A/N: Hi all! I'm here with a new glee story. I know I should be working on my others, but this idea wouldn't leave me alone. It's a Ryley story and I hope you enjoy it. I do not own glee or any characters or songs etc... you recognize. All I own are the crazy ideas in my head. Without further rambling, I present There and Back Again.

Chapter One

There is a lot that can be said about the countryside. The wide open spaces, the beautiful sunsets and the friendly people were just a few of the things that had made it attractive to Cyrus Lynn all those years ago when he bought the ranch house and the acres of land for his family. He raised his son Jacob to manhood on the very same land, and as he sat on the lacquered old rocking chair watching his grandson with the horses, he couldn't help the sense of pride that welled up in his chest.

"Storm's still pretty skittish Pop Pop. I don't see how I can break him." Ryder hopped onto the steps tapping his fingers against the rail with a sigh.

Cyrus leaned forward placing steepled fingers on the bridge of his nose. "Storm's always been a stubborn son of a gun, but so are you. That's why I gave him to you to train."

Ryder shook his head. "That's just it…"

"What are you hiding?" Cyrus smirked.

Ryder's eyes widened as he backed away, nearly falling off the steps in the process. "No… it's nothing! There's nothing!"

The man stood reaching out and grabbed Ryder by the shirt pulling him back onto the porch. He was shaking with laughter. "Boy, you act like I'm going to belt you. Shouldn't you know your grandpop by now? I don't belt for just any old secret keeping."

Ryder blushed toeing the wood with his boot. "Yeah… sorry it's… it's stupid."

"Ryder Lynn, there's no such thing as stupid." He laid a hand on Ryder's shoulder. "I think Peggy was in charge of feeding the chickens."

Ryder grinned as he thought of the hyperactive seven year old. "Those chickens are eating good."

"We'd better go make sure there's feed enough for next week." Cyrus walked down the steps heading in the direction of the chicken coop.

Ryder felt himself relax as his grandfather left the porch. That was too close for comfort. He wasn't sure how his family would react and he really didn't need Pop Pop blowing the lid off of it before he was ready to tell, if he was ever ready. The timing had to be perfect.

"Shake a leg Ryder!"

"Yeah…" Ryder jumped the steps landing flat on the path. "I'm comin'..."

It was a mess. The small girl holding the burlap sack smiled sheepishly at Ryder and Cyrus as they approached. The chicken feed was littered around her feet as the flock scuttled eagerly around.

"I tried. I really did." Peggy's lip quivered. "Please don't tell Daddy."

Ryder hopped the fence, kneeling in front of her and watching out of the corner of his eye as Cyrus headed back towards the house. "Aw Peg, you did the best you could." He tilted the younger girl's chin up wiggling his finger underneath. "Eyes up Peggy Sue!"

She giggled and Ryder smiled as he hoisted her up over the fence. "Piggyback Ryder!"

Ryder sighed making a show out of deciding. "Hmm… I dunno. You did make a mess."

"Ryder! Pleeeease!"

Ryder relented lifted Peggy onto his shoulders and jogging toward the house. "Hang on tight cowgirl."

They delayed going into the house as long as possible on account of Peggy being scared out of her wits. They lay on their stomachs in the grass watching as the sky turned to twilight.

"How many swats do you think I'll get?" Peggy picked at a blade of grass looking up as Ryder blew between his own blade producing a sharp buzzing.

Ryder shook his head. "You won't Peg. It ain't a swattable offense. And even if it was, you're too young yet."

"You think so?"

"Has your big brother steered you wrong yet?"

She bit her lip. "Well… no!"

Ryder rolled his eyes as he sat up. "Twerp. It's time to face the music."

"Do we gotta?"

He nodded lifting his sister to her feet. Hand in hand, they ascended the steps.

The Lynns' ranch house was cozy. The screen door opened and led into the kitchen. The house faced south, opposite of the busier road, and most of the south-facing houses entered into the kitchen. As a result, a majority of the first floor was the kitchen and dining area. There was a round table in the center of the room where their father sat. Jacob looked up from his paper when he heard the screen door shut.

"Make sure it catches."

Ryder released Peggy's hand, pushing the door with his shoulder. The thing was so old, it barely shut on its own anymore.

Jacob stood walking over to his daughter. "Pop Pop tells me you fed the chickens today."

Peggy ducked her head causing a curtain of blond hair to fall in her face. "Yessir..."

"That's very good of you Princess." Jacob swept Peggy's hair back with a hand looking up at Ryder. "But next time, ask your brother for help."

Peggy pouted. "But I wanna do it myself."

Ryder tapped her on the shoulder. "How about I just hold the feed bag for you? Deal?"

Peggy sighed placing a hand in his. "Deal. Pleasure doing business with you."

The men laughed as Peggy skipped away. "She's a little spitfire."

Ryder went over to the sink, splashing his face with the cold water. "She thought you were gonna hit her."

"Did she?" Jacob raised his eyebrows. "Maybe I should have put a little fear in her huh?"

Ryder shook his head. "Dad!"

Cyrus grinned from his spot in the corner. "Fear of your old man is good for the soul. You're too soft Jacob."

"And you're a hard-nose Cyrus Lynn." The screen door opened once again, allowing the last of the Lynn clan into the ranch house. Tara held a pail of milk which she quickly placed onto the table swirling around to plant a kiss on her son's forehead.

"Aren't you forgetting someone?" Jacob grabbed her from behind.

Ryder covered his eyes in mock disgust. "Yeah, your kid's still in the room."

Cyrus pat him on the shoulder. "Soon, you'll be just as inappropriate in front of my great grandkids."

Ryder's face contorted. "Gross"

"It's a fact of life Son."

"Wash up for dinner while I talk some sense into your grandfather." Tara smiled.

Ryder couldn't get up from the table fast enough. His family was great, but they could be so weird.

Ryder walked into his bedroom and grabbed a box from under his bed. It was the shoebox that had once held his boots, but now it held a wad of folded bills: $60 worth of savings to be exact. He had taken all of the money he had received from selling eggs, birthdays, and holidays for the past three years and stored it in the shoe box. If he was lucky, it could last him at least a couple weeks.

He didn't know when exactly he had come up with the idea that he could leave. He had always been the model son: gotten straight A's, the quarterback on his high school football team, a good older brother. He was the kid they all talked about at the PTA meetings, but then he got to thinking. Wasn't that exactly why he wanted to leave in the first place?

He looked at the guitar case on his bed. He had gotten the guitar from his parents when he was twelve after his grandfather caught him singing to the horses.

"You have a gift Son, don't waste it." His mom had said.

He couldn't help feeling that's exactly what he was doing. About the only thing guys in this town could accomplish or were expected to accomplish were college football scholarships or coaching the pee wee teams for little to no pay, unless of course they stayed on to run their farms, get married and have two to six kids.

"Ryder! Whatcha got there?" Peggy knocked on the open door before running in and jumping onto his bed.

"Money."

Peggy scrunched her face as her legs dangled. "Whattaya need money for? Daddy has plenty."

Ryder felt his fist clench as he tried to control his breathing. He didn't want to snap at Peggy. As it was, he saw her slowly backing toward the wall like she knew something was wrong. "Listen Peg, you can't tell anyone about this okay? Not yet."

"Why not? What're ya gonna do with it?"

"I'm leaving." He said it quickly and without meeting her eyes as though that would make it easier.

It didn't. He lifted his eyes to meet hers to see they were pooling over with tears. She balled her little hands into fists and jumped on top of him knocking him to the floor. "I hate you Ryder Lynn! I HATE YOU! You're the worst brother in the world!"

He took the hits unflinchingly, shutting his eyes only so he wouldn't have to see his sister's tears. He was almost sorry he had taught her to punch, but that wasn't the worst part of it all. It was hearing the words coming from his little Peggy Sue.

Feet pounding up the steps snapped him out of his thoughts. "What in the world?" Ryder felt Peggy's weight come off of him before opening his eyes to see his father holding a still swinging seven year old as he seated himself on Ryder's bed. "Somebody better start talkin'."

A/N: Uh-oh. Ryder's in some big trouble of his own. Peggy is portrayed by Mia Talerico, Cyrus is portrayed by William Russ, Jacob is portrayed by Chris Evans and Tara is portrayed by Lea Thompson. I'll try to have some edits up soon.