Chapter Text
Seven hours after he shot Tommy Bucks at a restaurant, in public, in broad daylight he finally gets to go home. When he walks into the apartment he finds his partner of nearly twenty years on the couch watching the news. The story was about him.
“Did you really give him twenty four hours to get out of town?” Boyd asked.
“Yeah” Raylan sat down on the couch next to him and took off his boots. Boyd just looked at him. He didn’t act angry or even surprised. The media had grabbed a hold of the story and it was not portraying the Marshal service is a good light.
“How badly is Dan taking it?” is what he asked.
“Dan’s transferring me.” Raylan said tiredly.
“Where to?”
“is there an food here?” Raylan asked.
“pizza in the fridge” Boyd figured it must be bad since Raylan was avoiding the question.
“The only place that’ll take me, Lexington.” Raylan got up and wandered into the kitchen. There was silence as Boyd absorbed all the implications of that statement. Boyd wondered if Dan had chosen Kentucky just to be cruel.
“You remember Art Mullen from Glynco?” Raylan said as he popped open the microwave.
“Yeah”
“He’s in charge of that office, Lexington.” Raylan clarified.
“When does he want you up there?” Boyd asked.
“Thursday”
“Today’s Monday” he said incredulously “how does he expect you to move that fast?”
“He just wants me gone.” Raylan said, hurt.
“I’m going to bed; I’ll start on the move in the morning.” Boyd said not wanting to talk with Raylan right then.
“I don’t want to go back there, it’s gonna be hard on both of us.” Raylan said. He was about to offer to quit so he didn’t have to go to Lexington but he loved the job to much, they both knew that. once all this blows over he could transfer somewhere else.
“We’re going home Raylan, it should be easy.” Boyd said before disappearing in the bedroom.
The next morning Raylan went to the office to get his things and finalize all the paperwork. Boyd started ending their lives in Miami. The first thing on his list, and yes he had made a list, was to sell his business. Boyd was the co-owner of a café/bookstore. His partner in the business was Dave, who was also a good friend. He was waiting for him when we walked in. they both walked to the back where their office was located. Dave was shocked to hear about Raylan on the news and was shocked that they had to uproot their lives. Dave bought the other half of the store from him, something he had wanted to do for a while. Boyd took all his personal effects from the office and went back to the apartment.
By that afternoon he had a place in Lexington lined up. It was step down in quality and he was going to start looking for a better place immediately. The phone had been ringing all day. Friends and neighbors had all seen Raylan on the news.
“I can’t believe he would do something like that!”
“Just because he’s a cop doesn’t mean he can just shoot people.”
“Twenty four hours to get out of town? How many westerns does the man watch?”
“Is he okay? I mean he killed someone.”
Boyd told them that he didn’t have any additional news and informed them that they were moving, as Raylan had been transferred. Many friends uttered exclamations of shock and said they would be coming over later to say good bye and to help with the move. When Raylan got home he was not happy to learn their friends were coming over. They didn’t have that many friends, granted, but on the best of days Raylan was not a people person and this was defiantly not one of his better days.
They asked Raylan all about the shooting with great excitement. Boyd spent most of the time running interference and pouring Raylan drinks.
“So where are you moving to?” Kathy asked, she lived in the apartment next to them, she was also their landlord. She occasionally came over for dinner.
“Kentucky” Boyd answered. He found that everyone in the living room was listening.
“Isn’t that where you two are from?” Joe asked.
“Yeah, but we’re moving to Lexington, which is several hours away from home.” Boyd said.
“I bet your family’s glad to see you come home.” Kathy said with a bright smile. Boyd and Raylan shared a look. Their fathers were not going to be glad to see them. They didn’t want their friends to know about that, it was a long story and they were too proud to share something like that.
“Yeah, we’re going to surprise them” Boyd said with a cheerful smile and managed to sound genuinely happy to go home and see his folks
They had left home together at nineteen. They had been working in the coal mines. One day it collapsed and Raylan knew he was leaving. Boyd wanted to stay for some unfathomable reason. Aunt Helen gave him some money to leave Harlan and he took it. He went to Boyd’s hoping he could convince him to go with him. Boyd was the only one home so they stood on the porch in the fading light. Boyd looked heartbroken but still said he couldn’t go. Raylan kissed him goodbye. He meant it to be just a peck on the lips but, neither of them wanted to let go and the kiss seemed to go on forever. It only stopped when he heard someone behind them.
“Jesus Christ!” it was Boyd’s little brother Bowman. He stared at them, eyes wide as saucers, Jaw hanging. Bowman was carrying a red gas can and standing in the driveway. When his truck had run out of gas, Bowman started to walk home, why he went home instead of a gas station, the world will never know. They froze wondering what Bowman would do. Raylan could feel his body sway with the pounding of his heart, that’s how scared he was at that moment.
“Faggot!” Bowman screamed a highly unoriginal line. Then he dropped the gas can and turned and ran away from them, back down the dark driveway. Raylan remembered thinking that was a tad dramatic and that there was no way Bowman was going to keep their secret.
“You have to come with me” Raylan said. Boyd had the saddest expression on his face. Raylan remembered that expression, he had seen it once before, his mother’s funeral.
“Help me pack” was the only thing he said to him the rest of the night. They stuffed all of Boyd’s clothes and few possessions into bags or just piled them in the bed of Raylan’s truck. Then they just started driving.
They had never told that story to anyone. All these friends gathered in their apartment, they didn’t truly know either of them. That was the way it’s always been. He and Boyd were the only ones that really understood. They asked more questions about Kentucky, since apparently it had never been interesting before. Boyd talked about the music and nature. Then he instructed them on how to make moonshine. Everyone seemed enthralled as Boyd slipped into his natural accent and regaled them with tales from coal country. Boyd made it sound a lot nicer than it was, course Boyd could talk anyone into doing anything. In the end everyone said how sorry they were to see them go and very little actually got packed. They were finally alone
“I’m sorry to drag you away from all this” Raylan said once it was just home.
“Actually I’m sort of glad to go, Florida is just too flat.” Boyd admitted.
“I still wish it was anywhere but, Kentucky. They’ll send me to Harlan.”
“You don’t know that.”
“I’m sure of it.”
“Well you can just say that it’s too personal, a conflict of interests. They have to respect that.”
“I suppose.”
***
When they got to their new apartment in Lexington after a long drive they unloaded everything stacking it all in piles in the living room. They dragged the mattress into the bedroom and fell asleep fully clothed on the bare mattress. Boyd had set his phone to go off at six the next morning. When it started beeping it pulled him from a deep sleep. He felt Raylan shove his shoulder repeatedly which he took to mean that he was supposed to make the phone stop beeping.
“You’re the one that has to get up” Boyd said. Raylan mumbled something that sounded like “no I don’t” Boyd got up rubbing his neck, where did they put the pillows? He shut off the phone because it was really annoying. He shuffled over to the living room to find Raylan’s clothes in a cardboard box helpfully labled. When he returned Raylan was still on the mattress, sleeping. Boyd nudged the mattress with his foot.
“Baby, you have to go to work on your first day” Boyd dropped the clothes on the floor next to him. “Take a shower, you smell sweaty.” Boyd walked off to go set up the coffee maker. He heard the shower start a minute later. Boyd went through all the boxes labeled kitchen and had finally found the coffee maker but the coffee itself was an entirely different matter. Raylan appeared in the kitchen with wet hair and rumpled clothes.
“No coffee?” Raylan said taking in the scene.
“No coffee” he confirmed.
“I’ll get some at the office; maybe I’ll get points for being early.”
“If you want to be early you should go now”
“See you later” Boyd didn’t look forward to his day of unpacking.
***
Raylan walked in the Lexington marshal’s office and looked for Art. People stared at him as he walked in. He went towards the office in the back. Art greeted him like an old friend. He didn’t seem too concerned about having him here, just made a quip about the bad coffee. Then Art asked about Harlan, knew he was from there.
“Small town, similar in age. Do you know a Bowman Crowder?”
“Of course” Raylan said what had Bowman gotten himself into?
“He joined the white supremacy movement and has been robbing banks all over Kentucky.” Raylan took a look at the file, Bowman looked a lot like his father, always had but now that he was older it was a bit creepy. Boyd had taken after his mother’s side of the family.
“Is he working for Bo?”
“His father, we’re not sure, but he did just rob a bank in Lexington.” Art said. Raylan rode with him out to the bank. They poked around. Lots of witnesses but, they all said the guys were wearing masks. Two of them had identifying tattoos. Bowman had a swastika on his shoulder. Raylan was briefly introduced to his new co-workers Tim and Rachel. There wasn’t much to do at the scene and before long they were back in the office. Raylan’s desk was in the middle of Tim and Rachel’s.
“I want you to go talk to him.” Art had come up behind him. Raylan knew instantly that he meant Bowman.
“Art, that’s not a good idea, as I’m sure you can imagine; we didn’t get along.” Raylan said. Tim looked up curiously from his work.
“Raylan that was what almost twenty years ago, you’re both adults, things change.”
“I can assure you things have not changed.” Raylan had his hands on his hip. Jesus Christ, didn’t Art understand what he was asking him to do?
“Raylan just go ask him some questions and ask him to come up to Lexington tomorrow for a lineup.”
“You really asking me to do this?” Raylan asked looking at his bosses open face. “There’s a reason, I haven’t gone back there.”
“Yes I am, now face your past.” Art made a shooing motion. Raylan gritted his teeth and headed out. He was provided a long black car and he started driving toward Harlan. The marshals knew that Bowman ran things out of an old church. Raylan figured he would try his house first. He had married Ava he knew. She answered the door and had a big smile for him. He kissed her on the check and asked to speak to Bowman.
“He’ll be back in a few, come on in Raylan, what brings you here?” She tucked a stray lock of hair behind her ear.
“I’m with the United States marshal service, here on official business.” Raylan made it clear this wasn’t a social call.
“Your momma told me you joined, she was real proud.”
“Really” Raylan was a bit surprised to hear that.
“Are you and Boyd…?” She made a gesture with her hand, he had no idea what it meant but, figured out what she was asking anyway.
“Still together, yes.”
“after all this time? That’s amazing” she said. Raylan quirked an eyebrow at her “I bet you two look real cute together.”
“I wouldn’t know” he gave a small smile.
“You want a drink?”
“A water would be great.”
“Bowman’s not going to be happy to see you.” Ava looked concerned.
“I know.”
“You shouldn’t have come.” Ava handed him the glass.
“My boss asked me to.” Raylan said.
“Did your boss know what he was sending you into?”
“I’m not sure” Raylan answered as he heard a truck pull up to the house.
“Ava, why don’t go upstairs” Raylan suggested. Raylan knew she didn’t want to be told what to do in her own house but, she was scared. Scared for him which was a strange feeling. She went into another room of the house, Raylan didn’t know where she was going but, then the front door swung open and he didn’t have any time to think about it.
“Ava, whose cars that out there?” Bowman bellowed.
“It’s mine” Raylan stepped into the hallway acting casual but, his hand was on his hip next to his holster. Bowman seemed shocked to see him.
“What are you doing here fag?” Bowman wasn’t as tall as his father but, he was broad and looked mean. How Ava could stand to be in the same house as him he’ll never know.
“I’m with the Marshals; I have a few questions for you.”
“Get out of my house.” Bowman commanded. Raylan didn’t take well to people telling him what to do.
“There’s a lineup at the courthouse at two, you need to be there.” Raylan said even though Bowman probably wasn’t listening.
“Get out of my fucking house before I drag you out.”
“Bowman, I am here as an officer of the law” Raylan was saying when suddenly Bowman pulled a glock out of his waistband. Raylan didn’t expect it to escalate this quickly. Raylan didn’t break eye contact as he raised his hand in the air.
“You’re gonna pay for what you done to my brother.” Bowman said. Raylan didn’t know how to respond to that without pissing him off further. He should say something; defend Boyd at the very least. Before he could think of something Bowman was moving, ramming into him and bringing him to the ground. Raylan struggled to lift Bowman’s weight off of him. A fist connected to his jaw. He blanked for a moment then moved his arm looking for his gun.
The fist hit him again, splitting his cheekbone. He felt the gun in his hand but, Bowman saw it first. The gun was wrestled away from him. He took another blow. He struggled but Bowman held him down. A couple more blows, he lost count. Bowman stood then. He was shouting something at him but his ears were ringing then a kick, a boot to the ribs. Raylan curled instinctively into to ball. Did he bring his backup gun with him? It was still in Boyd’s car or the house or somewhere. Something stopped Bowman. Ava was holding a rifle.
“You will not beat a man in my house, especially not a lawman. Do you understand how stupid this is” Ava shouted.
“You know what he is!” Bowman was still angry.
“And that’s personal business between you and him; he is here for the Marshal’s not for personal stuff. Raylan can you walk?” she addressed him.
“Yeah” he answered and pushed himself to his feet, grabbing his hat as he stood. As soon as he was upright the vertigo hit and he slumped against the wall. Ava didn’t make a move to help, she was covering Bowman.
“Can I have my service weapon back?” he knew he shouldn’t push but, just couldn’t help himself. Bowman did hand him the gun glaring daggers at him the whole time. A shiver went up his spine. He didn’t want to be afraid of Bowman. He walked out without another word. He got into his car and drove away quickly just in case Bowman changed his mind and took a shot at him. Raylan probably shouldn’t have been driving but, he did it anyway. He stopped at a gas station to use the bathroom. He washed the blood off of his face. His split lip started to bleed again. The clerk gave him a sympathetic look as he paid for a slim Jim and a bottle of water. He got to Lexington and he decided to go to the courthouse first and tell Art that he had been unsuccessful. He wanted to put off seeing Boyd; he was going to be pissed.
As soon as he walked into the office he drew attention, his new co-workers that he had only met briefly. They were all staring, gawking. He wasn’t sure why he had come here. All he had to report was that Bowman was uncooperative and probably wouldn’t show up at the lineup tomorrow. Some part of him wanted to flaunt his bruises. He walked into Art’s office and started talking before Art could look up from signing his name.
“I told him about the lineup tomorrow but, I doubt he’ll show.”
“Did he have anything else to say for himself?” Art asked, flipping through the papers to find where to initial.
“We didn’t really talk much” Raylan admitted. Art finally looked up from the paperwork.
“Jesus H. Christ, what happened?”
“Things don’t change. Do you have anything else you need me to do today?”
“No, just go home and get some rest.” Art looked like he had other things to say but couldn’t find out how to phrase it. Raylan shrugged and walked back out of the office and drove to the apartment to face Boyd.
He let himself into the apartment and found Boyd in the kitchen making dinner. Boyd turned to look at him. His face contorted to a mask of anger when he saw the state of his face.
“I went down to Harlan” Raylan started to explain. “Your brother’s been robbing banks and Art asked me to go talk to him.”
“So you went to go talk to him… why?”
“Art asked me too.”
“Raylan you have never done anything that you didn’t want to do on some level. You should have waited to go down there. ” Raylan heard the unspoken, you should have gone down with me.
“I know.”
“You arrest him for anything?”
“No.”
“So you accomplished nothing on your trip.” Boyd sat a plate in front of him.
“Ava was happy to see me. She even pointed a rifle at Bowman to stop him. Said she thought we would look cute together.”
“Did she?” Boyd raised an eyebrow in surprise.
“Bo’s in prison right now for assault and a minor drug charge, only has a little bit of time left on his sentence.”
“I’m sure Bowman is out spreading the word of our dastardly ways right now.”
“I sure they have been talking about it all these years, we’re old news.” Raylan said. Boyd raised his eyebrow skeptically at that.
“It doesn’t matter; we’re not scared boys anymore.”