--- Disclaimer: I don't own anything except the ranch hand who doesn't even have a name so he doesn't count. ---
--- Hey guys, I'm back! Did you all miss me? I just wanted to say thank you to onefreetoroam for giving me the idea for this chapter... I had such terrible writers block and you helped to just wipe that away. Thanks so much for giving me that back. So if you like this chapter, thank onefreetoroam as well since it was their idea in the first place! Enjoy! ---
Tell Me How Much You Love Me
A couple months had passed since the news of the coming foal had sprung up and the two lovers had been working their asses off, with great help from their ranch hands, to get a new, smaller stable built and prepared for the pregnant mare and her foal. Jack had taken it upon himself to find and buy the most nutritious food, the softest sawdust for her stall, plenty of warm, soft blankets to keep her comfortable and a heated lamp that could be used on the nights when it got too cold. Ennis stood back smiling to himself as he watched Jack perfecting the stall, making sure everything was just right before going to his mare and bringing her out of her stall slowly.
"Hey there girl... How's my baby...?" He murmered as he rubbed her shiny coat down and the mare snorted softly, nudging him with her nose as he led her to the new stable attachment and inside.
"Ya like i' girl? I made i' all nice an' soft for you an' your baby here..." He patted her stomach gently and she nudged him again before wandering over to the food bucket and munching slowly on the oats and grains in it.
"Think she'll be a'right in here Ennis?" Jack turned towards his mate, who walked over and stood with one arm around the other's waist as they watched her.
"I think she'll be great rodeo... Ya done so much for 'er tha' I don' think you c'n do much more anymore." He said and squeezed him gently.
"I hope so... I don' know wha' I'd do if anything happened to 'er, know wha' I mean?" He looked up at Ennis, who leaned down and kissed him softly.
"Course I do rodeo... S'same's I feel bout you everyday."
Jack smiled as he returned the kiss then pulled away from him slowly.
"Well, come on then. We been spendin' so much time ou'here tha' the inside a the house is fallin' apart before our eyes."
"Yeah I know..." Ennis said with a soft sigh and pulled his hat off, running a hand through his hair before putting it back on. "Guess we oughta go get tha' cleaned up then huh?"
Jack nodded then took the other's hand and, after casting one last glance at his mare, who was still munching away, they walked back up to the house for a good few hours of solid house cleaning.
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"We need a housekeeper or somethin'..." Ennis sighed out as the two plopped on the couch a few hours later and slouched down to put their feet up on the footstools in front of them.
"No shit..." Jack agreed as he slouched next to him and pulled his hat over his eyes. "I'm done sick a cleanin' our own messes up..."
Ennis laughed softly and placed his own hat next to him on the couch. Both had just closed their eyes, a silent agreement between the two that a nice nap would be good when one of the ranch hands ran in, clearly out of breath and excited.
"Mr. Twist, Mr. Twist!" He called as he ran in and Jack sat up quickly, taking his hat off his face.
"Wha' izit boy? Wha's wrong?"
"I's your mare sir! She's havin' her foal!" He exclaimed and Jack jumped off the couch quickly.
"She's wha'! Jesus Chris' I... I gotta get down to 'er I... Ennis...!"
Ennis went over and grabbed his shoulders gently but firmly and stared him in the eyes.
"Lookit me rodeo. Ya need ta be calm when ya go down ta see 'er so you calm yourself down righ' now and get down there ta help yer mare out, ya hear me?"
Jack took a deep breath and nodded slowly.
"Sorry cowboy I jus'... We're gonna have a foal!"
Ennis nodded back and let go of him, upon which time Jack grabbed his hat and ran out of the house faster then lightning in a storm. When Ennis made it down there with him, the other was already in the mare's stall, kneeling by her and helping her along the process.
"Come on girl... Yer a'right..." He muttered softly as she struggled to push the baby out and caressed her stomach gently, feeling the foal kick under his hand.
"How's she doin' rodeo?" Ennis asked as he walked to the stall but stayed outside, knowing the mare as well as Jack and the ranch hand in there needed their space.
"I think she's doin' a'right for 'er first time... Shouldn' be long now, the baby's righ' there... There ya go, come on girl one more..."
The mare lifted her head and kicked the wall nearby then in a few seconds the ranch hand announced they had a little girl foal and Jack smiled brightly, caressing his mare gently as she lay her head back down on her blanket and closed her eyes, her chest heaving slightly.
"Ya did i' girl... Ya did i'..." He whispered and Ennis saw tears of happiness building in his mates eyes. After a moment or so the other turned to him, a smile on his face as tears ran down his face.
"We got a foal Ennis... A lil foal ta raise as our own now... With momma's help a course."
Ennis smiled back and nodded, his arms crossed over himself as he turned his gaze to watch the ranch hand caring for the foal then back to the mare behind Jack. His smile faded however when he noticed that the mare not only hadn't gotten up yet to see her new foal but that her breathing seemed to be slowing a little too much.
"Jack check 'er... Is she a'right?" He said and Jack turned around, running his hands along the mares face as her breathing continued to slow and her body remained motionless, her eyes still closed.
"Girl? Wha's wrong with ya?" The mare opened her eyes a little and stared up at him, sadness radiating from her dark eyes as she watched him, almost seeming to plead with him.
"Ennis I think somethin's wrong with 'er..." Jack said quickly, his voice becoming paniky as he moved closer to the mare's face and caressed her gently.
"Come on girl... Come on wha's wrong with ya...?" He continued to ask as Ennis moved in next to him and began checking her over. He sighed softly after a few minutes... A sigh of sadness and anxiousness of not wanting to have to tell Jack what he thought was going to happen within the next few minutes...
"Ennis...?" Jack asked quietly but the other just sat there silently, one hand on the mare's side, which still moved slowly with each breath but was becoming shallower with each passing second.
"She... She ain't gonna make i' Jack..." He said just above a whisper and Jack stifled back a cry.
"No... No she cain't die Ennis! No... Not my baby... Not my girl..." He broke down into sobs quickly and clung to the mare's neck, crying into her soft coat.
"I'm sorry love..." Ennis said softly and went to sit by him, wrapping his arms around him and caressing his back slowly.
"My girl..." He whimpered out and fought back another wave of sobs as the mare closed her eyes and let out a last shuddering breath before falling limp on the blankets below.
"Ennis..." Jack began and the other took him into his arms quickly, holding him as sobs began to again rock his body.
"I'm so sorry love..." He whispered into his mates ear softly and rocked him gently as the ranch hand placed a blanket around the foal and carried her out to get her food and warmth as well as give the other two room to be alone.
"Why'd she... Have to die Ennis...? Why my girl...?" Jack sobbed out and Ennis shushed him softly.
"I don' know sweetheart... I jus' don' know..." He said softly and Jack tried to take a deep breath but failed as another wave of sadness washed over him, flooding out of his eyes again onto Ennis' chest. The other held him tightly, rocking him gently and caressing him softly, wishing he could take away the pain he couldn't even imagine his lover felt at the loss of the animal who had meant so much to him and grown so dear to his heart...
--- Is it sad enough yet? I'm telling you guys, this is becoming the saddest thing I've ever written... Anyway, please review and tell me as always how it was. Thanks! ---
