Note to DEL: Thanks for clearing up the age difference between Reed and
Kathy. O_O I honestly didn't know Kathy was THAT much younger than Reed.
Therefore, this fic will no longer be a romance fic, at least not in the
boyfriend/girlfriend sort of way.
Chapter Two: Helping Out
Weeks passed since Reed's break. During the break, Reed had a talk with Kathy. Since then, the blonde swordsman couldn't wait until Lilly gave him another break, as he wanted to have another talk with Kathy.
Currently, Reed and Samus were sitting inside the Inn at Budehuc Castle, waiting for Lilly to wake up. They had again been called from Tinto for Lilly to have another meeting with Thomas, but they didn't arrive at Budehuc until late the night before. As both of Lilly's attendants sat at a table, Samus noticed that Reed was staring out the window with a gaze he had never noticed before. Instantly, Samus became curious.
"What's wrong, Reed?" Samus asked.
Reed snapped to attention, staring at Samus. "What? Oh, nothing." He said as he continued staring out the window. "I just hope that milady will give us another break while she's in the meeting."
"Why? What did you do on your last one?" Samus asked.
"I was at the ranch, talking with Kathy." Reed explained. "I promised her that on my next break, I'd go help her at the ranch for a little while."
Samus raised an eyebrow. Reed even said himself that he was never very good with horses. "You? Working at the ranch? Doesn't seem normal."
"Well, I'd do almost anything to get to know Kathy more." Reed said. "You can't imagine how much I enjoyed talking with her.
Samus' eyes sprang open as soon as Reed said those words. The tanned warrior waved his hands in front of his face. "Whoa, whoa, whoa! Just a minute, Reed!" He said frantically. "Don't you go get feelings for her! She's nine years younger than you!"
Reed looked at Samus. "Don't worry, Samus. I'm not gonna fall in love with her or anything."
"I think you will, anyway." Samus stated. "I bet that you're gonna eventually get feelings for that teenager."
Before Reed could counter, Lilly Pendragon entered the room. Both attendants immediately rose to their feet.
"Good morning, milady." Reed and Samus said in unison.
"Reed and Samus, I'm heading over to have the meeting with Thomas. Therefore, I'm giving you another one hour break." Lilly stated.
"Thank you, milady!" Both men said automatically.
Without another word, Lilly left the Inn. Samus looked at his partner.
"Well Reed, it looks like you're getting your wish." Samus said.
"Yes! It does, doesn't it!" Reed said, clearly excited that he'd be able to help Kathy.
"I only have one request." Samus said.
"What might that be?"
"That you don't fall in love with Kathy." Samus replied. "I'm worried what would happen if you fall in love with a girl nine years younger than you."
"Don't worry about me, Samus." Reed assured.
"Well, I'm gonna go see if I can find Leo and Roland." Samus said. "Enjoy your time at the ranch, Reed." With that, Samus turned around and walked out the door, leaving Reed to his thoughts.
Reed smirked as he stood up. He walked out of the Inn and started his trek towards the ranch.
The blonde man wasted no time in getting to the ranch. If he had gone any faster, he'd be running. Reed wanted to make sure he spent as much time helping Kathy as he could. When Reed arrived he saw Kathy tending to three of her horses, one of which was Gage. When she saw Reed coming, Kathy smiled.
"Reed! You made it!" Kathy said. "Lilly give you another break?"
"That she did, Kathy." Reed replied as he walked over to the teenage rancher. "Well, I'm here to help out if you need anything done."
"Okay!" Kathy said. She walked into the stable and came back out with two pitchforks. She handed one of them to Reed. "I need to move some of the hay into the stable. You can help me if you want."
"Sure." Reed replied. "That's what I'm here for."
Reed walked over to a pile of hay and shoved his pitchfork in. However, just as he did so, he heard a loud yelp as a small, black animal shot out of the hay. Within seconds, Kogoro ran down the hill, away from the ranch. As Reed watched the dog run away, Kathy snickered.
"I guess I forgot to warn you that Korogo loves to sleep in the hay." Kathy said.
Reed himself snickered a little as he continued to shove his pitchfork into the hay.
Reed quickly realized he needed to got more exercise. While he was shoveling the hay, he had grown so hot that he had to remove his gloves and jacket , revealing the white shirt he wore underneath.
Half an hour passed. Reed and Kathy had finished loading the hay into each of the horses' section of the stable. Reed looked over at Kathy.
"Anything else need to be done, Kathy?" Reed asked. He was determined to help out Kathy any way he could.
Kathy scratched her chin. "I don't think so, Reed." She said. "You helping me with the hay cut my time from an hour to a half an hour."
Suddenly, Kathy's eyes brightened. "Actually, two of my horses need to get a little exercise." She stated. "I can't take them both alone, so do you want to come with me?"
"I don't really know about that, Kathy." Reed said as he slipped his jacket back on. "I've told you that I'm not really good with horses. To tell you the truth, I've never ridden one in my life."
"It's alright." Kathy replied. "I'll show you how to ride."
Reed thought for a second, then smiled. "Okay. I'll come along." He put his gloves back on as he stared at Kathy. "Which two horses need to be taken for a run?"
"Gage and Thunder." Kathy replied as she led Reed into the stable.
Kathy led Reed over to two horses. One was Gage, while the other was a beige horse with a white patch on its face. A second white patch of fur was on its back, where the saddle would sit.
Kathy directed Reed, telling him how to get onto Thunder. Reed soon got the hang of it, and managed to sit on the saddle on Thunder's back. In the meantime, Kathy had gotten onto Gage in a fraction of the time Reed took.
"Just follow me and do what I do, and you'll be fine." Kathy said. "Come on. We'll take Gage and Thunder for a run around Yaza Plains."
"Shouldn't you leave the ranch to someone while we're gone?" Reed asked.
"Way ahead of ya, Reed." Kathy replied with a wink. "I told Augustine that I was going out for a while, and he agreed to take care of the ranch until I got back. He came while we were shoveling the hay and he went around the back of the stable to fetch some water for the horses."
Kathy led Reed through a break in the fence, which led through the meadow. The meadow, in turn would take Reed and Kathy directly to Yaza Plains.
At first, Reed suggested that, once they reached Yaza, he could protect Kathy from any monsters that attacked, but Kathy replied saying that she had come through Yaza countless times, and had planted special herbs all over a specific area that had a fifty feet radius. Now that the herbs were planted, no monster had ever come NEAR the area, and was safe for horseback riders. Reed remained astonished at Kathy's statement. He had never heard her say something like that before. In fact, Reed figured that NO ONE had ever heard Kathy say something like that before.
Soon, Reed and Kathy arrived at Yaza. Kathy showed Reed how to make his horse run, as it was needed if they were going to get to Kathy's barrier without encountering any monsters. Reed quickly got the hang of it, and the two rushed through Yaza, going straight towards an enormous, marked area. On the way, they had encountered a few monsters, but nothing more serious than a few Rabid Rabbits or a wild boar. The duo quickly arrived at Kathy's marked barrier, and rode their horses around in it, giving Gage and Thunder some much-needed exercise.
While Kathy gave him instructions, Reed couldn't seem to get his mind off of her. Her hair, her face, her personality...
Reed's eyes widened as a creeping realization sunk into him. Samus was right! He WAS falling for Kathy! Reed swallowed. He knew that he didn't have a chance with her, with Kathy being nine years younger and all. Reed realized that he could never have a relationship with someone so much younger than he.
...Unless...
Before Reed could finish his thought, Kathy spoke up, making the Tinto swordsman lose his concentration.
"You're doing great, Reed!" Kathy complimented. "But I think we should head back. Your hour break is almost up."
Reed's eyes sprang open. He had lost track of the time completely! "Yes. You're quite right, Kathy."
Both Reed and Kathy quickly rode back to Budehuc Castle, not stopping for anything. Soon, both riders arrived back at Budehuc, taking the way around to reach the ranch first.
When Reed and Kathy arrived at the ranch, they saw Augustine standing outside the stable. The gentleman saw them coming, and smiled.
"Ah, Kathy! You're back." Augustine said. He then noticed Reed. "Sir Reed was with you?"
"Hey, I had two horses to take for a run, and couldn't do them both by myself." Kathy replied as she and Reed came to a halt. Kathy stepped off Gage. "Was there any business while I was gone?"
"Well, Rico showed up not too long ago." Augustine replied. "She said she was bored, so I suggested that she go on the racetrack riding Viper."
Kathy's eyes sprang open. "You let an inexperienced girl like Rico ride VIPER?!"
"Yes, what's so wrong about that?" Augustine asked.
Suddenly, the trio of Reed, Kathy and Augustine heard what sounded like a scream. They looked in the direction of the racetrack and saw a horse and rider charging around the far corner, towards the ranch. On top of the wild horse, sat a young girl wearing a backpack, arms flailing.
"AAAAAAAAAAAAHHHHHHHHHH!!!!!!!!!!" Rico screamed as Viper tore down the racetrack with lightning quick speed. The horse carrying the helpless girl ran around the corner again and continued running, Rico screaming the whole time.
Kathy sweatdropped. She quickly turned to Reed. "Thanks for everything, Reed." She said quickly. "Now, if you'll excuse me." Without another word, Kathy charged onto the racetrack and tore off after Rico.
Reed snickered as he walked away from the ranch, through Budehuc Castle and finally, towards the Inn.
Reed pushed open the door to the Inn and walked inside. He quickly spotted Samus sitting at one of the tables. Reed went over to his friend and sat down.
"How was you're break, Samus?" Reed asked.
"Pretty good." Samus replied. "And yours?"
"Excellent."
Samus got straight to the point. "What about Kathy? You sure you don't have feelings for her?" He asked.
Reed sighed. "My friend, you were right all along. I DO have feelings for Kathy."
This time it was Samus who sighed. "Man, Reed! What are you thinking? You're falling in love with a girl who's not even twenty yet!"
Reed laughed. "Don't worry, Samus. I've got I all under control."
"What do you mean 'you got it all under control'?!" Samus demanded.
"Look, I think a relationship could still work out between Kathy and I, just not in the way you'd think." Reed stated.
"What do you mean?" Samus asked.
"You see, Kathy's got no father." Reed said. "If I can't have her as a girlfriend, why can't a be like a brother-figure to her?"
Samus cocked an eyebrow. "You? Kathy's brother-figure? You sure you can handle that?"
"I'm sure of it, Samus." Reed said. "The next time milady gives us a break, I'm heading straight to the ranch to express my feelings to Kathy."
Samus stood up and placed a hand on Reed's shoulder. "Okay. I trust you, Reed. But if she refuses, don't get upset." With that, Samus stared walking out of the Inn.
Reed smiled as he got up and followed Samus. Things were definitely looking up...
To be contined...
Author's note: Sorry about the long wait. Now, don't get upset about this story being too short, but my next chapter is gonna be the last one. Originally, I was planning a five chapter story. The third chapter was gonna be about Rody and Belle sneaking out to the stable in the middle of the night and Rody turning Kathy into an adult in her sleep, but since I've decided to write more stories in this section, I've dropped the idea. Please read and review!
Chapter Two: Helping Out
Weeks passed since Reed's break. During the break, Reed had a talk with Kathy. Since then, the blonde swordsman couldn't wait until Lilly gave him another break, as he wanted to have another talk with Kathy.
Currently, Reed and Samus were sitting inside the Inn at Budehuc Castle, waiting for Lilly to wake up. They had again been called from Tinto for Lilly to have another meeting with Thomas, but they didn't arrive at Budehuc until late the night before. As both of Lilly's attendants sat at a table, Samus noticed that Reed was staring out the window with a gaze he had never noticed before. Instantly, Samus became curious.
"What's wrong, Reed?" Samus asked.
Reed snapped to attention, staring at Samus. "What? Oh, nothing." He said as he continued staring out the window. "I just hope that milady will give us another break while she's in the meeting."
"Why? What did you do on your last one?" Samus asked.
"I was at the ranch, talking with Kathy." Reed explained. "I promised her that on my next break, I'd go help her at the ranch for a little while."
Samus raised an eyebrow. Reed even said himself that he was never very good with horses. "You? Working at the ranch? Doesn't seem normal."
"Well, I'd do almost anything to get to know Kathy more." Reed said. "You can't imagine how much I enjoyed talking with her.
Samus' eyes sprang open as soon as Reed said those words. The tanned warrior waved his hands in front of his face. "Whoa, whoa, whoa! Just a minute, Reed!" He said frantically. "Don't you go get feelings for her! She's nine years younger than you!"
Reed looked at Samus. "Don't worry, Samus. I'm not gonna fall in love with her or anything."
"I think you will, anyway." Samus stated. "I bet that you're gonna eventually get feelings for that teenager."
Before Reed could counter, Lilly Pendragon entered the room. Both attendants immediately rose to their feet.
"Good morning, milady." Reed and Samus said in unison.
"Reed and Samus, I'm heading over to have the meeting with Thomas. Therefore, I'm giving you another one hour break." Lilly stated.
"Thank you, milady!" Both men said automatically.
Without another word, Lilly left the Inn. Samus looked at his partner.
"Well Reed, it looks like you're getting your wish." Samus said.
"Yes! It does, doesn't it!" Reed said, clearly excited that he'd be able to help Kathy.
"I only have one request." Samus said.
"What might that be?"
"That you don't fall in love with Kathy." Samus replied. "I'm worried what would happen if you fall in love with a girl nine years younger than you."
"Don't worry about me, Samus." Reed assured.
"Well, I'm gonna go see if I can find Leo and Roland." Samus said. "Enjoy your time at the ranch, Reed." With that, Samus turned around and walked out the door, leaving Reed to his thoughts.
Reed smirked as he stood up. He walked out of the Inn and started his trek towards the ranch.
The blonde man wasted no time in getting to the ranch. If he had gone any faster, he'd be running. Reed wanted to make sure he spent as much time helping Kathy as he could. When Reed arrived he saw Kathy tending to three of her horses, one of which was Gage. When she saw Reed coming, Kathy smiled.
"Reed! You made it!" Kathy said. "Lilly give you another break?"
"That she did, Kathy." Reed replied as he walked over to the teenage rancher. "Well, I'm here to help out if you need anything done."
"Okay!" Kathy said. She walked into the stable and came back out with two pitchforks. She handed one of them to Reed. "I need to move some of the hay into the stable. You can help me if you want."
"Sure." Reed replied. "That's what I'm here for."
Reed walked over to a pile of hay and shoved his pitchfork in. However, just as he did so, he heard a loud yelp as a small, black animal shot out of the hay. Within seconds, Kogoro ran down the hill, away from the ranch. As Reed watched the dog run away, Kathy snickered.
"I guess I forgot to warn you that Korogo loves to sleep in the hay." Kathy said.
Reed himself snickered a little as he continued to shove his pitchfork into the hay.
Reed quickly realized he needed to got more exercise. While he was shoveling the hay, he had grown so hot that he had to remove his gloves and jacket , revealing the white shirt he wore underneath.
Half an hour passed. Reed and Kathy had finished loading the hay into each of the horses' section of the stable. Reed looked over at Kathy.
"Anything else need to be done, Kathy?" Reed asked. He was determined to help out Kathy any way he could.
Kathy scratched her chin. "I don't think so, Reed." She said. "You helping me with the hay cut my time from an hour to a half an hour."
Suddenly, Kathy's eyes brightened. "Actually, two of my horses need to get a little exercise." She stated. "I can't take them both alone, so do you want to come with me?"
"I don't really know about that, Kathy." Reed said as he slipped his jacket back on. "I've told you that I'm not really good with horses. To tell you the truth, I've never ridden one in my life."
"It's alright." Kathy replied. "I'll show you how to ride."
Reed thought for a second, then smiled. "Okay. I'll come along." He put his gloves back on as he stared at Kathy. "Which two horses need to be taken for a run?"
"Gage and Thunder." Kathy replied as she led Reed into the stable.
Kathy led Reed over to two horses. One was Gage, while the other was a beige horse with a white patch on its face. A second white patch of fur was on its back, where the saddle would sit.
Kathy directed Reed, telling him how to get onto Thunder. Reed soon got the hang of it, and managed to sit on the saddle on Thunder's back. In the meantime, Kathy had gotten onto Gage in a fraction of the time Reed took.
"Just follow me and do what I do, and you'll be fine." Kathy said. "Come on. We'll take Gage and Thunder for a run around Yaza Plains."
"Shouldn't you leave the ranch to someone while we're gone?" Reed asked.
"Way ahead of ya, Reed." Kathy replied with a wink. "I told Augustine that I was going out for a while, and he agreed to take care of the ranch until I got back. He came while we were shoveling the hay and he went around the back of the stable to fetch some water for the horses."
Kathy led Reed through a break in the fence, which led through the meadow. The meadow, in turn would take Reed and Kathy directly to Yaza Plains.
At first, Reed suggested that, once they reached Yaza, he could protect Kathy from any monsters that attacked, but Kathy replied saying that she had come through Yaza countless times, and had planted special herbs all over a specific area that had a fifty feet radius. Now that the herbs were planted, no monster had ever come NEAR the area, and was safe for horseback riders. Reed remained astonished at Kathy's statement. He had never heard her say something like that before. In fact, Reed figured that NO ONE had ever heard Kathy say something like that before.
Soon, Reed and Kathy arrived at Yaza. Kathy showed Reed how to make his horse run, as it was needed if they were going to get to Kathy's barrier without encountering any monsters. Reed quickly got the hang of it, and the two rushed through Yaza, going straight towards an enormous, marked area. On the way, they had encountered a few monsters, but nothing more serious than a few Rabid Rabbits or a wild boar. The duo quickly arrived at Kathy's marked barrier, and rode their horses around in it, giving Gage and Thunder some much-needed exercise.
While Kathy gave him instructions, Reed couldn't seem to get his mind off of her. Her hair, her face, her personality...
Reed's eyes widened as a creeping realization sunk into him. Samus was right! He WAS falling for Kathy! Reed swallowed. He knew that he didn't have a chance with her, with Kathy being nine years younger and all. Reed realized that he could never have a relationship with someone so much younger than he.
...Unless...
Before Reed could finish his thought, Kathy spoke up, making the Tinto swordsman lose his concentration.
"You're doing great, Reed!" Kathy complimented. "But I think we should head back. Your hour break is almost up."
Reed's eyes sprang open. He had lost track of the time completely! "Yes. You're quite right, Kathy."
Both Reed and Kathy quickly rode back to Budehuc Castle, not stopping for anything. Soon, both riders arrived back at Budehuc, taking the way around to reach the ranch first.
When Reed and Kathy arrived at the ranch, they saw Augustine standing outside the stable. The gentleman saw them coming, and smiled.
"Ah, Kathy! You're back." Augustine said. He then noticed Reed. "Sir Reed was with you?"
"Hey, I had two horses to take for a run, and couldn't do them both by myself." Kathy replied as she and Reed came to a halt. Kathy stepped off Gage. "Was there any business while I was gone?"
"Well, Rico showed up not too long ago." Augustine replied. "She said she was bored, so I suggested that she go on the racetrack riding Viper."
Kathy's eyes sprang open. "You let an inexperienced girl like Rico ride VIPER?!"
"Yes, what's so wrong about that?" Augustine asked.
Suddenly, the trio of Reed, Kathy and Augustine heard what sounded like a scream. They looked in the direction of the racetrack and saw a horse and rider charging around the far corner, towards the ranch. On top of the wild horse, sat a young girl wearing a backpack, arms flailing.
"AAAAAAAAAAAAHHHHHHHHHH!!!!!!!!!!" Rico screamed as Viper tore down the racetrack with lightning quick speed. The horse carrying the helpless girl ran around the corner again and continued running, Rico screaming the whole time.
Kathy sweatdropped. She quickly turned to Reed. "Thanks for everything, Reed." She said quickly. "Now, if you'll excuse me." Without another word, Kathy charged onto the racetrack and tore off after Rico.
Reed snickered as he walked away from the ranch, through Budehuc Castle and finally, towards the Inn.
Reed pushed open the door to the Inn and walked inside. He quickly spotted Samus sitting at one of the tables. Reed went over to his friend and sat down.
"How was you're break, Samus?" Reed asked.
"Pretty good." Samus replied. "And yours?"
"Excellent."
Samus got straight to the point. "What about Kathy? You sure you don't have feelings for her?" He asked.
Reed sighed. "My friend, you were right all along. I DO have feelings for Kathy."
This time it was Samus who sighed. "Man, Reed! What are you thinking? You're falling in love with a girl who's not even twenty yet!"
Reed laughed. "Don't worry, Samus. I've got I all under control."
"What do you mean 'you got it all under control'?!" Samus demanded.
"Look, I think a relationship could still work out between Kathy and I, just not in the way you'd think." Reed stated.
"What do you mean?" Samus asked.
"You see, Kathy's got no father." Reed said. "If I can't have her as a girlfriend, why can't a be like a brother-figure to her?"
Samus cocked an eyebrow. "You? Kathy's brother-figure? You sure you can handle that?"
"I'm sure of it, Samus." Reed said. "The next time milady gives us a break, I'm heading straight to the ranch to express my feelings to Kathy."
Samus stood up and placed a hand on Reed's shoulder. "Okay. I trust you, Reed. But if she refuses, don't get upset." With that, Samus stared walking out of the Inn.
Reed smiled as he got up and followed Samus. Things were definitely looking up...
To be contined...
Author's note: Sorry about the long wait. Now, don't get upset about this story being too short, but my next chapter is gonna be the last one. Originally, I was planning a five chapter story. The third chapter was gonna be about Rody and Belle sneaking out to the stable in the middle of the night and Rody turning Kathy into an adult in her sleep, but since I've decided to write more stories in this section, I've dropped the idea. Please read and review!