#montana horse law

[hometoursandotherstuff]

[annepsilvaauthor]

Begin Again - Lee Dutton

Pairing: Lee Dutton x OC (Natalie WentWorth)

Summary: The life of renowned lawyer Natalie WentWorth was quiet in Boston, but everything changed when she received a call from a former Harvard colleague, Jamie Dutton. After reflecting a lot, Natalie agreed to solve some problems at the Yellowstone Dutton Ranch, but she did not imagine that her life would change completely when she arrived in Montana. One of the reasons for this change was Lee Dutton, the eldest son of John Dutton, cowboy and livestock agent, who would represent all the comfort she needed to have in the midst of the chaos of the Dutton family. Natalie could begin again at that ranch.

Warnings: Subtle sexual innuendos, brief language, alcohol consumption, angst, smut, fluffy.

Fix the law after you break it

A few more kilometers and she would finally arrive in Yellowstone. Her Volvo XC40 exceeded the thousands of miles at a speed fast enough to make a journey of thirty-six hours of travel in less than thirty hours. Yes, she liked speed. It was one of the few things she allowed herself to "lose control". Her life experience and her profession had taught her to take care of her own control. If anyone would lose their mind, it would be the other side and not her.

She looked at the folder on the bank next to her. There was her name engraved on it: Miss Natalie WentWorth. She smiled proudly. She had not chosen the law, the law had chosen her. And her last civil hearing had proved it.

Natalie's thoughts were interrupted when she observed a movement a few kilometers ahead. There were men mounted on horses, armed, wearing bulletproof vests, on one side of the fence, and other men without any armament, but with unfriendly expression were on the other side of the fence. Natalie reduced her speed and a lawyer's sense of curiosity did not allow her to move forward, stopping on the shoulder.

Looking more closely, she realized that the men on the other side of the fence were indeed armed, some police officers and other civilians. She also noticed that there was a huge herd of cows on the side of the fence and she soon considered a problem. Natalie got out of the car and put her high heels on the dirt floor, something she wasn't used to.

"You should move on, ma'am. The thing here will soon be very bad." One of the cowboys warned her by jogging next to her.

"What's going on?" She asked ignoring his request.

"What happens every day here in Yellowstone: big dog fight." The cowboy waved his hat and trotted towards the discussion that was forming.

Natalie noted that the fence was free of barbed wire, so it would not be very difficult for cattle to go from one place to another. However, she doubted that the cowboys of that ranch had left the fence like that, just as it would be almost impossible for the cattle to take a different direction from what they took every day, unless someone attracted them with food. She got closer to the scene and noticed the remains of hay on the other side. Wow, a crime scene right on her first day in Montana.

"Madam, I'll ask you to leave, please." A serious and deep voice echoed behind her and she turned around. One of the men in the bulletproof vest was in front of her and at that distance she could read Livestock Agent on his chest. He carried a powerful rifle between his hands.

"As far as I know, the road is public." She responded without being able to see him right, because the strong light of the sun prevented her.

"This one is not. It belongs to the Reservation."

"Well, then they should take me out of here and not you...agent." Natalie replied pointing to the police and heard a low laugh coming from him. "Besides, I'm much more helpful here."

"I doubt that."

"OK, agent. I can tell what I know to the police officers of the Reservation and so they can win this fight." Natalie crossed the fence and walked a few steps on the pasture, but his voice came up again.

"I could get you out of there with little effort, ma'am!"

"Try it! Let's see what happens to you after that."

Natalie turned her back on the agent and approached the Indians of the Reservation, but seconds later a heated argument began. One of the Indians insulted one of the cowboys and he crossed the fence to attack him, but the Indian quickly knocked him out on the ground. The scene was transformed without Natalie being able to keep up. The police officers lifted their weapons, as well as the cowboys on the other side, but soon the agent came up with the rifle and threatened the Indian with his barrel on his head.

"Whatever happens next happens to you first." The agent threatened in a loud and deep voice.

"Son of a bitch." The Indian released the cowboy under his hands and faced the agent with danger in his eyes.

Tensions were stifled with the arrival of a helicopter on land. Natalie managed to read Yellowstone Dutton Ranch in the helicopter body and smiled playfully. What an unusual way to meet the boss. He got off the vehicle dressed as the good landowner he was, with simple clothes and a hat. The livestock agent went to meet him and exchanged some words that Natalie could not hear due to the distance and noise of the helicopter propellers.

The two men approached the fence and John exchanged glances with Natalie, surprised by her presence there, but he had more urgent matters to deal with than to know why a white woman dressed in a white satin blouse, navy blue pencil skirt and high heels was on the other side of the fence. She soon found out that she was on the wrong side of that fight, so she walked slowly towards the track, and she had difficulty walking due to her high heels sinking into the grass.

"This is a tribal issue, John. Livestock commission's got no authority here." One of the police officers informed John with caution.

"Those look like livestock to me." He pointed to the cattle on the other side of the fence and kept walking.

"The Chief's at Commencement, but I'm calling the shots."

"I'm impressed you said that with a straight face, Ben." John mocked with a smile and continued walking on the tribal ground until he approached a gentleman sitting on the hood of the truck that was among the cattle.

"If you know anything, it's better to say it now. Things won't be more friendly between us and them for much longer." The agent approached Natalie again and she remained looking at John's back, wishing to hear what he said, but it was too far away.

"If I say what I know, I lose the letter in the sleeve I have, don't you think?"

"Look, ma'am, I don't know where you come from, but here in Montana we solve the problems in two ways: either we follow the law, or we break it." The agent responded politely after a brief pause, as if he were thinking about what he should say. She liked it, he didn't want to push her away, he thought she was important enough to try to insist on the subject.

"I come from Boston...and from what I see now, you will need a good lawyer."

"I don't think we'll win this fight through laws, ma'am."

"You really won't go, so you'll need a lawyer: to fix the law after you break it. I have my card in the car, if you want."

The agent smiled openly, showing his white and big teeth. Very perfect for a cowboy and livestock agent, she thought. Either he spent all the money on dental appointments or...

"Lee Dutton." He supported the rifle in one hand and offered her the other. "Can I know your name, Madam from Boston?"

"Natalie WentWorth." She accepted his greeting and had her small hand engulfed by his big hand, tanned and full of calluses in a strong but gentle grip. "Don't worry, I'm on this side of the fence."

He just kept smiling and Natalie could watch him at that moment, since he covered the sunlight from her face. Lee was tall, although any man taller than one meter and seventy was taller than her, he wore a cream hat that covered most of his hair, and he wore a grown beard, blonde, and looked well cared for. And there was that smile that besides being beautiful, was cheerful. How could he be happy in that situation? She didn't know, but she was curious.

"Lee!" John Dutton's voice sounded authoritarian when he crossed the fence. "Clear everyone out."

"You know, there was barbed wire on this fence a week ago." Lee explained to his father.

"I know. Clear them out."

"Alright! Move on!"

While Lee gathered his men, Natalie hurried the step to accompany John Dutton, but her high heels did not help, so she removed them.

"Mr. Dutton! Mr... Dutton!" She called feeling her feet pincing due to the tall grass. After a few seconds, he stopped and waited for her to approach.

"It wasn't a good choice to wear these shoes today, ma'am." John mocked with a smile as he observed the high heels in Natalie's hands.

"I'm a newcomer to Montana, sir. I can get used to it." She put on her shoes and extended a hand to him. "My name is Natalie WentWorth. Your son Jamie told me that you were in need of help."

"All the help I need is in my house, ma'am. I don't need another lawyer." John seriously informed without accepting her hand.

"But I came here from Boston. Jamie told me that..."

"I don't know what Jamie wanted with you, miss, but it certainly has nothing to do with me or my ranch." He stared at her in a mixture of pity and anger. "If you want, we can take you back in the helicopter."

"I've been driving, sir."

"I'm sorry for what Jamie made you go through. I hope you have a good trip back." John put his sunglasses on his face and walked away from her with slow steps towards the helicopter.

Natalie was planted in the same place for so long that the police officers of the reserve had left, as well as the tribals and most of the cowboys. She couldn't believe that. After all the effort to get there, after thinking long before getting close to cowboys again, she was rejected. Natalie didn't know who else she was angry with, if it was Jamie, Mr. Dutton or herself.

"Miss WentWorth, is everything okay?" Lee appeared next to her and she had to control herself so as not to shrook another Dutton next to her.

"It'll be." She started walking again and heard his steps following her. She rolled her eyes and growled softly. "Go back to your work, Mr. Dutton. You're going to need a lot of work."

"What do you mean? Hey, wait!"

Natalie was already used to walking with high heels on the grass and was already approaching her car on the side of the side. However, to her misfortune, one Dutton was determined to leave her away while the other did not leave her alone.

"What did you mean?" He put himself between her and the driver's door.

"I need to go now, Mr. Dutton. Can I get in my own car?" She asked impatiently, but Lee remained in the same place.

"Only answer the question." Lee asked kindly, but Natalie was too angry to notice.

"I am not obliged by law to answer anything. And if you don't get out of the front of my fucking car now, I'll sue you for so many things that you'll never have a penny in your cowboy pants again." She threatened him fervently and Lee took a few seconds thinking to then clear the way. "Thank you, Agent."

"Aren't you going to give me your card?" He asked at the window when she got in the car.

"It will no longer be necessary."

Natalie started the gear and started the car, causing the tire to leave stains on the asphalt.

[whumpbug]

whumperless whump event day 6: summer is a curse @whumperless-whump-event

heat stroke / panting / “why don't we… find some shade, quick?”

see this post for character information!

caretaker: Gene

whumpee: Cassidy

༶•┈┈୨♡୧┈┈•༶

It was the hottest day of the year, and Cassidy was starting to think that anyone trying to travel in this weather had a screw loose.

Well, maybe he had a screw loose for trying to pull a job in this weather in the first place.

He gripped the top of the door of the stagecoach he had heckled into stopping in the middle of the road. The metal burned his hand. He stepped into it, ducking down to face the man sitting in the seat, looking about ready to crap his pants.

“Ante up,” He barked. The passenger whimpered softly and reached into his shirt pocket.

Cassidy resisted the urge to swipe the sweat from his brow. A bandana was pulled up over his face to conceal his identity, and he was seconds away of saying to hell with it and yanking it off. He had no idea why Montana insisted they had to rob the stagecoach today, but who was he to argue? He just needed to get in and get out. He could cool off at the river later.

He glared down at the man and clicked his revolver, pointing it down.

“Don’t got all day,” He grumbled. The man’s hands shook as he emptied some coins into the pouch Cassidy held out. Cassidy could see a drop of sweat fall from the tip of the man’s nose.

Suddenly, a gunshot rang through the air and everyone inside the stagecoach froze.

“Silver! We gotta run, law’s comin’!” A voice called from outside. It was another of Montana’s boys, Red. 

Cassidy cursed softly under his breath as he heard distant shouts and hoofbeats. Goddamn it. He snatched away the pouch and cocked his gun.

This was just his luck. The law always managed to catch up with him at the most inconvenient times. He just hoped Delaney wasn’t with them. He wasn’t sure he had the energy to deal with that stuck-up deputy, feeling as shitty as he did.

Cassidy found his gelding, Scotch, waiting outside the stagecoach, whinnying softly. He ran at him and used the momentum to hoist himself onto the horse. Scotch anxiously hoofed at the ground. 

“Sorry boy, y’gotta run a bit more, alright? I know it ain’t fun..” Cassidy placated, clicking his teeth and tapping a heel into his mount’s side.

Scotch huffed, but was spurred into action, and soon, Cassidy was off.

Red had gotten a headstart and was already out of sight, and Cassidy thought he might make it out as well, but it seemed even Scotch was feeling the sluggishness of the heat.

The law caught up.

Gunshots rang out behind him. Warning shots. They were practically at his heels. He grunted in frustration. There was almost no chance of outrunning them this time, and he really didn’t want to be roped off the saddle.

Montana was gonna kill him.

He yanked back Scotch’s reins, causing the gelding to slow and pin his ears back in annoyance. Cassidy whispered an apology and clutched at the reins until came to a stop

The next thing he knew, he was surrounded by 3 lawmen and--

Goddamn it.

“Now Silver, tell me, why in the hell did you decide today was a good day t’pull this stunt,” Gene huffed, steering Calliope in front of Cassidy, effectively cutting him off.

“Delaney.” He mockingly tipped his hat. “Fancy seein’ you here.” Cassidy tried for a smirk, but it came out as more of a grimace.

“Enough. Get down.”

He grumbled and swung his leg to hop down from Scotch’s back. He gave the gelding a light pat, partially to comfort the animal, but also partially to steady himself. Truthfully, the quick movement caused a vicious headrush that had him seeing stars. 

He was really wishing he could shed some of his layers.

Gene was suddenly beside him, yanking his wrists behind his back, and he figured he oughta cooperate. It beat the alternative of being sent to the gallows for resisting arrest.

Soon enough, his hands were cuffed, and Scotch was being hitched to Gene’s mare. 

Gene turned to his men and told them something, but Cassidy stopped listening after a few seconds. Now, since he wasn’t moving anymore, he felt the sun beating down on him at full force. He moved to pull his bandana down to get some air, but all he could do was jerk against the cuffs uselessly.

This heat was starting to get real unbearable.

The other lawmen left, presumably to go chase Red, and Gene pulled Cassidy towards the horses.

“You can ride double with me if you behave. Act a fool, and I won’t hesitate to drag you all the way to town,” Gene grunted, heaving himself up onto Calliope. He cooed at his mare under his breath, silently apologizing for the extra weight he was about to add.

Without warning, he grabbed Cassidy under the arms and began pulling him up. Cassidy, to his credit, didn’t try to make it harder for the deputy. He simply hooked his foot into Calliope’s stirrup and settled behind Gene.

He was too goddamn burning to try and resist anything. 

He was sweating even more than before, if that was possible. When Calliope began walking forward, he found himself jolting with the movement and leaning more on Gene than he’d like to keep himself upright. 

Gene wasn’t a big talker, especially not with Cassidy, but he found himself wishing the deputy would make some kind of conversation, so he could focus on something other than the dizziness and nausea that was beginning to overtake him.

He swallowed reflexively and tried again to release the bandana around his face. 

“Quit squirming, Silver,” Gene barked, patting Calliope when she became fussy.

The truth was, Cassidy was trying not to squirm, but he couldn’t seem to find his balance. 

He practically grew up in the saddle. He started riding when he was just 11 years old, so it made no sense that every small movement the mare made seemed to send him listing to the side. His world was tilting on its axis. He felt like he was seconds away from spewing or blacking out, and he wasn’t sure which would be worse.

“D’laney,” He slurred, focusing every muscle in his body on keeping himself upright.

“What is it?” Gene grumbled, wiping some sweat from his neck with a handkerchief. Lord, this weather was miserable.

“I.. I don’t..” Cassidy swallowed again, blinking against the black spots that danced in his vision. “D’laney..”

Suddenly, Gene let out a curse as he felt Cassidy start to slip to the side. Calliope and Scotch both let out a worried huff.

Gene caught Cassidy limply by the waist, straining his arms behind him to hold the man up. He cursed again at how clammy Cassidy's skin felt, even through the layers of fabric.

“Goddamn it, Silver..” He breathed, carefully dismounting Calliope while keeping a hand on Cassidy to keep him steady on her back.

Cassidy’s eyes were half-lidded and hazy, and he was unnervingly pale. His lucidity was going, and fast. His breath was coming out in short, quick pants and sweat dripped down his jaw.

Gene made quick work of pulling him off the horse and lowering him unceremoniously to the ground. 

He squinted against the sun and scanned the area around them. “Why don’t we go find you some shade, alright? Won’t do me no good if you kick the bucket on the way to town.”

Cassidy found it odd that the deputy was being so amiable to him, but he wasn’t about to complain. Usually when he felt this run down, Montana told him to suck it up and figure it out. This was a welcome change of pace. He was too out of it to think too hard about it.

Gene half-helped-half-dragged Cassidy to a small tree off the side of the road. It did little to block the sun, but it was better than nothing. He lowered him against it and jogged back to lead the horses over as well. Scotch flicked his ears worriedly and leaned down to nose the side of his rider's head.

Cassidy was still panting hard against the heat, feeling like his entire body was pulsing with nausea and vertigo. He had heard about one of O'Malley's boys dying of heat sickness a while back, and he vaguely wondered if that was what was happening to him. He shuddered at the thought.

Gene approached once again, and before Cassidy could attempt to ask, he made quick work of yanking off the fabric around his face, before bending down to begin stripping him of his extra layers of fabric. He removed his own hat and fanned Cassidy, seeming a little more worried than he was initially leading on.

Cassidy wanted to say something, maybe make a snarky comment and the situation, but instead, his head lolled forward lazily. He could practically feel the deputy’s worried gaze boring a hole into the top of his mussed hair.

Suddenly, he felt gentle, calloused fingers grasp his wrist and press against the artery. Gene counted quietly and frowned.

His voice was now much more serious. “We need to cool you off.”

Suddenly, Cassidy was leaning back a little further against the tree with the buttons of his shirt pulled open. Gene fumbled around his bag for his waterskin, and unscrewed the top. He wet a small strip of fabric and placed it on the back of Cassidy’s neck before pressing the spout to his lips.

Cassidy drank desperately, not caring that the water dribbled down his chin. He was left breathless when the waterskin was pulled from his mouth.

“Alright, you just stay there. We’ll keep moving once you’re more.. stable. And for the love of all things holy, wear less clothes if you’re gonna pull a stunt in heat like this.”

Cassidy let his eyes flutter close, his head finally feeling a little clearer.

Gene clicked his tongue in disaproval and smoothed Cassidy's sweaty hair from his face.

"Just so you know, you're still gettin' locked up for this. I'm not that nice."

Cassidy huffed a small laugh. Yeah, it was probably deserved.

༶•┈┈୨♡୧┈┈•༶

[yippeeometer]

Idk if these are considered rare pairs, but here are some of my fav rare pair ships :D

FlouiSconsin (FL/LA/WI)

FloYork

TexYork

Texas/Wyoming/Montana

*you don't have to answer any of these, please do not feel forced to :D*

gonna answer all of them try that on for size

FLOUISCONSIN:

u just know theyre the ones throwing the new years party and its literally insane. typa guys to craft a massive stone boulder so they can actually say the ball dropped on the new year. typa guys to be researching haunted things on ebay to make halloween parties realistic.

their nights out should be classed as an olympic sport. Yeah you may have won a gold medal for sprinting but 1000% 3 drunk guys being chased by a zoo animal they accidentally let escape are faster than you.

something tells me they'd be the scariest people to sit near. theyre always giggling. always watching. what can they possibly be talking about.

they own like 2 pairs of real shoes between all of them and then just various non matching crocs

since sconsin has to be soooo far from the other two they just constantly have him on facetime. all day. theyre joining in on midwest arguments they know nothing about. theyre tattling to the south as soon as any drama goes down.

FLOYORK:

they serve couple-that-isnt-divorced-but-should-be vibes. theyre SICKENING omg two of the most insane people youve ever met.

we dont play around enough w the true extent of flo's madness he'd probably fill york's room w rats bc he heard that he likes them and york, matching his freak perfectly, would find it romantic. everyone else looks on in horror.

flo turns up at northeast meetings like an in-law at family gatherings to watch the drama. he definitely has a twitter account called 'weird shit my husband's family has fought over'

two strange guys with strange passions for animals. theres a collection of gator-sized sweaters in their closet that york gives flo whenever they argue (frequently)

'youre a snowbird' 'youre a leaf peeper' have you considered youre insufferable.

TEXYORK:

i acc love this ship youre never alone when yippeeometer is at the shipyard

theyre gonna be a slow-burn but in the sense that york's natural way of speaking is in one-word sentences and texas (daddy issues galore) would instantly be freaked out. local northeast man now befuddled how his flirting is not being picked up on.

oh god theyre sooooo awkward around each other. southern hospitality vs 'i can f*cking do it myself' northeast. match made in hell. hate them. no one knows how to communicate but also its sooo not casual when he begged u to come down to his ranch so he could teach u horseback riding. was it casual when he stopped the whole 'more than a city' shtick bc he wanted to show ONLY u around.

abnormal behaviour galore.... daddy issues galore..... typa guys where theres two wolves inside them (must protect him) (ab to get soooo vulnerable around him)

TX/WY/MT

cowboys!

typa guys where their only way of flirting is through the medium of horses. this is my horse shes called angel. yeah she fast. want to ride my horse? no seriously you have to ride my horse. u can even wear my hat when u do it but its totally chill or whatever....

its actually not chill they all compete at rodeos against each other and they WILL make it ur problem when it ruins the relationship.

farmer men..... farmer men..... grrrrrr what a yeild of crops..... just got some cows...... u can see them if u want...... u can stay in my bed.....

montana would have such fun with mr. 'pay attention to me or i die' texas and mr. 'no one look at me or ill kill myself' wy. sat at the table trying to maintain eye contact constantly with one whilst completely ignoring the other to not make the whole relationship obvious (its the most obvious thing in the world.)

[docholligay]

What western novels do you recommend? I don’t think I’ve ever read one and was hoping to give it a try!

I LOVE Westerns. I love them even when they aren't particularly good. Whenever people accuse me of hating genre fiction, I'm like, "I think my collection of Westerns begs to differ. I just have DIFFERENT bad taste." (My collection of horror books too)

OKAY SO, MUCH OF THIS DEPENDS ON WHAT YOU'D LIKE TO FIND IN A WESTERN NOVEL.

Perhaps the best Western Novel ever written: Lovesome Dove, by Larry McMurtry.

It's not just me that would say this of Lonesome Dove, I think you can find this on lists of the world's greatest Westerns, it's fairly largely acknowledged as a great American Novel, many books have TRIED to be Lonesome Dove and are not. This book was one of the things Jill and I talked for HOURS about on our first date. We almost mutually changed our last names to McCrae instead of her taking Holligay. She walked down the aisle to the theme from the miniseries.

To MASSIVELY OVERSIMPLIFY, this is the story of a cattle drive from Texas to Montana. But it's about relationships, and dedication, and doing everything right and losing anyhow, sometimes. It's about finding connections. It's about dreams and failures. It contains one of the greatest versions of "the grumpy one is soft for the sunshine one" in platonic form. Also the idea that a friend, who is never anything romantic, can be the love of your life.

A fun revival Western: The Shootist by Glendon Swartout

I actually just reread this! So in the 80s and 90s, Westerns became 'grittier' sort of like comic book movies did in the 00s. This is not an altogether bad thing, and it certainly wasn't all the way to 'gritty' until we get to, movie wise, things like 3:10 to Yuma, which actually is incredible. ANYWAY, so The Shootist breaks from a lot of the molds of 60 and 70s Westerns (upstanding law officer, gang of mustache twirling villains, etc) and is about the last great shootist--what a gunfighter would have been actually called in the 1800s--who is dying of cancer.

I know that does not make it sound fun, but it is, actually, and it is an easy read. Lots of fun Western colloquialisms and there IS depth there if you want to go looking for it, but it's totally extraneous to the enjoyment of the book and also might be half made up in my head.

A great classic Western: Riders of the Purple Sage by Zane Grey

Riders of the Purple Sage is actually responsible for helping form a lot of what we understand as being the Western genre today. This puppy has it all: Gunfights, cattle rustling, the moral code of one's own pride, falling in love with a lonely little woman hell bent to make it on her own.

There are so many things in this novel that will come to define the genre, but because it is a little pre-genre, at least in a strong and stratified way that separates itself from the dimestore novels, it's not as formulaic as you might expect and borrows heavily from early 1900s literature wrought large.

A WESTERN Western: Literally anything by Louis L'amour

Am I here to defend Louis L'amour? No I am not. Do I love Louis L'Amour? Yes absolutely. I am not even so much suggesting that you actually read a L'amour book because I think you really have to love the genre to get into them, but boy are they GENRE. Love them. There's like 5 or 6 plotlines between them. I read them in the tub all the time. I don't even count them toward my books read they are such popcorn. Delightful. I gave them away as favors at my wedding.

A modern Western: All The Pretty Horses by Cormac McCarthy

Now we're getting into the weeds a bit because there are some people who would argue that a lot of what modern Western literary fiction is, isn't really "Westerns" and I know what they're saying but I don't think I agree. There can be great novels of any genre that break genre, and I think this is just one of those. It has all the hallmarks of a Western.

Anyway, anyone who tells you The Road is Cormac McCarthy's best novel is out of their fucking minds and also probably very boring and controversially either doesn't read much or doesn't read much serious stuff. All of McCarthy's border novels are better than The Road, All the Pretty Horses just happens to be my favorite.

A Western that is probably more fairly slotted into Historical Fiction: Doc: A Novel, by Mary Doria Russell.

This book made me stop writing my Doc Holliday historical novel because I can't do a better job than this.

[440mxs-wife]

The Country Doctor, Chapter 1: A Fresh Start

Pairing: Dr. Leonard “Bones” McCoy x F!Reader (eventual). Other Characters are the usual suspects: Jim Kirk, Nyota Uhura. Spock, Montgomery Scott, Hikaru Sulu, Pavel Chekov (to be introduced in later chapters.) OMC's Travis Myers and Miles Cooper.

Word Count: 4530

Warnings: Divorce, break-up, ruthless businessmen, mentions of infidelity, but mostly fluffy (for now)

Summary: Fresh off of his divorce, Dr. McCoy receives word that he has inherited a 5,000-acre farm and home in Logan, Montana. Finally, he has an opportunity for a clean slate and to start his own clinic out west and leave his ex-wife behind. Along the way, he'll meet a cast of unique characters, each with a place in his new small-town life. But there could be trouble ahead in the form of a powerful CEO hell-bent on acquiring Leonard's property by any means necessary.

A/N: This idea was posted by @hailbop1701, with a specific list of plot points/dialog to be included. I won't put the list here, because it'll give away too much. Not sure how many parts there'll be, but I hope you like where I take the story.

A/N 2: If you’ve been tagged here, it’s because you’ve interacted one or more times on a McCoy story of mine, or we’re moots. Whether you like or reblog, I am eternally grateful for your support. If anyone else would like to be tagged on any future Karl Urban character postings, or would rather leave the Crazy Train, please let me know. Thank you, and enjoy the show!

*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*

"Court is adjourned."

That was the declaration eight weeks ago, when Dr. Leonard H. McCoy sat at a table with his attorney in the Fulton County Courthouse in Atlanta, Georgia. The Honorable Judge Michael Simmons had just pounded his gavel on the bench to signify an end to the McCoy v. McCoy divorce proceedings. Unfortunately, his now-ex-wife, Jocelyn, had the better attorney, which resulted in a somewhat less-than-equitable division of their assets.

At least Leonard was able to keep his vintage pickup truck and the 4-bedroom, 2 bath, ranch-style home he had lived in with Jocelyn. She basically got everything else in the settlement, though, including most of the furniture. She didn't technically need the furniture, since she was moving in with her new boyfriend. However, he had a rental property that needed furnishings, so that's where they went.

Two weeks after the divorce was finalized, Leonard received correspondence from a law firm in Montana, with a request for his presence. The letter did not specify the reason for the request, and when he called the law office, no one was authorized to divulge any information. He didn't want to find himself on the wrong side of the law and besides, he was more than a little curious. Luckily, the law firm had a satellite office in Atlanta, so that's where he attended the meeting.

An hour or so after the meeting ended, a slightly dazed Leonard walked out of the attorney's office with a file folder and a property deed in his hand. The meeting was for the reading of the will for his distant uncle, Walter McCoy. Around 5,000 acres of land in Montana along with an old craftsman-style farmhouse were bequeathed to him to do with as he pleased. There were also various outbuildings on the property, such as a machine shed, a barn with a hay loft, and horse stables.

He had options. There was an Eastern conglomerate, NorthStar Corp, that was willing to pay a more than fair price to buy it from him, lock, stock, and barrel. With what they were offering, Leonard wouldn't have to worry about money for the foreseeable future, if ever. Or, he could make the break from Georgia and his ex-wife with her boy-toy to make a go of it in Logan, Montana. Although Leonard wanted to stay near his mother, Eleanora, he had to consider that this was his chance to start over somewhere else.

When he told his best friend, James T. Kirk, about his inheritance, Jim could hardly contain his excitement. He considered it to be the start to a great adventure and was more than willing to accompany Leonard.

Jim had no family ties to speak of, preferring to live a sort of nomadic existence. He even offered to take turns driving the moving truck the 1,900 or so miles to Montana. "Good music, good snacks, and good company are all we need to get us to our destination, Bones," Kirk told him with a wide grin.

The more Leonard thought about it, the more he warmed up to the idea of starting somewhere new. A place where he wouldn't have to worry about running into someone who knew about the divorce and wouldn't hesitate to share an opinion about it. So, with Jim's help, he cleared his house out of any remaining items, put them in storage, then contacted a realtor to list it for sale.

After only a few showings, a deal was quickly closed, with a $30,000.00 profit in his bank account to show for it. Leonard and Jim loaded up his remaining possessions into the moving van, hooked up a car trailer with Leonard's pickup truck on it, and headed west to Montana. The pair made a few stops along the way, renting a hotel room to rest for the night before hitting the road again the next morning.

The more miles Leonard put behind him, the more comfortable and free he felt with his decision. He wasn't too keen on leaving his mother behind, but she assured him that she would be fine, even encouraged him to take this leap. He made a note to send her a plane ticket so she could visit once he got settled.

Nearly four days and more than 1,900 miles later, Leonard turned into the gravel driveway that led to his new home. It was a charcoal gray with white trim craftsman-style farmhouse with a tall, red brick chimney on one side. The wooden wrap-around porch was accented with white, tapered columns, set on top of the slotted railing framing the area. He appreciated the large windows, which would bring in a good amount of natural light, as well as soft breezes on lazy summer days.

"Well? Is it everything you expected?" Jim asked.

"I didn't exactly know what to expect, Jim. I don't even remember either of my parents ever mentioning an 'Uncle Walter McCoy'. He isn't someone I knew well enough for him to leave me something like this, but I'll do my best to make the most of it. From what I've seen so far, though, at least the outside looks fine," Leonard replied.

"That's the spirit, Bones! Let's go have a look at the grounds, then inside the house. After that, we can start unloading your stuff," Jim grinned as he scrambled out of the truck.

Leonard stepped down from the driver's seat and closed the door. "Sure, Jim. Why not," he muttered to himself. He fished the house keys out of his pocket on his way up the porch steps. The front door was made of solid oak with a dark finish and leaded glass panels arranged in a geometric design. He inserted the key into the lock and tilted his head back. "Here goes nothin', I guess," he murmured, pushing the door open.

***

At just after 2:00pm, you stopped by the post office to retrieve your mail that had piled up over the last couple of days. Before you left, you strolled up to the counter to chat with your best friend, Nyota Uhura. Her shift was almost over, so she suggested the two of you meet for coffee and a snack at the Java Station Café on Main Street.

While you waited for her at the café, you thought about how you met her and what brought you back to Logan, Montana. Your now-ex-boyfriend, Travis Myers, had convinced you to move with him from Logan to Bozeman. He'd landed a lucrative position as in-house counsel for a large and powerful corporation. You found work at a tech company doing data entry work for a medical office. Not too terribly taxing nor was it what you wanted for a career, but it paid well.

Around the six-month mark of living together in the big city, Travis started coming home later and later in the evening. Missed date nights and other outings were becoming more frequent, with him coming to bed late and leaving before you woke up. Whenever you tried to talk to him about it, he always chalked it up to working late on a big case or project, so you let it go.

The last straw was when the two of you were supposed to meet a few of your friends for dinner. Since he was late picking you up from home, you asked one of them to drive you to the restaurant. From the lobby, you called Travis and told him to meet you there.

Just before you said your goodbyes, you heard, "Come back to bed, baby, I'm cold" in a woman's voice. You were furious, demanding to know who the woman was and how long he had been seeing her. After first denying everything, he ultimately confessed it was his assistant and it had been going on for about six weeks. You felt your world collapsing around you at his admission. Dinner was forgotten while your friends drove you back to the apartment to pack up your belongings.

You couch-surfed for about a month before finding an apartment back in Logan, where you had previously lived with your parents. Because Travis paid for most of the expenses such as rent and utilities, you were able to save up quite a nest egg to cover your new living situation. However, you weren't sure how much longer your savings would hold out, so you decided to look for a job to make ends meet.

The bell above the door tinkled, and Nyota rushed over to your table. After a brief hug, you both sat down and waited for your server to appear and take your order. Uhura was practically vibrating with energy, which meant she had something exciting to share. A few minutes later, with your order submitted, she spilled her secret.

"You'll never guess what happened today!" she exclaimed. "Two men came in today to file a change of address card."

You snorted. "That sounds like something that happens every day around here, Nyota, not that interesting. You're nearly jumping out of your skin about this. What is so compelling about them that has you barely able to sit still long enough to tell me?"

Uhura made a face at you to show her displeasure. "If you can keep from insulting me, I'll tell you," she pouted. You held up your hands in surrender as her cue to continue. "They moved here from Georgia, and one of them has the most tantalizing Southern accent. They were both tall, one blond hair with striking blue eyes, and the other dark hair and hazel eyes. He seemed a little grumpy at first, but Blue Eyes was the more charming of the two," she explained.

"Did you get a look at their new address, the one here?" you asked.

"The one with dark hair listed his name as Dr. Leonard H. McCoy, and his address matched the one for Walter McCoy's place," she replied.

Now she had your attention. Every so often, you drove by the farm, wishing you lived there instead of your small, one-bedroom apartment. You had thoughts about what it would be like to buy the place one day so you could fix it up and return it to some of its old glory. You'd heard through the grapevine that the owner passed away a few months back. It was also mentioned that ownership would pass to his only other living relative.

"I've always thought about that place, what it looks like inside, how I would spruce it up. Wait a minute, did you say Doctor McCoy?" you squeaked.

"And her brain has finally caught up with her mouth," Uhura joked. "I was wondering when you'd catch on to that tidbit of information. That house has a separate office space, ideal for treating patients. Word travels fast in this town, and once folks get to know there's a doctor in town again, Dr. McCoy is bound to need help. You know, with paperwork or coordinating treatment of his patients. Know anyone with those kind of skills?" she grinned.

In addition to your data entry job, you had acquired some basic medical training. The town had a couple of paramedics within the Volunteer Fire Department for the more serious cases. For now, it was enough, but it would be nice for the vacancy to be filled, especially by a handsome doctor. "Hmm. Maybe I should head out that way, introduce myself, see if he needs any help." Beg him for a job, you silently added.

"That's the spirit! If you're done with your coffee, we should drive out there and check things out. You in?" she held out her hand for you to shake.

After draining the last of your cappuccino, you nodded and shook her hand. "I'm all in," you declared.

***

Leonard and Jim wandered the property, taking in the condition and contents of the outbuildings. Many of the machines and tools were left behind. They noted which items were and were not still functional, to determine what could be easily returned to service or sold for parts. The good news was, the buildings themselves were structurally sound, although at least in need of a new outer coat of paint.

As for the house itself, Leonard was pleased to find a side entrance that led to an office, set apart from the main house. It was perfect for starting his clinic, with a small area that could function as a waiting room, and enough space for a reception desk. He made a note to check in town for a secondhand store to pick up a desk, some chairs and other furnishings.

Jim joked and told him that all he needed now was a pretty receptionist who could also perform nursing duties. Leonard glared at him in response, reminding him that after the way divorce went, he wasn't at all interested in dating. "Just doctorin'," he affirmed. "Maybe fishin', if the winds are just right," he added with a smirk.

A tour of the home's interior revealed hardwood flooring in the bedrooms and living room, while ceramic tiles covered the floor in the eat-in kitchen. There was a separate dining room space between the kitchen and living room. The centerpiece of the living room was a fireplace made with gray bricks and had a dark wooden mantle above it.

Before his arrival, Leonard contacted the utilities and asked for them to be turned on and transferred into his name. That gave Leonard and Jim a chance to determine what worked and what needed repaired. For the most part, the electrical system was in good working order, except for a few outlets that may need replaced or updated.

The water situation was another story. At first, when Jim turned on the high-arching faucet in the kitchen, the white farmhouse sink reflected a light brownish tint to the water. The pedestal sink and clawfoot tub in the main bathroom, plus the sinks in the half-baths were the same shade of brown. However, the more they let the water run, the clearer it became, which helped ease their minds a bit.

Leonard walked back out to the porch to make a mental list of what he'd need to bring the old house back to life and working order. The hardwood floors were in good condition, though they could use a bit of polish applied to them. There were a few non-working electrical outlets that would need an electrician's expertise to chase down the problem. In the bedrooms, there were spots where the wallpaper was peeling away from the wall. Not exactly a fan of wallpaper, Leonard decided it would be better to tear it all down and paint instead.

Overall, the pluses outweighed the minuses, such as the updated appliances in the kitchen and quartz countertops. Leonard could definitely see himself cooking up a Sunday dinner of his mother's chicken and dumplings with a peach cobbler. As an avid reader, he also loved the built-in bookshelves to showcase his personal library of classics. And the side-door entrance to the office space provided a break between his professional life and his personal life.

Jim joined him out on the porch and gazed out over the mature trees that dotted the property. "So now that you've taken the grand tour, what do you think, Bones?"

Leonard thought for a moment before answering. "Think I'm gonna like it here. Let's start unloading the truck," he directed. "Good thing we hit those consignment shops on the way here, or you wouldn't have a bed to sleep in," he jested.

Jim was about to unlatch the door on the moving truck when he noticed a car turning into the driveway. "Welcoming Committee?" he wondered. Leonard shook his head and rolled his eyes while he walked over to stand next to Jim. They both watched as the car rolled to a stop near the front of the truck.

***

The drive to the McCoy place only took about twenty minutes, which you spent silently reviewing your qualifications. Uhura could tell you were worried about making a good impression, which she was sure you would. She told you not to worry about it, that you were the best candidate for the job, if Dr. McCoy was hiring. "What if he's not hiring, though?" you asked.

"Then we'll have to convince him that he'll need your help, being the only doc in town. There really is no way around it, he will require an assistant," she reasoned. Her response sounded logical, so you accepted it and kept driving out to meet your prospective employer.

Soon your car was pulling into the driveway, where a large moving truck was parked. Upon seeing the two men standing to one side, you had to admit that Uhura was right. They were both strikingly handsome men. The dark-aired man carried a stern look on his face and his arms were crossed over his chest. The blond seemed a little more easygoing, self-assured, bordering on cocky, as if he knew what a good-looking man he was.

As you exited your vehicle, the men had started walking in your direction. "You ladies lost or somethin'?" the dark-haired man drawled. Ohhhh, that accent was enough to make you weak in the knees, you thought. You held on to your open door for balance.

"Yeah, can we help you?" the blond man wondered with a smirk.

When your brain finally rebooted, you responded, "Actually, we were hoping to be of assistance to you, since you're new in town." At this, you introduced the two of you and learned that the blond was James T. Kirk, or "Jim" he offered with a waggle of his eyebrows. His grumpy companion with the dark hair was the Dr. Leonard H. McCoy who now owned the property.

"I think we can manage fine with just the two of us. Good day, la--" Leonard was interrupted by Jim, who pulled him aside.

"Wait a minute, Bones, let's not be too hasty. I mean, these are a couple of gorgeous women who showed up out of nowhere to see us," Jim pointed out. "It wouldn't hurt to hear what they had to say, now would it?"

Leonard pinched the bridge of his nose and sighed in exasperation. He was here to be a physician, to take care of people who need help, not dip a toe in the dating pool. When he looked up, he noticed that Jim had left his side and was talking to Uhura, while you had stepped up in his place.

"Excuse me, Dr. McCoy? I understand that my friend and I just turned up unannounced on your doorstep, and you don't know anything about us. But this is a pretty small town, and I should tell you, it won't take long for people to learn that we have a new physician to replace old Doc Thomas. Therefore, I'm offering you my services. I have some basic medical training, and I used to do data entry for a medical company back in Bozeman," you explained.

"Bozeman? Why on earth would you ever leave there to live here? Not to say that what I've seen so far of Logan isn't simply charming," Leonard added with more than a hint of sarcasm.

"I'll be glad to share that little tidbit of information once we've gotten used to working together," you shot back. "By hiring me, you'll have a well-organized appointment calendar, along with accurate patient files. You'll also have someone who knows how to take and record vitals, which leaves you free to do the doctorin'. So, do we have a deal?" you asked, your hand outstretched.

Leonard took a moment to consider your offer, bold though it was. He had to concede that in a town of this size, word would get around about a new physician and spread like wildfire. He'd probably end up with a huge influx of patients. Even if it was only at first, he might become easily overwhelmed. Patient care was of the utmost importance to him, and if you could make things easier for him, who was he to reject such a proposition?

His lack of response translated to you as a decline of your offer of assistance. As you started to withdraw your hand, he quickly grabbed it and clasped it between his own. "Whoa, hold on there just a minute. All right, you have a deal, but we'll do this as a trial run. A three-month probationary period, take it or leave it," he bartered, fighting the urge to smile.

"Thank you, Dr. McCoy! Three months? That'll be more than enough time for you to decide you can't live without me! In-in the office, I mean," you clarified.

Leonard couldn't help but smile at your blunder. "All right, now that we have that settled, I hope you'll excuse me and Casanova over there with your friend. We have a lot to unload, and I'd like to sleep in my own bed tonight rather than the couch," he stated.

"We can help, if that's okay with you? With four sets of hands, we can be done in no time. Besides, I've always been kind of curious about what the inside of your house looks like," you admitted.

You are one interesting woman, Leonard thought to himself. "Okay, let's get started then. Once we get everything out of the truck, I'll take you on the nickel tour," he winked. He whistled to get Jim's and Uhura's attention, then opened up the back of the truck.

***

"There, I think that's the last of it," Leonard declared after he removed the final box from the moving truck and placed it on the lawn. He jumped up to grab the leather strap, then pulled down the rolling door until it was flush with the deck. He latched and locked the door, picked up the box, and brought it into his new home.

 Jim and Uhura had taken your car into town to pick up something for dinner, which left you alone with Leonard. During the unloading, you didn't get much of a chance to stop and look around. But now that most of the heavy lifting was done, you seized the opportunity to take in your surroundings.

You were so caught up in admiring the home's features that you didn't hear Dr. McCoy slide up next to you. "If you have your nickel, I'm ready to start the tour," he grinned. You dug in your pocket, which luckily contained the right coin for the price of your ticket. "Ready when you are, Dr. McCoy," you replied, handing over the 5 cents.

***

Video Conference Call -- Bozeman, Montana

Travis checked his watch to see that he had another ten minutes before his conference call was scheduled to start. He opened the blue file folder in front of him, which was sent from his employer regarding a property they wanted to acquire in Logan, Montana. He sat back in his chair as he thought about how you'd moved there after breaking up with him. Before he could stroll any further down Memory Lane, his alarm beeped to let him know it was time to start the call.

"Good afternoon, ladies and gentlemen," Travis greeted. He could see the CEO, Miles Cooper, at the head of the table, surrounded by other members of NorthStar Corp's Board of Executives.

"Good afternoon, Mr. Myers. I see you have the file in front of you, so let's begin. We understand that the principal owner of the McCoy property has passed away. As such, we want to move forward and make the new owner an offer to purchase the parcel of land and whatever's on it. The house, barn, stables--everything, down to the last shingle," Mr. Cooper explained.

"My source tells me that the new owner drove all the way from Atlanta, Georgia to check out the property. He is also a doctor, and the town has been without one since the last one died. In my opinion, this could present a problem. He may decide to stay and 'hang out his shingle', as it were," Travis pointed out.

Mr. Cooper leaned back in his chair and rested his steepled index fingers on his chin as he contemplated his next move. As he considered this new development, conversation buzzed around him among the other executives. According to one of the scientific reports he received, there were plenty of reasons for encouraging the good doctor to sell.

The report mentioned the discovery of several veins of copper and silver running beneath the surface. The financial gains from mining those resources would more than cover the initial investment paid to acquire the property. Whether the new owner was aware of these precious metals was unknown, but Cooper needed to act fast before the doctor learned of their existence.

With a wave of his hand, silence returned to the board room as Mr. Cooper had made a decision. "Mr. Myers, I suggest you do your best to convince Dr. McCoy to sell the property to us. I will have a new purchase offer drawn up that's more than fair, and you should strongly encourage him to accept it."

Travis carefully considered Mr. Cooper's words that carried the barest hint of a threat behind them. "Sir, I will present your offer; however, we should be prepared for him to turn it down and decide to become the town's doctor."

"You worry about getting a signature on that purchase agreement, Myers, and I will worry about whether or not a contingency plan will be needed. Before the previous owner's death, this was a working farm, right? Lots of tools, machinery? Farming is considered to be one of the most dangerous professions, you know. Accidents can and do happen. It would be unfortunate if an accident should befall the good Dr. McCoy," Mr. Cooper replied darkly.

There was no mistake in Mr. Cooper's intent this time. "Absolutely, sir. I will find a way to present your offer that will make it difficult if not impossible to decline it."

Mr. Cooper's eyes brightened and a smile graced his face. "Excellent, Myers, I knew I could count on you. I'll send that new offer over to you as soon as I have it and we'll go from there," he stated. "I appreciate your cooperation, Myers, I certainly won't forget it."

"And thank you, Sir. I welcome this opportunity, and I will not let you down," Travis concluded.

"Let us hope not, Myers. I'd hate for you to experience any....negative fallout, should you be unable to close this deal," Mr. Cooper remarked ominously before disconnecting the call.

Travis relaxed in his chair and began to formulate a plan in his mind. A sly grin crept across his face as he thought of the perfect way to get an inside look into the doctor's life.

Of course, it involved a trip to Logan and should he happen to run into you, so much the better. For him, anyway. Though there was a near 100% chance that you would want nothing to do with him. If that was the case, his plan may be a bust before it even gets started.

Especially after the way things ended between you discovering his infidelity. For that reason alone, it was likely your walls of protection against him and his crap were nearly guaranteed to be sky-high. But it was a chance he was willing to take, because he did not want to disappoint his client. Something told him that with a failure of this magnitude, Mr. Cooper was capable of making his life a living hell.

*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*

Tags: @marvelouslytrekking @spacedancer1701 @anna-phora @hailbop1701 @writercole @lassie-bird @never--doubt @phoenixisred @wayward-dreamer @erindiggory @strangesgirls @dumpsterhippie @genevablog26 @lokis-deares @medicatemedrmccoy @rooweighton @mamamercurymist @d-doki-doki @malmeansbad @imamotherfuckingstar-lord @ghosttrekkie @noforkingclue @bellestalesoffiction

[yoitsjay]

Wilder West

Pairings: Ghost x Gn! Reader

Summary: you left your old life behind, you had a new purpose... but your past would come up eventually.

Warnings: cannon typical violence, wild west shiz. No specified gender, can be male or fem

Word count: 2388

Render credit: @ave661

1870, what a time to be living, where women were fighting for the right to live and vote and men were off running wild on horses, robbing folk who deserved it or who didn't. You were a lawman in a small town on the border of California and Nevada, practically the only form of law the small town you were in had. Everyone came and went, and of course the locals stayed and made your life either miserable or enjoyable, it all depended on the day really.

At the moment, your deputy in training was watching over the office and town while you were on a small patrol on the perimeter. Lately, there has been talk of robberies on the roads leading out of the town, and you suspected they would be heading in your town to rob folk and shops. It was all local and there wasn't a bank in the town, you'd have to travel to the nearest city which was several days away, There wasn't even a trolley station to store money in. You honestly had no idea why these outlaws would wish to rob your town.

However as you make your way back to the town you hear two gunshots from the middle of the town, followed by shouts of the locals and then shouts from strangers. Your eyes widened and you kicked the side of your horse and got him into motion, galloping back into town as you showed up behind several outlaws who now held your people at gunpoint. Your horse reared up on his hind legs as you pulled your revolver from its holster, pointing it at the back of the supposed leader's head. "I suggest you get the fuck out of my town." You drawled out, the sound of your gun loading filling the dust filled air. The outlaw slowly turned to you with his hands raised, and you quickly noticed that he was wearing a red skull half mask, with a bandana hiding the rest of his face underneath. He wore a vest and a cowboy hat with several teeth sewn into the fabric. Though his appearance was intimidating, he did not scare you.

"I will repeat myself. Get out of my town." You ordered, hearing the chuckles of the other outlaws. You gripped your weapon tighter, your eyes flickering around as you took in your surroundings, and the fact that two outlaws had snuck behind you, and had you surrounded. The leader spoke up, tipping his hat to you. "I think we found our pretty bounty boys." He drew out, however his accent was strange, it wasn't american. It was british. You scoffed, however as you looked to the sheriff's office you saw your young deputy get dragged out by the scruff of his neck. Once again your eyes went wide, and in your moment of vulnerability the leader shot forward, grabbing your arm as he tugged you down off your horse. The stupid beast ran away of course, not before kicking one of the outlaws to the ground. "stupid horse!" You shouted, struggling against the large man as he hogtied you on the ground. You huffed and you turned to lay on your back, staring up at the skull faced man with narrowed eyes.

"You will be comin' with us Sheriff Y/n… or should I say Bluebird? fastest draw from Louisiana to Montana? you should've known you'd be found one day." The man explained, grabbing you and hauling you over his shoulder before he placed you on the back of his horse. you grunted, staying silent as you stared at the ground. It had been years since you put down that name, you did not kill anymore, you didn't rob innocent people. You thought you had flipped your life around but… Your past caught up to you.

"Come on boys. Let's take this pretty thing back to camp, leave the rest, we got what we came for." The skull faced man announced, pulling himself up onto his horse before riding off. You grunted at the sudden jolting. shifting your body slightly as you tried to grab onto something to hold you more still as the man rode out of the town with his fellow outlaws behind him. "So who are you then? some outlaw wannabe?" You asked him, closing your eyes so you didn't get dust in them. The man chuckled, however he didn't answer you. The sun glared down on the back of your head, making you sweat more than you had before. "I turned my life around, I did good and I am good. I bet you can't say that about yourself." You sneered. You felt the man's horse slow to a walk, and then his hand in your hair as he yanked your head up so you looked at him and into his eyes through the mask.

"Shut up. Just stay quiet and once we get to camp you can talk all you want. We ain't bringing you in friend." He stated, however, that made you all the more confused, what did he mean by he and his ruffians were not turning you into the law? you were sure you had a massive bounty on your head, they could get a pretty damn big paycheck if they handed you in… maybe they were lying to you.

regardless his words shut you up and he continued riding, knowing well you were trying to figure out what he had meant. After a few more hours on the road, he pulled into a little forest clearing by a lake, it was cooler here, because there was more shade, and it was definitely relieving. however before you could bask in any more of the coolness, you were lifted off the back of the horse and dropped on the ground by a tree. you were untied for the most part except for one hand being tied to the tree so you couldn't go anywhere. The outlaws talked amongst each other before a different one approached you. This man had his face revealed, but he had a mohawk and a red cloth tied around his neck, he wore a white button up that was unbuttoned slightly down the collar with a dark brown vest over. he sat down in front of you and you both just stared each other down for a few minutes until you noticed a smile grow on his face.

"I've read newspapers about you, Blue Bird, only two years ago you were robbin and killin' west of arkansas. Now you're a lawman of a small town in Cali. How fast things change hm?" He questioned, however you simply narrowed your eyes. "get to the point mohawk, what do you want?" you asked him, watching as the scotsman stood up, gesturing for the others to come forward. Skull face approached and he handed you a bounty poster, but it didn't have your face on it. No it was an old friend of yours that you had long abandoned… "König?" You let out a shaky breath as you stared at the poster before looking up at the men around you. "You know him then?" a new voice spoke up, and you turned your head, staring at a dark skinned man with shorter hair, also wearing a button up but with no vest. You nodded your head.

"I do… König and I were an item, an unstoppable team, with him and his lackeys…" You trailed off, handing the bounty poster back to skull face. "What do you want with him?" You asked, balling your hands into fists as memories resurfaced in your mind. "We want you to join us and help us track him down. We know your skills as an excellent tracker, and on top of that you could be the person who knows where he was last… and as for König, he is an excellent hunter, big bounty, and an even bigger ego to match… we think he could be useful for a much bigger picture."

All of this was explained by another new voice, he had a beard and a cowboy hat resting atop his head, however it was different from skull face's hat, more fitting to his clothing style as well. a sigh left your lips as you stared down at the ground for a moment, eyebrows furrowing in thought before a conclusion finally came up in your mind.

You looked up at the men, shifting your hips in a more comfortable position. You nodded your head, running a hand through your hair. "I'll help, as long as you promise that he won't be harmed." You stated, and the better dressed man nodded before he cut the rope around your wrist. "What are your names?" you questioned, looking around at all of them. They were all much taller than you, not to say you were short or anything, you were average height, they were all just giants.

Mohawk stepped forward first with a big smile, and began gesturing around to the men in camp. "Im John, or Soap, our leader is Price, and that's Kyle but we call him Gaz, and then this big guy is Ghost. Just Ghost.." Soap was introduced, and you shook his hand firmly before shaking Price and then Gaz' hand. You stared at Ghost, narrowing your eyes as you stared at him before shaking his hand. He gripped your hand tight for a moment, even as you tried to pull away he didn't let go until he was ready, giving your hand one last squeeze before dropping your hand. Ghost then tipped his hat to you, leaving in silence. a huff left your lips and as the men scattered around to busy themselves you wiped the dirt off your pants. If you were back in the outlaw gig, you might as well look the part.

You walked up to Soap and you tapped him on the shoulder. "Soap, will you take me to my cabin outside of town? my gear is stored there and i'd like to get it." You requested, and he nodded with a grin. "Sure i'll take ya friend! just- don't do nothin' stupid alright? I'm not afraid to put a bullet in your head." He stated, and you nodded with a nervous expression. "I don't plan on stabbing you in the back." You explained as you followed him to his horse which was tethered up to one of the trees.

The trip to your little cabin didn't take that long, and in no time you had your sheriff's clothes off and you were back into the clothes that held so much history for you. Once you were dressed you had just one final touch, and as you exited the cabin where soap was waiting you slowly raised your arm, and you placed your signature hat down on your head, a light smile gracing your lips as you walked over to him. "I ain't no killer no more, but i sure am back in business." You told him, before putting your fingers up to your mouth, whistling loudly. It took a few minutes but you eventually heard the sound of galloping approaching closer and closer, and out of the tall brush emerged your horse. "You stupid boy" You scolded as you walked up to the fine steed, patting his broad neck before getting up onto the saddle, making yourself comfortable as you turned to Soap. "Ready? let's head back to camp." you requested, and with that you and soap rode- more like raced back to camp, and luckily enough for you, you had memorized the way out and you beat soap in the camp, skidding to a stop as he entered the clearing with a defeated look on his face.

Your boisterous laugh carried out through the camp as you tethered up your horse with soap, making your way to everyone else gathered around the campfire in the center of camp. the skull faced man- Ghost, piped up upon your return. "You seem like you two had fun… nice clothes sheriff." He pointed out, nodding his head to you in a quick motion before lifting his mask down just enough to take a sip of tea, pulling the mask up right after. A hum left your lips and you found a seat beside him and Soap, immediately being handed a cup of coffee by Price, you thanked him immediately, taking a sip as you stared in the fire.

"so, the last time I heard from König was about a year ago maybe? He sent me a letter after we parted ways, and he told me he would be heading up to Montana for some work. He also used to stay in a hovel in Oregon. I doubt he is still there hence the letter, but he could have left some clues behind to tell us where exactly he is." You explained, sipping your cup of coffee once more, Price hummed in agreement, liking the idea you proposed.

"Alright then, we leave at the crack of dawn tomorrow morning." He stated, standing up and leaving the fore which left no room for argument. The sun was already setting, and because of the trees blocking the sun it was significantly darker in camp, but lamps were strewn about as well as the light from the campfire. Ghost then stood up, gesturing for you to follow him. And follow him as you make your way to a large tent. He opened the flap for you, and you went inside first with him close behind. On the ground there were two bedrolls, one was a bit cluttered with items and trinkets while the other was completely empty. "You'll be sharing a tent with me. So I can keep an eye on you, understand?" He asked and you nodded, setting your hat down on the top of the bedroll. "Understood Ghost." You answered, turning around only to see that he had disappeared. a huff left your lips, however you wasted no time to get comfortable in your bedroll, you were tired and it had been a long and hot day.

So with your head resting upon your arms you let your eyes flutter closed and you fell asleep. And by the next morning you knew the hunt for König would begin.

[dreaminginthedeepsouth]

LETTERS FROM AN AMERICAN

April 7, 2024 (Sunday)

HEATHER COX RICHARDSON

APR 08, 2024

In August 1870 a U.S. exploring expedition headed out from Montana toward the Yellowstone River into land the U.S. government had recognized as belonging to different Indigenous tribes.

By October the men had reached the Yellowstone, where they reported they had “found abundance of game and trout, hot springs of five or six different kinds…basaltic columns of enormous size” and a waterfall that must, they wrote, “be in form, color and surroundings one of the most glorious objects on the American Continent.” On the strength of their widely reprinted reports, the secretary of the interior sent out an official surveying team under geologist Ferdinand V. Hayden. With it went photographer William Henry Jackson and fine artist Thomas Moran.

Banker and railroad baron Jay Cooke had arranged for Moran to join the expedition. In 1871 the popular Scribner’s Monthly published the surveyor’s report along with Moran’s drawings and a promise that Cooke’s Northern Pacific Railroad would soon lay tracks to enable tourists to see the great natural wonders of the West.

But by 1871, Americans had begun to turn against the railroads, seeing them as big businesses monopolizing American resources at the expense of ordinary Americans. When Hayden called on Congress to pass a law setting the area around Yellowstone aside as a public park, two Republicans—Senator Samuel Pomeroy of Kansas and Delegate William H. Clagett of Montana—introduced bills to protect Yellowstone in a natural state and provide against “wanton destruction of the fish and game…or destruction for the purposes of merchandise or profit.”

The House Committee on Public Lands praised Yellowstone Valley’s beauty and warned that “persons are now waiting for the spring…to enter in and take possession of these remarkable curiosities, to make merchandise of these bountiful specimens, to fence in these rare wonders so as to charge visitors a fee, as is now done at Niagara Falls, for the sight of that which ought to be as free as the air or water.” It warned that “the vandals who are now waiting to enter into this wonderland will, in a single season, despoil, beyond recovery, these remarkable curiosities which have required all the cunning skill of nature thousands of years to prepare.”

The New York Times got behind the idea that saving Yellowstone for the people was the responsibility of the federal government, saying that if businesses “should be strictly shut out, it will remain a place which we can proudly show to the benighted European as a proof of what nature—under a republican form of government—can accomplish in the great West.”

On March 1, 1872, President U. S. Grant, a Republican, signed the bill making Yellowstone a national park.

The impulse to protect natural resources from those who would plunder them for profit expanded 18 years later, when the federal government stepped in to protect Yosemite. In June 1864, Congress had passed and President Abraham Lincoln signed a law giving to the state of California the Yosemite Valley and nearby Mariposa Big Tree Grove “upon the express conditions that the premises shall be held for public use, resort and recreation.”

But by 1890 it was clear that under state management the property had been largely turned over to timber companies, sheep-herding enterprises, and tourist businesses with state contracts. Naturalist John Muir warned in the Century magazine: “Ax and plow, hogs and horses, have long been and are still busy in Yosemite’s gardens and groves. All that is accessible and destructible is rapidly being destroyed.” Congress passed a law making the land around the state property in Yosemite a national park area, and the United States military began to manage the area.

The next year, in March 1891, Congress gave the president power to “set apart and reserve…as public reservations” land that bore at least some timber, whether or not that timber was of any commercial value. Under this General Revision Act, also known as the Forest Reserve Act, Republican president Benjamin Harrison set aside timber land adjacent to Yellowstone National Park and south of Yosemite National Park. By September 1893, about 17 million acres of land had been put into forest reserves. Those who objected to this policy, according to Century, were “men [who] wish to get at it and make it earn something for them.” 

Presidents of both parties continued to protect American lands, but in the late nineteenth century it was New York Republican politician Theodore Roosevelt who most dramatically expanded the effort to keep western lands from the hands of those who wanted only their timber and minerals. 

Roosevelt was concerned that moneygrubbing was eroding the character of the nation, and he believed that western land nurtured the independence and community that he worried was disappearing in the East. During his presidency, which stretched from 1901 to 1909, Roosevelt protected 141 million acres of forest and established five new national parks. 

More powerfully, he used the 1906 Antiquities Act, which Congress had passed to stop the looting and sale of Indigenous objects and sites, to protect land. The Antiquities Act allowed presidents to protect areas of historic, cultural, or scientific interest. Before the law was a year old, Roosevelt had created four national monuments: Devils Tower in Wyoming, El Morro in New Mexico, and Montezuma Castle and Petrified Forest in Arizona.

In 1908, Roosevelt used the Antiquities Act to protect the Grand Canyon.

Since then, presidents of both parties have protected American lands. President Jimmy Carter rivaled Roosevelt’s protection of land when he protected more than 100 million acres in Alaska from oil development. Carter’s secretary of the interior, Cecil D. Andrus, saw himself as a practical man trying to balance the needs of business and environmental needs but seemed to think business interests had become too powerful: “The domination of the department by mining, oil, timber, grazing and other interests is over.”

In fact, the fight over the public lands was not ending; it was entering a new phase. Since the 1980s, Republicans have pushed to reopen public lands to resource development, maintaining even today that Democrats have hampered oil production although it is currently, under President Joe Biden, at an all-time high. 

The push to return public lands to private hands got stronger under former president Donald Trump. On April 26, 2017, Trump signed an executive order—Executive Order 13792—directing his secretary of the interior, Ryan Zinke, to review designations of 22 national monuments greater than 100,000 acres, made since 1996. He then ordered the largest national monument reduction in U.S. history, slashing the size of Utah’s Bears Ears National Monument by 85%—a goal of uranium-mining interests—and that of Utah’s Escalante–Grand Staircase by about half, favoring coal interests.

“No one better values the splendor of Utah more than you do,” Trump told cheering supporters. “And no one knows better how to use it.”

In March 2021, shortly after he took office, President Biden announced a new initiative to protect 30% of U.S. land, fresh water, and oceans areas by 2030, a plan popularly known as 30 by 30. Also in March 2021, Supreme Court chief justice John Roberts urged opponents of land protection to push back against the Antiquities Act, saying the broad protection of lands presidents have established under it is an abuse of power.

In October 2021, President Biden restored Bears Ears and Escalante–Grand Staircase to their original size. “Today’s announcement is not just about national monuments,” Interior Secretary Deb Haaland, a member of the Laguna Pueblo in New Mexico, said at the ceremony. “It’s about this administration centering the voices of Indigenous people and affirming the shared stewardship of this landscape with tribal nations.”

In 2022, nearly 312 million people visited the country’s national parks and monuments, supporting 378,400 jobs and spending $23.9 billion in communities within 60 miles of a park. This amounted to a $50.3 billion benefit to the nation’s economy. 

But the struggle over the use of public lands continues, and now the Republicans are standing on the opposite side from their position of a century ago. Project 2025, the blueprint for a second Trump presidency, demands significant increases in drilling for oil and gas. That will require removing land from federal protection and opening it to private development. As Roberts urged, Project 2025 promises to seek a Supreme Court ruling to permit the president to reduce the size of national monuments. But it takes that advice even further. 

It says a second Trump administration “must seek repeal of the Antiquities Act of 1906.”

LETTERS FROM AN AMERICAN

HEATHER COX RICHARDSON

[jungle-angel]

The House We Built: Part 9 (Miles Miller x Reader)

Summary: There will always be room for one more in yours and Miles's home, no matter what

Warnings: Depictions of childbirth etc.

Fall had at last set in with the Miller land appearing to be more like the moors of England rather than the vast expanse of plains and mountains that Montana was known for. Miles could see his breath as he collected the last of the apples that were beginning to fall from the trees, the sunset burning the skies all shades of rose, orange, yellow and even dusky blue, the bare trees appearing no more than long, fingerlike projections that jutted into the sky, bent, crooked and bony like an old hag's hands. He shuddered a little, but marveled at the sight nonetheless.

Into the storage shed he went, placing the basket of apples down amongst the endless barrels and baskets full of apricots, plums, cherries, blueberries, blackberries, raspberries, huckleberries and all the other fruits and vegetables that grew on the Miller property. The horses and the critters had all been bedded down for the night and the cattle with them, all asleep in their warm stalls in the barns while the lights in the cottage made the place look cozy as ever.

Into the house he went, the smell of a hot pot roast fresh off the stove reaching his nose as the hunger stirred in his stomach. He hardly had time to remove his black and peach colored fall jacket before Benny came running in from the living room, wrapping his little arms around his father's denim clad leg.

"Agh you little ghoul, c'mere!" Miles exclaimed excitedly, scooping a wildly giggling Benny up into his arms and blowing a raspberry on Benny's chubby little cheek. "Where's Momma, Benny?"

"Momma upstairs," Benny chirped.

Miles carried him upstairs and found you in the bedroom, gazing out the window at the bright sunset. Already you looked like you were ready to give as the blanket you were folding in your hands rested against your large bump. Miles set Benny down and made his way to you, taking you right in his arms and pressing sweet kisses to your lips.

"You ok Mrs. Miller?" he asked.

You nodded.

Miles's hands covered yours as they moved to hold your bump, sucking in a breath and letting it out, your face tightening as a dull pain flared in your lower belly.

"Is it....?"

You nodded again. "I think tonight," you told him.

Miles's eyes widened a little but his expression remained calm, even as he took your face in his hands and kissed you again. "I'll have Momma come," he told you. "Dad said he would take Benny for the night when the time came."

You waited patiently walking up and down the upstairs halls as Miles got Benny ready for when Otis came to get him. It wasn't even a half hour before you saw your in-laws coming up the path from the main house, the lantern light moving ever closer until they entered the brightly lit house.

"You gonna be ok for the night, Dad?" Miles asked him.

"We'll be fine," Otis assured him, adjusting Benny on his hip. "Just let us know when we're all good to come back."

Miles nodded and gave Benny one last kiss goodnight before Otis began carrying him back up the path. He didn't once tear his eyes away from the bedroom window until he knew that Benny and Otis were back at the main house, the lantern light disappearing from his view.

"Ow! Ow! Shit!" you squeaked as another wave of pain washed over you, more intense than before.

Miles cradled your head against his chest, one arm around your shoulders and gently holding your head as his other hand covered the one holding your bump. "I know sweetheart," he cooed. "I know it hurts but you'll get through it. You've done it before and I know you can do it again."

You let out a shaky breath and nodded your head. "I'm sorry Miles," you whimpered. "It just hurts so bad."

"(Y/n) c'mere," Kathy said, leading you towards the bathroom. "Remember two years ago when Benny was born?"

"Uh huh."

"I have an idea," Kathy told you.

She turned on the warm water and let it run until the old clawfoot tub had filled enough for you to immerse yourself. Miles helped you strip off your nightdress and helped you into the water, holding your hand as your mother-in-law did whatever she could do to help.

"You're doing so good baby," Miles cooed, brushing a strand of hair out of your face. "Just breathe ok?"

It was much easier said than done as the pain became much more frequent. Kathy kept assuring you that things were running smoothly, even amidst the flurry of curses, hand squeezes and pain that took your breath away.

"Alright honey I think you're ready," Kathy told you.

"I don't.....I don't wanna move," you panted, not wanting to leave the sanctity of the warm bath.

"Nope, you're staying put honey, it's ok," Kathy assured you.

You felt a movement in your lower abdomen, realizing it was the baby trying to make his or her way out of you. "Oh shit!" you squeaked again, your face scrunching at the suddenness of it all. "Miles?"

"Sweetheart I'm right here," Miles answered. "I'm right here."

"I need....I want you to catch."

"You want me to what?"

"She wants you to catch the baby," Kathy told him.

Miles's eyes widened a little bit. The first time around, it had been his mother who had delivered Benny, not him. Nervous though he was, Miles wracked together the courage to strip down to his black shorts and slip into the water with you. He very gently rubbed your sore thighs, holding them apart so that he could see what he was doing, gently encouraging you every step of the way.

"C'mon sweetheart, the baby's head is almost out," Miles told you

You pushed again, a little harder than before, doing exactly what your mother-in-law told you to do and also out of pure instinct. With every push you gave, you felt your baby inching its way closer into the world and your husband's excitement as the time grew closer.

"C'mon sweetheart just one more, I know you can do it," Miles encouraged.

You gave one last push as a huge breath and groan of relief flew from your mouth, your head falling back against Kathy's hand. "Oh thank you! Thank you Jesus!" you cried out as you felt the pressure in your belly finally lifting away as your baby tumbled right into Miles's gentle hands.

The excited cries from Kathy and Miles filled the room as Miles lifted a tiny little baby out of the water, carefully placing the little one right into your arms as its own cries were suddenly heard. "Oh, oh sweetie," you cooed, gently cradling the tiny little baby in your arms, the cries sharp from just having taken their first breaths. "Sweetheart don't cry. Don't cry, momma and daddy are here."

"We've got another little boy Momma," Miles said proudly as the tears began to fill his eyes.

Kathy cried out in excitement, unable to contain her happiness at becoming a grandmother for the second time in two years. The sight of her son, holding you and your precious little one, so new to this world, made her eyes mist over with tears.

Miles cut away the cord and both he and Kathy helped you with the last minute details. When all was done, Miles helped you out of the bath and back into the bedroom where you and your new son would be nice and warm under the blankets and the flannel sheets.

Jesse Otis Miller had been born just as the sun was coming up, named in part for Miles's father and Otis's younger brother who had been in the Navy and had served aboard the USS Tennessee. Miles felt as though he had been flung back to when Benny had been born. Jesse was so tiny and so precious with his little tufts of blonde hair and the softest little cheeks he had ever seen.

"My baby," he cooed through the tears that burned his eyes and throat. "My precious little baby. I love you so, so much and your momma and your brother. Welcome to the family."

Jesse's little whimpers broke you both out of your reverie. "I think somebody's hungry," you chuckled.

You very carefully lowered part of your nightdress, exposing one of your breasts which Jesse very quickly latched onto, gently sucking away and filling his belly as Miles kissed his delicate little head.

You dozed off a little in between before the sun was officially up, not wanting to put your son in the little cot at the foot of the bed. When he was finally done feeding, you handed him off to Miles who eagerly took him.

"Hi my sweet boy," Miles whispered, smiling happily at Baby Jesse's little coos. "Your big brother should be home soon....and Papa too. I know they can't wait to meet you."

Miles felt Jesse's tiny little fingers reaching up to grab his nose, drawing a quiet laugh from Miles. He nuzzled his son's soft cheeks and gently rocked him in his arms as the first snowfall of the year had begun outside.

Otis brought Benny in a few minutes later with the two year old jumping right up on the bed to hug you. "Benny," Miles said quietly, not wanting to wake Jesse. "Benny come here."

Benny, in his little green turtleneck and denim overalls, crawled right off the bed and waddled over to his father who knelt beside him to show him his new little brother.

"Is that my baby?" Benny chirped.

"This is your baby brother, Benny," Miles answered.

You, Miles, Kathy and Otis all laughed a little as Benny kissed Jesse's forehead before running right back to you and clambering back into your bed. Miles made his way in beside you with Baby Jesse swaddled warmly in his Irish knit blanket. All of you snuggled together to watch the first snow of the year fly, your family feeling whole and complete as ever.

[bradshawsbaby]

Honey, may I share a Rhett Abbott thought I have?? I did a short fic of this idea but I think I'm gonna edit it somewhere along the line.

Rhett x wifey!reader have a pretty sizeable brood but they've always said there's room for one more in the family.

One day it's put to the test when Rhett and wifey head out to the Rez to help Rhett's best friend Wes and his dad, Russell, with some horses that have come in and are in need of some major TLC. In return for the help, the father of Rhett's best friend gives the two of you some homemade herbal medicine to help Cecelia get over a bad bout of bronchitis.

On the way home, the two of you head into town and it's gonna get pretty cold out soon. The two of you are walking towards the Handsome Gambler to grab some food Royal ordered when a noise in the alley grabs your attention. At first you guys think it's a cat, but when Rhett looks closer, he clamps a hand over his mouth to keep from screaming.

In the alley, the two of you found a cardboard box and inside, nestled among the raggy looking bits of cloth, a tiny little baby who appeared to have been born frighteningly early. You and Rhett immediately brought the box to the police precinct about two doors down and lucky for the two of you, one of Rhett's grade school friends was one of the officers on duty.

You two immediately brought the baby to the hospital, only to discover that it was a little boy who was born frighteningly early. The baby boy was immediately put in an incubator but Rhett refused to leave the baby's side for even a minute. Even when the police and Wes's wife Nora, were taking your statements, Rhett refused to leave him.

The two of you visited every day to come and see the tiny little one, asleep in his little incubator, his face, hands and feet still a little bit wrinkly and his delicate little head covered by silky tufts of dark blonde hair. Nora, who's had her fair share of cases like this at work, even comes with Wes and her in-laws to see how the little guy is doing.

It's not long before the full details come out, you and Rhett discovering that the biological parents were arrested and are looking at a pretty lengthy jail sentence for other offenses. You, Rhett and the rest of the wolf pack, soon find yourselves fighting a very draining, very drawn out battle before the Abbotts finally become the legal, adoptive parents of Dallas Russell Abbott.

It's not long either before you and Rhett are finally able to hold Dallas outside of his incubator. When it's Rhett's turn to hold him, he's sitting shirtless in the rocker with Dallas's tiny little form cradled against his chest, under a wooly blanket to keep warm. He's so small that Rhett's big hand almost covers the little one's back completely. Rhett's nearly brought to tears when he hears the little one cry but is a little embarrassed seeing as Royal's the one taking pics on his phone, but Royal tells him it's ok.

You soon are able to bring Dallas home and his brothers and sisters all welcome him into the fold along with family friends who are his aunts and uncles. The Duttons (Yellowstone) have all come down from Montana to see the new little one because John, Royal, Thomas and Mo have been friends since the first grade. Everybody gets a chance to hold the little bean and when it's Cecelia's turn? She's in tears. You and Rhett can't believe that this tiny little baby is so loved already by his new family and you thank God every day for bringing him to the both of you.

Cut to years later when Dallas is twenty one, now a man who looks as though he could be yours and Rhett's child. Dallas is already a bullrider in his own name and is engaged to a young lady from the Rez who is also a member of the Wyoming National Guard. She's in the stands with you, Rhett and the rest of the family, cheering him on as he takes first place. You and Rhett are crying happy tears this time, for your son who really is your lucky one.

I am so sorry that this is so long honey, it was alot that I had to let out (lol).

GOSH, THIS IS SO BEAUTIFUL!!! 😭😭😭♥️♥️♥️

[ao3feed-peterstiles]

Wolves in Yellowstone

Read it on AO3 at https://archiveofourown.org/works/48099454

by Lunar_Eclipse_Tales

"All the angels are gone, son. There's only devils left."

The Stilinski Ranch is the biggest ranch in Montana. Stiles has been away for 8 years for school and is finally coming home. Home to a life he thought he could leave behind. A life filled with cattle, horses, rodeo, lies, betrayal, and violence. Ranchers make their own rules and they protect what's theirs. They'll do everything in their power to keep what they have and they don't care what laws are broken in the process. Can Stiles slide back into that lifestyle after being away for so long? Can he keep his promise to himself not to get involved with a cowboy? Even if this one particular one sets him ablaze?

Peter Hale has been with the Stilinski Ranch for 6 years. He's put the work in and built up a pack. His loyalty lies with the Stilinskis and he'll do anything to help them keep what's theirs even if it means getting blood on his hands. He wouldn't do anything to jeopardize his place at the ranch. Until he comes face to face with the owner's son and his world is flipped upside down. Can he curb his desires and stay away? Or will he risk everything he's worked for for just a taste of him? He wants Stiles more than he's ever wanted anyone before.

Words: 3051, Chapters: 1/?, Language: English

Fandoms: Teen Wolf (TV)

Rating: Mature

Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence

Categories: M/M

Characters: Peter Hale, Stiles Stilinski, Noah Stilinski, Derek Hale, Jordan Parrish, Scott McCall (Teen Wolf), Melissa McCall, Chris Argent, Allison Argent, Lydia Martin, Isaac Lahey, Erica Reyes, Vernon Boyd, Jackson Whittemore, Alan Deaton

Relationships: Peter Hale/Stiles Stilinski

Additional Tags: Steter - Freeform, Good Peter Hale, Pack Alpha Peter Hale, Sassy Peter Hale, Scott McCall & Stiles Stilinski Friendship, Bottom Stiles Stilinski, Hurt Stiles Stilinski, Smut, Fluff and Smut, Eventual Smut, Angst, POV Peter Hale, Dom Peter Hale, Sub Stiles Stilinski, Top Peter Hale, POV Stiles Stilinski, Protective Peter Hale, Peter Hale is a Little Shit, Mates Peter Hale/Stiles Stilinski, Werewolf Peter Hale, Anal Sex, Anal Fingering, Blow Jobs, Yellowstone vibes, Cowboy Peter Hale, Equestrian Stiles, badass stiles, BAMF Stiles Stilinski

Read it on AO3 at https://archiveofourown.org/works/48099454

[stickthisbig]

Would the plan at the end of Horse Sense have worked?

I hate that this lives rent-free in my head, but god help me, I am a conservation/preservation easement specialist. I am not a lawyer. BUT.

Could they have formed a land trust to save the farm?

No.

Could it have worked?

Unfortunately, yes, or I wouldn't have to write this. Let me explain in horrible detail.

A land trust is a body that is organized to take possession of and administer different kinds of property. There's loads. Some protect certain categories of land (American Battlefield Trust), others certain regions (West Virginia Land Trust) or biomes (Patuxent Tidewater Land Trust). I don't know if there's a relevant Montana one but I'm sure there is. There are... six? in my small state, not incl national organizations.

What they would have had to do is contact the land trust and say "hey, this land is chock-a-block with wild horses and it's about to be repossessed or whatever." At this point, the trust would evaluate the property and their own liquid assets to see if it was a suitable investment.

If the bank is about to foreclose, they MIGHT be able to say "here's a purchase option based on these three comps that's contingent on a favorable appraisal, please stop." The bank MIGHT say yes, especially if there's negative press or earnest money.

Then they'd wait for several months.

I have no idea how long a Yellow Book appraisal took in the 90s but it's over a month now. The land trust also needs to fundraise and potentially apply for federal grants. I think there are public notices? They take a month each. Anyway, when they have the money, they pay off the loan and acquire the property, with a life estate or fee simple.

THEN they have to do what the movie thinks a land trust means: they have to draft, review, and sign an easement.

*deep breath*

The land trust signs a legal document that grants a qualified easement holder (Montana DNR or something) access to the land in perpetuity and the ability to pursue legal remedies if the land trust abuses the property. The land trust writes into the easement that the Lawrence family or whatever is allowed to stay on the property for a span of years or at the end of someone's lifetime (Andrew Lawrence?) at no or a nominal rent. This easement is filed with the relevant counties and is legally binding.

At that point, the land trust owns the property and the family has a measure of protection against eviction.

I don't wanna fuckin get into what happens if the land trust transfers it, as is their legal right.

(n.b. I haven't seen the movie and I'm not gonna. They could be talking about keeping their property "in trust", i.e. a living trust. I'm not a lawyer but that seems like it would have not worked even harder.)

The whole problem is

1. Transferring property to a land trust takes six months, a year, sometimes multiple years

2. THEY CAN JUST SAY NO. THEY CAN SAY FUCK YOUR SHITTY HORSES AND TELL YOU TO POUND SAND.

3. I know all this off the top of my head, to my horror. I should have gone to law school like my dad wanted.

Stay tuned for why a psychic dog can't have a document notarized

[brookstonalmanac]

Events 4.3 (after 1970)

1973 – Martin Cooper of Motorola makes the first handheld mobile phone call to Joel S. Engel of Bell Labs. 1974 – The 1974 Super Outbreak occurs, the second largest tornado outbreak in recorded history (after the 2011 Super Outbreak). The death toll is 315, with nearly 5,500 injured. 1975 – Vietnam War: Operation Babylift, a mass evacuation of children in the closing stages of the war begins. 1975 – Bobby Fischer refuses to play in a chess match against Anatoly Karpov, giving Karpov the title of World Champion by default. 1980 – US Congress restores a federal trust relationship with the 501 members of the Shivwits, Kanosh, Koosharem, and the Indian Peaks and Cedar City bands of the Paiute people of Utah. 1981 – The Osborne 1, the first successful portable computer, is unveiled at the West Coast Computer Faire in San Francisco. 1989 – The US Supreme Court upholds the jurisdictional rights of tribal courts under the Indian Child Welfare Act of 1978 in Mississippi Choctaw Band v. Holyfield. 1993 – The outcome of the Grand National horse race is declared void for the first (and only) time 1996 – Suspected "Unabomber" Theodore Kaczynski is captured at his Montana cabin in the United States. 1996 – A United States Air Force Boeing T-43 crashes near Dubrovnik Airport in Croatia, killing 35, including Secretary of Commerce Ron Brown. 1997 – The Thalit massacre begins in Algeria; all but one of the 53 inhabitants of Thalit are killed by guerrillas. 2000 – United States v. Microsoft Corp.: Microsoft is ruled to have violated United States antitrust law by keeping "an oppressive thumb" on its competitors. 2004 – Islamic terrorists involved in the 2004 Madrid train bombings are trapped by the police in their apartment and kill themselves. 2007 – Conventional-Train World Speed Record: A French TGV train on the LGV Est high speed line sets an official new world speed record. 2008 – ATA Airlines, once one of the ten largest U.S. passenger airlines and largest charter airline, files for bankruptcy for the second time in five years and ceases all operations. 2008 – Texas law enforcement cordons off the FLDS's YFZ Ranch. Eventually 533 women and children will be taken into state custody. 2009 – Jiverly Antares Wong opens fire at the American Civic Association immigration center in Binghamton, New York, killing thirteen and wounding four before committing suicide. 2010 – Apple Inc. released the first generation iPad, a tablet computer. 2013 – More than 50 people die in floods resulting from record-breaking rainfall in La Plata and Buenos Aires, Argentina. 2016 – The Panama Papers, a leak of legal documents, reveals information on 214,488 offshore companies. 2017 – A bomb explodes in the St Petersburg metro system, killing 14 and injuring several more people. 2018 – YouTube headquarters shooting: A 38-year-old gunwoman opens fire at YouTube Headquarters in San Bruno, California, injuring three people before committing suicide.

[axdently]

𝑱𝑼𝑺𝑻𝑰𝑪𝑬 𝑺𝑴𝑰𝑻𝑯, 𝑯𝑬/𝑯𝑰𝑴 𝑷𝑹𝑶𝑵𝑶𝑼𝑵𝑺, 𝑫𝑹𝑬𝑨𝑴𝑺𝑯𝑨𝑫𝑬

To KYLE TODD, the whole world looks like an open page. With a leap of faith, their ability of EQUID ( HORSE ) SUMMONING grows a little stronger. They are a HORSE shade aligned to NO ONE. For TWENTY TWO years, they have survived a world of magic with both their CRAFTINESS and OVER-CONFIDENCE. They work as an INSURANCE AGENT, but if they could change their fate, they’d want to BE A GOOD ROLE MODEL FOR HIS CLONES.

─── 𝐃𝐄𝐓𝐀𝐈𝐋𝐒.

As the winds of change sweep through the landscape, the cadence of "Welcome to the Party" by Diplo, French Montana, Zhavia Ward, and Lil Pump seems to accompany you and your little army of Toddlings, but this is nothing compared to the times when Old Town Road by Lil Nax X pumps through the stereo speakers. The echoes of your presence multiply with the presence of your Toddlings – clones born of a serendipitous encounter with a cloning mushroom. A product of eating the wrong thing at the wrong time is what allows the miracle that is replication. Their presence lends an illusion of fatherhood, disguising the temporal intricacies of their origin. You grace State Farm as an insurance luminary, ever-willing to bestow a deal upon those in need, and your diligence fuels your work to support your toddlings. You have help–– your adopted mother, Jessie, who embarked on a flight from Sombertown alongside you when you were just 16 loans her efforts as an adopted mother to all three of the extra Toddlings ( Aged 5, 7, and 12 ) Your lexicon dances in memes, your speech a modern linguistic web of internet culture. Uninhibited in your pursuit of the extraordinary, you've etched a reputation as a maestro of audacious exploits, a quality inherently you. Yet, within the bold facade simmers a traitorous overconfidence and capriciousness, a yin to your yang. Beyond the humdrum, you revel in clubbing and treasure hunts within thrift stores, savoring the simple joys.

─── 𝐒𝐓𝐀𝐓𝐈𝐒𝐓𝐈𝐂𝐒.

NAME: Kyle Todd NICKNAME: Kyle, or Todd DATE OF BIRTH: November 2nd GENDER: genderqueer– doesn’t follow binary gender norms and uses any pronouns.  HEIGHT: 5’10” MARKINGS: a scar on his forehead from liquid stitches, and a couple of marks to suggest he’s once had a broken arm. TATTOOS: none PIERCINGS: he’s got a couple he takes out for work, he once had an eyebrow piercing for a couple of years, but it’s currently healed up. DECORUM: when he’s not at work it’s T-shirts from Goodwill which he un-ironically likes, socks and sandals, he also likes his denim jacket, also whatever Gabs and Ren dress him in.   SCENT: stolen samples of Kenneth Cole’s Black, Gain dryer sheets, & faint lingerings of ketchup on his fingers GOALS: To become a role model for his Toddlings, to pay Jessie back for all her kindness and generosity, and to find his twin, Annabelle FEARS: Losing his Toddlings & Imprisonment. POSITIVE TRAITS: loyal, confident, daring NEUTRAL TRAITS: deceptive, mellow, unaggressive NEGATIVE TRAITS: finicky, hubristic, over confident ZODIAC: Scorpio Sun, Leo Moon, Taurus Rising  ALIGNMENT: Lawful Evil TEMPERAMENT: sanguine ELEMENT: Fire PRIMARY VICE: Greed PRIMARY VIRTUE: Humility TROPE: Big Eater, The Trickster,, The Sleight of Hand, Desperately Craves Affection, Hurricane of Puns, Hidden Depths, Adult Child, Brilliant But Lazy, Daddy AND Mommy Issues INSPIRATION: This guy & this guy.  OCCUPATION: Insurance Agent at State Farm RESIDENCE: With Jessie & Ren, depending on if Jessie needs help with the Toddlings HOBBIES:  Tennis, card tricks, chess, beatboxing, dinosaur enthusiast, video games, electronics– he used to be a part of the robotics club in High School & DnD. HABITS: chewing with his mouth open, falling asleep during any kind of lecture, pretending not to speak english to get out of speaking to people he doesn’t want to talk to, saying yo un-ironically, and calling dibs or not it for the smallest of things.

─── 𝐀𝐁𝐈𝐋𝐈𝐓𝐈𝐄𝐒.

EQUID SUMMONING

The power to call forth Equids from anywhere no matter where they are to help them with a task. The user can create or summon large forces of horses to overtake an entire area and to overwhelm an enemy with vast numbers. The large force is connected through a Hive Mind. The strength of the resulting horde is associated with the very large quantity and is not necessarily reflective of any coordinated actions or tactics. Individual members of the hoard/swarm are usually treated as expendable.

VARIATION 1. EQUID COMPANIONSHIP

The users can form a powerful connection and bond with an equid companion or multiple Equids. The bond between the user and their Equid companion is so strong that nothing can drive them apart. The user either has a natural connection to Equids or is proficient in training and forming a bond with them. This ability doesn't just apply to the Horse (Equus caballus); this ability also extends to any and all other members of the Equine Family. E.G., the Donkey (Equus asinus), Mule (Equus caballus), Pony (Equus ferus caballus), and the Zebra (Equus zebra), etc. in addition to mythical members of the Equine Family such as Abadas, Alicorns, Bicorns, Carnivorous Horses, Fire Horses, Hippalectryons, Hippocampuses, Hippogriffs, Kelpies and their eviler and advanced version Each-uisge, Longmas, Pegasi, Sleipnir, Qilin, Uchchaihshravas, Unicorns, White Horses, etc. in addition to Horse-like creatures.

VARIATION 2. EQUID EMPATHY

The user can sense and/or understand the emotions of equine beings (Horses, Donkeys, Zebras, Mules, Unicorns, Pegasi and Hippocampi and others) and vice versa. This also works as Hive Mind where the herd "share" the same mind. In some cases, one person could take control of another separate body to add to the hive. Each can work autonomously, though they think the same thing at the same time. The members have little individuality, more or less they are only marionettes controlled by a puppeteer.

─── 𝐈𝐍𝐕𝐄𝐍𝐓𝐎𝐑𝐘.

LIAR'S LOCKET: This locket holds a small illusionary gem that Todd can use to create minor illusions. He can project images, sounds, or even mimic voices to deceive enemies or manipulate situations.

CHAMELEON CAP: This ball cap can change its appearance to match its surroundings, effectively granting Todd invisibility when he wears it. Perfect for slipping past enemies or hiding in plain sight.

INFINITE SNACK BAG: This bag always contains Todd's favorite snacks, magically replenishing itself. It serves as a source of comfort and nourishment during his adventures.

MIMIC'S COIN: A coin that can transform into an exact replica of any object it touches. It allows Todd to create decoys, forge documents, or even mimic magical items temporarily.

KETCHUP SLINGER GAUNTLETS: These gauntlets shoot streams of magical ketchup, allowing Todd to create distractions, blind opponents, or leave slippery surfaces in his wake.

DABBING CAPE OF EVASION: When Todd flips the cape dramatically while dabbing, he gains increased agility and evasion capabilities for a short duration. It helps him dodge attacks and escape tricky situations.

LUCKY RABBIT'S PAW KEYCHAIN: A keychain adorned with a rabbit's paw that brings luck to Todd when touched. It grants him advantages on skill checks and saving throws, emulating his reliance on luck and chance.

DICE OF DECEPTION: These dice allow Todd to manipulate outcomes by shaking them and willing the desired result. However, the dice have a mischievous nature and might sometimes backfire with unpredictable results.

─── 𝐈𝐍𝐂𝐀𝐍𝐓𝐀𝐓𝐈𝐎𝐍𝐒.

CHARMED CONVERSATIONS: This spell allows Todd to enhance his natural charisma, making him irresistibly charming in conversation. People are more likely to open up to him, share information, or be swayed by his words.

GUILT TRIP: With this spell, Todd can amplify feelings of guilt and remorse in others. It helps him manipulate opponents or extract information by making them feel morally responsible for their actions.

POCKET PORTAL: Todd can create a small temporary portal that leads to his favorite food place. This allows him to grab a quick meal or snack, no matter where he is, which can provide comfort and sustenance during his journeys.

POCKET DIMENSION STASH: Todd can open a small pocket dimension where he can store items, allowing him to carry a vast array of supplies without the burden of weight. He can retrieve items by reaching into thin air.

EGG CONJURATION: This spell creates a delectable hard boiled egg in Todd's hand that he can use to distract enemies or offer as a gesture of peace. The egg’s smooth exterior and aroma have a calming effect on those nearby.

LUCK'S GAMBIT: With this spell, Todd can manipulate luck in his favor for a brief period. He gains advantage on rolls and can reroll any failed checks, representing his reliance on fortunate outcomes.

SIBLINGS' LINk: By casting this spell on his Toddlings, Todd establishes a mental connection with them, enabling them to communicate telepathically over short distances. It ensures they're always in sync during missions.

SPECTRAL SIBLING: Todd can summon a ghostly image of a horse to temporarily fight by his side. The spectral sibling mimics his attacks and can provide support in combat, reflecting his protective nature.

[yippeeometer]

i fucking LOVE wy/montana. honey im eating that for breakfast lunch dinner afternoon tea you name it im there. have some hcs. hc with me or i will plant a bomb.

huge 'my wife is a bitch and i love her SO much' vibes.

gov: Montana, can you ask Wyoming to stop replying to every email i send him w maps of the us and refusing to answer my questions until i find him

montana, literal hearts for eyes: haha no

the devil couldn't reach wyoming (comedic mastermind with insults) so he sent him crippling social anxiety.

catch him and his husband in a diner at 3pm arguing over who has to go up and order (they give up and go home)

'wy just tell them you don't want pickles' 'i'm gonna die.'

bc you know they've been married. for 1 billion million years. and yet everyone still acts scandalized when they actually act like a couple. montana kissed his cheek one time and florida acted like they'd defied public decency laws.

montana has big beautfil cow eyes and wyoming can almost forgive him for being the most cringefail guy in the world. almost.

forry dude theres only so many times he can be told about times that you as a cowboy would cry over baby cattle and the fact horses can't speak. he looks at u with a mixture of second hand embarrassment and arousal. a lot of complex feelings in one square.

sleeping together is a nightmare. 'come cuddle' says my beautiful wife montana. he's so cold he's giving me brainfreeze. when will i be free from this torment. 'so dramatic we don;t have to' shut the fuck up tana you move and ill cry

big fan of all the states of the louisana purchase being slightly related. thus montana is invited to loui's mardi gras party every year. he only ever brings wy once because everyone instantly realises that wy is a much better dancer than he is (bc you know he's into line dancing its such a wy activity. furthermore massive fan of native wy bc so many native dances are kept alive there its gorgeous). montana discovers that atop of being very pissy in general, he is also an incredibly jealous guy.

[lunar-eclipse-tales]

Wolves in Yellowstone

By Lunar_eclipse_tales

"All the angels are gone, son. There's only devils left."

The Stilinski Ranch is the biggest ranch in Montana. Stiles has been away for 8 years for school and is finally coming home. Home to a life he thought he could leave behind. A life filled with cattle, horses, rodeo, lies, betrayal, and violence. Ranchers make their own rules and they protect what's theirs. They'll do everything in their power to keep what they have and they don't care what laws are broken in the process. Can Stiles slide back into that lifestyle after being away for so long? Can he keep his promise to himself not to get involved with a cowboy? Even if this one particular one sets him ablaze?

Peter Hale has been with the Stilinski Ranch for 6 years. He's put the work in and built up a pack. His loyalty lies with the Stilinskis and he'll do anything to help them keep what's theirs even if it means getting blood on his hands. He wouldn't do anything to jeopardize his place at the ranch. Until he comes face to face with the owner's son and his world is flipped upside down. Can he curb his desires and stay away? Or will he risk everything he's worked for for just a taste of him? He wants Stiles more than he's ever wanted anyone before.