Happy weekend, everyone. Hope you're all still reading and enjoying.

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It was a fitful night's sleep for Alec. In between stretches of sleep, he was troubled by half-formed nightmares that he couldn't make any sense of. Finally, as it barely started getting light, he gave up and tossed back the covers.

He got dressed and started down the hallway, taking a quick peek into the room where Sarah slept. She was still curled up under the blankets, and Alec could just see the top of her head. He was sorely tempted to go in, but decided to let her sleep. Just because he couldn't sleep didn't mean he couldn't afford her the luxury.

Chuck and Betty were already up and around. There was always work to be done around a farm, and this one was no exception, Alec was sure. He would see to the fillies himself to save Chuck the trouble.

"Good morning." Betty greeted him cheerfully. "Are you hungry?"

Alec shook his head. "Coffee smells good, though."

"Help yourself."

Alec poured himself a cup and took a quick sip. He started to feel a little more awake, and leaned against the counter as he drank the rapidly cooling liquid.

Sarah soon appeared, wearing yesterday's clothes and a sleepy expression, pulling her hair into a ponytail. Alec found another mug and poured Sarah a cup of coffee, handing it to her. "Morning."

"Mm-hm. Thank you." She gave him a quick kiss as she accepted the cup. The sensation warmed Alec almost as much as the coffee had.

Chuck let out a little laugh from the kitchen table. "Nothing like young love."

"You leave them alone." Betty scolded him.

Alec felt himself blush as Sarah giggled. He finished his coffee and set the mug on the counter. "I'll see to the fillies."

He stepped out the back door, grateful for the cool morning air as he made his way to the barn. The smells were achingly familiar, and it made Alec miss home and his normal routine all the more.

But normal had been completely upended yesterday. He sighed and pulled open the barn door. "Good morning, girls."

A cacophony of whinnies and bleats greeted him, and he reached down to pet a couple of the goats before moving on to the fillies. Golden Dancer was already at her stall door, alert and sniffing the air. Pam's Song was a little slower to get going, but soon she too appeared at her stall door, peering out curiously.

Alec found some hay and put it into the racks. It would do until he could get them up to Belmont and get them settled properly. From there he would decide what to do with Golden Dancer. He hadn't gotten a chance to evaluate her, but judging from her last race, she would need some additional work to make her race ready again. Likely he could talk to Jinx to see if he could come down and pick her up to get her settled in at Hopeful Farm. No, that was silly. They had three weeks until the Belmont. That was plenty of time to take both horses back to the farm before he had to have Pam's Song back at Belmont. He could just as easily run her workouts at the training track on the farm as at Belmont. He would have to look over Henry's training notes, but it was likely Pam's Song wouldn't need that much additional distance work before the Belmont.

It surprised him how quickly he had started making plans on his own, without Henry's input. But he would have to take the lead now. There was no telling how long Henry would be laid up, if he returned to training at all. This might well be an opportune time for Henry to finally retire for real.

You don't get to choose your time. Pam's words from his dream came back to him. Alec had known this time would come. He hadn't expected it to come so soon.

He returned to the house, where Sarah and Betty were chatting over another cup of coffee. Betty beamed at Alec as he walked in. "I suppose you'll want to go see to your friend."

Alec nodded. "I won't be long."

"I'll come with you." Sarah volunteered, finishing her coffee and setting her mug in the sink.

They drove to the hospital, finding a space and making their way to Henry's room. Alec could hear a vaguely familiar voice in addition to Henry's.

"Dad, you just had a heart attack." the voice was firm. "You're not going anywhere."

"I got a race to get ready for." Henry's voice was still surprisingly weak.

"Alec can handle it." the woman turned around just as Alec and Sarah entered. "Alec, please talk to him."

"Hi, Sally." Alec nodded to Henry's daughter. "This is Sarah. Sarah, this is Sally, Henry's daughter."

"It's so nice to meet you." Sally smiled broadly. "Dad's told me so much about you."

"Nothing bad, I hope." Sarah laughed.

"I got nothing bad to say about you." Henry grumbled from his bed. "Alec, can you explain to this child that we have a Triple Crown to win?"

Sally sighed and gave Alec a sideways look before leaving the room. Alec pulled up a chair next to the bed. "She's right, you know."

Henry rolled his eyes. "Of course you'd take her side."

"You know damn well you're in no condition to go anywhere." Alec told him firmly.

Henry glanced at Sarah, who was standing at the end of the bed. "I suppose you're taking their side, too?"

Sarah folded her arms, nodding firmly, her expression speaking for her.

Henry huffed irritably. "You're all going to be the death of me, if this bad heart doesn't get me first."

"Your job is to rest up and recover." Alec told him. "Our job is to get Pam's Song across that finish line. You've done all the work. We'll take her the rest of the way."

Henry's expression changed from irritation to sadness, and Alec couldn't help but feel a bit of the man's pain. He had gone through the same emotions when Henry had sidelined him. "Do you remember how mad I was when you sidelined me?"

"Yep, sure do." Henry nodded. "It was for your own good."

"So is this." Alec replied gently.

Henry threw him a sharp look and briefly closed his eyes. After a moment, he opened them and glanced up at the ceiling. "All my training notes are in the truck. I trust you to figure it out from there. Don't screw it up."

Alec barely suppressed a chuckle. "I won't, Henry."

They moved on to more general topics for a while until the doctor came in to make his rounds. Alec took that as his and Sarah's cue to leave. "We're going to pick up the horses and take them back to the farm. I'll keep in touch."

"See that you do." Henry answered.

They left and returned to the farm, working together to hook up the trailer and load the horses. Betty and Chuck came out of the house just as they were finishing up.

"Thank you for everything." Alec told Chuck as he shook the other man's hand.

Chuck returned the gesture, his grip firm. "You just get that filly across the finish line. We'll be watching."

Betty hugged them both. "You've got a real gem in that girl. Hold on to her." she whispered.

I'm trying. Alec thought as he returned the hug.

Sarah hopped in the Jeep while Alec climbed into the cab of the truck. He was still amazed at the kindness of these strangers, and how lucky Sarah had been to find them. Things could have been so much worse had it not been for Chuck and Betty.

He turned out of the long driveway and back on to the highway that would lead him home, back to his farm, back to what was familiar. Already he knew everything had changed forever. Even if Henry recovered fully, it was unlikely he would be able to handle his previous workload. He would have to have conversations with Mike, Brian, and Jinx when he got home. Alec had a feeling there were more changes to come.

Within a few hours, Alec spotted the familiar landscape of Hopeful Farm. He let out the breath he hadn't even realized he had been holding. He was always glad to come home after being away, but this time was even more special. However, it was strange coming home without Henry. Alec hated leaving him, but his daughter would stay nearby and he promised to check in with him regularly.

He stopped the truck as Sarah pulled in behind him, and jumped down from the cab, tapping on the Jeep's window. Sarah rolled down the window.

"You can just pull up behind Dad's car." Alec told her. "I won't be long."

Sarah nodded and turned off while Alec continued on to the fillies and mares barn. Jinx came out just as Alec pulled up. Without a word, they started unloading the trailer.

"Brought a new friend home, I see." Jinx commented.

"This is Golden Dancer. I picked her up off the claim."

Jinx nodded. "Looks like a nice little filly. Hey, girl. Welcome."

Alec went in to get Pam's Song. "We're home, girl."

The filly nickered in response, and Alec walked her down the ramp and into the barn before returning to unload the trailer.

"I'll finish up, Alec." Jinx told him. "Go see your parents."

Alec nodded and started the long walk to the house. His mother was waiting for him at the back door. He had managed to hold it together all this time, but the moment he saw his mother, Alec crumbled.

Belle simply held on to him, not saying a word, until Alec exhausted himself. Finally he lifted his head off her shoulder, grimacing.

"Sorry." he muttered.

"There's nothing to be sorry for." Belle told him firmly, patting his cheek. "You handled the situation the best way you knew how, and Henry's probably alive thanks to you."

"And Sarah." Alec pointed out. "Sarah went for help."

Belle nodded. "You're a good team."

Alec let out a short sigh, briefly hugging his mother. "Dad in his office?"

"Mm-hmm."

Alec went to Bill's office, knocking on the open door. His dad glanced over, waving him in with a worried expression. "Close the door."

Alec did as he was directed before easing himself into a chair across from his father. "We're going to need to figure out how to run things without Henry." he blurted out.

"Until he recovers, of course."

"Dad, you didn't see him." Alec told him quietly. "He's so weak. I don't know if he will fully recover."

"He just had a heart attack yesterday." Bill pointed out. "Of course he won't recover for a while. I'm sure he'll be back to his old self before too long."

"He won't be the same."

Bill leaned back in his chair, looking thoughtful. "Let's cross that bridge when we get to it. We'll see how Henry does, and then make those decisions."

"You don't think I can handle the responsibility."

"I know you can." Bill answered. "But do you really want to?"

Alec shrugged. "Someone has to, at least right now. It might as well be me."

Bill looked concerned. "I just don't want you to bite off more than you can chew."

Alec let out a short laugh and gestured expansively. "Look around you. We've already done that."

Bill chuckled in response. "You do have a point. Do you have a plan to handle the work in the meantime?"

"I'm working on it." Alec replied. "At the very least, I need to make sure Pam's Song is ready for the Belmont. I have Henry's training notes, and I'll go over those today. I'll build on that. Then I need to evaluate our new filly, Golden Dancer. She needs some extra work before she's race ready. I think Jinx can work with her."

A smile crept across Bill's face. "Do you need my advice or are you just in need of a sounding board?"

"Sounding board, I guess." Alec answered. "I would talk to Henry, but..."

"I know." Bill's tone turned gentle.

Alec shook his head. "Guess I've taken up enough of your time. I'll let you get back to work."

"You take as much of my time as you need to." Bill told him. "I do set my own hours."

"I appreciate it."

Alec left his father's office, unsure of what had transpired. Maybe he was just still feeling fuzzy from the previous day's events. A walk around the farm might be just the thing to clear his head.

He automatically headed off in the direction of the stallion barn, and he could already hear the Black's shrill whistle. That was a sound that made him feel at home.

He was only slightly surprised to see Sarah leaning on the fence surrounding the Black's paddock. She was simply watching the stallion as he ran around the paddock, tossing his head and letting out that familiar whistle. Alec let out a whistle of his own as he walked up, startling Sarah.

"Hey." she greeted him with a warm smile. "Your mom said you'd be out here before too long."

"It's usually my first stop when I come home." The Black had already come up to the fence, nudging Alec playfully. After dealing with the fillies, the Black seemed to loom even larger than he normally would. Alec tugged at the stallion's forelock, and the Black snorted in response.

Sarah shook his head. "Henry did say you two had a special relationship."

The Black tossed his head and took off again. Even with the sore foot, the stallion had amazing power and speed. Alec was a little sad that he would never race again. It seemed like such a waste of the stallion's talents to keep him in a paddock.

But it was the best thing for him, Alec knew. He was still in demand as a sire, and his offspring commanded good prices in the sales ring and performed well on the track. This was how these things went.

"What's on your mind?" Sarah nudged him.

Alec shook his head. "Just trying to figure out how I'm going to run this place without Henry."

"You're talking as if he's already dead." Sarah scolded him.

"I just don't see how he'll be able to keep up the same workload if he does recover."

"Why don't you let him make that decision?"

"Because he won't." Alec huffed. "He'll run himself into the ground."

"Hmm. Sounds like someone else I know."

Alec threw her a sharp look, even as he knew she was making a good point. Sarah chuckled in response. "You and Henry are two of a kind. Peas in a pod."

"That's why we work together so well." Alec replied. "And why we drive each other nuts."

"And why you should let him come to the same conclusion you are." Sarah told him firmly, looping one arm through his.

The move reminded him of when Sarah had first come to the farm, that first tour he had given her. It had been chilly then, any hint of spring a mere thought. Now spring was turning to summer, and the warm sun brought out the sharp and familiar smells of the farm. So much had changed in such a short time.

The Black's loud whinny snapped Alec out of his reverie, and Alec spotted the stallion rearing up. Sarah let out a low whistle beside him. "He sure is something, isn't he?"

"He had as much to do with building this farm as any of us." Alec told her. "Without him, this wouldn't exist."

Alec was feeling restless all of a sudden. "Do you want to walk around a bit? The farm looks a little different this time of year."

"Sure."

They walked past the fillies and mares' barn, where a few mares were out with their foals. "Oh, they're precious!" Sarah exclaimed.

Alec nodded. "We had a good breeding season. Lots of potential out in that paddock."

He paused at the field where the farm buried their dead horses. Whether it was a mare that died while giving birth, or a young colt who died on the track, they were given great care and consideration, each space marked. Sarah squeezed his arm as they stopped.

"An unfortunate reality." Alec spoke quietly. Black Sand's death was still on his mind.

Sarah nodded in response, and they moved on. They walked quietly together, Alec's head still working through all the work to be done. He realized just how much he depended on Henry, and the thought of taking it all on himself was overwhelming.

Perhaps Brian would want to take on some training work. He had shown great initiative and enthusiasm for working with the younger horses, and Alec thought there was a possibility Brian would be interested in doing more. And he did have Mike to manage the stallions, and Jinx to manage the mares and fillies.

No, he wouldn't have to do this alone. Of course he wouldn't. He and Henry had ensured that the farm had a solid, dependable crew. The farm wouldn't operate otherwise with him and Henry gone so much.

"You're awfully quiet." Sarah commented.

"Just thinking." Alec answered.

Sarah tilted her head and gave him an appraising look. "You know you don't have to figure it all out today, right? You need some rest, too."

Alec knew she was right, but also knew he probably wouldn't. He gave Sarah a quick kiss on the cheek. "Same goes for you. I'm going to read through Henry's training notes and start fine-tuning for the Belmont."

Sarah threw him a skeptical look, but released his arm as they circled back to the stallion barn. "Don't stay out there all day."

Alec flashed her a quick grin, and Sarah turned back to the house. He briefly watched her go, thinking about what Betty had said. But he knew that unless Sarah was ready for more, it didn't matter what Alec wanted.

He pushed the thought aside and headed into the barn. Mike was in there as well, scribbling in one of his many notebooks.

"Good to see you." Mike regarded Alec with a concerned look. "How is Henry?"

"Doing as well as can be expected." Alec answered, settling into his desk chair. "His daughter came in this morning."

"Good." Mike nodded. "And how are you doing?"

Alec smiled slightly. "As well as can be expected."

"Aye." Mike chuckled. "I see the girl came back with you."

"Sarah? Yeah." Alec flipped open Henry's training notes and started looking them over.

"Sounds rather serious, if you don't mind me saying so."

Alec huffed. "It's not what it looks like."

"If you say so."

Alec set aside the notebook and turned toward Mike. "She's in the middle of a divorce. I doubt she wants to jump right back into anything."

Mike's eyebrows shot up. "My eyes must be deceiving me, then."

"Must be."

The two men fell into silence for a time. Alec kept trying to read the training notes, but thoughts of Sarah kept distracting him. Finally he turned to Mike. "Even if I wanted something more serious from her, if she doesn't, then it doesn't matter what I want, right?"

"Sure. You can't force someone to feel something they don't."

"Right." Alec returned to the notes, then started writing in his own. He knew Pam's Song could go the full mile-and-a-half, but he wanted her to be able to finish with something left in the tank. Henry had been starting some distance workouts with her shortly before the Preakness, and her strong finishes in both the Derby and the Preakness seemed to indicate that she would be good and ready to go the distance.

He heard Mike's chair scrape against the floor. "I'm going to bring in the stallions."

Alec hadn't realized how much time had passed. "I guess I should head back up to the house."

Mike nodded toward the window. "Looks like you'll have an escort."

Alec turned toward the window to see Sarah making her way to the barn. She tucked a bit of hair behind her ear that refused to be contained by her braid, squinting in the late afternoon sun.

He quickly rose from his chair, the training notes momentarily forgotten. It was then he remembered his initial thought. "We need to set up a meeting between us, Brian, and Jinx. With Henry out of commission, we need a plan to keep things going."

Mike nodded. "I'll have a chat with them tonight."

"Thank you."

Mike smiled and nodded toward the window. "You'd best go."

Alec nodded and quickly left the barn, meeting Sarah at the barn door with a brief kiss. "Hey."

Sarah arched an eyebrow at him. "Your mom tried to call you. She sent me out here when you didn't pick up."

Alec was a little embarrassed. He hadn't planned on staying out there so long. "Guess I lost track of time."

"Mm-hmm." Sarah regarded him skeptically. "No more working tonight, okay? There'll be time enough for that tomorrow."

They walked back to the house, familiar smells hitting Alec as soon as he walked in. "So glad you could join us, dear." Belle commented. She turned to Sarah. "He was like this as a child, too. He would get so caught up that he would forget to eat."

"Well, I'm here now." Alec interjected, hoping to keep his mother from telling Sarah any more childhood stories.

The meal was quiet, punctuated with occasional bursts of chatter between Belle and Sarah. Alec was fading quickly, the long day catching up to him. Finally he excused himself and retreated upstairs.

He undressed and lay down, glancing around the room in the fading light. While his entire childhood wasn't here, the room looked very much the same as it had before he had gone to college. It hadn't been that long ago, had it? So much had changed in those few years.

A knock at his door pulled him out of his thoughts. He swung his legs over the edge of the bed and opened it a crack. Sarah was on the other side of the door.

"I'm going to bed. Figured I'd check in before I went."

Alec opened the door further and held out his hand. "You can come in here if you want."

Sarah smiled a little. "What about your parents?"

"They'll be downstairs for a while."

Sarah took Alec's hand and let him lead her into the room, quietly closing the door behind her. "I just don't want to cause trouble."

"You won't."

Alec pulled Sarah into his arms, holding her close. If only he could keep her so close for always. He knew that probably wasn't possible, but he could imagine.

Sarah wrapped her arms around him, her head against his shoulder. This just felt so right, somehow. In the moment, it was all Alec wanted.

He heard the catch in her throat, followed by a brief sigh, and in an instant he wanted to kick himself. Alec had gotten so wrapped up in his own feelings that it hadn't dawned on him to consider Sarah's. Surely the experience with Henry had left her shaken, too.

"Are you okay?" He asked her gently.

"Yeah." Sarah replied in a tone that indicated that she was anything but. "Just...you know. Everything."

"I know you're worried about Henry, too."

"It's not just that." Sarah told him, her voice muffled. "It's Henry and it's Jeff and it's you and it's this damn race. I thought I'd be excited to ride in the Triple Crown. Been my dream. Now I'm just plain scared."

Alec understood that pressure all too well. "If Henry didn't think you were up to it, you wouldn't be riding. Believe me."

"I didn't mean to take her away from you. Pam's Song, I mean."

Alec couldn't help but let out a brief chuckle. "You didn't take her away from me. You earned the right to ride her."

They were both silent for a long moment until Sarah broke it. "What if we lose, Alec?"

"There will be other races and other chances."

"Might be my only one."

"I doubt that very much."

Sarah let out an irritable huff. "I shouldn't be bothering you with this stuff. You've got enough to deal with."

"You're not bothering me."

Sarah leaned back to look at him, a skeptical expression on her face. "You sure?"

"Positive." Alec bent down slightly to kiss her.

Sarah glanced down, looking thoughtful. "Okay. I'm going to bed."

Alec released her, and Sarah quietly opened the door, briefly looking around.

"Wait." Alec reached out to her, grabbing her hand. He took a brief pause before continuing. "I know you were scared for Henry too. And you still came through. You did good, too."

Sarah nodded and swallowed hard, squeezing his hand and leaving the room, closing the door behind her. Alec took a deep breath and leaned against the door. Things were going to be hard for a good long while. He just hoped Henry's faith in him wasn't misplaced.