WHOOT, finally got the next chapter done! I didn't mean for it to take this long, but the horror known as Writer's Block took over my brain for a while. BUT NOW I'M BACK! and hopefully will be updating this story again soon. I hope you enjoy. BRACE FOREVER!
Disclaimer: I do not own Home on the Range or any of it's characters. they are all owned by Disney. I'm simply borrowing them for this fanfic
Grace awoke late the next morning, a light breeze ruffing her hair, making the grass ripple as though it were a sea of green. she blinked, looking around. she'd fallen asleep under the large tree, snuggled up against Buck. the stallion was still sleeping, his chin on the grass in front of him, a small smile stretched across his face. Grace sighed, giggling slightly as she smiled down at him. but then she noticed the position of the sun in the sky. her eyes widened a bit. "oh my!" she shot to her feet, rousing Buck awake.
"huh, who, what?" the stallion slurred, yawning as he stood. "Grace, what happened?"
"n-nothing" Grace stammered. "I just woke up ad realised how late in the morning it is! if I don't get back soon, Mrs. Caloway and the others will worry about me"
Buck sighed and nodded slowly. "yeah, okay, Gracie Girl" the pair slowly stood and hesitated, Buck knowing that he had to get back to town and Grace knowing that she had to get back to Patch of Heaven. "hey" Buck said as they were getting ready to part ways. "maybe... maybe I could walk you back to the farm?"
"I don't know, Buck" Grace looked hesitant. "I wouldn't want anyone to see us together..."
"they won't see us" Buck said. "trust me, Gracie Girl. we won't get caught"
"are you sure, Buck?"
the stallion grinned. "of course I'm sure, Grace. now come on, let's get going" he walked off, Grace hesitantly following.
...
Meanwhile, at Patch of Heaven, Mrs. Caloway and Maggie were already up and were a but suspicious. "Maggie, have you seen Grace this morning?"
"I haven't seen her since last night, Mrs. C" Maggie said.
"ugh, where can that girl be?" Mrs. Caloway sighed, looking around. the farmyard wasn't very big, so she was certain that Grace was around somewhere.
"maybe she just took an early morning walk?" Maggie suggested, shrugging. she wasn't too worried. she was sure that Grace would turn up soon.
"hmm, perhaps you're right, Maggie" Mrs. Caloway said thougthfully. "well wherever she is, I hope she comes home soon"
"yeah, me too, Mrs. C"
...
Buck and Grace were silent most of the way back to Patch of Heaven. "Grace, don't worry" Buck said, laughing a little. "no one's going to catch us together"
"I... I just..." Grace stopped walking just then, at the top of a hill overlooking the farm. "I'm just tired of hiding, Buck!" the blond cow had tears in her eyes.
Buck sighed. "I know, Grace, I know. I hate hiding too... I hate having to act differently around you whenever the others are around, I hate having to act like I don't love you" his ears folded back slightly. "it's hard, but then again, I understand why we have to keep this a secret..."
"Mrs. Caloway would never approve of us" Grace said quietly, sniffing a bit as a few tears streamed down her face.
"oh, don't cry, Gracie Girl" Buck said, nuzzling her. Grace sighed, nuzzling him back. she hated all the secrecy.
...
"well, I'm convinced Grace isn't here, Mrs. C" Maggie said, walking over to the hay trough and taking a big bite from the alfalfa.
"I just don't understand why she'd..." Mrs. Caloway started, but something caught her eye just then. a familiar blond cow, on a hilltop not far from the farm. "Grace!"
"what? where?" Maggie asked through a mouthful of hay. she moved to stand beside Mrs. Caloway, following the older cow's gaze. she then saw two figures on the hilltop. one was unmistakably Grace, and the other... "is that Buck?" Maggie squinted her eyes slightly.
"I beleive it is" Mrs. Caloway narrowed her eyes. "ugh, he's probably just bragging about something... well I'm going to give that boastful horse a piece of my mind" she stomped under the archway of the farm, heading down the path toward Buck and Grace.
"wait for me, Mrs. C" Maggie said, following after the older cow.
Grace sighed, looking at Buck worriedly. "what are we going to do?"
"I don't know, Gracie... I don't know"
"Grace!"
the blond cow gasped, turning to see Mrs. Caloway and Maggie coming toward them. "oh no"
"hey there, uh... Marjorie? no, Margaret?"
"it's Maggie, Hot Shot" Maggie grumbled, rolling her eyes.
"Buck, why can't you leave Grace alone?" Mrs. Caloway snapped. "I'm certain she's not at all interested in your boastful..."
"wait, you don't understand, Mrs. C..." Grace started, but Mrs. Caloway wasn't listening.
"come along, Grace" Mrs. Caloway said.
"Mrs. C, listen!" Grace said, swallowing nervously. "B-Buck and I, we..."
"hey now, Mrs. Burmingham..." Buck said.
"it's Caloway" the elderly cow said stiffly, narrowing her eyes at him. "and what is it that you feel you must tell me?"
Maggie looked back and forth between Buck and Grace.
"look, Grace and I... we were meeting each other. we just... we kinda lost track of the time" Buck said slowly.
Grace nodded.
"but... but why?" Maggie asked, a bit confused.
Grace swallowed nervously. "we... we... we snuck off to spend some time together... l-like we always do..."
"always?" Mrs. Caloway looked shocked. "Grace, why would you want to spend any time with Buck?"
"I... I..."
"you know what, we will discuss this at Patch of Heaven" Mrs Caloway said.
"Mrs. C, wait a minute..."
"come, Maggie, Grace, we are going home"
"but...!"
Mrs. Caloway grabbed Grace's cowbell with her tail, puling the younger cow along behind her.
"Mrs. Caloway, wait a second, if you would just listen to me...!"
"Grace, we'll discuss this at home" Mrs. Caloway was in no mood for arguing.
"Mrs. C, there's something you need to know...!"
by then, the three cows were back at Patch of Heaven. Mrs. Caloway released her hold on Grace. "what is it, Grace, that's so important...?"
"Buck and I have been sneaking off to see each other for..." Grace hesitated. "for a long time now"
"you and Mr. Hot Shot?" Maggie blinked, confused.
Grace nodded. "yeah. I-I didn't want either of you to know..."
"you mean you've been sneaking off every day to see Buck?!" Mrs. Caloway seemed shocked.
"y-yes, Mrs. C"
"but why?!"
Grace swallowed nervously. "w-well... I..." she felt her heart beating fast. "I... I love him"
Mrs. Caloway and Maggie stared at her, their eyes wide. "you... you what?"
"I love him, Mrs. Caloway. and he loves me too..."
"no... no, this is utter nonsense!" Mrs. Caloway said, shaking her head. "no, I simply refuse to beleive it. Grace, I want you to tell me the truth right now!"
"that is the truth, Mrs. C!" Grace said, feeling tears welling up in her eyes. "I love Buck, and he loves me too!"
"Grace, uh... how long has this been going on, exactly?" Maggie asked slowly.
"for... for the last couple of years" Grace sighed. "but I knew you two wouldn't accept it, so Buck and I had to keep it secret!"
"now Grace, I know that you have better sense then this" Mrs. Caloway said.
"why do you hate him so much, Mrs. C?" Grace asked.
"why? he's pompus, rude, boastful, arrogant, terribly rude..."
"no, he's not like that anymore!" Grace said. "he's changed, Mrs. Caloway! and I love him"
"Grace..." Mrs. Caloway sighed. "I do not want you seeing that horse anymore"
"what?" Grace shook her head. "you can't...!"
"and you are not to leave Patch of Heaven without an escort. have I made myself clear?"
tears welled up in Grace's eyes. "how could you?" she gasped.
Maggie frowned. "Grace..."
the blonde cow started to cry. "you just don't understand..."
"Grace, I understand that you're not being sensible..."
"I-I don't care what you say!"
"Grace...!"
"no, I'm not listening to you! I'm going to be with Buck, and that's that!" she swallowed hard and turned, running beneath the archway and down the road.
"Grace! Grace, get back here this instant!" Mrs. Caloway called, sighing. "oh dear"
Maggie frowned, watching as Grace ran off, no doubt heading to town to find Buck. "should... we go after her?"
"oh she'll come back" Mrs. Caloway said. but her gut was telling her that Grace was completely serious about what she'd said, and was going to disobey no matter what Mrs. Caloway said.
...
Grace stopped a little ways down the road, taking deep breaths as she tried to calm down. "oh I wish they could understand!" she said out loud, sniffing and wiping her eyes with her hoof. she was too upset to notice the men sneaking around nearby. the men who were searching for some cattle to steal. and they happened to spot Grace...
aww snap, RUSTLERS! I hate those guys, can't they just buy their own dang cows?! ugh, anyways, I hope you liked this chapter and don't forget to review!
-FreddysNightmare1984