For LoveBugLilly.

Sam and Jake rode in as everyone else was getting ready to eat the next day. "Sam, Jake, you look tired." Gram said as she scooped them some mashed potatoes. They just nodded and walked away to a log. They plopped down heavily on the log and started eating.

"Jake, I've never seen you look this tired," Wyatt said from across the fire. "Did something happen?"

"No, nothing happened." Sam and Jake were quick to answer. Everyone got a suspicous look on their faces, but they left it alone. Sam and Jake looked at each other nervously, both thinking of what had happened that day.

"It's hot," Sam fanned herself.

"Sorry," Jake smirked, cockily. Sam stuck her tongue out at him. "I can't help it." He shrugged.

"Shut up," Sam smiled at him.

"What is that?" Jake wasn't looking at her anymore, he was looking far off to the distance.

"Huh?" Sam looked too. She saw a flash of white and panicked. "Oh, it's nothing I'm sure." She looked around for something to distract Jake with. "Look at that cloud over there! It looks like a, um, butt?" She pointed to a random cloud. Jake gave her a look that said, 'You're kidding right?' He snorted at the cloud before turning back to the white thing in the distance.

"Brat, it's the Phantom." He looked at her expectantly.

"I know..." Sam sighed, then looked at Jake from under her lashes. "Can we get a closer look? Please Jake?" Sam begged. Ace caught the Phantom's smell and nickered to him. Witch just layed her ears back. Jake pursed his lips.

"Fine," he sighed after a minute. They started riding toward the Phantom. He saw or smelled Ace and Witch and tossed his head and nickered. He trotted toward Sam and Jake, head and tail high. He was a yard from them when he stopped, glared at Jake and reared up. "Idiot," Jake whispered under his breath.

"He is not," Sam breathed back. Taking in as much as she could of the white stud. "He's gorgeous." Jake rolled his eyes. The Phantom stopped glaring at Jake and he trotted over to Ace's side. He rubbed on Ace's side. Sam reached over and ran her hands over the Phantom's back.

"Brat..." Jake warned. Sam glanced at him. He would kill her if she slipped on to the Phantom's back, but he had said he understood once, besides how often did she get to ride the Phantom anymore?

Sam made a split second decision and jumped onto the Phantom's back. He snorted, but stood in place a long while, until Jake spoke. "Get down now Brat, before I have a heart-attack." Jake sounded close to begging. Sam was about to answer when the Phantom took off at a gallop. Jake didn't hesiate to leave the cattle. "D*** horse..." Jake swore under his breath as Witch galloped after the Phantom and Sam.

Sam knew Jake was gonna kill her by the look on his red face. His eyes were hard and his lips were pressed together in a hard line. She decided that worrying about what Jake was going to do to her when she got off was going to make her regret even getting on, but if she didn't worry it would all be worth it. She wasn't going to regret it... "Sorry Jake!" she yelled over her shoulder as the Phantom put on more speed.

"No Brat!" Jake shouted. Witch ran, somewhat annoyed with her master. Sam knew that the Phantom was probably going to the valley, but it was so far away and Jake was behind them.

"Zanzibar, I don't think we should go there..."She whispered. He slowed for half a beat, but than laid on the tracks. He arched toward where the cattle were starting to stray. He started working them like a pro. Sam just held on to his mane as Jake slowed Witch to a stop and watched in amazement. Ace was not as captivated...

The Phantom stopped when all the cattle were walking dutifully the way they were supposed be. Sam's mouth was open in shock as was Jake's. The Phantom stomped his foot impatently. Sam took the hint and climbed down. The Phantom looked at Sam and Jake before taking off. "Did you see that?" Sam walked toward where Jake was on Witch. Witch snapped at Sam when she got close. Jake scolded her.

"No Brat, I went blind and missed it." Jake rolled his eyes. Sam stuck his tongue out him.

"See, he's not a bad horse!" Sam put her hand on her hips.

"Mhmm," Jake nodded. "Ace ran away while you were on your joy-ride." Jake noticed, calmly.

"What?" Sam screeched, looking around wildly.

"Brat, calm it, the cattle are going to scatter if you keep being so loud," he warned.

"Where'd Ace go? My dad is going to kill me if I can't find him!" Sam started pacing as Jake watched, amused. "What?" She snapped at him.

"What is something I'm really good at?" Jake waited.

"Being annoying, running, working with horse, being annoying..." Sam listed.

"And..." Jake pressed. Sam thought a while.

"Tracking!" Sam shouted.

"Stop with the yelling," Jake said, watching the cattle.

"Help me find Ace, please Jake," Sam ignored the be quiet warning.

"We have to have someone ride back here to watch the cattle." Jake said digging out the walkie-talkie.

"Okay, hurry-up and get someone back here." Sam was really impatient.

"Seth..." Jake said into the walkie-talkie.

"Yo?" Seth replied.

"It's Jake, can you come back here and help us?" Jake asked. He reached for Sam's hand. "Come on, the cattle are getting to far ahead. We got to watch them 'til Seth gets here."

"I'm coming Jake," Seth replied.

"Thanks," Jake said.

"Yeah, I know, but what about Ace?" She worried about her little Ace.

"I'll find him, don't worry, but the cattle are our responsibility, we can't let our family lose money 'cause we were looking for a horse that will take five minutes to find." Jake said, waiting for Sam to get on.

"Fine." Sam put her hand in Jake's and pulled herself on to Witch. Witch just huffed, annoyed.

"Hold on," Jake warned. Jake spurred Witch into a trot. Sam wrapped her arms around Jake waist. He couldn't help but smirk. Witch caught up to the cattle and started walking again.

"Would Seth hurry up!" Sam was looking around wildly for Seth or Ace.

"He's right there." Jake pointed.

"Where?" Sam looked to where Jake was pointing.

"Well, he could ride faster..."

"Brat, calm down..." Jake was getting annoyed by Sam's brattiness.

"No, my horse is missing!" Sam was getting annoyed by Jake's Jakeness.

"Stop living up to your nickname!" Jake was ready to throw Sam off Witch.

"Brat? You think I'm being a brat? I'll show you a brat!" Sam was fuming.

"He's right S, you are being a brat," Seth said as he came and rode beside them. He looked at Sam's arms around Jake's waist and he smiled. "Where's Ace?"

"That's what we're going to find out." Jake sighed. "That is if Sam acts her age."

"Sorry...I'm just worried about Ace." Sam whispered.

"It's okay," Jake replied.

"Can we go look for Ace now? Seth's here," Sam asked, hopefully.

"Yeah, come on," Jake turned Witch around.

"Thanks Seth!" Sam yelled over her shoulder to Seth.

"You're welcome!" he yelled back.

"Hold on again," Jake said as he pushed Witch into a lope. Sam wrapped her arms tighter around Jake's waist for she had never unwrapped them after the trotting.

"Thanks for the warning." Sam whispered.

"You're welcome." Jake chuckled. He slowed Witch when he got to the spot he had last seen Ace. He looked at the ground and it only took a second before her picked out Ace's tracks'.

"It won't take long now will it?" Sam calmed down considerably.

"No, I don't suspect it will." Jake drawled. Sam looked at his back in annoyance. Stupid fake drawl, annoyed the heck out of her. She decided not to say anything, because after all he was helping her find her horse. Jake looked in the ground in concentration. He didn't think it would be hard to find Ace and wasn't hard to find the tracks, but he was moving fast. "You know, this might actually take a while," he admitted.

"Crap," Sam put her forehead on the back of Jake's back. "If Dad finds out we're dead."

"We're?" Jake raised an eyebrow, but Sam didn't see that.

"Yes, we're," Sam rolled her eyes.

"You let me get on Z-The Phantom," Sam almost said Zanzibar. She hoped to all hope that Jake didn't hear her.

"Let you?" Jake uncharacteristcally yelped. "I didn't let you, you jumped on and nothing I could have said would have stopped you!"

"You didn't try hard to stop me! You could have grabbed me or something. Told me you would have told my dad, but no you just said, 'Brat' in that annoying voice of your's!" Sam replied, stubbornly.

"Oh yeah, I could defiantly have stopped you! Not!" Jake growled the last part. "Brat, you are the most stubborn person I know."

"I'm not stubborn!" Sam argued.

"Yes, you are!" Jake replied.

"I'm not!"

"Are too!"

"I'm not!"

"I'm not!"

"Are too!"

"Got you!" Jake smirked, smugly, but Sam didn't see.

"Yeah," Sam mumbled. She stayed quiet as Jake studied the tracks.

"He stopped loping here." Jake pointed at the ground. Sam nodded, but Jake didn't see. "Aw, come on brat, talk to me." She shook her head. He felt her hair hit his back and sighed. "Brat, you know I can't see your head."

"I know," Sam sighed.

"Stop pouting, I think I see Ace." Jake pointed. Sam tried to look over Jake's shoulder for Ace, but he was too tall.

"I can't see him, you're too tall!" Sam exclaimed. Jake sighed, put his arm back and some how pulled Sam in front of him. It wasn't graceful and it kinda hurt, but the main thing was she could see her horse. And be in Jake's arms, but she ignored the part of her that enjoyed that... "Um, yeah," She looked at what Jake thought was Ace. "Yeah, that's Ace!" She nodded frivously.

"Okay, um, let's go get him." Jake nodded. He put his arms around Sam to hold the reins. He felt something tighten automatically. (Author Note:His legs around Witch. Duh! Gosh, you dirty minded people!) Witch took off into a lope. Sam's hair whipped Jake's face and it stung, but he didn't say anything. Ace looked up and saw them riding toward them and took off.

"Ace..." Sam sighed and shook her head, giving Jake a good whip with her ponytail. Witch caught up with Ace in no time. Jake leaned over and grabbed Ace's reins.

"Whoa." He gave a small tug on the reins and Ace slowed to a trot, Witch stopped though. Jake was pulled off and Sam too. They both tumbled to the desert floor. They rolled to a stop. Ace and Witch both stopped and looked at them. Jake was immediatly at Sam's side. "Are you okay? Did you hit your head? Are you seeing double? What's my name? How old are you? What's your horses name? What's your name? What's your grandma's name? What month is it? What's my nickname for you?" Jake asked the questions that were common for checking for concussions. (Author Note: My dad is a firefighter, this is how he checks me for concussions.)

"I'm fine," Sam sat up and rubbed her arm.

"Answer the questions," Jake ordered.

"I can't remember them all you rambled them off so fast," Sam grumbled.

"Memory loss.." Jake mumbled, worriedly. "Please try and answer the questions as best you can." She could see the worry in his eyes and she started rambling off the answers.

"I didn't hit my head. I'm not seeing double. Your name is Jake. I have a horse name Ace and a horse name Temptest. I'm grandma is Grace. It's June. Your nickname for me is brat. Did I miss any?" Sam asked.

"The common ones, but the ones you definitely wouldn't remember if you had a concussion you knew the answers to, so your fine," Jake smiled. Ace and Witch were munching on some grass. Jake stood up grabbed their trailing reins. He handed Sam Ace's reins. "Come on, we have to get back to work."

"I know," Sam stood up slowly and dusted her bottom off. Jake glanced at it and sighed thoughtfully before mentally scolding himself. Jake swung onto Witch and looked down at Sam expectantly. She put her foot in the stirrup and pulled herself up. "Um, which way do we go?" Sam asked looking around.

"Your sense of directions suck," Jake chuckled, "That way." He pointed north east.

"Well, it doesn't matter if I get lost 'cause you'll always find me." She smiled.

"I might not always be around to find you though," Jake frowned and in turn, Sam frowned.

"Why not?" She demanded.

"You might not always want me to find you," He shrugged, nonchalantly.

"Why wouldn't I?" Sam asked.

"I don't know," Jake shook his head.

"I don't think that'll happen. I think I'll always want you to find me." Sam smiled hopefully.

"I hope your right," Jake replied with a nod.

"Jake, do you think your still gonna call Brat when we're old and married?" Sam asked. She didn't mean it to sound like she was going to marry Jake, but that they'd be married, to someone, not necessarily each other. Though, the thought of them married to each other didn't bother her.

"Yeah, probably," Jake nodded, he started thinking of the 'we're' and how he loved that sounded, but he decided to think about it later when he was alone and didn't have to worry about someone reading his expression.

"Do think Seth will still call me S?"

"Probably," he nodded. "We'll all probably still call you by your nicknames." Sam nodded. They rode and thought silently to themselves until they found Seth.

"Hey Jakers, S, I'm gonna leave you to you're job." Seth started to ride away, but stopped. "What are you two thinking about?"

"Being old," They both came up with. Well, it was somewhat true. They we're older in their 'fantasies', you could say.

"Oh, okay, well see ya," Seth waved and rode away.

"What's being old like in your mind?" Sam asked.

"Horses, a dog, a ranch, a few cats, a old pick-up, a wife, and three kids." Jake summed up everything he had thought of.

"That's just how I imagined being old!" Sam exclaimed, a bright smile on her face.

"A wife?" Jake teased.

"Okay, except that part, that part was a husband." Sam smiled. They both frowned at the same time.

"Who's your husband?" Jake asked at the same time Sam asked, "Who's your wife?"

"Um," They both blushed.

"I didn't really pay attention to her," Jake shrugged. What a lie! He payed a ton of attention to her, his Brat.

"Yeah, me neither," She also lied. She payed Jake plenty of attention. They rode in silence until dinner.

"Well, I'm going to bed." Sam walked to her tent and fell asleep as soon as her head hit the pillow.

"Yeah, I think I'm going to bed too." Jake walked to his tent and crashed.

"They must have had an interesting day..." Gram mussed.

"Take them off tonight's night shift," Wyatt said to Dallas.

"Will do," Dallas nodded.