AU / MM!verse fic

[scurlock]

This is just a sort of AU / MM!verse fic that spawned one day from a small bunny into a full blown ficlet, and I'm posting it here for the formatting stuff to show properly. Basically ikissdhimbck and docscurlock are happily married, with two young kids, own a ranch, etc. CUTE FLUFFY FIC.





The sun is barely peeking over the horizon when Doc wakes to an empty bed, and one touch of the sheets - faint remnants of body heat still clinging to the cotton fabric - tells him that she's probably still in the barn, at least for another ten minutes or so, unless she's moving quick.

He's out of bed and dressed in half that amount of time, bare feet padding quietly across the wooden floors of the upper level of the cabin as he heads for the stairs and makes his way down. There's a cup of coffee sitting on the dining table, still hot, and he lifts it as he pushes the front door open, steam curling around his fingers as he steps out onto the front porch. He can hear the faint sound of hooves on the packed earth outside the barn, but doesn't bother to go look. She'll swing in front of the house on her way out.

She does.

"You be careful, now," he tells her, as he lifts his coffee cup, eyes locked with hers as she sits up there on that saddle, reins lightly in her hand, hat tipped down over her eyes.

"I always am, you know that."

Doc smiles at her. "I know. I always say it, just to remind you," he replies, with a slight nod - he knows, and he understands just what she means without her having to say a word more - before he has another sip and then turns to walk back inside the house.

Hoofbeats echo off the quiet of the trees as she heads down the front road, towards town.

He walks through the house to the kitchen and surveys the view from the window as he drinks the coffee, considering just what it is that he needs to do this morning. If she's already been out to the barn, that means the horses have been fed and watered, but they'll need to be brushed and turned out to the paddock. He wants to take a look around the fence line on the east side of the property. He needs to check the feed stores and see if he needs to head into town...

Doc takes another drink of coffee and then turns to head back outside, empty mug left on the counter, grabbing his jacket on the way out the door. It's not too cold out, and there isn't that much work involved in turning out the hitch team. He decides to brush them later, instead saddling up his horse, and the young bay filly, leaving both of them in their stalls.

His boots crunch against the dirt as he heads back to the house and hollers upstairs.

"I know you're both awake by now," he calls.

There's silence - and what he's pretty sure is a giggle or two - which makes him smile, even if he does lean against the doorframe and pull in a breath to keep his serious composure as he continues. "Dressed and downstairs in yer ridin' clothes in ten minutes or you ain't gettin' breakfast."

At the words 'riding clothes' he hears feet hit the hardwood above his head, and he grins before heading for the kitchen. Breakfast is a simple affair, sliced apples, bread, a bit of cheese and some fried bacon, which is on the table by the time both of their children make it there.

"Where's mama?" Grace pipes up first, as he hauls herself into a chair and reaches for her napkin.

"Your mother's gone into town for the mornin', she'll be back sometime 'round suppertime."

"What'd she go into town for?" Benjamin asks, as he goes straight for the fruit, until his father gives him a look and he reaches for the napkin instead. There's a pause, before the prayer is said, and then the children start eating.

Doc's drinking his coffee when their son asks the question again, and he glances out the open front door, the sunlit dirt seeming a million miles away. He then looks to Benji. "Needed t'check on some things, pick up the post." He walks over and ruffles the boy's already-messy hair, before he smooths Gracie's back and tries to tame it into some sense of order.

(It's a losing battle before he begins.)

"You gonna eat, Poppa?"

He looks down at her, and then at the food, before he grabs a piece of bacon. "Yep."

Grace looks at him as cross as a five year old - who loves and respects her daddy, and is trying not to giggle - is able to. "You know that ain't eating."

"I've got you on your Mama's side, now, huh," he drawls, as he picks up a piece of bread and then continues on his circuit around the table. "Bring your hats and don't forget your gloves, I'll be out in the barn when you're finished."

Both of then answer in the affirmative before he heads out the door to the barn. It isn't long before both children have joined him, looking excited as all get out. Neither of them have mentioned school, and since he hasn't told them to fetch their books...

Doc knows what they're thinking.

"I think your mother will understand you missin' out on writin' lessons today. She knows that sometimes y'gotta learn things that aren't in books," he explains, as he pulls the three year old out of her stall and then nods at their son. "Y'get on up there, she's gonna ride with me today, if you think that's a plan, little one?"

Gracie bounces excitedly. "Yes!"

"Alright."

Benjamin climbs up into the saddle and then Doc pulls his own horse out, setting Grace up on the edge of the stall before he hauls himself into the seat, then reaches for her to set her in front of him on his lap.

"Where we going?"

"Where are we going," he corrects her, gently, as he picks up the reins and clicks quietly to his horse.

"Where are we going?" She asks again.

"You, your brother, and I," he speaks as he leads the way out of the barn and turns to head up towards the woods. "Are going to go check the fences on the east end of the ranch."

"Is that down by the river?"

"No," Benji pipes up. "River's off to the west."

"The sun sets by the river, and the river is to the west. The east is where the sun rises," he points up into the sky, the golden glow filtering through the trees as they begin the trek along the path. "That way."

"Ohhhhh."

Doc settles one arm around his baby girl and keeps the other on the reins as they make their way to the far side of their land. Most of it is woodland, save for the clearing cut when they put the paddocks in, the timber used to build the house, the barn, and the fenceline that surrounds the property. They've got space for a handful of horses, and a good sized vegetable garden near the barn. Deer run in the woods, which provides for venison, and there's the occasional wild pig that he manages to bag for the pork.

Along the way he points out signs to watch for - bird calls, signaling that there might be a nest nearby, fresh scars on tree bark from rutting bucks, tracks of deer and other creatures in the undergrowth. He talks to them about the sun, and how you can always find your way so long as you can see it blazing up above in the sky. Benji asks about Indians, and Doc spends nearly half an hour telling him about the Navajo and their traditions, respect for the land, the earth, the folk on it, while Grace sits quietly in his lap and listens.

(He barely pays attention to the fence line.)

By the time they've ridden the length of it, he knows that they're getting to be hungry, and it's past noon, so they head back towards the house. Doc knows she won't be home, yet, having gone to meet with a few of her boys to talk 'business', so after the horses are brushed down and turned out to graze, he prepares a simple lunch while they wash up.

"So what're we gonna do after lunch?"

"I don't know, I was thinkin' maybe we might make some cookies or somethin' to surprise your mama with when she gets back in from town," he says.

Both children perk up at this idea, but Doc just plays coy as he has another bite of the baked beans on his plate, using a bit of bread to scrape them onto the fork. It's just an idea, after all.

"Poppa, can we make the ones with the chocolate chips?" Gracie asks, giving him a smile with wide blue eyes that she is damn well aware that her father can't resist no matter how hard he tries.

Doc looks at both of them, and then nods. "Yeah, after we clean up the crockery from lunch, however..."

(Benji is already out of his seat and heading for the door to fetch a pail of water.)

By the time lunch is cleared, and the dough for the cookies is taking shape in a bowl - Gracie is sitting on the table, eating chocolate bits while Benji sits in a chair at the table and wipes a bit of grease on the baking sheet with a cloth - the sun is starting to hit the other side of the house, lighting up the interior with a bright golden glow that catches her hair.

He smiles as he brings the bowl over and the two of the kids spoon the pats of dough (and eat plenty of it in the process) onto the sheet, and then he puts it into the oven, which he stoked earlier to make sure it would be hot.

While they're baking, he steps into the other room just long enough to stoke the fireplace, when he hears a shout from the kitchen and then an amused peal of laughter. A glance at the doorway shows a puff of white powder flying across the open air, and when he reenters the room, he takes a shot of flour straight to the chest.

"What the..."

Both children are dusted with the flour, paused mid-throw with looks of guilt on their faces.

Doc looks down at his shirt, then up at the two of them. "Both of you, outside."

They scramble out and then head for the back door, and Doc looks at the kitchen (thankfully the flour is not everywhere) and then pauses, as he thinks on something. One hand grabs the small sack of fine milled powder and he brushes his shirt off, before he grabs the empty bowl from earlier and heads out back.

Both Benjamin and Grace are standing there, waiting expectantly, and hoping they're not in too much trouble.

Doc says nothing, as he walks a short distance from the house, sets the bowl down, then pours the flour in to it, before he whistles for both of them to come join him. He's squatting on his heels, looking up at their faces.

"Now y'see, when you get into a mess like this, y'got to remember the rules," he says. "No messin' up your mama's kitchen, you hear me? I expect both of you to help me clean it up, later."

"Yes, Poppa."

"Yessir."

"Good. Now," he continues, slowly reaching down into the bowl with his hands. His fingers curl around the powder, but his eyes stay on their eyes, and he knows that they keep their eyes on his during a scolding.

They're good kids.

"Close your eyes. Both of you."

They do.

As soon as their eyes are closed, Doc jerks his hands up - gotta have fast hands - and then rolls backwards on the grass, flinging the flour at the two of them, which causes a large puff of white dust to settle and the both of them to holler.

"Poppa!"

"Daaaaaaaaad!"

Benji scoops up a handful of the power and flings it at him, and all hell promptly breaks loose as the flour flies through the air, coating everything in a large circle around them with a thin layer of white. Including themselves. Gracie is squealing happily, so loud that Doc doesn't hear hoofbeats until Kate comes into view around the far side of the house, pulling the reins of her horse gently to come to a stop.

"...Josiah, what in the blazes is goin' on here?!"

All three of them freeze - with that guilty look on their faces.

Benji pipes up first. "He was just makin' certain that we followed the rules. No messes inside the house."

"Yeah! We was just playin' outside!" Grace offers, before she drops the handful of flour onto the ground with a quiet whoosh sound.

Doc nods slightly. "Just playin' outside."

"That so?" Katherine asks as she dismounts from the horse and drops the lead to the ground, knowing that the animal is trained well enough to stay put. As she walks across the space to them, Doc notices she's still got that bare hint of a swagger in her step, a sway in her hips that she only gets when she's out there.

"That's so," he replies, evenly, giving her a small smile. "Kids and I got a lot of work done today, so we were just havin' a bit of fun 'fore we're going to get washed up for supper," he adds.

"We learned all kinds of stuff today, Mama! Daddy took us out ridin' an' we checked the fences and he told us all about animals and the trees and we learned 'bout the Indians--"

"Navajo," Doc corrects.

"'Bout the Navajo," Gracie continues. "And we had breakfast an' lunch."

"We made sure Daddy ate," Benji offers up, as he dusts off his hair.

"And then we made some cookies, which I gotta check on 'fore they burn," Doc says, as he stands up and looks at the two of them. "Both of you dust off best y'can, and I'll start heatin' up some bathwater. Don't be trackin' that in the house."

He turns to walk away and Kate puts a hand on his chest. "Kept them home from school today, didja?"

Doc nods slightly. "Figured there ain't no harm in takin' a holiday every now and then," he says.

Kate looks at him evenly, but the corners of her lips twitch into a smirk as she looks at the white powder coating his features, and she sighs. "Josiah Scurlock," she murmurs.

Both the children have scurried off to dust their clothes, leaving them standing there in the middle of the yard. She reaches up as she wipes her thumb over his eyebrow, a tiny puff of flour filtering off his skin.

"What ever am I gonna do with you..."

He sighs quietly. "Dunno. Reckon whatever you please," he whispers.

His eyes are asking the question he doesn't need to say out loud.

She nods.

"Good," he says, before he leans in and presses his lips against her forehead. "I best get to checkin' those cookies."

Her fingers hook into the waistband of his jeans, pulling him closer, stern look in her eyes before she speaks.

"You make 'em with those chocolate chips?"

Doc grins. "Yes, ma'am, we did."

Kate allows her mouth to break into a smile, then, as she pats him on the stomach and then takes a step back. "Good man." As she turns to go back to her horse, she glances at him over her shoulder. "But you best clean that kitchen up 'fore I get in there and see the mess you made, Cowboy."

He laughs - but nods, as he walks back up to the house, calling for their children to come help him clean up before dinner.