A/N: I'm not quite happy with how this chapter turned out, but I had to post something. Sorry it took so long!

It wasn't as big, nor as impressive as Green Briar had been, but it had its own charm. The barn was a cheerful, if slightly sun bleached yellow and wickers of hungry horses could be heard from inside. Amy smiled, this was Zora Figgson's stable's of Horse Healing. Last night Jack had convinced her to find a stable were she could work, and this was she had found. Someone was suppose to give her a tour of the place and show her the chores, but the yard was empty. Considering that she was 45 minutes late it wasn't so odd. Deciding that she could make her own way around, she wandered through the barn door.

Inside it smelled comfortingly of hay and horses. Amy took a deep breath, savoring the sweet scent and closing her eyes for a moment. A soft tugging at her sleeve made her open them again. A handsome bay had stuck his head over the stall door and had her sleeve gripped carefully between his teeth.

"Hey you," Amy scolded gently, but she was still grinning. "You have bad manners." She glanced quickly around to make sure there really wasn't anyone around, then let herself into the stall. "Aren't you a pretty one," she murmured, offering her hand for him to smell then leaned down and blew gently into his nostrils. He blew back, then nuzzled her pockets, looking for treats. Laughing, the girl fished out a mint and fed it to him on a flat palm.

"Here buddy." He sniffed it suspiciously, then lipped it up and crunched it between powerful jaws. As he chewed Amy reached up to touch his neck, fingertips starting to move in circular motions across his bay coat. She felt his muscles start to relax as she worked, moving up towards his small, delicate ears. He sighed and slowly lowered his neck, clearly enjoying his treatment. Smiling, Amy continued her work, feeling the tension leave her own body as well.

"Aren't you a lucky boy." The colt's head snapped up and he nickered a cheerful greeting.

Amy spun to see someone leaning on the stall door, though the dim lighting wouldn't allow her to see much more.

"Um, hi," she said nervously, remembering how late she was.

"Hey. You must be the new girl starting work today." His voice was a velvety and slightly hesitant. Really nice to listen to, Amy decided.

"Yeah. Sorry I'm late."

"Don't worry about it. Come, I'll show you around." She let herself out of the stall, giving the colt one final pat on the neck before hurriedly following the boy out of the barn.

In full day light, she could see him properly. He was tall, almost six feet, with a lean, muscular build and an easy graceful way of moving. His deep set eyes were calm and held warmth in their emerald depths. Soft locks of dark hair fell in front of them, adding to the shy look. His mouth showed vulnerability with its fuller lower lip than upper, a smile tucked away on the corners. All in all, he was gorgeous. Amy knew she was staring, but she couldn't help it. She had seen this guy before, she was sure of it!

"Oh my god. You're Ty Baldwin, aren't you?" she blurted out. He gave her a confused look.

"Yeah. And you're Amy Flemming, aren't you?"

"I saw you in a magazine once! You were standing with your horse Star."

"Oh," he said, blushing a little under his tan. "Yeah, I think I was." They stood in awkward silence for a few moments, then he cleared his throat and smiled nervously.

"I should show you around," he said, and started walking up a slight hill towards another barn. Spacious paddocks with horses lined either side of the path.

"Up here is the upper barn," Ty said. "Half of the horses are up here, the other half at the lower barn. You'll be taking care of the lower barn." He introduced her to all the horses they passed, telling her their name and why they had come for treatment. It was a lot like what Marion had done, Amy realized.

"Every morning you have to bring the horses out from the barn and give them their morning feeds, then clean out their stalls. If you took the evening job you would have to bring the horses back in to the barn and feed them inside, then clean their paddocks. There would also be certain horses you would have to groom," Ty informed her. She nodded, slightly disappointed that she wouldn't be doing any of the actual work with the horses.

After he had showed her around, Amy helped Ty with his chores.

"So, how do you like Virginia?" he asked, tossing a pile of horse manure into the wheel barrel.

"It's alright. School's not so different than in England," she replied. He nodded, leaning against his pitchfork to look at her.

"I dropped out of school so I could work."

Amy sighed. "Sometimes I feel like dropping out," she said. "No one at school seems to like me." She hadn't even meant to say that; some how under his understanding stare it just sort of tumbled out of mouth. His eye brows snapped together in a frown.

"Why wouldn't they?" he asked, seeming genuinely concerned.

"I don't know. But I've been going to school for almost a week now, and the only person who ever even talks to me is this girl called Ashley Grant. She's super rich and her parents own a huge stable called Green Briar. We went riding one day and then these guys were beating up this horse, I guess I sort of yelled at them. One of them got kicked and was taken to the hospital and now Ashley hates me and is always trying to make me feel bad. I guess it was my fault the guy got hurt, but they were being so cruel and the poor horse was so wound up, I couldn't just stand there and watch." Her voice had raised and she had started to ramble slightly. "I almost wish I had stayed in England, but the reason I left in the first place was so I could live with my Grandpa because my

mother died—," her voice cracked and she covered her face with her hands, trying to hide her tears. She didn't see Ty's eyebrows shoot up in surprise, nor see him put down his pitchfork and come towards her, but she felt his gentle hand rest on her shoulder.

"Hey, it's alright," he said, patting her clumsily on the back. "I haven't known you for long, but I can tell you're intelligent and kind. Don't worry about what Ashley think." Suddenly she leaned against him, resting her head on his shoulder. He seemed completely taken back, but didn't move away or try to push her off, he just kept one hand on her shoulder. He obviously wasn't use to having girls get his shirt wet.

Finally she got herself under control, and drew back, wiping her eyes on her sleeve.

"I'm sorry," she whispered, blushing.

"That's alright, I understand. See, the reason I had to start work in the first place was because I my mom can't. My dad doesn't approve of me working with horses, though. The only person I've ever known who died was my Grandma. I stayed locked in my room for days after." He smiled at her sadly.

"You know," he said picking up his pitchfork again, "Green Briar is one of Mrs. Figgson main competitors, so I've met Ashley a few times. They treat horses like they're not living creatures. I think you were right to tell that guy off for beating a horse." Amy smiled, getting back to work.

"Thanks," she said shyly. They worked in silence for a while, then a car came into the parking lot. A girl with light brown hair jumped out of the passenger seat and bounced toward them.

"Hi Ty! Hi Amy!" she called. Ty grinned and waved.

"Amy, this is Soraya," he said. "She rides here once a on the weekends." Soraya flashed a grin and crawled easily over the paddock fence.

"So good to meet you," she said hugging Amy enthusiastically. "Ty told me you'd be coming," she explained, then she frowned lightly. "I think I've seen you before."

"Yeah, I think we go to the same school," Amy said. The other girl snapped her fingers.

"Yes! That's it." She smiled. "Well, see ya later." She bounced off towards the lower barn.

"She's sure friendly." Ty grinned.

"Yeah." They finished mucking out, then headed down to the lower barn.

"This is Spindle Berry," Ty said. It was the same bay colt she had first met. "He's a rescue horse in training. Right now we are working him on a longe line." He led the colt out of his stall and clipped him into the cross ties, then started running a curry comb in circles over his bay coat. Amy grabbed a dandy brush and helped him.

They tacked up the colt and led him past the ring where Soraya was riding a fleabitten gray gelding in figure eights, up to a smaller ring. Ty attached a longe line to the colt's bridle, the sent him out in circles.

"He's good with horses, that boy." Amy had been so caught up watching Ty that she hadn't even noticed the woman that had come to stand beside her. She looked to be in her late 40s, with a few silver strands in her wild brown mane. "He's been working for me for two years now, never fails to impress me. I'm Zora Figgson, by the way," she said, shaking Amy's hand.

"And you must be Amy Flemming, the new girl." Amy nodded. "Nice to meet you, hun." She started leading Amy away from the ring, toward the upper barn.

"I want to see you on a horse. How long have you been riding?"

"Um." Amy frowned. "All my life, I guess." Mrs. Figgson's eyebrows shot up.

"Really? You must be pretty good then." They stopped in front of a tall, liver chestnut gelding's stall.

"This is Merlin, my baby," she said. "Go ahead and get him ready." Amy did as she said, quickly grooming and tacking the up the gelding, then led him down to the same ring Soraya was riding in. Mrs. Figgson handed her a hard hat.

"Go on, get up there," she urged. Amy placed her foot in the stirrup and swung her leg over the saddle.

"Walk on boy," she whispered, nudging him gently forward with her heels. He moved slightly reluctantly out on to the track. Picking up her rains, the girl asked him to bend. He resisted her hands for a time, then finally gave in.

"Ask him for trot," Mrs. Figgson called after they had gone around the ring a few times. Amy nodded and nudged the gelding a little. It soon became obvious he was very green. He fidgeted and was easily distracted by Soraya and the gray, but he moved fairly well off Amy's leg. She put him though his paces, then popped over a few small fences.

"Alright, cool him out for a while now," the woman called, then turned and rather abruptly walked away. Merlin's flanks heaved lightly as he drew in air through flared nostrils, and his chest was wet with sweat. Amy drew a hand softly across his neck.

"Good boy," she whispered.

"You did really well!" Soraya said, riding up beside them. "There aren't many people that can get Merlin to behave. That's why Mrs. Figgson put you on him, to test you." Amy smiled.

"Thanks. Who's that?" she asked, glancing at Soraya's gray.

"This is Kaleb," she said, patting the gelding's neck. "I sort of have a free lease on him." She groaned as a car drove into the driveway. "That'll be my mom. Gotta go. Guess I'll see you at school," she said, hopping off Kaleb leading him out of the ring.

"See ya," Amy called, smiled. Perhaps she had finally made a friend.

A/N: I know it's not great, but please review.