Heart of Flame – Chapter 6

Here's chapter six, hope you guys like it. Note that it contains fluff - and I do not claim to be a good fluffy writer! By the way, I have been searching for pics on the net who look like the characters - including Jazz, Flame, Daniel and his horses, Rebecca and Katie - so please note me or just say in the review if you want to see them - please give me your email address, don't worry, this won't be used for anything else. I may set up a myspace page if this is popular ... but I have no knowledge whatsoever of html or myspace so someone may have to help me!

Heartland, Saturday Morning (after Amy returns from Mystery Creek)

Amy was breathing hard as she stood in front of the delicate chestnut horse. Flame stared back at her with liquid chocolate eyes. "Good boy," she murmured softly. "What a good boy you are, Flamey."

After returning from Mystery Creek at 10:30, Amy had gone straight out to the barn to work with Flame before she and Ty went out for their ride. Ty was working with Sky out the back of the barn, with the float. Jazz was inside doing homework, Lou helping her.

Amy felt bad for not including the younger girl, but she wasn't sure that Flame would benefit from Jazz's presence at this stage. Especially after what happened last night! What was she thinkingThe incident where Flame had nearly trampled Jazz had really scared Amy. It had really hit home the realisation of how helpless the younger girl was – paralysed from the waist down, she had been in no position to help herself at all. Jazz would be left behind again when Amy and Ty went riding that afternoon – but she didn't seem too disappointed about it. She was a complete change to the cold, angry girl who had arrived at Heartland two weeks ago. Although she still had her defensive moments – like the previous night – she was generally quiet and friendly when she did talk. Amy suspected that she was really beginning to like life at Heartland.

I need to get closer to Jazz – to find some way of talking to her about what happened. And … I'd like to get to know her too. As a friend. Amy resolved to try and spend some time that evening with Jazz.

But now – now she had to focus on Flame. Amy was growing to love the kind gelding more and more every day – for his gentle, forgiving personality, and his absolute need to be loved. And every day, she was feeling more and more pain for Jazz – for the loss of a bond Amy was sure the younger girl had thought unbreakable.

Flame had joined up with Amy as quickly as he had the day before, then happily followed her around the round pen, hopping over a few jumps with no hesitation at all. Amy was sure it was time to ride him.

Flame stood motionless in the middle of the pen as she finished the T-touch and got his saddle and bridle off the rail. As she walked back to Flame, he kept still but his red ears pricked forward and he seemed to grow excited at the thought of being ridden. Amy wondered how long it had been since he'd felt a human on his back.

Stroking his neck as she moved down towards his back, Amy slowly slid the saddle into place. Flame tensed slightly, but she could tell that it was from excitement, not fear.

After giving the horse a few minutes to get used to the feel of the saddle again, she cinched the girth before moving to Flame's head. Undoing his leather halter, he stood stock still as she put the reins over his head and opened his mouth obligingly for the bit, a simple, loose ring snaffle.

Amy was excited to finally get the chance to ride Flame – but after many years of riding she wasn't stupid enough to hop on without a helmet, no matter how excited she was. She quickly led Flame to the side of the pen and grabbed a helmet before turning to mount the gelding.

Flame swung his head around and bumped Amy gently on the hip, a quizzical expression in his eyes. She stroked his white star before gently pushing him back around, taking up the reins and placing her left foot in the stirrup.

As she placed her weight on his back, Flame snorted softly, seemingly worried, and swung his rump away from her as she pushed lightly off the ground. Luckily, Amy still managed to land lightly in Jazz's well used, dark brown leather GP saddle. "Flame, stand up!" she scolded him lightly, knowing that he had better manners than that. Gathering the reins up, Amy clucked softly to Flame to tell him to walk on.

Suddenly, all at once, she knew that something was wrong. Flame was stiff and tense – and this time, it wasn't because of excitement. He snatched at the reins and shook his head wildly from side to side, clearly agitated. Something was telling Amy to get off – but she wanted to work through this with Flame. After all, that's what healing horses was all about – working through the tough times.

The horse, however, had other ideas. All four hooves were splayed out widely into the mixture of sand and rubber that formed the floor of the pen, and no amount of encouragement or soothing from Amy would make him move.

Then, suddenly, Flame let out an explosive series of bucks, each one bigger than the last. Amy held on for dear life, all the while wondering – when did excitement change to fear? What did I do to scare him?

Her fingers slipped from her grasp on the saddle and she tried desperately to turn Flame in a tight circle, to disengage his hindquarters. But he was beyond listening to Amy – or any other human.

Amy heard a shout from the other side of the pen and mentally cursed. Dammit, Ty! I don't want you to see this!

From the blur of motion, she could just make out Ty opening the gate and racing into the pen – but what could an eighteen year old guy do against a 16.2hh thoroughbred gone crazy?

He did startle Flame, though, and the gelding stopped bucking for a moment, blowing hard, eyes rolling. Amy just had time to call, "Ty! Don't-" before Flame gathered the last of his strength and let out his biggest buck yet. Amy just couldn't hold on, and she was propelled through the air, slamming into the hard, wooden fence of the pen. All the air was knocked from Amy's body and all she could do was fight for breath and watch the horse as she slid to the ground.

Flame had stopped moving – he was standing in the middle of the arena, shivering and shaking with fear – but relieved, she could tell, to have her off his back. She wanted to go and comfort the scared animal but – strangely, she couldn't move.

Then she felt cool hands touching her face, and Ty's soothing voice – but she could hear the worry behind his calm words. "Amy … Amy, I'm here, its okay."

She felt herself being moved and then knew that Ty was holding her head in his lap as he unbuckled her helmet and removed it.

"Ty –" Amy tried to speak but her breath hitched in her throat and she found that she couldn't make any noise at all. She felt Ty's hand coming up to stroke her long hair gently, his other hand squeezing hers as he spoke.

"Shhh, Ames, you hit the ground so hard, you're winded. You just need to relax and try to breathe, get some air back into your lungs." After a moment or two she could sit up, and Ty put his arms around her, rubbing her back gently.

"I'm … okay." She leaned into his strong embrace, tucking her head in the space between his shoulder and chin, where she had always fitted perfectly. "What did I do, Ty? He just … went crazy. He was so happy when I got the saddle and bridle out – but when I got up onto him, he went insane."

Amy raised her head to look him in the face, tears that she refused to shed standing in her smoky blue-grey eyes. Ty knew that they weren't tears for herself, for falling off – they were tears for Flame, for the horse she so desperately wanted to heal. Tears because she couldn't understand why he was like this, why Jazz was like this. Tears because she had to know – and tears because she knew how much it was going to hurt the girl who had to tell her.

For once in his life, Ty Baldwin didn't have anything to say to comfort Amy. They both knew now that there was going to be no easy way to heal Flame – and Jazz. That they would have to take the hard road every time.

"Amy," Ty said, knowing that she knew instinctively every thought that had just passed through his mind. "That's why we do this. So we can figure out why – and get these guys off the hard road, and back on the way to the horses they were before. That's why I love you – you don't give up."

Amy looked up at him as he tucked a stray strand of her dark hair behind her ears. "I'll talk to Jazz tonight." Her gaze was resolute.

After helping Ty put Flame away – the horse had been cuddly and almost apologetic – Amy followed her boyfriend in for lunch. She'd made Ty promise not to tell Lou about her fall – if her older sister knew then she certainly wouldn't be letting Amy go out for a ride that afternoon.

To Amy's surprise, however, Lou was nowhere to be seen – and it was Jazz setting out lunch on the table. "You want some help?" Ty smiled at the younger girl, knowing full well that she needed all the help she could get. Jazz was lucky that the Flemings' kitchen was as big as it was, with plenty of room to wheel herself around in there.

"That would be great, guys. Lou's upstairs working – I told her I'd make lunch because she helped me with my homework."

Amy got out three plates; feeling almost dazed at Jazz's … happiness and contentment were the only words for it. What happened to the enraged, defensive girl of last night? She wondered. Maybe she has mood swings …

She and Ty sat down at the table and Jazz wheeled her chair into the space opposite Amy. The younger girl immediately asked, "How was Flame, Amy? Did you ride him?"

Glancing quickly at Ty, Amy replied, "He was great, Jazz. I've seriously never joined up with a horse so quickly – and it was only the second time, too!"

"Sounds like join-up's working well with him. It always has."

"Has?" Amy raised an eyebrow.

"Don't worry," Jazz mumbled quickly, and took a bite of her sandwich, expecting Amy to continue.

When the older girl didn't say anything, Jazz's dark, clear eyes flew to her face, scrutinising Amy's carefully blank expression. "You're not telling me something," she said bluntly.

Amy sighed. "Well … I showed him the saddle and bridle, and he got really excited. But – when I got on him, he got really upset and – he bucked me off." She cringed, expecting Jazz's disgust and derision. But the fifteen year old simply nodded, remarking, "That's what he did to everyone back in Montana, even one of my old instructors."

"I'm working on it, Jazz. I can make Flame better – both of us can." Amy glanced at Ty and he nodded.

"I trust you. That's why … why I wanted Flamey to come here in the first place. And besides, if someone like Daniel Thomson hires you … I think you're good enough for me and Flame."

The tension of the previous moment was forgotten as Amy told Jazz and Ty all about Daniel's stable, about meeting Crisp, Gordon and Poppy – and about all the guilt Daniel felt for selling Gordon at a young age only to find him years later, abused and neglected.

"Funny," Jazz commented. "These top class eventers – you never think they have a heart, you know? I competed against this Thomson guy once – and beat him, I might add – and he seemed like a snobby, British jerk at the time."

"You never know," Amy said thoughtfully. "First impressions can be deceiving!" She winked at Jazz and the three of them laughed, remembering the disastrous night when she and Flame had arrived.

"So, Jazz," Ty asked. "What are you planning to do this afternoon?"

"Ben said I could come down to the barn and watch him and Red – they're going to jump today."

Amy felt relieved that the younger girl wouldn't be alone while and she and Ty were out riding – and she knew that Ben, their other stable hand, would be kind to Jazz.

Standing up, Amy took all three plates to the kitchen bench. Turning back to the table, she asked, "Ready to go, Ty?" The sparkle in his eyes was answer enough for her.

"Jazz … we'll be back … sometime."

Jazz was looking on with an amused expression on her face, no doubt because of Amy's incoherence. "Yeah, sure, Amy. I'll probably never see the two of you again!" The older girl blushed, then both of them said goodbye and went out the door, heading back to the barn. Jazz wheeled herself to the window so she could watch them go, Ty slinging his arm around Amy's shoulder and the shorter girl leaning into him.

"They're so lucky to have each other," she murmured, immediately disgusted with herself for all the wistfulness and longing that even she could hear in her own voice. It was just – sometimes it was so hard to be around Amy and Ty, who were so obviously in love and content – and still feeling like half her own heart had been ripped away. Sometimes, Jazz thought, it's just better to be alone.

With each new horse that came to Heartland, Amy was more and more impressed with Ty's skill and love for each of them. Whisper was a young grey mare who, when she arrived at Heartland, had been one of the worst cases Amy had ever seen. So think and neglected that even Amy was sure she couldn't recover, Whisper had broken facial bones from being beaten by her previous owner. Understandably, the mare had had a complete fear of humans – but Ty, as usual, had refused to condemn her and as she regained her strength, he had gradually introduced himself into the mare's life – and she had regained the will to live.

Today, three months on from the day Whisper had arrived at Heartland, Amy watched as Ty talked gently to the steel grey mare as he coaxed her to stand still while he mounted. Whisper was ridden in a hackamore, a bitless bride which placed pressure on the horse's poll rather than mouth – she still couldn't tolerate a bit, months after the cuts from the wire halter her owner had forced her to wear had healed. From these cuts and the broken bones, Whisper's face would always be scarred but her fine, dished Arab head was still beautiful.

Amy held Katie, the prancing dressage mare. Whisper and Katie had bonded straight away – their early experiences had been similar. Katie had been lucky enough to be rescued before her damage had become as bad as Whisper's, though she still harboured her fear of men. In the two weeks since Amy had begun working with her, Katie had improved steadily and now tolerated Ty standing in the arena when they were working. She didn't seem to mind him riding next to her, either, as they set off towards the back paddocks of Heartland.

Both Ty and Amy rode in silence for the first few minutes of the ride, happy to just be quietly with each other, away from all the stress of the last few days. The two mares walked along on a loose rein, swinging their heads from side to side and seeming as relaxed as their riders. That was what Amy loved about Ty – he didn't feel the need to talk all the time when he was with her. Sometimes she could tell what he was thinking just by the look on his face.

Glancing at Ty now, Amy asked him quietly if he wanted to trot. He nodded, and they pushed both mares forward and trotted side by side along, the mares' hooves thumping rhythmically along the clay raceway. They slowed to go through the gate which led to the gentle, sloping hills above Heartland, then cantered along the uphill track Amy had ridden so many times with Sunny. They wouldn't be jumping any of the sturdy cross country jumps today, though, with the two inexperienced mares.

Both horses were blowing slightly by the time they arrived at a creek which ran down towards Heartland, so they rode them into the water for a drink. Amy laughed as Katie pretended to be terrified of the water, pawing at it then jumping in fright. Ty shouted in surprise as some of the water landed on him and Whisper – with his back turned, he hadn't seen it coming. By the time he whirled around, both girl and horse were standing still and looked perfectly innocent. Whisper shook violently, sending water flying everywhere. Both Amy and Ty were laughing as the horses climbed out of the creek. "I'll get you back for that one, Amy Fleming!"

"Oh, Ty, I'm so scared!"

Ty grinned and turned Whisper around as Amy and Katie were still coming out of the creek.

"Race you to the pines!"

"What?" Amy looked up in surprise to see Ty and the grey mare already off. "But Katie's a dressage horse, she … oh, damn you, Ty Baldwin!"

Amy hated losing – and Ty damn well knew it! Gathering up her reins, Amy squeezed Katie's sides and the mare did a perfect walk to canter transition. Amy lay low on her neck, clucking to make her go faster. "Go, Katie! GO!"

But there was no way they could beat Ty. Pulling up at the pine trees a few minutes later, Amy's hair was loose and blowing wildly in the wind, and she was sure her face was bright red. Katie was panting hard too, while Ty and Whisper seemed to have barely broken a sweat.

Amy patted the darker mare's neck, remarking, "Maybe you do have a bit of thoroughbred in you!" Then she turned to Ty. His grin was huge in his brown, tanned face and his greened eyes sparkled with laughter. "Well? Miss Amy Fleming loses!"

She sniffed disdainfully, "You cheated."

"Did not!"

"Dude, admit it! You were scared my dressage mare was going to beat you – so you had to get a head start!"

Ty shook his head sadly. "I'm afraid, Miss Fleming, you may be right."

Amy smiled in satisfaction.

"But I still won!"

Amy would have hit him, if she could've found a way of doing it without scaring the horses.

"Okay … let's stop fighting now. C'mon, we should go to that meadow by the waterfall, give the horses a rest, something to eat."

They walked there in silence, the horses on a loose rein. Amy's mind was in turmoil. She didn't know what she was feeling … excitement? Apprehension? It had been so long since she and Ty had really been alone together. And after what he'd said that morning …

They reached the meadow, where there was a post to tie the horses where they could graze quietly. Amy leaned forward, swinging her leg over Katie's back, and jumping down. She hadn't realised that there was a stone hidden in the grass below, and as she landed on the uneven surface her ankle buckled and she nearly fell. Then – someone's arms were around her – stopping her from hitting the ground.

Amy turned in the circle of Ty's arms, to look up at his face, her eyes searching for something – what, she wasn't sure. Ty was deadly serious now, all traces of his playful grin gone.

"Ty –" she whispered, her eyes never leaving his face. "I –" but he pressed his finger to her lips gently, saying, "Wait. We've got all the time in the world. Let's just get the horses settled." Amy nodded, moving to Katie's saddlebags to take out the horses' halters. She could feel his eyes on her the whole way, and as she handed him Whisper's halter their fingers brushed and she felt a jolt of electricity run through her.

What's wrong with me? Amy wondered as she removed Katie's bridle. When did that playfulness turn into … this?

Finally, the horses were settled, and Amy and Ty both lay down on the grass, a small distance between them, Ty on his back, staring at the sky and Amy on her side, curled towards him. Ty spoke first.

"We haven't been … like this, together, for so long, Amy."

She laughed softly, closing her eyes and feeling the warm golden glow of the sun on her cheeks. "I've missed you, Ty."

There was silence for a moment – but a silence both of them knew that they didn't have to fill. Then – Amy felt something running up and down her arm, gentle as the touch of a spider. She opened her eyes and – Ty had moved. He was no longer lying on his back but on his side, too – a mirror image to her. And he was stroking her arm, softly, slowly.

Staring into Ty's deep green eyes, Amy could see her own, serene reflection – and she thought at that moment that, with the sun shining in a halo around him, she had never seen him so beautiful. His gaze was so intense, so powerful.

"Ty?" It wasn't a question. Not really. In that instant he pulled her closer, so that the whole length of him was pressed against her and she could feel everywhere their bodies touched. And then – he eased his lips over hers, and Amy felt herself respond. But this wasn't one of those gentle, quiet kisses where he made her feel so fragile and precious. This was Ty burning with a well of desire she'd never known he had.

Ty brought his hands up to cup her face, and his teeth grazed her bottom lip. Then, Amy opened her mouth to him, and she felt his tongue … god, she'd never known that Ty could kiss like this! He was usually so restrained, so quiet but – this was a different Ty altogether.

And he wants me. Amy Fleming. Me.

Ty's hands were no longer holding her face – instead, he was stroking her sides. And then – she felt his hand come up under her loose, riding t-shirt, and his hands were on her stomach. Everywhere Ty touched, Amy felt on fire – she'd never felt herself like this before, either. Then – Ty's hands crept higher, and she tensed for a moment. She'd never let any guy touch her like that before.

Ty stopped immediately, pulling back from her. "Amy? Are you … okay? I'm sorry, I shouldn't have …" And she could have sworn his cheeks reddened slightly. He's so worried, that he'll do something, say something to hurt me.

"No," her lips curved into a smile. "It's okay, Ty, really. It's just … I've never …"

"Oh!" He seemed slightly surprised. Then his face turned solemn and serious. "Amy, I'd never do anything, anything, to hurt you."

"Ty," she said simply. "Don't you think I know that?"

They stuck to kissing after that, Ty pressing his lips gently, again and again, to hers, til they felt swollen and bruised. After a while, though, they stopped even that, and Amy just lay with her head on Ty's chest. His long, slim fingers played with her tangled hair, and Amy realised that she'd never felt so safe and loved. How could this compare to the awkward kisses she and Matt had shared – which she hadn't even wanted?

"You know," Ty said, after a while, "I used to watch you. When we were younger – when your mom was still alive. You would have been … thirteen or so, I would've been fifteen. I think I knew, even then … god, you were so beautiful, Ames! And when your mom died, and you were heartbroken and I wanted to help you and kiss you so badly!"

"Why didn't you?" Amy loved lying with her head on Ty's chest, listening to his heartbeat, trying to match her breathing to his.

"I … you were so young, Amy. Two years seemed like such a big difference then – but now, it doesn't matter." Ty's voice took on a new tone. "And when you and Matt were fighting all the time, because he wanted to be more than friends and you didn't … I was so angry at him, for making you hurt more when you were so cut up about your mom already."

Amy was stunned. Ty – he'd never talked like this before, never really let her know how deep his feelings for her ran. She could feel tears starting to gather behind her eyes, not from sadness, just – from love, that Ty, who never spoke his feelings to anyone, was trusting her with his soul. He took her hands and pulled her up so she was sitting between his legs, and looking him straight in the face again. His eyes were so full of emotion and she couldn't believe that he was doing this for her.

"I was so scared," he whispered, "that you couldn't think of me the same way."

"Oh, Ty," two tears slid down Amy's cheeks and she held his face in her hands, asking the question even though she knew without a doubt now. "Did you mean what you said this morning?"

He looked at her straight and true and said it. "I love you, Amy Fleming."

Tears still glinting on her cheeks like diamonds on water, she replied with the only answer in her heart.

"I love you too, Ty Baldwin."

Hope the fluff was okay - remember to note me if you want pics. REVIEW! Thanks heaps!