Hello again! I'm sorry that this chapter is a little late, but now I present a new chapter and it's all good! Yes everyone, Forrest finally makes his appearance;D. Also, there's a bit of a flashback in the beginning that is based on a scene from the movie "Stand By Me". I hope that's alright because it's one of my favorite scenes and I that it could work for this. I hope everyone likes the new chapter, and I'll try to update as quick as I can next time;)
Title: Fire in the Blood
Author: xxxLovely Insanityxxx
Rating: PG-13/R for violence, language, and sensuality.
Summary: Returning home after being away for seventeen years, Rosalie "Rose" Rakes nee Thomas is reacquainted with a certain Bondurant. Yet as Forrest and Rose try to find common ground between themselves again, neither could imagine the lengths that her husband will go to keep his wife by his side
Theme: Not quite sure yet.
Over & Out
1910
Pit clack-pit clack.
"Rose! Rosie…"
Pit clack-pit clack.
"Rose!"
A young girl tossed in her bed as she tried to ignore the pebble hitting her window. She groaned and buried her head in her pillow as more pebbles hit her window. Finally, as she grumbled incoherently, the little girl slid out of bed and stumbled over to her window. She opened it and glared at the unruly fifteen year old boy who disturbed her sleep.
"What choo want Forrest?" she grumbled.
"Hurry up and get dressed!" said Forrest excitedly. "There's something I gotta show ya!"
"This early in the morning?" Rose hissed.
"Will you come on?" Forrest rolled his eyes then muttering to himself, "Girls…" which earned him to have an object thrown at his head.
"Ow!"
"It was just washing soap you big baby! I didn't throw that hard."
Rose huffed as she turned around to snatch up the overalls that she left on her rocking chair the night before. Shoes in one hand and newsboy cap in the other, she tiptoed down the hall and the stairs quietly. In the living parlor, she could see her father asleep on the couch, a bottle of whiskey still in his hand. The girl of only thirteen could only sigh. It was a pitiful sight. Rose thought that he must've decided to sleep there after the latest fight with her mother. Clearing her thoughts with a shake of her head, Rose walked out of the house to find Forrest long gone. It didn't bother her. She knew where he would be waiting for her. She ran down along the dusty road that trailed beside Maggodee Creek, which led down south to Grassy Hill. Finally from a distance, she could see Forrest sitting on the ground, smoking a cigarette.
"About time!" Forrest exclaimed, getting up and discarding the cigarette against the ball of his foot.
Rose rolled her eyes. "Just show me what you've got."
Forrest shrugged his shoulders and rummaged through his sack for what he was searching for. When he finally found it and took it out, Rose gasped at the sight of it. Forrest grinned like a madman at the sight of his friend's face.
"It's a real Smith & Wesson." Rose marveled at the sight of the gun. She had seen many of the shotguns and revolvers that belonged to her father, but this felt so different seeing one so close. She took it from Forrest's hands. She held it in her hands then positioned it, as if she was getting ready to shoot
"Where d'you get that?"
"Howard found it over at Smith Mountain. Stole it from his room while he was still asleep."
"Pcgouh!" Rose imitated the gun. Then, she glanced over to the side. Beside near the hill laid the home of Cricket Pate's Aunt Winnie, an old bat whose senses was still as sharp as a knife. 'If that gun went off, Lord knows what would happen if Aunt Winnie heard,' thought Rose.
Looking straight back in the gun's direction, she asked Forrest "Is it loaded?"
"Hell, no! Howard should've unloaded it last night. Who d'you think I am-"Yet as Rose pulled the trigger, Forrest's confident smirk turned into a look of surprise when the gun actually fired.
"JESUS!" They exclaimed when suddenly they heard something. Looks of horror painted their faces when they saw Aunt Winnie coming out of the house.
"Let's get of here! Come on!" Rose exclaimed and the two sprinted down the hill. Forrest laughed as they ran down the hill, the excitement and adrenaline of it all coursing through his veins.
"Rose did it!" He shouted. "Rosalie Thomas' is gonna shoot up Blackwater Creek!"
"Shut up!"
"What's going on? Who shot that?!" They could hear her croak as they ran faster. Finally out of earshot and sight in the woods, they stopped for breath.
"You should've seen your face! Oh man!" Forrest still cackled. Rose felt her anger and irritation rise. She walked over to him and pushed him against his chest.
"You knew it was loaded, you jerk!" She yelled. "I can't believe that I even fell for it! Now I'm gonna get in trouble after Aunt Winnie caught me!"
"Aw come on, Rosie! She probably didn't see you!"
"I don't care! It was a mean trick! I can't believe you would do something like that." Rose shoved the gun back into his hands. She was about to leave him to go home, when she all of a sudden felt him grab her wrist. She turned her head and glared at him.
"Rosie wait-"Forrest said, actually sounding like that he was sorry. "I really didn't know that the gun was loaded. Honest." Rose fully turned her body around to face him. She just frowned at him, not sure if he was telling her the truth or not.
"You swear?" She asked.
"Yeah, I swear." He told her, but she only shook her head.
"That's not good enough. Do you swear on your mother's grave?"
"Yeah." Rose held up her pinky and said with such a solemn look on her face, "Pinky swear?"
"Pinky swear," Forrest pecked his pinky with his lips, and then hooked it along with hers. Feeling satisfied with his answer, Rose continued to look at him. Then, a cheeky grin began to form.
"I guess that was kinda funny, huh?" Forrest grinned, happy to know that his best friend was no longer upset with him.
"Yeah," He chortled. "You should've seen the look on your face! You looked like you just got caught in only your bloomers."
"I did not!" Rose replied, a look of mock shock upon her face. Then she grinned and pushed him slightly. She ran away shouting, "You're it!"
Forrest mockingly glared at the retreating girl. He threw down the gun and shouted after her, "I'm gonna get you!"
The two friends chased after each other for the rest of that morning, enjoying the summer sun and the others company. The gun was left completely forgotten.
******Present
I watched from inside the car as Hodges spoke to Forrest about what was going on. Charley was standing outside, appearing to be bored, and wanting to be somewhere else. I felt on edge as I looked on, waiting for Forrest to say something to Charley or look back at Wardell. I was happy about one thing though: when he had previously looked at Wardell, he didn't see me. Or at least I hope he didn't.
I watched Forrest from the corner of my eye. It was hard to read him. He looked either as if he wasn't too happy about the new situation, or if he simply didn't care. He had changed greatly. He was no longer the skinny teenager with a mischievous grin. He appeared older, more mature-like than he once was. He was bulkier, had a bit of a scruff, and his entire face and eyes were reserved and cold. There was no trace of the Forrest Bondurant that I once knew- the one that I used to call my Forrest. But I couldn't call him that anymore, could I? I was someone's wife, and by the looks of it, as my eyes flickered over to the redheaded woman watching the scenario, he belonged to someone else. My heart clenched painfully at the sight of her. She was quite a pretty thing. Red curls that formed a bob, ruby red lips, a lean body, and pale pale skin- I could imagine why Forrest chose her to be his… to be his wife. I had to turn my gaze back to what was going on. I couldn't look at her. The thought of her and Forrest made my heart break. I shook my head, disgusted at myself. I shouldn't feel like this. I was the one that left. I was the one that changed everything between us. There is no now between us. We had both moved on.
I kept repeating this in my head when I suddenly saw my husband walking closer to Forrest. Then, he poked him on the shoulder. And Forrest gave him a death glare that spoke of murder. 'Damn it to hell Charley!' I mentally cursed by husband. Before I knew it, I had jumped out of the car.
"Darling!" I called out, catching everyone's attention. Charley glanced at me with annoyance clear in his eyes. I walked over to stand beside him, ignoring the way he looked at me.
"Rosebud, what are you doing? I thought I told you to stay inside the car?" He asked me, a light scolding laced in his voice. Before I could reply, he had returned his attention back to Forrest and Hodges.
"Forgive my wife. She's been a bit out of sorts since we've arrived…" As Charley chattered on, I was able to catch a glimpse of Forrest staring at me. For a moment, I thought I saw a flash of recognition in his eyes before they switched back to their cold demeanor. I was lost in my own reverie that I almost didn't hear Charley speaking to me.
"Rosalie? Why don't you say hello to Mr. Bondurant?" I snapped out of it as I looked at Charley, and then back to Forrest. I slowly extended my hand to him.
"How do you do, Mr. Bondurant?" I replied, smiling a small polite smile. Charley looked on intensely, waiting to see what would unfold. Forrest merely looked at my hand in silence. Sheepishly, I looked away and retracted my hand back to my side.
"Beautiful, isn't she?" Charley said, almost to himself. I slightly cringed and said, "Charley please," as he kissed me upon the cheek. Thankfully, he didn't notice it, and then he snaked his arm around my waist possessively. I heard Forrest grunt something that sounded like it could've been a response, and then going back to speaking to Hodges.
I remained silent as I watched them when I felt Charley's arm slip from my waist. I immediately turn to him as I watched him stepping away to take a closer look at the red-haired woman. I watched on a she appeared to be uncomfortable under my husband's gaze. I look away and pursed my lips together in displeasure. But it wasn't at her, but to my dear husband. No matter how much I wanted it to stop, it wasn't in my power. Charley made it apparent that he no longer cared for me, yet as a devout Catholic, he wouldn't divorce me. Yet ironically because of the predicament, he would look for pleasure elsewhere. And so, I had to learn how to cast a blind eye; otherwise if I didn't, things wouldn't turn out well in my favor.
As I looked back and then looked away again, I caught Forrest looking at me looking Charley. He glanced at Charley, and grunted in displeasure. 'I don't blame him,' I thought to myself. 'My husband is checking out his wife.'
Snapping out of it, I looked away again as I heard Abshire telling Forrest that Wardell would like to try some of their apple brandy. I watched him walk over to the car, and telling Wardell something that sounded like a threat. I had to bite my lip to keep from smiling when he called Charley "your clown with the bowtie.". He walked back over to the front of the station, telling the woman, Maggie, to go back inside.
"Forrest you're making a big mistake-"Hodges tried to reason, but was completely ignored. "You're gonna regret this."
"Oh don't worry, Sheriff. He's already regretting it. He's just too ignorant to know it yet." Charley replied, thinking as if Forrest will come around, and agree to the terms about the still and the money. I knew better though. Hell would freeze over before Forrest and the others would bend to their will.
We were going to be here for a very long time.
Then, as if things couldn't get any worse, Forrest turned back around and glared at my husband.
"You thinking of drawing on me?" Charley asked, as if he were challenging Forrest.
"Charley please let's just go," I said, praying that he would back down. I looked at Forrest, and then back at Charley.
"Sweetheart, we should get going. We don't want to waste their time with our presence for so long, do we?"
"Please…" This had to end before things got out of hand. Finally, Charley looked down at me with a tight smile.
"Come along, Rosebud," he said, as he took me by the hand to lead me back to the car.
The worst was finally over. I have seen him. We have both seen each other again for the very first time in years. I thought that perhaps I could be at peace after the ordeal, but now- I felt empty. And I didn't know what to do. As the car started, I could see Forrest watching us as we were leaving. No, he wasn't watching all of us. He wasn't looking at Charley, or Wardell, or even Hodges.
He was looking straight at me.
And there was nothing in the world that I wanted more, than to know what he thought of me in that precise moment.
I hope everyone enjoyed this new chapter, and plz review:D
