Chapter 12: The Bar Fight Gone Wrong
The saloon was alive with noise, the clatter of glasses, the clinking of coins, and the hum of conversation blending into a rowdy symphony typical of a night in the Wild West. The smoky air was thick with the scent of whiskey and the sweat of men who’d spent too much time on the trail and not enough in a bath. Buck and Abilene walked in, their eyes scanning the room. They had been through hell lately, and a bit of downtime was more than welcome.
“Now this is more like it,” Buck muttered under his breath, tipping his hat back as he made his way to the bar. 
Abilene chuckled,
“Don’t get too comfortable. We’re just passing through, remember?”
Buck gave her a sideways grin.
“What, you don’t wanna settle down here, make an honest man outta me?”
Abilene rolled her eyes and elbowed him lightly.
“Keep dreaming, cowboy.”
They took their seats at the bar, Buck ordering a whiskey and Abilene a shot of tequila. The bartender, a grizzled old man with a long, bushy mustache, slid their drinks across the worn wooden counter with practiced ease.
As Buck tossed back his whiskey, his attention was drawn to a group of men playing poker at a nearby table. The table was crowded, chairs askew as the men leaned in over their cards, all of them intent on the game except one.
There was a tall, lanky cowboy sitting at the edge of the group, his hat pulled low over his eyes, a toothpick hanging from the corner of his mouth. His eyes weren’t on the cards; they were on Abilene. Buck noticed the look in the man’s eyes and felt a spark of irritation flicker in his chest.
“Looks like you’ve got an admirer,” Buck remarked, nodding toward the poker table.
Abilene glanced over, spotting the lanky cowboy staring at her. She smirked and turned back to Buck.
“Jealous already?”
Buck snorted,
“Not in a million years.”
As if on cue, the lanky cowboy stood up, swaggering over to the bar with all the confidence of a man who thought he owned the place. He tipped his hat to Abilene, flashing a grin that was missing a few teeth.
“Well, ain’t you the prettiest thing I’ve seen all night,” the cowboy drawled.
Abilene took a slow sip of her tequila, not bothering to respond. Buck turned slightly on his stool, giving the cowboy a once-over.
“Move along, friend,” Buck said coolly. “She’s not interested.”
The cowboy chuckled, clearly undeterred. “Now, I ain’t talkin’ to you, am I? Why don’t you let the lady speak for herself?”
Abilene rolled her eyes and set her glass down with a little more force than necessary. “I don’t need to say anything. My friend here speaks for both of us.”
The cowboy’s grin faded slightly, his eyes narrowing at Buck. “You got a problem, fella?”
“Only if you don’t walk away,” Buck replied, his voice steady.
The tension between the two men thickened, drawing the attention of several patrons nearby. The saloon’s din quieted, as the anticipation of a fight began to hang in the air. 
The cowboy seemed to weigh his options before deciding on the worst one.
“You know, I don’t take kindly to being told what to do,” he said, puffing out his chest.
Buck sighed, already tired of this nonsense. “And I don’t take kindly to people bothering my friends. So how ‘bout you—”
Before Buck could finish, the cowboy swung at him, his fist sailing through the air. Buck ducked, the punch narrowly missing his head. In the confusion, Buck stood up quickly and aimed a punch of his own, except—he hit the wrong guy.
With a loud crack, Buck’s fist connected with the jaw of a burly miner standing behind the cowboy, causing the man to stumble back and crash into another group of patrons. Drinks flew, tables overturned, and within seconds, the entire saloon erupted into chaos.
“What the hell, Buck?!” Abilene shouted over the noise, her voice incredulous.
“Wasn’t my fault!” Buck yelled back, dodging a flying chair.
The miner, now furious, charged at Buck, knocking him backward into the bar. Buck barely had time to recover before another man grabbed him by the collar, swinging him around and sending him crashing into a table. Cards and coins scattered everywhere as Buck tried to disentangle himself from the mess.
Meanwhile, the lanky cowboy had recovered from his initial surprise and decided to join the fray. He lunged at Buck, only to be intercepted by Abilene, who kicked him square in the stomach, sending him sprawling to the floor.
“Stay down,” Abilene hissed, her eyes blazing with anger.
The cowboy groaned, clutching his midsection, but he wasn’t done yet. He scrambled to his feet, reaching for a bottle on the bar. As he raised it to swing at Abilene, Buck intercepted him, grabbing the bottle and smashing it against the counter before pressing the jagged edge to the cowboy’s throat.
“You really want to do this?” Buck growled.
The cowboy’s eyes widened in fear, and he slowly shook his head. Buck pushed him back, sending him stumbling into a group of men who immediately began to pummel him. 
But the fight was far from over. Across the saloon, patrons were trading punches, hurling insults, and swinging anything they could get their hands on. The bartender ducked behind the counter, muttering curses as his saloon was systematically destroyed.
Buck and Abilene were doing their best to stay out of the crossfire, but it was like trying to dodge raindrops in a storm. A burly man with a thick beard lunged at Buck, and this time, Buck connected his punch with the right target, sending the man crashing into a nearby table.
Abilene grabbed a whiskey bottle and smashed it over the head of another would-be assailant. “I thought you were supposed to be the cool, calm one!” she shouted at Buck, her voice full of exasperation.
“I was cool!” Buck retorted, dodging another punch. “Till I got dragged into this!”
Another man lunged at Buck, and in the scuffle, Buck was thrown against the bar once more. His hat was knocked off, and he swore under his breath as he fought to regain his balance.
Amidst the chaos, Buck caught sight of a woman sitting at the edge of the bar, calmly sipping her drink, completely unfazed by the madness around her. Her calm demeanor was so out of place that it threw Buck off for a moment, and he almost got hit by another stray punch. He ducked just in time, but the distraction was enough for a nearby patron to grab him by the shirt.
“You’ve had enough fun, pal,” the man sneered, pulling back for a punch. 
Buck, now thoroughly fed up, brought his knee up, catching the man in the stomach and sending him to the ground gasping for air. “I don’t think so,” Buck muttered, shaking his head.
Abilene, meanwhile, was holding her own, but the sheer number of brawlers was starting to wear on her patience. “Buck, I think we’re done here!” she called out, sidestepping a wild swing.
“Agreed!” Buck replied, glancing around for an exit. He spotted the back door, partially hidden behind a heavy curtain. “This way!”
They both started making their way toward the door, but not before Abilene had to fend off one last attacker a grizzled old prospector who seemed to think he could win her over by force. She dodged his clumsy attempt to grab her, sending him spinning into a nearby table where he crashed with a loud thud.
Finally, they reached the back door, shoving it open and tumbling out into the cool night air. They slammed the door behind them, leaning against it as they caught their breath, the sounds of the bar fight still raging inside.
Buck looked over at Abilene, who was trying to smooth down her disheveled hair. He couldn’t help but laugh, a deep, hearty laugh that seemed to take even him by surprise.
“What the hell was that?” Abilene asked, half-laughing herself despite the ridiculousness of the situation.
“I think I just started a bar fight by mistake,” Buck admitted, shaking his head.
Abilene raised an eyebrow.
“By mistake? You punched the wrong guy, Buck!”
“Hey, he was in the way,” Buck protested, still grinning.
Abilene shook her head in disbelief. “Only you could turn a simple drink into a full-blown brawl.”
Buck chuckled, pulling his hat back on and straightening his shirt. “Well, at least we know how to make an exit.”
They both laughed, the tension of the evening melting away as they stood there, side by side in the quiet night. After a few moments, Buck sighed and straightened up, his smile softening as he looked at her.
“Let’s get outta here before they figure out we’re gone,” he suggested.
Abilene nodded, still grinning as they began to walk away from the saloon, leaving the chaos behind them. “Next time, we’re picking a quieter place.”
Buck chuckled, slipping an arm around her shoulders as they made their way down the dusty street.
“Deal. But I gotta admit, you were pretty impressive in there.”