A/N: I own nothing.

A/N: A/U.

2001

"We should just leave," Rooster spat. "Go to Fort Collins, find an apartment, don't come back."

"We should," River agreed.

"Bullshit," he shot back. "You don't believe that."

"You don't either," she said.

"No," he admitted with a sigh.

"What are we going to do?" she asked, laying down on his chest.

"I have to stay," he said finally. "I don't see a way around it. If I don't stay and work for free then Dad'll lose the ranch."

"So we're staying?" River asked.

"No. I'm staying. I can't ask you to stay here," he said.

"You don't have to," she replied. "Didn't we just say 'for better or worse' yesterday? So we start out with worse. It can only get better."

"I hope so," he sighed. "You know, I'm tired of talking about Colt on my honeymoon. He isn't going to ruin this, at least."

"Agreed," she smiled, kissing him.

By the time Rooster made it to Dale's, the driveway was full of cars. Dale and Charlene had four kids. Sarah Lynn, Anna Lee, who is River's mother, Amanda Beth, and 'for God's sake, Charlene, quit naming our kid's after HeeHaw character's' Jeremiah. Sarah, Anna, and Amanda were all close together in age but Jeremiah was only four years older than River. They had grown up closer to siblings than Uncle and niece. While River was an only child, the rest all had three or four children of their own and some of them had children. And it seemed the whole family was there.

Jeremiah and Adam, Sarah's son who was Rooster's age, were sitting on the porch.

Jeremiah was a decent guy. He'd married his college sweetheart then ran River Ranch for ten years until Kara's father had gotten sick and they had moved to her family's ranch south of Denver to help him until he recovered. That had been seven years ago and they were still there.

Adam, however, had never had any great love for Rooster, or Rooster for him. In school, he'd been a jerk with a rich daddy. As an adult, he was still a jerk with a rich daddy. Dale had put him through vet school, but he'd 'dropped' out in his junior year. River had said he'd flunked out, but everyone else maintained that he dropped out. Now he worked for Dale as a vet assistant when he wasn't high or drunk somewhere. Rooster certainly had no problem with getting drunk or high, but he couldn't stand those who took it to the point they couldn't work.

"Hey, Rooster," Jeremiah stood up and shook his hand. "Seriously, the first rain in eleven months set your barn on fire?"

Rooster laughed, "Yeah, ain't that some shit?"

"You need any help fixing it?" he offered.

"Nah, you know dad," Rooster said. "He only wants to yell at Colt and me. Thanks, though. Where's River?"

"Inside, rethinking all the mistakes she's made in her life," Adam replied.

"Like not kicking your ass when she could?" Rooster shot back.

"She's in the kitchen with Mama, I think," Jeremiah spoke up, trying to keep the peace.

Rooster nodded before going in the house. "Hey, Ms. Charlene, where is River?"

"There's my handsome son-in-law," Anna said from the table. She had a rather full glass of wine in front of her and the blush on her cheeks told that it clearly not her first. She got up and wrapped her arms around him.

"Hey, Mrs. Evans," Rooster said, awkwardly hugging her while trying to keep her at arms' length. Anna Lee had a bad habit of trying to compete with her daughter for attention and wasn't above using him to do it. He had always worked to maintain enough distance between them that nothing could be said.

"Hey, Rooster, honey, she's in the backyard watching the kids," Charlene said, patting him on the back.

"Thanks," he said. He found River sitting on the back steps, watching Jeremiah's boys playing on her old swingset. He sat down behind her and wrapped his arms around her shoulders. She leaned back and relaxed into his embrace.

"Hey, Darling," she said. "Get the barn fixed?"

"Mostly," he replied. "We need a few more pieces of tin, but it won't leak."

"Good," she replied. "Mama's drunk."

"I know. Saw her in the kitchen," he replied, rubbing her arms.

"She's making me crazy."

"You want to leave?" he asked.

She shook her head. "No, that would just hurt Memaw's feelings. I just want her to stop."

"What is she doing?"

"Well, for starters, she asked me if I had any Valium as soon as I walked in. Then she said I was being an uptight bitch when I told her I didn't have any."

"Don't let her get to you, Baby," he said, kissing the top of her head.

"Don't be surprised if she asks you something similar," she sighed, leaning her head against his shoulder. "I think she's using again."

Rooster hugged her tightly. "Nothing you can do about it, Baby."

"I know," she sighed again. "Want to take the horses out for a ride this afternoon?"

"Sure," he replied.

"Good. I was thinking we could go ride out to the hunting cabin. Maybe get in some of that practice you were talking about this morning," she smiled.

"Oh, shit," he laughed. "I'm there." He kissed her again.

Colt had been home for a month and he and Rooster had been out drinking every night. True, Rooster drank every night anyway, but he rarely got drunk every night when he wasn't with Colt and he didn't go to the bar every night either.

It was Friday night and River had been in Denver all day and was exhausted. All she wanted to do was go home, take a hot shower and get in the bed. Unfortunately, apparently, they were throwing a party.

"Oh, shit," Rooster said as she walked towards them. "Hey, Baby." He stepped off the porch to meet her. He started to kiss her, but she shot him an icy look and he stepped back. "How was your drive?"

"It sucked," she replied.

"I'm sorry," he said, following her into the house.

She set her briefcase down, pulled off her jacket and started picking up beer bottles and loudly throwing them in the trash.

"Baby, don't worry about all that," Rooster said, taking bottles from her hands. "Colt and I will clean all this up. You want something to eat? I can make you something."

"You can barely stand up, much less cook," she replied, acidly, but then sighed and changed her tone. "Don't worry about it, Jamie. I'm just gonna go to bed."

"Okay," he said, hugging her. "I'll be right up." He kissed the top of her head.

And, really, he meant to. He was just going to finish his beer, then head to bed. But, he started playing Beer-Pong with Billy and one beer turned to two, turned to three shots of Jim Beam, and it had been three hours since River had gone to bed. He then decided that he was going to clean up but he sat down on the couch, just for a minute, and woke up after seven with Beau very loudly cooking breakfast.

"Okay, Dad, I get it," he grimaced, rubbing his temples. "I'm up." He sat up and looked around. Beer bottles and shot glasses were everywhere. "Is River up yet?"

"She's up," Beau replied, grimly. "Your mom drove her over to Dale's about half an hour ago."

"Why?" Rooster asked. It was odd that she didn't drive herself. She hadn't been drinking the night before.

"Dale called. Anna chased a handful of pills with two bottles of wine last night, ended up having a wreck," Beau explained. "He and River are having to go down to Colorado Springs and commit Anna to a treatment facility. She couldn't get you awake to tell you."

"Shit," Rooster muttered, shaking his head. "I'd better get over there."

"I think you should stay here," Beau replied.

"River's going to be going crazy," Rooster said, stand up and searching for his phone. "She needs me with her."

"Look at yourself," Beau snapped. "You're hungover, smell like a brewery, and look like you slept out in the barn with Carla. Do you really think you could be of any help to her right now?"

Rooster was quiet. Beau had a point.

He sat down and texted her.

"Hey, Baby. Dad just told me what was happening. Do you need anything? Call me."

All in all, he really wasn't surprised when she didn't call.

Please R and R.