Dark Horse: Tales from the Ranch Ch. 03

***

Beau was lost in a rhythm when she heard Ms. Winters whistle. 30 yards in front of her, Velvet spun and pointed back to the house, and Beau turned without really stopping. Getting out of the midmorning sun would be welcome, but she wasn't looking forward to being cooped up in the stalls for hours.

Velvet came up beside her just as they came out of the pasture and matched her speed, but Beau paid her no attention. The normally-volatile stallion had been distant since their last race. Physically, she was still ever-present, but there had been a significant dropoff in taunting. Complete dropoff. Everyone had been distant, Beau thought dully. Especially Belle.

Her brother and Peep were already inside as the race ponies jogged into the grooming room. Ms. Winters seemed uncharacteristically agitated. "Shower, Velvet, and make it quick. Everyone else into the stable." Velvet went over to her wardrobe, and Beau was mildly surprised to see her pull out a red plaid shirt and jeans. Velvet having actual clothes felt like the kind of thing she should be enraged about, but she merely turned around and filed into her stall. "Peep, you're in charge. I'm locking this," she said, and the heavy wooden door swung shut.

Beau peeled off her boots, twisting her nose at the strong smell of sweat, and sat down on her blanket. "Do you know what's going on?" She could hear Belle in the stall next to hers, but made no effort to engage him or answer him.

"Pronto was colicing this morning," Peep answered from the far side of the long room. "Velvet tried to tell me... fuck. Tried to tell Peep what she thought it was, but she can't remember. All she knows is Miss Winters had to call the Vet and she wasn't happy about it."

"What's 'colicing'?" Belle asked

"No clue, but Velvet really wanted to give him a rectal exam."

"What time is he coming?"

"He's prolly already here. Miss Winters came out furious, sayin' something about bein' ahead of schedule." Beau tried to let it all pass in one ear and out the other. The only thing she knew was that when she was out there running, she didn't spend so much time thinking. Listening to the two of them prattle on was exhausting. She perked up, though, at the sound of Peep's stall door. "Ya'll stay here. Peep'll be right back." The blonde mare unlocked, opened, and then relocked the heavy wooden door behind her.

She was only gone for a minute, and Beau was irritated to hear her own stall door swing open behind her. She rolled onto her side and looked back over her shoulder. Peep, in her black and purple striped corset, was nervously squatting behind her. "You seem like you've been in a really dark place," she said. "So..."

Beau furrowed her brow. "...So?"

She pulled her arm out from behind her, and offered Beau a yellow weed. "Peep thought maybe a sunflower... would... help..." The blonde mare's smile slipped completely as Beau stared at her, and after a moment, Beau rolled back over to face the wall. She heard boots in the sawdust as Peep stormed back over to the heavy wooden door and left, sniffling.

"You're bein' a real bitch, you know that?" Beau looked back over her shoulder. The heavy wooden door had only slammed shut. Not locked. She waited for the telltale thump-thump-thump of boots going up the stairs, and grunted as she stood up and stepped out of her stall. "Nor? Nor, where are you going?"

"Don't get your panties twisted," she said acidly. "Just gonna take a shower."

Her corset felt gross against her skin, the healthy morning sweat gone cold and clammy in the dry basement air. She curled her lip as she discarded the ridiculous garment and stepped underneath the wide shower head. Normally, Winters was present during her shower time and Velvet was with her almost all of the rest of the time, but here, alone under the water, finally, she could let it out. She stood, slump-shouldered under the scorching stream, and had a good cry.

Her hands were pruny when she shut off the water a half hour later. A door slammed upstairs as she walked across the grooming room to get herself a towel, but she paid it very little mind. As she finished drying her hair, though, she heard a cry from upstairs. It sounded like Peep, and Beau frowned to herself. She hated to admit that the pretty mare had never been anything but kind to her. Most of Beau's anger toward her was misplaced, and she knew that. It was easier to just hate them all. And, admittedly, the sunflower had been a really sweet gesture.

She winced as she strapped on a corset and crept up the stairs. She couldn't hear anyone else in the house, and she didn't want to think what kind of trouble she'd be in if she got caught out of the stable, but the only sound she could make out was Peep's now-hysterical crying. Beau slowly cracked the door open, and took a hesitant step into the kitchen. She couldn't immediately see Peep; she knew she was close, and she spotted her as she came around the island.

Peep, in a yellow plaid shirt, jeans, and cowgirl boots, was curled up in the corner next to the sink and the stove. Her cheeks were splotched and puffy, and tears continued to stream down her cheeks. Guilt, Beau's favorite emotion recently, gripped her chest, but Peep didn't seem to notice her at first. The blonde was staring up at the corner of the island, and the more Beau watched her, the more it looked like Peep was recoiling from...

On the corner of the island, wrapped in clear plastic shrink wrap, were six small vials of a clear liquid. On top of the package sat a hypodermic needle. Beau tilted her head and tried to read the label, but glare from the noon day sun was too strong. Peep shrieked even louder when she saw Beau, and her boots slipped on the tile floor as she tried to crawl even further into the corner. "Pleasedontell, pleasedontell," she wheezed, almost inaudibly.

"Whoa, whoa," Beau said, holding her open palms out in front of her. "Calm down!"

"Pleasedontell, shellkillme!! Oh gaaawd, shellkillme!!"

"I'm not gonna tell her, Peep!" she said, slowly approaching the fair-haired wreck. "I won't tell."

"ShellkillmeBeau, shellkillme!!"

"What is that stuff?"

"I don't even knooooooooooooow," Peep bawled.

"Did you steal that from the Vet?" Peep nodded pitifully. Beau had to stop herself from screaming; screaming wouldn't help. "Why would you take something when you don't know what it is?"

"I'm a junkie," she wailed, and descended into fresh hysterics. Beau crept down next to her and awkwardly put her arms around Peep, waiting for an opening. Peep curled into an even smaller ball and leaned her head into Beau's shoulder.

"Do you want me to get rid of it," she said eventually, when Peep had finally caught her breath, and the blonde emphatically shook her head as she wrapped her arms around her legs and huddled in the corner. Beau stood up, stared, and bit her lip. Couldn't just pour them out. Didn't think the bottles themselves would flush, and if there was vials in the trash, Ms. Winters would know. "They've gotta go back," she said softly.

"Nononononono," Peep mewled. "You can't go out there! She'll catch you!" but Beau just shook her head.

"If he has drugs missing, he'll start looking for them. Or he'll call the cops... fucking hate cops." Peep stared up at her in shock, and Beau herself had mixed emotions about taking action to protect The Ranch. She'd seen enough addicts to know that if you didn't get them away from the drugs, they'd relapse; some of the things Ms. Winters and the others had been saying began to click in her head, but that didn't mean she was on Team Winters. Not by a longshot. She grabbed the needle and tucked the bottles under her arm, and with a deep breath, turned for the door. Behind her, Peep dissolved into tears again.

Beau had only seen the front lawn of The Ranch from a distance. She frowned and shook her head as she looked out at a sleek black Mercedes and a silver Audi in the driveway. She'd dreamed of getting this chance, to get this close to a getaway car, for months. She quietly shut the door behind her and ducked down as she ran over to the Audi, which was closer to the barn. Her bare feet stung on the sun-baked asphalt, but the shadow of the Audi was slightly cooler. She tried to peek over the hood to see if the coast was clear, but the inside of the barn was a mass of shadows. Beau cursed silently, and with a wince, broke out from her cover.

It felt like a good sign that no one yelled as she skidded to a stop in the grass beside the barn. Her head swiveled, checking behind her as much as looking forward, as she slunk to the edge of the barn door. Pronto gave a loud grunt, and she heard Ms. Winters and another man attempting to calm him, although all three were out of sight in Pronto's stall. Velvet was standing in the aisle, but blessedly facing away. Beau spotted a leather attache, a laptop, and a manilla folder on a table a few feet behind Velvet. She licked her lips and bounced on her toes for a moment before taking her first step. Five long steps had her at the table. Beyond Velvet, Ms. Winters and a thin man were engrossed in their work, and she exhaled as she set down the vials and needle beside the leather case. Five long steps back got her back to the barn door, but as she checked behind her, she saw

Velvet. With murder in her eyes.

Beau barely restrained a curse as she turned and bolted for the house. She leapt clear over the bushes and darted along the porch, but none of that was going to matter and she knew it. As she rushed back through the front door, she caught a glimpse of Velvet striding out of the barn and toward the house.

"Shit!" Beau leaned against the door for a moment, her mind racing. Peep, still huddled in the kitchen, looked positively terrified. "Just let me do the talking, ok?" she said, as she hurried over toward the pretty mare. Peep looked confused, and screamed a moment later when Velvet exploded through the front door. Beau spun and planted herself between the blonde and the onrushing stallion.

Velvet lowered her shoulder and plowed into Beau, and they crashed to the floor just inside the kitchen. The short haired mare wheezed as the air was driven out of her. Peep screamed as Velvet's hands closed around Beau's throat. "Before Velvet kills you," the wide-eyed latina grunted, in a much thicker accent than normal, "Why?"

"Get offa her," Peep shouted, grabbing Velvet's shoulder.

"I wanted to see... if he was... cute," Beau snarled, and her throat burned from the effort.

"Get offa her," Peep shouted again, successfully pulling Velvet far enough back that Beau was able to take a ragged breath. "She was out there cussa' me!"

"Shut up, Peep," Beau shouted, but the blonde kept going.

"I stole sumthin', 'n Beau was just puttin' it back!"

"What did you steal," Velvet said coldly, still astride Beau's chest, their arms quivering in the air.

"...Drugs," Peep said, deflating. Velvet slowed her assault and took a deep breath.

"Winters can't know," Beau said from her back.

"It's Miss Winters," Velvet said, turning back to her. "And you want Velvet to lie?"

"Yes. Peep thinks Miss Winters will kill her."

"Oh, she's definitely going to kill her," Velvet laughed, and Peep deflated even further.

"Not if you lie," Beau urged. "She doesn't have to know."

Velvet tilted her head and frowned, considering. "Alright. You got curious, and Peep forgot to lock the door."

Beau blinked. "Really?"

"You two need to get downstairs," Velvet said. "They're almost done out there, and Miss Winters will want to invite him in for a drink before they settle up." She rolled back onto her feet, with a hair less grace than she normally had in her heel-less boots, and turned down the hallway. Peep still looked miserable as she helped Beau back up to her feet, and Beau led the way down the stairs.

Peep shuffled along behind Beau, her head hung low, and Beau was only a little surprised when the blonde mare followed her into her stall. She opened her mouth to reassure her, but before she could say anything, Peep darted in and hugged her. Beau stiffened, tensing uncomfortably. Slowly, her arms raised up and around, returning the hug as Peep began to cry. "It's ok... It's ok."

"What's ok," Belle asked from his stall, but it went unanswered.

"You're not alone," Beau said soothingly. Peep tried to respond, but it came out garbled, and Beau stroked her hair. Peep tightened her hold, squeezing the shorter mare. It got worse before it got better, and then it got worse again. Beau held her through it all. More and more, Peep began to lean on her, and as the histrionics began to wind down, Beau helped her settle into the sawdust. "Do you wanna talk about it?" she said, sitting next to Peep.

Peep sniffled, considering her thoughts for a moment before speaking. "Peep is kinda weak. Even if she doesn't like to think of herself that way."

"You can just say I, Peep. I won't tell."

Peep nodded and sniffed again. "I've always just gone from relationship to relationship. Don't really do well alone. I..." She puffed out her cheeks and blew out a long breath. "I need someone to protect me, even if it's from myself sometimes." She stared down between her knees despondently. "Velvet can't do it. When I first got here, she could barely take care of herself, and now she's got yer brother. In between then was good, but I always knew it was 'cus I was the only option 'n not cus I was what she wanted. I don't blame her though. Can't help who yer attracted to, right?" She smiled weakly at Beau. "I learned to be okay with what me 'n Velvet had, which was still a damn sight better than my last boyfriend, but when ya'll two got here, that was the end of that."

"Heroin was the best of 'em all, though. Always made me feel better, no matter how bad things were. Made me feel better about myself too. Whenever we were together, nothing else mattered. It was like the whole world went away. That's what all the love songs say it should be like, right?" Tears welled up in her eyes. Beau pulled Peep's head down onto her shoulder. "When I went upstairs, I was worried I was just destined to be alone, 'n I... I just..." Peep was quiet for a long minute. She raised up her head and chewed on her lip as she stared.

"You just what, Pee-..."

Beau squealed into the unexpected kiss, and her eyebrows encroached upon her forehead. Her hands rose up into the air, but no matter how she moved them, she couldn't quite bring herself to push Peep away. Her lips were so soft... It was only her lips, and it was gentle, but it made every hair on her head stand on end. A part of her wanted to be indignant, to stand up and shout that she wasn't gay. That she didn't want this, not any of it.

That voice had gotten very small of late.

Peep had... really soft lips. She sighed, and Beau felt slightly lightheaded as the blonde mare pulled away. Peep hovered in front of her, vulnerable and exposed. Seconds stretched out as Beau wrestled with herself. It felt like she was watching Peep bite her lip in slow motion, and that her cheeks passed from pale to a light pink over the course of an hour.

Both of them jolted at the sound of the heavy wooden door swinging open. Peep skittered along the wall, trying to hide herself in the corner. Beau sat up straight and turned to see Ms. Winters standing in the doorway. "Belle," she called. Beau gasped, having completely forgotten he was on the other side of the wall.

"Belle wasn't eavesdropping!" He sounded panicked.

The older woman smirked. "Go upstairs, Belle. We need you to make a sandwich. Make sure you wash your hands first, you naughty thing." Her brother stared down at his feet as he passed in front of her stall, and Ms. Winters stepped to the side as he fled. Beau looked down, her dread rising at the sound of Ms. Winters boots landing heel to toe as she walked across the concrete floor. "Accidentally lock yourself in the wrong cage, Peep?" The older womans eyes flashed as she smiled and turned.

"She knows," Peep wheezed as the door slammed shut again. "Fuck, she knows! Velvet was never gonna lie! Fuck!" Beau frowned, watching Peep lose it all over again, and her heart ached to see the pretty mare so sad. Peep deserved better than this. She deserved...

Beau launched herself across the sawdust, taking Peep's tear-stained cheeks in her hands and kissing her fiercely. Peep whimpered as the smaller mare's tongue slid between her lips, and though her hands first had to brace herself in the wake of the impact, it took only moments before they were grabbing Beau too. Beau shivered as she felt those hands slide along her arms, down her sides, and through her hair, but all of that was a drop in the bucket compared to her lips. Those incredibly soft lips.

Beau was surprised when Peep began to push against her; their lips never broke for more than a hurried breath but the blonde rose up onto her knees, and Beau gasped into her mouth as Peep began to fumble at her corset. Beau tried to match her, and cursed her trembling fingers. Cursed the buttons on Peep's shirt. Peep gave a triumphant cry as the corset unbuckled. Beau managed to get one deep breath in before Peep shoved her backwards. Hard.

No sooner had she landed on her back than Peep was between her legs. "Oh fuck," Peep murmured, as she curled up. Beau propped herself up on one elbow and sighed as she felt Peep's fingers tracing her. "Oh fuck."

Beau whimpered as she felt the warmth of Peep's mouth engulf her sex. The blonde's cheeks sunk deep as she suckled at the tender skin, and Beau colored from head to toe. Her tongue probed Beau's slit, and the short-haired pony arched her back and whined softly in protest. But when Peep looked up at her, and Beau really saw the taller mare's eyes... saw the desire, and the raw hunger reflected there... Beau felt... beautiful.

Her hands were in Peep's hair in a flash, and she bucked her hips up off the ground. Peep's tongue worked in long swipes straight through the middle, dragging the tip all the way from the pouting folds to the sensitive bud. Beau bit her lip and tossed her head back and forth, almost uncomfortable with how eager Peep was. Her body writhed under the attention; she couldn't deny that she wanted this, but the need in Peep's eyes was staggering.

Her legs curled and twitched, muscles contracting and fighting each other in a desperate bid to release some of the tension in her body, but it was futile. She knew what she needed, and she wrestled with surrendering that knowledge again. Peep's tongue fluttered between quick strokes of her tiny bundle of nerves and lavishing tender attention on this overlooked bit of pink flesh or that fold. Beau felt that tension pulling tighter, knotting and writhing in her core.

She could see where this was going. More than just tonight, and more than just this moment. Peep and her were about to be more than just Peep and her. Her trigger, the silver bullet, was the last line of defense. If she held that back, this would go no further. Peep would eventually tire out and nothing more would come of it. All Beau had to do was keep her mouth shut.

"Finger me," Beau said with an embarrassed smile, and Peep was only too happy to oblige. Beau's eyes rolled up behind the lids, feeling herself stretch, yielding to the width of Peep's fingers. Feeling the fingertips slide along her walls. It wasn't fair how fucking good it felt. It just wasn't fair.

"Oh mah gawd," Peep murmured, her lips hovering. "I could watch you cum all night." Beau thrashed beneath her, heaving. Her fingers clawed through the sawdust, leaving furrowed lines in their wake. Peep glowed as she bent down to deliver a few last licks, and the racing pony spiraled back down to earth.