#macjones

Lenny and a hungover Sean join Kieran for an impromptu fishing trip.

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"Ughhh, I feel like dog shite..."

"Yeah, you look like it, too."

Sean didn't even have the willpower to respond to Karen's snark. He had a splitting headache and couldn't see straight. All he could do was groan, flopping over in his seat.

"Get off o' me, dammit!" Karen yelled as he dropped all his body weight against her. She shoved him off and whirled round, impulsively raising her hand to smack him, but the impact never came. Her face fell as she finally got a good look at him. 

He really did look terrible.

Well, more than usual, she thought to herself.

"Sean? How much did you drink last night?"

If he could think clearly, he might have reveled at the note of concern in her voice. Instead, he simply groaned again, his head pounding. Someone was chopping wood, the dog was barking, Grimshaw was yelling at Arthur for turning up to camp encrusted with dried blood...there was just too much noise.

"Hang on--"

Karen disappeared for a minute, returning shortly with Hosea in tow. Sean cringed, already sensing the unimpressed look the old man was giving him.

"What am I going to do with you, boy?" Hosea put a hand to Sean's forehead, staring into his unfocused eyes to gauge just how bad his condition was. He slapped the boy's cheek lightly a few times, earning a wince as each strike reverberated in his skull. "Come on, Sean."

"Pipe downnn...too loud," the ginger whined. Karen crossed her arms and looked to Hosea, who tutted and reluctantly called for Lenny.

"Lenny," he said as the boy came running over, "can you take Mr MacGuire here out of camp for a bit? He needs to rest somewhere quiet until his hangover wears off."

"Sure," Lenny agreed immediately. Hosea gave an appreciative nod and left the inebriated Irishman in his hands. Karen's blue eyes lingered on Sean a moment longer.

"Watch out he doesn't keel over and die on ya," she told Lenny, but the bite just wasn't there. Lenny wasn't sure what to make of it. After Karen had taken her leave, he crouched to wave a hand in front of his friend's face.

"Hey, can ya hear me?"

Sean slurred Lenny's name, laughed, and immediately regretted it, letting out a string of curses as he was hit by a sudden dizzy spell. Lenny made a face -- this wasn't going to be easy.

He slung one of Sean's arms over his shoulder, hoisting the man to his feet and dragging him along to the edge of camp. Sean was in no condition to ride, and Lenny didn't fancy sharing saddle and risking his passenger throwing up on his shoulder. Nope, they'd have to take the wagon.

The pair stumbled by the horse station, passing Kieran as he dutifully brushed the gang's mounts. He looked up and immediately voiced his concern.

"Uh, everythin' alright over there, fellers?"

"He'll be fine, just hungover like you wouldn't believe," Lenny assured him, even as he huffed under his companion's dead weight. "I'm just gettin' him outta camp for a bit. Hosea says some peace and quiet'll do him some good."

Kieran noticed him struggling and hesitantly asked if he needed a hand. Lenny paused, glancing at Sean, who groaned pitifully, barely able to keep his eyes open. He turned back to Kieran.

"Yeah, actually -- help me get this fool in the wagon."

Together, they hauled Sean onto the back of the wagon and laid him down gently. The lad promptly passed out and they tossed a blanket over him, making him as comfortable as they could.

"Heh, thanks," Lenny smiled as Kieran stepped away from the wagon. "For a skinny fella, he sure weighs a lot more than he looks."

Kieran just nodded, taking that as his cue to leave.

"Hey, you wanna come with us?"

"Eh?" He stopped in his tracks, looking back at Lenny in confusion. 

Had he heard right? Was he actually being invited to be part of something?

"I know you don't get out much," Lenny pointed out with a raised eyebrow. "And besides, he's hardly gonna be much company," he snorted, gesturing at Sean's unconscious form. Kieran's lips quirked into a small smile.

"Well, uh--I mean, yeah, alright," Kieran answered, nervously optimistic. "Where are y'all headed?"

Lenny's eyes turned skyward as he hummed in thought. "Ain't sure yet...just has to be quiet, away from the towns and away from trouble." 

"Hm..." Kieran scratched at his beard thoughtfully. "Wait! I think I--I might know just the place. Just...give me a second--"

He took off, comically dashing over to where his few possessions were stored. Lenny watched as he scrambled around for something, buckets clanging as Kieran knocked them over in his excited haste. He soon returned with an armful of equipment, loading it carefully into the wagon. 

Fishing tackle, Lenny noted, glancing curiously over his shoulder. He'd never been particularly keen on the sport, but he wasn't going to tell Kieran that. Not when Kieran was beaming with all the excitement of a child on Christmas morning. He leaned over to offer a hand, pulling Kieran up onto the wagon seat beside him.

"Okay, then," he said, flicking the reins. "Let's go!"

"It's just over here, down through the trees."

Lenny followed Kieran's directions, carefully manoeuvering the wagon down as close to the shore as he could get it.

"There's a real catch lurkin' round here. Massive bluegill," Kieran told Lenny as the wagon pulled to a stop. "Arthur and I were down here the other day but we didn't manage to snag 'im." He jumped out of the seat, rushing to grab his fishing equipment, a determined grin plastered on his face. "Here's hopin' today's the day!"

Lenny had never seen Kieran so carefree. It was decidedly refreshing -- his personality was coming through, no longer squashed under layers of fear. Maybe he could actually get to know the guy a little, now that he was opening up.

"Arthur went fishing with you?" The surprise was evident in Lenny's voice as they got situated at the edge of the lake.

"M-hm," Kieran hummed, setting a bucket down by his feet and assembling his fishing rod.

"Well, damn. Seems you're really settling in, then, Kieran," Lenny said, taking a seat on one of the big rocks scattered along the shore. "If Arthur reckons you're okay, that's good enough for me."

Kieran paused to look over at him. "Yeah?"

"I mean, I don't really know you, but you don't seem like a bad fella to me," Lenny shrugged. "Don't take this the wrong way, but you gotta be the most unintimidating outlaw I ever met."

Kieran huffed a bitter laugh, looking down as he resumed fiddling with the rod. "I never exactly meant to become one, y'know. An outlaw."

"No one ever does." 

A silence settled between them while Kieran readied the special lake lure Arthur had tossed at him, saying it was just a little something he'd found and that Kieran would probably get more use out of it, keen fisherman that he was. 

He heard a faint rustling sound and looked over to see Lenny opening a book he'd brought to pass the time. Kieran's illiteracy had never bothered him too much before but he couldn't help but feel inadequate now, enviously watching Lenny turn the pages as his dark eyes chased the words across the page. His thoughts fell out of his mouth before he could stop himself.

"...You close with Mary-Beth?"

Lenny lifted his eyes, making a face at the random question.

"We're friends, sure...why?"

Kieran kept his attention on the lake as he pulled the rod back to cast a line. "I don't know...you both love reading," he said, shrugging meekly. "You got somethin' in common is all."

"I mean, sure, we both like reading, but it ain't really something we bond over," Lenny told him. "I read to learn. She reads to escape. You know what I mean?"

Kieran wasn't entirely sure he did, but he gave a vague nod, recalling a snippet of an earlier conversation.

"So, the only thing that makes you happy...is being in your head somewhere else?" His silly little comment had made her laugh, flashing a wide, genuine smile that crinkled her blueish-green eyes. She was so pretty, he almost felt unworthy to look upon her.

"We ain't that close," Lenny's voice assured him, bringing him out of his memory. "Besides, rumour has it she's got her eye on someone." 

Kieran whipped around so quick he gave poor Lenny a fright, the book almost toppling right out of his hands.

"What--? Who?"

Before Kieran could pry any more information out of the poor kid, the pair were startled by the instantly recognisable sound of someone forcibly emptying the contents of their stomach. Turning, they found Sean sitting up, leaning over the side of the wagon as he gagged and puked.

"Charming," Kieran commented, wincing at the sight. Not for the first time, he was glad he didn't drink. He'd tried once or twice, but it had never ended well; he was appallingly lightweight, blindsided by just a couple of bottles. 

God knows how many Sean had in his system.

After a few minutes, the Irishman wiped his mouth on his sleeve, slipping down from the wagon. They could hear him cursing under his breath as he stumbled over to the beach.

"Well, look who's finally awake. Nice of you to join us."

"Sod off, Leonard," Sean spat. He squinted at Kieran's face, shaded by the brim of his hat. "That you, O'Driscoll?"

Kieran shot him a dirty look. He'd thought by now they were past that stupid misnomer. He grit his teeth to keep from snapping.

Gettin' mighty sick of this.

"My name's Kieran."

Sean scoffed and rolled his eyes, giving him a half-hearted shove. "Keep yer shirt on, Duffy, I'm just messin wit' ya." He plopped down onto the same perch as Lenny, leaning his elbow on his knee. "Movin' up in the world, you are. Playin' wit' the real big boys now," he snickered.

"Uh-huh," Kieran muttered, not at all convinced considering Sean had been lying comatose in the back of a wagon for half the day. 

"So, gents. Heh. What're we doing here?" Sean asked, finally registering his surroundings. Kieran took it upon himself to fill him in.

"We were only really out here on account of'you being drunk as a skunk and needin' somewhere quiet to rest your head."

"Ah," Sean laughed nervously. "Got the lot of us out of doin' chores, though, didn't I? Eh?" 

"You really oughta quit drinkin' so much, y'know. Ain't good for ya." 

"I appreciate yer concern, Duffy, but I'll do what I like, thank you very much," Sean retorted, conjuring a hidden flask out of his pocket.

"Hey--! Jesus, Sean, give it a rest!" Lenny scolded, snatching the flask away before Sean could bring it to his lips. "He's right, you'll kill yourself this way. Ain't you ever thought where you're gonna end up in a few years' time?" Lenny may have been the youngest of them, but in that moment, he sounded an awful lot like a disapproving parent lecturing a child. Sean just scoffed at him.

"Pfft, no. I'm a man o' the present, Lenny, I live in the now. Got no time to be worryin' what tomorrow'll bring." 

He tried to act brash and unaffected, but there was a note of doubt in Sean's tone. An uncertainty that they all felt but tried not dwell on too much. The silence settled in again, until--

"Whoa--!" 

All attention was on Kieran now as he perked up at a tug on the line. "I think I've got the big one, alright!" he cried, straining to fight against the pull. He struggled for a while, furiously reeling in the line when he was able to catch a break. Whatever he'd hooked wasn't giving up without a fight.

Kieran's boots were dangerously close to losing their grip on the shore. Another fierce jolt and his footing slipped.

"Shit--!"

"Gotcha!" Sean caught him by the shoulder, keeping him from tumbling into the water. "Tryin' to go for a swim, eh, Duffy?" he laughed.

"Shut up," Kieran smirked. "Help me out here." He continued wrestling with the line with Sean on standby to anchor him. "I...think I've almost...got 'im..." he grunted. "Almost--"

Lenny appeared on Kieran's other side to keep him steady as his feet threatened to slide on the bank once more. He and Sean watched on in amazement as Kieran finally reeled in his catch.

"Yes! I got it!" Kieran cheered, hauling in the biggest bluegill they'd ever laid eyes on.

"Would ya look at the bloody size o' that thing!" Sean hollered in disbelief.

"Not bad, Kieran," Lenny praised, clapping the grinning fisherman on the shoulder. "Pearson's gonna love this."

Kieran was brimming with pride. Actively bringing in food to put on the table was bound to earn him some respect from the gang. This could work out really well for him.

"I uh, think I grabbed some spare rods, if you fellers wanna try for yourselves," he invited the others as he unhooked his catch and tossed it in the bucket. Lenny and Sean looked at each other for a moment.

"Eh, what the hell, not doin' much else anyway...bet I can nab a better catch than you, Summers!" 

"Oh, yeah?" Lenny challenged. "Tell you what, you're on, and if you're wrong, you're gonna sit your ass down and read--ah, don't try to back out now--!"

They returned triumphantly that afternoon, all three of them crammed into the front seat, bantering like the best of friends. Sean was still sulking about losing the bet, Lenny was feeling very smug for the same reason, and Kieran, in the driver's seat, was feeling more hopeful than he had in a while. The smile hadn't left his face, seemingly stuck there while he basked in the feeling of being accepted and having everything go his way for once. It felt too good to be true.

Kieran parked the wagon, and they all clambered out. He happened to glance toward the camp and catch the one and only Mary-Beth looking over at him. If he didn't know better, he'd think she were blushing as they locked eyes, but no. Her cheeks were always rosy, weren't they? 

"Rumour has it she's got her eye on someone."

She smiled and waved at him, and he felt his heart skip a beat. He was still riding the day's high and couldn't even find it in him to second-guess her kind gesture. He could fret about Lenny's words later. For now, he offered a lopsided smile of his own, returning her gesture without a qualm.

A hand landed on his shoulder, and he faltered for a split second, worried that Javier or one of the others had seen him wave at Mary-Beth and come to threaten him for pushing his luck. He was very relieved when it only turned out to be his companions, thrusting the bucket of fish into his hands and steering him towards the chuckwagon.

"Well, come on, then; we can't take all the credit!" they laughed.

Kieran smiled and allowed himself to be ushered away. He glanced at Sean and Lenny out the corners of his eyes as the three of them walked along. He couldn't remember the last time he'd had actual friends his age.

The long, lonesome highway he'd been travelling all these years was behind him now. Maybe, just maybe, his life was finally headed in a better direction.

The company was certainly better, that was for sure.

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Yes, this was literally just me looking for an excuse to have this trio hang out.

In a modern AU she would get a girlfriend at some point and after they decided to be exclusive Sean would somehow end up sleeping with the girlfriend, leading to a breakup and Sean and Karen having a huge fight.

And then Arthur and Lenny come over for beers while they are fighting, Sean cries about it to Lenny while they're gaming in the living room, meanwhile Karen complains to Arthur in the kitchen.