Author: Cha-Cha
Disclaimer: I do not own the chow or the characters so please do not sue.
A/N: Thank you everyone who has read this fic and especially those who reviewed.
Trecebo: Thanks for your review. Glad you're enjoying it.
Peppermint Girl: I wanted to show a different side to Chris that wasn't as bitter as he was in the series. I also thought Buck has so many big brother tendencies, why not start with Chris!
Millie2077: I have to admit, I also think Chris is older than Buck, but I love the idea of Buck being the 'older brother'. I'll do my best to include a bit more of the family in the next chapter.
Tobic: I have to admit I probably won't include Mary in this fic but as it's a wip, I never really know where I'm going to go!
'This is going to take us a while isn't it?' Buck rolled his shoulders as he tried to take out the kinks from his back. The hours of hard work wouldn't have bothered him when he was younger, but now it seemed as though his body was conspiring against him.
'It's alright old man, I can cover for you,' Chris mocked his friend, but still put his own tools down. It had felt a lot quicker the first time they had done this.
'Excuse me! Who was the one who had to cover for who when they couldn't cope with a full day on a horse!'
'I was 15! I'd only been riding a year, and never for long.' Chris immediately protested.
'You alright kid? Looking a little stiff.' Buck finally called over to his riding partner. They had been out checking the fences for three days amd sleeping under the stars each night instead of returning to the ranch. The first day, Chris had been enthusiastic, or rather, as enthusiastic as anyone could be checking fences. However, as time passed, he seemed to gritting his teeth more and more.
'I'm fine Buck. Let's just get this done,' was the growled response he received.
'Kid, we can take a break if you need it, this is back breaking work,' Buck instantly stopped his horse in front of Chris', forcing him to stop as well.
'I can keep up.' This time the growl was accompanied by a glare that would have put more than a slight edge of fear into most other people. Buck however was not most other people.
'I'm sure you can kid, but if you wear yourself out too quick you won't last. Sometimes slower is better, and I have been pushing you pretty hard.' Chris said nothing. 'You've never worked on a ranch before have you?'
'Why do you ask?' Guess Buck had hit a nerve as Chris was now on the offensive. Any indication Chris couldn't handle something was enough to put his back up. He knew that only age and time would cure that, so until then he would just have to back his friend up in fights and patch him up after. Maybe he ought to be teaching his friend some fighting skills! It would save a lot of pain and healers bills...
'Staying on a horse all day is tiring. Doing the work we do is tiring and then to sleep on the ground all night and do it again tomorrow is a bad combination. Give it a few years and you'll do this no problem.' Chris relaxed slightly at the explanation Buck gave.
'How long have you been doing this?' Chris asked after a few moments pause.
'Three years, I was about your age when I started here.' Buck nudged his horse forward at a slightly slower pace than before and the other man followed. 'First time on a ranch and I struggled. There was another guy here then, Kayden, never did know if that was his first or second name, but he took me under his wing, taught me what I needed to know about working here.'
'So now you're doing it for me.'
'Only partially, mostly I'm doing it because you're my friend and I don't believe in making friends suffer when they don't need to.'
'Thanks Buck,' Chris gave a small smile. The silence lasted for what felt like an age as they reached their final part of the fence to check. 'It was a mine I grew up at. My dad was a miner and he wanted me to be one too. I lasted three weeks before I couldn't take the dark and small spaces, left the next day and eventually came here.'
'My Ma was a working gal. She did her best to look after me on her own; she was amazing. After she died though, I didn't know what to do, but somehow I ended up here,' Buck reciprocated, refusing to meet Chris' eyes. Most people seemed to view the children of working girls the same way they did the mothers of the children.
'She must have had a lot of strength to do all that on her own.' Buck finally met Chris' eyes and the two men shared a smile. Not much more was needed to be said after that.
'Looks like we're finally done.' Buck stretched, popping his back loudly.
'Guess we'd better head back. It's getting late.'
'Eh, if he complains I'll just say it was my fault.'
'Thanks Buck.'
'Anytime pard, anytime.'
'Six Horses.'
'Pardon?' Buck looked over at his friend, slightly puzzled at what he was talking about.
'Six Horses; that town when I covered for you.'
'I was sick!' The memory came back to Buck quickly. Six horses had been a very small town they had been working in a year or so after they had left that Ranch where they had first met.
'So? Still covered for you didn't I old man,' Chris shrugged as though it made all the difference.
'Chris, help me get my boots on,' Buck tried to shout, but all that emerged was a hoarse whisper. He was sat on his bed, most of his clothes pulled on while his boots were still to the side of the bed. Sweat was pouring down his face and it was easy to see how much effort it had taken him to get that far.
'Sorry Pard, you ain't going anywhere,' Chris made a snap decision and instead began trying to remove the clothes Buck had just put on, dodging Bucks flailing as he tried to prove he was fit enough to work.
'But I'll lose my job, he hates me enough already.'
'I'll have it covered.' Chris tried to reassure him, not at all sure how he was going to do that, but he was mostly sure he could think of something that would cover for his friend. It seemed though he wasn't as convincing as he had hoped he was as Buck instantly began trying harder to stay dressed. 'Buck,' Chris growled, 'trust me.'
'You are my best friend Christopher Larabee, and I would trust you to watch my back any day of the week...' he paused as a yawn interrupted his speech.
'But?' Chris raised his eyebrows as he finally pushed the far too hot man back into bed and pulled his blankets up.
'You cannot bluff for anything, your face gives everything away pard,' Buck replied sleepily, as much as he tried, he could not keep his eyes open. His eyes opened again a minute later, or so it felt to see a smug looking Chris sat on the bed opposite reading a small book he had picked up in the previous town.
'Morning Pard,' Bucks voice sounded even worse than before he'd gone to sleep.
'Evening is more accurate.' Chris smirked as he carefully replaced his bookmark in the book and set it down on the bed.
'I slept all day?'
'Two days actually.' Buck winced but couldn't find the energy to sit up in horror. 'Your fever was pretty high so I doubt you really remember the bits you were awake for. The fever broke a few hours ago.'
'I'm fired then?' Buck asked, resigned to what he was certain his fate would be.
'Have a little faith in me why don't you! In fact, we are now the bosses favourite employees.' Buck only raised his eyebrows. 'One of the hands ran off with the Bosses money, so I volunteered us to get him back. Left you in the care of the Priest we met last week and caught the guy. Boss was so pleased he's given us the rest of the week off paid.' Buck could only stare in amazement at the luck his friend had. 'I know, I know, I am brilliant it does need to be said!'
'I think your head just grew about three sizes! But thanks pard, I do trust you, knew you'd come through for me.' Buck could feel himself starting to drift off again, the conversation had taken a lot out of him. 'Thanks for covering for me.' Before he fell asleep, he thought he heard his friend's final quiet words.
'Every time, anywhere pard, always.'
'I think of the scrapes we've gotten into over the years and I am amazed at what we've gotten away with thanks to relying on each other.' Buck finally decided. 'Guess we got a good history for covering for each other.'
'Guess we do pard, yes we do.' The two men sat back, leaning against the wall of the barn as they just stared at the started cradle.
'Buck! Did you eat my newly baked pie!' Vin's normally shy and quiet wife yelled from outside the barn.
'Still willing to cover for me?' Buck instantly shot to his friend quietly.
'Only if you've got a slice for me as well,' Chris fired back in a whisper.
'Course I do!' Buck looked mock scandalised as he pulled out the two slices he had 'liberated' earlier and handed one over.
'Sorry, can't have been Buck, he's been with me all day in here,' Chris called out, and the two men breathed a sigh of relief as they heard her footsteps walking away, muttering under her breath about pie thieves.
They almost felt sorry for the next person she cornered.
Almost.
'Here's to old age and deviousness,' Buck saluted with his slice.
'Here's to friendship and may it last many more years,' Chris toasted back.
'Hear hear!'
