Natalia Andrews Chapter 2 - Warner?!

WARNING! This Chapter contains strong language, some stock horse / western horse discrimination, and some mild, poorly drawn blood. You have been warned!

----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Ugh here we go again... I never know how to start this damn thing.

So JT has been at Libertas for a few weeks now. He disappeared for about a week during Christmas, leaving the rest of us to take care of his damn horses. He would never say where he was going. But, I seem to be the only one that has a problem with this. Erik and him hang out all the time, Amanda thinks his horses are the most beautiful things she has seen in her life, and the Belliards absolutely adore him. He even got Aurelia a Percheron horse for Christmas.

Yeah he won the best present contest this year.

But my week free from country bumpkins has come to an end. I was walking to my little office in the office building when I saw the big white truck emerge through the trees. He gave a little tip of his hat before pulling into his parking space in front of his apartment.

Ass hole...

We keep a white board of the schedule for feeding and cleaning rotations in front of Tori's office. As I passed by on the way to my little slice of heaven I saw it...

Office and Barn Cleaning - Amanda & Erik

Feed AM - Natalia & JT

Feed PM - Natalia & Amanda

Really?! I had managed not to be on feed duty with JT for this long. What a shitty present! I burst into Tori's office. She was on her computer, Aurelia was playing in the corner with some new Christmas present, and cute little Jax was chewing on his Christmas bone.

"Um... Tori? Can I talk to you about the schedule?"

"If you want me to change it then no. I already changed it so Erik could watch the NASCAR race tomorrow." She stated without even looking up from her typing

"Bu-"

"Nope." Tori held up her finger like a mother quieting a young child that was whining about wanting a cookie for breakfast.

"Ugh fine." I huffed getting ready to stomp out the door. But, then I felt something grab my hand.

"Miss Natalia? Do you want me to help you with your chores?" Ugh. Why did that damn kid have to be so adorable? I knelt down so I could see eye-to-eye with her.

"That's ok Aurelia. But, thank you!" I said before patting her on the head and walking out the door.

As I was huffing it back to my office JT walked out of his small office.

"Well hello there Miss Natalia!" he said in the most annoyingly chipper tune.

"Hi." I said very shortly as I kept my head down and headed for my door.

"I saw we have morning feed duty together. So I guess I'll see you bright and early tomorrow?"

"Yup." I said as I opened my door.

"Oh great! Well see you tomorrow!" he chirped back as I slammed my door in his face.

Don't judge me! I could have slammed the door in his face and called him a twit face, backwoods, hog wrestling, one-horse town, hick! Now would you have preferred that? I think not.

Anyway. On to today. So I woke up at 5am to get ready to feed.

Yeah I didn't feel like getting pretty today. It was cold as balls and I was in no mood to act like a civilized human being. As I pulled up to the barn I saw JT's truck already there. It looks like he has already started too. When I entered the barn I wasn't greeted by the normal low nicker of hungry horses. Half the horses already had their food and the other half were waiting on JT to deliver their buckets.

"When did you get here?" I asked as I watched JT pour the bucket into the last stall.

"Oh I got here about 4:30. I waited for you for a bit but it's too cold to just sit around!"

Really?! What an Ass!! Trying to show me up by getting here an hour early!

"Oh. Well I'll just go start letting horses out." my displeasure was quite apparent.

"Do you want some help? I can go grab the blankets for the horses that need them!" Why must he be so eager to do things this early in the morning?

"No. I am quite capable of getting and blanketing horses by myself. I don't need nor do I want your help! Now just fuck off ok?!" It was early and I don't do mornings well... I felt a little bad after I yelled at him like that. He was just trying to help... But he should know that I can handle this by myself. How do you think we did it before he was here?!

"Oh. Um... ok." This was the first time I ever heard JT speak without the little chirp in his voice.

I brushed off his tone without another thought. I was tired of being nice to this man that a clearly couldn't stand. So after a very quiet hour of letting horses out, I put Warner in the Warm up ring outside of the barn. JT was tacking up one of his stock-like things. I was just about to go grab Warner's tack so we could go for a little trail ride when I heard a little whinny behind me.

"Well what are you doing little missy?" I asked the little mare with her head out of the stall.

"Did we forget to put you out, Empire?" Empire is our little thoroughbred. She must have been staring out the window and we just forgot to put her blanket on and stick her out.

"Come on baby girl. I'll go let you run around the round pen a bit." We normally don't let the real fancy horses like the racers and dressage horses out in the pasture. They all have runs that they go out in three times a day. But I felt bad that Empire hasn't been able to run like she really needs to. Her jockey won't get here for another week or so. I took her out to the round pen by the covered arena.

I could hear Warner freaking out as soon as I turned the corner where he couldn't see me. I didn't think anything of it though. It was only for a bit and there is no way he could jump the fence. After running Empire around for a bit I put her in her small pasture so she could hang out before going back to her stall. As I turned the corner I expected to see my little Barb waiting for me to get back...

"Warner? WARNER!!" I screamed at the top of my lungs as I found no sign of my little pony. I was SURE I locked the fence. Or... at least I thought I was sure...

JT was just coming out of the stable with Reina when he saw the open gate. He came running over wit Reina and threw the reins at me.

"Go! Here give me your leg." He demanded as he threw me up onto his little mare.

"I'll saddle up Singe and search with you. Now go!" he yelled slapping Reina on the rear, sending her off into an immediate gallop.

I really wasn't prepared for the little mare to take off that fast. I had barely gotten my legs in the stirrups before she took off into the fields.

I searched for hours. I took the east side of the property and JT took the west. I searched our favorite hacking spots, the beach, the hills, all over the pastures; I even went to the front gate to make sure it wasn't open or broken. JT checked all over the west side and ran the whole fence line to check for holes. I was about to give up hope.

*Static* "Natalia? Do you copy? Over." JT's voice came over the radio hanging from the saddle pack.

"Yeah I'm here. Over"

"I think I might have something here. There is an old trail on the west side. It looks a little spooky but it looks like something might have come through here recently. Over"

"Really? Ok. I'm on my way. Over."

"10-4. Over"

--- --- --- --- ---

"The trail is over here!" JT called as I came into view. The trail did look a little scary and dangerouse. But it was the only lead we had.

"Ok let's go!" I said eagerly nudging Reina forward.

"No. If something is in there I need to go first." JT insisted.

"What? You don't think I can take care of myself?" I asked quite offended that JT hasn't gotten the hint that I am a strong independent woman!

"Natalia don't start. You are on my horse and I'd really rather keep her alive. I make the rules in this situation. Plus I have a gun. What do you have? Your sharp wit? Yeah that's going to help against a cougar. I'm going first." Damn. That's more balls than the man has shown since I've known him.

"Ok." I agreed meekly. He really was right. But, I wasn't going to let him know that.

After a good trek through the brush and branches JT stopped in his tracks. "I think I see something. Stay here." he said continuing on cautiously.

I followed his instructions because I really didn't feel like getting mauled by a cougar today.

"Natalia! Come here! Slowly!" JT called.

"Oh my God..." my jaw dropped when I saw my little man. He was beaten up pretty bad. "Warner..." I wanted to run to him, to comfort him and make him all better. But JT held me back.

"Stay here. You're not going to help anything if you are freaking out." he insisted as he walked over to Warner slowly.

"It's not as bad as it looks. Most of these cuts aren't that deep. His leg is the only thing that looks real bad. Throw me that lead rope out of my pack." I did as JT said.

JT wrapped the lead rope around Warner's neck and urged him forward a few steps. He was able to put weight on it but you could tell he is hurting.

"Ride back to the stable. Call the vet as soon as you get cell service. I'll start ponying him back." I agreed that that was probably the best option.

As soon as we got back to Libertas we took Warner straight to our emergency clinic. The vet was already waiting for us there.

"I'll take him from here." The vet said placing a halter on Warner. "There is nothing more you can do. I'll call you later with the X-Ray results."

I nodded and started slowly walking away from the clinic.

"Natalia!" JT called after me.

He placed something in my hand when he caught up to me.

"Here. It's the key to my apartment. I'll catch up with you there. You you don't need to be alone right now."

I nodded without saying a word.

My mind reeled with what just happened. I rode a western horse in a western saddle and now I'm going back to JT's apartment to do I don't know what. I reached his apartment door and slid the key in the lock and turned...

"Wow. I thought the guy was cowboy by his clothes..." I mumbled to myself. After starting a fire in his little stove fireplace I plopped myself down on the old sofa. As I watched the flames dance across the blackened wood of the fireplace, my mind drifted away to a different world. I was back in France. With Warner. A healthy Warner. Maybe it was a mistake to come here. Maybe I should have stayed in France... Just then my phone rang.

"Hello?"

"Natalia! Its Tori. I heard about Warner. I just wanted to let you know that I have an extra bed. You shouldn't be alone tonight."

"Oh. Um... That's ok Tori. I'm going to hang out with JT tonight."

"Oh... ... ... Ok. Have fun!"

Tori's tone confused me. But before I could correct her and say its not what she thought, she hung up.

The next thing I knew JT walked through the door.

"Hey. Did you hear from the Vet?"

"No. Nothing."

"Okay. Well don't worry about the evening feeding. I covered you."

"Oh. Thanks."

"Don't mention it. Are you hungry? I make a mean grilled cheese!"

"Umm... Sure."

JT headed for his small kitchen. I continued shifting my gaze from the window to my phone to the fire.

I was about the chuck my fucking phone across the room when it finally rang.

"Natalia Andrew?"

"Yes? That's me."

"Hello Miss Andrews. I have some news on your horse. All his injuries appear to be superficial. This leg is a little concerning. But after an X-Ray is doesn't appear to be broken. He is not out of the woods yet. But, I think he is going to be just fine. But he is going to have to stay here a little longer. You are free to come see him tomorrow.

I felt like I could finally breathe. He was going to be ok. A few tears rolled down my face and fell to the darkened screen of my phone.

"Hey. Are you ok?" JT asked as he placed the grilled cheese down on the coffee table.

"Oh yeah." I said wiping the tears from my cheeks. "He is going to be ok." I explained to him all that the vet told me.

"That's great!" he said placing a hand on my shoulder. His hand was a lot softer than I expected for a cowboy.

"Um.. yeah. I guess I can head home now."

"Why don't you stay here tonight? I'll take the couch. I end up sleeping here anyway." He said reverting back to his chipper tune that always annoyed the hell out of me. But, I finally agreed to spend the night. It was probably a bad idea. But I would do anything to get this damn cowboy to shut up.

#Chapter2 #Natalia #Reina #Warner #JT #StaffStories #Tori