Day Three- Morning<br/><br/>Irene frowned at Sam.  “Why would anyone hate the Rangers?” she asked.  “I mean...you were doing a job...a necessary job.  And, some went on to be Marshalls, so their qualifications must be the same and everyone sure thinks the US Marshalls shit don’t stink,” she said, wriggling as he tickled her.<br/><br/>She pressed up from him and looked down at him, at the scars.  “Oh.  Those ‘them,’” she said, shifting to one side on her knee and leaning down to kiss those scars.  “That which doesn’t kill you makes you stronger, Sam.”  Sitting back up, she smiled down at him.  “You sound a little like me.”  She raised her eyebrows and widened her eyes.  “Disparaging remarks about your profession...”<br/><br/>Irene dragged her leg across Sam’s legs and moved to sit beside him.  She smiled, picking up his hand to lay his palm across hers almost like they were going to arm wrestle, thumbs crossed.  She smoothed his hand on hers, resting their stacked hands on her knee.<br/><br/>“Who said you’d leave me behind?  I’ve got skills, Sam,” she looked down at their hands, then.  “I mean, I could ride along if you have some loose ends that need tying up,” she added.  “Moving around seems kind of nice to me...seeing something more than desert and the same thirty people across a bar top,” she looked at him from under her lashes, her smile dimpling one cheek.  “I could stand to see one person everyday, just not those same thirty drunks who come here to forget where ‘here’ is,” she said, knowing Sam would understand she was talking about him being the one person.<br/><br/>It was novel to sit and talk, to talk about a future with someone and believe in it.  Irene sighed, though.<br/><br/>“But, for now at least, I need to go downstairs and make sure the bar is covered, Sam.  I’m not a popular girl, you see.  And, I rarely need a back-up.”  She didn’t move, though.  “I should take the dishes down, too.  The flies will be thicker than molasses if those bones are here much longer...”  She turned to look at the table with the remnants of their meals still there.<br/><br/>“I’ll find my replacement and then I’ll request some more hot water.”  She looked back at Sam.  “Then, we can have the day.”  She stared at him, smiling slowly.<br/>