A Simple Life

January.

The new year came and went. One step closer to a new century and bidding farewell to the 1800's. It didn't mean much to Jake Torres. Time was of little significance when all you had been for most of your living years was someone else's sword. He counted his age by the years that passed, not knowing the actual date of his birth. Even his age was a best guess, he supposed. Though Alexander had always told him he'd rescued him from orphan-hood at the age of eight.

Time blurred in places, measured just by the things he had done and could remember. Dates on Newspapers and in post offices were his only compass points in the big scheme of things.

But that had kind of changed this past year. Building this rag tag family of theirs, caring for the kids they'd all but adopted alongside Yuliy and being a father to his own daughter for the first time. They'd celebrated Christmas, humble and small and snowed in as it was. They'd managed a tree and decorations, candles and turkeys, even a few gifts for the children.

He'd grown closer to Mia. Moving in with her and giving up on hiding what was going on between them from the others. There was no point, not living in such close proximity, and despite Ripley rolling her eyes at the revelation and others looking surprised, they seemed happy for them. Happy for him. Mia was a vast improvement on his prior relationship, even he knew that.

Every day the memories of it and guilts that went with them felt further away. Maybe it was all something he could forgive himself for in time.

It was almost midday and the heavy snow that had fallen over new years day was finally melting away now, a week removed. Blue's hooves thudded on damp ground and a cold breeze from the mountains whipped hair back from his face and kept him sharp after a far too early start. They were low on supplies and with Ripley failing in an attempt to garner some from Valentine, Leon and Isabella planned on venturing in to nearby Strawberry very soon. In the meantime, he hunted to feed them every morning.

Slung over the back of his horse, a fat and healthy mountain ram. Two rabbits hung off of either side of his saddle, and in his saddlebags he'd picked various herbs that would help fend off the cold that had been going around the children. Weaker immune systems not as adept at fighting off such things, they needed all the help they could get. Especially Elizabeth, who'd been very poorly the last two days. It broke his heart and Ripley's excuses had made him want to strangle her.

Still, if a doctor was out of medicine.. he supposed there wasn't much she could do. If her story was to be believed, anyway.

He arrives back at the homestead as the sun finally breaks through clouds, warming his wind-bitten cheeks as he drops down from Blue's back and gives the horse a hearty pat. "Good job, buddy." He murmurs, scratching beneath the stallions mane. Blue turns his head and nuzzles at Jake's pockets, knowing somewhere inside he was hiding peppermints. It makes him chuckle, picking one out and giving it to his old friend. The horse takes it between velvety lips and crunches it between his teeth, letting out a puff of satisfaction at the same time.

"Need a hand?" Leon pipes up, emerging from the barn carrying a bale of hay.

"If you got a spare one."

"I got two." He drops the bale aside and dusts them off, coming over to pluck the rabbits from Blue's saddle while Jake hefts the ram over his shoulder with a grunt. "Should make Ripley take care of that."

"She even awake?" Jake queries, glancing at the suns position in the sky.

Leon snorts, drawing Jake's rolling block from it's strap on the saddle and resting it on his shoulder. "You kiddin'? It's barely afternoon."

Pursing his lips, Jake just nods. Turning and heading for the barn with the dead animal over his shoulder. Leon chuckles as he goes, taking the rabbits and Jake's gun in to the house.

Sure enough, while the rest of their little family worked on chores around the small ranch, Ripley was tucked up fast asleep on bunk. Snoring quietly and oblivious to the world around her. Jake clears his throat and is fairly sure she hears him, he's just being ignored. So he hoists the ram off of his shoulder and drops the carcass with a thud down beside her on her bed.

She scrambles up with a yelp and a pair of wide eyed glaring daggers at him.

"That's disgusting!"

"That's dinner." Jake gestures. "Your turn to gut it."

Ripley shoves the ram off of her bunk with her foot. "Could have just asked!" She pouts.

Hands on his hips, Jake arches a brow. "Oh, like I asked you to get supplies?"

"I told you! They ran out!"

"Of medicine? Really?" He sighs.

"There's a flu going around! It's not my fault. I can't help that."

"And I suppose the store ran out of cans of beans? And butter? Conveniently didn't have any bread..."

"Mia bakes bread! What do we need to buy bread for?!"

"To give Mia a day off from caterin' to your lazy behind!" He snatches her jacket and tosses it at her.

Ripley gasps, like she'd just been accused of triple homicide. "That ain't fair! I do my share!"

"When?!" Jake glowers.

Going to speak, he can see the cogs turning in her brain, attempting to name the last chore she actually did. Jake cuts her off with a sigh, he didn't even have the time or will to hear the answer. "Just.. take care of it, will you? It ain't much to ask."

Pursing her lips, Ripley nods in resignation. "Fine."

"Fine." Jake nods, "thankyou."

Leaving her with the animal, Jake heads back out in to the sunshine to tend to Blue. Unsaddling the horse and rubbing him down, turning him loose in to the small paddock with the other working horses. Leon had spread hay out for them, but they'd need to pick up more of that soon too. One good thing about the old Ranch, it had been much closer to civilization, and much easier to get things for the animals.

They couldn't stay here forever.

It's a thought that crosses his mind as he leans against the fence for a moment, watching Blue roll and coat himself in mud. When the snow cleared and spring came, he'd head out. Start hunting for a real home. Far away from all of this. Hopefully, somewhere nobody knew any of their faces.

Heading back to the smaller of the two cabins, he lets himself in and is greeted by the smell of baking bread and the sniffly laughter of his daughter. Finding Mia making her soup at the stove, while Lizzie played on the bed, petting a black and white cat that had wandered in some time after Christmas. Cold and hungry and looking for warmth. Like all of them, he supposed. Turned out he was a good mouser, so he just kinda.. stayed.

"Got a name for him yet?" He asks, gesturing to the cat as he wanders up behind Mia.

She looks over her shoulder, smiling and then blushing as he kisses the back of her head. "I think she settled on Mary."

"Mary?" He chuckles, "but it's a boy.."

Mia just looks amused, nodding. "You can argue that point with her if you want."

She turns and offers him a spoonful of soup to taste. He takes it with a pleased sound and a nod of his head, then offers her something in return. Producing a bunch of wild flowers he'd picked while he was out, from behind his back. He gives them to her.

"What's this?" She asks, wide eyed and clutching her spoon.

Jake's eyes drop to the makeshift bouquet. "It's flowers! Or.. best I could find bein' winter n'all. Still some out there, making things work out here in the snow."

He smiles as she gingerly takes the bunch of Snowdrops and Daisies, watching her face as the gesture settles in.

"They're beautiful, thank you." She says softly.

He does his best not to crush them between the two of them as he leans in to kiss her.

A kiss that's interrupted by their daughter dissolving in to a fit of coughs.

Moment forgotten, Jake hurries over to little Lizzie while Mia fetches a warm cloth and compress for her chest. Mary hops off of the bed and on to the windowsill, knowing when it was time to get out of the way, it seemed.

Holding and comforting their coughing toddler, the parents eyes meet over her head.

"We really need that medicine." Mia says quietly, checking Lizzie's temperature with a hand to her forehead.

"I know." He nods. "I'll talk to Izzy, see if they can head out tomorrow."

The little girl finally catches her breath, red faced and exhausted. Jake gently strokes the hair from her eyes.

Outside, the sun ducks behind a murky cloud that brought with it the promise of more snow. While up on the hill, a pair of eyes watches the small homestead intently.

Her blonde hair whips across her lips and her leather clad fingers tighten on the reins of her jet black horse.

"Found you." She whispers in to the wind.