With Aaron at his side, Alex ran to the stables, shocked at being passed up by the old cowboy.

"Come on, boy! Don’t lag behind," Aaron growled and continued running.

They reached the barn breathing hard, but Aaron continued the hard pace until they hit Fancy’s stall. His eyes were hard and his mouth grim. Alex could not imagine what was wrong. He had never seen the family like this. It was almost as if they expected to fight death. When he looked into the stall, his breath caught in his throat. Michelle was using every ounce of her strength to get Fancy on her feet, tears streaming down her face unheeded. She seemed to think that Fancy could not get up by herself. What shocked him was the look in her eyes. Michelle was always the one pointing how much hope there was, yet her eyes were wild with terror and the hope had fled, leaving nothing of itself behind.

He tried to push through the door but Aaron restrained him and walked in. Alex watched as Aaron added his strength to Michelle’s dwindling supply. Together they almost got the large mare to her feet, but with one leg up, the mare fell heavily back down again. A small scream escaped from Michelle’s throat and she fell to her knees beside the glossy black head. Her arms wrapped around it and she wept into the mane. Fancy’s eyes went from white and rolling to normal. Alex was stupefied at the bond between girl and horse. That was when it struck him that they truly were fighting death.

He looked again at Michelle and shuddered at the thought of what would happen if they lost.

The girl’s whole body shook with tremors as she wept, though Alex was convinced that it was partly from exhaustion.

He was surprised to hear hoof beats outside. The vet couldn’t have come that fast. Not to mention the fact that he wouldn’t be on horseback. Alex looked up and found Johnny peering curiously into the barn. His body tensed up angrily but then eased as he remembered his promise.

"What’s going on? Is everything all right?" Johnny strode into the barn and looked over Alex’s shoulder. He drew back at what he saw, no doubt as surprised as Alex had been. "Michelle? Michelle! Look at me, dammit! This is no time to fall apart. Fancy needs your faith now more than ever. Don’t give up on her. Michelle!"

Alex was dumfounded. Yet Michelle looked up, her eyes red and raw. "Leave me alone, Johnny. Or help."

Johnny sneered, but Alex could tell that he was at a loss. "Help? Help what? All I see is a hopeless girl weeping over something that is not necessarily lost. I thought you were strong, Michelle. I guess I was wrong." Johnny’s voice was so full of scorn that Alex was about knock him out. Rage boiled inside of him, promise or no.

Yet his reaction seemed slight compared to Michelle’s outraged response. She bounded to her feet, eyes blazing with white-hot ire. Her fists were clenched at her sides, and she looked ready to chew nails. "What do you expect me to do? Do you have any idea how much I love her? You’re too busy being cool. How dare you criticize me, Johnny! Why did you even come? You’re not helping any." Michelle stood defiantly and her eyes were clear as a frozen pond.

Johnny looked relieved and he smiled. "Good. You haven’t lost all your fire yet." His tone was soft, even sympathetic. "But I meant what I said. You’re not going to help that horse by crying on her. If I’m right, then that’s colic. I would suggest that we get her on her feet as soon as possible." Michelle looked ready to argue, but she glanced at the mare on the ground and the wall crumbled. Her shoulders sagged and she fell to her knees again.

"Oh no you don’t. Stand up, girl!" This time it was Aaron goading her to new strengths.

During all of this, Alex had been forgotten. Yet now Johnny’s commanding gaze fell on him. "Well don’t just stand there! Do you think that horses are light?" With that he flowed into the stall and began urging Fancy to her feet. Soon Aaron added his shoulder and Michelle finally added hers. With a resentful look at the now fully sweating Johnny, he slipped his hands beneath Fancy’s side and helped push.

As he was pushing, he couldn’t help but wonder where Dylan and Tallia were, but his thoughts were cut short when the mare surged to her feet, wuffling painfully. Yet Michelle wasted no time. The girl snapped a halter over the mare’s head and began tugging her towards the door. At first Fancy balked and made as if to lie down again but Aaron and Johnny prodded her sides and she stepped out of the stall.

Alex looked at his watch and realized that no more than ten minutes had passed. Surprisingly little time for that years worth of anguish. He looked at the two men in the stall with him and was surprised to see no relief.

"What’s wrong? Isn’t that it?" He was truly puzzled. Johnny looked at him disdainfully and walked out of the barn after Michelle. Alex turned to Aaron, who was peering after the two kids. "Aaron?"

"Over? No, not over yet. She could just as easily go back into colic if we don’t get it straightened out. It’s not over yet." With that Aaron strode out of the double doors.

Alex threw up his hands in frustration, still as confused as ever. Colic? What’s colic? In search of answers, he jogged after Michelle.

When he left the barn, he saw Michelle walking Fancy around the ranch, Aaron behind the mare, making sure that she did not lie back down again. He noticed Johnny leaning against the hitching rail, stroking Windy’s face absently, the boy’s eyes locked on Michelle. Alex took a long breath and bravely squared his shoulders. Then, grudgingly, he forced himself to walk towards the arrogant boy.

When Johnny noticed Alex trudging in his direction, his eyes flicked about in an anxious way, as if looking for an escape route. But Michelle’s friend was too close and Johnny had no choice but to stay. He forced himself to stay relaxed but his eyes became hard as steel.

Alex raised his hand in greeting and Johnny did the same. Johnny was surprised to see true bewilderment in Alex’s eyes. "Hi. . . Johnny. What just happened? What’s colic?" Alex despised the way that his voice sounded meek and tired, even to his own ears.

"You don’t know what colic is? Figures, just some trumped up city boy, no matter how well you ride." Johnny’s face twisted into a sneer, as full of contempt as it was with Michelle, except this time it was not feigned.

Alex sighed. He knew this wasn’t going to work. "Look, having Michelle see us hating each other is not going to help matters any. Do you think that you could just be civil for a little while? At least until the crisis is over. Okay?" Alex held out his hand.

Johnny muttered something under his breath about city boys and how all he wanted to do was break Michelle’s poor heart, but he shook Alex’s hand anyway. Johnny pulled his hand away first, but was shocked at the friendly smile that graced Alex’s face. He found himself responding and didn’t stop the silly grin that tugged at his lips.

Alex was relieved that Johnny had been willing to the truce. It would be much easier now.

Johnny cleared his throat and motioned for Alex to follow him. He stepped away from the rail and began walking to the round pin where Michelle had continued to walk the mare.

"You asked about colic? Well, colic isn’t always bad. Usually it’s pretty easy to take care of, but in cases like what we just saw we got lucky that Fancy wanted to live. But anyway, colic has to do with the intestine. The most common is when food gets - blocked - in a section of the intestine and they can’t pass it out. There is also a colic where the intestine actually moves from where it’s supposed to be in the body. I kind of think that that’s what Fancy has, but we won’t find out until my dad comes." Johnny realized that it was much easier to like this city slicker than hate him. Maybe it’ll work in the long run. I’ll try to make it work - for Michelle’s sake.

Alex was silent for awhile, soaking it all in. "Your father? I thought that they were calling the vet."

Johnny laughed. "Well, the vet is my father. That’s how I know this much about colic."

As Johnny had been talking, Alex noticed that he hadn’t insulted him or sneered at him once. When he looked at the boy, he noticed true friendliness in those calm eyes. Maybe they really could become friends - for Michelle’s sake.

Alex had been so engrossed in Johnny’s lecture that he hadn’t noticed Michelle’s absence of the round pin. "Where did she go?" Alex’s concern was strong and Johnny repressed the urge to bristle at the love he heard in that voice.

"She went to put Fancy back in her stall. Aaron has probably already put more hay down for her." He glanced at Alex and replied before the boy could voice his question. "They only walked her to get her out of the stall and to make sure that she was somewhat okay. Aaron laid more hay down so that if Fancy rolls, she won’t hurt herself any more than she has."

"Oh. Thanks." They walked back to the stall to see how Michelle was doing.

When Alex looked in, he saw a tall man with dark black hair. At his temples were white wings, yet the sign of age only made him look more dignified. Alex could see the outline of the man’s face in Johnny’s. Travis Kyneese was kneeling over Fancy, his hands gently kneading the mare’s barrel.

". . . walking doesn’t work, but something happened before I came and I don’t think it happened on its own," he was saying. "It wasn’t completely back where it should be but now-" Travis worked his hand a little harder and Fancy lashed out with her hind foot, "-she shouldn’t have any more problems. It might have only moved a little bit, so that once she got to her feet, it was jostled back into place. I've given her the customary oil in case it was just a block so this mare is well covered.

"Let her rest and don’t work her for this next day. You might want to keep an eye on her, too, because this method isn’t always totally foolproof. You should be able to work her day after tomorrow, though." He smiled reassuringly at Michelle and her eyes were glowing sapphires, filled with exultation.

"Don’t worry about Fancy now, little lady. She’ll be with you a while yet." Michelle smiled and gave the man a quick hug. Alex glanced at Johnny but those brown eyes were filled with his father, pride spelling itself across the finely chiseled face.

Travis looked to Johnny and smiled. "Hi, son. What’re you doing here?"

"I had come over before. I didn’t know that this had happened. Just visiting."

Travis’s eyes slipped to Michelle but were back on his son’s face so quickly that Alex thought that he had imagined. As Johnny flushed, though, Alex knew he had not.

Michelle slipped into the stall and smoothly placed herself alongside Fancy’s head. Her smooth stroking made the mare’s lower lip quiver and those large velvety brown eyes close. Alex saw a look on Michelle’s face of pure rapture. A disaster averted. A disaster averted by the man that he thought he hated. Well, he promised Michelle to be civil and he had been. It had even been pleasant.

"Johnny, I think that we should go and leave Fancy to Michelle." Travis gestured for his son to follow but Johnny hesitated. He walked into the stall and Michelle looked up at him. Without a word she stood and wrapped her arms around him, a lone tear slipping down her face and plopping onto Johnny’s neck.

"Thank you," she murmured just loud enough for Alex to hear, "had you not made me so mad that all I thought about was proving you wrong, I don’t know that I would have been much help. I owe my horse’s life."

Johnny pulled away and Alex loosened the knots that had materialized in his shoulders. "It was nothing. You would have snapped out of it once you got over the shock anyway, I just helped it along. Besides, I know how strong you are. You’d have to be to be able to put up with my antics." With that Johnny cast a significance glance at Alex, as if including him in the blame. "I’ll drop by again tomorrow to see how you all are holding up." The tall young man stepped out of the stall and stepped in front of Alex. He held out his hand and Alex barely hesitated before clasping it in both of his. Johnny wrapped his other hand Alex’s. This was for Michelle, Alex knew, to make sure she knew that no more trouble would be born of them. Alex smiled a smile of thanks to his newfound friend and released his grip.

Johnny swung up into Windy’s saddle and waved once more as he followed in his father’s wake. The cloud of dust from the truck could just barely be seen and Johnny struck out at a lope.

Alex leaned on the stall door, looking down at Michelle. Her eyes were dreamy and her hand was smoothing the pain from Fancy’s broad face. He didn’t say a word and Michelle didn’t even seem to notice him.

When she spoke he was taken by surprise. "I thought I almost lost her today. I’ve never had to think about what I would do if Fancy wasn’t around any more and within half an hour I came to the edge of being pushed into finding out. I was terrified. What would I do with out my Fancy?" Michelle delivered this in a soft whisper that traveled easily to Alex’s pricked ears.

Alex stepped lightly into the stall and sat down beside Michelle. He placed his hand on hers and stilled its incessant stroking.

The girl was so pointedly not looking at Alex that she might as well have been staring. He gingerly draped his free arm around her body and dropped her hand. She had relaxed slightly but her muscles had been knotted for so long that they were a long way from loosening with out assistance.

He maneuvered himself behind her and began kneading Michelle’s shoulders. His questing fingers brought painful little gasps from her as he attacked the myriad of knots. Soon she was like clay beneath his hands, her chin resting against her chest. He brought his hands up to Michelle’s slender neck and began again. This time Michelle laid her head back, using Alex’s now still hands as a pillow. He guided her limp body back against his chest, allowing Michelle her first moments of true relaxation since that morning.

Michelle’s face was lighted with a relieved smile, which was so faint that Alex wasn’t sure it was a smile at all.

"Thank you. It’s nice to know there’s someone to look after me when I don’t have the sense to look after myself." Michelle looked with chagrin at her bare and filthy feet.

Alex caught her glance and stood up. He patted her shoulder reassuringly. "Don’t worry; I’ll get ‘em. He strode out of the barn.

While Alex was gone Michelle brushed her hair and fixed her clothes. She was shocked at the state in which she had allowed herself to leave the house. Then her eyes fell on her slumbering mare and was no longer embarrassed. She also cleansed her feet, disgusted with herself again.

When Alex came back Michelle was sitting on a chair with freshly washed feet tucked underneath her. He handed her socks and shoes and watched as she donned both.

"Your family is sitting in the house. They wanted to come out to see how you are but they also want to give you your space." Alex held up his hand to forestall her dismay. "I just told them that you are fine and that we’d be in in a little while." He looked a question at Michelle to see if that was okay and Michelle smiled her assent.

"Well, I guess we’d better go in then. I wouldn’t want to add anymore worry to their minds," she finished sincerely. Michelle looked one last time in Fancy’s stall and smiled as she saw Fancy munching on some warm mash.

They walked to the house and Alex was astounded. He looked to the sun and took in its position – well short of its zenith. When he said as much, Michelle smiled.

"You’re surprised? I feel as if I’ve aged ten years and been through a war." Michelle looked thoughtful for a moment, a contemplative frown creasing her brow. "I guess, in a way, I did fight a battle. . . against death." Michelle paled and Alex became worried. The weary girl was still exhausted and something might happen to her. He breathed a sigh of relief as the healthy hue returned to her skin and she grinned victoriously. "But we won, didn’t we?"

Alex only smiled and took the opportunity to grasp Michelle’s ice cold hand. He wrapped its slender length in his and began rubbing it to warm it back up

When Michelle realized what he was doing she snaked her arm around his waist and offered both her hands. Her face was lit up with mischief.

"You know, Alex, my face is kinda cold," Michelle hinted, smiling an invitation at her friend.

Alex made as if to stop right there in the middle of the road, but then he led Michelle behind a shaded building. He turned to face her and cupped her chin in his hand, pressing the other against her back. She looked up at him like a flower looking to the sun. He leaned down to kiss one cheek and then the other. He breathed in her slightly flowery scent. Alex then kissed Michelle’s smooth forehead and then warmed her lips.

Michelle sighed. No one knew her like Alex. The only time she was happier was when she was with both, Alex and Fancy. He always knew the right thing to do.

They walked back onto the road and Alex walked slightly behind Michelle. He was close enough that Michelle could still feel his body heat radiating into her. Her eyes crinkled at the corners with happiness.

The couple reached the house and tentatively walked through the kitchen. In the living room Michelle’s family was sitting in a semi-circle so that when she and Alex stepped through the door, they would complete the circle. Dylan and Tallia were sitting directly across from the two teens. Aaron sat to their right and Danny to their left. Eight eyes turned on them as their steps broke the silence. Eight eyes held a tightness that Michelle’s presence should ease. The tension and anxiety was so palpable that Michelle felt stifled.

"Hi, everyone!" Michelle said into the silence, a brave cheerfulness strengthening her voice.

The gazes intensified and Michelle could sense their astonishment at her seemingly quick recovery. The young woman smiled to back up her words and earned four smiles in return. Alex felt pride welling up in his heart – she was so scared and yet she loved so strongly that she suppressed her own emotions in order to assure others who were also uncertain and scared.

Then, as if Michelle had broken some invisible barrier, words tumbled from the still figures scattered around the room.

"Is Fancy settled. . . ?"

"How are you, sweetheart?"

"Sorry we couldn’t help. . ."

"Do you need anything, bright eyes?"

Michelle’s head reeled and she closed her eyes to sort out the mess. She breathed an exasperated laugh and slumped into a beckoning armchair.

"Fancy’s fine and seems to be comfortable. I’m also fine, just a bit tired. A nap seems very inviting. . . Anyway, Dad, don’t worry. I know you had to wait for Mr. Kyneese and besides – we did fine. Now," Michelle heaved herself out of the chair and tested her legs. "Now I’m going up for that nap."

As Michelle made her way to the stairs, the hair on the back of Alex’s neck rose. He watched as the holder of his heart tripped over thin air and then steadied herself. He glanced around the room and found the only one paying attention to Michelle was Aaron. To a casual look, the old timer was paying exclusive attention to the conversation going on between Tallia and Dylan. Yet to Alex, Aaron’s entire being was focused on his goddaughter.

Out of the corner of his eye, Alex saw movement and bounded to his feet. As he turned his head to look fully upon Michelle, he saw her body turn to water and stared helplessly as she fell in a heap onto the floor. Before he could act, another was already picking up her doll-like figure. Alex cursed himself and his thick head. Twice now, an ancient cowboy had beat him and made him look the buffoon.

When Alex made as if he was going to follow, Aaron warned him off with a single scowl. The youngster was opening his mouth to argue so Aaron gave a rough jerk of his head toward the still conversing family.