Heath'd had enough. He was exceedingly even tempered and easygoing person and when he was annoyed, worked hard at letting it go for the sake of peace and quiet. Fitting in with the Barkley's was a good example. Before he had arrived, it had never occurred to him that there was going to be a monumental difference between getting along with one family member, his mother, and five other family members. However, he made a concerted effort to ease into the Barkley's life without making too many waves, despite their weird vegetables and things like ponds full of fish that weren't meant to be eaten. Enough however, was enough.

He was sick and tired of the cold war between Nick and Jarrod. At last night's business meeting Jarrod had finally cleared his throat, swallowed his pride and stiffly suggested they get rid of the stupid bull. Nick, who you would think would be instantly ecstatic, had just as stiffly said he would work on it. And that was it. No "It seems I made a mistake about the bull and I'm sorry" From Jarrod. No "Thanks Jarrod, I'm glad we could come to an agreement" from Nick. Just a stiff, cold suggestion-near order-that they get rid of the bull and a chilly response in return.

It was infuriating because as far as how the ranch was running, it was largely back to the status quo excepting that Jarrod was making a distinct effort to listen to Nick's ideas with an open mind and Nick was checking every day on Jarrod's pet projects to ensure they were being taken care of. Emotionally however, they were sulking like were five. It was time, Heath decided, to take direct action, and he visited the Sheriff.

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Victoria suspected Heath was up to something as she watched him eat dinner. For starters, he was serving himself brussel sprouts without that odd look he usually had at seeing this dish. Secondly, he was seemingly trying to nudge both Nick and Jarrod into saying they needed time off. So far, this ploy wasn't working. Nick scarcely paid attention while he scarfed down his meal, part of his new habit finishing early so he could-strangely- assist Silas with the dishes. And Jarrod had the distracted, somewhat pained look he almost always had around his brother lately. as if he wanted to say something to Nick but wasn't sure how. It was as if Heath was flogging two dead horses to get up and run: A total waste of energy. Eventually Heath dropped all pretense of subtlety by simply declaring:

"Mother said she wanted some fresh salmon and asked us to go fishing tomorrow."

Which of course, left Victoria surprised since she most certainly had not expressed a desire for fresh fish. Fish, as far as Victoria was concerned, was what you ate when you are on a camping trip or traveling cross country and there wasn't any other food to be had. Not that she hated fish, she just didn't particularly like fish. So, she responded to this announcement by turning to Heath for an explanation, only to be meet by an expression of mute appeal. And since Victoria was no more proofed against what Nick groused were 'Heath's lost puppy eyes' than anyone else was; she swallowed her protestations, gave her sons her most sickly, sweet smile and said only:

"Please boys. It would mean SO MUCH to me."

Naturally Nick and Jarrod couldn't refuse such a simple, heartfelt request from their Mother and reluctantly, both agreed to meet Heath at the barn at 5:00 AM for an early fishing trip.

Victoria thought of how the smell of fish guts would hang around the kitchen for days and hoped it was worth it.

The stream they were fish at had been carefully chosen by Heath. It had to meet several parameters:

1. It couldn't have so MANY fish that they would catch everything they needed immediately and head back in the same sullen, resentful silence they had arrived.

2. It still had to have enough fish so that Nick wouldn't get frustrated and go hunt for berries, curry the horses or do anything else but fish.

3. It had to be far enough away that if Nick did get completely bored-for example if the fish were not biting that day-he couldn't just easily walk home.

4. It had to have Salmon. If Heath was going to go to all this trouble to get his mule headed brothers to talk, he was by golly going to get salmon out of it.

The first part of his plan was relatively easy. He got his brothers out of the wagon while he tethered the horses, and kept up a steady stream of commentary designed to distract them, which was sufficiently effective that they ended up making a bet on who would catch the most fish that day. The second part of his plan was trickier, and after considering his options, decided to just go for flat out sneaky, moving up stealthily behind them and clasping the left wrist of both in a pair of wrist irons that left them chained together.

"What?...What the hell are you doing?" Demanded Nick.

"You two going to clear the air." Heath said flatly. "And no one is leaving until it's done."

"Heath," Jarrod started in his 'I'm disappointed" voice.

"Huh-uh. It's my turn to talk. I have spent the last few months being stuck between the two of you while y'all bicker. You-" he turned to Nick, "Have a point about how Jarrod was interfering with the ranch and blocking your ideas. But in case you haven't noticed, he's not doing that anymore, and instead of being happy about it, you're still carrying a grudge. And you," He turned to Jarrod, raising a hand to keep Jarrod from interrupting "Spent months acting like Nick needs to be supervised in his every move, never mind that he's the one who really turned this ranch into what it is by taking chances. And you've finally stopped which is good, but you really haven't even offered an apology for treating him like he's five. You two are making Mother and Audra miserable, you're making me miserable and the hands are starting to take sides. You're grown men and you're brothers. Work the damned thing out!"

He glared at them both, before slogging a good 20 yards upstream and casting his pole.

"Heath!" Nick protested

"I can't hear you!"

Nick and Jarrod glared at the blond cowboy before turning their attention to each other.

"Well, this is just great." Nick groused, tentatively testing the chain.

Jarrod was just as unhappy. "I thought there was something wrong with that whole 'Mother want's fish' story. The only time Mother wants fish is when it's that or starve."

"How are we even supposed to fish? I don't suppose you want to stand with your left arm behind your back do you?"

"No more than you do." Jarrod gave the chain a yank.

"Ow! What are are you trying to do? Break my arm?"

"I'm just checking to see if they're really secure."

Nick rubbed his arm. "Take my word for it; they're secure."

Jarrod bit off his next response; it was only going to make things worse.

"Look," He said finally, "the obvious move is to stand side by side, you face one direction and I face the other and we'll fish that way."

"Fine."

"Fine."

"Fine!"

They set up their poles in sullen silence and cast for a few minutes.

"You know we could chase him down and get the key." Nick offered.

"Uh Huh, and do you want to run backwards or should I?"

"It was an idea."

"It was a bad one."

They fished for a few more minutes.

"This is no good." Nick burst out. "How did we manage to get locked up like this? And how long has Heath been plotting this anyway?"

"Oh, who knows." Jarrod said crossly. "And he won't unlock us until he's good and ready. You know how stubborn he is."

Nick huffed. "Barkley stubborn. '

Jarrod nodded. "Remember when he first came here and we didn't believe he was a Barkley?"

"Yeah. I told that to Doc Marten once. He about fell over laughing. He said anyone who who spent 15 minutes with Heath would know he was 'the Barkleyest Barkley who ever Barkleyed.'

Jarrod was startled into laughter. "That sounds about right."

He glanced sideway at Nick. "How'd you learn fly fishing?"

"Doc Marten showed me."

Jarrod felt a stab of hurt. "I would have shown you. I offered enough times."

"Awww," Nick stared down. "It was right after the fight about hiring your client and I figured even if I asked you to show me that sooner or later we'd start talking about McArthur and then we'd argue and then I'd be so mad I'd want to punch you in the face."

"Oh."

"Doc said it was no wonder we'd have an argument if I was already planning on it." Nick sighed. "I really miss him. He could say stuff like that and I wouldn't feel like he meant that I was stupid."

Jarrod was silent for a moment. "Unlike me."

"Pretty much."

Jarrod fidgeted unhappily. "I know you're not stupid, Nick."

A bitter laugh. "Since when?"

"Since always. I think you acting without thinking things through sometimes. At least you did...you've gotten a lot better about it lately. I heard how you handled the twins in town: Got the feed, didn't get baited into a fight with them, even helped set them up so they weren't going home empty handed. That was smart."

"If you don't think I'm stupid why have you been trying to run the ranch, lately?" Nick asked bluntly.

"I've been trying to help!" Jarrod retorted defensively.

"Help? Ordering me to hire your client? Getting Mother to vote to get that stupid bull even though I knew better-even though Heath knew better, and you'll usually at least listen to Heath! When did I become totally incapable of deciding whether or not we needed new livestock?" Nick demanded.

Jarrod bristled. "Look Nick, you don't know how bad you were when I left! You'd smashed that mirror with your bare hands; you weren't eating. I went to Mayville out of desperation. I thought I might be coming home to a funeral!" Jarrod took a deep breath. "So, I thought I'd stay in Stockton for a while; make certain you were recovering; maybe help take some of the burden off. Maybe I overcompensated a little."

Nick huffed.

"Alright, a lot." Jarrod amended. "I wasn't trying to take over, Nick." He was silent for a long moment. "I'm sorry."

Nick was quiet. "The first time I ever got into a fight in school it was about you, sort of. That teacher you loved, Mr Roland? He was having us draw wagons and cut out circles for the wheels. I wasn't very good at that. I remember he picked up one of my circles and held it up in front of the class and said "Nick's wagon isn't going to go anywhere because his wagon wheel isn't round." Jarrod winced. "When we went outside for lunch somebody said that it must be embarrassing to be so much dumber than you. He said that I was jealous. Made me furious because I didn't think it was true. I was kidding myself." He admitted.

'Everybody always..Mr Roland our teacher always said 'Why can't you be like Jarrod?' Everyday he'd say that. And Father, he'd always introduce you with 'This is Jarrod. He's the smart one.' I was just the one who was standing next to the smart one. The ranch was the only place where I might be smarter than you, or at least more knowledgeable. And lately I didn't even have that." He saw a fish circling around his ankles and chased it away. "Mother doesn't say so, but she thinks you're smarter, too. That's why she always sides with you."

Jarrod was shocked. "Mother doesn't think that"

"Then why does she always vote with you? Every time Jarrod, every time we argue about the ranch, she votes with you." Nick pointed out. "And Audra always votes with mother and just like that, everything we disagree on goes your way. And lately we disagree on everything."

"I'll talk to her." Jarrod promised.

"Don't." Nick sighed. "What's the point? She's not even aware she does it. It's just going to make her feel bad. But Jarrod, the thing is, I need you at least to believe I can run the ranch. When you don't listen to me, I stop listening to you. And that's bad because I need you. We need you."

Nick paused, trying to figure out how to explain. "Heath and I look for what's best for the family; but you're the one who reminds us that there's more to the valley than the family. What's good for the Barkley's isn't always what's good for everybody else, or sometimes anybody else. You tell me what you think is the RIGHT thing to do for everyone, not just for our family."

Jarrod listened with a sort of wonder. He didn't think he and Nick had talked, really talked like this in….ever. He had always thought of Nick as not listening; well, maybe neither one of them had been. And the idea of Nick absorbing the lesson the Jarrod was 'the smart one' from grade school on? Jarrod felt a stab of guilt. It was no wonder Nick felt he had to defend himself from any insult, real or implied. It wasn't Jarrod's fault; he wasn't to blame for what others said but he felt miserably responsible for not considering how Nick would feel about it.

Nick gave him a sideways glance. 'The thing is, I need the guy who can tell me if I'm being…I dunno, fair? Right? But lately I miss….I need Pappy, more. You know, the fella who gave me a bottle to piss in when I was stuck in a mine shaft; the kid who told me about rain and angel tears and shamrocks and rainbows. The big brother who'd save me when I was doing something stupid. I need him sometimes." The stream flowed around their knees, forming little eddys of indignation at the intrusion. "I miss him."

Jarrod tried to speak without clearing his throat first. An ancient habit, never let your little brother know when he has you by the guts.

"Well, I believe I can get him to make a few more appearances then. Of course, you may have to tell me who you need. Otherwise I can't guarantee that I won't sometimes be Jarrod when you need Pappy."

"I think I can do that." Nick's voice was equally husky.

There was a long moment of silent.

"Do you think Heath's going to unlock us anytime soon?" Jarrod asked.

"You better hope so."

"Why's that?"

"'Cause I gotta pee."

Heath listened to stutter of laughter that was distinctly Jarrod's and smiled. His older brothers were talking to each other again and he could feel in his bones that the wounds between the two would mend. It would be a different relationship than the one they'd had before, but Heath suspected that it would ultimately be stronger. This fishing trip was everything he'd hoped for. The fact that he had already caught enough fish to win the morning's wager was pure gravy.

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author's note: The line about Heath being a Barkley isn't original….I saw a description about Jon Snow and it was too accurate not to use it for Heath. Sadly, I don't recall where I saw it, but I'm hoping if I acknowledge I adapted it from someone else that they won't sue me if they happen to read this.