Disclaimer: See Chapter One
A/N: Here is the next chapter. Do to the small amount of reviews I'm starting to think that people don't like this story as much as In Times Past and that sucks so any review you could give me would be awesome. Some of the beginning stuff is kinda a filler until I get more into it but still any review would be most welcome. Thanks!!
Chapter Six: Coming Out
Time had passed and winter was over, allowing the green of spring to come through. The weather was warm and it was nice to be able to leave the door and windows open. Tristan had been with me ever since the funeral. He talked to only a few people in Minnesota. He'd cut himself off pretty well. I had to place part of the blame on myself. I didn't try and get him to go home. I let him do what he wanted, and at the moment all he wanted was to have some peace and quiet. I loved his company and he seemed happy. That's all I cared about.
I had just gotten back from my morning run with the horses'. I started to muck the stalls and get everything cleaned up. The doors were open, letting the sun and the bird songs come through. I was in my own little world, thinking about things when my shoulder was touched. I jumped and whipped around, practically hitting Tristan with the pitchfork.
"Jeez, you scared the shit out of me." I told him.
"Sorry." He said kissing me.
"Are you hear to continue your horse therapy?" I asked him.
"No, I think I'm all horsed out this week." He replied.
"Well you better get over it." I told him. "I booked us at the Dude Ranch just an hour away. We are going to spend a whole on horseback." I told him.
"That should be interesting." He replied.
"It'll be fun." I said reassuringly.
"You have to admit that I'm getting better."
I smiled at him. "Yes you are. You're able to halter them, and lead them around all by yourself. I am very proud of you." I smiled and kissed him.
"It gives me something to focus on. Dad always wanted me to learn. Part of it's for him." He said with the tone that told me he was sad.
I took his hands in mine and kissed him deeply. "Wanna take a shower?" I grinned at him. He grinned back and we ran back to the house.
When our things were packed and loaded into the truck we sat on the steps to wait for Carol to arrive. She was going to be watching the animals while we were gone.
"Paige!" She said rushing to me when she jumped out of the car. "It's so good to see you!" She said hugging me tight. "Tristan…nice to see you here as well." She grinned.
"Thanks for helping me track her down." He grinned back. "Haven't gotten a chance to tell you yet."
"We'll see if he feels the same way after this week." I smiled at her.
"You'll both be fine." She laughed. "Ludo!" She said greeting her favorite kid.
She knew her way around the house so I wasn't worried. Tristan talked her through his dogs and any funny quirks that they had. All four of them had been shelter dogs and all had something different that was just a little off about them. Obi was very neurotic, Samson had separation anxiety, Ripley had to sleep with you at night, and Macy just had a lot of attitude.
When they finally came back out I was more than ready to get on the road. The sun was warming but the air was still cool. Spring was defiantly here. I thanked Carol again and got into the truck. Tristan got in and pulled out of the driveway. It was quiet, too quiet. I looked at Tristan and he seemed on edge. I took his hand in mine. I smiled at him, hoping to reassure him just a little bit.
"Are you okay?" I asked him.
"No." He said sharply.
"Not to sound paranoid or anything but, are you mad at me?"
He looked at me and squeezed my hand. "No, it's not you. I'm just…I miss my dad. He would have loved this. Not only that but I'm nervous about this whole trip thing. My mind keeps going through the things that could go wrong. I've heard horror stories about horses and what can happen. What about that Reeves guy?" He said clearly nervous.
I smiled at him. "You are going to be fine. I'm going to be there with you. Every step of the way." I said and kissed his hand. He smiled and squeezed my hand again.
When we got there the first thing we saw was the large pasture full of horses. We passed riders on the driveway and my excitement grew. This was the most normal thing I'd done in years. I was starting to live my life again. It felt good. Tristan parked the truck and I could barely contain myself. I got out and smelled in the ranches scent. The horses scent. We were soon greeted by Pete and Nana Johnson, the owners of the ranch. Both were getting up in years but both were still full of life.
"Nana!" I grinned as she stepped toward me with outstretched arms.
"Paige!" She said embracing me.
"So, you two know each other?" Tristan asked.
"I bought the boys from her." I smiled at him.
"She sure did." Nana grinned. "It's been nearly four years since I've talked to her. I was shocked when she called me about this trip. Nearly fell out of my chair, didn't I Pete?" She said turning to her husband of forty years.
"Yup!" He yelled in response before turning back to the farm hand.
"Pete! Get your ass over here and greet our guests!" She yelled at him.
"All right, all right, I'm comin'." He said walking over to us.
"Well my, my, my. If it's not Paige Winters." Pete grinned at her.
"Hi Pete." I grinned and hugged him.
"For being a hermit you sure have some nice friends." Tristan grinned, nudging me.
I laughed, "Shut up."
"She didn't just buy the horses off of us. She had to watch them for hours, had to touch nearly every part of their bodies, sit on their backs, run them until their lungs nearly gave out…she put them through the ringer." Pete told him.
"She was just making sure they were good horses." Nana said in her defense. "She knew what she was doing."
"You bet I did." I told them. "I kept in touch with them for a few months after I bought the boys to let them know how they were doing. I've sent a few pictures in the mail but that's about it."
"She's not good at keeping in touch but she defiantly leaves an impression." Nana smiled.
"I know that to be true." Tristan said putting his arm around me.
"Come on; let's get you two settled in." She smiled and led us to one of the cabins.
It was a wonderful little cabin. The cabin was, of course, decorated with a western theme. The walls were covered in artwork and the feeling alone was splendid to me. I looked around before looking at Tristan. I grinned and put my arms around his neck. I kissed him and ran my fingers through his hair.
"Thank you for doing this." I told him softly.
"I'd do anything for you." He replied, kissing me.
We went back outside and everyone seemed to be at ease. Time seemed to stop and there was just friends and family surrounding us. Nana and Pete called us to the grill and we had a beer and talked while their son Charlie cooked BBQ ribs. The smell was magnificent. The day was still young but it was a never ending feast. Once our bellies were full and conversation seemed to die down I asked if I could go see the stables. Nana of course agreed, so we took our men with to see the horses. They knew that Tristan had never ridden before and had already picked a horse out for him.
"This is Dishpan." Nana told Tristan. "He's an old Quarter horse. He's nineteen years old. Still in good shape and he's quiet. He'll do whatever you ask of him with no complaint and he's big enough to make sure you feel safe. He'll make a good horse."
"Not worried at all." Tristan said even though he clearly was. I grinned at him. He winked at me.
I looked through the stalls and a white Arabian stallion caught my eye. "Hey beautiful." I said putting my arms on top of the stall door. The horse charged at the door. I didn't move. He was trying to intimidate. "I'm not afraid of you." I told him. I found the bag of oats and took a handful of them, going back to the horse. "Here, it's good stuff. You'll like it." I told him. He could smell them but kept his distance, trying to stretch his head out far enough to take the treat. "You'll have to come closer than that." I told him. He wouldn't come forward so I pulled my hand back and just looked at him.
"He's a feisty one." Nana told me.
"So I've noticed. Mean or just disturbed?" I asked.
"He's just new. He's only been here a few days. Not used to things yet."
"Has he been ridden?" I asked her. She shook her head. "It's about time he was." I smiled and opened the stall slipping in.
"I'm not sure that's such a good idea." Nana told me.
"There's no harm in trying." I told her. The horse moved as far away from me as he could go. "Does he have a name?" I asked.
"His name is Ghost." She replied. "It was a little girl's horse but she grew tired of him. His name suits him though."
"It's perfect. I'm sure you're as fast as you look." I told the horse.
I squatted and looked at the horse. He just looked back at me, unsure of what to do. I put my hand out and he slowly came forward, smelling my hand with the oats in it. He took a taste before moving away from me. I slowly stood and took a step toward him. He didn't startle so I took another step. I held my hand out and he could see the oats in my hand. For a moment it looked like he was going to try and get away from me, instead he ate the oats from my hand, allowing me to rub his forehead.
"Well I'll be." Nana smiled.
"He's not bad at all." I told her. "You're just a nervous boy. With very little training you'd be ready." I told the horse.
"Well go ahead and take him this weekend. I trust you." She told me.
"Than let's take him for a test drive." I grinned at her.
Nana got me what I needed as I moved my hands over his body. He was in excellent condition and I was excited to get on top of his back. I put the bridle on and he stood perfectly still. He didn't get nervous again until I was tightening the saddle around his waste. It lasted only a minute and I continued to strap it onto him. When it was secure I walked him from his stall and through the barn. I let him get used to it again. It was obvious that he hadn't been ridden in a while. Once he seemed comfortable I mounted him easily. He shifted slightly, walking sideways, unsure of what to do. I straightened him out and he tensed. I loosened up on him, waiting to see what he was going to do. I had plenty of eyes on me but in my mind there was only me and the horse. He was testing me and at first I wasn't sure what he wanted of me. He was trying to stay in control but I pushed him to listen to me, forcing him to listen. He was stubborn though. He reared and tried to drop me off his back but failed. I kicked him and he lurched forward before stopping again. I worked with him for almost twenty minutes before I could walk him around easily. He was a good horse, no doubt about it. I moved the horse through the crowds of people, seeing how he would react. He was rusty but he knew what he was doing. I moved away from the crowd to a large field and let him free. He had incredible speed and for a moment I didn't think he was going to stop when I pulled back on the reigns. When he finally stopped I patted his neck and walked him in a circle before I let him let out some steam again and ran back to the ranch.
"How was he?" Nana asked.
"He'll do." I grinned at her.
"You just love horses. Why don't you make it your profession?" She asked me.
I grinned at her. "I'm an author, remember?"
"Your book was wonderful." Nana told me.
I laughed at her. "Let's go eat." I grinned taking Tristan's hand.
I leaned against him and he put his arm around me. I led the horse back to his stall and took his tack off before joining the group. It was a never ending party. Everyone was drinking and laughing as conversation moved through the group. As the sun went down a huge hoedown was going to be starting in the massive barn. They had a small band set up and benches and tables to sit at. Tristan wanted to go and dance but I wanted to stay in the room. I wasn't to hip on the big social scene but Tristan pointed out the fact that I had to go out at some point and this would be good for me. I drank another beer and agreed to give it a try. I held tight to his hand as we walked into the barn. The music was playing and everyone was dancing and having fun. I moved to a corner of the barn and sat down watching everyone. Tristan grabbed us drinks and found me, only he wasn't alone.
"What are you doing hiding back here?" Nana asked me.
"Just watching." I told her.
"I don't think so." She told me. "Charlie! Get your butt over here!" She hollered to her son.
"Nana, what are you doing?" I asked her.
"Teach this woman to line dance." Nana told her son.
"No, Nana, I don't think so." I told her sternly.
"Come on Ms. Paige." Charlie grinned and grabbed my hands, pulling me to my feet.
"No, no, no…" I said but it was no use.
He pulled me into the center of the barn, with tons of people around me. I was so uneasy that I thought I might pass out. People were cramming around me and I didn't know what I was doing and I didn't want to learn to line dance. Charlie moved me next to him as the band started an upbeat song and showed me the steps. Knowing that there was no getting out of it I did what Charlie asked of me and slowly I started to get the hang of it. Just as I was starting to get comfortable with it, the men separated from the woman and I was left with all these people I didn't know. We were facing each other and it seemed like there was going to be some kind of show off between the sexes. I, of course, was left in the front no matter how hard I tried to move away from the group. I was just about to make a dash for it when someone shoved me from behind and I turned to come face to face with Margie.
"You've got to be shitting me." I said angrily. "What the hell are you doing here?" I asked her.
"I met a guy shortly after Tristan's dad died. He's very into horses and riding. He's a big supporter of the ranch."
"So you just happened to be here the same weekend as us?" I said frowning at her.
"I suppose so." She said with a malicious grin.
"Oh god…" I said and looked rubbing my forehead. "You're not still jealous of me are you?"
"No. Demetrios Doukas is twice the man Tristan Branas is." She told me.
"That's a laugh." I grinned at her.
"Let's just see how well you dance after your lesson with the leader of the geek squad." She grinned wickedly.
"I hate you." I told her.
The music then picked up and the men did their portion of the dance before the women moved forward. I got a burst of self-confidence and danced the best I could keeping up just fine with everyone. When the music finally slowed I was out of breath and Margie stepped in front of me when I tried to walk away.
"You have a lot to learn." She told me.
"If I remember correctly, I caught you out of step more than me." I said and walked around her.
I found Tristan talking with a few of the men, having fun, smiling. "You'll never guess who's here." I told him.
"Who?" He asked intrigued.
"Margie." I told him.
"What? Why?" He asked, scanning the crowd.
"Apparently, she's dating a Demetrios Doukas." I explained.
"Who?" He asked. I shrugged. "Huh." He said and put his arm around me. "Does she still hate you?"
"With a passion. She saw Charlie teaching me to line dance and named him the leader of the geek squad. Just showing how advanced her mental capacity is. We had a few words that have led to me being moved to the number one slot of her hate list if I wasn't before." I replied. I let out an exasperated yell. "She's turns me into this childish person and I hate that!" I told him.
He laughed. "Don't worry. I love you." He said and kissed me.
"I love you too." I smiled. "Come on, let's dance."
It was late when we returned to the cabin. It was nice to finally lie down. I was beat and Tristan was practically asleep as soon as his head in the pillow. I did my usual evening routine before crawling into bed. Tristan got up and changed as fast as he could before crawling in next to me. I snuggled up against him and before I knew it, the roosters were crowing, waking both of us up.
The first part of our stay was to go through the basic needs of the horses and to practice riding. Tristan was nervous as hell but I convinced Nana to let me borrow one of the smaller barns to teach him myself. I had Tristan take Dishpan from his stall on his own. He put the bridle on and led him to the nearby barn. The old horse was very sweet, wanting to put his head over Tristan's shoulder. He tensed and the horse sensed it, moved away from him a little. I stroked the horse's neck on the other side and watched Tristan. He was concentrating on what he was doing and didn't notice me watching him. We went into the barn and I put the tack down and told him to put it on the horse. He just looked at me with a worried expression. I told him that I'd walk him through it and he eased a little. He put the blanket on his back and put the saddle on. I laughed, seeing it was on backward, and corrected him. He took it really well. I walked him through where to strap the saddle and how tight it should be. It didn't take long and I had him take it on and off a few times before moving on. Once his saddle was in place I had Tristan walk him around some more. His comfort level was rising and it was nice to see. Before I was going to let Tristan ride him, I mounted him to see if he had any hidden quirks. I tried a few things to see if he'd react and he didn't. He was a very good horse, a perfect horse for Tristan. I dismounted and told Tristan to get up on top of him. He just looked at me like I was nuts. I reassured him and he pulled himself into the saddle. I asked him if he wanted me to lead him around but to protect his manhood he said 'no'. He moved the horse forward all on his own and walked him around the barn. At first he was very tense and Dishpan wasn't sure what to do but he loosened up and together and man and horse rode around the barn. At first he just walked and then moved to a trot and finally Tristan really let loose and ran him around the barn. I stood in the middle and watched with pride that my man finally faced his fear and conquered it. When he finally stopped the horse and dismounted, he ran up to me, picking me up, and spinning me around. I laughed and kissed him deeply. I congratulated him on his success and he mounted Dishpan again and put his arm down to me. I grinned and climbed into the saddle behind him. He moved the horse from the barn and we walked back to the stables. He was all proud and he grinned at he passed some of the others. After we put Dishpan back into his stall be joined the brunch gathering that was starting to form.
The first few days were over. We had done some basic trail riding and sat through all the informational speeches that we needed to hear before we were to leave the following day. We were going to go spend three whole days in the mountains. It was going to be a blast. We were going to see the waterfalls and the meadows. Experience the beauty of Montana from the back of a horse.
"Are you all packed?" Tristan asked.
"Yes." I said stopping to think. "I'm pretty sure I'm set."
"I'm actually looking forward to this." He said pulling me into his arms.
"That is very good to hear." I smiled and kissed him.
There was a knock on the door and Charlie came in. "Hey guys, whenever you're ready we're going to load up the horses."
"Thanks." I smiled at him.
"Charlie!" I heard a guest say behind him.
"Gotta go." He grinned and left.
I shook my head. "He's a nice guy." Tristan told me.
"Very." I said and kissed him. "Guess we better go."
We grabbed our bags and walked to the stables, a group of people standing outside. We were instructed as to how to tie our bags to our horse and were sent to do it. We all walked our horses from the stables and lined up against the fence. We were given another little speech. It must have been the hundredth speech they gave us, which is clearly an over exaggeration, but it seemed that they talked more than we actually did anything. I was getting impatient and Tristan seemed happy to be held up. We were finally told to mount up and I quickly pulled myself onto Ghost's back. Tristan moved Dishpan next to me.
"You better stay with me throughout this whole thing." He told me quietly.
I smiled at him. "I'll be with you every step of the way."
"Good." He smiled and kissed me.
We moved out and into the trees. We started out on the main trail that we'd been on before. Only there was a trail less traveled leading off of the main one and we took it, leading us upward into the foothills of the mountains. We started out pretty slow, everyone just enjoying the warm air. The sounds of the country were comforting and I could have been happier than making my way through the trees. It brought back a lot of memories, some good, some painful.
"Having fun?" Tristan asked me.
I was distracted and he grabbed my hand. "Oh, sorry." I smiled at him.
"You really like this don't you?" He smiled.
"I really do." I replied.
He laughed. "I guess it's a good thing that I've concurred my fear than."
"You have no idea how proud I am of you." I smiled and leaned over, kissing him gently.
"All right everyone! We're going to pick up the pace!" Charlie yelled from the head of the group.
"You ready for this?" I grinned at Tristan.
"Stay close to me." He told me.
I laughed and the all the horses started to trot, following Charlie's lead. From there the trail led into a field and Charlie pushed his horse into a run, in turn the other horses followed suit and we all raced across the field. I had to admit that I held back so I could keep pace with Dishpan. When the field ended we slowed and trotted through the trees. When the trees became dense we walked through. We mingled as we walked, the horses enjoying the sun and the quiet.
"So, why did you two decide to do this?" A young man asked. He was attractive but in a somewhat familiar way. His hair was buzzed and he had a goatee. He was dressed in typical cowboy attire. He face had a somewhat enigmatic look to it.
"I was afraid of horses. This is my therapy." Tristan replied.
The man laughed. "Yeah, this would do it. Are you still afraid?" He asked sounding curious.
"Nope, I'm finding it very relaxing." Tristan replied. I grinned at him proudly.
"We'll see, won't we?" He said as he rode off ahead of us.
"Hm." Tristan said watching him.
"Odd guy." I told him.
"Yeah."
We walked on in silence. I had brought my camera and took some shots of the woods and of Tristan. He grabbed it and took some of me which made me laugh. We talked with some of the other riders, pictures being taken here and there. I was having a blast until someone rode up on the other side of me.
"Having fun are we?"
I looked and glared. "Margie…" I said looking at her.
"Why aren't you with your new boyfriend?" Tristan asked.
"He's busy talking about horses. Not really my thing." She replied.
"Can't imagine why." I told her. "So is Demetrios getting tired of you already?" I grinned.
"Of course not. It's them that I get tired of." She grinned and rode off.
"Wow." I said watching her ride off.
"Yeah." Tristan sighed. "Can't really remember what I saw in her."
"She's different."
"I moved on to much better things." He grinned and kissed me. There was a flash as Tristan took a picture. He looked at the picture he just took and showed it to me. "Perfect. There is nothing better than that."
I smiled and kissed him deeply. "I love you so much." I whispered.
"I love you too." He whispered back and kissed me passionately.
We continued for most of the day. It was late evening when heard the sound of rushing water. The trees thinned and we could see the river with a waterfall just down the way. It was beautiful. I looked at Tristan and he grinned at me.
"Now that site right there makes it worth it." He said and smiled at me. I laughed and sighed, looking at the waterfall.
"We'll be camping here tonight!" Charlie yelled to the group. "There's plenty of room for everyone. If you need help pitching your tent just let me know."
"Finally." Tristan said dismounting. "It's fun but I'm not used to sitting in same position for so long."
I laughed and dismounted. I went around to him, putting my arms around his neck. He kissed me and lifted me into his arms. I laughed and kissed him again. We had onlookers so he set me down. First we took the tack off of the horses and tied them to a tree near the site we chose. Then we got to work on pitching the tent. With Tristan it took all of ten minutes and we crawled inside and laid down. I was on my stomach, staring at him. He gently ran his fingers up and down my back.
"Stop looking at me like that." I smiled at him.
"Why?" He grinned.
"It makes me want to do naughty things." I smirked and rolled onto my side.
"I like naughty." He said and kissed me deeply, moving on top of me.
"We can't." I told him as his hand found its way up my shirt. "We'll be heard."
"I don't care." He grinned and kissed me again.
I laughed as I unbuttoned his shirt. He laughed and kissed me as he unbuttoned my pants. We were just starting to get into it when someone knocked on the tent door. We froze and looked at each other.
"Yes?" I asked.
"We're going to work on making a fire. Wanna help?" Charlie's voice came through.
"Yeah, we'll be right out." I replied as cheery as I could.
We heard him walk away before busting with laughter. Tristan helped me up and we buttoned everything back up before exiting the tent. We laughed as we joined Charlie and, unfortunately, Margie and her boy toy weren't far off. I looked at them and as she nibbled on his ear, Demetrios seemed to be watching Tristan. I ignored it and turned my attention back to the group. We all gathered wood and got water from the river for us to boil for drinking. I had to admit that when the sun finally set I was happy to be able to sit for a while. I was used to being busy but I was surprised as to how warn out I was.
"I'm so tired." I told Tristan as we sat by the fire. I was leaning against him.
He kissed the top of my head. "Me too." He replied and held me tightly against him. "But I'm enjoying the quality time." He said kissing my neck. I laughed and looked up at him, kissing him deeply, my hand on the back of his head. "Let's go to bed." He whispered in my ear.
"Thanks for the wonderful night. We're going to get to bed." I said standing up.
"Yeah, see you all in the morning." Tristan said doing the same.
He took my hand and we walked to the tent. I checked on the horses before crawling inside. I changed into something more comfortable and crawled into the sleeping bag next to Tristan. He pulled me against him and I rested my head on his arm. He gently caressed my face, looking into my eyes. I put my hand on his face and kissed him, keeping my eyes on his. We kissed and he gently moved on top of me. I didn't fight him, no longer caring if we were heard or not.
When I woke up I was alone. I only had Tristan's shirt on and I smiled thinking of him, smelling him on the shirt. He smelled so good. I shut my eyes again, smiling. Then I heard commotion from outside.
"What are you doing?" I heard Tristan say.
"Come on. You know you want me back." Margie's voice came next.
"What's going on?" Charlie asked.
I frowned and quickly pulled on a pair of jeans. When I went outside I saw Margie taking off through the trees. Charlie was running to his horse, as well as Demetrios. Tristan quickly pulled himself into Dishpan's saddle and took off after Margie.
"Tristan!" I yelled. "Charlie?" I yelled at him.
"She's the worst rider here." Charlie told me.
"Aren't you supposed to be watching everyone?" Demetrios stated to Charlie and took off after the others, Charlie following him.
"Shit." I said pulling myself onto Ghost's bare back.
I ran him past all the confused faces, following the psycho bitch and the three men. I swerved through the trees, following the yells. They were following the river, moving up a large hill, and soon the trees gave way to reveal a huge meadow. It would have been a magnificent view if it weren't for the yelling and the girl trying to kill herself. I pushed Ghost as hard as I could, his speed made it easy to catch up. I caught up to Charlie first. He looked at me and pointed for me to go forward. Ghost moved ahead easily and I moved next to Demetrios next. He grinned at me and laughed as he slowed down. I frowned at him before moving forward riding next to Tristan. He looked at me and frowned. He was clearly having trouble. He'd never ridden like this before. His inexperience made me nervous. Margie had veered to the edge of the water, the waterfalls noise slightly deafening.
"Stop!" I yelled to Tristan. "I'll get her! You just stop!"
He nodded and slowed his horse. I moved forward and caught up with Margie. I grabbed the reins and pulled back as I stopped Ghost. Margie's horse stopped and for a moment we just looked at each other.
"What were you thinking?" I asked her.
She got all teary eyed as she looked at me. "I'm sorry." She said sadly. "I couldn't get him to stop once I got him going. I'm not very good at the riding." She said very shaky.
I sighed and took her arm. "Are you okay?" I asked her.
She nodded. "Yeah…"
"Good." I said and sighed again. "Come on…" I said and we turned back.
Tristan was waiting for us, letting the horse drink from the river. Charlie was walked toward us. At first I didn't see Demetrios but then he came into view running toward the river. I didn't know what he was doing until it was done. He had slammed his horse into Dishpan. He jumped and reared, slipping into the water. My eyes widened as they struggled to gain ground. Tristan held onto the saddle horn trying to stay atop of the horse. I ran Ghost forward and followed Tristan and Dishpan as the current started to take them downriver.
"Tristan!" I screamed as I dismounted. "Tristan!" I screamed again and started to wade into the water.
"Paige! No!" Charlie said stopping me.
"No! Tristan!" I said as Charlie pulled me out of the water.
"Tristan!" Margie yelled.
Charlie let go of me and I ran down the bank. The sound of the waterfall got louder and a sudden, terrible realization happened. I felt my eyes grow wider and for a moment my feet wouldn't work.
"Oh my God." I said and ran forward again. "Tristan!" I yelled as I followed them.
Ahead there were large boulders that were protruding out of the water. I ran forward and jumped from boulder to boulder until I was out as far as I could go. The horse and Tristan were coming fast down the river. I put my arm out and reached as far as I could. Tristan saw me and put his arm out. I grabbed his hand as he went past and for a moment I thought I had a grip on him, but his foot was caught in the stirrup and his arm slipped away from me. I grabbed for him again but only got his fingertips which slipped out almost instantaneously. I screamed his name knowing that there was no getting to him before it happened. I moved from the rocks and continued to run after him as the current took him further and further away from me. Charlie had mounted and ran down the river. I ran as fast as I could and I watched and listened as both horse and man yelled out before disappearing over the falls. I screamed his name again and fell to my knees, unable to move. I froze and stared at the water. Time had stopped and my breathing was all that I could hear.
"Paige!" Margie said kneeling next to me. "PAIGE!" She said giving me a shake.
I closed my eyes and shook my head. "Not again. This can't be happening again. Not again, not again, not again." I said repeating it over and over again.
"Paige come on!" Margie said and forced me to my feet.
We ran down the hill to the base of the falls. There was nothing but water. I couldn't see Tristan or Dishpan anywhere. I ran my fingers through my hair, about to break down when the horse's cry sounded from just down the river. Everyone ran toward him. Charlie and a few of the other men waded into the water to help the horse from the river. Not only the horse but Tristan was still caught in the stirrup. For a moment my heart soared, but my breath stopped instantaneously when I saw them carrying Tristan from the water. One led the horse away from the water as the others gathered around Tristan. They had laid him on the ground. He wasn't moving. I ran as fast as I could and pushed everyone from my way. I knelt next to him, taking his hand in mine.
"Tristan…?" I said as I ran my hand down his face.
"He's not breathing." Charlie told me.
I started to shake and looked down at him. "Okay…" I said and moved closer to his head.
I lifted his chin and gave him two breaths, trying not to cry at the same time. Without needing to ask, Charlie started to do chest compressions. I gave him two more breaths, hardly able to stay in control. He still wasn't breathing after the compressions. I gave him two more breaths and just as Charlie was about to start compressions again, water started to pour out of his mouth. He came around quickly, rolling so the water would clear from his mouth. I quickly pulled him into my arms, sobbing into him. I had thought I had lost another man I loved. I would not have been able to stand it if he had died. His arms wrapped around me as I held him against me. My crying had stopped but I continued to rock him back and forth. I looked around me and spotted Demetrios Doukas leaning against a tree, an evil grin on his face. He winked at me before walking away. I wanted to hurt him. Wanted to run after him and ring his neck. But now wasn't the time to make a scene. I couldn't leave Tristan's side even if I wanted to. Charlie helped me get him back to the tent. I told him to boil some water. I zipped the tent doors shut and quickly got him out of his clothes. Putting drier, warmer clothes on him. He was conscious but was weak. He was shivering terribly, making me nervous. I tried comforting him but I couldn't comfort myself so I wasn't helping him at all. I opened the tent and took the water from Charlie, putting rags that we had brought for the horses into it. I rang it out as best I could, letting it cool slightly before putting it across his forehead. I took another and placed it on his chest. I took his hand in mine and kissed it gently.
"You're going to be okay." I told him, tears springing to my eyes. He nodded. "You scared the shit out of me." I told him, all of a sudden angry. "Don't you ever do anything like that to me again or I swear I'll kill you myself." I told him angrily. He started to laugh. "Don't laugh at me." I told him but was calmer.
"I love you." He grinned.
I couldn't help but laugh. "I love you too." I said and kissed him deeply. "Your lips are cold." I told him.
"Then warm them up." He whispered and put his fingers through my hair, bringing my face to his, kissing me passionately.
I grinned and kissed him repeatedly. "Let's warm the rest of you first."
I replaced both rags before covering him with both sleeping bags and lying next to him, as close as I could. I wiped his forehead with the rag as he watched me. The moment grew serious again and I looked at him.
"I have lost two men in my life and I haven't lived for that long." I told him. He just looked at me. "I have loved two men and have lost both of them." Tears started to well in my eyes. "I thought I had lost you. I thought that I had lost the third man I have ever loved. I would've died myself. I wouldn't be able to stand it if you had died too." I finished, staring at him in his eyes. "I love you." I whispered. "So you gotta be okay." I frowned and looked away from him.
"Hey…" He said lifting my chin with his fingers. "I'm not going anywhere. Ever." He said and gently caressed my face.
I smiled and kissed him deeply. "You need to rest." I told him sweetly.
"Stay with me." He whispered.
"I'll never leave you." I whispered back and kissed his forehead.
Only a few minutes later he fell asleep. I made sure that he was asleep before I slipped from the tent. Everyone immediately looked at me. I suddenly felt self-conscious in my jeans and Tristan's shirt.
"How is he?" Margie asked.
I glared at her with everything in me. Knowing that it wasn't the time I took a deep breath and looked at everyone. "I think he's going to be all right. But we need to get him to the hospital. Especially if his body temperature doesn't normalize." I said and looked at Charlie.
"We'll have to wait until tomorrow. We won't make it back before nightfall, leaving us with no light." He told me concerned.
I nodded. "At first light then." I said and went back into the tent.
I sat and stared at him. He was sleeping soundly but I kept a close watch on him. I kept a close watch on his respirations and kept changing the rags to help his body temperature rise. He was still cold. He'd tremble periodically, making my breath catch and my heart skip a beat. Hypothermia was nothing to play around with and the river was freezing. He needed a doctor.
I didn't sleep a wink that night. I kept the fire going outside and while everyone else slept I checked on Dishpan to make sure he was okay. He too was a little cooler than he should have been. He was draped with blankets and I rubbed him down, hoping on friction to warm him up a little. I led him around the camp to keep him moving before tying him back up. I didn't want to leave Tristan for long and the just by being away for a few short minutes a sense of fear already started to creep inside of me. I went back in and quickly zipped the door closed. By keeping steaming water inside the tent it was considerably warmer than the cool outside air. I went to his side and laid next to him, running my fingers through his hair. I kissed his forehead and rested my head next to his, listening to his breathing. I managed to fall asleep, with his hand in mine.
When I woke up Tristan was still asleep. I sat up and ran my fingers down his face. He didn't move. A pit fell in my stomach and I gently shook him. He stayed still. He still felt cool and I felt myself start to panic.
"Tristan…Tristan wake up." I said shaking him again. "Tristan?" He furrowed his brows and turned his head toward me. "Tristan, open your eyes." I told him. He seemed to try but they only fluttered. "Hang on baby. Hang on." I said and quickly left the tent. "Charlie!" I called. He quickly came out of his tent. "He's worse. We need to go." I told him.
"Pack up! We're heading out!" He yelled loudly.
"How are we going to move him?" I asked Charlie.
He frowned. We ending up finding two logs and tied a tent to them, making a homemade stretcher out of it. We attached it to Charlie's horse and slowly moved Tristan onto it, keeping him covered. We used the rope that we had brought to tie him securely to it. Within a half hour everyone was set and we headed out. It was slow moving with the makeshift stretcher not made very well. When we finally made it back to the Ranch, Nana quickly called an ambulance. They showed up nearly twenty minutes later and quickly loaded Tristan into the back and drove off. I was going to follow but first I had a confrontation to make.
"Where is he?" I asked Margie.
"Who?" She asked.
"Demetrios." I told her.
She looked around. "I don't know." She replied.
I spotted him apart from the group, just watching. I rushed toward him and slapped him as hard as I could across his face. "I saw you." I told him. "I saw what you did."
He laughed. "Than prove it."
I slapped him again. "If I ever see you again you'll be sorry."
"I'm not afraid of a little girl." He grinned evilly.
"You don't know who you're dealing with." I replied and ran to Tristan's truck.
When I got to the hospital he was still getting examined. I had to wait nearly two hours before anyone told me anything. The doctor told me that he was hypothermic and had a respiratory infection. He was on IV fluids and had a heating blanket on to help warm him. I asked if I could see him and they led me to his room. I went in and stopped short of the bed. He was sleeping and there were monitors hooked up to him, a constant beeping filling the room. I had to choke back tears as I walked up to his bed. I pulled a chair next to him and took his hand in mine, kissing it gently. I held his hand to my lips and closed my eyes, a tear escaping. I felt a finger brush it away and I looked down at him to see him smiling at me. I smiled and kissed his hand again. I rested it on my neck as I caressed his face.
"You're going to be okay." I told him.
"All thanks to you." He replied.
"Nah." I smiled and kissed him. "You're stronger than you think. For a teacher anyway."
He laughed but frowned. "My body is so sore." He told me.
"That's okay. Let's you know you're still alive." I replied.
He was going to be staying a few days, leaving lots of time to do nothing. To pass the time I turned on the TV to find all infomercials on. The only exception was the news that I left on as I fingered through a magazine.
"…found wandering town are four men and a woman who seemed to be dressed in old fashioned clothes. Apparently they appeared out of no where in the middle of traffic." The anchor was saying. It sparked my interest and I looked up at the TV. Tristan was sleeping. "This video was taken just before they disappeared by one of the witnesses. Witnesses say that there was a flash of white light before their appearance and…" I stopped listening after that. They played the video and I froze as I looked at the strange people that were on the screen. I stood and rushed to the TV, staring at the figures.
"Oh my god." I said.
"What is it?" Tristan asked me.
"Oh my god, oh my god, oh my god…" I said putting my shoes back on.
"Paige…" Tristan said.
"I have to go." I told him. "I'm sorry. I'll be back as soon as I can." I said and kissed him deeply.
"What is it?" He asked again.
"Look at the TV." I said as I grabbed my bag.
I looked at him as we watched the report continue and a realization crossed his face. "Are they who I think they are?" He asked.
"Yes." I told him. "I have to go. I love you." I said and kissed him again before rushing out of the room.
Sorry it's so frickin long but I hope the ending makes up for it little. I hope to get the next chapter up soon! PLEASE REVIEW!!