AN: And here it is. The sequel to SixSix. And if you were with me during Snow, you probably already realize that this is going to be quite the process! So be warned now, if you have not read SixSix, it is not a requirement. But I am going to be referencing it on occasion, so you may want to check that out. Other than the usual rules apply. Meaning my rules – this is strictly an A/U fic, set in a fictional place, right out of my fictional brain. Be nice and don't correct my mythology, because it is MY mythology, not yours. And I think I know my way around most of my brain by now. If not then we are all definitely screwed.

So read and enjoy, review if you really feel generous and want to make an old lady's day. Reviews are kind of my version of Red Bull, by which I mean I like to read them while drinking Jäger. Not really. Jäger is sort of disgusting all by itself.

Digressions aside -

DISSONANCE

1

Up until that night, Vivian Peace had lived what many thought was a fairy-tale sort of life. Not so much in the wicked step-mother, rescued by magic sense, but she did find her Prince Charming.

She was working her way through college, and learning the skills she would need to be a veterinarian. Vi was a good student, she worked hard and studied long hours to maintain a high grade point average. When she wasn't studying, she was working – volunteering her time as a vet tech or waiting tables, going and going until she was so exhausted at night she could barely make it to her bed.

Vi loved every minute of it. Her mother Lily had a work ethic that put other people to shame, and it had rubbed off on her. Vi did not know, nor did she care, who her father was. He had left when he'd found out that her mother was pregnant and Vi had never been curious. Lily had been enough. She passed away during Vi's junior year of college, after having suffered a brain tumor quietly. It was just like Lily to keep that sort of thing to herself, to not want to be a bother to anybody.

Vi wished she could be too busy to mourn her mother, who was also her best friend, her most trusted source of advice, and her own personal cheerleader. She felt lost for nearly a year, plugging forward but feeling as if it was all for nothing.

That was until she met Lincoln Peace.

It was her senior year, and Vi was in the midst of her large animal clinicals. She worked with horses, she worked with cows, on a few occasions there had been exotic birds like emus, and even a llama at one point. Most of the other students spent more time pissing and moaning than learning, but Vi loved it just as much as she loved working with domesticated house pets. She was a natural at it. She possessed something, some quality that put animals at ease, even temperamental horses and bulls. She had a knack for it. It was odd for a person whose only pet in her entire life had been a hamster.

It was during her large animal clinical that Vi was assigned to a veterinary practice that routinely went to various farms and ranches and offered vaccinations. Most of the ranches did their own, but there were always some who were willing to get free medical care for their animals from nearly trained students.

Vi spent that first day listening to her mentor, a vet by the name of Richard Miller. He was older, in his sixties, but it was obvious that he had a soft spot in his heart for the big animals. He was raised on a ranch in Wyoming, and taking care of animals was his calling. They arrived at the first place, an average sized chunk of land by comparison to some. She had noted the small sign posted near the gate that opened on a long curving drive. It said simply 'Fair View'.

She had to admit that was a vast understatement. Once they reached the house and climbed out of the van, the view was more than fair. The house was at the top of a hill and while the view from the front was pretty enough, it was the vista from the back of the house that took Vi's breath away. There were hills rolling away in every direction, and she could see the clearings where barns had been constructed amidst dark evergreens. The sky was a flawless blue, and the animals grazing just added something…some quality she could not name. She had never been in love before but she figured this was close to it.

She could have spent all day taking in the view, but there were dozens of cattle to vaccinate. Miller put her to work and soon they were lost in the job at hand. Vi was a bit slower than Miller, but not because she was unsure. She took a moment to rub each cow on the neck, something she did without thinking. After a while she had the feeling that she was being watched. Vi looked over her shoulder and saw two men standing there. That they were father and son was obvious. They both had the same tall frame, the same blue eyes. The older man's hair was a sandy blonde that was going to white at the temples. The younger man had the same shade, minus the gray. She did not get the feeling that she was being looked at critically, just curiously.

At lunch, Vi learned that they were indeed father and son. Ray Peace owned Fair View, and his son Lincoln was going to inherit it at some point in the future. His wife, Rose, cooked for everyone, including the hands who were helping move the cattle through the vaccination clinical.

And Vi found herself falling in love for a record second time in one day.

She was fascinated by Lincoln; Link to his friends. He was a soft spoken 28 year - old, a bit on the shy side, but smart. Ray had announced with evident pride that Link was the first Peace in his line who had finished college. His degree leaned more toward business management, which would help him with running the business end of the ranch. Vi talked to him through most of lunch, and during the long afternoon of giving shots to animals one after another. They finished just in time for a late dinner with the family, and while Miller had been eager to set out for the next destination, it was not far, and he accepted Rose's invitation for them to use two of the guest rooms upstairs.

Vi was inwardly ecstatic about that. After dinner, Miller and Ray went into a wood paneled study to look at some of the past records of the ranch animals while Rose went to the kitchen to clean up. Vi offered to help, but was shooed out of the room with a laugh. Rose did not let guests help around her kitchen. Plus she had sensed something between her son and the attractive college student. Ray would call her silly of course, but she knew the signs of puppy love when she saw them.

So Vi had gone out the back door, breathing in the crisp air that had cooled considerably as the sun went down. The view was just as stunning, but instead of the land, it was the stars that caught her attention. The moon had not risen yet, so the stars looked like diamond chips set on black velvet.

"Doesn't matter how many times I look up there, I always feel like it knocks the wind out of me." Link spoke from her left. Vi hadn't noticed him joining her. She did not jump, instead she looked at him and smiled.

"I don't think I've ever seen anything so beautiful." She said, looking up again.

"I feel the same way." But Link wasn't looking up. He was studying her profile in the meager light. Vi was what Rose would have called an exotic beauty. She had dark hair, a shade of chestnut that missed being auburn by about a whisper. Her eyes were a light green, especially striking when coupled with her deeply tanned skin. It was her looks but it was also the way she was with the animals – even some of their ranch hands who had been doing this for years did not have the touch that she had with their animals. And some of the cattle were not prone to liking strangers. It was odd but true. Usually if they kicked or acted out it was against someone they did not recognize.

They were both quiet for a while. Eventually they talked. About school, about her work with animals, his love of the ranch. Even though they both had an early start the next day, they stayed up well past midnight. Link's family ties were strong, and this was the only home he had ever known. Vi had been fairly nomadic during her younger years, not settling down until her mother had found just the right town, the right school, the right job.

It seemed only natural that Link would eventually hold her hand. They took a short walk, away from the light of the kitchen. Rose had left the small light over the stove on so that they would not go into a completely dark house. The moon had risen, and it lent a pale glow over the fields. It was in the shadow of the nearest barn that Link kissed her the first time. Fifteen years later, and Vi would still remember it as one of the best moments of her life. The feel of his work calloused hands on her shoulders, and his soft mouth against hers, tentative at first, growing bolder. She recalled every detail down to the soft rasp of stubble when she cupped his cheeks in her hands, to the way he hitched in a breath when she parted her lips for him to deepen the kiss further. It was perfect.

Vi would have been perfectly happy standing there, kissing him for hours. But reality had to win out. She had just met this man, and while she wanted nothing more than to melt into him and do things to him there in the dark in the grass, Vi had some common sense. With real regret she pulled away. Link did not seem to mind, in fact he laughed at himself for getting carried away. He led her, still holding her hand, back to the house and to the door of the room she'd be using. He kissed her again, this time on the cheek, and wished her a goodnight. Vi had sighed dreamily and headed for the shower.

She was tired as she crawled into bed that night, but restless. It took an hour for exhaustion to really take hold and pull her down to sleep, but Vi went with a smile on her face. She did not even mind the five in the morning wake-up knock on the door from Miller. She got up and got dressed, feeling sad to be leaving but so oddly happy at the same time.

They ate breakfast with the family again, and Vi noted happily that Link sat in the chair next to hers. He flashed her a shy, lopsided smile and they spoke a little as they ate. Every now and then he would reach under the table and touch her hand, or squeeze her fingers. Vi could not stop smiling. Especially when they got a moment alone. They exchanged phone numbers, and Link stumbled and asked if she would be interested in seeing a movie with him that Saturday night. Not wanting to seem too desperate, Vi had thought it over for all of a quarter of a second before saying yes.

It was about a year and a half later that they got married. Another decision she did not really have to think about. Link had given her a diamond on a white gold band, and got down on one knee. Vi had said yes almost before he could finish asking the question. And as hard as it was for some people to believe, Vi and Link had waited until their wedding night to consummate their relationship. Neither of them were virgins, but it had been Link's idea to wait and make it special. Of course after dozens of sessions of making out with no relief he had regretted being a gentleman.

But he had been right. Vi had gone to bed that night nervous as any virgin, and for nothing, because Link had been gentle but passionate. That first year, Vi spent time building a veterinary practice. Not out of necessity – Link and Ray ran the ranch and made money, and had money saved. She just loved the work. She and Link also oversaw the construction of their own house, located a bit closer to the road. It was still within a quarter mile of the main house.

It was their first year in the new house when Vi found out she was pregnant. She and Link had discussed children on occasion, usually in passing. Neither had bothered with birth control. They figured if it happened, it happened. And it did in fact happen. It was in the early morning hours, during a blizzard that dropped nearly two feet of snow that she gave birth to a healthy, squalling, nearly eight pound Josephine. Josie had her daddy wrapped around her finger from the moment he set eyes on her.

And time passed. They were happy together, and content. They dealt with the jokes about Link marrying lucky and finding free care for his animals. They also dealt with finding out that although her pregnancy with Josie had been normal to the point of boring with no complications, more children would be near on impossible. Link and Vi had talked about it, and decided that they were fine with that. Josie was a natural with animals, like her mother, and not squeamish about taking care of them in the least. She was a dynamo, filling the house with giggles and love from the moment they brought her home. She was enough. And again – whatever happened, happened. It became their motto.

Josie got a puppy for her eighth birthday, a mixed-breed pup with pretentions that she – for reasons only an eight year old girl could understand – named Bridger. They'd had good years together, with surprisingly little fighting, a lot of lovemaking, even more love itself. That was why when it ended it was so damned hard on everyone.

It was nearing the first day of summer. Josie had finished up her third year of school with the highest marks, so Vi took her into town on their first free Saturday for a bit of a girl's shopping trip. While Josie could be a bit of a tomboy, she had a streak that loved shoes and clothes. So they shopped all afternoon and ate dinner at a restaurant near the mall. They were both tired after the excitement so they were quiet on the drive home. It took over an hour. Vi would regret that in the days to come. She had always loved the isolation of the ranch, but on that night the remoteness was a curse.

Josie spotted it first. Something odd, a glowing on the horizon. But not their house. It was much too far back from the road. Horrified, thinking the worst, Vi sped down the driveway, past their place. She did note that Link's truck was not in its usual spot. He was probably already dealing with what looked like a fire.

Feeling sick, Vi made the final turn and gasped in shock. Ray and Rose's house was swallowed in flame. Black smoke billowed upward, and ash coated the ground around the house. Vi parked well back from the fire and told Josie to stay put. She got out of her SUV and ran forward, calling out names. She saw something move to her left and ran in that direction, relieved to see her father-in-law, a man who had been like a father to her for more than a decade, laying on the grass and coughing weakly. He was burned, along his arm and shoulder. Some of his white hair was gone on the right. He wheezed and waved a hand at the house.

"Where's Rose? And Link?" Vi asked, spying her husband's truck near the house.

"Link…went back…" Ray gasped and started shaking. Vi was frozen for a moment that felt like a year before groping in her pocket for her cell phone. It seemed to take forever to punch in the numbers and even longer for a dispatcher to answer.

Vi rattled off her address, informed them it was the house further back, was informed that help was on the way, and then she tried to go into the house. She screamed Link's name over and over, but it did not good. It was too hot to get close to any of the doors or windows, and even as she tried she heard the unmistakable sound of the second floor collapsing down onto the first.

Vi sank to her knees next to Ray and held his hand. He was still shaking, and she realized with an emotion she could not name that her father-in-law was having some sort of seizure. She checked his airway, and smoothed a hand over the side of his head that was not burned trying to soothe him as her tears fell.

It took twenty long, agonizing minutes. The fire trucks that finally came wailing up the driveway could do nothing but make sure the grass around the house did not burn or the fire spread. An ambulance appeared and Ray was taken off as fast as possible. Vi heard the paramedics talking and heard the word 'stroke' mentioned several times, but it might as well have been in a foreign language. Josie was out of the SUV and the two of them were sitting in the grass in front of the vehicle, the little girl on her lap. She was rocking her back and forth, and humming something under her breath, but was unaware of that too.

It took the firefighters almost four hours to find the bodies.

Josie had fallen into a shocked sleep by that time. Vi still sat, holding her, tears streaming down her cheeks as men wearing so much gear they looked alien ventured into the remains of what had once been a beautiful home. They did not want to show her the bodies, because the fire had been so hot, and it had burned so fast. But the investigator did show her what they had scavenged. A wedding band. White gold, and worn smooth. It was Link's. The investigator told her it had been found still on the hand of one of the bodies.

Vi only kept functioning because she had Josie to take care of. Ray had indeed suffered a stroke, definitely worse than mild. He lost all feeling, temporarily, in his right side. He was also unable to talk. Vi postponed the funeral, where mother and son were buried in the family plot at the same time, until Ray was well enough to leave the hospital in a wheelchair with a paid nurse to help him.

Josie was inconsolable at first, crying nonstop and taking her comfort from her mother, her dog, the dozens of animals on the ranch. She steered clear of the wreckage that had once been her grandparent's home, not able to face it yet.

Vi tortured herself with it. She walked their daily at first, and stood where the driveway ended, looking at the burnt remains of the house she had spent so much time in. And she cried to herself, out there alone where no one could look at her and think she was weak in any way. She had to be strong for Josie's sake, and for Ray. But she felt like she was dying herself. Vi felt as if she had lost half of herself when her husband had rushed into a burning house to save his parents.

The investigator spent some time inspecting. Eventually he filed his report, stating it had been an electrical surge that caused a spark from a malfunctioning outlet. It was plausible, and if Vi had been in her right mind she would have seen the troubled look on the man's face as he got her to sign the paperwork. He seemed uneasy as well, but she did not notice that either.

After two months, Ray came home. Vi had gotten a few renovations done in that time, and now what had once been their family room was converted to a bedroom for her father-in-law. He could not handle steps, so it worked well. It was right off the living room, and had a separate bathroom. She had a special tub installed so that he could give himself showers and baths, and bought all the things the doctors said she would need.

Eventually Ray got back some of the feeling in his side. He could walk short distances, and did more with his hand as time passed. He still could not talk. He would write notes if he had to, but after a while Vi and Josie got used to his signals and could usually figure out what he wanted without much prompting.

Ray remembered almost nothing about the fire. Vi had asked him to tell her anything and he had written for several minutes on a piece of notebook paper. And it came down to Link's urge to protect his family overriding his sense of self-preservation. Ray had been downstairs and easy to get out of the house but Rose was up in the bedroom and Link had gone back into the burning house before Ray knew he was gone.

Time passed. And while losing the love of her life was not something Vi ever thought she would get over, the constant nagging pain settled down to a dull ache. Eventually that faded as well, so she would go hours, even days, and not think of what she had lost. But it would come back to her and she would spend an hour at the burned house, crying and mourning again. Ray and Josie both thought it was time to clean it up, to get rid of the reminder. Josie was twelve now, a sandy-haired, blue-eyed dynamo who carried the stamp of her father's genes quite plainly. Ray was almost his former self. There were times when he would have trouble with his coordination, and he would never be able to comfortably ride a horse again, but he had refused the idea of getting rid of his cattle. He still ran the place, with Vi's help. And Josie's, of course. Josie had a healthy love of the land and the work, and Vi knew that Ray was counting on her carrying on in her father's place.

Things had settled into a sad, somewhat boring rut over time. Four years was not nearly long enough to get over such a loss. Vi wasn't sure forty years was going to be enough. Every time she thought she was ready to put it behind her, something would happen to rip open the wound and make it fresh again. The pattern held for years – work, Josie, Ray, ranch, cry at the house at least once a week, ho-hum. Repeat.

At least that was the pattern until Vi found the naked man laying in the road.