Update

Today, well over a year after the last post to Keeley's story, I read back through the entire story thus far. I've been debating lately on whether or not I'm ready to dive back into writing this particular blog- the story does need to be finished after all, and I am just as anxious to see where it leads as you guys are.

But to be honest- the time is not now. As many of you know, Sean's character was loosely based on our dearly loved and too soon departed Johnny Reb. Even though I *wrote* this tale, it had me fighting tears re-reading the words. With just passing the one year anniversary of Johnny Reb's death, the memories are still too fresh and fragile to keep going.

The time has not yet come to continue. But I do see a day in the future where we'll pick back up, and attempt to tell the story to its full and proper end. Hang in there with me everyone. Thank you guys so much for your support and kind words, and all the incredible help you've so freely given. I'm looking forward to continuing!

~Mrs Mom

Nightfall

Keeley was exhausted. After getting Legacy back to his stall and treated according to the new plan her father suggested, they had made their way to the main house. Sean was worn down to nothing. His face was pale, and there was a tremor to his limbs that had Keeley worried. She hoped though, that a good meal and a good night's rest would be enough to help him get back on track. They'd cooked together in the kitchen, talking over Legacy and making plans for the rest of his recovery. Once one of the most revered rehab specialists in the region, Keeley was thrilled to hear her father talking horse again, instead of ranting and raving about a harpy stealing his horses and medications.

As she tucked him in for the night, she heard him whisper her mother's name, and something about Legacy. Soon he slipped into sleep, settled for the night.

Keeley made her way to her apartment, stopping to check Legacy and Bad Ass along the way. The big horse was once again sprawled in the shavings, but he woke up enough to nicker at Keeley before dropping back to sleep again. Bad Ass, ever at Keeley's heels, reached out a mighty paw and swatted her leg. He pointedly was telling her that she too needed rest and standing in the barn watching a horse was not going to cut it.


She scooped up the big cat and buried her face in his fur. Together they made their way in, and went directly to bed. Bad Ass took up his now customary place at the foot of her bed, curled in a ball watching over her.




It seemed she had only been asleep a short time when Keeley sat straight up in bed. Her heart was pounding, hands shaking, and she looked around wildly wondering what had woken her, trying to wake up and determine what was real and what was not. There was no denying the sense of urgency that propelled her, still half asleep, stumbling from bed, pulling on her shoes and heading to the door. Still not sure WHY she felt the need to run, she bolted from the apartment to the barn proper. A quick check on Legacy revealed him still sleeping soundly in his stall, content and fine. She whirled around, bolting for the door that led to the yard and the main house. Bad Ass ran ahead of her, almost as if he was urging her to go faster, faster, and pointing towards the main house.

She raced through the dark night, breath coming in short gasps. Bad Ass threw himself up the stairs by the screen door, waiting for Keeley to catch up. She fumbled with the door, hands shaking, sobbing. Finally getting the door open, she pushed through into the kitchen. Looking wildly around, she made her way to her father's bedroom, desperate to make sure he was OK.

When she rounded the corner to the bedroom, she stopped short. Her father's bed was empty. Where? She ran to the bathroom, and finding it empty she did a fast search of the rest of the house. Not finding her father anywhere inside, she bolted back outside to begin searching.


Somehow, she knew. She knew where to run - Legacy's old paddock. Bad Ass was ahead of her, waiting for Keeley to catch up. Keeley drew up short at the gate to the paddock. She saw him then, kneeling down in the grass under the oak tree. The moon played hide and seek behind some thin clouds, but Keeley could clearly see the bent form of her father. A wave of weakness washed over her, making her legs shake and her breath come in ragged gasps. Over her breathing she could hear her father's sobs, and his words, talking to Katherine. It felt wrong to intrude somehow, so Keeley and Bad Ass kept to the shadows.

Healing

Bad Ass sat in his favorite place in the sun. Keeley was with Legacy, letting him graze on a bit of green grass. A breeze now and then stirred, pushing Keeley's hair around into her eyes. He watched as she flipped her head, attempting to toss the mass of curls out of her face, knowing it was not going to stay that way. Carefully she worked a comb through the mass of snarls and mats in Legacy's mane, doing her best to untangle the knotted mess. Legacy soon stopped grazing, and stood resting one hind leg, dozing in the sunshine. Keeley's fingers gently pulled and sorted, picking bits of hay, burrs, and even a twist of wire out of the black mass in front of her. She concentrated on the job so deeply that she did not hear the distant hoof beats.

Bad Ass did though.

Legacy stood, soaking up the sun.



Keeley's concentration was unbroken. She was determined to work the snarls and mats out of Legacy's mane today. If there was one thing she despised, it was a neglected mane and tail on a horse. Getting this disaster sorted out would not only make her feel better, but she was convinced it would do Legacy a world of good too. Tending his wounds, working on the knots and painful muscles and feeding him would help, but getting rid of the disaster along his once proud and finely muscled neck would do wonders for them both.

She about jumped out of her skin when her father spoke at her shoulder. The last thing she expected to hear was Sean's voice, asking after Legacy. Bad Ass saw Keeley jump, and being the rotten old soul that he was, he couldn't help but laugh to himself.

Legacy heard the cat and he opened his eye to glare in Bad Ass's general direction. "Don't you be laughing at my Keeley you old scoundrel."

"Oh please. She jumped about six feet when her dad talked to her. If you weren't sleeping, you would have laughed at the expression on her face too!"

Legacy flipped an ear at the cat and swished his tail. He then reached his nose out to nuzzle Keeley, trying to see if she had a cookie in her pocket.


"Well, at least he can move enough to get out here in the sunshine. What treatments have you been doing so far with him?"

Startled at his question, Keeley had to stop and think for a moment. "Well, he's on a pretty careful diet at the moment, and I've washed and treated his wounds, rubbed his legs out with liniment, and just tried to ease him into walking a bit here and there. Do you think we need to step it up some Dad?"

Sean nodded, looking over Legacy's badly stocked up legs. "With that swelling, he needs a bit of help to get things circulating properly again. Have you done a mud pack on his feet? Or tried to sweat his legs a bit?"

Legacy dozed back off as Keeley and Sean discussed his care. Keeley noticed the drop in the horse's head, and the tremor in his legs again at the same time as her father. "Let's get him back into his stall. I think he needs to lay down again for a bit." Sean reached out for the first time to touch Legacy, running a hand down his neck. He tried hard to keep his emotions in check but there was no denying the odd mix of pain, sorrow, joy and love that fought in his chest. Coughing a bit to cover a small sob, he started walking towards the barn.


Bad Ass sat and watched the trio. A stooped and shuffling old man, a limping and battered walking skeleton of a horse, and a younger woman caught in the middle, doing her best to hold them all together. He knew the weight of the world was on her shoulders. Giving a sigh, the big cat strolled after them through the late afternoon sun.

Agony

He smiled in his sleep. Riding- it had been at least a decade since he had sat a horse, but in this dream, he was RIDING. The horse he was mounted on was huge. Dapple gray, with an incredible long, flowing mane, Sean Cullen was once again on a horse. The simple act of sitting on a horse- never mind a horse like this- brought about a joy that Sean had not felt in far too long. He sat up tall on the broad back, and lifted his smiling face to the Heavens. Soon, he felt the horse begin to walk, and the gentle rocking motion brought back so many memories. He and his beloved, beautiful Katherine used to ride together all the time. She thought nothing of issuing a dare, and racing off ahead of him, turning back to smile a wicked grin and let out a laugh, shouting at him, "Keep up, Sean! Keep up!"

So many rides together. Lives tightly interwoven with horses. When he lost her, the love of his life, he lost all desire to ride or to even look at horses. Age was shaking him now, and he knew- deep down he knew- that he did not have much longer left on this Earth.

He relaxed, and grabbed a handful of mane. Looking down at the ears of the big gray, he saw they were moving around the farm. Shadows of horses here and there, laughter ringing out from Keeley and Katherine, fleeting glimpses of the past. A black horse stood watching, off in the distance. Sean dipped his head to her, feeling a chill run down his spine. The big gray shook his head and pinned his ears, almost as if he was warning the black horse to keep it's distance.

As Sean looked, he saw Legacy's paddock. Standing under the giant live oak tree, with the sunlight peeping down through the leaves stood his beautiful Katherine. The sunlight danced across her smiling face, showing her laughing eyes. The big gray danced his way to the paddock. Sean felt as if they were dancing on air. They moved their way to Katherine, and Sean slid down off the horse. He reached out to her, wanting to wrap her in his arms, to hear her laughter, see her smile, and feel her heartbeat, hear her breathing. His heart ached with missing her. Stretching out his arms, a tremor in his hands, he reached for happiness. "Katherine... Katherine.." he crooned softly to her. She danced just out of his reach, so close and yet so incredibly far away. "How much longer must I go on with out you Katherine? Life has no meaning any more."

Katherine smiled at him. "Not yet, Sean. You've a job to do. Soon though- soon we will be able to be together. But know in your heart I am always with you, never far away. But for now, I ask of you- watch Legacy and Keeley. Help her Sean. Help him."




Sean woke with a start, shaken from the dream. She had been so real, so close. The pain from her death had never lessened, he had only learned to live with it. His soul was stuck in one space of time- one heartbeat over and over again. As he remembered the dream, he heard her message once again, as if she was whispering in his ear- "Help Keeley, Sean. Help Legacy. They both need you."

Salvation

Legacy made his way to the bucket, and gently lowered his head in. The tempting aroma wafting up from the bottom had him salivating- it had been so long since he had a good warm mash that he'd forgotten how wonderful it smelled. With the first bite, he closed his eyes and groaned with pleasure. Bliss. Warm, slightly sweet, soft- Legacy was enjoying the feel of the feed in his mouth as much as he did the taste of it.

Bad Ass sat in his favorite spot where he could look out over the entire farm yard down to the main house. He could also turn slightly and see directly into Legacy's stall, which he did with the start of the groaning.

"Oh you have GOT to be kidding me. That mush can not possibly be THAT good! Groaning and carrying on. I might have known you'd still be a complete attention hound, even when there is only me here to witness it!"

The hungry horse barely slowed his savoring. He merely rolled an eye towards the opinionated cat and kept on chewing.

Bad Ass shook his head and went back to grooming himself. Silly horses. Crazy humans. Some days, he did not know why these trials had been put upon him. Still, he supposed someone had to be strong enough to keep them all in line, and who was better for that job than a tough as nails, black as sin barn cat?



Up in the main house, Keeley too was lost in thought. She stole a quick look out the window, trying to see if she could catch a glimpse of Legacy or Bad Ass. Her attention was brought back to the task at hand quickly, when a spatter from the egg pan popped onto her wrist and burned her. Nothing like a quick, painful reminder to keep her mind on the job.

She plated the eggs, buttered the toast, and took a tray into the sitting room for her father. Sean had come in from the barn and quietly gone to his chair. He sat looking out the window, lost in memories. Keeley hesitated half a heartbeat before entering the room. The pain in her father's face clearly told her where his mind had wandered to- it was pain she was all too familiar with.

"Dad? Are you hungry? I brought your breakfast in. Do you want some juice or coffee to go with it...?" Keeley's voice trailed off as she saw the tears slowly making their way down his cheeks. Sean turned towards her, his eyes tired. The lines in his face had deepened in just the short time they had been in the house. Gone was the alertness present in the barn. Instead his blue eyes swam with sorrow.

"Oh Keeley... why did she have to go? Why did it have to be by that horse of all things? I would have shot him dead right then you know. Shot him dead. He might have been better off if I had. At least then he would not have wound up in this condition. I don't know if I can ever forgive him for taking your mother from me. I just don't know." He dropped his head down onto his chest, sobbing.

Keeley fumbled the tray down on the end table. Reaching out to her Dad, she wrapped her arms around him holding him as tight as she could. "I don't know, Dad. I just don't know. But we have to hold onto this- she will never be gone from us because she will always be a part of us. I know she is watching over us Dad. I know it. And I know with out a doubt she would want us to take care of Legacy. We need to do this together Dad. You and me."

Keeley sat, perched on the arm of her Dad's favorite chair. Her arms were wrapped around his thin frame tightly, holding him as if to protect him from all the troubles of the world. Together they sat, grieving over old wounds so freshly ripped open. She didn't know how long she held her father, but when she felt his body go slack and heard his quiet breathing, she eased him back in the chair and slowly, stiffly stood. Placing a soft blanket over him, she picked up the tray and quietly headed to the kitchen. Breakfast was stone cold, the eggs congealed on the plate. Keeley could not bring herself to face the mess in the kitchen now, and slipped quietly out the door for a quick trip to the barn. Her excuse to herself was to check on Legacy, but in her heart of hearts, she knew the real reason for the trip out was for peace of mind. Horses had always provided a calm in the storm, and she needed that calm now in order to be able to face what the rest of the day would bring.



Legacy had finally finished licking his bucket clean by the time Keeley got to the barn, and stood eyes half closed, dozing in the sun. He perked up his ears at the sound of her footsteps, and he let out a low nicker. Bad Ass pranced over to Keeley, tail up, letting out his rusty sounding meow now and again, looking for all the world like he was the sole keeper of the worlds greatest secret. Which in some ways, he was.

"Look at you two boys! BA, you're never quite THIS lovey. Are you happy having a horse back home, or are you just trying to make sure you get your fair share of attention?" She ran her hand down the big cat's back, all the way to the tip of his tail. He rewarded her with a purr that rumbled seemingly up from the depths of the Earth itself. She moved to the stall door, going in to get the feed bucket. Turning, she stood looking at Legacy, taking her first true, hard look at him. What she saw was shocking. His once glossy hide was now dull and covered with scars and odd bits of twisted flesh. The skin was stretched tight over protruding bones, and every knob of his spine was visible. His legs were not quite as swollen this morning at least, and his eyes were still bright. At least those were two good things to enjoy for the moment. She let out a sigh. "Even if you are beat to hell and back horse, it's darn good to have you home again." Reaching out she ran a gentle hand over his barrel, feeling each and every rib, each and every scar. "Just look at that mess of mane! All knotted up and nasty. We'll be doing something about that today. Cleaning that up alone will make us both feel better, won't it?"

Legacy turned his head towards Keeley, and she gently touched his face. Pushing aside the twisted mass of forelock, she traced the scar on his head with careful fingertips. "Just think boy. If it had not been for a moment of clumsiness as a baby, we never would have known it was you. Pretty ironic isn't it?" She straightened the mess as best she could and briskly said, "Well, let's get you a bit of hay to munch on. Dr. Mike said you could start eating a bit here and there. Time to start and see how you're going to do with it." One last stroke down his face and she turned to head out of the stall.

Reckoning

It was time. The sun was peeking over the horizon, and he could wait no longer. A horseman all his life, Sean Patrick Cullen was determined that he was not going to leave Keeley alone in dealing with Legacy, come hell or high water. Slowly, slowly he made his way from bed, dressed, pulled on his boots and went out the door. The light was a bit stronger now showing the barn where Legacy was housed clearly. Sean paused to gather his thoughts- he knew it was critical that he be fully aware now and not letting his mind wander. Taking a deep breath, he began to make his way to the distant barn.

There were mourning doves cooing to him. And he could swear he heard hoof beats walking with him. Not many days went by it seemed, when he did not hear the beat of hooves long gone. Or at least he thought they were long gone. It was very hard to tell sometimes what was in the "now", and what had gone before, and been left to echo in his memories.

He paused once more in the sun. Tilting his head back, he closed his tired eyes and prepared himself to face what waited inside the barn. Straightening his spine, looking much like the man of old, Sean stepped into the quiet of the barn and headed towards the stall that housed the horse who haunted him.

"I never wished this on him. I wouldn't wish this on any creature, no matter what they'd done."

Keeley was startled awake by the sound of her father's voice. He stood there, with the sun behind him, holding onto the stall door. It had been five years since her father had made his way to the barns, six with any regularity. In the days after Keeley's mothers death, getting her father to even look at a horse- any horse- was next to impossible. He retreated to his sitting room, where he turned his favorite chair to the position it was still in today. His only decree? Do NOT put Legacy back in that paddock. He did not want to ever lay eyes on that horse again. Legacy had been the first horse sold- and now he was the first horse back home.

Trying to cover her shock at seeing her dad there, Keeley looked down at the horse she had curled up around. A smile lit her face when she saw Bad Ass, curled comfortably on Legacy's side, staring back at her. Legacy lifted his head and looked around, interested in his surroundings. He nuzzled Keeley softly, and then rolled an eye to look at Bad Ass perched on him.

"Morning Dad. I didn't mean to sleep late. Came down here last night to check on the horse, and guess we kinda all passed out together."

"That's fine girl- that's fine. I had to see him for myself though. No reason my legs can't carry me down this way for a look now is there? Poor bastard. He's had a bad time of it, hasn't he? How did Dr. Mike even know it was Legacy?"

Keeley explained that somehow, Dr. Mike had discovered the scar underneath Legacy's forelock and knew what horse it was and where he had come from.

Legacy shifted, ready to stand up and eat. Bad Ass hopped down from his perch on the bony horse's side, and Keeley scrambled up out of the way too. Everyone watched as he struggled to his feet.

"Well, he can still get his pins underneath him. That's a good sign. Let's see if we can get some food into his belly too." Together, Keeley and Sean made their way to the feed room to prepare the first of Legacy's meals for the day.



Bad Ass looked at the horse. Legacy had taken a drink of fresh clean water, and stood slobbering in contentment. "I didn't expect to ever see YOU back here horse." Legacy blinked slowly, slobbered a bit more, and replied "I didn't expect to live to be back here, Cat. Never mind come back and find you still alive."

Bad Ass sniffed and swished his crooked tail some more. "That's neither here nor there. Right now, we have to work on getting you looking not so pathetic. Or is this just another attempt to get attention? We know you've been an attention hog your entire life."

"I'll admit- I don't look near as fine as I did in times past. I don't feel that fine right now, and haven't for a few years. But you don't look as sharp as you did six years ago either, you ratty looking thing. Come here and let me add another lump to that hide of yours." Legacy contemplated whether or not he actually had the strength to pin his ears at the cat. He didn't but it didn't stop him from thinking about it.

"What happened to you? Frankly old pal, you look like death warmed over." Bad Ass moved closer to Legacy, and began to groom himself.

"I don't want to think about that right now BA. Right now, things hurt too bad for me TO think. Will Keeley bring back food soon? Maybe if I had something in my belly I might feel better."

"I'll go check. Sometimes she is a bit slow, but we can't blame her. She's had her hands full with her father for a while now."

Legacy nodded his head and tried to move around a bit as he waited for BA and Keeley to come back. He looked out the doorway, off towards the main house and his old paddock. Memories came flooding back- the warm sweet grasses, shade under the mighty oak tree, the joy he felt racing around and kicking up his heels.

His walk down memory lane was interrupted by the sound of Keeley talking to her father and Bad Ass. Slowly he turned, looking over the door.


Keeley set down the bowl of food for Bad Ass, who happily dove in. Legacy stood quietly, waiting as she let herself in the stall and hung the bucket containing his mash. "There you go big guy. Eat a bit, and we'll see how you feel later on. Make sure you rest up, too. It's the only way you'll gain any ground. Later on we'll give you a good grooming and see just what we're dealing with." Keeley stepped out of the stall, and paused to look back at the horse. "BA, you keep an eye on him. I've got to go get breakfast ready for Dad and I, and we'll be back down in a bit. This will be good for Dad- get him out of the house some." With a final stroke down the big cat's back, Keeley walked on out of the barn and towards the main house.

Bad Ass turned and looked at Legacy. He had to wonder- would the horse have the strength and will to survive? He hoped so. He really hoped so.

Hell to Heaven

Legacy heard the stall door close softly behind Keeley as she and the men left. He carefully shifted his weight from one aching leg to another, seeking some kind of relief from the never ending dull throbbing that had been a part of his life for far too long. The pain spread much farther than his legs, as it radiated up to his low back, and far up into his spine and neck. Pain and discomfort had been so much a part of his existence for so long now, that he didn't know how to function with out it.

The big horse stretched his weak neck as much as he could, trying to balance that fine line between causing more pain and getting the muscles to relax just a bit.

Keeley. He remembered her. Her scent, her touch and her soothing voice. She'd promised to come back, to bring him out of the darkness of his current hell, and into the light of home. Home.

Legacy dozed off, unable to stay awake any longer. He knew help would arrive in time, or it would indeed be too late. Either way, it was out of his control and dozing standing in the dark was all he could manage.

In his sleep, he dreamed. He saw a massive gray gelding, standing with him and staring at him. The gray seemed to be willing him to carry on- to live. Legacy felt as if the gray was literally holding him up.

He woke with a start at the sound of doors slamming and voices. There was no telling how much time had passed- the days all looked the same from his point of view. He heard other noises- could it be a trailer? He tried to shuffle around to face his stall door, waiting patiently to see if Keeley had come back.

She had. He heard her light step and smelled her scent. She quietly slipped into the stall, placing a soft halter on his bony head. She then turned her attention to the stall door, forcing it to open enough to get Legacy out of the stall. Dr. Mike was with her, and he pitched in clearing the alley way of debris so that Legacy would have less to possibly trip and fall over.


An open door.

Light.

Quiet, gentle hands.

The horse had to stop in the door way. His nostrils flared from the exertion of making his way slowly down the narrow alley into the light. He blinked his eyes rapidly, trying to adjust to so much brightness. He slowly looked around, and turned his head to Keeley. A huge sigh escaped him, and he began a slow shuffle to the trailer.



Keeley knew that in Legacy's condition, the trailer ride might well be the last thing he ever did. The ride to the farm was relatively short, but the road was in horrible condition. Getting the skeletal horse home in one piece was going to be a stressful happening. Forty agonizing minutes later, Keeley breathed a sigh of relief as she pulled into the yard at the farm. She shut the truck off, and took a moment to lean her head on the steering wheel. What am I doing? she thought. No sense in second guessing herself now. The horse was here. Now she had a job ahead of her.

Dr. Mike was standing at the trailer, talking softly to Legacy. Bad Ass was at his feet, tail swishing furiously. He reached out and swatted Dr. Mike's leg, as if he was trying to tell the silly human to hurry up- get the horse out of the trailer already and bring him into the barn. Dr. Mike laughed, and bent down to pet the old cat. "Hey you old scalawag! Keep your paws to yourself! I'll get him out when your momma gets here to help. You just be patient, alright?" Bad Ass merely swatted Dr. Mike again, obviously annoyed that the silly human was NOT moving anywhere near quick enough.

Keeley joined Dr. Mike and together they dropped the ramp to the trailer. Legacy was still standing as she had left him- legs splayed, head down, looking utterly exhausted. He was just played out.

"Let's give him a moment to rest, and we'll get him out. I've got his old stall ready for him, bedded extra deep so he can lay those weary bones down finally and rest."

With the ramp down, Bad Ass wasted no time in trotting right into the trailer. He marched right up to Legacy, and started purring. Legacy turned his head to look at the cat, and Keeley had to wipe away tears as the old cat and the exhausted and battered horse touched noses in greeting.

"Look out you silly old fart. Let me get him out, and you can inspect him closer, OK?" Keeley gently scooped the cat out of her way, so that neither she nor Legacy would trip over him as they were getting out of the trailer. "Here Dr. Mike, hold this trouble maker will you?"

Dr. Mike took the squirming mass of muscle in his arms, well aware that if Bad Ass did not WANT to be held, there was no way he'd be able to contain twenty pounds of pissed off fury. "This is why I went into large animal work Keeley. I swear, if this cat wanted to kill me he could."

Keeley laughed a bit. "I've often thought that myself about that cat. There is just something about him, isn't there?"


The three of them coaxed Legacy off the trailer and into the stall. The deep shavings, fresh clean water and a bite of hay waited for him. Legacy sighed in pleasure and made himself right at home. As Keeley and Dr. Mike discussed how, when and what to feed him, Legacy stood looking around. It was his old stall- the one right in the middle of the barn, where he could see all the action of the farm. The light was soft, the air was fresh and the view was beautiful.

Bad Ass hopped up onto the wall, and looked at the horse. Keeley popped back in, checking to make sure Legacy was quiet and settling in well. "I've got to go take care of Dad real quick BA. You keep Legacy company and make sure he is OK for me." She rubbed the cat's ears and was rewarded with a huge purr.



Night fell. Keeley had taken care of her father, who was shaken to say the least at the news of Legacy. She was exhausted from the events of the day, but found herself unable to rest. She slipped out her apartment door, and made her way to the stall. Legacy was laying down, resting in the deep bedding but he picked his head up at her approach. Bad Ass was in the stall with him, curled up in a bit of hay. Keeley took in some fresh hay, and made herself a place to sit at Legacy's head. The big horse sighed, and laid his head in her lap. Keeley let the tears fall then- silently they coursed down her cheeks. Her hands slowly stroked his face and neck, feeling protruding bones and finding new knots, injuries and scars. Bad Ass came and curled up with her, sharing her pain. Legacy slept.


The dream horse came again. Keeley knew he would. This time though, there was no wild ride through the plain, no tour of the farm. This time, she saw him standing over them all, watching over her, Bad Ass, and Legacy. The morning sun breaking through clouds shone on Legacy still sleeping, with Bad Ass on his side, and Keeley curled up around his neck. The gray nodded to himself- the journey had begun.