A/N: Guess what, guys? LAST CHAPTER! Whether or not you get a sequel depends on how well you liked this one, so get with the reviews. Oh yeah, as it's the end chapter, this one's much longer than the others.

Chapter 14, The Rodeo

"Contestant number forty-six, on deck! Number forty-seven, in the hole!" blared the PA system. Jade smiled and said to Jack,

"Forty-seven, that's you buddy!" The event was open Pole Bending. Jack nodded nervously, flipping his beads all around. He was riding Bo again, for which he was grateful; Pepper was giving Will fits. Morgan was mounted on her new mare, and Jade was sitting on the fence watching Number Forty-Six make her run. Jack watched as she turned her horse around the last pole and flew towards the finish line.

"Time for Mrs. Spencer, 22.569." The crowd cheered at the announcement. Will raised his eyebrows and looked to Morgan.

"That's a pretty good time, isn't it?" he inquired. Jade got down from the fence.

"Yep, it is a good time…but remember Jack, you're just riding to have fun, not to win." She grasped Bo's bridle and led them into the entrance alley. The announcer called Jack's number, and Jade turned to him. "Don't forget to weave in and out of each of the six poles, and don't fall off, either. Now scat!" She let go of the bridle and slapped Bo on the rump just as Jack clucked to him. The horse jumped forward into a lope. They got all the way to the end of the line of poles before Jack remembered that they were supposed to turn. He pulled hard on the left rein. Bo dug into the ground and wheeled around the pole, nearly unseating Jack.

"Good thing you gave him your Magic Seat!" Morgan commented to Jade. Jack was now weaving through the poles at a brisk trot. He reached the end pole (pole #1 in the line), turned it, then weaved his way back to the opposite end. Upon reaching pole #6, Bo flew around it and with Jack's encouraging kick, burst into a gallop. They broke the timer at a 33 flat. Jade ran out to them; Jack was flouncing around in the saddle, smiling.

"That was fun!" he exclaimed. Will grinned and replied,

"Good. It look's like fun. Uh oh, I'm up." The announcer called Will's name, and he entered the arena. Jade, Jack, and Morgan lined up on the fence to watch. His run went much the same way as Jack's, and he crossed the line in a 34.121.

"Not bad guys, not bad at all!" Morgan congratulated the pirates. "I have to make my run after these next two people. The four of them settled down to watch. The first woman had a terrible run, knocking over pole #3 and earning a five second penalty; but the next man's pattern was smooth, and he broke the timer triumphantly.

"Aaaand, the time for contestant number fifty is…21.255! And he is in the lead" rattled the PA system. "Contestant number fifty-one, ride when ready!" Morgan smiled and strapped her hat securely onto her head.

"That's me, guys! Wish me luck." She guided her mare into the alleyway. "Alright," she said to herself. "We need a twenty one point two or better to win." The horse snorted and reared up as a cowboy opened the gate. Her hooves touched down, then they took off in a dead run down to the end of the poles. The reached the last pole and Morgan hollered, "Whoa!" and the horse wrapped herself around the pole. They began weaving at a fast lope, and wrapping the other end pole, weaved back through at a slow gallop. Morgan shouted "Whoa!" again, and the wheeled around the last pole and thundered home, Morgan kicking and clucking every step of the way. They crossed the timer and pulled up, Morgan looking anxiously towards the press box.

"Twenty flat, folks, 20.000! And this little lady is your Open Pole Bending champion! Please pick up your first place check at the awards booth."

"One hundred bucks, wow!" said Morgan, pocketing her winnings. "That takes of the share I owed on the expensive clothes!" Jade smiled and replied,

"Yea, but the only reason you won was because I wasn't riding! Now in the bull riding, that'll be a different story." Tex and Slick, who were sitting close by behind the bucking shoots, scowled at her. Bud, however (who had finished his gate-fee duties), walked up to her and smiled. He whispered in Jade's ear,

"Most of the guys (he indicated the other ten bull riders gearing up around them) don't think you'll make it past the two-second mark; but just so's you know, I'm pulling for you. In fact, (he looked around edgily and lowered his voice) I've got a bet on with Slick…ten bucks to me if you ride that bull. Jade," he said in an imploring voice, "please don't buck off…I haven't got $10!!!" and so saying, hurried off. Jade snorted and Morgan began cackling. They returned to their job of getting ready for the bull riding. Jack and Will had both been talking into riding a bull (largely by Jade's effort) and all four of them were wearing protective vests and spurs. The announcer's mike switched on and they all looked up to listen.

"Open Bull Riding, event number twenty-two, and we have sixteen entries. First to go will be number forty-seven." Jack stood up and swaggered over to the respective shoot. He peered over the side to see what he had drawn and saw a small brown steer, standing calmly and looking extremely innocent and well-behaved.

"Psshaw! Let me show y'all how to do this, savvy?" Jack swung over into the shoot and settled onto the back of the steer. A big man waited until Jack slid his hand through the handle on the bull rope, then pulled the rope taught. Jack secured it around his hand and winked. A cowboy outside the shoot said,

"Nod when you're ready," so Jack nodded. The cowboy opened the gate and the steer shot out, bucking for all he was worth. Jack lost his balance and looked at the ground. No sooner than he did, than the ground rushed up to meet him and he landed face down in the dirt.

"NO SCORE!" blared the announcer. Jack got up and dusted himself off, slightly disgusted, then went to sit on the fence.

"Better luck next time," the PA said, then called, "Number fifty-one, you're up; Mr. Will Turner, on deck." Morgan walked over to the shoot and settled in. She had drawn a black and white bull with no horns. She wrapped in, then nodded, and out they came. She had a pretty good seat on the bull until he decided to spin; then she lost her hold and fell off.

"Down in the well at 6.9 seconds. Close, but not the 8 seconds we're looking for. Next, Mr. Will Turner." The announcer had barely finished before Will was down in the shoot, wrapped in and nodding. A cowboy pulled the gate open, and Will came out on a Charleigh bull. He was bucking straight down the pen, and not very hard; Will was going along easily. Will got brave and started spurring a little, and the bull bucked harder. Morgan looked close and saw that Will was smiling as he rode the bucks through. The 8- second buzzer sounded, and Will pulled the tail of his rope free from his hand and jumped off.

"Great Will, GREAT! You rode him!" called Jade. He was positively bouncing with adrenaline.

"That was so neat!!" he said. "What was my score?"

"Sixty-eight point five…they just announced it," answered Jack. Will hopped up on the fence with Morgan and Jack and watched as six more cowboys went, Tex and Slick among them. Slick rode his bull and received a score of seventy-five; then it was Jade's turn. Some cowboys ran 'Blackie' up in the shoot, and put the rope on him. As she walked by, Tex held up a crisp $20 bill and winked at her. She smiled and climbed into the shoot. She settled in and waited while a man pulled the rope taught. Blackie tossed his head, trying to hit her with his horns, but she just dodged and secured the rope. When she was finished, she drew a breath, raised her free hand, and nodded. The gate swung open, and Blackie reared forward as high as he could then immediately executed a bellyroll. Jade stayed right with him. He bucked again and then reared straight up, but that didn't unseat Jade either. He went into a fast spin, bucking and kicking; Jade matched his every move. He straightened out and went through some directional changes, now throwing Jade bellyrolls every which way. She didn't budge though, and spurred him like crazy. Finally the buzzer sounded, and the crowd went nuts. Jack, Will, and Morgan were all hollering. All the bull riders' eyes were popping, and Slick's jaw was hanging open. Tex muttered,

"Well, she made a fool out of us, that's for sure." Jade heard a yell of triumph from the crowd, and recognized it to be Bud's voice. She smiled, momentarily losing concentration. Blackie sensed her lack of focus and threw her a bellyroll, followed by a dive to the side. Jade slipped off of the bull and fell to the ground, but her hand was still caught in the rope.

"She's hung up!" Morgan shouted and ran out to help get her friend loose, as did Jack, Will, Bud, and about ten other cowboys. Blackie would have no part of it though, and he took off around the arena, dragging Jade with him. He tossed his head to the side, and one of the horns connected with Jade's head. Blood streamed down her face, and her eyes rolled. Morgan cursed and tried to reach the tail of the rope to pull it free, but she couldn't get it. By now, Blackie was surrounded by about twenty people all bent on slowing him down. He kicked out suddenly, and cries of pain were heard. Finally, someone managed to pull the rope loose, and Jade slipped to the ground. Blackie snorted and trotted angrily out of the pen. When the congestion cleared, Morgan, Bud, Will, Jack, and Jade all lay bloody, silent, and motionless on the ground. All the rodeo grounds went quiet.

Magic Seat: a seat used by horseback riders that fastens to the saddle and provides extra gripping power
wrapped himself/herself: a term meaning that the horse literally wraps his/her body around the pole or barrel as he/she's turning it
bellyrolls: when the bull jumps and bucks sideways in the air…very difficult maneuver to hand onto, even for the pro's.