Okay guys, So I paid off my Colt Anaconda, and I pick it up Saturday. Now unfortunately it looks like Illinois is going to pass its 'assault weapons ban'.

Its BS, but hey gives me another excuse to leave this state.

Anyways, I probably won't be updating as much simply because I'm taking an IT course online and I'm busy as hell with Work especially with the holiday season.

Whitley

Whitley never saw himself as being a farmer or rancher. If you had told him a few weeks ago that he would be helping some faunus farmers on a ranch. He would have never believed you and he would have called you crazy. And yet here he was. Currently on a break watching the sun go down. He hated it at first. It was such a culture shock to him that he couldn't help but dislike everything about it. But then something unexpected happened. As he got used to it and Mr. Indigo started to compliment his work. He felt a sense of pride. Back with Jacques, everything was never good enough. He was always pressured to be the absolute best in everything. He didn't feel that kind of pressure here. Sure he had his own challenges to overcome, but Mr. Indigo and his family had been very encouraging the whole time. Plus he would never forget the moment he took down a calf all by himself. He allowed himself to feel a sense of pride at that. He took a sip of hot coffee while he took another look at the sunset. His legs were dead to the world. And his arms felt heavy. And yet he couldn't help but feel an intense satisfaction with himself.

For the first time in his life he felt content. Like where he was at the moment was enough. He didn't have to deal with his father constantly looking over his shoulder. In a way it surprised him. He loved his father, and yet here he was thinking he was overbearing. Maybe it was the time away from him that made him realize there were some things about Jacques that drove him crazy. He almost felt a little anxious over the whole thing. Had he really been that stressed the whole time he had been in that mansion? How could it be he felt more at peace on a dirty old farm than he could in a multi million lien mansion? Where he had servants and the finest food available all day everyday?

He remembered what Mr. Cotton had told him Day 1 after they had finished working.

"A man could have everything he ever wanted. He could have a high paying job, a fine house, all the latest technology and cars. But in the end he could still feel empty because it doesn't give him meaning and he constantly has to make money to afford his every growing luxurious lifestyle, and that can cause a sense of panic when the very thought of losing everything and all the fancy toys you worked for suddenly becomes a very real problem. Its only after you've lost everything that you can take a look around and realize that there are worse things in life than living without fancy cars and fancy houses. In my case, a high paying job is great, but what do I need a super nice car or fancy house for? All I ever wanted was a decent home with plenty of land I could roam on. And when you learn to appreciate a simpler lifestyle, you'll find yourself appreciating everything, the sun, the moon, even that cool crisp breeze you feel in the early morning. You'll appreciate all the little things God put on Earth."

Whitley was starting to understand. He had never really been happy in the Schnee mansion. He would be lying if he said he didn't resent his sisters in some way. For the longest time he was jealous of them. Not just for their martial abilities and their skillsets but for one huge reason that he didn't realize until just now.

He was Jealous they had the strength to leave.

Winter didn't care for the SDC company. Weiss would have been Heir, and here he was the last in line for the throne.

A throne he wasn't even sure if he wanted in reality or if he just wanted something to rub in his sisters faces. That he had something they didn't. But the more he thought about it, the more shallow and pathetic it seemed. A participation trophy for a man who wouldn't have been brave enough to strike out on his own. He would always be known as the sibling who was born into a life of luxury and didn't bother to stray from it.

Jem had told him of a man from his home country who had a saying that seemed to speak to Whitley more and more each day.

"Nothing in this world is worth having or worth doing unless it means effort, pain and difficulty. I have never in my life envied a human being who led an easy life."

That seemed to make more sense to him now than it ever did.

Whitley had everything he ever wanted, but no sense of pride in how he got it. It just came to him without any effort. So when he was in the mansion, he felt like the lights were on but noone was home.

It wasn't like that here.

Here the voices of pressure didn't exist.

He only found a peaceful serenity in labor.

He stood up. The aches and pains of the days work catching up with him as he brushed his hands off on his jeans. He looked into a window. And he could catch a glimpse of his reflection.

He hardly recognized himself.

What was once a hoity toity teenager wearing a suit made of the finest materials in all of Remnant. Now stood a ranch hand in dirty blue jeans and a light blue flannel. His cowboy boots being covered in the mud of the day. He could even see his hair that had once been neatly trimmed and styled had now started to grow longer and less neat. In fact, he saw something else he didn't expect to see.

The beginnings of a beard.

Whitley rubbed his face. His father made it a requirement for him to be clean shaven until he was an adult. And now here he was growing stubble. He couldn't help but like it. He certainly didn't have a full beard like Mr Cotton. But he could see the potential for it.

He finally felt like he had the freedom to do things he wanted to do. And he couldn't help but feel a wave of relief wash over him as he realized he didn't have to be the head of the SDC right now. If he even wanted to be it in the future. Right now he felt content with where he was.

"Whitley! Mr. Cottons here to pick you up!" India said with a smile as Whitley gave her a smile in return.

"Thank you, althrough I thought I would be having dinner with you guys tonight?" He asked as she shrugged.

"Well I assume he's here to pick you up. Usually you take a bus back right?" She asked as Whitley nodded.

Jem had moved the family closer to the farm, but he usually did have to take public transit. So why was Jem here?

"Don't you worry about that! We're here for dinner!" Jem said as he had shown up with Winter, Nala, and his mother.

Jem was getting inaugurated tomorrow. So this was his last dinner as a free man. And he wanted to make it special. Whitley noticed he had some kind of carrying case with him.

"Hey bud!" Jem said as Whitley waved.

Over the past few weeks Jem had been checking in on Whitley to make sure he was doing okay. And the two certainly got along better than they used to. His relationship with his sister had also been improving. And Whitley just adored his little niece. At first he would admit he was hesitant to interact with the little faunus girl. But she had a way of worming herself into your heart.

When she called him Uncle Whitley, he could have sworn he felt his heart skip a beat.

"Whats for dinner tonight India?" Jem asked as he greeted the farmers daughter.

"Beef Shepards pie." She said as she invited the family in.

Jem did bring in a homemade apple pie. He didn't want to just show up to a dinner without bringing something along. So he figured what better way than to bring around one of the most American things ever? Fresh made apple pie was always a good thing. Whitley sat down at the table as Indias mother brought up the main course with Jem's apple Pie being right next to it.

"Okay everyone, before we dig in, I would like to say a few words." Jem said as everyone took their hats off.

Usually Jem liked to say a quick prayrer before meals. But tonight he had different plans.

"Before we get into the prayer and meal, I want to bring attention to someone." He said as he pointed his knife hand towards Whitley.

"Whitley, you've only been with us for three weeks, and I'm not going to lie, you had a little bit of a rough start with adjusting to a completely new way of life. But after that first day, I didn't hear a single complaint when you got home, and I certainly didn't hear anything bad coming from the Indigo family." He paused to look towards the farmer family as confirmation.

"I'm not gonna lie, when I first met you I thought you were going to be some spoiled Rich Kid, and to be honest you kind of were. But in the past few weeks, I think I speak for everyone here when I say you've really earned our respect." That made Whitley feel really good.

"So I figured before I take my inaugural oath tomorrow, that I would leave you with these to help settle into your job." He pulled out the case from earlier.

"What you'll find inside is something you're not used to, but this will be one of the most important things in your life, especially with your current job. This will scare off coyotes, help put food on the table, and teach you the lessons of self reliance that some never learn." He said as he pushed the case over to Whitley.

Whitley was apprehensive, what was Jem talking about?

He opened the case only for his eyes to go wide.

Inside the case were two weapons.

The first one that caught his eye was the revolver. A Colt Single action army revolver, but the grips had been switched out for Ivory with some kind of blue inlay. But the main piece was what really got him going.

He saw a Lever action rifle. In reality, he was never into guns. He thought physical combat was for inferior people. And yet when he looked at these two fine pieces of art. He couldn't help but marvel over them. The lever action had a fine wooden stock with a solid walnut color, and the metal itself was a brilliant gold color. The barrel of it was a dark black. He couldn't help but run his hands over each piece.

"There are coyotes out there, so its best you have the proper tools for the job. And don't worry, I know you have never gone shooting, but trust me, you're not short of instructors." Jem said as Whitley couldn't help but feel happy.

"Thank you, I honestly can't believe this." Whitley felt something he hadn't in a long time.

A sense of belonging in a family.

Well guys, hope you enjoy the chapter. And I hope you took something from it.

I honestly think a big part of the mental health problem in this country is everyone has gotten caught up in the modern age of 'we all need the best phone, the best tv, the best house, the best car.'

But we get so caught up in that that we forget to appreciate the simple things in life.

Human beings are part of nature, and the more we throw ourselves into technology, I honestly think the worse it will get.

That isn't to say Technology isn't great for a lot of things, but too many people do nothing but play on their phone, computer, and tv all day. Which is just NOT how we're meant to live.

If you're reading this, and thats you, then please you need to get out more. Theres a whole world out there just waiting to be explored.

Don't spend your whole life cramped up in your room.