Good God what is taking Dani so long? Kris had been sitting in the car for at least ten minutes. I thought she was going to be right down. Kris looked behind her at the door. Still no sign. Then she saw a pay phone. Hmmm... She had been debating whether or not to call Matt and let him know she was alright. She didn't want him to worry, but then she thought if she called him he would be able to find her somehow. Then at that moment she realized that unless she told him where she was that wouldn't be realistic. She got out of the car and walked over to the payphone. She dialed the numbers and listened for Matt to pick up. "Kris?" How did he know it was me? Then she thought he was probably worried so he greeted everyone that way for the past two days. "Yeah, it's me."

"Oh my God where are you? I'll come pick you up. Just give me a second to find my keys..."

"Matt stop."

"Stop what?"

"I don't want to be picked up."

"What? Why?"

"Your mom kicked me out you can't just go and bring me back."

"I don't care what my mom thinks."

"You should. She's right."

"No, she's not. Kris, she had no righ..."

"Yes she did, Matt. I put all of you in danger of losing the ranch."

"None of that matters Kris. I love you." Kris was quiet. "Don't you love me?"

"You know I do. But, it does matter Matt."

"How can you say that? How can you give up what we have?"

"It's not like this was my first choice either!"

"You don't have to make a choice! Just let me come pick you up..."

"And take me where Matt? I can't go back to your house."

"I don't know, we'll get a place in the city."

"You can't afford that and neither can I. You guys are barely holding on to the ranch as it is."

"I don't care, we had to sell all the horses anyway."

"You WHAT?!"

"My mom sold all the horses. Every single one."

"Why?"

"To pay off her debt."

"So you still have the ranch?"

"Yeah. But there's not much we can do with it."

"Well I don't think having me around is going to help anything." Matt started to get frustrated. "Is this about Junior?"

"Oh my God Matt! NONE of this is about JUNIOR! JUNIOR didn't kick me out, JUNIOR isn't with me now, I haven't even talked to him in two days!"

"How can I believe you about this when you went behind my back to do the race?"

"Because the race was not for my benefit. It was for yours. I know it backfired but I did it for you and your family."

"How do I know you didn't do it because Junior was there?"

"You've got to be kidding. Matt the fact that you would even ask that question proves just how little you know me."

"I could know you better if you would let me pick you up."

"We've been through this. I have very few options right now Matt, and as much as I wish it could be, Raintree is not one of them. I was calling to tell you that I was okay and that I lo- that I love you. I'm sorry. I have to go." Kris hung up the phone. Why was it so hard to tell him I loved him?

"Junior, there is something you need to know..."

"Yeah?"

"I think... I think that Kris is still in love with you." She heard Junior laughing in the backround. "What's so funny?"

"Look Dani, I know you hate me right now and all because of the match race, but that was a cruel joke of yours."

"It's not a joke." Junior could sense the tone in his sister's voice. His laughing came to an abrupt stop and he was quiet. Dani could hear Junior swallowing a lump in his throat. "How do you know? Wait! Are you with Kris?"

"Yeah."

"What the hell? How did that happen?"

"I'm going to New Mexico, I offered to make her my partner if she rides for me. She has nowhere else to go and she agreed."

"So, is she, okay?"

"She misses you."

"What are you talking about? I think Kris made it real obvious that she loved Matt."

"God Junior sometimes you are so stupid!"

"What is that supposed to mean?"

"Guys don't understand concepts. Kris didn't dump you because she didn't love you anymore, she dumped you because you betrayed her, as she puts it."

"So?"

"So, she couldn't get over you and it scared her so she wanted someone that she thought could make that happen, and the only person that could make that happen," he finished for her. "Was Matt."

"Right. It's the same thing I did with Bobby, trying to make me forget completely about Matt."

"Well it doesn't mean she wants me back, and even if she did, I'm with Gillian. Besides, what makes you so sure she loves me?"

"Because I went through her stuff looking for stuff that had to do with Matt. All I found was stuff that had to do with you."

"Like what?"

"Is that important?"

"Yes."

"Fine. Your cowboy hat, pictures of you guys making out in a photobooth, a napkin from Ray's cafe that said "I love you. Junior and Kris 4ever", and a couple other things but the main thing was the blanket you took with you that day you were going to have a picnic with her. She still has it, and she uses it as her blanket every night, even though she has hotel blankets that are probably warmer. And last night, I"

"You what?"

"No, never mind."
"What?"

"It's just going to upset you."

"What? Tell me Dani."

"Last night I heard her crying. I went in there and she was under the blanket whimpering in her pillow."

"Oh no you weren't mean were you?"

"No, actually we are kind of getting along. I mean we still hate eachother but at least now we can talk."

"Is she okay? Did you ask why she was crying?"

"No."

"Why?"

"Because I knew why and so do you. She's waiting downstairs I have to go. I just wanted to tell you. I don't want to be held responsible for anything in the future for keeping this to myself."

"Okay. Well thanks for telling me. You're still going to talk to me right? You haven't cut me off completely? Cuz New Mexico's kind of far away."

"I'll call you. Bye Junior. And tell her I said"

"What?"

"No, nevermind. Don't say anything."

"Okay." Dani shut the phone. Glad that load is off my chest. She walked downstairs and saw Kris talking, or really, more like yelling, at someone on the other line. Matt? It can't be Junior I was just talking to him. Dani saw Kris look at her and then she hung up the phone. "Ready to go?" Dani looked at her. "Yeah." Kris tossed her the keys and they got in.

"How long till the ranch?"

"Maybe twenty more minutes. Who were you talking to on the phone?" Kris shook her head. "It's not important." Dani didn't know if she should wait until they got there to tell her she knew, or to do it in the car, or not to do it at all. She knew why Kris was crying, but she wanted to confirm it, She needed to know if she was crying because of Matt. She thought and was almost positive it was Junior but there was still a small chance that it was Matt. I'll wait. Twenty minutes went by. Dani pulled into a small, broken-down place. Only six stables and one racing track, and a small two bedroom house. "This is it." Kris looked around. "Okay. We'll make it bigger, right?"

"It's only a little ways away from the highway, we'll have to move somewhere bigger when the time is right. Wanna get the horses out and get them in their stables?"

"Yeah. So do we have employees?"

"Not yet. After we get some more horses maybe. But I think we can take care of two. More like one -and-a-half since Flame is only a few months." Kris nodded and went to open the trailer. She got Flame and Dani got Picoro and they put them in their stables. Both of them worked all day to get the stables up to par, and by the time they were done it was getting late. "I think we can start again tomorrow." Dani started to walk inside. "You know, actually Dani, I think I'm gonna stay in the barn tonight."

"What? It's freezing."

"We have that tall heater. I want to stay with Flame."

"Alright. Your choice." Dani started to walk away, but then turned back around and leaned up against the barn, hidden. What does she do when she stays with the horses? What can she possibly have to talk to them about? Kris started petting Flame.

"You know Flame? You're quite the legacy. Son of Wildfire and Belladonna." She laughed a little bit. "I actually got to watch you being born. Your foot was positioned wrong and your dad, I mean, Junior, had to keep your mother calm while I tried to position you right. I was so surprised because it wasn't as hard as I thought it would be. Then me and Junior watched you being born. It was so amazing. He thought so too. All we could say was the word 'incredible''. She petted Flame again. "That's why me and Junior think of you as our baby. In a way, you kind of are. If Junior and I hadn't, um," she thought of the proper way to say this, even though she knew the horse couldn't understand her anyway, she still spoke to Flame as if he were a human baby. "...if we hadn't,um, left your mom and Wildfire alone, you wouldn't have been born and if Junior wasn't there to help me I don't think either of you would be here." Kris kissed Flame's nose. "You know, I used to talk to your Daddy like this. Me and Wildfire were really close. Dani says we were on a wire. I think she was right. Maybe I'll have that with you, too." Dani heard all of this and actually felt a little bad for taking Flame away from Kris. She didn't want to hear anything else. She walked in and Kris jumped up. "Um, what's up Dani?"

"If I would have known, even I wouldn't have tried to take Flame away from you." Kris tried to play dumb. "What do you mean?"

"Don't play dumb, Kris. I heard you talking to Flame."

"How much did you hear?"

"The whole thing."

"Oh." Kris was feeling a little embarassed since she basically let all her personal history with Junior and Flame out in the open.

"I didn't know that Flame had that strong of a bond between you and Junior." Kris just looked back at Flame and smiled. "I'm sorry."

"It's okay."

"And while none of this means we're friends, I would actually rather see you with my brother than Gillian. Gillian's annoying. You're just a pain in my ass." Kris laughed a little bit, wondering if she should take that as a compliment or insult. She took it as both. "I know he would be happier with you than he is with Gillian."

"Junior's..."Kris stopped herself, trying to let what Dani just said settle in. "Junior's with Gillian?"

"Yeah. You didn't know?"

"No. I had no idea."

"Well yeah. Gillian and Junior. But like I said, as much as I hate how you kept dangling my brother on a string, she'll always be second. Goodnight." Dani walked away to the house. Kris kissed Flame and ran after Dani. "Wait. It is a little cold." They both went inside and went to their rooms. Kris layed down on her bed and covered with the same blanket again. She couldn't get the picture out of her head. Gillian and Junior. Junior and Gillian. Gillian Davis. It definitely had a better ring to it than Kristine Davis, or even Kris Davis did. She sighed heavily. I miss Junior.

(A/N: I am always always ALWAYS open to ideas. Writing can be hard because it is so easy to lose inspiration. If you have any ideas at all please leave them in a review or you can email them to me. If I use your idea I will credit you in the beginning of the chapters you have helped me with. This way it is harder to lose inspiration and easier to keep a story going.)