Dawn's subdued light cast a soft light into Abby's third floor room, a pale beam of sunlight breaking through a part in the curtains to fall directly across her sleeping face. Screwing up her nose in irritation, she twisted around in bed and pulled the pillow over face in an attempt to fall back to sleep. But, in that instant of waking, anxiety welled up in her heart and captured hold of her throat. Memories of King and his claims about the saloon and Lola were tumbling around in her head, leaving Abby staring sightlessly at the wall opposite her bed. She lay there for a long while, playing through alternate scenarios in her mind until she felt sick with worry and uncertainty. Groaning, she decided that it was better to get up and dressed than to lay in bed and work herself into a tizzy.<br/><br/>Flinging back her thin sheets, Abby's naked form rose from the small bed and in short order she had on her morning attire. Unlike her flashy work clothes, she was dressed in a simple gown of cornflower blue cotton over a loosely cinched corset and light petticoat. She swept her hands over the simple fabric and couldn't help but wonder what King might dress her in. Surely not something so base as cotton. Silk, perhaps? A grin rode on her lips as she indulged in that day dream, filling her mental closet with the finest and most fashionable gowns. Peering at herself in her full length mirror, she pinned up her thick auburn curls and pinched a little color into her pale cheeks. She wasn't a complete wreck, but the after effects of having imbibed a few glasses of whiskey the night before were felt in the dull throbbing behind her eyes.<br/><br/>Swinging her door open, she stepped out into the hallway and nearly crashed into a curvy blonde. Stopping short, Abby gasped and laughed at the narrowly avoided impact, "Woah! Sorry about that, Bella." Bella's wide blue eyes stared at Abby in shock, undoubtedly because it was unheard of that Abby was up so early. Usually, the bubbly redhead slept in until just before noon and stumbled down for lunch before getting ready for the rush of business hours. Then, the most unexpected thing happened...Bella's lower lip began to tremble and she flung her arms around Abby, pulling her up against her body and squeezing her in a tight hug. Bella's high voice trembled as she spoke, "Oh, Abby! You must be torn up 'bout Jackson. We all know he wouldn't do nothin' so stupid as shootin' the sheriff without good cause, don't you worry. It'll all get sorted, you'll see!" The girl's hand patted Abby's shoulder consolingly, cradling her in close to her soft breasts and rocking her in that otherwise deserted hallway.<br/><br/>Abby's expressive features exhibited the gamut of her reactions - surprise at the unexpected embrace, confusion at the blonde's strange concern, shock at the implication of what she was being told, and complete and utter panic once it set in. Tearing herself away from Bella's arms, she stared at her in shock, her head shaking in denial, "No! No, that is ridiculous. Jackson wouldn't...He couldn't...He's much too...Where's Lola??" Without waiting to hear a single word from Bella, Abby rushed down the hallway to Lola's room, her fist balled as she pounded on the door and called out, "Lola? LOLA!" When Lola's bedroom door slowly swung open to reveal that the room was empty, Abby turned on her heel and raced down the stairs, nearly tripping on her clumsy feet at least three times.<br/><br/>Whipping into the kitchen, wild eyes sought out the brunette proprietor. Finding her at a table with Eve, she flicked her eyes dismissively past the blonde and settled her attention on Lola. Breath ragged, she shot out a litany of desperate questions, "Lola, what the hell is going on around here? What happened to Jackson?? Is he okay? Oh God, please tell me he's alright." Her last words were a plea, spoken before her eyes welled up in tears at the thought of what very well might have happened to a man accused of shooting the sheriff.