Okay, first of all: What the frick? My daddy found this, didn't tell Ennis or ground me for life and posted a King-forsaken chapter himself? I think I'm either having a real elaborate hallucination or my daddy's even crazier (and awesomer) than I thought.

Okay, okay, I can freak out more later. I just got back from camping a couple days ago, it was a lot of fun, but it doesn't get its own chapter, too repetitive with all the freaking out Mink and teasing Zazu and keeping Meg from getting hurt and me and Cissy laughing at everybody else's ridiculousness.

What I am gonna write a chapter about: the riding lesson I gave this morning. I went out to the stables a little later than I would have, having slept in a bit. My dad was chasing Daisy-May around outside and Ennis was in the stable, fussing with Tango's hoofs, talking to Heath who was leaning against the wall. As per usual, I couldn't quite hear what Ennis was saying.

Heath shook his head. "Ennis, you know that's not true."

Ennis shot him a very Ennis-like glare, which Heath returned with another very Ennis-like glare. Heath is the one person who can imitate Ennis better than me and my daddy.

Ennis set down Tango's hoof and shifted uncomfortably. "Yeah, well, maybe I don't."

I cleared my throat. "Good mornin'."

Heath said good morning back but Ennis just snorted, obviously in a bad mood over somethin', no telling what.

I laughed softly. At the sounds of banging and cursing behind me, I turned to see my dad dumping Daisy-May unceremoniously into the stall we'd turned into a pen for her and the handful of sheep we kept around. He leaned heavily against the wall. "That goat is either really smart, or dumb as shit, can't tell. Hey, Heath."

Heath nodded at him. "Hey."

"Suzann, you up to the lesson this mornin'? I know you just got back, but..."

I shook my head and laughed again. "No problem, I got it."

He gave me a quick hug. After a while, Heath left with Ennis going to respond to a pissed sounding call from Esmeralda shortly after. My dad went to the field house, leaving me to wait for the day's students myself.

The three girls were a little late, as always. The oldest of them, Rebecca, dropped a check in the envelope stapled to the back of the door then turned to smile at me, herding her sisters along in front of her. "Hi, Suzann!"

I smiled back. "Hey, Becca. Jazz, Emma, you look sleepy."

Jazz nodded dully while Emma said she was not. Becca and I shared a look. "C'mon, guys, we need to groom the horses and saddle 'em."

Jazz perked up. "Who're we riding today?"

"You," I said handing her a brush, "are riding Tango. You," I handed Emma a brush, "are riding Opera. And you," Becca had already grabbed a brush so I just turned to her, "are riding Chessman."

After a few minutes of grooming, Becca and I went into the tack room to get saddles and blankets; her sisters weren't strong enough to lift the heavy molded leather. As a hoisted a saddle down from its post on the wall, Becca said, "Emma still doesn't know about your dads."

I looked at her. "So? She's only nine. It's not like it really matters anyway, you and Jazz and your mom know and y'all're cool with it. Puss I bet she knows more than you think she does, even if she doesn't realize she knows it."

"Okay, yeah."

Just then my dad came in, grabbed a saddle, gave us a "get back to what you're supposed to be doing" look and went back out into the main part of the stable. We laughed and followed him. Becca saddled Chessman herself without any help and my dad checked, and fixed, Jazz's job of saddling Tango while I mostly did it for Emma.

I lead the girls as they lead the horses out to the small field we have set up for lessons. We let the horses drink, then I helped Emma and Jazz up into their saddles. Tango snorted and shook his head. I put a hand on his nose. "Hush." I took a step back and said to the girls, "Okay, we're gonna walk 'em around a few times." I saw Jazz start to ask something. "And I mean walk, as in at a walk."

The girls did as bade with only slight resistance from Tango. Tango can be stubborn, Jazz is at least five times as stubborn so it works out.

It turned out to be a fairly unremarkable lesson, walking, trotting turning circles, I small competition at dropping old, valueless coins onto fenceposts as the girls rode past, I let Becca try an arena race at a canter. After the girls had dismounted and we were about to lead the horses back to the stables, Emma started begging me to show them something they weren't allowed to do yet.

"Please, Suzann, please, I just wanna see it, and I know you can do it!"

I shook my head. "No, Emma, lesson's over, we need to go unsaddle."

"Awe, c'mon!"

Jazz shrugged. "I'd kinda like to see too."

Becca looked carefully away from me. "It can't hurt to just show us."

I sighed and glanced around for my father. Not seeing him anywhere, I took Chessman's reins from Becca and pulled myself into the saddle, wheeled the stallion 'round away from the girls, and kicked hard. "Hup, hup!"

We set off at a flying gallop. I was standing in the stirrups, laying flat against the horse's neck. The fence at the other end of the field was low, low enough, I knew, for Chessman to jump, and he did. We turned partway down the next field and came back, soaring over the fence again, kicking up grass and dirt as we skid to a stop. He reared up on his hind legs and whinnied long and loud, pawing the air, before settling.

The girls applauded softly so as not to spook the horses as I dropped, panting and smiling to my feet. They brought to horses back to the stable, unsaddled and groomed them under my guidance, then went home.

A while later, as I was saddling up to lead a trail ride on Mononoke, my daddy said to me, "I saw that stunt you puled on Chessman earlier."

I froze, terrified, and turned to look at him. He laughed and clapped me on the shoulder, but gave me a serious look. "Don't do it again, ya hear? Last thing those girls need is you givin' 'em ideas to run with."

I smiled sheepishly.

"And don't pull anything on this ride."

"I won't, Daddy."

"You better not. Did good with that jump though." He kissed the top of my head and walked away to the field house.

I laughed.

A/N: Horse chapter, that's all. Had a lot of fun writing this. Rebecca is based on two of my horse-person type friends who both share that name, though spelled differently.

Honorable mention for Aurora Borealis – Polar Lights! They are the first to tell me where Ennis and Jack honeymooned as mentioned in chapter five.

Comments and questions in reviews can be directed at either me, Suzann, Zazu, or Jack. Those that are directed at Suzann, Zazu, or Jack will be answered in character.

Aurora Borealis – Polar Lights is also the first person to write to a character as described above.

Happy fanfic-ing! Reviews appreciated!