A/N: I'm so sorry this took so long to get up; I was having major writer's block. Now, I don't really like this chapter very much (I seem to be saying that a lot lately), but tell me what you think!

And also a huge thank you to everyone who reviewed! It means a lot to me!!

Disclaimer: Not mine, wish it was.

Chapter 6: Sundance

Amy climbed quickly on to the yellow school bus, glad to be out of the cold Autumn wind that blew out side. Still shivering slightly she scanned the rows with her grey eyes, looking for an empty spot.

"Amy! Over here!" called cheerful voice. A hand was waving franticly, trying to catch her attention. Grinning, the girl made her way towards it.

"'Morning Soraya," she said, sliding in beside her.

"Hey! How did it go at the stable?" she wanted to know. Amy smiled.

"Good," she said simply, trying to hide her grin, but Soraya didn't seem to notice. She had seen Ty again that morning. They hadn't talked much, but he had smiled his gorgeous smile when he had seen her.

"Ty called me yesterday and said they were getting some new horse. Have you seen him?" Soraya asked. Amy frowned.

"No. I don't think he mentioned anything." She wondered idly why Ty would have called Soraya and not her, when she had the job. Then a horrible thought occurred to her.

"Are you and Ty dating?" she asked, trying not to look too horrified. Soraya's eyes went wide.

"Are you kidding? No way. I mean, he's hot and all, but he's just so... I don't know. Laid back, I guess. Easy going. Not that that's a bad thing, by any means. He's just not my type of guy." Amy leaned back against her seat with a sigh of relief, missing the other girl's sly grin. "Why do you ask?"

"Oh, no reason," she replied, trying to seem casual. Soraya's grin widened.

"Then why are you blushing?" Thankfully, Amy never had to answer, for as the bus stopped, a tall dusty haired boy entered and sat down behind them.

"Hey," he said, smiling. Soraya smiled back.

"Amy, this is my boyfriend, Matt Trewin. Matt, this is my friend Amy Flemming."

"Hey," Matt said, raising a hand in greeting. Then he turned to his girlfriend with a pleading look on his face. She rolled her eyes at Amy.

"Let me guess. You forgot to do the essay on Charlemagne."

"Yeah."

"No, you can't copy mine so don't even bother asking."

His face went pouty, eyes growing wide in a ridiculous puppy dog expression. "Please?"

"Nuh uh." Soraya turned away from him, crossing her arms across her chest.

He turned his gaze on Amy. "Can I copy yours?"

"Ah... Well, I guess if you really want to..." she said, too shy to say no. He grinned and reached forward, squeezing her neck in a kind of one armed hug.

"You're a good friend, Amy."

The whinnies of horses and shouts of the crowd was almost deafening, and Amy didn't know how the others could stand it with out plugging their ears as she herself was doing.

It was a warm Saturday morning for all that it was October, and she could think of a at least a dozen things she would rather be doing than sitting through a horse auction, listening to some guy scream away in an incomprehensible sing-song tone, even if she was sitting beside Ty. The first few hours had been alright, but as time wore on she started to lose interest. She stood up, deciding to go for a walk.

"Where are you going?" Mrs. Figgson asked sharply from the other side of Ty.

"Just going to stretch my legs," she replied, getting use to the older woman's snappish way of speaking.

"I'll come," Ty said, rising as well. They made their way quickly through the crowds of people until they came to an empty patch of grass. Amy sighed and flopped down on her back, watching Ty as he followed suit. They lay in silence for a time, then Ty turned his perfect, emerald green gaze on her.

"How do you like working for Mrs. Figgson?" he asked. She smiled, enjoying just being near him.

"I like it a lot," she said honestly. He nodded.

"She can be very... forward at times. She says whats on her mind, but once you get used to it she's not so bad," he said. Amy nodded. Once again silence fell over them.

"We should start heading back," he said after a while, rising to his feet.

Slowly, they made their way back through the crowds of people.

"Wait," Amy said, stopping suddenly, trying to see past a rather large man that was postioned in front of a stall.

"What is it, Amy?" Ty asked, coming towards her.

"I just saw something," she said, squeezing her way past the man. "Look!"

A head stood a gelding, snapping his teeth at two men that were trying to hold him still.

"The buckskin?" Ty asked, a frown marring his delicate features.

"Yeah.

The gelding rolled his eyes, ears pinned flat against his head as he half reared.

Still frowning, Ty marched toward the horse. Slightly more hesitant, Amy followed, wondering what he was going to do.

"Excuse me, sir," he said to a short man in a business suit. "I would like to buy this horse."

The little man turned, eyebrows cocked a little in surprise.

"This horse here?" He nodded toward the buckskin.

"Yeah."

"That horse is insane. I would be ashamed to sell you such an animal," he said "Here, let me show you some quality horses." He reached for Ty's elbow as he started walking forward, but the boy didn't budge.

"I would like to buy this horse," he said, still very polite, but a note of steel that Amy had never before heard from him before had entered his velvety voice.

The short man turned toward Ty again, frowning.

"Well you're a bit late for that," he said, clearly annoyed. "A vet is on his way here, to put the beast down." Amy gasped, horrified, but Ty's calm, firm mask didn't slip.

"I will pay the vet bill and take the horse off your hands."

The man sighed, looking a little resigned.

"I really don't know why you want him so badly so bad, but I guess I have nothing to loose." He ran a hand thought his gray hair. "Alright, he's yours."

Amy sighed, relieved. Killing horses because they aren't perfect is disgusting, she thought, walking toward the gelding. She took the lead rope from the men that had been trying to keep the him under control, and gently ran a hand across his neck, her fingers automatically starting to move in t-touch circles.

"You'll be alright now," she whispered, believing the words with all her heart.

"You... bought a horse?" Mrs. Figgson asked, looking more than a little baffled with her head tilted to one side. Amy was afraid that she might start screaming. But then she suddenly cracked a smile, as if finally understanding what Ty had said.

"Good job. You can go load him into the trailer."

Ty nodded and started toward the stall where they had left the buckskin, Amy following in his wake.

The vet had shown up not long after he and the gelding's former owner had come to an agreement, and had been more than happy not to have to put the horse down.

Reaching the stall, Amy quickly gathered up a lead rope and unbolted the half-door and slipped in.

"Hey there, pretty boy," she murmured. The horse pinned his ears and spun so his tail faced her, raising a single hind leg in warning, but she was faster than him. Lunging out, she grabbed a hold of his halter and swiftly clipped the lead rope on.

"Easy boy," she whispered soothingly as he tossed his head angrily.

"Good job, Amy," Ty praised, moving forward to put travel boots on the buckskin as the girl's fingers started once more moving in circles across his neck.

When he had calmed down a bit, they slowly led him out of the stall toward the trailer. Though he fought them every step of the way, Amy and Ty finally managed to load him and shut the ramp behind him.

"All set?" Mrs. Figgson called out of the window of her faded black and red truck. "Jump on in."

A couple hours later, the truck rumbled down the gravel drive way, tossing up clouds of dust. Mrs. Figgson parked and cut the engine.

"Here we are," she said, stating the obvious. Ty jumped out, making room for Amy, who had been squashed in the middle, to follow. He slowly lowered the ramp of the trailer, and the horse's furious squeals immediately pierced the silence accompanied by the grating sound of hooves on metal.

Ty cautiously made his way in, and backed the buckskin out. The horse bolted backwards down the ramp, his feet scrambling, head tossing and eyes rolling madly. Amy went forward to help, leading the gelding in circles until he was some what under control.

"Take him to the back paddock; the one behind the outdoor ring," Mrs. Figgson said.

Gently tugging on the lead rope, they lead the reluctant horse forward with a few circles here and there and finally made it to their destination.

Ty hurried a head to open the paddock gate as Amy led the horse in. She quickly slipped the halter off his head and watched as he galloped away, then let herself out again.

Leaning against the fence, she sighed in content, letting the breeze play with her hair and the comforting scent of horse fill her nostrils.

"Beautiful, isn't he?" Ty said, coming to stand beside her. His face was full of wonder as he watched the buckskin.

Amy turned her head, following his gaze.

The gelding had his head raised majestically, nostrils flared as he sniffed the breeze. His tail was a streaming banner of black; long and beautiful; the only part of him that moves as it quivered in the wind and the dying rays of sunlight flickered across his ridged body, turning his coat a glowing gold.

"He is beautiful," Amy agreed. "Let's call him Sundance."

A/N: It's late and I'm tired, so sorry if the editing is a bit rough. Also, I haven't read the books in a long time, so Matt might be a little OOC. If so, I apologize. Now, please review!!