Well, it has been a while since I updated. I've had a lot going on and writing kind of got put on the back burner. One of those things was the passing of my grandma... only 3 months after my grandpa went. So I'm off for the next week for family time and hopefully will be able to get more than just this chapter up. That is my goal, at least.

Thank you for any readers still out there, I'm terribly sorry I've kept you waiting for so long. I hope this chapter doesn't disappoint. Let me know what you think!

This is un-beta'd, so any mistakes are mine.

Oh, and in case I haven't said so in a while... these characters do not belong to me, I've simply borrowed them... I'll give them back in time for 'Fire'... I promise. (and then I will take them back!)

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Emily woke up suddenly, her body bending at the waist to be sat up straight in bed. Her chocolate brown orbs moved to the still slumbering form of her blonde girlfriend. Her heart was pounding forcefully against her ribs and she was panting as if she had just run a marathon. She was anxious. She was scared. Part of her wanted to march straight to the farm and confront her mother. The other part of her wanted to forget about everything she had learned. Then there was a tiny bit that wanted to talk to Effy about her brother, and Anthea, but surely it wasn't her place to do so.

The redhead heard a grumble coming from the body beside her and she couldn't help but smile down at her beautiful profile. "Hey," she said softly, reaching down to tuck a stray peroxide lock of hair behind Naomi's ear.

A half mumbled, half slurred respond came shortly after, "Hey Ems."

"Can you drive me to JJ's house?" she quickly asks.

Blue eyes opened up to look up at her beautiful girlfriend. Her lips held a lazy smile and after admiring the view for a bit, she nodded her head. Slowly she pushed herself up, reaching over to place a chaste kiss on Emily's cheek. She smiled larger when she noticed the easily visible reddening of Emily's cheeks.

"What do you need to go to JJ's for?" Naomi inquired as she started to head toward the bathroom. "Do I have time for a shower?"

Emily nodded to the second question and paused before answering the first, "I have that competition, Naoms. I don't think I'm ready. I've put some new moves into our routine and I don't know if we can pull them off because I haven't been over there to practice and work with Thunder at all."

Naomi could see the nervous tension forming on Emily's features and nodded, "I won't be but five minutes, okay? Maybe you should give him a call to let him know we're going to his, yeah?"

Emily nodded and picked up her mobile from the side table just as Naomi left the room for the shortest shower ever.

The blonde was out in a short amount of time and dressed after a few more minutes. Emily greeted her at the door and kissed her softly on the lips. A small sound erupted from Naomi's throat at the unexpected intimacy. The redhead pulled back and smiled lightly before handing Naomi some clothes to put on.

Naomi looked at the jeans and top, and then noticed that her boots had been put out to wear instead of her trainers. "Is there some reason I'm being dressed up like I'm going riding?"

"Yes… well kind of. I want you in the arena with me. You help me stay relaxed and I'm so tight…"

"You're very tight," Naomi interrupted, earning her a playful slap on the shoulder.

"Cheeky bitch," Emily said with a faux offended tone of voice, but she couldn't help but smile either.

Naomi just smiled and started to put the requested clothes on, then sat on the bed to lace up the boots. Emily sat down next to her silently, her face back to the blank look that she would have when she was deep in thought. After the rebel had finished up she turned to her girlfriend and put a hand on her lower back, waiting until the chocolate gaze met her cerulean one. "Everything will be okay, Ems. You are the most disciplined person I know. You just need to relax and focus," Naomi said gently.

Emily flashed a half smile and grabbed Naomi's hand as she stood, pulling the blonde up with her.

xxxxx

It didn't take long at all for the pair to get to JJ's, and since Emily had called ahead, the boy had left the side gate open for them to drive through.

"Hey Emily, Naomi," JJ said happily as he saw them get out of the car. His excited demeanor quickly evaporated when he saw the look of strife written on his friend's face. "Emily?" he questioned carefully.

Emily shook her head fervently, indicating that she didn't wish to talk about it at the moment. "How has Thunder been?" she asked, trying to keep the subject on something more safe than the tornado of emotions running rampant through her petite body.

"He's been acting a little strange, Ems. I was going to call you later today, I uh… I didn't know you'd be up so early," JJ replied.

"What?! What's wrong?" Emily called back over her shoulder as she began running toward the stables. She pulled open the heavy door and rushed to the stall that Thunder was in… except he wasn't there. "Where the fuck is he, JJ!" she exclaimed.

JJ and Naomi rushed after the redhead. Naomi stopped dead in her tracks when Emily whipped around, her eyes like molten lava as she screamed at the boy.

The eccentric boy started to stutter as he got closer, but nothing was discernible.

"Fucking JJ, where the fuck is Thunder!" Emily tried again, this time grasping him by the shoulders and shaking him slightly to get him from being locked on.

Naomi walked up smoothly and removed Emily's hands from JJ's shoulder's, pulling her a few steps away so that the boy could actually attempt to speak.

"He… I think he just missed you…" he began before being interrupted.

"Where… IS… HE?" Emily shouted.

JJ stopped and turned toward the arena as Naomi pulled the distraught girl into her arms. "JJ, an answer would be nice right about now," Naomi said as calmly as she could.

"He's just being shod, Emily," he said softly, his voice trembling in fear at the pint sized ball of flames that was only being contained by Naomi's arms.

Naomi looked at the boy with a bewildered look on her face. She wanted to ask what the fuck 'shod' meant, but luckily for her, JJ was actually able to interpret her facial expression.

"The Farrier is here putting horse shoes on him," JJ explained.

"Oh," the blonde said under her breath and pulled the girl away from her chest, looking into the eyes of her lover. "See, he's okay. He just needs some Emily time, yeah?" she said with a small smile playing at the edges of her lips.

Emily took in a deep lungful of oxygen and let it out slowly. "God, I'm sorry, JJ, I've been a bit worked up," Emily apologized.

JJ quickly looked over to Naomi, then back to Emily, speaking before he had thought to think about what it was he was saying, "Isn't Naomi suppose to release some of that… oh no… I uh… I didn't mean… shitification…" he continued to mumble expletives to himself until Naomi and Emily both walked toward him.

"Don't worry JJ, I have no problems releasing some of Emily's tension," she said with a smirk, stopping his blubbering instantly. "Well that worked rather well," she said to herself.

Emily couldn't help but let loose a laugh as she smacked her girlfriend in the shoulder for the second time that morning.

"You saw that, right JJ? That's girlfriend abuse or something," Naomi joked.

JJ just stared at one girl, then the other, not quite sure what to say.

"She was teasing, JJ," Emily explained when she realized her friend hadn't cottoned on to the jest.

"Oh, yeah… right… abuse," he said unsurely.

Emily chuckled again and then started walking toward where the farrier usually worked. Thunder's head was already turned in her direction, his ears perked up. He whinnied at her and he shifted his weight, which caused the farrier to drop the hoof he was working on. The man was rather hefty, and was tall, so compared to Emily he looked like a ogre.

"Emily," he said with a warm smile as he picked Thunder's hoof back up and started nailing in the last shoe, "Almost done, love, then he's all yours again."

"Thank you," she said softly as she walked up to her trusty steed and began teasing his chin with her fingertips. "Have you been a good boy for JJ?" she asked Thunder seriously. He snorted and looked over to the boy, then back to his small rider and nudged her. "I know boy, I've missed you too. Ready for a work out?" His large black head moved up and down which caused Emily to giggle in response.

The farrier finished filing off the last nail and set Thunder's foot down gently, patting the steed on the shoulder and picking up his bag. "Be well, Emily," he said with a nod as he walked off.

Naomi and JJ stayed back to let Emily have some space. JJ knew her well enough to know that nothing would get in between her and Thunder, and that the time away has been hard on both of them. Naomi was just scared shitless of being near the huge beast.

Emily wrapped her arms around his thick neck and just held on to him, apologizing for her absence and telling him that she would try to make it around every day. She explained that it was hard with her not living at home anymore and that she didn't want to be a burden on JJ and his family. They were kind enough to be housing him in the first place. The stallion stood there, tall and proud, with his neck curled in as close to a hug as he could actually give.

When Emily pulled away, she had tears shining in her coffee orbs, but not a single one fell. She nodded determinedly to her steed and started to walk towards the arena, opening up the paddock gate so Thunder could follow her.

"I've always been amazed at that," JJ whispered to Naomi.

"What? About what?"

"Horses don't normally do that, at least not to that extent. It is one thing for them to follow a person around in an arena, or even a pasture, but to be completely free to run off if he wanted and not taking the opportunity… it's truly spectacular."

Naomi watched as the massive equine followed his petite rider into the arena. Sure it had been intriguing, but she hadn't been around horses for long enough to know that that wasn't a normal behavior. She just nodded her head and watched with new eyes, almost, as Thunder followed Emily around the arena. When she jogged, he trotted. When she ran, he cantered slowly after. It was like watching a game of follow the leader.

Emily stopped running and walked backwards. Thunder slowed down as well and lowered his head and reached forward until his nose was right at the redhead's chest. They moved around like that for a few minutes before the girl stopped completely near the iron gate. Thunder's head lifted and he stood tall, as if he was doing so to impress his owner.

She chuckled and climbed onto the gate and hopped on his bare back. She grasped onto the hair at his withers and clicked her tongue. He started to walk slowly, but proudly.

JJ and Naomi both moved up to the fence and watched from there, both leaning on the top rail as they observed.

Emily had gone through her normal warm up, but even Thunder could feel her stress. When she commanded him to stop he did so, but he pranced a bit also. "Naomi," Emily called over her shoulder, looking at her lover, "will you please come here?"

JJ looked surprised and Naomi looked terrified. She had thought that maybe Emily had been joking with her about having her come into the arena, but apparently she had been completely serious. JJ gave her a friendly push with his elbow, tilting his head not so understatedly towards Emily.

Naomi frowned at him and crawled through and walked slowly toward the towering stallion and his rider. She swallowed a lump in her throat and was tightening and relaxing her hands at her sides. She still didn't understand why the animals frightened her so much, especially after she had been made to ride one after the accident. Then again, that horse was much shorter and smaller than Thunder. She stopped about five feet away and looked up at Emily.

"Ride with me?" Emily gently requested.

Naomi felt her blood pressure spike and could feel and hear her heart pounding in her skull like a bass drum. She couldn't speak and couldn't even move to try to give a non-verbal answer.

Emily urged Thunder forward a few steps and turned him sideways so she didn't have to look at her girlfriend over his ears. "Please, Naoms," she said softly.

Naomi just continued to stare at Emily as if she had grown an extra appendage out of her neck, but the moment she heard the gentle pleading, she was helpless to decline. The blonde walked toward the fence and climbed up, just as she had seen Emily do before, and when Emily brought Thunder close and grasped her arm, she got on with her eyes closed.

Emily turned around as her girlfriend scooted closer to her, "Naoms, I need you to hold onto me, okay? I need to relax because I'm giving Thunder mixed signals. Remember how I taught you before, to relax your middle? Can you do that for me?"

"I… I can try," Naomi stumbled out. She reached around Emily's body and took a few deep breaths to calm down enough to be able to help.

Once Naomi had relaxed enough, Emily clicked her tongue and the stallion started moving easily, even with the added weight on his back. The blonde kept her eyes closed and concentrated on staying loose and after two trips around the arena, she felt Emily start to lean back into her. Naomi wasn't sure what she was supposed to do, not really, but she held on regardless.

Emily leaned back into her lover, taking slow deep breaths as she felt the warmth permeating her back through the thin material separating their skins. The equestrian specialist was feeling better and her body was now working with Thunder's smooth gait instead of against it. She did a few easy moves that the black stallion performed perfectly.

Naomi was about to jump off when the animal below her started to move sideways and around in a circle. Her eyes were shut so tightly that the muscles in her face were starting to burn. She just kept telling herself that she was doing this to help Emily, and that she needed to not tense up.

After a few more rounds Emily called Thunder to a stop. She pulled one of Naomi's hands from around her stomach and kissed her palm. "Thank you, love," she said sincerely.

"Uh huh…" Naomi mumbled, finally opening her eyes now that the horse had stopped moving. She felt her heart skip a beat when Emily kissed her hand and she couldn't help but give the redhead a kiss on her neck, the only part of her girlfriend she could really reach. "Can I… I mean…"

"Yes, Naoms, you can dismount now," Emily teasingly interrupted, knowing that the blonde would want to get off the horse as soon as possible.

"Thanks," Naomi said and quickly hopped down from the tall equine. She turned around and looked up with a smile, feeling much better that she was down on solid ground once again.

"I'm just going to go through my routine a couple times and then we can go, okay?" Emily explained.

Naomi nodded her head and tried not to run as she walked back toward JJ, who had a smile on his face and two thumbs up in the air. The blonde rolled her eyes as she got closer.

"You know she doesn't let anyone ride Thunder except for her," JJ said when Naomi crawled through the fence.

"What do you mean? She hasn't had anyone else ride him? Like ever?" She didn't quite believe what JJ was saying. She knew that Emily loved that four legged animal, but that seemed weird that she hadn't let anyone else ride him, and more so that she would even request Naomi to ride with her.

"I mean, no one except Emily has ever been on Thunder. Not with her, and not without her. Not her dad, not Katie, not anyone but her… except now, you," he clarified; trying to speak slowly to make sure she fully understood what he was telling her.

She was shocked, and honoured, and a thousand other emotions all at the same time. Now, Naomi Campbell doesn't fucking cry, but she could feel a heat in her chest and a tightening in her throat. She swallowed a lump in her throat and turned back to Emily who was working through her routine a lot more calmly than she had been doing previously. She could feel a burning sensation at the backs of her eyes and she fought it off.

Did she really not think she was trusted that much by the redhead? Even Naomi couldn't answer that question as she pushed back the tsunami of emotions that were threatening to make themselves known.

Naomi had barely reeled in her emotions when Emily hopped off her stallion and started walking towards them. Emily calmly opened the gate for the stallion to walk through and he followed her back to his stall. She took her time in brushing him off and gave him a few carrots as a treat.

"You did good," Emily said out loud.

Naomi looked to JJ, then over to Thunder, trying to deduce who it was that Emily was speaking to.

The redhead turned around and looked at the blonde, "Naomi?"

"Yeah?"

Emily smiled, "I said you did good."

Naomi's cheeks flushed, "I thought maybe you were talking to Thunder, and I figured talking for him wouldn't do him justice… I think my voice is too high."

The redhead began to laugh and patted the stallion's thick neck, "Did you hear that, boy? Naomi thinks you have a deep voice… do you have a deep voice?" The stallion moved his head up and down and then whinnied loudly toward Naomi, who took a step back, even though she was stood outside the stall. "I think he agrees with you, Naoms… and I don't have to tell him he did well, he already knows it," she said with a smirk on her lips.

"Ha ha," Naomi said sarcastically, folding her arms across her chest and pouting.

"Oh come on Naoms, don't be petulant," the redhead said with a smirk on her lips.

Naomi growled slightly and relaxed her posture, shaking her head in the process. "I think you owe me, Fitch," she teased.

"Oh giddy giddy… I think I'll leave you two ladies," JJ said as he turned around quickly and walked away muttering to himself.

The two girls held their laughter in until he closed the stable door behind him. "You're so bad, Naomi!" Emily exclaimed as she closed the door to Thunder's stall.

"So they say," she said with a smirk as she leaned in and kissed the redhead… long, and deep.

By the time they released each other, they were both breathing heavily and Emily's back was pressed up against the wall with Naomi's hands on her hips whilst her own hands were tangled in peroxide tresses. "Fuck… the things you do to me," Emily breathed out.

Naomi flashed her a smile and winked at her before turning around and walking towards the exit, "Coming Ems?"

Emily started to follow her out after giving her stalling one last scratch between his nostrils. Her voice was husky as she replied, "Oh I hope so…"

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Yeah! If you would please be so kind and tell me what you thought of this chapter. I know the last few have been kind of thick, so I wanted to ease up a bit before Emily went completely mental and went on a killing spree!