Disclaimer: These folks don't belong to me. Thank Joss Whedon, Annie Proulx, Diana Osana, Larry McMurtry and the award winning casts/crews of both properties. I don't make any profit other than the joy of playing in these fine universes. Rating: NC-17 for the series but this part is kind of an R. Warning:m/m, f/f, m/f couplings in the series. Ch Pairing: Jack & Ennis

The sun was retreating behind the mountains. Not Brokeback Mountain but Pinion Mountain. It had been six days since Jack and Ennis had been cast outside their Eden and sentenced to exile. By the time Aguirre came rumbling up to them it was far too late for covering up. Both boys fully naked, flush on top of each other enjoying the light rain storm as it kissed their flesh roughly coupled on the grassy plateau floor.

"Ya cain't do this shit! It's against God!" Aguirre had thundered, shifted uncomfortably in his saddle and booming down on them, rifle like the Sword of Damocles hovering over their heads. Ennis had jumped up yanking himself out of Jack with a wet sound hurt both of them. Not nearly as much as Aguirre's death stare. They were going to die and it was Ennis's fault. He had always been careful. Made sure not to look to long at anybody man or woman. Kept his eyes low. Didn't want nothing to show but today he could not help himself. Watching Jack with his shirt off tending to the herd had made him insane with wanting him. Jack, for his part, was pleased to be desired and gave Ennis back just as much as he was given. Sucked on Ennis like he was liable to squirt honey and to Jack that's what Ennis's spunk was... no not honey. Ambrosia. The elixer of gods.

The train rumbled over a particularly gravelly patch and jumped and spasmed like it was set to jump the track. In his numbness Ennis had hardly noticed. Woke Jack up though and he was a hard sleeper. His head placed in Ennis's lap Ennis's penis pressing into the back of his neck spurred by memories. Jack turned over onto his back and stared up at Ennis.

"Hey Cowboy," he said mildly.

"Hey yourself." Ennis absently rubbed his hands across Jack's hard abs through his toughspun shirt. Not satisfied he unbuttoned the middle button and tucked his hand inside, connected with Jack's downy fur.

"How long was I out for?" Jack asked voice husky with sleep.

"A few hours. ... Time's funny or somethin'." Ennis offered by way of reply. "In any case we should be there soon."

The train jumped and rattled mightily.

"S'pose we should have a plan once we get there." Jack offered. "I-I aint never been outside this far from Signal before though. Don't rightly know what's out there."

"Me neither." Ennis said miserably. "You think we coulda..."

"No, Ennis. No we couldn't a stayed. Woulda strung us up in the town square for sure. What we done. ... What we are."

"I aint tong xing lian, Jack!" Ennis's violent outburst startled Jack. What startled him more was the depth of Ennis's denial. What else were they?

"Umm okay." was all Jack could say. "Well anyways, after what Aguirre done seen, dont' much matter now do it? We can say whatever we like but they gonna kill us just as sure as I'm layin' here. We done the right thing."

"Alma," Ennis whimpered and dropped his face into his hands as if at this moment Ennis just realized that she knew. Everyone knew. Goddamned Aguirre.

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They rode for the rest of the night and into the next day before stopping. They doubted anyone would come by the car they were stowing away in but just in case, they had retreated behind some boxes. When the train resumed it's trundling gait across the prairie the men came out. There were no more stops until the final destination. They would have to be quick and nimble to get out of the car without being detected by anyone. They would find work and safe passage somewhere. They would be together. On the second night they made love fiercely leaving scratches and shedding tears. The miles stretched out leading them further and further to the only life they had ever known and could never return to. Ennis had dreams of Alma in her wedding dress looking at him waiting for his "I do." filled with pious hopefulness and then something in her face would change and she would regard him with the look of utter revulsion and sadness that he had last seen on her face. She had loved him so she had not led the lynch mob to him as he threw a few clothes and few rations in a sack but her face made it clear that Ennis Del Mar was not ever going to be allowed back into the Signal Township again. He met Jack in the woods near his house and they had crept away toward the train yards, found their salvation and condemnation in one high speed locomotive headed for the coast.

They ran out of the food they brought on the third night. Didn't get to the final destination til almost three days later. Won't in no shape to be nimble but just as the rickety rig was pulling into its final birth, Jack and Ennis got into pre strike poses nonetheless. Took near an hour for the engineer to open up their car. The light that flooded in incapacitated them as they stood on either side of the large sliding door. Luckily the engineer was as unaccustomed to the dark as they were to the pouring light so both parties stayed on their side of the door stunned for a moment shielding eyes. Jack and Ennis looked at each other over the ocean of light gave short nods and hopped out of the car bags in hand then they sprinted in two opposite directions quickly getting swallowed by the bustle of the port. Heard the engineer and his mate yelling after the dirty stowaways.

Met long minutes later. Maybe even an hour. Both boys shaking with hunger and thirst and missing one another. Went to the local brothel. Didn't have no money but did some cleaning and repair work so they's could get a pallet in the storage room and some food. Matron had offered two pallets. Shook her head with knowing when they declined the second. Heard folks fucking all night long. Didn't need no other invitation. Decided to join the chorus.

Next day they was up early. More repair work at the brothel and some cleaning. Matron was pretty nice. Wasn't stingy none. Took care of her girls and boys. Both of which wanted to give the new day workers welcome presents. Boys turned them down polite but also with some embarrassment. Aint never seen no men or women so free with their bodies back 'round Signal way. The whores took to trying to make both boys blush when they could. Twas a happy time even though boys would get so lonesome for home that they would cry in separate corners of the storage room than come back to the bedroll and cling to one another like life preservers. After a month, Matron gave them a small room in the back of the house to share. They started going about helping other folks in the red light district. Got quite a reputation and liked living here even if it did take constant getting used to. Imagined Preacher from back home living one day in this den of sin. Laughed their asses off in the room at night discussing it.

Before they knew it 5 months had gone by and they looked back on that time as mostly good. Started to accept their exile better now, knowing there was a whole planet out there to explore and not everybody wanted to kill them for loving one another. For both boy knew that that was exactly what they shared. Love. Got a bit of wanderlust in 'em. Just sprung out of a sense of endless possibilities. Matron was sad to see her two country boys go and all the red light district came over to her house for a going away party. Gave them money and food and supplies and things to sell for more money. Took part in a small impromptu bacchanal thrown in their honor. Didn't touch any of the other boys but it was enough that they were sharing their lovemaking with so many others in the same space. It felt so freeing, but not something they could completely get used to. Like their entire lives living in a brothel had been.

The next day they headed back down to the docks. Spent some time at the adjoining bazaar changing their bartering goods for money and useful traveling items. Looked for safe passage to ... well anywhere. They needed to see what was out there. Needed to be a part of all there was. Didn't really know the protocol of this thing. Hung back and watched others find work on merchant vessels or in other parts of the world. Some of the barkers looked surly. Some looked downright scary. Jack and Ennis were just about to give up on this whole crazy idea when something caught Jack's eye and his heart with equal interest. He let out a weezy little squeak.

"E-E-Ennis! Do ya see it?"

"See what Jack, huh?" Ennis was always a little cranky in the heat. Lit a cigarette and looked in the direction Jack's eyes were riveted to. First thing he saw was a girl with pigtails. Probably their age. Maybe younger. Hell, if Jack Twist was changing up on him this was cause for alarm.

"Jack," he began uncertainly.

"That's the finest ship I ever did see!" Jack exclaimed.

"Ennis refocused his eyes and let them light on the hulking ship behind the pretty pigtailed girl. He actually let out a sigh of relief but then his face twisted into a look fo confusion. "Ummm, Jack." The uncertainly was back. The ship although solid was not the fines thing they had seen in the last ten minutes let alone the finest one ever. Ennis staid his tounge. This was fine because in the next moment Jack was marching across the yard to where the pony tailed barker stood. She wore an expectant and whistful expression, face open just like his Jack. Ennis had to smile. When she saw them, her face lit up brighter than the sun that beat down on them.

"Howdy!" She said happily.

"Howdy!" Jack chirped back at her laughing a bit. Ennis bringing up the rear and smiling at them despite himself. "Couldn't help but notice this fine ship of yours."

At that Ennis thought that the girl might leap into Jack's arms and kiss him. She seemed very proud of this ship but no way was she her captain. Too young.

"Well, I’m Kaylee. This here's Serenity. She's the smoothest ride from here to Boros for those can pay. ... You can pay right?"

"Um sure we can. Got money, and we're real hard workers." Jack enthused.

"Jack," Ennis said wanting to have a talk about some things before he just climbed onto this ship what looked like a damn bug. Hearing Ennis's cautious voice, Jack pulled him to the side a bit.

"Ennis, we both agreed we wanna get outta here. See the galaxy. Well, I think Serenity is just the place to do that."

"Just cause we spent these last few months with Matron and them dont' mean everyone is like that Jack. We dont' know if these folks gon' string us up just like out own families..."

Before Ennis could finish his concerns, Jack spun around and back over to the pretty little barker. "Look me and my friend here ... we gon' be sharing a room. Do you think anyone on your boat will have a problem with that?"

"I don't see why anyone would..." Something clicked in her head and she gasped. "You two are sweeties?!" She asked merrily trampling on every bit of Ennis's propriety.

"Y-Yessum." Ennis said looking at his feet feeling a bit dizzy. Gal looked like one of the girls he went to church with and she hadn't been happy to find out about Ennis's “sweety”. Not any bit of happy.

"Well, that's not a problem at all. Well, do you have any other luggage in storage or anything? We 'bout read to shove off." the barker said.

"No, ma'am just what we got in our hands." As if on cue a tall cowboy, some might call him dashing Jack realized, came out of the loading hatch. He wore fitted pants and a burgundy shirt with suspenders.

"We're lockin' it up, Kaylee." he bellowed from the gang way.

"Cap'n come meet our new passengers." The captain regarded Kaylee's big smile then took in the two strangers. He didn’t' seem overly impressed. "Plenty of time for tea and biscuits when the boys come on board we got a time table to keep." With that the captain turned and headed inside the darkened ship. Kaylee turned back to the boys.

"We'll see him a little later." she offered her most fetching smile.

"I-I'm Jack by the way, and this here's Ennis, Kaylee. Been nice to meet you."

"Same here. Come on." she said after shaking Ennis's hand too.

"Let's get you two boys settled in."

TBC