"It Ain't Nut'n. Just a little 'I do'."

[Ethan Talon]

The morning found Ethan sitting astride Jake, his buckskin, quarter horse. There was a sweet smell of autumn on the wind. He always did love the fall. Halloween was always a fun holiday.

A three year-old buck stepped out of the brush and into the field. Ethan wasn't sure at the distance, but he thought he counted four points on the antlers. Its ears twitching between dips of the head to grab mouthfuls of grass.

He drew his rifle from the scabbard on his saddle, racked a shell into the chamber, and sighted down the barrel. It had been a while since they had good venison.

His finger stroked the trigger. Just before he followed through he released it and set the hammer down before returning the rifle to the scabbard. They had plenty of meat, and he certainly didn't have time to dress out a fully grown deer hours before his wedding. He was fairly certain that Trinity would disapprove of blood under his fingernails.

[Ethan Talon]

After a long moment of watching the deer, he squeezed his thighs, and Jake started moving. They skirted around a boulder, and there was Olivia's house looming in the dawn light. Not much of anything at the moment, just a foundation. Ethan was pleased with the progress.

It was mid-morning when Ethan rode into the yard. Judging by the cackles of the hens, he guessed someone was feeding the chickens.

Jake was one of the best horses Ethan had even owned, and loyal as a hound. David tried riding him once, and Jake sent the foreman flying into the dust, and Ethan laughing.

Loosening the cinches, Ethan left the reins dangling while he carried his heavy roping saddle into the tack room, and returning with a curry comb. Ethan didn't look away from his brushing when he heard steps approach.

[Vin Ryder]

"Hey Ethan... " Vin, the older version of Olivia's son said with a half smile. "Got a spot welder somewhere? Trinity's deep in last minute fashion mode. Aunt Angel is being all Admiral and running shit... but I need to fix the fence by the chicken coop... kind of broke the latch. And I don't think you'd want random chickens wandering into your reception." he looked around the tack room. "Or even a good screw bolt." he muttered as he looked through the work bench. "By the way, means a lot that you got mom and Aunt Jena set up out here. Had a lot of good memories here, although I will say this, half of this ranch is not going to look like it does today. In about five years the two of you get on this remodeling kick. Interesting to see the place as it is. Was too young to really remember it all."

[Ethan Talon]

Ethan turned and with his left elbow resting on Jake's whithers, "Well, if you are going to fix it, fix it right. Everything you need is in the shop over there."

[Vin Ryder]

"Thanks." Vin said and gave him a look. "So... you nervous?"

[Ethan Talon]

"No. Why would I be?" He set the curry comb down and with the long toothed comb he worked out the stickers from the black tail. "I knew I was going to marry Trinity when I was thirteen or so. I just had to see some wild oats first if you will. And I had to make sure Trinity was ready for this too. That took the longest. Me being sure about how she felt. She's a good woman, but like every woman there's a streak of green, and a memory like an elephant."

[Vin Ryder]

"That's the Lei in them." Vin said with a nod of his head. "They only get possessive and jealous when they really really care about someone. As beautiful as they are, they also wonder... what if someone smarter, prettier or more similar comes along... will they still have the same 'value'." he chuckled. "They'll drive you insane but you can't live with out her. Hell... I didn't plan on dating anyone when I came here, this was a temporary stop, but the timeline changed in a way that now I'm stuck here. Course it HAD to be Kassie Kaine's mom... take her one date when I was still undercover and... keeps going. At least you figured out this whole thing sooner than I did. Don't worry man, you got this. Oooh rah!"

[Ethan Talon]

He gave him a sardonic grin, "No, it's women in general. Women: we can't live with them, and we can't live without them. I'm pretty sure the gays have the right idea." He shrugged, and bent down to check Jake's shoes. The beast twisted his neck to see what was going on. He and Ethan were close. In fact he only let Ethan ride him.

Finishing up, Ethan lead the line back dunn quarter horse to the gate and turned him out to pasture. The gelding snorted and trotted off nostrils flared and head high. He paused for a moment to nip at the rump with his yellow teeth of one of the younger geldings, and without any more ceremony he dropped to his belly and rolled in the dirt.

Ethan shook his head with a laugh, "I don't want to hear you telling the other horses that I don't take care of you!"

Jake shook his head and snorted. It almost had a teenager's snarky response, though surely that was coincidence. With that Jake and the other two horses in the pasture with him were off galloping full speed to the creek bottom. Ethan chuckled to himself, and shook his head, "I think I waited too long to cut him, but he's too good of a horse to not get a colt out of. I'm not sure if I'll cut his son. I did save some of his semen just in case."

[Vin Ryder]

"Sounds like the 'don't stand too close to the warp core' policy of late." Vin said with a shake of his head. "Fine animal." he grabbed a tool box and headed out with Ethan next to him. "By the way, if you need a heavy weapons guy... I'm certified. Ma didn't like that I went into the Corps but family tradition and the Time Corps didn't let anyone in without at least a half decade of military experience. You and Trinity turned me from a skinny armed lanky kid into this in about a year. Course in my time, we never got Lana back and mom spent a loooong time severely depressed. Guess loved ones coming back is kind of a 'thing' now. Your mom, my sister... speaking of... she wants to be on your side of the aisle."

[Ethan Talon]

He shrugged, "My side of the aisle? I reckon she can sit wherever she wants, assuming she wants to come at all."