flash fire [belle!]

[Forte]

"I wasn't going to say that," Chris said, quietly, looking at Omaha. The gelding caught his gaze and trotted up to the fence line, head bowed as Chris took his muzzle in his hands and stroked him over the face and neck. "You seem alright, old boy, let me have a look..." He hoisted himself over the fence and proceeded to rub his hands all along Omaha's flanks. The horse stood perfectly still, not even looking back to see what he was doing. Presently he came to Omaha's front ankles and saw that they were raw and pink, and felt how Omaha trembled and laid back his ears slightly at his touch. "Clipped yourself, huh?" Chris said, quietly, picking up a hoof and examining the damage, "It's not so bad, but you and I will be laid up for a little while."

When Chris was done, Omaha turned his head back towards Belle. "I guess so, but Chris seems alright. I think he's just confused and maybe a little nervous. But he seems normal enough to me..." Chris was leaning back on the fence line now, watching the horses, ignoring the persistent ache in his ribs that kept reminding him that he still had to make up his mind about a lot of things. But he didn't want to even think about it.

[racingbelle]

I watched as Chris examined Omaha. I was silent. There really wasn't much to say. Millions of thoughts had to be running inside my mind but only a few were important. I sighed. Life was so complicated.

"No Omaha. Something is definitely wrong. I can just feel it!", I said persistently. I wish I knew! Ugh! I just had to figure it out. "Omaha are you OK? No one got out of the fire unharmed." I shivered my skin at the pain that was throbbing in my back. I went over to Chris and nibbled his shirt then stepped over to the other side of Omaha and gave Chris a glare. I hoped it told him that if he hurt my Stevie in anyway I was going to hurt him even more than his ribs did.

OOC: Hey Forte I have an AWESOME post on my laptop but I have to wait until I get home to post it so it's coming...

[Forte]

Chris looked over at Stevie again, "Look..." he said, quietly, a little sheepishly. "Why don't we get out of here for a while, me and you? Go get a cup of coffee or something, just to clear the air. I don't want to keep standing here, because it's obvious that neither of us know what to think about anything. I don't want to hate you, and I don't want you to hate me, either." He fell silent again, catching Belle's glare over his shoulder but shrugging it off - she was probably back to not trusting him now, and that was too bad.

"I know what you mean... But, I don't know... it seems like it'll work itself out. No need to look at him like that! He didn't do anything to her, and he wouldn't, you know. You two saved our lives," Omaha said, a little defensively of his owner. "And I'm fine, just scraped the backs of my heels." He sighed, adding the last a little more gently.

[racingbelle]

“Chris we’re going to have to face reality sometime. I will always feel the same about you. Even if were just friends. I left Lightning tied so I’m going to put him up. I’ll leave you with the horses.” I said briskly, my voice cracking. I spun around and walked quickly to the stallion barn. I knew that I shouldn’t have talked to Chris like that the minute I saw Lightning. “Oh what have I done! I made it look as if I was mad at him. I’m not just really tired and stress. Oh Lightning! Why did I have to fall in love with the man I rescued! What if he says he doesn’t feel the same about me?! I’d be heartbroken. I can’t fall in love with just anyone! Neither can he. No one can. Oh Lightning, horses are so much easier. Why didn’t I just stick with them?!” Tears started to fall, blurring my vision. I wrapped my arms around Lightning’s neck and his head curved in wrapping me in a horse hug. Lightning understood and that only made me sob harder. I hugged him harder and sobbed into his neck, breathing in the scent of horse.

I nickered after Stevie. She wasn’t making the right decision by walking away and she knew it. I continued to graze. What was the matter with her? What was wrong between the two of them? They were fine during the fire. I shuddered. The fire. Of course everyone was fine during the fire. There was no time to talk during the fire. No, they aren’t mad at each other it was something else. What was it though? " Sorry it's just Stevie's never acted like this before. It's strange. I feel all sorts of emotions around her but I just can't make out the one she's really feeling. Stevie didn’t just walk away because she left Lightning tied. She was upset. Do they hurt?” I looked at Chris. His face was written with guilt and worry. It was because of him that Stevie was upset! I felt a flash of anger before the guilt set in. I wasn’t supposed to be mad at him. No this wasn’t his entire fault. I sighed. What was really going on between them? I went back to Chris and sort of like an apoligy nibbled at his hair.

I had brushed Lightning’s coat over and over again until he had been groomed within an inch of his life. I had to go back and confront Chris. I just had to. I had to tell him I was sorry. Oh what would have happened if I told him now? Would things have been different? Would he have said that he felt the same way about me or would we go through the same thing? Did I even make the right decision by telling him I loved him? I had too! I made right decision because I truly loved him! It was like that old saying, love at first sight. I sighed. Love was a complicated knot that you had to unravel. It started with finding that special someone. I just knew that my special someone was Chris. He was funny, smart, he kept his head in rough situations and he had the same connection with horses that I did. I knew that he thought they were easier than humans. I sure did. I walked out of the stallion barn wondering if things would be the same after this. No I thought. Things would never be the same after this. If he said he loved me or if he said that he didn’t love me everything would change, for the better or the worse.”Chris. I’m sorry. I lost my temper. I didn’t get much sleep last night worrying about Belle.” That was half the true but the real reason why I had not slept was that I was wondering whether Chris would say that he loved me too and if he would be ok. I knew that he was ok now but I still wouldn’t get any sleep tonight no matter what he said. Things would be different from now on. I sighed again. I hope he wouldn’t notice that I had been crying. “Chris things will be different between us even if you say you love me or don’t love me, for that matter. We just have to except the change and move on. I know you want to make the right decision. I want you to make the right decision. What I don’t want is for you to tell me that you love me just because you want to make me happy. I know you wouldn’t do that anyway, you’re not that type of guy. That’s what I like about you. One of the many things I like about you. I know I hardly know you but I just feel something telling me that…that you’re the one! Oh Chris you’re the one who know what you want so follow your heart and listen! It’s not what I tell you or what anyone tells you it’s your decision that counts. Remember that if you don’t remember anything else I have said.” I paused taking in a deep breath. I wanted to cry again but I knew that wouldn’t be the right thing to do. I knew that crying wouldn’t help it would only make Chris feel worse. Then I climbed over the fence and stood next to Belle, my back turned away from Chris. I started to stroke her neck over and over again. Then I turned back to Chris, my hand still stroking Belle. I looked at him with love in my eyes, my heart skipping a beat and my breath quickening. I wanted to kiss him. For him to hold me tight and never let me go. For him to love me as who I am and not for something I’m not. I truly loved this man and I wanted him to truly love me. "Your right we need to get out of here. Let's go get coffee or something. Did you have breckfast yet?" I said quitely.

[Forte]

"Stevie..." Chris called after her, but too quietly, looking down at his boots. He watched her storm away and sighed lengthily, turning back to Omaha.He laid his forehead against the gelding's, stroking the red neck. Omaha let out a low puff, putting his head over his owner's shoulder. "Girls... I'll never understand them, will I, Omaha?" He said, backing away from the horse. Omaha let out a rattling snort, then moved closer to Belle, keeping a wary eye on Chris all the time. His owner was never like this - never sentimental, never unsure of himself, and it bothered the gelding. He tossed his head confusedly, as Chris looked over at him. "Looks like you found a friend, though, at least. I guess that fire was good for something... And I guess it did let us meet Stevie. I can't help but wish that it had been under different circumstances, though..." He murmured, more to himself than Omaha. He liked her, sure, but he didn't know if he loved her. If he could love anyone. He loved Omaha, for sure. He loved all horses. But he had never really had that same connection with people... He laughed wryly to himself - his last true friend had been a boy who spoke a different language and lived on a reservation.

Omaha looked over at Belle worriedly. "Yeah, and now Chris is acting weird, too. He was fine before, but he's never like this, you know... He doesn't talk to himself, either..." he laid his ears back slightly. "And he's upset that she left like that, I think he knows that it wasn't just because of Lightning, too... Do you think she hates him? ...I hope she doesn't, because I like you and Stevie seems like a very nice person... Maybe Chris does need another human, I've never really seen him talk to one. And they don't hurt, not much anyway... I'm more worried about the humans." He didn't realize how much he'd had to say before he said it, and then he lowered his head quietly, taking a few bites of grass and watching as Belle went and nibbled at Chris's hair. Chris laughed and stroked her neck softly, looking at the mare calmly. Belle was such a nice little mare, and he was sorry to have caused her so much stress and trouble.

"It's alright," Chris said quietly to Stevie, looking at her as she came back, a relieved expression coming over his features as she came back. He had been afraid that she wouldn't, that she would leave it there, and make him feel so much worse. He listened to her little speech calmly, he was so wrung out by now that he felt like he could listen to anything and it would just pass right through him like water. He was filled to the brim with emotion, but as usual he was keeping it all bottled up inside him, settling like a stone. One day he would just have to explode, and he wasn't looking forward to anything of the sort. "I only wish my heart was as sure as yours, Stevie..." he sighed, and then looked at her gratefully at her next words. "No, I haven't, actually. I came out here first thing, didn't bother to eat anything." He was glad to talk about something normal for once, anything other than everything that he was feeling. It was still too raw, unfiltered, that he was scared to say anything lest he say something wrong.

"Look, Stevie," he said, coming to her side and placing a well-meaning arm around her shoulders, "I've been on the road for four years with nothing but a horse and a trailer to keep me company, and - I know this is a shock - I hate most people. Like, really hate them. I genuinely wouldn't care if we all got trampled by horses, because the world would probably be better without us anyway. But I don't hate you, and that's about all I can tell you right now." He sighed again, withdrawing his arm and rubbing at his temples - his ribs were hurting from all this talking.

[racingbelle]

"I wish it was too, Chris. I really do." I whispered quitely almost where it wasn't heard.I sighed as he put his arm around me. I think things might just be turning toward the better. I listened carefully to his next words than spoke. "I wouldn't blame you Chris. I've never really liked humans either. Horses are a lot easier to understand than humans, that's what I think. Most people say that the only relationship I've ever had is with the stallions that I've worked with. It's true... I've never fallen for someone like I have you Chris." Yeah were getting somewhere but where. Well I was grateful that he was even talking to me after my loss of temper. "Where do you wanna go? I haven't eaten either. The horse's will be fine here."

"No Omaha I think I've got it! Stevie's in love with Chris and Chris doesn't know what to think. This is making Stevie a little agitated." I sigh in relief as things started to feel less tense. I groaned and laid down. My back was killing me and my legs ached. I would have been Ok with carrying just Chris or Stevie but two just about did me in. I laid flat on the ground enjoying the feel of cool grass underneath me.

[Forte]

"Thanks," Chris said, looking over at her through the corner of his eye. Stevie was very pretty, now that he though about it, even though he could see that her eyes were red from crying. He frowned. He did not want to make her cry, or cause her any trouble, or any pain. But wasn't that the definition of loving someone? Was loving someone, for him, just caring about them more than he cared about any other person in the world. He didn't care about a lot, so it was hard to compare. He cared about his horses, and, he supposed, he cared about himself... Stupid, selfish, like all humans, not wanting to share himself with anyone else. "I agree. I've known Omaha for two years, and he's never confused me as much as you have in... what... less than a day?" Nonetheless, he said this fondly, a little smile in the corners of his mouth, almost secret. He shrugged at her question, "I don't know, I haven't really been around town much yet."

"You know what, I think you're right," Omaha said, looking at Belle. That made so much sense. "Except he does know what to think... he just doesn't realize it yet." He watched as she laid down in the grass, and went to stand by her. "Still aching, huh? You saved our lives..." But he was already dozing off in the warm sun, too. Omaha hadn't slept much the night before - he'd been so terrified and strung up, but now was as good a time as any for a nice little nap. Soon he was asleep, standing up, of course, his head dropping in the warm, luxuriant sun.

[racingbelle]

I laughed. "Yeah just about. Well, there's this coffee shop in town that we can go to. That's the only thing I really know. I haven't really been in town either. I'm mostly with Dancer right now, with the foal coming soon. Do your ribs hurt much?" I watched Belle lay down flat on the ground. "Poor Belle. She's sore all over. I wouldn't blame her. You know she's never run so fast in her life even on the racetrack. I thought I knew her top speed but I guess not."

" Yeah I think your right. Love is in the air." I said sleepily. "It will hurt less tomorrow. Umm right now though." I goaned again and pull my neck in. The sun felt good on my black coat and it only made me feel sleepier. Like Omaha I didn't get much sleep. I saw that Omaha was sleeping in the sun and my eyelids drooped and soon I was asleep too.

[Forte]

Chris shrugged, "Sounds good to me," he said. The tension between them seemed to have faded somewhat, and he felt a lot better for it. "Having a new foal is always exciting. And... yeah, they do, a little. But not as much as last night." He said, smiling a little now at the thought of foals. He'd seen plenty of those on his father's ranch, and they always brought a little joy to his day. Foals were great - frolicking around and having all they needed right near them. Foals were never bothered by anything... Oh, what a life... Chris shook his head to dislodge this little daydream, looking at Stevie as she spoke and then looking back at Belle. "Yeah, the poor girl... I wish we hadn't had to do that..." Anything that bothered or worried a horse bothered Chris, and he shuddered at the thought of Belle having to take both their weight at once... Thoroughbreds weren't built to take that kind of mass.

He looked over at the horses dozing in the field. "Looks like they didn't get much sleep, either..." he said with a little twitch of a grin in the corner of his cheek. He looked back at Stevie, and his expression seemed clearer, less troubled than before, like he'd worked something out. He really hadn't, he was still just as confused about her before, but there was a new emotion there, one he daren't put a name to in case it was love. He bottled it up like all the rest, automatically. Emotions were something that he never shared, he was not open and friendly like Stevie was. He hid himself away because he was scared that if he let himself out he wouldn't like what he became. "Come on, let's go." He said finally.

[racingbelle]

"Glad to hear that. Yeah I can't wait to see the foal. It should be any week now." I smiled thinking about the foal and I was sure that Chris was. Then he went off into space, probably thinking about something. "Me too but we really didn't have any choice, I mean Omaha was too terrifyed to ride. I mean you were kind of spaced out the whole time you were on a horse." I sighed feeling some sort of barrier being lifted and a weight being lifted off of my shoulders. "Yeah. I didn't, that's for sure. Maybe a few hours but not much." There was a bit of a silence as we both thought different things. It wasn't a bad, tense; nothing to say silence but a good, happy one. "Yeah let's go. Who's driving?" The playful shine had come back into my eyes and I felt a lot happier. "Chris, what's your greatest fear? Like what are you really scared of? I'm scared that my horses will some how be taken away from me, their my only family up here. I mean I know it won't happen but it still scares me." I looked at him waiting for him to reply.

[Forte]

"That's nice," Chris said, still grinning about the whole foal thing. It would really lift his heart to have a little horse to work with again... Then again, he already had Omaha and, now, Rebel. Rebel was a funny little mustang, to be sure, and probably the laziest horse on Earth, which was strange because when Chris had first seen him he was snapping at the people who came close to him and jumping over five foot walls just to get away from him. "That's true, I guess. And me either... I really hate the hospital." A shudder ran down his spine at the sheer thought of having had to spend the night there... "You can drive." he said with a chuckle, "As long as you don't race the wind like you were on the way to the hospital last night." He barely remembered that whole ride, to be honest... He barely remembered a lot of things, except the pain in his ribs and his arm, and the fact that she had told him that she loved him... At the memory, his mind was full of confused questions all over again, so when she spoke he was relieved. He listened to her question carefully and considered it for much longer. "I don't really know... Being trapped in a flash fire at the top of a dangerous mountain with a green gelding is on the list, though."

[racingbelle]

"Yeah" I replied kind of dreamily. Working with youngsters again would be fun, I mean what about foals wasn't fun? They always got into trouble but it was kind of funny. Then Chris started speaking again. "I don't like em either, I tend to avoid any kind of human doctors. But anyway Ok then, I'll drive." I giggled. "Well be grateful that I was on Belle. If Lightning were there he would have thrown me then hightailed it across the countryside. Then we would have been well...yeah. Matter of fact the truck is parked near the stud barn, why don't I introduce you to him? Though I might need to hold his halter." The thought of the high strung stallion made me grin. "Come on let's go." I wanted to take him by the hand and pull him toward the barn like a five year old towing along a thirteen year old, but I didn't. I just started to walk toward the stud barn with a big smile on my face.

[Forte]

He chuckled to himself. "Yeah, sure, I 'd like to meet him," he said with a grin, ready to meet this world-famous Lightning who had untied himself to breed a mare. He followed alongside happily, and the way was clear in any case. "I am glad you had Belle, though - I can't imagine that this hyper little stallion of yours would have been much help... Neither was Omaha, for that matter..." But Omaha was still green and had probably never seen fire before in his life. Poor Omaha, who'd spent most of his time in a stock trailer packed with other horses, and had never gotten a chance to show how good a horse he could be... He'd nearly starved to death and then nearly gone to slaughter before Chris had plucked him out of death's hands. There were so many horses he hadn't been able to save, though... And there always would be... And then there were the privileged like Lightning and Belle, who had the very best in life and never wanted anything. Except maybe to have a chance just to be horses instead of racers, or jumpers, or whatever they were bred to do, who never saw anything but the inside of a stall or an arena... But these horses weren't like that. He grinned and jogged a little to catch up at the entrance of the stud barn. "So where is the famous Lightning?"

[racingbelle]

"Over here in this little paddock. I'm thinking he jumps it sometimes to go see Dancer but I got no proof." I let out a shrill whistle calling to him. He lifted his head and saw that someone was with me and went into show off mode. "Oh come here you show off!" I laughed. Every problem disapeared when Lightning was around. "Well here he is the amazing the one and only Lightning!" I said in a ringmaster's voice. I felt like goofing off a little, Lightning just had that effect. Lightning ran up to the fence tail raised like a banner and mane whipping in the wind. He stuck his head over to sniff Chris. I stood next to him and held his halter just in case he tried any of his antics. "Well what do you think? He's going to be a big boy when he's done growing." Lightning nickered and tried to nudge Chris in the chest. "Oh no you don't. I tugged his halter and held him back a little. "Sorry boy none of that now." He rolled his eyes and acted hurt. "Yeah his just a big baby. I rubbed the perfect white circle in the middle of his forehead. This day was begining to turn out right. I smiled and waited to see what Chris thought of my boy.

ooc sorry brain in a haze

[Forte]

"He can't be more than two, can he?" Chris asked, a little surprised... Just a baby, then... He, again, had to force himself not to say anything about that - after all there were two year olds all over the globe who had to race more than this boy did. He stared at the fence. "Well, you know, if you think he's jumping that he has a good chance of injuring his knees..." Nonetheless, he couldn't help but grin at the little ham of a stallion galloping through the pasture - he must be a big ol' mini-stud, to have gotten a mare pregnant on the first try as a two-year-old. "Why, hello there, you big ham," he said with a grin as the horse sniffed him, reaching back to rub around the bases of the stallion's ears. The star was a little funny - a white disc in his fur and very unusual. He looked back at the horse's withers and hindquarters and legs as Stevie spoke. "Yeah, he's going to be huge," he said with a chuckle, watching as Stevie stopping him from nosing him right in the chest. That would have hurt, for sure. "He sure is a looker." He said after a moment, knowing that Stevie wanted to know what he thought. To be honest, he thought that she ought to put up a bigger fence if she was going to stop the spirited youngster from breeding with every mare on the ranch.