Careful Hugs

From 's picture and snippet:
"So I told Bo, that I can just take care of myself. You know?" Jacey pointed out, gesturing with her hands as she spoke, walking down a dark dusty street with Charlie as they headed for their quail. They'd spent most of the day in Redcliff, Jacey running errands for her Uncle's Ranch, and Charlie helping out, purchasing a few choice things needed back on the Thorn Ranch. It was late now, way past Sundown since they'd gotten a late start.
"I know he's teasing, but he doesn't need to make such a big deal about me coming into town after dark. The big goofball seems to have just a little TOO much fun trying to make me feel inferior to him."
Charlie glanced her way.
"No, I don't. In fact, I feel much higher than him. I'm better in every way shape and form." She laughed, poking Charlie's arm, and continued to walk.
"The scariest thing in this town is Bo, and he's not even here."
Another look.
"Maybe Dennis too." She agreed with a chuckle. "When he's drunk." She tacked on, "Bottom line, I don't need protecting."
Charlie blinked and elbowed her arm. In response Jacey rolled her eyes. "Yeah, I know. And even if I did, I got you to back me up, right?" She grinned.
Charlie smiled and threw his arm over her shoulders, earning a laugh from the young dormouse she elbowed his gut playfully and ducked down slightly under the weight of arm.
"Fierce bodyguard that you are."
A light cast out into the street as they walked, catching the eyes of both dormice as three rowdy looking characters were escorted out of the saloon.
“Place was a dump anyway!” they crowed and hobbled down the steps. A gecko and two mice. One with burly shoulders and the other looked almost taller than Bo.
Charlie’s arm slid from Jacey’s shoulder, pausing to let them pass in front of them. He didn’t recognize them and figured they must be from out of town.
The gecko flashed a look at them through bulbous eyes and snorted. “What are you lookin’ at?” he said in a nasally voice.
Charlie shook his head and walked passed them. The gecko reach for his shoulder and he shrugged him off.
“Yeah keep walking!” the lizard crowed. Charlie steered Jacey forward, his hand on her back.
“Creeps.” Jacey muttered as they reached the end of the street.
Charlie frowned, his ears back, he could still hear them making snide comments over his shoulder. He almost stopped hearing the phrase ‘with a harlot like that.’ His eyes narrowed.
Jacey shook her head. “Forget them, they’re drunk and stupid. If not both.” She shifted the packages in her arms and Charlie offered to take them for her.
“I’ve got it.” She said, straightening up. “It’s just new bridle tack. Bert and Rolland broke theirs playing with them.”
Charlie smiled slightly and looked over as the Post Office door opened and Davey stepped out, using his cane. His leg must have been feeling bad.
“Charlie! I’ve got some mail in hear for Bo, he’s not here with you is he?” Davey called as a low rumble of thunder rolled across the black sky.
Charlie shook his head and Davey shrugged. “You think you could take it back home to him? It’s addressed from Dove River, figured it might be his folks and he’d want that pronto.”
Charlie nodded and turned to Jacey.
“You go ahead and get the letter; I’ll meet you back at the saloon after I drop this off at the Inn, ok?”
Charlie looked skeptical.
“Charlie, its fine, it’ll take two minutes. Get us a place by the fire; I think a storm’s brewing.
Charlie glanced up at the sky and nodded. He could smell the rain in the air.
“Ok see you in a bit!” Jacey turned and set off down the left side of the street before Charlie could change his mind.
Jacey arrived at the Inn as the rain started to fall. The drops pelted the ground sending up little puff of dust from the parched street. By the time she’d dropped off the supplies in her room the rain was churning the street into rusty red mud. She was glad she was staying the night in Redcliff, riding home in this would be miserable.
She set off back down the street, tugging her vest more closely around her so her shirt wouldn’t get so wet.
A BANG went off and she jumped as someone shot out the lantern street lamp across from her. Laughter crowed from the alley the shot had come from and Jacey recognized the nasally laughter of the gecko and stormed over, grinding her teeth.
“What the hell do you think you’re doing!” she snapped at the trio. “Shooting out streetlamps! We have to pay to repair those you know!” She jabbed the gecko in the chest.
“What sort of town lays the responsibility of janitorial service on their business girls?” The broad shouldered mouse snorted.
Jacey went rigid, appalled at the concept. “I am not a harlot! How dare you!” she slitted her eyes. “You lot have been causing nothing but trouble here all night from what I’ve seen! I think it’s time you rode on somewhere else!” she put her hands on her hips.
“We don’t let women boss us around.” The other mouse snorted. “Baxter, this young lady looks cold, maybe you should take her inside before she catches her death.”
Baxter, the larger mouse, adjusted the toothpick in his teeth. “Probably right.” He stood up. “Hate for that to happen.” He started towards her and Jacey made to leave the alley but the gecko blocked her path. Before she could turn the other way Baxter hands grabbed her shoulders and pinned her back to the building behind her.
“Let go of me!” she thrashed but his vice-like grip was twisting her arms. “Let go that hurts!”
“Then quit fighting back.” Baxter snorted, spitting the toothpick out. “Don’t make me angry.”
“Let go!” Jacey tried to kick him but came up short.
Baxter didn’t have a chance to utter his next words as a force jerked him back then slammed his face into the wall beside Jacey’s head making her yelp in alarm. The force yanked the mouse back again and he was thrown into the gecko and both fell into the mud.
“Charlie??” Jacey breathed shakily as a wall of dormouse now stood in front of her protectively.
Jacey let out a sigh of relief then scolded herself mentally. Hadn’t she just told Charlie she could take care of herself! What an example to show him! She put her hand on his shoulders trying to see around him but Charlie shrugged her hands off as the others regained footing.
“Augh! By dose!” Baxter snorted blood into his hands and gave Charlie an ugly look. “You had your turn!” he snarled and pulled out a six-gun and pointed it at Charlie.
“He’s unarmed!” Jacey shouted, starting to panic slightly again.
“Then I guess we’re doing this the old fashioned way.” Baxter snorted and sheathed his gun in his holster then lunged forward, grabbing a fistful of Charlie’s shirt and dragging him forward, Charlie let the motion carry into the blow to the side of Baxter head with his fist, knocking him backwards but the other mouse attacked Charlie from behind, trying to knock him down.
Jacey stood frozen for a moment then ran into the fray to try and help but the gecko grabbed her collar and pulled her back.
Charlie saw Jacey in trouble and grabbed the gecko by the scaly scruff of his neck and tossed him aside, accidentally throwing Jacey down in the process. He shot her an apologetic look but Baxter regained footing and plowed into Charlie’s middle, knocking him flat. Charlie disappeared in the mud under the dogpile of fists and tails.
“Charlie!” Jacey got up and grabbed the back of Baxter’s vest, trying to yank him off. He elbowed her in the belly and Jacey fell back into the mud trying to catch her wind again. She heard a shout of pain as the other mouse went flying back from a kick and Charlie’s hands gripped Baxter and forced rolled on top of him, coated in mud, green eyes blazing.
Baxter grabbed Charlie by the throat and rolled, forcing him down, trying to pin him in a straddle. Charlie kicked off the wall, sliding through the mud and sent a double kick into Baxter’s chest and face. Baxter stumbled back, spitting out some teeth as Charlie scrambled to his feet, breathing hard.
The gecko tried next, jumping onto Charlie’s back he grabbed him in a tight choke hold, trying to bring him back down. Charlie staggered with the new weight, not able to breathe. He started and slam his back into the wall to rid himself of the gecko but it held on tight. Charlie dropped to a knee, coughing.
Jacey rushed forward and dealt the gecko a savage kick to the ribs that made him lax his grip and give Charlie enough room to backhand him off. Charlie staggered to his feet and looked at the two winded mice who didn’t seem to keen for another round with the dormouse but the gecko had jumped up on the wall of the building behind Charlie and whistled through his teeth. Charlie turned around just as the Gecko swung forward from the beam of the eves and kicked Charlie in the face with the heel of his boot. Charlie gave a yelp of pain and fell back, smashing through two crates as he landed hard.
Jacey saw the two other mice coming forwards to finish what they started and spotted a gun on the ground that had been lost in the skirmish. She dove forward and picked it up, cocking the piece back and pointing it straight at Baxter’s face.
“Stop right there!” she snarled.
Charlie got up slowly from the wreckage, hand pressed to his left eye, brows knitted in pain.
“You ain’t got the guts to shoot us.” The other mouse sneered.
Charlie took the gun from Jacey and crossed over, jabbing the gun in his gut. “I do.” He panted through gritted teeth.
Jacey’s eyes widened slightly then looked at the other mice.
“Shoot him Baxter he’s armed!” the other mouse said fearfully.
“He’ll shoot you.” Baxter muttered back.
“Drop your guns and kick ‘em over!” Jacey snapped, noticing Charlie didn’t look like he could stand much longer.
After a moment’s hesitation the other two dropped their weapons in the muck and kicked them to Jacey, who gathered them up with disgust.
“Now ride on before I report you to the sheriff!” Jacey narrowed her eyes.
The mice looked hesitant then Charlie pointed the gun at the sky and fired off a round.
The mice and gecko turned and took off down the street. As soon as they were gone the gun slipped from Charlie’s hand and he sank to a knee in the mud, gritting his teeth and pressing his hand to his eye.
“Charlie!” Jacey breathed and knelt in the mud beside him. “Are you ok?” she asked, trying to pull his hand from his eye but he wouldn’t let her.
“Come on, let’s get some help.” She said shakily. Please be ok!” she thought worriedly and nearly jumped out of her skin when a hand touched her shoulder.
“What happened—OOF!” Jacey turned and socked Dennis in the gut then squealed slightly seeing what she’d done.
“Dennis! I’m sorry! There was a fight, Charlie’s hurt.”
“Ugh, fight? With who?”
“Out of towners.” She said. “Help me with him, will you?”
With Dennis’s help they got Charlie up and hobbled down the street to Doc Evan’s office and home.
“You two look like you’ve been rolling in the mud, what’s all this?” Doc Evans let them inside, the dark red mud dripping onto his clean, wooden floor.
“Sorry Doc, There was a fight with some drifters and Charlie caught the brunt of it.” Dennis explained then turned to Jacey. What happened exactly? And where’d they go, I’d like to knock their screws loose.” Dennis cracked his knuckles. It was surprising for someone who spent the vast majority of his time alphabetizing, organizing, reading and distributing mail he was built like a railroad worker.
Jacey shook her head. “Just creeps being creeps, Charlie came to help me.” She patted Charlie’s shoulder, his sleeve was torn from the fight when he’d crashed through the crate and she could see a gash where the wood had cut him.
“Let’s check that eye, Charlie. I can’t help it if I can’t see it.” Doc said, coming over and gently prying Charlie’s hand away gently.
Charlie winced, his left eyes was red from irritation and swelling shut. A large crescent shaped cut bled sluggishly underneath and already showing under the golden fur was the beginning of a black eye.
“Looks like the work of a boot heel. You’re lucky it didn’t destroy your eye.” Doc Evans said grimly and looked in his bag. “You could have been blinded, you’ll be ok, I think you’ll need some stitches though.”
Charlie looked unnerved at the thought and the Doc smiled. “It will be alright. It looks like you’ll just need three, maybe four. With your thick golden fur there shouldn’t be a noticeable scar.” He turned to Jacey. Are you alright?”
“I’m fine.” Jacey said her arms hurt from being grabbed and her middle hurt from being kicked but she felt fine. She was worried for Charlie’s eye.
“I’ll go in the back and get the supplies then.” The Doc went in to the back to get his stitching equipment.
Dennis sat down in a chair across from Charlie and Jacey’s bench.
“You alright?” Jacey asked Charlie, hand on his shoulder.
Charlie slid his hand back over his eye and nodded stiffly.
Jacey sighed and slowly leaned in to give him a hug, careful not to hug too tight. “Thanks.” She sighed out.
Charlie briefly rested his head back on hers to say you’re welcome before they both sat up straight again.
Dennis smiled and stood up to cross the room to the window and looked out at the rain, “I’ll pop over to Travis’s and pick up a killdeer steak for that eye if you want, Charlie.”
Charlie shook his head acknowledged Dennis to thank him for the offer.
Jacey’s adrenaline was draining and she clasped her hands on her lap and let her gaze settled on the flames of the fire burning low in the grate across the room.
Charlie good eye looked down at her hands and rested his hand over her, giving them a light squeeze.
Jacey gave a small smile and looked up at him. “I know everything’s ok now.”
He gave a half smile.
“That does not prove Bo right.”
Charlie smiled and glanced at the floor.
“Don’t you 'whatever' me.” She smiled.

____

I added to it since you last saw it Mackenzie It seemed like it ended awkwardly. I still think the ending is off, but at least its written at all It was debatable.

So yup, Charlie goes mucho protective big bro for Jacey.
This isn't the first fight Charlie's been in if you remember:
Charlie may be quiet and well mannered but push comes to shove he'll mess you up to protect a friend in need

The coloration of the tones pencil sketch in sepia was inspired by the style of Tracy Butler in Lackadaisy. Sepia's super pretty

Jacey belongs to
Skytown is Copyright 2011 to Christine Ridgway