"Yes, I'm ready, too."  Sighing, she gave his hand a squeeze as they wandered back to the hotel, the lights of the city twinkling in the waning sunlight of dusk.  It was beautiful, the combination of gas, electric and fire light, in addition to the stars that were starting to push through the fading blues and purples.  "This is beautiful, but you know what?  Those same stars are shining at home, and they were with us in San Francisco...they'll always be there."

It was reassuring to have that consistency, no matter where you were.  Well, mostly.

"Now, there's something...to see the star patterns on the other end of the world...that would be strange, to have them all out of place, don't you think?"  No Little Dipper, but the Southern Cross...

"Never give it much thought. Been followin' 'em for years, just that they are always there, pretty much in the same place, season after season. One of those things you can pretty much count on. He said looking up at the little lights in the sky. He knew what she was saying, and he also knew that those same stars were a whole lot brighter up there.

"Be some brighter ta home. Less light ta block 'em out, if you notice, we have a whole lot more stars above us there than here. Fella told me that once and it's true." He was beginning to feel more like Pronto than Barnabas. They were not two different men, not at all, the difference was in the way they spoke, but how they felt and acted was fairly consistent to who he was.

"Fact is, everything's better in Kalispell than here. Maybe not the food we get here so much as the folks that live there, ain't near as many. But then folks are folks no matter where you go. Truth is, I got you an' we could live just about anywhere."

"Mr. Pike, are you saying that my food is bad?"  Emeline gave him a stern look, but couldn't hold it long before laughing.  "I know what you mean, but I'm honestly looking forward to cooking again, and having more simple fare.  Heavens, I'm looking forward to running a household, and preparing for the baby, and working with the horses, and..."

She laughed.  "All of it, real life, together, wherever that is.  For now, though, I'm happy with Kalispell, and the Rocking P."  They were back at the hotel now, their last night on the formal part of the honeymoon, although she was looking forward to wagon trek as well.  Being on the road, sleeping under the stars, there was something special about that as they worked together, helped each other, did for themselves...it was a great way to learn more about someone!

(I'm so sorry!  You should have hit me in the head harder to post!  I thought I'd been checking, and it was your turn.)

Their last night in luxury was wonderful, and Emeline enjoyed every minute of it.  After a good night's sleep, the morning had been hectic, making sure that everything, including the horses and rig, that had been carefully loaded with all their goods, in such a way that the gear they'd need for life on the trail was easy to get to, were securely on the train. 

To give them a bit more time to sleep in in the morning, they had decided to have breakfast on the train, and as she sipped her coffee, Emeline gazed out the window wistfully.  "Nevada is beautiful, I can see why you like it so much.  We'll be back someday, and take more time to explore, once the children are old enough to be minded by the hands and sleep in the bunkhouse."

"Now there's a plan, the kids tended to by a bunch 'a cowhands," He too looked out the window as the Nevada high desert rolled past, like a moving picture. There was a dining car and the food was tolerable, coffee was hot, and the company, extraordinary. They were rolling northward to what was, at least for the time being, end of track.

Once there, their wagon and the horses would be offloaded, There they would change clothes into something a bit more trail worthy, and Barnabas would strap on his gun belts, and the white jacket. He had on his hat, boots, and spurs already. All that was left would be the shotgun chaps and the transformation would be complete.

"Gonna be good to get everything hitched up and be on our way home. I ken hardly wait." He said once they had finished in the dining car and were back in their seats. He drew out his pocket watch and smiled, " Another six hours and we'll be offloadin' our stuff. We'll be campin' out ta'night."

"Camping, is it?"  Emeline grinned wickedly, snuggling up to him, "that means it's going to be quite cold at night, doesn't it?"  She laughed, then squeezed his hand.  "It'll be nice to be away from the chaos of the big cities," she commented, "and the constant noise."  Traffic, Human sounds, stamp mills, music from saloons...even now, there was the steady clack of the train's wheels on the track, the rush of air going past the window.

Not that she wanted silence, but she missed the sounds of nature. 

"I wager the horses will be happy to have solid earth under their hooves, and room to move."  She couldn't imagine having to stand up in the moving cars, swaying back and forth, and not being able to at least walk around a bit for relief.  Well, that wouldn't be a problem after today!

"Quitte cold my dear," He said with an evil cackle, "Seriously though, we have the right blankets, a tarpaulin that was waterproofed, which is perfect out in the wilderness as a canopy. I think we pretty well got ever'thing we'll need for the trip home." He grinned as he looked at her.

"Yep, far away from what's called civil'a'sation. All that ruckus that serves no real purpose. Just noise, so yeah, be good to get home and the peace an' quiet we got up there." And was the truth of the matter the bigger towns and cities were noisey, unlike little Kalispell where it was quiet even in the daylight most times, just trace chains jingling, horses whinnies, the ring of Gunther Schmidt's hammer no the anvil. Pleasant noises that were heard every day.

"Them horses'll be on solid ground soon enough. An' we'll be on our way depending on hoe long it'll take ta off load and get a goin'"

"It'll be a breeze!" Emeline declared confidently.  "I'm sure we'll have the team hitched up in no time!  Enough time to get us back on the trail so we can get in a few miles before dark."  A few miles closer to home...

The 'end of the line' wasn't much to look at, but that didn't matter, they had what they needed for the trail and they weren't staying here long.  Once the team was hitched, it was a matter of tossing the luggage into the wagon and getting on their way.  They'd eaten on the train before arriving, and had fresh sandwiches and fruit that would serve as dinner. 

Emeline was excited for this change of pace, and squeezed Barnabas' hand tightly as the train slowed, then finally stopped with a mighty huff. 

"Come on!  Let's get Punch and Judy and head home!"

"Yes Ma'am, home it is!!" It was exciting, the thought of heading home at last.

Not that the trip had not been all he had hoped for, because it had been far more than that. Time together that they would find hard to come by once they and the herd coming up from Texas reached their ranch. Probably the fanciest they would get would be dinner at the Belle-St. Regis. And, at that moment, he was looking forward to having breakfast at the Lickskillet Cafe, like so many mornings before. He smiled at the thought.

He helped up on the seat, then went around, climbed aboard, and got settled. He unwound the ribbons from the hand brake and sat for just a moment, looked at Em with a grin, turned back, and called out "HUP!" The wagon lurched a bit forward, settling into a walking pace, "Not far now, Love." He said, switching the ribbons to his left hand and taking her hand with his right, "Almost see it!"