Chapter 2 – Belonging
Part 1
This one's for the beaten down
The ones who lost their rock and roll
Rise up you lost ones, claim your crown
You were born to rock inside your soul
Heath had had himself a day, working to round up cattle was hard enough but add in dealing with the likes of Barrett was more than enough to make it a bad day. It's bad enough trying to find a place to belong within the Barkleys, but dealing with the disrespect from Barrett and others like him was wearing thin. He had ordered Barrett to do something and Barrett scoffed in his face...
"Barrett, take up the drag." Heath ordered. He had just chased down a stray calf and here Barrett and two other men were just sitting in the shade. He had ordered the other two men to do something and they moved to obey, but not Barrett.
Barrett didn't even spare Heath a glance, "You have a horse."
Heath dismounted his horse and walked over to Barrett trying to intimidate the man a bit. "Get back to that herd." He ground out evenly, Barrett ignored him. "I gave you an order," Heath barked out.
Barrett glared at him, "I take orders from Barkleys not a B..."
Heath had turned away but now he whirled around and gritting his teeth he growled, "Not from a what?" It always came down to this, no matter where he went. It was always an up hill battle to make something from himself. "You hop on that heard your your going to be trampling the flatts."
Barrett had moved after that, slowly he mounted, but just as he started to leave he had to get one last shot in. As Heath was mounting Barrett pointed to the Barkley brand on Heath's horse. "You wear that brand, his rump and yours, but that B don't stand for Barkley, not on your hide.
Heath really didn't have a choice after that. He would never earn the respect of the rest of the men if he let Barrett get away with that. He bit out, "Your through. Pick up your pay and get out."
He thought that was going to be the end of it but no Nick just had to hire Barrett back. Heath knew Nick didn't understand what it was like to be in his place, but that didn't hold his anger at his authority being thwarted. He didn't say anything to Nick when Nick told him, he just glared at his older brother and stalked off to tell Mac to put a double guard on the herd that night, as Nick had requested.
Welcome misfits, orphans, all
The ones who feel they don't belong
You were made to rock, so stand up tall
Go rock the world and prove them wrong
Heath decided that, while he was going to do as Nick asked, he was going to do it his own way. Barrett didn't want to take orders from him? Then he was going to make sure Barrett worked the night with him. He walked up to the Bunkhouse, went in, grabbed a cup of coffee and sat down right across from Barrett. He knew as soon as he entered that Barrett had been telling the tale of how Heath fired him and Nick hired him back because the room got deathly quiet as soon as he walked in.
"McColl." Heath stated.
"Yo." Came the response.
"Nick want two more men to ride patrol on the herd tonight."
Mcoll sighed, "Rodell, Chad."
Heath stopped him, "I'll be taking it with Barrett."
"Whose thought is that?" Barrett asked.
"Mine." Heath stated in a deadly calm tone.
Barrett scoffed, "Well, I've had me a day. I 'sepct I'll pass."
Heath didn't even blink, "McColl."
McColl sighed again, "Yeah?"
"Get the men outside."
McColl winced. "Alright everybody." Nobody moved, "Move it," McColl barked.
Barrett started to leave and Heath barked out, "Barrett, sit down."
McColl stopped by Heath on the way out. "Son, don't do..."
Heath interrupted him, "The cook too."
McColl sighed but did as Heath had asked.
"Close the door on your way out." heath called as McColl and the cook left, leaving the room empty apart from heath and Barrett.
Barrett got up to get more coffee. Heath didn't move but said, "Barrett, you're going to ride that herd tonight if I have to carry you out."
Barrett snarled and started ranting about how he had had it with heath. He ended his rant saying, "I won't take no bossin' from a dead man's dirt."
Heath jumped him at this point, a beating was going to be the only way to get his point across. Nick told him to handle it and boy howdy he was going to handle it. Barrett wasn't going to cross him again by the time he was done. He was tired of sitting back and just taking people's talk about his parenthood, he had a name now and he was going to wear it proudly. No one was going to take it from him, or talk down to him again, especially not Barrett.
Rock what you got
Rock what you got
Don't let them make you stop
Rock what you got
Light up the lot
No one can rock the way you rock
Heath stood at the window staring at General Wallant's white horse. He knew he had seen it since he came to town and he knew where he saw it. He mentioned it to Nick but Nick told him it was impossible because Wallant had said he had just come to town. It was odd that Wallant just happened to be at Sample's place for the gun fight, and then happen by 2 days before they headed out on a cattle drive that could make or break the other men sending their cattle with them. Heath supposed it was just luck that Wallant happened along just as the bunkhouse caught fire after he and Barrett fought.
Victoria Barkley saw him as she walked by and came over to greet him with a big smile. She took his arm and said, "It's going to be lonely here for the next few weeks. You and Nick on the cattle drive. Jarrod to San Francisco. Eugene off to college, and Audra, well, who ever knows where Audra is."
Heath gave her a little smile, Victoria Barkley was a mystery to him. She had accepted him before the others had. That night of the confrontation with his brothers when he had returned Audra home and grabbed the money that was still sitting in the glass Nick was holding Victoria had approached him. She seemed to know that he was contemplating running because she told him that if he was her son she would tell him to be proud of who he was. That any son of Tom Barkley had a right to hold his head proud. She gave him the courage to stay and fight with his brothers at Sample's ranch.
"Yes ma'am." Heath said to Victoria.
She shook her head, "Ah well we are going to have to do something about that. I've been many things to many people but never ma'am." She paused then asked, "What's wrong Heath?"
Heath shook his head, "Nothing."
Victoria shook her head, "oh no. Not that, not to me. Trouble with the men?"
"I can handle the men."
Victoria went into mom mode, "Heath you don't have to prove anything to anyone. You proved what you were in that fight two weeks ago against Coastal & Western. Now how many men did they have 60, 80 hired gun men against farmers and my sons. You fought with them and we won."
Heath interrupted her, "That horse."
Victoria looked confused, "What are you talking about?"
"That horse was there," Heath nodded to towards Wallant's horse. Would she believe him?
"Wallant's horse?"
"At Sample's place with those hired men."
Victoria looked concerned, "Are you sure?"
Heath looked down at her, "You don't forget a horse like that."
Victoria's blood ran cold, she asked Heath if he had told Nick. Heath responded in the negative saying that Nick wouldn't believe him. She agreed, saying that neither could prove it one way or another, then she looked up at him telling him to take care, then engulfed him in a hug.
This one's for originals
Who strike out towards the great unknown
Fear not the missteps, take the falls
The rock you find will be your own.
Heather was in a bit of a conundrum, She had spent so much time undercover with Curly and his gang that she wasn't sure what to do with herself now that they were gone. She wasn't sure how to act now that she wasn't with Curly, how free was she? This morning she decided to go into town and talk to Jarrod Barkley, she was going to have to explain things to him any way since Eugene was leaving for school. Heather dropped off a list of supplies at the General Store for Nettie, telling Melanie they were Nettie and the kids, then she headed over to Jarrod's law office.
Jarrod was surprised to see Heather enter the office and quickly offered her a seat asking her what she needed. Heather, once sure they were alone and not to be interrupted began her tale.
"There's a lot about me that you don't know." She began.
"What are you saying?" Jarrod asked intrigued.
"I'm going to share with you something only Eugene knows." Heather began, "But first you need to promise me that what I share won't leave this room."
"Eugene knows?"
Heather just looked at Jarrod, "Yes, I told him because I needed to tell someone, but he is leaving and I need someone else to know. Promise me."
Jarrod nodded, wondering what he was getting into. "I, Jarrod Thomas Barkley, hereby promises not to share anything Heather Thomson tells me with anyone." He stated formally.
Heather grinned, "Boy howdy, you Barkleys sure do know how to make promises. Eugene said basically the same thing when I made him promise."
Jarrod blinked at her turn of phrase, he had never heard anyone but Heath say that before. He filed that information away for further thought, turning his attention to what Heather wanted to share with him.
Heather took a deep breath. "I'm sure you, like everyone else wonders why I am with Curly, why I put up with his abusiveness or even why am in a relationship with a bank robber."
Jarrod agreed with a nod. He had wondered indeed.
"To explain why I'm going to give you a little background information. I grew up in a small mining town with my mother and brother, and two other ladies who lived with us and helped my mother raise my brother and I. At the time the war hit my brother ran off to join the fighting. While he was gone I helped my mother, but as the war went on I grew restless, I wanted to join in the fighting. Finally I decided ran away to join the fighting, cutting her hair and dressing like a man. II served as an aid to a Major, who when the war was over went to work for the Treasury Department."
Jarrod raised an eyebrow at this confession but didn't say anything.
"When the war was I was getting ready to go home when I was offered a position at the Treasury Department by the Major. I told him the truth and he still offered me the job. In the years since the War I have been sent out of various missions, but they never took very long and I never needed a contact in town. I was able to spend most of my time at home, keeping what I did for the Department as a secret, my brother was never even aware that I was ever away from home. Until last December when Curly robbed the bank. This is by far the longest mission I have ever been on, and I needed a contact so I told Eugene. Now Eugene is leaving and I need a new contact, so I chose you."
Heather sat back and watched Jarrod and he struggled to form a response. "I see." He finally said. "How are you going to proceed now that Curly is gone? I'm assuming you can't leave town or break cover until he is in custody. Do you have any plans?"
Heather shook her head, "I was hoping you might have some ideas. Eugene speaks very highly of you."
Jarrod leaned forward and together he and Heather began to brain storm.
Rock what you got
Rock what you got
Don't ever let them make you stop
rock what you got
Light up the lot
No one can rock the way you rock
Heather felt some better after she had talked to Jarrod, she had passed on her report that needed to be sent to her boss at the Treasury Department and then taken her leave. She made her way to the General Store where she ran into Victoria Barkley. Heather had never really encountered Victoria Barkley before and was surprised when Victoria addressed her.
"Melanie was telling me that you are picking up some supplies for Nettie." Victoria stated.
Heather nodded, "Yes, Mrs. Barkley. I've been staying with Nettie and the kids helping out."
"I think that is wonderful. I was going to go out and see her when I left town, may I give you a lift."
Heather agreed reluctantly, she really didn't want to carry everything back to the ranch, but she wasn't sure what to make of Victoria.
Victoria spent the ride to the ranch chattering away about her children. "It's going to be lonely around the house," she said, "Jarrod is going to San Francisco, Eugene off to college, and Nick and Heath are going on a cattle drive."
Heather stiffened at Heath's name. "How is Heath settling in?" She couldn't help but ask.
Victoria looked over at Heather, "It's a slow process but he's starting to be comfortable around us. It's a lot to take in. He feels like he has a lot to prove."
Heather gave a wistful smile. "He has always felt that way, even when he didn't need to."
Victoria raised an eyebrow, "I hope you don't mind me asking dear, but how do you know Heath?"
Heather sighed, "I grew up at Strawberry with him."
Victoria nodded, "I thought so. I figure you are very close to him."
Heather stiffened and was silent for a few minutes. Then she whispered, "Mrs. Barkley?"
"Yes dear?"
"Don't tell Heath that I'm here. It might cause some problems with him and Nick. Nick doesn't like me, and Heath hasn't seen me in a year."
Victoria didn't respond as she pulled up in front of Nettie's house, finally she said, "I won't for now, but you will need to talk to both of them at some point. Now let's take these supplies into Nettie."
Heather grinned at her and agreed, wondering just what the future had in store for her and Heath and their new found family.
