-Sam-

"This is Amy Fleming." Sam heard the voice on the payphone.

"Hi, Amy, this is Sam Forster. Ace's owner." Sam replied nervously.

"Yes, Sam, I should tell you that your parents are really worried about you." Exactly what she was worried she would hear.

"I know, and I'll call them after I talk to you. But, I um, wanted to come see Ace. If not for a few minutes." Sam hurriedly said. Please say okay... Please say okay...

"Well, if your parents say it's all right, then I guess so." Amy sounded relunctant. "Where are you?"

"I, um, am in Colorado City." Sam replied. "I could be in Virginia in a few days."

"Well, okay." Amy said.

"Thank you so much, Amy. You have no idea how much this means to me!" Sam gushed. "Do you mind if I ask how Ace is?"

"He's still the same. I talked to your stepmom a few hours ago and gave a report. I also asked which horses he was friends with. He has befriended a black mare that we have named Jasmine." Amy answered. "And then we put a black Clydesdale named Jake, a Paint mare named Emmy, a Palomino gelding named Dewey, and Dorito, a roan mare in with him. "

"That sounds about right." Sam answered. Seeing a person behind her, she decided to say good bye. "Well, I should go. Thank you so much. I'll be there in a few days. Give Ace a kiss for me!" With that she hung up and let the other person have their turn. She went and sat on her bench. It was almost eight am. An hour and fifteen minutes before they were scheduled to leave. She looked around for another pay phone that she could use to call... her dad? Brynna? Gram? Jake? Jen? Who would she call? She saw no other, so she waited until the old lady was finished making her call.

She jumped up and ran to the phone when the lady left. She dialed the first number that came to mind.

"Hello?" A voice asked.

"Can I speak to Jake?" She asked.

"This is me. Sam?" He asked, and she slumped with relief.

"Yeah, it's me."

"Samantha Anne, where the heck are you?" Jake said, his voice growing louder.

"Jake, be quiet, someone might hear you." Sam said, praying he would lower his voice before one of his brothers or someone asked who he was talking, or rather screaming, to. "I'm at a bus stop in Colorado City. I just called Amy Fleming, the girl who's working with Ace, and she said I could come see him."

"Good for you, but have you called your dad? He's furious that you ran off! He's had all of us out lookin' for you!" Jake said, luckily he was quieter.

"No, but I will as soon as I get off the phone with you." Sam said. "Anyway, well, I should call him. Oh, I have something to tell you."

"And what's that, Brat?" He asked.

She rolled her eyes. "Ace has made a friend, who just happens to be a black mare. Just thought you'd like to know that Ace might have a crush on Witch." How she could be in a teasing mood, she had no idea.

"Haha, very funny. Now call your dad." Jake said.

"Yes big brother." She rolled her eyes.

"Oh, and Brat? Be careful, huh? Some of us want you back sometime soon." He hung up after he said that.

She stared at the phone. Had Jake Ely... No. No, he couldn't have implied that he wanted her to come home so he could see her... No. That couldn't be it. He must have been talking about Cody, or Jen. She let it go, and checked for anyone who needed to use the phone. No one.

She dialed home. No one answered.

"Hello, this is River Bend." She heard a familiar voice come on the phone extension.

"Pepper! Oh man, is dad around?"

"Sam? Girl, where are you?" Pepper sounded shocked.

"Pepper, please just answer my question. Is Dad there?"

"No, he aint. He's out looking for you." Pepper replied.

"Well, can you get me the machine?" She asked.

"Yeah, I'll send you to the house." Pepper sighed.

Ring... Ring... Ring.

"Hello, this is the Forsters. Leave a name and number and we'll get back to you."

BEEP.

"Hey, Dad, Brynna, Gram, Cody, it's Sam. Just calling to let you know I'm headed to go see Ace. I'll be back in a few days, I promise. Please don't come get me, I need to do this. Love ya'll." She hung up the phone

She climbed out of the booth and sat back on her bench. Almost nine now, so she decided to go and wait outside for the bus. It rolled in soon after, all the passengers unloaded, and the sign switched from 'Colorado', to 'Missouri'. The driver got off, went inside to rest, then got back on the bus about five minutes later.

"Bus bound for Kansas City is leaving now, please board." Came over the intercom, and Samantha picked up her bag and headed onto the bus. She picked a window seat in the back, and stuffed her bag underneath the seat. Soon the bus filled up, and the last person on the bus was a very cute guy and the only seat left was the one beside Sam.

He smiled as he came over. "This seat taken?"

She shook her head. "No, it isn't."

He sat. "My name's Will. Will Savage." He offered his hand.

"Samantha Forster." She smiled and shook his hand.

"Where're you headed?" Will asked.

"Virginia, you?"

"Virginia." He smiled a gorgous smile. "We could be heading for the same place!"

She smiled. "I doubt that. I'm going to a farm called Heartland."

He nodded. "You're going to the southern part, I live in the northern part. Oh well, why are you going there, if you don't mind me asking?"

"My horse was injured and we sent him there. I'm going to see him. What about you? If you don't mind me asking." She replied.

"Coming home from a vacation with my grandparents." He nodded. "I know, I know, a sixteen year old going and spending the summer with grandparents. Pathetic, huh?"

"No, not really." She smiled. Then stifled a yawn. "Sorry, I haven't gotten a lot of sleep lately."

"It's not problem, go ahead and power nap." Will said and pulled a veterenarian book out of his pocket. "I need to read."

She nodded and leaned her head against the window. Staring out at the landscape, so much different from Nevada, that's for danged sure.

She began to think about Ace. What would he look like? How much different?

Soon, she found herself dozing, her mind going back to the same dream.

A/N: DUN DUN DUN!!! OMG it's Will! If he doesn't really live in Virginia, then oh well, he does now. Stay tuned for more Will sightings... if I have mercy and even write more about him... stupid Will, having to come between Ty and Amy... (mumbles incoherently)