A/N: Heya peeps! I just wanna say thank you to those of you who left feedback for the first chapter! I really appreciate it so keep it up! Anyhooz, I'm not SUPER happy with this chapter, but after rewriting it 20x over, I finally decided to just go with it. So I hope you still enjoy it and plz review! Thank you and Happy Almost New Year! Lol.
Chapter 2:
The next day, Mac decided to call Matty and ask if he could have the week off to work on some personal projects. Thank god Matty was in a good mood when he asked because she barely batted an eye over it and even said to call her if Mac decided he needed more time. Mac was tempted to use it, but quickly decided against it. Mac was sure he could figure this out within a week. How hard could it be to figure out why his partner suddenly swapped from a human to a horse? It couldn't be that hard. Maybe he just needed to kiss a frog or something, or accomplish a dangerous mission designed to test every one of his abilities in order to switch him back. Easy peasy.
A soft nicker brought him out of his head. He looked over and saw he was in front of Jack's stall. Huh. He didn't even remember walking in.
"Hey, Big Guy." Mac greeted as he opened the door. The paint backed up enough to allow him in before gently nuzzling the bonde's chest. Mac smiled and wrapped his arms around the paint's large head.
"Too bad you can't exactly talk." Mac muttered tiredly as he rested his cheek against Jack's forehead. "I'd love some answers right now as to why you are the way you are."
He felt Jack push his head in further against Mac's chest, as if trying to say, So would I. But we'll get through this. Mac sighed and just enjoyed the fact that at least Jack was actually here. Even if this was some crazy alternate reality going on.
"Hey, excuse me? Could you take your horse out to the pasture? We have to clean the barn and we don't allow the horses in here while we're doing that."
Mac looked up to see a snooty looking teen standing there impatiently with a bucket of what looked like grooming supplies. Behind her, a group of mixed age people were gathering horses from stalls and mops from the cleaning room.
"Oh, yeah, um. Sure." Mac said as he pulled away from the tall paint. He looked around for a lead rope or something, but the snooty teen beat him to it.
"Looking for this?" She asked moodily, holding out a long jet black lead with a gold clip. Mac nodded and grabbed it from her with a nod of thanks. A second later, he had it clipped on the halter's ring and led the paint out of the stall. He paused on his way out and turned back to the teen.
"Uhh," he started awkwardly. "Which way is the pasture located?"
With a sigh, the teen pointed a manicured nail in the opposite direction he was going. "Over there. Past the arena, make a right. You can't miss it." She answered shortly and immediately went back to cleaning, ignoring him completely.
Mac shared a look with Jack. The paint glared at the teen's back and pinned his ears with a stomp of his foot. Mac chuckled and walked in the desired direction. Sure enough, the pasture was located right where the teen said it was. And boy it was absolutely beautiful.
40 acres of rolling hills spread the expanse before them. Tall trees scattered the property and a giant shimmering lake sat idly in the back of the pasture. Horses were roaming the space lazily, or grazing contently together. Some looked up as they approached the gate. Mac unlooped the chain around the gate and opened it wide enough for Jack to fit through. He closed and locked the gate again once he was through and led Jack a short distance a way before unclipping the lead line, draping it across the fence post.
"Ok. You can go. . ." he gestured vaguely. "Do whatever it is you do."
Jack snorted and pranced over to him, gently pushing Mac in the direction of the pond. Mac protested a little, but eventually allowed Jack to lead him. Even if the form was completely bizarre and still surprising, this was still his partner. And he trusted his partner with his life.
Once they reached the bank, Jack gave a soft nudge to Mac's back.
"Uh, no." Mac instantly backed up to stand beside the paint's shoulder, which was way above his head. "No that's quite alright, Jack. I don't feel like swimming today. You go ahead."
Jack rolled his eyes and gestured as best he could to his back. Mac obviously wasn't catching on to the weird head toss so Jack had to try a different tactic. Looking around, Jack spotted a stump a short distance away from them. Bingo. Jack turned slightly and bumped his nose into the small of Mac's back. Mac allowed Jack to lead him again. When they reached the stump, Mac looked back questioningly. Jack continued to bump him until Mac eventually stood up on the Mac was on top, Jack pulled around right beside it and stood still. Mac's eyes widened a little.
"Wait. . . are you?" Mac trailed off, his gaze changing from Jack's back to the paint's face. Jack nickered quietly and tossed head again. Mac shook his head, apprehensive. Jack backed up slightly and bent his head around, bumping Mac's leg a little to grab his attention. The expression of Trust me was so apparent in his big brown eyes, Mac couldn't find it himself to deny his partner.
Besides, he couldn't really even remember the last time he got on a horse out of his own pure will.
Mind made up, Mac thought about the best way to get up on Jack's back without seriously hurting himself, or Jack. Even though the stump added an extra three feet to his already tall frame, Jack's back was still up past his chest. He knew he could always just ask Jack to lay down or something and get on that way, but the stubborn part of his brain wanted to figure out a way.
Mac carefully laid a hand down on Jack's back, feeling the soft fur beneath his palm. Jack continued to stand still, his long white ears often flicking in his direction. Mac remembered Jack telling him how to mount a horse bareback at some point during one of their many conversations of Jack's family life. It took him a moment to remember the hand placement before he attempted to do it. Mac mentally counted to three before jumping up on Jack's back and swinging his body over. Jack helped him by nudging his leg over when the blonde struggled a bit. Once he was on, Mac slowly sat up and scooted forward right behind Jack's withers. A small laugh bubbled out of him. Child-like joy warmed Mac's chest as he ran a hand through the silky, medium length locks of Jack's mane between his fingers. Every strand of hair was perfectly folded over the left side of his the paint's neck, not a single one out of place.
"Well, that was a little crazy." Mac chuckled from his high perch above the ground. Jack nickered deep in his throat and took a small step forward just to test the waters. He felt Mac tense a teeny bit, but otherwise remained relaxed. Satisfied with the results, Jack continued on.
Jack made sure to keep to himself and stay away from the other horses. Even though they all seemed to respect and already sense the leadership and I don't do bullshit vibe Jack gave off. The paint took a small trail down through the more woodsy part of the pasture. Warm sunlight dappled through the thick green canopies. Birds chirped and chattered from above while squirrels darted from tree to tree as they walked further and further away from the stable. Out here, the noise from the outside world dimmed dramatically. The only filler being that of nature and Jack's own footsteps on the soft earth. Mac noticed Jack always kept an ear on him while the other flicked at any and all noise.
The trail began to slope slowly and the big oaks turned to tall pines. The trails and forest floor quickly became littered with pine needles and the air smelt sweetly of Christmas. Jack slowed his pace slightly as the decline of the trail pushed Mac forward a bit. The paint was careful to watch his step and made sure to keep his footing as he crossed the little obstacles in his way. Once all hazards were cleared, Jack resumed his normal pace through the woods. It wasn't long before Mac's ears perked up at the sound of water running.
Jack took another careful turn around a bend in the trail before revealing the peaceful setting. Mac couldn't help but be in awe. A wide creek emerged from the hill before them and ran over the trail. Moss covered rocks of various sizes lay splayed out around and in the crystal water. Bright green trees created a wall on either side of the creek. The bright sunlight illuminated the whole scene in a beautiful shadow.
"Wow." Mac breathed, smelling the wet moss and sweet scent of fresh water in the air. "It's beautiful, Jack."
The black and white paint pulled up next to a large rock. Mac got the hint and gracefully swung himself over Jack's back and landed on the rock. He hopped down and made his way to the bank of the rushing water. It was only about a foot deep, maybe a little higher in some spots. Behind him, Mac saw Jack toss his head and trot off into the cool water without hesitation. Jack made his way out to the center of the creek before whinnying playfully and pawing the water hard enough to send droplets flying all the way to where Mac was sitting. The blonde laughed at Jack's antics.
Encouraged by Mac's amusement, Jack kicked up his heels and galloped down the creek. Water splashed and soaked any nearby rocks as he flew by. Mac watched in awe at the show of power and strength the paint displayed. He was fast. And Jack made it look as if it took no effort at all to get to that speed with a snap of a finger. His muscled bunched and expanded with each lengthy stride. Mane and tail were both flying in the wind like banners with his black head held high in joy, nostrils flaring with each lungful of air.
When Jack decided he had enough, he slowed back down to a trot and made his way back over to Mac. His sharp Overo patterned coat was dripping with water. Sides heaving as he finally caught a breather. Jack shook himself off like a dog and snorted water out of his nose. Mac chuckled and walked out to him, carefully picking out a twig that somehow managed to get itself tangled in the paint's forelock. Once it was out, Jack walked back over to the boulder and allowed Mac to climb back on. As soon as Mac was secure they both made their way back to the barn with the setting sun lighting the landscape through the thick foliage.