The Power of Love Chapter 16
Hey everybody, sorry it took a while but here's Power of Love Chapter 16! Hope you like ^^
Title: The Power of Love
Chapter: Chapter 16 - The Storm and The Sheep
Genre: Fluffy, romancey for this chapter
Pairing: Ennis/Jack
Rating: G or PG for this part
Warnings: None for this chapter
Summary of Chapter: A storm rages on Brokeback and there are problems with the sheep.
Disclaimer: I do not own these characters - they are the creation of Annie Proulx. The story of Brokeback Mountain is hers too - I’m just giving my version of it for no profit, just for fun and curiosity! J I don’t mean any disrespect at all ^^
Author’s Note: I’m adding parts, taking away parts, expanding parts, exaggerating parts and just plain making up some parts in this. I love the original Brokeback Mountain story so I’m not doing this to make it any better - I just wanted to do a multi chapter Jack/Ennis story and have some fun with them (again!)!
Feedback: That’d be fantastic!
It was back to work the next day. Ennis set off early after breakfast, as always, riding off into the bleak day with a quick glance back at Jack while his companion stayed at the campsite to chop the wood for the fire. After the previous day, it was even more painful to get back to the sheep but each knew that was the reason they were on this mountain and didn’t want to sound pathetic complaining about it so just got on with the task in hand.
Late morning rolled around and there was the sound of hooves from the camp. Jack momentarily hoped that Ennis had come back early but then there was the rough voice of his boss and his heart dropped a little. ‘’ Twist,’’ said Aguirre and Jack reluctantly looked up, stopping the wood cutting for a while. He didn’t come up to the mountain that often and when he did, it was usually bad news.
‘’ Yeah?’’
‘’ Your Uncle Harold’s in the Hospital with pneumonia. Doctor’s don’t expect he’ll make it...’’ came the reply and Jack nodded slowly, looking down. He hadn’t seen his Uncle since the first time he had come on up to Brokeback but even then, he had been a poorly man. His immune system hadn’t ever been all that good.
‘’...your Ma sent me ta tell you so - here ah am,’’ Aguirre continued, glancing higher up the mountain with a look of distaste in his eyes. He obviously couldn’t care less about the news he was delivering, only doing it because he had to.
‘’ That’s bad news,’’ Jack replied after a while. ‘’...but there ain’t nuthin’ ah can do about it up here ah guess...’’
Aguirre shrugged and picked up a set of binoculars from his lap, the same he had scrambled about looking for the previous night after the information from Russ and Cameron. ‘’...there ain’t much you can do about it down there neither...unless you can cure pneumonia.’’
Jack felt momentarily uncomfortable at Aguirre’s suddenly very suspicious gaze and he turned to see what he was peering at through his binoculars. Ennis was riding lazily between the sheep up on the sloping ground, carrying the smallest one on his lap. His heart abruptly beating a little faster, he looked away and was greeted by an even more knowing, distasteful scowl from Aguirre. No more was said as he silently turned and rode away, leaving Jack extremely uncomfortable what reason he knew not.
****
The bleak morning slowly turned into an even darker afternoon, rainclouds gathering faster than Jack had ever seen before. They opened viciously while Ennis was still up on the mountain but when the rain became torrential, he returned swiftly to the camp, dripping wet. They did their best to stick it out, tending to the fire and contemplating returning to the sheep yet then came the thunder, roaring over the mountain tops and delivering lightning sparking across the sky like the end of the world was nigh. Jack nor Ennis had ever seen a storm like it. They could barely hear each other over the raging wind and rumbling and as they desperately tried to make the tent more secure, the gales threatened to steal their possessions, sending the food and other items rolling across the campsite. As fast as he could, Jack collected them up, piling them into his arms and Ennis yanked at the quivering shelter, yelling that the storm was getting worse. Jack couldn’t agree more, especially as hail stones started tumbling from the sky, hitting the ground with dull thuds. They weren’t too large but Jack didn’t want to take any risks and quickly grabbed some more of their possessions before entering the tent at a run, dropping down onto the bedroll. Ennis followed soon after.
‘’ Jesus!’’ Jack cried as the tent shivered around them, just about standing against the bitter, screaming storm.
‘’ Them sheep’ll drift if ah don’t git back up there t’night!’’ Ennis shouted, holding onto the tent flaps and staring out at the rain, wind and thunder. He still had a job to do, even if the weather was as terrible as this.
‘’ Ain’t no way yer goin’ back up there t’night, Ennis! God almighty, if Aguirre cares so much about those damn sheep, he can go look after them himself! I sure ain’t goin’ up! An’ neither are you!’’
Ennis couldn’t reply to that. Jack was right. They wouldn’t have a chance up on the mountain. Outside, the hail started coming down even harder and he collected some in his hat, showing Jack how big they were getting. ‘’ Ya see!’’ Jack replied, proving his point and then heaved the tent flap closed, tying it quickly. Ennis helped him and when it was completely done up, they sat back a little, still feeling the wind drift through the gaps.
‘’ God, Jack, why’s it have ta be so damn cold?’’ he groaned, clutching the sheets and pulling them tight around him.
‘’ Ah cain’t control the weather, Ennis,’’ Jack replied with a smirk and then crawled under the covers next to the cowboy, bumping his head against him. ‘’...but you can make me warmer...’’ he drawled, grinning.
Ennis smiled back and wrapped his arms around him, letting them fall back together under the sheets.
****
They woke up the next morning to a beautiful blue sky. The storm clouds had all cleared and the rain had washed everything clean so the leaves sparkled on the trees and the mountain smelt fresh. The raging wind had turned into a cool, calming breeze and when the two cowboys climbed out of the tent, it seemed as if the storm hadn’t even existed. Everything was pure and beautiful again.
But, as they finished breakfast and began to ride back up the mountain to the sheep, even the loveliness of the morning could not distract them from what happened the night before. The animals had most probably got scared in the rumbling and screaming storm and drifted, getting mixed up with the other herds that didn’t belong to Aguirre. Both knew they were going to be in trouble for that and it was going to be a nightmare sorting out the sheep again but, as Jack had said the night before, they couldn’t control the weather. Ennis imagined this was what it would have been like for him the previous year when the lightning storm had struck and killed all those sheep. This was going to be a long morning.
Yet, when they reached the hilltop looking down onto the herds, even though they had been expected a jumble, neither were prepared for how bad it was. A few other ranch hands and Russ and Cameron were riding amongst the animals, yelling which of the sheep were theirs and trying to group them into something that wasn’t the current rabble. Ennis winced as he saw and turned to Jack, who looked equally disheartened. He knew it was their job to herd the sheep but in a situation as terrible as the one last night, there was no way on earth they could have managed to do that. Aguirre was just going to have come at them and there was nothing they could do about it.
‘’ Well...’’ Ennis finally said, staring back at the mob of animals and shouting ranch hands. ‘’...what’re we s’posed ta do now, huh?’’
Jack sighed. ‘’ Get on in there an’ untangle them sheep of ours, ah guess...’’
****
Obviously, that was easier said than done. They rode down into the herds and Jack leapt off the horse, scattering the sheep when he lifted his arms. Ennis followed on the horse and the dogs ran between them, yapping and barking. Jack seemed to echo them, swearing and shouting, and grasped the sheep as they bounced past, looking for the coloured markings and cursing the storm from last night. Ennis shook his head at his anger and kept encouraging him on, saying they may need work from him the next year - if they kept complaining about everything, nothing would happen for them.
So, they kept going, Ennis leaping off the horse to help Jack now and then and swapping places to drag and haul sheep across to the right positions in the herds. It took the whole day but finally, there was some type of order amongst the animals and the ranch hands weren’t yelling and shouting so much, obviously a bit calmer by now. Ennis breathed a sigh of relief and watched Jack climb up onto a horse beside him, ruffled from the long day. His cheeks were flushed and hair in a mess underneath his askew hat and there were buttons undone on his shirt, revealing tanned flesh. Ennis laughed softly at the state of him and they rode one more time through the herds, going through another last check before heading back off to the camp.
It was a beautiful evening by then, the sky pink and dark blue as the clouds drifted across above the meadows. The sheep bleated contendedly and Ennis and Jack rode alongside them on the way to camp, knees brushing. Jack was playing the harmonica that Ennis had taken a playful dislike to and as he continued to, Ennis sighed, shaking his head.
‘’ Ya’ll run those sheep off again if ya don’t quiet down...’’ he teased but Jack continued playing. Ennis smiled sweetly and glanced warmly at him, his eyes soft. Jack didn’t turn to see the adoration in them.
TBC
Title: The Power of Love
Chapter: Chapter 16 - The Storm and The Sheep
Genre: Fluffy, romancey for this chapter
Pairing: Ennis/Jack
Rating: G or PG for this part
Warnings: None for this chapter
Summary of Chapter: A storm rages on Brokeback and there are problems with the sheep.
Disclaimer: I do not own these characters - they are the creation of Annie Proulx. The story of Brokeback Mountain is hers too - I’m just giving my version of it for no profit, just for fun and curiosity! J I don’t mean any disrespect at all ^^
Author’s Note: I’m adding parts, taking away parts, expanding parts, exaggerating parts and just plain making up some parts in this. I love the original Brokeback Mountain story so I’m not doing this to make it any better - I just wanted to do a multi chapter Jack/Ennis story and have some fun with them (again!)!
Feedback: That’d be fantastic!
It was back to work the next day. Ennis set off early after breakfast, as always, riding off into the bleak day with a quick glance back at Jack while his companion stayed at the campsite to chop the wood for the fire. After the previous day, it was even more painful to get back to the sheep but each knew that was the reason they were on this mountain and didn’t want to sound pathetic complaining about it so just got on with the task in hand.
Late morning rolled around and there was the sound of hooves from the camp. Jack momentarily hoped that Ennis had come back early but then there was the rough voice of his boss and his heart dropped a little. ‘’ Twist,’’ said Aguirre and Jack reluctantly looked up, stopping the wood cutting for a while. He didn’t come up to the mountain that often and when he did, it was usually bad news.
‘’ Yeah?’’
‘’ Your Uncle Harold’s in the Hospital with pneumonia. Doctor’s don’t expect he’ll make it...’’ came the reply and Jack nodded slowly, looking down. He hadn’t seen his Uncle since the first time he had come on up to Brokeback but even then, he had been a poorly man. His immune system hadn’t ever been all that good.
‘’...your Ma sent me ta tell you so - here ah am,’’ Aguirre continued, glancing higher up the mountain with a look of distaste in his eyes. He obviously couldn’t care less about the news he was delivering, only doing it because he had to.
‘’ That’s bad news,’’ Jack replied after a while. ‘’...but there ain’t nuthin’ ah can do about it up here ah guess...’’
Aguirre shrugged and picked up a set of binoculars from his lap, the same he had scrambled about looking for the previous night after the information from Russ and Cameron. ‘’...there ain’t much you can do about it down there neither...unless you can cure pneumonia.’’
Jack felt momentarily uncomfortable at Aguirre’s suddenly very suspicious gaze and he turned to see what he was peering at through his binoculars. Ennis was riding lazily between the sheep up on the sloping ground, carrying the smallest one on his lap. His heart abruptly beating a little faster, he looked away and was greeted by an even more knowing, distasteful scowl from Aguirre. No more was said as he silently turned and rode away, leaving Jack extremely uncomfortable what reason he knew not.
****
The bleak morning slowly turned into an even darker afternoon, rainclouds gathering faster than Jack had ever seen before. They opened viciously while Ennis was still up on the mountain but when the rain became torrential, he returned swiftly to the camp, dripping wet. They did their best to stick it out, tending to the fire and contemplating returning to the sheep yet then came the thunder, roaring over the mountain tops and delivering lightning sparking across the sky like the end of the world was nigh. Jack nor Ennis had ever seen a storm like it. They could barely hear each other over the raging wind and rumbling and as they desperately tried to make the tent more secure, the gales threatened to steal their possessions, sending the food and other items rolling across the campsite. As fast as he could, Jack collected them up, piling them into his arms and Ennis yanked at the quivering shelter, yelling that the storm was getting worse. Jack couldn’t agree more, especially as hail stones started tumbling from the sky, hitting the ground with dull thuds. They weren’t too large but Jack didn’t want to take any risks and quickly grabbed some more of their possessions before entering the tent at a run, dropping down onto the bedroll. Ennis followed soon after.
‘’ Jesus!’’ Jack cried as the tent shivered around them, just about standing against the bitter, screaming storm.
‘’ Them sheep’ll drift if ah don’t git back up there t’night!’’ Ennis shouted, holding onto the tent flaps and staring out at the rain, wind and thunder. He still had a job to do, even if the weather was as terrible as this.
‘’ Ain’t no way yer goin’ back up there t’night, Ennis! God almighty, if Aguirre cares so much about those damn sheep, he can go look after them himself! I sure ain’t goin’ up! An’ neither are you!’’
Ennis couldn’t reply to that. Jack was right. They wouldn’t have a chance up on the mountain. Outside, the hail started coming down even harder and he collected some in his hat, showing Jack how big they were getting. ‘’ Ya see!’’ Jack replied, proving his point and then heaved the tent flap closed, tying it quickly. Ennis helped him and when it was completely done up, they sat back a little, still feeling the wind drift through the gaps.
‘’ God, Jack, why’s it have ta be so damn cold?’’ he groaned, clutching the sheets and pulling them tight around him.
‘’ Ah cain’t control the weather, Ennis,’’ Jack replied with a smirk and then crawled under the covers next to the cowboy, bumping his head against him. ‘’...but you can make me warmer...’’ he drawled, grinning.
Ennis smiled back and wrapped his arms around him, letting them fall back together under the sheets.
****
They woke up the next morning to a beautiful blue sky. The storm clouds had all cleared and the rain had washed everything clean so the leaves sparkled on the trees and the mountain smelt fresh. The raging wind had turned into a cool, calming breeze and when the two cowboys climbed out of the tent, it seemed as if the storm hadn’t even existed. Everything was pure and beautiful again.
But, as they finished breakfast and began to ride back up the mountain to the sheep, even the loveliness of the morning could not distract them from what happened the night before. The animals had most probably got scared in the rumbling and screaming storm and drifted, getting mixed up with the other herds that didn’t belong to Aguirre. Both knew they were going to be in trouble for that and it was going to be a nightmare sorting out the sheep again but, as Jack had said the night before, they couldn’t control the weather. Ennis imagined this was what it would have been like for him the previous year when the lightning storm had struck and killed all those sheep. This was going to be a long morning.
Yet, when they reached the hilltop looking down onto the herds, even though they had been expected a jumble, neither were prepared for how bad it was. A few other ranch hands and Russ and Cameron were riding amongst the animals, yelling which of the sheep were theirs and trying to group them into something that wasn’t the current rabble. Ennis winced as he saw and turned to Jack, who looked equally disheartened. He knew it was their job to herd the sheep but in a situation as terrible as the one last night, there was no way on earth they could have managed to do that. Aguirre was just going to have come at them and there was nothing they could do about it.
‘’ Well...’’ Ennis finally said, staring back at the mob of animals and shouting ranch hands. ‘’...what’re we s’posed ta do now, huh?’’
Jack sighed. ‘’ Get on in there an’ untangle them sheep of ours, ah guess...’’
****
Obviously, that was easier said than done. They rode down into the herds and Jack leapt off the horse, scattering the sheep when he lifted his arms. Ennis followed on the horse and the dogs ran between them, yapping and barking. Jack seemed to echo them, swearing and shouting, and grasped the sheep as they bounced past, looking for the coloured markings and cursing the storm from last night. Ennis shook his head at his anger and kept encouraging him on, saying they may need work from him the next year - if they kept complaining about everything, nothing would happen for them.
So, they kept going, Ennis leaping off the horse to help Jack now and then and swapping places to drag and haul sheep across to the right positions in the herds. It took the whole day but finally, there was some type of order amongst the animals and the ranch hands weren’t yelling and shouting so much, obviously a bit calmer by now. Ennis breathed a sigh of relief and watched Jack climb up onto a horse beside him, ruffled from the long day. His cheeks were flushed and hair in a mess underneath his askew hat and there were buttons undone on his shirt, revealing tanned flesh. Ennis laughed softly at the state of him and they rode one more time through the herds, going through another last check before heading back off to the camp.
It was a beautiful evening by then, the sky pink and dark blue as the clouds drifted across above the meadows. The sheep bleated contendedly and Ennis and Jack rode alongside them on the way to camp, knees brushing. Jack was playing the harmonica that Ennis had taken a playful dislike to and as he continued to, Ennis sighed, shaking his head.
‘’ Ya’ll run those sheep off again if ya don’t quiet down...’’ he teased but Jack continued playing. Ennis smiled sweetly and glanced warmly at him, his eyes soft. Jack didn’t turn to see the adoration in them.
TBC