A/N- I AM SO SORRY. I've had MASSIVE writers block with about everything. I just can't seem to get anything out and when I do it's not my best (this chapter will later be revised so it's a bit better!) and just... ugh. ._. Anyway, I've managed this so please bear with me. A SUPER-DOOPER THANK YOU TO ALL REVIEWERS. Seriously, you have no idea how much I smiled like an idiot when I got them. So, this chapter is dedicated to all of you still out there! THANK YOU.

Chapter 24 - The white Stetson

"People of Mexico, it is time to rise up and take back our country from the dogs!"

A deafening cheer erupted from both men and women who had gathered to listen to Eduardo. He stood on a crate, raising his fist high in the air, a look of pride on his face as he gazed down at the people below him. Jack and I were stood off to the side under the shade of a small tree. We both watched quietly. We had ridden all the way to El Matadero, a small settlement nestled against the towering orange rock formations in the Northern end of Nuevo Paraiso. It was only a small place, with mostly poor workers inhabiting it. There were no signs of the police, and it was peaceful until Eduardo had leapt up onto a crate, letting his mare walk off, and began shouting and calling, attracting attention.

Jack and I were left to simply wait and watch, to observe how Eduardo worked, how he was. And he was, without a doubt, talented at public speaking. "He's good," I commented sideways to Jack. The man was leant casually against the rough bark of the tree, arms crossed over his chest. He nodded in agreement, hat brim dipping over his eyes. "He does have a knack. It's how we ended up in this place, working for them." I laughed slightly.

"They all seem to have a way of talkin' ya into things you don't really want to do." Jack chuckled, albeit a little bitterly. A breeze blew past us, rustling the leaves of the tree and carrying with it a stench. I sniffed and scrunched my nose. Was that rotten meat? I looked upwind and spotted an abattoir. Ah, that must have been where it came from. Jack must have smelt it also, as he voiced my thoughts. "That place stinks," he snorted, wrinkling his nose in disgust.

"I'd hate to have that as a job," I sighed.

"And what job would ya like?" Jack casually asked. I smiled and shrugged.

"Workin' on a ranch I guess, like back home, 'cept my own one. I love my pa and all but he has too many cattle and not enough horses," I joked.

"Your own ranch?" Jack teased. "That's a mighty big aspiration."

"Yeah? And what about you, cowboy?" I joked, narrowing my eyes playfully. Jack laughed and looked off into the Mexican distance, as if what he was thinking of would appear before him. "I guess I'd have a ranch too. Mine would be better though." I elbowed him playfully. "Though I suppose I do technically own one..." My eyebrows raised.

"Hm?"

"The ranch I grew up on... sort of. No one else lives there now so I suppose I technically own it..." He trailed off and looked down at his boots, kicking the dirt absent mindedly. I grinned and shook his upper arm. "You should just go back and run it, why're you even out here with me when you could be makin' a place your own? I mean adventures are nice and all, but it's gotta feel pretty grown up to have ya own place." Jack's smile slowly faded to a concerned frown. Mine died down upon seeing this look.

"What?" I asked.

"It does feel grown up, but it's lonely as sin by myself..." he started, looking anywhere but me. "And what do ya mean? I like bein' out here with you... Beats sittin' by myself in an empty house in an even emptier ranch." I was lost for words. The chorus of voices were forgotten about, as well as the stench from the slaughter house. I was too busy feeling my heart pump wildly in my chest.

Did Jack jus' say... he liked bein' with me? I felt my cheeks grow hot. No! Don't be silly, he didn't mean it how you're thinkin'! You're lookin' for a horse in a chicken coop - it ain't there. Finished with mentally scolding myself, I looked up at Jack and met his eyes. Brown met brown and he was the first to look away, cheeks a dusted pink. I giggled. "Are you blushing?" I couldn't help but tease.

He spluttered, "No, it's probably from the sun." I giggled again, knowing he was lying, but not pressing it any further. "Anyway, do you mean that?"

"Mean what? Of course it's lonely-"

"No, did you mean what you said... about likin' being with me..." I pressed, feeling my cheeks flare up red again. Jack sighed before looking straight at me this time, with a new-found confidence.

"Yes, I do, Eva." My heart pounded harder. "I didn't exactly have the best of childhoods so I don't have any friends from then... I don't know anyone outside you and Miss Macfarlane. Perhaps Marshal Arrington. Everyone are just acquaintances, just people I pass by, maybe speak to every once in a while. That's it. You're the first person who's made an impact on my life in a long while, and for that... I'm grateful."

A moment passed between us, though it felt as if it had stretched for hours. Jack had managed to hold my gaze for a good half a minute before he caved and had to look away. His eyes seemed to jump everywhere, and I was sure his cheeks were a nice shade of red. "T-thank you..." I managed to choke out. "No one's ever said anything as nice as that before... And I'm happy too! When Pa sent me out to MacFarlane's ranch I thought that it'd be fun but never did I think I'd meet someone like you and that I'd be riding around the West, having an adventure like one out of a book!" I spoke with a massive smile on my face, cheeks tinted red. Our eyes met again and a moment passed before I started laughing, just feeling too happy to hold it in. Jack blinked before he started laughing too. Guess it was infectious. "I guess you could write a book about us, huh?" he joked. I nodded eagerly.

"You should write it! I ain't too good with writing stories... I forget people can't see what I picture in my head! But you read a lot, so you any good?"

Jack shrugged. "I don't know if I'm any good, but I did want to be an author when I was younger." I giggled.

"Perfect then!"

Eduardo's face seemed to pop out of nowhere that moment, a grin threatening to split him in two. "We can get a move on, gringos," he said, breaking the eye contact between Jack and I. "I've recruited everyone here, let's move on to the next town!" He spun on his heel and marched a few steps forward and whistled for him mount.

"What? That's it? Ain't you gonna lead them somewhere or do somethin'?" I asked, a little confused. All he had done was seemed to preach to them, rile them up then walk away. Laughing, Eduardo shook his head, like what I had just said was ridiculous. "No, no, no, amiga. My job is to recruit the people, to enlighten them to the ways of Emiliano Zapata. When we launch an attack we will send out scouts to retrieve our new loyal followers." His horse trotted over and he swung himself smoothly into the saddle. Gathering up the reins he clicked his tongue. "C'mon, let's go spread the word further!" he cried, laughing and swinging a strap of leather, whipping his horse faster. Jack quickly mounted and I scrambled into my own saddle. "Hey, wait for me!" I cried as I gave Dash a spur and cantering off after the other two.

Orange dust flew up behind as hooves scooped the dry earth. Great rock formations sprouted from the ground and towered high in the flat, Mexican plains. We travelled for a while before coming to the next settlement. We rode in and Eduardo again found a platform to perch himself atop, puffed his chest out then began calling and waving, attracting the attention of the locals. This place was bigger, and I noticed three men stood apart from everyone else, arms crossed and leant against a crooked fence. "Say, Jack." Said man looked up from his boots to me curiously. "Those men look awful suspicious, don't ya think?" His dark eyes followed the direction of where I had nodded, and he examined the three men. "They do a little. Perhaps skeptics of Mr Zapata?" I shrugged.

"Well, he's bound to have some I guess." Jack chuckled.

"I don't think it's anything to worry about." I hummed and tore my gaze from the men before I got caught starin'.

Eduardo had begun talking again, leaving Jack and I to stand around and wait. It would have been more interesting, but he was speaking in such fast Spanish, that I didn't have a clue. Out of the corner of my eye, I caught movement. Looking, the three men from before had moved and now I couldn't spot them. "Where'd they go?" I asked under my breath. My head snapped around and I still couldn't see them anywhere. "Jack." I turned to him and nudged him. "They've gone!" Jack shrugged.

"They've probably just left. Relax, Eva. We're fine." I blinked and bit my lip. He was right. I was suddenly really jumpy, but pa had always said to trust my 'woman's intuition', and boy was it sayin' something was up. Looking back to Eduardo, I wrung my hands and tried to ignore it. But it was always there, pressing on the back of my mind. A woman in the crowd jumped up and grabbed Eduardo's elbow, cheering and holding his arm up high. I blinked. This was again another example of the charisma the man held. The crowd got rowdy again, and Eduardo was pulled down from his perch and swallowed into the arms of all the people as they held him tight, cheering. "Wow, he sure is popular," Jack laughed. "Right, Eva?"

"Don't move, gringo."

My heart skipped. The voice had come from right behind me. I spun round and the three men from earlier were behind us, guns drawn. I knew it! Pa was right, my woman intuition is always spot on. Jack cursed under his breath and pulled his gun out just as fast. A gasp whispered behind us, and the crowd parted around Eduardo as he advanced between the two waves of people, gun drawn and pointed menacingly. The man before me, a barrel-chested Mexican with stubbled cheeks, snatched a hand out and grabbed my upper arm in a vice like grip. He spun me round and pressed his pistol against my head. "Eva!" Jack growled, eyes narrowing at the men.

"What's going on here, eh?" Eduardo asked, cool and calm, as he joined Jack at his side.

"You listen here, we in control now, so don't try anything, gringo. Or the girl here gets her brain blown out!" I blinked, feeling my pulse in my mouth as I grew panicked. Behind Eduardo and Jack, the crowd had begun to disperse, no one wanting to get involved.

"Get on your knees!" the man hissed, pistol pressed harder into the back of my head, cold metal reminding me of the position I was in. A few screams and cries of prayers in Spanish echoed around the town, as women rushed into houses and slammed doors shut, and men backed away slowly. Jack and Eduardo stood with their own guns up, tense and on the very edge. I couldn't help the feeling of panic and fear that bubbled up inside me. I fell to my knees, dirt and loose rocks disturbed by my sudden collapse and the men behind me quickly conversed in Spanish. Next thing I knew my guns were ripped off me and I was left defenseless and powerless to do anything in my situation.

"Now," one of the men began, voice gruff like he'd been drinking whisky his whole life. "You are going to put your guns on the ground, and take a step back." Eduardo was the first to hesitantly lower his gun. Jack, however, didn't budge an inch. Instead, his grip tightened on the gun, muscles taughnt in his arms. "Gringo, gun down," the man growled, pulling the hammer back on his gun. It gave a threatening click, making me swallow. "Do it gringo, or she get it, huh? Shot right in the back of the head," the man chuckled, like he had just told a bad joke. But Jack didn't waver.

Our eyes met, and I could tell he was trying to think of a way outta this. Finally, with a sigh, he lowered his rifle to floor and stepped back. "That's it. Jose, grab the guns. Javier, you take their money." The two men moved from the leader's side and did what they were told. One began to rifle through the pockets of Eduardo and Jack. When he came to Eduardo, the white Stetson wearer cursed under his breath. "You are the scum that'll happily follow this government!" The man behind me laughed.

"Whatever you say, puto. It doesn't matter who's in charge, politics are very complicated my friend. But the way I see it?" He kicked me in the small of my back sending me down lower to the ground. I grit my teeth as my back stung and huffed into the dust. My heart beat faster and faster. The man laughed and pointed his gun against my skull.

"Why argue when the guy in charge let's you get away with murder?"

A gun shot went off.

I couldn't have imagined what would have happened then if a man on a white horse hadn't have rode in with a white stetson on his head. My heart was pounding so hard in my chest I felt like it was going to burst. Opening my eyes slowly, I heard two other shots ring out and then silence. I looked up carefully, looking to the stunned face of Jack and the elated face of Eduardo. Had one of them done it? No. I looked over my shoulder and saw a white horse with a darkened muzzle paw at the ground. Atop the horse was a man wearing a white stetson, a grin on his face hidden by a massive mustache. "The man himself!" Eduardo cried. "Emiliano Zapata!"

We were back at camp now, gathered around a blaring fire as the sun dipped below the horizon, staining the sky a mix of orange and red. Jack was right by my side, pressing into me. Ever since we had ridden back he had fussed over me, like he always does when somethin' happens. Men chatted happily, each eager to get to talk to their revered leader, Emiliano Zapata. I observed the man. He was impressive, though whether this was due to what I had heard of him or the bushy moustache on his upper lip I wasn't sure. It was a fine moustache though. The thing was massive!

Beside me, I heard a grumble. I looked to Jack and giggled. "Jack, I'm fine," I answered the unasked question.

"Eva, you were right," Jack started, looking away from the flickering flames to me. "And I just dissmissed you!" I waved him off. There was no need for him to be blaming himself, it was absurd! "Jack, you listen to me, ya hear?" His dark eyes slowly looked up to me. "It aint your fault, and I'm fine so there aint a problem. So stop blamin' yourself, okay?" He sighed and looked back to the fire.

"But-"

"Ah-ah-ah," I cut in. "Not buts. Hush up and eat your stew." I elbowed him and smiled, getting one in return, and went back to my own food. A loud, boisterous laughed echoed across the fire and we looked to see Eduardo, a massive grin on his face, sitting beside Emilliano Zapata and sharing a joke. His eyes flickered to us then back to Emilliano. The man with the bushy moustache turned to Jack and I, smiling warmly. "So, you're the American's I've heard to much about, eh?" His voice was deep and welcoming. I nodded brightly.

"Yes sir." Emilliano chuckled.

"Eduardo tells me you've joined our cause?"

"Well, more or less. We were very much convinced," Jack added. Emilliano and Eduardo laughed.

"It's true, they are suckers for sweet words," Eduardo laughed.

"But in all seriousness... Thank you, amigos. It really means something to us."

That night Jack and I retired to a small tent just away from the rest of the Mexicans. They stayed up long in to the night, singing and laughing. We laid awake for a bit, listening to the noises of life around us, before Jack fell asleep. He started to light snore and I had to clamp my hands over my mouth to stop from laughing. Rolling onto my side, I curled up and slowly drifted off.