American Outlaws Page #6

Pause. The men stare at Zee. Up goes the eyebrow again.

JESSE:

That just might work.

FRANK:

Maybe, maybe...

DOC MIMMS:

Now go on to see your Ma. She'll be

glad to see her sons alive.

(choking)

And for her sake, stay that way.

EXT. MIMMS HOME - MINUTES LATER

We see Frank and Jesse mount up. Zee is at the door seeing

them off.

FRANK:

We'll be back on Saturday with Cole

and Bob, give you a hand with the

repairs.

ZEE:

Thank you. For everything.

Especially that story you told my

father.

Jesse is about to object, but Zee raises a hand.

ZEE (CONT'D)

I'm going to go cry now, so I don't

have time for your lies. But I'll

see you Saturday.

Zee kisses her fingertips and extends them to the boys,

then disappears into the house.

CLOSE ON:

Frank shaking his head as they ride away.

FRANK:

That Zerelda turned into a hell of

a woman, eh --

WIDEN TO REVEAL Jesse's not next to him. Frank turns.

Jesse's still staring at the door. Frank rides back, takes

Jesse's horse by the reins. As Frank turns Jesse's horse

and leads it away, Jesse's head keeps pivoting, fixed on the

door. After a moment, Jesse turns to look forward, taking

his reins.

The brothers ride away slowly.

FRANK (CONT'D)

"Big and older"?

JESSE:

You can shut up now.

FRANK:

You are a charmer.

JESSE:

I swear I'll shoot you in your

sleep.

FRANK:

Next time try "fat and haggard."

Jesse pulls down his hat and groans into it.

EXT. JAMES FARM - DAY

Jesse and Frank ride up. Out of the farmhouse bursts MA

JAMES, a big, rugged frontier woman who is absolutely

hysterical.

MA:

My boys! My boys!

She hauls Jesse and Frank clean out of their saddles.

MA (CONT'D)

My boys are alive!

FRANK:

(strangling)

Not if you don't ease up a bit,

Ma...

She looks at both at arm's length.

MA:

Did you kill Yankees?

JESSE:

A fair number, Ma.

MA:

Say your prayers?

FRANK:

Every night, Ma.

MA:

Good. Now get inside and wash up

for dinner.

INT. JAMES HOME

Jesse and Frank enter, surprised to find Cole, Bob,

Comanche Tom, and a gawky 15 year old JIM YOUNGER all eating

at their kitchen table.

FRANK:

Well look at Jimmy Younger. You're

all grown up.

JIM:

(mouth full)

Mmmph-hmpph.

BOB:

(sheepishly)

Your Ma wouldn't let us leave until

we ate something.

COLE:

That was two hours ago.

MA:

I don't see clean plates.

The men dutifully return to the meal. Jesse nods his head

at Comanche Tom.

JESSE:

(quiet)

Ma, I'm glad to see you being nice

to our Injun friend.

MA:

He's a good Christian and he killed

Yankees. Jesus told me that made him

an all right boy.

Ma WALKS OFF.

FRANK:

She's still talking to Jesus.

JESSE:

What worries me is that Jesus is

talking back.

EXT. JAMES FARM

We can hear the laughter from inside the lit house. Night

falls and

DISSOLVE TO:

EXT. JAMES FARM - DAY - A FEW WEEKS LATER

Like a time-lapse film we see the surrounding trees have

filled out, the stone fence is repaired, the shabby paint

redone in sparkling white. Jesse and Cole, shirtless, are

driving a post into a hole. Frank STEPS OUT of the house and

joins them.

JESSE:

You ever notice Zerelda's eyes?

COLE:

She got two of them.

FRANK:

I think one of 'em's glass.

COLE:

Which one, right or left?

FRANK:

The brown one.

JESSE:

(to Cole)

You talk big for a man who screwed

another man back in Atlanta.

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