I do NOT own The Big Valley or any of the original Barkley Characters.

Once In a Lifetime

Chapter Eight

Scene Fourteen

The wind was blowing gently through the air as Cynthia walked up to the horse that had recently been brought to the ranch. She had finished her work and wanted a look at the animal. The beautiful black stallion was the best one she'd seen in a long time. Since the Barkleys had two visitors, men she'd never seen before, they were busy in the house. She figured that gave her time to tame a horse with no one watching.

She walked over to the corner of the fence and grabbed the rope one of the ranch hands had left hanging on it and headed for the horse, talking as she went. At first the horse shied away and let out a neigh, but after a while he quit and Cynthia slid the rope around his neck. The stallion let out a neigh and stepped backwards. She simple talked to him and led him around in circles.

'Talk to the animal just like a friend' her good friend Gary Little Fox had stood by her side holding the rope with her. 'Prove to him you're a friend and, for goodness sake, leave any kind of saddle off his back! Think how you'd feel if someone threw one of those things on your back!' Seeing how her Indian friend had worked with horses for over forty years, Cynthia figured she'd do well to listen. She'd listened and learned fast. It wasn't long before she was doing it on her own.

Had she known Heath and Nick had left the house and walked within seeing distance she would have stopped; as it was, they watched in amazement as she climbed onto the horse's bare back and rode it around the corral it was being kept in. "She's done that before," Heath made the obvious statement.

Nick watched for a few moments as he began feeling the same way Victoria and Heath already felt, "You think she knows more than we thought?" That bothered him. What on earth could such a hardworking, gentle girl like her have to hide?

Heath nodded, "I think she's scared of something or someone. I've been trying to get her to open up, but her lips are sealed as tight as they can be."

Cynthia finally noticed the two men and quickly dismounted the horse. "I'm sorry," she took the rope off and handed it to Heath, "Guess I should have asked permission."

Without thinking, Nick barked a bit louder than he meant to, "Who are you? That horse was wild. How did you get that animal to let you ride it?" As soon as the words were out of his mouth Nick wished he could take them back. Cynthia had taken a step backwards, upset to see an angry look upon the man's face, started to speak then simply ran for the stable where her horse was being kept.

"Anyone ever tell you to stop and think before you raise your voice?" Heath shot Nick a glare only to suck in a breath as Cynthia came tearing out of the stable on her horse. "I'm going after her!" he yelled to Nick as he ran to get Charger.

Scene Fifteen

The wind was beginning to whip through the trees and wrestled the leaves to the ground. It amazed her how the weather was changing so fast; still, Cynthia rode her horse hard, her tears falling like the rain that was sure to come. She couldn't tell Heath or any of the Barkleys the truth, no matter how badly she wanted to. After all, she still wasn't in love with the idea of becoming friends with anything similar to a strait jacket.

"Cynthia!" Heath's voice barely carried over the wind. Cynthia only pushed her horse harder toward the place she'd seen the old man. After all, it had been a week since she'd seen him and the opening. She may not understand everything, but that portal, or whatever it was, was her passport back to her time.

"Cynthia!" Heath's voice drew nearer. Before she knew it he had grabbed her reins and stopped her.

"Let go," she screamed, "I've got to go back!" Well, she didn't have to as the old man said she could go back in seven months. Still, why stay?

"Back where?" Heath asked in a demanding tone of voice. Before she could answer he saw it, a picture as it was; a picture that stretched from east to west surrounded by light. He stared at things he couldn't describe and people he didn't know. They did not seem to notice him.

"What's going on!" he demanded as he looked away from what lay in front of his eyes to Cynthia. He didn't like being confused.

"I'm not from here!" she finally blurted the truth out, "I was born in 1950. I left that," she nodded towards the opening, "it's 1968 there. I knew what I did, I mean, I knew about Mr. Mills, because the Stockton Historian showed me newspaper clippings. I figured, maybe, I came here to stop it!"

Shock shone on Heath's face. It sounded crazy, but, he couldn't deny what he was seeing either. "Do you have to go back?" he held Charger steady as the wind blew, "Can't you stay awhile longer? I promise, I won't say anything." Now since he knew the truth, knew why she'd been so quiet, he could understand. No one wanted to be labeled as crazy. Still, he wanted more time to get to know her.

For a moment she didn't answer, then said, "Seven months. If I stay that's the longest I can stay before I'm stuck here! Your family though, they're not going to stop looking for answers about me and I can't give any answers!"

Heath shook his head, "You don't have to. Tell me everything about you and your family. I'll think of something to tell them! Leave it to me; just don't go. Not yet, anyway." He had to yell to be heard over the storm that was finally beginning to rage.

Cynthia looked at the opening as it started to close, the old man's words came, "If you don't take one of them you'll be stuck here and I can't promise what your life will be like'.

She looked at the pleading look in Heath's eyes and she heard her own words come back to her, "…blonde haired cowboy…my way," she had to chuckle, the old man had been right. She had wished for it! She watched as the picture started to fade, "All right but please, don't say anything to anyone!"

Heath grinned as they turned their horses around, "And be sent to an insane asylum with you? Forget it!" They pushed their horses fast as the rain began to fall.

0000

"Are you serious?" Victoria and the rest of the family looked at Heath in astonishment.

Heath nodded, "Her father was killed in battle," he wasn't about to add 'the man died in a place called Korea in the early 1950's' "her mother died in a freak accident when she was fourteen," once again he wasn't going to try to explain what a car was; he was still trying to wrap his mind around that one himself, "Her grandparents died last year and her only sister thinks she's crazy because she talks to horses, loves the outdoors, and to this day insists on holding her friendship she had with an elderly black woman and an Indian against her. She barely speaks to Cynthia. "

"Well, that's absurd!" Nick barked, "Sounds like her sister is one of those women who walks around with her nose in the air."

Heath grinned; he could answer that one without having to be careful with his words, "'bout the size of it. There's more I admit only I promised her I wouldn't say anything. Please just accept it. Besides, don't we have other things to do besides trying to get her to talk about a painful past?"

Jarrod smiled, "Yes, we do. The Hanks offered to help out at the mine for a few months, said they'd work for half the cost if it would help out." He'd been quite impressed on the Hanks friendliness and willingness to help out where they could. He'd seen it more than once in town and had said as much to the family after the two men had left. Heath gave one of his lopsided grins and went to find Cynthia.