Milestones part 26

Disclaimer: It's not mine, though I wish I could be as creative as Annie Proulx. I am only borrowing her wonderful characters so I can FIX what I couldn't stand.

rating: NC-17, with BBM fic it's safer.

Recap: Someone has it out for the guys. The barn has been set on fire and now the arson squad is investigating.

Previous Chapters:

part 1: http://trekfan. 2: http://trekfan. 3: http://trekfan. 4: http://trekfan. 5: http://trekfan. 6: http://trekfan. 7: http://trekfan. 8: http://trekfan. 9: http://trekfan. 10: http://trekfan. 11: http://trekfan. 12: http://trekfan. 13: http://trekfan. 14: http://trekfan. 15: http://trekfan. 16: http://trekfan. 17: http://trekfan. 18: http://trekfan. 19: http://trekfan. 20: http://trekfan. 21: http://trekfan. 22: http://trekfan. 23: http://trekfan. 24: http://trekfan. 25: http://trekfan. Turner finished his assessment of the site of the fire.

"Did somebody set the fire?" Jack asked the arson squad investigator.

"Looks like, but they sure are amateurs." The chief said as he was writing notes in the report.

"Whattya mean?"

"Well he didn't use an accelerate. Which means he was either in a hurry, thinking he'd get caught or he is an amateur."

Growling from behind made Jack, Chief Turner and Ennis all turn towards the sound. Clara was sniffing around the charred remains of the West Side of the barn. The fact that the fire had been quickly dowsed meant there was only minimal damage to the wall. Lucky they had insurance that would take care of the expense of repairing it.

"Easy girl." Ennis knelt down next to her. "She's smelling something, the only time I seen her growl like this was at…"

"Webber Jones," Jack spat out the name.

"Now why am I not surprised, that no account, worthless piece of shit. I thought you woulda locked his sorry ass up and thrown away the key by now, Sheriff." The chief mentioned to Sheriff Garrett who had been standing off to the side waiting for the chief to finish his inspection.

"Believe me that sidewinder is more slippery than an eel. This last time I thought I got him good but someone bailed him out. And he's gone into hiding. I'm going to put out an APB for him and take him in. In the meantime you guys better watch your backs."

"Don't worry, sheriff, we'll keep an eye out. I protect what's mine." Jack assured the sheriff.

The chief completed his report and gave a copy to the sheriff. Then drove off.

"I'll be in touch," Sheriff shook their hands and left.

After he left Ennis and Jack glanced at one another, a silent understanding passed between them and they each went off to get on with their day.

Ennis warned the hands to keep an eye out for Webber. The man was well known so they knew who they were looking for.

Ennis went out into the fields to fix some fences and Jack went back to the house to do some paperwork.

"Morning, Jack," Kaylin welcomed Jack with a cup of coffee. "I thought I saw the sheriff driving off."

Jack told her about what the arson chief said and how Clara reacted near the site of the fire. And mentioned Webber Jones.

"That bastard I hope the sheriff locks him up and throws away the key."

"You sound bitter, did he do something to you?"

They were sitting at the dining room table, each drinking their coffee.

"Not to me, but he was real nasty to my friend Betty just cause she is black."

"That nasty pissant. They better find him. I waited too long to have a life with Ennis. Ain't nobody gonna take that away from us." Jack finished his coffee and got up and put the mug in the sink. "Well I am going to catch up on some paperwork. I'll speak to you later Kaylin." Jack walked into his office and closed the door.

Kaylin put her mug in the sink and started on the laundry.

Webber Jones was sitting in a small shack just on the outskirts of town. After last night's failed attempt to set fire to their barn, thanks to Andy coming out of the bunkhouse for a smoke, Webber high-tailed it to his cousin's old hunting shack. When they were kids they would come up here and do some hunting. The place was old but still livable and not too many people knew about it. It had electricity and running water.

Webber had an old black and white TV on as he sat back in the recliner.

"It's rabbit season," Daffy Duck said to Bugs Bunny as Elmer Fudd looked from one to the other.

"It's duck season." Bugs affirmed.

"It's RABBIT SEASON!" "It's DUCK SEASON." They bickered. The TV was turned off as Webber clicked his shotgun chamber shut after he'd finished loading the rifle.

"It's faggot hunting season!" Webber got into this pick-up and drove the back roads towards BBM Ranch. He knew his way around, he worked there for a short time when it belonged to the Hickams. He knew exactly where to park his truck so it was out of sight and how to sneak around.

Jack was going to surprise Ennis by bringing him lunch out in the field.

"Hey Kaylin? What can I put these sandwiches into?" he'd put together some sandwiches together from last night's meatloaf.

"Here, Jack, use this." She took out a Tupperware container. "Don't forget to listen for the burp."

"The what?" he looked over at her curiously.

Kaylin took the sandwiches and placed them in the container, put the lid on and pushed down on the lid until you could hear it close with a thump. "The burp sound means it's sealed tight so the sandwich will stay fresh."

Jack shrugged, as long as there was a place to carry the sandwich Jack didn't care about any burps.

Kaylin filled a thermos with coffee and loaded lunch into a saddlebag for Jack. Clara stayed with Kaylin keeping her company

Jack saddled up Dawn and took off to join his husband for some afternoon delight.

Ennis was using some wire cutters, he knew this section of the fence was going to need replacing. Jason had offered to help, but Ennis wanted to work on this alone and told Jason to go help Mitch with the cattle. He spotted some coyotes and scared them off with his rifle then went back to work on the fence.

He was so engrossed with fixing the fence he didn't notice some movement off in the distance.

"Well looky what I found, a faggot. Let's see if I can pick em off with one shot." Webber had positioned himself in the middle of a deep thicket of grass, he pulled his shotgun into position and looked through the crosshairs. He had his sights aimed right at Ennis' heart. Just as he was about to pull the trigger he spotted a rider coming over the hill.

Jack spotted Ennis at the fence line and he pulled Dawn up and tied her up next to Scout and snuck up on him and bounced.

"What the?!" Ennis recovered "Jack! What the hell are you trying to do scare me?"

"Was tryin to see if you were paying attention. I bet you're hungry."

"Starved, why?"

"Cause I got something for my hungry man." Jack kissed Ennis and Ennis' arms wrapped around him and deepened the kiss. Jack pulled back.

"I'm going to go get lunch."

"I thought I was already eating my lunch."

Jack laughed as he walked over to the saddlebags. "No that's dessert. I got your favorite, meatloaf sandwiches and some coffee."

Ennis watched his man walk back to the horses.

Webber's grimace on his face deepened as his disgust grew. He spotted Jack riding up his curiosity got the better of him and despite his disgust he watched the two lovers showing their affection for each other. "Those filthy faggots, they should all go to hell." He pulled his rifle back up to his face and once again was taking aim. "Well I'm going to send two of them there right now."

Suddenly a shot rang out and it felt to Ennis like it happened in slow motion. One minute Jack was reaching into the saddlebag to pull out the food and the next his body jerked up, he spun around and was lying still on the ground. Another round rang out but Ennis had dropped down to the ground the moment Jack was struck.

Ennis went into autopilot, a rage set into him the minute his mate was shot. Ennis ducked down, grabbed the rifle and spotted a figure standing up. He didn't hesitate to shoot, and just like his shooting skills with that elk on Brokeback, Ennis didn't miss his mark now either.

Ennis cautiously crawled over to Jack who was lying so still. Ennis' heart skipped several beats until he saw Jack's chest rising and falling.

"Jack?' He looked down at him, and then over at the man he had shot. He didn't see any movement. He snaked his arm around Jack's back and pulled him off the ground and into his arms.

He looked him over and spotted the blood on his left arm. He opened Jack's shirt and pulled it off his shoulders to get a better look at his wound. Luckily it was only a flesh wound.

"Mmm, ah," Jack stirred in his arms and Ennis was rewarded with the bluest eyes he'd ever seen looking up at him with confusion. Then he glanced at the body lying on the grass by the oak trees. He sat up, "What the hell happened, Ennis?"

"Jack," Ennis whispered, his hand caressed Jack's cheek. "That bastard, Webber Jones, he snuck up on us. He shot ya." He rested his hand on Jack's good shoulder. "He coulda," he couldn't finish and he bowed his head. Ennis felt Jack's hand on his chin and Jack's lips on his. "I ain't dead, Ennis, I'm okay, cowboy. In fact better than okay, from the looks of things you were startin somethin, huh?' he showed Ennis his bare shoulders and his shirt hanging from his elbows.

"Jack I was just checkin to see how bad you was hurt." His cheeks reddened.

Jack kissed him again and Ennis deepened the kiss by gently putting Jack's head closer.

The sound of car tires on the gravel road made them break apart.

Sheriff Garrett and one of his deputies rode up. The Sheriff got out of his car and the deputy got out of his. They spotted the figure on the ground and Sheriff Garrett told the deputy to check on Webber while he checked on Jack and Ennis.

"What happened here?" He saw Jack had been wounded.

"I was fixing the fence and Jack came out to join me and Webber shot him. He almost shot me too if I hadn't a gotten to my gun quick enough. Got em dead to right."

"I am gonna call an ambulance." Sheriff got on his radio and an ambulance was dispatched.

"How is Jones," Sheriff called out to his deputy.

"He's alive sheriff. Looks like he's got a belly wound, bleedin pretty bad. I hope that ambulance gets here quick."

"Is Ennis gonna be in trouble, Sheriff?" Jack was sitting up against a tree, he had pulled his shirt back on.

"Ennis was protecting himself, I ain't arresting a man for defending himself and what's his."

Ennis and Jack both looked at the sheriff in shock, but the sheriff had moved away towards Webber Jones and was looking over at him. It wasn't long before an ambulance showed up. They loaded up Webber and wanted to take Jack to the hospital too but Jack refused. He said he'd go see his doctor instead. So the paramedics cleaned his wound and bandaged it up.

"I'm going to need you to come to the police station to fill out a report, but that can wait until Jack sees a doctor." Sheriff Garrett followed the deputy as he followed the ambulance to the hospital.

Later that night Jack was lying on the couch, his arm bandaged up and a bottle of painkillers sitting on the coffee table.

Kaylin had gone home but not before giving him plenty TLC after they had come back from the doctor and relayed what had happened. She'd left them with supper and Ennis made sure Jack ate.

"We should call Bobby, let em know what happened to ya."

"Yeah you're right. You know what else we gotta do?"

"What?"

"Get us a tree, Christmas is coming and I want a big ole tree. I want to have us to have a good Christmas. Your girls and Bobby here. "

Ennis didn't want to think about that now but with all the tension that has been going on it was time they had something nice happen for a change.

"Okay darlin."

Jack called Bobby and told him what happened. He was upset, of course, that his father got shot. He said he had planned to come home the next day and that he'd gotten himself all set up at the college.

Ennis built them a fire and then settled down on the opposite end. He was looking away from Jack at the fire. Jack heard a sniffle come from him and he sat up and moved closer and put his arm around Ennis' shoulder.

"Cowboy? What is it?"

"I'm real sorry ya got shot, Jack. My fault for not lookin out for that bastard."

Jack turned Ennis' face towards him and wiped the tears from his face. "No it's not, Ennis. It's not you're fault. He was gonna kill us both, I think he was aimin for you and then I come up and he decided to shoot me first. He coulda killed you too. I can't imagine my life without you, Ennis." Some tears were running down his face too. Ennis' thumb took care of them. They wrapped their arms around each other and held each other tight.

Ennis realized that by keeping them apart all them years wasn't keeping either of them safe. They needed to watch each other's backs.

"I'm makin a true promise to keep you safe for always, Jack." Ennis buried his face into Jack's hair and Jack buried his face into Ennis' neck. "I promise to look after you too, cowboy." They knew they couldn't guarantee either of these promises but they made them anyway.

They moved upstairs to their bedroom and looked after each other in the way lovers do.

TBC