A/N: Please forgive me this is my first fic.

Flashback in Italics.

Chapter 1

'They Reunite'

Ennis found himself longing for Jack's salty sweet stink. This gig of small ranching work was not enough. He yearned for the life Jack spoke of. It ate at him. The sheep . . . the sheep! He forgot he was astride a horse. Two more days here and then another gig, or would he embrace his true soul and find his way back to 'Brokeback Mountain'. The love he had with Jack no one else was able to fill.

Jack bought land at the base of Brokeback. He couldn't 'quit' what started there. The ranch was exactly how he imagined it would be, cattle, horses, and a two bedroom log cabin. The

last two days he had spent building up the sweet stink Ennis loved, by putting up new fences. Break time! Sitting in the warmth of the hot Wyoming sun, he drifted back to the first night.

He navigated Ennis's hand to that special piece of anatomy. How Ennis thought he had touched fire, scared shitless. How he eventually took over like some alpha mare, then as if nothing occurred, he fell asleep.

Jack sighed and wiped the sweat from his brow. He took a glance toward the cabin to check the bay mare in her corral. All was well. She's just doing what horses do, eating grass. It's all what he'd wanted except one thing was missing . . . Ennis. Well, back to work.

Ennis's gig was done and it was time to meet the truck at the bottom of Wind River Range. He trailed over the remaining days, dreaming of Jack.

"How was your stay up on the top, Ennis?" asked Raymond, while approaching from his truck. "Was everything ok? All the sheep a counted for?"

"It was good, but cold," Ennis said, "only lost two head."

"Not bad, let's load 'em up." Raymond yelled, mounting his horse. " I'll pay ya when we get back to the ranch."

"Yep, thanks Raymond."

"Good job, I'll probably have more work next year." stated Raymond. "Can I count on ya, Ennis?"

"I'm not sure, Raymond, I'll send word if I can't."

At the ranch, Ennis unloaded his horse, walked it to his trailer and tied him.

"Meet me inside, Ennis, I'll be in shortly," Raymond said, as he passed to park the truck.

"Sure thing."

Raymond finally came in and sat at his office table. He figured out what Ennis's pay would be. 'A hundred head at $2.00 a head.'

"Well, Ennis, here you are $200," said Raymond.

"Thank you, sir, I appreciate it."

"Where you headed now, Ennis," Raymond asked.

"I'm thinkin' of heading toward Brokeback."

"That's a far cry from here ain't it?"

"Yes, it sure is, but there's something there that is well worth the trip, and this here $200 will get me there," replied Ennis.

"Well good luck to ya," said Raymond as he shook Ennis's hand.

Ennis loaded up Cigar Butt in his trailer, loaded up the truck and started toward Brokeback Mountain. He thought of what Jack would do when he saw him. While he drove along the desolate road, he thought of the ranch and what it might look like. This yearning has ultimately drove him in the direction of his life.

Jack, leaning against him, was almost asleep. Ennis telling him to hit the hay cause he's sleeping on his feet like a horse. The feeling of sexless hunger. Standing together by the campfire, holding each other close enough for their heartbeats to feel as one. Ennis humming and rocking with Jack in his embrace.

Ennis came into town and decided to stop for some cold ones. In and out in no time, then off he went. The excitement was building as he drove along the shimmering creek. He kept thinking of the man that always believed that this kind of life was achievable. For a second he almost cried. The thought of Jack did that to him. He did miss those days on Brokeback. Riding along some of the most beautiful views he had ever seen. He always thought he was born on the back of a horse. Right then, he was bounced back into reality, as he saw the mailbox that read, 'TWIST.'

He turned left onto a dusty, grey road. Topping the small knoll at the entrance, he stopped. As he looked around Ennis could not believe his eyes. 'What a spread!' As far as he could see were wide green pastures. On the right looked like a sea of brown and black. Jack said he wanted a cow and calf operation and that is what he got. Fencing lined both sides of the drive. Ennis looked left and there was the most beautiful herd of horses his likes had ever seen. He thought, 'Boy he has worked hard."

The rusty truck bounced along the windy drive. Finally, the drive opened up to a circular space in front of the cabin. Ennis stopped truck near the bay mare's corral. He still couldn't believe what he was looking at. Slowly, he opened his door and stood there. Half of him in and half out.

"God damn Jack, you did it," said Ennis. He finally got out, walked over to the mare and she came up to him. He patted her and thought, 'Where is your daddy at?'

Up on the top side of the ridge, Jack could hear the bay mare neigh. He stopped for a second to listen. Again a neigh in the distance. 'What going on down there,' he thought. Just then his gelding, Grover, neighed. Jack turned and looked toward home and there he saw Ennis walking on the cabin's porch.

"Well holy shit," yelled Jack, "I can't believe it."

He dropped what his was doing and mounted up on Grover. At a full gallop, he started to cover ground. Jack was smiling ear to ear and his heart pounded with the horse's.

Standing on the porch, Ennis heard something thundering. He walked to the edge and leaned out to listen harder. Then as if from out of nowhere, he saw dust flying up from behind the barn, to the north. Grover was running like he never had run before. Ennis realized and ran to greet this great man.

Jack dismounted like it was an extreme cowboy race. He grabbed Ennis by the shirt and locked lips. The two embraced each other and dropped to the ground. It was like they couldn't get enough of each other. After a long, shortening of breath, welcome home encounter, stood up. Then brushed the dust off one another. Jack looked at Ennis with disbelief that he was truly there.

Jack grabbed Grover and they headed to the barn. As they walked together, they looked at each other with that longing and awe that time has arrived. Jack walked Grover into the barn, dropped his tack and into his stall. Ennis closed the stall door behind.

"I see you made your dream come true," said Ennis.

"Ya, it's our dream," replied Jack as he replaced Grover's halter.

"The place is beyond what I ever dreamed of, and all those cattle, and the herd," said Ennis, "How'd you do it?"

"I saved from all my bullridin'," Jack answered. Jack turned to exit the stall, but Ennis stood in his way, brushing Jack's hair out of his eyes.

"I've missed you, Jack," said Ennis, "I'm glad I've decided to return to you and Brokeback Mountain."

"It's been too long, Ennis, but I never gave up," replied Jack.

Jack spent the rest of the day showing Ennis the ranch. They mounted the bay mare and another one of Jack's horses and rode out on the range. They traveled over a lot of trails deep in the brush. Over wide open vistas covering hundreds of acres. They paused on a hilltop and talked awhile about time passed.

As the sun began to set, they decided to head back. When they reached to ranch, they put up the horses for the night. Outside the cabin, a fire was started. They choose to spend their first night like the old days, a pup tent included. Jack had his usual bottle of whiskey and canned beans. Tonight there was no sexual contact, just holding. They fell asleep to Ennis's slow humming.