Archive of Our Own

Chapter Text

𝑃𝑟𝑜𝑙𝑜𝑔𝑢𝑒 - 𝑊ℎ𝑎𝑡 𝑏𝑢𝑟𝑛𝑠 𝑐𝑎𝑛𝑛𝑜𝑡 𝑏𝑒 𝑠𝑎𝑖𝑑

━━━━━━ ✧◦❂◦✧ ━━━━━━

The Duttons. For over a century, this name has been synonymous with a land — an empire forged through the sweat, blood and determination of men and women willing to do whatever it takes to preserve what is theirs. The Yellowstone Dutton Ranch is not just a home; it’s a nation, an ideology and a battlefield. The Dutton family is at the heart of it all — everything revolves around them, for better or worse.

John Dutton, the third of his name, was the seventh generation to run the ranch. He and his wife Evelyn had five children : Lee, the eldest, was born in 1980. Jamie in 1982, although he was adopted rather than born of their love. Beth arrived in 1984. The family remained as it was for six years before Kayce in 1990, enlarging the family once again. Finally, Maggie, whose real name is Margaret, was born in 1995. 

Maggie was the unexpected surprise, a child that nobody really expected. Her life began with drama. In 1997, shortly before her second birthday, Evelyn tragically died falling from a horse. Kayce and Beth were present. They were seven and thirteen years old.

This tragedy shook the family. It was an understatement, to say the least, and it had an impact on all her brothers and sisters. Unlike the others, Maggie never mourned her mother. She simply grew up without one. However, there was a void to fill, and a face that was said to resemble Evelyn’s so much that her father could not look at her without gritting his teeth. She was too young to remember her mother clearly, but not young enough to not feel her absence.

Surprisingly, she was closest to Lee, despite their fifteen-year age gap. For the first eighteen years of her life, Lee was the only one who never left. They had simply lived together. He was the eldest and the natural heir; a cowboy at heart, he was as much a part of the ranch as the land itself.

Jamie, on the other hand, had moved to Bozeman to become a lawyer. Maggie was five years old. She would later understand that this choice came less from Jamie than from their father. Bozeman wasn’t that far away, and he sometimes came back. But never to see her. After all, what could a law student possibly have to say to a little girl, even if this one was his little sister ?

For Beth, however, it was a different story. She didn’t bother to stay close to them geographically. Two years after Jamie left, when Maggie was seven, Beth moved to a different state altogether. She went to study in Salt Lake City, then joined the hustle and bustle of the financial world in New York. On the other side of the country ! In a different time zone ! (Even though the time difference was only two hours.)

And then there was Kayce. He had moved away yet remained close. The one who escaped. He fled. The army. Love . Far from their father’s authority. He impregnated a Native American woman from the reservation and they kept the child. Tate. This caused a rift between him and John Dutton.

Lee stayed, Jamie returned, Beth left and Kayce escaped.

And Maggie ? Maggie floated. Between silences. Between glances. Between memories that weren’t hers.

At thirteen, she found herself alone on the ranch. She wasn’t physically alone, but she was all the same. Kayce was gone. So was Beth. Jamie was back, but he seemed even more distant than before. As if he despised her. As if he saw her as an ignorant brat. Too busy chasing their father’s approval to pay attention to anyone else.

And then there was Lee. You’d think that, with a fifteen-year age gap, they wouldn’t have anything in common, but quite the opposite was true; that’s when they grew closer. They shared a common love : the ranch. Of horses. Cowboy life. 

Maggie thought she’d be able to follow in Lee’s footsteps once she’d finished school. She had hoped to follow in his footsteps. She thought her life would continue quietly, flowing along like a tranquil river. But she realised far too early that here you had to earn your place. Take it. Defend it. And sometimes, you had to run from it.

John Dutton lived for the ranch. He wanted his family to be involved and by his side. He never let Jamie choose his own career. He dreamed of everyone living and working here. But Maggie had always felt left out.

She thought it was because of her age. But Lee, Jamie and even Kayce had been initiated at a young age. Her father would take them up the hill, show them the land and tell them its history. Their history. He made no distinction between his daughters and sons. Beth had experienced it, too, even if she had never really been interested. But Maggie was.

When Kayce left, everything changed. It was as if everyone knew he would never come back. John pretended otherwise. Or said he didn’t care. But Maggie could see right through him. He was touched. Deeply.

She thought that if her father was keeping her at arm’s length, it might be out of fear. Afraid she’d run away, too. Afraid she'd do what her brother had done. But Maggie was faithful. She was far more loyal than Kayce. Devoted. She wanted to prove it. One day, she had an idea of how to do so.

The animals on the ranch were branded so that people would know who they belonged to. Maggie knew, however, that it wasn’t just the animals that were branded. She knew that some of the ranch hands were branded, too. And a branded cowboy really did belong to Yellowstone.

Maggie had been excluded from the ranch. She didn’t want to be excluded anymore. Kayce was gone and Lee was overprotective. Jamie despised her. Beth was away. And John... He wasn’t giving her any roles. 

One evening, she therefore stole the branding iron discreetly.

She could still remember the smell of iron. The burning metal. The heat; the trembling of her hands. The silence in the stable. She was fifteen. She had decided that she would never again be a stranger in her own home.

The brand was there. It hung on the wall like a trophy, like a threat.

She took it. She’d heated it herself. And she branded herself.

The pain ?

Brief. Intense. Deserved.

She thought it would be enough to make them see her differently. That they would see her differently. After all, Rip had carried it. John treated him like a son, too. Maggie wanted that. That recognition.

But she preferred to keep it a secret for a while. So that, when she showed it, it would be healed. Clean. A symbol of strength. To show that she had managed alone.

Until that day at high school. After several weeks of sports exemptions — she had been imitating her father’s signature, which Beth had taught her — Maggie had to change in the locker room. A girl saw the mark on her thigh. And talked .

Before the day was over, Maggie was in the headteacher’s office. She denied everything about it. She used every legal word she knew. However, when we suggested calling the police, social services or a shrink, she gave in. She complied. She showed the brand to the nurse.

The situation took another turn. Before the day was out, John Dutton appeared in the office with his jaw so tightly clenched that he could have broken his teeth.

When he was told about the brand, he understood. He felt insulted when he felt accused, and humiliated when he realised that he was unaware of everything that was happening under his roof and on his land, and that his daughter could have done such a thing behind his back. Then he became furious.

He hadn’t said anything at the time. When he left the office, he didn’t say a word. Not a glance either. Maggie had followed him before he left without her. Into the car. Silence. But back at the ranch, the fury erupted like an uncontrollable fire.

He yelled that she didn’t understand. He said that you didn’t take the brand and that you deserved it.

“Do you think that’s how you become a Dutton ? By stealing what doesn’t belong to you ? Do you think loyalty and fidelity burn like a drawing on your skin ?!”

Maggie hadn’t cried. Not that day, at least. Despite the harsh words that had been spoken. On either side. Because she felt furious, too. Furious and misunderstood. She tried to defend and explain herself, and make him understand, but John was deaf to it all. He could hear nothing but his own anger.

He told her that if anyone but her had done that, they would have been severely punished – their skin would have been removed and burned again, and they would have been excluded from the ranch.

“If you weren’t my daughter, I'd have taken that iron back and ripped the skin off you like one rips off a betrayal.”

But Maggie knew. This wasn’t rebellion. Even less a betrayal. It was an act of love. Of desperation, too.

The atmosphere was icy cold.

Not a word exchanged. Only glances.

Until the following evening, before dark. It wasn’t to hear a “good night”, no. In any case, it was not one. A good night. Just another night, frozen in the heavy silence of the family home. It was then that John Dutton announced, without preamble, that an appointment had been made. 

In Seattle. With the best plastic surgeon in the country. For reconstructive surgery. To erase the brand.

Maggie had no say in the matter. It wasn’t a discussion. It was an order. 

She found the solution radical. She hadn’t even considered it. In her mind, her father would be furious - of course. But she had prepared herself for his anger, his silence and his disappointment. She’d thought he’d come to terms with the fact that she’d burned her skin. It was done. It was irreversible. There was nothing he could do about it.

She had made a mistake.

She had no idea how he had managed to arrange an appointment so quickly. A few weeks later, however, as she waited for an operation in a sterile white hospital room, it was Beth who appeared in a black suit and high heels. Maggie could never have imagined her sister travelling across the country for her. But she did.

Beth entered without knocking. And slapped her.

Maggie felt her head spin with shock, but it wasn’t the pain that left her speechless. It was the slap itself. It was like a rude awakening. It was Beth’s way of saying “I love you” .

Then Beth grabbed her by the shoulders and pulled her close. Her scent, her breath, her presence - it was all there, familiar, uncompromising, soft and hard all at once. “Don’t ever do that again,” she whispered. “Wanting to chain you to the ranch... You don’t realise how stupid it is. You don’t realise how lucky you are. Take advantage of it. If you get the chance to leave that ranch, take it.”

She placed a kiss on Maggie’s hair, like an unsettling blessing, while Maggie remained silent. These words had shaken her. She didn’t share this vision of the ranch, their life or their heritage. She didn’t see it as a curse. She saw it as a home. A bond. A promise. Perhaps that’s what made her so angry.

A cold table. An anaesthetic. A blurred awakening.

The brand was gone. Well... almost .

In its place was a scar. Thin, white and surgical. It was visible only if you knew where to look. The surgeon had told her that it would be possible to remove it entirely with a second, lighter operation in a while.

Maggie already knew she wouldn’t do it.

This scar was all she had left. She had burned her skin with a branding iron. Not to hurt herself, but to claim something : to belong. To prove that she wanted it more than anything else. The scar was her response to being excluded. She would keep it.

It didn’t change her love for her father. His ranch. Of course, it complicated everything. But the love remained. Like a taut thread.

When the time came to decide what to do after high school, John Dutton didn’t push her in any particular direction as he did for Jamie. In fact, he encouraged her to pursue passions that he had once considered useless. History, in particular. He knew she loved it. He also knew that it would take her away from the ranch.

Maggie understood. He wanted to protect her.

She was hurting him without realising it. But he was hurting her, too. Behind his silence, she sensed a mission: to shield her from the family burden. She was too much like Evelyn. He hadn’t been able to save his wife. At least he wanted to save his daughter. Not from the world, but from their world. That ruthless, devastating world. A world of power, land and inheritance. Blood. Owning the biggest ranch in Montana was highly coveted.

But John Dutton was not a coherent man. He said one thing and thought another. Perhaps what he really wanted was for her to stay. To fight. To prove that she was made for this life. Then at least he’d have peace of mind, knowing that he’d done everything he could to keep her away, even if she did stay.

So Maggie obeys. Ostensibly, at least.

She pretends to study zoology and animal biology, turning her back on the realities of farming. Lions, exotic birds and snakes... Worlds away. But, in truth, she enrolled for a degree in Animal Science with a minor in Zoology. The perfect education for the ranch. Stealthy. Strategic. Maggie wasn’t giving up. She was planning her comeback.

She hoped to go to veterinary school. And then come back.

However, her father, who was funding her education, discovered the truth through some paperwork. A letter. A registration form. A programme. The rupture erupted violently. John felt betrayed. Maggie felt misunderstood. The words were harsh; the looks were even worse. Yet, despite it all, John couldn’t hide his pride. His daughter had guts. Fire. She was a Dutton.

So Maggie left the ranch.

She set off for Bozeman. It was far away, but not too far. Close enough to keep an eye on. Far enough away to be able to breathe. This wasn’t an escape. It was an attempt at negotiation.

Becoming a vet was just an excuse. Maggie didn’t even want to be one. She wanted to be a cowgirl. She didn’t want to run away from the ranch. She wanted to stay. But she wanted to earn her place. No favouritism. Without mercy. Now that she knew she couldn’t follow in Lee’s footsteps, she had to choose an alternative path that would lead her back to the ranch.

Yellowstone was the only place where she felt alive. But it was also the place where she’d been told repeatedly that she didn’t belong.

So she completed her Bachelor’s degree. Four studious years. Quiet. Determined. Then she entered veterinary school. Her dream was coming true. And yet...

She never finished her first year. She never returned to Yellowstone. Until now.

Chapter Text

𝐶ℎ𝑎𝑝𝑡𝑒𝑟 𝑜𝑛𝑒 - 𝐹𝑖𝑣𝑒 𝑦𝑒𝑎𝑟𝑠 𝑙𝑎𝑡𝑒𝑟

━━━━━━ ✧◦❂◦✧ ━━━━━━

"Daddy ?"

John stopped what he was doing. With uncertain fingers, he bent over the small mirror on one of the pieces of furniture in the living room and tried to stitch up the wound on his forehead as well as he could. At the sound of a voice, he froze. It was his daughter. But it wasn't Beth.

There was the sound of hurried footsteps clattering against the floor, and the next moment, a familiar silhouette appeared in the reflection. Maggie. She stopped dead in the doorway, breathless, her eyes fixed on her father's wound. Then, sighing with relief, she stepped forward.

"I heard you had an accident," she said, before moving around the room to stand opposite him.

John barely looked up. "Rumours are flying," he muttered, jaw clenched. Then, still not looking at her, he added dryly : "Did you think I was dead ?"

Maggie frowned, bewildered. "No. Of course not." She shook her head, annoyed at the absurdity of the question. "But I suspected you were hurt."

"Good."

She raised an eyebrow. He must have hit his head harder than she thought. "Good ?"

John let out a bitter chuckle. "I'm reassured to see you won't be waiting for a funeral to come back to this house."

And that was it. He'd only lasted three minutes before making his first thinly veiled reproach. She rolled her eyes and opened her mouth to protest. "I'm a student."

"I'm well aware of that, young lady. I'm the one paying for your education."

Young lady. She hated it when he called her that. It was as if she was still twelve and nothing had changed.

"Jamie and Beth didn't live here while they were at school either," she said.

"But at least they came back during the holidays. For celebrations."

A heavy, bitter silence fell. He was right, of course. Once she'd left the ranch, Maggie hadn't been half-hearted about it. Since leaving, she hadn't set foot in Yellowstone again. It wasn't that she didn't want to come anymore. She was waiting for the right moment. The moment when her absence would matter. The moment when her father would understand. So she had forced the family to move to Bozeman for Thanksgiving and Christmas. She'd built her distance like a wall, stone by stone.

"Besides, what are you doing here ? Shouldn't you be at university?"

"Uh... I was just passing by," she lied, too quickly.

It was like a miracle from heaven when Jamie walked through the door at that moment. Seeing his sister, he slowed down. "Maggie," he said.

"Hello to you too, Jamie," she replied, giving him a strained smile.

He turned to their father and frowned. "Did he go to a doctor ?"

Maggie crossed her arms. "Does he look like he's been to a doctor ?"

"You can stop talking like I'm not here, for God's sake," John growled, his eyebrows furrowed. He lowered his gaze to the trembling wire between his fingers before looking at Jamie. "Ah, damn it ! Your mother was always better at this."

Maggie raised her arms in disbelief. He couldn't help it. He forgot about her, even though she was only three feet away.

"Hey, you know who's really good at it ?" Jamie called out.

Maggie gently pushed him away as he approached their father. "Leave it to me."

John tried to protest, but she ignored him. She grabbed the scissors and thread and finished the job with confident, focused movements. It was then that Jamie started talking about work with their father. Once again, Maggie felt that if she weren't there, it would be the same. He spoke as if she wasn't there. But at least this time, she could hear a little more about the ranch business.

Once the wound had been stitched up, John looked at his reflection in the mirror before looking up. "You have your mother's hands," he said.

He then got up, took his hat, and left the room without saying anything. Jamie followed him immediately, leaving Maggie alone for a moment before she too left in pursuit. She followed them outside, not knowing why. By habit. By reflex. A helicopter was waiting in the adjacent field, already roaring. Was his father really going to leave without saying another word ?

Yes, that would be like him.

A van arrived in a cloud of dust, having been towed by a pick-up truck. Lee got off it and joined the group. "You're not coming, Dad ?"

Maggie turned to him. "Where are you going ?"

"Hey, Mags."

"Hey Lee. So, where ?"

He didn't have time to answer, though, as John spoke first. "No, I got a meeting in Bozeman. Why don't you take your badge out with you today ? Take a rifle too."

"I mean, they won't give us any trouble over strays, I mean, they'll probably help us round them up."

"Well, the badge is for the ranchers riding with you. It'll keep them from bringing home any extras."

Maggie frowned. "Have you lost some cattle ?"

"No, they just moved away," replied Lee.

"But you just said... "

"If we know where they are, they're not lost."

She stared at him sceptically. "If you want." She followed Lee as he returned to his vehicle. Jamie was yelling at their father on the other side of the field as though trying to stop him from leaving again. "Can I come with you ?" she asked Lee.

He looked over his shoulder. "You heard Dad. There will be rifles."

"I heard very well."

She bypassed the pick-up and grabbed the passenger door handle. Nothing happened. Locked. She shot Lee a dark look through the window. "Open that door !"

"I said no."

"I'm going to hang on to your horsebox, Lee. You know I'm more than capable of doing it."

He pretended not to hear. "What ? I can't hear anything !" he said, barely holding back his laughter.

"Then roll down the window before I burst it off."

He sighed and obeyed, not wanting to have to replace the vehicle's window and avoid a family quarrel, because if she did this, Maggie would still attract their father's anger.. "It's too dange-"

She did not wait for him to finish. With an agile movement, she slipped one arm in, then the other, and crept inside through the open window. She landed on the passenger seat with a slight sigh. She straightened her hair, fastened her seatbelt and turned a mischievous smile towards her brother. "So... where are we going ?"

☼

The cab of the pick-up truck echoed with the regular purr of the engine as Lee held the steering wheel firmly and kept his eyes fixed on the dusty road ahead. "What are you doing here?" he asked, his low voice betraying surprise and reproach, but he didn't take his eyes off the road.

Maggie turned her head towards him, a slight smile playing at the corners of her mouth. "I don't suppose you mean here inside the car ?" Lee stared at her for a moment, his expression hard and sarcastic, then returned to the road without answering. "I heard that Dad had an accident."

There was silence. Then Lee growled, "Yeah, he had to kill the horse yesterday."

Maggie grimaced at the thought. "Well, you know what I'm doing here then."

"But if you don't go to university anymore, aren't you supposed to have a job ?"

"Yes, I do."

"You know that not all the ranches in Montana have our name, right ?"

"I know."

Lee smiled in a sneer. "That means you can get fired if you don't show up. No one here will believe that you asked for a day off before leaving."

Maggie crossed her arms. "No, I just left."

Lee burst out laughing. "Well, I'm telling you that you're fired, miss."

She raised an eyebrow defiantly. "I handle it. The ranch manager likes me." After a long pause, she added with a smile : "And his son too."

Lee grimaced, feigning shock. "You sound just like Beth."

"I take that as a compliment."

In the distance, they saw unusual activity : cars had gathered in a pasture while cattle were crammed into a mess. Maggie squinted and frowned when she heard her brother curse. "Fuck."

"What ?" she asked, worried.

Lee clenched his teeth. "The beasts are on the Reservation lands." He braked suddenly and pulled over, his face suddenly severe.

"There aren't supposed to be any fences or barbed wire separating our land from theirs," asked Maggie.

Lee nodded, but he didn't look happy. He turned around and grabbed his rifle. Maggie reached out almost instinctively.

"What ? You want me to hold your hand like when you were five ?" Lee asked, amused despite himself.

"No, I want a gun. You have one, they..." She pointed to the cowboys and the reservation men standing outside. "They have one too. It's just that I'd like to have one too, just in case."

Lee shook his head firmly. "Definitely not. You're staying in the car."

"What ? But-"

"I'm not kidding, Maggie."

There was a moment of tension. Then she gave in. "All right, I'll take no guns. But you're not leaving me alone in there."

He gave her a stern look. "No remarks that could inflame the situation."

She sighed, a smile of challenge and irritation on her lips. "Well, that's not like me, you know." Without waiting for a response, she climbed out of the truck, her boots crushing the road's dust, ready to face what lay ahead.

☼☼

The air was thick with tension, dense and sticky like the heat that bathed the plains. Nothing had changed since their arrival, except for the feverish agitation of the cowboys riding on horseback along the invisible fence marking the edge of their land. On the other side, the men of the reservation seemed to relish their impatience, their mocking glances like thorns in their opponents' sides.

The owner of the beasts that were now where they should not have been, an old man with a silver moustache, was raging. "That is our property, damn it !" he cried, pointing towards the land.

"Can't hear ya. Come about two feet closer," replied a man in the opposite direction, rifle in hand. Since their arrival, he had been the one to speak and impose his tone and posture. It took little to understand that he was the one others were following.

"You think I won't ?"

"I think you shouldn't, but coming on our land is bred into you people."

Maggie crossed her arms, her eyes fixed on Lee. "Shouldn't you intervene ?" She didn't need an answer. The old cowboy dismounted with an annoyed grunt.

"I've had enough of your shit." He crossed the line with a determined step. "Let me tell you something–"

He never finished his sentence. A figure appeared, fast and brutal : Maggie recognised Robert Long, Monica's brother, immediately. He threw him to the ground with military ease, knee in the back, face down.

In response, chaos erupted.

Voices rose and weapons were drawn, making a metallic noise that made Maggie shiver. A web of stretched rifles stood between the two groups, each holding the other at gunpoint — a final warning, or perhaps the ultimate threat.

"Shit," growled Lee, who until then had been leaning casually against the pickup. He leapt to his feet and moved across the space like a storm.

"When those cattle walked onto our land, they became our cattle to do as we please," said Robert, twisting the knife again.

The next moment, Lee was on him, the barrel of his rifle pressed against Robert's cap. "Whatever happens next happens to you first."

Maggie followed him without a word, moving through the charged atmosphere as though she were dancing on a tightrope. As she passed one of the cowboys, she stole his gun from his belt, but he was too busy keeping his own line of sight to protest. She thought it ridiculous that they had so many weapons. The trick was to see one turn against itself.

The man from the reserve who had taken charge of the situation in turn raised his rifle and pointed it at Lee. Maggie reacted immediately. She raised the stolen gun and aimed it at the man. "Put it down right away before I show you what female hysteria really is."

A deathly silence fell. Everyone stared at her. The tension was so intense that a breath could cut it. Finally, Robert released his grip, allowing the man on the ground to slowly straighten up. Lee took a step back and the man whom Maggie was holding at gunpoint dropped his rifle in turn.

"Wise decision," she whispered.

"Son of a bitch," growled the old cowboy, still stunned, as he rode on his back.

"Well, you shut up for five minutes and don't cause any more trouble," Maggie mumbled, although part of her agreed with him.

"You can lower that now, darling," said the man she was holding at gunpoint. Her eyes narrowed as she saw his hands tighten on his rifle.

She was about to respond when a loud noise echoed through the air. She looked up and saw that their father's helicopter was returning. Her stomach tightened. It didn't bode well. She spoke for herself. In this situation, it was surely for the best.

"Back up," Lee ordered Robert, telling him to back off with his rifle.

"You should respect your veterans," muttered Robert.

Maggie burst out with a sharp laugh. But the man she was holding at gunpoint had not said his last word. He slowly raised his weapon towards Lee again. Then Maggie armed her gun. The sound of the hammer being cocked made everyone turn in her direction. "If you think I'm joking, you're deluding yourself."

"You're playing with a dangerous object for a girl."

She clenched her teeth. "You'd better shut your mouth, because I'm two inches away from making some frankly borderline remarks."

"An excuse to express your racism ?"

She tilted her head, a bitter grin on her lips. "Listen to me carefully. I don't give a damn about your ethnicity, gender, height, dick size, how you dress, or what you do with your life. I just like to be mean to everyone and throw insults around. Perfect equality."

The old cowboy finally stood up and returned to his horse. Lee lowered his weapon and placed his hand on Maggie's arm, urging her to do the same. She reluctantly obeyed. "Come on, Maggie."

The man lowered his rifle in turn. Maggie slowly stepped back, then followed Lee as the helicopter landed a few metres away. On the way, Lee took the gun from his hands. "If Dad sees you with that, he'll kill me," he said, noticing the angry look on her face.

"Honestly, I think it's too late."

John exited the helicopter with a stern look on his face. He stared at her disapprovingly. She should never have been there. He said nothing, but his silence spoke volumes. He immediately moved towards the reservation's men. Lee joined him quickly. Maggie followed a little way behind.

"Boy, you sure made a mess of this," John said to Lee.

"It was a mess when I got here."

John entered the reservation to discuss matters with the sheriff of Broken Rock. Maggie then saw him exchange a few words with an old man sitting in the back of a pick-up truck. She recognised him : Monica's grandfather. Meanwhile, Lee walked away with the phone already stuck to his ear.

"Lee !" John called as he walked back to them. His son hung up. "Clear everyone out." Lee approached. Maggie stayed back, observing the still-scattered herd.

"You know, there was barbed wire on this fence a week ago," said Lee, his jaw clenched in frustration at his inability to do anything about the situation.

"I know. Now clear them out."

Maggie intervened before any of them could take another step. "Barbed wire doesn't cut itself," she said dryly.

"I know that," replied Lee.

"So it must have been done intentionally to steal the cattle. We should be able to get them back."

"It's more complicated than that," Lee whispered.

"Why ? Why can't we just take back what is ours ?"

John stopped. "It's questions like this that show you're not cut out for life at the ranch." He turned on his heel and walked towards the helicopter. Then, without looking back, he continued : "You want to learn ? Come to the auction with me."

She met Lee's gaze. He raised his eyebrows. Without waiting, he gestured to her. "Go ahead. Don't miss this opportunity."

She ran to the helicopter and climbed aboard. Through the glass, she watched the crowd disperse as the blades started to turn again. Another day in Montana. And that was just the beginning.

☼☼☼

The din of the auctioneer's bidding echoed through the loudspeakers, interspersed with the cattle's irritated growling. Voices shouted out numbers, ranch names and offers. Leaning against a metal barrier, Maggie observed a restless calf in the containment pen without much interest. Her gaze lazily glided over the hooves, the hot-iron marks and the snout strokes that the beasts gave each other to create some space.

She had left behind the glazed room on the balcony, the crystal, the speeches, Jamie, the governor and the fake handshakes. She had slipped away like a child in the middle of a wedding : without warning and without looking back. Too many tuxedos. Too many smiles. Too much Jamie. Too much politics. She just wanted to breathe something other than the scent of hypocritical alliances.

At least the pens were honest.

"Are you planning to adopt a cow, or were you just confiding your secrets to her ?"

The familiar voice came from behind her, muffled by the wind and the bellowing. Surprised, she turned around and found Lee leaning against the wooden barrier, his hat slightly askew, looking calm.

She raised an eyebrow. "I was starting to think you weren't going to show up. Did you get lost between two herds ?"

Lee did not reply straight away. Instead, he came and positioned himself by her side, leaning against the barrier too. "I had to make sure that our cowboys got home safely. Some of them would have sold a kidney to come back and fire a shot."

She examined him closely, then turned her gaze towards the beasts. She sketched a smile without looking at him. There was a silence between them, broken only by a distant moo.

"Did Dad put you up there with Jamie ?" asked Lee softly.

She sighed tiredly. "VIP section. With the governor, the senator and their entourage. As if I knew what to say to people like that."

A silence enveloped them. In front of them, a bull charged into the barrier with a thud. Maggie barely flinched.

"You should go back up," advised Lee, looking towards the balcony. "Dad doesn't seem happy that you're downstairs."

"I'll send him a carrier pigeon." She paused. "He wanted me to see how politics works. I saw. It's ugly, it smiles and lies with white teeth."

She finally turned her gaze towards him. "But, for once, I think that disapproving look is meant for you." Lee replied only with a guttural growl, seemingly lost in thought.

Maggie straightened up and placed her arms on the cold iron barriers. "Do you think he's testing us ?"

"Always." Lee looked at the animals, his gaze somewhat lost. "But there, I have the impression that he is expecting something from us that he has never expressed. As if he wants us to guess the rules of a game whose cards he has burned."

Maggie nodded slowly. "To be honest, I'm not sure he knows what he's waiting for."

A silence fell again, denser and more intimate. Then, briefly giving her a look, he murmured : "By the way, thank you for earlier. You rocked."

Maggie didn't answer immediately, but Lee could see the smile stretching across her face. She was clearly happy to receive this recognition. "You too."

"Dad wasn't really of the same opinion," he retorted, looking disgruntled.

"You handled me, at least," she joked.

Lee threw his head back in a burst of laughter. "It's clear that, at this point, I just wanted to make sure you didn't shoot the wrong guy."

She chuckled. "It wasn't excluded."

He pulled a face. "And then we would have had a trial. And an article in the Bozeman Daily Chronicle."

"I might have had my name on a plate," she replied falsely, sounding proud.

"Or on a stone," he replied, giving her a sidelong look.

She nudged him gently. We wouldn't get rid of her so easily.

Maggie turned completely towards him. "So ? Are you going to stay there and watch pairs of horns until the end of time ?"

Lee shrugged. "Honestly ? This is more honest than what's up there. The beasts tell you what they want : Eat. Breathe. Charge. There's no need to smile for that."

"A bovine philosophy, I love it !" She stood up straight and tapped lightly on the metal barrier. "Come on. I bet Dad will be upset if I go home alone. He might think I've run away with a butcher."

Lee stood up straight in turn. "You're joking, but it would probably be less dangerous than what he imagines"

She laughed briefly, a light laugh like a stolen spark in the heavy atmosphere of the day. Together, they began to walk along the enclosures, simply abandoning the chaos of the auction to return home.

☼☼☼☼

The hallway was silent and dimly lit by a night light hanging near the staircase. A strange, almost heavy calm had settled over the ranch, the kind that precedes big decisions. Outside, one could still hear the hoot of an owl somewhere in the woods.

Maggie had just closed the door to her room, but hadn't locked it. She sat in the middle of her bed, barefoot on the sheets, her hair still wet from the shower. She wiped the ends of her hair with a towel, her shoulders slumped and her gaze lost in space.

A grating sound pulled her away from her thoughts.

Beth appeared in her line of sight. She was leaning against the doorframe with a glass in her hand containing amber whisky and half-melted ice cubes. She looked at her without moving, a silhouette that was both familiar and distant, wearing a black tank top and worn jeans.

"So, you've come back to the fold. I thought as much," she said softly, without animosity.

Maggie looked up at her without really smiling. "Not really. I'm just passing through."

Beth raised an eyebrow. She glanced at the room. It was perfectly tidy. Clean. Intact. It was as if Maggie had never left.

"I don't know what's weirder. Whether your room has stayed the same or whether you came back and sat there as if you had left yesterday."

"It wasn't me who kept it like a mausoleum," Maggie whispered.

Beth didn't respond right away. She raised her glass to her lips, took a sip, and then entered the room slowly. "What the hell are you doing here, Maggie ?"

The question wasn't aggressive. Nor was it mocking. Just real.

Maggie replied head-on, almost automatically : "I could ask you the same. You're the New Yorker, right ?"

"I've come to lend a hand," replied Beth, shrugging her shoulders slightly. "Dad is overwhelmed, Jamie pretends to handle it, and they want to build a whole city."

Maggie frowned. "Here ? On the land ?"

Beth stared at her as if to say that the answer was obvious. "What do you think ? Isn't there a square meter that someone doesn't try to buy?"

Maggie lowered her eyes. She breathed in slowly. "It was already the case before. It never stopped, did it ?"

Beth slowly nodded, then ran her gaze over the room's walls. "Are you planning to stay ?"

In response, Beth received silence. Long. Dense. "Don't know," Maggie finally replied. "I haven't decided yet."

Beth did not seem surprised. "It seems that we are not very good at staying."

A slight frown formed between Maggie's eyebrows, but she did not respond.

Beth approached the door, placed a hand on the doorknob and hesitated for a moment. Then, almost as if she had forgotten her line in a poorly learned script, she said : "The coffee is ready in the kitchen. It's still as bad. But if you don't want to sleep right away..."

Maggie barely looked up at her sister before she added, "And if you want to sleep, you'll find alcohol in every corner of this house."

Maggie gave a slight smirk, amused. "Thank you," she whispered.

When the silence returned, it felt heavier than before.

Maggie remained motionless for a moment, her hands resting on her knees and her eyes fixed on the ajar door through which Beth had just left. She could have called her back. Say something more. But what ?

She sighed slightly, slowly letting herself fall onto her back on the bed. The mattress creaked barely under her weight.

She spread her arms over the fresh sheets. She looked up at the white, smooth, unpolished ceiling, like a sky too wise. She stared at it without blinking or really seeing it.

Everything was there, untouched : The walls, the furniture, the memories. Nothing had changed, except her.

And perhaps that was the hardest thing to accept.

Chapter Text

𝐶ℎ𝑎𝑝𝑡𝑒𝑟 𝑡𝑤𝑜 - 𝐴 𝑝𝑙𝑎𝑐𝑒 𝑡𝑜 ℎ𝑖𝑑𝑒

━━━━━━ ✧◦❂◦✧ ━━━━━━

The Jeep came to a halt, crunching dry gravel beneath its wheels. Dust kicked up under its wheels before settling on the ground. It was a sand-coloured Wrangler, covered in dust as if it had been carved from the desert and forged for the West — much like Maggie herself. She switched off the ignition and let the silence settle in.

On top of her dashboard, a small spring with a middle finger on it wobbled limply. Maggie watched it settle, then flicked it absent-mindedly, setting it in motion again. Only then did she decide to get out of the car.

The door creaked as she stepped out, her booted foot touching the ground with quiet assurance. It wasn’t a flashy vehicle. It was just the car of a girl who knew where she was going, even when the road disappeared.

Kayce was in the paddock, lasso in hand, trying to calm a nervous horse. He stopped dead in his tracks when he saw her coming towards him. “Maggie ?”

“Hi blond boy, do you mind an impromptu visit ?”

Kayce lowered his head and put his hands on his hips, shaking his head and chuckling. It was a half-amused, half-blasé smile. He raised his head to let her admire his mischievous smile. The same cowboy smile she had come to know all too well.

“What are you doing here, you-” Kayce stopped suddenly, his sentence dying in his throat. His face closed and his eyes fell behind her as a second car pulled up. It was a car he recognised immediately.

Kayce looked at his sister again, his gaze hardening. “Did you have to bring him here ?”

Maggie rolled her eyes. “Don’t look at me like that. It’s nothing to do with me. He was planning on coming over, so I took the opportunity to stop by too.”

“You were at the ranch ?”

He didn't have time to insist. The door to the mobile home flew open and a miniature tornado burst out. “Aunt Maggie !”

Tate threw himself into her arms, and she caught him with an exclamation that was half laughter and half breathlessness. When she straightened up, she gave an exaggerated grunt of effort. “You’re getting heavy, you are. Another summer and I’ll have to catch you with a tractor.”

Monica joined them, soft and smiling. She put a hand on her son’s head, which was still nestled against Maggie’s. “And still, he’s nowhere near finished growing up.”

When Maggie put Tate back on the floor, she quickly hugged Monica. “Hey, Maggs.” But the moment of warmth was short-lived. Monica stiffened imperceptibly when she saw John Dutton emerge from his pick-up truck.

Maggie noticed. Monica’s expression changed. Her hand instinctively returned to her son’s shoulder. Like a human barrier. “Hi. Shall we go inside ?”

She nodded, and they both walked away, with Tate running ahead of them.

The inside of the mobile home remained the same. Maggie let her gaze wander over the furniture, the walls and the objects, her silent inspection obvious to all.

Monica sent Tate to her room. “Did you come with your father ?”

“I came. He came too. We didn't come together.”

“I see.” She paused. “He came for Kayce. To talk about the cattle. To ask him to take a stand, I suppose ?”

Maggie rolled her eyes. “I know you’re not happy he’s here, but don't drag me into this. You know I’m kept out of everything to do with the ranch.”

“Really ? I thought I understood that you had a run-in with my brother yesterday.”

“Lee had a run-in with,” Maggie corrected. She held up both hands, looking innocent. “I had one with the asshole who had the bad idea of pointing a gun at his blonde hair.”

Monica remained silent, but her features showed concern.

“What ?” Maggie  asked. “Go on. Say what you have to say.”

“I don’t like knowing he’s here. Look at you. You’ve only been with your family for twenty-four hours, and you’re already holding a gun.”

“I took it myself. Nobody put it in my hands.”

“But your behaviour changes. You and Kayce are different when you’re with him.”

Maggie arched an eyebrow, understanding the true source of her brother’s wife’s concern. “Our behaviour ? It’s Kayce you’re worried about, not me. He’s not the impressionable type.”

“You don’t even realise it,” Monica sighed, shaking her head slightly and crossing her arms against her chest. “When you’re with your family-”

“You’re his family now.” Maggie cut her off. Perhaps she sounded more bitter than she would have liked. “You should know that. You should never doubt it.” She paused. “Just remember : He chose you, Monica.”

“I don’t doubt him,” she finally whispered.

There was silence. Then Monica sighed, torn between her instincts and her distrust.

“I understand any grievances you may have against my father, believe me. But honestly... I think he just came hoping to catch a glimpse of Tate. He’s had a tough week.”

Monica sighed, torn between her natural kindness and her fear that John might upset the balance of her family’s fragile peace. “We all have hard weeks, Maggie,” Monica whispered. “Here on the reservation, every week is a hard week.”

Meanwhile, outside, Kayce was lying to his father. He was pretending that Tate was staying with Monica’s grandfather. But John wasn’t stupid. He had seen his daughter go into the mobile home with Monica and his grandson.

“I just want to know him, Kayce.”

“You know him.”

“No, I don’t. I don’t. We’ve met, but I don’t really know him. And he doesn’t know me.” He paused. John was suffering as a result of the situation he had caused himself. “Is it too much to ask that you help make that happen ?”

Kayce let out a humourless chuckle. He felt a sense of bitterness and resentment at this question. “You’ve always asked too much.”

He turned on his heels and headed towards the paddock and the horse that had refused to be ridden, as if he needed an easier fight.

Behind him, John raised his voice. “And why is it that she gets to know him ? Maggie didn’t even properly stand up for you when you left. She didn’t-”

Kayce suddenly turned around, looking angry. He raised his voice slightly and pointed a reproachful finger at his father. “Don’t ! Don’t bring her into this. Don’t just use her when it suits you. You don’t get to do that. Not after pushing her away for years. And if you’re really asking why Maggie can know him...” He shakes his head. “Then you don’t deserve the answer.”

John looked down, a rare shadow of shame crossing his face. He then turned away and headed back to his car.

Maggie pushed aside a blind with her fingertips from the window. She had seen everything. The gestures. The silences. And that figure moving away in a cloud of dust. She said nothing. Even when Tate appeared at her side.

“Wow, Mum ! Did you see that big car that just drove off ? Who was that ?”

Monica and Maggie exchanged a look. One of those silent, tired looks. Without answering his question, Monica put a hand on her son’s shoulder and pushed him forward slightly. “Come on, let’s go and see your dad.”

Tate didn’t hesitate, running outside. Monica leaned against the railing of the paddock where Kayce was looking after his horse. Not far away, Tate discovered a rifle propped against a fence. He grabbed it and lifted it up proudly.

“Dad ! Is this for me ?”

Monica glared at her husband. Maggie stifled a giggle and shook her head. She leaned towards Monica. “You see ? It doesn’t matter where you raise him. This kid right here, he’s a Dutton.”

Tate came running back. Maggie stared at him, amused. “Don’t you ever stop running?”

“Mom, is Aunt Maggie staying for dinner ?”

Maggie shot Monica a mischievous look. “I hope that’s an invitation, because either way... I was planning on imposing myself.”

Monica burst out laughing again, this time genuinely. Kayce joined them, his hands in his pockets. “I don’t know why, but I would have guessed.”

Monica shook her head softly, smiling in a half-amused, half-resigned way. Tate pulled himself up between them, holding Maggie close as if he didn’t want to let her go.

“Come on in. If you’re going to impose, you can at least set the table,” said Monica, not hiding her tender sarcasm.

Maggie raised her hands in mock outrage. “I’m the guest, I’m supposed to be treated like a queen.”

“Then you’ve come to the wrong house,” Kayce retorted, opening the door for her.

Maggie entered the mobile home with a quiet burst of laughter, with Tate hot on her heels and Monica close behind. Just a little bit of normality, if only for a day.

☼

The sun was setting over the reserve, bathing the hills and paddocks in a peaceful golden light. Maggie was sitting on the wooden steps of the small porch, her boots crossed in front of her and holding a glass of water. Kayce had been leaning against one of the posts and staring at her blankly for a while. He finally broke the silence.

Maggie had spent the day in the Reservation after all.

“Surely he must know,” said Kayce, looking a little apologetic.

She raised an eyebrow, but he didn't say anything more. She didn’t need that. She rested her hand under her chin and sighed. Her brother was talking about her dropping out of school and working at Coyote Bend.

“No,” she replied, looking straight ahead. “If he knew, he’d have written me out of the will by now. He’d probably also carve ‘family disgrace’ on my tombstone.”

Kayce couldn't help but chuckle. “I think that one’s reserved for me.”

Maggie smiled back, amused, before taking another sip of water. Then, in a lighter tone, she looked at the expanse of reserve land in front of her. “Don’t you have another hideout around here ? A spare bedroom, a cupboard, a cot ? Just so I can hide out here too.”

“I think we’d kill Monica’s family if another Dutton settled here.”

“I heard you.” Monica, who had just joined them on the doorstep, stood behind them with her arms crossed. But a slight sneer was still visible on her face. “And don’t be so hard on them. They accepted you after all.”

Kayce rolled her eyes. “I’d say more tolerated than accepted.”

“Fine, then let’s say you're lucky they like me more than they like you,” Monica teased, her words reflecting the truth.

There was silence, and then the three of them exchanged a knowing smile. The kind you only share with people who know what it's like to cling to an unstable home.

Monica came and sat down gently next to her sister-in-law. “If you need to hide, this isn’t a bad place. It’s not peaceful or simple, but we’ll make room for you.” Monica’s tone was light and she gave her a little tap on the shoulder to tease her, but she was deadly serious.

“And sometimes there’s coffee, too,” added Kayce.

“Or something else if you come crying and feeling sorry for yourself,” Monica quipped, winking.

Maggie let out a tired laugh. “You could almost make me want to stay in this godforsaken place.” She rested her head against the rough wooden wall behind her. Kayce descended the steps and walked off towards the paddock without saying a word. Monica stared at the horizon in silence.

In that late daylight, Maggie felt out of place. But maybe not completely out of place, either.

☼☼

The Jeep Wrangler rolled slowly until it came to a stop in its usual spot, away from the large main building. The engine died with a sigh. There was no other sound, except for the chirping of crickets and the distant crackling of a poorly hung neon light on the barn. Maggie sat for a moment longer with her hands on the steering wheel and her gaze lost in the Montana night.

She hadn’t planned on staying on the reservation for so long. Yet the sun had long since set by the time she finally returned to Coyote Bend.

She got out of the car silently, closing the door gently behind her. She preferred to avoid questions, even though nobody here asked her any. Not at Coyote Bend.

The bunkhouse, where the other cowboys slept, was bathed in the soft light of a nightlight hanging from the ceiling. Muffled voices filtered through to her. She could hear laughter, too. But she turned without hesitation towards the bungalows, which were further away and quieter. Hers was the last one in the row : a small white plastic rectangle with a tiny porch and a yellow outdoor lamp that pretended to provide light.

She opened the door and closed it behind her. She turned around, leaned against the front door and sighed. She looked around the place. Home, at last. Or at least something close to it.

Her eyes scanned the room, checking that nothing had been moved during her two-day absence.

The interior was simple. The living room served as a kitchen, bedroom and living area all in one. There was a hastily made single bed, a messy shelf and a nearly burned-out candle on the coffee table. There was still a plastic cup sitting next to the sink. A jacket was hanging on the back of a chair. On the windowsill sat a miniature plastic horse. A damn horse.

She bent down to take off her boots, letting them fall with a thud against the wall. Her jeans followed, carelessly thrown over the back of a chair. The floor creaked under her bare feet. Then she pulled the blanket loose and fell back onto the bed, scattering her hair across the pillow and crossing her arms behind her head.

Her eyes stared at the ceiling, empty and silent, as if she hoped something would finally answer her.

But nothing moved.

Only the night. And the persistent feeling that nobody here was sleeping peacefully.

☼☼☼

Maggie was woken from her sleep by a loud, incessant noise. It was a sharp, rapid, steady pounding, like a wild horse banging against the door of its stable. She didn’t know what time it was or how long she had been asleep, but her aching, stiff body told her it hadn’t been long enough.

Without fully getting up, she raised her head slightly and reached towards the large window running almost the entire length of the wall, just above her bed. She pushed back the blind with her fingertips.

A burst of light immediately blinded her. The sun poured into the room, causing Maggie to recoil sharply. She released the blind to spare herself the awful discomfort of losing her sight as her retinas burned.

But the knocking resumed, even louder this time, accompanied by a voice. “Maggie ! Maggie Dutton !”

Maggie let her head fall back onto the pillow, an exasperated sigh escaping her lips. She knew that voice. In fact, she had known who was making the noise from the moment she first heard the knocking. She could already picture those muscular arms banging on her wall. She knew those arms all too well.

Sighing, she sat up and leaned on her elbows, pulling the cord on the blind. On the other side of the glass, a face appeared. Blonde hair, a square jaw, features marked by the sun and life on the ranch. At that moment, his expression was rather closed. Bo Ransom.

Maggie slid open the window. “Damn it, Bo ! You know the door to this bungalow is always open. You could have just come in.”

“And given you the pleasure of a gentle wake-up?” he replied, with a smug smile. “Get up ! You should be at work by now after what you did, not lying around in bed.”

“It doesn’t usually bother you when I lie around in bed, especially when you’re there too.”

He raised an eyebrow, a hint of a smile on his lips. “Get up.” He immediately disappeared from her field of vision.

Maggie rolled her eyes and dragged herself out of bed. She pulled on an old pair of jeans and a shirt which she tied at the waist. Then she stopped short — her hat was gone. She was sure Bo had something to do with it.

She went out, slamming the door behind her. “You know, I don’t know what’s got you in such a bad mood—”

She didn’t have time to finish. Something hit her full force. An icy torrent. Water gushed out relentlessly, taking her completely by surprise. Maggie screamed and stumbled backwards, almost tripping on the wooden step, before leaning against the door with her hands raised in front of her, as if that would protect her. But it was useless; the spray continued to soak her hair, shirt and jeans through to her skin and bones.

When the torrent finally stopped, she slowly raised her head, water dripping from her hair, which was plastered against her cheeks. Bo stood a few feet away with a garden hose in his hand and a smirk on his lips. “Are you completely insane !?” Maggie shouted.

She descended the few wooden steps, reached solid ground and rushed towards him, furious. But Bo raised the hose again with a nonchalant gesture. The spray started up again. Maggie screamed and raised her arms to protect herself. “For God’s sake, stop that !”

He began to speak over the sound of the water. “Do you think you can just disappear for two days without warning and then come back as if nothing happened ?”

She clenched her teeth. Yes. That was exactly what she had thought. But obviously, she was wrong.

“Not a message. Not a word for two days,” he said, finally stopping the spray.

“What ? Were you worried about me ?” Maggie sneered. “Did you miss me ?”

In response, Bo pulled the trigger again.

“BO, FOR GOD'S SAKE !” she yelled.

He finally turned off the water. “Be glad... I was considering throwing a bucket of cold water over you to wake you up.”

“Then why didn’t you do it ?” she spat, her clothes clinging to her body.

“I value my life, at least a little,” he replied, as if it were obvious.

Maggie couldn’t respond. A voice rang out behind them. “What’s going on here ?”

Maggie turned and saw Wade Ransom, Bo’s father and the ranch owner. Well into his fifties, he had the kind of compact build made for hard work rather than elegance. He wasn’t very tall, but he was solid as a stake driven into the ground. His face, weathered by decades of sun and dust, bore deep marks from a life spent outdoors, with wrinkles at the corners of his eyes and a square jaw marked by his habit of clenching his teeth. His white, short-cropped hair contrasted with his permanently tanned skin. His clear eyes, half stern and half amused, always seemed to size up the person he was talking to, ready to launch into a reprimand or a joke, depending on his mood.

“Ah, hi, Dad,” Bo said with disarming naturalness. “I told you Maggie had a fever; that’s why she hasn’t worked for two days.” So that was the excuse Bo had given his father. Maggie would have smiled in another context because, despite the blonde guy’s antics, he had covered for her. He always had her back. “And since resting didn’t work, she wanted to try another technique to bring the fever down. Right, Maggie ?”

Maggie glared at Bo. Seriously ? Who would believe something like that ? But she knew that, in her position, she couldn’t afford to complain. She was lucky enough that Bo had covered for her absence. So, soaked to the bone, she forced a smile and gave Wade a thumbs-up.

“Is what he says true ?” asked Wade.

“Yep,” Maggie replied, lying without batting an eyelid.

“That’ll just make you sicker.” It was obvious that Wade was anything but convinced.

“You gotta fight fire with fire,” Bo replied confidently.

“And does it work ?”

In response, Bo pulled the trigger again. Maggie jumped, and water sprayed out once more. She ran a hand over her face, brushing away the wet strands of hair. “I feel much better,” she said dryly and sarcastically.

“She’ll even be able to go back to work today,” Bo added with a satisfied smile.

Wade shook his head, waving his hand dismissively. “Ah, youth…” he muttered, walking away.

There was a moment of silence. Maggie shot Bo a murderous look. They stared each other down until the corners of the cowboy’s lips stretched into a smile. Just as the whole spectacle should have come to an end, Bo decided to indulge in one last pleasure. He squeezed the hose one last time, spraying her with a jet of water, which hit her full force and caused her to cry out in outrage.

Finally, he released the hose and approached her. In his hand was her hat. The same hat that she had been unable to find before leaving the bungalow. He stopped in front of her, placed the hat on her wet hair and pressed down lightly to secure it. “Time to get to work now.”

She stared at him, dripping wet from head to toe, and a cold shiver ran down her spine.

He was dead. He didn't know it yet. But he was dead.

☼☼☼☼

Lee had spent some time with his father, who had reminded him of the reasons behind his passion for their work. They had just helped a heifer give birth to her calf and sat down to enjoy the moment, reflecting on their work.

However, the conversation that followed left a bitter taste in Lee’s mouth. His father asked him a question, but he didn’t answer the way John had hoped. Although his father didn’t seem surprised, Lee couldn't help feeling that he had disappointed him. Because he was a cowboy, not a cattleman. And his father needed him to be one. He should still become one. But they both knew deep down that Lee would always be a cowboy first.

Several minutes of silence passed, broken only by a resigned sigh from Lee. Then it was John who spoke again. “And you’re going to do me the favour of picking up your sister afterwards.”

“Maggie ?” There was a slight squeak in Lee’s voice, betraying his nervousness. He had always been a poor liar, especially when he thought the person in front of him already knew the truth.

“You think I don’t know that she dropped out of school months ago and is working on that idiot Wade Ramson's ranch ?”

Fuck.

Lee lowered his head to avoid his father’s piercing gaze. But John immediately added, “And that I don’t know that you know.”

A grimace crossed Lee’s face. “I’m sure Kayce knows too,” John muttered.

That, on the other hand, came as less of a surprise to him. He and Kayce no longer spoke to each other. But Lee... Lee had always been a loyal son. The son who hid nothing from him.

“Except that I'm not surprised Kayce hides things from me,” John continued, turning his head to fix his accusing eyes on his eldest son, who was still avoiding his gaze.

“I wasn’t hiding it from you,” Lee tried to defend himself.

“What do you call it then ?”

“It wasn’t my place to tell you,” he finally replied, looking up at his father for the first time

John frowned even more. “And obviously she wasn’t going to say anything either.”

“Can you blame her ?” Lee’s reply was too sharp and too honest. The silence that followed confirmed that he maybe had gone too far. But his father needed to hear it.

John stared at him, surprised, before frowning. “What is that supposed to mean ?”

“Maybe you should talk to her,” Lee said in a calmer tone.

“But we talk,” John said defensively.

Lee managed to suppress a grin with great difficulty. He was the eldest child in the family. He had watched all his siblings grow up. While John Dutton had never been good at communicating, his incompetence in this area reached new heights with his youngest daughter.

“And when was the last time that was ? When she turned eighteen ?” This sarcastic remark took his father aback.

John didn’t respond. He straightened up, brushed the back of his jeans off, and, after a brief moment of silence, simply said, “Go and get your sister.” Then he turned on his heel and walked back to the car without another word.

☼☼☼☼☼

Maggie held her horse’s reins as she walked calmly towards her stable. The mare was breathing heavily and was still warm from the day’s exertions. Maggie led her inside, patted her neck, loosened the girth, and removed the saddle.

In the stable aisle, the heavy footsteps of another horse could be heard. No sooner had she taken the saddle off than Bo walked past the stall, holding his own reins. He glanced at her silently before disappearing into the neighbouring stall. Maggie heard the sharp click of his halter against the wood and the rustle of the saddle as he unfastened it nonchalantly.

She set about doing the same. Maggie undid the saddlecloth, the bridle and the girths; each movement was precise and slightly hurried, as if she needed to keep her hands busy. Then she took the saddle under her arm and disappeared into the tack room.

As she placed it on the rack, she felt a hand brush the small of her back, moving from left to right as if claiming the space. She didn’t need to look to know who it was. Too familiar, too confident. It was a gesture she recognised without even having to turn around. Maggie grabbed the hand and pushed it away sharply without saying a word.

Behind her, Bo chuckled, busy swinging his own saddle onto the rack and looking falsely innocent. “What ? Are you still sulking ?”

Maggie ignored him, left the tack room and returned to her mare to groom her. Grabbing the curry comb, she concentrated on the circular movements against the animal’s dark coat, as if transferring her anger into her arms. Bo, of course, was quick to follow her. The sound of his heavy footsteps confirmed it.

“Do you know what it’s like to ride a horse when you’re soaking wet ?” she asked, not looking up as she ran the curry comb over her mount’s neck.

Bo leaned against the stall door, a smirk on his face. “I’m guessing you’re not talking about between your legs.”

Maggie turned so quickly that her boots crunched on the sawdust. Furious, she swung the curry comb straight at him. It flew out of her hand and hit Bo squarely. He reflexively dodged and the brush ricocheted off the wood behind him.

Bo burst out laughing and raised his hands, palms open as if to surrender. “Okay, okay, no dirty jokes, I promise ! But come on, you’re taking this a little too far. Given the weather, you dried off pretty quickly on your horse.”

“Fuck you, Bo,” Maggie spat, glaring at him.

Bo glanced sideways at Maggie, who was leaning against the stall door. “Y’know what’s your problem, Maggie ?”

She ran the curry comb over her mare’s neck, pretending to be annoyed. “I’m sure you’re going to tell me,” she replied, her sarcasm clear.

Bo smirked. “It’s because you’ve been told so many times that the world belongs to you that you’ve ended up believing it. But the truth is, if the ground beneath your feet has always seemed like a given, it’s only because you’ve never walked further than your family’s ranch.”

The words hit Maggie hard and she froze for a moment. She didn’t reply, but her shoulders tensed imperceptibly, indicating her vexation. She knew he wasn’t wrong. It was a truth that sometimes gnawed at her. She had inherited land, but more importantly, she had inherited the family arrogance that provoked obvious disdain from others when they met. Bo had just put his finger on it with his usual brutal honesty.

She opened her mouth to reply, but was interrupted by the sound of a horse galloping outside, followed by screams. The hooves pounded the ground urgently and frantically. “What’s...?”

Bo and Maggie immediately rushed out of the stable. No sooner had they set foot outside than Bo grabbed Maggie by the arm and pulled her back abruptly. A horse galloped past them, its eyes wide with fear and its tail lashing.

They turned towards the entrance to the corral from which it had come and saw a breathless youngster running awkwardly. His red, panicked face betrayed his inexperience. “It’s Cole !” Bo whispered.

Cole was a newcomer who had just arrived and was supposed to be looking after a young foal that was still half-wild. The foal had just taken off.

Alerted by the commotion, other cowboys were already trying to corral the foal. They waved their arms and shouted, but only succeeded in making him change direction. The foal was galloping in a zigzag pattern, slipping between fences and pens, and was on the verge of escaping to the open pastures.

“If he gets out of the ranch, we’ll have a hard time getting him back !” Maggie said, her heart pounding. She was more annoyed by the situation than actually stressed.

Bo slapped the newcomer on the back of the head as he passed by. “Idiot !”

But Maggie had already run into the stable. Grabbing a lasso hanging on the wall, she slung the rope over her shoulder and returned to her horse. There was no time to saddle up. She jumped onto its back bareback, her fingers clinging to its mane.

“What are you doing ?!” yelled Bo, appearing behind her.

“Catching that damn foal !” she replied, urging her horse into a trot as she left the stable.

Bo shook his head in fury. “You have no grip without a saddle, Maggie ! He’ll drag you along with him !”

“Then I’ll squeeze my thighs !” she retorted, even though she knew it would never be enough. Riding bareback was complicated enough. There was a good chance that it would all end with her falling off her horse. But there was no other choice.

The colt was running away towards the pastures. “I’ll get him to turn back towards the paddocks ! Make him turn towards me !” she shouted over her shoulder.

She galloped off. The wind whipped her face and her thighs burned from holding on, but her eyes were fixed on the foal. She forced it back towards the paddocks, where the cowboys were blocking the road.

The foal continued to weave between the paddocks, pens, and ranch buildings while the cowboys struggled to stop it escaping back to the pastures. Maggie positioned herself at the intersection of two fenced-in paths, her horse now standing still beneath her. She was skilled at throwing a lasso at full speed, but only when she had stability and support from a saddle. Without one, she knew it would be playing with fire to even think about trying.

Bo managed to drive the foal towards her. The plan was going as expected; the panicked animal was charging straight at her. Maggie swung her lasso, the rope whistling through the air above her head. She took a deep breath, knowing what was coming next.

When the foal came within range, she threw the lasso. The rope closed around its neck. Maggie pulled sharply and the surprised animal slowed down for a moment. However, its youthful spirit quickly took over : it reared up, shook its head, and took off in a straight line.

Maggie pulled on the rope, feeling the violent tug in her arms. Without a saddle, she had nothing to cushion the impact. Her thighs slipped against the sweat-dampened horsehair and her body tilted. She closed her eyes, ready to take the impact, tensing every muscle in her body.

She fell heavily to the ground. The fall knocked the wind out of her and caused a sharp pain in her ribs. The rope burned her palms as she refused to let go. She finally opened her fingers when the pain became too much.

Bo appeared at that moment. He placed his foot firmly on the rope, immobilising the foal, which was still kicking. Maggie’s horse had barely moved away when she fell. Her mare had found a patch of grass, but showed no intention of running away.

Bo bent down to pick up the rope as the foal finally calmed down, seemingly understanding that it could no longer escape. He immediately turned his head towards Maggie, who was still lying on her back on the ground, her jaw clenched and taking deep breaths. “Are you okay?”

“Super good,” she growled, sitting up halfway and picking up her hat, which had fallen off her head during the fall.

In the distance, a few cowboys shouted, “Good job !” before returning to their tasks as if nothing had happened. This kind of scene was commonplace in their line of work.

Cole, the new guy, came running over, his face pale. He rushed to help Maggie up, but she pushed him away sharply. “Don’t you touch me.” She was just about managing not to punch him for his stupidity, which had caused this unnecessary fall.

Bo called the boy over in a firm voice. He handed him the rope, to which the foal was still tied and panting nervously. “Bring it back,” he said. “Next time, keep a closer eye on it. Otherwise, it won’t be Maggie yelling at you, it’ll be me.”

Cole nodded frantically and walked away, holding the lasso. Bo returned to Maggie and held out his hand. She took it without hesitation to help her up, gritting her teeth because of the pain in her shoulder and her red, burned hands.

Once Maggie was standing steadily, Bo let go of her. He walked over to her mare, which was standing a little further away, and grabbed the reins. The horse didn't flinch, allowing him to lead her back to Maggie.

Once he was beside her, he looked at her silently. “Come on,” he said, placing his free hand on her lower back and pushing her gently forward to guide her to the stables.

When he led the horse into the stall, he wanted to sit Maggie down somewhere. However, she protested. She shook her head. “I have to finish grooming her first.”

Despite everything, she wanted to finish grooming her horse. Bo didn’t insist. He knew it was useless. So, side by side, they groomed the mare. An unusual silence fell between them, almost peaceful. Each movement was slow and deliberate, as if they were trying to delay something, though they didn’t know what. 

Once the horse had been cared for and fed, Bo grabbed Maggie around the waist without warning. Maggie gasped briefly as he lifted her up and set her down on a square bale of hay a short distance away, where the filtered light made the spot more intimate.

“Stay there,” he ordered softly. Maggie shook her head, giving him a slight smirk that didn’t quite match the annoyed look she was trying to pull in response to his authoritative tone. She took off her hat and put it down next to her on the bale of straw.

He walked away and returned a few minutes later with a battered first aid kit, which he placed next to her. He sat down in front of her, close enough for her to feel overwhelmed by his presence, and bowed his head to open his first aid kit. Despite herself, Maggie let her legs spread slightly to make room for him, and he hastened to take it as his rightful place.

“Show me your hands.”

Maggie rolled her eyes. “It’s nothing. In two days it’ll have gone. I’m a cowgirl, having red hands and being sore all over is part of our daily life. I just fell off a horse. You’re not a real cowboy if you've never fallen off a horse. It had just been a while since it happened to me. And I hadn’t missed it.”

Bo raised an eyebrow, amused. “That was predictable.”

“I know. But at least we got the foal back without having to track it down until nightfall.”

There was a silence as he gently took her wrists to examine her burned palms. His touch was firm yet attentive. His body filled all the space between her legs.

He stood there for a few seconds, still holding her hands. Once he had finished, he placed his calloused hands on her thighs. Then, breaking the tension with a remark, he turned up the corner of his mouth. “You know, you looked incredibly sexy just now on horseback with your lasso.”

“Sexy, huh ?” Maggie repeated, tilting her head slightly and giving him a charming, sparkly-eyed smile. Her voice dropped a tone, becoming deeper and almost sultry. “If that’s what turns you on, I can handle the lasso while riding something other than a horse next time...”

The implication hit Bo like a provocation. Bo wasn’t immune — he never had been with her. A roguish smile touched his lips as his hands, resting on Maggie’s thighs, began to make small, slow, almost imperceptible movements as if to warm her skin through the denim. Not really pressing, but enough to make her shiver.

Then he stopped the game. His grip suddenly tightened, his fingers closing around her a little more firmly. In the same movement, he pulled her towards him, sliding her jeans against the bales of straw. Maggie found herself sitting on the edge of the bale, her body pressed against his. He was enclosed between her hips.

“So, have you stopped sulking ?” he teased, winking at her in reference to their earlier argument.

She met his gaze defiantly, a smile playing on her lips. “What can I say... I’m moody, it seems.” She lifted the front of his hat using only her fingertips.

This time, she was the one who closed the distance and kissed him.

Their lips met with restrained urgency. First, Maggie felt Bo’s warmth, then the soft firmness of his mouth against hers. Her whole body tensed as if she had been shocked. Her fingers clung to the fabric of his shirt for a moment, pulling him closer as their breaths matched. The air around them seemed to thicken, saturated with the tension they had a knack for building up so quickly despite seeing each other so often.

The sound of a throat being cleared broke the spell.

Maggie frowned and pulled away just enough to break the kiss without moving away completely. Bo, who would have been willing to ignore the intruder, let out a frustrated growl. Their faces remained so close that a simple movement would have been enough to pick up where they had left off. Bo would have asked for nothing more.

Maggie glanced sideways into the stable to see who had interrupted them in such an intimate moment. Her gaze fell on... Lee.

“I understand why you like working here now,” he said in a drawling tone, lacing every syllable with sarcasm. He wasn’t embarrassed — nor, frankly, disgusted. It was just the typical expression of a big brother who would have preferred to spare himself such a spectacle.

“Lee ?”

Surprise flashed across her face, but her body reacted differently. She pushed Bo away slowly, as if his presence had suddenly become an intrusion into her personal space, rather than with the haste of someone caught in the act.

Without glancing at him, Maggie placed her hands on the edge of the bale, pushed herself up and slid to the ground. Her boots hit the dust with a thud. She retrieved her hat from the bale of straw, pulled it down over her head and walked straight up to her brother with a smile on her lips, happy to see him there.

“What are you doing here ?” she asked, curious and anxious to know the reason for his visit. She hoped that everything was going well at the ranch.

“I’ve come to take you home.”

Maggie froze, stunned by his words. A barely audible “What ?” escaped her lips. Her heart beat faster in her chest. Had she heard him right ? Was the day she had been hoping for since she left finally here ?

“We’re going home,” Lee repeated, smiling.

Bo, who had been silent until then, frowned. With his hands deep in his pockets, he stood up straight and came over. “Sorry ? I must have misheard.”

“No, you heard perfectly well, magazine model,” Lee sneered, still not looking up.

“Maggie works here,” Bo replied, clenching his jaw.

“Not anymore. She’s resigning. She won’t be working here anymore. But thank you for looking after her,” he said, his tone leaving no room for argument. He took a piece of paper out of his jacket, scribbled something on it and took a few steps forward. He pressed it roughly against Bo’s chest. “If you need to sort out the details of her resignation, give us a call. We’re expecting her cheque for this week’s wages in two days.”

Bo looked down at the paper, frowning. It was Lee’s phone number. He took it, torn between tearing it into a thousand pieces and hurling a well-chosen expletive at Lee. What nerve !

“Maggie, go and get your things. We’re leaving,” Lee added, sounding like he was giving an order. To Bo, this sounded like a final provocation.

“Let’s go,” she replied, simply joining her brother.

“What about your things ?” Lee insisted.

“He’ll bring them back to me,” she said, pointing at Bo as if the decision were final and he had no choice in the matter, leaving him dumped there.

Stunned, Bo looked at her, the paper still in his hand. “Maggie ?” he called out. She couldn’t really leave.

She stopped, turned back to him, and trotted over to him. Without saying a word, she took off her hat and placed it in his hands, brushing his cheek with her lips as she did so. She stepped back slightly and stood in front of him for a moment. Their eyes locked, suspended in a silence that seemed endless to Bo.

Then a sheepish smile lit up Maggie’s face. “Sorry,” she whispered, shrugging her shoulders and tilting her head to one side.

Then she trotted back to Lee. When she returned to his side, Lee turned around without stopping. “If you have any problem with that,” he said, backing away with his eyes fixed on Bo, “You know where to find us : the Yellowstone Dutton Ranch.”

Maggie, having reached the car, paused for a second. With her hand on the door, she looked up at Lee, who had just delivered his line with icy nonchalance. Her heart swelled with childish pride. For a moment, she was twelve again and her only thought was, “Wow... he’s so cool.”

She came back to reality when the driver’s door slammed shut. Lee was already behind the wheel. She climbed in. The pickup truck, emblazoned with the ranch logo, roared to life and spewed a cloud of dust behind it. In an instant, they were gone, leaving Bo alone with the dust, holding Maggie’s hat, and with a bitter taste of her departure in his mouth.

Chapter Text

𝐶ℎ𝑎𝑝𝑡𝑒𝑟 𝑡ℎ𝑟𝑒𝑒 - 𝐴 𝑠𝑒𝑛𝑠𝑒 𝑜𝑓 𝑏𝑟𝑜𝑡ℎ𝑒𝑟ℎ𝑜𝑜𝑑

━━━━━━ ✧◦❂◦✧ ━━━━━━

The Yellowstone pickup truck had barely started moving. In the rear-view mirror, Coyote Bent was shrinking further and further away, disappearing into the dust cloud from the track.

"Didn't you keep your hat ?" Lee asked, not taking his eyes off the road.

For cowboys, a hat is more than just an accessory. It's almost an extension of oneself. Once chosen, it follows you everywhere : to work, to the pub and even to funerals. You never part with it. Some even swear that you only take it off for good once you're in the coffin. The hat represents superstition, identity and silent loyalty.

"No, it wasn't my hat. Not really," Maggie said.

Lee nodded, as if he understood immediately. "Ah, I see."

He understood what she meant. The hat she had worn to Coyote Bend couldn't be the one she would keep forever. It wasn't her real hat. Just a temporary one, a parenthesis. Like this ranch. She had worn it for the duration of a chapter, but it was never meant to last. Deep down, she had always known that. Her place was at home, and only there. At Yellowstone.

"So..." Lee chimed in, feigning innocence. "Is he your boyfriend ?"

Maggie nearly choked on her saliva. She turned her head towards him, her eyes wide as if she were horrified that he could even ask the question. "For God's sake, Lee, do I look like the type of person who has a boyfriend ?"

"I don't know. But seeing as I saw you with his tongue in your mouth, I'd be tempted to say yes," he said sarcastically, punctuating his words with a quick glance to the side.

Maggie rolled her eyes. "You know, I know you're from a different generation and you're getting old..."

"Oh, here we go," he sighed, facing those mockeries.

"But there's something called friends with benefits in my generation. I think it existed in your day, too. You know, it's when two people—"'

"Oh, come on, Maggie !" he interrupted her sharply. "I could do without the details. Stop talking like I'm behind the times. I know what casual relationships are."

"Glad to hear it. It would have been sad if a handsome cowboy like you didn't." She narrowed her eyes, a predatory smile playing on her lips. "By the way, you're approaching forty. Still no one to introduce us to ?"

Lee waved his hand dismissively. "It's not my priority. Besides, I'd have to find someone who wouldn't run away screaming at the sight of you or any of the rest of this damn family."

Maggie laughed. "We're not that bad."

"Then explain why the only one of us who got married is also the one who left."

Maggie shrugged, giving a slight grimace. "You've got a point."

"Well, too bad," Lee replied.

She raised an eyebrow. "Too bad ?"

"You and that... Marlboro doll."

Maggie's eyes widened in astonishment. "Wait, are you telling me you're sad that I and a guy you've described as a magazine model and compared to the cowboys in the Marlboro adverts in the last ten minutes aren't serious ?"

Lee snickered. "Of course not. I would just have loved to see Dad's face if you'd brought him home."

Maggie shook her head, amused. John hated Coyote Bend. He thought it was a ranch that was becoming too modernised. In his eyes, these modern ranches were no longer authentic. He often said that there were fewer and fewer real ranches. Some were turning into tourist attractions, others were merely perpetuating the clichés seen in TV shows and adverts.

And he wasn't wrong. Maggie knew that. She could understand his opinion of the place where she had been working for several months. Bo unwittingly perpetuated that image with his looks : he was too handsome and smooth, as if he'd stepped out of a magazine to sell western shirts. Their father would have called him a "weekend cowboy" if he had seen him.

But Maggie knew what lay beneath the surface. She had worked alongside him for months, after all. Despite appearances, despite what his looks suggested, Bo was a real cowboy. From what she had seen, the Coyote Bend was still a real ranch, with men who got up before dawn, worked hard and came home dusty and exhausted. Not a tourist attraction.

She smiled wryly. "Dad would have had a heart attack. But anyway, Bo wouldn't have survived a single family meal. Beth would have eaten him alive before the starter was even served."

Lee burst out laughing. "That's for sure. He would have left with his ego in tatters. But it would have been great entertainment."

"By the way, I don't know what you said to Dad to convince him to let me come back," Maggie said, sounding more casual than she felt. "But thank you," she whispered quietly. She knew that if Lee had come to pick her up, he had probably asked their father for permission first.

Lee suppressed a grimace and gripped the steering wheel tighter, his knuckles turning white and his hands growing sweatier. "Yeah... about that. I didn't convince him. Dad sent me."

"Really?" Maggie exclaimed, smiling immediately. Her father. But when she turned her head, she saw Lee's face. He glanced in her direction. He clearly didn't share her enthusiasm. Maggie's smile immediately faded, replaced by a worried grimace. She had just realised. "Oh, crap."

"Yeah, crap, as you say."

Her father knew. He knew she had dropped out of school. That she was working on another ranch. Maggie was in an unspeakable mess.

Maggie turned to Lee, her eyes already flashing. "Did you spill the beans ?!"

"What ? No, of course not !" Lee replied quickly, indignant at the accusation.

"Then how does he know ?"

"I don't know, Maggs. But he does."

She took a deep breath, trying to stifle her rising anger. "And how long has he known ?"

Lee shook his head, his eyes fixed on the road. "Long enough that he didn't explode with rage when we talked about it."

"That's not a good sign." Maggie shook her head, too. "It means he's had time to plan how he's going to make me pay. That sucks."

"You know..." Lee began, his voice low and almost hesitant. "I think he was more hurt than angry. Strangely enough."

"Hurt ?" Maggie repeated, as if the word sounded wrong coming out of her mouth.

Lee shrugged, unable to explain it any better. "Yeah, I can't explain it. But in any case, you could start by thanking your big brother for covering for you these past few months. Believe me, he's got it in for me now. And for driving halfway across the county to come and get you."

Maggie crossed her arms, muttered a barely audible "thank you", and sank into her seat, staring straight ahead. She was too anxious about what awaited her at the ranch to show any gratitude.

☼

When Maggie saw the entrance to the ranch, she felt a mixture of anticipation and apprehension wash over her. It might have seemed ridiculous, given that she had been there two days earlier. But that had only been a visit. Now she was returning for good.

Her gaze immediately fell upon a corral filled with buffalo that hadn't been there last time. She turned her head towards Lee just as he parked the car a little further away. Their father was standing near the animals and Maggie couldn't bring herself to go inside to unpack without talking to him first.

"Since when do we have buffalo ?" she asked.

"Oh, that... don't ask me," Lee replied vaguely, waving his hand in the air.

Maggie felt her throat go dry. As she got out of the pickup truck, her legs felt heavy as lead and fragile as cotton. She almost staggered forward like an old, rusty robot towards her father's silhouette. Glancing over her shoulder, she saw that Lee was still leaning against the truck, determined to let her face this alone.

So, what now ? What was she going to say ?

Should she bring up the subject of the last few months of lying immediately ? Or should she act as if nothing had happened ? With her father, it was always a case of all or nothing. Either approach could work, depending on his mood. The problem was that she had no idea what his mood was.

John Dutton climbed down from the fence he had been perched on for no apparent reason and walked straight towards her. Maggie froze, unable to meet his gaze.

She opened her mouth to speak, but no words came out. In her misfortune, her father beat her to it, as always.

"Go and get changed," he ordered simply. Almost curtly. There was no greeting, not even a "hello", and no pleasantries were exchanged.

Maggie frowned slightly, surprised by the abruptness of their reunion, even though she had seen her father the day before. "Why ?"

"Your brother is coming with Tate." He paused. Maggie was surprised by the announcement : just the day before, she had witnessed a heated exchange between them from a distance. "And you're coming with us," he added.

Maggie felt a smile escape her, which she immediately suppressed. It was better not to show her joy too much in case her father changed his mind out of pure contrariness. "A family horseback ride ?" she ventured anyway.

"Being a cowboy on this ranch has always been a family affair." He stared at her for a moment and, in that brief silence, the message was clear. It was a test. Almost a challenge. "You want to be a cowgirl ? Fine. Then come and see what that means."

Without waiting for her answer, John walked around her and returned to his buffalo as if everything had been said.

Maggie stood there for a moment, torn between conflicting emotions. She felt joy and pride : after all this time, she finally felt included. But she was also annoyed at being treated like a child who still had to prove herself at work. It was a blow to her ego. She already considered herself a cowgirl. Perhaps that was arrogant. It probably was.

She turned around and got back into the pickup truck, quickly being joined by Lee. He started the engine and drove to the house, which was just a stone's throw away on the ranch property.

☼☼

Maggie entered the house on her own. Lee had gone off to attend to his business. In the large living room, she encountered Jamie. He looked up from his phone when he saw her, his eyebrows furrowing in surprise. Clearly, their father had not made an official announcement about her return.

Jamie got up from the sofa. "Well... we've been seeing you around a lot lately. What are you doing here ?"

"Hello to you too, Jamie," Maggie replied sarcastically. "Well, guess what ? This is my house too."

He shrugged vaguely. "Sorry for being rude. I'm just surprised to see you. But... thrilled, truly." Then he went back to his phone as if she no longer mattered. It was probably work-related, but Maggie's ego took a hit.

She stood there, speechless and outraged by his lack of consideration. When he felt her insistent gaze, Jamie looked up at her again. "You're still here... Do you need anything ? If it's a glass of water, I hope you still remember where it is."

"Has anyone ever told you that you're a jerk, Jamie ?" she spat.

"I try to remind him every day now that I'm here, so he doesn't forget."

Beth's voice echoed through the room. Jamie immediately rolled his eyes and swore under his breath. "Oh no... please. Now that witch is showing up."

"Believe me, Jamie. If I were really a witch — which I wish I were, with all my heart — you would have disappeared from this planet a long time ago," Beth replied, smiling predatorily and maintaining her usual calmness.

Maggie suppressed a grimace. That was harsh. Even for Beth. But somehow, the fact that nothing had changed reassured her a little.

Maggie had always thought that Beth and Jamie hated each other. Or rather, that Beth had always hated Jamie and he had simply ended up acting as though he hated her in return. She had never known why. Everyone stopped trying to understand a long time ago.

Beth could be very harsh, but Maggie had never had the courage to stand up to her in situations like this. Especially not for Jamie.

The relationship between Maggie and Jamie had always been... strange. There was no other way to describe it. Maggie knew she loved her brother, despite everything. But it was clear that he was the person in the family she was least close to. When they found themselves in the same room, they seemed to hate each other. Beth's attitude had probably played a big part in this.

Beth had been — as terrifying as the idea might seem — the only female role model in Maggie's life. Like any little sister, Maggie had imitated her. Without realising the effect it might have, Maggie knew that she hadn't always been kind to Jamie.

But could anyone really blame her ? Growing up watching Beth be nasty to him meant that you ended up believing it was the norm. Beth, for her part, had always been proud of her influence in this regard.

And Jamie... Jamie had never done anything to correct it. Perhaps it was because he associated Maggie with Beth. Or maybe it was because he took out some of the frustration Beth inspired in him on her. Maggie was always an easier, weaker target. When he was crushed by Beth, he took it out on her.

He probably wasn't proud of it — maybe he wasn't even aware of it. Instead of taking it out on the right people, Jamie made Maggie pay for the wounds inflicted by Beth or their father, the feeling of exclusion and bitterness, and always being the least loved and the family punching bag. Not with blows or even real humiliation. Rather, he acted as if he were superior to her, smarter and more important. He snubbed her and acted as if she didn't exist. In short, he bullied her in turn.

Beth was still staring at him with a smile that didn't bode well. Jamie snorted and let out a bitter laugh; he looked like he wasn't joking. "Oh, believe me, Beth, I'd love that too. I'd love to see you hanged in public — I'd gladly sacrifice myself if it meant taking you with me."

Silence. His words fell into the room like a brick.

Beth froze at first, her eyes widening for a moment, but then an icy smile wiped away all trace of surprise. It was the kind of smile that doesn't forgive, but knows how to exact revenge.

Maggie felt tension rise in her throat as it became clear that Beth was going to respond. This time, their barbs sounded more like death threats than mere insults without consequences. Damn it, they were family ! They couldn't act like this.

Her face went from disbelief to anger in an instant. Without thinking, she stepped between them, her tone sharp. "Are you done ?! Seriously ?" She turned to her brother, her eyes flashing. "Jamie, you're a thirty-six-year-old lawyer. Don't you think you're too old to call your sister a witch ?"

Jamie looked at her, annoyed by her interruption, but unimpressed. Beth crossed her arms as if waiting for more, with a hard glint in her eyes. The air had become heavy with old resentment and words that could not be taken back.

Then Maggie looked at Beth. "And you, Beth,"

"I'm warning you. If you're about to tell me that I'm thirty-four, I know my age perfectly well," she said, cutting her off sharply as if she had no time for a lecture.

"Then stop acting like fucking children. Don't you have anything better to do ? Don't tell me you came back here just to insult Jamie all day long."

Beth raised an eyebrow. Seeing the look on her face, Maggie waved her hand in a dismissive gesture, barely giving her a chance to open her mouth. "You know what ? Don't even answer that one."

After a brief silence, Maggie continued. "In any case, you're going to stop this nonsense because I'm not going to put up with this kind of scene every day !"

Jamie frowned at these words. "And are you eventually going to tell me what on earth you're doing here, Maggie ?"

"What do you think she's doing here, Jamie ?" Beth's voice dripped with sarcasm and deep disdain as she said his name, as if he were the biggest idiot alive — or as if saying his name were an insult. "She's coming home, idiot."

Jamie looked at them, stunned. He was surprised, of course, but he quickly realised that he was the only one. His gaze shifted to Beth. "Why don't you seem surprised ? Did you know about this ?"

"And you don't seem thrilled either," added Maggie, upset that nobody in her family shared her enthusiasm.

Beth ignored Jamie and turned to Maggie. Stepping forward, she placed her hand on Maggie's forehead and gently pulled her towards her, kissing her on the temple. "Don't be silly. I'm always happy to see you. But you know how I feel about this place, baby."

Then she turned back to Jamie. "And yes, I knew. Dad told me while Lee was out picking her up."

Jamie threw his arms up in exasperation. "Why am I always the last to know ?"

He seemed genuinely angry, and Maggie could well understand why. Once again, it came down to the same old story : Jamie and his problem of trust with their father.

"Because you're the least loved member of the family, Jamie," Beth retorted, unable to resist the opportunity to wound him. "I keep telling you, you need to get over it. Even his damn horse, dad loves it more than he loves you."

Jamie clenched his teeth. "You're such a bitch, Beth."

Beth sneered, her eyes flashing. "And you're just a frustrated loser who still craves the approval of a father who despises you."

Maggie buried her face in her hands. "Please, don't start that again..."

Stung, Jamie stood up straight, trying to look dignified and superior, as if he were the one who had decided to end the argument. In reality, it only made him look more ridiculous. "Well, it seems that Dad is getting closer and closer to his dream of having all his children living here," he finally said, hoping to change the subject.

Beth snorted. "Yeah, well, Kayce is missing, in case you hadn't noticed."

"He may not live here, but he's coming. With Tate," Maggie replied.

"Yeah, I know. And, Maggie, if you don't want us to leave without you, you'd better hurry up," Jamie added.

Maggie frowned. "Us ?"

"Yes, us. I'll be there too."

Maggie stared at him, half sceptical, half mocking. "You ride horses, you ?"

Beth snickered in the corner. "The last time he rode a horse was probably when he got on his high horse."

Ignoring the barb, Jamie replied to Maggie curtly, "I'll have you know that I was riding horses before you were even born."

It was true. She knew that. But she had never got the impression that Jamie liked it. Like Lee, he had wanted to become a cowboy before their father pulled him off that path and forced him to study law. He was imposed upon with a career as a lawyer that he had never chosen.

Beth rolled her eyes, sighed and turned on her heel. "This is getting boring." She stopped at the doorway and called over her shoulder, "And, oh, Jamie ?"

He turned slowly towards her, looking curt and unfriendly. "What ?"

"Witches were burned. They weren't hanged. Open a history book, you fucking cunt." Then she disappeared.

Jamie took a deep breath and pinched the bridge of his nose; he was clearly on the verge of exploding. "Damn, I hate her," he muttered.

That was too much for Maggie. She left the room too and headed for her bedroom, muttering gloomily as she climbed the stairs : "Bunch of lunatics..."

☼☼☼

Maggie changed quickly. There was no point taking a shower, it was only early afternoon and the day was far from over. Besides, she had already had an ice-cold bath at dawn thanks to Bo. She rummaged through her drawers and pulled out an old cap. Since she didn't have a hat, she decided to cover her head at least.

She hurried downstairs and stopped by the kitchen. With all the chaos, she had skipped lunch. She opened the fridge, grabbed some ingredients to make a sandwich and stood facing the large window, eating quickly.

From there, she watched outside. The horses had been gathered and were tied to the hitching bars. The cowboys, Rip, her father, Lee, even Jamie : everyone was busy.

Her gaze lingered on the latter. Jamie. He had a cowboy hat pulled down over his head, a far cry from his carefully slicked-back hair. She found herself wondering if he had always wanted to be a cowboy too, deep down. Or had he tried to be one before their father steered him away from that path ? Now, he looked more like a politician than a rancher.

Was he unhappy ? Nostalgic ? Did he resent not having chosen his own life ? If she hadn't fought so hard, would Maggie have ended up like him ? Perhaps they weren't so different after all.

A voice snapped her out of her reverie. "Well, looks like they didn't feed you at that old rundown ranch where you worked."

With her mouth full, Maggie turned her head towards Beth. "Beth, it's not an old rundown ranch. I just skipped lunch. Lee came to pick me up, and let's just say there were a few adventures before that." She was thinking about the episode with the foal.

Beth, meanwhile, wore a mocking grin. "But I heard you got your teeth into a cowboy. You should be full by now, shouldn't you ? I heard you even ate his mouth."

Maggie sighed and let out a muffled curse. "Lee..."

Beth shrugged, looking almost amused. "Guess I'm not the only whore in this family anymore."

Maggie looked at her, tilting her head slightly, before letting out a small, reluctant chuckle. She shook her head and left the kitchen, Beth following behind her. On the porch, Beth stopped to smoke while Maggie joined the others outside.

"Hey, Maggie ! Over here !"

Maggie turned her head and saw Lloyd waving at her. He was busy finishing saddling a horse. She approached him, smiling broadly. "Hi, Lloyd."

He gave her a warm hug and looked her up and down as though he were an old uncle reunited with his niece. "I'm glad to see you again."

"Me too. And I'm glad to be home."

"So it's permanent this time ?"

"We'll see if it's still the case after the ride." She said this jokingly, but deep down, anxiety was gnawing at her stomach. Her father could still change his mind.

Lloyd patted the neck of the horse next to him. "Here, this one's for you. It's a good horse."

Maggie smiled as she looked at the animal. "It's already saddled. You know I can saddle a horse, right ?" She said it more like a spoiled child than angrily.

"I wanted to do it for you. For your return. The return of the princess."

"Oh, please don't say that, Lloyd..." She grimaced, which made him laugh. Then she climbed into the saddle, half-chuckling, and her smile widened even more when she saw Kayce approaching with Tate at her side. It was as if time had slowed down. Everyone had stopped to watch John walk towards them and the reunion that followed.

Tate stood stiffly with his hands in his pockets, looking uncomfortable. Then he saw Maggie, and a big smile spread across his face. He raised a hand timidly to wave at her.

Maggie waved back, her heart swelling with tenderness. "Hi, cub."

Tate then turned his attention back to his grandfather. John gave him an imperceptible look. "Do you know how to ride a horse ?"

"Of course I do. I'm Indian" he replied, not batting an eyelid.

Maggie nearly choked as she stifled a laugh. It was true, of course, but the dark look John gave Kayce confirmed Maggie's suspicions : her father didn't like the fact that his grandson identified as Indian first rather than as a cowboy.

John finally took Tate into his arms. "Yeah, maybe so. But you're a cowboy today."

John thanked Kayce discreetly for bringing Tate, which allowed him to spend time with him. Maggie knew what it had cost her father's ego to make that admission. Then John hoisted Tate onto his horse.

Lee and Jamie came over to greet Kayce, hugging him and teasing him about his hair. Then we quickly chatted with Beth before he mounted his horse and rode up to Maggie.

Holding his reins and leaning against his horse's neck, he spoke without looking at her. "So, you came back after all."

"Yes. I came back."

Kayce turned his head. They stared at each other in silence. His gaze spoke volumes — he thought it was a mistake. That she deserved better than this life. But he wasn't surprised. He had always known that Maggie would return to this ranch because, deep down, that was what she had always wanted.

"And you were right. Dad knows." Without another word, she urged her horse forward and rode off, leaving him behind before he could reply.

☼☼☼☼

As they herded the buffalo across the pastures, Maggie fell behind slightly to watch the cowboys direct the manoeuvre. The sound of a horse's hooves behind her made her turn around. Kayce had slowed down to catch up with her, matching his horse's pace to hers.

Maggie couldn't help but roll her eyes, she was almost annoyed just at the sight of him. "Why do I feel like you're mad at me ?" Kayce asked, feigning lightheartedness in his tone.

"I'm not mad at you."

Kayce raised an eyebrow. "C'mon, Maggie. You're my little sis, I know when you're sulking."

Maggie's eyes widened in indignation. "I'm not sulking." Kayce remained silent, staring at her with quiet insistence. Eventually, this drew a reluctant admission from Maggie. She sighed and gave in. "Okay, I'm a little annoyed."

"Why that ?"

"Because you're judging me."

Kayce shook his head slowly, absentmindedly stroking his horse's neck with his fingers. "I'm not judging you."

"You didn't see how you looked at me when you realised I'd come home."

Kayce shook his head and pursed his lips, trying to keep his true thoughts to himself. "Believe me, Maggie, I'm in no position to judge your life choices."

"Indeed. But that means you think there's a judgement to be made."

"That's not what I said."

"You don't need to say it, I know you."

A heavy silence fell, broken only by the heavy breathing of the herd and the sound of the cowboys' horses' hooves. Finally, Kayce let out a resigned sigh, breaking the tension. "I'm just worried."

Maggie clenched her jaw. "There's no reason to worry. I didn't judge you or Beth when you left, so why can't you stop judging me for wanting to stay ?"

Kayce laughed. "Didn't judge us, seriously ?"

Maggie didn't reply, just pressed her lips together, knowing he was right.

"You were unbearable when Beth left," he reminded her.

"I was just a child who was upset about no longer seeing her sister and being stuck with stupid boys," Maggie defended herself stubbornly.

Kayce smiled wryly. "And when I left ?"

"I supported you."

"Yet I remember my little sister being consumed by jealousy when I left the ranch to live with another woman."

Maggie's cheeks immediately flushed red. She almost choked. "That's not how it happened at all !"

She turned her head away, stung. It was true that, initially, she had believed Monica was the source of all their family problems. But at the time, she had only heard their father's side of the story. She quickly realised that John Dutton was to blame, and that Kayce had every reason to cut ties.

Kayce shrugged. "Well, we don't agree."

"Absolutely not," Maggie confirmed firmly.

"We don't see things the same way, and that's okay." A silence fell. Then, with a mischievous smile on his lips that made her both sigh and smile, Kayce continued. "But we can work this out."

Maggie raised an eyebrow, intrigued despite herself, and her lips stretched into a half-smile. "What do you have in mind ?"

"A race ?"

Her eyes lit up immediately. "A race ?" she repeated, a sparkle appearing in her eyes.

"A race," he confirmed confidently.

Maggie glanced around, then looked back at him. She shook her head, feigning disinterest. "No, we're here to take care of the buffalo. Dad will give me grief again if I don't take it seriously."

Kayce rolled his eyes. "God, I hope you're not going to become boring and uptight."

Maggie opened her mouth to protest, but Lee came galloping up with a smile on his face. "Are you having a race ?" he called out, pulling his horse up alongside Kayce's.

Kayce smiled faintly. "That's what I was going to suggest, but apparently my proposal isn't good enough for daddy's little gi-" He didn't have time to finish. Maggie had already urged her horse into a gallop and was racing away, her laughter carried on the wind.

Kayce and Lee didn't need to exchange glances before setting off in pursuit. "Maggie ! You little cheat !" he shouted, unable to stifle his laughter. They had been fooled far too easily.

Very quickly, her two brothers caught up with her. Maggie struggled not to be overtaken, but it was a lost cause — they always won at this game. Lee eventually took the lead, with Kayce close behind. They rode side by side for a few moments before Lee pulled ahead. Maggie managed to stay close to Kayce for a while, but he soon overtook her.

When they finally slowed their horses, it was clear that Lee had won. His proud and triumphant laughter echoed across the pasture. Kayce shook his head in acceptance of his defeat, giving a humble smile, while Maggie caught up with them, her cheeks flushed with adrenaline and feigned annoyance.

"Even cheating, you still managed to lose," teased Lee.

"It's the horse," she retorted immediately and unconvincingly.

"Oh yeah ? You always say that the horse only does half the work and that it all depends on the rider," added Kayce with a mischievous smile.

"Ha, ha, ha..." Maggie snorted humourlessly and shook her head. She pulled a sulky face like a naughty child, but her eyes sparkled with amusement.

"Come on, Kayce," Lee said, giving her a friendly pat on the shoulder. "Let's stop teasing her, she'll end up sulking. She's always been a sore loser."

Jamie then joined them, his horse trotting calmly alongside them. "So, it looks like Lee remains undefeated."

"I'm not the oldest for nothing," he replied, puffing out his chest proudly.

"How about we go fishing later ?" Jamie suggested. However, Maggie had the impression that he was only addressing the boys. Jamie turned his head towards Kayce. "What do you say, Kayce ?" he continued. "To make up for lost time and remember the good old days. We'll take Tate with us."

Kayce hesitated for a moment, then nodded. "Yeah, sounds good to me. Tate will be happy."

Maggie slowed her horse and rode a little way behind them. Her father appeared, with Tate sitting in front of him in the saddle. The brothers explained that they were going fishing. John nodded, giving his permission for the outing. The cowboys would take care of the rest. Kayce took Tate back with him and put him on his own horse.

Then John turned his piercing gaze on Maggie. "We need to talk."

The young woman's stomach knotted. She wasn't ready. Not yet. She could feel her brother's gaze on her. So she took the only escape route available.

"Later. I'm going fishing with the boys." She left them with no option but to accept. She shot a defiant look at anyone who dared protest and send her to their father.

John remained silent for a moment as he watched his children, then finally nodded. "All right," he muttered, before turning his horse around with a flick of his heels.

Jamie gave her an amused look. "Since when do you fish ?" he asked sarcastically.

Maggie shrugged. "I can watch you fish for me."

"Everyone catches their own fish, Maggie. That's the rule," Kayce teased her.

"I'll steal Lee's, then."

Lee protested loudly, but Maggie burst out laughing, drawing the others along with her. Together, they left the pastures, bickering like children and acting as if nothing had changed.

☼☼☼☼☼

After stopping by the ranch to pick up their fishing rods, they headed to a quiet spot on the river. The water sparkled in the last rays of sunlight, surrounded by smooth pebbles and tall grasses swaying in the breeze. Tate was still riding with Kayce and was clearly excited about this new activity.

When Lee felt a tug on his line, he smiled knowingly at the little boy before handing him the fishing rod. Kayce, who was always close to her son, helped him reel it in, patiently guiding his hands. Tate let out a cry of triumph when he saw the fish wriggling out of the water.

"I caught a fish !" he cried proudly. Everyone cheered, and Maggie felt her heart swell with simple joy.

Then it was Jamie's turn to outdo himself. Without thinking, he jumped straight off his horse, getting his boots and trousers wet in the process. The water rose to his waist as he struggled to pull up a huge fish with his bare hands. Maggie couldn't hold back her laughter, she was rather impressed to see her brother literally dropping himself in it.

She grabbed the reins of his horse to stop the animal panicking in the commotion. Jamie, soaked but triumphant, finally pulled his fish out of the water, to the applause of his brothers.

Once they had caught enough fish for everyone, they found a dry spot on higher ground where they could light a fire. The flames soon rose, crackling merrily. Sitting on flat rocks, they cooked their catch, the smoky aroma mingling with the scent of the river. The mood lightened, punctuated by laughter and playful banter between siblings.

But their relaxation was quickly interrupted by Lee's deep voice. "You're gonna raise him on a reservation ?" It wasn't really a question. It was a thinly veiled judgement. Maggie felt a pang of pain in her heart, at that precise moment, Lee sounded exactly like their father.

But hadn't they all inherited this way of being in some form or other ?

Kayce shrugged nonchalantly and focused on cutting up the fish for Tate. "People do it every day."

Jamie shook his head, his tone firmer."'Cause they have no choice, Kayce." Maggie nodded inwardly. Jamie was right, and despite herself, she shared his scepticism.

But Tate's clear, innocent voice cut through the tension. "It's a good day." He said it with a big smile, his eyes shining with happiness. As if by magic, this simple statement made everyone smile, although Kayce remained somewhat closed off.

Maggie leaned forward towards him, touched. "We'll do that again, button." Her words sounded more like a promise than a suggestion.

"Every day, just like this," Jamie added with a smile.

Maggie turned her head towards him, sceptical. She knew perfectly well that her brother spent his days locked away in offices wearing a suit and chasing after their father's approval.

Kayce, on the other hand, didn't miss the opportunity to point out the obvious. "Who are you kidding ? Bet you haven't fished here in years."

Jamie pursed his lips before answering, a hurt look in his eyes. "Only thing we haven't done in years is see you, Kayce." Maggie felt the sting of that truth. Even though she had kept in touch with Kayce, she had also seen him too little in recent years. Jamie didn't seem angry, but his remark still carried the weight of reproach.

Kayce sighed. "Well, he told me to leave."

Lee looked up. "He told us all to leave. You were just the only one who did."

Kayce sat up straight, ready to respond. "Maggie left, too."

Maggie frowned, annoyed that she was being drawn into the conversation despite not having said anything. She opened her mouth to speak, but Lee answered for her. "No, it's not the same," he said calmly, shaking his head. "She didn't have a choice. She didn't want to leave."

"But she did anyway."

"But now she's here," Lee continued.

"So am I," Kayce insisted.

Lee stared at him, unyielding. "Yes, but you're going to leave again. She came back. She came home. You're just visiting. So I'll say it again : You were the only one who left."

The words hung heavily in the air. A heavy silence settled in, broken only by the crackling of the fire and the murmur of the river. Finally, Kayce whispered, "It's different. You know that."

Jamie snorted sarcastically. "Right, so you're gonna raise him in that meth-filled desert to prove a point."

"What I'm proving you'll never understand," Kayce retorted.

Lee exchanged a knowing glance with Jamie and snickered. "Shit, I miss being young. You wake up in the morning, and you just keep right on dreaming huh ?"

"You're a thirty-eught-year-old bachelor living in your father's house, working hundred-hour weeks for a nibble of his approval. Is that the dream, Lee ? Sure as shit ain't mine."

Maggie felt her stomach twist. Although he wasn't talking to her, his words still hit her hard. She recognised herself all too well in the portrait Kayce had just painted of Lee. She bit her lip, feeling hurt despite herself.

"Hey," she said abruptly. "You don't have to be an ass just because we don't hate dad like you do. If you don't want us to judge your dream, don't judge theirs."

Kayce looked down at his fish, remaining silent. Lee picked up a rock and threw it at his brother. Kayce dodged it, exclaiming in surprise.

Tate, who had been rather quiet until then, suddenly stood up straight, his face serious. "Hey ! Don't throw things at my dad !" Kayce raised his hand to calm his son down, but he didn't listen. He grabbed his fish, still wrapped in aluminium foil, and threw it straight at Lee. "Fucker !"

The vulgarity made everyone burst out laughing. A mixture of surprise and hilarity shook the small group. Even Maggie doubled over with laughter, tears in the corners of her eyes. Torn between amusement and paternal duty, Kayce hugged his son.

"It's okay, buddy," he said gently. "We're just brothers arguing, man. Nobody's mad, okay ? It's all right."

Shaking with laughter, Maggie gasped : "Damn, he got an attitude. That's a Dutton behaviour right there."

Lee nodded, still smiling. "You gonna tell me there's no fight in that blood ?"

Jamie finally calmed down and whispered his conclusion. "He's right, though. It is a good day."

Their laughter resumed, lighter this time, as if the incident had dissolved the tension. The fire crackled and the fish continued to grill gently. For a moment, they all found what they thought they had lost : a sense of brotherhood.

Chapter Text

𝐶ℎ𝑎𝑝𝑡𝑒𝑟 𝑓𝑜𝑢𝑟 - 𝑇𝑤𝑜 ℎ𝑢𝑛𝑑𝑟𝑒𝑑 𝑎𝑛𝑑 𝑛𝑖𝑛𝑒𝑡𝑦-𝑛𝑖𝑛𝑒

━━━━━━ ✧◦❂◦✧ ━━━━━━

By the end of the next day, the entire ranch was buzzing with an unusual sense of tension. The propellers of the helicopter echoed in the courtyard, stirring the air with a deafening roar. Further away, the cowboys were loading the horse trailers and adjusting the straps and saddles. Others were checking their weapons. No one really spoke. Everyone busied themselves with an efficiency that was anything but routine.

John had been unable to reach an agreement with the reservation chairman : the cattle would not be returned. The only solution was to organise a night-time expedition to retrieve them.

And Maggie hated the idea.

A dull worry knotted her stomach, one of those intuitions you can't shake, no matter how hard you try to reason with yourself. She watched the scene from the porch, arms crossed, her gaze fixed on the barn. When Lee walked by, his boots clattering on the floorboards, she grabbed his arm.

"What's wrong, Maggie ?" he asked, surprised by the firmness of her grip.

"Let me come with you."

He shook his head immediately. His tone left no room for doubt. "That's out of the question. And this time, I'm not joking. It's non-negotiable."

"Why?" she replied, narrowing her eyes.

"Because you're not a livestock agent."

Maggie tilted her head in disillusionment. She could barely stifle a humourless snort. It was a lie. She could see right through this false excuse. "Bullshit. More than half of the cowboys accompanying you aren't members of the association either. They're just ranch hands."

"Give it up, Maggie. There's no point in arguing."

Honestly, she wasn't at all surprised by his reaction. She knew what to expect. Even if she had managed to persuade Lee, their father wouldn't have allowed her to take part in the mission. Maggie took a deep breath, then said in a low, urgent voice : "Don't go."

Lee raised an eyebrow, looking almost amused. "Of course. I don't see how they could do this mission without me."

"Abort it." That was what she really wanted. "Jamie won't be able to talk Dad out of it, but you might."

Lee stood up straighter, his expression becoming more serious in the face of his little sister's sudden concern. He frowned. "What's the matter, Maggie ?"

"I have a bad feeling about it."

He raised an eyebrow in an attempt to lighten the mood. "Are you saying that because you can't come ?"

She shook her head, pressing her lips together. She had never really wanted to come. She just wanted them to cancel the whole thing. "I'm serious, Lee."

"We're just going to take back our cattle."

"On reservation land, where heavily armed natives are waiting for you," she whispered. Despite herself, her voice trembled. "I was there with you the other day, remember ? If tempers were already running high in the middle of the day, what will it be like at night ? That cattle is probably better guarded than gold. And at night, a shot is quickly fired. They're just waiting for an excuse to shoot and justify their actions."

Lee remained silent for a moment, staring at her. Then he finally shrugged. "It'll be fine. Dad will fly over us. If it's too risky, he'll tell us to call off the mission."

Maggie looked away, frustrated, and crossed her arms over her chest. Oh, she hated how nonchalant he was right now. She wasn't convinced at all. Lee placed a soothing hand on her shoulder.

"You know what ? I've just realised that we haven't celebrated your return yet. We're going out on the town tomorrow night. We'll go for a drink and have a party. We can go with the cowboys or just the two of us if you prefer. I promise."

Maggie could feel Lee's hopeful gaze on her. She could see right through him. He wanted to take her mind off things and make her smile. So, despite the lump in her throat, she forced a smile. "Yeah, sounds good. It's been a long time since we hung out together."

Lee tightened his embrace for a moment, then disappeared towards the barn. Maggie was left alone on the porch, unable to bear listening to Jamie's futile attempts to convince their father. When her older brother gave up, she wasn't surprised. She knew he shared her doubts. Perhaps they needed to listen to their protests for them to agree on something.

A few minutes later, the cowboys had gathered near the vehicles. John emerged from the barn accompanied by Lee and Ryan, both wearing bulletproof vests bearing the words « Livestock Agent ». The sight tore at Maggie's heart.

Jamie made one last attempt to dissuade them, but Lee was already walking away and pointing his finger at her. "Remember, party tomorrow night !" he said with a smile.

She forced a smile, but her heart wasn't in it. Finally, she ran up to him. She contented herself with kissing her brother on the cheek. "Please be careful."

Lee briefly put his arm around her before letting go and disappearing into his vehicle. She stood frozen for a moment before shifting her gaze to the car next to her. Lloyd, Colby and Ryan were getting in it. They were all cowboys who had been there for many years, even before she left. Lloyd had been there long before she was born. Ryan had been there for almost as long as she could remember.

Approaching the vehicle with her hands in the back pockets of her jeans, she tried to look nonchalant. Lloyd was sitting in the driver's seat with his window down. He barely turned his head towards her when he saw her coming. "If you want to ask us to take you with us-"

"I'm not here to talk to you, Lloyd," Maggie interrupted him without missing a beat.

She knocked on the rear window, which rolled down with a slight squeak. She immediately leaned on it, arms crossed on the sill, and looked up at Ryan, who was now facing her with a questioning look on his face. "Is there a problem, Maggie ?"

"Ryan, you're at the livestock association with my brother, aren't you ?"

He simply nodded without taking his eyes off her. Lloyd watched the scene unfold in the rear-view mirror, his elbow resting against the door. Meanwhile, Colby turned around in his seat, eager to find out what was happening.

"You're kind of like his right-hand man, aren't you ?"

Colby burst out laughing and shook his head. "Certainly not."

"Yes, yes. You heard the lady, I'm the right-hand man," Ryan joked, smiling slyly.

"We're all equal !" Colby replied, raising his hands in mock offence. It was an obvious lie. Maggie knew that branded cowboys held a special place, whether they agreed or not. "You're not his right-hand man."

This little verbal sparring almost made Maggie smile. Almost. Usually, she would have joined in their banter or at least found it amusing. But not tonight. Tonight, her mind was elsewhere, it was too heavy and tense for games. She cut them off, her voice firm and almost annoyed by the situation. "I don't care. Call it whatever you want, but he relies on you more often, right ?"

She held Ryan's gaze for a moment, as if trying to break him down with the weight of her insistence. "I know he can rely on each one of you, but-"

Ryan paused and frowned, his smile fading as if he had just realised that this was no idle remark. "What exactly are you asking me ?"

Maggie took a deep breath, her fingers clenching the edge of the window. "To have his back. I'm asking you personally."

He stared at her for a few seconds, then nodded slowly. This time, he was serious. "We always all have each other's backs."

"Good." Maggie finally released the window and stood up straight, patting the edge as if to seal a silent promise. But, before letting them go, she whispered, almost like a prayer : "And guys... be careful."

"Don't worry, Maggie," said Lloyd calmly as he started the engine.

She stepped aside, crossed her arms and watched the vehicle drive away. The sun was setting slowly on the horizon, and the sound of the engine was already mingling with the dull thud of the helicopter's blades as it prepared to take off.

Her gaze rose to the aircraft. The propellers were spinning impatiently. Her heart leapt in her chest. "Screw it, what's the worst that could happen ?"

In one swift movement, she started to run. John was already pulling the door shut, but Maggie blocked it with her hand and climbed inside. "What are you doing ?" her father exclaimed furiously.

She sat down at the back, her gaze burning with defiance. John turned to her, beside himself. "Maggie, get out of there right now."

"No, you don't want me to come ? Fine. But I'm not going to wait around all night like Jamie. I'm safe here. At least I'm less exposed than I would be down there. You're not going to make me get out of this helicopter."

John swore under his breath, then finally handed her a headset. "Don't move from your seat," he ordered.

Maggie grabbed the headset without taking her eyes off him. The whirring of the blades grew louder, drowning out the tense silence that had fallen over the cabin, and the helicopter finally lifted off the ground.

☼

It was completely dark outside. Lee's voice crackled through the headset to confirm that they were in position. From above, the helicopter swept its searchlight across the reserve. Below, Maggie spotted an orange glow. A campfire. Of course they were waiting for them.

They hovered, the harsh light dazzling them and casting the silhouettes of the reservation's men in the dust. Finally, John gave Lee the go-ahead and the helicopter moved away towards the herd.

A lone rider appeared below them. The pilot turned on the spotlight, and the light revealed a face they knew all too well : Kayce.

Maggie immediately closed her eyes, cursing under her breath. What on earth was he doing there ? He had no business being there. He was going to ruin everything. Had he come to help the men in the reservation ? She feared so.

They flew behind him. "Now take us down," said John. As they began their descent, a flash erupted in the distance. Then another. Maggie understood this time when an impact shattered the helicopter's window.

She jerked backwards. "Damn it ! Those bastards are shooting at us !" she exclaimed.

The pilot, Viggo, reacted immediately, making a sharp turn to narrowly avoid the line of fire. Pressed against the window, Maggie squinted, trying to see the shooter. She could see nothing but shadows. But she was certain : there was only one man.

Was he crazy ?

But they weren't the only ones who had moved. Livestock agents arrived on ATVs after hearing the gunshots. They, too, drew their weapons. "Shots fired ! SHOTS FIRED !" blared the radio as the gunshots multiplied below.

John Dutton watched in horror as muzzle flashes erupted from the darkness below. The situation was turning into a disaster. The prairie was literally flying off the handle.

"Cease fire ! Cease fire !" John yelled into the radio.

"Tell them to retreat !" Maggie shouted at her father as the men from the reservation returned fire. The prairie erupted with the red and blue of police sirens as tribal police vehicles raced from behind the hillside and drove towards the fence line, blocking the herd.

John glanced at his daughter while Viggo, tense at the controls, gave him a desperate but not panicked look. "What do we do now ?" he asked urgently.

John clenched his jaw before making a decision. "Pull back. Pull back. Abort."

Maggie let out a breath. She leaned back against the seat, her heart still pounding. But they didn't leave right away. The helicopter remained airborne, circling the area as if trying to catch one last glimpse of the herd. Suddenly, more shots rang out.

"Bloody hell ! If I find out who's shooting..." Maggie growled.

"Forty tours in Afghanistan, and I have to deal with this shit in fucking Montana," Viggo cursed.

"Wheel us around," John ordered.

"Jesus Christ, John, we got to get out of here," the pilot protested.

"Dad, he's right," Maggie added, her voice tense.

But John didn't listen. "I said wheel us around ! We've still got men down there." Hearing this, Maggie felt a lump form in her throat. Lee. The cowboys. They were trapped down there in the middle of the gunfire. Why hadn't they left yet ? She guessed that, despite the orders, Lee hadn't wanted to abandon the cattle.

"Drop us down and push those bastards back."

"Yes, sir," replied Viggo without further protest.

"Closer," insisted John.

"Hang on," growled the pilot.

"Damn ! What have I got myself into now ?" Maggie whispered, clinging to whatever she could.

"I warned you," John said.

"Seriously ? Even in this situation, you're going to lecture me ?" She looked at him indignantly. He didn't answer. The lecture could wait.

"All right, we're through," Lee's voice suddenly crackled over the radio.

A sigh of relief shook the cabin. Maggie felt her heart swell with pride and rage. Those idiots had done it. They had recovered the herd. Or at least part of it.

Upon hearing this, John snorted and gave Viggo the order to return. The helicopter headed for the ranch, leaving behind a night torn apart by sirens and gunpowder.

☼☼

The helicopter raced towards the ranch, kicking up dust from the plains behind it. Maggie, pressed against the window, wanted them to fly over the cowboys and see the herd they had managed to get back with her own eyes. However, John firmly refused, fearing that the light from the spotlight and the noise of the blades would alert the men on the reserve, in case any of the more reckless ones ventured out to recapture the animals.

It was better to remain discreet until everything was certain.

"The cowboys will be able to guide the herd even in the middle of the night," he reasoned.

The animals would not be released into a pasture. Not this time. They had to go straight back to the ranch, where his father would decide what to do next. However, since he had ordered them to bring the animals back, there had been no further contact with the cowboys. Nor from Lee.

Maggie could see that her father was trying to keep his composure, but the tension in his jaw and the way he was clenching and unclenching his fingers around the phone spoke volumes. This was the first time that evening he had seemed doubtful.

For the first time that night, he too seemed to sense that something was wrong. He told himself that Lee must be busy, focused on guiding his men and the animals. Yet this silence was not normal. Lee should have answered, even briefly. His absence from the radio created an increasingly heavy void.

John could have made a radio call to check. But he didn't. It was as if he feared the answer. As if he refused to know. What if Lee was no longer with them ? In that case, his cowboys would have to stay focused on their mission and not give in to panic.

John turned to his daughter. "Maggie, go and prepare the corral. Make sure it's open when they arrive."

Relieved to have something to do, even in the middle of the night, she hurried off without arguing. As soon as she was out of earshot, John took out his phone and tried to call his eldest son. First call : no answer. Second attempt : Nothing. His heart sank and he felt a crushing weight in his stomach, but he dialled another number.

"Yes, sir ?" Ryan answered, panting.

"Ryan, where are you with the livestock ?"

"We're making good headway, sir." The rumbling sound of the herd mingled with the horses' nearing in the background.

"How many have you recovered ?" John meant to sound firm, but a dull tension seeped through his words.

"Not enough." His answer was sharp and brutal, like a slap in the face.

"Give me an estimate."

"About twenty... maybe thirty. We didn't have time to count." You could sense the rush and chaos surrounding him in his ragged breathing.

"It's better than nothing. We'll count them at the ranch. Put Lee on. I want to talk to him."

"Yes, sir."

There was a silence. Long. Too long. The kind of silence that stretches on, slips between breaths and weighs down the air. The only sounds left were the cattle breathing, the sharp crack of a whip in the distance and Ryan's irregular breathing at the other end of the line.

"Well ?" John said in a low voice, his impatience betraying his concern.

"We have a problem, sir..." Ryan's tone had become veiled, as if he already feared his boss's reaction.

John frowned and felt his stomach knot. "What's the problem ?"

"Lee's not there."

John's heart sank. He put the phone away, swore under his breath, then brought it back to his ear. "What do you mean he's not there ?"

"I can't find him."

"He was with you, wasn't he ?"

"Yes, when we rounded up the herd, he was bringing up the rear. He was right behind me. I swear. But then, with the darkness of night, the gunshots and the rush to bring the cattle back... We didn't check if everyone was following. When we set off again, I thought he was right behind us." His voice was almost trembling, as if he were trying to convince himself.

John closed his eyes and pinched the bridge of his nose. "Maybe he went ahead as a scout." That was unlikely. Lee would never have done that without warning his men.

"I didn't see him pass."

"Then he must have stayed behind to cover you. To make sure no one was following you." Yes, that was possible. That must be it.

"What should we do, sir ?"

"Bring the cattle back. If the cowboys notice he's missing, make them move. Tell Lloyd about the situation."

Without waiting for a reply, John hung up. "Bloody hell !"

☼☼☼

Maggie stood at the open gate of the enclosure, her hands clenched around the cold metal bars and her eyes fixed on the darkness from which the long-awaited silhouettes finally emerged. Throughout the night, the low rumbling of the approaching herd had grown louder, mingling with the calls of the cowboys and the sharp clatter of hooves. Her heart beat wildly.

John had joined her and was standing back, motionless as a statue, when a rider suddenly broke away from the group and galloped towards them. For a moment, Maggie thought she saw Lee. But it wasn't him. It was Lloyd.

The old cowboy stopped next to John and the two men exchanged a few words in low, serious voices. Maggie paid no attention. Her eyes were fixed on the herd finally entering the corral, each animal passing through the gate as if it were a deliverance. She made sure none of them escaped, and then, with a sharp movement, she closed the gate behind them.

A tired but sincere smile stretched across her lips as she turned to the cowboys. "Y'all did a good job," she said to Ryan.

But he wasn't looking at her. His eyes remained fixed on Lloyd and John as if everything were playing out between them. Worry rose in Maggie's stomach. She tilted her head, trying to spot a familiar figure among the horses. With her hands in her back pockets, she took a few steps forward between the riders.

Lee wasn't there.

"Where's Lee ?" she asked, her voice sharp as she addressed no one in particular.

The silence that followed gave her the answer before anyone could respond. When faced with no response, she turned to Colby, her tone rising a notch. "Damn it, Colby ! Where's my brother ?"

Colby looked down, then up at Ryan. Maggie followed his gaze and her eyes locked on Ryan. She was now a bundle of nerves, ready to explode. "We lost him after we rounded up the herd," he finally said.

"What do you mean, lost ?" she spat.

Ryan swallowed. "We don't know where he is, Maggie."

Maggie opened her mouth, and a bitter, joyless, almost broken laugh escaped her throat in a hiccup. "You don't know where... How can you not know where he is ? We're talking about a human on a horse !"

She didn't give them time to answer. With a sharp movement, she turned and strode towards her father. But John was already walking towards her, looking grim with his jaw clenched. "Dad, Lee's not here."

"I know."

Maggie's eyes widened. "What do you mean you know ? We have to do something, don't we ? Maybe he stayed behind to round up more cattle-"

"No, he was ready to go. He was following us, Maggie," Ryan interjected softly yet confidently.

She spun around sharply, her eyes flashing. "No, clearly he wasn't following you at all, Ryan !" Her gaze shifted to John, her eyes shining with concern. "He might have been hurt..."

Colby interjected more calmly. "Or maybe we just got separated. It was chaos out there. We were under fire. He may have been forced to take another route."

Maggie shook her head, clenching her fists. "He would have caught up with you by now." A tense silence fell. Her heart was pounding and she could feel the panic threatening to overwhelm her. Finally, she said in a determined voice, "We have to go back." Her eyes locked with her father's. "I'll go. I'll take a horse and-"

"No." John's voice was sharp, dry and unyielding.

"What do you mean, no ?"

"You stay here. It's too dangerous. We don't know what happened to your brother."

Ryan spoke up. "I can do it."

But John cut off the debate ruthlessly. "No one leaves here without permission. Is that clear ?" The cowboys nodded one by one, some reluctantly.

"What ? But-" Maggie protested, ready to explode.

"Maggie, you're going home." John's voice brooked no argument. He could see that his daughter was losing her footing, she was on the verge of collapse.

"But Lee.."

"I'll handle the situation."

"I can help-"

"Home now !" he yelled. The silence that followed was icy. All eyes were on them. Maggie felt shame burn her skin. Feeling upset, humiliated and furious, but above all devastated with worry, she turned without a word and walked briskly towards the house.

John took a deep breath, then returned to the cowboys. "Now, you're going back to the bunkhouse. Lloyd has gone to warn Rip about the situation. I'm going to call the authorities and the livestock agents. Ryan, you stay ready."

"All right," Ryan replied, also concerned as a cattle agent himself, his voice tense. Then, almost reluctantly, he asked, "But ready for what, exactly ?"

"Anything," John replied. His voice had grown even harder. "Now bring the horses in and head to the bunkhouse."

Maggie ran up the steps onto the porch and burst into the house. Not caring about the noise it made, she slammed the door behind her. She didn't care that her brother and sister were still asleep upstairs.

"Jamie !" she yelled across the house as she stormed up the stairs. "Jamie !"

A bedroom door swung open. Jamie emerged, his hair tousled and wearing only a white T-shirt and blue boxer shorts. Still with his eyes half-closed and his brow furrowed, he growled : "Damn it, Maggie ! What's all this noise ?"

It was clear that he was unhappy about being woken up in the middle of the night. He thought it could only be an order from their father, probably related to tonight's mission. He was far from imagining the real reason.

"I need you to get dressed, grab your goddamn phone, and go meet Dad."

"What ? Was there a problem getting the cattle back ? Didn't you get them back ?"

"Yes, we got them back. Well, some of them, at least. But Lee is missing."

Jamie froze. "What do you mean ? Lee is missing ?"

"We don't know where he is," Maggie said, her voice choked. She was calmer now, but her eyes were misty with tears.

Jamie rushed back to his room, clumsily pulling on trousers and swapping his T-shirt for a blue shirt. Maggie remained in the doorway and told him what had happened in detail. The operation. The gunshots. Everything.

They were walking out into the hallway when Beth burst out of her room. Jamie only glanced at her briefly before rushing down the stairs. There was no time for her sharp remarks. He left Maggie behind with the burden of breaking the news.

Beth, still in her nightgown, advanced towards her, looking furious. "I hope there's a damn good reason for you bellowing through this house in the middle of the night. And don't tell me it's about the cattle, because believe me, that wouldn't be good enough."

"Lee's missing," Maggie whispered hoarsely.

A brutal silence fell over the house.

☼☼☼☼

The sun had not yet risen, but the sky was no longer black. The darkness had dissipated, driven away by the first grey glimmers of dawn. The night was slowly fading, leaving behind that indecisive hue : a pale grey that no longer truly belonged to the night, yet not quite the day either. Soon, the first rays of morning would pierce the sky.

Maggie let out a groan of frustration, a guttural sound that seemed to come from the depths of the earth. She closed her hand around her phone and tapped it against her forehead in annoyance, surprised that she hadn't lost her mind yet.

Two hundred and ninety-nine. That was how many times she had called Lee's phone. Without any answer, of course. She knew that if he didn't answer the three hundredth call, she might explode. So she decided not to make that call. Not yet, at least. Not this time. She had told herself the same thing on the ninety-ninth call. And on the one hundred and ninety-ninth call. But this time, she was going to stick to it. She was sure of it.

At least until she realised again, after pacing around her room ten times in under two minutes, that she couldn't bear to do nothing. The only thing she could do was make another phone call.

This time, she called Kayce. She hadn't done so yet, even though she knew he was there that night. She was sure that someone else, their father or Jamie, had already tried to contact him. And, without really knowing why, she resented him for it. What on earth was he doing there ? She hadn't wanted to talk to him. Yet now she found herself hoping, or at least imagining, that her two brothers were together.

As the phone rang, Beth entered the room with a drink in her hand. The day hadn't even started yet, but it was definitely not water. "I know you're stubborn," she said curtly. "But Lee won't answer you. If he were going to, he would have already."

This typical Beth remark was nothing more than a twisted way of showing that she was worried, too. However, Maggie saw it as yet another provocation that only served to increase her annoyance. "I'm not calling Lee," she replied, clenching her jaw.

Beth sighed, rolled her eyes and turned on her heel. Maggie watched her go, waiting for the door to close before she heard the familiar beep of the answering machine. Kayce wasn't answering either. It couldn't be a coincidence. Lee and Kayce must be together. So why weren't either of them answering ? They'd better have a damn good excuse, she thought, because she was going to rip them to shreds when they got home.

Maggie was at her wit's end. She let out a hoarse cry of rage before throwing her phone against the wall. The crash startled Beth, who was standing in the hallway. She immediately turned around and returned to the room, finding pieces of plastic scattered on the floor.

"I'm going to need a new phone," said Maggie calmly, catching her breath. Then she walked past her sister and left the room, her steps determined.

Beth watched her go down the stairs. "Where are you going ?" she called from the top step.

"For a walk," Maggie replied without turning around. "I need to get out of this house before I set it on fire."

Beth let her go. She didn't really have a choice anyway.

Maggie found her way to the bunkhouse. She wasn't sure why she was going there. Probably because she knew she would find people there. Even though, in truth, she didn't want to see anyone but Lee.

But another part of her, the most petty and volatile, needed to let off steam. There, she could take it out on the cowboys to her heart's content, and no one would dare stop her. After all, most of them were just ranch hands. And she was the boss's daughter. In other words, she could spit on one of them without fearing anything worse than a reprimand, while they risked being fired for the slightest misstep.

As she approached the building, she noticed the silence. It was uncharacteristically quiet for that time of day. The cowboys were usually early risers, but after the night they had just had, they probably deserved a rest. That was what John Dutton had ordered them to do. An order she found simply unacceptable.

It was better, she thought, that no one was sleeping inside. No one had the right to sleep until her damn brother was back safe and sound.

She deliberately opened the door with such a sharp jerk that it hit the wall. The noise startled Ryan, Lloyd and Colby, who were sitting around a table playing cards. They weren't actually playing, that much was obvious. At least, not for fun. It was just a way to stay awake and keep their minds off things. It was clear that none of them had slept at all that night, just like her. But when she saw them, Maggie felt her anger rise. She was going to tear their heads off !

"Are you fucking kidding me ?!" she exploded.

Colby raised his hands in a gesture of peace, anticipating the cowgirl's wrath. "We're just trying to keep ourselves busy."

"Keep yourselves busy ? Don't you think there are more useful ways to do that ?"

"We're just following orders, Maggie," Lloyd replied calmly, unimpressed by the young Dutton's outburst.

"Oh yes, I'm sure my father's orders were to play cards." Lloyd didn't reply. He had known Maggie since she was born. He knew she was waiting for the first wrong word to pounce on the nearest person.

Maggie was well aware of her many faults. She also knew that she was not behaving rationally. She knew she was being unfair, even toxic. One of her behaviours was on full display. When she had a problem, she made sure it became everyone else's problem too.

Her raised voice woke the few cowboys who had managed to fall asleep. Lost in her anger, she didn't notice the movement in the bunks or the new face among them.

"Maggie, you should lower your voice before you wake them up," Ryan foolishly said.

She raised her eyebrows, her gaze burning. "Do I look like I give a damn, Ryan ? In fact, it's a good thing !" She grabbed a chair, lifted it up and slammed it onto the floor with a loud bang. The noise echoed throughout the barracks. "Let them all wake up! No one will sleep until my brother is back on the ranch !"

"Fuck ! Won't someone tell her to shut up !" came a voice from the bunks.

"Wow !" exclaimed Colby, turning around with wide eyes, and Ryan, frowning, both indignant. Their crumpled faces showed their disagreement with these words.

Maggie stood up straight, her shoulders tense. She didn't know which of the cowboys had said that, but she would find out soon enough. "Who said that ?" she asked in an icy voice, taking a step towards the men.

The three cowboys around the table stood up, but Ryan was the quickest. He was the first to rise, stepping in front of her to stop her.

"Take her outside," Lloyd ordered.

"Come on, Maggie," Ryan said, trying to put a hand on her arm. She dodged his touch, too edgy to tolerate even the slightest contact.

Behind them, Lloyd snapped, "Bloody hell, Fred. Learn to shut your big mouth. Who do you think you are ? Do you want to lose your job, maybe ?"

A heavy silence fell. "What an arsehole," Maggie whispered as she went outside.

"Yeah, we all agree," Colby replied. "Fred is a jerk. But you know, the guys can't do anything, Maggie. Waking them up won't change anything. The people who can do something are already on the case."

Colby was right, of course. Her father, the authorities and the livestock agents were already working on it. But that didn't calm Maggie down.

"What the hell does this place mean to you, huh ? Is it just a pay cheque to you ? Don't you give a damn about what happened to my brother ? You can sleep soundly while-"

"Don't lump us all together, Maggie," Colby interjected.

"Damn it, Colby ! I'll do what I want !"

"Don't do that, Maggie," Ryan said softly.

She turned to him, her voice sharp. "Do what ?"

"Act in a way that you'll end up regretting. We understand, I promise. No one is mad at you, and no one will be. We'll let it go. But don't do it. Because you might regret it."

Maggie froze, breathing heavily. She was terrified. Like a trapped animal, she was fighting not to break down. Her only defence was to attack. She had this visceral need to be mean to everyone. To start a fight. But Colby and Ryan were too smart to get into a fight with her. That was probably why Lloyd had sent them outside with her.

Speaking of the devil, he joined them outside. "Oh, my lord, I must kneel before you and thank you for your understanding," Maggie replied sarcastically.

With his hands on his hips, Ryan shook his head slightly and closed his eyes, sighing deeply. "It doesn't have to be this way."

"Damn it, Ryan ! Can you tell me why you didn't leave when my father told you to cancel the mission ?"

"I told your brother we had to get out of there, it was getting too dangerous. But he didn't want to leave without the cattle. Maggie, you know him." His voice remained calm, but his nervous gestures betrayed the tension eating away at him.

"You should have tried to convince him ! I don't know, forced him to follow you !"

"Maggie, you know your brother. Nothing could have changed his mind. He's a thirty-eight-year-old man and the leader of this mission. It wasn't my place to tell him what to do."

"So the best thing to do was just to blindly follow him ?"

"The best thing was to stick together. At least we got some of the cattle back."

"But I don't give a damn about the cattle, Ryan ! You lost Lee !"

Ryan shook his head and clenched his jaw. "No, he was still there when we got them back."

"Then explain, Ryan. Explain to me how on earth my brother wasn't with you when you arrived."

Ryan didn't answer. Because he didn't have one. Lee was right behind him. He was supposed to be following him. Faced with his silence and his eyes darting to the floor, Maggie took a step forward. At that moment, he realised too late that simply by trying to understand, he had made himself the punching bag for her emotions.

"We always have each other's backs, you told me, Ryan, remember ?" she almost shouted in his face, her face just inches from his.

She knew she was being unfair. She wasn't really angry with him. But she couldn't help herself. Someone, somewhere, had to feel what she was feeling. And it worked, guilt was already visible in Ryan's eyes.

"Maggie, you're being hard on him," Colby said in a low voice, trying to calm things down.

"I don't give a damn !" she spat. "I asked him for a personal favour, and he couldn't keep his word !" She turned back to Ryan. "So why didn't you check he was following through ?!"

"Because my bloody job is to look after the cattle, not your brother !" Ryan replied, his voice louder than intended. It wasn't his fault that Lee had inherited the Dutton temperament and refused to obey the rules.

Silence fell suddenly. Maggie clenched her fists, ready to punch him. But before she could react, she felt a hand on her shoulder. She turned around. It was Lloyd. "Listen, I'll go and get you a beer," he said calmly. "It'll do you good."

"But it's only..." Ryan began.

Lloyd looked up at him, impassive. "I know exactly what time it is," he replied calmly but firmly.

Today was not a day like any other. Even though the sun had just risen, he was determined to get her that beer. Because there was nothing else to do for now except wait and pray.

While Lloyd went inside the bunkhouse to get a beer, Maggie began to pace back and forth, kicking up dust from the gravel with her feet. She looked up when she heard the dormitory door open again. Lloyd emerged with a beer in his hand, but stopped suddenly. His gaze was fixed on the main path leading to the house. Maggie frowned slightly before turning her head to follow his gaze.

She saw Jamie approaching, hat on head, shoulders slumped; looking defeated. Maggie figured that if he was there, he must have news for her. She took a few steps towards him. "Any news about Lee ?" she asked innocently.

When he heard his little sister's question, Jamie lowered his head, putting his hands on his hips. She couldn't see his face, which was hidden by his hat as he stared at the ground. She heard him sniff. Jamie turned his head slightly when he heard footsteps behind him.

Maggie saw Kayce coming up behind him. What was he doing there ? She quickly noticed the red stains on his white T-shirt and immediately realised they were blood.

Her eyes widened slightly. "No," she whispered, shaking her head. She rushed forward, approaching them hastily. But once she reached him, Jamie grabbed her by the arms, stopping her from going to Kayce.

She looked at Jamie, panic evident in her eyes. "What happened ?" she asked. Without waiting for an answer, she looked over his shoulder at Kayce. "WHAT HAPPENED ?" she yelled at Kayce this time.

She violently broke free from Jamie and ran towards Kayce, stopping just in front of him. Kayce stood still and looked at his sister in silence. He had remained silent ever since arriving with Lee's body earlier.

Maggie's eyes darted to his white T-shirt, which was now stained with blood. Panicking, she lifted her brother's T-shirt, looking for any wounds. "I'm fine," Kayce whispered. But Maggie lifted his T-shirt a little further, and he reacted in a way that surprised them both.

"I'm fine, I said !" he almost yelled at her. He grabbed the edge of his T-shirt from her hands and let it fall back onto his stomach. "It's not mine."

Maggie took a step back, staring at him in horror. "Where is he ?" she asked, trying to keep her voice from shaking. Kayce's lips began to tremble as he pressed them together. He looked over his sister's shoulder at a blank spot on the horizon, unable to meet her gaze. "Where is he, Kayce ? Answer me !"

"With Dad." Maggie turned around when she heard it was Jamie answering instead of their brother.

"Where ?"

"I don't know. They left this way, somewhere in the fields-" Jamie didn't have time to finish his sentence before he saw his sister running off in the direction he had just pointed. He wanted to stop her, but when he called out to her, she didn't stop.

She ran through the grass. She couldn't say for how long. But long enough to be out of breath and have a stitch in her side. Or maybe it was just adrenaline and stress making her heart pound and having nothing to do with her unusually poor stamina.

In the distance, she finally saw them. Two figures sitting at the foot of a tree next to a horse. She didn't stop until her eyes fell on them. She took a deep breath through her mouth as if she had just been punched in the ribs and had held her breath for a minute.

She resumed her run, running faster than ever. When she reached them, she stopped again. Her eyes widened as she assessed the situation. She saw her father holding Lee, who was unconscious and clearly injured.

She dropped to her knees beside her brother. "Oh my God," she whispered. "No, no, no, no." Her eyes scanned his body from head to toe while her hands hovered over his groin, unsure what to do. She saw them trembling.

Closing her eyes for a moment, she clenched her fists and took a deep breath to calm herself. Then she opened them again, determined. "It's okay, Lee. Hold on," she said, beginning to undo his bulletproof vest.

It was these words that caught John's attention. He realised that his daughter either did not understand or refused to accept the sad reality in which their family was now living. "Maggie..." he whispered, reaching out to place a comforting hand on her shoulder.

But, without glancing at her father, she pushed his hand away. In doing so, she was pushing away the reality that was staring her in the face. Lee's body was cold. It was clear that he had been dead for several hours and yet Maggie clung to his body as if there was something she could do. Something to save him. But there was nothing left to do but grieve.

When she used both hands to compress the wound, John looked at her but said nothing. He decided to let her do it. Because, for those few minutes when she was trying to save her brother and thought he could be saved, she still had a brother.

She would have a whole lifetime to learn to live without him. He could give her those few minutes.

As she pressed down on the puncture wound on her brother's body, Maggie had a thought. She slowly lifted her hands from his body and turned them over to look at her palms.

They were sticky, but covered in dark, almost dry blood. They should have been soaked in all the blood that should have been pouring out of her brother's wound. Yet not a single drop of blood was coming out of Lee. The simple reason was that blood no longer flows from a dead person. Maggie knew this, and when she saw her hands were too clean, she understood.

She turned her head towards her father and John Dutton could see the exact moment she realised her brother was dead in his daughter's eyes. He saw his youngest daughter's heart break. He saw her wide eyes fill with tears as she parted her trembling pink lips.

Then Maggie turned her head back to her brother's body. She leaned forward until her forehead touched his body. When he saw her shoulders begin to shake, John placed a hand on them.

Maggie then sat up and burst into tears. Cries of distress and sadness. "Lee..." She called her brother's name. But it was more like a plea.

Not him.

Maggie had never experienced grief before. Yes, she had lost her mother, but she was too young to mourn her at the time. She had never grieved for her mother because she had always thought that she didn't need to. She just grew up with a void. But this tragedy had given her a strange relationship with death.

She wasn't afraid of it. Or at least, that's what she had always thought. In her mind, things had to happen in a very specific order. Their father would die first. Although Lee was the eldest, Maggie had always been convinced that Beth would die before him. Her addictions and mental health issues would get the better of her. She had even imagined that Kayce would die before Lee. Between the Navy and his tendency to get himself into trouble... Then Lee. Then Jamie. Maybe even Jamie would outlive her, too. Jamie was the kind of guy who would never die.

She had always thought about her own death and that of her family with a certain detachment. She could never have imagined that it would happen like this. Nor that she would feel such grief.

Lee was the only one who never left the ranch, who never left her, yet he will be the first to be gone.

Chapter Text

𝐶ℎ𝑎𝑝𝑡𝑒𝑟 𝑓𝑖𝑣𝑒 - 𝐻𝑎𝑡𝑒𝑑 𝑚𝑖𝑟𝑟𝑜𝑟

━━━━━━ ✧◦❂◦✧ ━━━━━━

Maggie felt as though she had been knocked out. She was in a thick haze. The pain had literally taken her breath away. She had fallen backwards, her knees bent and her back against the grass. She swung her arm across her face, above her now-closed eyes, trying to chase away the image of her brother's body lying a few feet away.

From that moment on, she was out of her depth. She lost all sense of time, withdrawing into herself and trying to dissociate from the situation. She tried to detach herself from the fact that her brother was dead.

Her brother was dead.

Lee was dead.

The sentence seemed unreal. The reality seemed implausible. How had things come to this ?

The haze that enveloped her refused to lift. Her brain had stopped functioning. It was as if it were no longer processing any information. It was as if it were protecting her from a reality that was too violent and hard to take in so suddenly. She was no longer thinking. The only thing she did, lying there in the grass with her face hidden, was breathe.

Breathing was the only thing she still felt capable of doing. She counted each breath in her head, as if without this focus she might forget how to do it. The haze had consumed her completely.

Maggie didn't know how much time had passed since she joined her father. A few minutes ? A few hours ? All she knew was that enough time had passed for Rip to join them. Certainly about ten minutes.

Maggie could hear her father talking to Rip, but she wasn't paying attention. She had no idea what they were saying and didn't care. All she knew were the facts. Right now, the fact was that Rip was towering over her, with one leg on either side of her body.

"Come on, Maggie," he said calmly, reaching out to help her up.

Maggie, without moving her arm from over her eyes, shook her head from side to side. "I can't," was all she managed to say, breaking the silence that she had been immersed in for several minutes.

She wasn't saying this as a child throwing a tantrum and refusing to obey. She was genuinely unable to make the slightest movement. She couldn't explain what was causing this, but she felt as if she were nailed to the ground and had a weight crushing her chest.

She heard Rip sigh. It wasn't an annoyed sigh, nor one tinged with weariness. It was just one of those heavy, compassionate sighs which expressed how sorry he felt for her. Leaning over her, he grabbed her left forearm, the one she was holding across her face, and pulled her up. Then, without a word, he grabbed her other arm and lifted her onto his shoulder as though she were a sack of potatoes.

Hanging limply over Rip's shoulder like a disjointed puppet, Maggie felt like a rag doll. Oh, she was well aware of how she must look. Pathetic. Powerless. Like a corpse. Like Lee. Seeing her on Rip's shoulder wasn't so different from seeing Lee slumped limply on the horse that John was holding the reins of.

She didn't even know how Rip had brought her home. Had he really carried her all the way on his shoulder like a sack of grain ? Or had he ended up hoisting her onto a horse, unconscious of the road ? She had no idea. All she could remember was the moment Rip finally put her down on the ground. When she looked up, still feeling dazed, she realised that they were standing outside the house.

The next second, the door flew open. Beth rushed out onto the porch and ran down the steps at full speed, her eyes wide with concern. "Maggie ! What happened to her ?" she cried to Rip, her voice choked with emotion.

She immediately stopped beside her sister and took her face in her hands. Her fingers trembled slightly and her eyes were red, as if she had already been crying. Maggie felt the warmth of Beth's touch and the gentleness that was rare in her. Beth pulled her close and held her tightly against her chest.

"She's fine," Rip whispered gravely, trying to reassure her. "Well... as fine as she can be under the circumstances."

Beth nodded, then looked down at Maggie when she heard her muffled voice. She moved back just enough to see Maggie's face, cradling it in her hands. "Lee.. He is... He is..." Maggie's voice broke, unable to utter the words.

"I know, baby," whispered Beth, her voice barely audible and hoarse with emotion.

Then Maggie collapsed into her arms. Beth let out a surprised cry when she felt her sister falter. Rip reacted instantly, catching her before she hit the floor. "Help me get her upstairs," Beth ordered, already moving to do so.

Rip nodded. He put Maggie's arm over his shoulder, and they carried her together across the hall to the stairs. The steps creaked under their feet. Rip kicked open the door to her bedroom, opening it wide enough for them to lay Maggie down on the bed.

Once she was lying down, Rip stood up straight with his hands on his hips, breathing heavily. He looked at her for a few seconds with a worried expression, then stepped back to let Beth take over.

Without a word, Beth left the room. She returned almost immediately with a glass of water in one hand and a small tube of medicine in the other. She climbed onto the edge of the bed, knelt down and unscrewed the cap. A tablet rolled into her palm. She gently slipped it between her sister's lips and gave her a sip of water. Beth pinched Maggie's nose to make sure she swallowed, although it was undoubtedly unnecessary in this situation, as Maggie had neither the desire nor the strength to resist. She swallowed without question.

"What is it ?" Rip asked suspiciously, folding his arms.

"Nothing that can hurt her any more," Beth replied, not looking up.

She stood up, took off Maggie's boots and placed them next to the bed. Then she left the room. Rip followed her into the hallway. When the door closed behind them, he stood still for a few seconds before breaking the silence. "And you, how are you?"

Beth stopped and turned towards him. Her gaze was hard, but there was a hint of fatigue, pain and helplessness in her eyes. Without answering, she reopened the small plastic bottle and slid two tablets into her hand - twice what she had given Maggie - before swallowing them dry without water and barely forcing them down.

"That's how I am," she said simply. Her voice was calm, almost icy. "And if you want to know what I plan to do, I'm going to let myself waste away in bed until we can bury my brother."

Without another word, she turned on her heel and walked away.

In the bedroom, Maggie felt her muscles gradually relax. It was probably the effect of the medication, an anxiolytic or something similar. The pain dulled, turning into a thick, cottony numbness. Her eyelids grew heavy. She could feel the warmth of the morning sun filtering through the curtains; a warmth that was now lacking within her.

Then everything faded away. The world, the pain, the noise. Just silence. And finally, sleep.

☼

Maggie didn't know how long she had been asleep. Nor did she know how long she had been awake. Everything had melted into one indistinct mass without contours. She felt as if she were floating, suspended between two worlds. Her eyes had been open for a while, but her body refused to cooperate. Her muscles were numb and heavy as lead. Her mind wandered somewhere between the fog of sleep and the emptiness of grief.

The room was bathed in a pale, almost milky light. The curtains moved gently in the late afternoon breeze, evening would soon fall. Maggie blinked slowly. Everything seemed calm and eerily quiet. Too quiet. It was the kind of silence that was not restful, but heavy.

The door opened with a small creak, not with a bang. Beth entered, taking one measured step, holding a cup of coffee in her hand. She looked at her sister and sighed softly. She hadn't moved an inch. Maggie didn't even look up at her. Beth wasn't even sure she knew she was there. Her gaze remained fixed on an invisible point on the wall. Beth approached and placed the cup on the bedside table.

"Come on, you need to get up," said Beth softly.

Maggie didn't want to. She didn't have the strength. But that was precisely why she had to. Beth didn't wait for her to protest. She pulled back the covers and helped her sit up with a firm but gentle touch. Maggie let her do it, docilely and without really understanding what was happening. She felt the cold floor beneath her bare feet and Beth's hand on her back, supporting her.

The adjoining bathroom was bathed in a golden glow. Beth turned on the tap and let the hot water run until steam rose and fogged up the mirror. Just as they had done when they were children, Beth helped Maggie take off her T-shirt without saying a word. There was no need. Her actions spoke for themselves. The water ran down their shoulders and faces. Beth stood behind her and gently massaged her scalp. The familiar, soothing scent of shampoo filled the room.

Maggie closed her eyes. For the first time in what felt like forever, she felt something. The warmth of the water. But her heart was still as empty as a shell. She realised that she was incapable of feeling anything that wasn't physical.

Beth didn't speak, she washed her sister's hair as she had when they were children, with the same awkward gentleness and patience. At times, her fingers trembled slightly, but she persevered. When she had finished, Beth wrapped her in a large towel and guided her out of the bathroom.

Later, the sun slowly set behind the hills. Maggie was alone again, sitting on her bed with her damp hair leaving dark circles on her T-shirt. Her hands rested motionless on her knees. She stared out of the window, her gaze lost on the horizon. Just a moment earlier, the twilight had bathed the room in a soft orange glow, but now it had been replaced by a blue that brought with it the darkness of night.

Maggie watched the sun set until night fell. And there she was, sad and empty, watching life go on, waiting for time to pass when she should...

What should she do exactly ? What did she usually do ? It was as if she couldn't remember what her life had been like before Lee died. He had died less than 24 hours ago and everything felt different. It felt like a sudden turning point in her life.

Maggie had no idea what she was supposed to do because she had just left Coyote Bend to go home. She hadn't had time to re-establish a routine and habits to know what she was supposed to do.

«Remember, party tomorrow night !»

Lee's voice echoed in her head. She shook her head to try and forget it, hearing it hurt too much. Why did she have to remember that now ? It was as if her own mind was enjoying torturing her.

She should be in town with Lee, drinking and having fun. That's what she should be doing. At that thought, Maggie felt tears welling up again. Her eyebrows knitted together and her nose wrinkled, but she refused to cry.

She jumped up. She grabbed some trousers and shoes and rushed downstairs. She went to the pantry and found a linen bag, the kind used for buying vegetables at the market. She grabbed it before leaving the house.

She walked purposefully towards the bunkhouse. When she entered, she paid no attention to the atmosphere or the people there. The cowboys, however, stopped when they saw her. Ryan got up from his chair and put his hands in the back pockets of his jeans. He looked at her with one of those pitying looks.

Maggie went to the fridge, opened it, and leaned in to look inside. She felt Lloyd approach her cautiously from behind. He watched her take a beer out. "Would you like a beer ? Come and sit with us-"

But the old cowboy quickly stopped when he saw her put the beer in her bag, then take out a second one, then a third, until she had emptied the fridge and filled her bag.

"Fuck ! She's emptying our stock !" Maggie didn't even have to turn around to know that this comment came from Fred.

"Is that really what you're worried about right now ?" Colby snapped. "You can go and buy more."

"Maggie, maybe you should-" But Lloyd was interrupted again when Maggie stood up. "Where are you guys putting the rest away ?" she asked, and silence fell.

She sighed and began rummaging through the cupboards for stronger alcohol, like a drug addict looking for her fix when she was close to going into withdrawal. At that moment, she would have been willing to turn over every one of their mattresses, one by one. But she didn't need to, she quickly found whisky and bourbon, which she commandeered immediately before leaving without asking for any more.

When the door closed behind her, they stared at it for a moment. Then Ryan turned his head towards Lloyd, who anticipated his thoughts. "I'll send a message to Rip."

Once back in her room, Maggie placed her bag on the bed, her hands trembling, and pulled out the first bottle she could find. She pulled the cork out with a sharp tug and brought the bottle to her mouth. And so began her descent into hell.

She took sip after sip, mechanically and without thought. And so it was with the bottles. Unable to bear the suffocating silence of her room, Maggie turned on the television, which she had hardly ever used, not even as a teenager.

She quickly found a music channel. That would be enough to fill the void. She started drinking again and again, trying to drown her thoughts, her grief and her emotions, or perhaps even herself. She shook her head vigorously and closed her eyelids so tightly that they burned, as if that could chase away the thoughts spinning in her mind.

Her heart wasn't in it, far from it, but she started jumping, moving, dancing. The music wasn't even loud. She didn't want anyone to come and ask her to turn it down. She needed to be alone.

And with her eyes closed, she imagined herself under blinding lights, like in one of their bars or clubs in the city. She pictured herself dancing as she should have been. But Lee's face came to her mind far too quickly, because it should have been with him that she should have shared this moment.

And her heart pounded so violently that she thought she was having a heart attack. Her face contorted a little more as she sniffed, tightening her eyelids a little more.

Then she felt as if the ground was giving way beneath her feet. She opened her eyes again and saw that everything was spinning around her. She staggered towards the nearest wall as though she were on a rocking boat. Grabbing hold of the wall as best she could, she made her way to the adjoining bathroom. She dropped to her knees, put the bottle she was holding on the floor and quickly lifted the toilet lid, just in time to vomit in it.

Her stomach, her throat, her oesophagus... everything burned. The sensation was awful. But at least she could feel something. She was too preoccupied with hating the act of throwing up to think about her brother's body lying on a cold table.

When she thought she had finished, she leaned against the tiles and got up as best she could. She left the bottle where it was - honestly, she had already forgotten about it - and shuffled back to her room.

Once again, she started jumping, dancing and shaking her head, trying to chase away something she couldn't identify. Soon, however, her stomach turned again and the floor began to sway. She let herself fall onto her bed.

She didn't know how long she lay there, staring alternately at the ceiling and the television. It couldn't have been long, even though time seemed to stretch on forever. But the longer she lay there, the more her troubles returned.

She sat up abruptly, grabbed another bottle and brought it to her lips. Then she stood up again. With her eyes closed, she forced herself to drink more than she could handle and more than she really wanted to. It was sickening, it was too much. It burned her throat like it had the first time she tasted alcohol. But she didn't stop.

And again, the same cycle began. One thing followed another. Sip. Heat. The distant sound of the television. The floor would disappear and then reappear under her feet when she jumped. Until, after too many sips and too much of everything else, darkness engulfed her. Maggie collapsed onto the floor.

Maggie felt a sharp pain in her face. Then another. She opened her eyes with difficulty. Everything was blurry, as if shrouded in thick fog. It took a moment for her vision to adjust to the morning light. The sun had risen. Her eyes were dry, her throat was parched and every muscle in her body seemed to be screaming.

"Well, finally."

It was Beth, leaning over her. The day before, Beth had received a message from Rip telling her to check on her sister. Beth hadn't seen the message until early that morning, she had been too busy drowning her sorrows to look at her phone. She had replied to Rip to tell him to fuck off and mind his own business, but she had gone to Maggie's room anyway.

When she found her lying unconscious on the floor surrounded by empty alcohol bottles, Beth panicked more than she would ever admit. She slapped her sister twice to wake her up. She came close to calling for help, fearing alcohol poisoning.

She helped Maggie up, dragged her into the bathroom without giving her any choice. She knelt her in front of the toilet and stuck two fingers down her throat to make her vomit, worried that she had ingested more than just alcohol. Because that's what she would have done at her place.

"Fuck, Beth..." Maggie groaned after finishing vomiting.

She struggled to her feet, only to collapse on her bed again. Beth brought her water. Lots of water. And she brought her something to eat.

"I can't swallow anything," Maggie declared, pushing her food away as though she were a child being fed broccoli for the first time.

"You're going to eat, believe me. Even if I have to shove it down your throat."

Maggie looked up at her sister and saw that she was dead serious. She frowned. "Do you want me to throw up again ?"

"At least this time you'll have something to throw up," Beth retorted, cutting her off.

Maggie rolled her eyes in defeat and took a tiny piece of bread. Simply swallowing something did her more good than she could have imagined. She drank some water, then took a migraine tablet.

"You'll be nice," Beth said, looking at her. "And don't give us another alcohol-induced coma. One funeral is enough for this family."

Then Beth left the room, leaving Maggie alone with the bitter taste of the night she had just endured.

☼☼

Two days had passed since Beth had found her sister lying unconscious on her bedroom floor. She had hardly seen her since then. Maggie rarely left her room, even eating her meals there. Their father was too busy concealing his grief behind funeral preparations to force her out.

The evening wore on. The funeral was the next morning. Beth searched for her last pack of cigarettes, but she couldn't find them. She was about to lose her temper. She had just bought a new pack. She was well aware that she was a heavy smoker and had been smoking excessively in recent days, but she couldn't believe that she had smoked them all already.

She headed for Maggie's room and opened the door without knocking. The sight that greeted her froze her in her tracks.

Maggie was sitting on her bed in complete darkness, the room was lit only by the blue glow of the television. Cigarette in hand, Beth immediately understood why her packet had disappeared faster than the speed of light, sitting motionless in her T-shirt and knickers. Around her, empty bottles of alcohol were piled up. But even more than the sight, it was the smell.

It was like an Irish pub full of local alcoholics. The smell was nothing like a sweet, floral fragrance, but rather the scent of a mixture of alcohol vapours that should never have been put in the same stomach.

Maggie looked up at her before turning her attention back to the TV, blowing smoke out of her lungs unconvincingly.

This vision triggered an odd sensation in Beth. It made her angry. And yet, the scene was far from unfamiliar to her. Because before her eyes was a scene that she knew only too well, except that she was usually the main character. The only thing missing was a bottle of meds with her name on it on her bedside table, otherwise, it would have been exactly like her everyday life.

Yes, in her darkest hours, Beth looked exactly like what her little sister was showing her. And that was precisely what upset Beth so much.

You might call her hypocritical. Beth was the queen of self-destruction. Self-sabotage. She knew better than anyone how to poison her mind and body. She knew that, at this rate, either her liver or her lungs would betray her one day. She was convinced that she would develop liver or lung cancer within twenty years.

But Beth didn't value her own life. She hadn't cared about it since she was fourteen and her mother died because of her. However, she cared about her sister's life. Maggie's life was valuable to her. Far too valuable. Seeing this behaviour in someone she loved was unbearable.

She entered without closing the door, walked over to the bed, and snatched the cigarette from Maggie's fingers. She stubbed it out in an ashtray that hadn't been there the last time she was in the room.

"What are you doing ?" Maggie grumbled, annoyed.

"I could ask you the same question, but I have a pretty good idea."

Maggie rolled her eyes with a nasty grin. Beth saw her sister grimace : even that simple movement had caused her sharp pain in her forehead. That said a lot about her condition.

"Have you seen the state of your room ?"

Maggie sighed, looking annoyed. "Seriously ? Are you going to talk to me about housework and cleanliness ? Are we sixteen ?"

"Stop acting like a child," Beth snapped. Her words rang hollow, however, and had little impact, as she was guilty of this kind of behaviour herself.

Maggie reached out to grab a bottle, but Beth snatched it away before she could touch it. "You've had enough to drink. I'm sure we could get the whole ranch drunk with what's in your bloodstream. Do you want to end up with kidney failure by the end of the week ?"

"It's fine, it didn't kill you."

Beth clenched her jaw. It was predictable. Yes, she was far from being a role model. She knew that. That was what had prompted her little sister to talk back to her like a cheeky teenager.

"Tomorrow is the funeral," Beth reminded her.

"I know," Maggie replied curtly.

"Stop drinking. You have to look at least a little bit presentable."

Maggie snorted. "There's no way I'm going there sober."

Beth shook her head in exasperation. "That's not what I said. There's a difference between being drunk and being completely wrecked." She added more quietly, "Lee wouldn't want to see you like this."

"Who cares ? What difference does it make ? He's dead."

Beth was speechless. She felt as though she were standing in front of a mirror, and she hated it. She hated being confronted with her own actions and reflections.

She frowned. "Okay, I get it. I'm going to have to be the bad guy again."

Maggie realised this too late. She was sure that Beth had grabbed her by the hair, yet barely a second later, she found herself on the floor, no longer on her bed. Beth had literally pulled her down.

Maggie glared at her. "You're completely fucking crazy!" She sat up. She felt like she was standing solidly on her feet, but from the outside, it was painful to watch.

Beth rolled up the sleeves of her top and motioned for Maggie to come closer. "You're angry. You have every right to be. Go ahead, hit me."

Maggie frowned. "I'm not going to hit you."

"I just dragged you out of bed by your hair."

After this reminder, Maggie decided to hit her sister right in the face. Beth took the blow, which was less hard than she had anticipated, and immediately hit her back. Maggie fell to the floor, surprised.

"What ? I never said I wouldn't fight back ! Look at yourself, you can barely stand up, let alone have a proper fight."

Maggie got up and lunged at Beth, pinning her against the wall. Beth didn't let her get away with it. She grabbed Maggie by the shoulders and pushed her away. Maggie was in a sorry state. Beth could control her like a doll. Without letting go, Beth dragged Maggie to the adjoining bathroom and pinned her against the wall. Maggie fought back, but Beth pushed her back again, like a human billiard ball, until she found herself with her back against the shower wall.

Beth reached out and turned on the cold water. Maggie got the full force of it in her face. "FUCK !" she cried, surprised.

"It won't hurt you," Beth replied, taking the shower head off the hook and holding it directly in front of her face. Then she dropped it on the floor without turning off the water.

"You have every right to be angry, Maggie. I know what it's like, and you need to let it out. Otherwise, it'll eat away at you from the inside. So scream. Do something ! SCREAM !"

Beth yelled right in front of Maggie, her face inches from hers. Maggie stared at her, her eyes wide. Then, suddenly, the dam broke. A scream came out, not from her throat, but from her gut. It was a raw scream, twisted with rage, fear and pain. Her voice broke. A sob escaped her. She slowly slid down the wall until she was sitting on the shower floor, pulling her knees up to her chest. Her elbows rested on her knees and her hands covered her forehead. She finally started to cry.

Jamie came rushing in, panicking. "What the hell is going on here ? I heard screaming-"

"Get out of here," Beth barked, giving him a look that would scare anyone.

Jamie took a step back, muttering what was probably an insult, and left the room, throwing his hands up in the air. In the bathroom, amid the sounds of running water and Maggie's sobs, Beth crouched down to turn off the water, then left. She closed the door behind her, feeling breathless and her heart pounding. She thought that perhaps this was the first time in two days that her sister had truly breathed.