Obsessed with Yellowstone. Obsessed with Beth and Rip. Pining for season 4 already (will be devastated if Kelly isn't back!) so have been writing some extras to scenes that popped into my head from previous seasons. Some new scenes may appear as well that are entirely made up by me. Updates knowing me will be irregular but we'll see how this chapter goes down with readers first. Enjoy!
MEANT TO BE
Ulceration Conversations
Rip had lost count of the amount of times he had called her so when he eventually heard her voice on the other end of the line, he was irate.
'Why the fuck have you not been answering your phone, Beth?'
There were very few people who actually had the balls to speak to the enigma that was Beth Dutton in that way. Even fewer who had emerged emotionally unscathed from their experience.
'What?' she stuttered, confused as to why Rip was being so abrupt with her.
'Where are you?' asked Rip.
'The question is where do you think I am?' she replied, clearly under the influence of copious amounts of alcohol.
'I'm coming to get you. Ten minutes' ordered Rip authoritatively, before hanging up.
Beth was puzzled. She was a highly intelligent women but she couldn't understand why Rip was currently cross at her. She hadn't heard him speak to her like that in a long time. For the first time in her life she was ready and waiting outside a random bar on Main Street, out of curiosity more than anything else. Beth started to shiver while smoking her cigarette, the effects of the alcohol beginning to wear off in the crisp night air. She didn't have to wait for long anyway – Rip was a man of his word after all.
'Get in' he said, engine still running.
Beth threw her cigarette to the ground angrily 'What the hell, Rip?' she barked, climbing into the passenger seat, ready to unleash her wrath on him for being so short with her. His appearance stopped her in her tracks. His face, hands and clothes were all covered with blood.
'What happened?' she asked as he began to drive off.
'It's your dad. There was a bit of a situation today but Beth he's ok'
'What type of a situation leaves you looking like that?' she questioned, her face having completely drained of all colour.
Rip began to fill her in on the eventful afternoon they had all just had.
'It happened pretty damn fast. Everyone was down at the pens and he just went down. Burst ulcer. The vet had to patch him up on sight then he was airlifted to the hospital for emergency surgery'
'Holy shit' said a visibly shocked Beth.
'He didn't listen to the doctor. He was meant to go in for a scan which would have picked it up but he didn't go'
'He's a fool' said a now relieved looking Beth.
'You're sure he's alright?' she asked, looking to Rip for reassurance.
Rip nodded.
'Thank God' she said with a large exhale.
'Take me to the hospital' she demanded.
'I'm not driving you to the hospital, Beth'
One of Beth's traits was that she was physically incapable of hiding if she was angry at you. The fury just seeped out of every fibre of her body.
'Excuse me?'
'You're sobering up and you're going in the morning' he said assertively.
She hit Rip with all the strength she could muster on the arm. He barely flinched.
'I thought you were off of this stuff' he said, a slight tinge of disappointment in his voice.
'Evidently not' she snapped.
'Don't be smart with me, Beth'
'I've instructions from your dad' started Rip.
'What a surprise' said Beth, her voice sipping with sarcasm.
'I'm calling Kayce'
'He won't answer you' stated Rip. She calls him anyway. No joy.
'This is bullshit' she said, throwing her phone at the floor in frustration.
Rip sniggers at her so she hit him again.
'Just listen to me, Beth, please' he pleaded.
'Your Dad has made contact. He's fine, he's comfortable. The surgery was a success. Kayce is already home in bed and no one, not even family, are allowed in to see him until the morning. There's nothing anyone can do at the moment. I'm taking you home'
Rip was well rehearsed at collecting Beth from bars. He'd been doing it since he learnt how to drive and it was a Ranch job that he secretly loved. He always took his 'Holy Trinity' of items with him when going to retrieve her – a basin, a blanket and a bottle of water.
'Why do you always put this out for me?' questioned Beth, chugging down the water whilst gesticulating towards the basin 'I never need it' she said with both a hint of pride and disgust.
'I'll give it to you, you do hold your liquor well'
'Damn straight' said Beth, who now seemed resigned to her fate of going home to clean her act up.
'Do you have the?'
'Backseat' answered Rip, knowing she was asking about the blanket.
Beth enveloped herself in its depths and mere moments later was fast asleep in the front seat of his truck.
…
They pulled up at the house and Beth still hadn't stirred. Rip opened her door and pulled her gently into his arms. She was as light as a feather. The Bunkhouse referred to the Dutton residence as the 'fortress' and with good reason. It was an intimidating place to enter and Rip never failed to be nervous when doing so.
As Rip slowly ascended the steps, Gator opened the door for him, already making breakfast preparations for the family. Rip was glad to see him because he needed directions to Beth's room.
'Up the stairs, turn left down to the very end of the corridor and it's the room on the right' said Gator, unperturbed by Beth in this state. To be perfectly honest, in all his time spent with the Duttons, he had probably witnessed a whole lot worse.
'Thanks'
Rip had never been inside Beth's room before but it was as he expected, relatively impersonal with some feminine touches here and there. It was quintessentially her. He placed her gently down on her bed when she started to stir.
'Mm sorry, Rip'
'It's ok shh'
He propped up her limp body against his, removing her jacket for her. The smell of her perfume she always wore was intoxicating to him. He then proceeded to take her boots off, before tucking her into bed.
'He needed me today, Rip' she said tearily 'I wasn't there'
'I know'
For a well-built man, Rip was surprisingly light on his feet and silent moving about Beth's room, organising things that could in some small way help her hangover tomorrow morning. He pulls the curtains and grabs a glass of water for her from the adjoining bathroom before placing her trash can beside her bed, smiling as he does so - whether she would need it or not was down to her. Beth looked so at peace when she slept, certainly more so than when she was awake. He wondered what she dreamed of. His frequently included her.
Rip made to turn the light off on her bedside table when Beth sleepily mumbled something towards him.
'Love you'
Rip sighed – how he longed for the day when she would say it to him properly. He had to keep believing that it would be worth the wait.