From The Gallows, pt 6

The pair had worked for the rest of the day in silence. Malt immediately reported the incident on the road to everybody he could find, and made sure no teams were walking alone. Malt would gather up a group to deal with the Hanged Men as soon as he could, but the village still needed to be rebuilt, so he worked just as hard as the day before, and Jolinaxas with him, hoping somehow rebuilding the village would make up for all he'd done.


Malt had stopped him, before the two went back to Tao Ranch in a group with some of the others. "This doesn't mean you're clean, snake." Malt had said. "Not by a long shot. But Rose sees something in you, and I can tell you're trying. You keep out of trouble and work hard, and we won't have any problems." Jolinaxas could only muster the strength to nod. With the Hanged Men out there, apparently gunning for him, he could only think about Rose, who was still out, wherever she'd gone, completely alone. Jolinaxas was praying to anyone who'd listen that she made it back home and was waiting for him, safe and sound.


He hastened his pace as much as he could when the hut came into view. After today, there was nothing he wouldn't give to once again be in Rose's sweet embrace. He only hoped she was there. Jolinaxas heart leapt into his throat as he opened the door to the Blackhats' house, and it skipped a beat when all he saw inside was a strange Trapinch.


Fury focused the former bandit like an arrow as vengeance wreathed his heart. He surged forward, a promise of wrath on his lips and death on his mind. "If you've done ANYTHING-" Rose tackled Jolinaxas playfully from the side. "Suhprise, sugah!" The Trapinch exuberantly joined the dogpile as well. "Dada!"


Jolinaxas stared, blinking. He wasn't sure what was going on. Had the Trapinch just called him "dada"? It had. Why would it do that? That didn't make any sense. "Dada!" The Trapinch repeated, playfully bounding on top of Jolinaxas. Had it always been that small? It looked bigger when he first saw it.


"Rose...?" Jolinaxas said, hoping she could shed some light on the situation. "Sugah, ah remember what y'all told me about how y'all never knew youh fathuh...Promise me yah won't be angry, sugah, but thehe was a whole mess a li'l ones who didn't have no parents, and ah thought..." Rose kissed Jolinaxas on the tip of his snout. "...Ah thought maybe we could give one some."


Jolinaxas rubbed his snout against Rose's, happy to see her. "Whatever you want, darlin'! We can go get six more!" Rose couldn't help but laugh. Jolinaxas' happiness was infectious. "What's got you all...why, ah don't even know how tah describe it! Ah was worried y'all would be mad." The Ekans took a moment to smile broadly towards his sweetheart. "Ah jus' realized some things're more important today, is all. What's the little feller's name?"


"Adam." Rose said, watching the Trapinch scuttle around energetically. Jolinaxas watched in consternation as a noon-day sun climbed into the sky, to shine light down through the hole in the ceiling. Adam seemed content to sunbathe under it. "Oh. He knows Sunny Day, too. ...He really likes using it."


"Huh." The Ekans said, scratching the back of his head with his tail. "That might be a problem." Just then, two knocks came from the door. Jolinaxas looked over, his face a mask. "Honey, git Adam, and stay quiet." The Dratini picked up on the mood quickly, and a worried frown spread over her features. "Sugah, what's wrong? Who is it?" Jolinaxas couldn't look towards her. His gaze was locked onto the front door, as if any moment it would jump at him and attack. "I ran into Hanged Men on the road earlier today."


Rose grew silent in her fear. She quietly ushered Adam to the back of the hut and tried to keep him quiet. Jolinaxas answered the door with trepidation, opening it just a crack. His fears were confirmed, when he saw a Vulpix on the other side...but she was alone. "Buenas noches, don Yolinaxas." Esperanza was trying to be her usual coy self, but Jolinaxas could hear the strain in her voice.


Somewhat relieved, Jolinaxas let the door swing open wider. "Esperanza, it's jus' you. What in blazes are the Hanged Men doin' here? What does Ike want with me?" Rose peaked over to see who was visiting, but her expression darkened immediately. She slithered over to the door. "Oh, Esperanza, how delightful. Y'all interrupted us. We wehe about tah have dinner with our son." Adam, all smiles, cheerfully bounded after Rose. "Mama!"


Esperanza looked at the Trapinch in utter shock, before looking from Rose to Jolinaxas. The Ekans rolled his eyes. "Not that it's a lick o' yer business, but he's adopted. Why are ya here?" Esperanza seemed to breathe a lot easier knowing Ekans and Dratini didn't spawn insects. "Dat child ees so espantoso! It ees like a big mouth weeth teeths."


Rose was very clearly unamused. "Thank y'all foh visitin'." Rose said, her tone completely flat. Jolinaxas just barely managed to stop her from slamming the door shut. "Honey, please, Esperanza saved me on the road today." Rose's frills quivered in frustration, but she stayed at the door. Like hell she was going to leave Jolinaxas alone with that she-demon! "Why are they after me, Esperanza?" Jolinaxas asked again.


Esperanza was distracted enough from her rivalry to answer Jolinaxas. "Eet ees your father, don Yolinaxas. Gideon has come back to Snakebite Canyon." The Blackhats stared at Esperanza in disbelief. "Why would they come aftuh Jolin? How would they even know they'he related? We haven't been in Snakebite foh months!" Rose demanded, incredulously.


Esperanza laughed daintily, sitting back on her haunches. "You are joking, si? Don Yolinaxas wears his father's collar. Dere are only two who wear dem." Esperanza's demeanor became serious once more. "Gideon ees stopping de Hanged Men wherever he goes, but he ees too smart for Harvey to catch him. Harvey wants to hurt Gideon through you."


Jolinaxas felt like he'd been pole axed. "My father...is alive?" Esperanza nodded solemnly. "After more den ten years, he has come back to protect de city." Jolinaxas was speechless. After a while, he was able to muster up a few words of gratitude. "...Thanks, Esperanza." Esperanza stood up. "For you, Yolinaxas..." Her tails brushed under Jolinaxas' chin as she turned. "...anything."


Esperanza bounded away, only moments ahead of Rose. "Ah'd thank y'all tah leave, you hussy!" Jolinaxas looked toward Rose and remained quiet. "Rosie." He whispered. "Ah'm goin' back." Rose's eyes softened. "What?! Jolin, no, you can't..." Jolinaxas shook his head. "Ah've gotta. Harvey's goons won't go while ah'm here, and sooner or later, somebody's gonna get hurt. ...And my father..."


Rose looked into his saddened face. "Ah'll go with you, sugah." Jolinaxas' gaze turned towards Adam, who'd taken to sunbathing under the hole in the roof again. His son. "The kid can't go, Rosie. Ya gotta stay." Rose's eyes teared up. "Jolin, you can't! Y'all just can't!" Jolinaxas didn't say a word. His resolute look said it all.


The Dratini collapsed onto Jolinaxas, no longer able to hold back tears. "P-promise me," she said, in between quiet sobs. "Promise me you'll come back." Jolinaxas gently caressed Rose with his tail. "Ah promise."

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