A/N: So this is a two part chapter. Joey has a cat that goes missing after Jamie leaves the door to the house open. This chapter shows how Joey got the cat and the cat going missing. The next chapter deals with the aftermath of this one and delves deeper into Joey's complicated relationship with Jamie.

Trigger warning-the cat, named Nemo, is injured in this story. Those injuries are described here, though not very vividly (his ribs and a leg are broken). If there's a chance this could disturb you, please don't read.

I'm obviously not taking a linear approach to this story. Chapters from this point could contain stories of Joey before her brain injury (so before she's eight years old), or from any other time in her life. I do have an ultimate ending in mind, though it'll be a while before I get there. I've already explored her relationship with John and Lee and a little bit with Rip. This chapter deals with Jamie. I'm planning on writing one about her relationship with Beth, one with Kayce, one with her mother, and maybe some others before I finish the story. Either way, I want to thank those who have read so far and hope you will continue to do so. Y'all are the best!

2010

Rip headed back towards the barn to put his things away and get ready for bed that night. He was unused to how quiet the ranch was with Mr. Dutton and Joey away. He'd never really gotten to know Mrs. Dutton. She was friendly, but didn't seem to want to get too close to any of the ranch hands. Rip wondered how different things were going to be around the ranch now.

Since it was summertime, Joey was out of school now. She'd come home from the hospital a few days earlier, but had stayed up at the house instead of playing outside as she usually did. Rip had seen her a couple of times, and she looked scared, lonely, and worst of all-small. Rip had known Joey her entire life, and the one thing that had never struck him about her was small. Joey's spirit and tenacity, to him, made her larger than life. She wasn't afraid of the world as he knew some others were, but saw it as full of wonder and awe.

If he were completely honest with himself, Rip was jealous of her.

He'd been trying for a few days to find a way to cheer Joey up. He'd been to visit her, where he'd read to her and offer to play with her, something that always put a smile on her face before. But none of it had worked. Just as he wondered what else there was to do, he literally stumbled over an answer.

The cat's yowl made Rip jump. He had turned in nearly a perfect circle before he saw it. A stray tabby cat had given birth in the barn. Rip wasn't fond of cats, but he walked over and checked on the litter of kittens. There were only three of them, all very small. Rip guessed that they'd been born prematurely, though he couldn't even begin to hazard a guess at how prematurely. Two of the kittens had already passed, but to Rip's surprise, the smallest one was hanging on. Rip gently pulled the kitten up, with only mild protest from the mother.

"Hey, you. You're a tough little nut, aren't you?"

The kitten, barely able to move, made a soft mewling sound that barely qualified as a meow. Rip cradled it in his hands, bringing it up to the house and putting his idea in motion. After receiving permission from Mr. Dutton, Rip knocked at the door of Joey's room. There was no answer for a few seconds, until he barely heard it.

"Come in."

Rip walked in and what he found hurt his heart. He marveled for a moment that anything could hurt his heart anymore. After his mother and brother's violent deaths, Rip had shut himself off to the possibility that he might feel anything for anyone ever again. As she'd done for her father, however, Joey seemed to be opening up Rip's shattered heart little by little every day.

Joey was lying in her bed, pajamas on, with her blanket at her feet. She looked miserable. The little mewling sound that the kitten was making in Rip's arms surprised Joey out of her miserable stupor, though, and Rip saw a small hint of a smile forming at the edges of her mouth.

"Hey, kiddo."

"Hi. What's that?" Joey asked, pointing to Rip's arm.

"I found him outside." Rip explained. He pulled the kitten from his arm and placed him on Joey's bed. "I thought maybe you'd want to keep him."

"Really?" Joey asked. The kitten fumbled along on Joey's bed towards the sound of her voice. "Daddy said it's okay?"

"He did."

Joey's hint of a smile blossomed into a full one. She picked up the kitten and cradled it in her arms, cooing to it and assuring it that everything would be okay. She seemed content for a moment, before the smile faded and she turned to Rip again.

"I don't know if I can take care of him."

"Well, it'll be a lot of work at first, but I'll help you. I'm sure your dad will too."

"But I'm still sick. I'm not strong enough to take care of him." Joey said. "He needs a real mama."

"So do you." Rip said. "Your mama's gone too. You guys can help each other. If you don't take him, I'll have to take him into town to the shelter and he might not find a family. You don't want him to be all alone, do you?"

Rip felt awful pulling a guilt trip on Joey, especially right then, but he could see the wheels start to turn in Joey's head. She took another look at the kitten, who had settled between her legs and was asleep. Joey picked him up again, holding him and kissing the kitten's head.

"You really think he needs me?"

"I do, kiddo." Rip said. And I think you need him, too, Rip thought but didn't say. "What do you think?"

It took a long moment before Joey answered, but she nodded. "Yeah."

"Good. Glad that's settled. Now how about a name for him?"

Nemo had been a fixture at the Dutton ranch for ten years now.

It had taken three months of bottle feeding and constant visits from the vets that came to the ranch to look after the horses, but Nemo eventually became a healthy, even somewhat overweight, cat. He was Joey's best friend, following her around the ranch constantly. He even accompanied her on visits to the physical therapist and doctor. John had decided, with Joey's blessing, to homeschool her, as it would be easier to do that with her constant medical appointments. Nemo sat faithfully either in Joey's lap or at her feet as she did her schoolwork. When Joey eventually started having anxiety attacks, Nemo was right there each time, nuzzling her cheek and whining until Joey started stroking her fur and calmed down.

Nemo had been just as responsible for Joey's recovery as any doctor.

But much as Joey felt ignored sometimes, Nemo was ignored even more so. The cat blended into the fabric of the house, becoming a part of the routine of everyone's day. They knew he was there, but gave him little thought. This didn't bother Nemo as it did Joey. Nemo's one focus for the majority of his life was his adoptive mother.

Until the stray cat coming around.

Joey had noticed the stray tabby cat one day when sitting on the porch reading a book for her homeschool reading list. She wouldn't have even seen it if Nemo hadn't suddenly jumped off her lap and stood at the edge of the porch watching it. Joey tried to call Nemo back, but Nemo eventually took off after the stray cat. After enlisting the help of one of the ranch hands in getting Nemo back, Joey made a rule that everyone of the ranch was to follow.

Nemo stayed in the house with the door closed at all times.

The rule worked well for a while. Joey was happy that everyone took her seriously, though she figured that her father was working behind the scenes to make sure that everyone listened. Usually her father's interference annoyed her, but this time she didn't mind. Nemo stayed safe, and Joey was able to go about her day without worrying too much.

Then the day came that that wasn't true anymore.

Jamie had been coming around the ranch more and more often. He had never really paid much attention to Joey, especially after she came home from her brain surgery. He was never outright mean to her, but seemed indifferent. Joey decided that maybe Jamie just didn't really know how to relate to her, so she figured that if she was just nice to Jamie when she saw him, maybe they'd eventually become closer.

Jamie was the only one who seemed to have trouble with the rule to keep all the doors that led outside closed. She'd reminded Jamie twice that week to do it, finally snapping at him a third time and having one of the only arguments the two of them had ever really had. John had eventually separated the two, reminding Jamie to just 'shut the damn door when you leave'. Nothing more happened for two days.

Joey was trying not to panic. She went around the house as best she could, calling Nemo's name over and over again. It wasn't like him to not come when she called, so Joey was certain that something was very wrong. Everyone was out of the house, so asking for help wasn't possible just then. Just as Joey was about to give up and call her father to help her look, the front door opened and in stepped her brother.

"Jamie, have you seen Nemo?"

Jamie, on his cell phone attending to some business Joey didn't care about at that moment, said nothing.

"Jamie!" Joey shouted impatiently.

A startled Jamie jumped and turned to Joey. "What?" he snarled.

"I asked you if you've seen Nemo."

"No, I haven't seen your stupid cat and I'm on the phone…"

"Hey, hey. What's going on?"

John had walked inside, taking a break from whatever he had been working on with the cowboys outside. Joey explained the situation and Jamie walked away, head shaking. John, annoyed at Jamie's constant dismissive behavior of his sister, forced him to help in the search. He enlisted the help of two of the other cowhands, along with Rip, and a ranch wide search began. The two hours everyone was searching passed agonizingly slow for Joey, who unsuccessfully attempted not to cry.

It was Rip who found Nemo, and it was Rip who would have nightmares about it for weeks to come.

He was certain when he came upon the heap of white and brown fur that Nemo was gone. Two ribs were clearly broken, as was a leg. There was blood, a sight that usually didn't bother Rip but this time turned his stomach. He turned and gagged a little, certain he was going to vomit, but was grateful that he didn't. Closer examination of the cat confirmed Rip's worst fear. Nemo had been kicked viciously by something, probably a horse, and had dragged himself out as far as he could before collapsing where he'd been found.

A soft sound made Rip's heart sink even further.

Somehow, someway, Nemo was still alive. Barely, but he was alive. His eyes found Rip's and Rip knew what he was going to have to do. It hurt his heart and the thought of telling Joey made him want to crawl away and never come back to the Yellowstone again. Thirty seconds later and through a haze of tears he'd never admit to crying, Nemo had breathed his last.

With his heart thumping hard in his chest, and each step feeling like it took hours, Rip turned towards the house to break the news to Joey. He heard the shouting voices several hundred feet before he got there, and was able to figure out what had happened before he got there. Joey was screaming at Jamie, telling him it was his fault Nemo was gone and that if he didn't come back home, she'd never forgive him. John was half heartedly trying to calm Joey down while simultaneously yelling at Jamie himself. Apparently, earlier in the day, Jamie had, for the fourth time that week, left the front door open when he stepped outside and Nemo had gotten out.

Joey was the first to notice Rip walking towards the porch. She stared at him, the hope in her face making Rip wish he had any better news for her. Joey seemed to realize what he was there to tell her, but she waited for him to come before saying anything. Rip knelt in front of her and took off his hat, wondering how to break the news that was going to break Joey's heart to her.

"I'm sorry, Sunny. He's gone."

Joey swallowed a sob, looked down to gather her thoughts, then asked, "What happened?"

"It looks like he got in a fight with something. Probably a horse."

"Can I see him?"

"That's not a good idea, baby girl." Rip wondered whether he should tell Joey the whole truth or not, then decided that he'd feel guilty about it if he didn't. "He fought as best he could, but he was just hurt too bad, baby."

"Was he alive when you found him?"

"Yeah." Rip whispered. "I'm sorry, baby girl, but he was just hurt too bad…"

"I'm not mad at you." Joey said. "He's not hurting anymore?"

"No." Rip promised. "No, he's not."

"Will you help me and Daddy bury him?"

"You got it." Rip said. He shared a hug with Joey before turning to John and saying, "I'm gonna find something to bury him in. I'll meet you at the bunkhouse when you're ready."

Rip turned and left, and John, who had a hand on the shaking Joey's shoulder, started to say something to her when Joey turned to her now sick with remorse brother.

"Go away."

"Jojo…" Jamie tried.

"GO AWAY!" Joey screamed. "I always knew you hated me but I didn't think you hated me enough to hurt him."

Jamie was stunned. Joey thought he hated her? "Jojo, please, I'm sorry…"

"Don't call me that." Joey said, wiping away the now quickly falling tears. "Only people that love me can call me that."

"I do love you…"

"Jamie." John's stony voice held no room for argument. "Get a room in town or something. But go."

Jamie wanted to argue further, but didn't. He looked to his sobbing baby sister, wondering how things had gotten so messed up between them. Without another word, he turned and went to his car, the guilt eating away at him like a cancer, hoping there was some way to salvage their relationship.