Chapter 2

DISCLAIMER: The characters of Yellowstone belong solely to Taylor Sheridan and John Linson.

My take on the events shortly after Beth's attack at her office in season 2.

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It was a chilly morning as Beth stepped outside, cigarette and glass of whiskey in hand. Breakfast was a no go for her. There was no way she could sit at a fucking table and pretend to be okay right now. No one gets to see her fall apart. She took a deep breath, and a sip of whiskey.

A fog rolled over the pastures down the hill. A chill took over her whole body, she pulled her robe tight around her and headed back inside to get dressed. She'd never felt so weak in her entire life. Her body felt like she'd been trampled by a whole herd of horses. Which is what she wished her story was. Everything she was doing right then came from muscle memory. Anything else was forced and painful.

After Rip left to go back to the bunkhouse Beth couldn't sleep, and before that she'd only slept for the two hours that Rip spent holding her before he had to leave. It was all she could do to pull herself out of a recurring panic attack. Every time she closed her eyes she saw that man… pinning her down on the table. She saw herself, as if she were an innocent bystander, screaming at her masked assailant. Beth tried her hardest to make sure he knew she wasn't scared, but he had broken her down physically, and she wasn't so sure she could have fought him. Her words might not have been enough for once. Then the spiral continued as she imagined what would've happened if Rip didn't get there when he did.

To be completely honest it had hurt her when he left. That told her he was afraid of staying with her because Rip knew that Beth liked to be left alone when she was hurting. He also knew if she didn't get that alone time she would lash out and hurt the ones closest to her. This time was different. This was an entirely new level of hurt.

Looking back at their on and off relationship, Beth's heart ached for all the times she purposely set out to hurt him. He was nothing other than her rock for the better part of two decades. She could only remember a handful of times that she had returned the favor.

She needed him right now though… So, she was going to find him, and admit that.

Beth grabbed her warmest coat, slipped on a pair of boots, and headed for the barn. It was early enough he should still be around.

She made her way along the fence rows, but stopped when she saw his broad shoulders and cowboy hat in the distance.

"You wanna ride him?" She overheard Rip ask Tate about his horse. "Think that'll piss your dad off?"

"Yeah!" The boy responded gleefully.

"Alright." Rip chuckled and hoisted Tate into the saddle.

Beth's heart sunk out of her chest. She leaned against a fence post for support. 'There's another conversation that has to be had…' She thought to herself. 'Hey, Rip, I love you and I wanna spend the rest of my life with you, oh by the way I can't have children because my brother decided it was okay for me to have a hysterectomy at 16.'

She had no idea if he actually wanted kids or not. It's not something they'd ever discussed, but after seeing him with Tate she knew he would make a great father. Beth knew for damn sure she could've been a better mother than her own…. more loving and caring… She'd teach her daughter to be brave, not afraid of anyone or anything.

Her attention was directed to the barn when she noticed movement in her peripheral. It was Jamie. Beth shook herself free of the "what if's" and headed in his direction.

Jamie was inside one of the stalls mucking and the horses' shit into a wheelbarrow.

"This work suits you." He heard the hate in her voice and wondered what she had in store for him today. "If only you could clean up the shit you created."

"Fuck, Beth, I'm just trying to work." He told her.

"No, you're doing what daddy told you to do." She badgered.

Beth took a seat on a hay bale across from him.

"What do you want?" He asked with a huff, also surveying the cuts and bruises all over her face and neck.

She tilted her head and gave him a fake pouty face. "What's the matter?"

He rolled his eyes. "I don't have time for you right now."

"Oh, I'll be quick." She replied. "I just wanna make sure you know that all you have ever done is exactly what he tells you, but you still find a way to make it about you." She stared deep into his soul. He stood there looking like the idiot he was. "Did you have dreams? Did you ever want to be something else? Or were you so desperately seeking approval from a man who will never love you that you'd just do anything he tells you?"

Jamie stared right back into the fire behind Beth's eyes. "All I have ever done is protect this family, and I'm sick of defending that to you! I don't care anymore, Beth!" He threw his hat and ran a shaky hand through his hair.

"That's not what I want from you. I don't think I'll ever understand how you make the choices you do." Somehow the hatred in her eyes intensified. "I just wanna make you understand one thing…" she stepped toward him. "One of these days… for whatever fucking reason… someone is gonna love you… and you're gonna love someone." She paused to laugh at the idea of someone finding any sort of redeeming quality in her shit for brains brother. "...and I can't wait to fucking take it from you."

Jamie threw his rake against the wall and stormed off.

"Yeah that's what I thought. Fucking pussy!" Beth yelled after him.

She waited a few minutes to ensure she was alone before pulling her knees to her chest and retreating into a ball of pain and suffering.

Rip heard yelling coming from the stables and as he walked closer he heard sobbing.

"Beth…" he jogged over to her. "What are you doin' out here? What's wrong?" He knelt down in front of her and she clung to him, sobbing against his chest.

"Why did you leave me?" She gazed up at him, her eyes still full of tears. "Why didn't you stay with me?" She started to calm down once she felt his arms around her. Rip stroked her hair. He wondered if she might still be in shock.

"I'm sorry. Beth, I'm so sorry." Rip whispered against the top of her head. He was beating himself on the inside for not staying with her. He should've known she couldn't be alone, but the truth is Beth wasn't always clear with exactly what it was she needed from him. She was being clear right now though.

"Will you come back to the house with me?" She looked up at him again and his eyes were full of sorrow.

"I'll go wherever you want me, honey." He kissed her forehead. "Let's go." He helped her up and led her out of the stable.

They walked hand in hand to the house and he followed Beth into her room.

She sighed and shut the door.

"Are you in pain?" She looked him up and down and laid a gentle hand over where he was shot.

"I'm alright." That was a lie. He definitely over did it this morning, and was hurting like nothing else, but he wasn't gonna admit that to her.

"You need to lie down. Will you come to bed with me?" She tugged gently on his hand.

"Beth, I'm filfthy. I should probably shower first." He told her. She nodded.

Rip took off his hat off, and gave her a gentle kiss, before heading into the bathroom.

Beth waited until she heard the water running to go join him.

Rip turned the water up as hot as he could bare and let steam fill the room. He stood with his head against the opposite wall, letting the hot water run over him.

He was startled by a sudden gust of cold air. It was Beth, opening the door to join him.

"Oh my god..." His mouth hung open in shock when he saw her body.

Until now, Rip had only seen the cuts and bruises from her face down to her shoulders. "Come here." As gently as he could he pulled her to him, holding her there under the water with him.

"Rip, I need you to wash that man off of me." She told him.

He knew exactly what she meant, but he sure as hell wasn't about to take advantage.

"I know what you're thinking." She placed a hand on his chest, the other wrapped around his neck, her fingers weaving through his hair. "I need to feel you."

Beth needed to feel Rip all over her so she could forget what the coward did to her.

"You'll tell me if I hurt you." Rip brushed some hair away from her eyes. Beth's face was mere inches from his, and it was growing harder to resist her.

She shook her head yes, and he took her mouth with his. All the rage he felt from seeing her bruised body melted away. He was focused solely on her now.

Rip pulled away from her lips and placed kisses all around her face. His lips brushed her skin ever so lightly. He made sure to kiss every bruise and every cut, taking his time with her.

To be honest he was enjoying this slow pace. It wasn't their usual m.o.

Beth let out a contented sigh and took his growing erection in her hand. He ignored that and turned her around to continue what he was doing. His hands trailed from her shoulders to her hips as his kisses fell down her back. He paused at the large foot-shaped bruise in the small of her back.

She turned around and he stood back up to face her. "Sit down." He guided her over to the shower bench behind them, all the while wondering how in the fuck the water was still hot.

Rip knelt down in front of her and she opened her legs to him. He pulled her into a kiss, placed a hand on each of her thighs and she winced. He drew back immediately and saw why.

There were two large hand prints bruised into her skin. "Beth... did he..." Rip couldn't even bring himself to say it. His gazed fell to the floor, rage boiled inside of him, threatening to overflow.

"No. No, baby you got there just in time." She cradled his face in her hands and touched her forehead to his. That's when he noticed the football sized bruise on her stomach. "I just wanna get past this... Rip, I can't sleep. I can't eat. Help me... please."

That had Rip ready to bring the pieces of shit back to life so he could kill them all over again. He had never heard the words help, or please, come out of her mouth in that context. He was fully prepared to do whatever she needed of him.

Beth took his mouth with hers into a deep, soulful kiss, and suddenly, they were lost in each other.

Her hands found his throbbing erection again. He moaned into her mouth at her touch.

Just the feeling of her skin against his was enough to set him on fire, let alone the simple fact of how long he'd been next to a naked Beth without being inside her.

"We're gonna take this slow." Rip whispered into her ear as he moved over her on the bench. Beth shook her head in approval. He lifted her up so her back was against the hot rock wall.

His lips touched the skin between her breasts. He brought a hand up to cup one as he took the other in his mouth.

Beth rested her head on the wall, and relaxed. He was so good at this and she just wanted to lay back and let him work.

Rip kissed his way back up to her lips and pulled her hips closer to his. He brushed the tip of his cock against her wet lips, as if asking for her permission.

"Yes." She told him, wrapping her arms around his neck, as he entered her.

Beth gasped as her center adjusted around his girth.

Rip braced himself with a hand on the wall. He put an arm around her waist to keep her close to him as he worked himself in and out of her.

Their lives were chaotic to say the least... but this right here was like an entirely different world. A world that belonged only to him and Beth. One they can escape to whenever they want.

"Rip..." Beth let out a small laugh. "I think we can move a little fast than this..."

She hooked a leg around his thigh, and set the pace, pulling herself against him.

Beth could feel her personality coming back in waves.

He rested his head on her shoulder, panting against her skin. "Okay, baby." He moaned against her lips, and she took a fistful of his dark curly hair. They moved together until he felt her begin to quiver beneath him.

"Fuck..." Her voice was shaky, she was close.

Rip pushed into her as deep as he could, repeatedly. That did it, sent her over the edge.

She clung to him and cried out as the waves moved over her. Rip was right behind her spilling himself deep inside her, and staying there for a minute before pulling away.

"H-how the fuck is this water not ice cold?" He got out between breaths.

Beth stood up and grabbed a bar of soap. "I don't know, baby, maybe we should wash up and run to bed before it does get cold." She started with his chest, running the soap over his skin, her hands lingering around his wound.

He took a bullet for her. She hated that he was hurt. The tears began to well up in her eyes, and Rip noticed.

"Hey, look at me." He placed a finger under her chin raising her to look at him. "I'd take a thousand bullets if it promised your safety."

"I don't want you to do that." Her voice broke.

"Honey, it's my job to protect you. I'm not gonna let anyone hurt you ever again." He kissed her forehead.

She sighed and leaned against his chest watching the water droplets race along his skin.

—

-15 minutes later-

Beth crawled into bed and laid back.

Rip found a pair of underwear and a shirt he had left from the night before. "You sure your dad's not gonna come pull me outta his house in my boxers?"

"He knows you can't get any real rest in that bunk house. You don't know how to stay away from work." She patted the empty space next to her.

Rip let out a defeated huff and crawled up to her. He loved being with her. He just didn't want to come off disrespectful to John.

She settled into his side, intertwining her legs with his. He pulled the covers over both of them.

"I love you too." She whispered before burying her face in his chest.

Rip smiled and wrapped both arms around her. "Only took us 20 years to figure it out huh?" He looked down to find Beth fast asleep already, so he kissed the top of her head and followed suit.

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Thank you for reading! Please leave a review and let me know what you think. :)