Disclaimer: I own nothing

Title: Going Home

By: Peanutbutter

Main characters: Kris, Junior, Matt, Jace

Secondary: Danny, Jean, Pablo

Pairings: so far just Junior/Kris but it will be a little while

Chapter 2: Choice or Chance?

As I went down the hill along the wall

There was a gate I had leaned at for the view

And had just turned from when I first saw you

As you came up the hill. We met. But all

We did that day was mingle great and small

Footprints in summer dust...

Meeting and Passing by Robert Frost)

Kris pressed the sponge against the sweat stains on the filly's back. The filly dropped her head as the bath continued, thankful for the cooling water in such dry heat. Her dapples were starting to show through this summer. Last she was so dull, thick coated, and near death that Kris wouldn't have assumed she'd make it to the track, but here so was, too nice for her line of work, but not well enough bred for the big times. Kris sighed, hopefully the Davis' would change that. She hadn't expected them to be the ones to follows the leads she'd been leaking into the states, strategic stories and well stuffed lies that she was sure would one day become realities. She had been hoping to catch a big fish, but Davis Farms was way bigger than she was prepared for.

"You know who they were Storm?" She brushed the sponge over the sweaty lines on the filly's brow and cheeks. She dipped the end of the sponge into her nostril and pulled out a layer of sand and dirt. Storm's muzzle crinkled as she sneezed blowing cold air onto Kris's jean clad legs, apparently indifferent.

"They are your ticket out of here." She smiled and rubbed the filly's neck. "They've got the best trainer around, I know him." She grinned and moved to the filly's side to wipe the excess water from her smooth coat.

"That was a nice race!" Jace ducked under the cross tie lines and pulled Kris into a hug. "I'm so glad you introduced me to the ponies."

Kris twisted away from him and hit him with her sweat scrap, "Jace, shut up."

"What?" he held out a fist full of cash. "You helped me out big time."

"Yeah and some of those guy's find out you're my brother, you're going to have problems."

He snorted, "They already know, sister, we too good lookin' to not be from the same family." He plucked at her short hair, "though that short hair kinda makes ya look like a man."

Kris swatted him again and turned back to the horse. "You jerk, you know why I cut it."

"Yeah, yeah." He leaned against the tie wash stall wall and crossed his arms over his chest. "That's a nice Bentley parked out front. Who does that belong to?"

"Someone's looking to buy Strom, a legit place, not those scumbags that have been lurking around here lately. They're going to take her to the real track." Kris unhooked Storm and started for her stall. Her shod feet clumped on the ground rhythmically behind her. Jace threw the sound off as he followed, but Kris tried to focus on her. She would probably never get to ride her again.

Losing a horse was something she'd never be used to, but here she tired to numb herself, not let them in, but each horse she rode took a little of her heart with them when they left. Wildfire had owned nearly half and Storm was occupying a pretty big chunk. He hated to think she'd never groom her sleek coat and whisper her fears to her at night, but Davis, Davis was an opportunity Storm needed. Kris would let her friend go if she was promised a better life.

Kris let her into the stall and pulled the door shut. She latched it and turned to Jace. He was still grinning holding a wad of bills. "You want to celebrate? It's my treat."

Kris grabbed the bills and pulled off a few. "A loan," she mused and stuffed them in her jean pocket. "I'll meet up with you later."

He nodded, "Right, later!" he clapped his hands and jogged down the isle, nearly dancing to his car.

Kris turned back to Storm, watching her eat. She didn't think she was in the mood to celebrate.

"Furillo?"

Kris spun around, it was Cortese, and to her relief he was alone.

"Furillo, you were right, I just made a huge deal, got way more than the girl is worth." He grinned. "I owe you for that. I never would have talked to them if it hadn't been for you." He tossed her an envelope. "Your cut."

Kris stared at the vanilla envelope in shock. He had never, never offered her a cut. A verbal abusing when she lost, a hard slap when she won, and a roll of bills at the end of the month, but never a cut. She was afraid to look inside.

"Five thousand." He answered her unspoken question. He pushed his hat to the edge of his head and rocked back on his heels. "There's also something I need you to do."

"What," she was too busy marveling at the money to think about his favor.

"We made a deal, those brats and me." He spit, brown and black, near the edge of his boots. "Obviously this place is nothing like the tracks out there. They don't want to waste their money on a lousy deal. I told them she was fine everywhere we've taken her, but it wasn't enough. I wanted top dollar." He narrowed his eyes. "They can afford it. I guaranteed them a win, first race."

"What?" Kris widened her eyes. "That's crazy! You can't do that, you can't..." she trailed off he was giving her that look.

"I know how to get it. Your brother's got a lot of connections and you my dear are going to make sure the gray runs her best."

"What are you talking about?" Kris froze.

"I sold you to the Davis'." He grinned and rubbed his stomach, "so to speak. It's more like a loan. She races in one month. You'll ride her, get her ready, and Jace," his eyes darkened, "Jace and me got stuff to talk about."

"I can't ride there!" Kris bellowed, floundering for a way out of this. "I had my license revoked. I can't!"

"No one cares about that. You're just going to exercise her, girl, tell them what you know. You get her as ready for that race as possible and you leave the winning to me. She's got to look good whether the race is fixed or not."

Kris shook her head, "This is big time Charlie, not like here, you can't get away with that kind of stuff there."

He narrowed his eyes, lip tightening. "Listen here, bitch, I gave you a job, I helped you out when you had nothing. You want to be black listed, you want me to let your enemies loose on you."

Kris swallowed. Charlie had always kept her opponents back, it was a miracle she hadn't been jumped, a leg or arm broken. Charlie made it clear she was his property. There was little she could do in the states banned and disgraced by the racing community. She wanted to work with horses, wanted to help them, keep the ones here from facing a harder life. She turned away from her boss, eyes trained on Strom. The filly was watching attentively ears swiveling with the sounds of their voices. She lowered her head avoiding eye contact with Cortese.

"Sure, I got it. When do I leave?"

"First think in the morning." He responded all smiles and laughter. "You and Jace gonna keep my investment safe. Make sure that five thousands lasts a while."

"So Junior Davis." Jace lit up a cigarette and leaned against his car. The same one that had found her wondering down the highway four years ago. "Interesting."

Beside him Kris crossed her arms and bit her lip, "Jace, shut up."

"What?" He asked and shrugged his shoulders. "I was just makin' conversation."

"No you were starting something."

Jace shrugged again, turned away from her. She was too easy to rile up this morning. He loved to rib her, turn her dial, push her buttons, until she was about to explode, but this morning it was too easy, hell he hadn't even been trying. He didn't like the situation anymore than she did, but Cortese was a hard man to turn down. That was unless you liked having legs you couldn't use, or half a tongue. He didn't even want to think about what the hard man had said to Kris.

"They're late."

Jace shrugged, "Hazard of the rich, they think everyone should wait on them."

She glared at him again, "Shut up."

He couldn't win today. So he kept silent while she got the horse ready, smoothed her blanket, checked, and rechecked her wraps. Really how much stuff did the horse need to travel. Sure it was a long trip, but damn he made it here from Kentucky with one bathroom break and a bag full of beef jerky. He was sure a horse could go on less than that. Hell, a bag of hay and water they should be set for like two days. Besides they didn't even stop to take a shit. They just did it right there.

The truck and trailer pulled into the drive and Junior and his little hottie of a sister jumped out. Even in their jeans and t-shirts he felt under dressed. Written somewhere on the inside of their pants was 'if you have to ask you can't afford them'. He repressed the urge to sit up straighter when they approached. He ignored the waves and smiles. He really didn't need to make friends with these people.

Kris wasn't faring as well. She pulled her shoulders back standing proud, facing them. Jace would have rolled his eyes, but he was doing his best to look indifferent. She was concerned about what they thought. He watched the contempt on Danny's face and the confusion on Junior's. They talked briefly about the travel and Kris pointed to his car. They parted ways and Kris handed Storm's lead to the groom beside the trailer.

Kris headed back for the car, kicked dirt, her hands shoved in her pockets. Jace tossed the spent cigarette into the dirt and hopped into the car. He really didn't want to know what was said.

"You're really going to do this?"

It wasn't the question Jace had been expecting. "What are you talking about?"

"You could get in big trouble, Jace, huge trouble." She pulling at her hands, something she hadn't done since childhood, and more recently since they'd left Kentucky.

"Ah, what's a little jail?"

She shook her head, "You're an idiot."

"Don't worry, sister, this is all in the bag. I'm meeting my contact upon arrival. Things will be set by then. You just work on that filly."

"They don't know a thing about this." Kris shook her head. "When it comes to light, involved or not, Davis will take a beating." She looked out the window following the trailer with her eyes.

Jace sighed, "As you tell me they made it though hardship before, so much money it couldn't touch them. They'll be fine, even if we are caught, besides I'm gonna work on making sure that doesn't happen. You're just worried about going back. Besides it's just Davis farms that knows you're back, Raintree, they're hardly a blip..."

"Jace," her voice was shrill, she pulled her fingers faster, harder, "shut it alright, just shut up." By the last 'shut up' her tone was nearly a whisper. Jace pushed in the cigarette lighter and flipped on the radio. He could be silent for a few hours. Besides Kris looked like she needed some silence. Music blared to life, loud, steady and oh so soothing. He grinned as they pulled out behind the trailer and ignored Kris' narrowed eyes.

Another chapter done, so what do you think. Also thank you so much for the reviews! I'm going to respond to them. Sorry I haven't gotten to it yet. You guys are great, thanks so much.