Hell Bent for Leather
By tk421beth
Chapter Summary: Aubrey is staying with her Aunt Jessica on her Ranch in Tinnie, New Mexico.
Author's Notes: Hey all! This chapter is short, but sweet! Special thanks to Amber, Jo, BillyCrazy, WhatTheF, Hannah, Moki…EVERYONE who has stuck with me! You all make me write better! I LOVE YOU ALL!
Last, but not least…many thanks to Sue and Tom!
Amber…this chapter is for you!
20 August, 1940
I awoke to the now familiar sounds of El Rancho Vida Nu. The sun was already up in the sky and assuredly, the ranch hands have been up for hours doing their chores.
I arose from my bed and walked to the window. Opening the shutters, I smelled the scent of rain, noticing the black clouds on the horizon. This sort of weather was typical for this time of year. As certainly as the night held a chill, midday would be humid and hot. The mornings were indeed, my favorite part of the day.
I went to my wardrobe and dressed accordingly for my day's planned events. Cole promised to take me to see Blazer's Mill, where Richard Brewer was killed. I marveled the fact that Cole offered to take me to these places, even though he worked on the ranch full time. He looked a lot like Aunt Jessica, obviously, being her grandson and yet he was tall, with dark hair and blue eyes.
I adorned my new cowboy boots that Aunt Jessica bought for me, and followed the aroma of bacon cooking and the scent of fresh coffee into the kitchen.
Seated around the Spanish style kitchen were Aunt Jessica, Chavez and Cole. We greeted each other, and I sat down, in between my Aunt and Chavez.
"So!" Aunt Jessica smiled at me. "What's on your agenda for today?"
"Cole's taking me to see Blazer's Mill." I answered.
Aunt Jessica stood up abruptly. "Why would you want to see that ghastly place?" She inquired.
"Research...remember, Aunt Jessica?" I wondered why she was so upset. I noticed that Chavez just sipped at his coffee. Cole just sat there, staring at his plate of huevos rancheros.
"Oh, yes…your book." She gave a little laugh, putting down her coffee cup.
"Aunt Jessica…you must realize that you are quite the celebrity, and you life is anything but ordinary."
She just laughed, shaking her head. "Celebrity…Ha! I'm a humble cattle rancher. That's all I ever wanted to be…and that's all I am."
"Humble?" Chavez questioned; a huge smile on his face.
Aunt Jessica glared at Chavez. "Drink your damn coffee!" She hissed, over our laughter.
I must have touched a nerve; I could feel the tension in the room. Aunt Jessica quickly dismissed the idea, as if she was reading my mind. "Well…my plans are taking me into Roswell today. I have a few cattle purchases to oversee, and a few errands to run." She looked over at Cole. "We're expecting some severe weather here later today. I suggest you be back before the monsoon."
"No need to worry, Grandma." He stated with a mouthful of eggs. "I'll take care of her."
Aunt Jessica closed her eyes, and took a step over to Cole. She suddenly smacked him in the back of the head. The eggs from his mouth were suddenly all over the table. "What did I tell you about calling me Grandma?"
Chavez chuckled. "At least he didn't call you the Sweetheart Shooter!"
Aunt Jessica swore loudly. "Well…I better finish getting ready." She dismissed us with a sour expression, as the three of us were laughing.
Our laughter died, and the mood of the room turned solemn. I turned to Chavez. "What exactly happened at Blazer's Mill?"
Chavez was quiet for a moment, as if he was pondering my question. "Well, Bonita…that was a very long time ago. You have to remember that Jessica was only sixteen…her Father was just recently murdered. We all lost a very good friend that day."
"Richard Brewer." I murmured.
Chavez sipped his coffee. "Well…you know what happened. We went to Blazer's Mill to eat and rest… but what most people don't know…is that Dick was betrothed to Jessica by her Father."
"WHAT!" I gasped, almost choking on my eggs.
"Grandma never mentioned that!" Cole exclaimed, staring at Chavez.
Chavez continued to sip his coffee, and he looked Cole in the eye. "Well, its true, Chivato. I believe Dick really loved Jessica…he would of made a great husband for her. But that bastard Buckshot Roberts set her on the path that changed her life forever."
I didn't know what to say. I looked over at Cole, and he looked as surprised as I felt.
Chavez continued, "Not only did Buckshot Roberts kill Dick Brewer that day…but he killed a little bit of everyone…including Jessica. She was shot in the chest, and we all thought her dead." Chavez paused, as if he was reliving a difficult moment in his life. "Up to that point, we all thought of this as a game. All of us quite children, playing at being heroes. That quickly changed. Dick was trying to convince Billy to dispose of Roberts once and for all. They argued back and forth. It was Jessica who ended the bickering by making a stand when no one else would."
I could feel my heart swell with pride, as new felt admiration flooded my very being; upon hearing of Aunt Jessica's deeds.
"A bullet struck her in the chest, and should have ended her life. If it hadn't been for the badge that Billy had given her, to make her feel like one of the Regulators…she would be dead. At that moment, Dick knew it had to end, and it had to be him to stop the insanity. But alas…it was Dick's turn to ride the Spirit Horse."
I noticed a tear well up in Chavez's eye, as he took a deep breath and continued. "A good man never questions his fate…and neither does a good woman. For it was Jessica's destiny to rid the world of Buckshot Roberts. That is exactly what she did that day…something none of the other Regulators could do... for it was not written for us to do so….but for her."
There was a pause in the conversation. It was something I have grown accustomed to when conversing with Chavez. He is, indeed, a man of very few words. When he decides to grace you with some of his pearls of wisdom, you had better give him one hundred percent of your attention.
Aunt Jessica suddenly burst into the room. Her eyes were filled with tears as she looked at all of us, as she headed for the Philco radio perched at the edge of the kitchen counter.
Chavez was out of his chair and over to her in two strides. "What is it?" He asked.
"Bloody fucking hell!" She shouted, startling all of us, as she fiddled with the radio. "Hitler and his damned Nazis have bombed London!"
What did she just say? The voice coming over the airwaves was very familiar to me. For the last year, I have been listening to Mr. Churchill, the Prime Minister, as he guided Brittan through the War against Germany.
He was already involved in his speech, as we all listened in.
"…As they are being turned, to that arts of war, we may be able to show the enemy quite a lot of things that they have not thought of yet. Since the Germans drove the Jews out and lowered their technical standards, our science is definitely ahead of theirs. Our geographical position, the command of the sea, and the friendship of the United States enable us to draw resources from the whole world and to manufacture weapons of war of every kind, but especially of the superfine kinds, on a scale hitherto practiced only by Nazi Germany."
As I listened to Mr. Churchill's words, a flurry of emotions blazed up inside me. I was worried for my family. Will they be all right? Are they in harm's way? I tried to quell my emotions as I listened on.
"Hitler is now sprawled over Europe. Out offensive springs are being slowly compressed and we must resolutely and methodically prepare ourselves for the campaigns of 1941 and 1942. Two or three years are not a long time, even in our short, precarious lives. They are nothing in the history of the nation, and when we are doing the finest thing in the world, and have the honor to be the sole champion of the liberties of all Europe, we must nor grudge these years of weary as we toil and struggle through them. It does not follow that our energies in future years will be exclusively confined to defending ourselves and our possessions."
I looked over at Aunt Jessica. She looked older…even frail. Chavez supported my Aunt Jessica as she wept. I could feel my face turning red with anger. Those barbarians! As long as I shall live, I will never understand the methodology of war.
"Many opportunities may lie open to amphibious power, and we must be ready to take advantage of them. One of the ways to bring this war to a speedy end is to convince the enemy, not by words, but by deeds, that we have both the will and the means, not only to go on indefinitely, but to strike heavy and unexpected blows. The road to victory may not be so long as we expect. But we have no right to count upon this. Be it long or short, rough or smooth, we mean to reach our journey's end."
At that, Aunt Jessica turned off the radio, and looked at me. Her tear stained face echoed the worry in her voice. "Aubrey, you dare not go back home to that chaos. We'll make every effort to get word regarding your parents well being." I stood, as she walked over to embrace me. Her comforting embrace renewed my strength. "This too, shall pass." She whispered into my ear, as my tears fell onto her shoulder.
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