Disclaimer: I don't own a thing

Title: Going Home

By: Peanutbutter

Main Characters: Kris, Junior, Jace, Matt, Wildfire, and Storm

Secondary: Danny, Jean, Pablo

Pairings: You can probably guess

Description: Kris never thought she'd get a second chance at life, but Wildfire changed everything. In the blink of an eye a bad decision lost her everything she had worked for. She let herself down, her love, her family, and Wildfire. 4 years after she left Raintree she finds herself about to face all those problems that she'd left behind.

Chapter 1: Exclusion

The soul selects her own society,

Then shuts the door;

On her divine majority

Obtrude no more...

('Exclusion' by Emily Dickinson)

Junior licked his thumb and rubbed it over the smear on the black leather of his dress shoe. He frowned when the smudge refused to leave. Sighing, he pulled his suit jacket, trying to straighten the sleeves and brush the dirt off. Sure he worked around horses, bought, sold, raced, but damned if he was going to ruin his best suit. Absently he adjusted his sunglasses and swept his eyes over the track. Run down, dirty, dry. The air was thick with sand, blown by the occasional hot breeze. Sweat was already beading on his forehead and he hadn't done a thing.

"Why are we here again?"

Junior turned toward Danny who was having a harder time salvaging her clothes. Her tan designer suit was picking up the dirt and it showed on the light fabric like ketchup on a white dress. She took off her heal and emptied to the sand out of her shoe.

"This place is a waste," she commented and grabbed hold of her brother's shoulder to keep herself upright while she replaced her shoe.

"Well, they tend to fly under the radar Danny, illegal and everything."

"Yeah, still real happy about that part," she commented sarcastically. "Besides there are tons of well bred legitimate horses in the States, why Mexico, and this particular shit hole."

Junior rolled his eyes under his shades. "Listen, I've been following the circuit down here. I found out about this horse, freaking amazing, winning them all. She's being wasted down here."

"We're not that hard up for horses," Danny grumbled and crossed her arms over her chest. She scowled at the track. The turf in the middle of it was dead and brown, the dirt dry. There was a skinny bay galloping down the backstretch.

"But we are hard up for a winner." Junior grabbed Danny's arm and pulled her toward the barn. They hadn't had the best luck over the last couple of years. They weren't really loosing. They usually had a horse in the top three, but never number one. Damn Wildfire was burning up the track, past his racing prime he shouldn't be winning races anymore. Avatar had broken down two years ago. A broken cannon bone and his hopes of high stakes glory were all but lost. His offspring were his legacy now, and as of yet none had shown their stuff. Given it was early, but Junior had never been big on patience.

The barn was a big contrast to the track. The barn wasn't new but the inside was well kept, where the track had looked to be on it's last leg. The walls were free of cobwebs, the stalls a sparkling white, the smell almost too fresh for a barn. The horses nickered when they walked in. It was probably close to feeding time. A few hands were walking down the isle buckets in hands. Junior reached out and grabbed an arm.

"Hey, do you know where Mr. Cortese is?"

The man nodded and answered in a thick accent, to try the second door on the left. Junior mumbled a thanks and dragged Danny toward the office. Junior stopped outside the door, ready to knock, but it was obvious there was already someone talking to Mr. Cortese, or yelling. The woman was pissed, her Spanish flying out of her mouth faster than Junior could pick out. His bilingual skills were nonexistent. He knew a few phrases, but having a conversation was out of the question.

He reached up to knock, but Danny grabbed his arm.

"Just wait," She whispered. "Do you really want to break in on that."

Junior shook his head and took a step back just as the door flew open. The owner of the voice stormed out the door almost knocking Junior on his ass. Danny yelped and jumped backward her heel catching on the uneven ground. She cursed and bent to adjust the wayward shoe strap.

"Watch were you're going!" The yelling woman spat and bent down to pick up her dropped crop.

Junior bit his tongue to keep from flying back with a retort. They were there for business and there was no telling who the girl was. Her dark hair was cut short, only a few inches from her scalp, but there was something about her. He narrowed his eyes trying to place that head. He didn't know anyone with hair like that. The guy look just wasn't his thing. She lifted her head. Her eyes were narrowed, hazel pools of burning fire. There was a scar on her cheek, fading to a light pink, that rushed through her right eye brow bisecting it. There was a bruise swelling on her cheek, one eye was black, and god, she looked too old.

"Kris?"

She faltered her expression softening for a second. A few years left her and she didn't look that different, but she recovered quickly. Her body stiffened her fingers tightening on the crop. She opened her mouth and closed it just as quickly.

"What are you still standing there for!"

Kris spun around her eyes falling on who Junior could only guess was Mr. Cortese. He was leaning on the door way sweat staining the brow of his faded cowboy hat. His skin was tanned a deep brown, wrinkles, thick as the leather of his dusty boots, adorned his entire face. He looked as dirty and weathered as the grounds.

"Dammit Charlie," Kris cursed, "I'm going alright!" She looked from Junior to Danny like she was going to say something. She pushed past them without a word. Junior watched her go, swallowing, wondering if she had really been there. Danny grabbed his elbow and only then did Junior realize he was starting to go after her.

"Your the Davis's right?"

Junior pulled his eyes from the disappearing figure and back to Mr. Cortese. "Uh, yeah," he shook his head, all business for now. "I'm Junior Davis and this is my sister Danny." He smiled and took Cortese's sweaty hand in his. The shake was firm and short. Cortese pushed his hat back on his head and grabbed Danny's just as briskly.

"So you're here about my filly."

Junior grinned, "We're here to make you an offer."

Cortese laughed. "I'm sure you are, but I'm not so sure I'm willing to part with her."

"We'd like to see her." Danny piped up. "Check her out before we give your our offer."

Junior suppressed a growl. She was always taking charge.

Cortese laughed, "You want to check her out. You've go perfect timing. She's got a race this afternoon. You can see just what you're going to be paying for." Cortese stood. "I don't sell my horses, not usually, but her, or she's given me almost more trouble than she's worth."

Danny shot Junior a look. He shrugged. That wasn't what he'd heard the filly was supposed to be awesome.

Cortese took the hat off his head and rubbed his sweating brow. "It's not what you think. You saw that spit fire that nearly ran you over?"

Junior nodded. She was still there, every part of her face, her eyes, every scar still etched in his mind, flash burned to his memories and he'd only seen her for a split second.

"She's her jockey, damn good rider, but a mouth on her. She's a damn pain in the ass."

Danny smiled, "Something tells me I know exactly what your talking about."

These weren't normal races. The horse owners didn't dress in there best, didn't sit in boxes and cheer. There were no naive thrill seekers who just owned, never saw the horse, and ignorant of the sport. The owners were on the track, faces in their jockey's face, running their hands up and down the horse's legs. They were loud and straightforward, not like their father, quiet and reserved. The men wanted to a win, needed it, would do anything to get it. Unlike the races they were used to the big purses weren't won on the races, it was on betting. If your horse won, your purse was huge, and sometimes, if you lost it was even better.

It was obvious Cortese owned the bookies. There was a certain air around him as he walked through the yelling crowd. They gave him space, were Danny and Junior had to push to keep behind him. He glided like a fish though water. The Davis' floundered, not used to being treated second class. There kind of money didn't matter here. This was truly a different world.

The track was in Cortese's backyard, dragged with a tractor before each race, the rail rickety wood, nailed back together in random places. The stands were bleachers and men crowding the rail, yelling, hands in the air, taking open bets. They dressed in there worst, jeans full of holes, shirts with sweat stains, Junior felt incredibly out of place in his business suit. Danny clung to his arm. Her grip telling him that she didn't like the situation. The nails in his arm told him she would kill him if anything happened to her.

"People will pay a lot of money for this kind of race." Cortese spoke over the crowd as he cleared a spot for them next to the finish line. "These races have no rules. Anything goes. Here it's not necessarily the best horse that wins."

Junior swallowed. He didn't want to think about that. The bruises on Kris's face, her shaved head. It was all for a reason. She was his jockey, the filly's jockey. God, Junior tried to keep his heart from racing. Kris, what have you gotten yourself into?

"That's her."

In his daze Junior was almost sure Danny was talking about Kris. He followed her finger to the slick gray filly walking onto the track. She was dancing to the side, but the woman on her back was rubbing her necks, her lips moving in a mantra of near silent comfort. The filly stopped dancing. Kris was sitting tall as she pulled up beside the other horses, the other jockeys were men, hardened, eye darting from side to side.

"She is gorgeous, nice lines."

Junior turned to Danny, right the filly. He had hardly been paying attention to the horse. "Right."

A rope was strung up in front of the horses, a crude starting gate. The took off at the sound of a gun shot. The filly immediately shot to the front, Kris crouched low over her neck, fingers threaded into her mane. It was only a sprint, all the races down here were, and Junior just had a feeling the filly could go further and faster if they let her. It didn't take long for the rest of the herd to come thundering behind her. The jockeys screamed and then the whipping started. They bumped into each other crops doing little to encourage the horse, but to the discourage the opponent from running around. They elbowed, bumped, jostled, and pulled. A man fell off his chestnut, lost under thundering hooves. The crowd roared in approval. Junior lost the ability to breathe.

The filly was still in the front, running strong despite the bay rushing up beside her. The jockey on the bay reached for Kris's shirt, fingers flexed to grab. Junior gripped the rail his eyes riveted to the scene. The guy was going to pull her off. The bay pushed the gray's flank, the man's fingers brushed Kris's shirt. Suddenly the filly veered to the side slamming into the bay. The jockey fumbled to stay upright. Kris's foot knocked the horses cheek, in the collision. The bay pulled up shaking it's head. The finish line loomed ahead and in seconds they were under the wire. Kris and the filly in front the man on the bay falling to third. Of the eight horses started only five finished with their jockeys.

Kris pulled off her helmet a grin rushing across her face. Junior didn't understand how she could be smiling. That man would have killed, had tried to pull her off. He thought about the scars and bruises. She had had her casualties.

"Wow," Danny had let go of his arm. "She came through that swimmingly. She kept her head like a pro, especially with that bay running up her ass. She's going to love the states!"

For a second Junior had been sure Danny was talking about Kris, but who was he kidding Danny had never had any interest in Kris. She had been gone for four years now and her presence here was of little interest to her, but Junior couldn't help wondering.

"Ya, see that!" Cortese bellowed, laughed uproariously. The betters around him were going crazy. There had obviously been a huge upset.

Junior quirked a brow ready to ask, but Cortese was too tickled to keep it secret for long.

"The girl's been walking around for a week, nursing a fake injury talking about how the filly's times have slowed. She was not the favorite in this race." He laughed again grinning as he ducked under the boards and headed for the Kris. He waved them through to follow.

The smile on Kris's face deflated as they made their way over. She kept her eyes trained on Cortese. "You really put me in a spot!" She bellowed and broke into Spanish for a moment before coming back to English again. "I'll be lucky to get home without being jumped." She ran her hand through her short locks, pushing the dampened hair loose.

"It was worth it, girly. I just made a lot of money today." He grabbed the filly's reins and Kris hopped to the ground.

Junior watched her, concerned even when he tried to be indifferent. He had a lot of reasons to ignore her. She'd gone behind his back with his best friend. She'd broken his heart, chosen others over him countless times, and more recently left without a word. They hadn't been on the best terms when she disappeared, but part of the reason she was gone was his fault. Not to mention most of the reasons he should ignore her were also the reasons why he couldn't.

"So these are the Davis'?" She turned toward them, smiling. Her eyes remained dull, dark, and fathomless. She held out her hand. Danny ignored the hand and turned to Cortese. Kris withdrew her hand her fingers curling into a fist.

"I have to admit I didn't think too much of her at first." Danny shook her head, "but I think we can do business." She grabbed Cortese's arm, pulling him away from Junior and the horse.

Junior watched them leave. He should follow, it was his lead after all, his deal, and she was always taking the credit. He started after her, but the shuffling of hooves alerted him to Kris's exit. He watched her walk away, ignoring the jeers of the other jockey's, waving to the well wishers, the horse set her muzzle on Kris's shoulder. The filly's tail swished lazily and Kris rubbed her cheek.

"Kris wait up!" Junior called and jogged after, hopping over piles of horse poop and trying not to think about the red dirt staining his slacks. She didn't slow. He yelled at her again. She stopped her head swiveling in his direction. Her face was a blank, impassive. He stopped.

"Junior, just go away."

There was a finality in her voice that left him rooted to the ground. He watched her until she disappeared into the barnyard the sight of her empty eyes haunting him as he turned to go after Danny and Cortese.

So tell me what you think. If people like I've got more chapters ready to go. You get the story on Kris and how she got to be where she is and... hmm there's just lots more.