ikissdhimbck: (Wild Wild West)
Over the Spring/Summer of 2011, a plot arc with Gene Hunt (Life on Mars) visiting Kate's Texas, c. 1888, was meant to occur in her [community profile] milliways_bar timeline. After a few months, the plot was abandoned. It has since become an AU, and should be treated as a standalone plot not associated with any game, and not fitting into Kate's continuity.

Since several people have shown an interest in reading it, I have organized each post here in order from first to last.


  •   May    6th        †   Western Texas, 1888     The pair arrives in Texas, and Gene visits his very first Old West town... and encounters the local wildlife. [144 comments]
  •   May  14th        †   Western Texas, 1888 (pt. 2)     Camp the next morning. The two share breakfast and a few angry words. As you do. [49 comments]
  •   May  17th        †   Choke Canyon, 1888     They make camp for the night, and Gene has more adventures with local wildlife — to put things lightly.* [176 comments]
  •   May  26th        †   Oakville, 1888     At last they arrive in Oakville, and Gene meets some local color. [133 comments]
  •   June 12th       †   Oakville, 1888 (pt. 2)     That night, Gene and Kate go on their first date. [156 comments]
  •   June 25th       †   The Morning After     After things the night before get awkward, Kate's distressed to find Gene's gone by morning. He returns drunk, and she leaves him to his foul mood, exploring Oakville instead. Later, Gene has a bone to pick with a certain man in black, and when he returns to the hotel he and Kate find a way to reconcile.* [230 comments]
  •   July    9th        †   Oakville, 1888     A morning that could have been spent fooling around is interrupted when a town meeting is called. [91 comments]
  •   August    1st   †   Just Outside Oakville, 1888     After Gene volunteers to catch cattle rustlers, Kate takes him to a private place where she can teach him a thing or two about being a cowboy. Gene is easily distracted by other needs. Later that night, the two are accosted on their way back into town. They spend the night together.* [313 comments]
  •   October 2nd   †   Oakville, Morning     It's Gene's first day on the job. Kate rouses him so he won't be late, but he manages to coerce her into a little morning hanky-panky. Thread never completed.* [52 comments]


I'm rather proud of what did get accomplished, all in all. Many thanks to the impeccable Gene Hunt! Feel free to leave comments below.


* Adult content
ikissdhimbck: (Empty bed)
**NOTE: This is part of a plot arc that was meant to occur in Milliways over the Spring/Summer of 2011 in Bar Time. It has since become an AU, and should be treated as a standalone plot not associated with any game, and not fitting into Kate's continuity. This thread was never finished.**



She wakes with a start.

The light streaming in through the window is cut by lace curtains, casting patterns against the far wall. Little flowering shadows fall on Gene's shoulder.

Her skin is damp, pasting down the hair at her temples. It's stuffy inside the room, but as she pulls herself to wakefulness she knows it's not the heat making her sweat. It's the hammering of her heart.

She's still wrapped up in Gene. His stomach is rising and falling in even intervals under her hand, and her bones hurt so she's wondering if she moved at all during the night. She can't remember moving, or screaming; she just remembers torches, and broken bottles, and suddenly her eyes were open and her vision was swimming with lacy shadows.

She takes a deep breath, and pulls away from him. Slowly, so as not to wake him. Cautiously, so the bed won't make a peep. She rolls onto her back and squints at the window. It's already bright outside, and she realizes with a curse that she must have slept in late. Bare feet touch sagging hardwood. She plucks the chemise from her dressing screen and pulls it over her head, creeping up on the window so she can have a look outside. The street is busy. It must be seven or eight o'clock already. Dagnabbit.

She's quick about dressing. She needs a bath to wash last night's stink off, so she only needs to look presentable enough to go downstairs and pay for one. And she needs to wake Gene up, or he'll be late meeting the judge and lawman. She emerges from behind the screen wearing a dress, simple white with a floral print, and lace-up heels.

"Gene."

She pulls her loose hair over one shoulder, twisting it into some order. Leaning over, she touches his shoulder.

"Gene, wake up."
ikissdhimbck: (Milliways Room)
She passes the two clean glasses to Gene so she can fish out her key, and opens the door to room #100.

"There. S'like no time's passed at all."

Hopefully he remembers his way around the place.
ikissdhimbck: (Empty bed)
**NOTE: This is part of a plot arc that was meant to occur in Milliways over the Spring/Summer of 2011 in Bar Time. It has since become an AU, and should be treated as a standalone plot not associated with any game, and not fitting into Kate's continuity.**



It's still dark outside when Kate wakes. The room is bathed in warm lamplight from the oil that was left burning overnight, but through the window she can see the first hint of dawn.

It's not the first thing she sees. She finds herself pressed to a warm body, naked and masculine, and feels totally disoriented. For the briefest, cruelest second she believes she's with Doc, his scarred arms wrapped around her middle; and then the heat of the room registers, thick and heavy, and she's brought back to Texas.

Back to Gene.

She blinks slowly, butterfly kisses against his breast, watching the rise and fall of his chest. Her mind is trapped in a haze of sticky dreams and clutching memories, unable to shake them even as the wheels start going. She tips her head back, and watches him sleep.



It seems like hours later, but really it's only a matter of minutes when she shifts away from him. She's taking care not to wake him at first, but the moment she moves her legs — good god, is she sore.

How she manages to get out of bed without waking him is a mystery. How she manages to quietly get dressed when every inch of her feels like it's been crushed by a boulder is another honest mystery. At least he's a heavy sleeper, and by the time she's snuffed out the lamp and rid the room of every last trace of her, light is starting to turn yellow while he slumbers on.

She gets to her room without anybody noticing, but doesn't stay long. She's in desperate need of a long, hot bath. She changes clothes, uses the basin and a small chunk of soap to try and mask the smell of sex, tidies her hair and goes downstairs to see the innkeeper.
ikissdhimbck: (Empty bed)
**NOTE: This is part of a plot arc that was meant to occur in Milliways over the Spring/Summer of 2011 in Bar Time. It has since become an AU, and should be treated as a standalone plot not associated with any game, and not fitting into Kate's continuity.**



Kate doesn't sleep well. Once she gets to her room and undresses (for the last time tonight), slips on her chemise, and slides into bed (alone), she finds she can't stop playing their conversation out again and again. As she stares at the ceiling in her darkened room, driving their words so deep into her memory it'll be a while yet before she can erase them, she finds herself growing more and more agitated.

Stupid man.

Stupid drink.


Stupid her.


She wakes up later than she normally does. The light outside her window is already starting to yellow, hinting closer to seven o'clock than to six. She rises and gets dressed, mind still cranking, making sure she looks a smidgen more 'respectable' than when they first rode in. More womanly. More businesslike. And by the time she's finished she has a rehearsed speech all set in her mind. This constant arguing is pointless, and she won't do it anymore.

She steps out into the hall, catching sight of her wearied boots on worn and shabby carpeting. The rug was likely quite fine in its day, but like the knotted old wood it's trying to hide it's grown bedraggled and thin. She contemplates knocking on his door and quickly dismisses the idea. Her day doesn't hinge on whether or not Gene Hunt is happy with her.

She makes her way down to the dining room where the senorita from yesterday is cleaning shot glasses and tumblers, asks for a hot breakfast, and sits herself down at a table.

"Has my associate been down this mornin'?"

"No, ma'am. Only you."

Kate nods.

And waits.



By noon Gene still hasn't come down. She wonders if this is ordinary for him, but she's run out of reasons to linger in the bar without looking like a fool. She leaves a few coins for the barmaid, and debates whether she should go on and head out and just hope he gets the idea whenever he comes to. No. Things are mendable, ignorable, and shouldn't be left to fester simply because of their pride.

She scales the stairs and stops in front of his door, takes a breath, and resists rolling her eyes. She reminds herself that this is the last time this is going to happen. By god, this is the last time. And she knocks.

There's no answer.


She knocks again.


Perhaps he slipped out early, and no one noticed he left? She figures he wouldn't bother to tell her, especially if he's upset about last night. He could've just decided to take a look around town, or — 

Her heart sinks.


Or he could've gone back to The Bar.


She opens his door — it's unlocked, just like he said it would be — and takes a look inside.

"Gene?"

He's definitely not here. Perhaps it should be comforting to note that his bags are still in the room. It doesn't look like he bothered to pack or clean up. But he's gone, along with his coat, which leaves only two equally unhappy possibilities. He's gone back to Milliways, left, had enough of her and this; or he's out, and likely been out all night. All night with...


She rubs at her forehead. Sighs heavily. Sits on the edge of his bed and just... just sits.

Her rehearsed apology and the amendment she planned to offer suddenly feel utterly childish. She feels utterly childish, for so whole-heartedly believing she was going to set things right. For actually believing, after so many failed attempts to overcome her doubts, her worries, this  —  this curse she can't ignore despite how fervently people tell her to, that she could get it together long enough not to mess another good thing up.

She considers feeling angry. For the briefest second, she does. But then all she feels is disappointed. It was never going to be part of the deal to let him in enough for her to get hurt. She wasn't going to care when everything went to hell. And eventually it would, she knew that, and that was okay. It is okay. This all blew up in their faces, just like it was always going to. And she's still okay with it. It's fine.


Just don't mind the gnawing ache in the pit of her stomach.
ikissdhimbck: (Wild Wild West)
**NOTE: This is part of a plot arc that was meant to occur in Milliways over the Spring/Summer of 2011 in Bar Time. It has since become an AU, and should be treated as a standalone plot not associated with any game, and not fitting into Kate's continuity.**



"There she is."

The town of Oakville swings into their line of vision as they ride around an outcropping of rock, trees sloping away, the barren expanse of flat-lands and desert seen crawling along the infinite horizon. Miles, and miles past town.

They've been riding all afternoon, and for the better part of the evening. Kate had afforded them a late start, though she woke with the dawn as she always does. She'd wrapped herself around him sometime in the middle of the night, once the fire had died out and camp really started to cool. It's the first time she's woken up in a man's arms for more than a year, and in that first hazy moment when the world is still irresolute and undefined she'd imagined it was Doc. She ended up watching Gene for close to a half hour as he slept, cataloging every twitch of his face, every flutter of his eyelids. She let him sleep. By the time he was up, so was the sun; and Kate had already scraped and washed the skin of their alligator, done her washing, and boiled some coffee.

Gene had been in particularly high spirits, to the point where it bordered on being embarrassing  —  for Kate. But it had filled the morning and subsequent ride with conversation, cheeky banter and cheerful chattering both. He asked her once more if she was all right, and when she smiled and nodded her head that had been the end of it.

"Told you we'd get here before nightfall."

She grins. Her muscles are sore and aching, and she's looking awful forward to a real bath and a real bed.
ikissdhimbck: (Sunset over Desert Sage)
**NOTE: This is part of a plot arc that was meant to occur in Milliways over the Spring/Summer of 2011 in Bar Time. It has since become an AU, and should be treated as a standalone plot not associated with any game, and not fitting into Kate's continuity.**



The desert is muted by gray light. It's still early, a bit of a chill in the air while the sun takes its time creeping past the horizon. Somewhere nearby an owl is hooting, taking its last survey of the desert before it returns to its hole for the day.

The fire is crackling, warming up salt pork and grits, three eggs Kate managed to bring from the bar, and a small cast iron skillet of fresh cornbread. The horses are munching on their own breakfast, half the saddlebags have been repacked, and Kate's washing her face with cold water before she slips on her blouse. She's well and covered by a clean chemise and plain corset, but she's still mindful of Gene as he sleeps.
ikissdhimbck: (Wild Wild West)
**NOTE: This is part of a plot arc that was meant to occur in Milliways over the Spring/Summer of 2011 in Bar Time. It has since become an AU, and should be treated as a standalone plot not associated with any game, and not fitting into Kate's continuity.**



A door opens out of thin air, admitting a pair of riders. The gentleman in proper Victorian dress astride a perlino gelding is the first to ride out, followed not long after by the woman on the starred bay. It's late April, and Texas lays open on every side of them. Behind them, to the north, is a low rolling mountain range leading to Kenedy; descending ahead is desert plain, pocked with scruff and scraggly trees. Some ways off to their left are train tracks.

It's midday. The sun is hot, but despite being a little muggy the air is withstandably balmy. It's just the way Kate left it when last she was here. She can even see the dust clouds Beaut kicked up still settling behind them. They're just south of Beeville now, and likely there ain't anybody from Kenedy still chasing after her.

She combs a few renegades from her messy braid back behind her ears, and sets her hat down on her head to ward off the winking sun. Glancing at Gene from the corner of her eye, she just manages to bite back a smirk.

"Home sweet home."
ikissdhimbck: (Milliways Room)
[following this:]


It's a nice, stately room, put together well, and clean. There are two food dishes by the bathroom door, and a bottle of bourbon on the round table in the far corner of the room.

Kate's at her desk, trying to knock over as many green pigs as possible. They're getting smarter.
ikissdhimbck: (Gunpoint)
She can't make the targets fall.

No matter how hard she concentrates, she can't even see the tin can soldiers lined up beyond the trembling barrel of the Colt in her hand. It's quiet out at the range on a cold afternoon, but her ears ring with a cacophony of shaking iron and rushing blood, echoing like drums in her head.

She grits her teeth -- so hard she can hear it, too -- and takes six more unsuccessful shots. Shit. She's quivering from the inside out. It's radiating from the wound in her side, leaking anxiety and fear and sickness like a poison, humming through every inch of her. The same image flashes before her eyes in every split second before her gun discharges:

The barrel of a sawed-off rifle, igniting with a hell-hot blast.


She gives up. She's been at this for hours in the cold with no results; nothing she tries can make her hand steady, because nothing she thinks can make her heart steady. She bottles all the aggression and frustration up, taking it out instead on the soles of her boots as she stomps her way back to the bar. She needs a drink. Something -- anything -- to keep her mind off of Kenedy.
ikissdhimbck: (Milliways Stables)
The last several weeks have been -- well, to call them odd would be the understatement of the millennium. Kate's been turned upside down and inside out, figuratively and literally.

Normally when she feels like this the only solution is to get out and go home. But 'home' right now is a bloodshot Texas, all heat and grit, and the possibility of getting caught while she figures a way out of Kenedy is something she hasn't wanted to ponder. It keeps niggling at her, becoming ever more and more a fact, a surety, an inevitability. Still, staying here means sitting around, feeling like an old woman with aches and pains; coming down with strange illnesses; and getting into spats with what few friends she still has. She hasn't seen hide nor hair of Gene Hunt since their last little discussion. Part of her is relieved that he hasn't been around for Miss Bar's shenanigans. The other part? Is agitated, and melancholy.


She's been out practicing at the firing range, but -- unable to keep the tremble from her fingertips -- she's given up and come to the stables. She's brushing down Concession, the horse she brought back from Colorado that nobody seems to love but her and a sweet little Japanese girl she's been giving riding lessons. He's not the prettiest stud in the stables, but he has spirit. And he helps Kate remember.

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ikissdhimbck: (Default)
Katherine "Kissin' Kate" Barlow

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