about their journey, one after another, remembering all their names. Very soon, they were chatting with the nice woman cheerfully, only Oswald observed his sister gloomily. It was no wonder he was so worried…. No matter how active the woman was, it was painfully visible she was very ill and her body weak. That was also from where Jin´s admiration came from – Olivia was amazingly strong-willed person.
*
"This… feels… incredible."
Koki was lying wide on the hard mattress, which was placed in the row with others on the floor of the room, which was used as the living room, and he sounded so comforted, as if he was lying in the pile of softest feathers.
"I cannot agree more," Jin, enjoying the same position on another mattress, joined him.
To be finally able to lie on their backs, no matter how hard their temporary beds were, was a huge relief for their stiffened bodies and very tempting to fall asleep despite it being just shortly after the noon.
Leo and Ryo settled themselves in the opposite corner, but kept sitting and they were checking on the cash they brought safely sewn up within their coats. Both Koki and Jin could hear them counting the price of their trip back and it sounded that it would be a little tough, but neither of them cared.
Jin let his eyes closed, feeling light in the head thanks to the third, and also the last, round of whiskey they shared from his bottle and quite sleepily he was pondering what excuse to use for him and Kame to stay alone for a while…
"How is she?"
"She fell asleep… I´ve not seen her so active in a long time."
"I think she´s happy you´re with her now."
"Really? I don´t really know… She seems to fall in love with Kamenashi," there was a little amused reply. "She asked about him a lot."
Jin, so far not caring about the voices of his brother and Oswald, who appeared in the room, once he took care of his sister, sharpened his ears immediately.
"I´m not surprised about that," Ryo joined the conversation. "He´s quite an interesting person… Where is he, anyway?" he added a question, as he looked around the room and didn´t find the younger one next to Jin.
"I thought that you ganged up on him and forced him to go there," Oswald reacted.
Jin sat up so quickly, that his back, and the old wound on his stomach ached: "What are you talking about?" he asked a second quicker than Ryo.
"He´s in the kitchen, preparing lunch, he said," Oswald shrugged.
Jin breathed out realizing that was why Kame was so curious about the content of the shopping bags, while Ryo and Leo blinked surprised and Koki raised his head up as well.
"He´s cooking?" Ryo seemed baffled. "That´s…"
"Not so surprising," Leo finished amused. "Incredible Kamenashi in action."
"You said something about food?" the blonde one asked, and Ryo threw a pen at him.
"You´re so simple person, Tanaka, it hurts me," the black-haired Rider announced. "Just alcohol, food and women… There´s nothing else on your mind."
"As if you´re not the same, Nishikido," his blonde companion snorted and threw the pen back at him.
"Go help him, Koki," their leader ordered the lying one. "Kame is not our personal cook."
"What? Why me?" the Rider pouted annoyed, not willing to leave his bed.
"Don´t bother, I´ll go," Jin was already standing, a little ashamed that in all his carefulness to avoid the younger one, he didn´t even notice when Kame disappeared from the room.
"You go just so that you can eat away in advance," Koki accused him, which Jin replied with a victorious grin.
*
Kame was trying to remember the recipe for the marinade, which prevented the meat to go so hard, when it was prepared on the stove, repeating the ingredients wordlessly for himself and searching through the small bags on the top shelf. He was so focused on it, that he didn´t notice the presence of somebody else, until the person spoke right behind him.
"Hello, Mr. Cook," Jin grinned when Kame flinched and glanced back at him with three bags of spices in his hand.
"I guess none of you want to starve," the younger one noted, repaying the warm look of the dark orbs.
"But you should have said something… You don´t have to do it alone."
Kame smiled: "You seemed to enjoy resting too much."
"I´d have enjoyed it more with you," the older one sighed a little. "Now please; the instructions for how I can help you."
Grab me into your arms and kiss me so that I forget about any meals at all… Kame´s desire betrayed him in his mind.
Jin had his hands placed in the pockets of his trousers, but his eyes were clearly telling Kame he would love to have them somewhere completely else. He squeezed the bags with spices a little too much, so that the dry herbs crunched under the pressure. He reminded himself not to make things even harder for both of them, which he definitely would have done, if he jumped around the older one´s neck.
Kame cleared his throat a little: "Well, you can peel the potatoes, while I prepare the meat and salad; I´ve already put everything on the table."
"Good, I´m on it!"
Jin turned and pulled the hands out of his pockets only when he sat safely behind the table and started to peel the vegetable pieces with a little more force than was necessary. Kame forgot himself a little, as he caught himself staring at him, before he turned away and grabbed the big knife to cut the flesh of meat into small pieces.
They were alone in the kitchen, but Jin could hear the voices of others from the living room, and any of them might have entered any moment. That was why he didn´t grab Kame around his waist when he came in, despite that was exactly what he wanted to do. They had to be careful, careful, careful…
The potato cracked into two under the pressure he applied with the knife. With a heavy sigh, he grabbed another one and his eyes flipped toward the figure of the younger man, who was skillfully preparing the meat chops for baking with his back turned to him.
Kazuya seemed to be concentrated at his task, his hands steady as he cut the pieces. The young cook was just in his shirt and black trousers, which clearly copied the line of his bottom cheeks…
Jin felt the sharp edge of the knife where it was not supposed to be and with a quiet swearing, he tore his eyes off the tempting sight to focus on potatoes again…
Jin knew very well that cooking was one of many Kame´s good qualities, but the others seemed to be incredulous at first, even though the smell from all the pots and bowls was amazing. That was only until the first bite. After that, Kame was flooded with flattery at his cooking, everything was eaten up to the last piece and Ryo even pushed the younger one back to his chair, when he noticed he was going to wash the dishes and did it himself instead.
Koki was sprawling in his chair, soothing his full stomach for a while, before he smiled at the young cook lovingly: "Kame-chan, I want you as my wife!"
Ryo at the sink started laughing heartily, while Leo just shook his head and Oswald rolled out his eyes at the youngster. The black stare from the older Akanishi didn´t seem to bother the blonde one at all.
"What is that ´–chan´ for?" Kame asked amused.
"For the memory of my best CHANCE meeting ever!" Koki proclaimed proudly.
Ryo turned to them drying his hands into a towel: "Where´s the point in that?" he asked caustically.
"Are you deaf, man?" Koki asked indignantly. "´Chan´ as the ´chance´! It´s a magnificent idea! My idea! Don´t you dare to call him like that!" he added threateningly.
"As if I would bother Kame with that," Ryo snorted.
"But he likes it! Don´t you, Kame-chan?!"
Kazuya was laughing breathlessly over the explanation and not exactly able to respond, so he just shook his head.
"See?" Koki stuck out his tongue at Ryo.
"Very grown-up," Leo noted.
"I´ve never claimed to be an adult!" Koki objected fiercely.
Ryo walked around the table and tapped Jin´s shoulder: "Jin, it´s raining above you," he commented the gunslinger´s gloomy face. "What´s up, didn´t you have enough?"
It took Jin quite an effort to stop sulking over Tanaka´s stupid ideas.
"I did…" he murmured. "It was great, Kame, thanks."
The younger one glanced at him: "You helped out as well, so you´re welcome, Jin."
***
They could enjoy Kame´s cooking for two more days. That was for how long it took Oswald to arrange everything necessary for departure. It was decided they would accompany him and Olivia to Cincinnati and set off to the back trip from there.
It went even faster than one would have thought and there they were, standing at the platform, watching the comfortable wheel chair with Olivia in it being placed into the train by two strong men. She raised her white hand and waved to them for one last time, with a soft smile at her dry lips, before they pushed her inside.
Oswald parted with each of them properly, shaking with their hands many times and thanking repeatedly. He promised Leo to let him know how the operation went and with a moisture in his eyes, which he tried to cover unsuccessfully, he boarded the wagon after his sister.
Kame and Jin were standing a little aside, at one of the pillars, while Leo, Koki and Ryo were saying the last goodbyes to the man, standing at the train.
"What´s bothering you, Kazuya?" the older one asked suddenly and kept his eyes attached to the train, even though he knew Kame turned to look at him. "You seem troubled since we had arrived to Hamilton. Is it something about Olivia?"
Kame sighed and Jin knew he was right about his suspicion.
"I really admire her, you know…" Jin spoke again, when the younger one kept silent. "She has such a strong will."
"Yes… She does," Kazuya agreed in a quiet voice.
"Did she remind you of your mother?" Jin asked softly.
The younger man cringed a little, hiding the hands in his pockets.
"A lot," he admitted then, the hidden pain suddenly coming out in his voice. "But… There´s something else I keep thinking about. I still wonder if I should say it to Oswald…"
"What do you mean?" the older one asked carefully. He really didn´t want to stir that wound in Kame´s heart any more than necessary.
"I used to help out the Shaman often and I saw many sick people, having more or less serious diseases and… She´s dying, Jin," Kazuya stated sadly. "I think she was just waiting for her brother. She loves him so much; she wanted to see him, but… I´m afraid that this is it for Olivia..."
"And you just could not say it to Oswald. Not when he clings to that European hope so much, right?" Jin figured out the rest.
Kame nodded wordlessly and Jin let the whistle of the parting locomotive die out, before he spoke again: "I think you did the right thing, Kazu. Leo would have given him that money anyway, no matter what you´d have said."
This time, he repaid the younger´s look. It took a moment, but then finally, Kame seemed to relax a little: "You´re right. Thanks…"
Jin just smiled: "I always say it – you worry too much."
The rest of their group was slowly approaching them, once they were finished with waving at the man, who helped them so much.
"We´d have been lost without him," Ryo sighed heavily, watching the last leaving wagon. "And I don´t even know why he was really helping us in the first place."
"I don´t think it matters now," Leo said in a quiet voice. "But… I know he wanted to revenge on Tabor for his sons´ deaths in one of the mines. We gave him that chance."
"Do you think we´ll ever see him again, Chief?" Koki asked, exceptionally gloomy as well.
"No, I don´t think so," the leader replied after a while, with a strangely definite emphasis.