Author: Cha-Cha
Disclaimer: I do not own the show or characters so please do not sue.
A/N: I actually wrote this at the same time as my story Teamwork, and had planned to take this story further, but it just seemed to naturally end, so maybe I'll add something later to it, but I really doubt it! I apologise if there are any mistakes in the story, but it seemed to me, I can't remember Buck ever reading anything in the series, and so this one was born! Hope you enjoy it.
'Chris, I was wondering if I could ask you something.' Buck frowned, looking as though he had been thinking about something for quite a while.
'Sure,' Chris shrugged looking up from where he had been preparing some dinner for himself and Buck. Buck had come over to Chris' the night before for a few days to help break in a few horses Chris had brought in to sell on. It wasn't on large scale as it used to be, but Buck was glad Chris seemed to have a hobby.
'I was hoping maybe, no don't worry about it,' the ladies man changed his mind, shaking his head and instead began looking at the small bookshelf Chris had along one wall, that was sparsely filled with a few books. There were even a few of JD's Dime novels that had somehow been left behind on the sevens frequent visits. There was even one of Nathan's text books and Josiah's Bibles. Chris followed Bucks eye line and began to suspect what Buck wanted to talk to him about. 'It's nothing important,' Buck mumbled.
'Buck.' Chris warned his friend now giving him his full attention.
'Did you know that Vin managed to read most of The Clarion today and only got a few words wrong. He seems to really getting the hang of his reading.' Buck's comment would have seemed out of the blue to anyone else, but to Chris, it explained everything.
'Do you want to try again learning to read?' Chris guessed. Buck only looked slightly startled, but not overly surprised.
'It just seems, no, it is, that I'm the only one who can't read, or at least not much.' Buck admitted. 'We didn't really get too far when Adam and I were learning.' Buck stopped, not really wanting to bring up too many bad memories for his friend.
'He was always amused that he got to learn with his favourite Uncle.' Chris gave a half smile, one Buck returned. Maybe the memories were getting easier.
'I loved to learn with him, I just didn't want to after.'
'Why now, is it because of Vin?'
'Partially. It's just getting harder to hide that I can't. JD asked me to read out some of the wanted posters yesterday, Nathan wanted me to pass him a jar that was labelled, Josiah tried to get me to write out the number of donations for a sheet. They're going to figure it out soon.'
'Is that so bad? Lots of people can't read, nothing to be ashamed of.' Chris shrugged. 'Do you care about Vin not being able to?'
'Of course not! Vin never had the chance to, lots didn't have the chance to. I did have the chance, I just didn't get it.'
'You never had the chance either, you were bullied out of school!' Chris argued back, already knowing the story from the first time Buck had explained his past.
'I could have stuck it out, I could have tried harder, heck I could even have told my Mum, but I didn't, I gave up and learned verbally rather than reading and writing.' Buck retorted.
'You were a kid, you didn't know better.' Chris finished. 'Do you want to grab a book and we can start again.' Buck looked shocked at how easily his friend had offered; he had been expecting a gentle, or even a not so gentle rebuff at the request.
'Are you sure about this Chris? I've managed this far without being able to.' Buck offered his friend a way out.
'I wouldn't have offered if I wasn't sure. Pick a book.' Chris waved a hand towards the bookshelf.
Nodding hesitantly, Buck slowly walked over and picked up an old Bible and took it over to the table, opening it on a random page, knowing Chris would have to show him the letters before they could start on the words. Paper was not cheap, and Chris did not have enough money for them to practice on, but if they kept with the practicing, they both knew they would have to buy a slate. For now, they would just go through the basics, remind Buck of the letters and see if he could read some on of the simpler words.
Chris joined him sitting down, their shoulders bumping each other, and heads both down low as they began looking at the Bible together, dinner laying forgotten beside them while a lamp sat in front of them helping to illuminate the pages as the two friends slowly progressed through the words. An experience neither thought they would ever do again after the other pupil had died all those years ago, and yet; it felt natural to do it again, almost as though Adam was in the room with them still, learning with his Uncle Buck.