The Next Go 'Round by dvshipper

The Next Go ‘Round

By: dvshipper

CATEGORY: Alternate Universe

WARNINGS: None

AUTHOR’S NOTES: Thanks to taraleesg1, the awesomest beta in two galaxies. This is an AU inspired by the Garth Brooks song “Rodeo”. Thanks also to dannysgirlsg1 who pointed out the title.

AUTHOR’S WEBSITE:

http://dvshipper.livejournal.com/

The only light in the quiet house was from flickering candles strewn about the living room. An air conditioning unit hummed softly mostly drowned out by the country playlist coming through the sound system. With their backs against the couch, the content couple sat; arms around each other. The bottle of merlot sat mostly empty on the coffee table. A sigh came from the woman’s lips as she laid her head on the man’s shoulder. The peaceful atmosphere was broken by her slightly accented voice. “Daniel, what should we do this weekend? Sam said her and Jack were planning to barbecue.”

“Yeah, about that…,” Daniel’s voice trailed off, not wanting to tell her what he had already planned. He knew she wouldn’t approve, but he had to tell her the truth. “Vala, now I know you don’t like it, but I’ve already got plans with Cam this weekend. We’ve actually been planning it for awhile.”

“Daniel, no,” Vala sat up so quickly the wine in her glass sloshed over onto the faded carpet. She knew exactly what they were going to do; images flashed through her mind, all of them not pleasant. Then, she realized she had to do something, anything, to convince him not to go. “You remember what happened to Cam?”

“Of course I remember what happened to Cam. But he didn’t get himself killed or anything. Just a few broken bones is all,” Daniel replied, trying to explain to Vala that nothing was going to happen to him; nothing serious anyway.

Vala thought for a moment, reliving that Sunday when their friend Cam had been bucked, kicked, and stomped before being pulled from the arena. The smell of wilted yellow roses filled her nose, the flowers that had sat next to Cam in the hospital. A grin pulled at the corners of her mouth, threatening to show, when she remembered Cam smiling even though he was in pain. Vala heaved a heavy breath before speaking. “What can I do to convince you not to go? We could stay home all weekend, just the two of us. Whatever you want.”

“Vala, you know there ain’t nothin’ you can do that’s gonna stop me from competing. This is something I have to do. You know how it is,” Daniel tried to explain, but knew it wouldn’t do any good. Vala was stubborn and while that was sometimes a good thing, today wasn’t one of those times. Either way one of them was going to get hurt. They’d been through worse though.

“Yes, I know how it is. You get it in that thick skull of yours that you’re going to go off and be insane with your buddies. Meanwhile, I’m back at home worried sick if you’re going to come home in casts, if at all,” Vala slumped over a bit, trying to conceal her face from Daniel. “And after everything, I still don’t know why you do it. So tell me, Daniel, why?”

Daniel let her words sink in, thinking for a moment. Closing his eyes he relived the moments that were most important to him on those exciting Sundays. Walking in from the field parking lot, beneath the banner that read “Rodeo this weekend.” Gearing up with Cam out back, getting their ropes ready. The mental checklist he went through every time twice over. The sound of the crowd when he walked out to jump in. The smell of the dirt and the sound of Walter’s voice as he got tied on. All those things were great, but the thing that made all the risk worth it wasn’t the gold in the buckle at the end. It was the adrenaline that pumped through his veins when he put his right hand up and the metal latch opened. Every second after that was pure Zen. Nothing but him and the bull, a test of wills.

“Babe, you know why I do it. It’s the rush. But it’s nothin’ compared to the rush you still give me, darlin’,” Daniel laid it on a bit thick in hopes of not having to sleep on the couch. Leaning forward, he tried to see if his plan was working.

“Don’t you darlin’ me,” Vala replied, quickly turning from Daniel’s gaze. She’d heard that explanation too many times and it still didn’t make sense, probably never would. Daniel had responsibilities and not just with her, but with the ranch team as well. Of course, those obligations didn’t bother him any because his boss Hank was cheering him on at those rodeos most of the time; Cam too. “Ya know what? You can just do what you want with your reckless friends. I don’t care what you do anymore.”

Daniel’s chin dropped to his chest as he sighed. “Now you know you don’t mean that.”

“This time, Daniel, I really do.” Vala told her cowboy sternly as she got to her feet. Daniel watched her walk away and heard the bedroom door shut softly. Left in the candlelight by himself, Daniel leaned his head against the leather couch cushion as a thunderstorm began to rumble outside. Could nature be any more of an omen?

* * * *

The weekend went by too quickly, not giving Daniel enough time to convince Vala to see things his way. Cam had been calling the house a lot in preparation for Sunday, which didn’t help matters. Had it been any other woman, Daniel probably would have told her if she couldn’t accept his way of life, to hit the road. But Vala was different. She had popped into his life in such an “it only happens in movies” type way, he couldn’t just ignore her.

When Daniel and some buddies were out at the local honky-tonk raising hell one Friday night, Vala had shown up. After stumbling out to Daniel’s truck, Cam had started laughing hysterically when he jumped in the back, there being no room left in the front. That’s when they discovered Vala passed out in the back of Daniel’s truck. It seemed like a good idea at the time to take her back to the house and let her sleep it off. She stayed for breakfast and never left Daniel’s side after that.

Sunday afternoon came and brought Cam with it. Pulling up in his beat up, worn in Silverado, the southern boy was there to pick up Daniel. Carolyn, Cam’s fiancée, waited in the rig as her soon-to-be husband barged casually through the screen door. “Anybody home?” Cam yelled into the farmhouse that had peeling paint and creaky floorboards.

“Yeah, in here!” a voice that sounded to be Daniel’s came from the kitchen. “And where do you think you’re going?”

“I’m going to say hi to Carolyn. You’ve got company, therefore this conversation is over,” Vala stomped past Cam as he walked farther into the house. Slamming the screen door behind her, she continued over to the truck in the dirt driveway. Carolyn was sitting in the passenger seat, leaning out the window to greet Vala.

“You look mad. What’d he say this time?” Carolyn asked, knowing Vala’s expression. They had only known each other closely for a while, but in that time they had learned much about each other’s habits and body language. Vala’s anger became more evident as she stopped by the window in a puff of dust.

“It’s not what he said; it’s what he’s doing. He’s ridin’ tonight and I don’t want him to,” Vala let out in a huff. Carolyn had become the only person she could really confide in. Yes, Sam was a good friend, but they had lost the closeness they once shared after Sam started working for the state Department of Ag. Plus, Cam was at the house so much, it would be hard for Vala and Carolyn to not be close.

“Why don’t you want him to? It’s not like he’s the only one. And it’s not like it’s his first time ridin’,” Carolyn told her friend. The rodeo wasn’t anything new to Carolyn. She and Cam had actually met one Sunday when Cam was competing at the state fair a couple years ago. It didn’t really cross her mind anymore to try to stop her fiancée competing. It was just part of who he was.

“Because I don’t want him hurt, that’s why. Don’t you worry about Cam getting trampled or somethin’?” Vala asked, her eyebrows crinkling together and her arms crossing across her chest.

“Well, yeah, of course I worry. But I trust him,” Carolyn didn’t need to say anything more to convey her meaning. Vala’s face softened in understanding. The sound of boots walking down the steps of the porch made both women look up. Cam had that grin that always made Vala happy and Daniel looked like he didn’t want another confrontation. Vala quickly and silently ran past both, leaving all three confused.

Daniel saw Vala disappear back into the house and looked back at Cam as if to ask “What’s up with her?” Before he could even throw his bag of gear in the back of Cam’s rig, Vala was back out next to them. Brown leather purse in hand, she hopped into the back seat of the extended cab. “I take it you’re joining us, princess?” Cam asked in astonishment, remembering her earlier mood. Vala simply nodded a yes.

“So does this mean you’re not angry anymore?” Daniel asked as he buckled in next to her. He couldn’t help but take in her beauty from the side angle. Black ponytail of thick hair, blue check button down shirt, ripped jeans, and dusty, worn boots; the perfect woman in his opinion.

“No, I’m still angry because you could have told me earlier you were going to compete.” Vala contradicted this statement by kissing Daniel on the cheek lightly.

* * * *

The hours leading up to when Cam and Daniel were set to ride passed happily, Carolyn and Vala comfortably chatting in the metal bleachers. They talked of wedding plans, if Daniel was going to pop the question soon and how both men deserved to be in Wrangler commercials. Drinking light beer out of long neck bottles, the two women waited nervously as various familiar faces got on and were bucked off bulls before Cam came up to ride.

Carolyn squeezed Vala’s hand tightly as Cam gave the nod to open the gate. Five agonizingly long seconds later, Cam safely dismounted and made it to the edge of the arena. The crowd cheered and Carolyn sighed with relief when Cam waved his black cowboy hat.

After two locals, it was Vala’s turn to squeeze Carolyn’s hand. She watched as Daniel settled onto the bull and tied his grip. His hand raised and his head nodded, leaving Vala to hold her breath. One. Two. Three. Four. Five. Six. Six and a half. Vala still couldn’t get air in her lungs because Daniel hadn’t gotten a safe dismount. His back was planted in the dust and the bull was much too close for Vala’s comfort. It turned, as did Daniel. The irritated animal chased Daniel all the way to the wall before turning after Daniel jumped to safety.

Vala took a shaky, deep breath when she saw Daniel walk away, white Stetson in hand. Getting up from her seat, she couldn’t wait to go see him. Making her way outside near the arena entrance, Vala looked around trying to find him. When she didn’t see him, she searched around the corner. That’s when she saw him, leaned up against the wall. Cowboy hat dipped down, stance wide with leather chaps, he looked the picture of sexy with a cigarette between his fingers.

Daniel was taken by surprise when slender arms wrapped around his neck. Recognizing the perfume and the warmth, he dropped his smoke and tightly gripped her waist. Burying his face in her neck, he picked her up and turned a few circles before setting her down again. “See? Nothing injured, completely fine,” Daniel reassured Vala.

“You had me worried for a second there ya know,” Vala told him, looking up into his sky blue eyes. It felt good to just be held in his strong arms, all the worry now gone.

“I know,” Daniel pressed his forehead to hers and closed his eyes. “It felt better with you here though. I wasn’t so nervous.”

Vala sighed, knowing Carolyn had been right all along. “I guess that’s what happens when I trust you, huh?”

“I guess so, babe.”

The evening heat sunk in around them as they stood in each other’s arms. Pink thin clouds moved slowly across the sky from a breeze that barely reached the ground. The couple had a single, smooth silhouette, each half steadily breathing in the scent of the other. The only sounds were the muffled murmuring of the announcer inside the arena ending the rodeo and a stray crow in the distance. All was peaceful even with the adrenaline flowing through the cowboy, a remnant from his brush with the bull. The woman found a similar calm in her adrenaline, which was pumping through her for a very different reason.

A voice brought Daniel and Vala out of their unity. That rough drawl they knew so well called to them. “Hey, lovebirds, food!” Cam stood in front of them for a moment before holding up a hamburger bun filled with brisket and barbecue sauce in a flimsy paper tray. In his other hand was a beer, held loosely by his long, dirty fingers.

“Yeah, yeah, we’re comin’,” Daniel told his buddy, sliding his hands down Vala’s back so that he could grab hold of her right hand.

“Well, not yet,” Vala whispered into Daniel’s ear. Her new-found good mood shined through as she kissed Daniel’s jaw and pulling him along, following Cam back around the corner. By her boyfriend’s low chuckle, Vala could tell he was happy that she wasn’t mad at him anymore. Or maybe he was just anticipating getting home.

As they found their way to the parking lot, the smell of barbecued meat overwhelmed them. Someone had rolled up with one of those trailer grills during the rodeo and was cooking enough to feed an army. Beef brisket, pork ribs, and a very small amount of hotdogs for the kids plus bags of buns were all spread out on paper plates on a large red table cloth that had been put on someone’s tailgate. Coolers of beer, bottled water, and soda were set beside the truck. Another truck’s tailgate had been arranged with bottles of homemade barbecue sauce, lots of bottles. There were however, only one bottle each of mustard and ketchup. These people didn’t mess around, coming fully prepared for a party.

Many familiar faces were gathered around; eating, drinking, and talking. A few kids ran by as Daniel and Vala made their way to get some of that smoky smelling beef. How could anyone refuse a good brisket sandwich?

As soon as they had fixed their plates after being happily surprised by someone pulling a bucket of potato salad from a cooler, Daniel and Vala went to stand with Cam, Carolyn, and T. Carolyn quickly motioned Vala to follow her to get a drink and let the ‘men-folk’ talk amongst themselves. “So? How are things?” Carolyn asked Vala, raising her eyebrows as if her tone hadn’t conveyed all her meaning.

“Very good. In fact, I wouldn’t be surprised if Daniel is trying to think of some excuse to go home right now. He seems quite happy that the make-up sex will follow,” Vala sounded amused on the surface of her voice. Really though, she was looking for a way to get home just as much as he was. Daniel was always keyed up after a good rodeo. All that testosterone induced energy didn’t just leave a man when he jumped off the bull.

“Aw, you two are so cute,” Carolyn paused for a moment as she took a swig from her bottle of water (one couldn’t drink beer at every single occasion, in her opinion). When she looked over at her friend’s boyfriend, her expression was one of annoyance. “Well bless her heart, she thinks she’s gonna get somewhere with Daniel. Care to have some fun?”

“Oh yes, I think that little blonde needs a message,” Vala smiled a wide evil smile as she threw her plate into one of the black trash bags hanging off the bed of a truck. They made their way back to the close group that the offending woman had weaseled her way into. Long straight hair, faded jeans painted on tight, and a stance that screamed ‘home wrecker.’

As Vala approached, she could tell Daniel was trying to be nice to that little…well in Vala’s opinion, tramp. Everyone in the small town knew that Daniel was taken, but there was the occasional woman who thought they could convince him otherwise. A plan began to formulate that Vala thought would be fitting and appropriate.

Cam caught sight of Vala’s intent approach before Daniel. Being the good friend and wingman that he was, he gave Daniel a little elbow nudge letting him know he was about to get caught talking to a beautiful (to some, at least) woman.

When Daniel looked up at his girlfriend, he immediately knew the glimmer in her eye. It wasn’t him she was mad at; it was the other woman she was going to kill if the opportunity presented itself. Dueling was a very old western tradition that didn’t really appear in modern times. However, Vala would have probably agreed and chosen her pistol.

A slender, but strong hand that belonged to Vala reached up, took the hat off Daniel’s head and placed it on her own. Much to the blonde’s disgruntlement, Daniel leaned down and placed a rather passionate kiss on Vala’s lips. When Vala thought her point had been made, she broke away from the kiss to see that the ‘home wrecker’ had stomped off. “Take me home, cowboy?” Vala asked with a wink.

“Yes, ma’am,” Daniel said with his thick drawl. However, he realized that they had all come in Cam’s rig and he therefore had no way to take Vala home himself. Looking at Cam, Daniel searched for a solution.

“I believe, future Mrs. Mitchell, that it’s time we head out and drop these two off.” With that statement, Cam swiftly gathered up Carolyn in his arms and headed for the truck.

Daniel needed no hint before turning to offer his back to Vala. With a bit of a running start, she hopped onto his broad back for a piggy back ride to Cam’s truck. On the dim journey, Vala leaned down to nip at Daniel’s earlobe. “Save a horse, ride a cowboy,” she sang softly into his hear. His pace quickened after that and seemed very impatient on the ride home. Vala found his anxiousness, expressed in putting his arm around her shoulders and his other hand on her thigh, very cute. It would have been adorable in fact, had she not been feeling the same eagerness herself.

When they arrived home, Daniel again carried her into the house. This time however, it was not a playful gesture and direct reference to a song. It was because as soon as Cam’s truck left the driveway, Vala couldn’t keep her hands, or her lips, away from Daniel. With her legs wrapped around his waist and ankles firmly clasped on his lower back, his hands supported her butt more firmly than was probably necessary. They were so lost in each other that everything else was on autopilot getting into the house. Daniel didn’t need to look at the steps, he just went up them.

Doors slammed open then shut, clothes flew and various items were knocked to the ground. Just as they were almost in the bedroom, Daniel broke away from a particularly growl inducing lip-lock. “Ya know, you anger the hell outta me sometimes,” Daniel told the beautiful woman in his arms.

“But isn’t it worth it?” Vala asked in a voice gritty with passion. Her lips continued their task on his neck to accentuate her point.

“Like you don’t already know the answer to that.” Daniel left his comment hanging at the door as they entered the bedroom. All that followed them through that door was passion, need, love, and the mutual understanding that whatever went down between them could never interfere with their love and commitment to one another. Any fight, any cold shoulder, any disagreement, it wouldn’t matter in the end. They’d always come back to each other and to what had grown between them. A love that had grown like a weed and was just as persistent. One that wouldn’t and couldn’t be mowed down by whatever came their way.

** The End **

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